Mark Brake/Getty Images(LOMPOC, Calif.) -- Let it not be said that Elon Musk doesn't know how to grab people's attention.



The SpaceX founder captured much of the southwest portion of the country's attention by accident on Friday night when his company launched its Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, California.



The rocket was carrying 10 low-orbit satellites from Iridium Communications. The launch went exactly as planned.



Well, except for all the fears of an alien invasion.



Hundreds of people in Southern California called authorities in fear of what the bright, white streak and expanding "cloud" in the sky could be. The Los Angeles Fire Department went as far as to warn that a "mysterious light in the sky is reported to be as a result of Vandenburg Air Force Base launching rocket to put satellite into space."



Musk joked about the UFO fears on Twitter, reveling in the chatter.



Of course, he also took the opportunity to promote his next launch -- because what kind of billionaire businessman would he be otherwise?



But more than stoking fears, the launch gave people a chance to fill up their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Following a year of what company officials describe as "impressive performance" by First Horizon National Corporation, parent company of First Tennessee, and in connection with recent tax reform efforts, First Horizon is offering bonuses to employees.First Tennessee will distribute $1,000 bonuses to eligible employees in January. The one-time payouts will be offered to employees who do not participate in company-sponsored bonus plans.This has been an exceptional year for First Horizon as we experienced balance sheet and revenue growth, while focusing on controlling costs, said Bryan Jordan, First Horizons chairman and CEO.Our merger with Capital Bank  the largest in our companys history  thus far it has been a seamless transition thanks to our employees. And as a result of this outstanding performance and because of recent tax reform efforts that we believe will benefit First Horizon, we are happy to offer bonuses to our people who work hard every day to maintain First Horizons reputation as one of the best companies to work for and one of the most trusted banks in the country.First Horizons merger with Capital Bank, which closed on Nov. 30, created the fourth largest regional bank in the Southeast with approximately $40 billion in assets, $32 billion in deposits, $27 billion in loans and 350 branches in Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas and Virginia.Chattanooga Market President Jeff Jackson said, We are thrilled that were able to honor the work of our team with this bonus. They do so much not only to assist our customers but also our community. Id like to personally thank our team for all they do. Its an honor to work with them.
The past economic year was better than expected, as global growth strengthened and financial markets performed very well. Economics triumphed over politics.

However, in 2018, geopolitical risk may shift from background noise to event risk, in both advanced and emerging economics, but, then again, it will more likely just be a repeat of the past year.

A year ago, the consensus view of the world economy and markets, coming into 2017, was for a Goldilocks mix of strong growth, decent corporate profits, low volatility, a gradual drift higher in government bond yields, and a continued melt up in equity markets.

If anything, the year proved even more resilient than many had hoped for. World stocks rose 20%, global economic growth was its strongest since 2010, market volatility fell to its lowest level on record, and junk bond yields hit all-time lows.

It didnt help to be a contrarian in 2017. At the start of the year, secular stagnation, political risk and weak recovery were the key themes of the doomsayers, but they quietly faded from the wider market discourse as, frankly, global growth and markets boomed.

Continued, central bank largesse and a surprisingly rosy economic backdrop, particularly in Europe, anchored market volatility, which provided the springboard for the global and cross-asset rally.

Here at home, we have had a few political scares, but the minority government is still standing, albeit under a new Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. However, the overall economic picture remains very positive.

Brexit has moved on to the next phase, with firm commitments made from Britain that there will be no hard border between the North and South, irrespective of what the final exit deal with the EU looks like.

Any concerns over Brexit havent shown up in the key Irish economic indicators. When the final GDP figures for 2017 are eventually published, it is likely that Ireland will top the EU growth league table for the fourth year running, with real GDP growth of 7% on the cards.

More and more people are in work, and the jobless rate is edging ever closer to 6%, having been as high as 15.9% in late 2011, at the height of the financial crisis.

Despite sterling weakening on the foreign exchanges, as a result of Brexit concerns and a slowing UK economy, core Irish retail sales  excluding cars  held up remarkably well in 2017.

That said, there have been some negative effects from the weaker pound, most notably on food exports to the UK and a drop-off in the number of British tourists visiting Ireland. Still, the underlying picture, heading into 2018, remains fairly bright.

The US economy will start the new year in the perfect spot, though that would suggest that the only way is down. But, with the help of the proposed Trump tax cuts, the US economy could well see its best year of activity in over a decade, and the unemployment rate could drop to its lowest level in 50 years.

Meanwhile, the eurozone economy is in a similarly sweet spot to the US, but the growth cycle remains young and is only beginning to broaden out, so the ECB will remain reluctant to give up monetary policy support.

Growth in 2017 was the best in a decade and is only projected to be marginally weaker in 2018. This has to be positive for Irelands growth prospects over the next 12 months. Although Britain appears to have cleared a key hurdle in Brexit talks and focus can now move to discussion of a trade agreement, slow progress suggests that uncertainty will remain high.

Even if an eventual deal is likely, its terms will not be clear for some time.

In mid-December, the Central Bank published its second edition of the 2017 Macro-Financial Review (MFR), which provided an overview of the current state of the macro-financial environment in Ireland.

Despite a global economic recovery that continues to strengthen, the review highlighted a range of risks to the Irish economy and financial system.

The risks identified in the latest MFR include Brexit, disruptions to global trade arrangements, and overheating and high levels of indebtedness, in both households and firms. The MFR noted that a Brexit-related slowdown in the UK economy could negatively affect Irish retail banks profitability in the long-term, as they continue to have significant exposures in the UK market.

Firms relocating to Ireland are likely to place additional pressure on an already tight Dublin property market, both residential and commercial.

This is coupled with the existing lack of infrastructure in transport and communications. The counter-cyclical capital buffer on Irish banks exposures, set by the Central Bank, remains at 0%.

This rate reflects the prevailing, subdued, if strengthening credit environment. While the Central Bank is justified in highlighting these risks, we dont think they will be an issue for 2018.

Our main concern remains the Irish property market, with tentative signs that lack of supply could lead to over-heating and a repeat of what we saw during the height of the Celtic Tiger era.

But, the overall economic backdrop remains favourable for the time being, with every chance that 2018 will simply be a replay of 2017, as regards the main dynamics and Irelands growth figures.

Alan McQuaid is chief economist with Merrion Capital.
Start-ups are at the forefront of business innovation in Ireland and many new companies here are using technology to come up with unique solutions to universal problems, writes Ruth Doris.

This year Ive spoken to many great entrepreneurs and start-ups. The first of these is Firemole, a simple safety tech gadget which can potentially save lives. The device, which attaches to a phone charger, or electrical appliance sounds an alarm when the charger overheats.

Electrician Sean O Tuama came up with the idea for Firemole after a near-fire in his home. Considering the recent coverage of phone chargers going on fire, its surprising that this is the first device of its kind. He is currently working on a smart version of the device, where alerts are sent to the users phone, and an app which can turn off power to an area of a house remotely.

Many a start-up has come into being as a result of its founders frustration with a common problem. Aisling Byrnes platform connects those who want to swap their spare room for another room in a different location.

The costume designer came up with the idea on an early morning drive from Galway to a film set in Dublin after struggling to find an affordable short-term rental in the capital. Ms Byrne compared her business Switching Rooms to Airbnb with no rent. Having launched this summer, the site aims to fill the estimated 20,000-bed supply gap in student accommodation in Ireland.

Pointy co-founder Mark Cummins recognises the barriers to a retailer getting online. And prohibitive costs for web design are just the start of it. Pointy aims to get rid of those barriers for shopkeepers. For a once-off fee of 299, retailers can purchase a device which connects to the shops barcode scanner. This creates a webpage for the store on the Pointy platform and products are automatically listed.

Imagine your favourite band appearing in miniature 3D augmented reality and performing in your living room, or on top of your coffee cup. With ground-breaking music platform Firstage, this can be a reality. Founder Keith Lawler describes Firstage as a brand new type of venue where bands can play to an unlimited audience.

Firstage brought their concept to life at Other Voices, the television series recorded at a church in Dingle. It live-streamed performances by artists to virtual paper pop-up churches which were distributed in pubs around the town.

FarmHedge is another start-up where the founder used his domain expertise to disrupt an offline industry.

The platform aims to make the highly-localised farming sector more efficient. He also hopes to help the 140,000 family farms in Ireland to achieve income stability.

The app includes a feature which creates weather alerts around activities based on forecasts and historical data for the farms location.

Suppliers can identify a number of farmers located in a certain area and make an offer, rather than trying to sell to each farmer individually.
Businesses and Gardai need to come together in a bid to manage the so-called 12 Pubs of Barrack St during the festive season, writes Eoin English.

The annual event peaked on December 22 when thousands of young people converged on pubs along Barrack Street and Bandon Road.
One Chinese tour guide was trampled to death by an elephant on Thursday evening, December 21 in Thailand.

The owner of the popular elephant camp in Bang Lamung District named Au Yungram said that two foreign female tourists were riding on the back of a teenager elephant named "Plai Uthen" when they were surrounded by about dozen of tourists of the same group, wanting to take photos of the elephant too.

While tourists surrounded the elephant, one of the tourists pulled its tail, causing it to be angry and charge into the crowd of tourists. One of the women who road onto him was thrown off the animal's back while the other one managed to hang on.

According to a report by Chinese media outlet, the tour group was from Chongqing. The elephant reacted that way because tourists yanked its tail twice and refused to listen to their tour guide's warnings.

He Yongjie, the 34-year-old Chinese tour guide tried to rushed in to rescue the tourists but he then found himself being knocked to the ground and trampled on by the frightened animal.

The Chinese tour guide died because of the severe injuries he had on his head and chest. The two women who rode the elephant were also rushed to the hospital.

"This kind of tourists should be forbidden from leaving the country to stop innocent people from getting hurt," a netizen said on Weibo after the incident sparked firestorm against "uncivilized" Chinese tourists going abroad.
Buskers will take to the streets of Waterford today to raise funds for two charities.

The event, Busk Aid, sees musicians rally together all in aid of Tintean Housing Association and the Waterford Lions Club Christmas Hamper Appeal.
Direct Provision will be one of the biggest shames on the Irish state since the Magdalene Laundries.

That is according to the Union of Students in Ireland, who are holding a protest against the system in Dublin today.
Let Me Tell You is a new bespoke podcast series from



Hosts Daniel McConnell and Paul Hosford take a look back at some of the most dramatic moments in recent Irish political history from the unique perspective of one of the key players involved.


Update 12.17pm, 26/12/17: Jason Collins has been located safe and well.

The gardai have thanked the public for their assistance.

Earlier: Gardai appealing for help to find missing Dublin teen Jason Collins

Gardai are appealing for help in finding a missing Dublin teenager.

16-year-old Jason Collins was last seen on December 16 in the Blanchardstown Retail Park at around 1.45pm.

He is described as being 5'4" with brown short hair and blue eyes and of slim build.

When last seen he was wearing a black Nike runners, grey tracksuit bottoms, black zip up top, white t-shirt and red hoodie under the zip up.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Gardai.
Update: Aoife Hawthorn has been found safe and well

Earlier: Gardai in Dublin are looking for help in finding a missing teenager.

13-year-old Aoife Hawthorn was last seen on Lismore Road in Crumlin yesterday afternoon at around 4pm.

She is described as 56" in height, with long brown hair and of medium build.

When last seen, Aoife was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and runners.

Anyone with information should contact Crumlin Garda Station on (01) 666-6200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
Update 9pm: A man has been charged with murder after a supermarket worker was stabbed to death in an aisle at work.

Jodie Willsher was attacked at an Aldi in the UK yesterday.

Her husband Malcolm has since described the 30-year-old as "lovely and warm", and always having a smile on her face.

"She was amazing, beautiful and a lovely person. She was a doting mother and a loving wife," he added.

North Yorkshire Police said the 44-year-old man will appear at York Magistrates' Court on December 23.

North Yorkshire Police said Mrs Willsher suffered multiple serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to hospital for emergency treatment, where she later died.

Colin Breslin, UK regional managing director at Aldi, said she was a "much loved and popular colleague", and that they are all deeply shocked and saddened by her death.

Matthew Barnes, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: "Everyone at Aldi is heartbroken by this devastating news. Our deepest sympathy goes to Jodie's family, friends and colleagues.

"We are doing everything we can to support our people and all those affected during this difficult time."

Officers investigating the death have appealed for a man in his sixties or possibly older, who restrained the suspect, to come forward.

Described as wearing a flat cap and a lighter and darker two-tone walking-type jacket, the force said he was the first person to try to intervene and was involved in a sustained struggle with the suspect.

Officers said it is believed he was shopping with a lady with short, light brown hair who was wearing a light-coloured, possibly grey, jacket - and that they both appear to have left the store before emergency services arrived.

The town council's mayor Andy Rankine said those who live in Skipton are "in shock and grieving" over the loss of Mrs Willsher.

Floral tributes to Mrs Willsher have been left at the edge of the police cordon around the store in Keighley Road, which is closed until further notice while police continue their investigation.

One man, who did not want to be named, laid down flowers describing Mrs Willsher as an "absolutely lovely person".

"There's so many people she knew, so many people affected by it. It's shocking, an absolutely lovely person, never do any harm to nobody," he said.

"She idolised her daughter. She put a snap on Facebook yesterday of her with her daughter cuddling in bed before she went to work.

"Nobody should ever go to work and not come home."

Jodie and Mal Willsher, via Facebook

Earlier: A supermarket worker who was stabbed to death in an aisle at work was a "bubbly, lovely girl", well-wishers have said.

Customers pinned down the suspect after Jodie Willsher, 30, was attacked at an Aldi in Skipton, North Yorkshire in England, on Thursday afternoon.

A 44-year-old local man was being questioned on suspicion of murder on Friday morning.

Mrs Willsher was married to Mal and their daughter is at primary school.

He changed his profile picture on Facebook to show the couple smiling together.

The town council's mayor Andy Rankine said: "Skipton is a small but close-knit community where most people know each other. We are in shock about the sad events of yesterday where a store worker was murdered whilst going about her duties.

"The whole town is in shock and grieving over the loss of Jodie.

"Christmas this year will an ordeal for many residents."

People left tributes on a community Facebook page, saying "she was such a happy, friendly person", while another described her as a "bubbly, lovely girl".

One wrote: "Horrendous, so tragic for her family and for those who witnessed this barbaric act."

Another customer said she had seen Mrs Willsher earlier that day wearing a Christmas jumper at work.

One shopper who was in the store at the time of the attack said she had "never been so scared in my life".

The witness, who asked to remain anonymous, heard "loads of screams" then saw the victim lying on the floor and a man pinned down as "everyone screamed and ran up and down".

She said: "I just saw the aftermath. I was so scared I ran off. All the staff were racing about, not knowing what to do."

Paramedics were called to the store in Keighley Road but Mrs Willsher died despite their efforts.

North Yorkshire Police said the incident was not terror-related or believed to be a hate crime.
The death toll from mudslides and flooding triggered by tropical storm Tembin has risen to 200, police said here late Saturday night.



Residents wade through a flooded area in Kabacan, North Cotabato, on the southern island of Mindanao on December 23, 2017, after Tropical Storm Tembin dumped torrential rains across the island.[Photo: VCG]

Tembin has also left dozens of others missing as it has been pounding the southern Philippines and dumping torrential rains in its way since early Friday.

In a report, Superintendent Lemuel Gonda of the provincial Philippine National Police (PNP) said 135 people have died in Northern Mindanao and 47 in Zamboanga Peninsula during the storm.

Rescue workers evacuate flood-affected residents in Davao on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao early on December 23, 2017, after Tropical Storm Tembin dumped torrential rains across the island. [Photo: VCG]

Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said 18 people were also killed in the ARMM region.

Of the 135 killed in Northern Mindanao, 127 people were from Lanao del Norte, six from Bukidnon, one from Iligan, and one from Misamis Occidental. About 72 others are still missing, the police said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is still culling reports from the storm-ravaged region.

A man and his motorcycle are transported on a makeshift raft, after a bridge was destroyed by flash floods in Salvador, Lanao del Norte in southern Philippines, December 23, 2017. [Photo: VCG]

NDRRNC spokeswoman Romina Marasigan earlier said that the agency has received unofficial reports of 75 people who have died and 58 people missing in the region.

"These are consolidated reports but these are subject to validation," Marasigan said.

Policemen ecavuate a baby in Cagayan City on December 22, 2017, after the Cagayan River swelled caused by heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Tembin. [Photo: VCG]

In its latest forecast, the state weather bureau Pagasa said that severe tropical storm Tembin made a landfall in Baalbac, Palawan Saturday night. It warned that the storm "may intently turn into a typhoon before exiting the Philippines" on Sunday.

"Scattered to widespread, moderate to heavy rains will prevail over Palawan, while scattered light to moderate with at times of heavy rains are expected over the western section of Visayas and Mindanao within 24 hours," the bureau said.

The bureau also warned more flooding and landslides, and reiterated that sea travels remains risky.

Tembin battered the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Friday, triggering floods and mudslides in the region.




Ridgeons has raised over 4,600 for East Anglia Childrens Hospices (EACH) in support of the charitys 'EACHmas' fundraising initiative.

The employees at 10 Ridgeons local branches across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk created their own Christmas raffles, which were won by colleagues, customers and trade suppliers. The top fundraising branch was Sudbury in Suffolk where 1,329 was raised.

The 26 local branches of Ridgeons have set a goal of raising 30,000 over a two-year period for EACH, and so far, they have raised over 21,000 this year. The East Anglia Childrens Hospices care for 368 children and young people with a life-threatening condition and support 459 family members.

Ian Northen, Chief Executive, Ridgeons, said: The Ridgeons colleagues in our local branches very much enjoyed raising vital funds for East Anglia Childrens Hospices during the EACHmas festive campaign.

The funds raised through the Christmas activities were a great way to round off a great year of fundraising for the charity, in which we managed to top our initial target of 15,000 for 2017.

Karen Newton, Fundraising Manager for EACH, added: We are thrilled that such a big amount was raised for us in the EACHmas raffles and would like to thank the Ridgeons branches for all their fundraising efforts over the course of this year. We look forward to whats in store in 2018.

Picture caption: Staff at Ridgeons help raise money for EACH by running EACHmas fundraising raffles.
Rudridge has recognised two employees at its Gravesend branch for their long service to the company.

Ian Kenward, Assistant Branch Manager, has celebrated 10 years of continued service at the civil engineering and groundwork material supplier. Having joined Rudridge in 2007, Ian was presented with the companys long service award and certificate by Regional Director Clive Summerfield.

Estimator, Sally Elliott, joined the company in 2012, and was presented with the companys pin and certificate by the Regional Sales Director Duane Long.

Praising Ian and Sally for their dedication and hard work, Clive said: Congratulations to Ian and Sally, its a great achievement. Id like to thank Ian for his help and support with the operations and stock work at our Gravesend branch. Ians years of management experience are important in supporting the team and ensuring our high levels of customer service are maintained.

Sallys experience and determination are key to our sales success and Id like to thank her for all the support she gives to our tenders department. Her hard work is vital to the pipeline of future orders and it plays a massive role in ensuring customers continue to choose Rudridge.

Picture caption: Left to right: Clive Summerfield, Regional Director; Ian Kenward, Assistant Branch Manager at Rudridge Gravesend, and Craig Lyons, Branch Manager at Rudridge Gravesend.
Indian conglomerate . needs as much as A$3 billion ($2.3 billion) in debt financing to help start producing Australian coal from one of the worlds largest mines, after major banks from Sydney to New York said they dont want to lend to polluting fossil-fuel projects.
Over 550 employees in Ltd, (HSCL), a public sector enterprise, are up in protest as the company allegedly plans to transfer its corporate office from Kolkata to New Delhi.
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Investments in health care technology in the first 11 months of 2017 have seen close to three-fold growth, worth $258 million in 24 deals, as against $89 million in 33 deals during the comparable period last year.
The voluminous delivered by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court acquitted all the accused in the case. Spread over six years, hundreds of prosecution and defence witnesses were examined and thousands of pages of documentary evidence produced  it seems nobody caused a Rs 31,000-crore loss to India by selling off valuable spectrum for pittance. The special courts judgment shows that the CBI made charges that it could not defend, its own witnesses disowned its allegations in court and in many ways the CBI itself fumbled in the dark while probing how and who caused a Rs 31,000-crore loss to the exchequer.
WASHINGTON -- A president with no concern for veracity or consistency has assured us he is not considering the firing of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. This does not make the prospect even marginally less remote. And it has done little to inhibit the attempt by some conservatives to discredit the investigation.

On a move against Mueller and his office, the wind is thick with straws. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, warns: "We do not know the magnitude of insider bias on Mr. Mueller's team." Sen. John Cornyn urges Mueller "to clean house of partisans" and wonders if the Special Counsel's final report will be legitimate. The Murdoch press - led in silly shrillness by Fox News personalities - continues to trash the reputations of Mueller and his associates.

At one level, this is "whataboutism" run amok. What about Bill and Hillary Clinton? Didn't they ruthlessly discredit Ken Starr and his investigation? Why should Republicans hobble themselves with scruples?

But here is a difference. Clinton and his defenders were accusing an investigator of being a power-mad prig. Some of Trump's defenders are claiming, in effect, that the FBI is engaged in a "coup d'etat" (the words of Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz) -- a politically motivated attempt to reverse the results of the 2016 election. Their evidence? That some senior investigators donated to Democrats, supported Hillary Clinton and called Trump an "idiot."

If that last charge were considered a disqualification, we would have the political equivalent of the Rapture (including, apparently, some of the Cabinet). But the larger point is this: Trump Republicans are willing to smear a man of genuine integrity, and undermine confidence in federal law enforcement, for reasons they must know are thin to the point of transparency. This is beyond cynicism. It is institutional arson. This is the profoundly anti-conservative strategy of Trump supporters against any institution (the courts, the media, law enforcement) that exposes the administration's deception and corruption: Burn, baby, burn.

Because Mueller is inexorable, the desperation in Trump world is palpable. We know that senior officials in the Trump campaign wanted to collude with the Russians in order to influence the election. (Donald Trump Jr. has admitted meeting with a Russian lawyer in June of 2016 to get damaging information on Hillary Clinton.) We know that Russian intelligence had the means to influence the election, hacked from a variety of sources. We know that Trump officials tried to conceal their contacts with the Russians, while seeking policy changes favorable to Russian interests. We know (on the credible testimony of a former FBI director) that President Trump tried to shut the investigation of these matters down. And it is a good bet that Mueller knows far more about all of this than we do.

As the investigation seems to be closing in on members of the Trump family, the president has a variety of options, all with serious risks. He might be able (it is debated among legal scholars) to fire Mueller directly. But unless he also abolishes the Special Counsel's office, FBI officials would continue to investigate any crimes they have discovered. Other precedent would require Trump first to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (to whom Mueller reports), then (probably after a cascade of Justice Department resignations) find a stooge willing to fire Mueller. This would be a direct assault on the autonomy and integrity of the FBI, which still has defenders on Capitol Hill.

Or Trump could do a preemptive pardon of individuals being investigated. This would look deeply corrupt -- like an admission of guilt written in neon -- and there are serious legal issues surrounding a presidential self-pardon. This option would put the tolerance of Hill Republicans for executive lawlessness to the test. Is there any limit to their capacity for servility? The frog is in the pot, and it nears a boil.

If Trump takes any of these aggressive actions, it will define his presidency, exaggerate social division and throw America public life into chaos. At that point, he will deserve impeachment, whether he is impeached or not. (That will be determined, not by the degree of the offenses, but by which party controls the House of Representatives.)

Behind all this is a nagging fear. Other presidents would be restrained by the prospect of social division and political chaos. For Trump, these may be incentives. He seems to thrive in bedlam. But the anarchy that sustains him damages the institutions around him -- a cost for which he cares nothing.
In a new development that could spell fresh trouble for the Shalimar Bagh-located Max Hospital, the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) has issued a notice to the hospital seeking details of its qualification and details of the Delhi Nursing Council registration.

The notice was issued on December 20 - the day the hospital resumed its services, soon after its registration was cancelled by the Delhi government and was barred from admitting new patients.

The Delhi government's action had come after a 22-week-old premature baby was declared dead at the hospital, even though he was alive, and handed over to his parents in a plastic bag, along with his still-born twin.

"Based on the medical reports that a newborn baby was declared dead along with his still-born twin and handed over to his parents at Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh. In this regard, the DMC has taken suo motu notice of the media reports, alleging medical negligence on the part of doctors of the hospital, and (the case) is being examined by DMC," reads the notice.

The Council has also directed the hospital to submit a statement of defence, together with any other documents in support of their defence, within 15 days.

"You are directed to submit a copy of your qualification and Delhi Nursing Council registration details," the notice said.

Girish Tyagi, the DMC Secretary, said the notice issued "is in concern to all the doctors in the hospital related to the case", and the Council had sought their individual replies.

"We want to check the role of every doctor involved in the case, including the gynaecologist when the baby was delivered. We want to know what exactly happened," Tyagi told IANS.
The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday filed before a court the charge sheet against Delhi-based businessman in connection with a Rs 5,000 crore money laundering case.

Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma, before whom the final report was filed by ED special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana, took cognisance of the document and posted the matter for hearing on January 3.

Dhawan, who was arrested on November 1, was sent to judicial custody on November 15 by the court after the probe agency said he was not needed for further custodial interrogation.

The ED had alleged that Dhawan had facilitated the directors of Gujarat-based pharma firm Sterling Biotech Ltd (SBL) in the purchase of several properties and helped in misuse and diversion of the credit facilities of several bank totalling Rs 5,000 crore.

"Rs 1.5 crore was received by the accused from the SBL group. Prior to that, the amount of bank loans was rotated in various group companies of SBL group," the ED had claimed.

The trial court had on November 14 issued non-bailable warrants against two other persons--SBL directors Nitin and Chetan Sandesara. The agency had told the court that Sandesara might have left the country.

Dhawan was arrested in an alleged bank fraud case involving the SBL under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The firm and Dhawan were also being probed by the ED for allegedly bribing senior Income Tax department officials in an earlier criminal complaint.

The CBI had booked Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, former director Andhra Bank Anup Garg and some unidentified persons in connection with the alleged bank fraud case.

It had alleged that the company had taken loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which had turned into non-performing assets.

The FIR had also alleged that the total pending dues of the group companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016. The ED had taken a cognisance of this FIR to file a money laundering case against them.
The arrival of the relatives of alleged Indian spy remains unconfirmed by New Delhi, the media reported on Saturday.

"India is yet to provide details about Jadhav's wife and mother, Geo News quoted sources as saying, adding that "only one employee of the Indian High Commission in Pakistan will be present during the meeting".

Jadhav has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism.

According to the report, the Pakistan Foreign Office will issue pictures and a video of the meeting between Jadhav and his family.

Pakistani authorities on Thursday said that the country was ready to permit media interaction with Jadhav's wife and mother.

Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that the Ministry was waiting for India's decision in this regard. He further said that the meeting would be held in the Foreign Affairs Ministry on December 25.

Faisal had also assured that Jadhav was not under any threat of immediate execution and his meeting with his wife and mother had been arranged "purely on humanitarian grounds".

"Let me assure you that the Jadhav is under no threat of immediate execution and his mercy petitions are still pending," he said.

The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued visas to Jadhav's mother and wife earlier this week.

Islamabad had earlier repeatedly rejected New Delhi's plea for consular access to Jadhav, who it says was arrested in Balochistan.

India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.
RJD supremo and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad was on Saturday convicted by a special CBI court in Ranchi. Quantum of punishment will be announced on January 3, 2018.



Total 15 people have been found guilty including Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam. Seven people have been acquitted including former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra.



Lalu Prasad and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict.
A grand reception was accorded to DMK leaders, Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi and former Union Telecom Minister A Raja, on their arrival at the airport on Saturday after their acquittal in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

DMK leader M. K. Stalin welcomed Kanimozhi and Raja at the airport.

A large number of DMK leaders and cadres were assembled at the airport to greet them.

Folk artistes of varied disciplines performed at the airport as part of the welcome party.

DMK workers & supporters gather at Chennai Airport as Kanimozhi & A. Raja arrive, they were recently acquitted in the 2G scam case | ANI

Wading through the crowd, Kanimozhi and Raja assembled at a designated place and received shawls presented by the party cadre.

A senior airport official told IANS that the route leading to the departure terminal was clear and the DMK melee did not affect passengers entering the airport to catch a flight.

However, passengers landing at Chennai faced some problems and the police was requested to help them out, he added.

Similarly a large number of DMK cadre assembled outside party President M. Karunanidhi's house.

Tamil Nadu: DMK workers & supporters gather at Chennai Airport as Kanimozhi & A. Raja arrive, they were recently acquitted in the #2GScam case. pic.twitter.com/2vdLA3VdE4  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017
As India debates the requirement of a data protection law, an important issue that is not getting much attention is whether data protection is a subject on the state list, central list or the concurrent list. As per the constitution, legislative powers are distributed between the parliament and the state legislatures as per the scheme laid down in Schedule VII to the constitution.



This schedule contains three lists  only the parliament can enact laws for subject matters listed in List I, only state legislatures can enact laws for subject matters listed in List II and both can legislate on matters listed in List III, subject to certain restrictions. For all residuary subjects, which are not in any of the three lists, only parliament can legislate. Schedule VII ensures a federal India where power is not concentrated with the central government and allows states the flexibility to chart their own course on most matters.
In New Delhi, on December 4, an official from the US Department of Defence (Pentagon) displayed photographs that convincingly documented Chinas theft of design information relating to Americas most secret defence systems  fifth-generation fighter aircraft and advanced unmanned aerial vehicles.
Before commencing any analysis of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, it is necessary to lay one ghost to rest. The Election Commission needs to be congratulated on having achieved 100% transparency in its conduct of the elections, and putting a verification procedure in place that will become the gold standard for the conduct of elections in the future. By doing this, it has lifted the darkest shadow that had been hanging over Indian democracy since allegations of possible fraud surfaced after the Punjab and UP assembly elections  a fear in the populace that it was in danger of being deprived of its last weapon for holding its rulers accountable for their misdeeds.
In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has stressed that being Indian national amounts to being spiritual as it is all about seeking a larger identity rising above narrow and divisive considerations. Speaking as the Chief Guest at the 2nd Global Sai Temple Summit at Shirdi in Maharashtra today, Shri Naidu drew parallel between spiritual quest and nationalism. .

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Shri Naidu noted that Shirdi Sai Baba combined the elements of Hinduism and Sufism in propagating the message of one supreme reality of Sab Ka Malik Ek (One God governs all) which he said is the principle of unity of human kind, underlying all major religions of the world. Noting that spirituality is all about seeking higher truth to be at peace with oneself, Shri Naidu emphasized that nationalism promotes a higher level of consciousness. .

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The Vice President said India is a larger collective and to be known as Indian is going beyond the identity based on birth, caste, region or religion and coming together for a larger cause. Nationality and nationalism are the instruments of larger unity and integration, uniting the people, thereby going beyond primary identities. This unifying principle of nationalism should not be misunderstood. To feel, think and act as an Indian or Bharatiya involves overcoming our primary and divisive identities. So, in my view, to be an Indian is being spiritual, as it elevates us to a higher level of identity and shared experience, purpose and actions." .

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Noting that Shirdi Sai Baba had shown the way to address internal unrest faced by individuals, Shri Naidu said that India as a larger collective entity is facing a set of challenges on socio-political and economic fronts and the best way to address them is for all Indians to be united in effort in a spirit of nationalism. This kind of spiritual uplift is needed for building a New India in which everyone is equal and has an equal stake", he stressed. .

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Shri Naidu further said that Indian civilization all along advocated the principles of Sarve Jana Sukhinobhavantu and Vasudaika Kutumbakam and all the countrymen should work together inspired by this spirit. .

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The Vice President urged the multitude of devotees of Sai Baba and others to take a pledge on the occasion of death centenary of Baba to carry forward his message and strengthen the bonds of peace, unity and humanity. .

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Ganga Gram Project launched to make 4,470 Ganga Villages Swachh and fully developed.

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) today launched Ganga Gram  a project for sanitation based integrated development of all 4470 villages along the River Ganga, at a multi-stakeholder sammelan held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi today.

The Ganga Gram Swachhta Sammelan was attended by more than 1400 delegates including 500 village sarpanches from all five Ganga States (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal), State and District government officials, NMCG Members and Ganga Swachhta Manch volunteers.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Water Resources, Ganga Rejuvenation and River Development appealed to the village sarpanches to pledge unconditional support to making River Ganga and Ganga Grams swachh. Highlighting the various Government interventions towards making the Ganga Nirmal Shri Gadkari, announced that funds will be generated from NRIs to support the various Ganga projects.

Speaking on the occasion, Sushri Uma Bharti, Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation advised to let development take place only if adequate care and precaution is taken in the project to protect the environment of the Ganga. Highlighting the commitment of the Government towards the Ganga, she informed that Evaluation and Monitoring Systems and Process feature prominently in all Ganga rejuvenation projects. She highlighted that the Ganga Gram project depends upon the commitment and resolve of the people living on its banks.

Introducing the Ganga Gram Project, Shri Parmeswaran Iyer, Secretary MDWS underlined that Ganga Gram vision is an integrated approach for holistic development of villages situated on the banks of River Ganga with active participation of the villagers.

After achieving ODF target in Ganga Villages, implementation of solid and liquid waste management and other integrated activities are remaining tasks.

Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is the nodal agency for implementation of the Ganga Gram Project. Since the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission in October 2014, the Ministry has constructed 5.72 crore toilets and has made 2.96 lakh villages, 262 districts, 6 States and 2 Union Territories, open defecation free. For the Ganga Gram Project the Ministry works in close coordination with NMCG, various Ministries, State Government and Distrcts.

Shri U. P Singh Secretary, Water Resources, Ganga Rejuvenation and River Development appealed everyone to join the project to ensure that the water of the Holy River Ganga flow in a pristine and an uninterrupted manner.

The Sammelan was also attended by senior ministers from Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and Jharkhand.

On the eve of the Ganga Gram Swachhata Sammelan, Sushri Uma Bharti held a Ganga Sanvad to receive the feedback from all Sarpanches on Ganga bank Sanitation and development.

The Sammelan was followed by a review meeting on Swachh Bharat Mission- Gramin and Drinking Water. The review meeting was presided by the Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation, in which Sanitation ministers from various states including Uttarakhand, Bihar, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Haryana, Assam and senior officers of the ministry and states were also present.

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Before Leonardo da Vincis Salvator Mundi sold at auction for a record-shattering $450.3 million, it was marketed around the world as the last Da Vinci in private hands.
President Trump signed the most consequential tax legislation in three decades on Friday, even as he complained that he has not been given credit for his administrations accomplishments during a turbulent first year.
President Donald Trumps restrictions on travel to the U.S. from six mostly Muslim countries, Venezuela and North Korea were largely struck down by a federal appeals court, raising uncertainty as the fight heads for a final showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court.
The United Nations Security Council placed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday that significantly choke off fuel supplies and order North Koreans working overseas to return home, in what may prove the last test of whether any amount of economic pressure can force the isolated country to reverse course on its nuclear weapons programme.
In the district jail of Uttarakhand's Haridwar, not one or two but 16 inmates were found to be affected with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

The Uttarakhand State AIDS Control Society conducted the investigation.

After the investigation, it was found that all the prisoners suffering from AIDS are in their youth, after which the jail administration is under criticism.

The District Magistrate (DM), Deepak Rawat, has asked for an immediate medical treatment for all these prisoners.

A total of 1,175 prisoners are currently in the district jail, out of whom about 450 are under consideration.

According to reports, the positive result has been found in male inmates only, but none of the officers working in the jail is ready to answer on how it was spread inside the cell.

Rawat said it was examined by the Narco Department of Dehradun in July.

An investigation is underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Dabbawalas of Mumbai have joined hands with former Maharashtra DGP D Sivanandan to provide food to the needy through Mumbai Roti Bank.

Known for their deft management of tiffin service across the metropolitan, the Dabbawalas of Mumbai have also been taking time out of their job and collecting excess food from hotels and functions to distribute them to the needy, for the last two years.

Now, the Mumbai Dabbawala Association has scaled up their efforts with the assistance of Sivanandan, Nitin Khanapurkar and Sweta Mangal and together they have started the Mumbai Roti Bank.

"Dabbawalas have already been doing it in a small way by collecting excess food from the people and delivering to the needy, so we have come and joined them actually and created a new NGO called Mumbai Roti Bank complete with a website for it- Rotibankindia.org," Sivanandan told ANI.

Through the website, people can contact them to give Mumbai Roti Bank their excess food and the NGO's van can pick up the food from their doorstep.

"We are catering to South and Central Mumbai as of now, as we have only one vehicle currently. After two more come, we'll expand to other parts of Mumbai," Sivanandan said, and added, "We have a way of finding out whether the food is stale or not. We have done 'Hunger mapping' to find where food is needed. We also have refrigeration to retain the food."

Subhash Talekar, the spokesperson of Mumbai Dabbalawalas Association, said, "We have been providing food to 500 needy people every day from Monday to Friday but with help of new facilities of Mumbai Roti Bank, we will be able to serve at least 1000 people".

The NGO primarily targets hospitals where people come from all over the country but don't have sufficient money or resources.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of Christmas, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday announced that the amount allotted for repairing the churches has been increased from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

Speaking at an event organised by the Andhra government in Guntur, Chief Minister Naidu said," Our government spent many crores for Christian welfare. We are giving "Chandranna Christmas Gift" for poor Christians. I announce increase of the amount being given to repairs of churches from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh".

The Andhra Chief Minister further averred that the state government is committed to the welfare of Christians.

"Our govt is committed to the welfare of Christians. We will resolve all the problems raised by your religious leaders. Eradication of poverty is our main aim. We are implementing many welfare schemes to achieve that aim", said Naidu.

Naidu also termed the celebrations as "heavenly" and "inspiring".

"These celebrations are heavenly. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas. It is time to be happy, celebrate the birth of Jesus. The candle mass is so inspiring. Jesus worked for world peace. His life is a message," said Naidu.

Naidu also lauded the service provided by Christians, "Christians are service oriented. Their services to the society are laudable. We will build a block in Andhra Christian College in the name of NTR, who was a student of that college".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Andhra Pradesh on December 27, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the preparations of Real Time Governance (RTG) State Centre on Saturday.

Chief Minister Naidu instructed the officials to present the developments at RTG Centre, including a video conference with households, Panchayat offices, Anganwadis, primary health centres and an e-court.

There will also be a presentation of the key components of real-time governance that include Praja Sadhikara Survey, Land Hub, Comprehensive Financial Management System (CFMS), followed up by the demonstration of the CORE dashboard and e-Pragati.

Live call centre images with Parishkara Vedika, media analytics, air quality monitoring, Locked House Monitoring System, e-office and the Wi-Fi connectivity provided by California-based X company to remote villages will be briefly demonstrated by the RTG officials during the President's visit.

The Chief Minister said, "This demonstration also serves as a way for us to analyse our progress and gain valuable feedback from the Hon'ble President and the media."

Naidu also instructed officials to focus on the grievance redressal mechanisms and the integration between various departments.

In his upcoming visit, President Kovind will open the Indian Economic Association summit at Nagarjuna University at 10:30 am, and head to the Secretariat at 11:45 am.

The President will then inaugurate the AP Fiber Grid, and see the virtual reviews of Polavaram project and the progress of construction in Amaravati.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The conference has been approved by the Telemedicine Society of India (TSI) and jointly supported by the AP Chapter of TSI and the state government. The conference will be organised by Ramesh hospitals and other specialty hospitals, medical and engineering colleges.

The programme was initiated by ISRO in 2001, to promote satellite-based connectivity to rural and remote areas, so that access to tertiary and specialty hospitals can be easier.

The Chief Minister said, "AP Fiber Grid is an additional advantage provided by Andhra Pradesh, which can encourage more medical institutions to bring telemedicine to the state".

Ministries of Health, IT and Education will be supporting TeleMedicon 2018, both financially as well as with participation

Chief Minister Naidu will be the Chief Patron for the conference as well as the Chief Guest for the inaugural ceremony.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress party on Saturday averred that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its leadership should avoid intermixing religion and politics.

Congress' statement came in the back drop of recent quarrel that was witnessed on Hinduism between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah.

"The BJP always says whoever sides them are Hindus, and the others are not. They are under the impression that only they follow Hinduism. Even the way they faked Rahul Gandhi's name in the register in Somnath temple is testament to this. The BJP should avoid indulging in such practices," Congress leader PL Punia told ANI.

Earlier in the week, Adityanath during his visit to Karnataka had accused the Congress of attempting to convert the state, which is "the land of Lord Hanuman", into "a land of Tipu Sultan worshippers".

To this, Siddaramaiah took to twitter on Friday to question whether the BJP had "taken Hinduism on lease".

"Are only the BJP leaders Hindus? Are we not Hindus? Has the BJP taken Hinduism on lease? My name is Siddaramaiah. Siddhu and Rama is in my name," he said.

In a series of tweets in Kannada, the Chief Minister also called for equal respect to be given to all religions, adding that this was a sign of 'true Hindutva'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Delhi Court on Saturday granted bail to Rohit Reddy Bathina, director of BGR Mining and Infra Pvt Ltd, in connection with a bribery case allegedly involving Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Director (Finance) Kulamani Biswal, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) a few days ago.

Earlier, the CBI had booked Biswal, along with two others, in connection with a case pertaining to corruption, and had carried out the search at his residence at Asian Games Village, Delhi.

Earlier on December 16, the CBI arrested Bathina.

Biswal was booked last week under a section of 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 11 and 12 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Besides Biswal, the agency had also booked few other people, including Bathina and Prabhat Kumar.

Biswal, who is on the Board of Directors of the NTPC Limited, had asked Bathina to arrange U.S. dollars equivalent to Rs 5 lakh for him for a U.S. trip.

As per a CBI source, Bathina had arranged the cash through Hawala channels and had asked Kumar to deliver the amount to Biswal, who, along with the family, was scheduled to leave for the U.S. on December 15.

According to the FIR, Biswal, who has been dealing with Bathina's firm due to the business transacted between the NTPC Limited and BGR Mining and Infra Private Limited, being a public servant, attempted to obtain for himself valuable things without any consideration from the firm.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Responding to the sentencing of accused in the Bhopal gang rape case, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan hailed the timely judgement, adding that speedy justice and strict action is necessary in such cases.

"I am happy that the judgement has been delivered in record time. Strict punishment and speedy justice are necessary. We have decided on a proposal to send to Prime Minister Modi. Once he approves, we will bring death sentences for such cases," he told reporters here.

Earlier in the month of November, a 19-year-old civil services aspirant was allegedly abducted by the four accused and gang-raped near the Habibganj Railway Station in Bhopal.

Following their arrest, two doctors of Madhya Pradesh's Sultania Women Hospital were suspended on November 11 after they produced an erroneous medical report stating that the victim indulged in consensual sex with the accused.

A fast-track court on Saturday awarded life imprisonment to all the four accused in gang rape case.

"Based on the evidence provided by us, the court awarded all the four accused lifetime imprisonment," P N Rajput, the lawyer of the victim said.

The four were charged under sections 376 D (gangrape), 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery), 366 (kidnapping woman), 347 (wrongful confinement), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hours after a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ranchi pronounced former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad guilty in a fodder scam case, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that its alliance with the Congress party is an "alliance of corruption".

"The alliance between Congress and Lalu Yadav's party is an alliance of corruption, connivance and cheating the people of India, it is clear from the verdict of the court," said Union Minister JP Nadda on the fodder scam verdict.

The Union Minister further slammed Lalu Prasad for not accepting the verdict on the infamous fodder scam.

"Lalu Prasad Yadav is even now politicising the issue instead of accepting the verdict, just to deviate his corruption he is leveling allegations of conspiracy on BJP", added JP Nadda.

Moreover, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey welcomed the verdict that has been pronounced by the Court.

"We welcome the verdict that has been pronounced by the court in the fodder scam case. We want that the people of Bihar should be given their money back that was looted from them," said Choubey.

Besides Lalu, fourteen others have also been found guilty, while seven accused have been acquitted, including former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra.

The court is scheduled to pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3, 2018 for the 15 guilty including Lalu Prasad.

Lalu has been convicted in the case relating to embezzling of more than Rs. 89 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

Apart from Lalu, Mishra and 20 others accused were present in the court of special CBI judge Shivpal Singh.

The fodder scam involved the embezzlement of about Rs. 900 crore from the Bihar exchequer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hours after Asaduddin Owaisi took a dig at Congress President Rahul Gandhi's temple visit, the party on Saturday said that the AIMIM president makes statements just to grab attention.

Speaking to media, Congress leader Anand Sharma said, "He (Asaduddin Owaisi) makes statements to attract attention. It has no relevance to the present context. We do not prescribe anything for any other political party leaders. We take our own decision. Rahul Gandhi does not need any patronizing advice."

Owaisi, earlier in the day, ridiculed Rahul's temple visit during Gujarat election campaigning, while saying that it is nothing but unscrupulous vote bank .

"During Gujarat elections, it seemed like the Congress leaders and the BJP leaders were not campaigning for elections but were trying to visit the maximum number of temples. When assembly or parliament elections will start, I will also show them what a 'yatra' is? During election campaigns, I will also go to mosques and dargahs.. and wear the green flag. We won't mind if they both wear saffron but I will also wear green," Owaisi told his supporters.

He further said that the manner in which Congress campaigned for Gujarat has made the country think that they were not campaigning for elections but were on a temple run.

Rahul, who is currently on a three-day visit to Gujarat, began by offering prayers at Somnath Temple on Saturday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sending a strong message, the Delhi High Court on Saturday suspended two judges over the charges of corruption against them.

The two were additional district judges at the Dwarka High Court.

The evidence, which formed the basis of allegations, has already been handed over to the court.

More details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Rogozin, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi today afternoon.

Prime Minister Modi warmly welcomed Rogozin on his third visit to India this year.

He noted with the satisfaction of the marked increase in high-level exchanges this year. Prime Minister Modi also recalled his own visit to St. Petersburg in June this year for the Annual Bilateral Summit.

Both the leaders discussed the steady expansion and diversification of bilateral ties, particularly noting the standout collaboration in the energy sector and the common pursuit of high-technology cooperation.

Rogozin also conveyed the greetings of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Prime Minister Modi, to which he heartily reciprocated.

The deputy Russian Prime Minister also called on the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Rogozin, who arrived in India today, met Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Sushma Swaraj ahead of the IRIGC-TEC meeting.

The Russian delegation comprised of senior government officials and representatives of trade and industry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prem Kumar Dhumal on Saturday ruled himself out of the race for the post of Himachal Pradesh chief minister.

"Despite BJP's great victory, unfortunately, I could not win from my seat. Speculations rife, that I am still running for Himachal Pradesh chief minister. Had clarified on the day of results itself that I am not running for any position. The decision lies with the high command," Dhumal said in a press release.

Meanwhile, the members of Himachal Pradesh BJP held a protest yesterday, saying that the next chief minister should be chosen from the elected MLAs and that there should be no lobbying.

Dhumal, who has been the state's chief minister for two full terms, is being considered as the front-runner for the state's top post once again, despite losing on the Sujanpur seat in the recently-held Assembly polls.

To counter the protest, Dhumal's supporters also took to the streets and raised slogans outside the venue of Core Committee meeting in Shimla.

Among the newly-elected MLAs, five-time lawmaker Jairam Thakur is also being seen as a contender for the chief ministerial post, along with Union Minister JP Nadda.

In the recently-held Assembly polls, the BJP stood victorious in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections with 44 seats, while the Congress party acquired 20 seats in the total 68 constituencies.

The new Chief Minister is likely to be announced tomorrow.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
There is a high chance that you are reading this on a smart phone, tablet, or a laptop, with your neck bending downwards and a hunched back. Mobile devices have transformed our lives but have also made us vulnerable to a series of concerns.

Doctors in the capital say they are seeing an increasing number of patients complaining of neck pain and stiffness that can be directly attributed to excessive use of mobile phones as digital devices. The syndrome is being referred to as 'text neck'.

Studies have reported that an average consumer spends around 3 hours per day on an average on mobile devices in India, while in the United States; it is as high as 5 hours.

Excessive usage and poor posture while using mobile devices and other tech-gadgets causes repetitive stress injury on the neck and spine. To put it simply, prolonged duration of bending over electronic gadgets, causes text neck.

As the incidence of this condition is increasing amongst people due to increased dependency on mobile devices and handheld technology, doctors say that awareness on preventive measures and timely intervention can prevent this from escalating in to other serious medical conditions.

The condition text neck is fairly new, and because it slowly progresses in to a major problem, its dangers haven't caught on to public imagination.

"The term text neck was first coined by a US Chiropractor, Dr. Dean Fisherman in 2008 when he observed the hunched posture of one of his patients while texting. While texting or working on mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic gadgets and handheld devices, the neck is most often bent downwards and the spine of the person is hunched forward. The human brain which weighs 4 to 5 kg is supported by the neck. Reportedly, even a little forward bending of the neck causes a good amount of tension on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons, of the neck and shoulders. As, reportedly, mobile users spend 2 to 4 hours daily, it is only natural that the person will develop 'text-neck'", said Dr. R. K. Pandey, Senior Consultant, Orthopedics and Joint Replacement, Venkateshwar Hospital, Dwarka.

Out of all handheld devices, mobile phones, tablets, and laptops combined together contribute most to forming this condition.

Urban population is more at risk, with Delhi having over 4 crore mobile phone connections.

Ascertaining the number of people who are prone to this condition, Pandey explains the damaging aspects of text neck which if not prevented can have drastic affects.

"Untreated text neck can lead to degenerative spine disorders, muscle tightness and pain, even numbers and tingling down the arm. One should see a doctor in case one is feeling instant pain in the upper back or neck when using a handheld device, nagging or sharp pain in the shoulders, and headaches while looking down."

"It is best to avoid such conditions by avoiding prolonged activity on handheld devices, placing these devices at the eye level, and constantly monitoring your posture while working on these devices. Preventive measures also include taking frequent breaks, doing neck exercises, and increase in walking and general physical activity. Neck massages also help in relaxing the stressed neck," said Pandey.

Evolving technologies transform our lifestyle, and changing lifestyle brings along new medical conditions and diseases. It is in our interest that we are aware of new medical conditions and take preventive measures timely.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday filed a supplementary chargesheet against a Kolkata-based businessman, Paras Mal Lodha, in a Delhi court in connection with the alleged conversion of old currency into new ones.

This supplementary chargesheet also has the name of lawyer Rohit Tondon as an accused.

Earlier, the investigating agency told the court that they were probing the role of Tondon in the case.

The supplementary chargesheet, filed before the additional sessions judge, Ajay Kumar Kuhar, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) also gave details of the alleged role of Tondon and others involved in the case.

The next hearing in the case has been fixed for February 2 next year.

The Kolkata-based businessman has been accused of being involved in the conspiracy along with Tandon and converting old demonetised notes into new currency on a commission basis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday said the government policies must adapt to changing circumstances.

He made this remarks during his meeting with the State Investment Promotion Board.

"The government policies must adapt to changing circumstances. The IT sector should be corruption-free, and decision-making must have no delay. Large investments are expected in the next 15 years. The companies are focused on advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and robot technology," Naidu said.

The Chief Minister further added, "AP too, has been focusing on IT and Internet of Things. Recently, there were large scale events held to discuss and promote Fintech, Agri-tech and education in the state."

He said that IT should be a subject in all colleges of the state, and foster innovation and integration with other professions like education, agriculture and medicine.

Minister of Information Technology Nara Lokesh said that a large number of companies from the electronic industry are attracted to invest in AP for the Silicon Corridor.

"In the upcoming Partnership Summit, we are sure to get many MoUs confirmed and signed", he said.

A government official said that an MoU has already been signed with Google X, and the software company, Zoho, will launch its establishment in Tirupati in January. Franklin Templeton, a global investment firm, has been keen to partner with AP and has agreed to start development centre in Visakhapatnam.

He further added that electronics manufacturing company Flextronics is ready to invest in AP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hours after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad was convicted in the fodder scam, Rebel Janata Dal (United) MP Sharad Yadav on Saturday said that he had hoped for the former Bihar chief minister's acquittal.

Speaking to ANI, Sharad Yadav said, "We were pretty sure and hopes that Lalu Prasad ji will be acquitted in this fodder scam case".

Sharad Yadav added that Lalu Prasad will get justice when the matter will be forwarded to a higher court.

"This is a verdict of CBI special lower court. I believe that he would get justice when the matter goes to a higher court," added Sharad Yadav.

Earlier in the day, the Congress Party on came out in Lalu's support, saying that he should not be tortured for a decades-old case. Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said that Lalu was being framed wrongly in the case.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court earlier in the day found Lalu Prasad guilty in a fodder scam case.

Besides Lalu, fourteen others have also been found guilty, while seven accused have been acquitted, including former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra.

The court is scheduled to pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3, 2018 for the 15 guilties including Lalu Prasad.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The family of a 27-year-old man hailing from Hyderabad, who was killed in a road mishap in New Zealand, has urged the External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, to bring his body back at the earliest.

The incident occurred in Central Auckland when a speeding and the drunk driver jumped a red light and ploughed into Syed Abdul Raheem Fahad's car, killing him.

Brother of the deceased, Syed Nehmath Ullah, spoke to ANI and said, "My brother Fahad went to New Zealand two years ago on a student visa. Today in the morning we received information that he met with an accident and succumbed to injuries, we request MEA Sushma Swaraj to help us and make our brother's body to reach India soon".

One of the family members of the 27-year-old student added, "We have established contact with the concerned embassy, but we would like to request EAM Sushma Swaraj to help bring his body here at the earliest. We also want compensation".

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Wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav will travel to Pakistan on December 25 by a commercial flight and will return the same evening, Pakistan's Foreign Office said today.

Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad J.P. Singh would accompany them.

"India informs that the mother and wife of Commander Jadhav will arrive by commercial flight on 25 Dec and leave the same day. Indian DHC in Islamabad will be the accompanying diplomat," Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal, said in a Twitter post.

The meeting will last between 15 minutes to an hour and the two women will be allowed to speak to media if they wish to, the Dawn said, citing the diplomatic sources, as saying.

On December 20, Pakistan issued visas to Jadhav's mother and wife to meet him on humanitarian grounds.

Jadhav's family had applied for visas last week.

Earlier this month, Pakistan had agreed to facilitate the visit of Jadhav's kin and also assured their safety, security and freedom of movement in the nation.

Pakistan has repeatedly rejected India's plea for consular access to Jadhav at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and alleged that he is not an ordinary person and had entered the country with an intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.

Jadhav was arrested in Pakistan's Balochistan Province over charges of alleged involvement in espionage and subversive activities for India's intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, where he had business interests after retiring from the navy.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan this year in April.

However, the International Court of Justice on May 18, 2017, stayed the hanging after India approached it against the death sentence.

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Former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is playing dirty games to hide its own scams.

The Jharkhand police today took the RJD chief into custody and brought him to Birsa Munda Central Jail here after he was found guilty in a fodder scam case.

Taking to Twitter, he said, "The sly Bharatiya Janata Party plays dirty games with the spirit of unethical and malice in politics to cover its scam and carcasses and spoils the public perceptions of the opposition to get votes".

The RJD chief, taking to Twitter, said that the truth can be portrayed as a lie through a bias-driven propaganda.

"Truth can be made to appear as a lie, as ambiguous or a half lie by concerted onslaught of bias driven propaganda. But blurred layer of bias and hatred will still be removed, come what may! In end Truth will win," he tweeted.

"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. But still prevails...In the end though," the former Bihar chief minister added.

He further asserted that in this 'war', he is not alone, but the entire Bihar stands together with him.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Saturday found former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad guilty in a fodder scam case.

Fourteen others have also been found guilty, while seven accused have been acquitted, including former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra.The court is scheduled to pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3, 2018 for the 15 guilty, including Lalu Prasad.

Lalu has been convicted in the case relating to embezzling of more than Rs. 89 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

Justice Singh had completed hearing the case on December 13 and asked all accused in the case to remain present in court for the judgment.

There were tight security arrangements outside the court ahead of the verdict.

Before the judgment, Lalu told reporters: "I am confident, will get justice."

The fodder scam involved the embezzlement of about Rs 900 crore from the Bihar exchequer.

The corruption scheme involved the fabrication of 'vast herds of fictitious livestock for which fodder, medicines and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procured over a period of 20 years'.

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The Lung Care Foundation and Petronet LNG have entered the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the largest human image of an organ, that of the lung.

The program was organised by Lung Care Foundation to create awareness about the ill effects of pollution on lung and to motivate individuals to come up with people-driven solutions.

Over 5100 school children from over 35 schools located in the Delhi-NCR got together to create this record. The previous records were created by Beijing and Abu Dhabi.

President Ram Nath Kovind expressed his joy over this initiative of "Sankalp Se Siddhi Programme for Clean Air" being organised by the Lung Care Foundation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his message congratulated the Lung Care Foundation on this unique initiative in galvanising the support of the youth and creating awareness on a vital subject which impacts every individual.

The event was graced by the Lt. Governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal,Anil Swarup, Secretary (School Education), Government of India, top officers of the Border Security Force and the Delhi Police, Senior lawyers of the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court and chairman and managing directors of many public sector undertakings.

In an endeavor to create awareness around the ill-effects of air pollution and generating the people's attention towards its medical impact, the Lung Care Foundation today organised the world's largest air pollution awareness program #MySolutionToPollution: 'I care for Lungs'.

Under this campaign, the Lung Care Foundation created various touchpoints and have successfully managed to impact around 7000 plus lives across Delhi-NCR by making them brand ambassadors of the campaign

With the help of choreography with 5100+ school children, the lung formation further transformed to show the effects of pollution: pink lungs turning into irreversible black lungs. Not only this, through this campaign Lung Care Foundation aims to bring in a people movement where, the citizens, corporates and children come together to start a new revolution "#MySolutionToPollution" of green commitments.

Lt. Governor Baijal said, "It is gratifying to note that in this campaign, 5100+ school children gathered inside Thyagaraj Stadium and established a record for the largest human image lung formation. I'm confident that this movement will help in initiating a people's movement for clean air. I must emphasize that the measures taken to combat air pollution cannot succeed without active participation and contribution by the community. In this regard, children are our best ambassadors for a positive change that we wish to achieve."

Professor Dr Arvind Kumar, Chairman Centre for Chest Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Founder and Managing Trustee, Lung Care Foundation "With 1.2 Million dead, India saw world's most pollution-related deaths in 2015, says Lancet Commission study. We believe it's time that the citizens themselves take care of their action and be responsible in their deeds. We are confident that our I care for Lungs program clubbed with Governments initiative of "Sankalp Se Siddhi" (Attainment through Resolve) will bring change in the country for the betterment of country's economy, citizens, society, governance, security and other verticals."

The program was based on Dr. Arvind Kumar (Founder & Managing Trustee Lung Care Foundation) vision of reaching the Pink Lung- Black Lung image to the last man in the village, it was conceptualized by the youngest Trustee & CEO of Lung Care Foundation, Abhishek Kumar and Presented by Mr. Rajiv Khurana (Founder Trustee). Corporates like Petronet LNG, GAIL, IOCL, BHEL, NBCC, NTPC, Sonalika Tractors, Droom, Oyo Rooms, Paytm, Aditya Birla Group have come together to associate with this World's largest air pollution awareness program - 'I care for Lungs' and also committed to one measure each. The program's title sponsor was Petronet LNG which is working towards changing the majority of HMV running on Diesel to LNG (A clean fuel).

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Sri Lanka have dealt with a major blow as all-rounder Angelo Mathews has been sidelined for at least two weeks due to a hamstring tear.

The 30-year-old sustained suffered a grade one hamstring tear during his side's second T20I against India at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, where the hosts went on to win by 88 runs to clinch the three-match series 2-0 with a game to spare.

Mathews did not come out to bat at all after the injury while delivering his third ball of the third over - 12th in the Indian innings, ESPNcricinfo reported.

Confirming the news, Sri Lanka's team management said that the injury would not only rule out Mathews out of the inconsequential third T20I against India, but will also put him out of action for at least two weeks.

The injury means Mathews will also remain doubtful for the start of the forthcoming Bangladesh tour.

The right-arm medium pacer has a history of suffering hamstring, calf and ankle injuries.

In January this year, he was forced to return home early from the tour of South Africa before remaining out of action for another five months.

Mathews made his return from injury lay-off during his side's Champions Trophy campaign in England, where he featured only as a specialist batsman.

Not only this, Mathews once against suffered a calf injury during a practice session, ahead of the series against Pakistan in UAE in September, and was subsequently ruled out for eight weeks before making a return in India.

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A Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Saturday has charged the driver accused of deliberately mowing down pedestrians in Melbourne with 18 counts of attempted murder.

The accused, Saeed Noori, had appeared in the court today afternoon and did not apply for bail after the verdict was announced, ABC news said.

He is also facing one count of conduct for endangering the life of pedestrians for his rash driving.

However, the court was informed that the motivation for the attack remained under investigation and further charges were being considered.

Noori is expected to appear before the court again on December 27.

At least 15 people were injured after a white SUV car mowed down a number of people at a busy intersection of Flinders and Elizabeth streets in the city's Central Business District (CBD) on December 21.

The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital.

According to the police, the car was not travelling at high speed when it crashed.

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A group of 30 school girls from Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here today.

The students are currently on a tour to various parts of the country, as part of the Indian Army's Operation Sadbhavna.

In the meeting, Prime Minister Modi interacted with the students on various issues such as their dreams and aspirations, girls' education and Swachh Bharat.

During the meeting, the girls posed various questions to the Prime Minister, to which he explained the various steps being taken for girls' education. He further explained the various spin-off benefits, including on health and tourism that can accrue through the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Prime Minister Modi also explained the students about the benefits of concentration-improving Yoga.

He further appreciated the increasing number of youths from Jammu and Kashmir making it to the civil services and showing great potential in sports.

The Prime Minister asserted that India has a bright future, and the children and youths of Jammu and Kashmir have a lot to contribute to the nation.

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All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday described temple visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat as nothing but unscrupulous votebank .

"During Gujarat elections, it seems like the Congress leaders and the BJP leaders were not campaigning for elections but were trying to visit the maximum number of temples. When assembly or parliament elections will start, I will also show them what a 'yatra' is? During election campaigns, I will also go to mosques and dargahs.. and wear the green flag. We won't mind if they both wear saffron but I will also wear green," Owaisi told his supporters.

He also ridiculed Prime Minister Modi's seaplane ride from the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad to the Dharoi Dam in Gujarat.

On December 12, Prime Minister Modi and Rahul Gandhi visited temples in Gujarat with the twin purpose of seeking blessings and wooing voters.

Rahul Gandhi today visited Gujarat's Somnath temple ahead of a review meeting with newly-elected MLAs and party workers.

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday once again offered prayers at the historic Somnath Temple.

Rahul was accorded a warm welcome by the Congress workers as he reached the temple who garlanded him.

He along with Congress General Secretary in-charge Ashok Gehlot and Gujarat Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki performed puja at the temple.

During Rahul's last visit to Somnath Temple on November 29, a controversy erupted after his name along with senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel was allegedly mentioned as non-Hindus in the visitor book of the temple.

Sensing the damage the news could do in the majority Hindu state, Gujarat, during the elections, the Congress came up with a claim that Rahul is a janeu-dhari (the one who wears Brahminical thread) Hindu.

The Congress also issued a clarification in this regard on Twitter.

"Clarification: There is only one visitor's book at Somnath Temple that was signed by Congress VP Rahul Gandhi. Any other image being circulated is fabricated. Desperate times call for desperate measures?" tweeted the Congress.

While campaigning for the Congress in the Gujarat assembly elections, Rahul visited many temples.

The BJP targeted Rahul over his temple visits and termed it as a political move to woo Hindu votes.

On December 21, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in Totana that "the Gujarat election has done two things: it has taught former prime minister Manmohan Singh to speak and Rahul Gandhi to visit temples."

Rahul's today's visit to Somnath Temple comes at a time when there are no elections due in Gujarat in near future and it is being seen as a move to thwart the BJP's campaign to term him as a seeker of Hindu votes.

Buoyed by its performance in Gujarat Assembly polls, the Congress' Gujarat unit organised 'Chintan Shivir' in Mehsana on December 20-21 to discuss the results and prepare a roadmap for 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress won 77 seats in 182-member Gujarat Assembly. The BJP won 99 seats to form next government in the state.

Later in the day, Rahul is slated to meet the participants of the shivir in Ahmedabad.

After getting a brief about the outcome and suggestions of the shivir, the Congress president will speak to party cadre.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday held talks with the Russian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

Swaraj chaired a meeting with the delegation in the Indo-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).

Rogozin, who arrived in India today, met Swaraj ahead of the IRIGC-TEC meeting.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement on Friday said: "The meeting would enable the two sides to review the progress achieved by various working groups and sub-groups under the IRIGC-TEC, and also discuss new areas of cooperation that could strengthen bilateral trade and investment."

The delegation comprised of senior Russian government officials and representatives of trade and industry.

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Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Sushma Swaraj has asked the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to issue medical visa to a Pakistan for his treatment in India.

I have asked Indian High Commission in Islamabad to issue medical visa to Maqbool Ahmad Qureshi - a Pakistan for his treatment in India. @IndiainPakistan https://t.co/OhNQo6hRnU

 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 22, 2017

The patient, Maqbool Ahmad Qureshi, who is suffering from the fourth stage of cancer had made an appeal to Swaraj through Twitter.

Meanwhile, in another tweet, a woman appealed to the External Affairs Minister to issue a visa to her husband who is put up in Islamabad.

"I have told Indian High Commission in Islamabad to issue Visa to the groom, his brothers/sisters, and the parents. @IndiainPakistan," Swaraj tweeted.

On December 21, the minister took to Twitter to announce that medical visas have been granted to two children from Pakistan and also prayed for their speedy recovery.

"There is a request for a medical visa for two children from Pakistan - Anamta Farrukh (6 yrs) and Sahir (7 yrs). We have given them Visa for their treatment in India and pray for their early recovery. @IndiainPakistan," she tweeted.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has strongly condemned the missile attack by Iran-backed Al Houthi militants in Yemen against Saudi Arabia.

A statement issued by all the 15 council members of UNSC "also expressed alarm at the stated intention of Al Houthis to continue these attacks against Saudi Arabia, as well as to launch additional attacks against other states in the region", Gulf News reported.

When Saudi Arabia was fighting against the Yemeni militants, it had said that a missile was being intercepted over Riyadh on Tuesday.

On December 19, Al Houthis fired a ballistic missile targeting the Yamama Palace in Riyadh, where the king presides at weekly government meetings and receives foreign leaders.

Saudi Arabia has said that a missile had been intercepted over the Saudi Arabian capital.

The UNSC has called for the implementation of an arms embargo on Al Houthis and called on parties in Yemen to start negotiating a political settlement soon.

This also comes days after, the Saudi-led coalition forces were killed in airstrikes, killing around 136 civilians.

The UN has expressed concerns over the intensified airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition.

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The swearing-in ceremony of Vijay Rupani as Gujarat Chief Minister will take place at Gandhinagar Sachivalaya Ground here on December 26.

The ceremony will take place at 11 am.

Earlier on Friday, Vijay Rupani was announced as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, while Nitin Patel will also continue as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state.

"Vijay Rupani was chosen as Legislature party leader unanimously, Nitin Bhai Patel as the deputy Legislature party leader in a meeting today. Will inform you all about the swearing in, soon," Union Minister Arun Jaitley said while addressing the media in Gandhinagar.

Rupani supporters are celebrating outside the BJP office in Gujarat's Gandhinagar.

Rupani, Patel and other ministers had on Thursday submitted their resignation to Governor O.P. Kohlidays after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a victory in the Gujarat assembly elections.

The BJP won the election for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly on Monday, claiming a clear majority of 99 seats.

The Congress Party trailed in second with 77 seats, followed by the Bharatiya Tribal Party (two) and NCP (one), while independent candidates won three seats.

Rupani secured a comfortable win from Rajkot West seat by 1,31,586 votes, which is the largest constituency in the Saurashtra region.

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Widespread protests have erupted across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit Baltistan against Pakistan's ill treatment of the region and its people.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, people have come out onto the streets shouting anti-Pakistan slogans and rejecting the Pakistan Government's enforced taxation.

Markets and business establishments remained shut and traders in large numbers gathered in major cities, including Gilgit and Skardu to express their anger against the imposition of 'illegal' taxes by Islamabad.

They called on the government to withdraw all taxes imposed in Gilgit Baltistan under the GB Tax Adaptation Act 2012. The protest call was given by the Anjiman-i-Tajran and the Awami Action Committee (AAC), and backed by all political and religious parties in Baltistan.

Addressing a gathering in Skardu, Basharat, an advocate and member of Baltistan civil society, blamed Islamabad for its autocratic behaviour and for abusing the powers of the Gilgit Baltistan Council which is headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

He said, "Gilgit-Baltistan Council is chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He definitely has no sympathy for Gilgit-Baltistan. If it was so, he would have taken decisions as per the convenience of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. He never attends any meeting. It is very sad. The Prime Minister only endorses a plan designed by a section officer in Islamabad.

The protests will continue till the government meets the demands, the organisers have announced.

"This is the height of barbarism. We don't have any party to express our concerns. So, the people have no option but to block roads and go on strike. Now, the government will use force to demolish our campaign. For the past 47 years, they have kept us confined by dividing us on sectarian lines", said a protester.

In Rawalakot city, people came out onto the streets to protest against the discriminatory surge in load shedding hours.

The protest was organised by the Jammu Kashmir Awami Party (JKNAP), which claimed that the PoK produces some 5,000 mega watts of electricity from five dams and 4500 Megawatts of that electricity is diverted to the Islamabad grid leaving the local people with just 500 Megawatts.

Sardar Liaqat Hayat, President of JKNAP, said, "We people are paying hefty bills despite having hours long load shedding. We all need to come onto the streets to protest for our right to free electricity. We need to give sacrifices as nothing comes free. Those who are getting everything free are the 'moulvis' sitting in a mosque. Ordinary people have to fight for their rights".

The JKNAP has threatened to intensify its protest against Islamabad if their demands are not met.

It also blames Pakistan for exploiting resources from PoK and being responsible for the poverty and underdevelopment in the region.

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Former Zimbabwe Defense Forces commander Constantino Chiwenga has been appointed as the new vice president of the ruling party ZANU-PF.

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said in a statement: "Mr. Chiwenga, retired from the military last week, after leading a military intervention that resulted in Mr. Mugabe's (former President Robert Mugabe) resignation in November. He has been appointed to the same position together with Minister of Defense and War Veteran Kembo Mohadi", Xinhua reported.

Both these appointments pave the way for the leaders to be either appointed the new vice-president of the country.

The post of the Vice-President fell vacant after Emmerson Mnangagwa became the new President of Zimbabwe last month. Mugabe, after 37 years in power, resigned, after the army and his ruling ZANU-PF party turned against him due to his dictatorial rule.

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Brazil initiates an antidumping investigation on exports from India into Brazil

AIA Engineering announced that the Ministry of Development in Brazil has initiated an antidumping investigation on exports of certain grades of grinding media exported from India into Brazil. They have imposed an interim duty that accounts to USD 359.16/ Mt which is to be paid by importer. The Company is fully co-operating with the trade remedies department for a through investigation into their data. The Company expects the final decision to be publicly available by May 2018.

Currently, the company's annual sales quantities to the customers in Brazil are around 15000 tons. While the company's contracted supplies continue unaffected, the impact of the above anti-dumping investigation is not quantifiable pending completion of the review process.

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Like Special Judge O.P. Saini, I also followed the much-hyped and so-called 2G spectrum scam case, my first assignment as a cub, "religiously" for seven years.

It was a hazy morning on February 8, 2011. I nervously walked into the sessions court in Delhi to cover remand proceedings of the high-profile case of alleged corruption.

The main accused, A. Raja, was brought for the remand hearing to the jam-packed Room P-3 on the ground floor of the publishing building in the court complex housed in the historical structure that once was an abode of the Patiala royals. The hearing extended to a couple of hours and the CBI got his custody for the second time.

Raja appeared as relaxed then as he was when Judge Saini finally cleared him of all the charges on Thursday. The former Telecom Minister was quickly rounded up in a CBI van as his supporters shouted slogans.

The tainted politician was arrested on February 2, 2011. What baffled almost everyone, including journalists, was that he didn't move a bail application. It was as mysterious as the notional Rs 1.76 lakh crore loss, his alleged wrongdoing had caused to the country.

Nobody in his camp was speaking on why he was not seeking bail. Others accused in the case were already pleading for their release. Most of them had even been set free on bail bonds.

Raja had already spent 14 months in Delhi's Tihar Jail in the case that cost him his ministerial job in November 2010.

On April 21, 2012, Raja was again brought to the court for recording statement of witnesses. I walked inside and surprisingly saw an empty chair next to Raja's. I grabbed the chance and sat next to him.

I nervously asked him why he was not applying for bail. I thought he wouldn't speak because he had never spoken to the media about the case.

To my utter surprise he not only spoke smilingly but patted my back since I had introduced myself as a journalist during an earlier meeting.

"I want to come out of jail with clean hands, rather than be released on bail... It will be better to seek acquittal," he said, maintaining he was innocent and had done nothing wrong.

On May 15, 2012, he was finally given bail on the ground of parity as all the accused were already released.

Nearly six years later, Judge Saini proved Raja right because the prosecution -- the CBI and Enforcement Directorate -- failed to prove their charges that the politician had misused his power and accepted bribes to allocate second-generation radio wave spectrum licences to a chosen few.

On Thursday, when he was acquitted, Raja was in the same courtroom, appearing as cool as he had been during the tough times of the trial.

The seven years of the 2G trial will be remembered by those who followed it closely for many other reasons.

Judge Saini, known for his clock-like punctuality, would always enter the courtroom before 10 a.m. He was not off the mark when he wrote in the judgment that "for the last about seven years, on all working days, summer vacation included, I religiously sat in the open court from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., awaiting for evidence".

As cool as he could be, the judge would always ask the defence and prosecution during their heated arguments to maintain the decorum of the court as the media was watching keenly.

Many faces kept changing in the defence as well as prosecution.

Senior Prosecutor K.K. Goel argued the case in its initial days but was replaced by A.K. Singh later.

Singh was dropped after he was allegedly heard in a telephonic conversation advising one of the accused how to fight the case. The audio was leaked to the media in 2013.

Goel returned. But he was too smart. I would usually find it difficult to read his notes -- written in a somewhat coded language -- when I had a chance to peep into his notebook. Some of the defence counsels privately shared with me that they also faced similar problems.

The appointment of Special Public Prosecutor U.U. Lalit as Justice in the Supreme Court in July 2014 dealt a blow to the CBI's case.

Senior advocate Anand Grover was appointed as the new Special Public Prosecutor in September 2014. But he had to laboriously go through the hundreds of thousands documents the CBI had collected. By this time, many key witnesses had already been examined.

There were some lighter moments also during the seven years of trial. Senior Advocate Ram Jethmalini, who appeared for Raja and Kanimozhi, asked a witness how he could afford a cell phone that cost Rs 2 to 4.5 lakhs.

The witness on the next date of hearing told the court that his London-based brother-in-law had gifted it to his wife and he had found out that the cost was a mere Rs 4,914. Everyone, including the judge, burst in a loud laughter.

The courtroom was almost always overcrowded. One day DMK MP Adi Shankar had come to support Kanimozhi. As the case was being argued, Shankar fainted. Jethmalini quipped about his own age and how he was still fit to argue the case. "I am 87 and more likely to faint but still I can argue my client's case."

(Amiya Kumar Kushwaha can be contacted at amiya.k@ians.in)

--IANS

akk/sar/mg/ky

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A fire hit the London Zoo on Saturday morning, forcing the closure of the zoo and killing a nine-year-old aardvark -- a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa, the zoo said in a statement on its website.

The fire started shortly after 6 a.m. in the Animal Adventure section and then spread to the adjacent shop, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting the statement.

Local media say it took over 70 firefighters about three hours to tame the fire under control, and eight people needed medical treatment at the scene for smoke inhalation and minor injuries, while one person was sent to hospital.

Despite a desperate move by the keepers living on site to transfer the animals to safety, the zoo still suffered a loss of its animal residents.

"Sadly our vets have confirmed the death of our nine-year-old aardvark, Misha. There are also four meerkats unaccounted for at this stage," said statement.

The cause of the fire remains unclear. The zoo will be closed for the day.

--IANS

him/vm

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India's first low-cost carrier Air Deccan is taking to the skies again on Saturday after a decade, connecting Mumbai with Jalgaon in northern Maharashtra under the 'Udan' regional connectivity scheme.

"We have received the regulatory authority's (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) approval and would commence our operations on Saturday from Mumbai to Jalgaon," the airline's founder Captain G.R. Gopinath told IANS.

The maiden flight would take off at around 12 p.m., from here to Jalgaon, about 410 km to the northeast of the Maharashtra capital, an Air Deccan official said.

As per schedule, the airline would also be flying to Pune from Nashik at 6.20 p.m. on Saturday.

The airline would be employing a Beechcraft 1900D, an 18-passenger twin-engine fixed-wing aircraft for the routes.

'Udan' is the regional connectivity scheme of the central government aiming to make air travel affordable and widespread in all regions of the country.

Headquartered in Bengaluru, Air Deccan was founded in 2003 by Gopinath, a retired Indian Army captain.

The airline had first launched its operations in August 2003 with a flight from Bengaluru to Hubballi, about 400km to the northwest of Bengaluru.

The company had merged with the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines in 2007 had later ceased its operations in 2008 owing to losses.

--IANS

bha/ksk

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The suspense over the next Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh may end on Sunday when the BJP Legislative Party meets and may announce a name.

BJP state President Satpal Satti told reporters here that the BJP legislative party will be meeting here on Sunday.

A senior BJP leader said the name of the new Chief Minister would be announced by party's central observers comprising Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar and state party in-charge Mangal Pandey.

Several names, including those of Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and five-time legislator Jairam Thakur have been doing the rounds.

Sitharaman and Tomar, along with Pandey, had met the newly elected legislators and the Members of Parliament to discuss the formation of the government and the Chief Minister.

After spending two days in Shimla, they returned to New Delhi and submitted their feedback to party President Amit Shah.

Five-time legislator Thakur has emerged as a key contestant in the Chief Ministerial race, with the party expected to take a final call at the BJP Legislative Party meet.

Party sources said central observers are expected to convey the name of the next Chief Minister approved by the party's central leadership to the legislators and get it approved from them unanimously.

Other names doing the rounds are of party legislators Suresh Bhardwaj and Rajeev Bindal.

The name of two-time Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who faced a humiliating defeat in this election, has not been ruled out either.

The BJP won 44 seats in the 68-member assembly.

--IANS

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who came calling here on Saturday days after his party narrowly missed victory in the Gujarat Assembly elections, exhorted the party rank and file that with a little more effort, the BJP could be defeated in the state, and the Congress would get 135 seats in the next elections.

Gandhi, who flew down here after offering prayers at the Somnath Temple, said he could sense a victory even in the party's defeat and this election had demonstrated it.

"We lost in the elections, but we have won. This is the reality. We won because they fought with anger, with money, police, chief ministers from various states, industrialists. We had only truth.

"We stood against this and showed it to the entire country that Congress can fight and win," he said.

"My main challenge was that if Gujarat Congress believes that it is going to win, then it would win. You believed in it 70 per cent and can see the results. Now Gujarat Congress has confidence. Now you know that you can win. Now just wait for the results of (2019) Lok Sabha and (2022) Assembly elections. It will be a great result. All those sitting here will be in government," he said.

"The Gujarat Congressmen have shown that if they unite and fight on their ideology, they do not lose."

Speaking in Hindi, the Congress chief said with confidence, "We have dismantled all the development talk of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji. Now he cannot talk about it."

He congratulated the BJP for its victory and accepted the Opposition's role, while claiming that the new BJP government would work for a handful of and "snatch away lands" of farmers.

"What we talked about Gujarat government in the elections is the truth and the fight has not ended. Farmers, women and youth have voted for us. You have to show that Congress legislators fight for people, their issues and do not take a step back," he said.

Gandhi said that Congress in the state had been able to take away the "development" plank of Prime Minister and BJP. "They stand exposed on this. In the end he (PM) talked about himself all the time. The entire country knows it and they cannot use it (development plank) anywhere," he added.

The Congress finished with 80 seats, including three independents, in the House of 182 where the BJP was reduced to 99 seats from its 2012 tally of 115 and was hoping for an unprecedented victory by getting more than 150 seats. The Congress was meandering in the 50s through the last five elections and had lost all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat in 2014.

Gandhi asserted: "Three four months ago, the question here was whether Congress could fight the elections at all. Nobody gave us a chance of winning. The BJP said Congress would win 20-25 seats and they would win 150-plus."

The Congress president claimed that the main reason for his party's loss was the campaign of "defamation" and "lies" by Modi and his BJP against the Congress and its leaders.

Gandhi was here for a review meeting on party's performance in elections with elected legislators, losing candidates and party workers. "You fought well. The tickets too were distributed fairly, except few mistakes that happen," he said.

--IANS

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on Friday clashed with police in Ghaziabad over the marriage of a Hindu girl with a Muslim boy, which the activists described as a case of "love-jihad".

The BJP workers, accompanied by the representatives of other Hindutva outfits including the Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and Jai Shiv Sena, staged a sit-in protest outside the house of the parents of the girl and disrupted traffic.

The girl's father had organised a reception after the marriage at his house here.

Later, the police removed the protesters using force, saying they were trying to interfere with the private life of an individual.

Pushpendra Kumar, the father of the bride, told IANS: "I had been receiving phone calls for last two days to stop this marriage. But both are major and mature enough to know what's wrong and what's right."

His daughter Nupur Singhal is a psychologist, who has done her Ph.D in Human Psychology, while her husband Mansoor Harhat Khan is an MBA and working with a private company. His family originally belongs to Aligarh, while his father Harhat Bashir Khan lives in Delhi and also owns a house in Noida.

"They have decided to live together, so they have registered their marriage under the Special Marriage Act in Ghaziabad. We had arranged a reception party today (Friday). I don't see any love-jihad in their marriage," Pushpendra Kumar said.

According to him, the boy even offered to marry as per Hindu rituals. "But neither the groom's family nor ours put any conditions and left it to the girl and the boy, and they went for court marriage," the father added.

They are in touch with the Noida SSP as they apprehend that on Saturday, "some mischief" could take place in Noida, at the house of the boy's father.

The police said they used mild force to disperse the crowd. "How can the police allow people to barge into someone's house? We got a distress call and we performed our duty," said SSP H.N. Singh.

--IANS

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The Congress on Saturday termed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as behaving like a "pet performing parrot" of the Narendra Modi government.

"The biggest proof of this that in the 2G spectrum case, there are three verdicts. The first verdict is 1,556 pages long. But even before this verdict was uploaded, the CBI and ED (Enforcement Directorate) said that they would go for appeal," Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said.

"Now, the CBI and ED are not private lawyers, they are state agencies and are supposed to function in a fair, objective and transparent manner. There are separate directorates of prosecution in both CBI and ED. Did these directorates, or anyone else in the two agencies, before making such a comment make a value judgment whether there are grounds for conviction or not?" Tiwari asked.

He said that before filing an appeal against an acquittal, the investigating agency needs to take the High Court's permission.

In response to a question, the former Union minister said that to hope that CBI and ED will probe the multi-crore Srijan scam that has taken place under Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's "nose", is like "kite flying".

"We have been demanding that probe in the Srijan scam should be dome by a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT)," he said.

The Srijan scam refers to the fraudulent transfer of huge government funds in the account of a Bhagalpur based NGO called Srijan Mahila Sahyog Samiti between 2004 and 2014.

On his party continuing alliance with Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya (RJD) Janata Dal even after his conviction by a CBI court in a fodder scam case, Tiwari said that court cases and political alliances are "two separate things".

A special CBI court on Saturday convicted RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a case relating to the multi-million rupee fodder scam.

--IANS

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It is not just in India, Chinese players grew 125 per cent Year-on-Year (YoY) and captured 29 per cent of the Bangladesh handset market in the third quarter this year -- up from 13 per cent in the same period last year -- market research firm Counterpoint Research said on Saturday.

"As smartphone penetration in the country increases, local brands, which are losing market share to the Chinese brands, are positioning themselves as best-placed to tailor products to local needs and preferences," said Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research.

Local manufacturer Symphony Mobile remained the top handset player in Bangladesh with 26 per cent market share, but its sales declined 24 per cent annually owing to tough competition from players like iTel and Nokia.

South Korean giant Samsung was able to maintain its second position in the smartphone segment with 14 per cent market share.

Chinese player Huawei clinched the third spot in the smartphone segment with 8.5 per cent market share in the third quarter.

Walton was the only other Bangladesh brand to be featured in the top five smartphone brands list, achieving 8.3 per cent market share.

Another Chinese player iTel, at number five, captured 6.9 per cent share of the smartphone market.

The Bangladesh handset market grew 19 per cent (Y-o-Y) and one per cent sequentially.

Smartphone shipments contributed to 24 per cent of the total mobile phone shipments, signalling a slow but steady adoption of smartphones.

"Consumer uptake has been slow, especially after duties were increased in June 2017 and those interested in buying LTE phones waiting for LTE roll-out, now likely to happen in early 2018," Pathak added.

In India, Chinese vendors captured 49 per cent of the Indian mobile phone handset market in the first quarter of 2017 -- with a 180 per cent (year-on-year) revenue growth -- threatening to wipe out domestic players from the overall handset segment.

Among the top Chinese brands, Xiaomi witnessed the biggest growth in India this year.

--IANS

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday filed a chargesheet against businessman Gagan Dhawan, arrested in connection with an over Rs 5,000 crore bank fraud.

The chargesheet was filed before Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma, who has listed the matter for January 3 for considering the investigation report.

Dhawan, who is in judicial custody, was arrested on November 1 from his south Delhi residence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a case involving fraud of over Rs 5,000 crore by Sandesara Group.

The ED alleged that he was involved in diverting the amount to purchase properties and other shell companies.

According to ED officials, Dhawan allegedly aided bank loan frauds related to Vadodara-based Sterling Biotech company.

The ED had registered a case of money laundering following a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Sterling Biotech, its Directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, and Vilas Joshi and several others in connection with the bank fraud case.

--IANS

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A former police commissioner, an NRI businessman from London and the famed Dabbawalas joined hands here on Saturday to "wage a fight against hunger" through the "Mumbai Roti Bank" platform.

While IPS officer and former city police chief and Maharashtra DGP D. Sivanandan has launched the non-profit initiative, UK-based businessman Nittin Khanapurkar has formed "MUrgency", an emergency platform under the leadership of Mumbai Dabbawalas' chief Subhash Talekar.

"The Mumbai Roti Bank will deploy GPS-tracked vans to collect excess food from restaurants, eateries, clubs, five-star hotels, events, public functions or marriages, besides households, and distribute them to poor, hungry and needy people," said Talekar.

He said the Mumbai's Dabbawalas recently launched their own Roti Bank initiative through which they collected extra food from households or organisations and distributed among the poor. "At least 300 people benefit daily."

Stressing the need for more public participation in this venture, which is being done by volunteers offering free service, Talekar said the Roti Bank concept would now be spread all over India in stages.

"In India, an estimated 20 crore people -- or the entire population of Pakistan -- daily sleep hungry, 3,000 infants die due to malnutrition and hunger every day, but on the other hand, there is huge wastage of food, especially at big events, parties, marriages, etc.," Talekar said.

While Sivanandan has donated the first van for the project at Lower Parel station to kickstart the scheme, the Mumbai Roti Bank plans to roll out another three-four food vans shortly.

Khanapurkar appealed to all stakeholders to take advantage of the Mumbai Roti Bank and call up whenever they were saddled with extra food to collect it while it was still fresh, so it could be distributed among the needy and hungry, including pavement dwellers in the city.

"People and organisations who have excess food to spare can call up a 24x7 helpline (No.9111891118/ www.rotibankindia.org) and provide the location from where the excess food has to be picked up. We will do the rest," said Sivanandan.

--IANS

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The CBI's retired Joint Director (east) Upen Biswas, who had relentlessly pursued Lalu Prasad and others accused in the fodder scam, on Saturday said the case was "so strong" that the former Bihar Chief Minister as others named in the scam were certain to be punished in one case or another under it.

"Lalu Prasad has been sentenced in two cases. Who will get punishement or not in a specific case, I can't say. I don't remember the names also. Lalu Prasad, Jagannath (Mishra) I remember. But I have forgotten the other names," Biswas, now a minister in West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee government, told media persons.

"The case was so strong,... he (Lalu Prasad) was certain to be punished," said Biswas.

A special CBI court in Ranchi during the day convicted RJD chief Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a case relating to the multi-million rupee fodder scam.

The court acquitted another former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra and five others in the case, related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 84.5 lakh from the Deoghar district treasury.

The CBI court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3.

Asked about Mishra being acquitted in the case, Biswas said: "He may not have been adjudged guilty in this case, but he has been punished in another case.

"Be it Lalu, or some others, if they have not been found guilty in one case, overall, they are bound to be punished in the scam."
With her exotic sultry looks, she was possibly one of Hollywood's earliest 'globalised' leading ladies, playing roles spanning from a Spanish flamenco dancer to a Russian countess to a Biblical matriarch. Ava Gardner also appeared as a half-Indian character in the first Hollywood film realistically depicting India - on the cusp of Independence - then of the maharajas, the Great Game and tiger hunts.

And for good measure, Ava (1922-90), whose 95th birth anniversary falls on Sunday, is also known for a film that gave Bollywood the name of one of its most enduring villains - "Mogambo" (1953), set in Africa and co-starring Clark Gable and Grace Kelly.

With her dark brown hair contrasted by green eyes, her chiselled facial features comprising a dimpled chin and high cheekbones, voluptuous figure and a deep voice, Ava could have been typecast in one particular sort of role. But she was as exceptional - and atypical in her roles as her flamboyant life.

Born on Christmas Eve (which led to her Hollywood nickname) in a tobacco farm in North Carolina and youngest of seven siblings, she came into films in unique circumstances - through her photo displayed in the brother-in-law's New York photo studio which, by and by, led to a screen test at MGM's New York office.

"There wasn't a thing that I could do. I couldn't act... I had no training whatsoever. I was just a pretty little girl. But I loved the idea, because I loved movies," she said later. And after the test, "...the director clapped his hands gleefully and yelled, 'She can't talk! She can't act! She's sensational!'".

Offered a seven year contract by MGM, she left school for Hollywood in 1941. While MGM's first task was to improve her diction as her southern accent was nearly incomprehensible, her first years were scarcely pathbreaking.

Out of her about 70 screen appearances, 25 were in the first five years mostly as an uncredited extra in small roles. As Ava later put it, ".... I played a lot of hatcheck girls, and did mob scenes, extra scenes, dancing scenes, just to have the experience of being on a set.... If the studio wanted a photograph to advertise a film they'd say, 'Who is it that has a good pair of legs and a good pair of breasts and is pretty and not working?' And it was always Ava because she was never working."

She however came to prominence with her depiction of femme fatale Kittty Collins in the crime noir "The Killers" (1946), based on an Ernest Hemingway short story, expanded for the film.

This became a pattern of Ava's film career. She had just read two books till she was 21 - the Bible and "Gone with the Wind" (though she made up for it throughout her life by self-improvement), but ended up appearing in many movies with a strong literary flavour - based on works of Hemingway (who also was a close friend), Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Tennessee Williams, Nevil Shute and John Masters among others.

A string of bigger films followed - "The Hucksters" (1947) with Clark Gable and Deborah Kerr, "One Touch of Venus" (1948), in which she plays the goddess of love, "The Great Sinner" (1949) and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" (1952) with Gregory Peck, "The Barefoot Contessa" (1954) with Humphrey Bogart and more.

It was "Bhowani Junction" (1956), in which Ava, playing Anglo-Indian girl Victoria Jones, wears a sari - as she has to decide between three men in her life - a British army officer (Stewart Granger), a fellow Anglo-Indian and an Indian railway official. The filmmakers wanted to shoot in India but the government wasn't very accommodating, so they shifted base to Pakistan.

Her last prominent roles were in "The Night of the Iguana" (1964), opposite Richard Burton and "The Bible: In the Beginning" (1966) in which she played Sarah, wife of the Prophet Abraham, though she continued acting in smaller movies and even TV soaps. Asked why she did this, she said: "For the loot, honey, for the loot".

While there is much more about her - her penchant for bawdy language and swearing (one reporter said it seemed like a competition between a sailor and a truck driver), fierce temper and free spirit, her tempestuous relationship with Frank Sinatra which included a spell of marriage and continued relations and more, it is her wit and humour that deserves mention.

Opining that "Deep down, I'm pretty superficial", she was as dismissive of her time in the limelight: "What I'd really like to say about stardom is that it gave me everything I never wanted" and that ".... I never brought anything to this business and I have no respect for acting. Maybe if I had learned something it would be different. But I never did anything to be proud of."

Many of us wouldn't agree.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Unicef Global Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra on Saturday said she is a just an "instrument of change" and the real job of empowering women is supposed to be done by the government and society.

At a Unicef event, the Bollywood and Hollywood star said though there is nothing wrong in becoming a homemaker, young girls must be given their rights and be allowed to choose their career path.

"I am just an instrument of change. I am neither government nor am I Unicef. But I have voice, I have a platform which you people have given me... Some change will be done I am sure when so many of you who are here will write about it," Priyanka said.

The international star said she was privileged in her upbringing, with her parents being educated enough to allow her to carry on with her desires, but not everyone shares a similar destiny, and society must give the young girls their say and allow them education.

"Some people say 'what change I can make alone', some say 'we ourselves don't have enough to eat, how can we contribute to this cause'... To them I would say, if you can't donate money, then donate your compassion," she said.

Emphasising on the role of girls in a household, Priyanka remarked on the "increasing number of old age homes", which, she said "might not happen if there are more daughters in the society".

"The sex ratio in some states, I got to know about, is so low, which is so dangerous."

The actor also praised government initiatives like 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' -- the Central government's flagship scheme -- and said if everyone lends his and her support such a movement can become very big.

"It our house and it is our responsibility to clean it. We have nothing to learn from anyone. We are such a logical people. We run the tech for the entire world. We can change our society on our own," the "Quantico" star said when asked by a reporter if she has any changes to suggest for India, something she noticed abroad.

"Adolescents today face a unique set of challenges. Giving them the tools to improve their lives will help create a generations of economically-independent citizens who will actively contribute to their communities. Investment in adolescents can lift millions out of poverty by creating a constructive and skilled workforce," she said.

India is home to more than 243 million adolescents, who account for a quarter of the country's population. Ending child marriage, enabling access to secondary education and transition to work can be a game change for India's future growth and development, Unicef said in a statement.

--IANS

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India and Russia on Saturday discussed cooperation in areas including energy and technology, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday following a meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) here.

"Had a productive meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Rogozin," Modi tweeted.

"This year saw increased high-level exchanges between India and Russia, which benefits our nations. We discussed cooperation in areas including energy and technology."

In the joint statement in June this year in St. Petersburg following the annual India-Russia bilateral summit between Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, both sides welcomed cooperation among energy companies in modernising the existing power stations and building new ones in India.

"We will endeavour to develop joint projects in each other's countries through sharing of technologies, experience of working in different terrains and climatic conditions, and use of energy efficient technologies for creation and propagation of cleaner, climate friendly and affordable energy resources," a joint statement said.

Following Saturday's IRIGC-TEC meeting co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rogozin, the External Affairs Ministry said the Commission assessed the progress on issues concerning the most significant aspects of bilateral economic cooperation such as trade, economy, investment, industry, energy, transport, agriculture and space.

Both sides decided to create working groups on agriculture and pharmaceuticals, and "to actively promote inter-regional cooperation which has significant untapped potential for cooperation".

A decision to expedite implementation of a green corridor for exchange of pre-arrival data between customs administrations of the two countries was also reached.

--IANS

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Basking in the glory of Rajput history, the iconic Nahargarh fort in Jaipur has always remain a favourite among the tourists. Built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1734 the fort overlooks the pink city. And now, it is also home to a sculpture park.

First of its kind in the country, the Sculpture Park at Madhavendra Palace in Nahargarh Fort has turned into a hub of contemporary art where 15 Indian artists and 9 international artists have presented their collections. The park, which opened its doors on December 10, is a public-private collaboration between the Rajasthan government and the not-for-profit Saat Saath Arts.

Acclaimed curator Peter Nagy, who is the brain behind this concept, said it was a challenge for him to give a twist in the appearance of the fort but without hampering its surface.

"Maintaining the art is difficult, some of the works are even kept in open, there is a risk of it being damaged by natural calamities as well as visitors. But there is a great scope of contemporary art in India which is gradually spreading its roots. And it's just a small step towards it. For most of my career as a gallerist and curator, I have been trying to break away from the white-box exhibition space. With this project, I am able to indulge my passions for art, architecture and decor into a marvellous synthesis of the past and the present," Nagy told IANS.

For artist Jitish Kallat, whose works "Annexation" and "Vertical Chronicle of a Turbulent Equilibrium" are being showcased in thesculpture park, there were no second thoughts when he was approached because he found the concept a fresh one.

"Contemporary art as such necessarily need to be in an environment which is devoid of any content. When you see work against the backdrop of a really majestic architectural and historical structure it only adds one more dimension to the meaning," Kallat told IANS.

Artist Ravinder Reddy who has taken up the very contemporary issue of migration, believes there couldn't have been a better place for his art than a heritage site. Reddy's "Migrant" is a reflection of unacknowledged heroes, those who raise children, run homes, and keep families together. With "Migrant" he commemorates women who are extremely pertinent in the world of 2017: the refugee who is forced to move from one location to another, often with her children and all she owns are on her head and her back.

"We are always creating history. In that context, I feel the sculpture is very relevant because you are associating with an old structure and at the same time looking forward at the present. This is perhaps one of the best way to engage with past and present at a time," Reddy noted.

While curator Nagy expressed concern about the preservation of the sculptures, artists Thukral and Tagra voiced just the opposite; they wanted their piece of art to touched and felt by all. Titled "Memorial - a & b (wings), the work recreates the imagery which came as a sequence of images in dream.

"The realisation was kind of introspective; where the very desires of mankind are expressed but cannot be achieved. This reflects our desires which cannot be fulfilled, which are so heavy that cannot be lifted, cannot fly. We want the visitors to touch it and relate it with their own buried desires," Thukral commented.

With the sculpture park, Rajasthan has indicated it is eyeing to turn into the next art destination and the artists were happy with this.

"There are many art institutions in the state, especially in Jaipur. The state has got immense scope to become the next destination for major art exhibitions. It is welcome that the government has shown such keen interest towards art and extended its support for the cause," Kallat mentioned.

"For many years now, people have been coming to this beautiful palace -- they come, they look and go away. To keep this space living, it is important to merge it with today. It's a privilege for someone like me to enable this happen," Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje commented.

(Somrita Ghosh visited Jaipur at the invitation of Saat Saath Arts. She can be contacted at somrita.g@ians.in)

--IANS

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President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Madurai on Saturday on his maiden visit to Tamil Nadu after taking office.

The President offered prayers at the Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, around 600 km from here, and also paid homage to late former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at his memorial there.

Earlier, Kovind flew in from Delhi to Madurai and was received by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit. From Madurai, he flew to Mandapam in an helicopter and then went to Rameswaram by car.

Later, the President is to participate at the valedictory function of the 32nd Indian Engineering Congress organised by the Institution of Engineers (India).

Spending the night at the Raj Bhavan here, Kovind will leave for Hyderabad on Sunday morning.

--IANS

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Backing the protest by doctors in Rajasthan for higher pay, promotion and changes in shifts, the doctors' body at AIIMS on Saturday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "live" a government doctor's life for a day to understand their stress and helplessness and also take note of the "dying healthcare system".

In a letter to Modi, dated December 23, the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) has also urged him to understand the tremendous pressure on the doctors at government hospitals due to the poor infrastructure and misbehaviour of patient's kin during emergency situations.

The letter comes after several doctors in Rajasthan were arrested as the state government invoked the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) for three months after the doctors warned of indefinite strike in support of their demands.

However, before the start RESMA could start, the Rajasthan government began randomly arresting doctors from different districts of the state.

"Rajasthan doctors are on strike from December 16, this strike is helplessness rather than intentional because the state government arrested 86 doctors by imposing RESMA," read the letter.

"Their demands were previously accepted by the Rajasthan government but now they refuse to fulfil them resulting in mistrust and anguish among the hardworking doctors. Please instruct the Rajasthan government to stand on their promises and stop all atrocities against doctors."

Stating that all the doctors were feeling "insulted" after the treatment meted out to doctors in Rajasthan, the RDA sought Modi's immediate intervention.

"We are lucky to have an active PM like you.... Now RDA AIIMS requests you to put (on) white apron and spend one day as a government doctor to understand the tremendous amount of pressure we face, the agony of patients who did not get treatment, the dying healthcare system due to lack of resources and infrastructure.

"It will also set an example to ministers who put false allegations on doctors for cheap publicity," the letter said.

"Your one day as a government doctor can be a turning point for healthcare system as it will restore faith in the medical profession and some constructive measures to improve healthcare access and delivery," said the letter quoting Harjit Singh Bhatti, President RDA.

--IANS

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Over 100 workers of the BJP and other Hindu outfits, including a dozen-odd leaders, were booked in Ghaziabad on the charge of clashing with police and rioting over the marriage of a Hindu woman with a Muslim man, police said on Saturday.

The case was lodged at midnight Friday by Kavi Nagar police through Sub Inspector Dinesh Sharma under Sections 147, 148, 336, 341, 427, 353 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act.

The accused had allegedly clashed with police earlier in the day in Ghaziabad over the marriage they dubbed as a case of "love jihad" and also staged a sit-in outside the house of the woman's parents and disrupted traffic.

The woman's family had organised a wedding reception at their house in Ghaziabad.

Police said they removed the protesters by using mild force on the ground that they were trying to interfere in the personal lives of individuals.

"How can police allow people to barge into someone's house? We got a distress call and performed our duty accordingly," Superintendent of Police H.N. Singh said.

The FIR named BJP city President Ajay Sharma, businessman Dinesh Goel, Rahul, Goel, Pinki Chaudhary, Vineet, Neeru, Himanshu, Rajnish Sharma, Virendra Chaudhary, Sachin Soni, Shiv Sena's West Uttar Pradesh head Mahesh Ahuja, Hindu Raksha Dal leader Pradeep Chaudhary, and Jai Shiv Sena leader Amit Aryan and around 100 unidentified persons.

The bride's father Pushpendra Kumar told IANS: "I was receiving phone calls for the last two days to stop the marriage. But both (bride and bridegroom) are majors and mature enough to know what's wrong and what's right."

Bride Nupur Singhal is a psychologist with a Ph.D in Human Psychology, while her husband Mansoor Harhat Khan holds a Master's in Business Administration and works in a private company. His family originally hails from Aligarh, though his father lives in Delhi but owns a house in Noida as well.

--IANS

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Classified as "potentially hazardous", the near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon has a diameter of about six kilometres -- roughly one kilometre larger than previous estimates, new radar images obtained by the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico suggest.

The radar images obtained during the asteroid's close approach to Earth in December are the highest-resolution images of the object to date, NASA said on Friday.

Near-Earth objects are classified as potentially hazardous asteroids based on their size and how closely they can approach Earth's orbit.

Observations of Phaethon were conducted at Arecibo from December 15 through 19.

At time of closest approach on December 16, the asteroid was about 10.3 million kilometres away, or about 27 times the distance from Earth to the Moon.

The encounter is the closest the asteroid will come to Earth until 2093, NASA said.

The new images revealed that the asteroid is roughly ball-shaped and has a large concavity, or depression, at least several hundred metres in extent near its equator, and a conspicuous dark, circular feature near one of the poles.

"These new observations of Phaethon show it may be similar in shape to asteroid Bennu, the target of NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, but more than 1,000 Bennus could fit inside of Phaethon," said Patrick Taylor, a scientist at Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Columbia, Maryland.

"The dark feature could be a crater or some other topographic depression that did not reflect the radar beam back to Earth," Taylor, who is also the group leader at Arecibo Observatory Planetary Radar, said.

Tracking and characterising potentially hazardous asteroids is a primary mission of NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office.

Radar is a powerful technique for studying asteroid sizes, shapes, rotation, surface features and roughness, and for more precise determination of their orbital path, when they pass relatively close to Earth.

The Arecibo Observatory Planetary Radar has returned to normal operation after several months of downtime since Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico in September.

"We have been working diligently to get it back up and running since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico," said Joan Schmelz of USRA and Deputy Director of Arecibo Observatory.

--IANS

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Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday called for strong spiritual foundations to strengthen the society and state.

Drawing attention to religious conflicts in history including the ongoing Palestine crisis, he pointed out that such conflicts are not new.

"Religious conflict is not new. It's part of old, ancient and medieval history and even today. Shape and content has changed, sometimes it has not changed. All the media, all over the world and in India, is tremendously worried about future of Palestine. Future of Palestine is not a question of today.. from the days of Saladin, from the days of Richard the Lion-Hearted, days of Crusades, banishment of Jews from their motherland...," he said.

Speaking at the 'World Confluence of Humanity, Power, and Spirituality' organised by SREI, Mukherjee highlighted spiritualism is not religion.

"It is beyond that. History is full of religious conflict. Not only today. As a student of history I have seen... how through ages from the time of Moses, Crusades to spread of different religion over the world, sometimes by violence," he said.

He advocated the presence of basic foundation of spiritualism for a strong society.

"Unless there is very strong basic foundation of spiritualism, foundation of society and state can't be as strong as we desire to have.

"In today's world which is becoming even more insular, it is imperative we use a moral compass to guide us in our thoughts, deeds and actions as a society," he said.

--IANS

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Rahul Gandhi, on his first visit to Gujarat after becoming Congress President and post the state Assembly election results, went to the Somnath temple and offered prayers. He later held meetings with state party leaders and election candidates.

After his arrival, Gandhi in the morning visited the revered Somnath temple to offer prayers and also offered a temple flag to Lord Somnath. This time his visit was devoid of any entry registration due to lack of time.

During his earlier visit, a controversy had erupted after he was shown as a non-Hindu in the temple registry, which the ruling BJP latched on to and created a hullabaloo.

After his temple visit, Gandhi was in the financial capital Ahmedabad, where he had meetings with the north Gujarat Congress leaders, including all the candidates who contested the recent elections. This was the first time that Gandhi was meeting the candidates and leaders one-on-one, without the filter of the state president or other state leader barriers.

According to sources in the party, the Congress' poor performance in north Gujarat was attributed to the outsiders who were inducted into the party following Alpesh Thakore's induction and influence. As Thakore was busy in his own campaigning, he was unable to devote time for his projected candidates.

The Gandhi scion is to hold similar meetings with the central Gujarat leaders, and thereafter with Saurashtra leaders and finally South Gujarat candidates and leaders. The meetings are to not only discuss the recent election performance but also the Congress party's roadmap for the 2019 general elections.

In the evening he will address the entire Gujarat Congress at the GMDC Ground in Ahmedabad.

Gandhi also met Congress rebel, Bhupenrasinh Khant, who won as an Independent from Morva Hadaf constituency, after the party denied him a ticket to contest. For Khant, who has now rejoined the party, it was a 'Ghar Vapsi'. He had won the election, beating the BJP rival and Congress candidate Brijesh Merja. With his return, the Congress tally in the assembly has risen to 78.

Earlier, there was speculation that like Ratansinh Rathore, independent legislator from Lunawada constituency who has declared his support to the BJP government, Khant too would lend support to the BJP.

--IANS

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On its 40th anniversary (1977-2017), Mukesh Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Industries Limited said the company owed all its progress to its founder Dhirubhai Ambani.

"Reliance is the creation of the vision of one individual - my father, and our founder, Dhirubhai," Ambani said during his address to employees on "Reliance family day".

"My father is a timeless legend, an Indian icon and eternal inspiration to all Indians of all generations -- "Kal, Aaj aur Kal" -- We shall forever remain true to his vision, his ideals and his principles... On this happy occasion, I on behalf of everyone offer "koti koti pranam" and seek his blessings," he said.

"Friends, today let us also remember with gratitude all those who worked with Papa -- the great pioneers of Reliance... they often worked against impossible odds, they had very meagre resources than compared to what we have today but they never lacked ambition, passion, dedication, humility and also a burning desire and a dream to make Reliance the pride of India," he added.

His address was conveyed to employees and their families on social media. Over 50,000 people, are also attending the celebrations at the Reliance Corporate Park.

Another 200,000 employees and their families joined the celebrations live via video conferencing in more than 1,000 locations across the country including manufacturing sites, retail stores and Jio points, according to company officials.

Mukesh Ambani said it is because of Dhirubhai that Reliance had grown from one employee to over 250,000; from a Rs 1,000 company to over Rs 6 lakh crore; from one city to 28,000 cities and towns, and over four lakh village.

Congratulating her son Mukesh Ambani for his work, Kokilaben Ambani wished Reliance long life:

"Hazaar saal (1,000 year) Reliance jio (live)."

Talking about the company daughter Isha Ambani said: "Dhirubhai Ambani was the father of all start-ups."

"Way back in 1977, when Dhirubhai was starting Reliance, he reached out to the common man of India and said: "'Profits will be yours. The loss, mine'. This is wisdom that no business school will ever teach us," she said.

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who knew Dhirubhai Ambani, started his speech with a couplet from his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan's famous poem Madhushala.

Talking about Dhirubhai Ambani, Bachchan said: "He was not the beneficiary of the wealth which was acquired by many during 1947. He had no such luxury. He was not the third or fourth generation businessman. He was the first generation that grew to be (among the top)".

Bachchan said Dhirubhai Ambani was driven by his own convictions and sentiments. "The individual who has only his conviction to trust upon."

He said Dhirubhai Ambani was not given any opportunities, "his dreams invented those opportunities," adding that "a phenomena called Dhirubhai Ambani could only have happened in India."

The RFD -- with the tagline: 'A family that works together celebrates together' -- is part of a week-long series of activities across the country that will end on December 29 -- the 85th birth anniversary of Dhirubhai Ambani.
Russia should have the best armed forces in face of the "aggressive" plans of the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

"Russia should be among the leading states, and in some areas -- the absolute leader in building the army of a new generation, the army of the new technological era," Putin said at a meeting of senior Defence Ministry officials, Xinhua reported.

"This is of utmost importance for ensuring our sovereignty, peace and security of our citizens, for a confident development of the country and for an open and independent foreign policy in the interests of our country," he said.

He called the new security strategy recently outlined by the US Administration "offensive" and "aggressive", saying that the Russian military should take this into account in their practical work.

He said that although Russian nuclear forces had a level that provided "reliable strategic deterrence", they should be developed further.

By 2021, the Russian ground-based nuclear forces should be 90 percent equipped with new missile systems that can confidently overcome existing and prospective missile defence systems, Putin said.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the meeting that the budget of Russia's defence spending in 2018 will amount to $46 billion, 2.8 per cent of its gross domestic product.

Russia's military spending in 2017 was set at 3.05 trillion rubles ($52 billion), equaling 3.3 per cent of the GDP, according to the 2017 federal budget.

--IANS

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Security agencies were put on high alert in border areas of Punjab on Saturday after intelligence inputs on infilteration of terrorists into Indian territory from neighbouring Pakistan, informed sources said.

Security was tightened, particularly in border districts of Pathankot and Gurdaspur, including near Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, which bore the brunt of terror attack on January 2, 2016, as well as nearby Mamoon Cantonment of the Army.

India's international border with Pakistan falls in both districts that adjoin Jammu and Kashmir.

Apart from Punjab Police, men of the Border Security Force and personnel of different security agencies have been put on alert following intelligence inputs.

Suspected Pakistani terrorists had on July 27, 2015, attacked Dinanagar town in neighbouring Gurdaspur district, around 225 km from here, killing seven persons, including a Punjab Police officer, three Home Guards and three civilians.

The three terrorists were killed after a 11-hour gun battle with security forces at the Dinanagar police station.

--IANS

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Tribals in Manipur's Ukhrul district staged a protest against the lobbing of a hand grenade on Friday night in the heart of the district headquarters, officials said on Saturday.

The grenade, which failed to explode, was lobbed at the shop owned by Mangal Mahato, a non-local trader. Police said he is unable to provide any useful information.

The protesting tribals said the persons behind the attack had no respect for the religious sentiment of the tribals who are Christians.

"Christmas is around the corner. It is time for prayer and festivity. Those who tried to script bloodshed in this manner should be identified and punished," a tribal woman said.

Police and Assam Rifles troopers rushed to the spot where the unexploded hand grenade was near the footpath. Bomb experts of the Assam Rifles later safely defused it.

Police said a case has been registered. "It is a powerful explosive and would have caused bloodshed had it exploded," a police officer said.

No insurgent group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has called for steps to smoke out the perpetrators.

--IANS

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A federal appeals court has ruled against US President Donald Trump's latest travel ban, saying that it "exceeds the scope of his delegated authority," but that it was ultimately for the Supreme Court to decide.

The three-judge panel with the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled on Friday that Trump had again exceeded his lawful authority in issuing the latest ban and that he had not made a legally sufficient finding that entry of those blocked would be "detrimental to the interests of the US", the New York Times reported.

The ruling, however, is of little immediate consequence, as the judges said they would put it on hold pending consideration by the apex court, which allowed the ban to take effect.

In a statement, Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said: "We are pleased that the Supreme Court has already allowed the government to implement the proclamation and keep all Americans safe while this matter is litigated. We continue to believe that the order should be allowed to take effect in its entirety."

Trump's September ban blocks various travellers from eight countries, six of them predominantly Muslim, from entering the US. Two federal judges had earlier blocked its implementation, at least in part, although the Supreme Court this month allowed it to fully take effect while the legal battle ran its course through the courts.

The administration said the restrictions would be in effect until those countries proved to the US that they had adequate screening. But the appeals court said that the ban was, in effect, an indefinite one, and that Congress did not give the President the authority to stop immigration from any country indefinitely.

Neal Katyal, who argued the case before the Ninth Circuit court for the state of Hawaii, hailed the decision. "We are very pleased the Court of Appeals recognized that the President's latest travel ban is flatly illegal," he said, "and that his order defies the law Congress has laid down".

The US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit is considering a separate challenge to the ban.

--IANS

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Breaking with tradition, US President Donald Trump has made drastic changes to the presidential "challenge coin".

The most notable change is the replacement of the national motto, "E pluribus unum" -- a Latin phrase that means "Out of many, one" -- with Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again", the Washington Post reported.

Trump was reportedly personally involved with designing the coin.

Trump's "un-traditional" coin does not include the presidential seal, but instead an image of the White House and an American flag on one side, and an image of an eagle with its head facing right on the other. The 13 arrows representing the original states have disappeared.

In addition to his signature, Trump's name appears three times on the coin, which is thicker than those made for past Presidents. The coin is gold, compared to the traditional copper and silver.

It is designed to literally stand on its own and also features a gold-plated, ribbon-shaped banner bearing Trump's name in capital letters that doubles as a rocking-horse-style base.

The White House offered conflicting accounts of which funds were used to purchase the coins, with one aide saying they were paid for by the White House and a second aide later saying that the Republican National Committee (RNC) was covering the expense.

An RNC spokeswoman confirmed later that the party was paying for the coins.

"They're going to be used in ways they haven't been in the past," said the second White House aide, adding that they may be distributed at campaign rallies and to donors.

The commemorative coins stem from the military tradition of exchanging coins covertly through a handshake. US Presidents give them to troops, visitors and other members of the public. The coins have become collector's items and are sometimes sold for hundreds of dollars.

"For the Commander-in-Chief to give a political token with a campaign slogan on it to military officers would violate the important principle of separating the military from politics, as well as diminishing the tradition of the coin," said Trevor Potter, a Republican former chairman of the Federal Election Commission.

--IANS

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Bestselling author Pankaj Dubey wants to cast Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Sushant Singh Rajput and Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the film adaptation of his new book "Love Curry".

In the past, Dubey has produced indie films like "Geelee" and "Naach Ganesh", and made a short film titled "Maratha Mandir Cinema" featuring actress Sarika and actor-lyricist Swanand Kirkire.

"I have already started scripting the film and thinking about the casting. As the story is mainly about three boys from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, I want to cast Sushant, Fawad for the two of them," Dubey told IANS.

"For the female lead, I think Alia can play the part. Let's see how the casting goes," he added.

Dubey launched the book on Friday night.

The story of "Love Curry" revolves around three guys from three different continents who live in the UK and how they go through a journey of their life, love and cultural identity.

Though the book is a light read, asked what made him bring the element of identity struggle of South Asians in a western country, Dubey said: "I lived in London for quite some time for my study and work. I have seen how people are narrating their story of identity struggle."

"Though the time has changed drastically and thanks to the internet, people know that India is not a country of snake charmers anymore, there are snob people with disinterest and misconception regarding our culture."

"But at the same time, I do not want to treat the issue with so much seriousness, rather wanted to focus on how these three guys, who are otherwise fighting against each other as Indian and Pakistani unite as one in a western country," Dubey added.

--IANS

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With unprecedented Chinese backing, the Security Council tightened the economic chokehold on North Korea by unanimously voting on Friday to impose the strictest sanctions on North Korea aiming to cut off most fuel supplies and ban major exports following Pyongyang's latest missile test.

The resolution introduced by the US after intense lobbying won the support of China, which has had a special relationship with North Korea and had in the past opposed or tried to soften sanctions.

The new round of restrictions further tightens the sanctions imposed last month, which had been lightened to gain the support of Moscow and Beijing.

"This resolution ratchets up the pressure on North Korea even further, building on our last resolution, which included the strongest sanctions ever imposed on them," US Permanent Representative Nikki Haley, who piloted it, told the Council.

Haley acknowledged Beijing's cooperation saying: "I would like to specifically thank my Chinese colleagues for working with us on the negotiations."

Beijing's vote for the tougher sanctions indicates that its direct influence with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is waning and that China is recognising the global dangers from North Korea's nuclear and missile arsenals.

The Charge d'Affaires at the Chinese Mission, Wu Haitao, said there was a risk of the situation spiraling out of control.

The resolution would reduce North Korea's refined petroleum imports by 90 per cent from the 2017 mid-year level to 500,000 barrels per year, and it authorises the Council to further reduce petroleum imports if it carried out any missile or nuclear tests.

All North Korean exports and most imports are also banned under the resolution. It also requires the expulsion by the end of 2019 of all North Korean expatriate workers who are estimated to earn the government $500 million each year.

Fifteen North Koreans, who are bankers or are involved in weapons developments were put on a sanctions list banning their travel and freezing their assets.

The resolution also requires all nations to seize ships smuggling goods to North Korea.

Wu called for an end to all rhetoric that would escalate tensions and said that "tough posturing" only led to Pyongyang advancing its proliferation activities.

Haley softened her tone this time at the Council without the past threats of violent retaliation that matched Pyongyang's rhetoric.

The high-level Council meeting on North Korea earlier this month attended by US Secretary of Rex Tillerson and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono paved the way for the latest sanctions because it sent a very clear message that the community would not accept a nuclearised North Korea, Japan's Permanent Representative Koro Bessho said at a news conference after the vote.

After the November 28 intercontinental ballistic missile test the campaign for the latest round of sanction began, he said.
In response to an appeal by nine major European news agencies, the European Union is debating the extension of an existing copyright provision called neighbouring rights. This would give the agencies leverage to negotiate with Facebook, Google, Twitter and other such online news aggregators for payment for the millions of news articles they feature, or provide links to, on their platforms. If this goes through, it will change the current revenue model for news consumption and, perhaps, for other content as well.
In a major setback to the RJD, a special CBI court on Saturday convicted former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a fodder scam case 21 years after it had surfaced, while acquitting six others including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

Special judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3.

The copy of the judgement was not immediately available.

Sixty-nine-year-old Lalu Prasad, who heads the RJD, and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict. Lalu Prasads son Tejaswi Yadav, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, was present in the court.

Lalu Prasad and other convicted in the fodder scam case were then whisked off to Birsa Munda jail, where security has been tightened, CBI sources said.

The special court acquitted 80-year-old Jagannath Mishra and five others  former Public Accounts Committee chairman Druv Bhagat, former Indian Revenue Service officer A C Choudhary, fodder suppliers Saraswati Chandra and Sadhana Singh and former minister Vidya Sagar Nishad.

Besides Lalu Prasad, the court convicted political leaders Jagdish Sharma and R K Rana, IAS officers Beck Julius, Phoolchand Singh and Mahesh Prasad, and government officials Krishna Kumar and Subir Bhattacharya. The others are suppliers/transporters Tripurari Mohan Prasad, Sushil Kumar Sinha, Sunil Kumar Sinha, Raja Ram Joshi, Gopinath Das, Sanjay Agarwal, Jyoti Kumar Jha and Sunil Gandhi.

In 1996, the Patna High Court ordered an inquiry into the fodder scam cases and a charge sheet in the Deogarh treasury case was filed against 38 people on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.

The accused faced charges under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court had on December 13 reserved its on the matter.

Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that the party would move the high court against the special CBI court order.

Soon after the verdict, a post on Lalu Prasad's Twitter handle read, "Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes.

And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished." "Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and casteist minds. No one should expect any different treatment," adds another tweet.

On September 30, 2013, Yadav, Jagannath Mishra and several others had been convicted in another case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the early 1990s. Today's conviction is the second in the scam.

The Supreme Court had granted bail on December 13 that year to Prasad, who had been behind the bars for two months.

Prasad had moved the apex court challenging the order of the Jharkhand High Court which had dismissed his bail plea.

Yadav faces another three fodder scam cases for illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.97 crore from the Dumka Treasury, Rs 36 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury and Rs 184 crore from the Doranda treasury.

"The legal fight will continue," Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told newsmen outside the special CBI court here reacting to the conviction of the RJD chief.

He said adding that besides fighting it legally, the party would go to the people "fight it politically also".

Another senior RJD leader, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, a confidant of Prasad, said it was not right to comment on a judgement but the people were discussing how it is freedom for some people and jail for others in the same case.

"The layman is asking why it is jail for some and freedom for others? It is baffling how the BJP and JD(U) had predicted the verdict. This has created confusion among the people also," he said.

"The case was on excess withdrawal from Deogarh treasury.

Laluji has been charged with connivance as he was the finance minister then - the charge is not direct. The withdrawal had been taking place since 1977. There were several chief ministers who were in charge of the finance department when Laluji was not the finance minister or the chief minister so why is he being singled out?" Siddiqui asked.

"Laluji's going to jail is not new for RJD. He had been sent to jail on earlier occasions and every time RJD bounced back with double the strength. That is why we are still number one in Bihar," he said.

The party was waiting to know the quantum of punishment to Prasad to be pronounced on January 3 and would then decide its course of action, Sidiqqui added.

THE SCAM THAT UNDID LALU The Rs 950-crore fodder scam was unearthed in the undivided Bihar regime in 1996. After Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000, 39 of the 61 cases were transferred to the new state. 1996: The fodder scam is unearthed after Chaibasa deputy commissioner Amit Khare raids the animal husbandry department. Patna High Court asks CBI to investigate

1997: CBI files chargesheet, names Lalu Prasad as accused. Lalu quits as CM, makes wife Rabri CM

2000: Rabri, too, named accused but granted bail

2006: A Patna lower court acquits Lalu and Rabri

2012: Charges framed against Lalu and Jagannath Mishra

September 2013: Lalu, Mishra and 45 others convicted in another fodder scam case. Lalu disqualified as Lok Sabha member; debarred from contesting elections

December: Supreme Court grants Lalu bail

2017: Trial revives after SC order. Apex court asks lower court to separately try them in Deoghar treasury case

December 23: CBI special court finds Lalu and 17 others guilty

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Thirty-seven people were likely killed in a fire that engulfed a shopping mall in the southern Philippine city of Davao, the local vice mayor said today.

The Bureau of Fire Protection ground commander at the scene said the chances of the 37 surviving were "zero", Paolo Duterte, the vice mayor, who is also the president's son, wrote in a Facebook post.

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Over 5,300 school children today set a world record by forming the largest shape of human lung at Thyagraj stadium here and entered the Guinness Book of World Records.

The event organised by non profit organisation Lung Care Foundation and Petronet LNG was lauded by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Lung care Foundation and Petronet LNG have been awarded with Guinness World Record of creating the largest image of an organ(lung)," said a statement from the organsiation.

Over 5,300 school children from over 35 schools in Delhi- NCR got together to set the record. The previous records were held by Beijing and Abu Dhabi, it said.

The feat was aimed at creating awareness about harmful effects of pollution on lung health.

Lt Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal, who was present at the event, said he was confident the campaign would help in initiating a people's movement for clean air.

"In this regard, children are our best ambassadors for a positive change that we wish to achieve," he said.

The President and the prime minister in their messages congratulated Lung Care Foundation for the feat and lauded the school children who participated in it, said the statement.

"We believe it's time that the citizens themselves take care of their action and be responsible in their deeds," Dr Arvind Kumar, founder of Lung Care Foundation, said.

With 1.2 million dead, India saw the world's most pollution-related deaths in 2015, he said quoting a Lancet Commission study.

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Women members of the Aam Aadmi Party today met Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to demand the immediate arrest of "spiritual leader" Virender Dev Dixit, in whose centers minor girls were allegedly kept confined.

The delegation included AAP women wing president Richa Pandey Mishra and MLA Rakhi Birla.

On Thursday, raids were conducted at Dixit's Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya at Rohini in the national capital, where women and girls were allegedly kept confined like "animals in a cage"



Pandey alleged Dixit had been running the ashram with the help of police.

"Girls were illegally confined and exploited in the name of spirituality. All these things were happening under the nose of police," she said.

The AAP women wing president said they met Baijal and urged him to direct the Delhi Police to arrest Dixit and rescue women and girls confined in such places in other parts of the national capital.

The Delhi Commission for Women along with a police contingent raided two centres of Dixit in Rohini and Dwarka and rescued over 40 girls who were allegedly confined there.

The matter had come to light after a PIL was filed by an NGO, Foundation for Social Empowerment, in the Delhi High Court. The NGO had informed the court that several girls and women were allegedly being illegally confined there.

Subsequently, the high court had set up a committee, comprising lawyers and DCW chief Swati Maliwal, to inspect the premises of the institute and had also directed the CBI to probe the matter.

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Two days after their acquittal in the 2G scam case, former Union minister A Raja and DMK Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi today arrived here to a rousing welcome by party workers.

Led by DMK Working President M K Stalin, a host of party leaders, including Duraimurugan and former Union minister TR Baalu, welcomed them at the airport.

Stalin and others presented shawls to the duo.

Cadres showered flowers, burst firecrackers and played traditional music. They also performed folk dances like 'Karagattam' and 'Kavadi'.

Raja and Kanimozhi visited party patriarch M Karunanidhi at his residence here and took his blessings.

Upon their arrival at the Gopalpuram residence of the nonagenarian leader, Raja touched the top leader's feet as a mark of respect and presented a shawl.

The former Union minister told Karunanidhi "I have been acquitted in the 2G Spectrum case" and shook his hand.

Kanimozhi took the blessings of her father and party chief and reportedly told him that she and the party stood vindicated in the case.

Karunanidhi smiled and later waved at the party cadres.

Since October last year, the nonagenarian leader has been inactive in due to ill health.

The party workers erupted in cheers when the wheelchair- bound leader waved at them, which is not an everyday gesture nowadays in view of his health.

Raja, Kanimozhi and 15 others accused were on Thursday acquitted in the politically-sensitive 2G spectrum allocation scam cases by a special court in Delhi, which held that the prosecution "miserably failed" to prove the charges.

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Air India launched a direct flight between Amritsar and Sikh pilgrimage destination of Nanded in Maharashtra today.

Additionally, Air India will provide a direct flight between Amritsar and Mumbai.

Both flights will operate twice a week -- on Saturdays and Sundays.

The plane will depart from Amritsar at 10.55am and arrive at Nanded at 1.10pm. On the return leg, the flight will start at Nanded at 1350 hours and land in Amritsar at 1630 hours.

The Mumbai-Amritsar flight will start at 7.15am and land at 10.05am. The return leg will resume at 6pm from Amritsar and land in Mumbai at 8.25pm.

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The Kuala Lumpur-bound AirAsia flight that returned to the airport here after suffering a bird hit resumed its journey today, the airliner said.

The departure of the aircraft with 166 passengers was delayed after it experienced a bird strike yesterday, AirAsia said in a statement to PTI.

However, the flight departed for Kuala Lumpur from Chennai at 0330hrs today, it said.

The safety of the our guests is of utmost importance.

All affected guests were informed accordingly and necessary assistance was provided, it added.

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The Army's 77 Mountain Brigade also known as 'Chindits' today celebrated its 75th Raising Day Platinum Jubilee at its Counter Insurgency training center at Harchura near Balipara in Sonitpur district.

Inaugurating the programme, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Red Horn Division Maj Gen P S Behl said the Brigade was established during the World War-II on June 10, 1942 at Sagar in the state Madhya Pradesh by the legendary Brig Orde Wintage.

The Chindits, known officially as the Long Range Penetration Groups, were special operations units of the British and Indian armies, which saw action in 19431944, during the Buram Campaign of World War-II.

Chindit is a corrupted form of the Burmese mythical beast Chinth or Chinthay, statues of which guard Buddhist temples.

The first Chindit unit, the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, was gradually formed in the area around Jhansi in the summer of 1942.

To commemorate the momentous occasion numerous events were spread over two days commencing from today to be attended by many serving and veteran officers, Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks to mark the 75 years of dedicated service of the Chindits Brigade to the Nation, the GoC said.

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Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu today apprised Prime Minister Narendra about the initiatives undertaken by his government to improve governance in the state.

Khandu who called on Modi at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence office at New Delhi, extended gratitude to the Centre for acknowledging the absence of connectivity in the region and thereby supporting it, an official report said here.

The chief minister informed Modi that the Trans Arunachal Highway (TAH) project which will see investment of over Rs 50,000 crores over the next three years is a huge step in bridging the connectivity deficit.

He further expressed gratefulness to the Centre for appreciating the need to create robust infrastructure in the border villages and a comprehensive package is being prepared for addressing the critical infrastructure gaps.

"A proposal for construction of a Frontier Highway is also under active consideration under Ministry of Home Affairs and I hope that it will also be launched soon. East-West Industrial Corridor in the foothills will usher in a surge of economic activity," Khandu said.

The survey for preparation of DPR is under preparation and will be submitted for funds," he informed while requesting Prime Minister to direct the concern ministry to expedite the matter.

Khandu thanked the Centre for announcing new rail links in the state which will provide regular rail connectivity apart from being reliable and affordable travel for the poor.

Reiterating his request for the green field airport at Itanagar, the chief minister sought Modis personal support in early commencement of construction work for the civil airport at Hollongi, near here, for which technical surveys have already been carried out by Ministry of Civil aviation.

He also sought resources for creating infrastructure for the administrative centres including transmission lines, social infrastructure of Health and Education advocating that the existing assets have outlived its utility.

The chief minister reiterated the request made on earlier occasion for releasing the remaining grants of Rs 1060 crore for several centrally sponsored schemes which have been delinked.

The chief minister also requested the prime minister to consider for establishment of a cantonment based at Itanagar as assured by the Defence minister.

After giving a patient hearing, the prime minister assured all out support to Arunachal Pradesh.

He also assured to make a visit to the state shortly on the request from the delegation.

The chief minister was accompanied by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, deputy chief minister Chowna Mein and state BJP President Tapir Gao, the report added.

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As you sow, so you reap -- this was Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi's reaction to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's conviction in a fodder scam case by a CBI court in Ranchi today.

Modi was one of the petitioners, on whose PIL the Patna High Court had, in 1996, ordered a CBI inquiry into the cases relating to the fodder scam.

In a series of tweets, Modi pointed at the money- laundering cases slapped against the "whole family" of Prasad and hinted that the RJD president's son and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav could be the next in line in the "process of going to jail".

"Jo boya so paya. Boya ped babul ka to aam kahan se hoi. Yeh to hona hi tha (As you sow, so you reap. If you plant a Babul tree, how will you get mangoes. This had to happen)," the BJP leader said in his first tweet after the court verdict.

This was followed by another tweet: "I was one of the petitioner in fodder scam PIL which resulted in CBI inquiry & and monitoring by Patna H Court (sic)."



"Process of going to jail started. Today father, next who? Lalu knows? Whole family involved in corruption. Either fodder scam or benami property? Today chara Next LaRa? (sic)," read another tweet.

Modi also came down heavily on RJD national vice- president Shivanand Tiwary, who was a co-petitioner in the PIL which led to the CBI inquiry into the fodder scam, saying he was "defending the indefensible" by coming out in support of Prasad.

"Lalu had to go to jail because of PIL filed by Shivanand, Lalan Singh and myself but now Shivanand defending the indefensible (sic)," he said.

Lalan Singh, a JD(U) leader, is currently a state minister.

Tiwary, who was expelled from the RJD shortly before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls for anti-party activities, had told a channel that he felt he had "committed a sin" by filing the PIL, "which paved way the for Nitish Kumar to come to power in the state".

"Lalu enjoys a mass support, which nothing can erode. He has already been convicted and sentenced in one of the fodder scam cases. He is being sent to jail again and again as a part of a conspiracy," he said.

Meanwhile, senior RJD leader Jagdanand Singh said the party was united and waiting for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when its workers and leaders would fulfil the dreams of Prasad, who fought for social justice.

"The party will continue with its fight and struggle for social justice, right from the streets to Parliament, under the leadership of Tejashwi Prasad Yadav," he said, while appealing to the partymen to register their protest in a peaceful manner.

Singh also alleged that those who could not vote Prasad out of power had hatched a conspiracy against him.

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Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today suggested to the Christian authorities here that a directory of all churches be published as the one being prepared for the temples bythe Department of Hindu Religious Institutions of the territorail administration.

Bedi made the suggestion to Rev Fr Pitchaimuthu, the parish priest, as it would help the tourists to learn about the history and importance of the churches, a release from Raj Nivas.

She visited the Roman Catholic church dedicated to "Our Lady of Lourdes" in Villianoor near here.

The church was set up in the 19th century.

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Brazilian police looking for criminals ended up targets of a sting themselves when a swarm of bees attacked, sending seven officers to the hospital.

The officers were searching a piece of forest by a farm in Resende, northwest of Rio de Janeiro, yesterday when "they found a box," the state police force said in a statement today.

"On opening it, they encountered a swarm of bees and were attacked."



Seven officers required hospitalisation, two of them being quickly released, the statement said. Of the five still in hospital, one was in intensive care.

Globo television reported that one of the victims was stung 300 times.

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This Christmas, an estimated 150 theatres across 30 cities in the country will screen Bengali film 'Amazon Obhijaan', shot extensively in the Amazon forests.

Apart from the six metros, 'Amazon Obhijaan' will also be screened in tier-II and tier-III cities such as Bokaro, Dhanbad, Faridabad, Dehradun, Surat, Jamnagar and Vishakhapatnam and other cities also.

The screening of the film started in these places from today and the makers of the film aim to reach out to a sizeable Bengali population settled in different states across the country, a SVF statement said today.

The film, Amazon Obhijan, was released in West Bengal yesterday and it is a sequel to the 2013 blockbuster movie 'Chander Pahar'.

While 'Chander Pahar' was based on the classic children's adventure tale by popular Bengali writer Bibhutibhusan Bandyopadhyay, the story of 'Amazon Obhijaan' is written, scripted and directed by Kamaleswar Mukherjee.

The expedition, led by Bengali superstar Dev as Shankar, across rivers, jungles inhabited by wild animals and reptiles looks real, as the film was shot in real locations in Brazil, Mukherjee said.

Shooting took place for months, he said.

South African actor David James plays the role of adventurer Marco Florian while Russian actress Svetlana Gulakova plays Marcos daughter Anna Florian and they join Shankar during his quest for El Dorado.

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BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje today sought to know the Congress high command's stand on Mahadayi river water sharing row in the wake of Goa Congress president Shantaram Naik's statement on the issue.

Naik has termed the Goa government's openness for bilateral talks with Karnataka over diversion of Mahadayi river water as an "anti-Goa" move.

Speaking to reporters here, the MP said she wanted to know from Congress president Rahul Gandhi what his stand on the Mahadayi water sharing issue would be.

The MP said her party would continue its efforts to bring Mahadayi water to Karnataka.

She also urged farmers staging protests on the issue to join BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa in his efforts to end the row over water sharing.

Naik has said the reason for chief minister Manohar Parrikar to take such an "anti-Goa" and "anti-Goan" decision on the issue was to win the Karnataka elections.

"Manohar Parrikar has gone against the interest of Goa and Goemkars (Goans) by taking a decision to allow Karnataka to lift water of the Mahadayi when the matter is pending before the Mahadeyi Water Tribunal," Naik said.

Ahead of the assembly elections early next year, BJP has started the exercise to resolve the issue.

Parrikar, in a letter to state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday, had said, in principle, Goa would not oppose the "reasonable" and "justified" quantum of water meant to be utilised for drinking.

He had also pointed out that the matter is pending before the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal.

BJP president Amit Shah had recently mediated a meeting between Yeddyurappa and Parrikar.

Karnataka Congress has been very critical of BJP on the issue saying the Karnataka BJP leaders went ahead to resolve the matter overlooking chief minister Siddaramaih.

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The CBI has booked NBCC chairman- cum-managing director (CMD) Anoop Kumar Mittal for alleged corruption in the Rs 2,150 crore re-development project of ITPO Complex at Pragati Maidan here, arrested a government official and another person in connection with the case, agency officials said here on Saturday.

The CBI arrested government official Pradeep Kumar Mishra and Akashdeep Chauhan on Friday night and carried out searches in Ghaziabad, Delhi, and Mumbai, sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said.

Residential and official premises of Mittal were not searched, they added.

Mishra and Chauhan have been sent to four-day police custody by a special CBI court on Saturday.

The agency alleged in the FIR that a contract was awarded to a joint venture of Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Pvt. Ltd. and Shapoorji Pallonji Qatar WLL for Rs 2,149.93 crore by NBCC (India) Limited, and Mumbai-based Capacite Structures was trying to get the work from Shapoorji Pallonji on a subcontract basis.

Surprisingly, according to the CBI FIR, the deal for sub-contract of Rs 2,149.93 crore was influenced by a government official who had demanded a Royal Enfield bike as an illegal gratification to exert his influence on Mittal and get the deal swung in favour of Capacite Structures.

It is alleged that Sanjay Kulkarni, Managing Director of Capacite Structures, approached a middleman, Rishabh Agrawal, having good contacts with public servants for bagging the sub-contract.

The FIR alleged Agrawal approached Pradeep Kumar Mishra, a public servant who is close to certain senior functionaries of NBCC Ltd.

Mishra assured Agrawal the sub-contract would go to Capacite Structure if he was given a new Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle which was agreed by Kulkarni, the FIR alleged.

Under the influence of Mishra, Mittal "strongly directed" the Executive Director of NBCC to settle the matter in favour of Capacite Structures, it alleged.

The CBI said that in furtherance of the conspiracy, a meeting was held on December 15, 2017, between Kulkarni, representative of Shapoorji Pallonji including Sanjay Kharkhanis and senior officials of NBCC including Gupta.

After the meeting, Mittal assured Kulkarni and Mishra about getting the work from Shapoorji Pallonji and that if Capacite Structure does not get work, he would "ensure that it would not be given to anyone else", the FIR alleged.

The agency arrested Mishra while he was allegedly receiving the promised bike as illegal gratification from Akashdeep Chouhan, a staff of Kulkarni, the sources said.

The agency has filed FIR against Mittal, Mishra, Kulkarni, Agrawal, and Chouhan for criminal conspiracy and corruption.
Three centres run by a "spiritual leader" were raided by the police in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh today and 47 women and six minor girls were rescued.

A Delhi Police team went to an ashram founded by Virender Dev Dixit at Dwarka in the national capital and rescued five minor girls, who were allegedly kept confined there, officials said.

Uttar Pradesh Police also raided two centres run by Dixit at Siktarbad and Kampil respectively and rescued 47 women and a girl.

Facing a stiff opposition from the inmates, the police had to enter the centres from the terraces of the adjoining buildings.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Tribhuvan Singh said the minor girl, rescued from the Siktarbad ashram, would be produced before a magistrate and her statement would be recorded soon.

On Thursday, raids were conducted at the Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya at Rohini in the national capital, where women and girls were allegedly kept confined like "animals in a cage".

The matter had come to light after a PIL was filed by an NGO, Foundation for Social Empowerment, in the Delhi High Court.

Subsequently, the high court had set up a committee, comprising lawyers and Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal, to inspect the premises of the institute.

It had also asked the committee to inspect eight other centres run by Dixit in the national capital.

Maliwal today said the Dwarka ashram had "prison-like surroundings" and the inmates there were kept locked.

"There were stacks of medicines and no register was being maintained to show where did the girls come from and for how long have they been there. All the girls gave evasive replies," she said in a statement.

Maliwal also said it was found that many girls were undergoing psychological treatment and were shifted from the Vijay Vihar ashram to Uttam Nagar.

"The locals informed us that before the DCW visit, many girls had been removed from the premises that morning. They said they often heard the girls cry at night. Also, cars kept going in and coming out of the ashram at night," she said.

Maliwal added that the CBI, which was asked to probe the matter by the Delhi High Court, should also investigate the "role of the police and political leaders in the matter".

On Thursday, 41 teenage girls were rescued from the Rohini ashram and several objectionable items were seized.

Maliwal claimed that there were boxes found in the ashram, which contained letters with "explicit contents", written by Dixit to the female inmates.

The DCW chief had earlier claimed that the ashram at Rohini had metal gates every 10 metres and that its terrace had a barbed-wire fencing to prevent the girls from fleeing.

The locals alleged that the girls were being tormented for years. They also claimed that the police had not paid heed to complaints in this regard earlier.

"It was like someone playing a record at night. From 2 to 5 am, we would hear the screams of the girls, but would never see them during the day. Every night, cars would come and go. It was going on for years," said Meena Singh, a local.

Delhi Police today claimed that previous inquiries did not point towards any criminality of the authorities of the ashram.

"The Ashram has been there in the Vijay Vihar area of Rohini for years. We had received a few complaints from the families of the girls residing there and there had been counter-complaints from the girls as well," said Madhur Verma, Public Relations Officer (PRO), Delhi Police.

He also said the inquiries into the complaints were monitored by the court.

"In one such case, five families had approached Delhi Police with complaints against the ashram. The high court had said the families could not forcibly take their daughters from the ashram. They had directed the police to provide security to the women," Verma said.

He cited another instance, in which an alleged victim was rescued and produced before the Child Welfare Committee but subsequently, the sessions court had ruled that she was a major and could stay wherever she wanted to.

There were also allegations that the former deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) had visited the ashram on November 11.

"He had gone there to inquire into a complaint, in which a Rajasthan-based family had alleged that their daughter was being exploited at the ashram. The woman told the police that she did not want to meet her family members and that she was staying at the ashram out of her own choice," Verma said.

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Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today alleged that the previous UPA regime had divergent views on Aadhaar and the Congress-led government changed its position to oppose the legislation after assuming the role of Opposition in Parliament.

Also, the initial legislation related to Aadhaar during the UPA regime was a "bald" one, Jaitley said.

The finance minister recalled that Nandan Nilekani gave a "forceful and persuasive" presentation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who decided to go ahead with it, soon after the NDA government came to power.

However, he said, when the Act was reworked by the present government, "one thing which was clear that the privacy provisions were required".

"...the UPA government had two clear schools of thought. One which was not enthused by Aadhaar at all and therefore raised issues... relating to national security. And the other (school of thought) which was pushing it. As a result, (it) was a very bald legislation," said Jaitley.

He further said that when the present government decided to go ahead with Aadhaar, the UPA, now in Opposition, almost made it clear that they were opposed to this idea.

On Congress' stance on the legislation, Jaitley remarked, "Where do you stand now literally depends upon where you sit in the House."



Jaitley was speaking at the launch of a book 'Aadhaar: A Biometric History of India's 12-Digit Revolution' written by Shankkar Aiyar here.

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Criminal cases and political coalition are separate matters and RJD leader Lalu Prasad is fully capable of fighting his legal battle, the Congress said here today, after the former Bihar chief minister was convicted in a fodder scam case by a special CBI court in Ranchi.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari also alleged that the CBI was a "pet performing parrot of this government" and questioned why similar actions were not initiated against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the Srijan scam, in which the "quantum of embezzlement was of a much greater order".

"Why are there different strokes for different folks?" he alleged, while demanding an SIT probe into the Srijan scam.

The special CBI court today convicted Lalu Prasad and 15 others in the fodder scam case while acquitting six including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

"Lalu Prasad's legal fight is not going on from today. It is going on from 1996. It had started when some leaders associated with BJP had filed a petition in Patna High court.

"As far as today's verdict is concerned, Lalu Prasad and his lawyer are fully capable to deal with this," he told reporters.

"We would like to ask BJP why the Srijan Scam is not being investigated? Because the central charge in Srijan scam is also the same. The central charge is embezzlement from state treasury and the quantum of embezzlement is of a much greater order," he said.

He said the alleged embezzlement across different treasuries in Bihar took place under Nitish Kumar and Finance Minister Sushil Modi.

"So if the courts are establishing the principle with regard to the judicial adjudication of alleged offences related to alleged embezzlement of the treasury, why is not the Srijan scam being investigated. Why are there different strokes for different folks?" he asked.

Asked whether the political association of the Congress with the RJD will continue after today's verdict, Tewari said criminal cases and political coalitions are separate matters.

"This (case) has not started today. It had started in 1993-94. Between 1993-94 and today, we (Congress) have had coalition with RJD, during UPA-1 they were part of the government, they were part of mahagatbandhan as well. So criminal cases and political alliance are two separate matters," he said.

He alleged that "CBI is behaving like a pet performing parrot of this government".

And its biggest evidence is that when the 2G verdict came and the first verdict was not even uploaded, the CBI and the ED gave statements that they would file appeal.

"CBI and ED are not private lawyers, they are state instrumentalities. They are supposed to function in a fair, objective and transparent manner," he said.

"So as far as CBI and ED are concerned, if you think that JDU is in coalition with BJP, and there will be investigation against their ministers, this is like flying fictional kites," he added.

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The White House has lost another attempt to put a hold on a requirement that it allow transgender people to enlist in the military starting on January 1.

A decision by the three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is the latest court decision to go against the White House, meaning the issue may end up before the Supreme Court.

President Donald Trump tweeted in July that the federal government "will not accept or allow" transgender individuals to serve "in any capacity" in the military. That would reverse a 2016 policy change under President Barack Obama allowing transgender people to serve openly.

Trump later formally directed the Pentagon to extend indefinitely a ban on transgender individuals joining the military, and he gave Defense Secretary Jim Mattis six months to come up with a policy on how to deal with those currently serving.

Several legal challenges to that proposed ban are ongoing. The Pentagon has said the enlistment of transgender recruits will start January 1 and go on amid the legal battles.

At least four federal judges have refused to allow the ban to go into effect, including US District Judge Jesus G Bernal in California. Yesterday, Bernal rejected an administration request to throw out a lawsuit asking for the ban to be voided and issued a preliminary injunction against the ban going into effect.

The Justice Department has asked federal appeals courts to intervene and put the January 1 requirement on hold. The DC-based appeals court and the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, both turned away the administration's request.

Administration officials "have not shown a strong likelihood that they will succeed on the merits of their challenge to the district court's order," the judges on the DC appeals court panel said.

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The Indian Science Congress Association (ICSA) will take a call on December 27 on the 105th edition of its annual science carnival which has been postponed, its general president Achyuta Samanta has said.

The 105th Indian Science Congress (ISC) was to be held on the campus of Osmania University from January 3-7, and was to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, the varsity later conveyed its inability to host the ISC due to tensions on the campus.

This is, perhaps, for the first time that the ISC has been postponed.

"The 105th annual session of the Indian Science Congress is being postponed due to this development and the executive committee of ISCA will be meeting on December 27 to decide on the future course of action," Samanta said in a statement.

Samanta also said that the postponement of the ISC has nothing to do with the prime minister's visit.

A 20-year-old student had allegedly committed suicide on December 3 on the campus. The body of the first-year student of MSc Physics at the university was found hanging in the washroom of one of the hostels on the campus.

Protests were held on the campus after the incident.

The Indian Science Congress is an annual event usually held in the first week of January.

The last science congress was held in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh in January this year.

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Gearing up to equip over 6,300 buses with CCTV cameras for better security of passengers, especially women, the Delhi government has sought Centre's financial assistance through the Nirbhaya Fund to finance the project.

The Transport Department of the Delhi government has started the process for hiring a consultant to execute the project through a vendor.

"The Home Ministry has been approached for financial assistance from the Nirbhaya Fund to install CCTV cameras in the DTC and Cluster buses," said a government official.

The central government had set up the Nirbhaya Fund, a dedicated corpus for implementation of initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety and security for women in the country, in the wake of the December 2012 brutal gangrape incident in Delhi.

The objective of the CCTV project is to ensure safety and security of the passengers, particularly of women commuters, through a video surveillance system and panic buttons in the buses, according to the request for proposal (RFP) document of the project.

The project envisages to equip each bus with three internet protocol-based cameras. Screens of appropriate size would also be provided in each bus to telecast the output from the cameras in a systematic manner.

The video captured by each camera would be accessed and viewed in real time, from a control room. Live feed would also be available as and when needed, the RFP document said.
Delhi Dynamos' Indian Super League match against Mumbai City FC on February 4 has been re-scheduled on February 27 as the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will not be available due to Khelo India School Games beginning January 31.

Interestingly, a new venue has been added to the league as Jamshedpur FC play a match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on February 25.

The home venue of Jamshedpur FC has been criticised for its poor playing pitch but sources said that the Orissa government has requested the Tata Steel-owned side to play one match in Bhubaneswar.

Jamshedpur's match against Bengaluru FC which was earlier scheduled to be played at JRD Tata Stadium on February 25 will now be played on the same day at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

In other changes in the fixture announced today, a few of Bengaluru FC's matches have been re-scheduled to accommodate their AFC Cup fixture on January 30.

Bengaluru FC's match against Chennaiyin FC, originally scheduled on January 31, has been postponed by six days to February 6.

Bengaluru FC's match against FC Goa has been rescheduled from February 8 to 9 while ATK's match against Kerala Blasters has been advanced by one day from February 9 to 8.

Meanwhile, the ATK vs FC Goa match, originally scheduled for December 31, will now be played on January 3.

The Sunday double header of January 7 will be swapped and Chennaiyin FC's home match against Delhi Dynamos will now be played at 5:30 pm instead of 8:00 pm while the second game between Bengaluru FC and ATK will be held at 8:00 pm at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

The second Sunday of January will see the originally scheduled 8:00 pm kick off between Delhi Dynamos and Bengaluru FC rescheduled to 5:30 pm in Delhi while and Mumbai City FC's game against Kerala Blasters FC moved to an 8:00 pm start.

One Super Sunday game of February has been swapped. The Chennaiyin FC vs Jamshepur FC tie on February 18 will now be played at 5:30 pm while ATK vs Mumbai City FC match will take place at 8:00 pm.

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President Ram Nath Kovind today said engineers can play a much larger role in solving key challenges facing the country including issues related to food and environment.

Kovind said evolution of technology was changing the way how people live, work and think.

The president urged engineers to draw inspiration from former president A P J Abdul Kalam who, he said, "trained as an engineer and became famous as a missile technologist."



"Engineers can play a much larger role in solving key challenges facing our country-- in food, health care and environment and in providing low cost east to build housing," Kovind said.

The president was participating in the valedictory session of the 32nd Indian Engineering Congress, organised by The Institution of Engineers.

"We will still need machines, tools and power grids, roads and bridges, aircraft and ships. But this traditional practice of engineering will have to both embrace and drive innovation in cutting-edge areas."



Terming that the civil engineers were "specialists" in materials, he said, they use this knowledge for construction.

The same knowledge of composites and materials will increasingly be deployed for both micro needs such as creating medical implants for the human body as well as micro needs.

About his visit to the state, he said, it was his first visit to Tamil Nadu after being elected as the President of India.

"It is appropriate that it has coincided with the valedictory function of the 32nd Indian Engineering Congress," Kovind said.

"This is a land of engineers as well as social engineers who have contributed to our country," he said.

Referring to his visit to former president A P J Abdul Kalam's memorial at Pei Karumbu in Rameswaram earlier in the day, Kovind said along with the late R Venkataraman, Dr Kalam was one of two former presidents who were his "illustrious predecessors", to have come from Tamil Nadu.

"Kalam trained as an engineer and became famous as a 'missile technologist," he said.

"He was a proud son of India. He could have earned millions in the West, but he chose to devote his learning and his life to the development of our country," the president said.

"All of us as Indians, and all of you as engineers, must draw inspiration from him," Kovind said.

The president also praised Tamil Nadu saying the state has made impressive strides in social reforms right from the days of Rajaji and Periyar.

"The journey of reforms and of people's welfare continued under C Annadurai, K Kamaraj and M G Ramachandran, whose birth centenary we are celebrating this year."



"Dr J Jayalalithaa took Tamil Nadu even further. And I cannot forget to mention that gifted wordsmith and patriarch of our M Karunanidhi," the president said.

The mid-day meal scheme that originated in Tamil Nadu gave India a model to combat malnutrition and help in the physical and cognitive development of children, he said.

Tamil Nadu used engineering to build a solid industrial economy - creating thousands of jobs, the president added.

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Federal agents arrested a former US Marine for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group, according to court documents.

Tow truck driver Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, was planning to target the city's busy Pier 39 tourist spot, according to an affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Christopher McKinney.

The suspect is said to have outlined to undercover agents how he wanted to use explosives to target crowds at the pier between December 18 and 25 because "Christmas was the perfect day to commit the attack."



Jameson professed not to need an escape plan as he was "ready to die," according to the document.

The suspect's home in Modesto, California, was raided by FBI agents on Wednesday, where they allegedly found his last will and testament along with weapons and ammunition.

Jameson attended basic training with the Marine Corps in 2009 and graduated with a "sharpshooter" rifle qualification, according to the FBI, but was discharged after failing to disclose a history of asthma.

According to McKinney, Jameson selected Pier 39 -- which gets around 10 million visitors a year -- because "he had been there before and knew it was a heavily crowded area."



"Jameson explained that he also desired to use explosives and described a plan in which explosives could 'tunnel' or 'funnel' people into a location where Jameson could inflict casualties," McKinney stated.

The suspect inadvertently revealed his plans to an undercover FBI agent he believed to be a senior leader of the Islamic State group (IS), according to the court document.

Jameson said the US needed "another attack like New York or San Bernardino," adding that he wanted to use vehicles and firearms to carry out an attack.

"Today, our incredible law enforcement officers have once again helped thwart an alleged plot to kill Americans," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

"The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is real -- and it is serious -- but the American people can be assured that the Department of Justice remains vigilant in protecting our homeland," he added.

According to the criminal complaint, Jameson "has espoused radical jihadi beliefs, including authoring social media posts that are supportive of terrorism."



He had voiced support for the October 31 attack in New York in which a jihadist drove a pick-up truck into a crowded bike path, killing eight people, said the FBI, and was active on Facebook, "liking" pro-IS posts.

He "loved" a post on November 29 of a propaganda image of Santa Claus standing in New York with a box of dynamite.

He was charged in the Eastern District Court of California with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

"He was under surveillance by law enforcement, and the public was never in imminent danger," the FBI said in a statement.

Local newspaper the Merced Sun Star published a video interview with a man it identified as the suspect's father, Gordon Jameson, who described his son as a "the gentle, kind type of Muslim person" and said the FBI had got its facts wrong.

"I don't know too much about the case because the FBI isn't saying much to me but I know my son wouldn't harm nobody. He wouldn't do that to innocent people," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three labourers, including a father-daughter duo, were killed when a heap of earth collapsed on them while they were mining in a field in Udham Singh Nagar district, police said today.

Two other labourers were injured when the incident occurred in the field in Sultanpur Patti in Bajpur in Kosi river area of the district yesterday, a senior police official said.

Layers of earth were removed with great difficulty by other workmen to pull out the labourers, Additional Superintendent of Police, Kashipur, Jagdish Chandra said.

"While three of them died on way to the hospital, two labourers who suffered serious injuries are still battling for their lives at a hospital in Kashipur," the ASP said, adding A father-daughter duo among those killed in the incident.

He said illegal mining was being done in the field and the labourers who generally come here from outside in search of work were engaged for the purpose by the mining mafia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti today launched the 'Ganga Gram' project as part of the government's clean Ganga mission, named Namami Gange, for holistic sanitation development in 4,470 villages on the banks of the river.

The project was launched at the Ganga Gram Swachata Sammelan here which was attended by more than 1,400 delegates including 500 village heads from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, state government officials and Ganga Swachhta volunteers.

At the launch event, Bharti said, "Development takes place only if adequate care and precaution are taken in the project to protect the of the Ganga."



The Ganga Gram project "depends on the commitment and resolve of the people living on its banks", she said.

Water Resources, Ganga Rejuvenation and River Development Minister Nitin Gadkari appealed to the village heads to pledge unconditional support for making the river and the villages on its banks clean.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Palestinian died today after being wounded by Israeli fire during a protest on the Gaza border against US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the health ministry said.

Sharaf Shalash, 28, sustained bullet wounds last Sunday during a demonstration east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.

His death brings to 11 the number of Palestinians killed since US President Donald Trump announced on December 6 that he would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv.

Nine protesters have died in clashes with Israeli troops, two of them yesterday. Two others were killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza earlier in the month.

Shalash and the two Palestinians killed yesterday were buried today, in Gaza City, Beit Hanun and Jabalia.

After the Shalash funeral in Jabalia, Palestinians went to the border with Israel where they threw stones at soldiers, who responded with tear gas and live bullets.

One Palestinian was wounded, Qudra said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A meadow in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park has been named after veteran comedian and actor Robin Williams.

The name of Golden Gate Park's Sharon Meadow was officially changed to Robin Williams Meadow by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Commission.

The announcement was made by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Commission on their official website.

"After Robin Williams death, the Department was approached by Debbi Durst and Maggie Lynch, who represent a range community members, elected officials and people working in comedy, to name the area known as Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate Park in honour of Robin Williams," the release said.

The grassy stretch in Golden Gate Park was the site of an annual Comedy Day that counted Williams among its regular supporters.

Williams was found dead at his California home in 2014.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the top stories from the Western Region at 1630 hrs.

LGB2 MP-COURT-GANGRAPE



Bhopal: A court here today sentences four men to life imprisonment for raping a 19-year-old woman near the Habibganj railway station in the city in October.

BOM1 GJ-RAHUL



Ahmedabad: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi visits the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district ahead of a meeting with party leaders to introspect on Gujarat Assembly polls.

BOM2 MH-NAIDU



Shirdi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu wonders why should anybody have a problem with singing "Vande Mataram".

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Budget carrier IndiGo has become the first Indian airline to operate over 1,000 daily flights across its domestic and international network.

Besides, the Gurgaon-based airline has also attained a fleet size of 150 aircraft with the induction of one more A320 Neo plane, it said in a release today.

The dual feat was achieved on Friday, it said.

Flight 6E 185 from Mumbai to Cochin took off on December 22 at 23.15 pm to become 1,000th flight for the first time in the history of Indian civil aviation, the airline said.

IndiGo also took the delivery of its 31st Airbus A-320 Neo aircraft on the same day, which raised its fleet size to 150 aircraft, it said.

IndiGo is the second airline in the country with a fleet size of 150 planes after disinvestment-bound flag carrier Air India.

Air India Group, which comprises Air India, its international budget arm Air India Express and regional arm Alliance Air, has a combined fleet size of 155 planes.

"We are truly excited to achieve a 1,000-daily flights landmark," IndiGo president and Whole Time Director Aditya Ghosh was quoted in the release as saying.

IndiGo currently commands 39.4 per cent market share but its on-time performance (OTP) slipped to second position after rival SpiceJet clocked 81.9 per cent OTP from four airports in November.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
I am very happy to be back in Nebraska and am delighted to have the opportunity to be your new library director. There is an amazing and dedicated library staff who work seven days a week to serve this community and all of Platte County. These trained professionals provide a wide range of services that enrich the lives of everyone who lives here.

Libraries have traditionally been considered repositories of books and quiet places to reflect, study and read. Your library certainly still delivers those amenities, but that is just a small portion of what your library offers.

There is a great deal of consideration and planning that takes place behind the scenes to ensure that library programming is relevant, enjoyable, educational and of the highest quality. The programming provided by the library supports literacy development in babies and toddlers, the educational goals of children and teens and lifelong learning in adults, and provides cultural events for families. I invite you to visit the calendars on our website to discover the wide range of programs that are available.

In addition to traditional books, you can obtain audio books, DVDs, magazines, artwork, scholarly research and much more from your library. Just as valuable as the information itself, there is always a friendly and knowledgeable staff member available to assist you in choosing the appropriate resource for your needs.

The library also has computers, printers, copiers, a fax machine, Wi-Fi and various other equipment available for your use. Not only are library staff members ready to assist you with the use of any of our equipment, they can also help when you are perplexed by your own electronic devices.

The library is one of the few public buildings open to all, with resources available for everyone to use. As long as the library is open, you are welcome to stay as long as you like. This makes the library a very useful facility for a wide range of people and uses: those with no or inadequate housing can use the library to escape the elements; moms, dads or grandparents caring for small children can use the library as an antidote for cabin fever; business professionals can use the library as a neutral meeting space; downtown visitors can use the library to relax between appointments.

As beneficial a resource as the physical library building and all of its holdings are, you dont even have to visit the library to enjoy its benefits. The bookmobile has regularly scheduled routes throughout Platte County and can bring resources to you.

In addition, e-books, e-audio books, e-magazines and music downloads are all accessible from anywhere you have an internet connection. As a library cardholder you also have access to our wide range of databases, covering topics from genealogy, to car repair, to foreign language learning and everything in between.

The above list is by no means exhaustive. Your library offers an incredibly wide variety of services, events, materials, equipment and expertise. Please take the time to explore the wide array of offerings at your library and take advantage of them. Do not hesitate to ask if you cannot find something or if there is something you would like the library to offer. We are open to suggestions and happy to help in any way that we can.
With the conviction of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and 15 others in a fodder scam case, 21 years after it had surfaced, an IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, who had probed the case, said the matter has reached a logical conclusion.

Varun Sindhu Kul Kaumudi, who was on deputation to his home state Bihar at that time, had closely supervised the case as CBI SP of Animal Husbandry Scam Unit, Patna and had also filed the charge sheet in the case.

Recalling the more than two decades-old case, Kaumudi said, "A truckload copies of documents was submitted to the special CBI court in Patna for providing to the accused within the time-frame fixed by the Supreme Court."



Kaumudi, a 1986-batch IPS officer, handled the the fodder scam probe before he was transferred back to Andhra Pradesh in 1998.

"I was asked to arrest Lalu Prasad in another related case, but he surrendered in the court," Kaumudi told PTI.

He expressed happiness that the case has reached its logical conclusion after these many years.

Kaumudi, currently an Additional Director General of Police in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi, also headed the investigation into another sensational case the Satyam Computers fraud as Inspector General, Crime Investigation Department of united Andhra Pradesh in 2009.

A special CBI court today convicted Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a fodder scam case, while acquitting six others including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra. The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Israeli court ordered the release from custody today of three Turkish tourists a day after they were arrested over a confrontation with police at a Jerusalem holy site.

Police said the three were detained on Friday for being "involved in an incident in Jerusalem's Old City after Friday prayers on the Temple Mount", the Jewish term for the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

They were arrested for attacking a police officer and resisting arrest.

But Jerusalem magistrates' court ordered their release in a hearing late today, denying a police request to extend their detention by four days, AFP reporters said.

"The court rejected the police's argument which is basically that they were liable to interfere with the police investigation, and also that they pose a threat to the general community," their lawyer Nick Kaufman told AFP after the hearing.

"It was obvious that this case was a politically charged case, and the judge released them."



A video circulating on social media shows a number of men wearing red shirts with the Turkish flag scuffling with police in the Old City.

Turkey's state-run agency Anadolu said two of the three hold dual Turkish and Belgian citizenship.

US President Donald Trump's December 6 announcement that Washington recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital and would move the American embassy there galvanised the Arab and Muslim world.

Eleven Palestinians have since been killed in clashes between protesters and Israeli forces in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

At the forefront of international condemnation of Trump's announcement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed on December 10: "We will not abandon Jerusalem to the mercy of a state that kills children.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Janata Dal (United) today alleged that it was the office of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh which was "put in the dock" in the 2G spectrum judgment and demanded action against two former secretaries in his office.

"After the 2G judgment, people are making statements that their stand has been vindicated and targeting Vinod Rai (the former CAG)," JD(U) national general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Ramchandra Prasad Singh told reporters here.

"But if you go through the 2G judgment, you will find that it is the office of former prime minister Manmohan Singh (PMO) which has been put in the dock," he claimed.

Ramchandra Prasad Singh, who is also the JD(U) leader in the Rajya Sabha, said his party was also demanding action against the two former secretaries of the PMO in view of the adverse comments made against them in the 2G judgment.

On December 21, a Special CBI court acquitted former telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and all other accused in the 2G scam case that had rocked the Manmohan Singh-led UPA-II government, holding that the prosecution "miserably failed" to prove any of the corruption and money laundering charges.

The JD(U) leader today said it was surprising that former coal secretary Harish Gupta was convicted but former prime minister Manmohan Singh got away in the case especially when he had put his signature as the coal minister.

"I served in the IAS and was a UP cadre officer. People know about the conduct and integrity of Harish Gupta, the then coal secretary, but he was convicted," Ramchandra Prasad Singh said.

On the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filing a charge sheet against Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband in a money laundering case, the JD(U) leader said if the ED has filed the charge sheet then it must have evidence, otherwise it would have filed a final report.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today directed immediate clearance of 72 pending militancy-related cases for ex-gratia relief in Rajouri district, an official spokesperson said.

The chief minister disbursed cash compensation among 20 such families and appointment orders among two kins of the persons who were killed in various militancy-related incidents in the district, the spokesperson said.

District Development Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said a total of 72 cases of militancy victims from the district are pending with the government for more than 20 years and with the chief minister's order, compensation in respect of 22 cases was disbursed.

In respect of remaining 50 cases, he said, compensation would be released next week and there would be zero-pendency of such cases in the district, the spokesperson said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today paid rich tributes to four Army personnel, including a Major, killed in Pakistani firing along



the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

The Pakistani troops had targeted an Army patrol at Brat Galla in the Keri sector around 1215 hours today, in which the four Army personnel were killed, a defence spokesperson said.

"Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti paid rich tributes to the Army Major and three jawans who were killed in an incident of cross-border shelling atKeri sector in Rajouri district," an official spokesperson said.

He said the chief minister had conveyed her heartfelt condolences to the families of the slain soldiers.

The latest violation of ceasefire took place at a time when the chief minister was at the Rajouri district headquarters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A leopard was killed after being run over by an unidentified vehicle late Thursday night.

The incident happened on the highway passing by Govali village at Jhagadiya, about 90 kilometres away from Vadodara, forest officials said.

The mangled carcass was found in a field by residents Rajendrasinh Anopsinh and Dolat Sinh who alerted the forest department, officials said.

Forest official VJ Tadvi said that the animal died of injuries to the skull, neck, jaw as well as internal organs.

He added that the leopard was around three years old and may have ventured out for food.

Such nocturnal movement of leopards across the highway is regularly noticed in Jhagadiya, Netrang and Dediapada tehsils, officials added.

However, this is the first reported leopard death in an accident here in recent years, officials said.

Newly-elected MLA from Jhagadiya, Chhotubhai Vasava, following the incident, has demanded the placing of signboards along the highway to alert motorists to slow down their vehicles on the route.

"Vehicles along the highway, especially during the night, need to be careful and check their speed to ensure animals don't get run over," he told PTI today.

Forest department officials said an investigation to trace the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run incident has begun.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Federal agents arrested a former US Marine today for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group, according to court documents.

Tow truck driver Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, was planning to target the city's busy Pier 39 tourist spot, according to an affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Christopher McKinney.

The suspect outlined to undercover agents how he wanted to use explosives to target crowds at the pier between December 18 and 25 because "Christmas was the perfect day to commit the attack."



Jameson professed not to need an escape plan as he was "ready to die," according to the document.

The suspect's home in Modesto, California, was raided by FBI agents on Wednesday, where they allegedly found his last will and testament along with several weapons and ammunition.

Jameson attended basic training with the Marine Corps in 2009 and graduated with a "sharpshooter" rifle qualification, according to the FBI, but was discharged after failing to disclose a history of asthma.

According to McKinney, Jameson selected Pier 39 because "he had been there before and knew it was a heavily crowded area."



"Jameson explained that he also desired to use explosives and described a plan in which explosives could 'tunnel' or 'funnel' people into a location where Jameson could inflict casualties," McKinney stated.

The suspect inadvertently revealed his plans to an undercover FBI agent he believed to be a senior leader of the Islamic State group, according to the court document.

Jameson said the US needed "another attack like New York or San Bernardino," adding that he wanted to use vehicles and firearms to carry out an attack.

"Today, our incredible law enforcement officers have once again helped thwart an alleged plot to kill Americans," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

"The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is real -- and it is serious -- but the American people can be assured that the Department of Justice remains vigilant in protecting our homeland," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Margot Robbie has revealed that she likes the story of an underdog person.

The 27-year-old Australian actor next plays the role of former American figure skater Tonya Harding in the Craig Gillespie-directed "I, Tonya".

Robbie was asked about the reason which drove her to portray the character of Harding on screen.

"I love gangster films 'cause I love the underdog story. I love watching someone rise up, despite their circumstances," Robbie told Collider.

"It's always something I feel like I can get behind. And she felt like an underdog, to me," she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
"Storm clouds are gathering" over the Korean Peninsula, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis declared today. And as diplomats try to resolve the nuclear standoff, he told soldiers that the US military must do its part by being ready for war.

Without forecasting a conflict, Mattis emphasized that diplomacy stands the best chance of preventing a war if America's words are backed up by strong and prepared armed forces.

"My fine young soldiers, the only way our diplomats can speak with authority and be believed is if you're ready to go," Mattis told several dozen soldiers and airmen at the 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Heroes, his last stop on a two-day pre-holiday tour of bases to greet troops.

Mattis' comments came as the UN Security Council unanimously approved tough new sanctions against North Korea, compelling nations to sharply reduce their sales of oil to the reclusive country and send home all North Korean expatriate workers within two years. Such workers are seen as a key source of revenue for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's cash- strapped government.

President Donald Trump and other top U.S. officials have made repeated threats about U.S. military action. Some officials have described the messaging as twofold in purpose: to pressure North Korea to enter into negotiations on getting rid of its nuclear arsenal, and to motivate key regional powers China and Russia to put more pressure on Pyongyang so a war is averted.

For the military, the focus has been on ensuring soldiers are ready should the call come.

At Fort Bragg, Mattis recommended the troops read T.R. Fehrenbach's military classic "This Kind of War: A Study in Unpreparedness," first published in 1963, a decade after the Korean War ended.

"Knowing what went wrong the last time around is as important as knowing your own testing, so that you're forewarned - you know what I'm driving at here," he said as soldiers listened in silence. "So you gotta be ready."



The US has nearly 28,000 troops permanently stationed in South Korea, but if war came, many thousands more would be needed for a wide range of missions, including ground combat.

The retired Marine Corps general fielded questions on many topics in his meetings with troops at Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba and Naval Station Mayport in Florida on Thursday and at Camp Lejeune and Fort Bragg in North Carolina today. North Korea seemed uppermost on troops' minds as they and their families wonder whether war looms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today discussed bilateral cooperation in energy and technology sectors with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

"Had a productive meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Rogozin. This year saw increased high-level exchanges between India and Russia, which benefit our nations," Modi tweeted.

He said they discussed cooperation in key areas including energy and technology.

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Many of you may have received a letter from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture this last week indicating that your certification to use restricted-use pesticides will expire on April 15. As in past years, Nebraska Extension will conduct training sessions that are approved for the renewal of your NDA certificate. In addition, this training will meet the requirements for those needing certification for the first time.

The first private pesticide training sessions of the New Year are Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 during the Farm Show, inside the Club Room at Platte County Agricultural Park in Columbus. The Jan. 31 session starts at 1 p.m., while the Feb. 1 session starts at 9:30 a.m. Farmers attending are reminded there is no provision for late entry to the training sessions. Those arriving late will be asked to leave and attend training at a later date.

In addition, training in Platte, Butler and Colfax counties will be held during February, March and April. Training in David City will be held at the Butler County Events Center at the fairgrounds on Feb. 5 at 5:30 p.m. and on March 13 at 1 p.m. during the Butler County Ag Expo. Additional training in Platte County includes 1 p.m. Feb. 8 in Lindsay at the Village Office and 6:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Pinnacle Bank east location, 210 E. 23rd St., in Columbus. A clean-up session for the area will be held 6 p.m. April 5 in Schuyler at St. Johns Lutheran Church.

For training programs in surrounding counties, please contact your local Extension office or visit go.unl.edu/pest2018.

Preregistration to the pesticide training meetings in the area is not necessary. Attendees only need to bring $40 (cash or check payable to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln) and the bar-coded NDA letter (if they have one) with them to the training.

Upon the completion of your private pesticide applicator training, Extension will mail the application to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. After processing, NDA will send a billing invoice for the $25 state license fee. The license fee covers the three-year certification period. Upon receipt of the license fee payment, NDA will issue your pesticide license card to you.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who today met party leaders here to discuss assembly election results, claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's much talked- about Gujarat development model was debunked during the polls.

The Congress chief held zone-wise "introspection meetings" here to ascertain reasons for the party's defeat.

"You fought very well. We managed to 'gherao' the BJP, as you could see that they were not able to give reply to our questions," Gandhi told party workers.

"Modiji, in the end, spoke about himself, about (former prime minister) Manmohan Singh. But all earlier talk about development and Modi model was debunked by Congress workers and the people of Gujarat," he said.

The entire country was asking what happened to the Gujarat model. Modiji would not be able to talk about it in the future, Gandhi said.

"The question asked three or four months ago was can the Congress fight elections, nobody was talking about us winning it. The Gujarat Congress has shown the entire country that if it fights in one voice on the basis of its ideology, it won't get defeated," he said.

"We lost in the elections, but we won. That is the reality. We won because they (the BJP) fought with anger, they had all the equipment, money, chief ministers of different states (to campaign), industrialists, but we had truth," the Congress chief said.

In the morning, Gandhi visited the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district.

While the BJP retained power in prime minister Modi's home state by winning 99 seats in the Assembly polls earlier this month, the Congress increased its tally significantly by winning 77 seats.
Moscow today said Washington was encouraging "new bloodshed" in eastern Ukraine by its decision to provide Kiev with "enhanced defensive capabilities."



In a strongly-worded statement deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov accused the United States of "crossing the line" and fomenting the conflict in eastern Ukraine, a region known locally as Donbass.

"Kiev revanchists are shooting at Donbass every day, they don't want to conduct peace negotiations and dream of doing away with the disobedient population. And the United States has decided to give them weapons to do that."



"Today the United States clearly pushes (Ukrainian authorities) towards new bloodshed," Ryabkov added.

"American weapons can lead to new victims in our neighbour," he said in the statement.

Another deputy foreign minister, Grigory Karasin, said the US move would undermine efforts to reach a political settlement for Ukraine.

"Essentially this decision undermines the work to implement the 2015 Minsk agreements," Karasin told TASS state agency, referring to a Western-brokered peace deal.

He said Washington chose to support "the party of war" in Kiev.

"This is unacceptable," he added.

He reiterated Russia's position that Ukrainian authorities should negotiate with Kremlin-backed rebels through "honest and direct dialogue."



"There is no other way to solve the internal Ukrainian conflict," he said.

The US State Department announced Friday that Washington had "decided to provide Ukraine enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity."



An ABC report before the announcement said the US planned to supply Ukraine with anti-tank missiles, including possibly the advanced Javelin system, quoting four State Department officials.

"The total defense package of USD 47 million includes the sale of 210 anti-tank missiles and 35 launchers," the report added.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of funnelling troops and arms across the border to fan the flames of the conflict as punishment for Kiev's pivot to Europe.

More than 10,000 people have died and almost 24,000 have been injured since the pro-Russian insurgency broke out in eastern Ukraine in April 2014.

A UN report said this week that 220,000 children are at imminent risk of being hit by mines and other explosive weapons in eastern Ukraine, one of the most mine-contaminated places on earth.

Moscow has denied the claims of involvement, saying the conflict is Ukraine's internal affair and Kiev should negotiate directly with separatists.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A police official posted in Bahadur police station was today found hanging from a wireless tower here.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Satish Raghuwanshi (55) was in uniform when his body was discovered in the morning hanging from a tower situated between Kotwali and Dehat (rural) police stations, said officials.

Ashoknagar Collector BS Jamod said that prima facie it looked like a case of suicide though the actual cause would be known only after a detailed probe.

Family members of Raghuwanshi however alleged that he was killed by the police who then hung his body from the tower.

Raghuwanshi's family further alleged that the Superintendent of Police of Ashoknagar after reaching the spot had taken out Raghuwanshi's mobile and some papers.

Collector Jamod as well senior police officials refused to comment on these allegations.

The issue caused tension in the area with family members of the deceased as well as locals from the area pelting stones at the police.

A police team from neighbouring Guna district, led by its SP Nimish Agrawal, had to be rushed in to control the situation, officials said.

Jamod has ordered a magisterial inquiry and also placed two police officials, Ashoknagar police station in-charge VS Gaur and ASI Ravi Kaushil, under suspension for negligence.

The body has been taken to Guna for an autopsy, officials added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal has reopened a probe after an Indian couple, banned from mountaineering for a decade for allegedly faking their Everest expedition by morphing photos, filed an application seeking the re-issuance of their summit certificates, a media report said today.

Police constable couple Dinesh and Tarkeshwari Rathod had been dismissed from Pune police in August after they falsely claimed to have summited Mount Everest in May last year.

The action was taken after an inquiry conducted by a fact-finding committee, set up by the Maharashtra police, found that their claims were misleading and bogus, and it was confirmed that they had faked about the ascent.

The Nepal government last year banned Dinesh and Tarkeshwari from mountaineering for 10 years.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has reopened investigation into an Indian couple who were slapped mountaineering ban in Nepal for a decade, getting their summit certificates rescinded for presenting morphed photographs to show themselves on the top of Mount everest, the world's highest peak at 8,848 metres, The Himalayan Times reported.

The ministry has decided to reopen the case after Dinesh and his wife Tarkeshwari filed an application in the ministry seeking for the re-issuance of their summit certificates at the earliest, the report said.

After receiving the Indian couple's application, Minister Jitendra Narayan Dev issued a written order in the name of the Department of Tourism for the reopening of an investigation into the case, a Joint Secretary in the ministry said.

Dinesh Bhattarai, Director General at the Department of Tourism (DoT), confirmed that the ministry set up a three- member committee under his leadership to reopen the case.

An under-secretary each from the ministry and the DoT has been named as members of the committee, he said.

"The panel will submit its report to the Minster by early next week," Bhattarai said.

The panel was studying the decisions and actions taken earlier by the government authorities, he said.

It was also summoning the Rathod couple, respective DoT officials, liaison officer, expedition handling agency and others concerned officials, Bhattarai said.

As per the minister-level decision taken in August, the couple had faced a decade-long mountaineering ban in Nepal, getting their certificates rescinded.

After a month-long investigation, the government panel had also concluded that the photographs submitted to the DoT by the Maharashtra police couple as evidence of their Everest summit were doctored.

The Rathods had obtained certificates from the DoT on June 10 last year by submitting morphed pictures that showed themselves on the top of Mount Everest on May 23, 2016 with Liaison Officer Ganesh Prasad Timsina and Makalu Adventure approving their claims, the report said.

The Sherpa guides, on the other hand, had remained out of contact at the time the couple's claims were questioned.

The photos submitted by the Rathod couple were found faked after Satyarup Siddhanta, an Indian climber from Bangalore, accused the couple of doctoring his May 21 photographs, the report said.

The couple are now in Kathmandu to meet government authorities for getting their summit certificates back, an official said, the report said.

Makalu Adventure, the trekking agency which ran the Everest expedition for the Rathod Couple, had also been fined USD 4,000 for helping them obtain summit certificates by submitting all fake claims to the DoT, it added.

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An artificial Christmas tree in the centre of Belgrade has been getting more jeers than cheers this holiday season - given that its reported price tag of 83,000 euros would make it one of the most expensive in the world.

The 18-metre tall tree, decorated with 200 red plastic ornaments and 40 candlewick red-gold ribbons, stands in the main pedestrian zone in Serbia's capital and has sparked a furious public reaction and accusations of corruption.

"In the city budget for this and next year there are a lot of scandalous things, and the Christmas tree is only the tip of the iceberg," Nikola Jovanovic, from the opposition People's Party, told Beta agency.

Jovanovic said the tree was just one example of financial abuse by city authorities after the investigative website Pistaljka revealed the cost of almost 10 million dinars (83,000 euros, USD 98,000).

Belgrade Mayor Sinisa Mali, a close ally of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, initially refused to talk to reporters about the tree, but later said he was going to cancel the contract - which Pistaljka reported had been signed three days after the tree was installed.

"I was surprised with the amount. We have been working completely transparently and publicly for three and a half years. We did not hide anything," Mali told reporters.

The revelation about the tree's cost has led to the public prosecutor's office launching a probe into the case but that hasn't quelled the outrage, with many mocking the price.

"Believe it or not: the city of Belgrade paid whooping 83,000 EUR for its Christmas tree!!! No, it does not boil eggs, it does not clean the house, and frankly it looks like crap," Marko Kmezic complained on Twitter.

"Such a tree would be a reason for stormy protests anywhere in a normal world," Uros Stojiljkovic wrote on Facebook.

The opposition Democratic Party (DS) also spoke out against the cost and invited Belgraders to leave "wishes" worth 83,000 euros near the pricey tree.

"We want cheaper Christmas trees," read one message.

"I want to visit Thailand," someone else wrote, while another requested a "raincoat XL size for my dog".

All of the messages had the hashtag #83000wishes.

The tree was purchased from a company that has been renting New Year lighting to the city of Belgrade for years for very high prices, according to local media reports.

The city authorities, controlled by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, have regularly been criticised for installing the festive lighting in early autumn and leaving it on display until February.

But in the end the Christmas tree jeers have produced a little bit of cheer.

The company has agreed to cancel this year's contract for the tree and said it will donate the proceeds to Belgrade "to contribute to New Year decorations for the capital".

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The Goa unit of the Shiv Sena has accused Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of compromising Goa's interests on the Mahadeyi river.

The Sena's accusations come after Parrikar recently wrote to BJPs Karnataka chief B Yeddyurappa expressing willingness to have bilateral talks to release Mahadeyi river water to Karnataka for drinking purposes.

"We condemn Parrikar's move to allow the water from River Mahadeyi to be diverted by Karnataka government. The move is clearly chalked out for the sake of winning upcoming elections (in Karnataka)," Senas Goa spokesman Rakhi Prabhudessai Naik said in a statement issued here.

"Parrikar should not have agreed to sell the interest of Goa for his partys victory in Karnataka," she added.

"He (Parrikar) has made a mockery of the Goan people who have high respect for his statesmanship. Parrikar should not forget that he is Goan first, and then a BJP leader," she said.

The party also expressed surprise over the silence of the Goa Forward Party, the BJP's ally, on the issue.

She said that the Sena expected GFP leader Vijai Sardesai to not bend to the greed of power at the cost of Goans.

She added that the Sena always kept the interests of a state above party and its stand against its own government in Maharashtra was an example.

Parrikars statement about being ready for bilateral talks with Karnataka to release water came after he met BJP president Amit Shah in Delhi.

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Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today praised NCP leader Sharad Pawar saying he was "equal partner" in ushering in economic reforms in the country.

Singh, who is considered the architect of the economic liberalisation measures unleashed in 1991 under the P V Narasimha Rao government, also termed Pawar as the "most creative agriculture minister" he had ever seen.

The senior Congress leader was speaking here at the release of Pawar's biography 'Padma Vibhushan Sharad Pawar: The Great Enigma' written by Sheshrao Chauhan.

"Sharad Pawar had always been striving for the welfare of the nation and he was equal partner with me in bringing in economic reforms in the country," he said.

"Pawar is a Maharashtrian, but he is known across the country for his handling of crises. During his tenure as the Maharashtra chief minister, he had skillfully handled the situation after the 1993 Mumbai blasts, post-Babri mosque demolition riots and the Latur earthquake.

"Very few politicians care for industrial development, and Pawar is one of them. His policies have brought reforms in the economic field," he said.

Singh recalled that when he was the finance minister and Pawar was the defence minister, he had urged the latter to help him in the austerity measures. "Pawar cut down the defence budget by Rs 500 crore. This paved way for other cabinet colleagues and they too assisted in the noble cause," he said.

"Pawar is the most creative agriculture minister I have ever seen," Singh said adding, "I take his guidance during times of crises and a larger part of the credit for the success of UPA I and II governments goes to him."



During his speech, Pawar lauded Manmohan Singh for his style of functioning as the PM.

"There are very few leaders of Manmohan Singh's calibre and his work is endorsed by the international community," he said.

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Peru has declared two North Korean diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within 15 days, according to a foreign ministry statement.

"The Peruvian government has informed the North Korean embassy of its decision to declare First Secretary Pak Myong Chol and Third Secretary Ji Hyok persona non grata," the ministry said late yesterday.

It imposed the measure "having verified that...diplomatic personnel have carried out activities incompatible with their official duties," it added, but did not give further details.

The ministry said the decision was also related to North Korea's "continuous violations" of UN Security Council resolutions on non-proliferation -- which it said put regional and global peace and security at risk.

In September, Peru also expelled North Korean ambassador Kim Hak-Chol in response to ongoing efforts by Pyongyang to build up its nuclear force -- having already halved the number of embassy diplomats to three in March.

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Italian tyre maker Pirelli today opened its second branded retail store in Gurugram as part of efforts to strengthen its presence in India.

"India has huge growth potential for premium tyres and is an important market for Pirelli, therefore we are strengthening our presence by launching these branded retail stores in India," Sanjay Mathur, General Manager for Pirelli Tyres in India, said in a statement.

According to the statement, Pirelli India has aggressive plans to increase its presence in India with new and high tech service centres across major commercial hubs as well as the hinterlands of the country.

Pirelli Tyres currently has three showrooms in Delhi, one each Gurgaon, Mysore and Mangalore.

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President Ramnath Kovind today offered prayers at the Sri Ramanathaswamy temple here as he embarked on his first visit to Tamil Nadu since assuming the office in July.

Kovind, who was accompanied by his wife and daughter, was received at the temple gate with the traditional "Poorna Kumbha Mariyathai" (temple honours) by the priest and other officials.

He was given the 'Prasadham' at the temple's Thiru Kalyana Mandapam.

"Sri Ramanathaswamy temple is a famous temple.. I feel proud and honoured to visit the temple and worship the deity," Kovind wrote in the visitor's note of the temple.

After spending nearly 30 minutes there, he left for the government guest house.

A three-tiered security blanket was in place here in view of the President's visit, police said.

Kovind would also visit the memorial of former President APJ Abdul Kalam at Pei Karumbu near here. His itinerary also includes a visit to Rameswaram and appointments in Chennai.

The President arrived today at Madurai by a special flight and reached nearby "Mandapam" by helicopter. He was received in Madurai by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarlial Purohit and District Collector Veera Raghava Rao.

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Page Content

The members of the European Commitee of the Regions gathered in the 127th plenary session on 31 Januray to 1 February.

Eleven opinions and two resolutions were on the agenda of this plenary session.

On the first day Mr Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European Commission, gave a speech on the EC's 2018 working programme. Mr Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal, exchanged views with CoR members on the Future of Europe.

On the second day, Mr Tomislav Donchev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, presented the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

List of opinions which were adopted during the plenary session:

A Resolution on the Annual Growth Survey 2018 and a Resolution on changing the ESI funds Common Provisions Regulation to support structural reforms were also discussed.
President Ramnath Kovind today offered prayers at the Sri Ramanathaswamy temple here as he embarked on his first tour of Tamil Nadu since assuming office in July.

Kovind, who was accompanied by his wife and daughter, was received at the temple gate by the priest and other officials with the traditional "Poorna Kumbha Mariyathai" (temple honours).

"It has been a pleasure to visit this historic and holy temple which signifies that good always prevails over evil...the visit has filled me with immense peace and happiness.... My appreciation to all those who work tirelessly to maintain the splendour of this temple," Kovind wrote in the visitors' book at the temple.

After spending nearly 30 minutes at the temple, the president left for the government guest house.

Later, he visited the memorial of former president A P J Abdul Kalam at Pei Karumbu and paid homage to the latter.

In the visitors' book there, Kovind wrote, "It is a personal privilege and honour to be able to offer prayers and pay homage to my predecessor -- a great scientist and son of the soil -- at the National Memorial."



He also described the memorial, built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), as a "major architectural and engineering marvel" and said it was a befitting tribute to Kalam.

The president also met the relatives of Kalam, including his nephew and grand-nephew, and enquired about the health of the former president's elder brother from them.

During his visit, he also enquired about an autorickshaw driver, Shanmugham, who had taken him on a guided tour of the island town years ago, when Kovind was a Rajya Sabha MP.

A three-tier security cover was in place in view of the president's visit, the police said.

Kovind's itinerary also includes appointments in Chennai.

Earlier, the president arrived by a special flight at Madurai, from where he went to a nearby "Mandapam" by helicopter.

Kovind was received at Madurai by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and District Collector Veera Raghava Rao.

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President Ram Nath Kovind is scheduled to visit Andhra Pradesh on December 27 to inaugurate an economic summit and take part in a couple of other events.

He will inaugurate the Indian Economic Association (IEA) summit at the Acharya Nagarjuna University at 10.30 am and later, visit the Andhra Pradesh government's Transitional Headquarters (secretariat) at Velagapudi, according to a communique from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has returned to Amaravati after a week-long visit to the Maldives, reviewed the arrangements for the president's programme today.

Kovind will fly down to Amaravati from Hyderabad on December 27.

From the venue of the summit, the president will go to the state secretariat, where he will inaugurate the AP Fibre Grid project, the communique said.

The project is aimed at providing broadband Internet services to every household in the state. Besides, each household will also get access to cable television and telephone.

The president is also scheduled to inspect the Real-Time Governance Centre at the Andhra Pradesh secretariat.

The state government is planning a virtual demonstration of the ongoing projects at Polavaram and the capital city construction.

Naidu will make a presentation before Kovind on e-Pragati (online government services), the Real-Time Governance initiatives, the CMO's Real-Time Executive dashboard, e-office in government departments, locked-door monitoring system of the police department and other technology-driven schemes, the communique said.

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President Vladimir Putin presented his vision for modernising Russia today, while some of his challengers in next March's presidential vote were formally nominated for the race.

Putin is running as an independent candidate, keeping a distance from the top Kremlin party, United Russia, which consists mostly of officials and has been dogged by corruption allegations against some of its top members.

Despite that, Putin showed up today at United Russia's congress to speak about his future goals. He pledged to offer broader incentives for business, fight corruption and pour extra resources into the underfunded health care and education system.

"Russia is a country with a 1,000-year history, but we mustn't treat her like our grandmother, just giving her pills to relieve her pain," he said in a speech televised live. "We must make Russia young, aimed into the future."



With his approval ratings topping 80 percent, the 65- year-old Putin is set to easily win another six-year term in the March 18 vote.

His most visible opponent, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, is barred from the race by an embezzlement conviction he calls politically motivated. Nevertheless, the 41-year-old anti-corruption crusader has run a yearlong grass-roots campaign and staged waves of rallies to push the Kremlin to let him run.

Navalny has threatened to organise a campaign for boycotting the vote, which would be an embarrassment to the Kremlin, which is worried about voter apathy and focused on boosting turnout to make Putin's victory more impressive.

The involvement of Ksenia Sobchak, a sharp-tongued 36- year-old star TV host, could raise public interest in the race. While Sobchak has denied colluding with the Kremlin, her participation could weaken Navalny and attract younger voters to the polls.

Sobchak, who was formally nominated for the race today by a liberal party, the Civic Initiative, argued that the opposition shouldn't try to defy the authorities with unsanctioned demonstrations.

Her remarks were a clear riposte to Navalny, who has encouraged his supporters to hold unauthorised protests.

"I stand for peaceful protests, I'm sure that only peaceful protests can lead to changes in our country," Sobchak said. "It's wrong to deliberately exacerbate the situation and push people under police clubs."



Sobchak has criticised the Kremlin's policies and called for democratic changes, but she has steered clear of any personal criticism of Putin, who in the 1990s served as a deputy to Sobchak's late father, who was the mayor of St. Petersburg.

Sobchak's criticism of Russia's annexation of Crimea and her calls for more liberal economic policies and broader freedoms, including gay marriage, have helped her gain traction with reform-minded voters.

"If church marriages are allowed, civil gay marriages should also be permitted," she said today.

The Communists have decided to field a fresh candidate instead of their chief Gennady Zyuganov, a fixture of past campaigns. They nominated 57-year-old Pavel Grudinin, the director of a successful strawberry farm near Moscow.

Grudinin cast his farm as a model for Russia, pointing at generous social benefits enjoyed by his workers.

Other veterans of past elections, liberal Grigory Yavlinsky and ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, are also running.

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi today expressed grief over the death of 33 people in a bus accident in Sawai Madhopur district in Rajasthan, and appealed to the state government to provide relief to the affected families.

He also urged Congress workers in Rajasthan to help in relief operations and come to the aid of the affected families.

"I appeal to the state government to provide relief to the injured. I also urge the Rajasthan Congress party to provide help in relief work," he tweeted.

At least 33 people, including four children, were killed and seven others injured when a bus plunged into the Banas river after veering off a 100-foot bridge.

The incident took place early morning in Soorwal police station area when the bus carrying about 45 passengers was on its way to Lalsot from Sawai Madhopur.

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Union minister Rajen Gohain today claimed that rehabilitation of Hindus from Bangladesh would not harm the state and Assamese identity.

"Rehabilitation of Hindus from Bangladesh in Assam will not harm the state and Assamese identity. People of the state, knowing the BJP's stand on the issue, had voted it to power last year," he said at a press conference here.

The minister of state for railways said the BJP would get the Citizenship Amendment Bill passed in Parliament.

On alliance partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) threatening to break its ties with the BJP if Hindus from Bangladesh were rehabilitated in Assam with the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, Gohain said, "It is their decision and I cannot comment on it."



"The BJP has not been secretive about its stand. It has been publicly saying that it is in favour of rehabilitation of Hindus from Bangladesh," he asserted.

The Hindus from Bangladesh would be protected as per the provisions of the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950 that sought to guarantee the rights of minorities in both the countries after Partition and to avert another war between them, the senior BJP leader said.

Gohain said, "(Former Assam chief minister) Prafulla Kumar Mahanta had committed a Himalayan blunder by making the illegal foreigners' detection cut-off year as 1971 when he signed the Assam Accord in 1985".

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Religious harmony is the "soul" of the country without which it will not survive, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said at a Christmas function organised in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

The chief minister also praised Speaker Ram Niwas Goel for hosting the festival first-time at the Assembly premises.

"Festivals like Christmas are celebrated by all. This religious harmony is the soul of our country without which it will not survive," Kejriwal said.

Terming India as a bouquet of members of all castes, religions and tribes, he said "some people were working against this diversity".

"Some people want to spoil this bouquet which is not right," he said.

Kejriwal said that Christmas will be celebrated every year at the Assembly.

Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph congratulated the Delhi government and Assembly for the event.

The chief minister said that the "beauty of Indian secularism was that it welcomed all religions".

Attending the event, Christian priests also lauded the Delhi Assembly for hosting the Christmas celebration.

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A group of Russian scientists has sounded the alarm over what they said were attempts by the head of the security service to openly justify Stalin's mass purges, the first such attempt in decades.

In an open letter published by Kommersant broadsheet, more than 30 academics slammed Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the FSB security service - the successor to the feared KGB - for seeking to legitimise the mass purges known as the Great Terror.

Historians estimate about one million people perished in Stalin's purges in the 1930s out of around 20 million who died under his three-decade rule before his death in 1953.

Since former KGB officer Vladimir Putin was first elected president in 2000, authorities have sought to promote a positive view of the Soviet past, including the role of Stalin, but Bortnikov's comments appear to mark a new step in this direction.

In an interview with Russian government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta published this week Bortnikov said the archives show that "a significant part" of the criminal cases of that period "had an objective side to them".

He said he did not want to "whitewash anyone" but pointed to "links of coup plotters to foreign security agencies".

The interview was published to mark 100 years since the establishment of the Cheka, the Soviet Union's first secret police service, created to stamp out opposition to Bolshevik rule.

Putin will run for a fourth Kremlin term in a March presidential election in a move expected to extend his rule until 2024 and cement his status as the longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin.

Many liberals have expressed concern that the Kremlin will tighten the screws on civil society even further following Putin's expected re-election.

In their open letter, the scientists - who are all members of the Russian Academy of Sciences - expressed fears that the "revision" of the role of the Soviet-era secret police could be intentional and called on the general public to join their protest.

"Apparently for the first time since the 20th Congress of the Communist Party held in 1956 one of the top functionaries of our state justifies mass purges of the 1930s-1940s which were accompanied by wrongful sentences, torture and executions of hundreds of thousands of innocent compatriots," they said in the letter.

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev used a secret session of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party to denounce the horrors of Stalin's rule.

The letter said that Bortnikov had failed to denounce the arrest or murder of millions of Soviet people including scientists and senior army commanders.

"The goal of Mr Bortnikov's wide-ranging interview is not clear to us," said the letter published on the website of the respected newspaper late yesterday.

"What is it? A recommendation to a new president? Nostalgia for bygone times or the propaganda of a new doctrine?" the letter added.

"In any case we firmly protest the revision of perceptions about the inhuman and anti-popular nature of the purges and call on all sensible people -- who do not wish upon their children to relive the horrors of the 1930s -- to join our protest."



Eighty-year-old physicist Sergei Stishov, who initiated the open letter, said the scientists did not expect the FSB chief to respond.

"As a person born in 1937 I just want to issue a warning: 'People, be vigilant,'" he told Kommersant.

Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russia's security services, called Bortnikov's interview "very dangerous."



"Over the past two to three years Putin has consciously been making the FSB an instrument of selective repressions," he told AFP, pointing to the current involvement of the security service in "nearly every" high-profile criminal case.

The clampdown could not only continue but expand to target more people in the future, he added.

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Senior Congress leader and eight- time MLA Kaul Singh today held rebels responsible for the defeat of some of the stalwarts in the recently concluded assembly polls in the state.

Speaking with mediapersons here, Singh, who was defeated in the contest for the seat of Drang in Mandi district, said that even the former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and the state BJP chief suffered defeats and added that most of the BJP candidates with non-RSS backgrounds lost.

"Had I won the elections, it would have been my last elections but under the changed circumstances, my political future will be decided by the party and the people of Drang constituency," Singh said.

He said there were several reasons for the defeat of the big guns but rebels fielded in constituencies of some senior leaders and shortage of funds were the main ones.

On the contrary, the BJP had no dearth of money and other resources, he added.

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Leading online broking company Sharekhan is planning to enter the business of distribution of insurance products from next year, a company official said.

Sharekhan, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, is also a leading distributor of mutual funds with assets under management (AUM) exceeding Rs 20,000 crore.

CEO of Sharekhan Jaideep Arora told reporters that following the acquisition by BNP Paribas, the company was reinforcing the digital platform with the aim to double its customer base by 2021 from 1.5 million at present.

He said the company was in talks with few insurance companies for distribution through the on-line mode, which would be mainly term policies.

Sharekhan, which had set up an online trading academy (OTA) to train professionals in stock trading in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bangalore, was also contemplating to set up a similar facility in Kolkata, Arora said.

Arora said Sharekhan was also having a strong research team located in Mumbai.

According to the company's research, corporate earnings in the coming months were likely to revive strongly owing to a low base and expected recovery in economic growth.

Earnings of Sensex companies were expected to grow, aided by strong performance of the automobile, banking and energy sectors.

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Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said that the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has strengthened itself by creating more Border Outposts (BOP) after the Dokalam standoff with China.

Addressing the border guarding force during its 54th anniversary parade here, the minister said the SSB not only guards India's border with Nepal and Bhutan, it also takes care that friendly relations with these neighbouring countries do not sour.

"The past year has been tremendous for the force. The SSB has increased its strength after the Dokalam standoff with China, by creating more border outposts near Sikkim and Bhutan border," Singh said.

He also lauded the force for its counter insurgency operations and anti-Naxal operations.

"People living near border areas should be considered as strategic assets of India. The force takes care of them by organising several events which is appreciated," he said.

When asked about confidence building measures with neighbouring countries, Singh said, "Confidence building measures are a continuing and ongoing process. It is always on and should be always on.

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Thick eyeglasses may provide insight as to why Master Sgt. Richard L. Pompeo vanished without a trace.

The Mount Holly Springs man was last seen alive on Dec. 21, 1943, when he was forced to parachute out of a B-24 Liberator bomber that had developed engine trouble over the Alaskan wilderness.

The remains of three crewmates have since been recovered, and the wreckage is now part of the landscape of the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve east of Fairbanks.

Co-pilot Lt. Leon Crane survived his parachute jump from the plane and the harsh winter weather to walk out of the bush 84 days later in March 1944. Crane saw Pompeos chute deploy as the crew chief drifted to earth.

Prior mishap

What happened next? Nobody knows. But it was not the first time the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pompeo was involved in an aircraft mishap. The Sentinel in September 1944 published wire service articles on Richard receiving the Legion of Merit for outstanding service while assigned to the Army Air Force cold weather testing detachment at Ladd Field in Alaska.

Specifically, Pompeo was recognized for his work teaching enlisted men under his supervision. [This] contributed materially to the creation of a highly trained ... aircraft maintenance unit necessary to testing operations under extreme Arctic conditions, one article reads.

Another article quoted Col. H.H. Carr who worked with Pompeo from the beginning of the testing project that was established in the summer of 1940. That winter, there were no hangars on the airfield so Pompeo and others toiled often in high winds while the temperatures sank to 15 degrees below zero and colder.

On Jan. 17, 1942, Pompeo was a corporal assigned to accompany Carr on a mission to retrieve fellow pilots who were injured when they were forced to crash-land their planes.

The ceiling was only a few hundred feet off the ground, so Carr climbed to 8,000 feet to avoid hitting mountain peaks, the article reads. The planes radio failed and they were lost, having been blown 50 miles off their course by a 50-miles-an hour wind.

When the plane ran out of gas, it was forced down on a frozen river. The fuselage struck a snow-covered tree stump, flipping the aircraft onto its back. Carr and Pompeo escaped unhurt.

The next day they packed their sleeping bags with snowshoes, food, [a] gun and a parachute for shelter and started walking down the river, the story reads. After traveling two miles of the stream, they met Jones E. Henry, a trapper. They returned to the plane for more equipment and then went 14 miles to Henrys cabin on the Solmon River.

Carr sprained a knee during their travels, but received medical care from the natives. This allowed Carr to walk after resting four days. Meanwhile, the two airmen secured a guide named Isaac Tritt, who was an American Indian and Henrys partner.

Lost glasses?

Almost two years had gone by between that first mishap in January 1942 and the second mishap in December 1943 that probably claimed the life of Richard Pompeo.

The master sergeant was the crew chief of the Liberator bomber that took off from Ladd Field to record what happened to propellers at high-altitude in the subarctic. He was one of two people to bail out of the plane before it crashed into a mountaintop.

Looking back, Carr shared a memory from the earlier misadventure that could explain the fate of Pompeo. He had noticed how the missing man always walked close behind Tritt on the trail leading out from the wilderness.

Pompeo wore thick lensed spectacles and although he never mentioned it, Carr believes Pompeo could see only poorly when wearing them and almost not at all without them, the September story reads.

He [Carr] thinks often of Pompeo hitting the ground in his parachute [that December], his spectacles lost in the jerk of the chutes opening, blindly stumbling through the bitter cold, trackless wilderness, not fortunate enough in the time of his greatest peril to chance upon an Indian or a trapper.

This is pure speculation since no one knows what happened to Pompeo after he jumped from the B-24. There has been no trace of his remains.

December crash

Much of the written record on the December 1943 crash focused on the sole survivor, Lt. Crane. Russ Vander Lugt wrote a story on the ill-fated mission that was published in the News-Miner, a daily newspaper in Fairbanks, on Nov. 8, 2010.

While climbing through 23,000 feet, the crew suddenly found themselves flying in the clouds, Lugt wrote. According to Maj. Richard Reigle, officer in charge of the post-crash investigation, the crew experienced failure of the pilot-static instruments followed by mechanical failure in the number one engine.

An unusual altitude, spin and high rate of descent followed, the story goes on to explain. In an attempt to correct the spiraling plane, the pilots broke both elevator actuator tubes, which exacerbated their dire situations. Pilot-in-command, 2nd Lt. Harold Hoskin, ordered the crew to bail out. Only two crew members managed to secure parachutes and get one in time: co-pilot Crane and crew chief Master Sgt. Richard Pompeo.

The National Park Service published a different version of the crash at www.nps.gov.

At 25,000 feet, one of the planes four engines malfunctioned and the aircraft suddenly began to spiral out of control. Although Crane and pilot Lt. Harold Hoskins struggled with the controls, they could not right the aircraft. Buffeted by high winds and crushing centrifugal force, they sounded the alarm to abandon ship. In the chaos, Lt. Crane managed to don a parachute before leaping through the open bomb bay doors. He later recalled ... the huge blob of red flame when his plane struck the mountainside.

In his write-up, Lugt mentioned the crash site and the obstacles recovery teams faced.

The B-24 crashed near the headwaters of the Charley River, a tributary of the Yukon, the story reads. No radio contact or distress calls were successfully accomplished during the uncontrolled descent. After aerial search and rescue efforts covered nearly 40,000 square miles over the course of six days with no positive results, all aboard were presumed dead.

Lugt wrote that, upon impact, the plane burst into flames. Crane had no time to assist his comrades or retrieve emergency gear. Crane was unable to link up with Pompeo. The last glimpse of the crew chief was an open chute floating over a mountain ridge about a mile away. His body was never found.

To survive, Crane had to tolerate hip deep snow and temperatures down to minus 60 degrees in an unforgiving wilderness where there was only three hours of sunlight a day.

In October 1944, Crane led a recovery team to retrieve the remains of his crewmen. While they were able to find Lt. James Sibert and Sgt. Ralph Wenz, there was no trace of either Pompeo or Hoskins.

The Park Service article mentions how a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command traveled to the wreckage site in 2006 where they found bone fragments later confirmed to be those of Hoskin. His remains were returned to his family for burial with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Sentinel, in its research, used the library and archives at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. While the name Richard Pompeo did not appear on the computer database, there was a record of him on a roster of dead and missing from World War II.

Pompeo had a seven-digit serial number  a format that indicates that he was a regular Army soldier who entered the service prior to World War II when the serial number picked up an additional number to account for the millions of men drafted into the Army to fight Germany, Italy and Japan.
Three persons, who gunned down an engineer at Kendrapara town in broad daylight on Thursday, have been arrested, police said today.

The police had tracked their mobile phones and nabbed them yesterday. Six mobile phones were recovered from their possession.

Extortion was the motive of the crime, police said.

Umakant Panda (23), Sonu Nigam Pradhan (32) and Tofan Pradhan (24), were arrested by special squads constituted for the purpose. Yjey hailed from the Patkura area of Kendrapara district, said Soumendra Priyadarshi, Inspector General of Police (central Range).

On Thursday, the miscreants had gunned down Debashis Sahu (28), an electrical engineer of a private power infrastructure company, near Bada Mangala locality in the heart of the town.

The antecedents of the accused persons are being cross checked to ascertain their role in other crimes. Their possible link with crime syndicates active in Paradip and Kendrapara areas is being looked into, police said.

A motor bike and a country-made pistol used to execute the crime were also recovered from them.

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A group of tourists were yesterday rescued from the sea by lifeguards at Arambol in North Goa. The rescued included a ten-year-old boy, the agency providing the lifeguard service at Arambol beach said.

Drishti Marines, a private company which provides lifeguard services in Goa, said that the incident happened around 1:30pm.

"A 10-year-old boy who had ventured into the water along with his family was caught in a rip current and started drifting seawards and a group of five male tourists who were swimming in the same zone rushed to rescue the boy," an agency official said.

"Simultaneously, three family members of the boy spotted him in trouble and rushed to his aid," the agency press note added.

Subsequently all nine got caught in the current, said the official.

Lifeguards who spotted the group in distress employed a jet-ski to rescue them, the agency said.

A health check showed that two felt uneasy and were facing breathing problems while the rest were fine, the agency added.

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Wearing a blackamoor brooch to the Queen's annual Christmas lunch by a British Princess has sparked furore on the social media after some people called it "racist", forcing the royal to apologise, media reports said today.

Princess Michael of Kent, who is married to Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin, attended an annual Christmas banquet at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday wearing the blackamoor brooch, the BBC reported.

Blackamoor is a style of artwork dating back from the 17th and 18th Century which is usually found in sculpture, jewellery and textiles in which black men and women are often depicted as slaves.

But it is now considered to be racially insensitive and even the name has been slammed as a term of abuse for anyone with dark skin.

Prince Harry's fiance, American actress Meghan Markle, whose mother is black and who has often spoken of racism she experienced as a child and as an adult, was also a guest at the lunch, the report said.

This outraged social media users who slammed the royal for her choice in jewellery, forcing the Princess to apologise.

An spokesman said that the princess was "very sorry and distressed".

"The brooch was a gift and has been worn many times before. The princess is very sorry and distressed that it has caused offence," spokesman Simon Astaire was quoted as saying by the BBC.

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The United Nations Security Council today unanimously placed new sanctions on North Korea for its November 19 intercontinental ballistic missile test, limiting its access to refined petroleum products.

The US-drafted resolution imposes tough measures on energy, export and import sectors, overseas North Korean labourers, and asks maritime authorities to help shut down North Korea's illicit smuggling activities.

Signed by all 15 members of the Security Council, the resolution bans the import of nearly 90 per cent refined petroleum products to the country.

"On November 29, Pyongyang launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. This was another attempt by the Kim regime to masquerade as a great power, while their people starve and their soldiers defect. But for the international community, this is an unprecedented challenge from a defiant state. So we have levelled an unprecedented response," US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said.

British Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft said most of the petroleum products are used by the North Korea regime to resource their illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"By cutting off this supply we will restrict their ability to develop and deploy these weapons," he said.

The Security Council also banned North Korean exports of food products, machinery and industrial and electrical equipment.

We have taken another important step to end the exploitation of North Korean workers who are sent overseas with the sole aim of generating earnings for the regime, Rycroft said.

"We have taken these steps to restrict the income the DPRK uses to fund its prohibited nuclear and ballistic missile programs. I congratulate the United States on this diplomatic achievement and we join them in leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of a diplomatic solution," he said.

DPRK stands for Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea or North Korea.

The resolution calls on all states to implement the present resolution and previous resolutions, fully.

"It is only by all of us doing this that they will have the intended impact," The British Ambassador to UN said.

The adaptationof the Security Council resolution will tighten the grip and will make it even harder for the North Korean regime to fund illegal ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, he said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the Security Council resolution in response to the latest ballistic missile launch by North Korea.

The unity of the Security Council is essential to achieve the goal of denuclearisation and create the space for diplomatic initiatives aimed at achieving it in a peaceful manner, said a statement attributable to the spokesperson of the Secretary General.

As per the resolution, the countries should repatriate all North Korean nationals earning income in that country's jurisdiction and all North Korean government safety oversight attachs monitoring DPRK workers abroad "immediately but no later than 24 months" unless the countries determined that the national's repatriation is prohibited under applicable national and international law, or if that national is a national of that member state.

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The new US ambassador to the Netherlands apologised today after denying he once said the country was in "chaos" because of Muslims and accusing an interviewer of peddling "fake news," only to be caught out by Dutch television in a bizarre exchange.

Pete Hoekstra, who starts as ambassador to The Hague next month, made the blunder while being questioned by a journalist from Dutch broadcaster NOS over remarks made at a 2015 conference.

When the reporter challenged him about referring at that event to Muslim-inspired "chaos" and to dangerous "no-go zones" in the Netherlands, Hoekstra responded: "That is actually an incorrect statement -- we would call it fake .

"I never said that."



But in a clip played from the event, Hoekstra can be heard saying: "The Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands -- there are cars being burned, there are politicians that are being burned."



"And yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands."



When pressed further during the interview, the Dutch-born ambassador denied having accused his interviewer of "fake news" altogether.

"I didn't call that fake news," said Hoekstra, a former representative from Michigan. "I didn't use the words today. I don't think I did."



The exchange, which appeared on Dutch current affairs program Nieuwsuur, has circulated on social media, drawing widespread mockery. One tweeter quipped that Hoekstra was "even giving fake a bad name."



In a Twitter message today, Hoekstra said: "I made certain remarks in 2015 and regret the exchange during the Nieuwsuur interview. Please accept my apology."



He vowed to "move on in the spirit of peace and friendship with the people and the leaders of the Netherlands."



NOS interviewer Wouter Zwart later told CNN that Hoekstra said the "no-go zones" comment was intended to refer to "a broader context of European problems with 'those areas.'"



The "no-go" reference was reminiscent of remarks by Donald Trump during his campaign for the US presidency.

Blaming Muslims, he said parts of Paris were so radicalised "that the police refuse to go there," that London police in some districts were "afraid for their own lives" and that parts of Brussels were a "hellhole.

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The US has decided to provide enhanced defence capabilities to Ukraine to help it build long-term defence capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, an official said today.

"The United States has decided to provide Ukraine enhanced defencive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defence capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

The US assistance is entirely defencive in nature, she added.

"We have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself. The United States remains committed to the Minsk agreements as the way forward in eastern Ukraine," Nauert said.

She did not provide any further details.

Early this week, The Washington Post had said the Trump administration has approved the largest US commercial sale of lethal defencive weapons.

These include export of Model M107A1 Sniper Systems, ammunition, and associated parts and accessories to Ukraine, a sale valued at USD 41.5 million, the daily said.

Top Republican Senator John McCain welcomed the decision.

"This decision is years overdue, but nonetheless, it comes at a pivotal moment," he said.

Ukrainians are enduring a worst fighting in several months as Russia has withdrawn its officers from a key ceasefire implementation mechanism and Russian-led forces have escalated their attacks in eastern Ukraine.

"At every turn, Vladimir Putin has chosen war instead of peace in Ukraine. So long as he makes this choice, the United States and the Free World should give Ukraine what it needs to fight back," McCain said, adding that is why the reported decision to authorise the sale of sniper rifles and ammunition must only be a first step.

"I urge the President to authorise additional sales of defencive lethal weapons, including anti-tank munitions, and to fully utilise security assistance funds provided by the Congress to enable Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.

"I also urge the President and congressional leadership to ensure that any budget deal fully supports the USD 350 million in security assistance for Ukraine authorised by the National Defence Authorisation Act signed into law this month," the Republican Senator said.

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Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam today demanded to know whether the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) was aware of the agreement under which Reliance Infrastructure would be selling its power business in Mumbai to Adani Transmission.

"As the Regulatory Commission overseeing distribution of electricity supply in Maharashtra, were you aware of this binding agreement between Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) and Adani group?" Nirupam asked MERC chairman Anand Kulkarni in a letter.

The MERC should ensure that this development doesn't lead to a hike in power tariff, the Congress leader said.

He expressed apprehension that the new power distributor may increase the tariff.

Reliance Infrastructure signed an agreement to sell its Mumbai power business to Adani Transmission for a total consideration of Rs 18,800 crore earlier this week.

Reliance Infrastructure's Mumbai power business, known as Reliance Energy, is India's largest private integrated power utility, distributing power to nearly 3 million residential, industrial and commercial consumers in suburbs of Mumbai.

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Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today wondered why should anybody have a problem with singing "Vande Mataram", meaning salutations to the mother, a song that inspired millions during the country's freedom movement.

"Mother is not the photo but our motherland. 'Vande Mataram' is saluting the mother. Why should anyone have a problem with this," Naidu said at an event in this temple town in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.

"Irrespective of our caste, creed and religion, we are one nation, one people and one country," Naidu said, after inaugurating the Global Sai Temple Trust Summit organised by the Shri Saibaba Sansthan, Shirdi, for trustees and representatives of Saibaba temples in India and abroad.

Naidu also rejected as "irrelevant" the issue whether Saibaba, the 20th century saint, was a Hindu or Muslim, saying: "he (Saibaba) was a universal teacher who blended the core principles of Hinduism and Sufism".

Saibaba's teachings of service to mankind and living in peace and harmony with others need to be imbibed by all and that would be the real tribute to him, Naidu said.

"Serving the mankind is serving God. Saibaba is an embodiment of this culture," he said.

An official statement quoted Naidu as saying that being an Indian national amounts to being spiritual, as it is all about seeking a larger identity rising above narrow and divisive considerations.

"India is a larger collective and to be known as Indian is going beyond the identity based on birth, caste, region or religion and coming together for a larger cause," he said.

He said nationality and nationalism are instruments of larger unity and integration, uniting the people, thereby going beyond primary identities. This unifying principle of nationalism should not be misunderstood. To feel, think and act as an Indian or 'Bharatiya' involves overcoming one's primary and divisive identities, he added.

"So, in my view, to be an Indian is being spiritual, as it elevates us to a higher level of identity and shared experience, purpose and actions," Naidu said.

Shirdi, located 238 km off Mumbai, has the famous shrine of Saibaba. In October, President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the newly-built airport at Shirdi.

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An air strike attributed to the Saudi-led coalition killed five rebels today as they met with allied tribal leaders outside Yemen's capital, a tribal source said.

The strike also wounded 20 others when it hit a house in the Arhab area 35 kilometres north of Sanaa, the source said.

Media loyal to the Huthi rebels said the strike targeted a gathering to show support for the Palestinians after US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The coalition regularly targets Huthi positions in areas they control, including around the rebel-held capital and in their northern stronghold of Saada.

More than 8,700 people have been killed since the coalition intervened in Yemen on the government's side in 2015.

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By Abhirup Roy

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Dozens of Indian securities officials descended on the homes of brokers and others on Friday in a widespread early morning raid in Mumbai, and possibly other cities, a regulatory source said.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) raids are a sign that a probe by the regulator is gathering steam. The investigation is looking into who was responsible for circulating prescient messages about major Indian companies' corporate announcements in social media chatrooms, according to the regulator.

The investigation was triggered last month after reported at least 12 instances of messages that predicted results and other financial metrics about the companies had been circulated in private WhatsApp groups. These groups consisted mainly of traders and brokers.

On Friday at least 70 SEBI officials searched homes and seized property, including mobile phones and laptops, the regulatory source said.

Two journalists covering financial markets were among those whose homes were raided.

A spokesperson said: "The two reporters were on the team that reviewed transcripts from these WhatsApp groups and documented at least 12 cases where there were prescient messages about major companies' financial information. That reporting appears to have now led to this investigation."

The regulator did not respond to a request for comment about the raids.

The premises of more than 30 brokers and dealers were searched, the Hindu BusinessLine newspaper reported.

SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi has previously said that the regulator launched its investigation after the Reuters story was published. Last month, a person familiar with the matter said the regulator had also asked for trading data on the companies mentioned in the story.

Stock exchanges are also cooperating with SEBI and looking into the matter, Vikram Limaye, chief executive of the National Stock Exchange, India's biggest bourse operator, said last week.

SEBI has in recent years beefed up insider trading rules and expanded what material constitutes "unpublished price-sensitive information".

(Reporting by Abhirup Roy; Editing by Martin Howell)

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By Steve Stecklow and Anna Irrera

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ethereum classic was the result of things going wrong.

In 2014, a network called ethereum was developed as an alternative to bitcoin's blockchain. Ethereum's distinguishing factor was that it could be used to build computer applications that could, for example, automate record-keeping for businesses. Thomson Reuters, the parent company of News, is part of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, a group of companies looking to use the technology to run business applications.

In April and May 2016, an online fundraiser was held on the ethereum blockchain in which participants were promised a new cryptocurrency called a DAO token that could be used to fund ethereum projects. Contributors could share in any profits.

The fundraiser proved to be a disaster. Over a month-long period, participants contributed about $150 million worth of cryaptocurrency. But a hacker exploited a software flaw and stole about a third of the new DAO tokens.

The fundraiser's organizers and other proponents of ethereum decided to replace the blockchain. The idea was to make the stolen tokens worthless and enable contributors to receive refunds. On July 20, 2016, the do-over took effect. The DAO project was abandoned. The old blockchain was supposed to die. Only it didn't.

A small part of the ethereum community continued to use the old blockchain. Somewhat like in the 1980s when the Coca-Cola Co reintroduced its original soda as "Coca-Cola Classic" after a change in its flavor flopped, the old blockchain became known as "ethereum classic," while the new blockchain took on the name ethereum.

Critics of keeping the old blockchain alive say it allows the hacker potentially to sell the stolen cryptocurrency. It remains unclear whether that has occurred.

(Editing By Richard Woods)

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A special CBI court today convicted former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a fodder scam case while acquitting six including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

CBI judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

Lalu Prasad, the chief of RJD, and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict.

A charge sheet was filed against 38 persons on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.

Meanwhile, senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that the party would move the high court against the order convicting the party chief. He added that the party would go to the people and fight it politically.

"The legal fight will continue. We will move the high court. There is no other alternative," Raghuvansh Prasad told reporters outside the special CBI court in Ranchi reacting to the conviction of the RJD chief.

Soon after the verdict, a post on Lalu Prasad's Twitter handle read, "Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes. And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished."

Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui, a confidant of Prasad, said it was not right to comment on a judgement but the people were discussing how it is freedom for some people and jail for others in the same case.

"The layman is asking why it is jail for some and freedom for others? It is baffling how the BJP and JD(U) had predicted the verdict. This has created confusion among the people also," he said.

The party was waiting to know the quantum of punishment to Prasad to be pronounced on January 3 and would then decide its course of action, Sidiqqui added.
DEAR ABBY: I'm 18 years old and I have a son who's 3. I'm still in school and live with my parents.

My parents treat me like I'm a nobody and always bring up how I got pregnant. They barely allow me to take my son anywhere. I still have to ask them if I can go to certain places.

My dad takes it out on me when someone makes him mad. I'm always getting yelled at for everything, even if I did nothing wrong. My dad sees me as a failure even when I do something good for me and my son. Because I have a kid, he's never proud of me. I don't know what to do or how to make this better. -- OLD ENOUGH IN THE SOUTH

DEAR OLD ENOUGH: Your parents are still punishing you for having the baby. I'm glad you stayed in school, because the more education you can attain, the better able you will be to support yourself and your child.

It is important for your future that you quit looking to your father for approval. He's wrong to take his frustrations out on you. You may have disappointed him, but you are not a failure. If there are other relatives with whom you and your child can live while you complete your education, please look into it.

DEAR ABBY: So often we learn from your column what a good marriage is NOT -- how not to treat someone we love. Could you please describe for my granddaughter just what a strong, loving marriage IS? Paint a picture of what to look for in a husband and how to create a marriage that will last while bringing joy to both parties. Your experience can help me explain this to her. -- PONDERING STILL IN HONOLULU

DEAR PONDERING: I can try. But before I do, I should mention that a good marriage may mean different things to different couples. To me, a good marriage is a solid partnership between two people who respect each other, care about each other and are mutually attracted. It helps if both have similar goals and values, and are willing to support each other in good times AND IN BAD. Like anything that's worthwhile, marriage takes work, patience and willingness to compromise. And of course, communication -- which includes listening -- is key.

DEAR ABBY: I have a workplace challenge that requires your expertise. Our company sends greeting cards for every event that you can imagine. It's an effective way to show the employees that we are a team and care about each other. The problem is, one staff member has a habit of writing a "manuscript" (heavy sarcasm) on the inside of every card, whether or not she personally knows the individual. This leaves little space for anyone else.

I have jokingly asked the young lady to please be conscious of space, but she doesn't get it. I don't want to hurt her feelings, but people here are getting fed up. Would it be rude to take the card to her only after everyone else has signed it? -- PLEASE SIGN HERE

DEAR PLEASE: Rude? Not at all. It's a practical solution. Bravo!

DEAR ABBY: I am a 56-year-old woman who has been with my boyfriend for seven years. He never lets me come to his place, but he comes to mine and stays every weekend.

He always has his married children staying with him, even though they are financially well off and don't need to. Every time I suggest we should be together by now, another child's family needs to move in, even stepchildren of his.

I left him for six months because I was tired of the rejection. We are back together again, and this last son and daughter-in-law (with their child and another one on the way) are there. Now he's saying he wants to move in with me because they need the room for the new baby. He says that's not the entire reason -- it's because he loves me -- but I suspect he doesn't want to be there with an infant on the way. I feel I'm being used, and I am not sure what to do. Advice, Abby? -- CROWDED HOUSE IN MICHIGAN

DEAR CROWDED HOUSE: Your boyfriend of seven years has made plain where his priorities lie. You have never been high on the list. In fact, you appear to have been more a convenience than a love interest.

The surest way to avoid being used is not to allow it. Do not permit him to move in unless you are clear on what YOUR objectives are, and have a firm commitment or he will break your heart (again).

DEAR ABBY: I thought you might like a variation on one of your "Pennies From Heaven" stories. When I was in my early teens, I had a close friend whose grandparents picked us up every day from school. We would stay at their house for a few hours until our parents could pick us up.

One day as we were leaving school, her parents' car was there instead of her grandparents' and her mom broke the news that her grandfather had died that morning. Needless to say, we were both very sad.

The following day was partly cloudy and rainy. After school, we walked toward where we usually met her grandparents and we saw a rainbow. When my friend saw it, she looked at me and said, "He's OK!" She meant her grandfather. Ever since, when I see rainbows I think of him, even though that was almost 20 years ago.

Last month I was driving home on the same kind of rainy day, and when the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, I saw another rainbow. Of course, I thought of my friend's grandfather. Later that night I learned her grandmother had passed away that morning. When I told my friend about it, it made her cry. We both believe it was a sign from them that they are fine and together in heaven. -- RAINBOWS IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR RAINBOWS: Many readers have written to tell me they have found similar comfort after discovering coins that had emotional significance. If rainbows have special meaning for you, then I hope you will continue to enjoy them. Your letter made me smile. Thanks for sharing.

DEAR ABBY: Seventeen years ago, I had a (minor) tryst with my wife's sister. Months later, it came to light during an unfortunate phone conversation. Since then, my wife and I have gone through years of counseling.

Our family has recovered and all is well -- except with my wife's brother-in-law (the husband). He considers me "persona non grata," and I have been excluded from all family functions, at least those he is involved in.

I took my counselor's advice and sent him a written apology, delivered by my wife. My parents-in-law have forgiven me (as well as their daughter) for the errant behavior, but still a massive wedge remains in our family. My father-in-law is ailing now and is desperate for reconciliation. I've done what I can (I think). What now? What more? -- PERSONA NON GRATA IN ILLINOIS

DEAR P.N.G.: You have already apologized. You can't force your brother-in-law to accept it. Because your father-in-law is desperate for reconciliation, he is the one who should appeal to your brother-in-law to heal the breach.

DEAR ABBY: In a world so vast and beautiful, do you think one person could somehow see it all? I've often dreamed of doing so, but most of the time I sit in front of a computer doing schoolwork. So many days I have wanted to drop out and be a hippie or something, but in these times, there are so many requirements to get to where we want to be and have what we've always wanted or needed.

You know what, Abby? I've got a better question for you. Can you invent a time machine so I can go back to the '50s? Forever wondering ... -- GABRIELLA IN SOUTH CAROLINA

DEAR GABRIELLA: I wish I could provide one, but if I did, I have a hunch it would become very crowded. Your yearning for the '50s may be happening because life in the 21st century has become stressful. It isn't just you -- for many people, the cycle of life seems to spin increasingly faster.

There's nothing wrong with dreaming about visiting faraway places. Once your studies are completed, you may be in a position to do that. In the meantime, make an effort to block out time to go to a gym, do yoga, meditate. If that's not possible, break up your routine with some other form of exercise. I can tell you from experience, it works.

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have a 15-year-old daughter who has a boyfriend her age. Her boyfriend visits our daughter in her bedroom, where they lock themselves in for hours. I object to them being alone in a bedroom, but my wife says she "knows" her daughter and that there's nothing to worry about. Who is right? -- UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE SOUTH

DEAR UNCOMFORTABLE: YOU are! Your wife is dreaming! Tell your daughter that from now on, her door will remain open when anyone of the opposite sex is in there with her, or the lock will be removed. (Even better -- restrict their visits to the living room.) Do it now. Time may be of the essence.

TO MY READERS: A very merry Christmas to you all!

DEAR ABBY: One of my relatives has bipolar disorder, and as far as I know he takes medicine for it. However, at our Christmas celebration last year he became verbally aggressive and abusive toward a family member who had done nothing to provoke it. Needless to say, it put a damper on the festivities.

Some people make excuses for him because he's bipolar, but I don't want another holiday ruined because of his behavior (which can be unpredictable). Must the rest of us sit on pins and needles hoping he doesn't explode this Christmas? I'd prefer not to invite him until he has better control of himself. Your opinion, please? -- HOPING FOR HAPPY HOLIDAYS

DEAR HOPING: You have a point. A solution might be to talk directly with your relative and explain that if he's taking his medication -- which means there will be no unpredictable outbursts -- he is welcome to be your guest for Christmas. If not, however, he should make other plans.

DEAR ABBY: On Veterans' Day I visited my family's cemetery plot and noticed my closest uncle does not have a military service marker like his two older brothers do. "Uncle Claude" had frequently mentioned to me how important a service marker was to him. I discussed it with his two out-of-state children several times after his death.

Almost two years have passed now, and it appears getting the marker might not happen. Should I inquire about this with my cousins, offer to assist them in getting and placing the marker or let it go? I did place a small flag on his grave later in the day. -- MILITARY SERVICE MARKER

DEAR M.S.M.: Discuss this with your cousins once more and ask if they would like you to pursue getting the marker for your uncle. There may be reasons why it hasn't happened -- including that they may not be able to afford the expense. You will never know unless you inquire.

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: 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
In an end-of-year email to staff, board chairman Greg Zwajgenberg said reporting on the sacking of former principal Bruce Handley had financially hurt the school, derailed negotiations on the use of land at St Ninian's Church and led to "extremist phone calls and emails", one of which shut down the Charnwood campus.
"Even with petrol prices on their way down, the average price of petrol is still sitting at 134.2cpl over the last quarter the highest of any quarter this year, and 11.5 cents per litre higher than the last quarter (24 June to 24 September)," she said.
"The thing about being on the ocean, in the roughest oceans in the worlds, the kind of movement that created for me was very specific. I've never experienced it before - being in that kind of motion with the waves," Batchelor said.
Astronomer at Mt Stromlo Brad Tucker said the fragment was likely only 10 to 25 centimetres in diameter. However due to it travelling at an estimated speed of between 80,000 to 120,000 kilometres per hour it created a sonic boom that was heard and felt by people below.
It was revealed on Wednesday, the government and ACT Policing planned to close the streets to traffic from 6pm to 1am both nights to stop the long-time tradition of cars cruising around the blocks of Braddon in front of large crowds in what is an informal extension of the street car festival. Under the now-lifted ban, only pedestrians and local traffic would have been allowed into the streets, leading to protests from businesses they would miss out on custom and car fans that a much-loved tradition was being killed off. Close to 3500 people signed a petition to keep the Braddon cruising going.
Sean Hannity, the Fox News anchor and Trump cheerleader, says the United States is "on the brink of becoming a banana republic." He's correct, but for all the wrong reasons.

Hannity worries that special counsel Robert Mueller is getting too close to the White House and threatening the Trump presidency. That's why he and other Trump enablers have escalated their attacks against Mueller and other law enforcement agencies. This typical tirade comes from former House speaker Newt Gingrich: "Mueller is corrupt. The senior FBI is corrupt. The system is corrupt."

The real issue, however, is not the integrity of Mueller's investigation. It's the determination of Team Trump to undermine Mueller and the rule of law.

The definition of a "banana republic" is an unstable country run by an unrestrained and unaccountable dictator. That's why the attacks on Mueller are so dangerous: Their target is not just one man or one office. These are assaults on the American system itself, on our cherished tradition that no one, and certainly no president, is above the law.

The president and his supporters have despised Mueller since the day he was appointed, but their campaign of calumny has clearly accelerated since the special counsel brought indictments against two former Trump aides and extracted guilty pleas from two others.

One Republican congressman warned darkly that Mueller was planning a "coup d'etat" overturning the election. Another Fox News host, Jeanine Pirro, said the Justice Department and FBI should be "cleansed" of anti-Trump conspirators "who shouldn't just be fired, but who need to be taken out in handcuffs."

Trump tweeted that the FBI is "in tatters" with a reputation that is "the worst in history." That battle cry was picked up by Republicans in Congress, who berated FBI director Christopher Wray for pursuing the president during a contentious hearing.

"If you kicked everyone off of Mueller's team who was anti-Trump, I don't think there'd be anyone left," complained Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.

These denunciations are only going to get worse. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, was certainly right in warning Wray: "I predict these attacks on the FBI will grow louder and more brazen as the special counsel does his work and the walls close in around the president. Your job requires you to have the courage in these circumstances to stand up to the president."

One part of the Trumpian strategy is to undermine Mueller's credibility if the "walls close in" and more charges are filed against more White House aides. But there's a second goal as well: Prepare the way for firing Mueller.

That would cause a grave constitutional crisis, and Trump told reporters he has no plans to terminate Mueller. But anyone who thinks Trump is incapable of such an impulsive and incendiary move is not paying attention. In less than a year, he has already fired FBI Director James Comey and a platoon of senior aides.

The only way to forestall such a disaster is for Republicans to have the courage to "stand up to the president" and warn him away from self-immolation. They should follow the lead of Karl Rove, the former adviser to President Bush 43, who wrote in the Wall Street Journal that dismissing Mueller "would be a terrible idea."

"Firing the special counsel would only make Mr. Trump look as if he had something to hide," wrote Rove. The president "would ignite a political conflagration that would consume him, those around him and his entire presidency."

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein also endorsed Mueller, telling hostile Republican lawmakers, "I believe he was an ideal choice for this task."

Few Republicans on Capitol Hill have shown the courage to stand up to Trump, but here's one useful step: Support two bipartisan bills that would make it harder for Trump to dump the special counsel. The measures have languished since a September hearing, but moving them forward would warn the president that he's playing with fire.

"I want the president to know that there is a process in place and there are checks and balances long before you got here," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who co-sponsored one of the bills. "And they will be here long after you're gone."

Brave words, but they must be followed by actions. The Trumpistas threaten to turn this country into a banana republic where those checks and balances lose their meaning. They have to be told, as clearly and as firmly as possible, that they will fail.

Steve and Cokie Roberts can be contacted by email at stevecokie@gmail.com
Historian at ANU Nick Brown said the city had been an enigma for Australians. Who lived there, and what they did, was unclear for many people packed into the major cities or spread across the regions.
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If youre a fan of Hertz Mustangs, you might want to head down to Kissimmee, Florida as Mecum will be auctioning off four different models in January.



The first model is a 2016 Ford Shelby Mustang GT-H 50th Anniversary Edition which features a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 670 hp (500 kW). The model is one of 16 vehicles in existence and it was built exclusively for Hertz executives.

The car only has 655 miles (1,054 km) on the odometer and is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. Given its rarity and performance, the model is expected to sell for between $170,000 and $190,000.

If thats a little out of your price range, Mecum has another Mustang GT-H 50th Anniversary Edition but this particular model has a naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine with 435 hp (324 kW). The car is one of 171 models built and it is equipped with an automatic transmission.

With only 35 original miles (56 km), the car is expected to sell for between $90,000 and $110,000.

Fans of older Mustangs can bid on the 2014 Hertz-Penske GT which was created for Hertz executives. A 5.0-liter V8 engine resides under the hood and produces 420 hp (313 kW). The car also has a six-speed manual transmission, a Ford Racing suspension, and Recaro leather racing seats. The Mustang is expected to sell for between $65,000 and $85,000.

The final model is a 2007 GT-H Convertible which has a supercharged 4.6-liter V8 engine. This particular car isnt original as its automatic transmission has been replaced by a five-speed manual. However, the change doesnt appear to have affected its value as it is expected to sell for between $60,000 and $80,000.

Photo Gallery
Its not a good time to sit back and relax if youre a mid-sedan manufacturer. Faced with an onslaught of increasing SUV sales, models like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord have upped their game trying to lure buyers with sleek styling, good handling and strong performance.



Then there is the Nissan Altima; which is about as alluring as a bar of soap  sure it does the job, but youll promptly forget what job that was. Fortunately, Nissan are injecting some youth into their lineup, so lets have a rendered peek at how the 2019 Altima will look like.

Dynamic Styling

At a first glance, you could be fooled into thinking youre looking at a shrunken Maxima, but no, its Nissans boldest adaptation of Vmotion-styling language to date.

In our computer generated image that is based on the camouflaged prototypes, the front is dominated by a large V-shaped grille, dipping into the lower intake and flanked by a pair of chiseled LED headlamps. A sculptured crease runs from the front fenders, fading outwards to the rear door. Then a secondary crease sits below this and flows towards the taillights.

The side profile is very Maxima-like, with a fastback roofline and separated black section within the C-pillars. Rounding out the rear are Audi-esque tail lamps, twin exhausts and a high deck lid.

Cabin & Architecture

Mirroring the overhauled exterior is a comprehensively redesigned and higher quality cabin. Nissan have joined many others in incorporating a tablet-style infotainment screen with two physical knobs and a row of buttons. The flat-bottomed steering wheel could almost be from a Mazda and the start-button is located in front of the gear lever.

Its tipped that the Altima will remain on the D platform shared with the Maxima and Murano, with an increase in wheelbase to expand on the current cars limited interior volume.

Conjecture has the possibility of all-wheel-drive thrown into the mix, adding to the Japanese carmakers desire to increase dynamic appeal.

Powertrain & Performance

Nissan have been quiet on future powertrain technology for the Altima, but we expect the current crop of 2.5-litre and 3.5-litre mills to carryover, with CVT to aid improvements in fuel efficiency and performance.

Although discontinued back in 2011, the hybrid model could make a reappearance, along with the possibility of a turbocharged four also joining the range.

It will also have the latest driver assistance technology under the ProPilot banner. Having debuted on the new Nissan Leaf, its able to help with steering, braking and acceleration on certain single-lane roads and highways.

Mid-size Rivals:

The 2019 Altima will arrive amongst some freshly updated competition, including the likes of Hondas new Accord, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda6, Chevrolet Malibu, Kia Optima, Ford Fusion and Volkswagen Passat.

Expect it to debut early in the New Year, possibly at the Detroit Motor Show next month.

Does the new Altima have the looks to impress? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo Renderings Copyright Carscoops / Josh Byrnes
Mercedes-AMG is cooperating with Linkin Park, alongside other experts in different fields, to make sure that their upcoming electrified models not only look good and go like stink, but sound the part, too.



Its unknown at this point how the American rock band will help Mercs Affalterbach-based performance division, but the tie-up was confirmed by AMG chief Tobias Moers, who recently spoke on the topic with WheelsMag.

You know Linkin Park? I started to talk with these guys about what is their interpretation of electrified sound. Weve had a cooperation with Linkin Park for years. Were really close, Moers said.

We started off years ago. We established a team doing artificial sound, and we worked together with games specialists, we worked together with film artists doing sound for films. We sell emotions, and sound is really a crucial part of emotion, so what we do is work on artificial sounds, because you have to, added the Mercedes-AMGs head honcho.

The Project One hypercar that uses technology derived from Formula 1 is paving the road for Mercedes-AMGs electrified future. It boasts a 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 and four electric motors that deliver a total combined output in excess of 1,000 horsepower. The first units of the German exotic will arrive in 2019, with production being capped at 275 examples, all of which have been spoken for.

Alongside the hypercar, Mercedes-AMG is also said to be prepping an electrified version of the new-gen CLS. Expected to be named the AMG 53, it will slot between the 43 and 63 grades and will, allegedly, combine the 3.0-liter inline-six of the 43 models with an electric motor for a max output of 429hp.

Note: Mercedes-AMG Project One pictured

PHOTO GALLERY
The challenge of miniaturization

It was important for Payne and for Price in making the film that any visual effects effort largely went unnoticed. When I first started on the movie, recalled Price, and Alexander and I were really getting into designing the visual effects, one of the things he said to me was, Id like you to trick me into making me think Im making a normal movie. What I took away from it was he wanted to be able to work the way he was used to working and have the confidence that he was seeing the shots properly.

The overall methodology was to film real backgrounds first with normal-sized characters. Then, knowing that the small people were 1/14th scale, any measurements involving sets, cameras, and lighting were scaled up 14 times. The characters who would be small were typically filmed as greenscreen elements. These elements would then be composited into the previously shot background plates. That work was largely handled by ILM.

A number of things were done during filming of the background plates, too, to help the process. For instance, 3d-printed dolls were shot in the place of small people in the sets (and later painted out)  they gave a guide to the cinematographer in framing the shots and an eyeline for the normal-sized actors. Oversized partial sets were also part of the greenscreen elements, even if they might also be painted out later on.

For instance, said Price, in the case of Dave (Jason Sudeikis) sitting on the cracker box when hes talking to Paul (Matt Damon) in the kitchen, we built an oversized box for Jason to sit on. That helped him understand where he was in the scene and helped us line up the camera and also grounded Alexander in terms of understanding the composition. Another thing it gave us was accurate lighting. If the actor was in close proximity to something like the cracker box, then the oversized set gave us the proper bounce light and helped integrate lighting into the actual scene.

Macro-level reality

One of the challenges with miniaturization shots, particularly when the camera is focusing on a small person in an oversized environment, is that the environment needs to have a higher level of detail than normal (because the viewer is effectively seeing it up close). The other challenge is to ensure backgrounds behind the small person have an appropriate depth of field  this helps to ensure they still look small.

On Downsizing, Price dealt with these challenges by first tackling what the accurate depth of field would be during shooting, but then allowing for it to be changed in post-production. We did that by a combination of focus stacking, shooting multiple focus passes at different depths, said Price. Then we also shot multiple f-stops. We just didnt want a situation where the actual optics and physics would result in a background that was so blurry or a depth of field that was so shallow that it was distracting. We tried to find that middle ground between what optically would tell the audience that the subject was small, but [which] still looked interesting and beautiful.

Lighting was also an important consideration. To duplicate the lighting from normal-sized backgrounds to the greenscreen elements, the light sizes would be scaled up, and Price implemented a system involving two gray balls. One was two inches across and another was 14 times bigger, 28 inches across in diameter.

We would put the small gray ball in next to the doll when we were shooting the background plate, said Price. Then when we went to shoot the greenscreen element, we would put the 14 times bigger gray ball in and do a split screen on the video tap between the two gray balls. They lined right up. It was great to see the 14 times ball on the greenscreen set fit exactly onto the small ball from the original background plate. By mixing the two together, we could look at the light source positions and the area of the light source so that we could match the appropriate softness for the person.

Welcome to Leisureland

Upon being shrunken down, Damons character moves into Leisureland Estates, a purpose-built community for small people. Here, most of the settings were scale-appropriate, so they didnt require small people to be composited into large environments. But there were several cg additions for the community, including a large net and a wall.

To preserve a slightly fake and fabricated look to the housing, exisiting communities under construction were filmed from certain angles that made them feel miniaturized. We would also paint out seams in the curb or cracks in the road so that everything had a kind of slightly lower level of detail and cleaner feel, said Price. And if you were driving past a lake or you see a large body of water, we treated it as if it was small. So the ripples were bigger and the motion of the water was different. The character of the reflections was different. That also added to the small scale feel of Leisureland.

Damons character meets Ngoc Lan Tran (Hong Chau), a Vietnamese activist shrunk against her will, who also lives in a workers city outside of Leisureland made out of containers. There were two locations for that, outlined Price. There was the exterior leading up to the workers city. That was shot in the back lot in Toronto in a large gravel field. The art department built and dressed three construction trailers that were converted into apartment buildings. We photographed them with a still camera for reference to help us build our cg sets. For the interior, we built the bottom three floors of the set and the ceiling was completely digital. Then the upper floors were a combination of element photography and digital manipulation of those elements to create the seven or eight stories up above.

Keeping it seamless

There are hundreds of visual effects shots in Downsizing, but the film is certainly not a visual effects movie. That was always the constant for the visual effects supervisor.

One of the things that I said as I was supervising the effects and working with the vendors was that we wanted to get it and then forget it, said Price. We wanted the audience to be established and the characters to be established in this environment, but then not keep reminding them over it. We wanted to allow them to accept it and go with it, but then let them stay engaged in the story and in the narrative rather than be distracted by the visual effects.
Our federal government has $30 billion to spend/waste in Afghanistan, billions for old no damn good submarines, money for all types of military hardware, money to give to the Aga Kahn (for what), money to waste on new does not work Phoenix payroll system (what was wrong with the old system, maybe the lobbyist were in Ottawa?) and so on, we can write a book on government waste.

We also support our Canadians in remote Canada with federal money but billions just dont seem to be enough. Where does all the billions go? It does not seem to go to supplying potable water. Just how much would potable water cost? Could we do it for $30 billion? Is potable water feasible for all? Could it be done with 3 or more bids?

Our town of Kelowna will spend $42 million just for one district to filter/treat drinking water from Bear Creek. So much money and no where to spend it. Should we allow Canadian children to drink unfit water? Maybe our government is spilling to much cash in the wrong areas?

Jorgen Hansen


Another year has passed and our elected Politicians have again broken many promises to veterans and their families.

The Liberals: Prime Minister J. Trudeau, August 24, 2015. Quote: If I have earned the right to serve this Country as your Prime Minister, no veterans will be forced to fight their own Government for the support and compensation they have earned! End of quote.

The top 2 most important issues remain unsolved: The return of the pension Act for Disability benefits. The termination of the Veterans CPP pension claw back.

The Conservatives: Former Prime Minister Harper, 2005 election campaign, Quote: When a motion passes the democratic elected majority of the House of Commons, The Government shall honour that motion! End of quote. On May 5, 2010, while Conservative MPs were directed to vote against the CPP Bill C-201 the count was successful. The vote recorded was 149 yeas and 134 nays. The speaker of the House of Commons declared that Bill C-201 was carried, but he then discharged it from the agenda because Prime Minister Harper refused to seek a Royal recommendation. Bill C-201 died on the order table.

The NDPs: Since the departure of The Hon. Jack Lawton, Peter Stoffer and Megan Leslie the NDP party has remained silent and non supportive of Veterans issues. The new Leader Mr. Jagmeet Singh remains unelected and non transparent towards Military/RCMP Veterans issues.

When will our elected leaders remember the sacrifices that our Military/RCMP veterans and their families have provided to the security of Canada? Veterans spouses have lost many income/employment opportunities as a result of numerous operational moves.

Did Politicians forget about the sacred trust obligation to veterans? Must veterans look for law firms to fight the same Government they were prepared to provide the ultimate sacrifice for?

The Committee wishes a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to our Forgotten Military/RCMP veterans. We wait one more year!

John Labelle
Photo: Getty Images

A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled a widower is liable for repaying nearly a quarter million dollars his wife stole from the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority before she died.

Court documents show Wanda Moscipan worked as an administrator for both the authority and the University of B.C. when she siphoned more than $574,000 from the authority between 2003 and 2011.

Justice Leonard Marchand ruled this week that her husband, Miroslaw Moscipan, must have known she was receiving funds through fraudulent means.

Moscipan told the court his wife was secretive with the family finances but he thought she made over $100,000 per year.

But Marchand's decision says the family led a "richer lifestyle than a typical family of four or five" spending about $20,000 a year on transportation alone.

Wanda Moscipan died of cancer after being diagnosed in 2010 and the decision says the health authority is also entitled to more than a half-million dollars from her estate in repayment for the money stolen.
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Photo: Contributed

The South Okanagan Women in Need Society received a pair of significant donations this week.

Staff of the Penticton Home Hardware gave $2,500 raised through a silent auction at their Christmas party.

Penticton Home Hardware is a proud family that is happy and willing to donate towards those less fortunate and in need of help especially over the holiday season, yard operations manager Allen Wilson said.

Meanwhile, the Morrison Real Estate Group matched the $1,000 it raised through an online campaign for a total donation of $2,000.

SOWINS provides support and programming for women enduring or escaping abuse.
Photo: @cowvalleybiker

A school bus crashed into a trailer on Vancouver Island, Friday, sending a rowboat through the windshield.

The 12 students on board were uninjured in the Shawnigan Lake collision Friday morning.

The bus lost control on icy roads about 8 a.m., ramming into the Canadian Amateur Rowing Association vehicle.

Both drivers suffered minor injuries.

The students were from George Bonner Elementary and Ecole Cobble Hill.

RCMP said it was miraculous the situation was not more serious.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
Photo: CTV

A bail hearing ended Friday in the British Columbia Supreme Court for Jamie Bacon, who is accused of counselling the murder of an individual.

Bacon's lawyer, Kevin Drolet, said outside court that his client is asking to be released in advance of the trial, which Crown has said is scheduled to start April 3.

Justice Catherine Wedge said she intends to release her decision Jan. 9 on whether Bacon will be granted bail.

A publication ban prevents any reporting on submissions or evidence made during the two days of proceedings.

The defence has said Bacon pleaded not guilty to the charge and has chosen to be tried by a jury.

Earlier this month, a judge stayed charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder against Bacon stemming from a separate incident that involved the killing of six people in a Surrey apartment in 2007.

Justice Kathleen Ker sealed most of her reasons for staying the charges.

The Crown has filed leave to appeal on the stay and is asking the B.C. Court of Appeal to order a new trial.

Bacon attended Friday's hearing wearing a white button-up shirt and grey dress pants and before leaving court he nodded to his parents, Susan and David, who were in the public gallery.
Alanna Kelly

A candlelight vigil will be held in Kelowna to remember a beloved mother and her two children who were found dead in their Kelowna home.

The Latin American Community has come together to host the vigil at Stuart Park on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and is asking anyone who knew Clara Forman, Karina and Yesenia to come and remember them.

We didn't know her, but we have been trying to find somebody in the Latino group that did know her, said organizer Sharon Fisher.

Clara, 33, and her two girls were found inside their Rutland home on Tuesday night. Clara's husband, 34-year-old Jacob Forman, was arrested at the home and faces three charges of second-degree murder.

A hundred people are expected to attend the vigil and Fisher wants to "make sure they don't go without being remembered."

Clara moved to Canada almost 10 years ago after meeting Jacob while he was learning to become a preacher in Mexico. They wed in Mexico and she moved back to British Columbia with Jacob.

We are doing this because it hits home when it is this close," she said. "She doesnt have any family here either so we are becoming that family."

Fisher is also from Mexico and moved to Canada 10 years ago.

When you move to Canada, you leave your family behind, you leave everything you have and we become family, she said.

Jacobs family members are also expected to be at the vigil, according to Fisher.

We know some of his family might be there because they are also mourning, she said.

Police have released very few details about the deaths and they've not said how they came to discover their bodies in the home.

Clara last posted on social media Sunday, but had not had contact with her family since Dec. 15.

Clara was well known for her role in the community as a fitness instructor at GoodLife Fitness in Kelowna.

"On behalf of the whole GoodLife family, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Claras family and friends, and to our associates and members who had the joy and pleasure of participating in her classes and sharing their lives with her," said David Patchell-Evans, founder and CEO of GoodLife Fitness.

Patchell-Evans said Clara touched so many lives through her classes.

"She will be greatly missed," he said.

Organizers of Thursday's vigil are asking anyone who wants to share in their memory to contact them.

There is family here that cares about her being gone, said Fisher.
Photo: RCMP The truck used to flee the gas station after the robbery.

Police in Kamloops are looking for a man who robbed a gas station with a knife Friday night.

At 11:45 p.m., a man entered the Petro Canada on Kokanee Way in Kamloops and demanded money from the cashier.

The man left the store with an undisclosed amount of cash and fled in an older Ford pickup truck with an accomplice.

The truck is blue and white, and has rusted fender wells and damage to the body.

Police described the thief as a 5-foot-7, 175 pound white man with blue eyes, dirty blond hair and a beard. He was wearing a dark hoody with a Blue Jays logo on the front at the time of the robbery.

Police have asked anyone with any information to call 250-828-3000.
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I am getting to the age where young folks ask me about my best and most memorable Christmas. They are not the same. My most memorable one wasnt my best, but it is the one I think of most often.

I had completed Air Force flight training and was assigned to an air refueling crew at Fairchild Air Force Base. After a few short months, our crew was notified that we would depart in mid-December for a short tour in Southeast Asia as part of the Vietnam conflict. We were excited and anticipating a great adventure. We hadnt yet discovered that war is only glamorous if you are looking forward to it or reminiscing.

It was early enough in the war that friends and families saw us off as we boarded the plane. I was at the bottom of the loading ramp when a young woman came running up struggling with an eight foot evergreen tree. She asked if I would take it to her husband in Okinawa. I said I would.

It wasnt as easy as it sounds. Our route across the Pacific was in four overnight legs. We spent our first night at a base in southern California, the second night in Hawaii and the third in Guam before we arrived at our final stop in Okinawa.

As I was the junior officer on our crew, I was in charge of lugging the tree to our room, stowing it away, then lugging it back to a different plane for each leg of our trip. As you can imagine, it got pretty shopworn.

The trees intended owner had deployed forward, so the tree stayed in our quarters drying out while we flew several missions. We were sent forward to Utapao, Thailand on Dec. 22. The grapevine was alive and well. The trees owner met us as we landed and relieved me of the poor bedraggled tree.

I ate dinner that evening in the Officers Club and noticed the young Thai waitresses giggling as they tried to set up the tree. By the next day, the tree had been transformed.

The club staff had made decorations out of scraps of paper and tin can lids. Some were quite beautiful. There were some three dimensional round ornaments, several angels and an ample number of icicles.

No one questioned the propriety of having our Christmas tree decorated by Buddhists. As far as I know, it was the only Christmas tree in the war zone. On Christmas morning, one of the Air Force chaplains conducted a worship service in front of the tree.

I stayed after worship for my Christmas dinner. The club was serving the same fare that we had been eating since arrival, cheeseburgers. I wanted something a bit different, so I asked for a plain hamburger smothered in grilled onions.

The same waitress who had lovingly decorated our tree didnt speak enough English to modify my order. She could ask if I wanted fries, but it came out as flench flies. I was a little short on time, so I soon gave up and ate my cheeseburger without flies. I then hurried over to flight ops to join my crew for our afternoon mission briefing.

We have young men and women deployed overseas this Christmas. There is nothing we can do to make it the same as celebrating with family and they know that. All they ask is that you appreciate what they do. Their service pays for your freedom. We should all feel grateful that American soldiers are willing to serve.

Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and long-term resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a freelance columnist for over 18 years.
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Boebert continues to lead Frisch on final day of counting

The election is hovering within the threshold for an automatic recount. Here's the latest in the Colorado race between Adam Frisch and Lauren Boebert.
Qatar continues its race for air power. The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Boeing Defense, Space, & Security company a $6,173,500,000 undefinitized contract action contract for the F-15 Qatar program. FMS funds in the amount of $3,019,750,000 are being obligated at the time of award. This sole source contract provides for the foreign military sales (FMS) requirement to procure 36 new F-15QA aircraft for the Qatar Emiri Air Force. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, with an expected completion date of Dec. 30, 2022. Qatar has already finalized contracts for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighters from France and 24 Typhoons from the UK. The 36 F-15QA will bring the fighter fleet of the Qatari Emiri Air Force to 96 aircraft by the mid-2020s.

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A third Boeing 747 freighter was finally sold on Taobao, Alibaba's e-commerce platform, on Friday after it failed to find a buyer in a previous auction.





The plane was put up for sale for 98 million yuan (14.8 million U.S. dollars) Thursday. After 49 bids, a buyer with the username "HEFFETZ ESHEL" representing an overseas company won the bid at 146 million yuan.





"We had no idea who the buyer was before the deal, and the whole auction process was completed online," said Long Guangwei, deputy head of Shenzhen People's Intermediate Court, which supervised the auction.





Two other Boeing 747 freighters were successfully auctioned on Taobao's judicial sales platform in November and were handed over to the buyer, SF Airlines, earlier this month. They sold for a total of 320 million yuan.





The three freight planes were previously owned by Jade Cargo International, the first Chinese cargo carrier with foreign investment.





In addition to planes, other special auction items including villas and cargo vessels have been sold to overseas buyers via e-commerce platforms in recent years.





"There are increasing numbers of auctions completed on e-commerce platforms, which are attracting more and more overseas buyers," said Lu Weixing, manager of the auction department of Alibaba.
China has held 71 local officials responsible for misconduct and irregularities related to local government debt as the country continues to defuse financial risks, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said Friday.





A total of 57 local officials in the eastern province of Jiangsu and 14 officials in the southwestern province of Guizhou received punishments, ranging from warnings and demotion to expulsion from public office.





In Jiangsu, problems were found in credit guarantees through trust or asset management programs for 32 projects in 15 county-level areas from 2015 to 2016. In Guizhou, the ministry named and shamed five areas for similar issues.





The financial ministry also ordered local governments involved in these debt irregularities to make rectifications within a certain time frame.





The punishment came on the heels of the country's tone-setting Central Economic Work Conference earlier this week, which decided that China will continue to crack down on irregular and illegal activity in the financial sector to forestall risks.





Prevention of financial risks is key for China to win what central authorities have called "the three tough battles" for the next three years, and policymakers will both address risks in major areas and strengthen regulation of weak links.





The MOF said it will urge local governments to increase efforts in preventing local debt irregularities, and at the same time push for reform in the management of local government debt quotas and government special bonds.





China uncovered irregular local government debts worth over 6.4 billion yuan (about 972 million U.S. dollars) in the third quarter of this year, according to the National Audit Office.
Before joining the massive open online courses (MOOC) provider CCTalk, Corey and Cici DiCicco combined to have eight years experiences as schoolteachers, and they taught about 3,000 students over that time.





In the half year since starting at CCTalk, the couple has become stars on the site, with over 5,000 students registering for their courses.





They are among an increasing number of teachers in China hopping on the tech bandwagon and bringing virtual classrooms right to students' computers and mobile devices.

A teacher live streams painting courses online. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]





With powerful technologies at their fingertips, the teachers can simulate a classroom on an interactive online environment. The teachers or hosts can share their screen with students and write on a virtual whiteboard, thus creating an engaging, in-the-moment learning experience.





Along the way, they are earning more money than previously thought possible.





"Many teachers on our platform can earn as much as 3 million yuan (US$454,000) a year, and some teams can even gain a staggering 30 million yuan through interactive teaching, said Kong Wei, president of CCtalk.





In comparison, a teacher at an elite public school in Shanghai earns an average of 10,000 yuan a month, and a teacher at a private education institution earns an average of 30,000 yuan a month, according to an earlier report by China Daily.





Similar to other MOOC providers like Coursera and Udemy, CCtalk enables teachers to either post entire videos on its platform or live stream their courses with a mobile phone or a personal computer  a more popular method with the platform's subscribers.





The platform has been in operation for over a year, and it has attracted over 30,000 independent teachers. They teacher a wide variety of courses on CCTalk, ranging from extensive programs like language learning and vocational training, and to skills and hobbies like playing the ukulele and drawing cartoon pictures.





Learners also came in droves: CCtalk boasts over 10 million subscribed users.





According to figures released by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the country's online streaming users registered at 343 million in June, accounting for 45.6 percent of its total online population.





Like in other live streaming applications, millennials in e-learning platforms account for largest share of the paid users.





"People have already gotten used to and are willing to pay for subscribed materials online, said Arnold Fu, founder and CEO of Hujiang EdTech, CCTalk's parent company. This is a sea change from the previous generation, which has fueled the online education boom.





According to a report by Analysis, China's internet big data analysis provider, the country's online education market will surge to 371.8 billion yuan by 2019 as online and traditional resources and customers continue to merge.





CCTalk's Kong said another positive aspect of online learning is that it can facilitate education development in a fairer and more equitable way, distributing quality educational resources evenly to China's remote and rural areas via e-courses.





Kong said she is proud of the free public welfare courses CCtalk providing to rural schools. Since the program launched two years ago, it has benefited over 1 million students in 3,000 elementary and secondary schools across China.
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China will promote cooperation with Gambia in agricultural technology, fishery processing, infrastructure development and tourism to achieve win-win results, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday.

Li's remarks came during a meeting with Gambian President Adama Barrow, who is on his first state visit to China since diplomatic relations were resumed last year.

The two countries established formal diplomatic links in 1974, but China suspended relations in 1995 when the west African country resumed so-called "diplomatic" ties with Taiwan. Gambia severed ties with Taiwan in 2013.

"China will consider Gambia's national conditions and characteristics and give full play to the complementarity of our two countries," Li said.

He said China will continue to provide support and assistance for Gambia's economic and social development.

Li said China hopes Gambia will firmly uphold the one-China policy, and China will advance ties with Gambia on the basis of mutual respect and treating each other on an equal footing.

Thanking China for its long-term support and help, Barrow said Gambia looks forward to continued help from China.

Barrow said Gambia will adhere to the one-China policy and work with China to strengthen cooperation to open a new chapter in bilateral relations.

Chinese top legislator Zhang Dejiang also met with Barrow on Friday.

Zhang said China's National People's Congress (NPC) stands ready to work with Gambia's National Assembly to implement the consensus reached between the two heads of state.

Both sides can share experience in national governance and legislation, promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges and improve the legal environment for pragmatic cooperation, said Zhang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.


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China firmly supports the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine, which enjoys full sovereignty on the basis of the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Wang made the remarks during a meeting with Ahmed Majdalani and Nabil Shaath, who came to China as representatives of the Palestinian President.

"Peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved unless the Palestine issue is solved, as this issue is a root one in the region," Wang said, calling on the international community to reflect on this issue and take actions.

The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution affirming that any decisions and actions that alter the status of Jerusalem are null and void.

Wang said that this not only reflects a definite attitude to adhere to the consensus of the international community, but also voices the call for speeding up the Middle East peace process.

He called on the Palestinian side to form a united force, stick to solving disputes through dialogue, maximize the role of the United Nations and voice up the call for peace.

Majdalani and Shaath expressed gratitude for China's support to the Palestinian people's just cause and hoped that China will play a bigger role in the Middle East.

They also spoke highly of China's four-point proposal in solving the Palestine issue, which hopefully will become the basis for the international community's efforts in promoting peace.

The four-point proposal includes firmly advancing the political settlement on the basis of the two-state solution, upholding a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, coordinating efforts of the international community and strengthening the concerted efforts for peace, as well as comprehensively implementing measures and promoting peace with development.
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The Security Council on Friday adopted a new resolution to further tighten sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in response to its ballistic missile launch late last month.

Resolution 2397, which passed the 15-member council unanimously, bans nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum product exports to the DPRK, by setting a ceiling of 500,000 barrels during a period of 12 months beginning Jan. 1, 2018. It provides for the same amount in 12-month periods thereafter with conditions.

It also caps crude oil exports to the DPRK at the current level of 4 million barrels a year.

As an important measure to cut the source of funding for Pyongyang's nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs, the resolution requires UN member states to repatriate all DPRK nationals earning income abroad immediately, but no later than 24 months from the date of adoption of this resolution.

In addition, the resolution bans DPRK exports of food and agricultural products; machinery; electrical equipment; earth and stone, including magnesite and magnesia; wood and vessels.

It bans the supply of industrial machinery, transportation vehicles, and iron, steel, and other metals to the DPRK.

The resolution provides for measures to stop ships from illegally providing oil to the DPRK through ship-to-ship transfers and smuggling DPRK coal and other prohibited commodities by sea.

Member states may seize, inspect, freeze (impound) any vessel in their territorial waters, should they have reasonable grounds to believe that the vessel was involved in activities, or the transport of items, prohibited by Security Council resolutions, reads the text.

The resolution puts 19 new DPRK individuals, most of them DPRK overseas bank representatives, and the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, which manages the general administrative and logistical needs of the Korean People's Army, on a list for a global asset freeze and travel ban.

The resolution reiterates the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large, and expresses its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic, and political solution to the situation.

It welcomes efforts by the council members as well as other states to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue, and stresses the importance of working to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

The resolution reaffirms support for the Six Party Talks involving the DPRK and the Republic of Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, and calls for their resumption.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the unanimous adoption of the resolution.

"The secretary-general welcomes the continued unity of the Security Council, which is essential to achieve the goal of de-nuclearization and create the space for diplomatic initiatives aimed at achieving it in a peaceful manner," said Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement.

The secretary-general supports the Security Council's desire for a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation, as well as its call for further work to reduce tensions, said the statement. He reaffirmed his commitment to working with all parties to that end.

The secretary-general called on all UN member states to ensure the full implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and to redouble efforts to make 2018 a pivotal year for the achievement of sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula.

"The only way forward for a comprehensive peaceful and political solution requires de-escalation and open communication channels, now," said the statement.

Francois Delattre, the French ambassador to the United Nations, said maximum pressure on the DPRK is the best lever of the international community that would lead to dialogue, which then will lead to a political settlement.

"The great determination we are expressing today is our best antidote to the risk of war and the best opportunity we have to open the way to dialogue and to a political solution that we are all seeking," he told the council after the vote.

Irina Schoulgin Nyoni, Sweden's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said sanctions alone will not solve the situation. "Creative efforts that pay the way for a political solution must be pursued."

She cautioned that there is no military solution to the situation on the Korean Peninsula. "We need to ensure that in a search for a comprehensive settlement, every avenue for peace is explored and exhausted."

Wu Haitao, charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the United Nations, said Friday's resolution reflects the unanimous position of the international community in opposing the DPRK's development of nuclear weapon and ballistic missile capabilities and in maintaining the international non-proliferation regime.

China urges the DPRK to take seriously the demands of the international community and refrain from any further nuclear and missile tests, he said.

The resolution also stresses that the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula should be solved peacefully, through political and diplomatic means. There are also provisions in the resolution that the restrictive measures are not intended to hurt normal economic activities and cooperation and food and humanitarian assistance, he noted, calling for full and comprehensive implementation of the resolution.

He stressed that the issue can only be solved through dialogue and negotiations. "It is imperative to put an immediate end to rhetoric and actions that are detrimental to de-nuclearization and peace and stability on the peninsula," he said.

The dangerous situation that carries the risk of spiraling out of control is not in the interests of any country, said Wu.

Resolution 2397 is the 10th Security Council resolution that contains sanctions against the DPRK since 2006, when it carried out its first ever nuclear weapon test. It is the third resolution that contains sanctions in 2017 alone.






Training for armed self-defense is like preparing for a natural disaster, according to the research of two Oregon State University professors.

The researchers set out to understand how Americans who keep and carry handguns for self-defense mitigate the risks involved, such as accidentally shooting oneself, inaccurately identifying a threat or being clumsy. The professors identified ways that handguns owners work to diminish those risks, including through training, mental rehearsing and routine maintenance.

The researchers determined that while those efforts mitigate the physical, legal and moral risks associated with using handguns for self-defense, it does not remove all risk.

Its sort of like preparing for an earthquake or a tsunami, said Aimee Huff, as assistant professor in the College of Business and one of the studys lead authors. You can do your best to be prepared, but in the moment, if it happens, yes, youre going to rely on your training but theres also going to be a lot of thinking in the moment.

Also, the stimuli in the event will probably be different than what the gun owner had trained for, said the studys other lead author, Michelle Barnhart, an associate professor in the College of Business.

The study was published Monday in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. OSU business professor James McAlexander and Brandon McAlexander of the University of Arkansas also are coauthors.

Focus on guns

According to a July report by the Crime Prevention Research Center, there are over 16.3 million concealed handgun permit holders in the United States. This was a record 1.83 million increase in permits over the previous year.

With American gun ownership on the rise and the laws surrounding firearms changing throughout the country, the researchers set out four years ago to study several issues surrounding gun culture. In July, they published a study finding that gun violence prevention groups are more moderate in ideology than typically portrayed.

In 2015, the researchers began studying the risks associated with handgun ownership. They went to gun trade shows and observed attendees and vendors. They attended the National Rifle Associations annual convention and two researchers even signed up to become NRA members, receiving all the literature that comes with membership. The professors also participated in target shooting and interviewed gun range members, as well as a host of handgun owners, in Texas, Oregon and other states. One researcher became licensed to carry in Oregon. The professors also monitored conversations in four online discussion forums dedicated to defensive handgun use.

Huff said the researchers started out wanting to know how people who carry handguns or have them in their homes for self-defense mitigate the risk of accidentally firing the weapon. The professors soon realized there are a whole host of risks handgun owners face.

It was sort of like unraveling something and realizing all these risks that gun owners understand they assume when they decide to carry a gun, Huff said.

For instance, handgun owners with licenses to carry must understand the laws within their state governing how and where they are permitted to openly carry their gun, she said. The professors learned that people who carry guns have varying views on displaying their weapons, some feeling they would be targeted first if a threat materializes and others thinking they would be less likely to be victimized if their gun is showing.

Training differences

Since the training required to obtain a license to carry varies greatly by state, the extent to which handgun owners are trained to use their firearms and respond in self-defense also varies, the professors said. While Texas requires permit applicants to complete hands-on training, people in Oregon applying for a concealed handgun license must only show theyve passed an online handgun safety class, the researchers said.

I would venture to say that for most people who have a concealed handgun license, they do [the training required by law] and thats probably the extent of the training that they do, Barnhart said.

The professors determined there is a subset of people who own handguns for self-defense who undergo additional training, which is often timely and costly. These people talked about the added benefits of one-on-one, realistic training involving interactive screens and even invasion scenarios, Huff said. In one training, the participant lays in a bed and practices hearing a threatening noise, taking their gun out of one safe and the ammunition out of another safe and firing rounds at an intruder, she said.

The researchers analogized carrying a handgun to driving a car, given both are done in public and both carry risks. But, the professors said driving is conspicuous and society has developed agreed-upon safety practices.

We didnt see that so much with conceal carry and we think its in part because its young and in part because its hidden, so you dont monitor each other in the same way, Barnhart said.

While the researchers found that safety norms exist at the gun range, there is a lack of best practices for conceal carrying outside of that space.

Youre doing something in public but its not public, Huff said. Youre not letting other people know you do it so its really hard for social norms to evolve when youre engaging in an activity that is not really social even though youre doing it in a social space.

For example, the professors found a range of opinions regarding de-escalation and when to engage. Some people who carry handguns think responsible gun owners must first try to verbally de-escalate a situation and call police, seeing the drawing of their gun as a last resort, Huff said. Others take more of a stand-your-ground approach and will fire when they perceive a real threat, she said.

The researchers said more consistent training among states would allow for social norms regarding handgun ownership for self-defense to emerge.

Mental rehearsing

One consistent practice the professors discovered among people who carry handguns for self-defense was mental rehearsal. When people who carry handguns visit a restaurant or other public space, they determine where all entrances and exits are and then mentally work through what they would do if an active shooter appeared, Barnhart said.

The researchers also found this to be true when monitoring the online forums. The participants would discuss how to react during specific scenarios, such as being in a mall dressing room when shooting breaks out.

Mental scenarios are pretty integrated throughout peoples socialization into armed self-defense, Barnhart said.

The professors plan to continue studying gun culture, with their next project possibly focusing on the experience of non-gun owners in a country where there are so many guns, Huff said.
 Flash

The Chinese naval hospital ship Ark Peace has finished its eight-day humanitarian medical service in Timor-Leste and left the Dili Port for home.



During its stay in Timor-Leste till Thursday, a total of 7,289 people were treated by Chinese doctors.



The Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Mari Alkatiri made a visit to the ship and accepted health examination on Dec. 17.



Alkatiri said he appreciated Chinese doctors for the warm and attentive treatments and he believed in their medical skills just like believing in China.



The President of Timor-Leste Francisco Guterres, also known as Lu-Olo, and his wife also boarded Ark Peace and visited the veterans being treated in the ship.



The president was very excited when he saw shrapnels being surgically removed out of a veteran's body.



Lu-Olo praised that Ark Peace had made great contributions to the veterans of Timor-Leste.



Ark Peace implemented humanitarian medical services around the world, which reflected the international responsibility of China as a main power, he added.



The arrival of Ark Peace was good news for local people. A medical team was dispatched to Atauro Island, 30 km from Dili, on Dec. 16.



Evodia Soares was a 17 years-old girl in a local high school. Her hearing ability was decreased gradually after having a serious fever four years ago. She said she felt pains in her left ear, but she never saw a doctor these years.



Chinese doctor Wang Wei examined her ears carefully, and then he gave a prescription and some suggestions to his patient for protecting ears.



"The Chinese doctor is very kind. I want to be a doctor in the future," said Evodia.



The Director of Atauro Vila Hospital Lucas Morais said that his hospital was the only medical utility in the island with eight doctors, eight midwives and four nurses, working for 12,000 residents.



Morais hoped that the medical team could stay there for more days.



Not only the residents need medical services, but also his colleagues wanted to learn more medical skills from Chinese doctors, Morais added.



Ark Peace dispatched four teams to different places, especially remote areas, and provided free medical services to local people.



Chinese medical experts also carried out joint rescue exercises with officers and soldiers of Timor-Leste army, first of its kind between the two countries.



Rajesh Pandav, WHO's representative to the country, praised that Ark Peace showed China's responsibility and good image in the world.



Ark Peace set sail from Zhoushan, China on July 26 for humanitarian medical services. It arrived in Timor-Leste, the last leg of its mission on Dec. 14 after visiting seven African countries, including Djibouti, Sierra Leone, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania.



Since 2008, Ark Peace has visited over 30 countries and provided free medical services for over 170,000 people.






Li Aijie and her son Li Mutian arrived at Midland Texas





ChinaAid

(Midland, TexasDec. 23, 2017) The wife of an imprisoned writer and human rights defender has escaped China and has safely landed in the United States after a rescue operation.

Li Aijie, the wife of imprisoned netizen writer and human rights activist Zhang Haitao, successfully fled China with her son after threats against them became too great to withstand.

Li Aijie and her son Li Mutian

Lis husband Zhang Haitao was arrested in 2014, and on January 15, 2016, he was convicted of inciting subversion of state power and prying into and illegally supplying intelligence abroad and sentenced to 19 years in prison by the Urumqi Intermediate Court. The conviction documents cited 69 China social media WeChat posts and 205 Twitter posts, including retweets of others tweet, as evidence of inciting subversion of state power.

Li, a stalwart advocate for her husband, not only received constant threat by various China security agents but also was beaten by her own relatives for refusing to divorce him. Government agents threatened to compromise Lis brothers job and interrogated her 80 year-old mother to pressure them into convincing Li to divorce Zhang.

Because of her husbands case and her own uncompromising advocacy effort, she has been facing enormous threat against her. She had to escape covertly, with the help of ChinaAid and other friends.

Bob Fu, president and founder of ChinaAid, said that he is grateful for the active support of the Trump administration and the U.S. officials in various departments, embassies, and consulates for their speedy assistance to Ms. Li and her son, especially those in Thailand, China and Hong Kong. Former Hong Kong Democrat Party leader and legislator attorney Albert Ho was a key member of the rescue strategy as well.

ChinaAid facilitated rescue operations and reports on cases like Zhang Haitaos in order to expose human rights abuses by the Chinese government and promote religious freedom and rule of law.

ChinaAid Media Team

Cell: +1 (432) 553-1080 | Office: +1 (432) 689-6985 | Other: +1 (888) 889-7757

Email: [email protected]

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Gambia was called to firmly adhere to the one-China policy, while China seeks to advance the nations' bilateral relations under the principles of mutual respect and equal treatment, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday.

Li made the remark while meeting with Gambian President Adama Barrow, whose first state visit to China will conclude on Monday.

Normalization of ties has opened a new chapter in relations between China and Gambia, Li said. President Xi Jinping held productive talks with the Gambian president on Thursday, injecting new energy into their ties, Li said.
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.
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You can't exactly say that bitcoin was burning a hole in anyone's pocket, but the virtual currency burned a hole in quite a few hearts Friday when it plunged 30 percent in less than 24 hours after defying gravity for the past few months.

Many skeptics of the virtual currency, which operates with no government or company in charge, have predicted that it was in bubble territory and due for a collapse.

Still, the drop to around $12,000 a bitcoin from around $17,500 was enough to set off a panic among buyers, even while stock market investors remained calm and much of the world, unaware that bitcoin exists, was oblivious to the uproar. It later made up much of that ground, and slumped 9.5 percent to $14,042 Friday, according to the tracking site CoinDesk.

On Reddit, the online forum visited by many bitcoin followers, people posted phone numbers for suicide hotlines for bereft investors. A popular service that sells bitcoin to many individual investors went down, overwhelmed by orders.

"If someone is depressed by the sudden drop in price, remember that many of us are going through the same thing," read one post on Reddit, which got more than 400 responses. "Please don't think nothing crazy. You can use my thread to vent."

Bitcoins can be used to pay for things online, but they have mostly been treated as an investment because there is a cap of 21 million on the number of bitcoin that will ever be released. The records of all bitcoins are maintained by a network of computers around the world.

For a time, bitcoin was known as the currency of drug dealers and other bad actors skulking on the internet. In recent months, hedge funds and ordinary investors around the world have piled into bitcoin, lured by the promise of a borderless digital investment with no one in charge. That has pushed the price of bitcoin up from $1,000 at the beginning of the year to more than $19,000 this week, with its run-up raising comparisons to the Dutch tulip mania of the 1600s and the late 1990s dot-com boom.

Yet when the virtual currency, which is highly volatile, experienced its fall late Thursday and early Friday, many of its new fans were unprepared. The downturn hit not just bitcoin, but almost every other virtual currency that has soared over the last year.

Vadim Semenov, 24, a programmer in New York, had maxed out the credit lines on two credit cards to buy $35,000 of bitcoin on Monday, when the currency's price was briefly above $19,000. Bitcoin's dive left him feeling unmoored Friday morning.

"I panicked a lot, and was checking everything to find news about why it is dropping," he said.

By late Friday morning, he had decided to sit tight. And by Friday afternoon, the virtual currency markets had regained some of their composure, leaving the price of bitcoin down from earlier in the week - but still 1,200 percent higher than where it began the year.

For people who have been loudly saying that bitcoin is a bubble or even a fraud of some sort, Friday's jolt was a vindication.

William Galvin, the Massachusetts state securities regulator who has cautioned investors about bitcoin in the past, put out another warning Friday.

"Bitcoin is just the latest in a history of speculative bubbles that most often burst, leaving the average investors with a worthless product," he said.

The Securities and Exchange Commission put out a statement last week warning investors to be careful with digital currencies.
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FRANKFURT, Germany - Can performing Beethoven symphonies together help employees team up on projects at work, too? Some companies - above all in Germany and Asia - seem to think so.

A conspicuous number of big German corporate names - along with a handful in Japan and South Korea - have their own company-linked symphony orchestra. That means 60 or so accountants, engineers, sales reps and computer specialists who bring violins, cellos, oboes and trombones gather in their spare time to rehearse and perform complex pieces of classical music.

The orchestras serve as public relations tools, playing charity concerts and livening up corporate events.

But there's more to it than that.

It's hard to quantify, but the engineer and accountant musicians - and some business experts - argue that a symphony orchestra is an excellent model for the creative teamwork companies need to compete.

"There's no activity in the world where you have to react so quickly to each other and work together so well as in an orchestra," says Johanna Weitkamp, conductor of the symphony orchestra at the enterprise software company SAP.

"Down to the hundredth of a second, you have to listen to the other person, respond to the other person, pass the ball to each other - it's a prime example of good cooperation among people."

Other companies with employee orchestras include engineering firm Siemens, maker of trains and medical scanners; carmakers Daimler, BMW and Ford; auto components and electronics maker Robert Bosch; airline Lufthansa and chemical giant BASF.

At a recent rehearsal, Weitkamp and the SAP musicians filled the cavernous 2,300-seat Rosengarten auditorium in the southwestern German town of Mannheim with rich, warm string sound, practicing first a bouncy pop mix of Mozart's Prague Symphony and Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus." Then the brass blared out the stirring opening notes of John Williams' theme music for the Olympics, as the orchestra prepared to play at a graduation ceremony for the local college.

Most of the orchestras seemed to have started from the bottom up, from employee initiatives. The SAP orchestra started after Weitkamp joined the company in 1997 and noticed that there were a lot of skilled amateur musicians among her colleagues.

"I asked, who wants to join in?" she said.

Weitkamp herself is no mere amateur; she studied conducting at the University of Music and Theater in Leipzig in her native East Germany. Her teachers included the renowned conductor Kurt Masur, a future music director of the New York Philharmonic. But after the Berlin Wall fell, she got another degree, this time in information technology, and moved into the computer field.

She said it's no surprise that people with math or technology backgrounds are often musical: "You need a high degree of abstract thinking to understand how music functions, and I think there's a connection that exactly in this field you find so many people who can play violin, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, flute or horn."

Anna Medina, who manages translation projects at SAP and plays in the violin section, said music "gives you skills that you can then apply to basically any job."

"It gives you a sense of effort, that you have to practice to get things right. It also teaches you that you cannot wait until the last minute. You need to work on it all the time if you want to be successful," she said before heading out onstage to rehearse.

Management expert Christian Scholz at Saarland University in Saarbruecken says an orchestra embodies the complex blend of skills needed for business teams to perform at a high level.

"It's team building, but it's team building in a highly structured way, like business runs. You have the activity of people who are specialized in certain instruments, who have specialized in certain roles, where you even have some competition between them," he said. "You have democracy, you have hierarchy, you have all these elements of regular business in this task of doing a symphony orchestra."

In the SAP orchestra, amateur musicians among SAP's employees mix with professional musicians, giving them a chance to learn from more skilled partners, and giving the orchestra's sound a glossy finish. All concert proceeds go to charity.

Different companies have different approaches to supporting employee orchestras, ranging from SAP and Daimler, which provide company funding, to BASF, where the employee orchestra, the Collegium Musicum Ludwigshafen, is financially independent and supported by musician dues. While the SAP orchestra is semiprofessional, others - like those at Bosch and Lufthansa - are strictly amateur.

Luka Mucic, SAP's chief financial officer and the orchestra's official patron in top management, said in a statement that "music, and the complex work of an orchestra, is a great way to amplify our company's values such as teamwork, discipline and diversity."

There is one reason behind this burgeoning corporate orchestral scene that should not be forgotten: Classical music is a part of Germany's national culture and a lot of people learn instruments as children.

The same appears true in Asia, where Western classical music has caught on in a big way in recent decades. Company orchestras also can be found in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, according to Alex Van Bevereren, the Brussels-based chair of the World Federation of Amateur Orchestras.

In Asia, the science and technology theme pops up again: Companies with orchestras in South Korea include electronics and chemicals conglomerate LG and automaker Hyundai Motor Group, and Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba in Japan.

At Bosch, Georg Blume, a 37-year company veteran, considered a career as a cellist but is glad he chose engineering instead.

That way, music remains a hobby and "a wonderful respite" from his professional duties as head of product management for automated driving.

The orchestra, he said, is "a platform for informal exchange among employees, which in an organization as large as Bosch is very important, because the organization doesn't just function according to reporting lines - but through colleagues getting to know one another."
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CHESHIRE, Conn. - The fast-growing online platform was built with help from Facebook engineers and designed to help students learn at their own speed. But it's been dropped because parents in this Connecticut suburb revolted, saying there was no need to change what's worked in a town with a prized reputation for good schools.

The Summit Learning program, developed by a California charter school network, has signed up over 300 schools to use its blend of technology with go-at-your-own-pace personalized learning.

Cheshire school administrators and some parents praised the program, but it faced criticism from others who said their children were spending too much time online, some content was inappropriate, and students were not getting enough direct guidance. Superintendent Jeffrey Solan said last week he accepted that the change was too much, too soon for some.

"Some people were more comfortable with a model where a teacher stands in front of a class and lectures for 40 minutes. We haven't been comfortable with that model for a long time," he said in an interview. "That's an old factory model that doesn't fit in to contemporary learning."

The reversal was vindication for parents who started a petition drive against the program and blasted it at public meetings.

"What was broken in the Cheshire school system, a highly successful system, that they needed to experiment with our children?" parent Heidi Wildstein said in an interview.

Many schools around the country have stories of successful technology initiatives, and one lesson from other districts is the importance of getting parents as excited as teachers, according to Lindsey Tepe, a policy analyst at the nonpartisan New America think tank in Washington, D.C.

"This huge shift we're seeing in classrooms around the country increasing the use of new technologies is going to be bumpy in places that aren't laying a groundwork," Tepe said.

Cheshire's platform was created by Summit Public Schools, which runs charter schools in California and Washington state. The organization is a proponent of personalized learning, a concept centered on the interests and needs of each individual child as opposed to universal standards.

With funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the platform was made available for free to schools across the U.S. beginning in the 2015-2016 school year. Ninety-three percent of schools using it last year stuck with it this year, according to Summit Learning spokeswoman Catherine Madden.

"Summit Learning is designed to equip students with the skills, knowledge, habits and a sense of purpose that set them up for success in college and beyond," Madden said.

The program emphasizes self-directed learning, with students reviewing a range of materials online, project-based learning and mentoring with teachers who help students work toward personal goals. Students can take and retake tests when they feel prepared to do so.

In Cheshire, the program appealed as a way to build on the district's goal of promoting complex thinking, Solan said. Educators saw it in use on a visit to schools in Framingham, Mass.,, and liked what they saw. Summit flew the Cheshire administrative team to Oakland, Calif., for training and provided the district with 130 Chromebook computers. In the district of some 4,000 students, the program was introduced at the start of this year for about 540 students in fifth, sixth and seventh grades.

Solan said the district made every effort to help parents understand the program, but he complained the effort was also up against misinformation shared on social media. There were rumors about a plot to eliminate teachers, he said, and some believed the program had students online all day even though 70 percent of the platform involved opportunities to apply learning through debates, projects or experiments.

Theresa Commune said her 11-year-old son just wanted more attention from teachers than he was getting.

"They need teachers to get them to love learning at this stage," she said.

As the outcry grew, the district pledged a community survey on the platform. Then, over the weekend, parents began pointing out a part of the seventh-grade curriculum that the district deemed inappropriate: a web page on ancient Rome that made reference to sex with animals. (When asked about that material, a Summit spokeswoman said it is constantly working to improve the platform and content.)

Solan said officials didn't intend to suspend the program until that discovery.

"It wasn't simply that," Solan said. "It was the whole totality of the experience and what it was doing for our school community. We needed to take a step back."
The FADER, an online music news publication, has named "The Race," a song released by San Antonio murder suspect Tay-K, its top Song of the Year following his arrest on murder charges out of Bexar and Tarrant counties.

Tay-K recorded "The Race," in which he raps about life on the lam, while he was a fugitive wanted on the two murder charges and a charge of aggravated robbery. The song has been viewed more than 100 million times since it was posted to YouTube in June and has generated "enduring" and "unanswerable" questions about ethical consumption of art, according to The FADER.

"This year, The FADER chose not to cover certain artists out of a concern that generating clicks on their behalf would equal complicity for their crimes. When we look back at 2017, and how it has reshaped the way we all engage with the producers of culture, it's songs like 'The Race,' and stories as complex as Tay-K's, that will stand out the most," reads The FADER's explanation for their decision.

RELATED: 6-year-old boy killed after deputies opened fire in Schertz identified

Tay-K, whose given name is Taymor Travon McIntyre, is currently being held in the Tarrant County Jail on charges of capital murder and aggravated robbery. But in October, mySA confirmed that McIntyre has also been named a suspect in the murder of 23-year-old Mark Anthony Saldivar in San Antonio.

According to police, Saldivar got into an argument with 17-year-old McIntyre and three other suspects on April 23 inside of a black SUV on an access road to Loop 410. At some point, someone in the car allegedly pointed a gun at Saldivar, prompting him to flee from the car and yell for help.

The driver of the SUV tried to run him over, but Saldivar held onto the hood of the SUV until it came to a stop at a nearby Chik-fil-a, at which point he jumped onto the car and started stomping in the windshield, officials said. A passenger got out of the car, fatally shot Saldivar and then McIntyre and the three other suspects fled in the SUV, leaving Saldivar's body in the parking lot, authorities said.

McIntyre allegedly participated in Saldivar's killing while on the lam. He had previously been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Ethan Matthew Walker in Mansfield, Texas, during a botched armed robbery on July 27, 2016.

Authorities said McIntyre slipped off his ankle bracelet on March 27, 2017, and fled to San Antonio, where he killed Saldivar and then fled to New Jersey. During this period, McIntyre recorded and released several songs, one of which was "The Race. In the music video for the song, McIntyre poses next to his own wanted poster.

RELATED: Tay-K 47, who rapped about life on the lam, charged in fatal shooting at San Antonio Chick-fil-A

"The video for his breakout song 'The Race,' all 104 seconds of it, was recorded while he was literally on the lam, a type beat-selecting outlaw," writes The FADER's Rawiya Kameir. "The song's energy reflects that: "F--k a beat, I was tryna beat a case / But I ain't beat that case / B---h, I did the race," he raps, his voice barely pubescent. He sounds like he's outrunning the law, and outrunning the track. The effect is that he lands slightly ahead of the beat, crunchy drums underscoring his one-liners."

Kameir points out that McIntyre's real-life fugitive status helped garner attention for his work, but questions whether such buzz is morally justifiable.

"Should that real-life story make the song more compelling or less so?" she asks. "Can a piece of art be invalidated by the circumstances under which it was created? For some publications and listeners, the answer is yes; for others, quite the opposite."

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns
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A 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 bureau's deputy director who has said she is the rightful acting head - said Trump's tweet showed he was trying to exercise improper influence over the independent consumer watchdog.

"I think that shows you this isn't just some hypothetical concern," the attorney, Deepak Gupta, told Judge Timothy Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

In the tweet, Trump appeared to deny a Reuters report that Mulvaney was reviewing whether Wells Fargo should pay tens of millions of dollars in penalties for charging fees to certain homebuyers to secure low mortgage rates.

English is seeking a preliminary injunction to remove Mulvaney and install her as acting director. Last month, Kelly denied a request by English for a temporary restraining order to do just that.

The restraining order decision could not be appealed, so Gupta filed for the injunction, which could be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit if not granted.

On Friday, Kelly listened to arguments from Gupta and Chad. Readler, an acting assistant attorney general who represented Trump and Mulvaney. Kelly did not indicate when he would rule.

Trump's choice last month of Mulvaney, the White House budget director and an outspoken opponent of the bureau in the past, drew protests from Democrats and consumer advocates.

The dispute began Nov. 24 when Richard Cordray, a Democrat, stepped down as bureau director. He promoted English, his chief of staff, to deputy director and said she would be the acting director under a provision of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that created the bureau.

Within hours of Cordray's announcement, Trump appointed Mulvaney to fill the post under the Federal Vacancies Act of 1998. The administration said that law allowed Trump to appoint an official who already had been confirmed by the Senate in another capacity to also serve as the bureau's acting director.

Mulvaney, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, has moved quickly to put his stamp on the bureau, which writes rules and enforces consumer protections against banks and other financial institutions.

To make his case that Trump might try to use his influence on the bureau, Gupta cited a Dec. 8 tweet about Wells Fargo in which Trump wrote:

"Fines and penalties against Wells Fargo Bank for their bad acts against their customers and others will not be dropped, as has incorrectly been reported, but will be pursued and, if anything, substantially increased. I will cut Regs but make penalties severe when caught cheating!"
Credit reporting firms go to great lengths to convince the public that the data they collect won't fall into the wrong hands. But what happens when they sell that data to a third party? Can the buyer make the same guarantees?

That's a question the consumer data industry is now grappling with after a discovery that Irvine, Calif., marketing and analytics company Alteryx accidentally made public a file that contained the personal information of 123 million American households. (The U.S. has 126 million households in all, according to the Census Bureau.)

The database contained information across 248 categories, including addresses, phone numbers, mortgage ownership, age, ethnicity and personal interests such as whether a person is a dog or cat enthusiast. The data did not include people's names, Social Security numbers, credit card information or passwords.

The data sets originally belonged to credit reporting firm Experian and the U.S. Census Bureau. Chris Vickery, the director of cyber risk research at cybersecurity start-up UpGuard, discovered the data Oct. 6 on Amazon Web Services, or AWS.

"When we discovered this issue, we removed the file from AWS and also added a layer of additional security to the AWS bucket where the file was stored," Alteryx CEO Dean Stoecker said in a statement. "We will maintain a similar level of enhanced security for any dataset that we offer to our customers going forward."

There's no sign that the Alteryx data fell into the wrong hands, but this kind of vulnerability remains a problem for the IT industry, according to Dan O'Sullivan, an analyst with UpGuard. It poses a particular problem to data collection agencies that, despite efforts to secure consumer data on their own servers, have little to no control over how their partners handle the information.

"Most enterprises lack the ability to even assess the security postures of external vendors," O'Sullivan said in a blog post.

One of the ways Experian and other consumer credit reporting firms make money is by selling user data to third parties for marketing purposes, which is how Alteryx got the data to begin with. (The Census Bureau data included in Alteryx's files already were publicly available.)

As massive amounts of consumer data increasingly gets passed around, not all agencies and companies are exercising the same level of caution, according to Sullivan. The U.S. Census Bureau rates 872 on the CSTAR cyber risk score (out of a maximum of 950), and Experian rates 728. Alteryx, meanwhile, scored 692.

This shows that a "weaker link can be fatal throughout the chain," O'Sullivan said.

Millions of Americans had their personal information exposed this year through data breaches, the most high profile of which was Equifax, the credit reporting firm that was hacked sometime from mid-May through July. Equifax announced the breach in September and said hackers had accessed the Social Security numbers and birthdates of up to 143 million Americans.

Alteryx's exposed data was marketing information rather than credit information, which is an important distinction to make, according to consumer data experts, because marketing information tends to be commercially available and doesn't include personally identifiable information.

That said, "it's possible that data thieves could cross-reference stolen information with other available public information," security company Norton said in a blog post.
Oak Ridge North Police Chief Andrew Walters said the department has had quite a busy month fighting crime around the city.

From chasing bad guys down Interstate 45 to helping fellow Houston officers arrest looters downtown, Walters updated the Oak Ridge North City Council on what the department has been doing recently.

Walters made the presentation at the special-called meeting Monday, Dec. 18, where he described a number of incidents in which the police department either gave chase to suspects or assisted neighboring cities with their cases.

During the week of Dec. 12, Oak Ridge North police officers stopped two men and when one of them ran off on foot, officers followed, Walters said.

"Turns out he had some warrants out for his arrest," Walters said. "So he hid out in the middle section for a bit. While he was there, he called his mother. Don't they all?"

According to Walters, the man's mother called an Uber for him and the man was picked up by an unsuspecting driver.

"So she didn't know who she had in the car, we didn't know who was driving the car," he said. "So we just stopped right there. And that's when we found out she was a poor little innocent Uber driver. By the way, the guy still owes her one dollar."

Police officers also assisted the Houston Police Department in the search for a woman who had allegedly burglarized a store down town during the Hurricane Harvey flooding, Walters said.

The gesture was seen as a 'thank you' by the Houston Police Department, who had sent about 15 officers to Oak Ridge North during the Hurricane Harvey flooding, Walters said, adding that he thought it was a great way to mix "big city cops and the small city cops."

In total, officers with the department arrested 38 people, seven of which were for suspicion of felony drug possession, Walters said.

Meanwhile, he added, the city itself has seen only one residential burglary and four burglaries of businesses.

"Compared to the areas around us, I think that is outstanding," Walters told the council. "It speaks to the dedication the officers have."

Walters said the department recently took possession of their leased radios recently approved by City Council and a new police vehicle.

IN OTHER ACTION

The City Council unanimously approved a resolution to submit an application to the Texas General Land Office (GLO) for the Texas Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery for disaster recovery efforts related to the 2016 Tax Day Floods.

The city was allocated $840,000. City officials will use the money to enhance the Spring Pines Detention System, which officials said failed during the flooding, according to the resolution approved by the City Council.

The City Council also unanimously approved ratifying the salary of a new director of finance at $84,000 and creating a new accounting assistant position at a salary of more than $48,000. The accounting assistant will be transferred to the new position from utility billing clerk.

Eva Clawson will be joining the city as the finance director beginning Dec. 29 after Brian Pate, whose salary was $74,516, tendered his resignation due to an opportunity elsewhere, said City Manager Vicky Rudy. Pate will stay on with the city until mid-January to help with training.

The city's policy manual was updated to expand its prohibition of tobacco use by employees on city-owned or leased property. In a unanimous vote, the city expanded the manual to include all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in City Hall or other city buildings.

Council officials also discussed the upcoming election in May. Mayor Jim Kuykendall and council members Alex Jones and Paul Bond are up for re-election. Jones and Bond serve in council positions 3 and 1, respectively.

The next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 8, 2018.
Judy Memmel wasn't thinking about her five grandchildren or her own life when she shoved an armed robber out of the Houston Jewelry store earlier this week.

She was too consumed with rage.

Houston police are still searching for two men who tried to attack Judy and two coworkers Tuesday morning at the west Houston jewelry stop off of Westheimer in the Galleria. Memmel said they were both wearing suits but wore beanies and sunglasses to conceal their identities.

She and her boss, Rex Solomon, believe the men meant to take the three workers hostage and use the suits to masquerade as employees if anyone passed by the store during the robbery.

But that was before they encountered Memmel, who is more known for her love of ballroom dancing than fighting off armed robbers.

Memmel said she, colleague Kathye Parker and a male coworker were going through their typical morning opening routine before they saw the men. One person turned off the silent alarm, another slipped inside and the third locked the door behind them all. On Tuesday at about 8:45 a.m., it was Memmel's turn to be last.

Before she could reach down to lock the door, a man darted towards the entrance. He pried the door open and tried to make his way inside.

"I said we're closed, but he tried to get in," Memmel said. "I gave him a hand shove with two hands and said 'No, you're not coming in.' Then I saw the gun and his holster."

The man pried the gun from his waist and fired three shots into the store, shattering a display case. Although the weapon looked like a handgun, police said the man fired pellets rather than bullets.

Another robber driving the armed man got out of car, saw the shove, but quickly ran back to the driver side. As the two sped off, Memmel turned around, picked up her bags from the door, shrugged at her colleagues and walked out of view of one of the shop's security cameras.

When store owner Solomon saw the survellaince video, he was stunned.

"She pushes him on the shoulders like a linebacker would do and pushes him out," he said, describing the video. "I mean, she's grandma and a ballroom dancer, but she doesn't take s--t. She doesn't do what she's told no matter what, and she's one of our best sales people."

Memmel said no clear thoughts popped through her head when she attacked the robber, just pure rage. Her two daughters, on the other hand, had plenty to say.

"My daughter said 'you're nuts,'" Memmel said. "I sent some of the police officers the video, they said 'Wow, you know that's not something you're supposed to do.' I said yeah, I guess."

Memmel said she would do it again, but stressed that every situation is different. She recalled a time more than 20 years ago when armed robbers took her and 9 customers hostage at another jewelry store. That time she complied with their demands to stick her hands up in the air.

She didn't do the same a few years ago when she found two men in her Sharpstown living room carrying away her silver, fur coats and jewelry inside her brand new bed sheets.

Memmel yelled at the masked men for taking her stuff, which they dropped. When one grabbed her purse, causing the chain to break, she chased after them and whacked one of them on the head twice with the piece of metal.

"With that they grabbed my car keys, so I ran after them and said 'give me my keys.' He said he didn't want me to follow them, and I said I wouldn't, so they threw them in a bush," Houston's most badass grandmother said. "Two cops told me I was nuts, but they didn't get my stuff."
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A woman who had recently miscarried has been accused of killing an acquaintance so she could abduct the dead woman's newborn and claim the baby as her own, according to Houston police, who arrested her Thursday.

Erika Jisela Miranda-Alvarez has been charged with capital murder in the stabbing death of Carolina Flores, 33, who police found dead Tuesday in a Greenspoint area apartment. Flores' baby, 6-week-old Shamali, was missing at that time.

Miranda-Alvarez, 28, was arrested about 1 a.m. Thursday at the Woodscape Apartments on South Gessner. Police were in the complex and spotted a suspicious man and woman holding a baby, Police Chief Art Acevedo said. Using pictures, they were quickly able to determine the baby was Shamali Flores.

The infant was taken to Texas Children's Hospital for an examination. At a press conference at HPD headquarters, Acevedo said the baby is healthy and shows no signs of abuse.

"It was a joyous moment for all of us when we saw that little angel sitting there in that apartment," Acevedo said. "When you can find a silver lining in a tragedy as horrible as this, you have to take what you can get."

Miranda-Alvarez had been expecting a baby in January but recently had a miscarriage, Acevedo said. She didn't tell her family or boyfriend about the miscarriage, then pretended to have been at the hospital giving birth, and had told them Shamali Flores was her own baby.

"She was pretending her baby had been ill at the hospital," Acevedo said. "Lo and behold, she shows up Dec. 19 claiming the baby was hers."

Police have questioned the boyfriend, but he has not been charged.

The Texas Department of Public Safety discontinued an Amber Alert for Shamali Flores at 6:15 a.m. after learning that Houston police had located her at the apartment complex.

Acevedo declined to comment on Miranda-Alvarez' mental state but said she cooperated with police when they approached her.

Police said Miranda-Alvarez was an acquaintance of Carolina Flores' family and had gotten to know the victim through Flores' brother.

"She did not break in" to Flores' apartment, Acevedo said.

"The real work now continues for our investigators," he said. "They need to piece together every single piece of this complex puzzle to not only have a charge, but a conviction."

Acevedo stressed the importance of community policing in finding Shamali. Early interviews with people in the apartment complex turned out to be valuable, he said. Investigators were able to put together a theory about the suspect - that it was a woman who recently had lost her own child - quickly.

Houston police cooperated with the FBI to investigate the case, and Acevedo said law enforcement had a heavy presence at the South Gessner apartment complex before Miranda-Alvarez was arrested - including patrol officers, a SWAT team, and FBI agents: "You name a unit; they were there."

Acevedo wouldn't comment on how investigators knew they'd find the suspect at the Gessner apartment complex.

On Wednesday, police investigators had said that a woman who recently lost a child could have been responsible for the slaying.

"Everything our investigators theorized turned out to be true," Acevedo said Thursday. "But a lot of that relied on community policing, community trust."
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The suspected car thief killed by Bexar County deputies Thursday in the same shooting that ended the life of a 6-year-old boy was holding a dark metal tube deputies believed was a handgun, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said Friday.

Offering new details about why the deputies opened fire on the unarmed woman, Salazar said she was wielding an 8-inch long tube that looked like a weapon.

The shooting took place in a mobile home park in Schertz.

The suspect, Amanda Lenee Jones, 30, had reportedly entered the mobile home she was shot in front of and threatened the occupants, Salazar said. She was on the home's front porch when four deputies opened fire.

Jones was killed and a stray bullet struck Kameron Prescott, 6, inside the trailer park. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

RELATED: 6-year-old boy killed after deputies opened fire in Schertz identified

Deputies did not find a gun near Jones, though Salazar said they believe she had a gun with her earlier as she was being pursued by authorities. They continue to search the area for the firearm.

The sheriff's office confirmed Jones' identity about 6:30 p.m. Friday but has not definitely said the child was struck by a deputy's bullet.

The deputies involved in the shooting were also identified as John Aguillon with 27 years of service, George Herrera with 16 years of service, Jesse Arias with 7 years of service and reserve deputy Johnny Longoria with two years of service.

Salazar said he's reviewed statements given by the deputies, and their version of events is corroborated by a body camera worn by one of them.

"The deputies all reported in their statements that she was holding an object in her hand," Salazar said.

He said the deputies didn't know anyone was inside the mobile home before they opened fire.

Video footage shows them entering the mobile home to look for any other suspects. They administered CPR to Kameron. He later died at University Hospital.

"They were pretty upset," Salazar said of the deputies. "Understandably so."

All four deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave.

jtedesco@express-news.net
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A passenger on a flight from Houston to Washington D.C. has accused United Airlines of giving her first-class seat to U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. D-Houston, and then threatening to remove her from the plane for complaining and snapping a photo of the Houston congresswoman.

"It was just so completely humiliating," said Jean-Marie Simon, a 63-year-old attorney and private school teacher who used 140,000 miles on Dec. 3 to purchase the first-class tickets to take her from Washington D.C. to Guatemala and back home.

Now Playing: To a Congresswoman Video: Fortune

When it came time to board the last leg of her flight home from George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Dec. 18, after a roughly hour-long weather delay, Simon said the gate attendant scanned her paper ticket and told her it was not in the system.

Did you cancel your flight?, the attendant asked.

"No," she said she replied. "I just want to go home."

Her seat, 1A, was taken, she was told. Simon was given a $500 voucher and reseated in row 11, Economy Plus.

Simon later learned that Jackson Lee was in her pre-purchased seat and has alleged that the congresswoman received preferential treatment, which United denies.

"After thoroughly examining our electronic records, we found that upon receiving a notification that Flight 788 was delayed due to weather, the customer appears to have canceled her flight from Houston to Washington, D.C. within the United mobile app," United said in a statement. "As part of the normal pre-boarding process, gate agents began clearing standby and upgrade customers, including the first customer on the waitlist for an upgrade."

Simon denies that she cancelled her ticket. She sent a reporter a screenshot of the United website showing only one "inactive" reservation  a flight to Houston in August to visit her daughter that she had to cancel because of Hurricane Harvey.

A United official said screenshot doesn't show the December flight as cancelled because she ultimately took the flight.

The official provided another screenshot of United's internal software system and said that it showed the flight had been cancelled on a mobile app, though a reporter was unable to independently verify that on Saturday because of the system's coding.

Jackson Lee issued a statement on Saturday afternoon saying: "I asked for nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary and received nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary."

Simon said she saw Jackson Lee board the plane with a flight attendant before all of the other passengers, but did not know who she was until another passenger told her after they were seated.

A mechanical problem with the plane delayed take-off and after about 50 minutes, she said, passengers were invited to consult with a gate agent about alternative flights.

Simon said she went to the front and snapped a photo of Jackson Lee and told a flight attendant that she knew why she'd been bumped.

In her statement, Jackson Lee said she overheard Simon speaking with an African-American flight attendant and saw her snap the photo.

"Since this was not any fault of mine, the way the individual continued to act appeared to be, upon reflection, because I was an African American woman, seemingly an easy target along with the African American flight attendant who was very, very nice," Jackson Lee said in the statement. "This saddens me, especially at this time of year given all of the things we have to work on to help people. But in the spirit of this season and out of the sincerity of my heart, if it is perceived that I had anything to do with this, I am kind enough to simply say sorry."

Simon said Jackson Lee's statement accused her of racism, adding: "I had no idea who was in my seat when I complained at the gate that my seat had been given to someone else," she said. "There is no way you can see who is in a seat from inside the terminal."

About five minutes after Simon took the photo on the plane, Simon said, another flight attendant sat next her and asked if she "was going to be a problem."

Simon said she replied that she just wanted to go home.

She said the plane took off at 12:50 p.m. and she arrived home that night, still upset. Simon wrote a letter to airline's CEO and posted it on Facebook and Twitter. A "resolution manager" called her Saturday morning and apologized at least a half-dozen times, she said.

She said she wants a formal, written apology from United.

"It's just impossible to suspend disbelief and swallow that story that I cancelled my flight," Simon said.

United has suffered a string of customer relations gaffes this year.

In June, a woman said she was forced to give up her 2-year-old's $969 seat on a flight from Houston to Boston and hold him for roughly three hours because the airline sold the seat.

In April, Dr. David Dao was forcibly removed from a United Express flight in Chicago to make space for crew members headed to Louisville, Ky.

The airline announced policy changes after that incident and its CEO, Oscar Munoz, has promised a "culture shift toward becoming a better, more customer-focused airline."
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AKRON, Ohio - Detectives are trying to identify a robber who threatened to shoot a pizza delivery driver Thursday in the East Akron neighborhood.

The robber kept his hands in his pockets, as if he had a gun, during the incident that took place just after 8 p.m. on Tarson Terrace near Ericsson Avenue, according to a police report.

The Chip's Pizza delivery driver did not see the robber holding a weapon, but the robber threatened to shoot him, the report says.

The driver was delivering food to an apartment when the robber approached him. The robber forced the driver to hand over three pizzas, four dozen chicken wings, and two bottles of soda, the report says.

The robber ran away with the food before the driver called 911.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Akron Police Department's detective bureau at 330-375-2490.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Friday's crime and courts comments section.
AVON LAKE, Ohio - A group of about 25 Avon Lake residents listened to a public presentation on December 6 about an offshore wind power project, scheduled to be installed in Lake Erie, north of Avon Lake and Cleveland.

The company that developed the project is Lake Erie Energy Development Corp (LEEDCo). Their representative, David Karpinski, presented the Cleveland company's plan, sometimes to loud objections from the audience, at the Lake House in Avon Lake.

LEEDCo's demo project is called "Icebreaker" and will consist of six wind turbines seven miles off the North Coast. Karpinski said the plan is projected to create more than 500 jobs and lead to an industry that employs 8,000 people by the year 2030.

The power from the turbines will run in a trench directly from the project to Cleveland Public Power in Cleveland.

Some in the audience were very concerned about the project's impact on wildlife. Liz McQuaid attended and stated firmly she is against the project. "More research is needed," she said. "They have only done one study and it wasn't even done recently. There other studies that show there is a real danger to birds." McQuaid cited snowy owls and black swamp birds as examples of species that would be in danger because they would be in "a major migratory pathway."

Karpinski said both the U.S. Department of Energy and the Army Corps of Engineers have indicated they believe the impact on wildlife would not be significant. He added they have also had positive conversations with the Coast Guard that maintains the shipping channels, which also brought disagreement from the audience.

The project funding has included sources such as the Cleveland Foundation as well as $50 million in 2012 from the Federal government. The project will be only the second one of its kind in the U.S. and the first one taking place in fresh water.

Most of the many permits required, Karpinski said, should be finalized by February 2018.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- A pair of suburban office buildings changed hands this week, adding a $24 million transaction to 2017's notable stack of investment sales.

A locally-led investor group bought Corporate Plaza I and II in Independence on Monday, property records show. Located on Rockside Woods Boulevard South, east of Interstate 77 and south of Rockside Road, the three-story buildings collectively span just over 226,000 square feet.

The new landlord is a group led by real estate broker Joseph Greenberg, according to state corporation filings. Greenberg couldn't be reached for comment Friday. But the online landing page for the properties already links to Lee & Associates of Pepper Pike, a real estate office led by Greenberg and fellow industry veterans Bradley Coven and Jeremy Steiger.

The seller was an affiliate of Five Mile Capital Partners, an investment firm based in Stamford, Connecticut. Early this year, Five Mile sold three other office buildings in Independence - the Park Tree Plaza properties on Oak Tree Boulevard - to another Greenberg-led company, for $49.95 million.

The sales of Corporate Plaza I and II appear to reunite a five-building portfolio that once belonged to Duke Realty Corp., a publicly traded real estate company based in Indianapolis. Five Mile purchased all five buildings from Duke in late 2013, at a combined price of $62.4 million.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The deadly Amtrak train derailment in Seattle has renewed calls by President Donald Trump for action on needed legislation to rebuild and modernize the nation's infrastructure.

The Amtrak train was found to be speeding at 80 mph on a 30 mph curve when it derailed off an overpass onto a roadway, killing three passengers and injuring dozens more. The train carried 85 passengers and crew.

It was the inaugural run for the train on a converted freight rail line, owned by Sound Transit, that had yet to be fully refurbished with an operational automatic braking system called Positive Train Control (PTC). The system had been installed, but had not yet been linked to the network and tested.

Congress had first mandated PTC be installed on the nation's railways by 2015, after a 2008 collision of a commuter train and freight train killed 25. They extended the deadline to 2018 when the train industry argued it needed more time to meet the deadline due to the cost and complexity of installing the safety system. While Congress had mandated the system, they didn't provide full funding for its installation.

Officials pushed for rail line to open prematurely.

The Seattle Times is reporting that Washington state officials had pushed for the rail line to open before PTC was fully operational to meet federal construction funding deadlines.

Refurbishment of the converted corridor, on which the train derailed, hadn't been expected to be completed until 2019. But in order to collect federal stimulus money, construction would have to be done by mid-2017. The Seattle Times reports that state Dept. of Transportation officials vowed to open the line by this fall, and had they waited a few more months, PTC would have been fully operational.

Trump wants to sign Infrastructure Bill next.

Friday, while signing the GOP Tax Bill in The Oval Office, President Trump said he'll seek passage of major legislation on rebuilding the nation's infrastructure next.

Like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had signaled earlier, Trump said he thought 2018 would bring opportunities to work on bipartisan legislation with Democrats. Both McConnell and Trump cited an infrastructure bill as legislation both parties likely could come together on.

Trump told reporters an infrastructure bill would be "easy" to get passed, and that's why he saved it for after the attempt at replacing Obamacare and passing the Tax Bill.

Of course, if getting an infrastructure bill was truly "easy" it would have already been done. I can hear Trump later saying "Who knew infrastructure would be this tough?" President Obama, that's who, just as with healthcare. Obama like Trump, wanted major infrastructure legislation.

The major roadblock rebuilding the nation's infrastructure has faced in the past has been opposition from House Republicans, led by Paul Ryan, who don't want to spend the money.

While Trump campaigned on rebuilding the nation's infrastructure, Ryan has always viewed cutting nation's entitlement safety net as a bigger priority and goal of his.

Ordinarily, having just passed a tax cut bill that will increase the nation's deficit would make it harder for Trump to get infrastructure funding through the House. But with Republicans facing a fight to keep control of Congress in midterm elections, 2018 may offer the best chance ever to finally get bipartisan passage of major infrastructure legislation.

Washington state and Amtrak officials were irresponsible and negligent in recklessly allowing the inaugural run of a high-speed train route on a line without fully operational PTC. It would be equally reckless and irresponsible for Congress to fail to take long neglected action to rebuild the nation's infrastructure.

Trump's campaign vow and New Year's resolution to rebuild the nation's infrastructure were good ones. Even it means naming every rebuilt roadway,railway and bridge after him. It should also top the list of New Year's resolutions for the Senate and House.
State Representative Ron Young, center, and Don Schonauer, next to him, talk to sport fishermen Thursday about a new agreement that will protect the yellow perch population near Lake County.

PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- Sport fishermen and local officials have unveiled an agreement that will give the Fairport Harbor area a break from commercial fishing.

The goal is to let the over-fished yellow-perch population rebound.

The four-year pact, signed earlier this month and unveiled Thursday, reserves 125 square miles of Lake Erie near Fairport Harbor for sport fishing.

State Rep. Ron Young, who was in on the negotiations, said a similar moratorium allowed the perch population near Sandusky to rebound between 2012 and 2015.

Don Schonauer represented sport fishing in the negotiations and said that commercial fishing is only supposed to take 35 percent of the perch with the rest reserved for sport fishing.

Between Lorain and Fairport Harbor in 2016, sport fishing only caught 121,000 perch, which is 8 percent of the sport limit.

Commercial fish-netters, on the other hand, hauled in 3 million perch, Schonauer said.

"Rain or shine, day or night, the commercial netters are always out there and always get their entire limit," he said.

Schonauer and the others called the pact unique and historic because the accord was signed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), two commercial fishing outfits and the sport fishing interests.

Lake County Commissioner Jerry Cirino who partnered with Young on the project, said the depleted yellow-perch population near Fairport Harbor had a ripple effect on the county's economy.

Sportsmen involved in the negotiations reported that many marinas were only half full because many disheartened fishermen pulled out their boats and sold them. Bait and tackle shops also started to fail, with many going out of business in the last few years.

Young said the state's priority is sport fishing because that brings $1.5 billion to Ohio's economy in boats, fuel, equipment, people from across the country coming here to fish, license fees and taxes.

Commercial fishing, on the other hand, only yields around $30 million annually.

Only 18 commercial licenses are left on the Ohio side of Lake Erie, and they are entitled to take carp, white bass, white perch, sheepshead, catfish and yellow perch. But yellow perch is the money fish. Schonauer calls it yellow gold. "You can go to Germany and pay $100 to dine on Kobe beef. Or you can pay $120 for yellow perch from Lake Erie," he said.

The geography and regulation of lake fishing are important to understand.

Ohio's segment of Lake Erie runs more or less from Toledo to Conneaut, a stretch which is divided into three segments. The first runs from Toledo to Lorain, the second from Lorain to Fairport, and the third from Fairport to the Pennsylvania state line.

Some of the commercial outfits can fish in all three zones, while others are restricted to one or two.

The newly established exclusion zone was fished commercially by two companies, both of which signed off on the four-year agreement.

Why? Because Young introduced a bill earlier this year that would have put severe restrictions in place, reducing the viability of commercial fishing.

The threat of reintroducing the bill was enough to bring everyone to the bargaining table.

"Look, we didn't want to put anybody out of business," Schonauer said at a meeting with more than 100 sport-fishing supporters Thursday night. "They have a right to make a living."

Before the night meeting, Schonauer was approached by a grateful Rick Henninger of Austintown, who laughed and said, "Now you can come over and straighten out Ashtabula."

Henninger, publisher of Fish & Field Report, said later that he intends to follow Schonauer's model to secure better fishing conditions.

The discussion was at River's Edge Yacht Club in Fairport. Cheryl Leutwyler, vice commodore of the club, said of the new accord that "I think it is pretty cool."

Joe Campo of Stow called it "exceptional. It's been a long time coming. The last few years have been horrendous."

Jeff Herr, whose family runs Herr Fishery near Toledo and signed the agreement, is less than thrilled.

"It's not good for us. We're giving up a big area. But we were bullied into a corner because we were threatened with legislation," he said Friday in a phone interview.

"All the biological data did not support this. There is something going on in the central basin, and the fish are not biting (hooks) like they once did. A lot of questions need to be answered."

He said ODNR mandated the Sandusky moratorium because the fish were depleted there. But he believes the fish are still around Fairport, and said that until they voluntarily stopped fishing the area last January, they were netting their limit.

"But in my heart, if I felt that our not fishing would help, I'd do it."
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Christian camp hosts family Christmas celebration

JIGGS  Cowboys Rest Christian Camp invites you and your family to Journey to the Stable on Dec. 23, between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Families will visit various stations around the camp, each featuring a different portion of the Christmas story. Enjoy crafts, games, and visits from costumed Bible characters.

Afterward, have some fun playing in the snow or on the ice rink. Finally, come inside the lodge and warm-up with a delicious bowl of soup.

Participants are asked to bring one plate of Christmas goodies to share with other families. For more information, call the camp at 775-934-9806 or visit www.cowboysrest.org.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

ELKO  Tweens! Books! Movies! All three are coming together at the Elko County Library for the Tween Book & Movie Club on from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Dec. 26.

For the December meeting, tweens (ages 10-13) will watch the film How the Grinch Stole Christmas and then enjoy a lively discussion about the film and the book by Dr. Seuss. Snacks will be served.

Tweens may pick up a copy of the book at the Library so they can read it before watching the film. For more information, contact the Library at 738-3066 or visit www.elkocountylibrary.org.

A busy month at

the Folklife Center

ELKO  The Western Folklife Center 501 Railroad St. has several events planned in January heading into the 34th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

Join the free musical jam session Jam On! from 6-8 p.m. Jan. 10. The bar will be open, serving no-host Ruby Mountain beers and other refreshing beverages. Facilitated by Southwind, bring your favorite tunes to share, your instruments, your friends and fans.

Lets Dance will be from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 11. Dance lessons in a selected style are at 6, followed by open social dancing at 7. Admission is $5. Adults and teens are welcome, no partner or experience necessary. Contact ElkoLetsDance@gmail.com.

A training session and chili feed for Gathering volunteers is slated from 6-8 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Pioneer Saloon. Sign-ups are available for unfilled positions  register to volunteer anytime on the Western Folklife Center website.

Drop by the Pioneer Saloon from 6-8 p.m. Jan. 17 and enjoy the lively music of Elkos own Southwind band. The bar will be open for business and theres room to dance.

Acrylic painting class

ELKO  The Elko County Art Club will host an acrylics class for adults 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 23 and a childrens class 1-2:30 p.m. at 407 Railroad St. For more information, call 775-753-8170.

Christmas Eve celebration at convention center

ELKO  Living Stones Church invites everyone to join them for the What Child is This? Christmas Eve celebration happening at 11 a.m. Dec. 24 at the Elko Convention Center.

We will have amazing music, preaching and fun for the whole family, said lead Pastor Nathan Hornback.

For more information visit elko.livingstoneschurches.com or like the Facebook page at facebook.com/livingstoneselko.

Candlelight service in Lamoille

LAMOILLE  The Lamoille Community Presbyterian Church will be hosting its traditional Christmas Eve Candlelight service at 7 p.m. Dec. 24.

Doors will be open at 6 p.m. for fellowship time with coffee, cocoa and cookies. Please join us, all are welcome at The Little Church of the Crossroads.

There will be no regular Sunday morning service on Christmas Eve.

Toddler Time

at the library

ELKO  The Elko County Library is offering a Toddler Time on the first Saturday of each month. Join them at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 6 for the program designed for babies and toddlers through 2 years of age.

Adults will interact with their toddler by singing songs, playing and reading. This is a free program and no registration is required.

For more information, contact the Library at 738-3066 or visit www.elkocountylibrary.org.

Clay breakers

season starts Jan. 6

SPRING CREEK  The Ruby Mountain Clay Breakers are starting their new season Jan. 6 at the Spring Creek Trap and Skeet in Spring Creek, at 9 a.m.

We are looking for guys and gals, any ability, grades fourth through 12th, to join our group. New shooters please come at 9 a.m. Jan. 6, and returning shooters on Jan. 13 at 9 a.m.

Call Scott Ackley for more information at 397-5704.

Foster parent training set in Elko

ELKO  An opportunity for Foster/Adoptive Parent Training is coming to Elko in mid-January.

Participants will attend three sessions, each lasting from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Jan. 12-14 at The Terrace at Ruby View, 1795 Ruby View Drive.

Interested persons should call Lori Nichols, Foster Care Recruiter, at 1-888-423-2659 to sign up. All three days are required for applicants who wish to move forward with licensure.

Financial Peace classes begin Jan. 8 in Elko

ELKO  Ramsey Solutions Financial Peace University will offer a nine-week course at Elko Assembly of God, 700 Front St., beginning Jan. 8

Created by financial expert Dave Ramsey, the course provides families and individuals with practical tools to gain control of their finances and set themselves up for long-term financial success.

Along with Ramsey personalities Rachel Cruze and Chris Hogan, Ramsey teaches lessons on budgeting, relationships and money, getting out of debt, saving for emergencies and investing.

FPU will not only transform the way you handle money, but also your marriage and other areas of your life, says Ramsey. This isnt a boring financial class. We make learning about money fun and easy to understand so people in every situation can benefit from the information.

The Elko classes will be held at 6 p.m. Go to www.fpu.com/1052969 for more information or to register.

Heart and Shield: Family violence prevention

ELKO  The Heart and Shield program provides parents and children with resources and skills to strengthen family relationships and build resilience. Parent survivors of former domestic violence and their children ages birth -18 may be eligible to participate.

This nine-week education program includes a light meal, separate skill building activities for adults and children, and family activities to practice skills together. Program topics include communication, emotions, problem-solving, healthy relationships, stress management and more.

This free program begins in February. A program demonstration for interested families will be held on Jan. 23 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.at the Elko County Cooperative Extension office, 701 Walnut St.

To RSVP call 340-8360 or email woodburyj@unce.unr.edu.

SBA state director coming to Elko

ELKO  Joe Amato, the new Nevada director for the U.S. Small Business Administration, will be in Elko on Jan. 25 to discuss the state of small business and SBA priorities,

Small businesses, chamber members, the financial community, development authority members, and economic development partners are invited to the session from 10 a.m. to noon at the Elko County Library, 720 Court St.

To RSVP contact Clint Koble at 775-843-4081 or ckoble@unr.edu.

Faith Lutheran sets annual meeting

ELKO  The annual meeting of Faith Lutheran Church congregation will be Jan.28 following the 10:30 service.

Agenda items include approval of the annual budget, confirmation of council members, and other items of concern to the congregation.

A potluck dinner will follow the meeting.
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Every year, families gather around the Christmas tree and debate what classic movie to watch in lieu of talking to each other. By now, America has unanimously agreed that Die Hard deserves a spot among the holiday classics. It's an uplifting tale of family, selflessness, and redemption. We predict that within a decade, it will be standard for families to use festive decorations to tape guns to their backs.

You probably know that Die Hard was such a hit that it spawned a whole generation of "Lone hero thwarting terrorists in a confined space" movies, like Speed (Die Hard on a bus!), Under Siege (Die Hard on a train!), and Passenger 57 (Die Hard on a plane!). But one movie that's never lumped in with that group is a beat-for-beat remake which came out just a couple of years later and actually grossed more than all of them:

Home Alone.

Of course, there are the broad similarities. Both films star a completely normal person who, as a result of being distanced from his family, finds himself trapped in a place invaded by criminals during Christmas, soon realizing that he's the only one who can do anything about it. He's unequipped and unable to get help from allies until it's nearly too late. In both movies, the protagonist must use his wits and improvised weaponry to take out the bad guys one at a time.

But beyond that, they're not even the same genre, right? Look at the villains. You can't compare Hans Gruber and his team of highly trained professionals to a couple of assclowns calling themselves "the Wet Bandits." Well, unless you consider the fact that in both movies, the increasingly exasperated leader of the criminals initially attempts to deceive the protagonist by passing himself off as a good guy ...

20th Century Fox
New housing permits issued in Connecticut last month were up 55 percent over November 2016, according to the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

There were permits issued for 324 new housing units in 104 Connecticut communities last month, compared 209 during November 2016. There have been 3,522 units that have received permits issued through 11 months this year, which represents a 9.8 percent decrease when compared to the same period last year.

Connecticut communities issued permits for 4,095 new housing units in 2016. In order to finish 2017 at that level, communities around the state would have to collectively issue permits for 573 units in December.

The last time that at least many units received permits during December was in 2006, when 604 were approved statewide.

Simbsury led all towns in new housing activity last month with permits issued for 50 units. Essex led New Haven-area communities in new housing activity with permits issued for 12 units.

Essex First Selectman Norman Needleman said the growth in new housing is a mix of age-restricted homes, single-family dwellings and multi-family units that include an affordable housing component.

Were having a pretty good year and it shows that Essex is an attractive place to live, Needleman said. Im especially excited about the affordable housing component because were hoping it will attract some young families, which are the lifeblood of any community.

Donald Klepper-Smith, chief economist and director of research for New Haven-based DataCore Partners, said the November housing permit numbers offered a good news, bad news scenario for the states economy.

The good news is that in the short term picture, we had some strength in November, he said. But the longer view is that we are still down in the year-to-date numbers by nearly 10 percent, which is significant. There is monthly volatility in the data, so the longer term view tells a more complete story.

And the story is that decreases in Connecticuts labor market make it hard for the states new housing sector to gain any traction, according to Klepper-Smith. New housing permits are considered to be a leading indicator of future economic activity because of the impact that home building has on other industries, such as banking, employment, construction and manufacturing.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
A citizen of Mexico pleaded guilty Friday to heroin trafficking charges in front of a judge in Hartford, according to the Department of Justice.

Jose David Silva Pestano, 33, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and one count of possession with intent to distribute one kilogram of heroin.
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In accreditation lingo, merging the states 12 community colleges into one is called a substantive change, said Barbara Brittingham, head of the commission whose approval is needed for the plan to happen.

Doing it by July 2019, she said, is ambitious.

And managing the feat as 53,000 students now attending Norwalk, Housatonic, Gateway and nine other community colleges traverse what is often a five- to six-year journey toward associates degrees will take a lot of careful planning, she said.

This is a very significant merger, said Brittingham, president of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. I think there will be a lot of attention to it, no matter what. It is a very bold move.

Endorsed on Dec. 14 by the states Board of Regents for Higher Education despite strong objections by faculty, college foundation officials and others, the plan dubbed Students First would create the fifth-largest community college in the country.

Usually mergers are two (colleges) at a time, Brittingham said. Twelve is a high bar to aim for ... The commission will want to see that students are well-served.

Already, NEASC officials have met three times with Connecticut officials since system President Mark Ojakian began exploring a community college merger last spring. Another meeting in Connecticut is set for early January.

They are planning to submit a report in time for the commissions March meeting, Brittingham said. We have offered to read a draft of that ahead of time.

The report will outline how the system intends to meet the commissions standards for accreditation.

I expect a lot of back and forth, Brittingham said.

Full steam ahead

Ojakian said this week that Board of Regents endorsement allows several committees already established by the system to move into high gear.

One group is looking at how to integrate new positions and selecting people to fill those jobs. An academic group is working to align 12 course catalogs while a finance committee is fine-tuning the projected savings of the new system.

The plan was sold on the notion that $28 million could be saved without cutting faculty positions or hurting student services. Instead, the promise is to redirect resources to help students stay in school and graduate.

Faculty remain unconvinced.

Lois Aime, president of the Norwalk Community College Senate, said faculty, staff and students opposed to a merger have asked the General Assemblys Office of Fiscal Analysis to analyze the plan to see if it really will generate the savings promised.

The little that we have been given makes no sense whatsoever, Aime said.

Faculty, she added, are contacting legislators and want a public hearing called once the Legislature gets back in session.

Aime maintains that the brakes can still be pulled on the merger.

It is uncertain how receptive lawmakers will be to faculty members pleas, since the Legislature has spent the last year trying to find ways to cut a still-growing budget deficit.

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said she supports a merger of the community colleges.

I do think it is a good idea, for a state this size, said Klarides. That is what we need to do in the state, generally. We have to consolidate; make more efficiencies. Students will still get what they need.

The governors office also likes the idea.

Jason Novak, a spokesman for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, said merging is a tough but necessary move.

Not only will this consolidation save tens of millions of dollars, Novak said, but it will ultimately offer our students greater access across campuses to meet their educational needs and class requirements in a streamlined, flexible manner.

Undeterred

Ojakian said none of the objections made to the merger plan has changed his mind.

What I heard the other day was people trying to put obstacles in the way of progress, Ojakian said. We need to focus limited resources on where they will have the greatest impact  that is on students.

Ojakian came to the system that oversees 17 colleges and universities in the state three years ago. He did not have an academic background, but did have experience running large organizations. His last job before this one was as Malloys chief of staff.

Coming from a different field, he said, helped him bring a larger-picture approach to the situation.

My approach has always been Why cant we do something?  Ojakian said.

Brittingham said what will matter to NEASC is how well the plan protects the interest of students.

As I read about the faculty concerns, I would say part of their concern is over losing agility and the ability serve a local community, she said. Community colleges are traditionally very responsive to the local area.

Brittingham pointed out that while this proposed change is unique, Connecticuts two-year college system has undergone change in the past. In 1992, technical and community colleges in the state merged.

There are also two other New England states  Vermont and Rhode Island  with single community colleges across multiple campuses.

Neither are as big as Connecticut, Brittingham noted.

Flipping the switch

Ojakian envisions a teach-out period win which students who enroll in the existing 12 colleges will be able to finish their studies at individual colleges even as other students start to enroll in what is tentatively being called Connecticut Community College.

The intention is not to disadvantage any student currently enrolled in a community college. When the last diplomas would are to be handed out from the individual colleges, Ojakian said, would be addressed as part of the accreditation process.

He said he doesnt want students to wait until the switch is flipped on the merger to enroll.

Students should know that regardless of what their diploma may say sometime in the future, they will still be graduates, he said.

Ojakian also said he doesnt think there is any turning back.

I firmly believe that this is the right direction, he said. I think despite the criticism, the overwhelming response on campuses has been positive. We are going to get there.
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WASHINGTON  With GOP tax legislation signed into law, the chatter at kitchen tables and coffee shops in Connecticut is now whose taxes go up and whose go down.

For the average well-to-do homeowner in Fairfield, Westport or Darien, the impending loss next year of state-and-local tax deductions will mean higher federal income taxes.

In the high-property-tax cities of Bridgeport, Danbury and New Haven, the likelihood of higher taxes is even greater.

For states like Connecticut with high taxes, the specific impacts are quite negative, I believe, said Jayme Stevenson, the Republican first selectman of Darien. Given the fiscal crisis in the state, this tax bill will make it more difficult in Connecticut and Darien.

As is the case in neighboring New York and other high-tax, high-expenditure states, Connecticut has been heavily dependent on the state and local tax (SALT) deductions that enabled residents to deduct property, sales and state income-tax payments.

Under the GOP law ratified Friday by President Donald Trump, SALT deductions in any combination are capped at $10,000  a paltry amount in a state where the average SALT deduction claimed in 2015 was $19,655.

The SALT amounts are even more in high-end real estate areas like Darien, where the property tax averages $18,400 and one real estate trust pays $340,000 for substantial waterfront acreage.

More Information Local tax burdens The average tax bills in 2015. Only amounts over $10,000 will be fully deductible for the 2018 tax year. Fairfield - $35,696 Easton - $32,586 Monroe - $18,636 Trumbull - $18,376 Oxford - $14,348 Milford - $14,060 Shelton - $12,885 Black Rock, Bridgeport - $12,337 Seymour - $12,265 Ansonia - $9,774 Derby - $9,724 Bridgeport, North End - $9,197 See More Collapse

But theres no one-size-fits all to the calculus of who pays more and who pays less, tax experts say.

Taxing calculations

The non-partisan Tax Policy Center on Friday posted a calculator to help taxpayers figure out their liability under the new law, compared to what it replaced.

The calculator, at http://tpc-tax-calculator.urban.org/, suggests taxpayers in most categories initially would see some reduced tax liability, with the bang-for-buck rising with the income scale. It does not include SALT deductions but it does incorporate the decision many taxpayers in the mid-range will need to make: To itemize or not to itemize.

Claiming even the reduced SALT deduction still requires itemization, whereas the doubling of the standard deduction to $24,000 per couple may lead many in the middle-of-the-income spectrum to abandon it.

The calculator shows a married couple with two children at home and an annual income of $82,500 will see their tax liability drop to $14,810 from $17,126.

The same family with an annual income of $151,200, goes to $37,838 from a liability of $40,996. And if the familys annual income is $880,800, it drops to $283,404 from $307,038.

Details matter a lot, said Kim Rueben, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center.

Loss of the SALT deduction may sting Connecticut taxpayers but the ultimate choice of whether or not to itemize depends on what else going on in your life, she said.

In rough terms, the answer may lie in whether the taxpayer has $14,000 or more in itemized deductions in addition to the $10,000 in SALT deductions. That $14,000-plus could come from mortgage interest, charitable giving or high out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Because $24,000 per couple is the new threshold for not itemizing, anyone with more than $24,000 in deductions may well benefit from continuing to itemize.

Another key issue, Rueben said, is the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).

Many in Connecticut with high SALT deductions were hit with AMT, which prevented those in the near-rich bracket from avoiding taxes through super-high deductions.

Under the new law, the AMT exemption doesnt phase out until above $1 million, compared to the previous level of $164,000. So for the well-heeled, this is potentially good news.

Although property tax bills are high in Darien, Fairfield, Westport, Greenwich and other suburban jurisdictions, the regions larger cities such as Bridgeport, Danbury and New Haven actually have higher tax rates.

For instance, David Walker, former comptroller general of the U.S. who is running for governor, pays about $35,000 in property taxes on his home in Bridgeports Black Rock.

And even though property taxes are high in Connecticut, theyre higher in N.Y. metropolitan area suburbs including Westchester and Nassau Counties.

In a weird way, Connecticut becomes more competitive, said Joseph McGee of the Business Council of Fairfield County. So if you need to live and work in the tristate area, Connecticuts marketplace appeal is enhanced, even if many of us are paying more with this tax law.

1 percent winners

Brian Newman, a CPA who is a partner in the firm of Cohn Reznick, said concerned clients are flooding his office with calls.

Each client will be affected in completely different ways, said Newman, a partner in charge of New England for the national firm. It depends on the business youre in and the state where you make money. There is no cookie cutter.

Some clients will do better if they pay state taxes that are normally due Jan.15, before the end of the year.

Everyone will get the benefit of lower rates, Newman said, referring to consolidation of brackets with the top one dropping 2.5 percentage points to 37 percent.

The effect on individuals ultimately depends on deductions, he said. That $10,000 cap on (state and local) tax deductions can potentially hurt a lot of people.

Rep. Jim Himes, who represents a broad spectrum of the Connecticut income scale, from Greenwich to Bridgeport, said the top one percent benefit from elements of the law such as raising the estate tax threshold from $11 million to $22 million for couples.

If you have $22 million to give to your kids, holy smokes, thats a huge Christmas present, he said.

Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, a Republican gubernatorial hopeful whose city has some of the lowest taxes in the state, said its too early to figure out what the new tax laws may do.

Our city is diverse, so it will affect people differently, he said. We have some big businesses in Shelton, so I know it favors employers like Pitney Bowes, Hubbell and Sikorsky.

He added: I think the silver lining in the tax breaks for big business is that they will reinvest. Retention and expansion is important. Will this help people on the lower end? No. But if it can help business, it can in turn around the state economy.

Paying the price

Others were not so sanguine about the laws impact on job growth and higher wages.

The answer to workers compensation is not tax policy, its compensation policy, said McGee. The digital revenue has so increased worker productivity that we dont need as many workers. So we so dont have to pay what we used to pay.

New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp, a Democrat, also was less optimistic.

In New Haven there is ample, daily evidence to underscore how municipal services and charitable organizations depend upon reliable revenue sources, Harp said. This new tax law, which will increase the federal deficit and eliminate many personal income tax deductions, undermines the prospects for that essential revenue."

Another gubernatorial hopeful, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, was even more succinct.

The Republican tax bill hits Connecticut residents awfully hard, he said Friday. And the country as a whole and Connecticut in particular are going to be paying the price for this irresponsible bill for a long time to come.

Barry Lytton contributed to this report.
Weve got it, something splendid, the first major tax reform in decades.

This GOP congressional achievement will provide tax breaks to just about every Joe, Jane and business venture out there, and  this is the biggie  will almost surely foster significant economic growth.

And what might that growth foster? The list includes more jobs, higher wages, more financial security, a better quality of life, less income inequality as lower classes rise up, fewer social problems and a stronger, better America.

Naturally enough, Democrats are furious.

Especially given that not a one voted for it, blessed consequences could hurt them politically, and their specialty, at any rate, is taking the freedom out of free enterprise to make more room for big government burdens.

Their inevitable analysis, therefore, is that the whole thing is a fraud. It is the rich robbing the poor, especially in the case of corporations no longer having to pay the highest, most disabling corporate tax rate in the developed world.

With a snarl on his lips and fire in his eyes, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D.-N.Y, contends that such a decrease will simply mean more loot for such fat cats as CEOs whose salaries will swell.

Our corporations have already been using loopholes to avoid the 35 percent rate now reduced to 21 percent, he says without understanding something important.

Under the reform, many of those loopholes that are truly loopholes and not justified exemptions will now be saying goodbye.

Whats also important is that the corporate tax system will no longer be the mess sending thousands of U.S. companies abroad.

Neither will it be announcing to potential foreign investors that they had better not invest here if they value their pocketbooks.

Any number of analyses, some by top economists at prestigious universities, say the lower rate and other equally meaningful moves will likely lead to expansion, to investment, to enhanced prosperity for all.

Of course, the reform package includes far more than just corporate changes, and, in addition to such pluses as 80 percent of the population getting tax breaks in a system that will be actually be more progressive than before, there are flubs.

Politics was not eradicated before passage, and the package is an imitation of Obamacare in trying to do too much all at once. The worst error is increasing an already horrific debt that needs addressing as a foremost domestic priority.

Even here, however, some critics misstate the situation. Yes, the bill will add $1.5 trillion to the $20 trillion debt over 10 years, and thats a bunch, but keep the following in mind. In two terms, the Obama administration embraced legislation that added $5 trillion to the debt. The $1.5 trillion is a relatively small part of what the total debt growth will be.

And even if the legislation were revenue neutral, the issue would still be huge, largely because of Democrats.

The truly crucial problems have to do with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Their costs have been mushrooming to the point of economic crisis for years, and will get hellishly worse as more baby boomers retire. Yet every time in the past when Republicans suggested reasonable adjustments inflicting no harm on current recipients or future recipients most needing the help, Democrats defeated their hopes by saying they would force people to suffer.

We can no longer pretend all is OK, and the real question is whether members of both parties will have the honesty and political courage to do what serves the nation instead of what serves their own futures.

The likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders  someone who proposed a free college plan that could have cost $30 trillion  is already bemoaning the evil the GOP is prepared to commit.

So, congratulations to the GOP on the tax bill, and may bipartisan cooperation rise up to save us on the debt.

Jay Ambrose is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service. Email: speaktojay@aol.com.
Fitness star Emily Skye has shared a candid photograph of her postpartum body just days after giving birth to a baby girl.

The 32-year-old social media influencer posted an honest account on life after childbirth since welcoming her daughter Mia Elise on December 18.

Taking to Instagram, the Gold Coast mother spoke out about her struggles to bounce back into shape due to the excruciating pain she has been suffering.

Fitness star Emily Skye has shared a candid photograph of her postpartum body just days after giving birth to her baby daughter Mia Elise

The 32-year-old social media influencer posted an honest account on life after childbirth since welcoming her daughter Mia Elise on December 18

'So many people told me I would "bounce right back" after giving birth like a lot of other fit women do. Well that's definitely not the case for me,' she said.

'It's only five days after I gave birth to Mia and I look about six or so months pregnant.

The new mother said getting back into shape after having her first baby was not a priority for her because she wanted to focus this time on motherhood.

'I can tell I'm going to have a LOT of hard work ahead of me to get fit and strong again which I KNOW I can do but it's not my priority right now - spending this time with my daughter is,' she said.

'Getting my "body back" can take a back seat for the time being I'll get there in a realistic time frame and I refuse to put pressure on myself to get there.'

She spoke out about her struggles to bounce back into shape amid the excruciating pain she has been suffering since childbirth - but admitted her daughter was her number one priority

The Gold Coast-based fitness personality gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl on December 18, giving her bundle of joy a sweetly feminine name: Mia Elise (Pictured is her partner Declan)

The fitness model said she put on 21 kilograms after she stopped exercising due to back pain

Sharing the intimate shot of her cradling her bundle of joy, the mother opened up about the challenges she has faced.

'I barely recognise myself when I look in the mirror,' she said.

'I'm far from a 'glam mum' HAHA. I currently live in what you could call 'granny undies', it hurts to do much with the stitches from my episiotomy,' she said.

'Feeding is extremely painful. I had no idea it would be this bad. My back is still really sore and when I walk around it literally feels like my insides are going to fall out.

'I also had diastasis recti [a condition in which the large abdominal muscles separate] that was three finger widths apart the day after giving birth.'

'We're out of the hospital now and are staying at the Versace for a couple of days to relax aka feed, change nappies & adapt to no sleep for the next 20 years,' she captioned this image

However, the fitness influencer intends to get straight back to training when her doctor gives her the all clear - saying she'll work on her posture, balance, pelvic floor, core and glutes

The new mother said getting back into shape after having her first baby was not a priority for her because she wanted to focus this time on motherhood

The fitness model said she put on 21 kilograms after she was no longer able to maintain her strict fitness regime during her pregnancy.

'My pregnancy was not how I thought it would be... I thought I'd be exercising regularly the whole way through,' she said.

'But that did not happen as I was sick a lot of the time and had back pain that made it hard to just walk around the house.

'I ended up gaining over 21kg during my pregnancy in fat, fluid, baby and placenta.'

But despite her struggles, Emily said she's 'beyond happy' to bring her baby daughter home before Christmas.

'I am SO blessed. I feel completely content,' she said.

'I look at her and start crying because of the overwhelming love I have for her and I love my body SO much for growing this precious little person.'
'What? You can't be serious?' I said in disbelief. 'What do you mean "there wasn't a donkey?"'

Clearly, the nun in front of me had gone mad. But she smiled angelically, and persevered: 'Most scholars agree that, given Mary and Joseph's social and economic position, it's unlikely that they would ever have travelled on a donkey,' she told me. 'And of course there's no scriptural evidence to support the idea that there was a donkey.'

'But what about the Christmas carol Little Donkey?' I said, triumphantly. 'What about all those Christmas cards with the donkey on? Everyone knows there was a donkey  how else did they get from Nazareth to Bethlehem?'

'They walked or possibly hitched a ride on a wagon,' she offered.

Ha, what does a nun know about the Bible, I thought, and started scouring the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. There must be a donkey here somewhere.

Nothing. I double checked. Not even a hint of a donkey.

On a deeper level, the Christmas story is essentially one not of donkeys or baubles, but celebration and love. Yet we shouldn't dismiss the value of ritual, says Dr Max

Then aged 16, I was studying for my A-levels which, as well as the sciences, included religious education: the nun who'd delivered the earth-shattering news about the little donkey was my teacher.

Regardless of your religious conviction, the Bible is a fascinating historical document. And when it came to that Christmas donkey, it had proved me wrong: the man of rational science was a victim of his own unfounded belief, and it was Sister Mary, whose faith some might argue is based on unfounded belief, who had challenged me.

Can it still be Christmas without the donkey? The answer is, of course, yes  Sister Mary didn't need the donkey because she knew what the Christmas story was really about.

The 'meaning' of Christmas is twofold. First, it is about tradition, the rituals and objects we associate with it. Psychologically, we hold on to these because they root us historically and give us meaning.

They develop and are incorporated into our internal world as a way of defending ourselves from the chaos of the world outside: turkey, carols, Christmas trees  even donkeys  and so on are comforting and familiar.

It's interesting that so many of these traditions which we think of as being as old as the hills only go back a few generations, if that. But however recently established, traditions bring us together in a shared sense of belonging.

We are social animals and we need to feel connected to one another  and doing this through what we believe is a shared past binds us.

Of course, on a deeper level, the Christmas story is essentially one not of donkeys or baubles, but celebration and love. Yet we shouldn't dismiss the value of ritual  indeed, knowing that most tradition is invented can be quite liberating, as it leaves us free to create our own traditions to tie us together.

This is something I often discuss with my patients and encourage them to try themselves. As families become increasingly fragmented, realising that you can create your own family traditions  and consciously doing so  can help people forge a sense of unity.

Post office bill that's worth every penny Post offices dont just provide stamps. In isolated areas of the country, going to the post office serves a social function as well as a practical one What a wonderful Christmas present for older people across the country this week as the Government announced it will spend 160 million safeguarding village post offices facing closure. Another 210 million will be spent modernising the 11,600 branches over the next three years. The fact is, post offices dont just provide stamps. In isolated areas of the country, going to the post office serves a social function as well as a practical one: it gives people a reason to get up in the morning, a focus, a guarantee of meeting and talking with someone. And in many villages, the post office is the only place that offers all this with any reliability. The closure of rural branches would have disproportionately affected older people, the very group we should be trying to help and provide with better opportunities for social interaction and support  theyre less likely to have their own transport and more likely to have difficulties with mobility, and so are already at risk of isolation. They are also frequently reliant on the local post office for their daily groceries. Yes, the 370 million package is a lot of money. But any discussion about the cost-effectiveness of the rural post office network needs to take into account the invaluable social service they provide, too. Indeed, researchers have suggested that in areas where there are good community networks, suicide is 27 per cent lower than would be expected for comparable areas with limited opportunities for social interaction. A facility that gets people out of the house, where they can shop, meet people and feel part of a community, should be cherished and Im delighted that the Government has finally realised this. Advertisement

After my parents divorced, my mother's self-esteem suffered so, as a treat, I brought her to London and I took her to a swanky West End salon to get her hair cut.

She had the time of her life and it occurred to me that, rather than a one-off treat, doing this again would be an excuse for us to get together and, at a time when her life seemed so unsettled, it offered consistency.

It could also help replace many of the other routines disrupted by her being divorced, something positive coming out of an upsetting, distressing experience.

So my mum and I consciously decided to make her coming up to the West End to have her hair done every eight weeks a new family tradition. It's become a permanent feature in our calendar and it's done her the world of good (I only wish I could say the same for my bank balance).

This has been going on for about 15 years, but what's interesting is that it's become such an important and enduring part of our family life that I can't really remember a time when it didn't happen. It seems to me that it's happened forever and I even have (entirely false) memories of it happening when I was a child.

Until Sister Mary's death earlier this year, she would send me a Christmas card with a donkey on it and I would do the same.

That had become our tradition.

When hope is the best medicine

What is life without hope? There was a beautiful study published this week which explored this question.

It showed that people with chronic medical conditions such as asthma and diabetes were more likely to comply with treatment regimens if they were hopeful.

It demonstrated that, while doctors are often cautious about raising hopes in patients for fear that they will be proved wrong and this will erode trust, actually giving patients hope was associated with better long-term outcomes for their health.

Hope is actually one of our best weapons against mental illness and those who work in mental health learn to find hope and happiness in even the darkest of places

The researchers argued that it was really therefore a doctors job to try to engender some hope that things can improve.

Hope has always fascinated me. People often assume that working in mental health is devoid of this quality.

But hope is actually one of our best weapons against mental illness and those of us who work in mental health learn to find hope and happiness in even the darkest of places.

I often say to patients that, while I understand that, at the moment, they struggle to hold on to hope, I can hold on to it for them. I actually consider it a professional failing if patients havent at least smiled once during a consultation and better still, actually laughed.

Joy is like an antiseptic in the face of the infective bleakness of depression.

And the hope is not unfounded because the truth is the vast majority of people do recover from mental illness  in sharp contrast to many other areas of medicine, such as heart failure  but you dont hear people talking about working in those areas as being hopeless or depressing.

There is no doubt that the world can be very difficult for people. But when the tide is against us, to help us keep swimming, what we all need is a bit of hope.
Baby Sephina was suddenly ejected into her mother Masina Frosts abdominal cavity when the womb ruptured

There were no shepherds or donkeys, and certainly no manger, but one mother is celebrating a truly miraculous birth after a quick-thinking doctor saved a baby who seemed destined to die.

With rosy cheeks and a contented smile, little Sephina has no idea of the drama she caused.

Sephina was suddenly ejected into her mother Masina Frosts abdominal cavity when the womb ruptured.

She was only saved when Professor Andrew Shennan, of Londons St Thomas Hospital, ordered an emergency team into action and performed a high-stakes caesarean operation that lasted just 30 seconds.

Everything happened so quickly, says Masina, a former head of the directors office at Londons Tate Museum.

One minute Andy was giving me an injection and the next, I was on a trolley being raced down to the operating theatre.

It was incredibly scary but we just feel so enormously lucky we have our beautiful daughter.

She was only saved when Professor Andrew Shennan, of Londons St Thomas Hospital, ordered an emergency team into action and performed a high-stakes caesarean operation that lasted just 30 seconds

On Wednesday, a month to the day since her birth, Sephina was finally allowed back to the family home in West London.

The couples joy is all the more poignant as Masina and husband Adam, a sustainable investor, have endured a rollercoaster of heartbreak in recent years.

The pair, both 43, met while studying at Harvard University.

They struggled to start a family and discovered Masina had a congenital condition which meant her uterus was small and her fallopian tubes were not properly connected.

On Wednesday, a month to the day since her birth, Sephina was finally allowed back to the family home in West London

Everything happened so quickly, says Masina, a former head of the directors office at Londons Tate Museum

After four rounds of IVF, their daughter Amelia, now five, was born in February 2012.

But when Masina was seven months pregnant with their second child, she experienced sharp stomach pains and was rushed to hospital in Switzerland, where they lived.

Her uterus had ruptured and Theo was born by emergency C-section, but the crucial delay meant he was deprived of oxygen and suffered brain damage.

Sadly, Theo died aged nine months.

The couples joy is all the more poignant as Masina and husband Adam, a sustainable investor, have endured a rollercoaster of heartbreak in recent years

Their second child Theo died aged just nine months

A consultant told Masina she could have another child but it would be high risk.

When she reached the 31st week of her pregnancy, she began to feel uncomfortable and went to St Thomas for a check-up.

By good fortune, Prof Shennan  an expert in high-risk pregnancy and a leading light behind the premature birth charity Tommys  was on the ward.

He quickly realised it was a life-or-death situation.

Alarmingly, the placenta was no longer receiving the blood from the uterus which is required to keep oxygen flowing to the unborn child.

We really did only have seconds to deliver her, Prof Shennan said.

We knocked her out with a general anaesthetic and from my first incision to delivery, it was just 30 seconds, the fastest emergency C-section I have ever done.

If Masina hadnt been with me at that moment, we would have lost Sephina.

This truly was a miracle.
There is a moment in an early episode of McMafia that chills the blood. A spine-tingling sequence, fraught with tension, pregnant with consequence, it happens when the central character first engages with serious misconduct. But Alex Godman, superbly played by James Norton, does not point a gun at anyones head, nor does he threaten, cajole or even make them an offer they cannot refuse. Instead he does something seemingly innocuous: he presses a key on his computer. And with that keystroke, as a sizeable payment is sent spinning off to a place it really should not be heading, we see Alex becoming a very modern type of criminal.

Its a really dramatic thought: click a mouse and it can cause so much damage in another part of the world, says Norton, who, after magnificent turns in Happy Valley and Grantchester, is rapidly becoming television dramas go-to leading man. Indeed, when we first we first see him in McMafia hes wearing a tuxedo, which has led some to speculate about his ambitions to be the next 007. I did warn the writers about that, Norton says of the scene, before attempting to quash the rumours. Personally I am just grateful Daniel Craig has agreed to do the next one or two... or maybe even five.

From far left: Aleksey Serebryakov as Dmitri, James Norton as Alex, Maria Shukshina as Oksana, Faye Marsay as Katya and Juliet Rylance as Rebecca

Across eight hour-long episodes, McMafia spins a multi-layered tale of corrupt politicians, money-laundering, counterfeiting and human trafficking, bringing us close to this new criminal order. In a giddying world tour, it takes in more locations than any BBC drama series has ever done before, visiting 12 different countries, filming in places as varied as the Egyptian desert, the Mumbai docks and Moscows Red Square.

This is the McDonald-isation of crime, the seemingly irresistible rise of the McMafia, in the phrase first coined by veteran BBC reporter Misha Glenny, whose 2007 book of the same name revealed the manner in which modern mobsters are spreading their tentacles across the globe. Glenny spent two years interviewing the worlds leading criminals. And what he found was that their way of doing things was subtly shifting before his eyes. At the heart of traditional organised crime has long been the threat of violence, he says. But that all changed with the internet and the ability to move money at the touch of a button. Cyber crime fundamentally altered the rules. The new criminals ruling the world are not traditional heavies. Because on the internet you dont need to deploy the same level of violence. Instead you can do it from the safety of the boardroom.

James Norton with Yuval Scharf as Tanya. McMafia spins a multi-layered tale of corrupt politicians, money-laundering, counterfeiting and human trafficking

Norton with David Dencik as Boris Godman. The new criminals ruling the world are not traditional heavies

It was this sense of a criminal world in a state of modernising flux that so appealed to the director James Watkins. Together with his scriptwriting partner Hossein Amini, he reckoned Glennys book was ripe for translation to the screen. Misha got in a room with these people. He put a face on the new criminal world order, says Watkins. There was just one problem: Glennys book was non-fiction. So the pair set to work fleshing out a plot and creating characters to inhabit the real world of crime he had uncovered.

The drama tells the story of Dimitri Godman, Alexs father, and his mother Oksana (played by Aleksey Serebryakov and Maria Shukshina, the Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep of Russia, according to Watkins). Some years before we meet them, they had been driven by a rival Russian gang boss into exile in England. Living in morose, vodka-infused purposelessness, still under threat from their Moscow-based nemesis, the couple had done what Glenny observed was a characteristic of the modern successful gangster: they put their children through a classic English education.

It is reputation-laundering, Glenny says. But on a generational scale. You get your kids out of the milieu you grew up in, use your dirty money to turn them into upstanding members of society, doing legitimate things.

The Alex we meet at the start of the series appears poised, confident and exudes persuasive old-school charm, with an English rose of a girlfriend and running a hedge fund from a chic Mayfair office. His hands appear as clean as his recent shave, his transactions ethical, his purpose strictly above board. But all is not quite what he seems.

Norton with Maria Shukshina as his mother Oksana. This is the McDonald-isation of crime, the seemingly irresistible rise of the McMafia

He is a man inhabiting the greyest of grey areas, says Norton. And as the series progresses you will see how far he journeys into the dark side. For me, he is a metaphor for the City of London as a whole. We like to think we in this country are squeaky clean, incorruptible. But so much dealing goes through this city, money coming in from around the world from who knows what sources. And Alex finds himself on a precipice, faced with a terrible choice of which way to jump.

Alex is confronted by a sudden, unexplained haemorrhage of investors capital. And as the plot unfolds it becomes apparent that he has been unwittingly embroiled in a struggle among the new international power brokers of money and crime. He is faced with a dilemma: either resist and face ruin or embrace his new circumstance and address the consequences.

It is in the decision to embark on a partnership with a billionaire Israeli politician named Semiyon Kleiman (David Strathairn) that Alex first demonstrates his new direction.

Hes one of those guys that you find a little slick of oil on your palm after youve shaken hands with him, says Strathairn. The successful in this modern criminal world are the ones like him who stay behind the veils and work in a closeted way.

Theres no doubt he begins to revel in the power, the money, the excitement that brings, Norton says of Alex. Its an immense seduction. He tries to persuade himself he is acting out of the best intentions, but the fact is he loves it. That is what has made him so enjoyable to play: this is as compromised a character as you will see on the screen.

His fathers attempt to equip Alex for legitimacy has the unintended consequence of making Alex a formidable entrant into the new landscape of international crime. Inherited ruthlessness married to educated sophistication: what we are watching is the emergence of the 21st-century Godfather.

Inherited ruthlessness married to educated sophistication: what we are watching in McMafia is the emergence of the 21st-century Godfather

Unlike Michael Corleone theres a softness and likeability about him, says Amini. But however much the circumstances change, theres nothing new in the exercise of power. Alexs rise was all about people underestimating him.

According to Glenny, this is what makes the new McMafia criminal so dangerous: the threat he poses is disguised by a veneer of legitimate success. For all the yachts and jets and apartments theres nothing glamorous about this, he says. You have to remember, organised crime is parasitic. It doesnt add anything to our lives, it just extracts. And invariably it corrupts the agents of state, the police, the customs, the politicians. Are we going to allow these criminals to become the defining element of our society? Or are we going to fight back? I dont think its an exaggeration to say we are embarked on a battle for our souls.

And over the next eight weeks we will see who is winning.

McMafia begins on New Years Day at 9pm on BBC1
All the jolliest to you and yours for a very merry Christmas! Before I tempt you to pop the best bubbly imaginable Id like to thank you for your kind comments and remarks, including the bubbly couple in Manchester last week who rushed up to reveal theyd booked a wine tour to Santorini after reading this column and had the time  and hangover  of their lives. Always a pleasure to share a good yarn, especially over a glass, so consider this your official instruction from Wine HQ to put your feet up and open something splendid.

Its no secret that I love English fizz. Look out for Bluebell Vineyards zesty Hindleap Blanc de Blancs in M&S for 24 (and Waitrose for the Rose at 26). Camel Valley, Ridgeview, Wiston, Gusbourne and Sugrue-Pierre are all stellar producers, and Id like to give a special mention to Breaky Bottom down the road from me in Sussex.

Across the Channel in France, my pick of the Champagne producers for a treat on New Years Eve is Charles Heidsieck. The straight Non-Vintage is a bullseye (43 at thewinesociety.com) or if you want to go berserk, try their Blanc des Millenaires 1995. Expect to pay in the region of 120 from merchants such as Justerini & Brooks or online from websites such as Lea & Sandeman.

Another option is Deutz 2012  tasting superb for 65 from Fortnum & Mason  but for a more modest spend, hunt own-label Champagne such as Aldis Veuve Monsigny NV for 10.99  unbeatable for the price. It also pays to look out for cremant, such as Lidls Cremant de Bourgogne for 7.99.

Of course, Spanish Cava has its gems  chief among them the wines of Gramona, which you can find at bbr.com.

But whatever you choose to pop this New Years Eve, heres to you  and may your 2018 start with a joyful bang.
The This is Money team and successful entrepreneur and angel investor Andy Yates launched the Great British Entrepreneur Challenge this autumn.

The goal was simple - to scour the country for great start-ups and early-stage firms and to unearth entrepreneurs who were determined to do whatever it takes to turn their dream into a reality.

These entrepreneurs would then be given the chance to win expert advice, mentoring and support from Andy Yates and his network - and the chance to bid for up to 50,000 of seed funding.

Job well done: the finalists of the This is Money Great British Entrepreneur Challenge have impressed with their ideas, passion and business acumen

We have been overwhelmed by the response. The enthusiasm and talent of the entrepreneurs that have responded bodes well for the future of our country and our economy.

We are now proud to announce the short list of entrepreneurs that we have met at This is Money HQ or spoken to about their brilliant ideas.

They are a diverse group - from different industries, parts of the country, backgrounds and ages. But they have one thing in common - a burning desire and passion to succeed.

We will announce the final winners of The Great British Entrepreneurial Challenge from the short list below in January 2018.

After that, the This is Money team will follow the amazing stories of the winning entrepreneurs throughout the year - the ups and downs, the challenges, the victories and the achievements. It promises to be an exciting and fascinating ride.

In the meantime we wanted to take this opportunity to salute the short-listed entrepreneurs below and congratulate them on what they have already achieved and the great things they are looking to achieve in the future.

We would also like to thank everyone else who submitted an entry and wish you the best of luck with your endeavours.

This is Money Team and Andy Yates

The Great British Entrepreneur Challenge Finalists

Rate Switch's Lee Flavin wants to save you money on your mortgage

RateSwitch

The idea: RateSwitch helps homeowners save thousands of pounds by easily and simply switching their mortgage to the best rate their lender offers. This can be done with minimal paperwork and hassle - and helps those who are mortgage prisoners. It estimates more than a third of homeowners could save money right away.

The entrepreneur: Lee Flavin is a former mortgage adviser who lives in south Wales and his idea has been backed and supported by Finance Wales.

Website: www.rateswitch.uk

Freezabird

The idea: Cheaper and more affordable car insurance policies for 17 to 24-year-olds. It combines black box telematics, that track driver quality and performance, with provisional and full licences to drive a parents car.

The entrepreneur: Paul Knight is passionate about improving young driver safety after a near-death accident, caused by an inexperienced young driver, and separately going through the heartache of a young friend suffering a fatal accident.

Website: www.freezabird.com

Breathe Easy

The idea: The air we breathe is important, but is it clean enough? Breathe Easy uses plants to clean the air of toxins created by materials in your home or office. Based on NASA research, it uses toxin absorbing plants and an innovative hydroponic watering and extractor fan system to capture toxins and turn them into food for the plant. Its founder is particularly interested in exploring the idea for children's bedrooms and nurseries.

Breathe Easy's Paul Thomas has invented a planter come fan system to clean your air

The entrepreneur: Paul Thomas, product designer, serial entrepreneur and Royal College of Art graduate, had the idea after suffering from asthma, headaches and breathing difficulties in his own home.

Silver Linings

The idea: Healthier, fresher bedding that uses a pioneering blend of pure silver and the softest bamboo fibres. The bedding is designed to help reduce the spread of bacteria, common colds, diseases and acne as well as providing a luxurious sleep.

The entrepreneur: Harry Cotgrove is a 23-year-old product designer who is ambitious about creating British-designed healthier sheets, pillows and towels - and giving back by providing a hospital sheet for developing countries for every sheet sold.

Website: www.silverliningslondon.co.uk

Hot Cakes

The idea: Hotcakes connects buyers and sellers of independent British food and drink products. It helps everybody from small delis and shops to larger retailers discover and easily buy thousands of exciting and innovative new products from small producers up and down the country.

The entrepreneur: Tara Mei has already helped hundreds of food and drink start-ups through successful accelerator programmes and runs Bread & Jam, the UK's largest festival for food and drink entrepreneurs.

Website: www.gormeigoods.squarespace.com

Tara Mei is hoping her Hotcakes site could become the Amazon of artisan food and drink

Search Smartly

Taha Dar's Search Smartly cool could help estate agents be more efficient

The idea: The business works with estate agents to provide a smart property search. It uses clever technology to match your lifestyle preferences  from gyms to nightlife, from amenities to commuter distances  to find your ideal rental property.

The entrepreneur: Taha Dar developed machine learning technology to optimise the performance of Formula One cars. After coming to study an MBA at London Business School he was shocked at how difficult it was to find the right property to rent and is determined to simplify the process and time involved.

Website: www.searchsmartly.launchrock.com

Nixey

The idea: Celebrating the Celtic spirit, Nixey has created a collection of leather bags, inspired by the classic sporran, for the fashion conscious.

The entrepreneur: New mum Laura-Marie Nixey is already selling her Scottish-made bags at Balmoral and Edinburgh Castles as well as on Notonthehighstreet.com and is dedicated to creating a great new British brand.

Website: www.nixeyonline.com

Nixey's signature collection draws on a rich manufacturing history that extends back to 1834

KwickScreen

Michael Korn invented Kwikscreen to give hospital patients greater privacy

The idea: KwickScreen has invented portable, retractable and flexible patent-protected screens, which are used across the NHS to provide privacy, improve hygiene, create extra spaces for patients, improve the patient experience and generate significant cost savings.

The entrepreneur: Michael Korn, the inventor of KwickScreen, is now passionate about taking a British designed and manufactured product and exporting it around the world for use in anything from hospitals to public spaces, offices and gyms.

Website: www.kwickscreen.com

Utopians

Anthony Ogunbowale-Thomas's Utopians is connecting speakers with events

The idea: An online platform that makes it easy for businesses to discover and book tomorrows leading thought leaders and speakers for events and for inspirational speakers to promote themselves.

The entrepreneur: Anthony Ogunbowale-Thomas is passionate about democratising the world of speakers  empowering tomorrows leading changemakers, entrepreneurs, creators and thinkers.

Website: www.utopians.io

HRAdvisor

The idea: HRAdvisor aims to provide job hunters with the ability to give recruiters a TripAdvisor style rating for their application process, with the goal of improving how graduates and young people are employed.

The entrepreneur: Having studied at Cardiff University, Kings College London and the University of Geneva, Babatunde Onabajo was named the UKs Graduate of the Year by the start-up job search engine Adzuna.

BUAFIT

Dave Stapleton's Baufit is an online booking system for outdoor group workouts

The idea: BUAFIT is an online marketplace that connects people who want to achieve a fitness goal to instructors who love to train and teach outdoor fitness classes.

The entrepreneur: BUA means victory in Irish Gaelic and entrepreneur Dave Stapleton is passionate about building a social fitness community that changes the way outdoor fitness is delivered so that everybody wins.

Website: www.buafit.co.uk

Career Reinventors 40+

The idea: Career Reinventors 40+ helps midlife professionals to reinvent their careers to find more meaningful, satisfying and rewarding work - using new methods to bring out valuable skills and experiences.

The entrepreneur: After 25 years in business, Trudy Lloyd is dedicated to helping people find meaning and new employment opportunities in the rapidly changing world of work.

Website: www.career-reinventors-40plus.com

Cheap Boiler Parts

19-year-old Joshua Naismith is our youngest finalist and is cutting the cost of boiler repairs

The idea: Many people cant afford the cost of boiler repairs because the parts are so expensive. The business purchases boilers from scrap merchants, heating engineers and demolition companies, reconditions and tests them and sells them at affordable prices.

The entrepreneur: Joshua Naismith is an enterprising 19-year-old Scot, who has already sold many thousands of pounds worth of boiler parts and has ambitions to recycle all sorts of white goods and products to save people money.

Website: www.ebay.co.uk/usr/centralboilerparts
More than 40 bipartisan former government officials and attorneys are telling President Trump and Congress to leave Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller alone so he can do his job.

In two letters, the former U.S. attorneys and Republican and conservative officials pushed back against efforts to discredit the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The letters come a week after speculation that Trump wanted Mueller fired over recent revelations that two former FBI agents, assigned to invest the alleged collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia, had sent each other hundreds of 'anti-Trump' text messages during the campaign and election.

More than 40 former government officials and attorneys signed their names to letters telling President Donald Trump to leave Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller alone so he can do his job

The letters pushed back against efforts to discredit Mueller's special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and rumors that Trump wants to fire Mueller (pictured) over recent revelations involving 'anti-Trump' text messages sent by FBI agents

In a pair of letters, the groups said Robert Mueller and his team must be allowed to continue their work, unimpeded.

In one letter, 22 former U.S. attorneys, who served under presidents from Richard Nixon through Barack Obama, said it is 'critical' to the 'interests of justice and public trust to ensure that those charged with conducting complex investigations are allowed to do their jobs free from interference or fear of reprisal.'

Seeking Mueller's removal 'would have severe repercussions for Americans' sense of justice here at home and for our reputation for fairness around the world,' they wrote in a letter to President Donald Trump on Friday that was coordinated by Georgetown Law's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection.

The second letter was signed by 22 Republican and conservative former members of Congress and other top U.S. officials. It stated that efforts to discredit Mueller's work 'undermine the institutions that protect the rule of law and so our nation.'

'We urge the Administration, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, and the American public, to support the work of Special Counsel Mueller to its conclusion, whatever it may be,' reads the open letter signed by officials including former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, former State Department counselor Eliot Cohen and former George W. Bush administration ethics lawyer Richard Painter.

Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who served under the Obama administration, was among the former government officials who signed his name to an open letter about Mueller

Former George W. Bush administration ethics lawyer Richard Painter signed the open letter

The letters come as Mueller's team is facing heightened scrutiny in recent weeks following reports that two FBI officials who would later be assigned to the special counsel's investigation called Trump an 'idiot' and 'loathsome human' in a series of text messages last year.

Peter Strzok, a veteran FBI counterintelligence agent, was removed from Mueller's team in late July, following the discovery of text messages exchanged with Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer who was also detailed this year to the group of agents and prosecutors investigating potential coordination between Russia and Trump's Republican campaign.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel in the Russia probe in May.

Allies of the president have seized on the messages and other details about Mueller's team to allege it is biased against Trump.

Trump has repeatedly called investigations into his campaign a 'witch hunt' fueled by Democrats still angry about his election win.

Still, Trump and White House officials have said recently that he has no intention of firing Mueller. That decision that would likely be up to Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller.

It was recently revealed that Peter Strzok, a veteran FBI counterintelligence agent, and Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer, had sent hundreds of 'anti-Trump' text messages to each other

Mueller's investigation into Russian collusion has netted charges against four people involved with the Trump campaign and administration, including Mike Flynn (left) and Paul Manafort

Trump, however, does have the power to fire Rosenstein. If that were to happen, Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand would step into his place, CNN reported.

Fox News reported Friday that sources said Trump's legal team has an 'excellent' and 'very professional' relationship with Mueller and his team.

Mueller's investigation has so far netted charges against four people, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to launder money and failing to register as a foreign agent.
A mosque has released shocking video of a Muslim worshipper being sucker-punched by a visitor who was asking questions about Islam.

The attack took place on Friday evening when a visitor entered the Marion Mosque in Adelaide's south-west.

CCTV footage shows two men in conversation before one man suddenly punches the other man in the side of the head before walking off.

Scroll down for video

A mosque has released shocking video (pictured) of a Muslim worshipper being sucker-punched by a visitor who was asking questions about Islam

Islamic Society of South Australia president Ahmad Zreika said the attack was unprovoked.

'The man was peaceful when he entered, he was asking general questions about Islam,' Mr Zreika told Daily Mail Australia.

'Then he started asking about political issues, and the worshipper said is not informed on those issues.

'Then the man said "You have to have your own opinions" and then punched him.'

The attack took place on Friday evening when a visitor entered the Marion Mosque in Adelaide's south-west (pictured is the alleged attacker)

Mr Zreika said this is not the first time there have been incidents at the mosque, but said the experiences with the wider community have generally been good.

'This event is not going to stop us opening our doors,' he said.

It's a disappointing event and we hope it does not happen again, but we want to stay open to make a more inclusive Australia and interact with the community.'

A South Australia Police spokesperson said: 'Sturt Police are investigating an assault that occurred at a Park Holme mosque about 9.30pm on Friday 22 December.

'The victim was punched to the face and sustained facial injuries.

'He was treated at the scene by paramedics. The suspect is not known to the victim and police are making inquiries to try to identify him.'
When it comes to Christmas staples, there could hardly be anything more integral to an American festive display than trees, holly, mistletoe  and poinsettias. The iconic red-and-black plants, with their majestic leaves, are ubiquitous in the run-up to the holidays as a favorite decoration.

But many dont realize that, for decades, a single family in California had something of a monopoly on the US poinsettia business  and were practically solely responsible for the rise in popularity of the festive potted plant across the United States.

Its a fascinating legacy detailed with gusto by Paul Ecke III, whose grandfather, Paul Snr, emigrated from Germany with his family as a five-year-old in 1900. They were a family of vegetarians who had their sights set on living in Fiji, but when they reached Los Angeles  then sparsely populated and largely agricultural  they decided to stay put.

My great-grandfather, Albert, had a little apple orchard and had a little dairy  had cows and milk and all that  and he started dabbling in flowers, Mr Ecke tells DailyMail.com from his home in Encinitas, California. He was just trying to make his way.

He decided, you know what? Everybody is growing apples and has trees; lots of people have dairies. There are not that many people that have flowers, and flowers were somewhat rare.

Hes not sure whether it was his great-grandfather or grandfather who first had the vision to focus on poinsettias, which the family noticed were grown by the Mexican community in LA. The plants are native to Central America and flourished in southern Mexico; the Aztecs called it cuetlaxochitl and used it for a variety of purposes, including medicine, textiles and cosmetics.

Paul Ecke III's took over his family poinsettia business in 1991; his father and grandfather - who had emigrated to the US from Germany in 1900 - worked tirelessly to corner the market

Poinsettias are native to Central America and were first introduced to the United States in 1828 by the first US Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinestt

Paul Ecke Jnr poses at the family ranch in Encinitas, California, which served as the headquarters of their operation; he was instrumental in marketing poinsettias, ensuring they were featured as a festive must-have on Christmas television specials and in magazines

Paul Ecke Snr in a field of outdoor poinsettias; he and his family realized there was no specific 'Christmas flower' and decided to promote the red-and-green plants as exactly that

The plant was introduced to the United States in 1828 by the first US Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who sent a few back to his hothouses in Greenville, South Carolina and began growing the plants  which would come to take his name.

When the Ecke family decided to focus their business on the plant, they did  as Mr Ecke says  have a wider vision for the stunning red-and-green plants. They eventually relocated further south to Encinitas as the business grew.

Christmas didnt have a flower; probably no holiday had a flower in those days, he tells DailyMail.com. So they said, you know what? Lets make the poinsettia the Christmas flower. Theres no place you apply for that; it just happens. They just decided to promote that.

His father, Paul Ecke Jnr, would prove a pivotal figure in this promotion; Mr Ecke describes him as a marketing genius, in some ways.

Womens magazines of the Sixties and Seventies  would have these elaborate Christmas editions; theyd have a Christmas tree, a decorated fireplace, decorated table and a kitchen, Mr Ecke says. My dad would get these magazines  or my mom, probably  and would say, wheres the poinsettias?

After contacting the publications, the family realized that the photo shoots were often set up in the summer  and poinsettias are a winter blooming flower. But that did not deter Paul Ecke Jnr.

He goes, Well, okay, what if I figure out a way to provide you poinsettias in July? Would you use them? They said, Wed love to use them.

Then he started a program of blooming poinsettias out of season, which is not that hard to do. Its a little tricky, but its not hard  you just have to provide the proper day length and bring the poinsettias into bloom in July.

Then he started providing plants to all these magazines, which then in turn started producing these photo shoots that had poinsettias in them. People would see these poinsettias in the shops, and it was subliminal advertising  people would see it and theyd go, Hmm, my house doesnt look like that, because I dont have those red flowers. That really helped pump up the volume for poinsettias.

Paul Ecke III is keen to point out that, contrary to the belief of many, the poinsettia is not poisonous if ingested by humans

But Ecke Jnrs enterprising did not stop with print publications. He made a run at the big leagues: television.

In the olden days  meaning the Seventies, Eighties  they did these things called Christmas specials, Mr Ecke tells DailyMail.com. Ronald Reagan did a Christmas special, Dinah Shore, all these other celebrities of the day did Christmas specials  and they also shot in September or some other time than Christmas. And he figured that, cracked that code, and provided poinsettias for all of those shows. So here you go  now youve got poinsettias in the background, and that was great.

He also did it for shows like Johnny Carson, the Tonight Show  which gave shout-outs to the Ecke Ranch from Encinitas.

That was another part of my dads marketing prowess, Mr Ecke says. You put poinsettias in enough places where people think its normal, then in order for their house to be normal and festive, then youve got to have poinsettias.

Mr Ecke III, now 62, fondly remembers growing up amongst the plants with his two younger sisters on the family ranch in Encinitas.

The ranch was in the middle of the poinsettia operation, and so you really couldnt separate family life with work life  and my dads office was across the patio, 20 feet away, so he was always working. And we grew up playing in and around the barns and on the tractors in the fields, he says.

The first memories Ive got is growing up with poinsettias all around our house  and then, during Christmas season, starting in November, mid to late November, things got crazy.

As the business boomed, and the Ecke family had a 90 percent market share of the poinsettia industry up until the 1990s  because they had perfected a grafting technique to create fuller, compact plants. That set them apart from other growers and they assiduously obtained patents for the new varieties they developed.

But in the early 1990s, right after Mr Ecke III bought the company from his family, disaster struck  against the backdrop of the rise of big box stores and increased competition.

About two months after I bought the company, I open up a scientific journal, and theres an article about some guy in Minnesota, a grad student, who stumbled upon this [grafting] technique, and he just published it for all the world to see  and its like, Oh my god, that is not good news for me, Mr Ecke tells DailyMail.com.

Itd be a little bit like somebody just figured out how Apple encryption technology worked, and just published that  and Apple would have a heart attack, he says.

It was a heart-wrenching period, because here I am  I just took on a bunch of debt to buy a company, now my competitive advantage has certainly been compromised. It turned out okay at the end, because we actually ended up getting  like a lot of companies that have competition  they end up getting better. So we did okay for a while.

He adds, with a wry chuckle, that hes still never met the man in Minnesota who inadvertently shared the Ecke family technique.

Thats one thing on my bucket list  I want to meet this guy, he says.

Paul Ecke Snr and his wife, Magdalena, pose amongst their crops; the family patented numerous varieties of poinsettia over the years and retained 90 percent market share because of a secret grafting technique

Paul Ecke Snr in a barn packing bare root poinsettias; the plant went on to become the number one potted plant in America

Paul Ecke Snr, right, stands by as bare root poinsettias are boxed up and on the way to the Encinitas Railroad Station

Paul Ecke Snr and his wife, Magdalena, at the first family ranch house in Encinitas, California

The Ecke Ranch developed many varieties of poinsettia such as this one, called JingleBells TM

It took about five years for competitors to develop the grafting technique, he says, and eventually he decided to move operations off-shore to cut costs.

We ended up buying land in Guatemala, and we had a workforce down there of 700 people, Mr Ecke says. It actually worked out really well for us, but it changed our business here. Here we did mostly R and D, breeding new varieties of poinsettias, headquarters work, taking orders, that kind of stuff.

Mr Ecke continued to diversify his business and help it evolve, but he says that, in 2012, he made the very difficult decision to sell the poinsettia empire to the Agribio Group of Holland.

A whole bunch of things were converging, he tells DailyMail.com. The big box revolution, with Costco, Home Depot, Lowes, Target, those guys built the volumes up but drove the prices down. It made our growers less profitable, and then they pushed us to sell cuttings cheaper  at the end of the day, it just got to be less fun.

I was looking around, and I was one of a few, what I would call, breeder-producers. We bred flowers and we produced flowers and sold it to growers. So when I looked around, most of my family business colleagues, they didnt even have to be in poinsettias  geraniums, other types of flowers  when I looked around, I wasnt the last one, but I was one of the last guys standing. Most other people had sold out to the big guys, the consolidators.

He adds: The other thing is, I wasnt seeing in my kids  if I had asked them to take over the business, my son, yeah, he probably wouldve out of obligation, but you know what? I wouldnt think that was fair to him. And I wanted him to do what he wanted to do. Now hes an engineer with an aerospace company and happy.

While Mr Ecke is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the poinsettia business, his passion for the plant and his familys place in US Christmas history is undeniable  and they remain heavily involved in the Encinitas community which became something of a de facto poinsettia US headquarters. Their horticultural pursuits, continue, as well, such as the Flower Fields tourist attraction at Carlsbad Ranch about 20 minutes north of Encinitas.

But theres one point about poinsettias which is of particular importance to Mr Ecke, who seems exasperated whenever the topic is brought up: hes determined to teach people that the plants are not, in fact, poisonous to people.

Thats what an old wives tale is, Mr Ecke - who will happily ingest poinsettias in frotn of people to prove his point - tells DailyMail.com. My dad actually did a study, because he was exasperated, also. And he did a study with emergency room doctors in the US  and said, OK, has anybody ever died? No. People have come in there and theyve said, Oh my God, my kid or my husband or whatever ate a poinsettia leaf. Nobody died. Nobody ever even got sick.

I dont recommend people eat their Christmas decorations, their tree, their pine cones  mistletoe actually is poisonous; nobody has ever died from a poinsettia. But for some reason, the myth started.
NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless II died at the age of 80 on Thursday in California; McCandless is seen here aboard the space shuttle Discovery in April 1990

The first person to fly freely and untethered in space, has died at the age of 80.

NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless II died on Thursday in California, NASA's Johnson Space Center announced Friday. No cause of death was given.

McCandless was famously photographed in 1984 flying with a hefty spacewalkers jetpack, alone in the cosmic blackness above Earth, while becoming the very first astronaut to fly unattached to this spacecraft in a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU).

He traveled more than 300 feet away from the space shuttle Challenger during that historic spacewalk.

McCandless said he was not nervous about the mission, and the he was 'grossly over-trained.'

'I was just anxious to get out there and fly. I felt very comfortable,' he told the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo., in 2006.

McCandless was famously photographed in Feb. 1984 at age 47 flying with a hefty spacewalkers jetpack, unattached to this spacecraft in a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU)

While making history, the retired US Navy Captain was also making jokes.

'My wife [Bernice] was at mission control, and there was quite a bit of apprehension,' he wrote in 2015.

'I wanted to say something similar to Neil [Armstrong] when he landed on the moon, so I said, "It may have been a small step for Neil, but its a heck of a big leap for me." That loosened the tension a bit'

McCandless is seen her with STS-41B crew members; Front (L-R): Vance' D. Brand; Robert Gibson; Back (L-R); BACK L-R: Robert Stewart; Ronald McNair; Bruce McCandless

McCandless is seen here, wearing a Shuttle Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Suit with Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) in Houston in 1982

McCandless helped develop the jetpack and was later part of the shuttle crew that delivered the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit.

He also served as the Mission Control capsule communicator in Houston as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon in 1969.

NASA shared on Friday, in a tweet:

'Were saddened by the loss of retired astronaut Bruce McCandless II. Most known for being the 1st human to free-float on a shuttle spacewalk, he also served as the Apollo 11 moonwalkers link to mission control and helped launch [the Hubble Telescope].'

McCandless logged over 312 hours in space, including four hours of MMU flight time.

Astronaut Bruce McCandless logged over 312 hours in space, including four hours of MMU flight time; He died Thursday at age 80 in California

McCandless is seen here with the STS-31 crew of five in April 1990, including (left to right) Charles F. Bolden, pilot; Steven A. Hawley, mission specialist; Loren J. Shriver, commander; McCandless, mission specialist; and Kathryn D. Sullivan, mission specialist

McCandless uses a nitrogen jet-propelled backpack, a Manned Manuevering Unit, outside the space shuttle Challenger on Feb. 12, 1984

Born in Boston on June 8, 1937, McCandless moved to California during his youth and graduated from Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in Long Beach.

McCandless graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a bachelor of science degree in 1958.

In 1965, he earned a masters degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

He also received a masters degree in business administration from the University of Houston at Clear Lake in 1987.

As a naval aviator, he took part in the Cuban blockade in the 1962 missile crisis.

McCandless was selected as one of just 19 individuals for astronaut training during the Gemini program in April 1966, and he was a backup pilot for the first manned Skylab mission in 1973.

McCandless performs untethered extra-vehicular activity (EVA) using an MMU during the Space Shuttle Challenger's mission STS-41-B, in Feb. 1984

McCandless is seen here training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX in 1990

Mccandless during a spacewalk during the STS-41-B Mission, on Feb. 7, 1984

He received many awards, including the following:

The Legion of Merit (1988); Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal (1985); National Defense Service Medal; American Expeditionary Service Medal; NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1974); American Astronautical Society Victor A. Prather Award (1975 & 1985); NASA Space Flight Medal (1984); NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal (1985); National Aeronautic Association Collier Trophy (1985); Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum Trophy (1985).

McCandless was awarded one patent for the design of a tool tethering system that was used during shuttle spacewalks.

He is survived by his wife, Ellen Shields McCandless of Conifer, Colorado; his son, Bruce McCandless III of Austin, Texas and his wife, Patricia; his daughter, Tracy McCandless, of Islamorada, Florida, and two granddaughters, Emma Rose and Carson Clare McCandless of Austin. He is also survived by a brother, Douglas M. McCandless of Washington, D.C., and two sisters, Sue M. Woodridge of Texas, and Rosemary V. McCandless of Dallas, Texas.
A Canadian father has been charged with murdering his wife and his two young daughters.

Jacob Daniel Forman, 34, was charged with three counts of second-degree murder after the three bodies were found inside the family's Kelowna home on Tuesday.

Police have not revealed how his wife, Clara, and two daughters, eight-year-old Karina and seven-year-old Yesenia, were killed, but court documents show the murders appear to have been committed on Sunday.

Jacob Daniel Forman, 34 (second from right), has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of his wife, Clara (far left), and two daughters, eight-year-old Karina (second from left) and seven-year-old Yesenia (far right)

Police have not revealed how the three victims were killed, but court documents show the murders appear to have been committed on Sunday. The three bodies were found inside the family's Kelowna home in British Columbia on Tuesday (Pictured, left and right, Jacob with his two daughters)

According to CTV Vancouver, Clara and Jacob met and were married in Mexico, where Jacob was training to become a pastor at the time.

The couple then moved to Kelowna about 10 years ago, and Clara became a fitness instructor. Jacob is a supervisor for a plumbing company and a devout Christian with a leadership role at his small church.

David Patchell-Evans, founder of GoodLife Fitness, where Clara worked, said she was a beloved fitness instructor and offered his sympathies to friends and family members in a statement.

'She touched so many lives through the classes that she taught and through all of the positive interactions she had with associates and members in our club,' he said. 'She will be greatly missed.'

Jacob appeared in court on Thursday where the judge ordered him to be held in custody. He will return to court via video link on January 18 (Pictured, from left to right: Yesenia, Clara, Karina and Jacob)

Clara and Jacob (right) met and were married in Mexico. The couple then moved to Kelowna about 10 years ago, and Clara became a fitness instructor, and Jacob (left) a supervisor for a plumbing company as well as a devout Christian with a leadership role at his small church

A memorial has been assembled at the family's home with neighbors placing teddy bears and flowers outside (Pictured, Yesenia, left, and Karina, right).

Jacob appeared in court on Thursday where the judge ordered him to be held in custody, according to Global News. He will return to court via video link on January 18.

His lawyer, Glenn Verdurmen, addressed the charges outside the courthouse on Thursday.

'Obviously he's facing the worst possible thing he could be facing at this point in time,' Verdurmen told CTV Vancouver.

'I can't really speak for him, but he's obviously holding up in court today, and I'm able to take instructions from him.'

A memorial has been assembled at the family's home with neighbors placing teddy bears and flowers outside.

'They were just very nice people,' care-aid Gail Baran, who works next door to the Forman home, told Global News.

'You would never ever think that from that family. They were very down to earth people. He would go to work every day and appeared to be such a gentleman. It's a shock for all of us here.'
The days when every town would have a police station and every village its own bobby have long gone as a result of cutbacks, technology and modern working practices.

But critics now fear the situation has become so dire that victims of crime are being fobbed off with gimmicks such as virtual police officers and police surgeries in cafes.

Police buildings worth millions of pounds have been sold or closed to the public. Chief constables claim people dont want to walk into a station to ask for help, and are instead introducing touch-screen contact points or sending officers to cafes or libraries.

Chief constables claim people dont want to walk into a station to ask for help, and are instead introducing touch-screen contact points

They say many people would often rather call or email the police.

But now a Daily Mail investigation reveals that these alternatives have left the public desperately short-changed. It found:

Screen where you speak to a PC eight miles away A videolink machine used to contact a virtual policeman is the latest bid to replace traditional stations with cheaper alternatives. Nottinghamshire Police swapped its old station in Eastwood, which closed in 2014, for a webcam, where locals can speak to an officer eight miles away. Nottinghamshire Police replaced its old station in Eastwood for a webcam But although the force pitched it as a way to have police and town council services in one place, many didnt even know the screen was there. Residents branded it a gimmick, pointing out that it is hidden inside a council office. When it was launched in August, one senior officer said: The contact point will maintain the virtual front counter service. In times of reduced resources and fewer police premises we are delighted to maintain a visible and accessible presence in Eastwood. But resident Karen Walker, 47, said: Ive never heard of it, but I dont think speaking to someone on a computer screen is the same as a real-life conversation at all. The force pitched the webcam as a way to have police and town council services in one place, but many didnt know the screen was there Nottinghamshire Police Inspector Steven Wragg said the original front counter was closed as it only had five visitors a month. He added: Accordingly weve adapted to how best we engage with the community by providing the advice centre, online reporting, 101, while also retaining some front counter services where footfall is greater. Advertisement

Women reporting being raped or trying to escape domestic abuse during sessions staffed by community volunteers in a public library;

One force asking people to speak to an officer through a video-link machine tucked away in council offices;

Officers hosting cuppa with a copper sessions in cafes are playing computer games when no one turns up;

A police counter was replaced by a touch screen  that was found to be out of order.

The number of stations with front counters where the public can talk face to face with officers has been slashed by almost half in seven years  from 901 in 2010 to just 510 now.

Many communities fought to stop the fire sale of irreplaceable town centre stations, fearing it would lead to rising crime. But in London, Mayor Sadiq Khan is closing dozens of counters, leaving just one station open to the public 24 hours a day in every borough.

His decision is mirrored across the UK as forces install civilian staff in other public buildings.

Paul Kohler, 58, a senior lecturer in law at the University of London, has grave reservations about replacing police counters with visits to a cafe.

He began campaigning for police stations to remain open after his life was saved by officers who raced to his house from nearby Wimbledon police station in south London to confront a gang of robbers who burst in and attacked him.

Mr Kohler said: Experiment, yes, but dont carry on things that dont work. There must be proper research and an evidence-based approach.

Our investigation into police contact events this week showed anyone who wanted to speak to local police had to deal with broken technology, bored officers and unsuitable venues.

The counter at Dorchester Police Station in Dorset is no longer open to the public  so those wanting a face-to-face meeting can speak to volunteers such as Terri Gill, 66, two days a week at the library.

She said: Weve had a domestic violence victim come in who was fleeing her partner, and her three children all aged under six were in the car. Another lady reported a rape. In that situation we would go somewhere more private and the police would handle the matter.

In Snaresbrook, east London, officers sent to cafes for cuppa with a copper sessions were left playing computer games on their phones when just one person turned up in 80 minutes.

Next year, Redbridge in east London will have just one police station, despite soaring levels of violence and knife crime.

Meanwhile, senior officers in Cheshire praised computer touch screens installed outside police stations so people could web chat with staff. But residents complained they were so complicated that even tech-savvy teenagers would struggle to use them.

In Knutsford, toy shop owner Stuart Andrews said: From an older persons point of view  particularly if they are in some sort of panic  are they going to be able to use this?

Chief constables claim people dont want to walk into a station to ask for help, and are instead sending officers to cafes

In Frodsham, 20 miles away, a touch screen was installed at a fire station, but was not working when the Mail checked it.

Ieva Rozentala, 33, said: If I had to use it, I wouldnt know where to start, especially if I was already stressed. Having a police station makes people feel safe  this box doesnt.

Retired council worker Alan Buckley, 70, said: If an elderly person was mugged, what would they do? Would they be able to use it? They want to see someone in person, not options on a screen. On Thursday, three officers spent 85 minutes waiting at the Sparrow Cafe in Chiswick, west London, but no one came.

The neighbouring police station closed this month. Local councillor Robert Oulds said: Meeting police in a coffee shop does suggest people may feel their issues arent going to be taken seriously. In Caerwys, North Wales, a police community support officer (PCSO) held a Christmas cuppa with a copper event advertised on Facebook but left early because no one attended. The idea was criticised by resident Sandra Evans 66, who said: Some think it is too open  they do not want to discuss their concerns in a public space. At the library in Frome, Somerset, an officer waited all afternoon without anyone speaking to him.

Anne Smith, 63, said: The last time I was here I could completely overhear a conversation going on at the police desk  it could do with being a bit more private.

Police buildings worth millions of pounds have been sold or closed to the public and critics fear that victims are being fobbed off with the gimmick of 'virtual police officers'

Police forces said the meetings and contact points were not a replacement for traditional policing.

Janette McCormick, Acting Chief Constable of Cheshire Police, said: The contact points form part of a wider project looking at all aspects of public contact as we seek to meet the needs of the communities we serve.

But former police officer Norman Brennan, 58, who campaigns on behalf of victims, said: Measures such as these are a downward spiral and will deter many from reporting crime. Sadly, I can only see things getting worse.

Dorset Police said: Officers remain based at stations that no longer have an enquiry office. They can meet the public there when an appointment has been made.

The Met Police added: We are redesigning our services to be focused on what people want.
Harvey Weinstein is unlikely to face sexual assault charges in Los Angeles because investigators are struggling to find evidence in numerous cases

Harvey Weinstein is unlikely to face sexual assault charges in Los Angeles because investigators are struggling to find evidence in numerous cases, it was reported on Friday.

LAPD detectives assigned to the multiple investigations of Weinstein have yet to gather enough evidence that prosecutors can use to bring an indictment, sources told TMZ.

The fact that these alleged crimes took place years ago makes it especially hard for police to amass evidence.

It's all one-on-one, a law enforcement source familiar with the LAPD investigations told TMZ.

The woman says she was sexually assaulted or raped and he denies it. Even if the woman told others after the fact, it's just not enough.

When the alleged crimes took place, there simply wasnt the level of public surveillance that there is today, sources told TMZ.

If there was video of a woman leaving Weinstein's hotel room crying, that would be powerful, but most of the hotels back then didn't have video and if they did, it was erased a long time ago, TMZ quoted a source as saying.

Police also do not have a medical report that includes evidence of rape or sexual assault.

In October, an Italian model-actress alleged that Weinstein raped her in a hotel in 2013. The woman, who has not been identified, told the LAPD that the incident took place inside her hotel room at the Mr C Beverly Hills (seen above)

A report that would offer an indication of vaginal tearing, for example, would greatly aid the police investigation. However, no such report has yet to surface.

As things stand now, the district attorney will decline to prosecute the cases  even though authorities in LA are reportedly eager to try a high profile figure in a sex crimes case in order to make a point, according to TMZ.

In October, an Italian model-actress spoke to LAPD detectives for over two hours during which she alleged that Weinstein raped her in a hotel in 2013.

The woman, who has not been identified, told the LAPD that the incident took place inside her hotel room at the Mr C Beverly Hills.

Actor Ed Westwick (seen above at the People's Choice Awards 2016 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles) is being investigated by the LAPD for allegedly raping an actress, Kristina Cohen (right), at his home three years ago

'He ... bullied his way into my hotel room, saying, "I'm not going to [have sex with] you, I just want to talk",' the alleged victim told the Los Angeles Times.

'Once inside, he asked me questions about myself, but soon became very aggressive and demanding and kept asking to see me naked.'

The actress then stated: 'He grabbed me by the hair and forced me to do something I did not want to do. He then dragged me to the bathroom and forcibly raped me.'

She is keeping her identity private at this time for the sake of her three children, and reveals that she showed Weinstein photos of them at one point during the alleged assault in hopes that it would convince him to stop.

She is the sixth woman to accuse Weinstein of rape, joining actresses Rose McGowan, Asia Argento and Lysette Anthony, then-college student Lucia Evans and an unnamed woman who detailed her alleged assault in The New Yorker.

Weinstein has denied the allegations.

Last month, the LA Times reported that the LAPD launched a second investigation against Weinstein.

An unidentified woman came forward to accuse the film producer of lewd acts that were allegedly committed in 2015. No further details of the alleged crime were forthcoming.

Murray Miller (left), a writer for the HBO dramedy Girls, is also the subject of an LAPD investigation after an actress came forward to allege he raped her in 2012

The cases involving Weinstein arent the only ones that are proving difficult for investigators.

TMZ says that the LAPD is running into the same problems in its other probes.

The LAPD is also investigating claims that Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick raped an actress at his home three years ago.

The department also confirmed it is investigating actor Corey Feldman's claims about a Hollywood pedophile ring.

Murray Miller, a writer for the HBO dramedy Girls, is also the subject of an LAPD investigation after an actress came forward to allege he raped her in 2012.

The LAPD also confirmed it is investigating actor Corey Feldman's claims about a Hollywood pedophile ring. Feldman is seen above during an appearance on NBC television in October

In late October, 20-year-old actor Tyler Cornell filed a criminal complaint against former Hollywood agent Tyler Grasham, the LA Times reported.

Grasham has been accused of criminal sodomy by Cornell as well as other young men. He is also being investigated by authorities in the United Kingdom for similar alleged crimes.

Last month, the LA Times reported that the LAPD has opened 28 investigations against Hollywood and media figures who have been accused of sex crimes.

In addition, the department has referred nearly 40 other sex crimes reports to other law enforcement agencies.

In addition to LA, Weinstein is being investigated in New York, Beverly Hills, and London.

Scores of women have come forward to accuse Weinstein of sex crimes ranging from assault, rape, harassment, and others.

Since the Weinstein allegations surfaced thanks to bombshell reports in The New York Times and The New Yorker, hundreds of women and a handful of men have come forward to make similar accusations against powerful figures in Hollywood, the media, politics, sports, and other industries.


Britains economy has fared better than previously thought since the vote to leave the European Union, official figures reveal.

The Office for National Statistics said it grew at an annual rate of 1.7 per cent in the third quarter of this year, up from the 1.5 per cent it had previously recorded.

And in a set of unexpected revisions, the ONS also upgraded its growth figures for 2016, thanks to a stronger six months following the referendum.

The 1.9 per cent growth rate recorded last year put the UK alongside Germany as the best-performing economy in the G7 in 2016.

Between July and September this year manufacturers enjoyed their best quarter since early 2011 as exports soared. Analysts said the figures mean the latest forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility, Bank of England and IMF now look too pessimistic.

The Office for National Statistics said the UK economy grew at an annual rate of 1.7 per cent in the third quarter of this year, up from the 1.5 per cent it had previously recorded

However, household spending rose by just 1 per cent  its weakest pace since 2012. The report came just a day after the ONS said government borrowing has fallen to a ten-year low as tax receipts pour in. Earlier this week, the pro-Brussels Confederation of British Industry said manufacturing order books are at a 30-year high in a further sign that the country continues to prosper ahead of Brexit.

And the ONS last week said unemployment has fallen to a 42-year low of 4.3 per cent.

Ian Stewart, chief economist at Deloitte, said: The UKs performance has been rather better than the gloomy talk would suggest. Growth has come in stronger than expected a year ago and the pace of activity has edged up since July.

The ONS report showed the UK clocked up growth of 0.3 per cent in the first quarter of this year and again in the second quarter before expansion of 0.4 per cent in third quarter.

Factory output was 3.3 per cent higher than a year earlier, while exports jumped 8.3 per cent. The Ernst & Young Item Club raised its growth forecasts for the full year from 1.6 per cent to 1.7 per cent while Scotiabank pencilled in 1.8 per cent.

That compares with 1.5 per cent expansion predicted by the OBR in the Budget last month and the 1.6 per cent forecast by the Bank of England and IMF.

Delivering her doom-laden outlook for the UK this week, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said Brexit was already having an impact on the economy even though the UK is not expected to leave the EU until 2019.

But Scotiabank economist Alan Clarke said: It is really quite a pleasant end to the year. The IMF got loads of headlines for downgrading their forecasts, but they should have waited for this data.
Andy Hornby (pictured) is set to make up to 10million from the sale of Britain's biggest bookmaker

The disgraced former banker who took HBOS to the brink of collapse is to make up to 10million from the sale of Britains biggest bookmaker.

Andy Hornby, who as chief executive oversaw the banks demise in the financial crisis following years of reckless lending, is now chief operating officer at Ladbrokes Coral.

The bookie yesterday agreed to be bought by an online firm based in the Isle of Man in a deal worth up to 4billion.

The takeover by GVC Holdings, which owns Foxy Bingo, Party Poker and Sportingbet, values Mr Hornbys 4.83million shares in Ladbrokes Coral at as much as 10million.

Dating back to 1886, Ladbrokes is the oldest bookmaker in the world and was known as the Queen Mothers favourite bookie.

Mr Hornby, 50, will become one of two chief operating officers at GVC when the deal is completed.

Although his pay has not been disclosed, he is likely to earn millions in a job that will see him run the companys 3,500-plus betting shops in the UK.

Stefan Stern, director of the High Pay Centre, said: In light of the HBOS collapse, which he was at the heart of, people will raise their eyebrows at such enormous rewards while the rest of us are still dealing with the aftermath of the financial crisis.

Mr Hornbys past could still come back to haunt him. The Financial Conduct Authority, the City watchdog, is investigating certain former HBOS senior managers over the demise of the bank.

Mr Hornby took HBOS (pictured: HBOS headquarters) to the brink of collapse and left his role in disgrace in 2009

He has been heavily criticised for his role in the meltdown at HBOS before its takeover by Lloyds, which led to Lloyds being bailed out with 20.5billion of taxpayers money.

Mr Hornby left HBOS in disgrace in 2009, later joining Gala Coral. He took over as chief operating officer of Ladbrokes Coral following the 2.3billion the merger of the two betting titans last year.

The final price tag for GVCs takeover of Ladbrokes Coral will depend on the Governments review into fixed-odds betting terminals  nicknamed the crack cocaine of gambling because of their addictive nature.

If ministers cut the maximum bet on the machines from the current level of 100 to 2, GVC will pay 3.2billion, while the price will rise to 4billion if the limit is only cut to 50.
A Brisbane high school has been accused of 'indoctrinating' students by asking them to complete assignments on changing the Australian flag and criticising US President Donald Trump.

Parents of students at Kenmore State High School in Brisbane, Queensland, have complained of overtly political homework assignments which they say have no place in the classroom.

One particular assignment asked students to argue 'persuasively' in favour of Australia having a new flag, Sky News reports.

Parents of students at Kenmore State High School in Brisbane, Queensland, (pictured) have complained of overtly political homework assignments which they say have no place in the classroom

One particular assignment asked students to argue 'persuasively' in favour of Australia having a new flag (pictured), Sky News reports

'I was really incensed because all these reasons for changing the flag were very political,' said Marion Tomes, grandmother to a male student at Kenmore State High School.

The criteria of the assignment read as followed: 'Write a persuasive speech that explains and justifies the design of your new flag and how it represents contemporary Australia.'

Another 'politicised' assignment Ms Tomes objected to was her grandson's English homework which asked him to write about saving Antarctica from melting.

The woman's granddaughter also previously attended the high-school, but she has since left after Ms Tomes took issue with the curriculum.

Ms Tomes said her granddaughter was given a year seven assignment on Donald Trump's proposed Mexican wall.

Ms Tomes said her granddaughter was given a year seven assignment on Donald Trump's (pictured) proposed Mexican wall

'I was really incensed because all these reasons for changing the flag were very political,' said Marion Tomes, grandmother to a male student at Kenmore State High School (pictured is the Australian flag)

The woman's granddaughter also previously attended the high-school, but she has since left after Ms Tomes took issue with the curriculum (Pictured is an assignment)

She claims the teacher threatened bad marks to anyone who had positive things to say about the US President.

'The teacher did say that anyone who says a good word about Donald Trump won't get a good mark,' Ms Tomes added.

Author and former teacher Mark Lopez echoes Ms Tomes' concerns and said is it not uncommon for Australian students be taught with a fierce political bias.

'Absolutely typical of what goes on in the Australian education system... one side only. Politically correct left-wing view,' Mr Lopez told Sky News.

However the Queensland Department of Education and Training said in a statement that the examples of study are 'aligned to the intent of the Australian curriculum'.
During a trip to Moscow, Boris Johnson (pictured) said maintaining full alignment with EU rules would make a mockery of Brexit

Keeping Britain shackled to EU laws after Brexit would be madness, Boris Johnson warned yesterday.

The Foreign Secretary said the Brussels way of regulation cannot keep pace with the needs of the high-growth industries of the future.

He said this argument was gaining ground in the Cabinet as Theresa May consults ministers over the type of deal she should try to strike with Brussels.

And he revealed he will make a big speech on the issue early next year in a bid to gain public and political support for making a clean break from Brussels.

During a trip to Moscow, Mr Johnson said maintaining full alignment with EU rules would make a mockery of Brexit.

I think the argument is gaining ground that it really would be madness to leave without taking back control of your regulatory freedoms, he said.

Mr Johnson said that in fast-growing areas like technology, artificial intelligence and driverless cars we may just want to do things differently from the EU.

He said the world is moving away from the idea of regional blocs with very densely integrated legal systems.

What people want to see is a much freer approach with global standards and individuals and companies being able to trade and negotiate more freely, he said.

Thats where we should be going.

Mr Johnson is leading the charge in the Cabinet for a clean break from the EU.

During talks this week he faced resistance from Chancellor Philip Hammond and Home Secretary Amber Rudd, who fear moving too far from EU regulations could damage existing export markets.

Mr Johnson was backed by Michael Gove and Liam Fox. They argue that Brussels red tape helps explain why Europe has failed to produce a technology giant like Microsoft or Google.

He said this argument was gaining ground in the Cabinet as Theresa May consults ministers over the type of deal she should try to strike with Brussels and Jean-Claude Juncker

Mrs May reserved her position on the matter, telling ministers there would be further discussions before she reaches a final view.

After the meeting an ally of Mr Johnson conceded he had more work to do to convince Mrs May he was right.

He now plans to take the argument public with a major speech. This will underline fears Brexit could be watered down by pro-Remain ministers in the coming weeks.

His decision will alarm Downing Street, which blocked his last big speech on Europe.

This weeks Cabinet meeting reached a broad agreement that the UK should be free to diverge in some areas after Brexit.

ministers remain a long way apart on how ambitious we should be, amid worries about a future trade deal.
The sight of a saltwater croc would have most people running for their lives, but one tiny terrier refuses to be intimidated.

Dumb Blonde, a pet pooch living on Goat Island on the Adelaide River in the heart of Australia's Northern Territory, has been standing her ground for years.

The courageous canine has made a name for herself chasing crocodiles into the water, as stunning video footage shows.

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The sight of a saltwater croc (pictured) would have most people running for their lives, but one tiny terrier refuses to be intimidated

Dumb Blonde (pictured), a pet pooch living on Goat Island on the Adelaide River in the heart of Australia's Northern Territory, has been standing her ground for years

Dumb Blonde can be seen barking at a 3.3 metre maneater before charging at it and forcing it to retreat into the river.

As guests at Goat Island Lodge look on in horror, the brave little dog runs at the crocodile while the island's owner Kai Hansen laughs in delight.

Apparently unaware it could eat the canine in one bite, the crocodile turns around and dives into the water instead, with Dumb Blonde trying to bite its tail.

Mr Hansen told Daily Mail Australia the 10-year-old dog - a West Highland White Terrier Australian Terrier cross - has been doing it for years.

The courageous canine has made a name for herself chasing crocodiles into the water, as stunning video footage shows (pictured)

Dumb Blonde can be seen barking at a 3.3 metre maneater before charging at it and forcing it to retreat into the river

'It started when she chased Casey [one of the island's 'pet' crocs] off one year and she just loves it,' said Mr Hansen.

'At first I was worried but I can't stop her - the only way to stop her would be to hold her all day.

'Casey's a big girl but she doesn't know what to do when Dumb Blonde bites her tail, and that's what she does!'

Mr Hansen told Daily Mail Australia the 10-year-old dog (pictured) - a West Highland White Terrier Australian Terrier cross - has been doing it for years

Mr Hansen (pictured, left) is not concerned about the carnivorous reptilian visitors, although he admits one got into the chicken coop last week

Mr Hansen is not concerned about the carnivorous reptilian visitors, although he admits one got into the chicken coop last week.

'Fred [the crocodile] got into the chook pen and tried to eat Centrelink [one of the chickens], but they're fine,' he said.

Mr Hansen's remote getaway is famous for being politically incorrect, and he said the hen was named Centrelink by a guest, an Aboriginal police officer from Katherine.

As for Dumb Blonde, she used to be called Pippa, but Mr Hansen said the name stuck after she started taking crocodiles by the tail.
A 16-year-old teen is being hailed as brave after detailing her account of being raped by a South Carolina religious leader, leading to other women coming forward and him being arrested.

Natosha Lehr described in a since-deleted, heartbreaking YouTube video about she was being forced to attend the church of Pastor Ralph Gordon Stair.

She claimed was sexually assaulted by Stair while working at his compound for five months.

Stair, also known as Brother RG Stair, was arrested by Colleton County sheriff's deputies on Monday morning on charges including criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, burglary and assault, reported The Post and Courier.

Stair, a radio evangelist who leads the Overcomer Ministry in Walterboro, has gained notoriety for his preachings, which are broadcast to radio stations around the world.

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Natosha Lehr, 16 (left), described in a YouTube video how she was assaulted numerous times by Pastor Ralph Gordon Stair, 84 (right), who runs the Overcomer Ministry in Walterboro, South Carolina. Stair was arrested on Monday on charges including criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, burglary and assault

Several women have since accused Stair (pictured) of sexual assault. In one YouTube video, Stair cups and pats the breast of a 12-year-old girl as members of his church watched

Stair's commune sits on 130 acres of land about two miles off of Interstate-95. About 70 residents live in mobile homes or hand-built houses secluded from the road by a line of trees.

The followers give all 'worldly goods and monies to the Lord,' according to the ministry's website, and accept Stair as the 'last day prophet of God'.

Police began investigating multiple videos posted online in October that are no longer available.

The clips showed Stair inappropriately touching underage girls at his church such as in one where he cups and pats the breast of a 12-year-old girl as members of his church watched.

'How old are you, hon?' Stair asks the girl in the video.

When she tells him her age, he adds: 'Twelve, getting right close to it now', indicating she is close to the age where she could start having sex.

According to a man narrating the video, who said he is a former member of the church, that age is 13, reported The Christian Post.

Stair is then seen telling the girl to come to the front of the church. After making her face the congregation, he places his hand between her breasts.

'I'm gonna touch those things till nobody else can touch 'em,' he says about her breasts in the video.

Stair, a radio evangelist whose preachings are broadcast around the world, would allegedly tell the girls he touched: 'Don't you wanna please God? This is God's will. If you love God, you should do this' (Pictured, children at Overcomer Ministry)

After Lehr uploaded her account, several other women came forward to accuse Stair of sexual assault including mother-and-daughter Pamela and Hannah Brown (Pictured, women at the compound who are not any of the women accusing Stair of sexual assault)

Pamela, 44, said she was able to resist Stair's advances until an April encounter when Stair (second from right) pressured her into having sex on an outdoor path near the cafeteria. Meanwhile, Hannah, 19, said Stair groped her repeatedly over several years

In the other video, Lehr accused Stair of sexually assaulting her over the course of five months this year.

While Lehr accused the preacher of touching her butt, and lifting her shirt to touch her breasts, she said it wasn't until the fifth month that Stair took his predatory behavior even further.

'The fifth month, he asked me to go to the radio room and I didn't want to go there. I did not,' she says in the video.

Lehr says Stair began fondling her breast asking her: 'Do you feel good?' and then began rubbing her vagina.

The teen told her mother about the incidents but the alleged sexual assaults continued. Lehr confided in her 21-year-old sister, who lives out of state and encouraged her to contact authorities, reported The Post and Courier.

Lehr has since moved to Pennsylvania with relatives and said she was happy to hear about the arrest.

'Everybody's happy now,' she told the newspaper. 'I hope the whole compound actually shuts down.'

Stair's commune (pictured) sits on 130 acres of land about two miles off of Interstate-95. About 70 residents live in mobile homes or hand-built houses secluded from the road by a line of trees

The followers give all 'worldly goods and monies to the Lord,' according to the ministry's website, and accept Stair as the 'last day prophet of God'

In 2002, Stair (right) was arrested on two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct after two women claimed he raped them on numerous occasions. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery and was sentenced to time served

A mother and daughter, Pamela and Hannah Brown, also came forward, telling the Post and Courter that Stair also sexually assaulted them while they were living at the commune.

Pamela, 44, said she was able to resist Stair's advances until an April encounter when he pressured her into having sex on an outdoor path near the cafeteria.

Meanwhile, Hannah, 19, said Stair groped her repeatedly over several years and would tell her: 'Don't you wanna please God? This is God's will. If you love God, you should do this.'

Stair has been charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of first-degree assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, one count of kidnapping, one count of frist-degree burglary, one count of second-degree assault, and one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

The charges closely mirror ones brought against Stair in 2002, when he was arrested on two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct after two women claimed he raped them on numerous occasions.

Stair denied the accusations but eventually pleaded guilty to two lesser counts of misdemeanor assault and battery. He was sentenced to time served.
If you plan to catch up with friends and family at a restaurant over the holidays, prepare to shout across the dinner table.

Many of our biggest chains are noisier than a pneumatic drill, making dining out more of a battle than a pleasure.

Modern restaurant decor has been blamed for the deafening din, with the preference for trendy hard floors and minimalist seating replacing traditionally noise-muffling soft furnishings.

Diners also find themselves straining to be heard over chaotic open kitchens, thumping background music and clattering cutlery.

UK restaurants are louder than a drill according to new research. Modern restaurant decor has been blamed for the deafening din because of hard floors and no soft seating

As part of its Decibel Squad campaign, the charity Action on Hearing Loss has asked the public to take restaurant noise readings on an app to be compiled into a database of the worst offenders.

Top was Pizza Express at Royal Festival Hall on Londons South Bank, which last month hit 108.1 decibels  louder than eating next to a revving motorbike or the metallic jabber of a pneumatic drill, followed by Cote Brasserie in Camden, London.

What were the worst offenders? Pizza Express, Royal Festival Hall, London - 108.1 decibels Cote Brasseries, Camden, London - 105.3 db All Star Lanes, Holborn, London - 105.1 db TGI Fridays, Bournemouth - 103 db Advertisement

Branches of Costa Coffee, TGI Fridays and Toby Carvery were also reported to be louder than roadworks. Gemma Twitchen, senior audiologist for Action on Hearing Loss, said: We have all been in restaurants where we havent been able to hear the people around us speak over excess background noise.

'This can be frustrating and uncomfortable for anyone, but for some with hearing loss, it can be impossible to hold a conversation.

Campaigners, including Age UK, are calling for restaurants to introduce quieter areas for the benefit of older customers.

Pizza Express said it had met with Action on Hearing Loss to discuss the report, while chains including TGI Fridays, Costa and Toby Carvery said diners could ask for music to be turned down or to be moved if unhappy.

To record a restaurant noise reading click here.
Theresa May has denied she is simply Madam Brexit, declaring she is in the top job for the long term.

The Prime Minister said she is feeling optimistic and will undoubtedly deliver on a Brexit deal. But she said there are also other strings to her bow, arguing that her Government has just delivered a successful Budget and paved the way for bright years to come.

On Thursday, an interpreter for Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki referred to Mrs May as Madam Brexit in a translation broadcast live on television during a press conference in Warsaw.

Theresa May has denied she is simply 'Madam Brexit', declaring she is in the top job for the 'long term'. Pictured here visiting a UK air base in Cyprus yesterday

Mrs May was then seen smiling as she listened to the translation through her ear piece.

It was not clear if it was an accurate representation of what Mr Morawiecki said or a mistake.

The translation was made was during a joint press conference after signing a joint UK-Poland Treaty on Defence and Security Co-operation.

The PM also discussed a future trade deal with Poland ahead of crunch talks on Brexit next year.

Asked how she felt about being called Madam Brexit, she said: You might have noticed I smiled when I heard the translation of Mrs Brexit or Madam Brexit.

'Look, I am going to deliver on Brexit. That is undoubtedly the case, but I am doing other things as well.

Following Junes disastrous election result, many predicted Mrs May would not survive as prime minister beyond the end of the year and few expected her to lead the Tories to the next election.

But questioned about suggestions she might fight beyond 2022, Mrs May replied: Im in it for the long term.

An interpreter for Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki referred to Mrs May as Madam Brexit in a translation broadcast live on television during a press conference in Warsaw

As well as losing her majority, this year Mrs May has also endured three cabinet resignations and tough Brexit negotiations.

Asked if she would characterise 2017 as one of the most difficult years of her career, she said: If you look at whats happened over the past couple of months we have made sufficient progress on the Brexit negotiations, we have had a good Budget that is building a Britain that is fit for the future.

Mrs May also pointed to her Governments changes on skills, education and training, while adding that her industrial strategy was a crucial part of ensuring our economy does meet the needs of the future and is providing the jobs of the future for the people in the UK.
Found in takeaway shops across Australia, it's the condiment that gives hot chips an added joy, a mouth-watering bang and a zesty extra.

Chicken salt is adored by many, but perfecting the recipe at home comes with potentially catastrophic risk, as dousing a bowl of hot potato strips with anything but the delectable goodness is a waste of not only scrumptious food but precious time.

Fear not, just in time for Christmas the recipe behind the country's best kept secret has finally been revealed.

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Chicken salt (pictured) is adored by many and a tasty new recipe has been revealed for all to share just in time for the festive season

The recipe begins with six Tbsp of table salt (pictured left) and three Tbsp of chicken stock (right)

Next three Tbsp garlic powder (pictured) is added to the bowl for the makings of the perfect hot chips extra

The video on YouTube has been viewed 6,500 time and over 250K on Reddit (pictured right: three Tbsp of sweet paprika and left, 1.5 Tsp of white pepper)

Determined to pinpoint the exact makings of the perfect addition to a tasty bowl of hot chips, John DeCaux spent hours working on the perfect method.

'It's been about a month of trail and error before I felt I found the right flavour and balance,' Mr DeCaux told Daily Mail Australia.

The secret recipe revealed: In a bowl add: 6 Tbsp table salt 3 Tbsp chicken stock 3 Tbsp garlic powder 3 Tbsp sweet paprika 1.5 Tsp white pepper 1 Tsp onion powder 1 Tsp Celery seeds Mix Together and season your chips Advertisement

Mr DeCaux was moved to identify a specialty recipe after the success of his take on'In-N-Out's animal style fries' which include a delicious coating of onion, cheese, a special sauce and the beloved chicken salt.

'The recipe came about because I used chicken salt in another recipe and people all over the world wanted to know what it was,'

The Adelaide home chef said the response has so far been overwhelmingly positive not only from locals but across the world.

'Australian have love it and are happy to be able to make their favourite seasoning.

The recipe is completed with one Tsp onion powder and one Tsp Celery seeds

Found in takeaway shops across Australia, Chicken Salt (pictured) is the beloved extra for hot chips

'I've also had a huge response from the US where chicken salt isn't really a thing. They're finally discovering this amazing seasoning that takes chips to the next level,' he said.

In just 24 hours the video on YouTube has been viewed more than 6,500 time and has taken off on social sharing website Reddit with a whopping 250,000 views.

Mr DeCaux just hopes the recipe, which he picks as one of the 'top best foods', is enjoyed by both locals and people outside of Australia.
Prince Andrew, pictured here outside the annual Commonwealth Day service, has clocked up 100,000 miles this year

Despite stepping down as a trade envoy in 2011, Prince Andrew has not lost his love of foreign travel.

For I can reveal that, as 2017 draws to a close, Air Miles Andy has notched up no fewer than 11 overseas trips  almost doubling the six he managed in 2016.

He has clocked up 100,000 miles this year, according to his official engagements as recorded in the Court Circular. The Dukes itinerary has taken in Mexico and Monaco, Thailand and Australia, China and the U.S., as well as Canada, Turkey and Singapore.

The full cost will not be known until publication of the Royal Household Financial Statement next June, but the bill for just four of his trips last year  to Malaysia, Turkey, Mozambique and Botswana  amounted to 115,291.

A Palace spokesman says that Andrew travelled to Turkey, Singapore and Thailand at the request of the Foreign Office, while his jaunts to China, the U.S., Australia and Mexico were in connection with Pitch@Palace, the organisation he established to aid entrepreneurs. It is funded by global companies such as KPMG and Standard Chartered Bank.

Costs were met by the Pitch@ Palace global organisation, explains the spokesman, adding that the Duke travelled to Oman and Monaco in his role as chairman of trustees of Outward Bound.

The costs of those trips were met privately, as was the Dukes return to Lakefield College School, Ontario, the exclusive Canadian public school where he spent six months in 1977 as an exchange pupil from Gordonstoun, and of whose foundation trustees he is now chairman.

Andrew, 57, was obliged to stand down as Britains trade envoy following criticism of his friendship with American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and of the cost of his globe-trotting trips.

Baby comes too at MPs' wedding day

Andrew Jenkyns married fellow Tory Jack Lopresti in the crypt at the House of Commons

Andrea Jenkyns first stormed to national attention when she spectacularly unseated Labours Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls from his Morley and Outwood seat in the 2015 General Election.

Yesterday, the 43-year-old added a further footnote to parliamentary history by marrying fellow Tory Jack Lopresti, 48, MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, in the crypt at the House of Commons.

Although the couple are not the only husband-and-wife duo among current parliamentarians  the Conservatives already have Caroline Dinenage and Mark Lancaster on their benches, while Labour can sport Nick Smith and Jenny Chapman on theirs  they are undoubtedly the first to have celebrated their big day in the company of an eight-month-old son (Clifford, inset right).

A fright night for Burley?

Kay Burley, 57, was grinning ear to ear as she left a bash at a Kensington pub at 11.30pm.

Newsreader Kay Burley was in the spotlight for a very different reason on Thursday night as she launched herself into the festive spirit at a party in London.

The 57-year-old was grinning ear to ear as she left a bash at a Kensington pub at 11.30pm. Sporting a 1,250 Roland Mouret purple crepe dress, which she had worn while presenting Sky News earlier that day, twice-divorced Kay was joined by her 30-year-old friend, British Airways pilot Jonny Knowlson.

They met when she employed four strong, capable BA pilots to help her overcome her fear of flying earlier this year.

Veteran that she is, Kay was back at work the next morning.

Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine, who has 650,000 followers on Twitter, is worried about the perils of social media. I think its having an effect on our mental wellness, he says. People take their phones into the loo!

On balance, I think I would shut it down, actually, social media. If we could turn a switch and just go back to sending each other postcards, I would probably turn that switch.

Because I think Twitter shows you how the Third Reich started. Once you give people anonymity, they behave in the most disgusting way.

In some respects, I feed off it  but I also think that its got a very dark heart.

Former chat show king Michael Parkinson hasnt lost his bite. I deal with nuisance calls very severely, reveals Parky, 82, whos just released an album of his favourite songs, Our Kind Of Music: The Great American Songbook.

I usually say: Hold it right there  are you selling anything? And if the answer is Yes, I tell them to go forth and multiply themselves. Festive cold-callers be warned.
Sam Haskell (pictured, September 2017) has been suspended by the Miss America Organization Board of Directors after derogatory emails from the CEO were leaked

Miss America CEO Sam Haskell has been suspended after leaked emails exposed his vulgar discussions with fellow organization leaders about contestants.

The Huffington Post reported on Thursday that Haskell regularly exchanged expletive-ridden emails in which he or others slut-shamed and name-called former title winners things such as 'c**ts', 'piles of malcontents' and 'blimps', to name a few.

Three former Miss Americas who were attacked and mocked in the leaked messages were joined by nearly four dozen other title holders earlier Friday in calling on Haskell and other organization leaders to resign in the wake of the scandal.

Later Friday, the Miss America Organization Board of Directors revealed they voted in favor of the 62-year-old's suspension.

'The Miss America Organization Board of Directors today voted to suspend Executive Chairman and CEO Sam Haskell. Mr. Haskell, in support of the organization, has agreed to abide by the Board's decision,' a spokesperson confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter.

'The Board will be conducting an in-depth investigation into alleged inappropriate communications and the nature in which they were obtained. In addition, the Board wishes to reaffirm our commitment to the education and empowerment of young women, supporting them in every way possible.'

The petition organized by former Miss North Carolina Jennifer Vaden Barth garnered the signatures of 49 former Miss Americas by mid-afternoon.

In it, Barth called the emails by Haskell and others 'despicable' and faulted officials who 'sat by without objection while such derisive comments were passed around.'

In the messages, which the paper says it received from two sources, the CEO frequently used shocking and sexually-explicit terms to refer to contestants, including 2013 winner Mallory Hagan and Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host who won the pageant in 1989.

Hagan's weight gain and allegedly promiscuous sex life were derided in the correspondence in harsh terms.

'My hope is that this story that broke will bring light to the type of behavior that's been in leadership of the Miss America Organization and really help us put in place some people who care and who embody the mission of Miss America,' Hagan said. 'Having somebody bully you, demean you, degrade you in any way is not OK.'

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In the emails, Haskell frequently used shocking and sexually-charged terms to refer to contestants, including 2013 winner Mallory Hagan (left) and Gretchen Carlson (right), the ex-Fox News anchor who won the pageant in 1989

A CALL TO RESIGN: The petition signed by 49 Miss Americas BeBe Shopp Waring, Miss America 1948 We, the undersigned Miss Americas, represent decades of the powerful history and legacy of the Miss America Organization in the near-century of its existence. We are deeply disturbed and saddened to learn of the sickening and egregious words used by Miss America leadership in reference both to our group and to specific members of our sisterhood. As dedicated members of communities, businesses and families, and ambassadors for the Miss America program across the country, we stand firmly against harassment, bullying and shaming  especially of women  through the use of derogatory terms mean to belittle and demean. As Miss Americas, we strongly reject the mischaracterization of us both collectively and individually. We also reject the ongoing efforts to divide our sisterhood and the attempts to pit us against one another. Savvy Shields, Miss America 2017 We believe in empowering and supporting young women as they work to achieve their professional and academic goals. Each of us participated in the Miss America program for these reasons, and we are proud that each woman in this program is well-educated, talented and strong. The behavior of the Miss America Organization leadership, specifically Sam Haskell, Josh Randle, Tammy Haddad and Lynn Weidner, is despicable, as well as the behavior of those who sat by without objection while such derisive comments were passed around. We collectively call for their immediate resignation. We also ask for those who revere the Miss America legacy to join us in preserving the integrity of the Miss America Organization and in supporting all women, rather than tearing them down. BeBe Shopp Waring, Miss America 1948 Lee Meriwether, 1955 Sharon Kay Ritchie, 1958 Nancy Fleming, 1961 Maria Beale Fletcher, 1962 Jacquelyn Mayer, 1963 Jane Jayroe Gamble, 1967 Judi Ford Nash, 1969 Laurel Schaefer Bozoukoff, 1972 Terry Meeuwsen, 1973 Rebecca King Dreman, 1974 Tawny Godin, 1976 Dorothy Benham, 1977 Susan Perkins Botsford, 1978 Kylene Barker, 1979 Susan Powell, 1981 Elizabeth Ward Gracen, 1982 Suzette DeGaetano-Charles, 1984 Sharlene Wells Hawkes, 1985 Kaye Lani Rafko-Wilson, 1988 Gretchen Carlson, 1989 Debbye Turner Bell, 1990 Marjorie Vincent-Tripp, 1991 Carolyn Sapp, 1992 Leanza Cornett, 1993 Kimberly Aiken Cockerham, 1994 Heather Whitestone McCallum, 1995 shawntel Smith Wuerch, 1996 Tara Dawn Christensen, 1997 Kate Shindle, 1998 Nicole Johnson, 1999 Heather French Henry, 2000 Angela Baraquio Grey, 2001 Katie Herman Ebner, 2002 Erika Harold, 2003 Ericka Dunlap, 2004 Deidre Downs Gunn, 2005 Jennifer Berry Gooden, 2006 Lauren Nelson Faram, 2007 Kirsen Haglund, 2008 Katie Stam Irk, 2009 Caressa Cameron Jackson, 2010 Teresa Scanlan, 2011 Laura Kaeppeler, 2012 Mallory Hagan, 2013 ninaDavuluri, 2014 kira Kazantsev, 2015 Betty Cantrell, 2016 Savvy Shields, 2017 Advertisement

'Resign now': Carlos tweeted that she was shocked by Haskell's statements and called for his immediate ouster from the organization

In response to a follower's tweet suggesting that Hagan should take responsibility for her actions, the former pageant winner argued that Haskell had no right to discuss her sex life

Speaking to Newsweek Friday, Hagan said she is considering taking legal action against Haskell.

In some exchanges, a former writer for the pageant notes the death of one former Miss America, and muses that he wished it had been 1998 Miss America Kate Shindle that had died instead. Shindle wrote a book critical of the Miss America Organization. Haskell responded to the email, indicating it made him laugh.

Hagan posted an emotional video on Twitter decrying the leaked emails in which she was slut-shamed and derided

'The entire board of directors must immediately resign, including and especially Sam Haskell,' Shindle wrote in a statement posted on Twitter, adding that 'it [the content of the emails] makes me physically ill.'

And Haskell wrote of tactics that would drive 1989 Miss America Carlson 'insane.'

The Huffington Post reported that the former Fox & Friends co-host had clashed with Haskell and pageant officials over her push to modernize the organization, and her refusal to attack other former Miss America winners.

Carlson wrote on Twitter that any board member or official who tolerated such conduct should resign immediately.

'No woman should be demeaned with such vulgar slurs,' she wrote.

Carlson, Hagan and Shindle have received the support of 46 fellow Miss America winners dating back to the 1940s, who on Friday signed an open letter demanding that Haskell and other pageant executives step down over their 'despicable'.

Among the signatories were Miss America 1948 BeBe Shopp Waring and this year's winner, Savvy Shields. Every woman who was crowned Miss America from 1988 until 2017 joined the call for the leadership's ouster.

Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell, who signed the petition, told The Associated Press she 'lived under this misogynistic leadership for a year of my life, and I'm definitely glad to see all of this evidence come into the light.'

She also said pageant officials 'told me which former Miss Americas I wasn't allowed to associate with or pose for photos with.'

In 2014, the 1998 winner Kate Shindle (pictured) wrote a book in which she questioned the Miss America board's decision to pay Haskell a $500,000 consulting fee. In an email to Haskell giving his condolences on a past winner's death, telewriter Lewis Friedman wrote as the email subject: 'It should have been Kate Shindle'

Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell called the leadership of Miss America 'misogynistic'

Shindle released a statement on Twitter demanding that Haskell and the entire Board of Directors immediately resign

Both Hagan (left) and Carlson (right) want Haskell ousted from the Miss America Organization

The Miss America Organization said Thursday night that Haskell apologized and the group is revising its policies regarding communications, adding it considers the matter closed.

On Friday, Atlantic City's incoming Democratic mayor, Frank Gilliam Jr., and two state Assemblymen - Republican Chris Brown and Democrat Vince Mazzeo - called on the state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to end its partial subsidy of the pageant, which has about $4million left on it.

The emails have cost the pageant its television production partner and raised questions about the future of the nationally televised broadcast from Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall the week after Labor Day each year.

Dick Clark Productions told The Associated Press Thursday night that it cut ties with the Miss America Organization over the emails, calling them 'appalling.'

Haskell's leaked email exchanges at times took on the entire pageant community.

In an August 2014 email to a prominent Miss America telecast writer, Haskell said that he wanted to stop calling former contestants 'Forever Miss Americas' and instead refer to them as 'Former Miss Americas.'

'I'd already changed 'Forevers!' to 'c***s'. Does that work for you?' the writer, Lewis Friedman, responded.

Haskell replied: 'Perfect bahahaha.'

The comments are in stark contrast to the glowing, supportive statements Haskell repeatedly made in public about past title winners.

In the summer of 2014, Haskell forwarded an email to other executives from someone he knew who had commented about Hagan's sex life and recent weight gain.

'Not a single day passes that I am not told some horrible story about Mallory,' Haskell wrote.

Friedman replied: 'As she continue to destroy her own credibility, her voice will attract less and less notice while she continues her descent to an unhappy pathetic footnotePs. Are we four the only ones not to have f****d Mallory?

'It appears we are the only ones!' Haskell wrote, adding that he told the mother of a man Hagan had supposedly slept with that 'he needs to have a blood test because we lost count of the number of men she slept with at 25.'

Later, Hagan was publicly fat-shamed for a bikini photo that surfaced showing that she had gained some weight after the pageant. Haskell said nothing publicly about the images at the time but fat-shamed her internally.

In the summer of 2014, Haskell wrote in an email that he and another executive were the only ones who hadn't slept with Mallory Hagan (pictured, March 2013)

Later, Hagan was publicly fat-shamed for a bikini photo that surfaced (not pictured). Haskell said nothing publicly about the images at the time but fat-shamed her internally

Another incident involved the former Fox News host Carlson. In August 2014, Miss American board member Lynn Weidner sent an email to a group of former Miss Americas, including Carlson.

The email concerned a book 1998 Miss American winner Kate Shindle wrote in which she questioned the Miss America board's decision to pay Haskell a $500,000 consulting fee.

Weidner asked: 'Is it possible for each of you to speak out in defense of Sam and the organization?'

Carlson replied: 'It's one thing to talk about your own personal experience as Miss America... but totally different to attack people individually.'

Haskell forwarded Carlson's response to board member Tammy Haddad, who replied to Haskell: 'Snake but now u have not doubts as to her loyalty. Makes it easy not to respond. Right?'

Miss America board members Tammy Haddad (left) and Lynn Weidner (right) were the recipients and senders of some of the emails exchanged with Haskell

Just before Shindle's book came out, Haddad emailed Haskell and referenced an email former Miss America Susan Powell wrote that was supportive of Haskell.

Haddad suggested: 'Why don't u read [former Miss America] susan POWELL's email on the board call and say it's a shame that only one miss america who has come forward to offer help in any way.' Haddad was referring to an email Powell had written that was supportive of Haskell.

Haskell replied: 'Brilliant..f*****g Brilliant!!!! That will drive Gretchen INF*****GSANE.'

In a further attack on Shinldle, Friedman emailed Haskell in December 2014 to offer his condolences on the death of former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley, writing: 'So sorry to hear about Mary Ann Mobley.'

The subject line of Friedman's email read: 'It should have been Kate Shindle.'

Following the release of the open letter on Friday, Tammy Haddad resigned from the board.
This week, Theresa May cold-bloodedly sacked her deputy, Damian Green, who is her closest political confidant.

Following the embarrassing recent departures of two other Cabinet ministers  Priti Patel and Michael Fallon  it was widely said that Mr Greens demise would terminally damage Mrs Mays Government.

Indeed, some were openly gleeful at the prospect. For example, George Osborne, the embittered former chancellor who crudely boasts that he will destroy the Prime Minister, circulated on social media a vindictive cartoon depicting Mrs May as an almost-dead duck collapsing as her political crutch (Green) was removed.

But survive she has. Indeed, I believe she looks stronger than at any time in the past 12 months. How do we explain this?

This week, Theresa May cold-bloodedly sacked her deputy, Damian Green, who is her closest political confidant

Some point out that Mr Green was not well known to the public. Yet in political terms he was a key part of Mrs Mays administration. It is fair to compare his close relationship with Mrs May to that held by Peter Mandelson in relation to Tony Blair in the early days of the New Labour government.

Back then, 19 years ago, he, too, was forced to quit the government after revelations that he had not disclosed a pivotal fact to a building society by failing to declare on a mortgage application form that he had received a huge loan from a millionaire Labour colleague.

Blair was badly damaged by the Mandelson affair. Not only did he lose a powerful political fixer but a close friend.

However, the fact that Im convinced Mrs May will not suffer in the same way is down to the very particular type of modern politician she is.

She is her own woman. Shes not someone whose fortunes are dependent on others.

If you look at photographs of her taken over the past few weeks, you can see that, despite these ministerial departures and the fiendishly tricky Brexit negotiations, she seems relaxed.

What a contrast with 12 months ago. Then, she looked nervous, buttoned-up, robotic and repressed.

Remember, this was a Prime Minister who repeatedly told voters there would not be a General Election in 2017  but then called one.

This was a Prime Minister accused of being too scared to go on TV to engage in debate to defend her Governments record.

This was a Prime Minister ridiculed for promising strong and stable government while delivering nothing of the sort.

Theresa May is not someone whose fortunes are dependent on others - she is her own woman

Above all, this was a Prime Minister who was pounded by the electorate in June after unveiling a controversial social care programme and then dropping it a few days later after howls of protest.

Today, though, Mrs May is not merely considerably more at ease with herself; I believe she is also on her way to solving one of the central problems facing all politicians in Western democracies.

The challenge? How to narrow the ever-widening gulf between government and governed.

Very rarely in history has the political establishment been so remote from the electorate as it is today. Of course, this is deeply worrying.

We were told that the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 would be a landmark moment in the development of modern democracies. Millions of people held under the iron fist of communist regimes were finally offered the opportunity to build new political structures based on freedom.

But that did not happen in Russia, where the gap between the plutocratic elite and the rest is wider than ever. Meanwhile, democracies elsewhere began to fail.

European politics became increasingly dominated by an elite which was contemptuous of the needs and demands of voters.

Central to this was the python-style grip in which Brussels held EU member states. Their national sovereignties were eroded in a scandalously undemocratic way. The power to decide on key aspects of everyday life  from their economies to immigration  was held by unelected bureaucrats in the European Commission, instead of by national politicians elected and held accountable by voters.

This brought politics into disrepute and resulted in a fracturing of the system that had prevailed for decades when a small number of parties tended to dominate national politics.

In Britain, the stranglehold of Labour and the Tories weakened as Ukip and the Greens took a bigger share of the vote. In France, the two main parties that had controlled politics since World War II collapsed to such an extent that one had no candidate in the run-off for president this year. The Socialists were obliterated by the far-Right National Front. Significantly, the eventual winner, Emmanuel Macron, heads a party that didnt exist two years ago.

Germany is paralysed politically, with a badly damaged Angela Merkel unable to cobble together a coalition.

Talks have been put on hold until the New Year, after discussion about a three-party coalition between her Christian Democrats, the Free Democrats and the Greens collapsed.

More worryingly, Spain is in the middle of a huge political crisis. This weeks vote, in which separatist parties won a majority in Catalonia in a major revolt against the traditional political system, heralds the countrys possible break-up.

Similarly in Greece, the two main parties have been swept away and following the countrys debt crisis, the government is little more than a puppet of the European Central Bank.

In Austria, voters this month rejected the consensus that has prevailed for years and elected a far-Right party into government in an election dominated by a bitter debate on immigration.

European politics became increasingly dominated by an elite which was contemptuous of the needs and demands of voters

In the east, Hungary and the Czech Republic have vowed to defend Poland against an unjust clampdown by Brussels chiefs who have threatened to strip the Warsaw government of voting rights after it moved to gain more control itself.

Fears abound, too, of a growing split between liberal western Europe and its socially conservative eastern members who reject Brussels quotas for the number of migrants they must take.

The truth is that the European Commission  with its contempt for nationhood and the democratic rights of voters  has not only done immeasurable damage to the political system that has worked well since the end of World War II, but now threatens the EU itself.

It is no wonder people are in revolt. Only one major European country has had the guts to stand up to the Brussels behemoth, and that is Britain.

How telling that since the vote to leave the EU last year, traditional parties are back in the ascendance.

This is no coincidence.

Party membership, certainly in the case of the Labour Party, has soared  admittedly on the back of Jeremy Corbyns popularity among the young. Support for Ukip and the Lib Dems has fallen massively.

In Junes General Election, the Tories and Labour took 82 per cent of the vote.

Compare this with Germany, where the two main parties (the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats) managed just 47 per cent. In Greece, the traditional parties took just 34 per cent.

The reason for this is that, more than in any other major country in Europe, there remains a strong element of political independence in Britain. We have not caved in to Brussels.

Elsewhere in the EU, voters who feel betrayed by their politicians having sold out to Brussels are angry and, in despair, are turning to far-Right political groupings.

I predict that the situation will get worse. I fear 2018 could witness some very ugly political developments.

When they look at what is happening on the Continent, even the most rabid opponents of Brexit must surely acknowledge that the vote to leave the EU will help protect this country from dangerous extremism.

Only rarely do I praise Michel Barnier, the EUs chief Brexit negotiator. But in the spirit of Christmas, I want to make an exception.

Last week, he brought forward the end of Britains transition period to December 31, 2020. Thanks to this combative Frenchman, well have a hell of New Years party that night.
The holiday travel season has officially begun and an online flight tracker has its eye on the jam-packed skies across the continental US.

FlightAware has provided an interactive map, showing up-to-date flight tracking for arrivals and departures across the world for the 6.4 million travelers this holiday season.

Using airplane symbols to demonstrate flights, the tracker shows a thicket of planes traversing North America on Friday, which is so dense it's almost impossible to see the map beneath it.

FlightAware has provided an interactive map, showing up-to-date flight tracking for arrivals and departures across the continental US as 107 million travelers take to the roads, skies and rails this holiday season

Using airplane symbols to demonstrate flights, the tracker shows a thicket of planes traversing North America on Friday, which is so dense it's almost impossible to see the map beneath it

As of Friday evening, FlightAware said it was tracking more than 10,600 airborne aircraft with more than 113,700 arrivals in the last 24 hours.

Founded in 2005, the company is reportedly 'the world's largest flight tracking data company' and was the first to provide tracking services at no charge to users, according to the website.

Holiday travel is expected to be especially busy this year. According to a new AAA report, a record-breaking 107.3 million Americans will be taking to the roads, rails and skies between December 20 and January 1.

In major cities across the country, the afternoons and evenings of Wednesday and Thursday were the the worst days to travel, according to AAA.

As of Friday evening, FlightAware said it was tracking more than 10,600 airborne aircraft with more than 113,700 arrivals in the last 24 hours (Pictured, travelers in Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Thursday)

Some 97.4 million are projected to drive, 6.4 million are expected to fly and 3.5 million will take alternate modes of transportation, says an AAA report (Pictured, travelers check and walk in Terminal 1 at O'Hare on Thursday)

Some 97.4 million are projected to drive while another 6.4 million are expected to fly while the remaining 3.5 million will be dispersed among trains, buses, rails and cruise ships, the report says.

AAA recommends that, if travelers are driving, they hit the road early in the morning or after the morning commute, or drive on the actual day of a holiday.

A prime example of the chaos of holiday traveling occurred in Chicago, as Friday marked the busiest travel day of the three-week holiday stretch at O'Hare and Midway airports.

Approximately 5.2 million passengers combined will fly through the city's two airports for Christmas and New Year's this year, the highest on record.

A prime example of the chaos of holiday traveling occurred in Chicago, as Friday marked the busiest travel day of the three-week holiday stretch at O'Hare and Midway airports (Pictured, travelers line up at a security checkpoint area in Terminal 3 at O'Hare on Thursday)

Thanksgiving travel was also heavy this year, with 51 million Americans traveling at least 50 miles away from their homes, according to another report from AAA (Pictured, travelers check in at the American Airlines self-ticket counter at O'Hare on Thursday)

To make matters worse, restaurant workers at O'Hare walked off the job at noon on Thursday to protest for higher wages and affordable health care.

Despite the strike and workers picketing outside airport terminals, the restaurants are 'fully staffed and operating smoothly', an HMSHost spokesman told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Thanksgiving travel was also heavy this year, with 51 million Americans traveling at least 50 miles away from their homes, according to another report from AAA.

According to new data released from the company, holiday travel figures have risen steadily for the past nine years - skyrocketing by 21.6 million since 2005 - in large part thanks to 'the strong economy and growing consumer confidence'.
The lady at Jakartas Ministry of Information took off her glasses and smiled at us. And why do you want this permit? she asked.

We are from England, I explained. And we have come to make a film. We hope to travel through Java, Bali, Borneo and eventually to the island of Komodo, photographing and collecting animals. The smile that had spread across her face at the word film faded as I mentioned travel, and disappeared completely when I said the words collecting animals.

I do not think this is possible, she said. There was a pause. However, she added, brightening, I will arrange everything for you. You will go to the Borobudur instead. And she pointed to a poster of the great Buddhist temple of central Java. It is very beautiful, I said. But we have come to Indonesia to make films of animals, not temples.

The lady picked up the papers she had just stamped for us and tore them in half. I think we will start again, she said. Come back in a week. Sixty years ago, in the summer of 1957, I set out for Indonesia with my cameraman friend Charles Lagus on what would prove to be one of the most difficult and challenging expeditions of my life.

When he ventured to Indonesia 60 years ago David Attenborough was an unknown film-maker on a trip to make a new BBC nature series

With the rashness of relative youth  he was 29, I was 31  we made almost no preparations, a decision we would later regret. But our mission was clear in our minds  to observe and record as much of Indonesias abundant wildlife as possible, and, our greatest challenge, to capture on film, for the first time, the largest and most dangerous lizard on the planet: the Komodo dragon.

Rumours of this ferocious beast, which can grow to more than 10 ft long and kill its prey with one swing of its huge, muscular tail, existed for centuries. Fishermen sailing near the remote island of Komodo brought back tales of a vast, dragon-like creature with enormous claws, fearsome teeth, a heavily armoured body and a fiery yellow tongue.

A Dutch expedition in 1910 confirmed the stories were indeed true. Subsequent explorations discovered that the creature was carnivorous and lived nowhere else in the world. But when Charles and I set out nearly 50 years later nobody had so far managed to film it in its natural habitat. Could we be the first?

Not only that, but we wanted, if we could, to catch one of these amazing reptiles and bring it back to Britain  an idea that sounds extraordinary to us now. These days, zoos dont send animal collectors to capture rare species  and quite right, too. Nearly all creatures in captivity are specially bred and closely monitored. But back then things were different.

World War II had led to the deaths and destruction of tens of thousands of animals worldwide, and every zoo was keen to replenish its stock and continue to push the boundaries of scientific discovery.

Which is why, as a 26-year-old TV producer, I had approached London Zoo and the BBC with an idea for a new kind of wildlife programme.

Instead of showing zoo animals in a TV studio in London as wed always done, I suggested, why not film them in their natural environment, with an expert on hand to talk about them to viewers  and then, if possible, bring some of these fascinating creatures back to Britain? The idea of filming in the wild with a narrator was something of a revolutionary concept, but to my surprise, everybody seemed to think it would work. And so the BBCs Zoo Quest series was born.

After some difficulty getting into Indonesia Attenborough soon found himself chasing pythons and searching the land for orangutans

Having finally persuaded the authorities to give us the necessary permits  with no small amount of help from the Indonesian embassy in London  Charles and I spent the first days of our trip in a borrowed jeep exploring the forests of Javas Indian Ocean coast road.

Everywhere we went we stopped and asked the locals where the best wildlife was to be found. One elderly man had taken up the challenge with enthusiasm.

Each morning he came to the hut where we were staying bringing a small creature with him: a lizard, perhaps, or a centipede. Once he produced a bowl full of puffer fish, each furiously inflating itself into a creamy-coloured ball.

Then he performed his masterstroke, arriving one morning at the head of a somewhat bedraggled delegation of five or six men with a look of triumph on his face. Selamat pagi, I said. Peace on the morning. In reply, the man pushed forward a young boy, who spoke to us in rapid Malay.

With great difficulty and frequent references to our dictionary we discovered the lad had been gathering rattan cane in the forest when he had seen an enormous snake. To help us understand the dimensions of this monster, he drew a line with his toe in the dust of the floor, took six long paces away from it and drew another line. Big, he said. Very big.

We looked at each other. There are only two snakes in Java that size, and both are pythons.

Indian pythons can grow to 25 ft, the reticulated python even longer. If the snake the boy had seen was 18 ft, it would be a formidable creature to tackle  one mistake and anybody caught in its coils could be squeezed to death.

I recalled my promise to London Zoo that if we could catch them a nice big python we would do so. Exactly how we would go about it was another matter altogether.

In theory, catching a constrictor is simple enough, requiring a minimum of three people, with a preference for one person for each yard of snake. One should be responsible for the head, one the tail and another for the rest for the coils. On the word of command from the person at the head, everybody leaps at the snake and grabs their allocated section. Its particularly important that the people at the head and the tail grab simultaneously  if the snake has one free end it is able to wrap itself round the person at the other and begin squeezing. All this I explained to the men in front of me, drawing patterns in the dust to clarify what I meant. One by one they shook their heads and walked away until finally the only people left were the old man and the boy.

Charles would be filming, so I proposed the old man should leap for the tail, the boy for the middle and I would take the head.

It sounds like the most dangerous job, but its not  a pythons fangs are not poisonous and can inflict only a bad scratch. The person at the tail end, on the other hand, is likely to sprayed with a vile-smelling substance which snakes release when under attack. I was not keen to be that person.

So off we went. The boy led the way, cutting a path through the dense undergrowth. I walked behind him carrying a large sack and a rope. Behind me came the old man with some of the filming equipment while Charles brought up the rear with his camera.

Suddenly the old man gave an excited yell and pointed up into a tree. Looped over a bough I saw the glistening coils of an enormous snake, each one about a foot wide.

This was inconvenient. My master-plan made no mention of what to do when a python was in a tree 30 ft above our heads. The only solution, as I saw it, was to cut down the branch and get the creature on the ground.

With my parang knife in my hand, I swung myself up into the tree until I was eyeball to eyeball with the snake. It was a beautiful specimen, richly patterned in black, brown and yellow, probably around 12 ft in length. The monster surveyed me calmly through its yellow, button-like eyes as I hacked at the base of the branch, trying not to fall off myself. Gradually the bough hinged downwards before finally crashing to the ground, taking the snake with it.

Seizing the sack I charged after the python, which was wriggling towards a bamboo thicket with impressive speed. I caught up with it just before it plunged into the undergrowth. Snatching its tail I jerked it backwards.

Attenborough has recalled some of his earliest adventures in his memoirs, remembering how he became friends with the production crew

In great indignation, the snake whipped round, opened its mouth and prepared to strike, its black tongue flickering in and out. Like a fisherman casting a net, I threw the sack over the monsters head.

Yes! yelled Charles encouragingly from behind his camera. I pounced on the sack and, fumbling in the folds, gripped the snake by the scruff of the neck.

Then I grabbed its tail with my other hand. It was so huge that though I raised its head and tail above my head, its middle coils still lay on the ground.

It was at this moment that the boy finally decided to come to my assistance. He arrived just in time to be sprayed by the snake as it furiously wriggled around.

The old man sat on the ground and laughed until tears ran down his cheeks. We had landed the first major prize of our expedition.

Our jeep had been a mechanical marvel  a splendid machine with wheels and tyres of all sizes and makes. But now, for the Borneo leg of our journey, we had hired a motor launch to take us up the Mahakam river into the country of the Dyaks, the islands indigenous people  renowned hunters whose expertise we hoped to enlist.

Of all the animals of Borneo, the creature I was most anxious to find was an orangutan. Although everybody we met claimed this magnificent ape was still abundant, very few people seemed actually to have seen one.

We devoted several days on the Mahakam to an intensive search, calling not just at big villages but at every small hut and landing until we found someone who had caught sight of an orangutan recently. We did not have to travel far. On the first day of our quest we stopped at a small shack built on a floating pontoon. Several Dyak men standing on the landing stage told us that within the past few days whole families of the animals had been raiding the banana plantations near their longhouse.

How far is your village?

One Dyak man looked at us. Two hours, he said. For you, four.

In the end it took three hours. Our guides led us to a longhouse on stilts, in which lived numerous families, and showed us a corner where we could sleep.

It was an astonishingly noisy place. Dogs prowled everywhere, yelping as people kicked them out of the way. Fighting cocks clucked and crowed from cages tied to the walls and pigs squealed from their quarters below.

Not far away a group of men sat gambling, spinning a top on a tin plate, clapping half a coconut over it and loudly calling bets. Sleeping would be nearly as much of a challenge as finding a rare ape.

We had said we would reward anyone who could show us a wild orangutan, and the first claimant woke us at five oclock the next morning. Charles and I snatched up cameras and followed the man at a trot into the forest.

It was the first of around a dozen unsuccessful sallies, but on the third day our luck changed. Once again a hunter said he had just seen an ape, and once more we scampered after him.

After a while the Dyak man began to imitate the orangutans call, a mix of grunts and ferocious squeals. Soon we heard an answer.

We looked up and saw in the branches a huge, hairy red form. Rapidly Charles set up his equipment and started filming.

The orangutan, meanwhile, hung above us, baring his yellow teeth and squealing angrily. He must have been four feet tall and weighed perhaps ten stone  larger than anything I had seen in captivity.

Occasionally he broke off small branches and threw them down at us in a fury, but he seemed in no hurry to escape. Before long we were joined by other villagers who enthusiastically cut down saplings for a better view.

At last we decided we had got all the film we needed and began packing up.

Finish? asked one of the men. We nodded. Almost immediately there was a deafening explosion and I turned to see a man with a smoking gun to his shoulder. The ape had not been badly hit  we heard it crashing away to safety  but I was so angry I was speechless for a moment.

Why? Why? I said in fury. To shoot such a human creature amounted almost to murder.

The hunter was dumbfounded. But he no good! He eat my bananas and steal my rice. I shoot. There was nothing I could say. The Dyak people had to eke a livelihood from the forest, not I.

Sir David Attenborough's career has spanned over seven separate decades in which he has become one of Britain's most beloved broadcasters

When we first joined the boat, the crew had been reserved. But as the weeks passed their attitude changed and they were genuinely friendly, shouting if they saw an animal. The most energetic person on board was Sabran, a highly skilled hunter who had joined us in Java. He undertook the major share of cleaning and feeding our on-board menagerie, and cooked most of our meals unasked.

When I told him the real purpose of our mission was to travel east to Komodo to look for giant lizards and asked if he would like to come he seized my hand and pumped it up and down excitedly. Is OK, he said. Is OK. Sabran was in.

One morning he suggested visiting a Dyak friend of his named Darmo who had helped Sabran catch animals. It might be that he had trapped some recently which he could sell us. Darmos home was a small, stilted hut, and Darmo himself an old man with long greasy hair. Sabran called up as we approached and asked if he had any animals. The old man looked up and said in an expressionless voice: Ja, orangutan.

He pointed to a wooden crate clumsily barred with bamboo. Inside squatted a young, very frightened orangutan.

Darmo told us he had caught the creature only a few days previously when it was raiding his plantations. Sabran began negotiations, and Darmo agreed to exchange the creature for all the salt we had on board our boat and some tobacco.

The little creature was male and about two years old. We called him Charlie. For the first two days we left him alone, but on the third I opened the door of his cage and cautiously put my hand inside.

At first he snatched at my fingers and bared his teeth, but I persevered and at last he allowed me to scratch his ears and his fat paunch. Most of that day I sat by his cage talking softly to him and gently scratching his back.

By evening I was winning his confidence. Soon not only was he tolerant of my attention but sought it. If I passed his cage without stopping to talk he would call sharply to me. Or a long scrawny arm would slide out and tug my trousers as I fed other animals.

So persistent was he that I was usually compelled to attend to the other animals with one hand  and clasp Charlies black gnarled fingers with the other.

I was anxious to let him out of his cage as soon as possible to exercise, so one morning I left his door open for several hours. Charlie, however, refused to come out, apparently regarding his box not so much as a prison, as a place where he felt safe. He sat inside with an expression of brooding solemnity on his dark brown face, blinking his yellow eyelids.

I decided to lure him out with warm sweet tea, of which he had become very fond. As he saw it he sat up expectantly, but when, instead of giving it to him, I held it outside the open door of his cage he squeaked with irritation.

He advanced to the door and peered out. I kept the tin beyond his reach until at last he came right outside and, holding on to the door, leant over to sip it. As soon as he was finished he swung back into his cage.

The next day I opened the door and he came out of his own accord. From then on his daily ramble became part of the ships routine  so much so that when we sailed into our last port of call Charlie was sitting with the captain at the wheelhouse, for all the world like an extra member of the crew.

Our floating menagerie was getting more and more like Noahs Ark, with improvised cages piled up to the awnings by the time its most troublesome member joined.

The new arrival was brought by a Dyak man who stood on the bank holding a rattan basket in the air. You want? he called.

I invited him on board. He handed me his bag. I peered inside and gently took out a small bundle of fur. It was a tiny bear. I find in forest, said the hunter. No mother.

The babe was barely a week old. His eyes were still closed and as he lay with the pink soles of his feet waving in the air he began to cry piteously. Charles hurried off to put some condensed milk in a feeding bottle while I rewarded the man with cakes of salt. But the cub seemed completely unable to extract any milk from the teat.

By now he was screaming furiously with hunger. In desperation we tried to feed him with a pen filler. I held his head as Charles squirted the milk to the back of his throat.

The bear swallowed it but immediately developed a bout of appalling hiccups which racked the whole of his little body. We patted him and rubbed his pink pot belly. He recovered and we tried again. At the end of an hour we had succeeded in getting him to swallow about half an ounce of milk. Exhausted by his efforts, he fell into a deep sleep.

Benjamin, as we called the cub, was a very demanding youngster, calling for food every three hours, the day and night.

If we kept him waiting he became so furious he trembled all over and his little naked nose and inside his mouth went purple with anger.

Feeding him was a painful business as he had long, needle-sharp claws and would not settle down to suck unless he was able to dig them into our hands as he held them.

But as the days went by he began to thrive, and by the time he learned to walk his character had changed completely.

As he tottered and swayed across the ground, smelling everything and grumbling to himself, he seemed no longer to be an impatient demanding creature but rather an endearing puppy, and we both developed a huge affection for him.

When, later, we brought the collection back to London, Benjamin was still needing milk from a bottle, and Charles decided that instead of handing him over to the zoo with the other animals he would keep the bear for a little longer in his flat.

Despite ripped lino, chewed carpets and scratched furniture, our cameraman went way beyond the call of duty, nurturing the little animal until he had learned the knack of lapping milk from a bowl. Only then did Benjamin go to the zoo.

Our trip to Borneo was over. The moment had come. The animals were to be taken to Java where they would be looked after by friends until our return.

And Charles, Sabran and I were heading east  to find a Komodo dragon. And on Tuesday, Ill tell you what happened.
Spain remained in political deadlock last night as the countrys prime minister appeared to rule out talks with Catalan separatists who won a slim majority in regional elections.

Catalonias ousted leader Carles Puigdemont called for negotiations on the regions future, but refused to return to Spain from self-imposed exile as he faces charges of sedition over his role in Octobers declaration of independence.

Prime minister Mariano Rajoy acknowledged the latest election result exposed deep divisions in the country, but failed to commit to talks with Mr Puigdemont.

It means there is no sign of a swift resolution to the biggest constitutional crisis to hit the country since the end of the Franco dictatorship four decades ago.

Spain's Prime minister Mariano Rajoy (pictured) acknowledged the latest election result exposed deep divisions in the country, but failed to commit to talks with Mr Puigdemont

Catalonias ousted leader Carles Puigdemont (pictured) called for negotiations on the regions future

The election result will be interpreted as another blow for the European Union, which has repeatedly tried and failed to defuse populist campaigns in Spain and elsewhere.

The EUs major powers, Germany and France, have backed Mr Rajoys anti-independence stance despite some limited criticism of his methods.

And Mr Puigdemonts attempts to gain international support in Brussels have been spurned. He has called the EU a club of decadent countries for declining to mediate a solution.

Mr Rajoys conservative Popular Party recorded its worst ever result in the regional election, losing eight of its 11 seats.

Pro-independence parties won 70 of the 135 seats, giving them a slim majority, and Mr Puigdemonts Together for Catalonia retained its position as the largest separatist group.

Support grew for the regions biggest unionist party, Citizens, which became the single largest group with 37 seats but did not win overall control.

The region's biggest unionist party, Citizens, became the single largest group with 37 seats but did not win overall control. Pictured: Citizens leader Ines Arrimadas in celebration

Its leader Ines Arrimadas admitted forming a coalition would be difficult but said: We will try.

Mr Puigdemont, who is in Belgium with four members of his deposed cabinet  while two of his ex-ministers are in jail in Spain, said he would return to Catalonia if he was given guarantees that he could take his position as head of a new Catalan government.

Weve at least won the right to be heard, he added.

Catalonia wants to be an independent state. This is the wish of the Catalan people.

The plan of Mariano Rajoy is not working, so we have to find new ways to tackle this crisis.

Mr Rajoy called for dialogue and reconciliation but dodged questions about whether he would hold talks with separatist parties. He said: The person I should sit down with and talk to is she who won the elections, Ines Arrimadas.

Conceding that the election result reflected huge divisions in the region, he said: It will take time to mend them and that should be the priority for all political actors  reconciliation within the remit of the law.

People reacting to results in Catalonia's regional elections at a gathering of the Catalan National Assembly in Barcelona. Spains stock market fell by around 1 per cent after the election

Spains stock market fell by around 1 per cent after the election and thousands of businesses have scaled down their operations in Catalonia amid uncertainty over its future.

The wealthy region in north-east Spain accounts for around a fifth of the national economy and the country has already trimmed its growth forecasts for next year.

Catalonia was semi-autonomous, but the Madrid government imposed direct rule in October when Mr Puigdemont declared independence after a referendum that had been declared illegal.

Mr Rajoys government sacked the Catalan leaders, dissolved their parliament and called the snap regional election. The result was seen as a blow to his authority.

Mr Puigdemont urged the EU to take note of the election result, but a German government spokesman said the Spanish constitution would have to be respected, and called for reconciliation.
The poll result in Catalonia is a disaster for the Spanish government. But voters in Spains most restive region have also presented the EU with a full-blown crisis that could threaten its very existence.

By ignoring the European Commissions preference for pro-Madrid candidates and returning a majority of separatists, the people of Catalonia have not only displayed contempt for Brussels but put the commission in an almost impossible position.

When the crisis in Catalonia exploded at the start of October with the Spanish governments crackdown on a locally organised referendum on independence, Brussels came out four-square behind Madrid, even justifying the violence used by police against separatist demonstrators. Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker firmly rejected Catalan separatists demands for a democratic vote on their regions status.

By interfering in this way, Mr Juncker turned the Catalan issue into a European crisis rather than just a Spanish one.

Euro federalists warned of the dire consequences of any moves towards an independent Catalonia. If the region chose independence, they said, it would be thrown out of the euro and the EU.

Mark Almond explains how voters in Catalonia could cause a full blown crisis for Brussels. Pictured: People react to results in Catalonia's regional elections at the Catalan National Assembly in Barcelona

Yet as this weeks poll made clear, the separatists in Catalonia paid no heed to such threats. They werent prepared to be bullied by either the Spanish government or by Brussels.

As citizens of Spains richest region, Catalans have long been resentful at seeing so much of their taxes disappear to Madrid to subsidise, as they see it, the rest of the country. But economics are only part of the crisis. The Catalans sense of self is ferociously strong: they are defined by their own language, culture, cuisine and by a long tradition of defying Madrid.

Catalan identity has only really been permitted to flourish since the death of Franco in 1975, and of course Spanish politics continues to be haunted by the 1930s civil war fought by the dictators Nationalists against the Republicans for whom Catalonia was a key stronghold.

The fact that their great-grandparents and grandparents fought against Franco, while the Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoys family sided with the dictator, is not lost on the Catalans today.

As for the EU, it has shown itself grotesquely insensitive to the interests of small regions with local concerns, and their peoples feel ignored and suffer from a so-called democratic deficit.

Euro federalists warned if the region chose independence it would be thrown out of the euro and the EU, but voters paid no heed to such threats

Although the commission likes to talk a lot about democracy as a European value, it defines this as what Brussels wants, rather than what the people want. Time and again, with a ballot paper in front of them, a majority of voters  from those in Denmark who rejected the Maastricht Treaty in a referendum in 1992, to Britain last year and now Catalonia this week  have ticked the wrong box.

I am not sure that Catalan independence is a good idea any more than Scotlands breakaway from the UK might be, but the choice is surely for the people affected.

Nothing displayed the EUs blithe disregard for democracy better than the reaction to the Catalan vote by the European Parliaments Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt. He completely ignored the fact that the three separatist parties had won a total of 70 seats in the 135-seat regional parliament  ensuring a separatist majority  and instead congratulated the pro-Spanish Citizens party which gained 37 seats, admittedly making it the largest single party but one in no position of power.

The trouble for the EU is that resentment over this democratic deficit is growing daily. Across Europe  from Austria, where the anti-EU far-Right Freedom Party is now part of the coalition government, to Eastern European EU nations such as Poland and Hungary, which are visceral in their opposition to EU immigration policies  Brussels is increasingly coming up against the anger of voters.

In Poland, Brussels has inflamed that anger by moving to suspend the countrys voting rights in the EU after a dispute over judicial reforms that Brussels claims undermine Polish courts independence.

This attempt by the EU to make Warsaw its whipping boy  as though Eastern European members should take their subsidies and in return do the commissions bidding  has appalled Hungary, which has now come out in support of Poland.

After Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured) rejected Catalan separatists demands for a democratic vote on their regions status, he turned the Catalan issue into a European crisis rather than just a Spanish one

Unsurprisingly, Brussels refuses to take responsibility for provoking this rising tide of nationalism in Europe. But it has been the commissions contempt for local electorates that has repeatedly fuelled it.

The trouble is that the inflammatory nature of the Catalan crisis  where the risks of violence are real and the memory of brutal civil war is undimmed  has boxed the EU into a corner.

Whichever way Brussels now turns, it risks alienating huge swathes of public opinion. If it backtracks from supporting Madrid, Spanish nationalists will be outraged. But switching to sympathy for Catalan separatism risks opening another can of worms. Not only would that infuriate Madrid, but also the governments of many European countries that face similar discontentment from regional breakaway movements.

Even Frances obsessively pro-EU government faced embarrassment last week when nationalists swept the board in the Corsican elections, calling for the islands independence from Paris.

That is why Spains crisis is not just a headache for Madrid, but a symptom of a crisis across the EU  and if it is not handled with utmost care, it could tear the cherished European dream of Messrs Juncker and Co apart.

Mark Almond is director of the Crisis Research Institute, Oxford.
The former police officers accused of smearing Damian Green cannot claim they were acting in the public interest, the police watchdog said yesterday.

Sir Tom Winsor, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, said the need for the public to know investigators will keep their private information confidential is overwhelming.

He warned the high-profile scandal risks damaging the British tradition of policing.

He said victims, witnesses and suspects will refuse to co-operate if they believe police can disregard their duty of confidentiality at any time.

The former police officers accused of smearing Damian Green (pictured) cannot claim they were acting in the public interest, the police watchdog said

Sir Tom wrote to Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham to voice his concerns.

She is considering whether ex-counter-terrorism police chief Bob Quick, 58, and his junior detective colleague Neil Lewis, 48, breached the Data Protection Act.

Sir Tom said the public interest in protecting information is a very great one, almost certainly an overwhelming one.

If people dont have confidence police will respect their privacy in those circumstances that may have a chilling effect on the willingness of people to give information to the police or co-operate with police and police need people to co-operate, he added.

Yes, the police acquire information about us about our lives about our circumstances which in many cases is very intimate and if that information is irrelevant to the work it should not be disclosed.

My point is to reassure people that the obligation is a very important one and is taken seriously.

The police are there to protect our safety and to enforce criminal law. They are not the arbiters or enforcers of personal morality or political conduct.

Mrs Denham, a former Canadian information commissioner, has been passed a file of evidence from Scotland Yard.

She must consider whether both or either officer has breached data protection legislation designed to protect sensitive information.

If so, the men face a criminal conviction and unlimited fine if convicted at court. Experts suspect they are likely to claim any disclosures were as whistle-blowers.

Mr Quick, whose career ended in ignominy within months of the ill-fated 2008 raid on Mr Greens Parliamentary offices, wants the MP to apologise.

He has already threatened to sue Mr Green for libel for calling him a discredited liar who was pursuing a vendetta.

It was also revealed yesterday that Mr Lewis liked anti-Tory posts on one of his social media accounts.

The computer expert supported a Facebook post campaigning to remove the Conservative government as well as satirical articles abusing against ministers.

Mr Lewis used Facebook in March last year to like a post by a campaign called Sack The Tories which celebrated Iain Duncan Smiths resignation over changes to disability benefits.

He also liked a satirical news post with the headline: Scientific advances mean Michael Gove may finally be able to f*** off far enough.

Another satirical article he liked last March said: New online poll could see George Osborne renamed C***y McC***face.

The account was deleted yesterday after it was first reported in the media.

The head of the Metropolitan Police Federation has condemned the abhorrent actions of the retired officers.

Ken Marsh, who leads an organisation representing 30,000 rank-and-file officers, strongly criticised the leaks

He fears the row will rekindle the extreme hostility between Conservatives and police first seen during the Plebgate affair.

Its unfair and disingenuous that again we are being hauled over the coals when most of my colleagues think that what these retired officers did is abhorrent, he said.

We are all privy to confidential information but we respect the rules. All this has done is pit the Tories against the police again.

Tory MPs have questioned whether fresh legislation needs to be drawn up ensuring police keep material confidential even after leaving the service.

They are frustrated that the men are being the reach of misconduct sanctions and are unlikely to face criminal offences such as misconduct in a public office.

Scotland Yard Commissioner Cressida Dick has repeatedly condemned the leaks and highlighted that confidentiality is for life.

The Metropolitan Police had been assessing several potential offences, but the referral to the Information Commissioner  even after taking advice from an independent QC  makes it clear it is powerless to act.
A plan to save cash machines in isolated areas will protect just one in 25 from closure, campaigners say.

Big banks are demanding a cut in the fees they pay when a customer withdraws money from an independently operated ATM.

This would make some machines unviable  depriving retailers and shoppers in small towns and villages of basic financial services.

Ron Delnevo warned that ATMs won't be saved by minor concessions offered by the Link network, with remote villages unable to rely on withdrawing cash from big bank branches such as the one pictured in London

A plan to save cash machines in isolated areas will protect just one in 25 from closure, according to campaigners

To head off these concerns, the Link network, which oversees 70,000 free ATMs, pledged not to cut the fees banks pay at the most isolated locations.

But it is claimed this would protect just 2,200 ATMs  4 per cent of the network.

Ron Delnevo of the ATM Industry Association, which compiled the figures, said: This isnt going to be solved by minor concessions.

'We need a complete halt to this plan and a full independent inquiry.
Meghan Markle is spending Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham. Does she know what she is letting herself in for? A cheeky QUENTIN LETTS imagines how the festive season might go for all their highnesses, royal and yet-to-be . . .

Royal protection officers are already jumpy on account of the nationwide anti-terror alert. So when they hear screams and 'omigods!' from the Sandringham dining room at 11pm on Christmas Eve, they race to the scene with their 9mm Glock 17 pistols primed.

They find Prince Harry's bride-to-be in her Victoria's Secret nightie, alone, in a state of distress.

'You OK, Miss Markle?'

In the moonlit room, a whimpering Meghan points to the sideboard.

'I came downstairs to put some presents under the tree,' she sobs. 'I've been so busy with wedding plans that I only just gotta round to wrapping things. Then I saw . . . that horrible thing!'

Meghan Markle is spending Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham. Does she know what she is letting herself in for? A cheeky QUENTIN LETTS imagines how the festive season might go for all their highnesses, royal and yet-to-be

The police officers follow her accusatory, acrylic false fingernail. 'Oh, don't worry about Fergie!' laugh the coppers.

'Fergie?'

'Fergie the pig. It's a Sandringham tradition. Every Christmas, the chefs prepare a medieval boar's head in jelly and place it the night before Christmas on the sideboard. It's a great delicacy  named after Sarah Ferguson, the former wife of His Royal Highness the Duke of York.

'You'll be tucking into that after the Boss's speech on telly tomorrow afternoon.'

Meghan is escorted back to her bedroom (a virginal 50 yards from Harry's quarters).

Peace returns to the grand old house, but our young American heroine still has beastly nightmares. Although it makes a change from all those scary dreams she's been having over previous nights about curtseying to Kate and ripping her skintight trousers in the process.

Kate has already given her sneery looks. These, she assumes, are because La Middleton was not invited to join Prince William at Sandringham in 2010 despite the couple having announced their engagement the month before Christmas. Indeed, Meghan has been told by Harry that Kate is convinced the Queen prefers Meghan.

That unfolding rivalry isn't the only thing on her mind. Things had got off to a tricky start when Harry and Meghan arrived earlier that day, to be met at the entrance to the Norfolk estate by Princess Anne, who was walking her dogs.

They'd jumped all over Meghan, leaving muddy paw-prints on her white wrap coat (designed by Canadian brand Line The Label).

Trying to make small talk (something that's never easy with Anne), Meghan gushed that she's 'sooo happy to be in Nor-folk'  pronouncing the second syllable as in 'folk' music.

The Princess Royal shot her a withering look and told her: 'It's Norfolk as in 'Nor-f*ck'!'

Secretly, Anne was pleased that her dogs ruined Meghan's coat since she, like other members of the Royal Family, thought the American actress had been guilty of gross lese-majeste when, interviewed on TV just after her engagement was announced, she claimed the Queen's corgis had 'taken to her straight away', saying: 'They were laying on my feet during tea!'

On that first evening, a light supper had been served  something monumentally nasty called Gentleman's Relish, though at least it wasn't a pig's head.

Although Prince Andrew described it as 'top grub, what!', Meghan had found herself spitting out the toast into her hand  all that horrible gluten!  and tried to slip it to the corgis under the table. But even they wouldn't touch it.

Home for Christmas! The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived at King's Lynn station to kick off their traditional Christmas break, which they will spend on the estate at Sandringham

In previous years, the Queen has passed the time on the 1 hour 37 minute journey by browsing her iPad mini after being given a crash course by her grandsons William and Harry

Thrilled to be at the heart of the fabulous Windsor Dynasty Christmas knees-up, Meghan surreptitiously took a photo of the scene to upload on to her new secret Instagram account, to share with her friends in Hollywood. Except that she couldn't get a wi-fi connection because BT broadband wasn't working properly in rural 'Norf*ck'.

If only they could have seen her here, she thought! What a house  just like Downton Abbey. (Even though she had to admit that everywhere she looked there seemed to be gumboots and tattered back-issues of Country Life and The Field. Not a single copy of Vogue or Variety.)

Suddenly, the corgis had surrounded her. One was on heat and kept jumping on Meghan's shin in an amorous fashion, causing the Duke of York to roar with laughter and say: 'Watch out, Harry! You've got a rival.'

After supper, she had resolved to calm herself with some yoga, and was deep into meditation, sitting on the Axminster carpet (by Royal Warrant) in the Tantric lotus position, when she spotted a mouse saunter out of the skirting board.

Now she was finally tucked up in bed, she was sure she could hear scratching behind the panelled walls of her bedroom. But it was hard to work out what it was over the noise of the East Anglian gale that was rattling the lead mullions, loose as old dowager's teeth, behind the curtains.

If only Meghan hadn't presumed Kate was teasing her when she suggested bringing bed-socks and a velveteen onesie. She'd thought Kate was playing a practical joke.

Now she understood why the royal ladies always wear fur coats. It isn't for the walk to church for Mass. They're needed all day  despite a log fire in every room.

Christmas morning, and breakfast time. Braised kidneys, fried bread, double-tar kippers and sausages as thick as Prince Charles's fingers. As Bridget Jones would say: a calories nightmare.

Meghan  whose online lifestyle blog, The Tig, featured fussy, actressy food suggestions such as 'white bean soup' and 'smoked salmon dill dip'  tentatively tries to cut into a kidney.

Bride-to-be Meghan flashed her dazzling engagement ring from the front seat of Prince Harry's Land Rover as she left the Queen's annual Christmas lunch

It was the first time that Meghan will have met much of Harry's family, and the invitation is a further sign that she is well and truly part of the royal establishment

But the knife hits the rubbery membrane and the offal shoots off the table  to be caught, perfectly, and gobbled by one of Princess Anne's bull terriers.

The Queen has Bran Flakes in a Tupperware container with her crest on the plastic lid making clear these are not to be eaten by anyone else.

A glum-looking Kate sits with a glass of water and a single, unbuttered oatcake. Is that a halo round her head or just some Christmas tinsel?

Harry's cousin Zara and her husband Mike Tindall had been 'out on the raz' at a nearby village pub last night and when they come wobbling down to breakfast (several minutes late), the footmen offer them two beakers containing a foul-looking brew.

'They're bullsh*ts,' Harry murmurs into Meghan's ear.

Only later does she learn that he'd said 'bullshot'  the name of a traditional pick-me-up of vodka, Worcester sauce (nothing to do with a P.G. Wodehouse character) and cold beef consomme.

Before church, Prince Philip performs his annual role as the family bookie, accepting wagers from anyone wishing to guess the length of the sermon given by 'the Padre' at St Mary Magdalene church. Prince Edward's wife, Sophie Wessex, sidles up to Meghan. Giving her a packet of Fisherman's Friend, she says: 'Hide these in your muff.'

Utterly confused, again, Meghan later discovers that a muff is not what she thought but a traditional English, furry hand-warmer.

Helpfully, too, Harry hands her some coins  'With Granny's head on them'  for the church collection. After the service, Prince Philip announces that he's won the sweepstake on the sermon's length. Fourteen minutes. But then Zara claims she saw him in the vestry after Mass, 'divvying up' his winnings with the vicar. It was a stitch-up!

As they leave church, Meghan loses her footing and trips right in front of the Press photographers.

'Oh sorry,' says Kate. 'Did I nearly trip you up?'

Meghan is convinced Kate did it deliberately in the hope she'd fall flat on her face.

Cheerful Kate gave a wave to crowds who had lined the streets outside Buckingham Palace in a hope to catch a glimpse of the royals on their departure

Despite these lingering chills, the mood at lunch is jolly.

Princess Anne's husband, vice admiral Tim Laurence, blows a ship's whistle and announces: 'Here comes the goose!'

To which a smirking Harry says: 'Oh, is Marie Christine here?'

He then explains to Meghan this family in-joke. 'I was referring to Princess Michael of Kent. Her father was an SS officer in an elite Nazi force which ran concentration camps in the war.

'We're sure he taught his daughter to goose-step!'

There is a slight kerfuffle when the Christmas pudding arrives, burning like a bonfire because the chefs have used the late Queen Mum's recipe (it contained almost more brandy than raisins).

Luckily, Prince Edward springs into action with a fire extinguisher. He is the family's health and safety officer and takes his duties very seriously. He has a special armband and badge. Unlike most of the other multi-medalled males in the Royal family, it's the only medal he has, poor chap.

Everyone troops into the telly room to watch Gan-Gan's speech at 3pm as she addresses the nation and the Commonwealth (which makes Meghan feel quite at home since she's been living in Canada for years).

A frustrated-looking Prince Charles mumbles quietly to himself: 'Not that old cliche again!' and 'I could have done it so much better!'

Harry nips outside for a cigarette. On his return, he falls asleep. (Too much post-prandial port.)

When he awakes, he rudely says he wants to watch a re-run of Meghan's TV legal drama Suits on the Dave channel.

Kate waspishly interjects, saying she prefers something more uplifting and 'educational', perhaps Alaskan Bush People on the Discovery channel  but then immediately realises this might lead to some highly off-colour comments from Prince Philip.

Both Charles and Camilla are expected at Sandringham for Christmas but the Queen's Christmas lunch also gave them the opportunity to see some of their more distant family

Prince Charles looked dapper in a suit as he was joined by Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall in the passenger seat

By this time, a tray of pickled walnuts is being passed round. Another 'English delicacy' that Meghan whispers to Harry are 'dees-gusting'.

Mike Tindall throws several up into the air and catches them in his open mouth. 'The perfect hangover cure,' he says.

Next, it's time for presents.

It's a tradition that the Royals give each other joke presents.

One year, Kate Middleton gave Harry a 'Grow Your Own Girlfriend' kit. This year, in revenge, Harry gives Wills a Shane Warne Advanced Hair Studio hair transplant voucher  and rubs his palm vigorously round and round the top of his older brother's head when he opens it.

Wills does not see the joke, and mutters something about what they do to gingers at the Tower.

Philip loves this part of Christmas. He's already sent a servant to the World Of Fun in nearby Hunstanton, which calls itself 'England's Largest Joke Shop', and now gives Meghan a set of plastic false teeth and an inflatable bust.

Flushing with embarrassment, she makes a gracious show of saying thank you. 'I've watched some of those racy scenes in Suits,' he says, winking at her. 'Thought you might appreciate them.'

Philip, his eyes twinkling as she puts on the 'fake bazookas' (an expression that's new to her), says she 'isn't bad for an American' and is certainly more fun than 'that bloody Mrs Clinton', who had been to stay when her husband was U.S. President.

Kate gives Meghan a copy of Beauty Tips For Beginners and a set of bathroom scales.

Meghan's big moment to shine comes after tea, when the family play charades and her acting skills put the others to shame  though there's an embarrassing pause when Prince Andrew has to explain to her who Benny Hill was.

Festive spirit: Princesses Beatrice, right, and Eugenie, left, didn't want the fun to end as they hopped across town for a night out in Soho after the Queen's Christmas lunch

The Queen says they haven't had such a natural thespian in the house since Tony Blair was Prime Minister.

No one ever sleeps much at Sandringham, partly because the upstairs rooms are so cold, partly because the Queen's Piper gets going at dawn and keeps blowing his bagpipes until all the bedroom lights have been switched on.

Boxing Day, as ever, means the great outdoors.

It used to be fox-hunting but that's no longer legal, so the family go pheasant-shooting.

Meghan is handed a small cosh to help humanely despatch any dying bird.

But is she tempted to use it on a rather larger quarry?

She's still seething about the fact that she and her sister-in-law-to-be came downstairs earlier wearing exactly the same Barbour and cashmere outfits.

Meghan had meekly accepted that she was (for the time being) the junior partner and had changed into one of Harry's old Army camouflage jackets he'd worn in Helmand. It left her absolutely freezing.

By the time they get back to the big house, she is numb to the bone and turns on the second bar of the electric fire in the drawing room.

But the Queen soon puts a stop to that. 'Sorry, but the Chancellor of the Exchequer is keeping us on short beans,' she explains.

Still, something good comes out of that.

Harry is so apologetic that he creeps along the corridor later that night and hops into Meghan's bed. 'Just to keep you warm,' he whispers in her ear. 'Just pretend I'm a corgi.'
Authorities in Kansas released police body cam footage which shows officers unlawfully arresting and beating an innocent man, it was revealed on Friday.

The video shows three Topeka police officers confronting a man smoking a cigarette outside his home one evening in September 2014.

The officers initially suspected he had made a 911 call, according to The Kansas City Star.

The man, Arthur Morris, is seen in the video denying he had called 911.

He also denied that he and his partner with whom he was living, Jeanie Becerra, were yelling at each other, which supposedly prompted neighbors to call 911.

Authorities in Kansas released police body cam footage which shows officers unlawfully arresting and beating an innocent man

The video shows three Topeka police officers confronting a man smoking a cigarette outside his home one evening in September 2014

The officers initially suspected the man, Arthur Morris, had made a 911 call. Morris told police he did not call 911

Morris is seen above knocking on the door of his home after police ask him to retrieve identification

He also denied that he and his partner with whom he was living, Jeanie Becerra (seen left), were yelling at each other, which supposedly prompted neighbors to call 911

Nonetheless, an officer who was later identified as Jeremy Carlisle-Simons, is seen in the footage grabbing Morris, wrestling him to the ground, and beating him

Nonetheless, an officer who was later identified as Jeremy Carlisle-Simons, is seen in the footage grabbing Morris, wrestling him to the ground, and beating him.

'I didn't do nothing wrong,' Morris is heard in the video yelling to Carlisle-Simons as he is being beaten.

A few seconds later, he yells: 'I can't breathe. I have asthma. ... I don't stretch that far. Please stop. ... I didn't do nothing wrong guys. You just ... threw me down for trying to light my cigarette.'

Towards the end of the footage, Morris is taken away from his home in handcuffs.

'I didn't do nothing wrong,' Morris is heard in the video yelling to Carlisle-Simons as he is being beaten

A few seconds later, he yells: 'I can't breathe. I have asthma. ... I don't stretch that far. Please stop. ... I didn't do nothing wrong guys. You just ... threw me down for trying to light my cigarette.'

Towards the end of the footage, Morris is taken away from his home in handcuffs

'You're going with me,' an officer says. 'OK. Where am I going?' Morris asks a second time. 'Wherever I take you,' the officer says

Jeremy Carlisle-Simons (right) has been identified as the officer who arrested and beat Morris

Carlisle-Simons resigned from the force, though the other two officers involved in the incident returned to normal duty

He asks where they are going.

'You're going with me,' an officer says.

'OK. Where am I going?' Morris asks a second time.

'Wherever I take you,' the officer says.

After the violent arrest, Morris and Becerra were convicted in Topeka municipal court of assaulting an officer, disobeying an officer, disturbing the peace, and interfering with law enforcement.

After the body cam footage surfaced, the judge vacated the sentences.

Morris was given a $40,000 settlement from the city. Becerra received $10,000.

Even though the video proved that the couple was innocent, police did not release it in time for it to make a difference in their trial.

After the couple's convictions, Luther Ganieany, a Topeka police legal advisor, wrote a letter to the judge.

Ganieany asked the judge to reconsider the convictions based on the video.

He also wrote that the video contradicted testimony given by police officers.

Ganieany wrote that the video shows the officers had no reasonable suspicion to confront Morris at his home.

After the violent arrest, Morris (whose mug shot is seen above) and Becerra were convicted in Topeka municipal court of assaulting an officer, disobeying an officer, disturbing the peace, and interfering with law enforcement

After the body cam footage surfaced, the judge vacated the sentences. Morris was given a $40,000 settlement from the city. Becerra (seen above) received $10,000

He also noted that after someone dialled 911, the dispatcher called the person back at his home. It was clear that there was no emergency.

What made the conviction even more problematic was the fact that prosecutors did not turn over the body cam footage to the defense  as they are required to do by law.

After the Shawnee County District Attorney reviewed the body cam footage, it declined to prosecute any of the officers, Ganieany wrote.

Two of the three officers returned to work while Carlisle-Simons, the officer who wrestled Morris to the ground and beat him, eventually resigned.

The Topeka Police Department has a history of misconduct by its officers.

Since 2010, the city has paid over $400,000 in total settlements to individuals who claimed to have been victimized by local police, according to the The Topeka Capital-Journal.

The most high profile case of alleged police misconduct took place earlier this year, when two Topeka police officers shot and killed 30-year-old Dominique White.

White was near Topeka's Ripley Park when officers responding to reports of shots being fired arrived at the scene.

Police said that White, who was armed, was shot in the back while fleeing arrest.

A death certificate indicates that White died of 'gunshot wounds of back'  leading the public to believe that he posed no threat.

It took the family months of legal wrangling before authorities allowed White's father to view police body cam footage.

Kelly White told The Kansas City Star that he found the footage of his son's final moments to be 'disturbing.'

'Unacceptable behavior is not tolerated going forward,' interim Police Chief Bill Cochran told the Topeka Capital-Journal.

'The expectations of professionalism and operating within guidelines of their duties as a police officer should be done correctly. And that if an individual acts outside of those grounds, that they'll be dealt with with the appropriate action.'
The Reverend Canon Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at Christ Church, Oxford, is a gifted orator who has published eight books during the five decades of his career.

A leading authority on religious ethics and an Anglican priest, he is also a senior adviser to the Vatican.

With a gift for explaining complex moral concepts, he is much in demand as a public lecturer and commentator on current affairs.

Among topics he has recently addressed in newspaper articles have been voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide (both of which he opposes), military action in Syria (which he supports on moral grounds), Israel's treatment of the Palestinians (he has criticised aspects of it) and Scottish independence (he is against).

A leading authority on religious ethics and an Anglican priest, The Reverend Canon Nigel Biggar is also a senior adviser to the Vatican

Although 62-year-old Professor Biggar is generally conservative, his views, like those of most intellectuals, cannot be pigeonholed. Indeed, people of all political persuasions have in recent times taken issue with some of his opinions.

For example, he was criticised by many on the Right for an article about the murderous attack by Islamic extremists on journalists at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, in Paris, which published cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. It argued that the journalists had 'neglected their moral duty' not to cause gratuitous offence to Muslims.

He has also, by way of another example, offended many on the Left by supporting the killing of Osama Bin Laden by U.S. soldiers, arguing that 'rough justice is still justice'.

Having provocative opinions that challenge orthodoxy is what we expect from our great academics and thinkers. Equally, it is an axiom of liberalism that those who disagree should engage in forthright but fair debate.

Sadly, that no longer appears to be the case. For Professor Biggar has become the target of a hysterical social media mob for expressing his views on the British Empire.

In an article for The Times, he wrote that we must 'not feel guilty about our colonial history' and rebuked those who believe that 'apologising for empire is now compulsory', stressing that such attitudes will not help tackle the problems of the modern world.

Inevitably, he attracted an avalanche of odium on Facebook and Twitter as keyboard trolls called him 'racist', 'bigoted', a 'gob*****' and an 'idiot' whose work is 'ill-informed' and recalls 'Hitler and the Nazis'.

He wrote that we must 'not feel guilty about our colonial history' and rebuked those who believe that 'apologising for empire is now compulsory'

But some of his fellow Oxford academics were also vehement critics, and this week it emerged that 58 of them had signed an open letter declaring their 'firm rejection' of his 'agenda'.

They vowed to boycott Professor Biggar's next research project, accusing him of being 'breathtakingly politically naive' and engaging in 'very bad history'.

So what exactly did they find so offensive?

Biggar's article had argued that society ought to take a more 'balanced' view of the rights and wrongs of the British Empire, rather than simply treating it as something to be ashamed of.

While acknowledging that 'atrocities' had occurred under colonial rule, he said the British Empire had provided law and order to other countries, which many citizens had valued.

Accepting that the Empire's legacy was 'morally mixed', he went on to say that our current Government might feel too afraid to intervene to stop human rights abuses overseas if policy were dictated by 'unwarranted guilt' about what Britain had done in the past.

Biggar stressed that such attitudes will not help tackle the problems of the modern world

Note his use of the words 'balanced' and 'mixed'. He was not celebrating colonialism or excusing the crimes carried out in its name. He was merely pointing out that it should be viewed in context and analysed with intellectual rigour.

Yet here, and elsewhere in modern academia, questioning orthodoxy and engaging with uncomfortable ideas appears to represent heresy.

Instead, as Biggar's recent experience illustrates, intellectual debate is shut down and other academics are attacked online for expressing any views that are even mildly contentious.

University campuses across the land have become so-called 'safe spaces' where students demand the right to be 'protected' from ideas that might challenge their world-view, and potentially controversial speakers are 'no-platformed'  prevented from giving talks.

Recent victims of this trend include Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (who was accused of saying something racist about Barack Obama) and the feminist Germaine Greer (who has upset transsexuals). Then there was the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sir Tim Hunt, forced to resign from University College London for allegedly telling a sexist joke.

Meanwhile, at King's College, London, the student union is paying for 'safe space marshals' to patrol events and report speakers who voice opinions deemed unacceptable. Three attended a speech recently by Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.

To many, all this represents an ugly totalitarianism.

Recent victims of this trend include Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson who was accused of saying something racist about Barack Obama

Biggar, ironically, was partly making this precise point in his article. It had originally been inspired by what happened when an obscure academic journal called Third World Quarterly published an essay in September by a U.S. academic seeking to 'question the orthodoxy' that Western colonialism was entirely bad.

Amid the ensuing controversy, 15 (almost half) of the academics on the publication's advisory board resigned in protest. The editor received death threats. As a result, the offending article was withdrawn after a fortnight.

Professor Biggar's article also met a hostile reception. In response, he argued this week that colleagues who signed the statement against him ought to have addressed him personally, not engaged in 'collective online bullying'.

He added: 'Not one had either the courage or the sense of collegial responsibility to do so . . .They do not have the right to control how I, or anyone else, thinks about these things.'

So who are these colleagues who were quick to censure a fellow academic so viciously?

My inquiries suggest a nakedly political agenda has at least partly motivated this attack on his intellectual freedom. And it provides a profoundly distressing insight into the culture of one of our great academic institutions.

So far as we can tell, almost all the 58 Oxford academics who signed the letter appear to be card-carrying members of the Left.

A vast proportion are fully paid-up Labour activists and supporters of Jeremy Corbyn. Indeed, of the 25 who have publicly expressed political views in recent times, 20 have endorsed or campaigned for the Labour Party and two are Labour members.

Thirteen are anti-Brexit campaigners, while another five have campaigned against Israel. I found no evidence that any of the 58 has ever expressed support for the Conservatives.

Perhaps inevitably, one of the four academics who 'organised' the letter, Peter Hill, is a supporter of Momentum, the hard-Left pro- Corbyn lobby group. He describes himself as an 'English socialist' and writes for the Oxford Left Review and OpenDemocracy website.

In the past, he has accused politicians who endorsed Brexit of having 'called forth a storm of racism and xenophobia', and argued that Corbyn can turn Labour into 'a centre around which a new and creative political plan can form'.

Inquiries suggest a nakedly political agenda has at least partly motivated this attack on his intellectual freedom. And it provides a profoundly distressing insight into the culture of one of our great academic institutions

Another of the letter's organisers, James McDougall, a tutor at Trinity College, is also a Labour member. He hails from the opposite wing of the party to Tony Blair and has endorsed petitions on social media calling for the former PM to 'never speak or write ever again about anything', which say Blair 'should be scribbling his musings in a prison cell'.

McDougall's other great obsession is Israel, and he has also backed petitions calling for an academic boycott of the country in protest at its treatment of Palestinians.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews has accused supporters of this boycott of 'punishing Jewish students for their identities' and said that 'in some instances the campaign has become anti-Semitic' because it singles out Jews and the Jewish state for exceptional hostility.

Another of the four organisers of the letter is Hussein Omar, a junior research fellow at Pembroke College. He recently put his name to a different letter supporting a fellow academic, Miriyam Aouragh, who was criticised by Oxford's Jewish Society for alleged ties to the terror organisation Hamas.

As for the letter's signatories, they share a similar world-view.

One is Joanna Innes, a history professor at Somerville College, who shared on Facebook last month an article suggesting that the Tory Party slogan should be 'we're going to f****** kill you all'.

Another, Kate Tunstall, a French tutor at Worcester College, has used Twitter to call the Tories 'disgusting, xenophobic, repellent'. Last year, she was one of several 'members of the Labour Party and Momentum, or socialist activists' who wrote a letter urging Jeremy Corbyn to 'speak out' more about the crisis in Syria.

Then we have Rory McCarthy, an occasional Guardian writer based at Magdalen College who has posted Tweets endorsing the 'Jeremy Corbyn for PM' lobby group and describing the Labour leader as 'statesmanlike', and has used Facebook to share a quotation about Brexit: 'Not since Suez has the nation's fate been decided by politicians who knowingly made a straight, shameless, incontrovertible lie the first plank of their campaign.

Robert Gildea, a history professor at Worcester College who signed the Biggar letter, is a veteran Corbynista who describes himself as 'angry about inequality, injustice, Brexit and the legacies of empire'

Also on the list is Max Harris, a fellow at All Souls and contributor to the Left-wing New Statesman magazine, who describes himself as a 'Corbyn supporter', and Karma Nabulsi, a politics fellow at St Edmund Hall, who is a patron of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and recently wrote in the Guardian accusing Israel of 'a century of colonialism'.

Her article was criticised by UK media watch, a Jewish organisation 'dedicated to combating anti-Semitism'. It said the piece was 'designed to undermine Israel's fundamental right to exist'.

Nine of the signatories have in recent months used social media to promote anti-Tory petitions. Another five, on the day of the General Election in June, adorned their Facebook profile photos with an image of a rose and the slogan 'I voted Labour'.

They include Vanessa Lee, a French lecturer at Oriel, who posted a Tweet at breakfast-time that read: 'All you early birds: have you already voted Labour today? Feeling proud? Tell your friends.'

Others take a more provocative approach. Robert Gildea, a history professor at Worcester College who signed the Biggar letter, is a veteran Corbynista who describes himself as 'angry about inequality, injustice, Brexit and the legacies of empire'.

In November, he circulated a petition calling for Boris Johnson to be sacked.

Katherine Ibbett, a French professor at Trinity who campaigns for Labour, used Twitter on the day of the announcement of Prince Harry's engagement to call for people to join the anti-monarchy group Republic because 'the marriage of a prince is never going to strike a blow for equality'.

Bizarrely linking the monarchy to Brexit, she said 'the absurd bread and circuses of this is going to mean the worst Brexit of all will go right ahead while we gawp at bunting'.

Meanwhile, another of the 58, Marc Mulholland, a history professor at St Catherine's who has used social media to share articles by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and criticised Theresa May's 'risible government and party', commented before the last General Election that he was 'genuinely worried there might be a hung parliament, as I'd do myself an injury laughing at Tory dismay'.

And so on, and so on.

Of course, these Oxford academics never think their own freedom of expression jars with their vehement opposition to Professor Biggar being allowed to express his own opinions. Isn't this the very worst kind of hypocrisy?

Friends of Biggar say he is particularly upset that none of the letter's signatories bothered to speak with him before signing it. 'One of the 58 knows him to talk to and has an office just 200 yards from his,' one comments.

Biggar's friend also points out that two of the high-profile letter's organisers are junior research fellows and the other signatories include few front-rank or senior Oxford figures. In other words, 'they don't represent History at Oxford. They are a not-very-impressive minority'.

Be that as it may, friends suspect many of those who signed the letter seek to settle an old score.

Two years ago, Professor Biggar was caught up in an equally contentious public debate over a Left-wing campaign to remove a statue of Cecil Rhodes from Oriel College.

The Victorian colonialist left huge sums of money to the college, founding a scholarship from which many black students have benefited. Yet he is accused of having taken part in 'the oppression of black communities'.

As a result, a small but noisy group of students argued that the monument was 'racist'.

The authorities at Oriel agreed to hold a consultation on the issue. In the ensuing hoo-ha, Biggar, then college chaplain, took part in a debate at the Oxford Union opposing removal of the statue.

Biggar argued that if a statue of Rhodes were to be removed then so should statues of Gandhi who thought Indians culturally superior to black Africans

During the debate, he pointed out that Rhodes had enjoyed warm personal relations with Africans and campaigned against attempts by the Cape government in 1899 to take the vote away from the native population.

More importantly, he argued that 'if we insist on our heroes being pure, then we are not going to have any', stating that if a statue of Rhodes were to be removed then so should statues of Gandhi (who thought Indians culturally superior to black Africans) and Abraham Lincoln (who ended slavery in the U.S. but also doubted whether black former slaves could be successfully integrated into society).

Eventually, this argument carried the day: Oriel agreed to keep its statue of Rhodes.

To its credit, Oxford University has so far been similarly supportive of Professor Biggar's right to academic freedom, resisting calls for his coming research project, called Ethics And Empire, to be cancelled on the grounds that 'we absolutely support academic freedom of speech'.

Yet if the university holds firm to that promise to support 'freedom of speech', it ought perhaps to have a close look at its own staff.

Recently, Biggar was viciously attacked as an 'idiot' on Twitter by a man called Chris Brooke, who is a Cambridge academic.

According to the electoral roll, he also lives with Josephine Quinn, a history tutor at Worcester College, Oxford. Ms Quinn was one of the 58 signatories  and a Labour activist who canvassed at the last General Election and attended the party's conference in Brighton.

Perhaps she, too, believes her eminent colleague is an 'idiot'.

For, as this sorry and morally squalid saga indicates, a growing number of the nation's academics, who are hell-bent on rewriting history, seem to believe freedom of speech should apply only to those who share their Left-wing world-view.
An elderly Queensland man has relived the horrifying moment a masked intruder bashed him in his own home.

From his hospital bed in Bundaberg Doug Dilger explained how the cruel intruder repeatedly punched him in the head, after bursting through the back door and demanding money.

The 90-year-old was inside his Childers home cooking fish and potatoes for dinner when the thug appeared and began the assault.

Doug Dilger (pictured) has explained how the cruel intruder repeatedly punched his head

He was inside his Childers home (pictured) cooking dinner when the thug appeared

'I just struggled and struggled and he tried to choke me he kept asking for the money,' Mr Dilger told 9 News.

'I said I didn't have any and he said, ''I heard you did have'',' he said.

The offender eventually took off, but left Mr Dilger with a fractured eye socket, a broken nose and jaw.

Alarm was raised by a passerby who saw a frail Mr Dilger stumble from his home.

Despite initial concerns that Mr Dilger wasn't going to make it, he pulled through however was rushed to Brisbane for emergency facial surgery.

He will spend Christmas recovering in Bundaberg Hospital.

The offender left Mr Dilger (pictured) with a fractured eye socket, a broken nose and jaw

After expressing his anger that someone would target a person of his age, Mr Dilger said his attacker was most certainly a 'lowlife'.

Police are desperately seeking to hunt down the attacker, searching through hours of CCTV footage from the Childers area.

Wide Bay-Burnett District Detective Inspector Gary Pendeford has appealed for anyone in Childers between 4:30pm - 7:30pm on December 15 to come forward.

He emphasised the smallest of information, could lead to a breakthrough.
Bulgarias capital plans to rid the common sight of horse-drawn carts from its streets to brush up its image for the nations EU presidency.

Sofia councils Simeon Slavchev said: The carts pose a serious risk for road accidents, they litter and no European capital allows them apart for attraction purposes.

Under current rules, horse-drawn carts are allowed only on Sofias outskirts, but poor enforcement makes them a regular sight in the centre. Mr Slavchev added: We plan to confiscate not only the carts  but also the animals.

Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, will ban horse-drawn carts on safety grounds from March next year

The city centre will no longer offer horse-drawn carts as an attraction for tourists, as they are soon to be banned

The ban was due to take effect on January 1 when Bulgaria, the poorest EU nation and its most corrupt according to Transparency International, takes up the presidency.

But the council had not decided what to do with the horses so the ban will now take effect on March 1.
A federal appeals court panel ruled Friday in New York that President Donald Trump once again exceeded the scope of his authority with his latest travel ban.

However, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals judges put their decision on hold pending review by the US Supreme Court, meaning the ban involving six majority Muslim countries will remain in effect.

The ruling says Trump's proclamation makes no finding whatsoever that simply being from one of the countries cited in the ban makes someone a security risk.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday in New York that President Donald Trump once again exceeded the scope of his authority with his latest travel ban, but the decision was put on hold pending US Supreme Court review

Hawaii, which is suing to stop the ban, has argued that it will be harmed because families will be separated and university recruitment will be hampered.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court lifted temporary lower court orders that had prevented the latest ban from taking effect.

The status quo was maintained when the 9th Circuit stayed its decision, said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law.

The ruling was unusual, but it's a unique case, he said, noting the Supreme Court has not set argument dates because it has not yet decided to grant an appeal.

'Given the shockingly rapid volley of executive actions and court decisions, this is surely just the latest in a long series of battles to come,' Mary Fan, a University of Washington law school professor, said about immigration ban litigation.

The judges focused on whether Trump had made a required finding that the entry of people affected by the ban would be detrimental to US interests.

Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin (R) spoke about Hawaii's lawsuit challenging Trump (L) on his travel ban in Honolulu on Oct. 17

Under US immigration law, such a determination must be made before barring 150 million potential travelers from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, they said.

Department of Justice spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said the agency is pleased that the Supreme Court has already allowed the government to implement the proclamation and keep Americans safe while the matter is litigated.

'We continue to believe that the order should be allowed to take effect in its entirety,' Ehrsam said.

In a September proclamation, Trump said the ban was needed because the countries don't do a good job of verifying or sharing information about their citizens, and thus the government 'lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose to the United States.'

Trump relies on the premise that the Immigration and Nationality Act gives him broad powers to regulate immigration, the judges said, but for the president to block entry, he must first legally prove that person's entry would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.

Trump relies on the premise that the Immigration and Nationality Act gives him broad powers to regulate immigration, the judges said, but for the president to block entry, he must first legally prove that person's entry would be detrimental to the interests of the United States

'National security alone is not a "talismanic incantation" that once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power under' immigration law, the decision said.

'I have always believed that the rule of law, reinforced by Hawaii's values, will win the day,' Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin said in a statement Friday.

'Make no mistake: our values of diversity and inclusion are America's values, and they will light the way even through our darkest of hours.'

Noah Purcell, the solicitor general for the Washington state Attorney General's Office who argued that state's challenge to Trump's first travel ban, was pleased with the 9th Circuit opinion.

'This ruling again confirms that the president has gone far beyond the immigration powers that he has, and has ignored the law in issuing this discriminatory order,' Purcell said.

A separate challenge, brought by civil liberties groups, is pending in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, which also heard arguments this month.

Citing national security concerns, Trump announced his initial travel ban on citizens of certain Muslim-majority nations in late January, bringing havoc and protests to airports around the country.

A federal judge in Seattle soon blocked it, and courts since then have wrestled with the restrictions as the administration has rewritten them.

The latest version blocks travelers from the listed countries to varying degrees, allowing for students from some of the countries while blocking other business travelers and tourists, and allowing for admissions on a case-by-case basis.

It also blocks travel by North Koreans along with some Venezuelan government officials and their families, although those parts of the restrictions are not at issue in the courts.
An animal shelter boss who gambled away 640,000 of the charitys money was jailed for five years yesterday.

Simon Price, 53, diverted cash from legacies left to Birmingham Dogs Home to feed his online betting habit in a 900,000 fraud carried out with his wife over four years.

Alayna Price, 39, head of fundraising for the charity, helped herself to 254,000, using some of the cash to pay for the couples lavish wedding  which took place just six weeks before their arrest.

Simon Price, 53, diverted cash from legacies left to Birmingham Dogs Home to feed his online betting habit in a 900,000 fraud

By his own estimation, Price had frittered away around 700,000 on his Betfair online account since 2009, Birmingham Crown Court was told. In the grip of his addiction, he used one bequest of 60,000  intended to keep animals safe and warm  to cover his mounting losses and directed charity funds to be paid into his own accounts.

His wife, meanwhile, funnelled five will bequests, including one for 150,000, into her personal Lloyds account, blowing the cash to pay off credit cards, a loan, and the couples wedding in 2016. The fraud came to light last November when police began examining the couples dealings after 399,274 was reported missing from the sale of a dogs home property in Digbeth, Birmingham.

They discovered that chief executive Price  who oversaw the sale  had instructed proceeds to be paid to him directly, claiming it was a business account used by the charity.

Fearing his deception was about to come to light, he then flew alone to Barcelona before returning to face the music. Inquiries also revealed Price had created false invoices from solicitors, construction firms and marketing companies.

Alayna Price, 39, head of fundraising for the charity, helped herself to 254,000, some of which paid for her wedding

Madhu Rai, prosecuting, said the couple tried to cover up their crimes, with Price throwing a hard drive into a field, and his wife deleting incriminating financial records from a computer. Both admitted multiple counts of fraud by abuse of position.

Judge Patrick Thomas QC told Price his crimes while in the grip of a gambling addiction had weakened public confidence in the work of the dogs home, damaging its ability to raise the 1.85million needed each year to keep its doors open.

He described Price as the dominating figure but said his wife acted for her own purposes. Alayna Price, who is seven months pregnant with her second child, was given a two-year suspended sentence after repaying around half of the money she stole.

The couple have now separated. Police have seized their two West Midlands properties which will be sold and the money handed back to the dogs home under proceeds of crime legislation.

The charitys chairman John Wheatley said there had been a serious breach of trust.
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The Afghan refugee accused of mowing down 18 pedestrians outside Melbourne's Flinders Street Station has fronted court after being charged over the attack.

Saeed Noori, of Heidelberg West, briefly appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday wearing a grey T-shirt.

He was charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and one count of conduct endangering life after being formally interviewed by police.

The 32-year-old held his head in his hands as he sat in the dock, while his emotional mother, who was his only supporter in court, tried to approach him but was told to stay seated.

She also tried to move to the front row of seats to be closer to her son, but was told she could not sit there, and was filmed lashing out at reporters outside court, her head covered with a scarf.

Victoria Police Prosecutor Senior Constable Amitoj Singh told the court the accused man drove a vehicle through the pedestrian intersection of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street 'with the intention of killing or causing serious injury'.

'Eighteen people were injured and three remain in a critical condition in hospital,' he said.

Senior Constable Singh said the motive remained under investigation and more charges could be added.

Saeed Noori (pictured) was charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and one count of conduct endangering life after being formally interviewed by police

Noori faced court on Saturday afternoon. Twelve people injured in Thursday's car attack remain in hospital, with three people fighting for their lives, Premier Daniel Andrews said on Saturday

Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said investigators had asked advice from the Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions on the charges

When asked if there were any custody management issues, Noori's defence lawyer said: 'Yes, your honour, first and foremost mental health.'

He also said the accused man had physical health issues.

Magistrate Bob Kumar remanded Noori in custody to face a filing hearing on Wednesday. He also ordered that Noori be seen by a nurse for physical and psychiatric issues.

At the end of the hearing, Noori uttered a quiet: 'Thank you,' before being led from the dock into custody.

Twelve people injured in Thursday's car attack remain in hospital, with three people fighting for their lives, Premier Daniel Andrews said on Saturday.

Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said investigators had asked advice from the Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions on the charges.

Noori's mother (pictured), who was in court, tried to approach him in the dock but was asked to step back and sit down

Noori's mother (pictured) was filmed outside the courthouse lashing out at reporters, her head covered with a scarf

'I've got a firm belief that what he [allegedly] did on Thursday night was a deliberate act,' he told reporters on earlier Saturday.

'The motivations for that act, we'll work through.'

He made 'utterances' to police about voices, dreams and the 'poor treatment of Muslims' to officers in hospital on Thursday night, and later made comments about Australia's top security body and Allah.

Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said Saeed Noori made comments while at St Vincent's under police guard, only hours after the horrific rampage on Thursday afternoon.

'I don't know the exact detail, to do with Allah and some ramblings about ASIO (the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation),' Mr Patton said according to The Herald Sun.

Saeed Noori (pictured), 32, is an Australian citizen who came to Australia from Afghanistan via a refugee program in 2004

Mr Patton told The Project Noori made utterances about voices, dreams and about why he drove the Suzuki SUV through the busy crowds.

'Others are about that he did this act because of perceived harms committed on Muslims around the world,' he said.

'There's a range of issues there.'

After treatment Noori was transferred from hospital to a holding centre to be interrogated by police.

The 32-year-old tried to hide his face with his cuffed hands while sitting between two detectives as he left Melbourne Police Station heading for the Custody Centre below the Magistrates Court.

The Afghan refugee accused of mowing down 18 pedestrians outside Melbourne's Flinder's Street Station has been transferred to a holding centre to be interrogated by police

The Afghan immigrant spent the previous 24 hours under police guard in hospital after crashing the white Suzuki Vitara into a tram stop bollard at the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth Streets.

Detectives were initially unable to interview him due to his injuries from the crash and a struggle with an off-duty police sergeant who heroically wrestled him from the car before other officers arrested him.

Mr Patton said there were no signs in Noori's online activity that he planned the attack in advance, and that counter-terrorism specialists did not believe it was a terrorist attack.

'We haven't excluded [him being motivated by terrorism]. We haven't seen any warning signs that there was any threat of violence,' he said.

He said Noori had a history of drug use and mental illness, stressing that investigators had not yet found any extremist or terrorist links to the horror rampage.

The 32-year-old spent the previous 24 hours under police guard in hospital after crashing the white Suzuki Vitara into a tram stop bollard at the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth Streets

Speaking briefly to investigators last night as he lay in a hospital bed at St Vincent's under police guard, the Noori made a 'number of utterances' and 'spoke about dreams and voices'

Investigators were still searching for a motive for Noori's alleged 'evil act' and it was hoped the formal interview, would shed some light on them.

Police said it did not appear to be a terrorist attack but raided two homes in Heidelberg West - where Noori lives - and Oak Park in Melbourne's north on Thursday night, hours after the terrifying incident.

The family members present were reportedly cooperatives as forensics teams seized electronic items from the homes that police will comb through for clues about Noori's motives.

'At this stage nothing has been found to indicate a linkage to extremism, a terrorist organisation or anything of a terrorist nature,' police told Daily Mail Australia on Friday.

Noori arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2004 through a resettlement program, and had several run-ins with the law between 2008 and earlier this year.

'He came to Australia as a refugee. He did not come with a people smuggler, he came through the appropriate refugee, the normal refugee programs,' Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said.

Police said it did not appear to a terrorist attack but raided two homes in Heidelberg West - where Noori lives - and Oak Park (pictured) in Melbourne's north on Thursday night, hours after the terrifying incident

The family members present were reportedly cooperatives as forensics teams seized electronic items from the homes that police will comb through for clues about Noori's motives

'At this stage, because investigations are continuing, apart from that statement, there are no known links to any political issues or any, certainly any links to extremist groups.

'Therefore, the position I am advised off at the moment is that no terrorism link has been identified at this stage. I want to stress, there is a mass of material that is being investigated and nothing should be ruled out, nothing should be ruled out.

'Now, whatever the motivation, this was a despicable and cowardly act, but I want to reassure all Australians that this is an isolated incident.'

Noori's legal issues started with a minor assault charge in 2010 that was dropped after he pleaded guilty to recklessly causing injury and was fined $800.

Then in June this year he was convicted and fined $1000 after pleading guilty to driving while unlicensed, using a mobile phone while driving, and failing to answer bail.

Many more could have been injured or killed if the car hadn't crashed into a tram stop bollard on Flinders Street and the intersection of Elizabeth Street

The missing bail charges was from when he missed a court date for the driving offences, which occurred either early this year or late last year, and which he also faced court for in February.

Nineteen people were injured in the incident, including the driver and an off-duty policeman who heroic wrestled him from the car where other officers arrested him.

Many more could have been injured or killed if the car hadn't crashed into a tram stop bollard on Flinders Street and the intersection of Elizabeth Street.

By midday on Saturday 12 people were still in hospital with only three, including an 83-year-old from Northcote and two South Koreans in their 60s who remain in a critical condition.

Five men, aged 25, 40, 43, 45 and 83 and six women, aged 25, 30, 35, 47 and 58, were among the victims and along with another three men and two women of unknown age.

Many were from overseas including citizens of South Korea, China, Italy, India, Venezuela, Ireland and New Zealand.
A Qantas flight has been forced to make an emergency landing in Perth after a woman lost consciousness.

Flight QF64 was on its way to Sydney from Johannesburg when a decision was made to land the plane in the West Australian capital.

The woman was examined by two doctors on board before it was decided the medical diversion was necessary.

A Qantas flight has been forced to make an emergency landing in Perth after a woman lost consciousness (stock image)

After landing at 9:48 on Saturday morning the woman was taken to Royal Perth Hospital despite having regained consciousness by that time.

The plane is scheduled to depart Perth for Sydney later on Saturday, The West Australian reported.

QF64 was also diverted to Perth on November 8 after the plane experienced a mechanical issue.
A victim of a brazen hit-and-run was astonished to discover a vital clue left on their car which could help lead police to the offender.

Melbourne grandfather Cedric was stopped at traffics lights with his wife in Coburg, 8km north of the CBD, when another vehicle crashed into the back of their Toyota Camry, leaving it written off.

When the 70-year-old attempted to speak with the culprit, he sped off in the hopes of avoiding financial consequence - but little did he know, he left one very important detail imprinted on the back of Cedric's car.

Melbourne grandfather Cedric was stopped at traffics lights with his wife in Coburg, north of the CBD, when another vehicle crashed into the back of their Toyota Camry, (pictured) leaving it written off

The hit-and-run driver smashed into the rear of the victim's car so hard that he inadvertently left an imprint of his number plate in full view (Pictured)

The hit-and-run driver smashed into the rear of the victim's car so hard that he inadvertently left an imprint of his number plate in full view.

It was only after reporting the incident to police on December 5 that Cedric noticed the smoking gun left on his bumper bar.

'The policeman was just laughing. He had a look at it and said: "I have never had this experience before". I just hope they catch the driver. For him to run away - it's just terrible,' Cedric told the Herald Sun.

'To me, it looks like he was either on his mobile phone or looking down - he didn't even brake. He must have hit me with so much force for that to be stamped on to the bumper bar.'

The offending driver was last seen speeding down Mayfield Street (pictured) in Coburg, Melbourne

The registration appears to have the numerals 860 and the first letter of the license plate looks to be a 'P'.

The offending vehicle is described as a blue 4WD and was last seen speeding down Mayfield Street in Coburg.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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The mother of the man accused of mowing down 18 pedestrians outside Melbourne's Flinders Street Station has violently lashed out at reporters as she arrived at court for her son's charges.

Afghan refugee Saeed Noori appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday and was charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and one count of conduct endangering life after crashing his white Suzuki Vitara into crowds of people on Thursday.

Footage of his distressed mother shows the woman swinging her handbag angrily at journalists outside court as she arrived to support her son on the dock.

The mother (pictured) of the man accused of mowing down 18 pedestrians outside Melbourne's Flinders Street Station has violently lashed out at reporters as she arrived at court for her son's charges

Footage of his distressed mother (pictured) shows the woman swinging her handbag angrily at journalists outside court as she arrived to support her son on the dock

The 32-year-old's mother kept her face hidden under a Hijab as she swung wildly at onlookers and yelled out incoherently.

Emotional scenes played out in the courtroom as the woman sobbed and rocked back and forth as the charges laid against her son were read out, the Herald Sun reports.

She attempted to reach out to the accused and took photographs on her mobile phone before being assisted back to her seat and instructed to turn off the device.

Noori covered his face with his hand and looked down for the hearing, as prosecutors read details of the incident, indicated more charges are being considered and said the motive remained under investigation.

Saeed Noori (pictured) was charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and one count of conduct endangering life after being formally interviewed by police

The 32-year-old's mother (pictured) kept her face hidden under a Hijab as she swung wildly at onlookers and yelled out incoherently

Noori is expected to face court on Saturday afternoon. Twelve people injured in Thursday's car attack remain in hospital, with three people fighting for their lives, Premier Daniel Andrews said on Saturday

Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said investigators had asked advice from the Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions on the charges

When asked if there were any custody management issues, Noori's defence lawyer said: 'Yes, your honour, first and foremost mental health.'

He also said the accused man had physical health issues.

Magistrate Bob Kumar remanded Noori in custody to face a filing hearing on Wednesday. He also ordered that Noori be seen by a nurse for physical and psychiatric issues.

At the end of the hearing, Noori uttered a quiet: 'Thank you,' before being led from the dock into custody.

Twelve people injured in Thursday's car attack remain in hospital, with three people fighting for their lives, Premier Daniel Andrews said on Saturday.

Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said investigators had asked advice from the Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions on the charges.

'I've got a firm belief that what he [allegedly] did on Thursday night was a deliberate act,' he told reporters on earlier Saturday.

'The motivations for that act, we'll work through.'

He made 'utterances' to police about voices, dreams and the 'poor treatment of Muslims' to officers in hospital on Thursday night, and later made comments about Australia's top security body and Allah.

Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said Saeed Noori made comments while at St Vincent's under police guard, only hours after the horrific rampage on Thursday afternoon.

'I don't know the exact detail, to do with Allah and some ramblings about ASIO (the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation),' Mr Patton said according to The Herald Sun.

Saeed Noori (pictured), 32, is an Australian citizen who came to Australia from Afghanistan via a refugee program in 2004

Mr Patton told The Project Noori made utterances about voices, dreams and about why he drove the Suzuki SUV through the busy crowds.

'Others are about that he did this act because of perceived harms committed on Muslims around the world,' he said.

'There's a range of issues there.'

After treatment Noori was transferred from hospital to a holding centre to be interrogated by police.

The 32-year-old tried to hide his face with his cuffed hands while sitting between two detectives as he left Melbourne Police Station heading for the Custody Centre below the Magistrates Court.

The Afghan refugee accused of mowing down 18 pedestrians outside Melbourne's Flinder's Street Station has been transferred to a holding centre to be interrogated by police

The Afghan immigrant spent the previous 24 hours under police guard in hospital after crashing the white Suzuki Vitara into a tram stop bollard at the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth Streets.

Detectives were initially unable to interview him due to his injuries from the crash and a struggle with an off-duty police sergeant who heroically wrestled him from the car before other officers arrested him.

Mr Patton said there were no signs in Noori's online activity that he planned the attack in advance, and that counter-terrorism specialists did not believe it was a terrorist attack.

'We haven't excluded [him being motivated by terrorism]. We haven't seen any warning signs that there was any threat of violence,' he said.

He said Noori had a history of drug use and mental illness, stressing that investigators had not yet found any extremist or terrorist links to the horror rampage.

The 32-year-old spent the previous 24 hours under police guard in hospital after crashing the white Suzuki Vitara into a tram stop bollard at the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth Streets

Speaking briefly to investigators last night as he lay in a hospital bed at St Vincent's under police guard, the Noori made a 'number of utterances' and 'spoke about dreams and voices'

Investigators were still searching for a motive for Noori's alleged 'evil act' and it was hoped the formal interview, would shed some light on them.

Police said it did not appear to be a terrorist attack but raided two homes in Heidelberg West - where Noori lives - and Oak Park in Melbourne's north on Thursday night, hours after the terrifying incident.

The family members present were reportedly cooperatives as forensics teams seized electronic items from the homes that police will comb through for clues about Noori's motives.

'At this stage nothing has been found to indicate a linkage to extremism, a terrorist organisation or anything of a terrorist nature,' police told Daily Mail Australia on Friday.

Noori arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2004 through a resettlement program, and had several run-ins with the law between 2008 and earlier this year.

'He came to Australia as a refugee. He did not come with a people smuggler, he came through the appropriate refugee, the normal refugee programs,' Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said.

Police said it did not appear to a terrorist attack but raided two homes in Heidelberg West - where Noori lives - and Oak Park (pictured) in Melbourne's north on Thursday night, hours after the terrifying incident

The family members present were reportedly cooperatives as forensics teams seized electronic items from the homes that police will comb through for clues about Noori's motives

'At this stage, because investigations are continuing, apart from that statement, there are no known links to any political issues or any, certainly any links to extremist groups.

'Therefore, the position I am advised off at the moment is that no terrorism link has been identified at this stage. I want to stress, there is a mass of material that is being investigated and nothing should be ruled out, nothing should be ruled out.

'Now, whatever the motivation, this was a despicable and cowardly act, but I want to reassure all Australians that this is an isolated incident.'

Noori's legal issues started with a minor assault charge in 2010 that was dropped after he pleaded guilty to recklessly causing injury and was fined $800.

Then in June this year he was convicted and fined $1000 after pleading guilty to driving while unlicensed, using a mobile phone while driving, and failing to answer bail.

Many more could have been injured or killed if the car hadn't crashed into a tram stop bollard on Flinders Street and the intersection of Elizabeth Street

The missing bail charges was from when he missed a court date for the driving offences, which occurred either early this year or late last year, and which he also faced court for in February.

Nineteen people were injured in the incident, including the driver and an off-duty policeman who heroic wrestled him from the car where other officers arrested him.

Many more could have been injured or killed if the car hadn't crashed into a tram stop bollard on Flinders Street and the intersection of Elizabeth Street.

By midday on Saturday 12 people were still in hospital with only three, including an 83-year-old from Northcote and two South Koreans in their 60s who remain in a critical condition.

Five men, aged 25, 40, 43, 45 and 83 and six women, aged 25, 30, 35, 47 and 58, were among the victims and along with another three men and two women of unknown age.

Many were from overseas including citizens of South Korea, China, Italy, India, Venezuela, Ireland and New Zealand.
Video aboard the Amtrak train that derailed in Washington state has revealed that the engineer remarked about the train's speed six seconds before it went off the tracks south of Seattle.

An initial review from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Friday that the crew wasn't using personal electronic devices and that the inward-facing video with audio showed it did not appear that the engineer placed the brake handle in the emergency braking mode.

The train was recorded traveling at 78mph - more than double the posted speed limit - when it derailed off an overpass onto Interstate 5 on Monday near DuPont, killing three people and injuring dozens more.

The review comes as The Wall Street Journal reports that the tight curve the train was traveling on was a known risk and that an $11billion Washington state government plan called for it to be removed.

However, it was preserved to keep costs down, according to documents and state officials.

Video aboard the Amtrak train that derailed in Washington state has revealed that the engineer remarked about the train's speed six seconds before it went off the tracks south of Seattle, (Pictured, the aftermath of the train collision)

This came on the heels of news that a Washington state government plan called for the turn the train was traveling on to be eliminated. However, it was left because of the high cost and speed limit was set at 30mph (Pictured, left, the curve before the crash, and right, after)

According to the board, video also showed the engineer applying the brakes, but it does not appear he placed the brake handle in emergency-braking mode.

The video recording ends as the locomotive was tilting and the crew was bracing for impact.

It's unclear why the train was traveling at 78mph in a 30mph zone. Additionally, technology called positive train control, or PTC, which can automatically slow down a speeding train, wasn't activated.

'The locomotive was in the process of getting a system of PTC installed, but it was not yet functional,' NTSB member Bella Dinh-Zarr said.

Another factor determined in the derailment was that the train was traveling at such a speed over a dangerous curve.

It's unclear why the train was traveling at 78mph in a 30mph zone. Additionally, technology called positive train control, or PTC, which can automatically slow down a speeding train, wasn't activated (Pictured, first responders are seen at the scene of the Amtrak crash)

The train was recorded traveling at 78mph - more than double the posted speed limit -when it derailed off an overpass onto Interstate 5 on Monday near DuPont, killing three people and injuring dozens more

Initial railroad plans proposed by the Washington state government called for the turn to be eliminated so trains to safely enter the area at higher speeds, according to the Journal.

However, to do so cost $412million - more than double the bypass project's budget - so authorities decided to leave the curve untouched and instead set the speed limit at 30mph.

The Amtrak Cascades train 501 was on its maiden voyage along the new, faster route through Washington when it reportedly entered the bend at almost 80mph.

Don Anderson, the mayor of nearby Lakewood, told The Seattle Times that he had feared accidents would occur due to the curve and that his city had opposed the new rail line.

'I didn't predict a time, but I did say somebody is going to get killed,' he said. 'I hoped that wasn't right.'
A Michigan man who confessed to killing his wife before taking his own life left detectives a descriptive note on when and where the horrific homicide took place.

Christopher Lockhart was found dead inside the home he shared with his wife Theresa in Portage in late October, after police say he had been dead for several days.

The 47-year-old was found in the home by police after he failed to show up for a routine appointment with his probation officer.

Also found next to his body, was a note confessing to the high school Spanish teacher's murder which he said he carried out in May after an argument.

The letter contained a 'hand-drawn map' to where he had dumped her body in a game area 50 miles away.

Aside the map, he wrote: 'Detective Hess, I'm sorry for taking her away from everyone. Find her and put her to rest. I had no right to do what I did. I pray that God forgives me. I love her so much.'

In the confession. dated October 23, the former manager of a Pfizer drug production warehouse revealed he choked his wife to death in the downstairs of their home when he was drunk and 'snapped' the night of May 18.

Christopher Lockhart, 47, confessed to murdering his wife Theresa, 44, on May 18 in a suicide note that was found next to his body in October after his suicide. Lockhart (left in a July mugshot) had been arrested several times since his wife vanished but none of the charges related to her disappearance

The letter contained a 'hand-drawn map' to where he had dumped her body in a game area 50 miles away

In the confession. dated October 23, the former manager of a Pfizer drug production warehouse revealed he choked his wife to death in the downstairs of their home when he was drunk and 'snapped' the night of May 18

Police followed the map to the Allegan State Game Area where they found the 44-year-old Spanish teacher's body partially submerged in some shallow water.

Since his wife went missing, Lockhart had been arrested four times on various charges including drunk driving, tampering with his alcohol tether and cutting his next door neighbor's internet and air conditioning wires.

Despite being going in and out of custody on those separate charges and being considered a person of interest in Theresa's disappearance, police never brought charges against him for her vanishing.

Detectives suspected the man was involved in his wife's disappearance but never had enough evidence to arrest him at the time.

As he announced his death and the discovery of Theresa's body in October, Portage Public Safety Director Nick Armold said he never once helped in efforts to try to find his wife.

Police followed the map to the Allegan State Game Area where they found the 44-year-old Spanish teacher's body partially submerged in some shallow water

Police where taken to the location where her body was hidden inside the park (pictured above)

Police found Theresa's body 50 miles from her home in the large Allegan State Game Park next to Lake Michigan

Christopher was the only person of interest in his wife's disappearance but police never had enough evidence to arrest him. Her car was found by a park-and-ride. They shared photographs of his larger car along with one of his mugshots in an appeal for information

Courtesy: Wood-TV

'Not once had he orchestrated, participated or took part in searches for Theresa or contacted the agency,' he said. The couple shared two young adult children.

Theresa was reported missing by school officials after failing to show up for classes in May.

Her car was later found in a park-and-ride in the area. Her estranged mother shared her suspicion of her husband before her body was found in October.

'He controlled her and wouldnt let anybody see her,' her mother told Wood TV.

Christopher was previously charged in a domestic violence case which involved his wife. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge at the time.

He also had several window peeping charges stemming back to the 1990s.

Witnesses told how he would appear at victims' windows late at night while dressed in a swimsuit.

One male victim said Christopher sprayed him with pepper spray when he confronted him.
Cops in Pennsylvania shot and killed a gunman who fired at police in several locations in Harrisburg, the state capitol.

Authorities said that Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty, 51, went on a shooting spree that spanned two miles and began at around 4pm Friday near the state's Capitol Building.

During the first incident, El-Mofty allegedly opened fire on a Capitol police officer from inside his own car, hitting the officer's cruiser multiple times. The officer inside was not injured.

Authorities said that Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty, 51, specifically targeted police in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, during a shooting spree that began Friday at about 4pm

The alleged shooting spree ended when El-Mofty was killed during a shootout with local and state police. He is pictured here holding what appears to be a weapon after the shootout

Map showing the three locations where shots were allegedly fired by El-Mofty during the spree

About half an hour later, El-Mofty allegedly shot at a Pennsylvania state trooper in her vehicle a few blocks away from the scene of the first shooting. Authorities said that the officer was left 'slightly injured' from the gunfire, WGAL reported.

The spree ended in a shootout between El-Mofty and local and state police, with El-Mofty being fatally shot by officers on scene, authorities said. No officers were injured.

The district attorney's office said that El-Mofty was armed with two handguns, believed to be 9mm weapons.

Authorities were initially unable to approach El-Mofty's body due to the presence of a suspicious device, but the bomb squad determined that the device was not an issue, ABC 27 reported.

El-Mofty and local and state police engaged in a shootout at this Harrisburg location

Yellow crime scene marker cones indicated locations of bullets that were fired during the shootout between El-Mofty and local and state Pennsylvania officers

Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said that there was 'no doubt' that El-Mofty had specifically targeted police officers during the spree and asked anybody who had information about him to contact 911, ABC News reported.

Marsico also said that El-Mofty recently traveled to the Middle East and had ties there.

During a news conference Friday night, Marsico said that authorities had no motive for the attack yet and that the investigation was 'wide-ranging.'

When questioned about whether there were any specific ties between this shooting spree and terrorism, Marscio said that authorities would be investing that, but in the meantime, 'We don't want people to run wild with speculation.'

The state trooper who was struck by a bullet during the second shooting incident is doing well.
A couple of surprised police officers have butted heads with two stubborn goats who made a home for themselves on the rood of their squad car.

Officers from the Nepean Police Area Command, south-west of Sydney, goat more than theyd bargained for after attending a callout at Llandilo, when they left their four wheel drive parked in the driveway of a rural property.

While they were gone, Billie and Jean had apparently heard that it was the silly season, and leaped onto the roof of the car to have a cuddle and a chuckle at the amused officers.

Amused officers from the Nepean Police Area Command goat more than theyd bargained for

Goats are well known for their ability to jump; a quick hop up onto a police car would be no problem - even baby goats are able to clear fences four to six feet high.

With the intelligence of a four-year-old, goats are master escape artists but also enjoy the company and companionship of other goats and animals.

A little family of goats always has an ordered social structure and are known to pick on newcomers until they learn their place - and the police definitely learned who was boss today!
Police are investigating the incident and expect more charges to be laid

A didgeridoo, shovel, knife and saucepan were used, injuring three men

Fight broke out between residents of two properties in south-west Sydney

Two men have been charged and three more taken to hospital following a brawl

Two men have been charged and three more are in hospital following a brawl in Sydney's south-west on Friday night.

Police reported a number of arguments began between residents of two properties in Wheeler Avenue, in Lurnea, around 11pm.

Following the arguments, a didgeridoo was used to smash a window before a physical fight broke out between a number of men.

Two men have been charged and three more are in hospital following a brawl in Sydney's south-west on Friday night

A didgeridoo was used to smash a window before a physical fight broke out between a number of men

Two men suffered wounds to their hands after a knife was used in the fight, while another had three teeth knocked out.

Liverpool Police Chief Inspector Guy Haberly said the injured men, aged 22, 24 and 52, were taken to hospital.

'One has a slashed right middle finger; another one has a laceration to his left palm requiring stitches,' Chief Inspector Haberly told the Daily Telegraph.

'The one with the right middle finger may require surgeryand another male had three teeth knocked out.'

Two men suffered wounds to their hands after a knife was used in the fight, while another had three teeth knocked out

Police reported a number of arguments began between residents of two properties in Wheeler Avenue, in Lurnea, around 11pm

A knife, didgeridoo and shovel were seized at the scene and a steel pot was found on the front lawn of one property.

A 55-year-old man was charged with affray while a 44-year-old man was charged with affray and malicious damage.

Both men were granted bail to appear in Liverpool Local Court in January.

Police continue to investigate the incident and expect further charges to be laid.
Passengers were forced to hide behind seats after a man began hurling rocks at a train in north Melbourne on Friday night.

The Cragieburn bound train was forced to break around 10:45pm as a man was spotted running towards the tracks.

Passengers on board were just 200m metres from the Pascoe Vale station platform when they believed the rocks were gun shots.

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Passengers were forced to hide behind seats after a man began hurling rocks at a train in north Melbourne on Friday night

The man reportedly jumped onto the railway tracks and threw rocks at several trains causing significant damage and delays.

Johannes Du Toit, a passenger on the train, told 9 News 'everybody thought it was an attack'.

'Everyone was asking, "is this an attack? Is this an attack",' Mr Du Toit said.

'There were some elderly people right next to the window so we call screamed "get down, get down, get down".

'At first we thought it was gunshots cause it just rang out.'

The man reportedly jumped onto the railway tracks and threw rocks at several trains causing significant damage and delays

Several glass windows were shattered as the man continues to hurl rocks at the trains, causing hours of delays on the Cragieburn line.

The train was held at Pascoe Vale for over an hour as police were called to the scene.

Victoria Police confirmed a 20-year-old man Kealba was arrested under the Mental Health Act, after he told Protective Services Officers that he wanted to self-harm.

He was admitted to hospital and police expect to interview him at a later date in relation to criminal damage.
The man then was rushed to Royal North Shore hospital in a critical condition

He was in full cardiac arrest and was not breathing, but was then resuscitated

An unconscious 30-year-old man was rescued from the ocean at Whale Beach

A quick-thinking paramedic has saved the life of a man who was pulled unconscious from the surf at a beach in Sydney's north on Saturday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to Whale Beach just after 3pm amidst reports that two men had been rescued from the waves.

One of the men was thankfully uninjured, but the other was in full cardiac arrest and was not breathing.

An unconscious 30-year-old man was rescued from the ocean at Whale Beach on Saturday

The man was resuscitated and then rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition

The paramedic resuscitated the 30-year-old before he was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital in an ambulance

At the time of transport to the hospital, he was breathing but unconscious and in a critical condition, a spokesperson from NSW Ambulance told to Daily Mail Australia.

Australians are urged to stay safe in the water this summer as ten people have drowned nationwide since the beginning of December.
Shocking footage captures the moment a nursery school teacher kicked and punched her young pupils after losing her temper in class.

The clip shows the unnamed educator at the nursery school north-eastern China's Shaanxi Province lashing out at the children, prompting a wave of complaints.

It is understood that the teacher lost her temper after the children failed to behave properly throughout the day.

Shocking footage captures the moment a nursery school teacher kicked and punched her young pupils after losing her temper in class. The clip shows the unnamed educator at the nursery school north-eastern China's Shaanxi Province lashing out at the children, prompting a wave of complaints

But despite the children having barely just entered education, the teacher dispensed with some particularly cruel punishments, including stomping on a child.

The damning clip shows the teacher going around the whole class attacking the pupils.

She was filmed moving from child to child abusing the young children, punching, kicking and pushing her students.

One helpless boy was filmed being punched in the chest three times, while the teacher attacked four more children sat on the floor.

She also punched and slapped more children in the head as she completed her vicious rampae, leaving her terrified pupils trembling.

Shenmu Citys education bureau reportedly said it has already been in contact with the nursery school.

It is understood that the teacher lost her temper after the children failed to behave properly throughout the day. But despite the children having barely just entered education, the teacher dispensed with some particularly cruel punishments, including stomping on a child

The school is thought to be ready to dismiss the offender, according to local media, although this is yet to be confirmed.

It has also reportedly received a stern warning from education officials.

And the teacher has since made public apologies to the parents, says the school.
The new TV series based on the controversial 1992 film Romper Stomper could inflame racial tensions in Australia, a social worker has warned.

The series, which starts on January 1 on streaming service Stan, follows up themes in the movie, which famously depicted Russel Crowe as the leader of a neo-Nazi gang that terrorized Melbourne.

The film divided the country for it's depiction of violence between the gang and Asian youths, with some critics saying it glorified the neo-Nazis.

The new series focuses on the rise of militant groups on the far-right and far-left, with Muslim Australians as the flash point, according to publicity material.

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The controversial Romper Stomper (pictured) will be gracing our screens more than two decades after the original caused havoc

The new series (pictured) is expected to cause tension through racist slurs over Islam

A social worker said Romper Stomper (pictured) will expose us to a racist gang culture

The new series is a remake of the 1992 Romper Stomper (pictured) which showed a group of neo-Nazi skinheads who violently attacked Asian immigrants

One scene featured in a recent promotional video for the new series shows a bloody confrontation between far-right protesters waving Australian flags and left-wing extremists wearing hoodies and masks.

Melbourne social worker Les Twentyman has labelled the upcoming series as a 'ticking time bomb' which will have 'massive implications exposing us to a gang culture', according to The Herald Sun.

'This movie legitimises extreme views. That is extremely dangerous. It is hotted up as art,' Mr Twentyman told the publication.

The social worker shared to Twitter that the television series is a 'racist piece of c***'.

'Romper Stomper is the Klu Klux evolution in Melbourne, the modern day racist TV needs to be trashed [and] not be shown in world's most livable city,' Mr Twentyman wrote.

However, show producer John Edwards said he was surprised that people were calling to have the series axed because it explored real issues happening in current society.

'I think this is to be viewed as a straightforward drama and you get it or you don't,' Mr Edwards told according to the publication.

'We have been able to ask moral questions ... everybody is in the right and everybody is in the wrong.'

'This movie (pictured) legitimises extreme views. That is extremely dangerous. It is hotted up as art,' social worker Les Twentyman said

Romper Stomper was a career turning point for Russell Crowe (pictured) who starred as a neo-Nazi skinhead

At the time, Romper Stomper (pictured) was criticised for glorifying extremists, with some movie critics refusing to review the film

The original film, set in Melbourne's Footscray, highlighted white nationalism where the victims of the skinheads were Asian, in particular the Vietnamese.

At the time, Romper Stomper was criticised for glorifying extremists, with some movie critics refusing to review the film.

Full of violent and racist scenes, the new Stan series is thought to be as provocative as it was in the early '90s.

Show producer John Edwards said he was surprised that people were calling to have the series (pictured) axed because it explored real issues happening in current society
A Tory Minister's university punk band has been revealed as having sung sickening songs mocking the Queen Mother's death, encouraging sexism and homophobia.

Chris Skidmore, who is the Constitution minister, performed with a band called Bob Nylon and the Elastic Band.

Among the songs performed by the group at Oxford included one song which involved performing an obscene sexual act in public, another which boasted about the size of the band's large genitalia.

Tory Minister Chris Skidmore has been forced to apologise over the lyrics used by a university band he played with due to their sickening, obscene and offensive lyrics

One song performed by Skidmore's group, Bob Nylon and the Elastic Band involved a gratuitous description of an act of a sexual nature performed upon the Queen Mother

The band produced an album cover which featured Osama Bin Laden, Hugh Grant and a sheep

However, other songs claimed: 'I'm Glad I'm Not Obese', 'God Hates Puffs' and 'Women are Crap'.

The most shocking song, which was performed months after the Queen Mother's death, involved performing a sordid act of a sexual nature on the much-loved royal.

According to The Mirror, Mr Skidmore, who is MP for Kingswood in South Gloucestershire, was the guitarist with the band.

Other songs on the band's playlist joked about the 9/11 terror attacks and sexually transmitted diseases.

The group, who described themselves as a punk act, even had a Myspace page.

The lyrics of many of the songs cannot be repeated as they are in extremely poor taste.

Mr Skidmore, when approached by The Mirror apologised for his 'hopelessly immature' actions and renounced the lyrics which he described as a joke.

He said: 'These so called songs were performed around 16 years ago when I was part of a joke band that thought it was being funny and ironic. In fact, we were a hopelessly immature bunch of 19 and 20 year old kids.

'I deeply regret now playing on these cringeworthy recordings and I wish I had never done so.

'Unfortunately, I cannot turn back the clock and undo what has happened when I was at university and I wholeheartedly apologise for any offence caused.'
This is the heartwarming moment a young child breaks down in tears after his school mates banded together to buy him a replacement for his stolen Nintendo.

California student Piper Stowe shared a video of the moment she and her Antioch High School classmates gave their fellow student a new Nintendo 3DS.

After the young boy's console was stolen, it is understood he used the school whiteboard to explain it had been a gift from his grandmother, and pleaded for its return.

This is the heartwarming moment a young child breaks down in tears after his school mates banded together to buy him a replacement for his stolen Nintendo. California student Piper Stowe shared a video of the moment she and her Antioch High School classmates gave their fellow student a new Nintendo 3DS

Touched by the emotional message, Stowe and her friend Shawna Cantiliano decided to raise money to buy their schoolmate a replacement.

The duo were able to raise more than $200 and chose to give their friend his gift in front of the class.

In touching scenes, Piper Stowe handed the young lad his early Christmas present in front of his classmates, bringing the boy to tears.

Touched by the emotional message, Stowe and her friend Shawna Cantiliano decided to raise money to buy their schoolmate a replacement. The duo were able to raise more than $200 and chose to give their friend his gift in front of the class

Embracing his new friends, the boy was filmed breaking down in tears thanking Stowe and Cantiliano for their kind-hearted gesture.

Kissing Stowe on the cheek, the young boy calls her an angel from god as he wipes away his tears.
A British family has cheated death after their plane crashed in a Mexican jungle.

City advisory firm manager William Carpmael, 46, his wife Anna, 48, and their two children, Emily, 15, and George, 14, were on their way to visit the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza when their light aircraft began to lose altitude.

It came down in a remote area of dense vegetation, around 10 miles from the nearest main road.

Dramatic local TV pictures showed the Mexican pilot, named locally as Francisco Alan Rodriguez, covered in blood with a bandage round his head.

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Dramatic local TV pictures showed the Mexican pilot, named locally as Francisco Alan Rodriguez, covered in blood with a bandage round his head. Pictured: Mr Carpmael and his wife

Mr Carpmael, a former associate director at now defunct London-based investment bank SBC Warburg who studied mathematics at Jesus College, Cambridge, thanked his rescuers afterwards in tweets from his holiday destination. Pictured: The man and his family being led away after the crash

The pilot was today being hailed a hero for managing to keep his cool and save the lives of the British holidaymakers so he could crash-land in the safest place possible. Pictured: The family, including the teenagers, being led away from the scene

The plane, pictured, came down in a remote area of dense vegetation, around 10 miles from the nearest main road

But the passengers, all from London, were filmed walking away with no apparent injuries after rescuers reached them following a tense three-hour search.

Mr Carpmael, a Cambridge University graduate now living in London but originally from Hook, Wokingham, was even pictured smiling as he was led out of the jungle by rescue teams after his family's dramatic escape.

They were helicoptered away from the scene for a check-up but released soon afterwards.

Civil Protection boss Orlando Munoz confirmed the four passengers suffered only minor bumps and bruises.

The accident happened around 9.30am local time on Thursday shortly after the plane took off from an airstrip in the tourist resort of Playa del Carmen.

Local reports said it began to experience problems, thought to be the result of a mechanical failure, shortly after take-off.

Several teams of police, firefighters and paramedics were mobilised to try to locate the light aircraft, a Cessna 207 belonging to a firm called Aero Saab.

The plane, which came down around 10 miles from a quarry and port on the Quintana Roo coast of Mexico known as Calizas Industriales del Carmen, had broken in half on impact with the ground.

William (pictured) said: 'We are all OK, thanks to our hero pilot Alan and our guardian angels. George has a couple of stitches but otherwise just bruises and sprains'

Mr Carpmael describes himself on an internet profile as having more than 20 years experience working in the City of London

The pilot was today being hailed a hero for managing to keep his cool and save the lives of the British holidaymakers so he could crash-land in the safest place possible.

A spokesman for the town hall in Solidaridad, the municipality where the plane was found, said in a statement where the Brits and the pilot were identified only by their first names and surname initial: 'Solidaridad Town Hall can confirm that five people have been rescued alive following the accident that occurred on Thursday morning in the south of the municipality, in which a light aircraft crashed in the jungle more than nine miles from Calizas Industriales del Carmen (CALICA).

'Civil Protection officials have confirmed the four passengers as well as the pilot were rescued following a search involving federal, state and municipal security and emergency workers.

'The pilot Francisco A.R was taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries.

The plane, which came down around 10 miles from a quarry and port on the Quintana Roo coast of Mexico known as Calizas Industriales del Carmen, had broken in half on impact with the ground

'The four passengers from London, William C, aged 46, Anna C, aged 48, Emily C, aged 15, and George C, aged 14, were taken by ambulance to hospital so doctors could see them, although they didn't appear to have any serious injuries.

'The light aircraft was a Cessna 207 belonging to the company Aero Saab and it was heading from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza.

'The cause of the accident is not yet known but it is believed to be down to a mechanical failure.'

Mr Carpmael, a former associate director at now defunct London-based investment bank SBC Warburg who studied mathematics at Jesus College, Cambridge, thanked his rescuers afterwards in tweets from his holiday destination.

He said: 'We are all OK, thanks to our hero pilot Alan and our guardian angels. George has a couple of stitches but otherwise just bruises and sprains.

'Certainly ticked the adventure box but we are very lucky. Alan is also ok, but had a large head wound that we bandaged up. Back at hotel.'

Chichen Itza is a complex of Mayan ruins on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. It was one of the largest Maya cities and is now one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico with over two million tourists in 2016

He added later: 'Three hours stuck in jungle 7 miles from the main road. Rescued by search planes, helicopter spotter, Army, Air Force, national, state and tourist Police and Bomberos fire brigade. Excellent hospital in Playa del Carmen. Thank you everyone who helped.'

Mr Carpmael describes himself on an internet profile as having more than 20 years experience working in the City of London.

He is now understood to work as a relationship manager at a wealth management advisory firm called The Route, which provides members with financial planning and estate, management and protection solutions as well as 'sophisticated planning for all personal taxes.'

Chichen Itza is a complex of Mayan ruins on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. It was one of the largest Maya cities and is now one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico with over two million tourists in 2016.
Valentin Krzyzyk, 27, is alleged to have lifted up a woman's skirt and grabbed her bottom in the Cirque le Soir nightclub in London

A businessman accused of groping a woman in a nightclub has been cleared after prosecutors failed to disclose CCTV of the complainant carrying on drinking after the alleged assault.

Valentin Krzyzyk, 27, had spent over 6,000 on Dom Perignon with friends at the Cirque Le Soir club in Soho, central London, when he was alleged to have lifted a woman's skirt and grabbed her bottom, on December 20 last year.

The woman, who Mr Krzyzyk is said to have described as a 'thot' or 'table whore', gave evidence claiming she had been hysterical and crying after the alleged incident.

But security footage which showed her continuing to drink with friends was not handed over to the defence team until Monday - months later than it should have been.

Mr Krzyzyk has now been cleared of sexual assault with judge Recorder Michael Bromley-Martin slamming the 'reprehensible' failings of prosecutors over the delay.

He told the jury there had been a 'serious failure on the part of the prosecution to disclose the CCTV' and praised My Krzyzyk's lawyer Narita Bahra for preventing a 'serious risk of injustice' by repeatedly requesting the footage.

It comes as Scotland Yard urgently reviews dozens of sex cases due to go to court after the rape trial of Liam Allan was halted last week and the prosecution of Isaac Itiary, accused of raping a child, collapsed on Tuesday.

Businessman Krzyzyk, who lives a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace, denies inappropriate touching, at Southwark Crown Court

On Thursday, Samuel Armstrong, chief of staff to Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay, claimed he was cleared of raping a woman in his boss's office after 'crucial evidence' was disclosed just days before his trial.

Last week the trial of Mr Allan, 22, was halted at Croydon Crown Court as it was decided there was 'no longer a realistic prospect of conviction'.

Police are understood to have looked at thousands of phone messages when reviewing evidence, but it was not until the prosecution was close to trial that Met officers disclosed messages between the complainant and her friends which cast doubt on the case against Mr Allan.

The CPS offered no evidence against Mr Itiary, who was facing trial at Inner London Crown Court charged with the rape of a child under 16, along with other offences.

He was charged in July, but police only disclosed further 'relevant material' in response to the defence case statement submitted on December 15.

Krzyzyk had been partying with friends at Cirque le Soir when the incident is alleged to have taken place on December 20 last year

Mr Armstrong, 24, was accused of attacking the young parliamentary worker when she fell asleep after a night drinking in the Houses of Parliament.

On Thursday, he wiped tears from his eyes after a jury of seven women and five men found him not guilty of two counts of rape, one of sexual assault and one of assault by penetration, after a two-week trial at Southwark Crown Court.

Mr Armstrong and his lawyers refused to elaborate on what evidence he was referring to, but the court heard the complainant initially refused to give police access to her mobile phone and medical records.

In messages recovered from her phone, she said she had contacted a journalist just hours after the alleged attack to secure a 'sympathetic' write-up, while her medical notes revealed details of a history of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
Hundreds of Muslim demonstrators have stormed a Coptic church in Egypt calling for it to be demolished.

A hostile mob wreaked havoc in the building by wrecking sacred objects and attacking worshippers after gathering outside during Friday prayers.

During the brief siege the demonstrators chanted offensive slogans and called for the church's demolition, the diocese in Atfih said.

The wounded were transferred to a nearby hospital after security guards dispersed the mob. The nature of their injuries is not known.

Christians constitute 10 percent of Egypt's mostly Muslim population. Followers of the religion are seen shouting slogans after a funeral service for victims of a bus attack in May (stock photo)

The church in Giza, just outside of Cairo, is yet to be sanctioned by the state but has been observing prayers for 15 years.

The diocese said it had officially sought to legalize the building's status under a 2016 law that laid down the rules for building churches.

Local authorities often refuse to give building permits for new churches, fearing protests by Muslim conservatives.

That has prompted Christians to illegally build churches or set up churches in other buildings. In contrast, building a mosque results in few restrictions.

Egyptian Coptic Christians are pictured in the blood-spattered church where 21 worshippers were killed in an apparent suicide bombing in 2011 (stock photo)

Christians constitute 10 percent of Egypt's mostly Muslim population. Sectarian violence occasionally erupts, mainly in rural communities in the south.

Egypt's Christian minority has often been targeted by Islamic militants in a series of attacks since December 2016 that left more than 100 dead and scores wounded.

The country has been under a state of emergency since April after suicide bombings struck two Coptic Christian churches on Palm Sunday in an attack that was claimed by the Egyptian affiliate the Islamic State group.
A horrified mother watched on as paramedics fought to save her 19-month-old son after he was allegedly accidentally run over by his own father.

Stelios Karsas was declared dead after being hit outside the Friends Fish and Chip Shop in Minsterley, Shropshire, just after 11am on Thursday.

Friends believe his Cypriot dad  also called Stelios  had reversed over him in his vehicle, a Hyundai Santa Fe.

An ambulance, three paramedic officers and an air ambulance rushed to the scene after members of the public desperately attempted to perform CPR.

Passers-by have now revealed how they desperately fought to save his life as his Filipino mother Mirasol watched on.

A horrified mother watched on as paramedics fought to save her son after he was allegedly knocked over by his father's car. Pictured: Stelios Karsas and his father, also called Stelios

Tragedy: He is believed to be pictured in the Hyundai Santa Fe which knocked him down on a post on his mother Mirasol's Instagram account last month

Stelios Karsas was declared dead after being hit outside the Friends Fish and Chip Shop in Minsterley, Shropshire, just after 11am on Thursday

Hero nursing home carer Simon Jones was passing the scene and tried to save Stelios' life.

He and a colleagued performed CPR in a desperate attempt to keep him alive until an ambulance could arrive.

Simon said: 'I deal with death and dying frequently but nothing can prepare you for what I saw that day. The child in question was only 19 months old.

'When I arrived a colleague of mine was already there. Her husband waved me over and suddenly I saw the little boy lying on his side with his mouth full of blood.

'I turned him with my colleague's assistance slightly more on his side to clear his airway. Another lady behind me was on the phone to the ambulance operator, who told us we had to start CPR.

'My colleague assisted by doing the compressions while I concentrated on the breaths, and we did this until the ambulance arrived.

'His mum was there and as far as I am aware they owned the chip shop the little man was lying outside. She was in bits but once we started CPR everything else became background noise.

'It made me feel useless in all truth. I'm properly broken and I can't close my eyes without seeing his face.

'He had the eyes of an angle and I'm so sorry I couldn't do more. I'll always think of him even though I never knew him.

'The emergency services were fantastic and responded so quickly, and I have to thank the three people there helping me. I'm gutted the outcome wasn't a different one.'

Stelios is believed to be pictured in the Hyundai Santa Fe which knocked him down on a post on his mother's Instagram account last month.

His parents, who have been married for four years, were at home last night with their other two daughters.

Mirasol said: 'We don't want to say anything - it is an incredibly tough time.'

Tributes are pictured outside the Friends Fish and Chip Shop in Minsterley, Shropshire

Floral tributes were left at the scene. One card read: 'We didn't have the pleasure of meeting you and your family little man but we are deeply saddened by this tragic event. Fly high with the angels little one'

A nearby church, Holy Trinity, Minsterley, left a tribute for little Stelios outside the fish and chip shop inviting people to light a candle to remember him

A family friend added: 'Stelios hit his baby in the car. He needs our help now.

'I've spoken to Mirasol to comfort her today because she cannot accept what has happened.

'It is hard to explain what her husband is going through.

Floral tributes have been placed at the scene, where the local Methodist church has invited people to light a candle of remembrance for the child.

Writing on Facebook, The Reverend Pam Bickley of Holy Trinity Church, Minsterly said: 'If you would like to light a candle in memory of Stelios, the little boy killed yesterday in Minsterley, Holy Trinity Minsterley is open all day today and tomorrow.

'Please pray for his family. Rest in peace little one. God bless.'

West Mercia Police are appealing for witnesses and have not yet confirmed the circumstances surrounding the collision.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service added: 'When crews arrived they found a boy in cardiac arrest being given CPR by members of the public following a collision with a car.

'Ambulance staff quickly took over resuscitation efforts on scene and continued advanced life support as a team.

'Tragically, nothing could be done to save the boy and he was confirmed dead at scene.'

Family friend Maria Downes said she was driving along the road and witnessed the aftermath of the tragedy.

She added: 'I was a couple of seconds behind the accident, I didn't see it actually happen.

'I was two cars behind and saw the aftermath of it, a lot of people rushed over to try and help - it's incredibly upsetting and tragic.

'It was not a hit and run. It wasn't a driver speeding -it's much more tragic than what's been originally said.

'I can't say anything about it, but for those reasons it's more devastating than people think.'

Another tribute reads: 'Such a little man. Sweet dreams forever xxx' after the death of the 19-month-old outside the restaurant yesterday morning

Ms Downes earlier wrote on Facebook: 'So absolutely devastating to be in Minsterley today, thinking of the family of that beautiful boy.

'I was only with him a few days ago, I don't think I will ever be able to go to Minsterley again with what's stuck in my head.

'I have to say this though, the whole village came together today [Thursday] bless you all for staying strong, acting fast and just being there to lend a hand if it was needed.

'I am so devastated for them all and to all the police, fire service, air ambulance, paramedics, you deserve a big hug.'

'He was by the chippy where his dad owned.

'I think the family have paid the ultimate price really and that will be forever haunting those involves, it's not about blame now, it's a bout a young child's death and a broken family x'

A mother-of-two, who lived nearby, added: 'My daughter's boyfriend was here for the aftermath, and claims that the boy's dad was the one that hit him.

'He [the dad] was absolutely devastated apparently, which is what you'd expect.

'My neighbour also told me that it was the dad that was the driver, but like I say, I didn't see it.'

Pictured: A line of bouquets are pictured outside the Friends Fish and Chip Shop

An ambulance, three paramedic officers and an air ambulance rushed to the scene after members of the public desperately attempted to perform CPR

An elderly neighbour said they heard a scream, which they originally assumed was a woman.

They said: 'I heard a scream, and originally I thought that it was a woman crying out for help.

'Of course I later learned that it was a young boy.

'There was a car that was parked up by the accident, which people were surrounding.

'I think it was the car that belongs to the restaurant owner, because it's parked there all the time.'

Francesca Bromley put: 'Puts it into perspective to cherish your children.

'So so sad before xmas he had his whole life ahead of him. Poor boy and poor family.'
A former SAS officer was in custody in France today accused of threatening the British owners of a Dordogne stately home with murder as he robbed them of cash and jewellery.

Identified only as Derek, 57, the ex-soldier was part of a six-person commando group which raided the Chateau La Durantie, near Bordeaux, a year ago.

He was finally caught after leaving a hair at the scene of the crime that was traced to his pet Jack Russell.

A gang of six raiders entered the the Chateau La Durantie, near Bordeaux, (pictured), as owners Ralph and Victoria Heinig were having dinner with friends

The owners of the property are Ralph and Victoria Heinig, who bought it for more than 1.5million pounds a decade ago, and then spent more than half-a-million renovating it.

Mrs Heinig, 44, told police she heard the attackers speaking English when they broke in on November 15th 2016.

The family was enjoying dinner with around five friends, when the attackers arrived wearing balaclavas and carrying weapons, said an investigating source.

The adults were tied up and threatened with murder, while the safe in an underground vault was emptied of thousands of euros. A luxury watch worth around 20,000 was also taken.

Children were sleeping upstairs during the raid, which started at around 10.15pm. The raiders knew the names of the owners.

Detective initially suspected an inside job at the property, which is part of an Anglo-French catering business, providing a venue for parties, and especially wedding receptions.

Derek, who faces trial and prison, was himself living as an ex-pat in the town of Charme, close to Angouleme, in the Charente department of France.

French police initially suspected an inside job but traced the ex-special forces soldier through dog hair left on the scene. The suspect serves in the SAS for three years (File pic)

After finding the Jack Russell hair, detectives honed in on all British owners of the breed of dog within a 100 mile radius of Durantie chateau.

Derek, who served with the SAS for three years following a career in another British Army regiment, was found to be living in a home surrounded by cannabis plants.

During the raid on the property last Tuesday, armed special forces police also found cocaine and other drugs including ecstasy tablets.

Alleged accomplices were also arrested during simultaneous raids in other parts of France. They included an unnamed 28-year-old in Luxe, which is also in Charente.

A 71-year-old man was arrested in nearby Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente, along with his wife, who is thought to have assisted in money laundering.

Two other unidentified suspects are also being held in connection with the Durantaye robbery, making a total of six.

The Chateau la Durantie was built in 1840, and was originally the home of the Duke of Isly. It now sleeps up to 44 guests, and rents for up to 17,000-a-week in high summer.
The accused Melbourne rampage driver is a father-of-one with a second child on the way.

Saeed Noori allegedly mowed down shoppers with his white Suzuki Vitara outside Flinder's Street Station on Thursday afternoon, injuring 18 people and leaving three still fighting for life.

Noori, who was charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and one count of conduct endangering life, has been described as a 'very beautiful son' by his mother.

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Accused Melbourne rampage driver Saeed Noori (pictured) is father-of-one with baby on way

'Beautiful son, drug no good. Three years sick, very sick. All the time he's sick,' Noori's mother Shakiba Jalaly (pictured) said

Police allege the 32-year-old (pictured) deliberately ploughed through the pedestrians in the heart of Melbourne CBD at 4.41pm

'Beautiful son, drug no good. Three years sick, very sick. All the time he's sick,' Noori's mother, Shakiba Jalaly, told The Herald Sun.

Police allege the 32-year-old deliberately ploughed through the pedestrians in the heart of Melbourne CBD at 4.41pm, just days before Christmas.

The Afghan refugee, who is one of seven children, lives in public housing in a two-bedroom house in Heidelberg West that The Age reported as being less than a year old.

A neighbour told the publication in the three days leading up to the rampage, he heard Noori having loud arguments on the phone in 'his own language'.

Ms Jalaly told News Corp her family moved to Australia in 2004 after being forced out by the Taliban and had previously spent eight years in Iran before moving to the country.

Eight years ago, Noori reportedly worked at a call centre and went by the name of Mark, Fairfax Media reported.

Noori, who was charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and one count of conduct endangering life, has been described as a 'very beautiful son' by his mother (left and right)

Noori allegedly mowed down shoppers with his white Suzuki Vitara (pictured) outside Flinder's Street Station on Thursday afternoon

The rampage injured 18 people and left three still fighting for life in hospital

The Afghan refugee has a history of drug use and mental illness and reportedly suffered an addiction to ice, a highly purified form of methamphetamine which can cause depression and anxiety.

The 32-year-old appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday and did not apply for bail.

He held his head in his hands as he sat in the dock, while Noori's emotional mother, who was his only supporter in court, tried to approach him but was told to stay seated.

Victoria Police Prosecutor Senior Constable Amitoj Singh told the court the accused man drove a vehicle through the pedestrian intersection of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street 'with the intention of killing or causing serious injury'.

Noori will remain in custody to face a filing hearing on Wednesday. He was also ordered to see a nurse for physical and psychiatric issues.

The Afghan refugee (pictured) has a history of drug use and mental illness and reportedly suffered an addiction to ice
A drug dealer in Denmark is facing prison after getting into a police car with 1000 joints thinking the vehicle was a taxi.

According to police in Copenhagen, the man was in the city's alternative enclave of Christiania and was in such a hurry to get home, he hopped into a police car after mistaking it for a taxi.

He was searched by police who found him to be carrying 1,000 joints, Copenhagen Police wrote on Twitter, thelocal.dk reported.

The drug dealer is facing a custodial sentence after being found with the joints, Copenhagen Police said

'Last night a cannabis dealer from Christiania who wanted to get home quickly got into a taxi. He received a big surprise when he realised it was actually a police car he was sitting in,' police wrote.

'The police officers were happy to see him, since he was carrying around 1,000 joints.'

The force then tweeted a second time to say that the man could face a custodial sentence for the offence.

The arrest came after Copenhagen police increased their presence in Christiana, which was originally set up by hippie squatters in 1971.

Police have recently been clamping down on drug dealing in Christiana, as they have done in the past

Police have carried out several raids and used drones in a clampdown on narcotics dealing in the area.

A raid this week resulted in a number of traders' stands being demolished and several kilos of cannabis confiscated, according to the police Twitter account.

Last year two men in Rexburg, Idaho, carrying more than 20 pounds of pot in their car, gave themselves up to police after mistakenly believing they were being tailed by a patrol car.

In 2009 a 19-year-old drug dealer decided to sell weed by going door-to-door in Brownsville, Texas but one of his clients turned out to be an off-duty police officer.
Fat people are more at peace with themselves than their skinnier companions, a group of researches claim, despite obesity leading to a higher risk of diseases including cancer and type-2 diabetes.

The theory was gleaned from a study of Britain's largest genetic database, which found that people with a higher BMI were less likely to describe themselves as tense or nervous.

Scientists at the University of Bristol noted that their finding was not conclusive, although experts said it sounds plausible, with some noting that people prone to worry could have higher metabolisms.

The theory was gleaned from a study of Britain's largest genetic database, which found that people with a higher BMI were less likely to describe themselves as tense or nervous

Dasha Nicholls, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, had an alternative theory, that people who are malnourished found it harder to contain their emotions.

She told The Times: 'We know that if someone is nutritionally compromised that affects their ability to regulate their emotions.

'It doesn't surprise me in that sense that there would be a direct link, but I think it's a really interesting study.'

Britain has the highest obesity rates in the European Union, with nearly 30 per cent of women and just under 27 per cent of men overweight.

Dasha Nicholls, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, had an alternative theory, that people who are malnourished found it harder to contain their emotions

Other health figures are also worrying, showing we are second worst at exercising and have one of the highest rates of heavy drinkers.

Britons are also near the top of an international table for having dangerously high cholesterol levels.

The statistics follow a warning that it has become normal to be vastly overweight, with this country following the lead of the US, the world's most obese nation.

The latest analysis comes from the European Society of Cardiology, which ranks British men as the most obese in 47 countries including the 28 in the EU.

British women have the second worst rate of obesity across the 47, behind only Turkey.

Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: 'To have higher obesity levels than any other European country is truly appalling, and the researchers are correct in fearing worse statistics in years to come.'
There are concerns for the well-being of a Perth teenager who has been missing for nearly two weeks.

Chloe Batt, 14, was last seen in Oakford in Perths south-east on December 13.

The state Department of Communities has been in intermittent contact with the teenager since then, according to The West Australian.

Chloe Batt, 14, was last seen in Oakford in Perths south-east on December 13

They are now appealing for help from the public to return her to her home.

She has long, dark hair, is of medium build and is about 165cm tall.

She has a preference for wearing dark leggings and hooded sweatshirts.

Chloe also requires medication, but is not likely to have it with her.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them on 131 444, or to contact Crime Stoppers with information on her previous whereabouts.
Viral footage of the arrests led to protests in Fort Worth, with community members accusing local law enforcement of brutality and racism

The lawsuit comes off the heels of an 'eerily reminiscent' case involving another officer who was sacked from the Fort Worth police department on Monday

Cellphone video of the December 2016 incident shows an argument between Martin and Craig quickly escalating before he arrests her and her two girls

Craig and her two daughters were arrested following an incident Craig's neighbor who she said choked her son for littering last year

Jacqueline Craig filed a lawsuit against Fort Worth officer William Martin and the city of Fort Worth on Friday

A black mother who was wrestled to the ground by a white Texas police officer has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit.

The lawsuit filed Friday against Fort Worth officer William Martin, the city of Fort Worth and the woman's neighbor alleges excessive force and wrongful arrest.

Police responded to an argument between Jacqueline Craig and her neighbor, who she said had choked her eight-year-old son for littering.

Pastor Michael Bell, left, accompanies Jacqueline Craig on Friday, May 19, 2017 at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex in Fort Worth, Texas

Craig filed a lawsuit against Fort Worth officer William Martin and the city of Fort Worth on Friday

The lawsuit comes off the heels of an 'eerily reminiscent' case involving another officer who was sacked from the Fort Worth police department on Monday

Cellphone video of the December 2016 incident shows an argument between Martin and Craig quickly escalating before he wrestles her and her teenage daughter to the ground and arrests them.

He later arrested another daughter who filmed the altercation.

Charges against Craig and her daughters were dropped, and Martin served a 10-day suspension for violating departmental policies.

'They still have every opportunity to provide justice to the Craig family, and they still fail to do so,' attorney Lee Merritt told CBS affiliate DFW11.

Viral footage of the arrests led to protests in Fort Worth, with community members accusing local law enforcement of brutality and racism

Police declined to comment Friday.

Viral footage of the arrests led to protests in Fort Worth, with community members accusing local law enforcement of brutality and racism.

The lawsuit comes off the heels of an 'eerily reminiscent' case involving another officer who was sacked from the Fort Worth police department on Monday.

Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald terminated 22-year veteran Sergeant Kenneth Pierce on December 18 following a review of an incident earlier in the year.

According to DFW11, Police in August arrived to the Fort Worth home of a woman who reported a domestic disturbance.

As she was retrieving her identification, as instructed, Fitzgerald said Pierce became 'impatient, initiated an unnecessary physical confrontation, and then ordered a rookie police officer to "Tase" the woman.'

Police said because the initial incident stemmed from a domestic disturbance call, they have chosen to withhold the woman's identity in the case.

'I'm confident that everyone who sees this video, including members of this department, will agree this supervisor's response and subsequent behaviors are absolutely unacceptable,' said Chief Fitzgerald.

'We are built on a foundation of being problem-solvers. Pierce responded in an opposite manner, and he escalated the situation endangering everyone involved including his fellow officers.'
A murder jailed for life for stabbing a man in the neck with a broken glass has been sending flirty Facebook messages on an illegal mobile phone.

Jack Cramb, 25, was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing notorious Scottish clan leader Big Mag Haney's grandson Barry Bradley in a street attack in July 2010.

During the altercation in Clackmannanshire, Scotland the then 17-year-old cut through Mr Bradley's jugular vein, leaving him to bleed to death.

But despite serving a minimum of 16 years at HMP Shotts in Lanarkshire, where phones are banned, Cramb has been using a fake name to contact his female companion.

Jack Cramb (pictured), 25, was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing notorious Scottish clan leader Big Mag Haney's grandson Barry Bradley in a street attack in July 2010

But despite serving a minimum of 16 years at HMP Shotts in Lanarkshire, where phones are banned, Cramb (pictured) has been using a fake name to contact his female companion

Under the name John Dee, Cramb has been sending to messages to a blonde woman called Diane Kirkpatrick.

His profile claims he is in a relationship with her.

Under the name John Dee, Cramb has been sending to messages to a blonde woman called Diane Kirkpatrick (pictured)

Ms Kirkpatrick, of Irvine, North Ayrshire has been in contact with Cramb since July, reports the Daily Record.

A post from one of Cramb's Facebook friends asks if she is 'his new girl'.

The killer says yes and calls the mother 'gorgeous', to which she replies 'shut up'.

The couple continue talking until Cramb cuts the conversation short around 9pm, saying: 'That's me off babe phone you tomorrow nyt nyt xxxx'

Cramb, who also uses the alias Maximus Payet, has allegedly be using his phone to keep in touch with friends, post selfies and threaten rivals since 2013, according to the newspaper.

In a post back in January, Cramb uploaded a picture of his toned physique, to which one woman replied: 'Perfect body babe! (can't wait to get my hands on it)... Lucky girl me.'

This week it also emerged that Cramb has been posting selfies with another murderer, Edward Dearie, from their prison cells.

He was jailed for life in 2010 for killing Stuart Spence on Christmas day.

This week it also emerged that Cramb (right) has been posting selfies with another murderer, Edward Dearie (left), from their prison cells
A Christmas card dropped off in a Sydney suburb has been used to express a person's views on same-sex marriage.

The card was delivered to a person south-west of the city, telling the tenant their support towards same-sex marriage was 'out of sync with the community'.

A photo of the unusual Christmas card was shared online which has received thousands of views in a short time.

A Christmas card (pictured) dropped off in a Sydney suburb has been used to express a person's views on same-sex marriage

The Christmas card was delivered to a mail box which had a same-sex marriage 'Vote Yes' sticker plastered on it (stock image)

'We are blessed to live in an electorate that voted NO,' the hand written card read.

'Thank Christ that Donald Trump is in charge of the free world.

'Love your courage but hate the message.'

The Christmas card was delivered to a mail box which had a same-sex marriage 'Vote Yes' sticker plastered on it.

A number of NSW seats voted no, putting them amoung the top of the country during the same-sex marriage postal survey.

The card was delivered to a person south-west of the city, telling the tenant their support towards same-sex marriage was 'out of sync with the community' (stock image)

The unusual card comes just two weeks after same-sex marriage became legal in Australia, where weddings can take place from January 9 (stock image)

Blaxland, Watson, McMahon, Werriwa, Fowler, Parramatta and Chifley held the highest percentage of no votes in all electorates across Australia.

Of the top ten electorates who voted no, nine of them were from NSW with between 59 per cent and 74 per cent of the population voting against legalising same-sex marriage.

The offensive card comes just two weeks after same-sex marriage became legal in Australia, where weddings can take place from January 9.
The weapon police thought was used to kill Tupac Shakur in 1996 was not a match as previously thought and was destroyed in 2013

The 'lost' gun police thought was used to kill Tupac Shakur was never involved in his shooting and was destroyed in 2013 after being ruled out, it has been revealed.

The rapper was shot in Las Vegas in a drive-by shooting in 1996 which has left law enforcement agencies and music fans baffled for decades.

His killer has never been found.

Earlier this month, there was renewed hope and excitement when it was reported police had in fact managed to track down the weapon that was used to kill him.

TMZ reported that the handgun, a .40 caliber Glock, was found in Compton, California, in a backyard in 1998.

Police in Los Angeles performed testing which proved it could have been a match for the weapon in the Tupac case, and transferred it to Las Vegas for additional tests.

It was thought that the weapon was then lost but, on Saturday, it was revealed it was in fact destroyed in Las Vegas because cops there ruled it out.

The weapon was not a match for the one in Tupac's case but was found to have been what was used in a separate unsolved case.

Once they attached it to the separate case, the weapon was stored back into evidence where it remained until 2013.

That is when it was destroyed as part of a routine clearout.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was the agency which was storing the gun once it was returned to them from the Las Vegas Police in 2006.

Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in September 1996. Shown above is the car he was in when he was gunned down

The .40 calibre Glock (file image shown above) was found in a backyard in Compton in 1998 and was thought to have been a match but was not

Among the suspects was Notorious BIG, (seen together in 1993), Tupac's friend and rival who was himself shot dead in 1997 in another unsolved killing

Its spokesman confirmed its destruction on Saturday.

The gun was discovered in a backyard by a member of the public in 1998.

A detective who was investigating the death of rapper Notorious BIG recognized the address as one which belonged to a known member of the Crips gang, it was claimed.

It was revealed in the recent documentary Who Killed Tupac? which speculated that prosecutors and police did not properly investigate the rapper's death because they feared it would lead to more gang violence.

It comes after another documentary, Snapped: Notorious Set, claimed the legendary rapper knew his assassin - but his murder remained a mystery because police didn't care to investigate.

Tupac was gunned down on September 7, 1996, while driving through Las Vegas. Numerous people - including Notorious BIG - were implicated in the death.

It was not the first attempt on his life. A year earlier, he was shot while being robbed of jewelry in New York.

Before his death, Tupac claimed Notorious BIG knew details of that robbery.

Another suspect in Tupac's death was the Crips gang member Orlando Anderson who he was seen fighting with in a hotel lobby hours before he was shot dead in Las Vegas.

Anderson died in a gang shooting in 1998. Notorious BIG died in 1997 in a drive-by shooting in California. His killer has never been found.
Al-Waleed, 62, is the 57th-richest person in the world with an $18billion fortune, and is pictured here in an archive photo

Saudi authorities want at least $6billion from jailed Saudi Prince al-Waleed bin Talal to secure his freedom after he was arrested in a supposed anti-corruption purge.

This is the highest sum demanded so far by authorities in the Gulf state, and could involve handing over a large part of his conglomerate, Kingdom Holding Company, which has a market value of $9 billion.

Most of the princes detained at the five-star Ritz Carlton in Riyadh after being arrested in November have already paid large sums to secure their release.

Al-Waleed, 62, is the 57th-richest person in the world with an $18billion fortune, according to the Wall Street Journal, which quoted sources who said he is trying to strike a deal for his release.

Dozens of high-profile figures including princes, ministers and tycoons are still being held in the Ritz-Carlton 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.

Dozens of princes, senior officials and businessmen, including cabinet ministers and billionaires, have been detained in a function room of the Ritz Carlton

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.
A toddler who has grown a foot-long tail is being worshipped as a god in his home village.

Krishna Yadav, three, has become a spectacle with many believing he is the 'living incarnation of Bajrangbali', the Hindu Monkey God.

He was born with a lump of flesh on his tailbone which has grown into a real tail over time.

Many believe Krishna Yadav is the living incarnation of Bajrangbali the Hindu Monkey God

The youngster was born with a lump of flesh on his tailbone which has grown into a real tail over time

Dad Ramsundar Yadav said: 'I thought maybe it is a god's blessings and that my boy is actually an incarnation of the monkey god.

'But when we consulted the doctors, they told me that it is an unwanted growth that can be removed after a minor operation.'

People travel miles to see Krishna in Kukudi, Uttar Pradesh, India - and his neighbours say he has made the village famous.

His parents asked doctors to operate on the tail a few months ago - but Krishna mysteriously fell sick before the operation date.

Neighbours claim it is 'warning from the gods', his mother Kavita, 22, said.

She added: 'If we removed the tail, we may have to face the wrath of the gods.

People travel miles to see Krishna in Kukudi, Uttar Pradesh, India to see his tail

Krishna's unwanted growth can easily be removed with surgery and his parents asked for the procedure to be done a few months ago

After his parents asked for the operation, he mysteriously became ill which many believed was a 'warning from the gods'

Doctors have warned they need to operate as any delay will make the procedure more complex

'Every time we get ready for the operation, some weird problems start happening -- either my husband won't be able to arrange funds in time or the boy would suddenly start running high fever.'

Neighbour Sunil Kumar said: 'People from far away villages come to our place to get a glimpse of the boy and seek his blessings.'

Doctors described the disease as 'rare' and said the growth needs to be removed..

Dr. Vipul Kumar of SRN Hospital, said: 'The boy is suffering from a hormonal imbalance problem. One person in 20,000 gets afflicted by this.

'This is a rare disease but not the dangerous one. The growth can be removed through a normal operation.

'If the tail starts growing even after the operation, we will have to follow a more complex process to root out the possibility of regrowth.'
The academic whose unruly children made him one of the viral hits of the year has shared a Christmas message with his fans.

Professor Robert Kelly captured the imagination of the world when his four-year-old daughter Marion, son James and wife Jung-a appeared like a 'comedy of errors' as he spoke on live news about politics in South Korea.

He wrote on Twitter today: 'Merry Christmas. To all the people who follow me because of the video or my children, thank you. We are flattered by your kindness.'

The message was welcomed by Professor Kelly's fans including Katie Mack, who wrote: 'I follow for the political insight but the video is how I found you'

The message was welcomed by Professor Kelly's fans including Katie Mack, who wrote: 'I follow for the political insight but the video is how I found you. I hope you & your family have a lovely holiday!'

Another said: 'Came because of the video but stayed because of your expertise and stellar commentary. Happy holidays to you and family.'

And Leila Couceiro commented: 'Thank you so much for one of the best internet moments of the year. Much happiness to you and your family.'

The hilarious footage went viral in March after Professor Robert Kelly, questioned about South Korea's president, Park Geun-hye, being ousted from power was eclipsed by Marion, aged four, who performed a comical dance in the background.

She was followed by little brother James, aged just nine months, who swept in to the study in a fast-moving baby walker. Moments later a stressed-out Jung-a skidded into the room and grappled the children out of shot.

Shortly after the clip, Professor Kelly held a press conference to 'clear up rumours' sparked by it.

He said: 'My wife Jung-a did not use too much force in removing the children from the room. People asked this.'

'Our children were not hurt... we normally do not treat our children the way you saw in the clip.'

Professor Robert Kelly captured the imagination of the world when his four-year-old daughter Marion, son James and wife Jung-a appeared like a 'comedy of errors' as he spoke on live news

He added: 'We would like to clear up some of the rumours and controversies around the video. Yes, the woman in the video is my wife, not my nanny.'

Asked about becoming a 'poster child' for working fathers trying to balance office commitments with family life, he said: 'You have to be flexible. For example, this was my home office space and normally I hope that my children don't come in; I can get more work done.

'But we want our children to feel comfortable coming into the room and being able to approach their father. And that means you can't keep that strict boundary where some rooms are off limits.'

Addressing rumours he didn't stand up because he was wearing pajamas or pantsm he said: 'Yes, I was wearing pants! Someone at lunch recognised me today and asked me if I was wearing pants.

'Strangers ask me if I was wearing pants. I chose not to stand, this is why people were asking me if I was wearing pants because I did not stand. I chose not to stand because I was trying to save the interview.'

Prof Kelly, 44, said he gamely tried to continue with the interview but then nine-month-old James tottered into the room. 'Then I knew it was over,' he said. Prof Kelly is pictured with his in an interview about the viral video

Asked if he worries that the 'blooper' would have any impact on his credibility as a 'scholar', he said: 'I am a little bit wary of the fallout for my academic credentials. We didn't want this. I guess this is now the first line of my obituary right? I'm BBC dad for a while now I suppose. I would hope that people would read my work.'

'But I mean I think there's just a general sense it just sort of happened, right? So I guess not. If we were still talking about this in 6 months, I guess I would be genuinely uncomfortable. I'm surprised, actually, that this is still rolling along. It's day five and we still can't answer our phone.'

'Finally, we have no serious comment about the many social analyses about the video. We see this simply as a very public family blooper, we don not see this in some political or social way or as a metaphor for anything. We have no real comment on that sort of stuff.'

He had earlier told the Wall Street Journal: 'As soon as she opened the door I saw her image on my screen. She was in a hippity-hoppity mood that day because of the school party.'

The video has been viewed 84 million times on the BBC's Facebook page, the hashtag #BBCDad was trending on Twitter

Prof Kelly, 44, said he gamely tried to continue with the interview but then nine-month-old James tottered into the room. 'Then I knew it was over,' he said.

To complete the farce, his wife Jung-a Kim then came skidding through the door.

She grabbed the two youngsters and attempted to drag them out of the door, but one of them could be heard wailing and the baby's walker got stuck in the door.

The video has been viewed 84 million times on the BBC's Facebook page, the hashtag #BBCDad was trending on Twitter and the story has been covered by media from Uruguay to Australia.
Russian submarines have dramatically stepped up activity around undersea data cables in the North Atlantic.

US Navy Admiral Andrew Lennon, the commander of NATO's submarine forces, said Russian activity has reached a level unprecedented in modern times.

Fears have been raised Russia could covertly deploy submarines to sever communications cables spanning the world.

'We are now seeing Russian underwater activity in the vicinity of undersea cables that I don't believe we have ever seen,' said Admiral Lennon.

Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic has dramatically stepped up recently, a US admiral has warned

Admiral Andrew Lennon said the activity has increased around the area of cables

'Russia is clearly taking an interest in NATO and NATO nations' undersea infrastructure.'

Russia is believed to have a Yantar-class spy 'intelligence ship' which carries two submarines capable of destroying cables or tapping them for information.

'They can do oceanographic research, underwater intelligence gathering,' Lennon told the Washington Post.

'And what we have observed is an increased activity of that in the vicinity of undersea cables.

'We know that these auxiliary submarines are designed to work on the ocean floor, and they're transported by the mother ship, and we believe they may be equipped to manipulate objects on the ocean floor.'

Admiral Vladimir Korolev, the commander of the Russian Navy, said earlier this year: 'Last year we reached the same level as before the post-Soviet period, in terms of running hours.

'This is more than 3,000 days at sea for the Russian submarine fleet. This is an excellent sign.'

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach said vital communication cables that criss-cross the sea bed were vulnerable to Vladimir Putin's forces

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the head of UK's military, recently warned Britain's economy and way of life are at 'catastrophic' risk from Russian submarine drones that can cut underwater cables.

He said the vital communication cables that 'criss-cross the sea bed' were vulnerable to Vladimir Putin's forces.

There are fears Russia has the capability to tap, disrupt and even sever the underwater cables that link our internet and phone networks to the rest of the world. Many of those that serve Britain are in the Atlantic.

Sir Stuart said the Navy was now prioritising missions 'to protect the sea lines of communication' and prevent an attack that could wreak economic chaos.

'There's a new risk to our way of life, which is the vulnerability of the cables that criss-cross the sea beds,' he warned.

'Can you imagine a scenario where those cables are cut or disrupted which would immediately and potentially catastrophically affect both our economy and other ways of living.

'Therefore we must continue to develop our maritime forces with our allies to match and understand Russian fleet modernisation.'

'In response to the threat posed by the modernisation of the Russia Navy  both nuclear and conventional submarines and ships  we along with our Atlantic allies have prioritised missions and tasks in order to protect the sea lines of communication.'
An Illinois woman is being held without bond for allegedly paying a hitman $4,000 to kill a tow truck driver who her boyfriend had previously tried to kill, court records indicate.

Brianna Smith, 26, has been charged with first-degree murder for helping to plot the murder of 33-year-old father-of-three Reginald Jones, who was gunned down in December 2014, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

In July 2013, Smith's boyfriend stole the rims off of the tires on Jones's car.

Brianna Smith, 26, was charged with first-degree murder and is held without bond for her alleged role in the death of Reginald Jones

Jones, 33, was shot dead by a man who prosecutors say was hired by Smith and her boyfriend

The two quarreled multiple times afterwards; during one fight, Smith's boyfriend shot at Jones multiple times.

The boyfriend was jailed for attempted murder and, Smith's prosecutors say, proceeded to pressure Jones into dropping his case by offering cash. Jones did not bow to said pressure.

Her prosecutors say that she and Smith then began to plan the demise of Jones.

Prosecutors cite evidence such as phone calls between Smith and her jailed boyfriend in which they discussed Jones; these calls were recorded.

Pictured is a general view of the tire shop in Chicago's South Side at which Jones was shot dead

Jones was killed on New Year's Eve in 2014 by a ski-mask wearing gunman at a tire shop in Chicago's South Side.

Prosecutors say the gunman, who remains at large, was later paid $4,000 by Smith.

Smith's boyfriend has not been charged in connection with planning Jones's murder.
Florinel Mitru, 31, from Preston ran a group of Romanian criminals behind a sex trafficking gang. He was jailed for five years

Nine men running a Romanian prostitution ring will be deported once they complete their jail terms totaling 25 years, a judge has ruled.

The men advertised on the internet and provided the services of women trafficked into the country to be exploited.

Police in Blackburn launched the investigation in June 2016 after they received reports that a property was being used as a brothel.

The gang, run by Romanian national Florinel Razvan Mitru, changed their business model and started offering 'out-calls', where the women under his control would meet clients at their homes or in hotels.

Lancashire Police launched a string of raids in April after gathering evidence over the course of almost a year.

The nine suspects, who all pleaded guilty, were arrested in co-ordinated raids across the country.

The men pleaded guilty to a range of offences linked to sex trafficking at Preston Crown Court.

Police confirmed they have 'safeguarded' a number of women who were controlled by the gang.

Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner said: 'This successful prosecution is an excellent example of the hard work and dedication by Lancashire officers in targeting those responsible for human trafficking. It shows how important it is to remain focused on targeting criminal gangs like this who were exploiting vulnerable people in our communities.

Marius Dide, 27, left, was sentenced to two years in prison. Traian Gavrila, 31, right, was sentenced to three years and nine months

Alexandru Peter Baltoiu, 25, of Evesham, Worcestershire, was jailed for to two years and six months. Alexandru Pitigoi, 25, right, got one year and 10 months in prison

'I have funded two additional roles within Lancashire Constabulary to support this work and I'm proud that the resources I have put into this fight places us at the forefront of anti-trafficking work in the country.

'Those sentenced were part of the criminal infrastructure that existed to get these young girls into the country. Removing this dangerous gang from our streets sends a clear message to anyone involved in human trafficking that our officers have the resources, skills and determination to bring them to justice and make Lancashire a safer place.'

The gang was led by 31-year-old Florinel Mitru, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Mitru, who lives in Preston, received a jail term of five years and four months in jail.

Catalin Georgian Iordache, left, was jailed for one year and five months while Ionut Cosmin Dogaru, received three years and four months in jail

Marian Diaconu, 26, of Hope Street, Blackburn was jailed for two years and two months, while Marius Trasca, 30, from Blackburn received two years and nine months in prison.

Marius Trasca, 30, from Blackburn received two years and nine months, while Traian Garvila, 31, from Preston got three years and nine months.

Ionut Cosmin Dogaru, 29, from Blackburn received three years and four months. Alexandru Peter Baltoiu, 25, from Blackburn got two years and six months in jail.

The remainder of the gang, Alexandru Pitigoi, Marius Dide, Catalin Georgian Iordache and received between one and two years in jail.

All of the men was told they will be deported from Britain upon their release from jail.
This is the devastating moment rescue workers failed to save a suicidal man attempting to jump from a tower block in Peru.

The clip, cut short after the man slips from the emergency worker's grasp, shows the unwell man trying desperately to leap from the side of a balcony.

Dangling from a rope on the edge of a tall building, the man intent on suicide slipped from the grasp of his would-be rescuer and plummeted 15 storeys to his death.

Scroll down for video

This is the devastating moment rescue workers failed to save a suicidal man attempting to jump from a tower block in Peru. The clip, cut short after the man slips from the emergency worker's grasp, shows the unwell man trying desperately to leap from the side of a balcony

Screaming he wanted to die, the man was forced to let go of the railing by a Peruvian police officer, but the pair then swing out together before the tragedy struck.

Struggling to hold onto the jumper, the policeman then watches helplessly as he falls a 100 feet to his death and lands on the balcony of a third floor apartment in the Pueblo Libre district of the Peruvian capital.

According to officers, the 25-30-year-old man had screamed he wanted to die, but his identity and reasons for his suicide have not yet been determined.

Screaming he wanted to die, the man was forced to let go of the railing by a Peruvian police officer, but the pair then swing out together before the tragedy struck

Elsewhere, a woman in China had more luck after a firefighter grabbed her ponytail to prevent her from committing suicide from an apartment block.

The incident took place at a residential building in Qianwei city, in southwest China's Sichuan province on February 22.

One selfless firefighter hung himself out of the balcony to grab the woman's ponytail in a bid to rescue her.

The video posted online, seemed to be taken by a neighbour living in the next building.

It shows a young woman hanging loosely on the edge of the window shield on the fourth floor.

Onlookers said firefighters and family members of the woman attempted to calm her emotions.

Later, one firefighter ties a rope around his waist and climbs over the balcony to rescue the woman.
El Chapo's wife Emma Coronel Aispuro visited him at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Facility on Thursday.

The 28-year-old beauty queen was pictured outside the facility in a glamorous houndstooth coat and black, Louis Vuitton scarf.

Aispuro brought their two young daughters with them. Neither was photographed.

They were joined by a female companion who tried to swat away photographers waiting outside.

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El Chapo's 28-year-old wife Emma Coronel Aispuro visited him at the Manhattan Correctional Facility in Manhattan on Thursday with their two daughters

Aispuro and the drug lord, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman Loera, have been married since 2007.

She previously told of her fears that he would be murdered by Mexican prison guards while in their custody.

She also said he'd grown 'depressed' in custody.

Aispuro has visited him several times since January this year, when he was moved from Mexico to the US to face trial.

Since then, El Chapo's lawyers have claimed that he is going insane in prison and that his memory is 'deteriorating'.

In November, a judge granted their request for him to undergo psychiatric evaluation.

At that hearing, he smiled and waved at his wife and daughters who were in the courtroom.

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan granted their request but said he was not allowed to have any physical contact with the woman.

Aispuro was glamorous for the visit in some knee-high black boots, a houndstooth coat and a black Louis Vuitton scarf

El Chapo, 60, (pictured as he was extradited to the US from Mexico in January) was granted a psychiatric evaluation at a court hearing in November

The drug baron is being held in special conditions at the Metropolitan Correctional Facility in downtown Manhattan where he is not allowed outside and is in solitary confinement

He urged them to have it done sooner rather than later, telling them: 'Get her in there quickly.'

Judge Cogan also warned the prosecution, who told of the 'thousands' of documents of evidence they planned to use, to give El Chapo's team enough time to review it before the case goes to trial in April.

Outside the courthouse, Guzman's lawyer said: 'His memory is failing. He's not remembering things.'

If he is found mentally incompetent, he may not have to stand trial for the 17 federal charges he faces.

In their filing in November, his attorneys said the notoriously harsh conditions inside the prison have left him with a ringing in his ears, a sore throat and mental health problems.

They say that in the last month, he has forgotten people and places and claim that staff at the prison treat him unfairly by not allowing him to buy bottled water or batteries for his radio.

El Chapo's lawyer Eduardo Balarezo outside the Brooklyn courthouse on November 8 following their brief appearance. He said the drug lord's memory was 'failing'

Aispuro is seen above in February at an earlier hearing in New York City

Guzman was extradited to the US in January a year after being captured in Mexico. He had been on the run for six months after escaping from a maximum security prison in through a tunnel which led to the shower in his cell.

Guzman faces 17 federal charges relating to the drug enterprise he ran as the head of the Sinaloa cartel between the 1980s and when he was caught.

His capture in 2016 came after a now famous interview with American actor Sean Penn and Mexican actress Kate Del Castillo who visited him in the Sinaloa mountains at one of his safe houses while he was still on the run.

Their meeting was the subject of a recent Netflix documentary in which Del Castillo, 40, told how she fell in love with Penn while they worked together to meet Chapo and was devastated when he betrayed her to write an article about it for Rolling Stone.

The drug lord, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman Loera, was recaptured in Mexico in January 2016 (above) six months after escaping from prison for the second time

Guzman operated the Sinaloa cartel for decades, evading capture by the country's law enforcement, and became a hero for local communities who saw him as a Robin Hood figure who looked out for them more than their government did.

He was first incarcerated in the 1990s. In 2001, he bribed guards in a prison in Jalisco to help him escape.

El Chapo then spent more than a decade on the run before being recaptured in 2014.

He was only in bars for another year then escaped for a second time to the humiliation of Mexican authorities in July 2015.

By the time of his second escape, he had already struck up a rapport with telenovela actress Kate Del Castillo.

Once out on the run, El Chapo's lawyers contacted her and asked if she would like to meet him to make a movie about his life.

They signed over the rights to her as a show of good faith.

El Chapo escaped from the Almoloya prison in Mexico in July 2015 through a hole in his shower which led to an underground tunnel

In January 2016, five months after breaking out of prison and three months after his meeting with Penn and Del Castillo, El Chapo was captured at this house in Los Michos

Del Castillo, eager to find success in Hollywood, brought Sean Penn in on the venture and the pair traveled to Sinaloa to meet with El Chapo in October 2015.

EL CHAPO TIMELINE 1993: First arrest in Mexico 2001: Breaks out of jail for the first time with help of guards 2007: Marries Emma Coronel Aispuro 2014: Is rearrested in Mexico after 13 years on the run July 2015: Breaks out of prison for a second time through secret tunnel October 2015: Meets with Sean Penn and Kate Del Castillo in Mexico Days later, the safe house is raided but he escapes January 8 2016: Captured in Los Michos January 9 2016: Sean Penn's Rolling Stone article is published January 2017: Extradited back to the US October 2017: Netflix documentary about meeting from Kate Del Castillo is published November 2017: El Chapo's lawyers say his mental health is deteriorating April 2018: El Chapo's trial date Advertisement

They were being monitored by the Mexican government at the time and days later, a SWAT team went to the location where they had met to try to find him but he escaped.

In the recently released Netflix documentary, The Day I Met El Chapo, Castillo tells how Penn blindsided her during the meeting by asking El Chapo for an interview for Rolling Stone.

He then appeared in an extraordinary video at Penn's behest to prove he was alive and that their correspondence was genuine.

Before Rolling Stone published the piece, Chapo was recaptured in another location. Five men died in the shoot-out.

Officials have since spoken anonymously to say intelligence honed in on the safe house by monitoring the construction of a tunnel there in the days before he arrived.

On the night of his capture, they said a large taco order to the address gave them reason to believe he was there.

Penn insists he never tipped off authorities about his meeting and tried to block the Netflix documentary for coming out because he felt it suggested he was complicit.

Despite the fact that El Chapo was ultimately captured at a house which neither Penn nor Castillo ever visited, Mexican authorities said their meeting and correspondence with him and his associated helped them.
A woman found dead in her flat alongside a man in north Manchester has been named as Niki Campbell.

Friends and family have been paying tribute to the 'beautiful and kind' woman, understood to have been in her 30s, after the tragic news yesterday.

Detectives have launched an investigation after the pair were found dead in a property in the Harpurhey area of the city on Friday morning.

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths and that they are treating them as unexplained.

Tragic: Niki Campbell, pictured above, was found dead at a flat in north Manchester on Friday morning

A man and women, both in their 30s, were found dead in a flat in the Harpurhey area of Manchester at 10.10am on Friday morning

Friends and family of Niki, also known as 'NikNak', have left heartbreaking tributes to her on social media.

Rachel Doyle posted on Facebook: 'Can't believe what I've just heard was only talking to her the other day. I've got so many memories of us in our younger daft days feel heartbroken. Fly high mate RIP Niki Campbell.'

Danny Salford wrote: 'Can't believe this another angel took away from us too soon you were the most loyal friend I've ever known you helped me in times I needed someone to talk to. My thoughts are with your family and friends RIP Niki Campbell gone but never ever forgotten.'

Natalie Rose described Niki as one of the 'most beautiful, kind and caring' people she had ever met.

Friends and family of Niki, also known as 'NikNak', have begun leaving heartbreaking tributes to her on social media and at the scene

She added: 'Niki Campbell, can't get my head around the awful news. NikNak you truly was one of the most beautiful kind caring human beings I've ever met, and I will never forget you, in utter shock. RIP beautiful.'

A police spokesman said: 'At around 10.10am today, Friday 22 December 2017, police were called by the North West Ambulance Service to a property on Beech Mount in Harpurhey.

'On arrival, officers discovered the body of a man in his 30s and a woman in her 30s. The deaths are currently being treated as unexplained.

'Forensic officers and detectives will remain at the scene whilst investigations continue.'

Detective Chief Inspector Terry Crompton said: 'We have specially trained officers supporting the families at this very difficult time.

'I would urge anyone with any information that could assist our investigation to please get in touch.'

One neighbour said the people who lived in the Victorian bay-fronted building which was split into flats were mainly male and tended to keep to themselves.

They added they were deeply saddened by the deaths.

Detective Chief Inspector Terry Crompton said that anyone with information which could help the investigation should get in touch

Greater Manchester Police confirmed they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths and that they are treating them as unexplained

Pat Kearney, Harpurhey ward councillor, said the deaths were especially socking because they came so close to Christmas

Harpurhey ward councillor Pat Karney said the deaths were especially appalling given they came so close to Christmas.

He said: 'It's shocking at any time to hear about such tragedies, but doubly so three days before Christmas.

'Everyone in the Harpurhey community wants to extend their sympathies to the families of these relatively young people.

'The police tell us they are not looking for anyone else in relation to these deaths.'
Two Mexican nationals whose life sentences were overturned after their murder charges were dropped now face deportation.

Gabriel Solache, 43, and Arturo Reyes, 45, had been serving life sentences for nearly 20 years stemming from murder convictions in the 1998 stabbings of a couple in Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Now, the duo has been exonerated after a judge voided their confessions on the advice of their defense teams, who claimed their clients were coerced into confessing by disgraced Detective Reynaldo Guevara.

Gabriel Solache (left) and Arturo Reyes (right) have been placed in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They both had served nearly two decades of life sentences for their alleged role in the 1998 fatal stabbing of a Chicago couple

Their convictions were overturned after it was found that a detective likely coerced them into confessing. Pictured is a stock photo of an ICE agent

The retired officer has been accused of police brutality in multiple cases across the Chicagoland area. He has refused to cooperate in a swath of case re-openings in the face of the allegations against him.

'Detective Guevara is a liar, he should not be believed and any case that rests upon his testimony should be thrown out,' an attorney told the Tribune. The state's attorney's office declined to comment to the Tribune.

The overturned convictions bring to at least six the number of inmates who spent years behind bars before their own allegations against Guevara helped them win their freedom.

Prosecutors continue to believe the duo is guilty of killing the couple but accept that the case must be dismissed due to the overturned conviction.

Detective Reynaldo Guevara has been found to have coerced multiple people to false convictions, including the two men now in custody

They had been found guilty of killing Mariana Soto, 43, and his wife Jacinta, 35.

The alleged motive was to please Adriana Mejia, believed to be a relative of Reyes and a friend of Solache who had wanted to take the deceased couple's 2-month-old daughter as her own.

Mejia is currently serving a life prison sentence.

But neither man tasted freedom; instead, they were both immediately transferred into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In a statement to Buzzfeed, ICE officials said the men are 'amenable to removal' and will 'remain in ICE custody pending disposition of their immigration cases'.
A mother has won a sex discrimination case against the world's largest law firm after they sacked her while she was on maternity leave and shredded the evidence.

Bina Hale, 36, broke down in tears during the employment tribunal as she described the treatment she received from her bosses at Dentons in Milton Keynes.

The former recruitment manager was selected for redundancy during a meeting before she had returned to work.

Bina Hale, 36, broke down into tears as she described the treatment she received from her bosses at Dentons in Milton Keynes

HR bosses at the firm shredded handwritten notes of a meeting which decided to select her for redundancy before she had even come back to work

The employment tribunal was told handwritten bullet points from the discussion had been shredded.

Human resources manager Suzanne Barnes claimed she destroyed the notes because she liked to work in a paperless office.

Mrs Hale's line manager Emma Rowe was scolded by the judge after producing a single piece of white paper at the tribunal which she claimed was from the notebook she used to make notes in the meeting.

The hearing was told the pages from the book were actually brown.

The judge blasted the firm for a lack of honesty and credibility. The Times reports he told Ms Rowe: 'None of this is credible . . . a firm of lawyers ought to know that.'

Speaking after, Mrs Hale said women should not be afraid of confronting discrimination.

Pictured: Emma Rowe, head of recruitment at Dentons law firm leaving a tribunal in Bury St Edmunds

'I strongly urge women who have been subject to similar treatment to seek justice and speak out and stop such employers taking advantage of women at a very vulnerable phase of their lives, regardless of who the employer is. Do not be afraid,' she told the Times.

A payout will be decided at a future hearing.

Last month the tribunal was told how Mrs Hale started working for the firm in December 2014.

She said she saved the company thousands of pounds by hiring staff directly, rather than through agencies.

Senior partner at Dentons, Andrew Harris, described her work as 'brilliant'.

Mrs Hale experienced a difficult pregnancy and her mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer.

She told the hearing she was shouted at over the phone by Emma Rowe, who was head of recruitment at their London office.

Mrs Rowe, HR business partner Suzanne Barnes, and then-practice manager Tina Crawford, marked Ms Hale down on professionalism and said that she was made redundant because she scored the lowest.
Dozens of former Vice workers have described the 'toxic' culture of sexual harassment and discrimination they were subjected to while working for the cutting edge magazine.

In a lengthy New York Times article published on Saturday, the women told of instances of drunken groping and how they had to fend off unwanted kisses from bosses whose careers they said they ruined once they rebuffed them.

Vice acknowledged the problem, telling The Times in a statement that it had failed 'from the top down'.

The article revealed four settlements which the company has paid out to settle complaints including sexual harassment and discrimination.

Among the allegations of misconduct was one against Vice President Andrew Creighton (pictured above, left, with founder Shane Smith). Last year, Vice paid a woman $135,000 to settle her claim that he retaliated against her professionally when she rebuffed him

It includes accusations against senior Vice executives and editors who were fired before the article was published.

One woman told how she was on the Coney Island Ferris wheel after a work party with a boss when he moved her hand onto his crotch without her permission.

Another said she once had to fight a superior off with an umbrella when he tried to kiss her repeatedly.

One woman's complaints involved an article she wrote which editors changed to say she had agreed to sleep with the rapper she was interviewing when she did not.

They changed the headline of the piece to reflect the change. It was titled: 'I got laid but Murs didn't.'

The writer Jessica Hopper conducted the interview with the rapper for the February 2003 issue of Vice.

He asked her on the phone: 'When can I come to Chicago? Can we f***?'.

When she filed her story, her answer was 'no'. It was published with the answer 'yes'.

She won $25,000 after suing the company for defamation.

In 2016, the company paid $135,000 to a former journalist who said her career suffered when she rejected the advances of Vice President Andrew Creighton.

Her complaint related to when she worked for Vice between 2013 and 2015. When she tried to sue Vice afterwards, its lawyers responded by accusing her of initiating and then pursuing a romantic relationship with him.

Digital chief Mike Germano (left) allegedly told one woman he was reluctant to hire her because he wanted to have sex with her and pulled another employee on to his lap. Producer Rhys James (right) allegedly asked a mixed-race journalist what colors her nipples are and if she slept with black men

The same excuse was given to another woman in a separate lawsuit against a different male employee.

Earlier this year, the company gave an undisclosed sum to Martina Veltroni who said former Vice News boss Jason Mojica retaliated against her professionally when she ended their romantic relationship.

In a letter to her, Vice lawyers said she was trying to 'recast her consensual and desired sexual relationship with her former supervisor,' according to The Times.

Others accused him of trying to force himself on them.

Abby Ellis, a journalist who once worked for them, said he tried to kiss her against a wall in 2013 and that she had to hit him with an umbrella several times to get him to stop.

Another, Helen Donahue, claimed that he groped her breasts at a holiday party in 2015, two years later.

Martina Veltroni won an undisclosed sum after alleging sexual misconduct. She is bound by an NDA attached to the settlement and has not commented

Abby Ellis (left) claims she was told by HR to expect being hit on because she is attractive after she complained about an editor trying to kiss her against her will. When Helen Donahue (right) complained about the same editor groping her at a holiday party, she claims she was told that he was merely hitting on her and that it did not amount to sexual harassment

In 2003, writer Jessica Hopper conducted an interview with the rapper Murs. He asked her if he could sleep with her, she said no and she included the exchange in her story. Vice changed it to say she had answered 'yes' and made the headline: 'I got laid but Murs didn't'. She won a settlement of $25,000 sum from Vice afterwards

Both say they reported the incidents to HR but that they were belittled. Ellis said she was told to expect such advances because she was attractive.

Donahue claims she was told she was not being sexually harassed, she was being hit on.

Both Creighton and Mojica expressed remorse over their relative situations when contacted by The Times for Saturday's article.

Jason Mojica, the former head of Vice News, was fired over allegations he groped and tried to kiss women

Mojica was fired before the article was published. Creighton remains in his high-ranking position.

In January 2016, Joanna Fuertes-Knight, a former journalist in Vice's London office, won $24,000 after claiming to have been the victim of victim of sexual harassment, racial and gender discrimination and bullying.

She claimed that Rhys James, a Vice producer, asked her about the color of her nipples and whether she slept with black men.

Mike Germano, the chief digital office and head of Carrot Creative, was accused of once telling an employee he was reluctant to hire her because he wanted to have sex with her.

Another complained that he once pulled her onto his lap. He said he apologized for the latter incident and that the pair went on to remain friends.

In its statement, Vice said: 'Listening to our employees over the past year, the truth is inescapable: from the top down, we have failed as a company to create a safe and inclusive workplace where everyone, especially women, can feel respected and thrive.

'Cultural elements from our past, dysfunction and mismanagement were allowed to flourish unchecked. That includes a detrimental boys club culture that fostered inappropriate behavior that permeated throughout the company.

'It happened on our watch, and ultimately we let far too many people down. We are truly sorry for this,' founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi said.

As bosses became aware that The Times was working on a piece about it, it formed a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board.

At its helm is Gloria Steinem, the revered feminist journalist and activist.

Vice apologized and said it had 'failed from the top down'.Its Williamsburg, Brooklyn, office is pictured
A Florida man now living in Indonesia is fighting for his life after he fell from a roof while chasing a monkey that had stolen his favorite Pittsburgh Steelers cap.

The Northwest Florida Daily News reported that Jeff 'Swede' Swedenhjelm, 40, fell 33 feet in Bali on Monday.

Villagers took him to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with severe damage to his spinal cord.

He currently is paralyzed from the chest down.

Jeff 'Swede' Swedenhjelm, 40, is paralyzed from the chest down after falling 33 feet from a roof

Swede had been chasing a monkey who stole his favorite Pittsburgh Steelers hat when he took his fall on Monday

Lyric Swedenhjelm, who lives in Destin, said the family is trying to get her father to a country with a spinal specialist, for example Singapore.

The 20-year-old said Swedenhjelm is in a medically induced coma and is on a ventilator.

Swedenhjelm, who is known by his nickname 'Swede', is 'very popular, a social guy,' Lyric told the Northwest Florida Daily News.

Lyric added that he had moved to Bali years ago and has neither money nor medical insurance.

The family has started a fundraising page on GoFundMe, which has already raised around $40,000.

Lyric said that transportation and medical costs will likely total $60,000.

Swede is originally from the Florida Panhandle and moved to Indonesia years ago, his daughter Lyric said

Lyric Swedenhjelm told the Northwest Florida Daily News that her father is 'very popular, a social guy'

His GoFundMe page reads in part: 'Obviously this is going to incur a great deal of medical expenses. I am hopeful that the time we shared on this wonderful planet has given me enough love and respect in your heart to make you want to help'

It continues: 'I have never been the one to ask for help, especially in monetary form, but any help will be taken to heart. Thank you all in advance. One Love. <3 Swede'

His GoFundMe page, written from his perspective, reads in part: 'Ladies and gentlemen,

'I am reaching out to all of you in a state of paralysis.

'A few nights ago, in Bali, I had an accident that has crippled me from the chest down, and has only allowed me to feel a tingling sensation in hands and arms.

'Other than that the only parts are working are my head and my heart, which is how I hope to reach you.

'Early diagnosis is that full recovery is rare and partial recovery will take at least 3 months to gain feeling in my lower extremities and possibly over a year to walk again.

'Obviously this is going to incur a great deal of medical expenses. I am hopeful that the time we shared on this wonderful planet has given me enough love and respect in your heart to make you want to help.

'I have never been the one to ask for help, especially in monetary form, but any help will be taken to heart. Thank you all in advance. One Love. <3 Swede'
Jeremy Corbyn was at the centre of a new row over social media trolls last night after one of his supporters called for a Labour MP to be 'hanged'.

Labour said it had launched an investigation into messages  unearthed by The Mail on Sunday  targeting Enfield North MP Joan Ryan, who said during the General Election that many Labour supporters had 'more confidence in Theresa May as Prime Minister' than in party leader Mr Corbyn.

Beverly Krell, a Labour member from Manchester, attached Ms Ryan's comment to a tweet headlined 'We support Jeremy Corbyn', with the remark: 'If anybody has a rope and a tree, I'm ready'.

She also accused Ms Ryan of 'dual allegiance' and 'treason' for her role as Chair of Labour Friends of Israel. In other posts, Mrs Krell threatened to kill 'Zionists' with an AK-47 assault rifle and dismissed the Holocaust as 'regurgitated'.

Beverly Krell called for Joan Ryan to be hanged after the Enfield North MP said many Labour supporters had more confidence in Theresa May than Jeremy Corbyn

Last week, The Mail on Sunday revealed how Labour trolls had targeted the pregnant wife of a Tory MP after he clashed with Mr Corbyn in the Commons. One fanatic said: 'Hope your baby dies'. The MoS agreed not to identify the MP in order to protect his wife, who is due to give birth in the New Year.

The attacks prompted Theresa May to call for a halt to social media abuse, while Mr Corbyn insisted: 'Threats and intimidation have no place in our politics.' Mrs Krell, who comes from a Jewish background, has written that she had 'always sworn not to enter a synagogue as meeting Zionists would leave me most likely serving a sentence for murder'.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said threats and intimidation had no place in politics after The Mail on Sunday revealed trolls had targeted the pregnant wife of a Tory MP

After calling for Ms Ryan to be hanged, she changed her online name to Sophie Goulding. Then, as Goulding, she wrote: 'How do you deal with Zio Nazis other than deactivate the main account and find my AK-47.'

Last night, Mrs Krell claimed that the messages  left over a period of months in the past year on a number of social media sites  were the result of her being 'hacked'.

She declined to comment further, saying: 'I don't trust the media.'

In one tweet, 'Goulding' said: 'I've had enough of the regurgitated Holocaust does the extermination of American natives count, or the black holocaust when millions were sold into slavery.'

Jackie Walker, who was suspended from Labour for alleged anti-Semitism, responded: 'Careful  that got me accusations of anti-semitism'.

Mrs Krell, a public supporter of Mr Corbyn's leadership campaign, joined members of Left-wing group Momentum in an attempt to stop Ms Walker from being expelled.

Last night, a Labour spokesman said: 'The Labour Party condemns anti-Semitism and is committed to campaigning against it in all its forms. Any instances of anti-Semitism will be investigated and acted upon in line with our procedures.'

Ms Ryan was not available for comment.
People are more interested in having sex around the holidays, a new study says.

Scientists typically say the post-holiday 'baby boom,' which leads to annual birth rate spikes in September, is due to seasonal changes that have an impact on human biology, pushing people to be randier than usual.

But, scientists at Indiana University and Portugal's Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia now say that evidence suggests the September baby trend is actually society's fault, not nature's, Phys.org reports.

A new study says society, not biology, accounts for the annual September baby boom. The study showed that web searches involving the word 'sex' or other sex terms were significantly higher during major cultural or religious celebrations, including Christmastime

Scientists looked mined date from web searches and Twitter posts from about 130 countries to tabulate date indicating the spike in sex-based web searches during religious holidays

In the study, which appears in the December 21 issue of Scientific Reports, the scientists mined web searches and Twitter posts to discover the 'collective unconscious' pointing towards humanity's hidden desires and motivations.

The scientists based their findings on data taken from almost 130 countries, including sex-related Google search terms used between 2004 to 2014 and 10 per cent of Twitter posts from late 2010 to 2014.

Their analysis showed that there was a significantly greater frequency of the word 'sex' or other sexual terms appearing in web searches during major cultural or religious celebrations, as opposed to other times of the year, indicating that people were more interested in the act at those times.

Researchers also saw a significant spike in sex-related web searches in Muslim-majority countries during Eid-al-Fitr celebrations (as shown in Ghana). In both Christian and Muslim-majority countries, birth spikes were seen nine months after major religious holidays

The scientists also used 'sentiment analysis' to evaluate word choices in public Twitter posts. They found that people en masse appeared to feel happier, safer and calmer during the holiday season.

In countries that had birth-rate data available, the scientists found that the holiday peaks in sex-based web searches and content-feeling tweets tended to correspond with an increase in births that occurred nine months later.

The relationship between the two was particularly notable during both Christmas in Christian-majority countries and the end of Ramadan's Eid-al-Fitr celebrations in Muslim-majority countries.

It's thought that holidays, like the Christmas season, put people into a happy, 'family' mood, which accounts for a corresponding spike in births nine months later, in September

In contrast, Thanksgiving and Easter did not inspire similar stimulation of good mood tweets or web sex searches.

Study co-lead Luis M. Rocha, a professor in the Indiana University School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, noted that, 'We observe that Christmas and Eid-Al-Fitr are characterized by distinct collective moods that correlate with increased fertility.

'Perhaps people feel a greater motivation to grow their families during holidays when the emphasis is on love and gift-giving to children,' he said, adding that, 'The Christmas season is also associated with stories about the baby Jesus and holy family, which may put people in a loving, happy, "family mood."'

Scientists said that further evidence that the baby boom was the result of society, not biology, was demonstrated by looking at search and Twitter results in the Northern and Southern hemisphere.

The corresponding peak in birth rate and online interest in sex remained the same, despite seasons being reversed in the two hemispheres of the globe, indicating that changes in daylight, temperature or food availability had no notable impact on results.

In addition, the day of Eid-al-Fitr shifts from year to year, but the online interest in sex and births of babies nine months later remains the same, indicating a cultural pattern.

Scientists said that one of the uses for the study results could be to help inform when the optimal time is for public health researchers to launch safe sex campaigns in developing countries that lack reliable birth-rate data.
An Oxford college has removed a portrait of one of Britains most distinguished statesmen from its hall after undergraduates branded him a colonialist.

The 1913 oil painting of George Curzon, the former Viceroy of India and Foreign Secretary, had hung in the grand dining hall at his former college Balliol for decades.

But it was taken down at the height of the campaign by undergraduates to remove a statue of arch-imperialist Cecil Rhodes and the painting has now been relegated to an office wall.

The portrait of former Viceroy of India George Curzon (pictured) that was replaced with art by a female graduate

Last night, critics blamed political correctness and anti-imperialist ideology for the decision, although the university said the picture had been removed for planned restoration and denied it had been hidden away.

Stripping away memories of our imperial past

It disappeared from prominence in the magnificent dining hall early last year as Balliol undergraduates overwhelmingly backed demands for the toppling of a statue of Rhodes, who is blamed for paving the way for apartheid in South Africa.

Their motion, which backed fellow students in calling on Oriel College to remove the Rhodes memorial, included the line: Balliol has its own colonialist, George Curzon, honoured with a painting hung in Hall.

As part of a diversity drive, it was replaced by paintings including Magdalen, by art student Emily Carrington Freeman, a recent Balliol graduate and the first female artist to be represented in the hall.

Last summer, the Master of Balliol, Sir Drummond Bone, reassured a descendent of the former Viceroy that, despite the heat generated over statues in Oxford, the painting was undergoing conservation work.

Magdalen (pictured) the piece of art by a female graduate that replaced the portrait of George Curzon

It was finally completed at a cost of 3,200 earlier this year.

But The Mail on Sunday has now discovered that, rather than being rehung in the hall alongside portraits of former masters and historic figures such as Charles I, the picture is now in the office of history professor Martin Conway.

Last night, Professor Nigel Biggar from Christ Church, Oxford  an expert on the ethics of the British Empire who has come under fire from fellow academics for saying it was not all bad  said: Oxford colleges are full of overwhelmingly male portraits, so there is a case for more diversity.

But I would object if there is a general stripping of our walls of any memory of our imperial past. Our past is full of things, some of which we can be proud, and Curzon was a great man in many respects.

But right now colleges are vulnerable to anti-imperialist ideology, which is shared by some senior members. If Curzon disappears into some back office, I would strongly suspect that political correctness and a too-uncritical deference to anti-colonialist ideology would be the reason.

Protesters demand removal of a Rhodes statue at Oriel College

But a spokesman for Balliol said: The painting hangs prominently in a busy teaching area for historians, where it often stimulates informed historical discussion and debate among students and academics. It is therefore absurd to allege the portrait has been removed from sight to avoid any controversy about Lord Curzon and his time.

The painting was in a very bad state of repair two years ago and had to be sent away from the college for restoration work to ensure its survival.

Experts said that Eton-educated Lord Curzon had a mixed record while Viceroy of India between 1898 and 1905.

However, Ali Ansari, Professor of Iranian History at the University of St Andrews, described him as one of the finest foreign secretaries Britain has produced.

While the former Viceroy has been praised for improving education in India, he has been criticised for doing too little to combat famine and for partitioning the Indian province of Bengal in 1905, pitting Hindus and Muslims against each other.
Dr Vikesh Kashyap, from Blackpool, is thought to have earned hundreds of thousands of pounds preparing holiday illness reports

A doctor is facing investigation after a judge said he provided appallingly inadequate evidence to support a familys bogus holiday sickness compensation claim.

Dr Vikesh Kashyap, who has given evidence in about 800 holiday sickness claims, has been reported to the General Medical Council after his reports were slammed as formulaic, superficial and unhelpful by a judge.

The doctor, who runs a cosmetic laser clinic, charged 1,920 to carry out four telephone consultations with members of a family who falsely claimed they suffered diarrhoea on an all-inclusive package holiday, yet he never actually met them, a court heard.

At Liverpool county court, Judge Peter Gregory was scathing of the doctor  who is thought to have earned hundreds of thousands of pounds preparing holiday illness reports.

He said: I found his substantive reports in relation to each of the four claimants to be formulaic, superficial, lacking in substance, devoid of expert analysis and frankly, unhelpful. They were appallingly inadequate reports.

Judge Gregory rejected the familys claim, who said they fell ill from food poisoning during a Tui holiday in 2015/16 in Tenerife.

He charged 1,920 to carry out four telephone consultations with members of a family who falsely claimed they suffered diarrhoea on an all-inclusive package holiday, yet he never actually met them, Liverpool County Court (pictured) heard

Asked if he was an expert in gastroenterology, Dr Kashyap said he had not undertaken a gastroenterology stint, but that his 12-month spell in accident and emergency medicine 15 years ago provided him with the relevant background.

The 43-year-old doctor from Blackpool, Lancs, told the court he was registered with medical reporting firm MedCo. The Mail on Sunday has previously exposed the 434 per cent increase in British tourists making claims for sickness.

Nick Longman, managing director Tui UK & Ireland: said We welcome this latest judgment. Whats particularly interesting about this case is the judges comments about the supporting medical evidence and criticism for the report author Dr Kashyap. We have followed this up by submitting a complaint to the General Medical Council about his conduct.

In the past, doctors who have been found to have given evidence outside their area of expertise have been struck off. MedCo chairman Martin Heskins said:  We will be considering what, if any, action should be taken in relation to this individual and will support the GMC in any investigation.

Dr Kashyap said: I am aware of the judgment on this case, have noted the comments that have been made and will consider and reflect on these.
The White House has furiously denied a New York Times report which claims President Trump said 'everyone' from Haiti has AIDS during a June meeting on immigration.

The report was published on Saturday and cited anonymous sources who told The Times reporters' they were either there or had been told about the remarks by others who were there.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, White House Chief of Staff General John. Kelly (who was at that time the secretary of homeland security), and domestic policy adviser Stephen Miller were all there.

They said that on the day in question, Trump stormed into the Oval Office clutching 'sheets of papers' which revealed how many immigrants had been allowed into the US since he took office.

He was angry that so many had, they said, and made derogatory remarks about the nations on the list.

The White House has furiously denied a New York Times report which claims President Trump said 'everyone' from Haiti has AIDS during a June meeting on immigration

According the sources, when Trump learned 15,000 people from Haiti had been granted US visas, he remarked: 'They all have AIDS'.

Of the 40,000 Nigerian immigrants who had been granted entry, he is alleged to have said they would 'never go back to their huts in Africa' now that they had seen the United States.

It's both sad and telling The New York Times would print the lies of their anonymous "sources" Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House Press Secretary, denied the claims with volition on Saturday.

'General Kelly, General McMaster, Secretary Tillerson, Secretary Nielsen and all other senior staff actually in the meeting deny these outrageous claims.

'Its both sad and telling The New York Times would print the lies of their anonymous "sources" anyway,' she said.

The Times cited six officials who were either there or who were briefed on the meeting in its report.

White House Chief of Staff Gen. John Kelly, who was the Secretary of Homeland Security at the time, denied the claims as did Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

One person claimed to have heard him make the remark about Haitians and a second who was not there said they were told about the same remark afterwards.

Those same two sources were the only ones who said they remembered the racist 'huts' remark.

Four others who were there said they did not remember Trump using that language.

The article goes on to describe how some of Trump's most controversial policies and decisions were conceived during the campaign.

Among them was his travel ban against Muslim majority nations which caused hysteria and shock in January when it was briefly imposed then amended.

The unnamed officials said some White House staffers were just as taken by surprise as the rest of the country and that they had to Google which countries were affected.

Miller, the sources said, held a meeting the day after it went into effect to tell them to 'tune out the whining'.


A Sydney traffic controller is earning a whopping $130,000 for a job that requires just two day's training.

'Lollipop lady' Amy Dowsett is raking in the handsome salary, roughly double that of a nurse's annual income, thanks to the construction boom and the industry's union.

'When I tell other people how much I earn, they say: ''Where do I sign up''?' the 30-year-old told The Daily Telegraph.

'Lollipop lady' Amy Dowsett is earning a whopping $130,000 for a job that requires just two day's training.

Amy Dowsett (not pictured) is raking in the handsome salary, roughly double that of a nurse's annual income, thanks to the construction boom and the industry's union (stock)

'I've got friends who are now in and loving it. You don't get bored because there is always something going on.'

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union member earns over $40 an hour and also receives a $45 per day travel allowance and a $22 meal allowance.

Depending on the size of the project, she is also paid a site allowance of between $2.10 and $3.95 per hour.

And if she works more than 10 hours at her Penrith building site, she receives double time.

Employees on non-CFMEU contracts earn significantly less, around half of Ms Dowsett's salary.

'It's standover tactics. What the CFMEU makes employers pay is a farce,' one company owner, who didn't want to be named, told the paper.

A traffic controller is pictured working at a building site in central Sydney in December last year

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union member earns over $40 per hour and also receives a $45 per day travel allowance and a $22 meal allowance (stock image)

Brian Parker, the union's NSW state secretary, said the salary is justified, adding that some traffic controllers are earning up to $180,000 per year.

'They stand outside all day in all sorts of weather and they cop abuse from the public,' he said.

Mr Parker said under a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement many workers like Ms Dowsett will receive a 3.5 per cent pay rise in a few months' time.
The row over Damian Greens sacking erupted again last night after leaked messages sent by the woman who accused him of misconduct showed that she was sending him friendly texts just weeks before pulling the trigger on his career.

Kate Maltbys claim that she had felt angry and professionally compromised after Mr Green touched her knee in a bar led to a Cabinet Office inquiry into the Minister, which widened into claims that he had downloaded pornography on his Commons computer.

He was fired by Mrs May last week after the inquiry concluded that he had made misleading remarks about whether he knew about the pornography allegations. It did not come to a conclusion about his behaviour towards Ms Maltby, 31.

Damien Green was sacked by prime minister Theresa May over misleading remarks about pornography on his Parliamentary computer

The Mail on Sunday can now reveal that shortly before going public with her claims in October, Ms Maltby had sent warm messages to Mr Green  including one late at night which she signed off with an x.

The disclosure comes as a Tory MP launches an outspoken attack on his party today for throwing him to the wolves during the Westminster sex harassment scandal.

Dover MP Charlie Elphicke, who had the whip suspended seven weeks ago over unspecified serious allegations, writes today that he has still not been told who his accuser is  or what the allegations are.

He blames Tory Chief Whip Julian Smith  who referred the claims to the police  for the torrent of abuse he has received on social media, which has taken a heavy toll on him.

Ms Maltby sent warm messages to Mr Green before going public with an accusation he touched her knee in a bar

The Green saga started two months ago when Ms Maltby claimed in a newspaper article that when she met Mr Green for a drink in a bar in Waterloo in early 2015, she had felt a fleeting hand against my knee.

Her embarrassment was compounded a year later when he sent her a message inviting her for a drink after seeing a picture of her wearing a corset in a newspaper article.

According to messages studied by the Cabinet Office inquiry, in February this year Ms Maltby emailed Mr Green to say she would wager a good few bottles that he was an unnamed Minister who had been the source of a political story.

After Mr Green responds to say that he never reveals sources, Ms Maltby wrote: Ha! Hope to catch up when things calm down. Mr Green says: They never do, so lets fix a date soon! Ms Maltby replies: Youre the one with a ministerial schedule. Send me an email  or get a minion to do it!

When Mr Green says: Will do  myself or via minion, she concludes: Great. Night night.

The exchange came five months after Ms Maltby says she warned one of Mrs Mays No 10 aides about Mr Greens behaviour.

The leaked messages also show that on July 13 this year, a month after Mr Green had become Mrs Mays deputy, Ms Maltby texted him at 11pm after she had attended The Spectator magazines champagne-fuelled summer party in Westminster to say: Sorry not to see you at the Speccie party. [Names a Green official] was working the room smoothly on your behalf x. Mr Green replies: Thats what hes paid for!

A week later, Ms Maltby responds to the news that Mr Green had been appointed to sit on 19 different Cabinet committees by writing: Deeply disappointed to see there are two Cabinet committees you dont have a seat on. Lax, Mr Green!

On Wednesday, October 4  just three weeks before making her devastating claims  she sent a message to Mr Green to wish him luck on the BBCs Question Time tonight.

When Mr Green corrects her to say it is being filmed on the Thursday, she writes: Speaking of time travel, I recently found the old school magazines. Hope this cheers you up. Ms Maltby is referring to the fact that when she was 16, she was an editor of her school magazine which interviewed Mr Green.

Ms Maltby was asked to go for a drink with Mr Green after he saw a picture of her wearing a corset

The Cabinet Office concluded that while Ms Maltby was a plausible witness, the competing and contradictory accounts of the meetings between Mr Green and Ms Maltby meant it was not possible to reach a definitive conclusion on the appropriateness of Mr Greens behaviour.

In his resignation statement, Mr Green said that while he deeply regretted the distress caused to Kate Maltby following her article about me, he did not recognise the events she described in her article. He added: I clearly made her feel uncomfortable and for this I apologise.

Government insiders say Mr Green would not have lost his job if he hadnt breached the ministerial code by making misleading statements about what he knew about police claims that pornography had been found on his office computer.

On Friday, Mrs May denied she had been alerted to any claims about Mr Greens behaviour before Ms Maltby wrote her article in October.

It comes as friends of Brexit Secretary David Davis say he did everything he could to save Mr Green, including setting up a war room in his office to rebut claims made by former Scotland Yard officers about pornography being found on his computer.

Mr Davis also lobbied the Prime Minister personally to not give his head to the police on a plate  but had to admit defeat when it emerged that Mr Green had made misleading statements about his knowledge of the police claims.

Brexit Secretary David Davis said he did everything he could to save Mr Green, including setting up a 'war room' to rebut claims facing him

In his powerful article, Mr Elphicke says that  unlike Mr Green  his fate is being left in limbo. Damian Green was informed of the allegations against him and afforded the courtesy of a full inquiry by the Cabinet Office, he writes.

In my case, its now more than seven weeks since I was accused of unspecified allegations.

To this day I have not been interviewed by the police and they have not told me what I am accused of or who my accuser is.

Just after 9pm at night on Friday, November 3, I was relaxing at home with my family. The phone rang and it was a journalist saying hed heard I was having the party whip removed  did I want to make a comment?

My wife and I spent that weekend wondering whether I would be arrested at any moment. The knock never came. And has not to this day. Seven weeks on.

Throwing a public figure out to the wolves has grave consequences... Meanwhile, on social media, anonymous accounts spew vitriol that Twitter refuses to take down. After all, why not when the Chief Whip  who has never been my biggest fan  has declared open season?

Mr Green follows Sir Michael Fallon and Priti Patel in being bundled out of the Cabinet in the past two months.

While Mr Green has been close to Mrs May since university, both Sir Michael and Ms Patel have the potential to cause trouble for the Prime Minister.

Damian Green was fired by Theresa May last week and has been accused of being a sex pest by Ms Maltby

Friends of Sir Michael blame his successor as Defence Secretary, former Chief Whip Gavin Williamson, of having helped to engineer his departure by whispering in the ear of Mrs May and using the harassment scandal as a device to prise him out.

Sir Michael was forced out over claims of inappropriate behaviour towards women  including a lunge at a journalist and lewd remarks towards fellow Conservative MP Andrea Leadsom.

One friend said: He has been cast into darkness by Mrs Mays Downing Street, after complaining that he would get up at the crack of dawn to do the media rounds whenever there was a crisis. Last night, Sir Michael said: I wish Gavin well.

Ms Patel, who lost her job as International Development Secretary seven days later after it was revealed that she had held meetings in Israel without telling the Government, is also regarded as being on leadership manoeuvres by No 10  who fear that she could team up with Environment Secretary Michael Gove to form a dream ticket leadership partnership if the May Premiership falters.

Since leaving her job, Ms Patel has taken aim at Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson  another leadership contender  over the turf war between the Foreign Office and her old department, complaining to friends that she no longer thinks her and Mr Johnson are on the same side.

Last night, Ms Maltby said: It has never been a secret that I had a friendly relationship with Damian Green for some time before I cut off contact, and that I resumed contact with him by text after he joined the Cabinet.

I felt it was professionally necessary  and I gave the Cabinet inquiry multiple saved communications proving that I had asked the advice of several more experienced female journalists before doing so.

It is my clear understanding from the Cabinet Office that direct evidence as to his behaviour in this regard has already formed the background to the Prime Ministers decision to sack him. Your story reflects much more on him than it does on me.

Mr Green declined to comment tonight.

The PM's enforcer has thrown me to the wolves, by Tory MP CHARLIE ELPHICKE

It's more than seven weeks since Charlie Elphicke was accused of unspecific allegations

Christmas should be a time of celebration  yet this year, for me and my family, it will be a more sombre occasion. Damian Green was informed of the allegations against him and afforded the courtesy of a full inquiry by the Cabinet Office.

In my case, its now more than seven weeks since I was accused of unspecified allegations.

To this day, I have not been interviewed by the police, nor have they told me what I am accused of or who my accuser is.

Just after 9pm on Friday, November 3, I was relaxing at home with my family. The phone rang; it was a journalist saying he had heard I was having the party whip removed. Did I want to make a comment?

Many minutes later, I spoke to the new Conservative Chief Whip Julian Smith who told me of serious allegations that had been referred to the police. I asked what they were and he would not tell me. He would only say that I was having the Conservative whip suspended.

My wife and I spent that weekend wondering whether I would be arrested at any moment. The knock never came. And has not to this day. Seven weeks on.

In the meantime, the press pack descended on our home; neighbours watched horrified as our bins were checked out; the local pubs were full of press asking for the inside track on their MP for the price of a drink.

Work colleagues and friends of the family have been subject to unwanted intrusion. Throwing a public figure out to the wolves has grave consequences. Yet the support of friends, my community in Dover & Deal and parliamentary colleagues has been incredible.

Meanwhile on social media, anonymous accounts spew vitriol that Twitter refuses to take down. After all, why not when the Chief Whip  who has never been my biggest fan  has declared open season?

In the febrile atmosphere that grips our country from time to time, we must never rush to judgment. We must always remember it is a cornerstone of our constitution that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Proper procedures should always be followed.

Whatever allegations may be put to me, I deny any criminal wrongdoing.

However I cannot deny that the pressure of these events has taken a heavy toll on me and my family and cast a long shadow this Christmas.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured) intervened after The Mail on Sunday revealed the British Army was 'wasting' millions of pounds of taxpayers' money to scrap its famous 'Be the Best' motto

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson dramatically intervened last night after The Mail on Sunday revealed that the British Army was 'wasting' millions of pounds of taxpayers' money to scrap its famous 'Be the Best' motto  because top brass say it is elitist.

An official document leaked to this newspaper also revealed that from January, the Army was to drop its historic crest, depicting a set of crossed swords, a crown and a lion, after expensive image consultants deemed the cherished emblem 'non-inclusive'.

But late last night, in an extraordinary intervention after the exclusive MoS story broke, the Defence Secretary stepped in to halt the plans which had been spearheaded by the head of the British Army, General Sir Nick Carter.

An MoD spokesman said: 'The Defence Secretary believes that the British Army is the best of the best and has put these proposals on hold.'

Williamson's astonishing undermining of the top brass is certain to further sour the already strained relations between the Government and Britain's military chiefs.

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Williamson's astonishing undermining of the top brass is certain to further sour the already strained relations between the Government and Britain's armed forces

Last night a senior officer raised concerns over Williamson's 11th- hour move. The officer, who cannot be named because he is still serving, said: 'By stepping in to block the branding changes at such a late hour he risks showing contempt for the Army's chain of command.'

Critics had earlier described the planned image overhaul as 'futile lunacy', and experts predicted the move would cost millions at a time when the Armed Forces are facing an unprecedented funding crisis.

Last month The MoS revealed that nearly 200,000 personnel will not get the one per cent pay rise in April 2018 that they were promised in the autumn Budget. We reported how defence chiefs must save 9.8 billion to afford essential military equipment. The decision to spend huge sums on a rebranding exercise will also cause anger among hard-up junior troops who are forced to spend Christmas in damp, rat-infested military accommodation.

The MoD last night confirmed it had hired top advertising executives to reassess the Army's public image. Industry experts had said the year-long project, which included extensive market research, is likely to have cost about 1.5 million. The cost of replacing these signs  as well as the reprinting costs for logos and letterheads  could run into millions of pounds.

The project is the brainchild of General Sir Nick Carter. His team also wrote the document The Army Brand, which was circulated among senior officers last month. It attempts to justify the removal of the Be the Best slogan from all Army documentation and imagery, saying: 'Be the Best was a recruitment strapline from 1993 and has appeared on Army branded material ever since. But it was never a researched or defined brand.

'Market research in May 17 found that Be the Best did not resonate with many of our key audiences and was considered dated, elitist and non-inclusive. The ECAB [Executive Committee of the Army Board] therefore agreed that its use should be phased out as soon as affordably possible. The retirement of Be the Best will commence immediately with all planned refreshes of Be the Best branded material cancelled in favour of brand compliant products.'

Julian Lewis, chairman of the Commons Defence Select Committee, spoke against plans to ditch the slogan, saying: 'Being the best is nothing to be ashamed of  it is a matter for pride and a very positive message to transmit. Why should we be afraid of excellence when we are constantly saying our Armed Forces are the best in the world?'

The new Army logo, which has now been scrapped, was the brainchild of General Sir Nick Carter (pictured) who explained the decision in a document called The Army Brand

The document also claims that establishing the Army as a brand is necessary to protect its 'institutional credibility' and to 'reinforce the pride and sense of belonging of soldiers and their families'.

But Colonel Richard Kemp, the former commander of UK troops in Afghanistan, said: 'Credibility is secured by our abilities on the battlefield, our fighting spirit and our resources. And at a time when the defence budget is being squeezed, it is lunacy to squander money on a futile branding project.

'Be the Best is popular because it encapsulates the desire for our troops to be better than their enemies.

'It has never been about them looking down at anyone in society, so any suggestion it is elitist is nonsense. The Army needs to be the best and to know that it is.' The official launch of The Army Brand next month would have followed a 12-month collaboration between Gen Sir Nick and advertising bosses.

An official document leaked to The Mail on Sunday revealed that from January, the Army planned to drop its historic crest, depicting a set of crossed swords, a crown and a lion, after expensive image consultants deemed the cherished emblem 'non-inclusive'

The launch was to include the unveiling of the Army's new logo: a fluttering Union Jack with Army written in bold letters underneath.

Responding to the plans an officer told The MoS: 'The Army's own research has consistently shown support for the crossed swords over the Union Flag as the Army's main logo. Also, Be the Best was an aspiration and instilled pride. It was certainly better than 'This is Belonging'  the tagline used in recent Army recruiting TV adverts.

'A lot of people are angry. The document used by the Army to promote the branding has also been ridiculed for its meaningless, corporate-speak language.'

The Ministry of Defence confirmed it had hired top advertising executives to reassess the Army's public image

Gen Sir Nick's efforts to rebrand the Army may be to no avail, according to PR expert Mark Borkowski. He said concerns about the state of Britain's Armed Forces would work against the project.

He said: 'Somebody at the top of the Army has looked around them, seen a world changing faster than ever and, in a bid to grasp some sense of modernity, they've hired external influencers. The whole project would have cost at least a million pounds.'

The squeeze on the defence budget has also led to major Army battlefield exercises being cancelled, orders for much-needed equipment such as tanks and armoured vehicles being frozen, and funding for Army museums across the UK being cut off.

Since 2010 the size of the Army has shrunk from 102,000 to 78,000 soldiers. Last night, the MoD said: 'Like all organisations we adapt our brand to make sure it is up to date. Be the Best has been used since 1993 and, following detailed research, we've decided to update our branding at a cost of 520,000.'
Britains brightest children are being dumbed down by social media, according to a world-renowned expert on brain power.

The most dramatic falls in intelligence are among teenagers who would normally be expected to perform well.

A new analysis of intelligence test results spanning 30 years by Professor James Flynn shows an alarming fall in scores by groups who once boasted the highest critical thinking ability.

Britains brightest children are being dumbed down by social media, according to a world-renowned expert on brain power

The trend marks a surprise reversal of the so-called Flynn effect, named after the professor, which has seen IQ scores rise year on year among all age groups and in most industrialised countries throughout the past century.

This rise was put down to significant improvements in education and living conditions, and has been seized on by teachers as evidence that they are raising standards.

But new analysis by Prof Flynn has now found declines in the IQ of children not only in the UK but also in European and Scandinavian countries.

The only exception is the United States, where youngsters are still improving their IQ. But this is because schools had been inadequate and were improving.

Prof Flynn, Emeritus Professor of Political Studies at Otago University in New Zealand, said he could not be certain about what was behind the decline in the brain power of Britains cleverest children. But he believed that internet-obsessed teenagers could be losing the ability to think because they were no longer prepared to tackle challenging texts.

Rather than burying themselves in a novel by Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, they were so fixated on platforms such as Twitter or their smartphones that their attention spans were shrinking.

Rather than burying themselves in a novel by Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, teenagers are now fixated on platforms such as Twitter

He added: Maybe they are just not willing to work on the mental exercises you need to do top-level thinking.

Prof Flynn said schools and universities were having to adapt to their pupils by dumbing down their courses, with even teachers and lecturers losing the habit of reading difficult texts or confronting difficult problems.

His research, published in the latest issue of the highly respected journal Intelligence, was based on the results of robust Piaget tests. These measured the formal reasoning skills of thousands of British pupils in state and independent schools in 1980 and again in 2008.

Prof Flynn said that the kind of difficult question that bright teenagers could no longer deal with needed logical analysis  for example, how scientists draw conclusions from their data.

Commenting on Prof Flynns findings, Timothy Bates, Professor of Differential Psychology at Edinburgh University, said the results were huge, if true.

He said IQ scores were linked to a nations economic power and reflected the effectiveness of society at every level.
You might have thought that all turkeys look the same.

But innovations in poultry farming technology  including turkey facial-recognition cameras  will soon allow you to monitor your chosen Christmas birds quality of life before the big day.

The system provides reassurance to conscientious consumers concerned with the welfare of animals, letting them follow a birds life on their phones before it ends up on their plate.

Innovations in poultry farming technology  including turkey facial-recognition cameras  will soon allow you to monitor your chosen Christmas birds quality of life

Facial recognition technology enables cameras to pick out a specific bird on a farm after its been purchased, while a GPS tracking device maps its freedom of movement  so you can be reassured it truly is free range. Developed in China, the ZhongAn GoGo Chicken scheme is already being piloted on 100,000 poultry birds. The makers plan to widen it out to more than 23million chickens in China and it is set to come to Britain.

Paul Kelly, one of the UKs most prominent turkey farmers, welcomed the idea, saying: Traceability is one of the most important aspects for my customers. They want to know where the birds are and in what conditions theyve been kept.

We have often toyed with fitting webcams to the farm so this is exactly the kind of thing consumers would go in for at Christmas time.

Developed in China, the ZhongAn GoGo Chicken scheme is already being piloted on 100,000 poultry birds and they plan to bring it to Britain

My turkeys hatch in mid-May and I reckon the customers would love the idea of following the bird on their smartphones as it grows and gets plumper over the year.

British Poultry Council chief executive Richard Griffiths added: Its a futuristic approach to welfare and food provenance.

It is certainly the kind of thing people would be attracted to at this time of year to make sure they have the best turkey on Christmas Day.
A neural network enthusiast has shared the hilarious results of an experiment to let an AI write Christmas carols.

With mentions of reindeer, jingle bells, and even some 'Fa la la la's', it may have gotten some things right  but, it's doubtful anyone will be singing these songs around the tree.

The neural network, starting with no knowledge of what Christmas carols are, created songs filled with bizarre and nonsensical phrases, from 'Hurry Christmas to you,' to 'Santa baby, and Dancer, and Curry down.'

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With mentions of reindeer, jingle bells, and even some 'Fa la la la's', it may have gotten some things right  but, it's doubtful anyone will be singing these songs around the tree. Stock image

HOW IT WORKED To train the neural network, Shane fed it roughly 240 carols, collected by the Times of London and reader Erik Svensson. This included both traditional and modern carols, 'from 'What Child is This?' to 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer',' Shane notes. At first, the creations churned out by the neural network make no sense at all, with various letters arranged with no organization. Eventually, however, it began to create more recognizably Christmas-themed verses, as it refined its rules. Advertisement

'King of toys and hippopotamuses [sic] full of the light of that stood at the dear Son of Santa Claus,' one hilarious verse reads.

'He was born in a wonderful Christmas tree.'

Others took a more traditional approach to the subject matter:

'The holly bears a berry and reindeer. He was born today! And Santa baby bore sweet Jesus Christ, And the chimney the angels sing.'

The AI Christmas songs are the latest results from research scientist Janelle Shane, who often trains neural networks on popular content, from beer names to Harry Potter spells, with side-splitting outcomes.

In a blog post, Shane explains that the AI was given 'no instructions' on what it would be writing.

As a result, it may come as little surprise that the neural network produced carols such as:

'Happy Holiday. When the snowflakes will call the world wakes to bring. Glory bears and asses the air the angels sang. And Christmas tree.'

To train the neural network, Shane fed it roughly 240 carols, collected by the Times of London and reader Erik Svensson.

A neural network researcher has shared the hilarious results of an experiment to let an AI write Christmas carols. In a blog post , Shane explains that the AI was given 'no instructions' on what it would be writing. Stock image

This included both traditional and modern carols, 'from 'What Child is This?' to 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer',' Shane notes.

At first, the creations churned out by the neural network make no sense at all, with various letters arranged with no organization.

Eventually, however, it began to create more recognizably Christmas-themed verses, as it refined its rules.

'When the neural network begins learning, it starts with a set of random rules about how to put one let after another to make a Christmas carol,' Shane explains in the blog post.

NEURAL NETWORK WRITES ITS OWN CHRISTMAS CAROLS The sandman so love to seek the world The sandman so love so deep and sing and the sun The world and joy of the sleigh Santa baby bore sweet Jesus Christ The holly bears a berry, And all the reindeer of the sky The holly bears a berry and reindeer He was born today! And Santa baby bore sweet Jesus Christ, And the chimney the angels sing. When the snowman brings the snow Christmas tree Let's take that road before And Santa Claus comes tonight He will bring us goodness and light Santa baby, a blitzen, And he was the sun and reindeer and earth. The Saviour of the chimney tonight The story of the chimney see Santa baby, and blood and joyous so world and joy and good will to see Santa baby bore sweet Jesus Christ Fa la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la. King of toys and hippopotamuses [sic] full of the light of that stood at the dear Son of Santa Claus He was born in a wonderful christmas tree Run, run Rudolph, run, run Rudolph, run, run Rudolph, run, run Rudolph, run, run Rudolph, run, run Rudolph, run, run Rudolph, run, run Rudolf the new born King. The cattle around the Christmas will be A very special Christmas with me Hurry Christmas to you Cup on the earth! Still the loudly candlelight Would praise His name. The babe, the Son of Mary. He sumbled their flowers and all. The lord of the glory dawns Give us the leave all away A star is spent and red Shake a cup a strend from the sky Christmas is coming, the wind is come to you Walkin' him love, Dingle bells, jingle bells, jingle bells with bells are ringing With a heart reindeer But no more a stranger. Santa baby, and Dancer, and Curry down Happy Holiday When the snowflakes will call the world wakes to bring Glory bears and asses the air the angels sang And Christmas tree The fire is sleeping. And crying, Love love What a King Let's take the little children of the grave! The sandman so be joyful now it was born today! Gloria in excelsis Deo. The sandman bright before Him. The holly bears a berry bears And star in the snow is born today! The sandman so love to seek the world Advertisement

'Since they are random, they are terrible rules, and when the neural network tries to apply them, it gets junk.

'But it can check its rules against the real songs in its database and then make little tweaks to them that make them work slightly better.'

For some reason, the researcher notes, it included its own words that did not appear in the training set, such as Curry and Dingle.

And, while the word sandman was only mentioned once in the dataset, it was a common feature of the AI's carols:

'The sandman bright before Him,' the AI wrote in one example.

'The holly bears a berry bears. And star in the snow is born today! The sandman so love to seek the world. The sandman so love so deep and sing and the sun.'
As strange as it may sound, the best time to visit New York is in January. Just ask Maurice Dancer  yes, that really is his name  a native New Yorker who has been head concierge of the uptown Pierre hotel for 22 years.

Maurice calls January relaxation time and says it is his favourite time to invite family and friends to the Big Apple.

It is an odd time to visit because, as everyone knows, the city is bitterly cold at this time of year, with icy winds whipping off the Hudson River and driving the temperatures down well below zero.

A snowy Park Avenue in Manhattan. In January, the city is bitterly cold with icy winds whipping off the Hudson River

But that shouldnt be a deterrent  the skies are usually a clear cobalt blue and, apart from the occasional bracing Sunday afternoon walk in Central Park, most of the time youll want to be indoors in the bars, clubs, theatres, restaurants and shops.

This is New York as an indoor treasure house that is brimming with bargains.

And the city is relatively empty. The December rush is over, the pavement crowds have thinned and previously jammed subway trains are miraculously roomy.

There is a post-Christmas calm in the air, as if the great city is pausing and drawing breath in preparation for the year ahead.

The sales, however, are in full cry and there are great deals to be found, and not only at flagship department stores such as Bloomingdales (Third Avenue at 56th Street), Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman (754 Fifth Avenue), and Barneys (66 Madison Avenue for the main store and 101 7th Avenue for the downtown store).

You will also discover bargains in the upmarket Madison Avenue boutiques (Elie Saab, Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren and the rest) and in the downtown cut-price emporiums such as Century 21 (21 Cortlandt Street), where you could easily unearth a Gucci, Prada or Dolce & Gabbana gem for just 20 per cent of the listed price.

Sale shopping is in full cry and there are great deals to be found, and not only at flagship department stores such as Bloomingdales, pictured

I first stayed at the Pierre because of its proximity to the Fifth Avenue department stores and the Madison Avenue boutiques. But it is much more than location.

This is one of New Yorks grand dame hotels  Elizabeth Taylor had a private apartment here in the day and the famous tango scene from the Al Pacino film Scent of a Woman was filmed here  and still has a glamorous feel about it. The main restaurant, Perrine, an art deco space that serves French-American cuisine on Central Park, remains one of the best hotel restaurants in the city.

However, back to the shopping.

New York-based Gail Heimann, a self-confessed inveterate shopper, says that although shoppings centre of gravity has shifted to online transactions, there is still a great deal to be said for visiting New Yorks department stores in person. She says theyre the first destinations for her British friends.

British travellers who are looking for iconic brands at dramatically reduced prices can still find them at stores such as Bergdorfs, Barneys and Saks, she says.

And for people who want to loll around their hotel room and dont want to get out of whatever high-end pyjamas they are wearing, they can set themselves up with a NYC address for a few days.

Net-a-Porter delivers within five hours and so do the others such as Moda Operandi and Rue La La for women and Bonobos and Mr Porter for men.

Shoppers walking through the streets of midtown Manhattan. But its not just shopping and sales that make January the go-to month to visit

They also pick up returns the next day if the ordered item doesnt fit.

But its not just shopping and sales that make January the go-to month to visit. Transatlantic air fares are discounted  British Airways, which operates 82 flights a week between London and New York, offers a sale price of 386 return based on a seven-night stay, compared with the standard 426. And Manhattan hotels also offer deep discounts and special packages in January.

The other bargain involves Manhattans normally eye-wateringly expensive shows. Broadway Week, which actually runs from January 16 to February 4, comes with a range of two-for-one ticket deals for many of the major shows that a month earlier were sold out at premium prices.

Hotel 50 Bowery has a great rooftop bar and is a five minute walk from Little Italy, pictured

In December you would expect to pay more than $1,000 (745) from brokers for tickets for popular shows such as Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Hello Dolly! with Bette Midler, and The Parisian Woman starring Uma Thurman  thats three or four times the face value.

If you are lucky, these shows will be included in the Broadway Week offers for 2018, although Bette Midler leaves Hello Dolly! on January 14, to be replaced by Bernadette Peters.

There are more than 8,000 restaurants in Manhattan, and whereas in December youre lucky to get a table at the best ones, in January you can often stroll in without a reservation. Many of these will be offering incentives to draw in more customers.

For all the sales, deals and price incentives, the main reason to visit New York is, well, its New York  the worlds most exciting and vibrant city, a heady mix of history, urban legend, wild enthusiasms and dark pleasures.

It is one of those cities where you feel you can reach out and touch its cultural, historic reference points. When I first visited Manhattan in the 1970s, I would walk into the Midtown jazz clubs and listen to legends such as Roy Eldridge playing in half-empty rooms.

Tickets for Hello Dolly! with Bette Midler are being included in Broadway Week 2018

Today legends are still playing at the Village Vanguard in the West Village, or the Blue Note and Mintons in Harlem, but now the rooms are full of European travellers connecting to that marvellous musical tradition that is distinctly New York. Benny Goodman may be long gone but his spirit lives on in these clubs and streets.

Finally, on a recent trip I stayed way downtown for the first time in years (at Hotel 50 Bowery, right in the middle of Chinatown) and I thoroughly recommend it. The views of the city from the rooftop bar are second to none, the cocktails are superb, and you are a five-minute walk from Little Italy, where you will find the best pasta restaurant in Manhattan.

Aunt Jakes (151 Mulberry Street) is superb  and even if youre not staying downtown, it is still worth the journey.
Without wishing to sound miserable, 2017 hasnt been a great year for British travellers.

For starters, in many countries everything is significantly more expensive. After the EU referendum in 2016, the pound plummeted in value against key foreign currencies, and it hasnt recovered.

Depending on when exactly you were abroad in the past 12 months, you would have found that the pound was worth up to 17 per cent less against the euro, and up to 20 per cent less against the US dollar, when compared to the period before the referendum.

BA passengers stranded in Gatwick Airport in May. Tens of thousands were unable to fly, or were separated from their luggage, due to a collapse in the airlines IT system

Many flyers also had their journeys and plans upended. In May, tens of thousands of British Airways passengers were unable to fly, or were separated from their luggage, due to a collapse in the airlines IT system.

In September, Ryanair spectacularly failed to live up to its Always Getting Better mantra. Due to pilot shortages, it cancelled thousands of flights. To make matters even worse, until the Civil Aviation Authority stepped in, Ryanair failed to provide affected passengers with accurate information of their rights  specifically that the cost of being rerouted on another airline would be met.

Then in October, Monarch Airlines went bust  the largest ever failure of a British airline. More than 100,000 passengers had to be repatriated, and a further 300,000 held tickets for future flights.

Lessons to be learnt? Know and fight for your rights when flying (see caa.co.uk), and where possible book a package, which will give you financial protection and more back-up.

Other disadvantages included no more free drinks or food with BA on short-haul flights, and Ryanairs decision to introduce a more restrictive hand luggage policy, which it thinks will speed up boarding and cut delays. From mid-January, you will be allowed to take only one small bag into the cabin, unless youve paid extra for priority boarding.

Elsewhere, problems with car hire showed no sign of abating. A Which? study found complicated contracts leave bookers facing steep, unexpected bills. Some rental firms are continuing to apply scare tactics on customers to buy their absurdly expensive excess-waiver policies, and there have been worrying stories of companies charging for inflated repair costs.

In October, Monarch Airlines went bust  the largest ever failure of a British airline. More than 100,000 passengers had to be repatriated

Switching to accommodation, hotel booking websites (such as booking.com) have become extremely powerful forces in the travel industry. The Competition and Markets Authority is now concerned that information on the sites could be misleading. It is investigating whether the amount of commission paid by a hotel affects its ranking in search results, pressure-selling techniques (for example, claims of how many rooms are left), and if advertised discounts stand up.

With the phenomenal growth in peer-to-peer room, apartment and villa booking websites such as Airbnb, there is an escalating problem with online fraud. Scams vary, but include making up adverts for non-existent properties, creating copycat pages of real properties, and sending fake emails.

When using companies such as Airbnb, the key way to avoid scams is to communicate only with hosts and pay through the online platforms.

But there was one bright spot this year: rip-off roaming charges were abolished in the summer for using a mobile phone in other EU countries.

Heres wishing you safe and hassle-free travels in 2018.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam (R) and Cambodian Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith (Source: VNA)



At the reception, Dam noted with pleasure the growing friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, saying that the two sides have regularly exchanged with and support each other in bilateral frameworks as well as regional and international forums.

Celebrations for the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (June 24th) this year afforded both sides a chance to raise the awareness of the public, especially young generations, of the traditional friendship and solidarity between the two countries.

Appreciating cooperation between the Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and the Cambodian Ministry of Information and the National Voice of Cambodia, the Deputy PM said VOV assisted Cambodia in installing radio and television stations and improving the capacity of radio and television program production within the framework of the inter-governmental cooperation agreement.

The host suggested both sides continue increasing coverage in both Vietnamese and Cambodian languages and adding more cultural and art programs featuring the two countries and their people to raise mutual understanding.

On the occasion, he wished that Cambodia would reap greater achievements in the national construction and successfully hold the Senate and National Assembly elections next year.

Kanharith, for his part, thanked the Vietnamese Government and VOV in particular for their support and informed the host with delight that the VOV and the National Voice of Cambodia signed a cooperation agreement on December 21st./.
There is a downside to bagging a front-row seat on the fastest ride at Ferrari Land, the theme park at Port Aventura World in Spain.

Protective eyewear is required to safeguard against potential bird strikes  the measure was introduced after one flew into the face of an unsuspecting thrill-seeker just days after the rollercoaster opened in April.

At nearly 370ft high, Red Force is Europes tallest and fastest rollercoaster. We rocketed from zero to 112mph in just five seconds, with a near-vertical climb and drop. The ride lasts only about 30 seconds, but it feels like an eternity.

The Priory Church of St Peter in Reus the city where famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi was born

There are other attractions at Ferrari Land, including Formula 1 racing simulators, and a miniature racetrack where small Ferraris chug around at snails pace.

Away from Port Aventura, our trip proceeded at a more leisurely pace. On the Costa Dorada, we sampled sumptuous seafood in Salou and fabulous ice cream in Cambrils, then toured Tarragonas Roman remains  a large amphitheatre and the only forum in Catalonia.

We then headed inland to Reus, birthplace of the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. Although most closely associated with Barcelona, the architect spent his formative years in Reus.

A sculpture in the town shows Gaudi as a child, playing with some balls and sitting on a bench. The artwork was unveiled in 2002, as part of the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of his birth.

We also visited the Priory Church of St Peter and its 16th Century bell tower which looms 200ft over Reuss old town. Gaudi was baptised here, and the towers stone spiral staircase inspired part of his most famous creation, Barcelonas Sagrada Familia cathedral.

At nearly 370ft high, Red Force is Europes tallest and fastest rollercoaster in Ferrari Land

We passed modernist facades and strolled along narrow cobbled streets before ending up in the Gaudi Centre, a fascinating museum dedicated to the architect. It showcases his origins in Reus and connection with his home town during the period of Catalan Modernism and Art Nouveau.

We learned about his innovative visions and use of geometric shapes, and the landscapes that influenced him as a child. Afterwards, we sat in a bar on Mercadal Square and watched the world go by while enjoying a glass of Vermut de Reus, or red vermouth.

North of Reus, we headed to the marvellous Cistercian monastery of Poblet, a World Heritage Site and Europes largest inhabited Cistercian abbey.

The young Gaudi was inspired by the layout and design of this 12th Century sandstone monastery, traditionally the palace and burial ground of Catalan kings.

DURING a walk around the cloisters, we glimpsed some of the 31 Cistercian monks who live on the site. Afterwards, we dined in the restaurant next to the monastery.

Initially we wondered if there was a vow of silence here, too. But no, other diners were simply reconnecting with their smartphones. We were quiet, too, but that was because we were stunned after eating one of the best-value meals in Spain: a three-course lunch, including drinks and coffee, cost just 15.

Incidentally, to round off our Gaudi lesson, we learned that a tram knocked him down in June 1926 in Barcelona. His dishevelled appearance meant locals mistook him for a drunken tramp. He died from his injuries three days later.

In LEspluga de Francoli we visited a museum devoted to Catalonias agricultural heritage. It provided a glimpse into a vanished world of farming traditions, from old ways of preserving foods to the intricate work of basketmakers, woodmen and ropers.

The next day, we headed to another 12th Century medieval monastery, the ruins of Scala Dei. Built in 1194, this was the first Carthusian monastery on the Iberian Peninsula.

Carthusian monks were able to devote themselves to prayer in silence and solitude in splendid nature. They introduced Christianity to the region  and a culture of wine cultivation that still flourishes today.

In 1835, under the seizure of church property act, the monks were forced to abandon the monastery. The site was subsequently destroyed by fire.

The monks may have lost their footing, but the wine culture endures stronger than ever. At the Conreria dEscaladei winery, we met three local friends  a teacher, a priest and a winemaker  behind the vineyard that produces various Priorat wines.

It was easy to enjoy the slow pace of country life here  quite a contrast to our white-knuckle ride at Ferrari Land.
She announced her pregnancy six days ago on her Instagram account.

And on Thursday, Candice Swanepoel flaunted her growing baby bump while sporting a barely there thong bikini in Vitoria, Brazil.

The 29-year-old pregnant Victoria's Secret Angel took a dip in the water after snapping some photos of her pal posing on the beach.

Glowing: Candice Swanepoel flaunted her growing baby bump while sporting a barely there thong bikini in Vitoria, Brazil on Thursday

Candice chose a black bikini with gold beaded detailing along the strings; the two piece featured a triangle top and a thong bottom.

The South African-born model paired the tiny look with a pendant necklace.

Candice pulled her blonde locks back into a low bun, opting to leave her face makeup free.

The cat walker was seen taking bikini shots of her equally gorgeous pal, who rocked a red bikini with a straw hat.

Cheeky: The 29-year-old pregnant Victoria's Secret Angel took a dip in the water after snapping some photos for her pal

Happy lady" Candice chose a black bikini with gold beaded detailing along the strings; the two piece featured a triangle top and thong bottom

Stylish: Candice chose a black bikini with gold beaded detailing along the strings; the two piece featured a triangle top and thong bottom

Tanned and toned: The cat walker was seen taking bikini shots of her equally gorgeous pal, who rocked red bikini with a straw hat

The natural beauty has one child, a son named Anaca, 14 months, with her fiance Hermann Nicoli.

Candice and Hermann, a Brazilian model, have been in a relationship since she was 17.

The duo, who met in Paris 12 years ago, announced their engagement in August of 2015.

Having a laugh: The South African-born model paired the tiny look with a pendant necklace

Flawless: The beauty was seen laughing and smiling during her beach day

Splish splash: The blonde haired stunner enjoyed some time in the water

Giddy: Candice was seen walking with her pal after their mini photo shoot

Walking tall: She flaunted her growing baby bump during their Thursday sun and sand outing

Candice, Hermann and their son Anaca have been enjoying time in Brazil; they've been there for more than a week.

On Saturday, Hermann shared a series of photos from their holiday to his Instagram account.

The handsome Brazilian, who has 117,000 followers, posed with son Anaca; he captioned it 'Blue lagoon do Brasil.'

Another picture showed the family on three as they posed above a stunning lagoon.

The third picture featured Candice cradling her son while looking at the horizon.

Peaceful: Her fiance Hermann and their son Anaca were not present during her beach day

Relaxation: The cover girl opted for a dark hued swim set

Beaming: The model walked along the water for their day in the sun

Ready, set, go: The runway star opted to go makeup free for her beach outing

Quick adjustment: The star showed off her figure in the tiny look

Sunshine and fun: Candice, Hermann and their son Anaca have been enjoying their time in Brazil; they've been there for more than a week

Revealed: She announced her pregnancy six days ago on her Instagram account

Cute: Hermann shared a series of photos from their holiday to his Instagram account

Sweet: The third picture featured Candice cradling her son while looking at the horizon

Family: Another picture showed the family on three as they posed above a stunning lagoon
She's always possessed a sensational figure.

Yet Rhian Sugden revealed that she has lost a dress size due to being under the weather as she shared a series of sizzling selfies on Friday.

The former glamour model, 31, posted a picture of her svelte physique as she posed up a storm in a selection of skimpy lingerie.

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Lady in red: Teasing fans in sexy red lingerie, Rhian Sugden revealed that she has lost a dress size due to being under the weather

She was a clad in a racy red bra and thong for one snap, and captioned the picture, which was seen by her 234,000 followers, saying: 'Getting a winter bug has is plus points. Dropped a dress size just in time for Christmas! WOO!'

The former Page 3 model often shares saucy snaps on social media, wearing next-to-nothing to reveal her stunning body.

The Celebrity Big Brother star posted another similar post wearing a sheer black bra, which accentuated her cleavage, and matching briefs.

Ample assets: The Celebrity Big Brother star posted another similar post wearing a sheer black bra, which accentuated her cleavage, and matching briefs

Some fans, however, were concerned with the model's weight loss.

One user said: 'Dropping a ton of weight in a short amount of time is never a good idea. I know you were sick but, maybe you should get checked out.

'See if there's anything that you missed. Sacrificing health for fashion should not be a priority.'

Food baby: Earlier in the month, Rhian joked that she'd piled on the pounds during the festive season as she posed topless as she showed her bloated stomach

Anti-fur protest: The blonde bombshell isn't just concerned about her looks. She recently joined animal rights group PETA's campaign urging Canada Goose to drop coyote fur

Earlier in the month, Rhian joked that she'd piled on the pounds during the festive season as she posed topless.

She said: 'Christmas belly Imminent! Remind me not to binge every day before I have a shoot. Oops. Definitely not pregnant. Just getting cosy for Chrismas'.

But the blonde bombshell isn't just concerned about her looks. She recently joined animal rights group PETA's campaign urging Canada Goose to drop coyote fur and switch to innovative, cruelty-free faux fur.
She plays rebellious teenager Shay Turner on iconic TV drama 800 Words.

But in real life Melina Vidler couldn't be less like her character, with a combination of determination and hard work landing her a coveted role in an American indie film.

The 24-year-old is set for international stardom just one year on from winning the Logie for Most Outstanding Newcomer.

She's a rising star! 800 Words actress Melina Vidler lands a new on screen role and admits the job has helped her 'grow as a person'

Her latest accomplishment comes in the form of drama Summer Nights, which she filmed alongside Victoria Justice and Justin Chatwin. It is due to be released in 2018.

'I feel fortunate to work with not only the best Aussie actors but also projects which allowed me to grow as an actor and also as a person,' she told Confidential.

She's back Down Under for the festive season after spending months filming in Atlanta, Georgia, and New Zealand.

Familiar face! She plays rebellious teenager Shay Turner on iconic TV drama 800 Words

Off the dating scene! Speaking to News.com.au earlier this year, Melina was adamant about staying single until she'd settled into her career

'There is no where better than summer here in Australia. It's been great to spend some time catching up with friends in Sydney and it will be amazing to be home in Brisbane for Christmas,' she said.

Speaking to News.com.au earlier this year, Melina was adamant about staying single until she'd settled into her career.

'It's going to be interesting what man my dad will approve of,' the young starlet said of future dating prospects.

This guy? 'It's going to be interesting what man my dad will approve of,' the young starlet said of future dating prospects

'He's got high standards for his little girl and who his little girl will date. But I guess I just want someone who cares for me like he cares for Mum.'

800 Words is currently on a mid-season break with hopes of returning in the new year.

Of making a fourth season, Melina was coy on Instagram.

'Is that a Season 4 on the horizon?? Probably not BUT MAYBE WHO KNOWS but hey hope you enjoyed Season 3 PART ONE,' she wrote.
Saturday Night Live alum Bill Hader has filed for divorce from his wife Maggie Carey.

The 39-year-old comedian entered the petition involving the 42-year-old screenwriter and director on Thursday according to The Blast.

The publication obtained the documents as they report that the comedian cited the celeb-favorite 'irreconcilable differences' for the cause of split.

He is also seeking joint and physical custody of the children according to the site.

Official: Bill Hader has filed for divorce from his wife Maggie Carey - pictured together in Los Angeles back in July 2013 - according to a report from The Blast on Friday

The Blast also reports that Hader had stated that spousal support should be paid to Carey.

The two married in 2006 and they have three children together.

It's being reported that the couple separated in July and are in the process of divorcing.

Split: The 39-year-old comedian and 42-year-old screenwriter and director have been married for 11 years as their split was confirmed last month, they are pictured together in October 2016

The split was confirmed to People by Hader's rep last month.

The duo are parents to daughters Hannah, eight, Harper, five and Hayley, three.

In 2015 Hader revealed that filming comedy Trainwreck with Amy Schumer led to him having a third child with Carey.

'Her whole thing is that if I had a sex scene [with Schumer] I had to come home and have sex with her. That was our deal, and then I got her pregnant' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Moving on: Bill, 39, reportedly separated from director Carey, 42, in July

The funny man shared some marriage advice in 2013 telling People: 'Whatever your wife asks, say yes,'

'Just say yes and your life will be so much easier. If your wife asks you to drive to LAX at 2 a.m. to pick up a piece of luggage, do it!' he joked.

Hader starred on Saturday Night Live from 2005 to 2013 and made headlines over the summer for his portrayal of Anthony Scaramucci on Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday.

Carey recently directed two episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, starring SNL alum Andy Samberg.
He's famed for his dashing good looks.

And Pierce Brosnan proved that his good genes run in the family as he enjoyed some male bonding with his son Dylan, 20, who is a Burberry model.

The 64-year-old James Bond actor was seen picking out some new boots from the Saint Laurent boutique in Los Angeles on Friday.

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Piercing eyes: James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan looked pensive as he shopped with his son, Dylan, 20, who models for Burberry, in Beverly Hills on Friday

The pair wore similarly-themed outfits, opting for black ensembles.

Heartthrob Pierce clearly passed on his looks and style to his children as Dylan looked dapper in his black and grey checkered shirt.

Pierce opted for a black jacket and accessorized it with a matching watch.

Early Christmas gift? The 64-year-old James Bond actor was seen picking out some new boots from the Saint Laurent boutique in Los Angeles on Friday

Ageing gracefully: The veteran actor seemed to be ageing well as he stood stall and looked dapper, like his 007 self in an all-black ensemble

The father-of-three, who adopted two of his first wife's children, is married to Dylan's mother Keeley Shay Smith who he met in Mexico back in 1994.

The pair went onto tie the knot in a romantic ceremony in Ballintubber Abbey in Ireland in 2001, and went on to welcome sons Dylan, 20, and Paris, sixteen.

Pierce lost his first wife to ovarian cancer, which he sadly also lost his step-daughter Charlotte to.

Swagger: Pierce opted for a black jacket and accessorized it with a matching watch

Dylan made his modelling debut in November 2014 at the Saint Laurent Men's Permanent Collection.

The 6ft 1in catwalk king has since gone on to star in campaigns for the likes of Burberry, and walk in multiple runway shows.

The photogenic model, who is also a musician and studying film in California, was first discovered by Burberry's former creative director Hedi Slimlane on the beach in Malibu.
The Walking Dead's newest star Callan McAuliffe has never even read one of the show's scripts.

Well not in its entirety, anyway, given the fact the show's producers, in the name of spoiler prevention, don't allow any of its cast to read full scripts.

Callan detailed the show's extreme secrecy measures to News Corp: 'They send [just] your bits of the script via an application that you have your own password on.'

Unread and undead! The Walking Dead's newest star Callan McAuliffe has never even read one of the show's scripts, explaining on Saturday how extreme secrecy measures forbid it

He continued: 'I've never read a full script, only ever my bits... they give me [just] enough that contextually I can make something of the character.'

So prior to filming, the Australian native waits patiently by his phone, until a notification from a custom-built app gives him access to small portions of the script.

'It's top secret and literally just gives you your dialogue so you can see who you are talking to, but you don't get to see any of the general arc of the episode.'

'Just your bits': 'They send [just] your bits of the script via an application that you have your own password on,' the season 8 cast member revealed on Saturday

Instead, the cast and crew are treated just like everyone else - no doubt tuning in to watch the finished product, sometimes up nearly a year after filming it.

The 22-year-old, who was cast as 'Alden' for the show's still-running eighth season, certainly wasn't complaining - he knew what he was signing up for after all.

The Walking Dead is a cultural phenomenon and is in fact one of the first shows to make the decision to significantly alter the plot threads from its source material.

Not now, not ever: He continued: 'I've never read a full script, only ever my bits... they give me [just] enough that contextually I can make something of the character'

Dream on! So prior to filming, the Australian native waits patiently by his phone, until a notification from a custom-built app gives him access to small portions of the script

Similarly employed on Game Of Thrones, this keeps even The Walking Dead graphic novel's loyalists surprised.

With the opportunity to appear on such a culturally important show, the cast and crew are more than happy to put up with less-than-ideal script control methods.

CLASSIFIED: 'It's top secret and literally just gives you your dialogue so you can see who you are talking to, but you don't get to see any of the general arc of the episode'

So when fans flock to convention panels to try and squeeze plot details out of the cast, it's clear the actors aren't playing coy when they decline to answer.

Reading between the lines, it's not hard to imagine the cast banging on writing staff and show-runner's doors, asking the exact same questions.
She's the blogger and businesswoman who's built an empire thanks to her famous curvaceous body.

And this week, Devin Brugman was proving once again she is the queen of bikini bodies as she shared another sizzling shot.

Thee 26-year-old donned a grey bikini that accentuated her ample assets in a stunning photo posted to her Instagram account.

Babe at the beach! Busty bikini blogger Devin Brugman showcases her enviable curves while soaking up the sun in Hawaii

Gazing into the distance, Devin made sure her best angles were on display as her cleavage threatened to spill out from the skimpy bikini from her and Tash Oakley's Monday Swimwear.

Soaking up the sunshine, Devin added a pair of sunglasses and tagged Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, indicating where the glamorous photo was taken.

'Mele Kalikimaka,' the busty star captioned the shot, which is a Hawaiian phrase meaning 'Merry Christmas'.

Stunner: On Wednesday, Devin shared a snap of herself pouring her curves into a plunging blue bikini as she swam in Hawaii

Up to her old tricks: The brunette beauty is no stranger to flaunting her enviable physique on social media

The brunette beauty is no stranger to flaunting her enviable physique on social media.

On Wednesday, Devin shared a snap of herself pouring her curves into a plunging blue bikini as she swam in Hawaii.

In the picture, Devin - who hails from Hawaii - can be seen walking towards the camera as she showcased her washboard abs.

She captioned the post: 'Bikinis in December. What winter?'

'Cloudy with a chance of smiles': In another image, Devin modelled a high-cut black swimsuit

In another previously uploaded image, Devin modelled a high-cut black swimsuit that showed a generous glimpse of cleavage.

'Cloudy with a chance of smiles,' the racy model wrote alongside it.

The stunner runs her A Bikini A Day blog and lines Monday Swimwear and Monday Active, with Australian best friend, Natasha Oakley.
In 2017, reports emerged detailing Channel Nine's attempts to buy St. Kilda's infamous Gatwick Hotel, to be used as the site for The Block season 13.

But mysteriously, after months of negotiations and reported purchase offers in excess of $14 million, the deal fell through.

Now, after Channel Nine confirmed the boarding house had been secured for season 14, The Daily Telegraph has announced the expected filming date.

Block it in! Season 14 of The Block could begin filming in as little as eight days, it's been revealed, with News Corp claiming the show 'is already set to start next month'

In a quick turnaround following October's Season 13 finale, the next edition may begin filming in as little as eight days.

'A new series of The Block is already set to start filming next month (January) in seedy Fitzroy St, St. Kilda,' News Corp reported.

If true, it means producers are on, or ahead of schedule - Daily Mail Australia has reached out to production staff for further details.

With both a truly intriguing location and filming date locked in, season 14 is set to be the series' most controversial yet.

On schedule! If true, it means producers are on, or ahead of schedule, with casting agents previously providing a broad four-month window to confirmed contestants

The next crop of hopefuls will have their work cut out for them as they take on dilapidated Gatwick in Melbourne's St Kilda, a former hotel with a sordid past.

The building, which is also known as 'the house of horrors,' has had an infamous history in the seaside suburb.

It has been the site of four murders, including 34-year-old Arthur Karatasiosis - who was stabbed to death in the foyer in 2006.

Controversy: With both a truly intriguing location and filming date locked in, season 14 is set to be the series' most controversial yet

Four murders! It has been the site of four murders, including 34-year-old Arthur Karatasiosis - who was stabbed to death in the foyer in 2006

During that same year a 52-year-old woman was raped and robbed in a gruesome attack.

The building has also seen a series of fatal drug overdoses.

In the past, Inspector Jason Kelly called for improved security and safety from the building's owners and government agencies after attending five jobs a day at the former hotel.

Gruesome: During that same year a 52-year-old woman was raped and robbed in a gruesome attack

Fatal: The building has also seen a series of fatal drug overdoses

Gone too far? After November's location announcement, fans took to social media to contribute both excitement and concern about the decision

After November's location announcement, fans took to social media to contribute both excitement and concern about the decision.

'Beware many people have been murdered there. Big ghost stories. Have to get a security guard full time renovating that joint,' one wrote.

Another quipped: 'The Block 2014 was called the Glasshouse,' another opined. 'The Block 2018 is obviously going to be called the Crack House.'

Beware: 'Beware many people have been murdered there. Big ghost stories. Have to get a security guard full time renovating that joint,' one wrote
They have been inseparable since rekindling their two-year romance back in September.

And Brooklyn Beckham, 18, and Chloe Moretz, 20, sparked engagement rumours on Friday, when they flaunted their matching rings in a loved-up selfie.

The American actress shared a sweet snap of them sporting identical gold signet rings on their left hand with each other's initials engraved on them.

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Rumour has it: Brooklyn Beckham, 18, and Chloe Moretz, 20, sparked engagement rumours on Friday, when the couple flaunted their matching rings in a loved-up selfie

And eagle-eyed fans went wild with speculation, flocking to the comments to ask if the couple were engaged.

'Omg are you guys engaged?' one asked, while another added: 'Did you get married? Matching rings?!'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Brooklyn and Chloe for comment.

Last month, the pair were spotted wearing the rings on separate occasions while out in New York - sparking rumours it could be a promise or engagement ring.

The lovebirds go way back as the couple initially dated in 2014 and again in the summer of 2016.

The American born beauty revealed it is Brooklyn's company she relishes most as she claimed nothing has changed despite a year passing.

Cute: The American actress shared a sweet snap of them sporting identical gold signet rings on their left hand with each other's initials engraved on them (pictured in Dublin in October)

Frenzy: And eagle-eyed fans went wild with speculation, flocking to the comments to ask if the couple were engaged

Of their relationship, she told Us Weekly: 'Don't need much more than each other's company whenever we can grab it.

'I think we chose each other... you come back and it's like no time spent away from each other at all.'

Last year the US actress last year opened up to ELLE magazine about her relationship with then boyfriend, shortly before their split in September.

'My boyfriend is a huge support,' she confessed. 'I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't need a man for anything, but when I'm feeling bad about myself, he's like, "Stop. Look at what you say in interviews. Look at what you stand for. Listen to your own words, because you're as beautiful as you say you are!'

Cute couple: Brooklyn and Chloe go way back as the couple initially dated in 2014 and again in the summer of 2016

Back on? Rumours of a reunion between the duo started swirling around as early as March (Pictured in 2016)

Sweet: Chloe revealed last year that Brooklyn is a 'huge support' to her in the face of trolls, and always tells her how 'beautiful' she is. Pictured in 2016

'All young women are more beautiful than they think, you know. And I like you more in sweatpants than I do when you're on a red carpet."'

Despite the age gap between the pair, she said her now 18-year-old ex was wise beyond his years.

'And it's nice to have a young man who's 17 years old be able to look at a woman that way. I think it means we're on the right track,' she added.

They rekindled their love in September, when Brooklyn moved to New York to start a photography course at the prestigious Parsons School of Design.

They have since enjoyed a romantic trip to Dublin, endless date nights and have been flaunting their romance with smitten Instagram snaps.

Singing sensation: Seeking the approval of boyfriend Brooklyn's mother, 20-year-old Chloe belted out lyrics from Posh's famous Spice Girls track in the car on Friday

And naturally seeking the approval of his superstar mother, Chloe belted out lyrics from Posh's famous Spice Girls track in the car on Friday.

In scenes filmed by Victoria, the blonde bombshell can be heard singing the girl pop band's debut 1996 single Wannabe as she bonded with her boyfriend's mum.

The actress, who donned her glasses and a white T-shirt for the journey, exuded confidence when she burst into song.

In the clip, Chloe showcased her youthful face as she drew attention to her features with a shade of pink lipstick and deftly touches of eye make-up.

Fashionista Victoria was clearly impressed with Chloe's singing efforts as she shared the sweet clip with her 18,000,000 Instagram followers.

Inspiration: Victoria Beckham famously sang with The Spice Girls (pictured with Emma Bunton, Mel B, Geri Horner and Mel C in 1997)

Victory: In scenes filmed by Victoria, the blonde bombshell can be heard singing the girl pop band's debut 1996 single Wannabe as she bonded with her boyfriend's mum

The WAG teased Brooklyn's girlfriend in the Instagram story and captioned the video: 'Is Chloe after duet with Posh?' teamed with four crying with laughter emojis.

Chloe's bonding session with Victoria came after she gushed over her romance with the eldest Beckham son.

She shared a picture of her beau wearing a sweater with the words 'Love me forever' emblazoned across his chest and she penned in the Instagram caption: 'I will'.

Singing sensation: The actress, who donned her glasses and a white T-shirt for the journey, exuded confidence when she burst into song

She's gorgeous: In the clip, Chloe showcased her youthful face as she drew attention to her features with a shade of pink lipstick and deftly touches of eye make-up

'Is Chloe after a duet with Posh?' Fashionista Victoria was clearly impressed with Chloe's singing efforts as she shared the sweet clip with her 18,000,000 Instagram followers




Vietnamese Defence Attache in Laos Major Tao Van Thai (Photo VNA)



Lao Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Chansamone Chanyalath, Vietnamese Charge daffaires in Laos Nguyen Thanh Tung and representatives from the Lao Ministries of Defence and Security and Defence Attache Offices of others countries in Laos, and the Vietnamese community in the country attended the event.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Defence Attache in Laos Major Tao Van Thai stressed that over the past 73 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) has been developing constantly, contributing to great victories in the struggle for national liberation and the current cause of nation construction and protection.

Together with the police force, the VPA pioneers in search and rescue missions, tackling disaster consequences, and joining United Nations peacekeeping missions, Thai said.

He stressed that defence relations between Vietnam and Laos have continued developing in a practical, effective and intensive manner.

The officer expressed his belief that the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos would grow further in 2018./.
They celebrated five years of wedded bliss in September.

But Blake Lively was quick to show her husband's failed attempts at baking as she called Ryan Reynolds, 41, out on social media Friday afternoon.

The 30-year-old Gossip Girl actress shared a crispy photo across multiple platforms after her husband tried his hand out on making cookies.

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Chef Reynolds: Blake Lively was quick to show her husband's imperfections as she called Ryan Reynolds, 41, out on social media Friday afternoon

A snowman-shaped cookie was at the center of the image with white, green and red icing dripping down the sides.

She captioned the photo, '@vancityreynolds made some Christmas cookies ...' followed by a smirking emoji.

Overshare: The 30-year-old Gossip Girl actress shared a crispy photo across multiple platforms of her husband's failed attempt at baking Christmas cookies; seen in May

'He's verrry handsome though,' she continued.

Burnt and broken cookies in the shapes of trees and stars could be seen without decorative icing alongside the sad snowman.

Recognizing his questionable cooking skills, the Deadpool star wrote, 'I wanted to be the first person to bake Christmas cookies using only a hammer.'

On Twitter, Blake shared the same photo with the caption, 'Like they've never said, like never, ever ... @VancityReynolds is the next @MarthaStewart.'

Happy: Blake tied the knot with Ryan at Boone Hall in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, in 2012, two years after first meeting on the set of Green Lantern in 2010; seen in October

Hammer time: Recognizing his questionable cooking skills, the Deadpool star wrote, 'I wanted to be the first person to bake Christmas cookies using only a hammer'

Supermodel Gigi Hadid even jumped in on the fun and wrote, 'Proud!', underneath the image.

Blake tied the knot with Ryan at Boone Hall in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, in 2012, two years after first meeting on the set of Green Lantern in 2010.

The acting duo have two daughters; James, three, and Ines, one.

The nuptials marked Blake's first marriage and Ryan's second after his two-year union with actress Scarlett Johanssen, 32.
She's currently enjoying a welcome break with her family in Whistler, Canada.

But Bec Judd wasn't ready to forfeit her ties with Australia just yet, choosing to drink a Campos coffee while out in the snow.

'@Purebread_canada, the best place in Whistler for proper coffee for the coffee snobs like me. The baristas are mainly Aussies and the bean is Campos- yassssss,' the 34-year-old captioned an Instagram post on Friday.

We'll drink to that! Bec Judd sips on an Aussie coffee while holidaying in Canada and admits she hasn't fallen over in the snow yet

The mother-of-four was glowing in barely-there makeup and a thick black parka jacket, complementing her outfit with a pair of pastel pink leather gloves.

In a second photo uploaded to her Instagram Story, Bec looked extremely rugged up - and a little bit chilly - with the slopes in the background.

'Day 2 done. No stacks... yet,' she told her followers.

Not an Aussie Christmas! In a second photo uploaded to her Instagram Story, Bec looked extremely rugged up - and a little bit chilly - with the slopes in the background

Bec raised eyebrows last year after unveiling her unique Christmas tree made from recycled branches.

But this year it seems as though she has channelled a more traditional white Christmas, celebrating the festive season with her brood overseas.

She recently showed off a lush green fern bedecked with baubles - a far cry from her tree last year.

Traditional this time round: Keeping the festivities alive, the wife of AFL legend Chris Judd later took to Instagram Stories to show her husband trimming their hotel room tree

The wife of AFL legend Chris Judd took to Instagram Stories to show her husband trimming their hotel room tree.

Very different from last year's display, a Boomerang saw Chris wrap the lights around the traditional green pine that was decked out with blue and silver ornaments.

Meanwhile, last year Bec showed off her unique branch tree on Instagram, writing in the caption: 'My husband almost breaks his back every year when he needs to get our tree out of storage.'

'It's sooooo heavy (this is just the top section) and made of recycled branches by @greghatton,' she added before revealing her decorations were from Country Road.

Not a fan? 'Sorry, really don't like this at all. Not very exciting for the kids. Where's the green, fairy lights & warmth?' wrote a follower regarding her unique tree

But despite being proud of her eco-friendly display, fans of the star weren't as impressed.

'Horrible very disappointing, where's the traditional tree! Whats next a stick figure bunny for Easter!' wrote one follower.

'Sorry, really don't like this at all. Not very exciting for the kids. Where's the green, fairy lights & warmth?' wrote another.

Second time's a charm! After displaying a 'recycled' branch Christmas tree last year, on Friday, Bec Judd revealed she was getting into the holiday spirit a little more traditionally this year

This year Bec has been getting into the Christmas spirit in Canada, showcasing her gingerbread house making skills alongside her daughter Billie, three.

'Making gingerbread houses post ski at @fairmontwhistler,' she captioned the Instagram photo.

'The Christmas program here is insane. Perfect for families.'

Family time: 'Making gingerbread houses post ski at @fairmontwhistlr,' she captioned the Instagram photo

All rugged up for the winter's day, Bec sported an oversized grey jumper.

Makeup free, the TV presenter sat next to Billie as they showcased their colourful lolly-filled gingerbread house.

Bec, who's also mum to sons Oscar, six, and twins Tom and Darcy, one, will spend Christmas overseas with her family.
In the 1990s, she was Australia's top model, engaged to billionaire James Packer and living a life of glitz and glamour.

But Tziporah Malkah (formerly known as Kate Fischer) now lives a drastically different life, surviving off just $200 a fortnight.

On Saturday, the 44-year-old opened up about her spectacular life story in a candid interview with news.com.au, detailing her biggest regrets.

'I had the world at my feet': Tziporah Malkah (previously known as Kate Fischer) has spoken candidly about her spectacular life in an interview with news.com.au (pictured in 1994)

High profile romance: Tziporah was in a relationship with billionaire James Packer for much of the 1990s

Speaking candidly: Tziporah has returned to the public eye after a very tumultuous life that saw her go from a life of luxury to living in a homeless shelter (pictured in 2017)

The stunning brunette told the publication that her time as a top model was a 'waste' as she wasn't able to recognise and appreciate her own beauty.

'I look at that [old photos] and think, I had the world at my feet. And I didn't know it. I had no confidence. I didn't think people looked at me and thought I was beautiful,' she stated.

She wistfully added: 'What a waste'.

The beauty began dating billionaire James Packer in 1993, the same year she starred alongside Elle Macpherson, Portia de Rossi and Hugh Grant in the hit film, Sirens.

Tziporah became engaged to James three years later, but the pair split in 1998.

News.com.au states that at the time of their break-up, the beauty had a multi-million dollar property in Sydney as well as hundred of thousands in her bank account.

A star is born: Tziporah (right) appeared alongside Portia De Rossi (left) and Elle MacPherson (centre) in the 1993 film, Sirens

'Drifting around': Following her split from James Packer, Tziporah relocated to Los Angeles living an expensive lifestyle

Relocating to Los Angeles, the star lived an expensive lifestyle 'drifting around and being hedonistic'.

Despite her undeniable beauty and the fact she was a household name in Australia, Tziporah never managed to make the big time in the American market.

She was instead swindled out of $2 million dollars she gave to a lover, later finding out that he had a wife and family in another country.

'I was so ashamed': Tziporah (pictured in 2006- shortly before she was swindled by an ex-lover for $2 million) returned home to Australia, homeless and heartbroken

'I was so ashamed', the star said of the circumstances that then led to her dramatic fall from grace.

She returned home to Australia, living in anonymity in a homeless shelter after falling out with her mother, politician Pru Goward.

Last week, the pair were seen spending time together for the first time in almost a decade, with Tziporah telling news.com.au that she 'respects' her mum.

Reunion: Earlier this week, Tziporah met up with her estranged mum Pru Goward for the first time in almost a decade

She also revealed that it was her growing interest in Judaism that was the catalyst that led to their estrangement.

Despite the family's Jewish roots, the starlet claims Pru 'wants nothing to do with it [the religion].'

However, Tziporah's life hasn't been all smooth-sailing since her return to the spotlight earlier in the year.

Fan favourite: After appearing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Tziporah claimed she was 'embarrassed' by the fact she didn't brush up on media training

She became a fan favourite after appearing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, but says she was 'embarrassed' by the fact she didn't brush up on media training beforehand.

Earlier this month, Tziporah, who once zipped around Hollywood in a Lexus, also faced court for a driving offence after her second-hand Holden Commodore was pulled over by police.

Court documents revealed the beauty was getting by on payments on just $200 a fortnight.

Court date: Tziporah faced court earlier this month on driving offences

And she revealed to the online publication that she had suffered an outburst at a South Australian service station due to the prospect of serving jail time for the driving charges.

'I'm just starting to feel like a f***ing idiot,' Tziporah exclaimed of the outburst.

However, the star is now firmly looking forward to the future.

After six-years as a singleton, Tziporah is in a relationship with her childhood sweetheart, South Australian-based sailor Guy Vasey, and looking very much ahead as a new year quickly approaches.
Their romance is growing strong heading into the holiday season.

But Sofia Richie, 19, and Scott Disick, 34, kept the spark alive as they enjoyed a sweet coffee date in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles on Friday afternoon.

Sofia sported a trendy all-black ensemble less than 24 hours after dancing in her underwear on Scott's Instagram stories Thursday night.

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All black everything: Sofia Richie, 19, and Scott Disick, 34, kept the spark alive as they enjoyed a sweet coffee date in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles on Friday afternoon

Sofia covered up her tanned and toned body with tight black pants and a matching black turtleneck.

She donned a pair of shiny black leather boots in addition to a black purse carried along her shoulder.

The budding supermodel slicked back her new chocolate brown hair as she covered her eyes with a pair of cat eye sunglasses.

Cute: Sofia sported a trendy all-black ensemble less than 24 hours after dancing in her underwear on Scott's Instagram stories Thursday night

Sweet: Sofia covered up her tanned and toned body with tight black pants and a matching black turtleneck

Scott looked equally as comfortable wearing a black sweatshirt with a large yellow triangle logo on his chest.

He wore a pair of khaki pants and white shoes as he walked alongside his girlfriend of nearly six months.

On Thursday evening, Scott shared an Instagram story of his young girlfriend dancing in her underwear to her father Lionel Richie's song All Night Long.

Smile: Scott looked equally as comfortable wearing a black sweatshirt with a large yellow triangle logo on his chest

Dance off: On Thursday evening, Scott shared an Instagram story of his younger girlfriend dancing in her underwear to her father Lionel Richie's song All Night Long

Fans took to Twitter to express their discomfort at watching the clip Disick shared of the stunning starlet as she confidently pranced around.

The father of three filmed her for the hilarious impromptu shoot while dancing to her dad Lionel's 1983 hit song.

After posting it, one fan questioned if the teen had 'daddy issues.'

'If there was any question as to whether Sofia Richie has daddy issues, watch her do a sexy dance to Lionel Richie's "All Night Long" for her boyfriend Scott Disick while dressed in Santa sleepwear!'

One Twitter user by the handle @Olivialouisek noted that Sofia 'dancing in her underwear to her dads song' was 'uncomfortable' to watch.

Coffee time: She donned a pair of shiny black leather boots in addition to a black purse carried along her shoulder
He's just returned from a snowboarding holiday in Europe.

And Australian star Chris Hemsworth looked happy to be home for the holidays as he took to the beach in Byron Bay on Friday.

The 34-year-old family man was joined by wife Elsa Pataky and their three-year-old son as they enjoyed some fun in the sun just days out from Christmas.

Fun in the sun! Chris Hemsworth proved he was every inch the family man as his joined his stunning wife Elsa Pataky and his three-year-old son for a beach outing in Byron Bay on Friday

Surf's up! Chris and his youngster appeared overjoyed as they rode the waves together

The Thor star appeared every inch the doting dad during the day out, giving his fair-haired child a piggyback as they took to the shallows for a surf.

Chris and Elsa are proud parents of daughter India Rose, 5, and twin sons, Sasha and Tristan, 3, but it appeared only one of the boys joined them for the seaside expedition.

During the day out, the actor proved himself a natural at fatherhood, leaving his stunning wife on the shoreline to spend some bonding time with his boy in the water.

Hollywood heartthrob: Chris provided beach goers with a brief glimpse of his famously chiseled chest as he changed into a sun safe rash shirt

Daddy duties! Chris was seen carrying his youngster and a bright blue surfboard into the ocean, so the tot could experience the firsthand feeling of riding a wave

Picture perfect: During the day out, the actor proved himself a natural at fatherhood

Chris was seen carrying his youngster and a bright blue surfboard into the ocean, so the tot could experience the firsthand feeling of riding a wave.

Clinging to his famous father's back, the little one looked delighted as he surfed the swells in style.

Both father and son were seen sporting huge grins across their faces as they came into the shore, joining Elsa on the sand.

Thrill-seekers! Clinging to his famous father's back, the little one looked delighted as he surfed the swells in style

Making memories: Both father and son were seen sporting huge grins across their faces as they came into the shore

Wave runners: It appears the tot grow up sharing his father's affinity for the surfboard

Despite being a Byron Bay local, Chris still looked Hollywood cool, sporting a stylish pair of sunglasses in the water.

Much to the delight of fellow beach goers, the hunk was also seen briefly shedding his shirt before donning a sun-safe rash shirt.

And paying ode to his beloved home country, at one point he added an iconic Akubra hat upon his head.

Surfing in style: Despite being a Byron Bay local, Chris still looked Hollywood cool, sporting a stylish pair of sunglasses in the water

Home for the holidays: Chris appeared overjoyed to be back in his native Australia for the festive season

Meanwhile, 41-year-old Elsa looked every inch the beach babe as she sizzled in a high-cut black one-piece.

The swimsuit was low cut, allowing the Spanish born model to show off her ample cleavage.

Chris is just one of a huge number of Australian celebrities to be spending Christmas at home, with Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts all bringing their families Down Under to celebrate.

Good looking family: The trio were the picture of perfection as they enjoyed some down time ahead of Christmas day
iCarly actor Nathan Kress has just welcomed a baby girl with his wife London Elise.

The 25-year-old and London, 25, who he married in 2015, are now the parents of a baby girl named Rosie Carolyn Kress.

The first-time dad shared his excitement via Twitter with a cute caption and photo of their little bundle of joy.

New parents on the block: Nathan Kress, 25, is all grown up as he welcomes his daughter Rosie Carolyn Kress into the world with his wife of two years, London Elise, 25

Adorable! The actor shared his excitement via Twitter with a cute caption and photo of their little bundle of joy

Nathan wrote: 'Rosie Carolyn Kress, born 12/21/17 at 3:59pm.'

He even mentioned the baby weighed a healthy, '6 lbs, 6 ounces of utter joy.'

Nathan ended his tweet with a little humor, 'Mom and baby are doing amazing. I am an emotional wreck. In the good way!'

According to Nathan's post in July, Rosie is a month earlier than expected since her parents announced that they were welcoming their first child in January.

Ready to pop! According to Nathan's post in July, Rosie is a month earlier than expected since her parents announced that they were welcoming their first child in January

Sweet kisses: Nathan and London met on the set of their movie Into The Storm, where they began dating in early 2015

Nathan and London met on the set of their movie Into The Storm, where they began dating in early 2015.

The happy couple later tied the knot in November of 2015, where his iCarly co-stars Miranda Cosgrove and Jennette McCurdy were in attendance.

The summer of this year, Nathan and his stunt-woman wife announced their big baby news while traveling all-over Europe.

The doting dad shared a photo of himself kissing London sweetly on the lips in front of the Houses of Parliament in London.

Nathan wittily captioned: 'Me and my baby in London. Me, and my baby in London. Me. And my baby IN > LONDON <Get it?? Mommy and daddy are thrilled to announce Baby Kress, arriving January 2018.

Picture perfect: The doting dad shared a photo of himself kissing London sweetly on the lips in front of the Houses of Parliament in London
She's a single parent who juggles her successful acting career with being a mother.

But on Saturday Jodi Anasta was in full mum mode, taking her three-year-old daughter Aleeia to The Wiggles at Qudos Arena in Sydney.

In photos and videos posted to Instagram, the adorable tot couldn't hide her excitement as she danced and even posed for a photo with the popular kids performers.

Mummy and me! Neighbours star Jodi Anasta takes her daughter Aleeia, 3 to The Wiggles .

Taking to social media, Jodi shared an adorable shot of her and Aleeia outside the arena before the concert.

Jodi was dressed casually in a singlet and jeans, while her daughter wore a yellow striped dress and matching bow in her hair.

'The most incredible morning with my girls!! Love you @tiani_cara & QPB!!' Jodi captioned the photo, tagging their friends who also came to The Wiggles concert.

The soap star also shared videos of Aleeia inside the concert, with the little girl unable to hide her enthusiasm for the performers as she danced and clapped in her seat.

So cute! The soap star also shared videos of Aleeia inside the concert, with the little girl unable to hide her enthusiasm for the performers

Meeting the stars: After the concert, Jodi shared a photo of her and Aleeia alongside The Wiggles - Anthony Field, Emma Watkins, Simon Pryce, and Lachlan Gillespie

After the concert, Jodi shared a photo of her and Aleeia alongside The Wiggles - Anthony Field, Emma Watkins, Simon Pryce, and Lachlan Gillespie.

'Yep... I was just as excited!! So very special Loved finally meeting you,' She gushed int the caption.

Jodi shares Aleeia with her ex-husband Braith Anasta, who she was married to for three years before splitting in 2015.

Former couple: Jodi shares Aleeia with her ex-husband Braith Anasta, who she was married to for three years before splitting in 2015

About to give birth: The ex-rugby league star is currently expecting a second child in January with his new partner, personal trainer Rachael Lee

The ex-rugby league star is currently expecting a second child in January with his new partner, personal trainer Rachael Lee.

Jodi told OK! Magazine in May that while being a single mum can be tough, she wouldn't trade it for the world.

'Bringing up a little girl I adore and knowing we have a whole lifetime together [is the best part of being a mum],' she said.

'Life changes [when you become a mum] in the sense that you are responsible for this new life & the joy of bringing up a child.'
She is known for her lithe physique and dramatic fashion choices.

And Jorgie Porter ensured she was the centre of attention as she put on a jaw-dropping display at her 30th birthday party in London on Friday.

The talented actress, who will mark her milestone birthday on Christmas Day bravely went braless in her plunging rose silk gown, showing off her gravity-defying assets as she posed.

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Busty: Jorgie Porter ensured she was the centre of attention as she put on a jaw-dropping display at her 30th birthday party in London on Friday

The figure-hugging dress flaunted the blonde beauty's toned figure and cinched in at her slender waist before flowing into an elegant tasselled skirt.

Adding an extra touch of vintage glamour, the gown featured dramatic sleeves. She added height with berry suede vertiginous heels.

Her blonde tresses were styled sleek and straight and parted on the side while her make-up look featured smoky eyeshadow, fluttery lashes and liner, paired with a pink glossy lip.

She was joined by celebrity pals for the occasion with Lizzie Cundy, 47, showing off her toned figure in a chic black LBD paired with racy red thigh-high boots.

Braless: The talented actress, who will mark her milestone birthday on Christmas Day bravely went braless in her plunging rose silk gown, showing off her gravity-defying assets as she posed

Gravity-defying: The figure-hugging dress flaunted the blonde beauty's toned figure and cinched in at her slender waist before flowing into an elegant tasselled skirt

Glamourpuss: She was joined by celebrity pals for the occasion with Lizzie Cundy, 47, showing off her toned figure in a chic black LBD paired with racy red thigh-high boots

Her brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight and she accentuated her sparkling peepers were enhanced with smoky eyeshadow, lashings of liner, fluttery lashes, paired with peachy cheeks and a fuschia lip.

For extra drama she slung on a white furry jacket over her shoulders.

Jorgie's former Dancing On Ice partner Matt Evers, 41, also posed up with the birthday girl, clad in a white fitted shirt, denim jeans and a mint green blazer with shoulderpads.

He finished his look with black leather shoes and wore his chestnut locks in a quiffed style.

Lithe: Her brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight and she accentuated her sparkling peepers were enhanced with smoky eyeshadow, lashings of liner, fluttery lashes, paired with peachy cheeks and a fuschia lip

Toned: The age-defying presenter looked full of festive fun as she strode along to the party

Cosy: For extra drama she slung on a white furry jacket over her shoulders as she posed

Cute: Jorgie's former Dancing On Ice partner Matt Evers, 41, also posed up with the birthday girl, clad in a white fitted shirt, denim jeans and a mint green blazer with shoulderpads

The actress, finished second during the 2012 series of Dancing On Ice and was invited back for their All-Stars series.

Jorgie , who shot to fame as Theresa McQueen in Channel 4's Hollyoaks, recently admitted she was planning on relocating to the States for a fresh start.

After a visit to the West Coast in August, she told The Sun: 'I'm moving back to LA at some point.'

Playful: He finished his look with black leather shoes and wore his chestnut locks in a quiffed style

She continued: 'I'm not pressuring myself into getting a job, I never want to think like that. I love England so I want to come back and do stuff here.

'I'm not going to say I want to crack Hollywood or anything like that because I want to do as much stuff as I can over here too.'

The move will no doubt be something she needs to discuss with rumoured new man Philip Parker, however, as she was recently spotted packing on the PDA with the hunk after they met on Celebs Go Dating earlier this year.
They were first rumoured to be an item on Tuesday, after being introduced by mutual friend Gemma Atkinson.

And Emmerdale star Anthony Quinlan, 33, appeared to confirm his romance with Strictly Come Dancing stunner Dianne Buswell, 28, as they were pictured together for the first time.

The couple flashed their beaming smiles for the cameras as they exited the Grand Pacific restaurant in Manchester, putting on a loved-up display after reportedly enjoying several dates together.

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Going public: Emmerdale star Anthony Quinlan appeared to confirm his romance with Strictly Come Dancing pro Dianne Buswell on Friday as the two were spotted together for the first time

Dianne rocked a casual ensemble in a green turtleneck and black jeans, covering up in a leather biker jacket and suede boots.

Anthony, who has appeared on Emmerdale since 2013, rocked a muted all-black ensemble as he kept his arm around his girlfriend's arm, appearing to confirm the rumoured romance.

Sources previously revealed the couple were an item after enjoying several dates together, with Anthony reportedly 'smitten' with the red head.

The couple were reportedly introduced by Strictly star and Anthony's former Emmerdale co-star Gemma Atkinson.

Loved-up: Anthony kept an arm around his girlfriend as they beamed for the cameras just days after the couple were rumoured to be dating

'Smitten': Aussie dancing pro Dianne reportedly enjoyed several dates with Emmerdale star Anthony

Gemma also starred alongside Anthony in Hollyoaks, and her turn as Cupid looked like it worked wonders for the actor and Dianne, as they allegedly cosied up to one another during Saturday's Strictly final.

Dianne dashed off to greet Anthony with a hug at one point during the evening, and even met his close friend Jamie Lomas, who also joined the audience fresh off his stint in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here.

A source told The Sun that: 'Anthony and Dianne looked very cosy on Saturday night in the studio. He has told pals he is really into her and made the trip down to London to see her.

Happy: Anthony, pictured with fellow soap actor Adam Thomas at the ITV Gala in November, was spotted looking cosy with Dianne at the Strictly final after-party

Soap hunk: The actor, 33, who currently stars as Pete Barton on the ITV soap. He previously played Gilly Roach on Hollyoaks

'He brought Jamie with him but only had eyes for Dianne.

'During rehearsals, she darted off the dancefloor and ran straight up to him in the crowd to give him a cuddle.

According to the source, the pair seemed very close at the show's after party and didn't care who saw them together.

Representatives for the couple have been contacted for comment.

Cupid: Gemma also starred alongside Anthony in Hollyoaks and was quick to introduce the pair

Dianne worked on the Australian version of the hit BBC show before landing a role on Strictly.

Her time on the latest season of the show was cut short after she and her partner, Reverend Richard Coles got the axe in week three.

Soap actor Anthony had a small role on BBC's Doctors before heading over to the Yorkshire-based soap.

While on Hollyoaks as Gilly Roach, Anthony was nominated for sexiest male at the 2010 Inside Soap Awards, while also gaining a nomination for Best Actor at the British Soap Awards the following year.
She vowed to leave alter ego Jordan behind after having children, before reiterating her promise upon finding out her mother is terminally ill this year.

But now Katie Price has posed in a racy festive-inspired shoot reminiscent of her Jordan days, in pictures released ahead of Christmas on Saturday.

The former glamour model, 39, was seen baring all in a skimpy red lingerie ensemble, appearing to backtrack early on her New Year's resolution.

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Fully topless again! Katie Price has posed in a racy festive-inspired shoot reminiscent of her Jordan days, in pictures released ahead of Christmas on Saturday

While in past shoots Katie has covered her modesty with her arms while posing topless, the shoot sees her bare all under the ribbon inspired makeshift top.

Teaming it with a satin thong, the model made the most of her slender midriff and toned pins.

The only feature different from her topless days 16 years ago is her raven hair, a stark contrast to her rise to fame as a blonde glamour girl.

MailOnline has contacted Katie's representatives for comment.

Jordan returns? The former glamour model, 39, was seen baring all in a skimpy red lingerie ensemble, appearing to backtrack early on her New Year's resolution

Santa baby! Further shots see the mother-of-five slipping into a red gown with white faux fur trim, teasing a glimpse of her thigh tattoo

Further shots see the mother-of-five slipping into a red gown with white faux fur trim, teasing a glimpse of her thigh tattoo.

And in a final outfit change Katie donned a Santa Claus-inspired dress, while posing on a bed for the racy Christmas shoot.

Katie is mum to Harvey, 14, from her relationship with Dwight Yorke, and Junior, 11, and Princess, 9, from her marriage to Peter Andre, Jett, 4, and Bunny, 3, with husband Kieran Hayler, 30.

She first rose to fame in 1996 when she appeared as a Page 3 girl for The Sun, aged just 18.

Jingle bells indeed! In a final outfit change Katie donned a Santa Claus-inspired dress, while posing on a bed for the racy Christmas shoot

Katie soon adopted the alter ego Jordan, posing for an array of topless shoots for lads' mags including Nuts, FHM and ZOO, before undergoing her first breast augmentation- going from a 32B to a 32FF.

The model went on to have a further seven boob jobs, boasting the results of her latest operation in 2017.

In 2002 she appeared on the September cover of the American edition of Playboy magazine, before going on to star in Footballers' wives and an array of TV shows.

After a brief fling with Dwight Yorke, she gave birth to baby Harvey, though the footballer initially denied fathering the child.

Back to her best? She vowed to leave alter ego Jordan behind after having children, before reiterating her promise upon finding out her mother is terminally ill this year

No more: Katie even revealed her plans to re-invent herself, without her alter-ego - adding: 'I plan to get rid of Jordan, get rid of Katie Price and start as a new person' (pictured in 2004)

In 2004 Katie appeared on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Outta Here, where she met and subsequently married Peter Andre.

The duo welcomed children Junior and Princess, but Peter vocally disapproved of her topless modelling, keen for her to scale down her party girl image and stop drinking.

The model soon ditched her blonde locks for raven hair, scaling back on her racy shoots and provocative ensembles.

Throwback: In 2004 Katie appeared on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Outta Here, where she met and subsequently married Peter Andre, scaling back on provocative outfits and her party girl ways at his request

Their kids: Katie and Peter welcomed children Junior and Princess, but Peter vocally disapproved of her topless modelling, keen for her to scale down her party girl image and stop drinking

Turbulent: Katie married Kieran Hayler, 30, in 2013 and appeared to settle down, but was devastated to discover he'd been having an affair with the kids' nanny this year- after previously uncovering he had cheated with two of her best friends while she was pregnant

However Kate and Pete suffered a dramatic split in 2009, and the model was soon seen reverting to her party girl ways, going on to marry- and divorce- Alex Reid, before marrying Kieran Hayler in 2013.

But Katie has had a tough year, discovering husband Kieran's affair with the childrens' nanny, before her mother was diagnosed with a terminal lung condition.

Speaking to Reveal magazine recently, the former glamour model confessed she has had 'the worst year', and is ready to start the next 'as a new person' - following her mother's wish she would 'settle down' before she passes away.

Yummy mummy! Katie is mum to Harvey, 14, from her relationship with Dwight Yorke, and Junior, 11, and Princess, 9, from her marriage to Peter Andre, Jett, 4, and Bunny, 3, with husband Kieran Hayler

Breaking down last month: Katie has had a tough year, discovering husband Kieran's affair with the childrens' nanny, before her mother was diagnosed with a terminal lung condition

'I'm not going to peg off yet until Katie is settled. It's time she got herself together and took herself more seriously,' Amy said of her daughter

Speaking to the magazine, she said: 'I can't wait to put all of his drama behind me. It's been the worst year for me and I just want to put it behind me and start afresh.'

'I plan to get rid of Jordan, get rid of Katie Price and start as a new person,' she added. 'I'll keep the name but I'll be a brand new person. I'd like to have no dramas in 2018.'

Her comments come after mother Amy revealed in September she wanted to see Katie's life 'settle down' before she became too ill.

Speaking on Loose Women beside her daughter, she said: 'I'm not going to peg off yet until Katie is settled. It's time she got herself together and took herself more seriously.'
The meeting in Cuba

At the event, Vu The Trung, Vietnamese defence attache in Cuba, reviewed Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA)s arduous but heroic odyssey in the past seven decades while highlighted the significance of the defence festival day.

The VPA has been an inseparable part of the Vietnamese people in every revolutionary mission, Trung noted.

He also took the occasion to thank international friends, including Cuban people, for supporting Vietnams national protection and construction.

Roman Osvaldo, deputy head of the MINFAs foreign relations department, for his part, praised Vietnams achievements in the two resistance wars for national independence against France and the US, especially the leadership and ideology of President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap.

The anniversaries were also marked in the Czech Republic by the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese community in the country.

In his speech at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tuan recalled that Vietnam received valuable support from the Czech Republic during the two resistance wars for national liberation.

The ambassador said the two countries enjoy good defence relations at present, with the Czech Republic helping Vietnam in military training and military weapon and equipment development./.
He was axed from the soap in October amid a police investigation into sexual assault, and in November he pleaded guilty to groping two women.

And Coronation Street fans have said goodbye to Todd Grimshaw in a hasty exit scene, after writers scrambled to write around actor Bruno Langley's axing from the soap.

Viewers took to Twitter in confusion at the final scene, which saw Todd apparently flee Weatherfield with adopted daughter Summer off-screen.

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Hasty: Coronation Street's Todd Grimshaw made his exit from the soap in Friday night's double bill, fleeing the street off-screen after actor Bruno Langley was axed from the soap

In the scene, which aired in the second part of Friday's double bill, fans saw Todd's mum Eileen (Sue Cleaver) standing in the street with Summer (Matilda Freeman), as a car screeches to a halt on the pavement.

A dubbed voice, meant to be Todd's, tells Summer to get in the car before speeding away, leaving Eileen baffled as to where her son was going.

Fans were baffled by the scene, with some unaware this was to be Todd's exit, while others were disappointed at the character's conclusion.

One tweeted: 'So was that how they get rid of #Todd in #Corrie - A faceless voice in a car telling Summer to get in with his mother confirming it's him.'

Baffling: Viewers were left dumbfounded by Todd's hasty exit, which saw him pull up off screen and drive away from the street with adopted daughter Summer

Uncertain: While sources revealed viewers will learn more about Todd's exit in coming episodes, others still took to Twitter in confusion as to what had happened

Is that it? Viewers were left baffled by Todd's 'exit' with some unaware it would be his final scene

Another wrote: 'I'm guessing that's Todd's last episode and we will not be seeing him again.'

The Sunday People also reported earlier this month that Todd fled the UK after punching a police officer off-screen, with Bruno's last on-screen appearance seeing him accept a phonecall while watching a carol service in the local church.

Considering Todd's vicar beau Billy had just confessed to killing Peter Barlow's mum Susan, perhaps this led to his violent turn.

Dramatic: In the scene Todd's mum Eileen (Sue Cleaver) was left as Todd sped away with Summer in the car

Tense: Earlier in the scene Summer told Eileen she was supposed to be meeting her grandmother, who has returned to the Street

The shamed actor, who has played Todd for 16 years, was pulled from filming for the soap in October after a woman complained to ITV that he had sexually assaulted her on a night out.

A source told MailOnline: 'Bruno's contract ended on October 26th following an internal inquiry which is separate to any police investigation.

'He has not filmed any scenes since the inquiry started, but scenes featuring Bruno will continue to be screened until December 24th. Storylines beyond this point have been rewritten.'

Final bow: Todd's exit was hastily rewritten after Bruno was axed from the soap in October, with sources saying his character would go on the run

Dramatic: The Sunday People reported earlier this month that Todd's exit would be explained more in a later episode

Bruno pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault at a hearing in November, and was given a 12-month community order, including 40 days of rehabilitation activity and to submit to a curfew.

The actor offered a tearful apology for his actions, and has since said he is attending therapy session and alcoholic anonymous meetings.

He told The Sunday Mirror: 'I've been living way too fast for too long... My drinking had escalated. The wheels fell off.

'I wasn't particularly happy... I've started going to see a counsellor and been attending AA meetings and that's helped.'
His acting career spans over almost four decades.

And Willem Dafoe has spoken about his stripped down role and working alongside non-professional actors in The Florida Project, which is generating Oscar buzz ahead of the awards season.

The 62-year-old told The Daily Telegraph that he felt like he lived the gritty narrative rather than just acted it.

'I wanted to be a human being, not an actor': Willem Dafoe reflects on stripped down latest film role in The Florida Project

'I was surrounded by people that weren't actors, and I didn't want to stink up the place, you know? I wanted to be able to pass; I wanted to be a human being, not an actor,' he told the publication.

His 'lived' performance has earned him his third Oscar nomination in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture category for the film.

The movie follows a six-year-old girl Moonee on her summer vacation and her friends fun and mischief in Florida near Disney Land.

Getting into character: The 62-year-old told The Daily Telegraph that he felt like he lived the gritty narrative rather than just acted it (movie still)

He said: 'I was surrounded by people that weren't actors, and I didn't want to stink up the place, you know?' (pictured with co-stars left to right: Mela Murder, Bria Vinaite, Brooklyn Prince, Christopher Rivera and Valeria Cotto)

It also looks at her life with her doting yet rebellious mother in a motel run by Willem Dafoe's character Bobby, who strives to maintain peace and order with the residents.

Willem explained that he drew inspiration for his performance from a real motel manager he had met.

'That was a real key to me because he was a simple, working-class guy, probably not that much different than the people that were struggling living there, probably only a couple of pay cheques away from being them,' the actor said.

Third time's a charm! His 'lived' performance has earned him his third Oscar nomination in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture category for the film

He added that he was pleased with the public's response and support of the film so far, despite it not being a mainstream blockbuster.

The Platoon star said that he found the harrowing story of real-life motel residents living in though conditions unusually reassuring.

'I hate to be a sucker or sentimental, but in making this movie I saw proof of the importance of people helping each other,' he added.
The Hemsworths have jetted back home in Byron Bay to celebrate the holidays.

And Elsa Pataky has made the most of her free time by taking part in one of her favourite past times, horse riding.

This time accompanied with her daughter India Rose, the 41-year-old posted a sweet video commemorating their first ride together at the home just outside of the seaside town north of Sydney.

The clip shows the Fast And Furious star on horse back leading the pony carrying her five-year-old on a relaxed stroll through the arena.

In the background three-year-old twins Tristan and Sasha can be heard adorably babbling among themselves.

India's pony then catches up to Elsa's and they take the lead, with a very proud Elsa heard cheering her little girl on.

Just like mummy! Elsa Pataky, has relished in the free time doing one of her favourite past times, horse riding. This time accompanied with her daughter India Rose, the blonde beauty commemorated their first ride together at the home in Byron Bay

The clip shows the Fast And Furious star on horse back leading the pony carrying her five-year-old on a relaxed stroll through the arena

Fans of the blonde beauty loved watching the sweet mother-daughter bonding moment, including one who commented: 'Nice moment between mother and daughter,'

Meanwhile another complimented India's talent, writing: 'Your daughter is a natural! I can see by the way she is sitting!'

Earlier in the year Elsa spoke about her and husband Chris' decision to base their family in the coastal New South Wales town three years ago to News Corp.

Fans of the blonde beauty loved watching the sweet mother-daughter bonding moment while another complimented India's talent, writing: 'Your daughter is a natural! I can see by the way she is sitting!'

Paparazzi-free: Earlier in the year Elsa spoke about her and husband Chris' decision to base their family in coastal New South Wales town three years ago to News Corp

'For the kids, they don't see them here [paparazzi] and that's the most important thing for us,' the Madrid-born beauty said.

'I really wanted to be in a place where I'm out of reach to the media  and in Byron we just feel like locals.'

'People really respect us  and it's what I always dreamt of giving to my kids,' she added.
She is no stranger to showcasing her incredible bikini body, after shooting to fame as the star of last year's Love Island.

And Olivia Buckland continued to flaunt her enviable physique on Saturday, as she enjoyed a festive getaway to Tenerife with fiance Alex Bowen.

The 24-year-old reality TV star had her slim figure on full display as she reclined on a sunbed in her hotel in the blazing sunshine.

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Bikini queen: Love Island star Olivia Buckland, 24, showcased her incredible bikini body on Saturday as she enjoyed a festive getaway to Tenerife with fiance Alex Bowen

Olivia showed off her ample cleavage in the sexy two-piece ensemble, rocking the blue and white floral bikini with criss-cross detailing as she sunbathed with her fiance.

The star shared several videos of her getaway on her Instagram stories, and in one her and Alex can be heard saying how hot it is.

Olivia later posted a snap of summer ensemble on social media with the caption: 'Merry Christmas Eve Eve.'

The stunner also told fans that she was struggling to get into the festive spirit away from chilly Britain, tweeting: 'Hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas break! Tell me some of your Christmas plans?! I want to feel Christmassy laying here in my bikini.'

Stunning: Olivia flaunted her incredible figure as she posted snaps from her holiday on Instagram

Amazing: Olivia rocked the blue and white floral ensemble as she reclined on a sunbed in the blazing sunshine

Incredible: Olivia also showed off her array of tattoos in the revealing ensemble, also revealing she has struggled to get into the Christmas spirit away from chilly Britain

Olivia and Alex appeared to be as loved-up as ever on the sunny festive break, though the star recently admitting she does not take kindly to fans of Alex who are rude to her.

Taking to Twitter on Friday, the blonde bombshell wrote: 'Dear girls wanting a photo with my fiance, I will happily stand aside and let you have a cuddle and a nice photo together if you want - however the minute you are rude to me - know that my man wont give you the time of day. Thats his prerogative.'

Olivia enjoyed a whirlwind romance with Alex since meeting on Love Island in July 2016, getting engaged just five months later during a romantic trip to New York City.

Happy couple: Olivia appeared to be having a whale of a time on holiday with Alex, although she recently warned she would not tolerate fans being rude to her

Honest: The star took to Twitter to say neither she nor Alex would speak to fans who were rude to her

The couple, who readily admit that making their relationship work after the ITV2 show was 'hard work', credit their lasting romance with making an effort to see each other every day when they came out of the villa.

Alex said: 'Olivia has a job I'll go with her, if I have a job she'll come with me. I had a lot of PAs when I first came out. But I would spend every night in my own bed.

'It was such hard work but we made it work and we're really happy together.
He's following in his Hollywood star father's footsteps as an actor.

And it seems Patrick Schwarzenegger may also want to become a politician like Arnold, known as The Governator during his term of office as California's Governor, according to TMZ.

The 24-year-old spoke out during an interview in Beverly Hills as he went Christmas shopping on Friday.

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Hitting the streets: Patrick Schwarzenegger, spotted doing some last minute Christmas shopping in Beverly Hills on Friday, has revealed that he would consider political office

When asked if he'd ever get into politics, Patrick replied: 'If I thought I could better this country, yeah.'

He's certainly got the genes for it.

Aside from Arnie, 70, who ran California from 2003 until 2011, his mother Maria Shriver, 62, is the niece of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in November 1963.

Patrick's dad, who hails from Austria, was prevented from running for higher office because he was not born in the U.S. but that wouldn't be a problem for the young actor, who bundled up on a colder than usual day in Los Angeles.

It's in his blood: The 24-year-old actor said he would consider going into politics like his dad Arnold Schwarzenegger 'If I thought I could better this country'

Hanging on the phone: Patrick stayed connected as he shopped

He wore a cream furry jacket with a black collar and cuffs with a white T-shirt covered in news print, black pants and black Nike sneakers. He pulled a grey knitted hat over his neatly cut brown hair and sported a light beard and mustache.

Patrick appeared to be on a solo shopping trip as there was no sign of his girlfriend, 20-year-old aspiring model Abby Champion.

The couple have been dating for almost two years and recently returned from a loved up beach break in Cancun, Mexico.

Cold comfort: Patrick wrapped up warm on a chilly day in Los Angeles in a cream furry jacket, a white T-shirt covered in news print, black pants and black Nike sneakers plus a grey knitted hat

Star and activist: Arnold Schwarzenegger, 70, who was California's Governor from 2003 until 2011, joined French President Emmanuel Macron for the One Planet climate summit in Paris on December 12

Scion of the Kennedy clan: Patrick's mother Maria Shriver, 62, is the niece of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in November 1963.

She revealed on Instagram that she is going home to Alabama to spend Christmas with her family but there's no word on whether Patrick will join her there.

Meanwhile, he can currently be seen as part of the ensemble cast in National Geographic Channel's miniseries The Long Road Home about American forces in Iraq.

He will also be seen on the big screen opposite Bella Thorne in romantic drama Midnight Sun, due out on March 23.

Political royalty: Patrick is related to President John F. Kennedy, seen with his wife Jackie, in San Antonio, Texas, the day before he was assassinated on November 22. 1963

Legs forever: Patrick has been dating 20-year-old aspiring model Abby Champion for two years and she was with him at the premiere of his TV series, The Long Road Home, in October
Hi, Bam Margera welcome to fatherhood.

The 38-year-old Jackass star became a father for the first time he took to Instagram on Saturday morning to announce that his wife Nicole Boyd had given birth to their son.

The skateboard pro took to the picture sharing social media to share a sweet snap of his gorgeous wife snuggled up to the bundle of joy.

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Happy news: Bam Margera became a father for the first time he took to Instagram on Saturday morning to announce that his wife Nicole Boyd had given birth to their son Phoenix Wolf

Loved up: The 38-year-old Jackass star and his wife pictured in La back in April 2014

He simply captioned the picture with the name of the child as he wrote: 'Phoenix Wolf.'

The name has been in the works for quite some time as Bam insisted that that they had agreed on the name long before his arrival.

He told People back in September: 'I said it and everybody liked it, so we stuck with that.'

Margera also told the weekly that the name 'just kind of followed' them around.

Proud: The reality star also shared a snap taken over the shoulder of Nicole with the baby while his father Phil could be seen in the delivery room wearing what looked to be a Santa Claus suit

The reality star also shared a snap taken over the shoulder of Nicole with the baby while his proud father Phil could be seen in the delivery room wearing what looked to be a Santa Claus suit.

Bam and Nicole married in Reykjavik, Iceland back in 2013.

The skateboarder who has appeared in seven Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games previously said that he met his wife at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, California during a gig by his brother Jess Margera's band CKY.

Loved up: Bam and Nicole married in Reykjavik, Iceland back in 2013 as they have been keeping fans posted on the progress of her pregnancy

In the works: Bam previously said that they have had the name Phoenix Wolf for a while as he told People back in September: 'I said it and everybody liked it, so we stuck with that'

Stunner: The skateboarder who has appeared in seven Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games previously said that he met his wife at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, California during a gig by his brother Jess Margera's band CKY

Bam certainly seems to be getting his life in order as he was very open about his struggles with alcohol addiction and bulimia in an episode of Viceland's Epicly Later'd which aired back in September.

His parents April and Phil Margera also offered insight into his bulimia during the height of his fame when he starred on Jackass and Viva La Bam in the early 2000s, saying to all started when the MTV star started partying with rock stars like HIM's Ville Valo.

'He always wanted to have this very slim, slim look and a lot of it kind of happened when he became good friends with Ville Valo,' April said.

Motley crew: Bam is best known for his work on the Jackass series and films

The pro-skateboarder said Valo introduced him to day drinking - a habit that he says quickly spun out of control.

'I remember when me and Ville Valo were out in London and he woke up at noon, opened up the mini bar and cracked open a beer. That was the first time I was introduced to day drinking,' Bam said.

'I didn't start officially drinking until maybe 24 or 25. Then the rock star life and drinking spun out of control.'

Bam's mother said that while Valo was the 'loveliest man ever', he only drank and rarely ever ate.

Opening up: Bam certainly seems to be getting his life in order as he was very open about his struggles with alcohol addiction and bulimia in an episode of Viceland's Epicly Later'd which aired back in September

Family first: His parents April and Phil Margera also offered insight into his bulimia during the height of his fame when he starred on Jackass and Viva La Bam in the early 2000s, as they are pictured together last year

'I think Bam started sipping on a beer or sipping on a something because he liked the way he looked,' she said.

From there, his drinking quickly morphed into bulimia.

'We would go out to dinner and then (Bam) would immediately excuse himself and go to the bathroom,' April said.

'I said, "Are you throwing up?" He says, "Yeah, yeah, sometimes I throw up and that way I'm not gonna get fat".'

Bam eventually kicked the habit and is sober today. He lives in Spain with Nicole.
The pair tied the knot in a fairy tale wedding at Bovey Castle in May this year after spending four years together.

And despite their long-term relationship, Dustin Lance Black, 43, has confessed he is still 'discovering new things' about his husband Tom Daley in January's issue of Gay Times magazine.

The director's exclusive interview followed his 23-year-old husband's discussion on Attitude magazine's podcast, where he defined their marriage as 'not all plain sailing'.

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Exclusive interview: Dustin Lance Black, 43, confessed he is 'discovering new things' about his husband Tom Daley, 23, in January's issue of Gay Times magazine

In the upcoming edition of Gay Times, the LGBT activist gushed about his relationship with the British diver: 'I feel really lucky.'

He continued: 'Weve been together now almost five years and Im still discovering new things about him.

'Theres a constant renewal to our relationship and Ive never experienced anything like it. Its really exciting.'

Happy: In the upcoming edition of Gay Times magazine, the LGBT activist gushed about his deep relationship with the British diver

Dustin also made known of his marriage downfalls: 'I mean, were certainly not two perfect people. We have fights. Although when we fight, we just get very, very quiet. And then we know were in trouble, one or the other!'

He proudly proclaimed: 'Were certainly not doing it for public approval.'

This candid interview comes after Tom's discussion with Attitude magazine on its podcast earlier this month, where he admitted the couple 'have really tough times and struggles'.

Candid: The interview comes shortly after Tom's discussion with Attitude magazine on its podcast earlier this month, where he admitted the couple 'have really tough times and struggles'

The 2012 Olympic bronze medalist opened up about when the pair lived apart: 'For example we went long distance for a very, very, long time: he was in LA, I was living in London. We would spend sometimes five weeks apart.

'It's something that was really, really tough and we've had to make massive and dramatic changes in our lives in order to be able to live together and see each other all the time...so it's not all plain sailing.'

Their relationship endured a number of setbacks, as the pair had secretly been on a seven-month break after living in separate countries.

The couple enjoyed a romantic Spanish honeymoon in August after their blissful May nuptials.
Matt Damon's father has died in Massachusetts at age 74 after a long battle with cancer.

Kent Damon passed away on December 14 after suffering of complications from multiple myeloma, a rare blood disease that affects bone marrow.

Kent's condition had worsened in recent months, with Matt, 47, asking fans to pray for his ailing father a few weeks ago.

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Sad news: Matt Damon's father Kent has died, aged 74, after a long battle with cancer... shortly after the actor begged fans to pray for his ailing dad [pictured in 2007]

Speaking to Extra, Matt said: 'It's been a slow unfolding; my dad's sick, so that's been a process we're going through. We'll take any prayers you got, so throw 'em up there.'

Matt has worked to raise awareness and money for cancer research and treatment since his father was diagnosed in 2010.

The Good Will Hunting and Jason Bourne star hosted private fundraisers in Los Angeles and attended benefits for the Massachusetts General Hospital's Cancer Center in Boston.

At a benefit for Massachusetts General Hospital, the actor told WCVB-TV that while the disease is incurable, his father was doing well and will 'fight it to a standstill'.

Tragic loss: Kent Damon passed away on December 14 after suffering of complications from multiple myeloma, a rare blood disease that affects bone marrow [pictured in 2010]

Close: Kent had been battling the bone marrow cancer for many years; but Matt had to pull out of the BAFTA Britannia Awards in October due to a 'family emergency' to return home to Boston where he was said to have gone to be at his father's side [pictured 2004]

Kent had been battling the bone marrow cancer for many years; but Matt had to pull out of the BAFTA Britannia Awards in October due to a 'family emergency' to return home to Boston where he was said to have gone to be at his father's side.

Kate Mara gave a touching speech about the Suburbicon star before taking the Stanley Kubrick Award for Excellence in Film accolade on his behalf.

She explained: 'Unfortunately Matt has urgently needed to travel to Boston and couldn't join us tonight.

'As much as we wish he was here with us, we know family comes first. So our thoughts are with you, Matt, and much love from your friends here in LA.'

Doing what he can: Matt has worked to raise awareness and money for cancer research and treatment since his father was diagnosed in 2010 [pictured at The Bourne Supremacy premiere in 2004]

And Matt said in a video message: 'Hello and thank you to everyone at BAFTA. I found out about this award six months ago and I was just so incredibly honoured to receive it and I was really looking forward to tonight.

'Unfortunately, I had to go back to Boston for a family emergency. I'm really sorry not to be with you tonight. Thank you for this wonderful honour and I hope you have a lovely evening. See you soon.'

He also had to skip the recent premiere of his film Downsizing which to some was a sign that he may be staying out of the spotlight for a while.

When speaking of Damon's absence, a representative for Paramount Pictures told the Hollywood Reporter he was out of town tending to a 'family matter' related to his ill father.

Matt Damon and parents Kent and Nancy at the 1998 Vanity Fair post-Oscar event, after winning the gong for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting

Kent leaves behind Matt and his siblings Kyle [pictured] and Sarah, as well as Matt's four children, his grandchildren - Isabella, Gia, Stella and Alexia

Kent leaves behind Matt and his siblings Kyle and Sarah, as well as Matt's four children, his grandchildren - Isabella, Gia, Stella and Alexia.

But Kent's death comes as Matt's own behaviour has been under scrutiny in recent weeks, following controversial comments he made about sexual abuse in Hollywood.

It was announced on Friday that over 20,000 people had signed a petition calling on the 47-year-old actor's cameo in the upcoming all female Ocean's 11 reboot, titled Ocean's 8, to be scrapped.

The outrage, according to the petition's author, is due in part to 'an interview where [Damon] said he'd still work people who had been accused of sexual misconduct, on a "case-by-case" basis.'

The petition was directed towards Ocean's 8 producers George Clooney - who is good friends with Damon - and Steven Soderbergh.

Head down: Kent's death comes as Matt's own behaviour has been under scrutiny in recent weeks, following controversial comments he made about sexual abuse in Hollywood

Close: Matt is known to be close to his family and extended family

In the petition Matt was called 'gross' for his comments on sexual abuse that many saw as not appropriate.

Comments on the petition range from supportive of the Suburbicon star, to scathing of his recent words.

'As a woman I support Matt DAmon whole heartedly [sic],' wrote one fan.

Father and son: Matt and Kent preparing to play in the 2001 Paul Pierce AT&T Broadband Celebrity Softball Challenge in August 2001 in Boston

Controversy: Matt Damon's controversial comments about sexual abuse in Hollywood may be about to harm his career. The 47-year-old actor is pictured here on December 11

While another stated bluntly: 'Matt Damon clearly does not understand the severity of the problems faced by women. He should have no part in a female-empowering film. Or any film.'

The 2018 heist movie stars a slew of A-list actresses including Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham Carter and Rihanna.

In an interview with Business Insider, the Jason Bourne star was asked if he would work with people accused of sexual assault.

Damon answered that he would consider it on a 'case-by-case' basis.

'That always went into my thinking. I mean, I wouldnt want to work with somebody wholifes too short for that.

'But the question of if somebody had allegations against them, you know, it would be a case-by-case basis. You go, "Whats the story here?"'

Star power: The 2018 heist movie stars a slew of A-list actresses including Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson and Rihanna [pictured]

It got even worse when he said that the 'rotten apples' are only about 1 percent of the industry and there are plenty of good men.

'We're in this watershed moment, and it's great, but I think one thing that's not being talked about is there are a whole s**tload of guys - the preponderance of men I've worked with - who don't do this kind of thing and whose lives aren't going to be affected.'

He also said to ABC: 'Were going to have to figure  you know, theres a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right?'

He added, 'Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldnt be conflated, right?'

Range of emotions: Comments on the petition range from supportive of the Suburbicon star, to scathing of his recent words

His ex-girlfriend Minnie Driver, who worked with him on 1997's Good Will Hunting, has publicly reacted to his comments.

'Good God, seriously?' Driver tweeted in response to his claim.

The mother-of-one said: 'You don't get to be hierarchical with abuse. And you don't get to tell women that because some guy only showed them their penis their pain isn't as great as a woman who was raped.'

She also told The Guardian that men 'simply cannot understand what abuse is like on a daily level' and should not therefore attempt to differentiate or explain sexual misconduct against women.

He has also been criticized for working with Harvey Weinstein after the former Miramax mogul harassed Gwyneth Paltrow.
She's been referred to as an international sex symbol for her iconic appearance in 1985's A View To A Kill.

And Tanya Roberts proved she had barely aged in 32 years as she looked every inch the Hollywood icon as she stepped out in Beverly Hills on Friday.

The 62-year-old former Bond girl showed off her age-defying good looks as she indulged in a spot of pre-Christmas pampering at a luxury spa.

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Glamorous: Tanya Roberts looked every inch the Hollywood icon as she stepped out in Beverly Hills on Friday

The actress showed off her trim physique in a fuchsia biker jacket, which featured quilted paneling.

She complemented her bright outerwear with black skinny jeans and accessorised the look with a studded shoulder bag.

She styled her luscious auburn tresses in a sleek straight look and in a nod to her former Bond days, she swept her signature fringe to either side of her face.

The Charlie's Angel icon looked radiant for the solo outing as she accentuated her youthful complexion with blush-swept cheeks, black eyeliner and a pouty pink lip.

Throwback: She's been referred to as an international sex symbol for her iconic appearance in A View To A Kill in 1985

Hollywood icon: The 62-year-old former Bond girl showed off her age-defying good looks as she indulged in a spot of pre-Christmas pampering at a luxury spa

Svelte figure: The actress showed off her trim physique in a fuchsia biker jacket, which featured quilted paneling

Tanya starred alongside Roger Moore in A View to a Kill in 1985.

Being a Bond Girl made her into a huge movie star, and Roberts returned to TV where she had a role in Fox's hit 'That 70s Show' playing Laura Prepon's mother, Midge Pinciotti.

Her role was adored by the show's fans, but in 2004 Roberts bravely decided to bow out of the show so that she could care for her screenwriter husband who had become terminally ill.

Effortlessly stylish: She complemented her bright outerwear with black skinny jeans and accessorised the look with a studded shoulder bag

The former model paid tribute to Roger Moore following his death earlier this year, describing him at the 'best bond ever'

When Tanya took on the role of Stacey Sutton at age 28, she was half of Moore's age, then 56.

The former model paid tribute to Moore following his death earlier this year, describing him at the 'best bond ever'.

She told The Mirror: 'I ran into him about four years ago in Beverly Hills  we toasted each other with some sake for our work on A View to a Kill.

'We carried on like we left off, we laughed through fun times. He'd looked well, so it was devastating to see the announcement.'

The longest-reigning 007 died in Switzerland in May aged 89 after a 'short but brave battle with cancer'.

Household name: Being a Bond Girl made her into a huge movie star, and Roberts returned to TV where she had a role in Fox's hit 'That 70s Show' playing Laura Prepon's mother, Midge Pinciotti

Hollywood actor: The longest-reigning 007 died in Switzerland in May aged 89 after a 'short but brave battle with cancer'
The Spice Girls are set for a money-spinning reunion next spring after agreeing to use Girl Power to boost their dwindling spending power.

Victoria Posh Spice Beckham, whose eponymous fashion empire saw its annual losses double to 8.5 million last week, has always refused to sing again. But a source close to the chart-topping band revealed a compromise  she and the other four members will judge a Chinese reality show to find the next global pop star.

The key to the reunion is music svengali and Pop Idol creator Simon Fuller, who is credited with the phenomenal commercial success of the Spice Girls and Brand Beckham.

The Spice Girls are set for a money-spinning reunion next spring. From left: Mel B, Mel C, Geri, Emma and Victoria

The Spice Girls at the height of Spice Mania attending the 1997 MTV Awards in Rotterdam

At the height of Spice Mania in the late 1990s, there was a hit movie, Spice World, as well as dolls, stationery, trainers and even lollipops as part of a huge promotional push that saw them become the most merchandised group in history  and the most lucrative since The Beatles. The source said: Victoria vowed she would never sing with the girls again, and she wont.

But now theyve found a way round that. They will go to China in the spring and do the television show. In terms of money, theyre not doing it for pennies.

The plan is that lots of endorsements and other big-money deals will snowball from this.

Simon Fuller sees a lot of potential profit in their merchandise, as well as their back catalogue. Were talking millions here.

The band members have enjoyed mixed financial fortunes recently. As well as Victorias losses, Mel B has just emerged from an expensive divorce, while Geri Halliwells solo company, Wonderful Productions, has seen its profits collapse from 179,258 in 2014 to just 4,568 last year.

The band members at the 02 Arena in Greenwich in 2007 where they announced a world tour
As ASEAN countries seek further integration, they have agreed to allow engineers, nurses, architects, doctors, dentists, surveyors, accountants and tourism professionals from one ASEAN country to work in another if they meet certain requirements.

However, Ha Thi Minh Duc, deputy head of the International Relations Department under the Ministry said that so far only 109 engineers and architects in Vietnam qualified for mobility requirements.

While the AEC allows free labor mobility, member countries have requirements for each occupation and they need to discuss among each other how to grant mutual recognition and set up skills standards for these occupations, Duc said.





Meanwhile, theres still a considerable gap among the national occupation skill framework among ASEAN member countries, especially among Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, she said.

The slow mobility was also due to policies of each country, Duc added, saying that after workers meet the general occupation standards, they will also have to meet standards set by each country.

Workers ability to work outside their country also depends on local demand.

For instance, a Vietnamese doctor who wants to work in Thailand has to know how to speak Thai. On the other hand, some local employers who want to recruit foreign workers have to prove that they cant find qualified locals of equal pay to hire a foreigner, she said.

Mac Van Tien from the South East Asia Finance, Investment and Trade Institute, said apart from technical barriers set by ASEAN member countries, slow mobility was also caused by moderate Vietnamese labor skills.

Vietnamese laborers skills in teamwork and working in multi-cultural environments are limited, Tien said.

He added that while skills and knowledge can be improved and cultivated, Vietnams preparation for integration has been poor.

We rank 11 out of 12 Asian countries in terms of laborer quality and our productivity is one third of Malaysias and two fifth of Thailands, he said.

Currently, the number of laborers moving among ASEAN countries is 6.5 million, of which 2.28 million are from ASEAN countries and the rest are from outside the bloc. The main destinations are Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Most migrant workers to these countries come from Indonesia, Myanmar and Malaysia.

Vietnam is not yet a destination or the starting point for qualified laborers moving in the region, Tien said.

In order to take advantage of free labor flow, the ability to speak foreign languages, professionalism and work ethics are the most important factors, said Nguyen Thu Trang, Director of Human Resources Recruitment and Consultancy of Manpower Group.

For the laborers, they need to be able to speak foreign languages, work in a team effectively, learn new skills and adapt new working environments, Trang said.

What the Government can do is to be flexible in labor training so that workers can catch up with changes and regional standards.

Foreign language skills and soft skills must be improved, and the Government need to work with enterprises to make training programs more relevant to market demands, she said./.
She's preparing to welcome her second child, a daughter, with her husband Gary Clark Jr.

And Nicole Trunfio showed off her baby bump in a black silk frock while Christmas shopping in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Joined by her musician beau, the 31-year-old cut a casually chic figure, pairing the flowing dress with thigh-high boots and a newsboy cap.

Bumping along nicely! Nicole Trunfio, 31, showed off her baby bump in a black silk frock while Christmas shopping with husband Gary Clark Jr., 33, in Los Angeles on Saturday

Nicole wore a black silk frock that skimmed over her baby belly.

The former TV presenter elongated her frame with a pair of black suede boots and covered her shoulders with a light cardigan.

Hooking her gold-chained Chanel 2.55 quilted leather handbag over one arm, Nicole accessorised further with a black newsboy cap.

Her brunette locks were styled semi-straight, and her makeup look consisted of a flawless complexion, defined brows, lashings of mascara and a nude lip.

Effortlessly chic: The model wore a plunging black silk frock, accessorised with a lightweight cardigan, Chanel quilted leather handbag and a black paper boy cap

Gary cut a cool and casual figure, donning a ripped grey hooded sweater, distressed black skinny jeans and lace-up boots.

He carried two paper bags from the couple's shopping trip.

Noticeably absent was the pair's adorable two-year-old son, Zion.

Coming soon! Nicole is believed to be 35 weeks along

Nicole is believed to be 35 weeks along.

The Vogue cover model announced on October 17 that she and her husband were expecting a girl.

Nicole is believed to have had two baby showers recently: one in Austin, Texas, and the other in Beverly Hills.

A number of celebrity friends joined Nicole for her baby shower in LA, including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Jessica Gomes and Renee Bargh.
She has repeatedly said 2016 was 'the worst 12 months' of her life.

But this week Roxy Jacenko is preparing to celebrate Christmas with her reunited family, after husband Oliver Curtis was released from prison in June.

The 37-year-old reflected on her roller-coaster year with News.com.au on Sunday, while sharing her festive plans for her Insta-famous children, Pixie and Hunter.

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Better days! Roxy Jacenko is happily preparing to celebrate Christmas Day with her reunited family, after husband Oliver Curtis was released from prison in June this year

Roxy spoke candidly about last year's trauma of being diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after Oliver was convicted of insider trading and jailed for 12 months.

'We have been through so much as a family,' the Sweaty Betty PR founder confessed.

She said Christmas last year 'was low key and for the kids,' adding that it was a 'very confusing' experience.

Challenging times: Roxy spoke to News.com.au about last year's trauma of being diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after Oliver was convicted for insider trading

Emotional strain: 'We have been through so much as a family,' the PR queen acknowledged

'I tried to play down the fact it was Christmas, as I had earmarked the time as when Pixie and Hunter could expect Oli home,' she revealed.

'Which was shortsighted of me, but at the time the first thing that came to mind.'

Meanwhile, the PR queen revealed her plans for Christmas Day this year, including breakfast at home and then a celebratory lunch at The Park Hyatt in The Rocks.

'I tried to play down the fact it was Christmas': Roxy confessed that last year's festive season was a 'confusing' experience for her young children

The famous workaholic has evidently been enjoying the summer break with her family, as she was spotted at Bondi Beach and Wild Life Sydney Zoo this past week.

She admitted that while Pixie, six, and Hunter, three, are 'very lucky kids', she happily completed their Christmas present requests this year.

Pixie was gifted a ballet bar, a NIDA drama camp voucher and 'games we can play as a family', while Hunter asked for a 'new blue dump truck and a CAT excavator'.
Emmy-winning presenters Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper have been friends for 25 years, but it only took 45 seconds for the CNN journalist to turn down the Bravo executive before their blind date.

'You know when straight people know two gay guys, they're like, "Oh you guys should meet." We had a phone call to set up the date, I was a young reporter at NBC, he was at CBS,' 50-year-old Anderson recalled on Friday's Tonight Show.

'And he violated my cardinal rule, which is he asked me about my mom [Gloria Vanderbilt] within the first minute of talking to me.'

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Denied! Emmy-winning presenters Andy Cohen (L) and Anderson Cooper (R) have been friends for 25 years, but it only took 45 seconds for the CNN journalist to turn down the Bravo executive before their blind date

At that, 49-year-old Andy gushed: 'I wanted to date the Vanderbilt boy! I was excited! I remember something that I did made him shut down so now I know!'

Cohen went on describe how radically different their childhoods were in Missouri and Manhattan.

'His mother took him to Studio 54 when he was 11,' the Superficial author explained. 'When I was 11, I had a paper route in St. Louis.'

Meanwhile, from age 10-13, Cooper was a Ford Model posing up a storm for Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Macy's.

50-year-old Anderson recalled on Friday's Tonight Show: 'He violated my cardinal rule, which is he asked me about my mom [Gloria Vanderbilt] within the first minute of talking to me'

At that, 49-year-old Andy gushed: 'I wanted to date the Vanderbilt boy! I was excited! I remember something that I did made him shut down so now I know!'

'His mother took him to Studio 54': Cohen had a paper route in St. Louis when he was 11, while Cooper worked as a Ford Model from ages 10-13 in Manhattan

The Boston University grad impersonated the 93-year-old heiress (M) talking to her privileged boy: 'Anderson, you have sportswear today. Anderson's so tired from smiling today in his formalwear!' (pictured in 2016)

The Boston University grad impersonated the 93-year-old heiress talking to her privileged boy: 'Anderson, you have sportswear today. Anderson's so tired from smiling today in his formalwear!'

The Yale grad then deadpanned: 'For some reason, he thinks my mom has a Southern accent.'

For the last two years, Andy and Anderson have performed their show AC2, which will next be staged at New York's Beacon Theatre on January 26-27.

But first, Cohen has already started having fittings to replace his estranged former employee Kathy Griffin with Cooper on CNN New Year's Eve Live after she was fired for posing with a bloody President Trump mask.

Silver foxes: For the last two years, Anderson and Andy have performed their show AC2, which will next be staged at New York's Beacon Theatre on January 26-27

Fired! But first, Cohen has already started having fittings to replace his estranged former employee Kathy Griffin (L, pictured in 2016) with Cooper on CNN New Year's Eve Live after she was fired for posing with a bloody President Trump mask

Experienced: The Real Housewives producer - who didn't mention the 57-year-old comedian - previously hosted NBC's New Year's Eve Game Night alongside Carson Daly (2-R) in 2015

The Real Housewives producer - who did not mention the 57-year-old controversial comedian on the Tonight Show - previously hosted NBC's New Year's Eve Game Night alongside Carson Daly in 2015.

It's been two months since the two-time Emmy winner called her boss 'deeply misogynistic' and claimed he offered her cocaine during a 17-minute rant on YouTube - which Cohen denied on Twitter.

On Saturday, Kathy - who just concluded her Laugh Your Head Off World Tour - shared a holiday snap of herself wearing a red 'naughty elf' costume while sledding in on a snowy hill.

Cohen denied it: It's been two months since the two-time Emmy winner called her boss 'deeply misogynistic' and claimed he offered her cocaine during a 17-minute rant on YouTube
Toxic chemicals have been found in fish from one of the Northern Territory's most iconic rivers, but they have been given the all clear to eat.

Consuming the Daly River barramundi, catfish and mullet over time is "unlikely to present a public health and safety concern", analysis from Food Standards Australia New Zealand released on Friday reveals.

The study detected pollutants linked to old firefighting foams in all but one of the 12 fish caught in November, and FSANZ flagged that further monitoring may be needed due to the "very limited" sample size.

Mullet contained higher concentrations of PFAS - or poly-fluoroalkyl - substances used at a nearby Top End military base.

One mullet analysed had nearly 12 times the national trigger values for further investigation, indicating that more "risk management action may be required".

However, the NT government says an adult would need to eat seven serves of mullet a week before reaching the daily tolerable intake limit, which is not advised anyway due to health risks from naturally-occurring mercury levels in fish.

People are encouraged to stick to national advice limiting fish consumption to three serves a week for adults and two serves for children and pregnant women.

The report states barramundi and catfish were below the trigger value for the poisonous toxins, but noted that "this conclusion is based on a limited number of analytical samples, especially for catfish".

NT Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie says the figures should reassure local fishermen and tourists.

Labor will continue talks with Defence on further testing within the investigation area, including additional upper Daly sites in future sampling.

This month, Katherine residents were warned not to eat fish from the Katherine River after tests revealed high levels of PFAS.

Testing was extended to the famous Daly River amid concerns about the potential for contaminated fish to swim downstream during the wet season.

The Daly attract anglers from across the nation and there were community health worries and fears the region's tourism industry could be dealt a blow.
Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart says there's no need to change security arrangements for New Year's Eve celebrations in Brisbane in the wake of the Melbourne car attack.

A car rammed into pedestrians in Melbourne's CBD on Thursday afternoon, injuring 19 and leading to concerns about similar attacks in other cities including Brisbane.

Commissioner Stewart said there was currently no known threat to Brisbane or Queensland, and security measures were already in place to ensure a safe night out for revellers on New Year's Eve.
Today's Birthday, December 23: Australian politician Sarah Hanson-Young (1983 - ).

Passionate human rights advocate Sarah Hanson-Young broke down in tears earlier this year as same-sex marriage legislation was on the verge of passing through the Senate.

In the wake of the Australian public resoundingly voting for marriage reform, the Greens senator used her speech to condemn members seeking wide-ranging religious and conscientious clauses.

"It's now time for the Senate to do our job and get this done, without the muddying of the waters of those who have always been opposed to equal love," Ms Hanson-Young, who had previously introduced seven failed bills to legalise gay marriage, said in November.

Born in Melbourne in 1983, Hanson-Young grew up in the small Gippsland town of Orbost and was home-schooled during her early years before attending the local high school.

She then moved to South Australia to undertake a University of Adelaide social sciences bachelor degree, graduating in 2002.

Hanson-Young's political ambitions blossomed on campus and she served as an environment officer and students association president.

After a short post-graduate stint as a bank teller, Hanson-Young drew upon her passion for human rights as a campaign manager for Amnesty International between 2004 and 2008.

Looking to insert youth into its ranks, the Greens turned to the then 25-year-old law student to lead its South Australian Senate ticket at the 2007 federal election.

Her win, aged 25 years 11 months, made her the youngest person elected to Australia's upper house and she entered the Senate the following year.

In 2009, Hanson-Young sparked a debate about the place of children in parliament when her two-year-old daughter, Kora, wasn't allowed to enter the chamber while voting.

She received mixed public and parliamentary support with Nationals Senate Leader Barnaby Joyce accusing her of carrying out a political stunt for "theatrical effect".

Since 2008, Hanson-Young has been unable to move into the Greens' executive ranks with failed deputy leadership pushes in 2010 and 2012, but earned Senate re-election in 2013 and 2016.

In November, FOI documents revealed Hanson-Young's office took almost a year to repay $20,000 in staff travel debt dating back to 2014-15.

Later that month, the prominent Greens figure was called a "nasty piece of work" in an on-air Today show spat with One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson over a far-right group that heckled Senator Sam Dastyari.
The federal government has backed tough new sanctions imposed on North Korea by the United Nations, hailing them as a strong message to the rogue regime.

The new measures include restrictions on oil and petrol, widening extensive bans on exports and imports like food, machinery and vessels, and a crackdown on ships smuggling banned items to and from the country.

"These tighter sanctions will impose significant costs on North Korea and further restrict its ability to fund and operate its weapons programs," Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement on Saturday.
A drunk driver with a disqualified licence has allegedly led police on a lengthy, high speed chase through the NSW South Coast.

The 39-year-old man allegedly accelerated away from police near Bega in the early hours of Saturday, leading them on an 20 kilometre chase, exceeding speeds of 150km/h.

Police used road spikes to stop the man's vehicle before arresting and charging him with failing to stop and driving while disqualified.

The man, who allegedly returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.172, is due to appear at Batemans Bay Local Court on Sunday.
A man has suffered serious eye injuries during a fight at a function centre after a wedding in Sydney's southwest.

Police were called to West Terrace in Bankstown at about 9.15pm on Friday to find a 19-year-old man with a serious injury to his right eye as well as bruising to his face, head and body.

A 28-year-old man was found with a cut to the back of his head and concussion. Both men were taken to St George Hospital for treatment.

Police have been told the men were involved in a fight with several other men in and around the function centre car park.

On Saturday evening police said no arrests had been made.
A man who crashed his boat at Lake Macquarie in NSW's Hunter region then twice refused to be breath tested has been charged, police say.

Emergency services were called to Green Point Reserve at Valentine just before 1.30pm on Saturday and arrived to find a Riviera cruiser had hit an embankment, crashing into trees and rocks.

Police say the 48-year-old skipper was uninjured, but refused to undergo a breath test at the scene and at Belmont Police Station where he was charged with refusing breath analysis and bailed to appear in court on January 8.
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
Shin Kyuk-Ho founded Lotte in Tokyo in 1948 and built into a sprawling giant

The wheelchair-bound nonagenarian founder of South Korea's embattled Lotte retail conglomerate was convicted of embezzlement and breach of duty Friday and sentenced to four years in prison.

Shin Kyuk-Ho, 95, founded the group in Tokyo in 1948 and built into a sprawling giant that today has dozens of units focused on food, retail and hotels in South Korea and Japan.

It is the fifth biggest of the chaebol, the family-run conglomerates that have powered South Korea's growth into the world's 11th-largest economy, but are sometimes accused of murky business practices and overly-close ties with politicians.

Lotte has been a target of investigations since Shin's two sons made headlines with a bitter public fight for control of the group, featuring personal attacks in which they accused each other of mismanagement, personality flaws, and of manipulating their frail, aged father.

The founder, both his sons, his elder daughter and his mistress were all in the dock on multiple charges at the Seoul Central District Court.

Shin was accused of embezzling at least 128.6 billion won ($119 million) from the firm to benefit his relatives.

He was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison, although the court said it could not specify the amount embezzled and allowed him to remain free on health grounds pending an appeal -- he has diseases of old age, including dementia.

"The accused Shin disposed of company assets as if they were his own in betrayal of his responsibility," said presiding judge Kim Sang-Dong.

"This case reveals how the founding families of chaebol attempt to obtain private gains from companies."

Shin shouted incoherently in court when the sentence was read out.

- Beauty contest -

Prosecutors accused Shin and his son and successor as chairman Shin Dong-Bin of causing 77.8 billion won ($72 million) in damages to the group by renting out Lotte Cinema concessions at discounted rates to the founder's eldest daughter and mistress.

Shin Dong-Bin was given a suspended sentence on the grounds he was not in a position to refuse his father's orders

The daughter was jailed for two years, while the mistress -- a former model and actress 39 years Shin's junior, who came to his attention after winning a beauty pageant -- was given a suspended sentence.

The court also found Shin and Dong-Bin guilty of enabling the mistress' daughter to receive 10 billion won ($9.3 million) in salary from Lotte without doing any work.

But Dong-Bin was given a suspended sentence on the grounds he was not in a position to refuse his father's orders.

Another son, Dong-Joo -- who lost the bitter succession battle when board members sided with his younger brother -- was cleared of all offences.

- Social responsibility -

The case is only one of several issues assailing the Seoul-based Lotte group which has combined assets valued at more than $90 billion.

Dong-Bin is on trial separately in connection with the corruption scandal that brought down President Park Geun-Hye, with prosecutors seeking a four-year sentence in that case.

The company has also been targeted by Chinese authorities after it provided land to the South Korean government to host a US missile defence system, whose deployment has infuriated Beijing.

It has seen scores of its 120-plus outlets in China shut down, ostensibly over "safety issues", with angry protestors holding demonstrations against it.

The measures have cost Lotte an estimated 2 trillion won ($1.85 billion), according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, and in September the group said it would put its Chinese retail unit up for sale.

The company said in a statement that it respects Friday's court decision.

"We will strive to contribute to the growth of this country and fulfil our social responsibility," it said.
VW has sacked an executive Oliver Schmidt, who earlier this month was sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in the German automaker's "dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal.

Volkswagen has sacked an executive who was jailed for his role in the German automaker's "dieselgate" scandal -- by sending a letter of dismissal to his US prison cell.

German newspaper Bild am Sonntag said it learned from sources close to the firm that Oliver Schmidt, who was this month sentenced to seven years in jail, was summarily dismissed in a letter sent to his prison in Milan, Michigan.

"His employer is leaving him in the lurch," the daily wrote, accusing Volkswagen of turning Schmidt into a "global scapegoat" for the emissions cheating scam.

The 48-year-old, who led Volkswagen's US regulatory compliance office from 2012 to March 2015, was arrested while on holiday in Miami in January.

In August, he pleaded guilty to charges he had conspired to commit fraud and violate the US Clean Air Act.

He was also ordered to pay a $400,000 fine.

Seven other current and former VW executives have been charged by US prosecutors, while several investigations into the cheating are ongoing in Germany.

VW admitted in 2015 to equipping about 11 million cars worldwide with defeat devices, including about 600,000 vehicles in the United States.

The scam allowed the cars to dupe emissions tests while emitting up to 40 times the permissible levels of harmful nitrogen oxide during actual driving.

The scandal has so far cost the auto giant over 25 billion euros in fines, settlements and remediation.

In arguing for the seven-year sentence, prosecutors said Schmidt had participated in "one of the largest corporate fraud schemes in American history" and led efforts to cover up the company's misconduct in the summer of 2015.

But Bild said Schmidt was far from alone in knowing about the scheme, and accused Volkswagen of trying to pin the blame "on a single engineer".

"Dozens, if not hundreds of employees were aware of the emissions fraud," it wrote.
The US Customs and Border Protection agency said in December that there had been a slight month-to-month pickup in the number of people it caught trying to enter the US illegally since May

The US administration is considering a plan to separate immigrants who enter the country illegally from their children, newspapers reported on Friday after a rise in the number of border crossers.

Slowing the flow of people sneaking into the United States from Central America was a major campaign promise of President Donald Trump, whose administration has cracked down on a number of fronts against undocumented migrants and refugees.

Citing officials briefed on the proposals, The New York Times said plans call for apprehended parents to be sent to adult detention facilities while their children would go to shelters or to a "sponsor," who could be a relative.

In a similar report, The Washington Post said the proposal is among other measures being considered and which would also crack down on undocumented migrants already in the US who pay smugglers to bring their children across the border.

"People aren't going to stop coming unless there are consequences to illegal entry," a Department of Homeland Security official told the Post.

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, which patrols the frontier, said this month that there had been a slight month-to-month pickup in the number of people it has caught since May, underscoring the need to boost surveillance and detection.

In overall numbers, CBP said it had apprehended 310,531 people trying to sneak in this year, nearly all along the southern border.

This was, however, a drop from the previous year and the lowest level on record.

Trump has called for a wall to be built along the Mexican border to stop illegal crossings.

In the fiscal year to September 30, agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency arrested 143,470 people it said were in the country illegally, 30 percent more than the previous year.

In September, Trump said he was scrapping a program that shielded from expulsion hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children, known as "Dreamers."
Iraqi Kurds protest against the authorities on December 20, 2017, in the town of Rania in their autonomous region

Demonstrators irate at the authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan took to the streets for a fifth day Friday, demanding the release of more than 200 protesters detained over violent rallies that have roiled the region.

Furious locals have torched the offices of the autonomous region's main political parties in a string of towns since Monday as ire boiled over at the calamitous fallout from an independence referendum.

September's overwhelming vote in favour of breaking away drew stinging reprisals from the central government that have battered Iraqi Kurdistan's already flagging economy and fired anger over official graft.

"Down with the government of the corrupt, no to corruption!" protesters in the town of Shamshamal, some 70 kilometres (45 miles) south of the region's second city Sulaimaniyah, chanted.

Protesters gathered in the town of Rania to demand that the "killers have to be brought to justice" after five demonstrators were shot dead there by security forces on Tuesday.

In Sulaimaniyah itself, police shot in the air and fired tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters calling for the release of those detained over the rallies.

Some 200 people have been arrested in the city alone since the protests began, while dozens have been held in other towns, activists from the Goran political party said.

The eruption of anger at the political elite in Kurdistan has caused turmoil for the authorities, with Goran and the Kurdistan Islamic Group party withdrawing from the regional government.

In the wake of September's independence referendum rejected by the central authorities, Baghdad seized back disputed oil-rich regions from the Kurds in a move that gutted their finances.

Veteran Kurdish leader Massud Barzani, who pressed ahead with the vote despite international opposition, announced he was standing down in October.

Prime minister Nechirvan Barzani, his nephew, has promised to hold postponed elections in the region in the coming months.
Ahmed Abba was arrested in July 2015 in the troubled north of Cameroon while reporting on the Boko Haram jihadist group

A Cameroonian reporter with Radio France International, Ahmed Abba, was Friday released from jail after 29 months in detention, his lawyer said.

"Ahmed Abba left Yaounde prison around 9:15 pm (Friday). He has been with me since his release, he is doing well," Charles Tchoungang told AFP.

RFI editorial staff confirmed his release.

A military tribunal in April sentenced Abba to 10 years in prison and fined him the equivalent of about 85,000 euros ($100,000) for "laundering the proceeds of terrorist acts" and "failure to denounce acts of terrorism".

On appeal, the military court in Yaounde on Thursday aquitted him on the first charge and upheld the second, handing him a 24-month sentence.

He was released Friday having already been held for 29 months.

Abba, who had been reporting out of the troubled north of Cameroon, a region repeatedly targeted by Boko Haram, was arrested in July 2015 in the far northern town of Maroua.

The Hausa language RFI correspondent was suspected of collaborating with the jihadist group and not passing on information to the authorities.

His trial had been postponed 18 times and his appeal was also postponed several times in recent months.

On Thursday evening, the management of RFI said it was "relieved at the prospect of this imminent release allowed by the Cameroonian court".

Stressing the "emptiness of the charges" against him, RFI said "Ahmed Abba has only done his job as a journalist".
The second and final term for Joseph Kabila, who has been preisident of DR Congo since 2001, was supposed to end last December

With one year until long-delayed elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the countdown officially begins Saturday for a vote which is supposed to bring about the belated departure of President Joseph Kabila.

But it remains unclear if the 45 million Congolese voters who registered in 2017 will finally get to choose a new president, deputies and elected representatives in "one single step" on December 23, 2018.

Will Kabala, in office since 2001, cede power in early 2019 to his elected successor, after extending by two years his second and final constitutional term -- which should have ended on December 20, 2016?

Stakes are high for this vast country which has never had a peaceful transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960, and which has enviable mineral wealth of copper, cobalt, coltan, gold and diamonds.

Elections were supposed to take place by December 2017, according to an agreement signed on New Year's Eve 2016, but they were repeatedly postponed -- officially due to violence in the restive Kasai region of the DR Congo.

The violence in Kasai erupted in September 2016 when a tribal chieftain known as the Kamwina Nsapu, who rebelled against Kabila's regime, was killed.

More than 3,000 people have died in the region since then.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) this past week accused the authorities of committing "crimes against humanity perpetrated to create chaos".

- Humanitarian crisis -

The electoral process begins on already unsteady ground.

DR Congo is one of the UN's global humanitarian priorities for 2018, with four million internally displaced people and hundreds of thousands of children at risk in Kasai, according to warnings from aid agencies.

A Congolese woman and her child who fled the violence in the Kasai region, at a farm supported with help from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization

More specifically, the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) continues to record hundreds of murders and rapes by militia or security forces -- 701 rights violations were recorded in November alone, after 704 in October, 644 in September and 441 in August.

The publication of an electoral calendar on November 5, under American pressure, did not ease the political situation.

The Congolese Catholic Church, which mediated the 2016 New Year's agreement, asked Kabila to publicly declare that he would not be a candidate for his own succession -- a request that remains unanswered.

The authorities have been banning and dispersing any opposition demonstrations that call for Kabila's departure by the end of the year.

"They (the opponents) want the power without election," a security source said.

- Already delayed -

Strictly speaking, the authorities are already late on the timetable presented by the electoral commission on November 5: Kabila has yet to enact the electoral deal, which was adopted by parliament on December 15.

Assuming this happens, negotiations can then begin between Kinshasa and its international "partners" on the financing of the elections.

Ghanaian soldiers, part of the UN'S MONUSCO peacekeeping mission in the DR Congo, arriving in October in the Kamonia district of Kasai, an area hit hard by the fighting between rebels and government forces

The European Union, for example, has offered its assistance on the condition that freedoms and the right to protest are restored.

These are "obsolete ultimatums", according to government spokesman Lambert Mende, who on Thursday confirmed that the government had designated $500 million (422 million euros) -- 10 percent of the 2018 budget -- for the elections, including the purchase of controversial "voting machines".

"The election will take place, even without support," a presidential ally told AFP, adding ironically: "When they organise the elections in Ireland, what does the Ivory Coast give?"

Foreign countries are treading a delicate path.

On the one hand, there are diplomatic courtesies: Brussels, Paris and Washington are demanding that the electoral timetable be adhered to, while promising to respect fundamental freedoms.

Senior United Nations official Jean-Pierre Lacroix also reaffirmed the availability of the UN "to work in support of this (electoral) process", after meeting the president on Sunday.

On the other, there are pressures and sanctions: the European Union has just extended am asset freeze and travel ban on 16 Congolese figures, including the spokesman of the government, the interior minister and the intelligence chief.

The United States also announced Thursday sanctions against an Israeli businessman, Dan Gertler, a Kabila ally, who is accused of causing the state to lose $1.3 billion in the sale of Congolese mining assets.
With no official assistance, traders are taking it on themselves to clear the debris and destruction in the Bab al-Saray market and rebuild their businesses

Fed up with waiting for assistance from the Iraqi authorities to materialise, traders at the ravaged Bab al-Saray market in Mosul's Old City are rebuilding their shattered businesses themselves.

After months of silence, the sound of construction work and returning commerce is finally filling the historic district devastated by the months-long battle to force out the Islamic State group.

"I was the first to open my shop some two months back after cleaning it up with the help of other traders," ironmonger Zanoun Younes Rajab, 44, told AFP.

There is not much left intact in what was once one of Mosul's busiest neighbourhoods

The father of five and neighbouring stallholders had to each fork out 25,000 dinars ($20, 18 euros) just to clear the rubble blocking their street.

In the neighbouring alleys -- where grocers and carpenters are looking to start plying their trades again -- it is the same story.

- Still dangerous -

The market, part of which dates back over 1,300 years to the time of the Ummayyad caliphate, bears the scars of the fierce fighting that saw IS jihadists finally kicked out of Iraq's second city in July.

The market bears the scars of the fierce fighting that saw IS jihadists finally kicked out of Iraq's second city in July

Shopfronts are blasted, ceilings have caved in, wooden beams are broken, stocks have been plundered.

Under the rubble lie rotting corpses of jihadists killed in street-to-street clashes or by air strikes from a US-led coalition.

There is not much left intact in what was once one of Mosul's busiest neighbourhoods.

Gateways leading into the market have been pulverised and accessing some areas remains dangerous because of the threat of unexploded munitions or IS booby traps, despite assurances by security officials.

In the absence of official assistance, it is up to the market traders to try to clear up and rebuild their businesses

But this has not put off some traders from trying to bring the district back to life.

Builders are busy fixing roofs or mending the shattered pavements.

"We did not wait for the city authorities because they are very slow and it would surely take months longer," said spice seller Abu Ahmed.

- 'No reconstruction plan' -

Mayor Zouhair al-Araji insists that local officials are doing all they can "with the little we have at our disposal".

Accessing some areas remains dangerous because of the threat of unexploded munitions or IS booby traps, despite assurances by security officials

Most equipment was stolen or destroyed, electricity and water are still out in parts of town and many roads remain impassable.

He instead points the finger of blame further up the chain to the authorities in Baghdad.

"Up until now we have only been relying on ourselves as the central government still has no reconstruction plan for Mosul," he said.

That means that it is down to the market traders to try to return some of the missing life.

After months of silence, the sound of construction work and returning commerce is finally filling the historic district devastated by the months-long battle to force out the Islamic State group

Abu Nabil, 65, could not wait any longer as time slipped by after the official announcement of Mosul's liberation.

His carpet stall is the oldest in the market and has been passed down from father to son for generations in his family.

"I cannot imagine my life without my work and my shop, so today I am cleaning it up and starting to bring back everything I saved before the fighting," he said.

"Our shop is our soul, we cannot live without it in peace."
The review comes after Politico reported that the administration of former president Barack Obama had "derailed" the effort to target Hezbollah drug trafficking because it could have undermined its push for a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday ordered an investigation into allegations that the Obama administration undermined efforts to target Hezbollah drug trafficking.

The announcement comes after Politico reported that Project Cassandra, a program targeting trafficking by Iran-backed Hezbollah that could have undermined the push for a nuclear deal with Tehran, was "derailed" by the administration of former president Barack Obama.

The review will "evaluate allegations that certain matters were not properly prosecuted and to ensure all matters are appropriately handled," Sessions said in a statement.

"While I am hopeful that there were no barriers constructed by the last administration to allowing DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) agents to fully bring all appropriate cases under Project Cassandra, this is a significant issue for the protection of Americans," he added.

But Edward Price, a former CIA agent who served as spokesman for the National Security Council for the Obama administration, told AFP: "The narrative presented in this report in no way resembles reality.

"The Obama administration said time and again that the nuclear negotiations with Iran were confined exclusively to that narrow issue. We did not make concessions in other arenas, and we most certainly did not curtail or attempt to influence any active investigations, including by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

"Any allegations to the contrary are false, and those reflected in the story appear to be from former low-level officials who have since gone on to work for organizations ideologically opposed to the Iran deal, something Politico failed to disclose."

Trump has criticized the Iran nuclear agreement as "one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into."

He refused to certify Iran's compliance with the deal, but left its ultimate fate up to the US Congress.
There is a certain level of tolerance for marijuana use in Israel, with the government in March approving a plan to partially decriminalise it in favour of fines and treatment

It only takes a tap on a smartphone to reveal it: a world of dealers posting photos of their products and promises of top-quality marijuana.

"It's like e-bay," one Israeli user, who declined to give his name, told AFP. "Thousands of pictures of weed."

Telegrass, an Israeli platform for drug-dealing, has won praise from its users but sparked alarm among drug counsellors and police.

Amos Dov Silver, a 33-year-old Israeli, founded it in March as a channel on the encrypted messaging app Telegram.

A dual Israel-US citizen, he now lives in the United States "for fear that he'll be arrested" in Israel, according to Haaretz newspaper.

Telegrass lets sellers list their wares and prices, exchanging self-deleting messages with buyers to set up deliveries.

"We don't know exactly how many people are using the platform, however we have over 100,000 registered users," Silver told AFP in an online chat. "We will have better statistics in the future."

The platform is in Hebrew, as is Silver's open Facebook page, which hosts general discussions and news on marijuana-related issues and says it has 22,442 followers.

"Ground zero is Israel and therefore we work mostly there. However we plan to grow internationally in the future," he said.

- 'A phenomenon' -

The Israeli buyer, who asked to be identified only by the initial J, said the platform creates a marketplace "where you can buy weed and its products anonymously online with small risk" and with a wide range of product choices.

He added that the communal nature of Telegrass gives individual buyers a degree of security.

Telegrass, an Israeli platform for drug-dealing, has won praise from its users but sparked alarm among drug counsellors and police

"If you get screwed by a seller -- you pay for five grams of weed and he only gives you three -- you have someone to go to," he said.

Sellers have to undergo identity checks to be able to post, he said.

"Their details are in the hands of the people who run the system" and they can sanction rogue dealers by removing them from the service, thereby hitting their trade, he said.

J added that while the buyer must identify him or herself to the seller, the latter has a strong interest in deleting that information after the transaction is completed so as not to leave evidence.

Israel police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that online drug trafficking was a "phenomenon" in Israel, although he did not comment specifically on Telegrass.

"Police are taking action against individuals who use apps to try and buy and sell mainly marijuana," he told AFP.

"We're tracking phone devices and individuals who are trying to make transactions and arrests are made accordingly."

Silver describes himself as a marijuana legalisation activist who is not in it for financial gain.

"The motivation is 100 percent ideological and the goal is legalisation," he said. "I get a basic living income."

Telegram did not respond to a request for comment.

- 'Robin Hood of cannabis' -

There is a certain level of tolerance for marijuana use in Israel, with the government in March approving a plan to partially decriminalise it in favour of fines and treatment.

Plans to partially decriminalise marijuana apply only for personal use and selling and buying cannabis would remain criminal offences

The plan, based on recommendations from a committee set up to study the issue, applies only to instances of personal use. Producing, selling and buying cannabis would remain criminal offences.

The plan has yet to be implemented, but Orit Sternberg, of the Israel Anti-Drug Authority, said that the publicity surrounding it created a public perception that legalisation was just around the corner.

She told AFP that it was no coincidence that Silver launched Telegrass at exactly the same time.

"He exploited the momentum in a very clear and commercial way," she said.

"Although there was absolutely no change in legislation, young people understood that it was alright and he is riding that wave."

Opponents of Telegrass say it lulls both sellers and buyers into a false sense of security, arguing that the pre-deal identity checks required of both sides leave them open to blackmail and extortion.

Silver's supporters retort that setting up transactions online in advance is less hazardous than trusting chance encounters in clubs or on the streets.

Sternberg said Silver "is becoming a kind of hero... the Robin Hood of cannabis, as if he is giving them a safer and better life."
A local charity has distributed nearly 1,000 alarms to refugees

A piercing wail emanates from the small device in the palm of a young Rohingya woman, drawing startled looks from other refugees crowded onto a hillside in a Bangladesh camp.

It has the desired effect -- the safety alarms are designed to attract attention and scare off anyone preying on vulnerable women and girls, who make up the majority of refugees in the sprawling Rohingya tent cities.

The colourful plastic sirens are being distributed to Rohingya women, girls and the infirm in Cox's Bazar district, where an estimated 655,000 of the Muslim minority have arrived since August.

They have escaped a systematic campaign of rape and violence in Myanmar described by the United Nations as ethnic cleansing -- but the squalid camps across the border are not without dangers.

Aid groups say women and girls, many of whom have arrived in Bangladesh alone, are at particular risk of exploitation by pimps and human traffickers

Aid groups say women and girls, many of whom have arrived in Bangladesh alone, are at particular risk of exploitation by pimps and human traffickers active in the camps.

There have already been cases of minors lured away by promises of marriage or jobs in big cities that have ended in brothel work or forced labour, the International Organization for Migration says.

In the teeming camps there is little privacy and overcrowding forces women to share latrines with men or venture into the jungle at night.

The alarms, fitted with a torch and high-pitched siren, provide comfort for Rohingya women like 22-year-old Hazera Khatun, who frets constantly about the safety of her two daughters.

The trio arrived in Bangladesh in September without Khatun's husband, who she said was gunned down by Myanmar soldiers as they fled their village.

Apart from showing refugees how to use the alarms, staff train aid workers and other Rohingya on how to respond should one sound in the camps

"I feel safer and less scared now after receiving this, because now I know that if I encounter any problem, I can call for help," Khatun told AFP, gesturing to the device in her hand.

The local charity behind the alarms, Moonlight Development Society, developed the idea after hearing about abduction attempts on young children in the camps.

Since then, they have distributed nearly 1,000 alarms to refugees -- mainly women and children, but also the elderly and others vulnerable to abuse.

"If someone is bedridden, or cannot call out for help, they can just press the alarm," the nonprofit's medical assistant Marufa Munni told AFP.

Apart from showing refugees how to use the alarms, staff train aid workers and other Rohingya on how to respond should one sound in the camps.

The charity hopes to expand the programme beyond its trial site to the district's mega-camps of Kutupalong and Balukhali -- the world's largest refugee settlement, housing around 550,000 people -- by January.
In Nepal, despite strict laws that ban religious conversion, Christianity has spread rapidly over the last two decades, with many seeing it as an escape from the deeply entrenched caste system

More than two years after an earthquake flattened the Nepali village of Richet, most residents are still living in makeshift shelters. Only the church has been rebuilt -- paid for by Christian missionaries whose influence in the mainly Hindu country is growing.

Despite strict laws that ban religious conversion, Christianity has spread rapidly over the last two decades in Nepal, where many see it as an escape from the deeply entrenched caste system.

The Himalayan nation was ruled by a Hindu monarchy for over two centuries until the overthrow of the monarchy in 2008 and also has a strong Buddhist tradition, particularly in the mountainous north.

But the remote Lapa Valley where Richet is located is now predominantly Christian.

Many residents are recent converts to the faith, among them Rika Tamang, who became a Christian after his mother fell ill and the family struggled to pay for the animal sacrifices a local shaman encouraged them to make.

Christians take part in a church service in Nepal, where many residents are recent converts to the faith even as the law on proselytising is set to be tightened

"Whatever I had, I had to offer as a sacrifice to god," said Tamang, now the pastor of his village in the Lapa Valley.

"Once I converted to Christianity I didn't have to make sacrifices. I was relieved of that burden."

According to the 2011 government census, Christians make up less than 1.5 percent of Nepal's population of 29 million.

But Christian groups estimate the number at more than 3 million. Locals said the census tended to classify people by the faith associated with their family name, meaning many converts were excluded.

Richet is in the northern district of Dhading, one of the first areas where Christianity took hold. It has since spread throughout the country through an active network of evangelical churches.

But some say well-funded foreign missionaries are using aid to convert people in the impoverished country.

- Community tensions -

In Richet the dust had only just begun to settle from the powerful earthquake in April 2015 when a group of South Korean and Singaporean missionaries turned up.

They surveyed the damage and left. A few months later bags of cement arrived to rebuild the village's church.

Nepali people look on from outside a church in Dhading, some 100 kms northwest of Kathmandu

It was the same story in the nearby village of Kachet, where a new church paid for by South Korean missionaries was nearing completion when AFP visited recently.

"We are happy that we don't need to be under the sky when we go to church for prayers," said Richet resident Aman Tamang.

"But we would be happier if we had got grants for rebuilding our homes as well."

Prashant Tamang, a community leader in the nearby village of Borang that has clung to its Buddhist heritage, said the selective distribution of aid had created tensions between communities.

"Dispute arises sometimes when Christians pressure poor people to adopt their religion by helping them in the time of need," he told AFP.

- Jail for proselytising -

Proselytising has long been illegal in Nepal.

But a new criminal code that will come into force in August 2018 increases the potential jail sentence from three to five years and states that foreigners sentenced of the crime will be deported after serving their time.

Nepal's growing network of evangelical churches continues to draw people

Activists say it seeks to curb the rapidly growing Christian community, and have drawn parallels with Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws, which are often used to stir mob violence against minority groups.

"We have seen how that has played out in Pakistan. If you have inadequate safeguards then the laws in Nepal can be misused as well," said Steven Selvaraj, South Asia expert with the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide advocacy group.

Nepal's growing network of evangelical churches continues to draw people, and many are concerned that the new law could be used against them.

"The church in Nepal is taught in a way that all believers are taking the commandment of Jesus Christ to go out and tell others about Jesus," said Tanka Subedi, a Kathmandu pastor.

"So there is quite a big risk that they may be arrested and given trouble, put in jail and also fined."
Arabian Oryx seen in a sanctuary in the United Arab Emirates, across the border from Oman where a reserve holding the rare creatures has been opened to the public

The Gulf sultanate of Oman is looking to carve itself a new niche in ecotourism by opening up a sanctuary for one of the desert's most fabled creatures -- the Arabian oryx.

Once extinct in the wild, the rare member of the antelope family famed for its elegant horns has been dragged back from the precipice in a sprawling reserve fenced off for decades from the public.

That changed last month when authorities for the first time officially opened the sanctuary to visitors -- part of a broader bid by Oman to boost tourism as oil revenues decline.

On a recent outing, wildlife rangers in SUVs patrolled the sandy plains of the reserve in central Oman's Haima province, spotting groups of grazing oryx and other indigenous species.

For years, the main goal has been a basic one -- ensuring the oryx can survive by focusing on "helping the animals here reproduce and multiply", said sanctuary spokesman Hamed bin Mahmoud al-Harsousi.

But now, as numbers have ticked up from just 100 some two decades ago to almost 750 today, the authorities began eyeing another role for the reserve.

"There has been more interest in its tourism potential -- to take advantage of its uniqueness and rare animals," Harsousi told AFP.

- 'Arabian unicorn' -

The story of the Arabian oryx -- sometimes referred to as the Arabian "unicorn" due to its distinctive profile -- is one of miraculous survival.

Hunted prolifically, the last wild member of the species was killed in Oman by suspected poachers in 1972.

The species only clung to existence thanks to a programme to breed them in captivity and in the early 1980s a batch of 10 were released into Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary.

The Arabian Oryx only clung to existence thanks to a programme to breed them in captivity and in the early 1980s a batch of 10 were released into Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary

Since then, regenerating the oryx has been an often precarious process.

The Omani sanctuary sprawls over 2,824 square kilometre (1,100 sq miles) of diverse terrain -- from flat plains to rocky slopes and sandy dunes.

Its own fate has been nearly as tortured as that of the oryx it houses.

In 2007, the sanctuary became the first place ever to be removed from UNESCO's World Heritage list as the government of Oman turned most of it over to oil drilling.

- On guard against poachers -

Now, as oil prices have plunged over the past few years, it is the wildlife once again that has become an increasing priority for the authorities.

Harsousi puts the current number of Arabian oryx in the sanctuary at 742 and says that other species are flourishing there too.

"In the past three years, we have been able to increase the number of the Arabian gazelle, known as sand gazelles, from 300 to about 850," he added.

In addition to the animals, there are 12 species of trees that provide a habitat for diverse birds.

Over the past three years the number of Arabian gazelles has increased from 300 to about 850

Oman has been on a push to transform itself into a tourist draw -- pitching its beach resorts to luxury travellers and desert wilderness to the more adventurous.

Officials in the sultanate told AFP that a major tourism plan would be announced within a matter of weeks.

Those working at the oryx sanctuary hope that it can help play a lead role in luring visitors to the country.

But there are also fears that greater openness could see the return of an old foe -- hunters.

With that in mind security is being kept tight, said Abdullah Ghassab Obaid, a wildlife guard at the reserve.

"Thirty guards and a police patrol are working to provide security in the reserve to prevent any infiltration."
Angola, one of Africa's leading oil producers, is once again suffering fuel shortages.

Angola has suffered a week of fuel shortages, a bitter irony for one of Africa's leading oil producers, and a hardship that some people blame on opponents of President Joao Lourenco.

The majority of petrol stations in the capital Luanda have had long lines of motorists for seven days now, all waiting for the chance to fill up their tanks.

"We don't have any more," said Henriques Carvalho, a pump attendant in the Bairro Popular district.

"They came here to refuel but demand has been so great that we sold our last few litres tonight. I'm waiting for the next tanker."

In front of each pump, lines of trucks and cars stretch out of view.

"I've been queueing for two hours," said Gisela Manuela from behind the wheel of her sedan.

"I've already tried three other petrol stations -- all in vain. Hopefully it will be better here."

Several other filling stations in provinces outside Luanda have also run dry, according to residents contacted by AFP.

Rationing has caused the price of fuel to surge on the black market. One litre of super unleaded has more than tripled in Luanda -- surging from 160 to 500 kwanzas (0.80 euros to 2.50 euros).

Though the impacts of the shortages are clear for all to see, the reasons are not.

A week ago the state oil company Sonangol acknowledged "delays in processing fuel at the country's ports because of minor issues around the payment of certain suppliers".

But in a statement Sonangol insisted that it was "not short of fuel" and that there was "no reason to be alarmed".

It promised that the rationing was simply to guarantee supply during the festive year-end period.

Sonangol declined to comment further when contacted by AFP.

- 'Frankly I can't understand' -

Angola, along with Nigeria, is one of Africa's biggest oil producers, pumping 1.7 million barrels per day.

But because there is no domestic refining capacity, processed petrol and diesel must be imported from abroad.

The drop in the price of oil, the country's economic lifeblood, since 2014 has plunged the economy and the government's finances into a crisis from which Angola has struggled to extricate itself.

Sonangol, which makes the largest annual contribution to state coffers, has found itself in particularly dire financial straits.

In March last year Angola was struck by shortages which were again blamed on "delayed payments" to suppliers caused by the weak oil price.

In the absence of another explanation, critics of Angola's government have made their own allegations about the reasons for the shortages, fired by social media speculation.

"All of this is an attempt to obstruct the government of President Joao Lourenco," said Agostinho dos Santos, a political analyst with close ties to the opposition.

"The majority of filling stations in Angola belong to or are controlled by the generals who were in the regime of the former president (Jose Eduardo dos Santos) and his daughter Isabel dos Santos. These owners want to avenge the old president."

Dos Santos quit the presidency following elections in August after 38 years in power, during which time he stood accused of corruptly enriching his friends, families and allies.

Lourenco, from the same party, promised to fight corruption and subsequently began a crackdown on graft and waste.

After taking office he quickly fired a number of leaders at state-run companies as well as several security chiefs who were seen as close to his predecessor.

His main victim was Isabel dos Santos, who was removed from the helm of Sonangol last month.

"This fuel shortage is only a facade," said Adao Bunga, a rapper and regime critic known as MC Life.

"The immunity and impunity of Dos Santos's generals has gone and they are angry, which is why they are attacking Dos Santos."

But drivers, the main victims of the shortages, have begun to lose patience.

"We can't live without petrol," said Isaias Soares, a driver from Malanje, about 380 kilometres (240 miles) east of Luanda.

"Frankly I can't understand how we can have a shortage in a country that produces oil."
Beijing residents gather around the smoking remains of over 20 armoured personnel carriers -- burnt by demonstrators during clashes with soldiers near Tiananmen Square -- on June 4, 1989

At least 10,000 people were killed in the Chinese army's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989, according to a newly released British diplomatic cable that recounts the bloodshed in gruesome detail.

The document, made public more than 28 years after the event, describes injured girls being bayoneted, bodies being ground up by armoured vehicles and human remains being flushed into the sewers.

"Minimum estimate of civilian dead 10,000," the then British ambassador Alan Donald said in the secret telegram to London seen by AFP at Britain's National Archives.

The estimate, given on June 5, 1989, the day after the crackdown, is almost 10 times higher than that commonly accepted at the time of several hundred to more than a thousand dead.

But experts questioned by AFP said the 10,000 figure seemed credible.

Donald's account gives horrific details of the violence unleashed on the night of June 3-4, when the army entered Beijing to end seven weeks of protests on Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of Communist power.

During their advance, armoured personnel carriers "opened fire on the crowd (both civilians and soldiers) before running over them in their APCs", wrote the ambassador.

He said his source was a person who "was passing on information given him by a close friend who is currently a member of the State Council" -- the Chinese cabinet.

He said the source had previously proved reliable "and was careful to separate fact from speculation and rumour".

Once the soldiers arrived in Tiananmen Square, "students understood they were given one hour to leave square but after five minutes APCs attacked," Donald wrote.

A girl wounded during clashes between the army and students near Tiananmen Square being carried out on a cart

"Students linked arms but were mown down including soldiers. APCs then ran over bodies time and time again to make 'pie' and remains collected by bulldozer. Remains incinerated and then hosed down drains."

"Four wounded girl students begged for their lives but were bayoneted," Donald said, adding: "Army ambulances who attempted to give aid were shot up."

At the end of June 1989, the Chinese government had said suppression of the "counter-revolutionary riots" had killed 200 civilians and several dozen police and military.

- 'Primitives' -

Nearly three decades after the crackdown, the communist regime continues to forbid any debate on the subject, mention of which is banned from textbooks and the media, and censored on the Internet.

There was no sign of reaction to the report on Chinese social media, where an army of online censors blocks any reference to the Tiananmen crackdown and most things critical of the Communist Party.

Donald said the atrocities were committed by the 27th Army, who he described as "60 percent illiterate and are called primitives".

He said the crackdown had created deep rifts within the military and that "some members of the State Council considered that civil war is imminent".

Tiananmen Square is the symbolic heart of Chinese Communist power

As to the credibility of the toll, former student protest leader Xiong Yan, who is now an American citizen, said: "I think it's reliable."

China scholar Jean-Pierre Cabestan also said the figure was credible, pointing out that recently declassified US documents gave a similar assessment.

"That's two pretty independent sources which say the same thing," said Cabestan, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University.

The British ambassador's report was "not particularly astonishing considering how crowded it was in Beijing, the number of people mobilised" against the Chinese government, said Cabestan, who was in the Chinese capital in the days leading up to the crackdown.

Former student leader Feng Congde, now also based in the United States, pointed out that Donald had sent another telegram three weeks later putting the death toll at between 2,700 and 3,400.

Feng said that toll was quite credible and fitted with figures from the Chinese Red Cross, who at the time estimated 2,700 fatalities, and by student committees based on hospital reports.
French pianist Richard Clayderman, adored in China, performs during a concert in Guiyang in the country's southwestern Guizhou province

His name may not be immediately recognizable but his music certainly is: best-selling French pianist Richard Clayderman's tunes are ubiquitous in public spaces, particularly in China where for decades, his blond hair and blue eyes have earned him the title "Prince Charming".

Although his celebrity status has faded in the West, he remains adored in the Asian nation, where he has played for 25 years.

"No one is a prophet in his own country," Clayderman told AFP ahead of his Christmas Day performance at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, the ruling Communist Party's state building on the edge of Tiananmen Square.

The 63-year-old pianist is known worldwide for his 1976 "Ballad for Adeline."

In his more than 40-year career, Clayderman says he has sold 60 million records internationally, making him one of the best-selling French musicians in history, alongside Mireille Mathieu, Jean-Michel Jarre and late Johnny Hallyday.

According to Clayderman's website, he has 70 Platinum discs to his credit.

At the height of his celebrity, he was a television regular. In 1985, former US First Lady Nancy Reagan crowned him the "Prince of Romance."

He had more modest success in his motherland.

"At the end of the 1980s, I neglected France a little to meet the many requests I received from Japan, Southeast Asia and Latin America," Clayderman said.

"Now, French people between 20 and 40 years old don't know me, even if I haven't been forgotten by older generations."

- 'Thirsty for lightness' -

China is now the country where Clayderman performs the most. His first Chinese concert dates back to 1992, but his melodies have been broadcast on the radio since the mid-1980s, when economic reforms opened China up to cultural products from the West.

"His music arrived at the perfect moment," music critic Hao Fang told AFP. "People in China were coming out of a period where they heard only Communist revolutionary songs -- they were thirsty for lighter melodies."

For the Chinese at the time, the piano was synonymous with European classical music, viewed as a more sophisticated genre than the love songs and simpler tunes from Hong Kong, Taiwan or the United States.

"The melodies of Richard Clayderman seemed easily understandable, beautiful and emotionally rich from the first listen," said Du Jian, Clayderman's Chinese promoter.

"His tapes could be found in practically every home."

Xiao Kang, a 30-year-old Beijinger, said her father used to tape the pianist's music by sticking a recorder beside the radio.

"Many Chinese people grew up with his music," she said.

- 'Gentlemanly image' -

Today, Clayderman's music can still be widely heard in China: online, in shopping malls and hotel lobbies, elevators and in ringtones. Many young pianists also continue to study his songs.

His current tour in China, "The Splendor of Romanticism," a label often associated with France, includes 31 dates, with tickets priced between 380 and 2,018 yuan ($58 to $307).

"In 25 years of concerts here, I have seen China grow at an incredible speed," Clayderman said.

"Uncomfortable, dirty gyms with poor acoustics have been replaced by elegant and beautiful concert halls."

Clayderman's enduring popularity is partly due to his "gentlemanly image", consistent with the Chinese perception of a Western Prince Charming, promoter Du said.

"His blond hair and blue eyes are seen as complementary to his music, and in East Asia he has immediately attracted the public with this dual advantage."
The regal, three-level Barnes & Noble bookstore in Bethesda, Maryland will close in January after two decades

Bookstores are a go-to for the procrastinating gift-getter, a one-stop shop that has a little something for everyone.

But there's a new kid on the block this holiday season as online giant Amazon creeps into the physical realm, with 13 brick-and-mortar stores across the United States and counting.

In the upscale Washington suburb of Bethesda, the sector's transformation is playing out in full view: traditional bookstore Barnes & Noble is closing up shop and Amazon is coming to town -- with a gleaming new store soon to open not two minutes' walk away.

"I think the elephant in the room is Amazon," said Donna Paz Kaufman, a Florida-based industry consultant. "Anybody in publishing is concerned about the tremendous market share that Amazon has garnered."

Since it began soaring to e-commerce domination in 1995, Amazon has been a thorn in the side of independent bookstores and big-box chains alike, with Borders shuttered in 2011.

Barnes & Noble's numbers, meanwhile, are dwindling.

The regal, three-level Barnes & Noble in Bethesda feels like more than just a store: coffee drinkers overlook passers-by, while children gather around a storytelling stage, decorated with woodland creatures.

- End of an era -

But Barnes & Noble says it was unable to agree on a lease extension, and the shop will close in January after two decades.

More than 5,600 people signed a petition to keep the Bethesda Barnes & Noble open after the bookstore was unable to agree on a lease extension

Up in arms, over 5,600 people signed a petition urging the Federal Realty Investment Trust -- the property owner -- to "strike a fair leasing deal" and keep Barnes & Noble open.

Sarah Pekkanen, a local author whose first book signing was in the store, dubbed the closure "a loss."

"I bring my kids there all the time, I know some of the people who work there," she told AFP. "It's always sad when a good bookstore closes."

Though itself a big-box store that at its zenith menaced independent sellers, long-time customer Liz Cummings said Barnes & Noble "became a part of the community."

But although she is dismayed by the loss, Cummings, who directs a local writing center, is welcoming Amazon's neighborhood debut.

"There's no concern as far as I can tell, because people want to be able to browse for books," said Cummings. "We'll take it."

Amazon told AFP it will stock only bestselling or highly rated titles and feature local authors in the store, which it said is "all about discovery."

- 'Beyond the click' -

Online giant Amazon is creeping into the physical realm with 13 brick-and-mortar stores -- including in Manhattan, pictured -- and one soon to come in Bethesda

For the industry, which includes an increasing number of independents according to the American Booksellers Association, welcoming Amazon is more of a challenge -- but not something to pout over.

"Our culture is at risk if there isn't diversity in the number of outlets selling books," said analyst Kaufman.

She believes Amazon's move into the brick-and-mortar market -- with stores selling books and technology like the Kindle e-reader and Fire tablet -- is about accessing a certain type of customer.

"We know that their interest in the bookstore world is really a portal," she said. "You have upscale, educated, higher income customers who are early adopters in technology."

"They started with books because they wanted the profile of those customers that would then buy a lot of other things."

But independent bookstores are here to stay, she said, as they can dodge the key issue of scale, which crippled big chains.

Plus, "younger people want authenticity," she said.

"They're not necessarily big on big," she explained -- adding consumers are "looking for something beyond the click."

- 'Bring it on' -

Her assessment echoes an upcoming Harvard Business School study on the resurgence of independent bookstores, whose numbers -- according to the study, citing the ABA -- rose 35 percent between 2009 to 2015, having plummeted 43 per cent between 1995 and 2000.

Study author Ryan Raffaeli said community engagement, thoughtful curation and "convening" -- hosting events to attract like-minded customers -- help independent shops survive and thrive.

Amazon says it will stock bestselling or highly rated titles, but also feature local authors

Testament to these findings are ex-Washington Post journalist Bradley Graham and his wife Lissa Muscatine -- former speech writer for Hillary Clinton -- who took over iconic Washington bookstore Politics and Prose in 2011, and have enjoyed record sales ever since.

Their store is located almost equidistant from Bethesda and Washington's posh Georgetown neighborhood -- which also lost its Barnes & Noble in 2011, and is slated to get an Amazon Books on the very same block.

While Graham admits Amazon's "convenience and cost" is hard to beat, he believes there is "room in the market for them as well as us."

He likens local bookshops to community centers -- and he's not convinced the cyberspace behemoth can replicate that crucial human touch.

"We're more really agents of culture than instruments of commerce," he said.

Although independents have "weathered the storm," Graham said, bookselling remains a game of narrow margins, with non-book offerings and behind-the-scenes technology crucial to boosting revenue and shaving administrative costs.

Still, he remains upbeat about bookstores' prospects.

"The book, with some improvement, has existed for several centuries, so that's reassuring," he jokes, reflecting that the "faddishness that first greeted e-books" has somewhat worn off.

As for Amazon, his message clear: "Welcome to the neighborhood," he said. "Bring it on."
Pete Hoekstra -- a Dutch-American and former representative for Michigan -- was sworn into his new position as ambassador on December 11

The new US ambassador to the Netherlands apologized Saturday after denying he once said the country was in "chaos" because of Muslims and accusing an interviewer of peddling "fake news," only to be caught out by Dutch television in a bizarre exchange.

Pete Hoekstra, who starts as ambassador to The Hague next month, made the blunder while being questioned by a journalist from Dutch broadcaster NOS over remarks made at a 2015 conference.

When the reporter challenged him about referring at that event to Muslim-inspired "chaos" and to dangerous "no-go zones" in the Netherlands, Hoekstra responded: "That is actually an incorrect statement -- we would call it fake news.

"I never said that."

But in a clip played from the event, Hoekstra can be heard saying: "The Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands -- there are cars being burned, there are politicians that are being burned."

"And yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands."

When pressed further during the interview, the Dutch-born ambassador denied having accused his interviewer of "fake news" altogether.

"I didn't call that fake news," said Hoekstra, a former representative from Michigan. "I didn't use the words today. I don't think I did."

The exchange, which appeared on Dutch current affairs program Nieuwsuur, has circulated on social media, drawing widespread mockery. One tweeter quipped that Hoekstra was "even giving fake news a bad name."

In a Twitter message Saturday, Hoekstra said: "I made certain remarks in 2015 and regret the exchange during the Nieuwsuur interview. Please accept my apology."

He vowed to "move on in the spirit of peace and friendship with the people and the leaders of the Netherlands."

NOS interviewer Wouter Zwart later told CNN that Hoekstra said the "no-go zones" comment was intended to refer to "a broader context of European problems with 'those areas.'"

The "no-go" reference was reminiscent of remarks by Donald Trump during his campaign for the US presidency.

Blaming Muslims, he said parts of Paris were so radicalized "that the police refuse to go there," that London police in some districts were "afraid for their own lives" and that parts of Brussels were a "hellhole."
Turkish tourists hold a portrait of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and chant slogans following Friday noon prayers in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound of Jerusalem's Old City

An Israeli court ordered the release from custody Saturday of three Turkish tourists a day after they were arrested over a confrontation with police at a Jerusalem holy site.

Police said the three were detained on Friday for being "involved in an incident in Jerusalem's Old City after Friday prayers on the Temple Mount", the Jewish term for the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

They were arrested for attacking a police officer and resisting arrest.

But Jerusalem magistrates' court ordered their release in a hearing late Saturday, denying a police request to extend their detention by four days, AFP reporters said.

"The court rejected the police's argument which is basically that they were liable to interfere with the police investigation, and also that they pose a threat to the general community," their lawyer Nick Kaufman told AFP after the hearing.

"It was obvious that this case was a politically charged case, and the judge released them."

A video circulating on social media shows a number of men wearing red shirts with the Turkish flag scuffling with police in the Old City.

Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu said two of the three hold dual Turkish and Belgian citizenship.

US President Donald Trump's December 6 announcement that Washington recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital and would move the American embassy there galvanised the Arab and Muslim world.

Eleven Palestinians have since been killed in clashes between protesters and Israeli forces in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

At the forefront of international condemnation of Trump's announcement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed on December 10: "We will not abandon Jerusalem to the mercy of a state that kills children."
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has cut ties with Washington over its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital but, popular as it is domestically, analysts question how long that tough line can last

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has broken with Washington over its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital but, popular as it is domestically, analysts question how long that tough stance can last.

The 82-year-old Abbas is habitually cautious but, as protests have gripped the Palestinian territories since US President Donald Trump's controversial policy shift, he has adopted unusually harsh language.

He refused to receive US Vice President Mike Pence during a scheduled visit -- later cancelled -- earlier this week, and on Friday said he would accept no further US role in the Middle East peace process.

Washington was a "dishonest mediator", he said, and "we will no longer accept any plan from it".

That stance plays well with Palestinians for whom Jerusalem is the iconic symbol of nationhood. Some 86 percent of respondents said they backed severing ties with the United States in a recent opinion poll.

Abbas also announced they would seek full membership at the United Nations.

But Washington is the only power that holds any real sway over Israel, currently ruled by what is widely regarded as the most right-wing government in its history.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly criticised the United Nations and the European Union, two of the other members of the so-called Quartet of mediators in the peace process.

Abbas has sent envoys to the fourth -- Russia -- and also to China to try to secure their engagement.

But Israel knows no government is as well disposed to it as the United States and is unlikely to accept any other mediator.

That puts Abbas in a bind. His popularity ratings have plummeted in recent years as his policy of working with Israel and the United States in the hope of a negotiated settlement has led nowhere.

One recent poll found that some 70 percent of Palestinians want him to step down. his term as president expired in 2009 but political divisions have prevented fresh polls.

- Saving face -

An Israeli border guard is confronted by a Palestinian protester during clashes north of Ramallah, in the Israeli occupied West Bank, on December 22, 2017

Nine Palestinians have now been killed in clashes with Israeli troops since Trump's announcement and each one puts more pressure on Abbas not to back down.

"The Americans for a long time have been with the Israelis -- more Zionist than the Zionists," one protester, Imad Mohammed, told AFP.

"But Trump, because he is stupid and undiplomatic, has shown America's true face."

Ofer Zalzberg of the International Crisis Group think-tank said Abbas would look "to consolidate the international consensus in opposition to the US position and to refuse negotiations as long as there is no fair mediator."

"Abbas sees this policy as his least worst option," Zalzberg said.

But he stressed there would be a cost -- without Washington as mediator, there would be no more peace talks.

Nadia Hijab, executive director of Palestinian think-tank Al-Shabaka, said Abbas would need to obtain significant concessions to return to the table without losing face.

"The obvious thing would be for the Americans to step back from Jerusalem recognition but I can't see Trump doing that," she said.

"Short of that, Abbas would look very bad if he went back to talks."

- On the ground -

Grant Rumley, author of a book on Abbas, said Palestinian leaders know "deep down that they'll need the US at some point."

As such, Trump has calculated "the Palestinians will eventually come back to the table," he said.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (R) welcomes US President Donald Trump to the West Bank town of Bethlehem on May 23, 2017, when relations were strained but not yet broken

In the short term, the Palestinians risked losing a significant chunk of the more than $400 million in annual aid they get from Washington, Rumley said.

Draft legislation currently going through Congress would make some aid conditional on Abbas blocking payments to the families of Palestinians killed while carrying out attacks against Israelis.

Many Palestinians consider such attacks resistance against military occupation and Abbas has held out against cutting the payments for years.

But without Trump's support, the so-called Taylor Force Act could see US aid cut by more than half.

Israel has also announced thousands of new homes in settlements in the Palestinian territories since Trump's election, with his administration's public criticism of such expansions less vocal than under Barack Obama.

Abbas's riposte has been a renewed drive for full recognition of Palestinian statehood but Rumley said that will do little to change the reality of Israeli occupation.

"The international campaign has diminishing returns at this point. It was useful when peace talks were on the horizon for garnering leverage," he said.

"International recognition does little to change the reality on the ground."
Iraqis walk past a shop selling women's clothes in Karbala on December 22, 2017

Residents in Iraq's Shiite holy city of Karbala have denounced a local decision that could soon see salesmen in trouble for displaying female mannequins in anything but Islamic clothing.

Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed and an important figure in Shiite Islam, is buried in Karbala.

Posters warning against indecent behaviour have been plastered around the city as part of the application of a 2012 provincial council decision to uphold its "holy character", council member Nasser Hussein al-Khozali said.

The signs warn residents against "shockingly displaying women's clothes", as well as "selling indecent films" and airing "music or indecent words in public places".

The posters, signed by an "implementation committee for the decision on Karbala's holy character", warn that sanctions will be taken against offenders.

Not everyone is the city supports the decision, however.

"Listening to music is part of personal freedoms," said taxi driver Majah Hassan, as a song belted out of his car radio.

Women enter a clothing shop in the Shiite holy city of Karbala on December 22, 2017

"Nobody can forbid it as I'm not harming anyone by doing it."

Inside a shopping centre, women's clothes salesman Ahmad Hussein railed against a decision that he said infringed freedoms and hurt business.

"The provincial council would do better fixing the roads and improving public services," he said.

The head of a civil society association said the council decision was no different from the harsh rules imposed by Islamic State group jihadists on areas they controlled until their defeat in Iraq earlier this month.

"This kind of decision, which is allegedly based on religion, is in fact no different from IS ideology," Ehab al-Wazarni said.

Hadi al-Mussawi, also an activist, said the move "aimed to garner votes in the elections" for parliament in May.

After seizing control of second city Mosul in 2014, IS prohibited shopkeepers and street vendors from displaying women's clothing on mannequins.

Several Shiite armed groups also imposed the rule in southern Iraq at the height of the sectarian violence that followed the 2003 US-led invasion of the country.
Libya's unity government Foreign Minister Taha Siala (L) welcomes Italy's Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano (R) in the Libyan capital Tripoli

The foreign minister of Italy, which has been helping Libya to combat illegal immigration to Europe, made a brief visit to Tripoli on Saturday.

Angelino Alfano met officials of Libya's UN-backed unity government and paid a call at Tripoli port to an Italian naval vessel whose crew has been assisting the Libyan coastguard.

Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said earlier this month his country could "hold its head high" over its treatment of migrants, after rights group Amnesty International accused Rome and other EU governments of being "knowingly complicit" in abuses of migrants in Libya.

"Finally, the spotlights have been turned to the human rights situation in Libya. This is to our credit," Gentiloni said.

Amnesty has warned of legal action against Rome and other EU governments over the bloc's policy of helping the Tripoli government stop migrants from travelling to Europe.

Libya has long been a transit hub for migrants seeking a better life in Europe, but people smugglers have stepped up their lucrative business in the chaos which has engulfed the country since its 2011 revolution.
Astronaut Bruce McCandless is shown in this February 7, 1984 NASA photo trying out a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit as part of the first untethered spacewalk

Bruce McCandless, an astronaut who was the first to fly untethered from his spacecraft in a gripping scene watched around the world, has died at the age of 80, NASA announced on its website.

The US space agency did not give the cause of death on Thursday for the longtime resident of the western state of Colorado.

The son and grandson of decorated war heroes, he graduated near the top of his class at the US Naval Academy. In the navy, he learned to pilot at least nine different aircraft, rising to the rank of captain.

At age 26 in 1966, NASA picked him as the youngest member of a newly recruited 19-man astronaut group.

He was a member of the support crew for the Apollo 14 mission and a backup pilot for the first manned Skylab mission, before serving as mission specialist on two space shuttle missions.

- 'Heckuva big leap' -

On a 1984 mission, he performed the world's first untethered spacewalk. Using a bulky jetpack, which he had helped design, McCandless moved more than 300 feet (90 meters) from the shuttle Challenger.

McCandless eventually logged more than 300 hours in space

He later recalled the dramatic moment when he left the relative security of the Challenger as "a heckuva big leap."

Photos of the spacewalk, showing the clear blue arc of the earth and the black void of space in the background, made him instantly famous.

On a mission six years later, he helped deploy the Hubble Space Telescope.

McCandless, who trained as an electrical engineer at Stanford University, won a patent for designing a system to tether tools during spacewalks.

In all, he logged more than 300 hours in space.

But late in life he said he was most proud that children would still come up to him and say they had seen the iconic picture of his spacewalk. He hoped it would inspire them.
Lebanese activists take part in a candle vigil to denounce violence against women outside Beirut's National Museum on December 23, 2017

Dozens of people gathered with candles on Saturday in Beirut to denounce violence against women after at least three were murdered in Lebanon in less than a week.

The victims included British embassy worker Rebecca Dykes, whom an Uber driver admitted to killing after he tried to sexually assault her last week.

Days before, a 22-year-old was found shot in the chest and her husband was detained, vigil organisers said.

Also during the same week, a woman's son-in-law was held in custody after she was found killed.

A 15-year-old girl was also said to have committed suicide during the week.

A Lebanese woman places a rose next to a portrait of British embassy worker Rebecca Dykes

In a Facebook post before Saturday's event, organisers deplored a lack of "legal, social and political systems" to address what they called "systemic" violence against women, from harassment to murder.

"We reject the normalisation of violence against women and justifying it as separate incidents at a time where it's clearly a structural and systemic violence that haunts us in private and public spaces," they said.

They called for "tangible and effective actions" to respect women's boundaries and bodies.

In 2014, Lebanon passed a law making domestic violence a criminal offence, after a years-long campaign by civil society groups.
South Sudan's government and several armed groups signed a ceasefire deal

A ceasefire between South Sudan's warring parties went into effect just after midnight Sunday, in what is the latest bid to end a devastating four year war.

Government and several armed groups signed a ceasefire deal Thursday during peace negotiations in Addis Ababa, to begin from 00:01 hours (South Sudan local time) on December 24.

The agreement says all forces should "immediately freeze in their locations", halt actions that could lead to confrontation and release political detainees as well as abducted women and children.

Riek Machar, the former vice president whose falling out with President Salva Kiir kickstarted the conflict in December 2013, has ordered his rebel forces to "cease all hostilities".

In a statement released Friday he said all forces should "remain in their bases and to act only in self defence or against any aggression".

South Sudan's leaders fought for decades for independence, but once they achieved it in 2011, a power struggle between Kiir and Machar led to all out civil war.

A peace deal was signed two years later but it collapsed in July 2016 when fresh fighting in the capital Juba forced then first vice president Machar into exile.

The opposition split, with Taban Deng taking over as first-vice president, while Machar's faction returned to battling the government in the bush.

While the initial fighting pitted Kiir's ethnic Dinka against Machar's Nuer, the renewed violence has metastasised with new opposition armed groups forming.

Violence spread to the southern region of Equatoria, forcing over a million South Sudanese to flock to neighbouring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in what has become the biggest refugee crisis on the continent.

The latest round of peace talks, which the United Nations described as a "last chance" for peace in the country was pushed by the regional IGAD group as a revitalisation of the 2015 deal.

In addition to Kiir's government and Machar's SPLA-IO, this round of peace talks also includes half a dozen armed opposition groups that have sprung up since July 2016.

A permanent ceasefire is the first step in negotiations to include a "revised and realistic" timeline to holding elections.

The initial peace deal planned for elections in August 2018 -- a date seen as unfeasible by many observers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing two seperate graft probes

Thousands of Israelis on Saturday held a demonstration in Tel Aviv for the fourth week running calling for the resignation of the "corrupt" government and its head.

In Jerusalem, hundreds also took part in a rally against graft headed by a rightwing former member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's staff.

Organiser Yoaz Hendel said the Jerusalem protest was "in support of law enforcement".

The protests came days after Netanyahu lashed out against police, accusing them of conducting an investigation against him aimed at ending his premiership.

Netanyahu has been questioned seven times in the past year in two corruption probes.

Israelis protest against government corruption in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on December 23, 2017

Protesters in central Tel Aviv held signs calling for the resignation of the "crime minister" and other "corrupt" members of Netanyahu's government suspected of misconduct.

In Jerusalem, one sign read: "We deserve clean politics".

Speaking at the Jerusalem rally, former defence minister Moshe Yaalon said corruption worried him more than anything else.

"It's a greater danger than the Iranian threat, (Lebanese movement) Hezbollah, (Palestinian movement) Hamas or the Islamic State" jihadist group, he said of corruption, without naming Netanyahu.

"Corruption is a disease," he said, "a disease that must be healed by electing and appointing honest people."

Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and says he is the target of a smear campaign by political opponents.

In one investigation, he is suspected of illegally receiving gifts from rich personalities including Australian billionaire James Packer and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan.

Israelis protest at a rightwing demonstration against corruption in Jerusalem on December 23, 2017

In a second case, police suspect Netanyahu sought a secret pact for favourable coverage with the publisher of the top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper.

The alleged scheme, not believed to have been finalised, would have seen him receive favourable coverage in return for helping curb Yediot's competitor, the pro-Netanyahu freesheet Israel Hayom.

The 68-year-old premier has not been formally implicated, but reports say police were set to recommend the justice ministry press charges.
SYDNEY (AP) - Australian police were investigating Friday whether there was any terrorism-related motive behind the car ramming attack on Melbourne pedestrians that left 12 people in a hospital, three of them in critical condition.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull condemned the "despicable and cowardly act." Nine of the 19 people originally injured Thursday were foreigners.

Victoria state police Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said on Thursday night that early indications were the driver of the car, a 32-year-old Australian citizen of Afghan descent with a history of drug abuse and mental health issues, was not motivated by terrorism. He said the ramming was being treated as a "singular" incident.

A damaged vehicle is seen at the scene of an incident on Flinders Street, in Melbourne, Thursday, December 21, 2017. Police have arrested a driver after a car drove into pedestrians on a sidewalk in central Melbourne. (Joe Castro/AAP Image via AP)

On Friday morning, however, Patton said the man had made several utterances while under police guard in a hospital on Thursday night, including mentioning poor treatment of Muslims, and that police were still exploring terrorism as a possible motive.

"He made some utterances in respect to a number of matters," Patton told Australia's Channel Nine television network. "He spoke of dreams and voices but also attributed some of his activities as well due to the mistreatment of Muslims."

Asked if there were links to terrorism, he said: "That's certainly one area we're exploring in respect to motivation."

But he added: "We haven't identified any extremist links with this man. We haven't identified him linked to any groups. We haven't identified anyone inciting him to do any actions, or any prior extremist activities prior to those utterances last night."

Seven of the 19 people admitted to the hospital were discharged overnight. Melbourne media reported three patients remained in critical condition, including an 83-year-old man, and that a 4-year-old boy's condition had improved from critical to stable.

Police said nine foreigners were among the injured, including from South Korea, China, Italy, India, Venezuela, Ireland and New Zealand.

"Our consular officials are working hard to get in touch with their families and make sure they're aware of what's happened to their loved ones," Turnbull told a press conference on Friday.

Turnbull also reiterated that "no terrorism link has been identified" but that "nothing should be ruled out."

"This was a despicable and cowardly act," Turnbull said. "But I want to reassure Australians that this is an isolated incident. We should continue to go about our daily lives the way we always do."

Turnbull said the man had come to Australia as a refugee, "through normal refugee programs, not people smugglers."

"He has a history of serious mental illness and drug abuse. He has no known links to any political issues or to extremist groups, and therefore the position I'm advised of is that no terrorism link has been identified at this stage," Turnbull said.

In horrific scenes around 4:45 p.m. Thursday, the man drove a white SUV through a red light and speeded up into pedestrians crossing central Melbourne's busy Flinders Street before crashing into a traffic barrier.

Patton said the man would undergo psychiatric assessment, with police hoping to formally interview him on Friday afternoon. The man was on a mental health plan but didn't show for a scheduled appointment on Thursday morning, Patton said.

The driver is known to police following a 2010 minor assault matter.

Police said a second man, aged 24, who was arrested after being seen filming the incident and found to have three knives in his possession, had been released. He's expected to be charged with drugs and weapons possession but the alleged offences are not linked to the car ramming.

Patton reassured the public hundreds more police would be on the streets over Christmas and New Year.

It is the second time this year that Melbourne, regularly ranked one of the world's most livable cities, has been traumatized by a car attack.

In January, six people were killed and more than 30 were injured when a car was driven up a footpath in Bourke Street, near Thursday's incident. Police arrested the driver, who was known to police for a history of illicit drug use, family violence and mental health problems. Police said the case was not terrorism-related.

There have been a number of car attacks in other parts of the world in recent years, many of them linked to terrorism.

In October, a man drove a truck down a New York City bicycle path, killing eight people. The driver is accused of providing material support to the Islamic State group among other charges, including murder.

In an August attack, 13 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded when a vehicle rammed into pedestrians on a walking street in Barcelona. London has seen three such attacks this year, two linked to Islamic extremists and another seen as a reprisal attack outside a mosque, killing 13 people altogether.

A vehicle attack on a shopping street in Stockholm in April killed five people, while an attack on a Christmas market in Berlin last December killed 12.

The deadliest such attack in recent years took place in Nice, France, in July 2016 when a man drove a refrigerated truck weighing about 20 tons into a crowd, killing 86 people.

In this photo made video from the Australian Broadcasting Corp., a white SUV vehicle is stopped after allegedly striking pedestrians, Thursday, Dec. 21, 20217, in Melbourne, Australia. Local media say over a dozen people have been injured after a car drove into pedestrians on a sidewalk in central Melbourne. (Australian Broadcast Corp. via AP)

In this photo made video from the Australian Broadcasting Corp., emergency medical workers offer aid to victims struck by a vehicle, Thursday, Dec. 21, 20217, in Melbourne, Australia. Local media say over a dozen people have been injured after a car drove into pedestrians on a sidewalk in central Melbourne. (Australian Broadcast Corp. via AP)

In this photo made video from the Australian Broadcasting Corp., emergency medical workers offer aid to victims struck by a vehicle, Thursday, Dec. 21, 20217, in Melbourne, Australia. Local media say over a dozen people have been injured after a car drove into pedestrians on a sidewalk in central Melbourne. (Australian Broadcast Corp. via AP)
BOSTON (AP) - Sitting in a Boston jail for nearly six months, Francisco Rodriguez-Guardado wondered how he'd spend the holidays away from his family.

Instead, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology janitor whose deportation case became a rallying cry for opponents of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown was able to surprise his wife and three young children by returning home Thursday.

"My first daughter came home from school, and she didn't expect me to be home," he said Friday, speaking in a park near his home in Chelsea, Massachusetts. "When she saw me, she jumped on me, she was so happy."

File- In this July 6, 2017 file photo, MIT janitor Francisco Rodriguez listens to speakers during a "Here to Stay" rally at the Irish Famine Memorial in Boston. Rodriguez, who was facing deportation to El Salvador, has been released from a Boston jail. Francisco Rodriguez-Guardado was released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday. Dec. 21, 2017, after being held since July at the Suffolk County House of Corrections. His lawyers say his removal proceedings have been stayed pending their request to reopen his asylum case. Rodriguez-Guardado's mother says the family is "overjoyed." (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released the 43-year-old after a federal court in Denver put his deportation on hold, pending an appeal of his asylum case.

ICE had taken Rodriguez-Guardado into custody in July after revoking his temporary authorization to live in the country. The case sparked protests across Boston this summer as labor unions, the MIT faculty and prominent politicians, like Democratic U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, rallied his cause.

Supporters say Rodriguez-Guardado's case - and many others like it across the country - highlight how the Republican administration's crackdown on illegal immigration has swept up not just hardened criminals, but also otherwise law-abiding, contributing members of American society.

Rodriguez-Guardado entered the U.S. illegally in 2006 but has been granted temporary authorizations to continue to live in the country as he seeks asylum.

He says he fled his native El Salvador after a co-worker was murdered by gang members, but gaining permanent status has proven elusive. Rodriguez-Guardado was denied asylum in 2009 and had a subsequent appeal rejected in 2011. He has no criminal record.

Rodriguez-Guardado's case looked bleak until a few weeks ago, when the Colorado court provided the "extraordinary and rare" order to put the deportation on hold while it considers his case, a process that could take up to six months, his lawyer John Bennett said Friday.

For now, Rodriguez-Guardado isn't concerned about whether he'll be sent back to jail or deported.

"I'm with my children," he said. "This is the most fabulous gift."
PARIS (AP) - Russian hackers pursued journalists with the same gusto as when they went after U.S. politicians and intelligence figures, an Associated Press investigation has found.

The espionage group known as Fancy Bear tried to break into Gmail inboxes of at least 200 reporters, publishers and bloggers as early as mid-2014 and as recently as a few months ago, according to an analysis of data supplied by the cybersecurity firm Secureworks and interviews with more than 40 journalists. The list provides a kind of map of the media outlets that regularly draw the Kremlin's ire.

"These are journalists that bother them," said Natalia Gevorkyan, a Russian columnist who reviewed the data. Gevorkyan, the author of a book on Russian intelligence, said the hacking campaign appeared geared to collecting private emails, "which they can use as leverage for later."

This image shows a portion of a phishing email sent to Ukrainian-based journalist Anastasia Vlasova in 2015. Vlasova was one of at least 200 other journalists, publishers and bloggers worldwide targeted by the group widely known as Fancy Bear, an Associated Press investigation has found. Her email address has been redacted from the image to protect her privacy. (AP Photo)

The list provides new evidence for the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Fancy Bear - which Secureworks calls Iron Twilight - acted on behalf of the Russian government when it intervened in the U.S. presidential election, a charge the Kremlin denies. It also provides a kind of Who's Who of Russia reporting and independent journalism, covering Washington, Moscow, Ukraine, the Baltics and elsewhere in the post-Soviet sphere. The hackers pursued more journalists than any other group of targets identified by the AP, except for diplomatic personnel and U.S. Democrats.

The list includes roughly 50 foreign correspondents based in Moscow or Russian reporters ranging from bloggers in provincial cities to high-profile Moscow television stars like Ksenia Sobchak, who is mounting a longshot bid for the presidency. The former New York Times Moscow bureau chief, Ellen Barry, was among the targets. Fancy Bear tried to send phishing emails to roughly 50 of Barry's colleagues at The Times in late 2014, according to two people familiar with the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the information was meant to be confidential. The Times confirmed in a brief statement that its employees received the malicious messages but declined to comment further.

The reactions of those caught up in the spying campaign varied from anxiety to indifference to validation.

-"Jesus," said Maria Titizian, an Armenian journalist.

-"I'm under hacker attack every week. Or every other week," said Demyan Kudryavtsev, the owner of the respected Russian business newspaper Vedomosti.

-"I'm very proud to hear that," said Jamie Kirchick, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, who has often been critical of the Kremlin.

Many Russian journalists who were targeted by the hackers said they had long been taking extra security measures, locking their online accounts down with second passwords and relying on encrypted messaging apps. Fancy Bear target Ekaterina Vinokurova even said she routinely deleted her own emails.

"I understand that my accounts may be hacked at any time," she said in a telephone interview. "I'm ready for them."

It's not just who the hackers tried to spy on that suggests the Russian government was involved. It's also when.

Titizian, the Armenian journalist, immediately found significance in the date she was targeted: June 26, 2015.

"It was Electric Yerevan," she said, referring to protests over rising energy bills that she covered. The protests rocked Armenia's capital that summer and were initially seen by some in Moscow as a threat to Russian influence.

Titizian said her outspoken criticism of the Kremlin's "colonial attitude" toward Armenia could have made her a target.

Eliot Higgins, whose open source journalism site Bellingcat was repeatedly targeted by Fancy Bear beginning in early 2015, said the phishing attempts seemed to begin "once we started really making strong statements about MH17," the Malaysian airliner shot out of the sky over eastern Ukraine. Bellingcat played a key role in marshaling the evidence that the plane was destroyed by a Russian missile, Moscow's denials notwithstanding.

The clearest timing may be that of writer Adrian Chen, who has often covered the darker reaches of the internet.

On June 2, 2015, Chen published a prescient expose of the Internet Research Agency, the Russian "troll factory" that won fresh infamy in October over revelations that it had manufactured make-believe Americans to pollute social media with partisan rhetoric ahead of the 2016 election.

Eight days after Chen published his big story, Fancy Bear tried to break into his account.

Chen said he wasn't worried for himself. But he sympathized with the hurt and humiliation that leaks can visit on their victims.

"I've covered a lot of these leaks," he said. "I've seen what they could do."

___

Donn reported from Plymouth, Massachusetts.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE - Raphael Satter's father, David Satter, is an author and Russia specialist who has been critical of the Kremlin. His emails were published last year by hackers and his account is on Secureworks' list of Fancy Bear targets.

Kyiv Post chief editor Brian Bonner, right, and other journalists work at their desks in Kiev, Ukraine, on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Bonner and several other members of his newsroom staff were targeted by the group widely known as Fancy Bear, an Associated Press investigation has found. (AP Photo/Volodymyr Petrov)
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Elections in Catalonia have failed to clarify the restive region's immediate future, exposing a deep and broad split between those for and against independence from Spain.

The Spanish government called the snap election after Catalan separatist parties unilaterally declared independence in October, following a referendum deemed illegal by Spanish authorities.

Spain's government fired the regional government, arrested some of its leaders and dissolved the Catalan parliament.

A man buys a newspaper featuring the results at the Catalan regional election, at a news stand in Barcelona, Spain, on Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. Elections in Catalonia have failed to clarify the restive region's immediate future, exposing a deep and broad split between those for and against independence from Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Here is a look at the outcome of Thursday's ballot:

___

WHO WON?

The pro-Spain Ciutadans (Citizens) collected the most votes in what was the biggest electoral triumph so far for the party founded just over 10 years ago.

Ciutadans, led by 36-year-old lawyer Ines Arrimadas, has been the main opposition to the pro-independence movement in Catalonia.

However, it was a bittersweet victory for the business-friendly party because its 37 seats in the 135-seat regional assembly aren't enough for it to form a regional government on its own.

The real winners turned out to be the pro-independence groupings, who together have a majority in the new Catalan parliament.

Though they have the opportunity to control the assembly, they scored less than half of the votes -48 percent of the total. That could be a source of vulnerability that political opponents will likely use to argue that most Catalans oppose independence.

____

WHO LOST?

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative Popular Party came last with just three seats, down seven, in what was a major blow to the country's governing party.

Rajoy argued that the unrest in Catalonia over its October bid for independence had hurt the economy in what is Spain's richest region, accounting for about one-fifth of the country's national income. By appealing to their pockets, Rajoy had hoped Catalans would turn against the separatists.

The Citizens party, emboldened by its strong showing in Catalonia, could become a stronger challenge for the Popular Party on a national level.

____

WHO WILL TAKE POWER?

Parties demanding independence won 70 seats, giving them a parliamentary majority, though they didn't get as many seats as they did in the last election two years ago.

The separatists' slim parliamentary majority will allow them together to negotiate the formation of a government. Past squabbles between them suggest it won't be easy.

Together for Catalonia snared 34 seats, making it the most popular separatist party. Its leader is Carles Puigdemont, the fugitive former Catalan president. He campaigned from Belgium where he is evading a Spanish judicial probe into the October attempt to split from Spain. The investigation could lead to charges of rebellion and sedition that carry penalties of decades in prison if he returns to Spain for a possible trial.

The left-wing republican ERC party collected 32 seats. Its leader and Puigdemont's former No. 2 Oriol Junqueras is being held in jail near Madrid while the investigation continues. The radical, anti-capitalist CUP has four seats.

A major question is who from their ranks those three parties might agree on to become Catalan president and what conditions they would each impose on each other and what they will seek from Madrid.

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WHAT ABOUT SPAIN?

The elections kept alive the turbulent issue of Catalan independence, which has scant support in Spain.

The likely continuing political unrest and uncertainty is unwelcome for investors if the early market response Friday is anything to go by. The Madrid stock exchange slid 1.6 percent at the open but soon recovered to trade only 0.9 percent lower in late morning trading.

Investors "are wisely taking a little risk off the table" after seeing the Catalan result, ETX Capital senior market analyst Neil Wilson said in a note.

Spain's central bank last week blamed the uncertainty in Catalonia for its decision to cut its national growth forecasts for next year and 2019 to 2.4 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.

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THE MISSING

Eight of the separatist lawmakers elected, including Puigdemont and Junqueras, are either in jail or are fugitives from Spanish justice in Brussels following the October secession bid.

By law, they can formally accept their seats as deputies without being present. However, parliamentary rules do not allow fugitive or jailed lawmakers to vote in absentia. That means that unless their status changes, the eight may have to renounce their seats and pass them on to other party members.

Otherwise, the separatists would be short of the majority necessary to elect a new government and pass laws in the regional assembly.

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THE TIMETABLE

Rajoy is expected to announce the date of the inaugural Catalan parliament session in the coming weeks, but rules say that it will need to be before Jan. 23.

At that opening session, the parliament chooses a house speaker who will call on a candidate to try to form a government within 10 days. The first investiture vote for a new Catalan president must be held by Feb. 6.

In that first vote, the candidate needs an absolute majority of votes. If the candidate fails, he or she will have another chance within 48 hours when they need to have only more votes in favor than against. Failing that, the parties will have two months to form a government or fresh elections will be called.

Governing Catalonia, meanwhile, will remain in the hands of central authorities in Madrid, until a new Catalan Cabinet is chosen. Rajoy has not ruled out invoking the constitutional article that allows him to seize control of the region if the new government breaks the law again by seeking unilateral independence.

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Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. Ciaran Giles in Madrid contributed to this report.

People walk along a street in Barcelona, Spain, on Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. Elections in Catalonia have failed to clarify the restive region's immediate future, exposing a deep and broad split between those for and against independence from Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A man buys a newspaper featuring the results at the Catalan regional election, at a news stand in Barcelona, Spain, on Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. Elections in Catalonia have failed to clarify the restive region's immediate future, exposing a deep and broad split between those for and against independence from Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People at the Junts Per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia) party headquarters celebrate Catalan regional election results in Barcelona, Spain, on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017. The pro-secession bloc won a majority in Catalan regional elections, but the anti-independence Ciutadans (Citizens), led by 36-year-old lawyer Ines Arrimadas, won the highest number of votes for a single party. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)

Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont gestures as he speaks during a during a press conference at the Square Meeting Center in Brussels on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017. The pro-secession bloc won a majority in Catalan regional elections, but the anti-independence Ciutadans (Citizens), led by 36-year-old lawyer Ines Arrimadas, won the highest number of votes for a single party. Several members of the ousted Cabinet, including Puigdemont, have campaigned from Brussels, where they sought refuge from Spanish justice. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
DETROIT (AP) - A Detroit man who pleaded no contest to manslaughter still hasn't been sentenced - six years after his conviction.

The Wayne County prosecutor's office "lost track of the case," especially after a prosecutor resigned and Leroy Moon had health problems, spokeswoman Maria Miller told The Detroit News .

Moon, who's now 78, was accused of shooting a man who urinated outside his fish market in 2009. He pleaded no contest to manslaughter in 2011, a year after his murder trial ended in a mistrial, and has been free on bond since the conviction.

The News said Moon's plea deal calls for a year in jail. Defense attorney Marlon Evans said he doesn't know whether he'll ask a judge to keep his client out of jail, considering all the years that have passed. A hearing is set for Jan. 9.

"He's an old man who still suffers from a lot of medical issues," Evans said Friday, declining further comment.

Wayne State University law professor Peter Henning said Moon is fortunate that he wasn't being held in jail for years while awaiting his sentence.

"In a busy court system, these kinds of mistakes happen," Henning said.

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Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Lawyers for the widow of the man who killed dozens of people at a Florida nightclub say her statement to the FBI after the attack shouldn't be shown to jurors during her upcoming trial.

Testimony continued Friday in a two-day hearing in an Orlando federal courtroom to determine which evidence can be presented at the trial scheduled to begin March 1. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Judge Paul Byron said he would announce his decision in a written order but didn't say when he expects to release that order.

Noor Salman, 31, faces charges of aiding a terrorist organization and obstruction of justice. Her husband, Omar Mateen, killed 49 people and wounded at least 68 others during the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016.

On Friday, Salman's attorney, Charles Swift, argued that Salman was in custody from the moment Fort Pierce officers asked her to leave her apartment, sit in an unmarked police car and wait for FBI agents to arrive. Swift argued that everything she told the FBI immediately after the attack should be excluded from trial because she was in custody and not given proper Miranda warnings.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Sweeney argued that Salman was free to leave at any time and gave her statements freely to investigators.

"She was never in custody," Sweeney said. "A reasonable, innocent person would not feel that they were in custody."

In court Thursday, FBI agent Ricardo Enriquez, a polygraph examiner assigned to the Miami office, said he drove to Fort Pierce where Salmon lived with Mateen on the day of the attack to interview her. Enriquez spoke with Salman about her husband and then wrote down her statement. The interviews of Salman that day were not audio or video recorded.

After writing the statement, Enriquez said he asked Salman to write a paragraph saying that she wasn't forced to talk. When she finished writing, she went the bathroom, according to his testimony. While she was gone, he read over her statement with two other agents.

Enriquez said he was surprised by the last sentence.

"I am sorry for what happened. I wish I could go back and tell his family and the police what he was going to do," she wrote.

"I realized, when I read that, that she knew," Enriquez testified.

Enriquez said he told Salman that he was disappointed in her for not telling the truth and that lying to the FBI is a crime.

He then took down more statements from Salman. In the second, he testified, Salman said she suspected Mateen was planning to attack a club but she didn't know the specifics. In the third statement, she said she knew he was going to attack Pulse nightclub and that they had visited Downtown Disney - which is now known as Disney Springs - and after eating dinner they drove around for about 20 minutes.

Swift countered that claim.

"It would shock you if it wasn't true," Swift asked the FBI agent. "It would shock you if the GPS said they never went near the Pulse nightclub?"

Enriquez answered, "I just wrote down what she told me."

Enriquez testified that Salman said she saw her husband looking at the club's photo on a website. She told the agent that Mateen told her that was his target and she realized the attack would happen soon.

Byron also heard testimony Thursday from another FBI agent, an Orlando Police Department hostage negotiator and a Fort Pierce police officer.

Swift had said earlier that Salmon might testify but said Friday that she would not.

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Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - In a Dec. 22 story about a Montana coal mine, The Associated Press, relying on incorrect information from the U.S. Interior Department, reported erroneously that the department approved an expansion of the mine. Spokeswoman Heather Swift now says the department is drafting a study of the expansion that could be approved later.

A corrected version of the story is below:

US studying 60-million-ton expansion of Montana coal mine

The Interior Department is studying a 60-million-ton expansion of a southeastern Montana coal mine that serves one of the largest power plants in the western United States

By MATTHEW BROWN

Associated Press

U.S. officials are studying a proposed 60-million-ton expansion of a southeastern Montana coal mine that serves one of the largest power plants in the western United States, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's office said Friday.

If approved, the expansion could extend the life of Westmoreland Coal Company's Rosebud Mine by 19 years and add 10.5 square miles (27 square kilometers) to the 40-square-mile (104-square kilometer) strip mine, Zinke spokeswoman Heather Swift said.

Westmoreland has seen its stock price plummet over the past year, prompting speculation the Englewood, Colorado-based company could be headed for bankruptcy.

Chief Executive Officer Kevin Paprzycki stepped down last month shortly after Westmoreland reported a $107 million loss through the first three quarters of 2017.

A Westmoreland representative did not immediately respond to a voice mail message seeking comment.

The Rosebud mine serves the 2,100-megawatt Colstrip power plant. The plant, located in the town of Colstrip, is a major employer in eastern Montana.

It plans to close two of its four electricity generating units by 2022, which means less coal would be needed from Rosebud.

The mine opened in 1968 and produced 8.8 million tons of coal in 2016. It employs about 330 people.

Environmentalists who have been seeking to close down the Colstrip plant opposed the expansion. They said burning the coal that would be mined would contribute to climate change.

A state district judge last year ordered Montana environmental regulators to reconsider the mine's water discharge permit. The judge said state officials erred in reclassifying surrounding waterways so that they were subject to less-stringent pollution standards.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Friday, in a long-awaited move that deepens America's involvement in the military conflict and may further strain relations with Russia.

The new arms include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles that Ukraine has long sought to boost its defenses against Russian-backed separatists armed with tanks that have rolled through eastern Ukraine during violence that has killed more than 10,000 since 2014. Previously, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with support equipment and training, and has let private companies sell some small arms like rifles.

The officials describing the plan weren't authorized to discuss it publicly and demanded anonymity.

File-This Aug. 24, 2017, file photo shows Ukrainian soldiers marching along main Khreshchatyk Street during a military parade to celebrate Independence Day in Kiev, Ukraine. The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles. That's according to several U.S. officials who weren't authorized to discuss the decision publicly and demanded anonymity Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

The move is likely to become another sore point between Washington and Moscow, as President Donald Trump contends with ongoing questions about whether he's too hesitant to confront the Kremlin. Ukraine accuses Russia of sending the tanks, and the U.S. says Moscow is arming, training and fighting alongside the separatists.

Trump had been considering the plan for some time after the State Department and the Pentagon signed off earlier this year. President Barack Obama also considered sending lethal weapons to Ukraine, but left office without doing so.

The State Department, responsible for overseeing foreign military sales, would not confirm that anti-tank missiles or other lethal weapons would be sent. But in a statement late Friday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. had decided to provide "enhanced defensive capabilities" to help Ukraine build its military long-term, defend its sovereignty and "deter further aggression."

"U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself," Nauert said.

The White House's National Security Council declined to comment. Russia's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Friday.

Although the portable Javelin anti-tank missiles can kill, proponents for granting them to Ukraine have long argued they are considered "defensive" because the Ukrainians would use them to defend their territory and deter the Russians, not to attack a foreign country or seize new territory.

Under law, the State Department must tell Congress of planned foreign military sales, triggering a review period in which lawmakers can act to stop the sale. It was unclear whether the administration had formally notified Congress, but lawmakers are unlikely to try to block it given that Democrats and Republicans alike have long called on the government to take the step.

The move comes as the United States and European nations struggle to break a long logjam in the Ukraine-Russia conflict that erupted three years ago when fighting broke out between Russian-backed separatists and government troops in the east. France, Russia and Germany brokered a peace arrangement in 2015 that has lowered violence but not stopped it, and a political settlement outlined in the deal hadn't been fully implemented.

In recent days, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned that violence is up about 60 percent this year. In Europe earlier this month, Tillerson called Russia's involvement the biggest tension point between the former Cold War rivals.

"It stands as the single most difficult obstacle to us renormalizing the relationship with Russia, which we badly would like to do," Tillerson said.

The intensified support for Ukraine's military also comes amid early discussions about sending U.N. peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine, to improve security conditions not only for Ukrainians but for special monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who are on the ground in Ukraine.

The U.S. and other nations were cautiously optimistic when Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to send in peacekeepers. But there are major disagreements about how and where the peacekeepers would operate, especially about whether they'd be deployed only on the "line of conflict" between separatists and the government.

Both the Obama administration and the Trump administration had expressed concerns in the past that injecting more weapons into the conflict was unlikely to resolve it, especially considering that Russia is well-equipped to respond to any Ukrainian escalation with an even stronger escalation of its own. Sending lethal weapons to Ukraine also creates the troubling possibility that American arms could kill Russian soldiers, a situation that could thrust the two nuclear-armed nations closer to direct confrontation.

The United States, under Obama, also imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion and annexation of Crimea. The Trump administration has insisted those sanctions will stay in place until Moscow gives up the Crimean Peninsula.

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AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is extending for three years the mandate of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is prosecuting suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced the extension from March 1, 2018, saying the trial in absentia of four men indicted in the truck bombing in Beirut that killed Hariri and 22 others is taking place at the U.N.-backed tribunal outside The Hague, Netherlands.

He says the tribunal also has jurisdiction over attacks in Lebanon between Oct. 1, 2004, and Dec. 12, 2005, connected to the Hariri attack or similar in "nature and gravity."

The spokesman says Guterres reaffirms the U.N. commitment to support the tribunal's fight against impunity and bring those responsible for major crimes to justice.
VENTURA, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on Southern California's big wildfire (all times local):

7:10 p.m.

The huge wildfire that burned hundreds of homes in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties is now the largest in California's recorded history.

FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, file photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, flames from a back firing operation underway rise behind a home off Ladera Lane near Bella Vista Drive in Santa Barbara, Calif. Crews battling Southern California's enormous wildfire are struggling to widen and extend firebreaks before the return of winds Wednesday evening, Dec. 20, 2017, that could once again drive the flames out of control. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP, File)

State fire officials said Friday that the Thomas fire has scorched 273,400 acres, or about 427 square miles of coastal foothills and national forest.

That was 154 acres larger than the 2003 Cedar fire in San Diego that killed 15 people.

Thousands of firefighters and fleets of aircraft have been battling the blaze since Dec. 4. A firefighter and a woman fleeing the blaze died.

Days of unrelenting hot, gusty winds drive it through Ventura neighborhoods, incinerating entire blocks, and threatened the wealthy enclave of Montecito.

By Friday, however, humidity was higher, temperatures were cooler and the fire threat to homes in many areas eased. The fire continued to move slowly through forest but the blaze is 65 percent contained.

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9:47 a.m.

The huge wildfire that burned hundreds of homes northwest of Los Angeles this month is within 500 acres (202 hectares) of becoming the largest on record in California.

Despite minimal activity, the so-called Thomas Fire increased in size to 272,800 acres (110,400 hectares) as of Friday morning.

The state's largest fire on record burned 273,246 acres (110,581 hectares) in San Diego County in October 2003.

The Thomas Fire destroyed more than 1,000 structures as it raged through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. It's now 65 percent contained and all mandatory evacuations have been lifted.

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12:42 a.m.

The worst appears to be over for a massive wildfire that plagued a wide swath of the Southern California coast for 2  weeks.

All but a tiny handful of evacuation orders for the fire were called off by Thursday. At its peak the fire drove about 100,000 people from their homes. Now only a remote wilderness valley is under an evacuation order.

The so-called Thomas Fire could very well still grow to become the biggest wildfire in California history, but as a gentle giant, not a raging beast.

Officials say the only visible flame was on the northern side of the fire where controlled burns set by firefighters to clear vegetation were being conducted.

The fire is responsible for two deaths and destroyed 750 homes.

In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, firefighters follow a hose line while walking rugged and scorched terrain below E. Camino Cielo near Gibraltar Road in Santa Barbara, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017. Officials estimate that the fire will grow to become the biggest in California history before full containment, expected by Jan. 7. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP)

In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, CAL FIRE Inmate Firefighting Hand Crew members hike through the charred landscape on their way to work east of Gibraltar Road above Montecito, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017. Officials estimate that the fire will grow to become the biggest in California history before full containment, expected by Jan. 7. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP)

FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2017 file photo, a Pacific Gas & Electric crew works at restoring power along the Old Redwood Highway in Santa Rosa, Calif. California utility Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is suspending dividend payments to shareholders out of concern for any financial liability in Northern California wildfires. The utility's board announced the move in a statement Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

In this Monday, Dec. 18, 2017 photo provided by Curry Sawyer, Ray and Curry Sawyer pose at a hotel where they're staying in Goleta, Calif. The Sawyers have been away from their home for 11 days because of a massive wildfire and may not be allowed back before Christmas, when both their sons and their families were supposed to celebrate the holidays. (Curry Sawyer via AP)

FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2017, file photo wildfire survivors, Marolyn Romero-Sim, left, with Hugo Romero-Rodriguez, center, and their 9-year-old daughter, Milagros, sit inside the evacuation center at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, Calif. The family has been at the shelter for two weeks after they watched their home of four years, an RV, burn in the wildfire, along with their beloved dog, their Christmas tree and a few presents. (AP Photo/Amanda Lee Myers, File)

In this Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017 photo provided provided by Curry Sawyer, Ray Sawyer, of Santa Barbara, poses at Oso Flaco Lake near Guadalupe, Calif. Sawyer and his wife Curry Sawyer have been exploring parts of California they've never seen while they've been evacuated from their home for 11 nights because of a massive wildfire. (Curry Sawyer via AP)

In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a Skycrane helicopter passes firefighters atop a hillside while coming in for a water drop below E. Camino Cielo in Santa Barbara, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017. Although some evacuations were lifted Monday and more residents were being allowed to return Tuesday, hillside homes are still threatened in Santa Barbara, where firefighters mounted an aggressive air attack on stubborn flames. Officials estimate that the Thomas Fire will grow to become the biggest in California history before full containment, expected by Jan. 7, 2018. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP)

In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Santa Barbara County Firefighters haul dozens of pounds of hose and equipment down steep terrain below E. Camino Cielo to root out and extinguish smoldering hot spots in Santa Barbara, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017. Officials estimate that the Thomas Fire will grow to become the biggest in California history before full containment, expected by Jan. 7, 2018. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP)

In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a pilot takes his firefighting helicopter back to fill its bucket with water while working near Gibraltar Road in Santa Barbara, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017. In the distance, the cargo ship Ever Envoy transits the Santa Barbara Channel with Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Island behind. Officials estimate that the Thomas Fire will grow to become the biggest in California history before full containment, expected by Jan. 7. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP)
NEW DELHI (AP) - At least 33 people were killed on Saturday after a passenger bus veered off a bridge and plunged into a river in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, police said.

Seven injured passengers were hospitalized in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan state, 375 kilometers (235 miles) south of New Delhi, said police officer Narain Singh.

The speeding bus was trying to overtake another vehicle when it rammed through the bridge railing, said B.L. Soni, another police officer. It fell 20 meters (65 feet) down into the Banas river.

The driver was among the dead, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

Rescuers have recovered 33 bodies from the river and all on board the bus have been accounted for, said Singh. The victims, who were from various Indian states, were on their way to a nearby Hindu temple in Lalsot, a town in Rajasthan state, for pilgrimage.

The bus had picked up passengers from the Sawai Madhopur railroad station when it crashed around 7 a.m., said Singh.

Police figures show India has the world's highest road accident death toll, with more than 110,000 people dying each year in crashes. Driver fatigue, negligence, poorly maintained roads and vehicle maintenance are the usual causes of such accidents in the country.
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Honduran Catholic officials say reports of financial irregularities in the Tegucigalpa archdiocese are aimed at discrediting the archbishop, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, a top papal adviser.

Rodriguez Maradiaga turns 75 on Dec. 29, the age when all bishops must offer their resignations to Pope Francis. An archdiocesan spokesman, the Rev. Juan Angel Lopez, told the Honduran church's Suyapa TV that the airing of the allegations now were aimed at pressuring the pope to accept the resignation immediately.

The Vatican on Friday confirmed that Francis has ordered an investigation into allegations of financial irregularities in the Tegucigalpa archdiocese. Italian newsweekly L'Espresso said the issues include failed investments and payments by one of the cardinal's deputies to an "intimate friend."

Lopez said the allegations were an "attack on the Holy Father."
LONDON (AP) - For millions of Britons, a traditional Christmas Day includes turkey, brussels sprouts, Christmas pudding - and a special seasonal episode of "Doctor Who."

The global success of the venerable sci-fi series means that fans around the world will also tune in Monday to watch Peter Capaldi's final adventure as the space-hopping Time Lord known as the Doctor. (Americans can see it on BBC America at 9 p.m. Eastern).

The show has had a dozen Doctors over its 54-year history, and this is one of those bittersweet moments when one lead actor hands over to another. At episode's end, viewers will see Capaldi transform - through a Time Lord process known as regeneration - into Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to play the part.

In this undated handout photo, actors David Bradley and Peter Capaldi in a scene from the Christmas episode of the show "Doctor Who". The global success of the venerable sci-fi series means that fans around the world will also tune in Saturday to watch Peter Capaldi's final adventure as the space-hopping Time Lord known as the Doctor. (Simon Ridgway/ BBC Worlwide Limited via AP)

Before that comes a rollicking and poignant adventure that moves from the World War I trenches to the South Pole, features mysterious creatures made of glass and (of course) involves a jaunt in the Tardis, a time-and-space machine shaped like an old-fashioned British police phone box.

The episode loops back into the show's own history, featuring an appearance by the very first Doctor, a white-haired gent who appeared on TV screens in 1963. He was played by William Hartnell, who died in 1975; David Bradley fills the role here.

Mark Gatiss, a regular writer for the show who guest stars in the episode as a British Army officer marooned in time, said there was "a valedictory feel" on the set of the finale.

"The sense of eras ending all over the place was very profound but at the same time it was actually a very happy experience," Gatiss told The Associated Press in an interview.

Gatiss has loved "Doctor Who" since childhood and has written for it since 2005.

He's better placed than almost anyone to explain the enduring allure of a show that survived early years of wobbly production values and a 16-year absence from screens between 1989 and 2005 to become a childhood touchstone, an emblem of British culture, and a money-making export for the BBC.

Partly, he says, it's due to the Doctor, an eccentric and "slightly off-kilter" hero. Partly it's "the randomness of the adventures," which have sent the Doctor to ancient Rome and the Stone Age, distant galaxies and the end of time.

And partly it's the show's "slightly ramshackle Britishness, in the very idea of an amazing space-time machine which looks like a beaten up old box."

"And somewhere deep down in its absolute essentials, something genuinely magical," he added.

The episode is also the swansong of Steven Moffat, who has been the show's executive producer and chief writer since 2009.

Moffat, who also co-created detective series "Sherlock" with Gatiss, has no doubt about the show's place in television history. He told audience members at a recent preview screening that "Doctor Who" is "the greatest television show ever made."

"People change their view of the world and what they are capable of because of a silly show about a man who travels around in time and space in a police box," Moffat said.

"Count the scientists, the musicians, the scholars, the writers, the directors, the actors, who became what they are because of this show. Count, as you might say, the hearts that beat a little faster because of 'Doctor Who.' I don't even know what is in second place, but without doubt and by that most important measure 'Doctor Who' is the greatest television series ever made."

"Doctor Who" fans have become accustomed to changes of actor, and the shifts in mood that go with each new Doctor. The announcement that Whittaker (best known from detective series "Broadchurch") would be the next occupant of the Tardis was front-page news in Britain. Many fans were delighted, though some grumbled at the idea of a Time Lady.

Gatiss - currently working with Moffat on a new adaptation of "Dracula" - thinks the naysayers come mostly from that never-satisfied subset of fans "who will definitely watch it 28 times just to make sure they hate it."

"This is a series about an alien with two hearts who lives in a transcendental phone box - and yet somehow can't change sex?" he said. "That is not an argument for 2017."

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Follow Jill Lawless on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless
LONDON (AP) - Queen Elizabeth II's cousin has apologized for wearing jewelry that some observers on social media found offensive.

A spokesman for Princess Michael of Kent said late Friday that she is "very sorry and distressed" that a brooch featuring the head of a black man caused offense.

Some social media observers suggested it was a racist slight to Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's fiancee, whose mother is African-American. The princess has worn the brooch many times before.

The princess, who entered the royal family when she married Prince Michael of Kent, wore the brooch to a Christmas lunch hosted by the queen earlier this week. Markle was among the guests.

Markle and Harry plan to marry at Windsor Castle in May. There was no indication the brooch offended either Markle or Harry.
SRINAGAR, India (AP) - At least four Indian soldiers were killed Saturday in Pakistani firing along the highly militarized de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir between the nuclear-armed rivals, Indian officials said.

Pakistani soldiers violated the 2003 cease-fire accord by targeting Indian posts in Rajouri sector, the Indian army said in a statement. It called the firing an "unprovoked cease-fire violation."

The statement said that the dead include an army officer and that Indian soldiers retaliated "strongly and effectively."

There was no immediate reaction from Pakistan.

Following the incident, heavy cross-border firing and shelling was reported at several places in the region.

Kashmir's director-general of police, S.P. Vaid, said the four soldiers died after they were attacked by a team of attackers who came from the Pakistani side of Kashmir.

In the past, the Indian army has blamed a combination of the Pakistani army's border action team and militants for carrying out operations along the Line of Control.

India and Pakistan have a long history of bitter relations over the Himalayan territory of Kashmir, which is claimed by both in its entirety. They have fought two of their three wars over the region since they gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

Both countries have previously accused the other of initiating past border skirmishes leading to the deaths of soldiers and civilians.

Last year, Indian and Pakistani soldiers engaged in some of the worst fighting along the Line of Control since the two countries agreed to the cease-fire accord.
STUART, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man complaining about his dinner to police has landed in trouble.

The 51-year-old man was charged with misusing the emergency 911 line after he called dispatchers twice to complain about the size of the meal served to him at Crabby's Seafood Shack in Stuart.

TCPalm.com reported Nelson Agosto was arrested Monday. Police told the newspaper he complained the clams he was eating were so small that he didn't want to pay for them.

In a 911 call released by the police department, Agosto told the dispatcher, "I ordered something, and it was extremely so small."

The dispatcher told Agosto to call a nonemergency line, but he told police he forgot the number.

Agosto was not taken to jail and is scheduled to appear in court in January.
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Ask someone like Sam Banks about the tax plan President Donald Trump signed into law Friday, and you hear something other than the effusive joy Republicans in Congress put on display this week.

The $1.5 trillion plan cuts taxes broadly while bestowing its richest benefits on companies and wealthy individuals. It is the first major legislative achievement for a president who rode to the White House with the full-throated backing of people like Banks who felt America's economic policies needed a drastic overhaul.

Yet Banks, a 50-year-old farmer in sparsely populated southwestern Iowa, regards the tax plan with a blend of indifference and uncertainty tinged with hope.

In this Dec. 20, 2017 photo, Justin Dopierala sits in his home office of DOMO Capital Management, LLC in Germantown, Wisc. Anticipating the passage of the Republican tax plan, he said he spent $20,000 on business improvements over the last couple months, including a new website and marketing pitch book for potential clients, included in this photo. Dopierala expects to have a nearly $11,000 reduction in taxes on his $150,000 income. He said he generally votes for Republicans and voted for Trump, partly expecting he would pass a new tax plan. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)

"They had to do something, though it took them long enough," Banks said of the president and the Congress his party fully controls. "It's going to help the companies. It's got to help me a little, I suppose."

In pockets of the country where Trump scored big with voters last year, the response to the tax overhaul is mainly a muted one. You'll get a few blank stares, some confusion and a bit of hedged optimism. What you won't hear is excitement.

Nearly all taxpayers will receive an initial tax cut. But an analysis by the Tax Policy Center shows that the gains favor the wealthy. For households earning between $48,600 and $86,100, the average tax cut in 2018 will be $930. But the top 1 percent of earners - with incomes above $732,800- will enjoy an average tax cut next year exceeding $50,000.

And companies will benefit from having their top marginal tax rate slashed to 21 percent from 35 percent - a permanent reduction unlike the tax cuts for individuals and families that expire after 2025.

"This is not a bill written with the core Obama-Trump voters in mind," said Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington. "In the short term they get a little but not a lot."

One thinking behind the corporate tax cuts is that they will turbo-charge business activity and that ordinary Americans will, in time, receive benefits in the form of better jobs and higher wages. Most mainstream economists, though, have expressed skepticism that workers will benefit much from lower corporate taxes.

"This is something I'm very proud of," Trump said Friday at an informal bill signing ceremony in the Oval Office. "Great for our country, great for the American people."

What taxpayers will receive from the tax plan depends on their personal situations. Business people like Justin Dopierala appear most likely to benefit. Dopierala, 33, who runs an investment business out of Germantown, Wisconsin, expects the changes to reduce taxes substantially on both his corporate and personal income.

"I'm sure my wife and children would love to take more family vacations," he said.

Banks, the Iowa farmer, isn't expecting much of a windfall. But he sees a silver lining in the doubling of the threshold for the estate tax - something of interest to family farmers. A married couple will now be able to pass an estate worth up to $22 million to heirs tax free, up from $11 million.

In Beaumont, Texas, Chip Martel, a general contractor, says the tax changes will save his small business a substantial sum and perhaps enable him to expand his workforce of nine. He rejects the complaints of Democrats and other critics that the tax overhaul was assembled hastily, without any hearings but with heavy input from lobbyists.

"I believe we're in the process of making America great," Martel said, echoing Trump's campaign slogan. "We're changing a lot of the policies that were done with Obama, and I'm not really concerned about how it was done and finding out what's in the bill after it was passed."

Rich George, a farmer outside Detroit who boards horses, expressed hope that the tax plan's provisions for the wealthy will ultimately help him because they will benefit his upper-income clients. He dismisses studies that show the tax plan will swell federal deficits by more than $1 trillion over a decade, even after accounting for any additional economic growth the tax cuts help produce.

"When they talk about, 'This is going to add trillions of dollars to the deficit,' I know it's not going to happen," George said. "You're going to give people more money. They're going to do more business. There's going to be more people employed. There's going to be more commerce. Manufacturing is going to go up."

Some Trump supporters in Iowa said that for now at least, they were choosing to focus on the bright side.

"They needed to get a legislative win," Heather Kruse, a 34-year-old physician in an affluent Des Moines suburb, said of Republicans.

She acknowledged that the tax plan's passage was "hastily done."

Like many voters, Kruse said she didn't know most of the details and was disappointed by the reports that it won't likely help the middle class much. But Kruse said she was cautiously hopeful that the benefits of lower taxes for companies would resonate beyond corporate America.

"If that's true that it makes us more competitive in the global market, I can see that being a positive thing," she said,

Then there is 88-year-old Marilyn Vanderlinden, a Trump voter who sounded appalled by the tax plan.

"This just means the rich are getting richer," said Vanderlinden, a retired nurse, who lives in the small town of Centerville on the Missouri border.

In her county, Trump won 65 percent of the vote, which included the backing of her and her son and grandson, who raise cattle. Vanderlinden said she doubts the benefits of the tax plan will reach Centerville, whose median income is only about half the state's average.

"I voted for Trump, but I wish I could take it back," she said. "He doesn't listen."

___

Riccardi reported from Denver.

___

Carrie Antlfinger in Germantown, Wisconsin; Mike Householder in Milford Township, Michigan; and John Mone in Beaumont, Texas, contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Kmart Corp. has agreed to pay $32.3 million to settle allegations its pharmacies caused federal health programs to overpay for prescription drugs by not telling the government about discounted prices.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the settlement agreement Friday.

Kmart is part of Sears Holdings Corp., based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. It was sued in 2008 by former Kmart pharmacist James Garbe, who worked in Defiance, Ohio.

The whistleblower lawsuit alleged Kmart offered discounted prices to customers who paid in cash through club programs but didn't report those discounts to federal health programs such as Medicare Part D and Medicaid.

The Department of Justice says the agreement is a part of a $59 million settlement that includes a resolution of state Medicaid and insurance claims against Kmart. Garbe litigated the case and will receive $9.3 million.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - Prosecutors say police in Charlottesville, Virginia, were justified in the fatal shooting of a suspect fleeing from a sex assault on a 72-year-old woman.

The Daily Progress reports that the Albemarle County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office released its findings Friday evening.

The report found 32-year-old J.C. Hawkins of Charlottesville twice pointed a gun at officers during a foot chase in which Hawkins waded into a river while shouting "Kill me!"

The shooting occurred Oct. 13, when police responded to a 911 call from the assault victim and saw Hawkins, who fit the victim's description.
NEW DELHI (AP) - An Indian court on Saturday convicted a powerful regional politician a second time for embezzling state government funds as a top elected official two decades ago.

Judge Shivpal Singh held Laloo Prasad Yadav, former Bihar state chief minister, guilty of stealing millions from government funds. His prison term will be announced on Jan. 3.

In 2013, another court sentenced him to five years in prison for fraudulently withdrawing 378 million rupees ($5.8 million) from the Bihar state government treasury for fictitious medicines and fodder for cattle over a period of 20 years. Yadav has been barred from contesting elections.

Yadav spent two months in jail in 2013 before he got bail from the Supreme Court as he challenged his conviction. The court decision is awaited.

On Saturday, soon after the judge convicted Yadav in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand state, police took him to a local prison.

His Rashtriya Janata Dal (National People's Party) spokesman, Sanjay Jha, said his attorneys would challenge his conviction in an appeals court.

Soon after his conviction, Yadav tweeted "In (the) end Truth will win."

Indian judges are now expediting trials of politicians following a Supreme Court order to reach verdicts within one year in cases in which lawmakers are accused of serious crimes.

The Supreme Court order is part of its attempt to clean up India's electoral system by making it more difficult for politicians with criminal cases to contest elections.

Indian lawmakers are now barred from running in elections if they are found guilty of offenses carrying a jail term of at least two years.
PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - A Kentucky jailer has been taken to jail.

WPSD-TV reports McCracken County Jailer Tonya Ray has been charged with perjury. She was booked into the Christian County Detention Center on a $20,000 bond.

The charge stems from a trial in October involving former Deputy Jailer Ben Green. Green was accused of moving inmates from protective custody to the jail's general population without permission. The charges were dropped after Ray testified the jail was operating under a 2010 manual that did not include the current rules. But Kentucky State Police said they discovered the rules were in place and launched an investigation to determine if Ray had lied.

If convicted, Ray could face probation or up to five years in prison. It wasn't immediately known if she had an attorney.

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Information from: WPSD-TV, http://www.wpsdlocal6.com
A prominent Rhode Island mobster has died in prison while serving a sentence for murder, racketeering and extortion. Frank 'Bobo' Marrapese Jr., was 74.

Rhode Island State Police Lt. Col. Joseph Philbin confirmed Marrapese's death on Friday at Rhode Island Hospital.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections said Marrapese had recently been hospitalized, but could not immediately provide the cause of death.

Rhode Island State Police Lt. Col. Joseph Philbin confirmed Frank 'Bobo' Marrapese's death on Friday at Rhode Island Hospital

Federal authorities said Marrapese served as an enforcer for New England mafia boss Raymond Patriarca in the 1960s and 1970s.

Federal authorities said Marrapese served as an enforcer for New England mafia boss Raymond Patriarca (pictured) in the 1960s and 1970s

During that time he operated the Acorn Social Club in Federal Hill in Providence, Rhode Island.

On March 15, 1975, Marrapese shot fellow mob boss Richard 'Dickie' Callei and had his body buried at a golf course, Rehoboth, Massachusetts.

And while he was connected to a plethora of other crimes, including a hijacking case in connection to La-Z-Boy recliners in the 1980s, Marrapese evaded capture for the murder for close to a decade.

Marraspese was acquitted in the murder of Anthony 'The Moron' Mirabella at Fidas Restaurant in May 1982.

Later that year, he would also not be charged in connection to the August killing of Ronald McElroy, 20, who was beaten with a baseball bat after cutting the mob boss off during a street race in Providence.

He was interviewed for the popular 'Crimetown' podcast launched by the creators of HBO's 'The Jinx' where he maintained that he was innocent for the death.

On March 15, 1975, Marrapese shot fellow mob boss Richard 'Dickie' Callei and had his body buried at a golf course, Rehoboth, Massachusetts

He was charged and convicted of Callei's murder in 1987 and faced a life sentence.

And while Marrapese was released in 2008, he would soon find himself back in trouble with the law.

Marrapese was arrested in May 2011 in connection to a gambling ring that raked in hundred of thousands of dollars. He was sentenced to nine years in 2013 for racketeering and extortion.

His parole was denied by the Rhode Island Parole Board in September.

News of his death split the Rhode Island community as many remembered the two sides of his personality.

After being released in 2008 he was sent back to prison in 2013 for racketeering and extortion for a gambling sting involving hundreds of thousands of dollars

'There were two sides to Bobo's personality,' Providence Police Cmdr. Thomas Verdi, said on Friday, to the Providence Journal.

'On one hand, he could be gregarious, a big smile, the center of attention. The other side of him  mostly when he was younger and on the street  he was a volatile, violent, and lethal criminal.'

He was referred to as being a 'total gentleman' by security officer Pat Cortellessa, who worked with Bobo at the Gallery Nightclub, where the mob boss acted as a consultant of sorts.

He was referred to as being a 'total gentleman' by security officer Pat Cortellessa, who worked with Bobo at the Gallery Nightclub, where the mob boss acted as a consultant of sorts

'There were so many different gangs in Providence,' said Cortellessa, now 61.

'By him being there, he kept out worse people that would harass the owner, and lunatics and crazy people and just troublemakers. So it's a reverse psychology of keeping the riff-raff under control.'

When the FBI came to ask the Gallery's owner if he was being extorted by Marrapese, the man was said to have replied 'absolutely not.'

'In my experience, he was a very honorable man, and he would never forcefully beat people up,' Cortellessa added.

'He was very diplomatic.'

'In my experience, he was a very honorable man, and he would never forcefully beat people up,' Cortellessa added

But according to But according to Col. Steven G. O'Donnel, this side of the man would have definitely been seen by his comrades.

'At times he acted appropriately and could comport himself as a gentleman should,' O'Donnell said.

'But the true definition of a gentleman: Gentlemen don't kill people, period. He might have some good days and bad days, but his good days come from a reputation that people are scared to death if they do wrong.'

In O'Donnell's mind, Marrapese's death marks the end of the era for the Patriarca family, whose leader died in 1984.

And in his last few years, the old mob boss certainly didn't have the same bark that he once had, according to O'Donnell.

'He didn't enjoy the same type of reputation that he did when he was on the streets,' O'Donnell added.

'When he was on the streets, he was as feared as any criminal has ever been in Rhode Island.'
CAIRO (AP) - Hundreds of Muslim demonstrators attacked an unlicensed church south of Cairo wounding three people, an Egyptian Coptic Christian diocese said on Saturday, in the latest assault on members of the country's Christian minority.

The incident took place after Friday prayers when dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the building and stormed it. The demonstrators chanted hostile slogans and called for the church's demolition, the diocese in Atfih said. The demonstrators destroyed the church's contents and assaulted Christians inside before security personnel arrived and dispersed them.

The wounded were transferred to a nearby hospital, the diocese said after the attack, without elaborating.

A media coordinator at the diocese, the Rev. Yehnes Youssef, said later on Saturday that three Copts were wounded but have been treated.

The church in Giza just outside of Cairo is yet to be sanctioned by the state but has been holding prayers for 15 years. The diocese said it had officially sought to legalize the building's status under a 2016 law that laid down the rules for building churches.

Local authorities often refuse to issue building permits for new churches, fearing protests by hardline Muslim. Christians sometimes build churches illegally or set up churches in other buildings.

Christians constitute around 10 percent of Egypt's predominantly Muslim population. Sectarian violence erupts occasionally, mainly in rural communities in the south.

Egypt's Christian minority has been targeted by Islamic militants in a series of attacks since December 2016 that left more than 100 dead and scores wounded. The country has been under a state of emergency since April after suicide bombings struck two Coptic Christian churches on Palm Sunday in an attack that was claimed by the local affiliate of the Islamic State group.
MILAN (AP) - An Alpine chalet near the French border where Pope John Paul II and his successor Pope Benedict XVI spent some summer vacations is up for sale.

The news agency ANSA reported Saturday that the Salesian order that owns the chalet is selling the property in the mountain hamlet of Les Combes, in Valle d'Aosta, because of difficulties in managing it.

A life-long mountaineer, John Paul spent about 10 summer holidays at the retreat, situated at an altitude of 1,300 meters (4,265 feet), while Benedict went there just twice. It was there that the German-born pope fell and broke his wrist in 2009.

An online advertisement to rent the property, described as "the alpine sojourn of John Paul II," says it has 124 beds, 22 bathrooms, and offers "unequal views."
A pregnant teenager who was six months pregnant was shot and killed as she slept on Saturday but her baby has survived.

Jasmine Vega, 19, died after being shot at her home in Tucson, Arizona, at 4.30am on Saturday.

Relatives who were also asleep awoke to sounds of her screaming but the gunman had fled.

Police say several shots were fired into the home from the exterior and that at least one struck Jasmine.

It is not clear if it was a random or targeted attack.

Vega was taken to hospital but died not long afterwards. Doctors were able to save her baby and it is being treated in hospital.

Jasmine Vega, 19, died after being shot at her home in Tucson, Arizona, at 4.30am on Saturday

Police have not revealed whether it is a boy or a girl.

No one has been arrested for the killings. Authorities have not said whether they have a suspect in mind.

Jasmine, 19, was married and seemed to be looking forward to becoming a mother, according to family members speaking to Tucson News Now.

On social media, she proudly shared photographs of early ultrasound scans.

Tucson Police Department is now appealing for witnesses.

Anyone with information is urged to call 88-CRIME or visit crimestoppers.

Jasmine's unborn baby survived. She was six-months-pregnant when she died and had shared early ultrasounds of her pregnancy
Elections in Catalonia have failed to clarify the regions immediate future, exposing a split between those for and against independence from Spain.

The Spanish government called the snap election after Catalan separatist parties unilaterally declared independence in October, following a referendum deemed illegal by authorities in Madrid.

Spains government dissolved the regional assembly, arrested some of its leaders and dissolved the Catalan parliament. Here is a look at the outcome of Thursdays ballot:

Congratulations to @InesArrimadas and @CiudadanosCs who became the biggest party in #Catalonia. The hardest challenge remains: finding a common way to heal the Catalan society. Generosity from everyone has to prevail now. pic.twitter.com/eie6vmcaHc  Guy Verhofstadt (@guyverhofstadt) December 21, 2017

The pro-Spain Ciutadans (Citizens) collected the most votes in what was the biggest electoral triumph so far for the party founded just over 10 years ago.

Ciutadans, led by 36-year-old lawyer Ines Arrimadas, has been the main opposition to the pro-independence movement in Catalonia.

However, it was a bittersweet victory for the business-friendly party because its 37 seats in the 135-seat regional assembly are not enough for it to form a regional government on its own.

The real winners were the pro-independence groupings, who together have a majority in the new Catalan parliament.

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoys conservative Popular Party came last with just three seats, down four, in what was a major blow to the countrys governing party.

Mr Rajoy argued that the unrest in Catalonia over its October bid for independence had hurt the economy in Spains richest region, accounting for about one-fifth of the countrys national income. By appealing to their pockets, Mr Rajoy had hoped Catalans would turn against the separatists.

The Citizens party, emboldened by its strong showing in Catalonia, could become a stronger challenge for the Popular Party on a national level.

Carles Puigdemont (Virginia Mayo/AP)

Parties demanding independence won 70 seats, giving them a parliamentary majority, though they did not get as many seats as they did in the last election two years ago.

The separatists slim parliamentary majority will allow them to negotiate the formation of a government  although past squabbles between them suggest it will not be easy.

Together For Catalonia snared 34 seats, making it the most popular separatist party. Its leader is Carles Puigdemont, the fugitive former Catalan president.

He campaigned from Belgium, where he is evading a Spanish judicial probe into the October attempt to split from Spain. The investigation could lead to charges of rebellion and sedition that carry penalties of decades in prison if he returns to Spain for a possible trial.

The left-wing republican ERC party collected 32 seats. Its leader and Mr Puigdemonts former number two Oriol Junqueras is being held in jail near Madrid while the investigation continues. The radical, anti-capitalist CUP has four seats.

Questions remain over which person from those three parties might become Catalan president, what conditions the parties would each impose on each other, and what they will seek from Madrid.

Independence struggle across Spain

The elections kept alive the turbulent issue of Catalan independence, which has scant support in Spain.

The likely continuing political unrest and uncertainty is unwelcome for investors if the early market response on Friday is anything to go by. The Madrid stock exchange slid 1.6% at the open but soon recovered to trade only 0.9% lower in late morning trading.

Investors are wisely taking a little risk off the table after seeing the Catalan result, ETX Capital senior market analyst Neil Wilson said.

Spains central bank last week blamed the uncertainty in Catalonia for its decision to cut its national growth forecasts for next year and 2019 to 2.4% and 2.1%, respectively.

Catalan independence supporters celebrate at the ANC headquarters (Emilio Morenatti/AP)

Eight of the separatist figures elected, including Mr Puigdemont and Mr Junqueras, are either in jail or are fugitives from Spanish justice in Brussels following Octobers secession bid.

By law, they can formally accept their seats as deputies without being present. However, parliamentary rules do not allow fugitive or jailed MPs to vote in absentia. That means that unless their status changes, the eight may have to renounce their seats and pass them on to other party members.

Otherwise, the separatists would be short of the majority necessary to elect a new government and pass laws in the regional assembly.

Mariano Rajoy's conservative Popular Party came last with just three seats (PA)

Mr Rajoy is expected to announce the date of the inaugural Catalan parliament session in the coming weeks, but rules say that it will need to be before January 23.

At that opening session, the parliament will choose a house speaker who will call on a candidate to try to form a government within 10 days. The first investiture vote for a new Catalan president must be held by February 6.

In that first vote, the candidate needs an absolute majority of votes. If the candidate fails, he or she will have another chance within 48 hours when they need to have only more votes in favour than against. Failing that, the parties will have two months to form a government or fresh elections will be called.

Governing Catalonia, meanwhile, will remain in the hands of central authorities in Madrid, until a new Catalan cabinet is chosen.

Mr Rajoy has not ruled out invoking the constitutional article that allows him to seize control of the region if the new government breaks the law again by seeking unilateral independence.
A trusted boss who defrauded an animal charity and blew 640,000 on an online gambling website has been jailed for five years.

Simon Price, 53, and his wife Alayna, 39, admitted cheating Birmingham Dogs Home in an 894,754 fraud over four years, from 2012.

We have vowed to pursue the crooked ex-boss of Birmingham Dogs Home Simon Price for the fortune he stole from the charity.

He was today (22 Dec) jailed for five years after admitting syphoning off almost 1-million pounds from the animal rescue centre: https://t.co/qLb4hVBamz pic.twitter.com/9ztK4dDsye  West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) December 22, 2017

Price, who admitted 10 offences, and his spouse, who pleaded guilty to five offences, funnelled cash into their personal accounts, leaving the well-established and trusted charity weakened, a judge told them.

Gambling addict Simon Price, in his role as the charitys chief executive, diverted cash from legacies left to the dogs home, including the sale of a 399,000 house, to feed his escalating habit.

The money had been intended to keep animals safe and warm, but Birmingham Crown Court heard how Price spent thousands on gambling, trying to recover ever more cash on his losing bets.

He himself calculated to police that he had spent 700,000 through his account on the Betfair website from 2009.

Alayna, Price's estranged wife, is seven months pregnant and was given a two-year suspended term (Aaron Chown/PA)

Fearing his damaging deception was about to come to light, he flew alone to Barcelona, Spain, leaving his wife a note to say Sorry, I need to go away for a while  I need time to think.

However, he voluntarily returned to face the music, said Judge Patrick Thomas QC, who jailed him for five years on Friday.

The judge told him that his actions while in the grip of a gambling addiction had weakened public confidence in the work of the dogs home, damaging its ability to raise the 1.85 million needed each year to keep its doors open.

The court also heard none of the money he stole had been repaid and it was unlikely to be recovered.

Mother-of-one Alayna Price, who is seven months pregnant, was spared jail as the judge imposed a two-year suspended term on her after hearing about her personal circumstances.

The couple, of Somerton Drive, Marston Green, Solihull  who have since separated  sat in the dock, as the judge sentenced them, with Mrs Price bursting into tears when she heard she would not be going to prison.

As commercial manager of the charity, she funnelled five legacy payments, including one for 150,000, into her personal Lloyds account, blowing the cash paying off credit cards, a loan, and the couples wedding in 2016.

In all, she diverted 254,729, but the judge was told she made repayments  one almost immediately after taking the cash  meaning 123,000 was left outstanding.

In a statement read to court, charity chairman John Wheatley said the serious breach of trust had left the staff feeling very badly let down.

He added: These crimes against an old, established charity have implications to damage, not only in the present but also the future.
Three police officers were assaulted on Mad Friday, with one receiving a head injury leaving blood pouring from the wound.

West Yorkshire Polices Bradford West Sergeant, Alex Artis, took to Twitter to post a picture of his officers head injury, writing this is not what we come to work for.

Tweeting on the last Friday before Christmas, Sgt Artis said: Mad Friday is living up to its name sadly. 3 of my officers assaulted in last 2hrs. Sat at hospital with 2 of them. 1 with likely broken hand & 1 with this awful head injury. Assailants in custody. This is not what we come to work for. #ProtectTheProtectors #policingbradford

His tweet prompted a series of responses from senior police officers, offering their support and sharing their anger at the attack.

Andy Rhodes, chief constable of Lancashire, replied: Alex the only positive from this totally unacceptable treatment of a public servant is that you , like all frontline leaders, are by their side. Total respect its disgraceful.

While Sgt Artiss Assistant Chief Constable said: Alex. I hope your team are ok. Its outrageous that officers are assaulted when they are trying to keep our communities safe. #unacceptable #ProtectTheProtectors.

West Yorkshire Police Federation also offered its support, telling the sergeant to get in touch if he needed their help.

Alex the only positive from this totally unacceptable treatment of a public servant is that you , like all frontline leaders, are by their side. Total respect it's disgraceful  Andy Rhodes (@AndyRhodes_OK) December 23, 2017

While George Hamilton, chief constable of Police Service of Northern Ireland, described the assault as outrageous.

On Saturday morning Sgt Artis tweeted an update on his officers conditions saying that the one with the head injury  named as Simon  was very sore and slept badly so would not be attending work.

Of the officer with the hand injury, he added that it was not broken, but badly sprained.

He also thanked everyone for their support, saying that it had been overwhelming.
A man has been arrested after an attack on the celebrity chef Nick Nairn.

Police Scotland said that a 35-year-old had been charged with assault following an incident in Union Street, Aberdeen, in the early hours of Friday December 22.

I'm taking it easy @TheAberdeenMal and I'm humbled by all your thoughtful messages, thank you so much! A word to anybody out there thinking of punching someone....DONT! #onepunchcankill pic.twitter.com/XUrwm7qY5G  Nick Nairn (@NickNairn) December 23, 2017

Mr Nairn, who became Scotlands youngest chef to win a Michelin star in 1991, had earlier been at an event at his nearby Cook School premises in the city.

TV chef Nick Nairn

Constable Alan Gordon from the North East Divisional Alcohol and Violence Reduction Unit (DAVRU) said: I would like to thank all those who have already come forward and urge anyone else who has information to get in touch on telephone number 101.
Former Australia international James OConnor created one try and scored another as Sale Sharks made it three successive Aviva Premiership victories with a 32-9 triumph over Bath at the AJ Bell Stadium.

In a poor first half full of errors, the kicking of Rhys Priestland and AJ MacGinty dominated the contest, with the former scoring three penalties to the latters two.

Todd Blackadders Bath side ended the first period 9-6 in front, but Sale controlled the early stages of the second 40 minutes and touched down via Josh Strauss and Byron McGuigan.

A fine second half from @SaleSharksRugby gave them a bonus point victory over @bathrugby at the AJ Bell Stadium. #SALvBAT #AvivaPrem



Full report  https://t.co/NoqJRexepW pic.twitter.com/QxjmA9Wp42  Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) December 23, 2017

The Sharks remained on the front foot and deservedly sealed a bonus-point win when OConnor and Will Cliff crossed the whitewash.

Steve Diamonds men set out with the intention to move the ball wide early on but the visitors were initially more than adept in preventing the hosts from creating opportunities.

Sale were conceding ground with their inability to get over the advantage line and Priestland benefited. Twice the Sharks needlessly infringed and both times the Wales international was on target from the tee as Bath moved into a 6-0 lead.

MacGinty responded for the home team with a penalty of his own before further Bath ill-discipline allowed Sale to build some momentum.

FT: @SaleSharksRugby 32-9 @bathrugby



What a second-half from the Sharks, 4 tries in 40 minutes gives them the victory and the try bonus point #SALvBAT #AvivaPrem pic.twitter.com/F70ZadnCIk  Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) December 23, 2017

With 10 minutes remaining of the half, it was the turn of Blackadders side to produce their first significant foray into the opposition 22 and, unlike the Salford-based club, they came away with points.

Priestlands three-pointer, following a scrum infringement, duly moved Bath 9-3 ahead, but MacGinty reduced the arrears at the break.

After struggling for fluency in the first half, the hosts began the second period brightly and put together an excellent attack. Starting from the halfway line, they went through a number phases before Faf de Klerk fed Strauss and the number eight touched down.

A tough day at the office. Thank you to everyone that made the journey up to the AJ Bell, and who was supporting at home. Have a safe journey home.  Bath Rugby (@BathRugby) December 23, 2017

Evidently buoyed by that score, the Sharks were soon over again when good work from MacGinty and OConnor gave McGuigan an easy run to the line.

Bath attempted to hit back but they were met by stubborn resistance and, as their frustrations grew, Sale took control.

It was not long before Diamonds side were over for a third time as excellent hands from forwards and backs alike allowed OConnor to scamper across the whitewash for the match-securing effort.

Kahn Fotualii almost responded but Bath were being outplayed and Cliff scored the fourth try to complete a fine afternoon for the home team.

What they said

Sale Sharks Director of rugby Steve Diamond wants his side to remain competitive

Sale head coach Steve Diamond: We need to go to Gloucester next week and be competitive. With that bonus point weve got exactly the number of points I thought we would have at this stage and weve got to have a good second half of the season to push for that top six, top four.

Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder: You take your medicine. Sale played really well, they played over the top of us, they were direct, they were magnificent, but we were crap. We were just crap.
By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Callista Gingrich, wife of the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, on Friday became U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, which is at odds with Washington over immigration, climate change and Jerusalem.

Callista Gingrich, 51, an author, documentary filmmaker and former congressional aide, presented her credentials to Pope Francis at the Vatican to officially assume her role.

Her husband Newt Gingrich was an early supporter and vocal ally of U.S. President Donald Trump. Newt Gingrich is expected to continue his role as a political contributor to Fox News from his new base in Rome.

Trump's nomination of Callista Gingrich to the post at the Holy See in May caused some controversy because of her marriage to Gingrich, with whom she became involved when he was still married to his second wife. Both are Roman Catholic.

On Thursday they attended the funeral at the Vatican of Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned as Archbishop of Boston 15 years ago after covering up years of sexual abuse of children by priests..

The pope has implicitly criticised Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris accord on climate change.

He said last month that denying climate change or being indifferent to its effects were "perverse attitudes" that blocked research and dialogue aimed at protecting the future of the planet.

Francis is also opposed to Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The pontiff has called for respect for the city's "status quo," saying new tension in the Middle East would further inflame world conflicts..

On Thursday at the United Nations, where the Vatican has permanent observer status, more than 120 countries defied Trump and voted in favour of a resolution calling for the United States to drop its recent recognition.

The U.S. embassy said in a statement that the new ambassador "looks forward to working with the Holy See to defend human rights, advance religious freedom, combat human trafficking, and to seek peaceful solutions to crises around the world". (Reporting by Philip Pullella; editing by Andrew Roche)
OSLO, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The Norwegian Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from owners of Gassled, Norway's gas infrastructure network, in a case involving the government's decision to cut pipeline tariffs, Njord Gas Infrastructure said on Friday.

In June 2017, a Norwegian appeals court ruled against the owners in a lawsuit that argued the cut in tariffs was unlawful and would cost them a combined 15 billion Norwegian crowns ($1.80 billion) in lost earnings through 2028.

The case against the government is pursued by four investment companies, Njord Gas Infrastructure, Solveig Gas, Silex Gas and Infragas, which hold a combined 43.9 percent in Gassled. ($1 = 8.3287 Norwegian crowns) (Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Lefteris Karagiannopoulos)
By Julia Fioretti

BRUSSELS, Dec 22 (Reuters) - European Union member states on Friday endorsed a deal to reform the bloc's aviation safety agency which also includes its first ever rules on drones, reassuring industry which had feared the whole project could collapse.

EU lawmakers and member states struck a tentative deal on a long-awaited reform of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Nov. 30, which also includes rules requiring owners of drones to register their devices if "dangerous".

However, several member states subsequently expressed concerns about elements of the compromise, leading Estonia - which holds the rotating EU presidency - to put off a vote definitively endorsing the deal, initially scheduled for Wednesday.

In particular, the requirement that drones having a kinetic energy of over 80 joules based on their mass and maximum speed be registered with authorities concerned member states who feared it was too complicated.

The European Parliament had initially pushed for a registration threshold of 250 grammes, but that too faced opposition from member states.

Estonia gave member states until Friday to further analyse the deal and they eventually endorsed it.

"It is our responsibility to ensure that civil aviation safety rules are adapted to take account of new developments, including the increasing use of drones. With this agreement, we have new rules which meet today's need," Kadri Simson, Estonia's Minister for Economic affairs and Infrastructure, said in a statement after the EASA reform was endorsed.

Both industry and pilots pressed for the deal to be endorsed, saying it was essential a new regulatory framework for drones be put in place as soon as possible.

Risks posed by the increasing use of drones were highlighted in October when a drone hit an aircraft landing at a Canadian airport and there have been several near-misses between drones and passenger planes in Europe.

(Reporting by Julia Fioretti)
By Brendan Pierson

NEW YORK, Dec 22 (Reuters) - A former Siemens AG employee pleaded not guilty on Friday to U.S. charges he took part in a $100 million scheme to bribe Argentine officials to win a contract to produce national identity cards, according to prosecutors.

Eberhard Reichert, a 78-year-old German national, was released on a $500,000 bond following a hearing before U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan, the U.S. Justice Department said. Cote scheduled a trial for July 16.

Reichert was arrested in Croatia in September, nearly six years after the U.S. first charged him, and agreed to be extradited to New York, said James Margolin, a spokesman for Acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim.

Reichert's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment. Siemens also could not be reached.

Reichert was one of eight Siemens employees indicted on U.S. corruption charges in 2011. According to the indictment, Reichert worked for Siemens from about 1964 to 2001, and was a manager within the company's Siemens Business Services subsidiary.

One other defendant, Andres Truppel, has appeared in U.S. court. Truppel, a former chief financial officer of Siemens Argentina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in September 2015.

Truppel admitted that he participated in a scheme to secure a $1 billion contract with the Argentine government to produce national identity cards by paying tens of millions of dollars.

Under a plea deal, Truppel, a citizen of both Germany and Argentina, agreed to cooperate with authorities.

Siemens in 2008 agreed to pay over $1.3 billion to resolve wide-ranging bribery investigations in the United States and Germany involving the German engineering group.

As part of that deal, Siemens and its subsidiary in Argentina pleaded guilty in the United States to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which bars companies from bribing foreign officials, and paid $449 million in fines.

That plea related to the same $1 billion Argentine contract that became the subject of the indictment against the eight Siemens executives.

Siemens won the contract in 1998. Throughout the project, the Siemens executives committed to paying nearly $100 million in bribes to members of the Argentine government and opposition party as well as candidates for office, prosecutors said.

Those executives included Uriel Sharef, who had been a member of Siemens managing board and became the first ex-board member of a Fortune Global 50 company to be indicted under the FCPA. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York)
By Mitra Taj and Teresa Cespedes

LIMA, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski could end up the surprise winner of an attempt to oust him from power this week, after some opposition lawmakers broke ranks with party leaders to support him, opening a divide that might strengthen his hand.

Despite having a Congressional majority, the rightwing opposition party Popular Force was unable to push through a motion to remove Kuczynski from office on Thursday, after 10 of its own lawmakers broke ranks to save the president.

The vote cemented a growing divide in the opposition and looked to threaten its control over Congress, potentially aiding Kuczynski as he tries to restore political stability and revive investments in one of Latin America's most robust economies.

The surprise defection was the result of a deal struck between Kuczynski and Popular Force rebel lawmaker Kenji Fujimori to get his father and ex-president Alberto Fujimori out of prison, alleged Popular Force secretary general, Jose Chlimper.

Over the past year, Kenji has courted Kuczynski's center-right government while challenging his sister Keiko's leadership of the rightwing populist movement that their father formed in the 1990s.

In defiance of his sister, Kenji threw his support behind Kuczynski ahead of the vote on whether to remove him from office over unproven graft allegations. Nine other Popular Force lawmakers followed his lead.

"This is the birth of a serious and formal split (in the Fujimori movement)," said Guillermo Loli, the head of political research for pollster Ipsos Peru.

"Everything points to a pardon," he added.

Kuczynski's government denied that a pardon for Fujimori was part of its political negotiations.

In an address to the nation late on Friday, Kuczynski said he would spend the coming days reflecting on his year and a half in office. "I'll be announcing to you changes to make sure 2018 is not just a year of greater growth, but politically different," Kuczynski said.

'TRAITORS'

Efforts to reach the Popular Force lawmakers who defected were not successful. One, Clayton Galvan, said on local TV channel Canal N that Alberto Fujimori called them from prison to ask them to help Kuczynski stay in power.

Alberto Fujimori, who is serving a 25-year sentence for graft and human rights crimes, is a deeply divisive figure in Peru. While many consider him a corrupt dictator, others credit him with ending an economic crisis and bloody leftist insurgency during his 1990-2000 term.

Freeing him would likely anger the well-organized foes of the Fujimori clan - a mix of technocrats, leftists, human rights activists and academics.

"The day (Kuczynski) signs a pardon, he loses all of those guys. Permanently," said Harvard University political scientist Steve Levitsky.

Support from the anti-Fujimori crowd was key to Kuczynski's razor-thin victory over Keiko in last year's presidential election, and to keeping the motion to oust him from succeeding.

"Kuczynski was saved by two diametrically opposed political groups: Kenji's group and the left, which opposes a pardon. He can't please both of them," said Levitsky.

Kuczynski, a 79-year-old former investment banker, took office amid hopes he would usher in cleaner government and faster economic growth. Instead, a graft scandal roiling Latin America has stalled investments and ensnared him in allegations of wrongdoing.

Before the vote on Thursday, Kuczynski fanned fears of a return to Peru's authoritarian past and described the motion as part of a legislative "coup" attempt by Keiko's supporters.

Popular Force denies the charge and says the bid to remove him was part of its fight against corruption and within the bounds of the constitution.

A hardline Popular Force lawmaker loyal to Keiko, Hector Becerril, said the Kenji faction represented "traitors."

"If they have any sense of decency after this vote, the least they could do is present their resignations," Becerril told journalists on Friday. "Hopefully today."

With 10 votes fewer, Popular Force would command 61 seats in the 130-member, single-chamber Congress, less than an absolute majority, though it would still be the biggest voting bloc.

The political crisis has cost Kuczynski his interior minister, Carlos Basombrio, who announced his resignation on Friday. Kuczynski could make a decision about other Cabinet changes in coming days, his government said. (Reporting by Mitra Taj and Teresa Cespedes; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Chang)
By Gul Yousafzai and Augustinus Beo Da Costa

QUETTA, Pakistan/JAKARTA, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Christmas church services and other celebrations are being held this weekend under the gaze of armed guards and security cameras in many countries after Islamic State gunmen attacked a Methodist church in Pakistan as a Sunday service began.

Majority-Muslim countries in Asia and the Middle East were particularly nervous after U.S. President Donald Trump's recent announcement he intends to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that has outraged many Muslims.

In Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim-majority country, police said they had stepped up security around churches and tourist sites, mindful of near-simultaneous attacks on churches there at Christmas in 2000 that killed about 20 people.

Muslim volunteers in Indonesia are also on standby to provide additional security if requested.

"If our brother and sisters who celebrate Christmas need ... to maintain their security to worship, we will help," said Yaqut Chiolil Qoumas, chairman of the youth wing of the Nahdlatul Ulema, one of the country's biggest Muslim organisations.

In Cairo, where a bombing at the Egyptian capital's largest Coptic cathedral killed at least 25 people last December, the interior ministry said police would conduct regular searches of streets around churches ahead of the Coptic celebration of Christmas on Jan. 7.

Egypt's Christian minority has been targeted in several attacks in recent years, including the bombing of two churches in the north of the country on Palm Sunday in April.

At the Heliopolis Basilica, a Catholic cathedral in northeastern Cairo, security forces had set up metal detectors at the main doors and police vehicles were stationed outside ahead of masses on Dec. 25, which marks Christmas Day for Catholic and Protestant Christians.

BOMBED-OUT CHURCH

In the Pakistani city of Quetta, members of a Bethel Memorial Methodist Church were repairing the damage done by a pair of suicide bombers who attacked during a service last Sunday, killing 10 people and wounding more than 50.

Broken pews and damaged musical instruments were still strewn around church grounds on Thursday, with about a dozen police standing guard.

"We're making efforts to complete repairs and renovation before Christmas, but it seems difficult in view of the lot of damage," said Pastor Simon Bashir, who was leading the service when the attackers struck. He was not hurt.

The government of Baluchistan province, of which Quetta is capital, plans to deploy 3,000 security personnel in and around 39 Christian churches this Sunday and Monday.

Provincial police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari told Reuters volunteers from churches were also being trained to conduct body searches and identify worshippers entering churches.

Pakistan's Christian minority, which makes up about 1 percent of the population of 208 million, has been a frequent target, along with Shi'ite and Sufi Muslims, of Sunni Muslim militants.

In the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, where an Easter Day bombing in a park last year killed more than 70 people, police Detective Inspector General Haider Ashraf said every church would be monitored with CCTV cameras as part of security measures.

Christian Kaleem Masih lost his aunt in the Easter attack, which was claimed by Islamic State, and his wife was wounded, but he said they would be attending Christmas services.

"Christmas is our holy day," Kaleem said. "We will fulfil our religious duty by celebrating it with smiles on our faces."

JERUSALEM ISSUE

In Malaysia, a police official said Trump's decision on Jerusalem increased worry about attacks.

"We are concerned not only with safety at churches and places of worship but also any threats by Islamic State or any other security threat following the Jerusalem issue," said Malaysia's Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

Jerusalem, revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, is home to Islam's third holiest site and has been at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it in an action not recognised internationally.

Protests across the Muslim world in Asia and the Middle East have largely been peaceful.

In Jerusalem itself, an Israeli police spokesman said there were no new security measures but police would deploy forces as usual around Christian holy sites including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and also secure convoys of worshippers from the West Bank city of Bethlehem, traditionally known as the birthplace of Jesus Christ and run by the Palestinian Authority.

Many Palestinian Christians oppose Trump's announcement and say they have no fear of attacks.

"Trump's decision offended all Palestinians, be they Christians or Muslims. Why would we feel threatened by Muslims?" said George Antone, a Catholic who lives in Gaza, which is run by the Palestinian Hamas group. (Additional reporting by Mostafa Salem, John Davison and Nadine Awadalla in CAIRO; Nidal al-Mughrabi and Miriam Berger in JERUSALEM, Rozanna Latiff in KUALA LUMPUR and Mubasher Bukhari in LAHORE; Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Robert Birsel)
BRAZZAVILLE, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The government of Congo Republic on Saturday agreed a ceasefire with rebels in the southeast region of Pool, halting a 15-year conflict that rights groups say has cost dozens of lives and forced tens of thousands to flee.

Political violence spiked in the Central African oil producer after a contested presidential election in April 2016 was won by President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who has ruled for 33 of the last 38 years.

A militia led by Frederic Bintsamou, better known as Pastor Ntumi, which fought Sassou Nguesso during and after a 1997 civil war, has been blamed by the government for deadly raids on police, military and government bases, and has also halted trade through the Pool region with blockades.

In return, the government has bombed the Pool region, including one helicopter raid last year on a residential area that Amnesty International said killed at least 30 people.

The unrest has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes and sparked allegations from human rights groups of abuse by government troops.

Ntumi's so-called Ninja rebels have clashed with the Congo government since 2002 and have long sought an end to government military intervention in the Pool region.

The peace agreement between the two sides was signed by Interior Ministry security advisor Francois Nde and Pastor Ntumi's representative, Jean Gustave Ntondo.

"Today is a great day for the Congolese. This is the day we have just signed the cessation of hostilities agreement," said Ntondo.

Under the deal, the militias have agreed to hand over arms and allow the free movement of trade between the capital Brazzaville and the commercial hub of Pointe Noire. During hostilities, trains and cars were often halted by militias.

The government will oversee a commission that will monitor the peace, and loosen security in the region to allow people to travel to and from their family homes.

(Reporting By Christian Elion; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Stephen Powell)
By Fabian Cambero

CARACAS, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Venezuela's leftist government may release 80 anti-government activists, and expel two senior diplomats from Canada and Brazil after criticism over rights, an official said on Saturday.

Delcy Rodriguez, head of the pro-government Constituent Assembly, said the legislative superbody was recommending those detainees be freed shortly and given alternative punishments such as community service and compensation for victims.

Rights groups and opponents of President Nicolas Maduro say authorities are unfairly holding 268 political prisoners being punished for protesting against "dictatorship."

Maduro, the 55-year-old successor to Hugo Chavez, says that is nonsense and all jailed activists are there on legitimate charges of violence and subversion.

"Let it be understood that the events promoted by the extremist Venezuelan opposition, which caused Venezuelans' deaths, must not be repeated," Rodriguez told reporters.

Some 170 people died in violence around two bouts of anti-Maduro street protests in 2014 and earlier this year.

The potential release of dozens of opponents, albeit with alternative sentences, could inject life into stuttering political talks between the government and opposition due to continue in the Dominican Republic in early January.

Western nations and Latin American neighbors have been increasingly critical of Maduro this year, accusing him of stamping on democracy and human rights. The government says foreign nations are trying to encourage a right-wing coup.

Rodriguez said the Constituent Assembly - which various foreign countries refuse to accept - was also recommending Brazil's ambassador Ruy Pereira and Canada's charge d'affaires Craig Kowalik both be declared "persona non grata."

There was no immediate response from either nation.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has been especially critical of Maduro, imposing sanctions on him and other senior officials earlier this year.

"We urge Maduro's regime to respect human rights," the U.S. Embassy tweeted on Saturday, calling for the freedom of the 268 people activists consider political prisoners.

"Free them during this holiday time." (Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
The Indian government has decided to permit pilgrims from the northern parts of Sri Lanka to take a ferry to Chennai and from there travel to Chidambaram and visit the Nataraja temple.

The services will be operated between Kankesanthurai (near Jaffna) and Chennai, according to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday.

Sri Lankan pilgrims have expressed a desire to come to Chidambaram, about 235 km from Chennai, in connection with the Aarudhraa Darshana festival, which will begin on December 24 and go up to January 2. The release stated that a large number of Sri Lankan Tamil pilgrims were expected to come to Chidambaram.

Welcoming the governments move, S.C. Chandrahasan, founder, OfFER (Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation), reiterated his long standing demand for the resumption of Rameswaram-Talaimannar ferry services on a regular basis so that poorer and more deserving pilgrims and people could come to India. He sees the start of these services as a pre-requisite for voluntary repatriation of refugees living in Tamil Nadu. V. Niranjan, coordinator of the Jaffna Managers Forum, a civil society organisation based in Jaffna, said the decision would go a long way in strengthening traditional ties between the people of Tamil Nadu and the Northern Province. He hoped that the step would strengthen the relationship in the fields of education, health, trade and commerce.(The Hindu)
PJSC State Food and Grain Corporation of Ukraine (SFGCU) continues to work in all areas of its economic activities and handles financial payments on time, the corporation reported on its website.

Earlier, some media outlets reported that the SFGCU was on the verge of a complete halt, as Ukreximbank had blocked its bank accounts at the request of the Chinese side in connection with its loan debts.

Acting Chairman of the SFGCU's Board Dmytro Havrysh, the company is now optimizing its business processes and introducing improved principles of financial policy.

In particular, in December, it launched a pilot project when all money transactions are handled only through state financial institutions three times a week. This allows the company to accumulate cash flows for the implementation of its core business activity and receive additional financial income.

In addition, the SFGCU said that in recent months the state corporation had significantly boosted purchases of winter wheat and barley crops of the year 2018 harvest.

"Due to the fact that Chinese partners in October allowed [the corporation] to launch forward purchases for the harvest of 2018, the corporation has already received 86 applications from small- and medium-sized agricultural producers, concluded 61 contracts for the supply of almost 70,000 tonnes of wheat and barley. The corporation accepts applications, concludes agreements and handles advance payments on time and in full," Havrysh said.

Also, the SFGCU continues purchases for shipments to the Chinese partner and maintains planned exports. In general, grain exports in the first half of the 2017/2018 marketing year is expected to exceed 800,000 tonnes.

The SFGCU in 2012 agreed with the China Eximbank on a $1.5 billion credit for the purchase of grain for export to China. CCEC is the executor of the 15-year export contract for the China Eximbank.

The expected total volume of grain exports pursuant to the contract, according to Ukraine's agriculture ministry, is 80 million tonnes (4 million tonnes for the first year, 4.5 million tonnes for the second year and thereafter a minimum of 5.17 million tonnes per year).
Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy has signed bill No. 7350 amending the transitive provisions of the Land Code of Ukraine and extending the moratorium on the sale of farmland.

According to a posting on the website of the Ukrainian parliament, Parubiy signed the document on December 22 and sent to the head of state for signature.

As reported, on December 7, the Verkhovna Rada extended the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land until January 1, 2019.

According to the explanatory note to the bill, before the introduction of agricultural land in Ukraine, it is first necessary to develop and adopt a legislative base for the formation of a developed network of farms and agricultural cooperatives.

The authors of the document believe that the extension of the moratorium will remove the social tension that has arisen in the society amid political speculations on this issue and will provide some time for the development of a mechanism for introducing a transparent market of agricultural land.

On December 20, 2017, the Verkhovna Rada did not give its consent to the cancellation of its decision dated December 7 to extend the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land until January 1, 2019.
Over the past day, illegal armed groups opened fire on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces 22 times, as a result of which one soldier has been killed and two have been injured, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters has reported.

"The Russian-occupation troops violated the ceasefire regime 22 times. In cases that posed the greatest danger to the personnel, the Ukrainian soldiers gave an adequate fire response to the aggressor. As a result of enemy shelling, one soldier was injured, one more was injured and, unfortunately, Ukraine lost one defender," the press center said on its Facebook page.

The headquarters said that the militants used mortars and artillery banned by the Minsk agreements.

In the Lugansk section, in the afternoon, illegal armed formations fired a 122-mm artillery system at the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the approaches to Stary Aidar. Mortars of 120-caliber were used against the defenders of Troitske, Travneve and Luhansk. Positions in Novooleksandrivka and Zaitseve were fired from infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers and machine guns.

In the Donetsk section, the posts of the ATO forces in the area of Avdiyivka, Pischevyk and Pavlopil were hit by the mortar fire of the militants.
Trump expected to announce approval of plan to sell anti-tank missiles to Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce his approval of a plan to sell anti-tank missiles to the Ukrainian government, ABC News has reported, referring to four State Department sources.

The total defense package of $47 million includes the sale of 210 anti-tank missiles and 35 launchers.

If the president formally signs off, the plan will be presented to Congress for a 30 day review period where it would need to be approved before the State Department can implement it, ABC News said.

"The sale of anti-tank missiles, which could possibly include the U.S. made Javelin system, would likely provoke a strong reaction from Russia that could threaten to derail Trumps calls for better relations with Moscow," ABC News said.

"We have nothing to announce at this time," National Security Council spokesperson Marc Raimondi told ABC News.
New Delhi: The government expects Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill to be cleared in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing session of Parliament, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday.

"We are expecting in this Parliament session it will be cleared in Rajya Sabha," Gadkari said when asked about the bill on the sidelines of EV (electric vehicle) Expo here.

The Lok Sabha had cleared the bill in April.

It seeks to bring a slew of radical reforms in the transport sector by ensuring 100 per cent e-governance, checking bogus driving licences and vehicle thefts, slapping heavy penalty on traffic violators and protecting the good samaritan, among other things.

While inaugurating the expo, the road transport and highways minister asked the EV industry to focus on quality products.

"You are progressing well and if you continue to bring in quality products it is not far that products from the country would be exported across the globe," he said.

Government will extend every kind of support to the industry, he added.

"Just remember one thing do -- quality work. It will help you in the future," Gadkari said.

The Expo also saw unveiling of various products including two new electric vehicles by Lohia Auto.
Mumbai: January will see the release of an interesting movie, based on the life and times of former Shiv Sena honcho Bal Thackeray. Known for his fiery speeches and forthright manner of speaking, Thackerays life will be brought to life on screen by Nawazuddin Sidddiqui.

The movie, Thackeray, has been penned by Sanjay Raut, and the teaser was released by Amitabh Bachchan, who paid rich tribute to the late politician.

Im honoured and thankful for being invited to the launch. I remember I would always attend programmes I was invited to, when Bala saheb was alive. I shared a very special and emotional bond with him, he said.

Reminiscing some of his earliest contacts with Thackeray, Amitabh said. I remember when I got married, Bala saheb called up to congratulate Jaya (Bachchan) and me. We were invited to his house and Tai (Mina Thackeray) gave Jaya a lovely reception. It was then that I realised that Bala saheb not only had deep love for me, but also thought of me as family. When I was injured on the sets of Coolie in 1982, I was brought to Mumbai from Bengaluru. As soon as my flight landed in Mumbai, Bala saheb sent a Shiv Sena ambulance to take me to the hospital.

Talking about the time he met Thackeray one last time, Amitabh, in his trademark baritone sighed, Uddhav ji (Thackeray) had allowed me to enter Bala sahebs bedroom, where he was taking his last breath. But we were still praying and hoping things would change. I noted he had a picture of mine on the side of his bed. I could never imagine, till the day, that he had such enormous love for me.
Suchitra Pillai, who is known for her noted roles in films like Dil Chahta Hai, Pyaar Ke Side Effects, Fashion and many more recently won accolades for her web series Romil Aur Jugal too. In an exclusive chat with Deccan Chronicle, Suchitra spill the beans on her film career, choosing parallel yet prominent roles, her recognition with The Valley and much more. Excerpts:

Tell us something about The Valley?

The Valley is directed by Saila Kariat. It is a very sensitive film that deals with teenage depression so I feel its a topic that people across the world should talk about. It is not only in America but in any modern family, it is a scare. The film itself is about the search of a father played by Alyy Khan as to why his younger daughter commits suicide. Alyy is a popular entrepreneur and think he has done his bit for the family by providing amenities. The mother played by me is a housewife and is responsible to take care of her daughters. She also has an extra marital affair and the daughter who kills herself gets to know about it and the parents feel that its their mistake. The elder sister is busy with her boyfriend in college and never had time for her sister hence she starts blaming herself. It is a drama where each one of us is trying to find the reason of suicide. As an actor, it was a very serious for me and it had the range and scope for me to perform as a mother and a lover. We shot and finished the film in 21 working days across locations in San Francisco.

Go on

Alyy and I have known for over 16-17 years so it was like a half battle won already. Since we had to play husband wife, the comfort was required. Nandini Srikent was doing the casting of the film and she asked me to send me an audition video but I insisted her to take an audition in her office. I was given the toughest scenes of the film; one was of around five pages and another one was of six pages. Later, I had a skype chat with Saila and I got the film. Everyone got along on the sets very well and the cast of the film is quite interesting. The film travelled to around 19 film festivals and bagging 2 best actress awards is a big thing.

Watch 'The Valley' trailer here:

Is it your conscious effort to not do lead roles and chose parallel ones instead?

Its not a planned move and I have been lucky to work with talented directors Like Dada (Pradeep Sarkar), Madhur Bhandarkar in Satta, Page 3 and Fashion. I also did Dil To Baccha Hai Ji but that bit was chopped off. Then, Dil Chahata Hai and Pyaar Ke Side Effects. Those are character roles but well defined roles and they have been noticed. Since Bollywood is an insecure industry, so I keep in touch with my theatres. I compere events and music is my passion. I recently met Saif Ali Khan at an event, we relived Dil Chahata Hai. At MAMI, I met Sharmila Tagore, I told her 16 years back I slapped your son, and she laughed and said good that I did it. (Laugh)

Your recent web series Romil Aur Jugal was very well received, your thoughts?

We are hoping for the second season. In fact, we all our hounding the director Nupur. I told her to sit on our producer Ekta Kapoors head. Ekta loved the series so it will happen soon. I recently shot for another series called Kuch Kehne Ko Hai for Alt Balaji. I am also doing Zoya Akhtars Made In Heaven for Amazon Prime.
Mumbai: The Kaalakaandi trailer was loved by one and all. Now the makers have released a song, titled Swagpur Ka Chaudhary, which is too cool to be true.

"I remember Akshat telling me leave the song to young people. This song has a free spirit. I will just call it an interesting song which captures Mumbai people," Saif said at the songs launch in Mumbai hosted a while back.

Everybody  right from Sobhita Dhulipala to Deepak Dobriyal to Saif Ali Khan to Nary Singh to Shernaz Tresurywala, have their own swag. The song also subtly puts out the message that they live their life on their own terms.

Watch the psychedelic song here:

Penned and sung by Akshay Verma, composed by Sameer Uddin, the work on this song is majorly supported by special effects.

Directed by Akshat Verma and produced by Cinestaan Film Company and Ashi Dua Sara of Flying Unicorn, the thrilling dark comedy will finally release on 12th January 2018.
First question  we make commitments to others and to ourselves all the time but how many times do we honour those promises? Second question  how many people do we know who make a promise and then stand by it come hell or high water? One person fits the bill - Sharu Varghese. The Dubai-based VJ and model made a commitment and stuck to that for two years, making huge sacrifices on the way. Unusual in tinsel town, where promises are often like drawing a line in water, but full credit to Sharu for keeping her word.

So what is the commitment being talked about? She explains, Two years ago, I was offered a role by debutant director Pramod Mohan, who asked me not to sign any other project till I finished his film. Even though I got offers for other films, I did not take them up because I believe in keeping my word. I was also asked to stop my VJing for some time so that the freshness of my look would be there. Sharu did both without any qualms and in fact, she has remained the constant of the cast though the others have changed in the two years.

Pramod may have retained me because I stuck to my promise, she jokes. The film being discussed is Orayiram Kinakkalal, with Biju Menon in the lead. The film, like the name hints, is about a thousand dreams of a set of five people, with Sharu playing Sherin a cafe manager. She will be paired opposite Roshan in the film. It will also have a lot of situational comedy. The role, Sharu says, was what pulled her in since it would give her a lot of scope for acting. Sharu was also seen in a small role in the film Mudhugauv.

Sharu is not only a VJ, but also a model, who has made ramp appearances in Dubai and Bengaluru. So that is a VJ, a model and an actor ticked off the list. But wait  she springs another surprise - Sharu is also an architect. With a tinkling laugh she says, Now I do everything except what I studied. She has to her credit a project she has completed in Kerala a church in Alappuzha but that's the only one  she grins and says, before she got bitten by the VJing bug. It was her VJing stint in Dubai that had her interacting and interviewing the stars and directors of Mollywood and igniting in her a desire to act herself.
After successful Tamil debut, Nivetha Pethurajs Tollywood entry is equally successful. Ask the actress what her success in Mental Madilo means to her, and she says, It means a lot. I havent let my earlier success get to my head. I kept working just as hard for my Telugu debut as I had for my first Tamil movie. I think this has paid off. Its always a happy feeling to be recognised in other industries as well. Telugu audience has been extremely welcoming and has accepted me.

The actress admits that picking up Telugu was tough initially. Since I am new to it, learning the language was a bit tough at first. So I ensured that I prepared hard for my dialogues and that they were literally haunting me, shares Nivetha.

Nivetha reveals that she has learnt to be patient with her work. I have realised that everything takes its own time. What is destined will come to you. Earlier, I was short-tempered, used to work 16 hours a day, and naturally, stress levels were high.

The actress is now looking forward to sign more Telugu films. I would love to work in more movies and I am already in talks for a couple of projects. I want to balance both Telugu and Tamil films, she signs off.
Over 5,300 school children from over 35 schools in Delhi- NCR got together to set the record. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: Over 5,300 school children today set a world record by forming the largest shape of human lung at Thyagraj stadium here and entered the Guinness Book of World Records.

The event organised by non profit organisation Lung Care Foundation and Petronet LNG was lauded by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Lung care Foundation and Petronet LNG have been awarded with Guinness World Record of creating the largest image of an organ(lung)," said a statement from the organsiation.

Over 5,300 school children from over 35 schools in Delhi- NCR got together to set the record. The previous records were held by Beijing and Abu Dhabi, it said.

The feat was aimed at creating awareness about harmful effects of pollution on lung health.

Lt Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal, who was present at the event, said he was confident the campaign would help in initiating a people's movement for clean air.

"In this regard, children are our best ambassadors for a positive change that we wish to achieve," he said.

The President and the prime minister in their messages congratulated Lung Care Foundation for the feat and lauded the school children who participated in it, said the statement.

"We believe it's time that the citizens themselves take care of their action and be responsible in their deeds," Dr Arvind Kumar, founder of Lung Care Foundation, said.

With 1.2 million dead, India saw the world's most pollution-related deaths in 2015, he said quoting a Lancet Commission study.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a phone talk that it is important to implement decisions that will lead to the liberation of Ukrainian hostages by the end of the year.

"Poroshenko and Merkel emphasized the importance of the implementation of decisions that will lead to the liberation of Ukrainian hostages by the end of the year," the press service of the Presidential Administration reported.

Poroshenko thanked Merkel for the decision to prolong the EU sanctions against Russia for the next six months and informed that the creation of the Anticorruption Court had been unblocked.

The parties expressed concern over the escalation of the situation in the Donbas by Russia and Russia-backed militants, particularly the intensified shelling of the military positions and civilian inhabited localities.

Poroshenko and Merkel supported the agreement reached within the recent session of the Trilateral Contact Group on December 20 regarding the comprehensive, sustainable and perpetual ceasefire regime starting from midnight of December 23 due to Christmas and New Year holidays.

The state leaders expressed regret over Russia's decision to unilaterally withdraw its representatives from the Joint Control and Coordination Center for the Ceasefire (JCCC) in Donbas. They also discussed steps aimed at restoring the full-fledged work of the JCCC.
Israel does not have a system of civil marriage, and Israeli law mandates that Jewish marriages must be authorized by the Chief Rabbinate. (Photo: Pixabay)

Rabbi Chuck Davidson is a criminal in the eyes of Israeli law. However, he wouldnt be put behind bars for his crime in most countries. His offense: conducting rogue weddings in defiance of Israels Chief Rabbinate.

Even though Davidson belongs to the officially recognized Orthodox stream of Judaism, he is among a growing cohort of Jewish groups running afoul of the law by performing weddings without the rabbinates sanction. Critics like Davidson believe the rabbinate has grown too strict in its interpretation of religious law, making it unnecessarily difficult for Jewish couples to marry.

More and more Israelis are getting married outside the rabbinate, said Michal Berman, chief executive of Panim, an umbrella group representing Israeli Jewish pluralist organizations. Its affiliates perform Orthodox, liberal and secular weddings in defiance of the rabbinate.

Berman said that an estimated 20 percent of Israelis are getting married outside the rabbinate, compared to 16 percent in 2010. She expects that number to keep growing, which she considers a sign of a growing lack of faith in the religious body. There are plural ways of being Jewish and its better to acknowledge it, Berman said.

Israel does not have a system of civil marriage, and Israeli law mandates that Jewish marriages must be conducted by a rabbi authorized by the Chief Rabbinate. That means Jewish couples wanting to marry in Israel have little choice but to undergo an Orthodox marriage.

An amendment to Israels marriage law passed in 2013 made the punishment for anyone performing or taking part in an unsanctioned wedding two years in prison. Shortly thereafter, Davidson, a 58-year-old American-born Israeli rabbi, started performing renegade weddings. He said he has conducted over 170 since then.

An Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas has more meaning to the state than me, an Orthodox rabbi, said Davidson.

The existing marriage law prevents interfaith and same-sex weddings. It also rejects ceremonies conducted by more liberal streams of Judaism popular with American Jews.

Interfaith, same-sex and civil marriages performed abroad, however, are recognized retroactively by Israels Interior Ministry, making nearby Cyprus a popular destination for secular Israeli weddings. Israel also recognizes common law spouses who share a home, though they dont have the same rights as married couples.

A poll conducted earlier this year by Hiddush, an organization pushing for religious pluralism in Israel, found that over 70 percent of Israelis support civil marriage.

Davidson has moved into an area where even Jewish men and women who ostensibly meet the rabbinates standards run into problems trying to get hitched.

Such couples may lack documentation, such as their parents wedding certificate, proving their Jewishness. Some turn to the rebel rabbi out of frustration with dealing with the rabbinate. Others may do it on principle.

He estimates around 400,000 Israeli Jews  or roughly 6 percent of the Jewish population  have no marriage options because they do not meet the rabbinates stringent standards.

One Ethiopian Jewish woman who was married by Davidson in October said she objected in principle to the manner in which the rabbinate demands proof of Judaism.

Were both certifiably Jewish, she said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of concern for possible legal complications. She and her husband could have legally married through the rabbinate, but we dont believe in the institution itself, she said. I have no problem in principle with proving someones Judaism, but the very concept of how the rabbinate perceives Ethiopian Jews is problematic for me, and Im not willing to cooperate with an institution that doesnt consider me Jewish. Nonetheless, she said it was important for them to marry according to Jewish tradition.

The group Havaya helps Jewish couples marry outside the rabbinate by organizing wedding ceremonies for partners who are recognized as common-law couples.

Havaya Director Inbar Oren said the organization has conducted several thousand weddings since it was established in 2007, allowing interfaith and same-sex couples in Israel to enjoy more egalitarian or secular ceremonies than the rabbinate permits.

People are looking for a solution to their situation, said Oren.

While sending a defiant message, these weddings are not a complete solution. Because they are not legally binding, the couples must still either go abroad or go to the rabbinate for a private ceremony. The Ethiopian woman, for instance, said she and her husband are weighing recognition as a common law couple or flying to Cyprus for a civil ceremony.

No one in Israel has been arrested or charged with participating in an illegal marriage, but Oren and Davidson wish someone would.

I dont hide this, I do this over the radar, I am hoping to be arrested, Davidson said, saying it would raise awareness of how insane this is.

He said hes confident the Supreme Court would rule against the law: If not Ill sit in jail.
Aparna Viswanathan was in college when she had her first brush with gender discrimination . She nearly dropped out before deciding to face her battles and went on to become college President. During her time as a journalist, she found in her travels to rural India that children there were deprived of many opportunities. That led her to social work - she founded RACE which she headed till tragedy struck in 2005. Unbeaten, she returned with a new concept - Social Intelligence. She talks to Aksheev Thakur about her work with various school boards and the need to bring gender sensitivisation to mainstream education

Aparna Viswanathan welcomes us with a smile on her face  a remarkable feat, considering she has spent her week talking to victims of child abuse and marital rape. The founder of RACE, an organisation that works to bring children out of their comfort zones, Viswanathan had never really witnessed gender discrimination until she joined college. I found that as a girl, I was expected to behave in a certain way. This left me feeling disgruntled and I left college, she recalls. This decision didnt sit well with her parents, who managed to change her mind. Left with no choice, Viswanathan took her battle head on and later became the college President, too.

Hailing from a modest background in Kerala, Viswanathan fell in love with words at a young age and was enormously influenced by Khushwant Singhs articles in the Illustrated Weekly of India. After college, she found her way into the media, doing a stint as an anchor with a private news channel. It was during this time that she got her first chance to travel to rural India  her Buddha moment, so to speak. As she travelled through the countrys interiors, she found a stark difference between the lives of children here, as opposed to the ones who grew up in larger towns and cities. The children were being deprived of great potential, she remarks.

Disillusioned, she made her exit from journalism, venturing instead into social work and RACE was born. In 2005, tragedy struck. Viswanathans life was turned upside down when she had a brain haemorrhage. I lost my memory, she says. By the time I recovered enough to rejoin the organisation, the market had changed.

Then again, life had its own plan for her. My son fell and injured himself and was taunted for being a girl when he cried, Viswanathan explains. Thats how she arrived at the concept of Social Intelligence, a term that scarcely heard in those days. Gender sensitisation can be a huge part of social intelligence and it was something I wanted to do, for it seemed as if nothing had really changed since I was in college, she says.

In 2015, the National Crime Records Bureau reported that a suicide occurs every one hour among students between the ages of 15 and 29. The reason for this is more or less universal: The inability to cope with academics. The burgeoning issue of suicide paved the way of Viswanathan, helping her hone the concept of Social Intelligence in such a way that students are trained to leave their comfort zones and learn to cope with failure.

Most of the students we met were unable to cope with failure and they wanted to put an end to their lives. Through workshops in schools, we sensitised the students and also taught teachers the value of letting kids ask questions, she points out. During these workshops she began to meet children who were victims of abuse. These children were either highly traumatised or oblivious, with very little idea of the difference between a good touch and a bad touch. As she immersed herself further in the subject, she came across a number of women who were victims of marital rape and had lost all hope of a better future.

Viswanathan made it a point to meet such victims and decided to sensitize them. Though big schools have counsellors to deal with such issues, there are many institutes that do without. When I meet the children, I have to teach them how to tell the difference between the many ways their bodies can be touched, she continues.

She says the horrific ordeals of abuses leaves her emotionally drained and it leaves Viswanathan into a trauma for several days. But the determination to equip the women and bring back the children to life continues to drive her.

While working with Self Help Groups, I can say that the success rate is 80%, she smiles, adding that the survivors of sexual abuse are still in touch with her and to see them satisfied with life is her greatest reward.

Viswanathan is in talks with the CBSE board to include Social Intelligence in schools. She believes that gender sensitisation, part of Social Intelligence will also help bring down crime rates against minors, as well as in cases of sexual abuse. I am trying to get the Karnataka government on board too. This should be included in the CBSE curriculum. A huge online signature campaign persists on the inclusion of this beyond academics course.
Pune: An eight-year-old girl was allegedly raped by six neighbourhood boys since August in Punes Kondhwa area. The accused boys include five minors and one 19-year-old. After the family lodged an FIR, the police arrested the teenager and took the other minors in custody. The victims parents are daily-wage labourers.

Police sub-inspector S.P. Gore of Kondhwa police station said that the victims 51-year-old grandmother had lodged an FIR against the accused. Mustafa Abdul Rajaq Mujawar, 19, and five other minor boys had been sexually abusing her granddaughter. As per the complaint, the five accused minor boys are aged between six and 12 years, Mr Gore said.

The issue came to light when the girl developed rashes on her private parts and fell ill repeatedly.
The police hope they get about 500 new persons next year on completion of training. (Representational image)

HYDERABAD: Around 43 per cent posts in the civil police and another 75 per cent in the armed reserve unit are lying vacant in Cyberabad.

About 1,700 posts of constables are yet to be filled in Cyberabad alone. At present, the strength is about 3,000.

Despite the shortage, we are managing with the available resources and relying on technology to solve cases. Apart from policing, we have to make security arrangements for mega events, VVIPs movements and then handle big processions, said Mr Sandeep Shandilya.

The police hope they get about 500 new persons next year on completion of training. Still there will be a shortage of about 1,200 personnel. The government has taken up the process of filling up the vacant posts and we hope to fill it up in next two years, said Mr Shahnawaz Qasim, JCP, Cyberabad.
Mumbai: A day after a CBI court acquitted former telecom minister A. Raja and DMK leader Kanimozhi of corruption and money laundering charges in the 2G scam, the Bombay High Court gave relief to former Maharashtra chief minister and Congress MP Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh society scam. The two court orders have come as big blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which had highlighted both scams during its 2014 election campaign.

The court set aside a sanction given by Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao to prosecute him in February 2016. It pointed out that in the absence of fresh material, the governor had no jurisdiction to review the order of the erstwhile governor. However, Mr Chavan can still be tried under the Prevention of Corruption Act. In January 2014, the trial court had also rejected the CBI application saying there was no sanction to prosecute him.

Guv had refused sanction in 2013

A division bench comprising Justice Ranjit More and Justice Sadhana Jadhav was hearing a petition by Ashok Chavan, who challenged the Governors sanction to prosecute him.

His counsel, Amit Desai argued that the governors sanction is arbitrary and politically motivated. He further argued that in 2013, the then governor Sankarnarayanan had refused to give sanction to prosecute Chavan under IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act as the CBI had insufficient proof.

On October 8, 2015, the CBI again approached new governor, Mr Rao and put forth the order of the J.A. Patil Commission and that of the single bench in which the court had refused to delete Chavans name from the list of the accused as fresh evidence. On the basis of that, Governor Rao had revised the earlier refusal and gave his sanction.

The court had refused Additional Solicitor General Anil Singhs contention that Governor Raos sanction can be challenged, but at the trial stage. The court said, It would amount to abuse of process of law.

The material which is required to be considered is not limited to the evidence collected by the investigating agency during the course of investigation, said Justice Ranjit More.

Adarsh scam

July 4, 2012: CBI files first chargesheet naming Chavan as an accused.

Dec. 17, 2013: Governor Shankarnarayanan refuses to issue sanction to prosecute Chavan on the ground of not enough evidence

Jan. 15, 2014: CBI moves trial court to remove Chavans name as accused.

Jan. 18: Trial court rejects the application on the ground that though there was no sanction to prosecute him under the IPC, Chavan can still be prosecuted under Prevention of Corruption act.

Nov. 4, 2016: Governor gives nod to the CBI to prosecute Chavan.

Dec. 22, 2017: HC sets aside governors sanction to prosecute Chavan.
DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and former telecom minister A Raja were received by DMK's working president MK Stalin at the Chennai international airport. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Chennai: Two days after the special court in Delhi acquitted former telecom minister A Raja and Rajya Sabha MP and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief daughter Kanimozhi along with others in 2G scam case, Raja and Kanimozhi arrived in Chennai on Saturday.

The city along with the airport wore a festive look as people and DMK supporters gathered in large numbers to welcome Raja and Kanimozhi.

The airport was all decked up with DMK flags in order to mark their return from Delhi.

They were received by DMK's working president MK Stalin, who is the brother of Kanimozhi.

Tamil Nadu: DMK workers & supporters gather at Chennai Airport as Kanimozhi & A. Raja arrive, they were recently acquitted in the #2GScam case. pic.twitter.com/2vdLA3VdE4  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

A sea of party workers, most of them wearing white shirts, cheered as Kanimozhi, emerged from the airport, hands folded and a smile on her face.

Soon after landing in Chennai, Raja and Kanimozhi headed straight to DMK chief Karunanidhi's residence in Gopalapuram to meet him, where dozens of excited party workers were waiting in a show of strength to celebrate by beating drums and dancing to their pleasure.

Tamil Nadu: DMK workers & supporters also gather near M.Karunanidhi's residence in Chennai's Gopalapuram for Kanimozhi's arrival. pic.twitter.com/DCDKOKLAjm  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

On Thursday, the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court had acquitted all the accused in the scam.

The CBI had announced it would challenge the verdict, citing the court might not have appreciated the evidence in its proper perspective.

The two DMK leaders were among the others acquitted of corruption and money-laundering when mobile network licences were issued in 2008. A special court in Delhi said the CBI failed to provide any evidence of a conspiracy among politicians, bureaucrats and top corporate executives.

Chennai: Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi reaches father Karunanidhi's residence in Gopalapuram after being acquitted in #2GScam pic.twitter.com/RsTWasQOaF  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

The telecom scandal, named the 2G scam after the second-generation airwaves involved, played a large role in the perception of Dr Manmohan Singh's government as seeped in corruption. The DMK was a key member of the Congress-led national coalition. They also contested last year's election in Tamil Nadu together, only to be emphatically defeated by J Jayalalithaa and her AIADMK.

The CBI said it would take legal opinion after going through the copy of the verdict pronounced by the Patiala House Court acquitting all the accused in the alleged multi-thousand crore rupee 2G spectrum allocation scam.

In its chargesheet filed in April 2011 against Raja and others, the CBI had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum which were scrapped by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012.

The court had in October 2011 framed charges against them under various provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, using as genuine fake documents, abusing official position, criminal misconduct by public servant and taking a bribe.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district, ahead of his meeting with party leaders to introspect on the Gujarat Assembly polls. (Photo: Twitter | @INCIndia)

Ahmedabad: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district, ahead of his meeting with party leaders to introspect on the Gujarat Assembly polls.

The Congress chief landed at Keshod Airport in Saurashtra and offered prayers at the temple which is about 420 km from the state capital.

Gandhi is scheduled to hold zone-wise meets with Saurashtra, Central Gujarat, South Gujarat and North Gujarat leaders in Ahmedabad on Saturday and is expected to address the Congress workers.

Gandhi had visited the Somnath temple during the recent election campaign and his name was found written on the entry register meant for non-Hindus, kicking up a row. The Congress had called it "fake" and the BJP insisted that the leader declare his religious faith before people.

Non-Hindus are allowed to visit the temple but have to first get themselves registered at the shrine's office.

A purported photocopy of a page of the register for non-Hindus had gone viral on social media with the names of Gandhi and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel written on it.

Gandhi had later said that he and his family were devotees of Lord Shiva.
Former chief minister of Bihar Lalu Yadav called the verdict a result of biased propaganda against him and said he is confident that the truth will prevail. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi: After a special CBI court convicted former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav in a fodder scam case on Saturday, Lalu took to Twitter and evoked names of leaders Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther and Babasaheb Ambedkar.

The RJD leader, tweeting after his conviction in the fodder scam verdict, said that Mandela and his likes wouldn't have been treated in the same manner if they had "failed in their efforts".

Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and caste-ist minds. No one should expect any different treatment.  Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) December 23, 2017

On Saturday, a CBI court found Lalu guilty in one of the four fodder scam cases.

In a series of tweets, the former chief minister of Bihar called the verdict a result of biased propaganda against him and said he is confident that the truth will prevail.

The leader made a comparison between the "ruling class and the "ruled class" and said that the former has always detested any voice of dissent from the latter.

Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes. And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished https://t.co/oDSIg7e0ie  Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) December 23, 2017

He also accused BJP of distorting the public perception against the opposition with an aim to garner votes.
Hyderabad: Patients in Osmania General Hospital face the risk of contradicting infection from cats and even rats. The dreary condition of the hospital mortuary was brought into the limelight when face of the body of U. Madhu was eaten up by rodents on Monday night. Junior doctors say it was not just an issue of rats but cats too, which roam in the surgical wards. They claim that a large number of cats found in the intensive care unit too.

A junior doctor said, We have repeatedly tried to bring this problem to the attention of the authorities, but failed. We try to shoo away cats and they keep coming back because of the mice. It is quite common to see cats on empty beds. We have many patients who have allergies caused by cats.Officials say their hands were tied on this issue as the Integrity Hospital Facility Management that deals with pest control was equipped only to treat insects and bed bugs.

OGH superintendent B. Nagender said, We can do nothing. The GHMC has washed its hands by saying they can only capture dogs and the same goes for other animal rescue organisations we contacted. Our pest control team visits all wards daily but cats keep coming back. Hiring a professional exterminator other than the one the hospital provides would be too expensive, he added.

Mr G.S. Naidu, a professional exterminator based in Banjara Hills, said, "Operations in hospitals prove to be costly not just financially but also time wise. We charge over Rs 3,000 per 100 sq. ft and require at least two sessions. This takes at least 15 days and a busy hospital like OGH cannot have its ward empty.

He said, To clear rats, we place poison. This will be risky when there are medicines nearby. If the rat problem is solved, the cats will also stop coming.A senior doctor said the presence of small animals was not a new issue. Repeated complaints had fallen on deaf ears. The superintendent reassured the hospital staff that he would find a solution to this in a week.

Cats wait for patients and their attendants for scraps of food at the OGH

Unit containing body was open

An unlocked storage unit was the cause of the body of U Madhu being eaten by rats, said the preliminary inquiry conducted by Osmania Hospital. Though 32 bodies were present in the cold storage unit on Monday, Madhus face was mutilated by rats because the two ward boys on duty did not lock the storage unit. Superintendent B. Nagender said, The unit was slightly ajar and we think that the rats entered through that gap. We are trying to ensure that the pest problem is sorted and have asked for a through enquiry by our pest control team.

Suspended ward boys, Gyaneshwar and Yadagiri claimed that the rush in the mortuary must have led to their mistake. Until 5 pm, we have doctors on duty who go to the mortuary. But after that, there is normally no one to oversee the mortuary procedures and many bodies come from adjoining districts. We have asked our postgraduate students to keep a watch over the proceedings, said Mr Nagender. The demand for CCTV cameras in the mortuary was raised. Rats scurry across bodies that are kept close to each other. The only difference in this case is that the rodents got to the body which has finally alerted the administration to take action, said a junior doctor.
KAKINADA: AP Deputy Chief Minister N. Chinarajappa said on Friday that cockfights would be allowed for three days during Sankranti.

While stating that the government would honour all the laws, the deputy CM insisted, At the same time, we should also respect traditions.

He said that the government would not be violating any laws if it allows cockfights without betting and without tying of knives or allowing organisers to use cruel methods.
Sites for Donbas talks should be transferred from Minsk to Vienna  MP Taruta

Independent MP Serhiy Taruta has said that the site for talks on peaceful settlement of the conflict in Donbas should be transferred from Minsk (Belarus) to Vienna (Austria).

"I propose to move the site from Minsk to Vienna, because everyone is tired of Minsk. No one has any hope that the issue will be resolved there," he said at the Ukrainian Congress of Leaders of Non-Governmental Organizations "Donbas: Road Map 2018. Joint Vector" in Kyiv on Saturday.

The lawmaker said that Austria, unlike Belarus, is a neutral country, where the OSCE headquarters is located.

"I propose to negotiate with Germany and France that special representatives should also be appointed, as it is in America. There should be special representatives from Germany, France and then from Ukraine, who would conduct negotiations on a constant basis," Taruta said.

He said that diplomatic negotiations on the conflict in the Donbas are held too rarely.
Hubballi: A day after BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa released a letter written to him by Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar expressing willingness to provide Mahadayi water for drinking purposes, unconvinced farmers and pro-Kannada activists hit the streets in Hubballi and Gadag on Friday claiming it was a move by the saffron party to gain mileage with an eye on the Assembly polls. Several farmer leaders have given a call for a North Karnataka bandh on December 27.

Sources said hundreds of farmers from Nargund and Navalgund taluks have already left for Bengaluru to lay siege to the BJP office. The BJP leaders have received a mere assurance from the Goa Chief Minster to release water. But we want the Kalasa Banduri project to be implemented soon. We will sit on a dharna in front of the BJP office in Bengaluru until our demand is fulfilled, farmer leader Veeresh Sobaradmath said.

Another farmer leader, Vikas Soppin said, the Karnataka chief minister should not waste time writing another letter to the Goa chief minister and should instead submit a plea to the Mahadayi Water Dispute tribunal seeking an early verdict.

Stating that the BJP has insulted farmers by merely giving an assurance on release of water, he questioned the rationale behind a Chief Minister writing a letter to his party leader rather than to the constitutionally elected government in Karnataka.
The special court found a total of 15 people guilty including Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam. (Photo: PTI/File)

Ranchi: A special CBI court on Saturday convicted former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a fodder scam case while acquitting six including another ex-chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

CBI judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

Lalu Prasad and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict.

After the verdict Lalu Yadav tweeted, "Truth can be made to appear as a lie, as ambiguous or a half lie by concerted onslaught of bias driven propaganda. But blurred layer of bias and hatred will still be removed, come what may! In end Truth will win."

"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. ....But still prevails...In the end though," the RJD chief tweeted.

Lalu Prasad was taken to Ranchi's Birsa Munda jail after his conviction in a fodder scam case, sources in CBI told PTI.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3, 2018 for the 16 guilty including Lalu Prasad.

Overall, more than Rs 900 crore was reportedly siphoned off from the Chaibasa treasury for two decades.

A charge sheet was filed against 38 persons on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.
Hyderabad: Sandhya Rani, who was set on fire by her ex-colleague who had been stalking her, succumbed to her injuries on Friday at Gandhi Hospital.

Lalaguda police, which had detained Vanga Karthik, 28, for attacking Sandhya on Thursday, has booked him for murder.

Sandhya Rani worked as a computer operator in a shop, Lucky Traders, in Shantinagar.

She was the sixth and youngest child of the family. Her father had passed away some time ago. Sandhya had got the job with help from Karthik. He had been proposing her for marriage and also persuading her to quit the job after he himself got fired, police said.

North Zone DCP B. Sumathi said, Karthik had worked in the same shop but was later fired for inefficiency. By then the two had got close to each other. After he was sacked, he asked her leave the job and pressured her to marry him, which she refused to do.

At one point, shop owner Jagan Reddy had warned Karthik not to trouble Sandhya. She gave me the mobile he gifted her and told me about her plight, following which we warned him not to bother her, Reddy told the police.

Karthik bought petrol in a plastic bottle from a bunk in Malkajgiri and rode to the shop on his bike.

As Sandhya left the shop, he followed her for about a kilometre before he stopped her and picked up an argument. Things escalated when she turned down his proposal saying that she was the breadwinner of the family. Furious at this, he doused her with petrol and set her on fire with a matchstick, she said.

The dying declaration of the girl was recorded in which she named him. We have recovered his bike and an empty petrol bottle from him and also secured CCTV footage, the DCP said.
Indian troops were retaliating effectively to Pakistan's firing, an official said. (Representational Image)

Srinagar: An Army major, a lance naik and two jawans were killed and another jawan wounded in Pakistani firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district on Saturday.

The Army officials in Jammu said that the Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing at a foot patrol of the 120-Infantry Brigade Battalion of the Army in the LoCs Keri sector.

The firing started at 12. 15 pm and continued for some time. It was sudden firing resorted to by the Pakistani troops without any reason or provocation from our side in violation of the November 2003 ceasefire understanding, said a Nagrota (Jammu)-based defence spokesman. He added that the Indian troops retaliated to the Pakistani firing strongly and effectively and that martyrdom of Indian Army soldiers will not go in vain.

The defence spokesman said that Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to their injuries. Two other personnel also sustained injuries and are under medical treatment, he added.

The sources in the Army said that one of the injured soldiers identified as Gurmeet Singh also succumbed later during the day, raising the toll to four.

Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, 32, belonged to district Bhandara of Maharashtra and is survived by his wife Avoli Moharkar. Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, 34, was a resident of Amritsar district of neighbouring Punjab and is survived by his wife Kuljit Kaur and a daughter. Sepoy Pargat Singh, 30, belonged to district Karnal in Haryana and is survived by his wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, a statement issued by the Army in Jammu said.

It added, Major Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty.

Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, in a statement issued in the winter capital paid rich tributes to the Army Major and two jawans. She conveyed her heartfelt sympathies to the families of slain soldiers.

Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh, while paying tributes to the slain officer and jawans said, The sacrifices rendered by the martyrs would be remembered forever.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With state drugs control facing shortage of manpower and infrastructure facilities, those smuggling in prescription drugs including psycho pharmaceutical drugs are having a field day especially in areas bordering Tamil Nadu. The problem is more acute in border districts Thiruvnanthapuram, Kollam, Idukki and Palakkad. Shortage of manpower and mobile units has hit enforcement activities badly. Even big districts like Idukki and Palakkad which are the main points of such illegal sales, are without vehicles. The drug inspectors have to travel by buses for hours for carrying out inspections.

State Drugs Controller Ravi S. Menon said the department was trying to closely monitor the sale of drugs in notorious areas. In the event of huge sales action is taken against distributors and retailers. Many chemists shops are selling anti-depressant and drugs which provide slight intoxication without proper prescription. By consuming heavy dozes of these medicines for getting the kick the abusers are in fact putting their health and lives at risk. Most commonly misused are Alprazolam drugs which are available on various brand names. Drug addicts, alcoholics and even school children have been found to be misusing this drug which is known to cause euphoric effect. It is also mixed with alcohol to get a high.

Pain killers with narcotic effect especially those required for cancerous pain are also being widely misused. Psychoactive or psycho pharmaceutical drugs which cause changes in brain function resulting in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness and behaviour, are also being illegally supplied in many parts of the state. Regular raids are being conducted on chemist shops to examine stocks. In the event of wide disparities, action is initiated against the shop owners. Shops dont insist on prescription slips which is mandatory for dispensing Schedule H drugs, said Mr Menon. The misuse of Codeine cough syrup which causes drowsiness, light headedness, dizziness and sedation, is also on the rise. The drugs control department is trying for joint exercise along with Tami Nadu counterparts to trace the original source of illegal bulk supplies along the border.
Nagpur: Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis on Friday told the Assembly that the state government is mulling over bestowing the status of freedom fighter to dissidents who were detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency. Those applicable would get benefits accorded to freedom fighters, including pension.

Currently, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh governments provide such benefits, sources.

Responding to a question by former revenue minister Eknath Khadse, a senior BJP leader, Mr Fadnavis said the government is collecting information from all of the districts in this regard. We have already prepared a resolution in this regard, and we will put it up for approval in the ensuing Cabinet meeting, he added.

Raising the issue in the Lower House, Mr Khadse said that several states are giving pension to those who were detained under MISA. Several senior leaders, particularly from the Opposition camp, were detained under MISA.

It was like a second freedom movement, and hence the government should consider them as freedom fighters and provide them all benefits, including pension, that a freedom fighter gets, he had insisted. The BJP leader also reminded Mr Fadnavis that he (the CM) had assured the people that he would give such benefits and he should clarify his stand in this regard.
VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh endowment department put out a circular banning New Year darshan and decorations across temples in the state from 2018. It said that only Ugadi should be celebrated as the New Year and that the temples should replace the English calendar.

Priests and endowment officers used to conduct special programmes on January 1 across temples in the state.

The first of its kind circular from Hindu Dharma Prachara Trust of endowments department secretary Dr Chilakapati Vijaya Raghava Charyulu said the Christian era (Gregorian calendar) was being followed even after independence from the English 70 years ago.

As New Year celebrations were not Hindu Vedic culture and English culture still prevailed in Hindu temples where devotees were wished with New Year greetings and lakhs were spent on decorations in temples, the custom had to be stopped.

Commissioner Y.V. Anuradha ordered an end to this tradition and instead temples and authorities celebrate New Year as part of the Ugadi festival in the month of Chaitra according to the Hindu tradition.
Hyderabad: Cyberabad Police commissioner Sandeep Shandilya on Friday said that the department has received a report from the revenue officials of Guntur district stating that Rohit Vemula did not belong to a Scheduled Caste.

Mr Shandilya said the report has been forwarded to the government, seeking its opinion on further action in the case.

The Cyberabad police commissioner was addressing the Annual Press Conference on Friday.

Since Guntur was the native district of Rohit Vemula, the police had sought a report from the district revenue officials validating his caste.

Rohith Vemula, a scholar pursuing PhD in the University of Hyderabad, had committed suicide allegedly after he was suspended from academics and was expelled from the hostel in January 2016.

The suicide sparked protests in the university, followed by police filing an abetment of suicide case.

Another case under charges of the Prevention of Atrocities on SC & ST Act was booked against then Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya, University of Hyderabad vice-chancellor Appa Rao and three others.
Patna: RJD Chief Lalu Yadav on Saturday, after being convicted in the fodder scam case, lashed out at the BJP for its alleged vendetta politics and claimed that people of Bihar was with him and he will continue to fight against BJP. Lalu also played a caste card and attacked the BJP through a barrage of tweets after he was pronounced guilty. He stated: Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes. And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished.

The verdict in the fodder scam case has come at a time when Lalu Yadav was preparing to stitch a larger secular alliance at the national level against the BJP. After the dramatic collapse of Grand Secular Alliance in June this year, Lalu had managed to stay in alliance with the Congress in Bihar despite opposition from a faction. There is a buzz in the political circle that a section in the Bihar unit of the Congress may oppose the high commands decision to remain in alliance with the RJD.

The speculation that Lalus conviction will impact the political equation and break the grand secular alliance was however dismissed by many RJD leaders. People know that cases were filed against him because he was talking about a stronger and larger secular alliance against the BJP at the national level, RJD legislator Mohammad Neamtullah told this newspaper.

The RJD leader is of the view that Lalus supporters especially Muslim-Yadav factor are feeling betrayed by series of cases against him and his entire family. They are upset feeling that their leaders  Lalu and Tejashwi Yadav  have been implicated in politically motivated cases, he said. The RJDs vote share has been about 18-20 percent in the last four elections. Muslims and Yadavs, who form over 30 per cent of Bihars population, consider Lalu Yadav as their messiah. But the scenario may change because Lalu promoting his younger son Tejashwi Yadav to lead the party may not go down well with several senior most RJD leaders.
Patna: In a major blow to RJD chief Lalu Yadav and his family, the special CBI court on Saturday found him and 15 other accused guilty in the fodder scam case. On the other hand, six other accused including former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra facing similar charges were acquitted. Lalu Yadav was made one of the main accused in the case. The issue was raised in the state Assembly in 1994 by BJP leaders Sushil Kumar Modi and Saryu Rai along with Shivanand Tiwary who is now a senior RJD member and considered closed to Lalu Yadav.

Lalu Yadav, already a convict in one of the fodder scam cases related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.5 crore from Chaibasa treasury, was granted bail by Supreme Court in December 2013.

The trail in all pending cases began in June this year after Supreme Court stepped in by setting aside the 2014 Jharkhand High Court order which had stayed trial against Lalu Yadav after he was convicted in one of the cases. Sources claim that evidence produced before the court by CBI during trail suggest that fake bills and vouchers were used for withdrawal of money from Deoghar treasury. Sources also claim that around 18 witnesses appeared before the court from Lalu Yadav's side while the CBI had managed to produce 120 witnesses against all accused in the case.

According to a senior lawyer Y.V. Giri, Since this is a second conviction in the fodder scam case Lalu Yadav may have to face imprisonment for a longer period this time. When asked about the possibility of Lalu Yadav getting bail from the court on January 3, he said, It depends on the court but I feel that chances of him getting bail are bleak as he has been found guilty for the second time. The scam involved the embezzlement of over Rs 900 crore from the exchequer. Observers claim that over the period of two decades fake bills and vouchers were used to withdraw money from various treasuries.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have called for the return of Russian officers to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) in Donbas. They said that there is no alternative to an exclusively peaceful solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine and urged to urgently implement prisoner exchange.

"Merkel and Macron in their joint statement also called for the return of Russian officers to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC), which plays a very important role in supporting the OSCE observers and ceasefire agreements," the press service of the German government said in a posting on its website on Saturday.

"There is no alternative to an exclusively peaceful solution to the conflict," Merkel and Macron emphasized. They both reaffirmed the need to fully implement the Minsk agreements.

"The Chancellor and the French President welcomed the agreement in the Trilateral Contact Group to exchange up to 380 prisoners from both sides of the contact line. This agreement must now urgently be implemented. This would be a milestone in the implementation of the Minsk agreements," they said.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday filed chargesheet against RJD chief Lalu Prasads daughter Misa Bharti and her husband in a money laundering case. ED counsel Nitesh Rana filed the chargesheet before the court of Special Judge N.K. Malhotra. The probe agency had earlier attached a Delhi farmhouse in connection with its money laundering probe against Bharti and her husband, Shailesh Kumar.

The farmhouse, located at 26, Palam Farms in south Delhis Bijwasan area was attached provisionally under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. It belongs to Bharti and Kumar and is held in the name of Ms Mishail Packers and Printers Private Limited, the ED said. It was purchased using Rs Rs 1.2 crore involved in money laundering in the year 2008-09, it alleged.

The agency had also conducted raids at this location and few others in July as part of its probe against two brothers, Surendra Kumar Jain and Virendra Jain, and others who have been alleged to have laundered several crore rupees using shell companies. The Jain brothers were arrested by the ED under the PMLA. It had also arrested a CA, Rajesh Agrawal, who provided a cash amount of  Rs `90 lakh to the Jain brothers in advance.
BENGALURU: Demanding immediate implementation of Dr. Sarojini Mahishi Committee report, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) held a mammoth protest rally from National College Grounds in Basavanagudi to Freedom Park, on Saturday.

Over 50,000 activists of the KRV, a pro-Kannada outfit, took part in the rally demanding job reservation for Kannadigas in public and private sectors. The rally that started from National College Grounds around 11.30 am passed through Minerva circle, J. C. Road, Town Hall, K. G. Road and Mysore Bank Circle before culminating at the Freedom Park, disrupting vehicular movement.

The agitators, who had come from across the state, shouted slogans demanding job reservation for Kannadigas. In its memorandum to the Chief Minister, KRV listed eight points related to job reservations for Kannadigas in state government, central government offices in the state, PSUs and also in private companies.

They demanded immediate implementation of recommendations of the Sarojini Mahishi Committee.

T. A. Narayanagowda, President of the KRV, said that increased migration from other parts of the country to the state had taken away job opportunities from natives. Kannadigas in Karnataka are left with no jobs due to migratory population. Its hightime that the government implements Sarojini Mahishi Committee report immediately, in the interest of Kannadigas.

After Housing Minister M. Krishnappa received the memorandum on behalf of the government, the agitators ended the protest peacefully. If the government does not meet our demands soon, we will intensify the protest in all districts of the state, Mr. Narayanagowda added.
BENGALURU: A woman conned a man of Rs 1.5 lakh after befriending him on Facebook.

She reportedly fooled him with a fictitious account and fake photographs and made him transfer the money to her account.

The man has registered a complaint with the cyber crime. The victim, Anand Rao, became friends with a woman from England on Facebook and later also started chatting with her on WhatsApp.

After they became good friends, she told him that she would be coming to Bengaluru to see him. On the scheduled day of arrival she told him that she has arrived at Delhi airport, but the customs officials have detained her and were demanding Rs 1.5 lakh as duty.

She requested him to transfer the money to her account and promised to return it once she reaches Bengaluru. Anand transferred the money, hoping that she would return it after she reaches Bengaluru.

After transferring the money, he tried calling her, but her phone was switched off and he tried messaging her on WhatsApp and her profile photo had disappeared and his message was not delivered. When he checked her Facebook account and her profiles in other social media platforms were also deleted.

On realizing that he had been cheated, he filed a complaint with Cyber Crime cell. The officials said that the social media accounts were fake and she had used fake photographs.
He was one of the 11 members from Telangana in the committee and carried a reward of Rs 24 lakh on his head. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Senior Maoist Jinugu Narasimha Reddy alias Jampanna reportedly surrendered before the police on Friday night. His wife, also a senior party leader, followed suit.

Sources said a legislator from Warangal had mediated the surrender. He had reportedly brought Jampanna to the city for surrendered. An official announcement was likely to be made on Monday.

Considered an expert in the military operations, Jampanna, was a member of the party central committee, the apex body of Maoists. He was one of the 11 members from Telangana in the committee and carried a reward of Rs 24 lakh on his head.

His wife carried a reward of Rs 20 lakh. While ill-health was cited as a reason for surrender, sources said ideological differences the couple had with other leaders could be the reason.

Jampanna, a native of Mahbubabad in Warangal, was instrumental in strengthening and functioning the Peoples War Group movement. Later, he held several important positions in adjoining Odhisa and Chattisgarh before becoming a member of the central committee.

Intelligence records show that Jampanna headed the Odisha State committees military commission and the KKBN (Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh) division of Maoists. This apart, he commanded the all-strong Dandakaranya zonal committee of the Maoists in 2014. In December 2014, he had a narrow escape from an anti-insurgency operation by special police in Telan reserve forest on the Kalahandi-Kandamahal border in Odisha.

Before his surrender, Jampanna had been confined mainly to Kandhamal in Odhisa for the last one year. Officials said the increased anti-Maoist operations on the AndhraOdhisa border forced him to surrender.

His association with Telangana in the initial years saw him elevated to the post of secretary North Telangana special zonal committee.

He led Maoists in the 2008 Nayagarh armoury loot and the 2004 Koraput district armoury attack that provided the much-needed ammunition to the rebels.
While Andhra Pradesh government took a decision that came as a shock to people, the Telangana government has no such plans.

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh governments decision to bar temples from creating a festive atmosphere and spend money on decorations to extend the New Year greetings has invited criticism from a section of people in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Prof. K.S. Chalam, former vice-chancellor of Dravidian University in Andhra Pradesh, took objections to the government decision. It is up to individuals to greet people and observe the New Year. How can they say this is against Hindu practices. Is the government speaking on behalf of a section of Hindus? Which Veda has told the Hindus not go to temple on January 1? he asked.

Mr Chalam suspected that Hindutva forces were behind the decision of the government which could be termed as cultural chauvinism.

Echoing similar sentiments, noted historian Prof. Adapa Satyanarayana said that the government was trying to create divisions within the society by stating that the Gregorian calendar should be confined only to Christians.

This is a secular nation and not an Islamic country like Pakistan where the government gives diktats to people to follow a set of religious practices or face the consequences. The Indian culture includes traditions of religions of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, etc, and not just Hindus. Would the government issue a circular on February 14 asking people to shun the Valentines Day because it is not related to Hindus, he said.

Rama Melkote, retired OU professor, said that she was strongly opposing the governments stand on January 1 celebrations.

Were any law and order problems seen due to people visiting temples on January 1? If not then what was the need for the government to interfere in this matter, she said.

While Andhra Pradesh government took a decision that came as a shock to people, the Telangana government has no such plans.

Meanwhile, C.S. Rangarajan of Telangana Archaka Samkhya, supported the AP governments decision and wanted the Telangana government to follow suit.

It has become a habit for people to celebrate January 1. They have to be educated right from childhood, he said.
The Telangana government is trying its best to seek the national festival status for the popular Sammakka Saralamma Jatara.

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government is trying its best to seek the national festival status for the popular Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, a biennial four-day tribal festival celebrated in Medaram, a village in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district. This year, the festival will be held from January 31 to February 3.

Endowment minister Indrakaran Reddy will meet Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram, along with state MPs, in New Delhi on January 2 in this connection.

Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari chaired a review meeting on arrangements for the festival with Cabinet colleagues, including endowments minister Indrak-aran Reddy, tourism minister Chandu Lal, and other higher officials on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters later, Mr Srihari said that CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao had allocated `80 crore for the tribal festival celebrations this year. He said all necessary arrangements would be completed by January 15, adding that directions had been given to the authorities to spruce up bathing ghats and ensure proper water supply, roads with sign boards, parking facilities, a police control room with CCTVs installed at various locations, special services by RTC etc.

The Deputy CM said the three ministers would hold another round of review meeting on Jatara preparations at Medaram on January 18.
Hubballi: An aggressive proponent of Hindutva, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, - the star attraction at the BJPs Parivarthana rally here on Thursday - accused the Siddaramaiah government of disrespecting peoples sentiments and promoting the consumption of cow meat in the state.

Also accusing it of taking no action to stop the killings of Hindu activists in Karnataka, he claimed there was a total breakdown of law and order in the state. The government here is involved in divisive politics by celebrating Tipu Jayanti and ignoring eminent saints and freedom fighters. While the Congress is dividing people on caste and religion lines there is safety for all people in BJP-ruled states, the firebrand UP CM contended, recalling that state BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa had launched the Bhagyalakshmi scheme to help people of all castes when he was CM.

Going on to explain the various schemes of the Modi government for the development of Karnataka, he said it had released in three years as much funds as the previous UPA government had for the state during a decade. The Centre has undertaken projects worth over Rs 10,000 crore in Karnataka. So its important to bring the BJP back to power in the state to give development impetus, he declared.

Claiming that the state government was diverting funds meant for development to meet the election expenditure of the Congress in the country, he said, The BJP is in power in 19 states in the country. But the Congress is ruling in only two states. It is therefore utilising all government funds for elections.
Bengaluru: Lashing out at state BJP leaders, KPCC working president Dinesh Gundurao on Friday played the Karnataka Asmitha card accusing them of inviting their central leaders to portray Karnataka in bad light.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr Rao alleged that BJP leaders here seemed to enjoy it when their central leaders make baseless accusations against the state. "Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, whose state is in shambles compared to Karnataka, is accusing our state of not doing enough. We stand third in the country in tax collection while Uttar Pradesh is at 19th. Our contribution to the country's foreign direct investment is about 19 per cent but nobody knows where UP stands in this regard. What amuses me is that when Adityanath makes baseless accusations against our state, our BJP leaders are enjoying them to the hilt. Shouldn't they be ashamed of themselves when an outsider makes fun of our state?," he said.

Asserting that BJP is not the only custodian of Hindus in the country, Mr Gundurao said the Congress too had a fair share of Hindu followers.
Belagavi: Hitting back at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, CM Siddaramaiah said on Friday that jungle raj prevails in UP and not in Karnataka where the law and order situation under control. There was communal harmony and people celebrated the jayantis of not only Tipu Sultan but also of Ambedkar, Basavanna, Kanakadasa, Valmiki, Bhageerath, Rani Chennamma, Ambigara Chodayya besides sadhus and sufi saints, he added.

Addressing a programme after laying the foundation stone for developmental projects at Yamakanmardi, near Belagavi on Friday, Siddaramaiah said the leaders who were trying to disturb communal harmony were certainly not those who wanted development.

We have started celebrating Krishna and Chennamma Jayanti and named Vijayapura's women's university after Akkamahadevi. Orders have been issued to display the portrait of lord Basaveshwara in all government offices. We dont have to learn lessons in history from others, he quipped.

The CM also took a dig at BJP leaders saying none of them were present when he replied to their questions on development of north-Karnataka in the state assembly during the winter session of the legislature.

The government took up a series of works for this region in the past four years which I highlighted in my reply. Let them (BJP leaders) question me on the statistics presented by me on the works taken up in this region, I am ready for an open debate with them, he added. PM Modi had not responded to the request of the all party delegation from the state which demanded waiver of farmer loans in nationalised banks, he said adding that former PM Dr Manmohan Singh had waived farmer loans in the state to the tune of Rs 72 crore when he was PM.

I would like to know why it is not possible for the Centre to help farmers, he said.
I want to ask the Congress, why they went to so many temples in Gujarat and why they didnt visit a single mosque, madrasa or dargah. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for visiting temples  mandir hopping  while campaigning in Gujarat and ignoring mosques and dargahs.

Interacting with mediapersons here at his party office here, Mr Owaisi said the temple politics of both parties indicated that they were deliberately attempting to politically marginalise Muslims.

My question is why both parties deliberately avoided talking about Muslim empowerment and Muslim representation during the election campaign. The proof is that the BJP did not give a single ticket to Muslims out of the 182 in the Gujarat Assembly, and Congress gave only six. Only three Muslim candidates won the election, Mr Owaisi said.

He said, this is also an indication that neither the BJP nor the Congress is showing any interest to secure Muslim votes. The deliberate marginalisation of Muslims not good for our polity and our democracy, he said.

Taking on the Congress, Mr Owaisi said, I want to ask the Congress, why they went to so many temples in Gujarat and why they didnt visit a single mosque, madrasa or dargah.

He asked out why if Muslim wore a topi (skull cap) and sported a beard, he is instantly labelled a jihadi. He said in the 2019 campaign, he would visit masjids and meet pujaris. Let us see what you call it.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland has expressed its concern about the tightening of the security situation in Donbas and urged Russia to return its officers to the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC), the ministry said in a Saturday posting on its website.

"We express our hope that the Russian side will decide to return to the JCCC immediately," the ministry said.

According to the report, the ministry noted with concern the escalation of the armed conflict in Ukraine, confirmed by the evaluation of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM).
Bengaluru: In a move that could be seen as the Siddaramaiah government keeping one eye clearly on 'Kannada Asmita' - Kannada pride - the CM sent a member of his cabinet, Housing Minister M. Krishnappa to receive a memorandum from Kannada Rakshna Vedike, which had organised a rally at Freedom Park in the city on Saturday demanding job reservations for Kannadigas.

In the last couple of months, Mr Siddaramaiah has not left any stone unturned in this regard, be it removing signboards in Hindi at Namma Metro stations or raising the bogey of separate state flag, Mr Siddaramaiah has been doing it all to raise Kannada Asmita.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader in the Congress party conceded that there was nothing wrong in talking about Kannada Asmita. "If anything it helps our party to consolidate votes in our favour, certainly Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah will do it."

Mr Siddaramaiah who started off his political career as chairman of Kannada Kavalu Samiti, which in its present day avatar is the Kannada Development Authority, knows that raising Kannada Asmita can do wonders for the party ahead of elections. Therefore, he has been leaving no room for chance in this regard, the source said.

Even the smallest of demands from this segment, Mr Siddaramaiah is ready to reciprocate, which he feels will be helpful to consolidate pro-Kannada votes across the state in party's favour," the source observed. The source further added that Mr Siddaramaiah saying in his speeches that he is son of this soil, is only another pointer towards his aim to consolidate pro-Kannada votes in big way.

Earlier in the day, speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Housing minister, M. Krishnappa after receiving a memorandum from the Kannada Rakshana Vedike leaders, said that the state government was committed to implementing the recommendations of Sarojini Mahishi committee. "Sarojini Mahishi Committee report is like a guiding light for our state government," he declared and added that the issue raised by the KRV was all the more pertinent at this juncture which he will bring it to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's notice as soon as possible.

Poll under CM leadership

Setting at rest rumblings to the contrary, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has put his seal of approval on the party facing the 2018 Assembly polls in Karnataka under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Revealing this here on Saturday, senior Congress leader, Veerappa Moily also made it clear that the demand for a Dalit Chief Minister was a closed chapter, to the dismay of supporters of KPCC president, Dr G Parameshwar , who was seen as a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister post the elections.
Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold. Nawaz Sharif, forgetting this adage, lashed out at the judiciary and the military in a white-hot rage, and is now paying the price. Squeezed by these two powerful institutions, he now faces the very real possibility of seeing his younger brother becoming the next Prime Minister. This odd reversal of fortune goes to show how volatile our politics has become, and how weakened the executive now is compared with the military, the judiciary and the media. It was always subservient to the Generals and had surrendered to the clergy, but now other actors have taken centre stage.

The rise of Imran Khan  not long ago a figure of fun in national politics  underlines the shifting patterns that have become a feature on the countrys landscape. In the 1990s, the PPP and the PML took turns at being elected, only to be turfed out by the military, the president and a compliant judiciary. The first decade of the century was dominated by Musharraf. Then flick!, the kaleidoscope is rotated, and the bright bits of glass create an entirely new design. Imran Khan and his PTI gain traction, while the PPP is relegated to provincial status. The MQM, too, is unexpectedly cut down to size, with several factions squabbling for pole position. Though this churning may be good for democracy, it is disastrous for any sense of continuity. All three major parties have widely differing agendas, and each says it wont support any of the others.

In the US, the two parties that have vied for power for over a century are the Republicans and the Democrats, while in the UK, it is the Conservatives and Labour that confront each other at the hustings. Despite the rise and fall of the Liberal Democrats, UKIP and the Green Party, it is the Tories and Labour who have consistently faced off against each other for nearly a century. This consistency lends society and the economy a certain continuity and predictability that we have long lacked. As soon as one party is elected, it sets about dismantling the programmes and policies of its predecessor, even if they had been successful. Then, of course, there is the Sword of Damocles  otherwise known as accountability  that hangs over the heads of defeated politicians.

Recently, the Chinese delegation to the CPEC talks raised this very point as they requested some stability in our politics. The Chinese are generally very polite, so we should interpret their request as a demand. When their President is forced to cancel a state visit because Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri are staging a sit-in outside Parliament, it is a sign that the Chinese are dealing with a banana republic. While the PPP is no longer a factor in national politics, it still currently has enough seats to play the role of official Opposition.

But the major electoral battle will be fought in the cities and plains of Punjab. Personally, I am caught in the usual quandary: who to vote for? For obvious reasons, I could never support a religious party, and I think Imran Khan would be a disaster, given his arrogance and stubbornness. Politics is about compromise, and give and take. Military-supported parties are out, too. The PML(N)? I have never voted for it, and I think its far too conservative. So like it or not, that leaves the PPP. Having voted for it for years, I now find that the stench of corruption is too strong for people of conscience to vote for a party now led by Asif Zardari. Young Bilawal, although no doubt well-intentioned, has little clout. And yet the party has some decent, dedicated members in its upper echelons. Raza Rab-bani, Aitzaz Ahsan, Farhatullah Babar, and Sherry Reh-man come to mind. But until they can rescue the soul of the PPP from Zardari, it is difficult to see how I could vote for a party I have long supported.

By arrangement with Dawn
The conviction of former Bihar chief minister and RJD founder-supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav by a special CBI court in Jharkhand on Saturday in the second of six cases relating to the so-called fodder scam will place Mr Yadav in jail for a time unless he gets bail, but it is unlikely to seriously impact his partys status in Bihar as a leading political force, and one whose clout is dreaded the most by the BJP. The RJD is the largest presence in the Bihar Assembly.

Two years ago, it was the RJD, in collaboration with Nitish Kumars JD(U) and the Congress, that had evicted the BJP from power. The BJP has got back into government by enticing chief minister Nitish Kumar to defect to its camp, leaving the RJD as the principal Opposition party. The RJDs impressive showing in the last Assembly election had come after Mr Yadav had been convicted in the first fodder case in 2013. He was sent to jail but secured bail after a few months. However, he is barred from contesting elections. These personal constraints will, of course, continue. The quantum of punishment this time around is to be announced by the court in January.

In the time between his conviction in the first and the second fodder-related case, the RJD supremo has placed both his sons in the state legislature and Tejaswi, the younger one, was Deputy CM until Mr Kumar broke the coalition arrangement with the RJD and the Congress and returned to being with the BJP-led NDA. The very young Tejaswi Yadav appears to have made a mark as a politician and is currently the leader of the Opposition in Bihar. In recent times, the CBI has been going all-out to target Lalu Yadav and members of his family in new cases relating to awarding contracts for favours when he was railways minister in the UPA government. Tejaswi is also being sought to be roped into this lot of cases, although he was a school-going boy when his father was a UPA minister.

Since the younger Mr Yadav has made a positive impression in Bihar, the attempt to involve him in corruption-related cases is apt to be seen as political vendetta by the powers-that-be. This is likely to mean that his fathers cause as a politician is unlikely to take a beating in Bihar. If the senior Mr Yadav remains on bail, he will continue to lead the anti-BJP politics in the state in his own unmatched style that strikes a chord with the public. Should he go behind bars, public sympathy for his son and the RJD may only be enhanced at a time when fingers have begun to be pointed at CM Kumars government for favouring certain entrepreneurs for a consideration. The grapple in Bihar is between Mr Yadavs tainted term in government and his secular politician image.
The American people deserve to know that with the courage of everyone gathered here, we're making real progress in this fight for freedom in Afghanistan, Mike Pence told the troops. (Photo: File)

Kabul: Vice President Mike Pence told US troops in Afghanistan Thursday that they have put the Taliban on the run, as he became the most senior Trump administration official to visit the men and women fighting America's longest-ever war.

Flying secretly through the day and night on a standard unmarked US Air Force C-17 transport plane, Pence corkscrewed into Bagram Airfield on the unannounced visit to thank some of the roughly 15,000 US personnel still hoping to turn the tide in the conflict, now in its 17th year.

The superpower's vexed campaign against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban -- born from the rubble of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington -- receives ever-less public attention in the United States these days.

"The American people deserve to know that with the courage of everyone gathered here, we're making real progress in this fight for freedom in Afghanistan," Pence told the troops.

"We've dramatically increased American air strikes. And together with our Afghan partners, we've put the Taliban on the defensive," he said, also pointing at efforts to target the drug trafficking networks that help fund the Taliban.

"All across this country we've won new victories against the terrorists, no matter what they call themselves or where they try to hide."

"And never doubt that your mission -- your mission here in Afghanistan -- is vital to the safety and security of the American people," the vice president said.

Pence's visit was designed to shift the spotlight back on personnel and their mission, however briefly, before Americans turn their focus to turkey lunches, festive cheer and contentious domestic politics.

His visit also included a helicopter dash from Bagram into the heart of the capital Kabul to meet President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, both of whom the United States is counting on to help rebuild this war-shattered country.

"We've been on a long road together" he said. "We've both sacrificed much."

But, he added: "We are here to see this through."

Pakistan on notice

The vice president also aimed a jab at neighbouring Pakistan -- reiterating word for word Trump's warning that it must stop offering cross-border safe havens to Taliban factions and armed jihadist groups fighting US troops and their Afghan allies.

"President Trump has put Pakistan on notice," Pence said.

"Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with the United States, and Pakistan has much to lose by continuing to harbour criminals and terrorists."

His comments sparked a testy response from the Pakistani Foreign Office, which said they were "at variance" with previous conversations, and added: "Allies do not put each other on notice."

Read: Trump does it better than Obama: Increased air strikes to fight Afghan Taliban

Pence's visit comes four months after Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan, which he told the troops, was "already bearing fruit."

With typical certitude, the 45th commander-in-chief promised a more ruthless campaign without Obama-era exit deadlines or niceties.

But the trip comes as Afghan security forces struggle to beat back the Taliban, which has been on the offensive since the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat troops at the end of 2014 and maintains control over swathes of the country.

And the fact that Pence's visit took place in secrecy and under cover of winter darkness is a stark reminder of the difficult security situation even around Kabul and even after a war effort worth more than half a trillion dollars.

In doubt until last moment

Later asked by reporters whether the US would consider raising its military presence in the country, Pence demurred.

"That will be a decision for the commander in chief in the days ahead, but again this is... not just personnel," he said.

"You know, I said today that bureaucrats don't win wars, soldiers do. And one of the things that you have seen in President Trump, as commander in chief, is he has empowered our battlefield commanders to make real-time decisions," he continued, citing successes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

His visit from Bagram to central Kabul was in doubt until the last moment, when a White House official said he countermanded a decision that the weather was not clear enough to travel.

Even then, Pence's helicopter flight took place in near total darkness, moving low and fast and with a heavy phalanx of secret service and special forces.

The White House official said the decision was made "out of respect. To meet with Ghani and Abdullah."

The Trump administration, like Barack Obama's before, has put enormous hope in Ghani, who is seen by the White House as more competent and less corrupt than his predecessor Hamid Karzai.

But his three-year-old "national unity" government appears to be faltering and parliamentary elections have been repeatedly postponed.

Pence had been expected to visit Egypt and Israel this week, a trip that was delayed amid a crunch vote on tax cuts and deadly protests at Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Peru has declared two North Korean diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within 15 days, according to a foreign ministry statement. The Peruvian government has informed the North Korean embassy of its decision to declare First Secretary Pak Myong Chol and Third Secretary Ji Hyok persona non grata, the ministry said late on Friday. It imposed the measure having verified that...diplomatic personnel have carried out activities incompatible with their official duties, it added. The ministry said the decision was also related to North Koreas continuous violations of UNSC resolutions on non-proliferation.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Saturday unanimously placed new sanctions on North Korea for its November 19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, limiting its access to refined petroleum products. The US-drafted resolution imposes tough measures on energy, export and import sectors, overseas North Korean labourers, and asks maritime authorities to help shut down North Koreas illicit smuggling activities.

Signed by all 15 members of the Security Council, the resolution bans the import of nearly 90 per cent refined petroleum products to the country. On November 29, Pyongyang launched an ICBM. It was another attempt by the Kim regime to masquerade as a great power, while their people starve and their soldiers defect. This is an unprecedented challenge from a defiant state. So we have levelled an unprecedented response, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said. The Security Council also banned North Korean exports of food products, machinery and industrial and electrical equipment.
The MML had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan's order on October 11 that had declined its registration as a political party. (Photo: File)

Islamabad: The Pakistan government has requested a court in Islamabad to not consider Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-backed Milli Muslim League's plea seeking its registration as a political party, saying the group would breed violence and extremism in politics.

Saeed earlier this month had confirmed that his organisation Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the Milli Muslim League (MML).

The MML had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan's order on October 11 that had declined its registration as a political party.

The interior ministry, in its written reply submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on the MML's petition, said that it opposed the group's registration as a political party as the group was an offshoot of proscribed entities.

Dawn newspaper reported that the government requested the court not to consider the MML's plea and dismiss the petition.

The ministry formed its opinion on the basis of a security agency's report which expressed apprehensions that the registration of the MML as a political party "would breed violence and extremism in politics".

According to the ministry's reply to the court, the MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD).

According to Political Parties Order (PPO) 2002, organisations which act in the manner prejudicial to fundamental rights, undermine the integrity of Pakistan,

promote sectarian, regional or provincial hatred, bear a name as a militant group and impart any military or paramilitary training to its members, do not qualify for registration as political party.

In it reply to the court, the interior ministry said a security agency had opined that "it is difficult to believe that the MML will tread its own path, completely at variance with its mother (LeT and JuD) organisations."

The agency "recommended that since registration of such groups would breed violence and extremism in politics, such groups be avoided," it said.

According to the reply, the LeT, JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) are facing UN sanctions, therefore, the interior ministry "furnished comments to the ECP that the registration of the MML, an offshoot of the same network of JuD/FIF (which apparent in MML as well), was not supported".

The JuD chief 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.

The MML had contested a bypoll in September for NA-120, a National Assembly seat that had fallen vacant following disqualification of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sheikh Yaqub, MML candidate, had secured 6,000 votes. Yaqub was placed in 2012 on a US Treasury sanctions list of those designated as leaders of terrorist organisations.
The Pakistan government has requested a court here not to consider Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-backed Milli Muslim Leagues plea seeking its registration as a political party. Saeed earlier this month had confirmed that his organisation Jammat-ud-Dawah would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the Milli Muslim League. The MML had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistans order on October 11 that had declined its registration as a party.
Two boys, aged 12, drowned in the Kothanur Dinne Lake at JP Nagar 8th Phase.



The Konanakunte police have identified them as Harish and Puneeth, both residents of Chunchaghatta, and Class VIII students.

After returning from school on Thursday, the boys told their parents they were going for a music programme, but headed to the lake instead. When the boys didn't return, the families got worried. They frantically searched for them, but the efforts proved futile.

Around 12.30 pm on Friday, Madhusudhan, who is related to one of the families, went to the lake and saw Puneeth's clothes lying around. He called the fire brigade, and informed the families, too. Emergency services' personnel fished out the bodies, which were shifted to KIMS Hospital for

postmortem.

The police have registered a case of negligence against the lake authorities as there was no security personnel present at the waterbody.
The special CBI court in Ranchi, hearing the fodder scam cases, will decide the fate of two former Bihar chief ministers - Lalu Prasad Yadav and Dr Jagannath Mishra - when it pronounces its verdict on Saturday.



CBI judge Shivpal Singh will deliver the verdict in one of the six cases registered against Lalu. This case RC 64A/96 is related to fraudulent withdrawal of around Rs 90 lakh from Deogarh treasury, in which Lalu, as well as Mishra, are accused.

This case has reached its conclusion 21 years after the scam was unearthed. Lalu was earlier convicted and jailed in another fodder scam case on September 13, 2013. The conviction got him five years imprisonment, disqualification from Lok Sabha (he was then sitting MP from Saran) and a ban on contesting elections for six years after his jail term ends. However, the Supreme Court granted him bail in December 2013. A trial against Lalu was revived this year after the apex court restored corruption charges, and, on May 8, asked the CBI court to complete hearing within nine months.

As many as 38 persons were named accused in the case. However, 11 died during the trial, two became approvers and two others pleaded guilty.

The verdict on Saturday may alter the dynamics of Bihar politics as RJD is the single largest party in the Bihar Assembly.

The JD (U) and the BJP have already predicted that the fate of the RJD was doomed as its party chief faced an imminent incarceration.

However, Lalu put up a brave front and said both Nitish and the BJP have been trying hard to send him to jail. "But I won't be cowed down. Nobody can finish Lalu. My party will run even in my absence. The more the BJP and Nitish will attack me, the more my vote-bank will increase," said Lalu in Ranchi.

The RJD chief also said he has full faith in the judiciary.
If only option for peacekeepers in Donbas is Russia's participation, better these peacekeepers than no peacekeepers  MP Taruta

Independent MP Serhiy Taruta has said that if the only option for deploying a peacekeeping mission in Donbas is the participation of representatives of Russia, it is better than there will be these peacekeepers that no peacekeepers at all.

"I would like that we do not have them there. However, if the issue is posed point-blank what is better: not to have them at all or to have Russia [participating], I vote that Russia is present, but anyway there should be the peacekeeping mission," he said at the Ukrainian Congress of Leaders of Non-Governmental Organizations "Donbas: Road Map 2018. Joint Vector" in Kyiv on Saturday.

Taruta said that it is better if there were no Russians in the peacekeeping mission.
Escalating his attack on the BJP, newly-elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that the entire architecture, structure and foundation of the ruling party was based on "lies" and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Gujarat model' was "flawed and fake".



He was speaking after chairing the first meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party, as the Congress chief, with his mother Sonia Gandhi seated next to him, along with former prime minister Manmohan Singh and other senior members.

Sources said the issue of indiscipline in the party, with leaders giving out-of-turn statements that hurt the party's prospects in the recent assembly elections, were also raised at the meeting, besides the need to strengthen the organisational structure.

Rahul Gandhi, who had launched a relentless onslaught against Modi during the Gujarat polls, continued in the same vein as he termed the 'Gujarat model' a "lie".

He alleged that people of the state say it is a "flawed and fake" model where there is "stealing" of resources which are handed over to a "few vested interests".

"The whole architecture of the BJP is about lies, their whole structure is about lies...BJP's entire foundation is based on lies.

"If you see the Modi model in Gujarat, it was a lie, clearly. When we went to Gujarat and we spoke to the people of Gujarat, they said there is no model. What is going on is the stealing of resources of the people of Gujarat and that's their design," he told reporters after the meeting.

Gandhi alleged that whether it was putting Rs 15 lakh in every bank accounts, the 2G spectrum allocation issue, or the Modi model, "one by one the lies are coming out".

In his inaugural speech, he said he was surprised to see that it is universally understood by people of Gujarat that "this a flawed, fake model".

"The main expression was that he (Modi) has handed over Gujarat to a few vested interests and he has taken tremendous benefits from Gujarat but Gujarat hasn't received anything in return," he said.

On the 2G verdict, he said, "I think 2G has been a vindication (of our party's stand)...Everyone knows about 2G and the truth has come before all of you."

Addressing the CWC, he said the BJP used the 2G issue as the biggest instrument against the UPA government which has "turned out to be fake".

"So the idea, their model, is to come up with a lie, spread that lie, and just keep repeating that lie until people believe the lie. And the good news that I can see is that people are now beginning to question it.

"Across the country, they are questioning Mr Modi on the economy, they're questioning Mr Modi when he insults our ex- prime minister. So that feeling is coming up and there is a positive sentiment towards the Congress party," he told the CWC

Gandhi said there is a lot of opportunity for the Congress "that we need to step into and take advantage of".

He also questioned the "silence" of the prime minister on the changes made in the Rafale deal to allegedly help a businessman and the charges of financial irregularities of a firm linked to BJP chief Amit Shah's son Jay.

"It was disappointing that we lost but it was pleasing to see the Congress party fight hatred and anger with respect, love and courage. I send my good wishes to people of both states," he said.

He termed the Gujarat campaign as "unique" and "a real eye-opener" for him, where he got to know how the BJP designs campaigns and "uses hatred and untruth" to fight elections.

"One of the successes that the Congress party can take credit for in Gujarat is the dismantling of the Modi model of development. I was surprised when I went to Gujarat," he said.

Towards the end of the campaign, Gandhi alleged that the BJP attempted to polarise the election.

"At every step, they were trying to polarise. Our party played a very positive role in keeping everybody together. And then we also saw how in their desperation, the Prime Minister himself accused Dr Manmohan Singh of complete blatant falsehood and a lie. And he has had nothing to say about that since then," he said.

Later addressing the media, Congress communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said the CWC also discussed the current political situation and how the BJP "concocted the conspiracy" against the Congress in the 2G issue.

"How prime minister Modi, Arun Jaitley and the BJP stands exposed today with the 2G verdict by special CBI Court.

"The BJP maligned the country and the Congress party for years together making false allegations of corruption as their principal strategy to gain power.

"The BJP, particularly Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley and their stooge, Vinod Rai created a 'fallacious web of allegations of corruption'. The truth is, however, out in the open that the BJP made a profession out of its conspiracy of lies and falsehoods to gain power at any cost.

"Narendra Modi, Shri Arun Jaitley and the BJP leadership should come forward to own up their sinister maligning machinations and apologise to the nation," he said.

The CWC meeting was attended by top party leaders like Ahmed Patel, Ambika Soni, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Kamal Nath, BK Hari Prasad, CP Joshi, Motilal Vora, Mohsina Kidwai, Mallikarjun Kharge and others, besides state incharges.

The CWC also passed a resolution lauding the contribution of Sonia Gandhi in leading and guiding the party to great heights during her 19 years of presidentship.

Without naming anyone, some leaders raised the issue of enforcing discipline in the party and action against errant leaders, to which Rahul Gandhi agreed, the sources said.

"I agree. We will ensure discipline is enforced and the party is strengthened," Gandhi reportedly told the meeting.

Former prime minister Singh raised the issue of the challenges ahead for the party.

"The Working Committee was unanimous in saying that the momentum gained from the current set of elections would only be enhanced so that in the next set of elections Congress emerges victorious," Surjewala said.
Once again, the medical device industry is split down the middle this time on fixing the prices of injection syringes.



A day after an association of Indian syringe manufacturers brought a self-regulation circular, capping the trade margin at 75% on ex-factory price, another industry group comprising multinationals opposed the move.

"There is no need to revisit ex-factory or landed cost-based price capping and try to re-invent the wheel. Self-regulation based on the decision of a small group is not sustainable," Medical Technology Association of India (MTAI), an association of medical technology companies, said in a press statement.

The statement comes a day after All India Syringes and Needles Manufacturers Association announced that its members would voluntarily cap the trade margins at a maximum of 75% on the ex-factory prices (including GST) by January 26, 2018.

The AISNMA an association of largely domestic medical device manufacturers said it took the decision in the wake of a meeting with the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority earlier this month.

The NPPA advised the syringe manufacturers to either voluntarily limit the margins and MRP or the government would have to step in to regulate them. The local manufacturers wrote to MTAI, asking them to adopt the self-regulation for patient benefit.

"We have seen out of 26 manufacturers of syringes and needles only 12 companies gave WhatsApp confirmation; already one member dissenting and others not confirming illustrates that self-regulation will not sustain. A more sustainable approach will be for government to mandate trade margins with necessary changes in the Drug Price Control Order," MTAI said, articulating its differences with the other group.

The issue of trade margins on medical consumables came into limelight following a case in the Gurugram-based Fortis hospital, which was found guilty of overcharging patients. The hospital charged up to 1,737% margin on some of the medical consumables.

Blatant profiteering

On several types of disposable syringes, the hospital enjoyed a margin between 900-1,200% and the lowest margin on one type of disposable syringe was 492%.

"Hospitals are buying medical devices from those manufacturers who keep high MRP of their products despite low ex-factory prices. This is nothing but profiteering at the cost of patients," said Rajiv Nath, president, AISNMA.

In the past, the industry was also divided on the issue of capping the prices of coronary stents, which had been brought under price control by the NPPA.
DMK MP Kanimozhi on Friday walked into the Rajya Sabha to cheers from several MPs. Only a day before, she was exonerated by a special CBI court in the multi-crore 2G spectrum allocation scam.



Ministers and MPs from across party lines congratulated her. She walked up to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who said "God bless you". Before flying down to Chennai, Kanimozhi spoke to Shemin Joy of DH on the verdict, its impact and DMK's political plans at the Parliament House.



The verdict has come as a relief for you. So, what next?



I will continue in politics. I will carry on. I may write a book. I hope I remember the details. But those seven years, I don't want to recall the ordeal. I was sure, as I said earlier, that we will see light at the end of the tunnel.



Were you sure that the outcome of the court proceedings would be positive?



To be very honest, I am very happy. Going by the merits of the case, it was clear that we will win. The whole case was based on notional loss. What we had been saying for last several years, the judge also said finally.



The CBI has said that they will appeal against the verdict acquitting you and others, including former Telecom Minister A Raja. Another legal battle is in the offing. What will be your strategy?



We will have to face it, fight it, and we will fight it out. We will put out our case before the higher court.



After the verdict and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to meet DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, there is speculation that DMK is switching sides and may join a BJP alliance. What do you say on this?



I don't think there is going to be any change. These are all speculation. Status quo will remain. I am reading it that way. I don't see any change. I am not the person who decides all these.



Several leaders, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, were seen chatting with you in the Rajya Sabha. What were they saying?



They all are happy. I went to the former prime minister. He said "God bless you" and that he is very happy with the verdict.
A special CBI court here will pronounce its judgement today in the fodder scam case in which former Bihar chief ministers Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra along with 20 others are accused.



The case pertains to the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

"The court will pronounce the judgement at 3 pm," one of the Mishra's advocates said.

Yadav, who arrived here yesterday accompanied by younger son Tejaswi Prasad told reporters today, "A have full faith in the judicial system."

He faces three other cases related to the fodder scam.

The RJD chief also appealed to his supporters in Bihar to maintain peace and order irrespective of the verdict.

Former MP R K Rana, three former IAS officers -- Phoolchand Singh, Beck Julius and Mahesh Prasad -- are also among the accused in the case.

A charge sheet was filed against 38 persons on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today slammed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for talking to media about his "innocence" in the Fodder scam even as a CBI court was due to deliver its judgement in the case.



The special CBI court in Ranchi will pronounce its verdict later today in the fodder scam case in which Yadav, a former Bihar chief minister and Union minister, is an accused.

"Whether he is acquitted or convicted, is for the court to decide. We do comment on it, but he is lecturing on the TV since morning even though the judgement is yet to be delivered," Paswan told reporters here.

Paswan, the chief of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), an NDA ally, also hit out at Yadav alleging his involvement in corruption as Union Railway minister.

"He used to be a big-shot in the Railways but what did he do there? He just made (money)," the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution alleged.

Paswan, 71, congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah for the party's "crucial" victory in the just-held Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections and predicted the NDA's win in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"There will be no Opposition in 2019 because they have no issues. What will (Congress president) Rahul Gandhi tell about his party's achievements in 2019," he asked.

Paswan also claimed that unity among all Opposition parties for the 2019 elections was an "impossibility", saying they cannot come together "even in seven lives".

"The Congress protests alone in Parliament and no other party from the Opposition joins them. Those who cannot unite in Parliament, cannot do so outside it," he added.

Talking about his party, Paswan said the national executive of the LJP will be held in Delhi on March 11 next year. He said the LJP has been able to increase its membership to 50 lakh and aims to have one crore members.
The Pakistan government has requested a court here not to consider Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-backed Milli Muslim League's plea seeking its registration as a political party, saying the group would breed violence and extremism in politics.



Saeed earlier this month had confirmed that his organisation Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the Milli Muslim League (MML).

The MML had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan's order on October 11 that had declined its registration as a political party.

The interior ministry, in its written reply submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on the MML's petition, said that it opposed the group's registration as a political party as the group was an offshoot of proscribed entities.

Dawn newspaper reported that the government requested the court not to consider the MML's plea and dismiss the petition.

The ministry formed its opinion on the basis of a security agency's report which expressed apprehensions that the registration of the MML as a political party "would breed violence and extremism in politics".

According to the ministry's reply to the court, the MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD).

According to Political Parties Order (PPO) 2002, organisations which act in the manner prejudicial to fundamental rights, undermine the integrity of Pakistan, promote sectarian, regional or provincial hatred, bear a name as a militant group and impart any military or paramilitary training to its members, do not qualify for registration as political party. `

In it reply to the court, the interior ministry said a security agency had opined that "it is difficult to believe that the MML will tread its own path, completely at variance with its mother (LeT and JuD) organisations."

The agency "recommended that since registration of such groups would breed violence and extremism in politics, such groups be avoided," it said.

According to the reply, the LeT, JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) are facing UN sanctions, therefore, the interior ministry "furnished comments to the ECP that the registration of the MML, an offshoot of the same network of JuD/FIF (which apparent in MML as well), was not supported".

The JuD chief 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.

The MML had contested a bypoll in September for NA-120, a National Assembly seat that had fallen vacant following the disqualification of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sheikh Yaqub, an MML candidate, had secured 6,000 votes. Yaqub was placed in 2012 on a US Treasury sanctions list of those designated as leaders of terrorist organisations.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin on Saturday met in New Delhi to review bilateral trade and economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation.



Swaraj and Rogozin co-chaired the meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).

"Deepening our special and privileged strategic partnership, EAM @SushmaSwaraj welcomes Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, for the IRIGC-TEC in N.Delhi," Raveesh Kumar, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, posted on Twitter.

Rogozin is accompanied by senior Russian government officials and representatives of trade and industry. Swaraj is leading the Indian delegation.

Kumar said the meeting would enable India and Russia to review the progress achieved by various working groups and sub-groups under the IRIGC-TEC and also discuss new areas of cooperation that could strengthen bilateral trade and investment.

India and Russia have been discussing ways to step up bilateral cooperation in energy, railways, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals sectors, sources said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said an advisory has been issued to all states to ensure law and order during Christmas in the wake of fringe elements recently threatening some Christian community members against celebrating the festival.



A fringe group in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh had on December 17 issued a circular and threatened the management of all city schools against celebrating Christmas saying, if they did so, it would be "at their own risk".

When asked about it, Singh said an advisory has been issued to all the states so that there is no law and order issue. He also conveyed his greetings to the nation on Christmas.

"Any festival, whether it is Christmas, Ramzaan, Holi or Diwali, should be celebrated without any problems. Strict action would be taken if anyone tries to create ruckus during the festivals," the minister said on the sidelines of the 54th anniversary parade of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) here.

He said India is the only country that believes in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' -- a philosophy that inculcates an understanding that the whole world is one family.

"I believe that all people irrespective of any religion should celebrate each other's festivals in its true spirit with full enthusiasm," Singh said.
India's first low-cost carrier Air Deccan, which ceased operations after being acquired by erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines in 2008, took off wings again as a commuter airline with its maiden flight taking off for Jalgaon from here today.



The flight, DN 1320, took off for Jalgaon, around 400 km from here in North Maharashtra, from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) here this afternoon.

"It's a sense of great beginning. A sense of being fortunate that Air Deccan is taking off again," Air Deccan chairman Capt G R Gopinath told PTI.

There was a dream of taking flying to every possible corner of the country, which did not come to fruition because of Air Deccan's merger with the Kingfisher Airlines in 2008, he said.

"Now I have the opportunity to relaunch operations across the country," said the pioneer of low-cost aviation in India.

The flight was inaugurated by Maharashtra PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil along with Gopinath.

However, the maiden flight was marred by delay. The aircraft took off at around 2.55 pm instead of the scheduled departure of 1.20 pm.

Air Deccan's strategic partners Shaishav Shah of Ahmedabad-based GSEC Ltd and Himanshu Shah of Monarch Networth Capital as well as senior DGCA officials were on-board the inaugural flight.

Air Deccan received the scheduled commuter operator (SCO) permit from regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) yesterday.

In the first phase of operations, Air Deccan plans to provide connectivity to Jalgaon, Nashik and Kolhapur from Mumbai and Pune.

Air Deccan had bagged 34 routes in the first phase of bidding for Udan scheme, which caps fares at Rs 2,500 for a flight under hour duration.

For the Jalgaon flight, the airline has pegged fares at Rs 2,250 for 50 per cent of the seats, to be operated under the Regional Connectivity Scheme, while the ticket price for the remaining nine will be Rs 4,500 per seat, an official said.

Air Deccan has deployed a 19-seater plane, Beachcraft B-1900D, (18 passengers and one crew member) on the Mumbai- Jalgaon route. The same aircraft will come back to Mumbai and then fly to Nashik this evening.

Flight operators, awarded routes under the scheme, are entitled to a subsidy to keep fares low for the passengers. An airline has to set aside 50 per cent of its seating capacity at the discounted fares.
No frozen personal bank accounts or other assets in Switzerland in name of Viktor Yanukovych

The Swiss Federal Council's decision of December 20, 2017 to extend for one year its "freeze on the assets" of President Yanukovych and his "entourage," and the media release published on this occasion referring to the freezes on  Ukrainian assets (CHF 70 million)," does not assert that President Yanukovych had or has any assets in Switzerland, Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP (JHA LLP) has reported.

"On the contrary, the Swiss Federal Councils similar decision and announcement made last year, on December 9, 2016, was later clarified by a letter dated March 1, 2017 from the Swiss authorities confirming that: there are no bank accounts or other assets in Switzerland held in the name of President Yanukovych that they have frozen (as President Yanukovych himself has always contended); and the asset freezes imposed by Switzerland concern other persons (i.e. not President Yanukovych) listed in the Appendix to the Ordinance on the Freezing of Assets in Connection with Ukraine," JHA LLP said in a press release published on Friday.

The lawyers draw attention again to their earlier press release dated March 3, 2017 dealing with the 2016 Decision and announcement.

"Nothing has changed. The Swiss federal Council still do not clearly state who the "CHF 70 million" referred to in their announcements belongs to, but, that said, the Swiss Federal Council have officially acknowledged that it does not belong to President Yanukovych," the company said.

Indeed, the Swiss Federal Council, in its 20 December 2017 announcement, observes that is has not yet even been determined "whether or not the origins of the frozen assets are illicit."

The Swiss Federal Council on December 20, 2017 resolved to extend by a year a freeze on the assets of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych and several individuals closely associated with them.

One year earlier, on December 9, 2016, the Federal Council extended the freeze on Ukrainian assets in the amount of CHF 70 million for a year and the decision would have expired in February 2018.

Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP is a law firm based in London representing Viktor Yanukovych and his son Oleksandr Yanukovych.
A dawn to dusk Vijayapura bandh on Saturday called by several people's organisation, condemning the rape and murder of a schoolgirl, has evoked good response.

But for a stray incident of stone pelting on a KSRTC bus on Indi Road, the bandh was by and large peaceful.

The city witnessed a total shutdown. Buses remained off road since morning as the KSRTC bus stand wore a deserted look through the day. Traders shut down shops voluntarily while many schools and colleges remained closed.

The agitating activists expressed their anguish against the heinous incident by burning tyres on several roads in the city.

Thousands gathered at Ambedkar Circle in the morning and took out a protest jatha. The jatha passed through Gandhi Circle via Siddeshwara Temple and before culminating at Ambedkar Circle.

The agitators held a massive rally at Ambedkar Circle. They did not allow Union Minister Ramesh Jigajinagi to address the gathering.

The minister, however, addressed the protesters without mike. He said that he's hurt by the inhuman incident.

The state government should get the rape and murder of the schoolgirl probed by the CBI.

Earlier in the day, the Union minister visited the parents of the victim and handed over a cheque for Rs 1 lakh to them on behalf of BJP.

Sindhigi town too shut down on Saturday, condemning the rape and murder of the schoolgirl in Vijayapura, recently.

Four suspects arrested

Meanwhile, the district police have arrested four suspects and have handed them over to the CID.

CID Superintendent of Police Anandkumar, in charge of the team investigating the rape and murder of a minor girl, told reporters that the suspects are Sagar More, Srishail Mucchandi and Kailas Rathod. The name of the fourth suspect was not disclosed as his age is yet to be confirmed.

Three more persons involved in the case are absconding, he said, adding that their whereabouts had been identified. They would be arrested soon, he added.

Anandkumar said the arrested had changed their movements frequently. They were once located in Mumbai, then Pune and then Solapur in Maharashtra, before moving to Indi in Vijayapura district.

He said the rape of the girl had been confirmed, but whether it was gang-rape or not would be confirmed only after getting the post-mortem report.
Actor Rajinikanth is all set to meet his fans for six days here, beginning December 26, giving rise to expectations that he might finally announce his long expected political entry



Rajinikanth, who has stridden the Tamil cine world like a colossus for the past four decades and enjoys almost a demigod-like status among his legion of followers, might make public his political entry during his address to fans.

"There is an expectation that he will spell out his stand on entering politics. He may do it or may not...only he knows...let no one speculate," a senior functionary of the All India Rajinikanth Fans Welfare Club told PTI.

The 67-year-old actor, whose second look poster of "Kaala" was released on his birthday on December 12, is scheduled to address his fans on December 26 and 31, the opening and valedictory sessions which might be tweaked if warranted.

The possibility of his entry into politics has been debated for about two decades, but has revived now in view of a perceived political vacuum in Tamil Nadu after the demise of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. DMK chief M Karunanidhi is also not active in politics due to ill health.

Rajinikanth had in 1996 famously said that even "God cannot save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa is voted back" to lead the state.

The actor's opposition to Jayalalithaa was seen as one factor which helped catapult the main opposition party to power in the assembly elections that year.

Since then, his fans have urged him to enter politics and and expectations have risen among political observers.

Reviving anticipation of his imminent political entry, the actor had said in May that the "system is rotten" despite the presence of "efficient" leaders like DMKs M K Stalin and PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss.

Countering opposition from some pro-Tamil quarters that he is a non Tamil (since he has Marathi roots and Karnataka origin), he had then asserted that he was a "pachai Tamizhan (pure Tamilian)."

Addressing his fans in May for a similar photo-op, Rajinikanth had said, "Let us face the war when it comes" which was seen as an indication that he might enter politics.

Rajinikanth met fans from as many as 16 districts during summer.

Next week, he is scheduled to meet fans covering as many as 18 districts, which includes Chennai and Kancheepuram.

Rajinikanth is scheduled to meet about 900-1000 fans during the six days ending December 31. The session is scheduled to begin by 7 AM and go on till about 3 PM.
Chronology of events:





Jan 1996: Fodder scam unearthed after the then Deputy Commissioner of Chaibasa Amit Khare raided the Animal Husbandry Department. Documents seized provided substantial evidence of scam.



March 1996: Patna High Court asks CBI to investigate fodder scam. Following the order, CBI registers FIR in the Chaibasa (in undivided Bihar) Treasury case.



June 1997: CBI files chargesheet. Names Lalu Prasad as one of the accused.



July 1997: Lalu quits as CM, annoints Rabri as CM. Surrenders before CBI court. Sent to judicial custody.



April 2000: Rabri too named as accused in the case. However, she was granted bail.



Oct 2001: SC transfers case to Jharkhand HC after bifurcation of Bihar.



Feb 2002: Trial begins in Special CBI court in Jharkhand.



Dec 2006: A lower court in Patna acquits Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi in Disproportionate Assets (DA) case.



March 2012: Charges framed against Lalu and Dr Jagannath Mishra, also an accused in fodder scam.



Sept 30, 2013: Lalu, Mishra and 45 others convicted in another fodder scam case RC 20A/96. Lalu sent to Ranchi jail and disqualified as Lok Sabha member. Also debarred from contesting elections.



Dec 2013: Supreme Court grants bail to Lalu.



May 2017: Trial revived after SC order on May 8. Apex court asks the lower court to separately try them in Deoghar treasury case RC 64A/96 and complete the hearing within nine months.



Dec 23, 2017: Lalu Prasad and 17 others found guilty by special CBI court. Convicted in 2 out of 6 cases


The Rs 13,000 crore buyback programme of Infosys, which concluded last week, has seen the shareholding of its promoters increase, albeit marginally.



Although, the absolute number of shares held by the promoters has declined from 29.28 crore to 28.17 crore, it has, however, increased by 15 basis points in percentage terms to 12.90% owing to a decrease in the total shareholding of the IT major.

The increase of shareholding from 12.75% comes at a time when the management and the promoters of the company had recently been on loggerheads with each other.

Among the top 10 beneficiaries of the buyback, featured two promoter group members.

The company has bought back 15 lakh shares (1.33% of the total shares bought back) from Sudha Gopalakrishnan, wife of Kris Gopalakrishnan, making her richer by Rs 172.5 crore. Rohan Murty, son of N R Narayana Murthy, is the other promoter group member to feature among top 10 beneficiaries. The company bought back 13.93 lakh shares (1.23%) from him yielding Rs 160.2 crore.

After the buyback, the total networth of promoters' stake at Infosys is pegged at Rs 29,252.03 crore, as per Friday's market close rates.

The buyback offer rolled out by the company has been a massive hit, with 499.89% response from the shareholders. For 11.30 crore shares reserved for the buyback, there were 56.51 crore valid shares tendered by the shareholders.

The response to the buyback by the institutional and large shareholders was far higher than the small shareholders. For 1.7 crore shares reserved for their buyback, small investors tendered 3.04 crore, with a response of 179.11%. However, other shareholders tendered 53.47 crore shares, with a response of 556.5%.

The biggest beneficiary of the buyback has been the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The IT bellwether has bought back 68.14 lakh shares held by the LIC. This will lead to a cash flow of Rs 703.09 crore for the insurance giant. The LIC took a major portion of 5.41% of the shares bought back by the IT major.

Post the buyback, along with market capitalisation, the company's paid up equity capital is now down by 4.88% to Rs 1,092 crore, from Rs 1,148 crore.
BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje on Saturday accused the ruling Congress of not making any effort to convince its party leaders in Goa on resolving the Mahadayi issue.

Goa Congress chief Shataram Naik said his party is opposed to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's move to parting with Mahadayi water to Karnataka for drinking water purpose. The Goa Congress has also said it is opposed to out-of-court settlement on the issue. This shows that Karnataka Congress leaders are not making effort on finding a solution to the inter-state water dispute, she told reporters.

When an all-party delegation from Karnataka met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, it was resolved that both the Congress and the BJP would try to convince the respective party leaders in the riparian states to come for talks. While the BJP in Karnataka led by B S Yeddyurappa has kept its word, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has not made any effort to convince Congress leaders in Goa, the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP charged.
State BJP president B S Yeddyurappa has suggested the state government, based on the letter written by Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to him (Yeddyurappa), to seek interim relief from the Tribunal for diverting 7.56 tmcft of water from Mahadayi basin to Malaprabha river to meet the drinking water needs of the North Karnataka districts.

Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, Yeddyurappa said, "According to legal experts, Karnataka can get interim relief from the tribunal if a fresh application is filed as Goa chief minister is willing to share Mahadayi water on humanitarian grounds."

"Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says that the letter (by Parrikar) is a political gimmick, but he writes a letter to his Goan counterpart for talks on the basis of that letter itself. Congress is politicising the issue, though we honestly tried to find a solution. We have done what Congress could not do in 15 years, but Siddaramaiah is not ready to utilise the opportunity. Siddaramaiah, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are behind Goa Congress chief Shantaram Naik's statement opposing the amicable settlement to meet drinking water needs in North Karnataka region," Yeddyurappa said.

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly, Jagadish Shettar, said that Parrikar considered our plea despite the stiff opposition in Goa on sharing Mahadayi water to Karnataka.

Now, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should take steps to seek interim relief afresh, submitting Parrikar's letter to the tribunal, and should convince the Congress leaders in Goa not to raise any objections, Shettar added.

DH News Service
A legislator of National Conference (NC) in Kashmir has sparked a fresh controversy in Kashmir by calling the slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani a "martyr".

He also said Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was working on directions from the RSS.

"Since the martyrdom of Burhan Wani, over 250 youth have been martyred. Properties have been damaged, but Mehboobaji hasn't spoken on this," MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi, who represents the Homi Shali Bugh Assembly constiteuncy of Anantnag district in south Kashmir, told reporters.

He said Mehbooba was working on directions from Nagpur - referring to the RSS headquarters - "to save her chair".

"Our sisters were martyred. And Mehboobaji, despite being a woman, didn't even talk about that. She should talk," Larmi said.

He is not the first lawmaker in Kashmir to call Wani a martyr. In August last year, the ruling PDP's legislator Mushtaq Ahmad Shah had said Wani was "not a terrorist".

"He (Wani) was not a terrorist. People loved him because he was a great and pious character. I am from Tral and I know how much people loved and respected him. Their mourning is justified. His death has given a new lease of life to the separatist ideology," Shah, the PDP legislator from Wani's hometown Tral, had said.

In January, another NC lawmaker, Showkat Hussain Ganie, on the floor of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council had said Wani was a "freedom fighter" who died a "martyr".

In September, the then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif sought to glorify Wani by calling him a "freedom fighter" during his speech at the UN General Assembly.

New Delhi was prompt to react strongly to his comment, accusing the neighbouring country of sponsoring terrorism on Indian soil.

However, the BJP-led central government has not taken the same line when it comes to Kashmiri politicians who glorify militants to gain votes.

The BJP has been running an alliance government with the regional PDP for almost three years in the only Muslim majority state in the country.
Four army personnel, including an officer, were killed as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keri sector of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.



Sources said Pakistani troops targeted Indian posts using 120 mm and 82 mm mortar bombs and heavy machine guns in Topa Barat Gala in Keri area of frontier Rajouri district, 222 km southwest of Srinagar, at around 12:15 pm.



Four army soldier, including a major, who were on patrolling duty, were killed in Pakistani shelling as Indian army strongly retaliated resulting in exchanges which were going on intermittently till evening, they said.



Sources said the ceasefire violation was preceded by an IED blast and militants firing on an Indian patrol near the LoC.



An army spokesperson identified the slain soldiers as Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, sepoys Pargat Singh and Gurmeet Singh, who belonged to 120 Infantry Brigade. Major Ambadas, 32, belonged to District Bhandara, Maharashtra and is survived by his wife Avoli Moharkar, he said.



Lance Naik Gurmail, 34, belonged to District Amritsar in Punjab and is survived by his wife Kuljit Kaur and a daughter while sepoy Pargat, 30, belonged to District Karnal, Haryana and is survived by his wife and a son, the spokesperson added.



On Friday evening, Pakistani troops had violated ceasefire along the LoC in Nowshera sector of the same district. There has been a spurt in ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops on LoC and International Border (IB) this year.



According to official figures over 880 violations of 2003 ceasefire accord have taken place along the LoC and the IB in Jammu and Kashmir in 2017, killing 34 people. More than 80 civilians and 70 security personnel were also injured in the firing.



Last year, there were 449 incidents of ceasefire violations in which 13 civilians and 13 security personnel were killed and 83 civilians and 99 security personnel were injured, official figures reveal. In 2014, there were 583 violations in which 14 civilians and three security personnel were killed and 101 civilians and 28 security personnel injured.



The Indian and Pakistani armies had agreed on a ceasefire along the LoC, the IB and along Actual Ground Position Line at Siachen glacier in November 2003. Although it held good by for 10-years, in the last few years, Pakistani troops have violated the ceasefire agreement hundreds of times.



India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.
More trouble brewed for the Lalu Prasad family on Saturday with the ED filing a charge sheet against the RJD chief's daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti and her husband in a money-laundering case.



The Enforcement Directorate's (ED) action came just hours before a Ranchi court convicted Lalu in a fodder scam case.

Bharti, her husband Shailesh Kumar and their company, Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd, among others, were named in the charge sheet filed in a court here in connection with a case of laundering Rs 1.20 crore.

The case was registered by the ED following investigations into a complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigating Office about a Rs 8,000-crore money-laundering racket involving two Delhi-based brothers, who were accused of using shell companies to help others route money.

Brothers Surendra Kumar Jain and Virendra Jain, who were arrested, were accused of laundering unaccounted money through the process of placement of funds, layering of transactions and final integration of laundering money into the banking channel camouflaged as legitimate share premium transactions, the ED said.

The ED had attached a farmhouse belonging to the couple called Palam Farms in south-west Delhi in September.

According to ED, four shell companies were used to legitimise unaccounted money belonging to the couple.

The ED claimed that 1.20 lakh shares of Bharti's company were bought during 2007-08 and 2008-09 at Rs 100 per share by four shell companies, three of which were managed by the brothers and another by Santosh Kumar Shah.

These shares were later bought by Bharti at Rs 12 per share in 2009.

It said a chartered accountant, Rajesh Agrawal, "mediated and provided" Rs 90 lakh to the brothers in advance so as to invest in the company as "share premium" while another person provided Rs 30 lakh to Shah.

The couple have "laundered unaccounted money of Rs 1.20 crore by taking accommodation entries from the Jain Brothers and Shah, through mediators, in the form of share capital and share premium by various shell companies controlled by them," the ED said in a statement.

The agency had conducted searches in several places.

"Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd was registered at the address 25, Tuglak Road, New Delhi till the shares were brought by Bharti. It was only during the year 2009-10 that the address was changed to Farm No 26 Palam Farms. Misa Bharti and Shailesh Kumar were the directors of the company during the relevant period," an ED statement said.
The Japanese Embassy in Ukraine has handed over anaesthetic equipment with compressors and patient monitors for $41,000 to the main military clinical hospital of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine in Kyiv.

An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that the ceremony took place on December 21 in Kyiv in the presence of Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak and Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Shigeki Sumi.

The similar equipment will be transferred to military hospitals in Odesa, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia and Lviv.

Thanks to the over anaesthetic equipment the hospital would be able to increase the number of surgeries for civilians and military servicemen by around 20%.

Since the beginning of the conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the Japanese government through the Embassy in Kyiv and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) hase allocated $611,500 to assist Ukraine. In the framework of this assistance, the State Emergencies Ministry of Ukraine purchased equipment for mine clearance: four operational and pyrotechnic vehicles and four ground penetrating radar detectors, which should improve the possibility of four pyrotechnic divisions in the zone of humanitarian clearance in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that a permanent organic and millets stall will be set up in Mangaluru to provide a direct market for the farmers to sell their organic crops and to supply healthy food to the consumers.



He was speaking after inaugurating a two-day organic and millets fair, at Kadri Park on Saturday.

"The shandy markets are organised for the organic produce to reach consumers. Udupi has been successful in the venture. Such shandy market to sell organic produce should be held in Mangaluru too," he said.

The state government has encouraged the setting up of federations of organic farmers to facilitate the farmers to sell their produce directly without the interference of middlemen. Already 14 federations of organic farmers have been formed in the state. The farmers in the districts are encouraged to process, package and sell their produce directly in the market. The government has also entered into a tie-up with retail chains to provide a market for the produce.

The organic and millets fair was being held with an intention to provide market linkage to growers and also to make people aware of organic products and millets. Such melas are being held across the state and it will be a prelude to the three-day international-mela to be held at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru from January 18.

The minister urged MLA J R Lobo and ZP CEO Dr M R Ravi to organise organic crops fair every week on the lines of Udupi so that public is aware of the organic produce.

Replying to it, MLA J R Lobo said that organic fair was being held every week for the last three years. He promised to hold a campaign in this regard.

He also said that a dedicated space for organic farmers to sell their produce will be earmarked either in Alake or near Kadri Park. Immediate arrangements will be made if setting up a market was feasible at Alake. However, if the administration decides to set up the facility at Kadri Park, then it will take some time.

Organic Farmers' Federations from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Tumakuru and Davangere had set up stalls at the fair. Delicacies made of millets such as cookies, kodubale, chakkuli, maddoor vade and instant mixes were on sale.

A demonstration on preparing delicacies from millets namely ragi, Navane (foxtail millet) and Samai was also held as a part of the two-day fair.

District-in-charge Minister Ramanath Rai was present. A trial run of toy train at Kadri Park was also held on the occasion.
The Congress party election manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections would be submitted to the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and all the promises made by the Congress party in the 2013 manifesto would be fulfilled by January 15, 2018, KPCC election manifesto committee president M Veerappa Moily said.



Addressing reporters before attending the Congress leaders' meeting here on Saturday, Moily said that the process of preparing the manifesto is going on. "The manifesto will be finalised and submitted to the KPCC president before January 15. This time, five transformational promises which will transform the state, have been included in the manifesto. We (Congress) never face elections for votes, but for inclusive growth of the state," Moily said.

He said that the Congress government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has fulfilled 159 promises of the 170 which were made during the Assembly elections in 2013. "Siddaramaiah has assured of fulfilling all the promises, except two that are related to policy matters, before January 15. As many as five crore people are the beneficiaries of the 2013 manifesto," Moily said.

"Karnataka has made remarkable achievements after the Congress government came to power. We stand first in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, investments, eradicating of malnutrition, among others. Karnataka tops the country in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Assembly constituency-wise development works taken up by the Siddaramaiah government will be uploaded on a website by January for public viewing, he said.

Moily said that even though the state government has waived off farmers' loan, the Union government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has failed to waived off loans in nationalised banks. "Modi did not respond to the request of the CM. The Union government has failed to release funds under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and material component funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MNREGA)," he said.

'Centre hijacked schemes'

In reply to a query, Moily said that the Union government hijacked the state government's schemes and projected them as its programmes. Speaking about the Gujarat election results, he said the BJP won the election only by emotionally blackmailing voters.

On the issue of a Dalit CM for the state, Moily said that, "At present, there is no issue as we are all one. The party will face the elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. All party leaders will unitedly tour the state from February," Moily said.

The election manifesto committee is gathering the opinion of party leaders and workers. Meetings at Mangaluru, Hubballi and Bengaluru have already been held, he informed.

MLAaVasu, committee member Pushpa Amarnath, Congress city president RaMurthy, rural president BaJaVijaykumar, and Manjula Manasa were present.
Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP) president Manu Baligar said on Saturday that Kannada language should get priority in business establishments such as hotels and malls.



Addressing a gathering during the inaugural ceremony of the 15th Mandya district Kannada Sahitya Sammelan here, he said that it is everyone's responsibility to make efforts for the development of Kannada.

"We hardly see people communicating in Kannada in malls and hotels. The food menu in hotels should be printed in Kannada and the sales representatives in malls should communicate in Kannada," Baligar said.

He said that non-Kannadigas are dominating in Bengaluru and this is posing a threat to the language and the society. "History holds evidence to the fact that the land can be expanded through language. Bengaluru culture is entering villages," he said.

Baligar called upon Kannadigas to stay united to protect Kannada and the state. "Folklore, Vacahanas, and Dasa Sahitya will not allow Kannada to die. According to research, Kannada script was prominent from first to 10th century," he said.

Sammelan president Pradeep Kumar Hebri dedicated his speech to the schoolgirl who was gang raped and murdered in Vijayapura recently and said that, "The girl died due to the demonic act of a human's heinous nature."
The Hyderabad police may have recently won praise from Ivanka Trump for their conduct, but they have now landed themselves in trouble for inappropriate behaviour in two different incidents.

In one incident, a police officer was found sitting in front of a complainant with his face rested on her bed, and in another, an officer kicked a Tollywood director for harassing a budding artist.

The photograph of Jawaharnagar inspector Umamaheshwara Rao with his foot on her chair has been circulated widely.

Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagawath has ordered an inquiry in this regard.



In another incident, a video showing Madhapur Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Gangireddy kicking and slapping a person went viral on social media on Saturday.

The senior police officer had summoned a small-time director, Yogi, to the Madhapur police station for questioning in a connection with a complaint filed by a female actor.

The video showed Gangireddy kicking and slapping Yogi, as he was driven to a corner.

The source of the video was not immediately known. While the department has said that it is verifying the veracity of the video, the station staff said Reddy lost his temper after Yogi started abusing the actor in his presence.
As you sow, so you reap - this was Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi's reaction to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's conviction in a fodder scam case by a CBI court in Ranchi on Saturday.



Sushil was one of the petitioners, on whose PIL the Patna High Court had, in 1996, ordered a CBI inquiry into the cases relating to the fodder scam.

In a series of tweets, Sushil pointed at the money laundering cases slapped against the "whole family" of Lalu and hinted that the RJD president's son and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav could be next in line in the "process of going to jail".

"Jo boya so paya. Boya ped babul ka to aam kahan se hoi. Yeh to hona hi tha (As you sow, so you reap. If you plant a Babul tree, how will you get mangoes. This had to happen)," the BJP leader said in his first tweet after the court verdict.

This was followed by another tweet: "I was one of the petitioner in fodder scam PIL which resulted in CBI inquiry & and monitoring by Patna H Court (sic)."

"Process of going to jail started. Today father, next who? Lalu knows? Whole family involved in corruption. Either fodder scam or benami property? Today chara Next LaRa? (sic)," read another tweet.

Sushil also came down heavily on RJD national vice- president Shivanand Tiwary, who was a co-petitioner in the PIL which led to the CBI inquiry into the fodder scam, saying he was "defending the indefensible" by coming out in Lalu's support.

"Lalu had to go to jail because of PIL filed by Shivanand, Lalan Singh and myself but now Shivanand defending the indefensible (sic)," he said.

Lalan Singh, a JD(U) leader, is currently a state minister.

Tiwary, who was expelled from the RJD shortly before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls for anti-party activities, had told a news channel that he felt he had "committed a sin" by filing the PIL, "which paved way the for Nitish Kumar to come to power in the state".

"Lalu enjoys a mass support, which nothing can erode. He has already been convicted and sentenced in one of the fodder scam cases. He is being sent to jail again and again as a part of a conspiracy," he said.

Meanwhile, senior RJD leader Jagdanand Singh said the party was united and waiting for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when its workers and leaders would fulfill Lalu's dreams, who fought for social justice.

"The party will continue with its fight and struggle for social justice, right from the streets to Parliament, under the leadership of Tejashwi Prasad Yadav," he said, while appealing to the partymen to register their protest in a peaceful manner.

Singh also claimed that those who could not vote Prasad out of power had hatched a conspiracy against him.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing terror funding to Kashmiri separatists and militants, on Friday summoned the younger son of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani to its headquarters in New Delhi "as a witness."



The NIA issued summons to Naseem Geelani, who teaches at SK University of Agricultural Science and Technology (SKUAST) in Srinagar, asking him to appear before it on December 26.

"Whereas it appears you are acquainted with the circumstances of the case noted, which I am investigating, you are hereby required to attend before me on December 26 at 11 am at NIA building, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, for the purpose of answering certain questions relating to the case," the summons reads.

He has been asked to appear as a witness in case RC 10/2017/NIA/DLI, under sections 120B, 121A of IPC r/w section 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Naseem and his elder brother Naeem, a doctor once based in Pakistan, were questioned by the NIA twice in August in the terror funding case. Both the brothers are on the NIA radar in connection with the May 30 case registered against Kashmiri separatists for allegedly conniving with Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, and others to raise and receive funds to create unrest in the valley.

Anti-terror probe

The NIA has so far arrested 10 people, including seven separatist leaders. Those arrested include Geelani's son-in-law and a renowned Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali. The anti-terror probe agency has also questioned dozens of people in Delhi in its effort to unearth the scam. It has also questioned Faheem Ali, a Deputy Superintendent of Police who was personal security officer of moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
The UIDAI data centre, situated near Kodigehalli in north Bengaluru, is being manned by an armed squad of 80 CISF commandos.



The Central Industrial Security Force has been providing security to the repository since December 2014 on a temporary basis. But the central government recently regularised the deployment, saying it is mandatory for such installations to have this type of security cover.

The Union home ministry has cleared the proposal for the deployment of around 160 CISF personnel at the Unique Identification Authority of India centre. Presently, 80 armed personnel are guarding the facility, led by a deputy commandant-rank officer. The remaining commandos will be deployed soon, CISF sources said.

The CISF will provide round-the-clock armed security cover to the facility. Special vehicle-borne Quick Reaction Teams will be stationed at key points in order to avert terror attacks or hostage- and sabotage-like situations.
Former city police commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar is among four police officers booked by the Anti Corruption Bureau for not following a court's orders on giving police protection to a person.



Besides Auradkar, the then DCP Suresh Kumar, ACP Kanaka Kumar and the then police inspector Ashok have been named in the FIR.

Hanumanthaiah, of Havanur Layout, had filed a complaint about a civil dispute and the court had directed the then police commissioner Auradkar to provide him police security, but the police did not comply with the orders.
Bengaluru may be the world's most dynamic city, but it does not have even a basic disaster management module to handle a natural calamity or a terror attack.



In fact, the provisional Master Plan 2031, prepared by the Bangalore Development Authority, has no meaningful mention of disaster management, a key requirement in the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines.

Curiously enough, the master plan only says the 2005 disaster plan would be followed and has avoided any mention of NDMA guidelines, 2016.

Raghu B V, a master trainer in disaster management and incident response system at Delhi's National Institute of Disaster Management, said Bengaluru badly needs a plan since the government wants a vertical growth of the city into blocks, wards and zones.

Though the city has grown vertically, it has no wider approach roads to reach them in case of an emergency, Raghu pointed out. The high-rise buildings do not have vacant plots nearby to mount rescue operations.

"The provisional master plan does not address these points," he said.

A National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) official, who did not wish to be named, said the Namma Metro stations have no space for evacuation in case of a bomb scare or a terror attack.

Nearly 10,000 people gather in prominent malls and other buildings, but no plans have been made for emergency evacuation and congregation of people.

No fire safety is in place at the city's small-scale industries and storehouses. The official also said the master plan has failed to indicate where the fire stations would come up and has rather left it to the citizens to find out for themselves. Areas prone to disasters should have a hazard mapping and vulnerability assessment, the official added.

A senior BDA official in the town planning section said people can give their suggestions, which would be considered while drawing up the final master plan.

No concrete plan

* Provisional master plan 2031 has cursory mention of following the 2005 disaster plan

* Experts say the city would face greater damage without a concrete plan

* Even Namma Metro, shopping malls have inadequate preparations for calamities
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Boeing awarded $6.2-bn contract for 36 F-15 aircraft by Qatar

Boeing Co has been awarded a $6.2-billion contract for 36 F-15 aircraft for Qatar's air force, the Pentagon said in a statement yesterday.(See: Despite tensions, US inks deal to sell Qatar 36 F-15 jets)

The airplanes, which will be manufactured by Boeing in north St Louis County, are likely to be delivered to Qatar by the end of 2022.

''This contract provides for the foreign military sales requirement to procure 36 new F-15QA aircraft for the Qatar Emiri Air Force,'' the Pentagon said in a statement.

According to commentators, the announcement of the contract is likely to welcomed by the Qatari government and comes amid a diplomatic row between Qatar and a number of its Gulf neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

They point out that while the F-15, an aircraft that was originally developed by McDonnell Douglas, is assembled in St Louis County by Boeing, it will involve a network of dealers, creating jobs.

Qatar's defence ministry said in June that the deal would create 60,000 jobs in 42 US states while reducing the burden on US forces.

They point out that Qatar is an important base for the US military, which is carrying out operations against Islamic State militants and other groups in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and beyond.

"This contract provides for the foreign military sales requirement to procure 36 new F-15QA aircraft for the Qatar Emiri Air Force," the Pentagon said in a statement.

Though president Donald Trump initially appeared to back Saudi Arabia in the dispute, saying in June that, "the nation of Qatar unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level," he appeared to have change course only days later and offered to help the parties settle their differences during a call with the Qatari emir.

"If I can help mediate between Qatar and in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so," Trump said in September while appearing alongside the emir of Kuwait.
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Wait, what?

People in Michigan wont soon forget the man who arguably ran the most incompetent Senate campaign in our fine states history. His Yellow Girl Superbowl ad tanked his already lackluster campaign and then Hoekstra spent the next nine months digging the hole he was in deeper and deeper.

In pure Trumpian fashion, Hoekstra has now ascended to the level of his incompetence by being named the ambassador to the Netherlands. Given his homophobia and xenophobia, the folks in the Netherlands werent particularly happy about this. They also arent wild about Hoekstra characterizing their country as being in the grip of Islamic terrorists.

This past week, a Dutch journalist confronted Hoekstra on this. What happened next is an example of failed gaslighting happening in real time. Its such an epic face plant that its being talked about globally. Hoekstra first denies saying that cars and politicians were being burned by Islamic terrorists in the Netherlands and that there are so-called No Go zones where these terrorists are in such total control that law enforcement officials (or anyone who isnt Muslim) dont dare to enter them. He says that this is what we call fake news in America. The journalist then shows Hoekstra the video of him saying these things and asks him if its really fake news. Hoekstra then denies calling it fake news even though he literally just said it was moments before, captured on video by the cameraman that Hoekstra had to have noticed lurking a couple of feet away.

Lets roll tape

This is the sort of incompetence that is the hallmark of the Trump administration. Republicans tell us all how terrible government is. Then, once they gain control of it, set out to prove what they have told us.

Honestly, the next thing you know Scott Pruitt will name someone to head up the EPA branch that oversees the Great Lakes with a person who left the Wisconsin DNR in tatters, dismantled the agencys environmental enforcement abilities, kicked out its scientists, scrubbed its website of climate change information, and shifted its focus from protecting Wisconsins natural resources to handing out favors to polluters.

Oh, wait. Never mind.

He already did that.
(Photo: REUTERS / Goran Tomasevic)South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar (R) and South Sudan's President Salva Kiir (L) hold a priest's hands as they pray before signing a peace agreement in Addis Ababa May 9, 2014.

The people of South Sudan are experiencing the most difficult time in their history of suffering and self-destruction, says the South Sudan Council of Churches, reaching out with an Advent and Christmas message of hope.

The SSCC has striven to be a unifier in the conflict-ridden country and issued an Advent and Christmas "message of hope" on Dec. 18, also releasing a paper titled "Peaceful Resolution to the Conflicts in South Sudan - The war must stop!"

In their season's message the churches said, "Advent begins with the invitation to joy, because 'the Lord comes', because he comes to save us. The words of the Prophet Isaiah addressed the people of Israel in their exile in Babylon after the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed.

"The Israelites were uncertain about their return to the Holy City which remained in ruins. The Prophet Isaiah encourages them that the Lord is coming, and he will bring light, he will dispel darkness and restore light with his presence.

"He urges them to abandon sorrow and despair, lift up their hearts because the Lord is at hand."

The SSCC has worked unstintingly since 2014 crisscrossing the land to try to bring about peace in their country, the world's newest, that is being torn apart by civil conflict.

After a meeting they held in the Zambian capital Lusaka in August the SSCC said, "Death, displacement, hunger and impoverishment have brought our people to their knees, and they are deeply tired of this unbearable situation."

The United States, the biggest aid provider to South Sudan, is tiring of its support and at the United Nations Security Council on No. 28 it threatened to take unspecified measures against the government unless it moves to end the nearly four-year war and stop harassing UN peacekeepers and aid workers.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley called on President Salva Kiir to take action, telling the Security Council that "words are no longer sufficient," AFP news agency reported.

The following day the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, Alain Noudehou, strongly condemned the attack that took place the day before in Duk Payuel village, Duk County, which resulted in at least 45 people killed, including six people working with two NGOs. Reports indicated that another 19 people were injured, including three aid workers.

CIVIL WAR

South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup only two years after the nation gained independence from its northern neighbour, Sudan.

But the SSCC, a truly ecumenical body that includes traditional Protestants, Roman Catholics, Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Orthodox, has worked throughout the current conflict afflicting the world's newest nation to get the parties to hammer out a peace as it traverses the nation.

It has now offered a roadmap with its paper outlining measures to resolve the conflict.

"The rapidly deteriorating economic situation coupled with the halting of most developmental projects and investments has led to extreme hardship for most ordinary citizens," the SSCC says in its paper.

"The war and violent conflicts have driven millions from their home and made them extremely vulnerable.

"Fracturing of the country has deepened as the economic crisis has combined with political and social factors characterized by creation of further administrative units with little consultation and increasingly lethal inter and intra-communal conflicts," they note.

'SHARPLY DIVIDED SOUTH SUDANESE'

The church leaders note that South Sudanese are sharply divided along ethnic and tribal lines, "even as youth are: increasingly militarized".

They rue that new armed groups have sprung up across the country and that roads between states are unsafe even when the national capital of Juba is reached with military convoy or by air.

The SSCC says that human rights are being abused at every level, people are being killed, women and men are raped, children recruited into armed groups, while security organs are apparently acting above the law.

Also commonplace are armed robbery, arbitrary arrests with often delayed judicial processes and shrinking space for citizens, journalists and civil society to speak out.

"These bring back the harsh memories of the previous Sudanese regime for many citizens. The grassroots feel that leaders and parties fail to represent their interests," laments the SSCC in its paper.

Yet the hope is offered in the "numerous structures that work through communities on key issues of managing conflicts, bringing people towards justice and reconciliation such as Justice and Peace Committees and ecumenical Inter-Church Committees," says the SSCC.

"The SSCC works through its platform of ecumenical churches and applies a common strategy in the Action Plan for Peace working at national and local levels.

FOUR KEY PILLARS

This builds off four key pillars:

Advocacy (changing the narrative from violence to peace while raising the voice of the voiceless up)

Neutral Forums (establishing safe spaces to bring conflicting parties into dialogue on urgent issues)

Reconciliation (building a process of repairing broken relationships through trauma healing, training and community conversations) and

Organizational Strengthening (building up the church structures, establishing and enabling transparent and effective processes while providing platforms for building individual knowledge and capacities).
Cuban President Raul Castro will step down in April 2018 straight after his successor is chosen by a top governing council, according to a vote Thursday in the island state's National Assembly.

The vote by lawmakers pushed back the date of general elections, which were initially to be held at the end of February. The delay was necessary due to disruption caused by Hurricane Irma, which ravaged much of Cuba in September.

It means that Castro, 86, will stay on a couple of months later than planned.

The modification to Cuba's election calendar means general elections choosing the National Assembly's 600 members will be moved to a date yet to be decided.

Cuba's president is not directly elected by the people, but by the Council of State which is chosen by the National Assembly.

The lawmakers' election of the Council of State posts -- including that of its president, who will also be the president of Cuba, replacing Raul Castro -- was set for April 19.

The National Assembly session deciding these changes was closed to international media.

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Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated on Saturday several development projects in the East Suez Canal development zone in northern Ismailia, including tunnels and two floating bridges to facilitate commercial and civilian access to Sinai and the East Suez Canal Development Zone.

The inauguration was attended by Minister of Defence Sedky Sobhy, head of the Suez Canal Authority Mohamed Mamish, Ismailias Governor Yasseen Taher, and Ibrahim Mahlab, the presidents adviser on national development projects.

The East Suez Canal development project, which is part of the larger Suez Canal development plans, was launched in 2015. The project aims to develop major residential and industrial centres in the central Suez Canal governorate of Ismailia.

Ahmed Fouda, the deputy head of the Armed Forces engineering authority, which oversaw the projects since their inception in 2015, said the projects were accomplished by several Egyptian companies, including Petrojet, Orascom and Arab Contractors.

The president described the completion of the construction of the tunnels in less than one-and-a-half years, instead of the initial estimate of 12 years, as an achievement.

Fouda said one tunnel in northern Ismailia  connecting Egypt's northwestern city of Salloum to the vital North Sinai Al-Awja road  is 5,820 metres in length.

He explained that 4,830 metres of the tunnel were constructed through trenchless technology and 990 meters were completed through open cut drilling.

Fouda said that another tunnel in southern Port Said  which connects Salloum to North Sinais Rafah  is 3,920 metres-long, with 2,851 metres constructed with trenchless technology and 1,069 metres through open cut drilling.

Fouda said that Suez Canal traffic was not disrupted by the drilling process.

El-Sisi announced during the inauguration speech that the housing ministry has been mandated with implementing a major urban development project that should be finalised within two to three years at a cost of EGP 100 billion in North Sinai, starting in Bir El-Abd, last month's site of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Egypts modern history, where gunmen killed 311 people at Al-Rawda Mosque during Friday prayers.

The more we endure, the more well move forward. Do not believe that success happens without hard work, El-Sisi said.

El-Sisi also inaugurated two floating bridges in Ismailia and Qantara, which are named after Ahmed El-Mansi and Abanoub Gerges; two army personnel who were killed in Sinai in the line of duty in recent years.

The president also inspected the Suez Canal Authoritys giant oil service vessel Ahmed Fadel, which is named after the former chairman of the authority.

The Ahmed Fadel vessel is the largest in the region at a length of 90 meters, a width of 18.8 meters, and a capacity of 4,744 tonnes, according to a televised report on the event.

The Egyptian president also inaugurated the second phase of the fish farm project, at an area of 7,500 feddans of saltwater.

According to the report, the fish farm project aims to achieve self sufficiency in the supply of animal protein.

The number of ponds in the second phase is 4,441, which is the continuation of the first phase that started in December 2016.

The new phase comes nearly a year after El-Sisi inaugurated a major fish farming project in the Suez Canal zone governorate of Ismailia in December 2016, in an attempt to narrow the gap between production and consumption.

During his speech, the president promised that by the end of his term in May 2018, he would provide the Egyptian people with a balance sheet of his accomplishments during his time in office.

El-Sisi said that the projects to develop the Suez Canal aim at allowing us to have a presence on our land in Sinai.

The president added that the Armed Forces will achieve security in Sinai using the utmost force.

[We would rather] die than let anyone [endanger] our land, El-Sisi said, adding that Egyptians should not fear any external threat.

Suez Canal revenues

The Head of the Suez Canal Authority Mohab Mamish said in a speech at the inauguration that the number of vessels traversing the canal in December 2017 witnessed an increase of 12.2 percent compared to December 2016, with a 15.8 percent increase in revenues in USD and an 11.7 percent increase in EGP.

From January 2017 to December 2017, traffic increased 4.6 percent compared to same period last year, with a 5.6 percent increase in revenues in USD and 89.8 percent in EGP.

Mamish said that on 9 December, 74 vessels traversed the canal; the highest-ever number of ships to pass through in a single day.

Mamish also said that six new investment contracts have been signed worth $40 billion during Novembers World Youth Forum (WYF) in Sharm El-Sheikh, adding that the national economy is being pushed forward by the promotion of foreign investors to visit Egypt as well as the countrys new investment law.

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Meghan Markle's engagement and impending wedding to Prince Harry is becoming one of the most talked about topics as the year 2017 comes to an end. The former Suits actress engagement to the Prince has sent her into to the top of every media outlets priority list.

In addition to announcing the date of the couple's wedding ceremony to sketches of her dress floating across the internet, Markle attending Christmas lunch with the Queen and other relatives is a huge step in Markle's relationship with the royal family.

However, new reports state that a certain royal may have left a bad impression with Markle.

Controversial Kent

Princess Michael of Kent, who was also in attendance at the lunch, was seen wearing a racist brooch. The brooch was a tinged blackamoor pin that many believe stands for "racial conquest." This was definitely done in poor taste as Markle is biracial; her father is Caucasian and her mother is African-American. While Markle has not given a comment on the brooch, media sites have already condemned Princess Kent and branded her a racist.

The princess has been known to push the boundaries in racism in the past.

Reportedly back in 2004 while dining in New York City, the Princess told several African-American diners to "go back to the colonies." The Princess has denied making this comment while even stating that she wanted to be part-African.

"I even pretended years ago to be an African, a half-caste African, but because of my light eyes I did not get away with it, but I dyed my hair black. I traveled on African buses. I wanted to be a writer. I had this adventure with these absolutely adorable, special people and to call me racist: it's a knife through the heart because I really love these people," she commented.

The Princess has also made distasteful comments about the royal family and the late Princess Diana, referring to her as "uneducated, bitter, and nasty."

Princess Michael, also dubbed "Princess Pushy," has issued an apology for wearing the brooch and claimed it was a gift that she has worn many times before.

Born Marie Christine, the Princess is married to Queen's first cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, who is the grandson of King George V. Much like the scandal involving the marriage of Wallis Simpson and Edward VII, the prince had to abdicate his title to marry the Princess, because she was divorcee.
Hi,



Does anyone know of any darts shops other than Sports Direct in Cyprus - Basically a specialist shop where you can try before you buy rather than the cheap sets that are sold in the big stores above?



Thanks,



Dave
Hi,



Have to replace Dunlop tyres on my vehicle.



Quotes:

- Al-Futtaim: aed 1000/- (GCC/UAE model, RFID)

- orangeauto.ae: aed 700/- (Had a 20min chat with the Manager, claims anything less is fake)

- stopandgouae.com: aed 450/-

- prestotyres.ae: aed 450/-

- Called few other places in Al-Qouz & Deira and got pricing between aed 650-500



The above price includes: Fitting, balancing, Nitrogen, 3D-alignment. Also they are all 2017 model.



1. What do you guys think?

2. Has anyone tried StopandGoUAE?

3. Tips/Suggestions/Recommendations?



Thanks

Miky
Hello,The concerened prefecture here is the one at 9, boulevard du Palais, 75004 Paris, that deals with carte sejour. I'd like to apply for a changement de statut from my current scientific CDS: "carte sejour pluriannuelle: chercheur, exercice d'une activite salarie" to "salarie". I came to know from other people who did that the salle for doing that is "Salle Asia Oceanie" in Prefecture. I've been there, but they never admits without a rdv it seemed (which is strange, because I never needed an rdv to renew my carte sejour before, but that was at bureau depot grouppe, room 1511: you go and take a ticket, and you get called by that ticket number, that's it). Apparently, there's an online process to take the rdv at prefecture, and the other option is to dial 3430. I tried both, in vein. Apparntly, 3430 seemed to be an automated service, and to my surprise, the online form ( here: https://www.ppoletrangers.interieur.gouv.fr/?motif=modifsej ) that one fills to get a rdv gave me this error message:"ces informations que vous avez saisies ne nous permettent pas de vous identifier. En cas d'erreur de saisie, vous pouvez recommencer en cliquant ici.En cas de probleme, vous pouvez contacter le numero suivant :01.56.95.26.80"And frustratingly enough, I coudln't get hold of any human in that last number as well. I'm thus confused how I take an rdv at Prefecture (salle Asia Oceanie). I'd prefer just going, talking to a personnel and get a rdv. Is that even possible? If not, what should I do? Thanks in advance!
Denise Barnsdall said: Does anyone know if there are any retail flower markets in Normandy like we have in the UK for buying in bulk? Click to expand...

Just about every local market has a section with flower sellers, the bigger the market the more flower stalls they tend to have, but I'm wondering if you mean wholesale rather than retail, for buying in bulk?I don't know of any wholesale "markets" for plants but there are plenty of pepinieres/plant nurseries.Lisieux is reputed to have the longest-established annual plant fair in France, and also one of the biggest. Well worth a visit. VILLE DE LISIEUX : Decouvrez la Foire aux Arbres 2017, du 4 au 6 mars 2017, a Lisieux avec la 558eme edition de la plus ancienne Foire aux Arbres et aux Plantes de France (plus de 5 siecles) !A*|A*Annuaire Secteur Vert
Thanks to lagoloo, rmajijic and CasaColibri



Thanks very much for your replies to my OP. You've been very helpful in helping Helen and me think through (but not yet thoroughly) our situation and which types of area should be on our short list when we go to the Lake Chapala area to visit.



Being able to resell, for some reason, was not at the forefront of our thinking. I guess it was all the pretty pictures and real estate agency videos, mixed with a big dose of fantasy. I know that had we been considering a house in Seattle, we'd be thinking about that early on. It's easy not to see Mexico in general or Lake Chapala as "real" or "normal". Location, location, location is true no matter the place.



Helen first commented on the availability of future land for building when she used the Google satellite setting to look at the towns along Lake Chapala, for example, Jocotepec. It's similar to the difference between Seattle and the suburbs to the north, south and east. As I see it, locations near Ajijic have the advantage of having activities, resources, and convenience connected to them while further out areas have primarily cheaper land as the draw.



From here on, Helen and I will be considering re-sale-ability as one of our important factors; we're planning to age-in place in Mexico if Lake Chapala looks as good during our visit as it has so far in Internet-land, but you just don't know what will happen. Our children may not want a property in Mexico, even one in as beautiful a spot as Ajijic.



Snow is falling gently here in Seattle, and tomorrow is Christmas. How joyous a time to reflect on blessings. One blessing I count is the help I've gotten from the people on this forum. Merry Christmas to you. :candle:
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Before Bexar County sheriffs deputies opened fire on suspected car thief Amanda Lenee Jones and accidentally killed a 6-year-old boy, a belligerent Jones had threatened them and was holding a dark, metal tube that looked like a handgun, Sheriff Javier Salazar said Friday.

Offering new details about why four deputies opened fire Thursday on an unarmed suspect, Salazar said the woman was wielding an 8-inch-long tube.

Salazar said hes reviewed statements given by the deputies and that their version of events is corroborated by a body camera worn by one of them.

The deputies all reported in their statements that she was holding an object in her hand, Salazar said.

As the sheriffs office investigates the shooting, use-of-force experts and District Attorney Nico LaHood said its crucial to gather key facts before passing judgment.

I have a lot of questions, LaHood said Friday. Im going to get the answers. I want to let due process play out.

Suspected of stealing a car, Jones, 30, is said to have brandished what appeared to be a handgun, pointed it at deputies, verbally threatened them and hid from them during a two-hour search that ended in the Pecan Grove Manufactured Home Community.

Salazar said the deputies found Jones after she broke into one of the mobile homes, threatened the residents and emerged outside on the porch. Deputies didnt know anyone was inside the home before they opened fire, killing Jones, Salazar said.

A stray bullet struck 6-year-old Kameron Prescott, who was inside with two other people. Sheriffs video footage shows deputies entering the mobile home to look for any other suspects. Thats when they found the critically injured boy.

Ill be honest with you, its pretty heartbreaking video for us to see, Salazar said. You see the deputies administering first aid to the little boy almost immediately.

Kameron was later pronounced dead at University Hospital. Jones had no connection to him or his family.

All four deputies involved in the shooting  John Aguillon, George Herrera, Jesse Arias and Johnny Longoria  were placed on administrative leave for five days. Their law-enforcement experience ranges from two to 27 years.

Under a use-of-force policy followed by the Bexar County Sheriffs Office, deputies are cautioned against using deadly force if bystanders are nearby  but it can still be allowed, depending on the situation.

To the extent an officer has reasonable time for consideration, he shall never use deadly force which creates a greater risk to self and others (such as hostages, bystanders, and other deputies), the policy states.

But it continues: This decision must reflect the circumstances.

The policy says deputies must consider the behavior of the suspect; the physical conditions of the scene, such as visibility; the feasibility of alternative actions; and the ability of the suspect to injure someone. Salazar said he believes the deputies followed policy.

These incidents are rapidly evolving, said Robert Pusins, a use-of-force expert in Florida with more than 30 years of law enforcement experience. Key questions in such cases, he said, is what did the deputies believe at that moment and were their actions objectively reasonable?

Thats the legal standard set in a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court case, Graham vs. Connor, which found that police use of force can be objectively reasonable depending on the facts and circumstances confronting officers. The actions have to be judged in the intensity of that moment, not with the benefit of crystal-clear hindsight.

This is certainly a tragedy for this 6-year-old boy and his family, Pusins said. The other thing people forget about is, this is a tragedy for the police officers. They have to carry that for the rest of their lives.

Two Bexar County deputies, Greg Vasquez and Robert Sanchez, are facing litigation from a fatal shooting on Aug. 28, 2015, when they opened fire on a combative, knife-wielding man, Gilbert Flores, who had been disobeying their commands. But the deputies opened fire moments after Flores stopped and raised his hands in an apparent attempt to surrender.

A Bexar County grand jury didnt indict the deputies. A federal judge ruled a lawsuit filed by Flores family could proceed because the deputies actions werent reasonable.

As a father himself, LaHood said, the death of Kameron was deeply troubling.

It breaks my heart about that child in there, LaHood said. It absolutely breaks my heart.

But he said it was far too soon to say whether the case would be presented before grand jurors.

Not every case is presented to the grand jury, LaHood said of officer-involved shootings. Theres certain things we want to see.

He declined to get into details about all the questions he wants answered, but he said his office will be examining evidence about Jones actions and whether the deputies had a reasonable belief they were in imminent danger.

Thats always a critical question, LaHood said.

Salazar said his office will fully cooperate with the district attorneys office and offer support to the deputies who have to live with a fateful decision.

They were pretty upset, Salazar said of the deputies. Understandably so.

John Tedesco is a San Antonio Express-News investigative reporter. Read more of his stories here. | jtedesco@express-news.net | @John_Tedesco
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BOERNE  After long stewing in silence over dust, noise and other hassles caused by construction of a new city road in front of her home, Melanie Gohns patience finally ran out  roughly a week after the work was supposed to have ended.

Weve been living in a mud pit for five months and eight days, Gohn, a renter at Herff Village Townhomes, wrote Dec. 13 on Facebook. I hit a wall of frustration on Monday after a weekend of literally getting stuck in mud outside my driveway.

Complaints to City Hall drew sympathetic reactions and some staff prodding the developer, Sandlot Ventures LLC, but no formal intervention.

We really have no leverage, Deputy City Manager Jeff Thompson said. This is not a city project in any way, shape or form.

Sandlot bought the seven townhomes at 22 Herff Road two years ago and is converting their 300-foot driveway into a city street called Paniolo Drive. It will later be extended another 700 feet to serve 34 new townhomes planned there, officials said.

Sandlot spokesman Armando Muzquiz said the phase 1 work begun July 5 and was originally slated for completion by Dec. 5, but wet weather and other complications have now delayed the target date to Jan. 20.

It is a mess, he said of the muddy site. Im hoping it dries up quick so the contractor can finish up.

Thompson called the project unusual in that the residences were occupied during the work that also included subgrade plumbing modifications to provide individual water and sewer service to the townhomes that recently were sold as separate units by Sandlot.

Kevin Mock of M5 Utilities, the general contractor, initially said the townhomes were supposed to be vacant during construction, but Muzquiz refuted that.

Muzquiz pointed out that Sandlot provided consideration to townhome owners last summer in anticipation of construction hassles and recently sweetened the pot again.

Those payments translated into reduced rent for tenants such as Gohn, a local teacher who has stayed for weeks at her parents home rather than deal with the construction.

When we purchased the place in July, we knew that there was going to be some construction with the new road, said Jeff Ruhnke, Gohns landlord. I didnt realize it was going to be such a mess.

Mock said the delay in completing the project was in part due to the workers needing to make the site accessible to residents vehicles each afternoon by laying gravel and/or steel plates over the dirt during construction. But that practice had to stop when the final phase of roadwork started.

We used to park in the dirt; but since Dec. 11, weve had to park on nearby streets, Mathew Graham, a townhome owner, said earlier this week. I actually take a change of clothes to work, where I switch out of my muddy shoes and clothes.

The project also has upset residents of Burning Tree condominiums next door, who complain about construction workers trespassing when they use the Burning Tree driveway to access the rear of the Sandlot property and about people who are parking illegally on private property.

The Facebook post by Gohn, who was hesitant to speak out beyond her post, drew more than 40 comments, including one from townhome neighbor Ashley Foley, who recalled being told last summer the work would last two months.

It has been terrible! We have popped tires, been stuck in the mud, and been woken up on Sat mornings at 7am by the work trucks, Foley wrote. The construction workers feel so bad, but they're just trying to do their jobs.

Zeke MacCormack is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | zeke@express-news.net | @zekemac
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Scientists will study the mysteries of Saturns largest moon or sample a moving comet for the next mission in NASAs highly competitive New Frontiers program that already has launched missions to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, to Jupiter and to an asteroid for sampling.

The two proposals were named finalists from a list 12. The one thats tapped to fly will become the fourth mission in the New Frontiers portfolio.

One proposal, Dragonfly, would send a dronelike craft to Saturns moon Titan to examine the habitability of dozens of sites there. The other finalist proposed traveling to a comet to take a sample that could help determine how material from ancient stars, for example, contributed to the origins of the Earths oceans,.

The Titan and comet missions were selected as finalists based on the outstanding and visionary science they exhibited, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASAs Science Mission Directorate, said during a teleconference last week.

Funding for the selected mission will be capped at $850 million.

More Information New Frontiers missions Two proposals have been named finalists for the fourth mission in the New Frontiers portfolio. The three New Frontiers already underway are: New Horizons: Launched in 2006, the mission is the first of its kind to get a close look at Pluto and its five moons, about 3 billion miles from earth. It is expected to reach the Kuiper Belt in 2019. Juno: Launched in 2011, the mission set out to study Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. The mission will end next year. OSIRIS-REx: Launched in 2016, Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer is the first U.S. mission set to bring asteroid samples back to Earth. It will return to earth in 2023. See More Collapse

Dragonfly would build upon observations of Titan made by the Cassini-Huygens mission, which launched in 1997 as a collaborative effort by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. It arrived at Saturn in 2004, when it began making flybys of Saturns moons, including Titan, according to NASA.

In 2005, the European Space Agency-built Huygens probe landed on Titan. The mission concluded in September, NASAs website states.

Dragonfly would land on Titan by 2034, and the mission would last several years.

Titan is a unique ocean world  with lakes and seas of liquid methane, said Elizabeth Turtle, the proposals lead investigator from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. Were excited to continue with the mission concept.

The other proposal, Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return, dubbed CAESAR, would bring back a sample from a comet previously explored by the European Space Agency, said Steve Squyres, the proposals lead investigator from Cornell University in New York.

Comets are among the most scientifically important but among the most poorly understood, Squyres said. Theyre the primitive building blocks of planets  the source of water for the earths oceans.

Squyres chose the so-called Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko because so much data already has been gathered by an ESA mission known as Rosetta that flew alongside the comet before concluding last year.

CAESARs sample, totaling about 100 grams, would return to Earth by 2038, at which point scientists around the world could study it, Squyres said.

Turtle and Squyres now will begin another year of study on their proposals, Zurbuchen said, ending with a final proposal submission in January 2019.

The proposal selected to fly will be picked in July 2019 and launched in 2025.

The three New Frontiers projects already underway are:

New Horizons: Launched in 2006, the mission is the first of its kind to get a close look at Pluto and its five moons, about 3 billion miles from earth. It is expected to reach the Kuiper Belt in 2019.

Juno: Launched in 2011, the mission set out to study Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. The mission will end next year.

OSIRIS-REx: Launched in 2016, Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer is the first U.S. mission set to bring asteroid samples back to Earth. It will return to earth in 2023.
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A miniature pair of bright pink boots. A framed black-and-white sonogram. An image of Jennifer in white, and Danny in a tux, preserved in a clear orb.

The fragmented moments encapsulated in these ornaments hang on Jennifer Holcombes Christmas tree  mementos of a life she will never get back.

A life with Noah Grace, her 18-month-old daughter, and Danny Holcombe, her laughing husband. Of large Holcombe family gatherings during Christmastime. Of a First Baptist Church filled with people shed known for years.

In a new world with those closest to her now gone, Jennifer, 38, pushes herself to find meaning, to discover her purpose, to try to make something good of her loss. But the holidays leave her searching for a new tradition to lessen the pain.

For the tight-knit community of Sutherland Springs, the holiday season this year is like none other. On Nov. 5, Devin Kelley stepped into the church and killed 26 people, including an unborn child, with a military-style rifle before he was shot and then died in a car chase. It was the largest massacre in Texas history.

Almost everyone had a relative or friend who was killed or wounded. The Christmas-themed church services last Sunday reminded families of their love for one another, but also of the love they can no longer share with those who were killed.

The psychological wounds in the small town south of San Antonio remain raw, and families are met each day with reminders large and small of their loved ones.

Stockings of Jennifers deceased husband and child hang above the fireplace, and baby toys are scattered across the floor in her home. A cup on the sink still has a small toothbrush, and childrens bath toys are stuck to the bathtub walls.

This is my home. All my memories are here. I couldnt just pack up and leave, she said, casting her eyes around her living room.

Thats what I have now, the memories. I need them.

John Holcombe, her brother-in-law, has ornaments filled with memories, too.

John, who was wounded in the shooting, lost nine family members: two daughters, his son, his wife, a baby  yet to be born  his mother, his father, his brother  Danny, Jennifers husband  and his niece, Noah Grace.

In a box full of Christmas ornaments hes trying to preserve, theres the pink My Little Pony that was 8-year-old Megans favorite. Theres 11-year-old Emilys unfinished ornament, a gift to her mother, with beads only glued to a quarter of it. And theres the seven gingerbread men, a gift to the family in 2013, each with the names of Johns family members.

Now only three are left.

Its a lot more quiet than it used to be, he said.

Sometimes the victims friends and family sob with uncontrollable grief. Other times, they quietly go through the motions of their day  a silent suffering. Confronting the tragic loss is almost unbearable. The Holcombes and other families lost their spouses, their best friends, the children in whom they placed so much hope for the future. Destroyed in an instant by a madman who showed no mercy for the innocent victims. How does one fill such a void?

Theres this knot in my chest, said John Holcombe, his voice wavering as he described the feeling of losing so many loved ones. Theres a spaceyness.

Jennifer Holcombe described her loss succinctly: Everything I did, Im not doing anymore. Everyone I had, now I dont.

Sometimes the empty space inside threatens to swallow them. When they feel this way, the surviving congregants of the First Baptist Church turn their gaze upward and think of God. Religion has helped shape their lives, and God is one thing that cant be physically taken away from them.

Little Noah Grace wore bright pink boots almost every day, including the day she died.

We decided (the boots) belonged to her. I couldnt pass them on to somebody else, Jennifer said.

They went to the grave with her. Now two tiny pairs of bright pink boots hang on Jennifers tree, inscribed with the words Like mom, like daughter.

Noah Grace and her father Danny Holcombe died beside Jennifer as they hid underneath a pew. Jennifer inexplicably survived, unwounded.

I was just praying for (God) to protect Noah and keep her safe. Danny and I were just trying to keep Noah safe, she said, clasping her hands together.

When the shooting was over  when the screams had stopped, when the smoke was clearing, when the ambulances had arrived and the gunman was gone  Jennifer Holcombe climbed up from the floor and exited the church.

She cant remember doing this. She cant remember much of what she did that day. But she does remember knowing this: her family was dead.

I think thats the only reason I was able to get up and walk out of there, because I didnt have to get up and wonder about them. I knew they were gone.

The gift of a child

Jennifer has a willowy frame and long thick hair that she frequently lifts into a ponytail. Her face is clear of makeup, and the smile below her rectangular glasses comes easily, even now.

As she sat near her Christmas tree one recent morning, she watched her niece, 2-year-old Elene, with the eyes of a mother: alternately smiling and monitoring for signs of danger. When Elene got fussy, Jennifer pulled out Noah Graces books and toys for her.

What about this? she said at one point, holding up one of Noah Graces picture books. Elene eagerly stretched her hands out. Jennifer smiled.

Jennifer and Danny Holcombe had gone through multiple fertility treatments to conceive Noah Grace. They wanted a child of their own so badly.

We knew having her was a blessing in that, Jennifer said. So we figured we could use that (experience) to help somebody else get through that. I guess God was almost preparing us for now, because I knew what it was like not to have what I wanted. And now I dont have it again.

She drew deep, shuddering breaths and began to sob. Sarah Slavin, her sister-in-law, reached out her hand and squeezed Jennifers tightly. For a minute, they suffered their grief together.

Noah Grace got her name from a story in the bible. She was one of five daughters in a family with no sons and, as the story goes, when their father dies, Noah and her sisters petition Moses for the right to inherit his land, in the absence of a male heir. God grants them their wish.

Noah means standing up for what you believe in, taking a stand, and that was something we wanted to teach her. And Grace because she was a gift, Jennifer said. Danny would tell anyone that story.

Jennifer and her in-laws thought of having a small get-together at the home of Dannys parents, Bryan and Karla Holcombe, who were also killed, but theyre still not quite sure if thats going to happen. Plans are painful to think about. Its hard enough getting through the day, much less the holidays.

Anything we can do to put it off until after the New Year, after the holidays  we dont want to make it any harder, said Slavin, 33, daughter of Bryan and Karla. She said the holidays will be different and challenging.

Already, Jennifer has had to put up Christmas decorations without her husband and daughter. Across town, Frank and Sherri Pomeroy couldnt bear to decorate their tree. Their daughter, Annabelle Pomeroy, 14, was killed inside their church, where Frank is the pastor. Frank and Sherris children came from out of town to decorate the tree.

The Pomeroys used to always watch Annabelles Wish together. The 1997 movie is about a mute boy and his friendship with a calf who wants to be a reindeer.

She just loved that her name was in a movie, said Sherri Pomeroy. It was about a special Christmas wish and the hope of Christmas. It was about giving.

Rita Brown, Frank Pomeroys mother and Annabelles grandmother, said shes not quite sure how theyll all pull through the holidays.

Ive been to the house one time since Annabelles death, and just being there that one time was just, Brown searched for the words, her mouth clamped shut as if willing her urge to cry to go away. Its just going to be very hard.

Bryan and Karla Holcombe used to always quote Matthew 6:34 from the Bible: Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

Their children have lived and breathed that phrase ever since Nov. 5.

We dont have to waste time thinking about tomorrow because the day is filled with something to do, said their son Scott Holcombe, 30. They always quoted (Matthew 6:34) and I see why, now.

Missing faces

Last Sunday, residents of Sutherland Springs bundled up in scarves and hats and passed by a wreath with a ribbon reading LOVE NEVER FAILS in cursive on their way into the First Baptist Churchs new sanctuary.

Inside, lit-up trees and wreaths decorate the new temporary building for their annual Christmas-themed Sunday services. John Holcombe arrived by himself and sat near the back.

He stared glassy-eyed out the window, looking at a small fig tree, which was rescued from destruction when workers were setting up the new building.

I was wishing they were here, he said in an unsteady tone hours later. His wife Crystal and their daughters had picked figs from that tree.

When he talked of them, tears filled his eyes and he had to clamp his mouth shut, and take a deep breath, to stifle the grief that threatens to take over.

They were such a blessing, he said.

Kris Workman, 34, who was shot in the massacre and is paralyzed below the waist, wheeled himself up the wooden ramp to the temporary building to attend the services. It was the first time he visited these grounds since Nov. 5.

Congregants pushed their chairs to the side to make room for him. His wife, Colbey Workman, 24, was dressed as the human embodiment of Christmas, with a thick ugly sweater, red stockings, and socks striped like a candy cane. She guided him, asking him if he needed anything, tending to him as a wife and, newly, as his caretaker.

Later, she won first place at the churchs annual ugly sweater contest  her fourth straight win. They played a game of white elephant, which was slightly more disorganized than usual because Karla Holcombe always used to lead it.

Colbey and Kris won a new furry piggy bank for Eevee, their 3-year-old daughter. Deck the halls with bows of holly, oink oink oink, oink oink oink Colbey joked, poking the pig into her daughters chin. Eevee, all dimples and blonde curls and large blue eyes, giggled and shrieked in delight.

But the day began on a more somber note. Kris Workman, wearing a black and white Sutherland Springs Strong T-shirt and a thoughtful expression, quietly observed the services before him: The new building, decked out in Christmas decor, is beautiful, he said, but the services are not the ones he knows.

This feels very foreign, to see this many people in a building thats brand new and unfamiliar, he said. Its a sea of new faces  and a lot of missing faces.

He used to sing on stage at the church, and he wondered when hell get back to doing that. He gets shooting pains in his legs that can be debilitating, and he still needs help doing basic functions like going to the bathroom. But beyond all that, what worries him the most about leading worship isnt the physical obstacles.

Its a heart issue, he said.

Workman sees the world differently now. Its not safe and set  its an unsteady, unfair, unpredictable place. No one is immune from its hardships, he realized. You just have to hope, or pray, that something like this doesnt happen to you.

Life is fragile. Were in a world thats full of dangers, he said. Weve been sent into a world thats a crazy place. Anything can and will happen. So cling to God.

So Workman will rely on his faith, and the sheer fact that life goes on. And hell rely on the unpredictable, unimaginably beautiful moments that can happen, too.

Bring them peace

At 6 p.m., the Pomeroys, the Holcombes, the Greens and their friends and families climbed on flatbed trailers lined with hay. Kids sat on laps and on the floor, and a poodle mix with a Santa hat sat on its owners lap, its scruffy face resembling Santas beard.

The congregants wore head flashlights and held pages of Christmas song lyrics. Led by a firetruck with flashing lights and a speaker, they caroled through the town.

The firetrucks blue and red lights reflected on the carolers glasses and watches and on the windows of Sutherland Springs homes. Alerted by the colors and sound, some residents came out, and the truck stopped as the carolers sang Joy to the World and yelled Merry Christmas!

Stephen Willeford, the man lauded for shooting at the gunman outside the church  and a reluctant hero who has largely avoided media attention  emerged from his home beaming. The lights reflected off his glasses and almost concealed his eyes, wet with tears. He walked around the flatbeds squeezing shoulders. They told him Merry Christmas and also: Thank you.

I was overwhelmed, Willeford said later. After everything everyones been through, and theyre out there singing. God is beautiful.

The speaker wasnt quite loud enough this year, and Frank Pomeroy wondered out-loud if the FBI might still have the large one that was in the church.

Its a quiet one this year, he said

The carolers continued on, from neighbor to neighbor, at one point driving past the ballpark, where the lights of the truck illuminated the 26 crosses  still there, still decorated with stuffed animals and flowers, love cards and small crosses.

We dont know when our next breath may end, what our tomorrow will be, Frank Pomeroy had said earlier at the services.

He then pleaded to God: Feel the hearts that are breaking and bring them peace.

As Workman wheeled himself out of services earlier that day, he found John Holcombe. It was the first time they had seen each other since the shooting. John reached over and hugged him fiercely.

Youre hanging in there, right? Workman said.

Well, Holcombes voice trailed off, the silence saying more than his words. For a moment, he was undone. And then: Yes.

They clung together for one beat more.

Well talk more, okay? Workman said.

Absolutely, Holcombe answered. Well talk more.

Holcombe spoke briefly with his pastor, and then walked away from the church to get his children.

Workman wheeled himself to the church hall, where a game of white elephant with the congregants awaited.

sfosterfrau@express-news.net | @SilviaElenaFF
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AUSTIN  A group dedicated to animal welfare is upping its game with a political action committee to support candidates who will work for its issues, perhaps giving new hope to efforts such as a push to enforce more humane conditions for tethered dogs statewide.

Its new territory for the Texas Humane Legislation Network, an education and advocacy organization that has promoted animal issues but has previously limited its involvement in political races to endorsements.

The new PAC will allow it to raise and spend funds for candidates and work to turn out voters on their behalf. It has raised more than $60,000, according to a spokeswoman.

Were unsure how quickly we will grow, said Laura Donahue, executive director of the network and treasurer for its political action committee.

But she said the PAC is crucial to round out the efforts of the group, which she says has a grassroots network of more than 10,000 people.

Weve only been able to work at the Capitol, Donahue said. To only advocate at the Capitol is like having a dinner party and letting someone else set the guest list. Obviously, its much easier for us to educate and lobby and advocate when we have people in office in Austin that are humane-minded and have the same compassion that we do regarding animals.

Donahue said the effort also will allow the group to balance what has been a one-sided relationship with lawmakers and finally give back to the people that have worked so hard for us.

We would ask these legislators to work really hard on our issues. Working on behalf of animals is difficult because animals dont have money. They dont have a voice. They themselves cant walk into the ballot box. They themselves arent tied to some sort of lucrative industry, she said.

It would be asking them (lawmakers) to cash in their political chips to work super-hard for us at the Capitol, and then when they needed us, when they had to try to work to be re-elected, we couldnt speak for them.

The network successfully worked for passage of a bill this year by Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, and Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, to increase penalties for some violent animal-cruelty offenses. Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law.

But the tethering bill, which was carried by Rep. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place, and Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, was killed by a handful of tea-party Republicans in the House who often oppose Davis, a moderate.

The bill aimed to strengthen the current law on tethering and ensure that dogs that are restrained have drinking water, adequate shelter and shade in an area where they can avoid being in standing water. It would have prohibited chains and restraints with weights attached, required tethers to be a certain length and banned restraints that injure dogs.

The current state tethering law is considered unenforceable. It requires 24 hours notice for people to comply with requirements, and some are known to temporarily fix violations to avoid citations.

Donahue said during the regular legislative session that the bill would have provided clear standards and prevented a tethering violation from turning into a cruelty case by allowing officers to intervene before a dog is down and dead.

After the state law failed, the city of San Antonio approved its own tethering ordinance, but advocates cant rely on all entities doing the same, said Kathy Davis, a San Antonio board member of the Texas Humane Legislation Network.

San Antonio was a strong advocate of the bill, and when it didn't pass, made it happen here, said Davis, former director of animal care services for the city of San Antonio.

Sadly, many of the 1,000-plus cities and counties will never pass their own tethering ordinance, so passing this bill is the only way to give thousands of tethered dogs a chance to survive. While fixing the state law doesn't replace local efforts, amending the state's tethering law raises the bar for minimum standards, she said.

The success of the new political action committee will depend largely on how much money it can raise, said Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson.

Itll be a question of whether theyve got a substantial list of contributors and can develop a pool of money to use to get in front of decision-makers, he said. All you need is one motivated rich guy. If youve got several of those, and then a bunch of regular donors, you can put together a pool of money that lets you get in the door.

In Texas, Jillson added, animal rights issues cut a couple of ways.

Some of the most coveted gubernatorial appointments in the state are to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, Jillson pointed out, but there also is resistance to some proposed laws from those who dont want to be told how to treat their animals.

They have a love of Texas outdoors and wildlife. The other side of it is the deregulatory ethic in Texas politics, where regulating animal treatment is hard for many Texas conservatives, Jillson said. This new PAC is going to be swimming upstream, but there is an element of Texas culture that will be receptive to them.

pfikac@express-news.net | Twitter: @pfikac

Peggy Fikac is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | pfikac@express-news.net | @pfikac
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Texas Monthly has bestowed the dubious distinction of bum steer upon Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood, citing his outburst earlier this year in which he threatened to shut down the legal practices of two defense attorneys.

One of those attorneys, Joe Gonzales, is challenging LaHood in the March 6 Democratic primary; the bum steer brand is a nice boost for his uphill campaign. But with a Democratic wave almost certain to wash over Bexar County in 2018, Gonzales would be better served emphasizing something else that distinguishes the district attorney from other Democrats: LaHoods conservative beliefs, particularly with respect to Islam and so-called sanctuary cities.

LaHoods stance on Islam is straightforward: Hes intolerant.

I dont get into discussions about Muslims because I have some very, very  and I want to emphasize this  very good friends that wear the label of a Muslim, LaHood told San Antonio-based talk radio host Joe Pags Pagliarulo about a year ago. But they dont follow the tenets or the principle of Islam, more importantly Sharia Law, because theyve been Americanized.

Terrorists, LaHood continued, are merely following Islam to a T: These people who are doing these things, these terrorists, are truly, militantly following what the text tells them to do.

Islam is basically a political system wrapped in a religion, he added. This has nothing to do with whether youre a Democrat or a Republican or independent or anything in between. It has to do with American values and whats acceptable in our country or not, period.

Nearly 3.5 million Muslim Americans would likely disagree with that statement, as would many Democrats.

President Donald Trump, on the other hand, is on board, judging from a version of his Muslim ban blessed by the Supreme Court that halts nearly all travel from eight nations, six of them predominantly Muslim, plus his ban on refugees from 10 majority-Muslim countries and North Korea.

Trumps style, hes not my style, LaHood told conservative talk radio host Doc Owen last year. Hes not wrong on a lot of things. Hes wrong in some things. Hes not wrong in everything.

In July, on another Doc Owen show, LaHood also expressed conditional support for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who had just signed legislation banning so-called sanctuary cities into law.

I do not support sanctuary cities, LaHood said. I understand the spirit of what the governor was trying to do, and I appreciate it.

LaHood  whose wife, Davida, has dual citizenship in Mexico and the United States  went on to explain that he could not support Senate Bill 4, however, because it would tie the hands of law enforcement agencies, prohibiting policies that ban officers from asking about immigration status.

Im a conservative guy, LaHood said. You know that. I believe in small government.  And with all due respect to the governor, how many times have you flipped off the federal government? By saying, Hey, screw you, dont tell us how to run Texas. And I respect him for that. I respect him and I support him and Im fine with that.

I think its a little bit hypocritical, LaHood continued, now hes playing big government and telling us how to run our municipalities and counties and agencies.

Despite LaHoods objections to Senate Bill 4, his office this year recommended that Bexar County delay joining San Antonios lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law. He was overruled by county commissioners.

Gonzales has taken note of LaHoods conservative leanings.

From what he has said in the past, I think he talks and he sounds like a conservative, Gonzales told me. And thats the problem. Hes running as a Democrat, but really Im the true Democrat in this race.

LaHood did not return a message requesting comment on Friday.

Gonzales said his task now is to spotlight LaHoods digressions from the Democratic Party.

The rank-and-file Democratic membership is not aware of how conservative Nico LaHood is, he said. I think they would be shocked if they heard some of the sound bites hes given in the past few months. I plan to bring that to the attention of the Democratic Party.

Hes more aligned with the philosophy of Greg Abbott and Donald Trump than he is with his own party, Gonzales added. This is a guy whos truly a wolf in sheeps clothing.

That, and a bum steer.

Brian Chasnoff is a San Antonio Express-News columnist. Read more of his stories here. | bchasnoff@express-news.net | @bchasnoff
Something longtime San Antonio residents know that newcomers and tourists probably dont: The city hasnt always centered its holiday light spectacle on the River Walk. Before the River Walk was a thing, and before downtown business owners and civic leaders banded together to actively try to attract more customers to stores such as Joskes, the Christmas lights decked Houston Street.

Its hard to imagine now, with those striking scenes of barges gliding through the illuminated River Walk wonderland seared in our minds from so many winter treks downtown to show off our crown jewel to visiting family members and friends.

We can thank William Bill McCormick (posthumously, unfortunately), a former president of Joskes of Texas and a member of a downtown merchants association, who suggested lighting the trees on the river. After McCormick sold others on the idea of spending about $25,000 to string 35,000 white decorative lights on the River Bend, the project was announced in the San Antonio Light on Oct. 8, 1975, according to an August 2009 history column by Paula Allen in the Express-News. Allen wanted McCormick to get credit for the project, which has grown into a huge boom for tourism between Thanksgiving, when the lights go on, to Jan. 7, the last night you can catch them this season.

The first river lighting ceremony was Nov. 28, 1975, when those lights sponsored by the Paso Del Rio Association, Downtown Inc. and the city of San Antonio replaced the traditional strings of lights on Houoston Street and the Alamo Christmas tree, according to the Express-News Nov. 27, 1975.

More Information Holiday light cruises You can reserve a spot on the new GO RIO Holiday Light Cruises through Saturday night, Christmas Eve, from 7 to 10 on the hour and get hot chocolate to take along. Board at the Pearl. Tickets: $25 for adults, $12 for kids. (Check for availability.) Holiday Light Shuttles run nightly through Jan. 7, also departing from the Pearl on the hour and half hour between 6 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. See More Collapse

Funding those lights wasnt always easy. According to the official history of the lights by the River Walk Association (formerly the Paso Del Rio Association), when Downtown Inc., which officially started the river lighting, could no longer afford to do so, community leaders brainstormed and KTSA Radio promoted a fundraiser by selling sponsorships of River Walk light bulbs to listeners for 55 cents each. Donations and money from caroling barges also helped.

The Dec. 1, 1983, First Annual Holiday River Parade, traveled the River Bend with TV weatherman Willard Scott as the grand marshal. It attracted 15 parade entries. A Holiday River Festival preceded it in 1975, with a lighting ceremony, school choirs and Christmas carolers on lighted, decorated barges, according to a Joskes ad in the San Antonio Express.

The Ford Holiday River Parade has been tied to the Friday after Thanksgiving for decades, ushering in the holiday season with thousands lining the River Walk and many stopping by the big H-E-B Christmas tree that sat on Alamo Plaza until this season. The big 55-foot fir tree was moved to Travis Park this year and covered in red lights for what was called the 33rd annual H-E-B Tree Lighting Ceremony. Alamo Plaza, where the official city tree had been for more than 30 years, has an 18-foot-tall tree for the folks who cant resist taking that annual photo with the tree and the Cradle of Texas Liberty.

Families can be seen roaming among the trees decked in white lights around the tall red official tree in Travis Park most nights in December. But this isnt the first time the official tree moved.

Photos show a giant Christmas tree in front of Municipal Auditorium (now the Tobin Center for Performing Arts) on Dec. 22, 1929, with a nice layer of snow covering the ground and bushes. Other photos show the big annual tree going up in Alamo Plaza in both 1925 and 1960. According to a caption on a Dec. 3, 1974, photo of a Christmas tree going up, San Antonios tradition of a Christmas tree in Alamo Plaza can be traced to around the start of World War I in 1914, long before the River Walk existed or became the citys big magnet for yuletide celebration.

The oldest Christmas photo weve seen was one from 1890 at the Alamo, where the facade of the church was draped in garland and stars  quite a different look compared with the reverence the UNESCO World Heritage Site receives today. The shot belongs to the San Antonio Conservation Society and represents a period in time when San Antonio already had a healthy appreciation for festivals that brought people together.

A December 1956 photo shows the iconic 40-foot Santa perched on the corner at Joskes downtown at what is now the Shops at Rivercenter. Old-timers remember it, and Joskes elaborately decorated holiday windows fondly, long after both have disappeared.

A scenic 1947 black-and-white photo shot down East Houston Street shows strings of garland, bells, stars and lights festively strung across the road for blocks. Until you notice the Frosts sign on the left side of the picture, it looks like any other big city. Thats something you cant say today when you look at the much-lauded decked out River Walk that makes San Antonio a huge draw for tourists and locals alike this time of year.

Ive heard such wonderful things, said Maggie Thompson, executive director of the River Walk Association. They love it, she said about the tourists and locals looking at 100,000 lights on the River Walk. We love our lights, and they are a holiday tradition for so many families and a huge draw for tourism.

Terry Scott Bertling is the new products and special projects editor and edits the daily Express-News history series leading up to the beginning of the Tricentennial year.

COMING SUNDAY: The beloved Elf Louise.
Charlie Brooker has confirmed a long-standing theory about his series Black Mirror, saying that the upcoming fourth season of the now Netflix original series will explicitly confirm the thoughts of those who think the episodes in the show are all part of one shared universe.

From the episode 'Arkangel', coming in Black Mirror S4 / Credit: Netflix

In the past, Easter Eggs in various episodes have linked them together, but rather than those just being a nod to one another, it would appear they were present because they are actually in the same world.

Speaking with Digital Spy, Brooker said: It does actually now seem to imply that it is all a shared universe.

He continued: [Season 3 episode] San Junipero proved that the show doesnt just have to be depressing and horrible. Which isnt to say its sunshine and rainbows now, but we are certainly playing with the tone a little more.

Explaining what that meant for the episodes, the creator said there would be some more comedic episodes, but also some of the most horrible the series has ever seen.

In the past, Brooker has actually been against a shared universe, but in an interview earlier this year with The Hollywood Reporter, he did say that hed opened his mind about changing that.

He said at the time: It always used to be that its ust a bit of fun. But then sometimes weve done some things where we did explicitly refer to other episodes. I think the rule is that when a character says something that explicitly refers to something else, its canonical. Also, they follow the same dream universe. Thats the other thing I tend to say.

Black Mirror season 4 comes exclusively to Netflix on Friday, December 29. Seasons 1-3 of the show are available on the streaming platform now.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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'Gogglebox's Leon Bernicoff has died at the age of 83.

June and Leon Bernicoff

The retired teacher - who starred on the Channel 4 show alongside his wife June - passed away in hospital on Saturday (23.12.17) after a short battle with an illness.

Channel 4 and production company Studio Lambert said in a statement: "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the sad news that after a short illness Gogglebox's Leon Bernicoff passed away in hospital earlier today. Leon and his wife June were the first members of the public to be cast for Gogglebox back in early 2013, and they soon grew to become much-loved voices during the course of the show's 10 series to date.

"Leon's unique personality and sharp wit endeared him to fans of the show, as he contributed fully to Gogglebox's reputation as a programme full of warm humour and unvarnished opinion. To those of us that knew him personally, Leon was a man of unwavering principles who exerted a distinct paternal presence both on and off screen. He will be dearly missed by the entire Gogglebox family; cast and crew."

Whilst 'Gogglebox' creator Tania Alexander wrote on Twitter: "So deeply saddened at the passing of our dear, dear Leon. He was and always will be the grandfather of #gogglebox - an absolute star who always made me laugh with his sharp wit and unshakable opinions. Much love and strength to June."

Leon's fellow 'Gogglebox' stars have also been paying tribute to the late television star.

Scott and Georgia McCormick wrote: "Omg I've just heard!!! poor#leon I'm gutted absolutely gutted. @LeonAndJune sending all our love and strength . So so sorry to hear this . Xxxx (sic)"

Leon is survived by his wife, his two daughters and sons-in-law and his grandchildren.
Lucy Mecklenburgh doesn't want to host Christmas.

Lucy Mecklenburgh

The former 'The Only Way is Essex' star doesn't know where she's spending the special day this year but she's adamant she won't be cooking a lavish lunch for her family because she "can't face" spending the morning in the kitchen over an oven.

She said: "I have no idea, but it's always a big family affair. I've got a broken family, so I try to fit in seeing my mum and dad. I don't know if I'll be hosting.

"I might hold off buying a dining room table because I don't know if I can face that. I've been in the house for over a year! I'll be in Essex."

And, although she runs her own fitness business and is always trying to promote a healthy lifestyle, the 26-year-old beauty won't be restricting herself over Christmas.

She explained: "I always live by a guilt-free Christmas. I still eat well in the week and train, but won't say no to parties. And then I have two weeks off during

Christmas and New Year and eat what I want."

Lucy has just come back from Melbourne, Australia, after spending a month out there with her boyfriend Ryan Thomas while he was shooting his cameo in 'Neighbours'.

And, although the couple have been dating since earlier this year when they met while doing 'Bear Grylls: Celebrity Island', it's not yet known whether they will spend the festive season together as Ryan will probably be with his nine-year-old daughter Scarlett, whom he has with his ex-partner Tina O'Brien.
The campaign to encourage people to try vegan in January is now in its fifth year, and is all set to be bigger than ever with Veganuary predicting more than 150,000 people will go vegan for the month. Last year, there were 60,000 registered participants from 172 countries, and one of them was Farringdon resident, Jules Fourey.

Vegan on Female First

I became vegetarian in April 2015 after a few realisations, says Jules. Firstly, I didn't really enjoy meat most of the time - it always seemed to be undercooked, overcooked, tasteless, have a weird taste, be chewy, dry... This was coupled with being exposed to some stark realities about the treatment of animals in the meat industry and the impacts on the environment of producing animals for food. I asked myself a frank question - do I need to eat this? And the answer was No. It was a super easy transition and, when I realised that the dairy and egg industries are no better for animals than the meat industry, I signed up for Veganuary.

Jules credits that month with changing her life. I feel so much more comfortable in the food decisions I make every day; I know I am doing the right thing for the environment, for the wellbeing of animals, and for myself. It may feel like a small change in a huge world of chaos but I have the choice to make that change, and doing it feels great. I've maintained a healthy weight whilst eating pretty much whatever I want all day long, have stronger & healthier nails, hair & skin, feel better in myself with more energy and vitality, and Ive have had so much fun exploring new recipes and restaurants I had never even thought of before.

As Jules approached her first veganniversary she is sharing her three favourite restaurants so that others who sign up for Veganuary - or just wish to try more plant-based foods - will have the insider tip!

Niche in Islington. Try the angel pate - made with white beans, smoked garlic, caramelised onion and herbs, and served with baguette toasts and whipped herb spread. It is really rich in flavour and tastes better than any traditional pate I've ever tried! Banh Mi Bay in Holborn. I love the summer rolls - sliced tofu, rice vermicelli, lettuce and Vietnamese herbs wrapped in rice paper. Served with a roasted peanut & hoi sin dipping sauce; followed by a Bun Vermicelli Noodle Salad - rice noodles with a salad of beansprouts, lettuce, chopped herbs and cucumber, pickled carrot and mooli, crushed roasted peanuts and choice of sauce - light, fresh, fragrant and so many flavours of Vietnam in one meal! Wedge Issue in Clerkenwell. I always go for the Clerkenwell pizza, which has peppers, courgette, mushrooms, onions, artichoke, San Marzano tomato sauce, and vegan pizza cheese. Its absolutely fab comfort or hangover food - all you want from a vegan pizza without skimping on fulfilling your 'cheese' cravings!!

It is free to take part in Veganuary, and everyone who does so receives daily support emails that offer shopping lists, an eating out guide, nutrition advice, recipes, meal plans, and answers to common questions. They also receive social media support in a closed Facebook group where they can connect with other participants, and a free celebrity e-cookbook. There are competitions with great prizes and special offers throughout the month.

Jules enjoyed the month so much, she has decided to stay vegan and her message to people thinking about taking part in Veganuary 2018 is: You really have nothing to lose. But one tip - do your research and know why you are trying it because people around you will probably have a LOT of questions!
The Egyptian army will employ absolute force to put an end to terrorism in Sinai, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told Egyptians on Saturday in a speech at the inauguration of several development projects in the East Suez Canal Development Zone in northern Ismailia.

We have to put an end to terrorism in Sinai, El-Sisi said. Sinai is our land, and the Armed Forces will employ absolute force to put an end to violence there. [We would rather] die than have anyone [endanger] our land.

El-Sisi added that Egyptians should not fear any external threat.

The East Suez Canal development project, which is part of the larger Suez Canal development plans, was launched in 2015.

The project aims to develop major residential and industrial centres in the central Suez Canal governorate of Ismailia.

The projects inaugurated by the president on Saturday included tunnels across the Suez Canal for easier access to Sinais development areas, as well as two floating bridges and fish farms.

The president said that the unity of Egyptians is enough to challenge the whole world, for we are neither wicked conspirators nor are we after anyones money or land. We only seek Gods generosity to continue building and developing, El-Sisi said.

El-Sisi also announced during his speech that the housing ministry has been mandated with implementing a major urban development project in north Sinai that should be finalised within two to three years at a cost of EGP 100 billion, including Bir El-Abd.

Last month, Bir El-Abd was the site of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Egypts modern history, where gunmen killed 311 people at Al-Rawda Mosque during Friday prayers.

The more we endure, the more well move forward. Do not believe that success happens without hard work, El-Sisi said.

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Katherine Keigl and Josh Kelley celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary today so we share some things you might not know about the couple.

Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley (Credit: Famous)

1. The couple got engaged in June 2006.

2. They first met on the set of his music video 'Only You' in which she starred.

3. He wrote the song 'Hey Katie' for her not long after.

4. They decided not to live together until after the ceremony, to leave something new and exciting until after the marriage. "I think I just wanted to save something for the actual marriage... I wanted there to be something to make the actual marriage different than the dating or the courtship." (Wikipedia)

5. Heigl and Kelley married in Stein Erissen Lodge in Park City Utah on the 23rd December 2007.

6. All of her co-stars in Greys' Anatomy, TR Knight (groomsman), Sandra Oh, Ellen Pompeo, Kate Walsh, Justin Chambers as well as Grey's Anatomy spinoff series Private Practice star Kate Walsh were in attendance.

7. Heigl walked down the aisle to a song that had been specifically written by Kelley and was performed by cello and guitarists.

8. They both wrote their own wedding vows.

9. Two years later the couple announced on the 9th September 2009 that they were adopting a baby from South Korea.

10. Later in September they adopted Nancy Leigh (named after Heigl's mother and sister), who has the nickname of Naleigh.

11. The couple adopted another baby, Adelaide Marie Hope in April 2012 from the US.

12. In June 2016, the couple announced that they were expecting their third child.

13. Heigl gave birth to a son, Joshua Bishop Kelley, Jr., on December 20, 2016.

Happy Wedding Anniversary Katherine and Josh!

by Lucy Moore for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Tencent, a leading provider of internet value-added services in China, and JD.com, Chinas largest retailer, have signed definitive agreements with Vipshop, a leading online discount retailer for brands in China, under which Tencent and JD.com will together invest approximately US$863 million in cash in Vipshop at the closing of the transaction.Pursuant to the share subscription agreement, Tencent and JD.com will subscribe for newly issued Class A ordinary shares of Vipshop in the amount of approximately US$604 million and approximately US$259 million, respectively. The purchase price will be US$65.40 per Class A ordinary share, which is equivalent to US$13.08 per American Depositary Share (ADS) of Vipshop, five of which represent one Class A ordinary share. The purchase price represents a 55 per cent premium over the closing price of the ADSs as of the last trading day on December 15, 2017.

Tencent, a leading provider of internet value-added services in China, and JD.com, China's largest retailer, have signed definitive agreements with Vipshop, a leading online discount retailer for brands in China, under which Tencent and JD.com will together invest approximately US$863 million in cash in Vipshop at the closing of the transaction.#

The transaction is expected to close in the near future, subject to customary closing conditions. Upon the closing, Tencent and JD.com will beneficially own, taking into account any existing holding, approximately 7 per cent and 5.5 per cent, respectively, of Vipshops total issued shares. The Class A ordinary shares issued to Tencent and JD.com will be subject to a two-year lock up restriction. Tencent and JD.com will have the right to appoint a director and an observer, respectively, to Vipshops board of directors during the two-year lockup period. After the end of the lock-up period, for so long as Tencent and JD.com hold approximately 12 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively, of Vipshops total issued shares, or otherwise by mutual agreement with Vipshop, they will maintain director and board observer rights.Concurrently with the entry of the share subscription agreement, Tencent and JD.com have entered into business cooperation agreements with Vipshop, effective upon closing, establishing a cooperative relationship among Tencent, JD.com and Vipshop. Under these agreements, Tencent will grant Vipshop an entry on the interface of Weixin Wallet enabling Vipshop to utilise traffic from Tencents Weixin platform, and JD.com will grant Vipshop entries on both the main page of JD.coms mobile application and the main page of its Weixin Discovery shopping entry, and will assist Vipshop in achieving certain GMV targets through JD.coms platform.I am truly delighted about Vipshop's new strategic cooperation relationships with Tencent and JD.com, said Eric Ya Shen, Vipshops co-founder, chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer. This undoubtedly is an important event for Vipshop as well as China's e-commerce and internet industries. We, together with Tencent and JD.com, will leverage our respective strengths to form a strategic cooperative alliance aiming to achieve a deep, win-win cooperation and to benefit internet users and consumers. We will develop a holistic cooperation with Tencent on the Weixin platform and expand our strategic alliance with Tencent into more and broader areas. We will explore win-win opportunities in multiple areas with JD.com, including establishing a strategic alliance in collaboration with brand suppliers, and an on-line traffic alliance.The strength of Vipshops flash sale and apparel businesses, as well as its outstanding management team, create clear and strong synergies with us, said Richard Liu, chairman and CEO of JD.com. This partnership will further extend the strong inroads that we have made with female shoppers, and will expand the breadth and reach of our fashion business. We continue to add the top-notch partners to complement JD.coms core strengths, ensuring that JD and our partners provide the best customer experience for every shopping need.Martin Lau, president of Tencent Holdings, said, We are pleased to become strategic investor in and partner with Vipshop. We look forward to providing Vipshop with our audiences, marketing solutions, and payment support to help the company provide branded apparel and other product categories to Chinas rising middle class. We already see substantial demand from our users to discover, discuss and purchase branded apparel in our applications, and we believe that connecting our users more deeply to products on Vipshops platform will enrich their online experiences while benefiting Vipshop. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Jeddah-based International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, recently signed a euro 107-million agreement to finance the cotton sector in Burkina Faso in the 2017-2018 season under Islamic regulations. SOFITEX, the countrys national cotton company, will be the executing agent.The agreement was recently signed by ITFC CEO Hani Salem Sonbol and SOFITEX CEO Wilfried Yameogo on behalf of Burkina Fasos minister of economy, finance and development, according to an ITFC press release.

Jeddah-based International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, recently signed a euro 107-million agreement to finance the cotton sector in Burkina Faso in the 2017-2018 season under Islamic regulations. SOFITEX, the country's national cotton company, will be the executing agent.#

The agreement will support the purchase of seed cotton from farmers and cooperatives and aims to have a positive impact on the income of the farmers and improve their living conditions.Burkina Faso has benefited from more than $925 million of financing since ITFCs inception in 2008. The transaction follows a $ 450-million agreement signed with the country in May 2017 for the next three years. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 22, 2017 / First Energy Metals Limited ("First Energy" or the "Company") (TSX-V: FE, OTC PINK: ASKDF, FSE: DFLA) announces the resignation of Mr. Warren Mirko as a director of the Company. The Company wishes to sincerely thank Mr. Mirko for his service and wishes him success in his current and future business endeavors.

The Company also announces the appointment of Mr. Gurminder Sangha, to the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Sangha is an independent business advisor to the resources industry and brings over twelve years of management and financing expertise in both public and private companies. Mr. Sangha has served as a board member of various TSX Venture Exchange listed companies and assisted with corporate finance duties, business development activities, and governance.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

FIRST ENERGY METALS LIMITED

"Ernest Peters"

Ernest Peters

President and CEO

For further information, contact:

Ernest Peters, President and Chief Executive Officer

First Energy Metals Limited

Telephone: 604-632-9602

Email: epeters@firstenergymetals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: First Energy Metals Limited
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 22, 2017) - RT Minerals Corp. (TSXV: RTM) (OTC Pink: RTMFF) (the "Company") announces that, further to its news release of December 12, 2017, the Company has closed the non flow-through portion of a private placement to raise gross proceeds of $200,000 (the "Offering") through the sale of 4,000,000 non flow-through units priced at $0.05 (the "NFT Units"). Each NFT Unit consists of one common share and one share purchase warrant exercisable into one further common share at a price of $0.05 for a term of one year.

Insiders purchased 1,945,000 NFT Units. All securities issued in the private placement are subject to a hold period expiring April 23, 2018. The proceeds from the sale of the non flow-through portion of the Offering will be used for general working capital.

The Company anticipates that it will close the flow-through portion of the Offering on or before December 29, 2017.

ABOUT RT MINERALS CORP.

RT Minerals Corp. is a junior resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and evaluation of primarily gold and diamond properties in Canada. The Company's principal mineral properties include:

Ballard Lake Property - 366 square kilometre (~141 square mile) diamond and gold property located approximately 50 kilometres northeast of Wawa, Ontario, in which the Company owns a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter royalty;

Norwalk Property - Gold property located approximately 6 kilometres south of Wawa, Ontario, in which the Company has an option to earn a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter royalty. The property is contiguous to the southern border of Red Pine's Wawa Gold Project;

Dill River Property - Gold property located several kilometres southeast of Wawa, Ontario, in which the Company has an option to earn a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter royalty. The property is contiguous to the eastern border of Red Pine's Wawa Gold Project;

Golden Reed Mine Property - Gold property located 6 kilometres southeast of Wawa, Ontario, in which the Company has an option to earn a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter royalty. The property is staked within Red Pine's Wawa Gold Project; and

Dog Lake Property - Gold property located 59 kilometres northeast of Wawa, Ontario, in which the Company owns a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter royalty.

The Company's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "RTM" and on the OTC Pink Market under the symbol "RTMFF" with DTC eligibility for trading in the United States.

For more information on the Company and its properties, please visit the Company's website at www.rtmcorp.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul Antoniazzi

President and Chief Executive Officer

RT Minerals Corp.

Toll Free: 877-581-3170

Telephone: 604-681-3170

Fax: 604-681-3552

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.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 22, 2017) - Advantagewon Oil Corp. (CSE: AOC) (OTCQB: ANTGF) (the "Corporation", "Advantagewon", "AOC") announced today that it has conducted, and that it has closed, a non-brokered private placement raise where Six Hundred and Thirty-Seven Thousand Dollars ("$637,000.00") CDN was raised by issuing Four Million Two Hundred and Forty-Six Thousand, Six Hundred and Sixty-Seven ("4,246,667") Units at a price of Fifteen Cents ("$0.15") CDN per Unit. Each unit is comprised of one common share of the Corporation, and one common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share of the Corporation for Twenty-Five Cents ("$0.25") CDN for a period of 36 months from the closing date. All common shares issued in connection with this placement will be subject to a four month plus one day hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws. In connection with the closing of this private placement offering, Advantagewon Oil Corp., paid finder's fees totaling Fifty Thousand, Nine Hundred & Sixty Dollars ("$50,960.00") CDN in connection with certain subscriptions for the Corporation's Units. Proceeds of the placement will be used for both acquisitions and for working capital purposes.

The Corporation also announced today that commencing in January of 2018, AOC has entered into a four month social media awareness programme with Spotlight Growth. SpotlightGrowth.com is a digital hub for micro-caps, small-caps, crowdfunding, and other emerging growth investors. Through its high-quality content creation, investors are able to gain further insights into the world of micro-cap growth investing. The Corporation has agreed to issue Forty Thousand ("40,000") common shares to Spotlight Growth for its services. All shares issued to Spotlight Growth will be subject to a four month plus one day hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws.

About Advantagewon Oil Corp.

Advantagewon is focused on building consistent cash flow from low cost, low risk oil wells in the State of Texas. AOC applies specialized expertise to increase oil recovery from 10-15% to up to 75% for each well. Once the enhanced recovery strategy is successfully applied, AOC will repeat the process throughout the oil pool to maximize output and minimize cost and risk. For more information please visit www.aoc-oil.com.

For further information please contact:

Mr. Charles Dove

CEO & Director

Advantagewon Oil Corp.

T: (403) 815-2440

E: charles.dove@aoc-oil.com

W: www.aoc-oil.com

Mr. Paul Haber

Chairman & Director

Advantagewon Oil Corp.

T: (416) 318-6501

E: paul.haber@aoc-oil.com

W: www.aoc-oil.com

Mr. Frank Kordy

Secretary & Director

Advantagewon Oil Corp.

T: (647) 466-4037

E: frank.kordy@aoc-oil.com

W: www.aoc-oil.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although Management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

- 30 -


BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Bitcoin may be the wonderkid of the financial markets this year, with the price of the cryptocurrency, once dismissed as something reserved for the geeks, cryptography enthusiasts and the darknet, skyrocketing to unprecedented levels, alternating with several nosedives.



The digital currency world has dubbed it the face of the future and it is exactly such hubris that is making the bubble warnings from observers in the traditional finance grow louder each passing day.



While Bitcoin did return to the limelight in 2016 after a lull, it is only this year that it grabbed the entire world's attention as its price soared and there were some measures of acceptance into the mainstream asset market. A clone of the currency, named bitcoin cash, also emerged in August this year.



The price of Bitcoin has surged nearly 20-fold, or over 1,900 percent, this year, from under $900 at the start of the year to a record high of almost $20,000 around December 17.



Amid repeated calls for caution, the price of Bitcoin plummeted nearly 15 percent on December 22 to below $13,000, just days after futures trading in the cryptocurrency began. And it is such wild swings that are raising the crash warnings.



Chicago exchanges CME Group and CBOE Global Markets launched futures trading in Bitcoin in December. The NYSE filed an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 20 to list two exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, tracking Bitcoin futures.



Though such moves could add some legitimacy, analysts and observers are keeping their fingers crossed over the future of Bitcoin, thanks to the notorious volatility linked to the cryptocurrency. Welcoming cryptocurrencies into the mainstream could bring them under some regulatory supervision, they hope.



As the crypto-world goes gaga over the recent appreciation of Bitcoin and other crypocurrencies, voices of caution are growing. Some top bankers have called the Bitcoin boom a fraud and central banks have issued repeated warnings of an asset bubble waiting to burst.



Meanwhile, hackers are busy revealing vulnerabilities in the cryptocurrency protocols, challenging developers to come up with more secure solutions to fulfill the decentralized peer-to-peer network dreams.



It is mainly the freedom linked to Bitcoin that is attracting users to the cryptocurrency. The digital currency is not issued or controlled by any government or state-run authorities and hence, it is not regulated.



Another factor that is driving the Bitcoin price is the fact that its supply is limited.



The algorithm that governs Bitcoin generation prescribes that bitcoins will be created when a new block is added to the network, which will be the mining reward. There will be a finite supply of 21 million bitcoins in the currency's lifetime. The number of bitcoins is set to halve every 210,000 blocks, which is likely to occur once in roughly four years.



In July 2016, the Bitcoin mining reward was halved from 25 to 12.5 bitcoins. The next halving is expected to occur in 2020.



Some are also attracted to the intrigue linked to Bitcoin as its origin remains murky. And the perceived anonymity linked to Bitcoin transactions has also retained it as a darling of the darknet.



The real identity of its creator, who used the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto while proposing the digital currency in 2008, still remains a mystery, despite years of investigation by cryptocurrency enthusiasts, journalists, government authorities and so on. Several theories are prevalent and some contenders have also come forward.



Beyond the regulatory control, the relatively young decentralized digital currency Bitcoin and its rival crypocurrencies, still remain a high risk investment for investors. Their highly volatile price also adds to the risk factor.



And governments and regulators are yet to figure out how to approach cryptocurrencies, though they have begun to tax transactions involving bitcoins. In India, tax authorities have started probing Bitcoin transactions of high net-worth individuals.



Bitcoin had already found wider acceptance in the real economy with big companies such as Microsoft and Dell embracing it as a payment option for their digital services. Reports suggest the Bitcoin boom is largely led by Asian countries.



The digital currency is also finding use in physical stores and in crowd-funding initiatives. A Japanese company is also planning to pay part of its employee salaries in Bitcoin. In countries with troubled economies such as Venezuela and Zimbabwe, people have been using cryptocurrencies to bypass government controls.



The blockchain technology that is underlying bitcoin has found greater acceptance in fields beyond finance such as pharma, government services and even in distributing aid to refugees. The Dubai government has made a roadmap to embrace blockchain on a large scale to realize the dream of a paperless and cashless society by 2020. The city plans to launch its own crypocurrency emCash.



The future of the cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin depends on how efficiently its developers can scale the size of the network and add more security to transactions so that they can gain greater acceptance and trust in the real world.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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The 16-article law states that an Egyptian space agency will be created to forge a national strategy in the area of space and satellite technology

The Egyptian parliament is scheduled to discuss on Sunday a government-drafted law aimed at creating the countrys first space agency.

A 25-page report prepared by parliament's education and scientific research committee said the 16-article law aims to push Egypt forward in the vital area of space and satellite technology in a way that should serve the country's national security and development objectives.

"The agency will also seek to build Egypt's capabilities in the area of space technology and help the country autonomously launch satellites from Egyptian land," said the report.

The report  which was also prepared by parliaments committees on telecommunications and information technology, defence and national security, the budget, and legislative and constitutional affairs  says that the Egyptian Space Agency (ESA) will be a Cairo-based public organisation that will have branches in different parts of Egypt.

"[The agency] will be affiliated with the president of the republic, having financial, administrative and technical independence to be able to do its job in a professional way," said the report.

Gamal Shiha, the head of parliament's education and scientific research committee, told Ahram Online that agency will be mainly responsible for drawing up a national space technology programme within the next few years.

"It will be primarily focused on launching self-made satellites that should serve the development and national security objectives of Egypt," said Shiha.

To meet these objectives, Shiha says the agency will seek to attract domestic and foreign investments.

"It will also mobilise Egyptian scientists and researchers in local, Arab and foreign universities and institutes to conduct research on space technology and step up cooperation with their Arab and foreign colleagues for the sake of building Egypt's capabilities in this vital area," said Shiha.

"The agency will be also entrusted with tapping all the potential necessary for Egypt to manufacture space technology."

The report said a higher council of the ESA will be mandated with formulating the agency's policies and supervising the implementation of its activities.

"This council will have the president of the republic as head, and will include the prime minister and the ministers of defence, telecommunications, finance, scientific research, and military production as members," said the report.

Other council members will include the chief of General Intelligence, the chairman of the Arab Organisation for Industrialisation, and the executive head of the agency.

Article eight states that members of ESA's executive board will be named by the president.

"They will include prime minister as head, the two ministers of scientific research and telecommunications, and the ESA's executive head as members," according to the article, which adds that the board will have to meet once a month.

MP Gamal Shiha said the creation of the Egyptian Space Agency does not mean that Egypt's space programme will start from scratch.

"Egypt's experience in the area of space technology goes back to the early 1960s, when it was able to develop fruitful contacts in this area with East Germany as well as countries in Asia and Latin America," said Shiha, adding that "with the help of German scientists, Egypt was able to build an ambitious rocket progamme."

"However, for various reasons, this programme had slowed down, though it was able to put a good foundation for the manufacturing of rockets and their components in Egypt," said Shiha.

The report said that "with Egypt launching a media satellite in 1998 (the NileSat), it decided to form a council for space technology and sciences. In 1999, the report added, the Egyptian space programme, in the form of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, took charge of implementing different research projects.

"In 2000, the first Egyptian space programme was forged to design, manufacture and launch the country's first satellite for peaceful objectives," said the report.

"In 2007, Egypt, in collaboration with the Ukraine, was able to launch its first satellite for scientific research," said the report, adding that "unfortunately in 2010 Egypt lost control of this satellite (SAT1) because Egyptian engineers who were responsible for operating it decide to leave in favour of building space technology programmes in some Arab countries."

The report said in addition to the above, the National Remote-Sensing Organisation was created in 1973 to play a role in developing Egypt's space technology capabilities.

"For the above reasons," said Shiha, "we can say that Egypt has been able to gain a reasonable basis of space and satellite technology that we can build on to help the Egyptian Space Agency do its job in a quick and confident way."

The report, which was approved by the education and scientific research committee in November and will be discussed in a plenary meeting in parliament on Sunday, also reviewed the successful experiences of some countries such as China and India in the area of space technology.

"Some other countries like South Africa, Algeria and Saudi Arabia were also able to achieve notable progress in this field," said the report.

The report also states that Egypt is currently in communication with other African countries to set up an African space agency based in Cairo.

"This made the creation of the Egyptian Space Agency a necessity," said the report, adding that "Egypt has also made good contacts with Germany to help Egyptian scientists receive training in the area of space technology."

"Egypt and Germany will sign a protocol in the area of training Egyptians in space, satellite and aviation technology," said the report.

Shiha said the law on the Egyptian Space Agency was revised in constitutional and legal terms by the State Council.

"Articles 23 and 31 state that the government should allocate one percent of the GDP to spending on scientific research, information technology and the sponsoring of inventors and researchers, and that cyber technology should be reinforced to become an integral part of the country's national security and economy," said Shiha.

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Navi Mumbai: On its 40th anniversary (1977-2017), Mukesh Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Industries Limited said the company owed all its progress to its founder Dhirubhai Ambani.

"Reliance is the creation of the vision of one individual  my father, and our founder, Dhirubhai," Ambani said during his address to employees on "Reliance Family Day".

"My father is a timeless legend, an Indian icon and eternal inspiration to all Indians of all generations  "Kal, aaj aur kal"  We shall forever remain true to his vision, his ideals and his principles... On this happy occasion, I on behalf of everyone offer "koti koti pranam" and seek his blessings," he said.

"Friends, today let us also remember with gratitude all those who worked with Papa  the great pioneers of Reliance... they often worked against impossible odds, they had very meagre resources than compared to what we have today but they never lacked ambition, passion, dedication, humility and also a burning desire and a dream to make Reliance the pride of India," he added.

His address was conveyed to employees and their families on social media. Over 50,000 people are also attending the celebrations at the Reliance Corporate Park in Navi Mumbai.

Another 2,00,000 employees and their families joined the celebrations live via video conferencing in more than 1,000 locations across the country including manufacturing sites, retail stores and Jio points, according to company officials.

Mukesh Ambani said it is because of Dhirubhai that Reliance had grown from one employee to over 2,50,000; from a Rs 1,000 company to over Rs 6 lakh crore; from one city to 28,000 cities and towns, and over four lakh village.

Congratulating her son Mukesh Ambani for his work, Kokilaben Ambani wished Reliance long life, "Hazaar saal (1,000 year) Reliance jio (live)."

Talking about the company daughter Isha Ambani said, "Dhirubhai Ambani was the father of all start-ups."

"Way back in 1977, when Dhirubhai was starting Reliance, he reached out to the common man of India and said: "'Profits will be yours. The loss, mine'. This is wisdom that no business school will ever teach us," she said.

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who knew Dhirubhai Ambani, started his speech with a couplet from his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan's famous poem Madhushala.

Talking about Dhirubhai Ambani, Bachchan said, "He was not the beneficiary of the wealth which was acquired by many during 1947. He had no such luxury. He was not the third or fourth generation businessman. He was the first generation that grew to be (among the top)".

Bachchan said Dhirubhai Ambani was driven by his own convictions and sentiments, "The individual who has only his conviction to trust upon."

He said Dhirubhai Ambani was not given any opportunities, "his dreams invented those opportunities," adding that "phenomena called Dhirubhai Ambani could only have happened in India."

The RFD  with the tagline, 'A family that works together celebrates together'  is part of a week-long series of activities across the country that will end on 29 December  the 85th birth anniversary of Dhirubhai Ambani.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
Reliance Industries Limited celebrated 40 years since the inception of the conglomerate at a gala event in Navi Mumbai on Saturday evening.

At the event, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani unveiled the future plans for the Reliance Group.

The Reliance Family Day (RFD), celebrating 40 years of Reliance, saw Ambani giving his 10-15 year vision for the oil to telecom group. The mega event is being held at a newly created stadium at the Reliance Corporate Park (RCP) in Navi Mumbai, which will accommodate over 50,000 people. Here is the full text of Ambani's speech at the event:

Good evening, my Reliance Family.

Amitji, I have no words to express my joy.

You truly created a surreal experience.

Please accept our deepest gratitude, on behalf of the entire Reliance family.

Before we start our celebrations of kal, aaj aur kal, this evening, it is my privilege to honour the leaders who have made Reliance.

Friends,

Reliance is the creation of the vision of one individual  my father, and our founder, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani.

We owe to him all the progress we have made in the last forty years.

Reliance stands on his strong and ever-supportive shoulders.

Jo kabhi keval ek karmayogi ki kalpana thi.Aaj sakaar ho gayi. Ek soch..Samrajya mein badal gayi.

It is because of him that Reliance has grown  from 1 employee to over 2,50,000 employees; from initiatl investment of Rs 1000 to a company of over Rs 6 lakh crore, and from operations in only one city to 28,000 cities and towns, and over four lakh villages.

My father is a timeless legend, an Indian icon. An eternal inspiration to Indians from all generations - Kal, aaj aur kal.

We shall forever remain true to his vision, his ideals, his principles.

Aaj is khushi ke mauke par, mein hum sab ki taraf se papa ko pranam karta hu. Aur hum subke liye unka ashirwad chahathun.

Friends,

Today let us also remember with gratitude all those who worked with papa  the great pioneers of Reliance. They often worked against impossible odds. The resources they had were meagre compared to what we have today.

But they never lacked ambition, passion, dedication, humility, indomitable commitment. And also the dream to make Reliance the pride of India. I would like to remember and pay my respects to:

Rasikbhai  my first boss who trained me and taught me some of the best lessons of life;

Natubhai  my fathers younger brother, who looked after finance;

And above all, Ramnikbhai  my fathers elder brother.

This first generation defined the DNA of Reliance.

They believed in investing in talent  and making talented people part of the Reliance Family.

I would like to mention some of them.

Manubhai  who redefined loyalty to Reliance and its mission;

Indubhai  who was the futurist and always thought of future trends even in the 60s;

SP Chakraborty  who taught us to embrace technology and innovation;

VV Bhatt  the iconic people leader;

KK Malhotra  who institutionalised processes and systems at Reliance.

Balu, HS Kohli ji and many others, who still work 12 hours a day.

Some of the pioneers of Reliance yesterday are on the screen behind me. There are many more! Let us today, as one large Reliance family salute them, pay our respects and seek their blessings.

Aaj reliance ki iss pioners ko salaam karne ka, aur unke ashirward lene ka din hai. Jin logon ki mehnat aur wafadari par aaj reliance garv se sar utha kar khada hai.

Let us give all these leaders a standing ovation! Ramnikbhai, the eldest in the Reliance family, who is 92 years old, has made special efforts to be with us and bless us and celebrate our kal, aaj aur kal. May I request Anant, to present him with a floral bouquet on all our behalf.

Watch the complete speech here:

The entire text has been taken exactly as spoken at the Reliance Family Day event and has not been edited by Firstpost.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
Vijay Devarakonda made a splash with Arjun Reddy, a modern-day take on Devdas, which impressed the critics and audiences alike. The actor has been in demand since the films release and filmmakers are now forming beeline to sign him. However, Vijay has been cautious about his next move and as a result has become very choosy.

With two Telugu projects currently in his kitty, Vijay has signed his maiden Tamil outing. The film will see him join hands with Anand Shankar, the young director popular for films such as Arima Nambi and Iru Mugan. To be bankrolled by Studio Green, the yet-untitled project is slated to go on the floors soon.

In an exclusive chat with Firstpost, Anand revealed details about the project. Its been over a year since the release of Iru Mugan, and Anand has worked on multiple scripts in this interim. Instead of taking long gaps between each project, I decided to work on two-three solid scripts and keep myself ready. Producer Gnanavel Raja and I and have been discussing the possibility of working together for a long time. After multiple meetings, I pitched one of the scripts which he really liked it and wanted to take it to Vijay Devarakonda. I was excited about the idea because Ive been planning to take baby steps towards Telugu industry and this offer couldnt have come at a better time, explains the young director.

Anand is thrilled to collaborate with Vijay, who has become the cynosure of all eyes since the runaway success of Arjun Reddy. When a meeting was set up with Vijay, we were told hes become very choosy. But hes a very smart guy who knows what hes talking about. Its going to be a very interesting film. Both of us will get to do something we havent done so far in our careers.

In a recent interview with greatandhra.com, Vijay revealed he plays a virgin in one of his next films. Prod Anand if he was talking about his project and pat came the reply: This is not a rom-com. This will be an intense drama. Were currently allocating dates for the shoot and once done we will make an official announcement.

The rest of the cast and crew are yet to be finalised. The film will be simultaneously shot in Tamil and Telugu. With this project, Vijay will join the growing list of crossover stars who are making their presence felt in other industries. A few weeks ago, Nivin Pauly made his Tamil debut with Richie. This week, Fahadh Faasil made his Tamil debut with Velaikkaran. Dulquer Salmaan is making his Telugu debut with the Savitri biopic Mahanati, which also stars Vijay Devarakonda in a crucial role.
Earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, Will Smith argued in favour of Netflix originals in a war of words with the jury chief Pedro Almodovar. He reasoned that Netflix brings a great connectivity, and thus, should not be dissed completely merely because it eats into the market of cinema halls.

Earlier this week, Netflix released his fantasy buddy cop film, David Ayer's Bright. But Smith vouching for Netflix's relevance goes beyond his commercial interests. Given that he is a global star, his film would have easily got a wide release.

In spite of this, he chose to experiment with a Netflix-only release. The fact that Bright is an 'event film' makes his choice all the more fascinating. Since India is intrinsically big on event films and big budget wholesome entertainers, there is no doubt that it is a great market for Bright. But the Netflix-only release risks its moneymaking chances and may come across as self-defeating.

In fact, Smith agrees that he may be at the risk of compromising the overwhelming impact of the big screen. "Before Independence Day, everyone used to call me Will. But after they saw it in the theatres, I was called Mr Smith for the first time. That's what the big screen does to you," said Smith, during his India visit to promote Bright.

Then why would Mr Smith deprive himself a chance of being called so? The answer can be traced back to his argument in favour of Netflix at Cannes. "They (audience) get to see films they absolutely wouldn't have seen.There are movies that are not on a screen within 8,000 miles of them. They get to find those artists," Smith had said.

His decision to opt for a Netflix-only release of Bright goes beyond accessibility as well. It extends to the very theme of the film. Bright, besides being a fantasy film-meets-buddy cop drama, offers a social commentary. Its narrative addresses the issue of racism, which is extremely relevant in contemporary America.

For the message of the film to permeate the entire globe, Bright needed an omnipresent platform, more than a large distribution network. It could not afford to not release in any country as that would have compromised the idea it aims to disseminate. Thus, it roped in Netflix which ensured the film gets released in a whopping 190 countries, making Bright the largest Netflix original release yet.

But the film's design suggested that it may have 'brighter' prospects in one country out of the 190. That is why both Smith and Netflix chose India as one of the few handpicked countries for the promotional tour in the same week that Bright releases on the streaming service.

As the narrative of the film follows, Smith plays a cop, a representative of the human race, torn between two races. While elves represent the haves, the orcs represent the have nots. The humans land somewhere in the middle of this socioeconomic hierarchy, just like India in the contemporary world.

Particularly after Donald Trump's election as US President, India has found itself in the position of mediator  between the East and the West. Given its diversity and strategic position, the country finds itself oscillating between both ends. It discriminates and is discriminated against. It is the oppressed and the oppressor.

Smith had an interesting perspective to share on discrimination since he also found himself playing a similar part in Bright. He is an African American officer who often succumbs to racism against his buddy cop, an orc, played by Joel Edgerton.

"Everybody wants to feel like they're better than somebody. That's what our ego does. And whether it's racism or sexism or nationalism, it really is just a quest for our individual and collective egos to feel like we're good enough. And it's just that we feel like we're good enough by being better than someone else. So, I never comprehended that before playing this character," said Smith to Firstpost.

With Netflix, which is expanding its base and content in India, Smith has ensured that his film hits the right spot. It was an Indian producer in Ronnie Screwvala who said this about Smith to Variety during his maiden visit to India. Will is one of the biggest brands worldwide and not just in Hollywood. He was an Obama long before the Obama wave."

By choosing Netflix, Smith looks to bring this Obama wave back to India, and 189 other countries. Well done, 'Mr Smith'.
Mumbai: Salman Khan, who was on board as a producer for Kesari, may have backed out of the project but Akshay Kumar is all set to start the shooting for the film from January.

The 50-year-old actor, who is currently busy promoting his upcoming film Padman, said Karan Johar is producing Kesari, which is based on the Battle of Saragarhi.

"The film is titled Kesari and it is being made. I will start this film in January. We will be continuously shooting for it after 'Padman' releases.

"Karan Johar and I are making it. It did not happen," Akshay told reporters here on the sidelines of an event when asked about Salman backing out of the film.

In January, Salman had tweeted about joining hands as a producer with Johar for the film featuring Akshay.

Later there were reports about the 52-year-old actor not being a part of the film anymore.
(Note: Our critic's rating for this film is 0.5 stars. The above rating graphic shows 1 star because our software doesn't reflect anything lower than 1.)

Since the December 2012 Delhi gangrape, which fixed the media spotlight firmly on Indias long-running feminist movement, many autorickshaws in the city have taken to carrying stickers bearing the words This auto respects women. It is the most tragic and ironic testament to how dangerous this city is for 50 percent of its population and how autowallahs in particular have been known to harass female passengers.

A similar irony marks director Ajai Vasudevs Malayalam film that is in theatres this week. Masterpieces leading man, college professor Edward Livingston played by Mammootty, chants a mantra throughout his time on screen. I respect women, he says again and again and then again, clearly unconvinced by and uncommitted to his own declaration. The character's actions suggest that the megastar has taken on this catchphrase to mock those who have slammed him over the years for the horrendously misogynistic films he has chosen to act in, including last years Kasaba that earned him a notice from Kerala's Womens Commission. His insincerity is underlined by the scorn and condescension with which he dispenses these words each time he wishes to put a woman in her place, in a film that has been made with the evident purpose of celebrating aggressive masculinity and treating women lightly.

No, I am not kidding. The hero even has this theme song playing in the background while he struts about: He's the man, macho macho man. I swear I am not making this up.

Masterpiece is set in a men's college where two gangs of students are constantly at war. Their competitiveness extends to a good-looking youngster called Vedika in a womens college in the city who recently won a major cultural crown. Soon after they mark Vedika out as property to be duelled over, she is raped and killed. Suspicion falls on her boyfriend, which leads to a clash between students and the local police including ACP Bhavani Durga (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar) and her colleague John Thekken (Unni Mukundan).

About an hour into the narrative, Edward Livingston enters the picture. He is the sort of prof that dudes consider cool because he effectively disciplines them in class but in his free time becomes one of the boys, so to speak, such that when he beats up goons to protect them, the young men on campus cheer him by yelling goonda masha (hooligan teacher), which the film seems to consider a compliment.

Edward, of course, proves to be a better investigator than the police, and solves the mystery over Vedikas death. Of course. The whodunnit part of the film is no doubt suspenseful, but when the big reveal comes, its contrivances somewhat overshadow its interesting elements. For instance, the crime at the centre of the plot took place when a young woman fixes a late night rendezvous with her lover. A credible explanation is not offered for why she chose a lonely spot and that particular time. Another instance: a tubby middle-aged person is shown chucking a human body over a wall as if it were a sack of cotton, a task that perhaps a real-life WWE wrestler might be equal to.

Even the anticipation of the case being cracked is overshadowed by director Ajai Vasudevs fan worship of Mammootty, which dominates every scene in which Livingston appears. The rape and murder are just an excuse to prove how cool Mammukka can be when he plays detective-detective. There is no dividing line here between the character and the actor, not because the actor is doing a great job of immersing himself in a role, but because he does not bother. Mammootty here is himself on screen as he has played himself in countless films through his decades-long career.

Masterpiece, in that sense, is not so much a film as it is a prop against which Mammootty leans. Everything in it is geared towards paying tribute to the star while apparently signifying Edward Livingstons coolth. And so, Livingtons car registration number is KL02 BOSS. During his introductory scene an hour into the narrative, Maharaja from the college's name on its boundary wall is highlighted, as are the words limited edition... on the back of his Hyundai Creta. He has a signature gesture: he keeps holding up his right arm and shakes down his shining kada. Even the title is unrelated to the films storyline: it is an ode to him.

It is not that such swagger does not ever work. Mammootty himself has pulled it off in the past. The problem here is that these moves are so lacking in novelty and so generic, that far from being impressive, they come across as laboured and puerile. The director also seems to be working on a template already visited by the Mohanlal-starrer Velipadinte Pusthakam to slightly better effect this Onam, right down to the heros late entry, the much younger woman teacher who evinces romantic interest in him and a murder with a college in the backdrop.

What distinguishes Masterpiece from Velipadinte Pusthakam is the utter contempt for women pervading every cell of its being. When a classroom full of male students gawk at a pretty young teacher (Poonam Bajwa) with a sari draped low down her waist, a senior colleague (Mukesh) chides them but mutters to himself as he looks away from her slim body in embarrassment, There is no point in scolding the students. In his book it is the womans fault that those paavam, helpless young men are leering at her.

Let us pause for a moment to think of the extreme insensitivity of that line being featured in a film in which a rape  a crime usually accompanied by victim blaming  occurs shortly afterwards. The low point of this film though is that long after this gruesome assault takes place, a marginal character, the canteen guy Manniyan, makes a quip about rape. Despite the abysmal expectations Masterpiece had set up for itself by then, I was startled in that moment.

Incidentally, the aforementioned woman teacher is included in the film solely as a showpiece who is smitten by Edward, because no Mammootty or Mohanlal film these days is complete without a good-looking woman young enough to be their granddaughter falling for them. Her youthfulness is unwittingly rubbed in our faces in a scene in which she opts out of her usual saris and wears jeans and a shirt to dance with the students.

Through all this misogyny, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar stands tall as ACP Bhavani Durga, the actors natural screen presence defying every effort by Edward Livingston to rubbish her character. Varalaxmi conveys power effortlessly, possibly because of her own innate strength. She deserves better than to play secondary characters in macho-fests like Masterpiece and Kasaba.

The film itself squanders away whatever little potential it has in its adoration of Mammootty and its misogyny.
Los Angeles: A second woman has come forward to accuse actor Sylvester Stallone of sexual assault dating back to the 1990s.

The anonymous woman has filed a report with the police in Santa Monica, Lt Saul Rodriguez of the Santa Monica Police Department told The Hollywood Reporter.

The alleged incident happened in the 1990s, which essentially means that it is outside California's 10-year statute of limitations for sexual assault.

The Rocky actor denied the allegation of rape through his attorney, who called the police report against Stallone "false".

"We have already notified the police that my client wants to file a claim against the woman for filing a false police report.

"My client categorically disputes the claim and it is apparent that the woman filed the report to get a media outlet to publish the story," said Stallone's attorney.

Stallone was earlier accused by an unidentified woman who claimed that the actor and his bodyguard Michael de Luca "intimidated" her into sex.
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Recently, on doctors orders, MuKa, as he is affectionately called, swapped his signature dark glasses for simpler ones. From behind clearer lenses, DMK's patriarch will witness the result of two biggies today where his children have high stakes  the 2G scam verdict and the RK Nagar result.

From behind his tinted glasses, the grand old man of Dravidian politics Muthuvel Karunanidhi 93, waits. For what (all) exactly, we cant say. But at 93, he battles age, ill health and multiple medical complications and continues to make headlines for taking a ride from his home not far from where Jayalalithaa lived to the DMK headquarters on Anna Salai.

A Raja and Kanimozhi have arrived at the Patiala House Court complex for the 2G scam verdict. Also present in court is Kanimozhis half-brother MK Alagiri. Special CBI judge OP Saini has asked all 17 accused, including Kanimozhi and Raja, to be present for the verdict.

Charges against Kanimozhi, the daughter of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, include criminal conspiracy to cause criminal breach of trust by a public servant and criminal conspiracy (Section 120-B), cheating (Section 420) and forgery (Sections 468 and 471). She has also been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The special court, which is exclusively dealing with the cases arising out of the 2G spectrum allocation scam, has directed all accused to remain present for the much-anticipated 2G scam verdict.

In February 2011, Manmohan had said that "coalition compulsions" had forced him to make compromises.

The 2G spectrum allocation scam, which rocked the UPA II government, was the biggest scam in the history of Independent India. The then prime minister Manmohan Singhs image was battered in the ensuing storm.

In 2011, Manmohan had said that "coalition compulsions" had forced him to make compromises

In the first case filed by the CBI, Raja and Kanimozhi are facing trial along with former telecom secretary Siddharth Barua, Rajas erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra and three top executives of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RADAG)  Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair.

The 2G expose became the poster boy of a corrupt nation by showcasing corruption across a full 360 degrees; administrative and political culpability in violating government policies to rob the exchequer for private enrichment, (led to the Supreme Court judgment of 2012 cancelling all the "illegal" telecom licences), a corrupt media in collusion with big business and the PR industry (Radia Tapes) and the role of government law officers (Solicitor General Ghoolam Vahanvati) in facilitating rather than preventing the breaking of the law.

But Raja was unstoppable. He and his team went ahead as per plan, immune to the fact that their intent and modus operandi to eventually loot the nation to the extent of Rs 1.76 lakh crore in full public view had already been detailed in one of the countrys leading national dailies.

Raja ran amock, twisting every rule in the book. And every single deviation was documented in great detail.

But it wasn't just about that. In granting licenses to favoured companies, Raja also helped them jump the queue. This, through illegally advancing the cut-off date and designing a bespoke first-come-first-served (FCFS) policy while ostensibly snubbing the then prime minister Manmohan Singh, law minister H R Bhardwaj, the finance ministry and his own senior officials advice to opt for fair and transparent auctions. Much of this now finds mention in the crucial section 70 (I  vii) of the Supreme Court judgment delivered in 2012 which cancelled all the 122 illegally awarded licences by Raja.

For the telecom beat, it began dramatically, with stories on the "gold rush": an ever-growing pile-up of licence applications in Sanchar Bhavan based on common knowledge that 2G licences in 2008, would be awarded at 2001 prices.

Shalini Singh, the reporter who broke the 2G spectrum scam at that time, writes:

Others who are in the court are Kanimozhi's half-brother MK Alagiri, her husband and other DMK leaders. The special court, which is exclusively dealing with the cases arising out of the 2G spectrum allocation scam, has directed all 17 accused to remain present for the verdict.

Who else is present in the court

Raja sold licenses/2G spectrum to a handful of arbitrarily selected (120 out of 575) companies in January 2008 at a bargain basement 2001 price. In doing so, he not only violated the law, committed several improprieties, but caused a loss to the exchequer of at least Rs 40,000 crore.

1. B. Prabhakar Rao Vs. State of A.P. (1985) SUPP.SCC432 2. D.S. Nakara Vs. Union of India (1983) 1SCC305 3. Monarch Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. 2000 (v) SC287 4. K. Manjusree Vs. State of A.P. (2008) 3SCC512 5. Union of India Vs. S Tel, 1 July 2009, Justice G.S. Sistani, Delhi High Court 6. Union of India Vs. S Tel 24 November 2009, Delhi High Court, Honble Chief Justice Dr. S. Murlidhar

The allegation relates to the fact that Telecom Minister A Raja, who after taking office in May 2007, manipulated the policy regime and TRAIs recommendations, and in blatant violation of law (TRAI Act) and other settled law:

Several licences were issued to firms with no prior experience in the telecom sector or were ineligible or had suppressed relevant facts, a state auditor said in its report. The violations cost the exchequer as much as $36 billion in lost revenue, the auditor said, equivalent to Indias defence budget.

According to this February 2012 report by Reuters , police had said that in 2008, when India issued 122 new telecom licences, several rules were violated and bribes were paid to favour certain firms.

India is divided into 22 telecom zones and there are a total 281 zonal licences in the market of 894 million users and 15 mobile operators, led by Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and Vodafones India unit.

Tata Teleservices -- 3 licences Tata Teleservices, which won 3 licences in 2008, is part of Indias salt-to-software Tata conglomerate. In 2008, Japans NTT DoCoMo bought 26% of Tata Teleservices.

Idea Cellular -- 13 licences Idea Cellular, which was given 9 more licences in 2008, is Indias No. 4 mobile operator by subscribers. It now owns Spice, which was also given 4 licences in 2008. Idea said it is using seven of the 13 licences to be revoked.

Sistema Shyam Teleservices -- 21 licences Sistema Shyam, which was given 21 licences in 2008, is a joint venture between Russian conglomerate Sistema and Indias Shyam Group. Sistema owns majority stake of the company, while the Russian government also has a stake in Sistema Shyam.

S Tel Ltd -- 6 licences S Tel, which was given six licences, suppressed facts, had much less than the authorized share capital required to get the licences, submitted false certificate from its company secretary regarding paid up capital, the auditor said. Bahrain Telecommunications Co owns a stake in S Tel, whose other major shareholder is Indias Siva Group.

Etisalat Db Telecom Private Ltd -- 15 licences Formerly Swan Telecom, the company had been given 13 licences and also later merged with itself another firm that had won 2 licences. Abu Dhabis Etisalat in late 2008 bought about 45 percent of the company that was then renamed Etisalat DB Telecom.

Videocon Telecommunications -- 21 licences Videocon Telecommunications, formerly Datacom Solutions, is part of Indias Videocon group and was issued 21 licences. The auditor said the company had suppressed facts, had much less-than-required authorized share capital and submitted false certificates regarding the companys paid-up capital.

Loop Telecom Private Ltd -- 21 licences Loop Telecom, which was issued 21 telecom licences, suppressed facts, its authorized share capital was much less than required, and it did not have telecom as the main object clause in its memorandum of association among other flaws, the auditor has said.

Group companies of Indian realty firm Unitech Ltd that were given 22 telecom licences had not fulfilled eligibility norms for getting these licences, the state auditor has said.

Following are the companies affected by Supreme Court's ruling in 2012 and the number of zonal licences issued to them in 2008

The Indian Express reported that till now, 154 witnesses have recorded their statements which include Anil Ambani, Tina Ambani, corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and many more. The statements of the witnesses amass over 4,400 pages.

All accused in the 2G scam case are being asked to line up to enter the special court. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy is also waiting to enter the courtroom and defence lawyer Manali Singhal is objecting to his presence there. Swamy is a private complainant in the high-profile case.

Here's a look at the charges against the key accused in the 2G scam, including A Raja and Kanimozhi

Lawyers standing outside the special court in Patiala House Court Complex slammed the prosecution for preparing a weak case. Reports said that the CBI and Enforcement Directorate will challenge the court's order in High Court.

A Raja, Kanimozhi, and 16 other accused will walk free, as the special CBI court on Thursday acquitted all 18 accused in the 2G spectrum scam. Citing lack of evidence, in a one-line order, the special court found all accused not guilty.

Besides Raja and Kanimozhi, others acquitted in the 2G spectrum scam case include former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's erstwhile private secretary RK Chandolia, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra and three top executives of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RADAG)  Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair. Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, Kalaignar TV director Sharad Kumar and Bollywood producer Karim Morani have also been acquitted in the case.

Apart from Raja and Kanimozhi, who all got acquitted

DMK supporters marching and celebrating outside Patiala House Court after the Court's pronouncement of 2G Scam Verdict

P Chidambaram says "Allegation of a major scam involving the highest levels of Government was never true..."

IP Khaitan and Kiran Khaitan: Loop Telecom promoters who had been accused in the case.

Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair, Surendra Pipara: The Reliance ADAG executives were facing charges of concealing the shareholding pattern of Swan Telecom.

Sanjay Chandra: The Unitech executive had been accused of working with Raja and Chandolia to obtain licenses.

Shahid Balwa: The businessman was accued of furnishing false information to the telecom department and bribing public servants.

Siddharth Behrua: Former telecom secretary was one of the bureaucrats charged in the case.

Kanimozhi: The daughter of DMK supremo M Karunanidhi is the other famous name associated with the case.

A Raja: The former Union minister is the main accused in the case and had been charged of cheating and criminal conspiracy.

The 2G case had engulfed politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen in its wake. Those who were facing charges included:

When asked whether the verdict will have any effect on the ongoing RK Nagar bypolls, Kanimozhi said, "I don't think this will affect the RK Nagar bypolls as DMK is already winning. However, the verdict means a lot, and it will enthuse the cadres for the bypolls and the upcoming 2019 General election."

Speaking to News18, DMK MP Knaimozhi who was acquitted by the special CBI court in the 2G scam, said, "Finally our innocence has been proved. I will not deliberately target anyone but there was a conspiracy and a lot of people had a hand in this. It wasn't very easy. You are being accused of something you haven't done and corruption charges are the worst. It means a lot for DMK because corruption has been used as a peg to slam our party."

"Will BJP now apologise to the nation for stalling parliament for years, slowing down India's growth story, levelling baseless accusations against the then government for BJP's hunger to be in power at any cost? Shame on their power hungry politics"

"Aaj meri baat siddh ho gayi, koi corruption nahi, koi loss nahi. Agar scam hai to jhooth ka scam hai, vipaksh aur Vinod Rai ke jhooth ka. Vinod Rai ko desh ke saamne maafi maangni chahiye (I have been proven right. There was no corruption, no loss. If there was a scam it was a scam of lies which was woven together by the then Opposition and former CAG Vinod Rai. Rai needs to apologise to the entire nation)."

There was no corruption, no loss, says Kapil Sibal

It was a false case. For the past 2 assembly elections, the case was used against us, now it has been proved to be wrong: RS Bharathi, DMK

Clearly the Court found that innocent people have been wronged. Justice has worked as it is supposed to work in our country: Shashi Tharoor

Former telecom minister A Raja says he'll first read the verdict "like a good lawyer and then comment."

Will read the verdict like a 'good lawyer and then comment': A Raja

Speaking to reporters, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said, "I don't want to boast about anything... Massive agenda-driven propaganda was done at that time against UPA government and the judgment speaks for itself."

Manmohan Singh says don't want to boast about anything: Judgment speaks for itself

The shares of DB Realty were up up 19.94 percent at Rs 43.60 and Unitech shares were up 13.48 percent at Rs 8 on the BSE.

Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, two of the acquitted, had stepped down as managing directors of DB Realty after they were accused of wrong doing. Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra has also been acquitted today.

Shares of DB Realty and Unitech zoomed on the Bombay Stock Exchange after the 2G special court acquitted all accused in the 2G spectrum scam.

"This may add to the overall noise level. The session is going to be a wash out," Chandrasekhar told CNBC-TV18.

The special court judgement is likely to give more ammunition to the Opposition parties to attack the ruling coalition. Rajya Sabha MP and entrepreneur Rajeev Chandrasekhar, however, feels the session was anyways going to be a wash out.

Winter Session of Parliament going to be a wash out, says Rajeev Chandrasekhar

"In the beginning, the prosecution started with the case with great enthusiasm and ardour. However, as the case progressed, it became highly cautious and guarded in its attitude making it difficult to find out as to what prosecution wanted to prove. The quality of prosecution totally deteriorated and it became directionless and diffident."

"There is no material on record to show that Sh. A. Raja was mother lode of conspiracy in the instant case. There is also no evidence of his no-holds-barred immersion in any wrongdoing, conspiracy or corruption.... I may add that many facts recorded in the charge sheet are factually incorrect, like Finance Secretary strongly recommending revision of entry fee, deletion of a clause of draft LOI by Sh. A. Raja, Recommendations of TRAI for revision of entry fee etc."

"Some parties are treating this verdict as a badge of honour. In 2007-08, spectrum was not given by auction, but on the basis of price discovery which was based on 2001 prices. Even within the policy implementation, there was huge element of arbitration. Cut-off date was advanced, first-come, first-served basis policy was intended to serve a few. It was then changed to first-come, first-pay policy. Favourite few were told in advance about the policy. Even the Supreme Court challenged this first-come, first-served policy and quashed it. The court called it unfair and intended to cause loss to the Government of India. Supreme Court directed the government to have a fresh policy. And in 2015, the NDA government got a much higher price. (UPA) policy was designed to promote corruption. It was implemented in an unfair manner, causing loss of revenue to the government. Auctioning was getting much higher price. I am sure investigating agencies and prosecuting agencies will look into it and decide what to do further in the matter. The Congress should not consider this as some kind of certificate of clean chit."

Arun Jaitley says some parties are treating this verdict as badge of honour; spectrum in 2007-08 was not given by auction but on the basis of price discovery which was based on 2001 prices

"We are thankful to the court for the judgement as i vindicates our stated position and the court has appreciate it," an Essar spokesperson said in a statement.

The Essar Group today welcome the judgment of the special court acquitting its promoter Ravi Ruia and Anshuman Ruia in a case arising out of the prob into the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Just hours after a special CBI court acquitted A Raja and Kanimozhi in the 2G Spectrum scam, the DMK said that it is not thinking of any kind of any alliance with the BJP-led NDA. We are very much with the Congress," party sources to News18.

DMK Working President MK Stalin describes the 2G verdict as "historic". "A historic verdict has been delivered," says Stalin. Recalling that the case was filed in 2009, he says it was a "planned (attempt) to insult and finish off a party in the political history (of the country)." "It is a matter of joy that all of them have been acquitted," he adds.

She said that she never wanted to amass money, else she would have joined politics much sooner. Kanimozhi said she was not greedy for power too, considering how she refused ministerial position. Despite all this, I was falsely dragged into this which has left me scarred. Now with this behind me, I will do all I can to strengthen my party and work for the people of Tamil Nadu, she added.

The DMK MP said she was charged with the sole aim to tag my name with a mind-boggling amount to make sure that Kalaignars (Karunanidhis) rule will not continue for the next 5-year term.

To be falsely accused in a case for a notional loss of Rs 176 thousand crore to appease the opposition that was stalling the Parliament is atrocious. I was made an accused because I was a director of a company and for only about 20 days, where I had not attended even a single board meeting and where I had not signed a single document. This speaks of the depth to which the system stooped to ensure that I was dragged into (this case) so that DMK is defeated in the election which was hardly five months away, said Kanimozhi.

Soon after her acquittal in the 2G scam, DMK leader and daughter of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi, Kanimozhi said the fact that she was dragged into the case showed how much the system could stoop to ensure DMK's defeat in the elections. Speaking to CNN-News18 after the court order, Kanimozhi said that she had been waiting for the last six years to see this day and it was a harrowing experience.

Manmohan and the Congress had faced scathing criticism during the second tenure of the UPA for not snapping ties with the southern ally in the aftermath of CAG Vinod Rais 2G report.

According to sources, Kanimozhi told Manmohan that she would seek an appointment with him, while the former prime minister asked her to convey his regards to her half-brother and DMK working president MK Stalin. DMK is a key constituent of the Congress-led UPA.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Rahul Gandhi called up DMK MP Kanimozhi, speak to her after acquittal in the 2G case.

Manmohan and the Congress had faced scathing criticism during the second tenure of the UPA for not snapping ties with the southern ally in the aftermath of CAG Vinod Rais 2G report.

According to sources, Kanimozhi told Manmohan that she would seek an appointment with him, while the former prime minister asked her to convey his regards to her half-brother and DMK working president MK Stalin. DMK is a key constituent of the Congress-led UPA.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Rahul Gandhi called up DMK MP Kanimozhi, speak to her after acquittal in the 2G case.

Special CBI judge OP Sainis order, running into over 1,500 pages, had some harsh words for the CBI. "Religiously sat in open court for the last 7 years from 10 am to 5 pm even during summer vacation awaiting for someone with legally admissible evidence. Not a single soul turned up."

The 2G verdict is the second such big blow to the probe agency following Rajesh and Nupur Talwar's acquittal in the Aarushi Talwar murder case.

The judgment relating to the 2G scam dated 21.12.2017 has been prima facie examined and it appears that the evidence adduced to substantiate the charges by the prosecution has not been appreciated in its proper perspective by the learned court. The CBI is taking necessary legal remedies in the matter.

In first official reaction following the 2G scam verdict, CNN-News18 quoted the CBI as saying that evidence adduced to substantiate charges has not been appreciated by the court.

We are taking necessary legal remedies in the matter: CBI

A blind man can see. You know the CAG chief is today one of the strong advisors of the government, posted on various boards and organisations and is being rewarded for what he has done. That will remain a black mark in the history of CAG, Vadakkan said. He (Vinod Rai) should be prosecuted by the law of the land for creating such kind of excuses and cover-ups. I think he should be prosecuted, the Congress spokesperson said.

he 2G verdict will remain a black mark in the history of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the former CAG chief Vinod Rai should be prosecuted, the Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan today said.

Senior advocate Soli Sorabjee said that the CBI court's verdict re-emhasises that the basic tenet of justice should be upheld. The offense, if any should be proved beyond a doubt. And perhaps the investigative agency has failed to do that/

CBI court judgment re-emphisises that offense should be proved beyond doubt, says Soli Sorabjee

"I believe this was much larger than a political conspiracy. I have never seen something like this. And I would say that I knew the evidence was in my favour and yet I could not be sure until the judge pronounced the judgement. Politically too, I learnt a lot. Corruption is not an easy buren to carry. Our party, our cadres also suffered a lot," Kanimozhi said.

He said that this is a historic verdict. The case was registered in 2009. This has been an attempt to humiliate and destroy an entire party. So the case was blown up and fudged up figures were used to prop up the charges. "That everyone involved had been acquitted by the courts in Delhi is a matter of great happiness for us. This decision shows that there has been no wrongdoing on the part of DMK," Stalin added.

"I humbly request the media persons present here spread the message of DMK's innocence to the general public with the same eagerness they showed in talking about the scam and piling on the blame," Stalin said.

CBI says it will appeal against special court verdict in Delhi HC

"I was never interested in the working and functioning of the Kalaignar TV. I was only a director before the channel was actually launched and I had also submitted my resignation very much before the case. But the CBI said that I attended a board meeting after I had resigned. Its not true, I haven't been to any meeting at all. There are documentary evidence for that," Kanimozhi told CNN-News18.

I was never involved in the working of Kalaignar TV: Kanimozhi

Now the judge has also said that the attitude of the prosecution was totally lackadaisical, non-serious. The judge also said that they couldn't prove there charges and the ase was so directionless that he couldn't understand what the CBI wants to prove," Swamy said.

"The first private complaint in the 2G case was filed by me. But the CBI under the UPA felt that letting me handle the prosecution was dangerous, so they also filed an FIR. Now there is a clause which states that if there is a private complaint and a central agency also complains the two cases will be merged. They took over the case from their out of fear.

CBI, under, UPA took over prosecution from me out of fear, says Subramanian Swamy

Subramanina Swamy, speaking to the press, hinted at an internal sabotage. He also spoke againt the appointment of former ttorney General Mukul Rohatgi. He said that he was a defendant of a lot of corrupt people, including those accused in the 2G case. He also added that the had written several times to the prime minister about his appointment but to no avail. He said that Rohatgi's appointment sent out the wrong message and the people will hold the party accountable in 2019 for not being hard enough against corruption.

He also questioned the appointment of Mukul Rohatgi as Attorney General of India. He said that Rohatgi had defended the accused earlier, and he had pointed that out several times to prime minister Narendra Modi. He also said that the nation will hold the party accountable in the 2019 elections.

He said that the judge noted that there was a lot of enthusiasm in the case in the beginning, which was when I was handling the case. He also said that some people within his party are not that serious about a crackdown on corruption.

To begin with, Swamy quoted the CBI court's judgment and said the fact that the court has observed that the entire attitude of the prosecution became lackadaisical later in the case, raises questions over the government's handling of the case.

Speaking to the press with his usual candid demeanour, Swamy even pointed fingers at his own party as well, as he made several controversial claims.

PM must take a lesson from verdict, must fight corruption on war footing, says Swamy

As mentioned above, the CAG findings as far as the loss to the exchequer is concerned stands correct. This is the reason why the BJP leaders leapt forward to contradict the Congress claim that the CBI court verdict vindicates the UPA government shortly after they claimed a moral victory.

After seven years, when the CBI court discards the allegations citing prosecutions inability to prove the charges, the logical question that arises is: Can former CAG Vinod Rai, who spearheaded the charges, still stand by the credibility of his findings or admit the governments auditor went horribly wrong in opening a Pandoras box based on weak presumptions?

After the 2G scam verdict of CBI special court, a few obvious questions arise: Did the 2G scam even happen? Were the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) accusing the former UPA-government causing notional loss to the state exchequer, at best, a work of fiction? Did the Narendra Modi government, with all its political might and sleuths at its disposal, fail to make a strong case against the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats involved in the alleged scam?

Was a scam created where there was none?

ED officials said the agency would study the order and knock on the doors of the high court armed with their evidence and investigation. The officials said it has to be seen if the ED case has been rejected by the court merely because the predicate offence probe of the CBI has been rejected or there were other reasons to do so

Apart from the CBI, which said it will appeal in the Delhi High Court, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also decided to appeal against the judgment of the special court that acquitted 19 people in the 2G spectrum allocation money laundering case.

Congress communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said: "Will all those people, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley and other BJP leaders, who for years made false propaganda and lies their stepping stone to come to power, apologise to the country."

The Congress also said that accountability should be fixed against those including former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai who dubbed it a scam, after all the accused were acquitted in the case today by a special court as the prosecution failed to establish any charges.

Buoyed by the 2G spectrum case verdict, the Congress today said that truth has finally prevailed and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley apologise to the nation for the BJP's alleged "propaganda and lies" on the issue.

The agency, which normally takes months to study court orders before proceeding to file an appeal in higher court, declared within hours of the verdict that it has been prima facie examined.

Congress leader Manish Tewari said that the CBI and ED's haste in deciding to file a review petition in a higher court is suspicious. He said that the investigative agency surely does not have Einstenian abilities to peruse 1500-page judgment within a couple of hours and deciding to challaenge the acquittal. He also wondered whether the decision was taken under pressure.

Congress questions CBI's 'haste' in deciding to challenge verdict, asks if agency had Einsteinian ability to peruse voluminous judgment

The arguments have been taken up by the prosecution just to prejudice the mind of the court by invoking the high name and authority of Hon'ble Prime Minister of the country, underlined Special Judge OP Saini in his verdict while reproaching the CBI for basing its case on conjectures and speculations alone.

Dragging the name of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to nail former Telecom Minister A Raja earned the CBI wrath of the special 2G court, which lashed out at the agency for trying to prejudice the court by dropping the PMs name.

The CBI has said that the court in its ruling gave oral evidence by the accused more credence than the written and documentary evidence provided by it. The CBI officers also said that the convention is to give written evidence more weight and it is on basis of this that the agency is going to appeal against the acquittal of all accused in the case.

CBI to appeal against acquittal in Delhi HC, says court relied heavily on oral evidence

Within hours of acquittal in the 2G spectrum allocation case by a special court, Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra said there was no wrongdoing on his part but his company had to pay the price for the case foisted on him. Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group also welcomed the court verdict.

Vinod Rai in anxiety gave an estimated loss in the 2G ... Now I think he has been awarded...You (NDA government) have awarded him. I think all those awards he has to return. He has to resign from all those posts and tender an apology to the country, Moily said.

A 2010 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, when Rai was its head, had estimated that there was a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer in the allocation of the 2G spectrum during the then UPA regime.

While senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said Rai should tender an apology to the country, resign from all posts he is holding and return all the awards, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy sought that the former CAG chief should be probed on the issue.

A demand for former CAG chief Vinod Rai to quit all posts was made in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, hours after a court ordered acquittal of all the accused in the 2G spectrum scam case which was based on the government auditors findings during his tenure.

After acquittal, A Raja says whole case was 'cooked up' against him

He said as the telecom minister, he had brought "revolution in the telecom sector" in India. "It is not unknown to history that a person who did a revolution is often termed as a criminal."

"I have felt somewhat vindicated all along even prior to this judgment because the beneficial results of my actions are evident to and being enjoyed by the nation's public, especially the poor," Raja said in a statement.

In his first comments after being acquitted in the 2G case, former telecom minister A Raja on Thursday said he stood vindicated as accusations that he took Rs 200 crore bribe to allocate lucrative radio wave spectrum in 2008 were false.

Since the CBI case and prosecution has proved inadequate, steps must be taken immediately to pursue the matter legally, so that those who are guilty are punished."

"The judgment of the CBI special court on the 2G spectrum case raises more questions than answers. It was well-established that the allocation of 2G spectrum had caused a big loss calculated to be Rs. 1,76,000 crores by the CAG. The Supreme Court had indicted some of the telecom companies involved for misuse of the allocations and cancelled the licences of concerned companies.

The duo will be greeted by DMK working president MK Stalin. From airport they will head to DMK headquarters and meet party general secretary K Anbazhagan. Following this they will meet party chief M Karunanidhi in Gopalpuram. Kanimozhi will then be given grand reception at her residence in CIT colony.

After their acquittal in 2G spectrum case, A Raja and Kanimozhi are expected to rise in DMK under party working president M K Stalin's leadership. Currently a Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi has already expressed her desire to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

DMK working president MK Stalin, in a letter to party workers on Friday, said that the 2G verdict has made the DMK stand tall. Stalin said that Raja, during his tenure as telecom minister, made mobile services accessible to economically backward classes.

DMK has given a blow to those who wanted to taint its name: MK Stalin

 A Raja in an emotional letter written to M Karunanidhi on Friday said that the party chief stood by him throughout. He said he places the verdict that vindicates the party's position "at the feet of Karunanidhi" with gratitude. "You protected me like a baby in a mother's womb to ensure that I did not melt away during the spectrum journey," Raja said in the letter.

You protected me like a baby: A Raja in his letter to Karunanidhi

The 2G spectrum verdict may open avenues for the DMK switching over to the NDA. The alliance between DMK and BJP has become a possibility specially after Narendra Modi visited party patriarch M Karunanidhi in Chennai to enquire about his health.

 Kanimozhi on Friday said that the 2G verdict will not change DMK's stand on anything. The DMK leader hinted that a partnership with the BJP was unlikely. The DMK is part of a Congress alliance and was part of the UPA government.

There is also a view that DMK will be wooed by the BJP with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. There could be a race between the Congress and BJP to align with DMK.

 The acquittal of DMK Kanimozhi and A Raja, and others by a court in the 2G spectrum case has come as a big boost for the party and could lead to a political realignment in Tamil Nadu, political observers and party leaders say.

Kanimozhi, after coming out clean in 2G spectrum case, is expected to play second fiddle to DMK working president MK Stalin in the party. Kanimozhi will also be the DMK's face in New Delhi. A Raja is also likely to be promoted politically, according to The Quint report.

DMK supporters are dancing and singing, waiting for A Raja and Kanimozhi's arrival. Heavy police security has been deployed at Chennai airport. There will be roadshow from airport to DMK headquarters in Gopalapuram.

A Raja and Kanimozhi have left the airport and are heading to DMK headquarters. The due will meet party general secretary K Anbazhagan. Following this they will meet party chief M Karunanidhi in Gopalpuram.

The road to DMK headquarters in Chennai is dotted with posters and banners of A Raja, Kanimozhi and MK Stalin. In a show of support to Raja and Kanimozhi, party workers are hailing them, shouting slogans.

Rajathi Ammal, Kanimozhi's mother has demanded elevation for her daughter. She said she was happy for her daughter.

Reports suggest that there may be an elevation of A Raja and Kanimozhi in the party. Some DMK members wish that the duo should be elevated in the party. The duo has not held any position in the party for seven years.

A Raja and Kanimozhi's have arrived at DMK president Karunanidhi's residence in Gopalapuram in Chennai.

A Raja, Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and DMK working president MK Stalin met party patriarch Karunanidhi at his residence in Gopalapuram and sought his blessings.

Report suggest that Kanimozhi will emerge as another power centre in DMK, posing a challenge to Stalin.

After meeting party president Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence, Kanimozhi said that her father welcomed her and was very happy to see her. DMK working president MK Stalin presented golden shawls to both Kanimozhi and A Raja.

My father was very happy to see me: Kanimozhi

Chennai on Saturday wore a festive look as DMK supporters gathered in large numbers to welcome A Raja and Kanimozhi. Party headquarters was all decked up with DMK flags in order to mark the duo's return from Delhi.

She said that her party will continue the alliance with Congress in future too. Kanimozhi added that DMK has differences with the BJP.

A day after she was acquitted in 2G spectrum case, Kanimozhi told NDTV on Friday that her time in prison made her stronger and wiser politician. "Jail really made me stronger and wiser. I realised how politics works. I read the Mahabharata in jail and that really put things into perspective for me," Kanimozhi was quoted as saying by NDTV.

A Raja and Kanimozhi's have arrived at DMK president Karunanidhi's residence in Gopalapuram in Chennai.

A Raja, Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and DMK working president MK Stalin met party patriarch Karunanidhi at his residence in Gopalapuram and sought his blessings.

Recap: Here are the charges that former Union telecom minister A Raja and DMK leader M Kanimozhi were acquitted for under the 2G spectrum scam

"I always wanted to contest elections ... to have a constituency and to be able to work and see things happening," she said.  PTI

Kanimozhi said she always wanted to contest elections and serve the people. Asked if she would contest the Lok Sabha polls, the DMK leader told NDTV: "I will ask the party if I can ... the party has to make a decision."

DMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, wants to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, according to her interview on a news channel.

Tamil Nadu: DMK workers & supporters gather at Chennai Airport as Kanimozhi & A. Raja arrive, they were recently acquitted in the #2GScam case. pic.twitter.com/2vdLA3VdE4

DMK leaders Kanimozhi and A Raja received a rousing welcome from DMK workers and supporters on their arrival at Chennai airport after their acquittal in the 2G spectrum allocation case. According to Hindustan Times , frenzied celebrations were witnessed at the airport as folk dancers performed to the beat of drums as DMK cadres, holding posters of Raja and Kanimozhi, crowded the airport to welcome the leaders.

Chennai: Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi reaches her residence in CIT Colony after being acquitted in #2GScam , welcomed by supporters pic.twitter.com/PAAzqyrUPc

Kanimozhi reaches her residence in CIT Colony after being acquitted in the 2G case, receives welcome by a crowd of supporters

Report suggest that Kanimozhi will emerge as another power centre in DMK, posing a challenge to Stalin.

After meeting party president Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence, Kanimozhi said that her father welcomed her and was very happy to see her. DMK working president MK Stalin presented golden shawls to both Kanimozhi and A Raja.

My father was very happy to see me: Kanimozhi

Chennai on Saturday wore a festive look as DMK supporters gathered in large numbers to welcome A Raja and Kanimozhi. Party headquarters was all decked up with DMK flags in order to mark the duo's return from Delhi.

She said that her party will continue the alliance with Congress in future too. Kanimozhi added that DMK has differences with the BJP.

A day after she was acquitted in 2G spectrum case, Kanimozhi told NDTV on Friday that her time in prison made her stronger and wiser politician. "Jail really made me stronger and wiser. I realised how politics works. I read the Mahabharata in jail and that really put things into perspective for me," Kanimozhi was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Two days after their acquittal in the 2G spectrum scam, former Union telecom minister A Raja and DMK leader M Kanimozhi will arrive in Chennai on Saturday and are expected to meet party patriarch M Karunanidhi.

The duo is expected to receive a grand welcome from DMK workers upon their arrival in Chennai, according to media reports.

Raja and Kanimozhi were among 19 accused who were acquitted by the court in the 2G scam. The other accused acquitted in the case are former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's former private secretary RK Chandolia, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra and three top executives of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RADAG)  Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair.

Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, Kalaignar TV director Sharad Kumar, and Bollywood producer Karim Morani have also been acquitted in the case.

Besides them, three telecom firms  Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd (STPL), Reliance Telecom Ltd and Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Ltd  were also cleared of all charges.

Special CBI judge OP Saini pronounced the judgment in the 2G scam which had rocked the UPA government.

Saini decided the fate of the accused by saying, "I have absolutely no hesitation in holding that prosecution has miserably failed to prove any of the charges against any of the accused".

On Thursday, a number of supporters of Raja and Kanimozhi broke into loud cheers as soon as the verdict was pronounced.

DMK supporters were seen bursting firecrackers outside the court complex and showered Raja and Kanimozhi with flowers as soon as they stepped out of court.

In its chargesheet filed in April 2011 against Raja and others, the CBI had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum which were scrapped by the Supreme Court on 2 February, 2012.

With inputs from agencies
New Delhi: Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday slammed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for talking to media about his "innocence" in the fodder scam even as a CBI court was due to deliver its judgement in the case.

The special CBI court in Ranchi will pronounce its verdict later on Saturday in the fodder scam case in which Yadav, a former Bihar chief minister and Union minister, is an accused.

"Whether he is acquitted or convicted, is for the court to decide. We do comment on it, but he is lecturing on the TV since morning even though the judgement is yet to be delivered," Paswan told reporters.

Paswan, the chief of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), an NDA ally, also hit out at Yadav alleging his involvement in corruption as Union railway minister.

"He used to be a big-shot in the Railways but what did he do there? He just made (money)," the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution alleged.

Paswan, 71, congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah for the party's "crucial" victory in the just-held Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections and predicted the NDA's win in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"There will be no Opposition in 2019 because they have no issues. What will (Congress president) Rahul Gandhi tell about his party's achievements in 2019," he asked.

Paswan also claimed that unity among all Opposition parties for the 2019 elections was an "impossibility", saying they cannot come together "even in seven lives".

"The Congress protests alone in Parliament and no other party from the Opposition joins them. Those who cannot unite in Parliament, cannot do so outside it," he added.

Talking about his party, Paswan said the national executive of the LJP will be held in Delhi on 11 March, 2018. He said the LJP has been able to increase its membership to 50 lakh, and aims to have one crore members.
Ghaziabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on Friday clashed with police in Ghaziabad over the marriage of a Hindu girl with a Muslim boy, which the activists described as a case of "love jihad".

The BJP workers, accompanied by representatives of other Hindutva outfits including the Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and Jai Shiv Sena, staged a sit-in protest outside the house of the parents of the girl and disrupted traffic.

The girl's father had organised a reception after the marriage at his house.

The police removed the protesters using force, saying they were trying to interfere with the private life of an individual. Pushpendra Kumar, the father of the bride, told IANS, "I had been receiving phone calls for last two days to stop this marriage. But both are major and mature enough to know what's wrong and what's right."

His daughter Nupur Singhal is a psychologist, who has done her PhD in Human Psychology, while her husband Mansoor Harhat Khan is an MBA and is working with a private company. His family originally belongs to Aligarh, while his father Harhat Bashir Khan lives in Delhi and also owns a house in Noida.

"They have decided to live together, so they have registered their marriage under the Special Marriage Act in Ghaziabad. We had arranged a reception party. I don't see any love-jihad in their marriage," Pushpendra Kumar said.

According to him, the boy even offered to marry as per Hindu rituals. "But neither the groom's family nor ours put any conditions and left it to the girl and the boy, and they went for a court marriage," the father added.

They are in touch with the Noida SSP as they apprehend that on Saturday, "some mischief" could take place in Noida, at the house of the boy's father.

The police said they used mild force to disperse the crowd. "How can the police allow people to barge into someone's house? We got a distress call and we performed our duty," said SSP HN Singh.
Egypt will increase the price of underground metro tickets and base it on the length of each commute next October after the completion of Cairos fourth metro line, Minister of Transportation Hesham Arafat said in a phone interview with Salet Al-Tahrir TV programme on Sada El-Balad channel on Saturday.

Arafat argued that the "low price of metro tickets has for years been one of the biggest problems facing the countrys transportation sector."

Last March, Egypt doubled the price of standard metro tickets to EGP 2.

Arafat had said in July that ticket prices for Cairos metro system are expected to see a gradual increase, eventually reaching EGP 4 by the last quarter of 2018.

Cairos fourth metro line will run from downtown to Cairo International Airport in the easternmost part of the city.

In recent years, Metro officials have urged the cabinet to increase ticket prices in order to stop financial losses.

Cairos underground metro system, launched in 1987, is one of the oldest in the Middle East and Africa.

Over 3.5 million of Greater Cairo's 21 million residents rely on the metro in their daily commutes, according to estimates by the country's National Authority for Tunnels.

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15:26 (ist)

Lalu Prasad's recent court appearances marked by banter and hostility

After the Supreme Court order directing that the trials of the fodder scam cases should be completed within nine months in May, the special CBI court in Ranchi started hearing the matter on a daily basis. On various occasions, accused Lalu Prasad Yadav's interaction with judge Shivpal Singh resulted in laughter on one hand and allegations on the other.

The speedy nature of the trial made Lalu Yadav a frequent visitor from Patna to Ranchi and his body language sometimes compelled the judge to ask informal questions related to his health and well-being. On 14 June, Shivpal Singh asked Lalu, "Aap kaise hain?" (How are you?) to which the RJD leader replied, "Hum theek hain. Aap bulaye aur hum chale aaye." (Sir, I am fine. You remembered me and I turned up).

After that, Lalu's counsel Prabhat Kumar sought exemption for his client from personal appearance. However, the judge declined to grant any exemption. This compelled Lalu to personally plead with folded hands with the judge on 30 June.

Read more
A special CBI court today convicted former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a fodder scam case while acquitting six including another former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

Total 15 people have been found guilty including Lalu Prasad Yadav in #FodderScamVerdict; 7 innocent including Former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

Ranchi's Special CBI Court to pronounce quantum of sentence on January 3rd, 2018 for the 15 guilty including Lalu Prasad Yadav  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

CBI judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

According to reports, Lalu has been taken into judicial custody and will be sent to jail along with others convicted in the case.

The CBI court will pronounce the quantum of punishment to Lalu Prasad and 15 others convicted in fodder scam case will on 3 January.

Yadav, the chief of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict. A charge sheet was filed against 38 persons on 27 October, 1997.

Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said. The court had reserved its order on 13 December.

There are six cases related to the fodder scam, and this is the second case in which Lalu has been convicted. He will be facing four other cases.

RJD leader Manoj Jha, however, termed the conviction a political conspiracy.

He told ANI: "I believe in the judiciary but in this case, CBI was arranging prosecution. Legally admissible evidence provided by us were set aside."

Kind of evidences we have, we'll get redressal at a higher court. Politically I know this regime, they have this typical Standard Operating Procedure-Try to make a deal with your opposition, if you fail...scare them. Want to tell them-Your end has begun: Manoj Jha,RJD pic.twitter.com/lkYjqNeI6g  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

With inputs from PTI

Click to follow live updates on the fodder scam case.
New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has strongly been opposing the draft National Medical Commission bill that seeks to replace the Medical Council of India with a new body, has urged parliamentarians to protect the interests of the medical profession.

According to the IMA's national president KK Aggarwal, the draft NMC bill which recently was approved by the Cabinet, would "cripple" the medical profession by making it completely answerable to the bureaucracy and non-medical administrators.

"The medical profession is currently going through a very tough time. It is time that parliamentarians take note of this crisis and act accordingly," he said.

He said the formation of the NMC would add to the woes of medical sector as it would be a "regulator appointed by the administrators, under their direct control".

Last week, the IMA had appealed to the prime minister to revise the draft bill in the larger interest of the medical profession and correct the anomalies.

The draft bill provides for the constitution of four autonomous boards entrusted with conducting undergraduate and postgraduate education, assessment and accreditation of medical institutions and registration of practitioners under the NMC.

It abolishes the Medical Council of India (MCI) and "possibly" Section 15 of the IMC Act, which says that the basic qualification to practise modern medicine is MBBS, he claimed.

"It takes away the voting right of every doctor in India to elect their medical council. The Medical Council of India is a representative body of the medical profession in India.

"Any registered medical practitioner in the country can contest the election and every qualified doctor can vote. Abolishing a democratic institution and replacing it by a body in which majority is nominated by the government is certainly a retrograde step," Agarwal earlier had said.

Also, it inducts non-medical people into the highest body of medical governance changing its perspective and character forever.
New Delhi: India on Friday repatriated four Pakistani prisoners, who have completed their sentence and whose nationality has been confirmed by Pakistan authorities, via the Attari-Wagah border.

"India attaches high priority to addressing all humanitarian issues, including early release and repatriation of Indian fishermen and prisoners in Pakistan's custody," the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

It also stated that India has secured the release of 370 Indian prisoners, including 363 fishermen, in 2017.

The release of the Pakistani prisoners comes ahead of the visit of the mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian national sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on alleged charges of espionage, to Pakistan.

Pakistan has issued visas to Jadhav's mother and wife to meet him in a Pakistani prison on 25 December.
Ahmedabad: A court in Ahmedabad on Saturday partly lifted its gag order against news portal "The Wire", allowing it to publish articles on the business of Jay Shah, the son of BJP chief Amit Shah, but said it should not link the subject matter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Additional Senior Civil Judge BK Dasondi also stayed the operation of his order for two weeks, so that Jay Shah, who had filed a civil defamation suit against "The Wire", could move a higher court against it.

"The Wire" had moved the court against its injunction that it should not publish anything about Jay Shah's business until the suit was disposed off.

The court on Saturday said the news portal could publish articles regarding Jay Shah's business, but it would not have any reference to the prime minister, as the original article in question could not justify linking the rise in Shah's company's turnover to Modi becoming prime minister.

The article, titled 'The Golden Touch of Jay Amit Shah', had said the turnover of a company owned by Jay Shah  Temple Enterprise Pvt Ltd  "increased 16,000 times over in the year following the election of Narendra Modi as prime minister".

Calling it slanderous, Jay Shah had filed both a civil defamation suit as well as a criminal defamation complaint against the portal.

The civil court had, earlier, issued an injunction, prohibiting "The Wire" from "publishing, broadcasting or printing" anything on the basis of the article till the suit was disposed off. The news portal had challenged it before the high court, which had asked the lower court to hear the matter and pass an order within 30 days.

"The Wire" had argued against the gag order, saying if the author of the article could justify her contention saying it was true and based on public record, the court could not issue such an injunction, whatever the final outcome of the case might be.

The court accepted this argument but said there was no justification regarding the reference to Modi in the article.

Jay Shah sought a month's time to move a higher court against today's order, but the court stayed the order for only two weeks.

Shah has filed a Rs 100-crore civil defamation suit against Rohini Singh, the author of the article, five editors of "The Wire" and its publisher, Foundation for Independent Journalism.
Aurangabad: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday praised NCP leader Sharad Pawar, saying he was an "equal partner" in ushering in economic reforms in the country.

Singh, who is considered the architect of the economic liberalisation measures unleashed in 1991 under the PV Narasimha Rao government, also termed Pawar as the "most creative agriculture minister" he had ever seen.

The senior Congress leader was speaking at the release of Pawar's biography 'Padma Vibhushan Sharad Pawar: The Great Enigma' written by Sheshrao Chauhan.

"Sharad Pawar had always been striving for the welfare of the nation and he was equal partner with me in bringing in economic reforms in the country," he said.

"Pawar is a Maharashtrian, but he is known across the country for his handling of crises. During his tenure as the Maharashtra chief minister, he had skillfully handled the situation after the 1993 Mumbai blasts, post-Babri mosque demolition riots and the Latur earthquake.

"Very few politicians care for industrial development, and Pawar is one of them. His policies have brought reforms in the economic field," he said.

Singh recalled that when he was the finance minister and Pawar was the defence minister, he had urged the latter to help him in the austerity measures. "Pawar cut down the defence budget by Rs 500 crore. This paved way for other cabinet colleagues and they too assisted in the noble cause," he said.

"Pawar is the most creative agriculture minister I have ever seen," Singh said adding, "I take his guidance during times of crises and a larger part of the credit for the success of UPA I and II governments goes to him."

During his speech, Pawar lauded Manmohan Singh for his style of functioning as the PM. "There are very few leaders of Manmohan Singh's calibre and his work is endorsed by the international community," he said.
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani will unveil the future plans for the Reliance Group at a star-studded event on Saturday, which will feature Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

The Reliance Family Day (RFD), celebrating 40 years of Reliance, will see Ambani giving his 10-15 year vision for the oil to telecom group. The mega event is being held at a newly created stadium at the Reliance Corporate Park (RCP) in Navi Mumbai, which will accommodate over 50,000 people, according to PTI.

Furthering a tradition that Reliance has been upholding every year, the RIL Family Day will commemorate RIL founder Dhirubhai Ambani's 85th birthday, which falls on 28 December.

This year's event is slated to be larger, with a three-hour show featuring performances by celebrities like Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Sonu Nigam.

Not just the twins  Isha and Aakash Ambani  but Ambani's younger son Anant will also make an appearance at the function, sources said. "The event is also likely to see the Ambani's next generation Akash, Isha, and Anant articulating how they see the future," the source added.

RIL group families have been invited to attend the event which will also be connected with 1,200 locations across the world and more than 2 lakh employees and their families will join the celebrations through live video conferencing.

"Reliance Family Day will be celebrated tomorrow where RIL Family will celebrate 40 Years of the group. We are expecting RIL Chairman to announce future plans for Jio along with some other group related announcements," the source said.

With inputs from agencies

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
New Delhi: Talented youngsters from Jammu and Kashmir can contribute greatly to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a delegation of schoolgirls from the state on Saturday.

The girls are touring various parts of the country as a part of the Indian Army's "Sadbhavana" programme.

The prime minister interacted with the girls on a host of subjects, ranging from education to the Swachh Bharat campaign and benefits of yoga.

"Delighted to welcome a delegation of school girls from Jammu and Kashmir, who are touring various parts of the country as a part of the Indian Army's Sadbhavana programme.

"The school children from Jammu and Kashmir and I had a lively interaction on areas pertaining to education, Swachh Bharat, benefits of Yoga," Modi later tweeted.

Delighted to welcome a delegation of school girls from Jammu and Kashmir, who are touring various parts of the country as a part of the Indian Armys Sadbhavana programme. https://t.co/ADPq4fgbaL pic.twitter.com/BGtju5daAx  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 23, 2017

"They were particularly keen to know about the steps our government is taking towards furthering girl child education.

The school children from Jammu and Kashmir and I had a lively interaction on areas pertaining to education, Swachh Bharat, benefits of Yoga. They were particularly keen to know about the steps our Government is taking towards furthering girl child education.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 23, 2017

The talented youngsters from Jammu and Kashmir can contribute greatly to the nation. It is gladdening to see more youth from the state joining the civil services and showing great potential in sports.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 23, 2017

"The talented youngsters from Jammu and Kashmir can contribute greatly to the nation. It is gladdening to see more youth from the state joining the civil services and showing great potential in sports," he said in a series of tweets.
Jammu: Pakistani troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol, killing a Major and three soldiers, along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Saturday, officials said.

The latest violation of the ceasefire agreement took place at a time Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was camping in Rajouri district headquarters to address people's grievances, they said.

A defence spokesman said Pakistani troops targeted the army patrol at Brat Galla in Keri sector at around 12: 15 pm.

"We suffered three fatal casualties including one officer in the incident. Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to their injuries. Two other personnel also sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment," the spokesman said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Rajouri Yougal Manhar added that one of the two injured personnel died later.

The army, in a statement, said that Indian troops retaliated "strongly and effectively" to the "unprovoked" firing.

Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh paid rich tributes to the slain soldiers and condemned Pakistan for the ceasefire violation.

"Pakistan is indulging in such cowardly actions and is being given a befitting response, but it does not desist from such cowardly acts," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function.

Major Ambadas (32) belonged to Bhandara district in Maharashtra and is survived by wife Avoli Moharkar, while Lance Naik Gurmail Singh (34) belonged to Amritsar district in Punjab and is survived by wife kuljit Kaur and a daughter.

Sepoy Pargat Singh (30) belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the army said.

"Major Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail and Sepoy Pargat were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the army statement said.

The deputy chief minister said Pakistan has got isolated at the global stage, especially on the issue of terrorism.

"Pakistan is a terrorist state and it will not be too long before the country is declared a terrorist state by the world. It does not only support terrorism but also provide state sponsorship," Singh said.
A key Congolese rebel group signed a ceasefire deal with the central government in Brazzaville on Saturday, after months of renewed armed conflict in the oil-rich nation.

Fighters loyal to ex-rebel chief Frederic Bintsamou -- seen as having disbanded after a 2003 peace deal -- rose up again April last year in protest at the re-election of President Denis Sassou Nguesso.

The fighting in the southern Pool region affected at least 138,000 people and halted district elections in July.

It also cut off crucial transport routes between the capital Brazzaville and the main oil port -- worsening an already dire economic situation for the country affected by plunging crude prices.

The new ceasefire deal was signed in Pool's regional capital Kinkala between government officials and Jean-Gustave Ntondo, a representative of Bintsamou.

"The accord is good news at a time when the economic situation is not very good," government spokesman Thierry Moungalla told AFP.

"The ceasefire begins today," said Ntondo who was only recently released from jail along with another Bintsamou ally.

According to the short agreement, Bintsamou, also known as Pastor Ntumi, committed to "facilitating the collection of weapons held by the ex-combattants" and to not "hinder" the restoration of state authority in the Pool region.

The government said it would support the "professional, social and economic reintegration" of the rebels once they handed over their arms.

Brazzaville also said it would guarantee the return of displaced people.

A commission with representatives from both sides is to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire.

The Paris-based opposition group Sassoufit said the "accord's spirit is positive", but queried whether Ntondo may have been forced to sign the deal under duress.

President Sassou Nguesso, 73, has led Congo for over 30 years.

The former paratrooper served as president from 1979 to 1992, and then returned to power in 1997 following a civil war with Pastor Ntumi's so-called ninja rebels.

Sassou Nguesso won two successive terms in elections in 2002 and 2009, both of which were disputed by opposition parties.

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Amritsar: A Pakistani intruder was shot dead by the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel along the Indo-Pak border, while he was crossing over to the Indian territory at Ajnala in Amritsar, an official said on Saturday.

The 70th Battalion of the BSF shot dead the Pakistani intruder, aged around 65 years, when he ignored the warnings of the personnel and kept proceeding, the BSF official said, adding that the incident took place on Friday at around 10.30 pm.

The body was kept in the mortuary after conducting a post-mortem, the official said, adding that further investigations were underway.

The BSF had foiled an infiltration bid from across the border in September, when it shot dead two armed Pakistani intruders along the Indo-Pak border at Ajnala.
New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has strengthened itself by creating more Border Outposts (BOP) after the Doka La standoff with China.

Addressing the border guarding force during its 54th anniversary parade in New Delhi, the minister said the SSB not only guards India's border with Nepal and Bhutan, it also takes care that friendly relations with these neighbouring countries do not sour.

"The past year has been tremendous for the force. The SSB has increased its strength after the Dokalam standoff with China, by creating more border outposts near Sikkim and Bhutan border," Singh said.

He also lauded the force for its counter insurgency operations and anti-Naxal operations.

"People living near border areas should be considered as strategic assets of India. The force takes care of them by organising several events which is appreciated," he said.

When asked about confidence building measures with neighbouring countries, Singh said, "Confidence-building measures are a continuing and ongoing process. It is always on and should be always on."
Lalitha is barely 15, but already has the poise of the air-hostess that she aspires to be. "I want to travel and see the world," she says in impeccable English with a confident toss of her head. "Or perhaps a photographer," she hastily adds.

She could have been any regular teenager dreaming aloud, except that her mother was a vegetable vendor at the local city market who died when Lalitha was four, leaving her at the mercy of another vendor. At the age of seven, when she refused to work as a maid, she was beaten with a steel spoon that cut her head open. She was found bleeding on a pavement.

Reena, meanwhile, is certain that she wants to be a journalist because she enjoys research, writing up reports and short stories. Her oratory skills have won her the post of deputy speaker at the school parliament of her ICSE English medium school. She reads novels in her spare time. This would not be an unusual description of any bright teenager, except that Reena was abandoned for being a girl child, and was adopted by a maid who left her in an orphanage after realising she couldn't afford to take care of her.

Satish Manchikanti, one of the founders of U&I, an NGO that runs after-school tutoring programs for such girls growing up in orphanages and care centres, describes these girls as first-generation learners: Children who live in communities where they lack role models to inspire them educationally.

"Although 95 percent enroll in schools, 70-90 percent of children from such backgrounds cannot cope, which basically means that 9 out of 10 kids drop out before they reach Class X," he explains. They remain on the other side of what he calls "the great Indian divide", unable to catch up with their peers who come from stable middle-class backgrounds.

He realised that all jobs in the private sector required one to speak, write and read English, while the majority of first-generation learners who emerge from the Indian school system are unfamiliar with these basics, placing them at a permanent disadvantage. Fifty-two percent of Class V students cannot read Class II textbooks. They live in communities where they lack role models to inspire them educationally, and they attend schools where the student-teacher ratios are typically 60:1.

To try and bridge this gap, he opened his office post 6 pm and taught children basic English and computer skills. From 15 students in the first classroom in 2011, they have now grown to reach over 1,400 in after-school and in-school programmes, with 1,000 active volunteers spread over 13 cities and 36 learning centres. This ensures a 3:1 ratio of mentorship and tutoring, teaching the children skills such as spoken English, reading programmes through libraries, subject tutoring, educational trips and counselling  providing a structured 360 degree program of holistic education. Every volunteer has to pass a screening test, every class is audited to ensure accountability and impact. Their success is evident in the fact that in the last three years, all Class X students have passed with more than 70 percent marks.

U&I is volunteer-driven, a model successfully followed by two other NGOs doing similar work: Bhumi and Make a Difference (MAD).

Bharat Bhaskaran, one of the directors at MAD, is barely 29 years old and has been in the system for five years in different capacities, trying to provide what he calls "equitable outcomes" for children in shelter homes. "Not equal, but equitable," he clarifies. "MAD aims to create enough opportunities to offer the same level of exposure to these children as their counterparts from middle class homes. We want them to reach the threshold of the opportunities available to the middle class by the time they are 28 and ready to begin a family of their own, so that their kids have a better future."

Dr Prahalathan is a co-founder of Bhumi, one of India's largest independent youth volunteer non-profit organisations that began in 2006 and now enables over 12,000 volunteers in more than 14 cities across India to work for causes such as education in after care programmes and also civic causes such as the environment, animal welfare and community welfare. "I finished my medical degree and had planned to go abroad, but met my co-founders and began to do this temporarily; I enjoyed it so much that I now work full time," says the 35-year-old. "I'm a better person now" is his simple conclusion of the outcome of his decision to give up his career.

Bhumi follows a distributed leadership model, with older coordinators mentoring the newer ones, and every project has a HR and project coordinator to keep track of its many ventures. In addition to education, there are numerous civic activities: Tree planting in Chennai, lake cleaning in Bengaluru, recording of audio books in Chandigarh, food collection drives in Delhi and Chennai, apart from weekly road safety awareness drives.

"A lot of people want to do something good, are more socially aware and feel responsible, and this makes them volunteer," observes Prahalathan. "Also, they get as much as they put in, in terms of leadership, management skills, and PR."

MAD won an award that called it "one of the great places to work", and like U&I, offers volunteers a community of like-minded people who are passionate about bringing about change in the lives of the disadvantaged. "Initially, volunteering was considered cool and was becoming a thing about 10 years ago. But now, youngsters are actively involved because they believe in its impact; they don't do this just so that they can brag to their family about it. They also like the positive nature of the task," says Bhaskaran. "In this line of work, I have met some of the most humble and genuinely passionate people; the quality of our interactions is great, and we don't have time to worry about petty things."

Sharon Paul, a psychologist who volunteers with U&I, says, "Volunteering has made me see how fortunate I am and the kind of change that is possible by just giving 2.5 hours of my time every week."

Writer Susan Narjala says, "U&I gives me the chance to help in a way that is consistent and organised: They make me accountable to the kids and give me the tools to connect with them. I see each child as an individual; they have fun, interesting personalities that make me laugh."

There is now the wonderful problem of plenty: This year alone, more than 30,000 volunteers have registered with Bhumi, but it only has the capacity to work with 15,000, and is stepping up to the challenge of finding opportunities for the rest. U&I began its recruitment drive this March and already has 4,907 sign-ups to date.

The best part of this large army of volunteers who are waging a war against an inequitable system on behalf of the have-nots, is that the have's are leading it from the front. And having a blast while they are at it.
Chennai: Two days after their acquittal in the 2G scam case, former Union minister A Raja and DMK Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi on Saturday arrived in Chennai to a rousing welcome by party workers.

Led by DMK working president MK Stalin, a host of party leaders, including Duraimurugan and former Union minister TR Baalu, welcomed them at the airport.

Stalin and others presented shawls to the duo. Cadres showered flowers, burst firecrackers and played traditional music. They also performed folk dances like 'Karagattam' and 'Kavadi'.

Raja and Kanimozhi visited party patriarch M Karunanidhi at his residence and took his blessings.

Upon their arrival at the Gopalpuram residence of the nonagenarian leader, Raja touched the top leader's feet as a mark of respect and presented a shawl.

The former Union minister told Karunanidhi "I have been acquitted in the 2G spectrum case" and shook his hand.

Kanimozhi took the blessings of her father and party chief and reportedly told him that she and the party stood vindicated in the case.

Karunanidhi smiled and later waved at the party cadres. Since October last year, the nonagenarian leader has been inactive in politics due to ill health.

The party workers erupted in cheers when the wheelchair-bound leader waved at them, which is not an everyday gesture nowadays in view of his health.

Raja, Kanimozhi and 15 others accused were on Thursday acquitted in the politically-sensitive 2G spectrum allocation scam cases by a special court in Delhi, which held that the prosecution "miserably failed" to prove the charges.
New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday alleged that the previous UPA regime had divergent views on Aadhaar and the Congress-led government changed its position to oppose the legislation after assuming the role of Opposition in Parliament.

Also, the initial legislation related to Aadhaar during the UPA regime was a "bald" one, Jaitley said.

The finance minister recalled that Nandan Nilekani gave a "forceful and persuasive" presentation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who decided to go ahead with it, soon after the NDA government came to power.

However, he said, when the Act was reworked by the present government, "one thing which was clear that the privacy provisions were required".

"...the UPA government had two clear schools of thought. One which was not enthused by Aadhaar at all and therefore raised issues... relating to national security. And the other (school of thought) which was pushing it. As a result, (it) was a very bald legislation," said Jaitley.

He further said that when the present government decided to go ahead with Aadhaar, the UPA, now in Opposition, almost made it clear that they were opposed to this idea.

On Congress' stance on the legislation, Jaitley remarked, "Where do you stand now literally depends upon where you sit in the House."

Jaitley was speaking at the launch of a book 'Aadhaar: A Biometric History of India's 12-Digit Revolution' written by Shankkar Aiyar in New Delhi.
Shimla: The suspense over the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh may end on Sunday when the BJP legislative party meets. The party may announce a chief ministerial candidate on Sunday.

A senior BJP leader said the name of the new chief minister would be announced by party's central observers comprising Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar and state party in-charge Mangal Pandey.

Several names, including those of Union Health Minister JP Nadda and five-time legislator Jairam Thakur have been doing the rounds.

Sitharaman and Tomar, along with Pandey, had met the newly elected legislators and the Members of Parliament to discuss the formation of the government and the chief minister.

After spending two days in Shimla, they returned to New Delhi and submitted their feedback to party President Amit Shah.

Five-time legislator Thakur has emerged as a key contestant in the chief ministerial race, with the party expected to take a final call at the BJP legislative party meet.

Party sources said central observers are expected to convey the name of the next chief minister approved by the party's central leadership to the legislators and get it approved from them unanimously.

Other names doing the rounds are of party legislators Suresh Bhardwaj and Rajeev Bindal.

The name of two-time Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who faced a humiliating defeat in this election, has not been ruled out either.

The BJP won 44 seats in the 68-member assembly.
New Delhi: Delhi BJP workers, including members of the party's Purvanchal Morcha and youth wing, protested on Friday near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence over the increase in school fees and the issue of Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh wrongly declaring a baby dead.

The protesters began their march from Chandgi Ram Akhara, raising slogans against Kejriwal, but were stopped near the chief minister's residence by the police.

The Delhi unit president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Sunil Yadav, alleged that the Kejriwal government had signed a "secret pact" with the hospital to let it function despite the grave mistake committed by the private facility.

The hospital's licence was cancelled by the Delhi government following an uproar by the family members. But it resumed operations on Wednesday after it got relief from an appellate authority, which stayed the government's order.

"Kejriwal government under a secret pact with the Max Hospital administration issued a very weak and frivolous ban order which could not stand scrutiny for a single hearing before a quasi-judicial authority," Yadav alleged.

The Delhi government has allowed private schools to hike their fees. The move has hit the poor and the middle-class, especially those from the Purvanchal region settled in Delhi, said Manish Singh, the chief of Delhi BJP's Purvanchal Morcha.

The government claims it would not allow any hike in the fees but its education department on 17 October issued a circular allowing the schools to raise their fees, Singh said.
New Delhi: The BJP Saturday latched onto RJD chief Lalu Prasad's conviction in a fodder scam case to hit out at the Congress, an ally of Prasad, saying the UPA is an "alliance of corruption".

Union minister JP Nadda also rejected Prasad's claim of a BJP conspiracy behind his conviction and said the cases were pursued when the UPA was in power and wondered how his party figured in the matter.

He cited other graft cases involving the Congress and its allies, claiming that its alliance was an alliance of "corruption" and it had been exposed badly.

"It has been proved that Lalu Prasad indulged in corruption and the decision has been given by the court. How does the BJP figure in it? It is the alliance between the Congress and Lalu Prasad's party when all such actions have taken place.

"Over three years after it was ousted from power, we still see one case after another coming out and courts are indicting and convicting them. So, this itself speaks of the deeds done by them," the senior BJP leader told reporters.

Earlier in the day, BJP ally and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan hit out at Prasad over his public comments before the verdict was delivered, claiming he has been involved in corruption whenever he was in government, including as a railway minister, but was "lecturing" others.

BJP leaders have also cited the recent conviction of former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, who came to power in an alliance with the Congress, in a corruption case to attack the opposition party.
The month of December and of all the days 23 December has been haunting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, who claims to be a Shiva bhakt and believes in numerology, for the last 40 years.

Yadav started his political career from his college days and joined Jayaprakash Narayan's movement against the then Indira Gandhi government which imposed Emergency. Yadav was arrested in Patna under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and spent the entire December that year in Jail which prompted him to name his newly born daughter as Misa Bharti.

His smooth political career, however, was disrupted when his name figured in the Fodder Scam in 1996. The CBI filed the chargesheet on 23 July, 1997. After spending four months in jail in 1997, Yadav was released on 12 December.

Yadav was arrested again on 28 October, 1998, in another case related to the fodder scam, but he was released in December. That month, more cases were registered against him.

But despite that Yadav won the Madhepura seat in the General Election to Lok Sabha in 1998 and the Saran parliamentary constituency in the 2004 General Election to Lok Sabha. He became the railway minister in the UPA-I government. In 2013, a special CBI court convicted Yadav in the 1996 fodder scam case and was put behind bars. The CBI verdict ended his political career as he had to resign from the Lok Sabha and was barred from fighting elections.

Though Yadav was released on bail by the Supreme court in December 2013, the verdict made a dent into his political career as his party (RJD) was limited to just four parliamentary seats in the 2014 General Election to Lok Sabha.

The month of December is again haunting Yadav as the CBI court is all set to pronounce its judgment in the Deogarh treasury case related to the fodder scam.

But that's not all. Yadav is facing another corruption case for awarding a tender for maintaining two Railway hotels to a company in lieu of about two acres of prime land in Patna. The CBI is expected to file a chargesheet in December.

Click here for LIVE updates on the fodder scam verdict
Former Bihar chief minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has seen it all. He was earlier the unchallenged king of Bihar, a messiah of Mandal politics, a leader associated with under-development and jungle raj, as also a self-proclaimed kingmaker at the Centre, a powerful union railway minister, and a parallel centre of power in his home state. He has also been a prisoner, and has been debarred by the law of the land to contest elections.

In contemporary Indian political history, Lalu stands unparalleled for what he achieved, and also for what he lost in the last three decades. No other leader has alternated so frequently between chief ministerial office, a ministerial office at the centre, and courts and jails in two states Bihar and Jharkhand.

The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment for Saturday's conviction on 3 January. This means that Lalu will have to wait for another ten days to know how long he may be lodged in jail in this case. The arrival of the new year will indeed be harsh on him. He may get a maximum punishment of seven years.

In another fodder scam case, he was convicted in October 2013 and awarded a punishment of five years in jail. He has been on bail in the recent past. There are three more fodder scam cases in which the RJD chief is an accused and the trial is in progress.

It should be noted that in 2014, the Jharkhand High Court granted relief to Lalu by staying the trials in the other fodder scam cases against Lalu after he was convicted in one such case. But in May 2017, the RJD chief suffered a severe legal jolt when the Supreme Court overturned the verdict, ordering the opening of the trials by the special CBI court against Lalu in four cases for cheating, forgery and conspiracy. The apex court has directed the completion of the trial within nine months.

The irony is that Lalu, who is now convicted in two separate cases in the over 900 crore fodder scam, has made his entire family  wife, sons, daughters and son-in-law  accused before law. They face charges of creating shell companies and acquiring high value assets in Delhi-NCR, Patna and elsewhere.

The Income Tax department and Enforcement Directorate are pursing cases of money laundering, shell companies and acquiring properties through corrupt means against his wife (former chief minister) Rabri Devi, sons (former deputy chief minister and minister) Tejashwi and Tej Pratap, daughter (Rajya Sabha MP) Misa Bharti, son-in-law Shailesh and two other daughters.

He was so powerful that when he went to jail in 1997, he nominated his wife Rabri Devi as the chief minister and let her rule the state for eight long years, till 2005 (with brief interruptions).

He was so powerful that he made the government recommend President's rule in Bihar when his party lost the elections. In fact, the relevant file was sent to then President APJ Abdul Kalam when he was touring abroad for his assent.

His influence was such that the UPA government prepared an ordinance (which was torn by Rahul Gandhi at the last minute) to secure his parliamentary seat even if he was convicted by a court of law.

Lalu could stay out of prison on bail and enable the RJD to secure the highest number of seats in the 2015 Bihar assembly election. He made his class IX pass son Tejashwi Deputy Chief Minister, and his class XII pass son Tej Pratap a minister in the government. Without holding any post in the government, he acted as a virtual chief minister.

He and his wife Rabri lived and moved in the most elite security coverthe NSGs black cat commandos. He retained all the privileges of being a former chief minister and a former railway minister.

But good things dont last forever.

In the last six months, Lalus story has been that of continuous fall. His party and sons have been thrown out of the government in Bihar. His entire family is embroiled in cases of varying degrees of criminality and corruption. He himself is now in jail as a convict in the second fodder scam case. The big question is whether Lalu can revive himself, his family and party.
Iraqi Shia paramilitary groups have deployed to the frontier to back up border guard forces who came under fire from within Syria over the past three days, one of their commanders said on Friday.

There was no immediate word on who opened fire from Syrian territory, but forces arrayed against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria expect the group will resort to guerrilla warfare after losing its urban bastions earlier this year.

"After several Iraqi border guard positions came under several attacks by missiles, and backup from security forces was late, the 13th brigade of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) was deployed and targeted the origins of the launch," PMF commander for west Anbar, Qassem Mesleh, said in a statement.

"Operations command and the infantry brigade are now present on the Iraqi-Syrian border in border guard positions to repel any attack or movement by the enemy," Mesleh said.

"This area is not within the PMF's remit but it is our duty to back up all security forces."

The PMF is an umbrella grouping of mostly Iran-backed and trained Shia militias that formally report to Iraq's prime minister but are separate from the military and police.

Sunni Muslims and Kurds have called on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to disarm the PMF, which they say are responsible for widespread abuses against their communities.

An Iraqi military spokesman confirmed the deployment. Brigadier General Yahya Rasool told Reuters it was temporary, however, and "very normal" because it was the PMF's duty to back up government forces.

The PMF were officially made part of the Iraqi security establishment by law and formally answer to Abadi in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Abadi has said the state should have a monopoly on the legitimate use of arms.

Iraqi forces on Dec. 9 recaptured the last swathes of territory still under Islamic State control along the frontier with Syria and secured the western desert.

It marked the end of the war against the militants, three years after they overran about a third ofIraq's territory.

Rasool, the military spokesman, denied backup to the border guards had been late.

"The primary responsibility for the borders lies with the border guards and the army, however," said Rasool.

He said Iraqi forces coordinate with both the Syrian army, which is backed by Russia, Iran and Iran-backed Shia militias, and the U.S.-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

He said parts of Syria - including many areas on the border with Iraq - were still under Islamic State control.

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Shimla: Even after series of parleys, the BJP in Himachal Pradesh is not able to finalise a name for the chief ministerial post. The party that won 44 seats in the 68-member House, is still in consultation mode as its chief ministerial face Prem Kumar Dhumal lost the election from Sujanpur Assembly segment. Although guesses on probable names are flying thick and fast, BJP has chosen to tread carefully lest an untoward political scene emerges suddenly.

In several meetings held by central observer Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Rural Development Minister NS Tomar and Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey, the names of five-time legislator Seraj Jairam Thakur, Union health Minister JP Nadda, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and four-time Shimla legislator Suresh Bhardwaj were discussed.

On Friday, the observers rushed to RSS headquarters in Shimla to know the mother organisations view. Sources said RSS was against the appointment of Dhumal as chief minister since he lost the election.

As multiple names and scenarios crop up in the hill state in the BJP's hunt for a new chief minister, it is only likely that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah will take the final call.

Scenario 1

The party can appoint Jairam Thakur as the chief minister as he comes from Seraj Assembly seat, adjacent to Kullu district. Out of the 10 Assembly seats in Mandi district, nine went to the BJP giving the party a vital edge to secure a majority in the Assembly. Mandi had a chance to get the chief minister's post twice in the past but things did not work out well. Now political pundits say BJP can fulfil wishes of the people of the second biggest district of the state.

If Jairam becomes the chief minister, he is certainly going to block the way for the Dhumals. After senior Dhumal, his legacy will certainly be carried forward by his three-time parliamentarian son Anurag Thakur. If Jairam (52) becomes the chief minister, he will have a long span as leader of the BJP in the state, which is not in Dhumal's interest.

Scenario 2

Bringing in Nadda is something Dhumal may be comfortable with, but only if Anurag makes it for the cabinet berth in New Delhi. Though Dhumal is not in a position to bargain much the party may consider this settlement as an honourable exit to the two-time chief minister who formed the first BJP government that completed its tenure in 1998. Political analysts say by bringing Nadda here, Anurag has a chance to built his image and in years to come project himself as a leader in Himachal Pradesh. But it all depends upon the wishes of Nadda, whether he wants to come here and give space to Anurag to flourish or to support other names like Jairam and Dhumal.

Scenario 3

In case, Dhumal strongly opposes Jairam as the chief minister and the Centre is not willing to relieve Nadda keeping 2019 in mind then there may be the entry of a third leader and Shimla legislator Suresh Bhardwaj. Former Rajya Sabha MP and former state BJP president Bhardwaj is neither in the Dhumal camp or any other camp for that matter. Bhardwaj has many things on his side including his RSS link. Having started his public life as a pracharak of the RSS, Bhardwaj joined the ABVP later and also remained in jail during the Emergency. He was first elected to the Assembly in 1990, to Rajya Sabha in 2002 and again to the Assembly in 2007 and since then he remained an MLA representing the capital town. If the party wants to strengthen Shimla district which has eight seats, Bhardwaj would be the best bet and also effective to bridge the gap between Dhumal and anti-Dhumal camps.

Scenario 4

Though chances are bleak, the party can appoint Dhumal as chief minister as few legislators have offered to vacate their seat to make way for him to enter the Assembly. If Dhumal is back, he will be a lame duck chief minister. Secondly, the wrong message will go to the masses denting the image of Modi. Sources said Dhumal wanted MLAs to sign a letter in his favour but merely half a dozen legislators signed the letter forcing him to drop the idea. Thirdly, it is in the interest of Dhumal to accept the situation and make way for Nadda and adjust his son in the Modi cabinet. Neither numbers nor circumstances are favouring him and if the party still makes him the chief minister, it would be a huge victory for the Dhumals but it may be short-lived.
The first meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), chaired by the newly elected party president Rahul Gandhi, was meant to be a high-profile affair. After all, the newest Gandhi to head the party had waited to step into these shoes for a long time.

There was a sense of great expectation when Rahul came to 24 Akbar Road to chair his first ever meeting as the party president. The CWC members included Manmohan Singh, a two-term former prime minister, Sonia Gandhi, former president of the party who held the post for 19 years, and other stalwarts of the grand old party, quite a few of whom had been important functionaries of Congress governments since the days of Rahul's grandmother Indira Gandhi or father Rajiv Gandhi.

But going by the three-minute address Rahul gave to the media after the meeting, it seems he has listened to his mentors and has settled into the saddle.

Astutely, Rahul did not share the details of the meeting, its agenda or what Congress plans to do under his leadership, but chose to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and the ruling party.

In launching a scathing attack on the prime minister, the Congress president seemed confident and assertive, even aggressive.

When asked if the 2G verdict (in which all the accused have been acquitted) was a vindication of Congress' stand, Rahul lashed out at the BJP for "spreading lies."

The Congress president, who had begun his tirade against the prime minister during the recently-held Gujarat polls, continued in the same vein and said, BJPs foundation and Modi model are based on lies. Note ban was a lie, promise made to the farmers of giving right price for their produce was a lie, transferring Rs 15 lakh in each bank account was a lie.

According to the party sources, a major part of the meeting of the Congress highest policy and decision-making body revolved around BJPs role in the Gujarat election and the 2G scam, which the party in its post-meeting press conference highlighted.

What Rahul Gandhi actually meant to say?

During its brainstorming session, the CWC meeting delved on issues ranging from partys internal discipline, revamping of the organisation to bringing new faces, both as partys office bearers and candidates in the forthcoming series of Assembly elections in 2018.

According to Congress party sources, Rahul made it clear about bringing discipline within Congress rank and file. The issue of discipline came up with reference to senior leader Mani Shankar Aiyars controversial statement made during the fag end of campaigning for the Gujarat election. Aiyar had called Modi a "neech kism ka aadmi, which the BJP used against the Congress.

The party felt that Aiyars comment had somewhere impacted it adversely during the last phase of Gujarat election campaigning.

Organisation restructuring seems to be big on the new presidents agenda as he discussed revamping the party organisation to effectively counter the Modi juggernaut.

Discussions were held on revamping the party by conducting elections at Pradesh Congress Committees and other levels, building new teams at various levels, bringing new faces, strengthening the organisation at the grassroots, and above all, bringing discipline among party cadre, a senior Congress leader told Firstpost.

Keeping in mind the series of forthcoming elections in 2018, the partys next focus would be to prepare a strategy to win them.

The next big thing is to prepare a large-scale strategy both to energise the party and prepare it to win elections, he added.

In order to build a strong feedback mechanism through consultation, Rahul suggested holding the CWC meeting once every two months. I would like that we institutionalise a meeting of the Working Committee, maybe once every two months and we just close the date. And, every two months automatically, the Working Committee meets so that we can hear what you want to say and what the nation is feeling, Rahul said in his remark.

A CWC member said, During the meeting, the challenges ahead and the responsibilities of the Congress were discussed. The need is to set accountability. The party will work on its strategy, so that in the next set of elections in 2018, Congress emerges victorious.

It was decided that the party would now take an aggressive stance and build consensus by going to rural and urban centres through continued mass struggle.

Congress will take up peoples issues and through mass struggle, create awareness and fight for the masses, AICC media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

It was after decades that the CWC meeting on Friday witnessed both the former and the current Congress presidents together. While Rahul chaired the meeting, Sonia Gandhi was present as a CWC member. She had held the post of the Congress president for 19 years before handing over the reins to her son last week. Sources said that given her rich experience and vision, she would now act as a mentor for Rahul as well as for the party.

Congress made Sonias role in the party much clear before Rahul was officially declared president.

Sonia Gandhi is the UPA chairperson. Her blessings and guidance are with Rahul Gandhi and with crores of Congress workers, reiterated Surjewala.

While during the meeting, it was decided that the Congress would have to launch an aggressive campaign against Modi and the BJP, hundreds of Congress workers simultaneously staged a demonstration against the BJP outside the Parliament. They demanded an apology from Modi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for spreading lies against the previous UPA government.

The protest comes a day after the acquittal of all the accused in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

This move shows that immediately after the acquittal of those accused in the 2G scam, Congress seems to have got teeth to go on an offensive against the BJP. The party under its new leader has already decided to take an aggressive posturing.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district, ahead of his meeting with party leaders to introspect on the Gujarat Assembly polls.

Gandhi is on a three-day visit to Gujarat. This is the Congress president's first visit to Gujarat after the Assembly election results were announced.

The Congress leader landed at Keshod Airport in Saurashtra and offered prayers at the temple which is about 420 km from the state capital.

Gandhi is scheduled to hold zone-wise meets with Saurashtra, central Gujarat, south Gujarat and north Gujarat leaders in Ahmedabad on Saturday and is expected to address the Congress workers.

Gandhi had visited the Somnath temple during the recent election campaign and his name was found written on the entry register meant for non-Hindus, kicking up a row. The Congress had called it "fake" and the BJP insisted that the leader declare his religious faith before people.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi offered prayers at Gujarat's Somnath temple. pic.twitter.com/2SGfiZet5j  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

Non-Hindus are allowed to visit the temple but have to first get themselves registered at the shrine's office.

A purported photocopy of a page of the register for non-Hindus had gone viral on social media with the names of Gandhi and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel written on it.

Gandhi had later said that he and his family were devotees of Lord Shiva.

Indiscipline in the Congress was one of the key issues raised on Friday at the first CWC meeting Gandhi chaired after taking over as the party president, against the backdrop of Mani Shankar Aiyar's "neech" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Though no names were mentioned, some Congress Working Committee members raised the issue of leaders making "irrelevant" statements that hurt the party and adversely impacted its prospects in elections.

The issue cropped up at the meeting of the Congress's highest decision-making body days after senior leader M Veerapa Moily said controversial statements by Aiyar and Kapil Sibal might have undone the gains made by Rahul Gandhi during campaigning in the Gujarat elections.

With inputs from PTI
Mumbai: Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday demanded that the age to contest elections for legislative bodies be lowered to 21 or 18 years. The current minimum age for fighting the Lok Sabha or state assembly elections is 25.

Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, said if one can vote at 18 then why can't fight polls to become a lawmaker.

"If one can vote at 18, why cant one contest elections at 18 or 21? In some countries, one can contest elections at the age of 18. Our youth is responsible and energetic enough to be the change and do good things," he tweeted.

When contacted, the 27-year-old said that lowering the age will help youngsters become part of the legislative system.

It will help in deeper engagement of young and passionate people with the system and make it more vibrant, said Aaditya Thackeray, whose organisation is the youth wing of the Shiv Sena.
tech2 News Staff

Apple may have swung an ax at its own legs after it admitted, earlier this week, that it is deliberately slowing down old iPhones, purportedly to prevent unexpected shutdowns on devices with aging batteries. Naturally, people have gotten upset about this new revelation and it is being reported that at least two groups of people have sued the Cupertino giant over this matter.

A report by Bloomberg says that one of two groups has sued in the Chicago Federal court that Apple was deliberately slowing down the previous models such as the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 7, so that users are forced to buy the next generation of Apple iPhones. The lawsuit filed read Apples iOS updates purposefully neglected to explain that its purposeful throttling down of older model devices and resulting lost or diminished operating performance could be remedied by replacing the batteries of these devices.

The second group filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Federal Court claiming that Apple had reportedly breached an implied contract wherein the company had agreed not to tamper with the usage or speeds of the iPhone devices.

Apple has not immediately responded to these accusations according to Bloomberg. The Chicago based group are "seeking unspecified damages" according to the report. The Los Angeles based group, on the other hand, wants a replacement of their devices alongside compensation for the loss of value of their phones.

The move to throttle iPhones may have been made with the best of intentions, but when Apple goes out of its way to hamper repairs and is actively fighting the right to repair legislation in the US, it's hard to accept that it's only good intentions that are motivating these actions.

Affected users need only replace their battery for their phone to get back up to speed.
Reuters

Qualcomm Inc on Friday rejected the 11 director nominees picked by Broadcom Ltd and private-equity firm Silver Lake Partners, likely setting the stage for a bitter proxy battle between the chipmakers.

Broadcom earlier this month took its first formal step to replace Qualcomms board with its slate of nominees. Qualcomm in November rejected Broadcoms $103 billion cash-and-stock bid, saying it dramatically undervalued the company.

The U.S. semiconductor firms board is nominating its 11 incumbent directors for re-election at the 2018 annual meeting, Qualcomm said on Friday. Broadcoms list included a former president of the mobile networks business group of Nokia, and the former director and chairman of the board of Dialog Semiconductor Plc.

Qualcomm had then said, These nominees are inherently conflicted given Broadcoms desire to acquire Qualcomm in a manner that dramatically undervalues Qualcomm to Broadcoms benefit.

After reviewing Broadcoms nominees, Qualcomms governance committee concluded that they are inherently conflicted and would not bring incremental skills or expertise to its board, the chipmaker said on Friday.

Reuters previously reported that Silver Lake, an investor in Broadcom, helped Broadcom recruit the nominees. Shares of Qualcomm were up marginally at $64.55, while Broadcoms shares were slightly lower at $261.50 in light premarket trading.
IANS

The first observations of a merger between two faraway neutron stars, a violent celestial event that generated tiny ripples in the fabric of spacetime called gravitational waves, was the "breakthrough of the year", according to the journal Science.

Although the two neutron stars spiralled together 130 million light years away, the event was sensed by enormous gravitational wave detectors on Earth. Neutron stars are the dense, collapsed cores that remain after large stars die in a supernova explosion.

Scientists made the first direct observation of the two neutron stars colliding on 17 August. Gravitational waves from the event first arrived at the twin Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, located in the US and the Virgo detector, located near Pisa, Italy.

Seconds later, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor on NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detected a short burst of gamma rays. This merger also triggered an explosion studied by hundreds of astronomers around the world.

Researchers first picked up on gravitational waves over two years ago, when two massive black holes crashed into each other. This space tremor was detected by the LIGO, a discovery that won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.

The discovery showed that gravitational waves offer a new way of observing the universe and a major tool for astronomers. "Gravitational waves are the gift that keeps on giving," Science News Editor Tim Appenzeller said in a statement on Thursday.

"Observers not only detected gravitational waves from a collision of two neutron stars; they also saw the event at all wavelengths of light, from gamma rays all the way to radio. Being able to get the full picture of violent events like this promises to transform astrophysics, and that made this year's observation the clear Breakthrough for 2017," Appenzeller said.
Lupin warns of more pricing pressure as fourth-quarter profit halves | Reuters By Zeba Siddiqui | MUMBAI MUMBAI Indian drugmaker Lupin Ltd expects to launch over 30 products in the United States this year, but warned revenue growth would remain muted due to growing pricing pressure and competition in the world's largest healthcare market."We've talked about medium single digits of price erosion in the past and I think we are now (seeing) high single digits," Managing Director Nilesh Gupta told Reuters after Lupin reported a quarterly profit that halved from a year earlier.The country's third-largest drugmaker has been working on building a pipeline of high-value complex generic drugs in the United States to offset growing competition in plain generics. But a consolidation among drug distributors has hit generic companies' ability to negotiate on prices, and price hikes have also become harder to justify amid regulatory scrutiny."Competition is increasing and (distributors) are getting more powerful than ever before," Gupta said. The company expects to launch more than 30 drugs this year, most of which would be small to medium-sized opportunities, with bigger, more lucrative launches planned for 2019, he added
New Delhi: With India, a growing friend of Israel, joining the UN majority in voting for a General Assembly resolution criticising US President Donald Trump's decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel, the Israeli envoy in New Delhi said "no UN vote" can change Jerusalem's status.

Ambassador Daniel Carmon in a tweet said

Jerusalem always was Capital of the Jewish people,is&will continue2be the capital of modern Israel.No vote@the @UN #UNGA can change that.

It is encouraging2see that more countries have not agreed yesterday2participate in the continuous politicized exercise of rewriting History https://t.co/a7pMR9WnJO  Daniel Carmon (@danielocarmon) December 22, 2017

He retweeted Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tweet

I do appreciate the fact that a growing number of countries refused to participate in this theater of the absurd. So I appreciate that, and especially I want to again express our thanks to @POTUS Trump and Ambassador Haley, for their stalwart defense of Israel and of the truth.  PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 21, 2017

New Delhi's "yes" vote came as the government's friendship with Israel has grown and Netanyahu is expected to visit India early next year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had skipped Palestine during his visit to Israel in July this year.

The UN resolution that was passed by a two-thirds majority on Thursday demanded Washington comply with Security Council decisions against changing the status of Jerusalem and declared US and Israeli action on the city "null and void".

It, however, only expressed "deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem", stopping short of naming the US or condemning it outright.

Defying Trump's threats to cut off aid to countries that voted for the resolution, 128 countries voted for the resolution, while nine countries joined the US and Israel in voting against it.

An unusually large number 35 countries abstained, and 21 others were absent, showing that Trump's threats had some effect.

US Permanent Representative Nikki Haley repeated Trump's warning on aid before the vote describing support for it an "insult" to her country.

"We will remember it when we are called upon to once again make the world's largest contribution to the UN," she said. "And we will remember it when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit."

Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki said that by voting for the resolution, nations would be rejecting attempts at blackmail and intimidation.

He warned that Washington's action could lead to a religious war that "has no boundaries" and only served the interests of extremists.

The Assembly resolution followed the US veto on Monday of a similar resolution in the Security Council introduced by Egypt. All the other 14 Council members voted for it, isolating the US.

The Assembly resolution was sponsored by Yemen on behalf of the Arab Group in the UN, and by Turkey on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Representing the OIC, Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Jerusalem was the holy city of three monotheistic religions and its historic status had to be preserved.

Referring to the US' threats to withhold aid, he said such "bullying" was unethical and votes were not for sale.

While the Assembly resolutions do not have the legal clout of the Council resolutions, they carry political clout, especially when endorsed by a two-thirds majority.

Previous Council resolutions have said that the status of Jerusalem and territories occupied by Israel after the 1967 war should not be altered unilaterally.

While close US allies like Britain, France and Japan, which had voted for the resolution in Council, again broke ranks with it in the Assembly, there were some surprises. Despite prime minister Justin Trudeau's claims to follow a progressive foreign policy, Canada abstained.

Five of the countries that voted with the US and Israel were tiny Pacific island nations like Micronesia, and two were from Latin America. No country of any significance politically or in size voted for the resolution, even if some of them abstained or absented themselves.
Islamabad: The Pakistan government has requested a court in Islamabad not to consider Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-backed Milli Muslim League's plea seeking its registration as a political party, saying the group would breed violence and extremism in politics.

Saeed earlier this month had confirmed that his organisation Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the Milli Muslim League (MML).

The MML had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan's order on 11 October that had declined its registration as a political party.

The interior ministry, in its written reply submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on the MML's petition, said that it opposed the group's registration as a political party as the group was an offshoot of proscribed entities.

Dawn newspaper reported that the government requested the court not to consider the MML's plea and dismiss the petition.

The ministry formed its opinion on the basis of a security agency's report which expressed apprehensions that the registration of the MML as a political party "would breed violence and extremism in politics".

According to the ministry's reply to the court, the MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD).

According to Political Parties Order (PPO) 2002, organisations which act in the manner prejudicial to fundamental rights, undermine the integrity of Pakistan, promote sectarian, regional or provincial hatred, bear a name as a militant group and impart any military or paramilitary training to its members, do not qualify for registration as political party.

In it reply to the court, the interior ministry said a security agency had opined that "it is difficult to believe that the MML will tread its own path, completely at variance with its mother (LeT and JuD) organisations."

The agency "recommended that since registration of such groups would breed violence and extremism in politics, such groups be avoided," it said.

According to the reply, the LeT, JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) are facing UN sanctions, therefore, the interior ministry "furnished comments to the ECP that the registration of the MML, an offshoot of the same network of JuD/FIF (which apparent in MML as well), was not supported".

The JuD chief walked free on 24 November after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any other case. He was under detention since January this year.

The MML had contested a bypoll in September for NA-120, a National Assembly seat that had fallen vacant following disqualification of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sheikh Yaqub, MML candidate, had secured 6,000 votes. Yaqub was placed in 2012 on a US Treasury sanctions list of those designated as leaders of terrorist organisations.
Ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was weighing up whether to return to the region, where he faces arrest, close aides said Saturday, after pro-independence parties defeated Spain's central government in pivotal elections.

Puigdemont campaigned from Brussels, where he sought self-imposed exile after he was sacked by Madrid and a Spanish court charged him with rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds.

After the divisive regional elections on Thursday, how the independence camp intends to rule remains a mystery, with other secessionist leaders, including Puigdemont's former deputy Oriol Junqueras, behind bars pending trial.

When asked if Puigdemont was inclined to return to the region, one of his lawyers in Catalonia said: "In principle yes, but my advice is to evaluate the situation because the moment he comes back here he would be arrested."

"We must assess if it is worth it, if he can do more inside than outside -- obviously if he returns and is imprisoned, that would create... a very significant political conflict," lawyer Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas told Catalunya Radio.

"We are studying all the scenarios," said Elsa Artadi, Puigdemont's campaign manager, told Rac1 radio on Saturday.

Artadi also called for talks with the central government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy after the polls, in which the three pro-independence groupings won an absolute majority in the Catalan regional parliament with 47.5 percent of the vote.

Rajoy, meanwhile, has warned that the new Catalan government should fully respect the law, a reference to the former leaders' defiance on October 1, when they went ahead with an independence referendum despite being banned by the Spanish courts.

Catalan lawmakers went on to declare independence, prompting Madrid to sack Puigdemont's government, dissolve the regional parliament and call the snap elections that were held Thursday.

Puigdemont on Friday picked up where he had left off in the tug-of-war with his nemesis, calling on Rajoy to hold talks in Brussels or anywhere else in Europe -- barring Spain.

Puigdemont's statement was in line with his strategy throughout the crisis, positioning himself as an equal to the Spanish prime minister and seeking recognition from the international community.

But Rajoy quickly rejected the request.

"The person I should be meeting with is with the one who won the elections, and that is Mrs Arrimadas," Rajoy said, referring to centrist, anti-independence candidate Ines Arrimadas, whose Ciudadanos party got the best individual result, with 37 seats and 25 percent of the vote.

"The top political force in Catalonia is Ciudadanos, a constitutional force," Arrimadas said in an interview published Saturday in the El Mundo newspaper.

"It is fundamental to highlight the fact that there is no majority in Catalonia in favour of independence," she said.

But Ciudadanos does not have the allies to form a government, with the three secessionist lists expected to reach an agreement to rule together with a 70-seat majority in parliament -- two fewer seats than their previous tally.

As the crisis continues, the economy is at risk in a region that has seen its tourism sector suffer and more than 3,100 companies -- including the largest banks, utilities and insurers -- move their legal headquarters out of Catalonia.

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Fort Bragg (US): "Storm clouds are gathering" over the Korean peninsula, US defence secretary Jim Mattis declared. And as diplomats try to resolve the nuclear standoff, he told soldiers that the US military must do its part by being ready for war.

Without forecasting a conflict, Mattis emphasised that diplomacy stands the best chance of preventing a war if US' words are backed up by strong and prepared armed forces. "My fine young soldiers, the only way our diplomats can speak with authority and be believed is if you're ready to go," Mattis told several dozen soldiers and airmen at the 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Heroes, his last stop on a two-day pre-holiday tour of bases to greet troops.

Mattis' comments came as the UN Security Council unanimously approved tough new sanctions against North Korea, compelling nations to sharply reduce their sales of oil to the reclusive country and send home all North Korean expatriate workers within two years. Such workers are seen as a key source of revenue for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's cash-strapped government.

President Donald Trump and other top US officials have made repeated threats about US military action. Some officials have described the messaging as twofold in purpose: To pressure North Korea to enter into negotiations on getting rid of its nuclear arsenal, and to motivate key regional powers China and Russia to put more pressure on Pyongyang so a war is averted.

For the military, the focus has been on ensuring soldiers are ready should the call come.

At Fort Bragg, Mattis recommended the troops read TR Fehrenbach's military classic This Kind of War: A Study in Unpreparedness, first published in 1963, a decade after the Korean War ended.

"Knowing what went wrong the last time around is as important as knowing your own testing, so that you're forewarned  you know what I'm driving at here," he said, as soldiers listened in silence. "So you gotta be ready."

The US has nearly 28,000 troops permanently stationed in South Korea, but if war came, many thousands more would be needed for a wide range of missions, including ground combat.

The retired Marine Corps general fielded questions on many topics in his meetings with troops at Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba and Naval Station Mayport in Florida on Thursday and at Camp Lejeune and Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

North Korea seemed uppermost on troops' minds as they and their families wonder whether war looms.
United Nations: With China's backing, the UN Security Council on Saturday slapped new sanctions on North Korea that will restrict oil supplies vital for Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programmes.

The council unanimously adopted a US-drafted resolution that also orders the repatriation of North Korean workers abroad and earning revenue for Kim Jong-Un's regime.

It is the third raft of sanctions imposed on North Korea this year and comes as the United States and North Korea are showing no signs they are willing to engage in talks to end the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

The resolution bans the supply of nearly 75 percent of refined oil products to North Korea, puts a cap on crude deliveries and orders the repatriation of all North Korean nationals working abroad by the end of 2019.

The measures are in response to North Korea's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on 28 November that marked an advance in Pyongyang's drive to threaten the US mainland with a nuclear strike.

President Donald Trump has threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if it attacks the United States while North Korea insists the world must now accept that it is a nuclear power.

Trump asked Chinese president Xi Jinping in November to cut off oil to North Korea, a move that would cripple its desperately struggling economy.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans have been sent to Russia and China to earn revenue for Pyongyang, working in what UN rights officials have described as "slave-like conditions."

Crude oil supplies were capped at four million barrels per year and a ceiling of 5,00,000 barrels of refined petroleum products, including diesel and kerosene, was set for 2018.

That will reduce the flow of fuel from a previous ceiling set by the council of two million barrels a year.

To prevent North Korea from circumventing sanctions, all countries were authorized to seize, inspect, freeze and impound ships suspected of carrying illegal cargo to and from North Korea.

A total of 16 North Korean officials, most of whom work in banking, were added to the UN sanctions blacklist along with the North Korean ministry of the people's armed forces, which manages logistics for the army.

They will be subjected to a global visa ban and assets freeze.

"This resolution bites," French Ambassador Francois Delattre said, adding that it increases pressure on Pyongyang.

"Maximum firmness today is our best antidote to the risk of war," he said.

Since September last year, North Korea has carried out a nuclear test  its sixth  and a series of advanced missile launches which are banned under UN resolutions.

The United States has led the drive at the Security Council to tighten sanctions aimed at piling pressure on Kim's regime to come to the negotiating table.

Ahead of the council meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a unanimous vote would be important to send a clear message to Pyongyang that it must abandon its ambition to develop nuclear weapons.

Speaking in The Hague, Guterres said the "unity of the council is necessary to create an opportunity for diplomatic engagement for the de-nuclearization to be achieved through peaceful means."

Last week, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson told the council that the "pressure campaign must and will continue until denuclearisation is achieved," as he backtracked from his offer to hold unconditional talks with Pyongyang.

The council has also banned exports of North Korean coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood, and restricted joint ventures.

The United States separately asked the council to blacklist 10 ships, including two Hong Kong-flagged vessels, for carrying banned cargo from North Korea.

China, however, raised objections at those sanctions and the request to ban the 10 ships from ports worldwide will again be considered on 28 December.
Miss America Organization CEO Sam Haskell is under fire regarding leaked internal emails where he demeans womens appearance and intelligence and criticizes their personal lives.

FOX Business Trish Regan, who was crowned Miss New Hampshire in 1993, says the comments are heartbreaking.

It is not okay for anyone to talk about women like these people were talking about them - the very women that they are supposed to be supporting, Regan said during her show The Intelligence Report on Friday.

The production company for the Miss America pageant, Dick Clark Productions, cut ties with the organization over the leaked emails.

The Miss America pageant first began in 1921, and Haskell has been with the organization for around 12 years. The newly discovered emails between management at the Miss America Organization are from 2014 and 2015.

We have really young girls competing in these pageants and the bottom line is, this sort of language is not okay, conservative political commentator Gina Loudon said. But I think that we also have to be very careful about this sort of purging that is taking place in organizations across the country, and we have to recognize that some people who are doing some of this exposing and some of this purging may not have the highest of motives either.

Regan addressed the news saying that things need to change and they are starting to, and says she thinks there may be more changes coming at Miss America.

The emails come in the wake of many sexual misconduct allegations across all industries, which came to a head with the demise of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, disgraced Today show host Matt Lauer and Sen. Al Franken.
Gagosian Gallery owner Larry Gagosian on Friday explained why he doesnt consider art to be a luxury good and how the art world has benefited from globalization.

Its not a luxury good. Its not a luxury product. I mean it may appear to people who buy Hermes bags, but its not a Hermes bag. Sometimes people try to categorize it as a luxury. Its a disservice to art in my opinion. And it really distorts the nature of the market, he told FOX Business Maria Bartiromo on Wall Street Week.

Gagosian believes that the art market is in a healthy place and a myriad of things can be attributed to its success.

Naturally, liquidity is a big factor in any market that seems to be a lot of money in the world, and theres a lot of discretionary money. Art has become at the same time a much more popular pursuit [or] hobby. Some people buy art because theyre confident that itll be a good store value, and this is kind of a recent phenomenon, he said.

Last May, entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa made history in the art world by purchasing a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting for $110.5 million dollars.

Gagosian discussed how globalization has helped fuel the art market and help promote art pieces from around the world.

So whats different now is that you can transmit information very quickly. We have sixteen galleries literally all over the world and for instance somebody who works in our gallery in Hong Kong, they have access to a particular painting and they liaison with our gallery in Geneva, he said. Its also allowed collectors to have more communication and to have access to more transparency about prices, which gives the market more confidence.

On Wednesday at a Christies auction in New York, a rediscovered painting by Leonardo da Vinci sold for a whopping $450 million, becoming the most expensive piece ever sold.

I literally saw it because I was at Christies, and I was sitting there and I mean it was just jaw dropping. Nobody expected the price to go that high. Nobody I knew, he said.

Tune in to FOX Business Wall Street Week for Maria Bartiromos exclusive sit-down with Gagosian Gallery owner Larry Gagosian, on Friday, Dec. 22nd, at 8 p.m. ET.
UglyChristmasSweater.com co-founder Fred Hajjar on Friday shared how his small business is able to compete against big box stores, such as Macys (NYSE:M), JCPenney (NYSE:JCP) and Walmart (NYSE:WMT)

I think the big box retailers really have to play it safe. We really take a lot of risk with our designs, for example I dont think those stores would have a Trump design or stuff with a fidget spinner or even a 3D Moose because it takes up space, he said.

The company was started in 2012, by Fred and his brother Mark Hajjar. The Michigan-based holiday apparel company recently came close to breaking the Guinness World Record for the most holiday sweaters worn in one place.

Another advantage his business has over big retailers, Hajjar said, is the ability to react faster to whats trending.

We like to keep it creative, keep the quality really high and look at the trends where we can actually import the items very quickly versus having to project what we think will be hot, he said.

The ugly Christmas sweaters can range in price from $39.95 to $59.95. However, Hajjar said one of the most popular Christmas sweaters this holiday season is the 3D Moose, which runs up to $67.95.

Hajjar discussed what motivated him and his team to start the ugly Christmas sweater business.

We have a background in manufacturing costumes and a sweater is kind of like a costume and we noticed on eBay in 2011, some sweaters were selling for $500 plus and we were shocked. So we bought the domain name and launched the business, he said.

Hajjar also weighed in on how the recently passed GOP tax bill will help the business prosper.

[The GOP tax plan is] going to really help us invest in our business and our employees. I think its great for the economy [and] small businesses in general, he told FOX Business Liz MacDonald on Risk & Reward.
Enbridge (NYSE: ENB) disappointed investors this year. Through mid-December, the stock was down more than 8%, though after factoring in its lucrative dividend, this year's loss shrinks to about 4%. That still represents significant underperformance compared to the red-hot stock market, which was up more than 20% this year.

Here's a look at the factors that weighed on Enbridge this year, and why that slump only makes the stock a more compelling buy for income-seekers.

A wave of dilution weighed on results

Through the third quarter, Enbridge produced nearly 3.9 billion Canadian dollars ($3.3 billion) in available cash flow from operations (ACFFO), which is cash it could use to pay dividends. That was 36.7% more than it pulled in during the first three quarters of 2016, fueled by the acquisition of Spectra Energy as well as recently completed growth projects. That said, ACFFO on a per-share basis has declined 16.6% so far this year, though at the midpoint of its guidance range, Enbridge expects ACFFO/share to be about 8% below last year. The reason for this decline is that Enbridge sold CA$8.5 billion ($6.6 billion) of new stock over the past year to finance growth projects in addition to issuing nearly 700 million newly minted shares to buy Spectra Energy for CA$37 billion ($28.7 billion). That deluge of dilution has weighed on the stock this year because it pushed down the per-share metrics.

In addition to all the dilution, a more recent weight on the stock was Enbridge's decision to water down its dividend growth forecast in the near term. When the company announced the purchase of Spectra Energy late last year, it said that ACFFO per share would grow at a 12% to 14% compound annual growth rate through 2019. That would put the company in the position to deliver a 15% dividend increase in 2017 and 10% to 12% yearly increases from 2018 through 2024. However, a few weeks ago the company said that dividend growth would be at the bottom of that range through 2020.

One of the driving factors was Enbridge's desire to improve its balance sheet, which would lead it to sell CA$3 billion ($2.3 billion) in non-core assets next year. Further, it has identified a total of CA$10 billion ($7.8 billion) in non-core assets that it could sell in the future. By parting with those assets, it will slow the ACFFO growth rate, which means Enbridge would have less cash to boost the dividend.

Ready to reaccelerate

While Enbridge has tempered its growth forecast, the company still expects to expand at a rapid pace over the next few years. In fact, both its ACFFO and dividend growth rates of 10% annually through 2020 match rival TransCanada (NYSE: TRP), which is one of the fastest-growing large pipeline companies in North America.

Further, Enbridge expects a gusher of cash flow in early 2018 since it will have placed CA$12 billion ($9.3 billion) of growth projects into service by the end of this year. Those expansions, along with others it expects to finish in 2018, should push AFFCO up to a range of CA$4.15 to CA$4.45 per share ($3.22 to $3.46), which at the midpoint would be 15% higher than 2017. Meanwhile, ACFFO should reach CA$5 per share ($3.88) in 2020, fueled by additional expansion projects it expects to place into service in the next few years.

A better deal today for income-seekers

Enbridge's growth engine stalled this year because it issued boatloads of stock to fuel expansion. However, the pipeline company appears poised to hit the gas in 2018, which could provide the fuel needed to restart Enbridge's sagging stock price. That said, the currently lower price is what makes the company such a great buy right now since it sells for a dirt cheap valuation of 11.6 times 2018's ACFFO, which is well below the mid-teens multiple of both TransCanada and most other rivals. When we add the potential for Enbridge to make up that value discount, with its attractive 4.8%-yielding dividend and top-tier growth rate, it suggests that this company has the potential to reward investors richly in 2018 and beyond.

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The survival of a controversial tax loophole that helps the private equity business save billions of dollars a year began with an intense lobbying effort by the industry and endedat least according to some Washington insiderswith an attempted compromise brokered by an unlikely source, the FOX Business Network has learned.

Aides to Steve Bannon, the populist former senior adviser to President Trump and current chief of the right-wing news site Breitbart.com, say that even though Bannon hasnt been in the White House for more than three months, his fingerprints are all over the tax reform billTrumps signature, and to date, only, major legislative achievement as president.

In fact these same aides say Bannon was the main architect of a controversial clause in the tax bill that will allow mega-wealthy private equity firms to save an estimated $2 billion a year through whats known as the carried interest loophole.

Why the Bannonites are trying to give their guy credit for a part of the tax bill that helps the uber-rich is somewhat of a mystery. In a statement to FOX Business, the White House said: Steve Bannon wasnt part of the team that worked on tax reform. Bannon, for his part, declined to comment and directed questions to two of his advisers, who describe his role as essential to what they view is a compromise on the controversial tax loophole that they say makes it more difficult for rich Wall Streeters to completely game the tax code.

Meanwhile, political observers say even by trying to take credit for something like a tax dodge for the rich, Bannon is doing what he needs to do to stay politically relevant after the crushing defeat of one of his anti-establishment candidates, Roy Moore, in the Alabama Senate race. Moore lost to liberal trial lawyer Doug Jones for a Senate seat that hasnt been held by a Democrat in decades, and the defeat was a stunning setback for Bannons push to remake the GOP as a right-wing, populist party thats tough on immigration and trade by defeating establishment Republicans supported by his political nemesis, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Says Democratic political consultant Hank Sheinkopf: "This is the way for him to tell the business community and wealthy donors that he's very relevant and someone they should be talking to on a regular basis. It's very smart on his part."

The $2.5 trillion private equity business, comprised of Wall Street behemoths Blackstone Group (NYSE:BX), Carlyle Group (NYSE:CG) and KKR & Co. (NYSE:KKR), earns its riches by snapping up public companies, turning them private and revamping them in order to sell these companies years later at an enormous profit. The carried interest deduction allows their investors profits to be taxed at a lower capital gains rate as opposed to the higher income tax rate despite these big profits.

Private equity firms say they deserve their tax loophole since they create so many jobs. Inspired by Bannon's populism, President Trump campaigned on a promise to end the carried interest tax break that allows some rich Wall Street investors to be taxed at a lower rate than middle-class families.

While Trumps senior adviser during the first eight months of the administration, Bannon even advocated raising taxes on the rich as a way for Trump to get Democrats to sign on to a tax bill and give Trump a much-needed legislative victory after his failed repeal of Obamacare. The advisers say Bannon kept on his famous white board a list of to-do items including the words carried interest as a reminder that Trump campaigned on getting rid of the loophole.

But as the year went on, Bannon's advisers say he found it impossible to convince members of Congress to take away the tax benefit from the powerful private equity business. This is the same line of reasoning that was recently used by Trumps National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, who said the private equity lobby was too powerful for the White House to compete with, and that he and others behind the new tax bill unsuccessfully tried to eliminate the deduction 25 times.

Just how much Bannon or any Trump official pushed Congress to eliminate carried interest is difficult to prove. But as FOX Business reported, three of the top private equity firmsBlackstone Group, Carlyle Group and KKR & Co.showered massive amounts of campaign cash into the coffers of Republican leaders in the House and the Senate as these same lawmakers voted for a tax bill that preserves the so-called carried interest loophole, campaign contribution documents show. The lawmakers who were the chief beneficiaries of this money include GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan, Kevin Brady, the Texas Republican who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, and GOP Senate Finance Committee chief Orin Hatch, all of whom played key roles in the new tax reform package.

The White House, meanwhile, has its own connections to the private equity industry: the industry executives gave $20 million to Trumps successful 2016 election ($87 million to his opponent, Hillary Clinton), and Stephen Schwarzman, the powerful CEO of Blackstone, became a key economic adviser to President Trump.

Amid the lobby pressure, the Trump White House is now saying it came up with a compromise: money managers must hold their investments for a minimum of three years in order to take advantage of the loophole. Trump aides as well as the people authorized to speak to FOX Business on behalf of Bannon tried to suggest that this compromise all but eliminated hedge fund managers from unfairly using the loophole as they earn tens of millions a year through short-term investing and trading.

But hedge funds dont often use the carried interest loophole because they take short-term capital gains. Carried interest only applies to long-term gains. Meanwhile, private equity firms that do take long-term gains generally hold their investments a minimum of three years anyway, before restructuring companies.

All of which means the compromise has very little teeth, according to tax experts.

So why would Bannon want to take credit for a fix that doesnt really fix anything? Well, at least according to Sheinkopf, it comes down to the adage, any publicity is good publicity.

Whether its true or not, it helps him stay relevant, Sheinkopf says.
The Miss America Organization suspended CEO Sam Haskell indefinitely Friday, one day after leaked emails showed him and others disparaging the appearance, intellect and sex lives of former Miss Americas.



The organization said it would conduct "an in-depth investigation into alleged inappropriate communications and the nature in which they were obtained" hours after 49 former Miss Americas signed a petition demanding the resignation of Haskell and other pageant officials.



"In addition, the board wishes to reaffirm our commitment to the education and empowerment of young women, supporting them in every way possible," the statement read.

The Huffington Post first reported on the emails, including one that used a vulgar term for female genitalia to refer to past Miss America winners, one that wished that a particular former Miss America had died, and others that speculated about how many sex partners another former Miss America has had.

"My mistake is a mistake of words," Haskell wrote in a statement Friday night. "Much of what was reported is dishonest, deceptive, and despicable.



"The material is based on private emails that were stolen three years ago by ex-employees," Haskell wrote. "The story is so unkind and untrue, and hurts me, my family, and the stewardship of this nonprofit. Those who know my heart know that this is not indicative of my character, nor is it indicative of my business acumen."



A petition organized by former Miss North Carolina Jennifer Vaden Barth garnered the signatures of the former Miss Americas. It called the emails by Haskell and others "despicable" and faulted officials who "sat by without objection while such derisive comments were passed around."



"We are deeply disturbed and saddened to learn of the sickening and egregious words used by Miss America leadership," the petition read. "We collectively call for their immediate resignation."



Several of the emails targeted Mallory Hagan, who won the 2013 pageant, claiming she had gained weight after winning and speculating about how many men she had sex with.



"My hope is that this story that broke will bring light to the type of behavior that's been in leadership of the Miss America Organization and really help us put in place some people who care and who embody the mission of Miss America," Hagan said in a Twitter video . "Having somebody bully you, demean you, degrade you in any way is not OK."



Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell, who signed the petition, told The Associated Press she "lived under this misogynistic leadership for a year of my life, and I'm definitely glad to see all of this evidence come into the light."



She also said pageant officials "told me which former Miss Americas I wasn't allowed to associate with or pose for photos with."



In other emails, a former writer for the pageant notes the death of one former Miss America and muses that he wished 1998 Miss America Kate Shindle, who wrote a book critical of the Miss America Organization, had died instead. Haskell responded to the email, indicating it made him laugh.

On Friday, New Jersey's Casino Reinvestment Development Authority began reviewing its contract with the Miss America Organization, which has about $4 million left on it, after numerous local and state officials called for the final year of the deal to be killed.



The emails already cost the pageant its television production partner and raised questions about the future of the nationally televised broadcast from Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall the week after Labor Day each year. Dick Clark Productions told the AP on Thursday night that it cut ties with the Miss America Organization over the emails, calling them "appalling."



The Huffington Post article shows that Haskell and others directed considerable attention to Hagan. He forwarded an email he had been sent regarding Hagan to a writer for the pageant, who has since been terminated.



The writer responded by questioning whether he and Haskell were part of a tiny group of people who had not had sex with Hagan.

According to the Huffington Post, Haskell replied: "It appears we are the only ones!"

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two rival armed groups in the northwest of the Central African Republic have signed a ceasefire agreement, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), which helped mediate the accord, announced on Saturday.

The anti-Balaka, a self-proclaimed mostly Christian "self-defence" militia, and the 3R group, which claims to defend the ethnic minority Peul community, agreed in mid-December to cease hostilities in the Nana-Mambere district of the Bouar region, HD said.

"Both groups have committed to an unconditional ceasefire as well as the cessation of all hostilities and attacks against armed fighters from the opposite side," the Geneva-based NGO said in a statement.

"The agreement also bans the use of weapons, as well as any attack such as the burning of villages and storehouses, the stealing of cattle, assaults against civilians, or any other type of action" that might violate the agreement, HD said.

The accord, which was the result of 11 months of mediation by HD, also provides for the free movement of people and goods, free access to health facilities, schools and other public buildings and support for the return of those displaced by the violence.

It also prohibits people moving through the district while armed.

"This agreement does not resolve the conflict in CAR," regional head Alexandre Liebeskind said in the statement.

"However, it demonstrates that mediation initiatives between armed groups can help bring peace to parts of the country," he said.

"Our organisation is committed to working with all conflict parties in the CAR in order to increase the number of such agreements."

Central African Republic's presidential administration and the United Nations peacekeeping force MINUSCA were also involved in the mediation efforts.

One of the world's poorest nations, the CAR was pitched into turmoil after president Francois Bozize, a Christian, was overthrown by the mostly Muslim Seleka rebels in 2013.

The Seleka in turn were ousted by a military intervention led by France, which was followed with bloody reprisals by the anti-Balaka.

Outside of the capital Bangui, most of the rest of the country is in the hands of militia groups, who are fighting over resources in shifting configurations of alliances.

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The feud between actress Rosie O'Donnell and radio talk show host Ben Shapiro does not appear to be slowing down.

The conservative commentator reported ODonnells tweets that included a vulgar term to see if the social media site would consider them as sexual harassment.

Shapiro tweeted that he reported the former View host to Twitter, mainly to see if Twitter does indeed have a double standard.

It's an attempt to clarify Twitter's standards. I don't actually want them to ban or suspend Rosie."  Ben Shapiro

Everyone knows if Rosie were conservative, Twitter would suspend her in a hot second. So, Twitter, put your money where your mouth is, Shapiro tweeted, adding the #MeToo hashtag, which was started by Alyssa Milano who called on men and women to use the hashtag if they were sexually harassed or assaulted.

He elaborated: It's an attempt to clarify Twitter's standards. I don't actually want them to ban or suspend Rosie. I want them to stop applying their own rules inconsistently.

Later, Shapiro tweeted again: "Surprise of surprises. Twitter says that @Rosie's tweets were not in fact abusive in any way under their rules. Good to know."

Earlier this week, O'Donnell said she would give $2 million each to Senators Susan Collins and Jeff Flake if they voted against the tax reform legislation.

Shapiro, who is also the editor in chief of the Daily Wire, responded with a series of jabs at the liberal former co-host of The View. One tweet cited an article he wrote for his website claiming, "Rosie O'Donnell Violates Federal Law, Offers To Bribe Republican Senators To Vote Against Tax Bill."

Another tweet called for O'Donnell to be locked up, while Shapiro also joked, "If Trump orders Sessions to investigate Rosie, he will be carved into Rushmore by Friday."

After the barrage of Shapiro posts, O'Donnell sent a profanity-laced reply: "suck my d*** Ben."

The exchange continued, leading Shapiro to make even more claims against O'Donnell.

"Youre already a felon, Rosie. Dont be a homophobic sexual harasser too," replied Shapiro.

After Shapiro alerted his followers that he had reported O'Donnell, she simply replied, oh ben, to which he answered: All victims deserve to be believed.

ODonnell retweeted a number of tweets calling Shapiro a snowflake and accusing him of mocking victims of sexual abuse. However, she did block Shapiro on Twitter.
The top ranks of the Miss America Organization reportedly experienced a shakeup on Saturday, with the chief executive, chief operating officer and board chair all said to have resigned amid an email scandal.

The exits of CEO Sam Haskell, COO and President Josh Randle and board chair Lynn Weidner were reported by The Huffington Post following the outlet's expose earlier this week detailing vulgar emails mostly written by Haskell.

Dan Myers, who took on the role as interim chairman of the board, officially announced two of the resignations a day after dozens of former Miss America competitors signed a petition calling on the group's leadership to step down.

In a statement released Saturday, the organization said it had "accepted the resignation" of Haskell, effective immediately, and Weidner, who "has agreed to remain on the board for up to 90 days to facilitate a smooth transition for the MAO to new leadership."

"The Board thanks Lynn and Sam for many years of tireless work for, and significant financial support to, both the Miss America Organization and thousands of young women who received millions of dollars of educational scholarships from the organization as a direct result of their efforts."

Randle was not mentioned in the statement.

In the emails, Haskell referred to the pageant's previous winners with a vulgar term for female genitalia. In another email, the disgraced CEO said he wished a particular Miss America had died.

The organization suspended Haskell indefinitely Friday, a day after the emails were leaked. Tammy Haddad, a Miss America board member, resigned following the leaks after an email written by her called some former Miss Americas a pile of malcontents and has-beens who blame the program for not getting them where they think they can go.

MISS AMERICA CEO SAM HASKELL SUSPENDED OVER CRUDE EMAILS

The leaks also showed an email chain that included Haddad, Haskell, Randle and Weidner that appeared to show them mocking the weight of 2013 Miss America winner Mallory Hagan.

The email had pictures of Hagan and three other former Miss Americas.

Haskell wrote: OMG she (Mallory Hagan) is huge ... and gross why does he want that? Haskell was referring to Hagans boyfriend at the time who was an employee of Haskells.

Haskell sent the email to Randle and wrote: Look at MH (Mallory Hagan) in this photo ... OMG ... Why does he want that?

TRISH REGAN, FMR. MISS NEW HAMPSHIRE, SPEAKS OUT ON MISS AMERICA SCANDAL

Randle replied: Shes a healthy one!! Hahaha.

FOX Business Trish Regan, who was crowned Miss New Hampshire in 1993, called the comments heartbreaking.

It is not OK for anyone to talk about women like these people were talking about them -- the very women that they are supposed to be supporting, Regan said during her show The Intelligence Report on Friday.

The Miss America Organization announced it would be conducting an in-depth investigation into alleged inappropriate communications and the nature in which they were obtained. It was not immediately clear if Randle was being investigated.

Fox News' Elizabeth Zwirz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski upset women who accused Mark Halperin of sexual harassment when she reported on air Friday that she had tried to arrange a meeting so the now-disgraced political analyst could apologize.

Brzezinski said Halperin, who was fired in October after being accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, was "more than willing to meet with his accusers and apologize with them face-to-face."

The MSNBC star said she actually tried to offer him to them but the women don't want to talk to him.

Ten of Halperins accusers including Emily Miller, katie Glenn, Dianna May, Ella Spektor McManus and Lara Setrakian sent a letter to MSNBC following Brzezinskis comments. The letter, signed by Ten victims of Mark Halperin, was posted on Facebook and states that Brzezinski was inappropriate for suggesting such a meeting and that she has a conflict of interest because of her personal friendship with Halperin.

Sexual harassment and assault is illegal in the workplace, and represents a violation of the policies and standards of NBC News," the letter said. "It is an unethical and harmful request to ask that sexual assault victims confront their accusers in person and, in particular, on live TV.

The letter goes on to ask that Brzezinski to practice higher standards of editorial judgment, compassion and human decency.

Brzezinski issued a statement late Friday:

"We have been trying our best on Morning Joe to have an honest conversation about sexual harassment and sexual assault. The issue has hit close to home given that Mark Halperin was on our show. I have spent a lot of time talking to some of his accusers and to Mark himself. Often I bring up the issue on our show because I think it would be less than genuine to talk about the growing number of cases without recognizing that a former member of our team acted very badly.

"In our discussion about sexual harassment this morning, I said some things that hurt people. In the case of Mark, my goal today was to start a conversation about hearing from the men whenever we can, but I realize that it is not my place. It isnt my call to make, and for that I am truly sorry. As a victim of sexual assault, I understand that each individual's case is different. This is up to the victims, some of whom I've been in contact with. My hope is for all of us to come together to support the brave women who speak out and help make workplaces safer as we continue this difficult conversation in the months and years ahead.

Back in October, Halperin was fired by NBC, MSNBC and HBO amid multiple misconduct accusations. NBC News Chairman Andy Lack was quick to separate himself from Halperin, as the accusations arose from Halperins time at ABC, as opposed to NBC.

Lack has been significantly less transparent when it comes to sexual misconduct problems within his own company. A former anchor at NBC News recently told Fox News she is in contact with multiple women who are frustrated that Lack and his top deputy, Noah Oppenheim, refuse to hire an outside investigator to review a culture of sexual misconduct.

The former anchor, who has so far asked not to be identified, said numerous women began contacting each other when now-disgraced Today star Matt Lauer was fired over inappropriate sexual behavior last month.

The group of former and current NBC News employees has stayed in touch and wants to share their stories of when they were harassed, groped or outright assaulted at NBC News, said the former employee, who added that many of the women havent come forward for fear of retribution.

Beyond the firings of Lauer and Halperin, MSNBC recently admitted that star Chris Matthews settled in 1999 with a former producer who accused him of sexual harassment, and the network suspended Morning Joe contributors Glenn Thrush and Harold Ford Jr., after they were accused of harassment by women.

Lack and Oppenheim have come under increasing fire for sitting on two explosive sex harassment stories: Ronan Farrows investigation of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein this past fall, and the Access Hollywood tape of Donald Trump just over a year ago. Both stories were ultimately aired through other premier news organizations.
Who could possibly be surprised that citizens of Spains Catalonia province chose independence over remaining part of a country that sent club-wielding police to beat them up and confiscate their ballots?

The referendum on Thursday, which resulted in three separatist parties winning the most seats in Catalonias parliament, was a spectacular miscalculation by Spains prime minister, Mariano Rajoy. He assumed that the rebel province would bow to his wishes and vote to remain part of Spain.

Rajoy must have thought that Catalans would forget what happened last October 1. Thats when another referendum resulted in overwhelming support for independence. Rajoy refused to recognize those elections, and sent Spanish national police to block voting halls, beat up would-be voters who tried to surge past them, and confiscate their ballots. If he thought that would scare off separatists this time around, he gored his own ox. Or, it being Spain, bull.

The growing sentiment across Europe to recognize that its countries are different from one another continues to bloom. The European Unions attempt to homogenize its member states just isnt working. Italy is not Germany, Poland isnt Belgium. And no amount of trying to legislate the maximum curve of cucumbers  which the E.U. actually attempted to impose -- can make them so.

Great Britain, which voted last year to exit the E.U., is being punished for its audacity in its divorce talks with Brussels. Thats partly because Prime Minister Theresa May has wrong-footed herself into a delicate situation that could cost her her hold on No. 10 Downing Street. Earlier this year, May took an election gamble similar to Rajoys, betting that British voters would give her Conservative Party a mandate to play tough on Brexit negotiations.

Instead the Tories lost a dozen seats in parliament and were forced into an uncomfortable ruling alliance with a Northern Irish party that can topple the government at any moment. British mediate coverage of Mays travails has been unrelentingly negative, much like President Trumps treatment in the United States. One consolation: beginning in 2019, Britons will once again be issued the classic blue passports they carried for decades, instead of burgundy documents issued by the E.U.

Spains central government will probably prevail over the wishes of the Catalan people. The provinces president, Carles Puigdemont, had to flee the country or face imprisonment for his rebellion. Speaking from Brussels, where he took refuge, Puigdemont said Thursday hed be willing to start negotiations with Rajoy  just not in Spain. So far, the government in Madrid is pretending there is no bull in the ring.
Billions of dollars meant for defense may never make it to the armed forces if Congress doesn't act when it returns to work next month.

President Trump signed a $700 billion defense budget earlier this month, but budget caps put in place in 2011 remain on the books, robbing the Pentagon of much-needed money to rebuild the military. That drew concern from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Capitol Hill Friday.

"Defense has actually been hit harder under the Budget Control Act than domestic programs have," McConnell said. "So, I think there's an urgency there."

A short-term spending plan keeps the military funded through Jan.19, but unless the cuts are repealed next month, roughly $100 billion will be axed from the budget and Trump's goal of rebuilding the military will be in jeopardy.

"We make the best military product in the world. Nobody is even close," Trump said Friday while signing both the spending measure and the massive tax reform plan into law. "So we are ordering $4 billion worth of missile defense," he added, referencing emergency funding to counter the threat from North Koreas ballistic missiles.

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee says both parties are to blame for the looming defense cuts.

"Most everybody agrees that we need to spend more on defense, but you've got Republicans who want to cut other parts of the budget, you've got Democrats that want to increase other parts of the budget," Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, told Fox News in a recent interview. "So everyone's trying to use the defense budget as leverage for these other things. I think that's wrong."

Today, Army helicopter pilots are flying fewer hours than at any time in the past 30 years, according to testimony by Maj. Gen. William K. Gayler -- the head of Army aviation -- before a House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness.

Problems extend to the other services as well. According to the head of naval aviation, just 31 percent of the Navy's 542 F-18 Super Hornet jets are fully mission capable and fully half of them can't fly at all.

Vice Adm. Troy Shoemaker told the same readiness subcommittee last month that when the Navy deployed three aircraft carriers this year, planes had to be taken from training squadrons -- robbing young pilots of critical flight time.

Meanwhile, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson says her force is approximately 2,0000 pilots short of the number required and officials say only half its fleet of B-1 and B-2 bombers can fly.

Only 37 percent of available Marine Corps heavy-lift helicopters can fly and that's not even counting the roughly 60 CH-53E helicopters missing on the flight line.

Even more sobering, twice as many American troops have been killed in non-combat aircraft crashes this year compared to last year

"Last year in aviation, we had a horrible safety year, probably the worst year in 10 years, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller told a Reagan National Defense Forum panel hosted by Fox News' Jennifer Griffin earlier this month. While Neller wouldnt link the spike in recent crashes to the condition of the jets and helicopters, he echoed what other U.S. military leaders have said about fewer hours of training for his pilots because of the shortage of aircraft.

At the same forum, the shortage of ready aircraft drew a stark warning from a former top Pentagon official.

"Were we to find ourselves in a high end conflict with Russia or China," said former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman, quoting a RAND study released earlier this month, "we could lose."
The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Friday, aiming to fortify the former Soviet republic military as it fights separatists backed by Russia.



The new arms include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles that Ukraine has long sought to boost its defenses against tanks that have rolled through eastern Ukraine during violence that has killed more than 10,000 since 2014. Previously, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with support equipment and training, and has let private companies sell some small arms like rifles.



The officials describing the plan weren't authorized to discuss it publicly and demanded anonymity.



The move is likely to escalate tensions between the United States and Russia, as President Donald Trump contends with ongoing questions about whether he's too hesitant to confront the Kremlin. Ukraine accuses Russia of sending the tanks, and the U.S. says Moscow is arming, training and fighting alongside the separatists.

Trump had been considering the plan for some time after the State Department and the Pentagon signed off earlier this year. President Barack Obama also considered sending lethal weapons to Ukraine.



The State Department, responsible for overseeing foreign military sales, would not confirm that anti-tank missiles or other lethal weapons would be sent. But in a statement late Friday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. had decided to provide "enhanced defensive capabilities" to help Ukraine build its military long-term, defend its sovereignty and "deter further aggression."



"U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself," Nauert said.



The White House's National Security Council declined to comment.



Although the portable Javelin anti-tank missiles can kill, proponents for granting them to Ukraine have long argued they are considered "defensive" because the Ukrainians would use them to defend their territory and deter the Russians, not to attack a foreign country or seize new territory.



Under law, the State Department must tell Congress of planned foreign military sales, triggering a review period in which lawmakers can act to stop the sale. It was unclear whether the administration had formally notified Congress, but lawmakers are unlikely to try to block it given that Democrats and Republicans alike have long called on the government to take the step.


Former FBI Director James Comey defended the bureaus recently reassigned top lawyer and suggested the move was political.

Sadly, we are now at a point in our political life when anyone can be attacked for partisan gain, Comey tweeted Friday night.

Comey, who was fired by President Trump earlier this year, tweeted, James Baker, who is stepping down as FBI General Counsel, served our country incredibly well for 25 years & deserves better. He is what we should all want our public servants to be.

Baker has been at the center of several recent news stories.

The Washington Post reported this week that Baker, who has served as the FBIs general counsel, was leaving his role and had being reassigned at the bureau.

The newspaper reported that Baker had been caught up in a strange interagency dispute that led to a leak probe and attracted the attention of senior lawmakers but the issue had not played a part in Bakers reassignment.

On Friday evening, the website Politico published a story saying House Republicans were interested in Bakers contacts with a liberal reporter from Mother Jones in the weeks ahead of the 2016 election.

That reporter, David Corn, was the first to report the existence of a salacious dossier that includes unverified allegations about Trumps connections with Russia.

Corn denied Baker was his source for that story.

But he replied to Comeys tweet defending Baker by saying: Jim has lost hours of sleep working to protect this country--and that means you & your family. He deserves gratitude.

Bakers reassignment comes as other top law enforcement officials have been removed from jobs amid Special Counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation.

A Mueller aide, Peter Strzok, a former FBI official, was removed from the special counsel investigation after a number of anti-Trump texts were discovered on his phone.

WIFE OF DEMOTED DOJ OFFICIAL WORKED FOR FIRM BEHIND ANTI-TRUMP DOSSIER

Fox News also reported this month that Bruce Ohr, a senior Justice Department official, was demoted amid questions about his contacts with the opposition research firm responsible for the anti-Trump dossier.

Meanwhile, congressional investigators tell Fox News that the Republican majority staff of the House Intelligence Committee is planning to issue fresh subpoenas next week on Justice Department and FBI personnel, including possibly Ohr and Baker.

Fox News' James Rosen contributed to this report.
A federal appeals court panel in San Francisco ruled late Friday that President Donald Trump exceeded his presidential powers with the third version of his controversial travel ban.

The panel ruled unanimously in a 77-page decision that read, We conclude that the Presidents issuance of the Proclamation once again exceeds the scope of his delegated authority.

But the ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will have no immediate effect because the Supreme Court decided earlier this month that Trump's ban could be fully implemented while the administration appeals a pair of injunctions against the policy, Politico reported.

Presidential Proclamation 9645, signed in September, is the third iteration of the Trump administrations controversial travel ban this year, after previous versions in March and January.

The latest version restricts nationals from Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen from traveling to the U.S. Unlike the previous versions, the latest installment of the travel ban has no definitive expiration date.

According to the Trump administration, the countries were chosen because they dont do a good job of verifying or sharing information about their citizens and thus the U.S. government lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they might pose to the U.S.

Judges have previously ruled that the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 gives Trump broad powers to regulate immigration. But in order for the travel ban to be upheld, the Trump administration would have to legally prove that a persons entry from the list of banned countries would be harmful to the interests of the United States.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
There are many reasons why a pilot would call for an emergency landing, but an evil spirit isn't typically one of them.

According to the Daily Mail, a woman in her 50s passed out on Air China Flight CA 4102 from Beijing Capital International Airport to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Sichuan, which caused alarm among attendants.

The captain of the flight called for the plane to be diverted back to Beijing in order for the woman to receive medical attention. Attendants used an oxygen mask to help the woman breath after they discovered her pulse was weak.

Eventually, the female passenger woke up and became emotionally unstable.

The woman kept telling flight attendants that something possessed her body and started to cause a scene. As several people including crew members and medical professionals attempted to calm her down, she began to scream and even scratched one of the air security officers.

Once the plane landed safely in Beijing 40 minutes after it originally took off, the female passenger was removed from the place and taken to a local hospital for an evaluation.

In total, the incident caused the flight to be delayed by five hours.

This article originally appeared on TravelPulse.
It is not easy to lead a good and virtuous life in Iran if the film-maker Mohammad Rasoulof's latest film, "A Man of Integrity", is anything to go by.



Its downtrodden hero struggles to make an honest rial from his goldfish farm, caught in a nightmarish, distorting fish bowl of corruption at every turn.



The film, which won the prestigious Un Certain Regard prize at the Cannes film festival in May, is a damning indictment of how the "daily reality of graft" is sapping the Islamic Republic.



"Corruption has penetrated every layer of society," Rasoulof told AFP by Skype from his home in Tehran, where he is effectively under house arrest since his passport was confiscated when he returned from the Telluride film festival in the US in September.



The dark thriller tells the story of Reza, who refuses to pay a bribe for a loan that would save his business, and finds himself confronting a rotten array of officials and businessmen who run a small town in the north of the country.



"Corruption goes from the bottom of the social ladder right to the top of the pyramid of power," said Rasoulof, whose earlier acclaimed films "Manuscripts Don't Burn" and "Iron Island" were banned in his homeland.

"A Man of Integrity" is unlikely to see the light of day there either despite being praised by Variety and the Hollywood Reporter as a "compelling... tense, enraging drama".



Rasoulof, 34, already has a suspended 12-month prison sentence hanging over his head after he was arrested on set in 2010 with his friend, the "Taxi" director Jafar Panahi, who was subsequently banned from making films for 20 years.



Initially jailed for six years, Rasoulof's sentence was reduced on appeal.



This time he faces similar charges of "propaganda against the regime" and "endangering national security".



But the threat of prison did not stop Rasoulof squaring up to the uncomfortable truth he insists is undermining the country from within.



Iranians are exhausted by graft, he said. "They want to leave it behind but they cannot, because corruption has become a system.



"This system forces you to be both corrupted, and a corrupter yourself. Even my friends are repulsed by it but cannot get away from it," he added.



"People become oppressed and oppressors at the same time," Rasoulof argued.

In the film, no one gets a free pass, not even Reza's long-suffering wife Hadis, the head of a secondary school.



She does nothing to stop a girl being excluded because she comes from a religious minority.



Nor is the fact that Reza is a goldfish farmer without significance. Iranians traditionally display goldfish on their tables for Persian New Year, Norouz, to symbolise renewal and perpetual life, and release them into ponds and rivers afterwards, where they inevitably perish.



President Hassan Rouhani tried to suggest a more humane alternative last year by putting an orange in his fish bowl.



For now, Rasoulof's own fate is not dissimilar to that of his character's goldfish.



"I am completely in the dark, I do not know what is going to happen," he told AFP. "But I will not allow myself to be beaten by it."



"I cannot see my film being shown in Iran while I am waiting to be tried," he added, lamenting how the country's "intellectuals had either left, were in prison, or had been reduced to silence."



His French production company ARP has launched a petition on Change.org demanding that he be allowed to work and travel freely.



"If people were not supporting me outside Iran... my situation would be a lot worse," Rasoulof added. "What keeps me going is that people do not forget me, and that my film will be seen."

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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The blaze known as the Thomas fire in Southern California is now the largest in the states recorded history, fire officials said Saturday evening.

The Thomas fire has scorched 273,400 acres, or about 427 square miles of coastal foothills and national forest.

That makes the Thomas fire 154 acres larger than the 2003 Cedar fire in San Diego that killed 15 people, officials said.

Thousands of firefighters and fleets of aircraft have been battling the Thomas blaze since Dec. 4. A firefighter and a woman fleeing the blaze died.

Days of unrelenting hot, gusty winds drive it through Ventura neighborhoods, incinerating entire blocks, and threatened the wealthy enclave of Montecito.

By Friday, however, humidity was higher, temperatures were cooler and the fire threat to homes in many areas eased. The fire continued to move slowly through forest but the blaze was 65 percent contained.

Fire officials said Saturday that any new growth in the Thomas fire will probably be attributed to controlled burns by firefighters, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The main fire itself will not have any growth, said Capt. Brandon Vaccaro of the California City Fire Department told the newspaper.

Californias list of worst fires dates only to the 1930s, but an 1889 fire in parts of Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties is considered by many to be the state's worst fire, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
The Hawaii psychiatric patient who was captured on Nov. 15, three days after he managed to sneak out of his hospital and ultimately onto a plane going to California, will be extradited back to the Aloha state, the attorney generals office said.

A warrant permitting the extradition of Randall Saito, 59, back to Hawaii was issued by California officials, the Hawaiian office announced Friday. They added that an arrangement was made with the U.S. Marshals Service for Saito to return to the islands on a non-commercial flight.

Saito, who told The Associated Press in a jail interview that he was surprised his plan actually worked, previously said in court, I really dont want to go back to Hawaii.

A hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 5, 2018, to discuss the pending extradition.

VIOLENT PSYCHOPATH CAPTURED IN CALIFORNIA AFTER ESCAPING FROM HAWAII HOSPITAL

Saito escaped Hawaii State Hospital, which is outside of Honolulu, on the morning of Nov. 12. He caught a taxi a mile away, which brought him to a charter plane going to Maui. He was later able to use an alias to get past security and onto another flight, heading to San Jose, Calif. Another taxi ride brought him to Stockton, where he was eventually apprehended.

Sources told Hawaii News Now that Saito purchased his plane ticket to California online and paid for his taxi ride and charter flight in cash.

Its unclear why staff members at the hospital didnt alert authorities of his disappearance until that evening, long after hed managed to cross state lines.

After three days on the run, Saito was arrested in Stockton, Calif., after Honolulu authorities got a tip saying he was on his way to his brothers home.

Previously dubbed a violent psychopath, Saito was acquitted of murder by reason of insanity following the 1979 death of Sandra Yamashiro. He shot Yamashiro and repeatedly stabbed her before dumping her body in a parked car at a mall. Deputy city prosecutor Jeff Albert once said Saito had all the criteria of a classic serial killer.

HAWAII PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT SAYS HES SURPRISED ESCAPE WORKED

Saito has resided at the psychiatric facility since 1981. At the hospital, Saito had sexual relations with a least three hospital staff members, who he allegedly manipulated to get contraband, according to 1993 documents obtained by Hawaii News Now. A court also denied his request for a conditional release the same year, saying he continued to suffer from sexual sadism and necrophilia.

But when planning his escape, Saito told The Associated Press that he never had plans to settle down, but was rather trying to prove a point about his stability.

I was just trying to get as much time as possible under my belt to prove my point that I could be in the community without supervision and not be truculent or violent or stupid," Saito said. "I just wanted a track record to throw back into the hospital and say, 'Look, nobody was there to supervise me. I was out. I didn't drink. I didn't drug. I didn't hurt anybody."
Newly released documents found after the apparent suicide of a Michigan man who was a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife, Theresa, showed him confessing to killing her and saying, I am so sorry, Fox 17 reported.

The outlet, which obtained the documents from the Portage police, shared PDFs of the suicide note that authorities said was left by Christopher Lockhart on Oct. 24, along with a map he reportedly drew for police pointing them to the location of his wifes body. The department released 199 documents in total.

In the note, shared by Fox 17, Lockhart admitted to choking his wife to death on May 18 after an argument and said, I am so sorry for this horrible act.

POLICE FIND HAND-DRAWN MAP LEADING THEM TO BODY OF MISSING MICHIGAN TEACHER

I was drunk and we were arguing and I snapped, he wrote. I live with it every moment of the day and I miss her so much. I didnt put her first, that was my biggest mistake.

In the letter, he went on to apologize to those who believed in me for what he called a senseless act. He also reportedly admitted to killing the couples cats, whom he said they were also arguing about.

The map, provided by Fox 17, included a note to Detective Hess, along with a drawn illustration of the Allegan County area, marking Theresas burial spot with an X.

I am so sorry for taking her away from everyone, Lockhart wrote. Find her and put her to rest. I had no right to do what I did. I pray that God forgives me. I love her so much.

HUSBAND OF MICHIGAN TEACHER MISSING FOR MONTHS IS FOUND DEAD IN POSSIBLE SUICIDE

Using the map, police located the remains of the missing teacher on Oct. 24, the same day her husband reportedly committed suicide and more than five months after she was initially reported missing. She had not been seen since May 18.

Authorities found Lockhart's body during a search of his home after he did not appear for a meeting with investigators that morning. An electronic tether he was wearing had not indicated any movement for several hours.
Bruce McCandless, the first astronaut to fly untethered in space, died Thursday in California, NASA officials said Friday. He was 80.

No cause of death was reported.

McCandless was famously photographed in 1984, alone in dark space above a blue Earth. He traveled more than 300 feet away from the space shuttle Challenger during the historic spacewalk.

I was grossly over-trained. I was just anxious to get out there and fly. I felt very comfortable.  It got so cold my teeth were chattering and I was shivering, but that was a very minor thing, he told the Daily Camera in 2006.

McCandless wrote in the Guardian in 2015 that it was a wonderful feeling.

(A) mix of personal elation and professional pride: it had taken many years to get to that point, McCandless wrote.

Born in Boston, McCandless graduated from high school in Long Beach, Calif. He later graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and earned two masters degrees.

At Annapolis, McCandless was a classmate of future U.S. senator John McCain.

The iconic photo of Bruce soaring effortlessly in space has inspired generations of Americans to believe that there is no limit to the human potential, McCain, R-Ariz., said in a statement.

McCandless pushed those limits in helping develop the jetpack and was later part of the 1990 shuttle crew that delivered the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit.

He also served as the Mission Control capsule communicator in Houston as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon in 1969.

During his spacewalk, his wife was at mission control, and "there was quite a bit of apprehension, McCandless wrote in the Guardian.

I wanted to say something similar to Neil when he landed on the moon, so I said, 'It may have been a small step for Neil, but its a heck of a big leap for me,'" he wrote. "That loosened the tension a bit.

The veteran astronaut also participated in the Cuban blockade in the 1962 missile crisis as a naval aviator.

Bruce served his country with humility and dignity, and encouraged all of us to reach new heights, McCain said.

McCandless is survived by his wife, Ellen Shields McCandless, two children and two grandchildren.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A 26-year-old Chicago woman was being held without bond on a charge of first-degree murder Friday, Cook County prosecutors said.

Brianna Smith is accused of paying a man $4,000 to kill a tow truck driver to prevent him from testifying against her jailed boyfriend, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Reginald Jones, 33, a father of three, was slain inside a garage on the afternoon of New Years Eve 2014. He had gone there in the belief that he would be meeting a man who wanted to buy some tires from him, the Sun-Times reported.

Instead, Jones encountered a man in a ski mask who shot him nine times, prosecutors said, according to the newspaper.

The unidentified gunman remains at large, the newspaper reported.

Smiths boyfriend was in jail because a year and a half earlier he had gotten into an argument with Jones and allegedly shot Jones in one of his arms, prosecutors said.

Jones pressed charges against the boyfriend, who was arrested for attempted murder. The boyfriend offered Jones cash to drop the case, but Jones refused, prosecutors said.

Smith confessed to helping plan the killing and delivering the cash to the unidentified gunman, prosecutors said.

Click here for more from the Chicago Sun-Times.
A former leader of the Black Panthers was awarded $3.75 million in damages by a California jury this week for injuries suffered when an Oakland city councilwoman allegedly assaulted her in 2015.

The jury in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland decided Thursday that Oakland Councilwoman Desley Brooks attacked Elaine Brown without justification and that Brown never threatened her, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Because Brown was 72 years old at the time of the confrontation, the jury also agreed that Brooks attack on Brown was an act of elder abuse, the newspaper reported.

The jury will reconvene in January to consider additional sums beyond the pain and suffering award, the report said.

According to the East Bay Times, Brooks and Brown became engaged in an argument at an Oakland restaurant over the filing of an application for an affordable housing project.

The argument escalated to the point where Brooks allegedly shoved Brown, causing her to fall backward into a stack of chairs, the Times reported. Brown claimed to have suffered bumps and bruises as a result of the fall, the newspaper said.

According to the Chronicle, Brown joined the Black Panthers in 1968 and became the groups leader six years later, after Huey Newton fled to Cuba to avoid murder charges.

She stepped down in 1977, the newspaper reported.
The mass murderer who gunned down 58 people during a Las Vegas music festival in October died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the mouth, a coroners report said.

Stephen Paddocks death was ruled a suicide, according to Clark County, Nev., Coroner John Fudenberg.

Authorities said the high-stakes video poker gambler, 64, killed himself before officers reached his room.

All 58 deaths were ruled homicides in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, authorities said. Twenty-one victims were shot in the head, 36 died with chest and back wounds and one died of a gunshot to a leg, the coroner's report said.

Four victims had multiple gunshot wounds.

The mass killer, armed with an arsenal of assault-style weapons and ammunition, also injured about 500 other people when he unleashed more than 1,100 rounds of gunfire from the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay into a crowd of 22,000 people at the Route 91 Harvest Festival just below the hotel.

When police stormed Paddocks suite after he stopped firing, they discovered shell casings all over the floor, the New York Post reported.

Authorities reported finding about 4,000 unused rounds along with the 23 guns in the suite.

However, authorities have not said why Paddock stopped shooting.

My initial scan, coming in the room with my rifle, is just seeing, Im seeing one male down, bleeding from the face, Officer Matthew Donaldson told the Post. He was not a threat. Kept going, kept going, kept going.

Police and the FBI have also not said publicly what motivated him.

Autopsy reports in the case are not yet complete, officials said.

Paddocks brain was sent to Stanford University in California to study after a visual inspection found no abnormalities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Three people died of gunshot wounds  including an employee caught in the crossfire  during an armed robbery attempt at a Georgia liquor store, police said.

The owner, the worker and the suspect died in the Friday night gunfire, College Park police Lt. Lance Patterson told reporters.

A lone gunman entered the store in College Park and ordered everyone to get on the ground, WAGA-TV reported .

The store owner emerged from the rear and pulled his own gun, and a shootout ensued, police said. The owner was later found dead behind the counter.

The owner shot the suspect, but police were still investigating the sequence of events and exactly how the shootings took place, Patterson said.

"We don't know who shot first, but we do know the store employee was somehow caught in crossfire between the store owner and perpetrator," Patterson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .

The employee was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said. Police did not release the names of the dead.

Police said they were not looking for any additional suspects.

College Park is about 8 miles (13 kilometers) south of downtown Atlanta.
Police say a man critically hurt after a sandbag tossed by juveniles from an Ohio interstate overpass smashed through a car windshield has died.

A Toledo police spokesman says 22-year-old Marquise Byrd, of Warren, Michigan, died Friday at a hospital. He received severe head injuries when he was struck Tuesday night while sitting in the front passenger seat of a car traveling on Interstate 75.

Three 14-year-old boys and a 13-year-old boy were charged Wednesday with felonious assault in Lucas County Juvenile Court. Toledo police spokesman Sgt. Kevan Toney says they will now face additional charges after Byrd's death.

Police arrested the juveniles after seeing them leave the area near the overpass.

An assistant county prosecutor has said other cars were struck by objects thrown from the overpass that night.
A police bloodhound has been found alive 36 hours after he was reported missing in the Connecticut woods.

The massive search for K-9 Texas spanned Wednesday evening to Friday morning and included volunteers on foot and horseback, a police chopper and drone, Connecticut State Police said.

That dog is one of us, its not just a dog, Capt. David Delvecchia said, according to Fox 61 Hartford.

Texas got loose as he caught the scent of a missing man near Wooster Mountain and his handler lost his footing on the steep terrain, the station reported.

Another bloodhound located the missing man.

Homeland Security Special Agent Jeff Kehlenbech found Texas, whose leash had gotten ensnared in a fence near an unoccupied home, three miles away from where he was last seen.

Kehlenbech canceled a trip in order to help look for the dog, state police said.

I just heard this howling behind me from up the hill, he said, according to Fox 61. I searched lakes and ponds for the unfortunate scenario of him falling in.

Delvecchia said the safe reunion has made this holiday season that much better.

It truly is a wish come true for Christmas and its just really great to have him home, he said.
On the annual occasion of 16 Days of Activism on Violence against Women

Now Is the time to criminalize marital rape in the Arab Region

The summer of 2017 proved to be a different type of revolution in the Arab region. In the span of less than a month, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia transformed the regions legal and social landscape when their respective governments revoked so-called marry-your-rapist laws.

These antiquated laws allowed a man to escape prosecution and punishment for rape if he married his victim. It is hoped that momentum surrounding these repeals will compel other states in the region, namely Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Syria, and Palestine, to revoke similar laws.

While these amendments merit celebration, the legislative reforms do not go far enough. Specifically, rape within the context of marriage continues to go unrecognized and unpunished in much of the Arab region (the one except is Tunisias recent violence against law that theoretically criminalizes marital rape). Acknowledgement and action are long overdue.

Penal code and personal status law provisions in the Arab region do not prohibit martial rape to occur with few consequences, if any. For some states, unrestricted sexual access to ones wife is part and parcel of the martial contract, which is argued to fall under religious prescription or the public-private divide rationale, but essentially entrenches and consolidates patriarchal control.

Historically known as the marital rape exemption within the common law and civil law systems, many modern day Arab legal systems continue to tolerate (and in some instances, embrace) these provisions. This is best illustrated in Lebanons domestic violence law, Law no. 293 (2014) which, after resistance from womens movements, legally embedded a marital right of intercourse, essentially facilitating and condoning sexual assault in marriage.

While Lebanons tolerance is explicit, other states legislation is implicit. The few existing domestic violence laws in the region have avoided mention or penalization of marital rape altogether. This is despite elaboration in the United Nations Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women that rape within the context of an intimate relationship, including marriage, must be criminalized for there to be holistic legislative response to violence against women.

In general, rape within the region continues to be narrowly defined as something that occurs only under extreme force, and happens to a woman who is not married to the perpetrator, or who is underage. Furthermore, definitions of rape are commonly couched in moralistic or honor-based terminology, rather than as nonconsensual sexual contact that is a violation of bodily integrity and sexual autonomy.

Gender sensitive legal reform, including the criminalization of marital rape, is a necessary step to eradicating violence against women. International human rights law explicitly and implicitly call upon states to sanction violence against women as part of their due diligence; failure to do so is a dereliction of duty to legally ensure and protect the human rights of all women.

Treaties and frameworks adopted by states such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action and the International Conference on Population and Development Plan of Action provide the necessary frameworks for implementing successful gender-sensitive legal reform. But they are only the beginning.

For legal reform to be truly revolutionary legal, it must holistic. Legal reform must acknowledge that violence against women takes many forms and occurs in all facets of life.

Legal reform must engage with gender sensitive human rights frameworks. Legal reform must intersect with other mechanisms that both protect and empower survivors of violence.

Legal reform must ensure that womens bodily integrity is respected and that their voices matter in the gender justice chain.

Finally, legal reform must acknowledge that rape in marriage is just that  rape.

*The writer is Social Affairs Officer at the ESCWA Centre for Women

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Authorities in Harrisburg, Pa., were wondering Friday what drove a 51-year-old man to go on an afternoon shooting spree in which he apparently targeted police officers.

Police eventually shot and killed the gunman, whom authorities later identified as Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty.

One Pennsylvania state trooper was shot during the spree, but she was expected to make a full recovery, authorities said.

The suspect had chased the trooper during one of three shootings that began at around 4 p.m., PennLive reported.

By around 7 p.m., the suspect was dead.

Ed Marsico, Dauphin County district attorney, said police were deliberately targeted, and that El-Mofty was slain as he fired at officers while carrying two rifles and a shotgun, PennLive.com reported.

Marsico told WGAL-TV that officials had no idea what the motivation is at this point.

A bomb squad investigated a suspicious device spotted near the scene of where El-Mofty was killed, but no threat was found, WHTM-TV reported.

Marsico said the FBI was assisting in the investigation to determine if it was a planned act of terrorism, the station reported.

We cant comment on that at this time, Marsico told the station. But the investigation will continue and it will be thorough.

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse commended police for their exceptional bravery, while Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said he was grateful for the swift reaction of the officers, in statements obtained by WGAL.
A Marine Corps commandant on Thursday warned U.S. troops stationed in Norway to be prepared for a coming war.

I hope Im wrong, but theres a war coming, Gen. Robert Neller told them. Youre in a fight here, an informational fight, a political fight, by your presence.

"I hope I'm wrong, but there's a war coming. You're in a fight here, an informational fight, a political fight, by your presence."  Gen. Robert Neller, U.S. Marine Corps commandant

Neller pointed to the near future possibility of Russia and the Pacific theater being the next major areas of conflict.

Sgt. Maj. Ronald Green sounded a similar tone.

"Just remember why you're here," Green said. "They're watching. Just like you watch them, they watch you. We've got 300 Marines up here; we could go from 300 to 3,000 overnight. We could raise the bar."

The warnings came a day before Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told troops at Fort Bragg, N.C., that "storm clouds are gathering" over the Korean Peninsula.

Last spring, Mattis warned Congress that no enemy "in the field has done more to harm the combat readiness of our military than sequestration.

Whether Neller's comments were more than motivational rhetoric remained unclear.

"Just remember why you're here. They're watching. Just like you watch them, they watch you. We've got 300 Marines up here; we could go from 300 to 3,000 overnight. We could raise the bar."  Sgt. Maj. Ronald Green

Neller and Green's arrival in Norway coincided with heightened tensions between the U.S. and its NATO allies and Russia. According to Military.com, Russia warned Norway that its decision to host a new unit of U.S. troops through the end of 2018 would negatively affect relations.

Norway has insisted having U.S. troops stationed there is merely part of an effort to enhance ties with NATO allies and conduct cold-weather combat operations.

At a Q&A session with the troops in the Norwegian Home Guard base near Trondheim, Neller said that the U.S. could shift its focus from the Middle East to Eastern Europe, citing Russias conflicts with Ukraine and Georgia as justification. He told the Marines that they should be prepared for a big-ass fight on the horizon.

Russia has reportedly been uneasy about the presence of American troops close to its borders. The 300 U.S. Marines deployed to Norway in January 2017 were the first foreign troops allowed to be stationed in the country since World War II.

In September of this year, Russia conducted a joint-military exercise with neighboring Belarus that involved 12,700 troops.

A new National Security Strategy unveiled by the Trump administration on Monday singled out Russia and China as two world powers challenging American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity.
The U.S. Navy this week announced it will scale back its physical fitness requirements, thus giving a clean slate to nearly 50,000 sailors with fitness failures on their records.

Under new rules set to take effect March 31, Navy commands have been instructed to stop discharging sailors for fitness failures and to cancel any pending discharges, the Navy Times reported.

Previously, sailors were forced to leave the Navy if they failed two fitness assessment tests in a three-year period. The tests graded sailors based on their age, number of push-ups, sit-ups and percentage of body fat. Sailors who failed the fitness test were deemed ineligible for advancement.

The Navy kicked out some 1,700 sailors for failing two fitness tests within a three-year period, the Navy Times reported, citing officials. By summer 2017, more than 43,000 sailors had at least one failure within the previous three years while another 5,477 had at least two failures.

The new lax regulations are part of the Navys broader effort increase its headcount by more than 4,100 by next September. Sailors who have previously failed their fitness tests will be allowed to stay in the Navy until the end of their enlistment.

The goal of the Navys physical readiness program is to maintain a minimum prescribed level of fitness necessary for world-wide deployment and to maintain a sailors long-term health and wellness, the chief of naval personnel wrote.

The Navy previously reworked its requirements in 2015 to ease rules on body fat and relax consequences for failure. Per implementation of the new initiative, every sailors record will start fresh Jan. 1, but the new rules will be applied in spring for those not meeting the new fitness standards.
First responders recovered at least 32 bodies Saturday after a passenger bus plunged off a bridge and dropped into a river in the western Indian state of Rajasthan.

Another 10 passengers were injured in the crash in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, 235 miles south of New Delhi, government official K.L. Katara said.

The bus was trying to pass another vehicle when it rammed through the bridge railing, police Officer B.L. Soni said.

Police were investigating what caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

The driver was among those who perished, the Times of India reported.

The bus was on its way to Lalsot, a town in Rajasthan, after picking up passengers from the Sawai Madhopur railroad station when it crashed around 6 a.m., police Officer Narain Singh said.

Driver fatigue, negligence, poor quality roads and vehicle maintenance are the usual causes of such accidents in India.

Police figures show India has the world's highest road accident death toll, with more than 110,000 people dying each year in crashes.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
A man described as a devout Christian who volunteered at a local church was charged this week with killing his wife and two young daughters after their bodies were found in a home in western Canada.

Canadian authorities found the bodies Tuesday in Kelowna, British Columbia, and identified the victims as 33-year-old Clara Forman and her daughters, Yesenia, 8, and Karina, 7.

They charged Jacob Forman, 34, with the murders.

He showed no emotion during a brief appearance in court Thursday, Global News reported.

Forman was a plumber, a devout Christian and had a leadership role at his small church, the news outlet reported.

They were just very nice people, a woman who knew the family, Gail Baran, told Global News. You would never ever think that from that family, they were very down to earth people. He would go to work every day and appeared to be such a gentleman. Its a shock for all of us here.

Facebook videos show baby Karina learning about the joys of birthday cake, while another depicts her dad proudly boasting of his daughter's ability to roll over in bed, CTV Vancouver reported.

"This is my six-week-old prodigy," he says in the video.

Formans wife was a fitness instructor who was born in Mexico.

She met him in Mexico at a Christian retreat when he went there to become a preacher, according to local media reports.

She wrote on Facebook that she met him 12 years ago, the Columbia Valley Pioneer reported.

Met in January, started dating in July, engaged Oct. 27 married three weeks later on Nov. 11 at sunset, she wrote in 2015. When I married Jacob Forman I left everything I knew to come to Canada and build a life.

God blessed our feeble efforts with good jobs, good friends, a great church family and, most importantly, two of the best little humans a couple of people could ask for. Ten years later you are still the person I want to grow old with.

Forman was jailed without bail.
The staff at the morgue in Mosul, Iraq, witnessed firsthand the worst of the atrocities committed by the Islamic State group during its three-year reign of terror in the city.

The morgue was located in the al-Shifaa medical complex, a large compound in the western half of Mosul that included the city's main hospital, Jomhouriya. It was the primary medical facility for the militants, so fighters were brought from elsewhere in Iraq and even Syria for treatment.

The office of the ISIS health minister was located there. That meant the staff was under the militants' eyes all the time.

Every day the corpses of dead bodies, tortured and murdered in the most gruesome fashion, would arrive by truck. Except for rare occasions, militants forbade the dead bodies to be returned to their families.

Faced with the arrival of up to 60 or even 100 corpses a day, the staff would sort through the bodies in order to record and bury them.

The manner in which the bodies arrived, revealed the nature of their offenses. Some were the mangled bodies of civilians and ISIS fighters killed in bombardment by the U.S.-led coalition or fighting with Iraqi troops. Others bore the signs of blunt trauma, or internal bleeding, meaning they were thrown from rooftops  a punishment for those suspected of being gay.

A woman with a split skill from a blunt force was likely stoned to death, a sentence for accused adulterers. A gunshot wound through the head or decapitation was a punishment for spying or blasphemy.

ISIS was convinced its caliphate was here to stay, and kept detailed records of its killings, executing people for the slightest of offenses.

Between June 2014 when ISIS took over Mosul and January 2017, when Iraqi forces were fighting to take the city back, records indicated more than 1,200 people shot in the head  a likely sign of ISIS executions. One Excel sheet lists 95 people who were beheaded and 50 men and boys who died from a "fall from a height," likely hurled from rooftops.

Sameh al-Azzawi, a 35-year-old medical assistant, managed to secretly sew the heads back on about 10 bodies and return them to their families. He did it after midnight in the washing area, which IS fighters tended to stay out of because it was the worst smelling part of the morgue.

Al-Omari, the chief examiner, said he had been numbed by the helplessness he felt in the face of the fanatics' dictates and butchery.

The atrocities his staff was forced to contend with seemed endless: Sixteen boys under age 14 shot in the head. Six girls shot in the head. His job was to sign off on the cause of death for victims' brutalized corpses. As a forensics doctor, he also had to investigate the "crimes" of the living  like signing medical examinations of whether women accused of adultery were virgins or not.

But he says he has never cried for the dead.

"You can't talk or explain. You just keep it inside," he says. "If I cried, I'd cry every day for every single body."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trumps new national security strategy unveiled this week has been condemned by North Korea as a criminal document that is nothing but the proclamation of aggression aimed at holding sway over the world, according to reports.

The international society should remain vigilant against the maneuvers of the gang of Trump to invade and control (North Korea) by igniting a nuclear war at any cost in the Korean peninsula and clearly see through the ulterior motive behind its repeated talk of dialogue, designed to cover up its evil intention and mock the world, The Express quoted a North Korea Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying Friday.

The Express also quoted the spokesman as saying: As the U.S. set its diplomatic and security policy at crushing us militarily and is publicly aiming a sword at us, we will make the US bitterly regret its strategy with our cannons.

Trump's national security strategy document was released Monday and says that Washington has to confront the challenge posed by North Koreas weapons programs.

North Korea is ruled as a ruthless dictatorship without regard for human dignity," the document states. "For more than 25 years, it has pursued nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in defiance of every commitment it has made."

It adds, Today, these missiles and weapons threaten the United States and our allies. The longer we ignore threats from countries determined to proliferate and develop weapons of mass destruction, the worse such threats become, and the fewer defensive options we have.

Trump wrote in the forward that We are rallying the world against the rogue regime in North Korea.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman defended North Koreas right to possess nuclear weapons as necessary to defend our sovereignty and rights to existence and development in the face of ever increased hostile moves and nuclear threats and blackmail of the U.S.
The Fredericksburg Police Department wants to mark the 10-year anniversary of the shooting death of Officer Todd Allen Bahr by erecting a memorial to honor all four city officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

It is very important to me and the members of our Department to construct a memorial that honors all of the Fredericksburg Police Officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving this great City, Chief David Nye wrote in a letter as part of a fundraising campaign for the memorial.

Officers and other employees of the police department have been raising money in-house, said spokeswoman Sarah Kirkpatrick, adding that they now are looking to bring in more funds by offering name inscriptions on bricks that will be placed in a walkway to the memorial. A brick inscription can be had for a $125 donation.

Bahr was the most recent Fredericksburg officer killed while on duty. Two officers were killed in their patrol car in 1964 and the first officer died in a motorcycle crash in 1925.

Chief Nye said in the letter that the department hopes to have the memorial ready by June 6, which will be 10 years to the day that Bahr was killed.

Domestic dispute turns deadly

Bahr, a 40-year-old Stafford County native, was shot in the head during a search for an armed man in a domestic dispute case. He died at the Commons apartment complex right around the corner from police headquarters on Cowan Boulevard.

A woman had reported earlier that night that her former boyfriend, Gregory Berryman, made threatening phone calls. She called back to say he had a gun.

Berryman was found in his vehicle at the former Park & Shop shopping center (now Eagle Village) and Bahr responded as backup about 11 that summer night, according to the police department. Berryman sped away after officers told him to get out of his car. A short car chase ended at an apartment complex on Cowan Boulevard, where Berryman got out and ran.

As officers searched for Berryman, shots rang out. Then two Fredericksburg Sheriffs deputies shot it out with Berryman near the womans apartment. Berryman was hit by police gunfire and eventually shot himself to death.

Bahr was found nearby, dead from a gunshot to the head.

Cops encounter killer on midnight shift

Sgt. Roy Wright, 31, and Patrolman William Mines, 27, were on patrol during the midnight shift May 5, 1964, when they came upon a car parked behind the former Park & Shop shopping center.

They had pulled up on a dangerous man, a convicted felon who had stolen the car. When he was asked for his identification, the man pulled a gun and shot the two officers dead.

Bruce Walter Leikett then stole the officers cash, guns and handcuffs and fled. He was arrested three days later in Wayne County, Mich., after a high-speed chase in which one person was killed in a crash.

Leikett was found guilty of the murders and sentenced to die in the electric chair.

A mistrial was declared, however, and Leikett pleaded guilty before a second trial took place. He was sentenced to two life terms.

Leikett also was convicted of killing an 18-year-old gas station attendant during a robbery in New Jersey the day before killing the officers.

Leikett failed in numerous attempts to gain his release from prison, where he died of liver cancer at the age of 66 in 2004.

Motorcycle officer first to die on duty

Officer Ellsworth Alexander Moore, 27, was trying to stop a speeding car on what is now Lafayette Boulevard when he became the first Fredericksburg officer to die on duty.

Moore, a World War I Marine veteran, had been a city police officer just eight months when he died in the crash on what was then the RichmondWashington Highway on May 31, 1925.

He was known as energetic, alert, willing and courteous, Chief Silas Perry said, according to the police departments information on the accident.

A car passing in the opposite direction hit Moores motorcycle as the officer was attempting to pass a speeding vehicle he was trying to stop. He was thrown from the motorcycle and died later at Mary Washington Hospital.
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Editors note: This editorial was written by the editorial board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Guest editorials in this space are intended to provide our readers with a sampling of opinion from other publications and do not necessarily represent the views of the Mid-Valley Media editorial board.
This log includes incidents in which there might have been a public disturbance or a risk to the public. Information comes from the Corvallis Police Department and the Benton County Sheriffs Office. It does not include all calls for service. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. People arrested or suspected in crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise.

Corvallis Police Department

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20

METH: 11:45 p.m., 1000 Main Street, Philomath. Corvallis police assisted the Philomath Police Department with a traffic stop. With the aid of a K-9 officer, police reportedly found 0.05 of a gram of methamphetamine and a meth pipe in the car. Police arrested passenger Ronald Justin Koetz, 37, for possession of meth.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21

SCAM: 9:41 a.m., 3100 block of Southeast Hathaway Drive, Corvallis. A woman reported that a man with an accent called her and said her Dish Network needed updating. The woman said she reset her Dish Network and the man advised she had to pay a $99 service fee, so she mailed a check to P.O. Box 1509 in Yonkers, New York. The woman then found out it was a scam.

MAIL THEFT: 2:20 p.m., 300 block of Southwest Seventh Street, Corvallis. A woman said she found an open package. Police went to the home where the package was addressed to. The resident said she did not want police to investigate the theft.

METH: 3:01 p.m., 1100 block of Northeast Circle Boulevard, Corvallis. Police contacted a man camping. The officers reportedly saw numerous anti-theft locks discarded around the camp and asked to search the mans tent. Police reportedly found seven syringes, two glass pipes and a bag containing large white crystals. Police cited Ernest Paul Sondermann, 53, for possession of meth.

METH: 10:45 p.m., Northwest Ninth Street and Northwest Garfield Avenue, Corvallis. Police tried to stop a cyclist, but the man reportedly fled. Officers chased the cyclist, identified as Kelton Victor Holmes, 32, and took him into custody for interfering with a peace officer and possession of meth.
Police asking for witnesses : Bonn Christmas market evacuated

Bonn On Friday evening, Bonn police closed off part of the Christmas market for several hours. Witnesses had reported a suspicious person.

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Police evacuated parts of the Bonn Christmas market at around 10pm on Friday evening and closed them off for several hours. Around 8.50pm, two witnesses spoke to Christmas market security guards and told them that a few minutes earlier they had observed a person in the Munsterplatz area who appeared suspicious.

The person had put several small packages into the two post boxes in front of the post office, which had already closed. The person had worn disposable gloves and was hooded.

Police officers therefore closed the area around the Munsterplatz. Due to the overriding circumstances, special officers from the LKA NRW were notified, who then retrieved the suspicious postal packages using a special robot. According to the current status of the investigations, narcotics have been seized together with the packages.

The Analytical Task Force (ATF) from the Cologne fire brigade, who had also been alerted, then examined the substance found in the five smaller packages. The unit specialises in chemical analysis. Visitors were asked to leave the Christmas market. The barriers were lifted again around 2.50am.

According to police, the around 1.85 metre tall suspect had a powerful build. The man was wearing dark blue jeans, a black hooded top and brown leather shoes. Anyone with information should call police on 0228-150.

Evakuierung des Weihnachtsmarktes
xspraise at 23-12-2017 09:25 AM (4 years ago) (m)

Young women stand on street corners in a run-down industrial estate in Turin, Italy.

Young women stand on street corners in a run-down industrial estate in Turin, Italy.

The women vying for customers on these streets are just some of the wave of Sub-Saharan migrants trafficked to Europe in hope of a better life.



In 2016, around 11,000 Nigerian women arrived in Italy by sea according to the International Organization for Migration. Most are at risk of becoming victims of prostitution, the IOM says, a gruesome end to a journey during which many endured rapes, abuse, and a dangerous Mediterranean crossing in flimsy rubber boats.



The European dream



The women vying for customers on these streets are just some of the wave of Sub-Saharan migrants trafficked to Europe in hope of a better life.In 2016, around 11,000 Nigerian women arrived in Italy by sea according to the International Organization for Migration. Most are at risk of becoming victims of prostitution, the IOM says, a gruesome end to a journey during which many endured rapes, abuse, and a dangerous Mediterranean crossing in flimsy rubber boats.The European dream Quote One of them is 17-year-old Becky, who set off for Europe from Nigerias Edo State when she was 15. An orphan raised by a foster family, Becky worked as a maid for a wealthy woman in Nigeria, but dreamed of becoming a doctor. Her bosss daughter lived in Europe and Becky was charmed with stories of a better life there.



She told me, when you come to Europe youll have opportunity, you will go to school, everything is going to be OK for you, Becky says, sitting on the edge of a bed in a shelter in northern Italy for trafficked female migrants.



She said you can do whatever you want, the world there is very free. I was like, wow, that would be great. And she said, OK, maybe my sister can bring you. I was so happy, I wanted to go to Europe, she adds.



Becky says her journey took her across Niger and into Libya, where she was held in a detention center for five months. She suffered repeated rapes at the hands of her jailers, who she says were Libyan militias.



It was the worst experience of my life, Becky says. Her voice shakes as she describes how her attackers would slap her to wake her up, and sometime rape her in front of other migrants in the communal hall they all shared.



You scream, you shout, but nobody comes to the rescue. They rape you, they do whatever they want to do to you, you have no say, you have no choice, she says.











After her trafficker paid a ransom to her captors Becky was freed, but her ordeal was far from over. She was pregnant, but says she lost her baby after being given a liquid to drink by her smuggler.



I dont even know how it happened, she said. All I know is I was given a bottle of water and then I started bleeding. I was in a lot of pain. It was so painful.



Forced to sell her body







There was no time for recovery; she was crammed into a dinghy with four other young women, eventually ending up in a migrant camp in Sicily. Eventually, her traffickers contact brought her to island capital Palermo. I was hoping it was maybe a job. At that point I had no idea what was happening, Becky says.



She now owed 35,000 to the people who trafficked her to Europe, and they forced her to work the streets to pay it back. They dressed me up, they make my hair, they make me up. I didnt even know what they were doing. They gave me a bag with condoms, she says.



She says she was driven to the side of the road and ordered to bring back 200. If a man sleeps with you the most he can pay is 30. Calculate how many men you have to sleep with to get that, she says. You pay, pay, pay, and it never gets finished.



Becky says she refused to sell her body, and when she returned to her madam empty handed the next morning she suffered a vicious beating.



Eventually, the teenager managed to escape. She no longer works the streets and is now being looked after by Progetto Integrazione Accoglienza Migranti (PIAM)  a migrant rights charity run by a Nigerian trafficking survivor, Princess Inyang Okokon.



The NGO has helped rescue 400 Nigerian women since its founding in 1999. PIAM has provided Becky, and the other young women who live in the shelter with her, with Italian lessons and training as ceramists in a small workshop.

Words of warning



Turin deputy chief prosecutor Paolo Borgna, who spent years tackling the trafficking of Nigerian women, says that the girls who are forced into prostitution are getting progressively younger.



Borgna says it is difficult to get victims to report their exploiters to the police. He says the Italian state used to be able to offer the incentive of temporary legal residence to victims who came forward, but thats no longer the case, as those claiming asylum now get a temporary residence permit while their claim is being evaluated  a process that can take years.



What needs to be done, on an administrative level rather than on the judicial level, is to reduce the waiting time to grant or to deny the status of refugees, says Borgna.



Though Becky counts herself lucky to have escaped the clutches of her traffickers, her ordeal haunts her, and she has been seeing a psychologist to deal with her trauma.



For those thinking of making the journey to Europe, the teenager has stark words of warning: Many people, if you ask them not to come, they would not listen to you. Because they think that living abroad is the best life ever, she says. Everybody wants to come here, everybody wants to see what its like.



But its not what they think it is.



I would not advise anybody to take the same journey I took. Because I might have survived it, you may not survive it. (CNN)









Post Reply I am Victor, I write reportage on sport news and latest metro happenings in Nigeria. Posted: at 23-12-2017 09:25 AM (4 years ago) | Hero
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mesa Exploration Corp. (TSX-V:MSA) (OTCPK:MSAJF) (the Company or Mesa) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Letter Agreement (Letter Agreement) with J.P. Mariwell Inc. (JPM) to acquire all of the issued and outstanding Common shares of JPM, an applicant under Health Canada's "Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations" (ACMPR).



Acquisition Terms

Subject to Exchange approval, as well as applicable director and shareholder approvals, JPM shall sell and Mesa shall acquire, on an arms length basis, all of the issued and outstanding Common voting shares of JPM (the "JPM Shares) from the current holders of the JPM Shares (JPM Shareholders). The total purchase price shall be satisfied by Mesa issuing 172,000,000 of its Common shares (Mesa Shares) to the JPM Shareholders. Those shares will be issued in tranches triggered by various approvals granted by Health Canada to JPM under the ACMPR. The proposed arms length acquisition is subject to customary conditions, including satisfaction with diligence investigations, entering into applicable definitive agreements, necessary corporate and shareholder approvals and applicable exchange acceptance. Upon completion of the contemplated transaction the issuer will be involved in the Life Sciences industry sector. This will constitute a Change of Business (COB) and a Reverse Takeover (RTO) as defined by TSXV Policy 5.2.

Under the Letter Agreement, dated December 20, JPM and Mesa also agree to seek to raise up to $2,000,000 pursuant to a contemplated issuance of Common shares of Mesa, via a private placement, with terms which are to be determined. Proceeds of that financing are to be used: (1) for the construction of the building by JPM of the greenhouse facility known as Phase 1 Build which will be built to the specifications mandated by Health Canada; (2) for the pursuit of the final licensing of JPM to produce and sell medical marijuana under the ACMPR; and (3) for working capital and general corporate purposes. Additional capital raises to complete the greenhouse build and to fund general corporate purposes will be sought to be completed over the course of 2018.

A Sponsor has not been retained in connection with the contemplated COB or RTO and as of this date the Company does not intend to seek a Sponsor.

The names, backgrounds, and jurisdictions of all Persons who will constitute Principals or Insiders of the Resulting Issuer as known as of this date is as follows:

from Mesa:

Foster Wilson, President, CEO and Director of the Corporation, Nevada, United States,

Joe Chan, Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation, Vancouver, British Columbia,

Greg French, Director of the Corporation, Nevada, United States,

Brian Kirwin, Non-Executive Chairman and Director of the Corporation, Nevada, United States,

Larry Kornze, Director of the Corporation, Idaho, United States;

and from JPM:

Paul Greco, President of JPM, Chatham, Ontario,

Patrick Weaver, Vice President, Business Development, Thamesville, Ontario,

Nicholas Jacobs, Sole Director of JPM, Co-Founder of JPM and >10% Shareholder of the Resulting Issuer, Wheatley, Ontario,

Amy Jacobs, Co-Founder of JPM and >10% Shareholder of the Resulting Issuer, Wheatley, Ontario,

Frankie Jacobs, Co-Founder of JPM and >10% Shareholder of the Resulting Issuer, Wheatley, Ontario.

The Cannabis Market

Health Canada estimates that the Canadian medical marijuana market will encompass 300,000 users by the end of 2017, giving it a net worth of $2.8 billion dollars. With the introduction of recreational cannabis use the number of legal cannabis users in the country will be between 3.4 million and 6.7 million by 2021. Research estimates that 800,000 kilograms of product, having a value of $8 billion must be produced to serve the demand represented by the recreational market.

About J.P. Mariwell Inc.

JPM has applied to produce and sell medical cannabis under the ACMPR. JPM is in advanced Review Phase of the ACMPR, and is waiting for a Confirmation of Readiness Letter from Health Canada. JPM has secured access to 165 acres of site plan approved property just minutes from the greenhouse capital of North America in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, to support its operations. A state of the art 62,400 square foot greenhouse and processing facility, complete with in-house laboratory, will be located on the site. JPM is dedicated to growing premium cannabis with superior quality and consistency efficiently. For the year ending October 31, 2017 JPM audited financials showed Revenue of $0, Net Loss of $(598,141), Assets of $282,135, Liabilities of $490,515.

For further information please visit our website at www.mariwell.ca.

About Mesa Exploration Corp.

Mesa is exploring a portfolio of mineral properties in the United States where it controls land holdings in proven mining districts with excellent access and infrastructure. Mesa currently has 17.5 million shares issued and outstanding.

For further information please visit our website at www.MesaExploration.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

MESA EXPLORATION CORP.

(signed) Foster Wilson, President and CEO

For further information call:

Corporate Communications Mesa 1-775-771-5219 JP Mariwell 1-548-996-9355

Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and if applicable, disinterested shareholder approval. Where applicable, the transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Mesa Exploration Corp. should be considered highly speculative.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include unsuccessful exploration results, changes in metals prices, changes in the availability of funding for mineral exploration, unanticipated changes in key management personnel, a failure by JPM to complete the licensing process under the ACMPR within a reasonable timeframe, lower demand for cannabis products than expected, higher production costs of cannabis products than anticipated, and an inability to obtain further funding to finance cannabis operations, and general economic conditions. Mining is an inherently risky business, as is the production and sale of cannabis. Accordingly, actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company and the risks and challenges of its business, investors should review the Companys annual filings that are available at www.sedar.com
Victoria Short of Greensboro was the first-place winner of Chimney Rock State Parks Give It Your Best Shot fall photo contest.

Shorts winning image, spotlighting the end of the Skyline trail, features the upper cascades of the parks 404-foot waterfall, Hickory Nut Falls. Short will receive an overnight getaway in the Hickory Nut Gorge at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, two admission tickets to the park, brunch for two at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, and two tickets to Lake Lure Boat Tours.
Ted Budd rose from the crowd of 16 Republican primary candidates like an anointed prince. Clearly, it was money that put face, family and farm onto our TV screens and left the others behind as just names. And clearly it was money that rolled his campaign over Bruce Davis like a steamroller  as enjoying a $490,000 advantage in contributions can do (Federal Election Commission).

In his campaign, Budd contrasted himself to career politicians, saying citizens like him need to go to Washington to shake up the establishment with their independent views  a pretty convincing argument in these days of congressional gridlock. So how did that go?

Well, so far, we do not see the desire to depart even once from what the Koch Brothers would approve, having scored a perfect 100 percent on their Americans for Prosperity card. Thats about as establishment, albeit conservative, as you can get without moving into David Kochs basement.

So will year two now bring us some of that Washington shake-up he envisioned? In a perfect world, 100 percent of his donors wishes would line up perfectly with those of his constituents. But thats where things get messy in this real world.

William Yaner

Jamestown
GREENWICH  The 11 men and women sat around a long table inside Greenwich Librarys second-floor meeting room. Each of them had a reason that made the trek worthwhile on a winters eve.

One man had read Foreign Affairs Magazine for much of his life. Some of his tablemates still travel far and wide. And for local history teacher John Magoun, the evening chatter seemed an extension of his personality, curated by a constant eye toward past, present and future.

But for one participant  Dick Feder  the club offered another option.

I came here originally to meet girls, he said deadpan at this weeks meeting.

Globetrotting aside, the group actually meets to discuss foreign affairs and has been delving into different corners of the earth, digging for knowledge, for years.

Moderated by John Dolan, a consultant and former adjunct professor at Manhattanville and lecturer at Baruch College, the reading group meets the third Tuesday of the month, in general, and attracts primarily an older and fairly world-wise demographic.

This months book, Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause by Tom Gjelten, focused on Facundo Bacardi and the family rum empire he created.

Through its backdrop, it also examined Cubas tenuous political past as it collides with an uncertain present.

Dolan read Gjeltens chronicle before a trip to Cuba last May, and he decided to bring it into his reading group for the Dec. 19 gathering as context for the upcoming Cuban election.

While President Raul Castro announced earlier this year he was not seeking another term, he will be in office at least until mid-April, after plans for a Parliamentary election in 2018 were put on hold because of damage from Hurricane Irma.

The Castro family has held control over Cubas political mechanisms since the end of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Either Raul or his brother Fidel Castro have held Cubas presidential office since 1976. Dolan said that the Cubans he spoke with during his visit last spring were excited to see how the election panned out.

He was not the only person in the room who had traveled to the Caribbean island. In 2002, far before President Barack Obama re-opened relations with Cuba and expanded forms of legal travel visas, another member who had fallen in love with the film Buena Vista Social Club visited the island via Mexico.

Others of the group knew little about Cuba, but were well-versed in international affairs. One, Paul Tillotson, had spent years in the liquor business and spoke with authority on the Bacardi label.

When he said he believed that  despite Bacardis millions of case sells per year  the rum empire would soon be gulped up by a larger spirits company, his colleague who had come for the ladies didnt think that was such a bad legacy.

So theyre dying magnificently? Feder asked. Thats the way I want to die.

The discussion meandered from alcohol and business history to Cubas international identity.

It seems like to be a Cuban is to be a revolutionary, Dolan said.

But Magoun countered that to be a Cuban also lent itself to a more feminine stereotype  the lady conga-ing in a summer breeze.

Indeed, the island itself has largely been depicted as a woman, seductive and steamy.

Magoun said Cubans, when they came to the U.S., were criticized for losing the fancy-free nature that marked their cultural brand. In fact, when Cubas revolutionary father Jose Marti was exiled stateside, one of his largest pet peeves about America was that its people almost never knew how to take the time to enjoy what was in front of them.

Half a century after Martis death, during the first years after the revolution, others like him were forced to relocate to the United States for a lifetime as political refugees. The book group delved into the frictions that must have arisen when some chose to move forward while others could only look back to a nostalgic image of their homeland.

Greg Gregorich, whose family fled communist Yugoslavia, empathized with Cubans like the Bacardis, who were sent far from the place they loved by a government that they felt betrayed them and nationalized their assets.

The Bacardis must have felt a little bit like my family. The country of their birth had turned basically against them socially, and thats a traumatic element to have to contend with, he said.

Near the end of the one-hour meeting, Dolan opened the discussion to conjectures on Cubas fate after the election.

Some believed China would get involved economically, positioning itself in Americas backyard as a show of muscle. Others thought that a new Cuban president might look at Puerto Ricos economic and infrastructural problems and shy away from an intimate relationship with the United States. Still others were hopeful that a Trump Tower might dot the Havana skyline.

As a special nod to the subject, Magoun and Dolan had brought in rum samples for everyone to set the scene.

Democratically, Magoun tried both Havana Club and Bacardi. Bacardi was smoother, he said.
GREENWICH  The Board of Education approved the hiring of a facilitator this week to assist with its transition to the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education policy system.

I think it is money well spent, said Barbara ONeill, chair of the school boards Policy Governance Committee. It is something we have talked about for years.

Greenwich is one of a handful of school districts in the state that does not use the CABE policy system currently, ONeill said in an interview Friday. CABE writes education policies that Connecticut school boards can adopt that are reviewed by attorneys to ensure compliance with state laws.

Greenwichs Board of Education writes its own policies, by looking at CABE recommendations and consulting the town legal department.

Last year, Greenwich decided to make the switch to the CABE model because frequent changes to state education statutes was requiring many time-consuming policy revisions and Greenwichs policies were often broad with information about a topic  such as special education  located in multiple places, ONeill said.

It was obvious that this was a move that would not only bring us into compliance, but would save time and save money, said ONeill. Im excited about it because its going to move the board forward quickly and efficiently, and things will be so much clearer.

The switch to the CABE system will require reorganizing Greenwich policies into a new CABE format and finding a CABE policy that corresponds with each of Greenwich policies. The school board decided Thursday it will hire Bruce Storm, former superintendent of Connecticuts Region 12 public schools, serving Washington, Roxbury and Bridgewater, and of Branford public schools, to do this work. He received his doctorate in education from Harvard University, where he subsequently taught education law for six years.

Board of Education members added $10,000 to the 2018-19 operating Thursday night to fund Storms position. An additional $12,000 will be added to the 2019-20 operating budget to continue to fund his work.

It is certainly going to take more than one year to do this, said ONeill.

Greenwich students and parents should not expect the transition to CABE to result in substantively new or different policies, board members said. The change is mostly in the format of how policies are written. Some policies will be more explicit, per CABEs recommendations.

This will not impact students or parents or school philosophy, said ONeill.

The Board of Education will retain all authority to form Greenwich Public Schools policy even under the new model. There is no timeline for finishing the transition to CABE policies at this time, ONeill said.

emunson@greenwichtime.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson
Blaine Clausen; Jeremy Danger; Vincent PellyA star-studded concert special celebrating U.S. military personnel and veterans premieres on select syndicated TV stations starting this Saturday. Guitar Legends for Heroes Concert features performances by ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Heart's Nancy Wilson, soul great Sam Moore, ex-Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora and his partner Orianthi, and other music artists.

The show, which was taped in New York City last month, will raise money for a variety of charities aiding in-need military members and veterans and their families. Country star Trace Adkins and TV and radio personality Eddie Trunk co-hosted the concert.

The Guitar Legends for Heroes Concert event is presented by America Salutes You and Wall Street Rocks organizations. The program will air at various times and days during the holiday season; check your local listings to find out when it will be broadcast in your area.

You can donate money to the cause, and find out more details about the show, at MusicConcertforHeroes.org.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
IMPORTANT TAX LAW CHANGES FOR 2018

News Release from DoTax, Dec 22, 2017

Honolulu  The Department of Taxation (Department) reminds taxpayers about tax changes taking effect beginning January 2018. To ensure that tax returns are processed in a timely manner, taxpayers are encouraged to consult with their tax advisors about all applicable changes and use the updated forms which will be available beginning January 2, 2018. Hawaii Tax Online will be modified to accommodate the changes to general excise, transient accommodation, withholding, and corporate income taxes.

As we move into the new year, I am committed to working with Hawaiis taxpayers to ensure that the Department continues to administer Hawaiis tax laws consistently, fairly and efficiently, said Linda Chu Takayama, director of the state Department of Taxation.

Some of the tax law changes impacting businesses include the following:

 Increase the transient accommodation tax, extend authorization of the Oahu surcharge, and authorize counties to establish a surcharge (Act 1, 2017 First Special Legislative Session)

Beginning on January 1, 2018, the Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) applied to lodging accommodations in Hawaii will increase by 1%, raising the tax rate from 9.25% to 10.25%. TAT revenue from the rate increase will be allocated to fund the Honolulu rail project.

A taxpayers accounting method governs when the gross income is taxable and thus which tax rate applies.

The general excise tax (GET) rate has not changed, but the state authorization of the City and County of Honolulu surcharge, is extended through 2030 at the 0.5% rate. Hawaiis other counties are also authorized to adopt ordinances to establish a GET surcharge at a rate not greater than 0.5%. Businesses may pass on the GET and surcharge to their customers and collect up to 4.712%.

 Change in withholding tax return filing frequency to quarterly (Act 7, SLH 2017) Beginning on January 1, 2018, filing frequency will be a uniform quarterly frequency for all employers subject to withholding tax. Previously, only employers with less than $5,000 in annual liability were allowed to file quarterly. Payment frequencies are not changed for any taxpayers.

 Certification process for renewable fuels production tax credit (Act 142, SLH 2017) For tax year 2018 and beyond, taxpayers who claim the renewable fuels production tax credit must file a third-party certified statement with the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

 Expansion of general excise tax exemption for affordable housing (Act 54, SLH 2017) For tax years 2018 through 2022, the general excise tax exemption for affordable housing is expanded to include a new category of projects.

Changes impacting individual taxpayers include the following:

 Establishment of the earned income tax credit (Act 107, SLH 2017)

Income tax law is amended by reducing the income tax burden of lower-income taxpayers and increasing the income tax burden for the highest income taxpayers for tax year 2018 and beyond. This is specifically done by establishing a state earned income tax credit, reinstating three tax rates and brackets for the highest-income taxpayers which expired in 2015, and making the food/excise tax credit permanent.

 Cesspool tax credit expansion (Act 125, SLH 2017) The cesspool tax credit is expanded to include cesspools that are within 500 feet of a shoreline, perennial stream or wetland; impact drinking water supplies or recreational waters; or are certified by a county or private sewage company to be appropriate for connection to its existing sewer system. This changes impacts filings for tax year 2017.

For more specific information regarding all of the tax law changes, please refer to Tax Announcements 2017-08 and 2017-10 on the Departments website at http://tax.hawaii.gov/news/announce/.

The Department encourages business taxpayers to file and make payments for supported tax types on Hawaii Tax Online at http://hitax.hawaii.gov/. For taxpayers who continue to file on paper, updated forms will be available at http://tax.hawaii.gov/forms/ beginning January 2, 2018. For those filing GET on paper, please send returns and payments to one address P.O. Box 1425, Honolulu, HI 96806-1425.

# # #
Enola is back with a new adventure and she's getting some help from Sherlock and others to solve her latest mystery. A new trailer and ...

There are always fun moments we don't get to see when a movie is in production. Netflix just released the BTS from Enola Holmes 2 . Enjoy!

Collider just interviewed Director Chad Stahelski and he gave an update on the new Highlander film in the works. He also talked about c...

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ABINGDON, Va.Two Washington County, Virginia, deputies crashed late Thursday while responding to a serious domestic situation which resulted in a number of charges, authorities said.

Washington County emergency dispatch received a report of a domestic situation at 11:29 p.m. at a home on Fall Hill Road, which is located off Rich Valley Road.

Michael Roark is beating a female, chasing her on feet, the caller told dispatchers, according to a report provided by the Washington County Sheriffs Office.

A number of deputies were called to the scene.

The deputies were enroute from different directions and collided at the intersection of Cummings Street and Main Street in Abingdon, Sheriff Fred Newman said.

Officers with the Abingdon Police Department said they responded to the intersection at 11:33 p.m. after two marked Sheriffs Office patrol units crashed, according to a news release. Police noted that the two deputies were responding to the domestic violence call.

Fire and EMS crews, as well as Appalachian Power, were also dispatched to the crash scene. Newman said one of the deputies suffered non-life threatening injuries in the crash. The police cruisers appeared to have sustained extensive front-end damage.

As emergency personnel responded to the crash, other deputies continued on to the domestic call. Upon arrival along Fall Hill Road, the deputies said they heard screaming and yelling from a camper on the property, said Sheriffs Office Maj. Byron Ashbrook. When they approached the camper, the officers could hear a woman crying, he added.

Ashbrook said officers made contact with Roark, who was extremely belligerent and com-bative.

While deputies were trying to separate the parties, Mr. Roark assaulted the female in front of deputies, Ashbrook said. Mr. Roark remained combative and assaulted both deputies as they effected this arrest.

Deputies charged Roark with two counts of felony assault on a law enforcement officer, and one count each of domestic assault, obstruction of justice and intoxicated in public. He was taken to the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon where hes being held without bail.

A report on the domestic situation had not yet been filed Friday.

Abingdon Police continued to investigate the crash on Friday as the Sheriffs Office conducts an internal administrative review.

The Police Department noted that emergency vehicle operations in Virginia are governed by code section, according to the news release. The section stipulates that emergency operations can occur if the emergency vehicle is using lights and sirens and there is a certificate of insurance in place. The vehicle must also be operated with due regard for the safety of others, police said.

Abingdon Police will ensure that each of the criteria was met by the officers who were operat-ing vehicles in an emergency manner, the release states. The results of the investigation will be forwarded to the Commonwealths Attorney for charging determination.

Ashbrook said deputies go through extensive training in regards to responding to emergency calls and how to do so safely.

We also take domestic violence calls very seriously as we know from past experience that they can have tragic results, he said.

Ashbrook added that both officers were OK on Friday afternoon.

We are also aware that law enforcement call related accidents often have tragic results as well, Ashbrook said. We will be reviewing the accident and use it to strongly remind our deputies of that fact.

Authorities did not identify the two deputies involved in the crash.
Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-ah walked free on Thursday after the Supreme Court upheld her 10-month suspended prison sentence over the "nut rage" scandal.

Cho, the daughter of Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho, was charged with violating aviation laws by diverting a flight.

The heiress made global headlines when she flew into a rage in December 2014 after being served nuts in a bag instead of a bowl in the first-class cabin. She forced a purser to kneel and whacked him with a rolled-up document, then ordered the captain to return to the gate at JFK Airport in New York so the purser could disembark.

The point of argument on appeal was only whether the runway can be defined as part of the flight route before takeoff.

The lower court found her guilty of diverting a flight route, which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Cho was sentenced a year in prison, but the Court of Appeal cleared her of the charge, reasoning that the definition of a flight route is an airway. It found her guilty of the lesser charges of assault and violating business ethics.

The Supreme Court put the case to a full bench of 13 judges and upheld the appeals court ruling with three against.


It was one of the peculiar features of the Abbey Inn: A couple might spend a holiday there in a romantic suite surrounded by southern Indiana woods  and never meet another soul.

No other guests, sometimes. No full-time staff. Often no clerk. Your stay is private, read the now-defunct hotel website in the spring of 2016. You may not see another person.

The place looked pretty to Katrina Arthur. From the outside, the Abbey seemed to fit its name, a little forest sanctuary, painted white like a church. So she and her husband booked a weekend getaway in March last year. Then they found out what lay beyond the surface.

A deception lawsuit submitted last week by the state of Indiana against the hotels owner claims that Arthur never got to see a thick policy document that listed certain other peculiarities about the Abbey.

We hope you enjoy your stay with us, read a page buried deeper on the website, beyond the pretty pictures of flowers and white walls. However, occasionally things do go wrong.

The power breakers sometimes tripped at night, for example, and no staff members were there to restore the power until morning. There were no phones in the suites.

There sometimes were swarms of lady bugs, and flying roaches liked to gather around the hot tubs. Please remember you are coming to the woods! read the page that Arthur said she never saw.

And it offered an unusual warning, which is now the basis of the states lawsuit: Guests had best be careful what they said about the hotels problems. Because the Abbey Inn had ways to punish them.

The Abbey sits off a state road in Brown County, near the gate to a state forest. Guests often arrive to find no staff at all, the state wrote in its lawsuit  just a packet waiting for them with the room keys.

But when the couple arrived from two counties over last spring, they did have a meeting with an employee, if a fleeting one. Finally came to desk, Arthur wrote in her complaint letter to the state. Had me sign receipt for $230 for the room, then left.

She never saw the clerk again, according to the lawsuit. And things started to go wrong as soon as the couple walked into the room.

Smelt like sewer, Arthur wrote in her complaint. The air conditioning didnt work, either. We started checking the sheets and the bed, she told the ABC affiliate RTV. I found hairs, dirt.

She went to the desk to complain, according to the lawsuit, but no one was there. Arthur found no employees in the hotel at all, according to the lawsuit. Nor did anyone answer when she phoned an after-hours number.

So, Arthur said, she cleaned the room herself. And then, with nothing else to do, she and her husband hunkered down for the night, with the strange odor.

When they woke the next day, they still found the desk deserted. So they put their room key in a drop box and got away from the Brown County woods. Only later, according to the states lawsuit, did the Abbey contact the couple.

It came as an email, asking Katrina Arthur to leave a review online. As it turns out, what she would term her nightmare experience had not been entirely unique.

Hair on the wall, read a review posted that same March on bedandbreakfast.com. The power went out twice.

It is basically a run-down cabin someone had written the previous year. And in 2011: The sewage smell emitting from the bathroom was horrible, but it didnt seem to bother the insects and spiders.

These disturbing anecdotes were heavily outnumbered by guests who found the Abbey charming and its rustic solitude endearing. But as the state now argues in its lawsuit  and as Arthur found out  there may be a reason for that.

Her own review was scathing, she told RTV. I was honest; I wanted people to know.

The next month, she got a letter from a man named Andrew Szakaly. The states lawsuit says he described himself as the hotels attorney, when he was in fact its owner and operator. The letter claimed that Arthurs review was false and had caused irreparable injury to the Abbey, and it said that Szakaly would sue for libel unless Arthur took it down.

That scared me to death, Arthur told RTV. So she deleted the review. She said she checked her bank statement a few days later and found that the hotel had charged her an extra $350 anyway.

That punishment was laid out in the policy document that the state says no one ever showed to Arthur: Guests agree that if guests find any problems with our accommodations, and fail to provide us the opportunity to address those problems while the guest is with us, and/or refuses our exclusive remedy, but then disparages us in any public manner, we will be entitled to charge their credit card.

And thats why, after Arthur wrote to the attorney generals office asking for help getting her $350 back, the state is now suing.

* * *

Claiming that the Abbeys owner deceived Arthur, the state is seeking more than $5,000 in damages from Szakaly and an injunction that would prevent the Abbey from oppressively one-sided or harsh rules.

Szakaly told The Washington Post that hes owned the hotel for nearly two decades and had good reason for a policy the state calls harsh. Several years ago the inn began to experience what has become known in the hospitality industry as social media blackmail, fund or they would post negative comments regarding the inn on social media. Szakaly wrote in a statement. A guest would complete their stay, leave without making any complaints regarding their stay, then later demand a refund or they would post negative comments regarding the inn on social media.

He called Arthur a disgruntled guest who had failed to raise any complaints during her stay, though he did not address her claim that she could find no one to raise them with.

Szakaly also noted that the $350 punishment policy ended several months after Arthurs stay. Since then, a new manager has been operating the hotel with plans to eventually buy it.

The new manager is Amanda Sweet, who answered the phone right away when The Washington Post called the hotel. Sweet said she and her husband had been working for a year to fix the place up.

Guests were no longer punished for complaining, she said. We want to know what we did right and what we did wrong.

But she acknowledged there was only so much that could be done about some of the Abbeys peculiarities  the swarms of ladybugs, for example, or the sulfur-smelling creek that some guests might mistake for sewage.

As for the unstaffed lobby, she said, its now a feature of the hotel. Theres no front desk at all anymore. Guests get a key code to check in and can text housekeeping if they need anything.

The guests, dont want to see anyone, Sweet said. They want to enjoy each others company.
Pro-independence parties have won an absolute majority in elections in the Spanish region of Catalonia, dealing a blow to the Spanish government under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

The election was called after Madrid sacked the Catalan government and arrested many secessionist leaders, after they tried to declare independence following a disputed referendum in October.

Independence supporters gathered to celebrate the results Thursday night, as it became clear that the three pro-secessionist parties kept their overall majority by two seats.

Marta Rovira, secretary general of the Catalan Republic Left party, which won 32 seats, demanded the release of the jailed independence leaders.

"The republican and independence forces have again won the Catalan elections. We have won! Freedom! Freedom! The people have voted for freedom, for the government to return from exile!" Rovira told cheering supporters.
The UN Security Council unanimously agreed Friday to impose another round of sanctions on North Korea, targeting sectors that fuel its illicit weapons programs.

"As we have in the past, we will continue to match the Kim regime's choice of aggressive actions with actions of international sanction," U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The new resolution builds on three earlier rounds of tough sanctions imposed on Pyongyang this year. If fully implemented, it will cap North Korea's annual import of refined petroleum products, such as gasoline and diesel, at a half-million barrels down from 4.5 million in 2016. Exemptions would only be allowed on a case-by-case basis with Security Council approval.

 North Korean Workers, Wages

The measures also seek to cut off revenue from North Korean laborers sent abroad to work. Their wages are often partially or completely confiscated by the regime to fund its illicit programs. Under the new resolution, all North Korean laborers must return home within two years.

The United States, which drafted the text, estimates that 50,000-80,000 North Koreans work in China and about 30,000 more in Russia.

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted Friday, "The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 in favor of additional Sanctions on North Korea. The World wants Peace, not Death!"

Some council members also have noted that North Korea appears to be illegally exporting coal and acquiring prohibited oil through deceptive shipping practices. The new measures attempt to close loopholes in maritime interdiction and inspection regimes to prevent that.

North Korea will also be prohibited from importing all industrial machinery and equipment, and some transport vehicles, which the U.S. says accounted for one-third of the countrys 2016 imports.

An additional 15 North Korean individuals most of them in the banking sector have been designated for travel bans and asset freezes, as well as the Army ministry.

"The unity this council has shown in leveling these unprecedented sanctions is a reflection of the international outrage at the Kim regime's actions," Ambassador Haley said.
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The recent advisory by the information and broadcasting ministry that cable channels should refrain from broadcasting condom advertisements during prime viewing hours has created much misunderstanding.

In the first instance, the ministrys note makes clear that this is not an outright ban on condom advertisements which are still allowed to be aired during watershed hours of 10 pm to 6 am. Further, the types of commercials that are advised against are not health-related spots aimed at increasing awareness of safe sexual practices. Such public service announcements are still permitted at any time. Commercials which are advised against are those which carry no public health benefit but are intended to titillate an adult audience and get them to choose one condom brand, say one with a particular flavour, over another. Furthermore, the ministry has clarified that its advisory applies only to sexually explicit condom advertisements and no others.

The I & B ministry reasoning is based on existing norms within legislation and rules. In particular, Rules 6 and 7, which form part of programme and advertising codes prescribed under Cable Television Network Rules 1994, offer fairly sweeping guidance on what type of programming should not be aired. These include that which offends against good tastes or decency (Rule 6(1)) and that which projects a derogatory image of women (Rule 7(2.VI)) .

It was the judgment of the I & B ministry that sexually suggestive condom advertisements which serve no educational purpose did not fit these and other provisions of existing advertising codes but, for the benefit of adult viewers, theyre not altogether proscribed, but are permitted during watershed hours.

Also, this new advisory did not originate on a whim of the I & B ministry but was responding to inputs from the industry itself. Indeed, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) , which is a self-regulating industry association, welcomed the ministrys advisory and noted that their members had received numerous complaints about condom commercials aired during family viewing hours.

Criticism of the advisory by self-appointed liberals decrying the government interfering with the publics viewing choices have little or no credibility when many of those same voices correctly decry the objectification and denigration of women in popular culture or elsewhere. No less than the widely praised Justice Verma Committee report which followed the brutal gang rape of a young woman in Delhi in 2012 decries the objectification of women. It would be hard for any objective viewer to deny that at least some condom advertisements airing on Indian cable TV do exactly that. There is a huge cognitive dissonance decrying such objectification of women in one set of circumstances but finding it acceptable in another.

Another myth is that the ministry is illegitimately interfering in the choices of private broadcasters. This is wrong for two basic reasons. First, as noted, the advisory originated in a request from ASCI, which is a private association representing the industry and not a government body. Indeed self-regulation of this sort is the norm in many countries including the United States where content deemed inappropriate cant be aired on broadcast TV channels during prime viewing hours. Indeed, ironically, ads as racy as many condom advertisements currently viewable on Indian TV would not be aired on prime time broadcast TV in the US.

The second and even more basic reason is that in India as in other countries the airwaves are considered public property and by definition are subject to government regulation. Without such regulation, there would be a proliferation of private broadcasters, different broadcasters using the same broadcast bands, and a complete breakdown of the broadcasting sector. Therefore, whether we like it or not, governments everywhere are involved with regulating who gets what portion of the airwaves and what may be broadcast on those airwaves.

For the record, I personally have no objection to condom advertisements on TV any time of the day or night. However, Im not necessarily the typical viewer and public policy cant be decided based on the preferences of a small number of adult liberal viewers like myself. The ministrys advisory does a credible job of balancing the publics right to view what it wants against the exigencies of public morality. Most importantly, public service announcements promoting safe sex are unaffected.

Rupa Subramanya is an economist and author based in Mumbai.

The views expressed are personal
Director Mahesh Bhatts cult romance drama Arth has been remade in Pakistan  the first Hindi movie to be officially reproduced in the neighbouring country.

Arth 2, which was released on Friday, stars Shaan Shahid, Humaima Malick, Uzma Hassan and Mohib Mirza. It has been made with a local and indigenous narrative suited to local conditions, with reports saying the remake is a contemporary retelling of the original story and will be set in Lahore.

According to reports, the idea for Arth 2 materialised after Shaan met Bhatt in 2015 and expressed his desire to remake the film for Pakistani audiences. Arth is the first film with the DNA of an Indian story to be set in Pakistan. If we want to strengthen film trade between our countries, Arths model is a great way of collaborating, Shaan had said.

An Indian newspaper report confirmed that Bhatt had given the story and screenplay rights to Shaan without charging any money.

And Pakistani cinema lovers cant wait to see the film, especially after Bhatt himself praised the remake.

A stunning looking film shot with passion. Thank u @mshaanshahid for bringing the film that hurled me into history to a whole new audience, Bhatt tweeted. He also complimented Humaima for her spark and power-packed performance, to which, Humaima responded by posting: Shukriya these words of yours are my win.

Talking to local media, Bhatt said, Shaan sahib is remaking a film that I started my career with, and that makes me very happy. I am very keen to see how he will interpret it. Every filmmaker has his own worldview, and he has complete freedom to reinterpret it however he wishes.

He also dismissed rumours which said he was against the idea of his work being remade, saying he doesnt believe the film or its legacy will be tampered with. In no way do I feel that it will taint my work. On the contrary, I take the fact that he (Shaan) thinks my film is worthy of a remake as a sign of respect, he said.

The original movie, which was released in 1982, starred Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Raj Kiran. In the movie, a filmmaker (Kharbanda) has an affair with an actress (Patil) and leaves his wife (Azmi). The plot follows the wifes search for her identity.
Museums, we all know, tend to focus on particular things. History, perhaps, or art, or natural history, or even toilet seats, as seen at Delhis International Museum of Toilets. The museums set up by private collectors are even more specific, focused on coins, say, or vintage cars, or Bollywood posters, or matchboxes.

Which is why its such a delight to step into El Garbo, a new museum in Jangpura, Delhi, that has an eclectic collection of things on display, ranging from Rolls Royce models converted into table tops, to dining tables that double up as pool tables, to a cello that can be used to store things, to huge sculptures that will make you gasp with their fine detailing.

The idea behind El Garbo is to showcase the fact that you dont need to study art to understand its nuances. Your passion is more than enough for that. Thats what entrepreneur Monu Bali, who grew up in an artistic environment, but has no formal training in art himself, has set out o prove.

El Garbo, a Spanish phrase that literally means to do something with grace and ease or with style, is the result of Balis many years of collecting and commissioning art from all over the country. The museum showcases 18 different categories of things that range from the breathtaking to the inspiring to the simply wow.

Here are eight things to check out if you should ever visit El Garbo  each one handmade and available only in limited editions.

The Rolls-Royce 1904

A handcrafted recreation of the ultimate in cars, complete with a hint of history and a nuance of nostalgia. The Rolls-Royce 10hp was the first car produced as a result of an agreement between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, and branded as a Rolls-Royce. Only four Rolls-Royce 10hp cars were produced by Royces company, Royce Ltd, at his factory on Cooke street, Manchester, England.

Rolls-Royce Office Desk

Even if you cant afford an actual Rolls-Royce, you can ensure youre always close to one with this desk modelled on the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, a luxury car produced in the UK in various versions from 1965 to 1980. It was the first Rolls-Royce to use unitary body and chassis construction in response to concerns that the company was falling behind in automotive innovation. The Silver Spirit was a subtle follow up in 1980. This desk uses the authentic Rolls-Royce design.

The Skull

Made of over 4,50,000 hand-positioned stainless steel beads, this is an incredible piece of art. The precision and effort that went into it is inspiring, and certainly not for the faint-hearted. The man who made this didnt want to look at another bead for the next six months, laughs Bali.

Elizabeth Tower

A stunning handmade rug based on a photograph of the bell (known to us around the world as Big Ben) housed within the Elizabeth Tower at Londons Palace of Westminster (Parliament). Alex, our photographer, stood under the bell and thought the angle was just perfect as he focused his camera and took this shot, which has been adapted into a grayscale wall hanging rug totally made on wooden looms, explains Bali.

Prowess

Full of life and energy, the sculpture depicts Gaia, the mother earth, hurling planet earth around in perpetual motion. This powerful, forceful, and intricately detailed image is meant to remind us of the power of the unimagined.

The Seeker

All of us are looking for something or the other in our lives  love, peace, success. This sculpture of a man walking with his head bent and holding a bag in his hand is set against the backdrop of the sea. The middle of the man is missing; his shoulders and head are joined with the hips via a hand holding the bag. We possess our own personal time machines. Some take us back  we call these memories. Some take us forward. We call them our dreams. We view our seeker through his grain, in his quest to attain freedom from [living in] vain, says Bali.

The Crystal Skulls

Imagine 13 vodka bottles studded with Swarovskis and shaped into the faces of superheroes like Spiderman, Batman, and the Hulk. The eccentricity of the crystal-head skull collection is embodied in the legend that, at a pivotal time in the future, the 13 crystal skulls will reunite to awaken a new era, says Bali.

Watercolour

What looks like a gorgeously detailed giant photograph of a broken ship is actually a watercolour painting by artist Gautam Dey. Gautam is an immensely talented artist who has mastered the medium of water colour, says Bali. The hide and seek of light and shadows and interplay of colours play a big part in his paintings.

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From HT Brunch, December 24, 2017

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A friend of mine who is among Indias most famous chefs told this story while addressing a Chefs Conference. My friend went to a celebrated Indian restaurant in New York, he told the conference, to see why it had a Michelin star. When the food arrived, he was surprised because it wasnt very good.

Nevertheless, he thought he ought to do the chef at the restaurant the courtesy of saying hello. When the chef emerged from the kitchen, my friend was horrified to discover that he wasnt even an Indian. He was a Russian.

Suddenly it all made sense, my friend told the conference. He realised why the food had been so underwhelming. How could a Russian be expected to turn out decent Indian food? That sort of food might work in the New York market but it would never pass muster with Indians. We know our own food. And we know that foreigners cant cook it.

The audience at the conference loved the story. My friend was cheered and applauded for his view that only Indians knew how to cook Indian food.

I was the only person in the room not to laugh at the storys punchline (the chef turned out to be a Russian) and did not join the assembled chefs in applauding the conclusion that only Indians can cook Indian food.

Goat brain flower power dish at Gaggan Bangkok. The kitchen of the restaurant is fully international with 23 nationalities

In fact, I believed that my friend and the chefs were wrong. As long as we see Indian food as the sort of thing that only Indians can cook, our cuisine will always remain a second-rate cuisine, good only for restaurants in the ethnic sector.

Lets turn the story around. Suppose a French chef had been addressing his own countrymen. Suppose that his story had been about going to a French restaurant in India, say the excellent Orient Express at Delhis Taj Palace (no, Im not going to use the hotels silly new name) and the punchline of his story was, And, you know, the chef was not even French! He was Indian!

Suppose he had told the same sort of story about Mumbais Zodiac Grill (which was still around when my friend addressed the Chefs Conference)? Would his countrymen have laughed when he got to the punchline: And the restaurant is the brainchild, not of a Frenchman, but of a Punjabi?

Indian food is complex, but it is hardly so complex that only Indians can grasp its subtleties. Besides, we clearly have no genetic disposition to cook it.

I suspect that not only would the French chefs have not laughed, but we Indians would have taken offence. Accusations of chauvinism  if not outright racism  would have been flung around.

So why are we so scoffing of foreigners who try and cook Indian food? Why cant we be like the French who take pride in the spread of their cuisine?

It is because  at some subliminal level  we believe that Indian is not one of the worlds great cuisines.

Nahm in Bangkok has consistently been rated as one of Asias best restaurants (Photo: COMO Hotels and Resorts)

Nearly everybody who goes to catering college is taught the basics of French cuisine. We see nothing wrong with this. Why shouldnt they learn how to make the great French sauces? Why shouldnt they learn to bake like the great French patissiers?

The basis of much (if not all) kitchen training is that French is the great cuisine and that, to function in a professional kitchen, you need to understand its basic principles. Consequently, no chef, anywhere in the world, feels any awkwardness or embarrassment at making a mayonnaise, roasting a chicken or putting together a ham and cheese sandwich.

Something similar has happened to Italian food over the last two decades. Ninety-five per cent of Italian restaurants in India do not have Italian chefs. Whats more, the restaurants take the line that they dont need to hire expats. An Indian can make a perfectly good pizza or a pasta with tomato sauce.

Why do they take this line? Well, because Italian has now been accepted as a great global cuisine. Anybody can learn to cook basic Italian dishes. It is only if you want to reach some super-haute cuisine level that you need an Italian in the kitchen.

Augusto Cabrera, a Filipino chef, runs Town Hall in Delhis Khan Market

Likewise with modern Japanese. I reckon that 99 per cent of sushi places in India do not have Japanese chefs. The few places that do use expatriate chefs often rely on Filipinos. (In fact, you can make the case that the father of the sushi revolution in India is Augusto Cabrera, a Filipino who made his name at Threesixty and now runs the wonderful Town Hall in Delhis Khan Market.)

Even at the top Japanese restaurants in the country (say Wasabi or Megu), there will rarely be more than one (or possibly two) Japanese chefs. Nearly all of the actual cooking will be done by Indians.

Sweet and sour relish at Nahm (Photo: COMO Hotels and Resorts)

One reason why Indian food has never reached the level of a global cuisine is because we have treated it as some secret cuisine that only Indians can cook. Whenever anybody from anywhere else in the world (especially the West) tries to cook Indian food, we sneer and act as though we carry the secrets of Indian cuisine in our DNA and that nobody who is not genetically Indian can even understand the complexities of Indian food.

Frankly, this is a load of cobblers. Yes, Indian food is complex but it is hardly so complex that only Indians can grasp its subtleties. Besides, we clearly have no genetic disposition to cook it. I can name you hundreds of Indian chefs who make really bad Indian food despite possessing 100 per cent Indian DNA.

But this is not just an Indian thing. David Thompson is an Australian who came to Thailand, loved the food and taught himself how to cook it. He went back to Sydney, opened the much-praised Darley Street Thai and eventually ended up opening Nahm in London. When Nahm became the first Thai restaurant anywhere in the world to win a Michelin star, Thais were ambivalent. When Thomson took Nahm to Bangkok, he was greeted with outright hostility and suspicion. How dare an Australian open a Thai restaurant in Thailand?

Indian accent, London has three British chefs in its kitchen

As Nahm settled down to rave reviews (it has consistently been rated as one of Asias best restaurants and just won a star in Bangkoks first Michelin guide), Thais came to terms with the idea that a foreigner could cook their food well.

Indians may take a little longer to accept that idea. But there are some hopeful signs. At Gaggan, Asias best restaurant and the only Indian restaurant in the world with two Michelin stars, the kitchen is fully international: 23 nationalities are represented. And Rydo, Gaggans second-in-command, who has helped in creating many of the dishes, is an Indonesian.

Kricket, London, serves wonderful Indian food without a single Indian in the kitchen

Manish Mehrotra has just opened Indian Accent in London and has hired three British chefs for his kitchen. He hired them on merit because he felt they could cook Indian food as well as any Indian chef.

And now, there is a new wave of restaurants in London run by Brits who have travelled to Asia. The Smoking Goat (which does Thai food) has received raves but the real breakthrough is Kricket (which I wrote about here a month ago), which serves wonderful modern Indian food even though there isnt a single Indian in the kitchen.

All this gives me reason for hope. We need the world to realise that like French and Japanese food, Indian is a global cuisine, one that any good chef can master.

Only when we emerge from our ghetto mentality and stop claiming that only Indians know how to make sabzi or dal, will our cuisine get the global recognition it deserves.

From HT Brunch, December 24, 2017

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Scenes from a morning

As an independent writer, I spend a lot of time at home. I love it. When most of the city is rousing from slumber, putting on fresh clothes and GPSing their heads off, Im languorously sipping my chai, watching the street outside come to life. In all the frenetic activity, I take a moment to thank whatever forces conspired to limit my skills to writing, and how this profession does not require either collaboration or commuting.

As the doorbell starts ringing  coconut seller, garbage collector, ironing guy, I continue to praise the powers that be and engage in short mood-lifting conversations. The ironing guys play a mind-boggling relay. They grow potatoes in Allahabad. So each of the brothers works in the city for a couple of months at a time, heads back to the village for the same amount of time and then returns to pressing duties. The beauty of the situation is you can carry on a conversation with different brothers as if it were one person. Same gentle humour. Same crinkly smiles.

The pink panther strikes again

At this point, I pity the poor souls trapped in over-cold offices, discussing the Virushka wedding over a thimble of under-hot chai. Or passing by a softboard filled with last years office picnic pictures, the weeks targets, and Richard Branson quotes. How lovely to be the master of ones own destiny, I exult, while loading the washing machine. Once the whirring begins, so does the day. Which is to say a Facebook memory can now be shared. A few reassuring online interactions later, its time for muesli, that one-point health programme. Then onward to emails and messages  most of which are invariably injunctions to link Aadhaar with my phone account, bank account, health policy, life insurance, email account, Twitter account, library account, and dry-cleaning account. Only, I havent applied for an Aadhaar yet. The days are just packed.

This is where all those superior thoughts about working from home come crashing down. If, somehow, the printer deigns to print, theres still the couriering to achieve

The washing machine hath spoken. Its time to dry the clothes, another mood-lifter. I pull out the warm, clean lot, only to encounter the first heartbreak of the day. An errant red cushion cover has pinkified a bucketload of whites! Its like Barbie threw up all over my wardrobe. Why, you ask, did I mix colour with whites? What can I say  I live on the edge. I dunk the blushing whites into a bucket with industrial quantities of bleach and hope for the best. Then walk dispiritedly back to my computer, catching up on pending invoices.

This is where all those superior thoughts about working from home come crashing down. If, somehow, the printer deigns to print, theres still the couriering to achieve. Yes, packages can be collected from home, but that means phone calls. And phone calls are more work than work. So I struggle with the paper and cartridges, wires and fonts, until a usable invoice emerges. At this point, I want to do anything that does not need a computer. And so I head kitchenwards.

Unlikely gourmet secrets

Over the years, Ive attempted cooking several times. Sometimes out of necessity. But often out of that misconceived notion that cooking skills somehow complete you as a person, as a woman. My tea, better described as dishwater, has occasioned so much criticism that I have no illusions about my culinary skills. Even so, I do have a distinctive style. Fry some onions with salt, a green chilli and mustard, add potatoes/paneer/chicken and voila!You have an insipid albeit edible meal ready. For that extra zing, empty out the contents of whatever bottles you find in the kitchen. (Ive once enhanced pasta sauce with Limca.) Meal done, its time for work.

I would be depressed if I wasnt curious about my motives for trying to sabotage my own life. I remember the clothes soaking in the bleach and wring them out. Still as pink as Austin Powers car.

Only, its naptime. An hour later, I make myself some dishwater and actually get down to writing. Until the doorbell rings once again. Its the tailor with the sofa cover I ordered. He fits it on the couch and leaves. Its all kinds of hideous, but I picked the fabric and have no one to blame. Green, beige and blue checks in a material so coarse, it must be moral fibre. I would be depressed if I wasnt curious about my motives for trying to sabotage my own life. I remember the clothes soaking in the bleach and wring them out. Still as pink as Austin Powers car. I walk back to my computer, where the printer mocks me with a swallowed-up sheet.

As an independent writer, I spend a lot of time at home. Im not sure if I love it.

From HT Brunch, December 24, 2017

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Mark Manuel: Editor, writer and columnist

The roadblock I hit was when I didnt know how to end my book, Moryaa Re! My story has a bipolar serial killer on a murder spree in Mumbai during Ganeshotsav. The book is a police procedural. But the Mumbai Police have never successfully detected cases of serial predators like pedophiles, rapists, killers and terrorists. This is because the criminals are psychopaths and the Indian criminal justice system does not properly understand psychopathy. However, I had three endings. I didnt know whether to let the antagonist of my book escape, get him arrested, or killed.

Manu Joseph: Journalist and author

The hardest part is at the very beginning of the first draft when you just have a sliver of an idea, and the characters are so poorly formed they look grotesque; they look exactly like your own narcissism that is trying to create loveable humans from your inner rages. And you spend hours every day wondering how to write all this, and after months like this you dont have much to show at all.

When in the middle of all this people wish to talk to you, mail you, they ring the doorbell, they even climb through the window when you dont answer the door. It just further adds to the frustration!

Maya Bathija: Author and travel writer

When Penguin approached me with the subject of covering prominent Sindhi Business families, I thought it would be really easy since Id been a writer for over a decade. But it wasnt so because first and foremost, the Sindhis as a community dont disclose how they do business; they just do it. It turned out to be a task to get them talk about the same for the book. When the first world famous family agreed then the door started to open with the rest. But when the first family of the community met me, they agreed to share only a part of their story since they realised they wanted to chronicle their history in an individual book. However, after some more obstacles, it all worked out.

Ravinder Singh: Author

I think there are roadblocks in every profession. When I was writing my first book, I Too Had a Love Story, 10 years ago, my biggest issue was that it was autobiographical and had a tragic end. So, reliving that tragedy, and going back and forth between my past and then present, knowing that what I had and what I have lost. It revolved around me losing my girlfriend to a car accident. In order to write the book, I had to go back to my past, recall tiny bits and pieces, collect all the memories...it was not at all easy.

Pankaj Dubey : Author

The most challenging roadblock I face these days while writing my book is to maintain an intrigue for the readers so they are hooked to the book when they are reading because this is an era of digital technology and all our readers are losing their attention span as they have a lot of options to switch to. So, when I write, I stop in the middle and go back and read whether this writing is able to impress me as a reader. The process is quite difficult because you are so attached to your project and then you need to detach and think from a critical point of view. There are so many books on love stories that the biggest challenge while writing my new book, Love Curry, was to make it different as compared to other books in the market.

Follow @VeenuSingh12 on Twitter

From HT Brunch, December 24, 2017

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Indias first low-cost carrier Air Deccan, which ceased operations after being acquired by erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines in 2008, took off wings again as a commuter airline with its maiden flight taking off for Jalgaon from Mumbai on Saturday.

The flight, DN 1320, took off for Jalgaon, around 400 km from here in North Maharashtra, from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) here this afternoon.

Its a sense of great beginning. A sense of being fortunate that Air Deccan is taking off again, Air Deccan chairman Capt G R Gopinath told PTI.

There was a dream of taking flying to every possible corner of the country, which did not come to fruition because of Air Deccans merger with the Kingfisher Airlines in 2008, he said.

Now I have the opportunity to relaunch operations across the country, said the pioneer of low-cost aviation in India.

The flight was inaugurated by Maharashtra PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil along with Gopinath.

However, the maiden flight was marred by delay. The aircraft took off at around 2.55 pm instead of the scheduled departure of 1.20 pm. It landed at the Jalgaon airport at 4 pm where it was given a traditional water cannon salute.

Air Deccans strategic partners Shaishav Shah of Ahmedabad-based GSEC Ltd and Himanshu Shah of Monarch Networth Capital as well as senior DGCA officials were on-board the inaugural flight.

Air Deccan received the scheduled commuter operator (SCO) permit from regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) yesterday.

In the first phase of operations, Air Deccan plans to provide connectivity to Jalgaon, Nashik and Kolhapur from Mumbai and Pune.

Air Deccan had bagged 34 routes in the first phase of bidding for Udan scheme, which caps fares at Rs 2,500 for a flight under hour duration.

For the Jalgaon flight, the airline has pegged fares at Rs 2,250 for 50 per cent of the seats, to be operated under the Regional Connectivity Scheme, while the ticket price for the remaining nine will be Rs 4,500 per seat, an official said.

Air Deccan has deployed a 19-seater plane, Beachcraft B-1900D, (18 passengers and one crew member) on the Mumbai- Jalgaon route. The same aircraft will come back to Mumbai and then fly to Nashik this evening.

Flight operators, awarded routes under the scheme, are entitled to a subsidy to keep fares low for the passengers. An airline has to set aside 50 per cent of its seating capacity at the discounted fares.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd appears to have emerged as the highest bidder for most of the assets put on the block by the beleaguered Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Communications Ltd (RCom), three people aware of the development said.

Bids have been received for all five asset packages. Reliance Jio has emerged as the highest bidder for 3-4 of the five asset packages of Reliance Communications. It seems unlikely that any other company can outbid Jio, said one of the three people cited above.

A banker, the second person cited above, confirmed that Jio was the highest bidder and that the Mukesh Ambani-led firm has shown interest in buying fibre assets, spectrum and tower infrastructure.

Others did not match the price that Jio was willing to offer, this person added.

The third person mentioned above also said that the company is interested in acquiring spectrum, tower assets and optic fibre for which it has a sharing or trading agreement with the Anil Ambani-promoted firm.

Emails sent to RCom and Jio remained unanswered till press time.

RComs assets on the block include its real estate, fibre network, enterprise business, towers and spectrum.

Reliance Industries Ltd, Jios parent, is celebrating its 40th foundation day in Mumbai on Saturday, which also marks the beginning of a week-long celebration at the company as founder Dhirubhai Ambanis birthday falls on 28 December. Mint has learnt that RIL is expected to make announcements related to the future of the company at the event.

If Jio indeed buys out RComs assets, it would be the latest in a wave of consolidation in the telecom sector, which is in the midst of a brutal tariff war triggered by the RIL subsidiary.

Faced with a mountain of debt, in June, lenders to RCom had invoked strategic debt restructuring provisions after the company presented a restructuring plan that involved hiving off and merging its wireless business with Aircel Ltd and selling a majority stake in its tower unit to Brookfield Infrastructure. Under the plan, lenders gave the company a breather on its interest payments until December 2018.

However, the merger with Aircel fell through, and on 20 October, the company presented a fresh debt repayment plan to its creditors. Under the new plan, the company envisages raising Rs27,000 crore through sales of assets including spectrum, real estate and towers. It said that a further Rs7,000 crore will be reduced after lenders convert this into equity for a 51% stake.

Lenders have appointed Credit Suisse to help with bidding. SBI Capital Markets is advising the company on the sale process. Lenders have also appointed an independent committee headed by former Reserve Bank of India deputy governor S.S. Mundra to evaluate bids.

The deal with Reliance Jio is set to be announced soon and the funds received from the sale are expected to address a major portion of the Reliance Communications debt, the first person said.

RCom has already sold its direct-to-home business Reliance Digital TV and announced optimization of its 2G and 3G wireless operations.
Trust between patients and private hospitals sank to new depths this year, with complaints of overbilling, negligence and complicity between medicine practitioners and the pharmaceutical and medical-devices industries making headlines across India.

The mistrust has been building for a while. Its become routine for patients to complain of being overcharged for both necessary and unnecessary treatments, and for doctors to accuse patients of unfounded scepticism that leads to their spending more time on treatment-related paperwork than on the practice of medicine.

Both parties are at fault and need to take a step back to get perspective. Hospitals need to be transparent about possible outcomes before beginning treatment, while patients need to have realistic expectations of the costs of therapies and of treatment outcomes.

These frictions can be reduced substantially if hospitals adopt a transparent system of billing, ruled the Bombay high court on Wednesday, pointing out that there would be fewer disputes if hospitals gave an estimate of final bills to patients and their families.

Today, it is uncertainty in the bills that is causing problems, and except in emergency cases, this can be reduced if hospitals give a fair idea of the likely bill to the patient or his relatives in advance, the court said.

Its clearly unethical for hospitals and nursing homes to detain patients or withhold dead bodies when dues are disputed or not paid. On the other hand, its equally important to establish a mechanism to ensure money is paid for treatment. Desperate families sometimes demand or agree to expensive treatment plans when the patient is ill, but refuse to pay if the outcomes are not what they hoped for.

If the patient as a client is not happy with the service, he has every right to complain. Just as the hospital has every right to explain why it chose a certain modality to treat a particular disease or condition, and why the treatment failed, if it did. Medicine is a science and treatment follows validated protocols. If documentation is needed to prove the right treatment was given, it should be maintained and shared with the patients and their families.

This is not often done, and the result is confusion and discord. Its vital to take time out to counsel and explain why a particular treatment is being considered so patients arent forced to turn to the internet and its medley of conflicting and often inaccurate advice.

Transparency is key. Doctors must acknowledge the patient is a client and the corporate hospital, a service provider  and often a very pricey one. Doctors charging thousands for consultations and lakhs for surgery must stop acting like they are doing the patient or humanity a favour. And if their work falls short of expectation, they must understand that they will be judged and held accountable like other professionals are.

Overcharging patients for devices and consumables is the other factor that feeds the fear of an industry-doctor nexus. Following the capping of the price of stents used by cardiologists to prop open blocked arteries and orthopaedic implants for replacement surgeries, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority investigating the death of seven-year-old Adya from dengue haemorrhagic fever noted that Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, had on occasion marked up consumables by up to 1,737%. The case made headlines after Union health minister JP Nadda tweeted in support when Adyas father posted details of the Rs 16 lakh bill charged by the hospital during her 15-day ICU stay.

Fortis Healthcare countered the charges of overpricing with a telling statement: Our end-price to the patient is very much in line with what other private hospitals in India charge, indicating all private hospitals mark up the price of consumables used for treatment.

This brings us back to transparency. Hospitals rarely discuss potential costs upfront, and doctors, trained to save lives, are hesitant to outline potential negative outcomes to patients and their families.

As Atul Gawande says in his best-selling book, Being Mortal, doctors are acutely uncomfortable discussing their patients anxieties about illness and death and fall back on false hopes and treatments that do not improve life. And families go along with it, either because they dont know any better or because they are desperate to clutch at straws.

The doctor-patient relationship is just that, a relationship, and has to be nurtured with honesty and faith.

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Reading reports of Sonia Gandhis speech last weekend when she handed responsibility for the Congress to her son Rahul, I was reminded of the courage and determination she had shown by accepting the presidency and on the rocky road to victory six years later. I and many other journalists failed to recognise Sonias inner strength and I would suggest that we may be doing the same in our disparaging coverage of her son.

At last weekends ceremony, Sonia admitted how formidable the first obstacle she needed to overcome had been - her inexperience and lack of self-confidence. Describing how she felt when accepting the presidency she said: I was so nervous my hands were shaking. I could not think how I would manage to take charge of this historic organisation. It was a formidable and onerous task which confronted me.

The task she had to fulfil was indeed formidable. The Congress was on its back. It had fewer seats in the Lok Sabha than ever before, a mere 114, and was only in power in four states. Internecine war raged in the party, and some leaders had broken away to try their luck by forming their own parties. Sonias coronation rather than rallying the party made matters worse with Sharad Pawar and two other leaders walking out in protest against the idea that she, an Italian by birth, could become prime minister. The BJP was taunting her mercilessly about her foreign origin too. So there was Sonia politically inexperienced, nervous and lacking self-confidence, a woman in a mans world, captaining a leaking ship with rats already leaving. Yet she plugged the leaks and sailed to victory. During that voyage I never gave Sonia credit for the enormous courage she was showing and I could never bring myself to believe she could be victorious.

Perhaps one reason why I and so many other journalists underestimated Sonia and didnt rate the chances of leading the Congress to victory was because she never tried to win our sympathy. During the years Sonia was rescuing Congress, and indeed the 10 years she was back-seat-driving the UPA government, she remained a remarkably private public person. Journalists access to her was strictly limited to a privileged few. She didnt go in for press conferences or interviews. We journalists dont like being ignored. I was so out of sympathy with Sonia during the years she lead Congress in Opposition that when I watched her at rallies I would often think, she has no place in Indian politics with her unnatural Indira Gandhi imitation hand-wave and her shrill attempts to inject emotion into her stilted reading of prepared speeches. Compared with an accomplished veteran like her rival AB Vajpayee she seemed unreal.

The circumstances in which Rahul has become Congress president bear an uncanny resemblance to the circumstances when Sonia became president. The Congress is in the doldrums again. It was routed in the last General Election ending with the lowest number of seats in Parliament it ever had and has lost several state elections since. In 1998, the BJP was rising, now its on a roll. There have been prominent desertions from the Congress. During the run-up to the election in Gujarat Shankersinh Vaghela, the leader of the Opposition in the assembly deserted. Rahul like his mother has only been elected because he is a member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. Like her too he has been scorned and ridiculed by the Press. In her speech last weekend, Sonia Gandhi spoke of the personal humiliation her son had faced.

Like Sonia, Rahul also has made little or no effort to make friends with the Press and we have shown no sign of respecting his courage in persevering in spite of the setbacks he has suffered and the scorn we have heaped on his head. In the Gujarat election, he has shown the stamina we thought he lacked. The improvement in the delivery as well as the content of his speeches has been widely recognised. He has stood up to his opponent --- Prime Minister Narendra Modi ---- trading blow for blow with him. The result has been a glimmer of light at the end of the long dark tunnel the Congress is passing through, so maybe we the Press are underestimating Rahul as we underestimated Sonia.

The views expressed are personal
The special courts December 21 verdict in the three cases that effectively make up the 2G scam, acquitting all 35 of the accused, has resulted in an outpouring of indignant triumphalism in some quarters. There was no scam and no loss, goes one refrain. The Supreme Court was clearly wrong to cancel 122 licences (associated with the 2G scam) in 2012, goes another. The telecom sector is in a mess today because of the Supreme Courts ruling, says a corollary. The United Progressive Alliance shouldnt and wouldnt have lost the 2014 Parliamentary polls, says a fourth.

This reaction isnt entirely unexpected. The 2G scam roiled political, business, social, even media circles. Several businessmen and high-profile politicians spent substantial time in jail (before they were granted bail). The big numbers involved and details of the nexus between politicians and businessmen (not to mention their go-betweens) captured public imagination. So much so that when details of irregularities in the allocation of coal mines broke subsequently, it didnt create as much of a buzz.

The special court was actually ruling on a combination of three cases: whether former telecom minister A Raja and others were guilty of criminal conspiracy in issuing licences and spectrum; whether Loop Telecom was a front put up by the Essar Group to circumvent laws; and whether A Raja and others were guilty of laundering around Rs 200 crore. The first two cases were filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation; the third by the Enforcement Directorate.

The matter concerns alleged irregularities in the allotment of spectrum by the United Progressive Alliance government in 2008. The controversy blew up in 2009-10, fuelled by a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, the governments auditor, that the state had suffered notional losses of Rs 1.76 lakh crore by not auctioning spectrum. This number is notional or, as some would like to describe it, presumptive. The first arrest was made in 2011 by the Central Bureau of Investigation. More details emerged as the investigation progressed  of specific irregularities, the role played by intermediaries, the favouritism shown to some companies. (The special courts verdict says none of these have been proved).

In 2012, the Supreme Court cancelled 122 telecom licences issued by the UPA. While doing so it said the allotment was unconstitutional and arbitrary.

Now, almost seven years after the first arrest was made, the special court has ruled that the prosecution has not proved the charges against the accused in any of the cases. That simply means that there was, indeed, no scam, or, at the least, one that can be proven. As Justice OP Saini says in his judgement:  for the last seven years, on all working days, summer vacation included, I religiously sat in the open court from 10 am to 5 pm, , for someone with some legally admissible evidence in his possession, but all in vain. Not a single source turned up. This indicates that everybody was going by public perception created by rumour, gossip, and speculation. However, public perception has no place in judicial proceedings.

The Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation have both said they will appeal the case in the High Court. The courts ruling is clearly a slap in the face for both agencies, even if one were to factor in the higher burden of proof that is required in criminal cases. Sainis report on how the investigation was carried out (he has dwelt on this at length in his judgement) is downright damning.

Still, it would be a mistake to conflate the special courts ruling with the Supreme Courts 2012 one cancelling 122 licences. The Supreme Court can rule on anything, even government policies, and in the 2G case, it decided that there was enough proof to show that there were irregularities and instances of arbitrariness in how decisions were made. While the courts order was a blow to the various companies involved, it did help the telecom business as a whole  at least for some time. Indiscriminate allotment of licences and allocation of spectrum had taken the number of telcos operating in some regions of India to around 12, making the business unviable for all. The scrapping of licences resulted in consolidation. It also pushed the government to move to an auctioning regime for spectrum, making the process much more transparent.

Chanakya is in the minority that isnt convinced that an auction is the best way to allocate a scarce, critical, and precious national resource (such as spectrum), nor that revenue maximisation (through auctions) should be the ultimate goal of any government. Still, auctions do seem to be the most efficient way to discover price, and if repeated auctions have increased the quantum of debt on the books of telcos, then they partly have only themselves to blame for this.

Clearly, the Supreme Court was within its rights to scrap the licences and this move had nothing to do with the current state of the telecom business. As for the big number, 1.76 lakh crore, it was always going to be difficult to justify a presumptive loss figure.

Its far tougher to address two other questions, though. One, while there were irregularities and there was arbitrariness, in the allocation of spectrum, was there a scam? This is a question that only the two federal investigative agencies can answer and Chanakya hopes they answer it better in the High Court than they did in the special court, which has decided, on the basis of the evidence on hand, that there was no criminality (and, by extension, no scam; this is Chanakyas extension, not the special courts). Two, to what extent did the 2G scam affect the UPAs prospects in the 2014 parliamentary elections? Thats anybodys guess, but Chanakya believes that given the circumstances at the time, and the finely-honed machinery of the Bharatiya Janata Partys campaign in 2014, the answer to that would probably be: Not much.

letters@hindustantimes.com

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The district administration has banned mining on private lease in US Nagar district.

The ban comes into force with immediate effect, stated an order issued by US Nagar district magistrate Neeraj Khairwal on Friday

The decision comes following three daily-wage workers, including a minor girl, were killed at Noorpur under Sultanpur Patti police station in the district on December 22. The workers, hailing from Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh, were mining sand when a mound of clay fell on them killing them.

Khairwal has constituted a committee to probe into the incident and submit a report. The committee comprises sub-divisional magistrates, circle officers, divisional forest officers of respective areas and deputy director mining.

The illegal mining has been continuing in US Nagar despite the district administrations efforts to check it. The illegal mining is not just incurring losses to the government exchequer, but also causing harm to environment.

According to sources, mining lease has been granted to 69 private contractors in the district. About 37 such contracts have been given in Bazpur. There are 56 crushers in the district.

The situation of illegal mining is such that the mining mafia do not hesitate to attack police and forest officials. On December 9, illegal miners attacked a police party during a raid near Kosi river in Kashipur subdivision.

We have instructed private lease holders to keep an eye on illegal mining in nearby areas. Instead of following the instruction, the lease holders are involved in illegal mining. Severe action will be taken against all those who will be found guilty, Khairwal told HT.
DEHRADUN: The Second Failure Conclave on Saturday saw the presence of some eminent people who achieved great success despite initial hiccups.

The conclave featured poet and Padmashree awardee Liladhar Jagudi, retired professor of Physics from NAS College, Meerut, Yogesh Sharma and associate professor Pernell Gooch from University of Sweden. All these distinguished people have failed at some juncture of their school life.

Addressing the gathering, Leeladhar Jagudi said that failing in class is not the end of life and that students must look forward instead of being bogged down by a failure. He shared anecdotes from his childhood about how seldom he used to attend his school in Uttarakhand. We would spend time bathing in river or catching fish. I ran away from home at the age of 13 and reached Rajasthan, where I got a part time job as a night watchman. I also enrolled myself in a school where I failed five to six times. But this did not sway me from my quest for knowledge, said the Padmashree awardee, who is also a globe trotter.

Yogesh Sharma said that he failed in Physics in the intermediate exam. This did not dissuade me. I completed my doctorate in the same subject and went on to become a professor, boasted Sharma, who has many students doing Ph.D in Physics under his guidance.

Pernell Gooch, said that she had to repeat class when she was in the sixth standard. She then went to Copenhagen in 1968 for pursuing academics, where she married a British youth. They went to Sweden and started living in a farm, where they milked goats for a living. It was then that Pernell decided to study and completed her PhD at the age of 40. She later became a professor and has written several research papers.

The conclave is the brainchild of RLEK chairperson Avdhadh Kaushal. The society usually hails those who are achievers and ignore failures, he said. But that does not mean those fail to clear exams have low IQ or cannot become achievers in future. Thats the message we want to give as lakhs of students prepare for the board exams.
DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand police will carry out a search operation in the Kedarnath valley after the high court ordered the government to search the remains of the people who went missing during the 2013 disaster.

Since the Kedarnath valley is covered with snow in winter, the search will be held after March next year when the weather is conducive for the teams to access the terrain, additional director general of police, law and order, Ashok Kumar told Hindustan Times.

Right now, the Kedarnath region is full of snow. So search operation will be carried out in March or April only once the snow melts down completely, he said, adding that the special search teams will include senior police officers and mountaineers.

The search teams on getting the remains of victims will collect and preserve DNA samples and carry out final rites.

Earlier this week, a division bench of justices Rajiv Sharma and Alok Singh directed the state government to constitute special teams to trace the dead bodies lying scattered or buried in the Kedarnath area. After hearing a public interest litigation of Delhi resident Ajay Gautam, the high court ordered the final rites of the victims be undertaken in accordance with traditions.

We will study the courts order in detail and follow them closely. The teams will comprise members from the police as well as from the state disaster response force, whose experts have experience of climbing altitudes up to 7,000 metre, Kumar said, adding a meeting was scheduled this week where details of the teams would be discussed.

Despite more than four years of the deadly flashflood, there is still no conclusive clarity on the number of people who perished during the 2013 disaster. According to an affidavit filed by the state government with the court, bodies of only 678 people could be recovered out of more than 4,000 people who were missing. Of these, 545 bodies were recovered in 2013, followed by 63 in 2014, 3 in 2015, 60 in 2016 and 7 this year).

The Uttarakhand government issued over 2,800 death certificates, while many on the hold due to unavailability of missing persons reports that were to be lodged at native places of victims.

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The Delhi Medical Council has issued a notice to nine doctors and two nurses of Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh for alleged medical negligence in connection with the case of a new-born twin baby who was wrongly declared dead by the facility.

The DMC sent the notice on December 20 and has sought a response from them in 15 days.

The notice has been sent to nine doctors and two nurses through the medical superintendent of the hospital, a senior official of the council said.

Earlier, based on media reports, we had sought a reply from Max hospital and they respond about a week back. This time we have sought individual responses from the doctors and nurses, he said.

The case pertains to a baby boy being wrongly declared dead after his birth on November 30 by the upscale private hospital. The other twin, a girl, was still-born. The infant boy died a week later at a nursing home in Pitampura.

In this regard the Delhi Medical Council has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports, alleging medical negligence on part of the doctors at Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, the DMC said in the notice.

The medical body also said that it is examining the alleged negligence.

You may submit your statement of defence together with any other documents in support of your defence, within 15 days from the date of this notice to this office. You are directed to submit a copy of your qualification and Delhi Nursing Council registration details, it said.

The case sparked a public outcry and the family has been protesting in front of the hospital, soon after an appellate authority stayed the order by the Delhi government to cancel the licence of the facility.

Take notice that in default of your failing to submit your statement of defence within the stipulated time, it shall be presumed that you have nothing to say in the matter and the Delhi Medical Council shall be free to initiate appropriate action, the notice said.
The sealing drive carried out by a Supreme Court-appointed panel at Defence Colony Market days before Christmas has led to a slowdown in business.

On Saturday, shop owners at the south Delhi market said their business was down as fewer people visited the place.

Many of those who did come also couldnt find seating space due to lack of space as the upper storeys of a number of restaurants and cafes remained sealed.

Fridays sealing drive, carried out at 51 outlets by the SC-appointed panel along with south Delhi civic body officials, also united shop owners for deciding their legal recourse

The high court has exempted South Extension Part II market from any sealing activity. We are going to give that as an example in court. In our case, the standard rulebook was not followed, said Mahip Datta Parashar, a lawyer who is helping the Defence Colony Market Association in the case.

South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) officials, however, said the shopkeepers were not likely to get any relief as the Supreme Court in its order on December 15 tasked its monitoring committee to take up such cases.

Citing the Apex court order, a municipal official said, Shopkeepers who have approached any statutory appellate tribunal after their premises were sealed can approach the SC-appointed monitoring committee for relief. But the rider here is that before they seek relief they will have to withdraw their appeal apart from paying Rs 1 lakh and conversion charges.

For those who simply want to get their premises de-sealed, the owners will have to approach the committee for relief after depositing Rs 1 lakh. This would be in addition to payment of conversion charges to MCD and providing all documents as a proof that the construction activity has been done as per building bylaws, another SDMC official said.

Rajinder Mallik, president of the market association, said that the group is now collecting money from shop owners to fight the legal battle on behalf of all aggrieved parties.

This market was declared a local shopping area in the 2021 Master Plan of Delhi. The officials arbitrarily went on sealing different floors of the outlets without even asking for documents or proof which many of us had. Some had already paid the conversion charge, Malik said.

The SDMC too said that there might be few shopkeepers who have paid conversion charges, but added that the amount was not as per the rates specified in the Master Plan.

Till 2012, shopkeepers were supposed to pay Rs 6,136 per square metre (maximum amount in market under A category) as coversion charges for converting residential property into commercial use in local shopping complexes.

But in 2012, the Delhi Development Authority came out with a notification to increase the rates to Rs 89,000 per sq metre. The move was opposed by people and they submitted a proposal with DDA which was approved in authoritys meeting as well, in 2015. But it has not been notified so far, said the official. The shopkeepers requested us to wait for the final decision and thats why we also didnt initiate the drive.

Local MLA Madan Lal also met with the shopkeepers and said he would take them to meet the SDMC commissioner on Tuesday.
Manu and Kautilya seem to be favourites of question paper setters at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) these days.

First, MA first semester political science students at the university were asked queries about the duo in their examination a few weeks ago. And now it is the turn of BA fifth semester (honours) students who found similar posers in their exam held on Saturday. The question paper was on Political Thought: Indian and Western-1.

Question numbers 2 and 3 of BA third-year political science paper read: Discuss the nature of the political thought of Manu and discuss the GST as described by Kautilyas Arthshastra. Each query carried 10 marks.

A student, who refused to be named, said: Queries on GST in Kautilyas Arthashastra, Manu as first global thinker, BJP and AAP were there in two different MA political science papers. I didnt expect queries on similar topics in our (BA fifth semester political science) paper.

Kaushal Kishore Mishra, professor at BHUs department of political science, said, Manu and Kautilyas Arthashastra are part of the third-year curriculum.

The GST had a slab system, Mishra said. He asked: Where is the problem if students were asked to discuss GST as described by Kautilyas Arthashastra. As far as the query on the political thought of Manu is concerned, it is well known that Manu was a great thinker of his time. He said he taught the subject but has no idea who set the semester paper.

Another BHU professor, who did not wish to be named, said, Kautilyas Arthashastra discussed the tax system as per the requirement of the monarchy. At the time of Kautilya, the economy was...not as complicated as it is at present. The GST was not at all discussed in Kautilyas Arthashastra. The one who set the paper has a better idea as to why he framed such a question.

Shashikant Yadav, a research scholar at BHUs department of history, said, I have huge respect for all the professors. I am shocked to know that the BA political science question paper had queries on topics like GST as described by Kautilyas Arthashastra and Manu. I think whosoever set the paper wants to remain in the limelight.

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The Punjab and Haryana High Court will hear a petition against the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) for cruelty towards animals on January 12. The petition focused on cruelty towards monkeys and unchecked capture of pigs for slaughter, leaving citizens vulnerable to zoonotic diseases, such as swine flu and tape worms, that can lead to pandemics.

The public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by Amit Chaudhery, president of People for Animals, Gurgaon. He is also an honorary animal welfare officer of the Animal Welfare Board of Indiaa statutory body under the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change.

The state of Haryana, especially the MCG, has not only failed, but also acted unlawfully in inflicting extreme physical, mental and emotional cruelty, including death to innocent animals, the petition stated.

I have found that the MCG staff captures pigs with brutality. The civic body sells them to slaughterhouses without checking if the swine has an infection, or not; this is against the laws. These pigs are killed for their meat. People can contract several diseases if the meat of an infected pig is consumed. I have submitted all the evidence, Chaudhery told the Hindustan Times.

Similarly, monkeys are fed bananas laced with drugs to capture them; this is illegal. These monkeys are handled very cruelly. The young and infant monkeys are sold to street performers, are killed or released in different locations splitting their families; monkeys are extremely attached to their tribe, he said.

The petition, while urging the court to act to protect animals, has pleaded that monkeys in the city are protected as drugging them is illegal as per the Prevention of Cruelty Act to Animals, 1960, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The petition stated that the MCG has no blueprint or a sustainable plan to address animal-related issues in the city.

It added that the municipal agency does not have a credible record, no monitoring mechanism and no transparency for the way monkeys are captured, transported and released.

The municipal corporation, however, has denied all allegations and said it would produce all relevant documents before the court.

MCG sanitation inspector Sudhir Kumar said, Over the years, cases of monkey bites have increased in the city and we have tried to protect residents. The allegations of animal cruelty are not correct.

In 2015, of the 7,372 cases of rabies recorded at citys Civil Hospital, 387 were of monkey bites. In 2016, cases of rabies increased to 9,356, out of which 1,051 were associated with monkeys. Till December 23 this year, 9,267 rabies cases were registered with the government hospital in Gurgaon.

On an average, the hospital receives 32-35 cases of monkey bite in a month, translates to an incident a day.

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The parents of 3-year old Rakshit Yadav, who was killed in a freak bus accident on Saturday, were in a state of shock. Locals in the village said that both the mother and father was not able to come to terms with the tragedy and fell ill. The entire Mushedpur village in Farrukh Nagar, 22-km from Gurgaon, which is home to a sizeable population of people belonging to the Ahir community, was in a state of mourning when Hindustan Times visited them on Saturday evening.

Rakshit, son of Jitender Yadav and a resident of Mus, was killed on Saturday morning when he accidently came under the rear tyre of a school bus outside his home. Police said the victim had come with his mother Seema Yadav to see off his sister around 8.30am when the accident took place. A case was registered at Farrukh Nagar police station.

Rakshit was the only boy in the family and was loved by everyone. We are shocked beyond belief. His mother is inconsolable and even passed out because of shock, Rajpal Yadav, a relative, said.

Read I Four-year-old Gurgaon boy crushed under van while defecating in open

Rakshits father fainted after getting word of his sons death and has not spoken a word since, said another relative. No one saw the boy going towards the bus or coming under the wheels. It was only when a loud sound was heard that the boys mother realised what had happened and fainted, said Rakesh Yadav, a relative who came to join the family in mourning, said.

Inspector Karan Singh, station house officer (SHO) Farrukh Nagar, said that the boy had apparently seen a balloon in the hand of one of the schoolchildren sitting by the window of the bus. He said as the balloon fell off the students hand, he rushed to fetch it. He ran to get the balloon and unfortunately met with the accident, Singh said.

A case was registered against the bus driver under sections 279 and 304A of the Indian Penal Code.

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As yet another year goes by, theres still little or no clarity on the status of land in most areas in the Aravallis. Even as it awaited an official word on whether these areas are to be treated as forest, all that the Aravallis got this year were broken promises.

The year started with ground truthing (a process to find and define forest area) to assess whether parts of the Aravallis should be brought within the ambit of the Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) and ended with another ground truthing on whether parts of the region ought to be treated as forest land. However, none could go to any length to determining the status with regard to parts of the Aravallis in Haryana.

With no clarity on the status of land in the region, tree felling continued across the forested terrain, leading to a loss of green cover in the state. Environmentalists voiced alarm over the rapid shrinkage in the states tree cover, as the state has less than 4% of green cover, the second lowest in the country after Punjab.

Environment activists also alleged attempts by the Haryana government to dilute the status of a vast portion of forested lands in the Aravallis. The ground truthing in January to assess if parts of the Aravallis should be brought within the ambit of the NCZ and, in the process, should have restrictions in place under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, failed to yield any result, as most areas in the region were kept out of the NCZ zoning. The forest department objected to the move to keep out large parts of the Aravallis outside the zoning process and called off the exercise in March.

In May, the Haryana government allegedly tried to dilute the status of Aravalli land by allowing felling of 90% trees. The move came after the Haryana government added Kikar and Mesquite in the list of trees exempted from provisions under the PLPA. However, the order was withdrawn in the light of opposition from environment activists.

In June, the Haryana government claimed that the Aravallis do not extend beyond Gurgaon.

In its letter to the Union ministry of urban development in June, the state government asked it not to extend the definition of Aravallis beyond Gurgaon, as the Aravalli Notification,1992 covers only Gurgaon.

The move dealt a blow to the process of determining the status of the Aravallis and drew strident opposition from environment activists. Facing flak, the government said that it could only determine the status of the Aravallis after coming up with a definition of forest.

The state government has been trying to change the existing laws to enable real estate groups venture into the protected areas of the state, Vivek Kamboj, an environmentalist, said.

On December 4, the Haryana government requested the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) to allow three months of ground truthing again to assess if the Aravallis could be brought under NCZ, as it is crucial to arriving at a decision on the definition of forest.

Environmental activists and concerned citizens said that promises that the state made, with regard to the status of land in the Aravallis, this year, werent fulfilled. The activists said that despite the Supreme Court, through judgments in 1996, 1997 and 2011, directed the state to come up with a definition of forest, consistent with its dictionary meaning, the state failed to act.

Another year is coming to an end and yet, theres no headway on the status of land in the Aravallis, Chetan Agarwal, an environment analyst, said.

However, government officials said that work on coming up with a definition of forest is on the right track and they are trying to evaluate the total area under NCZ.

We are in the process of examining the revenue records regarding the status of land for the ground truthing process to identify NCZ, TL Satyaprakash, director, town and country planning department, Haryana, that carried out the forest survey.

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Former Union telecom minister A Raja and DMKs Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi were given a heros welcome on their arrival at the Chennai airport on Saturday after their acquittal in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

DMK working president and Karunanidhis son MK Stalin drove to the airport to receive his sister and Raja. Thousands of DMK cadre gathered outside, along with folk musicians and dancers, to give a rousing welcome to their leaders. Kanimozhi and Raja assembled at a designated place and received shawls presented by the party cadre.

A senior airport official said the route leading to the departure terminal was clear and the DMK melee did not affect passengers entering the airport. But passengers landing in Chennai faced problems and police was requested to help them, he added.

Tamil Nadu: DMK workers & supporters gather at Chennai Airport as Kanimozhi & A. Raja arrive, they were recently acquitted in the #2GScam case. pic.twitter.com/2vdLA3VdE4  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

It was an emotional moment for DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi as Kanimozhi and Raja drove to his residence from the airport to meet him. Kanimozhi was heard telling him that it was all over in five minutes. We went in and were told we all can go.

Raja also briefed his mentor, to whom he had written an emotional letter within hours of his acquittal in the case.

The DMK used the event to make a big political point  of coming clean in a corruption case that was used against the party in successive elections. There were also talks in the party on whether Kanimozhi and Raja would be given additional responsibilities.

Raja was the propaganda secretary of DMK before he was charged and resigned. From the airport, Stalin headed to a function celebrating the 70th birth anniversary of Congress leader EVKS Elangovan, where leaders of several parties ranged against BJP were seated on the dais, including former Union finance minister P Chidambaram.

(With agency inputs)

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Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said an advisory has been issued to all states to ensure law and order during Christmas in the wake of fringe elements recently threatening some Christian community members against celebrating the festival.

A fringe group in Uttar Pradeshs Aligarh had on December 17 issued a circular and threatened the management of all city schools against celebrating Christmas saying, if they did so, it would be at their own risk.

When asked about it, Singh said an advisory has been issued to all the states so that there is no law and order issue. He also conveyed his greetings to the nation on Christmas.

Any festival, whether it is Christmas, Ramzaan, Holi or Diwali, should be celebrated without any problems. Strict action would be taken if anyone tries to create ruckus during the festivals, the minister said on the sidelines of the 54th anniversary parade of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) here.

He said India is the only country that believes in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam  a philosophy that inculcates an understanding that the whole world is one family.

I believe that all people irrespective of any religion should celebrate each others festivals in its true spirit with full enthusiasm, Singh said.
Reacting to the notices issued by the additional city magistrate (ACM) Renu Singh, local leaders of the Hindu Jagaran Manch (HJM) on Saturday refused to submit the Rs 1 lakh bond each that the administration had directed them to.

The outfit had asked schools in Aligarh not to celebrate Christmas after which the local administration had on Thursday issued notices to five HJM leaders, warning them that they should not be found within 50 metres of schools on the Christmas day . ACM Renu Singh had issued notices to the leaders concerned under Sections 111,107 and 116 of the IPC with directions to submit Rs 1 lakh bond each.

HJM state secretary Sanju Bajaj, convener Amit Raja, city president Sonu Kavita, Punit Sharma and Bablu Saini met the ADM (city) SB Singh on Saturday and reportedly told him they would not submit the bonds as they were not criminals.

Bajaj told HT, HJM only requested schools to not pressurise students to wear the Santa Clause dress and celebrate Christmas. This has been made an issue by our opponents. If the administration asks them to submit bonds, only then we will see any transparency in this matter.

Forced to wear Santa cap: Student

The great granddaughter of Hindutva leader late KK Navman reportedly said that her teacher forced her to wear the Santa cap.

Her grandfather and convener of the Dharam Jagaran Manch, Sartya Prakash Navman, said, We have not lodged any complaint till now but we are taking legal opinion. The family said they had asked the girl to tell anyone who forced her to wear the Santa cap that she was a Hindu. She told her teacher that but the teacher rebuked her and put the cap on her head, alleged a family member of the girl.
In villages of elephant-rich states, night time has virtually become a period of curfew as moving herds of elephants have resulted in several peoples deaths in the past week.

Elephants kill one person a day in India with 1,144 people becoming their victims between April 2014 and May this year as human-animal conflict intensifies in and around countrys forest.

As a precautionary measure, forest departments in several states have advised villagers to remain indoors after sunset in winter months  a time when elephants move in large herds, trampling crops and villages which come in their way.

Locals have also taken it upon themselves to hold night patrols and take measures to scare the animals away.

Assam

Bolai Munda, 65, became the last victim of human-elephant conflict when he was out in a grazing field on Sunday morning in Udalguri district.

Forest department estimates 48 people have been killed by elephants and 70 elephants had died in this conflict in Assam in the first 11 months of this year in the state which has witnessed decrease of forest cover of 3,000 sq kms in last 28 years.

Over 500 elephants and 785 people had died in this conflict between 2006 and 2016.

We spend our nights awake trying to chase away elephants from our fields using torches, drums and spears, said Bhupen Bora, a resident of Samaguri in Nagaon district of central Assam.

Bibhab Talukdar, CEO of Aaranyak, a Guwahati-based wildlife NGO blamed rapid decrease of dense forests, construction activity near elephant habitats and desperation by villagers to save their lives as the reason for rising conflict. Forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma said this problem can be dealt only by raising awareness.

Jharkhand

Curfew like situation prevails in Gumlas Nawdiha village where a deserted elephant has returned with forest department asking villagers not to venture out in the evening. The department has also asked villagers to avoid sleeping in rooms where foodgrains are stored.

These are precautionary measures to ensure villagers safety, Gumla divisional forest officer (DFO) Ajit Kumar Singh. Rajendra Oraon, a Nawdiha villager, said the officials have asked them to keep fire burning outside the house and always keep torchlight ready at night.

In other assaults, two elephants went on the rampage in villages of Thethaitangar block in Simdega district on Wednesday night. They damaged about half a dozen houses in the villages. Similarly, a herd of 18 elephants damaged many houses and destroyed several acres of land in Gamhria block of Seraikela-Kharswan district. A herd of elephant of injured a 10-year-old boy in Ramgarghs Dulimi block.

Odisha

In around 60-odd villages of Nilagiri, people dont venture out as an elephant herd from Dalma sanctuary in Jharkhand is on a rampage in the area.

If you need to pick something from local shop, pick it up in daytime, said Ratikanta Mallick, who reminds his family to lock main gate and not venture out.

While the likes of Mallick keep themselves locked, others like Satyanarayan Singh of nearby village climbs up makeshift perches on trees. Many in these villages have migrated to safer places, said forest department officials.

The elephant raids are also happening in Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Gajapati, Ganjam and Khurda districts with forest officials using LED lights with siren to scare away elephants from human settlements. Experiments such as spraying stool and urine of male horses and burning cow dung laced with chilli powder have failed.

Former honourary wildlife warden Jayant Mardaraj said efforts to drive away elephants will not work unless the herd desires to move back on their own.

West Bengal

Forty-two- year old Shitala Mandi leaned against her mud hut near Jhargram town and recollected moments from the frightful night when a rogue elephant trampled her husband, Sambhu, five years ago. This year too, the elephants have targeted several villages in the hinterland.

In the last five years, around 50 villagers have died in elephant attacks in south Bengal districts and hundreds of houses and a huge quantity of crops destroyed by wild pachyderms. In 2017 however only six people died in Bankura and West Midnapore districts said Shakti Shankar Dey, chief conservator of forest, western circle.
Ahead of the verdict in a fodder scam case by a special CBI court in Ranchi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad expressed full faith in judiciary and said the judgment would have no impact on his party.

My sons are capable of leading the party if I am sent to jail. The RJD is a party of crores of people and they will all take care of it, he told reporters hours before the court delivered its verdict in RC 64 (A) 1996, related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 90 lakh from the Deoghar treasury.

A slew of cases were filed against the former Bihar chief minister in the scam where state funds meant for buying fodder were allegedly siphoned by government officials and politicians in the state.

Lalu Prasad was found guilty in 2013 in another fodder scam case and was given a five-year prison term, disqualified from Parliament and banned from contesting elections.

He had got a bail by the Supreme Court in December that year in the case.

The RJD chief appealed to the people to maintain restrain and peace if he was sent to jail. Every person will lead the party by acting as Lalu Prasad, he added.

Prasad also hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying he would not be cowed down by its attempts to finish his political career and continue to fight for ouster of the saffron party from power at the Centre.

The BJP has been conspiring against me and harassing me for the last 20 years just to weaken me. But I have full faith in the judiciary and a lot of people have got justice, be it Kanimozhi, A Raja and others. We will emerge stronger in coming days, he said, when asked about the possibility of his jail term.

DMK leaders Kanimozhi and A Raja were acquitted by a special court on Thursday in 2G spectrum allocation case.

A large number of RJD leaders are camping in Jharkhand capital to show their solidarity with their party chief. They include RJD vice president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, senior leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui and Prasads younger son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.

The RJD chief tried to put up a brave front saying he was not scared of going to jail. I have been incarcerated many times since 1974 JP movement. I am not scared of going to jail again, he added.

Reagrding corruption cases filed against him and his son Tejashwi in the IRCTC hotel scam, Praasad said it was an attempt to malign his family and the charges did not have any merit. These cases are all false and fabricated, he said.

Talking to a regional news channel, Tejashwi said he was not at all perturbed by the possibility of his father going to jail and described it as an attempt by the BJP to frame his family in false cases. Since my childhood, I have seen how my father has been harassed. It has made me stronger, he said.

On corruption charges against him, Tejashwi said the fact that the CBI had not filed a charge sheet in the alleged IRCTC hotel scam case showed there was no evidence to press the allegations against him.

It has become a fashion for the BJP to file false cases against its rivals and weaken the opposition. Why no case has been filed against BJP leaders facing corruption charges? he asked.

The railway ministry had also not acknowledged till now that there were any discrepancies in the allotment of hotels when Prasad was the railway minister, Tejashwi said.

We have not compromised on our principles. But chief minister Nitish Kumar compromised and switched sides. The BJP wants to press false charges against us to demoralise the opposition. But we will fight it out, he said.

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A special CBI court on Saturday convicted former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a fodder scam case while acquitting six including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

CBI judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

Lalu Prasad, the chief of RJD, and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict..

Here are the updates:

9:26 pm: We had hoped of Lalu Yadavs acquittal in this case. I believe that he would get justice when the matter goes to a higher court: Sharad Yadav.

7.26 pm: Nitish Kumar, BJP kept trying to malign Lalu Ji, says son Tejashwi Yadav.

Will challenge judgement in HC. We have already appealed against conviction in Chaibasa treasury case in HC. Bail procedure would take place only after HCs opening: Tejashwi

7.25 pm: As you sow, so you reap , says Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

    !                Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) December 23, 2017

6.00 pm: Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad says lesson from todays conviction of Lalu Prasad is that law will catch up with you if you commit corruption.

For me, it is a matter of some personal assurance that I had the privilege to argue the PIL in Patna High Court in the early 90s leading to the institution of CBI inquiry which was strongly opposed by the then state govt headed by Lalu Yadav: Ravi Shankar Prasad.

5.10 pm: Lalu Prasad is even now politicizing the issue instead of accepting the verdict, just to deviate he is leveling allegations of conspiracy on BJP, says Union minister JP Nadda.

The alliance between Congress and Lalu Yadav's party is an alliance of corruption,connivance and cheating the people of India, it is clear from the verdict of the court: Union Minister JP Nadda #FodderScamVerdict pic.twitter.com/5ryeV6rXIQ  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

5 pm: RJD says it will challenge the special CBI courts order in the high court soon.

4.47 pm: Manish Tewari of Congress says, Lalu Yadav has been fighting this legal battle since 1996. It started when BJP leaders filed PIL against him in Patna HC. He & his lawyers are capable of fighting this case. I want to ask BJP why Srijan scam is not being investigated?

4.45 pm: Lalu Prasad Yadav brought to Birsa Munda Central Jail.

4.30 pm:

Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and caste-ist minds. No one should expect any different treatment.  Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) December 23, 2017

4.25 pm: Truth can be made to appear as a lie, as ambiguous or a half lie by concerted onslaught of bias driven propaganda. But blurred layer of bias and hatred will still be removed, come what may! In end Truth will win, tweets Lalu Prasad Yadav .

A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. ....But still prevails...In the end though.  Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) December 23, 2017

4.15 pm: Manoj Jha of the RJD responds to the verdict saying they will get redressal at a higher court.

 Kind of evidences we have, well get redressal at a higher court. Politically I know this regime, they have this typical Standard Operating Procedure-Try to make a deal with your opposition, if you fail...scare them. Want to tell them-Your end has begun,  he said.

3.53pm: Total 16 people, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, have been found guilty. Six, including former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra, have been acquitted. Quantum of punishment to be pronounced on January 3.

3.52pm: Ranchis Special CBI Court pronounces verdict, holds Lalu Prasad Yadav guilty. Former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra has been acquitted.

3.30pm: Police clear court premises prior to verdict in a fodder scam, ask RJD, Lalu supporters to leave Ranchi court campus.

2.55pm: Lalu Prasad reaches special CBI court in Ranchi ahead of the verdict in a fodder scam case.

RJD workers and Lalu supporters outside Ranchi court prior to fodder scam verdict. Heavy security deployed. @htTweets pic.twitter.com/NBzFKe6NkT  Saurav Roy (@saurav_journo) December 23, 2017

2.35pm: We are expecting a fair decision today. The verdict today will show that the justice can be delayed but cannot be denied, JD (U) leader and petitioner in a fodder scam case Rajeev Ranjan Singh tells ANI.

2pm: Whether he is acquitted or convicted, is for the court to decide. We do not comment on it, but he is lecturing on the TV since morning even though the judgement is yet to be delivered, says Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

11.03am: Hearing for the fodder scam verdict has been moved to 3pm. Lalu Prasad has left the court campus.

10.52am: Fomer Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra, one of the accused in the case, reaches the Ranchi court.

10.42am: Whatever be the judgment, appeal to people of Bihar to maintain law and order, says Lalu Prasad as he arrives at the special CBI court.

10.19am: Supporters of Lalu Prasad start gathering at the court premises. There is a heavy police force at the complex. Lalu Prasad is expected to arrive soon.

10.14am: We trust the judiciary and hope the verdict will be in our favour. Just like the BJPs propaganda was busted in the 2G scam and Adarsh scam, a similar thing will happen now, says Lalu Prasads son: Tejashwi Yadav.

9.05am: Lalu Prasad says: We trust and respect the judiciary. We will not let BJPs conspiracies work. The former Bihar chief minister alleges the BJP governments since the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee have been harassing him and his family by misusing the CBI for the past 25 years.

8.30am: The special CBI court is likely to announce the verdict on fodder scam case involving lalu Prasad yadav and his aide Jagannath Mishra around 10.30am.

On Friday evening, Lalu Prasad, Mishra and other accused arrived in Jharkhands capital Ranchi to appear in person before the court. To meet their party chief, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) workers and supporters from Bihar and Jharkhand made a beeline to the railway guest house where Lalu Prasad is staying. My client has arrived in Ranchi to appear before the court on Saturday, the day fixed for the verdict, said Prasads advocate Prabhat Kumar.

The case so far
A 2010 fake encounter, in which three Manipuri men were allegedly killed by officers of a Nagaland-based army intelligence unit, has come back to haunt the security force as the Gauhati high court ordered further probe in the case.

Directing the Nagaland government to set up a Special investigation Team (SIT) headed by an officer above the rank of superintendent of police, the court said: Considering the unsatisfactory manner of investigation carried out by the police we feel that the case needs to be further investigated and for this purpose, investigation should be conducted or handled by higher functionaries of the state.

The high court also said that the army will provide assistance to the SIT in the case. Slamming the earlier probe by the Nagaland police as extremely shoddy and perfunctory, the high court said the SIT will take the investigation to its logical end and submit a report in the court within two months. The court order comes on a 2014 petition filed by Phijam Manikumar, the brother of one of the deceased.

In his plea, Manikumar claimed that the three men were abducted by the intelligence unit of 3 Corps from Nagalands Dimapur and that their bodies bore torture marks.

Maikumar also cited letters purportedly written by Major T Ravi Kiran of the same intelligence unit to higher authorities, accusing army officers of staging the killing.

Major Kiran had allegedly written a letter dated 12.03.2010 to the armys higher authorities complaining that three Manipuri men were abducted and brought to their unit on March 10, 2010 where they were tortured and shot dead behind the unit mess.

The Major, in the letters, also reportedly said that Colonel G Shreekumar orchestrated the abduction and killing and was assisted by Major Rubeena Kaur Keer and Major Nector.

The army, however, dismissed Major Kirans allegations and claimed that none of its personnel were involved in the alleged fake encounter.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday put Haryana government on notice on the plea of Vijender Singh, a district town and country planner, seeking vacation of stay imposed by Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on the nomination process.

The high court bench of justice AK Mittal and justice Amit Rawal also asked the government as to why the CAT order should not be stayed. Any decision taken by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), New Delhi, shall be subject to further orders to be passed by this court, the high court said.

In November, Haryana government shortlisted the names of the kin of the state BJP leaders to fill up one Indian Administrative Service (IAS) seat from among the five none-state civil service officers.

Vijender Singh had argued that the selection process should be hampered since it had to be completed by December 31, 2017.

Earlier this month, CAT had stayed the process on plea of Surender Singh Dahiya, additional director of Haryanas agricultural department who had demanded that recommendations of the screening committee for appointment be set aside. The main contention was that Asha Sharma, medical officer, who happens to be daughter of education minister Ram Bilas Sharma, was not eligible and did not qualify or fulfil the criteria of having an outstanding record for the past five years as per rules and regulations of the IAS Regulations, 1997. Yet, her name was recommended. CAT had stayed process on December 4.

Those shortlisted by the government are 42-year-old Dr Asha Sharma, and Lajpat Rai, 56, brother of Santosh Yadav, deputy speaker Vidhan Sabha, who are at the first and second position. Other three candidates in the fray are Parveen Sethi (director dental health services); Dr Rakesh Talwar (in-charge of health facilities at Haryana Raj Bhawan); and Vijender Singh, the petitioner. Sethi too has approached the high court.
Several Muslim organisations and intellectuals of Aligarh have expressed dismay after Hindutva activists allegedly created ruckus at the wedding reception of an inter-religious couple in Ghaziabad on Friday.

Aligarh native Mansoor Farhad Yusuf and Dr Nupur of Raj Nagar of Ghaziabad were classmates in Aligarh Muslim University and had been in a relationship. On Friday, they reportedly got married in court with the consent of their families, and a post-wedding celebration was planned at Nupurs residence in the evening.

However, when some Hindutva organisations, including the Bajrang Dal, heard of the matter, they reached Nupurs residence and shouted slogans of love jihad. Soon, a heavy police force rushed to the place and security was deployed outside the residence. Police lathi-charged the protesters.

Later, Nupurs family lodged an FIR against the activists at Kavi Nagar police station in Ghaziabad.

Hindutva activists also staged a dharna on ALT road in Ghaziabad, bringing traffic to a halt. It was only after they received assurance from Ghaziabad SSP Hari Narayan Singh that an inquiry would be conducted into the matter that they discontinued their agitation.

A magisterial inquiry will be conducted in this case from both the sides. We will probe the charges made by the brides family as well as the cane charge on the activists, said the SSP.

Meanwhile, Balraj Duger, state convener of Bajrang Dal, said, The girls family didnt take permission from the administration. This is not a case of love but love jihad, that is why we protested. The boys side has taken a flat worth Rs 1 crore from the girls side.

BJP Ghaziabad city president Ajay Sharma told HT on phone, The CMs office has been informed about the police lathi-charge on Bajrang Dal activists. Its a matter of love jihad, which is why there were protests.

On the other hand, Yusufs kin Javed , a resident of Aligarh, said, The hate that is being spread in the name of love jihad must be condemned. Both the Prime Minister and the UP CM need to take effective steps to stop such threats. This sort of rowdyism is also harming the image of our country. The right to marry a person of your choice is a part of our Constitution and should be above all controversies.

Director of Muslim women empowerment committee Naushaba Khatoon told HT: Some orthodox organisations are attempting to turn India into a Taliban regime. These organisations have no moral or legal right to interfere in the personal lives of people and disrupt a young couples marriage. Stern action should be taken against them.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is expecting a smooth winter session of Parliament after the Christmas break as both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress agreed to try to resolve the stalemate.

The session, which commenced on December 15, was marred by disruptions over Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during electioneering in Gujarat.

Both the Houses were adjourned on Friday till December 27.

Sources said that after the upper House got adjourned due to disruption on Friday, Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu called leaders of the treasury bench and the Congress and asked them to negotiate a solution.

Modi had accused Singh and some other Congress leaders of holding a meeting with Pakistani officials to conspire against the BJP. The former premier as well as the Congress party took serious exception to the allegation and demanded an apology from the Prime Minister.

It was earlier suggested that a minister and a Congress leader will make statements in the Parliament to clarify their positions over the controversy.

Naidu has already indicated that he cannot ask the Prime Minister to clarify his remark, as demanded by the Opposition, as the incident happened in Gujarat and not inside the House.

At an informal meeting held with senior party leaders on Tuesday morning, the Vice President stressed that he was bound by house rules and asked the two sides to resolve the issue.

Sources said representatives of both parties  including finance minister Arun Jaitley, who is also leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, and leader of the Opposition in the upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad  agreed to try and resolve the impasse.

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Congress has busted BJPs talk of vikas (development) and Modi model, party president Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday, returning to the state within five days of a loss in the assembly elections.

We lost the elections, but we have won. This is the reality... Now they cannot talk of vikas and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi model, Gandhi said at public meeting in Ahmedabad, highlighting the Congress best poll performance in the state since 1990.

We won because they (BJP) fought with anger, with money, police, chief ministers from various states, industrialists. We had only truth. We stood against this and showed it to entire country that Congress can fight and win.

The Congress won 77 seats in the recently concluded elections, 16 more than its 2012 tally in the 182-member assembly. The BJP regained power, bagging 99 seats, 16 down from its 2012 showing.

Three months ago, it was seen as if the Congress would not be even able to give a fight in Gujarat. But we cornered the BJP from all quarters, said Gandhi. In Gujarat, the Congress has shown what it can do if united, and follows its ideology.

The Congress president said his challenge in the run-up to the polls was to give confidence to the Gujarat Congress that it could win. And I am happy that you believed 70% that we can win. We are now confident. Now, we can change the result of Lok Sabha and the next assembly elections.

Gandhi said the shortfall Congress faced could be due to some 5 to 6% people not working for the party. I was here for four months, and I have come again. And, now I am going to be by your side, he added.

He congratulated Vijay Rupani for being chosen as the chief minister again.

Under fire from BJP leaders for temple visits across Gujarat ahead of the assembly elections, Gandhi marked his return to the state by praying at Somnath temple at Prabhas Patan town in the morning.

During his sustained campaign in Gujarat, Gandhi visited more than 20 temples. After controversy over his name being listed as non-Hindu in Somnath temple register during his previous visit, Gandhi revealed he was a Shiv bhakt (devotee).

During the campaign, Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath described Gandhis visits to temples as just a pretence.

The Congress has dismissed criticism of Gandhis temple visits, and said the party was not trying to portray a soft Hindutva face or play a Hindu card.

During his one-day visit, Gandhi also met party functionaries from all four zones of Gujarat for an analysis of the elections.

Twitter jibe

In an apparently Hollywood movie inspired statement, Gandhi tweeted on Saturday: If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard.

The jibe came a day after he slammed the BJP as a party whose foundation was based on lies. Gandhi alleged the BJP campaigned on 2G spectrum allocation to discredit the Manmohan Singh government ahead of the 2014 general elections and then, during the Gujarat elections, raised a controversy over a meeting between Congress leaders and Pakistani officials.

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The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has convened an emergency meeting of its working committee on Sunday to oppose a proposed bill banning instant triple talaq.

The proposed bill outlaws the Islamic divorce practice and hands out a three-year jail sentence as well as a fine, and states that the offence would be cognisable and non-bailable.

Yes, the board has convened an emergency meeting to be held at Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulema (Islamic seminary) on the proposed bill, confirmed AIMPLB spokesperson Zafaryab Jilani.

Two prominent Shia clerics from Lucknow are, however, likely to abstain from the meeting.

Once the law is made to make triple talaq an offence, the victims would have the option of approaching the police and the legal system for the redressal of their grievances and for action to be taken against the husband.

The Union Cabinet earlier this month cleared a bill that criminalises the Islamic practice of instant triple talaq, ahead of it being taken up in the Winter Session of Parliament.

The Supreme Court had in August, by a majority of 3:2, ruled that the practice of divorce through instant triple talaq among Muslims is void, illegal and unconstitutional.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who will be in Gujarat on Saturday to attend a review meeting to analyse the partys showing in the assembly elections, will start by visiting the Somnath Temple.

During his three-day visit to the state, Gandhi will hold meetings with all the newly-elected MLAs and leaders and party workers all across the state to review the election results.

Congress along with its allies won 80 seats and restricted BJP to less 100 in a state it considers its fortress.

There will be a party workers meet at Gujarat University Convention Hall at GNBC ground in Ahmedabad.

The Congress will analyse in detail why it failed to dislodge the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has ruled Gujarat for 22 long years, and the road ahead.

Gandhi became the party president on December 16, two days after the Gujarat elections got over.
Sivakasi, Indias fireworks manufacturing hub, is facing a bust as an attempt to clean up countrys toxic air choked the working capital of hundreds of units in the Tamil Nadu town.

The town, which earned the sobriquet kutti Japan (mini Japan) for its manufacturing activities, produces 85 per cent of the countrys firecrackers, providing livelihood to an estimated over eight lakh people.

Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association (TANFAMA) said no dealer is paying advances after a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking a countrywide ban on firecrackers sale, striking a body blow to the industry that depends on advance payments for working capital.

Faced with the crisis, the TANFAMA declared an indefinite shut down of fireworks manufacturing units from December 26. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting on Friday night as things have gone from bad to worse.

The trade practice here for the past 80 years is that the dealers, mostly from northern states, send advance payments after Diwali which meets 90% of the working capital requirement of the 820 odd units based in the town, located around 480 km from Chennai. The remaining 10% is met from own funds and bank loans.

TANFAMA secretary K Mariappan told HT that in view of the pending petition in the top court, the dealers have stopped making advance payments fearing an adverse judgment, making it impossible for the manufacturers to run their businesses.

Already many dealers in Delhi NCR, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh had gone bankrupt due to the pre-Diwali ban on cracker sale, he claimed.

To chalk out its future course of action, the TANFAMA is hosting a meeting of All India Federation of Fireworks Associations on December 28 in Sivakasi where fireworks manufacturers, transporters, dealers, sales agents, raw material suppliers and labour union representatives have been invited to evolve a common approach to fight for their survival.

We people in Sivakasi are tired of fighting  look forward to you for your help and support ... in having a historical win against the enemies of Diwali and Fireworks, the TANFAMAs invitation to AIFA members reads.

We are tired and cannot fight the battle on our own, Mariappan told HT adding now we are mobilising all the interconnected industries representatives to join hands.

Mariappan said they were expecting a favourable decision from the Supreme Court, but after the apex court in early December sought the opinion from the Centre and state governments for a ban on sale of firecrackers across India, those connected with the fireworks manufacturing and sales became little more apprehensive.

What about environmental concerns?

Mariappan dismissed such apprehension, citing that even long after Diwali, the national capital was engulfed in smog created by atmospheric pollutants.

The livelihood question of over 8 lakh people depends on our winning the fight against the enemies of Diwali, Mariappan said. He punctured the environmental damage issue by highlighting the fact that long after Diwali, Delhi was engulfed in smog.

Asserting that the fireworks industry had utmost respect and confidence in the Supreme Court, the association prayed for an early judgment in the case.

Any delay in judgement, even if its favourable, will not help the industry or save the livelihood of eight lakh people, the TANFAMA said in a press statement on Saturday.

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The Centre has been sitting on a proposal to conduct indigenous underwater archaeological study on the Ram Setu for about a year.

The study, proposed by the Centre for Archaeology and Museology, Assam University, Silchar  a central university  did not get permission from the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR). The ICHRs then chairman Y Sudershan Rao had indicated in March that they would give the university permission. However, the matter was in limbo since then as the post of the ICHR chairman became vacant in June and is yet to be filled.

Its been almost a year now since we moved the proposal to conduct study on Ram Setu but we are yet to hear from ICHR. I dont know why they are sitting on it for so long and delaying this important project, professor Alok Tripathi, director of Centre for Archaeology and Museology, said. He said he had written to ICHR as well as the human resource development minister, requesting them to expedite the clearance.

The Centre has been sitting on a proposal to conduct indigenous underwater archaeological study on the Ram Setu for about a year.

The study, proposed by the Centre for Archaeology and Museology, Assam University, Silchar  a central university  did not get permission from the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR). The ICHRs then chairman Y Sudershan Rao had indicated in March that they would give the university permission. However, the matter was in limbo since then as the post of the ICHR chairman became vacant in June and is yet to be filled.

Its been almost a year now since we moved the proposal to conduct study on Ram Setu but we are yet to hear from ICHR. I dont know why they are sitting on it for so long and delaying this important project, professor Alok Tripathi, director of Centre for Archaeology and Museology, said. He said he had written to ICHR as well as the human resource development minister, requesting them to expedite the clearance.

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The conviction of Lalu Prasad in the fodder scam is likely to come as a setback for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), given that he has been the partys guiding force since its formation in 1997.

Insiders feel the incarceration of the veteran leader, who has kept the party relevant on the national front through frequent interactions with everybody from commoners to top leaders of likeminded parties, will leave a vacuum in the RJD. Lalu, however, can find solace in the the knowledge that he has successfully positioned his son, Tejashwi, as the de-facto number two in the party. The RJD national executive had even passed a unanimous resolution that the next election would be found under Tejashwis leadership.

Many feel the RJD supremos decision to project his younger son as the partys future leader was taken in consideration of the knowledge that he could soon be incarcerated in the fodder scam. The RJD has seen a smooth transition of power in the last few years. So, even Lalus imprisonment should not affect the partys functioning, said a senior leader on the condition of anonymity.

However, others wonder if the former deputy chief minister has the political experience to keep the herd together. There have been signs of dissent in the party, although muted, ever since its grand alliance with Nitish Kumars JD(U) came apart in July. There are also chances of Tejashwi coming under renewed attack from rivals over graft charges leveled against him in the hotel scam, for which the CBI questioned Lalus family but did not file a chargesheet.

Whats more, the RJD cannot insulate itself from the taint of corruption as long as its top leader remains behind bars  a handle that the BJP and JD(U) will gladly exploit to the fullest. Insiders feel it may make even the Congress, an otherwise all-weather ally, consider rethinking its relationship with the regional party in the 2019 polls.

In the circumstances, the biggest challenge facing the RJD is whether it will continue to remain a strong opposition force in Lalus absence as the Lok Sabha polls draw closer. The Yadav chieftain, with his keen eye for picking candidates in accordance with their winnability and the uncanny ability to charm voters, has been the partys biggest asset.

Senior party leaders admit that the party will face an uphill task in Lalus absence during the upcoming polls, both in terms of seat-sharing with allies and selecting candidates. We do feel that the party will lose much of its fizz if Lalu remains in jail for an extended period, said another RJD leader on the condition of anonymity.

Lalus absence could also jeopardise the chances of 18 political parties, including the Congress, coming together to form a grand alliance against the BJP in the parliamentary elections. For one, the incarceration of the RJD chief  a major proponent of unity among non-Hindutva parties  will prevent him from mediating between diverse political entities. Two, Lalus second conviction may result in him losing much of his credibility, forcing allies to hunt for other options.

The RJD chief had lately been putting up a brave front, stating that he will only emerge stronger from another jail term. I am not scared of jail, and the BJP cannot cow me down, he said on many occasions. By dubbing the attempts at incarcerating him as politically motivated, he aimed to secure Yadav and Muslim backing for the party and turn the tables on the JD(U)-BJP combine in the state.

Nonetheless, insiders feel Lalus conviction may not immediately affect the partys functioning, considering that it has a solid organisational structure  helmed by Tejashwi and supported by senior leaders like Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Jagdananand Singh and Ram Chandra Purbe  in place.

Lalu has been jailed in the past too, and each time, it only served to galvanise the party cadre and bring leaders together. He will bounce back on this occasion too, and its the JD(U)-BJP combine that will face the heat, said a senior leader close to the RJD chief.
Five days after the BJP stormed into power in Himachal Pradesh, the partys central observers will on Sunday go into a huddle with newly elected MLAs to draw consensus on who will be the next chief minister.

The two central observers  defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar  are scheduled to visit the state capital on Sunday along with partys in-charge for Himachal affairs, Mangal Pandey.

Sitharaman and Tomar had returned to Delhi on Friday after meeting senior party leaders and RSS functionaries in Shimla. The two are learnt to have apprised BJP president Amit Shah and other party functionaries in New Delhi of their feedback.

The central leaders will arrive in Shimla in a special plane tomorrow (Sunday) and will hold discussions with the BJP MLAs, state BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti said.

Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur, who was conspicuous by his absence at the partys core committee members meeting, is learnt to have met Tomar and Sitharaman in New Delhi. It is learnt that health minister Jagat Parkash Nadda, who emerged as the front runner for the CMs post, also met the two leaders.

Nadda was seemingly the BJP high commands favourite for the CMs post in the run-up to the poll but the party projected Prem Kumar Dhumal as its CM candidate keeping local calculations in mind.

While five-time MLA Jai Ram Thakur is also considered a front runner for the post, the name of Shimla legislator Suresh Bhardwaj is also doing the rounds.

A section of MLAs are backing Dhumal for the CMs post, it is learnt. Though Dhumal himself has ruled out his candidature for the post, his group is opposed to Jai Ram Thakurs candidature, preferring Nadda over him.

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Jaipur/Bharatpur:

The fall of a private bus into Banas river after veering off a bridge in Sawai Madhopur district could have been averted if there were crash barriers instead of railings, a civil engineer and right to information activist said.

At least 33 people were killed on Saturday when the bus crashed through the railings of the bridge and fell into the river.

Chief engineer, public works department, is responsible for this accident, said RTI activist Manoj Kamra.

The practice of putting up railings on the sides of a bridge is outdated and these days RCC crash barriers of 1.5 feet thick and 1100mm height are built, said Kamra, a resident of Bikaner. Had there been crash barriers on this bridge, the fall of the bus into the river could have been averted.

There should be a budgetary allocation for the maintenance of bridges, but it is not done, he said. The PWD chief engineer should inspect the bridges before and after the monsoon, which is not done.

Kamra said he had asked the PWD a few years ago for information about the number of bridges in the state, but the department said it did not have.

A police official said overtaking on the bridge is not allowed, but the driver tried to do it, which resulted in so many deaths.

Avneesh Kumar Jain, PWD superintending engineer of Sawai Madhopur, said the 439-meter double-line bridge, with 60-70 feet height and 7.50 ft width, was built in 1974.

The bridge was handed over to Road Infrastructure Development Company of Rajasthan Limited (RIDCOR) after it was built. The company has the maintenance responsibility, he said.

The bridge on Banas River is strong. Earlier, it was a single lane but later it was double-laned.
The centre is not serious about tackling the issues of corruption and plight of farmers in the country, alleged social activist Anna Hazare, addressing people at Taperwara village in Nagaur district on Saturday.

He was in the village to attend a function organised to declare the Taperwara panchayat alcohol-free.

Hazare said farmers are in great distress; they are committing suicide and corruption is destroying the society. I have written several letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting both the issues and demanding from him to intervene and address both the issues with no further delay, said Hazare. But it is very sad that PM did not even bother to reply even once, he added.

He (Modi) came to power on the wave of anti-corruption and with the promise that he will sort out the problems of countrys distressed farmer community, but has done nothing to correct both the problems, alleged Hazare. In last 22 years, over 12 lakh farmers have committed suicide, but I want to know how many industrialists have ended their life out of distress; this clearly shows that anndata (farmers) of the country has no place in governments prioritise, the veteran social activist added.

It is shameful that Transparency International (an international agency that rates countries on corruption level) has come out with its report that India has turned more corrupt in last four years, said Hazare, adding, It is bad remark for a government, which rode to power on an anti-corruption plank. Hazare said the time is running out for the Modi government to address the two issues.

Addressing people at the village, Hazare declared the Taperwara panchayat alcohol-free. The efforts of Vikram Singh Taperwara and his team are commendable that the village could become alcohol-free. We need more such Vikrams to reform society, he said.
For some passengers on the bus that met with an accident on Saturday in Sawai Madhopur, it was a lucky escape. They can barely believe that they escaped the clutches of death.

Thirty-three of the 40 passengers died after the bus travelling to Ramdevji temple in Malarna Chour village fell into the Banas river at Malarna Dungar, about 130 km from Jaipur.

The government announced compensation for families of the deceased and the injured. It said action would be taken against the bus owner and the bridge would be developed so that such accidents do not take place again.

But this was little comfort for the families of the deceased and the injured.

Kamlesh Devi, 27, from Uttar Pradeshs Shamsabad district was shaken after the accident. Kamlesh was travelling with her daughter, mother-in-law and pregnant sister-in-law and her two kids to the Ramdevji temple.

I am married for six years. I have one daughter. But my family wants a son. So, I was coming to the temple to seek a babas (traditional healer) blessing so I give birth to a boy, she said while lying on a bed at a hospital in Sawai Madhopur.

She said three of her family members were with her but she doesnt know about the rest. We dont know if they are alive or dead, she said.

Kamlesh said after giving tickets to the passengers, the bus conductor, a minor, he took the wheel from the driver. He was driving rashly.

Malodi Devi, 30, is a widow. She said after her husbands death, his family has been harassing her and trying to throw her out of their house. I wanted to visit a baba so that he can put sense in my familys heads.

A visibly shaken Anurag Prajapat, 13, was going with his father Vinod to the Ramdevji temple.

I am unable to straighten my hands and we wanted to seek blessings at the temple so I get cured, he said. His father was admitted to a ICU of a hospital.

Anurag, who was coming from Vidisha in Madhya Pradseh, said the bus was being driven by a teenager.

The temple of Ramdevji is situated in Malarna Chour village of Sawai Madhopur. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, a baba comes there and locals as well as people from other states reach there with hopes of getting cured.

Rajeshwar Prajapati, a local who took part in the rescue work, said he fished out the body of a girl child.
Its not cool to do a Titanic selfie. You know, that sweeping shot of Rose and Jack at the bow, she with arms outstretched, he every bit the lover in control behind her.

For years, its been a favoured pose for couples, going by social media timelines, but much to my relief, some of the selfie-crazed people I asked think it a terrible cliche. Never! says one 26-year-old, who has not watched the movie. All I can think of now is that Celine Dion song.

Who can blame her? Certainly not those who watched the movie on then big screen when it was released worldwide in 1997. Although the song never played in the movie, Celine Dions My heart will go on had started playing in cassette tapes across the world even before the movie came out.

It topped every music chart in the UK and US and won countless awards. Just as the movie did. I agree with the 26-year-old that the song made James Camerons 190-minute-long, extravagant pop classic even more insufferable.

Titanic is one of those irritating pop-culture landmarks. When it first came out and became a blockbuster all over the world, we in India marvelled. So Bollywood, we smirked.

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On the western front Hollywood is not short on melodrama and romances hijacked by class differences. Here are some that released in the Noughties: Serendipity (2001): A New Yorker (John Cusack) and a British woman (Kate Beckinsale) meet, fall in love and hope destiny will unite them after years because they are meant to be. Director Peter Chelsom keep the romantic confetti unbelievably and amusingly light. Maid in Manhattan (2002): Wayne Wangs film has moments as schmaltzy as any bad Bollywood romance. A wealthy politician (Ralph Fiennes) falls in love with a Mexican hotel maid (Jennifer Lopez) living in the Bronx. The Notebook (2004): Nick Cassavetess romance set in the 1940s is the meeting and separation of rich girl Allie (Rachel McAdams) and poor boy Noah (Ryan Gosling). The screenplay plays heavily on fate, memory and a heightened sense of tragedy; the soundtrack plays heavy on piano and blues. PS I Love You (2007): Adapted from Cecilia Aherns bestseller, Richard LaGravenese directs Hillary Swank and Gerard Butler in this love story in which the tears never end as the heroine spends all the screen time being woefully in love with her dead husband. Made of Honor (2008): Directed by Rupert Greyson-Williams. With Michelle Monaghan and Patrick Dempsey in the lead roles, this is a happily-ever-after with a hijacked foreign location wedding and fevered Bollywood pitch.

At the centre of the monumental disaster and human tragedy that was the sinking of the luxurious RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage, Cameron crafted a love story between a depressed 17-year-old British girl (Kate Winslet) persuaded to marry into wealth against her will, and a 20-year-old bohemian artist (Leonardo Di Caprio) who won a third-class ticket on the ship in a game of poker. She attempted suicide; he became determined to rescue her from her stilted, upper-class funk.

Camerons script distilled, in a very simplistic narrative, all the class anxieties of the 19th century, which spilled over into the 20th, and which Hindi films have been exploring even more simplistically since the 1940s and 50s. Mughal-e-Azam, Sujata, Devdas, Maine Pyar Kiya, Bobby, and just a year before Titanic, Raja Hindustani are just a few Hindi movies in which social class / caste propel the drama of separation and union of lovers. And each had its own version of the shrill, hyper-emphatic anthem to star-crossed love.

In fact, Hindi film lovers had just about recovered from Raja Hindustanis Pardesi pardesi  composed by the seriously raag-challenged duo Nadeem-Shravan, written by Sameer and sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik; a combination that defined love bathos in 1990s Hindi movie music  when My heart will go on started playing at the end of every party.

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Rising in the East Two films that Bollywood made first, and then similar takes followed in Hollywood: A Common Man (2013): An American-Sri Lankan production directed by Chandran Rutnam, this is an official remake of Neeraj Pandey superhit, A Wednesday (2008). Ben Kinsley plays the lead role of Naseeruddin Shah  repeating a role that Shah first played more than 30 years after he bagged the role of Gandhi that Shah auditioned for and almost got. Delivery Man (2013): Vince Vaughn headlines this comedy written and directed by Ken Scott, about a man who gets lucky after donating his sperm. It was a remake of Scotts French-Canadian film Starbuck, but Bollywoods Shoojit Sircar made the hugely successful comedy Vicky Donor a year before Delivery Man, with the same theme.

As a nation and people, we love the tragic  at least we did at the time. Our favourite accompaniment to whiskey has long been weepy Mohammad Rafi songs. So the tragic love story of Jack and Rose was bound to resonate with Bollywood audiences instantly. That the heroine, in the final climactic moment, decides to live after the hero has frozen to death, and weeping, begins to feebly blow into a whistle calling for rescue across the icy, dark sea did not work against the movie.

Of course, the view that Cameron deliberately wanted to follow the Bollywood model, which floated about in the years following 1997, is a joke. As a screenwriter and director, Cameron has never been interested in realism or conceptual complexity; his themes are broad and his storytelling, simple. The majority of Bollywood directors and writers also arent interested in realism, but thats probably because they consider realism unsafe, escapism for audiences being the Bollywood canon that producers prefer to follow.

James Camerons simplistic story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Jack, set on the luxury liner just before it sank, distilled all the class anxieties of the 19th century that spilt over into the 20th.

Inspired by the Titanic From 1912 to 2010, the RMS Titanics sinking has inspired numerous films and television dramas. Here are seven versions besides James Camerons blockbuster: Saved from the Titanic (1912): Dorothy Gibson starred in this film, the prints of which were lost because of studio fire. The same year, it also inspired a German and a French silent film. Cavalcade (1933): Based on a play by Noel Coward, the two main characters in the film sink with the Titanic. Titanic (1943): A Nazi propaganda film in which a German First Officer is portrayed as the hero of the ship and the British as the villains. A Night to Remember (1958): A British docu-drama is based on the iconic book by Walter Lord. This is considered the most well-researched, historically accurate version of the sinking. Titanica (1992): An IMAX documentary directed by Stephen Low, which features interview with two survivors. The Legend of the Titanic (1999): An Italian animated fantasy about the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Titanic II (2010): A luxury cruise liner named Titanic II takes off on its maiden voyage, and its fate seems to be that of its namesake which sank 100 years earlier.

Cameron differs because he has never not been ambitious or out-of-the-box when it comes to visualising stories. He is one of the few directors in the world whose films justify their multi-million-dollar budget. The details in every scene are painstakingly worked out, the CGI is never grotesquely loud, and most of his films require more than a couple of years to complete.

Take Avatar, the tale of conflict between good and evil, capitalism and nature, is a simple one, and yet he turns it into breathtaking cinema; his films are visually all-encompassing of the senses.

Titanic certainly justifies its 200-million-dollar budget. I watched it for the second time a few days ago, this time, as would suit 2017, on my laptop. The sinking of the ship takes up about an hour of the three-hour-plus runtime. The dialogue sounded as theatrical as it did 20 years ago. The background score that combined Celtic and big brass sounds, as effusive. The love story, as sparkling in moments and stagey throughout. But it is still a marvel, a phenomenon that couldnt have been stopped.

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Things that Titanic birthed Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the film, the luxury adventure company Blue Marble Private has introduced a trip to the wreckage of the RMS Titanic at 86,500 per ticket. The first trip, meant for a group of nine, will embark on a trip two miles under the sea in a mini-submarine in May 2018. They will fly by helicopter from Newfoundland to the expeditions support yacht in water of the North Atlantic. The Rose Barbie: Barbie introduced a Rose doll in 2007, on the 10th anniversary of the film-a vision in red, with serious curls and a crimson-and-black lace gown. Titanic movie memorabilia: Original costumes and props, stickers, T-shirts and books are available to buy at www.titanicmoviememorabilia.com.

Camerons combination of brilliant spectacle, hubris, technical mastery over form, and an instinct for what will please the mass audience is unmatched in movie history. The last decade of big-budget filmmaking has been a giant digital slam, which roaring marketing (there are Iron Man pyjamas, bobblehead dolls, helmets, T-shirts and cereal bowls) keeps afloat for at least two, and if the producer is lucky, three weekends. The challenge the director sets himself or herself up for is: How much more technology can we show in the sequel?

Bollywood has taken time to use technology well in big-budget movies. And when it has, in the past few years, with Baahubali showing the way, it has been in the same digital-slam style of the Hollywood of the past decade. Big-budget in Bollywood is still largely about stars, not a directors vision.

Titanic justifies every bit of its $200-million budget. All its special effects are about perfecting the moments on screen and building suspense despite everyone knowing how most of the story goes.

Camerons computerised hydraulics in Titanic is about perfecting the moments on screen, and how to retain an extraordinary degree of suspense despite everyone knowing how the movie will end. The doll that lies eerily on the ocean floor in the arms of a little girl; the ships designer adjusting the clock as the giant vessel prepares for its last plunge; the Irish mother in third-class consoling a terrified her child; the harrowed crowds little gestures of hope, and then resignation, and the variety of shots that Cameron manages through it all  these are expensive details. There is no confusion in Camerons vision, and there are no technical flashes that exist for their own sake.

Thats why Titanic matters, and why movie-lovers wont let go of the most Bollywood Hollywood movie ever made. Rich girls doomed affair with poor boy  that doesnt excite even the most formulaic of Bollywood writers today.

(Sanjukta Sharma is a Mumbai-based writer and critic)
The police arrested two car thieves, both history-sheeters, with three country-made firearms and 27 live rounds in Dahisar on Thursday.

Officials are now trying to determine why a pair of car thieves was carrying firearms and other weapons, as well as from where they acquired them.

After receiving information that one of the car thieves would be going to a housing society in Dahisar (East), the crime branchs anti-motor vehicle theft cell laid a trap by posting officials in plainclothes around the spot, said Nisar Tamboli, DCP (detection 1).

When the accused arrived at the spot in a white Swift, officials caught them. On searching the car, they found two country-made pistols and one country-made rifle, as well as 27 live rounds, two used bullets, a knife, a sickle and other metal parts used in breaking car locks.

The accused have several car theft cases against them at Samta Nagar, Sion, Kalachowkie, Kasturba Marg, Mulund and Kapurbawdi police stations in Mumbai and Thane, revealed an official from crime branch, who did not wish to be named.

The accused were produced before a metropolitan magistrate and have been remanded in police custody.

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The public accounts committee (PAC) on Friday rapped the social justice department for not using a major chunk of the Rs571crore meant for residential schools for students from scheduled castes.

The report tabled by the head of the committee and Congress legislator, Gopaldas Agarwal, in Assembly on Friday said the amount was allocated between 2006 and 2012 to construct 100 schools.

The fund was transferred to the public works department, but work on only 76 schools has been completed owing to lack of planning. Five schools are yet to be transferred to the social justice department. Construction of seven schools is in progress. Land has been made available for six schools, for which the administrative approval is currently in progress. Land has not been made available for six schools, said the report that does not specify the amount that is unused.

The accounts committee termed it an example of the financial indiscipline, adding the delay has led to a rise in construction price putting uncalled for burden on the state exchequer.

The panel directed the government to complete the work on schools by the end of the year, failing which the remaining funds should be submitted back or utilised for other welfare schemes.

The committee observed that even schools that are functional have negligible number of students.

It suggested the department to adopt measures to ensure rise in the number of students from scheduled caste and consider admitting students from other reserved categories too.

The report also pointed at a loss of Rs33.72 lakh owing to duplication in purchasing of bed sheets, blankets and pillows for residential schools.

It also slammed the department for a loss of Rs1.61 lakh toward unnecessary purchase of chappals of size 2 to 5, instead of the 6 to 9 for students.

It stated the contractor appointed to install biometric machines for attendance installed 3,321 biometric machines instead of 5,050 and was paid Rs11.67 crore instead of Rs8.23 crore.

State approves removal of gaothans from slum map

Taking into the account the long-pending demands of residents, the state government has set the ball rolling to delete gaothans and koliwadas from slum maps in Mumbai.

The state government has asked its revenue department to undertake the exercise.

This comes after Bandra MLA Ashish Shelar raised the issue in the legislative Assembly earlier this week.

A consultant has been appointed to look into the matter. As a part of the process, there will also be a chapter that will be framed under the development control regulations to look into the issues of gaothans and koliwadas, Shelar said.

Gaothan residents have welcomed the decision. They have been demanding that their areas be marked as gaothans and not slums.

They said the decision would give gaothans and koliwadas their rightful status.

Earlier, several of these gaothans have been marked as slums in the DP. It did not go down well with residents because they would receive small tenements in exchange for their bigger homes.

We have always wanted the unique identity of our areas to be protected. We had earlier got 52 gaothans and 20 koliwadas demarcated as such. The stand taken by Ashish Shelar is a welcome move, said Godfrey Pimenta, trustee of Watchdog Foundation.

Prahlad Worlikar, secretary of Worli Koliwada Owners Community Welfare Cooperative Society said, As original residents of these properties, we should have the right to develop our areas, said Worlikar.

Neil Pereira, a member of Palli Gaothan East Indian Resident Association, said they wanted a time frame for demarcation.

MLA alleges scam in hostel maintenance

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA alleged irregularities in the repair and maintenance of Manora hostel for MLAs at Nariman Point.

Raising the issue through point of information in the legislative Assembly, MLA Charan Waghamare, representing Tumsar in Bhandara, said Rs 28 lakh to Rs 30 lakh per flat of Manora hostel was usurped without actual repair or maintenance. The state government has ordered a probe into the case.

He said information obtained by him under the Right To Information Act had revealed that officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) prepared fake estimates, submitted bogus bills and made fake entries of workers. He said according to the rules, renovation per flat measuring 330 square feet cant exceed Rs5 lakh, but for the Manora hostel, the bill was in the range of Rs28 lakh to Rs 30 lakh.

Waghmare said after he complained to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, PWD officials changed the records and tried to prove that the serial numbers of flats were wrongly registered. To cover up the wrongdoings, officials conspired to weaken the flat structure of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Satish Patil. After chief minister ordered for the probe, the report was submitted in seven days. Though the government has suspended two officials, a criminal case needs to be registered against the officials, he said.

Seconding Waghmare, Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar said the PWD had spent Rs 28 lakh to repair of his flat.

PWD minister Chandrakant Patil informed the house that an official of the rank of superintendent engineer will conduct the probe. The minister said the MLA complaining about the corruption was free to lodge a first information report (FIR) in the case.

Pension for Emergency detainees?

On the lines of monetary relief to freedom fighters, the Maharashtra government may provide several benefits, including pension, for those who were detained under the erstwhile draconian Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assured the state Assembly that his government would take a positive step during the upcoming cabinet meeting in January. According to one estimate, Maharashtra has around 9,000 MISA detainees. During the Emergency, imposed by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977, thousands of people were jailed under MISA. To a question, raised by senior BJP member Eknath Khadse in the Assembly, the CM said his government was gathering information about the number of detainees. We have already prepared a resolution and would place it in the cabinet meeting for approval, he added.

Khadse pointed out that several states were giving pension to MISA detainees.

Khadse reminded the CM of his assurance given to the detainees and said he should clarify his stand. Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh provide pension to such people. Most detainees were from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Left parties
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in its first information report filed on January 29, 2011, had named former chief minister Ashok Chavan as accused number 13 in the Adarsh society case.

According to the FIR, Chavan got involved in a criminal conspiracy when he was the state revenue minister in 2000. His proposal that civilians be made members of the society was approved. His ulterior motive  allowing his relatives to secure flats in the society.

RC Thakur, brigadier Madan Mohan Wanchu and Kanhaiyalal Gidwani were also involved in the plot, said the FIR.

The CBI said that after civil members were inducted into the society, state government officials expedited the process of land allotment.

In 2009, then chief minister Chavan exempted the society from reserving 15% space for a recreational ground  an exemption that was not allowed by the previous government.

In turn, Chavan secured membership for his close relatives, according to the CBI. According to the FIR, Chavan abused his official position to favour the society.

A case was filed on the charges of conspiracy, cheating, forgery and sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The CBI had recorded Chavans statement in connection with the case. It had also questioned several people to ascertain the number of civilians who got flats in the society on Chavans orders. They found that there were six such flats.

Two were registered in the names of Chavans mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

In 2014, former governor K Sankaranarayanan refused sanctions to prosecute Chavan. The CBI had moved an application in a special court, seeking the approval to remove Chavans name from the list of accused, which was rejected.

In October 2015, the joint director of CBI, Mumbai, had sought sanctions to prosecute Chavan under section 197 (issuing or signing false certificate) of the criminal procedure code, based on fresh material, namely, the justice Patil commission report and the Bombay high courts observations of the criminal revision application.

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The Bombay high courts decision to reject the Maharashtra governors sanction to prosecute former chief minister Ashok Chavan in connection with the Adarsh case comes as a boost for the Congress.

Chavan, currently Maharashtra Congress chief, was entrusted with the job of reviving the party unit in a state that was once a Congress stronghold, but faced defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. However, questions were raised over whether he would continue in the post, amid the BJP-led governments stance on him. Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao had allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation to prosecute Chavan, acting on the Fadnavis governments recommendation.

Maharashtra is an important state for the Congress. It has 48 Lok Sabha seats, of which the Congress has traditionally won a large chunk. The party has always wanted to form the government in the state as Indias financial capital is here.

As part of its plan to regain its lost ground in the state, the party leadership appointed Chavan as the Maharashtra Congress chief in March 2015. A prominent Maratha leader, Chavans electoral performance made him the top pick. Party members were more welcoming towards him, compared to other top leaders in the state. As chief minister, he led the party to victory in the 2009 Assembly polls. During the Modi wave in 2014, the Congress won just two Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, of which one was in Nanded, where Chavan contested. More recently, he stopped the BJPs winning streak in the civic elections, defeating it in Nanded.

Sources said the Congress top brass is looking at who can lead in Maharashtra, following the Gujarat polls. However, they are not convinced about alternatives such as former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and Opposition leader in Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil. While former chief minister Narayan Rane was once being considered, he has now joined the BJP.

It is important for the party to decide who will lead it in the run-up to the elections. Former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is no more. Sushilkumar Shinde is almost retired. Chavan is our best bet,said a senior Congress leader. With the high court preventing his prosecution, Chavan is now free to lead, said the leader.

Chavan also shares a cordial relationship with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar. An alliance with the NCP will be inevitable, if the Congress wants to win the next Assembly election.

While it is unclear whether the Congress will want Chavan to continue as the Maharashtra unit chief, he is surely a key player for the party as it looks to regain ground ceded to the Modi wave in its erstwhile stronghold.

Opposition demands Governors resignation

Following the HC ruling, leaders from both the Congress as well as NCP demanded resignation of state governor C Vidyasagar Rao. NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said Raos decision was politically motivated and as such he should resign after the HC has struck it down.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday invited investors to his state saying that the law and order there has improved drastically and bureaucratic red-tapism has been controlled.

In an interaction with industry captains, organised jointly by UP government and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), at Mumbai, Adityanath said such an atmosphere didnt exist in UP a year ago. A year ago, if we talked of investing in Uttar Pradesh, investors used to get frightened owing to the law and order situation. However, ever since I took over, there has been a positive environment, said Adityanath.

He said the two main hurdles have been resolved. First, the bureaucratic red-tapism drove away investors and even if some survived that, the prevailing law and order became a big problem, rued Adityanath. We tackled both as we have zero tolerance to both crime and corruption. We destroyed the mafia raj.

The UP CM said his government also introduced a single-window approval system in the CMs office and started a new cell to attract investments. He added that the aim was to provide employment and remove regional imbalances. We are repealing 1,200 obsolete laws and easing labour laws, he added.

Adityanath also talked of various initiatives like the new industrial policy, Made In UP initiative, host of industrial parks, dedicated freight corridors and incentives to investors.

The seminar was a precursor to the Investors Summit 2018 that will be held in Lucknow on February 21 and 22, 2018.

The seminar was attended by various industrialists and Bollywood personalities. Actor Randeep Hooda endorsed the law and order situation in UP. One of my friends was attacked in Uttar Pradesh and when I tweeted this incident to the Chief Ministers office, the goons were caught within hours, said Hooda.

The seminar was organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to promote investment in the state. The new policy promises largesse like incentives linked to employment generation, sops in stamp duty, tax sops as well as allotment of subsidized rates. Currently the development of Uttar Pradesh has been haphazard as except for areas like Noida most of the other parts remain undeveloped. The state has been trying to attract investments. In the past, former chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav have visited Mumbai and tried to woo industrialists by showcasing their achievements.

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A person cannot be presumed to be guilty of abetment to suicide merely because he or she has been named in a suicide note, the Mumbai sessions court observed while granting anticipatory bail to a serving police officer and his family members booked for abetting the suicide of a woman.

Damodhar Chaudhari and his family have been booked by Navghar police station.

According to police, Mulund resident Ria Palande hanged herself in her house. She purportedly wrote a suicide note on the wall and also left a note in her shop at Mulund, naming Chaudharis family members for harassment.

Palendes son, Kumar, lodged a complaint against the police officer and his family.

In May 2015, Ria had approached Bharti with an offer to sell a flat in Bandra. Relying on that Bharti had paid Rs 10 lakhs to Ria and later paid the entire amount (Rs 50 lakhs) in instalment, Damodhars lawyer Anjali Awasthi said. However, Ria failed to execute the necessary agreement and Bharti demanded a refund.

The police officers lawyer pleaded that none of Damodhar familys members instigated or created a situation leaving Ria Palande no option to commit suicide and therefore they could not have been booked for abetting the suicide.

The police, on the other hand, claimed that Damodhars family members harassed Palande and she ended her life due it. They also contended that if pre-arrest bail was granted, there was every likelihood of prosecution evidence and witnesses getting tampered. The court, however, noticed that there were disputes between Ria and Damodhar over monetary transactions and refused to believe in the prosecutions case.

Merely because a person has been named in a suicide note, we are not to immediately jump to the conclusion that he/she is an offender under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the IPC. The contents of the suicide note and other circumstances have to be examined to find out whether it is abetment within the meaning of Section 306 IPC read with Section 107 (abetment to any crime) IPC. There may be a case wherein suicide note victim had named a person, who is responsible for his/her committing suicide, but on proper analysis, of Section 306 IPC may not be attracted to him, said the sessions court.

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A political comeback for former revenue minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Eknath Khadse seems even more unlikely now. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday indicated that a probe panel report into allegations against Khadse will not be made public as of now. We will publish the report at an appropriate time. He refused to say when.

In fact, Fadnavis told the Assembly that the report submitted by the Zoting committee is not relevant any more after the Bombay high court ordered an independent inquiry into the case. The panel, which was constituted to probe an alleged scam into a land deal in Bhosri, Pune, involving Khadses family, had submitted its report on June 30 this year and the former minister was anxiously waiting for his rehabilitation in the government.

Fadnavis said the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has now filed a FIR in the Bhosri land case and an inquiry is in progress.

After constitution of the committee, a petition was filed in the high court, which asked authorities to lodge a complaint in the case. We requested the court to wait for the committee report, but the request was turned down by the court. It also directed the ACB to register a case. As that probe is on, the report has no relevance as such and it has been clarified by the court, too, he said.

This means the report is unlikely to be made public by the government. Khadse was removed from the cabinet in June 2016 after a controversy over a deal of land owned by Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) at Bhosri. Khadse is facing charges of misusing his powers as revenue minister to enable his wife and son- in-law to purchase land at a much cheaper rate.

Fadnavis also informed the Assembly that the report of the committee probing alleged irregularities in de-notification of MIDC land by industries minister Subhash Desai will be submitted in 15 days. The MIDC comes under the jurisdiction of the industries department, while land acquisition-related matters are governed by the revenue department.

Former additional chief secretary KP Bakshi is probing the allegations.

The CM also said the Lokayukta has registered terms of reference for the probe of the case related to housing minister Prakash Mehta and the registration of the statement of the minister will begin soon. He said the ombudsman has also gathered information from departments concerned.

Opposition had alleged the Mehta has been held guilty in the preliminary inquiry by Lokayukta for facilitating the transfer of additional building rights of slum-dwellers to a builder, thus dolling out a windfall of Rs500 crore. Leader of opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said, According to a media report, the Lokayukta has preliminary found Mehta having cleared the file to ensure gains to the builder. The additional building rights were transferred illegally. Slum rehabilitation rules do not have any such provision of transfer. The papers related to the resolution by the society of slumdwellers refusing any additional FSI are also missing from the file, he said.

Fadnavis announced in the legislative assembly on Friday that the Maharashtra police has rolled out e-complaint facility to facilitate citizens filing police complaints. He said the complaints can also be filed by downloading the App meant for registering complaints.

Citizens wont have to wait to register complaints with the police. If the case registered online is cognisable, the police station concerned will summon the complainant for lodging of an FIR. The complainant will be intimated about investigation via SMS, he said.

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It is going to be difficult to hold exhibitions and put up kiosks on footpaths, promenades and service roads in Mumbai.

In a relief to pedestrians, civic chief Ajoy Mehta has directed his ward officials to not issue permits for such events. He said he will grant such approvals instead  only in exceptional cases.

Earlier, event organisers had to visit their respective ward offices to seek permission. Approval was granted by an assistant municipal commissioner-level officer.

The new rule is likely to free up various footpaths and promenades. In a circular, Mehta said kiosks and exhibitions on promenades cause huge inconvenience to pedestrians and should therefore be prohibited.

He said many citizens have complained about lack of space for pedestrians. He added that various types of fairs on promenades hampered their beauty.

No permission shall be granted for conducting any exhibition, commercial activity or fair or any activity that hinders public enjoyment of promenade or open walkways, service roads opposite to the promenade of the Marine Drive. However, the permission will be granted in exceptional cases by the municipal commissioner, read the circular.

Marine Drive promenade is one of the walkways that witness regular fairs and exhibitions by NGOs and companies.

Some NGOs also organise various social activities on the service road opposite Marine Drive promenade. Residents had earlier complained to A-ward (Fort), stating that such exhibitions have not only caused inconvenience to pedestrians but also motorists owing to shrinking space.

Residents also want the civic body to prevent blocking of service road or promenades which occur owing to wedding functions on the gymkhana ground along Marine Drive.

Atul Kumar, a member of the Narimant Point residents association, said, This is a limited notification as it excludes weddings that use up the entire service road for parking, generators, decorations and food service trucks. However, it is still a big step taken in ensuring access to service roads, promenades and footpaths.
Expect no less than a blast when Wiz Khalifa takes the stage at an upcoming music festival in Goa next week. The American rapper, songwriter and actor has heard interesting things about India from his friends, and says hes looking forward to creating personal memories, once he is here.

Ive always heard them [friends] narrate personal experiences, or talk about the differences between India and America. I am more looking forward to creating my own stories, says the 30-year-old, adding that he is keeping an open mind so as to embrace the culture as soon as he lands here. Ask him about his interaction with Indian fans thusfar, and the See You Again, Sucker For Pain Black And Yellow hitmaker says he owes it to the Internet for helping him stay close to admirers around the world.

The Internet is an amazing tool for me to connect with my audience. I love that I can connect globally with my audience. I watch closely how people react to my music and use that to drive me forward. And, I love the chance to perform. Its a great way to stay connected and interact with my fans, he says.

We ask him about the songs he is going to perform in India, but he does not want to reveal much. Every show is about the people. So, I will know once Im there what I think the fans want to see from me. And then bring it! says Khalifa, who is also open to collaborating with Indian artists if things fall in place. I dont currently have any specific plans, but I am always open to working with dope artists no matter where they are from. I listen to every kind of music. I dont have any favorites but I love listening to a diverse playlist. I have also [heard a lot about Bollywood]. I dont know a ton about it but it looks dope! says the rapper.

LNFL  @people A post shared by Wiz Khalifa (@wizkhalifa) on Nov 16, 2017 at 12:20pm PST

We ask him about what drives him to create music, and how he deals with success and failure. Really, the music just comes to me. Once I hear what Im going to be working on, I cant stop my brain from coming up with what needs to come out....Failure doesnt bother me. But I dont always choose to look at it like failure. I love doing what Im doing. Sometimes people f*** with it. And sometimes they dont. But no matter what, Im going to be me and make the music and art that I want to make, he says.

We switch to the lighter topic of his favourite tattoos, given that his body is covered with art. I got Bob Marley and Willie Nelson on my feet. I think thats pretty cool, he says.

Party patrol  A post shared by Wiz Khalifa (@wizkhalifa) on Aug 6, 2017 at 9:40pm PDT

Finally, on the subject of what keeps him occupied when he is not making music, he says, My son [Sebastian Taylor Thomaz]. Hes everything to me. So, the second Im not working, I am with him.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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The magisterial inquiry ordered by the Ghaziabad district magistrate into the mysterious death of class 4 student, Arman Sehgal, has been finalised and the report may recommend a probe by an expert agency, sources said.

The class 4 student had died under mysterious circumstances on the premises of the GD Goenka School on August 1. Following the students death, his parents had approached the Ghaziabad district magistrate, who initiated an inquiry to probe an alleged laxity or negligence on part of the school authorities.

Armans parents had also lodged an FIR against school officials for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and destruction of evidence. The school authorities had later approached the Allahabad high court in a bid to quash the FIR.

According to official sources, the inquiry may highlight the alleged issue of non-functional CCTV cameras, irregularities found in the medical room and any alleged violation of safety standards.

During an initial inspection of the school following the incident, the additional district magistrate (city) had found a non functional oxygen cylinder and absence of medical staff from the room and other issues. During the inspection, the medical staff had said the staffer had gone to attend some other teacher when Arman was brought to the medical room after he suffered injury.

Sources said the alleged irregularities highlighted in the inspection report will also be a part of the inquiry.

The recommendations of the inquiry report will be studied and proper action will be recorded based on the findings, said Ritu Maheshwari, district magistrate.

Sources said the inquiry report may also highlight the issue of cleaning of the incident site where the child had fallen during the incident.

The school authorities have already maintained that Arman had fallen which led to his death.

Recently, lawyer representing Armans parents, had also moved the state human rights commission against the alleged laxity in investigation by police.

This court takes a very serious view of the manner in which the investigation is being conducted and complacent attitude of repeated informing the Court that the report of Forensic Science Laboratory, Lucknow is still awaited, the high court in its November 28 order had said.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for January 16, 2018.

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The accident happened as the labourers were reconstructing the wall that had collapsed in the rains 2 weeks ago.
A day after members of the right wing organisations and the city unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged protests outside a house where celebration of an inter-faith marriage was taking place in Raj Nagar locality, the police have lodged two FIRs under stringent IPC sections.

The protesters on Friday were opposing the marriage of a 27-year-old Hindu woman who got married to a Muslim man from Noida at the Ghaziabad court. Their families, relatives and friends had organised a get together at the womans Raj Nagar residence but the celebrations sparked protests.

We have lodged two FIRs. One is on complaint forwarded by womans family while the other is lodged by the police. The FIR by police has several persons named, said HN Singh, senior superintendent of police.

The protests led by the BJPs city president Ajay Sharma also saw protesters blocking the main Hapur Chungi to Meerut Crossing road and the traffic had to be diverted. They allegedly clashed with police and the officials also had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the protesters.

According to officials from Kavi Nagar police station, the FIR lodged by brides family did not name anyone but mentioned 50-60 unidentified persons. They said the second FIR named 13 persons, including BJPs city president along with 100 other unidentified persons.

We have already spoken about the issue and apprised partys state unit office bearers. The issue has also reached the Uttar Pradesh chief minister while he was on his visit to Noida. We maintain that police resorted to lathicharge and have lodged a fake case against us in order to hide their act, said Ajay Sharma, BJPs city unit president.

The police said that among others named, is Mahesh Ahuja, the vice president of state unit of the Shiv Sena.

We will resort to legal action against the FIR. It seems, the government, is working against the sentiments of the majority population. We have also handed over a memorandum to the district magistrate on Friday and explained all the activities which led us to protest, he added.

The couple and their families knew each other and decided to perform a court marriage under the Special Marriage Act at Ghaziabad court on Friday.

Brides father, who is a chartered accountant, denounced the protests and told police and administration officials that the marriage was held with proper consent of the two families and even the couple.

Despite protests, the two families performed marriage but cut short the celebrations which were held at brides house. A heavy contingent of police along with administrative officials remained stationed in the locality to prevent any escalation of law and order or safety issues for the families.
At the end of 2015, soon after Nepal promulgated a new constitution, the Madhesis of the countrys southern plains intensified a movement seeking revisions in the structure of political representation and federalism. The constitution, they believed, would create a deeply inequitable polity. An Indian diplomat then told a Madhesi interlocutor, Why dont you promulgate your own constitution? That is the only way Kathmandu will learn a lesson. We are with you.

A year-and-a-half later, in the middle of 2017, Nepal was all set to hold its local elections. Madhesi parties, still waiting for an amendment, did not wish to participate in the polls since that would have meant endorsing the constitution. A key Indian diplomat then told the same Madhesi interlocutor, Madhes is a liability for us... you should surrender to the Kathmandu mainstream, even if it means being second class citizens...Indias only interest is in keeping Kathmandu happy so that it doesnt move to China.

In those contrasting messages lies the tale of Indias Nepal diplomacy. It also explains Nepals recent electoral result  where a communist alliance on an explicitly anti-India plank has won  and how Indian inconsistency, ad-hoc policy making, multiplicity of power centres, conflicting messages, and absence of will has contributed to it.

Indian diplomacy has gone through five interlinked phases in the last two years in Nepal.

The first was defining its core concern in Nepals constitutional project. When Nepals hill elite came close to drafting its constitution in August-September 2015, and the Tarai began burning, Delhi slowly sent signals to Kathmandu that an inclusive constitution that took into account Madhesi concerns was advisable. This was good advice  an inclusive Nepal is good for both Nepal since it would cater to aspirations for all citizens and for India since it would create balances in a polity known for anti Indian nationalism. But the advice came too late. India had neither used its leverage with Nepali parties nor prepared Indian political opinion well enough to emphasise why an inclusive constitution was essential. Nepals hill elite went ahead with their statute. India lost the moment.

It was because they left intervention too late that India and its Madhesi allies ended up using their most potent weapon  blocking supplies at the border to put pressure on Kathmandu  to revise the constitutional compact. This generated a backlash in the hills, gave the then PM K P Oli ammunition to stoke ultra nationalism, and reach out to a willing China. It also began drawing criticism within India  as the Congress saw it as a tool to hit out with at the Modi government.

Rattled by the criticism, without achieving its desired objective fully, India prodded the Madhesis to withdraw the blockade. This led to triumphalism in Kathmandus conservative polity  they had defeated Indias Brahmastra. The lesson drawn was simple  if you screech against India, if you play the China card, Delhi will get scared and back off.

This is when India decided that its priority was no longer an inclusive constitution as much as it was removing Oli from office; or teaching him a lesson. It managed to persuade Prachanda to withdraw from the alliance, stitch a coalition with the Nepali Congress, and Delhi could thus tell its own domestic audience all was fine back in Nepal.

The final act was when India pushed the Madhesi parties to participate in elections  even though they were deeply uncomfortable with the constitution, almost making a two year policy exercise futile.

Through this process, there was a powerful constituency within Indias political establishment which was sending an entirely different message to Nepal  our interest is really in a Hindu rashtra, not inclusion. Kathmandus hill leaders made most of the divide within Indias ruling establishment.

And so Delhi lost the Nepali elite: it threw away powerful leverage by forcing Madhesis to accept a system where they can never swing the balance; and it opened doors for the Chinese. This election has marked Nepals shift from being a partly sovereign country  where India had a role in domestic political management  to an almost fully sovereign country  where Indian leverage in Nepals internal politics has shrunk to its most negligible.

The loss of political control is accompanied by  or is perhaps because of  Indias shrinking leverage with a new generation of Nepali politicians, civil society and opinion makers who are either exposed to the western world or are rooted in the Nepali speaking world and have little emotional investment in the bonds with India.

India has got away in the past because it had a monopoly on Nepali politics. With China strongly backing the left alliance, this is now shattered. It is now stuck with two bad choices  remain an ineffective and incompetent manager of Nepals domestic politics and put off everyone, or stay away and see China fill the vacuum. Both options have strategic costs.

prashant.jha1@htlive.com

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Air India on Saturday flagged off the direct flight between Amritsar and Nanded from Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar. The flight was flagged off by Vijay Sampla.

The flight was a long-pending demand of Sikh pilgrims from Punjab wanting to visit Nanded, Maharashtra. From Punjab, most pilgrims go for the pilgrimage to Nanded by train, which takes around 48 hours. The launching of the direct flight has been welcomed by the Sikh masses as the journey will now take only two hours .

Nandeds importance The 10th Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh had made Nanded his permanent abode and passed his teachings before his death in 1708. Sikh temporal seat Takht Sri Hazur Sahib is situated here, where thousands of pilgrims from across the world come to pay obeisance.

Credit wars

The flight, welcomed by Sikh pilgrims, was inaugurated in the midst of a credit-taking war between Congress Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar Gurjit Singh Aujla and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Shwait Malik.

Claiming that he made efforts to ensure this flight starts, Aujla broke the news about Air India starting the flight and also released its schedule. Refuting this claim, Malik stated that the department of civil aviation came under the jurisdiction of Centre, which is led by BJP, and being a member of BJP he had conducted several meetings with the minister and authorities concerned.

On first day of the flight, both the MPs reached the airport. First, Aujla, along with Congress MLA OP Soni, reached. Few minutes later, Malik, along with Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla, former BJP minister Anil Joshi, senior BJP leader Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina and SAD urban president Gurpartap Singh Tikka, reached.

Leaders of both parties met inside the airport during a brief cake-cutting ceremony. Former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti did ardas (prayer) on the occasion. It is the only Union government and its departments that can start or stop flights, Malik said, targeting Aujla.

I have been conducting meetings with minister concerned for the past a year. Aujla has claimed that he has met director general of civil aviation (DGCA). He doesnt know DGCAs only duty is to look after the affairs of airport, he added. It was Congress-led United Progress Alliance (UPA) that sabotaged the Amritsar airport by stopping important flights from here. In view of this, Aujla should apologise., he added.

Sampla thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating the pilgrims from Punjab.

On the other hand, Aujla was amongst the 262 passengers who went to Nanded through flight. The flight left for Nanded at 10.55 am. Pradip Khrola CMD Air India Limited, Pankaj Srivastava Director Commercial Air India Limited, Manoj Sinha Airport Director were also present on the launching ceremony.
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on Saturday gunned down an elderly Pakistani national, suspected to be an intruder, in the area under border outpost Vadhai Cheeman near Ajnala on late Friday night.

Sources said jawans of 70th battalion of BSF found three persons crossing the zero line from Pakistans side at around 11.00 pm. Foiling their infiltration bid, troops fired gunshots at them. In the firing, one person died, while others managed to flee towards the Pak side of the international border.

The deceased is 65 years old. Pakistani currency worth Rs 377, one lighter, two matchboxes, a rope and two newspaper clippings were recovered from his possession. The security agencies are investigating the matter.

While sharing this information, BSF spokesperson DIG RS Kataria said the deceased had not been identified yet. Kataria said the deceased did not seem like a professional criminal and nothing objectionable was recovered from his possession. We are trying to ascertain the reason behind his infiltration bid, he added.

It may be recalled that the battalion held three Pak nationals who entered India side at border outpost Saharan on December 20. Three mobile phones and Pakistani currency worth Rs 4,000 was recovered from them. After an investigation, the BSF handed them to Pak Rangers.
The ongoing Christmas holidays in Canada are likely to delay the process of bringing back the body of Sahaj Juneja, the 19-year-old from Jalandhar who died on Wednesday, two days after landing in Toronto.

On Friday, his family members had approached the external affairs ministry to help them bring his body back. Speaking to HT, they said the government has assured to help them but they are worried that the process will be delayed due Christmas holidays in Canada.

Presently, Sahajs body is in a morgue in Toronto. The family says they do not have resources to bring back his body.

His brother-in-law Prabhjeet Singh said the external affairs ministry took up the matter with the Indian high commission in Ottawa (Canada) on Friday.

The officials told the family that it would take over two weeks in completing the documentation process as the officials concerned are on Christmas holidays.

We talked to the officials of the Indian Commission in Canada on Saturday but they did not confirm that the body will be brought back this week. The ministry is finding tough to take up the matter with the Canadian government due to the holidays, Prabhjeet said.

The family members are in a state of shock and it will be a torturous experience to them if there is a delay in bringing the body back, said Sahajs father Inderjit Singh.

His mother Anu Juneja said, It was his dream to live a comfortable life abroad. He was happy as his dream was coming true. We even went to the Golden Temple to seek the blessings of Waheguru two days before his departure. We couldnt even imagine that we will never see him again.

I have already spent over Rs 12 lakh for sending my only son to Canada after borrowing from relatives and taking a loan. I run a small shop and my financial condition is not so good that I can afford to bring my sons body back, Inderjit said.

Sampla, Mann take up issue with Swaraj

Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Vijay Sampla and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann have also taken up the matter with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to bring back the body at the governments expenses.

The family, who live in Green Model Town locality, said Sahaj had taken admission at Lambton College in Mississauga, Ontario.

He had completed Class 12 (commerce) from Delhi Public School in Jalandhar, the family said.

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With seizure of 4.5 kg of gold valued at Rs 1.25 crore in the past two weeks alone, the Chandigarh International Airport is turning out to be a favoured route for smuggling in the region. HT explains why, and answers other questions raised by this trend.

What makes Chandigarh favoured by gold smugglers?

Smugglers are under the impression that since the Chandigarh airport is new, the level of surveillance is not stringent in comparison to airports of big cities, a customs official said. But the surveillance is high now. We have seized gold valued above Rs 3 crore in the past year, he said.

How did it begin here?

It started with the commencement of international operations in September last year with Dubai and Sharjah flights. Bangkok flight was added this month.

What is the preferred route?

Barring a few cases from Sharjah, most of gold seizures were from Dubai-returned passengers. The price difference in Indian and Dubai markets is a major trigger behind smuggling, besides purity of gold. Per tola (10 gram) price difference in Indian and Dubai market is Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,000 for 24 carat gold. Smugglers earn up to Rs 5 lakh per kg. Also, there are strict rules on gold procurement in India, which too makes smuggling attractive.

What are the emerging routes?

Thailands capital Bangkok is a newly emerging route. After just 10 days of the first flight, the customs team seized 450-gm gold worth Rs 12 lakh from a passenger on Thursday. There is a price difference of Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per tola between Indian and Thai markets. Moreover, Thailand is a stopover for many international destinations.

How much gold can passengers legally bring from abroad?

As per the current rules, holder of Indian passport, having six months continuous stay abroad, can bring up to 1kg of gold either in gold coins, biscuits, or other ornaments, on payment of 10% customs duty. If someone does not fulfil the six-month stay condition, the duty is 36%. Smugglers try to evade this hefty duty.

Is there any provision of duty-free gold?

Yes, the but quantity permitted is low and it has to be in the form of ornaments. A woman passenger is allowed to bring 40 grams of gold; 20 grams in case of male. But there is another rider. This, too, is only for those staying abroad for more than six months. It means that leisure travellers cant bring any quantity of gold without paying duty. The local airport authorities seized gold chains and ornament from several Dubai-returned passengers, who were later made to pay 36% custom duty and penalty.

Whats the method?

Earlier this month, a smuggler from Delhi tried to sneak in with nearly 3kg gold by concealing it in a vacuum cleaner. In the past, smugglers have used coffee mugs, lunch boxes and even their body cavities to conceal the gold in an attempt to dodge the checks. Also, 1kg gold was found unclaimed inside a passenger seat. In Wednesdays seizure, the gold was in the shape of ringlets inside the stitch buttons coated in white colour.

What kind of people are caught here?

A customs official said the gold is seized mostly from couriers working for larger nexus. They are paid Rs 15,000 per assignment. He said many of them revealed the identity of their handlers operating abroad, but they remained tightlipped on their Indian handlers, who are believed to be the masterminds. People from Punjab, Delhi and even Maharashtra were caught in different incidents.

What happens after the seizure?

Custom department confiscates the gold and begins adjudication process. An official said that in most of cases where couriers are involved, they dont respond to showcause notices and thus avoid hearings to hide the nexus. In cases where adjudication is decided, the penalty reaches up to 90% of the smuggled golds value. Zonal commissioner of customs department decides the adjudication in cases where gold seizure is valued at Rs 20 lakh and above.

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Top police officials of Gurdaspur and Pathankot have denied news reports of security agencies being put on high alert in the border areas of Punjab on Saturday.

Earlier, some news reports had said that the security agencies were put on high alert after intelligence inputs of infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan.

There were also reports that the security was tightened in Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts, particularly at the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot that bore the brunt of the terror attack on January 2, 2016, and the nearby Mamoon cantonment of the army.

Gurdaspur senior superintendent of police (SSP) H SBhullar said that he had not received any such intelligence inputs.

Similarly, Pathankot SSP, Viveksheel Soni also dismissed the reports and said false news regarding the high security alert in Pathankot was being telecast by one electronic news channel.

Suspected Pakistani terrorists had on July 27, 2015, attacked Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district, 225 km from here, killing seven persons, including a Punjab Police officer, three Home Guards and three civilians. The three terrorists were killed after an 11-hour gunbattle with security forces at Dinanagar police station.

Indias international border with Pakistan falls also in both districts of Gurdaspur and Pathankot adjoining Jammu and Kashmir.

(The story has been updated)
The Narcotics Control Bureaus annual report, 2016, which was released last week, shows that 999kg of the total heroin seizure of 1,675kg by all enforcement agencies and state police forces in the country was made in the two northern states. Of this, 657kg was seized in Haryana with 669 arrests in 441 cases, making it the state with the highest heroin haul in the country, it said.

Punjab and Haryana together accounted for 60% of heroin seizure in the country in 2016.

The border state of Punjab, which is fighting drug menace like never before, has been placed at number two with heroin seizure of 342kg and 1,970 arrests in 1,562 cases. A sizeable quantity of recovery was made from districts along with the international border with Pakistan. Another 175kg was seized in Jammu and Kashmir.

The region is particularly vulnerable as the southwest Asian-origin heroin (white and brownish mostly) enters the country through the Indo-Pakistan border and has a higher level of purity as compared to the locally produced variety. The purity decreases as it passes through a number of hands to the streets due to successive levels of adulteration, said a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) official.

Drug seizure in Punjab - 2016 Heroin: 342 kg Hashish: 117 kg Ganja: 461 kg Poppy husk: 33,220 kg Opium: 309 kg

While heroin seizure was made in Punjab by multiple agencies, including the state police, Border Security Force (BSF), NCB and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the NCB figures for Haryana have triggered a blame game. The Haryana police have strongly refuted the agencys claim.

Additional director general of police (ADGP), law and order, Muhammad Akil said the heroin seizure statistics given by the NCB was totally incorrect. No major heroin haul has been reported in the state by any enforcement agency. The recovery figure just cannot be so high under any circumstance. It is probably in grams which the central agency mistook as kilograms, he told Hindustan Times.

Drug seizure in Haryna - 2016 Heroin: 657 kg Hashish: 238 kg Ganja: 2,229 kg Poppy husk: 7,840 kg Opium: 167 kg

The officer said Haryana Police seized 5.21kg of heroin and 21kg of smack, a low quality heroin in 2016. The NCB, the nodal agency for drug law enforcement in the country, blamed Haryana Police in turn. The information was provided by the office of the director general of police in Panchkula in monthly master reports. The data we got from them on heroin and smack showed the seizures in Haryana to be higher than Punjab, NCBs deputy director general, operations, Rajender Pal Singh said.

Another NCB official said the data is gathered from different agencies on the basis of monthly reports. All agencies, including the state police, are also required to send data in a specified format (Form F) to the NCB after every recovery. Haryana has a shoddy track record in supplying information, he said, requesting anonymity.

In April also, the Union home ministry, in a written response to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha on illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, had given information showing Haryana as the state with the highest heroin seizure in 2016. The drug recovery shown was different from the statistics given in the NCB report.

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The UT police arrested a man from Ludhiana for the rape of an American national in November 2015, on Friday. He was identified as Baldev Singh, a truck driver, while his accomplice Lucky is still at large. He was sent in 4-day police remand.

We have arrested Baldev, 32, a resident of Kharar, from Ludhiana. In 2015 he used to drive an autorickshaw, said Anjitha Chepyala, DSP, women and child support unit.

On November 16, 2015, the 24 year old American woman had sent an email from France where she was working to the then UT police IGP alleging that she was raped by two persons during her stay in Chandigarh. She had said she had come to India to go to Haridwar and Rishikesh for which she had come to Chandigarh. She had to leave for France after that as her passport was to expire in four days.

She said that in the night had taken an auto from Sector 17 and the accused driver along with his friend had raped her. The investigation of the case was done by the women police station, Sector 17.

As per the police, the woman was looking for low-budget accommodation and she kept moving from different sectors looking for accommodation. But when she did not find one, the driver called his friend Lucky who asked him to bring her home in Kharar where they raped her.

The woman through the mail had provided an incomplete number of the auto.
At least 10,000 people were killed in the Chinese armys crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijings Tiananmen Square in June 1989, according to a newly released British diplomatic cable that recounts the bloodshed in gruesome detail.

The document, made public more than 28 years after the event, describes injured girls being bayoneted, bodies being ground up by armoured vehicles and human remains being flushed into the sewers.

Minimum estimate of civilian dead 10,000, the then British ambassador Alan Donald said in the secret telegram to London seen by AFP at Britains National Archives.

The estimate, given on June 5, 1989, the day after the crackdown, is almost 10 times higher than that commonly accepted at the time of several hundred to more than a thousand dead.

But experts questioned by AFP said the 10,000 figure seemed credible.

Donalds account gives horrific details of the violence unleashed on the night of June 3-4, when the army entered Beijing to end seven weeks of protests on Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of Communist power.

During their advance, armoured personnel carriers opened fire on the crowd (both civilians and soldiers) before running over them in their APCs, wrote the ambassador.

He said his source was a person who was passing on information given him by a close friend who is currently a member of the State Council -- the Chinese cabinet.

He said the source had previously proved reliable and was careful to separate fact from speculation and rumour.

Once the soldiers arrived in Tiananmen Square, students understood they were given one hour to leave square but after five minutes APCs attacked, Donald wrote.

Students linked arms but were mown down including soldiers. APCs then ran over bodies time and time again to make pie and remains collected by bulldozer. Remains incinerated and then hosed down drains.

Four wounded girl students begged for their lives but were bayoneted, Donald said, adding: Army ambulances who attempted to give aid were shot up.

At the end of June 1989, the Chinese government had said suppression of the counter-revolutionary riots had killed 200 civilians and several dozen police and military.

- Primitives -

Nearly three decades after the crackdown, the communist regime continues to forbid any debate on the subject, mention of which is banned from textbooks and the media, and censored on the Internet.

There was no sign of reaction to the report on Chinese social media, where an army of online censors blocks any reference to the Tiananmen crackdown and most things critical of the Communist Party.

Donald said the atrocities were committed by the 27th Army, who he described as 60 percent illiterate and are called primitives.

He said the crackdown had created deep rifts within the military and that some members of the State Council considered that civil war is imminent.

As to the credibility of the toll, former student protest leader Xiong Yan, who is now an American citizen, said: I think its reliable.

China scholar Jean-Pierre Cabestan also said the figure was credible, pointing out that recently declassified US documents gave a similar assessment.

Thats two pretty independent sources which say the same thing, said Cabestan, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University.

The British ambassadors report was not particularly astonishing considering how crowded it was in Beijing, the number of people mobilised against the Chinese government, said Cabestan, who was in the Chinese capital in the days leading up to the crackdown.

Former student leader Feng Congde, now also based in the United States, pointed out that Donald had sent another telegram three weeks later putting the death toll at between 2,700 and 3,400.

Feng said that toll was quite credible and fitted with figures from the Chinese Red Cross, who at the time estimated 2,700 fatalities, and by student committees based on hospital reports.

bar/mtp/jah/qan
The fate of five Indians is hanging in balance after a court in southwestern China is learnt to have indicted them on drug smuggling charges.

The quantum of punishment is yet to be announced but the five, arrested last year, could face years in a Chinese prison, ranging from a minimum of seven years to 15 years or more.

Only sketchy information is available about the hearing, which was carried out in two separate trials on Wednesday at the Kunming Peoples Intermediate court in the southwestern Chinas Yunnan province. Journalists were not allowed to attend the hearing.

It wasnt immediately known where the families of the accused were informed of the court proceedings through the Indian consulate in Guangzhou.

No Indian official from either the Embassy in Beijing or the Guangzhou consulate  under whose jurisdiction Kunming falls  was present in the court.

Diplomats said the court is yet to notify them about the proceedings.

The five Indians, all from Kolkata, were arrested in two separate cases in a span of two weeks from the international airport in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province.

They were identified as Feroz Khan (31), Sheikh Ismail (24), Maqsud Alam (24), Sheikh Ahmed Ali (46) and Akrar Khan (33).

One of those indicted, Ismail, is a college student.

They were flying in from Kolkata and were said to be carrying more than 24 kg of hashish hidden in their luggage.

Two of them were arrested on August 24, 2016, and rest on September 6 after they disembarked from a flight from Kolkata.

They were charged under article 347 of Chinas Criminal Law, which deals with offences related to drug smuggling.

The hashish was hidden in several packets of a popular Indian snack and scores of new laptop bags in their luggage.

It is a very serious offence. According to the law, any deals related to the sales of marijuana over 1 kg could attract a punishment of a jail term of 15 years, Shanghai-based lawyer Wang Chune had told HT earlier.

Four Indians arrested by the police in Nanning in south China with drugs in 2008, for example, are serving life sentences, which could go on for decades.

In this case, it was learnt that the government-appointed lawyer told the court that they were poor, were carrying the drugs for money and should be given lenient sentences.

Those carrying lesser quantity of the drug could be sent to prison for seven years and the remaining three could get more years, a lawyer said, adding that if it turns out that the five had coordinated the attempted smuggling, the punishment could be more severe for all.
Federal agents arrested a former US Marine on Friday for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group, according to court documents.

Tow truck driver Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, was planning to target the citys busy Pier 39 tourist spot, according to an affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Christopher McKinney.

The suspect is said to have outlined to undercover agents how he wanted to use explosives to target crowds at the pier between December 18 and 25 because Christmas was the perfect day to commit the attack.

Jameson professed not to need an escape plan as he was ready to die, according to the document.

The suspects home in Modesto, California, was raided by FBI agents on Wednesday, where they allegedly found his last will and testament along with weapons and ammunition.

Jameson attended basic training with the Marine Corps in 2009 and graduated with a sharpshooter rifle qualification, according to the FBI, but was discharged after failing to disclose a history of asthma.

According to McKinney, Jameson selected Pier 39 -- which gets around 10 million visitors a year -- because he had been there before and knew it was a heavily crowded area.

Radical jihadi beliefs

Jameson explained that he also desired to use explosives and described a plan in which explosives could tunnel or funnel people into a location where Jameson could inflict casualties, McKinney stated.

The suspect inadvertently revealed his plans to an undercover FBI agent he believed to be a senior leader of the Islamic State group (IS), according to the court document.

Jameson said the US needed another attack like New York or San Bernardino, adding that he wanted to use vehicles and firearms to carry out an attack.

Today, our incredible law enforcement officers have once again helped thwart an alleged plot to kill Americans, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is real -- and it is serious -- but the American people can be assured that the Department of Justice remains vigilant in protecting our homeland, he added.

According to the criminal complaint, Jameson has espoused radical jihadi beliefs, including authoring social media posts that are supportive of terrorism.

He had voiced support for the October 31 attack in New York in which a jihadist drove a pick-up truck into a crowded bike path, killing eight people, said the FBI, and was active on Facebook, liking pro-IS posts.

He loved a post on November 29 of a propaganda image of Santa Claus standing in New York with a box of dynamite.

Gentle, kind

He was charged in the Eastern District Court of California with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

He was under surveillance by law enforcement, and the public was never in imminent danger, the FBI said in a statement.

Local newspaper the Merced Sun Star published a video interview with a man it identified as the suspects father, Gordon Jameson, who described his son as a the gentle, kind type of Muslim person and said the FBI had got its facts wrong.

I dont know too much about the case because the FBI isnt saying much to me but I know my son wouldnt harm nobody. He wouldnt do that to innocent people, he said.

I love him to death and I cant wait to see him again and hold him in my arms.

The Sacramento Bee quoted the grandfather of Jamesons ex-wife Ashley Monett Jameson, who told the paper the couple have two young children.

Ashley Jameson is in prison, according to the paper, which added that the children were in foster care, citing a restraining order that it said had been filed by the suspect.

Hours after his arrest it emerged that Jameson had written to his local newspaper, the Modesto Bee, when he was 16, offering his backing for US troops remaining in Iraq following the conflict that began in 2003.

I dont know what you were taught, but I was raised to finish something you start, and guess what? Its not finished yet, he wrote.
The sun has long set on the British empire, but it continues to divide Britons: many are ashamed of it but others remember it with pride, reflected in the latest row involving the National Archives (NA) and over 50 academics and researchers at Oxford.

At the centre is the changes made by the government archive to its depiction of empire and colonisation in its museum following complaints its views are anti-British, and an Oxford professor who insists Britons should not feel guilty about the empire.

The NA first dropped the words profoundly oppressive when complaints were made against its description in a display board: The economic and social impact of colonisation on indigenous populations was profoundly oppressive and unequal, leading to nationalist movements for independence.

The archives withdrew a blog earlier this month on Indias Partition after Tony Adler, a retired history professor, complained that the post portrayed it from an anti-British perspective. NA has also made changes following complaints about other aspects of the empire.

The archives said it had removed the blog for editing to comply with its code of impartiality: An internal review of the complaint found that, while the majority of the blog did meet our editorial guidelines, there were some parts that required further editorial review.

Elsewhere, Nigel Biggar, professor of moral and pastoral theology at Oxford, raised hackles with his views on the empire, and his research project called Ethics of Colonial History. He wrote in The Times on November 30 that the history of the British empire was morally mixed.

Biggar wrote: Ifwe recognise that the history of the British Empire was morally mixed, just like that of any nation state, then pride can temper shame. Pride at the Royal Navys century-long suppression of the Atlantic slave trade, for example, will not be entirely obscured by shame at the slaughter of innocents at Amritsar in 1919.

And while we might well be moved to think with care about how to intervene abroad successfully, we wont simply abandon the world to its own devices.

His article and the research project sparked an open letter of protest from historians at Oxford, including those dealing with Indian issues such as Faisal Devji, Rosinka Chaudhuri, Ankhi Mukherjee, Sudhir Hazareesingh and Nayanika Mathur.

They wrote: Professor Biggar has every right to hold and to express whatever views he chooses or finds compelling, and to conduct whatever research he chooses in the way he feels appropriate. But his views on this questionrisk being misconstrued as representative of Oxford scholarship.

For many of us, and more importantly for our students, they also reinforce a pervasive sense that contemporary inequalities in access to and experience at our university are underpinned by a complacent, even celebratory, attitude towards its imperial past. We therefore feel obliged to express our firm rejection of them.

They said Biggars research project asks the wrong questions, using the wrong terms, and for the wrong purposes, adding that however seriously intended, far from offering greater nuance and complexity, Biggars approach is too polemical and simplistic to be taken seriously.

Biggar hit out at the signatories, saying they ought to have addressed him directly rather than engage in collective online bullying. He told The Daily Telegraph: Not one has had either the courage or the sense of collegial responsibility to do soThey do not have the right to control how I, or anyone else, thinks about these things.

A spokesman for Oxford University said Biggars project is a valid, evidence-led one but added that the open letter eloquently illustrates an alternative perspective on empire taken by other University academics in related but different fields.

Argument and differing approaches to topics are to be expected in an environment with many different disciplines and where the robustness and good health of academic freedom is fundamentally important, he added.

In India, the assessment of the British empire is overwhelmingly negative, but there are also more nuanced views. As former prime minister Manmohan Singh (an Oxford alumnus) said while accepting an honorary doctorate at Oxford in July 2005 that some of its aspects were beneficial.

He had said: Today, with the balance and perspective offered by the passage of time and the benefit of hindsight, it is possible for an Indian Prime Minister to assert that Indias experience with Britain had its beneficial consequences too.

Our notions of the rule of law, of a constitutional government, of a free press, of a professional civil service, of modern universities and research laboratories have all been fashioned in the crucible where an age-old civilisation met the dominant Empire of the day.

These are all elements which we still value and cherish. Our judiciary, our legal system, our bureaucracy, and our police are all great institutions, derived from British-Indian administration and they have served the country well.

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Rabbi Chuck Davidson is a criminal in the eyes of Israeli law. However, he wouldnt be put behind bars for his crime in most countries. His offense: conducting rogue weddings in defiance of Israels Chief Rabbinate.

Even though Davidson belongs to the officially recognised Orthodox stream of Judaism, he is among a growing cohort of Jewish groups running afoul of the law by performing weddings without the rabbinates sanction. Critics like Davidson believe the rabbinate has grown too strict in its interpretation of religious law, making it unnecessarily difficult for Jewish couples to marry.

More and more Israelis are getting married outside the rabbinate, said Michal Berman, chief executive of Panim, an umbrella group representing Israeli Jewish pluralist organizations. Its affiliates perform Orthodox, liberal and secular weddings in defiance of the rabbinate.

Berman said that an estimated 20% of Israelis are getting married outside the rabbinate, compared to 16% in 2010. She expects that number to keep growing, which she considers a sign of a growing lack of faith in the religious body. There are plural ways of being Jewish and its better to acknowledge it, Berman said.

Israel does not have a system of civil marriage, and Israeli law mandates that Jewish marriages must be conducted by a rabbi authorized by the Chief Rabbinate. That means Jewish couples wanting to marry in Israel have little choice but to undergo an Orthodox marriage.

Rabbi Chuck Davidson signs a" Ktuba," a Jewish wedding contract during a wedding in Ein Hemed. (AP Photo)

An amendment to Israels marriage law passed in 2013 made the punishment for anyone performing or taking part in an unsanctioned wedding two years in prison. Shortly thereafter, Davidson, a 58-year-old American-born Israeli rabbi, started performing renegade weddings. He said he has conducted over 170 since then.

An Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas has more meaning to the state than me, an Orthodox rabbi, said Davidson.

The existing marriage law prevents interfaith and same-sex weddings. It also rejects ceremonies conducted by more liberal streams of Judaism popular with American Jews.

Interfaith, same-sex and civil marriages performed abroad, however, are recognized retroactively by Israels Interior Ministry, making nearby Cyprus a popular destination for secular Israeli weddings. Israel also recognizes common law spouses who share a home, though they dont have the same rights as married couples.

A poll conducted earlier this year by Hiddush, an organization pushing for religious pluralism in Israel, found that over 70 percent of Israelis support civil marriage.

Davidson has moved into an area where even Jewish men and women who ostensibly meet the rabbinates standards run into problems trying to get hitched.

Such couples may lack documentation, such as their parents wedding certificate, proving their Jewishness. Some turn to the rebel rabbi out of frustration with dealing with the rabbinate. Others may do it on principle.

He estimates around 400,000 Israeli Jews  or roughly 6 percent of the Jewish population  have no marriage options because they do not meet the rabbinates stringent standards.

One Ethiopian Jewish woman who was married by Davidson in October said she objected in principle to the manner in which the rabbinate demands proof of Judaism.

Were both certifiably Jewish, she said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of concern for possible legal complications. She and her husband could have legally married through the rabbinate, but we dont believe in the institution itself, she said. I have no problem in principle with proving someones Judaism, but the very concept of how the rabbinate perceives Ethiopian Jews is problematic for me, and Im not willing to cooperate with an institution that doesnt consider me Jewish. Nonetheless, she said it was important for them to marry according to Jewish tradition.

The group Havaya helps Jewish couples marry outside the rabbinate by organizing wedding ceremonies for partners who are recognized as common-law couples.

Rabbi Chuck Davidson holds a wedding service in Ein Hemed. A growing number of Israeli couples are defying the countrys Chief Rabbinate and marrying in unsanctioned weddings. (AP Photo)

Havaya director Inbar Oren said the organization has conducted several thousand weddings since it was established in 2007, allowing interfaith and same-sex couples in Israel to enjoy more egalitarian or secular ceremonies than the rabbinate permits.

People are looking for a solution to their situation, said Oren.

While sending a defiant message, these weddings are not a complete solution. Because they are not legally binding, the couples must still either go abroad or go to the rabbinate for a private ceremony. The Ethiopian woman, for instance, said she and her husband are weighing recognition as a common law couple or flying to Cyprus for a civil ceremony.

No one in Israel has been arrested or charged with participating in an illegal marriage, but Oren and Davidson wish someone would.

I dont hide this, I do this over the radar, I am hoping to be arrested, Davidson said, saying it would raise awareness of how insane this is.

He said hes confident the Supreme Court would rule against the law: If not Ill sit in jail.
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Crystal Castles' Ethan Kath reportedly being investigated by police for multiple sex crimes, including one with a minor.

Toronto police have confirmed to CBC Toronto that there is an active sex crimes investigation into electronic musician Ethan Kath, co-founder of Crystal Castles.

Former Crystal Castles member Alice Glass accused bandmate Ethan Kath of mental, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, including rape, earlier this year.

Kath denied her claims, though the band's tour was cancelled. He's since filed a defamation lawsuit against Glass.

Now, however, it looks as if the Toronto Police Department is investigating multiple sex crime allegations against Kath, including those from Glass.

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The Daily Beast has published a lengthy report about the investigation, writing that they have been in contact with an accuser involved in the investigation, who said that Kath first reached out to her on social media when she was 15, and initiated a sexual relationship when she was 16. She is remaining anonymous for now so as not to impede the investigation, but said to The Daily Beast, I want this guys insane horrible mistreatment of underage girls to be out in the open for everyone to know and to protect themselves.

In a statement, Kath's lawyer, Shane Bernard of the law offices of Bernard & Bernard, said the musician did not engage in any sex acts with minors.

"I have no doubt that the individuals spreading these lies are motivated by their own self interest and financial gain," Bernard told the CBC. "These sickening and vile allegations are an attempt to injure my client's reputation and in turn hurt actual victims of abuse."
Princess Michael of Kent wore the controversial antique "blackamoor" badge to a Christmas reception at Buckingham Palace, at which she met Prince Harry's fiance Megan Markle for the first time.

Princess Michael of Kent has come under fire when news broke that she wore a "blackamoor" brooch to a Christmas lunch Wednesday at Buckingham Palace that was also attended by Meghan Markle.

Blackamoor jewellery usually depicts a man or woman of African descent. The facial features can sometimes be large and exaggerated, and are often painted a very deep black to contrast with the jewelled detailing. Blackamoor figurines and sculptures most commonly depict Black men as holding a tray to hold things, essentially depicting Black people as sculpted, ever-smiling and "exotic" servants.

Blackamoor figures and jewellery are now commonly understood to be racist due to their links to colonialism, exoticism and slavery.

A statement from a spokesperson for the Princess said that "The brooch was a gift and has been worn many times before." Of course, wearing it to meet the future first biracial member of the Royal Family, Meghan Markle, made the choice of accessory all the more controversial.

Princess Michael's spokesperson said that she "is very sorry and distressed that it has caused offence," and has said she will not wear the brooch again.

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This is not the first time Princess Michael has been accused of racism.

In 2004 she was accused of telling a group of black diners in New York to go back to the colonies because she was offended by the level of noise coming from their table.

Later, in an interview discussing the incident, she referred to African people as adorable and said, I even pretended years ago to be an African, a half-caste African, but because of my light eyes I did not get away with it, but I dyed my hair black. I travelled on African buses. I wanted to be a writer. I wanted experiences from Cape Town to right up in northern Mozambique. I had this adventure with these absolutely adorable, special people, and to call me racist: Its a knife through the heart because I really love these people.

Again: These people.

Yikes.

This isn't the first time that Blackamoor figures have made the headlines. Last year, Thandie Newton accused Starbucks of racism after spotting a statue of a black boy wearing a pith helmet and loin cloth in one of its London coffee shops.

The outraged actress posted a photograph to Twitter, showing the model - which was being used to hold Colombian coffee beans - on the counter of the chain's shop in Soho.

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She then wrote: "Seriously @Starbucks? At the counter  Loin cloth and Safari hat on a black child. Happy New Year circa 19th century."
WASHINGTON - In enacting the biggest overhaul of the tax code in 30 years, the Republican-controlled Congress also opened the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development. But already environmentalists are moving to shut it down.

Just hours after the Senate passed the legislation Wednesday, environmental groups swore to fight to block the drilling provisions.

The National Audubon Society released a statement that it would "do whatever it takes to prevent drilling in America's bird nursery."

"This tax bill trades away a national treasure - for what - oil we don't need and the fiction that oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will serve as a bank to offset tax cuts?" said David Yarnold, president of the National Audubon Society. "This is the biggest threat the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has ever seen."

Republicans included a provision in the tax bill that would lease a section of ANWR for oil and gas drilling, ostensibly to help pay for the tax cuts while also cinching the support of Sen. Linda Murkowski, R-Alaska. Murkowski has long sought to allow drilling in the refuge to help offset a steep decline in oil production from the North Slope that has left Alaska's state coffers badly depleted.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that lease sales in ANWR would generate $1.1 billion over the next decade, with revenue expected to rise as oil production comes online. Those that might be interested in exploring ANWR include the Houston companies ConocoPhillips and Hilcorp, which already operate on the North Slope.

The Alaska National Wildlife Refuge is set on 1.5 million acres between the Arctic Ocean and the mountains of Alaska's Brooks Range. The area of ANWR targeted for drilling is home to polar bears, wolves and more than 150 species of birds. The vast expanse also serves as a critical stop for porcupine caribou herds on their migration around Alaska and Canada.

Oil and gas lobbyists have pressed the government to allow drilling in ANWR, where one of the largest oil fields is believed to lie, since Congress declared it a wildlife refuge in 1980. Former president George W. Bush tried but failed to open ANWR to oil and gas companies more than a decade ago.

For President Donald Trump, the ANWR provision added to his tax-cut victory as he continues to fulfill his pledge to unshackle the energy industry from government restrictions. Earlier this year, Trump issued an order undoing President Barack Obama's decision to ban new drilling operations in most of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas off Alaska.

And just recently, the administration shrunk the borders of two national monuments in Utah, a move widely viewed as freeing up more land for the energy industry.

But hanging over any potential development in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve is the failed attempt by Royal Dutch Shell to tap reserves off Alaska. In 2015, after years of legal fighting with environmental groups, the European oil giant announced it was abandoning $2.5 billion in drilling rights in U.S. Arctic waters.

Any oil company looking to drill in ANWR should expect similar resistance, analysts said. Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, called the Republican tax overhaul "among the worst pieces of legislation we've seen in over a generation ... made even more tragic because it sacrifices one of our last great wild places."

Bloomberg News contributed to this article.
The unemployment rate in Texas fell to a record low in November as the state added the largest number of jobs in the nation, boosted by growing construction, health care and retail sectors.

The state jobless rate slipped to 3.8 percent, down from 3.9 percent in October and 4.8 percent in November 2016, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday. Employers across the state expanded payrolls by almost 55,000 jobs last month - more than any other state - and brought job gains over the past year to more than 330,000. The employment growth rate of nearly 3 percent was nearly double that of last year and second among states to Utah.

In Houston, still shaking off the oil bust, growth was solid, but relatively subdued. Employment grew 1.6 percent over the past year as the metropolitan area gained about 48,000 jobs, including 11,000 in November.

But with oil prices climbing near $60 a barrel and roaring national economy adding more support, the job market appears to be gaining speed, following nearly two years of mass layoffs and hiring freezes. The region's unemployment rate is down nearly a percentage point from a year ago, sliding to 4.3 percent from 5.2 percent in November 2016.

Keith Wolf, managing director of Houston staffing agency Murray Resources, said new job orders for Murray's team of recruiters have increased by more than half compared to this time last year. The division that places workers in software, engineering and other technical jobs, he added, "is absolutely swamped."

"The optimism is back," Wolf said. "It's not an employer's market anymore. Companies are ready to pull the trigger quickly - they're not waiting six months to make a hire."

For Erin Hopple, finding a job in Houston only took about a month. The digital marketing specialist fielded recruiter calls, multiple interviews and two offers before landing a job. Plenty of Houston companies, she said, seemed eager to call her.

"They're competing for employees at this point, especially for talent in unique fields," said Hopple, who began her new job at Houston-based Medical Research Consultants, or MRC, in early December.

Economists say the Houston job market has rebounded from Hurricane Harvey, which was blamed for the loss of 20,000 local jobs in September.

The region added more than 30,000 jobs in October and November, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

But underlying job growth in the region is unlikely to accelerate until oil companies start hiring again, economists said. Even though the number of rigs working in oil fields across the United States has more than doubled since the summer of 2016, Houston's energy employment growth has stayed flat.

Last month, Houston added 300 jobs in the mining and logging job category, which encompasses the oil and gas industry. For the year, the region has added 900 new energy jobs.

But after losing some 70,000 energy jobs, even tiny gains are welcome. "Flat is the new up," said Patrick Jankowski, director of research at the Greater Houston Partnership. "After so many bad months it's finally looking pretty good."

Across Texas, the oil industry added 1,300 jobs last month, and about 32,800 since this time last year.

Several other sectors in Houston are growing. In retail, local employers added 2,100 jobs over the past year. Professional services firms expanded payrolls by 13,600 since November 2016; transportation, warehousing and utilities added 1,200, manufacturing 13,000 and government 7,800.

Statewide, the construction sector added 8,200 jobs last month and retail, 6,300. In leisure and hospitality, which includes restaurants and hotels, jobs increased by 8,000,

Health care added 6,700, manufacturing 2,700 and real estate 2,400.

"The jobs rebound in October and November puts state job growth back on track to finish the year strong," said Keith Phillips, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
WASHINGTON - More than 700 people have left the Environmental Protection Agency since President Donald Trump took office, a wave of departures that puts the administration nearly a quarter of the way toward its goal of shrinking the agency to levels last seen during the Reagan administration.

Of the employees who have quit, retired or taken a buyout package since the beginning of the year, more than 200 are scientists. An additional 96 are environmental protection specialists, a broad category that includes scientists as well as others experienced in investigating and analyzing pollution levels. Nine department directors have departed the agency as well as dozens of attorneys and program managers. Most of the employees who have left are not being replaced.

The departures reflect poor morale and a sense of grievance at the agency, which has been criticized by Trump and top Republicans in Congress as bloated and guilty of regulatory overreach. That unease is likely to deepen following revelations that Republican campaign operatives were using the Freedom of Information Act to request copies of emails from EPA officials suspected of opposing Trump and his agenda.

The cuts deepen a downward trend at the agency that began under the Obama administration in response to Republican-led budget constraints that left the agency with about 15,000 employees at the end of his term. The reductions have accelerated under Trump, who campaigned on a promise to dramatically scale back the EPA, leaving only what he called "little tidbits" in place. Current and former employees say unlike during the Obama years, the agency has no plans to replace workers, and they expect deeper cuts to come.

"The reason EPA went down to 15,000 employees under Obama is because of pressure from Republicans. This is the effort of the Republicans under the Obama administration on steroids," said John J. O'Grady, president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, a union representing EPA employees.

ProPublica and The New York Times analyzed the comings and goings from the EPA through the end of September, the latest data that has been compiled, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. The figures and interviews with current and former EPA officials show the administration is well on its way to achieving its goal of cutting 3,200 positions from the EPA, about 20 percent of the agency's workforce.

Jahan Wilcox, a spokesman for the EPA, said the agency was running more efficiently. "With only 10 months on the job, Administrator Pruitt is unequivocally doing more with less to hold polluters accountable and to protect our environment," he said.

Within the agency, science in particular is taking a hard hit. More than 27 percent of those who left this year were scientists, including 34 biologists and microbiologists; 19 chemists; 81 environmental engineers and environmental scientists; and more than a dozen toxicologists, life scientists and geologists. Employees say the exodus has left the agency depleted of decades of knowledge about protecting the nation's air and water. Many also said they saw the departures as part of a more worrisome trend of muting government scientists, cutting research budgets and making it more difficult for academic scientists to serve on advisory boards.

"Research has been on a starvation budget for years," said Robert Kavlock, who served as acting assistant administrator for the Office of Research and Development before retiring in November. But under earlier buyouts, Kavlock said, the agency later hired nearly 100 postdoctoral candidates to help continue critical agency work.

"There wasn't a reinvestment this time around," he said. "There's a hard freeze."

Scientists, for the most part, are also not being replaced. Of the 129 people hired this year at the EPA, just seven are scientists. Another 15 are student trainee scientists. Political appointees, however, are on the rise. The office of Scott Pruitt, the agency administrator, was the only unit that saw more hires than departures this year.

In addition to losing scientists themselves, the offices at the EPA that deal most directly with science were drained of other workers this year. The Office of Research and Development - which has three national laboratories and four national centers with expertise on science and technology issues - lost 69 people, while hiring three.

At the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, responsible for regulating toxic chemicals and pesticides, 54 people left and seven were hired. And in the office that ensures safe drinking water, one person was hired, while 26 departed.

Ronnie Levin spent 37 years at the EPA researching policies to address lead exposure from paint, gasoline and drinking water, most recently working as a lead inspector at the agency's regional office overseeing New England.

She retired in November after what she described as months of low morale at the agency. And with the lead enforcement office targeted for elimination as part of Trump's proposed budget, she said, "It was hard to get your enthusiasm up" for the job.

"This is exactly what they wanted, which is my biggest misgiving about leaving," Levin said. "They want the people there to be more docile and nervous and less invested in the agency."
Becki Svare has made a radical decision: She won't buy any more Christmas presents.

It started a few years ago as an experiment with her extended family. The holiday season began as it often did, with a dozen family members drawing names out of a hat. But instead of buying gifts for each other, they had to come up with a meaningful experience to share with their designated person. Suggested price: $20 to $25.

Svare's children took their aunts kayaking. Her brother took his 9-year-old nephew for a ride on his Harley-Davidson, then out for sushi and a trip to the local reptile center. Others went to the zoo.

"You had to be somewhat creative with it," said Svare, a blogger who lives in DeLand, Florida, near Orlando. "But we all agreed that it was better than buying things people don't need."

Across the country, families are hearing a similar refrain: Fewer items, please. More experiences.

It's a movement that has picked up momentum in recent years, as part of a broader push away from consumerism. And even retailers are taking notice. Major chains like Best Buy, Apple and Nordstrom now incorporate cooking classes, photography workshops and even manicures inside their stores as a way to attract customers who want to do more than just shop.

This holiday season, retail analysts say there has been a discernible shift in gift-giving as Americans think beyond traditional presents. Nearly 40 percent of shoppers plan to give gift cards, event tickets or other "intangible" gifts, according to market research firm NPD Group. And although overall holiday spending is projected to rise about 4 percent to $680 billion this year, Americans say they will spend less on presents: an average of $608 on gifts for family, friends and co-workers, down from $621 last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

"We live in a world of abundance, where most of us just have too many things," said Jeffrey Galak, a professor who studies consumer behavior at Carnegie Mellon University. "People are starting to realize that items really aren't that important anymore."

Also helping the movement: the lack of novel items at the store.

"A lot of retailers are carrying the same old stuff that they've been hawking for five years," said Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia Business School. "People are saying, 'Uncle Henry's already got a black sweater - in fact he's got two that still have the tags on - so why should we get him a new one?' 'Let's do something else instead.' "

And, academics note, there has been no shortage of research in recent years to back up the idea that people derive more joy from experiences than goods. The trend has been good for the likes of StubHub. The online purveyor of sports, concert and theater tickets says sales of gift cards are up 50 percent so far over last year.

Celebrities, too, are increasingly speaking out against holiday consumerism. The actress Mila Kunis said in a recent interview that she and husband Ashton Kutcher wouldn't be buying gifts for their children this year.

But vowing to cut back on presents is one thing - actually doing so can be a years-long process. It can be tough to get family members on board, and even the most dedicated of gift-boycotters can feel a tinge of panic when, a few days before Christmas, there isn't much under the tree.

"Social norms can be a difficult thing to overcome," said Ross Steinman, a professor of consumer psychology at Widener University in Chester, Pa. "If there is an understanding in your family that there should be a tower of gifts under your Christmas tree every year, it's really hard to change that."

Some adjustment necessary

It has taken nearly two decades, but Alethea Smartt says her family has (mostly) stopped buying Christmas gifts.

The effort started back in 1999, she says, when she moved to New York to take a job as a flight attendant. She had a tiny apartment and traveled often, which meant she didn't have room for extra items.

But persuading her family in Tennessee, where she grew up receiving a whopping two dozen gifts each Christmas, was a different story. She started slowly - or so she thought - suggesting a limit of one gift per person.

"I knew we couldn't go cold turkey, but it was still a total disaster," said Smartt, 43, a travel writer in Portland. "There were a lot of hurt feelings and tears. Even though we didn't have money, it was really important to my parents to be able to buy us material things."

Her mother, in particular, was crestfallen, she says.

But lately, she said, they've found a groove - and her mother, Diane Campbell, agrees.

A few years ago, Campbell surprised the family with new luggage - and a cruise to Alaska. Last year, she took her grandsons on a four-day trip to Chicago. She makes photo books for her daughters, and bakes cookies for her son-in-law.

"At first, it almost felt embarrassing," said Campbell, 67, who works for a tour company in Nashville. "I'd always been so proud that I was able to give everyone so much during the holidays."

But it's getting easier, she said, although she does sometimes stash a couple of last-minute McDonald's gift cards under the tree for her grandsons.

"I do still worry about it," she said, "about finding ways to create that 'Oh, wow' moment."

(Smartt's husband, too, says he sometimes has trouble adjusting to the arrangement: "Around Dec. 24, I'll start to think 'Wait, do I have enough? Maybe I should go buy more,' " said Greg LaRowe, adding that he now stocks up on extra items like lavender soaps and other locally made items.)

Smartt, though, said she has no complaints.

"It's gotten better every year," she said. "We've gone from what I'd call excessive materialism to a few thoughtful gifts."

Finding a happy medium

After years of experimenting - dozens of gifts one Christmas, none another - Christi Chartrand, a home health-care worker in Brantford, Ontario, said she's finally found a happy medium for her brood of eight, which includes three biological children, four adopted children and one foster child.

On Christmas morning, each child receives exactly three presents worth a total of $100. On birthdays, they get to choose between a birthday party or a $150 outing with mom or dad.

"Almost every single time, the kids ask for a date night," she said, adding that they've gone shopping in Buffalo, visited CN Tower in Toronto, and taken a half-hour airplane ride near Niagara Falls. "They don't even think twice about it anymore."

Back in 2010, though, it was a different story. For years, she and her husband maxed out their credit cards to buy mountains of toys.

"We had to unbury the tree on Christmas morning because there were just so many gifts piled up around it," she said. "And we found that our kids were just so ungrateful. It never seemed to be enough. They would open their presents and then say, 'Now what?' "

The turning point came, she said, when her son unwrapped a present from an aunt. "He looked at her and said, 'A book? That's it?' " she recalled. "I was so mortified and said, 'This has to change.' "

The following year, she and her husband took the family on a road trip to Florida and didn't buy a single present. The kids were irked at first, she said, but quickly got over it. The following year, they settled on the three-gift compromise.

"We're not trying to be radical," she said. "We just want them to realize that it's not a life requirement to open 1,000 presents on Christmas morning."
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SAN ANTONIO - A week or so before Christmas many years ago, 7-year-old Xavier Garza was standing in line with his dad at the Valley Mart in Rio Grande City, waiting for his annual audience with Santa Claus. As the little guy peered past the bodies in front of them, he noticed something strange. The Santa he was about to speak to wore cowboy boots, with jangly spurs. He had a white beard, to be sure, but over his red Santa suit he wore a Mexican serape emblazoned with a majestic Mexican eagle. To top it off, he wore a red charro hat.

Little Xavier peered up at his dad. "That's not Santa Claus," he said, confused and disappointed.

His dad glanced down at him. "It's Pancho Claus," he said, thinking fast. "It's Santa's Mexican cousin."

Forty-two years later, Garza teaches art in a San Antonio middle school and at Northwest Vista College. He also writes books for children and young adults based on his Rio Grande City childhood. Of the dozen he's written so far, the legend of Santa's primo Pancho, who spends Christmas Eve traveling along the Rio Grande helping his overworked relative, is probably the most popular. "Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid" is still Garza's favorite.

He wrote the story first as a bedtime story for his son Vincent, now 13. He calls it the Pancho Claus origin story.

"I remember thinking, 'This is kind of cool,' " he recalled earlier this week. "It's about family. It's one of my Rio Grande City-grounded books."

Garza was one of those kids who liked school well enough but couldn't keep still. "I couldn't just sit at a desk," he said. "I had to be doodling to help me focus. I loved to read, loved comic books, loved art."

He also loved scary stories his grandmother told him and luche libre, Mexican-style wrestling. Both are prominent features of the books he's produced over the years.

He got his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas-Pan American and his master's degree in visual arts from UT-San Antonio. He's been teaching and writing for more than 25 years.

"It took me years to get my first book published," he said. He credits Houston novelist, professor and activist Tony Diaz with asking him to read at the Latino Book and Family Festival, which for a few years brought thousands of book-lovers to the George R. Brown Convention Center.

That experience in 2002 led Garza to Nick Kanellos, founder of Arte Publico Press at the University of Houston. Arte Publico, the nation's oldest and largest publisher of Hispanic literature, published his first book, "Creepy Creatures and Other Cucuys," a collection of short stories for intermediate readers based on traditional tales of the supernatural. Prior to meeting Kanellos, Garza was printing out his stories at Kinkos and selling them for $5 apiece.

He wrote and illustrated his first picture book for children, "Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask: A Bilingual Cuento," in 2005. Published by Cinco Puntos Press in El Paso, the book was named an Americas Award Honor Book. Garza has two new books coming out in the new year.

Meanwhile, just in time for Christmas, here's his most recent version of "Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid:"

It's the night before Christmas, and a boy named Vincent is getting ready for bed. He's spending Christmas Eve with his Tio Pancho in their old family farm near the U.S.-Mexico border. He's tired from milking the cows and feeding the chickens and all the things a little boy has to do to help out at the farm. But as soon as he shuts his eyes, he hears footsteps up on the roof.

"Who's up there?" he hears his Tio Pancho yelling. Vincent looks out the window just in time to see that his uncle is climbing up a ladder. Vincent puts on his boots and runs outside quietly, very quietly, because he doesn't want his uncle to know that he is there.

He follows him up the ladder.

Ay! Vincent has to cover his mouth to keep from screaming. His uncle is up on the roof talking to Santa Claus, who he recognizes because of his big, fluffy white beard and his big, round pancha.

"Cousin Santa Claus!" Tio Pancho cries.

They give each other a great, big abrazo. Vincent is stunned. "My Uncle Pancho and Santa Claus are primos, are cousins, but how can this be?" he wonders.

"I need your help, primo," says Santa Claus. "The border along the Rio Grande is too long for an old man like me, especially when I need to deliver presidents to every single corner of the world. Can you help me?"

Tio Pancho frowns. "Would I have to wear a red and white suit like you?" he asks.

"Not even," answers Santa Claus. "You can wear that Mariachi outfit you wore in your singing days."

"But I was a lot younger then, and thinner too!" Tio Pancho says. "I put on just a little bit of weight, primo."

"Never mind that," says Santa Claus. He grabs Tio Pancho's hand and in the blink of an eye, they slip down the chimney together like magic.

And on that Christmas Eve night, Vincent helps his Tio Pancho deliver toys to all the boys and girls who lives along both sides of the US/Mexico border. And no rain, no wind, no border walls or barbwire fences would keep them from making sure every child wakes up with a present under their Christmas tree.

Do you live near the border between Texas and Mexico? Well, don't be surprised if you happen to look up to the sky one Christmas Eve night and see a wagon being pulled by a pack of flying burritos, all wearing lucha libre masks. If you happen to listen closely, you might even hear Charro Claus and his sidekick Tejas kid call out to you:

"Merry Christmas, and Feliz Navidad!"

To hear Garza read his story, go to the Dec. 1 post on www.texasstandard.org.
Don Teater didn't start out declaring war on opioids. As a small town family doctor, he prescribed them.

"I heard the message from the pharmaceutical industry and the government and others that we weren't treating pain well enough, that we need to prescribe more opioids - and that it was very safe," Teater said.

So, like most doctors in America, he embraced opioids as a long-awaited answer for patients suffering with pain.

Before long, in the exam rooms in his western North Carolina office, Teater saw the dark side of pain pills. Some of his patients, once they started opioids, had a terrible time getting off of them. Others got lost in all-out addiction. Teater decided to try to attack the problem by offering addiction treatment and was overwhelmed with patients seeking his help.

When he took their histories, he heard over and over again how it all started: A doctor told them to take an opioid for pain.

And they did.

Today, Teater, who never felt comfortable in the spotlight, has become a passionate voice calling on his colleagues to stop doling out the pills. In hotel ballrooms at conventions and at medical society meetings, he tells anyone who will listen that the drugs are dangerous. But he also tells them something that's not so well known and that some other doctors dispute. He tells them the pills don't actually work as well as most physicians think.

"The drug companies like to use to the word painkillers," Teater said. "They are not painkillers. They temporarily elevate our mood, and that's the best way they work."

Pill mills and rogue doctors

While opioid painkillers were initially billed as safe and the most effective option for all types of serious pain, more and more evidence is suggesting that they may not live up to either of those claims. Even so, many doctors across the nation still use them as a matter of routine. In Georgia alone, patients were prescribed more than 541 million doses of opioid painkillers in a recent 12-month period. That's 54 legal doses for every adult and child in the state.

"I believe at least 90 percent, maybe 95 percent, of opioids are probably inappropriately prescribed where there are better, safer alternatives that are not opioids," Teater said.

While pill mills and rogue doctors have handed out millions of pills for no medical purpose, well-meaning physicians who were trained to aggressively treat pain also are a big part of the problem.

With a heavy focus on treating pain, prescribing opioids seemed to be the responsible route.

Once patients start on opioids, they may want to stay on them. The pressure to keep prescribing can be intense when it plays out in the intimacy of an exam room, or when doctors work for a health care system that evaluates them using patient surveys and reviews.

Besides, there seemed to be little downside to providing the painkillers.

Tom Frieden, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said many doctors were told for years that patients taking opioids for pain would not become addicted. "It's completely wrong, but it's how a whole generation of physicians was taught and, obviously, we need to reverse that," he said.

Addicted after three days

The truth is, Frieden said, that some patients can get addicted to opioids after just three days of taking the pills.

"Any time a doctor writes a prescription for an opiate, they should be asking the question: Is this the first time this patient had gotten an opiate? And, if so, is it really absolutely necessary? Because this is a momentous decision. A first-time prescription for an opiate may condemn a patient to a lifetime of addiction," Frieden said. "There are very few medications that we use that kill people as often as opiates."

P. Tennent Slack, a pain doctor who practices in Gainesville and Braselton, Ga., said there's no question that too many doctors have been "indiscriminate" in their prescribing of opioids.

Prescribing an opioid should never be a quick, easy solution, Slack said. It requires a close evaluation of the patient's pain and an honest assessment of the patient's risk of addiction. In every case, Slack said, doctors should consider the alternatives, from the least invasive - such as bio-feedback - to the most invasive - surgery. When opioids are used, he said, doctors should prescribe the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time.

Slack worries, though, about the unintended consequences that could come from the urgent push to address the opioid crisis. He advocates a solution that balances the need for more careful prescribing with an acknowledgement that some patients do well on the medications and would suffer without them.

"The vast majority of Americans take the opioid pill and they stop," he said. "There are those who make it sound like everybody who is exposed to a narcotic will undergo some sort of change in the brain that will cause them to misuse the medication."

About 97.5 million people across the nation used prescription pain relievers in 2015, according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Of those, 87 percent used them as directed, and 13 percent misused the medication. About 2 million people have a substance use disorder involving pain pills.
Joe Tone had worked at newspapers across the country from northern California to Cleveland to Kansas City to Dallas  when he picked up a copy of the New York Times and read a story about how the Zetas, a Mexican drug cartel, infiltrated the American quarter-horse racing industry. The story riveted Tone, who spent five years reporting and writing his own deep dive of the story in the nonfiction book, "Bones: Brothers, Horses, Cartels, and the Borderland Dream." The book focuses on Jose Trevino, an immigrant bricklayer-turned-horse-breeder living in Dallas, and his brother, Miguel, a Zetas kingpin. Tone recently spoke to the Houston Chronicle about his book. The interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How'd you get the idea for the book?

I had a brand new baby at the time, getting up early in the morning. I remember it being dark in the office. And getting the paper, bringing it into my office. At the time, I had this ritual of reading the newspaper before anyone showed up. And opening it up and reading this story about Jose Trevino and his ranch being raided in Oklahoma and how the feds suspected he had been laundering money for his brother Miguel, and being totally fascinated by every aspect. Often with magazine writers or authors, we talk about these stories we find that are hidden  this was not hidden. It was on the front page of the New York Times. And incredible reporting by Ginger Thompson. She did it from a national perspective. I thought, "What could we do from a Dallas perspective?"

Every moment of that book read like you were right there. How'd you do that?

I got lucky. A lot of these drug war cases never see a courtroom. Everybody pleads out. Particularly federal cases, people plead out, because federal cases are hard to win. But there were five people initially, who said, 'No, I'm not going to plead out.' And it went to trial. ... There was a lot of paper amassed by lawyers. Tons of records. Then tons of interviews. Talking to agents or other people who were in the room, or who could help me put the reader in the room.

What was your biggest hurdle or challenge?

The biggest challenge was getting the perspective of the people who were involved in this particular horse-racing operation or in the drug trade.

That was the biggest reporting challenge and it took a long time. ... And they were sources that took a long time to develop, to win their trust or their lawyers' trust. That was the hardest reporting challenge. ... There were people very knowledgeable about how the Zetas worked who  there was no upside for them to talk, and really real downsides for them to talk  who could really help me understand how different parts of different operations worked, whether it was the way drugs moved across the border, or money went back.

How concerned were you for your safety? The Zetas are maybe the most notorious Mexican drug gang.

Yea, probably the most notorious when it comes to sheer violence. I wasn't particularly scared. One of the themes of the book is about the different rules that exist in the drug war for different people. I would think about it every once in awhile, and I would try remember there are reporters in Mexico trying to report on the drug war there whose lives are very much in danger every day. They ... are always threatened. And too often hurt or killed or threatened out of doing a job they love. And I try to tell myself it's unfair to them to walk in my neighborhood in Dallas, Texas because it just felt very unlikely  the Zetas, who are not what they were when all the action of the book took place; they're not as active, not as powerful, not as cohesive  and the people who were driving what happens in the book were in prison. And most of the people I write about in the book are not violent criminals. A lot of the people involved in the horse racing operation  I don't think they ever viewed what they were doing as a crime, and so wouldn't view what I was doing as a threat because it wasn't exposing anything they viewed as a crime and they weren't doing it anymore. Which isn't to say I never got scared, but I scare pretty easily.

What's the most interesting reaction you've had since this published?

How many readers have connected with Jose and his family. And empathized with them and been saddened by their story. That's how I felt about it and how I wrote it but I thought it would be a tough sell to readers ... I've found a lot of readers have connected emotionally with his story in the way I hoped they would. That surprised me. I was telling the story I found emotionally compelling but was simultaneously cynical the world wouldn't see it that way. A surprising number have viewed it the same way.

What for you was the biggest lesson of writing Bones?

One thing I think I intuitively knew but never really deconstructed enough was to really understand the way our system of laws, particularly drug laws and the culture of law enforcement and our culture, creates this situation where people in this book go about their lives and find themselves in a system of laws and law enforcement culture. ... You can look at this very multicultural industry of horse racing, that's been completely infiltrated by drug money, and at the end of the day, law enforcement goes through all its steps and makes what they view as the right choice  the choices they are trained to make  and at the end of the day, you have 15-18 people indicted, and they're all Mexican or Mexican-American, and no white people. And when you look at it ... you understand it's not really by accident. That's the way that culture and laws were designed ... It costs a lot of money and I'm not sure it's worth the outcome.

St. John Barned-Smith covers public safety and major breaking news for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Send tips to st.john.smith@chron.com.
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Bruce McCandless II, the first astronaut to float untethered in space, died Thursday, NASA officials said. He was 80.

McCandless, originally from Boston, was one of 19 astronauts selected in April 1966. He flew on two Space Shuttle missions, in 1984 and 1990.

During his 1984 mission, McCandless became the first astronaut to fly untethered from the spacecraft using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). The photograph taken of that spacewalk is now considered one of NASA's iconic photos.

"My wife was at mission control, and there was quite a bit of apprehension," McCandless wrote in 2015. "I wanted to say something similar to Neil (Armstrong) when he landed on the moon, so I said, 'It may have been a small step for Neil, but it's a heck of a big leap for me.' That loosened the tension a bit."

His 1990 mission entailed the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope, which still orbits the Earth and mainly observes visible light.

McCandless, a retired U.S. Navy captain, logged more than 312 hours in space, but he also contributed to NASA missions when he wasn't in space. He was the mission-control communicator for the Apollo 11 mission moonwalk, completed by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. He also was the backup pilot for the first Skylab mission.

He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2005.

Johnson Space Center officials confirmed he was in California when died.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bruce's family," said Robert Lightfoot, NASA's acting administrator. "He will always be known for his iconic photo flying the MMU."

McCandless is survived by his wife, Ellen Shields McCandless, of Conifer, Colo.; his son, Bruce McCandless III, of Austin and his son's wife, Patricia; his daughter, Tracy of Islamorada, Fla.; and two granddaughters, Emma Rose and Carson Clare of Austin.

He also is survived by his brother, Douglas, of Washington, D.C.; and sisters Sue Woodridge and Rosemary McCandless, both from Texas.
A passenger on a flight from Houston to Washington D.C. has accused United Airlines of giving her first-class seat to U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. D-Houston, and then threatening to remove her from the plane for complaining and snapping a photo of the Houston congresswoman.

"It was just so completely humiliating," said Jean-Marie Simon, a 63-year-old attorney and private school teacher who used 140,000 miles on Dec. 3 to purchase the first-class tickets to take her from Washington D.C. to Guatemala and back home.

Now Playing: To a Congresswoman Video: Fortune

When it came time to board the last leg of her flight home from George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Dec. 18, after a roughly hour-long weather delay, Simon said the gate attendant scanned her paper ticket and told her it was not in the system.

Did you cancel your flight?, the attendant asked.

"No," she said she replied. "I just want to go home."

Her seat, 1A, was taken, she was told. Simon was given a $500 voucher and reseated in row 11, Economy Plus.

Simon later learned that Jackson Lee was in her pre-purchased seat and has alleged that the congresswoman received preferential treatment, which United denies.

"After thoroughly examining our electronic records, we found that upon receiving a notification that Flight 788 was delayed due to weather, the customer appears to have canceled her flight from Houston to Washington, D.C. within the United mobile app," United said in a statement. "As part of the normal pre-boarding process, gate agents began clearing standby and upgrade customers, including the first customer on the waitlist for an upgrade."

Simon denies that she cancelled her ticket. She sent a reporter a screenshot of the United website showing only one "inactive" reservation  a flight to Houston in August to visit her daughter that she had to cancel because of Hurricane Harvey.

A United official said screenshot doesn't show the December flight as cancelled because she ultimately took the flight.

The official provided another screenshot of United's internal software system and said that it showed the flight had been cancelled on a mobile app, though a reporter was unable to independently verify that on Saturday because of the system's coding.

Jackson Lee issued a statement on Saturday afternoon saying: "I asked for nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary and received nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary."

Simon said she saw Jackson Lee board the plane with a flight attendant before all of the other passengers, but did not know who she was until another passenger told her after they were seated.

A mechanical problem with the plane delayed take-off and after about 50 minutes, she said, passengers were invited to consult with a gate agent about alternative flights.

Simon said she went to the front and snapped a photo of Jackson Lee and told a flight attendant that she knew why she'd been bumped.

In her statement, Jackson Lee said she overheard Simon speaking with an African-American flight attendant and saw her snap the photo.

"Since this was not any fault of mine, the way the individual continued to act appeared to be, upon reflection, because I was an African American woman, seemingly an easy target along with the African American flight attendant who was very, very nice," Jackson Lee said in the statement. "This saddens me, especially at this time of year given all of the things we have to work on to help people. But in the spirit of this season and out of the sincerity of my heart, if it is perceived that I had anything to do with this, I am kind enough to simply say sorry."

Simon said Jackson Lee's statement accused her of racism, adding: "I had no idea who was in my seat when I complained at the gate that my seat had been given to someone else," she said. "There is no way you can see who is in a seat from inside the terminal."

About five minutes after Simon took the photo on the plane, Simon said, another flight attendant sat next her and asked if she "was going to be a problem."

Simon said she replied that she just wanted to go home.

She said the plane took off at 12:50 p.m. and she arrived home that night, still upset. Simon wrote a letter to airline's CEO and posted it on Facebook and Twitter. A "resolution manager" called her Saturday morning and apologized at least a half-dozen times, she said.

She said she wants a formal, written apology from United.

"It's just impossible to suspend disbelief and swallow that story that I cancelled my flight," Simon said.

United has suffered a string of customer relations gaffes this year.

In June, a woman said she was forced to give up her 2-year-old's $969 seat on a flight from Houston to Boston and hold him for roughly three hours because the airline sold the seat.

In April, Dr. David Dao was forcibly removed from a United Express flight in Chicago to make space for crew members headed to Louisville, Ky.

The airline announced policy changes after that incident and its CEO, Oscar Munoz, has promised a "culture shift toward becoming a better, more customer-focused airline."
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About a year ago, a seasoned U.S. oil leader with deep political connections explained to me that U.S. shale would be out of the woods by 2018. He thought that the U.S. economy would see improved growth under President Trump, pulling up global gross domestic product - and with it, oil demand.

That growth would mean Saudi Arabia would be closer to maxed out on its capability to produce oil, no longer a significant threat to U.S. shale.

Under this worldview, American producers would be able wrest more market share in the future without fear of toppling prices, hence the Trump administration's optimistic view of U.S. energy "dominance."

At the time, it seemed like a rosy prognostication. I pointed out how easily Russia, armed with a cheap ruble and flexible tax policy, could also increase its own oil output.

But 2018 is now around the corner, and that conversation now seems somewhat more prophetic. It raises the question: What would it mean for Saudi Arabia and U.S. shale producers if Russia does an about-face and makes a production push?

It's something to watch.

Because, while Saudi Arabia might not be technically maxed out, global demand is on the rise and Saudi ability to flood the market to punish challengers is, at least for the moment, greatly reduced.

Not only is the kingdom boxed in to supporting higher prices because of domestic economic pressures and its planned initial public offering of state oil giant Saudi Aramco, it is also facing long-term oil field problems that will not be cheap or easy to fix.

Regardless of its handicap versus the United States and Russia at adding new producing areas in its oil fields, Saudi Arabia is not yet abdicating its leadership role. It took a proactive stance towards recent deliberations to extend OPEC/non-OPEC production cuts into 2018.

Saudi's steadfast commitment to the deal was not initially reciprocated by Russia. The cat-and-mouse process led one seasoned journalist to note President Vladimir Putin wanted to "crown himself king of OPEC." The sequence of events prompted the question whether Russia has finally achieved what four decades of sponsored military proxies failed to do - surreptitiously gaining sway over Saudi oil policy.

For its part, Russia's stated concern about a production cut extension was linked in part to the advantage higher oil prices are giving to U.S. shale producers. A Citibank report suggests that not only do Russia's largest companies have 300,000 barrels per day in idled current capacity, they are sitting on some 23 fields that could add substantial new production in the next five years. Russia also has untapped shale potential.

Any Russian increases will come head-to-head with rising U.S. oil production. The U.S. Energy Information Administration has said that it could hit 10 million barrels per day in 2018, up 780,000 barrels per day. Analysts Cornerstone Macro are similarly bullish on U.S. supply, especially should prices be above $60 a barrel.

Right now, production disruptions in Venezuela, the United Kingdom and Iraq are supporting prices in addition to a war premium fueled by raging proxy wars across the Mideast. Traders, shale investors and even reportedly Saudi Arabia are betting that continued problems in Caracas, among other locales, will make ample room for rising U.S. production. Longer term, there are more producers in line to increase exports, including Iran, Iraq, Brazil and Canada.

But the real geopolitical showdown for market share will likely come down to Russia and the United States: Who can bring on new oil fastest?

The possible conflict over market share is existential to Russian power. Washington's energy dominance tack, which recently included an announced gas export deal for Alaska during the Trump visit to Beijing, sounds as threatening to Russian ears as NATO expansion did a decade or more ago.

Not only does Russia rely heavily on its energy exports for its budget and as a diplomatic lever, but the commanding heights of Putin's inner circle and his grip on power is intimately linked with Russia's oil and gas elite. Russian influence and economic health has suffered in the past from orchestrated alliances between the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar that targeted Russia's energy earnings.

For now, Russia seems content to collaborate with Saudi Arabia on oil market stability, which ironically also suits the current U.S. administration, whose America-first jobs message is tied heavily to the economic engine of the shale revolution.

But that delicate oil truce rests on the back of Venezuela's woes, which is making space for everyone. At some later date, if Saudi stability seems vulnerable to continuing proxy wars in the Middle East, Putin could be tempted to see if he can tip the scales further, making additional space for his long-term export surge and rendering his giant reserves all the more important.

Jaffe is the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment and director of the Program on Energy and Climate Change at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
DOUG MILLS/STF

Tax cuts, cuts, cuts, as President Trump loves to say, were approved by Congress to great Republican jubilation, and predictions by Democrats that the bill could be a GOP Waterloo.

Hmmm. The two parties had much the same stance just a few years ago when so-called Obamacare was enacted, and only time gave an indication of who lost and who won.
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While the region enjoys a high rate of economic growth, it also suffers from a relatively low level of internal competitive pressure; some of its national country markets are just too small. It is another reason to intensify Baltic integration, for more balanced collective prosperity. This is why, back in 2009, the EU designed a macro-regional strategy  its first - to accelerate the Baltic Sea regions (BSR) integration and boost its economy  by promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, trade and digitally-driven growth. Better cooperation on digitisation and research can improve competition in each country, as well as in the BSR as a whole.

The Digital Single Market (DSM) that we are now building for all EU countries will have huge significance for BSR economies. They themselves have a big part to play in this project. In terms of digital readiness, BSR countries are relatively advanced and rank as frontrunners in many areas of Europes digital economy. The digitisation levels of their economies and societies are mostly above the EU average. In some cases, way above. So, digitally speaking, the region is well placed to embrace technological progress and thrive on it. In addition, several BSR countries have a dynamic landscape for digital startups, along with like-minded attitudes towards developing and using digital technology in general.

However, there are some substantial differences between them in terms of digital progress. Denmark, Finland and Sweden occupy the top three spots in the European Commissions 2017 Digital Economy and Society Index. However, Latvia and Poland both fall below the EU average, although their problem areas are more specific. In Latvia, for example, more people are going online and using e-government services. But half the population has no or low digital skills, although this is improving slowly. Latvians are increasingly shopping online, but businesses are using technology in only a limited way. Estonias digital landscape tells a similarly divided story. It is Europes champion for providing digital public services. The level of digital skills is above average, so is peoples internet use. But while several Estonian companies make use of e-invoices and cloud services, the low overall integration of digital technology by Estonian businesses puts the country well below the EU average.The EU as a whole is no stranger to the digital divide. National and regional differences like these are not unique. But we cannot allow them to expand any more if we are to build a fully functioning DSM across Europe. They should be minimised and ironed out.

Better regional integration in terms of digital policies allows innovative companies based in one country to grow and prosper from a larger and more developed home market. In the longer term, and as the DSM becomes a reality across all EU countries, they will benefit from a more integrated market on a regional and European scale. One of the DSMs main aims is to use digital technology to link together people and businesses; countries, regions and communities. That means removing all the digital differences around Europe, all the barriers  legal, administrative, technical  that are holding up its progress and spread. That way, everyone gains from the many opportunities offered by the digital age. The DSM strategy aims to improve access for people and businesses to digital goods and services across Europe; to create appropriate and fair conditions for digital networks and innovative services to thrive, backed up by highquality infrastructure across Europe; and to maximise the potential of the digital economy, making the most of areas of new growth. Europes regions - their towns, cities and villages  have a major part to play in building the DSM. This is where things are really put into practice, at grassroots level. If they do not work on a smaller regional scale, how can they work in a uniform and coherent way across the vast territory of the European Union? In the digital world, that is vital - and especially in a single market. For many years, Europeans have enjoyed the benefits of a common market based on four freedoms: the free movement of goods, people, capital and services. This unique marketplace - the worlds largest - is the foundation for the modern European Union as we know it. But it is not yet working properly in a digital context. Our challenge is to extend the common marketplace that we have now for the physical world into the world of bits and bytes. That is what the DSM is about: allowing the freedoms of Europes single market to enter the digital age. Europes regions  including all the BSR countries - are where the work to build a digital single market and economy begins in earnest. They are the starting point for Europes ultimate digital success.

Source: http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/direct_speech/?doc=136011
Not long ago, the internet connoted progress, connection, exploration, innovation. But what trends do you associate with the net today? Disinformation? Hatred? Surveillance? Censorship? Monopoly? Child exploitation?

The dark mood about the digital age, while understandable, is also dangerous. The internet still offers enormous value as a tool for freedom of information and expression. But in attempting to fix its very real problems, we are concerned that governmentsoften with public support and encouragementrisk undermining its core benefits.

Repressive governments have long criminalized criticism of officials or institutions, often disguised as seemingly content-neutral measures such as laws on defamation, blasphemy, or lese majeste (offending the dignity of a sovereign or the state, perhaps most often associated with Thailand). Now, in many countries, a Facebook post or a tweet can lead to a visit from the security services, an investigation, or worse. Cases span from India, where a young man was detained for irreverent posts on Facebook, to Zimbabwe, where, in November, an American woman was arrested after having insulted (now former) President Robert Mugabe on Twitter.

Even governments that have typically protected and promoted freedom of expression are taking steps that, while not in the same category of repression, could nonetheless lead to restriction on space for expression and association. For instance, Western European governments concerned about the problems posed by social media are adopting policies that undermine the protections offered to free speech in offline space. Earlier this year, Germany legislated against online hate speech, encouraging internet platforms to engage in what in essence would come down to online censorship. The United Kingdoms Investigatory Powers Actdubbed by opponents the snoopers charter and adopted in 2016provides security services and police with the power to hack into computers and phones and collect bulk communications data, severely endangering, among other things, the ability of journalists to protect their sources. Spains attempt to counter Catalonian separatism this fall has led to significant interferences with the flow of online information. And the U.S. immigration enforcement agency has called upon software developers to help it design algorithms allowing for continuous monitoring of the social media activity of visa-holders.

Next weeks Internet Governance Forum in Geneva is one of the few global arenas available to advocate for an internet safe and secure for freedom of expression, privacy, and other fundamental rights. An annual global meeting organized by the U.N., it provides a critical place for governments, internet companies, and civil society to re-emphasize the core human rights values at the center of the digital age. The IGF does not itself make decisions, but its very existence promotes an open, secure, and participatory internet, emphasizing its decentralized nature. From our different perspectivesas the U.N.s principal monitor for freedom of expression worldwide and as a lawyer who has litigated freedom of expression cases around the worldwe both have seen how IGF promotes a vision of internet governance that runs counter to the state-centralized management pursued by censorship-heavy governments. China and Russia, for instance, have pressed to multilateralize internet governance, effectively locking out civil society in favor of a state-dominated approach. Chinas series of Wuzhen conferences have been a kind of counterpoint to IGF, reflecting the aggressive approach China takes toward uses of the internet that Western users take for granted.

This year, more than at any other of IGFs 11 earlier sessions, participants must resist statist management of digital spaces. Instead, they need to celebrate and advocate for approaches that involve not only governments but also individual users, NGOs, private companies, technologists, and academics. These types of multi-stakeholder processes tend to argue that the best way to counter the ills of the digital age is to protect user autonomy and expression and to adopt solutions that have buy-in from all those usingand building and protectingthe internet. IGF arrives at a critical moment, and participants should aim, at a minimum, for three things.

The best way to counter the ills of the digital age is to protect user autonomy and expression.

First, IGF should celebrate and protect the internets role in facilitating the exercise of human rights. Governments are obliged under international law to protect the rights to freedom of expression, privacy, free assembly and association. Instead, governments regularly assault them, arguingas they often do in times of terrorism and other threatsthat compromise is necessary. We have seen this especially in the efforts by law enforcement, at national and local levels, to undermine encryption (a fundamental safeguard for user security), privacy, and expression. France sought to criminalize merely visiting websites deemed to encourage terrorism, which the Constitutional Council recently declared unconstitutional.

Unfortunately, compromise often involves a one-way ratchet, giving more power to states and few rights to individuals. IGF should stand for the principle that, where governments restrict online rights, they must alsoas in offline spacedemonstrate that the restrictions are necessary and proportionate to protect legitimate interests. Online or off, governments have an obligation to protect human rights.

Second, IGF should promote diversity and inclusion online. The U.S. Federal Communications Commissions vote to repeal net neutrality is just one example of policies that threaten free speech online, placing more power in the hands of big telecom companies worldwide. Equal access means more information available to individuals, something that should not be left only to corporate actors.

That said, governments and companies alike must better address issues such as online harassment, which prevent equal participation online. Online harassment disproportionately targets women and minorities, facilitating a less diverse and less democratic online space. Governments and private actors need to find mechanisms that restrict online harassment and hold perpetrators accountable, within a framework of laws that does not undermine freedom of expression or privacy. This is easier said than done, but one way to start is to train law enforcement to understand how online abuse can constitute harassment and threats already criminalized under much domestic law.

Finally, IGF should encourage broad participation. Indeed, the need for public participation in global internet governance has never been more important. The IGFs model of governance represents the most advanced effort at giving everyone a seat at the table when it comes to defining the future of the internet. IGF and other forums, like the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and the Internet Engineering Task Force, are where the future of the internet is being considered, its architecture and governance agreed. Public participation makes the case that the most important open communications platform ever invented should remain open, pluralistic, and democratic. We encourage everyone to take advantage of opportunities to engage. For instance, the European Union offers public platforms to engage on major internet issues, such as its current one on fake news and disinformation. Individuals and organizations can engage through mechanisms such as the IGFs dynamic coalitions. Dont be intimidated by the language or by the forumswe need your voice.
Berkshire Natural Resources Council Appoints New President

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The board of directors of Berkshire Natural Resources Council has appointed Jenny Hansell of Sharon, Conn., as its next president, succeeding Tad Ames, who will step down from the organization at the end of the calendar year.

Hansell has served as the executive director of the North East Community Center in Millerton, N.Y., since 2001.

"We conducted a national search resulting in an initial pool of 60 applications. Out of this, Jenny rose to the top on the strength of her experience, track record, and clear articulation of the leadership skills necessary to match the organization's needs and aspirations," said Tim Crane, BNRC's chairman. "The board is delighted as much by her passion for the challenge as by her exemplary qualifications."

Hansell will take the helm of an organization that has had only two chief executives in its 50-year history. The organization has enjoyed tremendous growth in the last five years with the launch of its Berkshire High Road vision and the conclusion of a $5 million capital campaign.

Hansell fully grasps the promise that the Berkshire High Road represents and the challenge of executing against this vision, Crane said.

"Jenny radiates optimism that is informed and seasoned by her experiences leading the North East Community Center. She possesses a sense of urgency to make real BNRC's vision of a county-wide, interconnected network of trails while leading BNRC's broader conservation mission that has become increasingly ambitious and complex," he said. "Tad's stewardship, notably his High Road vision, has created a remarkable platform for the next phase of BNRC's history. Jenny has the background and skill set to lead the organization to new heights."

"It is an honor to have the opportunity to join BNRC at this critical moment in its evolution so I can help bring The High Road to fruition," Hansell said. "I am looking forward to the chance to get to know and work with the organization's talented staff, board, volunteers and community partners, to walk the trails from New Marlborough to Williamstown, and play a part in the preservation of our beautiful Berkshires for generations to enjoy."

The North East Community Center serves northeastern Dutchess County, New York, with programs for children, teens, families and senior citizens, including the Millerton Farmers Market, a Dial A Ride bus, after-school programs, job training and paid internships for teens and young adults, support for families in crisis, and public events like the Spring for Sound music festival. All of the center's current programs were developed under Hansell's leadership.

"Jenny Hansell will be a terrific leader for BNRC, and an invaluable mentor to our high-caliber staff," Ames said. "Between the staff, the board, and the donors who make everything possible, BNRC is blessed with deep reservoirs of passion, talent and local knowledge. It's been a privilege to work with such great people, and I'm honored to pass the torch to Jenny."

BNRC was founded by George Wislocki in 1967. In 2002, Ames succeeded Wislocki. Today the organization stewards nearly 22,000 acres of conservation land, including approximately 50 miles of hiking trails.
FTC Issues Biennial Report to Congress on the National Do Not Call Registry

Washington, DC - The Federal Trade Commission has issued its biennial report to Congress focusing on the use of the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry by both consumers and businesses and other organizations over the past two years.

This years report includes: 1) a summary of current Registry operations; 2) a summary of the impact on the Registry of new telecommunications technologies; and 3) a discussion of the impact of the established business relationship exception in the Commissions enforcement efforts.

The DNC Registry currently has more than 229 million active registrations, an increase of more than 3.8 million registrations from the previous fiscal year (FY). According to the report, during fiscal year 2017, 2,259 businesses and other entities paid more than $12.6 million to access the Registry. Another 15,536 entities subscribed to access five or fewer area codes free of charge, and 543 entities (such as charitable organizations) claimed exempt organization status and also received free access to the Registry.

In FY 2016, 2,353 entities paid Registry access fees totaling more than $12.9 million. That year, 17,634 entities subscribed to access five or fewer area codes at no charge, and 503 entities claimed exempt organization status and accessed the Registry without paying a fee.

The report concludes that the DNC Registry exists to provide consumers with a choice regarding whether or not to receive telemarketing calls. Accordingly, the FTC works to keep it accessible and effective for both consumers and telemarketers. As new technology provides new challenges, the FTC actively seeks to address and confront them by, among other things, encouraging private industry, other government agencies, academia, and other interested parties to work towards and create new strategies to help consumers avoid unwanted telemarketing calls.

The Commission vote authorizing the biennial report to Congress was 2-0. (The staff contact is Ami Dziekan, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2648).
On the Presidential Elections in Honduras

Washington, DC - We congratulate President Juan Orlando Hernandez on his victory in the November 26 presidential elections, as declared by the Honduran Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).

The close election results, irregularities identified by the OAS and the EU election observation missions, and strong reactions from Hondurans across the political spectrum underscore the need for a robust national dialogue. A significant long-term effort to heal the political divide in the country and enact much-needed electoral reforms should be undertaken.

We call upon the TSE to transparently and fully review any challenges filed by political parties. We urge Honduran citizens or political parties challenging the result to use the avenues provided by Honduran law.

We reiterate the call for all Hondurans to refrain from violence. The government must ensure Honduran security services respect the rights of peaceful protestors, including by ensuring accountability for any violations of those rights.
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The climactic Home Alone showdown between eight-year-old kid Kevin McCallister and the pair of robbers attempting to burgle his house are some of the funniest scenes ever committed to film.

However, the dark reality is that if those characters had faced Kevin's booby traps - deployed to keep the robbers out - in real life, they would have likely died.

So suggests a brand new video from Jake Roper who sifted through each of Kevin's traps to discern how Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) would have fared in real life.

Titled 'Could you survive Home Alone,' Roper's experiments prove that a paint can to the face would probably break your neck, heating up a doorknob with an electric barbecue lighter would likely see the door catching fire and a crowbar to the chest would break skin, seven ribs and punctured internal organs including lungs and heart.



The fact that they're taken away in a police car is perhaps the most unrealistic outcome in cinema history - but considering its a stone-cold classic, we'll forgive it.

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If ever there were a modern metal band who suffers from the sheer consistent quality of their own output, surely that band is Mastodon. The progressive, stoner, sludge metal quartet have become so proficient at regularly unleashing vast, opulent and ornate masterworks that its become easy for the metal scene at large to take them for granted. From 2002s gut-punch debut Remission right up until this years extraordinary prog-metal masterpiece Emperor of Sand, every single Mastodon record has been of an extraordinarily high standard, with the band building one of the most rock-solid musical legacies of the 21st century. Tonight, they headline a sold out Brixton Academy for the third time in a row and bring with them two very distinct and utterly stellar supports, marking a late entry for one of the best heavy bills of 2017.

To open up this evening? Only one of the premier instrumental acts of the past 10 years and for half an hour, Russian Circles prove why theyre more than worthy of living up to that title. A trio that sound as mighty as a sextet, Russian Circles are a slow lumbering beast, like Godzilla stomping down city-wide blocks, crushing skyscrapers like a person would a Ryvita. Lit from behind in a bid to make the music do the talking, they start with the appropriately lumbering 309, the swirling hypnotic beasts and rumbling bass being more than enough to get a large portion of the uninitiated Mastodon crowd onside immediatedly. Thirty minutes isnt an awful lot of time for the majestic sprawl of Russian Circles to be felt, so the trio wisely choose to stick to their full-pelt, heavier material for the most part, with the exception of Afrika which feels utterly majestic, filling every inch of Brixtons vast concrete sprawl with its blissed-out heavy tones.

The ominous dread that the three-piece conjure, particularly during the intro of Harper Lewis, is spine-tingling and makes for a much more dramatic, tooth-rattling crescendo during the songs latter half. Its also a wonderful showcase for drummer Dave Turncrantzs incredible grace around a kit, sprinkling his playing with rim-clicks and ghost notes galore to create a dynamic, beating heartbeat to anchor bassist and ex-Botch luminary Brian Cooks thick, textured tar-like riffs.

Guitarist Mike Sullivan negotiates a complex series of loops to fill out the trios sound, a feat that would appear breath-taking if it werent for the ease with which he manages to traverse his pedal board. The thought of any other musicians taking the place of Messers Sullivan, Cook or Turncrantz is inconceivable, so skilled are they at weaving intricate textures and melodies around one another in an effort to come up with something greater than the sum of its parts and that is surely the mark of a truly exceptional band.

Red Fangs Aaron Beam (Rex/John Gilleese)

Red Fang arent strangers to opening for a Mastodon crowd, having done so around the US and Europe when the headliners were touring The Hunter. Its an impeccable pairing with the Portland Oregon quartet providing a perfect appetiser for this evenings main course. Red Fang may be less cerebral than the band most are here to witness but they more than make up for that with the sheer accessibility of their gargantuan riffs.

Its clear from the get-go that Red Fang arent messing about this evening, with a perfectly honed set that culls predominantly from their incredible 2011 sophomore record Murder The Mountains. Bulldozing straight into the colossal riff that ushers in Hank Is Dead is a sure-fire way to get attention and Red Fang have Brixtons from the off. They follow it up with the groove sludge masterpiece that is Throw Up, an irresistible moneymaker shaker that evokes Alice in Chains if they were called on to cover Queens of the Stone Age. It perfectly encapsulates what so many love about this band; their hooks will scorch their way onto your cerebral cortex whilst their riffs pummel your senses until youre left a head-banging, gibbering wreck.

Wires and Malverde seem so primal and instinctual that it feels as if they have been in the lexicon of music since the beginning of time. Even if youre unfamiliar with Red Fangs riffs, youll become instantly familiar with half a dozen or so given 30 minutes in the Oregon quartets company. It makes you wonder how long it will be until Red Fang are headlining venues of this size themselves. One killer album could rocket them to that stage; lets hope that happens soon.

Mastodons Brent Hinds is effortlessly proficient (Rex/John Gilleese)

Beginning a headline gig to a 5,000 strong, sold-out crowd with an extraordinary, twisting 13-minute prog rock odyssey is a bold move for any band but of course Mastodon pull it off with aplomb as they peel into the opening strains of The Last Baron. Its an absolute masterpiece, with each succeeding section sounding more intricate than the last. So chockfull of ideas is The Last Baron that the gig could end at the songs conclusion and most here would be content that theyd just witnessed the most fulfilling and spellbinding show of the year. Thankfully, Mastodon dont end there, but rather go into the crushing opening number from this years Emperor of Sand, Sultans Curse.

In all, seven cuts are taken this evening from the bands latest record with Roots Remain, Ancient Kingdom and Andromeda all proving to be seismic examples of the bands unique approach to prog-metal, whilst love-it-or-loathe-it Show Yourself cements itself as a bona fide classic that will likely remain in the set for years to come. There are few concessions to spectacle, other than some 14ft LED screens that occasionally cast trippy vistas of stars and Cthulhuian monsters but theres more than enough drama in the bands songs, with a broad set list that gleans gems from all seven of the bands studio albums.

Mastodons mastermind Brann Dailor behind the kit (Rex/John Gilleese)

Black Tongue, Colony of Birchmen, Megalodon and Oblivion all provide startling examples of the bands growth and depth across a stunning 17-year career. Bladecatcher is surely one of the best instrumentals in metal and shows off the quartets excellent musicianship without ever appearing self-indulgent. Amazingly, after 17 songs and almost two hours, there are still a whole heap of tunes one would love to hear (theres no Curl of the Burl, High Road, March of the Fire Ants or The Wolf Is Loose tonight) but this is testament to Mastodons vast catalogue of phenomenal songs.

A very welcome callback to their early roots in the form of Mother Puncher feels like a right hook to the jaw before the sprawling epic that is Steambreather and the rocket launcher in a knife fight hysteria of Blood and Thunder bring proceedings to a mesmerising and electrifying close. Few should be left in doubt that history will dictate that Mastodon be seen as one of the most treasured bands in metal in the early 21st century. Their place in the pantheon is assured, for doing things their own way and never bowing to convention and performances like tonights are a magnificent reminder of what makes them so special.
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Along Fouad Street, modern retail brands near old buildings with Italian and French architecture reminds Egyptians that commercial ventures threaten to erase traces of Alexandrias aristocratic past.

Named after King Fouad I, who died in 1936, the street is a throwback to a time when the arts flourished in a cosmopolitan city that is now overcrowded and dilapidated like many of Egypts urban centres.

At a car repair shop once used to service the monarchs vehicles, for example, mechanics work over cars from the 1930s and 1960s.

Recommended Egypt wants to rebuild the Lighthouse of Alexandria

Some, like architect and urban planning teacher Ahmed Hassan, are pushing to preserve some relics of the bygone era while keeping pace with growing businesses  the goal of his Save Alex initiative, launched in 2012.

We aim to try to find a balance between civil society and profit-driven private sector to protect the heritage buildings from getting demolished, says Hassan.

We want a system where all stake holders agree on a system to keep the heritage.

In the past, the city founded by Alexander the Great and once considered the jewel of the Mediterranean, featured a fusion of communities  Greek, Italians, Armenians, Muslims, Christians and Jews.

Fouad Street is the most potent symbol of Alexandrias grand history, with its elegant villas and antique shops.

Sigma, a company with a branch that has been investing in heritage building, hopes to keep some of the magic of the past turning a profit at the same time.

Chief executive Laithy Mekawy was influenced by the three years he spent as an architect in Istanbul, where he observed the restoration of historic buildings.

He turned a television company on the ground floor of the old Societe Immobiliere building, a 1928 Neo-Renaissance structure, into L Passage, a food and cafes court with well known brands.

Ive always loved walking on a Friday morning on Fouad Street, Laithy says, describing the weekend day in predominantly Muslim Egypt.

The beauty of the old architectural buildings, the opera house and the arts centre have kept its beauty for years.

Fouad is one of the oldest streets in Alexandria, featuring landmarks such as a centre that used to house the Mohamed Ali club  named after a past king  built near the British forces base in Alexandria during late 19th century.

On the other end of the long street is a statue of Alexander the Great, a present from the Greek government on the occasion of the opening of Bibliotheca Alexandrina library and cultural centre.

British novelist and travel writer Lawrence Durrell, author of The Alexandria Quartet, lived on the street, as did Greek poet Constantine Cavafy.

The wonders of Fouad Street Show all 9 1 /9 The wonders of Fouad Street The wonders of Fouad Street The Paraskevas Building won an award for best architectural building in a Mediterranean country in 1924 Reuters The wonders of Fouad Street Fouad Street has become known for its antique shops Reuters The wonders of Fouad Street A 1955 Ford and a 1968 Mercedes are worked on at a car repair shop, which used to service the monarchs vehicles Reuters The wonders of Fouad Street The Zogheb palace was originally owned by a Syrian-Italian family and built in 1877 Reuters The wonders of Fouad Street The Mediterranean coastal city was once a melting pot of different nationalities Reuters The wonders of Fouad Street A man sits in front of a shop that is being renovated on Fouad street Reuters The wonders of Fouad Street Alexandrias opera house: the area surrounding it is still popular with art enthusiasts Reuters The wonders of Fouad Street A security booth at the Nile medicine company. The building was previously a bank owned by a Jewish Egyptian-Greek businessman Reuters The wonders of Fouad Street The opera house was built between 1921 and 1929

After the Free Officers toppled the monarchy in 1952, multicultural communities that helped turn Alexandria into a modern city began fleeing, and the aristocracy had no place in the city among widespread nationalisations.

Zahraa Awad, who gives special tours of Fouad street, recalls listening to her grandmothers stories about the Greek, Italian, French, Armenian and Jewish families who owned the Belle epoque villas along Fouad street.

I remember all the names, they represented the cosmopolitan atmospheres of Alexandria, she says.

And in the evening when theres not much cars, you can always hear the piano coming out of the music school of the Conservatoire.

Reuters
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For most Brits, Christmas dinner means turkey and roast potatoes on the 25th, followed by the Queens Speech and a snooze in an armchair. But for Poles in the UK  who number almost a million  the main festive meal is on Christmas Eve, when they feast on carp, borscht and dumplings in a gastronomic extravaganza that lasts for hours.

Known as Wigilia supper, the meal is the biggest culinary event on the Polish calendar. Generations of women come together to proudly prepare the 12 course feast  one dish for each of the 12 apostles  and tradition has it you must try some of everything to ensure prosperity for each month of the year ahead.

For Ewelina Gradowska, who grew up on a farm near Wroclaw in Poland, Christmas Eve began with fetching a Christmas tree from the forest with her dad. Then we would all watch for the first star, the Gwiazdka, to appear in the sky, to signal the start of dinner.

The Wigilia feast has some unusual traditions, most curiously placing a layer of hay under the tablecloth. Its a way of remembering that Jesus was born among animals, explains Gosia, a Polish food blogger, writing at loswege.com. In the Christmas spirit of hospitality to strangers, the dinner table always has one empty place in case an unexpected guest drops by.

The supper begins by breaking and sharing Christmas wafers. You cant start your meal before you share an oplatek, declares Gosia, and the whole family exchange good wishes for the new year. We have special wafers to give to the farm animals as well, says Ewelina. Legend has it they are given the gift of human speech at the stroke of midnight. Every child in Poland tries to wait up to see if they can speak to their pets, laughs Gosia. I tried to talk to my cat but he never spoke to me!

In the beginning: the meal starts with an oplatek wafer (Getty/iStock)

As Poland is more than 80 per cent Catholic, the Wigilia meal is meat-free with a main course of fish, most famously carp, which is meant to bring good fortune. The Polish karp zatorski even has EU protected designation of origin status. My Mum and Grandfather used to go to the shop and bring back five or six live carp for Wigilia, says Gosia, whose extended family numbered 25 for supper. In Poland, many carp are still sold live in supermarkets (to the dismay of animal rights protesters), and the fish are often kept in the family bathtub before ending up on the dinner table. I was quite happy to see a fish in the bath swimming, recalls Ewelina. It was some time later on that you figured what happened to it. These days though, theres a gradual change in attitudes about buying carp alive. The new generations dont do this, says Zaneta Steffek, and for Gosia, who is vegetarian, the idea is upsetting: You bring the carp home alive in a small plastic bag, then you have to kill it  it shouldnt be happening.

Polish expats here in the UK buy their Wigilia carp imported from Poland and already gutted at delicatessens such as Mleczko in Hanwell, where it retails for 4.49 per kilogram, while Waitrose sells French carp for a pricier 11.99 per kg. At the Polianna Polish delicatessen in Whitton, Middlesex however, owner Anna Bartoszewicz is not stocking carp this year. A lot of people are going back to Poland, or moving out of London because of Brexit. Its difficult, people dont have money and their kids are growing up and want takeaway fish and chips and pizza. Everythings changing.

The soup course varies by region: red borscht is one of the choices (Shutterstock/Geo-grafika) (Shutterstock / Geo-grafika)

Carp is commonly fried in breadcrumbs or baked for Wigilia, but the auspicious dish is not to everyones taste. Some people think that it has a muddy flavour, says Ewelina, while software developer Bartek complains its really difficult to eat because of all the little bones. Even a small piece of carp will take you 15 minutes at least to finish.

Other dishes on the Wigilia menu include a starter of soup, which varies by region. People are split into two groups, says Bartek, those that eat red barszcz (borscht) and those that eat mushroom soup. Many families gather wild mushrooms from the forest themselves.

Pierogi are Polands famous dumplings, and the most popular filling for Wigilia is sour cabbage and mushroom. Similar to ravioli, families take pride in making them by hand. You start pierogi the day before, because you have to do the dough, then the filling and sticking them together with your fingers. That takes time, says Ewelina. Another version, pierogi ruskie, is filled with potatoes and cheese, and topped with sour cream or caramelised onions.

The live carp is often stored in the bathtub before being cooked (Shutterstock) (Shutterstock / Rades)

The Wigilia meal may be accompanied by wine or a traditional drink made from dried and smoked fruit called kompot. After all those courses, theres little room for dessert, but a popular sweet is kutia, an ancient Eastern European dish made from cooked wheat grains, honey, dried fruits, nuts and poppy seeds, which symbolise prosperity.

When the supper is finally over, the family sings carols and exchanges gifts before heading out to a special midnight mass called Pasterka (Shepherds Mass).

For each of the expats, Wigilia is a very different celebration in London. Theres something magical about being round a table with your family, which you cant have in London, says Gosia wistfully. But in turn your friends here are becoming your second family. Ewelina is happy to be taking her children home to Poland for Christmas. Hopefully they can have the Christmas spirit that we had when we were little.

So will Polish Christmas dinner ever catch on in the UK? Every time I go to my Polish shop, I meet more British people, says Zaneta, while over at the Polianna deli. Anna now has three times as many English and international customers as Polish ones. Sauerkraut, bigos, pierogi... they love my homemade food, she smiles proudly.
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There are 73 million-pound streets across England and Wales - including at least one in every region, Lloyds Bank has found.

Here are its key regional findings:

North East - The most expensive streets are in the Newcastle area, mostly in places such as Gosforth and Ponteland. Runnymede Road (1,111,000) is the most expensive, followed by Montagu Avenue (1,048,000).

Recommended UK house price growth expected to grind to a halt in 2018

North West - the majority of expensive streets are located in Alderley Edge, Altrincham and Knutsford. Congleton Road in Alderley Edge is the most expensive street with homes selling, on average, for 1,985,000 followed by Park Drive in Altrincham (1,820,000).

Yorkshire and the Humber - The most expensive streets here are mainly in the area that makes up the so-called "golden triangle" between Harrogate, Wetherby and north Leeds. Fulwith Mill Lane in Harrogate has the most expensive homes (1,545,000). Others include Ling Lane in Leeds (1,394,000).

West Midlands - Roman Road in Sutton Coldfield (1,481,000) and Widney Manor Road in Solihull (1,386,000) are the two priciest addresses.

East Midlands - Warren Hill in Newtown Linford in Leicester is the most expensive street in the East Midlands with an average price of 1,288,000, followed by Croft Road in Nottingham (1,250,000).

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

East Anglia - Cambridge dominates the most expensive streets list. Most of these streets are close to the main university area in the CB2 and CB3 postal districts. Millington Road in Cambridge is the most expensive street in East Anglia (2,030,000) followed by Storeys Way (1,881,000).

South East - The priciest addresses are located in the towns of Weybridge, Oxford and Leatherhead. East Road in Weybridge is the most expensive street outside London with an average price of 5,053,000 followed by West Road (4,578,000).

Wales - St Annes Close in Swansea is the only million-pound street in Wales with an average price of 1,029,000. Twyncyn in Dinas Powys is next (813,000), followed by Mumbles Road in Swansea (796,000). Cardiff's Rudry Road (791,000) and Druidstone Road (790,000) follow behind.

PA
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Some call it Counterfeit Street, others the fakes capital of the UK.

In a cluster of back alleys off Bury New Road, in the shadow of Manchesters Strangeways prison, legitimate businesses struggle to exist alongside shops where knock-off Louis Vuitton costs 23, where you can buy a fake Mulberry handbag for 18, not 795, and much, much more besides.

Here, in probably the biggest hub of the UKs multibillion-pound fakes trade, the story goes that one undercover investigator was told: Give me 24 hours and I can get you anything you want.

In a more sophisticated version of the loveable Del Boy type shutting his suitcase and scarpering the moment he sees Old Bill, a network of spotters use burner phones to tell everyone the cops are coming, and key fobs to bring shop shutters down at the touch of a button.

The customers never complain when as a result they are shut inside shops for hours until the law has left the area. In fact, those who have worked this patch for a while recall raids where passers-by have gathered round the police and demanded: Why are you bothering them? What harm are they doing?

One possible answer came during a raid on 11 shops on 12 December, conducted by police, trading standards, HMRC and  perhaps tellingly  the Immigration Service.

Three shipping containers were filled with seized fake clothing, handbags, trainers, perfumes and jewellery, with a total value in excess of 3m.

But perhaps the most significant find was in a small upstairs back room Here were thousands of designer labels, and a machine for attaching them to goods that would be transformed from blank to brand.

It was a sign that perhaps fakes were being made abroad, imported without any branding to get them past Customs officers looking for counterfeits, and then taken to Manchester to be finished with the all-important designer labels  in conditions that, the investigators feared, might sometimes recall a developing world sweatshop.

No one was found beside the finishing machine  the Strangeways shops, often connected to each other by back stair and passageways, can resemble a rabbit warren with dozens of escape routes.

But elsewhere in Britain, people have been found doing the finishing.

In 2013, three undocumented immigrants were being made to finish fakes in this back room in Leicester  for 70p a day (Leicester City Council Trading Standards)

One Leicester trading standards officer told The Independent of entering a cluttered, fire risk of a workshop where, under a mouldy ceiling, he found three frightened undocumented immigrants sewing Henry Lloyd, Adidas and Ralph Lauren logos onto about 6,000 polo shirts.

They were, he discovered, being paid 70p a day  and were too terrified to say who was putting them to work.

This, the investigators now fear, may also be the true face of the Strangeways and the UKs fakes trade.

In the past six months, police have seen immigrants from such war-torn countries as Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan finding work in the Strangeways area, while being told of people getting paid just 20-30 a day.

What exactly did some spotters mean when they said in interview that if they didnt get the shutters down quickly enough, they would get into a huge amount of trouble?

Why were two large knives also discovered in the 12 December raid?

When one spotter, in his thirites from Iraq, guardedly revealed recently that he was working to pay off debts, was he talking about money owed to people who trafficked him here to work in the fakes trade? It seems that remains a possibility.

There is a recognition that actually there is something darker happening here than simply the crime of people selling knock-off goods, admitted one official involved in the Strangeways investigations.

What we are starting to hear, about arrangements for people working here, how little they are paid, if they are paid at all  There are modern slavery concerns.

We have a lot of work to do to understand things more, the official added, But I cant see how people working in these types of conditions could possibly be happy about them.

It is a concern with which Detective Sergeant Kevin Ives of The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), run by City of London Police, is increasingly familiar.

This is not a victimless crime, he says. When you are sitting there on Christmas Day feeling pleased with the fake item that has been bought on the cheap, you may have caused a lot of people a lot of misery.

Behind each counterfeit item, there is potentially a string of victims.

The fakes trade may have persisted in the public mind as something conducted by a loveable rogue flogging hooky gear down the market.

But investigators  none of them employed by the big brands - have told The Independent how Del Boy can sometimes be at the end of a chain involving Dickensian exploitation and organised criminals, who work with a pump-action shotgun, dum-dum bullets and amphetamines.

The reality, says Huw Watkins, a former senior police detective who is now the head of intelligence at the Governments Intellectual Property Office (IPO), is that selling fake goods cuts across a huge number of other crime types  and that includes violence, drug dealing and modern slavery.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA 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. 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More often than not the trail of victims begins in China. The country has come to be regarded as the global hub for manufacturing counterfeits.

In September, the IPO reported that 80 per cent of all fakes seized at EU borders were being imported from China.

And while the big brands have not always covered themselves in glory when it comes to their supply chains, there are no accountability checks at all on the conditions in which fakes are made.

The author Dana Thomas has described joining a police raid on a tenement in Guangdong Province, one of the epicentres of fakes production, to find two dozen sad, tired, dirty children, ages eight to 14, making fake Dunhill, Versace, and Hugo Boss handbags on old, rusty sewing machines.

One British investigator, a regular visitor to China, described the counterfeiting work as being done mainly by women, sometimes by children, in workshops that were Dickensian: dark, dirty  and thanks to all the exposed wiring, potentially lethal.

These are the operations that British fakes traders import from.

Thanks to the internet they can now connect not just to manufacturers and online sellers, but also to English-speaking buying and shipping agents who advertise their ability to send through sensitive lines where the probability of being [checked by Customs] is very low.

As one investigator grudgingly admits: I have been absolutely amazed by the business agility of some of these criminals. They are so flexible it makes you wonder why on earth they need to turn to crime.

A surprisingly large number of fakes find their way to the Strangeways area. As an IPO report made clear last year, fakes traders from all over the country will get stock from here, sometimes buying online, sometimes travelling to Manchester to bulk buy in person.

The Independent has even been told of counterfeit goods going from Strangeways to be sold in other European countries like Spain.

Someone, somewhere is making a lot of money. In the run-up to Christmas, each of the 40 or so shops suspected of selling fakes on Counterfeit Street will be making thousands of pounds a day. In a raid earlier this year, 260,000 was found in cash  in a single shop.

Scale this up to similar operations all over the country, and you are looking at imports of fakes into the UK that are now thought by the OECD to account for as much as 9.3bn a year.

And its pretty clear that there is a high degree of organisation involved.

A lot of shops are selling very similar stock at very similar prices, said the Manchester official. There has got to be organisation behind that, people higher up the chain.

But of course the footsoldiers never inform on the generals: Quite often, the interviews are no comment all the way through.

As well as the question of who they are, there is the issue of what else these organised criminals are up to.

When people are involved in breaking the law in one area, says the Manchester official, they tend to break it in more than one area.

This was illustrated by Welsh gangster Bernard Davies, (aka Bernie Arms, on account of his bulging muscles), when he was caught as he prepared for Christmas some years ago.

One investigator said boxes of fake trainers were found at Bernies Cwmaman home, and police interrupted the man himself as he wrapped ounces of cannabis in Christmas paper for his customers.

Other aspects of his operation, said the investigator, involved a pump action shotgun, dum-dum bullets, and amphetamines.

An IPO survey has revealed that in the year to May 2017, 27 per cent of UK trading standards authorities had found links between the fakes trade and organised criminal groups.

Nearly one in four (24 per cent) had observed links with drug dealing, 7 per cent with loan sharking. Nor was the Strangeways area the only place to report anxieties about modern slavery.

A total of eight UK trading standards authorities said that in the past year they had observed links between the fakes trade and modern slavery or people trafficking.

And on the most worrying fringe of this business, 3 per cent of UK trading standards authorities observed links between people committing counterfeit goods crime and child sexual exploitation.

All this activity, says Det Sgt Ives of PIPCU, is adding to the harm that selling fakes does in its own right.

Frankly, he says, the crime of selling counterfeit goods can sometimes be bad enough. The people selling fake hair straighteners know that they dont have temperature controls.

So when you give somebody a counterfeit hair straightener for Christmas, if you dont unplug it, it will heat up and heat up until it burns your hair  or burns your house down.

Its not hard to find other such stories. Raccoon dogs have been skinned alive in China for fake versions of the humanely sourced sheepskin found in Ugg boots.

And even a seemingly harmless pair of fake flip-flops have been known to cause harm to the wearer, when made by particularly cynical counterfeiters.

The burn marks across this persons feet were horrendous, explained one investigator, because the rubber had been made out of recycled materials  including used condoms.

It was a toxic mix, and as soon as the wearer started to perspire, it reacted with their sweat.

There are, it should be said, successes in the fight against counterfeiting.

Kevin Ives talks with satisfaction of receiving pleading emails from Far East counterfeiters asking us to stop taking down their websites, or messages from them pretending to be other law enforcement and ordering us to stop.

But as every investigator acknowledges, those Far East counterfeiters would never be in business in the first place were it not for the huge  and continuing - demand in the West.

The publics attitude, admits one, seems to range from oh God, its fake, Ive been ripped off, to I know what I am buying, I dont care and Im going to carry on buying anyway.

The latter stance was enthusiastically espoused by one Western blogger who offers advice on how to buy fakes.

You could consider it counter-culture, he wrote. Challenging the establishment, or poking fun at the industry.

Or, says Huw Watkins of the IPO, you could consider the reality.

The fact is, the criminals who engage in this activity dont care for the rule of law. And they certainly dont care if they exploit individuals in the way they do business.
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The boss of a dogs home who swindled the charity out of nearly 1m donations before blowing the cash on a lavish lifestyle has been jailed for five years.

Simon Price, 53, the ex-chief executive of Birmingham Dogs Home, and his 39-year-old wife Alayna Warner pocketed cash left by animal lovers in their wills.

Suspicions were raised after Price forked out 75,000 on his nuptials to Warner, the charitys commercial manager and head of fundraising.

The money was collected at the dog centre (SWNS) (ERIK DE CASTRO)

A court heard Price splashed the money funding the luxury wedding and on a gambling addiction, while his wife paid off her credit cards and bought a house.

During their four-year crime spree, the scheming fraudsters even stole the proceeds of a 400,000 bungalow that had been bequeathed to the charity.

Birmingham Crown Court was told another well-wisher left 60,000 to the charity in their will, which the couple also plundered.

Price, of Solihull, West Midlands, was arrested by officers at Birmingham International Airport as he returned from Barcelona on 10 November last year.

He admitted 10 counts of fraud by abuse of position, totalling around 640,000 between February 2012 and October 2016.

Simons wife, Alayna Warner, has been given a two-year suspended prison sentence (SWNS) (SWNS.com)

Warner, of Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, who has now split from her husband, admitted five counts of fraud by abuse of position, totalling around 254,000.

Yesterday Price was sentenced to five years while his tearful pregnant wife avoided jail after being handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Sentencing, Judge QC Patrick Thomas, told Price: This company depends on public donations.

You were trusted, you had power of the bank accounts, although you were in the midst of a gambling addiction I cannot accept it as a real mitigation.

The extensive harm you have done after stealing means you must have weakened the public trust in the charity.

That is likely to have a significant effect on the charitys income.

You went to Spain but not for a very long time, you came back to face the music, but you had tried to throw away the hard drive to your computer and that failed, as it had a backup system with all the information.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA 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 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Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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

Turning to Warner, the judge added: You were in a position of trust and you abused that position just as did Mr Price.

You were encouraged by Mr Price to do it, he was an obvious dominant figure in your relationship but you did act on your own purpose.

With his instructions, you used the money to clear credit cards and on other things.

This had all come to light when Mr Price made a last-ditch attempt cover it all up. That promoted you to make an admission to a trustee at the charity.

The real mitigation in your case is that you show real remorse.

You have a child with a significant disability and are pregnant with another child and no court could ignore that.

Prosecutor Madhu Rai said Price had claimed to have blown over half a million pounds on online gambling.

He added: The money that was stolen by Mr Price was then spent on the online gambling site Betfair.

He stated in an interview with the police that he had lost 570,000.

There was significant planning and the activity was over a sustained period of time.

Staff say they feel let down by Alaynas actions.

She used the money to pay off credit cards, her wedding and some went on a house, although she has given some of the money back to the charity.

Birmingham Dogs Home, founded in 1892, had 2.7m in donations and legacies in 2015  including one gift of 1m alone.

The charity helped rehouse 3,356 dogs in 2015 and Price was previously hailed the real hero for overseeing a move to a new 5.5m site in Solihull.

The charity has several patrons, including the mayors of Birmingham and Solihull, Lord Aylesford and the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Dave Thompson.

Patrick Maggs, defending Price, said: He is deeply ashamed, he headed for the hills but came back to face the music.

He blames no one else but himself. His explanation is the gambling addiction however he accepts high culpability.

Recommended Charities struggling under demand for help from sexual assault victims

Harpreet Sandhu, defending Warner, said: Her offences are characterised as opportunistic at most, she has no previous convictions.

She is the sole carer of a three-year-old daughter, a daughter who has a significant slight problem with her sight, and is also heavily pregnant.

After the case, Detective Constable Arron Cox, of West Midlands Police, said the pairs home plus another property they owned had been seized by the force.

He added: We have control of those properties and will be looking to seize them under the Proceeds of Crime Act and sell them, with the profit being handed back to the dogs home.

We will also be looking to take whatever other assets or cash the couple has that we can show was accrued through this fraud and again refunding the charity.

This fraud was motivated by pure greed. Between them they took home handsome salaries but still felt the need to steal from the charity.

And of course they were taking money that had been donated by generous people in the West Midlands and beyond. Minus money that was earmarked for animal care but instead was splashed on gambling and a lavish lifestyle.

SWNS
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In the hours and days following the fire at Grenfell Tower, as the blackened husk of the building continued to smoulder, residents and relatives gathered in community halls serving as emergency relief centres.

People waited here anxiously for news of loved ones who were missing. The families and friends of 70 people eventually received the news they feared.

I still hear [the cries of grief] now, said Graham Tomlin, the Bishop of Kensington, recalling the moment the family of a five-year-old boy were told he was dead. He was the eldest of two brothers.

Id spent time with the family the day before and heard the news come through that the little boy had died.

They had a priest with them from their own church and you could hear the sobbing from the room next door.

It was representative of a lot of families who were grieving at that time. You were aware of being close to raw suffering.

Mr Tomlin, who has been a central figure in the victims support network, coordinated a memorial service at St Pauls Cathedral for the victims on the six-month anniversary of the fire earlier this month.

Although the final official death toll of 71 has been issued, including a baby who was stillborn hours after the fire, the north Kensington community continues to wait anxiously, the bishop said.

That sense of uncertainty has been quite a theme over the last six months  there are a lot of questions that still need answering.

If issues including the cause of the fire and the rehousing of victims are not resolved urgently, 2018 could prove even harder than this year for the bereaved and survivors, he added.

Members of the north Kensington community continue to say they are not placed at the centre of the public inquiry into the tragedy, despite repeated assurances from its chairman, Sir Martin Moore-Bick.

Core participant status has now been granted to 424 individuals and groups, which allows them access to evidence and the right to suggest lines of questioning.

But it does not afford them decision-making capabilities, and Grenfell Tower residents have petitioned the Prime Minister to appoint community representatives to the inquirys main panel.

The inquiry must not just to be a forensic process which ignores the human dimensions. It needs to recognise the need to win the confidence of local people, Mr Tomlin said.

As the probe continues, the issue of re-homing the residents is slow, according to the bishop.

Four out of five families made homeless by the fire were still searching for permanent accommodation, it emerged earlier this month, with almost half facing spending Christmas in a hotel.

In the days following the fire, Theresa May promised all the residents would be rehoused within three weeks.

Initially there was a sense of shock and novelty of being in a hotel. But as time has gone on, a lot of people felt this is just not the place they want to be. Its small, its cramped, you lose a sense of community, Mr Tomlin said.

While those living in hotels face Christmas in strange surroundings, for the bereaved families therell be empty seats in the room, Mr Tomlin said.

Theyre trying to make Christmas as good as they can, especially with children around.

Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Show all 31 1 /31 Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Jeremy Corbyn hugs a woman after the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Prince Harry leaving after the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures A woman appears emotional as she leaves the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Jeremy Corbyn consoles a mourner AFP/Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Mourners carry pictures of victims of the fire and white roses as they leave St Paul's cathedral AFP/Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Mourners carry white roses as they leave St Paul's cathedral after attending a Grenfell Tower National Memorial service AFP/Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Jeremy Corbyn consoles a relative of a victim AFP/Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Mourners leave after attending the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service AFP/Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Labour opposition party leader Jeremy Corbyn embraces a mourner AFP/Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures People hold photos and flowers as they leave after the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Mourners hold up photos of victims as they leave St Paul's cathedral after attending a Grenfell Tower National Memorial service AFP/Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures People hold photos and flowers as they leave after the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Service members carry a Grenfell banner Rex Features Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures People at the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May attends the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Marcus Mumford, Adele and Carey Mulligan attending the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Attendees hold a banner at the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service AFP/Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Prince Harry, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Duchess of Cornwall and The Prince of Wales attend the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures The Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott arrive at St Paul's Cathedral REUTERS Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Members of the public gather outside St Paul's Cathedral ahead of the Grenfell Tower national memorial service Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry attend the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Mourners arrive at St Paul's cathedral for a Grenfell Tower National Memorial service AFP/Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Firefighters arriving for the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Mourners arrive at St Paul's cathedral for a Grenfell Tower National Memorial service AFP/Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Mourners arrive at St Paul's cathedral for a Grenfell Tower National Memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures People arrive for the Grenfell Tower Memorial Service Rex Features Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Mourners arrive at St Paul's cathedral for a Grenfell Tower National Memorial service AFP/Getty Images Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Former footballer Les Ferdinand (right) arriving for the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service at St Paul's Cathedral PA Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Police officers arrive at St Paul's Cathedral for a memorial service in honour of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire REUTERS Grenfell Tower memorial service: in pictures Mourners arrive at St Paul's cathedral for a Grenfell Tower National Memorial service AFP/Getty Images

The inequality within the borough that was thrown into stark contrast by the fire at Grenfell was a reflection of a spiritual crisis, not just a political one, the bishop said.

In Kensington you have this phenomenon of very different communities living very close to each other but not having a great deal to do with one another.

It speaks about the fragmentation of our social life and the way in which we dont reach out to people that look different to us.

This is more than just politics  there are deeper, philosophical, spiritual questions that this raises about the way we relate to one another.

For this reason, he chose to speak about loving your neighbour at the memorial service. Not just tolerating their existence, he added.
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London Zoo will be closed "until further notice" following a fire which badly damaged a cafe and shop.

Ten fire engines and 72 firefighters were sent to the zoo at 6.08am after flames broke out at the Adventure cafe.

About three-quarters of the building and half of its roof were ablaze. The fire also spread to a nearby petting area, where goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas, and pigs are housed.

London Fire Brigade said it was not yet known if any animals had been harmed but the zoo said one aardvark was "unaccounted for".

Photographs posted on Twitter showed firefighters hosing down roaring flames as smoke billowed from the building. Firefighters battled the blaze for more than three hours before bringing it under control by 9.16am.

Station manager Clive Robinson said: "The fire mainly affected the cafe and shop. Part of nearby animal petting area was also affected although at this stage we don't know if any animals were involved.

"Firefighters worked hard to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible and to stop it from spreading to neighbouring animal enclosures."

He added: "Crews will remain at the scene throughout the morning damping down any remaining pockets of fire."

Crews from Kentish Town, Paddington, Euston, West Hampstead and other surrounding fire stations were sent to the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The zoo will remain closed on Saturday.

It said in a statement: "ZSL London Zoo is currently dealing with an incident on site after a fire broke out. Wed like to reassure you that the fire is now under control.

"The zoo will be closed today until further notice. We will update as quickly as the situation allows."

The zoo, in Regent's Park, is usually open every day except Christmas Day. It is not yet known if it will reopen for Christmas Eve.

The attraction houses 20,166 animals, according to its inventory for 2017. It is the world's oldest scientific zoo, dating back to 1826.
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A Muslim family is to dish up free turkey roasts to homeless people on Christmas Day.

Three brothers who run Classic Fish Bar and Kebab House in Birmingham said they just want to help people after seeing a rise in rough sleepers in the area.

The siblings first laid on free food at Christmas last year and said it proved a huge success, with between 30 to 40 people taking up the offer.

Recommended Couple opening shop on Christmas Day to help lonely people

They now plan hand out cooked meals each year.

We just want to help people in our community, manager Omed Faqiri, 24, told The Independent.

There are a lot of people sleeping in the streets. We are doing it because we can. We are just doing this for the people once a year.

The takeaway  owned by Mr Faqiris brothers Hamid, 34, and Asef, 32 - will be open from noon to 4pm on Christmas Day.

The brothers will hand out hot meals including roast turkey, chicken dinners, and fish and chips.

It was very busy last year and I think it will be again, said Mr Faquiri.

About 55 people sleep on the streets of Birmingham each night, according to the most recent Government statistics.

More than 9,000 will wake up on Christmas Day in tents, cards, trains and buses as as result of the UK's homelessness crisis, the charity Crisis has warned.

Other businesses opening on 25 December include a newsagents in Twickenham, London, who have invited people spending the day alone to come in for a hug and a mince pie
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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffes possible early release from an Iranian jail may be scuppered by a prospective second trial for spreading propaganda, a leading Iranian official has suggested.

Gholamhossein Esmaili, the head of the justice department in Tehran province, was quoted as saying that the dual-national charity worker has another ongoing case against her in court, and we do not know if she would be found guilty or not.

This seemed a flat contradiction of an earlier official statement that had dismissed suggestions of a second trial and possible extra jail time as the unreal reports of Western media.

The apparent contradiction has cast doubts on hopes that were raised on Thursday when it emerged that the Iranian judiciary had categorised Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe as eligible for early release from her original five-year sentence, imposed in September 2016, for threatening Iranian security.

 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is eligable for early release, says husband Richard

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffes husband Richard Ratcliffe told The Independent the latest development was bewildering. The early release eligibility had seemed to herald an extraordinary turnaround for Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

She had come close to a nervous breakdown in November, after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson erroneously told MPs she had been teaching journalists when in fact she had been on holiday in Iran with her daughter Gabriella.

Iranian media gleefully portrayed Mr Johnsons comment as an accidental confession that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was a spy, and days afterwards she was told she faced a new charge of spreading hostile propaganda.

Amid fears this could double her original jail sentence, it was widely reported that she would appear in court to face this new charge on 10 December.

But after Boris Johnson visited Iran and discussed her case on 9-10 December, the semi-official Fars News Agency said Moussa Qazanfarabadi, head of Tehrans Revolutionary Court, had strongly rejected reports she might face a second trial that could lengthen her jail term.

The western media release unreal reports, Mr Qazanfarabadi was quoted as saying.

This gave Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her family the impression that the second trial had disappeared.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. 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Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. 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In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. 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. 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Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. 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So when her lawyer noted that an Iranian judiciary database was now listing her as eligible for early release from her original sentence, hopes were raised that she might be back home in north London within a couple of weeks.

Her husband told The Independent on Thursday: Its not the same as a decision having been made to release, but it is a very clear positive sign towards that.

The lawyer also said: I think they are just going to finalise the paperwork. The lawyers estimate was within a couple of weeks: Its now a question of when not if.

 Boris can 'redeem himself' by bringing Nazanin home, says husband

But on Friday Irans semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Mr Esmaili as saying: Irans judiciary cannot confirm any of the claims in Western media about this case.

Besides serving her current sentence, she has also another ongoing case against her in court ... We do not know if she would be found guilty or not.

Reacting to Mr Esmailis statement, Mr Ratcliffe said he was refusing to give up hope of an early release, while seeking to get clarity about developments in Iran.

He said It [the apparent contradiction] is bewildering and doesnt make sense.

But my job is keep hope alive. I am going to wait to see what happens before giving up hope.

He added: I expect that right to the end there will be twists and turns. This is a bump. The question is: how big a bump?

Mr Ratcliffe had earlier cautioned that some influential sections of Iranian society were likely to oppose his wifes early release. It feels like there are still people trying to block, he told The Independent.

There had, he explained, been a backlash in some quarters against Mr Johnsons visit.

Mr Ratcliffe said: After the Foreign Secretary visited, Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader for Masshad, Irans holiest city, called Boris Johnson a liar, a clown and a womaniser.

He didnt name her, but he basically said  in an address that was televised  that Nazanin was a dirty spy who shouldnt be released.

The hardline press has also been saying we shouldnt kow-tow to these foreigners who come and demand we release our prisoners when we are a sovereign country.
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Two Conservative MPs have been cleared of breaching party rules following investigations into sexual harassment.

Former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb apologised for inappropriate behaviour after admitting to sending explicit texts to a 19-year-old woman who he had interviewed for a junior role in his office.

Tamworth MP Chris Pincher stood down from the whips office and referred himself to the new Conservative complaints procedure following newspaper reports that he made inappropriate advances on Olympic rower and Conservative activist Alex Story.

Recommended Theresa May denies knowing about Damian Green sexual harassment claims

Both MPs have now been cleared of the allegations by a panel headed by an independent QC. The claims emerged at the height of the Westminster sexual harassment scandal.

Mr Crabb, a devout Christian who stood to be Tory leader, told The Daily Telegraph at the time that he had said some pretty outrageous things to the woman, which basically amount to unfaithfulness.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: Following an investigation, a panel headed by an independent QC has concluded that Mr Crabbs behaviour did not constitute harassment.

However, it found that his behaviour in this matter was inappropriate and fell short of the standards the party expects.

The party chairman has reminded Mr Crabb of the need to adhere to the spirit and letter of the code of conduct at all times. He accepted this unreservedly and has made a full apology.

Mr Pincher was cleared of breaching the code of conduct after Mr Story alleged the MP had made an unwanted pass at him in 2001 while wearing a bathrobe  like a pound shop Harvey Weinstein.

The MP previously told the The Mail on Sunday: If Mr Story has ever felt offended by anything I said then I can only apologise to him.

A Conservative spokesman said: Following media allegations, Chris Pincher referred himself to our code of conduct.

Following an investigation, a panel headed by an independent QC considered the evidence and has concluded there has not been a breach of the code of conduct.

Westminster was engulfed in a wave of claims of sexual harassment and abuse in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal in Hollywood.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. 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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

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon became the most high-profile casualty when he was forced to resign over inappropriate behaviour, and investigations are still ongoing into Tory MPs Dan Poulter and Daniel Kawczynski.

Dover MP Charlie Elphicke had the whip removed and was reported to police over serious allegations, although he denies any wrongdoing.

Labour MPs Kelvin Hopkins and Ivan Lewis are both suspended from their party while investigations take place.
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Theresa May has laughed off the nickname Madam Brexit and insisted she has had a successful year.

Despite surrendering her Commons majority in a disastrous snap election, losing three cabinet ministers and enduring a calamitous conference speech where she was plagued by a coughing fit and the set fell apart around her, Ms May maintained that there had been a number of successes in 2017.

The Prime Minister highlighted the recent Brexit talks breakthrough but said there were other things she wanted to achieve apart from delivering Britains exit from the European Union. She also laid out her intentions to stay in the top job for the long term.

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She gained her nickname from a translator relaying her joint press conference with Polands new Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, when he said: As Madam Brexit has said, Brexit is Brexit.

Speaking to reporters on a trip to Cyprus, Ms May said: You might have noticed I smiled when I heard the translation of Mrs Brexit or Madam Brexit.

Look, I am going to deliver on Brexit. That is undoubtedly the case, but I am doing other things as well. If you look at the changes we are making on skills, education and training for example.

 Theresa May accused of trying to block 'meaningful vote' on Brexit deal won by MPs

Ms May has endured a challenging year with repeated speculation that she might be forced out by her own party after the poor June election result.

Her speech to party faithful in October was designed to shore up her embattled leadership, but instead descended into farce when a prankster handed her a P45 and letters fell off the backdrop behind her. She was also plagued by a cough throughout the hour-long address.

Asked if she would rank 2017 as one of the most difficult years of her career, Ms May pointed to her recent breakthrough on the Brexit talks, allowing the UK to move on to vital trade negotiations.

The Prime Minister said: If you look at whats happened over the past couple of months we have made sufficient progress on the Brexit negotiations, we have had a good Budget that is building a Britain that is fit for the future.

What weve put into the Budget in terms of funding for the health service but also housing is really important for the future of this country.

We have had the industrial strategy, which I see as an absolutely crucial plan and part of actually ensuring that our economy does meet the needs of the future and is providing the jobs of the future for the people in the UK.

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

Her trip to Poland and Cyprus comes at the end of a difficult week for Ms May, after she was forced to sack her closest political ally Damian Green for breaching the ministerial code.

A Cabinet Office probe  originally launched to examine allegations he made advances on a young Tory activist  eventually found he had made misleading statements about pornography found on his Commons computer.

Mr Green is the third cabinet minister to be ousted since November, following the departures of Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon over inappropriate behaviour and Priti Patel, the International Development Secretary, who held secret meetings with senior Israeli politicians.
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Just over a week before the policy was set to go into effect, yet another federal court has blocked President Donald Trumps attempt to delay or eliminate a policy that would allow transgender recruits to enroll in the military.

A federal appeals court in Washington became the second court in a week to halt Mr Trumps bid to block transgender troop enrollment before a January 1 deadline, on Friday. All told, four federal judges have ruled to block the anti-transgender troop policy. The Trump administration has appealed the three previous rulings.

A three-judge panel on the Washington D.C. federal court of appeals said in a six-page opinion that the Trump administration had not shown a strong likelihood that they will succeed on the merits of their challenge to a district court blocking the ban.

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That ruling followed a Thursday ruling in the federal court in Richmond, Virginia, to deny the Trump administrations effort to overturn a district decision blocking the transgender ban.

These federal court injunctions could push the Trump administration to ask the United States Supreme Court to weigh in. That court leans conservative, with a five to four split in the judgeship.

The Trump administration had argued that the January 1 deadline was problematic because it would require the training of tens of thousands of personnel in the military in order to process medical standards related to transgender troops. They said the military was not ready for that processing.

Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice  which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters

Mr Trump issued a memorandum in August that gave the military until March to stop its policy that would allow transgender troops to begin enrolling in the US military. That memo also included an order to halt the use of government funds for gender reassignment surgery for active-duty personnel.

The Obama administration had given the military a July 1, 2017 deadline to begin accepting transgender troops, but Mr Trumps Defense Department postponed that deadline until January 1.
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Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has urged American soldiers to be ready for anything, saying that storm clouds are gathering over the Korean Peninsula.

Mr Mattis stopped short of forecasting any real armed conflict between the United States and North Korea, but emphasised that diplomacy with the rogue regime in Pyongyang is best backed up with the clear threat that American military might is at the ready.

My fine young soldiers, the only way our diplomats can speak with authority and be believed is if youre ready to go, Mr Mattis told several dozen soldiers and airmen in North Carolina during a two-day pre-holiday tour of bases.

 UN passes resolution on North Korea sanctions

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The comments came as the United Nations Security Council voted to impose strict new sanctions on Pyongyang that target one of the main financial sources of North Korea. The new sanctions would compel to sharply reduce the sale of oil reserves to North Korea, and would send back all North Korean expatriates within the next two years, a key source of income for Pyongyang.

In their efforts to convince North Korea to stop its quest for nuclear weapons capable of hitting the mainland United States, and from further proliferation, President Donald Trump and members of his administration have repeatedly threatened military action, should it come to that. In doing so, the Trump administration is hoping to pressure North Korea into negotiations, and also to put pressure on regional powers like China to push Pyongyang to stop their nuclear efforts.

In the meantime, the military is looking to be as prepared as possible for a potential conflict.

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

Knowing what went wrong the last time around is as important as knowing your own testing, so that youre forewarned  you know what Im driving at here, Mr Mattis told soldiers, recommending they read a book about the Korean War. So you gotta be ready.

Mr Mattis wasnt all gloomy projections, though. He repeatedly insisted to the soldiers that he believed a diplomatic solution could still resolve the conflict, and said that he doesnt believe North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would try anything untoward during the Winter Olympics next year in South Korea.

I dont think Kim is stupid enough to take on the whole world by killing their athletes, he said.

AP contributed to this report
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Russian officials have warned that the US decision to supply weapons to Ukraine is dangerous and could encourage to use force in the easter portion of the country.

The American State Department announced that it would begin supplying Ukraine with enhanced defensive capabilities as it battles with Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, prompting the Russian officials to say that the decision could force a conflict in the region.

Franz Klintsevich, a member of the Russian parliament, said that the arms supplies would encourage Ukraine, and send a signal that the Americans support their efforts to fight against and potentially reclaim the east.

Americans, in fact, directly push Ukrainian forces to war, Mr Klintsevich said, according to Interfax news agency.

Grigory Karasin, Russias deputy foreign minister, told state media that it threatened peace talks in the region.

It raises the danger of derailing the process of peaceful settlement in Ukraine, he said.

The Ukraine frontline  in pictures Show all 6 1 /6 The Ukraine frontline  in pictures The Ukraine frontline  in pictures A Ukrainian serviceman rests on the frontline in Shyrokyne, Ukraine. The sea side resort on the Azov seashore has been reduced to rubble after two and half years of artillery fire between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces Pierre Crom/Getty The Ukraine frontline  in pictures A Ukrainian serviceman walks in Shyrokyne Pierre Crom/Getty Images The Ukraine frontline  in pictures Camouflage netting and a Ukrainian flag in Shyrokyne Pierre Crom/Getty Images The Ukraine frontline  in pictures A warning board warns local fishers of the dangers of sea mines on the Azov sea Pierre Crom/Getty Images The Ukraine frontline  in pictures A Ukrainian serviceman patrols Pierre Crom/Getty Images The Ukraine frontline  in pictures A dog walking in an abandoned former movie theater Pierre Crom/Getty Images

More than 10,000 people have reportedly been killed in east Ukraine as a result of fighting between the Ukrainian government and those Russian-backed separatists, while as many as 1.7 million more have been displace day the conflict. The fighting has taken place over the past three years.

There are millions of people in the conflict zone that are affected day in and day out, and recently a lot of schools, hospitals and other places where civilians gather have been shelled, Michael Bociurkiw, a former spokesman for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, told Al Jazeera, noting that at least 450 civilians have been killed there just this year.

The US decision is likely to further add strain to tensions between the United States and Russia, and follow accusations that Russia is sending heavy weapons and troops to eastern Ukraine.

The arms sales, according to a report form the Associated Press, include American-made anti-tank missiles to combat the tanks that are said to be used by the pro-Russian separatists.

The United States has previously supplied Ukraine with support systems, training, and has allowed smaller arms dealers to sell weapons to the country.
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The Trump administration is considering a plan that would separate families entering the United States illegally or seeking asylum, a policy that immigrant groups say is a dangerous and inhumane step that could threaten lives and lead to extreme distress for children.

The proposed policy, which has not yet been made public, would alter the current standard, which attempts to keep families in tact while asylum or deportation issues are concerned. And, some immigration groups say that the Trump administration has already been separating families on occasion, and the effects of a widespread policy can already be illustrated.

Weve seen several toddlers in recent months who were separated from their fathers, their mothers, Jessica Jones, the policy counsel for the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, told The Independent.

Ms Jones said that children, especially those who are under five, experience a range of response when separated from their parents, including inconsolable crying, having trouble eating, and anxiety tics.

To us, thats incredibly concerning, just from a child welfare perspective, because its so traumatic for traumatic for these kids, she continued.

The US has seen a slight up-tick in border crossings in recent months, as people continue to flee dangerous situations in Central America, where high crime and gang activity have led to some of the most dangerous living conditions in the world.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

That recent up-tick is contrast to a drop that occurred just after President Donald Trump took office, which was a sign that fewer people were crossing the border. Just 11,677 people were apprehended at the border in April, making for the lowest rate in 17 years, according to statistics from Customs and Border Protection.

But, that number reached 29,086 in November, the highest rate sense January, and signalled cause for some concern that it may represent a trend. That month some 7,000 family units and 4,000 unaccompanied minors were apprehended attempting to cross the border.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in a statement, didnt comment on the proposed rule to separate families, but said that it is cruel and dangerous for families to attempt to illegally cross the border.

Its cruel for parents to place the lives of their children in the hands of transnational criminal organisations and smugglers who have zero respect for human life and often abuse or abandon children, Tyler Houlton, the acting press secretary for DHS, said. The dangerous illegal journey north is no place for young children, and we need to explore all possible measures to protect them.

Immigrant groups argue that cutting asylum admittance and separating families seeking asylum  who generally arrive at points of entry with their refugee claims  only serves to push children and immigrants into the hands of those smugglers and other criminals. Without legal avenues, people are still going to make risky decisions if the alternative is death in their home country, they say.

A order-wide policy of family separation will drive vulnerable asylum-seekers, and other border crossers, into the hands of unscrupulous smugglers. Such a policy would have a tremendous emotional impact on these children and their parents, and also present numerous additional obstacles to accessing the legal process, Katie Shepherd, the national advocacy counsel for the American Immigration Council, told The Independent.

Several immigrant advocate groups filed a complaint earlier this month saying they had documented at least 150 cases in which immigrant families arriving at the border had been separated.

Those cases include the story of Jose Fuentes, who presented himself to agents at the border alongside his 1-year-old son in November. He and his family had fled El Salvador, where murder rates have soared recently, and were attempting to make it into the United States. But, according to reports in the New York Times, he and his child were separated four days later, when Mr Fuentes was transferred to a detention facility 1,000 miles away from his son.

Can you imagine? Olivia Acevedo, Mr Funtes wife, who is in Mexico, told the New York Times during a recent phone interview. Its inhumane to take a baby away from its parents.

Other complaints provided to The Independent tell similar stories of immigrants being separated from their families, often involving young children and large distances.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said in a statement that the separation was done because agents werent able to verify that Mr Fuentes was the actual father of the child, and that the case is awaiting further proof.

Historically, some criminal smuggling organisations have paired non-relative children and adults with each other to minimize the chance of being detained if caught being smuggled across the border. In view of these criminal tactics, and for the safety of the children involved, ICE must require documentation of these family relationships. ICE was unable to verify Mr. Fuentes' relationship to the child during the custody review.

Immigrant groups say that theyre waiting to see if DHS goes through with an actual policy change, but that they will review any decision and take any relevant legal action from there. In addition to the concerns that the policy would be inhumane, it may also violate state and international laws, and could interfere with due process rights considering one individual may be in possession of relevant documents for a family member separated far away.

I think theyre really walking a fine line in terms of what is legal. We already have court cases establishing that it is not legal to detain people in order to deter some future person from seeking safety, Michelle Brane, the director of the Migrant Rights and Justice program with the Womens Refugee Commission, told The Independent. I think the same principle applies to punishing through separation. If this is being done to deter people form seeking protection, we will be looking into legal measures to stop it.
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The death toll from the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre was at least 10,000 people, killed by a Chinese army unit whose troops were likened to primitives, a secret British diplomatic cable alleged.

The newly declassified document, written little more than 24 hours after the massacre, gives a much higher death toll than the most commonly used estimates which only go up to about 3,000.

It also provides horrific detail of the massacre, alleging that wounded female students were bayoneted as they begged for their lives, human remains were hosed down the drains, and a mother was shot as she tried to go to the aid of her injured three-year-old daughter.

Written on 5 June 1989 by Sir Alan Donald, the then-British ambassador to China, the hitherto secret cable has now been placed in the UK National Archives at Kew, where it was found by the news website HK01.

The ambassador said his account of the massacre of the night of 3-4 June was based on information from a source who had spoken to a good friend in Chinas State Council, effectively its ruling cabinet.

The State Council member, Sir Alan said, has previously proved reliable and was careful to separate fact from speculation and rumour.

In unflinching detail, Sir Alan told London that the atrocities against thousands of pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijings Tiananmen Square had been coordinated by the 27 Army of Shanxi Province, whose troops he described as 60 per cent illiterate and called primitives.

 Chinese government orders all North Korean firms to close in China

Sir Alan said previous waves of troops had gone in unarmed to disperse the protesters, many of whom were students.

Then, Sir Alan wrote, The 27 Army APCs [armoured personnel carriers] opened fire on the crowd before running over them. APCs ran over troops and civilians at 65kph [40 miles per hour].

Sir Alan added: Students understood they were given one hour to leave square, but after five minutes APCs attacked.

Students linked arms but were mown down. APCs then ran over the bodies time and time again to make, quote pie unquote, and remains collected by bulldozer.

Remains incinerated and then hosed down drains.

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Sir Alans cable stated that the violent repression of the Tiananmen Square protests occurred after some members of Chinas State Council had come to consider that civil war was imminent.

Sir Alan reported as speculation that Deng Xiaopings Communist government chose the 27 Army for the operation because its troops were the most reliable and obedient.

He reported that from what he had been told, 27 Army troops had used dum-dum bullets and snipers shot many civilians on balconies, street sweepers etc for target practice.

27 Army ordered to spare no one, he wrote. Wounded girl students begged for their lives but were bayoneted.

A three-year-old girl was injured, but her mother was shot as she went to her aid, as were six others.

The cable also alleges that the massacre continued even after the first wave of killings.

 China shuts main route into North Korea as nuclear tensions dominate region

Sir Alan wrote: 1,000 survivors were told they could escape but were then mown down by specially prepared MG [machine gun] positions.

Army ambulances who attempted to give aid were shot up, as was a Sino-Japanese hospital ambulance. With medical crew dead, wounded driver attempted to ram attackers but was blown to pieces by anti-tank weapon.

In another incident, the cable said, the troops even shot one of their own officers.

Sir Alan wrote: 27 Army officer shot dead by own troops, apparently because he faltered. Troops explained they would be shot if they hadnt shot the officer.

The final sentence of Sir Alans cable reads: Minimum estimate of civilian dead 10,000.

This estimate is way above any figures issued by the Chinese government, which has numbered the civilian dead at between 200 and 300.

There has never been an undisputed figure for the death toll, but on early on the morning of 4 June, the Chinese Red Cross estimated that 2,700 people had been killed.

This is still way below the figure suggested by Sir Alan, but most reports of the massacre now go with the Red Cross number or something close to it.

In 2014, however, it was reported that a confidential US government file quoted a Chinese military source as saying the Communist regimes own internal assessment believed 10,454 people had been killed  a figure that would fit Sir Alans initial estimate.

The Chinese government has always characterised the response to the Tiananmen Square protests as legitimate defence against a counter-revolutionary riot or rebellion.

On the night of 3 June, United Press International reported that a statement was repeatedly broadcast on Chinese television, claiming: Tonight a serious counter-revolutionary rebellion took place. Thugs frenziedly attacked Peoples Liberation Army troops, seizing weapons, erecting barricades, beating soldiers and officers in an attempt to overthrow the government of the Peoples Republic of China.

For many days, the Peoples Liberation Army has exercised restraint and now must resolutely counteract the rebellion.

All those who refuse to listen to reason must take full responsibility for their actions and their consequences.
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Two male friends have got married to avoid paying inheritance tax, it has been reported.

Michael O'Sullivan, 58, and his best friend Matt Murphy, 85, tied the knot after they decided that Mr OSullivan should get Mr Murphys house in Dublin when he passes away.

The pair have been friends for 30 years and Mr OSullivan has recently moved into Mr Murphys house to become his full-time carer.

The plan to get married apparently came out of the blue but they decided to go with it as it made financial sense.

"I was homeless, sleeping in my car and Matt needed someone to move into his home and take care of him. He was losing his sight and needed a full-time carer.

He told me that he couldn't afford to pay me but said that I could live with him and he would give me his house when he passed away as payment, Mr OSullivan told Independent.ie.

Mr OSullivan also acknowledged that if it was not for the "fantastic" work the LGBTQ community put into campaigning for same-sex marriage, he would not have been able to marry his friend.

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

"You know what? The LGBTQ community fought really hard for equality, fought against discrimination and in 2015 same-sex marriage was legalised and it was a wonderful moment, a great victory.

"But they didn't just win the right to marriage for [romantic] same-sex marriages. They opened the door for everyone. It's equality for all," he added.
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The new American ambassador to the Netherlands denied saying there are no go areas in the country because of radical Islamists, only for a Dutch journalist to produce a clip of him making the comments.

In an interview, Dutch TV correspondent Wouter Zwart challenged Pete Hoekstra over comments he had made on Islam.

You mentioned in a debate that there are no-go zones in the Netherlands and that cars and politicians are being set on fire, he said.

I didnt say that. That is actually an incorrect statement. We would call it fake news. I never said that, Mr Hoekstra replied.

The journalist then appears to show the ambassador a clip of him saying the very comments he had denied making.

The Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands  there are cars being burned, there are politicians being burned, and yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands, the ambassador said in the clip.

Mr Hoekstra, a Republican and former Michigan congressman nominated by Mr Trump in July and sworn in last month, then denied his denial.

You called it fake news, the journalist - working for the current affairs programme Nieuwsuur - challenged him.

I didnt call that fake news. I didnt use the words today, Mr Hoekstra insisted.

No? Mr Zwart asked.

No, Mr Hoekstra replied. I dont think I did  he added.

The ambassador made his comments on Islamist extremism at a 2015 conference sponsored by the David Horowitz Freedom Centre, a think tank which has hosted Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders.

Mr Trumps nomination of Mr Hoekstra in the summer was controversial in the Dutch press because of his ultra-conservative record on issues including gay rights and immigration.

Mr Hoekstra, who was born in the Netherlands but whose family emigrated to Michigan when he was a toddler, has previously blamed a secret jihad for causing chaos in the Netherlands.

After Mr Trump announced his appointment, the Dutch newspaper de Volkstrank said in an editorial that the President had put a Dutchman in the Netherlands  but it is a Dutchman from the Netherlands of the 50s".

Mr Hoekstras conservative views are at odds with the liberal political leanings of the majority of Dutch people. He opposes same-sex marriage and equal rights and has repeatedly voted to restrict abortion rights.

He also supports capital punishment and has repeatedly said he believes refugees pose a serious security threat as they settle in Europe.
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The Independent has been critical of Boris Johnsons appointment as Foreign Secretary but we offer faint praise for his visit to Moscow this week. Mr Johnson broke with diplomatic protocol to interrupt Sergei Lavrov, his opposite number, during their joint news conference.

When Mr Lavrov told journalists that Mr Johnson had confirmed Russia had not interfered in the Brexit referendum, Mr Johnson said: Not successfully. It was a firm but good-natured exchange. Mr Lavrov replied that the Foreign Secretary was publicly criticising the Russian government only because his reputation in the media would be devastated if he did not. To which Mr Johnson responded: Sergei, its your reputation Im worried about.

To his credit, Mr Johnson, the first UK foreign secretary to visit Russia in five years, was blunt, face-to-face with Mr Lavrov in public, about Russian policy in Ukraine, Syria, the Western Balkans  and in cyberspace. He pointed out that Mr Lavrov had also mentioned Alexander Litvinenko, the Russian former security service officer who was poisoned in London in 2006  another cause of cooling in British-Russian relations.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA 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

In fact, the evidence of Russian attempted interference in British democracy is thin, but Mr Johnson was right to say there is abundant evidence of interference in votes in the US, Germany, Denmark and France. More importantly, he was right to criticise the Russian government publicly for its aggressive promotion of what it sees as its geopolitical interest in Ukraine and Syria. Russian support is the main reason Bashar Assad is still in power in Syria and an important cause of the continuing death toll in the civil war.

There are those who take the view that Russian national pride should be acknowledged; that its aggression in what it sees as its spheres of influence is a response to perceived slights by the West; and that it would be more productive to keep any criticisms behind closed doors.

It would of course be counter-productive to insult Russia, but that should not mean holding back from speaking plainly when Vladimir Putins regime breaches international norms.

Mr Johnsons truth-telling trip to Moscow comes soon after his journey to Tehran, which may have produced some softening in the theocracys attitude to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian national who has been detained for more than a year. Or it may not have done, as we report today. The Iranian authorities have been sending out flatly contradictory signals.

 Boris Johnson and Russian foreign minister talk about frosty UK-Russia relationship

On Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffes case, we shall have to wait and see, keeping our fingers crossed for a humanitarian outcome. On that, we give Mr Johnson credit for apologising for the mistake that seemed to make her predicament worse, and for seeking to make amends for it.

Just as we, having criticised Theresa May for her appeasement of Donald Trump, give the Prime Minister credit for voting at the United Nations this week to condemn the US Presidents inflammatory statement in support of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The Independent aims to speak the truth about the UK Government. That means praising it when it does the right thing, no matter how much we criticise it when we believe it to be in the wrong.

In our view, Mr Johnson would be better in a different ministerial post, but he was right to go to Tehran to try to help Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, and he was right to go to Moscow to hold the Russian government publicly to account for its shortcomings.
TVC host, Morayo Brown, shared a photo of a cleavage-baring lady who sat in front of her and her husband at a wedding reception and Twitter users dragged the heck out of her for trying to shame another woman.

Sharing the photo of the strange womans decolletage, Morayo wrote: Jejely, hubby and I are sitting at a wedding reception and this young lady comes up right opposite us. Hubby acting he cant see itIm thinkinghhhmmm.

Nigerians felt this was a sign of insecurity on her part and called her out, telling her that she had no right taking the womans photo and posting it online.

Read comments below.

Source: Linda Ikejis blog
Pictures of the woman who was brutally stabbed to death in a shop after refusing to marry her boyfriend have emerged.

According to Dailymail, the woman identified as Shaknoza Abdikayumova, 23, was stabbed 17 times by her boyfriend Ali Kulbaev, 26, before he turned the knife on himself but failed to commit suicide in Ufa, Russia.

Before the attack he posted on his social media: Its enough that Allah knows good deeds from sins. In another message he wrote: There is no way back, only forwards.

Kulbaev, from Uzbekistan, is today in intensive care and is expected to survive, facing murder charges for killing the woman who refused to wed him.

It has emerged that the pair had been chatting on the internet for a year before he visited her in Ufa one month ago.

He fell in love and soon started pestering her for marriage. She asked for time but she grew alarmed when he threatened to kill her if she refused him. Frightened, Shaknoza, also born in Uzbekistan, called his mother Rimma who told her: I dont want to see him again. He threatened to kill me too.

When she died, the woman had run into the shop where she worked for protection, after he gave her flowers but demanded she agree to marry him.

She screamed Help! to her work colleagues but he shouted: If I cant have you, no-one else will.

He took out a knife and stabbed her multiple times, before plunging it into his own chest and abdomen.

A saleswoman from the shop said: We are still in shock. What has happened here was a nightmare. It was terrible, he began to knife her and then stab himself. A policeman said she died on the spot. Shocking images from the scene show the womans body and the man, drenched in blood, writing on the floor in agony.

A shopper who filmed the aftermath said: He just entered the shop. This scum was going to flee, I held him. He asked the killer: Did you do anything to yourself? Or not? Did you stab yourself?

A woman believed to be the dead womans mother said hes a convict as the man begged the bystanders: Finish me off.

-Gistreel
Men are significantly more likely than women to try to evade paying tax, researchers say.

A study of almost 1,500 people in the US, UK, Sweden and Italy found men under-report their income, while women are more honest.

It revealed that men are more willing to contribute their full share of tax when they are informed what their money pays for.

Researchers say tackling the gender pay gap and increasing women's participation in the workforce could be more effective at increasing tax revenue than focusing on tax evasion.

The study, published in the Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, involved tests to gauge attitudes about paying tax among people who self-report their income.

Dr John D'Attoma, from the University of Exeter Business School, said: "We have found robust evidence that tax compliance is greater for women than men.

"But men are more responsive to the incentives attached to paying taxes.

"Women are compliant even when they do not expect anything in return, and we had this result in every country where we ran the experiment.

"This shows that equal pay and measures to bring more women into the labour market could really have an impact in shrinking the tax gap."

Researchers conducted a laboratory experiment where groups of people in each country performed a mock clerical task.

This entitled them to "earn" a small amount of money.

They were then asked to self-report their "income" so the tax they had to pay could be calculated and collected.

Participants were told that there was a 5% chance their earnings would be audited, and if they were caught cheating they would have to pay a financial penalty.

The penalty was twice what they would have had to pay in tax.

Those who took part in the experiment completed three clerical tasks and nine reporting rounds, each with different experimental conditions such as varying tax rates and tax structure.

The tax revenue was divided equally between the participants after every session.

Dr D'Attoma said: "We wanted to test both willingness to pay taxes and willingness to contribute to public services.

"Our results suggest overall women are more willing to pay taxes and men respond more to the fact that they will get something, such as a public good, in return for their tax money."

In Italy, in the first round of the experiment, women on average reported 69% of their income, while men reported 38%.

As they increased the amount returned in the form of public good, this difference was reduced to 10% - demonstrating that men are sensitive to incentives.

In Sweden, women reported 69% of their income and men reported 37%.

Women in the UK reported 48% of their income, while men reported 23%. In the US, women reported 66% and men 50%.
by Tom Tuite

A COUPLE are to face trial accused of genital mutilation of their daughter at their home in Dublin.

The man, 35, and the woman, 25, appeared before Judge Conal Gibbons at Dublin District Court on Thursday following their arrest that morning.

The couple, who are from an East African country, listened to the proceedings via an interpreter and swore on the Koran that they would not to apply for travel documents after they were ordered to surrender their passports.

They are accused of genital mutilation of the girl at their home in a south Dublin suburb on Sept. 16, 2016, and another charge under the Childrens Act for allowing a child to be assaulted, ill-treated, neglected causing unnecessary suffering or injury.

Det Sergeant Danny Kelly told Judge Gibbons he arrested them at just after 10am and they were taken to a south Dublin Garda station to be charged.

He said the mans reply after caution was: I dont want to say anything until my solicitor is here.

The court heard the woman was charged minutes later and her response to the first charge was: I have told you before when we had an interview here that no one performed mutilation and I did not agree to anyone performing mutilation of the child, she was not mutilated in any form.

She had no comment when the second charge was put to her. The age of the child was not stated during the hearing yesterday/today (THUR).

Det Sergeant Kelly asked for an adjournment until Feb. 1 for a book of evidence to be completed.

He asked the judge to order them to surrender their passports. He told Judge Gibbons that the man, who is unemployed and an asylum seeker, did not have an Irish passport and he had feared that both would leave the country.

He told defence barrister Tom Power that subject to the bail condition being imposed he was satisfied they would show up. The court also heard that the mans passport was already in the possession of immigration authorities.

They were ordered to surrender passports and not apply for any other travel documents, reside at their address, provide the garda with a mobile phone number on which they could be contacted at all times, sign on twice a week and notify gardai of a change of address.

They were also told their mobile phones must be kept operational at all times.

The man in evidence told the court he was giving an undertaking not to apply for any travel documents or a new passport. His partner also gave the same undertaking.

Judge Gibbons said the conditions were warranted and appropriate as he remanded them each on bail in own bonds of 300.

He also cautioned the media that there were reporting restrictions to protect the identity of the child.

According to RTE, it is the first time anyone has been charged in this country with the offence of female genital mutilation.
A woman has been assaulted in South Dublin this afternoon.

The incident happened at around 3.20pm on Queens Road, Dun Laoghaire.

She was found close to the Baths at Queens Road.

The woman, who is described as Asian, is believed to be in her 20s.

The woman in her 20s was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital with serious neck and arm injuries.

The area is sealed off pending an examination by Garda Scenes of Crime Examiners.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses.
Food shoppers are being encouraged to buy Irish in the run-up to Christmas.

The Irish Farmers Association says support for local producers can make a major difference to the sector.
An elderly man believed to be in his 70s has died in a house fire in Dublin.

The blaze broke out at a bungalow on the North Stand Road before 9.00pm yesterday evening.
Its time to start thinking about the impact every click has on the fabric of our cities, towns, and villages, writes Clodagh Finn.

My own personal Santas grotto is a boutique called Bamboo in Ardfert, a village in north Kerry with a population of 800-plus people.

I beat a path to its wonderfully unlikely location whenever there is a wardrobe crisis, but now  with just hours to go before Christmas  it is the perfect place for last-minute shopping (shameless-plug alert: Its open tomorrow from 10am to 6pm).

We were uncharacteristically ahead of ourselves this year and swept in last week. We ticked our list with impressive speed and left with two bags full of reasonably priced gifts, all wrapped up with ribbons, in less than an hour.

Online shopping has many advantages, but no amount of clicking could beat that.

So which did you opt for this year  retail or e-tail? Wed gain a fascinating insight into Irish consumer behaviour if everyone asked themselves that question as they surveyed the presents under the Christmas tree.

The smart money would probably be on the web. Weve all read of the surge in online sales  a staggering 30% increase in 2017  prompting fears that the death of retail is imminent.

There has been such a hike in online demand that logistics companies are struggling to deliver the goods. One online shopping delivery service was so overwhelmed, it was obliged to bring in buses to deal with the extraordinary demand.

All the same, Id still be the one arguing that the reports of the death of retail are greatly exaggerated. For as long as we continue to value the human touch, people will seek out bricks-and-mortar shops, although not necessarily those located on the high street.

That brings me back to Bamboo and the other independent, local retailers around the country who know that consumers still want the things they will never succeed in finding online  personal service, real interaction and expertise.

Bamboo is unusual for lots of reasons, not least its location. Its owners, Sharon Lewis and Kay Revington, bought a derelict cottage on the outskirts of Ardfert in 2005 and set about renovating it, spurred on by the philosophy: If we build it, they will come.

They also did something else, which explains the boutiques enduring popularity. They ignored the big brands, stocking instead smaller labels designed for real women, living real lives.

As Sharon Lewis says: Women in real life want to know how they can look good while cooking the Christmas dinner.

Real-life women also want an honest opinion. If they ask: Does that work on me? they want a straight answer, not plamas. And heres the bit that youll never find online.

The women behind Bamboo  Sharon, Kay, and Marisa  will always give you a no-nonsense answer, but they will also go out of their way to find you something to wear that makes you look and feel fabulous. Or, at the very least, comfortable and normal.

Helping women to feel comfortable in their own skin has huge currency at a time when the big-brand stores are full of off-the-peg clothes that sometimes do little more than take you down a peg or two.

The tyranny of standard sizing has wrecked many a womans attempt to sparkle at the

festive party.

The reality is that none of us neatly fits into the standard box and there will always be a place for the retailers who recognise that.

Despite the rush online, there has also been a heartening and trend-bucking increase in the number of independent bookshops  a reason to be cheerful at a time when Amazon and other online booksellers reign supreme.

This week, Gwen Allman, co-founder of The Company of Books in Ranelagh, Dublin, told the Journal.ie that, since the recession, people have become more conscious of shopping locally, whether that be in a bookshop or a craft butchers.

They appreciate the convenience, the service, and the value to the local community of having a vibrant retail presence on its main street, she said.

Unfortunately, not enough of us think like that because, this month, we also heard of the threatened closure of another independent bookshop, The Rathgar Bookshop, so aptly described as a warm hug of a space.

The gem in Dublin 6 is also home to a little cafe, a local book club, a knitting group, and a Saturday jewellery class.

Owner Liz Meldon pinpointed last years so-called Black Friday shopping splurge as the beginning of a dramatic fall in sales. While people still read and still go to bookshops to seek advice, they often buy online, she said.

At the same time, e-commence has done one very positive thing. It has made us more discerning. Consumers often do price-comparison research on the web before they step over the threshold of a shop.

If that forces retailers to give us better service and better value that is a wonderful thing, but lets consider the downside too.

Its time to start thinking about the impact every click has on the fabric of our cities, towns, and villages. Do we want them to be filled with independent boutiques, wonderful bookshops, and local businesses, or do we want them to be taken over by discount stores and soulless warehouses to stock the packages ordered online?

If you take your business online, you are also taking it out of the local economy. On the other hand, spending in a local shop is the same as investing in your own community  its people, its infrastructure and its future.

As Sharon Lewis of Bamboo puts it: It is not just about the product you are purchasing  its about who and what you want to benefit from your buying decision.

The next time you power up the computer with a credit card in one hand, and a wish-list in the other, consider the implications of your actions.

The question for the coming year might well go something like this: Are you going to go with clicks (online shopping) or bricks (the tangible shops that are the backbone of our communities)?

For me, it will be bricks every time.
If any one single story dominated 2017, it was homelessness. It generated endless headlines, including the controversial claim by one official that homelessness was caused by years of bad behaviour. But according to a study at Cork Simon Community, it is most often caused by childhood trauma and awareness of this should inform homelessness services, writes Catherine Shanahan

DYLAN* had a crap childhood.

I was beat at home, I was beat at school, and I was beat on the street by the neighbours, he says.

Like, youd be walking down the street and you might do something wrong, and the neighbour would give you a clatter.

In school, if you stepped out of line, youd get a clatter, or theyd pull your locks. That went on an awful lot.

Then, I had to go home and deal with it, as well, so everywhere I went. And it felt like the norm, yknow?

I met Dylan (43) in the cosy foyer of a Cork City hotel. It was heaving with jovial Christmas party-goers, while, outside, a handful of homeless people huddled in doorways, not far from where Kathleen OSullivan died on the streets in early December, one of three rough-sleepers who died that week.

Dylan agreed to talk to me to illustrate how constant trauma in childhood eats away at our ability to cope.

He typifies the profile of the homeless person described in research conducted by Sharon Lambert, a lecturer and researcher in the School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork (UCC).

Based on a survey of 50 homeless people who use Cork Simon Communitys services, Lambert found that the homeless had been exposed to far higher levels of childhood trauma than the general population had and that this had affected their resilience and ability to engage with services when on the streets.

Homelessness services must recognise that the people they help are often traumatised. This should influence how services are delivered, says Lambert.

Her research, Moving Towards Trauma-Informed Care, measured the number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the lives of Simons homeless.

The ACE study asks if, before your 18th birthday, you were sworn at or insulted or humiliated by a parent or other adult in your household. It asks if you were afraid you would be physically hurt.

Researcher Sharon Lambert says the homeless were exposed to far greater levels of childhood trauma than is normal.

It also asks if you were pushed, grabbed, slapped or had something thrown at you, or hit so hard that you had the marks to prove it. It asks if an adult fondled you or touched you in a sexual way, or if you lived with someone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic or who used street drugs. It asks if a household member went to prison.

Dylans childhood ticks all of these boxes, giving him a score of five on the 0-10 ACE scale. He also answers yes, his mother was slapped, pushed, grabbed, had something thrown at her, or was hit with a fist; yes to having no-one to protect him; yes to a household member being depressed, or mentally ill or using street drugs. In fact, Dylan aces it on the ACE scale. The rest of us, the general population, are more likely to have experienced one, maybe two, negative childhood experiences. Simon service users averaged 5.15.

High ACE scores have long been associated with increased risk to health and well-being. Service-users with ACE scores of four or more reported worse outcomes. They first used alcohol and drugs at a younger age, they reported double the rate of overdose, poorer mental health, were more than twice as likely to have suffered critical illness, and three times more likely to report a history of domestic violence.

Cork Simon Community director, Dermot Kavanagh, says those working in homelessness services are aware that many of those we work with have very difficult backgrounds.

What has come to the fore, in recent years, is the importance of whats called trauma-informed support or trauma-informed care: that when you are working with people who have experienced a lot of trauma in their lives, it has an effect on whats called their window of tolerance.

Essentially, you can put up with X amount of stress in your life. If youve had no background trauma, you can put up with quite a lot, without getting into a traumatic response, without getting very upset or losing your cool. Or, youll be, in some way, able to cope.

But if youve had a lot of adverse experiences, your window of tolerance becomes lower, your breaking point becomes lower  you will react to things that other people might be able to take in their stride, because this is just one more thing upon the umpteen things that might have happened in your life.

So, if we are aware, now, that we are working with people, many of whom have had multiple difficult issues and whose windows of tolerance are quite low, the question for us is: what do we need to do to ensure our services are helpful to people, rather than triggering their trauma responses?

What constitutes bad behaviour?

Lambert says people working in services such as Simon must understand the impact of trauma. What might be seen initially as bad behaviour can then be seen in a different light  perhaps as action to protect the individual.

Lambert says if staff see people struggling to engage, they need to ask What can I do to make it easier? She disagrees with comments made recently by Dublin Region Homeless Executive official, Eileen Gleeson, who equated long-term homelessness with bad behaviour, saying that homeless people were quite happy to continue with the chaotic lifestyle that they have.

Bad behaviour is not just people making bad choices. They are making the choices they need to make to stay alive. Some people take drugs to survive. They cant live with whats in their own head.

People have this perception of pull yourself together. But they didnt make bad decisions; they made the decisions that allowed them to be alive.

Dylan had an alcoholic, verbally abusive father, who regularly beat up his mother. He was sexually abused by a local authority worker. His older brother ended up in jail for murder. He frequently took a beating on his mothers behalf.

Id distract him from my mother, so that I could take the beatings. Full-fist thumps. Id be kept out of school for days.

Dylans dad never picked on his older brother, and this haunts Dylan.

I can never get my head around that. I just think I look like my mother, that I reminded him of my mother so much.

Eventually, the beatings stopped when Dylan was strong enough to take on his father. By now, he was dabbling in drugs. It started early: sniffing glue at age nine, sniffing petrol just to deal with things, drinking at age 10 and taking his dads benzodiazepines. Then, the rave scene came along.

I was just after hitting 14 when I took my first acid tab; next it was ecstasy. At 16, I took my first line of coke.

Ive been, basically, on drugs all my fuckin life to deal with what happened in my childhood, he says.

The sexual abuse took place in a park. He used to go there on the hop from school.

This fella used to work there and he offered me money to take pictures of me in my underwear. He took me out to these woods a couple of times and he used to fondle me and stuff like that.

I went with him for the money. He used to give me 20. Those big old blue notes. 20 was a lot of money at the time.

Me dad used to take the money and drink it. He didnt give a fuck. Like he drank my communion money, he drank my brothers communion money. And then my younger brother was born and thats when most of the trouble stopped, cos me and my older brother were fierce protective of him.

Dylans father would keep Dylan out of school to mind his younger brother, so that he could go to the pub.

By now, Dylans older brother, once the quiet one in the family, had gone off his game. It culminated in him going to jail for murder. Dylan used to bring him parcels. He says he opened one of these parcels and found heroin. He started by smoking it, but then learned how to do it on the foil.

Once Id done it on the foil, that was it. I was hooked. He describes himself as a functional addict, until a workplace accident led to an examination of his medical records.

It emerged he was on methadone  to stop using heroin  and he was put on six months of probation. He was clean for four months, but I ended up relapsing and thats how I ended up homeless.

I started to inject and my girlfriend found me one day and I had overdosed. She knew I was on it and shed tried to help me, but shed had enough, at that stage, Dylan says.

Dylan woke up in hospital. After he was discharged, he ended up homeless for 11 days  having robbed his mother and younger brother to pay for his drug habit, relationships had broken down.

Ill never forget walking around in my shoes, no change of socks, no clothes, the rain going through my runners, blisters on my feet. I actually slept under the bridge over there, he adds, pointing out the window of the hotel.

I got a sleeping bag off Simon and myself and another fella would sleep there. Ill never forget sleeping there, one night, and waking up to see a fella pissing on top of us.

Eventually, he got a bed in the St Vincent de Paul hostel. I was there six or seven months, maybe longer. Its all a bit hazy.

Then, he got into treatment at St Francis Farm, in Co Carlow, a residential rehab. He thought, after completing the treatment, that there was a chance of getting back with his girlfriend, but it wasnt to be.

The breakdown in this relationship is an obvious source of regret.

She was a lovely girl. Shes the mother of my child. Like, marriage was on the cards, Dylan says.

These days, he says hes clean. He has casual work on a building site. His mother is talking to him. His ex-girlfriend is due to marry someone else, but he says hes happy for her.

Im actually happy that she will be in a stable relationship. His son, now aged 7, is his rock, Dylan says.

I was always afraid to have a child, I was always afraid. We didnt plan the pregnancy. But hes my rock. Hes the reason why Im here. I wouldnt be here without him.

Dylan has found it difficult to engage with homelessness services. His experience, he says, is a lack of co-ordination between accommodation, training, and addiction counselling.

He gets frustrated at having to retell his story to the different services.

Lambert is hoping that her recommendations will address some of these difficulties.

These include setting up a trauma-change team to implement informed care; engagement with external agencies to modify intake paperwork to include trauma-screening; reducing paperwork for services-users and and making it more universal between centres, with an emphasis on peoples strengths.

In the long-term, Simon needs to advocate for additional resources to address building issues, such as beds in offices and a larger site for the day service, she says.

During her research, Lambert visited Simons Andersons Quay shelter, in Cork, as a secret shopper, to see if the service was trauma-informed. Simon fared well.

The staff were absolutely incredible, she says. Aspects of the service that were not trauma-informed were linked to a lack of resources, such as single-occupancy rooms, lack of staff rooms, waiting list for the counselling service, a day service that is now too small for demand.

Dermot Kavanagh says that Simon has implemented the recommendations. One of the first things they did was to engage in staff training.

Sharon came in and did training with staff and volunteers. It was right across the board, so people would be aware of trauma and how it impacts on people, and so on.

We did research with staff, as well, on the issue of vicarious or secondary trauma. When you work with the long-term homeless, as you build a relationship, people tell you things that happened in their lives and this has an impact on you, the listener, and it might trigger things for you.

So, we have just started mindfulness training with staff. Its a method of stress-reduction, a programme of relaxation that helps people deal with the stresses that could come with working in this kind of environment, and to be able to leave them behind.

We have also looked at the physical infrastructure of the shelter. One of the core things is that people need to feel safe in the service  and what we learned from Sharon is that this can be highly individualised. What makes one person feel unsafe may have no effect on another, Dermot says.

In tackling the physical infrastructure, we have removed the partitions in our day room, so that theres a lot more light coming through and its a lot more airy, a more pleasant environment, rather than small, narrow corridors.

And in designing our winter initiative this year  which means using the day room as a space to provide extra beds for people sleeping rough  we modelled it, so that there are two waking staff in the room at all times, so that people feel absolutely safe.

Some people wouldnt normally come into a shelter, because they might feel that their belongings or they themselves might be at risk, but this particular initiative provides reassurance and safety, and it also allows people to come in and get sleep and, of course, getting a good nights sleep is essential for coping with lifes difficulties.

Tracey Johnston, assistant shelter manager at Andersons Quay, says they have made other changes, such as revising their paperwork, again on the recommendations of Lamberts report.

This includes using a one-page profile, initially asking people what they see as their strengths and qualities and what others appreciate about them, rather than filling out reams of sheets, where you are at risk of defining people as a series of risks and diagnoses.

Focusing on the positive has also carried over into the use of signage  prior to Lamberts visits, notice boards were dominated by leaflets advertising services to address addiction and mental health difficulties. Now, the focus is on training and employment opportunities.

Lamberts recommendation that Simon establish a trauma-change implementation team, with service-user involvement, is already underway.

Dermot says they are already hitting a lot of what Sharon identified, but in every area there is room for improvement and thats what we are targeting. *Name changed to protect identity.

If you want to donate to Simon, contact www.corksimon.ie
Next years new pan-European data laws could be exploited to rewrite and eradicate history. Allan Prosser argues that we are sleepwalking into an era where digital records will be rewritten, disguised, and removed to protect reputation and vested interests and that, in the post-newspaper world, no one may notice the difference.

There was a telling anecdote in the depths of the New York Times profile of the indefatigable Tuam historian Catherine Corless, who was honoured last month by Irelands journalists and news organisations with a special award for investigative research.

It recounts how Catherine would spend hours poring over old newspapers in a blur of microfilm as part of her painstaking reconstruction of the story of the Mother and Baby homes.

Contemporary late 19th century accounts provided by such as the Tuam Herald and the Roscommon Journal underline that, alongside birth and burial reports, newspapers are a vital primary source for people who want to understand the past.

This has an importance which extends far beyond familial curiousity about the precise natal location of forefathers.

For nearly 50 years, a beautifully printed broadside, a single sheet of paper, has hung on my office or study wall wherever I have been plying my trade.

It was written and designed by a consummate typography expert, Beatrice Warde, for the Monotype company to illustrate the elegance and clarity of a new typeface (Perpetua, since you ask). Entitled This is a Printing Office, it makes this declaration:

From this place words may fly abroad, Not to perish on waves of sound, Not to vary with the writers hand But fixed in time, having been verified by proof. Friend, you stand on sacred ground.

Let us remember that key phrase not to vary with the writers hand but fixed in time. It is going to be

important to all our futures.

Newspapers are a staple source of the public record. But they have also been a stable source, a cornucopia into which historians can delve. The importance of this function is recognised by legal deposit libraries.

But traditional publishing, as we witness every day, is an industry under severe financial pressure. And its principal products are viewed by many as uncool and analogue.

They cant be searched, modified, manipulated, tagged, and hyperlinked, all things that are important to the digerati. Once published, they cant be delinked or deindexed.

They are boring old newsprint, but a library somewhere will have a copy. And what it says is as immutable as tablets of stone.

Many people are attracted by the idea of editing their past and resetting their digital persona, and it is often easy to see why they would wish to do so.

Previous indiscretions can be airbrushed away. Inconvenient comments could be diluted and amended. Emphasis can be altered. Context can be added. Who is to know?

Some lawyers and sages even hold out the future prospect of individuals being able to declare reputational bankruptcy, and start all over again.

Reputational management companies, for those who are willing to pay, promise to influence the prominence of search returns which might contain embarrassing or inconvenient information.

Search engines, once appropriate pressure is applied, may even deindex the item completely providing certain thresholds are met  the data returned would need to be judged inadequate, irrelevant, no longer relevant, or excessive.

This rubric was invented to meet the challenges set down by a 2014 judgement from the European Court of Justice more popularly known as the Google Spain  case which promulgated one of the great misnomers of the 21st Century  that there exists something called the right to be forgotten.

You might think that the tests applied by Google Spain, that the information has to be judged inadequate, irrelevant, no longer relevant (in other words, time expired), or excessive, are astonishingly subjective.

And you would be right. But what do we have lawyers for, other than to dance around in Aristolean debate?

Matters are, in few months, to become even more complex, and some will say worse, with the arrival on Friday, May 25, of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), described by some excitedly as the biggest day in data history.

In many ways, it is a classic piece of EU legislation, seven years in the making, conferring a swathe of rights on individuals with scant thought given to the financial burdens on companies and lots of opportunities for mlearned friends.

There are diverse powers and swingeing penalties and implementing them will be a challenging assignment for Irelands Data Protection Commissioner, Helen Dixon, in post since the autumn of 2014, and at the nexus of Irelands relationship with what has become known as surveillance capitalism whose prime exponents are GAFA  Google, Apple Facebook, and Amazon, in fact any organisation which makes its money by automatically targeting goods and services to consumers based on a perpetually updating profile of their behaviour and habits.

The GDPR covers a wide range of personal information  biometric, genetic, and health, ethnicity, political opinions, religious and philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, sex life, and/or sexual orientation.

Data subjects (thats you and me) have eight distinct rights: To be informed; access; to rectify errors; to erasure; to restrict processing; to data portability; to object and to challenge automated decision-making and profiling.

All of these are important, and are worthy of deep thought. But today lets concentrate on erasure  excising a publication in an increasingly digital world for reasons which might be entirely justified, but equally can be wholly selfish and self-serving.

The clash between free speech and privacy is not new. They have been in conflict for centuries but with argument now in sharper relief because of instant communication, frictionless retrieval, rapid recall, globalisation, the corrosive tribalism of social media, historical memory, preconceptions about the right to know, and the desirability of forgiveness, juxtaposed with the ability to forget versus the reliability of the account.

In a magisterial dissection of current legislation affecting publishing, citizens rights, and technology, the journalism professor George Brock says:

The decision in Google Spain will come to be seen as one of the poorest in the history of the European Court of Justice. It makes the best balance between both freedom of speech and the knowledge  fundamental to good journalism  and the protection of privacy harder to achieve.

Prof Brock says that the four core tasks for 21st century journalism are verification, sense-making, eye-witness, and investigation (of wrongdoing or dishonesty) and adds: To hold power to account journalism depends on the understanding that neither individuals nor organisations have an unqualified right to control information about themselves.

But Artemi Lombarte, former head of Spains data protection agency, says: The right to be forgotten does conflict with freedom of expression. Internet users are not entitled to access personal information on the internet. We have to adapt our idea of what free expression allows.

At least a dozen European countries, often those which felt the yoke of Hitlers Nazis and/or the East European Stasi and their equivalents, have data protection rights written into their constitutions, all

of which were created in the pre- internet age. But none, up to now, talk about a right to be forgotten, delisted, or erased, a right which will apply fuel to the arguments between those who want to preserve and those who want to delete.

The European Convention on Human Rights guarantees the right to privacy (Article 8) and the right to free expression (Article 10). Similar terrain is mapped in Articles 12 and 19 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees the right to privacy (Article 7), the right to data protection (Article 8) and the right to free expression (Article 11). The UKs Human Rights Act reiterates the rights in the European Convention. None of these documents talk about a right to be delisted, forgotten or erased. They were all written in the pre-Digital epochs.

The EUs new regulation on data protection does include a section under the title Right to erasure (right to be forgotten). A term  droit a loubli  originally coined in France more than half a century ago has been pollinated across nations where privacy, in any European sense, is a synonym for control of reputation.

Even within the past decade, a German court found that monitoring content in order to prevent infringements of the right to oblivion seems to be a reasonable obligation of an online archive. In other words, collections must be continuously updated according to the mores of the time.

And therein lies the danger in an era where newspapers are becoming fewer and more publishers and

editors contemplate a digital-only future. While data protection is given the status of a super right, who will be there to argue for the integrity of the record?

And what happens when information becomes more relevant t in the future? When the local businessman who has been involved in a questionable, but not illegal, property speculation, and who has the record sanitised, turns out to be a principal financier 10 years later of a political party campaigning for extensive planning deregulation?

This is not a trivial pursuit. At the end of this year, Google had reviewed some 1.98m URLs since May 2014, the date of Google Spain. Some 858,570, 43.2% of delisting requests were successful.

The most prominent countries in this process were France, the UK, and Germany. Ireland mustered 14,372 requests of which 5,220 (36.3%) were successful.

It is a busy time for the paralegals. Google does not disclose individual reasons but provides samples by country. Its example for Ireland is as follows:

We received a request to delist a 2014 news article about an individuals acquittal for domestic violence on the grounds that no medical report was presented to the judge confirming the victims injuries. Given that the individual was acquitted, we delisted the articles in question.

There is no notification to the publisher that the item has been delisted. It simply slides away into the darkness.

Nor is it solely private citizens who seek amendment. Since 2009, Irish politicians and government officials have made 65 requests for the removal of 220 items, with three quarters of those supported by a court order. The two examples quoted for Ireland are:

We received a request from an Irish politician to delist reputable news articles from Google Search based on defamatory content claims. The content was not about the politician; rather, it concerned a convicted murderer who shared the same name. We did not delist the articles for reasons of public interest.

We received a request from a government official to remove a search result linking to a state-run newspaper article that reported on the official being charged in a U.S. court for battery. We did not remove content in response to this request.

In the same period, the UK made more than 3,000 requests for the removal of 112,000 items.

The first right to be forgotten case to range through the Irish judicial system has involved Mark Savage from Swords, who stood as an Independent in 2014 local elections for north Co Dublin and objected to a thread on Reddit, the social news aggregator, which described him as a homophobic candidate. Mr Savage won an order from the Circuit Court that he was entitled to have the information removed from Googles index.

Both Google and the Data Protection Commissioner appealed to the High Court over matters of law and a three-day appeal was held in May with Mr Justice Michael White

reserving his judgement.

Throughout the land, and further afield, the momentum of data protection, reimagined as the right to be forgotten carries a clear and present danger of diminishing and diluting free expression.

Onerous duties will fall on data controllers operating within these fields and the degree to which they understand that the public value of information can alter in time and space when they exercise their duties is questionable. The malleability of digital information makes it tempting to err on the side of caution, particularly when data protection is wrapped up with legal threats and judicial penalties.

At the very least, editors and publishers can expect a further significant increase in the already rising tide of minatory letters which will require a rapid response and additional resources.

And there are legitimate concerns about whether the Data Protection Commission will become involved in arguments amounting to prior restraint on journalism. The potential impact on the currently topical subject of whistleblowers is also a worry.

In the clash between the public interest in knowing and the right to be forgotten, the likelihood is that the right will trump the interest and the public memory will be diminished accordingly.

That may not carry weight in the crusade to correlate the data protection laws of 28 different countries. But it should. We will be wrestling with its consequences for the next two decades.

While there are provisos within GDPR for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information these are untested. Sceptical observers might suggest that such protections have not proved particularly robust in the past and that the notion of harmonising the definition of what public interest might mean and it gaining traction across 28 states remains just one more European fantasy.

Two weeks after next years introduction of the GDPR it will be the 69th anniversary of the first publication of one of the most famous books in the history of literature, George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four.

In a work rich with prophetic and sometimes feverish commentary, we would do well to remember one of its more chilling forecasts: He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.
Burmas military says a forensic investigation has begun after 10 bodies were found in a mass grave in Rakhine state, where security forces have carried out a brutal crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

Local officials said they were investigating the 10 unidentified bodies found on Monday near a cemetery in Inn Din village.

More than 630,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since security forces in neighboring Burma launched a violent crackdown against them on August 25, turning it into Asias worst refugee crisis in decades.

The United Nations and the US accuse Burmas military of human rights violations against Rohingya in Rakhine, including killings, rapes and the burning of homes. The UN has condemned the violence as ethnic cleansing.

International aid group Doctors Without Borders said last week that a field survey had found at least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed between August and September in the crackdown.

Rights groups blame the government and military for being unwilling to investigate possible wrongdoing by officials and have urged the government to accept the assistance of international investigators.

"Its critical they (the government) accept the assistance of impartial, independent investigators and allow them to immediately travel to Inn Din to probe what happened and make a full report," said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watchs Asia Division.

The military said in a statement that legal action would be taken against the perpetrators.

Burmas government has informed UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee that it is denying her all access to the country for the rest of her tenure, the UNs human rights agency said.

Ms Lee had been due to visit in January to look into alleged human rights abuses against Rohingya in Rakhine.

She said in a statement: "This declaration of non-co-operation with my mandate can only be viewed as a strong indication that there must be something terribly awful happening in Rakhine, as well as in the rest of the country."

Ms Lee adding that she hopes the government will reconsider.

- PA
They also want to warn people not to keep wood or other fuel close to their stove.

The firefighters told me that our fire began when the basket holding wood for the stove ignited. Thankfully we were not at home at the time, said Midi Walsh.

Midi Walsh, her husband Noely and four boys are now staying with family for Christmas.

Our house will have to be gutted and rebuilt. Honestly we could not afford to have the contents of the house insured so we will be starting from scratch again in that regard.

All we were left with were the clothes on our backs.

The fire began last Monday afternoon while the couple and sons Nathan (11), Leon (7), Bailey (6) and Callum (2) were out.

Noely returned home first with the boys and when he opened the door he saw the smoke. In the space of two and a half hours since wed left, the house was on fire.

The family live outside Dungarvan in Co Waterford and home school their children.

A Gofundme page has been set up to help them rebuild their home, and it will also go towards replacing the boys school books. They renovated their detached home in 2007.

Midi said: The whole contents of the house will need to be replaced and the house itself will have to be gutted and rewired and extensive renovations done.

All the contents that were contained within the four walls will have to be destroyed as everything had extensive smoke damage. The fireman told me that the basket of sticks which was by the fire but not touching it, had ignited. He said timber needs to be five feet away from a stove. We would like to tell people that.

Nathan (11), Leon (7), Bailey (6) and Callum (2).

The family is still coming to terms with what happened and Midi said, we are very very lucky we had house insurance, we didnt have contents insurance because we could not afford it.

The couple praised the professionalism and kindness of the fire crews who came to their aid and also the gardai.

They were fantastic. The firefighters kept reassuring me they could save the house and they did everything they could to look after us and make sure we were all okay.

The female garda told Leon that he would be okay and Santa would find him wherever he was. She told him they had a fire when she was small and Santa knew where to find her.

The children were in the car while the fire crews were working.

Midi said: I came back to the car at one stage and the firefighter knew all the kids names, the dogs name and its colour and really comforted them and kept them calm and reassured.

They told them we work with Santa all the time and hell be able to find you.

While we are devastated, we are lucky everyone is alive and safe. I just want to make it all okay for the boys and make them feel secure.

Their network of friends including the homeschool community are among those supporting them as they head into the festive season.

The immediate need for clothes and essential supplies were met within hours of the fire. Our local community gathered and sorted us so amazingly, we are so grateful. Our homeschool community and close friends took the reins to organise our needs and thought practically and planned ahead and set up the Gofundme page so we can try and sort some stability for the kids and meet their needs as they come.

The family is preparing for a Christmas Day they never expected. As long as we are all together, and safe we will be happy.

www.gofundme.com/walsh-family-appeal
Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a five-month jail term on Trevor Hegarty, aged 22, of 48 Gurranabraher Avenue, Cork. Inspector Finbarr OSullivan said Hegarty has 136 previous convictions: Trevor Hegarty went into Hairspray on Patrick St, Cork. While there, he went to a staff area which had a no entry sign on the door. He took 20 from the purse of a staff member. He did not have permission to be there. He was observed by a staff member and he was also captured on CCTV. The offence occurred on December 1 and he was arrested for the offence of burglary later that night.

Defence solicitor Pat Horan said Hegarty had addiction problems, mainly with prescription tablets, which caused him to black out when taken with spirits and he would not recall what he was doing. Mr Horan said Hegarty is off all prescription tablets now and linking in with Arbour House.
Yesterday, Fianna Fail party leader Micheal Martin described the decision to cease all elective surgery from December 22 to January 8 as crazy and wrong given the hospital has 1,500 people on its inpatient waiting list and 24,000 on its outpatient list.

Its shocking given that the lists are so high, said Mr Martin.

People are waiting too long for elective surgeries. In the tertiary centres, they are serious enough operations, and for people who were expecting to have surgery done, to get the news that its been cancelled, is very bad news. It just adds to the list.

There is a real crisis in waiting times for patients and its a key benchmark in terms of the efficiency and quality of our health service, because surgical delays can lead to further complications  hopefully not in these cases  but it can, and it just adds to the delay for others coming on stream.

Separately CUH claimed it has cleared a backlog of 2,466 scans that went unread due to staffing issues over the summer months, and which ultimately resulted in 14 patients being scheduled for recall.

The hospital said: At this point, there are no cases of adverse outcomes from this review.

The hospital said that, at the time of the staffing crisis, the decision was taken to prioritise urgent workload and return to some of the less urgent outpatient work as circumstances allowed.

It added that a team of radiologists had been paid to review the unread X-rays and the work was now complete.

The hospital said its Quality & Safety Office continues to monitor the situation.

In relation to the cancelled surgery, CUH posted a statement on its website yesterday saying the decision was based on the learning from the post-Christmas period last year when a very large number of patients presented to the ED of which a large number required a surgical procedure.

The hospital said: It is always prudent to reduce elective non urgent operations to allow for the management of emergency cases in a safe and timely manner.

The hospitals executive management board originally proposed cancelling all elective surgery for three weeks, but scaled it back to two after it was met with total resistance from the surgeons and anaesthetists who make up the theatre operations management group.

Although the hospital told the Irish Examiner that the curtailment of surgery was standard policy in all hospitals to allow for a surge in trauma cases over Christmas, other hospitals contacted by this newspaper said that their elective surgery lists would not be disrupted, or that disruption would be limited to a couple of days.

Asked about the cancellations on RTE radio yesterday, Gerry McCarthy, consultant in emergency medicine at CUH, said they were linked to a project examining patient flow through the hospital.

Dr McCarthy, who is also the clinical lead of the HSE Emergency Medicine Programme, said he understood the cancellations will add to the hospitals waiting list.

Yes, unfortunately [it will add to the waiting list], he said.

I dont know the precise number of how many surgeries have been cancelled, but it is one of the tools available in a crowded environment to cater for emergency admissions.

The hospital has refused to disclose the number of surgeries affected by the two week cessation of elective procedures.
Margaret, from Kilbrittain in Co Cork, was among eight recipients of awards from Skibbereen and Bandon Credit Union after she was nominated by the Sheehan family from Inane in Castletownshend, who referred to Margaret babysitting Michael on her day off so they could attend a family wedding.

In what is the second year of the Little Big Things awards scheme, Skibbereen and Bandon Credit Union received numerous nominations from members of the public and settled on the eight winners, who included three girls who help their little brother with Down Syndrome, a woman who cares for her 90-year-old mother and her own son, and another nominee who assists elderly in the community.
Foodcloud has been operating in Ireland and the UK since 2014 and works with major retail partners such as Tesco, Aldi, and Lidl to ensure food is diverted to hundreds of charities.

In some cases businesses deliver directly to Foodcloud hubs in Cork, Galway, and Dublin, but in most cases it is facilitated via text messages that show retailers and charities what is available on a given day.

Head of community at Foodcloud, Darragh Doyle, said in the UK and Ireland 4,558 tonnes of food was moved this year, versus 1,755 tonnes last year.

As for Ireland, 1,235 tonnes of food was moved this year to date, compared with 772 tonnes in 2016.

There is obviously a steep rise in the amount of food that retailers are giving, he said. He added that while the increase in food provision was due to improvements in the system and the addition of larger retailers to the network, it was obvious that from the perspective of charities involved, the demand was there.

It is very streamlined and it is getting better, he said, adding that a smaller quantity of food was also distributed via the Foodcloud hubs and food rescue runs, including some that took place yesterday across Dublin.

Earlier this year, Foodcloud said that since it began operating, it had diverted 8,300 tonnes of food or more than 18 million meals that might otherwise have ended up in landfill.

Meanwhile, Communications, Climate Action, and Environment Minister Denis Naughten has urged households to limit food waste over Christmas.

It is estimated that Irish homes and businesses throw out more than 1m tonnes of food a year, equating to 700 each, and with waste peaking at Christmas time.

Mr Naughten said: By planning our shopping and cooking a little better, we can help cut food waste. The carbon footprint of wasted food is estimated at 3.3 gigatonnes globally.

If food waste were a country, it would rank behind only the US and China for greenhouse gas emissions. My department supports the EPAs Stop Food Waste campaign and its website covers simple tips on how to do this.

His department has recommended that people take simple steps to limit their food waste, such as planning shopping and meals, knowing the difference between use by and best before dates, and using up leftovers.

It also recommended limiting the amount of quickly perishable foods served and not overstocking on items such as bread and milk, as shops will reopen soon after Christmas Day.

It called on people to properly dispose of food waste using the Brown Bin, amid Government efforts to halve food waste by 2030 as a UN Sustainable Development Goal.

An action group to combat food waste in the retail sector was established this year, involving Aldi, Lidl, Musgrave, Spar, and Tesco, with retailers signing up to Irelands Food Waste Charter.

In January the Environmental Protection Agencys Stop Food Waste programme will run a week-long national awareness campaign highlighting the food waste issue and providing practical help for householders to make the most of the food they have bought. More information and tips are available at www.StopFoodWaste.ie.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is urging shoppers to look for the CE safety mark on toys or their packaging.

As Christmas approaches, there is usually a significant increase in the sale of unsafe or hazardous products, mainly toys and gadgets.

Working with the various other bodies, including customs and the gardai, the commission prevents unsafe products from entering the market.

Faulty electrical toys can lead to fires or electrocution, and inferior materials can break and cause injuries.

The commission says that a toy is any product intended to be played with by a child under the age of 14.

The CE mark shows that the toy has undergone safety testing in the design and manufacturing process and met the required safety standards.

If the toy does not have the official CE mark, or does not have the CE mark at all, dont buy it, a commission spokesperson advised.

As well as checking for a real CE mark, other checks can be made such as ensuring that the manufacturers name and full address is visible.

There should also be warnings on toys stating that they might be dangerous for babies or young children. All warnings and safety instructions should be clear, written in English and easy to read and understand. Retailers are by law required to ensure that the products they sell conform to EU and Irish standards.

If you are buying from a street trader or buying secondhand, it is particularly important to carefully check the toy before buying, said the spokesperson.

Shoppers should look out for other dangers such as the age range, particularly the 0 to 3 symbol that indicates if it is suitable for a younger child.

Parents should also think about their younger children who might be in danger if they play with the toy.

Anyone who comes across a toy that seems unsafe or does not have a CE mark should not buy it and contact the commission on its helpline.

We can take action against a business that does not comply with the law, said the spokesperson.

Meanwhile, the Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children is urging parents to think cyber safety this Christmas and take steps to protect their children as they navigate the wealth of possibilities presented by their new devices. The ISPCC, and the Vodafone Ireland Foundation, have developed a six-step how to guide to help parents keep children safer online.

The ISPCC has called, and will continue to call, for the introduction of a national strategy on childrens cyber safety to keep Irelands children safer online, said ISPCC chief executive Grainia Long.

n www.vodafone.ie/foundation.
Inspector John Deasy said that directions have not yet been obtained from the Director of Public Prosecutions: These are fairly serious charges. The inspector applied to have the case against the accused, Anthony Burke, adjourned until January 4.

Judge Kelleher recalled refusing bail to Burke at Cork District Court and yesterday asked if the accused had succeeded in a subsequent application to the High Court, in Dublin. Solicitor, Gerard Hanley, said the application had not been successful. Judge Kelleher remanded the accused in custody, until January 4.
Judge Olann Kelleher said at Cork District Court that he would adjourn sentencing until January 2, 2018.

If the accused man - Donal Keohane, 24, of Rylane House, Kildorrery, Cork  is in the four-week residential programme sentencing will be adjourned for him to complete it. However, he could face jail if he is not on the course at Aiseiri on that date, Judge Kelleher warned.
Today is the third anniversary of the awarding of 20m in state-aid to developers, BAM, to build the 6,000-seat venue, on the site of the former Beamish and Crawford brewery on South Main St.

The venue has since been redesigned, costs have soared, extra funding has been sought, and construction has yet to start.

Amid ongoing criticism about the delays and lack of information, Tanaiste Simon Coveney, who has repeatedly pledged to deliver the project for Cork, took to Twitter to respond to critics.

He said he had a number of important meetings this week to discuss the project.

I know its taking time, but we will progress, he said. He declined to comment further.

However, sources have told the Irish Examiner that a public announcement from the Government on the additional funding request  on top of the 20m already committed since 2014  is very unlikely before Christmas.

The second anniversary of then Taoiseach Enda Kennys sod-turning for the events centre occurs next February.

Labour Party representative in Cork, Peter Horgan, said members of Cork City Council should be more vocal in their concerns about the entire saga.

No-one is shouting about this, he said.

There is a complete lack of transparency, and confidence in the process needs to be restored.

There needs to be a full and frank discussion about whats happening, given the scale of public investment.

It is no longer acceptable for statements promising the earth and delivering nothing. Business people, and citizens, deserve better. He submitted a freedom-of-information request to Cork City Council last October, seeking emails, as well as details and minutes of meetings, between city officials, the Department of Arts, which is overseeing the funding, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The latter will make the final decision on the funding requests.

City Hall confirmed that one meeting took place between city officials and representatives of the Department of Arts in April, 2017 and that 208 emails fell within his request.

But they refused to release further information, citing several sections of the act, including section 36, which relates to commercially sensitive information, where disclosure could prejudice the conduct or outcome of contractual or other negotiations of the person to whom the information relates.

Mr Horgan then lodged a freedom-of-information request with the Department of Arts, seeking the minutes of the April meeting. That request was also refused, because the department said the minutes did not exist.

Its extraordinary, to me, that such a meeting, dealing with a large financial request, would not have minutes documented, said Mr Horgan.

The department said the purpose of this meeting was to allow the city council to provide an update to the department on the event centre.

No decisions were made at the meeting, which would have required minuting, a spokesperson said.

However, Mr Horgan said it was still his view that the project is mired in secrecy and stalled in limbo, with the people of Cork on the hook for it.
The old constituency of Kerry North has been left out, councillors claim.

Issues were raised at the Christmas meeting of Kerry County Council by north Kerry councillors Aoife Thornton (FG) and Jimmy Moloney (FF) who were highly critical of a report by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and said there was no mention of the main artery to and from North Kerry, the N69.

In the Listowel Municipal District we received 100,000 out of a total of 17.8m for the county. Hence our frustration when meeting reports with the TII are tabled by management and theres no mention of the N69, which is constantly raised, Cllr Jimmy Moloney said.

The 100,000 for north Kerry has been allocated for the controversial Listowel bypass. The 40m scheme which will take traffic heading for Limerick and Tralee out of the Listowel Town centre was given the go-ahead by An Bord Pleanala in November. The Tralee bypass is also to get 100,000.

Michael Healy-Rae, who highlighted the need for road improvements in his campaign for election said he welcomed all roads funding, however, he noted there has been an awful lack of investment in roads in north Kerry in 30 years.

The only major project in the last decade in the former constituency  which was merged into a single five-seater  has been the Tralee bypass, the TD said.

In its statement, Transport Infrastructure Ireland said the most significant allocations will go to major tourist routes such as the Ring of Kerry and the main Dingle road.
The blaze started at 8.30pm on Thursday, on the upper floor of a disused building  believed to be a warehouse  in the main base complex. It quickly spread to the roof, but the building was unoccupied at the time.

The building is near the officers mess, as well as other administrative buildings used by the Naval Service.

Such was the intensity of the fire, it could be seen from across the harbour, in nearby Cobh.

Two units of Carrigaline Fire Service, alongside Naval Service fire crews, tended the fire and were assisted by a further three units, from Midleton, Crosshaven, and Cork.

An Garda Siochana also attended the scene and the surrounding area was evacuated, as a precaution. This was done to facilitate the fire service in tackling the blaze.

There were no casualties and fire crews extinguished the fire.

In a statement, the Defence Forces confirmed that an investigation has now been launched into the incident to determine what caused the fire.

It is the second major fire at the complex in under a decade.

Flames billowing out of the Naval Base in Cork Harbour @ralphriegel pic.twitter.com/645EQkXylx  Dara Jan McGann (@DaraJanMcGann) December 21, 2017

In 2008, a huge fire broke out in historic buildings that were being renovated. The old, four-storey building housed the Lewis Glucksman marine research facility.

The section of the naval base affected involved 19th century, stone-cut warehousing, which had been undergoing renovations.

During that incident, some 40 officers had been evacuated from the naval HQ block adjacent to where the fire broke out.
Sister Philomena Purcell, linked to the Hollywood actor through her mother, has been awarded the British Empire Medal.

The 77-year-old, who has been working as part of the pastoral service offered by the prison since 2002, also works one day a week at St Francis Hospice near Romford.

She said: At Chelmsford Prison I have seen so much humanity  we get a bad press but its not all like that. Theres great humanity and humour.

Sister P, as she is fondly known, has provided chaplaincy services at the prison every Christmas Day for the last 15 years.

She said: This can be a difficult day for the men and I am grateful that I have the support of my Ursuline community when I return home.

The most rewarding part of my job is the people I meet; I see them through highs and lows and I get to accompany them on their good days and bad days.

Sometimes I get to tell them good news, like the birth of a child, or I may have to deliver bad news, like the death of a loved one.

The British Empire Medal was presented to Sister P during the prisons carol service last week.

The British Empire Medal presented to Sister Philomena Purcell

I told them that I accepted it on their behalf and not to worry that I would be keeping it real, she said.

The prisons governor said: Sister Philomena is the longest-serving member of the chaplaincy team at HMP Chelmsford, and continues to offer exceptional service to both staff, prisoners, and the community at the age of 77 with an enthusiasm and energy seldom seen in people 30 years younger.

Sister P is an extraordinary woman and has always had a knack of knowing when perhaps I have been distracted or slightly low in mood.

She has a natural gift for raising peoples spirits and uses this for the benefit of all. Sister P is a great advocate for all the prisoners of all religions and none.

Chelmsford prisoners have a great respect and love for her.
Sarah and David Cuneen were staying at the family-owned Dooleys Hotel in Waterford city when their latest bundle of joy arrived ahead of time, on Thursday morning.

The Limerick couple and their three children had booked into the hotel as Sarah was due to be admitted to University Hospital Waterford yesterday to have the couples fourth child, but her newborn boy turned out to be a little impatient.

It was the first time in the history of the 70-year-old hotel a baby was born there.

The first signs of an emergency came shortly before 9am when reception received a phone call saying a guest was in labour.

Two hotel staff members rushed to the room and stayed with Sarah to make sure she and David, who works with Bus Eireann, were calm and looked after the couple until an ambulance arrived.

The Dooradoyle couples children were taken by other hotel staff to have breakfast.

Paramedics from two ambulances arrived within minutes and helped to deliver a healthy baby boy at 9am on Thursday.

The baby boy, who weighed in at 9lb 8oz, along with his proud mum are happily resting at University Hospital Waterford.

Waterford Ambulance crew took to Twitter and Facebook to congratulate the couple tweeting: Great story for this time of year. Well done to all the staff who helped out prior to the arrival of the ambulance, which was on scene in approximately nine minutes.

Dooleys hotel said: We would like to wish mum and dad Sarah and David, sister Emily and brothers Daniel and Ben our special congratulations on their new arrival. We cannot wait to meet this special little boy again.
(Picture, above: Joe and Kathleen McEvoy welcome home their son John, left, and daughter-in-law Nicole, centre, their grandson Damon, 4, and granddaughter Fiona, 3, who they are meeting for the first time. Also pictured are Marguerite Almond, Johns sister and her children Lauren 13, and James, 10. Picture: Moya Nolan)

John McEvoy, originally from Laois, was just one of the thousands of returning emigrants in Dublin Airport yesterday, but his journey most definitely took the longest.

His sister, Margeruite Almond, was overcome with emotion as she waited for her only sibling to come through the gates with his two children, whom she had never met.

My brother John is coming home from Long Island, New York. Itll be our first Christmas together in 15 years. Hes coming home with his wife and his two children. I havent seen them  I havent seen them ever.

Theyre three and four  Fiona and Damon McEvoy. I havent seen them ever. Ive only seen them on Skype. Its so emotional. Now Ill get to hug them today and not let them go for a week, said Margeruite.

Her own children, Lauren and James, were with her at the airport yesterday. They had never met their cousins either.

Transport services are reporting high volumes of passengers on what is expected to be the busiest travel day of the year. Dublin Airport is expecting more than 80,000 passengers to arrive and depart today, as family and friends reunite for Christmas pic.twitter.com/MpfrzVJCAi  RTE News (@rtenews) December 22, 2017

When John finally did walk through the sliding doors, his waiting family jumped over the barrier to embrace him.

My entire family is here to welcome me, which Im shocked at because I didnt expect anybody to be here. I was walking out to go get a car to drive down to them. I had no clue, no clue, John told the Irish Examiner.

This will be my first Christmas home in 15 years. Im just looking forward to spending time with my family  thats it. I miss family, thats the biggest thing, he added.

While his son Damon was overwhelmed with the welcome, his daughter Fiona was off hugging her new cousin James.

Another returning emigrant, Richard McDonnell, was bringing his new girlfriend, Keri OCallaghan, home to meet the family. The couple met thousands of miles away in Australia, despite living just a stones throw from each other in Dublin.

Weve come in from Melbourne, all the way through China, and then to Amsterdam, and now finally to Dublin. It took us 40 hours to get here, but were here. Its been a hell of a trip.

I came in with Keri, my girlfriend. We met in Australia but we literally live five minutes away from each other back here but now we finally get to meet the family. I havent been at home for Christmas in three years and this is her first time in two years, said Richard.

Keris entire family was at the airport to welcome her home, carrying a large poster covered in photos of the young couple, but Richards family are not expecting him home, and he was heading off to land on their doorstep and surprise them. He emigrated in March 2015, but this last year was particularly tough.

The Christmas spirit is alive in @CorkAirport as people arrive home from all corners of the globe to spend the festive season with their families and friends: https://t.co/qLUpmu3W43 via @CorkEveningEcho #FlyCork pic.twitter.com/lhffggktT7  Cork Airport (@CorkAirport) December 22, 2017

Ive really been looking forward to coming home for a long time now, its been the hardest year of my life so far. Im setting myself up over there with jobs, visas, trying to get registered as a plumber, literally just settling in, he said.

Its just me and Keri living over there; weve no friends over there. All my friends are either in Perth or Dublin, so yeah, its been a tough year trying to get things up and going and its been hard to get home for this Christmas as well, but we made it and were just going to enjoy it, he said.

Meanwhile, Christmas carols played out, welcoming people home as airport staff walked through the crowds carrying boxes of chocolates.

All around other reunions took place, such as Jason Creagh waiting for his aunt June Connolly Jameson, who emigrated to America in 1987, the year he was born.

Then there was Dympna Mannion and her Sligo family, waiting for it to become whole again, as her daughter Claire arrived in from New York.
The reviews were carried out earlier this year, in connection with governance, HR, and other issues around the management of the university. Most of the issues were being examined because of claims made in protected disclosures about financial matters, as well as issues reported by the media.

A review of the governance structures, commissioned by UL, was conducted by consultants, Crowe Horwath, and it cost 55,000.

A separate audit, of issues relating to declaration of interests by senior managers and governing authority members, severance payments, and HR matters was carried out by Deloitte for ULs governing authority. The Irish Examiner has learned the cost of that exercise was 78,300.

Both figures include VAT and were provided in response to requests to UL, under freedom of information (FOI) law. The requests were submitted three weeks ago, after UL said a press query about the costs, three weeks previously, should be handled under FOI instead.

The university has refused to release the reports themselves, which were also sought in a November 6 press query, two days before publication of a review by Richard Thorn, for Education Minister Richard Bruton, into some of these and other, related matters.

UL told the Irish Examiner that the Crowe Horwath and Deloitte reports contained information on issues that were still under deliberation and negotiation. It said they include opinions, advice, recommendations, and results of consultations that were still under consideration and review, and releasing such information prematurely would have a significant, adverse effect on the university and the performance of its functions.

The reports also contain personal information of individuals and we are obliged, under data-protection legislation, to protect the privacy of this information, UL said on November 16.

Subsequent to the two reports, the membership of ULs new governing authority has been reduced from 35 to 29, with new limits to the terms they can serve. The outgoing governing authority directed senior UL managers to implement all the recommendations arising from the secret Deloitte report.

Among the topics it dealt with was the use of severance packages, an issue that caused concern last March, when the Department of Education learned from hearings at the Dail Public Accounts Committee that two senior UL staff, paid unapproved severances in 2012, had been rehired on a consultancy basis.

Last month, UL president Des Fitzgerald lifted suspensions imposed in 2015 on two finance department staff, whose protected disclosures prompted many of the issues examined in the reviews and in the Thorn report. Their allegations about inappropriate expense claims were not upheld by a previous report commissioned by UL, but their treatment, after raising concerns, formed part of Mr Thorns report.
The time has come once again to examine the performance of the ministers in Government.

From the difficulties of Brexit to the ever-increasing numbers of homeless persons, the tasks facing the Government are many and complex  2017 has been a challenging year.

Yet, the economy is motoring strongly and the transition of power was relatively smooth, all things being considered.

So, who has proven their worth in Cabinet and who has left a lot to be desired?

Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach:

When even Fine Gaels opponents are acknowledging his work on Brexit, you know he has done something right.

A month ago, he looked like the naive Taoiseach who was blindly supporting his beleaguered tanaiste, Frances Fitzgerald, but as the year ends, Varadkars position is enhanced.

His standing up to the DUP and the British government and being seen to get his way is a first in my lifetime.

But, he is still learning in the job and has, at times, shown that his normally sharp political instincts have abandoned him.

Also, he is overly concerned with his public image and obsession with PR has led to strong criticism of his Strategic Communications Unit, which many see as a vanity machine for him.

RATING: 6/10

Simon Coveney, Tanaiste and Foreign Affairs:

Defeated in the leadership race by Varadkar, Coveney was moved into the plum job of Foreign Affairs.

Has clearly worked hard to heal the divisions within Fine Gael, buoyed by the fact that he was the runaway choice of the partys grassroots.

He too has played his part in Irelands success to date on Brexit, but the failure to get the Northern Assembly up and running is a cause for concern.

Dogged and diligent, if at times aloof from even his own colleagues, his elevation to Tanaiste was widely welcomed.

RATING: 7/10

Paschal Donohoe, Finance and Public Expenditure:

The undoubted intellectual powerhouse of the Government who has cemented his position at the heart of Cabinet.

Backed Varadkar in the leadership; delivered a public sector pay deal; as well as his first solo budget with a steady hand.

Some felt he should have been stronger with the banks on the tracker mortgage scandal but he says the stick of sanctions remains in reserve.

RATING: 8/10

Richard Bruton, Education:

Utterly reliable as a steady pair of hands, Bruton is the Mr Sensible in Cabinet  even if on the unremarkable side.

Has in recent days come in for flak as it emerged that more than 200 disadvantaged schools which were identified as needing extra support were not included in the Governments scheme to support pupils from deprived backgrounds.

Also, reform of school curriculum remains elusive due to pressure from teacher unions.

RATING: 4/10

Charlie Flanagan, Justice:

Our wooden spoon recipient this year for a man who is damn lucky to still be in his job.

His botched handling of questions from Alan Kelly precipitated the crisis which almost felled the Government and did fell Frances Fitzgerald.

Her resignation appeased the bloodlust in Fianna Fail, which saved Flanagans backside, but his grovelling mea culpa in the Dail was a signal of how badly he handled himself.

The repeated circulation of misinformation to the Taoiseach and the clear dysfunctionality with his department means Flanagan has been under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Must do better if he is to survive.

RATING: 2/10

Eoghan Murphy, Housing:

Varadkars campaign manager and promoted to Cabinet as a result.

Yet, in a strange move, he was handed the poisoned post of Housing, which also includes Irish Water  and both issues have bedevilled his tenure so far.

No lack of effort from a very astute operator, and the handling of refunds from Irish Water has largely been a success, but overall the numbers have gone against him.

Homelessness continues to rise, despite countless launches and programmes. Needs to get on top of the situation if his reputation is not to be tarnished.

RATING: 4/10

Heather Humphreys, Enterprise:

Recently succeeded Fitzgerald in the Department.

After a shaky start as Cabinet minister in 2014, her confidence has grown. Too early to say if she has what it takes to meet the demands of her big brief.

RATING: 4/10

Simon Harris, Health:

No doubt endured an edgy few weeks, having been the only senior minister to back Coveney in the leadership bid.

But has taken to Health with an energy and determination in the 18 months or so in the department.

With a record budget, the room for excuses from him and health bosses is limited.

Some progress on waiting lists, new hospitals are being built and Slaintecare is underway.

RATING: 6/10

Denis Naughten, Communications:

Fought hard and won extra funding for post offices which stands out as a big victory for Naughten.

He also took an unpopular stance on the abolition of flat fees for bin charges, for environmental reasons.

This years also saw the delivery of the mitigation plan  the first ever dedicated Cabinet meeting on

climate change  plus some progress on broadband.

RATING: 6/10

Shane Ross, Transport:

The bete noir for the Opposition and for many in the media. Ross has been lambasted for his failures to do his job and for concentrating on matters in other areas like judicial reform.

However, such criticism is unfair. His judicial reform is transformative, reflected in the hostility it drew from our learned friends in the Four Courts. His drink- driving legislation was also significant.

RATING: 7/10

Regina Doherty, Social Protection:

Outspoken and fiery, Dohertys elevation into the full Cabinet was not unexpected. Was accused of causing confusion after she claimed that the Public Services Card was mandatory but not compulsory.

Also suffered an embarrassing slap-down from Donohoe when she claimed the anomaly relating to thousands of women getting lower pensions because of career breaks would be sorted this year, only to climb down and say it would be next October before anything could be done.

RATING: 4/10

Michael Creed, Agriculture:

Solid, steady and quiet, Creed is an unlikely success story in Varadkars Cabinet. Has managed the agriculture element of Brexit with a calm hand.

Suffered the recent loss of his father, Donal, in late November, but was back at his post a few short days later.

RATING: 5/10

Michael Ring, Rural Affairs:

Has had a tricky start to his Cabinet life, waiting for his department to get up and running.

Such delays have led to some unhappiness from Ring who let rip on the morning of the Budget over his small allocation. Such difficulties have allowed his opponents to describe him as a token minister for the West.

Unfortunately, such criticisms have the ring of truth about them.

RATING: 4/10

Katherine Zappone, Children:

A sad year for Zappone who lost her wife Ann Louise Gilligan in June, which meant she was absent from the Dail on the day the new Government was formed.

Showed steel earlier in the year when she insisted that former Taoiseach Enda Kenny correct the record of the Dail over the Maurice McCabe Tusla scandal. His mea culpa ultimately led to his downfall.

RATING: 5/10

Josepha Madigan, Arts and Culture:

Only in the job a wet week, so not able to rate her. Since becoming a TD has shown great promise and it was significant that she seconded Varadkars nomination as Taoiseach in the Dail.
At the kitchen table, tongues hanging out of mouths in fierce concentration, scribbling on pieces of A4 paper with coloured pencils. The first line in the letter was always the same  Dear Santa, Thank you for last years presents. This year can I have.... (manners first, dear) but the contents varied wildly.

One year I basically asked for the entire Smyths catalogue (Mom: Thats nice, Louise! Now pick out three things. You little brat went unspoken.), the next I asked for a magic wand that never ran out of wishes (three wishes are for idiots, Aladdin), and a pet squirrel, (If he could talk that would be a bonus, but I didnt want to be greedy.). I dont remember my parents ever telling me that giving unlimited powers to a seven-year-old was a terrible idea or that a feral squirrel would probably murder me in my sleep, but by the end of November I had inevitably changed my mind and asked for a Hollywood Hair Barbie and the latest Marita Conlon-McKenna novel. I kept writing letters to Santa until I was well into my teens, prompting an awkward conversation with my mother when I was about 14.
Japanese, Thai goods reach every corner of Vietnamese market

VietNamNet Bridge - Several years ago, fans of Thai and Japanese goods had only several choices  either buying the products carried across border gates, or going to a few select shops. But now, they can freely choose products at many specialized stores.









Specialized shops are mushrooming









There are about 100 retail points belonging to foreign invested supermarkets in Vietnam, half of which belong to Thai investors.

A report from MOIT (Ministry of Industry and Trade) shows that the deficit in trade with Thailand in the first eight months of the year reached $3.5 billion.Thai products are available at 9,000 traditional markets, supermarkets and home appliance distribution centers. In large cities, Thai goods account for 30-50 percent of the market share.There are about 100 retail points belonging to foreign invested supermarkets in Vietnam, half of which belong to Thai investors.The others are run by world giants such as Lotte, Aeon and Emart. Metro alone has 19 retail points, while Big C has 32.Meanwhile, Japanese have been penetrating deep into Vietnam through big retail chains such as Aeon, Ministop, Family Mart, Tokyo Deli, Gyu Kaku, Oshaka Ohsho and 7-Eleven.The Sakura chain has opened 10 shops after six years in Vietnam, while Tokyo Life has 18 shops in Hanoi, two in HCMC and 35 in other provinces.Pham Chi Lan, a renowned economist, said Thai firms had been following a strategy to enter the Vietnamese market for a long time.Thai businesses understand that Vietnam, with high economic growth rate, young population and increasingly high consumption, will be a vast market once tariff barriers are removed.They have spent time studying Vietnamese consumer psychology and followed professional methods to win over customers.Vietnam imports a wide range of products from Thailand, from household electrical appliances to vegetable and fruits, and CBU cars and cosmetics.Vietnam also imports products which are locally made, such as household-use products, computers and plastics.Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh once asked why Thais could bring their products to the Vietnamese market but do not do this with other ASEAN countries, including Indonesia and the Philippines.Analysts believe the most important reason is the large distribution networks that Thais have set up in Vietnam.Thai corporations like Central Group and TCC Group have spent big money to take over the largest distribution chains in Vietnam, paving the way for Thai products to enter Vietnam.Meanwhile, a branding expert commented that Thai and Japanese goods can thrive in Vietnam because manufacturers receive support from their government agencies.Japanese agencies have set up dedicated divisions to support small and medium enterprises in their country, he said.
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A second national rating agency is taking a more optimistic approach on Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centers financial operations following three recent expansion developments.

S&P Global Ratings said in a report released Friday that it has reaffirmed A ratings on two series of Wake Forest Baptist bonds, as well as an overall positive ratings on the center for the third consecutive year.

On Dec. 14, Moodys Investors Service changed its rating outlook for the center and for N.C. Baptist Hospital from positive to stable, while affirming its A2 rating.

According to Investopedia, an A2 rating is considered as usually the second- or third-highest rating that a rating agency assigns to a security or carrier.

Wake Forest Baptist said in a statement it was pleased that both agencies cited the potential for increased revenue and market share in the Triad and Northwest North Carolina.

S&P analyst Patrick Zagar said its reaffirmations reflect Wake Forest Baptists performance finishing ahead of fiscal 2017 budget and a healthy balance sheet.

On Nov. 27, the center reported a more than twofold increase in excess income to $67.3 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2017-18. In a not-for-profit organization, excess revenue is analogous to profit in a for-profit organization.

Wake Forest Baptist announced plans Oct. 25 to acquire the High Point Regional. The goal is to begin the integration process in January.

No financial disclosures or commitments were announced by the hospitals, although Terry Williams, Wake Forest Baptists chief strategy officer, has said discussions are progressing about ways to help High Point Regional grow and aid its community foundation.

Zagar said that though we consider High Point (Regional) to initially be dilutive to Wake Forest Baptists financial profile, we believe the acquisition (if consummated) would yield significant strategic benefits to the system.

Zagar said the centers financial performance has also improved considerably over the past several years after a period of significant operating losses in fiscal years 2013 and 2014.

Moodys said its outlook change acknowledges improved operating performance that has held steady over the past several years.

However, the change also reflects Moodys view that margins will come under pressure in the coming year as Wake Forest Baptist integrates Wilkes Regional, which has experienced deterioration in volume trends.

Wake Forest Baptist benefited from a slight core revenue increase, as well as the first financial boost from completing the acquisition of Wilkes Regional in July. The system listed a $46.8 million gain on acquisition related to the hospital.

Wake Forest Baptist signed a 30-year lease to run the Wilkes hospital, including agreeing to spend $238 million on capital investments.

Moodys said that irrespective of other margin pressures, Moodys would not likely upgrade the ratings until the rating agency could fully assess the effects of this (High Point Regional) acquisition, if it is finalized, on Wake Forest Baptist.

High Point Regional would become the fourth community hospital affiliated with Wake Forest Baptist, along with Davie, Lexington and Wilkes medical centers.

High Point Regional is expected to operate as a wholly owned separate business unit in its affiliation with Wake Forest Baptist.
Q: I enjoyed your article today about the many names of Jesus. I am also particularly fond of Prince of Peace. How would you respond to atheist friends that use verses Matthew 10:34-36 and Luke 12:51-53 as a rebuttal to any mention of Jesus peaceful nature?

Reader

ANSWER: Jesus is recorded in Matthew as having said, Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the world. It is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. Clearly, this passage is not referring to a literal sword. Read in context, Jesus is simply saying some will respond positively to His word and message, and others will reject Him. Even families will be divided, but He must be put first.

Q: What were the last names of Mary, mother of Jesus, and Joseph?

Reader

ANSWER: So far as I am aware, the Bible does not give us their names. Of course, in Biblical times, first and last names were not as common as today. People were more often identified by the town or area from which they came. Paul of Tarsus is an example. If you google Mary and Joseph, you will discover interesting information.

Comments on Christmas

When this column appears, we will be just two days from Christmas, the celebration of Christs birth. Matthew tells us about the star over Bethlehem and the visit of the Magi; Luke relates the story of the shepherds and the heavenly choir. It seems a bit strange that these are the only books that tell of His birth. The Gospel of John speaks of His coming into the world but in more philosophical terms.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. John 1:1-8

I have written in previous articles about the many names of Jesus. John credits Him with being the Creator of all things, of the entire world.

It is difficult to grasp the size of our universe. We can see our sun; and we are told that although it is an ordinary size star, it is about one million times the size of the earth. Our solar system is a small part of the Milky Way Galaxy, which is estimated to be about one million light years from one end to the other. Written out that would be 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 kilometers. There are over 3 million stars in our galaxy, and the universe has over 1 billion galaxies; some estimate as many as 2 trillion! To travel to the center of our galaxy, Voyager would take 450,000,000 years. If we could travel at the speed of light, 186,000 mile per second, it would take only 26,000 years. Our universe, we are told, is expanding into infinite space.

John tells that the omnipotent Creator of this universe was born as a baby in Bethlehem! We are struck with awe at the vastness of our universe, but even more amazing is the Christian claim that the Creator of all was incarnate in a baby who grew to be a Jewish itinerant preacher named Jesus. This story tells us something about the sacredness of human life. Every baby is a blessing, and every life has infinite value.

Christmas is about sacrificial love. I remember a story I heard long ago. It is a familiar story, but The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry so perfectly speaks of sacrificial love that it is worth repeating. A couple loved each other dearly; but as Christmas approached, neither had the money to buy a gift for the other. The woman had beautiful hair, and the man had a pocket watch.

He sold the watch to buy her combs for her hair, and she cut and sold her hair to buy a fob chain for his watch. Sacrificial love!

We are reminded of the gifts of the Magi and the priceless gift of love found in Jesus.

Have a joyful Christmas!
For 20 years, the children at Brenner Childrens Hospital have enjoyed a Mary Christmas, thanks to one kind-hearted woman.

Mary Alspaugh, 85, has raised $200,000 over the past 20 years to brighten the holidays for local children who have to be in the hospital at Christmas.

To see those patients, the little preemies (premature babies) less than five pounds and the children, it pulls on your heartstrings, she said. If you ever spend just five minutes at Brenner Childrens Hospital, its simply impossible to not want to help these young patients.

Alspaugh, a retired Wake Forest Baptist administrative employee, began raising money in the late 1990s for a program she dubbed Santas Elves.

The program was created with the hopes of bringing holiday cheer to patients and their families. Those who donated more than $100 were designated an official elf.

I have no problem asking for money for worthy things, Alspaugh said. Ive been very blessed to have four healthy grandchildren, so anything I can do to help other children makes me feel good.

In the first year of the program, Alspaugh enlisted the help of her friends, bridge clubs and church and raised $10,000.

That year, she added a large tree to the annual Festival of Trees, which was adorned with hundreds of wooden stars that she gave to the child patients.

It was very successful from the beginning because people knew that, even though we have the best doctors in the world, everything costs money, she said. Some of the families dont have a lot of money and what they do have goes to medications and treatment.

In the years since, the Santas Elves program has grown to provide presents to patients and their siblings who are not able to be at home over the holidays. Last year, Alspaugh was able to give 150 stockings to children in the hospital, she said.

The money raised this year will go toward creating a new music therapy room, which will likely open in April, she said.

The room will include a recording studio, performance stage, instruments and a music therapist.

I can just see them in there singing Christmas carols, beating on drums and I can see how much fun it will be, she said. Music is a powerful thing, so I think its just wonderful.

Hitting the $200,000 milestone for the Christmas program is just a tangible testament to Alspaughs hard work for the children over the years.

Alspaugh, who retired in 1994, used to dress up in a bunny suit at Easter to cheer up the children when she worked at the medical center.

Even the little things mean a lot to these children and their families, just knowing that someone cares about them, she said. Thats what Christmas is all about.
WASHINGTON  Their tax bill triumph in the rear-view mirror, Republicans running Congress face a 2018 in which they'll need Democratic votes to get almost anything done.

And that won't be easy. Short of a few must-pass items, divisions within both parties plus a natural election-year tendency to draw distinctions with the other side means achievements and cooperation will be minimal.

The pressure will be on the GOP, which controls the White House, Senate and House and would probably be blamed by voters for any major screw-ups. Since Republicans will have just a 51-49 Senate majority next year  well shy of the 60 votes needed to pass most bills  Democrats will have leverage for most things, including a deal to prevent a politically jolting January federal shutdown.

"There's not much you can do on a partisan basis in the Senate," Senate Majority Leader McConnell, R-Ky., conceded to reporters Friday.

Topping McConnell's immediate list will be a spending bill averting a shutdown and providing big boosts for the Pentagon. In exchange, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will be demanding comparable increases for domestic spending. Schumer also wants a deal to extend protections that President Donald Trump has threatened to halt for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, the so-called Dreamers.

Factored into Democrats' thinking: their recent momentum-building successes swiping a Senate seat in Alabama, holding governorships in Virginia and New Jersey and grabbing unexpected local legislative seats. With Trump's profound unpopularity weighing down the GOP across the country, Republicans face a legitimate risk of losing House and Senate control in the November midterm elections.

McConnell said he'll be looking for bipartisan cooperation on immigration and an effort to ease parts of the Dodd-Frank law that regulates financial market, but Democrats won't be eager to shake hands quickly.

"For Democrats, there's no reason to cut a deal just for the sake of cutting a deal, especially with the Republican Party as weakened as it is right now," said Jim Manley, a Democratic consultant.

Also in play in January will be money to keep nearly 9 million low-income children in all 50 states covered by the Children's Health Insurance Program, an extension of a law allowing U.S. surveillance of foreigners overseas and tens of billions of dollars for recovery from storms and other disasters in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and elsewhere.

Even as GOP leaders plot their broader 2018 agenda, they'll need to cautiously seek a sweet spot between showing hard-core Republican voters that they're pursuing conservative goals and protecting their more centrist and vulnerable members from damaging votes.

That will be complicated by internal divisions. Already, McConnell and his House counterpart, Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., seem to be contemplating divergent pathways.

Ryan, whose Republicans are generally more conservative than GOP senators, has talked about overhauling benefit programs like welfare, Medicaid and parts of Medicare. Reining in those ever-growing programs has long been a priority for Ryan and his party, but targeting popular entitlements in an election year can be risky. McConnell signaled this week that he's not likely to do that.

"We'll not be doing entitlement reform unless we have enough Democratic support to achieve it," McConnell said in an interview, citing a condition that seems just shy of implausible.

The year just ending underscored the limits of unity within both parties.

Republicans rallied around their $1.5 trillion tax overhaul, a primary plank of GOP ideology for decades. They also banded together to confirm the nominations of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and other top federal judges and to peel back 14 rules enacted during the final months of Barack Obama's presidency dealing with guns, the internet, education and the environment.

But Republicans splintered when it came to their failed effort to erase Obama's health care law. And they face internal divides over issues like spending, where hard-right members of the House Freedom Caucus can be single-minded in their desire to slash spending and defy leadership efforts to strike compromises inevitably needed with Democrats.

"The only difference that mitigated the December difficulties is we passed a historic tax reform bill," said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who leads the Freedom Caucus. "We're not going to have an historic tax reform bill to fall back on in January, so now it gets down to some very difficult decisions on how we move forward."

Democrats also face splits over how aggressively to pursue their agenda, particularly immigration.

While party leaders like Schumer work toward reaching an agreement with Republicans, some liberals and members of the party's Congressional Hispanic Caucus accuse them of not being assertive enough.

In one tell-tale look at that rift, 17 Senate Democrats  including several seeking re-election next year from GOP-leaning states  voted Thursday for the bill that prevented a federal shutdown this weekend.

Twenty-nine Democrats voted "no," including some of the most liberal members and potential presidential contenders. They included Sherrod Brown of Ohio, New Jersey's Cory Booker and Massachusetts' Elizabeth Warren. Schumer joined them.
KEY WEST, Fla.  As this divided year draws to a close, heres a sense from one of the coolest towns in the world that what unites our states may still be stronger than what pulls us apart.

I freely admit that feeling might be a mirage, a dream, but its one worth pursuing in a country built on mirages and dreams.

Christmas decorations wave in sea breezes on one of Americas best beach streets, Duval, as folks walk in shirtsleeves and much of the rest of rest of the country freezes.

Its a majestic juxtaposition. Damn its fun to sweat outside at Christmas time, barefoot and sucking in warm salt air. Ive journeyed to this town since college, saving up money for occasional visits that build memories I keep mining. And this year, there was something more to the escape, dreams of a return to the old America where many of us got along.

On Duval Street the other week, some people noted my UNC Chapel Hill ball cap and made snide remarks. But political arguments were few and far between. This is one of the few towns in our land where we can come together.

The adult beverages certainly help. The natural beauty does as well in a friendly town surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, waters that range in color from tropical green to heavenly blue beneath palm trees.

And the towns spirit, built on legends, helps as well.

That spirit, of course, includes Ernest Hemingway, the hard-fishing, hard-loving, hard-drinking writer who for a few years wrote from a big old house on Whitehead Street and fished the local waters. Now hes almost a cliche, idolized by tourists, many of whom probably like his legend more than his literary art, who pay $14 each to get past the brick wall Hemingway had built to protect his privacy and troop through his old house. I plead guilty to doing that the other day for the second time in my life. But hey, I have read much of his work.

The Key West spirit includes Capt. Tony Tarracino, a New Jersey import who came to Key West after Hemingway split for Cuba. Tarracino, whose adventurous exploits included gun-running in his charter boat, had a lot in common with Capt. Harry Morgan, the anti-hero of Hemingways only book set in Key West, To Have and Have Not. Capt. Tonys namesake saloon, one of the best dive bars in the world and one that Ive loved since college, still stands on Greene Street in Key West.

And most important, the spirit includes the surviving locals.

I paddled the ocean and dreamed of adventures like those guys had and have.

Locals were kind enough to accommodate me. I was lucky in my latest trip to find a kayak stand on Higgs Beach, Tropical Watersports, run by Lisa and Julia, who charged me a modest $10 hourly fee to rent my boat. Maria at Blue Sky Rentals on Duval was just as reasonable on the rental of beach bikes.

Key West was largely spared by Hurricane Irma in September, but it sustained some damage from which local businesses are still trying to rebound. Some Key West locals I talked to, even while raising money for each other, were more concerned about their buddies in the upper Keys who were really hit hard and are still struggling.

When I finished paddling, Id eventually ride my bike to Fort Zachary Taylor, a Florida state park where Id meet my wife to watch the sunset on the water. A small scattering of people from all over the world stood on the beach and cheered the sunsets, even when the sun dipped behind the clouds before it hit the water. I joined them.

Then would come live music at the Hogs Breath Saloon on Duval Street. Later, Id slip into Capt. Tonys Saloon, a shrine of mine, rereading all the framed newspaper clippings on the walls detailing how that old building was the original site of Sloppy Joes bar of Hemingway fame and that Tony helped give Jimmy Buffett his start. Tony served as mayor of Key West before dying at 92.

There are legends in this town indeed.

Behind the mirage are the issues with which our country struggles, those of race, ethnic and class divisions. Fort Zachary Taylor is named for a military leader-turned-president who helped run the Seminole Indians out of Florida and was a slave owner. The divide between the haves and have-nots in Key West that Hemingway wrote about keeps growing. His novel was set in the Great Depression. Today, the economic challenges the locals face, struggling to make ends meet amidst gentrification, are even more real. Key West has its share of homeless folk.

The wonder of the town is that the locals, just as people in spots across our land, keep dreaming of something better and looking out for each other and strangers. Theyre playing out the spirit of Christmas every day. With friends like that, well make it.
Winston-Salem City Council Member D.D. Adams move to slow down consideration of a request for eventual site control of the Plaza Apartments is a welcome and initial step in developing a plan for neighborhood revitalization in the Boston-Thurmond neighborhood. That may sound odd coming from the person who made the request on behalf of an entity called the Boston-Thurmond Innovation Network.

Slowing down the process gives more people time to ensure that their voices are heard and that their fears and concerns are addressed in any discussion about change.

Furthermore, it gives time to build, or rebuild, bonds of trust and to talk about what is  and isnt  underlying that request, and to understand the opportunity it presents for the Boston-Thurmond neighborhood to realize its vision of a thriving community honoring its historic roots.

So we are here to listen and to give residents of Plaza Apartments and others throughout the neighborhood honest answers and assurances that whatever happens, as long-term plans are developed, there will be guarantees of affordability and access for current residents.

But this conversation isnt just about housing, as essential as that is. It is also about moving beyond the status quo, or just incremental improvements, to the bold steps necessary for neighborhoods with high poverty rates to thrive, and to create a better future for the children and families who live there.

Within Boston-Thurmond, in the shadow of downtown and one of the citys oldest African-American neighborhoods, there are entrenched pockets of poverty, in some areas almost twice the rate of the city as a whole. Vacant, boarded-up or substandard housing persists, as does high unemployment and low school achievement scores.

In 2015, a neighborhood visioning and planning process was begun, sponsored by the Boston-Thurmond Neighborhood Association and other partners. Fundamental questions raised were:

Will this historically African-American neighborhood benefit from the innovation economy that is making such an impact downtown?

Will children growing up in Boston-Thurmond experience the same type of opportunities available to children being raised in other, more affluent neighborhoods?

Will this neighborhood be a place that demonstrates continuity with its historic character and long-standing residents?

It is against this backdrop that the Boston-Thurmond Innovation Network (BTIN) came to be.

BTIN does not come with a plan created from outside, but rather as a way to help facilitate and augment resident-driven ideas already focused around a specific place. It honors and undergirds the hard work already taking place by a number of current initiatives focused on Boston-Thurmond.

The approach is that of Purpose Built Communities, a growing network currently in 18 cities across the country that focuses very specifically, and over a sustained period, on what it takes to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. The approach is an intentional interplay of quality, affordable housing; of the highest possible educational outcomes for neighborhood children, starting at birth; of access to jobs; and of top-notch community programs that will enable children and families, and older adults, to live healthy and productive lives.

Purpose Built Communities has been recognized as one of the most promising community development approaches unfolding across the country. It is not without its critics, and I was skeptical for a time, wanting to understand more about how each community charted its own course within the basic framework. The strength lies in learning from the successes and challenges of each, and being connected to some of the best resources working nationwide to reduce urban poverty.

The Purpose Built Foundation wants to grow the network to at least 25 cities; Winston-Salem has been invited to be one of the next network members, focusing on Boston-Thurmond.

With Cook Literacy Model School, now in its second year of refocusing academic priorities, innovative programs at Kimberley Park Elementary School, and a new $40 million building for the Paisley IB/Lowrance School in the middle of the neighborhood, the opportunity exists for a rigorous extended learning community that supports them all. Long-time residents of Boston-Thurmond and others with a historical affinity for the neighborhood are poised to help.

Health partners from both major medical institutions in town, as well as other key nonprofits, have the capacity and resources to address chronic health needs for older adults and for children and families.

Increasingly, faculty members from nearby Wake Forest University, driven by a fundamental commitment to community engagement, are integrating their teaching and research with community needs and desires. Residents themselves are involved in multiple ways.

These are just a few examples of the possibilities of various partners coming together around one goal: to create a stronger future for children and families living there.

The process is still in the very earliest stages, and its success depends on neighborhood resident leadership in every step from now on.

We know we need to show up in a significant, and more committed, way to address the issues of poverty, educational disparities, and lack of economic mobility in neighborhoods throughout Winston-Salem. We know we need to demonstrate that to the residents of Boston-Thurmond through humility, authentic engagement and by staying the course over the long haul.

We are committed to ensuring that happens.
MEGAN GREGORY, Winston-Salem

Raise the wage

The sweeping tax rewrite rushed through Congress will have far-reaching consequences for working people struggling to make ends meet. Many middle-income families will ultimately see a tax increase, while low-income families will suffer from cuts to health-care assistance and other social safety net programs.

This situation makes it all the more urgent for local governments to ensure that their workers earn enough to support their families. The City of Winston-Salem has the opportunity to do just that by raising the minimum wage for city workers to $15/hour (without cutting other benefits), as Greensboro and Durham have already done.

Leadership from the city in paying a family wage would be an important step toward reducing Winston-Salems high poverty rate (24.3 percent) and the burdens of hunger, poor health and lack of educational opportunities that result when wages dont keep pace with the cost of living. The cost to the city budget would be manageable, and as a taxpayer, I fully support this use of public funds.

Our whole community will benefit when the hard-working people who keep our city clean, provide after-school enrichment for children in our recreation centers and treat our drinking water can afford to live with dignity in the city they serve.

******

LIZ WILSON, Winston-Salem

Using solar power

It was refreshing to read about the inaugural undergraduate engineering program and the innovative faculty and students who are merging engineering with the liberal arts at Wake Forest University (Thinking outside the box, Dec. 18). One student, Claire Griffin, is investigating the feasibility of using solar panels on the Wake Downtown building. Good for her and good luck to her and her classmates who are indeed thinking outside the box!

In a city that enjoys sunshine so many days of the year and that has so many flat-roofed buildings, we need to exploit the use of solar power and overcome the technical and other impediments resisting the use of this natural resource.

******

RONNIE MILLER, Winston-Salem

Living in fear

Lying in cemeteries throughout this nation are men and women who gave their lives so that we can live in freedom without fear, said Lt. Col. Shelley Gonzalez in your Dec. 17 story, Wreaths placed to honor veterans. I appreciate their sacrifice and I appreciate the honor that military personnel gave them in Kernersville.

But we dont live in freedom without fear. Many Americans today live in fear of what will happen if they have a financial crisis; if they lose their job or have a medical emergency.

And now, with President Trump in office, we have to worry about the effect his fascist leanings will have on the country. Thanks to his warmness toward racist rhetoric, many minority groups live in fear of having their rights or their simple human dignity denied. Thanks to Trumps saber-rattling, we have to fear he might start a nuclear war with North Korea.

The Dec. 16 story Poll: Pessimism grows about Trump, country, reflects this.

Thanks to Congress refusal to do anything about gun violence, many of us live in fear of being the victims of the next mass shooting. And now Congress has raided the U.S. Treasury, threatening our social safety net. That will create more fear.

These are not happy times for the U.S., and less so because of Trumps autocratic attacks on the rule of law, civil rights and truth.

******

ROBYN MIXON, Winston-Salem

The emperors new clothes

Each day I find our president with a stronger resemblance to the emperor wearing his new clothes. Just praise him and dont say anything he doesnt want to hear.

Non-stop lying, selecting unqualified nominees for critical positions, a tax cut that directs its benefits to the wealthy (with the hope that the crumbs will find their way down to the little people) and now, a list of forbidden words that have shades of science associated with them (CDC gets list of forbidden words for next years budget, Dec. 17).

Where is our moral compass? Ignorance and greed seem to be driving an administration whose battle cry is more for me. I feel as if our country is on the Titanic and Im screaming help.

Please submit letters online to Letters@wsjournal.com or mail letters to: The Readers Forum, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102. Letters are subject to editing and are limited to 250 words. For more guidelines and advice on writing letters, go to journalnow.com/opinion/submit_a_letter.
US President Donald Trump [official profile] signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act [HR 1 materials] into law on Friday, making sweeping changes to US tax rates, exemptions and deductions.

At the signing ceremony, Trump touted [text] what he sees as the laws promise, including providing incentives to business to invest in capital projects, increasing take-home pay for American workers and protecting the family farmers and small-business owners who lost their business because of the estate tax. Regarding the provision reducing the individual mandate penalty of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) [materials] from $695 to $0, Trump said

Essentially, I think it ultimately leads to the end of Obamacare. Essentially, I think Obamacare is over because of that, and were going to come up with something thats really going to be very good.But the individual mandate was very unfair because youre basically saying, pay for something in order not to have to get healthcare. So youre paying  youre paying not to have to have healthcare. It was very unfair. Many people thought it should have been overturned in the Supreme Court. It didnt quite make it. Almost  but didnt quite make it. But now were overturning the individual mandate, the most unpopular thing in Obamacare. Very, very unfair.

Trumps conclusion on the effect of the law is that it is going to be a tremendous thing for the American people. Its going to be fantastic for the economy.

The bill was approved [JURIST report] first by the House of Representatives [official website] on Tuesday. The Senate [official website] followed suit in the very early morning hours on Wednesday, although the version that passed the Senate was slightly different from the House version thanks to the removal [JURIST reports] of three provisions by the Senate Parliamentarian. This procedural hurdle meant that the bill once again needed approval from the House, which it gave Wednesday afternoon [JURIST report].

For a summary of the bills provisions, please see our earlier coverage [JURIST report].
OMAHA  Farm Credit Services of America Board of Directors members have approved a 2017 cash-back dividend of $200 million for its eligible customer-owners.

Checks will be mailed in March.

FCSAmerica is a customer-owned financial cooperative that provides credit and insurance services to farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses and other rural residents in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Wyoming. It has $26.9 billion in assets and $4.9 billion in members equity.

Since 2004, it has returned more than $1.5 billion to producers in those states since 2004.
KEARNEY  LeAnn Klein, Buffalo County planning and zoning and floodplain administrator, attended a 2 day conference Dec. 13-15 in Kearney for Nebraska county officials.

The annual conference, attended by approximately 800 county officials and employees, was part of a continuing education and leadership development series sponsored by the Nebraska Association of County Officials.

The conference updated county officials on recent changes in state laws and provided extensive training on the responsibilities of their respective offices.
KEARNEY  In 1941, Lois Margaret Frandsen of Dannebrog sent a Christmas card to her cousin, Janice (Neicie) Hansen, who was living at a military base with her new husband in Spokane, Wash. The card pictured a Scottish man in a kilt. It said, Merry Christmas to all. That goes double.

In 1942, Hansen sent the card back to Frandsen. In 1943, Frandsen sent it back to Hansen.

Back and forth it went, year after year. Today, 75 years later, its still going.

Why did I keep sending it? Frandsen, 94, who still lives in Dannebrog, said. We had a heck of a lot of fun together. That card traveled a lot of miles. I would keep it in the china hutch so it wouldnt get lost.

The women were both granddaughters of Hans Lemberg. They lived on nearby farms outside of Boelus. Hansen was born in 1915 and Frandsen in 1923, but they were close despite the eight-year age gap because they attended the same one-room schoolhouse, where children of all ages mingled and became friends. Both girls did farm work, too.

Hansen, a prankster, and the spirited Frandsen had a lot of fun. In 1938, they formed a club called The Modern Maids of Today. Its 13 members were young women in their teens and 20s. Their motto was To Heck with Men. Membership cost 10 cents per meeting. The club flower was the Love Me Not. The club weed was Wild Oats. Anyone committing the penalty of getting married had to give a party.

The club met by the Middle Loup River, where they camped, swam and had picnics. Neicie was in charge of getting all the bull frogs ready to eat, Lois Margaret wrote in a notebook that she still has.

Despite the clubs motto, they each married. In 1941, Lois Margaret, who had married Dennis Frandsen by then, sent a Christmas card to Neicie, who was living on a military base in Spokane, Wash., with her new bridegroom, Richard Hansen. The card was mailed around the time that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and pulled the United States into World War II.

In 1942, Hansen sent the card back to Frandsen. It kept going as the Hansens moved to New Brunswick, N.J., while Richard was stationed at Fort Dix and Neicie worked as a draftsman in the submarine design division for General Electric. It followed them back to Nebraska, too.

Just like Christmas, that card always arrived. It never got lost. It was never delayed. I was so glad, Frandsen said.

In 2008, at the age of 93, Neicie celebrated her last Christmas. She died the following year, but the Christmas card tradition did not. Frandsen sent the card to Neicies daughter Bonnie Leahy, who lives near Marengo, Ill., about an hour outside of Chicago. The next year, Leahy sent it back. Its still going. Leahy always mails the card from Union, Ill., the site of the Illinois Railroad Museum, which has a fully operational Nebraska Zephyr train on its grounds.

The Hansen family called Kearney home for many years. Richard Hansen of Dannebrog graduated from high school at age 15 or 16, Leahy said, and went to college for two years until World War II broke out. He then served in the military. While he was at Fort Dix, Neicie returned to Boelus with her infant son and worked on the family farm. When the war ended, Richard came home to finish his degree at Kearney State Teachers College and began a career in school administration.

Neicie established a wild duck breeding business, following in the footsteps of her father, who was a highly recognized breeder of waterfowl. As Richards career in education progressed, he worked in Roseland and Miller and other nearby places, but Neicies plentiful bounty of ducks, pens and ponds made moving difficult. Bonnie was born at Good Samaritan Hospital in 1948.

In 1957, Richard was the superintendent of schools in Miller when they decided they would move to Kearney and stay put. Richard taught industrial arts in junior high school and later focused on botany at Kearney High School. One of two biology teachers at the school, he worked in the old atrium in its center.

Neicie set up her wild duck breeder business on what was then Kearneys outskirts. As the years passed, her ducks were exhibited at national zoos, parks and private estates. She raised many species, including the South American rosybill, the Chinese mandarin, the European widgeon and the American wood duck.

Richard, meanwhile, was one of the few educators in the country trained to teach micronuclear biology in the classroom. He also became a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. He died in 1982.

Frandsen had a more settled life. She and Dennis settled on a farm north of Dannebrog and raised two daughters. I farmed, drove a tractor, all that, she said. She still lives there today. Four years ago, when she turned 90, she gave a barn dance and danced every dance.

As Christmas approached this month, Frandsen pulled the cherished card from her china hutch and sent it to Leahy. It arrived in Marengo on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Frandsen said she needs to sit down with her daughters, one in Omaha and the other 45 steps from my house in Dannebrog, to determine who will send the card after shes gone. I already have future plans for it. One of my daughters will send it to Bonnie, Frandsen said.

Leahy will keep sending it back. She hopes to keep it circulating for 100 years, until 2041, but Frandsen is looking far beyond that. Its traveled a lot of miles, she said. Id hate to lose that.
HOLDREGE  When a disaster strikes and emergency personnel are overwhelmed, volunteers are often needed to lend a hand.

That is when a Community Emergency Response Team steps in.

After years of Phelps County Emergency Management trying to organize CERT in Phelps County, Program Manager Rudy Mattson was able to establish South Central Nebraska CERT, and its first training session was in April.

You need the help, and you need trained help. They are not trained very well, but they are trained enough. Its not to take place of the professionals; its when the professionals are overwhelmed, Mattson said. He also is Funk Rural Fire Departments fire chief.

The organization began in 1985 in Los Angeles after earthquake responses in Mexico and Japan were studied. The program was started by FEMA, and in 2002, it became one of five organizations in Citizen Corps.

The South Central CERT team hopes to recruit members to provide help in Phelps, Kearney, Franklin, Harlan, Gosper and Furnas counties.

Volunteers are required to have 20 hours of training, typically over a weekend, to obtain a basic amount of disaster preparedness knowledge. Training includes fire safety and utility controls, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, CERT organization, disaster psychology, terrorism and CERT, a review and a final exercise.

The volunteers may only have basic training, but in times of disaster it comes in handy, Mattson said.

You dont have enough first responders. You dont have enough equipment. Thats what a disaster is, so you have to bring in others. Thats what CERT does, he said.

Disasters that South Central Nebraska CERT members could potentially assist with include tornadoes, floods and snowstorms. But their assistance doesnt stop there.

Another place that we could go, Id say (is) on a large-scale volunteer search and rescues. Our CERT people could be leading, say we would have a line a mile wide. ... Every so many feet we will have a CERT member that knows what he is doing and can help the people, Mattson explained.

He hopes to eventually provide Red Cross training to the volunteers so they can help set up Red Cross shelters.

Its one of those things they need to be trained to set up the cots and everything. Its one of the things that is on the agenda for training, Mattson said.

If a disaster does strike the area, CERT members dont provide assistance unless they are called upon to help by the emergency management office. They can deploy to their own household and neighborhood where they can shut off electrical and natural gas/propane services, extinguish small fires, do some search and rescue, and provide first aid to neighbors.

CERT training is put to good use in extreme situations, but volunteers can also use their knowledge for ordinary occurrences.

They can be in charge of a parade. They can do parking (for large events). A McCook group out there was in charge of a dances security, Mattson said.

Mattson provided another weekend of training last month, and the group now has around 25 members. The members meet monthly, and they will often have training during the meetings. Interest in CERT continues to grow, and Mattson hopes to provide another training course in the spring. He also hopes to organize a teen CERT.

Training for CERT volunteers may take only 20 hours, but they are truly never finished learning new skills.

Our training will never end. Well find a repeat and bring in new skills, Mattson said.
LINCOLN  Christian Heritage  a Christ-centered ministry with offices in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney  is trying to make the holiday season a bit easier for children who are missing their incarcerated parents.

Through the DVD from Dad program, incarcerated fathers can record a 10-minute video for their children.

We encourage them to talk to their kids just like theyre sitting at home on the couch, Christian Heritage Family Advocate Andi Bishop said in a news release. It means so much to the children that their dad made this for them.

In addition to talking to their child, fathers also can read him or her a book and even play them music. With permission from the childs mother, Christian Heritage provides the child with a copy of the DVD and the book.

DVD from Dad is great because kids cant call their dad when theyre missing him, Bishop said. If theyre having a bad day and just want to see dad, they can just pop that DVD in. Younger kids will watch that DVD over and over and carry that book around for weeks.

Incarcerated men hoping to create a DVD must first complete Inside Out Dad, the first of three classes in the Destination Dad program. Bishop described Inside Out Dad as a conversational class that helps fathers think about what they can do better as a parent.

The second class in the program is Within My Reach, which is centered around healthy relationships and communication. Christian Heritage partners with Boys Town for the third class, Common Sense Parenting.

A lot of these dads come into the program feeling like horrible fathers, feeling like they dont matter, Bishop said. They walk out knowing that they do matter, even though they cant be in their childs day-to-day life. They still matter and they still count.

After completing Inside Out Dad, fathers also become eligible for Daddy Day Visits, two- to three-hour supervised visits with their children inside the facility. Again, these visits rely on permission from the childs mother. Frequent visits with ones father have potential to truly influence a childs demeanor, Bishop said.

I love hearing the stories about kids behavior at school improving once they start doing Daddy Day Visits, Bishop said. Watching that connection and growth in the kids is amazing to me.

Christian Heritage offers the DVD from Dad program twice a year, once during the holidays and again in the spring at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, the Lincoln Correctional Center, the Omaha Correctional Center and Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. They produce an average of 100 DVDs each time.

Christian Heritage teaches Within My Reach and offers the opportunity for program participants to create a DVD from Mom at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women.

Bishop said that while parenting classes are ultimately for the childrens benefit, parents grow leaps and bounds, too. They dont feel so hopeless and disconnected after taking these classes, which results in fewer behavioral problems inside.

Our data shows that misconduct frequency and intensity goes down when parents are engaged in the program, Bishop said.

In addition to classes, more visiting time and the DVD programs, Christian Heritage also sponsors Daddy-Daughter Dances. It plans to have the first Father-Son Hangout in late January.
GRAND ISLAND  The Central Platte Natural Resources District board will oppose a proposed change in the rules to apply for project money from the Nebraska Water Sustainability Fund.

According to a CPNRD press release, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts Executive Director Dean Edson described a rule change proposed by a Natural Resources Commission committee that would require all necessary permits to be in place before entities are eligible to apply for funding.

The commission allocates money from the Water Sustainability Fund.

The CPNRD board voted to send a representative to testify against the rule change at a 10 a.m. Jan. 18 hearing at the Best Western Plus Mid Nebraska Inn and Suites in Kearney.

Edson also reported that the Nebraska Legislature will face a nearly $200 million state revenue shortfall in the 2018 legislative session, which means cuts to the Water Sustainability Fund are likely.

In other business, the CPNRD board approved a Groundwater Evaluation Toolbox use contract that will give staff the capability to run water-tracking scenarios through computer models instead of depending on contracted engineers.

The service contract approved with Olsson Associates will allow access to models for three Dawson County surface water irrigation projects  the Thirty Mile, Southside and Cozad canals  at no charge for one year. The goal is to better understand how water held in those canals during the irrigation offseason affects the Platte River.

Contract fees will apply for computer model access in future years.

CPNRD General Manager Lyndon Vogt told the board that 32 irrigators remain out of compliance with district rules requiring submission of 2017 crop report forms. In early December, 82 cease-and-desist orders were sent to irrigators.

Potential penalties for noncompliance include fines of $1,000-$5,000 per violation and/or loss of certified irrigated acres, ineligibility for NRD cost share money, and restrictions from transferring irrigated acres.

Also Thursday, CPNRD biologist Mark Czaplewski reviewed action from the Dec. 5 Platte River Recovery Implementation Program Governance Committee meeting in Denver.

The fiscal year 2018 budget and work plan approved includes $1.5 million for the land plan; $2.2 million for adaptive management, including monitoring, research and science reviews; and $15.9 million to implement the water plan.

Major water priorities are more than $7 million for a broad scale recharge project, starting with a demonstration project at Nebraska Public Power Districts Cottonwood Ranch, and $2.8 million for sandpit slurry wall pilot projects south of the Platte, also in the Overton-Elm Creek area.

Much of the remaining budgeted funds go to water leases and groundwater recharge projects, including about $1.6 million for CPNRD surface water and groundwater leasing.

In other business, the board:

Presented service awards to: Director Barry Obermiller of Grand Island, 20 years; hydrologist Duane Woodward, 25 years; Czaplewski, 20 years; and Assistant Manager Jesse Mintken, 10 years.

Elected Directors Jerry Wiese of Grand Island and Ed Kyes of Central City as voting delegate and alternate, respectively, for the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts Legislative Conference Jan. 23-24 in Lincoln.

Received Nominating Committee recommendations to elect Marvion Reichert of Elm Creek as the new board secretary and re-elect Charles Maser as treasurer for two-year terms. Elections will be at the Jan. 25 board meeting.
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This is the LinkedIn photo of Jesse Brown, the Penticton registered massage therapist who has to give up his registration because of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female patient.
FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2017, file photo, Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin speaks to The Associated Press about Hawaii's lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's travel ban in Honolulu. A federal appeals court panel ruled Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, that President Trump once again exceeded the scope of his authority with his latest travel ban. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges put their decision on hold pending review by the U.S. Supreme Court, meaning the ban involving six majority Muslim countries will remain in effect. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)
+2 High Court Judge Nicholas Madge

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 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.
There is something magical, eerily enchantingly, even fearful, about the pealing of big bells and in particular the striking of cathedral bells.

Just think of the Christmas song, The Fairytale of New York, and the part played by the bells of St Patricks Cathedral in it or go back to The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo - they strike a chord with us.

So the next time you hear the peal around Irishtown, Vicar Street or the Butts area of the city, particularly on a crisp December night when the soulful sound speeds through the thin air, think of the men and women who climb the 84 steps to the bell chamber twice a week once practice their hobby, their sport, custom and once on Sunday for service.

It is a sight, that every person in Kilkenny should witness once in their lifetime.

Their purpose - to call people to service. The bells are rung every Sunday, on feast days and for weddings and funerals.

On New Years Eve the bells are muffled to ring out the old year and before midnight, the muffles are removed to ring in the New Year with a clear peal.

My story with the campanologists begins on a cold December night, I make my way through the front entrance of the flood-lit cathedral in what was like a scene from an episode of tv series Inspector Morse, half expecting to be murdered.

At the best of times the cathedral is impressive but at night, it is even more so and then you enter the inner sanctums where you are met with the smiling faces of the bellringers.

They are not what you expect. Here before me are smiling faces, people Ive known for years but never knew they had a secret.

It reminds me of a Dan Brown novel and then the captain of the bellringers, Ian McCullagh gives me the nod and we walk to the south transept of the cathedral and like a scene from a Harry Potter film in Hogwarts - we enter a doorway which was made, centuries ago, for much smaller framed humans and we start to climb the 84 steps of the cantilevered stairs to the bell ringing chamber. Another small door gives you the false impression that you are entering a confined space, instead you step down into a fine, wide open room with trapdoors allowing you to look down on the centre aisle of the cathedral.

The reason for this is that the bellringers will know when, for instance, a bride is coming down the aisle and they can begin their peal. It works the same way for funerals.

This is a living history - the walls are full of photos and other material on the bellringers going back centuries.

In the middle of the room are eight ropes hanging from a wooden ceiling with woolly sallies (grips) at the end with a little loop at the very end for safety.

To the side are what look like a set of pulleys which are attached to each hole in the roof where the eight heavier ropes go through.

I dont want to get too technical but the bells are set upside down and that is why the bellringers job is not as easy as you would think.

The wooden structure at the side is used when the bells are turned down and that allows them to be chimed by one person using the Ellacombe hammers which are attached to the strings there.

All thats missing are monk-like robes for the eight bellringers waiting in a circle for the order from the Captain of the bellringers to commence.

One is a good friend of mine, Harry Reid while I have known Barry OConnor of O'Connor Jewellers on High Street, Kilkenny for many years.

I am a little surprised at the serious level of concentration etched on their faces as they prepare for the big moment.

The captain, Ian looks the part and like a Sgt Major he does a quick scan to make sure everyone is in their correct position and holding the rope properly.

He shouts out the numbers 2,3,3,2,4,4,5 - that is the sequence in which the bells are to ring and each bell is numbered with the largest bell, the one Ian normally pulls, the tenor bell, No 1.

And it starts, it is beautiful and while it is not like a proper piece of music it is melodic and you can feel the power coming down from the belfry.

You can feel the tension, because a wrong pull could put the whole thing out of sequence. And to think this has been going on since 1332.

I am not going into the history of the bells here because the late Edward Law of Rothe House produced the seminal work on the bells and the ringers in The Old Kilkenny Review.

Ian McCullagh gives me a quick introduction on the dos and donts and then I get a chance to pull the rope and I soon realise it is not all about strength, it's about timing, about measure, about sequence, about listening out for your own bell and listening for the bell preceding you and keeping in time, in sequence.

It is hard and can take some people years.

Daphne Sewell is one of those special people - she makes St Canices Cathedral such a homely, welcoming place and she worked downstairs in the shop for years. Her photo crops up a few times on the walls.

She has retired and sat me down to give me the following important advice on bellringing: You should always be able to pick out your own bell.

And this is part of the secret of the success of being a bellringer. Some people can manage it on their first touch; its not about being musical its more about being mechanically minded, being able to tap into the sequence and know exactly where you come in the order of the thing.

These bells are not rung in a haphazard manner but in an orderly, centuries old arrangement, its all about timing and to think these tunes have been handed down for generations is utterly fascinating.

And it is for that reason there is something of an aura around the captain of the team, Ian McCullagh.

He came to bellringing by accident and that was over 25 years ago and he is a wonderful man, imparting little nuggets of advice in a paternal tones while maintaining his insistence on exactness.

This is because a few times a year, the ringers compete with around nine other towers around the country in a very competitive cup competition.

They also go for social occasions like last summer to St Marys Church of Ireland Church, Dunmanway, County Cork where eight bells, were named in the memory of Sam Maguire, a member of the parish down there 100 years ago.

One family has given sterling service to the bell tower and that is the Ryans. Richard and his brothers Dick and Ken and sister Shirley (Mountrath) have been at it for years and now the next generation are at it, Richards two sons, Philip and Victor, again very solid bellringers and former rugby players do it with consummate ease.

The Ryans could be entrants in the Guinness Book of Records.

I am then taken by Barry OConnor to the belfry and after a quick shout downstairs the main tenor bell is pealed. What a sound and if all eight were hammered at the same time you would go deaf. And as we walk out, we can almost touch St Canices Tower beside us while the view from outside the belfry is wonderful.

After an hour and half of practice and chat, we all go back down to the vestry for tea and biscuits and Richard Ryan addresses the members and pays tribute to the captain, Ian McCullagh and said that for the first time in a long time, there are a full complement of ringers, 25 in all and that things were looking good for the upcoming season.

He pauses for a moment and then says: "You know, we should be very proud of the bells in Kilkenny, we have one of the best towers in the country, here you can see the bells being rung with plenty of room for people to watch," he said. And I would have to agree with him.

New year's eve

One of the most special times to hear the bells is on New Years Eve.

There is a service (not obligatory) at around 10.30pm in the cathedral and afterwards around 70 people make their way up to the bell ringers room to hear the 12 chimes to bring in the New Year on the stroke of midnight.

The bells are, at first muffled, to ring out the old year and before midnight, the muffles are removed to ring in the New Year with a clear peal that will ring out around the city.

So the next time you hear the peal, think of the people who have maintained this wonderful tradition and those who climb the 84 steps at least twice a week.
OSLO, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The Norwegian Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from owners of Gassled, Norway's gas infrastructure network, in a case involving the government's decision to cut pipeline tariffs, Njord Gas Infrastructure said on Friday. In June 2017, a Norwegian appeals court ruled against the owners in a lawsuit that argued the cut in tariffs was unlawful and would cost them a combined 15 billion Norwegian crowns ($1.80 billion) in lost earnings through 2028. The case against the government is pursued by four investment companies, Njord Gas Infrastructure, Solveig Gas, Silex Gas and Infragas, which hold a combined 43.9 percent in Gassled. ($1 = 8.3287 Norwegian crowns)

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Lefteris Karagiannopoulos)

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 background, detail)

OSLO, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The Norwegian Supreme Court will hear an appeal from the owners of Gassled, Norway's gas infrastructure network, in a case involving the government's decision to cut pipeline tariffs, Njord Gas Infrastructure said on Friday.

In June 2017, a Norwegian appeals court ruled against the owners in a lawsuit that argued the cut in tariffs was unlawful and would cost them a combined 15 billion Norwegian crowns ($1.80 billion) in lost earnings through 2028. The case against the government is pursued by four investment companies, Njord Gas Infrastructure, Solveig Gas, Silex Gas and Infragas, which hold a combined 43.9 percent in Gassled.

"The timing for when the appeal will be heard by the Supreme Court has not yet been determined," Njord Gas said in a statement.

The four firms were originally owned by Allianz , UBS , the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Canada's Public Sector Pension Investment Board, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and France's Caisse des Depots.

In October 2017, UBS and Caisse des Depots announced they were selling their stakes, but will still remain in line for any potential proceeds from a decision in favour of the Gassled partners, and will help pay the cost of litigation. Some of the companies involved have said Norway's unexpected decision to lower gas transportation tariffs would hurt the image of Norway as a country to invest in.

The government cut tariffs shortly after the four investors bought their stakes in Gassled in 2011 and 2012 from ExxonMobil , Total , Statoil and Royal Dutch Shell for a total of 32 billion crowns. ($1 = 8.3287 Norwegian crowns)

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Lefteris Karagiannopoulos and Elaine Hardcastle)
FRANKFURT, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Bundesbank board member Carl-Ludwig Thiele has ruled out the introduction of official digital money for the euro zone and warned of losses from investments in cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, according to a German newspaper.

"Digital central bank money analogous to cash is currently not in sight," Thiele told weekly Euro am Sonntag in an interview published on Saturday.

Digital currencies allow users to make online transactions across borders instantaneously and have surged in popularity this year because of their eye-watering price rises. Bitcoin, the best-known, has increased in price around twentyfold since the start of the year.

But the cryptocurrency plunged by 30 percent to below $12,000 on Friday as investors dumped it after its sharp rise to a peak close to $20,000 prompted warnings by experts of a bubble. "We are seeing a rapid increase in value, which brings the risk of rapid losses," Thiele said.

Decentralised digital currencies like bitcoin are still not widely accepted. Critics say they can easily be used for money laundering and the fact that they are unregulated makes them risky to use -- hence the idea of an "e-" version of a physical currency that still has a central controlling authority.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said in September it was too soon to determine whether central banks should issue their own cryptocurrencies, as the risks could not yet be fully assessed and the technology underpinning them was still unproven. Christoph Schmidt, head of Germany's panel of economic advisers - known as the wise men - warned that private investors' losses from bitcoin investments could have a ripple effect on financial markets if they were financed with debt.

"If their losses affect others because they were financed with loans, then that would increase the risk of distortions on financial markets," he told the German daily Rheinische Post.

Some high profile individuals such as Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz have said the cryptocurrency should be outlawed.

Schmidt said he did not favour making crytocurrencies illegal but that potential investors must have detailed information on the risks of investments in bitcoin.

German financial watchdog BaFin president, Felix Hufeld, said that regulators must "stay on the ball" when it comes to cryptocurrencies but that they still had much to learn on the subject.

"We are all working on understanding the topic and building our know-how," he told the German daily Bild.

(Reporting by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
SHANGHAI, Dec 23 (Reuters) - China will roll out housing market policies next year aimed at helping first-time homebuyers and those wanting to improve their living conditions while also curbing speculation, state media reported on Saturday, citing a government official.

Wang Menghui, head of China's housing ministry, made those comments at a housing conference on Saturday, the official Xinhua news agency said.

He said destocking would continue in smaller third- and fourth-tier Chinese cities where inventories remain high.

The government would also look to accelerate the development of a rental market in large and medium-sized cities as well and set up state-owned leasing companies.

"(We must) resolutely adhere to our regulatory goals and not relax," he was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

China's housing market boom has lasted more than two years, giving the economy a major boost but stirring fears of a property bubble, with the government taking stern measures to curtail speculative buying.

Growth in China's new home prices sustained its momentum in November, with increases seen in provincial centres and smaller cities. (Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Sam Holmes)
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Locals showed out in force today, December 22nd, 2017 to help give the extraordinary gift of life for the holidays.

The North Platte Jaycees teamed up with the American Red Cross to host the sixth annual Mistletoe Magic Blood Drive.

According to the Red Cross, every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood. This year's event collected 55 pints of it.

"It brings the community together at holiday time when people aren't thinking about giving blood and it just reminds them that during the holiday season we need to think about these things as well," says Lindsey Young, a volunteers with the Jaycees.

The red cross says even though they were seven short on their goal of 62 pints, its still a great amount to send them into the holidays.
Card from the 1930s



By Robert Neff



Christmas has a relatively short history in Korea. The handful of Westerners residing in Korea in the mid-1880s described their celebrations as rather humble affairs and, considering the unrest in the country and the prevalence of disease, many of their accounts are rather dark.



In a letter home, George Clayton Foulk (the American representative in Seoul) wrote: "In the winter it is clear and bracing, and the moonlight on the low tiled and thatched houses makes a pretty silvery sight, and in the still moonlight night all around me are [Koreans] hammering on drums, ringing bells to drive out the devils of small-pox and the host of other sicknesses they have, and other curious sounds too, which you don't have at home."



It wasn't until the 1890s that Christmas became a real social event in the Western community due to the larger numbers of missionaries with their families. Many of the familiar traditions from Europe and North America were carried on including Santa Claus and Christmas trees.



The children dutifully wrote letters to Santa Claus in which they extolled their good behavior (and naturally glossed over their naughtiness) in an attempt to convince the jolly old soul that they were deserving of a gift. Without exception they succeeded.





The frozen Han River in 1883-84







Such was the case of Maurice, the eight-year-old son of Horace Allen (the Secretary of the American Legation in Seoul), who, in 1894, found a pair of ice skates under his Christmas tree after a letter had been written to Santa Claus. His exuberant belief amused the adults, including the American Minister to Seoul who wrote: "It hardly seems possible that a boy his age should really believe such a thing, but he appeared most innocent."



Young Maurice's conviction of the veracity of Santa was strengthened three years later when Santa suddenly appeared at the American Legation's Christmas party and presented him and the other children with gifts. It was a memorable event but perhaps paled in comparison to Santa's visit in Wonsan the year before.



Santa was, undoubtedly, a very busy man and so he sometimes needed help. In 1896, Mr. L. Ahrendts, a member of the Korean Customs Department at Wonsan, assisted Santa by assuming his dress and role. It was an unforgettable act and was described in the English-language newspaper The Independent:



"He was robed in scarlet mounted with beautiful snow cotton  a veritable "old Santa," as he came bound down from the snowy North. He had not finished his stories to the children, when by an accidental twitch of the hand the cotton took fire, and in a moment he was infolded in a mass of flames. Mr. Ahrendts' presence of mind enabled him to free himself very quickly of the burning robe, thus came off with nothing more serious than a severely burned hand. It was a moment of intense excitement. And after all was over, the frightened children scarcely knew what to make out of Old Santa,' that he should take his departure in a burning flame like that."





Winter fishing scene 1894-1896 Pyongyang
By Oh Young-jin





Two photojournalists who belonged to President Moon Jae-in's press pool were assaulted by a group of Chinese security guards during Moon's recent state visit to China.



The orbital fracture, severe bruising and other injuries they suffered perhaps illustrate the sorry state the nation's media is in now  raising questions about whether they can continue to play the role of watchdog against power.



Why?



What happened after the assault is poignant.



The two injured reporters drew little sympathy as public opinion was unevenly split.



The more boisterous responded: "They deserved it."



This unsympathetic sentiment also signifies the low public esteem for the fourth estate.



But there is more to the story than meets the eye.



The Moon government is apparently using the media crisis of trust to its advantage to further defang reporting.



Moon has done a lot of exclusive interviews with foreign media outlets. This week it was NBC  the U.S. broadcaster of the PyeongChang Winter Games  during his Olympic promotion tour.



Moon had an interview with state-run CCTV on his Chinese visit and granted one to CBS before his U.S. visit in June. CNN had one and Channel NewsAsia based in Singapore had one as well.



One foreign journalist who interviewed Moon speculated that the President likes to use the foreign media as a platform to get wider domestic coverage from Korean media. "If he speaks to one Korean media outlet, no other Korean media will report it," she said in reference to the bitter rivalry among newspapers and broadcasters.



But that explanation can only partially explain the jigsaw puzzle about Moon's ambivalence to local media.



The late President Kim Dae-jung, also known by his initials, DJ, who won the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize for inter-Korean reconciliation efforts, gave a cash reward to his aides for getting a favorable article in one of the conservative papers. His press secretary called conservative papers "a hungry pack of wolves."



The late President Roh Moon-hyun, DJ's liberal successor and President Moon's mentor, told his aides that the first thing he did in the morning was to throw into the trash a bundle of conservative newspapers delivered to him, a comment showing how vulnerable he was to the media's daily onslaught.



Another hint comes from Moon's appointment as press secretary  Yoon Young-chan, a former newspaperman but an executive of Naver, the nation's omnipotent channel of news. Previously, people with traditional journalistic backgrounds in newspapers and broadcasting would have got Yoon's job.



Naver receives news through contracts from virtually all sources, serving as the biggest and monopolizing news platform that no single outlet can compete with. The fees given to the news providers account for crumbs from Naver's huge profits that no member of the media industry can afford to lose as their bottom lines are relentlessly assailed by the paper-to-digital change of the medium.



In the Naver cyber world, news is only news, regardless of its source, producing a kind of equality in news to the cost of traditional news brands.



That weakened status enables Moon to try confidently to communicate with the public directly. He has professed his preference for direct democracy by skipping the middlemen and talking directly to the people. This tendency has come from his participation in the "candlelight revolution," leading to the ouster of Park Geun-hye, who was impeached, removed from office and is on trial.



Moon owed his election to the nonviolent popular protests against the incompetent and corrupt conservative former president. His government has set up and utilized many direct points of contact with the people, to a point incomparable with previous governments. They include direct petitions to the president, which have been used on key issues such as abortion.



Moon used a public panel to deliberate his decision to stop the construction of nuclear power plants rather than leaving it to the haphazard discretion of the media. The panel didn't back Moon's bid but still the whole process reduced erstwhile players such as the media and critical experts to the role of bystanders.



In a way, Moon's tactic appears more sophisticated and more effective than U.S. President Donald Trump's rough and tumble fight against the media, which comes down to calling them "fake news" producers and a public enemy. It has also exasperated the U.S. media, leading it to organize and stage a spirited counterattack.



Now what does all this make the Korean media look (sound) like?



Many newspapers are still vicious in their opposition to Moon and his progressive national agenda. But far fewer people pay attention to their criticism. Industrial restructuring has taken its toll. The multiplying of online outlets is pushing competition to unbearable levels. In other words, the whole industry is fighting for its survival.



So not by choice, but by the force of reality, the media has become meek.



But it would be a Cassandrian prophecy to say that the weak media serves nobody's interest but a dictator, and that during Moon's term the people may regret the poodle media and miss the days of the pit bull watchdog.



Oh Young-jin ( foolsdie5@ktimes.com, foolsdie@gmail.com ) is the managing editor of The Korea Times Digital Newsroom.


Airport authorities launch a federal investigation, after a high power laser was pointed into the cockpit of an aircraft approaching the Juneau International Airport earlier this week.

According to

, aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a federal offense. In an information release, the City and Borough of Juneau calls the act a "major safety violation."

Juneau International Airport's manager, Patty Wahto, wants the public to understand the danger in this.

"Never point a laser at an aircraft," Wahto said. "You can blind a pilot and endanger everyone's life in the aircraft."

She added that the laser was shined by a person, and not a laser Christmas lights show.

If a person is found guilty doing this, the law states they could face fines or imprisonment. As far as the investigation goes, at least the Federal Aviation Administration is involved.
PRESS RELEASE

Manhattan District Court Throws Out Emolument Suit Against Trump

Dec. 22, 2017 (EIRNS)Judge George B. Daniels of United States District Court in Manhattan ruled that the plaintiffs trying to convict President Donald Trump of breaching the emoluments clause in the Constitution, which outlaws officials receiving gifts (bribes) from foreigners, "had failed to show that they had suffered as a result of specific actions by Mr. Trump intended to drum up business for his enterprises," as reported in the New York Times today.

"It is only natural that interest in his properties has generally increased since he became President," the judge said.

"Moreover, customers might be patronizing Mr. Trumps hotels and his hotels restaurants because of price or quality reasons totally unrelated to his Presidency."

He said it was up to Congress, not the courts, to extend the emoluments clauses of the Constitution to patronizing businesses of elected officials rather than simply bribes to the officials.
PRESS RELEASE

New UN Resolution Aims To Freeze North Korean Civilians

Dec. 22, 2017 (EIRNS)The United States successfully passed yet another set of sanctions on North Korea today, by a unanimous vote at the UN Security Council. The resolution bans 90% of refined petroleum product exports into North Korea, capping them at 500,000 barrels a year. It also caps crude oil supplies at 4 million barrels a year, and demands that all North Korean overseas workers be sent home within 24 months.

Even Michael Kirby, the Brit who issued a wildly exaggerated UN human rights report in 2014 comparing North Korea to Nazi Germany and threatening Kim Jong-un with a trial at The Hague, admitted that "Cutting off oil, petroleum supplies would obviously have a very big impact on the ordinary population." Many citizens would not be able to heat their homes, other reports say.

The United States is also trying to blacklist ten ships for transporting banned items from North Korea. Russia and China asked for more time to review it, Reuters reports from diplomatic sources.
I know there are some people done with their holiday shopping; I am not one of them. If you, like me, still have some gifts to get, this newsletter may be able to help you. (Your friends and family like books, right?) Im L.A. Times books editor Carolyn Kellogg with this weeks newsletter.

YOUR SHOPPING GUIDE

Ive shared this before, but if youre looking for just the right book for someone, we have got you covered. Here are our best nonfiction books of 2017; the best fiction of the year; recommended books for little kids, middle-graders and teens; delightful audiobooks; fun books for stuffing in stockings; and gorgeous coffee table books.

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A LITERARY ROAD TRIP

In Connecticut, there are three writers houses that you can visit in a single day: Mark Twains, Harriet Beecher Stowes and Noah Websters. Each has a different vibe and tackles, in a different way, the question of how we intersect with literary history  but I have a family connection to only one of them. Join me on my literary road trip.

BOOK REVIEWS

The big nonfiction review this week is American Wolf: The True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West, by Nate Blakeslee, about what happened after wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone, and a star wolf, 0-six.

The ecosystem reshaped by wolves is arguably a more real West than that of the lazy-elk days before reintroduction, writes reviewer Willy Blackmore. But both nostalgia and politics influence what you see to be as a more authentic and ideal vision of the northern Rockies  and Americas wild spaces on the whole.

And in fiction this week, Dustin Illingworth reviews Sam Shepards posthumous novel, Spy of the First Person: Occupying a kind of permanent West, his spare and often surreal portraits dismantled the bankrupt mythologies propping up the American dream. In Shepards work, what is most wanted  family, home, identity  is most unmoored, prone to drift and distortion. Spy of the First Person, is an eloquent, if necessarily brief, valediction.

BESTSELLERS

Two books notably popped back up onto our bestseller lists this week, undoubtedly because they make great gifts. The first is Lincoln in the Bardo, the 2017 novel by George Saunders; the second is the 2016 book Atlas Obscura: An Explorers Guide to the Worlds Hidden Wonders, a celebratory catalog of 700 eclectic places that provides both armchair travel and a long list of destinations.

At the top of our lists, the No. 1 L.A. Times bestseller in fiction is the science fiction novel Artemis by Andy Weir for the third week in a row.

The No. 1 L.A. Times bestseller in nonfiction is Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson. The book is now in its eighth week on our list.

See all the books on our bestseller lists here.

BOOK NEWS

Clifford Irving died Tuesday at age 87. Irving perpetrated one of the greatest literary hoaxes of the last century, writing a (fabricated) autobiography of Howard Hughes  counting on the fact that Hughes was too much of a recluse by the early 1970s to challenge his tale. Irvings ability to delight in the entire process made it seem like a great yarn. It became an adventure, he told The Times in 2007.

Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who was born in the Philippines, will publish a book, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen with Dey Street. Vargas disclosed his immigration status in 2011 and has chronicled immigration issues in print and film.

Jose Antonio Vargas (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times )

carolyn.kellogg@latimes.com

@paperhaus
QUESTION: I am dissatisfied with the performance of our board of directors and am considering running for a spot myself, but Id like to know what I am getting myself into. I talked to one of the board members about his duties, and he told me that they are clearly laid out in Civil Code section 5500.

The code section says that the board on a quarterly basis must complete several tasks, including reviewing the associations bank statements, reconciling the operating and reserve accounts, and comparing the years reserve revenues and expenses to the budgeted amounts.

He said that is their only statutory duties, but that doesnt ring true to me. I am especially concerned about any personal liability I may be taking on in becoming a director.

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ANSWER: It is true that section 5500 outlines the duties of the board, but the boards statutory responsibilities dont end there. Theres more, starting with Title 10, California Code of Regulations section 2792.21(a). Aside from holding elections and ensuring common areas are maintained, it enumerates other board duties, including:

Enforcing provisions of the covenants, conditions and restrictions, articles and bylaws. Paying common area taxes and assessments. Contracting for goods and services for the common areas and facilities. Purchasing casualty, liability and other insurance on behalf of the association. Formulating rules of operation of the common areas and facilities. Initiating and executing disciplinary proceedings against association members for governing document violations.

Board responsibilities also are not limited to statutory duties. As fiduciaries, members have a general and overarching duty to act in the best interests of the association  even if this means acting at the expense of their own interests.

Courts recognize this is a burden and refrain from reviewing a directors impartial decisions or second-guessing actions that were performed in good faith, even if those decisions or actions were ultimately wrong.

This is called the business judgment rule, and is codified by Corporations Code section 7231. It says that as long as directors perform duties in good faith using the same level of care as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position under similar circumstances they shall have no liability for their decisions.

However, the rule does not immunize a director from liability and deference when acting negligently. In Palm Springs Villas II Homeowners Assn. vs. Erna Parth, the state Court of Appeals last year decided that the board president failed to understand the scope of her authority and made no effort to ascertain what authority she did possess. They said the business judgment rule would not extend to such willful ignorance and did not bar a claim for breach of fiduciary duty.

Another case, Huntington Continental Town House Assn. vs. Joseph Miner, directors foreclosed on a titleholders unit due to a delinquent assessment lien of $6,418. Even though the owner kept tendering payments, his checks were returned because association attorneys claimed they were unable to accept partial payments. The court said in a 2014 ruling that the homeowners association must accept an owners partial payment and apply it as prescribed by statute.

In Wittenberg vs. Beachwalk Homeowners Assn., the boards policy did not permit homeowners to publish advocacy pieces in the associations newsletter, website or bulletin board despite a legal obligation to ensure access to common-area forums during an election. The 2013 court case cost the HOA hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

In the latter two cases, board directors were not held personally liable, but the judgments certainly drove home that directors are in for a shock if they only follow the civil code in carrying out their duties.

Zachary Levine, a partner at Wolk & Levine, a business and intellectual property law firm, co-wrote this column. Vanitzian is an arbitrator and mediator. Send questions to Donie Vanitzian, JD, P.O. Box 10490, Marina del Rey, CA 90295 ornoexit@mindspring.com
When small-time investors entrusted their money to Sherman Oaks firm Woodbridge, they were told the funds would be used to make profitable high-interest real-estate loans.

But the Securities and Exchange Commission said thats not what happened to the vast majority of the $1.22 billion invested in the Woodbridge Group of Cos. over the past five years.

Instead, in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Florida this week, the agency said Woodbridge and its L.A. owner, Robert H. Shapiro, used investors money to fund their own real estate projects  including buying and renovating celebrity properties in L.A. and building luxury homes in Aspen and other Colorado resort towns.

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And it alleged that most of the promised payments to investors were in fact funded by infusions of cash from new investors. Thats the very definition of a Ponzi scheme.

The SEC said in a court filing this week that Woodbridge used $368 million in money from new investors to pay principal and interest owed to previous investors.

Whats more, the agency alleges that Shapiro  not to be confused with L.A. celebrity attorney Robert L. Shapiro  personally misappropriated $21 million, using it to buy luxury goods, charter private planes and pay alimony.

Woodbridges business model was a sham, the agency said in its lawsuit, which alleges numerous violations of securities laws. Shapiro and Woodbridge continued its ruse for the past several years by supporting its business operations nearly entirely by raising and using new investor funds, in classic Ponzi scheme fashion.

The company also has been the subject of investigations by regulators in several states for selling unregistered securities. Some states, including Massachusetts and Michigan, ordered the firm to stop selling the securities.

An attorney for Shapiro did not return calls for comment but told the Wall Street Journal that Shapiro denies any allegation of wrongdoing and looks forward to his opportunity to defend himself in a court of law. Adam Schwartz, an attorney for Woodbridge, declined to comment.

Woodbridge, a web of real estate finance and development companies, filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, more than a year after the SEC opened an investigation into its practices. Named defendants in the SEC lawsuit include Shapiro, his trust, Woodbridge, seven Woodbridge-affiliated investment funds and more than 200 limited liability companies, many of which were set up to hold individual properties.

A document filed by Woodbridge in bankruptcy court says the company, through those LLCs, owns 138 properties ranging in value from $50,000 to $150 million. A Woodbridge representative said about 50 of those properties are in the Los Angeles area, and most of the rest are in Colorado.

One property known to be among Woodbridges holding is the historic Owlwood estate in Holmby Hills, a former home of actor Tony Curtis and singing duo Sonny and Cher. Woodbridge acquired it for $90 million last year and listed earlier this year at twice that.

Another property in the portfolio, according to a source familiar with Woodbridges holdings, is the home at 1 Electra Court in Hollywood Hills West. Film producer Megan Ellison, daughter of software billionaire Larry Ellison, bought the home and adjacent land for $30 million in 2013 and sold it to Woodbridge this year reportedly for more than $35 million.

Other L.A. properties are mostly homes in exclusive neighborhoods including the Bird Streets, Hollywood Hills, Holmby Hills and Bel-Air, the Woodbridge representative said. The Colorado properties are mostly undeveloped parcels in resort towns including Aspen and Snowmass Village.

The properties in both states are in various stages of development or renovation, and worth between $650 million and $750 million in their current state, according to the filing. Thats far short of the $961 million the SEC says is owed to Woodbridge investors.

The SEC also alleges that Woodbridge owns and channeled funds to several other companies it owns, including L.A. luxury real estate brokerage Mercer Vine. Those companies are not named as participants in the scheme or accused of wrongdoing but could be forced to disgorge funds traced back to any illegal activity.

The SEC alleges Woodbridge raised money from some 8,400 investors, many of them retirees, starting in July 2012. Now based in Sherman Oaks, the company maintains an office and was previously headquartered in the retiree haven of Boca Raton, Fla., according to the SEC, which noted many of the companys investors are seniors.

Woodbridge maintained its own sales representatives and a network of outside sales agents, which the SEC alleged employed aggressive cold calling campaigns, social media, websites, seminars and in-person presentations to pitch investors. The company paid $64.5 million in sales commissions, mostly to sales agents not licensed to sell securities, according to the SEC suit.

Woodbridge, according to the SEC, told investors it would use their money to make so-called hard money loans  a type of expensive, short-term loan thats secured by property and is often used by house flippers and other property developers. Instead, the SEC alleges nearly all of the funds went directly into Shapiro and Woodbridges own projects.

Despite raising more than $1 billion dating back to 2012, Woodbridge collected only $13.7 million in interest from outside borrowers, according to the SEC.

Meanwhile, the SEC alleges that Shapiros real estate development business  the true recipient of investors funds  was not making much money, and that any profits were woefully inadequate to satisfy its ever-increasing obligations to investors.

Along with suing Woodbridge and Shapiro for violations of securities law, the SEC this week also asked a federal judge to appoint a receiver in the Woodbridge bankruptcy case, arguing that without a receiver the bankruptcy proceedings may benefit Shapiro to the detriment of investors.

The agency notes that the company is set to pay Shapiro a consulting fee of $175,000 per month during the bankruptcy process. Woodbridge is fighting that move, saying a court-appointed receiver is not needed.

james.koren@latimes.com

Follow me: @jrkoren
A growing number of airlines have announced restrictions on luggage with built-in batteries because of a potential fire hazard they may create in the cargo area of a plane.

Two of the worlds largest airlines, American and Delta, announced this month that bags with built-in batteries that cannot be removed will not be allowed as checked luggage starting Jan. 15. Since then, United, Southwest, Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines have announced similar restrictions.

The move comes amid growing worry that lithium batteries can ignite a fire in the cargo hold of a plane.

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The Federal Aviation Administration has imposed restrictions on spare lithium batteries carried in the cargo area but has left it up to airlines to impose restrictions on larger batteries inside of electronic equipment, such as smart bags.

Smart bags have become increasingly popular with tech-loving travelers because the bags come with built-in devices that can weigh the bag, track its location using GPS and lock it remotely using a smartphone app. Some bags even include wheels and a motor so that travelers can ride the luggage like a scooter.

In response to the airline announcements, some smart-bag manufacturers are scrambling to assure potential customers that the batteries in their bags are safe.

Tim Ryan, chief marketing officer at Chicago-based smart-bag maker Modobag, told the Chicago Tribune that the batteries in his luggage are removable, but said his company may consider making batteries easier to remove in an upcoming line.

Another smart-bag maker, Bluesmart, said on its website that its batteries cannot be removed but still meet federal safety standards. Bluesmart said it plans to meet with airline representatives to try to get Bluesmart bags exempt from the restrictions.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

Twitter: @hugomartin
As the Thomas fire raged in the hills above Oxnard, shops were empty and streets were silent. Smoke shrouded the seaside town, making it dangerous to breathe without respirators, according to public health officials.

But in the vast strawberry fields outside town, work continued as usual.

Many farmworkers didnt have face masks until days after public health officials declared the air hazardous, according to labor right groups, which distributed more than 2,000 respirators.

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Their move was welcomed by workers in the berry fields, but angered the growers, according to Lucas Zucker, a labor activist who said he was kicked off a farm Dec. 7 while trying to deliver face masks.

Weve had some hostile interactions with farm owners, said Zucker, who volunteers with the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy, a labor rights group for farmworkers. They tell us theyve given face masks to the workers and that [the workers] choose not to wear it.

Despite stricter labor laws and technological advances over the years, the flare-up during the Thomas fire shows how Californias longest-simmering labor conflict has never cooled.

Agriculture and labor strife are both deeply tied to Oxnards history.

The region flourished in part thanks to farmworkers, many of them immigrants from Mexico, who grew lima beans and barley. In 1903, the year the city of Oxnard was incorporated, Japanese and Mexican sugar beet workers declared a strike against bank owners and merchants who had slashed wages by 50%. After a near-shutdown of Oxnards agricultural industry and weeks of protests  including one in which a Mexican worker was shot to death  wages increased.

Agriculture remains a major industry in Oxnard. There are about 36,000 farmworkers in Ventura County, many of whom work on Oxnards strawberry fields  a $2.3-billion industry in California.

Because of the unpredictability of the winds, the Thomas fire put farm owners and companies in a precarious situation: risk the harvest by closing down until it was safe to resume, or continue operating under difficult conditions, said John Krist, chief executive with the Farm Bureau of Ventura County, an organization that advocates for growers.

Growers cant go three or four days without harvesting strawberries or they risk losing the crop, Krist said.

You dont want to see fruit lost, but you also fear compromising the safety of the workers or the product itself if ash fell on it.

The Thomas looms over a farm near Carpinteria on Dec. 10. (David McNew / Getty Images )

During wildfires, California law requires employers to protect workers from inhaling air that could result in injury, illness, disease or loss of life. If workers will be exposed to dangerous air, employers must provide protective gear.

In the early days of the fire, which is approaching its third week, municipalities and agricultural groups including the California Strawberry Commission and the Farm Bureau of Ventura County advised growers of the risk posed by poor air quality and urged them to distribute face masks or halt operations.

The states Division of Occupational Safety and Health  better known as Cal/OSHA  informed growers of their responsibility to provide respirators or shut down. The agency has been following up on reports of violations during the Thomas fire, spokeswoman Erika Monterroza said.

Some berry farm owners closed in the first and second weeks of the fire.

Reiter Affiliated Companies, which grows Driscolls berries, sent home more than 1,000 farmworkers this week and growers monitored air quality on an hourly basis to assess whether conditions remained unsafe, spokesman Robert Chevez said.

Since the onset of the fire, the safety of our workforce has and will continue to be our top priority. When conditions improved, each farm had discretion over whether to resume operations or not, Chevez said.

Others stayed open.

Doing so meant pay for farmworkers, who are compensated only for the hours they spend on the fields. But some farms that remained open failed to distribute masks, according to labor activists and one farmworker who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he feared he would be fired.

The worker, who picks strawberries in Oxnard, said his employer did not provide a respirator during the first four days of the Thomas fire, leaving him with a burning sensation in his eyes and nose.

One of my friends started to get a nosebleed, he said. They want us to continue working so that the strawberries arent ruined by the dust and ash.

Rob Roy, president of the Ventura Agricultural Assn., an organization that provides legal information to about 200 farm owners in Ventura County, said most farms follow the law. The reason, he said, is simple economics.

Workers are valuable assets to companies, so farm owners wouldnt want to put people into harms way, he said.

He blamed labor groups, saying they were exploiting the situation for their own gain.

These advocacy groups are going out to private property and explaining to farm owners how to do their job, Roy said. No one would like some third party explaining how to do their job.

Zucker and other activists dont dispute that they cross onto private property.

On the fifth day of the fire, Zucker and fellow labor activist Raul Lopez approached a group of workers taking their lunch break on a strawberry farm near Harbor Boulevard to hand out masks.

A supervisor cut them off before they reached the workers.

We are not trying to force anybody to do anything, Lopez said in Spanish, putting the box into the supervisors hands. We are just trying to make sure the the workers know that they are available if they want one.

As Lopez turned to walk away, a farmworker shouted: So you left them, right?

Yes, I did, Lopez said.

Such a standoff doesnt surprise Frank Barajas, a history professor at Cal State Channel Islands who has studied farm labor in the region.

A tradition of resistance and organization in the farm working community  sparked in party by the 1903 strike  got passed down, he said.

The dispute about respirators, Barajas said, can be seen as the latest chapter in a fight that, after decades of protest, has granted farmworkers in the state the right to unionize and guarantees of paid overtime.

melissa.etehad@latimes.com

Twitter: @melissaetehad
Its the most wonderful time of the week  when the Essential Arts newsletter hits your inbox! Im Carolina A. Miranda, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, and I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone for reading throughout the year  and thank you to the writers, performers, painters, designers and dancers who help keep our jobs so interesting. May your holiday be filled with sugar and gluten and artisanal cheese!

Here we wrap up some of the weeks (and the years) top arts stories to keep you entertained through airport delays:

Los Angeles painter Ed Ruscha teamed up with the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno to organize an exhibition that looks at the idea of west that includes the U.S. West, Alaska, Patagonia and Australia. Were in a very tectonically active region, its a very mountainous and arid region, and it all has to do with the Earth and the plates, the museums curatorial director, JoAnne Northrup, tells The Times Deborah Vankin. But it also has to do with culture. Cant make it to Reno? The show, thankfully, will land at the Palm Springs Art Museum in the fall. Los Angeles Times

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The curators of the eye-opening Axis Mundo: Queer Networks in Chicano L.A. have unearthed paintings, drawings and rare samples of mail art from personal archives and storage spaces  in the process revealing circles of influence that extended from Chicano cultural hot spots such as East Los Angeles to Andy Warhols Factory in New York. In the face of institutional neglect, they created their own forms, curator C. Ondine Chavoya tells me. The two-part show is on view through Dec. 31 at MOCA Pacific Design Center and the West Hollywood gallery of the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives. Do not miss! Los Angeles Times

Sort of related: Writer and critic Carribean Fragoza explores the importance of queer and digital social spaces in the Chicano community. Terremoto

And Times contributor Scarlet Cheng looks at the PST: LA/LA exhibitions that examine the connections forged by Asians in Latin America. This includes a two-part show on the Chinese diaspora in the Caribbean (on view at the California African American Museum and the Chinese American Museum) and another that brings together the work of Japanese artists throughout the Americas (at the Japanese American National Museum). Los Angeles Times

Sculptor Kenzi Shiokava is one of the artists featured in Transpacific Borderlands at the Japanese American National Museum. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times )

Times art and culture editor Craig Nakano paid a visit to the Caravaggio exhibition at the Getty Museum and had a close look at the painters 1593-94 canvas titled Boy With Basket of Fruit. The work emerges from an early, particularly bohemian phase of Caravaggios life, he reports. And it fuses two styles of painting that werent always mixed at the time: still life and portraiture. Los Angeles Times

The new college architecture, it turns out, is, like, totally old. Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne reports on the trend toward Gothic Revival design at universities such as USC and Yale. Expensive dormitories, in particular, have begun to exhibit an incurious (and in its worst form an infantilizing) nostalgia, he writes. The new campus architecture is meant to be familiar and comforting above all. Whats inspiring all of this? Harry Potter, it would appear. Los Angeles Times

Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas recently led a sumptuous performance of Bruckners Seventh Symphony at Walt Disney Concert Hall. (The German composer had a heavy influence on Hollywood film soundtracks.) It was, from the top of the ensemble to the bottom, magnificent, writes Times classical music critic Mark Swed. Los Angeles Times

Plus, Swed marked Beethovens 247th birthday by attending a concert of sonatas performed by Antonio Lysy on cello and Tom Beghin on the fortepiano at the Broad Stage. Unfortunately, the show had issues with sound. Fortepianos, it turns out, werent designed to be played in large halls. Los Angeles Times

Cellist Antonio Lysy, left, and Tom Beghin playing on copy of a 1780 fortepiano. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times )

Swed also looks at the difficult sexual harassment allegations leveled against James Levine, the musical director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York  how rumors of his behavior have long existed and what they might mean for a man widely regarded as a musical genius. Los Angeles Times

James Levine conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Boston in 2005. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times )

In related news: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conductor Charles Dutoit is out after being accused of sexual assault by six women. The Guardian

Times art critic Christopher Knight and I have been swapping emails about some of the pieces of writing that moved us this year.

Ive re-read Coco Fuscos essay on the Dana Schutz controversy at the Whitney Museum on numerous occasions and it just seems to get better with each read. Beautifully composed, well-reported and drawing from history, its the anti-hot take we need on the difficult subject of art, race and censorship. Hyperallergic

Knight, in the meantime, really enjoyed Julian Bells critiques of two exhibitions of paintings by Camille Pissarro. So much art writing now is focused on the image, partly because that is what is most clearly transmitted through the digital ether, writes Knight. But Bell, no doubt because hes also a painter, never abandons sharp consideration of the painted image as an analog thing, assembled from material stuff, which is what actually carries it. Maybe thats also why the surprising opening graphs of his wonderful piece on Pissarro, Cezannes less-revered pal, consider why shadows are not merely an absence of light. New York Review of Books

And because I write this darn newsletter, Im going to give myself the last word and add one more piece to the list: curator Paul Chaat Smiths consideration of American Indian identity, delivered as a speech at the Walker Art Center. He addresses the years controversies  in particular, questions over artist Jimmie Durhams roots  in ways that are both lyrical and profound. Walker Reader

Sort of related: Virginia Woolfs writings have been popping up online in the New Republics archives. New Republic (h/t Joanne McNeil)

 The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a $30-million renovation designed by Rios Clementi Hale Studios of the outdoor plaza at the Music Center. The plan includes new restaurants and escalators from the street. Los Angeles Times

 In the wake of the death of its founder, Printed Matter has cancelled the 2018 edition of the LA Art Book Fair. Artforum

 Critic Jerry Saltz on why Balthus painting of a prepubescent girl sunbathing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art should not be removed. Vulture

 L.A.-based painter and MacArthur grant winner Njideka Akunyili Crosby will be wrapping MOCAs Grand Avenue facade with a massive, block-long work. Los Angeles Times

 An atrium designed by Modernist landscape architect Lawrence Halprin at the Wells Fargo Center in downtown Los Angeles is undergoing a surprise renovation  compromising the only atrium project by the designer (who is the subject of an exhibition at the A+D Architecture and Design Museum). Architects Newspaper

 The grind of dancing The Nutcracker. Washington Post

 What jazz composer and musician Vijay Iyer is reading, listening to and looking at. Pacific Standard

 Tickets for the Broad museums next special exhibition, Jasper Johns: Something Resembling Truth, will go on sale at noon on Jan. 1. Los Angeles Times

 The home that architect Paul R. Williams designed for himself in Lafayette Square is for sale. Curbed

 A list of the years best films about design and architecture. KCRW DnA

 Plus, critics Mark Lamster and Alexandra Lange round up the good and the bad of design in 2017. Curbed

 A look at the years political street art. Flaming Pablum

 And because its the holidays: photos of men who believe they are Christs second coming. Hyperallergic

A stirring analysis of Bob Dylans Christmas light display on his home in Malibu. Vice

Sign up for our weekly Essential Arts & Culture newsletter 

carolina.miranda@latimes.com

@cmonstah
Bryan Buckley explains the ending to his film The Pirates of Somalia Director Bryan Buckley explains the ending of The Pirates of Somalia. He says one of the films goals was to educate and show the importance of celebrating Somalias differences.desc. here
In the electrifying Mollys Game, Jessica Chastain almost never raises her voice. She speaks with a calm and clarity that pulls you in, conveying intimacy and authority in the same breath. Its a shrewd tactic that underscores the cool, guarded temperament of her real-life alter ego, Molly Bloom, a ferociously smart cookie who at 26 found herself running a high-stakes poker empire  a job she landed by safeguarding secrets, instilling trust and avoiding the kind of spotlight that writer-director Aaron Sorkin has now thrown upon her.

Chastains measured delivery may also be due to the fact that she has an ungodly amount of dialogue to plow through  did I mention its an Aaron Sorkin movie?  and an excess of volume would have almost certainly cost her in speed, coherence and stamina. At 140 minutes, this movie qualifies as something of an endurance test, crammed to the rafters with voice-over narration, rapid-fire banter and some gratifyingly cogent poker commentary.

But as endurance tests go, Mollys Game is also an incorrigible, unapologetic blast  a dazzling rise-and-fall biopic that races forward, backward and sideways, propelled by long, windy gusts of grade-A Sorkinese. Drawn from Blooms 2014 memoir as well as episodes and experiences she didnt include, the movie is a big, brash tale of American striving as well as an identity-blurring, chronology-fudging bit of storytelling business. Its held in check, and held together, by its clear-eyed admiration of its protagonist and a genuine sense of commitment to her story.

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This is no small thing for Sorkin, who, in his long and productive career of writing for film and television, from the testosterone-heavy offices of Sports Night to the dizzying techno-prophet narratives of The Social Network, Moneyball and Steve Jobs, has never before given us a proper female lead. But hes found a superb one in Bloom and a formidable, irresistible heroine in Chastain, and hes returned the favor by allowing the character to tell her own story from start to finish.

Mollys Game is an incorrigible, unapologetic blast  a dazzling rise-and-fall biopic...propelled by long, windy gusts of grad-A Sorkinese.

If incessant voice-over is inherently uncinematic, then Mollys Game might be the exception that proves the rule. It may not have the rich visual flourishes that a David Fincher or a Danny Boyle might have brought to the table, but Sorkin, in a solid directing debut, knows instinctively how to shuffle images, dialogue and music together for maximum narrative drive.

A terrific opening sequence finds Molly narrating a painful flashback to her days as a world-class skier, specifically the painful accident that dashed her Olympic dreams. Its a sharp, teasing setup for a tale of even higher stakes and steeper falls from grace, set in motion by an early scene of Molly being arrested by the FBI for her alleged involvement in an illegal gambling racket.

Flash back a few years to around 2003, when Molly puts her law-school plans on hold, leaves her Colorado hometown and moves to Los Angeles. There, she begins working as a cocktail waitress and then an assistant to a Hollywood insider, Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong, nice and sleazy), who soon has Molly running his weekly poker night out of the Cobra Club (a stand-in for the notorious Viper Room), complete with $10,000 buy-ins from a pool of hand-picked, high-profile names.

The details of how she hijacks the operation and gives it a stylish upgrade  a suite at the Four Seasons, multiple games per week, millions of dollars on the table  make Mollys Game the most absorbing poker movie in many a moon, told with breathtaking dexterity and an invaluable assist from a crowded supporting cast. The actors who plant themselves at Mollys table include Michael Cera (a vicious stand-in for Tobey Maguire), Brian dArcy James, Chris ODowd and Bill Camp, the last especially good as a seasoned player who bottoms out spectacularly in one of the movies many cautionary anecdotes.

Even before a few Russian mobsters get in on the action, taking this loaded but legal enterprise in a more sordid direction, Molly has no shortage of greedy, overconfident men to cajole, spar with, counsel and occasionally turn the tables on. But for the most part, she remains on the sidelines, an alluring, unattainable enigma, and Chastain underplays beautifully, with a level of nuance that eclipses even her earlier take-no-prisoners performances in films like Miss Sloane and Zero Dark Thirty.

Chastain draws us so deeply into Mollys lightning-speed thought processes that you can almost see her synapses firing, making Mollys Game not just a biographical portrait but a genuine thriller of the mind. The thrill comes from watching Molly figure everything out: She knows little about poker or high-stakes gambling when shes first getting started, but she has an appetite for research, an ease with technology and a knack for calculating an ideas untapped potential.

If the movie emerges as a celebration of its heroines wits, it is also, ultimately, a defense of her scruples  something it achieves through a deft combination of Social Network structural gimmickry and Steve Jobs sentimental back story. For the movies purposes, the two most important men in Mollys life are her reluctant attorney, Charlie Jaffy (a superb Idris Elba), who both loathes and admires her refusal to sell out her client list for a possible reduced sentence, and her tough, demanding, emotionally distant father (Kevin Costner), who materializes, in key flashbacks, to teach and torment his daughter anew.

The most questionable scene involves the fastidious unpacking of Mollys daddy issues, sending Sorkins penchant for overexplanation into overdrive and potentially chipping away at the movies feminist bona fides. At the risk of mansplaining myself, Im not sure that it does. Molly isnt reduced, simplified or sentimentalized by her reckonings with the past, and the victory she wrests from the closing scenes is nothing if not fully earned. Shes a winner in a movie that proves worthy of her.

------------

Mollys Game

Rating: R, for language, drug content and some violence

Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Playing: In general release

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

 Mollys Game actress Jessica Chastain explains how researching for her role gave her a lot of compassion for women in our society for everything they have to go through just for someone to listen to what they have to say."

 Mollys Game is Aaron Sorkin at his talkiest and The Shape of Water is probably the best thing Guillermo del Toro has done since Pans Labyrinth according to LA Times critic Justin Chang.

 Los Angeles Times critics Kenneth Turan and Justin Chang talk about their picks for the best movies of 2017, including The Shape of Water, Call Me by Your Name, Phantom Thread, The Post and The Florida Project."

justin.chang@latimes.com

@JustinCChang
As if you need an excuse, theres no better time to be indulgent in your wine selections than the holidays. So splurge.

When I say splurge Im referring not to price, at least not completely  although youre still liable to shell out a few bucks. And you could spring for a trophy here and a unicorn there, to impress a boss or a spouse, or to mollify an in-law whose cellar has worn thin. By all means, go for a trophy like The Judge, John Kongsgaards wildly weighty Napa Chardonnay, or David Rameys stylish Cabernet Pedregal, or John Albans exotic Syrah Reva, or Grange, or Colgin, or Marcassin.

The sight of any one of these on a holiday table will make any wine lovers lose their composure. Regardless of how much you decide to spend, make this the year to splurge on flavor, to choose wines that over-deliver in their texture, amplitude, and sensuality; that are generous, even indulgent in their flavor profile.

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Sparkling

Krug Grande Cuvee 164 Eme Edition

To begin, bubbles. Sparkling wine elevates any occasion its poured for, but few hover, levitate, pirouette quite like Champagne, whose elegance and finesse are basically unparalleled in the bubbles genre. Having said this, the range of flavors in Champagne has itself changed dramatically, spurred in part by the emergence of smaller grower producers, which are now imported in the hundreds, joining ranks alongside the grand houses of Champagne. So the styles of Champagne have grown exponentially from bone dry, lemony and racy to wines of incredible depth and opulence. For this latter end of the spectrum here are three exceptional choices: Charles Hiedsiecks toasty, poised 1995 Blanc des Millenaires, Bollingers powerful, resonant 2007 La Grande Annee, and not least, Krugs Grande Cuvee, 164th edition, a multi-vintage wine rooted in the 2008 vintage but with components that go back to 1990; it yields the sort of depth and length that most white wines can only pine for wistfully. About $160, widely available and at www.krug.com.

White

Ovum 2016 Rogue Valley Since I Fell For You Gewurztraminer

Gewurztraminer winemaker John House seeks out old Oregon vineyards that have escaped the attention of better known producers. Often theyre outside of the Willamette Valley, and devoted not to Pinot Noir, but to white varieties, obscure ones at that. The vines for his Gewurztraminer (the name comes from a line in a Nina Simone song) were planted in 1976 in southern Oregon, and have had 40 years to come into themselves, resulting in a wine so balanced and assured, so sensuous and balletic, that was one of the most thrilling white wines I tasted this year. About $30, at Lou Wine Shop in Los Feliz and, in glasses, at Bar Covell in Los Feliz.

Red

Quintarelli Veneto Rosso Ca del Merlo Red Wine

The wines of Giuseppi Quintarelli are, without question, among the most extravagant of all red wines made in Italy. The late Giuseppi Quintarelli established his winery in the Veneto, where he made Valpolicella wines and heady, gaudy Amarones, this latter a wine made with partially dried grapes and unmitigated intemperance. The family makes some of the most luxurious Amarones in the world, and at $350-plus, the most expensive. A great alternative is their single vineyard Rosso Ca del Merlo, a blend made in a ripasso style, wherein the winemaker adds spent grapes from the Amarone to the must, providing a velvety cushion to a wine with natural firmness. The result is a wine with more structure, and more facility at table, than its more extravagant cousin. About $90, at the Wine House in West Los Angeles, Wallys and Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa.

Dessert

Royal Tokaji Wine Company 2009 5 Puttonyos Tokaji Aszu

Lets not forget dessert wines, an indulgence we dont allow ourselves often enough, but which seem like a worthy end to a holiday feast. The best dessert wines amount to lessons in the lost art of balance, where sugar sweetness and restorative acidity are held in such suspension that neither gets the upper hand, just pure, unfettered equipoise. Few wines do this better than the great Hungarian wine Tokaji Aszu. Since the revival of the region several very good brands have entered the market, including Oremus, Samuel Tinon, and Kiralyudvar, but the Royal Tokaji Wine Companys line of Aszus is perhaps the most widely available. You can get a bottle of 5 Puttonyos Aszu for less than $100, a wine whose texture is lean enough for the acid to actually have some play in the mouth, an expanse for all of those flavors  apricot, orange peel, leather, saffron, peach, espresso, burnt caramel and toast, all buoyed by rippling acids for a wine of almost maddening length and lasting flavor. About $70-90, at Mission Wines in South Pasadena, the Wine Country in Signal Hill, and K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood.

food@latimes.com
Winter is no time to get complacent about sun protection, especially in Southern California.

You accumulate more sun exposure than you think over the decades of driving or going to lunch at high noon, when the sun is strongest.

Thats why dermatologists encourage daily use of broad-spectrum sunscreen and why skin-care companies have worked to put sun protection ingredients into products that are easy and even pleasurable to use every day.

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Cosmetically elegant formulas of sunscreen are now available in hand lotion, lip balm, moisturizer, body lotion, foundation, face powder and primer.

The American Academy of Dermatology suggests a minimum SPF of 30, and the use of broad-spectrum formulas that block deeply penetrating, skin-aging UVA rays and burning UVB rays. The academy also reminds us that preventing skin cancer and sunburn outweigh any unproven claims of toxicity or human health hazard from ingredients in sunscreen.

Santa Monica dermatologist Dr. Adriana Schmidt advises patients to make sun protection a daily habit, first with avoidance, then by shade and clothing.

When selecting sunscreen though, the No. 1 rule is to find the products that are convenient to your lifestyle, said Schmidt.

Rule No. 2: slather.

Studies show, in general, that nobody puts enough on. Youre supposed to use 1 ounce per application for your whole body, but everyone seems to still have the same not-empty tube at the end of the summer, she said.

Rule No. 3: reapply.

While it may be tough to redo your makeup when youre dashing out for lunch, at least target the areas most likely to develop skin cancer. That commonly includes the back of the neck, tops of the ears and head for men, and those areas plus the chest, backs of the hands and shins for women, said Dr. Teresa Soriano of the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica. And wear a wide-brimmed hat.

Layering products containing sunscreen wont necessarily double the protection factor, said Soriano, but that may help ensure that you use enough to prevent burns, wrinkles and especially skin cancer.

There are plenty of products to try alone or in combination with another to provide extra defense, including these few:

Hides dark circles too

A bestseller in the Neova skincare line, Neova DNA Damage Control Silc Sheer 2.0 is a lightweight formula that capably covers skin tone imperfections with a veil of tint, even hiding dark circles. With a water-resistant, broad-spectrum SPF 40, the sun protection is durable but translucent, though its rich with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. The makers claim that proprietary enzymes and a trademark delivery system combine to repair visible sun damage. The almost-powdery finish layers well under sheer makeup for additional coverage. $45. neova.com

::

An exact match

Though many multi-tasking sun protection products work like a foundation to even skin tone, it can be hard to find the exact shade to match your complexion. MAC Studio Fix Fluid is lightweight, moderately sheer and oil-controlling and comes in 42 shades, ranging from deep mocha to porcelain, while also providing broad spectrum SPF 15. Starting at $28. maccosmetics.com

::

Makes reapplication easy

By putting a BB-formula foundation into a moistened cushion, the South Korean brand Laneige has won worldwide fans who like the combination of sheer coverage, hydration, color correction and sun protection. The Laneige BB Cushion Hydra Radiance with Broad Spectrum SPF 50 mirrored compact travels well and makes reapplication easy. Use the included foam applicator for light, buildable and dewy coverage that evens skin tone. $38 and up. sephora.com, laneige.com

::

Evens skin tone

An environmental warrior, Murads City Skin Age Defense (SPF 50) is an all-mineral, broad-spectrum sunscreen made to bar pollutants like carbon particles and shield skin from blue light, the high-energy visible light emitted from electronic devices thats thought to accelerate skin aging. The weightless formulas peach tint can even skin tone without leaving a white residue. $65. murad.com

::

Easy, glide-on stick

Made without the potentially irritating oxybenzone, parabens, petroleum or fragrance, Beyond Coastal Active Face Stick, SPF 30, delivers easier coverage of face, nose and ears. The moisturizing base of coconut oil, beeswax and shea butter gets good safety ratings from the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit consumer resource agency. The compact, half-ounce stick stashes easily, so protection for easy-to-burn spots is always handy. $6.99. beyondcoastal.com

::

Masks fine lines

Dermalogica Sheer Tint Sunscreen SPF 20 features broad-spectrum protection. The moisturizing sunscreen from this Los Angeles-based company also provides translucent coverage that diffuses light to mask fine lines. dermalogica.com

::

Convenient brush dispenser

Colorescience Sunforgettable Brush-on Sunscreen (SPF 50) is a loose mineral sunscreen in a convenient brush dispenser that is easy to reapply, even over makeup, and can dust away telltale shine from liquid sunscreens. Just dont inhale while youre powdering. $64. colorescience.com

::

Water resistant too

A convenient pump dispenses a medium-weight, tinted sunscreen free of parabens, fragrance or sulfates. Epionces tinted Daily Shield Lotion (SPF 50) was created by a dermatologist, and the daily-wear formula provides sheer, water-resistant coverage for up to 80 minutes. $38. epionce.com

Health@latimes.com

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We all have unique ways of celebrating this time of year with family and friends. Were asking readers to email us at Home@latimes.com and complete the following sentence: It just wouldnt be the holidays without and include photos. And now were asking you, too, to do the same, and maybe well include your tradition in an upcoming Saturday edition.

Here are just a few of the highlights:

It just wouldnt be the holidays without lighting candles with family and friends from across the country. At 6 p.m. PST on Christmas Eve, we all gather at our respective homes and light candles. My mom started the tradition about 20 years ago as a way to unite our family, which is spread across the country from New York to California. The candle lighting now includes friends and their families as well. It is a wonderful way to unite us all as we think of each other, remember times spent together, and make wishes for the new year. It is a cherished tradition by all.

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Kelly Stubbs, La Crescenta

::

It just wouldnt be the holidays without gnocchi. We go Italian for our Christmas Day dinner, when our entire extended family gathers at my sisters house in La Canada for homemade gnocchi. My sister Julie and our niece Becky make the gnocchi in the afternoon and other members of the family make three different sauces, traditional red sauce with meatballs and sausage, pesto, and Gorgonzola sauces. This provides festive red, green and white pasta dishes the colors of Christmas and the Italian flag. All of us look forward to this annual treat on Christmas Day with three generations of family.

--Cathy Biondi, La Canada-Flintridge

::

It just wouldnt be the holidays without a Chan Clan photo. Prior to the mid-'90s, the family gathered at someones home. As the family grew, we began reserving a December date at a church fellowship hall, where we can take an annual family picture... Following a buffet dinner, we do games (trivia, bingo) and some creative singing. (In 2015, we changed the words and sang along to the 12 Days of Dim Sum.) The patriarch  Sik C. Chan  was an only child who with his wife, Lily, raised two sons and five daughters, from whom came 27 grandchildren and the list goes on and on! We are all truly blessed to be able to carry on the tradition and maintain relationships among the four generations.

--Daisy Chan (married to No. 2 son), Alhambra

::

It just wouldnt be the holidays without our Tamale Day. My best friend, and sister-from-another-mister, Dianne, have been making memories and tamales since 1998. Our plan began as gifts for our families. Along the way, we have perfected our masa and sealed our bond. We select a Saturday in December and spend an entire day mixing, measuring, steaming, splattering, laughing, tasting, sipping, and did I mention laughing?

--The two Dis  Diane Hurst and Dianne Perez, Long Beach

::

On Jan. 1, my boys  Raymond, who is now 12, and his brothers Andre, 14, and Zareh, 18  get to make and eat anything ice cream-related they can create. I buy several flavors of ice cream, cones, waffle cone bowls, sprinkles, whipped cream, syrup, smashed cookies, gummy bears and all sorts of topping possibilities for the first day of the year, and that is their breakfast.

--Armena Andranian, Glendale

rene.lynch@latimes.com
God could have entered the world in any place or family that God chose. God could have become human in a great ruling family in Judea. God could have entered into humanity in a wealthy Galilean family, perhaps as the child of a well-traveled and well-read merchant or scholar. More to the point, God could have chosen to be born into the Roman dynasty, in line to become emperor, to exercise and demonstrate maximum power.

Instead, God chose to enter a family headed by a man with a simple profession, married to a woman who, from outward appearances, was no different than the other poor women in their joke of a town.

Is it any surprise, then, that Jesus felt such intense compassion for the poor and marginalized? That he constantly asked his disciples to care for the poor, the sick, the forgotten, the stranger? He was one of these throwaway people, and he lived among them for 30 years before his public ministry began. Christians tend to see Jesus commands to care for the poor as divine. And they were  Jesus was fully divine. But they also came from his human experience. He was fully human as well. Im always amazed by people who feel they can be Christian without caring for the poor. Not only did Jesus command us to do this, Jesus himself was from this class. When God chose to join us, he joined us in Nazareth, to make sure that we wouldnt forget.

>> Click here to read more
USC names retired aerospace executive Wanda Austin as acting president, announces Nikias departure By Harriet Ryan USC appointed a retired aerospace executive as interim president and laid out a detailed plan for selecting a permanent leader Tuesday, ending speculation about whether outgoing President C.L. Max Nikias might remain in the post. Nikias, embattled over his administrations handling of a campus gynecologist accused of sexually abusing patients, relinquished his duties after a meeting of USCs board. The trustees tapped one of their own, Wanda Austin, an alumna and former president of the Aerospace Corp., to temporarily run the university. The trustees also approved the formation of a search committee and the hiring of firm Isaacson, Miller to coordinate the selection of a successor. A second search company, Heidrick & Struggles, will also advise trustees. Read More Facebook

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Ex-student sues elite Brentwood School after teacher is charged with sexually abusing him By Richard Winton A former student sued the elite Brentwood School on Monday in the wake of a female teacher being charged with repeatedly having sex with the minor, alleging that other faculty members encouraged the unlawful behavior and failed to report it to authorities. The lawsuit accuses the private school, whose students include the children of many of Hollywoods elite and L.A.s powerful, of acting negligently and allowing Aimee Palmitessa to abuse and batter the teenager sexually. The suit alleges that the student was abused in summer 2017 after one of the schools counselors offered words of encouragement to the then-17-year-old, identified in the suit as only John Doe, to engage in an illegal relationship with the teacher. Read More Facebook

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Civil jury vindicates fired Montebello school executives in whistleblower case By Howard Blume The Montebello school district is in dire straits  at risk of insolvency and under apparent criminal investigation. An outside audit in July found some teachers earning more than $200,000 a year, as well as improper raises, excess paid vacation time and inappropriate overtime, sick leave and car allowances. Fixing the district and pinpointing blame could take time. Read More Facebook

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L.A. schools fall short on safety measures, new report warns By Howard Blume After the mass shooting at Floridas Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, Los Angeles school officials reassured parents that much had been done to keep local schools safe. California had tougher gun laws, after all, and the school district paid close attention to students mental health. But a new report issued Monday by a panel convened to take a close look offers some cause for concern, flagging inconsistent campus safety measures, thinly spread mental health staff and inadequate coordination between the school district and other public agencies. With the stakes this high, we must strive to do better, said L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer, who assembled the panel. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school district says more are graduating, but rate may not show it By Howard Blume The L.A. Unified School District has hopes of continuing its winning streak this year with another record graduation rate, but the official numbers may not show it. A senior district administrator warned the board Tuesday that graduation rates were likely to decline 2% to 3% across the state, even though L.A. Unified is likely doing better than ever in producing graduates, he said. The issue is that the state will now count high school students who transfer to adult school as dropouts, said Oscar Lafarga, who heads the districts office of data and accountability. Previously, schools treated these students as though they had simply enrolled in another high school, he said. Read More Facebook

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Betsy DeVos to California: Not so fast on that federal education plan By Joy Resmovits In April, Californias top education officials breathed a sigh of relief. After months of debate and back-and-forth with Betsy DeVos staff, they had finalized a plan to satisfy a major education law that aims to make sure all students get a decent education. The state focused on aligning its plan to fulfill the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act with Californias Local Control Funding Formula, which gives extra money to districts to help students who come from low-income families, are in the foster system or are English learners. But this week, DeVos team said not so fast. Jason Botel, the U.S. Department of Educations principal deputy assistant secretary, sent California education officials a letter asking for more information in such areas as measuring student progress, graduation rates and English learners. In an unsigned statement, the California Department of Education declared itself surprised and disappointed because officials thought  after a meeting with federal officials in Washington  that they were on the right track to get approval. Now the Every Student Succeeds Act plan will be up for discussion once again at the July meeting of the State Board of Education. The U.S. Department of Education has already approved most state plans. Every Student Succeeds is the Obama administrations 2015 replacement for the No Child Left Behind Act. Facebook

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L.A. school board sets a new goal: prepare every grad to be eligible to apply for Cal State or UC By Sonali Kohli Last month, Los Angeles school board president proposed a spate of highly ambitious mandates aimed at ensuring that every district graduate be eligible to apply to one of the states public four-year universities by 2023. By the time the L.A. Unified school board unanimously approved the resolution Tuesday, the original language had been watered down. The goal is no longer that in five years 100% of students meet the long list of benchmarks, which include not just college eligibility for graduates but first-grade reading proficiency and English fluency by sixth grade for all students who enter the district in kindergarten or first grade speaking another language. The original college-readiness goal, for example, called for 100% of all high school students to be eligible to apply to one of the states four-year universities. Now the goal seems to offer more wiggle room: Prepare all high school graduates to be eligible to apply to a California four-year university. Read More Facebook

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We have been hurt. More women say they were mistreated by USC gynecologist By Richard Winton USC student Anika Narayanan says she vividly recalls her first appointment with Dr. George Tyndall at the campus health center, alleging that he made several explicit comments during an examination she felt was inappropriate and invasive. When she came back for a second visit in 2016 after a nonconsensual sexual encounter, he allegedly chastised her, she said in a civil lawsuit and at a press conference Tuesday. He asked me if I had forgotten to use a condom again,  said Narayanan, 21. At one point, she said, Tyndall asked if I did a lot of doggy style,  she said. Read More Facebook

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L.A. Unified gives inspector general brief contract extension By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school board on Tuesday extended the contract of Ken Bramlett, its inspector general, by three months, though his job is far from secure and questions remain about the future direction of his watchdog office. Board members also unanimously promoted Vivian Ekchian, who had been the runner-up for the superintendents job, to deputy superintendent  the districts No. 2 position. Both moves had elements of peacemaking between different factions on the board. Read More Facebook

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USCs handling of complaints about campus gynecologist is being investigated by federal government By Harriet Ryan The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into how the University of Southern California handled misconduct complaints against a campus gynecologist, the latest fallout in a scandal that has prompted the resignation of USCs president, two law enforcement investigations and dozens of lawsuits. In revealing the inquiry by the departments Office of Civil Rights, officials rebuked USC for what they alleged was improper withholding of information about Dr. George Tyndall during a previous federal investigation. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has been criticized for taking a less vigorous approach to examining sexual misconduct than predecessors, called for a systemic examination of USC and urged administrators to fully cooperate. Read More Facebook

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Judge to sentence woman and her boyfriend for the murder of an 8-year-old that led to L.A. child welfare reforms By Marisa Gerber A woman and her boyfriend are expected to be sentenced Thursday for the torture and murder of an 8-year-old boy whose killing in 2013 provoked public outrage, prompted sweeping reform of Los Angeles Countys child welfare system, and led to unprecedented criminal charges against social workers who handled the childs case. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, 34, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for her role in the death of her son, Gabriel. A jury decided last year that her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 37, should be executed. When paramedics arrived at the boys Palmdale home in May 2013, Gabriel had slipped out of consciousness. He had a fractured skull, broken ribs, burned skin, missing teeth and BB pellets embedded in his groin. A paramedic would later testify that every inch of the boys small body had been abused. Read More Facebook

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L.A. Unifieds spending out of step with similar school systems, task force says By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school district is out of step with similar school systems, spending more on teachers pay and health benefits and less on activities that could enhance student learning, according to a new report by an outside task force. The L.A. Unified School District Advisory Task Force did not make specific recommendations, but instead posed a series of questions it said the district needs to answer to make sure its funding is aimed at providing a full opportunity for all students to succeed. What were trying to say is: Lets put the data on the table. Lets look at the truth. Lets be transparent and here are the numbers, said task force member Renata Simril. This is not to say that  we should cut teachers salaries. Read More Facebook

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Top USC medical school official feared dean was doing drugs and alerted administration, he testifies By Paul Pringle A former vice dean of USCs Keck School of Medicine testified Tuesday that he feared the schools then-dean, Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito, could be doing drugs and expressed concerns about his general well-being to the universitys No. 2 administrator before Puliafito abruptly left his job in 2016. Dr. Henri Fords testimony at a hearing of the state Medical Board marks the first suggestion that any USC administrator had suspicions about Puliafitos possible drug use before he stepped down. A Times investigation in 2017 found Puliafito led a secret second life of using illegal drugs with a circle of young criminals and addicts. Puliafito testified about his behavior at the hearing Tuesday, saying he took drugs with one young woman on a weekly basis. Ford said that he decided to alert USC Provost Michael Quick after receiving reports in early 2016 that Puliafito was partying in hotels with people of questionable reputation, and that he came to worry about his mental stability. Read More Facebook

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Why L.A. Unified may face financial crisis even with a giant surplus this year By Jessica Calefati With more than half a billion dollars socked away for next school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District hardly seems just two years from financial ruin. Its a scenario that is especially tough to swallow if youre a low-wage worker seeking a raise or a teacher who wants smaller classes. But budget documents show that todays $548-million surplus cannot be sustained  and that even basic services face steep, seemingly unavoidable cuts because of massive problems barreling the districts way. Theres a disconnect between the rosy short-term picture and what we know is coming, said board member Kelly Gonez. Read More Facebook

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We have failed: Top USC officials try to reassure students amid gynecologist scandal By Joy Resmovits Top administrators at USC are reaching out to students in the wake of misconduct allegations against the universitys longtime gynecologist, acknowledging failings and vowing reforms as they try to address growing outrage over the revelations. Several USC deans have sent out messages trying to reassure students and faculty that the university is committed to changing. We have failed, wrote Jack H. Knott, dean of USCs Sol Price School of Public Policy, in a May 24 letter. What happened is antithetical to everything we know is right. Read More Facebook

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Rick Caruso is named chair of USCs trustees, vows swift investigation of gynecologist scandal By Thomas Curwen The University of Southern Californias board of trustees has elected mall magnate Rick Caruso to be the new chair of the board, giving fresh leadership as the university navigates a widening scandal involving a longtime campus gynecologist. The move marks the latest effort by USC to address the case, which has sparked a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and dozens of civil lawsuits. More than 400 people have contacted a hotline that the university established for patients to make reports about their experience with Dr. George Tyndall. In his first act as chairman, Caruso announced that the white-shoe L.A. law firm OMelveny & Myers would conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the gynecologists conduct and reporting failures at the clinic. He set an ambitious timeline for the review, pledging it would conclude before students return for the fall semester. Read More Facebook

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UC Berkeley students persistence helps win more liberal rules for in-state tuition By Teresa Watanabe Ifechukwu Okeke thought shed be a shoo-in for in-state tuition when she was admitted to UC Berkeley for fall 2016. She had moved to the United States from Nigeria in 2012 to go to Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. By the time she got her acceptance to transfer to UC to study molecular and cell biology, she had lived in California four years. She had a California drivers license, bank account and rental records as proof. UC Berkeley, however, ruled she was a nonresident  which meant she would have to pay nearly $27,000 more. Read More Facebook

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State medical board calls former County-USC doctor a sexual predator, suspends his license By Matt Hamilton A UCLA cardiologist has been temporarily stripped of his medical license after state regulators described him as a sexual predator who assaulted three female colleagues when he was working and training at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Read More Facebook

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Global California 2030 aims to get more students learning more languages By Joy Resmovits Tom Torlakson (Andrew Seng / Associated Press) Outgoing state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday announced a new statewide effort to encourage students to learn more languages. Called Global California 2030, its goal is to help more students become fluent in multiple tongues. Torlakson said that by 2030, he wants half of the states 6.2 million K-12 students to participate in classes or programs that lead to proficiency in two or more languages. By 2040, he wants three out of four students to be proficient enough to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy. Torlakson announced the initiative at Cahuenga Elementary School, which offers a dual-language immersion program in English and Korean. Californias public school students speak more than 60 languages at home, and 40% come to school with knowledge of a language other than English. Torlakson called his plan a call to action that invites parents, legislators, educators and community members to pool resources to expand language offerings in schools and get more bilingual teachers trained. He said the state already is working with Mexico and Spain to expand a teacher-exchange program. Fluency, the plan argues, can help students succeed economically  and language acquisition can help their overall critical thinking. The initiative builds on Proposition 58, a ballot initiative passed in 2016 that undid an earlier requirement that English learners be taught in English-immersion classes unless their parents signed waivers. Torlakson recently visited Mexico and met with that countrys education secretary. They later signed a pact to increase collaboration, particularly in language education. This [Global California 2030] is great follow-through on Toms part and very important, Patricia Gandara, a UCLA education professor who hosted the Mexico meeting, said in an email. It hands over a plan to move forward in an area in which California has a unique advantage, but must seize the opportunity. Facebook

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Jury convicts man of murder in 2015 slaying of UCLA student found inside her burning apartment By Marisa Gerber A jury on Tuesday convicted a man in the 2015 slaying of a UCLA student found dead inside her burning apartment  a gruesome stabbing case that led to a fierce rebuke of the police response amid concerns that the killing could have been prevented. The panel deliberated for about six hours before finding Alberto Medina, 24, guilty of murder, arson, burglary and animal cruelty. On Sept. 21, 2015, firefighters found the charred body of Andrea DelVesco inside her apartment after responding to the complex a block from campus. The 21-year-old student  an Austin, Texas, native known to her sorority sisters as a fearless giver who befriended others with ease  was stabbed at least 19 times, authorities said. Read More Facebook

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LAPD begins sweeping criminal probe of former USC gynecologist while urging patients to come forward By Adam Elmahrek The Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday it is investigating 52 complaints of misconduct filed by former patients of USCs longtime campus gynecologist as detectives launch a sweeping criminal probe into the scandal that has rocked the university. LAPD detectives also made an appeal for other patients who feel mistreated to come forward, noting that thousands of students were examined by Dr. George Tyndall during his nearly 30-year career at USC. More than 410 people have contacted a university hotline about the physician since The Times revealed the allegations this month. Tyndalls behavior and practices appear to go beyond the norms of the medical profession and gynecological examinations, said Asst. Chief Beatrice Girmala. We sincerely realize that victims may have difficulty recounting such details to investigators. We are empathetic and ready to listen. Read More Facebook

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At L.A.'s only school for the deaf, parents want leaders who speak the same language By Anna M. Phillips Ever since her son was 6 months old, Juliet Hidalgo has been bringing him to the Marlton School, a low-slung building in Baldwin Hills that for generations has been a second home for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Los Angeles. Marlton staff taught Hidalgos brother and sister, both of whom are deaf. The school was where her deaf son learned to make the signs for milk and food. Hidalgo had planned to enroll her daughter, taking advantage of a popular program that allows hearing children to learn American Sign Language alongside their deaf siblings. But after more than a decade of involvement, she and other family members are considering withdrawing their children. They are not alone. Read More Facebook

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Fueled by unlimited donations, independent groups play their biggest role yet in a California primary for governor By Ryan Menezes An unprecedented amount of money from wealthy donors, unions and corporations is flowing into the California governors race, giving independent groups  unrestricted by contribution limits  a greater say in picking the states chief executive than ever before. The groups have already spent more than $26 million through Thursday, the most ever spent by noncandidate committees in a gubernatorial primary, according to a Times analysis of campaign finance reports. California elections have always been expensive, and the future is even more expensive, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College and a former state Republican leader. The stakes are very real. Read More Facebook

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2 hurt in Indiana middle school shooting; suspect in custody, authorities say By Associated Press Authorities say two victims in a shooting at a suburban Indianapolis school are being taken to a hospital and the lone suspect is in custody. Bryant Orem, a spokesman for the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office, said in a news release that the victims in Friday mornings attack at Noblesville West Middle School are being taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and their families have been notified. He says no other information is available about the victims. Orem said the suspect is believed to have acted alone and was taken into custody. No additional information about the suspect was made public. Read More Facebook

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For new L.A. schools chief Austin Beutner, some key unions are giving no honeymoon period By Howard Blume In the less than two weeks since Austin Beutner took charge of Los Angeles schools, unions representing teachers and administrators have staged a job action and a protest. Theyve made it clear that they will not give the new superintendent the traditional honeymoon period, and they are bashing him for his wealth and lack of experience running either a school or a school district. Beutner is a billionaire investment banker with zero qualifications, local teachers union President Alex Caputo-Pearl told members in a phone alert urging them to participate in a Thursday afternoon rally in Grand Park. The board is saying that billionaires who made their money blowing institutions up and making money off it know best  not the education professionals who have dedicated our careers to working with students. Read More Facebook

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Pressure grows on Board of Trustees amid USC gynecologist scandal By Paul Pringle USCs large and powerful Board of Trustees is coming under growing pressure to provide a stronger hand as the university faces a crisis over misconduct allegations against the campus longtime gynecologist that has prompted calls for President C.L. Max Nikias to step down. Allegations that Dr. George Tyndall mistreated students during his nearly 30 years at USC have roiled the campus, with about 300 people coming forward to make reports to the university and the Los Angeles Police Department launching a criminal investigation. USC is already beginning to face what is expected to be costly litigation by women who say they were victimized by the physician. So far, the trustees to whom Nikias reports have expressed sympathy for the women who have come forward and launched an independent investigation while also publicly backing the president. Read More Facebook

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UC regents approve leaner budget for Janet Napolitano By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents on Thursday unanimously approved a leaner, more transparent budget for President Janet Napolitano, moving to address political criticism over the systems central office operations. The $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 reflects spending cuts of 2%, including reductions in staffing, travel and such systemwide programs as public service law fellowships, carbon neutrality and food security. Napolitano shifted $30 million to campuses for housing needs and $10 million to UC Riverside to support its five-year-old medical school. She also permanently redirected $8.5 million annually to help enroll more California students, as required by the state. Read More Facebook

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USCs Academic Senate calls on university president to resign after a series of scandals By Matt Hamilton The body that represents USCs faculty called on President C.L. Max Nikias to resign Wednesday in the wake of relevations that the universitys longtime gynecologist faced years of accusations of misconduct by students and colleagues at the campus health clinic. The Academic Senate took the vote late Wednesday afternoon after a fiery town hall meeting attended by more than 100 faculty members, many of whom voiced outrage over Nikias and the Board of Trustees leadership. The vote came a day after the trustees executive committee stood firmly behind Nikias, saying it has full confidence in his leadership, ethics and values. At the town hall meeting, Senate President Paul Rosenbloom said he did not think Nikias or Provost Michael Quick committed wrongdoing but that the university president deserved criticism for a lack of transparency. Read More Facebook

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Californias public universities on the way to getting a big longed-for boost in funding By Teresa Watanabe The University of California and California State University systems are poised to get major funding boosts that will help them enroll thousands of additional state students and eliminate the need for tuition increases in the coming school year. A key Assembly budget panel on Wednesday approved $117.5 million in new funds for the UC. A Senate panel approved a similar sum last week. The same committees recently approved even more funding for the Cal State system. Read More Facebook

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UC regents to scrutinize Janet Napolitanos office budget in a step toward stronger oversight By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents this week plan to scrutinize the budget of President Janet Napolitano, whose office came under political fire last year for questionable spending and murky accounting. Regents will vote on the proposed $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 during their two-day meeting, which starts Wednesday, at UC San Francisco. They also will discuss state funding, financial aid, online education and transfer student policies. Board Chairman George Kieffer said regents are stepping up to exert stronger oversight of the presidents office after a blistering state audit last year found financial problems including an unreported $175 million budget reserve. Read More Facebook

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State legislative panels approve major funding boost for Cal State By Teresa Watanabe After months of intensive lobbying, Cal State University has convinced two key legislative panels to approve funding to enroll nearly 11,000 more students, hire more faculty and expand housing aid to those without shelter this fall. An Assembly budget panel on Tuesday approved $215.7 million more for Cal State, adding to Gov. Jerry Browns proposed $92.1 million general fund increase. A Senate budget panel approved a similar increase last week. The extra funding  which went beyond Cal States own request to the Legislature of $171 million  is still subject to final budget negotiations with Brown. But the actions by the Senate and Assembly panels amount to a demand from Democrats that the governor hike higher education spending. Cal State University is the workhorse undergraduate university serving hundreds of thousands of Californians, said Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), who heads the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. We need more graduates for the California workforce and higher education is the ticket to the middle class. Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White hailed the actions, but said it was too soon to celebrate. The CSU has a singular focus on helping students earn high-quality degrees sooner, and the entire university community has rallied to reinforce that message to our states lawmakers, he said in a statement. The actions taken thus far by the Assembly and Senate are promising and show that our message is being received, but there is still work to be done. Funding for the University of California was not taken up Tuesday as originally scheduled. McCarty would not comment on sticking points but said he was confident that a resolution would be reached this week. Were looking to provide resources above whats in the governors budget, but negotiations are ongoing, he said in an interview. State per-student funding is not what it once was, leaving both Cal State and the UC in a tough financial squeeze. Both systems raised tuition last year after a six-year freeze on higher costs. For this year, Cal State had asked for funding to enroll an additional 3,621 students, but both the Senate and Assembly panels approved three times that amount. Cal State, the largest public university system in the nation, turned away 32,000 eligible students last year because its campuses werent able to accommodate them. The panels asked that at least $50 million of the extra funding be used to hire more tenure-track faculty to help boost graduation rates. The Assembly panel also approved one-time funding of $5 million to ease hunger on campuses and $14 million for rapid rehousing pilot projects at three campuses, offering needy students rental support and short-term case management. Other items approved include $5 million to support the CSU Long Beach Shark Labs research on sharks and beach safety and $2 million for equal employment opportunity practices. This post has been updated to include comments from Assemblyman Kevin McCarty and Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White. Facebook

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Faculty members call for USC president to step down: He has lost the moral authority to lead By Matt Hamilton Two hundred USC professors on Tuesday demanded the resignation of university President C. L. Max Nikias, saying he had lost the moral authority to lead in the wake of revelations that a campus gynecologist was kept on staff for decades despite repeated complaints of misconduct. Read More Facebook

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Gun battle, negotiations lasted 15 minutes before Texas school shooter was apprehended, sheriff says By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Minutes after a school shooter opened fire in an art class last week, killing 10 people and wounding 13, including a local police officer, fellow officers returned fire in a protracted gun battle before isolating the suspect, the local sheriff said Monday. Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset praised first responders as well as Santa Fe Police Officer John Barnes, who was working as a resource officer at the school the day of the shooting. Their actions, he said, prevented the attack from spreading to other classrooms and potentially claiming additional victims. As officials continue to probe last Fridays shooting at Santa Fe High School, students are worried about returning to the scene of the attack when classes resume next week. Read More Facebook

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6 women sue USC, alleging they were victimized by campus gynecologist By Richard Winton Six women filed civil lawsuits Monday alleging that a longtime gynecologist at the University of Southern California sexually victimized them under the pretext of medical care and that USC failed to address complaints from clinic staff about the doctors behavior. One woman alleged Dr. George Tyndall forced his entire ungloved hand into her vagina during an appointment in 2003 while making vulgar remarks about her genitalia, according to one of the lawsuits. Another woman alleged that Tyndall groped her breasts in a 2008 visit and that later he falsely told her she likely had AIDS. A third woman accused the doctor of grazing his ungloved fingers over her nude body and leering at her during a purported skin exam, the lawsuit states. The wave of litigation comes as USC continues to grapple with the scandal, which legal experts said could prove costly to the university as scores of former patients come forward about their experiences with the gynecologist. Read More Facebook

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Fatalities reported in Texas high school shooting; suspect arrested, officials say By Associated Press Houston-area media citing unnamed law enforcement officials are reporting that there are fatalities following a shooting at a local high school Friday morning. Television station KHOU and the Houston Chronicle are citing unnamed federal, county and police officials following the shooting at Santa Fe High School, which went on lockdown around 8 a.m. The Associated Press has not been able to confirm the reports. The school district has confirmed an unspecified number of injuries but said it wouldnt immediately release further details. Assistant Principal Cris Richardson said a suspect has been arrested and secured. Read More Facebook

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This student followed the new L.A. schools chief on his first-day tour Melissa Barales-Lopez, a senior at Garfield High School followed Supt. Austin Beutner on his first day on the job, as he toured a variety of programs around the Los Angeles Unified School District. Heres what she took from the experience. LAUSD students and staff alike are looking for a personal champion, someone who will address and improve the difficulties afflicting their education.  What LAUSD students need is someone whos willing to listen and learn, someone who can understand the current issues affecting their schools and act to efficiently amend them, someone who can unlock the full potential of LAUSD students and enable them to reach their goals. During the entirety of his first day, superintendent Austin Beutner did indeed demonstrate a willingness to learn. Posing questions to teachers and students, Beutner engaged with the student communities he encountered to gain a better comprehension of the minutiae and nuances that distinguish each school inside an overwhelmingly large district. From inquiries about Grand View Boulevard Elementary Schools dual language program to questions regarding the services of LAUSDs after-school program, Beyond the Bell, Beutner revealed he has a lot to learn about the system. But, Beutner also showcased a willingness to tackle challenges head-on on his first day. Read More Facebook

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USC let a gynecologist continue treating students despite years of misconduct allegations By Matt Hamilton For nearly 30 years, the University of Southern Californias student health clinic had one full-time gynecologist: Dr. George Tyndall. Tall and garrulous with distinctive jet black hair, he treated tens of thousands of female students, many of them teenagers seeing a gynecologist for the first time. Few who lay down on Tyndalls exam table at the Engemann Student Health Center knew that he had been accused repeatedly of misconduct toward young patients. The complaints began in the 1990s, when co-workers alleged he was improperly photographing students genitals. In the years that followed, patients and nursing staff accused him again and again of creepy behavior, including touching women inappropriately during pelvic exams and making sexually suggestive remarks about their bodies. Read More Facebook

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Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook

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On his first day as L.A. schools chief, Beutner plans a day of visits across the district By Howard Blume L.A. Unifieds new superintendent, Austin Beutner, will kick off his first day of work on Tuesday with a choreographed tour of the nations second-largest school district, from the San Fernando Valley to Carson. His day is scheduled to begin at 5:15 a.m. at a school bus depot and end more than 12 hours later at a parent meeting at Garfield High School. Along the way, Beutner is expected to be joined by school district administrators, L.A. Unified board members and the vice president of the union that represents school bus drivers. Though he will be covering a lot of ground, Beutners tour has him skipping Tuesdays school board meeting, when board members are expected to discuss labor negotiations in closed session. Read More Facebook

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Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook

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Why a handful of rich charter school supporters are spending millions to elect Antonio Villaraigosa as governor By Ryan Menezes California voters have seen a barrage of sunny television ads in recent weeks touting former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosas record on finances, crime and education, aired by Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor 2018. But the group is, in fact, largely funded by a handful of wealthy charter-school supporters. Together they have spent more than $13 million in less than a month to boost Villaraigosas chances in the June 5 primary  at a time when his fundraising and poll numbers are lagging. Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, jump-started the group with a $7-million check, by far the largest donation to support any candidate in the election. Their efforts are part of a broader proxy war among Democrats between teachers unions  longtime stalwarts of the party  and those who argue that the groups have failed low-income and minority schoolchildren. Read More Facebook

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Talking schools with L.A. Unifieds new superintendent By Anna M. Phillips Austin Beutner, who officially starts Tuesday as the new superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is taking on a famously difficult job at a particularly difficult time. The school board is divided and did not back him unanimously. The nations second-largest school district has deep-seated problems, including declining enrollment, lagging academic achievement and rising pension and healthcare costs that eat away at its budget. The 58-year-old former investment banker and former L.A. Times publisher has years of experience in the financial world but none as an educator. Earlier this week, he sat down with the Times education team to discuss the challenges facing the district, which has about 60,000 employees and 500,000 students in traditional public schools. He did not talk about his plans  saying repeatedly, stay tuned  but he spoke in broad terms about his mindset in approaching the tough decisions ahead. Read More Facebook

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Suspect detained, authorities search campus after reports of armed man at Palmdale high school By James Queally One person has been detained after a report of an armed man at a Palmdale high school sparked a massive law enforcement response Friday morning. The suspect was spotted at 7:05 a.m. on the campus of Highland High School in Palmdale, according to Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida. The person was detained in a nearby parking lot, according to Nishida, who did not know whether that person was an adult or juvenile. Deputies at the scene are clearing the school methodically, and students will be transported home via school buses once the campus is deemed safe, Nishida said. Read More Facebook

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The education of Bertha Perez: How a UC Merced custodians disenchantment led to a political awakening By Robin Abcarian Its the third day of a three-day strike, and UC Merced custodian Bertha Perez is taking a break from a picket line at the universitys unremarkable entrance, an intersection with stop lights. Photos from other UC campuses this week have shown big crowds of striking service workers  members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees  marching and chanting pro-labor slogans as they try to force the University of California back to the negotiating table. But here, at UC Merced, whose handful of big buildings rise from a flat expanse of farmland, the picket line is tiny, maybe two dozen workers and a few students. Its not a big-city-style show of force. Then again, a union sympathizer is banging relentlessly on a snare drum, so its noisier than youd expect. Read More Facebook

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Ref Rodriguez resigns from teacher credentialing commission By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez appears during a court appearance. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez has resigned from the states Commission on Teacher Credentialing, which oversees the integrity and quality of Californias teachers. Rodriguez faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. Separately, his former employer, a charter school organization, has accused him of improperly authorizing checks to a nonprofit under his control. Rodriguez has denied wrongdoing. Rodriguezs resignation from the state body was effective May 4, days after he cast a crucial vote as part of a narrow majority that voted to authorize contract negotiations with Austin Beutner to become superintendent of the L.A. Unified School District. Beutners first official day on the job is Tuesday. Rodriguez remains in his $125,000-a-year position on the Los Angeles Board of Education. The mission of the state body is to ensure integrity, relevance, and high quality in the preparation, certification, and discipline of Californias teachers. Critics had questioned Rodriguezs continued service on the commission, given that teachers can be suspended from work if they face criminal charges. They also can lose their jobs for lapses in personal behavior, such as excessive drinking, with the potential to affect their performance. Police in Pasadena arrested Rodriguez on a Friday afternoon in March for public drunkenness. He was not charged in the incident and has apologized. The state commission reviews teacher discipline cases and can take action to remove a teachers credential to work in a California classroom. The commission has 15 members. Rodriguezs departure was disclosed in a one-sentence announcement on the agencys website. Facebook

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School board members request for restraining order against blogger is rejected By Priscella Vega An Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a school board members petition for a permanent restraining order against a Huntington Beach blogger. Attorney Jeffrey W. Shields filed the petition on behalf of Ocean View School District trustee Gina Clayton-Tarvin, 46, who alleged in court documents that Charles Keeler Johnson, 56, has threatened her on social media and at school board meetings, causing her to fear for my own safety and for that of my immediate family members. Johnson, who goes by Chuck and publishes HBSledgehammer.com, said the trustee tried to stifle his freedom of speech. He also contended that Clayton-Tarvin took his blog posts and Facebook comments too seriously and out of context, saying anyone who is afraid of metaphors has serious issues. Read More Facebook

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Deal with workers averts one-day strike that could have shut down L.A. schools By Howard Blume Los Angeles school district and union officials announced a contract agreement Tuesday night that averted a one-day strike planned for next week. The pact, which runs through June 2020, removes one labor problem from the desk of incoming Supt. Austin Beutner  whose first day on the job would have coincided with the strike. Plenty of other challenges remain. Read More Facebook

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UC labor strike expands with show of support from more unions By Teresa Watanabe Fong Chuu is a registered nurse who has assisted with countless liver transplants, kidney surgeries and gastric bypasses during 34 years at UCLA. Working with her are scrub technicians who sterilize equipment, hand medical instruments to the surgeon and dress patient wounds. They are a team, Chuu says, which is why she walked off her job Tuesday in support of those technicians and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299. The 25,000 member AFSCME local, the University of Californias largest employee union, launched a three-day strike Monday. Read More Facebook

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We are humans too: Voices of UCLAs striking custodians, hospital aides and imaging technicians By Joy Resmovits Demonstrators parade in front of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) This week, thousands of UC employees are staging a three-day strike for better pay and working conditions. On Monday, more than 20,000 custodians, cooks, lab technicians, nurse aides and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 walked off their jobs. By Tuesday, two more unions joined in sympathy strikes. The union and UC reached a bargaining impasse last year. The university has said it wont meet the workers demands. The strikers said they wanted better pay, more equity in the allocation of work, stable healthcare premiums and an end to the universitys use of contract workers. These are their stories. Read More Facebook

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Massive UC workers strike disrupts dining, classes and medical services By Joy Resmovits A massive labor strike across the University of California on Monday forced medical centers to reschedule more than 12,000 surgeries, cancer treatments and appointments, and campuses to cancel some classes and limit dining services. More than 20,000 members of UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, walked off their jobs on the first day of a three-day strike. They include custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Two altercations involving protesters and people driving near the rallies were reported at UCLA and UC Santa Cruz. At UCLA, police took a man into custody Monday after he drove his vehicle into a crowd, hitting three staff members. They were treated for minor injuries at the scene and released, said Lt. Kevin Kilgore of the UCLA Police Department. Read More Facebook

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Sen. Kamala Harris to skip UC Berkeley commencement in support of striking workers By Teresa Watanabe California Sen. Kamala Harris has canceled plans to deliver UC Berkeleys commencement address this weekend in support of UC workers who are on strike over wages and health benefits. Due to the ongoing labor dispute, Sen. Harris regretfully cannot attend and speak at this years commencement ceremony at UC Berkeley, said a statement from Harris office issued Monday. She wishes the graduates and their families a joyous commencement weekend and success for the future. They are bright young leaders and our country is counting on them. UCs largest employee union, the 25,000-member American Federation of County, State and Municipal Employees Local 3299, launched a three-day strike Monday and had earlier called for a speakers boycott. The union and university reached a bargaining impasse last year and subsequent mediation efforts have failed to produce an agreement. The union is asking for a multiyear contract with a 6% annual pay increase while the university is offering 3% annual increases over four years. UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ will deliver the keynote address instead, the university announced. About 5,800 students are expected to participate in the ceremony Saturday. Facebook

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School mural depicting Trumps bloody, severed head sparks controversy By Gary Warth A Chula Vista school mural that depicts the bloody, severed head of President Trump on a spear sparked a controversy that prompted officials to cover it and issue a response distancing themselves from the work. The statement also said the artist will alter the painting. We understand that there was a mural painted at the event this past weekend that does not align with our schools philosophy of non-violence, read the statement from MAAC Community Charter School director Tommy Ramirez. We have been in communication with the artist  who has agreed to modify the artwork  to better align with the schools philosophy. Read More Facebook

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New blackface incident at Cal Poly prompts calls for state investigation By Kim Christensen Cal Poly San Luis Obispo officials have asked the state attorney generals office to investigate after a new photo of a white student in blackface surfaced on a fraternity groups private Snapchat. I am outraged, Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said in a video address Friday to the campus. These vile and absolutely unacceptable acts cannot continue. We must not allow these acts to define us as an institution. Armstrong said the latest photo was intended to imitate an incident last month in which a white member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity was photographed at a party wearing blackface. Read More Facebook

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More than 50,000 UC workers set to strike this week but campuses will remain open By Teresa Watanabe More than 50,000 workers across the University of California are set to strike this week, causing potential disruptions to surgery schedules, food preparation and campus maintenance. The systems 10 campuses and five medical centers are to remain open, with classes scheduled as planned. UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, plans to begin a three-day strike Monday involving 25,000 workers, including custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Read More Facebook

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New L.A. schools chief Beutner pledges to listen, learn and take action By Howard Blume New Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner proved Wednesday that hes a quick learner even without an education background. Like countless public officials before him, he appeared at an important event  his first speech and news conference  with a photogenic background of students. His message  that he would put those students first  seemed heartfelt if hardly original. Nor was it a huge surprise that he pledged to push cooperatively but unflinchingly to improve the districts academic performance and stabilize its finances. As an introduction, Beutner, a former investment banker who made a fortune on Wall Street, offered little flash, but that was partly the point. Read More Facebook

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In a school lockdown, one student takes stock of the stressful scene At the beginning of lunch one day late last month, Duarte High School, Northview Middle School, and California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley were advised by the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department to go into lockdown mode due to police activity in the immediate area. Phalaen Chang, a junior at the California School of the Arts, wrote a series of notes on her iPhone while she sat in a room with her classmates. By the time the lockdown ended an hour later, she wrote, she knew which of her friends would hold open the door for others, be the ones calming others down, be the ones barricading the doors. She knew that all of them have the potential to be such strong people. Read More Facebook

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Tale as old as time: L.A. Unified superintendent pick follows a historical pattern of outside-the-box choices By Joy Resmovits L.A. Unified has long gone back and forth between picking insiders and outsiders to run the nations second largest school district. The choice of Austin Beutner, announced Tuesday, places the district squarely back in the outsider camp  months after a consummate insider, Supt. Michelle King, announced that she had cancer and would not return to the job. Check out this timeline of former L.A. superintendents to see how the school board members have changed their minds, sometimes favoring leaders who come from the world of education and sometimes executives from elsewhere, recruited to shock the system into change. At one point, the district hired someone from the military  retired Navy Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, who served as superintendent from 2006-2008. In hiring Brewer, board members had opted for a non-educator  largely because they sought a fresh thinker, unwedded to the bureaucracy, unafraid to make bold, even unorthodox moves, reads a 2008 Times story. Facebook

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Austin Beutner named superintendent of Los Angeles schools By Howard Blume Austin Beutner, a philanthropist and former investment banker, on Tuesday was named superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest school system. His selection was the biggest move yet by a Los Angeles school board majority elected with major support from charter school advocates. The decision came after lengthy public testimony, most of it in support of the other remaining finalist, interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian, who is well known within the school system. Beutner, 58, has no background leading a school or school district. Less than 2 years ago, a school board with a very different balance of power named Michelle King, a former teacher who rose through the district throughout her career, to L.A. Unifieds top job. Read More Facebook

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Hearing delay gives both sides more time in Ref Rodriguezs potential trial By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez and his attorneys will have more time to prepare their defense against charges of political money laundering, a judge ruled Monday. The preliminary hearing in the case had been scheduled to begin May 9, but that date will now be pushed back to July 23 per the ruling from L.A. Superior Court Judge Deborah S. Brazil. Rodriguez, 46, faces three felony charges of conspiracy, perjury and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school board poised to name Beutner as superintendent By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is poised to select philanthropist and former investment banker Austin Beutner to be the next superintendent of the nations second-largest school system. Barring a last-minute development, the only mystery is whether Beutner emerges with four or five votes from the boards seven members. Terms of his contract already have been under discussion, according to sources close to the process who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak. The selection of Beutner, 58, who has no experience managing a school or a school district, would be a signal that the board majority that took control nearly a year ago wants to rely on business management skills instead of insider educational expertise. Read More Facebook

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Teacher walkouts in Arizona and Colorado continue national debate on money for schools By Michael Livingston Following the lead of teachers who walked off the job in other states in recent weeks, thousands of teachers and their supporters took to the streets in Arizona and Colorado for the second day in a row to demand better pay and more funding for education. Read More Facebook

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Three decades before the #MeToo movement, UC San Diego led the way against sexual assault By Teresa Watanabe When Nancy Wahlig first started her fight against sexual assault, one company was marketing a capsule for women to stash in their bras and then smash to release a vile odor. Because of the very nature of society, the only person who can prevent rape is the woman herself, read a 1981 advertisement for the Repulse rape deterrent. Ideas about how to prevent sexual violence have come a long way since then, and Wahlig has helped lead that evolution on college campuses. In 1988, she started UC San Diegos Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC), the first stand-alone program at the University of California. Today, she remains the systems most senior specialist. Read More Facebook

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Andres Alonso withdraws from consideration for L.A. schools job By Howard Blume Andres Alonso, believed to be one of three remaining finalists to lead the Los Angeles school system, has withdrawn from consideration. The remaining known candidates in the confidential search are former investment banker Austin Beutner and interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian. Alonso, 60, announced his decision on Twitter on Thursday night, saying he had notified the L.A. Unified School District on Monday. The exit of Alonso, the former Baltimore schools chief, seems to solidify the front-runner status of Beutner, who also was a former L.A. Times publisher and a Los Angeles deputy mayor. He held each of those positions for about a year. Read More Facebook

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Heres why the apparent increase in autism spectrum disorders may be good for U.S. children By Karen Kaplan The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among American children continues to rise, new government data suggest. And that may be a good thing. Among 11 sites across the U.S. where records of 8-year-olds are scrutinized in detail, 1 in 59 kids was deemed to have ASD in 2014. Thats up from 1 in 68 in 2012. Normally, health officials would prefer to see less of a disease, not more of it. But in this case, the higher number is probably a sign that more children of color who are on the autism spectrum are being recognized as such and getting services to help them, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More Facebook

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UC shelves tuition increase for now, in hopes of getting more state funding By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents will not vote on a tuition increase next month, shelving the plan for now in hopes that state lawmakers will come through with more funding. Raising tuition is always a last resort and one we take very seriously, UC President Janet Napolitano said Thursday in a statement. We will continue to advocate with our students who are doing a tremendous job of educating legislators about the necessity of adequately funding the university to ensure UC remains a world-class institution and engine of economic growth for our state. Last week, Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White said the 23-campus system no longer would consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year. But unlike Cal State, UC officials have not taken a tuition increase off the table entirely. Read More Facebook

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A chemical spill, unchecked eyewash stations, poor training: Audit details Cal States lax lab safety By Joy Resmovits In May 2016, two bottles tumbled off a poorly supported shelf and broke, leading to a chemical spill in a Sacramento State University lab. The liquid got onto one students legs and soaked anothers feet. Five employees cleaned up the mess, even though no one knew for sure what it was and whether it was dangerous. They called fellow employee Kim Harrington, their union representative, to let her know what happened. Read More Facebook

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After blackface incident, minority students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo say they dont feel welcome By Hailey Branson-Potts Aaliyah Ramos was walking through the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus last year when a prospective student approached her. Ramos was the only black person, the young woman said, that she and her mother had seen that day. They asked about the quality of education and the diversity of the student body. Ramos, a mechanical engineering student, didnt want to sugarcoat the truth: Cal Poly long has been predominantly white. But she told the young woman  who also was black  that she didnt want to discourage her from applying, because that wouldnt help with diversity at a school where only 0.7% of students are African American  the lowest percentage of any university in the California State system. Read More Facebook

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El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills wins the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon By Carlos Lozano El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills has won the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon, officials said. The winner was announced early Saturday at a ceremony in Frisco, Texas. More than 600 students from the U.S., Canada, China and the United Kingdom gathered there over the last three days to compete in the 37th annual U.S. Academic Decathlon. Congratulations to El Camino Real Charter High School for another impressive victory, said Vivian Ekchian, interim superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Your academic stamina and competitive spirit to win is remarkable. The entire L.A. Unified family is so proud of you. Read More Facebook

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Anticipation mounts as L.A. school board meets over superintendent selection By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is reconvening in closed session Friday at noon as anticipation mounts about the choice of the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. The presumed front-runner is former investment banker and philanthropist Austin Beutner, but interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian and former Baltimore Supt. Andres Alonso also are in the running. Most district insiders appear to be rooting for Ekchian, who has spent her entire career in education within the school system. After her 10 years as a teacher, her roles have included head of human resources, chief labor negotiator and regional administrator for campuses in the west San Fernando Valley. Shes managed the district since September, when then-Supt. Michelle King went on medical leave and chose Ekchian to fill in for her. King, who is battling cancer, never returned and announced her retirement in January. Numerous influential civic leaders have urged  and pressured  the board to select Beutner. Also lending their weight have been advocates for charter schools, which are independently operated, growing in number and competing for students with district-operated campuses. Four of the seven board members  enough to control the outcome  were elected with major financial support from charter supporters. Beutner has two ongoing connections with the L.A. Unified School District. The first is his leadership of an outside task force that is making recommendations on how to improve the school system. The second is his charity, Vision to Learn, which supplies glasses to low-income students. The charity and the school system are in a dispute at the moment over who is responsible for delays in providing services to students as part of a $6 million contract, half of which is paid for by L.A. Unified. Unlike Ekchian and Buetner, Alonso, who currently teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has no deep-seated local constituency, but the prospect of his selection has generated some excitement. While in Baltimore, Alonso was recognized for pushing for progress at low-performing schools, and for being willing to take strong action. While in Baltimore, he also weathered a test-score cheating scandal and occasionally rocky relations with the teachers union. But by the time he resigned, after six years, he and union leaders seemed to be working together without rancor. Leaders of some community groups have split from the pro-Beutner camp. They worry that Beutners approach to confronting the districts financial problems could shut out their voices or involve severe economic cutbacks that would undermine programs that are helping students. Some prefer Ekchian; some Alonso. Theyve been reluctant to speak out publicly because theyll have to work with whoever is selected, but they have tried to get the ear of board members. On Friday morning, one leader of a community group decided to come out in favor of Alonso. L.A. Unified has the opportunity to bring in an instructional leader of color with a history of success, said Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, which works on behalf of low-income students and families in South Los Angeles. If we have a shot at that, we should go for it  because its in the best interests of our kids and of our community. Retana said his statement was not meant to criticize Beutner or Ekchian but to alert board members that there also is community support for Alonso. Facebook

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Cal State leader shelves proposed tuition hike: Its the right thing to do, but its not without risk By Joy Resmovits Cal State, the nations largest public university system, will no longer consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year, Chancellor Timothy P. White announced Friday. The decision is a bet that Sacramento will come through in the end. If Cal State loses that bet, it could mean cuts to campus programs. White said in an interview that Californias economy is strong enough that families should not be shouldering the burden of higher college costs. Read More Facebook

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L.A. students to participate in national walkout activities on Friday By Joy Resmovits Students are taking to the streets again Friday to protest gun violence on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. Starting at 10 a.m., students at many schools will spend 13 seconds honoring the 13 people  12 students and one teacher  killed on that day in Littleton, Colo. After that, theyll participate in a host of different activities. Within L.A. Unified, one school is having an open-mic event for students to talk about school violence, and lawmakers are visiting campuses to hear students thoughts. According to a central hub for organizing the protests  written by the students of Ridgefield High School in Connecticut  the walkouts are intended to drive the political change necessary to curb school violence. The day is also a time for students to interact on an elevated platform they have never had before, the site states. It is a day of discourse and thoughtful sharing. Bringing together communities and students to get a national discussion rolling. Organizers have suggested using the event to convey the importance of curbing gun violence to legislators. They are encouraging students to push legislation that would ban assault weapons and tighten up rules around who can buy guns and how. Over 2,500 schools nationwide are expected to participate. In L.A., some students  at campuses including Eagle Rock High School, the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts and Bravo Medical Magnet  plan to walk out. Students from various schools expect to join area marches, including those in Santa Monica and Huntington Park. Other schools are hosting career days and voter registration drives. At 1 p.m., students plan to start a rally in front of L.A. Unified headquarters. For the record: An earlier version of this article stated that 12 teachers and one student were killed in the Columbine shooting. The opposite is true: twelve students and one teacher died. Facebook

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Stabbing of popular student devastates South El Monte High School; teen friend suspected in slaying By Sonali Kohli When administrators at South El Monte High School called Jeremy Sanchezs parents to say he never showed up for class Wednesday, his father began to worry. It was unusual for the 17-year-old junior to miss school, so his father filed a missing persons report and assembled two of Jeremys close friends to look for the popular student-athlete. Their search took them to a scenic stretch of the San Gabriel River Trail, where one of the friends  a 16-year-old boy  made a tragic discovery. Among the bushes in the riverbed near Thienes Avenue and Parkway Drive was Jeremys body, punctured with stab wounds, according to Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Read More Facebook

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Racist fliers spark outrage at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo By Alene Tchekmedyian Soon after Neal MacDougall arrived on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus Tuesday, the professor noticed university police standing outside a restroom near his office. A racial slur against African Americans had been scrawled in red marker on a stall wall. Later, he discovered a series of racist fliers pinned up next to his door. Someone had also slashed posters hed hung outside his office supporting students in the country illegally. The discovery was the latest controversy on the prestigious campus  which the president said is less than 55% white  that MacDougall said demonstrates a culture of racism at the university. Last week, photographs emerged of white fraternity members, including one in blackface, flashing gang signs. Read More Facebook

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The superintendent waiting game, paying for L.A.'s College Promise, Princetons slave history: Whats new in education By Joy Resmovits Acting LAUSD superintendent Vivian Ekchian is a finalist for the permanent job. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) In and around Los Angeles: The L.A. Unified school board spent 10 hours interviewing and discussing candidates for superintendent. When they adjourned after 10 p.m., they said they would reconvene on Friday. Who is paying for Mayor Eric Garcettis much-touted College Promise, a program that promises two years of community college for LAUSD grads? In California: The Legislature is considering a proposal that would boost K-12 education funding for black students. When the cost of living is taken into account, California has the highest rate of child poverty. Nationwide: The families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School are suing Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never occurred. Princeton will name two spaces  an arch and a garden  after slaves who lived or worked on the campus. Facebook

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L.A. school board meets privately with finalists and debates choice for school district leader By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education adjourned late Tuesday after spending more than 10 hours interviewing candidates and trying to reach a decision on who would be the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. When the meeting finally recessed at 10:11 p.m., a spokesman announced only that the school board would reconvene Friday at noon. Going into the days meetings, there were apparently four finalists, according to sources who could not be named because they were unauthorized to speak. Read More Facebook

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Two Sandy Hook families sue Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never happened By David Altimari Families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School have filed lawsuits in Texas against controversial radio host Alex Jones for continually claiming the massacre never happened. Neil Heslin, the father of Jesse Lewis, and Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa, whose son Noah Pozner died in the massacre, filed separate lawsuits late Monday in Travis County, Texas. The lawsuits allege that Jones defamed the parents by constantly calling them crisis actors and insisting the shooting was a false flag operation; they also claim Jones accusations have led to death threats against the Sandy Hook families by Jones followers. Read More Facebook

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Beutner emerges as a top pick for L.A. schools superintendent amid last-minute jockeying By Howard Blume Austin Beutner has emerged as a leading contender to run the Los Angeles school district, with backers saying he is smart enough and tough enough to confront its financial and academic struggles. Though he does not have a background in education, the former investment banker has in the last year examined some of the districts intractable problems, serving as co-chair of an outside task force with the support of then-Supt. Michelle King. Sources inside and outside the school district said Beutner appears to have more support on the seven-member board than other finalists, and his name could come up for a vote as early as Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Challenge at Chicago school construction site: Watch for 38,000 unmarked graves By Nereida Moreno A 15-year effort to build a school in Chicagos Dunning neighborhood is underway with an unusual complication: Construction workers are taking careful steps to avoid disturbing human remains that may lie beneath the soil. The $70-million school is to be built on the grounds of a former Cook County Poor House, where an estimated 38,000 people were buried in unmarked graves. Among the dead are residents who were too poor to afford funeral costs, unclaimed bodies and patients from the countys insane asylum. There can be and there have been bodies found all over the place, said Barry Fleig, a genealogist and cemetery researcher who began investigating the site in 1989. Its a spooky, scary place. Read More Facebook

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Oklahoma teacher walkout winds down despite lawmakers failure to meet demands By Washington Post Oklahomas largest teachers union has announced an end to a walkout that has drawn thousands of educators out of classrooms and to the state Capitol demanding greater investment in the states schools, which have endured the nations steepest funding cuts. The announcement Thursday from the Oklahoma Education Assn. does not necessarily end the protests at the Capitol, as teachers not affiliated with the union vowed to stay longer. Instead of a walkout, the union and school districts across the state have said they plan to send delegations of teachers to Oklahoma City to keep the pressure on lawmakers. Teachers and their supporters have also promised to push education issues to the forefront of November elections, when the state chooses a new governor. As school districts begin to reopen, the protests may lose steam. The Legislature is not in session Friday, and observers are waiting to see what happens Monday, when lawmakers return. Read More Facebook

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Most Californians are worried about school shooting threats and oppose arming teachers, survey finds By Joy Resmovits Hamilton High School student Aiyana Dabriel holds a sign during a March 14 walkout in support of the Parkland shooting victims. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Most Californians are worried that a school shooting like the one that occurred in Parkland, Fla., in February could shed blood closer to home, a new survey found. Some 73% percent of adults and 82% of public school parents said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned about school shootings. The Public Policy Institute of California surveyed 1,704 adults in the state by phone just after the March for Our Lives protest against gun violence. Latino and black respondents were significantly more likely to be concerned about school violence than white or Asian respondents, the institute found. Two-thirds of adults and public school parents said they opposed letting more educators carry weapons in school. The response differed across party lines, with 86% of Democrats and 69% of independents voicing their opposition, while 60% percent of Republicans said they would support a measure to arm educators. The poll, which had a margin of error of 3.2% in either direction, also asked Californians about school funding, educational issues in the governors race and the impact of immigration enforcement on students. You can find the full results here. Facebook

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Californias largest virtual charter school network agrees to contract with its teachers By Anna M. Phillips Nearly four years after teachers at Californias largest online charter school voted to unionize, they have reached a deal to increase pay and create job protections, according to a spokesman for the California Teachers Assn. The contract, which is still tentative and subject to ratification, is a victory for the teachers union. Although charter schools are publicly funded, most are privately managed and their employees arent protected by labor contracts. Under the terms of the contract  the result of years of negotiation and legal wrangling  approximately 500 teachers working for California Virtual Academies will no longer be at-will employees who can be dismissed for almost any reason. Their average salary will rise to just over $45,000, according to union estimates, a figure that remains far below the norm for traditional public school teachers. Still, it is an improvement over the previous average of $38,000. The accord also places a limit on the number of students each teacher is responsible for monitoring in online homeroom classes. Were very satisfied with the gains we made, said teacher Brianna Carroll, president of California Virtual Educators United. I think were going to see some extraordinary changes in our schools. According to Carroll, teachers at California Virtual Academies  better known as CAVA  had grown frustrated with the organizations foot-dragging and were making preparations to go on strike when CAVAs leadership agreed to the deal. CAVA and K12, the Virginia-based for-profit company linked to its schools, did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday asking for comment. The network currently operates nine virtual charter schools across California. In 2016, the charter network agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle claims of false advertising, misleading parents and inadequate instruction. The state attorney generals office had also accused K12 of controlling the charters for its own financial benefit. Neither CAVA nor K12 admitted to wrongdoing in the settlement. A year later, the state imposed a $2-million fine on CAVA after an audit found that it had misspent public funds. The network disputed the findings. Facebook

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School board approves a new formula for funding high-need schools By Sonali Kohli L.A. schools will soon get more money if they are located in neighborhoods with such problems as high levels of gun violence and asthma. The Los Angeles Unified school board voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a new formula to determine how to dole out some funding to schools, based not only on the characteristics of the student populations but on the traumas that affect the communities around campuses. The new formula will be applied to $25 million in funding next fiscal year and about $263 million annually in future years  a small part of the districts $7.5 billion annual budget. Read More Facebook

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Protesters demand Ref Rodriguez resignation outside school board meeting By Sonali Kohli Students, parents, teachers and UTLA marching outside the board meeting chanting "Ref resign" pic.twitter.com/W0LRWZSIXY  Sonali Kohli  (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 A few dozen parents, students and teachers marched outside the Los Angeles Unified School Board meeting Tuesday, some calling for board member Ref Rodriguez to resign the week after news broke that he was taken into custody on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena bar and restaurant. Rodriguez was not cited or charged in that incident, but was held for more than five and a half hours before being released. The school board member faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. He is accused of getting more than two dozen people people to donate to his campaign for his school board seat with the understanding that he would reimburse them. He stepped down from his post as school board president after he was charged last fall, but he did not give up his seat on the board. He has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of conspiracy, perjury, and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May. He cant give his full focus to our students, said Rebecca LaFond, a Highland Park parent whose three children marched with her as she chanted, Ref resign. One daughter marched in front of her, using a drum stick to hit the bottom of a gallon-size empty water jug. Our kids deserve someone who has the utmost ethical standards representing them, LaFond said. The protests continued into the board meeting, where some addressed Rodriguez directly, calling on him to step down during public comment portions of the meeting. Rodriguez, through his chief of staff, declined to comment. Some parents outside the board meeting did not know about the charges against Rodriguez but came out to protest the possibility of sharing their school campuses with charter schools. Protesters also oppose colocation  not all of the parents are here to ask Ref Rodriguez to step down pic.twitter.com/1Co8zQ9zSi  Sonali Kohli  (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 Cynthia Martinez said her son, who goes to Christopher Dena Elementary School in Boyle Heights, has been bullied in the past by students from a charter school sharing the campus. She said she didnt know who Rodriguez was. Some parents and teachers are worried about losing computer labs, robotics rooms and fitness centers if they are required to share their campus with charter schools, said Ilse Escobar, a parent community organizer for United Teachers Los Angeles. The issues of Rodriguez and colocation are related, Escobar said. Rodriguez is part of a majority on the school board elected with financial backing from charter school supporters, and many parents, she said, feel that the school board is compromised if he is a part of it. Staff reporter Howard Blume contributed to this post. Facebook

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Delaine Eastin tries to gain momentum in the California governors race, one voter at a time By Seema Mehta Delaine Eastin was a sophomore in high school when a drama teacher urged her to try out for a part in The Man Who Came to Dinner. She hesitated until he told her: This is a metaphor for your whole life. If you never try out, you will never get the part. Eastin auditioned and won the role. Decades later, the advice sticks with the former state schools chief, this time in her unlikely run for governor. Despite calls for more women in leadership roles in state politics following sexual misconduct allegations in Sacramento, Eastin has been largely overlooked in the race, lagging far behind her Democratic rivals in fundraising and the polls. Read More Facebook

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Arizona high court rejects in-state tuition for DACA recipients By Associated Press Young immigrants granted deferred deportation status under a program started by President Obama are not eligible for lower in-state college tuition, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday. The unanimous ruling will affect at least 2,000 students attending the states largest community college district and hundreds more at other colleges and the states three public universities. The Maricopa County Community Colleges District and state universities said they would begin raising tuition immediately for the coming school year. Read More Facebook

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New York high school students injured when bus strikes overpass By Associated Press A charter bus carrying teenagers returning from a spring break trip Sunday night struck a bridge overpass on Long Island, seriously injuring six passengers and mangling the entire length of the top of the bus. The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview, according to New York State Police. One of the six injured passengers had very serious injuries, said State Police Maj. David Candelaria. Thirty-seven other passengers suffered minor injuries. Read More Facebook

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Some good news for California in national student test scores By Joy Resmovits Every two years, the nations fourth- and eighth-graders are tested in math and reading  and newly released results from last years tests give California at least a little reason to be pleased. The 2017 results  out Monday night  were mostly flat nationwide compared with 2015, though the average score in eighth-grade reading went up. But while that improvement largely came from the increased scores of the highest-performing students, California eighth-graders showed some reading progress from the lowest levels to the highest. Read More Facebook

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Under state control, Inglewood school districts financial picture worsened By Anna M. Phillips When Eugenio Villa agreed to return to the Inglewood schools for a second tour last summer, he knew the district remained one of Californias most troubled. Inglewood Unified had been nearly insolvent when it was taken over by the state Department of Education in 2012. Six years later, its enrollment was still declining. Its school buildings were tired  some edging into decrepitude. Its test scores and graduation rates were still below the state average. And the public was out of patience. Still, Villa, who had signed back on as the districts chief business official, was shocked at what he found when he arrived in June 2017. Two years earlier, he had left the school system on what he thought was firm ground. Read More Facebook

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Charter school group drops two lawsuits against L.A. Unified By Howard Blume A charter schools advocacy group last week announced that it would end two long-running lawsuits in which it was seeking more classroom space and construction money from the Los Angeles school district. The decision, the California Charter Schools Assn. said, reflects better relations between charter schools and the L.A. Unified School District. But the move also suggests that the litigation, which already contributed to significant gains for area charters, was unlikely to produce much more. It takes time, money and effort to litigate, said Ricardo Soto, general counsel for the charter group. Maybe its better to see if we can find the time and opportunity for collaboration. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school board member Ref Rodriguez is arrested on suspicion of public intoxication By Richard Winton Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez was arrested recently on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena restaurant, the latest trouble for an elected official who faces political money-laundering charges. Pasadena police took Rodriguez into custody on March 16, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. Officers arrested Rodriguez at about 4:30 p.m. at the Yard House restaurant and bar at the Paseo Mall and held him in jail for more than five-and-a-half hours. Rodriguez was ultimately released without being cited or charged, Derderian told The Times. Other details about the arrest were not available, she said. Read More Facebook

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Kentucky teachers rally at Capitol over state budget By Associated Press Thousands of Kentucky teachers filled the streets near the state Capitol in Frankfort on a cold, overcast Monday to rally for education funding. Teachers and other school employees gathered outside the Kentucky Education Assn. a couple of blocks from the Capitol chanting, Stop the war on public education and holding or posting signs that say, Weve Had Enough. Were madder than hornets, and the hornets are swarming today, said Claudette Green, a retired teacher and principal. Read More Facebook

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Air quality officials on Friday cited Southern California Gas Co. for a 50-minute gas leak at its Aliso Canyon storage facility earlier this week, accusing the utility of causing a public nuisance by exposing nearby residents to foul odors.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District said it received 15 odor complaints from residents in the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles after the leak began at 4:55 p.m. Monday.

A SoCal Gas methane monitor at the fence line of the facility measured concentrations of up to 66 parts per million  more than 30 times the typical level of 2 ppm, according to the air district.

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The gas company maintains a website with real-time measures of methane from its fence-line monitors, but it was down during Mondays leak. That prompted the air district on Thursday to require the company to provide all of its monitoring data from the day of the leak.

A spokesman for SoCal Gas said in an email Friday evening that the company had received the notice of violation and was reviewing it.

It was widely felt and noticed in the community, said Alexandra Nagy, an organizer with the environmental group Food & Water Watch. The community just wants this shut down, and every moment its in operation is a disaster waiting to happen.

Sam Atwood, an air district spokesman, said the leak occurred when a gasket on equipment used to treat the gas failed. SoCal Gas did not notify the agency of the leak until more than two hours after it began, according to the air district.

The Aliso Canyon facility was the site of an October 2015 well blowout that resulted in the largest methane leak in U.S. history.

The months-long leak forced thousands of families in the northwest San Fernando Valley from their homes, many complaining of nausea, nosebleeds and other health problems.

tony.barboza@latimes.com

victoria.kim@latimes.com

For more California news, follow @tonybarboza and @vicjkim

UPDATES:

7 p.m.: This article was updated with comment from the gas company.

This article originally published at 6:30 p.m.
California is on the brink of legalizing the sale of recreational pot, with the first round of state licenses for marijuana businesses kicking into effect in January.

But Los Angeles pot shops wont be able to immediately start selling marijuana for recreational use on New Years Day, city officials cautioned Friday.

We are starting a process. This is something that is not going to happen overnight, said Cat Packer, who heads L.A.s Department of Cannabis Regulation.

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To sell marijuana to adult customers  not just patients  marijuana businesses will need both local approval and a state license. Los Angeles will not start taking applications until Jan. 3, beginning with existing medical marijuana dispensaries that have been operating in line with previous city rules.

Packer estimated that roughly 200 businesses might fit those requirements and that many could get temporary approval from the city within roughly three weeks. Before they can start selling marijuana for recreational use, however, those pot shops would also need to get state licenses.

A lot of the businesses are disappointed because they arent going to be able to participate on the first day, said Aaron Lachant, an attorney representing some of those existing marijuana shops.

Lachant said his clients feared that amid the media fanfare about recreational sales beginning in January, eager customers might turn to the black market.

It is unclear how quickly the city will start processing applications for other kinds of marijuana businesses. The second batch that will be up for city approval are existing growers, manufacturers and other kinds of pot businesses that meet specific requirements.

That phase of applications will end at the beginning of April, but Packer said the city has not decided when it will begin, or when the city will start accepting applications from all other eligible marijuana entrepreneurs. That could mean that some pot shops could get city licenses to sell recreational cannabis before they have a local supplier who is licensed to provide it to them.

Under the L.A. regulations, existing pot shops that have been operating in line with Proposition D  a law approved by voters more than four years ago  will continue to have limited immunity from city prosecution until the city makes a final decision on their applications. Marijuana growers and manufacturers that supplied those shops may also be able to avoid local prosecution while their applications are being processed.

L.A. approved new regulations for the marijuana industry earlier this month, paving the way for a hotly anticipated industry that is expected to bring in more than $50 million in tax revenue annually for the city. The rules restrict where pot shops and other cannabis businesses can operate and lay out how they will be vetted and inspected.

They also lay the groundwork for a social equity program that aims to address the uneven effects of the war on drugs, providing extra assistance to poor applicants who were convicted of some marijuana crimes or who have lived in neighborhoods heavily affected by marijuana arrests.

While L.A. is preparing to license marijuana businesses, many other California cities and counties  including the nearby cities of Pasadena, Riverside and Anaheim  have opted out of allowing commercial cannabis sales. Others are holding off and waiting to see how the new system works before deciding whether to permit pot businesses.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlpertReyes
An 11th woman came forward this week with allegations against a San Diego County sheriffs deputy, saying he improperly groped her during an encounter in Lakeside almost two years ago.

The latest complaint against the San Diego County Sheriffs Department and Deputy Richard Fischer was filed in San Diego County Superior Court on Thursday. Ten other women have filed claims or lawsuits against the county accusing Fischer of sexual misconduct.

Fischer has declined repeated requests for interviews. Both the Sheriffs Department and the district attorneys office say they are investigating the claims as quickly as they can and note that Fischer was placed on administrative duty in October and on formal leave last month.

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The lawsuit was filed by a woman identified only by her initials, M.Y. According to the complaint, she was waiting outside a 7-Eleven store in late February or early March 2016 for her boyfriend to pick her up.

Fischer knew the woman was subject to immediate search based on past encounters with the woman and conducted a search, the complaint says.

Fischer also searched her pockets and had M.Y. pull up her bra (but not exposing her breasts) to determine if she was holding anything illegal, the lawsuit says.

The deputy found nothing improper and offered the woman a ride to her boyfriends home, which she accepted, the suit states.

Before she could put the seat belt on, Fischer reached across her body, put the seat belt on and intentionally touched her crotch area, the complaint states. Later, he rubbed his left arm across her breasts, the suit adds. As Fischer did this, he said, I hope your boyfriend doesnt mind this.

The allegations are similar to many of the encounters described by other victims.

Earlier this week, three of the alleged victims told The San Diego Union-Tribune they were afraid that county officials were protecting the deputy from arrest because he is a sworn officer. Both the Sheriffs Department and D.A.s office rejected the assertion and said they are conducting a thorough and expedited investigation.

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com
Bob Givens, a key member of the animation team that created Bugs Bunny, has died at 99.

One of the last surviving notable figures from animations early golden age, Givens died Dec. 14 of acute respiratory failure at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, his daughter Mariana Givens confirmed.

Givens was a rising young animator in the late 1930s, when he hired on with cartoon pioneers Chuck Jones and Tex Avery. They were building on a character that had evolved through a few animated shorts, one which seemed to have potential: a rabbit with an attitude.

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The character was too cute, so Tex asked me to do [another] one, Givens wrote in a letter to Michael Barrier, author of Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age.

Givens drew a model sheet  labeled Texs Rabbit  that guided other animators.

Bugs was no longer defined by [a] tangle of curves, Barrier wrote. His head was now oval, rather than round.

Givens design preserved whiskers and the idea of a naturalistic nose from an earlier version, but introduced elements such as cheek ruffs and less prominent teeth.

Robert Herman Givens was born on March 2, 1918, in Hanson, Ky., according to Mariana Givens. He was one of two twin boys. The family, which grew to include five sisters, moved to Southern California hoping the climate would improve the health of Givens father, a horse breeder and rancher.

Givens, a precocious artist, began working in studio animation right out of Alhambra High School. His first big break was on the animation team for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Walt Disney Studios.

He later joined a company that became the Warner Brothers animation unit, which sought to create a less treacly style than Disney was known for.

The re-imagined Bugs Bunny debuted in A Wild Hare (1940). For that short, Givens also prepared a model sheet that redesigned Elmer Fudd, the rabbits co-star and witless nemesis. A third sheet sketched out a size comparison between Bugs and Elmer.

Along with this winning look, Bugs Bunny also benefited from sophisticated writers and the voice talent of Mel Blanc, who delivered Bugs signature line: Whats up, Doc?

Bugs Bunny became a cartoon superstar, his image and manner still recognized around the world.

During a World War II military stint, Givens collaborated with colleagues from the industry on training films. His work after the war, in a career that spanned more than 60 years, included shaping the look and scene layout of cartoons featuring Daffy Duck, Tom & Jerry, Popeye, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Garfield and others, according to a release prepared by Warner Bros.

He also pioneered the use of animation in advertising, including an influential and long-running campaign for Raids bug-killing products.

His longevity, vigor and detailed recollections made Givens a sought-after speaker and mentor in the last decades of his life.

Givens married twice. In addition to his daughter, who lives in Santa Barbara, he is survived by a son, Christopher Givens of Walnut Creek, and two stepdaughters.

howard.blume@latimes.com

@howardblume
It should have been the most minor of traffic stops.

But an encounter between two Pasadena police officers and a black motorist last month has reignited the nations heated debate over how police use force and sparked outrage in a city with long-simmering complaints about how law enforcement treats African American men.

Videos captured by the police and a bystander show one officer repeatedly hitting the unarmed motorist with a baton during the Nov. 9 incident at an Altadena gas station. Another officer screams at the struggling man to give up his hands and punches him at least five times before slamming his face into the asphalt. Finally, the officers manage to handcuff him behind his back.

I didnt even do anything, the handcuffed man whimpers as blood pools around his head.

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The graphic images have made international headlines at a time when many police agencies around the country have been training officers on how to de-escalate encounters with civilians and avoid using force if possible. Though one prominent police force expert defended the officers actions, others interviewed by The Times questioned how the officers werent able to keep the encounter calm and prevent it from turning violent so quickly.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California called for criminal charges against the officers, describing their actions as clearly unnecessary, excessive and unlawful. And civil rights activists said the altercation highlights the need for independent oversight of the citys Police Department.

The fact is the Police Department has a long history of profiling young African American males, said Skip Hickambottom, a Pasadena civil rights attorney.

Martin Gordon, an activist with the Pasadena Community Coalition, compared the video to the infamous 1991 recording of Los Angeles police officers using batons to beat black motorist Rodney G. King. Gordon criticized how little Pasadena city and police officials have said about the episode.

This has got to stop, he said. We have to do something to move the department and city of Pasadena to accountability in this area.

The view from police cameras

In response to criticism, the city released six police recordings of the incident, the first time Pasadena has made police body camera videos public since officers began using the equipment last year.

Pasadena officials have stopped short of publicly defending the officers, but city spokesman William Boyer urged the public to view all of the recordings for a complete view of what happened.

He noted that the motorist, 21-year-old Christopher Ballew, initially walked away from officers when they first approached him and then pulled away as they tried to handcuff him. During the struggle, Ballew can be seen briefly grabbing an officers baton as he was being struck.

You see the grabbing of the officers baton during the struggle and the officers subsequent actions to control the situation, Boyer said in an email.

The Police Department is conducting an internal investigation, he said. Meanwhile, the officers, Lerry Esparza and Zachary Lujan, remain on duty.

City officials have released few other details about what happened and declined to comment further.

Christopher Ballew, 21, describes injuries he sustained during an arrest by Pasadena police officers. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times )

After his arrest, Ballew was booked on suspicion of assaulting a peace officer with a deadly weapon and held in jail for more than a day before being released on bail. The district attorneys office declined to file charges against him, citing a lack of evidence.

Ballew, whose leg was broken, announced this week that he has filed a legal claim against the city, the Police Department and the officers.

Under siege

For some Pasadena residents, the altercation echoes other controversial incidents involving black men that have spurred calls for police reform.

The 2009 killing of Leroy Barnes Jr. inflamed tensions in the northwest area of the city, where poverty and crime is higher than surrounding neighborhoods. Barnes, an admitted gang member on parole, was armed with a gun. But residents questioned why he was shot 11 times, including as he was lying facedown on the ground.

Three years later, Pasadena police shot and killed 19-year-old Kendrec McDade after a false 911 report of an armed robbery. The district attorneys office cleared officers of criminal wrongdoing, but an independent consultant hired by the city faulted them for making tactical mistakes that helped lead to the shooting and criticized the Police Departments investigation into the killing.

Last year, more than 500 people marched through the heart of Pasadena after the death of Reginald Thomas Jr., who had a history of mental illness. Police said Thomas, 35, was armed with a knife and a fire extinguisher and was uncooperative. An attorney for Thomas family said police used excessive force when he was Tasered, then kicked in the head and hit with a baton.

A 2016 city-commissioned study found that many people of color in Pasadena  a city of roughly 140,000 where African Americans make up 11% of the population  reported feeling under siege in their neighborhoods and alienated from police.

Yall just assaulted me.  Christopher Ballew to Pasadena police officers immediately after he was handcuffed

In the most recent incident, recordings show officers making a U-turn to follow Ballews white Mercedes sedan into a Mobil gas station. Police later said they stopped him because the car was missing a front license plate and its tinted windows were too dark.

After a brief exchange near the gas stations mini-market, an officer grabs Ballews left arm and guides him back to his car, then pushes him against the vehicle, pulling his left arm behind his back. Its not clear why the officers began using force so quickly.

You better stop acting like a dummy, dude, one officer says as they struggle to handcuff Ballew.

Come on, man, Ballew responds. You doing that extra  for what?

The officers demand Ballews hands and begin separating his feet, forcing him to the ground. Ballew continues to protest, while the officers order him not to get up.

What are you doing this for? Ballew asks.

As one officer starts to cuff Ballews left wrist, Ballew demands to know where their commanding officer is.

Shut the  up, one officer says, using an obscenity.

Despite the officers orders, Ballew appears to pull his right wrist away as the officers continue struggling to get both of his wrists into handcuffs.

Then they tumble.

He has the cuffs. He wont give me his hands, one of the officers tells the other, then broadcasts on his radio that they are in a fight.

The video shows an officer striking Ballew with a baton. Ballew stands and briefly grabs the weapon before the other officer takes him to the ground.

One punches Ballew several times in the head. The other officer briefly draws his handgun, then reholsters it and picks up the baton, which he uses to strike Ballew three more times.

Yall just assaulted me, bro, Ballew says after he is cuffed.

Theres no point in acting like this, one of the officers responds.

Reducing tensions, avoiding force

Several police force experts said the violence could have been avoided.

Seth Stoughton, a law professor at the University of South Carolina and a former Tampa police officer, said the officers should have tried to reduce the initial tension by emphasizing to Ballew the minor nature of the traffic infraction.

Stoughton said that the video doesnt show the entire story and that its unclear how strongly Ballew is resisting. A struggling suspect who has only one handcuff on can use the cuff as a weapon, he said. Still, Stoughton said the video shows the officers shouting orders at Ballew  to put his hand on his head  that he appears to already be following.

I am not absolving this man of responsibility, but the police are paid trained professionals here, Stoughton said.

Ed Obayashi, a Plumas County sheriffs deputy and legal advisor who teaches use of force to police, said the outcome could have been very different if the officers had adopted a different tone.

Another officer and this may have never happened, he said.

But the officers, he said, were justified in feeling threatened and using force when Ballew broke free with one wrist cuffed.

Charles Sid Heal, a retired Los Angeles County sheriffs commander, called the force reasonable.

If you fight with the police, bad things happen, Heal said. You can see on the videos a number of times when he is resisting being handcuffed.

Ballews attorney, John Burton, said his clients encounter was not a typical occurrence in the city.

Theyve had some high-profile shootings  but theyre really not the kind of force that regularly goes out and beats people up, he said.

However, Burton said he was alarmed at the non-reaction by the Police Department and City Council.

When some of these police officers feel like they can do something like this with video recording  and theres no ramifications, he said, maybe theres something wrong here.

makeda.easter@latimes.com

richard.winton@latimes.com

For more Southern California news, follow us on Twitter: @makedaeaster and @lacrimes
It was before dawn when the woman responsible for running this small towns water system got a frightening call: The water tower was running low.

Since Hurricane Harvey inundated this rural area 90 miles east of Houston with almost 10 feet of water in August, Janice Ratcliff has submitted drinking-water tests to the state, hoping to lift an order requiring nearly 600 residents to boil water. It would be a small step toward livability in Rose City, a town full of campers with Christmas trees set up outside.

She returned to her flooded office the week after the storm in waders, and kept the water plant operating manually, working seven days a week.

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Before Thanksgiving, residents were among 3,750 people in southeast Texans without clean drinking water. The total was down to 1,150 people this week, state officials said. Rose City has supplied donated bottled water and hasnt charged for tap water since the boil order was issued.

Ratcliff had hoped new tests would get the order lifted in time for the holidays. Insurance red tape and failed state tests had delayed the process before. Now a glitch had kept the water tower from filling overnight and threatened to set back the citys plans.

At 5:15 a.m. Thursday, Ratcliff rushed to the tower above the towns water plant behind City Hall, all still being rebuilt after the storm and surrounded by a mix of mud and debris.

Ratcliffs own office had flooded, replaced by a wood shack without heat or air conditioning. To her relief, the tower still had enough water and pressure to avoid extending the boil water order. She gathered water samples and sent them off to the state, hoping for good news in the next 24 hours.

The first one she hoped to call with the good news would be Mayor Bonnie Stephenson.

Stephenson lost her own home in the flood, and has stayed three places since, most recently with her son in his double-wide trailer. After four years as mayor, the former union secretary and real estate agent found herself unloading trucks of donated supplies, coordinating relief centers including a military tent and temporary laundromat still set up in front of City Hall. Shes 72.

Some residents have received assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but many have not. FEMA is scheduled to hold a town hall meeting in Rose City on Jan. 4.

Hopefully well get some answers, or some help. I try my best, but sometimes its not enough when youve lost everything and you have people telling you, What can I do? and you can only say, Reapply,  Stephenson said.

All but two of the 207 homes in Rose City were destroyed, she said. All across town, wood-frame homes sit vacant, broken windows dark and gaping, plastic toys salvaged from the flood lined up outside next to packed black trash bags.

People are watching their homes rot, the mayor said.  It doesnt seem like Christmas to us.

There are no roses  the town was named after a nearby oilfield  but there are towering pines, the thick forest of east Texas mixed with the bayous of Louisiana, whose border is less than 25 miles away. Some homes were built in the 1800s, and families have lived here for generations.

C.J. Veazey trims brisket to sell during the holiday. Veazeys wife, Rose City Secretary Tonya Veazey, set up a Christmas tree under a carport serving as the familys kitchen and den, with a couch, TV and a grill. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times )

Across the street from City Hall, City Secretary Tonya Veazey set up her Christmas tree under a carport serving as her familys kitchen and den, with a couch, TV, smokers and a grill.

Ive had meltdown after meltdown. This past week has been the worst, she said.

Neighbors know where she lives and come to the fence line looking for help  with the water, drywall and other building materials they cannot afford. Husband C.J. Veazey, 40, trimmed brisket on a table nearby to sell during the holiday.

Because people didnt have money for flood insurance, were rebuilding penny by penny, paycheck by paycheck, said Tonya Veazey, 34, wearing a Come Hell or High Water Texas Strong T-shirt.

Volunteers came to help after the storm, including Los Angeles police and those who were flooded the year before outside Baton Rouge, La. Some volunteers remained at Rose City Baptist Church, where Veazey joined them Thursday sorting donated toys for children in town. The church was gutted, a tent of supplies and stained glass windows piled outside.

Up the road, Veazey had helped a couple get a donated camper to stay in while they elevated their house 10 feet. They didnt have flood insurance, and it has cost them $16,000 so far just to raise the house.

Across the railroad tracks, an 86-year-old neighbors daughter tried to persuade her to leave after the storm destroyed her house and she had to be rescued by boat. When she refused to leave Rose City, the daughter returned from Dallas to help her rebuild, staying in a camper.

Juanita Cardenas recalled how she and her five siblings slept on the floor with their parents growing up, with cardboard for insulation. Back then, east Texas was segregated, which meant only her mother, the lightest-skinned in the family, was allowed into local shops. The Ku Klux Klan gathered nearby. When an African American man came to work up the road, a cross was burned on their corner.

But instead of moving away, most children  including hers  bought or settled the land, growing family plots.

We survived, Cardenas said.

Her four-bedroom house was razed after the flood, and the site is now a sandy lot. She got help building a one-room shack behind it with a kitchenette that Cardenas showed off. She hopes to move in after New Years.

Thats a mansion to me growing up! she said, laughing.

The family lost three houses on the plot, where Cardenas daughter also stays, and is still waiting for all of its FEMA assistance. They cant afford to rebuild, but hope to find a larger trailer.

Im just thankful weve got something to live in, said daughter Helen Ford, 59.

And on Friday morning, Ratcliff gave them something else to celebrate.

Merry Christmas from the operators at the water plant in Rose City, she announced on Facebook  the order to boil water had finally been lifted.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, Dec. 23. Heres what you dont want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

After the fire: Two weeks after the Thomas fire, nearly everyone in Ventura has a story to tell. With more than 500 homes lost and 27,000 residents evacuated, no one is a stranger to this disaster. They turn to one another in restaurants and diners, checkout lines and the post office and share their stories as if words could lay a foundation for their new lives. Initially they asked, Did you lose your home? Now its, How are you doing? in an understanding that possessions matter less than concerns of the heart. Los Angeles Times

Plus: As the Thomas fire raged in the hills above the seaside town of Oxnard, the shops were empty and the streets were silent. Winds had pushed smoke down from the blaze, shrouding buildings, cars and trees with a thick layer of white ash that was dangerous to breathe without respirators, according to public health officials. But in the vast strawberry fields outside town, work continued as usual. Los Angeles Times

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The biggest: The Thomas fire on Friday became Californias largest wildfire on record. Los Angeles Times

Plot foiled: The FBI said a Modesto man who espoused support for Islamic State planned a Christmas suicide attack on San Franciscos Pier 39, a popular tourist destination. Los Angeles Times

Look, up in the sky: What was that light show above L.A. on Friday night that stopped traffic and sparked both alarm and curiosity? It was SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Los Angeles Times

A pioneer: March Fong Eu, who was five times elected as Californias secretary of state, the first woman in that position and the first Chinese American to hold a constitutional office in California, has died at age 95. Los Angeles Times

No vote: Eighteen of Californias 53 House members voted no on an $81-billion disaster aid package Thursday, which includes funds for Californias recent wildfires. Los Angeles Times

Charged: A former Riverside County sheriffs deputy was charged with murdering his ex-girlfriends lover, authorities said Friday. Los Angeles Times

Sad tale: The Los Angeles Zoo has euthanized its herd of Nubian ibex after determining the goats were infected with a highly contagious and incurable strain of herpes. Los Angeles Times

Water fight: Nestle, which sells Arrowhead bottled water, may have to stop taking millions of gallons of water from Southern Californias San Bernardino National Forest because state regulators concluded it lacks valid permits. Associated Press

Days of yore: Check out these vintage photos of Christmases past in Los Angeles. Curbed Los Angeles

THIS WEEKS MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA

1. Multimillion-dollar homes in the Montecito area were reduced to ashes by the Thomas fire. Los Angeles Times

2. Now that the tax overhaul has passed, here are five moves to consider before years end. Los Angeles Times

3. A quick look at some of the biggest tax changes for Californians. Los Angeles Times

4. How the Mario Batali and Ken Friedman sexual harassment allegations are affecting their L.A. restaurants. Los Angeles Times

5. Hollywood producer Gary Goddard is accused of sexual misconduct by eight former child actors Los Angeles Times

ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEKS GREAT READS

Archaeology as blood sport: When the scientific journal Nature published in April an article arguing that a mastodon site in San Diego was more than 130,000 years old, it created a firestorm in the world of American archaeology. Los Angeles Times

A year later: A year after a tamale disaster left hundreds of customers steamed, a Downey store is seeking redemption. Los Angeles Times

How to get away with bankruptcy fraud: Los Angeles is the nations hub for bankruptcy crime. Scammers prey on struggling homeowners with little fear of getting caught, because criminal enforcement of bankruptcy laws is rare. ProPublica

Interesting trend: Real estate professionals call [them] Hispennials. The label, a mash-up of Hispanics and millennials, defines a group of consumers, aged 20 to 36, which the housing industry is eagerly courting. Orange County Register

Another problem: All the Money in the World hits theaters after Kevin Spacey was replaced in the film just weeks earlier. It details the 1973 kidnapping of Paul Getty III  and takes the position that Getty was not complicit in the crime. Now, a relative of the kidnappers has come forward to allege that the film gets it wrong. Variety

Funny music: How has Downey native Weird Al Yankovic managed to stay relevant all these years? Slate

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.
Petition drive to repeal California gas tax increase temporarily slows down By Patrick McGreevy A motorist prepares to gas up her vehicle in San Rafael, Calif., in 2015. ( (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)) Paid signature-gatherers for a ballot measure that would repeal gas tax increases may be hard to find on the streets of California this week. Organizers say its not a money issue, adding that they needed to briefly halt paid signature-gathering to catch up on collecting petitions from volunteers. The petition drive has so far collected more than 327,800 verified signatures of the 587,407 needed to qualify the measure for the November ballot, according to Dave Gilliard, the political strategist behind the drive. We knew it was popular but the incredible pace is even faster than we expected so we outran the capacity of our verification operation over the Christmas holiday and told our crew managers to slow down so we could catch up, Gilliard said. We will be back up to speed by the end of this week. The gas tax and vehicle fee increases signed by Gov. Jerry Brown are expected to raise $5.2 billion annually for road and bridge repairs and expanded mass transit. The gas tax jumped from 18 cents to 30 cents per gallon on Nov. 1, and vehicle fees of at least $25 kicked in Jan. 1. The gas tax repeal petition is breaking records for both paid and volunteer signatures and were using the next two weeks to catch up on validation of signatures already received, said Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego City Councilman and conservative radio talk-show host. As a grass-roots-funded effort we are also continuously raising funds and volunteer support. We are highly confident well qualify this Initiative for the November 2018 ballot. Facebook

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State pot bureau ready to enforce Californias new marijuana laws as license applications flood in By Patrick McGreevy The state has issued 104 licenses for retail stores to sell marijuana for recreational use in California and 239 other applications for those permits are pending, officials said Tuesday. An official with the state Bureau of Cannabis Control added that the agency is prepared to begin taking enforcement action against pot shops that are not properly licensed. The bureaus enforcement team is ready to respond to any complaints it receives and start doing compliance checks and site visits at any time, said Alex Traverso, a spokesman for the bureau. Selling marijuana without a license is a crime punishable by up to six months in county jail and a fine of up to $500. Those convicted of engaging in any marijuana business activity without a license will also be subject to a civil penalty of up to three times the amount of the license fee for each violation. A new report issued Tuesday indicated the bureau has issued 478 temporary licenses to firms to test, distribute and sell medical and recreational marijuana, which began Jan. 1 after voters approved a legalization initiative, Proposition 64, in 2016. Businesses have received 153 licenses to sell marijuana for medical use. Another 1,458 firms have applied for licenses that are still being processed. The state Department of Food and Agriculture has separately issued 207 licenses to marijuana growers. Facebook

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Two possible instances of discrimination reported after California issues drivers licenses to immigrants here illegally By Jazmine Ulloa The California Research Bureau on Tuesday released its first report on incidents of discrimination under a 2015 state law that has provided drivers licenses for hundreds of thousands of immigrants here illegally. Researchers found no complaints have been made against government agencies tasked with enforcing anti-discrimination laws. But two possible instances of discrimination were reported in focus group interviews conducted by Drive California, a coalition of advocates studying the impact of the new law. In one case, a woman in Fresno was told her license was not a valid form of identification at a retail store, though it was unclear whether the incident reflected intentional discrimination or simple ignorance of the license marking, the report states. A MoneyGram clerk in another case denied a license holder the ability to cash a check. The same person was later rejected again at a bank. The state Department of Motor Vehicles has issued 960,000 AB 60 drivers licenses as of Nov. 30. The state research bureau produced the report for the Legislature as part of the new law, which declares discrimination against an AB 60 license holder a violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act. Facebook

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California lawmaker proposes requiring panic buttons for hotel workers in response to widespread sexual harassment By Patrick McGreevy More than half of hotel workers surveyed report being sexually harassed at some point. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times) Alarmed by a survey indicating sexual harassment of hotel housekeepers is widespread, a California state lawmaker on Tuesday proposed requiring employers to provide panic button devices to their employees so they can summon help if abused by a guest. The bill to be introduced Wednesday by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) would also require individual hotels to impose a three-year ban on guests who engage in harassment on the property. We want to protect our most vulnerable women workers, hotel maids who are going into rooms alone, from sexual harassment, said Muratsuchi, who co-authored the bill with Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward). The legislation signals that concerns over sexual harassment that dominated the state Legislature last year will continue to be an issue for lawmakers as they begin the new legislative year Wednesday. Harassment allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, comedian Louis C.K. and other high-profile men have involved sexual misconduct in hotel rooms. A survey in July by Unite Here Local 1 found that 49% of female hotel workers in Chicago had experienced a guest answering the door naked or exposing himself. The report titled Hands Off, Pants On, found 58% of hotel workers said they had been sexually harassed by a guest. Californias Unite Here Local 11 has been calling for the action proposed in the legislation. It is the intent of this measure to protect hotel employees from violent assault, including sexual assault, and sexual harassment, and to enable those employees to speak out when they experience harassment on the job, said the introduction to the legislation introduced by Muratsuchi. In addition to requiring hotels to provide panic buttons to employees who work alone in rooms, the bill requires hotels to take written complaints from employees and keep them for five years. Any complaint backed by evidence including a statement given under penalty of perjury would result in a guest being banned from a hotel for three years. Hotels would also be required to post a notice on the inside of hotel room doors warning guests about the consequences of sexual harassment. Updated at 4:10 pm to include comment from Assemblyman Muratsuchi. Facebook

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Money, Republican malaise and Tom Steyer: These are the things to watch for in Californias 2018 statewide elections By Seema Mehta Get ready, California. What had been a behind-the-scenes dash for cash closely watched by few other than political observers is about to burst into public view. Voters this year will decide who will succeed Democrat Jerry Brown as the next governor and whether they will send Sen. Dianne Feinstein back to Washington. Before the June 5 primary, candidates will ramp up their campaigns with messages on television and stuffed into mailboxes. Heres a primer on the states two marquee races. Read More Facebook

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Fickle L.A. County is pivotal in the race for California governor By Phil Willon Home to a quarter of Californias 5.2 million registered voters, Los Angeles County is the biggest prize in Californias 2018 race for governor. For two hometown Democratic candidates especially  former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Treasurer John Chiang of Torrance  doing well in L.A. County is essential if they hope to best the front-runner, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. Yet this overwhelmingly Democratic stronghold continually bedevils even the most adept campaigns. Read More Facebook

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A renewed brawl over single-payer healthcare in California is on deck for 2018 By Melanie Mason Carolyn Angela Chen, a registered nurse, gives a free hepatitis A vaccination to Glenn Gardner, 52, at Joshua House Clinic (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) California officials are bracing for healthcare battles in Washington to have a major impact on the states budget and programs. Activists and politicians are planning a showdown over whether or not to establish a single-payer healthcare system in the state. And prescription drug manufacturers are the target of a number of bills meant to target the rising costs of medication. Sound familiar? Turns out the brewing healthcare battles in California in 2018 arent all that different from those from 2017. Heres a primer on the upcoming healthcare agenda in California: Read More Facebook

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How California lawmakers plan to protect the online privacy of consumers in 2018 By Jazmine Ulloa (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) With federal regulation rollbacks and a rise in data breaches, California lawmakers this year are looking for ways to protect consumers and their personal information. Some legislation under consideration could give people more notice and control over what data is collected, without having to pay for privacy or better services. Other bills could provide free credit freezes for consumers and require new privacy features for products that connect to the internet. Read More Facebook

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2018 will see California motorists pay more to the state to repair roads and bridges By Patrick McGreevy The new year brings with it new vehicle fees in California ranging from $25 to $175 depending on the value of your car, but Republican lawmakers are hoping to qualify a ballot measure in November to repeal the higher charges. The fees and a 12-cent increase in Californias gas tax last year are part of a plan by Democrats to raise more than $5.2 billion annually to deal with a backlog of road and bridge repairs. Petitions to qualify a repeal initiative are circulating now. Read More Facebook

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A rent control battle tops the list of California housing issues to watch in 2018 By Liam Dillon A new-home community in Anaheim in 2016 (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times) California lawmakers arent wasting any time in tackling one of the most contentious issues in state housing politics this year. On Jan. 11, the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee is set to hold a hearing on legislation that could lead to a dramatic expansion of rent control policies across the state. The debate over rent control could spill over onto the 2018 ballot, where Californians also could see proposals to expand or curtail the property tax restrictions ushered in 40 years ago by Proposition 13. Lawmakers will have to wrestle with how to follow up a package of housing bills that passed last year. The measures provided new funding and regulations designed to encourage homebuilding, but are unlikely to make an appreciable difference in housing costs. Read More Facebook

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Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas is resigning By John Myers Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas abruptly announced his resignation from the California Legislature on Wednesday, citing health reasons. Ridley-Thomas, a Democrat from Los Angeles, informed Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) Tuesday night. The reason for this difficult decision is that I am facing persistent health issues, Ridley-Thomas, 30, said in a written statement on Wednesday. On December 18th, I underwent surgery for the fifth time this year. Although I expect a full recovery, my physicians advise that I will need an extended period of time to recuperate. Earlier this year, Ridley-Thomas was absent from work for more than two weeks. Staff members initially said the absence was a personal leave, then said the time off was due to unspecified medical reasons. His resignation letter on Wednesday offered no additional details. When I resume public life, I intend to remain active in civic affairs, where my passion lies, he said in the statement released by his office. Ridley-Thomas was first elected to the Assembly in a 2013 special election. He is the son of Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. Before winning elected office at age 26, the younger Ridley-Thomas worked as an aide for Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price and managed a 2012 Assembly campaign in San Bernardino County. In a statement about his sons decision, Mark Ridley-Thomas said he and his wife more than anyone, have seen him struggle with health challenges this year, and we fully support his decision to step down from the state Legislature so that he can recuperate with complete rest, in accordance with his doctors orders. His solidly Democratic district includes the west Los Angeles neighborhoods of Westwood, Culver City, Crenshaw and Baldwin Hills. He is chairman of the influential Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee, which oversees all tax-related legislation. Ridley-Thomas is a proponent of changes in the operation of the state Board of Equalization, though his plan would have allowed the agency to ultimately retain many of its duties. A more substantial shake-up was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in June. Ridley-Thomas was the author of a bill signed into law in October giving the Los Angeles Unified School District the power to preserve some of its existing single-gender schools. He was unsuccessful, though, in an effort to stop local governments from imposing taxes on streaming video services like Netflix and Hulu. Ridley-Thomas departure will require a special election in 2018. He is the fourth Southern California legislator to leave office this year. The election of Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) to Congress also required a special election. The other two lawmakers Assemblymen Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) and Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills)  stepped down in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct, which both men have denied. A special election to fill Bocanegras seat will be held on April 3, with a potential runoff on June 5. A special election date has not yet been set for Dababnehs seat. My colleagues and I wish Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas all the best going forward as he deals with his health challenges, Rendon said in a statement. The Assembly will continue to assist the residents of the 54th Assembly District until a new assemblymember is seated. This post was updated with comment from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, as well as more information about special elections. It was originally published at 11:10 a.m. Facebook

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California Senate Democrats are considering some ideas to counter the GOP tax plan By Liam Dillon Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Democrats in the California Senate are planning to write legislation to lessen the effects of the elimination of popular tax breaks in the GOPs overhaul of the federal tax system. To finance broad-based corporate tax cuts and reductions in individual tax rates, the GOP plan caps the deductibility of state and local income and property taxes  a benefit used often in suburban areas of California. The Republican tax scam disproportionately harms California taxpayers, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) said in a statement. Our hard-earned tax dollars should not be subject to double-taxation, especially not to line the pockets of the Trump family, hedge fund managers and private jet owners. De Leon, who also is running for U.S. Senate, said the state Senate is working with law professors at UCLA, UC Davis and the University of Chicago to develop the legislation. Ideas being considered, according to a de Leon spokesman, include: Reducing state personal income taxes through a tax credit program and offsetting that amount through payroll taxes.

Allowing individuals to make voluntary gifts to the state of California, which would be deductible as a charitable donation under federal law. The deduction for the donated amount would replace the state and local tax deduction. Lawmakers return to Sacramento in January.

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L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti admits considering a 2020 bid: I am thinking about this By Seema Mehta Eric Garcetti (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Its no secret Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is interested in running for president. When reporters ask about his intentions, he has used all sorts of ways to deflect, typically by saying hes focused on his day job  for the moment. But speaking in Spanish to a Univision reporter this week, Garcetti edged ever closer to the telltale admission hes actually considering it. I am thinking about this, said Garcetti, who is partly of Mexican heritage but learned Spanish attending private school. The majority of time goes to my work as mayor of Los Angeles, but every [citizen] should think about what our role is in these difficult times, in these dangerous times. Garcetti added that he expects many mayors to run for president, and noted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently visited Iowa, which holds the first presidential nominating contest. Garcetti has long been rumored to be flirting with a White House bid, and he has fueled such speculation by traveling out of state to places such as the early presidential primary state of New Hampshire to campaign for a mayoral candidate. Facebook

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Gov. Brown makes judicial appointments, including attorney who helps train Legislature on anti-sexual-harassment policies .@JerryBrownGov makes two court of appeal and 33 superior court appointments including Lauri Damrell in Sacramento. Damrell, an attorney at Orrick, testified at the Assemblys recent hearing on sexual harassment, outlining the assemblys current prevention efforts.  Liam Dillon (@dillonliam) December 22, 2017 Facebook

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Californias former top cop forms marijuana distribution firm in new age of legalization By Patrick McGreevy Former California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer is going from enforcing laws against marijuana to legally distributing the drug under the states new rules that allow the sale and possession of pot for recreational use. With state-licensed sales of marijuana starting Jan. 1, Lockyer has co-founded a firm, C4 Distro, that will distribute packaged marijuana concentrates and edibles to stores in Los Angeles. He says Californias new regulated system has a chance to be a model for the rest of the country. For me as somebody who was on the law enforcement side for so many years, I saw the inadequacies of the effort to regulate something just by calling it illegal, Lockyer said. I think legalizing will help stabilize and help legitimize this industry and result in better consumer protection and other public benefits. Lockyer, a Democrat who served in the state Assembly and was leader of the state Senate, has co-founded the firm with Eric Spitz, who was chairman and president of the former parent company of the Orange County Register. The businessmen aim to get their products to pot shops in L.A. in late January or early February, Spitz said. Asked if he uses marijuana himself, Lockyer, 76, said, Not in any recent times, but there were college years. He said he sees his involvement in the marijuana industry as a mixture of helping to pay for his kids college tuition and public service to help the new regulations work. This whole industry has to come from the dark side to the light, he said. By focusing on delivery to as many as 700 stores that might open in Los Angeles, C4 Distro hopes to capture a targeted market while other firms distribute statewide. The business has a warehouse in southeast Los Angeles County and is close to applying for a distributors license from the state, Lockyer said. Lockyer served a quarter century in the state Legislature before he was elected as state attorney general in 1999. He left that office in 2007 when he was elected as state treasurer, serving until his retirement from politics in 2015. Before co-leading a group that bought the Register newspaper in 2012, Spitz served as chief financial officer at Narragansett Brewing Company. Spitz left the Registers Freedom Communications in 2016. 2 p.m.: An earlier version of this article mistakenly said Spitz left Freedom Communications in 2015. Facebook

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House passes disaster aid bill with wildfire funding, 18 Californians vote no By Sarah D. Wire (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Eighteen of Californias 53 House members voted no on an $81-billion disaster aid package Thursday, which includes funds for Californias recent wildfires. The 17 Democrats and one Republican voted no on the bill, which passed the House by a 251 to 169 vote. The Senate is not expected to take up the bill until January, when Congress returns from its holiday break. The entire California delegation had recently signed onto a letter asking for the disaster aid. In a speech on the House floor before the vote, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) pleaded with colleagues not to take a political stance on a disaster aid bill. Dont play politics on a vote to give aid to the people of Texas, to the people of Puerto Rico and to the Virgin Islands, to the people of Florida, and to the people of California that are still fighting the fires. Dont play politics on a bill where you hope to maybe stop another. That would be the worst of any politics Ive seen played here, McCarthy said. Here and now, right before Christmas, dont vote against aid for Americans who just lost everything. Several of the Democrats who voted no also voted against the spending bill Thursday, and said that they felt they could not support either because the bills did not include Democratic priorities for the end of the year, including protections for people brought to the country illegally as children. Others said the aid bill doesnt provide enough money for California and doesnt treat Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands fairly in terms of competing for the funds. The 18 representatives voting no were: Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro)

Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles)

Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles)

Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park)

Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana)

Anna Eshoo (D-Menlo Park)

Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles)

Ro Khanna (D-Fremont)

Barbara Lee (D-Oakland)

Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove)

Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco)

Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Downey)

Linda Sanchez (D-Whittier)

Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough)

Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin)

Norma Torres (D-Pomona)

Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) Facebook

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Three California House members cross party lines on spending bill to keep government open By Sarah D. Wire Three California House members crossed party lines Thursday on a vote to pass a spending bill that will keep the government open until mid-January. Democratic Reps. Jim Costa of Fresno and Raul Ruiz of Palm Desert joined the majority of Republicans to vote for the bill. Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter of Alpine joined Democrats to vote against it. The bill, which funds the government through Jan. 19, passed the House 231 to 188, right before representatives left for the holidays. Costa said in a statement that he voted yes because keeping the government open is Congress job, but he called the vote a continuation of the dysfunction in Washington. It further illustrates the damage that results from partisan politics and irresponsible leadership. It is unacceptable that we have to resort to funding the government for weeks at a time because we cannot sit down together  Democrats and Republicans  and negotiate a real budget bill, Costa said. Hunters staff said the congressman was concerned that military spending in the bill was extended for only a short period. He had wanted the spending to be extended until September. Facebook

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Poll points to all-Democrat runoffs in California races for governor and senator By Seema Mehta Californians could see two Democrat-on-Democrat contests in the states premier races in 2018, according to a new poll released Thursday. In the gubernatorial race, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom remains the front-runner with the support of 26% of likely voters in a Berkeley IGS poll. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa came in second with the backing of 17%. The poll found notable demographic differences in the two mens bases of support. Newsom had strong leads in the Bay Area, where he once served as the mayor of San Francisco, as well as among white voters, liberals and the wealthy. Villaraigosa saw strong backing in Los Angeles County, among Latino voters and among those who earned less than $40,000. Republicans splintered in the race, placing businessman John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen in a tie for third place with 9% each. Two other Democrats, state Treasurer John Chiang and former state schools chief Delaine Eastin, each won the support of 5% of likely voters. If Republicans fail to consolidate behind a candidate in the June primary, voters will for the first time see no GOP candidate on the November ballot for governor. Its a repeat of what occurred in the 2016 U.S. Senate race, and what is likely to occur again in the 2018 U.S. Senate race if the field does not grow. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has the support of 41% of likely voters in her reelection bid, but her rival, fellow Democrat Kevin de Leon, won the support of 27%, according to the poll. There is no GOP candidate in the race. Feinstein, who has served in the Senate for a quarter-century, has enormous advantages in fundraising, name recognition and support among powerful political groups. However, the poll found that nearly one-third of likely voters said they are undecided or would like to support another candidate. Facebook

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California legislator wants to curb sexual harassment in Hollywood and eating disorders for models By Melanie Mason Fashion models show off the BCBG MAX AZRIA Spring 2016 collection during New York Fashion Week. (Richard Drew / AP) A new proposal by a California assemblyman is taking aim at two of the more criticized phenomena in the entertainment industry: sexual harassment and unhealthy body standards for fashion models. The legislation, by Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), would require the states Occupational Safety and Health Standards to adopt guidelines for fashion models in an attempt to combat the prevalence of eating disorders and excessive thinness in the industry. This is the second time Levine has tried to take on the fashion industry. His similar bill to impose standards on models sputtered in 2016. This time, Levine also is trying to address the prevalence of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry by requiring that talent agencies  which represent actors, performers and other artists  provide training on sexual harassment and how to identify and prevent inappropriate behavior. I believed women who told me their stories of abuse when I introduced legislation to provide workplace protections in the fashion industry in 2016 just like I believe them now, Levine said in a statement. Its time that law reflects societys rejection of sexual harassment in all workplaces, including Hollywood. My bill aims to address the problem before it starts, but also empowers survivors with the tools to report these cases. Facebook

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Local Indivisible group picks Democrat to endorse against Rep. Duncan Hunter By Christine Mai-Duc Ammar Campa-Najjar, 28, is running against Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine). (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) With an already crowded field of contenders hoping to unseat Rep. Duncan Hunter and months to go before the candidate filing deadline, one local activist group has made an early endorsement in the race. Indivisible CA50, made up of activists mostly in San Diego County, announced Thursday that its endorsing Ammar Campa-Najjar, a Democrat and public affairs consultant whos challenging Hunter. The endorsement comes as liberal activists and interest groups all over the state are grappling with whether  and how  to winnow down the dozens of candidates vying for 10 GOP-held seats in California. The group held more than half a dozen endorsement meetings to allow members throughout Hunters district to vote on their preferred candidate. One of the candidates, Pierre Beauregard, dropped out of the race recently and endorsed Campa-Najjar. In a statement Campa-Najjar said in a statement that the nod represents the enthusiasm of hundreds of progressive grassroots activists. Indivisibles national political director Maria Urbina said the endorsement was the first made by any California chapter in the 2018 midterms. Aside from Campa-Najjar, two other Democrats are running for Hunters seat: Josh Butner, a school board trustee and former Navy SEAL, and realtor Patrick Malloy, who ran last year and lost to Hunter by nearly 27 percentage points. Hunter will also face at least two GOP challengers: Shamus Sayed and Andrew Zelt. Hunter is not considered to be particularly vulnerable in next years election, but an investigation into his alleged misuse of campaign funds has caused at least one election handicapper to move his race from solid Republican to the likely Republican column. Facebook

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San Francisco is getting a new mayor and creating a political star. Who will it be? By Mark Z. Barabak San Francisco is the city everyone loves, even if they hate it. The stately Victorians, like a gingerbread dream come to life. The majestic Golden Gate Bridge, standing like heavens portal above the fog. The plucky cable cars, scrabbling up its impossible hillsides. It can almost make you forget the bands of ravaged homeless, the paralyzing traffic, the scent of human waste wafting from sidewalks outside the citys posh eateries and palatial tech headquarters. San Francisco is getting a new mayor, owing to the sudden death of incumbent Ed Lee. All of the grandeur, and all of the grit, accompany the position. To say the race is wide open  Lee having died just about a week ago  is an understatement. Read More Facebook

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein is under pressure over a fix for Dreamers By Sarah D. Wire California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is under pressure from activists and fellow Democrats to withhold support for a spending bill that would avert a government shutdown in exchange for protections for people brought to the country illegally as children. Feinstein said in October that protections for so-called Dreamers are the most important thing we can get done, but the senator known for her moderate bent said this week that she wont try to block the end-of-the-year spending bill over it, and has not offered an explanation. Dreamers this week flooded Feinsteins five California offices and her office on Capitol Hill. Two UCLA students refused to leave her Capitol Hill office after three hours Tuesday and were briefly detained by police. On Wednesday, about a dozen students and parents returned and were asked to leave after about 30 minutes of shouting in her office lobby. Read More Facebook

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The GOP tax plan passed. Now Democrats have another big issue to use in the midterms By Sarah D. Wire As GOP leaders in Congress met behind closed doors to hash out the details of their massive tax overhaul, a group of UC Irvine graduate students met in Rep. Mimi Walters district, fretting about how the plan could cost them money. About 20 miles north, dozens of activists in top hats stood outside Rep. Ed Royces Brea office as they chanted, Shame on you! And up in the Central Valley, protesters gathered outside Rep. Jeff Denhams Modesto office to sing Protest ye dreary congressman  Remember that he voted to take healthcare away. To save himself from taxes now, so you will have to pay. Read More Facebook

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Kevin de Leon to Feinstein: Dont come back to California without forcing a government shutdown over Dream Act By Jazmine Ulloa State Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), left, and Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), right. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press) Taking direct criticism to the woman he is attempting to unseat in next years U.S. Senate race, California Senate leader Kevin de Leon on Wednesday urged Democrats to block a year-end spending bill as leverage to pass a Dream Act  clean of GOP demands for increased border security. At a news conference in downtown Los Angeles, De Leon commended Sen. Kamala Harris for pledging to block the measure, saying he could not understand why her colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein had failed to take a similar stance in pushing for legislation to protect the so-called Dreamers, immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. Dreamers make up hundreds of thousands of Sen. Feinsteins constituents, and while talking a good game on Dreamers, when it comes to standing up and supporting them, she is AWOL, said De Leon (D-Los Angeles), who has attempted to position himself to Feinsteins left as he campaigns for her seat. His statements follow days of demonstrations by young protesters at legislators offices in Washington and California. The coalitions of activists have been calling on Democrats to hold up the spending bill, a move that could force a government shutdown. They want to pass Dream Act legislation that would provide protections and a path to citizenship to young people without legal residency in the U.S. At least two young protesters were arrested Tuesday outside of Feinsteins Capitol Hill office, and more demonstrations took place at her offices in Washington and San Francisco on Wednesday. Feinstein, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) have sponsored Dream Act legislation but have not pledged to hold up the spending deal. A separate bipartisan group of senators is advocating punting the issue to January. President Trump has asked Congress to come up with a solution by March. Standing next to De Leon and immigrant rights advocates on Wednesday, state Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) said advocates had to double down the shame on any Democrat who thinks its time to wait on the issue. De Leon said they had made that message clear to Schumer, saying, It is time to find your spine, sir. To Pelosi and Feinstein, he said: Dont come back to California if you havent demonstrated your leadership and your courage to stand up for these young men and women. I can tell you this, De Leon said. If the Republicans were on the other side, they wouldnt hesitate for a nanosecond to shut down the government to move forward what they believe in. Facebook

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12 California Republicans vote to support tax overhaul for a second time; Rohrabacher and Issa say no By Sarah D. Wire The House gave final approval for the GOP tax bill Wednesday, with 12 Republicans in the state delegation again voting in favor of the bill. Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Darrell Issa of Vista voted no. The House and Senate both passed the bill Tuesday, but, because Democrats raised procedural objections that forced the bill to be changed in the Senate, the House had to vote on the bill again Wednesday before sending it to President Trump for his signature. Though many California taxpayers are expected to see an initial income tax cut under the plan, a significant number probably will have higher taxes because of the lost deductions. Analysts also expect the biggest cuts to flow to corporations and the states wealthiest residents. Republicans are expected to head to the White House later Wednesday for a celebration with Trump. No House Democrats, including the 39 from California, supported the bill. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk) was not present for the second vote, but she voted no on Tuesday. See the Republican votes here: Facebook

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Californias Democratic senators vote no on GOP tax bill Californias @SenKamalaHarris and @SenFeinstein join rest of Democrats in the Senate in voting no on the GOP tax bill, which passed 51-48 along party lines. Sanders, who is an Independent, voted with Democrats.  Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 "At a time when wages have stagnated and working Americans are trying to do more with less, this tax plan pulls the rug out from the middle class to give billions to those who already have so much. This is an attack on our values, and Americans deserve better," Harris said.  Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 "Californians will be hit especially hard by the cap on the state and local tax deduction, making it more difficult for communities to pay for services that our families rely on, Its no wonder a bill that primarily benefits the wealthy is so unpopular..." Feinstein said  Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 Facebook

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GOP tax overhaul passes House with help from a dozen California Republicans By Sarah D. Wire Despite weeks of consternation from some California House Republicans, a dozen of them joined their colleagues to pass an overhaul of the U.S. tax code Tuesday. Two  Reps. Darrell Issa and Dana Rohrabacher  voted against the plan. In the weeks before the vote, Republican Reps. Mimi Walters of Irvine and Steve Knight of Palmdale cited new caps on popular deductions as reasons they were uncertain about whether to vote for the bill. Both worked behind the scenes on changes and ultimately supported the bill, which passed the House on a near party line vote 227-203. Knight said hes satisfied the changes are enough to to turn what would have been a tax increase into a tax cut for his constituents. Read More Facebook

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More than half of Californians oppose GOP tax bill, according to new poll By Sarah D. Wire House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) arrives for a news conference about the tax plan. (Win McNamee / Getty Images) More than half of Californians oppose the GOP tax bill expected to be approved by Congress today, and just 20% believe it will have a positive affect on their families, according to a poll released Monday. Just over half of California voters, 51%, oppose the tax bill, and 30% support it, according to the newest IGS Poll, a survey by the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley. And the belief falls largely along party lines, with Democrats opposing the bill by a more than 4-to-1 (67% to 15%) margin and Republicans supporting it 3 to 1 (60% to 21%). The House and Senate are expected to vote on the tax bill Tuesday. Californias Republican members of Congress largely support the bill despite some concerns about how cuts to the state and local tax deduction and mortgage interest deduction might affect Californians. Democrats in the delegation oppose it and have said they will use the vote against vulnerable Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections. When asked about the impact they think the bill will have on themselves and their families, just 20% of the polls respondents said they think it will benefit them directly, while 40% foresee a negative impact. About 27% do not expect much of an impact, and 13% said they dont know if theyll be affected. The poll of a random sample of 1,000 registered voters was completed by telephone in English and Spanish from Dec. 7 to 16. Facebook

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A quick look at some of the biggest tax changes for Californians By Sarah D. Wire (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) Congressional Republicans are framing their tax cut bill as a Christmas gift that will give Americans an average tax cut of $2,059. For Californians, especially in the wealthier areas along the coast, the situation isnt as clear-cut. When the measure comes up for a vote in the House on Tuesday morning, its expected to pass along party lines. At least two Republicans say they will join Democrats in the California delegation to oppose the plan because they fear it will hurt their constituents bottom line. Take a quick look at what some of the biggest changes in the tax bill might mean for average Californians. Read More Facebook

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Lawmakers, pot growers say Californias marijuana cultivation rules favor big corporate farms By Patrick McGreevy Californias new rules allowing marijuana cultivation favor large corporate farms despite a promise in Proposition 64 that small growers would be protected, according to a group of state lawmakers and marijuana industry leaders who called Monday for the policy to be changed. The California Department of Food and Agriculture issued emergency rules last month that allow for small and medium-sized farms of up to a quarter acre and one acre, respectively, to get licenses for the first five years. That five-year head start for small farms was promised in Proposition 64, the initiative approved last year by voters that legalized growing and selling marijuana for recreational use. Individuals and businesses can get only one license for a medium-sized farm, but the new rules do not set a limit on how many small-farm licenses can be obtained by one person or business. That could allow a corporation to assemble a 20-acre farm by obtaining 80 licenses for a quarter-acre each, opponents worry. Democratic state Sens. Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Mike McGuire of Healdsburg, Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) and the California Growers Assn. asked for swift action by the state agricultural department to change the rule. This is clearly a broken promise, McGuire said. For two years, every discussion has included a cap on cannabis grows and the Department of Food and Agriculture needs to fix this massive loophole they have created. This last-minute revision rolls out the red carpet for large corporations to crush the livelihood of small family farmers. With cultivation licenses set to take effect next month, the lawmakers also promised legislative hearings on why the rules were drafted to disadvantage small, mom-and-pop farms. California only has one chance to get this right, and it is already on the wrong path with this last-minute change that flies in the face of what the backers of Prop. 64 promised, said Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Assn. This single decision will hand over the California marketplace to multinational corporations and a wealthy few at the expense of thousands of growers who are ready to play by the rules and provide economic opportunity in communities that until recently were criminalized or  at the very least  marginalized. The industry estimates there are about 3,500 independent growers on track to get a state license in the first half of 2018. Allens group estimates that number could grow to as many as 10,000 or 15,000 by the end of 2020, but not if large corporate farms are allowed in early. The agricultural agency issued a response later: A one-acre canopy limit has not been in proposed regulations at any point and was not included in the emergency regulations due to the fact that Proposition 64, the law guiding the process, did not provide authority to include it. However, local jurisdictions may impose that limitation on their own if it meets the needs of their constituents. Updated at 5:10 pm to include comment from agricultural agency. Facebook

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Final tax bill dramatically softens blow to mortgage interest deductions in California By Christine Mai-Duc Last-minute changes to the Republican-led tax overhaul seem to be tailor-made to entice support from California GOP lawmakers, several of whom voted against a previous version passed in the House last month. The House version, passed with the support of all but three California Republicans, had proposed capping the mortgage interest deduction at loans of $500,000 or less. Republicans in high-tax, expensive states had voiced concerns the bill would have major effects in their districts. But the final version of the bill dramatically slashed the percentage of new mortgages that would be affected if the package becomes law. *New mortgages over $500,000 include data through Sept. 2017. New mortgages over $750,000 include data through Oct. 2017. Source: Times analysis of data provided by CoreLogic The particulars of the mortgage interest provision and other popular deductions were major sticking points as House and Senate negotiators hammered out a compromise between the two versions. A previous Times analysis showed that more than half of new mortgages this year in Rep. Dana Rohrabachers coastal Orange County district exceeded the $500,000 cap laid out in the House version. Text of the new bill released Friday outlined a cap of $750,000, which would apply to just under a quarter of new mortgages there through October 2017. Rohrabacher was one of three California Republicans, along with Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) and Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove) who previously voted against the measure. Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) said she supported the House version after receiving assurances from leaders that the bill would be changed to account for the loss of deductions, The percentage of new mortgages over the cap dropped from 48% to 14%. Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), whose district had 1% of mortgages exceeding the $500,000 cap proposed previously, saw that share drop almost to zero; 27 of 7,515 mortgages in his congressional district this year have been for more than $750,000. The House is expected to vote on the final tax bill Tuesday. Facebook

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A major change to Proposition 13 takes its first step toward the 2018 ballot By Liam Dillon A commercial property in San Bernardino County that could face higher property taxes under a proposed ballot measure (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times) Proponents of making a dramatic change to Californias landmark Proposition 13 property tax restrictions took their first step to getting a measure on the November 2018 statewide ballot Friday. The change would allow the state to receive more tax dollars from commercial and industrial properties by assessing them at their current market value, an effort known as split roll because existing tax protections on homes would remain in place. Advocates of the measure, including the League of Women Voters of California and community organizing nonprofits California Calls and PICO Network said the change could raise billions of dollars that could be spent on public schools and community colleges. I think the cumulative effects of the unfair tax system have gotten to the point where its created crippling economic impacts on the state, said Melissa Breach, executive director of the League of Women Voters of California. Backers filed their proposed initiative Friday. The attorney generals office will prepare an official title and summary for the measure and it will receive a financial analysis. From there, advocates will decide if they will collect signatures to put the measure on the ballot. Proposition 13 passed in 1978 amid concerns that rising property taxes could force people out of their homes. The ballot measure limited property taxes to 1% of a propertys value at the time of purchase and ensures that the assessed value on which taxes are based can only increase by a maximum of 2% a year  no matter how much a propertys market value goes up. Split-roll measures have been long debated in state politics, but business groups and anti-tax groups have expressed substantial opposition to the idea, arguing that it would cause major harm to the states business climate. Breach said she expected an avalanche of big money against the measure should it go forward, but said that her organization wouldnt get involved without believing it could raise sufficient funding.S For the record 1 p.m., Dec. 18: An earlier version of this post said the split roll ballot measure would allow California to charge higher tax rates on commercial and industrial properties. It would allow the state to assess those properties at current market value, not charge higher rates. Facebook

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Three more women accuse California assemblyman of sexual misconduct By Melanie Mason Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills) (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) A Los Angeles woman has filed a police report alleging Democratic Assemblyman Matt Dababneh had sex with her without consent four years ago, adding new allegations of sexual misconduct to those that led the politician to announce his resignation last week. He says her claims are false. Nancy Miret, 26, told The Times that when she was 22 and a recent college graduate, she spent time with Dababneh over two months in late 2013, primarily at his Encino apartment. At the time, Dababneh was running for Assembly to represent the western San Fernando Valley. They had consensual sex on one occasion, but after that, Miret said she had multiple nonconsensual sexual encounters with Dababneh that left her traumatized. Miret, who now works in commercial real estate, is one of three women interviewed by The Times who have made new allegations concerning Dababnehs behavior. These allegations are false and Im confident that when all the facts are in, it will clearly show that these claims are not true, Dababneh told The Times. Read More Facebook

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San Diego business is first in California to be issued license to sell marijuana for recreational use By Patrick McGreevy A San Diego medical marijuana business is the first firm to be issued a license by the state of California to sell marijuana for recreational use, officials said Thursday. Torrey Holistics received two of the first 20 licenses granted by the state Bureau of Cannabis Control this week to sell or distribute marijuana, although the licenses do not take effect until Jan. 1, according to bureau chief Lori Ajax. An additional 180 firms have applied for licenses but they are being processed. Last week, we officially launched our online licensing system, and today were pleased to issue the first group of temporary licenses to cannabis businesses that fall under the Bureaus jurisdiction, Ajax said in a statement. We plan to issue many more before January 1. The bureau is issuing temporary, four-month licenses to firms initially, but will eventually require firms to undergo background checks and pay a $1,000 application fee for yearlong permits. Tony Hall left a chemical distribution business two years ago to start Torrey Holistics with a friend and classmate at San Diego State. He said he was ecstatic to have the first recreational permit in California. He also obtained a new license to continue selling marijuana for medical uses. We feel fricking great about it, he said Thursday. Its just exciting. This is a once in a multi-generational event, he added, likening it to the end of prohibition. Added Ruthie Edelson, the firms marketing director, We will be open at 7 a.m. on Jan. 1. Last year, voters approved Proposition 64, which makes California one of eight states that allow the growing and sale of marijuana for recreational uses. Facebook

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Conservative activist group files a lawsuit over Los Angeles County inactive voter list By John Myers A Washington-based conservative-leaning activist group filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday alleging Los Angeles County officials are refusing to cancel the registrations of voters who are ineligible to cast a ballot. The legal action by Judicial Watch comes four months after the organization first accused elections officials across the state of maintaining registration lists that are larger than their voting-age population. The lawsuit also names Secretary of State Alex Padilla as a defendant and alleges the voter lists violate the National Voter Registration Act, or NVRA. They dont care about removing ineligible registration, said Robert Popper of Judicial Watch. I think we have a very strong lawsuit. The lawsuit names four Los Angeles County voters as co-plaintiffs and asserts that a countys two lists of voters  the file of active voters and those whose registration has been placed on inactive status  should be combined into a single total. The inactive list includes people who havent cast ballots in recent elections and havent responded to inquiries from elections officials. Though the names on that list are considered voters, they are not counted in official registration reports and are not mailed election material. Popper led an effort earlier this year to estimate the size of each countys voting-age population using the Census Bureaus American Community Survey. He said the surveys five-year average of county populations was then adjusted by focusing just on the estimate of those over the age of 18, and then comparing that with the combined active and inactive voter lists. Popper dismissed any concern that the resulting number might be skewed by the different standards used by counties for the inactive list, which could include names of voters who moved or died and thus be an imperfect guide. I believe that a court is going to accept our numbers, he said. Dean Logan, the registrar of voters in Los Angeles County, said his staffs practices are consistent with federal law. This lawsuit appears to fundamentally interpret the requirements of the NVRA in a manner inconsistent with ensuring voter enfranchisement and appropriate list maintenance, he said. The lawsuit also alleges that Los Angeles elections officials failed to provide Judicial Watch with requested data about the size of the inactive list, and accuses Padilla of failing to address the groups concerns about California not following NVRA rules. In a statement on Thursday, Padilla said county inactive-voter files are not out of compliance with the law. He criticized Judicial Watch for its baseless assertions, bad math, and flawed methodology. Local elections officials have said very few inactive voters show up on election day, and that any who do would be asked to cast a provisional ballot  one that isnt counted unless the voters eligibility is confirmed through additional review. Popper insisted that if the list is never used, theres no reason to keep it. Judicial Watch, which sued for access to Hillary Clintons emails in 2016, alleged that its calculations show 11 California counties with questionable voter registration totals. Facebook

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Voters in California GOP districts may get calls asking them to thank their member of Congress for tax plan By Sarah D. Wire Voters in four key Republican-held congressional districts could get a robocall starting Friday urging them to call and thank their member of Congress for supporting the tax bill. Its a last minute effort by American Action Network, a politically active nonprofit connected with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) that has spent millions to shore up Republican support for the bill. The robocalls include the members office number. The four California members being targeted are Reps. Jeff Denham of Turlock, David Valadao of Hanford, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Mimi Walters of Irvine. All four represent districts that backed Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and are Democratic targets in 2018. Knight and Walters had been particularly vocal about their concerns with the plan, saying it might raise taxes for their constituents. The final text of the bill is set to be released Friday, with a vote expected early next week. In total, American Action Network plans to place 1 million robocalls in 29 districts nationwide. Facebook

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Merry Christmas Republicans in Congress: Funny or Die video goes after California lawmakers over DACA By Christine Mai-Duc As members of Congress try to pass a controversial tax bill and a measure to keep the federal government funded, the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is hitting Republicans hard over another unresolved issue: the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country illegally as children who could face deportation if lawmakers dont act. Amid negotiations over a long-term spending bill, Democratic leaders have been pushing their GOP colleagues to include a fix for those who were granted temporary protection under President Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA. President Trump announced an end to the program earlier this year and gave Congress a March deadline to address it. Funny or Die and BOLD PAC released a video Friday featuring comedians skewering GOP members, including two in California, for their inaction. In the video, Oscar Nunez, best known for his role on The Office, calls out Reps. Steve Knight (Palmdale), Ed Royce (Fullerton), Carlos Curbelo (Florida) and John Culberson (Texas), who get to go ahead and celebrate as thousands of Dreamers are banished from the only country theyve ever called home. How many broken promises can fit in a stocking? Nunez asks later. Im asking for a congressman. The political action committee says its spending six figures on the weeklong buy, which will go out nationwide across Funny Or Dies social media channels. They are known for blasting out irreverent, often viral parodies that play to young audiences. The video will also be targeted to constituents in each of the four congressional districts. A separate video released by the ACLU last week also urged members of Congress to strike a deal on DACA. Many California Republicans have remained mum on the issue, particularly those facing tough races in 2018. So far, only Reps. David Valadao (Hanford), Jeff Denham (Turlock) and Mimi Walters (Irvine) have pressured fellow Republicans to come up with a solution before Congress breaks for Christmas. Following Trumps decision, Knight said the issue should receive attention by Congress. Royce, who has taken hard-line stances on immigration in the past, urged his colleagues to provide a permanent, legislative solution that gives certainty to these kids. Neither elaborated on what that solution should be. Facebook

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For a prominent California consumer group and savvy political consultants, documents reveal a close financial relationship By John Myers If theres a clear mantra for Consumer Watchdog, one of Californias most visible and vocal advocacy groups, its that hidden financial relationships shouldnt shape politics and public policy. The Santa Monica-based nonprofit has spent more than three decades reprimanding politicians and interest groups for doing the bidding of those who give them money. Its official motto is expose, confront, change. We are loud, and we speak more of a populist truth than the way people usually talk to each other in Sacramento, said Jamie Court, Consumer Watchdogs president. Read More Facebook

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Regional director resigns from California Democratic Party amid sexual misconduct claims By Jazmine Ulloa A regional director with the California Democratic Party submitted his resignation on Thursday, nearly two weeks after a 23-year-old woman reported that he sexually assaulted her last year, spurring party leaders to seek his ouster. Craig Cheslog served as Region 2 director spanning the East Bay, Napa, Sonoma and the Clearlake areas. In a statement, his lawyer, Mary P. Carey, said she and her client were confident that a full and fair exploration of this matter, undertaken in an appropriate, fact-governed venue, would exonerate Mr. Cheslog. We are prepared, if necessary, to put forward the facts of this matter in just such a venue, she said. Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman and other officials initially called for Cheslogs removal in a Nov. 29 letter to state party secretary Jenny Bach. They said he was seen acting in an inappropriate and sexually aggressive manner toward a member of the party in a public area of the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel, following a Nov. 18 executive board meeting. The level to which this activity advanced made a number of those in attendance uncomfortable, the letter stated. It added that another member reported that Mr. Cheslog raped her at a CDP executive board meeting the previous year. Party officers said the incident occurred during a weekend where the prevention of sexual harassment of women in politics was a dominant theme in the wake of the #metoo movement. Before the meetings conclusion on Sunday, the California Womens Caucus approved a resolution making clear that sexual harassment, bullying and other forms of abuse are grounds to lose endorsements and be stripped of party membership. Maddy Dean, who was not named in the letter, spoke at the meeting about her experiences of sexual harassment in the movie industry, and told the Times that she reported Cheslog. She said she could not provide further details about her allegation as she explores possible legal paths moving forward. This was about protecting other women and in particular other young women, she said of reporting the assault. In his own letter to Bach on Thursday, Cheslog did not acknowledge any wrongdoing. He said he was stepping down to prevent any personal misconduct allegations from creating a distraction with the party at a critical moment in national and state politics. I am confident of the results that would be forthcoming in a fair, fact-based exploration of this matter, he said. Since the report, Cheslog has been fired from his job at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that helps families navigate media and technology. He also has stepped down from his position on the Acalanes Union High School District Board of Trustees. The conduct represented a serious violation of both company policy and the way in which our employees are expected to conduct themselves in the community at large, Common Sense spokeswoman Corbie Kiernan said in a statement. We immediately suspended Mr. Cheslog and conducted an investigation. As a result of the investigation, Mr. Cheslogs employment with Common Sense was terminated. 4:05 p.m.: This post was updated with Cheslogs resignation from the school board. Facebook

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Sen. Bob Hertzberg will cooperate with investigation into unwanted hugs By Patrick McGreevy State Sen. Bob Hertzberg works at his Senate Chambers desk. He faces an investigation into unwanted hugging (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) said Thursday he will cooperate with a state investigation into complaints from a former legislator that she was uncomfortable with his repeated hugs after she asked him not to touch her. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon said Thursday that a team of outside attorneys will investigate a complaint by former Assemblywoman Linda Halderman that Hertzberg has made her uncomfortable with hugs that were too close and lasted too long. Hertzberg, well-known for hugging other lawmakers, said he supports having any allegations investigated by the two outside law firms. I just learned of the investigation, and will fully cooperate, he said. The use of an independent third party investigator is essential to improving transparency and trust in the system. Halderman said Thursday she was encouraged that her concerns will be investigated, but said it was disturbing  that attorneys for one of the law firms selected, Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, contributed more than $90,000 in campaign funds to sitting legislators including Hertzberg. Halderman, a surgeon, served in the state Assembly from 2010 through 2012 and said Hertzberg hugged her multiple times even after she asked him to stop because she was uncomfortable. The last incident occurred in a hallway of the Capitol, she claimed. I told him I dont care to be hugged. Dont touch me,  Halderman recalled. He then grabbed me and pinned my arms to my side and used his hands to press my lower back into his groin and he essentially pinned me so I couldnt push off of him to get away the way I ended previous hugs. It was certainly so over the line, she added. Halderman said a current female senator and assemblywoman also have complained about inappropriate hugs from Hertzberg. However, Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton) defended Hertzberg, saying she has known him for many years and he has always acted as a gentleman. I have never felt uncomfortable with him, and have always felt his hugs were a display of affection - which I appreciate, she said. I consider him a dear friend. Updated at 5:30 pm to include comment from Sen. Galgiani. Facebook

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Rep. Maxine Waters asks Justice Department to investigate fake letter tweeted by Republican opponent By Sarah D. Wire (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Rep. Maxine Waters is asking the Justice Department to look into a fake letter posted to Twitter by her Republican challenger that falsely indicated the congresswoman wants to resettle tens of thousand of refugees in her Los Angeles district. The GOP candidate, Omar Navarro, posted the letter on what looks like official House of Representatives letterhead to Twitter on Monday. The letter, which purports to be from the congresswoman, says the congresswoman wants to bring refugees to her congressional district after the 2018 election and perhaps even once I have secured the Speaker of the House position. Navarro accompanied the tweeted letter with a message: According to this document, Maxine Waters wants more terrorists, like the one who bombed NYC, in Californias 43rd District. As Congressman of CAs 43rd District, I will oppose such policies. Its been retweeted more than 680 times. But the letter is a forgery and a fake, her chief of staff, Twaun Samuel, said in a news release. The letter, dated June of this year, also contains several inaccuracies. It references multiple committees and subcommittees Waters does not serve on, and lists an address for a district office that has been closed for nearly a decade. Waters filed a complaint about the tweeted letter with the House general counsel, who forwarded the complaint to the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California and the fraud section of the Criminal Division for the United States Department of Justice. The complaint states that Waters has not communicated with the letters purported addressee  Teri Williams, who is president and chief operating officer of the Los Angeles-based OneUnited Bank, about any refugee resettlement program. Impersonating a federal official and misusing a federal seal are federal crimes. Navarro, who is backed by big name far-right conservatives, said Thursday that the letter was sent to his campaign through Facebook by a person he didnt know. He said neither the Justice Department or Waters staff has asked him about the letter. I dont know if its real or not, so I put it out there, Navarro said, adding that he believed his followers would help him determine if it is real. It doesnt say that I know. Its according to this document  what, am I supposed to send it to her and get an email back from Maxine? According to this document, Maxine Waters wants more terrorists, like the one who bombed NYC, in Californias 43rd District.

As Congressman of CAs 43rd District, I will oppose such policies. #VoteNavarro2018https://t.co/vO8YUsyPp3 pic.twitter.com/k7ef0H20if  Omar Navarro (@RealOmarNavarro) December 11, 2017 Facebook

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Sen. Tony Mendoza refuses to take a leave of absence amid harassment probe By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), left, talks earlier this year about a pending bill with Sen. Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado Hills). (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Defying pressure from legislative leadership, state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) refused Thursday to take a leave of absence until an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him is concluded early next year. Mendoza has denied allegations by former employees that he treated three female aides inappropriately, inviting them to hotel stays and asking one to visit his home to work on her resume. I am very disappointed that certain Senate Rules Committee members are apparently asking me to take a leave of absence or resign before any investigation has even begun and without giving me an opportunity to defend myself, Mendoza said in a statement. This is contrary to the very concept of due process, which is a pillar of our American system of fairness and judicial prudence. These actions bypass any process in a rush to judgment. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) earlier Thursday called on Mendoza to take a leave of absence. Mendoza had previously been stripped of his leadership positions, including chairmanship of the Senates committee on banking and insurance. Mendoza questioned statements urging him to step down, saying they leave him concerned about the fairness of the investigation. He also said he has been disappointed that he has been told he cannot publicly address allegations. I was not appointed to the position I hold, but was elected by the voters in my district, he said. I am grateful to the voters in my district and thank them for their trust and their continued support. The Senate owes them an opportunity to hear the truth. I assure them that I will vigorously defend myself to clear my name. Facebook

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State Senate leader asks Sen. Tony Mendoza to take leave of absence amid sexual harassment investigation By Patrick McGreevy (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State Senate leader Kevin de Leon said Thursday he has strongly suggested that Sen. Tony Mendoza take a leave of absence until the completion of an investigation by outside attorneys into allegations that Mendoza sexually harassed three former aides. Given the severity of the allegations against Senator Mendoza I do not believe he can perform the duties in Sacramento right now while the investigation is being conducted, De Leon told a packed news conference in his Capitol office. I believe Its the right thing to do, its the fair thing to do, to take a leave, he said. The Senate leader also said the outside attorneys have been asked to investigate complaints by former Assemblywoman Linda Halderman that Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) inappropriately hugged her on multiple occasions in a way that made her uncomfortable, even after she asked him to stop. De Leon also announced the hiring of two law firms to handle the Mendoza and Hertzberg investigations, and all future probes of harassment and abuse involving Senate employees. Mendoza, a Democrat from Artesia, did not immediately respond to the request to step aside. De Leon, a Democrat from Los Angeles who had been Mendozas roommate before the allegations were made public, said he made the suggestion to Mendoza in a meeting Thursday morning. If Mendoza refuses to take a leave, the Senate has the power to suspend him without pay, but De Leon said that is not currently under discussion. There is an effort underway to force his expulsion in January when the Legislature returns to Sacramento. Former Mendoza employees have claimed that he gave inappropriate attention to a female fellow and intern, inviting one to his home and hotel and giving the other alcohol in a hotel even though she was underage. Another former female aide told the Sacramento Bee that Mendoza invited her to one-on-one dinners and a weekend at Pebble Beach. Mendoza has denied the allegations. The Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher and Van Dermyden Maddux law firms have been retained for two years, according to Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), who participated in their selection. Have you experienced sexual harassment in government or politics? Tell us your story   In addition, the state is contracting with Weave, a Sacramento crisis-intervention organization for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, to provide counseling and to establish a hotline for Senate employees who are victims of sexual assault. The hotline number is 1-800-729-1443. America is finally reckoning with entrenched inequities in our personal and professional relationships and in workplaces of every type, De Leon said. Nowhere is this reckoning more important than in the halls of power  our political institutions. Facebook

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Watch live: California Senate leader addresses sexual misconduct at state Capitol Facebook

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California state senator pledges to bring back net neutrality rules just as FCC votes to repeal them By Jazmine Ulloa Demonstrators rally in support of net neutrality outside a Verizon store in New York on Dec. 7. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) Moments after the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to roll back net neutrality regulations, a state senator pledged to introduce legislation that would preserve open internet protections for consumers in California. Net neutrality is essential to our 21st century democracy, and we need to be sure that people can access websites and information freely and fairly, Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said in a statement. If the FCC is going to destroy net neutrality and create a system that favors certain websites just because they can pay more money, California must step in and ensure open internet access. The announcement of the proposal came shortly after the FCC voted to repeal net neutrality in an expected 3-2 party-line vote, with Republicans calling for an end to the utility-like oversight of internet service providers. The Obama-era rules put in February 2015 barred broadband and wireless companies, such at AT&T Inc., Charter Communications Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. from selling faster delivery of certain data, slowing speeds for certain video streams and other content, and discriminating against legal material online. Before the vote, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai argued loosening the regulations would allow the online economy to flourish. FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, one of the the two Democrats on the commission, said the rollback would inhibit the openness that has made the U.S. internet the envy of the world. Supporters of net neutrality are expected to file suit to try to halt the repeal plan. Weiners attempt to institute net neutrality rules in California could have challenges. The FCC order states that allowing state and local governments to adopt their own separate requirements, which could impose a heavier burden on companies, could disrupt the balance between state and federal regulations. The preemption of state and local net neutrality measures is something that could be challenged in court. Amid such legal battles state legislation could face heavy lobbying efforts from internet providers arguing against uneven regulations. A bill by Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) was shelved last legislative session over similar disputes. It would have enshrined in state law other FCC regulations that were rolled back this year by President Trump and Congress. The Internet privacy rules limited what broadband providers can do with their customers data. The bills defeat capped a behind-the-scenes battle that pitted telecom companies against state internet service providers and brought other bills to a halt in the state Senate as negotiations unfolded over legislation that would have had national significance. UPDATES 7:57 a.m.: This post was updated with additional information about the potential legal case. LA Times reporter Jim Puzzanghera contributed to this report. Facebook

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L.A. County sheriffs office failed to follow policy for issuing concealed weapon permits, audit says By Patrick McGreevy Handguns are displayed at the Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas in 2016. ( (John Locher / Associated Press)) The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department has repeatedly failed to follow its own rules for issuing concealed weapon permits, the state auditor concluded in a report released Thursday. L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell disputed some of the key findings of the audit, saying state officials misinterpreted the policy. The department policy requires applicants to provide convincing evidence of a clear and present danger to life or of great bodily harm to get a license, but the audit found the department issued 24 licenses during the last few years without sufficient evidence. Most of the 197 active licenses in L.A. County as of August went to current or former law enforcement officers, judges and prosecutors, the audit found. The lieutenant in charge of reviewing applications told auditors that people in law enforcement satisfy the departments requirements by the nature of their jobs. However, making that decision based solely on the applicants profession both directly contradicts Los Angeless written policy  which specifically states that no position or job classification in itself shall constitute good cause for issuance  and has led the department to treat applicants inequitably based on their occupations, the audit says. McDonnell said the audit identified some legitimate issues, and the department has added a checklist to the application process in order to show requirements have been met. But he disagreed on the reports sweeping conclusion that the department consistently failed to follow its own policies. The LASD policy simply requires that the applicant provide convincing evidence that his or her life or physical safety is threatened, the sheriff said. He said the policy does not require additional documentation of that evidence if sufficient information is provided in the application. Auditors also concluded that Sacramento County issued some licenses without proper documentation and that San Diego Countys renewal process led it to inappropriately renew some licenses. Facebook

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Anti-Issa effort discloses donors: Leo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda, Ted Danson and more By Joshua Stewart A political group that has brought professional political organizers into the campaign against Rep. Darrell Issa has received its most significant contributions to date  from actress Jane Fonda and other celebrities. Fonda gave $100,000 to Flip the 49th! Neighbors in Action, which recently registered as a political committee to get Issa, R-Vista, out of office. Comedian Bill Maher gave $15,000 to the group, a rebuke of a politician who has twice appeared on his talk show. Former California Sen. Barbara Boxer gave $2,500, as did Academy Award recipient Leonardo DiCaprio. Actor Ted Danson gave $1,500. Flip the 49th gave the The San Diego Union-Tribune a list of donors more than a month before its required to disclose them to the Federal Election Commission. Read More Facebook

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California Senate GOP leader: Release Capitol whistleblowers from non-disclosure agreements By Melanie Mason California Senate Republican leader Patricia Bates is wading into the sexual harassment debate that has swept up the Capitol and is calling on her Democratic colleagues to allow whistleblowers to speak out by releasing them from non-disclosure agreements. Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) wrote in a letter to the Democratic legislative leaders  Senate Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount)  that Senate Republicans are calling for the Legislature to allow victims or witnesses who may have signed such agreements to share their experiences publicly. This release from NDAs would empower victims of sexual harassment, create a new atmosphere for resolving sexual harassment or discrimination concerns, increase public awareness and transparency, and ensure that both the Senate and the Assembly fulfill their obligations to the public and their employees for providing a safe and welcoming workplace environment, Bates wrote in the letter, dated Dec. 12. The Republican senator also laid out suggestions to improve the Legislatures handling of sexual harassment complaints, such as jointly convening both houses rules committees  which act as the chambers human resources departments  to have a comprehensive, bicameral and bipartisan review. Bates wrote that the Joint Rules Committee should consider the assigning of an outside entity for assuming responsibility for all issues regarding sexual harassment. She said the California Highway Patrol or an inspector general could serve that function. Bates is currently serving on a panel designated by the Senate Rules Committee to select an outside law firm to investigate sexual harassment complaints. De Leon, in a statement, said he agreed with Bates that sexual harassment is a bipartisan, bicameral problem that requires bipartisan, bicameral solutions. Many of these recommendations we are already pursuing and evaluating in some form and we look forward to working in collaboration with Senator Bates  as we did with the independent selection panel  on additional reforms in the weeks to come, De Leon said. With regard to non-disclosure agreements, De Leon spokesman Jonathan Underland said the Senate is discussing with attorneys and anti-harassment experts about what options are available without violating the privacy rights of past victims. John Casey, a spokesman for Rendon, said the Assembly does not ask for NDAs in settlement agreements. The Speaker agrees with both the Legislative Womens Caucus and the Rules Committee chair that any sexual harassment policy should be both bicameral and bipartisan, Casey said. Facebook

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California plans to send out licenses for pot sales this month  but they wont be effective until Jan. 1 By Patrick McGreevy Patrons shop at Bud and Bloom, a Santa Ana marijuana dispensary, last year. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) California officials said Wednesday they plan to use email before the new year to send out some licenses to sell marijuana to speed up the transition to a regulated market. The licenses will not go into effect until Jan. 1. Proposition 64, which legalized the sale of marijuana for recreational use, required the state to begin issuing licenses by Jan. 1. Because that date is a state holiday, the bureau originally planned to begin sending them out on Jan. 2. That has changed. Much of the date discussion  Jan. 1 versus Jan. 2  was based on whether or not wed be able to be open on a state holiday, said Alex Traverso, a bureau spokesman. The solution to that issue was to issue licenses with an effective date of Jan. 1 since licenses will be issued electronically. That eliminates the need to have the office open on Jan. 1. He said that, as of Wednesday, the bureau has not yet sent out any emails with licenses approved to begin operating Jan. 1. Facebook

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Californias budget director makes last ditch effort to urge GOP members to vote against tax plan By Sarah D. Wire House Republicans hold a news conference after the House passed the GOP tax bill. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) As closed-door negotiations over the final tax bill come to an end, the head of the California Department of Finance is making a last-ditch effort to convince Republicans in the states congressional delegation to vote against the plan. In a letter to the entire delegation Wednesday, Finance Department Director Michael Cohen detailed 10 issues in the current tax proposals about which the state is worried. Some of Cohens concerns may be addressed in the deal that House and Senate leaders said they reached Wednesday morning. Details of the agreement are not yet public. Cohens concerns range from potentially billions less in federal funding available to California to offset the $1.4 trillion the plan is expected to add to the federal deficit, to the environmental effect of ending green energy tax credits. Californias 39 Democratic representatives are expected to oppose the final tax bill, which could come before both chambers of Congress by early next week. Three California Republicans  Reps. Darrell Issa of Vista, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Tom McClintock of Elk Grove  voted against the original House version, and several other California Republicans have indicated they might be willing to vote against the final plan. Cohen specifically pointed to issues that have been raised by the uncertain House members, including the proposal to lower the cap on the mortgage interest deduction, the plan to limit state and local tax deductions and the elimination of a deduction for uninsured personal property damaged in natural disasters such as fires. Facebook

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California lawmakers have fought sexual misconduct on military bases, farms and college campuses. Will they police their own house? By Jazmine Ulloa Over the past decade, California lawmakers have worked to help curb sexual violence in the workplace and other spheres of public life. They have pushed college campuses to keep better track of incident reports, created whistleblower protections for military officers who file claims and established sexual harassment training for farmworkers and janitors. Now, as more than 140 women have come forward in an open letter to denounce a pervasive culture of sexual harassment in the California Legislature, activists and employment lawyers say lawmakers have not held colleagues and staffers to the same standards demanded of those in other fields. Members [of the state Assembly and Senate] are quick at pointing the finger at other folks, said Fiona Ma, a former Democratic assemblywoman from San Francisco who is now running for state treasurer. But they dont want to look inside and fix their own house, air their own dark, dirty laundry. Read More Facebook

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Californias cap-and-trade climate program could generate more than $8 billion by 2027, report says By John Myers Gov. Jerry Brown signs an extension of Californias cap-and-trade program in July. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) Although Californias cap-and-trade program was designed to combat climate change, a new analysis predicts it could also provide significant cash  as much as $8 billion in a decades time  for state and regional programs. The report issued Tuesday by the independent Legislative Analysts Office projects a wide range of revenue generated by the sale of permits for companies to emit greenhouse gases beyond a state-ordered emissions cap. The most recent auction of those emission permits brought in more than $800 million. The analysis warns that annual cap-and-trade revenue beyond 2020 is highly uncertain, and offers a possible range from $2 billion in 2018 to almost $7 billion in 2030  the final year of the program under legislation Gov. Jerry Brown signed in July. The estimate of $8.3 billion in 2027 is the high-water mark for any year in the report. Researchers cite a number of factors that make a specific prediction impossible, including future technology that allows industries to cut greenhouse gas emissions easily and thus pass on purchasing emission allowances. While it is clear that there will be additional revenues to the state beyond 2020, the amount that will be generated annually is highly uncertain, the report reads. Money collected from the sale of pollution permits is required to be spent on programs combating climate change. A portion of the money also is earmarked for the states high-speed rail program. The report urges lawmakers to provide oversight for future decisions made by the California Air Resources Board, the agency that has taken the lead on climate change efforts. In particular, the analysts warn that allowing businesses to stockpile too many permits  ones bought at current low prices  could lead to excessive greenhouse gas emissions in future years, potentially even causing the state to miss its annual benchmark as soon as 2024. Facebook

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Vice President Pence meets with California lawmakers about massive fires By Sarah D. Wire Briefed bipartisan group of California reps on the fed response to #CAwildfires. @POTUS approved an emergency declaration last Friday & @forestservice is providing air & ground assets including 1,000 personnel. Together, we will help the people of CA restore, rebuild & recover. pic.twitter.com/zn7QdbCZOQ  Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) December 12, 2017 A handful of California representatives discussed the federal response to their states wildfires Tuesday with Vice President Mike Pence. Attending the West Wing meeting were House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Corona), Darrell Issa (R-Vista), Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village), Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) and Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara). It was a very bipartisan-spirited meeting. He clearly understood the significance of the fires and the impacts, Brownley said after the meeting. She said Pence offered federal assistance and recognized that recovery was going to be very important and that we want to work together to make sure that we can get the resources needed. President Trump signed an emergency declaration for the Southern California fires last week. Pence visited California this fall to view fire damage in Northern California. He stayed engaged and specifically wanted to make sure that FEMA and the other organizations were continuing to meet or exceed all expectations, Issa said after the meeting. We mostly thanked him for the fact that hes taken a personal interest and his team has been at the heart of the domestic coordination. There was no discussion about reinstating a federal tax deduction for uninsured damage repairs that would end up in the House and Senate tax bills, Brownley said. If you cant deduct uninsured property loss, its devastating. It would be devastating, Brownley said. Facebook

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We must talk about the health aspects of climate change, Schwarzenegger says in Paris By Kim Willsher (Thibault Camus / Associated Press) He showed up at Paris City Hall on Monday on a green bicycle and wearing a green tie to talk climate change with the mayor. But Arnold Schwarzenegger almost didnt make the trip from Los Angeles. One of the wildfires scorching Southern California was threatening his home. Luckily we have extraordinary firefighters, he told a group of officials and journalists. The actor and former governor of California was speaking in Paris as the founder of R20, a nonprofit based in Geneva that aims to help regional, state and local governments reduce their carbon emissions by developing clean energy sources. Read More Facebook

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A special recall election for state Sen. Josh Newman would cost a lot more than waiting for the June primary, state says By Patrick McGreevy State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) faces a recall campaign (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) State finance officials said Monday it would cost about $2.67 million for a special election on the recall of state Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), but only $931,000 to put his potential recall on the regular June primary ballot, which will also feature races for governor and congressional seats. The savings  and the time it took to complete the financial assessment  could give ammunition to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown to put the recall measure on the primary ballot, possibly improving Newmans chance of staying in office. The higher turnout expected in the primary might benefit Newman as he tries to fend off the Republican recall drive. The financial analysis was a new requirement of a law approved this year by the Democrat-controlled Legislature that has slowed the Newman recall. Brown and legislators now have 30 days to review the election cost report. The deadline for calling a special election was last week, 180 days before the June 5 primary, although state officials have been known to extend such deadlines. In this case, that is unlikely. Carl Demaio, a former San Diego City councilman who is leading the Republican-funded recall, denounced the lengthy new process Monday, but said it will not save Newmans political career. This is about a shameful tactic by Sacramento politicians to keep politicians who break public trust and engage in misconduct in office for as long as possible, he said. Republicans launched the recall after Newman voted with the majority of le
After a year of legislative fits and starts, the Republican-led Congress can claim victory on an agenda of tax cuts, judicial confirmations and a substantial regulatory rollback.

Its a list of accomplishments that seemed to surprise even party leaders, who warily entered a political marriage of necessity with President Trump, but now say they have made their peace with his unpredictable style of governing.

Im warming up to the tweets, actually, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Friday after the president showered Congress with Twitter praise. This has been a year of extraordinary accomplishment, by any objective standard.

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The successes, however, have come at a steep political price. Polls show voters unenthusiastic about the tax overhaul  the GOPs signature accomplishment  and preferring Democrats over Republicans in Congress by historically wide margins. Republican strategists concede that their majority in the House  and perhaps in the Senate, as well  is at serious risk in next years midterm election.

The path for the party doesnt seem likely to get any easier in the coming year. Pushing the tax-cut bill to Trumps desk  he signed it into law Friday  was a lighter legislative lift than any of the options for what comes next.

Lowering tax rates has been a longtime top GOP priority and one most Republican lawmakers agree on. By contrast, party leaders already disagree about the agenda for next year.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) has announced that he wants to overhaul welfare and so-called entitlements in 2018, utilizing the same strictly partisan rules Republicans relied on to approve their tax measure without Democratic votes or a filibuster threat in the Senate.

One of the important entitlement reforms we see that is necessary is get us out of this poverty trap, Ryan told reporters. We have tens of millions of people right here in this country falling short of their potential, not working, not looking for a job, or not in school getting a skill to get a job. Thats a problem.

But McConnell does not want Republicans to take on such a divisive issue in an election year, when GOP senators could be blamed for unpopular cuts in safety net programs at a time when many Americans continue to struggle in a shifting economy.

Heres my only observation about entitlement reform, McConnell said. The sensitivity of entitlements is such that you almost have to have a bipartisan agreement in order to achieve a result.

Similarly, Ryan and other Republicans have talked about trying again to repeal Obamacare. McConnell shrugged off the idea Friday, saying, Well, I wish them well.

McConnell, who struggled this year with a two-vote margin of control in the Senate, faces an even tougher task in the new year, when Democrats add to their ranks with the arrival of Doug Jones, the senator-elect from Alabama, who will make the Senate balance 51 to 49.

The party also faces a continued struggle to keep its ranks together as GOP senators deal with primary challengers backed by former Trump advisor Stephen K. Bannon. In the House, the conservative Freedom Caucus continues to hold enormous sway over the GOP agenda.

Im warming up to the tweets, actually. This has been a year of extraordinary accomplishment, by any objective standard.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows of North Carolina predicted the new year would be as rocky as this one.

I think its creative chaos, Meadows said. Anytime youre going to have anything historic, legislatively and certainly from an administration standpoint, youre going to have conflict.

Congress left behind a lengthy to-do list of unfinished work when lawmakers quit for the year, approving only a stop-gap agreement to fund the government and setting up another budget showdown on Jan. 19. They failed to resolve issues that include disaster relief, reforming the National Security Agencys surveillance programs and whether to protect from deportation the young immigrants known as Dreamers.

The White House has not made matters easier, failing to lay out a clear strategy for next year.

Trump and GOP leaders plan to meet at the White House in January to draft a shared agenda. One strong possibility is some form of an infrastructure measure, although Trump has talked about that for a year without proposing a specific plan.

Serious new spending on roads, bridges and airports, as Trump has sometimes suggested, would run into objections from conservatives. But a package that relies on tax breaks for developers or complex financing schemes would open the GOP to attack by Democrats.

An immigration package that would resolve the status of the Dreamers in exchange for tougher border security enforcement is also likely to be on the list.

Congress technically has until March to resolve that issue before the roughly 800,000 Dreamers, certain young immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children, start becoming eligible for deportation. For now, more than 120 a day are losing their protected status and exposed to deportation risks  a number that is expected to grow to more than 1,000 daily in March.

Trump campaigned on working across the aisle to change Washingtons gridlock, but so far the White House has been unable to woo many Democratic votes to his side.

At some point, and for the good of the country, I predict we will start working with the Democrats in a Bipartisan fashion, Trump tweeted Friday. Infrastructure would be a perfect place to start. After having foolishly spent $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is time to start rebuilding our country!

Trump often repeats the $7 trillion claim, although the White House has not cited a basis for it, and outside experts say it is a considerable overestimate for the cost of the wars and rebuilding in the region.

Democrats, emboldened by constituents who are deeply resistant to Trump, have found little incentive to work with the president.

Their voters want representatives in Washington to challenge the White House, not enable it, as seen by robust Democratic turnout in off-year elections, including Jones victory in Trump-friendly Alabama.

Even Democratic senators from conservative states that Trump won  once seen by White House aides as politically vulnerable and potential allies  spurned the president on the tax overhaul.

Democrats are almost certain to resist any Republican proposals for deep spending cuts, especially after GOP passage of the $1.5-trillion tax cut.

Theyre in for the fight of their lives if theyre going after Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, said Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the Senates No. 2 Democrat.

It is just perfect isnt it? Tax breaks for the wealthiest people who havent punched a time-clock in their lives so that we can cut back food stamps for single moms trying to feed hungry kids, Durbin said.

Perfect. I couldnt have written a better script for the Republican Party. If thats what they want to campaign on for 2018, be my guest.

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

@LisaMascaro

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Trump promotes sons Justice with Judge Jeanine interview President Trump promoted via Twitter an interview with his son Eric Trump just before it aired Saturday night on Fox News Justice with Judge Jeanine. Eric Trump on @JudgeJeanine on @FoxNews now!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018 Eric Trump called into the show to defend his father from criticism prompted by the first government shutdown in more than four years, as well as a series of Womens March events that saw protesters in dozens of cities take to the streets to oppose the presidents policies. .@EricTrump joined me over the phone from Mar-a-Lago ! pic.twitter.com/Hro3TzUW52  Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) January 21, 2018 Speaking to host Jeannine Piro  who is reportedly an old friend of the presidents  Eric Trump offered effusive praise for his father, ticking off glowing statistics to illustrate the strength of the U.S. economy and gains against Islamic State fighters overseas. My fathers working like no ones ever worked before to bring back this country and to fulfill his promise to make America great again, said the executive vice president of the Trump Organization. He also repeated a sentiment recently expressed on Twitter by his father: That Democratic lawmakers forced a government shutdown on the anniversary of the presidents inauguration in a bid to distract from his achievements. You look at this whole government shutdown, and the only reason they want to shut down government is to distract and to stop his momentum, Eric Trump said. I mean, my father has had incredible momentum. Hes gotten more done in one year than arguably any president in history. Facebook

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Trump tweets: a perfect day for all Women to March President Trump hailed the nationwide Womens March gatherings Saturday. On Twitter, the president called it a perfect day for all Women to March, seeming to imply that those taking part were celebrating his administrations accomplishments: Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Participants in the marches across the United States were actually seeking to deliver a powerful rebuke to Trumps policies and mount a crucial mobilization for this years midterm elections. But Trump continued to tout his administrations unprecedented success in tweets sent later in the day: Unprecedented success for our Country, in so many ways, since the Election. Record Stock Market, Strong on Military, Crime, Borders, & ISIS, Judicial Strength & Numbers, Lowest Unemployment for Women & ALL, Massive Tax Cuts, end of Individual Mandate - and so much more. Big 2018!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The Trump Administration has terminated more UNNECESSARY Regulation, in just twelve months, than any other Administration has terminated during their full term in office, no matter what the length. The good news is, THERE IS MUCH MORE TO COME!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018 In addition to the roll call of major American cities where womens marches took place  including New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta  protesters also raised their voices in suburbs and small towns, reflecting the aim of coalescing a broad-based movement on the anniversary of Trumps inauguration to oppose the presidents stance on immigration, healthcare, racial divides and an array of other issues. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Trump calls shutdown a present from Democrats By Associated Press President Trump is blaming Democrats for the government shutdown  tweeting that they wanted to give him a nice present to mark the one-year anniversary of his inauguration: This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 That comes after Senate Democrats late Friday killed a GOP-written House-passed measure that would have kept agencies functioning for four weeks. Democrats were seeking a stopgap bill of just a few days in hopes that would build pressure on Republicans, and they were opposing a three-week alternative offered by GOP leaders. Democrats have insisted they would back legislation reopening the government once theres a bipartisan agreement to preserve protections against deporting about 700,000 immigrants  known as Dreamers  who arrived in the United States illegally as children. Trump on Saturday accused Democrats of holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration: Democrats are holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration. Cant let that happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Democrats are laying fault for the shutdown on Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and the White House and have struggled with building internal consensus. In a series of tweets hours after the shutdown began, the president tried to make the case for Americans to elect more Republicans to Congress in November in order to power through this mess: Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead. #WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 He noted that there are 51 Republicans in the 100-member Senate, and it often takes 60 votes to advance legislation: For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 #AMERICA FIRST!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The stopgap spending measure won 50 votes in the Senate, including five from Democrats. Although the House and Senate were in session Saturday, it was unclear whether lawmakers would take any votes of consequence. Trump had been set to leave Friday afternoon for a fundraiser at his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., where he intended to mark the inauguration anniversary. But he remained in Washington and ended up scrapping his plans to attend the Saturday fundraiser. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet casts doubt on likelihood of averting shutdown President Trump appeared to cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching a deal to avert a government shutdown Friday night in a tweet. Trump also sought to blame Democrats for what would be the first shutdown since 2013. His message came just hours before the midnight deadline by which lawmakers must pass a measure to fund government agencies, or some operations will cease. Not looking good for our great Military or Safety & Security on the very dangerous Southern Border. Dems want a Shutdown in order to help diminish the great success of the Tax Cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Despite last-minute negotiations Friday between Trump and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Congress remained deadlocked over a spending bill and the federal government was headed toward a shutdown at midnight. Senate Democrats  joined by some GOP deficit hawks and immigration allies  were set to filibuster a stopgap funding bill approved by the House on Thursday. A Senate vote was planned for 10 p.m. Eastern, and even White House officials predicted it would fail. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Lisa Mascaro. Facebook

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Trump signs surveillance law after confusing tweets By Associated Press President Trump on Friday signed a bill into law to renew a foreign intelligence surveillance program, announcing his action in the latest in a series of confusing tweets about the spy program: Just signed 702 Bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection. This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2018 Trumps tweet on Jan. 11 created chaos in the House just before it voted to reauthorize what is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. He linked the intelligence program to a dossier that alleges his presidential campaign had ties to Russia. That caused people to wonder if he didnt support the program that allows U.S. spy agencies to collect intelligence on foreign targets abroad. Trump and other Republicans have alleged that Obama administration officials improperly shared the identities of Trump presidential transition team members mentioned in intelligence reports. Democrats say there is no evidence that happened. Shortly before the House vote, and after conferring with House Speaker Paul Ryan, Trump did an apparent about-face. This vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land, he tweeted. We need it! Get smart! In his tweet announcing that he had just signed the bill, Trump wrote: This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first! There are no obvious links between the dossier Trump spoke of, which includes salacious but unsubstantiated allegations against him, and the reauthorization of the spying program, or between the program and Trumps oft-repeated claims that the Obama administration conducted surveillance on Trump Tower during the presidential campaign. Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests that Pennsylvania trip is a political one The White House press office was once again forced to walk back a tweet from President Trump on Thursday morning after he described a trip to Pennsylvania later in the day as a political one  a statement that would force the Republican Party, not taxpayers, to pay for the journey. The White House had said Trump was going to an industrial equipment company outside of Pittsburgh to highlight the good economy and new tax cuts, making it an official, policy-oriented event. It was widely assumed that the trip had a political cast  the area is holding a special election to fill a congressional seat vacated by a Republican who resigned. Trump, by his tweet, seemed to confirm that politics was the whole purpose: Will be going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a Special Election (March 13). Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 Trump later shared via Twitter a pair of video clips of his speech at H&K Equipment, in which he touted the tax cuts he signed into law just before Christmas and tried to turn the conversation back to his accomplishments after weeks dominated by distractions, including questions about his mental health and comments about immigration that some considered racist: Departing Pittsburgh now, where it was my great honor to stand with our incredible workers, and to show the world that AMERICA is back - and we are coming back bigger and better and stronger than ever before! pic.twitter.com/kWPgylqFzj  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 AMERICA will once again be a NATION that thinks big, dreams bigger, and always reaches for the stars. YOU are the ones who will shape Americas destiny. YOU are the ones who will restore our prosperity. And YOU are the ones who are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/f2abNK47II  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 The Republican National Committee, rather than the White House, is supposed to pay for political travel so that taxpayers are not financing party activities; for trips that combine policy and politics, parties have split the cost under past presidents. Neither the RNC nor the White House responded to emails sent Thursday asking who would pay. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement later Thursday suggesting that taxpayers would foot the bill. She insisted that Trump would be conducting government business while in Pennsylvania. Read More This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump tweets praise of Bob Dole after awarding him Congressional Gold Medal By Associated Press Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole knew the art of the deal before President Trump published the 1987 book of the same name. The two shared a stage under the Capitol dome Wednesday as Dole, 94, accepted Congress highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, for his World War II service and decades of work in the House and Senate. Trump later praised Dole in a tweet, attaching to his message a video composed of clips from the ceremony: Today, we witnessed an incredible moment in history  the presentation of Congress highest civilian honor to our friend, and true AMERICAN HERO, Bob Dole. #CongressionalGoldMedal pic.twitter.com/qNQqDLRmCk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2018 At the ceremony, the president saluted Dole as a patriot and gave tribute to Doles struggle as a veteran who worked his way back from a grievous shoulder wound he suffered in Italy. He knows about grit, said Trump. But it was Doles penchant for working across the aisle that earned him his latest award, according to the legislation. Bob Dole was known for his ability to work across the aisle and embrace practical bipartisanship, reads the legislation Trump signed in September. Some of the awards 300 recipients include George Washington and Mother Teresa, according to the Congressional Research Service. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts report that seeks to link terrorism cases with immigration By Joseph Tanfani The Trump administration on Tuesday released a report attempting to link terrorism with migration, arguing that it was evidence of the need to dramatically reshape the nations immigration system. New report from DOJ & DHS shows that nearly 3 in 4 individuals convicted of terrorism-related charges are foreign-born. We have submitted to Congress a list of resources and reforms....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 ....we need to keep America safe, including moving away from a random chain migration and lottery system, to one that is merit-based. https://t.co/7PtoSFK1n2  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The report, ordered by President Trump in an executive order last year, said that 75% of the 549 people convicted of terrorism charges since 9/11 were born outside the U.S. Administration officials called that a sign that the U.S. needs to scrap its policy of family preferences for visas, which they call chain migration, and a diversity visa lottery program. But the report did not specify how many  if any  of the convicted terrorists entered the country through those means. It also did not detail how many of the convictions were related to attacks or plans in the U.S. versus overseas and how many involved people who went to fight overseas for the Islamic State or another terrorist group. Those details were not available, officials said. The report, due last year, is being released in a highly charged moment in the immigration debate, as Trump and some Republicans in Congress seek tough new border and immigration measures in return for a deal protecting the 690,000 people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump also fired off a pair of tweets on the topic earlier Tuesday: We must have Security at our VERY DANGEROUS SOUTHERN BORDER, and we must have a great WALL to help protect us, and to help stop the massive inflow of drugs pouring into our country!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The Democrats want to shut down the Government over Amnesty for all and Border Security. The biggest loser will be our rapidly rebuilding Military, at a time we need it more than ever. We need a merit based system of immigration, and we need it now! No more dangerous Lottery.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The focus of our immigration system should be assimilation, a senior administration official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition that his name not be used. He said the nation should give priority to potential immigrants who speak English, who have an education and those who are committed to supporting our values  not family members of people already here. The official said the timing of the report was coincidental. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets welcome to president of Kazakhstan By Associated Press President Trump said Tuesday that he and the president of Kazakhstan are united in a shared determination to prevent North Korea from threatening the world with nuclear devastation. Trump and President Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed North Korea along with other issues during meetings at the White House. Today, it was my honor to welcome President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to the @WhiteHouse! pic.twitter.com/TerYFZViax  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 Trump said Kazakhstan, once part of the Soviet Union, is a valued partner in our efforts to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons. Together we are determined to prevent the North Korean regime from threatening the world with nuclear devastation, he said, as both presidents addressed journalists between meetings. Nazarbayev noted that his country once had one of the worlds largest nuclear arsenals but voluntarily gave it up after the Soviet Union collapsed. He said his country is in talks with Iran, which was the focus of a global deal that lifted some economic sanctions in exchange for Irans curbing its nuclear program. Trump has sharply criticized the Iran nuclear deal and threatened last week to pull out soon unless other countries fix what he says are terrible flaws. Read More Facebook

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Trump falsely claims his approval rating among black Americans has doubled By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump lashed out at the news media Tuesday morning in a tweet denouncing the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion among members of his campaign team. Do you notice the Fake News Mainstream Media never likes covering the great and record setting economic news, but rather talks about anything negative or that can be turned into the negative. The Russian Collusion Hoax is dead, except as it pertains to the Dems. Public gets it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the presidents tweet, but it appeared as though he was watching Fox & Friends. A short time later, Trump tweeted a headline from a report that aired during that mornings episode: 90% of Trump 2017 news coverage was negative -and much of it contrived!@foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The segment focused on the latest survey results from conservative watchdog Media Research Center, which purportedly analyzed the evening news broadcasts on ABC, CBS and NBC from Jan. 20 to Dec. 31 and found that 90% of the statements made about Trump were negative. Study: 90% of Trump media coverage in 2017 was negative pic.twitter.com/vbrwup4Drg  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 16, 2018 But believe it or not, through all this negative coverage, they did a survey of 600,000 people about how black America views this president, co-host Brian Kilmeade said. His numbers have actually doubled in approval. Trump highlighted the statement in another tweet: Unemployment for Black Americans is the lowest ever recorded. Trump approval ratings with Black Americans has doubled. Thank you, and it will get even (much) better! @FoxNews  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 But its not true. The claim appears to have originated from a misreading of data from the online polling firm SurveyMonkey, according to factcheck.org. The firm polled 600,000 Americans in 2017 and found that Trumps approval rating among blacks actually dropped from 23% early in his presidency to about 17%, as of the week ending Jan. 3. Some conservative outlets, including Breitbart, produced an average from those and other SurveyMonkey figures and compared them to the scores Trump received from black voters in the 2016 exit polls. That methodology is not sound. And since the statistics measure different things, the comparison is misleading. Facebook

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Trump goes after senator who surfaced his immigration remark By Associated Press President Trump turned his Twitter torment Monday on the Democrat in the room where immigration talks with lawmakers took a famously coarse turn, saying Sen. Richard J. Durbin misrepresented what he had said about African nations and Haiti and, in the process, undermined the trust needed to make a deal. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting, Trump tweeted, using a nickname to needle the Illinois senator. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 Trump was referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects young people who came to the United States illegally as children. Members of Congress from both parties are trying to strike a deal that Trump would support to extend that protection. Trump also cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching an agreement in tweets sent earlier Monday: Statement by me last night in Florida: Honestly, I dont think the Democrats want to make a deal. They talk about DACA, but they dont want to help..We are ready, willing and able to make a deal but they dont want to. They dont want security at the border, they dont want.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 ...to stop drugs, they want to take money away from our military which we cannot do. My standard is very simple, AMERICA FIRST & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 On a day of remembrance for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Trump spent time at his golf course with no public events, bypassing the acts of service that his predecessors staged in honor of the civil rights leader. Instead, Trump dedicated his weekly address to Kings memory, saying Kings dream and Americas are the same: A world where people are judged by who they are, not how they look or where they come from. That message was a distinct counterpoint to words attributed to Trump by Durbin and others at a meeting last week, when the question of where immigrants come from seemed at the forefront of Trumps concerns. Some participants and others familiar with the conversation said Trump challenged immigration from shithole countries of Africa and disparaged Haiti as well. Without explicitly denying using that word, Trump lashed out at the Democratic senator, who said Trump uttered it on several occasions. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks pundit for laudatory Fox & Friends spot By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump thanked Fox News personality Stuart Varney after Varney praised Trump during an appearance on Fox & Friends. In a pair of tweets early Sunday, Trump quoted from Varneys commentary, in which he argued that Trump deserves more credit for the booming economy. The pundit, who also hosts a show on Fox Business Network, cited moves by some corporations to raise workers minimum wage or pay out one-time bonuses in response to the GOP tax cuts. President Trump is not getting the credit he deserves for the economy. Tax Cut bonuses to more than 2,000,000 workers. Most explosive Stock Market rally that weve seen in modern times. 18,000 to 26,000 from Election, and grounded in profitability and growth. All Trump, not 0...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 ...big unnecessary regulation cuts made it all possible (among many other things). President Trump reversed the policies of President Obama, and reversed our economic decline. Thank you Stuart Varney. @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 Varney was reacting to a quote from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who on Thursday called the bonuses handed down to workers pathetic in comparison to the gains corporations are expected to see from the tax cuts. In terms of the bonus that corporate America received versus the crumbs that they are giving to workers to kind of put the schmooze on is so pathetic, Pelosi told reporters. Its pathetic. Varney shot back Sunday that the bonuses, along with explosive stock market growth, are enriching all Americans. This is a huge shot in the arm, its the result of this tax cut deal and I think President Trump should get the credit for it, he said. .@Varneyco Sets the economic record straight after Nancy Pelosi calls U.S. mass bonuses crumbs pic.twitter.com/BvjIHGm3HE  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 14, 2018 The sweeping tax plan passed last month lowers the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and cuts personal income taxes. Analysts say the benefits will largely flow to corporations and the wealthy, as theyre more likely to be in positions to share in corporate profits. For instance, Wells Fargo & Co., which responded to news of the tax overhaul by announcing it will raise workers pay to at least $15 an hour, also reported that it expects to pay an effective tax rate of 19% this year, down from about 31% in previous years. That should amount to tax savings of more than $3 billion annually. On average, middle-class Americans are expected to see a very small tax cut in the near term and a tax increase after 2025, when all of the tax cuts for individuals expire. The tax cuts for corporations, however, are permanent.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer James Rufus Koren. Facebook

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Trump touts MLK proclamation in tweet, but ceremony is overshadowed by reports of racist remarks By Associated Press President Trump signed a proclamation Friday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, noting the contributions of a great American hero. Today, it was my great honor to proclaim January 15, 2018, as Martin Luther King Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service activities in honor of Dr. King's life and legacy. pic.twitter.com/samlJsz1Nt  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 Overshadowing the event was mounting backlash from Trumps comments during a private meeting with lawmakers the day before. A short time after the meeting, which was called to discuss a possible immigration deal, reports emerged that Trump had asked participants why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, the Senates second-ranking Democrat, appeared to confirm those reports on Friday. Trump did not respond Friday to several questions about the incident, including whether he actually used vulgar language to describe African nations, or if he is racist. The president said at the White House that love was central to the slain civil rights leader. Trump said the nation celebrates King for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or place of our birth, we are all created equal by God.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump criticizes Democrats in tweet calling for stricter immigration rules President Trump hit out at Democrats on Thursday night in a tweet calling for stricter immigration rules. Trump wrote that members of the party seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the border with Mexico: The Democrats seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the Southern Border, risking thousands of lives in the process. It is my duty to protect the lives and safety of all Americans. We must build a Great Wall, think Merit and end Lottery & Chain. USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the tweet. Earlier Thursday, Trump rejected a bipartisan compromise to resolve the standoff over so-called Dreamers, young immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children but have temporary permits to work, attend school or serve in the military. The president drew widespread condemnation after reports emerged that he had asked participants in an Oval Office meeting about the proposal why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts bill aimed at improving border screening for fentanyl By Associated Press President Trump signed legislation Wednesday aimed at giving Customs and Border Protection agents additional screening devices and other tools to stop the flow of illicit drugs. Speaking at a surprise bill-signing ceremony while flanked by members of Congress from both parties in the Oval Office, Trump described the bill as a significant step forward in the fight against powerful opioids such as fentanyl, which he called our new big scourge. He echoed that language Thursday in a tweet: Yesterday, I signed the #INTERDICTAct (H.R. 2142) with bipartisan members of Congress to help end the flow of drugs into our country. Together, we are committed to doing everything we can to combat the deadly scourge of drug addiction and overdose in the United States! pic.twitter.com/ELZvFol5Lo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 The legislation will pay for new portable and fixed chemical screening devices to detect and intercept fentanyl at ports of entry and in the mail, along with other laboratory equipment and personnel, including scientists. Trump has made fighting the opioid epidemic a centerpiece of his administration, though critics say he hasnt dedicated nearly enough money or resources to make a difference. Trump suggested during his remarks on Wednesday that hed like to take a more aggressive approach to the drug crisis  but the countrys not ready for what he has in mind. So were going to sign this. And its a step. And it feels like a very giant step, but unfortunately, its not going to be a giant step, because no matter what you do, this is something that keeps pouring in, he said. And were going to find the answer. There is an answer. I think I actually know the answer, but Im not sure the countrys ready for it yet, he added. Does anybody know what I mean? I think so. Facebook

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Trump applauds news that Toyota-Mazda plant is slated for Alabama By Associated Press Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda on Wednesday announced plans to build a mammoth, $1.6-billion joint-venture plant in Alabama that will eventually employ about 4,000 people. President Trump lauded the news in a tweet: Cutting taxes and simplifying regulations makes America the place to invest! Great news as Toyota and Mazda announce they are bringing 4,000 JOBS and investing $1.6 BILLION in Alabama, helping to further grow our economy! pic.twitter.com/Kcg8IVH6iA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Good news: Toyota and Mazda announce giant new Huntsville, Alabama, plant which will produce over 300,000 cars and SUVs a year and employ 4000 people. Companies are coming back to the U.S. in a very big way. Congratulations Alabama!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 Several states had competed for the project, which will be able to turn out 300,000 vehicles per year and produce the Toyota Corolla compact car for North America and a new small SUV from Mazda. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and company executives held a news conference to announce that the facility is coming to the Huntsville area not far from the Tennessee line. Production is expected to begin by 2021. The decision to pick Alabama is another example of foreign-based automakers building U.S. factories in the South. To entice manufacturers, Southern states have used a combination of lucrative incentive packages, low-cost labor and a pro-business labor environment, because the United Auto Workers union is stronger in Northern states. Read More Facebook

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Trump highlights call for border wall in tweets on visit with Norways prime minister By Associated Press President Trump praised Norways prime minister in a tweet on Wednesday after Erna Solberg became the first foreign leader to visit with the president in 2018. Today, it was my great honor to welcome Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway to the @WhiteHouse - a great friend and ally of the United States! Joint press conference: https://t.co/qWR1BhfQZI pic.twitter.com/PJvwznjRCO  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Trump also shared via Twitter a video clip of a joint news conference he held with Solberg on Wednesday afternoon. In the clip, Trump responds to a question from a reporter by saying there can be no bipartisan immigration deal absent funding for his long-promised wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been seeking a solution for hundreds of thousands of so-called Dreamers, young people who were brought to the United States as children and are living here illegally. The United States needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval. The safety and security of our country is #1! pic.twitter.com/4CFzQXb5aS  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 We need the wall for security, we need the wall for safety, we need the wall for stopping the drugs from pouring in, Trump said Wednesday.  Any solution has to include the wall because without the wall, it all doesnt work. On Tuesday, Trump drew widespread attention when he said during a meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers that he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. That contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill in subsequent tweets and public comments. Read More This post contains reporting from Los Angeles Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump praises Cabinet in tweet touting meeting By Associated Press President Trump promoted a meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday, sharing via Twitter a link to a video of the session posted on the White House YouTube account. In his tweet, Trump thanked his Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country and wrote that the last year has been one of monumental achievement. I want to thank my @Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country. 2017 was a year of monumental achievement and we look forward to the year ahead. Together, we are delivering results and MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! https://t.co/ptXa1hAPwW pic.twitter.com/yv6RALkQf3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The former reality television star continued to dispense accolades at the meeting Wednesday, greeting reporters in the Cabinet Room by saying: Welcome back to the studio. Then he proceeded to relive a Cabinet Room session from the prior day, when he had allowed reporters and TV cameras to stick around for much of his meeting with a bipartisan group of legislators on the thorny issue of immigration. It was a tremendous meeting. Actually, it was reported as incredibly good. And my performance  you know, some of them called it a performance  I consider it work, Trump said. Trump went on to say he had received letters from news anchors calling it one of the greatest meetings theyve ever witnessed. He added that the media will ultimately support Trump in the end, because theyre going to say, if Trump doesnt win in three years, theyre all out of business. Asked for examples of letters received from news anchors, the White House said it had received private communications. It also offered a series of positive on-air comments and tweets from journalists about the unusual access to the meeting. During his remarks, Trump swung from praising his own meeting coverage to telling journalists that they were dependent on his presidency for ratings to threatening a strong look at libel laws. Still, Trump thanked the journalists in front of him, joking: Youve gotten very familiar with this room. I appreciate your nice comments yesterday. Facebook

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Trump blasts DACA ruling in tweet calling courts broken and unfair By Lisa Mascaro President Trump denounced the federal courts Wednesday as broken and unfair after a district judge in San Francisco issued a nationwide injunction keeping protections in place for so-called Dreamers. Trump tweeted: It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 On Tuesday night, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco temporarily blocked the Trump administrations decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, which has protected from deportation some 700,000 people who came to the country illegally as children. Alsup granted a request by the state of California, the University of California and other plaintiffs to stop Trump from ending DACA on March 5. The administrations decision to end DACA, which was announced in September, was based on a flawed legal analysis, Alsup wrote in his decision. Dreamers would be irreparably harmed if their DACA protections, which allow them to live and work legally in the U.S., were stripped away before the courts had a chance to fully consider their claims, he ruled. The action is the mirror image of a ruling in 2015 by a federal judge in Texas who ruled in favor of that state when it sought to block President Obama from expanding DACA to include the parents of Dreamers. Trump administration officials praised that judicial ruling. By contrast, they sharply criticized Alsups decision. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks lawmakers for productive immigration meeting, says deal must include border wall President Trump thanked a bipartisan group of lawmakers for participating in a meeting on immigration legislation on Tuesday. Much of the discussion involved so-called Dreamers, an estimated 700,000 young people who were brought to the country illegally as children and are now facing deportation. In a tweet, Trump wrote that there was strong agreement to negotiate a bill to protect Dreamers, as well as put into place some of the reforms favored by Republicans. Thanks to all of the Republican and Democratic lawmakers for todays very productive meeting on immigration reform. There was strong agreement to negotiate a bill that deals with border security, chain migration, lottery and DACA. https://t.co/SdqAQ3aL3z pic.twitter.com/8DYHZHspAy  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 The most notable exchange of the meeting came when Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the San Francisco Democrat, asked Trump whether he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. Yeah, I would like to do it, Trump responded. The statement drew widespread attention because it contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump later backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill, tweeting that a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico must be part of any deal: As I made very clear today, our country needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Pressure has been mounting for Congress to broker an immigration deal by Jan. 19 as part of a must-pass budget package to fund the government. This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump thanks officers and veterans in tweets President Trump doled out a slew of accolades Tuesday via Twitter. He thanked the nations law enforcement officers, including in his message a hashtag denoting a day of appreciation organized by a national support group for law enforcement families. On behalf of the American people, THANK YOU to our incredible law enforcement officers. As President of the United States - I will fight for you, and I will never, ever let you down. Now, more than ever, we must support the men and women in blue! #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay pic.twitter.com/Qb4uxB4JRm  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trump later expressed gratitude for federal immigration agents, in particular: .@ICEgov HSI agents and ERO officers, on behalf of an entire Nation, THANK YOU for what you are doing 24/7/365 to keep fellow Americans SAFE. Everyone is so grateful!#LawEnforcementAppreciationDay

President @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/HXCpTlruVo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The president thanked veterans as he cited his administrations efforts to curb the number of veteran suicides by improving mental health treatment for the high-risk group: Today, it was my great honor to sign a new Executive Order to ensure Veterans have the resources they need as they transition back to civilian life. We must ensure that our HEROES are given the care and support they so richly deserve! https://t.co/0MdP9DDIAS pic.twitter.com/LP2a8KCBAp  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trumps tweet included photos of the president signing an executive order Tuesday directing the secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to develop a plan to provide seamless access to mental health and suicide prevention resources for 12 months for members leaving the armed forces. Also on Tuesday, Trump touted a law he signed the day before designating the birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. a national historic park: It was my great honor to sign H.R. 267, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Act, which redesignates the Martin Luther King, Junior, National Historic Site in the State of Georgia as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. https://t.co/Qe0b6HBFTY pic.twitter.com/QTgaqTawPT  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 And he thanked House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) for sharing a video compilation comprised of clips of politicians and commentators praising the GOPs tax cut bill: Thank you @GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy! Couldnt agree w/you more. TOGETHER, we are #MAGA https://t.co/QaxtqpyXTR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018  This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump hails tax bill in tweets recapping speech to farmers By Associated Press Connecting with rural Americans, President Trump on Monday hailed his tax overhaul as a victory for family farmers. Farm country is Gods country, Trump told the annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Trump became the first president in a quarter-century to address the federations convention. His Southern swing also included a stop in Atlanta for the national college football championship game. Cant wait to be back in the amazing state of Tennessee to address the 99th American @FarmBureau Federations Annual Convention in Nashville! #AFBF18



On my way now - join me LIVE at 4:00pmE: https://t.co/QaljAqekdD. pic.twitter.com/Wm7Io0hYT8  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Joined by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and a group of Tennessee lawmakers, Trump said most of the benefits of the tax legislation are going to working families, small businesses, and who  the family farmer. The package Trump signed into law last month provides generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and more modest reductions for middle- and low-income individuals and families. In every decision we make, we are honoring Americas PROUD FARMING LEGACY. Years of crushing taxes, crippling regs, & corrupt politics left our communities hurting, our economy stagnant, & millions of hardworking Americans COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN. But they are not forgotten ANYMORE! pic.twitter.com/MdYS7xnukQ  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The president vastly inflated the value of the package in his speech, citing a total of $5.5 trillion in tax cuts, with most of those benefits going to working families, small businesses and who? The family farmer. The estimated value of the tax cuts is actually $1.5 trillion for families and businesses because of cuts in deductions and the use of other steps to generate offsetting tax revenue. We have been working every day to DELIVER for Americas Farmers just as they work every day to deliver FOR US. #AFBF18 pic.twitter.com/QDH7fvFkZ7  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 From Nashville, Trump traveled to Atlanta to watch Alabamas Crimson Tide and Georgias Bulldogs face off Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship. We are fighting for our farmers, for our country, and for our GREAT AMERICAN FLAG. We want our flag respected - and we want our NATIONAL ANTHEM respected also! pic.twitter.com/16eOLXg6Fi  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Before departing for the game, Trump referenced his ongoing defense of the American flag and the national anthem, saying there was enough space for people to express their views. We love our flag and we love our anthem, and we want to keep it that way, he said. Facebook

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Trump tweet hails drop in unemployment rate for African Americans By Associated Press President Trump touted a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans on Monday in a tweet. African American unemployment is the lowest ever recorded in our country. The Hispanic unemployment rate dropped a full point in the last year and is close to the lowest in recorded history. Dems did nothing for you but get your vote! #NeverForget @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The rate fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Trump also hailed the development via Twitter on Saturday. His latest tweet on the topic came about an hour after it was discussed during an episode of Fox & Friends, according to Mediaite. Facebook

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Trump talks up the economy and dresses down the media in Sunday tweets With President Trump cheering from the sidelines, the White House on Sunday pressed its defense of the presidents fitness to govern, as fired former aide Stephen K. Bannon reversed course and apologized for his role in a new books explosive portrait of Trump. The presidents critics, meanwhile, said Trumps stream of taunts and insults in response to the book  Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, released last week  served only to underscore the authors unsettling portrayal of Trumps year-old presidency, depicting a leader whose own aides consider him childish, ignorant and dangerously erratic. Trump provided more ammunition Sunday morning, as he continued to attack the book via Twitter while preparing to depart Camp David for the White House: Leaving Camp David for the White House. Great meetings with the Cabinet and Military on many very important subjects including Border Security & the desperately needed Wall, the ever increasing Drug and Opioid Problem, Infrastructure, Military, Budget, Trade and DACA.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Ive had to put up with the Fake News from the first day I announced that I would be running for President. Now I have to put up with a Fake Book, written by a totally discredited author. Ronald Reagan had the same problem and handled it well. So will I!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 The most vehement defense of Trump on Sunday came from senior advisor Stephen Miller, a onetime Bannon acolyte who distanced himself from his former mentor. In a combative appearance Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, Miller called the book grotesque and writer Michael Wolff the garbage author of a garbage book. Trump is known to closely monitor aides televised performances in putting forth his case, and he gleefully weighed in within moments of Millers televised clash with host Jake Tapper. CNN has long been a particular target of Trumps ire. Jake Tapper of Fake News CNN just got destroyed in his interview with Stephen Miller of the Trump Administration. Watch the hatred and unfairness of this CNN flunky!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trumps reaction, however, seemed to bolster Tappers on-air depiction of Miller as using his appearance on the show to play to the president rather than addressing questions put to him. I get it  theres one viewer that you care about, the host said exasperatedly after Miller turned the discussion repeatedly to negative news coverage of the president while deflecting specific queries. Later on Twitter, Trump took up two themes that have been prevalent on his social media feeds recently. The president again went after the news media, tweeting that the recipients of his self-proclaimed most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year, which he promised earlier in the week to announce on Monday, would actually be revealed the following Wednesday: The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trump later lauded a New York Post opinion piece that compared him favorably with his predecessor, President Obama, as well as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In quoting the op-ed, Trump initally misspelled consequential as consensual, but he deleted those tweets and re-sent the messages. His is turning out to be an enormously consequential presidency. So much so that, despite my own frustration over his missteps, there has never been a day when I wished Hillary Clinton were president. Not one. Indeed, as Trumps accomplishments accumulate, the mere thought of...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 ...Clinton in the WH, doubling down on Barack Obamas failed policies, washes away any doubts that America made the right choice. This was truly a change election  and the changes Trump is bringing are far-reaching & necessary. Thank you Michael Goodwin! https://t.co/4fHNcx2Ydg  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Trump also continued talking up the economy, which has been enjoying a period of strong gains. The Stock Market has been creating tremendous benefits for our country in the form of not only Record Setting Stock Prices, but present and future Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Seven TRILLION dollars of value created since our big election win!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 In addition to Miller, other senior administration officials made the rounds of Sunday news talk shows to decry the claims made in Wolffs book. CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Wolffs characterization of Trump as averse to digesting classified briefing material was ludicrous, and the ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, insisted that that those around Trump love their country and respect their president. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Responding to book that mocks his intelligence, Trump tweets hes like, really smart By Tracy Wilkinson President Trump declared himself a very stable genius on Twitter on Saturday and later in a televised news conference called the author of a book that questioned his mental fitness a fraud. His comments came on a bone-cold day at Camp David during a weekend retreat with top administration officials and Republican congressional leaders strategizing on the years legislative agenda, including matters such as infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and national security. Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Still, Trumps explosive rebuttal to author Michael Wolffs claims not only opened the day, but it also ensured the presidents capability to fill the highest office in the land was a topic that would not go away. In his early-morning tweets, Trump said two of his greatest assets have been mental stability, and being, like, really smart. He noted that his former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, played these cards [about competence] very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star to President of the United States (on my first try). Read More Facebook

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In morning tweets, Trump touts job numbers and takes digs at news media By Associated Press President Trump used Twitter on Saturday morning to tout a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans. He also used the tweets as an opportunity to take digs at media outlets whose past coverage he has found to be critical. The African American unemployment rate fell to 6.8%, the lowest rate in 45 years. I am so happy about this News! And, in the Washington Post (of all places), headline states, Trumps first year jobs numbers were very, very good.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The unemployment rate for African Americans fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Still, the rate for black workers remains well above those for whites and some other groups, something experts attribute in large part to decades of discrimination and disadvantages. Robust job creation has lowered unemployment for all Americans. U.S. employers added nearly 2.1 million jobs in 2017  the seventh straight year that hiring has topped 2 million. In his tweet, Trump praised a report that noted the numbers, touting the fact that it appeared in the Washington Post (of all places). Minutes later, Trump renewed his attack on an ABC News reporter who was suspended last month after filing an erroneous report on Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security advisor. Brian Ross, the reporter who made a fraudulent live newscast about me that drove the Stock Market down 350 points (billions of dollars), was suspended for a month but is now back at ABC NEWS in a lower capacity. He is no longer allowed to report on Trump. Should have been fired!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The reporter, Brian Ross, was reportedly reassigned within ABC News upon returning from his unpaid suspension. But on Saturday, Trump wrote that he should have been fired. Trumps tweets came hours before he was set to host congressional Republicans and administration officials at Camp David. The meeting scheduled to begin at midmorning Saturday was expected to touch on the budget, infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and the shape of the midterm election this fall. Facebook

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Trump commends Sen. Rand Paul after he proposes eliminating all U.S. aid to Pakistan President Trump commended Sen. Rand Paul after the Kentucky Republican announced plans to introduce legislation that would eliminate all U.S. aid to Pakistan. Trump tweeted Friday night: Good idea Rand! https://t.co/55sqUDiC0s  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it was suspending security assistance to Islamabad until the country moves aggressively against local militants who have attacked U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration at the apparent inability of Pakistani authorities to rein in militants who cross out of the countrys rugged tribal areas to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson. Facebook

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Trump continues to lash out at Sloppy Steve Bannon in tweets on tell-all book By Associated Press President Trump is praising a major Republican donor family for distancing themselves from his former advisor Steve Bannon. Trump tweeted Friday: The Mercer Family recently dumped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon. Smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trump has continued to lash out at Bannon over an explosive new book that quoted his former aide as questioning Trumps competence and describing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower among Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer as treasonous and unpatriotic. On Thursday, billionaire GOP donor Rebekah Mercer issued a statement distancing her family from Bannon. Mercer is a co-owner of Breitbart, the populist website Bannon helps run. I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected, Mercer said. My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements. The book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, quickly shot atop Amazons best-seller list, and the publisher moved up its release date by four days, to Friday. Trump took up the topic again on Twitter on Friday night, denouncing both Bannon and the books author, Michael Wolff, in starkly personal terms: Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book. He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad! https://t.co/mEeUhk5ZV9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Trumps message linked to a meme depicting a parody book cover titled, Liar and Phony, that featured a photo of Wolff and disparaging quotes about the author. In a tweet sent earlier Friday morning, Trump suggested the book was intended to serve as a distraction from the FBIs investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, which Trump wrote is proving to be a total hoax. Well, now that collusion with Russia is proving to be a total hoax and the only collusion is with Hillary Clinton and the FBI/Russia, the Fake News Media (Mainstream) and this phony new book are hitting out at every new front imaginable. They should try winning an election. Sad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 That came amid reports that Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Departments Russia investigation. Trumps effort to keep Sessions, a vocal and loyal supporter of his election bid, in charge of an investigation into his campaign offers special counsel Robert Mueller yet another avenue to explore as his prosecutors work to untangle potential evidence of obstruction. Read More Facebook

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Trump praises the economy ahead of meetings at Camp David By Associated Press President Trump is praising the strength of the U.S. economy ahead of meetings at Camp David with congressional Republicans. Trump tweeted early Friday: Dow goes from 18,589 on November 9, 2016, to 25,075 today, for a new all-time Record. Jumped 1000 points in last 5 weeks, Record fastest 1000 point move in history. This is all about the Make America Great Again agenda! Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Six trillion dollars in value created!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The president also told reporters on the South Lawn that the tax cuts are really kicking in after Congress passed a package of tax cuts at the end of 2017. And the president praised the December jobs report, which found U.S. employers added 148,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1%, the lowest level since 2000. The modest but steady pace of hiring is a reassuring sign for investors who have been buoyed by the just-passed Republican tax plan and have been sending stock market indexes roaring to uncharted heights. The president is meeting with Republican congressional leaders and members of his Cabinet on Friday and Saturday to discuss the 2018 agenda. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets as Dow crashes through 25,000 By Associated Press President Trump dispatched a congratulatory tweet as the Dow Jones industrial average rose above the 25,000-point mark Thursday, just five weeks after its first close above 24,000. Dow just crashes through 25,000. Congrats! Big cuts in unnecessary regulations continuing.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 After the Dow closed above 25,000, Trump shared a graphic depicting the stock indexs record-setting rise. MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/iONbr1DkVk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Later in the day, the president was back on Twitter, complaining that news outlets had barely covered the stock market milestone. He suggested that the strength of the economy would be the biggest story on earth, had it unfolded during the presidency of his predecessor. The Fake News Media barely mentions the fact that the Stock Market just hit another New Record and that business in the U.S. is booming...but the people know! Can you imagine if O was president and had these numbers - would be biggest story on earth! Dow now over 25,000.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The Dow broke past 1,000-point barriers in 2017 on its way to a 25% gain for the year, as an eight-year rally since the Great Recession continued to confound skeptics. Strong global economic growth and good prospects for higher company earnings have analysts predicting more gains, although the market may not stay as calm as it has been recently. The Dow has made a rapid trip since it reached 24,000 points Nov. 30, partly on enthusiasm over passage of the Republican-backed tax package, which could boost company profits this year with across-the-board cuts to corporate taxes. Read More Facebook

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Trump reacts to Fire and Fury book in tweet lashing out at author and Sloppy Steve President Trump lashed out at the author of a soon-to-be-released book about the chaotic first year of his presidency Thursday night. In a tweet, Trump called Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, a phony book and claimed that hed never spoken to its author, Michael Wolff. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve! Trump wrote. He appeared to be referring to former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, whose stunning criticisms of Trump and his circle figure prominently in the title. I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trumps tweet came hours after he had his lawyer demand that Henry Holt & Co. and Wolff stop publication the book. Instead, the publisher expedited the books release to Friday, four days before it was slated to hit bookstore shelves, in response to unprecedented demand. Published excerpts on Wednesday and Thursday whetted that appetite and roiled Washington. Bannons comments, including that it was treasonous and unpatriotic for Trumps son Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign manager Paul Manafort to have met in 2016 with Russians said to have dirt on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, prompted Trump on Wednesday to rebuke his former advisor, saying Bannon had lost his mind. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Brian Bennett and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump thanks senators who attended meeting on immigration President Trump tweeted thanks to Republican senators who attended a meeting about possible immigration legislation on Thursday. In his message, Trump also listed his top priorities when it comes to any type of overhaul of the nations immigration system. Thank you to the great Republican Senators who showed up to our mtg on immigration reform. We must BUILD THE WALL, stop illegal immigration, end chain migration & cancel the visa lottery. The current system is unsafe & unfair to the great people of our country - time for change!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Trumps tweet echoed his remarks at the beginning of Thursdays meeting, when he insisted again that constructing a border wall and overhauling two legal immigration programs must be part of any deal with Democrats to protect the so-called Dreamers from deportation. Two-year deportation protections and work permits given under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program begin to expire March 6 under an executive order. Trump announced in September that he was ending the Obama-era program, but told Congress to draft a law to continue protections for people brought to the country illegally as children  a group that has widespread public support. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Brian Bennett. Facebook

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Trump resumes Twitter war against kneeling NFL players President Trump has resumed his Twitter war against NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest social injustice and racial inequality. In a tweet early Thursday, Trump replied to a supporter who shared a meme that appears to depict family members lying on the grave of a fallen soldier with the caption: This is why we stand. Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! Trump wrote. So beautiful....Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! https://t.co/tJLM1tvbvb  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The president has denounced players who kneel during the anthem in previous tweets. Hes also called for the firing of players who do so. His latest message came amid news that the NFL finished the regular season with TV ratings that fell nearly 10% below the previous season. Analysts attribute the drop to controversies facing the league, as well as changing viewing habits and a possible saturation point in the number of games available. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Stephen Battaglio and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump credits himself with facilitating talks between North and South Korea By Associated Press President Trump says his tough stance on nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula is helping push North Korea and South Korea to talk. Trump tweeted early Thursday: With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 That assertion is in conflict with some of the presidents own statements. Last year, he ridiculed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for talking about negotiations with the North. This week, Trump seemed open to the possibility of an inter-Korean dialogue after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare overture toward South Korea in a New Years Day address. But Trumps ambassador to the United Nations insisted that talks wont be meaningful unless the North is getting rid of its nuclear weapons. The overture about talks came after Trump and Kim traded more bellicose claims about their nuclear weapons. In his New Years Day address, Kim repeated fiery nuclear threats against the United States. Kim said he has a nuclear button on his office desk and warned that the whole territory of the U.S. is within the range of our nuclear strike. Trump mocked that assertion Tuesday evening in a tweet. Facebook

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After disbanding his vote fraud panel, Trump still says voting system is rigged By Brian Bennett One day after disbanding his troubled voter fraud commission without any findings of fraud, President Trump continued to call the U.S. voting system rigged and said states should require that Americans have voter-identification cards. In two tweets on Thursday morning, Trump blamed the commissions failure on the lack of cooperation from mostly Democrat States that refused to hand over voter rolls because they know that many people are voting illegally. However, voting supervisors in Republican-led states refused as well, objecting on privacy and other grounds. Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do.....except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Despite Trumps assertions, analysts have not found evidence of widespread voter fraud. Trump created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity in May after alleging, without proof, that millions of illegal votes were cast for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Trump was elected after winning a majority in the electoral college, but the nationwide count showed Clinton received nearly 3 million more votes. The commission sought personal data on voters across the country and faced mounting lawsuits in recent months over privacy concerns. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts another good day for stocks, credits tax cut By Associated Press President Trump touted another good day for the stock market Wednesday in a tweet. Stock Market had another good day but, now that the Tax Cut Bill has passed, we have tremendous upward potential. Dow just short of 25,000, a number that few thought would be possible this soon into my administration. Also, unemployment went down to 4.1%. Only getting better!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Big gains for technology and healthcare stocks helped U.S. indexes set records again Wednesday. Some analysts attributed the surge to investor enthusiasm for Trumps $1.5-trillion tax cut. All told, Wall Street analysts estimate the tax package should boost earnings for companies in the Standard & Poors 500 index by roughly 8% this year. Thats much more generous than the average tax cut of 1.6% that middle-class families will receive, according to the Tax Policy Center. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The public has been less enthusiastic about the tax law. A Monmouth University poll last month found that nearly half of Americans disapproved of it, with only 26% in support. Still, as Trump also noted on Twitter, some workers have seen a benefit: So far, dozens of companies have announced bonuses and higher minimum wages as a result of the tax cut. AT&T, Comcast, Bank of America, and American Airlines have all pledged to pay $1,000 bonuses to their employees. Some 40 U.S. companies have responded to President Trumps tax cut and reform victory in Congress last year by handing out bonuses up to $2,000, increases in 401k matches and spending on charity, a much higher number than previously known. https://t.co/bmWrwWzxMR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Investors also appear less concerned than many politicians about how the additional profits will be used. The Trump administration says it expects companies will plow much of the extra profit back into their businesses, purchasing more software, machinery, and other equipment. Those investments will make workers more productive and provide a key boost to the economys long-run growth. They should also boost wages and salaries for employees. Opponents of the tax law respond that companies are more likely to pass the windfall on to shareholders in the form of higher dividend payments and share buybacks, which raise the price of those shares still in investors hands. Previous cuts in corporate tax rates, in the United States and overseas, havent always led to higher wages. For Wall Street, its all good, at least in the short run. Most analysts take the view that either way, companies and the economy will benefit. Facebook

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Trump reacts to death of Mormon Church president By Associated Press President Trump mourned the death of Mormon Church leader Thomas S. Monson on Wednesday evening. Trump tweeted a link to a statement in which he said that Monson demonstrated wisdom, inspired leadership, and great compassion and delivered a message of optimism, forgiveness, and faith. Melania and I are deeply saddened by the death of Thomas S. Monson, a beloved President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...https://t.co/ETD3fWtfU3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 A church bishop at the age of 22, Monson became the youngest church apostle ever in 1963 at the age of 36. He served as a counselor for three church presidents before assuming the role of the top leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February 2008. After a life of church service, Monson died Tuesday at his home in Salt Lake City, according to church spokesman Eric Hawkins. He was 90. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets that Iranian protesters will see great U.S. support at the appropriate time By Associated Press President Trump continued to express support for Irans anti-government protesters on Wednesday. In a tweet, Trump commended the protesters and pledged that the United States will support them at the appropriate time. Such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Trumps tweet Wednesday morning came as Iranian Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo sent a letter to United Nations officials complaining that Washington was intervening in a grotesque way in Irans internal affairs. The President and Vice-President of the United States, in their numerous absurd tweets, incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts, the ambassador wrote to the U.N. Security Council president and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The U.S. didnt immediately respond to the letter, which maintains that Washington has crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilized conduct of international relations. At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds arrested in Iran during a week of anti-government protests and unrest over economic woes and official corruption. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people took part in counter-demonstrations Wednesday backing the clerically overseen government, which has said enemies of Iran are fomenting the protests. Trump has unleashed a series of tweets in recent days backing the protesters, saying Iran is failing at every level and declaring that it is time for change in the Islamic Republic. Facebook

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Trump congratulates Sen. Orrin Hatch upon news of his retirement By Associated Press President Trump congratulated Sen. Orrin Hatch for an absolutely incredible career upon news of Hatchs impending retirement. In a tweet Tuesday afternoon, Trump called Hatch a tremendous supporter and wrote that he will be greatly missed in the Senate. Congratulations to Senator Orrin Hatch on an absolutely incredible career. He has been a tremendous supporter, and I will never forget the (beyond kind) statements he has made about me as President. He is my friend and he will be greatly missed in the U.S. Senate! pic.twitter.com/0VjzLEeHTl  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Hatchs decision to retire from the Senate after four decades lets the Utah Republican walk away at the height of his power after helping to push through an overhaul of the tax code and persuading Trump to downsize two national monuments. Retirement also preserves the 83-year-olds legacy by allowing him to avoid a bruising reelection battle that would have broken his promise not to seek an eighth term. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet exaggerates progress in improving veterans care By Associated Press President Trump played up tremendous progress in improving care for veterans in his first year on Tuesday in a tweet. His message linked to an Instagram video describing eight accomplishments that show Trump is fighting for our veterans. But it overstates the impact of these steps. We will not rest until all of Americas GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time. Keep up the great work @SecShulkin @DeptVetAffairs! https://t.co/ir25vW15hx pic.twitter.com/OtuzIgxMn6  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Of the eight achievements cited, two are ceremonial proclamations recognizing National Veterans and Military Families Month and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Two are pieces of legislation that extended the troubled Veterans Choice program on a temporary basis. This became necessary because the Trump administration repeatedly miscalculated the amount of taxpayer dollars available to pay for care from private doctors outside the Veterans Affairs system when veterans had to endure long waits for treatment at VA medical centers. The departments poor budget planning caught lawmakers off guard. A fifth claim involves telehealth, a step letting doctors practice medicine across state lines using digital technology. Announced in August, it has yet to take full effect because a proposed VA regulation hasnt been completed. The VA wants authority to practice across state lines to come from legislation, not a regulation. On Wednesday, the Senate approved a telehealth measure that now goes to the House. A sixth claim refers to legislation that streamlines the appeals process for disability compensation claims within the VA. This step has had limited effect so far because it applies to new disability claims, not the 470,000 pending claims. The last two initiatives make it easier for the VA to discipline employees. The department has pointed to more than 1,300 employees who have been fired under Trumps watch. Because their infractions are not detailed in public documents, the effect on veterans care is not fully known. Facebook

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Trump unleashes his first tweetstorm of 2018 By Noah Bierman President Trump clearly didnt resolve to change his Twitter habits this year. With nine disparate tweets over three hours on Tuesday morning, the first working day of 2018, Trump continued to exploit social media to be the most aggressive commentator in chief in American history. For any other president, his posts would have made for a monumental day of (mis-)statements. Yet for Trump, the series  attacks on political foes and media, provocations of foreign leaders and self-praise for events he had nothing to do with  was all but unremarkable. His Twitter barrage  sent between 7:09 a.m. and 10:16 a.m.  reflected a familiar gamut after nearly a year in office: Attacks on political foes: Nearly 14 months after his election, Trump called for the jailing of Huma Abedin, Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid (his misspelling, another occasional feature of Trump tweets). Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 In the same tweet, he disparaged the Deep State Justice Dept, headed of course by his appointees, calling on it to act against James B. Comey, the FBI director he fired for investigating the Russia thing. Diplomatic provocations: Trump again called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Rocket man, ridiculed the volatile nuclear-armed foe for recent military defections and openly speculated about potential talks between North and South Korea. Sanctions and other pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not - we will see!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not  we will see! Trump wrote. Later Tuesday, Trump tweeted: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Also later Tuesday, Trump tweeted an attack on Pakistan, his second in as many days, and added a new one against Palestinians: It's not only Pakistan that we pay billions of dollars to for nothing, but also many other countries, and others. As an example, we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They dont even want to negotiate a long overdue...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ...peace treaty with Israel. We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more. But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Undermining media: Trump offered Congratulations! to A.G. Sulzberger, who took over as publisher of the New York Times this week. The Failing New York Times has a new publisher, A.G. Sulzberger. Congratulations! Here is a last chance for the Times to fulfill the vision of its Founder, Adolph Ochs, to give the news impartially, without fear or FAVOR, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved. Get...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ....impartial journalists of a much higher standard, lose all of your phony and non-existent sources, and treat the President of the United States FAIRLY, so that the next time I (and the people) win, you wont have to write an apology to your readers for a job poorly done! GL  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the two-part post was really yet another slam against a perceived media foe: Trump said the paper had a last chance to fulfill its journalistic mission, and accused it of relying on phony sources and substandard reporters  just days after he granted another exclusive interview to the paper. As a bonus, the tweet contained a recycled falsehood, that the paper apologized after the election for reporting on him unfairly. It didnt. Trump later said on Twitter that he would soon announce the most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year. Stay tuned! I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 oclock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 The president also tweeted a quote from Fox Business Networks Lou Dobbs Tonight, which aired a segment praising Trumps first-year accomplishments. Dobbs reportedly joined Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday for a gala to celebrate New Years Eve. President Trump has something now he didnt have a year ago, that is a set of accomplishments that nobody can deny. The accomplishments are there, look at his record, he has had a very significant first year. @LouDobbs Show,David Asman & Ed Rollins  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Taking credit: Trump congratulated himself for policing the border with Mexico, an area where his policies and anti-immigration rhetoric are believed to have had some effect on reducing illegal crossings. Thank you to Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council for your kind words on how well we are doing at the Border. We will be bringing in more & more of your great folks and will build the desperately needed WALL! @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 He took credit for employee bonuses by companies after he signed Republican tax cuts into law last month. Companies are giving big bonuses to their workers because of the Tax Cut Bill. Really great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the jaw-dropper was Trump congratulating himself for planes not crashing. Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 It was the safest year on record worldwide, but the American streak without commercial jet passenger deaths goes back to 2009. Trump, who has promoted deregulation as one of his top accomplishments, has not signed off on any new airline safety regulations. The White House pointed to new security screening of passengers, to electronic devices to prevent terrorist attacks and to Trumps support for privatizing air traffic control  a proposal that has gotten nowhere in Congress. Falsehoods: Trump said President Obama, in brokering the 2015 nuclear arms limitation deal with Iran, foolishly gave money to the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. He didnt. The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their pockets. The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 The nuclear deal, which included major U.S. allies as signators, released Irans own funds that had long been frozen. Trumps art of the deal: When Trump sees a big deal looming, he often blasts the other side  to gain leverage, as hes written. This week he resumes a showdown with Democratic lawmakers over funding the government and immigration protections for so-called Dreamers, who were brought to the country illegally as children. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start falling in love with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Trump, who in September ordered a gradual end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, sought to shift blame for the resulting controversy, saying Democrats are doing nothing for DACA and are just interested in politics. Trump has insisted that any help for Dreamers be paired with funding for a border wall and a crackdown on legal immigration. Democrats, and some Republicans, are opposed. Read More Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests U.S. will withdraw financial assistance to Pakistan By Shashank Bengali Pakistan lashed out Monday after President Trump accused its leaders of lies & deceit and suggested the United States would withdraw financial assistance to the nuclear-armed nation it once saw as a key ally against terrorism. It was the presidents latest broadside against Pakistan after a speech in August in which he demanded its leaders crack down on the safe havens enjoyed by Taliban militants fighting U.S.-backed forces in neighboring Afghanistan. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018 U.S. Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the presidents statement, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. Pakistan lodged a strongly worded protest and asked for clarification about Trumps comments, according to two foreign office officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Pakistans prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, called a Cabinet meeting for Tuesday and a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday to discuss Trumps New Years Day tweet. Read More Facebook

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Trump continues to tweet in support of Iranian protesters By Laura King President Trump expressed renewed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, declaring that people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. In a tweet from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, the president said the nationwide economic protests that began on Thursday  and have taken on wider political overtones as they have grown in size  were a signal that Iranians will not take it any longer. Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Trump has tweeted about the protests for three days straight as Iranians took to the streets despite a heavy police presence, tear gas and scores of arrests. The defiance gained urgency after two people were reported shot to death in the city of Dorud, about 200 miles southwest of Tehran. As the conflict escalated, Iranian authorities on Sunday slapped a temporary ban on Instagram and the messaging app Telegram, which were widely used to fan protest fervor. Iran, the Number One State of Sponsored Terror with numerous violations of Human Rights occurring on an hourly basis, has now closed down the Internet so that peaceful demonstrators cannot communicate. Not good!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Irans leaders already are casting Trumps increasingly effusive expressions of support for the demonstrators as opportunistic meddling and are painting the demonstrators as foreign pawns, adopting a strategy that some analysts say could jeopardize the legitimacy of the nascent antigovernment protests. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets condolences after Colorado deputies are shot in ambush, one fatally By Associated Press A man fired more than 100 rounds at sheriffs deputies in Colorado early Sunday, killing one and injuring four others, before being fatally shot himself in what authorities called an ambush. Two civilians were also injured. President Trump expressed sorrow, writing on Twitter: My deepest condolences to the victims of the terrible shooting in Douglas County @DCSheriff, and their families. We love our police and law enforcement - God Bless them all! #LESM  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said deputies came under fire almost
The Laguna Beach City Council will have some big decisions to make in 2018 regarding undergrounding of overhead utility poles and wires.

City staff members on Feb. 6 are expected to present results of a community survey that asks voters whether they support placing one or two measures on the November ballot and details about potential tax-financing options.

The city presented two possible undergrounding funding options at the Dec. 5 council meeting: forming a community facilities district or floating a general obligation bond.

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Deadly wildfires that scorched California this year increased Laguna residents calls to bury overhead utilities.

While official causes of some of the blazes, such as the Thomas fire in Ventura County, have not been determined, some have speculated sparks or explosions from power lines are to blame.

Fires caused by downed or faulty power lines and electrical equipment burned 149,241 acres in 2015, more than any other cause, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Community facilities districts assess special taxes that pay for infrastructure improvements, such as roads, parks, schools and undergrounding.

The Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982 authorized public agencies, such as cities, to issue tax-exempt bonds to pay for infrastructure, according to Riverside Countys website. Costs are passed on to homeowners in the form of special taxes.

What makes a community facilities district different from an assessment district is that taxes levied on parcels in a community facilities district are not required to be based on a propertys benefit from the infrastructure improvement, Harris & Associates, a firm focused on construction management, engineering and public finance, said in a study.

For example, uniform taxes could be levied on each parcel within the community facilities district, as compared to assessment districts in which some properties may receive greater benefit than others  and are taxed accordingly.

Taxes in a community facilities district can change over time, but can never exceed the maximum tax approved by voters, Harris report said. Two-thirds of registered voters within the proposed facilities district must approve its formation during a general or special election.

Laguna has for years been undergrounding utilities in various neighborhoods, using the assessment district model.

Another difference between assessment and facilities districts is that properties must be in a contiguous pattern in an assessment district. In a facilities district, properties can be scattered throughout the city.

Mayor Kelly Boyd said he wants the city to inform residents that if they already paid for undergrounding in their neighborhoods, they would not be taxed to fund work in another neighborhood as part of a community facilities district.

But all residents could end up paying to place overhead utility poles and wires underground along Lagunas evacuation routes, such as Laguna Canyon Road and South Coast Highway. The city considers those roads as serving the entire community.

States and cities issue general obligation bonds to raise funds for public works projects. Public agencies pay bondholders through taxes, according to Morningstar Inc., an investment research and management firm headquartered in Chicago.

The ability to back up bond payments with tax funds is what makes general obligation bonds distinct from revenue bonds, which are repaid using the revenue generated by the specific project the bonds are issued to fund, such as fees from a parking garage, Morningstar said.

Laguna has used a general obligation bond before  to purchase open space in Laguna Canyon, according to an October city staff report.

Consultants are tallying the number of properties that still have utility poles and wires, said Laguna Public Works Director Shohreh Dupuis

bryce.alderton@latimes.com

Twitter: @AldertonBryce
Have you ever been homesick?

Its no fun.

One medical professional describes homesickness as an emotional state of mind where the affected person experiences intense feelings of longing due to separation from home environment and loved ones. The feelings that are most identified with homesickness are nostalgia, grief, depression, anxiety, sadness and withdrawal.

A person can be bushwhacked by homesickness. I was.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

The conditions devastating effects have been noted for centuries. In 1887, a San Francisco newspaper ran a story with the headline: Victim of Nostalgia: A Priest Dies Craving for a Sight of his Motherland.

The article reported that an Irish priest became ill with nostalgia after arriving in Brooklyn, N.Y. Shortly before his death, he declared: I am homesick. My dear country, I will never set a foot on your green shores again.

Oh, my mother, how I long to see you.

I experienced the same feelings as a young soldier in 1964.

After considerable internal debate  but no true outside impetus  I decided to join the Army at the age of 19.

I felt it was time for me to make a change in my life. I was a second-year Orange Coast College student who was putting more time into social activities than academics. My grades reflected that.

So, I took the Army entrance exam and qualified for an Army school. In February of 64 I bid adieu to my college mates, kissed my parents goodbye and placed myself under Uncle Sams custody for the next three years.

I reported to basic training at Fort Ord, and promptly fell into a deep funk: homesickness. I hadnt anticipated that. My first thought was, What the heck have I done?

Whatever it was, it was irreversible.

I had plenty of time to reflect on things that first week of basic. I was not yet assigned to a training company, and I spent considerable time performing menial tasks like sweeping the company area, scrubbing urinals and toilets, washing ancient barracks windows and pulling KP (Kitchen Police) duty.

As I washed windows, I visualized what my friends at OCC were doing at that exact moment. Most likely they were in the Student Center swilling coffee, playing cards or prepping for an exam. Was anyone even thinking of me?

I longed to return to that Student Center!

One day, I went into a latrine, shut myself in a stall and cried my eyes out, without making a sound. No one heard me.

I felt helpless. Abandoned. My life was no longer my own!

I had no one to blame but myself. Itd been my decision. It was time for me to man up.

I marked time until the fifth week when my family came up from Orange County to visit me. I received a weekend pass.

What a glorious two days in San Francisco! But the weekend flew by all too quickly, and my family dropped me off at my barracks Sunday night. My sister, mother and grandmother all cried.

I regularly wrote home and received letters several times a week. Every Friday night, like clockwork, I went to my companys day room and called my family on the public telephone. I lived for those conversations!

My homesickness abated with time. Finally, basic training ended and I flew home for a two-week leave before heading to New York City for advanced training.

Though it was great to be home, I felt disappointed. It wasnt quite as I remembered it.

My friends were happy to see me, but our lives were now on different tracks. They were into their things, and I had my own things. My life was destined for NYC. After my leave, I was eager to move on.

I enjoyed the Army school in New York, and fell in love with the city. I met a New York girl at a USO dance.

Distractions can cure homesickness, and New York was filled with them.

My life took wing!

--

JIM CARNETT, who lives in Costa Mesa, worked for Orange Coast College for 37 years.
The $500-million project to update Glendales aging natural-gas power plant will undergo additional scrutiny next month over its potential increase of greenhouse gas emissions in light of councils recent support of the United Nations Paris Agreement.

During the staff-comments portion of the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Councilman Zareh Sinanyan asked for his colleagues support in requesting city staff and Glendale Water & Power officials pause the repowering of the facility ahead of draft environmental impact report, or EIR, which is tentatively scheduled for council consideration on March 6.

[City staff should] come back with an exhaustive comprehensive analysis of all the alternatives that are out there, which will achieve our goal of limiting emissions and decreasing them and complying with the increasing demand that are thankfully imposed on us by our state authorities, Sinanyan said.

And, at the same time, [we should] make sure that its not cost prohibitive or [that] our residents will not be detrimentally impacted by the results, he added.

Sinanyan said his suggestion stems from the draft EIRs conclusion that the power plant may increase greenhouse gas emissions and would run counter to the City Councils July resolution to join other cities nationwide in expressing Glendales support of the Paris Agreement.

The agreement aims to keep a global temperature rise this century below 2 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The ongoing Grayson Power Plant renovation is designed to update the facility into a more reliable and sustainable one, with plans to remove, rebuild and replace seven of its eight electrical-generation units. If left as is, utility officials previously said they expect the 80-year-old units to fail within the next decade.

In an October presentation of the draft EIR, consultants stated that of the nine categories of environmental factors evaluated  which included air quality, noise and hazardous materials  the report found less than significant impacts in all instances, some with mitigation.

However, Sinanyan said city officials should evaluate Grayson differently because he thinks the renewable-energy alternatives included in the draft EIR are not deep or comprehensive enough.

I want the entire universe of options to be looked at independently of repowering Grayson, he said.

Sinanyan suggested a different approach to the power plant project, suggesting that instead of a repower first approach, city officials should prioritize what energy technologies are being offered and, based on that, decide whether they want to move forward with repowering Grayson.

The goal should be where are we going, where are we, where will we be tomorrow, what are the technologies going to be, is it worth half a [billion] dollars and increasing our [greenhouse gas] emissions anywhere from 25% to 75%? he said.

In response, Steve Zurn, the utilitys general manager, said the repowering of Grayson is only one aspect of a broader plan that adheres to Californias mandate to achieve 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

I built into this process three years ago the option to always go back and look at that technology again and, if it had gotten to a point where it became more desirable economically or operationally, we could fold that back in, Zurn said.

During the community-events announcement portion of the meeting, state Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) said he supported the request to pause the Grayson project.

[Im here] to support what Council member Sinanyan suggested as far as alternatives, he said.

As you know, theres significant legislation working through the capital that would basically put some shackles on plants like this. And I think whether they pass now or if they will pass in the future, and I think thats very important to the conversation, so I want to add that Sacramento perspective.

The Glendale City Council discussion about Grayson repowering has been scheduled to the February 6, 2018 meeting.

jeff.landa@latimes.com

Twitter: @JeffLanda

UPDATES:

12:43 p.m.: This article was updated to reflect the rescheduled date for the next city council meeting about Grayson repowering.

This article was originally published on Dec. 22.
UPDATE: 4 things we know, 3 we don't in murder-suicide standoff

A welfare check for a bleeding woman on a Bethlehem Township lawn Friday quickly unfolded into an eight-hour standoff with a gunman firing what's believed to be a semi-automatic rifle at police and terrifying neighbors.

The standoff ended when Justin Erik Kephart was found dead from what was believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Joseph Sokolofski.

He's believed to have killed his mother, although the coroner had not arrived to confirm his death or hers when Sokoloski briefed the news media just after 10 p.m. Friday.

Events unfolded quickly after 1:30 p.m. when township police were summoned to 1543 Dennis St. where Kephart, 36, lived with his grandmother, Rosemarie Meixell, according to police.

Police were called to check on the welfare of a woman who lay bleeding in Meixell's yard. When police arrived, Kephart started shooting at them, Sokolofski said.

Several local departments were called to back up local police. Bethlehem brought in an armored vehicle, which police used to direct Kephart's fire away from a pinned down Bethlehem Township police officer so he could flee.

"We were able to get the officer out," Sokolofski said. "We were not able to render aid to the female."

About 3:30 p.m., Kephart's father, Dale Clark Kephart, said he received a cell phone call from his son, who told him he had killed his "mom" and "a cop." That information came from a criminal complaint prepared for Kephart in the event he would be charged with attempted homicide for shooting at police.

No police officers were shot during the standoff, Sokolofski said.

"At that point, the Special Emergeny Response Team was summoned to deal with the male who was inside the house," Sokolofski said.

Police established a perimeter and began negotiating with Kephart, and he periodically continued to fire at police, Sokolofski said. Bystanders could hear police communicating with Kephart through a bullhorn. They also heard blasts and gunshots.

A police officer who had Kephart in sight noticed he hadn't moved for quite some time Friday night. That's when police finally moved in and found him dead about 9:45 p.m., Sokolofski said.

Although the grandmother lived with Kephart, she was not home during the standoff, Sokolofski said.

"Someone had spoken to her. I'm not sure where she was," he said.

It's unclear what prompted the standoff, Sokolofski said. He said the weapon was believed to be a semi-automatic rifle.

A photo of Kephart on his Facebook page shows what appears to be Kephart at age 12 holding an assault rifle. Another entry appears to show his support for Eric Frein, the man who shot a state trooper and kept police hunting him for weeks in the Poconos.

"Go Frien. (sic) Keep making a f--k of all those OINKERS," he wrote on his page.

The standoff forced neighbors to remain locked in their homes for hours. Residents who weren't home at the time were forced to stay away. Roads were barricaded for blocks around the standoff site.

Neighbor Doug Wallace said he was able to get to the bleeding woman but couldn't render aid because shots started ringing out. Other neighbors could hear bullets whizzing past them blocks away from the standoff site.

The blasts and shots continued periodically for hours after the initial police response until all went quiet and the barricades and roadblocks were eventually taken away.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Neighbors near a Bethlehem Township standoff heard bangs, pops and whizzing sounds coming from Dennis Street hours after police were summoned there.

Township Police Chief Dan Pancoast confirmed a woman lay motionless in the 1500 block of Dennis Street when police arrived. Neighbor Doug Wallace said he tried to help the woman but she was dead.

Bullets flew from the home, according to Pancoast, but as the afternoon drifted into night the gunman remained barricaded in the home.

Neighbors a block from the home were ordered to shelter in place or stay away. The neighbors outside that perimeter reported the sound of what they believed to be gunshots from an automatic weapon about an hour or two after the standoff began.

By 5:45 p.m. police could be heard on a bullhorn outside a the home trying to communicate with someone inside.

The bullhorn went silent, then returned steadily from about 6:05 to 6:25 p.m. During that time, two loud bangs were audible and two flashes were visible as far away as First Street and Wilson Avenue, which was about a block and a half away from the home and as close as bystanders were allowed to get.

Around 6:25 p.m. the sounds of gunshots followed by the whizzing sound of an apparent bullet sent bystanders scurrying from that intersection.

Then there was silence.

The bullhorn started up around 6:35 p.m. followed by more popping sounds. More blasts were audible at 7 p.m. But the perimeter remained secure and there was no sign the standoff would end at that time.

The Bethlehem Township Police Department posted on Facebook at 9:30 p.m. to warn neighbors to continue to shelter in place or stay away from Dennis Street between Lehigh Street and Wilson Avenue.

"Barricaded suspect continues to fire upon officers," the update said. "Please continue to stay clear of the area or remain sheltered in place."

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
TROPHIES

Easton firefighter Jim Corcoran was honored this week for his work on the job and his humanitarian efforts off the job -- helping with a charitable program to keep kids warm in winter. Corcoran brought Operation Warm Coats For Kids to the fire department, a program that buys new American-made outerwear for kids in need with funds raised by firefighters throughout the year. The Kiwanis Club of Easton saluted Corcoran with its firefighter of the year award at a celebration at the Grand Eastonian Hotel & Suites. Fire Chief John Bast said, "We are honoring Jim not for a one-time act, but for helping the children of the community as whole live with dignity."

Congratulations to the young artists who made the cut in ArtsQuest's annual 2018 ArtPop Lehigh Valley competition. Their original works will be exhibited on billboards, compliments of Adams Outdoor Advertising, throughout the Lehigh Valley next year. The eight works were chosen from nearly 200 submissions. The winners include Cecily Mowad, of Easton; James O'Connor and Deborah Slahta, of Bethlehem; Cecelia Grant, of Kutztown; Ashley Dorney, of Quakertown; Alison Bessesdotter, of Macungie; and Ryen Valentin, of Allentown; and Kathryn Dawe, a Nazareth Area High School student who won the high school competition. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship to a Kutztown University art program from the Kutztown University Foundation.

Thanks to a 20-year commitment of $250,000 a year from casino revenues, the three-year-old Slate Belt YMCA in Pen Argyl will be adding a swimming pool and a gymnasium. David Fagerstrom, president of the Greater Valley YMCA, said the Y wants to begin construction sometime in 2018 and open the new facilities within eight months or a year. The indoor pool will be available to the Bangor and Pen Argyl high school swim teams. Funding for the expansion come from gambling proceeds generated by the Mount Airy Casino in Mount Pocono.

TURKEYS

Two Pennsylvania lawmakers -- state Sen.

, D-Montgomery, and state Rep.

, D-Berks -- are facing calls for their resignation after they were accused of sexual harassment. The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that taxpayer money provided a $248,000 settlement payment, authorized by the House Democratic Caucus, to resolve a sexual harassment complaint against Caltagirone in 2015. Caltagirone maintains his innocence. He said he wanted to contest the charges but was advised by lawyers to accept the settlement. The 34-year House veteran says he has no plans to resign. Leach, who has been accused of inappropriate behavior with several former female staffers, announced that he is suspending his campaign for Congress in Pennsylvania's 7th District. He expressed regret, saying "it's heartbreaking to me that I have put someone in a position that made them feel uncomfortable or disrespected," but has no plans to step down. Gov. Tom Wolf called on both men to resign.
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No decision has been made about the possible future use of the historic and soon to be vacated Presentation Convent building in Kildare town.

The convent, which is set to close in January 2018 after a presence of over 185 years in Kildare town, has provided education to generations in Kildare.

The Presentation Sisters said last week that it will be a sad farewell when the four remaining sisters leave the Convent in January. However it was acknowleged that the move was in the best interest of the remaining sisters.

The convent is attractively set in its own grounds and is a prominent feature on the streetscape of Convent Road.

It is a nine-bay two-storey building over a part-raised basement and it was built 1829.

Sr Cecilia Molloy, who spoke about the move to the Leader last week, said one of the possible uses for the building could be as a space for assisted living.

While she acknowleged that people are curious about what will happen to it, she said that was only one possiblity, adding that extensive improvement works will have to be made to the building to update it for any possible future use.
Five primary schools from Kildare including Scoil Padraig in Clane shone at the Intel Mini Scientist Regional Final for the Leinster area which was held on Friday, December 8.

The winning schools and entries came from all across Kildare including Clane, Leixlip, Celbridge and Moone.

The Automatic Washing Line was selected from mini scientists Alex Mooney, James O'Rourke and Andrew O'Brien from Scoil Phadraig Boys National School.

The five projects were selected at the event will to go forward to the National Grand Final alongside 15 others at the Helix in DCU next February.

The competition, which is now in its eleventh year, gives young students the chance to explore science through project based learning and exhibitions.

The first phase of the program involves students participating at exhibitions in their own schools which are visited by Intel employees who judge the first round of exhibitions and select from each school a winning project to go forward to a regional final.

The other winning schools and their projects from were as follows:

Hydraulic Arm from St. Patricks National School, Celbridge;

Digital Step Chart from St. Jospehs National School, Kilcock;

Artificial Intelligence from Scoil Naisuinta Cholmcille Naofa, Moone;

Alzheimers from Scoil Bhride, Leixlip.

Meanwhile, 2017 has been described as the biggest year yet for the Intel Mini Scientist competition.

More than 7,800 students from 135 schools in 18 counties across Ireland took part in the annual science event for children.
The vast majority of patients treated at Naas Hospital have reported a good or very good experience.

And three quarters of them reported similarly when asked about their treatment at hospital admission stage.

The information has emerged as a result of the first National Patient Experience Survey.

NEPS is a joint partnership programme between the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive.

It was set up to to help improve patient-centred care and this is aimed ad improving patient outcomes and more efficient and effective organisations.

According the HSE the survey takes the views of adults who have spent at least one night in a public acute hospital. The first survey took place six months ago with nearly half (46%) of eligible patients attending Naas Hospital responding.

Some 875 of patients said the food they ate was good or very good.

Also, 72% rated their experience of examination, diagnosis and treatment as good or very good.

Nearly all (94%)were happy with the cleanliness of the bathroom facilities.

But there were lower levels of satisfaction in some areas including having staff available to speak with about their treatment and experience as well as the provision of information abound the potential side effects of medication.

Hospital management in Naas is developing improvement plants which strive to address these issues and and improve the patient experience.

Dr Susan OReilly of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group said the information provided is the most impactful and effective way to drive change and to ensure that the quality and care we provide is the best it can be.

This is the first time patients have been asked about their experiences in a coordinated way and Dr. OReilly said it gives baseline information which will develop services and improve the delivery of these services.

Alice Kinsella, general manager at NGH, said the hospital is always looking for ways to ensure an excellent patient experience for those visiting our hospital.

Ms. Kinsella said she was encouraged by the results of the survey.

She said the results showed a high level of overall patient satisfaction and this reflects the hard work and contributionof staff each day. Ms. Kinsella also aaid areas for improvement identified in the report will be addressed.
THE CHAIRPERSON of the Limerick Senior Forum has called on the Government to stop pussyfooting with senior peoples lives and wellbeing following the horrific death of Rose Hanrahan.

Raheen man Oliver Creighton, 81, has described the actions of the killer or killers as mindless and that elderly people in Limerick are now more worried than ever at home.

We have been highlighting the loneliness of the seniors for a long time. And even in communities where you are surrounded by people, elderly people are still at risk.

We used to think that these things would only happen in the country, but now it is happening in the city where there are a lot of people.

I always have been worried, but this makes me more worried. I live on my own in an apartment. And this was such a cruel way to die. People are not even answering their doors now, they are so afraid to answer their doors, he said.

Mr Creighton is calling on the Government to appoint a ministerial role with a specific responsibility for older people.

It is about time now that the Government stopped pussyfooting with senior peoples lives and wellbeing, he said, adding that elderly people are afraid to go out at night.

On Sunday, crime prevention officer Sgt Ber Leetch attended the St Munchins Christmas party to advise the local elderly about security over the festive season.

She advised them to watch out for each other, lock all doors, use alarms if they have one, and not to open their door unless they know who it is.

If you feel alarmed, ring the gardai, I have noticed a reluctance on the part of some elderly people to contact gardai in case they were wasting their time, I would say just ring the gardai and then ring a trusted neighbour, of course make sure to have your friends number easy to find or saved on your phone.

Sgt Leetch also suggested that an alert bracelet would be a fantastic Christmas present as it would give great peace of mind to anybody living alone both for their safety and for their security.
TWO award winning theatre-makers have been afforded one of Limericks top honours.

Joanne Ryan, Kileely, and Ann Blake, South Circular Road, have been given a reception by metropolitan mayor Cllr Sean Lynch.

Between them, the pair have produced numerous shows which have played both nationally and internationally to much acclaim.

At the recent reception, Joanne revealed her current show, Eggsistentialism is set to play in London in the New Year, and will then travel down under to Australia for a major tour.

It comes after the show  an autobiographical narrative focused on Joannes decision-making around whether or not to have children  played in Cyprus.

I developed the show as part of Hatch LK in 2015. I started writing it as I was turning 35 which is the famous age where peoples fertility falls off a cliff  allegedly, according to the internet and doctors! It is also about my mum Gloria, about her being pregnant in Ireland in the 1970s, and what had changed in that time. It contextualises the political, social and cultural situation that Im making my decision in, she said.

Asked how it felt to be honoured by Cllr Lynch, she said: It feels a bit surreal. Its very unexpected  and its incredible to see so many people here. Its very moving and touching.

Ann, who is a member of the Brad Pitt Light Orchestra as well as playwright and actor, said: Its really hard to put into words. Its an incredible honour. Its remarkable to sit in a room and hear people say such nice things about you. Its hard to know where to look  but in a nice way!

Ann is also taking her latest show abroad in 2018. In fact, as early as New Years Day, she will fly to Montreal in Canada where her production, The Morning after the Life Before, will play the festival circuit there.

The show is my own story about coming out and meeting Jenny [her partner], and life around the marriage equality referendum. It was a momentous time, but it was also deeply personal to me, she told the Limerick Leader.

She insisted despite this, the show is fun and not overly heavy.

At the reception, Cllr Lynch praised the pair, saying: They have made a huge contribution to arts and culture in Limerick. They are leaving a legacy for Limerick culture, showcasing what Limerick is all about.

They have received recognition not alone nationally, but also internationally.
A CAREER criminal from Limerick who threatened to stab a doctor after approaching her in the car park of a busy hotel has been jailed for three years.

Michael Quilligan, aged 34, who has an address at Altamira Court, Thomondgate, Limerick has pleaded guilty to robbing the woman at the Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare on March 11, 2016.

He has also pleaded guilty to several other burglary charges relating to offences which happened elsewhere in Adare on the same night.

During a sentencing hearing, Detective Sergeant James Ruddle said the defendant, who has almost 100 previous convictions approached the doctor at around 8.30pm as she was wallking from the car park to the main hotel.

Quilligan who was wearing a white hoodie threatened to stab the victim if she did not hand over her handbag which contained cash, cards and three mobile phones..

Det Sgt Ruddle told John OSullivan BL, prosecuting, the woman dropped her bag and screamed at which point the defendant fled in a car which was being driven by a woman.

The victim noted the registration of the car and the accused man was arrested at a hotel on the outskirts of the city the following day.

Judge Tom ODonnell was told it was later established the defendant had attempted to break into a car at Adare Nursing Home before the incident at the Dunraven Arms Hotel.

Quilligan also admitted stealing a leaf blower from a van which was parked outside a pub in the village and to damaging two cars which were parked in the car park of Tesco in Abbeyfeale earlier in the evening.

During interview following his arrest, the father-of-five told gardai he was stoned off his head and that he motivation was to get money to pay for alcohol and tablets.

Pat Whyms BL said his clients relationship had hit a rocky patch shortly before the crime spree and that he had left the family home.

He said he and his partner have since reconciled and that Quilligan has not been in trouble since 2014..

He is attending counselling and is attempting to address his addiction issues added Mr Whyms.

Having considered the matter, Judge ODonnell imposed sentences totalling three years imprisonment which he backdated to February 3, last.
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CASS CITY  The Cass City School District is leaning toward starting classes before Labor Day like some of the other schools in the area.

We discussed an early start. It is something we are looking at, said Superintendent Jeff Hartel. We are in negotiations with teachers now about it.

Legislation was developed in 2005 when Jennifer Granholm was governor of Michigan for schools not to start before Labor Day as a way to boost tourism in the state.

The pre-Labor Day start would be for four days of classes on the last week of August. Classes Monday through Thursday before Labor Day weekend is being considered, said Hartel.

In making the shift to an early start, the rationale is to address the educational slide students experience over the summer break. During that time off, many students have to relearn information from the previous school year. An earlier start, would also allow for more time for students to prepare of tests like SAT and M-STEP.

Also, starting earlier makes sense. Kids are here for band and for sport practice, and most vacations have all ready been taken, said Hartel, noting student retention is better when there isnt a long lag between learning.

Changing to an early start of the school year requires obtaining a waiver from the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).

Getting a waiver is not difficult. You basically just have to ask for one, he said.

So far in Tuscola County, the only school not following the traditional start after Labor Day is the Akron-Fairgrove School District. The district is using the balanced school year concept where students go to school year around with breaks throughout the year rather than just in the summer.

Hartel noted that not all school districts in a county have to shift to an early start, but a uniform start date does work better for the intermediate school districts schedule.

In addition, lawmakers have introduced legislation to eliminate restrictions against starting the school year before Labor Day.

State Rep. Pamela Hornberger of Chesterfield Township, who is a former teacher, has introduced HB 5157 to eliminate the states pre-Labor Day restriction, and with the provision of no classes on any Monday or Friday during August. If her bill becomes law, it would allow for more local control.

More than 100 school districts have received a MDE waiver to start the 2016-17 school year and about as many are seeking a wavier to start the 2018 school year early.

In other district matters, the drop in students qualifying for free and reduced breakfast and lunch was noted.

About 55 percent of elementary students and 53 percent of student at the junior-senior high building qualified for the program, said Hartel, noting the rate had been 60 to 70 percent.

The board also aApproved School of Choice openings for kindergarten through tenth-grade students, and accepted the resignation of food service employee Andrea Shagene who is retiring.
For the sixth consecutive year, Delta College has been designated as a Military Friendly School by Victory Media.

This designation is awarded to the top universities and community colleges in the country that are dedicating resources to ensure military students are successful both in the classroom and after graduation.
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A 26-year-old tow truck driver from Modesto was accused Friday of planning an Islamic State-inspired terror attack over the holidays on San Franciscos Pier 39, only to find out that his would-be partners were undercover FBI agents.

Everitt Aaron Jameson, a onetime high school wrestler who converted to Islam after being discharged from the Marines and losing custody of his two children, was charged at U.S. District Court in Sacramento with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

The FBI arrested Jameson on Wednesday while raiding his home, where agents reported finding an envelope containing a handwritten letter, dated Dec. 16, confessing he had committed the acts against non-Muslims, using a derogatory term to describe them. The agents said a second envelope held Jamesons last will and testament.

You have brought this upon yourselves, the letter stated, according to an FBI affidavit. We have penetrated and infiltrated your disgusting country.

Two rifles, a pistol, ammunition and fireworks were also seized in the home. During interviews with the FBI after his arrest, Jameson stated his support of ISIS and terrorism, and discussed aspects of the plan to carry out an attack, noting that he would be happy if an attack was carried out, FBI Agent Christopher McKinney wrote in the affidavit.

Jameson has espoused radical jihadi beliefs, including authoring social media posts that are supportive of terrorism, communicating with people he believes share his jihadi views and offering to provide services to such people, including in the form of his presumably employer-provided tow truck in service of the cause, McKinney wrote.

Jameson named Pier 39 as a possible target for a terrorist attack because he knew that it was a heavily crowded area, and he said Christmas was the perfect day to commit the attack, according to the complaint.

Family members of Jameson said on Friday they were shocked to learn of the arrest. Jameson was once arrested for petty theft and was sued for child support, court records show, but has no known history of violence.

My heart hurts; it really does, Jamesons father, Gordon Jameson, told Fresno television station KFSN. It kills me to know that he would do something like that. Thats not how he was raised.

Mitch Myers, who lived next door to Everitt Jameson in Modesto until Jameson moved about a year ago, described him as quiet and friendly. Sometimes the two men would wave at each other while doing yard work.

That must have been before the ISIS thing, Myers said.

San Francisco police officials were notified about the investigation in recent days and said they increased the presence of officers throughout the city. Acting Mayor London Breed, the Police Department and the FBI said they were not aware of any additional threats to the city.

San Francisco is a city that proudly champions democracy, freedom and liberty. Sadly, that makes our home a target, Breed said. We will not allow the thwarted attempts of one dangerous individual to disrupt our way of life. We will remain vigilant and continue to protect our city from any threat.

Jameson was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps for fraudulent enlistment after it was discovered he failed to disclose a latent asthma history, the FBI said. In June 2009, while in the Marines, he earned a sharpshooter rifle qualification, McKinney wrote.

On his public Facebook page, Jameson recently posted about President Trumps decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel.

Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, he wrote beneath a selfie showing him wearing a traditional Muslim cap.

Another post reads, I would rather die standing than live kneeling. If my words threaten those in power, so be it. If my pictures alarm the people, that is good. Your teeth come down. my sword goes up. I am not afraid.

If convicted, Jameson faces up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI was tipped off to Jameson on Sept. 19 when an unnamed confidential source who had accurately reported to the FBI on national security matters in the past reported suspicious posts on Jamesons Facebook account, according to the complaint. The source was ultimately paid $2,600 for his work on the case.

Jameson allegedly liked and loved pro-Islamic State and pro-terrorism posts on Facebook and told the source he was an Islam revert who professed his faith to the religion two years ago at a mosque in Merced.

That is what will make me more useful, McKinney quoted Jameson saying to the source. I can blend in. Or shock and awe.

Jameson allegedly wrote to the source, I am a tow truck driver. So I can make these services available as well. The FBI said Jameson filled out an application Nov. 3 with the Modesto Police Department to work with a local towing company that has a city contract.

Undercover agents first got involved with Jameson on social media on Dec. 11, McKinney wrote, and over the following days began discussing plans for a possible terrorist attack. Jameson was enthusiastic about the idea, according to the complaint, and said, I can suit up and take myself to our brothers. Or whatever they need done here.

Five days later, a second undercover FBI agent contacted Jameson, and the two met in a vehicle to discuss a terrorist attack, investigators said. Jameson was directed to sit in the front passenger seat in front of the agent, who posed as a subordinate of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, McKinney said.

Jameson at one point stated that we need something along the lines of New York or San Bernardino, which the FBI said was a reference to the Oct. 31 truck attack in Manhattan that killed eight people and the 2015 mass shooting in Southern California that killed 14.

When the agent told Jameson the two attacks were carried out differently, Jameson replied that he wanted to use a combination of the two, the complaint states.

Jameson specifically named Pier 39 in San Francisco as a target location because he had been there before and knew that it was a heavily crowded area and that according to Jameson, no reconnaissance or site survey would be necessary, McKinney wrote. He said Jameson intimated that he did not have and did not need an escape plan because he was ready to die.

As the date of the alleged attack neared, the FBI said its undercover agent contacted Jameson and asked about the trip we are going to take for Xmas. Jameson replied by sending images of a map of Pier 39 and photographs of the area, investigators said.

The intricate FBI sting may have been compromised on Monday when an FBI employee accidentally called Jameson from a Washington, D.C., phone number, McKinney wrote. When Jameson answered in Arabic, the employee hung up.

Jameson called the employee back, and the call went to a voice mailbox that identified the employee by name, but did not specify the agency, McKinney wrote. Later that day, one of the undercover FBI agents contacted Jameson to try to set up a meeting, but was rebuffed.

I also dont think I can do this after all. Ive reconsidered, Jameson is quoted as saying. When the undercover agent replied, We can only do Allahs will, James reportedly replied, Inshallah (God willing) one day I can. But I cant.

Evan Sernoffsky and Lizzie Johnson are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com, ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky @LizzieJohnsonnn
BRUSSELS - Russian submarines have dramatically stepped up activity around undersea data cables in the North Atlantic, part of a more aggressive naval posture that has driven NATO to revive a Cold War-era command, according to senior military officials.

The apparent Russian focus on the cables, which provide Internet and other communications connections to North America and Europe, could give the Kremlin the power to sever or tap into vital data lines, the officials said. Russian submarine activity has increased to levels unseen since the Cold War, they said, sparking hunts in recent months for the elusive watercraft.

"We are now seeing Russian underwater activity in the vicinity of undersea cables that I don't believe we have ever seen," said U.S. Navy Admiral Andrew Lennon, the commander of NATO's submarine forces. "Russia is clearly taking an interest in NATO and NATO nations' undersea infrastructure."

NATO has responded with plans to reestablish a command post, shuttered after the Cold War, to help secure the North Atlantic. NATO allies are also rushing to boost anti-submarine warfare capabilities and to develop advanced submarine-detecting planes.

Britain's top military commander also warned that Russia could imperil the cables that form the backbone of the modern global economy. The privately owned lines, laid along some of the same corridors as the first transatlantic telegraph wire in 1858, carry nearly all of the communications on the Internet, facilitating trillions of dollars of daily trade. If severed, they could snarl the Web. If tapped, they could give Russia a valuable picture of the tide of the world's Internet traffic.

"It's a pattern of activity, and it's a vulnerability," said British Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach, in an interview.

"Can you imagine a scenario where those cables are cut or disrupted, which would immediately and potentially catastrophically affect both our economy and other ways of living if they were disrupted?" Peach said in a speech in London this month.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the cables.

The Russian sea activity comes as the Kremlin has also pressed against NATO in the air and on land. Russian jets routinely clip NATO airspace in the Baltics, and troops drilled near NATO territory in September.

Russia has moved to modernize its once-decrepit Soviet-era fleet of submarines, bringing online or overhauling 13 craft since 2014. That pace, coming after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula set off a new era of confrontation with the West, has spurred NATO efforts to counter them. Russia has about 60 full-size submarines, while the United States has 66.

Among Russia's capabilities, Lennon said, are deep-sea research vessels, including an old converted ballistic submarine that carries smaller submarines.

"They can do oceanographic research, underwater intelligence gathering," he said. "And what we have observed is an increased activity of that in the vicinity of undersea cables. We know that these auxiliary submarines are designed to work on the ocean floor, and they're transported by the mother ship, and we believe they may be equipped to manipulate objects on the ocean floor."

That capability could give Russia the ability to sever the cables or tap into them. The insulated fiber-optic cables are fragile, and ships have damaged them accidentally by dragging their anchors along the seabed. That damage happens near the shore, where it is relatively easy to fix, not in the deeper Atlantic, where the cost of mischief could be far greater.

Lennon declined to say whether NATO believes Russia has actually touched the cables. Russian military leaders have acknowledged that the Kremlin is active undersea at levels not seen since the end of the Cold War, when Russia was forced to curtail its submarine program in the face of economic turmoil and disorganization.

"Last year we reached the same level as before the post-Soviet period, in terms of running hours," said Admiral Vladimir Korolev, the commander of the Russian Navy, earlier this year. "This is more than 3,000 days at sea for the Russian submarine fleet. This is an excellent sign."

The activity has forced a revival of Western sub-hunting skills that lay largely dormant since the end of the Cold War. Lennon said NATO allies have long practiced submarine-hunting. But until the last few years, there were few practical needs for close tracking, military officials said.

In recent months, the U.S. Navy has flown sorties in the areas where Russia is known to operate its submarines, according to aircraft trackers that use publicly available transponder data. On Thursday, for example, one of the planes shot off from Sigonella Naval Air Station in Sicily, headed eastward into the Mediterranean. It flew the same mission a day earlier.

The trackers have captured at least 10 missions carried out by U.S. submarine-tracking planes this month, excluding trips when the planes simply appeared to be in transit from one base to another. November was even busier, with at least 17 missions captured by the trackers.

NATO does not comment on specific submarine-tracking flights and declined to release data, citing the classified nature of the missions. But NATO officials say that their submarine-tracking activities have significantly increased in the region.

Submarines are particularly potent war-fighting craft because they can generally only be heard, not seen, underwater. They can serve as a retaliatory strike force in case of nuclear war, threaten military resupply efforts and expand the range of conventional firepower available for use in lower-level conflicts.

The vessels are a good fit for the Kremlin's strategy of making do with less than its rivals, analysts say: Russia's foes need vast resources to track a single undersea craft, making the submarines' cost-to-mischief ratio attractive. Even as Russia remains a vastly weaker military force than NATO, the Kremlin has been able to pack an outsize punch in its confrontation with the West through the seizure of Crimea, support for the Syrian regime and, according to U.S. intelligence, its attempts to influence the U.S. election.

"You go off and you try to add expense for anything that we're doing, or you put things at risk that are of value to us, and submarines give them the capability to do it," a senior NATO official said of the Russian approach, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence assessments.

Russian military planners can say, "I can build fewer of them, I can have better quality, and I can put at risk and challenge and make it difficult for NATO," the official said.

Still, some analysts say the threat to cables may be overblown.

"Arguably, the Russians wouldn't be doing their jobs if they couldn't threaten underwater cables. Certainly, NATO allies would not be doing theirs if they were unable to counter that," said Adam Thomson, a former British ambassador to NATO.

Russian military planners have publicized their repeated use of submarine-launched Kalibr cruise missiles during their incursion into Syria, which began in fall 2015. (In Syria, the missiles have not always hit their targets, according to U.S. intelligence officials, undermining somewhat the Russian claims of potency.)

NATO's hunts - which have stretched across the Baltic, Mediterranean and Atlantic - have mobilized submarine-tracking frigates, sonar-equipped P8 Poseidon planes and helicopters, and attack submarines that have combed the seas.

"The Russians are operating all over the Atlantic," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "They are also operating closer to our shores."

Russia's enhanced submarine powers give urgency to NATO's new efforts to ensure that it can get forces to the battlefront if there is a conflict, Stoltenberg said. In addition to the new Atlantic-focused command, the alliance also plans to create another command dedicated to enabling military forces to travel quickly across Europe.

NATO defense ministers approved the creation of the commands at a November meeting. Further details are expected in February. The plans are still being negotiated, but they currently include the North Atlantic command being embedded inside the U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, which would transform into a broader NATO joint force command if there was a conflict, a NATO diplomat said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been finalized.

"Credible deterrence is linked to credible reinforcement capabilities," Stoltenberg said. "We're a transatlantic alliance. You need to be able to cross the Atlantic."
OTTAWA - The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prides itself on its close ties with Ukraine. Canada has signed a free-trade agreement with Ukraine, it is providing 200 soldiers to train their Ukrainian counterparts, and it recently decided to allow sales of automatic weapons to Ukraine's army.

So it is unlikely Trudeau was thrilled this week to hear that the interpreter who accompanied Ukrainian Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman in private talks with him in Ottawa has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia, Ukraine's archenemy.

Stanislav Yezhov, a longtime aide to Groysman, was arrested by Ukraine's Special Security Service and is expected to be charged with treason. A court ruled Friday that Yezhov will remain in custody during an investigation into the allegations.

According to the Kyiv Post, member of parliament Anton Geraschenko said he believed that Yezhov, who was detained in Kiev, Ukraine's capital, on Wednesday, has been working for Russian intelligence services for at least two years.

Yezhov is visible in photos taken on Oct. 31 in Trudeau's office at the Canadian Parliament when the prime minister met privately with Groysman. A Trudeau spokesman declined to comment other than to say that Yezhov was part of the Ukrainian delegation and that Canada had its own interpreter in the room, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Daniel Livermore, a retired Canadian ambassador and onetime director-general of security and intelligence for Canada's Foreign Ministry, said the arrest shows a "serious breach, but it's a breach on the Ukrainian side."

Livermore said it would be "totally irresponsible" for the Ukrainians to allow Yezhov to participate in an official delegation if they had suspicions he might be a spy.

"Assuming they knew and didn't tell us, we ought to go back and tell them, 'This cannot happen,' " he said. "We should be really pissed off."

He said that in these situations, friendly countries do not conduct security checks on members of visiting delegations. If the Ukrainians had alerted Canadian authorities of any suspicions about the interpreter, he would not have been allowed in the room, Livermore said.

Yezhov also accompanied the Ukrainian prime minister during private talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May in July. During a visit to Poland on Thursday, May told journalists that she was aware of the reports and said the action taken against the interpreter "is a matter for Ukrainian authorities." Yezhov also was the interpreter at a meeting last year between the Ukrainian prime minister and Vice President Joe Biden.

Yezhov, 39, once worked for the Russian-backed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was overthrown in 2014.

Just this week, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, who, like more than 1 million Canadians, is of Ukrainian origin, was in Kiev to announce $8 million in humanitarian aid to the country. She did not comment on the arrest.
AUSTIN -- Honeybees usually take winters off. But when it's 50 degrees and sunny, the bees are flying -- and dying faster.

Beekeeper Blake Shook raises bees commercially in the Collin County town of Blue Ridge. The 27-year-old has been beekeeping since he was 13. He's seen firsthand the decline in the insects' health since 2006, when the great bee die-off from Colony Collapse Disorder was first reported.

"It's hard to get the crops pollinated in the United States, and that's getting worse and worse," Shook said. "Unfortunately, I don't think most folks will pay attention until we start running out of food. As soon as we can't get almonds anymore, that's when they'll start noticing."

Every year, billions of bees are sent to almond farms in California to pollinate the trees. Without them, almond production would take a nosedive.

The U.S. bee industry lost 44 percent of its bees from 2015 to 2016 and 40 percent the year before that. This year, there were reports from south-central Texas of honeybees waking up early in January, when temperatures rose higher than usual, according to Agrilife Today, a Texas A&M agriculture publication. Whenever bees look for food and can't find any, they end up eating stored honey and wear their bodies out faster.

"We certainly are not having any cold weather to speak of," Shook said. "In the D-FW area, it's shaping up to be a warm winter that isn't good for the bees."

While beekeepers have developed methods to restore the numbers lost during the winter, it's not a perfect system. At the current industry rate, bees will not reproduce at a fast enough rate to keep up with demand, Shook said.

So the Texas Beekeepers Association plans to urge lawmakers to protect major nectar sources for bees so the bees can thrive. Shook, a board member, said the group has other ideas in the works, such as trying to get a honeybee license plate to fund research and lobbying during the 2019 legislative session to update the bees and honey chapter of the Agricultural Code.

Texas takes a relatively hands-off approach with the beekeeping industry. The bees and honey chapter in the Agricultural Code hasn't been updated since the 1990s. The most recent legislative action regarding honeybees came in 2015, when the Texas Legislature exempted small honey producers from needing a "honey house" for inspection and a state license to operate. The Legislature also officially designated the western honeybee as its official state pollinator that year.

Texas beekeepers did try to pass a bill during this year's legislative session. House Bill 1293 made several changes to the Agriculture Code, including giving beehive inspectors the ability to control "unwanted species or pests," and requiring beekeepers selling bees or hives to have a certificate stating the product is pest-free, unless they sell fewer than 25 hives a year. Shook said the association pulled the plug because of objections from some members _ mostly small-scale beekeepers who did not want their operations regulated.

Although he keeps an eye on weather reports and the almanac, they're not the most reliable, Shook said. Beekeepers can adjust their management techniques as necessary, but with small-scale beekeepers, it's often unrealistic to add on the extra expense of buying supplemental protein or keeping bees in a refrigerated climate.

"I can't tell you how many beekeepers have told me this isn't a viable business anymore and got out," Shook said.

Chris Moore, president of the Texas Beekeepers Association, has 2,500 hives as part of his commercial operation in Kountze. Like most beekeepers, Moore feeds his bees supplemental sugar syrup or honey to keep them alive through the winter. But sugar isn't enough to sustain the whole hive, so Moore also gives them a protein supplement, which he estimates costs an additional $20,000 a year.

"We always had to go back and feed them sugar syrup but we never gave the protein supplements we are now," Moore said. "We give them a protein patty, a pollen patty to help get them through the winter."

It's not only weather that throws bee reproduction rates off, he said, but also insecticide use, pests and dwindling natural nectar sources.

"It's a complex issue, with these bees," Moore said. "Property is sold and developed every day. All your habitats for birds, deer, for bees _ everything's diminishing, dwindling every day."

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has scrambled to contain the remarkably broad international rejection of its new policy toward the divided city of Jerusalem, including from important allies - using threats, assurances and a cold shoulder to try to limit the diplomatic damage.

Trump's announcement this month that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital and has initiated the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy there has caused an extraordinary breach with key allies such as Egypt, Jordan, Britain, France and Japan, many of which have characterized the move as shortsighted at best.

Not one major ally or geopolitical leader has pledged to follow the U.S. lead. Many have also spoken in new and starkly critical fashion against Trump's break with 50 years of diplomatic convention that treats Jerusalem - holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians and claimed as a capital by two peoples - as an open question to be resolved only through negotiations.

At the same time, the worst fears of allies and some U.S. diplomats have not materialized. U.S. embassies were not immediately sacked, nor were American tourists or troops targeted for revenge.

"Overall, the reaction was more muted than we expected," said one U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "It was not zero, but it was muted."

Trump is more annoyed than surprised, people who have spoken to him said. He has told aides and members of Congress that the decision merely recognizes what is already true in practice, since the Israeli government is headquartered in Jerusalem, and has complained about what he considers narrow thinking and pearl-clutching diplomatic caution.

"Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care," Trump said Wednesday, threatening punitive cuts in U.S. aid to the United Nations ahead of a U.N. vote Thursday condemning the action.

The vote of 128-9, with 35 abstentions, illustrated the degree to which the Trump administration is going it alone. Egypt, the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel and a keystone in any hope on Trump's part for a Middle East peace accord, sponsored the original resolution.

"America will put our embassy in Jerusalem. That is what the American people want us to do, and it is the right thing to do," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said before the vote, which the United States knew it would lose badly.

"No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that, but this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the U.N. and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the U.N. And this vote will be remembered."

Haley thanked the short list of fellow no voters for what she called their bravery. In addition to the United States and Israel, that list included Guatemala, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo.

The nonbinding resolution declares that "any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded."

Language in the resolution was softer and less direct in its criticism of the United States than Palestinians had proposed, after Egypt and some European allies said they would not vote for the original version. U.S. officials said they did not lobby for that but pointed to it as a sign of solidarity with the United States.

Still, the vote reflected the long-standing views of allies that Trump needs for international projects such as the pressure campaign against North Korea or to reinforce a future Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

"This vote must not divide or exclude," said France's U.N. ambassador, Francois Delattre. "It is more important than ever to rally the international community around the agreed parameters of the peace process, and this of course includes the United States, as everyone is aware of its particular role and influence on this issue."

The administration vowed that neither the Jerusalem announcement nor the reaction to it would derail plans to seek a Middle East peace accord next year.

"Relationships between the United States and other nations have their peaks and their valleys. Some days are better than others," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said when asked about current U.S. relations with the Palestinian leadership. "We look forward to continuing those talks, and we're confident that we'll be able to do that."

A White House official said Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and adviser on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - an objective that Trump calls the "deal of the century" - and chief Middle East negotiator Jason Greenblatt both understood that the Jerusalem announcement would have consequences.

"We always anticipated that there might be a temporary cooling-off period," the official said, also speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. "We are continuing to work on the plan, work hard on it, and we will unveil it when the time is right."

Trump's proposal for talks and a potential settlement is expected to rely heavily on support from Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, that have always branded Israel's 1967 annexation of East Jerusalem as illegal. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

The White House insists that the new U.S. policy is not a de facto endorsement of the Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem and has no bearing on Jerusalem's eventual borders.

"It was not a decision made on a whim," the U.S. official said. "Everybody was focused on what impact it could have. There was discussion about the potential impact, pro and con, on peace negotiations."

Haley and Vice President Mike Pence were among Cabinet members who argued that the move could advance the moribund peace process by shaking up the status quo, several officials said.

Palestinians have rejected that view, saying that the move only spoils U.S. neutrality as a peacemaker.

Pence postponed a trip to Israel, the West Bank and Egypt that was planned to take place in the past week. His office said he was needed in Washington for year-end congressional votes, but the Jerusalem decision had also led Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to call off their meeting.

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi was under heavy domestic pressure to cancel on Pence as well. Jordan, where King Abdullah II had argued strenuously to Trump that the embassy decision would unleash religious strife and extremism, was not on the itinerary at all.

Jordan, the only other Arab state to make peace with Israel, is a bedrock of U.S. policy in the Middle East and a customary stop for U.S. officials when they visit Israel and Egypt.

Abdullah was among the Arab leaders Trump called ahead of his announcement. A Jordanian palace statement used unusually strong language to note that the king had warned of "dangerous repercussions" for regional stability.

"It's not untrue to say this reflects facts on the ground, but there are lot of politics involved" for nations with a stake inside and outside of the Middle East, said a former senior State Department official.

U.S. officials "paid attention to the politics" between Persian Gulf states Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the former official said. "They tried the same with Egypt and Jordan. Those didn't go as well. They did the best they could once they had the president's decision."

That is a reference to Trump's insistence that he would not do as the past three U.S. presidents have done and indefinitely defer implementing a 1995 law ordering that the U.S. Embassy be moved from Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial capital.

"The administration seems to see this as a piety and a rule that could be broken," said Jon Alterman, a Middle East scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "In an administration that likes to break rules, they see this as a rule they can break."

Trump's action follows through on a campaign promise to important parts of his political base - evangelical Christian supporters of Israel and wealthy, conservative Jewish Republican donors. It also solidifies Trump's credentials as an iconoclast or, for critics, a bully.

"Before this meeting, a U.N. member state threatened all the other members," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at the United Nations. "We were all asked to vote no or face the consequences," including cuts in aid, he said. "Such an attitude is unacceptable. This is bullying."
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A man on the West Side unearthed an active grenade Friday afternoon while digging in his backyard, police said.

San Antonio Police Sgt. Lawrence Walters said authorities were called out to a residence in the 100 block of Lillita Court around 5:20 p.m.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed the most consequential tax legislation in three decades on Friday, even as he complained that he has not been given credit for his administration's accomplishments during a turbulent first year.

Trump decided against doing a formal signing ceremony early next year because television news networks questioned whether he would keep his promise to sign the legislation before Christmas.

Trump said he saw the coverage Friday morning and hastily called his staff to say that the legislation needed to be signed "now," prompting a last-minute Oval Office ceremony for the president's greatest achievement in his first year in office.

"We did a rush job today," Trump said at the bill signing. "It's not fancy, but it's the Oval Office. It's the great Oval Office."

More Information Homeowners rush to pre-pay property tax Homeowners in affluent towns across the country are rushing to take advantage of a deal that they hope will save them big. Tax collectors in many communities are seeing a surge in property tax prepayments before 2018 in an effort to cash in - for one last year - on a deduction that the coming tax overhaul will limit. Since a national income tax began more than 100 years ago, people have been allowed to deduct from their income the amount they've paid for state and local taxes. But under the tax legislation President Donald Trump signed into law Friday, there's a $10,000 cap on the deductions. That's going to hit hard in states such as California, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey - states where the average state and local deductions in 2015 all topped $17,000. In New Jersey, the average property tax bill alone was nearly $8,300 last year and there are scores of towns where the average bill is above the $10,000 threshold. It's not clear what deductions the IRS will accept. The new law specifically bars taking deductions for income taxes paid ahead of time, but it is silent on prepaid local property taxes. Associated Press See More Collapse

It marked another improvisational moment in a presidency already known for abandoning the norms of the office.

Corporations 'going wild'

The bill was the most significant legislative victory for Trump, who has struggled during his first year in office to pass major bills that would deliver on campaign promises, even with Republicans having the majority in both chambers of Congress. Republicans promise the new tax law will benefit the middle class, but Democrats have warned that the law could be harmful to many lower-income taxpayers and to the nation's fiscal health.

"It's going to be a tremendous thing for the American people," Trump said.

Before signing the legislation Friday, Trump said in a Twitter post that companies were celebrating the bill's passage with bonuses for workers. He wrote: "Our big and very popular Tax Cut and Reform Bill has taken on an unexpected new source of "love" - that is big companies and corporations showering their workers with bonuses. This is a phenomenon that nobody even thought of, and now it is the rage. Merry Christmas!"

During the signing ceremony, Trump said, "Corporations are literally going wild over this." A handful of companies, including AT&T, which is seeking government approval of a major acquisition of Time Warner, have announced that they would give bonuses to workers.

There was some discussion in Congress and at the White House that Trump should consider delaying the signing until early 2018 as a way to delay automatic spending cuts that could have been triggered by the tax cuts. In addition, some companies said that delay would give them more time to adjust to the major changes that the new tax code will mean for their businesses.

However, once Congress reached a deal this week to avoid the possibility of the spending cuts, White House officials signaled that Trump wanted to sign the bill into law as soon as possible.

Trump often reacts to television news, and Friday was no different. The president delayed his travel to Florida for the holidays by an hour to stave off potential criticism.

"Every one of the networks was saying, 'Will he keep his promise?'" the president said.

Shortly after 10 a.m., Trump announced in a Twitter post that the bill would be signed "in 30 minutes."

Earlier in the morning, the president suggested that he would not get credit for what he said were extraordinary accomplishments for a first year.

Rates lower; cuts will expire

Under the new tax law, individual rates will be lowered, but those cuts are set to expire in 2025. The standard deduction, which will almost double, is likely to become more popular. The tax credit for children will also double, which Republicans have said will benefit lower-income families. The largest cut by far in the new tax law - which will not expire - benefits corporations.

The new law has been criticized by lawmakers representing states with high taxes, because the bill caps state and local tax deductions at $10,000.

The law also eliminates the Affordable Care Act's mandate that most people have health insurance or pay a penalty. Trump has said that amounted to repealing President Barack Obama's signature health care law, but 8.8 million Americans signed up for coverage, according to figures his administration announced Thursday. The law is not repealed, but the mandate had been considered an important feature of it.

Trump also signed a stopgap spending bill in order to avoid a government shutdown. In addition to extending government funding, the bill includes $4 billion for missile defense, among other provisions.
Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle

AUSTIN -- Seven Texans who were convicted of crimes ranging from marijuana possession to theft to burglary were pardoned Friday by Gov. Greg Abbott in his annual Christmastime clemency proclamations.

Four of the seven were from the Houston area.
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Just before the festive season, which traditionally is a time of festivity and excess, Mean Scoil Mhuire is the midst of its annual Positive Health Week.

During what has become a very important week on the school calendar, the school highlights the importance of promoting positive physical and mental health and has a little bit of fun along the way.



The student committee, in conjunction with the teacher committee, organised fun lunchtime activities such as zumba dancing, karaoke, a students v teachers volleyball match and a table quiz.

The TYs and fifth years are dusting off their runners and getting ready for the mile challenge which will be held in the mall this evening (Wednesday, December 20). Lets hope the weather is kind!



A demonstration from local beauticians, a visit from the Road Safety Authority, eye tests by an optermist, drama workshops, reflexology and mindfulness, are some of the many worthwhile events organised throughout the week.

The Positive Health Week has never shyed away from addressing serious issues which affect students.

In the past, several renowned speakers have visited the school and this year is no exception.



High profile psychoanalyst Stella OMalley spoke to a captivated audience on Monday about building resilience. She highlighted the importance of self care in a world which is fraught with many challenges for todays teenagers.

Homelessness is an issue which is very prevalent throughout the country at the moment.



Joe Finnegan and other members of the local branch of Saint Vincent de Paul spoke to the students about homelessness and poverty. His message resonated with the students, particularly as we head into the Christmas season.



Following on from the very successful Stand Up Week, this years Positive Health Committee also addressed homophobic bullying and issues faced by the LGBT community. Thank you to Outwest who came to speak to senior students on Tuesday.

The week will conclude on Friday with two very popular events - the Christmas cafe followed by the Christmas concert.



It is hoped that everyone will head into their Christmas holidays in good spirits.



A big thank you to all the students, teachers and staff members who have embraced the whole concept of wellbeing so positively.

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Rev Michael McKeon, who served as a priest of the Diocese of Sacramento for 52 years died, on November 23, 2017, aged 76. He was son of John and Ellen McKeon, Smear Road, Aughnacliffe, County Longford.

Father McKeon served in parishes of the diocese from September 1965 to June 30, 2008, when he retired from active ministry and was named pastor emeritus of St Rose of Lima Parish.

From 2008 to 2017, he helped with assistance with Masses at various parishes in the diocese.

Upon his retirement in 2008, he continued the work of his lifelong passion (Social Justice) which led him to the priesthood.

Peace and justice is a big component of what I have been doing in the process of my life, he said. Its what I see the priesthood to be all about.

Believing that the priesthood would be a challenging life, he attended seminary at All Hallows College in Dublin, Ireland, and was ordained for priestly service in the Diocese of Sacramento on June 20, 1965.

During his decades in active ministry, he led a rent strike in Suisun City in 1967, helped start Loaves and Fishes in Sacramento in the early 1970s, had a hand in the creation of the Cordova Food Locker in Rancho Cordova, and helped with the resettlement of refugees from other countries coming to the Sacramento area.

He served in a number of parishes in the diocese. He was assistant pastor of All Hallows Parish, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and Presentation parishes in Sacramento, Holy Cross Parish in West Sacramento, Holy Spirit Parish in Fairfield, St Thomas More Parish in Paradise, St John the Baptist Parish in Folsom and St Vincent Ferrer Parish in Vallejo.

He was pastor of St John Vianney Parish in Rancho Cordova from 1980 to 1990, parochial administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish in Downieville from 1992 to 1993, and pastor of St Rose of Lima Parish in Roseville from December 1997 to June 30, 2008.

During his 10 years as pastor at St Rose, he encouraged his parishioners to lend their time, energy and resources to help others less fortunate in their community.

A priest has the responsibility of empowering people, he believed When we integrate the sacred liturgy, education, the community of faith, in peace and social justice, it changes lives. It changes the world. That is the challenge of the faithful.

Bishop Jaime Soto presided at the Funeral Mass for Fr Michael in St Rose of Lima Chuch Roseville on Thursday November 30 at 11am .

Father McKeon was preceded in death by his parents John and Ellen McKeon, and a sister, Mary Ellen McGauran. He is survived by his brothers John, San Francisco; Jim, Cork and Tom and Raymond, Smear.

A Months Mind Mass for Fr Michael will take place in St Colmcille's Church, Aughnacliffe at 12 noon on Saturday, December 30.

Rest In Peace.
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Homeowners with concrete crumbling because it was made with rock from a Connecticut quarry contaminated with pyrrhotite can claim the loss on their 2017 tax returns.

The write-off for the upcoming tax season will be available despite the new federal tax overhaul bill signed into law Friday by President Donald Trump, said Connecticut U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Vernon. The new tax code takes the deduction away in cases like the failing foundations where there is no federal disaster declaration.

But what about people who are only just now learning that they have a problem with failing concrete? For some Massachusetts and Connecticut residents, pyrrhotite-contaminated concrete foundations could strip away their home's value and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix. What if they won't know the value of their loss by April 15? Will they be able to file an amended 2017 return sometime in the next three years saying the loss occurred in 2017?

"We don't know the answer," Courtney said Friday following a flurry of communications between himself, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-East Hartford, and IRS officials responsible for implementing a tax code.

The congressmen have been told to expect more guidance from the IRS in January.

"Like so much in this bill, it's just a hot mess," Courtney said.

He said it can be hard to pin down when the loss occurred. This isn't a tornado or a flood that happens at one moment.

"(The) sequence of events goes back to pouring the foundation," he said. "If there is an engineer's report showing the problem is present, you know there is a loss."

More than 500 Connecticut homeowners have stepped forward to the state government saying they have pyrrhotite.

According to reports issued by the state of Connecticut over the past two years, a company called Becker Quarry in Willington sold the pyrrhotite-contaminated stone to the now defunct JJ Mottes concrete company from 1983 until 2017, when they agreed to stop.

The mineral reacts with oxygen and water and the concrete starts to expand.

It takes 10, 15 or even 20 years for the cracking and swelling to become apparent. While the problem began getting public attention in Connecticut about three years ago, the issue is only just now coming to light in Massachusetts.

Once it starts, the deterioration puts homeowners in an awful spot. The only way to fix the problem is to replace the foundation. And it can be hard to borrow money against a home that has lost most if not all of its value.
The Boston Police Department is asking for the public's help identifying a man believed to be connected to an October killing at a Dorchester Holiday Inn.

Around 4:15 a.m. on Oct. 17, police responded to a report of a man shot inside the Holiday Inn at 69 Boston Street. When they arrived, they found 22-year-old Joshua Briggs of Dorchester suffering from multiple gunshot wounds; Briggs died at the scene.

On Dec. 20, following a four month investigation, police arrested and charged four people with Briggs' murder: John Collins, 27, of Dorchester; James Coleman, 24, of Milton; Erinn Crawford, 29, of Roxbury and Michael Reynolds, 24, of Roxbury.

And on Saturday, police released security footage of a fifth suspect in connection with the shooting. The man, who police say may go by "Randy" or "Randy Boy," is pictured wearing a Levi Strauss hooded sweatshirt and an American Stitch Tiger Eagle Navy Souvenir Jacket.

Police said they are currently seeking the man's identity, and that he is not wanted by police at this time.

Police are asking anyone with information about the suspect's identity to call the department's homicide detectives at (617) 343-4470, use the CrimeStoppers tip line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or text the word "tip" to 27463.
CHICOPEE -- A 19-year-old Chicopee man and 23-year-old Holyoke man have been arrested in connection with a reported Friday night stabbing on Montgomery Avenue, police said Saturday.

Chicopee Police, with help from South Hadley officers, took Joey Sanchez, a 19-year-old Chicopee resident, and Angel Ortiz, a 23-year-old Holyoke resident, into custody Friday on respective charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Police responded to reports of a fight outside of 83 Montgomery Ave. in Chicopee around 9:30 p.m. on Friday. Officers arriving on scene were told the suspects had fled in a vehicle and were possibly near Buttery Brook Park in South Hadley.

As police and medical crews tended a 23-year-old male victim, other officers joined South Hadley police in responding to the area near Buttery Brook.

Officers detained the individuals in the vehicle they had fled in on Willamansett Street in South Hadley, according to police. One of the parties had a slash wound and was transported to the hospital while officers interviewed the other individuals, Chicopee Police reported.

Police arrested Sanchez, who also was charged with a WMS warrant, and Ortiz. They are each being held on $5,040 bail.

**STABBING LEADS TO ARRESTS** December 22, 9:30pm, our dispatch received a call for a fight, with a party stabbed,... Posted by Chicopee Police Department on Saturday, December 23, 2017

According to police, the incident reportedly occurred when one of the suspects had called the male victim to invite him to smoke marijuana. When the victim got into the car in front of 83 Montgomery Ave., an argument took place, police said.

Two others at 83 Montgomery Ave. told police they heard someone screaming for help and ran to help. They removed the backseat passenger and discovered he had been stabbed, according to police.

The victim later told police that an argument had started and he heard what sounded like the cocking of a gun, then a click and nothing happened. At that point, he said he was stabbed in the back and chest, police reported.

The victim said he took out his own knife to protect himself and began slashing before exiting the car, according to police.
A Massachusetts State Police "sobriety checkpoint" will be set up somewhere in Hampshire County the weekend of Dec. 29, Superintendent Col. Kerry Gilpin said Friday.

The checkpoint, a large roadblock on a major roadway somewhere in the county, is designed to remove drivers operating under the influence of alcohol and drugs, Gilpin said. The checkpoints also serve to help reinforce the public's support for enforcement of anti-drunk driving laws.

The Hampshire County checkpoint will be set up at night on Friday, Dec. 29 and run into the early morning hours of Saturday, Dec. 30.

Locations of the checkpoints are not disclosed by the state police.
LONGMEADOW - In a split vote, Longmeadow's Select Board approved a liquor license for a new restaurant planned at the former Hu Ke Lau.

The 3-2 vote Monday came after more than 30 minutes of debate on whether selectmen could approve a license. The restaurant's application lacked items like fire safety inspections and approval from the town's health department.

"I can't vote on and fill in a form that doesn't meet the requirements that the (state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission) sent me, that I swore an oath to take when I took this office," board member Mark Gold said. "I'll never vote for a license tonight based on an incomplete application."

Jeannette Norman sought a liquor license for Longmeadow Hospitality LLC, which plans to open a family restaurant featuring American fare called The Meeting House. The board previously denied Norman a license Sept. 18 because paperwork was incomplete.

On Monday, Norman and attorney Daniel Kelly said they have gutted the interior of the building and have not yet built it out. Doing so now, they said, would amount to a huge risk if they complete construction only to be denied a liquor license later.

Norman added that she and associates are experienced with building and licensing procedures, as she runs restaurants in Westfield, as well as Enfield and Somers, Connecticut.

"It's nothing that's foreign to us," Norman said.

Select Board member Richard Foster also took issue with the incomplete form, and wondered aloud why Norman came back without assurances that the town could approve a form that wasn't fully filled in.

"We're telling you we can't accept this with open spaces," Foster said. "Why wouldn't you come in with some kind of notification from the liquor control board saying, 'Hey, it's OK to submit this thing with open spaces'?"

Encouraging the board to support businesses, board member Marie Angelides motioned for a vote that would approve the license pending completion of all state requirements. The vote passed by majority.

The Meeting House, according to plans, will amount to almost 4,300 square feet inside, Kelly said. Maximum occupancy will be 195 people, and it will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

The former Hu Ke Lau at 827 Williams St. closed in January 2016 after decades of business in Longmeadow.
SPRINGFIELD - State officials are moving to revoke the probation of a reputed leader of the "Los Bilinguals" street gang in Springfield following his second drug arrest in six months.

Lemanuel Encarnacion, 27, of Springfield, was arrested Wednesday and charged with heroin trafficking (36-100 grams), possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and violation of a drug-free school zone.

Encarnacion was already on probation in 2015 cocaine distribution case, and was out bail in a heroin possession charge from May, according to court records.

On Thursday, a judge set Encarnacion's bail at $20,000 on the new charges and revoked his release in the open case, effectively jailing him for at least 90 days.

State probation officials, meanwhile, notified Encarnacion that his new arrest is considered a violation of his probation in the 2015 cocaine distribution case. A probation violation hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 7, according to court records. Since he is already in custody, Encarnacion will not be required to surrender before the hearing.

Encarnacion is single, unemployed and a native of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, according to court records. He is also part of the "upper level leadership" of Los Bilinguals, a gang operating in the Plainfield Street area of Springfield's North End, according to the police report from Wednesday's arrest.

"The gang is involved in narcotics distribution as well as crimes of violence," the report said. No further information about the gang is provided in the report.

When city and state police raided Encarnacion's apartment, they found 1,640 bags of heroin, another 15 grams of raw heroin, one bag of cocaine, and $1,355 in cash in a bedroom safe, according to court records. The heroin packets were stamped "Stranger Danger" and "Venom," the arrest report said.

Karen Garcia, 32, was also arrested and faces the same charges as Encarnacion. Garcia's bail on the new charges was set at $10,000. Because her release in an open heroin possession case was also revoked, she was jailed for at least 90 days.

Garcia's three children -- ages 5, 13 and 14 -- were present when the apartment was raided around 2 p.m., leading police to file reports of suspected child abuse with the Department of Children and Families, the arrest report said.
FALL RIVER -- A pipe bomb being examined by a remote bomb disposal vehicle blew up as the robot attempted to disarm it in the parking lot of an apartment complex Thursday night, the Fall River Herald News reported.

Authorities say the explosion was not terrorist related.

The same complex was again evacuated Friday afternoon when a second suspicious box was reported, the Herald News reported, but the report appeared to be a false alarm.

According to the Fall River newspaper, Massachusetts State Police bomb technicians confirmed that the explosive detonated Thursday night at South Coast Landings on North Main Street was a pipe bomb.

Fall River police said they found the improvised explosive device at about 8:15 p.m. when they searched the parking lot. Residents were evacuated and the State Police Bomb Squad was called in. The FBI and agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded.

As technicians used the robot to examine it, the pipe bomb exploded, spraying shrapnel into a nearby vehicle. No one was injured.

Authorities continue to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fall River Police Major Crimes Division at 508-324-2796.
Les membres du Cabinet ont pris note de la lindroduction au Parlement du Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022, que la STC va vendre de lhuile comestoble en logement dun litre a Rs 75.00, que les foires/salons seront de retour avec certyaines conditions, dun National Action Plan sur le Breastfeeding 2022-2027, de la promulgation de lInformation and Communication Technologies (Licensing and Fees) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2022 entre autres.

1. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction of the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022 into the National Assembly. The object of the Bill is to provide for the implementation of measures announced in Budget Speech 2022-2023.

2. Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Information and Communication Technologies (Licensing and Fees) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2022. The Information and Communication Technologies Authority would review the fees payable by International Long Distance licensees as from 01 July 2022 as follows:

(a) the Initial Fee would be Rs100,000; and

(b) the Annual Fee would be Rs100,000 or 0.8% of audited gross turnover, whichever is higher, but not exceeding Rs2M.

3. Cabinet has agreed to the State Trading Corporation (STC) commercialising its own branded one-litre edible oil, as announced in Budget 2022-2023. It would be sold at a subsidised price of Rs75 per one-litre.

4. Cabinet has agreed to amendments being made to the Consumer Protection (Control of Fairs) Regulations 2016 by reinstating Regulation 3(3), in order to allow the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection to resume consideration and approve applications for the organisation of trade fairs on the same basis as it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trade Fairs would be allowed subject to certain conditions.

5. Cabinet has agreed to the General Economic Cooperation Chapter and the Automatic Trigger Safeguard Mechanism under the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between Mauritius and India. The modalities to incorporate these issues in the CECPA would be discussed at the first meeting of the High Powered Joint Trade Committee scheduled from 01 to 03 August 2022, in New Delhi.

The Chapter on Economic Cooperation covers some 25 sectors whereby both Parties have agreed to enhance their collaboration in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agro-industry, SMEs, manufacturing, ocean economy, ICT and financial services. The Economic Cooperation Chapter also has a regional dimension as it provides a framework for Indian investors to use Mauritius as a gateway for production and subsequent export to the SADC and COMESA markets to which Mauritius is a party.

6. Cabinet has agreed to the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Agence de Regulation des Postes et des Communications Electroniques (ARPCE) of the Republic of Congo with a view to strengthening cooperation between the two regulatory bodies.

The objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding are mainly to promote collaboration between the two regulatory bodies, more specifically activities relating to electronic transactions, the fight against fraud and cybercrime, development of universal services, determination of tariffs, quality of services provided by operators and monitoring of the spectrum, among others. Collaboration between the ICTA and the ARPCE would be primarily through the organisation of seminars and capacity building for the personnel as well as sharing of information and expertise in specific sectors mutually beneficial to both agencies.

7. Cabinet has taken note of the status regarding the implementation of the project for the construction of 12,000 residential units by the New Social Living Development Ltd particularly, land issues, geotechnical investigations of the sites and launching of tenders for contracts for works.

8. Cabinet has taken note that a Regional Workshop would be held by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in collaboration with the Regional Bureau of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), from 01 to 05 August 2022 in Mauritius. The objective of the workshop is to assess the implementation of the SADC Protocol on Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking in the SADC Region. The workshop would also consist of a course on forensic drug analysis which would be dispensed by experts from the Drugs Unit of the Forensic Science Laboratory.

9. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius hosting the African Economic Conference 2022, which is being jointly organised by the African Development Bank, the Economic Commission for Africa and the United Nations Development Programme from 09 to 11 December 2022.

The African Economic Conference is Africas leading forum for discussions and knowledge exchange on a wide range of themes and emerging challenges confronted by countries in Africa. The theme for the 2022 Conference is Supporting Climate-Smart Development in Africa to lay focus on Africa as being the most exposed region to climate risks. Around 300 participants are expected at this event which would be conducted in a hybrid format.

10. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage signing an Executive Programme under the Cultural Agreement between the Republic of Mauritius and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for the period 2022-2025. A Cultural Agreement between Mauritius and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was signed on 13 May 1975 to develop relations between the two States and exchanges in educational, cultural and scientific fields.

11. Cabinet has taken note that the Kite Foil African and Middle East Championships would be held in Mauritius at Mahebourg, from 26 to 31 August 2022. Some 70 elite surfers from 32 countries would compete in the different events of the Championships.

12. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the resumed session of the 59th meeting of the Standing Committee of Contracting Parties (COP) on the Convention of Wetlands held recently in Switzerland. The Mauritian delegation stressed on the fact that:

(a) Chagos Archipelago is and has always been part of the Territory of Mauritius, as authoritatively determined by the International Court of Justice and confirmed by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 73/295 and the Judgement of the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS); and

(b) Mauritius is the only State lawfully entitled to exercise sovereignty and sovereign rights over the Chagos Archipelago and its maritime zones.

Mauritius requested that:

(a) the Contracting Parties should formally acknowledge that for the purpose of the Ramsar Convention, the Chagos Archipelago forms an integral part of the territory of the Republic of Mauritius and that the purported extension by the United Kingdom of the Ramsar Convention to the so-called British Indian Ocean Territory is invalid; and

(b) the Secretariat should ensure that no reference is made to the so-called British Indian Ocean Territory in any documentation relating to the Convention.

13. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Health and Wellness has elaborated a National Action Plan on Breastfeeding 2022-2027, to improve the current breastfeeding rate and enhance health outcomes for both mothers and children in Mauritius and Rodrigues. The main strategies of the Action Plan have been formulated, based on the six major action areas advocated by the WHO, as follows:

(a) building healthy public policies to enhance breastfeeding supportive environments;

(b) developing policies to regulate the marketing of breastmilk substitutes;

(c) reviewing breastfeeding legislation;

(d) mobilising community action and participation in breastfeeding initiatives through the development of strategies for the promotion and support of breastfeeding at community level;

(e) building capacity through training of all health professionals in breastfeeding; and

(f) monitoring and education of the policies.

The Action Plan would be officially launched on 01 August 2022 in the context of the World Breastfeeding Week 2022. The theme for this year is Step up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support. A workshop on Breastfeeding would be organised as well as a sensitisation campaign on the benefits of breastfeeding.

14. Cabinet has taken note of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing across the world. Some 571.8 million cases have been reported globally, of which 541.9 million persons have been successfully treated. With regard to Mauritius, as at 21 July 2022, there were 400 active cases of COVID-19, out of which 39 were admitted at the New ENT Hospital. Over the period 14 to 20 July 2022, one death was attributed to COVID-19.

15. Cabinet has taken note that the official unveiling of the Mascot and the launching of a new hymn for the Commisison de la Jeunesse et des Sports de lOcean Indien (CJSOI) Games was held on 20 July 2022 at the Cote dOr National Sports Complex. The Mascot known as Joy, which represents an interactive cat was created by Ms Sarah Theveneau. The chanson des Jeux entitled Cest la fete produced by Mr Gerard Louis and performed by the Teen e Diese group was made public.

16. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Health and Wellness would commemorate World Hepatitis Day 2022 on 28 July 2022 at Dr A. G. Jeetoo Hospital. On this occasion, a few patients who have successfully completed treatment for Hepatitis C would be invited to share their experience.

17. Cabinet has taken note the outcome of the recent visit of the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation to Estonia and Greece which was organised by the Northern Ireland Cooperation Overseas, Belfast, under its European Union funded project, namely Cyber Resilience for Development (Cyber4Dev). The aim of the visit was to get acquainted to a detailed state-of-play on cybersecurity in the EU by having an in-depth study on cybersecurity in a digitally advanced country such as Estonia, which could greatly help Mauritius strengthen its position to become a Cyber4Dev hub in the African region.

During his visit, the Minister had a meeting with the Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia and discussions mainly centered around potential collaboration in the field of digital services and cybersecurity. He also had meetings with representatives of several major Estonian companies in the ICT sector and the e-Governance Academy of Estonia.

In Athens, he visited the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and had a meeting with the Executive Director. ENISA is the EU agency dedicated to achieving a high level of cybersecurity across Europe. ENISA could assist CERT-MU in the conceptualisation of future cyber drill scenarios.

18. Cabinet has taken note that five Directors nominated by Government on the Board of Mauritius Telecom have tendered their resignation and they have consequently been replaced by the following five new Members with effect from 21 July 2022:

(a) Mr Philippe Epaminondas Gaston Maxime Sauzier;

(b) Mr Anandsing Acharuz;

(c) Mr Kritananda Naghee Reddy;

(d) Mr Mario Alain Chung Chin Ah-Sue; and

(e) Mr Neermul Saddul.

19. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the following Board and Committees under the Mental Health Care Act:

(a) the Mental Health Board with Dr Paramasiven Motay as Chairperson;

(b) the Mental Health Commission with Ms Diya Beesoondoyal as Chairperson;

(c) the Mental Health Care Accounts Committee with Mr Latanraj Ghoorah as Chairperson; and

(d) the Managerial Committee with Dr Rishi Bundhun as Chairperson.

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Members of the Ghost Riders Motorcycle Club traded their helmets for Santa hats again this year as they raised over $10,000 to help buy Christmas for over 100 families this year.

A lot of funding comes from the clubs annual toy run. This year approximately 110 motorcycles started from Boxcar Grille through downtown Marion to Old Fort to raise money and donate toys for needy families.

This year it was over 100 families that needed help. This club raised $10,000 here within six to seven weeks. We made sure we got what they needed, said James Johnsons of the Ghost Riders Club.

The club teamed up with New Testament Baptist Church of Old Fort to find out the wants and needs of children and distribute gifts and bicycles.

I know what its like not to have Christmas. I know what its like not to have a lot of things, and there are a lot of families that need this, said Johnson. It doesnt help one family; it helps a lot of families. And thats why we do it, to give back. We are a non-profit club and we save up and what we have, we will donate it. Thats the difference between a club and a gang. Everybody has been good to us.

The club has been around since 1971 and spans through Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. There are around 300 members, and about 20 or so in McDowell County.

Everything we do is family-oriented. We are from McDowell County, so we do what we can for the county. The county has been good to us. We respect the public and we respect people. We are doing this a service to the community, said Johnson,

Members of the New Testament Baptist Church were busy wrapping and distributing gifts and food to families on Friday and Saturday. Jenny Kidd is the Pastor Harry Kidds wife and said they are so thankful for the Ghost Riders.

It means the world. The Lord put us here to take care of each other and how else are we going to show Gods love if you dont reach out? We feel it is an honor to use the Lord. We are thankful for the Ghost Riders. I think the bikers get a bad rap, but we have found them to be no different than the rest of us; they just like to ride bikes, said Kidd.

She said the ladies of the church have been wrapping every Tuesday for about a month in preparation for the Christmas giveaway. The church also purchased gifts for 23 families and gave Christmas dinners out including ham, pie and all the fixings.

It turned out wonderful. I think it even over did their estimation. We are just thankful we are able to be a part of it, said Kidd.


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June Rowlands remembered as trailblazer for womenAntonella ArtusoMore from Antonella ArtusoPublished:December 22, 2017Updated:December 22, 2017 6:01 PM ESTToronto Mayor John Tory signs the books of condolence for trailblazer June Rowlands.Antonella Artuso / Toronto Sun/PostmediaThe public has been invited to sign a book of condolence at Toronto City Hall for former mayor June Rowlands who died Thursday at the age of 93.Mayor John Tory said Rowlands, the first woman to occupy the mayors seat, blazed a trail for other women to follow in municipal politics.When she was the first woman to be mayor, when she was the first woman to be the budget chief, she allowed other women, including younger women, to see themselves in those positions which previously had not been the case, Tory said. I think that was a gigantic contribution to the well-being of our political system and to better representation.Rowlands fought for affordable housing, low taxes and a safe city, he said.Tory said he thanked her in the book of condolence for that record of fighting for things that mattered to a lot of people in the city.City Councillor Josh Matlow offered his condolences as well.We will continue to celebrate her legacy at the park in midtown Toronto that is named in her honour, he tweeted.Rowlands was a working mother of five when she served as mayor of the City of Toronto between 1991-94, capping a long career of female firsts in municipal politics  the first female TTC commissioner, budget chief, and chair of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission.She defined principled politics, former councillor Brian Ashton said. Learned a ton as her seatmate on Metro Council.Torontos first female mayor, June Rowlands, dead at age 93Rowlands spent most of her term in office buckling down with the budget numbers and focusing on law and order.While it was widely thought she was the driving force behind the Bare Naked Ladies ban from Nathan Phillips Square in the 1990s, a former city councillor once told the Toronto Sun she was actually away when the decision was made by bureaucrats who were concerned the then novel name was offensive to women.The book of condolence will be available at city hall until Friday, Dec. 29.An online version can be accessed at View Condolences - June Rowlands
ROCKFORD, MI -- The Environmental Protection Agency is making a small but significant entrance into the toxic fluorochemical pollution investigation in Kent County, Mich.

The EPA will begin sampling groundwater and drinking water wells polluted with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS or PFCs) from Wolverine World Wide tannery waste starting next week.

The agency confirmed its involvement on Friday, Dec. 22.

Aside from some consultation visits by advisors, sample collection would be the first federal boots on the ground in the investigation.

An EPA spokesperson characterized the agency's role as "supporting" the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's response to the multi-plume, multi-township PFAS investigation sparked by discovery of contaminated wells in Belmont in April.

"While MDEQ is taking the lead on drinking water issues, EPA is assisting the state in collecting water samples to verify data provided by Wolverine," the agency said.

"EPA personnel have coordinated with MDEQ and will sample groundwater and well water at impacted residences during the week of December 25. EPA will notify residents of their individual sampling results as soon as they are available."

People with knowledge of the investigation say the EPA has been a regular presence on conference calls this month as pressure mounts on the state to devote more resources and seek federal assistance for the bulging Wolverine response and the 28 sites so far with PFAS contamination in 14 communities around Michigan.

This week, the governor signed a supplemental appropriations bill for $23.2 million to aid the PFAS response statewide.

The DEQ says the EPA has been advising the Wolverine investigation for a while, but the federal presence has loomed larger since the Kent County Health Department asked Gov. Rick Snyder to get the EPA more involved, suggesting it might if the state wouldn't.

Michigan's Congressional delegation also asked the EPA to take a larger hand in the PFAS response and the county's letter caught the attention of some state lawmakers in Lansing, who questioned the state's apparent reluctance to seek more EPA involvement.

It's unknown whether the EPA plans to remain involved in the investigation beyond the scope it has disclosed.

The DEQ referred questions to the EPA on Friday.

Wolverine said the EPA expects to sample a handful of monitoring wells at the House Street landfill and former tannery site in Rockford, and about 15 residential wells.

"These confirmation samples are collected by EPA and sent to an independent laboratory to confirm that the results are the same as those received from laboratories used by Wolverine and the MDEQ," the company announced on its blog.

Test results confirm both the House Street landfill and the tannery are major sources of PFAS contamination.

Total combined PFOS and PFOA concentrations at the 1855 House Street NE dump are more than 668 times the EPA's health advisory level of 70-ppt -- a non-enforceable threshold for what's considered safe in drinking water, for which the groundwater under hundreds of residences in the dump's vicinity is used.

Total combined PFOS and PFOA concentrations under the tannery grounds in Rockford are 7,000 times the EPA level. Although nearby properties are connected to Rockford municipal water, which has tested clean, the tannery is adjacent to the Rogue River and upstream of the city's former surface water treatment plant river intake.

Rockford stopped drinking from the river in 2000.

The Kent County Health Department, which has argued the Wolverine investigation is stretching its resources, said it "welcomes the additional resources that the EPA brings."

We are confident that the agency's expertise and efforts can only hasten the ultimate goal of solving the issues associated with groundwater contamination as it now exists," said department spokesperson Steve Kelso.
BIG RAPIDS, MI - Planet Fitness is expanding to Big Rapids.

The fitness chain is moving into the remaining 16,000 square feet of a former Kmart building, at 1250 Perry Ave.

Planet Fitness plans to open in May next to Family Farm and Home, according to Colliers International | West Michigan, which matched company with the location.

A big draw of the location is its proximity to Ferris State University, said Chris Klebba, owner of Planet Fitness franchise in Big Rapids.

"We're excited to open a location in Big Rapids because we believe there's a need for more fitness options in the area," said Klebba in a statement.

Klebba was represented by Harry Cohn of Cohn Commercial Properties in the transaction.

The low cost fitness center offers cardio machines, strength equipment, a 30-minute express circuit, fitness trainers, massage chairs and tanning. Memberships start at $10 a month.

The chain's business model works despite collecting a smaller fee because the facilities are designed to accommodate more people who tend not to spend a lot of time in the gym. Operational costs are lower because Planet Fitness locations don't have pools, exercise classes, childcare or juice bars.

The founders of the chain started with this basic premise, aiming to answer why 80 percent of the population has not joined a health club.

The chain began moving into the Michigan market several years, and now has 65 locations, according to the company's website.

"Planet Fitness will help meet the growing demand for fitness options in Big Rapids while giving the community an affordable and convenient way to exercise," said Mark Ansara, a Colliers retail advisor who worked on the deal.
A total of 298,999 Michigan residents enrolled in insurance plans through healthcare.gov during the 2018 open enrollment period, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported.

That's 93 percent of the 321,451 who enrolled during the 2017 open enrollment.

The deadline to enroll in a 2018 plan was Dec. 15. The final enrollment numbers for 2018 were released Friday.

It's unclear how many of the 2018 enrollees qualified for subsidized coverage. In 2017, it was 83 percent.

The 2018 numbers are a victory for advocates of the Affordable Care Act, who were concerned the Trump administration's opposition to Obamacare would deter people from signing up.

The administration cut the open enrollment period in half, from three months to six weeks, and slashed advertising and outreach.

President Trump also eliminated payments to insurance companies to cover cost-sharing reductions subsidies that insurance companies are required to provide low- and moderate-income families. That drove up premiums by an average of almost 30 percent, although families who qualified for subsidies were largely insulated from the cost increases.

This week, Trump said the new tax bill "effectively repealed Obamacare" by eliminating the individual mandate, the ACA's requirement for people to purchase insurance or face a tax penalty.

ACA advocates say the relatively strong enrollment for 2018 shows support for the law.

"This Open Enrollment period proves, once again, that people want and need the health and financial security that comes with health coverage through the ACA marketplaces," Lori Lodes, founder of the enrollment assistance nonprofit Get America Covered, said Friday in a press release.

"


Aardvark killed in London Zoo fire

BBC News23 December 2017London Zoo is shut "until further notice" after a fire which injured staff and killed an aardvark.At its height, more than 70 firefighters tackled the fire which started in the Animal Adventure section and spread to the adjacent shop.One person was taken to hospital and eight were treated at the scene for injuries.The zoo said an aardvark, called Misha, had died in the fire and that four meerkats were unaccounted for.The cause of the fire, which is now under control, is not yet known.Ten fire engines were called to the zoo, which sits in the capital's Regent's Park, shortly after 06:00 GMT.Six people were given help at the scene for the effects of smoke inhalation and two for minor injuries, London Ambulance Service said.One person was taken to a north-west London hospital, the service said.Duty staff who live on site were on the scene "immediately" and started moving animals to safety, the zoo said.In a statement the zoo said it was "devastated" to hear of the death of one of its animals.It said: "Sadly our vets have confirmed the death of our nine-year-old aardvark, Misha. There are also four meerkats unaccounted for at this stage, and we have limited access to site to confirm this."All other animals in the vicinity are being monitored closely by our vets, but early signs suggest they have not been affected. We will continue to monitor them over the coming days."The zoo said it would reopen "when we know it is safe to do so for animals, staff and visitors".Adnan Abdul Husein said he saw the blaze from a nearby park when he was out walking his dog, and alerted zoo security."It didn't look like, you know, smoke just coming out of a chimney. It was quite heavy", he said."As I got closer to the zoo I could see that it was actually inside the zoo so I went over to the security and told them 'There's flames or there's smoke coming from inside there. Do you know anything about it?' And they obviously didn't have a clue."London Fire Brigade (LFB) station manager Clive Robinson, who was at the scene, said three-quarters of the cafe and shop had been affected by the fire and half of the roof.He said: "Firefighters worked hard to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible and to stop it from spreading to neighbouring animal enclosures."
Peter Hoekstra, the former congressman from west Michigan, is off to an awkward start as the new U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands.

In a interview published Thursday by a Dutch journalist, Hoekstra was asked about his 2015 comment that the Netherlands has "no go zones" where radical Muslims are creating "chaos."

Just perfect.

Dutch journalist to new US Ambassador: you said there were 'no go zones' in Netherlands, where are they?

Ambassador: That's fake news, I didn't say that

Journalist: We can show you that clip now.

Ambassador: Err  pic.twitter.com/8ohIOzmYAc  Sunny Hundal (@sunny_hundal) December 22, 2017

Hoekstra denied making the remarks, telling reporter Wouter Zwart, "I didn't say that it. It's an incorrect statement. We would call that 'fake news.' "

Zwart then showed a video clip of Hoekstra at a 2015 conference hosted by the David Horowitz Freedom Center saying: "The Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands, there are cars being burned, there are politicians that are being burned. ... And yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands."

Zwart than confronted Hoekstra again: "You called that 'fake news,' but obviously ..."

"I never called that fake news," Hoekstra said.

Sample headline from the Netherlands: "The new Trump Ambassador to the Netherlands, Pete Hoekstra, lies about his own lies."

The former congressman and Michigan gubernatorial candidate was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands on Dec. 11.

Hoekstra, a resident of Holland, Michigan, was born in the Netherlands and immigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of 3.

First elected to represent Michigan's 2nd Congressional District in 1993, Hoekstra stepped down for a failed gubernatorial bid in 2010, losing out to Gov. Rick Snyder. During his tenure in Congress, he served as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

The former lawmaker later worked with the Investigative Project on Terrorism as a Shillman Senior Fellow, specializing in national security, international relations, global terrorism and cyber security. Prior to his political career, Hoekstra was a vice president for furniture maker Herman Miller.

Last year, Hoekstra served as a co-chair of Trump's presidential campaign in Michigan.
CLIMAX, MI -- A man critically injured in a two-vehicle crash north of Climax fled the crash scene before officers tracked him down with a police dog.

Kalamazoo County sheriff's deputies say speed and alcohol were likely factors in the crash.

Police responded just before 7 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 23 to East MN Avenue and South 44th Street for the crash.

Police said a 31-year-old Portage man was driving north on South 44th Street when he failed to stop for a stop sign at East MN Avenue.

His vehicle collided with a westbound vehicle driven by a 29-year-old Springfield woman.

After the crash, the man managed to exit his vehicle and headed on foot to the north.

Police called in a tracking dog from the Battle Creek Police Department and the man was located after a short track.

The man was taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital for treatment of what police described as critical injuries.

The other driver was taken to a hospital for injuries not believed life-threatening.
PORTAGE, MI - As investigators worked to locate Christopher Lockhart's missing wife, Lockhart was busy chasing other women and not helping police until he ultimately killed himself five months later.

When Portage police first contacted Lockhart about his missing wife on May 20, he said Theresa Lockhart came home the evening of May 18, packed her bags and said she would be leaving. He told police she had "done this before a few years ago," where she would leave home to seek treatment or clear her head.

The police reports surrounding Theresa Lockhart's disappearance, Christopher Lockhart's suicide and confession and the hand-drawn map pointing police to the location of her body were among more than 200 pages MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette obtained from Portage Public Safety Friday through the Freedom of Information Act.

Theresa Lockhart's disappearance set off a months-long manhunt for any clue of her. Meanwhile, Lockhart denied knowing anything about her disappearance, refused to cooperate with police and was arrested four times for several offenses.

Police found Christopher Lockhart's body in his home on Poplar Bluff Court Oct. 24 after he failed to report to the Office of Community Corrections. He had hanged himself. Police found Theresa's body that same day in Allegan County after seeing Lockhart's note.

In the note, Lockhart describes that he buried his wife's body in the Allegan State Game Area the day after killing her. His note was accompanied by a hand-drawn map leading detectives to Theresa's body. Police found her body less than a minute after starting the search, according to the reports.

In the suicide note, Lockhart said he was drunk, arguing with Theresa May 18 and "snapped." He said he choked her to death.

"I am so sorry for this horrible act," Lockhart wrote. "I apologize to her mother, friends, family and the community for this senseless act. I live with it every moment of the day and I miss her so much. I didn't put her first, that was my biggest mistake."

Theresa planned to resign

Lockhart told police at the time his wife had issues with her job, and said she was planning on resigning. Police later found a copy of her resignation letter on Lockhart's phone.

A neighbor told police that day she had heard Lockhart yelling obscenities at his wife in their front yard, and said he was drunk and didn't seem concerned that he was screaming at his wife in public.

A co-worker of Theresa Lockhart's, Lori Pelton, told police Lockhart had trouble in the past with Christopher and said she was depressed.

Kalamazoo District Court records showed that Christopher had been arrested for domestic violence in November 2016. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of assault and battery, completed 10 hours of community service and ultimately had the conviction dismissed.

Pelton told police Lockhart had planned to resign from her job Friday, May 19. She said Lockhart was planning to get approval from her doctor to go on leave using the Family and Medical Leave Act, which would allow her to continue to receive pay over the summer. She told police Lockhart had the option to either resign or not have her contract with the district renewed.

The co-worker also said Lockhart had talked to her about her husband's aggressive behavior and alcoholism, according to the reports.

Ric Seager, the principal at Schoolcraft High School, said Lockhart was in her second year of being a teacher after being hired from the Cassopolis School District. He said she had recently reconciled her relationship with her sister and seemed happy. He said she was an introvert and kept to herself.

Theresa's uncle, Terry Huyge, said that she and Christopher had separated for some time and Theresa had found information on his computer that led her to believe he had had an affair.

When police made contact with Lockhart May 23, he said he thought Theresa said something about getting help or leaving, before she left May 18, but said he couldn't remember. He said he couldn't tell if any of Theresa's medication or clothing was missing, and eventually told police he would have to consult with his attorney before answering any more questions.

Police checked several area hospitals with psychiatric units to see if Lockhart had checked in.

On May 24, Michelle Addington, who described herself as Lockhart's best friend since elementary school, told police Lockhart had failed to show up at her child's confirmation May 22 and a party before the confirmation.

"Nothing but death would have kept her from these events," Addington said.

Lockhart told Portage police May 25 that his wife was having an anxiety attack the night she went missing. He said she was upset about losing her job and also about having to put down one of their cats. He reiterated that she had left home to get treatment in the past.

"Well, she's a grown adult," Lockhart said May 25. "If she wants to take off and leave, she can do that. I mean, I'm concerned for her, but, you know, these are decisions that she's making on her own that, that's gonna, you know, be what's best for her."

From May to October, investigators chased several leads that led nowhere, including one of Theresa Lockhart being spotted in a Rochester Hills bar and another alleged sighting of her leaving Marshalls on West Main Street.

During the investigation, Lockhart was arrested four times on charges unrelated to her disappearance. On Sept. 15, Lockhart pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with an electronic monitoring device for taking off an alcohol tether while on probation. He also pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with electronic communications for cutting a neighbor's phone, internet and air conditioning lines.

On two different occasions in September and October, Portage police responded to stores in the area of West Centre Avenue and Angling Road on reports of Lockhart acting "odd" and watching construction workers who were laying pipe in the area. Police conducted a search but found nothing related to Theresa Lockhart.

Searches for 'GPS tracker' and spy camera purchase

Investigators executed search warrants at the Lockhart house several times. In one search on June 8, they found a paperback book titled, "Missing 411- Western United States and Canada: Unexplained Disappearances of North Americans That Have Never Been Solved." Also on June 8, investigators found an iPad and a laptop that appeared to have been struck with a hammer also found in the house. In a search of the house June 9, investigators found a written list on a piece of paper hidden in a book. It read: "gloves, towel, duct tape, hammer, flat-head screwdriver, backpack, flashlight."

Police obtained search warrants for Christopher Lockhart's phone, whose records included a copy of Theresa's resignation letter dated May 18 and searches for "GPS tracker" and "GPS detector." Also located on the phone was a receipt for the purchase of a photo frame from Amazon.com that is a spy camera photo frame with night vision capabilities. The camera can be seen in scene photographs taken in Lockhart's office. No data could be retrieved from the phone from May 16 to May 22, according to investigators.

Harry Lockhart, Christopher Lockhart's father who lived in South Carolina, told police June 21 he didn't think his son would kill Theresa. He also said he talked to Christopher every Sunday and that his son was "down in the dumps" with a lot "getting to him." He said the death of Christopher's mother the year before especially had affected him.

A co-worker of Lockhart's said he would say inappropriate things at work, and said his attitude had gotten bitter and angry and started drinking more since his mother had died.

Messaging other women

During their five-month-long investigation, investigators talked to at least four women who had met Lockhart on dating sites within the past few years. Several of them told police he had contacted them again either before or after his wife went missing. One woman said Lockhart threatened to leak her name to the media if she wouldn't talk to him.

On June 6, police interviewed a woman who said she dated Lockhart while he and Theresa were separated and he lived in an apartment. She told police she reached out to him after seeing him in local media. She said they had met on an online dating website. She told police Lockhart gave a lengthy monologue of the case that mirrored what was being said in the media.

"She did add that he laughed and joked when he talked about his wife being missing, which she thought was inappropriate."

He also invited the woman over to his house, but she declined.

The woman said she had seen him periodically over the last six months, and said he had started drinking heavier since his mother died.

"He would joke about how depressed he was but she knew he wasn't joking," An officer wrote in a report. "He talked about the death of his mother, his children growing up and moving on, and he had constantly indicated that he and Theresa were not happy. He described them as more like roommates bickering all the time and their relationship was going downhill."

She said Lockhart told her Theresa was "bullied" into resigning from her job. He said he had tried to separate from her but wasn't successful.

"He stated, 'She's a (expletive) nut case,'" the woman told police.

Another woman told police she had had a sexual relationship with Lockhart and had been out of state with him, including to two Green Bay Packers games. She said Lockhart tried to get together with her again from May 17, the day before he killed Lockhart, through May 31.

Yet another woman said she met Lockhart on a dating website a few years ago, and that he used names of Christopher Ballard or Christopher White. She said he contacted her again April 23 and she last saw him May 27, nine days after he killed Theresa. Then, they went to dinner and a comedy show in Grand Rapids, then back to her place. She said she was under the impression Lockhart was divorced.

"She made some sort of comment about being more comfortable dating him now that his divorce was final and that she did not have to worry about a wife," Hess wrote in a report. "Lockhart responded, 'You don't have to worry about that anymore.'"

As Lockhart was messaging with other women, concerned friends posted on Theresa Lockhart's Facebook page and sent her private messages. "Please contact someone to let them know that you're alright," read part of a message on May 22. Another one dated May 24 said, "you good?"

Neither message received a response.
Reliance Industries celebrated its annual event at the Reliance Corporate Park in Navi Mumbai on Saturday.

At the event, Mukesh Ambani, CMD of Reliance Industries said we owe all progress which Reliance has made to the founder and his father Dhirubhai Ambani.

He further said that we shall remain true to Dhirubhai's vision, ideals and principles.

Reliance has grown from one employee to 250,000 today, he added.

Watch accompanying video for more details.

Disclosure: Reliance Industries, which owns Reliance Jio, also owns Network18, which publishes Moneycontrol.com.
Dhirubhai Ambani

Good evening, my Reliance Family.

Before we start our celebrations of Kal, Aaj aur Kal, this evening, it is my privilege to honour the leaders who have made Reliance.

Friends,

Reliance is the creation of the vision of one individual  my father, and our founder, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani. We owe to him all the progress we have made in the last forty years. Reliance stands on his strong and ever-supportive shoulders.

JO KABHI KEVAL EK KARMAYOGI KI KALPANA THI.

AAJ SAKAAR HO GAYI. EK SOCH..SAMRAJYA MEIN BADAL GAYI.

It is because of him that Reliance has grownFrom 1 employee to over 250,000 employees,From initiatl investment of Rs 1000 to a company of over Rs 6 lakh crore,And from operations in only one city to 28,000 cities and towns, and over four lakh villages.

My father is a timeless legend. An Indian icon. An eternal inspiration to Indians from all generations - KAL, AAJ AUR KAL.

We shall forever remain true to his vision, his ideals, his principles.

AAJ IS KHUSHI KE MAUKE PAR, MEIN HUM SAB KI TARAF SE PAPA KO PRANAM KARTA HU. AUR HUM SUBKE LIYE UNKA ASHIRWAD CHAHATHUN.

Friends,

Today let us also remember with gratitude all those who worked with Papa  the great pioneers of Reliance. They often worked against impossible odds.

The resources they had were meagre compared to what we have today. But they never lacked ambition, passion, dedication, humility, indomitable commitment..And also the dream to make Reliance the Pride of India.

I would like to remember and pay my respects to: Rasikbhai  my first boss who trained me and taught me some of the best lessons of life, Natubhai  my fathers younger brother, who looked after finance. And above all, Ramnikbhai  my fathers elder brother.

This first generation defined the DNA of Reliance. They believed in investing in talent  and making talented people part of the Reliance Family.

I would like to mention some of them.

> Manubhai  who redefined loyalty to Reliance and its mission;> Indubhai  who was the futurist and always thought of future trends even in the 60s;> SP Chakraborty  who taught us to embrace technology and innovation;> VV Bhatt  the iconic people leader;

> KK Malhotra  who institutionalised processes and systems at Reliance.

Balu, HS Kohli ji and many others, who still work 12 hours a day.

Some of the pioneers of Reliance yesterday are on the screen behind me.

There are many more.Let us today, as one large Reliance family salute them, pay our respects and seek their blessings.

AAJ RELIANCE KI ISS PIONERS KO SALAAM KARNE KA, AUR UNKE ASHIRWARD LENE KA DIN HAI. JIN LOGON KI MEHNAT AUR WAFADARI PAR AAJ RELIANCE GARV SE SAR UTHA KAR KHADA HAI.

Let us give all these leaders a standing ovation.

Ramnikbhai, the eldest in the Reliance Family, who is 92 years old, has made special efforts to be with us and bless us and celebrate our KAL, AAJ AUR KAL.

Disclosure: Reliance Industries, which owns Reliance Jio, also owns Network18, which publishes Moneycontrol.com.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

IIFL

The theme of domestic consumption has become one of the biggest opportunities for India Inc. through various factors like favourable demography, increasing disposable household income and revival of consumption demand from rural India.

India is the youngest nation among major economies, with a median age of just 28 years. Moreover, 67 percent of the Indian population is in the age group of 15-64 years provides a large amount of labour force.

According to Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the working age population is estimated to expand by 1.4 percent per annum. over 2015-2020 to 93 crore by 2020. The discretionary consumption is poised to grow with such a huge working-age population.

The large working population (67 percent of total population) will drive median household income in India to USD 5,942 by 2020 from USD 4,571 in 2017 (EIU estimates). As a rub off, recovery in household spending will revive growth in the consumer sector. Household consumption expenditure is expected to rise to USD 2 trillion by 2020 from USD 1.4 trillion in 2017, according to EIU.

The rural demand will witness an upward trajectory after three years of slow growth supported by two consecutive good monsoons.

Moreover, rural wages are also reviving  in September 2017 the nominal rural wages were up 7.1 percent year-on-year and real rural wages rose by 4.5 percent year-on-year (YoY).

In addition, in order to double the farm income by 2022, the government has allocated Rs 1.07 lakh crore for expenditure on rural development, out of which Rs 48,000 crore is allocated to MNREGA for FY2017-18.

In the upcoming Union Budget, the government is expected to focus on infrastructure and the rural sector. The prime objective is to generate employment in the rural sector by the implementation of various measures.

The Modi government has been under pressure from its political opposition as well as the public to create jobs, as a painful demonetisation drive and the new goods and services tax (GST) have virtually crippled the informal sector of the economy, wiping out millions of low-skill jobs.

The Finance Ministry and Commerce Ministry are actively looking at ways to boost exports in a bid to narrow the trade deficit. The exporting sectors are key job creators in the economy.

The government has been also focusing on agricultural subsidies to increase productivity and yields from cultivation. The central government launched the direct benefit transfer (DBT) for fertilisers in various states in the month of October 2017.

This ensures that there is no extra burden on farmers as they will continue to get fertilisers at a subsidised rate. Such measures would increase the disposable income in rural India and drive the consumption pattern in India.

The Finance Minister is likely to announce policies and programs beneficial for the rural economy.

Stocks to Watch:

Some of the stocks that are likely to benefit from the consumption-oriented landscape and likely consumption sector friendly sops in the Budget are Hatsun Agro, Jyothy Laboratories, and Varun Beverages.

Hatsun is a leading organised Indian dairy player with a dominant position in South, expanding to Maharashtra and Odisha. Jyothy Laboratories is an FMCG company predominantly present in fabric care and dish wash categories. Varun Beverages is the second largest franchisee of PepsiCo in the world (ex-USA), contributing around 47 percent of PepsiCo Indias volume.

: The author is Vice President, Research, IIFL. The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Today

HomeStore, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 701 E. Dodge St., Fremont. The HomeStore sells donated items at discounted prices. Proceeds support the mission of Fremont Area Habitat for Humanity.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

American Red Cross blood drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Fremont Mall. To schedule an appointment, download the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.

Storytime, 11-11:30 a.m., Keene Memorial Library auditorium, 1030 N. Broad St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous womens heart to heart group, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Storytime with Santa and Mrs. Claus, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Keene Memorial Library, Fremont. Kids of all ages are invited to hear a few holiday stories, enjoy some seasonal snacks and help create a simple craft to decorate the librarys tree (or their own). For more information, call 402-727-2694.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous open meeting, 7:30 p.m., United Faith Church, 218 W. Gardiner St., Valley.

Narcotics Anonymous Lie Is Dead Group, 8 p.m., Care Corps, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10:30 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Sunday

Alcoholics Anonymous Happy Sober Sunday Group, 9 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous Seekers of Serenity Group, 10:30 a.m., Care Corps, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous Point of Freedom Group, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Education Building, west of the church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont. Enter through the rear door.

Alcoholics Anonymous Sunday speaker, 7:30 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Monday

Merry Christmas

Tuesday

U.S. Congressman Jeff Fortenberrys office open, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 641 N. Broad St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Ready for Kindergarten Storytime, 10-10:30 a.m., Keene Memorial Library, Fremont. This is for ages 2-5.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

American Red Cross blood drive, 12:30-6:30 p.m., Veterans Country Club, 1581 Yutan Road, Yutan. To schedule an appointment to donate, download the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.

After School Chess, 4 p.m., Keene Memorial Librarys large meeting room, Fremont. Kids of all ages are invited to the library to learn how to play chess.

Fremont Utility and Infrastructure Board meeting, 4 p.m., Fremont Municipal Building, 400 E. Military Ave. The meeting is open to the public.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

TOPS 58, 6-7 p.m., St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Fremont. Weigh-ins are from 5:30-6 p.m. For more information, contact Nancy Wit at 402-727-6745.

Narcotics Anonymous open meeting, 6:30 p.m., Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 540 W. Eighth St., Wahoo.

Narcotics Anonymous It Works Group, 6:30 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Education Building, west of the church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont. Enter through the rear door.

Fremont City Council meeting, 7 p.m., Fremont Municipal Building, 400 E. Military Ave. A study session will begin at 6:45 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.

Al-Anon meeting, 8 p.m., Chapter 5 Club front room, Fremont. This support group is for families and friends of alcoholics.

Alateen meeting, 8 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. The meeting is for ages 10-17 who are affected by a friend or relatives drinking.

Narcotics Anonymous open meeting, 8 p.m., United Faith Church, 218 W. Gardiner St., Valley.
business NSE Fin Wiz Season 5 visits Fortis Research Memorial Institute NSE Fin Wiz visits the Fortis Research Memorial Institute in Gurugram where Ankur Kapur, Founder of Plutus Capital and Tanvir Alam, Founder of Fincart engaged with the employees on various aspects of financial planning.
At least 32 people were killed on Saturday when a private bus fell into Banas river from a nearly 100-foot high bridge in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district, police said.

The incident took place early morning in Soorwal police station area when the bus was on its way to Lalsot from Sawai Madhopur, they said.

The driver of the bus lost control over the vehicle and it fell into the river after breaking the railing of the bridge, the police said.

Passengers were from other states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Assam. Several of them were going to offer prayers at a temple in Malarna Chour in the district, Sawai Madhopur Superintendent of Police Mamman Singh told PTI.

Most of the people died due to drowning including the bus driver, he said.

Death toll may rise, police said.

Twenty-seven bodies have been recovered and five injured rushed to hospitals, Singh said, adding he also said 10 bodies were handed over to their family members after post-mortem.
In view of serious allegations raised against spiritual leader Virender Dev Dikshit's Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya in Delhi, the police raided two ashrams run by him at Siktarbad and Kampil and rescued 47 women and a minor girl.

Senior police officials led the raids.

Facing a stiff opposition from the inmates, the police had to enter the ashrams through the roofs of the adjoining buildings, they said.

The women inmates of the ashrams demanded a search warrant for opening the gates and were also involved in a verbal spat with the police.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Tribhuvan Singh said the minor girl, rescued from the Siktarbad ashram, would be produced before a magistrate and her statement would be recorded soon.

The Delhi Commission for Women, along with the police, raided an ashram run by Dixit at Dwarka in the national capital today and rescued five girls.

This came in the wake of raids conducted at the Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya at Rohini in Delhi on Thursday, where women and girls were kept confined like "animals in a cage". The ashram was founded by Dixit.
Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister | Responding to Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, she said, "I haven't heard his comments so I may not be able to respond to the specifics, but I agree with him that there is no doubt that (modernisation of equipment for armed forces) is a big challenge for us."

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin today held wide-ranging talks with a focus on further boosting the bilateral defence and security ties through joint manufacture and co-development of key military platforms and weapon systems.

Official sources said various aspects of the defence relationship between the two countries were discussed threadbare during the delegation-level talks with an aim to enhance the cooperation further.

Sitharaman apprised Rogozin about various policy initiatives taken by the government to encourage the domestic defence industry and added that Russian companies can take advantage of the reform measures and share defence technologies for manufacturing of military equipment and platforms.

In a major step towards defence indigenisation, the Indian government had in May unveiled a "strategic partnership" model under which select private firms would be engaged along with foreign entities to build military platforms such as fighter jets, submarines and battle tanks.

Russia has been one of the major suppliers of arms and ammunition to India.

However, it has been a long-standing grievance of armed forces that the supply of critical spares and equipment from Russia takes a long time affecting maintenance of military systems procured from that country.

India has been conveying to Moscow the need for having a robust and reliable after-sales support mechanism with regards to the serviceability of Russian-origin equipment.

In the meeting today, both sides also reviewed the status of ongoing negotiations for the supply of a number of military platforms by Russia to India.

Rogozin arrived here today on a day-long visit.

In sync with their robust defence ties, the two countries had in October held the first mega war game involving armies, navies and air forces with a focus on anti-terror cooperation.

It was for the first time India participated in a tri-services exercise with a foreign country.
President Ram Nath Kovind

President Ramnath Kovind today offered prayers at the Sri Ramanathaswamy temple here as he embarked on his first tour of Tamil Nadu since assuming office in July.

Kovind, who was accompanied by his wife and daughter, was received at the temple gate by the priest and other officials with the traditional "Poorna Kumbha Mariyathai" (temple honours).

"It has been a pleasure to visit this historic and holy temple which signifies that good always prevails over evil...the visit has filled me with immense peace and happiness.... My appreciation to all those who work tirelessly to maintain the splendour of this temple," Kovind wrote in the visitors' book at the temple.

After spending nearly 30 minutes at the temple, the president left for the government guest house.

Later, he visited the memorial of former president A P J Abdul Kalam at Pei Karumbu and paid homage to the latter.

In the visitors' book there, Kovind wrote, "It is a personal privilege and honour to be able to offer prayers and pay homage to my predecessor -- a great scientist and son of the soil -- at the National Memorial."

He also described the memorial, built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), as a "major architectural and engineering marvel" and said it was a befitting tribute to Kalam.

The president also met the relatives of Kalam, including his nephew and grand-nephew, and enquired about the health of the former president's elder brother from them.

During his visit, he also enquired about an autorickshaw driver, Shanmugham, who had taken him on a guided tour of the island town years ago, when Kovind was a Rajya Sabha MP.

A three-tier security cover was in place in view of the president's visit, the police said.

Kovind's itinerary also includes appointments in Chennai.

Earlier, the president arrived by a special flight at Madurai, from where he went to a nearby "Mandapam" by helicopter.

Kovind was received at Madurai by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and District Collector Veera Raghava Rao.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi today visited the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district, ahead of his meeting with party leaders to introspect on the Gujarat Assembly polls.

The Congress leader landed at Keshod Airport in Saurashtra and offered prayers at the temple which is about 420 km from the state capital.

Gandhi is scheduled to hold zone-wise meets with Saurashtra, Central Gujarat, South Gujarat, North Gujarat leaders in Ahmedabad on Saturday and is expected to address the Congress workers.

Gandhi had visited the Somnath temple during the recent election campaign and his name was found written on the entry register meant for non-Hindus, kicking up a row. The Congress had called it "fake" and the BJP insisted that the leader declare his religious faith before people.

Non-Hindus are allowed to visit the temple but have to first get themselves registered at the shrine's office.

A purported photocopy of a page of the register for non-Hindus had gone viral on social media with the names of Gandhi and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel written on it.

Gandhi had later said that he and his family were devotees of Lord Shiva.
As 2017 nears to an end, automotive companies are busy charting plans ahead for the year ahead. While some are rethinking their product plans, some have fast-tracked launch schedules, especially for products in segments with high traction. Heres a look at what made headlines during the week gone by in the auto sector.

Lexus launches NX300h at Rs 53.18 lakh

Luxury automotive brand Lexus, which is owned by Toyota, has commercially launched the NX300h with prices starting at Rs 53.18 lakh (ex-showroom). The NX 300h F-Sport will be available starting at INR 55.58 lakh (ex-showroom).

The sedan features a 2.5 litre, 4-cylinder engine, which produces 145 KW max power, delivering an ARAI certified mileage of 18.32 kmpl. The NX 300h also features a 360 panoramic surround view monitor, a full color heads up display, a 10.3-inch split-screen multimedia display, kick-sensor-activated power rear door, first-in-class power-folding and power-reclining rear seats and a 14-speaker hi-fi Mark Levinson system.

Lexus NX 300h

Hyundai to raise prices by 2%

Korean car brand Hyundai said it will raise prices by up to 2 percent from the beginning of next year as a result of increase in input prices. The second car maker said it had been absorbing the cost pressure for sometime.

With this Hyundai joins the league of companies who have already announced a price hike on similar lines which include Toyota, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, to name a few.

Hero to hike prices, unveils three upgrades

Hero Motocorp, Indias largest two-wheeler maker, will increase prices of all its products by Rs 400 from January 1, 2018, it said in a statement sent to the stock exchanges. TVS Motor Company and Bajaj Auto have also hinted of a price hike from next month.

The Delhi-based company unveiled three new upgrades  125cc Super Splendor, the 110cc Passion PRO and the 110cc Passion XPRO  to augment its position in the entry and commuter motorcycle segment. There will be a phase-wise launch of the three motorcycles in the market, starting January 2018.

Honda overtakes Hero in 15 states

Japanese two-wheeler giant Honda said it has overtaken Hero Motocorp in 15 states and two union territories which makes up 52 percent of the domestic two-wheeler demand. These key states include Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Honda claimed.

Hero has been traditionally stronger in the economically weaker states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar, which have a huge contribution of agrarian income. Honda has been able to wrest control from Hero thanks to its star performer Activa, the gearless scooter.

Maruti to launch electric car in 2020

Maruti Suzuki (MSIL), the countrys largest car maker, said it will commercially launch its first electric car in India in 2020. This car which will be developed jointly by MSILs parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation and Toyota in Japan will mark MSILs foray into electric cars.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki to consider stock split: Here are the pros and cons

The launch date coincides with the inauguration Suzukis battery cell manufacturing plant that is coming up in Gujarat. The EV will most likely be made at the newly launched vehicle making plant in Gujarat that is owned by Suzuki.

The electric vehicle will most likely be rolled out from the new Suzuki-owned plant in Gujarat.

Amara Raja Batteries commissions India's largest battery plant

Amara Raja Batteries, one of Indias leading battery makers, has commissioned its first two-wheeler battery plant in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. The first phase of the plant will have a capacity of 5 million units per annum.

The plant will have an ultimate capacity of 17 million units with an estimated investment of Rs 700 crore taking the total capacity for two-wheeler batteries to 29 million units. The plant will employ 1300 people at full capacity.
trends Mahindra War Room Season 10: Here's a look at how the competition progressed 2,110 teams, 25 B-schools, the ultimate battle for glory, Mahindra War Room is back. Mahindra War Room provides its contestants a platform to tackle life and compelling business problems, and pitch ideas to the top brass of the organisation and get their valuable feedback.
Jarrett Coleman goes from school board to statehouse with win in 16th Senate District race
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
President Donald Trump managed his first major legislative victory this week with the passage of a massive tax overhaul. It was no mean accomplishment. But watching the spectacle of senior members of Congress verbally prostrating themselves before him on the lawn of the White House shortly after final passage of the bill made my skin crawl. Let me be clear: I favored the bill, even with its many shortcomings and its failure to deliver a big tax cut to the middle class as promised. I did so because I still believe that economic growth is the best way to advance the fortunes of all Americans, rich and poor, old and young, and everyone in between. The corporate tax cut was the heart of this legislation, and I expect it will deliver on the promise of incremental growth in gross domestic product as companies invest their savings by expanding.

Nonetheless, the obsequiousness of members of Congress at the White House celebration was creepy. For Sen. Orrin Hatch  for whom I have had the deepest respect for some 30 years, ever since I got to know him during my days in the Reagan administration  to suggest Trump may go down in history as the nation's greatest president nearly brought tears to my eyes. But Hatch wasn't alone. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and nearly a dozen others felt it necessary to heap effusive praise on Trump. It was a scene that would have seemed fitting in Pyongyang, where even ordinary citizens must prove their devotion once a year by placing flowers at and bowing beneath the statues of the Great Leader, Kim Il Sung, and his son the Dear Leader, Kim Jong Il, on Mansu Hill. Trump should have been embarrassed by it, but instead he basked in the glory.

The scene crystalized for me my great discomfort with the Trump presidency. President Trump has done much that I agree with. He is engaged in broad regulatory reform, from business to education. He's appointed judges from federal district courts to the Supreme Court who, I hope, will show more deference to the Constitution and the laws as written than many of the judges appointed by Barack Obama. He's made some good appointments within the administration. Most importantly, he has allowed the military to do its job and helped vanquish the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. (Of course, there are other issues on which I have profound disagreement, especially on immigration and trade.) On policy, I'd give him decent marks  but I'd still give him a failing grade overall because of the harm I think he's doing to the institution of the presidency.

America has sometimes revered its presidents  Washington, Lincoln, FDR and even Reagan come to mind  but it has never built a cult of personality around the men themselves. Yet Trump seems to be trying hard to set a precedent for exactly that. It is no accident that every Cabinet meeting starts with a round-robin of praise for Trump, often led by Vice President Mike Pence, whose brown-nosing would be more befitting of an insecure aide-de-camp than the second-highest official in the land. What is most disconcerting about the ritual obeisance of Donald Trump is the sure knowledge that many of those singing his praises don't believe a word of what they're saying. They do it to keep him happy, hoping that it will steer him along a straight path and prevent him from veering off in temper tantrums and distracting the country from what is important.

The president of the United States shouldn't be treated as a spoiled child. President Trump seems not to have learned much in his first year in office about what it means to be presidential, and he won't as long as those around him behave like lackeys. He deserves credit where it is due  and the tax bill is surely a victory  but he should be the one praising those who helped him get it done, not the other way around. He'd do well to remember one of President Reagan's favorite sayings: "There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit."

Linda Chavez is the author of "An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal." To find out more about Linda Chavez, visit www.creators.com.
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CHAPIN | A Chapin woman who created a small Christmas lights display in memory of her brother is hoping it helps others during the holiday season.

Kay Rothers younger brother, Wayne Rother, of Sheffield died on Dec. 2 after an eighth-month battle with lung cancer, and she said the display in Chapin, an unincorporated town between Sheffield and Hampton, has helped her grieve her brothers death.

I wanted to do something for Wayne that would bring joy, she said.

The display, which can be seen on Olive Avenue in Chapin across from an old church, features small lighted trees, homemade decorations and a rotating Christmas-theme display on a garage. Rother said the display has blossomed in a very short time thanks to memorial donations.

Next year, Rother hopes to add to the display and use it to raise money for the American Cancer Society. She encourages anyone who wishes to add something to display to do so.

For questions, call Kay Rother at 641-892-4656.

 Ashley Stewart
A fire destroyed a family of eights home away from home for the holidays.

Fire destroys family of 8's RV

Investigators said fire was accidental

First responder offered his home to the family



A family of eight traveling in an RV lost their vehicle in a huge fire Friday in Orlando. Their RV burst into flames while making a pit stop on their way to Virginia from Miami. They had stopped to fuel up on Orange Blossom Trail Friday afternoon.



The RV caught fire near a U-Haul facility and a McDonald's on Orange Blossom Trail. The fire was so big that it shut down the road from Carter Street to Gore Street for a short period.

When I look over there across the street and I realize that all eight people got out unharmed they even had a little dog that got out unharmed that's a very fortunate thing for this time of year," said Orlando Fire Department Engineer, Scott Butschek. "It's something that we all really be need to be thankful for."

In addition to being one of the first responders on scene, Butschek offered his home to give the displaced family a place to stay.

"You don't want to see anybody in a bad spot this time of year. We're all family at the end of the day... we're all one," he said.

Scene investigators determined the fire was accidental.

The Red Cross is assisting the family for now.

Family traveling for Xmas displaced. Red Cross assisting and firefighter offers home for family in meantime. pic.twitter.com/e60ADaOomC  Orlando Fire Dept (@OrlandoFireDept) December 22, 2017
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Earlier this year, Chron.com told you about the sprawling Flat Creek Estate, an award-winning winery in the Texas Hill Country that was for sale.

Back in March 2017 there was a sale pending on the property, but now according to real estate agents handling it, it's back on the market.

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Barbara Van Dyke, with Kuper Sotheby's International Realty, said Tuesday that the company went through a long process with two different potential buyers, but Flat Creek winery in Marble Falls is now back on the market.

With a $3 million discount to sweeten the deal, down from $10 million earlier this year.

"We have adjusted the price for Flat Creek and it is now $6.95 million plus the cost of inventory," Van Dyke says. "Since inventory fluctuates, it will depend on when a buyer would close as to how much inventory there is."

Van Dyke sees the winery as a project for someone looking to go on an adventure of sorts.

"I think Flat Creek is ideal for someone who dreams of owning a winery, but I also think the opportunity is ripe for someone who wants to operate an event venue, or potentially add lodging, such as a boutique hotel. There is plenty of room for expansion on this property."

Van Dyke has said previously that the former owners were looking to retire and hand the vines and reins over to younger hands.

Now Playing: Rebel Coast Winery will soon be rolling out an alcohol free, marijuana infused wine. Tony Spitz has the details. Video: Buzz 60

In addition to 20 acres of vineyards, the property includes a wine-production facility, tasting room, restaurant and events building, covered outdoor pavilion, office building, workout space and guest house. Flat Creek Estate is about 50 miles northwest of Austin on the north side of Lake Travis.

RELATED: Ring in 2018 with Texas sparkling wines

Each year, the winery produces more than 10,000 cases of wine.

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.
MASON CITY | Shortly before the verdict was read  revealing Larry Whaley was guilty of second-degree murder in last year's shooting of Samantha Teeter  snow was slowly starting to fall outside the Cerro Gordo County Courthouse.

It was then that Samantha's father, David Teeter, felt confident he and his family would have some closure to a tragedy that occurred in the early hours of Dec. 2, 2016.

"When I saw it started to flurry outside and we got the knock on the door, the jury was in, I knew we had a good verdict," Teeter said Thursday. "I felt like Sammie was right here with us."

Teeter and several family members and friends had spent the entire trial filling nearly half of Courtroom No. 1. At several points during testimony, multiple people broke down in tears as critical evidence was being presented  including the 911 call from Samantha Teeter's boyfriend, Kalab Van Scyoc.

The support of those individuals in the courtroom was invaluable, David Teeter said.

"That was awesome," he said. "That was a lot easier to get through with all these people here."

During the past year, support for the family has been great, he added. Earlier this month, family and friends held a vigil at 116 17th Street S.E.  the location of the shooting  in remembrance of Samantha.

"Weve had a lot of support  friends, family, people we dont even know," David Teeter said.

One of the things that has helped him and family get through the past year is Andre, Samantha's 3-year-old son.

"It really helps having her little boy at home," he said. "Its kind of hard to be sad with him around."

Ultimately, David wants the public to know Samantha was a selfless person.

"Just how much she loved everybody in life, and she loved the holidays and she loved her friends," he said. "She would do anything for anybody."
Concord Police Department / Concord Police Department

A Concord adult school teacher was being held on $2 million bail after he was arrested on suspicion having sex with a developmentally disabled adult student, police said.

Daniel Gonzalez, 55, a teacher at the Loma Vista Adult Center, was booked at the Martinez Detention Facility on suspicion of violating a state law that says it is illegal to have sex with a person who is incapable of giving consent because of a mental or developmental disability.
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DANBURY  A State Police bloodhound who bolted from his handler during a search-and-rescue operation on Wednesday was found Friday afternoon after more than 100 volunteers spent 36 hours scouring the area near Wooster Mountain State Park.

A Homeland Security agent found the dog with his lead caught on a fence on Limestone Road in Ridgefield, State Police said. Police video showed the dog, whose name is Texas, happily greeting his handler and other police personnel.

Texas had disappeared during a search near the state park for a 42-year-old man with autism who ran into the woods around 1 p.m. Wednesday after an argument with his mother. Police confirmed Friday the man, who has not been identified, was tracked down that night by another State Police bloodhound, Zeus.

The search for the missing bloodhound eventually included volunteers, both civilian and law enforcement, on foot and horse, on mountain bikes and ATVs, assisted by drones and helicopters. Police from points as distant as Enfield, New London, Meriden and the University of Connecticut took part.

Police were originally called around 1 p.m. Wednesday to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance. The Danbury Fire Department was asked to join the effort around 3 p.m., and firefighters launched a full-scale land search that ended around 5 p.m. as darkness descended on the area.

Members of the State Police were called in around 6 p.m., officials said. Trooper One  a State Police helicopter with infrared cameras  arrived nearly two hours later.

Kim Mack Rosenberg, president of the National Autism Associations New York City chapter, said it was unacceptable for police to wait two hours before seeking help.

A two-hour delay is an incredibly long time to wait for assistance, particularly for someone who has an impairment and may be lost in the woods, she said. What you want to do is bring as many resources that are available to the scene as quickly as possible.

The several water bodies in the area posed an additional danger, Rosenberg said, adding more than 70 percent of fatalities among autistic people who get lost or are missing result from drowning.

When looking for someone with autism, waterways are one of the first areas that need to be checked, Rosenberg said. This really underscores the importance of educating first responders.

Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour said he has yet to see reports on the conduct of the search, a crisis situation that normally requires an all hands on deck response. He couldnt immediately say whether Danbury officers are trained to interact with autistic individuals, but added officers receive extensive training in crisis intervention.

It would probably fall under that umbrella, Ridenhour said.

dperrefort@newstimes.com
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Pam Warren, a party music-loving Bay Area artist who laid down beats for the Coup and was briefly Princes DJ, has reportedly died of organ failure. She was 51.

Warrens former employer KBLX radio announced that she had died late Friday after close friends posted the news with memories all afternoon and evening. She had been hospitalized for more than a month after undergoing organ transplant surgery.

Known as Pam the Funkstress, Warren grew up in Foster City and went to Burlingame High School in the 1980s, where she dreamed of becoming the first female DJ on the West Coast.

Now Playing: Pam Warren AKA Pam the Funkstress AKA Purple Pam has been a Bay Area DJ since the 1990s, and was a member of the Oakland rap group The Coup. She was also Prince's personal after party DJ for the last few weeks of his life. Video: Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

Im old school, Warren told The Chronicle last year. I grew up listening to the Spinners. My daddy loved Bobby Womack and Patti LaBelle. My mom loved Isley Brothers, Gap Band, Charlie Wilson, Cameo.

After gaining popularity as a party DJ in the early 90s, she was recruited by Boots Riley of the Coup in 1994. Warren was an excellent fit, dropping funky 1970s-laced beats that paired well with Rileys urgent lyrics and throwback vibe.

Warren contributed to the rap collectives albums Genocide and Juice, Steal This Album, Party Music and 2006s Pick a Bigger Weapon, after which she left to concentrate on her work as a club DJ.

She had worked three straight nights in the clubs in February 2016  plus her day job running the kitchen at Piccadilly Catering  when a promoter called, telling her that Prince was looking for a female DJ to work an after-party.

Warren, a lifetime Prince fan who once saved her allowance to buy a $29.99 VHS of Purple Rain, showed up at the South of Market nightclub 1015 Folsom and by all accounts blew Prince away.

When we first met, I was like, OK, Pam, dont act a fool, Warren recalled. I was trying to keep my composure, because this is fricking Prince. Its like Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson. It doesnt get any higher than that.

She traveled with Prince as his DJ for two months, and was ready to fly to his studio in Minnesota for another party, when she got a call on April 21, 2016, that Prince had died. Warren DJed several popular Prince tribute shows after that, going by the name the artist gave her: Purple Pam.

Warren was also an excellent cook, making soul food by the pound in her hometown Foster City even while working as a DJ and band member. Warren told The Chronicle that she considered her work as a caterer and as a DJ to be intertwined.

Im cooking up the beats in the kitchen, and Im stirring up the beats on the turntable, Warren says.

While Warren was in recovery from the surgery in November, her family and friends, including Bay Area rapper and Hamilton star Daveed Diggs, asked fans for their support via social media and through a GoFundMe campaign. When news got around that Warren had died, social media feeds were again filled with love for her.

Longtime friend and fellow DJ Sterling James posted on Facebook the emoji of a purple umbrella with rain falling on it and wrote: Dear Queen, Sister, Friend ... I will miss you so.

Prince just needed his DJ, DJ Styles posted on Twitter. Ill see you again my friend.

A memorial service is being planned.

Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicles pop culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub
Western powers are reluctant to help rebuild Syria after its civil war, because they think the wrong side won. Russia and Iran played a major part in that outcome -- but they can't afford a bill estimated at a quarter-trillion dollars.

Enter China?

Qin Yong, vice-president of the China-Arab Exchange Association, said he he sees burgeoning interest among Chinese companies. "We get phone queries every day," he said. "They see huge business potential there, because the entire country needs to be rebuilt." The enthusiasm is reciprocated on the Syrian side, says Qin. "They're like, don't come tomorrow, come tonight!"

As the 6 1/2-year war winds down, with Bashar Assad still in power, the battle for influence in Syria has shifted to the diplomatic arena. Reconstruction, which the United Nations says could cost $250 billion, is a key part of it.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared victory in his two-year military operation to shore up Assad, and is now appealing for international funds. At his annual press conference on Dec. 14, Putin showed signs of frustration. He said Syria, whose conflict sparked the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II, will remain a breeding-ground for extremist groups such as Islamic State without improved living standards. "All people of goodwill around the world should understand that if we do not resolve this together, it will be their problem as well," he said.

The U.S. and its European and Gulf Arab allies, which backed the Syrian rebels, say that problem is largely of Putin and Assad's making. They've eased up on calls for the Syrian leader's immediate departure, but continue to insist that he can't stabilize the country and has no long-term future. Withholding money for reconstruction is one of the few cards they have left.

Unlike Iraq, which was pumping out about 2 million barrels of oil a day even in the traumatic years right after the 2003 U.S. invasion, Syria has little ability to generate cash internally to pay for its own rebuilding.

Diplomats in Moscow say that Russia has repeatedly pressed European Union governments to help foot the bill. At the same time, Russia has rebuffed calls for Assad to step down eventually, and his government has shown few signs of willingness to share power.

The EU, Arab nations and the U.S. put aside $9.7 billion in April for humanitarian aid and rebuilding Syria. But in September U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the anti-Assad coalition won't support reconstruction without a political transition.

In the U.S., lawmakers from both parties this week introduced legislation they dubbed the "No Assistance for Assad Act," seeking to channel any American aid to the parts of Syria still outside government control. U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters hold much of the country's northeast.

"Things have hit a dead end," said Alexander Shumilin, head of the Center for the Analysis of Middle East Conflicts in Moscow. "Russia's military victory in Syria hasn't brought a political settlement any closer."

That's keeping European companies away. German business, for example, has "the know-how, the products and the motivation to reconstruct Syrian infrastructure and industry,'' said Philipp Andree, director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry. It can't happen without "an internationally recognized peace agreement," he said. Steelmaker Thyssenkrupp will only "re-enter the market" once Syria stabilizes, spokesman Tim Proll-Gerwe said.

Turkey, whose construction industry is active throughout the region, has been angling for business. "Turkey and Saudi Arabia will be the reconstructors of Syria," the chairman of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce, Abdulrahman Abdullah Al Zamil, told Turkish newspaper Sabah in February.

But both countries supported the opposition in Syria. Assad insists such nations won't get a role in reconstruction, even if they want one.

Abd al-Kader Azouz, a consultant to Assad's government, says money can be found from wealthy Syrians, the BRICS group of emerging economies, and multilateral lenders not controlled by the West. A few deals have been reached. Last year, Syria said it had agreed on 850 million euros of contracts for Russia to rebuild infrastructure. Iran signed accords worth "several hundred million euros" to repair power grids, Press TV reported in September.

Russia says it's been promised further contracts to rebuild Syria's energy facilities. Western involvement isn't essential, Putin's top envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, said in an interview in Ankara: "There are Russia, Iran, China, India and many other countries." Still, he acknowledged that Syria's post-war financial needs are "colossal."

China, an increasingly close Russian ally, won't meet them all. Qin's association estimates there could be about $2 billion of investment at this stage. Qin says the companies he's been escorting to Damascus, Homs and Tartus -- including China National Heavy Duty Truck Company, whose Hong Kong-listed arm is Sinotruk -- are eyeing projects to build roads, bridges, airports and hospitals and restore electricity and communications.

That may just be the beginning, because Syria fits into Chinese strategy. The country was a key link on the ancient Silk Road -- and President Xi Jinping's most ambitious plan involves building a new one: the multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to weave a Chinese web of trade and transportation links across Eurasia and Africa. Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who met his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem in New York in September, said that will be "an important opportunity for bilateral cooperation in future."

For all those grand visions, there's an immediate obstacle for Chinese business in Syria, according to Qin: Settlements in dollars and euros are banned, because of U.S. and EU sanctions aimed at cutting Assad's regime off from the world economy.

That's one indicator that, without a compromise on Assad's future, Syria is likely to remain partially destroyed for years to come. Robert Ford, who was U.S. ambassador to Damascus during the early years of the war and is now a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington and a Yale professor, says the deals mooted so far are a drop in the ocean.

"We're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars," Ford said. "Syria needs billions. It's going to fall well short of what's needed to rebuild the country -- which means that the country won't be rebuilt very quickly."
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BRIDGEPORT  The victim shot and killed Saturday morning in the citys East Side may have known his assailant, Police Chief Armando Perez said.

The chief said he expects it wont be long before his department knows who the shooter is, too.

We have real good video evidence, Perez said Saturday afternoon.

At around 9:55 a.m., police who answered a call to the intersection of Kossuth and Maple streets found the victim dead inside the Maple Deli. His death was Bridgeports 23rd homicide of 2017.

Police spokesman Av Harris identified the victim late Saturday evening as Khali Davis, 22, of Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport.

Harris said Davis was standing in front of the store with a small group of people when the shooter approached on foot and opened fire.

On surveillance video from an unspecified source, the chief said, (the suspect) walks to the corner of Maple and Kossuth, he sees the victim, he moves back, pulls out a gun, walks back up and shoots him in the face.

Perez said after he was shot, Davis made it to the deli before collapsing. Harris said Davis was shot multiple times.

The suspect  who Perez said was seen wearing a black hoodie, jeans and red-and-black sneakers  ran west on Maple Street after he fired, police said.

The thing is, the video is very good and we have some good witnesses, Perez said. This one will be closed relatively quick.

Perez said his thoughts were with Davis family.

I was in the store and I could hear someone from his family crying very loud, he said. Im hoping to bring this to conclusion very quickly. ... to be able to bring them some justice soon.

On Saturday afternoon, hours after the shooting, a group of women huddled together at the intersection of Kossuth Street and Maple streets. One openly wept as the others gathered to console her. A local pastor identified them as family and friends of the victim.

Before Saturday, the citys most recent homicide happened Oct. 14. There were 10 homicides in Bridgeport in 2016.

Anyone with information about Saturdays homicide is asked to contact Detective Cintron at 203-576-8477.
WASHINGTON - A federal judge Friday ordered a former Blackwater Worldwide security contractor to remain in a federal prison while awaiting retrial after a federal appeals court threw out his first-degree murder conviction in shootings that killed 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad's Nisour Square in 2007.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth of the District of Columbia set a retrial date for June for Nicholas Slatten, 33, of Sparta, Tennessee. Slatten has been in prison in Sumterville, Florida, serving a mandatory life sentence since his October 2014 conviction, and the evidence in that case weighed against his pretrial release, the judge said.

Lamberth noted that he "heard weeks of testimony" at Slatten's trial "that spoke to his danger to the community." In addition, "the defendant now knows that the evidence presented at trial was strong enough for a jury to convict - a fact that speaks to whether he is a greater flight risk."

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Circuit on Aug. 4 tossed out that verdict, saying the trial court erred in not allowing him to be tried separately from co-defendants, even though one of them said he, not Slatten, fired the shots that killed the first civilian victim, leading a team of U.S. security contractors to open fire indiscriminately on vehicles and pedestrians in a crowded traffic circle. The incident marked one of the lowest points of the U.S. war in Iraq.

Slatten's attorneys had asked that he be released on his own recognizance, with restrictions on travel and possessing firearms, while a new trial was pending. They said those terms would have been appropriate because he has had a discipline-free prison record and had spent nearly six years living under similar terms between the time he was first charged in December 2008 and his conviction.

"Against this backdrop of Slatten's continued cooperation and a new trial at which he will be entitled to present the evidence of his innocence to a jury, the government cannot demonstrate that Slatten is a greater flight risk than before these positive developments," wrote Steven Fredley, one of Slatten's attorneys, in a filing.

Prosecutors urged Slatten's continued detention, saying his incentive to flee has only increased now that he knows a jury can and has convicted him.

Slatten is "an extremely dangerous person who believes that some human beings - particularly Iraqis - are no more than animals, and that he is willing to act on those beliefs by committing murder," assistant U.S. attorneys T. Patrick Martin and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez wrote the court. They said his "history of threats, assaults, and misuse of firearms during the pendency of this case also show that he is a dangerous individual who does not submit to authority."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Martin of the District had said the government anticipated a six-week case with 50 witnesses, including about 15 from Iraq. Lambert set a trial date of June 11, 2018.

Prosecutors at Slatten's trial accused him of firing the first shots in the civilian massacre, in which Paul Slough, 35, Evan Liberty, 32, and Dustin Heard, 33, were also sentenced to 30 years-plus one day after being convicted of multiple counts of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter.

The appeals court in a split decision also ordered the three others to be resentenced saying their constitutional protection against "cruel and unusual punishment," had been violated when they received an enhanced penalty of a 30-year mandatory minimum prison term for their use of military firearms while committing a felony.

The September 2007 shootings, which also wounded 17 people, fomented deep resentments about the accountability of American security, came during one of the bloodiest periods of the Iraq War and made the Blackwater name - then one of the country's most profitable and politically connected security firms - shorthand for unaccountable U.S. power.
WASHINGTON - Congress voted Thursday to give itself an extra three weeks to settle bitter differences over how to reauthorize one of the government's most prized foreign intelligence-gathering tools, but the last-minute move has done little to reconcile competing concerns about the need to maintain powerful spy capabilities and Americans' right to privacy.

Neither Republicans nor Democrats are united over how to limit the authority to conduct foreign surveillance on U.S. soil, particularly when it comes to the question of when law enforcement officials can scour the collected surveillance for information about Americans.

Privacy advocates in both parties have been in a months-long dispute with national security hawks over whether law enforcement officials should have to obtain warrants or simply clear procedural hurdles before viewing Americans' communications collected under the program. And even with more time to talk, few seem ready to abandon their principled positions in the new year.

Lawmakers approved a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendments Act of 2008 with little fanfare this week, after a frenzied but failed push to rally support for a longer-term measure that would have modified how law enforcement officials search a database of collected information for Americans' communications.

House GOP members of the Freedom Caucus huddled with senior members of the Intelligence Committee in the office of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Wednesday to try to reconcile their differences. When they went in, the House's plan was to vote on a measure written by House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., that would have required the FBI to obtain a court order before viewing the contents of Americans' communications found in the database that they hope to use in criminal cases.

But that idea was scrapped as Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., proclaimed that no long-term extension would get through Congress at this juncture.

Resolving the Section 702 debate before the statutory end-of-year deadline became less of a priority as Congress focused on more politically charged debates around health care and tax reform. Three committees endorsed proposals in the past several weeks - but only leaders of the House Intelligence Committee seemed satisfied with the long-term proposal that was floated, and then rejected, days ago.

Nunes said this week that his proposal would probably be the structure for whatever deal lawmakers strike to extend Section 702 in the new year, predicting that several House Democrats would vote for the measure. The restrictions in his bill were first proposed by Rep. Adam Schiff, Calif., the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee.

A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., also said Thursday that GOP leaders expect Democrats' votes will be necessary to passing a Section 702 reauthorization in the new year.

But it is not clear that, absent changes, the House Judiciary Committee members will be fully on board. Last month, that panel endorsed a proposal that would have required a warrant to view the results of queries for Americans' communications. One congressional aide warned that the Judiciary Committee would have been "near-unanimous in its opposition" to the Nunes bill that was proposed, but not considered, this past week.

The Senate's concerns, meanwhile, go in the opposite direction. There, the most restrictive proposal to have earned the support of the Intelligence Committee imposed only a procedural hurdle requiring the FBI to have the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court weigh in on the legality of any query for information on a "known United States person."On the other end of the political spectrum, privacy advocates such as Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., are primed to fight the issue on the floor.

The short-term extension of Section 702's statutory authority expires Jan. 19. With the House not returning to Capitol Hill until Jan. 8, lawmakers will have just a handful of legislative days to work out long-simmering differences.
CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marksmen Energy Inc. (TSX-V:MAH) (OTCQB:MKSEF) (Marksmen or the Company) announces that it has completed its non-brokered private placement announced on December 12, 2017 for 3,826,333 units (the Units) of Marksmen at a price of $0.15 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $573,949.95 (the Offering). Each Unit is comprised of one (1) common share (Common Share) and one-half of one (1/2) share purchase warrant (Warrant) of Marksmen. Each whole Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share for $0.30 expiring two (2) years from the date of issuance.



Marksmen will pay a cash commission to qualified non-related parties of $16,792 and will issue 111,947 broker warrants entitling the holder to acquire one Common Share of the Company at a price of $0.15 for a period of one year from date of issuance.

The proceeds of the Offering will be used to pay for capital expenditures related to a drilling program in Ohio, USA as described more fully in a press release dated December 12, 2017. The additional funds raised over the initial $450,000, will be used for the acquisition of oil and gas leases complementary to lands already in the program, and for additional geological and engineering support.

Completion of the Offering is subject to regulatory approval including, but not limited to, the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. The common shares and warrants issued will be subject to a four month hold period from the date of issuance.

Related Party Participation in the Private Placement

As insiders of Marksmen participated in this Offering, it is deemed to be a related party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101-Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101).

Neither the Company, nor to the knowledge of the Company after reasonable inquiry, a related party, has knowledge of any material information concerning the Company or its securities that has not been generally disclosed.

The Offering is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 (pursuant to subsections 5.5(c) and 5.7(1)(b)) as it was a distribution of securities for cash and neither the fair market value of the Units distributed to, nor the consideration received from, interested parties exceeded $2,500,000.

For additional information regarding this news release please contact Archie Nesbitt, Director and CEO of the Company at (403) 265-7270 or e-mail ajnesbitt@marksmenenergy.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This news release may contain certain forward-looking information and statements, including without limitation, statements pertaining to the use of proceeds, and the Company's ability to obtain necessary approvals from the TSX Venture Exchange. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. A description of assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Marksmens disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Marksmen does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.




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Becki Svare has made a radical decision: She won't buy any more Christmas presents.

It started a few years ago as an experiment with her extended family. The holiday season began as it often did, with a dozen family members drawing names out of a hat. But instead of buying gifts for each other, they had to come up with a meaningful experience to share with their designated person. Suggested price: $20 to $25.

Svare's children took their aunts kayaking. Her brother took his 9-year-old nephew for a ride on his Harley-Davidson, then out for sushi and a trip to the local reptile center. Others went to the zoo.

"You had to be somewhat creative with it," said Svare, a blogger who lives in DeLand, Florida, near Orlando. "But we all agreed that it was better than buying things people don't need."

Across the country, families are hearing a similar refrain: Fewer items, please. More experiences.

It's a movement that has picked up momentum in recent years, as part of a broader push away from consumerism. And even retailers are taking notice. Major chains like Best Buy, Apple and Nordstrom now incorporate cooking classes, photography workshops and even manicures inside their stores as a way to attract customers who want to do more than just shop.

This holiday season, retail analysts say there has been a discernible shift in gift-giving as Americans think beyond traditional presents. Nearly 40 percent of shoppers plan to give gift cards, event tickets or other "intangible" gifts, according to market research firm NPD Group. And although overall holiday spending is projected to rise about 4 percent to $680 billion this year, Americans say they will spend less on presents: an average of $608 on gifts for family, friends and co-workers, down from $621 last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

"We live in a world of abundance, where most of us just have too many things," said Jeffrey Galak, a professor who studies consumer behavior at Carnegie Mellon University. "People are starting to realize that items really aren't that important anymore."

Also helping the movement: the lack of novel items at the store.

"A lot of retailers are carrying the same old stuff that they've been hawking for five years," said Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia Business School. "People are saying, 'Uncle Henry's already got a black sweater - in fact he's got two that still have the tags on - so why should we get him a new one?' 'Let's do something else instead.' "

And, academics note, there has been no shortage of research in recent years to back up the idea that people derive more joy from experiences than goods. The trend has been good for the likes of StubHub. The online purveyor of sports, concert and theater tickets says sales of gift cards are up 50 percent so far over last year.

Celebrities, too, are increasingly speaking out against holiday consumerism. The actress Mila Kunis said in a recent interview that she and husband Ashton Kutcher wouldn't be buying gifts for their children this year.

But vowing to cut back on presents is one thing - actually doing so can be a years-long process. It can be tough to get family members on board, and even the most dedicated of gift-boycotters can feel a tinge of panic when, a few days before Christmas, there isn't much under the tree.

"Social norms can be a difficult thing to overcome," said Ross Steinman, a professor of consumer psychology at Widener University in Chester, Pa. "If there is an understanding in your family that there should be a tower of gifts under your Christmas tree every year, it's really hard to change that."

Some adjustment necessary

It has taken nearly two decades, but Alethea Smartt says her family has (mostly) stopped buying Christmas gifts.

The effort started back in 1999, she says, when she moved to New York to take a job as a flight attendant. She had a tiny apartment and traveled often, which meant she didn't have room for extra items.

But persuading her family in Tennessee, where she grew up receiving a whopping two dozen gifts each Christmas, was a different story. She started slowly - or so she thought - suggesting a limit of one gift per person.

"I knew we couldn't go cold turkey, but it was still a total disaster," said Smartt, 43, a travel writer in Portland. "There were a lot of hurt feelings and tears. Even though we didn't have money, it was really important to my parents to be able to buy us material things."

Her mother, in particular, was crestfallen, she says.

But lately, she said, they've found a groove - and her mother, Diane Campbell, agrees.

A few years ago, Campbell surprised the family with new luggage - and a cruise to Alaska. Last year, she took her grandsons on a four-day trip to Chicago. She makes photo books for her daughters, and bakes cookies for her son-in-law.

"At first, it almost felt embarrassing," said Campbell, 67, who works for a tour company in Nashville. "I'd always been so proud that I was able to give everyone so much during the holidays."

But it's getting easier, she said, although she does sometimes stash a couple of last-minute McDonald's gift cards under the tree for her grandsons.

"I do still worry about it," she said, "about finding ways to create that 'Oh, wow' moment."

(Smartt's husband, too, says he sometimes has trouble adjusting to the arrangement: "Around Dec. 24, I'll start to think 'Wait, do I have enough? Maybe I should go buy more,' " said Greg LaRowe, adding that he now stocks up on extra items like lavender soaps and other locally made items.)

Smartt, though, said she has no complaints.

"It's gotten better every year," she said. "We've gone from what I'd call excessive materialism to a few thoughtful gifts."

Finding a happy medium

After years of experimenting - dozens of gifts one Christmas, none another - Christi Chartrand, a home health-care worker in Brantford, Ontario, said she's finally found a happy medium for her brood of eight, which includes three biological children, four adopted children and one foster child.

On Christmas morning, each child receives exactly three presents worth a total of $100. On birthdays, they get to choose between a birthday party or a $150 outing with mom or dad.

"Almost every single time, the kids ask for a date night," she said, adding that they've gone shopping in Buffalo, visited CN Tower in Toronto, and taken a half-hour airplane ride near Niagara Falls. "They don't even think twice about it anymore."

Back in 2010, though, it was a different story. For years, she and her husband maxed out their credit cards to buy mountains of toys.

"We had to unbury the tree on Christmas morning because there were just so many gifts piled up around it," she said. "And we found that our kids were just so ungrateful. It never seemed to be enough. They would open their presents and then say, 'Now what?' "

The turning point came, she said, when her son unwrapped a present from an aunt. "He looked at her and said, 'A book? That's it?' " she recalled. "I was so mortified and said, 'This has to change.' "

The following year, she and her husband took the family on a road trip to Florida and didn't buy a single present. The kids were irked at first, she said, but quickly got over it. The following year, they settled on the three-gift compromise.

"We're not trying to be radical," she said. "We just want them to realize that it's not a life requirement to open 1,000 presents on Christmas morning."
Justin Trudeau swept to power in Canada as a fresh face pledging to tax the rich and help the masses. Now a rival has picked up his playbook.

Halfway through his mandate, Trudeau's two main challengers are in place for the 2019 election, each younger than he is. To the political right is Conservative Andrew Scheer, Trudeau's closest competitor in popular support and number of current lawmakers. But it's the man on the left who could determine the fate of Trudeau's Liberals.

Jagmeet Singh, 38, the trilingual lawyer elected Oct. 1 as New Democratic Party leader, is taking on the prime minister at his own game, preaching left-leaning policies, a friend-of-the-masses mantra and an urban focus, all while indulging a penchant for selfies.

Singh is looking to cash in on disenchantment as Trudeau fumbles his lofty pledges. "They haven't actually invested in the social programs we're proposing or talking about," he said in an interview. "Their commitments haven't really rung true."

The NDP, which has governed provincially but not federally, is a party member of Socialist International, and Singh's platform evokes shades of Bernie Sanders. He wants to raise the corporate tax rate to 19.5 percent from 15 percent, expand Canada's universal healthcare system and block Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain expansion, the country's only major proposed domestic oil pipeline. He also wants to create new tax brackets for high earners, raise levies on stock options and tax 75 percent of capital gains, up from 50 percent.

"The first thing I would do would be an expanded social program and electoral reform," he said, listing options such as paying for pharmaceuticals and dental care, big-ticket items not covered in Canada's public system. Pharmacare alone would cost almost C$20 billion ($15.5 billion) annually, adding about 16 percent to federal spending.

Singh is breaking from his predecessor, Thomas Mulcair, by considering deficits, while Scheer, who became leader in May, regularly criticizes Trudeau for running them.

"I'm open to deficits if it's to keep the economy supported and also to prevent austerity, to continue supporting social programs," he said.

An NDP win is currently a long shot. The party sits at 16.6 percent in polls, little changed from when Singh became leader. He has neither a seat in parliament nor any immediate plans to seek one. He regularly says reviving NDP fortunes will take time.

This is all good news for Trudeau. Critically, the NDP's electoral strength in the last two elections has been driven by French-speaking Quebec, a province Trudeau's now targeting and where Singh has a problem.

A Sikh man who wears a turban, Singh is the first non-white leader of a major national Canadian party. An Angus Reid poll found 31 percent of Canadians wouldn't vote for a Sikh who wears a turban and carries a ceremonial kirpan knife; the share was highest in Quebec, at 47 percent. An NDP slump in the vote-rich province would open a door for Trudeau.

If no party wins a majority of districts in 2019, Singh wouldn't rule out supporting the Conservatives to topple a Trudeau government. "I'd be willing to work with anyone to help achieve our values," he said. "The future's looking more and more bleak, and I want to get at: how do we build an economy where we all benefit?"

The party will look to capitalize on Singh's popularity as the Liberals did with Trudeau. The name Jagmeet -- pronounced "jug like hug," he says -- is itself something of a marketing campaign with "Jagmeet and Greet" events. "It means friend to the world," he said. "And I'm a politician. That's literally what I need to do."

If his approach gains momentum, a strong NDP would threaten urban seats core to Trudeau's majority and steal votes from the Liberals, allowing the Conservatives to win key three-way races. So far, though, Singh has faltered -- in six mid-term elections since he became leader, the NDP captured a lower share of the vote than in 2015. If he can't revive his fortunes, Trudeau will have an easy path to victory in 2019.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cascadia Consumer Electronics Corp. (the Company or Cascadia) (CSE:CK) is pleased to announce that it intends to undertake a non-brokered private placement financing (the Financing) through issuance of up to 18,800,000 common shares at a price of $0.50 per share payable in Canadian dollar or such number of bitcoins (BTC) with equivalent value as determined at 6 p.m. (Vancouver Time) on the day before the closing date. The closing shall occur on the date as may be determined by the Company in its sole discretion.



All securities issued in connection with the Financing are subject to a statutory hold period expiring four months and one day after the closing of the Financing. Completion of the Financing is subject to regulatory approval. The Company has been imposed a temporary halt of trading because the Companys proposed transition to a blockchain/cryptocurrency company needs to be approved by the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE). The Company intends to file a listing statement with the CSE shortly to obtain approval for the proposed fundamental change. The Company will remain halted until the re-qualification for the listing is approved by the CSE. The subscribers of this Financing will not be able to trade the common shares until both the statutory hold period of four months has lapsed and the temporary halt is lifted.

The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Financing towards general working capital and future expansion.

None of the securities issued have been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), and none of them may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state where such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful.

About Cascadia

Listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE:CK) and headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Cascadia is a technology company operating from both Vancouver Canada and Beijing China.

For further information, please contact:

Cascadia Consumer Electronics Corp.

Garry Wong

Chief Financial Officer

info@cascadiacorp.com

www.cascadiacorp.com

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seek, anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, likely and intend and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the expected use of proceeds from the Financing. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, adverse market conditions, that the Canadian Securities Exchange (the CSE) may not approve the Financing and such other factors beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release.
The expansion of a child tax credit helped seal Congress' approval of the Republican tax overhaul. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida had insisted that House-Senate negotiators allow low-income households to claim more of the child credit. And the final bill did so.

So do poor families stand to benefit? Maybe. It depends on their circumstances.

The child credit is designed to help working families offset some of the cost of raising children. Under current law, the credit lets households reduce their taxes by up to $1,000 for each child under their care. The tax overhaul doubled that credit to $2,000.

It also made more of the credit refundable. That means that if the credit lowers a family's tax liability below zero, they can still receive the balance of the credit in the form of a tax refund. And more people will now be eligible to claim the credit because the income level at which it phases out has been raised.

Only token relief for some

Yet the expanded child credit will provide little relief for some of the lowest-income families, said Chye-Ching Huang of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Now, a family can claim the credit for each child under 17 they claim as a dependent and whom they have housed for at least half the year. The credit begins to phase out when adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000 for single parents or $110,000 for married couples.

The final version of the Republican bill doubles the full tax credit to $2,000 per child. And by raising the income threshold at which the credit phases out, the bill will allow more middle and upper-income families to claim it. It now won't start to phase out until income hits $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for married couples.

For families that earn too little to owe tax, the bill also made up to $1,400 of the credit refundable. Before Rubio had demanded an increase, the refundable portion in the Senate bill had been $1,100.

Yet like other elements of the tax bill that go to individual families, the increased child credit - and the increase in the refundable portion of it - are set to expire in 2026.

Several factors in play

Because of how rules covering the credit's refundability are written, Huang expects about 10 million children among the lowest-income working families to receive a token increase of up to $75 per family -or no increase at all.

That is because the refundable portion of the credit doesn't kick in until a family has income of $2,500. For each additional dollar earned, a family receives a refundable credit worth 15 cents until it reaches its maximum credit of $1,400. But some families won't come close to that.

In addition, to receive the child credit, parents will now have to provide their children's Social Security numbers. This requirement is intended to deny the child credit to people who are in the U.S. illegally.

That would harm about 1 million children in low-income working families, Huang said.

Additionally, the benefit of the child credit will be eroded for some families by the tax bill's elimination of personal exemptions. Currently, a taxpayer can deduct from their income a $4,050 exemption for herself, her spouse and each dependent.
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UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations Security Council placed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday that significantly choke off fuel supplies and order North Koreans working overseas to return home, in what may prove the last test of whether any amount of economic pressure can force the isolated country to reverse course on its nuclear weapons program.

The sanctions, proposed by the United States and adopted by a vote of 15-0, were the third imposed this year in an escalating effort to force the North into negotiations. China and Russia joined in the vote, in a striking display of unity, but only after the Trump administration agreed to soften a couple of provisions.

Under the new sanctions, North Korea's imports of refined petroleum will be cut by 89 percent, exacerbating fuel shortages. North Korean laborers who work in other countries, a key source of hard currency, will be expelled. Nations will be urged to inspect all North Korean shipping and halt ship-to-ship transfers of fuel, which the North has used to evade sanctions.

But the resolution does not permit countries to hail or board North Korean ships in international waters, which the Trump administration proposed in September. That would be the most draconian measure, because it would enable the U.S. Navy and its Pacific allies to create a cordon around the country, though Pentagon officials say it would also carry a high risk of triggering a firefight between North Korea and foreign navies.

Running out of options

The new sanctions are the toughest ever, but so were the last two rounds: In August, the Security Council blocked North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood, and in September, it called for inspections of ships going in and out of the North's ports.

More Information Mattis tells troops to be ready to fight FORT BRAGG, N.C. - "Storm clouds are gathering" over the Korean Peninsula, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis declared Friday. And as diplomats try to resolve the nuclear standoff, he told soldiers that the U.S. military must do its part by being ready for war. Mattis emphasized that diplomacy stands the best chance of preventing a war if America's words are backed up by strong and prepared armed forces. "My fine young soldiers, the only way our diplomats can speak with authority and be believed is if you're ready to go," Mattis told several dozen soldiers and airmen at the 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Heroes, his last stop on a two-day tour to greet troops. President Donald Trump and other top U.S. officials have made repeated threats about U.S. military action. Associated Press See More Collapse

Experts, and even the White House, agree that the United States is running out of sanctions options. The CIA assessment is that no amount of economic sanctions will force the North to give up its nuclear program.

"President Trump has used just about every lever you can use, short of starving the people of North Korea to death, to change their behavior," White House homeland security adviser Thomas Bossert said Tuesday. "And so we don't have a lot of room left here to apply pressure to change their behavior."

The vote came just four days after the United States charged that the North was responsible for the "WannaCry" cyberattack that crippled computers around the world in May, and nearly a month after the country launched a new intercontinental missile that appears capable of reaching any city in the United States.

The United States, which has led the sanctions effort at the Security Council, drafted the latest round in consultation with other members, notably China, which historically has been reluctant to impose them.

There were some last-minute changes in the final version of the resolution, partly to satisfy Russian complaints. The changes included doubling the deadline for the return of North Korean workers to 24 months from 12 months.

Russian Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov, who attended the vote, complained about negotiations over the resolution, in which he said Russia had not been adequately consulted.

Still, Russia went along with the new measures - though U.S. officials have charged that in recent months the Russians have secretly opened new links to the North, including new internet connections that give the country an alternative to communicating primarily through China.

The unanimous decision was a diplomatic achievement for the Trump administration, only a day after most members of the U.N. General Assembly, brushing aside President Donald Trump's threats of retaliation, condemned the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley thanked the other council members - especially China - for coming together on the resolution and said further North Korean defiance would "invite further punishment and isolation."

Haley called North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile test last month "another attempt by the Kim regime to masquerade as a great power while their people starve and their soldiers defect."

China urges dialogue

Chinese Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao said the measures reflected "the unanimous position of the international community" and he urged North Korea to "refrain from conducting any further nuclear and missile tests."

But he also emphasized China's long-standing position that all antagonists in the dispute needed to de-escalate and find ways to resume a dialogue, asserting that there was "no military option for settling the nuclear issue" on the Korean Peninsula.

Experts on North Korea said the new measures had the potential to dissuade North Korean leader Kim Jong Un from further escalating tensions with more tests, but they were cautious about predicting his behavior.

"If the international community, including countries like China and Russia, implements these measures fully, faithfully and quickly, it will apply an unprecedented and irresistible level of pressure on the North Korean regime," said Evans Revere, a former senior State Department diplomat for East Asia.

If that happens, he said, it would force North Korea "to make a choice between continued defiance of the international community on the one hand and a return to the negotiating table on the other."

Others were more skeptical.

"My fear is that North Korea will continue to weather the pressure, and China will continue to do just enough to satisfy the U.S. and sustain North Korea," said Jae Ku, director of the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

"The upshot would be the Trump administration admitting that maximum pressure to gain a diplomatic solution is a lost cause and that only military strikes can slow down, stop and eradicate the North's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs," Ku said.
As a functional obsessive-compulsive, I'm never happier than at year's end, when I get to make lists. Herewith, my picks for the most important stories of 2017:

This year, my list is short: "Fake News"  from which all cursings flow.

Not only has the president's frequent "fake news" defense against any story he dislikes helped codify the idea that the media, especially CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post, seek only to misinform, but this strategic deception has created a volunteer class of the arrogantly ignorant.

While such consistent dishonesty is annoying, my greater concern is for the future of the republic. The health of our democratic system of government relies at least somewhat upon a reasonably well-informed citizenry. When truth is relative, facts are fungible and the loudest voice wins the day, why, anyone really can become president.

How do journalists combat the rallying cry of the president himself? It's impossible to argue with a fool or a liar. It is also difficult to convince people of one's earnestness or commitment to standards if they fundamentally don't care. In exasperation, one can be tempted to say such things as "Democracy Dies in Darkness," which happens to be the rather self-regarding slogan emblazoned on the Post's masthead  and also happens to be true.

Art, it seems, has come to the rescue. Voila: "The Post."

Among the many reasons to love Steven Spielberg's new movie is that "The Post" may be the best rebuttal yet to the "fake news" mantra. It's the story of the Post's publication of parts of the Pentagon Papers, a classified history of the Vietnam War, which revealed that three presidents (John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon) had lied persistently about the war and its human toll. The New York Times broke the story, but was forced to cease publishing under a Justice Department injunction, which ultimately was reversed by the Supreme Court in 1971.

The injunction, nevertheless, provided the Post an opportunity to intercept the ball and run with it, publishing excerpts from its own, subsequently acquired copy of the documents. The movie traces the partnership of then-publisher Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) and former executive editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) as they struggle with the decision to publish the papers.

Much of the focus is on Graham, who assumed control of the Post after her husband and co-owner, Phil Graham, committed suicide in August 1963  hardly a tepid time to be in the news business. Although the paper has long been considered a Graham family enterprise, it was Katharine's father, Eugene Meyer, who bought the paper in 1933 at a bankruptcy auction, eventually handing over the reins to Katharine's husband.

Underlying the story of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers was an unsubtle, feminist subtext that will be familiar to women of a certain age. In 1963, "Kay" Graham was the only woman in the boardroom and one of only a few women when she glided through the newsroom. Thus, this wife-turned-publisher had to face not only business challenges for which she was ill-prepared, including a risky public offering, she also had to convince skeptical men that she was up to the job. Her fear, convincingly portrayed and palpably disabling at times, was an obstacle to overcome, which she did with the help of the fearless Bradlee, the tough warrior-editor who was Hollywood long before Hanks (or Jason Robards) played him.

Pivotal in Graham's transformation was the decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, which was portrayed as torturous owing to two concurrent problems: One, she feared the banks would abandon her during the then-imminent public offering; and, two, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, who had commissioned the study that became known as the Pentagon Papers, was one of her dearest friends.

Both she and Bradlee, who had been close to Kennedy, were forced to choose between loyalty to friends  or the truth. Their respective struggles with this essential question was, for me, the essence of the film. At one point, Bradlee, hurt that Kennedy had lied to him, reflects on the inherent tension between being friends with newsmakers and his responsibility to report news.

The message embedded therein is that facts and truth matter most of all. In newsrooms where real-life journalists pursue both, the very real struggles on view in "The Post" are replicated every day. There may be less drama, but the stakes are just as high. In a time of "fake news," darkness settles when people can no longer tell the difference.

Kathleen Parker's email address is kathleenparker@washpost.com.
Ron Cortes /Contributor

More than 90 percent of Americans will celebrate either Christmas on Dec. 25 or have celebrated Hanukkah from Dec. 12 to 20. For some, the observance is primarily religious and for others mostly cultural. The quiz below, from the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University in Ohio, provides an opportunity to test your knowledge of the holidays history and traditions in the United States.

1. In 1659, celebrating Christmas in public was outlawed in which city?
Republicans have tried, on and off, to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling since the 1980s. The effort has always engendered intense opposition and always been abandoned. A provision for drilling in ANWR is included in the Republican tax bill almost as an afterthought.

Republicans took a constitutional fight against Obamacares individual mandate to the Supreme Court in 2012, and lost. They targeted it in their Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill earlier this year, and lost. They tried again with a last-ditch skinny repeal bill, and lost yet again. Repeal of the individual mandate also is included in the Republican tax bill.

As the year ends, President Donald Trump is compiling a solid record of accomplishment. Much of it is unilateral, dependent on extensive executive actions rolling back President Barack Obamas regulations, impressive judicial appointments and the successful fight against ISIS overseas. The tax bill is the significant legislative achievement that heretofore had been missing.

For much of the year, Trumps presidency had seemed to be sound and fury signifying not much besides the welcome ascension of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court; now, it is sound and fury signifying a discernible shift of American government to the right. Its hard to see how a conventional Republican president would have done much better, except if he had managed to get Obamacare repealed, which was always going to be a dicey proposition given the narrow Republican majority in the Senate.

The tax cut is big  $1.5 trillion over 10 years, and even more if you account for the budgetary gimmicks  and has changes that conservative economists have sought for decades, particularly the lower corporate rate (from 35 to 21 percent), the move to a territorial tax system (companies would only be taxed on their earnings in the U.S.), and the business expensing (companies can write off the full cost of new buildings and equipment). These reforms are arguably as significant on the corporate side as the Reagan reforms of 1981 were on the individual side. They stand a good chance to be enduring, too  its unlikely we are ever going back up to a 35 percent corporate rate or returning to a worldwide tax system.

The administrations deregulatory apparatus has been in full gear. The Environmental Protection Agency is unspooling the Waters of the United States and the Clean Power Plan, major Obama-era regulations. The Federal Communications Commission reversed net neutrality. The Education Department rescinded an Obama administration Title IX letter that pushed colleges into abandoning due process in sexual-assault cases.

Obama administration rulings that occasioned fierce debates during his time in office have fallen by the wayside with barely a whimper. Obama blocked the Keystone pipeline to appease environmentalists who vociferously argued that the future of the planet was at stake. Trump greenlighted it without a fuss. Obama imposed a Health and Human Services mandate that feminists portrayed as the only obstacle between women and a Handmaids Tale future. Trump reversed it, and contraception is still widely and easily available in America.

If any Republican would have done much of what Trump has, three acts stand out  pulling out of the Paris accords, decertifying the Iran deal and declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel. All three demonstrated an imperviousness to polite opinion that is one of Trumps signature qualities.

The president also began the process of ending DACA, the Obama amnesty for so-called DREAMers, and has re-established a baseline of immigration enforcement that has had an instant impact on illegal border crossings.

None of this is to deny Trumps failings. Congressional leaders often have to work around his shambolic governing style. Next year could bring a bout of protectionism, and his opposition to entitlement reform during the campaign makes it unlikely Republicans will get a handle on spending. His toxic persona could drive a Democratic wave in the 2018 midterms.

Whatever next year brings, though, Republicans arent leaving this one empty-handed.

comments.lowry@nationalreview.com
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Dec. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MedMira Inc. (MedMira) (TSX-V:MIR), reported today on its financial results for the quarter ended October 31, 2017.



Profit and Loss Highlights

Revenue: In Q1 FY2018, the Company recorded revenue of $143,042 compared to $212,245 in Q1 FY2017. The decrease in revenue was due to managements shift in strategy to focus on high profit margin markets. As outlined below, this strategy has provided the Company a higher contribution margin and also had an indirect effect on lowering expenses.

Gross Profit: The Company recorded a gross profit in Q1 FY2018 of $112,604 compared to $119,602 for the same period last year. The overall gross margin percentage on sales increased by 23%, from 56% in Q1 FY2017 to 79% in this financial quarter.

Operating expenses: In Q1 FY2018 the Company recorded operating expenses of $579,860 compared to $827,081 in Q1 FY2017. The decrease of 30% in operating expenses resulted in a reduction of the Companys net loss by 21% compared to same quarter in FY2017.

Net loss: The Company recorded a net loss of $636,174 compared to $801,809 in Q1 FY2017.

Balance Sheet Highlights

Assets: The Company had an expected decrease of its assets by $54,488 or 8% compared to last quarter due to depreciation and changes in the Companys inventory.

Liabilities: The Companys liabilities increased by $500,227 or 5% between Q4 FY2017 and Q1 FY2018. The Companys current liabilities increased by $737,723 or 7% due to interest payables, accrued payables, and due to long term loans becoming current.

Loans: Loans in default increased by $732,965 or 11% compared to last quarter. All long and short terms debts are currently under negotiation to restructure terms and conditions of repayment.

Working Capital deficit: As a result of the above, the Company recorded an increase of its working capital deficit by $767,979 or 8% compared to last quarter.

The Companys financial statements and managements discussion and analysis are available on the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. For matters of going concern, reference is made to the Auditors Emphasis of Matter statement in the fiscal year ended 2017 Auditors Report and note 2b in the audited financial statements which is also available on SEDAR.

About MedMira

MedMira is the developer and owner of Rapid Vertical Flow (RVF) Technologya. The Companys rapid test applications built on RVF Technology provide hospitals, labs, clinics and individuals with instant diagnosis for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C in just three easy steps. The Companys tests are sold under the Reveal, Multiplo and Miriad brands in global markets. MedMiras corporate offices and manufacturing facilities are located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and the Company has a sales and customer service office located in the United States. For more information visit medmira.com. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which involve risk and uncertainties and reflect the Companys current expectation regarding future events including statements regarding possible approval and launch of new products, future growth, and new business opportunities. Actual events could materially differ from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors including, but not limited to, changing market conditions, successful and timely completion of clinical studies, uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process, establishment of corporate alliances and other risks detailed from time to time in the company quarterly filings.

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.

MedMira Contacts:

Markus Meile, CFO

Tel: 902-450-1588

Email: m.meile@medmira.com



Andrea Young, Corporate Communications

Tel: 902-450-1588

Email: ayoung@medmira.com
SADC chairman and South African President Jacob Zuma has hailed the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) for the manner in which they handled a delicate situation that could have spiralled out of control and led to disaster under a different set of hands.

Further, President Zuma thanked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for guaranteeing the safety of former President Cde Robert Mugabe as the countrys elder Statesman during Operation Restore Legacy mounted by the ZDF in mid-November. The military operation culminated in the resignation of former President Mugabe on November 21 when his own party invoked the Constitution to impeach him.

President Zumas sentiments were revealed by Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba while briefing journalists after a meeting between President Mnangagwa and President Zuma in Pretoria, South Africa, on Thursday. The meeting was the first of a series that President Mnangagwa is expected to have in the region before moving to the rest of the world.

He (President Zuma) paid ringing tribute to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces for handling a very delicate situation. He says the army in Zimbabwe behaved in a manner that no one expected and to a point that it was not easy to say was this a coup or was it not a coup. What became very clear is that the region was not dealing with a military issue; it was dealing with a political issue which had invited the involvement of the military, he said.

He says let us not run away from it; all our armies are political armies because what came first was politics which then found a gun, said Mr Charamba.

He was also thankful that throughout the operation, the ZDF command kept briefing South African Defence Forces to a point that the South African Government, through its defence arm, was always aware of what was happening, adding to the fact that not a single drop of blood was shed but also that there was no overthrow of constitutional order.

Mr Charamba said President Mnangagwa briefed his counterpart on developments leading to his nomination by the party, his appointment to the Government as President as well as confirmation through Congress.

Said Mr Charamba: He (President Mnangagwa) also indicated to the South African President that President Mugabe remains not just safe but revered as the founding father and leader of Zanu-PF and that there is no intention to victimise him or degrade his reputation.

Second issue is that he applauded the Bi-National Commission and that his wish is that the Bi-National Commission fits in neatly with the new emphasis of the new era on economy and that nothing should stand in the way of investment, partnerships and trade between the two countries which after all are biggest trading partners and biggest economies in the Sadc region. If there are any impediments there should be that giveness to talk.

Third message related to huge population of Zimbabweans in South Africa and he thanked South Africa for looking after Zimbabweans but also for broadening their skills as well as their experience and that time has now come for Zimbabwe to invite back its citizens on the strength of the skills they had acquired for them to contribute to the recovery of their economy.

In his address to journalists, President Zuma said: We have the same background that we have to fight for our freedom. So there is more commonality between us. I am very happy that Cde President did come and I am clearer now about the situation in Zimbabwe. It confirms what I could observe from a distance that it looks that there is stability now in Zimbabwe. I also commended the manner in which the army, when they had a concern, how it handled the situation, the situation could not go out of hand. It indicates the maturity of Zimbabweans in handling any situation that could develop and we are very grateful for that because in a number of countries if the army decided to stand up, then they leave a trail of destruction generally but in Zimbabwe I think they were able to control and indeed finally (the) political situation was controlled.

President Mnangagwa responded saying: I have come to South Africa and a courtesy visit to His Excellency President Zuma for two major reasons. The first is that South Africa is the closest neighbour to Zimbabwe in terms of tradition and history. Secondly, he is the current chairman of Sadc and perhaps thirdly I spent my 16 days of exile here. That aside, I regard President Zuma as my elder brother.

With that background, I felt on 26th day in Office I must come to my brother and receive guidance. He is a very experienced President and I felt the challenges which I face the first pot of call is to go to my colleague and say Your Excellency I have taken the leadership of Zimbabwe and I seek your guidance in whatever challenge I face and I have no doubt he will give complete and honest guidance.

President Mnangagwa said he thanked President Zuma and the ANC for holding a peaceful elective conference. President Mnangagwa also met the new ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa and briefed him on political developments in Zimbabwe. President Ramaphosa said he was keen to visit Zimbabwe as a guest of Zanu-PF after which he would also visit other sister liberation movements in the region. The Herald

Breaking News via Email
The African Union (AU) has said that the military takeover codenamed Operation Restore Legacy by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces in November was not a coup. The AU chose to describe the militarys takeover of power as dialogue between the leadership of the country. The AU also said that it was not going to take any action Zimbabwe because of the events which occured in November.

AU commissioner for peace and security Smail Chergui told Russian publication Sputnik:

Its not a coup according to African Union rules because we are the one to declare if someone has made a coup and then apply sanctions We are neither in a crisis in Zimbabwe nor in an extraordinary situation.

We didnt lose a single life in this process, totally peaceful and at the end, even the [former] president left with honour.

It was just a dialogue between the leadership of the country and the president and they convinced him that maybe some of the actions taken, including around him and his immediate surrounding, were not good for the country, and he accepted to submit his resignation willingly.

Former cabinet minister and alleged G40 Faction kingpin, Jonathan Moyo, who is reported to have fled the country for Kenya, has been very vocal in criticising the militarys actions as a coup. Moyo has called on the African Union and the SADC to fix what he called a historic wrong in Zimbabwe saying that A coup needs a cure. Members of the G40 Faction which was backing former first lady Grace Mugabe have since been expelled from Zanu-PF with Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere and former president Robert Mugabes nephew Patrick Zhuwao preferring to go into exile. New Zimbabwe

Breaking News via Email
Erica OKeefe has been elected Chairperson of South Tipperary IFA, at the County Executive AGM last week - the first woman to hold the role.

Erica is a member of the Cashel IFA Branch.

The meeting in Hotel Minella, Clonmel, last week was attended by more than 100 people and addressed by outgoing County Chairman Simon Ryan and Justin McCarthy, editor of the Farmers Journal who looked forward to the challenges of Brexit and Mercosur and discussed the market outlook for dairy, beef and grain.

Also elected at the meeting were Bernadette Quinn, as South Tipperary Farm Business Chairperson; and Robert Prout as County Treasurer.

Dermot Ryan from Hollyford was elected as the new Honorary President of South Tipperary IFA.

Outgoing South Tipperary County Chairman, Simon Ryan said it was an honour to hold the role for the last four years,

Looking back, the time I spent as Chairman went very fast; there were a lot of challenges, but amid the challenges, we were a united Executive, and I always had 100% support and respect from all of the County Executive members, which I value enormously, he said.

Simon said he wishes all the new officers the very best and will be happy to help and support them in their roles.

The AGM made a presentation to Rowena Dwyer, South Tipperary native and former Chief Economist with the IFA to mark her time with the Association and to acknowledge her work and commitment on behalf of South Tipperary farmers.

Simon Ryan said the South Tipperary Executive are very proud of Rowenas achievements and wish her the very best in her new role with Enterprise Ireland, which she took up last month.
San Francisco, California, Dec. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At PIER 39, our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our guests, employees and tenants. PIER 39 will continue to work closely with City of San Francisco agencies and law enforcement officials toward this goal. The San Francisco Police Department will provide an increased visible presence along the waterfront throughout the holiday season.

We have been asked to refer all further inquiries to the FBI in Sacramento at (916) 746-8106.

# # #

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dd89839d-815e-462f-b740-25e898aa9b7b
By PTI

KOCHI: The reporter and cameraman of a leading Malayalam news channel were allegedly harassed by a film actor and crew members at a nearby shooting location today.

Police said reporter M S Lishoy and camera man Nikhil Joseph of Mathrubhumi news channel were threatened and forced to delete visuals they had shot at the shooting location of 'Chanakya Thanthram' near Karuvelippadi in Thoppumpadi.

The TV crew alleged that actor Unni Mukundan got agitated when a question was asked about a sexual assault complaint filed against him by a woman in a police station recently, which a section of the online media had reported.

The mediapersons had reached the shooting location on the basis of an invitation. Mathrubhumi said they were informed that a celebration of the success of Mammootty-Unni Mukundan starrer' Masterpiece' was being held there.

A case has been filed against the actor and others based on the complaint by the mediapersons, police said.

The Ernakulam District committee of Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) condemned the incident and urged the Kochi City police commission to take action against the actor and others who harassed the mediapersons.

(With Online desk inputs)

KOCHI: The reporter and cameraman of a leading Malayalam news channel were allegedly harassed by a film actor and crew members at a nearby shooting location today. Police said reporter M S Lishoy and camera man Nikhil Joseph of Mathrubhumi news channel were threatened and forced to delete visuals they had shot at the shooting location of 'Chanakya Thanthram' near Karuvelippadi in Thoppumpadi. The TV crew alleged that actor Unni Mukundan got agitated when a question was asked about a sexual assault complaint filed against him by a woman in a police station recently, which a section of the online media had reported. The mediapersons had reached the shooting location on the basis of an invitation. Mathrubhumi said they were informed that a celebration of the success of Mammootty-Unni Mukundan starrer' Masterpiece' was being held there. A case has been filed against the actor and others based on the complaint by the mediapersons, police said. The Ernakulam District committee of Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) condemned the incident and urged the Kochi City police commission to take action against the actor and others who harassed the mediapersons. (With Online desk inputs)
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Four army men including a Major were killed in Pakistani troops firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Defence spokesman Colonel N N Joshi told New Indian Express that Pakistani troops breached border ceasefire at around 12.15 pm and resorted to unprovoked firing on the army posts along the LoC in Keri Battalion area of Rajouri district of Jammu province.

Sources said the Pakistani troops fired indiscriminately on army positions for half an hour.

They said army men also returned the fire and targeted Pakistani army posts and bunkers with similar caliber weapons.

In the Pakistani troops firing, five army men including a Major, sustained injuries. The injured were evacuated to military hospital, where three soldiers including the officer succumbed, Joshi said.

He said two other injured soldiers are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

J&K: Visuals of an army officer, and three jawans who lost their lives in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Keri (120 Infantry Brigade) Batallion Area pic.twitter.com/U8Kc06fuYM  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

Sources said another injured army man succumbed to injuries in the hospital.

With his death, the death toll of soldiers in Pakistani troops firing rose to four.

Joshi said Army retaliated strongly and effectively to the ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops.

The martyrdom of Indian soldiers will not go in vain, the defence spokesman said.

Asked whether any damage was caused to the Pakistani side in the retaliatory firing by army, Joshi said, We dont know the damage caused to the other side. We are assessing the damage.

The soldiers killed in Pakistani troops firing were identified as Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, Lance Naik Kuldeep Singhand Sepoy Pargat Singh.

Major Ambadas, 32, belonged to Bhandara, Maharashtra and is survived by wife Ms Avoli Moharkar.

Lance Naik Singh, 34, hailed from Amritsar, Punjab and is survived by wife Ms Kuljit Kaur and a daughter.

Sepoy Pargat, 30, belonged to Karnal, Haryana and is survived by wife Ms Ramanpreet Kaur and a son.

This year 14 army men, four BSF personnel and 12 civilians have been killed in Pakistan troops firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir.

At least 61 security personnel including 58 army men and 79 civilians have been injured in the border ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops.

Meanwhile, J&K Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has paid rich tributes to the Major and three jawans killed in todays cross border in Rajouri distrct.

She conveyed her heartfelt sympathies to the families of slain soldiers.

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh also paid tributes to the slain soldiers.

He said the sacrifices rendered by the soldiers would be remembered forever.

Singh offered condolences with the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace to their departed souls.

SRINAGAR: Four army men including a Major were killed in Pakistani troops firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. Defence spokesman Colonel N N Joshi told New Indian Express that Pakistani troops breached border ceasefire at around 12.15 pm and resorted to unprovoked firing on the army posts along the LoC in Keri Battalion area of Rajouri district of Jammu province. Sources said the Pakistani troops fired indiscriminately on army positions for half an hour. They said army men also returned the fire and targeted Pakistani army posts and bunkers with similar caliber weapons. In the Pakistani troops firing, five army men including a Major, sustained injuries. The injured were evacuated to military hospital, where three soldiers including the officer succumbed, Joshi said. He said two other injured soldiers are undergoing treatment at the hospital. J&K: Visuals of an army officer, and three jawans who lost their lives in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Keri (120 Infantry Brigade) Batallion Area pic.twitter.com/U8Kc06fuYM  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017 Sources said another injured army man succumbed to injuries in the hospital. With his death, the death toll of soldiers in Pakistani troops firing rose to four. Joshi said Army retaliated strongly and effectively to the ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops. The martyrdom of Indian soldiers will not go in vain, the defence spokesman said. Asked whether any damage was caused to the Pakistani side in the retaliatory firing by army, Joshi said, We dont know the damage caused to the other side. We are assessing the damage. The soldiers killed in Pakistani troops firing were identified as Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, Lance Naik Kuldeep Singhand Sepoy Pargat Singh. Major Ambadas, 32, belonged to Bhandara, Maharashtra and is survived by wife Ms Avoli Moharkar. Lance Naik Singh, 34, hailed from Amritsar, Punjab and is survived by wife Ms Kuljit Kaur and a daughter. Sepoy Pargat, 30, belonged to Karnal, Haryana and is survived by wife Ms Ramanpreet Kaur and a son. This year 14 army men, four BSF personnel and 12 civilians have been killed in Pakistan troops firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 61 security personnel including 58 army men and 79 civilians have been injured in the border ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops. Meanwhile, J&K Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has paid rich tributes to the Major and three jawans killed in todays cross border in Rajouri distrct. She conveyed her heartfelt sympathies to the families of slain soldiers. Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh also paid tributes to the slain soldiers. He said the sacrifices rendered by the soldiers would be remembered forever. Singh offered condolences with the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace to their departed souls.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunshine Agri-Tech Inc. (TSX VENTURE:SAI) ("Sunshine Agri-Tech" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that all resolutions, which include the election of Board of Directors and appointment of auditor for the ensuing year were passed by the requisite majority at its Annual General and Special Meeting (the AGSM) held today in Vancouver, British Columbia.



About Sunshine Agri-Tech Inc.:

Sunshine Agri-Tech Inc. (TSX VENTURE:SAI) is a public company listed on the TSX Venture exchange. The Company is engaged in the research, development, production and sales of bio-feed, microbial feed additives and related products that aim to improve the health and performance of animals. The Company's line of products include: (a) bio-feed; and, (b) microbial feed additives. The Company currently sells its products throughout China and Japan, and is beginning expansion into Southeast Asia. The Company is based in the city of Dalian in the Peoples Republic of China.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

SUNSHINE AGRI-TECH INC.

Baojun Zhang, PhD, CEO and President

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.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Sunshine Agri-Tech Inc.

Ying Xu

Chief Financial Officer

778-891-6286
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp. (the Company or Pacific Rim Cobalt) (CSE:BOLT) (FRANKFURT:NXFE) announces that the Company completed the first tranche of a non-brokered private placement (the Offering) generating gross proceeds of $3,601,202, through the issuance of 4,801,602 units (each a Unit) at $0.75 per Unit.



Each Unit entitles the holder to receive one common share of the Company (each a "Common Share") plus one transferable share purchase warrant, each warrant (a Warrant) entitling the holder to acquire one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $1.00 per share until December 22, 2019, subject to accelerated expiry provisions whereby if the closing price of the Companys common shares exceeds $1.50 per share for a period of 20 consecutive trading days, at the Companys election, the 24 month period within which the Warrants are exercisable will be reduced and the holders of the Warrants must exercise their Warrants within a period of 30 days commencing on the day the Company provides notice of same.

The Company paid cash commission on certain subscriptions of 7.0% and issued broker warrants on certain subscriptions equal to 7.0% the number of Units sold, payable to registrants. Each broker warrant has the same terms as the Warrants, but are non-transferable.

The Company completed a portion of the Offering under BC Instrument 45-536 Exemption from prospectus requirement for certain distributions through an investment dealer and the corresponding instruments, orders and rules in other participating jurisdictions.

The net proceeds of the Offering will be used to fund development of the TNM cobalt property, and for general working capital purposes during the ensuing twelve-month period.

The securities issued pursuant to the Offering bear a hold period expiring four months and a day from closing in accordance with applicable securities laws.

About Pacific Rim Cobalt

Pacific Rim Cobalt is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of production grade cobalt deposits, a key raw material input for the growing lithium-ion battery industry.

Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp.

Ranjeet Sundher  President and CEO

(604) 922-8272

rsundher@pacificrimcobalt.com

Steve Vanry  CFO & Director

(604) 922-8272

steve@vanrycap.com

Sean Bromley  Director & Investor Contact

(778) 985-8934

sean@theparmargroup.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in both Pacific Rim Cobalts periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "potential", "should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. Information provided in this document is necessarily summarized and may not contain all available material information.

Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding future oriented events and other statements that are not facts. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which Pacific Rim Cobalt operates, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies.

Such forward-looking statements should therefore be construed in light of such factors.

Although Pacific Rim Cobalt has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and Pacific Rim Cobalt disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and Pacific Rim Cobalt does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company herein.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Cloudy skies this evening. A few snow showers developing late. Low 22F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening. A few snow showers developing late. Low 22F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Mumbai: Indias first low-cost carrier Air Deccan, which ceased operations after being acquired by erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines in 2008, took off wings again as a commuter airline with its maiden flight taking off for Jalgaon from here on Saturday.

The flight, DN 1320, took off for Jalgaon, around 400 km from here in North Maharashtra, from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) here this afternoon.

"Its a sense of great beginning. A sense of being fortunate that Air Deccan is taking off again," Air Deccan chairman Capt G R Gopinath told PTI.

There was a dream of taking flying to every possible corner of the country, which did not come to fruition because of Air Deccan's merger with the Kingfisher Airlines in 2008, he said. "Now I have the opportunity to relaunch operations across the country," said the pioneer of low-cost aviation in India.

The flight was inaugurated by Maharashtra PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil along with Gopinath. However, the maiden flight was marred by delay. The aircraft took off at around 2.55 pm instead of the scheduled departure of 1.20 pm.

Air Deccans strategic partners Shaishav Shah of Ahmedabad-based GSEC Ltd and Himanshu Shah of Monarch Networth Capital as well as senior DGCA officials were on-board the inaugural flight.

Air Deccan received the scheduled commuter operator (SCO) permit from regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday.

In the first phase of operations, Air Deccan plans to provide connectivity to Jalgaon, Nashik and Kolhapur from Mumbai and Pune. Air Deccan had bagged 34 routes in the first phase of bidding for Udan scheme, which caps fares at Rs 2,500 for a flight under one hour duration.

For the Jalgaon flight, the airline has pegged fares at Rs 2,250 for 50 per cent of the seats, to be operated under the Regional Connectivity Scheme, while the ticket price for the remaining nine will be Rs 4,500 per seat, an official said.

Air Deccan has deployed a 19-seater plane, Beachcraft B-1900D, (18 passengers and one crew member) on the Mumbai- Jalgaon route. The same aircraft will come back to Mumbai and then fly to Nashik in the evening. Flight operators, awarded routes under the scheme, are entitled to a subsidy to keep fares low for the passengers. An airline has to set aside 50 per cent of its seating capacity at the discounted fares.
New York/London: Bitcoin plunged by 30 percent to below $12,000 on Friday as investors dumped the cryptocurrency after its sharp rise to a peak close to $20,000 prompted warnings by experts of a bubble.

After falling to as low as $11,159, it recouped some losses to trade above $14,000 on the Bitstamp platform, down 9 percent on the day. It is down around 25 percent this week, its largest weekly loss since April 2013.

It capped a brutal week that had been touted as a new era of mainstream trading for the digital currency when bitcoin futures debuted on CME Group Inc, the world's largest derivatives market on Sunday.

Friday's fall bled into the U.S. stock market, where shares of companies that have lashed their fortunes to bitcoin or blockchain - its underlying technology - took a knock. Long Blockchain Corp, Overstock.com Inc, Riot Blockchain Inc and Marathon Patent Group Inc lost between 2 percent and 15 percent.

The biggest and best-known cryptocurrency has risen around twentyfold since the start of the year, climbing from less than $1,000 to as high as $19,666 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange on Sunday and to over $20,000 on other exchanges. But it has fallen each day since.

In the futures market, bitcoin one-month futures on Cboe Global Markets were earlier halted due to the steep price drop, while those trading on the CME hit the limit down threshold.

"The crypto markets have experienced several flash crashes over the past few years but we do believe there has been some overvaluation in the market, particularly over recent months," said Jamie Burke, chief executive officer at venture capital firm Outlier Ventures.

"It's much more likely this is a natural correction following over-exuberant market sentiment."

On Friday, Mike Novogratz, the former macro hedge fund manager at Fortress Investment Group, told Bloomberg he had halted plans to launch a crypto-currency hedge fund.

"We didn't like market conditions and we wanted to re-evaluate what we're doing," he told Bloomberg.

His Galaxy Digital Assets Fund was due to start on Dec. 15, but he called clients on Dec. 12 and told them he had changed his mind, Novogratz said in an interview with Bloomberg.

Novogratz told Reuters in November he hoped to raise about $500 million, making it the largest fund of its kind.

Warnings about the risks of investing in the unregulated market have increased - Denmark's central bank governor called it a "deadly" gamble - and there have been worries about the security of exchanges on which cryptocurrencies are bought and sold.

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Youbit said on Tuesday it is shutting down and is filing for bankruptcy after it was hacked for the second time this year.

Coinbase, a U.S. company that runs one of the biggest exchanges and provides digital "wallets" for storing bitcoins, said on Wednesday it would investigate accusations of insider trading, following a sharp rise in the price of a bitcoin spin-off hours before it announced support for it.

On Friday, Coinbase said it had temporarily suspended buying and selling of bitcoin due to high traffic.

CRYPTO-RIVALS

As some rival cryptocurrencies slid along with bitcoin, the total estimated value of the crypto market fell to as low as $440 billion, according to industry website Coinmarketcap, having neared $650 billion just a day earlier.

But other cryptocurrencies rose this week, with investors moving into cheaper digital coins, rather than cashing out of the sector.

Ethereum, the second-biggest cryptocurrency by market size, soared to almost $900 earlier in the week, from around $500 a week earlier. Ripple, the third-biggest, has more than quadrupled in price since Monday.

Stephen Innes, head of trading in Asia-Pacific for retail FX broker Oanda in Singapore, said there had also been moves out of bitcoin into Bitcoin Cash, a clone of the original cryptocurrency. Oanda does not handle trading in bitcoin.

"Most of it is unsophisticated retail traders getting burned badly," Innes said on bitcoin's recent retreat.

While some say the launch by CME and its rival Cboe Global Markets of bitcoin futures over the last two weeks has given the digital currency some perceived legitimacy, many policymakers remain sceptical.

Bitcoin is known to go through wild swings. In November, it tumbled almost 30 percent in four days from $7,888 to $5,555. In September, it fell 40 percent from $4,979 to $2,972.
Mumbai: Reliance Industries, a market leader in oil and gas, now aims to become Indias largest supplier of clean energy after the success of Jio, its 4G telecom venture. RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Saturday unveiled his plans to expand the company started by his father Dhirubhai Ambani 40 years ago into one of the top 20 in the world.

I believe that, in the coming decades, the world will transition from fossil fuels to clean, green and renewable energy sources, said Ambani.

Can Reliance become a leading provider of clean and affordable energy to India? he asked a gathering of 55,000 employees at RILs Navi Mumbai campus, who responded with a loud Yes, we can!

Ambani said he looks at Jio, which has added more than 14 crore 4G subscribers in less than a year of its commercial launch, as not a traditional telecom player, but a digital and tech enabler. Jio has the opportunity to digitally reinvent with artificial intelligence and block chain all sectors of Indias economy whether it is entertainment, financial services, commerce, manufacturing, agriculture, education or healthcare, he said.

On future of manufacturing, he said it will be revolutionised by invention of new materials and the refining-to-telecoms conglomerate would emerge as world leader in this segment.

Recalling how a start-up founded with Rs 1,000 by his father has now become a Rs 6 lakh crore powerhouse, RIL chief said the biggest corporation of the country can empower every citizen and small business, making India a global super-power.

Before Ambanis keynote speech, the Reliance Family Day saw a colourful gala at a newly created stadium inside the Reliance Corporate Park (RCP) in Navi Mumbai.

As we enter our golden decade, we are in a unique position to accomplish what very few companies in the world can even dream of, said Ambani.

RILs market cap has multiplied from Rs 10 crore in 1977 to over Rs 5 lakh crore, a rise of 50,000 times.

Reliance is a global leader in energy and materials, where operating safely is an obsession. And with Jio and Retail, where we have established a leadership position in India, we are customer obsessed, he said.

The event also marked the 85th birth anniversary of RIL founder Dhirubhai Ambani.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani revealed his grand plan to make Reliance a top 20 company in the world at the 40 year celebration of the group at a grand event in Navi Mumbai on Saturday evening. His focus firmly on new technologies like renewable energy and artificial intelligence, Ambani said he aims to transform all sectors of the economy to emerge an even stronger partner to our nations growth. While one eye was on the future, the other remained on the past and the RIL chairman paid a tribute to his father and group founder, Dhirubhai Ambani. The star-studded event also featured Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and several others. Over 50,000 people from the RIL family were in attendance and another 2 lakh plus connected via live conferencing from over 1,200 locations across the globe, making it one of the largest corporate congregations.

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Ranchi: The fate of former Bihar chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Jagannath Mishra and 20 others will be decided on Saturday by a special CBI court in a fodder scam case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of more than Rs 89 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

Lalu, accompanied by younger son Tejaswi Yadav, arrived in the capital of Jharkhand to present himself before special CBI judge Shivpal Singh.

Like many other scams, the fodder scam also came to light through a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in 1985, though it went unnoticed then.

The then CAG, TN Chaturvedi, pointed out that monthly accounts submission from Bihar treasury were always delayed though the amount in question was roughly Rs 100 crore.

BJP leaders Saryu Rai and Sushil Modi, along with Shivanand Tiwari, raised this issue in the Bihar assembly in 1994. The trio made several submissions before the authorities. The then finance secretary Vijay Shankar Dubey ordered a probe in various district treasuries. Young IAS officer Amit Khare raided the Chaibasa office of animal husbandry department and unearthed the scam.

Fake bills and vouchers were seized from various other district treasuries. Money was withdrawn using fake bills and vouchers against procurement of cattle feed. More than 80 employees of the Animal Husbandry Department were found involved and later made accused.

In one instance Shyam Bihar Sinha, regional director of AHD, allegedly withdrew Rs 50 lakh personally against a fake bill. His close association with Lalu Prasad Yadav created a political storm.

Besides the two ex-chief ministers, former MP RK Rana, three former IAS officers  Phoolchand Singh, Beck Julius and Mahesh Prasad  are also accused in the case.

The other accused in the case include former Bihar minister Vidya Sagar Nishad, former Public Accounts Committee chairmen Jagdish Sharma and Dhruv Bhagat.

A chargesheet was filed against 38 persons on October 27, 1997.

Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed to their crime and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.

The accused are facing charges under IPC sections 120B, 409, 418, 420, 467, 468, 471, 477 (A), 201 and 511 and under Prevention of Corruption Act section 13 (1) D read with 13 (2).

The order was reserved on December 13. Lalu faces three other fodder cases.
Ranchi: A special CBI court on Saturday convicted former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a fodder scam case 21 years after it had surfaced, while acquitting six others including another former chief minister, Jagannath Mishra.

Special judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3. The copy of the judgment was not immediately available.

Sixty-nine-year-old Lalu Prasad, who heads the RJD, and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict. Lalu Prasad's son Tejaswi Yadav, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, was present in the court.

Lalu Prasad and other convicted in the fodder scam case were then whisked off to Birsa Munda jail, where security has been tightened, CBI sources said.

The special court acquitted 80-year-old Jagannath Mishra and five others  former Public Accounts Committee chairman Druv Bhagat, former Indian Revenue Service officer AC Choudhary, fodder suppliers Saraswati Chandra and Sadhana Singh and former minister Vidya Sagar Nishad.

Besides Lalu Prasad, the court convicted political leaders Jagdish Sharma and R K Rana, IAS officers Beck Julius, Phoolchand Singh and Mahesh Prasad, and government officials Krishna Kumar and Subir Bhattacharya. The others are suppliers/ transporters Tripurari Mohan Prasad, Sushil Kumar Sinha, Sunil Kumar Sinha, Raja Ram Joshi, Gopinath Das, Sanjay Agarwal, Jyoti Kumar Jha and Sunil Gandhi.

In 1996, the Patna High Court ordered an inquiry into the fodder scam cases and a charge sheet in the Deogarh treasury case was filed against 38 people on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.

The accused faced charges under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that the party would move the high court against the special CBI court order.

Soon after the verdict, a post on Lalu Prasad's Twitter handle read, "Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes. And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished."

"Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and casteist minds. No one should expect any different treatment," added another tweet.

On September 30, 2013, Lalu Prasad, Jagannath Mishra and several others had been convicted in another case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the early 1990s. Saturday's conviction is the second in the scam.

The Supreme Court had granted bail on December 13 that year to Lalu Prasad, who had been behind the bars for two months. He had moved the apex court challenging the order of the Jharkhand High Court which had dismissed his bail plea.

Lalu Prasad faces another three fodder scam cases for illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.97 crore from the Dumka Treasury, Rs 36 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury and Rs 184 crore from the Doranda treasury.

"The legal fight will continue," Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told reporters outside the special CBI court here reacting to the conviction of the RJD chief.

He said that besides fighting it legally, the party would go to the people "fight it politically also".

Another senior RJD leader, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, a confidant of Prasad, said it was not right to comment on a judgment but the people were discussing how it is freedom for some people and jail for others in the same case.

"The layman is asking why it is jail for some and freedom for others? It is baffling how the BJP and JD(U) had predicted the verdict. This has created confusion among the people also," he said.

"The case was on excess withdrawal from Deogarh treasury. Laluji has been charged with connivance as he was the finance minister then - the charge is not direct. The withdrawal had been taking place since 1977. There were several chief ministers who were in charge of the finance department when Laluji was not the finance minister or the chief minister so why is he being singled out?" Siddiqui asked.

"Laluji's going to jail is not new for RJD. He had been sent to jail on earlier occasions and every time RJD bounced back with double the strength. That is why we are still number one in Bihar," he said.

The party was waiting to know the quantum of punishment to Lalu Prasad to be pronounced on January 3 and would then decide its course of action, Sidiqqui added.
NEW YORK, Dec. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gainey McKenna & Egleston announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against The Crypto Company (Crypto Company or the Company) (OTC:CRCW) in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Crypto Company securities on the open market from August 21, 2017 through December 18, 2017, inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to recover compensable damages caused by Defendants violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.



On December 19, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) temporarily suspended trading in the securities of the Crypto Company until January 3, 2018 after shares had risen more than 17,000% in less than three months. The SEC stated there were concerns regarding the accuracy and adequacy of information in the marketplace about compensation paid for promotion of the Company and statements in SEC filings about plans of company insiders to sell their shares of Crypto Companys common stock. The SEC also announced that questions have arisen concerning potentially manipulative transactions in Crypto Companys stock in November 2017.

According to the lawsuit, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Crypto Company unlawfully engaged in a scheme to promote and manipulate the Companys stock; and (2) as a result, Crypto Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares during the Class Period should contact the Firm prior to the February 20, 2018 lead plaintiff motion deadline. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. If you wish to discuss your rights or interests regarding this class action, please contact Thomas J. McKenna, Esq. or Gregory M. Egleston, Esq. of Gainey McKenna & Egleston at (212) 983-1300, or via e-mail at tjmckenna@gme-law.com or gegleston@gme-law.com.

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HIGHLIGHTS: Shortly after being convicted in second of the five fodder scam cases, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has attacked the BJP in a series of tweets and compared himself to Nelson Mandela, BR Ambedkar, and Martin Luther King Jr. The former Bihar CM is being taken to the Birsa Munda Jail where he is likely to be allotted a cottage till sentencing on January 3. The special CBI court has also ordered all properties acquired by Lalu after 1990 to be attached. Jagannath Mishra, another former Bihar CM, has been acquitted. The judgment is yet another big blow to RJDs first family, coming hours after the Enforcement Directorate filed a charge-sheet against Lalus daughter Misa Bharti and her husband in a corruption case. Ahead of the crucial verdict, the former Bihar CM was hopeful of a 2G-like acquittal in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of more than Rs 89 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994. Ironically, Shivanand Tiwary, the man who first accused Lalu of the scam, is now in the RJD and has termed his 1994 accusation against the party chief as a sin. Apart from Lalu, 14 others have been convicted in the case, while seven have been acquitted.

As it happened:

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Jaipur: Five castes including Gujjars will get one percent reservation within the 50 percent legal limit in Rajasthan, a senior minister said here on Friday.

The state government took the decision on Thursday to provide reservation to the Gujjar/Gurjar, Banjara/Baldia/Labana, Gadia-Lohar/Gadalia, Raika/Rebari and Gadaria communities.

"The decision was taken to give one percent reservation to Gujjars and other castes under the most backward category," said state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore.

A notification will be issued after the governor's approval, he said.

The present overall reservation percentage in the state stands at 49 percent.

The five castes were included in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list in 1994. After the state cabinet's decision, they can now seek benefits in educational institutions and job opportunities.

The Rajasthan Assembly had in October this year passed a bill to raise OBC reservation from 21 to 26 percent to provide five percent quota to Gurjars and other castes.

However, the high court stayed the bill as it would have increased the reservation to 54 percent.

Later, the Supreme Court also directed the state government not to exceed the 50 percent reservation limit. The governments decision evoked mixed reactions from

community leaders.

Spokesperson of the Gujjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti, Himmat Singh, said the government betrayed the community. "We were always promised five percent reservation by the government. This one percent could have been granted earlier," Singh said.

Another Gujjar leader, Dr Roop Singh, said the decision deserved praise but the main demand of including the community in the Scheduled Tribe category remained unaddressed.
Hyderabad: Days after fringe Hindu outfits in Aligarh asked schools not to celebrate Christmas, now, temples in Andhra Pradesh have been asked not to celebrate the New Years Eve as it is not part of the Hindu culture.

In a circular, the Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust, which is part of the Andhra Pradesh endowments department, has said that it was inappropriate to indulge in New Years revelry, which is not in accordance with Hindu traditions.

The notification also questions the need to splurge on floral decorations and other events on New Year.

The Hindu tradition says temples should organise festivities on Ugadi, which is the New Year for Telugus across the world. Temples should not be decorated or they should not distribute sweets on western New Year, read the notification.

Every year, the Tirumala temple celebrates New Years Eve with lavish arrangements. This time too, officials expect over 1 lakh pilgrims to come for the darshan.

The notification issued by Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust. (Image: News18)

Massive arrangements have been this year too, in view of the year-end rush. Apart from the New Year celebrations, there are other auspicious days like Vaikuntha Ekadasi on December 29 and Dwadasi on December 30, for which a large number of devotees will be heading towards the temples.

The latest diktat, however, is being welcomed by several Hindu groups on social media.

Meanwhile, taking inspiration from the neighbouring state, Bharata Punarutthana Trust has also written a petition to Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, saying January 1 should not be celebrated as New Year at any government-administered temple, neither should any temple funds be used for these celebrations.
Patna: The month of December and particularly December 23rd has turned out to be a nightmare for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

For over 40 years, Lalu Prasad, who claims to be a Shiv Bhakt and believes in numerology, has been dreading the month of December. And rightly so. The RJD chief was convicted on Saturday, December 23, in second of the five fodder scam cases.

Lalu started his political career during his college days and joined the JP movement against the Indira Gandhi government during the Emergency days. Lalu was arrested in the 1970s in Patna under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and spent an entire month, which was December, in jail. It even prompted him to name his newly born daughter Misa Bharti after the security act.

Next his smooth political career was disrupted when his name figured in the infamous fodder scam in 1996. The CBI filed a charge sheet on July 23, 1997 and Lalu had to spend more than four months in jail and was released only on December 12.

Lalu was again arrested in another case in the fodder scam on October 28, 1998 and released in December, the month when more cases were registered against him.

However, he won the Lok Sabha election from Madhepura and Saran and became the Railway Minister in the UPA government. But he was soon convicted by a special CBI court in 2013 and was put behind the bars thus ending his stint as a prominent minister. He had to resign from the Lok Sabha and was barred from fighting elections.

However, Lalu Prasad was soon released on bail by the Supreme Court in December 2013, but the verdict caused a major dent in his career and his party performed poorly and was limited to four seats in the 2014 General Elections that saw the resurgence of BJP.

The month of December is back to haunt him again as the CBI court convicted him in the Deoghar treasury case of the fodder scam on Saturday.

Lalu is also facing other cases of corruption for allegedly awarding tenders for maintaining two Railway hotels to a company in lieu of about two acres of prime land in Patna. The CBI is expected to file a charge sheet, again in December.
Kolkata: While the nation closely tracks the development in fodder scam or Chara Ghotala that brought down Lalu Prasad Yadavs reign in Bihar, far away in Kolkata, a man in his 60s anxiously flips through the newspapers, fishing for more information.

Meet the former CBI Joint Director Upendranath Biswas, popularly known as Upen Biswas, who blew the lid on the fodder scam.

Speaking to News18s Sujit Nath, Biswas shares how Lalu had once made several requests to him to change the venue of his interrogation to avoid the media and save his public image. Not just that, Biswas was also threatened by a CBI director that he will be framed for pursuing the case.

It was sometime in between 1999 and 2000 that I called up the Chief Secretary (CS) of Bihar and asked him to convey my message that the CBI wants to interrogate then Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav over the fodder scam, Biswas recalls.

Within five minutes I received a call and the person on the other side was not the CS but Lalu himself.

Biswas narrates, Lalu Prasad Yadav started out in Bengali. He said Nomoskar Biswas da, Ami Lalu Yadav Bolchhi Arey aap nahi jantey upper caste ke log hamarey khilaf sazish kar rahain hai.

Former CBI Joint Director Upen Biswas at his Kolkata residence. (Image: News18)

The former CBI officer says he then told the RJD chief that the investigating agency will still go ahead with the interrogation as the evidence demands so. He agreed and requested me to send CBI officers to his 1 Anne Marg, the CMs residence in Patna.

He called me again and while criticizing the media, he said, Biswas da ghar main bahut problem hai due to media jasoos Office main questioning kar lijiye.

Upen Biswas says, I agreed and conveyed the message to my officers, including Ranjit Sinha, who was a senior CBI officer then. Lalu called me yet again and requested that his interrogation be done in Delhi and that the matter should be kept secret. I agreed but he called me back and said that there will be international media in Delhi and he should be interrogated in Kolkata. I obliged despite the repeated requests that were annoying.

However, as Biswas recollects, someone told Lalu that in Kolkata he will be in trouble as Biswas was a Bengali. I dont know who gave him such a stupid idea. Finally, he agreed to be questioned at the Valmik Guest House on the outskirts of Patna.

I must say Lalu is a great actor and no one can match his nautanki.

Since the beginning of the case, I was under a lot of pressure from politicians, bureaucrats and criminals. It pushed me to embrace Buddhism.

The former CBI Joint Director further remembers what followed next. Once a CBI director asked me to join him for lunch at the North Block and I went, but only to be threatened by him. He told me, Tum to ab phansoge People are after you.

I dont want to name him but I can only say that I never bowed down to the pressure.

Upen Biswas had famously approached the Army to get Lalu arrested from the Bihar capital.

He said, I was left with no options. It was a conspiracy against me. My seniors in Delhi were not taking my calls, or approving Lalus arrest. Then I consulted a legal officer who advised me to go to the legal bench. Taking his advice, I asked for the Armys help, which they refused. Next day my senior who was not receiving my calls issued a showcause notice against me. It was very clear that they wanted to keep me out of the case. Finally, the Supreme Court issued an order stating that I will be the investigating officer of the scam and this gave me much relief.

It was a challenging job because some very powerful people were involved in the case. I was probing the scam against Lalu at a time when the fates of the governments of HD Deve Gowda and IK Gujral depended on RJDs support. You can imagine the circumstances under which I was conducting the investigations.

Not only Lalu, even Deve Gowda lost his job because of this.

Yet, having said all of this, Upen Biswas says the case doesnt interest him anymore. It was a long journey and the verdict doesnt excite me anymore because I had done my part as an officer and now the law will take its own course.

He adds, I dont have a personal grudge against Lalu or any other person involved in the case. I was given the responsibility to clear the dirt and I am happy that I did it.
Ranchi: Lalu Prasad Yadav has been a frequent visitor to CBI Judge Shivpal Singhs court since the Supreme Court ordered the RJD supremo in May to stand trial in all fodder scam cases.

The frequent courtroom interactions between the two have created bittersweet moments for Lalu.

On June 14, Singh asked Lalu, "Aap kaise hain (How are you)? To this, the RJD leader replied, "Hum theek hain. Aap bulaye aur hum chale aaye (Sir I am fine. You called and I came.)

On another occasion, Lalu's counsel Prabhat Kumar sought exemption of his client from personal appearances but the judge declined. It compelled Lalu to personally plead with folded hands with the judge on June 30. He said, "Sir, I am not pressing but requesting you. Please exempt me from personal appearance. I am a political person and presidential election is also approaching fast. I have called a rally also."

To this, Singh said, "This is an age of internet. What will you do? Your party workers have to do everything. I am not summoning you deliberately. Cases need to be completed within nine months. So, you will have to be here."

In the next appearance, he did not allow Lalu to be accompanied by an attendant and removed the latter from court. Angered, Yadav on August 4 told reporters that he would move the Jharkhand High Court, seeking transfer of two fodder scam cases from Singhs court.

"I don't feel I will get justice from this court. Through my lawyer, I filed a time petition before the CBI court to defer examination of my witnesses since I am to move a petition before the high court for transfer of two cases," Lalu had said.

His lawyer Prabhat Kumar accused the judge of being prejudiced. On the same day, senior IPS officer Sunil Kumar, who appeared as a witness for Yadav, was pulled up by Singh for occupying the witness box without taking permission.

The verdict on the Deoghar Treasury case, one of the fodder scam case, is scheduled for 3 pm on Saturday.
New Delhi: Prescribing body wearable cameras for traffic policemen and RTO officials enforcing the Motor Vehicles Act, a parliamentary panel has said it will check corruption and reduce arbitrariness by enforcement agencies.

A 24-member Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha, after examining the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, has recommended enactment of the legislation without any modification, a shot in the arm for the road ministry, which wants its early passage.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said he expects the bill to be passed in the current session.

The Vinay P Sahasrabuddhe-headed committee, considering the "rampant corruption in RTOs and transport sector", also recommended registration of vehicles by dealers and non- production of vehicles at RTOs.

"Every traffic policeman or RTO official who is enforcing the provisions of Motor Vehicle Act and Rules should have body wearable cameras and the offences recorded should be digitally stored and monitored in the control room. The Committee feels that this will reduce arbitrariness and corruption by the enforcement officials," it said.

The panel said the bill in no way infringes upon the rights of the states, as apprehend by some state governments.

"Considering the rampant corruption in RTOs and transport sector, the Committee feels that the initiative of registration of vehicles by dealers and non-production of vehicles at RTOs may reduce the difficulties of the citizens substantially".

States like Rajasthan, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have already implemented the dealer registration system, it said, adding fear of malpractices by the dealers is out of place as there are very stringent penalties imposed on them for any kind of wrongdoing.

It noted that according to Transparency International, every year Rs 10,000 crore in bribes is collected from truck owners/drivers by various RTOs in the country.

"If we add the licences, registration, payment of taxes, permits, the amount may multiply. Some other assessments have put Rs 23,000 crore as annual corruption deals by the RTOs," it noted.

It also recommended taking the learners licence test in an online format, adding that if a person has a successful training certificate from an accredited driving training school, he need not appear for a driving test before a licensing authority.

Welcoming the initiative of electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety by using devices like speed cameras, closed circuit television cameras, speed guns, body wearable cameras and others, it said some states are already using such technologies.

It also stressed on the need for sustainable mobility wherein the pedestrians, cyclists and bus users should be the centre of policy making.

"The increase of penalties indicates that one need to drive properly because the drivers are causing accidents....

if the states agree for one nation, one permit, one tax then the revenues of the states will increase...The Committee recommends that the long distance buses should invariably have inbuilt toilets," it said.

"The punishment in case of death in an accident by drunken driver is proposed to be enhanced up to seven years in line with proposed amendments in IPC. Rules will be framed to provide for standards to measure the breath alcohol analysers.

"Appropriate rules may be framed to control the speed of vehicles especially those involved in racing and showing stunts on roads," the committee said.

The Motor Vehicles Bill aims to bring radical reforms in the transport sector, ranging from hefty fines for traffic rule violations to improving the licensing system.

It also proposes compensation of Rs 5 lakh for grave injuries and steps to check vehicle thefts.

The bill, which would amend the nearly 30-year old Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 was passed by the Lok Sabha last year but had got stuck in the Rajya Sabha where the opposition had demanded that it be sent to the Select Committee for proper scrutiny.
New Delhi: Its not the best feeling to walk into a hospital. Things are worse if its a government hospital.

An old guard at the door doesnt blink an eye even if you are physically injured. Patients, some of them in a critical condition, lie wherever they find space. Their family members huddled around them, desperately seeking staffs attention.

But the long queue to fill up forms extends till the end of the hospital gate. Unable to find a bed, these patients and their family members often spend days outside, waiting for their number to arrive.

The doctors said my wife may have stomach ulcer. They have given medicines, but shes still in pain. We have come all the way from Jaipur. We dont have a place to stay and they wont admit my wife, says Vishnu Bawaria, all the while caressing his wife as she moans in pain, as they sit in a little park-like area right outside Delhis Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital. Bawaria is waiting for his wifes diagnostic tests that would take him around a month.

Its the easiest to blame the doctors, but its not quite easy to be a doctor in any of Delhis 38 government hospitals. Dr Rakshit Garg, the medical officer at LNJP, one of the biggest government hospitals in the city, said doctors usually spend about 14-15 hours a day in the hospital. And given the number of patients who visit the hospital, that doesnt seem enough.

The doctor-to-patient ratio is quite appalling. There are about six doctors in the casualty department. On an average, there are 400 patients in the morning and about 700 in the evening, Dr Garg said.

He said junior doctors often spend about 36 hours at a stretch in the hospital: If you are a doctor, hospital becomes your home. And despite that, the doctors are the ones who face the brunt when patients get angry.

No safety for those who save lives

Dr Garg is not the only one to complain about the long hours and sleepless nights. Several doctors in LNJP had a similar story to share. But its not just the long hours that bother the doctors, its also fear of their own lives!

While wearing a white coat doesnt seem like a risky job, often they end up getting hurt, bruised and attacked by the patients families.

A doctor from Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital said she was once threatened with rape when she couldnt attend to one of the patients. I was attending to a number of patients that day. This man, out of nowhere, comes to me and starts screaming, she said. The man then told her I will tear your clothes right here and rape you. The doctor was scared. And this is not a one-off story.

Dr Sejal Sudhakar Bhangle, who works at the department of Surgery in LNJP, said the system is very patriarchal. The patients will often call us sister instead of doctor. They feel a woman cant be a doctor. It is extremely insulting, she said.

The doctor pointed out there is barely any security system in place at government hospitals. Dr Bhangle, who has been working in the hospital for about two years now, said the hospitals had employed bouncers a couple of months back. But, soon they were replaced with old guards who are not skilled.

Sometimes we feel we have to protect the guards, she said.

Dr Garg remembers several incidents when the doctors and guards have been attacked. Government hospitals dont have checks in place. There are no metal detectors unlike private hospitals. People can walk in with anything they want, he said.

Though most public hospitals have closed circuit television cameras to monitor the events, these have helped very little except to record evidence of attacks. No wonder over 75% of doctors across the country are reported to have faced at least some form of violence, estimates Indian Medical Association.

The doctors have demanded that, like private hospitals, public hospitals should allow only a few relatives to accompany a patient to a hospital. But it hasnt worked out like that. Most of the patients who come here are poor. Theres that emotional factor at play. If they are checked, they will immediately shout saying they are not thieves, said Dr Garg.

The government had set up an inter-ministerial committee in 2015 to examine such issues and evaluate ways to ensure safety of those who save lives. In its recommendations, the panel had suggested the health ministry to initiate the process to bring a central law. The proposed law may have stringent provisions like making any act of violence against a doctor, medical professional or hospital authority a non-bailable offence.

Do what Netas say

The nexus between politics and healthcare system in the country makes it worse for both the patients and the doctors. While a doctor at the hospital tries to explain the mystery of the missing ICUs to this reporter, a man walks up to him, with a letter in hand. The letter is from Imran Hussain, Delhis minister of food and civil supplies, environment & forests. He has written to the PRO medical director, asking him to ensure that his patient be taken care of and given a bed in one of the Intensive Care Units (ICUs). The doctors had to immediately leave the work and attend to the netas orders.

This happens on a regular basis. We get calls from the politicians telling us that we need to make exceptions and speed-up the process for their patients. This leads to the poor people, who come here with no political reach, suffer more, a doctor said.

Another doctor mentioned about the time when one of the ministers called him and asked him to admit a relative in the ICU. When the doctor said there were no empty beds in the ICU, and he would have to kill someone to grant the politician his wish, the netas response was: I dont care.

LNJP has about 83 ICUs across various departments. But, they are never empty.

Dr Vivek Chouksey, president, Federation of Resident Doctor's Association (FORDA) that works for the welfare of resident doctors, said, on a regular day you will find 3-4 patients huddled up in one bed. Most hospitals dont even have the basic equipment, he said. Some hospitals dont even have drinking water, the doctor said, highlighting the terrible healthcare system in the country.

Chouksey, too, said that political pressure makes it worse for the common man.

Three-year wait for MRI scan

In every corner of LNJP hospital, Arvind Kejriwals banners have been plastered on the walls. Last year, the Delhi chief minister launched a helpline number 1031 for patients and their relatives in government hospitals to report any kind of lapses in the policies of free medicines, tests and surgeries.

On an average, the nodal officer, who is on duty 24X7, gets about 15 calls a day, often in the middle of the night. Once the call centre informs him about a complaint registered, he has to call the complainant directly. Once he knows the problem, he has to solve it within the next 10 minutes.

Turns out, most of the complaints are about long queues and the non-availability of medicine.

Patients travel a lot and then if we tell them that medicines are not available, they will be agitated, a senior doctor said. There are supposed to be nine pharmacies open all the time. But we dont have the staff for that. How can we solve this problem unless more people are hired?

In Lok Nayak hospital, only one MRI machine is functional. This is shared by the patients referred by all the 34 government hospitals. Struggling to meet the high demand, patients are asked to come back for the MRI scan after three years. While the government has installed MRI machines in other hospitals too, most of them have broken down with lack of care and excessive use. Naturally, this leads to a lot more complains.

Doctors in need of a Dost

The rate of suicidal deaths among doctors is 2-4% as against about 1-2% among the general population. The work pressure, longs hours, and the stressful nature of the job are among the reasons. However, despite the studies, theres practically zero intervention or help from the government or the administration.

You see a lot of pain, and that affects you considerably. And to top it all, theres no time to take bath for days, forget relaxation, said Apeksha, an intern at Lok Nayak hospital. Apeksha, along with other undergraduate students at Maulana Azad Medical College have started a social group called Dost. They have sent out questionnaires to the future doctors so students who need early intervention can be identified.

Dost holds a meeting every fortnight with its volunteers to figure out how they can improve communication with each other to ease out the work pressure. During my stay at the college hostel, there were two suicides. But there were no counsellors, Apeksha said. Dost, she says, is trying to change this.

Recently, after 15,000 resident doctors across all the state-run hospitals protested against the governments decision to increase the OPD registration timing, it was finally reduced by an hour. And for the first time, it resulted in a 45-minute lunch break for the doctors. Previously, doctors did not have lunch break timings during OPD sessions, the FORDA President said. The OPD registration timings are now 7.30 am to 12 noon. However, the OPD clinics function as usual from 8 am to 2 pm.

As Dr Garg says, its fragile, skeletal system running the show.
Germanys foreign intelligence agency is increasingly turning its attention to the Balkans, according to a report by German newspaper Berliner Zeitung. The agency, the BND, has not confirmed the story, but the media rarely report on the BNDs work. That they did in this case could indicate that the agency wants the public to know where its focus lies. Either way, the report is consistent with Germanys broader foreign policy, which has increasingly focused on the Balkans in recent years. Germany is among the top three export destinations for Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo and is one of the top European investors in the region, making Berlin the most important EU partner for the Balkan states.

Over the past few years, Germany has strengthened its relationship with Serbia in particular, although Croatia has has historically had the closer ties to Berlin. Germanys improving relations with Serbia are partly due to the economic links between the two countries. Germany is the second-largest importer of Serbian exports and among the top five investors in Serbia. Serbians themselves recognize the benefits of stronger ties with Berlin. A survey released on Nov. 15 indicated that a third of Serbians think German companies are the most desirable investors, offering good salaries and opportunities for career advancement.

Germany has taken the lead within the EU on relations with the Balkans states. In 2008, when the financial crisis exposed social and political cracks in the union, hopes started to fade of the Balkan states ever joining the bloc. As less EU funding became available to these states, modernization and reform efforts also diminished. Russia was another important source of external funding for the region, but with the onset of the Ukraine crisis, as well Moscows own financial problems, it became clear to the Balkan states that they couldnt depend on Russia for financial support. They thus turned to the EU  and this meant turning to Germany, the de facto leader of the EU.

From left to right, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini attend a press conference during the Western Balkans Summit at the Hofburg palace in Vienna, Austria, on Aug. 27, 2015. JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images At the time, Germany couldnt afford another crisis in Europe and thus wanted to maintain some degree of control and stability in the Balkans, often a source of volatility on the Continent. Berlin was already involved in negotiations over Ukraine and had to deal with the eurozones banking crisis, which threatened Germanys own economic stability. It therefore had to take the lead on the EUs policy toward the Balkans and help the region avoid economic problems that could destabilize these countries and pose a security threat throughout Europe.

In August 2014, Germany established the so-called Berlin Process, a diplomatic initiative to strengthen ties between the Balkan states and the EU. Through this initiative, Germany has made it clear that it sees Serbia as the most important state in the region because of its strategic location. It has put a lot of effort into not only supporting Serbias relations with Brussels but also facilitating dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo. In 2017, Germany announced that it would expand the Berlin Process into the Berlin Process Plus, which should increase funding for the region from European countries interested in infrastructure and development projects. Among the planned projects is a highway linking Serbia with Bosnia-Herzegovina and another linking Belgrade to Tirana, Albania, via Pristina, Kosovo.

Germanys interest in the Balkans and in Serbia has grown since 2015, when the migration crisis hit Europe. The main route for migrants trying to reach Germany was through the Balkans. The northern part of Serbia is flat and especially easy to traverse, making the country a particular concern. In fact, Germany views the Balkan states as a critical component of its security, and it is partly for this reason that Berlin has been an outspoken supporter of their accession into the EU. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in September that Montenegro and Serbia could join the EU by 2025  a statement likely influenced by Germany. Germany recognizes that there are obstacles to making that happen, but keeping the Balkan states EU hopes alive will encourage them to adopt a more pro-Western, pro-modernization stance.

Interestingly, the report on the BNDs focus on the Balkans was published the same day that German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended an EU-Africa summit focused on migration. The German governments handling of the migration crisis has increased public support for Germanys far right. Mainstream parties, including Merkels, lost seats to the nationalist Alternative for Germany party in elections in September, and the chancellor has been under pressure to prevent another influx of migrants. Working with non-EU states, such as those in the Balkans, can help block the route to Western Europe and stop another crisis from emerging. The report on the BND may be a signal to the German electorate that Merkel is serious about controlling migration, a key part of which is keeping an eye on the Balkans.

There is another dimension to Germanys interest in the region. The concept of the Intermarium, an alliance involving countries from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, has been building, and the groups members in Eastern Europe discussed expanding southwest to the Adriatic Sea by including Austria, Croatia and Slovenia. But adding Croatia and Slovenia to this larger alliance, referred to as the Three Seas Initiative , might anger Serbia, which would be left surrounded by members of a group from which it has been excluded.

Germany understands this very well. By maintaining a close relationship with Serbia, Berlin may be sending a message to the Intermariums Eastern European members as well as to the United States, which has supported the alliance, that it is still a powerful European nation and has an interest in Eastern Europes future. In a world where the EU and NATO are weakening, Germany needs to act independently to secure its own interests.
Jaipur: At least 32 people were killed in Sawai Madhopurs Dubi area when a 40-seater passenger bus veered off a bridge and plunged into the Banas river on Saturday.

The bus, which was ferrying pilgrims from Sawai Madhopur to Lalsot, was allegedly being driven by a minor bus conductor. The juvenile allegedly tried to overtake another vehicle on the narrow bridge and lost control of the wheel. The bus broke through the bridge wall and plunged into the Banas River.

At least 30 bodies have been recovered and kept in the mortuary of the district hospital for identification.

Those injured in the accident have also been rushed to the hospital and all private medical facilities have been alerted to admit the injured.

Tweeting a condolence message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the state government was closely monitoring the situation.

Anguished by the bus accident in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. State Government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM @narendramodi PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 23, 2017

Congress President also tweeted, urging the BJP-led state government to provide all possible assistance to affected families.

      |        |             |                 | Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 23, 2017

The passengers hailed from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and were on their way to offer prayers at the Ramdevra Temple in Lalsot.

District Collector Kailash Chand Verma and Superintendent of Police Maman Singh were monitoring rescue operations at the spot.

The wreckage was pulled out of the river using a crane and gas cutters.
In what comes as a good news to many, the annual tradition of Bollywood's beloved Kapoor clan's Christmas brunch at Shashi Kapoor's residence will continue to take place as per usual plans.

Randhir Kapoor has confirmed to Mid-day that Shashi's sons Kunal and Karan will carry forward the tradition introduced by their mother Jennifer Kendal more than three decades back.

Randhir Kapoor has been quoted as saying, "My uncle was a family man and always believed in celebrations. In fact, he had told us that we should not mourn his death and instead, celebrate his life. I think his kids are just doing that and are paying an ode to him. Like my father, Raj Kapoor said, 'The show must go on.'"

Randhir further added that the entire family is expected to gather on December 25 like every year. And while there will be lots of food, this time will hold a special meaning as the occasion will be an ode to Shashi Kapoor wherein the family members will share their fond memories of him.

Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor breathed his last on December 4.

The annual Christmas brunch sees the presence of all four generations of Kapoor family at Shashi's Juhu residence.

#candid#granddame#family#christmasmoments #christmaslunch A post shared by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) on Dec 25, 2016 at 6:24am PST

#cousinsbonding#christmaslunch#familytime#lovelyafternoon A post shared by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) on Dec 25, 2016 at 3:37am PST

Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan, who had gone to Pataudi Palace to ring in their little son Taimur's first birthday, have also returned to Mumbai.
Ahmedabad: As Congress leaders began to throng the university convention hall here to share their feedback with Rahul Gandhi on the partys performance in Gujarat Assembly polls, the strongest words came from OBC leader Alpesh Thakor.

Mani Shankar Aiyar is a BJP agent and he was sent by them to spoil our chances, Thakor told CNN-News18.

Thakors views may seem like farfetched to some, but they reflect the anger among Congress leaders at ground level, not just in Gujarat but also in other states.

According to sources, many leaders from Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where elections are due next year, have requested that the central leadership to ensure that Mani Shankar Aiyar and others like him dont comment at public forums as the partys representatives.

Veerappa Moily, a leader from Karnataka, was the first to speak out against Aiyars neech aadmi (vile man) remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to sources, Gujarat Congress leaders praised Rahul Gandhis campaign during the review meeting and blamed Aiyars remarks for alienating many potential voters.

Thakor and many others said the party should have focused more on constituencies in and around Surat, where, despite the anger against GST, the BJP has won all the seats.

BJP had sent Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and many other ministers to speak to angry businessmen in textile and diamond sectors. Gandhis high decibel anti-GST campaign failed to convince the voters in urban areas.
Bhopal: Congress President Rahul Gandhi reached Gujarat on Saturday morning to review the partys performance in the recently concluded assembly elections, which was pitched as a prestige battle between the Gandhi scion and PM Narendra Modi.

But as the Congress touts the rise in seat count as a silver lining of its Gujarat defeat, its Madhya Pradesh unit is in tatters, struggling to build momentum ahead of assembly elections next year.

With multiple claimants to the chief ministerial nomination, the party lacks a strong and united leadership to take on Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who will be seeking a fourth term.

One of the claimants is Jyotiraditya Scindia who has vowed not to accept garlands till the BJP government in the state is replaced.

The BJP government is anti-farmer and allows them to be killed in police firing (a reference to the Mandsaur agitation). I have decided not to accept flower garlands until I throw this government out of power, Scindia said during a rally in Mungaoli of Ashoknagar district.

His statement has led analysts to believe that the Scindia scion is keeping himself ahead in the CM face hunt.

Mungaoli, which was earlier held by the late Mahendra Singh Kalukheda, goes to bypolls shortly along with Kolaras in Shivpuri  both part of the region influenced by the Scindias.

The BJP, too, believes that Scindias declaration is an affirmation of his yearning for CM candidature. More than anything else, it is evidence of the internal tussle among Congress leaders vying for CM candidature, said BJP spokesperson Rajnish Agrawal.

Agrawal said a similar announcement was made by Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh before the 2013 assembly elections.

Given his youthful persona and relatively clean image, Scindia, who enjoys close proximity with Congress President Rahul Gandhi, is likely to emerge as the party high commands obvious choice.

The Congress leadership, however, would do well to remember that it is a divided house in Madhya Pradesh. Regional satraps, including Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh and Ajay Singh, are yet to weigh in on who would lead the party in 2018 elections.

While Scindia primarily thrives on his support base in the Gwalior-Chambal region, Kamal Nath enjoys backing in tribal belts around Chhindwara-Jabalpur and Ajay Singh has deep roots in the Vindhya region.

Also in the mix is Digvijaya Singh who is busy in a months-long parikrama (circumambulation) of the Narmada river. The yatra is seen as a signal of his return to Madhya Pradesh politics. He has largely kept away from state politics since 2003 after a defeat at the hands of BJP leader Uma Bharti.

The partys state unit president Arun Yadav has been no help, his feeble political stature failing to rein in the leaders. The rift was evident when newly appointed state in-charge Deepak Babaria visited Bhopal on several occasions recently, only to be snubbed by party seniors who did not turn up for the meetings.

Either present a CM face or at least bring all senior members under one roof. If it stays like this, the BJP looks invincible, said a political analyst in Bhopal.

A senior Congress leader begged to differ. If the unity of the senior leaders was all important, we would not be losing in the home turfs of these big-time politicians, he said, adding that differences are part of a political system but somewhere the party seems to have lost its connect with the public.

The Congress would have to revive this connect ahead of assembly elections which would be followed by the mega battle of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi escalated his partys attack on the BJP following the 2G scam verdict, this time referencing Hollywood actor Bruce Willis hit franchise Die Hard.

Taking to Twitter a day after chairing the first meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), Rahul wrote, "If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard #BJPLieHard #BJPLies #HowManyBJPLies."

The new Congress president had earlier, speaking after the meet, alleged that the entire architecture, structure and foundation of the ruling party was based on "lies" and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Gujarat model' was "flawed and fake".

"The whole architecture of the BJP is about lies, their whole structure is about lies... BJP's entire foundation is based on lies."

"If you see the Modi model in Gujarat, it was a lie, clearly. When we went to Gujarat and we spoke to the people of Gujarat, they said there is no model. What is going on is the stealing of resources of the people of Gujarat and that's their design," said Rahul.

If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard #BJPLieHard #BJPLies #HowManyBJPLies Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 23, 2017

Speaking on the 2G verdict, the Congress president said, "I think 2G has been a vindication (of our party's stand)... Everyone knows about 2G and the truth has come before all of you."

Addressing the CWC, he had said the BJP used the 2G issue as the biggest instrument against the UPA government which has "turned out to be fake".

"So the idea, their model, is to come up with a lie, spread that lie, and just keep repeating that lie until people believe the lie. And the good news that I can see is that people are now beginning to question it."

"Across the country, they are questioning Mr Modi on the economy, they're questioning Mr Modi when he insults our ex-Prime Minister. So that feeling is coming up and there is a positive sentiment towards the Congress party," he told the CWC.

(With PTI Inputs)
New Delhi: Hours after a CBI court convicted Lalu Prasad Yadav in the second fodder scam case, the Congress party came to the defence of the RJD supremo. While spokesperson Manish Tewari said the CBI was behaving like a "pet parrot" of the BJP government, Sanjay Nirupam said the torture of Lalu in the decades old case should stop now.

Calling criminal cases and political coalition separate matters, Tewari said this case has not started today. "This (case) has not started today. It had started in 1993-94. Between 1993-94 and today, we (Congress) have had coalition with RJD, during UPA-1 they were part of the government, they were part of mahagatbandhan as well. So criminal cases and political alliance are two separate matters," he said.

He also questioned why similar actions were not initiated against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the Srijan scam, in which the "quantum of embezzlement was of a much greater order". "Why are there different strokes for different folks?" Tewari alleged, while demanding an SIT probe into the Srijan scam.

The special CBI court on Saturday convicted Lalu Prasad and 15 others in the fodder scam case, while acquitting six, including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

"Lalu Prasad's legal fight is not going on from today. It is going on from 1996. It had started when some leaders associated with BJP had filed a petition in Patna High court. As far as today's verdict is concerned, Lalu Prasad and his lawyer are fully capable to deal with this," he told reporters.

"We would like to ask BJP why the Srijan Scam is not being investigated. Because the central charge in Srijan scam is also the same. The central charge is embezzlement from state treasury and the quantum of embezzlement is of a much greater order," he said.

He said the alleged embezzlement across different treasuries in Bihar took place under Nitish Kumar and Finance Minister Sushil Modi.

He said the central agencies are acting at the behest of the BJP. "And its biggest evidence is that when the 2G verdict came and the first verdict was not even uploaded, the CBI and the ED gave statements that they would file appeal. CBI and ED are not private lawyers, they are state instrumentalities. They are supposed to function in a fair, objective and transparent manner," he said.

"So as far as CBI and ED are concerned, if you think that JDU is in coalition with BJP, and there will be investigation against their ministers, this is like flying fictional kites," he added.
New Delhi: A special CBI court on Saturday convicted RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in a fodder scam case. The verdict becomes all the more significant as the last week has been marked by judgments, or rather acquittals of some very powerful political figures, in some of the most infamous scams in post-Independent India.

Two days ago a special court acquitted DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum allocation case. On Friday, Bombay High Court gave former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Congress leader Ashok Chavan a major relief in the Adarsh Housing Society case by setting aside a sanction given by Maharashtra Governor to prosecute him.

All eyes are now set on the special court trying former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. The Rs 89 lakh Deoghar treasury case, in which the judgment is expected on Saturday, is part of five fodder scam cases in which Yadav is an accused.

Just as the 2G scam helped the then opposition BJP dethrone the Congress-led UPA government and win the 2014 general elections, the multi-crore fodder scam put Lalu Yadav out of power in Bihar state elections in 2005, when his RJD-led government was replaced by JD(U) and BJP. Yadav subsequently lost his Parliament seat too, following his conviction in one of the fodder scam cases.

With A Raja and Kanimozhi being acquitted in the high-profile 2G spectrum scam, Lalu now hopes to get a fillip in his political career through an acquittal.

The case has seen many twists and turns, so lets look at all the intricacies of it through numbers.

64: The fodder scam is comprised of 64 individual cases and of these, 53 have been tried in Ranchi after the Supreme Court transferred the cases to Jharkhand in October 2001.

5: Lalu Prasad Yadav has been named in five of the fodder scam cases.

Rs 89 Lakh: This is the quantum of the alleged scam in Deoghar treasury, in which Lalu Yadav is an accused. Lalu is awaiting a verdict by a special court in this particular case on Saturday. The case is about fraudulent withdrawals of Rs 89 lakh from the Deoghar treasury between 1991 and 1993.

The money was withdrawn by officials from the Bihar animal husbandry department through forged vouchers on the pretext of purchasing fodder and other stuff for livestock.

Rs 900 crore: This is the total estimate of the loss that the fodder scam caused to the exchequer. About Rs 900 crore was withdrawn fraudulently by the animal husbandry department from various districts when Yadav was the Chief Minister of Bihar for two decades. In early raids in January 1996, it was revealed that huge funds were paid to non-existent companies for supplying fodder to the animal husbandry department.

500: This is the number of people who have been convicted and awarded punishments by various courts. One of them is Lalu Yadav. He was convicted in one of the cases of fodder scam  the Chaibasa treasury case  by a CBI court on October 3, 2013 and sentenced to five years in prison. Following this, he lost membership of the Lok Sabha. His appeal against the verdict is pending in the Supreme Court.
Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadavs conviction by a special CBI court in the Deogarh Treasury Case, relating to the fodder scam, would mean it will be the ninth trip to jail for the former Bihar Chief Minister.

The CBI court in Ranchi found Lalu convicted in the case while acquitting former CM Jagannath Mishra.

The case pertains to Rs 85 lakh being swindled out of the treasury through fake bills and vouchers pertaining to cattle feed. The fraud dates back to 1994-96 when Lalu Prasad was the Chief Minister of Bihar.

The same court had, in 2013, convicted Lalu in another case pertaining to the fodder scam. The RJD leader was out on bail granted by the Supreme Court.

The embattled leader has been in-and-out of jail during his four-decade-plus political career. Lalus lawyer, Chittaranjan Prasad Singh, told News18 that the leader was sent behind bars five times related to fodder scam cases.

This would be the 69-year-old politicians third stint in Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.

First lodged in the jail in 2001, when a local court remanded him in judicial custody, Lalu used the opportunity to showcase his political muscle as a huge cavalcade followed him from Patna to Ranchi. Lalu addressed rallies all along the route.

In 2013, the leader spent four months in the same jail for the fodder scam. Lalu arrived outside the jail premises riding an elephant.
Chennai: DMK MP Kanimozhi and former telecom minister A Raja returned to a raucous welcome in Chennai on Saturday with a sea of supporters cheering them on from the airport till party patriarch Karunanidhis residence.

Two days after being acquitted in the 2G spectrum scam case, Kanimozhi met her father Karunanidhi and half-brother MK Stalin at their iconic Gopalpuram residence.

The family and their loyalists were all smiles as Stalin presented golden shawls to both Kanimozhi and Raja.

The 'kodak moment' of their reunion, however, was the hug initiated by Kanimozhi and reciprocated by Stalin. Stalin then hugged Raja too.

My father was very happy to see me and welcome me after the verdict, Kanimozhi told reporters after her homecoming.

In an interview to a news channel, Kanimozhi had said on Friday that she wants to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "I will ask the party if I can... the party has to make a decision. I always wanted to contest elections... to have a constituency and to be able to work and see things happening," she had said.

That permission would probably have to come from Stalin, who is the partys working president and Karunanidhis heir apparent.

Stalin is the son of Karunanidhi and his second wife Dayalu Ammal, while Kanimozhi is the DMK patriarchs daughter from third wife Rajathi. With Kanimozhis triumphant return to the party-fold, equations within the DMK and its first family are also likely to change.

Kanimozhi may emerge as yet another power centre in the party, posing a challenge to Stalin, who is already at loggerheads with his brother Alagiri.

But that may come later. For now, all is well in the family.
North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile this week, its first missile test in two months. The public discourse has centered on North Koreas ability to strike the U.S. and how the U.S. will respond to this latest test. But South Korea is also a key part of the crisis; it would bear the brunt of a North Korean attack. Seoul has thus developed a political strategy to avoid conflict, as well as a military strategy to respond to an attack should diplomacy fail.

Political Strategy South Koreas primary imperative is to protect Seoul from any threat, including a conventional or nuclear attack by North Korea. To achieve this goal, the South has developed a three-pronged political strategy. First, South Korea sees international sanctions as a way to deter the North from pursuing its nuclear program. Sanctions have produced few measurable results in the past , but South Korea has worked to continue and expand them. After the missile test on Nov. 29, South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said his country would work with the international community to implement stronger sanctions against the North. In addition, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to seek additional sanctions at a U.N. Security Council meeting scheduled for Nov. 30.

A South Korean soldier at a railway station in Seoul on Nov. 29, 2017, walks past a television news screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un approving the countrys new ICBM test. JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images

Second, South Korea has used the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation program to encourage North Korea to avoid activities that could pose a threat to Seoul. Originally set up in the 1970s, the program facilitates cooperation between the North and South through cultural and social exchanges, humanitarian assistance and economic projects such as the Kaesong Industrial Complex. The program has grown significantly over the years: The exchange program included only one person in 1989 and expanded to 186,000 people at its peak in 2008. Trade has also increased, from $19 million in 1989 to $2.7 billion in 2015. But after North Korea stepped up its weapons testing in 2016, South Korea suspended some projects, shut down the KIC and imposed economic sanctions. The exchange of people plummeted to 14,000, and trade fell to $333 million. This strategy thus has also failed to convince North Korea to change its behavior. Earlier this month, Moon promised the North a bright future if it agreed to a resolution to the nuclear crisis. If Pyongyang halts its nuclear program, Seoul has argued, it can have access to South Korean investment and technical skills, as well as a high-income market and humanitarian aid. Reinstating all the elements of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation program is one incentive it can offer the North. But if North Korea does not comply, the remaining benefits from these programs can be cut off. The third element of South Koreas political strategy is to encourage greater Chinese involvement in finding a solution to the crisis. China is North Koreas largest trading partner, and though it has agreed to enforce U.N. sanctions, there are reports of noncompliance regarding coal exports from North Korea and financial services. If China fully complied with the sanctions, some believe that Pyongyang would be forced to give in to the Souths demands. But China has its own concerns about North Korea, in particular its fear of a regime collapse that would result in a refugee crisis and an expanded U.S. military presence on the Chinese border. One of the weak spots in this political strategy is that it doesnt prevent a third party such as the United States from launching a pre-emptive attack against North Korea, which would cause the North to retaliate against Seoul. This is exactly what the South fears might happen and wants to avoid at all costs. After the most recent missile test, Moon publicly stated that all sides must avoid misjudgment, a statement meant to discourage a U.S. military response. The closer North Korea gets to a deliverable nuclear weapon affixed to an ICBM, however, the more pressure the U.S. will be under to take pre-emptive action. Keeping the U.S. satisfied that diplomatic progress is being made is a tough task given the Norths history, especially now that Washington fears that Pyongyangs missiles can reach the United States, not just Seoul.

Military Strategy In addition, Seoul has a military strategy, also involving three components, to deal with the North Korean threat. However, it is a mostly defensive strategy. The first component of the military strategy is called the Kill Chain program. It aims to spot impending attacks and destroy the threat. The South would use high-altitude surveillance drones to pinpoint launch areas, weapons facilities and communication hubs, and then use cruise and ballistic missiles and special operations ground forces to eliminate North Koreas nuclear and missile-launch capabilities as well as its communications networks. It is possible that U.S. military hardware and personnel would also participate. Another component of the Souths military strategy is the Korean Air and Missile Defense plan, which enables South Korea to track and destroy ballistic missiles midair. However, the technology behind missile defense systems is unproven . The final component of South Koreas military strategy is called Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation, which, like Kill Chain, aims to destroy the Norths ability to launch nuclear and conventional weapon attacks. But unlike Kill Chain, the focus is on eliminating the countrys leadership, particularly Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang and the centers of government and the military would be destroyed. A number of things can go wrong with this military strategy. Intelligence and surveillance assets can fail to detect an attack. Seouls proximity to the border means the time between the launch of a missile and when the missile reaches its target is short, forcing the military to make quick decisions. In addition, though Kill Chain aims to destroy the Norths ability to wage war, it is difficult to fully and accurately map out North Koreas military installations and launch sites, which leaves Seoul vulnerable. South Korea prefers a political solution to the North Korea problem. A war would leave its capital devastated and would inflict immense casualties. Moreover, even the best-planned military maneuvers succumb to the fog of war. But South Korea cant control all sides in this crisis  for a political solution to succeed, North Korea and the United States would also have to decide that this is the best end to the crisis.
Bengaluru: BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje on Saturday challenged the Karnataka government to arrest her for alleged "inflammatory" tweets on the rape and murder of a minor Dalit girl in Vijayapura.

"If Siddaramaiah's government has courage, let it arrest me.I am not applying for bail. Whatever I have tweeted is based on what I have seen and heard in media," she told reporters in Bengaluru.

"I will put my case before the police. Let them interrogate me," she said, a day after she was booked for the alleged "inflammatory" tweets.

Inspite of informing the police about the incident, the government did not arrest the culprits and instead booked a case against her, Karandlaje said.

She alleged that the FIR against her was politically motivated.

Police had alleged Karandlaje's tweets added to tension in the regions of coastal Karnataka, which was on the boil since December 6 when 19-year-old Paresh Mesta was found dead under mysterious circumstances.

An FIR was filed against Karandlaje on charges of provoking people to cause riots, disturbing communal harmony and spreading rumours.

"CM @siddaramaiah's appeasement politics has turned Karnataka into a safe haven for Jihadi Goons. He is shamelessly pursuing his agenda of appeasement & dividing the society," Karandlaje had tweeted.
Politicians are always ready with conspiracy theory to defend charges of their complicity in cases of crime and corruption even if they are caught  literally  red-handed, or worse, with their pants down in video stings.

So, when RJD chief Lalu Prasad plays the same hackneyed tune to pledge his innocence in the infamous fodder scam, it comes as no surprise.

After all, he knows it too well that much bigger political sharks have survived much bigger charges of crime and corruption in this country. He would also know that when his voters see him taken to jail for a case involving a pittance of Rs 85 lakh, his conspiracy theory will find resonance with them. After all, A Raja and Kanimozhi went scot free in case of much bigger loot.

For those of us who pursued the fodder scam cases since 1996 and closely followed the twists and turns, Lalu Yadavs complicity was never doubtful. He doled out a series of favours to the officials and masterminds of the scam, gave them extension of services, overlooked media reports about the excess withdrawals from the state treasury, did not act on questions raised in the state Assembly, travelled on air tickets purchased by them, and allegedly pocketed a portion of the loot.

In the present case, Lalu Yadav was charged under Section 120B of the IPC, dealing with conspiracy. A common intent among the accused was a must to prove the complicity of an individual under this provision.

His supporters are bound to ask if a chief minister will conspire with several other politicians, bureaucrats and officials to plot an embezzlement of mere Rs 85 lakh.

What would be his share in such a crime when he could easily get hundred times more money by a mere nod of the head?

Of course, the overall loot in the fodder scam was about Rs 900 crore involving half-a-dozen state treasuries. The CBI charged Lalu Yadav in five different cases, making sure he will spend the better part of his life in the jail. Lalus plea that all the cases should be clubbed together since they are based on similar charges and evidences was upheld by CBI Sessions Court. This led to dropping of proceedings against him in the present case. But the Supreme Court quashed the High Courts relief to Lalu Yadav, setting the stage for his conviction for what will be termed as petty theft in todays scenario where the going rate for even transfer and posting is manifold.

Lalu Yadavs conviction is a big boon for Nitish Kumar-led JD(U)-BJP alliance in Bihar. If Lalu Yadav does not get early bail, it will be a tough task for his son Tejashwi Yadav to lead the RJD in the 2019 General Elections.

The Jharkhand High Court has been mostly reluctant to grant bail in cases where a convict has not spent half of his jail sentence. Even if the HC grants bail to Lalu, the matter is bound to go to the Supreme Court. The CBI would surely appeal against any such reprieve given to a man seen as a sworn enemy of the ruling party at the Centre. The whole process could take several months during which the RJD would be like a rudderless ship.

The days ahead would be equally challenging for the Lalu clan. Tejashwi Yadav, who could have led the party in Lalus absence, is himself facing serious trouble in the IRCTC hotel case. The Enforcement Directorate has registered cases against several members of Lalu Prasads family under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Lalu Yadavs daughter Misa Bharti and wife Rabri Devi also figure in the cases. The matter dates back to the time when Lalu Yadav was the railway minister in the UPA government.

With the probe agencies showing a remarkable alacrity in proceeding against his family, Lalu Yadav faces serious personal and political crisis. But still, it will be too early to write his political obituary.

The result of the last assembly polls, where the RJD emerged as the single largest party in alliance with the JD(U), shows that his Yadav-Muslim support base remains intact. In addition, to a section of the poor in rural Bihar, Lalu Yadav will forever remain a messiah who liberated them from the yoke of upper caste landlords. No one can blame them for falling for his conspiracy theory hook, line and sinker. They can also not be blamed for thinking that he has been singled out because he was a rustic politician who did not know how to manipulate the system like bigger sharks do in the power center of Delhi.

While Lalu Yadavs political base is unlikely to be affected by his second conviction, if he does not come out of jail soon, and the ED continues to tighten the screws around his family members, there could be a threat of a schism in his party. Much will depend on how his trusted leaders unite to keep the flock together.

But if Lalu is out on bail in a month or two, he is bound to unleash a statewide campaign to project himself a martyr crucified for fighting the scourge of communalism and raising the voice of the backward castes.

He would also hope that those disillusioned by the 2G scam verdict might treat him much more sympathetically.

Few know better than Lalu Yadav how to manipulate the masses. After all, he once convinced them that flood is better for them because it gave them access to fish, and building road in harmful for them because they can be run over by speeding vehicles!

 The writer is a senior journalist who has followed the fodder scam since the beginning. Views are personal
Hyderabad: AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi has hit out at both Congress and BJP for their regular temple visits during their campaign for Gujarat elections and accused them of playing vote bank politics.

Owaisi asked why Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not visit any Masjid or Dargah and stuck to only temples.

The manner in which Congress and BJP both campaigned for Gujarat has made the country think. They werent campaigning for elections, they were on a temple run, he said.

Rahul Gandhi is currently on a three-day visit to Gujarat, where he began by offering prayers at Somnath Temple on Saturday. Rahul will hold meetings with newly elected legislators, party workers and review the results during this visit.

They have ensured that they get enough eyeballs in temples. Couldnt they have clicked a single photo with Muslims? When I talked to a senior Congress leader in Delhi, he told me that this was necessary for Gujarat, alleged Owaisi.

The firebrand leader also claimed that if Muslims were to wear their traditional cap or sport a beard, they would be termed a Jihadi. I will show them during the next assembly or parliament election. I too will go to Masjids and Dargahs, dressed in green. You (the BJP and Congress) began this caste politics. You are showing me that this is the way to win an election, he said.
Chennai: DMK's Kanimozhi returned back home to a raucous reception  a hug from her brother, hundreds gathered with garlands, bouquets, flags and masks, a dance performance, traditional drummers and a temporary stage cordoned off by police barricades.

The Rajya Sabha MP was making her way home two days after completing the court formalities that cleared her and party strongman, ex-Union Minister A Raja, of all corruption charges in the 2G Spectrum scam.

As scams go, this was touted as India's biggest  an estimated loss of 1.76 lakh crore, a number that was later brought down to Rs 30,000 crores when the trial began in the CBI court.

The clean chit has not only made the DMK leadership stronger and surer of itself, the cadre too feel re-energised. It is not often that you see the party working president MK Stalin hugging his sister. The eight year-long battle's culmination finally seems to have united the different wings of the Karunanidhi family.

A beaming Kanimozhi did a victory parade, opening up the top of her car to stand above the crowd and wave to them. Just before this, she and Raja met with workers patiently as a makeshift stage in the airport, greeting them with folded hands and accepting flowers.

It was clear that it was more a political stage, one with which they re-launched themselves as having 'arrived'.

"Definitely, it is a boom... DMK will go further through to the highest level," A Raja candidly admitted, when asked if they were using the opportunity to gain political mileage.

Although the party hopes that the effect of the 2G verdict will be seen first in the RK Nagar by-election results, their larger goal remains to gain back the electoral ground they've lost to the AIADMK.

Raja has already begun playing the emotions, writing a letter to Karunanidhi asking, "Who will punish those who tainted your 80-year public life?"

The DMK is beginning to cry foul and has termed the 2G spectrum scam a conspiracy against an 'ideological movement'.

In this, Raja calls the Congress-led UPA partners in being victimised. "It's a shame even the UPA government couldn't realise it was trapped in the plot to bring it down," Raja says in his letter.

Political analyst and associate editor of Frontline RK Radhakrishnan says, "The crowd is a clear indication of the love and support that Kanimozhi enjoys within the party. This should help in further strengthening the party and create a new vote bank for the DMK among women  a traditional blind spot for the party during the Jayalalithaa and MGR years."

Is that what prompted that Stalin to cozy up to his sister, to show a united front? Kanimozhi certainly was talking about how overwhelmed she was that her brother came to receive her, mentioning this at least twice during her different conversations with the media.

After all, there is no space in politics for sentiment, as Radhakrishnan points out, "How much ever compelling the optics may be, it is all common or shared interests."

For the party, this is a good time to get good news. They are in a state that is seeing much factionalism in the ruling party. For all the 'united AIADMK' face that Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy and his deputy O Panneerselvam put up, rumours of fissures keep cropping up. There are already leaders like V Maitreyan who have expressed disappointment in this EPS-OPS 'merger' not leading up to anything.

Then there is the TTV Dinakaran faction, armed with at least 18 MLAs and many more 'sleeper cell MLAs'. With a divided house ruling the State, the DMK is poised to score much more electorally, only that the elections are at least four years away.

There is the, though, the Lok Sabha election to be faced in 2019 and Tamil Nadu has a significant chunk of 39 seats. How the party plays its pawns ahead of 2019 will determine its chances in the 2021 Assembly election as well.
Pristina: Any move by Kosovo to scrap a war crimes court linked to its independence struggle would seriously undermine relations with friendly western nations, its main backer the United States said on Friday.

Lawmakers from the governing coalition, who hold a majority, are pressing for a vote to abolish the court. The vote was scheduled for later in the day but it failed twice due to opposition from other parties.

Parliament speaker Kadri Veseli said parliament would continue to attempt to vote on the issue in the coming days.

Isa Mustafa, Kosovos former prime minister and an opposition leader, said the proposal was "devastating for our state and very damaging for justice".

The Specialist Chamber was established in The Hague in 2015 to bring to justice Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) guerrillas alleged to have committed atrocities during the 1998-99 war that led to the country's secession from Serbia. It has yet to hear any cases.

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, President Hashim Thaci and parliamentary speaker Veseli are former KLA commanders.

The court's judges and prosecutors are foreign but it has been set up under Kosovan law, giving Pristina jurisdiction over it.

Calling for the parliamentary vote to be halted, U.S. ambassador Greg Delawie said it would have "extraordinarily negative implications" for Kosovo.

"It is just a disgrace," he told reporters in Pristina. "This will be considered by the U.S. as stab in the back. Kosovo will be choosing isolation instead of cooperation."

There was no immediate response from Kosovo officials to Delawie's comments. Washington has been Kosovo's leading political and financial backer since it declared independence in 2008.

Nataliya Apostolova, the EU representative in Pristina, called the attempt to scrap the court "appalling and extremely damaging".

The court was set up following U.S. and European pressure on the government to confront alleged KLA crimes against ethnic Serbs.

According to Kosovo media, the court could indict or call as witnesses some of current government officials. It was set up in the Netherlands to minimize the risk of witness intimidation and judicial corruption.

Kosovo's war veterans' association last week launched an initiative to hold a parliamentary debate to abolish the law that established the court. They gathered 15,000 signatures, Kosovo media reported.

NATO air strikes on Serbia forced Belgrade to withdraw its troops from Kosovo in 1999, having killed around 10,000 Albanian civilians. NATO has around 5,000 troops stationed in Kosovo to keep a still fragile peace.

Kosovo, which is 90 percent ethnic Albanian and 5 percent Serbian, is recognised by more than 110 mainly by western countries but not by Serbia's key ally Russia or China.
Moscow: The US decision to supply weapons to Ukraine is dangerous as it will encourage Kiev to use force in eastern Ukraine, Russian officials said on Saturday.

The US State Department said on Friday the United States would provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities" as Kiev battles Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country.

Supplies of any weapons now encourage those who support the conflict in Ukraine to use the "force scenario," Russia's RIA state news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin as saying on Saturday.

Franz Klintsevich, a member of the upper house of parliament's security committee, said Kiev would consider arms supplies as support of its actions, Interfax news agency reported.

"Americans, in fact, directly push Ukrainian forces to war," Klintsevich said.

After Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine and Russia are at loggerheads over a war in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces that has killed more than 10,000 people in three years.

Kiev accuses Moscow of sending troops and heavy weapons to the region, which Russia denies.

The Russian foreign ministry said the US decision once again undermines Minsk agreements, TASS state news agency reported on Saturday.

Minsk agreements intended to end the fighting in Ukraine were signed by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France in the Belarussian capital in early 2015.
Washington: A US appeals court on Friday said President Donald Trump's hotly contested travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries should not be applied to people with strong US ties.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers several West Coast states, also said its ruling would be put on hold pending a decision on the latest version of the travel ban from the Trump administration by the US Supreme Court.

Since taking office in January, Trump has been struggling to enact a ban that passes court muster.

A three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit narrowed a previous injunction from a lower federal court to those people "with a credible bona fide relationship with the United States."

It also said that while the US president has broad powers to regulate the entry of immigrants into the United States, those powers are not without limits.

"We conclude that the Presidents issuance of the Proclamation once again exceeds the scope of his delegated authority," the panel said.

The ban targets people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen seeking to enter the United States. Trump, a Republican, has said the travel ban is needed to protect the United States from terrorism.

The state of Hawaii, however, challenged it in court, and a Honolulu federal judge said it exceeded Trump's powers under immigration law.

Trump's 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 same three-judge 9th Circuit panel, which limited a previous version of Trump's ban, heard arguments earlier this month.

Trump issued his first travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries in January, which caused chaos at airports and mass protests.

He issued a revised one in March after the first was blocked by federal courts.

That expired in September after a court fight and was replaced with the current version.

The ban has some exceptions. Certain people from each targeted country can still apply for a visa for tourism, business or education purposes, and applicants can ask for an individual waiver.

We are pleased that the Supreme Court has already allowed the government to implement the proclamation and keep all Americans safe while this matter is litigated. We continue to believe that the order should be allowed to take effect in its entirety," US Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said in a statement.
United Nations: The UN Security Council unanimously approved tough new sanctions against North Korea on Friday in response to its latest launch of a ballistic missile that Pyongyang says is capable of reaching anywhere on the US mainland.

The resolution adopted by the council includes sharply lower limits on North Korea's refined oil imports, the return home of all North Koreans working overseas within 24 months, and a crackdown on ships smuggling banned items including coal and oil to and from the country.

But the resolution doesn't include even harsher measures sought by the Trump administration that would ban all oil imports and freeze international assets of the government and its leader, Kim Jong-Un.

The resolution, drafted by the United States and negotiated with the North's closest ally China, drew criticism from Russia for the short time the 13 other council nations had to consider the draft, and last-minute changes to the text.

Two of those changes were extending the deadline for North Korean workers to return home from 12 months to 24 months  which Russia said was the minimum needed  and reducing the number of North Koreans being put on the UN sanctions blacklist from 19 to 15.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said after the vote that "the unity this council has shown in leveling these unprecedented sanctions is a reflection of the international outrage at the Kim regime's actions."

The Security Council has stood united for the 10th time "against a North Korean regime that rejects the pursuit of peace," she said.

President Donald Trump tweeted the 15-0 vote, adding: "The World wants Peace, not Death!"

China's deputy U.N. ambassador, Wu Haitao, said it's "imperative" to pursue a peaceful settlement and resume dialogue and negotiations at an early date, warning that resorting to force "will only lead to disastrous consequences."

Deputy Russian Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov also demanded that key parties display "openness to genuine, meaningful political dialogue." Stressing the importance of "creative approaches," he said that "isolation and pressure must give way to dialogue and talks."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for a political solution, "which requires de-escalation and open communication channels now," his spokesman said.

Haley recalled that the previous sanctions resolution approved in September, when combined with earlier measures, would ban over 90 percent of North Korea's exports reported in 2016.

That resolution, adopted in response to North Korea's sixth and strongest nuclear test explosion on Sept. 3, banned North Korea from importing all natural gas liquids and condensates. It also banned all textile exports and prohibited any country from authorizing new work permits for North Korean workers  two key sources of hard currency for the northeast Asian nation.

Haley told the council Friday that the new resolution "bans all remaining categories of major North Korean exports  a loss of nearly $250 million in revenue to the regime."

Here are key provisions of the new sanctions:

The import of refined oil products, including diesel and kerosene that are key to North Korea's economy, is capped at 500,000 barrels a year. That represents a reduction from the 4.5 million barrels North Korea imported in 2016, and a cap of 2 million barrels in September's resolutions. And it means the North's refined oil imports have been cut by 90 percent.

The import of crude oil is capped at 4 million barrels a year and countries supplying oil are required to provide quarterly reports to the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions on North Korea.

North Korea is banned from exporting food and agriculture products, machinery, electrical equipment, earth and stones, wood and vessels  and all countries are banned from importing these items.

All countries are banned from exporting industrial machinery, transportation vehicles, iron, steel and other metals to North Korea.

All countries must expel North Korean workers and safety monitors by the end of 2019. The resolution expresses concern that earnings from these workers are being used to support the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. According to the U.S. Mission, there are nearly 100,000 overseas North Korean workers, with about 50,000 in China and 30,000 in Russia.

UN member states are authorized to seize, inspect and impound any ship in their ports or territorial waters suspected of being involved in illegal smuggling and evasion of U.N. sanctions. The resolution expresses "great concern" that North Korea is illegally exporting coal and other prohibited items "through deceptive maritime practices and obtaining petroleum illegally through ship-to-ship transfers."

All countries are banned from providing insurance or re-insurance to North Korean-affiliated ships believed to be involved in illegal smuggling and sanctions evasion and are required to de-register these vessels.

Fifteen North Koreans, including 13 representing banks overseas, and the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces were added to the U.N. sanctions blacklist. The two others facing a travel ban and asset freeze are Kim Jong Sik, identified as a leading official guiding North Korea's development of weapons of mass destruction, and Ri Pyong Chul, an alternate member of the Political Bureau of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and first vice director of the Munitions Industry Department.

North Korea's test on November 29 of its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile yet was its 20th launch of a ballistic missile this year, and added to fears that it will soon have a military arsenal that can viably target the U.S. mainland.

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said the Security Council was sending "a very strong united signal to the North Korean regime that enough is enough  that they must stop their nuclear program and they must stop their intercontinental ballistic missile program."

France's U.N. ambassador, Francois Delattre, said: "We believe maximum pressure today is our best lever to a political and diplomatic solution tomorrow ... (and) our best antidote to the risk of war."

The new resolution reiterates the Security Council's regret at North Korea's "massive diversion of its scarce resources toward its development of nuclear weapons and a number of expensive ballistic missile programs." It notes that 41 percent of the population is undernourished.

The resolution reaffirms the council's support for a resumption of six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program aimed at the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

It also reiterates the importance of maintaining peace and stability in northeast Asia and "expresses its commitment to a peace, diplomatic and political solution to the situation ... through dialogue."
Lynchburgs Nathaniel Marshall, equal employment opportunities manager of BWX Technologies Inc., was reappointed to Gov. Terry McAuliffes administration Friday, according to a news release from the governors office.

Marshall serves on the Virginia Board of Workforce Development. Appointees are focused on finding common ground with members of both parties on issues that will build a new Virginia economy and create more jobs across the commonwealth.
ZESA Holdings employees who participated in a demonstration over a string of dodgy energy deals entered between flamboyant businessman Wicknell Chivayo and the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC)  a unit of the power utility firm  are facing arrest after defying a court order.



The employees took part in a demonstration on Thursday even after High Court judge Happious Zhou barred them from protesting pending the finalisation of show-cause order proceedings from the Public Service ministry.



Zesa Holdings lawyer Taona Sibanda on Thursday said he was moving to have the employees brought to book for defying the court order.





The demonstration by the workers comes after ZPC and Chivayos Intratek Zimbabwe (Private) Limited signed mega solar deals that came under intense spotlight in recent weeks, amid serious investigations that included the need by the businessman to provide bank statements, cash books and documentation in relation to the energy contracts.



The employees accused the company  in their notice announcing their bid to demonstrate dated December 8, 2017  of ignoring their concerns and demands.



We wrote a letter of demand to the Zesa CEO,but no serious effort has been made by the employer to attend to our demands, major amongst them accounting for the money given to one, ...Chivayo, senseless tariff increases and refusal by the employer to implement the 2012 CBA

(collective bargaining agreement), the employees said.



Chivayos deals have been marred in controversy following a $5 million pay-out to his company to work on a 100 Megawatt Gwanda solar plant in a $200 million tender, amid indications that he had received several other tenders from ZPC.



Some of the tenders include a tender for the refurbishment of the Harare Power Station at a cost of $73 million, $163 million for the restoration of the Munyati Power Station and $248 million for the Gairezi Power project.



The employees said they are bitter that the company was seized with a bid to patronise former first lady Grace Mugabe at the expense of crucial issues that are key to production.



Following the notice from the employees, Zesa Holdings wrote to Public Service minister Petronella Kagonye challenging the workers decision to go on strike.



We view the intended demonstration being orchestrated by the(Energy Sector Workers Union of Zimbabwe) as a threat of collective job action which falls short of the requirements of the provisions of the Labour Act and therefore unlawful.



The intended collective job action is likely to negatively affect the operations of the organisation. Zesa falls within the category of an essential service in which workers are barred from engaging in collective job action.



Accordingly, in terms of Section 106 (1) of the Labour Act, we hereby apply for the issuance of a show cause order against the Energy Sector Workers Union of Zimbabwe calling upon it to show cause why a disposal should not be made in relation thereto. We also propose in terms of 106 (2) (a) (b) of the Act that pending the issuance of the disposal order, the unlawful collective action concerned be terminated or postponed or suspended, the letter dated December 14 reads.



Zesa Holdings, through its lawyer Sibanda, went on to file an urgent chamber application against the Energy Sector Workers Union of Zimbabwe, seeking to stop the demonstration, which had initially been slated for December 15.



According to Rufaro Pasipanodya, the companys head of corporate services, the union wrote to Zesa Holdings on November 27, 2017, demanding what it called accountability and restoration of corporate legacy.



The background of this matter is that on or about December 15, 2017, the applicant (Zesa Holdings) gathered through its internal intelligence and security that members associating themselves with the respondent (Energy Sector Workers Union of Zimbabwe) were bent on embarking on a collective job action. Applicant promptly engaged the Ministry of Labour (for) a show cause order against the respondents, Pasipanodya said.



Pasipanodya further said the actions by the employees are unlawful, as the strike would cripple industries that rely on electricity and ultimately the economy.

Despite the clear provisions of law, the respondent has persisted in a typical show of lawless and bullish attitude, to forcefully persist with threats of disobedience to the due process of the show cause order, the court heard. Daily News
Early Childhood Development teachers at State-run schools will be paid from development levies with no extra cost to parents, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavima has said.



In an interview last week, Prof Mavima said available Government resources will cater for learning institutions requiring support.



Yes, ECD teachers will be paid by parents, but those in the field right now are not affected. I want to assure parents that there wont be hiccups as we implement these changes.

Teachers who are being trained will be deployed to schools that require Government support, while the rest will be absorbed through appointments by schools. For example, Alexandra Park Primary School in Harare can afford to employ two ECD teachers because its levies permit.





So, we will use Government resources to cater for less-resourced schools and then get those schools that can afford to get their own teachers. Prof Mavimas clarification follows speculative reports around Governments decision to wean ECD teachers from the Civil Service payroll. Sunday Mail
Mr Mugwadi said: We havent received any complaints, but from a human rights point of view, our own observation is that this intervention was timely. There was a lot of alarm and despondency on the part of the people in terms of not knowing where they were going.
The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association has hailed the appointment of Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje as the Zanu-PF national political commissar saying the move will help reconnect the party with its liberation ethos.



Lt Gen Rugeje, a veteran of the liberation war, was appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa into the Zanu-PF Politburo during the partys extra ordinary congress last Friday replacing Mr Saviour Kasukuwere who was expelled along with 25 other members of the G40 cabal.



The President also appointed Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri as the partys chairperson among a number of appointments.





War veterans are on record calling for the deployment of a person with liberation credentials to the Zanu-PF commissariat department so that they guide the party in accordance with the partys liberation ethos.





They condemned the conduct of Mr Kasukuwere, a key member of the G40 cabal, who used the position to purge perceived enemies of his clique especially targeting party cadres with a liberation background.





ZNLWVA spokesperson Cde Douglas Mahiya yesterday said Lt Gen Rugejes appointment marks a shift towards getting the party back on the rails in the aftermath of the chaotic and destabilising politics of the G40 cabal.





We hail his appointment to the position of political commissar. Remember, we have always encouraged the party to deploy someone with a liberation background in the partys commissariat department.





It is the articulation of the revolutionary principles and ethos that should guide the party in its activities, he said.

The party and the people will benefit from those principles. We will be able to actually position the party in its former position, that of a party guided by the liberation principles and ideology.

Political analyst Mr Richard Mahomva weighed in saying the partys ideological values need to be celebrated and imparted especially on the youth.





Cde Rugejes appointment is quite significant in addressing the long dismissal of war veterans participation in the party. Therefore, his tenure must play a decisive role in anchoring long lasting binding terms to unity in the party and country at large, he said.





Mr Mahomva said, in line with President Mnangagwas address at the Zanu-PF extraordinary congress, the party must connect with the youth and impart the liberation tradition and ideology to future commissar s.





That way, ideological values of the party will be carried into the future, he said.

Addressing Zanu-PF members as he opened the congress, President Mnangagwa said the G40 faction and their destructive politics had not only destabilised Zanu-PF but also brought confusion in the country.





It had destabilised the party, causing absolute divisions and disquiet in the nation which sat on edge. The party ideology, rules and protocols were being desecrated daily; or simply being brushed aside at will, said President Mnangagwa.





Party structures were overrun, while elected office-bearers were summarily suspended and dismissed at speeds of caprice and vaulting ambition. Corrupt activities and corrupt individuals were daily sanitised while millions of dollars were being stolen and stashed outside the country.

President Mnangagwa said the G40 cabal created a self-serving environment that shielded corrupt tendencies and criminals.





The economy bled from repeated rampant smuggling. The country was violated with impunity. Disaffection was building especially from among the youths who were seeing their hopes of a bright future slipping away, he said.





Veterans who had sacrificed to liberate this country were not just being reviled; they were being abused and incarcerated on flimsy pretexts.





Party events were manipulatively re-engineered to contrive a show of popularity and unanimity. Party mobilisation was reduced to coercion. Party rallies became expensively choreographed pseudo-events dominated by a roving core group which used different venues in order to create a misleading illusion of populism which belied the bitter discontent which simmered beneath, threatening to boil.





The Zanu-PF First Secretary said the G40 group derailed the ruling party from a progressive and people oriented organisation.





Let us draw lessons from all that happened. We must vehemently defend to the hilt the party values, cultures and traditions.





Revolutions do get infiltrated and corrupted and once corrupted, they degenerate and lose direction, said President Mnangagwa.





We must never lower our guard and must arrest any negative tendencies that creep into the party to hold, corrupt and alienate us. Herald
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has lived up to his word of promoting the Buy Zimbabwe initiative and on his first foreign assignment to South Africa on Thursday, he chose to use a locally owned private airline, Fly Africa.



Fly Africa is the only locally owned airline outside Air Zimbabwe which is owned by Government.



Officiating at a Buy Zimbabwe awards ceremony in Harare recently, President Mnangagwa said: Buy Zimbabwe efforts through its annual Buy Zimbabwe Awards should be applauded. The campaign seeks to actively promote home-grown products for the domestic and global markets.

In line with this objective, President Mnangagwa walked the talk by using Fly Africa which is a low cost airline wholly owned by locals.





Fly Africa executive chairman Mr Cassidy Mugwagwa applauded the move by President Mnangagwa saying it would help to grow the local industry.





He said the confidence that President Mnangagwa had expressed in their brand as Zimbabwes First Citizen was a seal of approval and a huge milestone in the aviation industry.

It is an inspirational moment that one will never forget, he said.





The President has raised the bar and we will strive for greater heights because in our view, this is a seal of approval from the highest office. When the President talks about Buy Zimbabwe, some think it is mere talk but with this development, it is clear that he practices what he preaches to the nation.

One major way we can contribute to the growth of our economy as Zimbabweans is to promote and having confidence in our own products and brands. To us at Fly Africa, this is a brand endorsement and we say thank you Cde President, may you call again.





Mr Mugwagwa said their objective at Fly Africa was to become Zimbabwes most favoured mega brand in the aviation sector in the shortest possible time.





We have been carrying people since August and now we carried our President and this is no mean achievement by any measure. We are hoping to land on our maiden Johannesburg trip on or before January 15, 2018. What has been keeping us is the reservation system linked into the security system, which is the advanced passenger processing system which is linked to the department of Home Affairs in South Africa and our own security agencies here. All those systems are now up and our website will also be running by the second week of January, 2018 where passengers can book and buy tickets online, he said.





In line with the Buy Zimbabwe initiative, Mr Mugwagwa said they were putting extra flights for the Victoria Falls route to cater for carnival-goers before the end of this month. Herald
Idaho Cops:

Actually, There

Could Be a Threat

to the Community
A crime blogger in Texas has been hit with felony charges by police, who accuse her of publishing information before it's publicly available, the Laredo Morning Times reports. According to the Washington Post, 32-year-old Priscilla Villarrealwho goes by Lagordiloca, or the fat crazy ladyis a popular figure in Laredo, where she livestreams from crime scenes on her Facebook page, which has 84,000 followers. But she says local police are fed up with her. And on Dec. 13 Villarreal was arrested and charged with two counts of misuse of official information. She says it's a "personal vendetta." The charges stem from the suicide earlier this year of a US Customs and Border Protection employee. Villarreal had the employee's name before police made it public.

Texas law says people can be charged with misuse of official information if they receive it "with intent to obtain a benefit" from it, Texas Monthly reports. Police say in Villarreal's case, that benefit was Facebook popularity. Her lawyer says that should scare all news outlets, where whoever gets the scoop "gets the most readers, or likes, or whatever." Legal experts believe the case against Villarreal won't succeed. The name of a government employee who killed themselves is public record, and as one expert notes, it's not Villarreal's "duty to keep that information secret." Meanwhile, the Laredo Police Department has gone after who it believes is Villarreal's source: Officer Barbara Goodman. An affidavit found Goodman and Villarreal spoke on the phone more than 500 times between January and July. Goodman has been put on administrative reassignment during an investigation. (Read more blogger stories.)
A 26-year-old California man was arrested this week and charged Friday with attempting to provide material support for terrorism after he allegedly planned a Christmas suicide attack on San Francisco's Pier 39 in the name of the Islamic State, CBS News reports. Everitt Jameson of Modesto was reported for suspicious activity on Facebook after allegedly posting GIFs from October's fatal attack in New York City. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, undercover FBI agents started communicating with him via social media on Dec. 11. Jameson has espoused radical jihadi beliefs, including authoring social media posts that are supportive of terrorism, communicating with people he believes share his jihadi views, and offering to provide services to such people," FBI agent Christopher McKinney writes in an affidavit.

Court documents filed Friday state Jameson, a tow truck driver, asked an FBI agent he believed to be an ISIS leader for an assault rifle, ammunition, and pipe bomb materials, the Los Angeles Times reports. Jameson allegedly said Pier 39, a popular tourist destination, was a good location for an attack and planned to use explosives to herd people toward where he could kill them. He earned a sharpshooter rifle qualification in both M16 and AK-47 rifles from the US Marine Corps before being discharged for not disclosing his asthma. The FBI searched Jameson's home in Modesto on Wednesday, finding guns, explosives, and a signed note taking credit for an attack. Part of the note read: "You've Allowed Donald J Trump to give away [Jerusalem] to the Jews." Documents state Jameson appeared to get cold feet about the attack after an FBI employee accidentally called him on Monday. (Read more terrorist attack stories.)
The UN Security Council unanimously approved tough new sanctions against North Korea on Friday in response to its latest launch of a ballistic missile that Pyongyang says is capable of reaching anywhere on the US mainland. The AP reports the resolution adopted by the council includes sharply lower limits on North Korea's refined oil imports, the return home of all North Koreans working overseas within 24 months, and a crackdown on ships smuggling banned items including coal and oil to and from the country. But the resolution doesn't include even harsher measures sought by the Trump administration that would ban all oil imports and freeze international assets of the government and Kim Jong Un. President Trump tweeted the 15-0 vote, adding: "The World wants Peace, not Death!"

The resolution, drafted by the US and negotiated with the North's closest ally, China, drew criticism from Russia for the short time the 13 other council nations had to consider the draft, and last-minute changes to the text. Two of those changes were extending the deadline for North Korean workers to return home from 12 months to 24 monthswhich Russia said was the minimum neededand reducing the number of North Koreans being put on the UN sanctions blacklist from 19 to 15. US Ambassador Nikki Haley said after the vote that "the unity this council has shown in leveling these unprecedented sanctions is a reflection of the international outrage at the Kim regime's actions." The Security Council has stood united for the 10th time "against a North Korean regime that rejects the pursuit of peace," she said. The AP has more on the key provisions of the new sanctions.

(Read more North Korea stories.)
The engineer apparently knew the Amtrak train that derailed Monday in Washington state, killing three people and injuring more than 70, was going too fast. He just didn't know it in time. In a preliminary report, the National Transportation Safety Board states the engineer, who was in the cab with the conductor, commented on "an over speed condition" just six seconds before the crash, NBC News reports. It remains unclear why the train, the first run on a new route, was going nearly 80mph as it entered a 30mph zone. The NTSB review also found neither the conductor nor other crew were using cellphones or other personal electronic devices, as had been the case in previous crashes, according to the Los Angeles Times. (Read more train crash stories.)
One of the world's richest men is being asked to pay a staggering amount to secure his freedom, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Saudi Prince al-Waleed bin Talalwho owns stakes in Twitter and other Western companies and has an estimated worth of $18.7 billionwas arrested as part of a sweeping roundup of royals, officials, and others in Saudi Arabia orchestrated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in November. The arrests are being characterized by the government as a crackdown on corruption, but most believe they are instead a consolidation of power by Prince Mohammed. A senior Saudi official says Prince al-Waleed faces allegations of bribery, money laundering, and extortion. Prince al-Waleed denies any wrongdoing, sources say.

Prince al-Waleed has spent the last few weeks at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton, which has been turned into a prison. Sources say the Saudi government is demanding at least $6 billion from him to be released. Many of the arrested have already paid for their freedomthough $6 billion is one of the highest amounts being sought, sources say. Some close to Prince al-Waleed say he doesn't want to pay because it would be an admission of guilt and hurt his business. Instead, sources say he's trying to get the government to accept a large share of his company, which is valued at $8.7 billion or so. People close to Prince al-Waleed say his arrest was likely a shock to him, as he had been supportive of Prince Mohammed's plans for reform in Saudi Arabia. It's possible Prince Mohammed resented Prince al-Waleed for his international notoriety. Read the full WSJ report here. (Read more Saudi Arabia stories.)
The US State Department announced Friday it will be providing "enhanced defensive capabilities" to Ukraine for its struggle against separatists backed by Russia, the Guardian reports. According to CBS News, Ukraine accuses Russia of supplying separatists with tanks. And while the State Department isn't commenting on what specific weapons the US will be sending to Ukraine, one official tells CNN they include Javelin anti-tank missiles. "Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself, says State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert. The conflict between Ukraine and separatists has been going on since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. More than 10,000 people have been killed. Russia denies US and Ukraine accusations of supplying weapons to separatists.

Until this point, the US had only been providing Ukraine with non-weapon support. However, earlier this week the Trump administration announced US manufacturers could begin to sell some small arms to Ukraine. The State Department was clear those weapons weren't coming from the US government. The announcement Friday that the US government would supply weapons to Ukraine was not welcomed by Russia, where deputy foreign minister Grigory Karasin said the decision "raises the danger of derailing the process of peaceful settlement in Ukraine." Providing arms to Ukraine likely won't help the US/Russia relationship any, and Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron released a statement urging a peaceful resolution to the conflict. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
In a New York Times deep dive into President Trump's immigration agenda, which is "the product not of rigorous policy debate but of emotionally charged personal interactions and an instinct for tapping into the nativist views of white working-class Americans," come reports of racist statements made by the president during a meeting in July. The Times spoke with six officials who attended or were briefed on the meeting, during which Trump was upset about the failure of his Muslim ban and read from a document prepared by domestic policy adviser Stephen Miller. The document listed the number of immigrants who got visas to enter the US in 2017.

Of the 15,000 people who got visas in Haiti, Trump reportedly said they "all have AIDS." Sources say he complained that the 40,000 people who got visas in Nigeria wouldn't "go back to their huts." He was also reportedly upset about the 2,500 who got visas in Afghanistan because it's full of terrorists. Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirms the gist of the meeting but denies Trump made any racist comments. The press secretary says the words "AIDS" and "huts" were never used. Meanwhile, the director of pro-immigration group America's Voice says Trump's immigration policy is based on racism. "He's basically saying, 'You people of color coming to America seeking the American dream are a threat to the white people," Frank Sharry tells the Times. Read the full story here. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
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Shillong:

The state-run NEEPCO has recently signed an agreement to secure a Euro 20 million loan from German Bank KWF under the Indo-German Bilateral Development Cooperation for the completion of the Pare Hydro Electric Plant in Arunachal Pradesh, officials said today.

North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) CMD A G West Kharkongor and KFW director Christoph Kessler signed the loan agreement which was required to ensure the completion of the 110 Mega Watt power plant in which all North East states will benefit, they said.

The new loan from KFW is a top-up of the 2008 agreement with Germany in which NEEPCO secured Euro 80 million loan.

The CMD said the Euro 80 million loan had been fully drawn and utilised for the power plant and the additional amount was required to ensure its completion.

Kharkongor said the construction is at an advanced stage and the project is likely to be commissioned in March next year.

NEEPCO has also bagged two more power projects in Meghalaya after the cabinet had given its nod yesterday.

On this, Kharkongor said the company is waiting for a formal communication from the state government.

We will have to sign the memorandum of understanding and do all the other formalities before proceeding to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Once we get the DPR cleared, construction will follow, he said.

The Meghalaya cabinet had cleared two projects - the 57 MW Umduna and 69 MW Umjaut - to be handed over to NEEPCO.

Both the projects were given to Mumbai-based ETA Star Infrastructure Ltd but the agreements were terminated in November this year.

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Bengaluru:

Karnataka Police has registered an FIR against senior Karnataka BJP leader and Member of Parliament Shobha Karandlaje under IPC Sections 153/153(a) and 505(2) at Honnavar Police Station for allegedly spreading enmity between two communities.



Speaking to News Nation, Hemant Nimbalakar, IG Western Range Karnataka said, "After Paresh Mesta's mysterious death, the situation was sensitive in Honnavar and other parts of Uttar Kannada district. During the same time, we heard few people are spreading rumours that a girl was molested by jihadis. We started an investigation and found that honourable MP had tweeted this information".



Shobha Karandlaje had posted a number of tweets regarding Paresh Mestaas death and on December 14 she alleged that jihadis tried to rape and murder a Hindu girl and questioned Chief Minister Siddharamaiah on his silence.

Jihadis tried to rape and murder a girl studying in 9th std near honnavar.Why is the govt silent about this incident?Arrest those who molested and injured this girl. Where are you CM @siddaramaiah? a Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) December 14, 2017

On December 14 a class 9 school girl had complained that two persons tried to kidnap her. She had injury marks on her wrist which she alleged she received while resisting the kidnappers who were carrying knives with them. However, after 3 days, police clarified that the wounds on the girlas wrist were self-inflicted and that she had attempted to commit suicide since she was reportedly being harassed by a man belonging to her own community.
New Delhi:

The Pakistani troops on Saturday violated ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmiras Keri (120 Infantry Brigade) Battalion area along the Line of Control. One Army Major and three soldiers were martyred while one injured in the ceasefire violation, ANI reported.

The injured jawan has been airlifted to hospital for medical treatment. A defence spokesman said Pakistani troops targeted the Army patrol at Brat Galla in Keri sector at around 1215 hours.

aWe suffered three fatal casualties including one officer in the incident. Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to their injuries. Two other personnel also sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment,a the spokesman said.

The Army, in a statement, said that Indian troops retaliated astrongly and effectivelya to the aunprovokeda firing.Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh paid rich tributes to the slain soldiers and condemned Pakistan for the ceasefire violation.

aPakistan is indulging in such cowardly actions and is being given a befitting response, but it does not desist from such cowardly acts,a Singh said.

Major Ambadas (32) belonged to Bhandara district in Maharashtra and is survived by wife Avoli Moharkar, while Lance Naik Gurmail Singh (34) belonged to Amritsar district in Punjab and is survived by wife kuljit Kaur and a daughter.

J&K: Visuals of an army officer, and three jawans who lost their lives in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Keri (120 Infantry Brigade) Batallion Area pic.twitter.com/U8Kc06fuYM a ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

Sepoy Pargat Singh (30) belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the Army said.

The ceasefire violation comes two days after Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa remark that he supports peace talks with India. Qamar had said that issues with India could be solved through talks instead of war.

However, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat in response to Bajwa's statement saidA peace talks with Pakistan could only take place when it stops supporting terrorists in the valley.

#FLASH Three jawans killed, including an officer, and one injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Keri (120 Infantry Brigade) Batallion Area, J&K pic.twitter.com/C3TVcXWjTM a ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

(With PTI Inputs)

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New Delhi:

Newly-elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit the famous Somnath temple on Saturday. This will be his second visit to the temple. Earlier, he had visited the temple on campaign trail in Gujarat for the Assembly polls.A

The Congress leader landed at Keshod Airport in Saurashtra and offered prayers at the temple which is about 420 km from the state capital.

Gandhi is scheduled to hold zone-wise meets with Saurashtra, Central Gujarat, South Gujarat and North Gujarat leaders in Ahmedabad today and is expected to address the Congress workers.

Rahul Gandhi's visit to the Somnath temple got mired in a controversy after his name was found written on the entry register meant for non-Hindus, with the Congress calling it "fake" and BJP insisting that the leader declare his religious faith before people.

He began his two-day visit to the state after offering prayers at the famous temple.

Non-Hindus are allowed to visit the temple but have to first get themselves registered at the shrine's office.A A purported photocopy of the page of the register for non-Hindus with names of Gandhi and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel written on it went viral on social media soon after their visit.

The signature against their names was that of the Congress party's media coordinator Manoj Tyagi.A

Here are the LIVE updates:

#Congress President Rahul Gandhi offered prayers at Gujarat's Somnath temple.A

#A Congress President Rahul Gandhi offers prayers at Gujarat's Somnath temple.A

#A Congress President Rahul Gandhi visits Gujarat's Somnath templeA

# Congress President Rahul Gandhi arrives at Gujarat's Keshod Airport, to visit Somnath temple, also to hold review meetings with newly-elected MLAs and party workers later today.

With PTI Inputs

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New Delhi:

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took a jibe at BJP, saying that if the latter made a film series, it would be called "Lie Hard."

"If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard #BJPLieHard #BJPLies #HowManyBJPLies," he tweeted.

Rahul Gandhi's tweet comes a day after he alleged that the entire architecture, structure and foundation of the ruling party was based on "lies" and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Gujarat model' was "flawed and fake".

 Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 23, 2017

Also Read: Congress President Rahul Gandhi to visit Gujarat's Somnath temple today

He was speaking after chairing the first meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party, as the Congress chief, with his mother Sonia Gandhi seated next to him, alongwith former prime minister Manmohan Singh and other senior members of the party.

Sources said the issue of indiscipline in the party, with leaders giving out-of-turn statements that hurt the party's prospects in the recent assembly elections, were also raised at the meeting, besides the need to strengthen the organisational structure.

Rahul Gandhi, who had launched a relentless onslaught against Modi during the Gujarat polls, continued in the same vein as he termed the 'Gujarat model' a "lie".

He alleged that people of the state say it is a "flawed and fake" model where there is "stealing" of resources which are handed over to a "few vested interests".

"The whole architecture of the BJP is about lies, their whole structure is about lies...BJP's entire foundation is based on lies.

"If you see the Modi model in Gujarat, it was a lie, clearly. When we went to Gujarat and we spoke to the people of Gujarat, they said there is no model. What is going on is the stealing of resources of the people of Gujarat and that's their design," he told reporters after the meeting.

Gandhi alleged that whether it was putting Rs 15 lakh in every bank accounts, the 2G spectrum allocation issue, or the Modi model, "one by one the lies are coming out".

In his inaugural speech, he said he was surprised to see that it is universally understood by people of Gujarat that "this a flawed, fake model".

"The main expression was that he (Modi) has handed over Gujarat to a few vested interests and he has taken tremendous benefits from Gujarat but Gujarat hasn?t received anything in return," he said.

On the 2G verdict, he said, "I think 2G has been a vindication (of our party's stand)...Everyone knows about 2G and the truth has come before all of you."

Addressing the CWC, he said the BJP used the 2G issue as the biggest instrument against the UPA government which has "turned out to be fake".

"So the idea, their model, is to come up with a lie, spread that lie, and just keep repeating that lie until people believe the lie. And the good news that I can see is that people are now beginning to question it.

"Across the country, they are questioning Mr Modi on the economy, they're questioning Mr Modi when he insults our ex- prime minister. So that feeling is coming up and there is a positive sentiment towards the Congress party," he told theCWC

Gandhi said there is a lot of opportunity for the Congress "that we need to step into and take advantage of".

He also questioned the "silence" of the prime minister on the changes made in the Rafale deal to allegedly help a businessman and the charges of financial irregularities of a firm linked to BJP chief Amit Shah's son Jay.

"It was disappointing that we lost but it was pleasing to see the Congress party fight hatred and anger with respect, love and courage. I send my good wishes to people of both states," he said.

He termed the Gujarat campaign as "unique" and "a real eye-opener" for him, where he got to know how the BJP designs campaigns and "uses hatred and untruth" to fight elections.

"One of the successes that the Congress party can take credit for in Gujarat is the dismantling of the Modi model of development. I was surprised when I went to Gujarat," he said.

Towards the end of the campaign, Gandhi alleged that the BJP attempted to polarise the election.

"At every step, they were trying to polarise. Our party played a very positive role in keeping everybody together. And then we also saw how in their desperation, the Prime Minister himself accused Dr Manmohan Singh of complete blatant falsehood and a lie. And he has had nothing to say about that since then," he said.

Later addressing the media, Congress communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said the CWC also discussed the current political situation and how the BJP "concocted the conspiracy" against the Congress in the 2G issue.

"How prime minister Modi, Arun Jaitley and the BJP stands exposed today with the 2G verdict by special CBI Court.

"The BJP maligned the country and the Congress party for years together making false allegations of corruption as their principal strategy to gain power.

"The BJP, particularly Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley and their stooge, Vinod Rai created a 'fallacious web of allegations of corruption'. The truth is, however, out in the open that the BJP made a profession out of its conspiracy of lies and falsehoods to gain power at any cost.

"Narendra Modi, Shri Arun Jaitley and the BJP leadership should come forward to own up their sinister maligning machinations and apologise to the nation," he said.

The CWC meeting was attended by top party leaders like Ahmed Patel, Ambika Soni, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Kamal Nath, BK Hari Prasad, CP Joshi, Motilal Vora, Mohsina Kidwai, Mallikarjun Kharge and others, besides state incharges.

The CWC also passed a resolution lauding the contribution of Sonia Gandhi in leading and guiding the party to great heights during her 19 years of presidentship.

Without naming anyone, some leaders raised the issue of enforcing discipline in the party and action against errant leaders, to which Rahul Gandhi agreed, the sources said.

"I agree. We will ensure discipline is enforced and the party is strengthened," Gandhi reportedly told the meeting.

Former prime minister Singh raised the issue of the challenges ahead for the party.

"The Working Committee was unanimous in saying that the momentum gained from the current set of elections would only be enhanced so that in the next set of elections Congress emerges victorious," Surjewala said.

With PTI Inputs

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New Delhi:

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his much talked-about Gujarat development model was debunked during the recent assembly polls.

Rahul held zone-wise introspection meetings in Ahmedabad to ascertain reasons for the partys defeat and said a new Congress leadership has emerged in Gujarat, adding the party will win 135 seats in 2022.

While addressing party workers, Rahul said, You fought very well. We managed to gherao the BJP, as you could see that they were not able to give reply to our questions.

Modiji, in the end, spoke about himself, about (former prime minister) Manmohan Singh. But all earlier talk about development and Modi model was debunked by Congress workers and the people of Gujarat, he said.

Also Read | Cong President Rahul Gandhi offers prayers at Somnath temple

The entire country was asking what happened to the Gujarat model. Modiji would not be able to talk about it in the future,the Congress chief said.

The question asked three or four months ago was can the Congress fight elections, nobody was talking about us winning it. The Gujarat Congress has shown the entire country that if it fights in one voice on the basis of its ideology, it wont get defeated, he said.

We lost in the elections, but we won. That is the reality. We won because they (the BJP) fought with anger, they had all the equipment, money, chief ministers of different states (to campaign), industrialists, but we had truth, the Congress chief said.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi also visited the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district.

While the BJP retained power in Prime Minister Modis home state by winning 99 seats in the Assembly polls earlier this month, the Congress increased its tally significantly by winning 77 seats.

(With PTI Inputs)

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New Delhi:

Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said that the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has strengthened itself by creating more Border Outposts (BOP) after the Dokalam standoff with China.

Addressing the border guarding force during its 54th anniversary parade here, the minister said the SSB not only guards Indiaas border with Nepal and Bhutan, it also takes care that friendly relations with these neighbouring countries do not sour.

aThe past year has been tremendous for the force. The SSB has increased its strength after the Dokalam standoff with China, by creating more border outposts near Sikkim and Bhutan border,a Singh said.

Video link of Union Home Minister Shri @rajnathsingh 30th IB Centenary Endowment Lecture https://t.co/rsyudUwsKe a HMO India (@HMOIndia) December 23, 2017

He also lauded the force for its counter insurgency operations and anti-Naxal operations.

aPeople living near border areas should be considered as strategic assets of India. The force takes care of them by organising several events which is appreciated,a he said.

When asked about confidence building measures with neighbouring countries, Singh said, aConfidence building measures are a continuing and ongoing process. It is always on and should be always on.a

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New Delhi:

A special CBI court in Ranchi to pronounce the verdict in fodder scam case on Saturday in which RJD chief Lalu Prasad is an accused. Former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad, has been convicted in one of the fodder scam cases which involves illegal withdrawal of Rs 84.5 lakh from Deogarh district treasury during 1994 -1996.

Here is the timeline of the events:

December 21, 2017: A special CBI court in Ranchi to pronounce the verdict in fodder scam case in which RJD chief Lalu Prasad is an accused



December 13, 2017: Hearing of case number RC-64A/96 completed in the CBI court of Shivpal Singh. Judgment will be pronounced on Saturday



May 2017: The Supreme Court holds that Lalu Prasad and other accused persons, including Mishra, will be tried separately for corruption in a criminal case involving the withdrawal of Rs 84.53 lakh and falsification of records from the Deoghar Treasury in 1991-94



November 2016: The Supreme Court pulls up Mishra for allegedly dragging and delaying the appeal filed by the CBI, challenging the quashing of four pending fodder scam cases against him



November 2014: The CBI challenges the order of the Jharkhand High Court quashing four pending fodder scam cases against Lalu Prasad on the grounds that a person convicted in one case could not be tried in similar cases based on same witnesses and evidences. The court upholds the CBI plea to continue proceedings in the trial court against Lalu Prasad under two sections

September 30, 2013: Lalu Prasad and Mishra along with 45 others are convicted by Special CBI Judge Pravas Kumar Singh. Lalu Prasad stands disqualified as member of the Lok Sabha following the verdict. The two cannot contest any election, including that of the Assembly/Council for six years from the date of their release from jail.

September 17, 2013: The Special CBI court reserves its judgment

August 13, 2013: The Supreme Court rejects Lalu Prasads plea seeking the transfer of the trial court judge hearing the case

March 2012: Six months after their appearance before the Special CBI court, charges are framed against Lalu Prasad and Mishra. The court charges the former with fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 47 lakh from the treasuries at Banka and Bhagalpur districts, wherein forged and fake bills were drawn by the Animal Husbandry Department in 1995-96 when he was the Chief Minister



June 2007: The special CBI court in Ranchi sentences 58 persons, including two nephews of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, to jail terms ranging from two-and-a-half years to six years for fraudulently withdrawing Rs 48 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury in the 1990s.

December 2006: Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi acquitted of charges in the disproportionate assets case filed by the CBI

February 2002: Trial begins in the Ranchi special CBI court

October 5, 2001: The Supreme Court transfers the scam cases to Jharkhand after the creation of the new State

April 5, 2000: Charges framed before the special CBI court. Rabri Devis name included as co-accused, but she is granted bail. Lalu Prasads bail plea rejected and he is remanded in judicial custody

July 30, 1997: Lalu Prasad surrenders before a CBI court and sent to judicial custody

June 23, 1997: The CBI files a charge sheet and names Lalu Prasad and 55 others as accused in the case. 63 cases were registered under IPC Sections 420 (forgery) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) and Section 13 (b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act

March 27, 1996: The CBI registers an FIR in the Chaibasa Treasury case



March 11, 1996: The Patna High Court directs the CBI to probe the scam. The Supreme Court upholds the order

January 1996: The scam surfaces after deputy commissioner Amit Khare raids the offices of the Animal Husbandry Department and seizes documents that showed siphoning of funds by non-existent companies in the name of supplying fodder

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New Delhi:

The swearing in ceremony of new BJP government in Gujarat will take place at Gandhinagar Sachivalaya Ground on December 26.

BJP has decided to give Vijay Rupani another term as Gujarat Chief minister and retained Nitin Patel in his deputys role.

Both Rupani and Nitin Patel will take oath as Gujarat CM and deputy CM respectively.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah are likely to attend the lavish oath taking ceremony of Vijay Rupani.

Along with Rupani and Patel, new cabinet ministers will also take oath.

Earlier on Friday, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced that Vijay Rupani has been elected the leader of the BJP legislature party in Gujarat, and will continue as state's chief minister for a second term.

Also Read | Indiscipline, irrelevant remarks cost Congress Gujarat election, accepts CWC

The BJP had registered a sixth straight Assembly poll win in the key western state on December 18, winning 99 seats in the 182-member House.

Though the Congress performed its best in many years, winning 77 seats, it could not unseat the BJP.

Chief Minister Rupani and Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel had already tendered their resignations to Governor OP Kohli after BJPs Gujarat election victory.

The 13th Gujarat Assembly was formally dissolved by the Governor while accepting the resignations. Rupani was named as the acting Chief Minister.

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New Delhi:

Accusing BJP and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar of deliberately trying to malign his fathers image, Lalu Yadavs son Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday said, he will challenge the special courts judgement in fodder scam case in the High Court.

Earlier in the day, a special CBI court in Ranchi had convicted former Bihar Chief and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and 15 others in the fodder scam case.

Reacting to his fathers conviction, Tejashwi Yadav said, (He) will challenge judgement in the High Court. Bail procedure would take place only after HC's opening.

Hitting out at the BJP and Nitish Kumar, he said, Nitish Kumar, BJP kept trying to malign Lalu Ji.

Lalu Yadav has also accused BJP of deliberately targeting him by using CBI and other agencies.

Soon after a special CBI court in Ranchi pronounced its verdict and held Lalu guilty, the RJD chief took to twitter to express his anguish.

Also Read | 'Truth will win, in the end though,' says Lalu after conviction in fodder scam

Lalu in a series of tweets said, Truth can be made to appear as a lie, as ambiguous or a half lie by concerted onslaught of bias driven propaganda. But blurred layer of bias and hatred will still be removed, come what may! In end Truth will win.

Lalu said he is a son of soil and feudalist forces can bother him but cant defeat.

The BJP, however, rubbished Lalus allegations saying the RJD chief is politicizing the issue instead of accepting the verdict.

Lalu Prasad Yadav is even now politicizing the issue instead of accepting the verdict, just to deviate he is levelling allegations of conspiracy on BJP, Union Minister JP Nadda said.

Another senior BJP leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, Lesson of today's conviction of Lalu Prasad is that law will catch up with you if you commit corruption.

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New Delhi:

Study suggests that individuals affected by depression might have genes associated with anxiety, worry and low mood.

The researchers from University of Edinburg in UK have studied the DNA of over 3,000 people and found many related to neuroticism and characterised by feelings of nervousness, anxiety, worry and guilt. The genes are also linked with depression.

Depression, which affects one in every five people, is caused by a number of things going on in a persons life.

The studies analysed genetic information from a group of people aged from 39 to 73 years whose levels of neuroticism had been measured by a personality questionnaire.

DNA analysis, including the personality questionnaire, revealed 116 gene variations connected to neuroticism.

The researchers found that the genes associated with neuroticism had some links with genes associated with susceptibility to depression and other psychiatric conditions. More than half of the genetic variations associated with neuroticism are expressed in the brain.

Michelle Luciano of Edinburgh University said, These discoveries promise paths to understand the mechanisms whereby some people become depressed, and of broader human differences in happiness. They are a resource for those seeking treatment for depression.

Also Read: Are you feeling suicidal? Anaesthesia drug ketamine may reduce those thoughts in no time

Ian Deary from University of Edinburgh said, For millennia, it has been recognised that people have a greater or lesser tendency to feel low, worry, and experience other negative emotions.

We knew that a part of the explanation is genetic differences between people, but its been a mystery which genes are involved. These new results make a substantial contribution to solving that mystery by pointing to many specific places in the genome that are linked with neuroticism, Deary added.
Washington :

President Donald Trump today signed the most sweeping US tax overhaul in over 30 years into law and asserted that he has fulfilled his Christmas promise to the countrymen.

The USD 1.5 trillion tax reform bill was passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday for the second time by 224 to 201 votes to clear the technical snag in the passage of the package, which was passed by the Senate and House earlier.

Trump signed the sweeping tax overhaul which represents the most drastic changes to the US tax code since 1986 into law in his Oval Office of the White House before leaving for Florida on his Christmas vacation.

Trump told reporters that he was rushing through the signing of the bill to fulfil his promise to his fellow countrymen that he would do it before Christmas.

aI didnat want you folks to say I wasnat keeping my promise. ... we did a rush job today and it wasnat fancy... we expected a formal ceremony in two weeks,a Trump said.

Today, it was my great honor to sign the largest TAX CUTS and reform in the history of our country. Full remarks: https://t.co/kMxoxEB68G pic.twitter.com/OeAoA0sLfx a Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017

The passage of the bill by the Senate and House of Representatives is considered to be the first major legislative victory for President Donald Trump, after coming to power.

Early this week, the Republican-majority Congress passed the tax reform bill, which was Trumpas key election promise.

The bill among other things reduces income tax of individuals, drops down the business tax to 21 per cent. Trump called the tax package the abiggest tax cuts and reform in our countrya.

The president said New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft said that because of the tax bill he was building aa tremendous paper mill.a

He called it aa bill for the middle class and a bill for jobsa.

aCorporations are literally going wild,a he said. The Democrats were highly critical of the tax reform

bill.

aThe American people have been robbed of the substantive and exhaustive debate in Congress they deserve on a USD 1.5 trillion bill that will shake up our entire economy and cripple our nationas spending power for decades to come,a Senator Tom Carper had said.

Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said the Republican tax bill would add nearly USD 1.5 trillion to the national debt while raising taxes on working families, and destabilise health care system by leaving 13 million more Americans without insurance.

aThis legislation is a ticking tax bomb: millions of middle-class families could see their taxes increase over the next decade as state and local tax deductions and other middle-class provisions get dramatically scaled back,a he had said.

aThis tax aplana is little more than a gift to corporations and the top one per cent and an attack on our values,a alleged Senator Kamala Harris.A

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Manila:

The death toll from a tropical storm in the southern Philippines climbed swiftly to 133 on Saturday, as rescuers pulled dozens of bodies from a swollen river, police said.

Tropical Storm Tembin has lashed the nation's second-largest island of Mindanao since Friday, triggering flashfloods and mudslides. The Philippines is pummelled by 20 major storms each year on average, many of them deadly. But Mindanao, home to 20 million people, is rarely hit by these cyclones.

Rescuers retrieved 36 bodies from the Salog River in Mindanao on Saturday, as officials reported more fatalities in the impoverished Zamboanga peninsula. The bodies were swept down river from a flooded town upstream called Salvador, Rando Salvacion, the Sapad townpolice chief, told AFP.

Authorities in Salvador said they had retrieved 17 other bodies upstream.

Read: US to provide enhanced defence capabilities to Ukraine

Salvador and Sapad are in Lanao del Norte, which is one of the provinces hardest hit by Tembin. The death toll for the Zamboanga peninsula also rose to 28, and police said 81 people were missing after mud and rocks swept down coastal communities in Sibuco and other fishing towns.

Tembin struck less than a week after Tropical Storm Kai-Tak left 54 dead and 24 missing in the central Philippines.

The deadliest typhoon to hit the country was Haiyan,which killed thousands and destroyed entire towns in heavily populated areas of the central Philippines in November 2013.

Tembin is expected to hit the tip of the western island of Palawan on Saturday, the state weather service said.

Also Read: Pakistan govt asks court to deny clearance to Saeed's political party

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Japan's Emperor Akihito turned 84 on Saturday.

Before his birthday, the Emperor spoke to reporters at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

He referred to his abdication date, which has been scheduled for April 30, 2019.

He said he is sincerely grateful for the numerous people who have worked hard on the abdication issue and considered it from various viewpoints.

He said during the remainder of his days in an active role, he hopes to work with the relevant people to prepare for the succession into the next era, while fulfilling his duties as the symbol of the nation.

The Emperor reflected upon his visit to the areas in Fukuoka and Oita prefectures which sustained major damage from torrential downpours in July.

He said the severe extent of the damage that he viewed from his car reminded him of the terrifying force of nature. He said he was heartened by the victims who helped each other to rebuild while suffering deep grief.

The Emperor spoke about his meeting with the residents of Kuchino-erabu-jima Island when he visited remote islands in Kagoshima prefecture last month.

All the island's residents had to evacuate their homes after a volcanic eruption in 2015.

He said the islanders lived as evacuees with the help of the people of Yakushima Island.

He said he is happy that many of them are now back in Kuchino-erabu and have returned to their previous lives while engaging in rebuilding efforts.

Dec 23 (ANNnewsCH) - acseaa23a84aecYaeZaaaaaaYaaseaaaaa430aeaaaaaaaacaaaeaaaaaYaaeaaaaaaYa
A pet food industry survey on Friday showed that the estimated number of cats kept as pets in Japan exceeded that for dogs in 2017 for the first time since the survey began in 1994.

The Japan Pet Food Association published the results of the latest survey ahead of the Year of the Dog in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle next year.

According to this year's survey, the number of pet dogs in Japan fell by 436,000 from the previous year to 8.92 million, while the figure for cats rose by 217,000 to 9,526,000.

The number of pet cats has been generally flat in recent years, but the total for dogs has been on the decline, said an official of the association, comprising 94 member companies, including pet food makers.

The decrease in pet dogs possibly reflects an increase in single and double income households, because dog owners need to take them for walks, the official said.
The welfare ministry said Friday that 67 pct of all households on welfare in Japan will see cuts in livelihood aid chiefly to cover food and utility costs, starting from October 2018.

Of the single-member households on welfare, which account for some 80 pct of all welfare recipient families, 78 pct will face aid cuts.

The ministry reviews the standard amounts of the livelihood aid every five years. In deciding the cuts, the ministry took into account consumption spending at low-income families not on welfare.

The cuts, to be implemented in stages and completed in October 2020, is expected to save a total of 21 billion yen in welfare costs borne by the central and local governments.

The ministry set the maximum margin of cut at 5 pct, taking into account the negative effects on recipients' lives.
REDDING - Some residents have recently questioned the size of the towns police department and whether its needed in a mostly rural community like Redding.

The 17-officer department costs the town about $2.4 million a year, money that some residents think could be better spent on other needs.

At one recent meeting of the Board of Selectmen, resident Wolf Boehme proposed a return to the resident state trooper program, which the town used until about 15 years ago.

The town has a lot of financial pressures today, including education funding and discussions about hiring a full-time social services director, Boehme said in an interview. I dont believe the amount of crime in Redding warrants having our own police department.

First Selectman Julia Pemberton agreed to look into the issue.

There are certainly some residents in our community who are concerned about the size and cost of the department, she said. Its always a worthy discussion, and it is one of our largest line items in the budget. I have been doing some research on the subject.

But Pemberton defended the size of the department, noting that the number of officers actually helps the town minimize overtime costs.

With the exception of contractual increases, weve actually been able to reduce other operational costs within the department in the past few years, she said.

Pemberton said call volume has increased in Redding over the years, owing to the aging population and the frequency of calls from facilities such as Meadow Ridge, the sprawling senior living community. Police are required to respond to all emergency medical calls, she said.

She also noted that the department has little administrative staff, and many employees often have multiple responsibilities. The communications officer, for example, does most of the departments IT work and himself installs and maintains its radio systems.

These are people who put their lives on the line every day, she said. And while people think not much happens in Redding, an officer never knows what to expect when a driver rolls down the window.

Most Connecticut towns have their own police departments, but 54 communities are covered by the resident trooper program.

In some towns, including Kent, the resident trooper is the sole local law officer; in others, like New Fairfield, the trooper is aided by one or more constables, who have some police powers and are paid by the town. Towns contract with the state for the services of resident troopers themselves and cover 85 percent of the cost of their salaries and benefits.

Another 24 communities have no law enforcement agencies of their own, relying on the State Police to enforce the law within their boundaries.

The state does not dictate which arrangement each town uses.

Those are really decisions that are made locally, depending on the size and the needs of the town, said Watertown Police Chief John C. Gavallas, who serves as president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association.

In 2001, when Redding was considering whether to set up its own department, a consultant suggested that it might not be the best option.

The cost-benefit analysis provided in this report seems to suggest that the costs outweigh the potential benefits at this time, said the report, compiled by the Washington, D.C- based Police Foundation. The main reason for this is the slow rate of population growth.

The report suggested the town, which then had 8,100 residents and now has 9,000, consider increasing its resident state trooper program or regionalizing police services in cooperation with neighboring towns such as Easton and Weston.

Some officials argued at the time that the town needed its own department because of the redevelopment project contemplated at the Gilbert and Bennett property, which was to become a pedestrian-friendly housing and retail center. That project, however , never came to fruition.

But the consultants report was written at a time when towns were required to pay just half the cost of a resident state trooper. That cost has since climbed to 85 percent, and state officials in recent years have called for towns to bear the entire cost of the program. And it is not clear how many constables might be needed to work under a trooper.

Kent, a town of some 3,000 residents, brought back the resident state trooper program about five years ago after the Sandy Hook massacre. The town had withdrawn from the program years before owing to budgetary constraints.

After Sandy Hook, we were approached by some of the private schools in town ... concerned about our lack of police presence, said First Selectman Bruce Adams.

The town eventually arranged for each of the schools to contribute $20,000 annually to the program, which costs the town about $100,000.

Warren, a town with about 1,400 residents, has neither a police department nor resident trooper. First Selectman Craig Nelson noted that State Police are required to provide services to towns in Connecticut regardless of what local department they have.

We are very happy with what we have, he said. If there is a big incident, there are resident state troopers in adjoining communities who can come to our aid. And of course the State Police are also required to respond.

Adding more than $100,000 to the towns $5.4 million yearly budget would be unacceptable, Nelson said.

That would be a huge spending increase for our town and for our taxpayers, he said.

Reddings Boehme noted that his concerns predated problems surrounding Police Chief Doug Fuchs, who has been put on paid administrative leave pending the investigation into how he handled a suicide that occurred in April 2016.

Ive been talking about this for years, he said. This is about the best and most efficient way for us to allocate our tax dollars.
Kristina Galligan, a Hamden native now living in Stamford, has been appointed alumni career development officer at Quinnipiac University. In her new role, Galligan will be responsible for creating a career development program for the universitys 50,000 alumni. Our vision is to implement a career development program that will enable alumni to engage in personally meaningful, long-term relationships with the institution through participation in comprehensive learning and professional development opportunities, Galligan said in a release. The focus will be on assisting alumni who have moved beyond their first post-graduation job and are seeking career transitions, advancement opportunities, leadership competencies or industry-specific knowledge. This new program will aim to serve a diverse set of needs in exciting ways. Galligan most recently worked as senior career adviser and managed employer relations at DeVry University, where she counseled alumni in resume writing, interview skills, career readiness and job-search strategies. Galligan also was responsible for launching DeVrys internship program and managing its alumni engagement program. She is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in adult learning and leadership at the Teachers College of Columbia University. She holds a graduate certificate in education technology and instructional design from the Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University. She also received bachelors degrees in business administration and English literature from the University of Connecticut.

Thomas J. Sansone has been elected president of the board of directors for the Clifford Beers Clinic in New Haven. Our board is comprised of individuals of distinction across multiple disciplines, Dr. Alice M. Forrester, CEO of Clifford Beers, said in a release. We are proud to announce that Tom is now at the helm of it. He follows in a long line of visionary thinkers who understand the complexity of the issues we are trying to solve. Sansone also is a member of the advisory board of Fair Haven Community Health Center, and was a member of the United Way of Greater New Havens board of directors for 13 years.
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Last year, Santa's House at the North Pole was put on the market $656,957.

Although the house is not for sale, Santa was able to update his home's description and add photos, which can enhance the "Zestimate" value, Zillow said.

As it turns out, real estate is booming in the north pole: The home has appreciated more than $50,000.

MAIL CALL: How your child can get a letter from Santa

Built in 1822, the home looks great, thanks to a 2013 update with modern amenities.

The gourmet kitchen, for example, features an oven with 12 different cookie settings. The living room retains its Old World charm with a floor-to-ceiling river rock fireplace for roasting chestnuts.

In Santa's study are a writing desk and sewing table where Santa made the original teddy bear, according to Zillow.

"Santa's home at the North pole is one of the most famous homes in the world, so we're thrilled it's now on Zillow," said Zillow spokesman Jeremy Wacksman.

ELVES AT WORK: Hilarious, mischievus ideas for your Elf on a Shelf

Also, at the Santa's house listing on Zillow, children can start following Santa's Christmas Eve trek to deliver presents around the world through the official NORAD Santa tracker. Type "Santa's house" into the search bar on Zillow.com and click on "Locate Santa" in the lower right corner of the page.

The 25-acre property includes a workshop that is, of course, state of the art with work stations for 50 elves. The garage houses Santa's all-weather sleigh, and the stables have space for eight live-in reindeer.

With all these features, this property would be snatched up if it were for sale, but for now, we can all hope it goes up for rent.
ANSONIA  School officials remained tight-lipped Friday about why Ansonia High School Principal Terri Goldson was placed on administrative leave this week.

Superintendent of Schools Carol Merlone posted the following message on the school districts website Friday morning:

Terri Goldson, Principal of Ansonia High School has been placed on administrative leave as a result of allegations that are currently being investigated. Assistant Principal Sara Crooks has been appointed as the Acting Principal of Ansonia High School, effective immediately. No further information can be provided at this time. Thank you so much for your understanding and cooperation.

Merlone said Ansonia schools are now on holiday recess until Jan. 2, and she said she does not know whether or when the Board of Education would meet to discuss Goldsons situation.

Board of Education President Bill Nimons would only say the board will meet after investigation.

School officials would not disclose any details as to why Goldson was placed on leave.

Goldson was not available for comment. However, he did post the following message on his personal Facebook page:

There was a very inappropriate video with sexual content on my Twitter feed today. Please ... be careful with social media.

According to a report in the Valley Independent Sentinel Goldsons Twitter account shows a like of a Nov. 6, 28-second pornographic video.

Whether Goldson liked the Twitter video himself, or whether his account was hacked, remains unclear.

Several people posted comments on Goldsons Facebook page, many saying hackers are to blame, while others said its possible Goldson could have accidentally hit like to something while scrolling through his Twitter feed from his cellphone or other mobile device.

The Valley Independent also reported the incident being investigated is not criminal in nature and Ansonia Police are not involved.

Goldson was promoted to principal last year, having previously served as principal of Ansonia Middle School and Mead School.

Earlier this year, AHS, under Goldsons lead, was ranked 34 out of more than 200 Connecticut high schools by U.S. News & World Report in its 2017 Best High Schools Rankings report.

The honor landed AHS a bronze medal and was bestowed on AHS for making great strides in preparing its students for college, especially with the variety of Advanced Placement, or AP, classes being offered.

Goldson had said he was pleased by AHS ranking, but urged that even more could be done, and vowed to offer additional AP courses, dual credit courses and collaborate with Housatonic Community College to develop a manufacturing certification program.

Goldson had referred to the honor as a testament to our hard working families and community and reinforces the premise that our values and beliefs are focused on our children and their success.

jean.sos@snet.net
Louisiana is finalizing a plan to move thousands of people from areas threatened by the rising Gulf of Mexico, effectively declaring uninhabitable a coastal area larger than Delaware.

A draft of the plan, the most aggressive response to climate-linked flooding in the U.S., calls for prohibitions on building new homes in high-risk areas, buyouts of homeowners who live there now and hikes in taxes on those who won't leave. Commercial development would still be allowed, but developers would need to put up bonds to pay for those buildings' eventual demolition.

"Not everybody is going to live where they are now and continue their way of life," said Mathew Sanders, the state official in charge of the program, which has the backing of Gov. John Bel Edwards. "And that is an emotional, and terrible, reality to face."

Months of community meetings on the program wrapped up this week.

The draft plan, a portion of which was obtained by Bloomberg News, is part of a state initiative funded by the federal government to help Louisiana plan for the effects of coastal erosion. That erosion is happening faster in Louisiana than anywhere in the U.S., due to a mix of rising seas and sinking land caused in part by oil and gas extraction. State officials say they hope the program, called Louisiana Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments, or LA SAFE, becomes a model for coastal areas around the country and the world threatened by climate change.

While the state hasn't come up with a cost estimate, the buyouts and resettlement could add up to billions of dollars. The federal grant for the initial phase cost $40 million.

The idea hasn't gone over well with all the people it's supposed to help, some of whom want the government to do more to protect their communities instead of abandoning them.

"Are we doing every single damn thing we can? I don't think we are," Richie Blink, 31, said over a bowl of gumbo in Empire, a town 60 miles south of New Orleans on the bank of the Mississippi River. He paused, then said he didn't mean to get worked up. "This stuff wears you out emotionally."

Empire lost half its population after Hurricane Katrina, and now has fewer than 1,000 people. Blink, a community organizer for the National Wildlife Federation, said he understands the dilemma political leaders face, but wishes they would do more to keep the area habitable longer.

Empire's harbor has a flood gate to protect the boats inside from extreme weather. "When I was a kid, it was a big deal to see the flood gates closed," said Blink. This year, he said, those gates were closed for 100 days.

Sanders is working to complete the plan by early next year, at which point it will be up to federal, state and local officials to decide if they will implement it. Edwards, the Democratic governor, announced his support for the program in March. If he backs its recommendations, the state could create a buyout program or eliminate the homestead exemption for homes in high-risk areas, which would mean higher property taxes for many residents.

In a statement, the governor's office said he is "following the progress being made by the LA SAFE team intently and looking for ways to build upon their success as we determine the next steps for the program."

Under the proposal, commercial development would still be allowed, but developers would need to put up bonds to pay for those buildings' eventual demolition.

Rob Moore, a flood policy expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council in Chicago, said that if the state goes ahead with the plan, "then every coastal state in the country should be asking themselves, 'If Louisiana can do this, why aren't we?'"

The LA SAFE program defines as "high risk" land where, five decades from now, the expected depth of a 100-year flood will reach more than six feet. According to data provided by state officials, 94 percent of the land in Plaquemines Parish, which includes Empire, falls into that category.

Across the six coastal parishes covered by the LA SAFE program, more than 59,000 people live in those high-risk areas. The proposed buyouts and restrictions on future development would only apply to the parts of that land that aren't protected by levees, and the state isn't sure how many that may be.

Another town on the wrong side of the state's risk map is Leeville, a cluster of houses and trailer homes west of Empire that state officials say will soon be underwater. On a recent afternoon, Opie Griffin stood on the front deck of his family's gas station and restaurant and wondered what he's supposed to do then.

"There's no way they can protect this," Griffin said, sweeping his hand out over what's left of the town, the bayou seeping in from all sides. "I see more and more water every year." He put the store up on stilts, perched 16 feet in the air, after Hurricane Gustav blew through in 2008. Now his parking lot floods nearly every day. "Nothing I could do, except come to work on a boat."

However untenable Leeville becomes, however, Griffin is more worried about what's waiting for him somewhere else. "I'm almost forty. Do I want to start a whole new chapter in my life?" he asked. "Where do you want me to go?"

The possibility of backlash makes it hard to predict whether the state's recommendations will take effect. Other ideas in the plan would require cooperation from different levels of government.

The report calls for adding Louisiana's high-risk communities to what is called the Coastal Barrier Resource System, a federal designation that prevents homes and businesses there from getting most types of federal assistance. That change would require federal legislation, and President Donald Trump's signature.

Perhaps the most challenging could be local governments, which have the most authority over land-use and zoning decisions. Sanders said his office's strategy was to demonstrate to local officials that the plan's recommendations have the support of the people who would be affected. The state, working with a nonprofit called the Foundation for Louisiana, held some 60 public events, which together drew more than 3,500 people.

The meetings presented the science on sea-level rise and future flood risks so that people could understand what it meant for where they live, according to Liz Williams, who runs the foundation's coastal resilience program.

According to Sanders, the lesson from those months of meetings is that the people most at risk along Louisiana's coast know they're in danger, and they want more than just assurances that life can go on as normal.

"'They will string you from a tree, burn the room down, throw rotten vegetables at you, slash the tires of your car,'" Sanders recalls being warned before he started talking to residents about the idea of emptying out their neighborhoods. "None of that has happened. People appreciate honesty."

One of them is Ly Chan.

Two years ago, Chan moved from Richmond, Virginia to Buras, a town south of Empire, after she and her husband lost their jobs. The couple had a friend in Buras who owned a shrimp boat; he told them there was work. They bought a single-wide trailer and the land underneath it for $50,000 and planted banana, mango and papaya trees. It was almost paradise.

But the drawbacks of living along the Louisiana coast soon caught up to them. The area around their home floods constantly; in October, Chan, her husband and their teenage son had to evacuate north ahead of Hurricane Nate. Chan, who has worked with the LA SAFE program as a translator for her Cambodian neighbors, said that if the state offered her a buyout she would take it.

"It's not just going to be one time - it's going to be again and again," Chan said of storms like Nate. "God gives you wisdom. You have to use it."
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GUILFORD  With wrenches in hand and bike frames, handle bars, pedals and brakes scattered on tables, over 100 Shoreline residents diligently worked to assemble new bikes for needy children.

Christmas music played and hot coffee, apple cider doughnuts and holiday cookies were served as Bishop's Orchards Farm Market & Winery Little Red Barn was transformed into a holiday workshop for the Wishing Wheels Holiday Bike Drive.

As 87 new, boxed childrens bicycles, 12-inch, 16-inch and 20-inch, were unloaded from a Zanes Cycles truck, children as young as 3 joined in the event. Once assembled, the shiny, new bikes were lined up outside the barn to await pickup.

For Guilford resident Michael Tyre, working alongside his 7-year-old daughter, Elodie, it was a perfect project to get involved with on a Saturday morning before Christmas.

Were both big bike fans, my daughter and I, so its not only a chance for us to do some volunteering, but have a little daddy/daughter time, too, he said. Its a pretty cool opportunity.

The event, under the auspices of the nonprofit group Roots4Relief, was in keeping with a childhood tradition started in John DellaVenturas family.

When I was young, my parents basically taught us to give back to those in need around the community, said DellaVentura.

The 38-year-old remembers his family gathering Christmas Eve morning at their Guilford home to assemble bikes before delivery to those in the community who were less fortunate. Now, after 30 years, he is passing on this tradition to his own children, Grace, 9, and Abigail, 7, and their cousins, Addison and Nora Healy, 4 and 1, respectively.

Roots4Relief was established in 2016 for the seventh generation Bishop children, the cousins, to give back to their community. It was started by their parents, DellaVentura, his wife, Sarah Bishop DellaVentura and Matt and Carrie Bishop Healy.

We know the parents of this community want to get involved, want to get their kids involved, and we want to be that avenue for them to get their kids involved, DellaVentura said.

In his youth, DellaVenturas family, along with the Smith, Williams and Wiegner families, would pool their money and purchase bikes in bulk from the former New Haven Toys R Us.

Wed assemble them by the fire, as a family, actually there were four families involved, and then wed all get into a giant minivan, a Born Free van, and wed drive around the community, drive around the neighborhoods, and give out bikes, DellaVentura said.

Thanks to the generosity of community donations, this years bikes, plus 87 helmets, were purchased in bulk and delivered to the makeshift workshop by Zanes Cycles.

Zanes employees milled around, helping tighten bolts, realign pedals and level training wheels.

Its just a wonderful thing, to teach your kids  look at all the kids here  teach all your kids how to do something like this, said Thomas Girard, a Branford resident who has worked at Zanes for 28 years. Youre giving a gift for the holiday, which is what the holiday was meant for.

For DellaVentura this is exactly what the project is all about. His daughter, Abigail, who assembled two bikes, wholeheartedly agreed. She believes the bikes will be appreciated by those who receive them.

Its good, she said. I think theyre really sad, so I think when they get their bike theyre going to be happy.

DellaVentura was heartened, but not surprised, to see so many local families at the event. For Tom and Maggie Ferrell and their children, Elizabeth, 9, Bruen, 4, and Miles 2, it was a wonderful way to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas.

This is such an easy way to empower parents to bring magic into their childrens Christmas that otherwise wouldnt be able to, said Maggie Ferrell.

Sure, a child could come here and pick up a bike and that might be very nice, she said, but I think what were going to see more of is, parents coming here and picking up a bike that then they can put under the Christmas tree on the 25th that otherwise they wouldnt be able to do.

The bikes will be discreetly distributed to Guilford families, through Guilford Social Services, Clinton Social Services Department, Children & Families Department in Middletown and New Havens New Reac, Inc., Arte Inc. and New Haven Board of Education.

This is a very public event, what were doing here, DellaVentura said, but the distribution of the bikes is very private.

More than 40 of the bikes will be distributed to children in New Haven on Three Kings Day, Jan. 6, at the John C. Daniels School.

Arte Inc.s David Greco was emotional, talking about the effect these gifts would have on the children who moved to New Haven in the wake of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

These kids are traumatized, Greco said. Theyve come here, theyve been uprooted from their families, their friends, their schools, just completely yanked out and its nothing that the families planned for, so they could prep the kids.

This is going to be something of some normalcy for them, to help them settle, he said, choking back tears.

Standing amid the activity going on in the Little Red Barn, DellaVentura said this is the true meaning of the holiday.

Its exactly what Christmas is about, and that kind of brings it all back to this, DellaVentura said. I think everybody here would rather give a gift than get a gift, and thats what its about.

Sarah Page Kyrcz can be reached by email at suzipage1@aol.com.
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The first astronaut to float untethered in space died Thursday at age 80, NASA officials say.

Bruce McCandless II, originally from Boston, was one of 19 astronauts selected in April 1966. He flew on two Space Shuttle missions in 1984 and, later, in 1990.

During his 1984 mission, McCandless became the first astronaut to fly untethered from the spacecraft using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). The photograph taken of that spacewalk now is considered one of NASA's iconic photos.

"My wife [Bernice] was at mission control, and there was quite a bit of apprehension," McCandless wrote in 2015. "I wanted to say something similar to Neil [Armstrong] when he landed on the moon, so I said, 'It may have been a small step for Neil, but it's a heck of a big leap for me.' That loosened the tension a bit."

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His 1990 mission entailed the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope, which still orbits the earth and mainly observes visible light.

McCandless, a retired U.S. Navy captain, logged more than 312 hours in space, but he also contributed to NASA missions when he wasn't in space. He was the mission-control communicator for the Apollo 11 mission moonwalk, completed by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. He also was the back-up pilot for the first Skylab mission.

He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2005.

Johnson Space Center officials confirmed he was in California when died.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bruce's family," said Robert Lightfoot, NASA's acting administrator. "He will always be known for his iconic photo flying the MMU."

McCandless is survived by his wife, Ellen Shields McCandless of Conifer, Colorado; his son, Bruce McCandless III of Austin, Texas, and his wife, Patricia; his daughter, Tracy McCandless, of Islamorada, Florida, and two granddaughters, Emma Rose and Carson Clare McCandless of Austin.

He also is survived by his brother, Douglas M. McCandless of Washington, D.C.; and two sisters, Sue M. Woodridge of Texas, and Rosemary V. McCandless of Dallas.

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey
Alaskas neighbor to the southeast has announced a ban on most grizzly bear hunts.

A minister in the Canadian province of British Columbia said Dec. 18 that hunting bears is over, effective immediately, because most British Columbians dont support it. The one exception is for British Columbias indigenous peoples, who in Canada are known as First Nations. First Nations can hunt a small number of grizzlies under treaty rights or for food, social or ceremonial purposes.

Its abundantly clear that the most British Columbians do not support the killing of grizzlies, said Doug Donaldson, British Columbias minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, at a news conference in Victoria.

The ban comes as Montana, Idaho and Wyoming consider instituting grizzly bear hunts in areas around Yellowstone National Park, where the animal has been removed from federal protection with management turned over to the states.

British Columbia is home to 4.6 million people and about 15,000 grizzlies. Donaldson said the provincial government received 4,180 emailed comments, 78 percent of which supported the ban.

Previously, hunters in British Columbia harvested about 250 grizzlies annually.

In Alaska, hunters killed 1,186 brown/grizzly bears in the 2016-2017 hunting season. Grizzly bears are the same species as brown bears, although in Alaska the term brown bear refers to the larger bears found in coastal areas. Grizzlies are smaller and are found inland. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimates about 30,000 brown and grizzly bears are in Alaska.

British Columbia joins Alberta, the province to the east, in instituting a ban. Grizzly bear hunting is legal in the Yukon, although bag limits restrict hunters to one bear every three license years.

Earlier this year, British Columbia banned hunting grizzlies in the Great Bear Rainforest on the provinces northern Pacific Coast.

The province also restricted the hunt to a food hunt by not allowing hunters to keep a bears head, paws or hide  the parts with trophy value.
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) is getting tough with marketers found to be hoarding fuel as the current scarcity bites harder nationwide. The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) is getting tough with marketers found to be hoarding fuel as the current scarcity bites harder nationwide.

At the last count, no fewer than 48 filling stations have been shut down in Delta, Kwara and Ekiti states alone.

The price of petrol rose to N400 per litre yesterday in Abuja as more citizens travelled out of their stations for the Christmas celebration.

Many motorists even passed the night at filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in their desperation to buy fuel.

It was between N200 and N250 per litre in Lagos, Anambra, Ogun and Abia states.

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) declared the scarcity unacceptable and charged President Muhammadu Buhari to rise up to the challenge.

Nigerians must not be made to suffer, especially at this time of the year when we have the Yuletide and New Year festivities, which come with a lot of activities, the party said in a statement in Abuja.

The DPR sealed up 38 filling stations in Delta State, six in Kwara and four in Ekiti.

Despite promises made by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to flood the market with more products and ensure that the scarcity evaporates this weekend, motorists continue to groan yesterday about the difficulty in buying fuel and the outrageous prices they were asked to pay at filling stations and by black marketers.

The DPR head of operations in Kwara State, Oyedele Ibitayo, said the affected stations were found culpable for various infractions ranging from diversion of fuel, overpricing and under dispensing to hoarding of petroleum products.

Ibitayo said although fuel supply to the state has reduced drastically in the last two weeks, whatever comes in must be properly dispensed by marketers.

He explained that the state which was receiving 39 trucks of petroleum products daily now receives between 12 and 19 trucks.

He maintained that the erring stations would be made to pay penalties and sign undertakings.

Erring petrol marketers in Ekiti State were fined between N100,000 and N200,000 depending on the degree of infraction.

The DPR team leader in the state, Mr. Anthony Onaji, said the punitive

action became necessary to save Nigerians from further hardship.

We quite understand that there may be short supply to Ekiti State but

the quantity in circulation must be sold to the populace; it

must not be hoarded, he said.

I dont think it will be fair to Nigerians to find it difficult to get petrol, and when they get, they are made to buy above N145. So, this makes it compulsory for us to do our duty by ensuring that no sharp practice is tolerated.

An unspecified number of filling stations were also sealed up in Anambra State yesterday.

The Edo State Government said yesterday it was collaborating with the DPR to monitor sale of fuel at filling stations.

It vowed to prosecute defaulting marketers.

Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Osarodion Ogie, said the state had received 465,000 litres of premium motor spirit (petrol) this weekend in addition to the 296,000 litres received on Tuesday.

Barrister Ogie explained that the collaboration with the DPR was meant to ensure that the products allocated to Edo State were dispensed to buyers at the official pump prices and save the people the hardship they suffer in the hands of shylock marketers.

He said: Edo State has been sufficiently supplied with petroleum products and received a fresh 465,000 litres this weekend.

Motorists and other users of petroleum products should refrain from panic buying that causes unnecessary queues at petrol stations and traffic congestion on major roads in the state.

Marketers are hereby warned to ensure judicious dispensing of allocated products as government will not hesitate to apprehend and prosecute any erring marketer.

Hundreds of motorists who had planned to travel out of Abuja yesterday with their families had to join long queues at filling stations in the hope of getting fuel to buy.

The queues spilled onto highways, disrupting a free flow of traffic in many parts of the city.

The queue at the NNPC super mega station, Kubwa, was particularly long, spanning about three kilometres.

Most of the filling stations run by independent marketers were locked as they had no fuel to sell.

The Vice National President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Abubakar Maigadi told The Nation that there was no improvement in the supply of the product.

On the allegation of the diversion of petrol, he urged Nigerians to blame it on NNPC and major marketers, who according to him, are the ones getting the product from the depots.

If they talk of diversion they should blame major marketers and NNPC retail outlets because they are the only people who are getting the supply. That is the fact. If the independent marketers are not supplied, there will be crisis of fuel supply, he said.

A good number of filling stations in Ibadan opened for business yesterday although with long queues of vehicles.

The sale of fuel was however disorderly.

Some of the dealers had to call in security men to help them maintain order.

Prices also ranged between N150 and N250 per litre.

Commercial motorcyclists who were able to get the product made brisk business by charging 200 per cent of the normal fares.

When asked, one of them, Musa Ibrahim, said if only passengers knew what they went through in their efforts to get fuel, they would not complain about of the hike in fares.

According to him, they were molested by soldiers in some filling stations before they got the product, even after queuing for hours.





PDP tasks Buhari on lingering fuel scarcity

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asked President Muhammadu Buhari, as Minister of Petroleum Resources, to find a quick solution to the lingering fuel scarcity.

The unbearable fuel situation in the country is completely unacceptable. Mr. President must be up and doing, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said in a statement.

He added: When he took office as President of Nigeria and also as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, he was aware that the buck stops at his table.

Nigerians must not be made to suffer, especially at this time of the year when we have the Yuletide and New Year festivities, which come with a lot of activities.

This is the same APC government that promised that it would make fuel available and affordable. Today, under their deceitful and corrupt watch, fuel has not only become extremely scarce, the price has also risen from where the PDP left it at N86.50k per litre to as high as N300 per litre and above.

The effect is that transport fares, running costs, prices of food, medicines and other basic needs have soared beyond the reach of Nigerians, who are now groaning heavily under the hardship of APC misrule.

Coming with the hike in petrol price is an astronomical rise in transport fares across the country.

Nigerians travelling to their respective home towns for Christmas are lamenting the situation.

Fare from Lokoja to Lagos rose from N4000 to N6500 yesterday.

A commuter on the route, Mr Solomon Jatto, said: I have never seen a country like this; the states will not pay salaries and government will not release fuel.

Mr Audu Yunusa, a driver, said it was the high cost of buying petrol that gave room for the increase in transportation fare.

The NURTW Chairman, North section, Mr Abdullahi Gambo, said that the cost of transportation was being driven by the cost of petrol, adding that the union could not impose fares on their members because they got their fuel from different stations at different prices.

A petroleum marketer in Lokoja, who did not want his name in print, said that the cabals were at work again in the petroleum sector.

His words: The truth is that the cabals are at work again in the petroleum sector.

The present administration should keep the cabals at bay in this season.

The Federal Government should quickly stem this tide. We have had glimpses of President Muhammad Buharis fight against corruption. But the present situation is stage managed by corrupt officials at the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.

With transport fares rising sharply in Abia State owing to the hike in fuel price to N250 per litre, many commuters were yesterday forced to walk long distances.

Mrs. Nkechi Godwin, Mr. Francis Okeke and Gift Iheanacho, who spoke to our reporter, lamented the situation and pleaded with government to intervene immediately.

Hundreds of commuters in Anambra State are also facing hardship on account of the fuel scarcity.

Many commuters who were on their ways to their home towns were trapped in the state, following the rise in fuel price.

It was N250 at many filling stations yesterday.

Even at that, there were long queues of vehicles at the various filling stations.

When The Nation moved round the state yesterday, some of the people traveling home were stranded at various motor parks in the state for lack of vehicles.

In Anambra State, a litre of fuel was being sold at N250 per litre while long queues became the order of the day.

A traveller, Tochukwu Nwosu from Imo state, described the action of independent marketers as mans inhumanity to man.

Transport fare from the state capital Awka to Onitsha went up from N150 to N300.

The fuel scarcity in Asaba,the Delta State capital and environs had no improvement.

Transport fare went up by 200 per cent on many routes.

Many motorists parked their cars at home owing to the high cost of petrol.

Scores of commuters were stranded in most motor parks in Agbor and the environs as commuters were forced to pay between N800 to N1000 from Agbor to Asaba as against the usual N250-N300.

Only five filling stations had fuel yesterday in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, and they sold at N230 per litre.

It was N300 at the black market.

Queues were long at the filling stations while transport fares also rose sharply.

The NNPC had promised on Thursday that the fuel scarcity would disappear this weekend.

Mr Ndu Ughamadu, NNPC spokesman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that there was an increase in the number of incoming trucks of petrol into the FCT to curb the queues in the city.

According to him, the NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, had met with the heads of Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and Petrol Tanker Drivers (PTD) to nip the problem in the bud.

He said that the nation, which was consuming 35 million litres suddenly increased consumption to 85 million litres as a result of diversion of fuel to neighbouring countries.

He met with NARTO and PTD and they assured that trucks would be closely monitored.

He said Lagos should be maintained at 300 trucks but the actual figure coming into Abuja should be increased by 150.

Port Harcourt refinery has also increased refining and so by tomorrow (Friday) queues should normalise and by weekend it would have disappeared, Ughamadu said.

He said the scarcity was artificial as the corporation as at today has adequate products and a 25-day sufficiency.
Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has again condemned the federal government over its nonchalant attitude towards ending the fuel scarcity being experienced across the country, calling for immediate resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari as the Minister of Petroleum.

The governor called for the immediate resignation of President Buhari as the Minister of Petroleum, noting: It is obvious that the president has failed in all ramifications and he needs to do Nigerians a favour by relinquishing the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum.

Fayose who reiterated his position that the All Progressives Congress (APC) federal government was punishing Nigerians with fuel scarcity so as to achieve its planned increment of petrol pump price from N145 to not less than N185 per litre, added; Already, fuel is being sold officially at between N180 and N200 at petrol stations across the country.

In a release issued on Friday, Governor Fayoses Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, quoted him as saying that it is sad that this government had to choose this Christmas and New Year period to ground Nigeria with the fuel scarcity that it deliberately orchestrated.

Fayose said: Like I said a few days ago, what the federal government is doing is to create scarcity so that Nigerians will be willing to buy at any price, provided the product is made available.

It was to achieve this planned increment of petrol pump price that they restricted supply of petrol to NNPC alone.

The governor, who sympathised with Nigerians for the hardship they are being made to go through by the APC government, said: I warned Nigerians before President Buhari was elected and I am telling Nigerians now that the only option to rescue our country from being brought down completely is to vote out Buhari and APC in 2019.
Amid a bitter national debate over federal monuments, three Montana groups have banded together to focus attention on problems closer to home: loss of access to places like the Crazy Mountains and Upper Missouri River Breaks.

Losing Ground, Montanas Endangered Access Report lists the top five, most-high-profile places in the state where public access either has been lost or is threatened due to conflicts over historic rights of way, the groups wrote in a statement. The Crazy Mountains were ranked No. 1.

Thats the one thats pretty scary, said Kathy Hadley, of Artemis Sportswomen. Thats a huge landscape of federal lands thats pretty inaccessible.

Artemis, a regional women-only hunting and fishing organization, added its voice to the report released Thursday along with Montana Mountain Mamas, a Bozeman-based group, and the Montana Wildlife Federation. The other highlighted areas in the state included the Flint Creek Mountains north of Anaconda, the Bears Paw Mountains south of Havre and McGregor Lake near Kalispell. A website provides more information on the areas and a television ad highlights the issue.

These are places that have been clearly contested, said Nick Gevock, conservation director for the Montana Wildlife Federation. Im sure there are more out there.

Contested

Public access to public lands has become an increasingly divisive issue in the past 20 years, often a result of native ranchers selling out to newcomers who close off what have long been publicly used routes. The road and trail closures require the public to sue to have the gates and signs removed.

Sometimes a federal, state or county agency or official will step in to add weight to the publics access claim, but those cases seem to be the exception. In Montana, the small but dedicated Public Land/Water Access Association has long been the group carrying the banner for keeping public land easements open. Even then it can take years and thousands of dollars in attorney fees to litigate a case. In the meantime, access routes often remain closed to the public.

Theres so much of it going on that its hard to keep track of it all, said Randy Newberg, host of the television hunting show Fresh Tracks and a public land access advocate who lives in Bozeman. The future of hunting, fishing and shooting is dependent on access.

Bozeman resident Becky Edwards, of the Mountain Mamas, said public access is also important to Montana women and their families and is a quality of life issue.

Blocked public access is just one more barrier to getting our kids outdoors and unplugged from electronics, she said in a statement.

Crazy access

The Crazy Mountains access issue has generated a lot of public interest over the past two years after a trespassing citation was issued to a hunter for using what he believed to be an historic forest trail. After the Bozeman hunter, Rob Gregoire, settled the case, the Livingston-based Forest Service supervisor, Alex Sienkiewicz, was temporarily removed from his post for an internal investigation.

Documents revealed landowners in the Crazy Mountains had complained to local and federal officials about Sienkiewiczs behavior. He was eventually reinstated, but the agencys tactics have had a chilling effect on an employee who had been a strong public land access advocate.

Some worry that whats happening there may harbinger whats to come on public land across the nation, wrote Christopher Solomon about the Crazy Mountains in a recent story for Outside magazine.

Newberg said the problem is partly rooted in the value attached to large landscapes and the wildlife that inhabit them. Once those features become valuable, people figure out how to make it their own, he said.

I get to travel the West, and this same dynamic applies for every state I go to, Newberg said. Its a uniquely American problem.

National fuss

Actions by Montanas homegrown Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, have helped fuel statements like the one made by Solomon. Although touting Teddy Roosevelt as his conservation hero, Zinke has stoked concerns that such statements are only camouflage after he advocated for shrinking four national monuments and changing management at six others.

The announcement comes in the wake of several western states and some Montana legislators advocating that federal lands be returned to the states because they would be better managers. Many hunting and conservation groups have called those proposals a land grab that would result in the sale of federal lands to private individuals.

Because of such cues at the national level, the Losing Ground authors are calling on Montanans to lobby the Trump administration and their representatives to fully fund the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, who administer large chunks of public land. They also are calling for full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which helps states like Montana purchase lands for public use.

New ways

As those programs and agencies have been repeatedly chopped, Newberg sees hope via other avenues.

Some of the big lands initiatives, the money for those is less and less, he said. That means were going to have to raise more money from the nonprofit and private sector.

To that end, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock earlier this week announced the privately funded Montana Public Land Access Network, or MT-PLAN. The network creates a mechanism for the state to take donations for creating or improving public land access via private easements and funding other projects to facilitate access, according to Tom Kuglins Helena Independent Record story.

I thought that was a pretty great step, Hadley said.

Livingston resident Erica Lighthiser, of Mountain Mamas, said there has been so much focus on public lands in the news lately that maybe theres a chance to encourage public advocacy for homegrown solutions.

The diversity of people who care about public lands in Montana is pretty significant, she said. I feel like theres a sense of hope in terms of whats happening in this state.

Dialogue

Lighthiser sits on a group with the Crazy Mountain Stockgrowers Association; the Forest Service; Fish, Wildlife and Parks; the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to discuss access problems in the Crazy Mountains. Although the group has been meeting since April, no concrete proposals have been proposed. Until an easement or right of way is agreed upon, the meetings have benefited the parties simply by increasing dialogue.

Access starts at the local level, Hadley said. Its a hard problem, and its getting harder.

Newberg agreed, saying he has no answers but he remains hopeful.

Conservation and access is never easy, he said. Its never convenient, and its never comfortable. No matter the position we advocate, somebody isnt going to like it.
The ongoing fuel scarcity all over the country has sparked criticisms from Nigerians all over the country.

The ongoing fuel scarcity all over the country has sparked criticisms from Nigerians all over the country.





This is as Nigerians on social media haave blasted president Muhammadu Buhari for being incompetent and unattentive to plight of Nigerians.





They called for his resignation.





Some Nigerians urged President Buhari who is minister of petroleum to take responsibility and stop blaming others by finding a quick solution to the fuel crisis, adding that there should be no scarcity after removal of subsidy.





Here are some comments:

@aligthebaptist Buhari is the most incompetent President we have ever elected in the history of Nigeria. You cant hide incompetence; just drive around the country and youll see the level of hopelessness this govt has brought upon the already impoverished citizens#fuelscarcity





@joeydozie At145 Naira per litre, this Moronic @APCNigeria led government cant ensure that theres no #fuelscarcity. A rudderless, directionless joke of a government.





@tenovertrn Does Buhari still remember that hes the petroleum minister?#fuelscarcity





@matthewottah This is the 3rd fuel scarcity under Buhari in 2 1/2 years. First one was in Sept-December 2015. For 3 months Nigeria suffered but PMB didnt blink. Second one was in April/May 2016 which he cunningly increased fuel from N87  N145 and now December 2017. Buhari and #fuelscarcity





@timi I dont even know who to blame for this #FuelScarcity Pengassan Strike,Greedy Oil Marketers,Daura farmer?But I choose to blame buhari since we blamed Jonathan for everything





@michaelkerry@mbuhari himself is the minister of petroleum. It wouldnt be partisanship to blame #fuelscarcity on him. Or is @GEJonathan .. He should take responsibility for the first time





@igweleoWhen we have finally adjusted to the $145 per litre, now #fuelscarcityhas engulfed us. What an incompetent govt! Nigerians are sorry GEJ.





@itsyomie Nigeria is so fucked Up, Christmas should be d talk of the country instead its petrol.. Stupid government#yomie #fuelscarcity #Christmas





@misterlarrie The Government/Presidents silence is the most annoying thing about this#fuelscarcity. Thank you for teaching us a political lesson,Muhammadu Buhari, we wont make the same mistake again. Incompetent President!





@badrappar #fuelscarcity I think buharis ear have started paining him again. Didnt say anything on #endsarsand still havent said anything on the#fuelscarcity





@fk147I like how we keep shifting D Goal Post During Gej Tenure.When there is#fuelscarcity we held him responsible that he is the President& in Charge





@iykimo Its been bleak Christmas every year since Buhari took over in May 2015.Nigerians slept in fuel stations across the country yesterday.Sai Buhari Sai suffering #FuelScarcity





@timiakegbejo No statement on#EndSARSNo statement on #fuelscarcityNo Presidential media chatImpeach yourself you fraud @MBuhari




Ohanaeze Ndigbo has demanded an apology from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for the agencys humiliation of the Chairman of Innoson Group of Companies, Chief Innocent Chukwuma and family.Ohanaeze also asked the federal government and its agencies to desist from situations that would suggest it is witch-hunting a particular ethnic group in Nigeria.In condemning the EFCC action which it described as barbaric, the apex Igbo body urged the federal government to bring those involved in the show of shame to book.Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it strongly feels that entrepreneurs like Chief Chukwuma should be encouraged and not ridiculed in the manner he was treated by the EFCC.In statement by the President of Enugu state chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Chiedozie Ogbonnia said We wish to affirm that the Igbo are genuine and committed partners in the Nigerian project and government must avoid situations that would suggest it is witch-hunting a particular ethnic group.We demand, therefore, a public apology from the EFCC to Chief Chukwuma and indeed Nigerians.Ogbonnia said the EFCC exhibited show of brutality, shame and absolute display of lawlessness against the automobile manufacturer.The statement reads in part: The illegal arrest of Chief Chukwuma even in the face of weighty and incriminating evidence against a bank, is condemnable in all its ramifications.Even more condemnable is the application of brute force by the operatives against the wife of Chief Chukwuma who was not the target of the operatives. That the operatives could display such brutality against a woman indicates the level of bestiality in the Nigerian society.Chief Innocent Chukwuma is a genuine entrepreneur who has, through a dint of hard work, built up a business empire that has offered employment to thousands on Nigerian youths.The barbarity displayed by the operatives of the EFCC against Chief Chukwuma has reinforced the assumption that he was singled out for humiliation for no other reason than his capacity to succeed in a system that has limited Igbo enterprise for decades.It has also cast a dark and damnable pall over the pretensions of the government at fighting corruption, which many Nigerians perceive as manifestly selective.
House of Representatives panel has recommended that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, should redeploy the Kano State Commissi...

House of Representatives panel has recommended that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, should redeploy the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Yusuf to another state with immediate effect.

They said this was owing to his alleged partisanship in dealing with the supporters of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.





The panel chaired by Rep. Toby Okechukwu was constituted by the House in February following the adoption of a motion by Aliyu Sani Madaki to the effect that some men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) invaded the residence of a member loyal to Kwankwaso.





In the committees report laid on the floor of the House on Friday, there were eight recommendations which included that the police authorities in Kano State should desist from being partisan and must strive to restore cordial relationship among the political class and the people of the state.





The panel said in the report, Redeploying the current commissioner of police and posting a new commissioner of police to the state will allow a fresh, healthy and peaceful relationship within the political class in the state and create the enabling environment for peace to thrive.





The panel also said officers from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos, breached due process when they invaded the residence of Hon. Sani Mohammed Aliyu Rano in Nasarawa Quarters without procuring a valid search warrant.









The affected officers also breached due process when they invaded and searched the residence of Ranos daughter in Naibawa Quarters, Kano State, without a valid search warrant.




The Elizabeth man convicted of planting the bombs that injured more than 30 people in Manhattan last year has been trying to radicalize fellow inmates at the jail where he is being held before his sentencing, prosecutors said in a court filing.

Ahmad Khan Rahimi has been distributing terrorist propaganda, including bomb-making instructions, to other inmates at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan said in a document filed Friday.

Among the propaganda the government said Rahimi distributed were speeches and lectures by Osama Bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki, books on Jihad and issues of Inspire, a magazine distributed by the terrorist group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Rahimi in October began to give the jihadist materials to his fellow inmates, one of whom has an upcoming trial on terrorism-related charges, prosecutors said. The propaganda had been on an electronic device belonging to Rahimi during the investigation into his case, the government said, and was given to him during discovery.

Prosecutors sent a letter with the allegations to Judge Richard M. Berman, who is scheduled to sentence Rahimi on Jan. 18. Rahimi, a 29-year-old Afghanistan native, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

He also faces federal charges in New Jersey related to other bombs found in Seaside Park and Elizabeth in September 2016, and state charges stemming from the Sept. 19, 2016, shootout with Linden police that led to his arrest.

Rahimi sometimes gave jihadist materials to other inmates during juma prayer sessions on Fridays, prosecutors said, and maintained an address book with the names and inmate numbers of other defendants charged with terrorism offenses. He also had a notebook itemizing electronic files of terrorist propaganda, the government said.

Prosecutors said the federal public defender's office is representing Rahimi and two of the inmates to whom he gave terrorist materials, and they asked Berman to hold a hearing to resolve any potential conflict of interest that situation may cause.

Rahimi also wrote a letter to the judge, filed Friday, saying he had been on a hunger strike since Dec. 8 because his family had not been allowed to visit him in jail and he had not been permitted to call his attorney to ask why he had been moved to the jail's Special Housing Unit.

"I am extremely frustrated and physically tired and mentally drained of the continuous run around they are giving me," Rahimi wrote.

Berman directed Rahimi's lawyers to respond to the government's letter by Dec. 28 and directed attorneys for both the prosecution and the defense to respond to Rahimi's letter by an unspecified date.

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati or on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Sam Haskell, who for years presided over the Miss America Organization as the big boss of the Atlantic City pageant -- starting when it was still in Las Vegas -- has resigned after a scandal involving the publication of his internal company emails.

Haskell, 62, had been the subject of a HuffPost report on Thursday that showed his emails contained vulgar and misogynistic language about former Miss Americas. His correspondence with pageant executives and board members also showed that the pageant leaders had engaged in an effort to tank the business of a former titleholder who Haskell had called "huge" and "gross." He also made derogatory comments in the emails about her sexual history.

After 49 former Miss Americas, from Miss America 1948 to Miss America 2017, signed a letter calling for Haskell's resignation as well as the resignation of other pageant executives, the pageant's board of directors announced the resignation of Haskell Saturday afternoon and the resignation of Lynn Weidner, the board's chairwoman and a former Miss New Jersey.

"The Board thanks Lynn and Sam for many years of tireless work for, and significant financial support to, both the Miss America Organization and thousands of young women who received millions of dollars of educational scholarships from the Organization as a direct result of their efforts," said Dan Meyers, interim chairman of the board, in a statement. (Meyers, former vice-chair of the board, is vice president of DCI Group, a public affairs and crisis communications firm in Washington D.C.)

In a separate announcement, the board said that Josh Randle, president and chief operating officer of Miss America, would also resign. The board said both Weidner and Randle would stay on for up to 90 days to facilitate a transition. Haskell, however, will leave immediately.

On Friday, the Miss America board suspended Haskell from his post ahead of an investigation into the emails, but he remained defiant, calling the story "so unkind and untrue." Haskell, who made $500,000 a year in his job with the pageant, said the story "hurts me, my family, and the stewardship of this non-profit."

"My mistake," Haskell said, "is a mistake of words." In response, the group of former Miss Americas, which had swelled to 56, rejected Haskell's statement as an example of victim-shaming.

"We are horrified that the board is turning a blind eye," they said in a follow-up letter.

In the emails, Haskell had corresponded with Lewis Friedman, a former scriptwriter for the pageant telecast. Friedman, who was recently fired by the pageant after the emails were leaked, had referred to former Miss Americas as "c***s," a term that had garnered a "bahahaha" response from Haskell. He had also suggested that when a former Miss America died, it "should have been" Kate Shindle, Miss America 1998, who grew up in Brigantine and had been critical of Haskell's pageant salary in her 2014 book.

My takeaway from @ItsMalloryHagan and @kateshindle: "don't mess with former Miss Americas!" https://t.co/0Zr1EX0VpP (h/t @yashar who broke this story wide open) -- Brooke Baldwin (@BrookeBCNN) December 22, 2017

On Friday, Tammy Haddad, a powerful media figure in Washington D.C., resigned as vice-chairwoman of the Miss America board after the HuffPost report published emails that showed her correspondence with Haskell. In the emails, Haddad suggested Haskell hire an investigator to dig up dirt on Mallory Hagan, Miss America 2013. Haskell had criticized Hagan's appearance in his messages to other executives. He was reportedly angry that Brent Adams, a former pageant staffer, had been dating Hagan instead of his daughter, Mary Lane Haskell.

In August, Adams and Regina Hopper, a pageant board member, flew to Los Angeles to bring Haskell's emails to the attention of Dick Clark Productions, the pageant's partner, which had two seats on the board. The company, in turn, showed the emails to the board, reportedly hoping its members would enact a change in leadership in response to the messages. When that did not happen -- though the pageant did fire Friedman, the scriptwriter -- Dick Clark Productions cut ties with Miss America, meaning women who wear the crown will no longer have an appearance contract for events it produces, like the Billboard Awards. (The company had been brought in several years ago to freshen and raise the pop culture profile of the nearly 100-year-old event.)

Update from the Board of Directors... pic.twitter.com/W8am9ii2fM -- Miss America Org (@MissAmericaOrg) December 23, 2017

In the short time since the HuffPost story was published, former Miss Americas mentioned in the emails, including former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, have spoken out, calling for Haskell's resignation. Hagan, Shindle and other former Miss Americas have condemned the CEO on social media. In a live video on Twitter Friday, Hagan, 29, spoke of Haskell's emails as vindication.

"I've felt very strongly about these things over the last couple of years and just didn't have any way to prove that they were happening," she said.

On Twitter, the pageant community roasted Haskell in the wake of the email story. There's even a "Sam Haskell's Ego" account.

Life footage of that ridiculous petition calling for my resignation [?] #MissAmerica https://t.co/ubdTGO8BZN via @youtube -- Sam Haskell's Ego (@SamHaskellsEgo) December 23, 2017

On Friday, Miss America 2016, Betty Cantrell, used a live video on Instagram to tearfully talk about her experiences with Haskell, saying that after her reign, he blocked her from moving forward with a reality show that would've featured the former titleholder, who is purusing a career in country music, and her fiance.

Cantrell, 23, also said Haskell likely thwarted her work with a talent agency. While she was Miss America, Cantrell said she was told to disassociate from other former Miss Americas including Hagan, Carlson and Shindle.

So far, Miss America 2018, Cara Mund, 24, has not addressed Haskell's resignation or his emails.

Before Haskell resigned, a former Miss America staffer who wished to remain anonymous because she said Haskell had a history of retaliating against people in the organization, told NJ Advance Media that the installation of Randle -- who she referred to as his "golden boy" -- as pageant president in 2015, had caused the exodus of many female staffers.

"It would be safe to say many of the staffers who left would return if asked, should the leadership change," she said.

Haskell, a former head of worldwide television for the William Morris Agency who had been a volunteer for the pageant and often spoke fondly of watching the event on TV when he was a young boy in Mississippi -- his wife, Mary Donnelly-Haskell, is a former Miss Mississippi -- had been credited with reviving the pageant from cable TV and bringing it back to ABC and Atlantic City.

This is worth restating. Hollywood firm @dickclarkprod had common sense to know Haskell and Miss America board had to go months ago and yet complicit board let powerful ally walk and still supporting Haskell. #crazy https://t.co/trQTWzPxwI -- Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) December 23, 2017

After Haskell's exit, the future of the pageant is still in doubt, as sponsors of Miss America, including the state, have been given reason to question their support of the Atlantic City-based organization. Don Guardian, mayor of Atlantic City, had also called for Haskell's resignation and the resignation of anyone who had anything to do with the offending emails.

Former Miss Americas who called for Haskell's ouster would like to see the pageant continue and speak of it as a positive engine for women's empowerment by way of advocacy and scholarships. But the notion of a contest that includes a bathing suit competition -- which already seemed anachronistic to many -- presents a jarring disconnect in an era of #MeToo that has unearthed allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment and assault.

Before Haskell resigned, Hillary Levey Friedman, a judge at the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant and professor at Brown University who teaches a class about pageants and whose mother, Pamela Eldred, was Miss America 1970, told NJ Advance Media that she sees a woman -- someone like Shindle or Carlson -- replacing Haskell. Carlson, who left the Miss America board after many years, was reportedly at odds with Haskell and others at the pageant because she wanted to modernize Miss America.

In a statement, both Shindle and Carlson said the resignation of Haskell, Weidner, Randle and Haddad did not go far enough, and called for the entire Miss America board to resign.

"For the good of the organization, they must step away," they said. "The women of Miss America are determined to take back our program. This is not over yet."

Especially damning, Levey Friedman said, was the fact Dick Clark Productions had previously decided to cut ties with Haskell and the pageant over the emails, but the Miss America board of directors did not make any changes at the top level of the organization -- that is, until the emails were made public.

In 2016, the state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority inked a deal that provided $12.5 million in subsidies to the pageant. On Friday, Chris Howard, executive director of the CRDA, said it would be reviewing the contract in light of the report about Haskell's emails.

"The CRDA finds the reports of the Miss America Organization and the behavior of its leadership troubling," Howard said in a statement to the Press of Atlantic City. "The CRDA is working with our legal counsel to undertake an immediate review of its contract with the Miss America Organization and Dick Clark Productions to assess what steps we may need to take."

The original Miss America contract had a provision that Dick Clark Productions feature Atlantic City in its "New Year's Rockin' Eve" show, but the the CRDA says that due to scheduling conflicts and other issues, that never happened. Now that the connection between the company and Miss America is effectively dead, the link between the CRDA and the promised promotion from Dick Clark also seems to be null and void.

the fight doesn't end until all those who were complicit resign as well. but this is a good start. #SaveMissAmerica https://t.co/Lm34LQZ16O -- kate shindle (@kateshindle) December 23, 2017

When Miss America returned to Atlantic City from Las Vegas in 2013, the CRDA used a study that showed a promised economic benefit of $32 million to the city to sing the praises of the pageant's return, and continued to support the pageant, even as several casinos, including the pageant's neighbor at Boardwalk Hall, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, closed their doors. When NJ Advance Media asked the CRDA in 2014 if there had been any follow-up studies to assess the pageant's actual impact on the economy, the authority said no such studies had been attempted or completed.

A 2016 Bloomberg analysis of data from the state treasury department and New Jersey Casino Control Commission for 2012 to 2015 showed revenue from luxury tax and casino parking actually dropped after the pageant returned to Atlantic City in 2013 and continued to decline in 2014 and 2015.

"The CRDA would be well served by severing the funding agreement and finding better ways to invest in community building activities," John Palmieri, former executive director of the CRDA, wrote in an email to Haskell on Sunday. During his tenure, which ended in 2016, the CRDA made two deals with the pageant, including its current contract. In his message, he told Haskell that his leaked emails had done irreparable harm to the Miss America brand.

"On a personal note I encourage you to own your comments, not make excuses, apologize to the women you have hurt, and move on," Palmieri said.

Miss America's contract with the CRDA lasts through the next pageant, in September 2018, which is also when the pageant's contract with ABC expires.

1:51 p.m. Dec. 24: This post has been updated with comments from John Palmieri, former executive director of the CRDA.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.
Courtesy of Heather Anderson

Don't Edit

By Joe Brandt | For NJ.com

Don't Edit

When Netflix's dark comedy Maniac releases next year, look out for a Jersey girl who's got a big role on the screen.

That girl is Aaralyn Anderson, 8, of Clayton, in Gloucester County. She's part of the principal cast in the series, based on a Norwegian series of the same name.

The Norwegian series follows the life of Espen, a patient in a psychiatric ward who has delusions that he is living a lavish life, when in reality he is stuck in the hospital. Or, as the IMDB page for the show puts it, "everything is amazing and whatever happens, Espen knows how to handle it. It is simply too good to be true."

(The trailer below is in Norwegian.)

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Emma Stone and Jonah Hill are in the series, with Stone playing a patient in the psych ward, according to deadline.com.

Due to an agreement to keep details of the series hush-hush until its release, Anderson and her mom Heather cant say more about her role yet. But they spoke to NJ Advance Media about auditioning for the series and working with the stars.

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Getting the part

They drove up to New York City for an audition in August. It was really fun, I did my best, Aaralyn said. Then we hoped for the best.

They made it as far as the highway before receiving a call asking them to come back the next day.

What we didnt know is that she was walking right into a directors session, Heather said. They were seeing who had chemistry with who, bringing in other kids to work with her.

Next thing we know we were talking about the schedule for the show, Heather said.

It was like, did I get the job? Whats going on? Aaralyn said.

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Aaralyn Anderson (left) meeting Emma Stone after appearing on "Good Morning America" in 2016.

Courtesy of Heather Anderson

Meeting Emma Stone, but not for the first time

Aaralyn actually met Stone the previous year on Good Morning America, when Stone was there to promote La La Land and Aaralyn was testing out a drum kit that was up for a Cyber Monday deal.

Before that, in January 2015, Aaralyn took part in "Toddlewood," where child models dress up like Hollywood stars. Aaralyn dressed up as Emma Stone and got a makeover to produce a spitting image.

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On working with Jonah Hill

Hill, whose first leading role was in Superbad, looks very different now. And an 8-year-old, assuming they're only watching movies suitable for their age, might not recognize his appearance.

He doesnt exactly make kids movies, Heather Anderson said. And he didnt look how he did in Night at the Museum, so Aaralyn didnt recognize him at first.

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Aaralyn Anderson poses with Patrick Somerville, writer of the Netflix series "Maniac," on the show's set earlier this year.

Courtesy of Heather Anderson

Meeting writer/producer Patrick Somerville

Aaralyn would sit with him, they have this area where they put all the producers and the writers and can listen with the headphones to whats going on set, Heather said of Somerville, who was a producer and a writer on HBO's "The Leftovers" series.

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How did filming work out?

We were very lucky because she shot in and around New York, so we could come down when she had breaks. They would only be in Clayton a few days at a time during the filming, which wrapped up in October.

A few days after filming, they went to Disney World before Aaralyns 8th birthday on Nov. 5.

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Getting started as a child actress

When Aaralyn was a baby and Heather took her out in public, she would be approached by lots of people coming to admire her baby.

One day I was in Target with hereveryone was coming to see her. It took me hours to get out of there.

At 10 months old, Aaralyn did a Huggies commercial. She was in other commercials including one for Nickelodeon when was 2 and a half.

And when she was four, she appeared in a courtroom scene of "The Good Wife" on CBS.

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Aaralyn appears on Good Morning America to show a drum set that was part of a Cyber Monday deal.

Courtesy of Heather Anderson

What's next?

Im gonna be on Broadway!! Aaralyn screamed into the phone.

She'll be in the Irish production Ballyturk, at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn. It's a surreal comedy that drew heavy comparisons to David Lynch and his show Twin Peaks.

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Some words of wisdom

Aaralyn is thankful for her success so far, and she had some life advice to share too:

"It takes a lot of commitment, but if you do good and hope for the best, good things can happen," Aaralyn says.

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Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Calling the sweeping tax overhaul approved by Congress Wednesday "hurtful to working families," Jersey City yesterday said it will allow residents to prepay their entire 2018 estimated tax bills this year if they want to try to take advantage of a deduction the bill has curtailed.

Property taxes are now entirely deductible, but starting next year taxpayers will only be able to deduct up to $10,000. Residents in high-tax states like New Jersey have been flooding local tax collectors with calls asking to prepay their taxes this year so they can attempt to deduct them when they file their 2017 tax returns in April.

Jersey City had initially said it would cap prepayments of next year's bill to two quarters -- a limit other New Jersey municipalities have -- but Mayor Steve Fulop, a Democrat, said he decided Thursday to allow residents to pay all four quarters this year.

"While the Republicans in Washington are doing everything they can to hurt working families we are going to do our best to minimize the damage," Fulop said. "This will take some procedural changes but those that want to prepay their 2018 taxes we will accept."

The prepayments cover estimated taxes. If your 2018 tax bill changes because of local tax hikes or changes resulting from the property revaluation, you will either have a credit or a balance to pay next year.

Tax experts told The Jersey Journal it's not clear the IRS will allow filers to prepay an entire year's worth of property taxes and then deduct them in April. The bill does specifically bar filers from deducting prepaid state income taxes.

Rachael Bell, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Society of CPAs, told The Jersey Journal filers can prepay at least the first two quarters of their 2018 property tax bill and deduct it when they file in April.

"Taxpayers need to make sure that they are not subject to the alternative minimum tax, which would negate any benefit of prepaying," Bell said. "Additionally, it's possible that Congress could act in the coming weeks to retroactively disallow prepayment."

An IRS spokesman declined to say whether filers would be able to deduct prepaid property taxes next year.

"The IRS has started initial work on implementing this major tax legislation," he said. "We are working to provide more specific information and guidance to taxpayers, businesses and the tax community as quickly as possible in the weeks and months ahead."

The independent Tax Foundation finds that over 10 years, the state and local taxes (SALT) deduction costs the federal government $1.8 trillion and largely benefits high-income taxpayers in six states, including New Jersey. Only 28 percent of filers take the SALT deduction, the Tax Foundation says.

Democrats have said the change in the SALT deduction is a Republican effort to hurt the largely liberal states where filers take advantage of it.

Matt Rooney, a lawyer and conservative blogger, called Fulop's move "hypocritical, disingenuous hyper-partisanship." Noting that the city's school district relies on more than $400 million in state aid annually and that the city awards long-term tax breaks to developers, Rooney suggested Fulop practice what he preaches.

"If tax fairness is his aim he can return our money at any time!" Rooney told The Jersey Journal.

Rooney said most New Jerseyans "will win and get a tax cut" from the tax bill.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd.
Authorities Friday night were still trying to determine the precise circumstances of a fatal traffic accident on Rt. 440 near the Woodbridge-Edison border.

A preliminary investigation, though, reveals that a series of collisions played out over the course of possibly several minutes, leaving two dead just days before Christmas.

The tragic sequence of events began sometime around 6 a.m. Friday morning, when a Honda Accord and another vehicle were involved in an accident that left both vehicles disabled in the left lane of southbound Route 440, said Sgt. Lawrence Peele of the State Police.

Sometime afterwards, an Infiniti sedan traveling southbound struck the rear of the Honda. Sometime after that, a Jeep Compass stopped behind the Infiniti. A Hyundai sedan then struck the stopped Jeep, sending it careening into the Infiniti, Peele said.

One more vehicle, a Chevy Silverado, then struck the Hyundai, with both vehicles catching fire.

Dead are Scott Koy, a 46-year-old Parlin resident who was in the Hyundai, and Royena Bertrand of the Bronx, 34, who was traveling in the Infiniti.

Another six people were hurt.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Surrounded by Helena police, about a dozen protesters and numerous onlookers on Aug. 18, a city of Helena crew cut stone from the base of the Confederate fountain at Hill Park before it was lifted onto a trailer by a crane and taken to an undisclosed location.

The fountains removal came in the wake of violence during a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. There, nationalists opposed to removing of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee clashed with counter-protesters. One of those counter-protesters was killed and others others were injured when a nationalist drove his car into a crowd.

Across the country, Confederate monuments had become a hot-button issue drawn along ideological lines. Emotions around the monuments escalated when President Donald Trump cited violence by both white nationalists and counter-protesters, drawing condemnation from his critics for not singling out the former as instigators.

Citing concerns of violence in Helena, the Helena City Commission on Aug. 16 directed city staff to remove the fountain. The directive came after about 40 people testified before the commission both for and against the removal.

Those for removal called the fountain, which was donated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1916, a relic of racism that needed to go. The commission had previously approved an explanatory plaque that would have noted that the daughters openly supported the Ku Klux Klan and its mission of white supremacy. The plaque was never installed, and Mayor Jim Smith took responsibility for that, although he also said the fountain would be removed anyway due to concerns about violence.

Opponents of removal decried the loss of the fountain as the destruction of history. Following the commissions decision, a handful of people remained in Hill Park overnight. By the next morning about a dozen protesters, some carrying Confederate flags, shouted at city employees and law enforcement from behind an orange barricade fence. Two protesters were arrested on misdemeanor charges.

The fountain was taken away and placed in storage.

The city has not yet announced what it plans to do with the fountain, nor what might take its place in Hill Park.
Lance Fisher was arrested and booked with intentional exposure with the AIDS virus, JPSO said.(JPSO)
Four Louisiana judicial nominees sent back to White House as Senate winds down 2017
Former President Donald Trump is preparing to launch his third campaign for the White House with an announcement Tuesday night. Trump is looking to move on from disappointing midterm defeats and defy history amid signs that his grip on the Republican Party may be waning. The former president had hoped to use the GOP's expected gains in last week's elections as a springboard to win his party's nomination by locking in early support and keeping potential challengers at bay. Instead, Trump now finds himself being blamed for backing a series of losing candidates in last week's midterm elections.
The adoptable animals at Midlands Humane Society are pulling out all the stops in order to find a home this holiday season.

They look so wonderful, all dressed up and adorned with holiday cheer, while holding their best poses (no easy feat). Maybe you will fall in love with one of them and adopt or share this story with some friends or family who might be looking for their new four-legged best friend.

Rachelle is a lovely little 2-year-old cat who came to us as a stray in March. She has been here for nine months and would adore a home for the holidays. Shes a delightful cat who is calm, easily gives kisses on your ears and face and has a nice, soft coat.

Daphne is a 2 -year-old stray who arrived here in October. She is extremely easy going, has a gorgeous long, white coat and likes attention and being held.

Ellie is one of our Midland Humane Society bunnies. She is 3 years old, spayed and was surrendered this month by her owner because of allergies.

Not that Duke doesnt love all the treats and walks he gets here at MHS, but he would really love a real home. Duke is a wirehair Terrier mix who came to us late summer. Duke is about 1-year-old and would be best as the only dog in the home. A fenced in yard is also highly recommended. Duke seems to suffer from some environmental allergies, so ongoing treatment may be needed, but currently, he is a happy guy.

Check out Lexi. Lexi, a Rottweiler/American bulldog mix came to us this July and would love a bedroom floor to curl up on rather than her kennel. She loves belly and hip rubs and is entertaining to watch as she bounds along playing in our back fenced in area. She is a strong dog, who would probably be best as a solo pet.

Last but not least, is our cat Tom. Tom is a 2-year-old male who was surrendered by his owner earlier this year. Tom is a lover who likes to gain valuable perch space on your shoulder and around your neck while giving endless cuddles.

The Giving Tree: Our Giving Tree is located in the main room of the adoption floor. This is a great way to donate items to benefit Midlands Humane Society with pet food and treats, litter, cleaning and office products, animal care items and even money.

Guests can take a card off the tree, fill out the information and then bring back the donated goods by Dec. 31. Also, visit our website, midlandshumanesociety.org and check out our Bark Friday information. Your monetary donations are doubled from now until Dec. 31, thanks to a $20,000 donation. Dollars raised will match this fund, helping MHS earn $40,000. Donations can be made in cash, check or credit card payments.
Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs held a dedication ceremony Friday evening for its 90th house.

The house at 1730 Fourth Ave. was built for  and by  Joe and Ashley Gardner and their four children: Khloe, 8; Daniel, 8; Rose, 5; and Joseph Jr., 3.

The family has been living in an apartment for more than four years, Ashley said.

Home ownership has been a dream of ours for a really long time, she said. I had a five-year plan, but I didnt realize how long that would be. Now, we never have to worry about homelessness.

Ashley and the older children were homeless about seven years ago  two years before she met Joe, she said. They lived in a shelter for a time, then moved to Hamburg. They returned to Council Bluffs about five years ago.

This house gave us an opportunity to grow as a family, she said.

While their three-bedroom apartment is fairly large, it is expensive, Ashley said  almost $900 a month. Their house payments will be significantly cheaper.

Said Joe, I dont know how we made it this far.

Glennay Jundt, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs, read scriptures and offered prayers, asking God to bless the house and family. Ashley also offered prayers.

Construction of the home took longer than usual because of a shortage of funds, Jundt said.

This one, we had to fund-raise for the whole thing, she said. So we had a little lull until we had the fundraiser.

Habitats Building a Foundation will now be an annual event, Jundt said.

We were able to (raise) the rest of the funds we needed to fully fund the house and complete it, she said.

Several of Habitats board members and employees contributed, as well as the Council Bluffs Police Department, Council Bluffs Fire Department, Pottawattamie County Sheriffs Office, Nelson Family Foundation and numerous local businesses and individuals, Jundt said.

The local affiliate last held a dedication in October 2016 at a dwelling it had rehabilitated.
Local authorities are planning to weigh their options in response to the Iowa Supreme Court deciding to allow guns to be carried into county courthouses under certain restrictions.

The decision is a reversal of a complete ban on courthouse guns initiated last spring after lawmakers passed a sweeping gun rights bill.

Chief Justice Mark Cady issued an order last Tuesday revising the edict hed written in June that banned guns from all courthouses in Iowa. The revised order allows county supervisors or other local government officials to file a written request to allow guns in the buildings.

When a request is made, the chief judge of the judicial district must write an order allowing guns in public areas that are not totally occupied by the court system.

Once a judge enters the order allowing guns, the state court system relinquishes to the requesting entity any authority over the regulation of weapons in the public areas, Cadys order said.

The Pottawattamie County Courthouse currently does not allow firearms to be carried onto the property except by members of law enforcement. A security system inside the courthouse main floor lobby includes a metal detector and several courthouse staff and sheriffs deputies to oversee safety.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker said the procedures for controlled access at the courthouse will stay in place. However, the discussion of changing regulations will be had between himself, the county Board of Supervisors and County Attorney Matt Wilber, plus court judges and staff.

Thats something we will have to talk about. Some courthouses allow it, some dont. We currently do not, Danker said.

County Supervisors Justin Schultz and Tom Hanafan take differing sides  for now  on what the future policy will be for the courthouse.

Both echoed Dankers statement that discussions will be held between parties on what the best route will be. Schultz personally would like to allow firearms on the property and described himself as pro Second Amendment.

It could be done with certain restrictions. I cant carry at times, and it bothers me, Schultz said. You dont want to be the guy without a gun in a gun fight, and you never know whats going to happen when you walk out the door.

Hanafan said the policy will be up to others, depending on judges opinions and how to best protect employees at the courthouse.

Thats my humble opinion, Hanafan said.

County courthouses in Iowa house courtrooms, judges chambers and other court offices in the same building with county offices that handle drivers licenses, property taxes and other local government functions. Often, courts occupy entire floors of a courthouse and in some cases portions of floors are court offices while other space is occupied by other county agencies.

Cadys order in June that banned guns throughout all courthouses was issued after the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature passed a new law that allowed concealed weapons to be carried into and around the Iowa Capitol by anyone with a gun permit. The law, which went into effect July 1, includes a paragraph that says anyone whose gun rights are usurped by local ordinance, rule, resolution, motion or policy may sue for damages.

Cady said in the June order that the Iowa Supreme Court had a duty to promote safety in the courts.

His order was rejected by gun rights activists as an overreach of power. Theyd considered the new Iowa law a sweeping victory for Second Amendment rights.

In response to the law, county supervisors in Woodbury County, where Republicans hold a majority, voted 3-1 in August to allow guns on county property including the courthouse in Sioux City. The boards lone Democrat Marty Pottebaum, a retired Sioux City police officer, opposed it.

There are situations where people are not real thrilled to be there and its just not a place for guns, Pottebaum said Wednesday.

Despite the supervisors vote, the districts Chief Judge Duane Hoffmeyer issued an order upholding Cadys statewide courthouse ban to keep guns out.

Supervisors in Madison County voted unanimously in June to repeal its weapons ban for the courthouse in Winterset. The ban was passed just three years ago, a week after Cory Lee Daugherty, 29, pulled a handgun from his pocket as deputies attempted to take him to jail after he was sentenced to a 10-year prison sentence. No one was shot.

Gun rights advocates applauded Cadys revision.

Iowans should not lose the right of self-defense just because theyre conducting business in the county courthouse, said Aaron Door, executive director of Iowa Gun Owners, a gun rights advocacy group. Someone with an axe to grind or looking to commit murder will not be stopped by gun-free zone policy, he said.

When Cadys order was issued in June, 72 counties prohibited weapons in the courthouse but just 10 counties had airport-like metal detectors at entrances. Courthouses in 27 counties have no known prohibition on weapons.

Cadys order issued Tuesday was the result of discussion with legislators, local officials and court staff and is an attempt to balance all interests, said court system spokesman Steve Davis.

 David Pitt is a writer for the Associated Press.
Cold weather is here to stay over the next several days, with temperatures remaining below 30 degrees most of the time. There are chances for light snow  today, tonight, Monday and Monday night  with each snowfall dropping an inch or so of snow across parts of eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa.

The Council Bluffs-Omaha area could get less than 1 inch through tonight.

On cue, icy, blustery winds ushered in the first day of winter Thursday, a rude departure from what had been an unseasonably mild end to autumn.

The region is expected to get a break from the sloppy weather for at least the next few days, but not the cold. For the most part, the next week is expected to bring high temperatures in the 20s and lows in the teens, according to the National Weather Service in Valley, Nebraska.

The Christmas Day forecast in the Council Bluffs-Omaha area is for mostly cloudy skies and highs in the 20s. Most forecasters arent offering much hope for a white Christmas in the area, with the exception of AccuWeather, which is projecting the possibility of light blanket of powder. The weather service said it needs to measure one inch or more of snow on the ground Monday for the holiday to be considered a White Christmas.

Travel conditions across the United States are expected to be relatively favorable, according to AccuWeather, The World-Heralds weather consultant. No major winter storms are forecast Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to AccuWeather, however, snow is expected to fall across the upper Midwest.

The area forecast, according to the weather service includes:

Today: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow and a high around 25.

Tonight: A slight chance of snow with a low around 15.

Sunday: Sunny with a high around 30. West-northwest winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Christmas Eve: Partly cloudy with a low around 15.

Christmas Day: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow and a high around 25.

Monday night: A slight chance of snow with a low around 10.

Tuesday: Partly sunny with a high around 20.

Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy with a low around 10.

Wednesday: Partly sunny with a high in the lower 20s.

Wednesday night: A chance of snow with a low around 10.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow and a high around 25.
Celebrate Kwanzaa Dec. 29 at library

DECATUR -- Kwanzaa, an evening with Evelyn and Friends will be 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, in Decatur Public Library.

Speaker will be Lt. Anthony Brown, Macon County Sheriff's Office. Sponsor is African-American Cultural and Genealogical Society of Illinois.

For more information, call (217) 429-7458.

Microscope needed to see tiny Nativity

VILNIUS, Lithuania  Lithuania has given Pope Francis a Christmas present invisible to the naked eye: a Nativity scene where baby Jesus is smaller than a human cell.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said it took three months for Lithuanian scientists and students to create the minuscule crib from a 3D scan of the life-size creche, reducing it 10,000 times.

Francis plans to visit the Baltics next year. Details about Francis' trip to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have not been released yet but he is expected in the fall of 2018.

Pope orders probe into adviser's finances

VATICAN CITY  The Vatican confirmed Friday that Pope Francis had ordered up an investigation into alleged financial and other irregularities in the diocese of one of his top advisers, Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga.

Italian newsweekly L'Espresso said the investigation was initiated in May following allegations of failed investments, questionable expenses by one of Maradiaga's deputies, and the ultimate destination of a 35,000 euro monthly payment to the cardinal by the Catholic University of Honduras.

Rodriguez Maradiaga's supporters have told Catholic media the university funds  which belong to the Honduran church  are used to pay salaries and other diocesan expenses, and that such arrangements are used by other Honduran bishops.

The Vatican press office confirmed Friday that Francis ordered up an investigation, but provided no details. Significantly, it didn't deny L'Espresso's report.

Rodriguez Maradiaga is one of Francis' top cardinal advisers and a member of his parallel cabinet. He was the longtime head of the Vatican's Caritas International charity.
A Pew Research and Gallup survey taken last summer showed declining public support for colleges and universities.

Another survey taken in the fall by Civis Analytics and Echelon Insights revealed public doubts about college affordability and the value of degrees.

But Ryan Purdy, president of Mid-Plains Community College, said the west-central Nebraska community college system he leads offers alternatives to the high costs, as well as a quality education that is practical for the long term.

According to the surveys, Republicans showed declining faith in higher education with 67 percent expressing some or very little confidence. Among Democrats, positive views of colleges and universities continued to edge up, with 56 percent confident in higher education, according to the surveys.

Gallups survey offered some insights into the why behind the publics doubts. Of those who said they had some or very little confidence, Republicans were most likely to cite political or cultural reasons. Democrats who answered negatively were far likelier, 36 percent, to say that the institutions were too expensive than to proffer any other reason, according to the report from Inside Higher Ed.

The data also suggested strongly that Americans hold a much more favorable view of two-year colleges than four-year institutions. Both Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly believe that most students should pursue some postsecondary education or training after high school, according to the Pew Research and Gallup surveys.

We always say the advantage of community college is that it is less expensive, but still high quality, Purdy said. But the availability of jobs, especially the technical trades, outpaces the business jobs that are out there with some of the majors from four-year institutions.

Purdy said he thinks community college is a great way for students to start.

Plus weve always said with little or no debt, Purdy said. With what we have available from foundations or groups, we can pay for most of it, so thats a big advantage.

Stuart Simpson and Tami Eshelman both have children in college. Where students choose to continue their education depends a lot on family dynamics and objectives, the two North Platte Public Schools administrators said.

Simpsons daughter Jordynn is attending North Platte Community College, and Eshelmans son Ryan is enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Its been a positive experience for (Jordynn) to go out to Mid-Plains, said Simpson, executive director of finance for the school district. I think for what my wife and I saw is that its given her a good foundation to understand what college life has, so if she chooses to go on to a four-year school, that would be great.

Simpson said many students in his daughters class went on to four-year colleges and have been successful there.

As a family, is their direction a four-year institution, or is their direction trade or something else to springboard to a four-year or out into the workforce, Simpson said.

Eshelman said she has thought about the cost of education since her children were young.

Ive been fortunate in that Ive been putting away for my boys since they were born, said Eshelman, associate superintendent of the North Platte schools. Jordynn (Simpsons daughter) is different because she went out to Mid-Plains to play volleyball, but some students objective is that they want to play college sports. So they go to these private schools and get this debt and end up working a job that does not pay enough.

Both Eshelman and Simpson said they are grateful that students at North Platte High School have the opportunity to get college credits with dual-credit courses that are a collaboration between the school district and Mid-Plains.

While some students will transfer to other schools after finishing at Mid-Plains, others are in programs that lead directly to careers with a two-year degree in a technical trade.

The lack of skilled trades people is a big deal, said Chuck Salestrom, area vice president of public information and marketing. Those plumbers and electricians are making some serious money. For a two-year degree in electrical or a one-year in HVAC, were talking about significant money.

Salestrom said students who graduate from the technical trades programs have 100 percent job placement.

Our electrical students at the end of our 11-month program all have job offers, Salestrom added.

Purdy encourages high school students to consider community college even if their degree is not necessarily something they do for the rest of their lives.

At least come in and get a two-year degree and get started, Purdy said. Dont take out a whole lot of debt.

He said that is important because many who go straight from high school to a four-year institution graduate with $40,000 to $50,000 in debt.

Even as a staff accountant at some firms, youre going to make $30,000-$35,000, maybe $40,000, Purdy said. And youre going to be at least that much in debt.

Purdy said that means student loan payments will be several hundred dollars a month.

How hard is it to get married and start a family when you have this looming piece over the top of you, Purdy said. And student loans stay with you regardless of your financial situation.
U.S. steel mills produced 6.7 million tons of steel in November, an 8.5 percent year-over-year increase.

The United States ranked third internationally in steel production last month after China's 66.2 million tons and Japan's 8.7 million tons, according to the World Steel Association.

The Brussels-based trade association reported the global steel output was 136.6 million tons in November, a 3.3 percent year-over-year increase. The 66 steelmaking countries used about 70.7 percent of their overall steelmaking capacity, up 1.5 percent year-over-year but down 2.2 percent compared to October.

In November, steel production was up 2.2 percent year-over-year in China, 1 percent in Japan, 3.3 percent in Italy, 18 percent in Spain, and 15.3 percent in Brazil. Steel output fell 9.7 percent year-over-year in France, which made 1.2 million tons of metal in November.

Home to about half the nation's blast furnaces, Indiana has led the United States in steelmaking for decades, largely because of the large integrated mills on Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.
Most likely, youve heard of Gabriel the angel. But have you ever heard of Gabriel the cat?

One was a biblical messenger from heaven and the other  well, its a story that may give pause for thought.

It was Christmastime 2010 when a roaring fireplace could barely quell the chill of an Iowa winter  or warm the emptiness in a mothers heart.

I was very close to my son Christopher, said Liz Fisher, a former Tri-City resident now living in Spokane.

He died when he was 28, she added, remembering the tragic loss almost seven years ago.

Especially fragile with grief during the holiday season that year, Liz, her husband Joe and daughter Catherine, had flown to Virginia to see family, returning just before Christmas. It was on their way home from the airport that Liz felt drawn to stop at a small mom and pop pet store. Why she made the request after hours of travel remains a mystery to her, even to this day.

I want to make it perfectly clear, were not getting any animals, Liz said she told her family as they entered the store, knowing they had an elderly cat waiting at home.

But as Liz strolled past the cages, one tiny kitten came to life, playfully engaging her with heartfelt meows.

He started talking to me, sort of a conversation back and forth, and the next thing, there I was, buying a cat, Liz said with a smile.

The immediate joy she felt over their new pet was soon eclipsed when she and her husband arrived at the house to find their beloved old kitty, Soxie, had died. Weary from their trip, they said final goodbyes graveside in the icy cold while the fading light brought tears and rekindled grief.

It wasnt until Liz snuggled on the couch with the crying little kitten that she felt a gentle peace begin to infuse her heart, she said. Nestled under her chin, the gray ball of fluff had quieted, purring softly, as Liz pondered a name for their newly adopted pet.

Finding Neverland was playing on TV  not a Christmastime movie  and the little cat slept while both Liz and Joe were lost in their private thoughts.

But suddenly at the sound of one characters voice, the kitten roused with a huge meow.

Right when Gabriel spoke in the film, he woke up and cried loudly, like thats my name, said Liz about the well-remembered moment. So, right then we named him Gabriel.

In the days that followed, there was no doubt in Lizs mind that Gabriel  sometimes called her angel Gabriel  had arrived when she so needed comfort in the midst of great sadness. The lingering grief from losing a child, the death of her longtime pet, all weighed heavily on her spirit  until Gabriel.

I dont know how to say this, Liz said, her voice betraying concern about how her next statement would be perceived. But I feel like my son, Christopher, who passed away, sent this cat to help me heal.

Similar to the biblical angel Gabriel, who brought messages from heaven, this innocent cat felt to Liz like a messenger bringing healing and happiness to their home that bleak winter. However, this family wouldnt be Gabriel the cats only mission.

Three years later, Gabriel and the Fisher family were living in the Tri-Cities, delighted to be back in the Northwest. Their summer vacation plans in late June included a stay at their lake home in Florence, Ore. Joe and Gabriel would travel early in the week and Liz would join them on the weekend.

But in the first days after Joes arrival with the cat, Liz received a distressing telephone call from her husband. Gabriel had gone missing at the lake.

Ive never had a connection with a cat like I have had with Gabriel, Liz said with emotion as she thought back to the loss and how she felt. He disappeared in Florence and we searched my entire vacation. I couldnt give up hope.

Fliers with Gabriels photo were posted of the missing gray-striped feline to alert distant neighbors, local veterinarians and the Humane Society. But eventually, even optimistic Liz had to return to work.

My love for Gabriel was so strong that I couldnt believe my little fellow would have left me, she said about her precious cat. But as weeks went by, I also realized we may never be reunited.

No one heard from Gabriel from late June until early August. No phone calls, no sightings, no tips on where he might be. In the heavily forested area by the lake with an abundance of predators, the chances that a cat could survive  even a good hunter  were slim.

What Liz needed was a message of hope. It came six weeks after Gabriel first disappeared.

A woman who wanted to keep a stray cat had taken the extra measure to check for a microchip in his neck. A query to the Fisher family came from an Oregon veterinarian who had followed up on the microchip information.

My husband didnt want me to get my hopes up, Liz said as she reflected on how long Gabriel had been missing. But I was sure it was my cat.

Once it was confirmed, there was celebration and Gabriel was brought home. And thats when Liz learned some of the backstory from the gracious woman who had found him  and loved him too.

Janene Kibitt, who lives three miles from the Fishers lake home, had spotted Gabriel in her front yard on the very day she was grieving over the loss of two cats in one week  one that had died that day.

Silly, maybe, Janene said in a Facebook post, but it was helpful for me in my grief to imagine that this stray cat was possibly sent by Sally and Lucky (the cats) as a sign or simply to bring some joy during an unhappy time.

It was another cat-delivery message of comfort at a time of great sadness.

And the name Janene had chosen for the gentle gray-striped cat during its 17-day stay?

A perfect name in keeping with the reassuring message the cat had brought her.

Gabriel.

A coincidence? Certainly, paws for thought.
WANATAH  People have heard the Christmas carol "We Three Kings," or may have read about the Gift of the Magi.

Others may be familiar with the story of how the three wise men brought the newborn baby Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Northwest Indiana Trading Co. does not sell gold but it does retail and wholesale frankincense, myrrh and other resins as well as essential oils, bone necklaces, arrowhead necklaces, ginseng and other products imported from across the world. Among its featured items is top-of-the-line Royal Hojari frankincense from Oman.

Ryan Bambrick runs the Wanatah-based import and export firm, which has seen steady sales of the resin myrrh over the years and a recent surge in interest in frankincense because of its purported anti-inflammatory and health benefits.

"After some research came out, a lot more people are interested in frankincense," Bambrick said. "It's been used as a chewing gum in Oman and Saudi for thousands of years."

Bambrick said Americans are just now discovering how it's used for inflammation and arthritis.

The Northwest Indiana Trading Co. and its sister website frankincense.net, do not promote or advertise any health benefits for their products, but Bambrick has found more consumers are seeking out frankincense, an aromatic tree resin traditionally used in incense and perfume, as a form of alternative medicine.

The natural health website DrAxe.com for instance claims frankincense helps reduce stress, boost immune system function, heal skin, prevent signs of aging, balance hormone levels, kill germs and bacteria and even fight cancer. However, many experts including Robert Tisserand, founder of the Tisserand Institute, an organization dedicated to aromatherapy research and education, have suggested clinical studies don't support that conclusion.

The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City reports growing use of Indian frankincense to treat asthma and osteoarthritis despite mixed or inconclusive studies, and to relieve menstrual cramps though "no scientific evidence supports this use." Clinical trials have, however, shown the resin can reduce inflammatory conditions and potentially treat colitis.

One of Bambrick's customers supports the idea that the resin provides health benefits.

"I am buying it for the benefits of using it as incense and as an essential oil," said Joseph Camerieri, a Florida resident who described himself as a regular customer of Northwest Indiana Trading Co. "This gives me a great feeling in the morning when I use it in my room before I go to bed."

Northwest Indiana Trading Co. once primarily sold frankincense to Orthodox and Catholic churches for incense or anointing oil used during services. But more and more people now seek it for personal use, and have told Bambrick they use it to relieve aching muscles, sore joints and mosquito bites and to calm down or relieve depression.

Bambrick recently began grinding down frankincense resin into a fine powder so it can be used in balms and to infuse either coconut or olive oils. Northwest Indiana Trading Co. for instance started selling a Hojari frankincense infused oil, a skin moisturizer.

"Because of a lot more articles about frankincense online, more people have been using it as a supplement," Bambrick said. "I've been able to make new products."

Bambrick is gearing up for a busy season after Christmas, when he'll arrange to ship all-natural frankincense from the Al Hajar Mountains in Oman and myrrh from Somaliland in Somali all over the world. People often use tithing money to buy their churches resins for incense or ceremonial oil around the start of the new year, Bambrick said.

"The business has grown in different ways," he said. "I've found in the past couple years more monasteries are wanting to purchase frankincense for their incense blends."
The holidays are a time when we remember that giving can be more fulfilling than receiving.

Yet for the Regions shelters and charities, this idea is the basis of their daily operations.

Whether it is creating holiday cheer for children or offering a place of solace and hope for families during the winter, these organizations spend their holidays doing for others and could use the help of the communities they serve.

The Buns Care Charity

The Buns Care Charity is a 2-year-old nonprofit located in Schererville and originated from a lunch meeting between old high school friends  Dr. Thomas OHara, who is the acting chair of the Buns Care Board of Directors, and board member Ray Hoogewerf.

We started brainstorming just shy of two years ago over one of our regular Mexican lunches. We are both semi-retired from successful careers. We decided to find a meaningful way to give back. Nostalgically, we decided to start a charity in Northwest Indiana, our old stomping grounds, Hoogewerf said.

The charity offers a weeklong children's shoes drive as well as annual college scholarships to local high school students who have lower grades and are from families with limited financial options. The scholarships are usually awarded to students who have high levels of work ethics but are facing difficulties with improving their grades.

We concentrate on hardworking, motivated, bright high school seniors who may not qualify for traditional scholarships due to mediocre grades. Some of these kids must hold part-time jobs during high school because of family financial problems.

In order for the Buns Care Charity to continue its civic outreach it needs support from the community.

Hoogewerf said the charitys officials plan to apply for the Nike Shoe grant in the beginning of 2018. The Nike Community Impact Fund is a grassroots outreach program that is focused on giving grants and donations to nonprofits that supports children getting active. Until the grant is obtained, Buns Care Charity needs more volunteers (for social media outreach, public speaking and ambassador work), business collaborations and financial donations. Donations can be made at its Schererville office, 2301 Cline Ave. No. 107, in the form of cash, checks or by dropping off gently used shoes.

The Rainbow-Ark

The Gary Commission for Womens Office runs the Rainbow-Ark shelter, which was once known as two separate shelters  Rainbows Shelter for Battered Women and Children and the Ark Womens Shelter. They were combined in order to solve many of the shelters financial issues. The Rainbow-Ark is asking the residents of Northwest Indiana for cards with words of encouragement or winter accessories this holiday season. Office administrators ask that anyone who is interested in giving cards or donations to call their number  219-883-4155  directly in order to begin the process.

Executive Director Teshezia George explains, All donations are greatly appreciated  as we have 14 apartment units within the shelter that provide respite for women and children who suffer from homelessness and domestic violence.

During the holiday and winter season we are always planning to have enough coats on hand for our ever-changing population, George said.

The Rainbow Ark could use coats, boots, hats, gloves, socks, underwear (up to 4X), baby formula and food, wipes and diapers, Gary bus passes and toiletries, including washing powders.

Gabriels Horn

Gabriels Horn, located in Valparaiso, offers temporary shelter to women and their children. Gabriels Horn is completely occupied at the moment. The temporary shelter can house a maximum of 14 people. The typical length of an occupants stay can range between two to four months, but there have been circumstances where some women have stayed for six.

Direction Mignon Kennedy encourages Region residents who would like to become involved with the shelter to do so by spending time with the children. Kennedy said one key element missing from the childrens lives are experiences. Doing things like taking them to see a movie or ice-skating, are activities that they wouldnt normally be able to participate in Life is about the experiences and it would be nice if the children could have those kinds of opportunities, she said.

The Gabriels Horn website contains a wish list section that displays what the shelter is currently in need of to community members. Kennedy said churches in the area have taken care of the usual need for winter items like coats, boots and hats.

She said the shelter is in need of everyday household items like toiletries, sanitary napkins and cleaning items. Gas cards and cash donations are always welcomed because our NIPSCO bill does go up, she said.

Kennedy can be contacted at the Gabriels Horn shelter at (219) 364-8018.
MICHIGAN CITY  Calumet Pallet, which moved to the city from Hammond in 2013, has had the tax abatement revoked on its investment.

The City Council this week revoked the 10-year property tax abatement, citing failure by the maker of wooden pallets to live up to projections in areas like job growth in exchange for the tax break.

We dont want to look like were anti-business, but were giving significant money for these companies to do what they say they are going to do, and they have not complied, Councilman Bryant Dabney said.

The decision was also influenced by a dozen citations for alleged code violations at the business located at 4333 Ohio St.

Fire Marshal Kyle Kazmierczak said none of the code violations, like pallets stacked too close to fire hydrants and sprinkler systems not being maintained, have been rectified by owner Jeff Bridegroom.

"He made promises, but nothing has been addressed at all," Kazmierczak said.

Clarence Hulse, executive director of the Economic Development Corp. Michigan City, suggested the company be given another chance to keep the tax abatement on its $2.7 million investment on a 93,000-square-foot facility.

The vote to pull it, though, was unanimous.

"We have made numerous attempts to work with this gentleman. We have not seen a bit of action," said Sue Downs, director of code enforcement.

Councilman Tim Bietry also said Bridegroom wrote a letter he felt was insulting to local government and citizens "who he claims are unwilling to work and show up on time for work."

Hulse said about 40 people are employed by the company, which also repairs old pallets and recycles pallets into products like mulch and animal bedding.

He also said the company never collected on the tax abatement because the necessary paperwork was never submitted to the LaPorte County Clerks office.
LAPORTE  Plans for a Kroger Marketplace more than twice the size of the current traditional supermarket in the city are on the back burner.

The store chain entered into a purchase agreement with the citys Redevelopment Commission in October 2016 to build a 123,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace on 14 acres at New Porte Landing.

Bert Cook, executive director of the Greater LaPorte Economic Development Corp., said Kroger is having second thoughts due to a change, perhaps, in corporate structure and market conditions.

He said the Kroger store at the nearby Pine Lake Shopping Plaza could be renovated instead, but nothing has been decided.

"The communication thats going between the city of LaPorte and Kroger corporate is a good discussion, and its ongoing," Cook said, "and well continue to try and figure out what works best for both parties."

When Kroger will decide its next move is unknown, but any construction of a Kroger Marketplace will not begin in 2018, as originally planned.

"The initial timeline that was discussed doesnt make sense for Kroger anymore, and well be respectful of that," Cook said.

Email and telephone messages left with Kroger at its corporate offices in Cincinnati, Ohio, were not returned.

According to the company website, Kroger Marketplaces started going up in 2005 to offer more of an one-stop shopping experience.

In addition to groceries, the marketplace stores offer products in the areas of home fashion and decor, bed and bath and kitchen and small appliances, along with home office and toys.

Kroger Marketplace locations in Indiana include the Indianapolis area and Fort Wayne.

Theyre in other states like Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas and Virginia.

New Porte Landing is where Allis Chalmers manufactured farm equipment for decades until the early 1980s.

It took nearly 20 years to remediate the nearly 50 acres equipped with roads, water and sewer.

Dunkin' Donuts was first to locate there, in spring 2016, followed by a new Starbucks.

The Dunes Volleyball Club also is relocating there from Rolling Prairie and expects to be open next spring.

Cook said the foundation for the volleyball club is in, and the thousands of people drawn there annually for practices and competition should help recruit more development and provide a noticeable boost in traffic to the downtown area.
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Lee County has cause to celebrate, along with the rest of the state, as officials praise recent unemployment numbers in comparison to a year ago.

Lee County reported a 3.1 percent unemployment rate for November, down from 4.8 a year ago. It joins Shelby County (2.6 percent), Marshall and Cullman counties (3 percent) and Madison and Elmore counties (3.1 percent) as the counties with the lowest unemployment rate.

For the same one-year time period, both Auburn and Opelika dropped from 5.1 percent to 3.3 percent.

This speaks to the robust vitality of our area and to all the companies and businesses choosing to locate here, said Opelika Chamber of Commerce President Pam Powers-Smith. I have no doubt this trend will continue for us.

Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday that Alabamas preliminary seasonally adjusted November unemployment rate set a record low of 3.5 percent, down from Octobers previous record setting rate of 3.6 percent, and also below November 2016s rate of 6.2 percent.

We have 30,500 more jobs now than we did last year, over 40,000 more people are working, and the number of unemployed has dropped by over 60,000 from last year - the fewest number of people counted as unemployed in Alabama history!, Ivey said in a statement. We will continue our work to ensure that any Alabamian who wants a job, can find one.

Alabama is one of five states that saw unemployment rates recently drop to record lows, joining California, Hawaii, Mississippi and Texas.

The Labor Department's report on state unemployment released Friday showed rates fell in 19 other states, a positive sign for U.S. economic growth. Over the past 12 months, 27 states have added payroll jobs. Job totals have essentially been unchanged in 23 other states.

It was just last month when we reached the extraordinary milestone of breaking all previous unemployment rate records, but now just a month later the trend continues and we have once again broken those records. Ivey said. This continued historic decline in our unemployment rate, coupled with the fact that Alabamas businesses are employing more Alabamians than ever before, shows that we are truly moving forward and proving to everyone that Alabama is a great place to live and do business.

Area adding jobs

Auburn-Opelika was ranked 16th in a USA Today article listing cities that added the most jobs in 2017. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed monthly metropolitan area employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to compile the list.

Auburn-Opelika added 2,938 jobs between January and October 2017.

One of our focuses through development over the years is to work to make sure that Auburns economy is strong and that jobs are available and there are well-qualified folks available for them, said David Dorton, director of public affairs for the city of Auburn. The unemployment statistics every year are usually pretty good news for Auburn and Lee county.

During the past year, the largest absolute gains nationwide were in Texas, where the number of jobs climbed 330,600. California was second in job additions with 288,300. These states also led in month job gains. Alaska and North Dakota shed jobs between October and November.

Hawaii reported the lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 2 percent. The unemployment rate was below 2.7 percent in Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Dakota. In total, 17 states have unemployment rates below this national average of 4.1 percent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Come across Karen L. Williams and shell assure you: Every day is Christmas. Because you have to have joy every day.

Having received her honorary 5-year volunteer pin last spring, Williams is among more than 200 volunteers each year who devote their time to East Alabama Medical Center.

Her friend, Sherridian Frazier, is enjoying her fourth year as an auxiliary volunteer.

I enjoy meeting new people and assisting visitors and brightening their days, said Frazier, flashing a friendly smile with the sparkle of a Christmas star. Because youd be surprised by how much a smile can brighten their day.

Volunteer levels

Volunteers like Williams and Frazier are much appreciated by hospital staff, including Victoria Beasley, the hospitals volunteer coordinator, who explained how there are three volunteer levels: teenage, college and auxiliary.

Teenage volunteers come at 4 oclock after they get out school, Beasley said. Theyll restock coffee, flowers and do mail deliveries. And theyll even get patients water and ice chops, things like that.

Teenage volunteers consist of 9th through 12th graders, Beasley added. This years volunteers have been representative of Opelika, Auburn and Beulah high schools. As groups, these volunteers help out one day each week, Monday through Friday.

College volunteers assist hospital personnel in the E.R., radiology laboratory and other departments, Beasley said, also remarking, Theyre more in a clinical setting than auxiliary and high school volunteers.

Finally, auxiliary-level volunteers assist with the information desk, waiting rooms and the hospitals cancer center, Beasley said. They also escort patients to their surgeries.

In fact, the auxiliary volunteers have a unique history, having been in existence before the hospital even opened, said John Atkinson, the hospitals director of public relations and marketing.

When approval was given for the hospital to be built, a group of women  many of which were doctors wives  started preparing for when the hospital would open, Atkinson said, noting the hospital opened in 1952.

Informally known as the Pink Ladies in observance of the color of the clothes they routinely wore, the auxiliary volunteers later included male volunteers in the 1980s, their preferred color of attire being Navy blue by the 1990s, Atkinson highlighted.

Most visitors that come to hospital always see them at the front information desk, and we have gotten thank you notes that have said, Everything went great from the pink ladies at the front desk to the doctors,

Willing spirits and smiles

During the holiday season, auxiliary volunteers donate to the hospitals annual Christmas Magic program, which different departments sponsor to help provide Christmas gifts to employees children who are in need, Beasley said. The volunteers also prepare annual Christmas snack trays.

During the holiday, the volunteers bake goods and go buy treats for staff and employees at the hospital, Beasley said. They assemble over 200 trays and distribute them themselves.

Year-round, volunteers are valued for their dedication at EAMC, said Mandy Finklea, director of the EAMC Foundation and physician recruitment.

We appreciate everything they do with such willing spirits and smiles on their faces, Finklea said.
For the third consecutive year, Opelika Police officers took to the streets to help a local secret Santa spread holiday cheer and magic.

Not much is known about the secret Santa, said Capt. Bobby Kilgore, other than they are a local business owner with a desire to make the upcoming holiday extra special for families with children.

And this person wants to remain 100 percent anonymous, he said.

Several officers were given a handful of unmarked, Holly Berry red colored envelopes to distribute to random families with children in the city. Each envelope contained a festive Christmas card and a crisp $100 bill.

Once given their items of delivery, the officers departed and took station at various locations throughout the city  such as grocery or retail store parking lots.

The card deliveries have been a wonderful experience for the department to have with citizens, Kilgore said, and recipients are always overjoyed with the surprise gift.

First Christmas

Jessica and Jonathon Hardy were walking back to their car with their 6-month-old son, Lincoln, and Jonathons mother, Theresa Carroll, when approached by Officer Brian Hipp in the Opelika Walmart parking lot Friday morning.

Jessica had to catch her breath to keep from crying as relief swept over her. Having moved recently, finances have been tight for the little family, but the surprise gift will allow them to do a little more for their sons first Christmas.

Momma wants to give you a good Christmas, Jessica said to her infant son, sitting on her hip. Even if he doesnt remember it, I will have the memories.

On the good list

Amberly Smith was walking out of the Opelika Piggly Wiggly with her two children, 2-week-old Jace and 6-year-old Jordan; and her mother, Sharon Smith, when Kilgore approached the family with a card in hand.

I thought I was going to get a ticket, Sharon laughed as she recalled her thoughts of seeing Kilgore.

Wishing for a PlayStation 4 and an electric scooter, Jordan said he has been on Santas good list. He is looking forward to Santas visit the most this Christmas, but Kilgores visit was good too, he said.
DECATUR  Court Security Officer Alan Engdale fondly remembers the day he met Kid, his Macon County Courthouse K-9 partner he was assigned in 2013.

The moment itself came as a bit of a surprise, he said.

"When I first was at school, I got a dog. We came home, we tested him, and did what we had to do, but he didn't work out," Engdale said. "One of the deputies told me, 'When you get out of orientation, you'll have a dog' ... and when I came out, it was Kid."

The 6-year-old Belgian Malinois was honored Friday with a memorial procession from the Macon County Sheriff's Office and other local law enforcement agencies. Kid died last Thursday from complications caused by a pre-existing medical condition, the sheriff's office said.

While his partner and friend may be gone, Engdale said he won't have any trouble keeping Kid's memory alive.

"We worked, and we grew, and every day that went on, we grew closer together," he said. "It's amazing. The bond, and the love that you have for one another. And I don't care if he felt bad one day, or if I felt bad one day, we always lifted one another up."

In addition to the sheriff's office, the procession featured city police and park police officers. The event included Sheriff Howard Buffett, who as a philanthropist has funded numerous dog purchases by local law enforcement, including Macon County.

Buffett shared a hug with Engdale after presenting him with Kid's ashes. Many of the officer's colleagues, friends and family followed suit and showered him with their love and support.

"I don't care about this for me," Engdale said. "I wanted these tributes and respect for him, because he was loved and will be missed by everybody in the community."

Kid was trained to detect explosives, and Engdale said he was "amazing" to work with. Most days, the pair performed daily sweeps of the courthouse and law enforcement center. Other times, they were asked to work at other locations throughout Central Illinois, including Kid's star turn at last year's Razzle Dazzle Goodtimes Parade during the Decatur Celebration. He and Engdale walked ahead of the parade and checked for explosives.

At the end of the day, Kid would come home with Engdale and would play with him and his family until it was time for bed.

"He was there, and he was family," Engdale said.

Corporal Lisa Friis, who oversees court security for the sheriff's office, said it's a common practice for the office to honor fallen K-9 deputies with memorial processions.

"They work with us every day, and their lives are in just as much danger as ours," she said. "He deserves respect just like a fallen officer."

As the procession left Graceland-Fairlawn Funeral Home and drove toward the courthouse, Friis said she was overwhelmed by how many people stood along the route and paid their respects. Kid was very well known due to his genial personality, she said. "Everybody loved him."

The sheriff's office has four other K-9 deputies. Three are single-purpose dogs that work with drug detection, and one is trained in both drug detection and suspect apprehension.

Until a replacement for Kid is assigned, the sheriff's office will call the Secretary of State Police or University of Illinois at Champaign police for help with explosive detection.

However, no matter what K-9 steps in Kid's place, Friis said the courthouse won't be the same without his presence.

"We will miss Kid. It was hard to let him go that day. We'll miss him," she said.
1925 - 2017 Ethel Sego Hunt, 92, of Auburn, Alabama passed away December 21, 2017 peacefully in her sleep at Arbor Springs Heath and Rehab in Opelika, Alabama. She was born on October 25, 1925 in Tuskegee, Alabama the youngest of four girls to the late Emmett M. Sego and Minnie Segrest Sergo. She grew up in the Little Texas Community on a farm where the family all worked and played together. They enjoyed an active social life in the community with extended family and friends. It was at one of those community socials that she met her future husband, Bennie L. Hunt, who had recently moved to the area to assist one of his brothers and his wife who operated a store nearby. Ethel and Bennie enjoyed each other's company and began dating. Bennie invited Ethel to attend a worship service of a group of Christians meeting at the Tiger Theatre in Auburn. Ethel enjoyed the service and the Christians there. She became a Christian and was a member of the Auburn Church of Christ for the rest of her life. World War II began and Bennie joined the service. Their courtship continued until 1945 when Bennie returned to the States and was stationed in Miami, Florida. They were married on February 22, 1945. When the war ended they settled in the Auburn area, where they owned and operated the Sani-Freeze for over 30 years. She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Bennie L. Hunt; siblings, Ruth Phillips, Francis Miller, Louise White, as well as extended family. She is survived by her daughters, Mary Lee (Jim) Hayes of Columbus, Georgia, Cheri (Ron) Russell of Auburn, Alabama; sons, Bennie "Butch" (Dee) Hunt of Auburn, Alabama and Billy Hunt of Opelika, Alabama; nine grandchildren and six great grandchildren; two brothers-in-law; one sister-in-law, as well as extended family and friends. Visitation will be held Tuesday, December 26, 2017 from 12:00 until 1:00 p.m. in the Parlor at Frederick-Dean Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held in the Chapel at Frederick-Dean Funeral Home on Tuesday, December 26, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. with Dr. Tom Steed officiating. Interment will follow at Auburn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers the family respectfully request donations be made to the Auburn Christian Student Center (au4jesus.org) or mailed to Auburn Christian Foundation (P.O. Box 1841 Auburn, Alabama 36831) or the Auburn Church of Christ (712 South College Street Auburn, Alabama 36830). Frederick-Dean Funeral Home is directing. www.FrederickDean.com Funerals & Cremations Since 1900
Allan Ssemakula

Hima Cement Uganda has appointed Allan Ssemakula to act as chief executive officer. He replaces Daniel Pettersson, who has been relieved of his duties.

Sources have told us that Pettersson was asked to resign after he fell short of the companys compliance rules.

A number of audits were done (by the group) and he passed most of them. But there was a key audit on compliance, which he failed. The company is very keen on its image; that is why they had to fire him, our source told us.

Hima Cements publicist Carol Kezaabu told us Pettersson moved on to pursue other career options.

The same communication was sent to the companys suppliers. She also confirmed to The Observer that there is no specific date set to appoint a permanent chief executive officer.

Our source, however, also told us that Pettersson, on some occasions, faced a hostile human resource. In one incident, a dossier implicating some top managers circulated around the office in an effort to discredit the top hierarchy.

Some of the content in this dossier, according to our source, pointed to some managers engaging in some dubious dealings.

It is not clear whether the allegations in this dossier were ever investigated and the culprits brought to book. It is also not clear whether this dossier played a part in Petterssons exit.



Who is Ssemakula?

Ssemakula is a lawyer and has been the commercial director of Hima. He joined Hima Cement in 2014 as marketing manager.

He started his corporate career at Total Uganda in 2006 as a retail territory executive and progressed his career taking on several assignments with the Retail Sales department.

He then joined East African Breweries Limited (EABL), Uganda as the sales capabilities manager and later headed sales operations and strategy.
When Kampala, and other parts of the country, had a power blackout on the evening of December 13, a firestorm erupted on social media platforms. The recipient of the vile language, as always, was Umeme.

The power utility firm, in its defence, said the Uganda Electricity Transmission Limited was investigating the matter. Umeme called for calm. Emotions, instead, ran higher. Lost in the flaring tempers were discussions over why the power blackout happened in the first place, and how the situation should never happen again. And yet, we have been here before.

Some bit of background is needed here. In September 2016, a similar problem occurred. Then again, on the evening of June 22, 2017, Kampala and many other parts of the country were plunged into darkness. In both those incidents, Eskom Uganda was blamed for the blackout.

Eskom has faced challenges at the substations at the Jinja power complex, where it operates and maintains the Nalubaale and Kiira power dams, which have a combined capacity of 380MW.

Some of the equipment at the substation, such as the earth shield cables, were, by June 2017, so worn out that it was a surprise they were still in use in the first place.

It took the blackout of June 22, 2017 to get Eskom to replace that equipment. By early September, a team of highly experienced engineers from Eskoms parent company in South Africa were in the country to do a study on some of the problems the company was facing at Jinja. Eskom says it inherited a run-down network at Jinja and that it can only do its best to return the complex to efficiency.

Last weeks power blackout, according to preliminary investigations, shows that the cause was a system failure at the Bujagali 220/132kV transmission switchyard.

The blackout occurred at 19.00hrs when one of the equipment at the switchyard exploded, causing damage to one of the transformers there, resulting into a system fault and all generator units at the Bujagali 250MW hydro power dam in Jinja going off.

For fair measure, even other developed countries experience system failures that lead to blackouts. But the frequency with which this occurs in Uganda calls for national dialogue.

Should Eskom continue managing the Jinja plants when its 20-year concession runs out in 2023? Or should we hand that task to the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL)?

Is Bujagali, five years after being commissioned, starting to feel the pressures of operating and maintaining the plant?

A discussion on whether UEGCL should completely take over the operation and maintenance of Nalubaale and Kiira is already taking place, albeit under hushed tones. Eskom is pushing back; Uganda remains a profitable venture for the South African entity.

There is a lot to consider here. At the centre of this debate is whether Ugandans have the capacity to manage their own energy affairs, at least on the operation and maintenance front.

A company like Eskom enjoys a strong track record in managing power plants, spanning decades. UEGCL is a company that is starting to find its feet in the field. Although, UEGCL has poached quite a number of highly-trained staff from Eskom over the last five years.

UEGCL might not perform as well as Eskom at Jinja but it is hard to argue against handing them the task, which is a way of promoting local content. There is no doubt that Uganda will only achieve sustainable development when Ugandans are in charge of certain key sectors, such as electricity.

Still, UEGCL will need to prove that it has the manpower to handle the task and attract the kind of capital needed to operate the power plants. But the discussion of whether Ugandans should be handed the task of managing critical sectors needs to start now.



jeff@observer.ug

Twitter: @jeff_mbanga
You probably belong to an investment club or two. And probably, there is somebody harassing you to join another.

They may not call it an investment club. It may be called a village savings and loan association, a Sacco, retirement benefits scheme, education scheme, CBS Pewosa or simply Tuzimbe Tugaggawale something. In such groups, people raise money regularly to do business or borrow from it at very low rates without any collateral.

Because this money belongs to a community, family or lifelong buddies, members who borrow tend to bring it back and there isnt a lot of sign here and sign there that is associated with our unimaginative commercial banks. Borrowing this money is so easy.

Such clubs or groups sometimes invest in real estate, tree planting or their favourite  fixed-depositing it with banks at laughable rates. Investment clubs have the potential to revolutionize our country like village saving schemes are doing in northern Uganda.

There is a project, which closed recently, that has been running a water and sanitation initiative. I am willing to be called a PR person or whatever for SNV Ugandaits implementersbecause I believe if somebody does something good, there is no harm in mentioning them. I believe the beneficiaries will attest it has been a good project, and that, to me, is important.

Anyway, SNV and its partners realized that a lot of boreholes, which were sunk in the region to provide safe water would break down because of lack of maintenance. So, they devised a plan where people from the community pay Shs 1,000 a month to ensure boreholes are maintained.

One district water engineer told me they expect to raise Shs 900m by the end of the year for preventive maintenance of boreholes. That sounds like a lot of money from a rural district in a formerly war-ravaged region.

In each of the sub-counties, water boards have been created, toll-free lines exist at district level where people report borehole breakdowns.

If you lack integrity, the community ensures you dont get any seat on the board. If you lose integrity along the way, the community removes you from the water board. I think lacking integrity is euphemism for being a thief.

Mechanics have been trained to maintain and repair them and a spare parts industry is starting to thrive. So, because money is available, boreholes in the remotest of these areas are repaired within 24 hours or so. The more boreholes repaired, the more the mechanics earn.

Now, if people can pay for water, why cant they pay for medicine? Imagine if every adult paid Shs 1,000 a month for medicine and saved this money using the same model; a lot of people wouldnt have to die.

Private sector and public health facilities would compete for this money and whoever treats people would be paid. If politicians and thieves are kept away from the sub-county health boards, this money would do a lot and nobody would die because of lack of health workers or medicine.

And probably no doctors would be on strike demanding a pay rise. I know that the government should pay workers, buy medicines and provide social services. After all, people pay taxes. However, there is need for public-private partnerships.

I personally dont believe that people, even when they pay taxes, should get everything for free. And unless corruption is tackled, money will either be stolen or spent on useless things. What I am suggesting isnt even revolutionary as I am told these models exist in other countries.

And right in Alebtong, Apac, Lira, Dokolo and many other areas, people are paying for water by saving enough money to maintain the boreholes. They ensure mechanics who do a bad job arent invited next time; so, why not with health?

With water, they only now need to replace hand pumps with electric ones powered with solar and have it piped to homesteads. This will free up people to spend more time making money instead of fetching water. And that way, they will have money to pay for health.

I think there will be need for one more boarda marketing board. This would ensure that people have a market for whatever income generating activities they are involved in. That would ensure that people dont struggle to raise the Shs 1,000 for water and another for health.

So, if just 30 per cent of our population paid Shs 1,000 for health, that would be Shs 12 billion every month (assuming our population is 40 million people). The government should still prioritize health and allocate money as it does. The additional Shs 144 billion annually can create impact.

It may sound little because the government allocated Shs 1.8 trillion in this years health budget but it would solve a lot of todays challenges as this is money that wont be stolen and health facilities would become more efficient. I believe Ugandans can find solutions to their problems.

The lack of water in the north led to an ingenious idea; it should be replicated elsewhere.



djjuuko@gmail.com

The writer is a media consultant and businessman.
Uganda's major towns of Kampala, Entebbe and Jinja hosted over 1,000 high-level meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) in 2017.



According to the 2017 Uganda Market Update by real estate consultancy Knight Frank Uganda, Kampala alone had 744 confirmed high-profile conferences between December 2016 and July 2017, while Entebbe had eight and Jinja 279, giving a cumulative figure of 1,031.



The update does not factor in conferences from August to December, suggesting the total figure for 2017 is higher. The report, however, does not indicate how many high-profile meetings and conferences took place for the period.



Usually, high-end meetings like the Solidarity Summit on Refugees are fewer, suggesting most Ugandan meetings are local or regional. In 2016, Kampala held 10 high-end meetings, according to the International Congress and Convention Association, which indexes conventions countrywide.

The Solidarity Summit on Refugees was one of the high-level meetings held in Kampala

Uganda has few hotels or convention centres with the capacity to host large number of participants. They include, among others, hotels like Sheraton, Serena, Speke and Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo, Africana, Pearl of Africa and the Imperial chain of hotels, Protea and Golden Tulip.



In 2016, the Knight Frank update states that Kampala, Entebbe and Jinja, the most closely knit towns with the most number of hotels and other hospitality facilities, had 1,600 conferences, both local and international, attended by over 46,000 people.



A number of countries are now looking at meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions or MICE as one way of attracting visitors and generating much needed foreign exchange. This year, Rwanda, for example, set a target of $64 million from MICE, up from $47 million the previous year.



Rwanda's success is attributed to aggressive marketing, including of its tourism potential, and establishment of world-class properties like the Kigali International Convention centre, Marriot hotel and Radisson Blu hotel, to mention but a few.



The 2016 International Congress and Convention Association's statistics report mentions South Africa as the number one destination for meetings in Africa, notching 125 high-end meetings. Morocco followed with 37, Egypt, Kenya and Rwanda with 18 apiece, Ghana 13, Ethiopia 12, Nigeria 11 and Uganda and Tanzania tying at 10 high-level meetings each.



Globally, the 2016 MICE report showed the United States of America holding the most number of high profile meetings, followed by Germany, United Kingdom, France and Spain. On a city-by-city basis, Paris led, followed by Vienna, Barcelona, Berlin and London.
Mental health patients in Uganda are suffering from unwanted side effects resulting from cheap administered drugs in Ugandan hospitals.

Martin Mugonyi, 36, who suffers from mania, bipolar and depression is one such victim. Mugonyi has been a patient at Butabika National Mental Referral hospital for more than ten years.



"I was first diagnosed with mania in 2002 as I was joining university. I was taken to Butabika and put on treatment. I was on that medication for a year," he said.

According to Mugonyi, when he joined university he stopped his medication because it could cause drowsiness.



"I used to take my drugs in the night but waking up in the morning was difficult. I used to wake up at midday and tried to go to campus but it was too hard. I wanted to sleep all the time, he said.

Mugonyi says that due to the side effects of the drugs, he decided to leave campus and stay home.



"I wanted to be an electrical engineer and work for telecommunication companies like MTN. That was my dream but I failed to achieve it because I failed to attend classes due to feeling sleepy all the time," he told URN.

Mugonyi is not the only patient at Butabika to complain about the side effects of the medication. The problem is attributed to the use of cheap drugs.



According to the Butabika hospital administration, they have been dispensing cheap drugs that present side effects and alter the physical ability of patients to function when they take them. One such drug is Largactil.

It is one of the drugs the hospital relies on mostly to treat mental illnesses for more than 50 per cent of its patient population. Despite its side effects, the hospital procures the drug because of the limited resource envelop from government to benefit all patients.



Dr David Basangwa, the executive director Butabika hospital, says the hospital operates on a budget of 600 patients yet it has 1,000 patients at the moment.

"What happens with a limited budget is that you go and shop where you can get the cheapest medicines with the cheapest option possible. With the advancement in science and technology there is now newer formulations that are used in psychiatry which have minimal defects.

Currently, we use the very cheap medicines that sometimes have side effects that patients dont like - causing them a bit of drowsiness, feeling sleepy, they cant pay attention. Whereas if we had adequate funding, what the rest of the world is using are newer medicines that are given with minimal side effects", said Dr Basangwa.



He explains that due to the funding gap, they are forced to prioritise on what conditions to treat and which drugs to use. The hospital prioritises the procurement of drugs like Largactil, which can treat a number of mental illnesses. 700 of the 1,000 mental patients currently at the hospital are treated using Largactil.



100 patients are being treated for schizophrenia, 300 for mood swings, 100 for paranoia and another 200 for alcohol & drug abuse.



Dr Basangwa says that while cheap drugs like Largactil are effective in treating mental illnesses that they are prescribed to treat, they present a number of side effects that affect the quality of life of the patients.

"The cheap drugs are able to do the job as well as the expensive drugs. They treat our patients very well, they manage the symptoms very well. Science has only created modifications in these medicines on the area of side effects. So what our patients unfortunately suffer even when theyve been cured well, is that they suffer from certain side effects. One of them these side effects is the sedation, that a patient after taking the medicine will get the side effects cleared but will feel a little lazy, sleepy and sometimes unable to perform good work", he added.



"When a student takes these drugs they cannot go to school and study or a person cannot even work when they are on these drugs. They are slow," Dr Basangwa said.



Alternative drugs that present less or no side effects in patients are available on the market. Olanzapine can be used to treat the same illnesses that Largactil treats. However, due to the lack of money, procuring drugs like Olanzapine is impossible, according to Dr Basangwa.

"On the open market, a one month dose of Largactil for one patient costs Shs 5,000. Olanzapine on the other hand costs Shs 200,000. With our funds, we cannot afford that," he said.

According to Dr Basangwa, they have been buying cheap drugs since 2012 when they started experiencing an increase in the number of mental ill patients.



"Before we used to get a budget of Shs 1.2 billion that was enough to cater for 600 patients. Five years later, we still get the same money for 850 in-patients. So we have had to cut corners to make sure that all Ugandans get the care," he said.



Dr Basnagwa says ideally in situations when they face drug shortages, they would expect family members to step in but the case is different at Butabika.



"Our biggest challenge is that most of our patients do not have relatives who attend to them. They are brought in by police and there is no way you can ask someone like that to buy drugs for themselves due to a shortage," he said.



The mental health focal person at ministry of Health, Dr Hafsa Luswata says the shortage of funds at the facility is an issue beyond the ministry's reach.

"As far as the funding is concerned, it is not the ministry of Health. Of course, we advocate for all our facilities to be well facilitated but it is ministry of Finance that releases the finances to the different ministries. That is beyond us for sure", she said.



According to Dr Basangwa, Butabika hospital needs twice its current annual budget allocation of Shs 1.2 billion to be able to procure drugs like Olanzapine. Butabika was founded in 1955. It has a capacity of 900 beds. Currently, the hospital has 200 out patients and 850 in-patients.
Advocates of safe cellphone use, including former Microsoft exec Frank Clegg, are urging parents not to give phones or Wi-Fi enabled toys to their children.

Clegg, former president and 14-year veteran of Microsoft Canada, says he sees tremendous benefits in cellphones but says they can be harmful if not used properly.

Former Microsoft exec Frank Clegg

Basic advice is to keep the devices at least at arms length from the body.

Clegg and others are sending out urgent appeals in the final days of the holiday shopping season for safe use of the phones. Environmental Health Trust issued an emergency holiday alert, urging parents and grandparents not to buy their children so-called smart phones or watches or other wireless toys as holiday gifts and to limit childrens exposures to these devices.

Last week, the California Department of Public Health advised reducing exposures to the microwave radiation also called radio frequency energy from cell phonesnoting the special risks to young children.

Parents are often unaware that these child-friendly devices are basically two-way microwave radios, and children are much more vulnerable to the health risks of this radiation, said Devra Davis PhD, MPH, founder and President of Environmental Health Trust. Davis continued, "The scientific evidence is now clear and compelling. We need to give our children toys and tools to grow and learn, not toys and tools which could harm them."

Videos Cite Research

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soii0UUUlwk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7diMlbW2Wc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmQUw6dZS5M

Clegg Sees Cellphone Harm

Clegg said, I spent my whole career in the technology sector. Ive seen some tremendous benefits. Ive also seen if not used properly technology can be harmful. I believe the way we deploy wireless devices today is harmful, said Clegg, now CEO of Canadians For Safe Technology. Taiwan, our NATO allies in France, Belgium, Italythey are all doing a much better job of regulating devices and protecting children.

Since 2011, numerous studies have linked cell phone radiation to cancer and other health problems, causing long-time advisors to the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO/IARC) to argue that this radiation should be regarded as a human carcinogen causing gliomathe same type of brain cancer that affected Senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain. The landmark $25 million U.S. NIH/NIEHS National Toxicology Program study found long-term that daily exposure to cell phone radiation led to cancers of the brain and heart nerve sheath in male rats, as well as DNA damage in brain cells of exposed animals.

Research on Health Effects Cited

Ronald Melnick PhD, formerly the Senior NIH toxicologist who led the design of the National Toxicology Program study and a Senior Advisor to EHT, said, The NTP study was designed to see if there can be any adverse health effects from exposure to cell phone radiation. Results from that study showed that rats developed tumors, gliomas (brain tumors) and malignant schwannomas of the heart. In addition, there was DNA damage in brain cells of exposed animals. This was concerning because studies in humans also found increases of the same types of cancers among cell phone users. In my view, this should raise public health concerns to a much higher level than exists now.

All wireless devices, from smartphones to Wi-Fi connected stuffed animals, are two-way microwave radios that send and receive a type of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation called radio frequency (RF) radiation. Children are particularly vulnerable to this type of radiation, which penetrates more deeply into children's brains than adults.

This holiday season, so-called smart toys are being pushed on the marketplace such as:

Cell Phones and Smartphones

Virtual Reality Headsets

Wi-Fi and cellphone connected Dolls

Tablets and iPads

Wireless Gaming Systems

Smart Watches

EHT released new fact sheet: Holiday Toy Alert PDF Compilation of Factsheets
I have had many, many difficult conversations with my children. I've told my older boys, who are 9 and 7, the facts of life twice, because they each forgot once and asked me again. I've also spent the past four years having many hard conversations about my health with my three children, thanks to a diagnosis of stage IV colon cancer 11 weeks after my daughter was born.

None of this was easy.

But, surprisingly, the conversation that hit me the hardest came yesterday, when it came time to tell my oldest the truth about Santa.

I knew in my heart it was time. He'd been asking very probing questions to my husband (we are both lawyers, so he's been brought up to ask probing questions). My husband had remained vague in his answers, but I remember how embarrassed I was when I found out. I was just about at his age and felt so stupid, like everyone had known the truth but me. I insisted we spill the beans. Yesterday, when he was tucked up for bed last night (the best time for chatting) we approached the topic. My husband went first, and I batted cleanup. My son, who had basically figured it out, handled it like a pro. I was a disaster.

Of course, I felt sad he was growing up, but that wasn't the cause of my unease. It was more that I felt guilty, and it was that feeling that baffled me. It wasn't that I thought I'd told him too young  I was also in third grade when I learned the truth. A brief survey of my friends supported this. They were mostly in second and third grade when they figured it out. And while some of them said their older children still didn't know (and they were dreading the day they'd have to tell them), most agreed that 9 was about when their kids found out. One friend said that her third-grade teacher told the whole class, which seems totally inappropriate and horrible to me but still supported my general third-grade thesis.

Nor was it that I'd somehow erased the magic of Christmas for him. For one thing, he already knew. Someone's grandma had spilled the beans, and word traveled fast through Mrs. Gallagher's third-grade class. Moreover, my husband and I did our best to convince him that the act of being Santa is itself a sort of Christmas magic, one that he could now participate in, since he was in on the story. My son loves to be treated like a big kid, and the thought of getting to help set things up while his younger siblings were asleep tickled him pink. To tie the bow on the whole thing, I read him the entire "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" editorial before I said good night, and we had a great conversation about belief vs. faith and how it's nice to believe in the romance of life. I think the magic of Christmas is safe for him.

I finally figured out what was making me feel bad. I felt guilty having to tell him that his parents had lied to him for all these years. I truly believe that Santa is a wonderful myth that brings delight to children (although I am also sympathetic to my friends, many of whom are single moms, who refuse to let some old white guy get credit for the gifts they worked so hard for).

I grew up believing, and loved it, and have, obviously, raised my kids the same way. But ever since I was diagnosed, our family policy has been to not lie to the kids. We keep it age appropriate, we sometimes soften the truth a bit, and we have been oh so lucky that so far (knock on wood) we haven't had to have the really, really hard conversation. But telling the truth to them  not just about my health but in general  has become our rule.

And so fessing up to a lie, even a beautiful one, hurt. There's not much I can do about it now, except keep on with the truth telling and hope for the best.

But it has soured me, just a bit, on the magic of Santa.

***

Carrie Dunsmore is a former attorney and mother who lives outside of Boston. She blogs about books and national parks at queenofbooklandia.com.
Whats in a name? These days, if its anything close to bitcoin, its Wall Street gold.

The latest example of a company trying to tie its fortunes to the cryptocurrency craze came Thursday in the form of an iced tea maker.

Long Island Iced Tea Corp. until this week was known for its ready-to-drink beverages in flavors such as peach, raspberry, guava, lemon and mango. But Thursday it said that it was undertaking a radical rebranding.

The company announced it will now be known as Long Blockchain Corp., shifting its primary focus from iced tea to the exploration of and investment in opportunities that leverage the benefits of blockchain technology. Blockchain is a ledger where transactions of digital currencies, like bitcoin, are recorded.

The name change was enough to send the shares of the company, based in Hicksville, New York, soaring almost 200 percent Thursday.

By Friday at the opening bell, some of that buying frenzy had begun to ebb, with the notoriously volatile bitcoin giving up 23 percent of its value overnight.

Shares of the iced tea maker tumbled 24 percent.

There is craziness going on, said Emin Gun Sirer, an associate professor of computer science at Cornell University. There always is when there is exciting new technology.

Long Island Iced Tea, or Long Blockchain, is not the first company to get a bitcoin-related boost and likely will not be the last, experts say.

Bioptix Inc., a biotech company based in Colorado, announced in October it was changing its name to Riot Blockchain Inc. to reflect its new focus. Its stock is up about 250 percent, even after a 24 percent drop Thursday. Overstock.coms shares have risen 285 percent this year as the online retailer has announced it would accept bitcoin for purchases and make a coin offering through its exchange. And British company On-line PLCs stock soared nearly 400 percent in October when it announced plans to change its name to On-line Blockchain PLC.

Nova Lifestyle Inc., a modern furniture company, also got in on the action Thursday, saying that it would start accepting bitcoin and other major cryptocurrency and announcing the creation of a subsidiary called I Design Blockchain Technology Inc. Its stock rose 18 percent.

Given the recent skyhigh surge in bitcoin  it traded around $15,500 Thursday after starting the year at about $1,000  and other cryptocurrencies, this halo effect isnt entirely surprising.

It is also reminiscent of the dot-com craze of the late 90s when seemingly sleepy stocks would rocket when they appended a dot-com to their names, said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank.

Any time there is a major disruption in an industry or hot new technology, other companies will want in, said branding expert Allen Adamson. But he said that without a business or technology plan, its a fraud.

Its a jump-on-the-bandwagon-and-make-a-quick-buck time, Adamson said. Its not a serious business play.

Long Blockchain did not return a call for comment.
LINCOLN  Aubrey Trail, a person of interest in the disappearance and death of Sydney Loofe, said hes given three statements to the FBI, but that having information about a case doesnt necessarily mean youre guilty.

Did I have information? Yes, I did. Did that mean I killed someone? No, it does not, Trail said during three phone calls Friday from the Saline County Jail to The World-Herald.

Trail, 51, who has served two prison terms in Nebraska for forgery and bad checks, said that he expects to be charged in the next few weeks in connection with the death of Loofe, 24, a clerk at a Menards store in Lincoln.

Loofes body was found Dec. 4 along a country road in Clay County following an extensive search by authorities after she was reported missing in Lincoln on Nov. 16.

Trail said he also expects charges to be filed against his girlfriend, Bailey Boswell, 23, though he insisted more than once during a 30-minute conversation that she was not involved in Loofes death.

Were probably a lot more than people of interest, he said. (But) Bailey Boswell was not involved.

Trail said he would not discuss his involvement.

If we are charged, that is something that will be discussed in court, he said.

Loofe was reported missing after failing to return home following a second date with Boswell arranged via the dating app Tinder.

Trail, a native of Tennessee, said he met Boswell, a native of Leon, Iowa, in St. Joseph, Missouri. He said they have been together the past 14 to 15 months, selling and buying antiques over the Internet and at rented booths at antiques stores.

Theyve crisscrossed the country, Trail said, visiting casinos in Las Vegas and Council Bluffs, buying antique coins in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and seeing shows in Branson, Missouri.

We love Branson, he said. We always stay at the Windmill.

The two, who were living in a basement apartment in Wilber, Nebraska, were named persons of interest by the FBI two weeks after Loofe disappeared.

They were arrested on Nov. 30 near Branson, a day after they posted a bizarre video on social media denying their involvement in Loofes death.

Trail said he called Friday in response to a letter from a World-Herald reporter and because the news about him and his girlfriend has been very one-sided.

For instance, he said that while Boswell faces charges of using a bad check in Pennsylvania to buy antique coins, Trail claimed that her check bounced because an antique buyer, a doctor, failed to deposit $25,000 in her bank account.

Were getting so much negative publicity that something has to be done, Trail said.

People should have an open mind, he said. Im not a nice person. Im not innocent of a lot of things. ... I cant defend my past. I cant defend my lifestyle. But dont believe everything you hear.

I dont make excuses for what Ive done, Trail said later. Im a criminal.

He acknowledged that Loofe had been in their apartment in Wilber, and that before the discovery of her body, he and Boswell had traveled west to York, in the general area of where the body was found.

Do you have something to say to the Loofe family? he was asked.

I could say a lot of things, Trail said, but with the things going on about us, it would probably be more disrespectful for them.
Kid, a K-9 officer who worked out of the Macon County Courthouse since 2013, was honored with a memorial procession Friday afternoon.

The Macon County Sheriff's Office and Decatur police participated in the procession, and Sheriff Howard Buffett presented Kid's ashes to Court Security Officer Alan Engdale. The 6-year-old Belgian Malinois died Thursday from complications of a pre-existing condition.

In other news, a Clinton County elected official got in a Twitter fight with a Jimmy Kimmel writer; Rauner grants clemency to 10 people; slow iPhones draw lawsuit; Dennis School celebrates with another fun book fair; and the bitcoin price is plunging.

'Amazing' Decatur K-9 officer honored with memorial procession

Engdale said he was assigned Kid the moment he graduated from the academy, and called his former partner "amazing." Kid was trained in explosive detection, and worked with Engdale to perform daily sweeps of the courthouse and law enforcement center.

Their job took the pair to many other locations throughout Central Illinois. Last year, Kid even walked in front of the Decatur Celebration parade to check for explosives.

Read the full story, which will be updated.

Illinois elected official uses derogatory term in Twitter fight with Jimmy Kimmel Live writer

A township tax assessor in Clinton County, Illinois, is facing a backlash after calling a woman an expletive on Twitter while arguing over the GOP tax plan.

Chris Wellen, elected tax assessor for Lookingglass Township in April, was under fire Friday morning after the tweet, in which he called Bess Kalb, an Emmy-nominated writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live, a crude sexual term.

The tweet, posted at 5:01 p.m. Thursday, racked up hundreds of comments by Friday morning.

The @GOP prefers you say Merry CHRISTMAS instead of Happy HOLIDAYS and if youre addressing a middle-class family, please say it SARCASTICALLY and then extinguish your cigar on the smallest childs head.

Rauner grants 10 requests for clemency, denies 78

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has granted 10 petitions for clemency and denied 78 other requests.

The Republican's office announced the clemencies Friday.

The petitions granted were for crimes including retail theft, burglary and drug possession. Some of the cases are decades old, and none of the people were sentenced to prison for their crimes. In most cases they were sentenced to probation.

Dennis School book fair a treat, as always

What do you do on the last day before winter break?

At Dennis School, they had a contest to herd cow-colored balloons into pens while riding stick horses.

I found it on Pinterest, said Beth Creighton, a school board member and organizer of the annual book fair, which was the reason for the assembly.

The theme for the Scholastic Book Fair held in September was Saddle Up and Read. Creighton comes up with a different competition for every year's assembly, in which the adults battle it out for bragging rights while the students cheer on their favorites. She found the cow-patterned balloons and the wire corrals on Amazon.

Illinoisans sue Apple over slowed iPhones

Two Chicago-area residents are part of a lawsuit against Apple that claims the companys failure to explain its practice of slowing older iPhones to prevent problems with aging batteries fraudulently pushed consumers to upgrade to newer models.

The lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago and seeks class-action status, is one of at least three Apple is facing involving the intentionally slowed iPhones. Two other lawsuits were filed in California, also Thursday.

This week Apple acknowledged it slows iPhone 6, 6s, SE and 7 models to prevent problems with batteries that are old, in cold conditions or low on power, such as devices that would unexpectedly shut down, according to the lawsuit.

Bitcoin price plunges

What's a bitcoin worth? Lately nobody knows for sure, but it's far less Friday than it was Thursday.

The digital currency slumped 16 percent to $13,133 Friday, according to the tracking site CoinDesk. It fell as much as 30 percent overnight in Asia, and the action was so frenzied that the website Coinbase suspended trading. The steep losses Friday topped a week in which prices fell nearly 40 percent.

As bitcoin skyrocketed this month, the volume of trading was unprecedented as investors hoping to catch a ride up piled in. Prices have risen so fast, the huge losses Friday returned the price of bitcoin only to where it was trading about two weeks ago.
KEOKUK, Iowa (AP)  A southeast Iowa jury on Friday found a former boarding school director guilty of abusing students, days after he tearfully testified that he hadnt hurt any children.

The jury found Benjamin Trane guilty of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a child by a counselor and child endangerment, according to the Burlington Hawk Eye. The jury didnt find Trane guilty of a more serious charge, third-degree sexual assault, which could have meant a 10-year prison sentence.

The nine-man, three-woman jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon.

Trane will be sentenced early next year and could face up to nine years in prison.

Trane was the owner and director of Midwest Academy in Keokuk. The school was closed in January 2016 after being raided by federal, state and local officials, prompting about 100 students to be sent home or to other schools.

Earlier in the trial, Trane had at times tearfully rejected charges he sexually and physically abused children at the school.

Asked about testimony that hed abused students, Trane told jurors Wednesday, Its absolutely not the truth.

On Friday, Trane, 39, remained stoic as District Judge Mark Kruse read the verdict. Several of Tranes supporters in the courtroom choked back tears.
Nebraska National Guard Spc. Michael Henn deployed this fall to the Virgin Islands on a hurricane relief mission, and came back with a couple of friends.

While Henn worked the overnight shift at the military headquarters on St. Croix, two stray dogs wandered in, night after night.

Id whistle and snap my fingers, and theyd come running, said Henn, 22, of Lincoln. We fed them and gave them baths.

Now he is back home. The two pups, Pumpkin, a long-haired Chihuahua, and Benji, who is part terrier, are with him, too, after a long flight from St. Croix to South Carolina, and a cross-country drive in Henns car.

When Henn was called up along with 57 other members of the Lincoln-based 67th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in October to supervise post-hurricane military operations on St. Croix, he had no thought of bringing home a dog.

The units members worked at the port in Fredriksted, which had been battered a month earlier by the Category 5 winds of Hurricane Maria. Most of the island lacked power. Lots of animals were running loose after the storm.

Soldiers are discouraged from having contact with stray animals because of the possibility they might carry disease. But Pumpkin and Benji seemed like a special case.

Henn said many of the soldiers became fond of them.

If I hadnt adopted them, someone else in the unit would have, he said.

He found out from one of the Virgin Islands National Guard soldiers that the dogs owner had died shortly before the hurricane. No one seemed to be taking care of them.

Henn feared they would become strays after he left, so he asked about adopting them. First he ran into roadblocks. No pet transport services were flying to the United States. The Air Force had no time or interest in assisting. Other agencies were also too busy.

Then he got in touch with a representative of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals who was helping to arrange the shipment of the strays to the mainland for adoption.

The ASPCA eventually sent Pumpkin and Benji to the Charleston Animal Society, an animal welfare group that runs a shelter in Charleston, South Carolina. They went with 28 other dogs that were being made available for adoption there.

Charleston Animal Society has been very active in aiding pets displaced by the series of hurricanes that struck the Southeast and the Caribbean in late summer and early fall, said Aldwin Roman, the groups director of anti-cruelty outreach.

Pumpkin and Benji arrived with the other Virgin Islands dogs in late November. Roman said South Carolinians were enthusiastic about taking them in.

Ninety percent of them were adopted within the first weekend we had them, he said.

Henn was home from his deployment by then and drove to Charleston in early December to pick up his dogs, who had been given shots and physical exams.

Henn said even though the dogs were born and raised in the tropics, the chill of a Nebraska winter hasnt bothered them.

Theyve actually adjusted really well, Henn said. Its so much colder. But we have coats for them.

He describes Benji as very outgoing and Pumpkin as a princess.

Shes up in your face and wants to be in your lap, he said of Pumpkin. Shell give you kisses all day long.

Theyre just the sweetest dogs Ive ever met, he added.

Henn said the two will be joining him at the 67th Brigades drill weekend next month, because so many of his fellow soldiers helped him and supported him in bringing the dogs home.

Theyre the unofficial mascots of my unit, Henn said.
LINCOLN  The Republican River Compact has survived another legal attack.

The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state is immune from lawsuits when compliance with the three-state river agreement reduces the amount of water available for irrigation.

The compact divvies water among Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado based on annual flow conditions in the Republican River.

The high court upheld a district court ruling that had dismissed a lawsuit by Rodney and Steven Cappel, who own irrigated farmland in the Republican River valley in south-central Nebraska.

The Cappels showed that from 2013 to 2015 they were blocked from using surface water by the compact because the river was too low. The landowners sued the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, claiming a constitutional loss of property rights and violation of due process rights. They sought monetary damages and restitution.

Hitchcock County District Judge James Doyle dismissed the lawsuit, saying the landowners did not properly state a claim for relief. The Supreme Court upheld the dismissal, although it ruled the claims couldnt proceed because the state had not waived immunity to such lawsuits.

Bitter fights over the compact have prompted lawsuits among the member states for years. But last year, governors in each state agreed to resolutions intended to avoid expensive legal battles in the future.

In recent years, courts have turned away lawsuits by landowners and irrigation districts related to management of the compact.
She calls herself Lagordiloca, the fat crazy lady. Some know her as the nightcrawler. When the sun goes down on Laredo, Texas. Priscilla Villarreal combs the streets in her blue Dodge Ram looking for crime scenes and live-streaming police activity from her cellphone. She usually doesnt make it home until dawn.

Over the past couple years, the 32-year-old has become one of the citys most popular journalists. Her Facebook page boasts about 84,000 followers, and some of her videos have racked up hundreds of thousands of views. Laredos flagship newspaper describes her as a local internet sensation.

But her raw, unfiltered social media dispatches and her guerrilla-style vlogging have led to tense confrontations with police that, according to Villarreal, have escalated since the summer.

Now, after quietly investigating her for months, local authorities are alleging some of Villarreals reporting was criminal.

On Dec. 13, Villarreal was arrested and charged with two counts of misuse of official information, a third-degree felony, in connection with her posts on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee who committed suicide by jumping from a city overpass earlier this year.

Authorities say Villarreal got the employees name from a Laredo police officer and published it on her Facebook page before the department released it to the public. They claim thats a violation of state law, as the Laredo Morning Times reported.

Villarreal, who turned herself in voluntarily, denies any wrongdoing. She says the department is trying to silence her for criticizing officers and beating their public relations office to the punch. Shes confident shell be cleared of the charges.

All this is just a personal vendetta, she told The Washington Post on Friday. And I have all the proof I need to prove it.

Department spokesman Joe Baeza didnt immediately respond to a message seeking comment early Friday morning. In comments to the Morning Times this week, he said: We have no personal vendetta or ax to grind with anybody.

The name of a dead public employee is generally not classified or barred from disclosure under federal or state laws  in fact, most public records laws all but guarantee such information can be legally disseminated by reporters. Its also extraordinarily rare for prosecutors to go after journalists who publish information that is set to be made publicly available in short order. Even in cases where classified information is published by a news outlet, prosecutors tend to investigate the people who leaked it first.

Legal experts said Laredo police may have picked a First Amendment fight they cant win. Its wrong. They have missed the boat, Joseph Larsen, a media law specialist, said of Laredo police, according to the Morning Times. Authorities had massively overreacted and overstepped, added Stuart Karle, an adjunct media law professor at Columbia Journalism School, in remarks to Texas Monthly.

Local media reported that Laredo Police Officer Barbara Goodman, a 19-year veteran, was the officer who provided Villarreal with the CPB employees name. She has been placed on administrative reassignment but has not been charged with a crime.

In Texas, the misuse of official information statute applies when a person receives non-public information from a public servant and disseminates it with intent to obtain a benefit or with intent to harm or defraud another. Authorities said thats exactly what Villarreal did.

Information provided by Officer Goodman pertaining to the case in question was used by Priscilla Villarreal in her Facebook page Lagordiloca News Laredo TX, immediately notifying her followers of the incident, read the criminal complaint against Villarreal, according to the magazine Texas Monthly. Villarreals access to this information and releasing it on Lagordiloca News Laredo Tx, before the official release by the Laredo Police Department Public Information Officer placed her Facebook page ahead of the local official news media which in turn gained her popularity in Facebook.

An affidavit also stated that police searched Goodmans and Villarreals phone records, finding that theyd called or texted each other hundreds of times over the course of about seven months this year. The officers attorney told KGNS she had been singled out to scare others in the department out of talking with Villarreal.

Villarreal called Goodman a longtime friend but denied that she received the CPB employees name from her. It came from a tipster, she told The Post.

What the police dont understand is that my sources are the people out and around my town. Every time theres an accident or something everybody calls me or texts me, she said. The officers are angry at the fact that people give me the information first.

Indeed, Villarreal seems to have many friends and admirers around town. In a recent profile, Texas Monthly called her one of the most relied-upon and most viewed news sources in Laredo. On a typical night, shes driving the streets from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m., fielding tips from her many followers and sources  a swarm of police in a neighborhood, a car crash, a shooting. Some of her content is graphic, and shes the first to admit that she has a foul mouth when she gets worked up.

Shes both beloved and despised for broadcasting the kinds of images that dont make it into the citys traditional media, reporter Leif Reigstad wrote in Texas Monthly.

Villarreal said she learned over the summer that someone from the department was investigating her, though she didnt know what for. Around that time, tensions were mounting between her and some in the department, apparently stemming from a dispute she had with an officer at the scene of a shooting, she said. Several videos on her page show her arguing with police about her presence at different crime scenes.

After fretting about her possible arrest for months, Villarreal spoke with an investigator in early December, who told her he had two warrants for her arrest. The bond was $60,000.

She tussled with her attorney about when to turn herself in. Sooner was better, she decided.

The morning of Dec. 13, she drove to the police station. On the way, she live-streamed a video of herself explaining the situation to her followers. When she arrived, media were there waiting, she said.

It looked like a circus, Villarreal told The Post. Police were on the second floor taking video, taking pictures. I was shaking my head.

She was booked, photographed and escorted to jail without handcuffs. About an hour and a half later, she was released.

Villarreal is set to appear in court after New Years. For now, her Facebook page is still a steady stream of crime, car crashes and local news.

One of the reasons people follow me is because my news is raw, unedited and uncensored. With me, I basically post everything, she said. Im going to keep doing what I like to do.
Eugene Police made the tough decision in concluding that Officer Charles Caruso, caught on videotape throwing a handcuffed man to the ground and punching him repeatedly, should be kicked off the police force. The city fired Caruso following an investigation into the September 2013 incident and paid $100,000 to the injured man.

But while Eugene Police decided Caruso wasn't fit to be an officer for them, the state agency that trains and certifies officers was far gentler in making its own assessment. Despite a state investigator's report finding that Caruso's actions involved dishonesty, gross misconduct and other infractions, committee members and top administrators for the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training disagreed. They closed his case, in effect endorsing the notion that Caruso still met Oregon's standards for being a police officer.

Unfortunately, that's far from the only time that DPSST, which trains and certifies public safety workers, has shown such forgiving treatment to officers fired for cause by their police force, as The Oregonian/OregonLive's Carli Brosseau and Rebecca Woolington documented in their report, "Fired, But Fit for Duty." In fact, the agency's refusal to revoke certifications for police officers fired by their employers for records of excessive force, drunkenness at work and incompetence in their job raises the question: Just how low does Oregon want to keep its standards for being a police officer?

A longstanding state law directs DPSST to revoke certifications for officers who are discharged for cause. But for decades, the agency has administratively narrowed the criteria for when such a termination should trigger an automatic revocation. The practice of greatly relying on criminal convictions to serve as the tipping point reflects a culture that seeks to protect police officers' careers rather than the public.

Oregonian editorials

Editorials reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom. Members of the editorial board are Laura Gunderson, Helen Jung, Mark Katches and John Maher.

To respond to this editorial, post your comment below, submit an OpEd or a letter to the editor.

If you have questions about the opinion section, email Laura Gunderson, editorial pages editor, or call 503-221-8378.

In an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board, DPSST director Eriks Gabliks defended his agency's approach, contending that the department isn't equipped to pass judgment on cases in which police officers are terminated for incompetence and use of force. He argues that such decisions are grounded in policies and procedures that vary among agencies, making it difficult to apply a single measuring stick for determining whether a person is so incompetent or forceful that he or she should lose their certification.

But cases like Caruso's show that argument to be simply an excuse for staying on the sidelines. The officer's actions were so egregious they triggered a six-figure payout to the injured man. What possible policy could protect the actions caught on videotape? How can the state agency in charge of upholding professional standards for law enforcement across the state not recognize the utter lack of professionalism -- to say the least -- in Caruso's actions?

The agency hasn't helped its case with its reflexive efforts to shut out scrutiny by the public and media. DPSST defended keeping work group meetings closed and sought repeatedly to block Brosseau and Woolington from accessing public records, but lost multiple appeals thanks to rulings by the Oregon attorney general's office that endorsed disclosure.

The agency has made some changes in recent months. It now has the option to suspend certifications, a possibly more palatable alternative to revocation, and is adding a member of the public to the law enforcement-dominated Police Policy Committee. But there's still a desperate need for leadership to make clear the state will enforce a high standard for its police officers.

So far, such leadership does not seem to be coming from Gov. Kate Brown, who failed to respond to repeated requests from Brosseau and Woolington about the agency's troubling record. Considering that the governor appoints the director and board, Brown is in prime position to insist on greater accountability by the agency -- if she chooses.

Others, however, are stepping up. Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, said he plans to convene hearings to determine whether the agency needs additional statutory authority to provide proper oversight. Marion County Sheriff Jason Myers, who chairs the DPSST board, told the Editorial Board he plans to begin a conversation about reviewing use-of-force cases, despite Gabliks' hesitance to get involved. And Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton, who also serves on the board, told Brosseau and Woolington that he thinks some of the officers featured in the report should have lost their certifications for good.

But until there are clear, articulated changes, the public should put their faith and support behind officers like Lt. Scott McKee of the Springfield Police and Sgt. Matt Swanson of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. The two men have pushed for greater accountability from their fellow officers. McKee conducted the criminal investigation into Caruso and Swanson blew the whistle on a former detective who failed to conduct the most basic of investigations on multiple cases, including child sex assault reports. Both officers have shown more pride in what their profession stands for than the agency charged with upholding it.

Gabliks emphasized to the Editorial Board that most Oregon police officers are committed professionals striving to do their best for the public. We agree. That's why it's so critical to root out those who jeopardize our trust.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board
"People wanted to take care of the Columbia River. People wanted to take care of Vancouver. It didn't have anything to do with me. People will forget my name pretty soon."

-- Don Orange, Vancouver Port Commissioner elect on XRAY FM's Unfiltered Radio

By Elizabeth Hovde

Don Orange is right. Vancouver's port commissioner race in November -- one that attracted national attention and more than $1 million dollars -- was all about whether the city neighboring Portland should become an oil town. It really had nothing to do with Orange or his opponent Kris Greene. Both could have handled the job, but one was staunchly against an oil terminal and the other not so much.

By voting for Orange, the anti-oil terminal candidate who received close to 65 percent of the vote, voters made their preference on the question clear.

Vancouver Energy, backed by Tesoro-Savage, has a lease -- that commissioners could overturn -- to bring a $210 million terminal to the Port of Vancouver just west of the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River. This is at the same time Vancouver is growing with brew pubs, boutiques and Portland transplants in search of more affordable housing and better performing schools.

As many as 360,000 barrels of crude oil would pass through the terminal daily. The oil, coming from the Bakken Formation in the Midwest, would travel through the Columbia River Gorge to Vancouver by rail and then be loaded onto ships bound for West Coast refineries. It would be the largest rail-to-marine oil terminal in the United States.

As Orange put it Wednesday, voters and the Vancouver business community fear the terminal "would represent damage to our brand." That worried me, too. All the effort going into making Vancouver a place people don't leave each morning for work or abandon each Friday night for fun elsewhere might be squandered if Vancouver becomes an oil town. The 176 on-site, permanent jobs Vancouver Energy promised the port got several unions on board and did sound good -- until you hear commissioners' thoughts. They say they can create those jobs at the port in other ways. An oil terminal could definitely cause setbacks to the town's successful facelift, its economic benefit, and real estate.

Of course, many in Vancouver and the region were more motivated by fear of oil-by-rail's potential impacts on the environment than damage to Vancouver's "brand." Sadly, the tragic Amtrak derailment near DuPont on Monday confirmed the fears of people in that camp. The specter of the derailment lingered over the Tuesday meeting of the Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council in which the council solidified its Nov. 28 unanimous vote recommending Washington Gov. Jay Inslee deny the project. The governor now has a 60-day window to make a decision.

Heartbreaking train derailments aren't needed to fortify environmental-and-safety-concerned opponents or lead Inslee to the right anti-terminal decision, however. Vancouver Energy says Vancouver is an ideal location because it has the most direct rail access to the Bakken Formation. "Direct access reduces transportation costs and enhances safety with fewer handoffs between rail operators," it says in a website FAQ. That might be so, but it's still not compelling when we read studies and articles showing that pipelines are safer for oil transport than railways. Fortune magazine's "Pipelines: The Worst Way to Move Oil, Except For All the Rest" and The Washington Post's"It's a lot riskier to move oil by train instead of pipeline" offer persuasive arguments. Even Canada's generally pro-fossil fuel Fraser Institute found moving fuel by pipeline was 4.5 times safer than by rail.

That's something people protesting pipelines should pay a lot more attention to. We all won't stop using oil any time soon. But as we work to decrease our oil dependence, we still need to be moving it as safely as possible, remembering a Not In My Backyard argument falls short in ruling out terminal sites.

NIMBY fights make it hard for me to ever join in opposition. They're mostly selfish. I don't want any city or waterway suffering the effects of an oil spill. Imagining one on the Columbia did seem intolerable.

It might have been environmental concerns, economic persuasions or Vancouver voters' impatience with the expensive and nasty campaign that Tesoro-Savage and Vancouver Energy allowed their money to wage against Orange that clinched him the seat. (Orange was vastly outspent, offering a good challenge to the idea/complaint that money buys politics.)

It was a combination of all of the above creating a perfect storm the oil giants can't weather.

As America continues to seek less-volatile energy sources, those perfect storms will only be strengthened. Inslee would be wise to see the swirl and halt a terminal proposed in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Elizabeth Hovde's column appears on the fourth Sunday of the month.
In Southern Oregon's unique Cascade-Siskiyou ecosystem, animals and plants comingle from the Cascade Range, the high deserts of the Great Basin, the Sierra Nevada, and the Klamath mountains. Because of the extraordinary biodiversity of the region, preserving a relatively small amount of land protects a large number of species, including some found only in the Cascade-Siskiyou.

Almost two decades ago, President Clinton protected a small part of this area by creating the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. After extensive consultation with nearby cities, counties, and independent groups, President Obama expanded the monument based on a report from an independent panel of scientists that more land was needed to protect the species of the region.

Now the Trump administration, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Rep. Greg Walden and logging interests want to shrink the monument and open its unique landscape to deforestation and habitat fragmentation by logging and road building. These changes would defeat the purpose of the monument and undermine the viability of the species protected there. These lands should be managed for biodiversity and recreation, not clear-cuts.

We stand on the brink of doing irreparable harm to an internationally recognized global center of biodiversity, but as Oregonians we can demand that our legacy is environmental protection, not exploitation. Call upon our elected officials to show moral leadership and to preserve the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument!

Felice Kelly, Southwest Portland
A Multnomah County judge Friday granted an indefinite stalking protective order to Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw against Oregon cop watcher Eli Richey.

Outlaw took the witness stand, and said she was alarmed and intimidated by Richey's behavior, describing how he followed her and filmed her on Dec. 8 while she was walking from City Hall back to her office in the Justice Center while she was on duty. Two days later, she said Ritchey followed her to her car in the parking garage of the downtown Safeway grocery store while she was off duty with a family member. He filmed her personal car and its license plate as she drove off, and posted the video on his YouTube site.

"If there's no action taken by the court, Eli Richey's conduct will continue,'' Outlaw said. "There's no apparent understanding of what's reasonable. What personal space is. No delineation between private life and public life.''

Richey argued that he has the right to film the chief while she's on duty and in uniform, and said he was "non-aggressive,'' and stayed at a reasonable distance in both December encounters. He argued that the two incidents cited don't rise to the level of alarming an individual or warrant a stalking order.

Deputy city attorney Rebeca Plaza represented the chief against Richey, who appeared on his own without a lawyer.

Plaza entered as exhibits Richey's own video taken of his Dec. 8 encounter with the chief, and surveillance video obtained from the Safeway store two days later.

The chief testified that shortly after she took the helm of the Police Bureau, she received a briefing about several individuals, including Richey, who had visited the homes of other public officials, such as former Chief Mike Marshman and Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill.

Portland police Officer Matt Miller, of the bureau's criminal intelligence division, said Richey's behavior in the last month, and his posting of his videos of Outlaw on his YouTube site, "shows somewhat of a fixation on the chief.''

Outlaw said she had just bought groceries at Safeway on Dec. 10 and was waiting with her grocery cart for the elevator down to the parking garage, when she heard someone say in what seemed like a friendly greeting, "Chief Outlaw,'' and turned around and was surprised to see Richey standing there. He said something to her like, "You usually wouldn't see me like this.''

The chief said she responded, "Well, we all got to eat.'' She described his expression as going from surprise to a flat effect. Then he got his cell phone out, and questioned, "Do you know who I am?''

Outlaw said she took that remark as threatening, and was concerned when Richey took the stairs down and started videotaping her as she was by her personal car in the garage. She noted that Richey is "well over a foot taller and much larger in size'' than she, and was filming both her and her family member. Her relative was conflicted, wanting to protect Outlaw but unsure who Richey was, and Outlaw said she yelled at him, "Get in the car. Get in the car.''

"I realize I'm a public official,'' testified Outlaw, who was not in uniform Friday. "I applied for this job. I signed up for this job, but no one in my family signed up for the level of scrutiny...I do recall articulating I wasn't pleased with him filming me in my private life.''

Richey questioned the chief, and asked if she was armed when he filmed her walking from City Hall to Central Precinct. She said yes, and confirmed she was walking with two male city employees, Dante James and Mike Abbate, who she said ended up escorting her to the front doors of Central Precinct and served as a buffer when it was clear Richey wasn't going to stop following and filming her.

Richey asked the chief what her understanding is of city policy on people filming the police. "It's not illegal to film the police,'' Outlaw said.

Richey also asked if Outlaw was carrying a firearm when he saw her off-duty at the Safeway. Outlaw remained silent and stared at her lawyer, who then stood up to object to the question. "I don't think it's appropriate for the chief of police to reveal when and where she carries a firearm,'' Plaza said.

The city lawyer also gave the court a copy of a video Richey posted to YouTube on the night of Dec. 8, in which he said he was depressed and criticized the media, saying he was "coming for you,'' identifying two reporters by name. Richey countered that the video was not directed to anyone in the police bureau, and his remarks about "coming for you'' were not threats, but his plan to approach the reporters with questions he had.

Multnomah County Judge Adrienne Nelson granted the chief's stalking protective order, citing Richey's "reckless, repeated unwanted contact'' with the chief that caused her alarm. Richey also is restricted from posting any video of the chief or any of her personal information, and is prohibited from having a firearm, the judge said. The order is to take effect immediately and last indefinitely, Nelson said.

Richey is on probation stemming from a Nov. 3 criminal trespass conviction, and has been restricted from working with others who film police, such as Robert West or Chris Ponte, and must stay a certain distance from the district attorney's home and have no contact with him beyond legitimate business.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
Delta College is accepting scholarship applications for its Fall 2018 and Winter 2019 semesters. The deadline to apply is Feb. 22, 2018.

To begin the process, visit Delta College's scholarships website at delta.edu/scholarships. Scholarships are made possible by supporters in the community.

Each year community members add new scholarships. For example, a recent addition is the Nathan Weidner Scholarship for high school seniors who live in Bay County. This scholarship is worth $3,000 per year for two consecutive years. It will be awarded to five students for the 2018-2019 year, and awarded to 10 students each year thereafter.

Scholarship applications are accepted once per year. People who think they may attend Delta next year should apply, the college stated. Applicants only need to complete one application and the scholarship software will automatically match them up to all the scholarships for which they are eligible.

Scholarships are awarded based on answers two essay questions and other criteria, such as chosen curriculum, grade point average, financial need or community services activities. Some scholarships require applicants to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, but others do not; however, it is best to complete the FAFSA, Delta stated. The FAFSA can be found online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

For the 2017-2018 academic year, 583 students received privately funded Delta College Foundation scholarships totaling $590,000. In addition, community organizations and associations provided scholarships to 582 Delta students totaling an additional $591,000. The College also provided 16 students with full ride President's Honors Scholarships.

People with questions about scholarships or the application process can contact the foundation office at foundation@delta.edu or 989-686-9224.
City of Midland Right-of-Way Inspector Tom Hoblet has been promoted to the role of construction and traffic services supervisor.

In his new position, Hoblet's duties will include working directly with contractors and engineers to oversee and manage construction projects in the city, coordinating traffic studies and surveying activities, reviewing site plans and traffic control orders.

Hoblet began his career with the city as an aide in the engineering department in 2007. He became a customer service technician with Water Distribution in 2009, then returned to Engineering as the right-of-way inspector in 2014. Prior to working with the City of Midland, he worked as a survey crew chief in several organizations.

Hoblet attended Purdue University and Delta College. He holds certifications as an Industrial Storm Water Operator, Construction Storm Water Operator, and Drinking Water Operator S1 from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and is a trained Radiation Safety Officer. He is also a 2017 graduate of the Michigan Public Services Institute.

Hoblet can be contacted at Midland City Hall by calling the engineering department at 989-837-3348 or via email at thoblet@midland-mi.org.
Midland County recently received an unexpected $1.3 million for Personal Property Tax Reimbursement from the state of Michigan.

The county budgeted $1,234,408 for the 2017 Personal Property Tax Reimbursement. Instead a check came in at $2,567,537, leaving the county with an additional $1,333,129.

The additional $1.3 million will be placed into the General Fund Surplus. To balance its 2017 Budget, the county anticipated using $1.9 million in general fund surplus. But, with the additional PPT funding and fiscal responsibility, the county will not have to dip into surplus.

"We will end in the black," County Administrator/Controller Bridgette Gransden said. "We won't have to use any budget surplus."

The personal property tax was paid by businesses, particularly manufacturers, and was based on the value of their machinery, office furniture and other equipment. Some Michigan communities rely on the tax revenues to pay for basic services. State lawmakers repealed the tax on small businesses and manufacturers, but the issue required voter approval, which voters approved during the 2014 Primary Election.

Also, at its recent Midland County Board meeting, commissioners unanimously approved increasing its per diem meal reimbursement. The last time meal per diems were increased happened 17 years ago.

To arrive at the new rates, the county looked at other local government units and found that many follow the U.S. General Services Administration guidelines.

Breakfast reimbursement will increase from $8 to $10, lunch from $10 to $14, and dinner per diem from $22 to $25. Receipts will not be required. But, gratuities are now included in the per diem amounts.
Jan McGuire and her husband, Marty, are avid cyclists. For the past few years, their end-of-summer tradition was to participate in the DALMAC bicycle camping tour.

"It's about 300 miles of biking," she said. "We start out from East Lansing, ride for four days and finish the trip by crossing the Mackinaw Bridge."

In past years, McGuire needed cortisone injections in her knee to deal with pain and swelling.

"Last year, I couldn't finish the ride," she said. "I knew it was time for knee replacement surgery."

McGuire never expected, however, that she could have a knee replacement in the morning, cruise the hallways with a walker in the early afternoon and begin recuperating -- at home -- all before dinner.

McGuire was the first patient to have total knee replacement surgery, as an outpatient procedure, at the Great Lakes Bay Surgery & Endoscopy Center in Midland. Her surgery was performed by MidMichigan Orthopedic Surgeon John Murphy, D.O., and was the first of its kind in the area.

Murphy initially approached her with the idea of day surgery for knee replacement.

"He told me they had been looking for just the right candidate and he thought I would be a good one," McGuire said. "After talking to Dr. Murphy and the staff at the surgery center, it did seem like a perfect fit."

"Over the last 20 years, advances in equipment and procedures have made joint replacement surgery much easier on the patient," Murphy said. "Smaller incisions and less tissue damage means faster healing and shorter hospital stays. Moving appropriate patients to an outpatient surgical center was the next logical step.

"Jan was the perfect candidate to have joint replacement as an outpatient," Murphy continued. "She is healthy, fit and was motivated to get back to her active lifestyle. We also knew she would comply with pre- and post-surgery instructions. That was important because we all wanted the first outpatient total knee replacement to be a success."

McGuire had worked with Nurphy for a couple of years to manage knee pain. She trusted his judgment and after touring the center and talking with the staff, she felt comfortable making the decision to have outpatient surgery.

"They answered all our questions, and gave us all sorts of information," she said.

Her MidMichigan physical therapist, Eric Marquardt, prescribed pre-surgery exercises to strengthen her legs and showed her how to use a walker and a cane.

"The day of my surgery, he came out to the center, got me up and had me walking up and down the hall," she said. "He was my therapist before and after both surgeries. He understands how I approach things and he helped me help myself."

The day of her surgery, McGuire arrived at the Great Lakes Bay Surgery & Endoscopy Center at 6:30 a.m.

"By 2 p.m., I was back home, sitting on my sofa, my leg elevated and ice on my knee," she said. "Within hours, I was walking on my new knee. To be home, so quickly after surgery, in familiar surroundings, sleeping in my own bed, I believe it helped speed the healing process. It was just so comfortable to be home. If I wanted something, it was right there."

McGuire does not minimize the pain associated with the procedure and the physical therapy that follows.

"Whether you are at a hospital or at home, there will be pain," she said. "I went to physical therapy two days after surgery. I did therapy at home as well, which I think really helped my recovery. It hurts, but it's necessary to get the movement back."

She considers herself fortunate to have had her husband's support and she applauded the stellar job he did -- from helping her in and out of bed the first few days, to encasing her knee in plastic wrap before a shower.

"Marty played an essential role; he was wonderful," she said. "And it helps if you can live on one floor."

McGuire believes it is vital to have the right mindset when facing joint replacement and follow-up therapy.

"This is a partnership with you, your surgeon, your therapist and the rest of the health care team," she said. "You are as much in charge of your success as they are. The right mindset for me was to acknowledge that surgery and therapy will hurt, but it is essential to recovery. The alternative for me was pain and lack of movement -- that was not the lifestyle I wanted."

When her left knee was completely healed and rehabbed, McGuire had her right knee replaced, too.

"The second time around, there was no question about whether or not to have outpatient surgery," she said. "Both times, my experience was phenomenal. They gave me all the tools I needed to be successful."
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NORMAL  Jenn Leaver wants to show kids they can have a future in technology in the Twin Cities.

I could live anywhere in the world and chose Bloomington, said Leaver, a product documentation manager for San Francisco software company GitHub who works remotely. "In technology, theres an opportunity for everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from, to contribute.

Leaver will pass on that message through Normal Public Library's new Partners in Technology program. The spring program will give kids weekly one-on-one training and mentorship from local technology professionals.

"They'll be focusing on areas of coding, robotics and circuitry or hardware," said Julia Martin, a children's technology and programming librarian. "When mentors sign up, they tell me their background, what they're most comfortable working with in those fields, their skill level ... and then I match them with a child who's interested in that."

The library is looking for more mentors for the program's first session, from Jan. 8 to March 1. Those interested should email jmartin@normalpl.org.

Normal Public Library got a $25,000 grant through the American Library Association and Google to pilot the program alongside 29 other libraries and help develop a toolkit for other libraries to do similar programs. NPL is the only Illinois library selected from about 400 applicants.

Martin said the library is spending much of the grant on the pilot program but is also setting some money aside to help build it in future years.

"We'll buy more things and more advanced things. We already have some (learning tools) like Makey Makey and Lego Robotics. ... We also want to build a database to match participants to mentors.

"We're starting with a small number because I'm matching them myself," she said with a laugh. "We're looking at five years. Hopefully it will be able to sustain for longer than that."

The first session will include students between 10 and 14 years old, and registration has already closed. But Martin encouraged potential participants to contact her about future sessions, which could include a wider age group.

Those sessions could also include college student mentors.

"We're hoping to grow it, so don't panic if you don't get in this round," Martin said. "We're really working hard and excited to get this going."

To put together the first group, the library reached out to employees and retirees from State Farm, Country Financial and Illinois State University as well as kids from Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal, Girl Scouts and Unity Community Center.

"They'll have access to any of our physical resources and also our online resources," said Martin. "We're really trying to make this a program that helps you grow regardless of your access to technology."
ABC/Randy HolmesMetallica frontman James Hetfield helped spread some holiday cheer to the fire and police departments in his hometown of Vail, Colorado, recently through the band's All Within My Hands charity foundation. Hetfield gifted them with gift cards for Starbucks, which teamed up with All Within My Hands as a part of their "Give Good" campaign.

Launched earlier this year, the All Within My Hands Foundation supports "workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services."

Metallica is off for the rest of the year, and the band will resume its European tour in support of its new album Hardwired...to Self-Destruct in February.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump signed the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul into law Friday, using his last moments in the White House before flying to Florida for the holidays to celebrate a much-needed political win.

He also signed a temporary spending bill to keep the government running and provide money to upgrade the nation's missile defenses. The tax cut, which fulfilled a long-held Republican goal, was at the forefront of Trump's mind.

Starting next year, the new law will give big cuts to corporation and wealthy Americans and more modest reductions to other families. Trump continued to pitch it as a win for the middle class, insisting that even though polling indicates the tax cut is unpopular, "the numbers will speak" for themselves.

"I don't think we are going to have to do much selling," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

The tax law is the largest since 1986, but far from the biggest in American history, as the president repeatedly claims. It also is projected to add to the nation's debt, something that was anathema to Republicans for years.

Passage of the tax bill marked a significant victory for a president hungry for one after chaos and legislative failures during his first year in office  including an effort to repeal former President Barack Obama's health care law  despite Republican control of Congress. Trump also ended the year with his sights still trained on the way the media treat him, tweeting that the mainstream media "NEVER talk about our accomplishments in the end of year reviews."

"We are compiling a long @ beautiful list," he tweeted.

Trump said that he originally planned to sign the tax bill early next year but moved it up on the spur of the moment after watching media coverage Friday morning about the legislation. After finishing the bill signings, he was off to Mar-a-Lago in Florida, his plane leaving Joint Base Andrews in Maryland just before noon EST.

The first major overhaul of the nation's tax laws since 1986 could add $1.5 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Republican leaders have said they're willing to take that step in pursuit of a boost to the economy. But some in the GOP worry their party could face a political backlash without an aggressive public relations tour.

Trump, meanwhile, continued to send mixed messages about his desire to work across the aisle. In the Oval Office, he contended anew that Democrats "don't like tax cuts, they want to raise your taxes."

But that came just hours after he tweeted a pitch for bipartisanship: "At some point, and for the good of the country, I predict we will start working with the Democrats in a bipartisan fashion. Infrastructure would be a perfect place to start. ... It is time to start rebuilding our country!"

Some White House aides and Republican leaders are looking warily ahead at the midterm election year, when typically a president's party loses seats in Congress. That's all the more true for presidents whose approval ratings dip below 50 percent, and Trump's have never been that high.

Additionally, the new tax law that they see as the GOP's top talking point is unpopular. Only about 1 in 3 voters have supported the legislation in recent days, according to several polls. About half of Americans believe the plan will hurt their personal finances. And 2 in 3 voters say the wealthy will get the most benefits, according to a USA Today/Suffolk University poll released last week.

Starting next year, families making between $50,000 and $75,000 will get average tax cuts of $890, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. Families making between $100,000 and $200,000 would get average tax cuts of $2,260, while families making more than $1 million would get average tax cuts of nearly $70,000, according to the analysis.

But if the cuts for individuals are allowed to expire, most Americans  those making less than $75,000  would see tax increases in 2027, according to congressional estimates.

Only high-income people would get a meaningful tax cut after 2025, when nearly all of the plan's individual income tax provisions are due to expire.

Republicans argue that the middle class will see benefits from the business tax cuts, in the form of more jobs and higher wages.

Democrats say that's not likely to happen, that the tax cuts are simply a boon to wealthy Americans like Trump and leave lower-income families in a lurch.
A former US Marine talked with an undercover FBI employee about carrying out a terror attack over the holidays at Pier 39, a busy shopping and tourist area in San Francisco, according to an affidavit filed in US District Court in California on Friday.

Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, of Modesto, California, was arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, the Justice Department said in a news release.

Though there are no additional known threats to the city, San Francisco police will be increasing their presence in light of the alleged terror plot, acting Mayor London Breed said in a statement. The spokesperson for the local FBI office said there are no known credible threats in the Bay Area.

CNN has not been able to contact Jameson's lawyer for comment.

According to the Modesto Bee, his federal public defender, Eric Kersten, said his client denied the allegation in the affidavit.

The FBI started watching Jameson in September after becoming aware of social media activity in which he "liked" or "loved" posts about terror attacks and ISIS, the affidavit said. Undercover employees of the FBI posed as supporters of ISIS and contacted Jameson, the affidavit said.

Jameson met with an undercover employee on December 16 and told them he wanted to conduct a terror attack using weapons and explosives at Pier 39, the affidavit said.

Jameson, saying he was familiar with the layout of the site, wanted to use explosives to "funnel" people into a location where he could inflict casualties, the affidavit said. "Jameson also stated that Christmas was the perfect day to commit the attack," the affidavit said.

The attack would be styled after the October 31 attack in New York City in which a man drove a truck down a bike lane, killing eight people, the affidavit said.

Jameson said he'd just started working as a tow truck driver, which could help in the attack, the affidavit said. He expressed loyalty to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and offered to donate money and contribute his firearms skills, the affidavit said.

Jameson had served in the US Marines in 2009 and attained a sharpshooter rifle qualification. He was later discharged for fraudulent enlistment because he failed to disclose a latent asthma history, the affidavit said.

He asked the undercover agents to provide an assault rifle and explosives and sent them photos of what appeared to be Pier 39, the affidavit said. Jameson told the agent that he would be willing to write "a statement to the brothers," the affidavit by an FBI agent said.

After several communications on December 18, Jameson appeared to back out, telling an undercover agent, "I also don't think I can do this after all. I've reconsidered," the affidavit said.

On December 20, authorities searched his home in Modesto and found firearms, empty magazines, ammunition and fireworks, the complaint said.

They found a will and a handwritten letter that said "you've allowed Donald Trump to give Al Quds away to the Jews," apparently a reference to the President's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The letter writer, identified as Abdallah Abu Everitt Ibn Gordon Al-Amriki, goes on to say, "We have penetrated and infiltrated your disgusting country."

During the search, Jameson talked about supporting ISIS and terrorism and said he would be happy if the attack were carried out.

Jameson remains in custody. He appeared in court on Friday for a first appearance and is scheduled for a detention hearing December 28 and a preliminary hearing January 5.

If convicted, Jameson could be sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined $250,000, the Justice Department said.

CNN's Tammy Kupperman contributed to this report.
100 years ago

Dec. 23, 1917: Peoria bank president E. A. Strause shot and killed the banks cashier, Berne Mead. Police said the two had gotten into a fight over Meads proposal to buy Strauses shares of the bank. After the shooting, Strause claimed self-defense and resigned from the bank.

75 years ago

Dec. 23, 1942: Fire inspectors will go around town a second time to make sure there are no Christmas decorations containing flammable material in public gathering places. They had found the decorations safe in a Dec. 7 inspection but will check again, Mayor Hayes says.

50 years ago

Dec. 23, 1967: A raging house fire destroyed the Mrs. Bess McLain family home near Ellsworth. All 10 occupants got out safely and saved their possessions on the first floor. But they lost everything upstairs to the fire. A faulty flue is blamed for starting the blaze.

25 years ago

Dec. 23, 1992: Diamond-Star Motors won a big ruling from the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board. The auto maker complained it was over-assessed and that taxing bodies owed the firm a $9 million refund. It comes due next year. Unit 5 alone will owe more than $5 million.
Patna: The Patna GPO (General Post Office) on Friday released a commemorative postal stamp, a first day cover, a postcard and other mementos to mark the conclusion of the ongoing celebration of the 350th birth anniversary of 10th Sikh Guru Govind Singh.

The Chief Post Master General of Bihar M E Haque, while launching the postcard booklet of 12 photographs of various Gurudwaras in Bihar, now part of the Sikh Circuit in the state, said that all prominent Sikh leaders like Guru Nanak, Guru Tegh Bahadur, and Guru Govind Singh had visited these places and therefore, held a special place in the hearts of Sikhs around the world.



Anil Kumar, Bihar Post Master General, said the postal department, for the convenience of the devotees, has set up three temporary post offices around Patna Saheb Gurudwara where these gift items could be purchased.

Others present on the occasion included Director of Accounts (Postal) S C Jha, eminent Sikh citizens Kamaljeet Gandhi, Jaspal Gandhi, and Sudarshan Singh.
Patna: The Railway Police at Patna Junction on Friday seized a large consignment of contraband coming from Vishakhapatnam by Ernakulam Express said to be later taken to north Bihar via Hajipur.

During a routine search of the train after its arrival at Patna Junction, the Railway Police jawans found several large packets under berth number S4 in the sleeper car. The police then got suspicious and when opened, they found 65-kilogram of ganja in them with a street value in excess of Rs. 20 lakh.

Police arrested one Arvind Kumar of Raghopur in Vaishali district who admitted of placing the package under the seat of some other passenger to avoid being identified as the owner of the contraband.

Authorities are interrogating the accused to find out the origin of the drug haul and people involved in it.
Ranchi: In a stunning setback for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his flailing Lalu-Rabri-Misa-Tej Pratap-Tejaswi empire that made them Bihar's one of the wealthiest politicians, a CBI court in Ranchi on Saturday found him guilty in the Rs. 85 lakh embezzlement case involving Deoghar Treasury that occurred under his watch between 1991 and 1994.

CBI Special Court Judge Shivpal Singh, in a jam-packed court, read the verdict convicting Yadav and 15 others while acquitting former Bihar Chief Minister and the then Congress leader Jagannath Mishra in the same case.

Yadav and all other convicts were immediately taken to the jail where they will await court's ruling on sentencing on January 3.

The RJD chief who was accompanied by his younger son and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejaswi Yadav appeared stunned when the court held him guilty in the corruption case following the acquittal of six others before him.

As the six men, heaving a collective sigh of relief on their acquittal, made a move out of the witness box, Yadav appeared certain of his acquittal as well only to be taken aback by an unfavorable court decision. It took him about a minute to gather his composure after his lawyer explained to him that he indeed stood convicted.

The former Chief Minister of Bihar, who is no stranger to convictions in similar cases leading to incarceration in the past, murmured that he would appeal the verdict in the High Court as he was led to the jail by the local police.

It may be recalled that Yadav was previously convicted in the fodder scam in 2013. He spent nearly two months in a Ranchi Jail before getting a bail from the Supreme Court.

Today's case relates to misappropriation of Rs. 85 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury, then a part of undivided Bihar, between 1991 and 1994 when Yadav was both the Chief Minister and Finance Minister of Bihar. He was accused of burying files of corruption for 16 months while continuing to extend the services of others who were part of the corruption network installed by him at the time.

Yadav's second conviction came on the same day when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed charges of money-laundering against his daughter and MP Misa Bharti.

Tejaswi Yadav, who was hand-picked by the RJD chief to lead the party in his absence, also stunned by the verdict, called it a 'tragedy of errors'.

Party spokesperson Manoj Jha played the 'backward' card saying Yadav was the victim of a conspiracy hatched by the upper caste leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Lalu Yadav has to go to jail because he is from the backward community," said Jha.

Just hours prior to the verdict, Yadav told the reporters that he had full trust in the judiciary and he will not allow BJP to succeed in its conspiracies against him and his family.

Later, someone using Yadav's Twitter account tweeted: "Truth can be made to appear as a lie, as ambiguous or a half lie by concerted onslaught of bias driven propaganda. But blurred layer of bias and hatred will still be removed, come what may! In end Truth will win."

The worse, however, may not be over for the RJD chief as there are three other pending cases against him involving a range of corruption charges.
For the first time in Ghana, mobile phone users can directly transfer funds from their mobile devices into their bank accounts without physically visiting the banking hall.



This service, known as BanqMoni, is an insurance-backed, aggregated platform in partnership with GT Bank, which enables anyone to deposit money into any bank account within Ghana at any time by visiting any mobile money agent.



Speaking at the launch Wednesday, Chief Executive Officer of BanqMoni Limited, Nana Yaw Amoah disclosed that every transaction is insured by Loyalty Insurance Company Limited.



This means in case of any problem your money will be refunded in less than 30 minutes after a complaint has been perused and reckoned fit for a refund, he assured.



According to Nana Amoah, they are in the business of making sure banks are able to mobilise the needed funds so as to help consolidate efforts in building a thriving economy.



Chief Operating Officer of BanqMoni Limited, William Amoako Nimako in his speech noted that approximately 70 percent of Ghanaians do not currently own a bank account but the percentage of mobile money subscribers is 42 percent, active subscribers, nationwide.



That means that about 10.5 million Ghanaians are unbanked and this is a gap that must and will be addressed by technology, he indicated.



He discounted the claim by some persons that the advent of mobile money will lead to a collapse of the banking industry.



Mobile money is not a threat but an opportunity for all industry players to expand their frontiers and achieve the desired financial inclusion, Mr Nimako stated.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Hellooo Manasseh,



Greetings from Binduri.



Long time no hear. How body now? Hmmmm, naa waa for you ooooooo.



Time they say sweeps everything along and can bring good as well as evil; evil as well as good. At no point in time would this adage ever be appropriately used than now.



Manasseh, he who pebble the other asks for rocks in return. You had enough time to travel to Burkina Faso and interviewed Mr. Jibril Kanazoe; a private businessman who voluntarily donated a Ford Expedition worth $100,000 to Former President John Dramani Mahama. Remember???? You were proudly beating your chest and shouting on roof tops that HE John Dramani Mahama is very corrupt and should be impeached, something the current Majority in parliament which was Minority then tried to but failed.



Sadly however, you can't find time to investigate the numerous scandals going on in Ghana today? You even had time for the Goats Chairman; Uncle Billy Naabs, who is so much corrupt that he couldn't resist a guinea fowl bribe after he lied that he was bribed with a Ford by the NDC but can't do same now? Wonders they say shall never end. By the way does Uncle Billy Naabs' needless uneducated shenanigans look like someone who deserves a Ford as bribe?



Today in Ghana; expatriates are charged fees ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to sit and dine with the President. Haven't you heard this? The last time I checked you were writing about Ebony. Manasseh the Presidency is deceiving the public that it knows nothing about the deal. Then interestingly, Carlos 'Macho' Ahenkorah, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, who signed the demand letter revealed on Neat FM that the whole deal was discussed at the Presidency and that the bribes were transferred from the Ministry of Trade and Industry accounts to a Flagstaff House account. This is a serious contradiction that calls for serious investigation. The President's camouflage query to Alan Kyeremanteng is another cosmetic exercise by the government to project the obviously corrupt Nana Akuffo Addo as blameless.



You see where Ghanaians are being fooled? The President is claiming he has no knowledge but the monies were transferred to him. We are talking of close to 800,000 dollars, about eight times the cost of the Kanazoe Ford. So Mr. Manasseh please don't close your eyes, be the hero you once were. Expose Akuffo Addo's dishonesty to the whole world like you sought to do against John Mahama.



Your deliberate silence is suspicious. Doesn't the avarice, acquisitiveness, cupity and rapaciousness of the Nana Akufo-Addo-Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's government give you nightmares? These two gentlemen are weak overlords who are just seeking the aggrandizement of themselves, their families, friends, associates and concubines who are quicker to despoil their subjects than govern well.



Or you don't want to see, hear or speak any evil of the current regime? Awurade Yakubu judgment day will be so interesting.



Mannasseh many evil things are happening, can't you see???? Apart from the Flagstaff House being an embodiment of corruption, it is also now a Brothel. Diamond Appiah, one of the patronizers was recently heckling one of her colleague patronizers on social media. Nagging be what? This one too you didn't hear?



Mannasseh, not only the above mentioned but many other examples exist of which you've for the sake of political expedience decided to turn a blind eye to. Boakye Agyarko aka BOAKYGATE of GHS 150, 000 parliamentary bribery scandal fame still remains fresh in our memories. An alarm Hon. Mahama Ayariga raised of which all the evil people and basket of deplorables turned against him, we needed someone like you; the self-acclaimed objective journalist to come to his rescue but you were as usual of you in this regime silent.



Alfred Obeng Boateng of the BUSTED BOSTING BOST BOSS fame is also fresh on our minds. He sold contaminated fuel to his own unregistered company which was unlicensed. This contaminated fuel had the potential of endangering our environment. I'm yet to see you speak to it.



Ken Ofori Atta, issued a scandalous family and friends bond. The bond's issue was shrouded in secrecy, issued without recourse to laid down procedures and industry best practices requirements, issued without cabinet approval, issued without Parliamentary approval, issued without a Securities and Exchange Commission board. Even the attorney general who is the principal state attorney was not aware of the legal implications of the deal. Till date we haven't heard anything from you with regards to that.



Mr. Mannasseh, you are currently too pusillanimous. Yes, am saying so because the King, Nana Akufo-Addo is grindingly cruel to those who stand in his way. He is very ruthless and glorying in bloodshed. He has reversed outrightly the Democratic gains of this country. He has and is still busy dismantling democratic institutions by closing down media stations that are critical of his regime, buying independent TV, Radio and newspaper outlets and clamping down on opposition activities. He has ever since he became President dismissed several public and civil service workers. He has even extended his encroachment to the independent Electoral Commission of Ghana. Ghana is currently in a "Gray zone". You can't you see I guess.



You are fast losing your credibility though I have never trusted your objectivity right from day one, however, others did. Do something before it is too late. Try to be consistent. Demonstrate consistently in your actions grandeur, courage, sobriety and strength. You see Anas? He is always consistent and credible, he demonstrate in his actions grandeur, courage, sobriety and strength. You are picky because the likes of the uneducated Bugri Naabu influence you.



Mr. Bongo boy, I said it in my last letter to you and I will repeat, do not be like the horse or the mule which have no understanding but must be controlled by the bit and bridle before they come to you. You were very wicked to your brother John Dramani Mahama. You treated him with extraordinary and inordinate malice and I will like to refer you to a scripture in the Bible; Psalm 32:10. Many are the woes of the wicked.



Aaahhhaaaa, where are your good friends? I mean the wise men; Prof. Martey, Palmer Buckler, Owusu Bempah, Otabil el tal.



The God of John Dramani Mahama is really a living God. The handsome Grandson of Jakpa have been vindicated rather too early than I expected. All these crazy guys have suddenly become passive spectators. They've all now succumbed to the whimps and caprice of the Senile at the Presidency. If cockroaches decide to dance in fire, death is inevitable. A friend told me that Prof. Martey, Rev. Otabil, Owusu Bempa and their group are currently in Arusha, Tanzania attending a 2 year conference on "Responsible commentary, Fair Judgment, and Unbiased Opinions" and that Professor Stephen Adei is also in Aleppo; Syria studying common sense and wisdom. It is believed that when they return to Ghana, hopefully by October 2020, we shall have the best democracy in the world; could it be true?



Mannasseh, will your anchor hold in the storms of your life?



Now that the storm is unfolding it's wings of strife?



Will your anchor drift or firm remain? Has it been fasted to a rock which cannot move? Well let's see how it goes.



Vultures descend where there is strong carcass, so what motivates you to write? Liquor? Beer? Bongo pito? Or "Soli "?



I want to help you out. You know I'm a benevolent guy. Instead of being a watch dog, you are now a guard dog. Convenience politics at its best.



Well let me pause here and join the gods of Binduri to consume the pot of pito they just brought from Apoaka's joint; it will inspire me to write to Nana Akufo-Addo on Saturday, good day.





Source: Assibid Dauda (The Binduri Youth Activist)/ghanaweb









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Ghana was among one of the 128 countries that voted against the US proposal at an emergency session of United Nations Thursday.



However, in a statement, the Israeli Embassy said, The Embassy of the State of Israel in Ghana therefore regrets the mistaken vote of Ghana against the State of Israel during the Special United Nations (UN) General Assembly sitting on Thursday, 21 December 2017 as the assembly adopted a resolution regarding Israels capital Jerusalem. We hope such mistake will not be repeated by Ghana in subsequent motions."



Below is the full statement:



The vote against the United States (US) by the United Nations General Assembly special sitting on Thursday, 21 December 2017 is nothing but a farce. The UN cannot dictate to Israel or any other country which of its cities it has to recognize as a capital. In the same regard, the UN cannot dictate to the US or any other country whether or not to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and where to site their embassies in Israel.



This voting by the UN General Assembly is meaningless from the view point of International Law. It is therefore evident that, the Palestinians are using all forms of diplomatic efforts in international organizations to fight against Israel instead of engaging in direct negotiations with Israel for the sake of peace.



As stated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel completely rejects this resolution. Jerusalem was, is and will always remain the eternal capital of Israel.



The Embassy of the State of Israel in Ghana therefore regrets the mistaken vote of Ghana against the State of Israel during the Special United Nations (UN) General Assembly sitting on Thursday, 21 December 2017 as the assembly adopted a resolution regarding Israels capital Jerusalem. We hope such mistake will not be repeated by Ghana in subsequent motions.

Source: atinkaonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Special Development Initiatives Minister, Hawa Koomson, has said she is ready to resign following revelations that her 2018 budget is inflated.



"I am ready to resign", the Minister who has become a subject of social media trolls and heavy criticism, told journalists Friday.



Already, the Minority is heaping pressure on the Minister who is also Awutu Senya East MP, for preparing a "shambolic" budget in which two million cedis was earmarked for "budget preparation".



But the item that shows it budgeted 800,000 for a website has proved even more scandalous on social media.



The Minister has since said the website charge is an error as the budget is only 80,000.



The Minority has rejected the explanation and branded her as "incompetent".



Minority spokesperson on Finance, Ato Forson taunted, the Minister has proven she has reading deficiencies.



Mr. Forson who is also Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam MP said, her explanation is nothing but "damage control". He said the Minister is struggling to do an "emergency landing" following the public backlash.



The Minority is emphatic, the Minister does not deserve to serve the people of Ghana.



"She should go immediately...she should resign...This is blatant corruption" the National Democratic Congress MP said.

Source: myjoyonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A screen grab from PNC.com. The bank says it will use initial savings from the new federal income-tax overhaul for bonuses to its workers and a contribution to its charitable foundation. Read more

Pennsylvania's largest bank has joined other big U.S. companies in setting aside a piece of its initial gains from federal income-tax reform and using it to fund a one-time employee bonus. The company also is making a larger payment to its charitable foundation.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. said it will "provide a $1,000 cash payment to approximately 47,500 employees in the first quarter of 2018." The bank also will give $1,500 to boost retirement savings to the 45,000 employees who qualify for the program, spokesman David Chamberlin told me. So PNC will be giving the workers a total of at least $92.5 million.

"The tax-reform law creates an opportunity to reward our employees," William S. Demchak, PNC chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement. The bank also said it will make a $200 million contribution to the PNC Foundation, its charitable arm, which focuses on preschool care.

The typical large U.S. bank will boost profits by about 13 percent thanks to the tax reform, as top corporate tax rates drop from 36 percent to 21 percent, according to an estimate by analyst Brian Kleinhanzl at Keefe Bruyette & Woods, a New York investment bank specializing in financial-services companies. By that measure, PNC, which earned $4 billion in after-tax profits last year, will boost earnings by more than $500 million a year thanks to the lower tax rate.

KBW expects that large banks such as PNC will use higher profits to buy back shares in an effort to force share prices higher, and to pay more dividends to shareholders. "A large part of of the tax benefits will initially drop to the bottom line, and we expect increased earnings will result in greater capital return" to shareholders, analyst Kleinhanzl added in his report.

Industry watchers also expect that banks will boost profits thanks to the Trump administration's efforts to roll back government lending restrictions imposed after the 2008 financial crisis, and that they will use the additional earnings to purchase other companies and seek new business.

PNC ranks among the dozen largest U.S. banks, as ranked by loans and other assets. Based in Pittsburgh, it has branches in 19 Eastern states and is a part-owner of the BlackRock investment company, the nation's largest.
Journi Black before and after she was attacked by a raccoon Read more

Ashley Rodgers knew it wasn't the best situation when she moved her young family into a rooming house in North Philadelphia.

But at $375 a month, it was what Rodgers, a security guard, could afford.

Check for raccoon holes? Who would think to do such a thing? It never occurred to Rodgers either, and now she is spending Christmas in the hospital with her baby, who was horrifically wounded in a raccoon attack.

Instead of the 28-year-old mother's rushing out to buy last-minute gifts for her 4-month-old daughter's first visit from Santa, she's at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children wondering if her daughter's beautiful face will be permanently scarred.

It happened Wednesday night, just one day after Rodgers, her daughter, Journi, and son, Jordan, 6, moved into their new home in the 2100 block of North 22nd Street. Rodgers, a security guard for Scotlandyard Security Services, planned to have her kids sleep in one room with her and use the other for storage.

Around 8:30, Jordan was sitting on the floor and Journi was in her stroller. Rodgers stepped out of the room to wash the baby's bottle and noticed a "big raccoon run past." Jordan told her, "Mommy, it looked in the room and I jumped on the bed and it ran away."

Rodgers immediately notified the landlord, who told her, 'I'm coming and bringing an exterminator." Later, he told her the property had been inspected and the raccoon was gone. She asked for assurances, which he reportedly gave. By then, Journi was sleeping on the bed. Rodgers walked Jordan to the bathroom. but before she could get back, she heard her daughter's screams.

"When I got to my daughter, she was lying on the floor near the door, blood all over her face and all over her clothes. She was all the way across the room, like he had been trying to drag her somewhere," recalled Rodgers, who closed the door to block the raccoon from coming back. "I called the ambulance, but I couldn't even think straight. I'm like, 'I don't even know the address right now.' [The dispatcher] was like, 'How do you not know your address?' I was like, 'Miss, I just moved in here yesterday.'"

Calls to the landlord weren't returned Friday. He reportedly showed up at the property and rushed Journi to Temple University Hospital, which transferred her to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.

Authorities shaved Journi's thick black curly hair and on Thursday, she underwent four hours of surgery, where she got 65 stitches  25 to her eye area alone  to repair the deep wounds on her face and head. Thankfully, her vision wasn't affected. Doctors say it's too soon to say whether she'll need facial reconstruction.

"I'm just glad that it wasn't worse," Rodgers said. "I never thought about nothing like this happening. Now I know I need to check for raccoon holes."

Officials from the Department of Licenses and Inspections who visited the property said it was being used as a rooming house and issued a zoning violation, requiring the landlord to seek proper zoning. The owner also was ordered to obtain a rental license, and make various repairs including replacing broken windows and repairing the walls and ceilings to keep out pests.

The Animal Care and Control Team set traps in the rooming house and at an adjacent vacant building. Nothing had been caught as of Friday afternoon.

Rodgers has no plans to move back to the rooming house, where she reportedly encountered one of the many raccoons that have plagued the city in recent months. She doesn't know yet where her family will wind up. I asked Rodgers, a 2008 graduate of Simon Gratz High School, if she had bought presents for Christmas.

"I didn't get a chance," she told me.

Something tells me that the many good folks who read about what happened to Journi will help her out. The family has started a GoFundMe campaign called "Journi's Journey" to help out with expenses. Journi's uncle Kenneth McDuffie, who can be reached at phillieschosen@gmail.com or 215-910-7927, also will accept Christmas gifts and donations on behalf of his niece.
Bethlehem. A week before Christmas, there were only a handful of tourists snapping photos of the huge decorated tree in Manger Square, with its strings of red and white lights. The large plaza in front of the Church of the Nativity was nearly empty except for a handful of visiting clergy.

Chalk the absence of visitors up to President Trump's Jerusalem speech, which outraged Muslims, scared off tourists, and unnerved Christian clerics. It also bushwhacked Vice President Pence's planned (now postponed) trip to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Cairo, which was meant to express solidarity with Mideast Christians. Church leaders were refusing to meet him.

"Who was advising Trump?" one prominent Bethlehem Christian asked me plaintively. Good question. Because the backlash against Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital makes one wonder what Trump and Pence thought they would gain.

Perhaps Trump thought his move would advance the "ultimate [Israel-Palestinian peace] deal" that he tasked his son-in-law and real estate lawyer to devise. But instead, he has doomed the effort.

And then there is Pence  a fervent Christian who urged the president to keep his pledge to his evangelical base and move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. If the veep thought this move would help Holy Land Christians, he was very wrong.

For starters, the president's move wrecked a pre-Christmas tourist season that is especially important to Palestinian Christians.

"Before the Trump statement, we thought this would be the best year in the past 10 years for tourism," I was told by Maher Canawati, who, with his father, Nicola, owns the legendary Three Arches gift shops in Bethlehem, specializing in mother of pearl and carved olive wood objects. Living in Bethlehem since the early 17th century, the family has managed to navigate political challenges over time; portraits of ancestors look down on Canawati, including one of his father posing with a Bethlehem Boy Scout troop,

"The city has 50 hotels, 20 built in the last four years," says Canawati. "Everyone thought things would be better. But now there have been many cancellations after the statement." Bethlehem's economy is at stake.

On a broader scale, Trump's move brought the Jerusalem issue back into the global limelight, which stokes religious tensions here. That also unnerves local Christians.

A U.N. vote Thursday calling for Trump to rescind his Jerusalem move passed by 128-9, with 35 abstentions. And the United States was outnumbered by 14-1 when it vetoed a similar resolution from the U.N. Security Council.

Trump's promise to withdraw aid to nations that voted yes puts the president in conflict with major Arab allies such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt (whose Coptic Church leaders also rebuffed a planned Pence meeting).

"After Trump's statement," says Canawati, "churches felt it was wise not to welcome someone who made such a big statement against the Islamic world."

Ordinary Christians in Jerusalem and Bethlehem worry that Trump's perceived challenge to Muslim holy sites will destabilize the city and affect them. They are a minority who have lived for centuries alongside their Muslim Palestinian brethren, and always hope for calm.

On the West Bank, Palestinian Christians do not face persecution for their religious beliefs. Christian restaurants in Bethlehem serve alcohol without any problem, and Christian women walk with hair uncovered. "In Bethlehem, we are a minority, but the Palestinian government supports Christians here," Canawati said. "The post of mayor always goes to a Christian."

But political tensions have caused a steady emigration of Christian Palestinians to North and South America. Thirty-five years ago, Christians made up at least 70 percent of Bethlehem's population and Muslims 30 percent; today the percentages are reversed. Canawati told me there are 3,000 members of his family living in Honduras and only 250 in Bethlehem.

"Most Christian Palestinians feel caught in the middle," says Franciscan Father Peter Vasko, a Brooklynite and longtime resident of Jerusalem, who heads the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, which aims to help Christians remain there. "Israeli soldiers look at Christians as Arabs, while Palestinian radicals see them as traitors to the cause."

And the huge concrete border wall and fence that Israel has built to separate itself from most of the West Bank adversely affects Palestinian Christians, cutting them off from worshiping at Christianity's holiest sites in Jerusalem, and depriving many of jobs. Snaking around Bethlehem, it often turns what would be a 10-minute journey to Jerusalem into a lengthy ordeal, with Israeli checkpoints  if a Bethlehemite can get a permit to enter Jerusalem at all.

So what Christian Palestinians hope for most is that religious tensions will be tamped down, and they can get on with their businesses and worship.

"People are fed up with riots and demonstrations and resolutions," says Canawati. "We just want the simplest thing  freedom of movement to visit our country from north to south, pray in our churches, and definitely demolish this separation wall that separates us from friends.

"I have a lot of Jewish friends and relations with Jewish companies," he adds, and they try to overcome the political divide.

If a two-state solution ever happens, Canawati hopes it will have open borders "because we cannot separate Jerusalem from Bethlehem or East Jerusalem from West."

Trump's unilateral move on Jerusalem gained nothing for Israel, whose capital is and will remain in the Holy City. It served only to stir up religious tensions and disturb the Christians whom Pence claims he cares for.

"We pray God will give wisdom to leaders," says Canawati. "Everybody's waiting." We in America are waiting, too.
A 4-year-old girl was shot in Southwest Philadelphia Friday night as her father held her in his arms, police said.

Four men in a red car approached the pair as they were walking on the sidewalk about 11 p.m. on the 5900 block of Springfield Avenue in the city's Kingsessing neighborhood, Capt. Drew Techner told reporters.

A gunman riding in the backseat opened fire, hitting the girl in the leg, according to Techner. The shooter, described as wearing a hoodie to hide himself, fled in the car with the others. The child was taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where she was reported in stable condition. Her father was not injured.

Police do not have a motive for the shooting, but told CBS Philly they believe the father was targeted.

The girl is the fourth young child to be shot in Philadelphia in the last two months. On Oct. 21, a 3-year-old Tioga boy was wounded when an older brother shot him in the forehead. On Nov. 9, a 2-year-old Olney boy died after he shot himself in the head with a gun that had been reported stolen in Cheltenham in 2015. And on Nov. 26, a 3-year-old girl shot herself with a gun she found in her Kingsessing home, sustaining a severe leg injury.

Most of the shootings involved easy access to guns. Newly elected District Attorney Larry Krasner has promised to enforce the city's ordinance requiring owners to tell police when their guns are lost or stolen.
Executive Chairman Sam Haskell, attends the 2018 Miss America Competition Press Conference at Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, N.J., on September 10, 2017. (Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Sipa USA/TNS) Read more

The Miss America Organization, amid a firestorm over the revelation of offensive internal emails that ridiculed contestants, announced Friday that its top executive had been suspended and that its board of directors would conduct an investigation into the controversy.

Sam Haskell, Miss America's executive chairman and CEO, agreed to abide by the board's vote, the organization said in a statement emailed Friday evening following a furious reaction that raised questions about the viability of the 96-year-old pageant.

"The board will be conducting an in-depth investigation into alleged inappropriate communications and the nature in which they were obtained," the organization said. "In addition, the board wishes to reaffirm our commitment to the education and empowerment of young women, supporting them in every way possible."

Dozens of former Miss Americas on Friday called for the resignation of pageant organizers over the emails.

Past winners, including Kate Shindle, a Moorestown native who won the crown in 1998, said the organization's leadership needed to be purged but the institution, which holds its annual pageant at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, should be preserved.

Much of the anger focused on Haskell, who participated in the email exchanges.

In a statement released Friday night, Haskell apologized for some of the emails, but claimed he was "under stress from a full year of attacks by two Miss Americas, and while I don't ever want to offer an excuse, I do want to offer context."

Haskell called the original story, published by the Huffington Post on Thursday, "vicious" with "conveniently edited emails" that were stolen three years ago by former employees.

"Much of what was reported is dishonest, deceptive, and despicable," he said.

He later added, "I have the utmost respect for the women of this program and contestants at every level. It breaks my heart for anyone to think otherwise."

Haskell's statement was issued after Shindle asked for his resignation.

"Today, I read that a member of the production team wished I were dead, and that executive chairman and CEO Sam Haskell laughed about it," Shindle said in a statement posted Thursday night on Twitter.

What was reported "makes me physically ill," Shindle said.

"I still believe that Miss America has relevance and purpose in 2017 and beyond," she said. "But in order to achieve that purpose, the entire board of directors must immediately resign, including and especially Sam Haskell. Only then can the women of Miss America reclaim its rich history and catalyze what is a clearly necessary evolution."

In its report, the Huffington Post included some of the emails, which engaged in fat-shaming, mocked some former winners' intellect and sex lives, and used a vulgar term for female genitalia when referring to past winners.

Gretchen Carlson, Miss America 1989 and a former Fox News host, also posted a statement on Twitter with the hashtag #ResignNow: "As a proud former Miss America and former member of the board of the Miss America Organization, I am shocked and deeply saddened by the disgusting statements about women attributed to the leadership of the MAO. No woman should be demeaned with such vulgar slurs."

Dick Clark Productions, which produces the nationally televised pageant, announced on Thursday and reiterated on Friday that it had cut its ties to the Miss America Organization because of the emails, about which the company learned several months ago.

"We were appalled by their unacceptable content and insisted, in the strongest possible terms, that the Miss America Organization board of directors conduct a comprehensive investigation and take appropriate action to address the situation," the company said Thursday. "Shortly thereafter, we resigned our board positions and notified MAO that we were terminating our relationship with them."

The New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, which provides a $4 million annual subsidy to keep the pageant in Atlantic City, announced Friday that it was working with its legal counsel "to undertake an immediate review of its contract with the Miss America Organization and Dick Clark Productions to assess what steps we may need to take."

Chris Howard, the CRDA's executive director, said the report about the emails and the behavior of the pageant's leadership were "troubling."

Incoming Atlantic City Mayor Frank M. Gilliam Jr. said it was time to end public funding for the pageant.

"Due to the egregious and unacceptable comments made by the CEO of Miss America I have asked the CRDA to terminate its contract," Gilliam said in a statement on his Facebook page. "Women are one of life's most precious gifts and Atlantic City will not tolerate such statements."

Outgoing Mayor Don Guardian also condemned the email comments.

"I hope that the Miss America Organization does the right thing, and asks everyone who was involved with these emails to step down," Guardian said in a statement.

New Jersey State Sen. Colin Bell of Atlantic County also called on the CRDA to end its relationship with the Miss America Organization.

"We can spend the millions on projects/events that have more benefit to Atlantic City. It was well past time even before these horrible emails came to light," Bell wrote on Twitter.
The municipality of Tashir, a town of some 7,500 in Armenias northern Lori Province, will be ushering in New Years in style.

It will spend AMD 945,000 ($1,965) to purchase lights to decorate 334 Christmas trees throughout the town.

That amount, and an additional 700,000 drams, will go to Kerob Tomeryan, a member of the Tashit Municipal Council. Tomeryan also won the contract to supply other fixtures and ietms to the town as well.

In the bidding for the contract, Tomeryan faced competition for only two items. Even then, its crystal clear that the competition, Vahagn Khachatryan, was more for show than anything else.

The prices the two submitted for the same item were so different that the entire bidding process is called into question. While Tomeryan quoted a price of 56,000 drams for the lighting system for eight trees, Khachatryan quoted a price of 260,000.

Bidding for the contract to supply three flower lights, Tomeryan quoted 6,300 drams, and Khachatryan, 240,000 drams.

Photo: Tashir Mayor Edgar Arshakyan
Its been almost one year since Philadelphias soda tax went into effect. Studies about its impact offer a variety of  and sometimes conflicting  findings. Read more

Philadelphia's tax on soda and other sweetened beverages has been in effect for nearly a year. As city officials, business owners, and beverage industry lobbyists continue to debate the controversial, 1.5 cent-per-ounce tax  and other cities watch closely  researchers have scrambled to study its impact.

All agree sales of soda and other taxable beverages have decreased under the tax, and prices have risen. But has the tax had a negative impact on businesses' bottom lines? The answer to that question, it turns out, depends on which study you consult, and maybe even who paid for it.

Here is a roundup of the current findings, and when they were released, about the first beverage tax of its kind in a major U.S. city.

University of Pennsylvania (November)

What it was: Penn researchers analyzed beverage prices at stores and restaurants in Philadelphia and outside the city to determine how much of the 1.5 cents-per-ounce tax was passed to consumers.

What it found: Stores passed an average of 1.19 cents per ounce on to customers after the tax went into effect, while restaurants hiked prices an average of 1.52 cents per ounce. The greatest proportional increase was for 2-liter bottles of soda, which cost 47 percent more than before the tax. Twelve-packs jumped 41 percent, and 20-ounce bottles,19 percent.

Who paid for it: Penn funded the research internally.

What supporters of the tax say: Mike Dunn, a spokesman for Mayor Kenney, said the study is scientifically sound and is noteworthy because it includes restaurants  a portion of the beverage sector that industry-funded studies have ignored. "The bottom line is that some stores are choosing to absorb some of the cost of the tax, a behavior that we fully expect to continue and perhaps even increase amid strong competition among dealers," Dunn said.

What opponents of the tax say: Economists with knowledge of food merchandising are better fit to study the tax's impact than public health professionals, said Anthony Campisi, a spokesman for the Ax the Bev Tax campaign, which is funded by the American Beverage Association. But Campisi said the findings support the beverage industry's arguments that the tax is causing prices to shoot up and is, in turn, hurting businesses.

Harvard, Penn, and Johns Hopkins (November)

What it was: A separate group of researchers from the three universities have launched a two-year study examining the impact of the tax by comparing beverage sales in Philadelphia, outside the city, and in Baltimore, which has no tax on soda.

What it found: Sales of soda and other sweetened beverages have dropped 57 percent in volume since the tax went into effect. But overall sales at chain stores in Philadelphia have not suffered, suggesting that stores' bottom lines are not hurt by the tax.

Who paid for it: The research is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, through which former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has poured millions of dollars into advocating for taxes on soda across the country.

What supporters of the tax say: Kenney's administration has touted this study as the first scientific look at the tax. A city spokesman said that the preliminary findings were great news for both public health and the city's economy, because it showed that people are drinking less soda but that overall store sales have not been hurt.

What opponents of the tax say: They cast doubt on the findings because the research is funded by Bloomberg, and because the anti-tax group has its own take on some of the data used by the researchers, which comes from market research company IRi. "They're sort of talking about preliminary data in a vacuum" because no findings have been formally published, Campisi said.

St. Josephs University (September)

What it was: John Stanton, a professor of food marketing at St. Joe's, studied sales before and after the tax at five grocery stores of the same supermarket chain in Philadelphia and four stores outside the city.

What it found: The tax has contributed to an overall decrease in sales. Philadelphia grocery stores typically see a decrease in beverage sales between November and February, but the average loss was $82,000 steeper after the tax began compared to those months one year earlier. Also , total store sales decreased by an average of more than $300,000 in Philadelphia grocery stores. Stores outside the city, meanwhile, saw increased sales, on average, between November 2016 and February  a reversal from the same span the previous year.

Who paid for it : The American Beverage Association.

What supporters of the tax say: The mayor's office questioned the credibility of the study because the beverage association paid for it, and noted that grocery store sales account for less than half of the total beverage sales in the city.

What opponents of the tax say: Campisi said this study attaches real numbers to the complaints of supermarket owners in Philadelphia and shows that they are experiencing a negative impact from the tax.

Oxford Economics (September)

What it was: Oxford Economics, an international consulting firm, used data from market research company IRi to analyze sales from January through mid-April at 27 grocery stores in Philadelphia and 36 outside the city.

What it found: Beverage dollar sales declined in Philadelphia chain grocery stores by 28 percent, compared to the same time period in 2016. Beverage sales by volume decreased 24 percent. Total store sales, the analysis found, declined 9 percent compared to 2016. The study concluded that consumers are leaving the city to shop.

Who paid for it: The American Beverage Association.

What supporters of the tax say: Using only grocery store data is not an accurate reflection of the tax's impact. "We believe a far more accurate picture of the impact of the beverage tax is attained by looking at all chain retailers, not just a subset," Dunn said. The city also took issue with the conclusion that shoppers are leaving the city for groceries. "It appears that cross-border shopping for beverages may have taken place initially after tax implementation, but not for other groceries. "

What opponents of the tax say: Oxford Economics was asked to focus only on grocery stores because grocery store owners have been the most vocal about the impact of the tax. "What we're saying also makes some common sense beverage sales declined. I think that's something that in the city at least everybody agrees on," Campisi said.

Catalina (August)

What it was: A review of sales data at nearly 1,000 stores in the Philadelphia region by Catalina, a Florida-based digital marketing firm.

What it found: Soda sales at franchised grocery and drug stores dropped 55 percent inside the city in the first five months after the tax went into effect, while sales spiked by 38 percent at stores just outside the border.

Who paid for it: Catalina, which works with retailers and claims to be an independent third party with no stake in the tax in Philadelphia. It said it used its existing data and took no funding from any clients.

What supporters of the tax said: Kenney's office questioned the study, saying that supermarkets account for less than half of beverage sales. Restaurants, universities, hospitals, and non-supermarket stores were not included in the study.

What the soda tax opponents said: The Ax the Bev Tax campaign said Catalina's findings were consistent with its argument that the tax hurts retailers and drives consumers to shop outside of the city.

Other opinions

Philadelphia's outgoing controller, Alan Butkovitz, who has spoken out against the tax, surveyed business owners and found that a majority claim the tax is hurting them. The mayor's office has used wage tax data to suggest that the beverage industry has not lost jobs to the tax. Various other groups have conducted opinion polls. A Drexel professor is studying the tax's impact on consumption and expects to release written results in 2018. And the Penn, Harvard, and Johns Hopkins study will update its results in 2018.
A photo of Emily Fredricks, a cyclist recently killed by a garbage truck, is pictured on a ghost bike at the crash site, 11th and Spruce streets, on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017. The ghost bike was provided by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer Read more

A "ghost bike" was chained to a traffic light at 11th and Spruce Streets Saturday to mark the site of the tragedy that took the life of a vivacious young cyclist.

Emily Fredricks, 24, a Center City executive pastry chef, was critically injured while commuting to work on Nov. 29. She was riding in the bike lane when a private trash truck also traveling westbound on Spruce turned right onto 11th Street, striking her, according to police. Fredricks died at the scene.

In a persistent, cold rain Saturday, nearly 60 people gathered at that corner to memorialize Fredricks and to draw attention to the more than two dozen bicyclists who have died on Philadelphia streets since 2010. Several of the mourners openly wept.

"We don't want Emily to disappear, to be forgotten about," said her father, Richard Fredricks, of East Brunswick, N.J. "This dedication is just the beginning."

The ghost bike, a former junker freshly spray-painted in a skeletal white, was garlanded with a string of flashing Christmas lights. Vases of fuschia and white chrysanthemums, lilies, and a single red rose stood at the phantom bicycle's crankshaft. A bouquet of vibrant pink and white blossoms was tied to the handlebar stem. Photographs of Fredricks, along with a black helmet, were attached to the support pole of the traffic light.

The bicycle was donated by Neighborhood Bike Works of West Philadelphia, said Randy LoBasso, a spokesman for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, which is agitating for protected bike lanes in the wake of Fredricks' death.

"Hopefully, the ghost bike will be here as long as the traffic light is here," said LoBasso. "It's important for people who drive by this corner to know and be reminded."

Though the total number of people who commute by bicycle citywide is relatively small, in Center City about 7 percent use the two-wheelers to travel to work, LoBasso said. In South Philadelphia, an estimated 20 percent commute by bike. Drivers distracted by their smartphones have caused the rate of accidents involving bikes to rise throughout the nation, he said.

The ghost bike phenomenon is traced to St. Louis in 2003 as a tribute to a female cyclist who was struck and seriously injured by a car. Since then, more than 630 of the stark memorials have been established throughout the world.

They're often removed after a few weeks. But some remain in silent tribute for longer periods. LoBasso said a ghost bike has stood for four years at Second Street and Girard Avenue in Northern Liberties, where it memorializes the 2014 death of Johnny Brenda's cook Tony Aparecio. Another ghost bike is chained at 19th Street and Girard Avenue in Brewerytown, where PhillyCAM filmmaker Jay Mohen was killed in 2015, LoBasso said.

Before leading those assembled at 11th and Spruce Streets Saturday in the Lord's Prayer, Richard Fredricks appealed to anyone who witnessed and/or took video footage of his daughter's accident to come forward.

"Please get in touch," he said. "Don't let her death be in vain."
U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan is one of 23 Republican incumbents who represent districts where Hillary Clinton won in 2016. Read more

Allegations of inappropriate conduct against State Sen. Daylin Leach may have delivered an early setback to Democrats' hopes of picking up one of the Philadelphia suburban congressional seats they'll likely need to win control of the House in next year's elections.

But some Democrats and political analysts say Leach, a vocal proponent of medicinal marijuana and other progressive issues, may have been too liberal and bombastic to defeat Republican U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan in Pennsylvania's moderate Seventh Congressional District.

Polling shows that voters across the country, by double-digit margins, currently want Democrats to control Congress. Combined with President Trump's low approval rating and the as-of-now unpopular tax overhaul, Democratic recruiters can make a good case to strong prospective candidates that 2018 is the year to run.

Given the March 6 deadline to submit petitions to appear on the May primary ballot, Democrats still have time to regroup from the Leach allegations. And one of his declared rivals may yet emerge as a more formidable candidate. Leach has said he's "taking a step back" from the campaign.

This much is certain: Meehan is one of 23 Republican incumbents, along with fellow Pennsylvania Rep. Ryan Costello, who represent districts that Hillary Clinton carried in 2016. Democrats need to flip 24 seats to take control of the House.

The head of the House Republicans' campaign arm has identified Costello's seat, in the Sixth District, as a bellwether for the midterm elections.

Democrats have to "pick up something, I think, out of [the] Philadelphia [suburbs] in order to make the math work nationally," said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan newsletter at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "It's unclear what the best target is."

Kondik and other prognosticators list those Pennsylvania races  in the Sixth, Seventh, and Bucks County-based Eighth district  as competitive. New Jersey's Second District on the Shore, where Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo has said he won't seek reelection, is considered a toss-up.

Pennsylvania's Seventh district is peculiar. It includes large swaths of Delaware County, where Democrats enjoy a voter registration edge, but the district historically leans Republican. In the last round of redistricting in 2011, the GOP-controlled Legislature in Harrisburg carved a number of Democratic towns out of the district.

The district has become nationally known for its strange shape, which in some parts is held together by a single building. The state Supreme Court has fast-tracked a lawsuit challenging the state map as an unconstitutional gerrymander; if the suit is successful, it could order lawmakers to redraw districts before May's primary.

Court case aside, Democrats are hoping to build on the momentum they gained in November when they won Delaware County Council seats for the first time and swept row offices.

David Landau, chairman of the Delaware County Democrats, said turning out voters for local elections last month was "the heavy lift."

Party leaders needed to convince voters that the path to success in 2018  with gubernatorial, Senate, and House races on the ballot  started in 2017. "That was the heavy lift," Landau said. "This is an easy one to people."

Even with an energized base, Democrats say they still need to field strong candidates. Leach was seen as the front-runner for his party's nomination; he had raised the most money (about $400,000) and, as a state senator, had a higher profile than his rivals.

Leach, who was accused by former staffers of inappropriate touching and making sexualized comments, hasn't officially bowed out of the race. But few expect him to continue his campaign, and a few campaign contributors have asked for their money back.

Other declared candidates include Dan Muroff, a lawyer and former president of groups that advocate for the environment and gun-violence prevention, and Molly Sheehan, a bioengineer.

Democrats say they like Muroff's progressive credentials but are concerned that voters would be wary of electing a former Philadelphia ward leader. As of Sept. 30, Muroff had raised about $300,000  more than Sheehan, though they had about the same amount left in the bank, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Muroff unsuccessfully ran in the 2016 Democratic primary in the Second District against incumbent Chaka Fattah, who was under indictment, and eventual winner Dwight Evans.

Meehan, a former U.S. attorney, has represented the Seventh District since 2010 and won in 2016 by 19 percentage points even as Clinton carried the district. But this will be his first race when a member of his own party occupies the White House. And a president's first midterm is often a national referendum that costs his party seats.

Meehan and every other Republican from Pennsylvania voted last week for the tax bill.

"Congressman Meehan continues to deliver results for his district, and we're confident voters will reward his strong record of accomplishment in 2018," said Chris Martin, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
United States authorities have blacklisted Ruben Tatulyan and other suspected criminal bosses from Russias oldest and most infamous crime syndicate - the so-called Vory v Zakone (Thieves-in-Law).

Tatulyan, aka Robson, has been called the king of Russias Black Sea Coast. He was born in Sochi in 1969.

In a December 22 press release, the U.S. Department of the Treasury says its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has targeted the Eurasian criminal entity Thieves-in-Law, along with ten other individuals and two entities linked to it for its involvement in serious transnational criminal activities.

The move generally prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or other transactions with these individuals and entities, and freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction.

The Thieves-in-Law is a Eurasian crime syndicate that has been linked to a long list of illicit activity across the globe, said John Smith, director of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets control.

The Thieves-in Law originated in Stalinist prison camps and has grown into a vast criminal organization which has spread throughout the former Soviet Union, Europe, and the United States, engaging in a variety of crimes, such as money laundering, extortion, bribery, and robbery.

In May of this year, Hetq wrote about the arrest of Ruben Tatulyan in the Czech Republic, referring to the Russian mass media and videos broadcast there, still available on the Internet. Hes a citizen of Russia, but, according to the reports, he had a diplomatic passport of the RA at the moment of the arrest.

In September, Hetq received a letter from the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor), saying that citizen Ruben Tatulyan contacted them to tassist in the removal of his personal information from the Hetq website.

Regarding Tatulyan, the U. S.Treasury press release reads:

Ruben Tatulian is being designated for providing material support to the Thieves-in-Law. In 2010, Tatulian was appointed as the overseer of the Sochi, Russia Thieves-in-Law operation run by a senior Thief-in-Law. In 2015, Tatulian was detained as a participant at a meeting of Thieves-in-Law in Sochi along with Zakhary Kalashov; one of at least two instances in which Tatulian was detained at a meeting of Thieves-in-Law. In addition, on more than one occasion, Tatulian has assisted Thieves-in-Law who encountered legal problems.

The Vesna Hotel and Spa is being designated for being owned or controlled by Ruben Tatulian. Tatulian is both a shareholder and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vesna Hotel and Spa.
2017 is almost over. It's been a rough year for some of us, but, looking back, we here at The Planetary Society are proud of what we have accomplished during this orbit of the Sun. Here's a list of some of planetary.org's top stories of 2017, but first, I wanted to provide space to my colleagues Jason Davis, Casey Dreier, and Mat Kaplan to reflect on what they're proud of from 2017.

From Jason Davis: Until I looked back through my articles, I had forgotten about my story on why SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket suddenly exploded on the launch pad in 2016. That was a good investigative piece, requiring me to find a knowledgeable source and convince her to trust me with her identity. The story I'm most proud of, overall, is our feature on the past, present and future of SETI. I love feature writing where I only have a minimal understanding of the subject ahead of time; starting from scratch can be both terrifying and liberating. It took a lot of research, interviews and fact-checking, and I worked with several Planetary Society staff members to round out the story with infographics and video. Mat Kaplan also recorded an accompanying Planetary Radio episode. It was a fun team effort, and familiarized me with a subject I now find much more interesting.

From Casey Dreier: 2017 was an unprecedented year for The Societys Space Policy & Advocacy team. We hired another full-time staff member in Washington, D.C., bringing us to three people on two coasts. This enabled us to greatly increase our capability to represent you effectively in Washington. This is good, because it was a busy year given a new Congress and Administration took power in January. We kicked off the year with the release of formal recommendations for the space program to the Trump Administration, featuring a video of Bill Nye viewed over one million times. In the Spring we released a report on the state of NASAs Mars Exploration Program, and used it to help increase congressional funding for the Mars program and drive NASA to (finally!) state its intent to pursue sample return. We celebrated the end of the Cassini mission with a very successful event at the Library of Congress, which brought together space scientists and members of Congress and their staff. We closed out the year by helping to kill a proposal to increases taxes on hard-working graduate students. I am also proud of the 12 original episodes of the Space Policy Edition podcast we recorded, which I believe provide unique insight and access on space history and politics.

From Mat Kaplan: I love creating Planetary Radio, and I loved every single one of the episodes made and all of the terrific guests I hosted in 2017. This made picking favorites difficult and entirely unfair. I can't help thinking of "Long Live Cassini!" and "Celebrating Cassini...Live!" as one long and well-deserved tribute to the magnificent Cassini mission. Not one but two former NASA leaders were in tears as I spoke to them. Also listen to "Julie Webster and the Art of Spacecraft Endurance" -- Julie was the last person to stick her head inside the Cassini spacecraft, and she was the person most responsible for keeping it running through all those amazing years at Saturn. It is always a profound honor to talk with Ed Stone, the former JPL Director who has been the Voyager Project Scientist for more than four decades, as I did for the Voyagers' 40th anniversary show. Many of my most thrilling shows were live events, like "Planetary Radio Live on the Eve of the Eclipse." We were just hours from watching the total solar eclipse at Southern Illinois University. "Planetary Radio Live: Living on Mars" was an utterly fascinating talk with experts who are figuring out how men and women will someday live and thrive on the Red Planet. Lastly, I'm proud of the first full year of Space Policy Edition shows created with my colleagues Casey Dreier and Jason Callahan. Listen to them throughout 2018 on the last Friday of each month!

As for me, your senior editor and planetary evangelist Emily Lakdawalla, I think it's pretty clear what I'm proudest of: finishing and submitting the manuscript for my first book, The Design and Engineering of Curiosity, which is now available for pre-order and should be released in early March. Working on the book took me away from the blog this year (although my ongoing research did yield highly detailed Curiosity updates). Still, I managed to post a few of the kinds of articles I think help other people the most. I pride myself on detailed advanced "what to expect" posts like the one with plans for the OSIRIS-REx Earth flyby and Cassini end of mission, because I can help make other science communicators' coverage of the events better. I like to process inaccessible data sets like the Mars Orbiter Mission photos and then sit back and watch as the broader audience of space image processing enthusiasts makes art from them. And I really like diving deeply into science and engineering puzzles like Juno's gravity results and Curiosity's balky drill, because I continually hear from scientists how they value my articles to keep them up-to-date on topics outside their areas of expertise. All three kinds of articles take a lot of time. I think my reduced publication rate will continue into 2018, but it's because I am most proud of the work that results from this kind of effort.

Top Stories

Following are some of The Planetary Society's most popular articles from 2017.

Jason Davis does great work providing context to NASA human-spaceflight announcements, so I wasn't surprised to see this story among the most popular.

I was pleased to see a guest post among the year's most-read posts. When scientists like Franck Marchis volunteer to put big news into scientific context, I always jump at the opportunity to publish them. (Aside to scientists: It's a lot of work to maintain your own blog. Why not just write the occasional article for The Planetary Society?)

Jason also mentioned this above, but I wanted to highlight again this wonderful deep dive into the past, present, and future of SETI.

A bittersweet moment -- an end of a spacecraft, a reunion of a science team and of the journalists who followed the mission for so long, and a reflection on a mission well run.

The Planetary Society seeks to change the world by empowering the world's citizens to advance space science and exploration, and Jason's article about Society-funded scientist Max Rocca's work on a potential major Earth impact is exemplary of this.

Jason's pick: Emily knows Curiosity better than almost anyone, and I mean that quite sincerelyshe literally wrote the book on the subject. This deeply researched article explains what happened to the rover's drill, and the struggle to get it working again.

We all hope to bring the same quality of work to new stories in 2018!
Officer Edward Garcia (Photo: New Mexico State Police)

An accident victim on U.S. 70 near the Mescalero Apache Reservation received prompt care because a New Mexico State police officer was equipped with a life-saving tourniquet, according to a report from the law enforcement agency.

On Dec. 13, New Mexico State Police Officer Edward Garcia responded to a crash involving a pedestrian struck by a vehicle on U.S. 70 near the reservation, the report stated. When he arrived, Garcia saw an individual with a severed leg just below the knee. Working with a witness, who was also an emergency medical technician, the officer provided a tourniquet, which was applied immediately, reports the Ruidoso News.

As more medical personnel arrived on scene, additional tourniquets were applied to stem the bleeding on scene and while being transported to the hospital. Officer Garcia's quick response in conjunction with the availability of a tourniquet contributed to saving this individual's life, the report stated.

When asked about the situation Officer Garcia responded, "I didn't save him, God saved him, I just provided the tourniquet."
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Instead of bringing down Robert Mueller and ending the Russia investigation with his smear campaign against the Special Counsel, Trump has provided more evidence to law enforcement for an obstruction of justice case against him.

Video of former US attorney Barbara McQuade discussing how Trump collusion could help Mueller:

McQuade said, As weve discussed, one of the most difficult thing to prove in an obstruction of justice case is the corrupt intent. Not the act but the intent. You have to show that they had some sort of bad purpose. If you can show that the White House or President Trump is getting other people to do his bidding, to put an end to this investigation, that could bolster the evidence of the corrupt intent that Robert Mueller needs.

Every move that Trump makes to try to halt or derail the investigation only helps the Special Counsel make an obstruction of justice case against him. Donald Trump would be wise to shut up, stop trying to outsmart people who are smarter than he is, and listen to his lawyers. The President is in serious trouble. None of his C-list gimmicks are going to work. If he abuses presidential power to try to kill the Russia investigation, it will come back ten times stronger.

If Trump fires Mueller, all hell is going to break loose, and the obstruction of justice case will get very real.
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Sexist emails insulting Miss America contestants written by the pageants CEO, Sam Haskell, were published in a Thursday report by HuffPost. On Saturday, after suspending Haskell on Friday, Miss Americas board of directors revealed in a statement that he had resigned:

This afternoon, the Board of Directors of the Miss America Organization accepted the resignation of Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sam Haskell, effective immediately. The Board of Directors also accepted the resignation of Chairman Lynn Weidner. At the Boards request, Ms. Weidner has agreed to remain on the Board for up to ninety days to facilitate a smooth transition for the MAO to new leadership.

The Board thanks Lynn and Sam for many years of tireless work for, and significant financial support to, both the Miss America Organization and thousands of young women who received millions of dollars of educational scholarships from the Organization as a direct result of their efforts.

In addition to Haskell, three others involved with the Miss America Organization resigned for making misogynistic comments in the emails HuffPost publicized.

One message by Lewis Friedman, a lead writer for the pageant, referred to former Miss America winners as c*nts. Huffpost obtained thousands of emails spanning a three-year period, and Friedman apparently sent Haskell messages containing sexist and unprofessional content on a regular basis; Haskell would respond to the emails approvingly, often finding them funny.

Haskell regularly went after former winners of the pageant by slut-shaming, fat-shaming, and labeling them malcontents. In a 2014 email, he described a group of previous Miss Americas as a pile of malcontents and has beens who blame the program for not getting them where they think they can go.

17. Fifty-Six former Miss Americas slam suspended Miss America CEO @samhaskell for his statement last night in response to my story. (His statement is included below in a separate screenshot) pic.twitter.com/lfUMPWjldV  Yashar Ali ???? (@yashar) December 23, 2017

After HuffPosts report, 56 winners of the pageant called for the removal of Haskell and other top-level employees guilty of misogyny against contestants.

This is not the first time Miss America contestants have been hit with sexism. After Vanessa Williams became the first African American woman to be crowned Miss America in 1983, she was stripped of the honor after Penthouse Magazine published nude photographs of her without her permission.

Haskell formally apologized on the pageants behalf to Williams in 2015 and re-crowned her in a telecast.

Image: ABC 7 Sarasota
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According to a New York Times report published Saturday, President Trump made multiple racist remarks in the Oval Office earlier this year about different immigrant groups, including those who come from Haiti, Nigeria, and Afghanistan.

Two sources told the Times that in June, during a meeting covering immigration, Trump said that Haitian immigrants all have AIDS. The comment came as he read aloud a list of how many immigrants had been approved visas to enter the U.S in 2017  within it was the figure of 15,000 from Haiti.

Upon reading that 2,500 people from Afghanistan had obtained visas, he described the country as a terrorist haven.

When it came to Nigerian immigrants, Trump complained that they would never go back to their huts in Africa after setting foot in the U.S.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied the reports Saturday morning, though she didnt deny how the Times described the the overall purpose of the meeting.

General Kelly, General McMaster, Secretary Tillerson, Secretary Nielsen and all other senior staff actually in the meeting deny these outrageous claims, said Sanders. Its both sad and telling The New York Times would print the lies of their anonymous sources anyway.

Though the Trump and the White Houses official position might be to deny that he ever made these comments, theyd be perfectly consistent with the words of someone who started off his presidential campaign by calling Mexican immigrants rapists and who, in August, claimed that there were very fine people on both sides of the groups who clashed in Charlottesville  despite one of these sides being made up of white supremacists.
As more consumers shop online for their vehicles or give up car ownership altogether, traditional auto dealers are being forced to adapt.

Some are introducing services such as car subscriptions, which allow customers to switch from car to car instead of owning outright. Others are offering flexible leases via apps, providing more flexibility than a typical three-year lease.

Car industry executives shared some of those innovations recently at a panel before the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Don Flow, chief executive of North Carolina-based car dealership Flow Automotive, said providing options and convenience is key to meeting changing demands.

His dealership recently launched a car subscription program to a limited number of users. The program allows its members to request a vehicle at any time through an app, which is delivered by a concierge to a specified location. The subscription includes insurance and unlimited mileage, and members can choose from more than 20 brands of cars.

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"You are about to see an explosion of opportunity in this space," Flow said. "We'll move from just being car dealers and retailers to integrated transportation partners."

He said the program is aimed at providing a customized experience for people who enjoy driving a variety of vehicles. Other companies, such as car-leasing app Fair, are rethinking traditional rentals and leasing by providing a flexible used-car leasing program that can be ended at any time.

Georg Bauer, president of Fair, said flexible ownership is the way to go when courting millennials. Young people are reluctant to commit to one product for a long time and are comfortable with making big purchases online, he said, so dealers should "be part of the digital revolution."

"I don't see dealers having to fight tech," said Bauer, who previously was a vice president of financial services at Tesla. "If they open up, they will realize the future is more digital."
Fashion books usually appeal to the eye with zippy photographs, playful illustrations, arresting typefaces. But the best of them will offer something for the head and heart  a surprising point of view, thoughtful essays, a distinctive style  that makes the experience memorable. Consider these three new books: "John Galliano Unseen"(Yale University Press, $60) by Robert Fairer; "Food in Vogue"(Abrams, $75), edited by Taylor Antrim; and "Items: Is Fashion Modern?"(The Museum of Modern Art, $45) by Paola Antonelli and Michelle Millar Fisher.

Visuals  big, bold, almost impossibly saturated with color and often witty as hell  bring a delicious bite to "Food in Vogue," a look at the fashion magazine's approach to food over the decades. It's an attitude best described as totemic rather than home ec/useful  and that's the fun of it. I mean, who knew frozen vegetables could look so good? Well, Irving Penn did  and the proof is the very first photo, his, in the book.

Whether it's "Chicken in Heels" from Helmut Newton in 2003 or a Eric Boman's plush toy bunny climbing into a stewpot for 2014's "Hop to It," these images speak to something more elegant, exotic, urgently elemental than the usual what's-for-dinner ho-hum. The photos are arranged in an order clearly meant to surprise and, perhaps, shock. The emotional zing is compounded by the oversized (10-by-13.4-inch) format that allows the images to practically leap from the page.

Adding to the appeal is a collection of food-themed articles and essays, notably from Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue's much-lauded food columnist.

"John Galliano Unseen" captures the lush, romantic genius of an iconic couturier whose fall from grace in 2011 was sparked by what The New York Times later described as a "drunken anti-Semitic rant." The reference to that incident is oblique here. An introductory essay notes he "ceased designing" for Christian Dior and his own label in 2011, and "after a period of rehabilitation," became creative director of Maison Margiela in 2015. But then the audience for whom this book is intended knows full well the the arc of Galliano's career.

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I suspect that for many who pick it up, this season-by-season look at Galliano's collections from 1996 to 2011 will spark nostalgic gasps of recognition of a favored silhouette, an innovative cut or a sensual drape of cloth. Robert Fairier, billed here as American Vogue's "exclusive backstage photographer" for over a decade, captures the energy of Galliano's shows through behind-the-scenes glimpses of models striking poses before hitting the runway.

Andre Leon Talley, the former editor-at-large for American Vogue, joins Claire Wilcox, senior curator of fashion at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, and Fairer himself in offering thoughtful reflections on Galliano's life, work and enduring appeal.

"Items: Is Fashion Modern?" is the title of both an exhibition running at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and its companion volume. The book lists 111 pieces of clothing and accessories that, according to its back cover, "have influenced the world in the past 100 years." The list starts with 501 jeans from Levi Strauss & Co. and ends with YSL Touche Eclat, "a combination concealer and face highlighter in an all-in-one tube and brush" released in 1992 by Yves St. Laurent. In between you'll find items ranging from aviator glasses to the Fitbit to the little black dress to the white T-shirt.

This book is loaded with photographs and illustrations, but there's a lot of text, too, giving it a scholarly feel. That's deliberate, I think, as the Museum of Modern Art has not hosted a clothing exhibition since 1944. An introductory essay titled "Who's Afraid of Fashion?" by co-author Paola Antonelli, a senior curator in the museum's department of architecture and design, captures the museum's trepidation well. Antonelli makes a compelling case in her essay for the significance and cultural importance of fashion, a message one hopes her museum, and others, will heed. The book offers plenty of examples, many of them sparked by neat facts and telling details.

Book notes

All three books are available through online booksellers. "Items: Is Fashion Modern?" is also available at the Rochester Public Library.
Armenias Ministry of Nature Protection has announced that it is drafting a plan that would grant a water usage permit to Sedvi Energo LLC, that will allow it to build a mini- hydroelectric plant on the Katchatchkout River in Lori Province.

It seems that the company is going ahead with its plan to build the Sedvi 2 plant on the river even though Hagvi village residents voiced opposition to the project at a public hearing last February.

Residents argued that they use the river to irrigate twenty hectares of fields.

Sedvi Energo, registered in Armenia in 2009, is 87% owned by Sargis Gabayan, the son of HydroEnergetika owner Grigor Gabayan. (HydroEnergetika designs hydroelectric plants.)

When Hetq contacted Sargis Gabayan, asking him whether preparations were underway to build the new hydro plant, he said that he had heard nothing on the subject, and couldnt say who might be engaged in such a venture.

I cannot say who is involved. We pulled out of the project, Gabayan said. When we asked him to direct us to someone involved in the project, Gabayan responded that he wasnt obligated to name names.

Odzun Mayor Arsen Titanyan told Hetq says he hasnt received any proposal to build a hydro plant. (The village of Hagvi was recently incorporated into the community of Odzun.)

Hagvi Representative Haykasar Mayilyan also had no knowledge about any plan to build a hydro plant.

The issue has been closed for quite some time, he said, adding that he knew nothing of any new project proposal.

The original plan for Sedvi 2 called for more than five kilometers of pipe. Coupled with the pipe with the existing hydro plant, the pipe would stretch for eight kilometers. Thus, 70% of the Katchatchkout River (not including the environmental discharge) would flow through the pipes.
It was exciting to be part of the recent Style Fashion Show, said local designer Sophie Heublein.

"To get to meet new people who are just as passionate about creating beautiful garments is exciting as well," she said. "I hope to open up my own custom design business right here in Rochester very soon."

Heublein, who studied apparel design and development at the University of Wisconsin Stout, grew up in nearby Douglas, and said she appreciates the opportunity to start a business close to home.

"The new energy in Rochester is really inspiring," she said. "I think people are starting to lean toward custom design because they like to have something that no one else has, and that's really exciting to me as a up-and-coming designer. I want to bring in my own creativity to add to the sophistication and elevate the style and fashion of the Rochester scene."

How do you describe your style?

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Layered, edgy and classic. If it started a conversation, I have achieved my goal.

Origins?

My mother is French, and traveling to visit her family, I was immersed in the refined French minimalist fashion. On the other hand, growing up in the Midwest with my brother in Douglas, motorcycle clothing and flannel are no strangers.

Sources of inspiration from the fashion world?

I love seeing what is coming out on the runway. Some of my favorite designers include Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford, Christian Dior, Vivienne Westwood, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Rei Kawakubo.

Do your designs relate to your style? And how are they different?

I think they are a lot less edgy and more refined, chic and upscale. I design for a woman who enjoys wearing luxurious fabrics, looks well put together without taking the time.

How do your designs relate to what your vision of fashion?

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The clothes I design are luxurious and functional. They are comfortable and for women on the go.

What do you hope you communicate through your style?

A conversation, confidence, body positivity.

The most essential components in your wardrobe?

Shoes, jackets, blazers and button-down shirts are my statement-makers.

What should every well-dressed woman have in her wardrobe?

A blazer, interesting shoes, lipstick, perfume and a pair of sunglasses.

Favorite and not-so colors to wear?

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Black, blue, darker tones of grey. I always gravitate toward darker colors, but I do like having a pop of red or green. Colors I stay away from would be nudes, yellows and peach.

Favorite colors and fabrics for your designs?

My recent collection was based on colors of navy, various tones of grey and white. I also produced some of my own fabric as well. I love working with wool, cotton and silk. Natural fibers are the best. Ginny's Fine Fabrics has an awesome selection and really made my collection come alive.

Anything especially Minnesotan about your style and designs?

Sometimes, I think it is hard to be stylish in the winter months because we have to choose function over fashion, but I love a good flannel, and Sorel boots are stylish and functional. I think most all of my designs gravitate toward fall and winter season because I like working warmer fabrics, but could really be wearable for any state.
When one thinks of a vacation in France, Paris or the French Riviera probably are the first destinations that come to mind. Not so for my wife Bonnie and I.

We planned our trip around the Bretagne region of France. Over the years, we hosted nine Minnesota Agriculture Student Trainee (MAST) students from Bretagne on our dairy farm. Our first student, Henri, who was with us in 1989, and his friend Yannick helped us plan our trip. Henri and Yannick wanted us to experience all the tradition and charm that Bretagne has to offer, including everything from traditional foods to fine wine and champagne, as well as a pilgrimage to Mont Saint-Michel.

According to legend, in 708 the Archangel Michael appeared to the Bishop of Avranches and ordered him to build an oratory on Mont Tombe, a 220-acre pyramidal shaped granite rock in the ocean near the mouth of the Couesnon River. Construction began at this time and the island was renamed Mont Saint-Michel.

Construction continued over several centuries, with most of it finished by the 1500s. Mont Saint-Michel soon became a Christian pilgrimage destination and has been for over 1,000 years.

In the Middle Ages it was a renowned center for learning and attracted many of the great minds of that time. Mont Saint-Michel was also a strategic military stronghold and was never overrun by invaders. At one point during the Hundred Years' War, it withstood a 30-year siege by the English.

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In 1979, UNESCO declared Mont Saint-Michel a World Heritage Site because of its historical and cultural importance and its unique ecosystem. Today Mont Saint-Michel has less than 50 permanent residents but it entertains 2.5 million visitors each year.

Rapid-rising tide

Mont Saint-Michel is also famous for having one of the highest tidal ranges in Europe, with a range as much as 45 feet. At low tide, the ocean recedes eight miles from the coast. Then, at high tide, it comes rolling in at 12 mph, or 17 feet per second. After the French Revolution in 1789, Mont Saint-Michel was used as a prison for many years. Once, the prisoners were released from their cells and tried to cross the bay to freedom but were killed when the tide rolled in and drowned them.

Back to our pilgrimage, we left Yannick's apartment in Fougeres on Sept. 16 and made the 90-minute drive to a parking lot across the bay from Mont Saint-Michel. There we met a guide who would help us navigate the sometimes dangerous passage across the bay to Mont Saint-Michel.

Although the sky was threatening, we did not have rain on our 2.5-hour walk. In keeping with tradition, we went barefoot. We would be walking at times through knee-deep water, and across very hard-ridged sand and extremely slippery mudflats. We would also be crossing two rivers and encountering quicksand.

We were able to make our way with no incidents. Once on dry land, we washed our feet, put on shoes and passed through the main gate to begin our tour of the village. We slowly worked our way up the steep narrow cobblestone streets.

Splendid views

At the end of the main street is the Grand Degree (350 steps) leading to the abbey. Much of the abbey was built in the 11th and 12th centuries. The buildings were built to accommodate both the meditative life of a monk and the pilgrims who would be visiting the island. The first floor was built to house the pilgrims, the second floor consisted of the Knight's Hall, the refectory, the cloister and the Abbey. There is a terrace on the third floor. An 1,100-pound statue of Archangel Michael is perched on the abbey steeple.

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Below the abbey are two blocks of museums, shops, restaurants and hotels that wrap around the granite rock. We brought a picnic lunch and dined on the ramparts while enjoying French wine and a spectacular view of the sea.

After lunch, we visited the chapel and worked our way through the shops down to the main entrance. From there we caught a shuttle bus to take us to our car in the parking lot. We returned to Mont Saint-Michel on the evening of Sept. 21 and watched with amazement as the high tide rolled in, once again surrounding the island.

Mont Saint-Michel is about 3.5 hours west of Paris and about 1.5 hours from Rennes.

We visited the American Cemetary at Colleville as well as Omaha, Utah and Gold beaches. We stayed with five of our former MAST students, including three that have dairy farms. After so many years, it was great to reconnect with them and to meet their families.

To complete our trip, we spent the last two days in Paris, visiting many of the more traditional tourist destinations.
Rochester police responded to 31 crashes in the city from 6:30 a.m. Thursday to 7:30 a.m. today, though just one resulted in minor injuries, an official said.

About three inches of snow fell through the area in that time, making many roads slick.

A one-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 52 in Goodhue County injured one man when the van he was driving south ran off the road, entered the west ditch and rolled.

Mahad Farah Jama, 33, of Columbus, Ohio, had his seat belt fastened when the crash occurred about 5:05 p.m. Thursday.

He was taken by Zumbrota Ambulance to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys Campus; a condition report wasn't available this morning.

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The Minnesota State Patrol report describes the roads as snowy and icy at the time.

The weather didn't play a role in a crash about 5:25 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. Highway 14 at 60th Avenue Northwest in Kalmar Township.

Patricia Ann Whitcomb, 67, of Rochester, was westbound on U.S. 14 in the left turn lane for 60th Avenue when her vehicle struck one driven by Darge Chalchisa Geletu, 29, also of Rochester.

Geletu's car was facing north on 60th Avenue, in the median intersection, attempting to cross the highway.

The vehicles collided in the intersection, the report says; both drivers had their seat belts fastened.

Whitcomb was taken to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys Campus. A condition report was unavailable this morning.
This year brought fresh faces to the top administrative posts in Rochester and Olmsted County government.

Stevan Kvenvold and Richard Devlin had filled those seats for decades before announcing their retirements this year. Together, the pair led local government operations amid a series of elected officials and periods of growth.

Olmsted County's population grew from approximately 84,000 when Devlin was named county administrator in 1972 to more than 153,000 when he retired on Oct. 31. Rochester's population was approximately 57,000 when Kvenvold was promoted to the city's top administrative seat in 1979, and it topped 114,000 when he retired on May 31.

Their successors, County Administrator Heidi Welsch and City Administrator Steve Rymer could see similar changes amid growth expected as the result of Destination Medical Center efforts.

By many accounts, the transition between administrators has been smooth.

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"It's been just fantastic," County Board Chairman Ken Brown said earlier this week. "The organization is working well."

Welsch began transitioning into her new role in August, after commissioners approved her as Devlin's replacement, which came 10 months after she was selected as deputy administrator last year.

Before retiring, Devlin said he quickly became impressed by Welsch. In his final months, he turned many aspects of the job over to her and concentrated on preparing a series of reports for the commissioners on topics where he saw potential for change within the county.

Welsch said the gradual transition provided support as she learned about her new role. "It was really quite a smooth transition," she said.

In city offices, Rymer said his transition has been smooth as well.

He was hired through a nationwide search and started in October after leaving his job as city manager in Morgan Hill, Calif.

In the five months between Kvenvold's retirement and Rymer's first day on the job, Assistant City Administrator Gary Neumann became interim administrator. When Rymer arrived on scene, Neumann continued work on the 2018 budget and filling some other roles, allowing Rymer an opportunity to familiarize himself with the city and its operations.

Neumann said the process was ideal for the city.

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"We needed to find someone who could come in and was respectful of the people and took the time to get to know the community," he said.

Asked about the future under new administrators, Brown and Rochester City Council President Randy Staver said they welcome the fresh perspective.

"Sometimes you need a fresh set of eyes," Staver said, noting the council was also careful to select an administrator who would be a good successor to Kvenvold.

"There's a lot of similarities in their thinking but also new ideas," the council president said.

Welsch and Rymer, as well as others, have noted they quickly adopted a desire to find mutual opportunities between city and county government.

"Both of us agree working together is the best thing for our organizations, as well as the overall community," Rymer said.

In their individual organizations, the new administrators will see significant changes in the new year.

Welsch has appointed three deputy administrators as part of a reorganization within county government. Each deputy will oversee a specific section of county operations. Current Public Health Director Pete Giesen will take on general government operations, current Community Services Director Paul Fleissner will oversee health, housing and human services, and current Public Works Director Mike Sheehan will be in charge of physical development within the county.

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The realignment of duties takes effect Jan. 1, and the change is being made without adding new positions.

Rymer has needed to make his own adjustments. Former Assistant City Administrator Aaron Reeves took a job as city administrator in Cloquet before Rochester's new administrator arrived, and Neumann has announced plans to retire at the end of February.

Terry Spaeth, the former redevelopment director, was appointed to replace Reeves earlier this month, and Lake Forest City Administrator Arron Parrish is slated to start Feb. 1 as Neumann's replacement.

Additionally, the city faces the need to replace at least three other department heads next year.

In city government, City Attorney Terry Adkins, Police Chief Roger Peterson and Fire Chief Greg Martin have all announced plans to retire.

While Olmsted County saw the retirement of Chief Financial Officer Bob Bendzick in 2017 and five other department heads were eligible to retire, Welsch said she's not aware of any department heads who plan to retire in 2018.

Several other top stories were seen in Rochester and Olmsted County government in 2017. Among them were:

 The state funds funds for Destination Medical Center were released. The $2.67 million in state money was triggered when private investment topped $200 million. A Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development report released earlier this year indicated that $297.7 million had been invested in local construction efforts during a four-year period starting in 2013.

 The renovated Mayo Civic Center, which includes a 180,000-square-foot ballroom, held its grand opening in May. The expansion project had an $84 million price tag, with the state approving $35 million and the city of Rochester committing $49 million, which included funds from local lodging taxes.

 Olmsted County approved a quarter-cent sales tax to raise money for transportation costs, with commissioners citing a shortfall in state funds to cover road maintenance expenses.

 The Rochester City Council voted 4-2 to issue its first censure of a fellow council member in 10 years. Council member Michael Wojcik was censure following a report from the city's Ethical Practices Board in response to a complaint filed by Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust CEO Bari Amadio.

 Olmsted County cut the ribbon in September on a $33 million extension of 55th Street in Rochester. The project was completely funded with local dollars.

 The Rochester City Council agreed to sell the city's historic Armory in September for $675,000 to a group known as the Castle Community, which plans to used building to house a restaurant, book store, art studios and public event space.

 In July, the city expanded its bus service to include holiday and Sunday routes.

 Olmsted County renewed efforts to consider renovations at Graham Park, requesting $10 million in state bonding funds to start transforming the 59-acre park. State lawmakers will consider the request in 2018.
EYOTA  A Minneapolis woman ended up in the hospital following a crash on U.S. Highway 14 on Friday night.

Bonnie Beth Matson, 63, was taken to Mayo Clinic Hospital  Saint Marys Campus with non-life threatening injuries, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. A Mayo Clinic spokesman said no information on Matson's condition is available.

The crash happened shortly before 6 p.m. on Friday in Eyota Township. Matson was traveling eastbound on U.S. 14 when her car approached an uncontrolled intersection. Stopped northbound at the uncontrolled intersection was a truck driven by Jason Phillip Pavlak, 44, of Mazeppa. Matson crossed over into the right turn lane of eastbound U.S. 14. Her car collided with the truck, according to the state patrol. Pavlak was not injured in the crash.
EDGERTON  Minnesota farmers are following the NAFTA negotiations  which enter their fifth month in January  with one eye on their pocketbooks.

Food exports to Canada and Mexico are important money makers for the state's agricultural economy, but if President Trump withdraws from the trade deal, as he's threatened to do, farmers say they'll lose millions.

That could very well be the case for the Spronk Brothers farm in southwest Minnesota, where hogs are the main source of income.

Randy Spronk said most of the meat from his animals will be sold in the U.S., but overseas sales are becoming an important trade market for him. More and more of his pigs are ending up on dinner tables in Mexico and elsewhere outside the U.S.

"The swine industry in the United States exports a quarter of the market hogs that we sell each and every day," said Spronk.

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U.S. farmers exported nearly $40 billion worth of agricultural products to Mexico and Canada last year. And NAFTA is what has made those lucrative markets possible.

But President Trump has been a fervent critic of NAFTA.

"The worst trade deal ever made by any country, I think, in the world," said Trump.

During his campaign for president, Trump said NAFTA was so bad he might end it. And now, he's attempting to renegotiate the deal, with better terms for the United States. But if the current talks fail, Trump has said withdrawing from NAFTA for good is still an option.

Spronk said if that happens it could cost his farm more than $2 million in annual revenue. Spronk is a member of the U.S. Meat Export Federation's executive committee, and he's pushing for a solution, not a withdrawal.

"What we're really trying to do is to point out the advantages and the benefits of these free trade agreements," said Spronk. "And particularly when it comes to NAFTA, which would be Mexico and Canada, which are very good customers to rural Minnesota."

Those markets aren't just "good" for Minnesota  they're over a billion and a half dollars a year good.

Sales of pork products alone to Mexico and Canada from farms like Randy Spronk's totaled about $200 million last year. Corn and soybeans from Minnesota made for an even bigger share, accounting for nearly a third of the state's trade with the two nations.

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Global grain marketer CHS, which is based in the Twin Cities, is a big part of that NAFTA trade. Vice president John Griffith says the farmer-owned co-op's trade with Mexico and Canada is critical to the company's future.

"And any renegotiation of NAFTA that would do some unintended or intended consequences to that free and open trade of agricultural products would harm the producers and owners of CHS," said Griffith.

The company and nearly 90 other American farm and food groups including Minnesota's Land O' Lakes signed a letter to the Trump administration last fall, saying a U.S. withdrawal from NAFTA would cause "substantial" damage to the country's agricultural sector.

One major fear, according to University of Minnesota professor Cosette Creamer, is that Trump's threatened withdrawal could provoke counter-moves, especially from Mexico, before NAFTA negotiations are even over.

"Mexico could basically instead of giving in, say 'okay we'll stop buying and we'll go elsewhere'," said Creamer.

And that's already beginning to happen, Creamer said. Last February the European Union accelerated trade talks with Mexico. And in a message that appeared to be aimed directly at President Trump, the EU tweeted that it was time to build bridges, not walls.

"This means that the leverage is actually in Mexico's hands and not the United States' hands," said Creamer.

So far, the threats haven't had much of an impact on NAFTA agricultural trade.

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U.S. exports have actually increased this year.

Spronk said the fact that the NAFTA countries are still talking is a hopeful sign. But pork producers won't rest easy until a new deal that protects their interests is finalized, he said.

"We've got the market, we don't want to lose the market, we want to retain the market," said Spronk.

And Spronk wants his pork products to continue to show up on dinner tables in Canada and Mexico.

In the meantime, agricultural organizations are asking President Trump to "do no harm" as the NAFTA talks continue.
As Scott noted earlier today, Andy McCarthy has written a definitive summary of what we know now about the collusion among the Hillary Clinton campaign, the DNC, Fusion GPS, Steele and the Putin regime to 1) prevent Donald Trump from winning the presidential election, and 2) undermine his administration post-election. I cant urge you strongly enough to read Andys NRO article.

I want to add this footnote: the politicized leaders of the CIA and NSA are part of the story, too. Recall that in two reports released at the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2017post-election and pre-inaugurationthe CIA, NSA and FBI collectively alleged that Russia meddled in the 2016 election by placing propaganda on Russia Today and by spearfishing the DNCs and John Podestas email accounts and transmitting the emails to Wikileaks. I wrote about the agencies second report here, and you can read the report itself here. Both of the FBI/CIA/NSA reports were promptly released to the press.

As I wrote at the time, these reports are unimpressive. It may be that Russians penetrated the DNC/Podesta email accounts, but the reports dont prove that fact. More important, they contain nothing beyond bare assertion to support the implausible claim that Putin wanted Trump, rather than Hillary Reset Button Clinton, to win the election. Washington insiders say that the intelligence agencies have provided some evidence that Russia was behind the spearfishing of both the DNC and RNC accounts, but no evidence that Russias goal was to try to secure the election for Trump. On the contrary, there is little doubt that Russias agents in the U.S., relying on the Washington Post, the New York Times, 538, etc., were reporting that Clinton had the election in the bag.

The FBI/CIA/NSA reports supplied an important link in the Democrats anti-Trump strategy. They implied that Trumps alleged collusion with the Putin regime bore fruit: the Russians wanted Trump to win, they meddled in the election to achieve that purpose, and sure enough, he won the election. The intelligence communitys reports went a long way toward delegitimizing the Trump administration before it even came into being.

It now appears clear that this entire story was a fraud. There was no collusion; not by Trump, anyway. The collusion was all on the other side, and it looks to me as though the CIAs and NSAs politicized leaders were part of it. Who was the Director of the CIA when these reports were prepared and handed to the press? John Brennan, who now tweets partisan nonsense like this:

Trump Admin threat to retaliate against nations that exercise sovereign right in UN to oppose US position on Jerusalem is beyond outrageous. Shows @realDonaldTrump expects blind loyalty and subservience from everyonequalities usually found in narcissistic, vengeful autocrats.  John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) December 21, 2017

Who was the Director of National Intelligence? The clueless and virulently anti-Trump James Clapper, who just a few days ago called President Trump an asset of Russia:

SCIUTTO: You heard the presidents speech today. He calls out Russia and China, describes them as rival powers, rival powers to the U.S., but also says he wants to build a great partnership with them and had all of these friendly stuff to say about his phone calls with Vladimir Putin this week. Is that a contradictory message? CLAPPER: Well, it is to me. I think this past weekend is illustrative of what a great case officer Vladimir Putin is. He knows how to handle an asset, and thats what hes doing with the president. SCIUTTO: Youre saying that Russia is handling President Trump as an asset? CLAPPER: That seems to be  thats the appearance to me.

You could say these people are crazy, but a few short months ago they were in charge of the U.S. intelligence community. It seems clear that by the end of 2016 they were collaborating in the DNC/Clinton campaign/Steele/Fusion GPS/FBI/Russia effort to undermine the incoming Trump administration. An obvious question is, how far back did cooperation by CIA and NSA go? Did those agencies corruptly collaborate with Obamas DOJ in spying on Trump and his associates during the campaign?

Based on what we already know, the DNC/Clinton campaign/Steele/Fusion GPS/Russia/FBI collusion looks like the biggest scandal in American political history. To the extent that the CIA and NSA were also involved, it can only get worse.
Palestinians and Israeli Arabs pioneered the use of the motor vehicle as a terrorist instrument several years ago. The technique has spread to Islamic terrorists around the world, most recently in Melbourne.

The man who plowed an SUV into a crowd of Christmas shoppers in Australia told cops he carried out the attack as retaliation for the mistreatment of Muslims, officials said Friday. Saeed Noori, 32, injured 19 people  three critically  when he sped his vehicle into a busy intersection in downtown Melbourne outside the citys main train station just before 5 p.m. Thursday. Noori, an Afghan who was granted entry into Australia in 2004 as a refugee and became a citizen two years later, made the comments to police after he was arrested.

So now the Associated Press headlines: What can be done to prevent deadly car rammings? The APs solutions are technological:

As more and more terrorists use vehicles to plow into crowds, the question has arisen in the auto industry: Can advances in technology thwart future attacks? And are there other ways to prevent the ubiquitous automobile from being used as a weapon?

The proposed solution is autonomous emergency braking systems, which, as the AP acknowledges, are far from foolproof.

The short answer is theres no foolproof way to prevent these attacks. Cars are easy to obtain, easy to use and their safety systems can be overridden. Changes have been made to improve security around buildings or landmarks viewed as potential targets  embassies, for example  but those same steps arent always practical for roadways and sidewalks. Its not only an expensive proposition but virtually impossible to make every place where a pedestrian might be safe.

Apart from systems built into vehicles, what else can be done?

Terror attacks in the past few decades have led to a number of changes in building design and other features, including the installation of bollards made to withstand ramming from vehicles.

These are generally referred to as diversity bollards.

Because permanent barriers usually need to be anchored deeply, they arent generally installed on bridges, where two attacks in London occurred this year. Engineers are tackling that challenge with new synthetic materials that can withstand major impact without needing a deep anchor.

Lets hope the engineers can keep up with the terrorists. Somehow, though, one doubts that diversity bollards will ever be a match for diversity. Completely absent from the APs discussion of what can be done to prevent deadly car rammings are the words Islam, Muslim, immigration and jihad. A naive observer might suggest that we focus on the terrorists who drive the cars, not on the automobiles and bollards.
Question: I am searching for information about a yard sale item I have owned for several years. It is a three-dimensional, old-fashioned 4-inch-high metal Santa Claus figure stamped E & Co. NY with some numbers. It is composed of two pieces, a front and a back, that are connected by a working side hinge that allows it to open and close. Can you help?  E.H., Rio Grande

Answer: You have described one of thousands of two-piece, hinged, heavy pewter ice cream molds produced from the 1830s for more than a century. Such molds were constructed so that a soft ice cream mixture could be spooned into each side before the mold was firmly closed and freezing began. When the mold was opened, the frozen, molded dessert was served on a plate.

Ice cream molds were offered in two sizes. The most common is the small size created for one person, while larger versions known as banquet molds served as many as a dozen guests. Both sizes were used by homemakers, caterers, confectioners and ice cream companies to create novel desserts.

Especially popular from the mid-1800s to the 1950s, favorite mold shapes were flowers, fruits, vegetables, animals, birds, holiday and patriotic symbols  even steamships!

Although a number of manufacturers produced pewter ice cream molds, one especially important American firm was Eppelsheimer & Co. of New York City, whose stamp appears on yours. The numbers you mention identified your Santa mold in the companys product catalogs.

Collectors who buy ice cream molds or other pewter items associated with holidays, political, historical or other special interests look for examples that are scarce, unusual and in very good to excellent condition. Banquet molds often fetch top dollars.

Last year, a mold like yours in good condition brought $75.

Question: I would like to know the origin, age and value of a lovely, pristine cruet found among my great-aunts glassware after she died. It is 7 inches high and made of opaque glass that is very pale yellow at its base and gradually turns to rosy pink at its top and stopper. It is marked with a P inside a small, diamond-shape outline.  W.G., Mount Holly

Answer: Your cruet, a Burmese glass item, is an example of art glass popular from 1885  the year it was patented by Frederick Shirley for Bostons Mt. Washington Glass Co.  through the early 1900s.

The opaque glass unique coloring that subtly changes from pale yellow to delicate salmon pink is the result of combining uranium oxides, gold and intense heat during production. Offered with a dull or glossy surface, Burmese glass items were made in a variety of shapes, patterns and forms that included tableware, decorative pieces and ornamental lampshades.

In 1894, Mt. Washington merged with Pairpoint Manufacturing Co. in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and in 1900 the firm became the Pairpoint Corp. The P in a diamond mark you describe was Pairpoints identifying symbol.

Burmese glass, a favorite of Queen Victoria, who likened its colors to those of a Burmese sunset, was an important art glass for many years. Prized for its beauty, simplicity and affordability, it was manufactured and marketed internationally. However, during the early 20th century, Pairpoint ceased making it due to diminished demand and rising cost of materials necessary for its production.

Currently popular because of its uniqueness and timeless beauty, old Burmese glass is collected by folks who enjoy searching for unusual, elegant art glass. Recently, a cruet like yours in excellent condition sold for $125.
Jennifer Poorman-Hodgson grew up surrounded by the sound of wind instruments.

Her father, Ron Poorman, was the band director at Southern Regional High School and her mother, Karen, was always teaching lessons in their Egg Harbor Township home.

Jennifer followed in their footsteps, learning the piano, French horn, clarinet and saxophone. She went on to study music in college and met her husband, Keith Hodgson, who also was involved with music.

One night, the four were sitting at the Poormans kitchen table talking about the possibility of a wind ensemble.

We were sad we couldnt play music. (Jennifer) was playing at Rutgers, Karen said. Keith said, I want to direct an adult band, and we wanted to play in one.

So the South Jersey Area Wind Ensemble, or SJAWE, was formed, and 20 years later, its still going strong.

The ensemble is a community concert band that rehearses and performs a variety of music for the modern wind band. It presents about five shows annually and has about 75 members, Karen said.

And its a real family affair. Karen Poorman is president of the SJAWE, Ron is associate conductor and treasurer, Jennifer is assistant director and personnel manager and Keith is the director.

The ensemble has performed more than 100 concerts in the past 20 years, including at the Kennedy Center Sousa Festival in March, three performances at the New Jersey Music Educators Conference and, most recently, to a sold-out audience of more than 500 people at Stockton University.

The band has more than 250 videos, which Ron produces, on YouTube as well as three professionally mastered CDs. In addition to concerts across the United States, the group has toured Germany and Austria.

Once a year, the ensemble performs a side-by-side concert, inviting 40 to 50 local students to perform with the band. The annual concert gives the students the opportunity to perform with a professional band and a nationally known conductor. Previous conductors include Col. Larry Lang, of the U.S. Air Force Band, and Maj. Michelle Rakers, of the U.S. Marine Band.

One student even ended up joining the Marine band, Karen said.

The ensemble is looking forward to its 21st year.

The group will be playing an April side-by-side show with Col. Timothy J. Holtan, director of the U.S. Army Band. A select group of college music majors will also be invited to perform a couple of outdoor shows in the summer.

For now, the family remains busy. Jennifer and Keith are traveling during the holidays, and Karen and Ron are keeping busy with different projects.

But on a recent Monday night, in front of their Christmas tree, the Ron, Karen and Jennifer got to play a few scales together.

Ron started playing the notes to Maria from West Side Story. Karen and Jennifer play Twelve Duets by Magnani together.

Its something Jennifer enjoys whenever the family has time to get together.

I come over and well play duets and (my father) will give me lessons, Jennifer said. I appreciate being able to come and spend every Monday with my family.
ATLANTIC CITY  Could the Miss America Pageant soon be on its way out of the resort?

State lawmakers Friday called on the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to pull a $4 million state subsidy from the Miss America Organization in the wake of lewd and offensive comments made in emails by pageant CEO Sam Haskell.

On Thursday, dick clark productions, its TV partner, severed its ties with the organization. Coupled with the dwindling support by the CRDA to spend $4 million a year to keep the pageant in Atlantic City, the Miss America Organization's future here is in doubt.

Staff writers Nicholas Huba and Erin Serpico are joined on the podcast by Lauren Carroll, who is part of the Press' Miss America Team, to talk about the scandal and what is next for the pageant.

During the second part of the episode, we discuss the state pledging not to sell the city's Municipal Utilities Authority. Listen for the details, along with what Mayor-elect Frank Gilliam had to say about the announcement following a press conference.

A new episode of The Atlantic City Story podcast is available every Saturday morning. This podcast and previous episodes are also available on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher.

Now it's your turn. Got an idea for a podcast episode? Just want to tell us what you thought about the show? Let us know. Call us at 609-272-7046 and share your thoughts (we may include them in an upcoming episode if you tell us who you are).
The Miss America Organization suspended its CEO and Executive Chairman Sam Haskell on Friday following the publication of emails showing him and other staff mocking former pageant winners about their weight and sex lives.

Haskells suspension came after a story published Thursday by the Huffington Post that he and other officials shamed former contestants in emails using vulgar and sometimes lewd language.

Miss America's television partner, dick clark productions, severed its ties with the organization Thursday night, leaving the pageant with no broadcast.

The Miss America Organization Board of Directors today voted to suspend Executive Chairman and CEO Sam Haskell," according to a statement. "Mr. Haskell, in support of the organization, has agreed to abide by the Board's decision. The Board will be conducting an in-depth investigation into alleged inappropriate communications and the nature in which they were obtained. In addition, the Board wishes to reaffirm our commitment to the education and empowerment of young women, supporting them in every way possible.

Miss America Organization board member Tammy Haddad, who was mentioned in some of the emails, announced earlier Friday she has resigned from the board.

Meanwhile, former Miss America titleholders called for Haskell and the rest of the organization's board of directors to step down.

Forty-nine former pageant winners  including Miss America 1948 Bebe Shopp and Miss America 2017 Savvy Shields  signed an online petition calling for action.

We are deeply disturbed and saddened to learn of the sickening and egregious words used by Miss America leadership in reference both to our group and to specific members of our sisterhood, the former Miss Americas said in a joint statement. The behavior of the Miss America Organization leadership, specifically Sam Haskell, Josh Randle, Tammy Haddad and Lynn Weidner, is despicable, as well as the behavior of those who sat by without objection while such derisive comments were passed around. We collectively call for their immediate resignation.

Late Friday, Haskell released a statement addressing the controversy. He called the story in the Huffington Post "dishonest, deceptive and despicable."

The material is based on private emails that were stolen three years ago by ex employees, Haskell said. This was not the CEO of an Organization laughing at inappropriate jokes and speaking about a former Miss America in email conversations. This was a father whose family was being attacked, and a man whose character was being assassinated daily, which impaired my judgment when responding to the inappropriate emails sent to me about them. For that, I deeply apologize.

Haskell closed his statement saying his "mistake is a mistake of words." He said he will allow the Board of Directors and himself to evaluate the situation, and that he will abide by the decision to suspend him while an investigation takes place.

Mallory Hagan, Miss America 2013, was a particular target of Haskell in his emails. She is an evening co-anchor at NBC affiliate WLTZ in Columbus, Georgia.

Hagan said in a phone interview with The Press of Atlantic City she began hearing of Haskell's disparaging remarks about her after she began dating Brent Adams, a former assistant to Haskell and the director of development for the Miss America Organization, in 2015. Haskell reportedly wanted Adams to date his daughter.

But she said she had heard criticisms of other Miss Americas from her first day after winning the crown.

Hagan said she was told not to interact with former Miss America Kate Shindle, who had said some critical things about the pageant. Shindle, who grew up in Brigantine, released a book, Becoming Miss America: Behind the Rhinestone Curtain in 2014, detailing her experience with the nearly 100-year-old competition.

"Throughout my time it was, 'Dont talk to this one, shes crazy,' or 'She just cant give it up.' I thought they were trying to protect me. It turned out (Haskell) was very much manipulating a narrative," Hagan said, trying to make her mistrust everyone but him.

Regina Hopper, who competed in the 1983 Miss America Pageant as Miss Arkansas, helped bring the issue of Haskells inappropriate emails and comments to light in August.

From 2010 to 2016, Hopper sat on the MAO board of directors as chairperson of the Miss America Foundation, which oversees the competition's scholarship program.

Hopper said she was asked to resign after disagreements with the governance of the scholarship program. However, after her resignation, she said many people surrounding the organization reached out to her.

"After I resigned from the board, there were a number a people who started calling me with complaints about Miss America and concerns  fearful about the organization and the direction in which it was going. Hopper told The Press in a phone interview Friday. I had met with someone who said to me that she was aware that an email existed where Sam Haskell was saying that it was perfect to call Miss America the c-word.' I was shocked by it and said this is way more serious that some organizational or governance issue.

Hopper then reached out to Adams.

I said, 'Brent, I need to ask you a question, does this email exist?' and he said yes it did. And from that point, I started learning about other emails, Hopper said.

In August 2017, Hopper and Adams approached two members of the MAO board of directors who also worked for dick clark productions  Amy Thurlow and Mark Bracco  and presented them with the compiled emails.

I knew (Thurlow) would be appalled by it, as I was. Thats why we went to DCP," Hopper said.

Hopper said dick clark productions thanked her and Adams for the information and said they would conduct an investigation into the allegations.

While it's unclear what will happen next, many Miss America supporters said they hope that with changes to the organization, the pageant and the scholarship program will continue.

"I hope that with new leadership and new management, those who currently believe in the Miss America program  Dick Clark, ABC networks, Atlantic City, every sponsor that's listed there  I hope that they will continue to want to support a relevant and new Miss America that they can be proud to have their name on," Hopper said.

Staff writer Michelle Brunetti-Post contributed to this report.
Cumberland County Deputy Freeholder Director Douglas Long was fined $200 by the states Local Finance Board for an alleged violation of a government ethics law.

The board found Long, a partner in the law firm Long Marmero and Associates, voted Jan. 8 for Willingboro Township Mayor Jacqueline Jennings to be division head for the Cumberland County Office of Purchasing, and on Jan. 22 to rescind Jennings hiring.

The board found he should not have voted, because his law firm had been reappointed Jan. 1 to be Willingboros labor counsel.

The board determined Longs voting constitutes an act in his official capacity in a matter where he, a member of his immediate family, or a business organization in which he has an interest, has a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might reasonably be expected to impair his objectivity or independence of judgment, in violation of state law.

Long has 30 days to contest the boards finding and to request an administrative hearing.

 Michelle Brunetti Post
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
Tokyo, Dec 19 : Japan on Tuesday approved the incorporation of two land-based missile interceptors due to North Korea's growing military clout, the Defence Ministry said.

The government authorised the purchase of two units of the US-made Aegis Ashore for its ground forces, a ministry spokesman told Efe news.

Japan already has Aegis systems installed in several destroyers of its Maritime Self-Defence Forces.

In order to streamline the deployment of these systems, which are expected to be ready "as soon as possible", the ministry has planned to allocate a part of the supplementary budget for this year and increase by 730 million yen ($6.49 million) its record budget of 5.26 billion yen requested for 2018.

On Friday, the Japanese government is expected to approve a draft of the general budget for the country for next year.

It remains to be decided where they will deploy the two anti-missile units, through which Japan seeks to cover the security of its entire territory, where until now the only land-based missile defence system deployed was the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3).

The last units of the PAC-3 were deployed in Hokkaido Island in September, in response to two North Korean missiles that flew over the region - one in the same month and another at the end of August - before falling into the ocean.

Although the Japanese Constitution establishes that Japan can only have defensive military capabilities, the conservative government under Abe has pushed for its reinterpretation in order to bolster its defences.

Since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to power around the end of 2012, Japan's defence budget has increased annually in a sustained manner over constant tensions in the Korean peninsula, North Korea's widening defence arsenal and territorial disputes with China.
New Delhi, Dec 19 : Pakistan has violated ceasefire 881 times on the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir this year so far causing deaths of 30 people, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

A total of 771 ceasefire violations were reported on the LoC up to December 10 and 110 on the IB till November 30, Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

A total of 30 people - 12 civilians, 14 Army personnel and four Border Security Force (BSF) personnel - were killed in these ceasefire violations, he added.

The Minister said the ceasefire violations on the LoC, under operational control of Army, this year were over threefold higher compared to 228 such attempts done by Pakistani forces in 2016. There were 152 ceasefire violations in 2015 and 153 in 2014 on the LoC.

However, there was a steep decline in ceasefire violations on the IB, manned by BSF, compared to 221 incidents in 2016. A total of 253 ceasefire violation were reported on the IB in 2015 and 430 in 2014.

Replying to a question, Ahir said that no cross-border firing had been reported in other states except Jammu and Kashmir.

India shares a 3,323 km long border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.
Washington, Dec 20 : Cardinal Bernard Law, a former US archbishop who became a symbol of the Roman Catholic Church's systematic protection of paedophile priests due of his failure to stop abuse in Boston city, has died. He was 86.

The Vatican announced that Law died early on Wednesday in Rome after being ill and hospitalised.

At the height of his career, Law was one of the most powerful American leaders of the church and was beloved by the conservative Pope, John Paul II, under whom he served.

But he became the public face of the church's clerical abuse scandal in 2002 when the Boston Globe's Spotlight investigative reporting team found that Law had repeatedly moved abusive priests from parish to parish when he became aware that they were molesting children.

Law at first refused to be drawn into the scandal. But the Globe's reporting overwhelmed the church and he was forced to resign.

He sought forgiveness but never faced criminal charges in the US for his repeated failure to protect children in Boston who were subjected to abuse.

"To all those who have suffered from my shortcomings and mistakes, I both apologise and from them beg forgiveness," Law said when he stepped down in December 2002.

The Spotlight team's uncovering of widespread child abuse by the Catholic clergy in the Boston Archdiocese won a Pulitzer prize.

The dramatization of the team's investigation, a 2015 movie also called "Spotlight", won the 2016 Best Picture Academy Award.

The scandal reverberated through the church, exposing similar allegations worldwide that compromised its moral authority and led to years of multimillion-dollar settlements.

The Vatican outraged victims of abuse and several activists when it decided to pluck Law out of his archdiocese and bring him to Rome, where he enjoyed his retirement and could be seen at functions and parties.

In 2004, he was appointed archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of four principal basilicas in Rome. When John Paul died the next year, Law was among bishops who presided at a memorial mass for the pontiff in St. Peter's Basilica.

His second career at the Vatican further undermined the church's legitimacy.

Since 1950, over 6,500 American priests have been accused of abusing children. The US church has paid more than $3 billion in settlements to victims, according to studies commissioned by US bishops.

The church continues to face intense criticism under new Pope Francis.

This year, Cardinal George Pell, who served as the secretariat of the economy, the third most senior position in the Vatican hierarchy, was charged with sexual abuse in his native Australia on charges that date back decades.

He became the most senior member of the clergy to face criminal allegations. Pell, who has denied the charges, has taken leave from his position while he defends himself in court.

In 2013, Pope Francis created a commission to help the church tackle abuse.
Ghaziabad, Dec 22 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on Friday clashed with police in Ghaziabad over the marriage of a Hindu girl with a Muslim boy, which the activists described as a case of "love-jihad".

The BJP workers, accompanied by the representatives of other Hindutva outfits including the Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and Jai Shiv Sena, staged a sit-in protest outside the house of the parents of the girl and disrupted traffic.

The girl's father had organised a reception after the marriage at his house here.

Later, the police removed the protesters using force, saying they were trying to interfere with the private life of an individual.

Pushpendra Kumar, the father of the bride, told IANS: "I had been receiving phone calls for last two days to stop this marriage. But both are major and mature enough to know what's wrong and what's right."

His daughter Nupur Singhal is a psychologist, who has done her Ph.D in Human Psychology, while her husband Mansoor Harhat Khan is an MBA and working with a private company. His family originally belongs to Aligarh, while his father Harhat Bashir Khan lives in Delhi and also owns a house in Noida.

"They have decided to live together, so they have registered their marriage under the Special Marriage Act in Ghaziabad. We had arranged a reception party today (Friday). I don't see any love-jihad in their marriage," Pushpendra Kumar said.

According to him, the boy even offered to marry as per Hindu rituals. "But neither the groom's family nor ours put any conditions and left it to the girl and the boy, and they went for court marriage," the father added.

They are in touch with the Noida SSP as they apprehend that on Saturday, "some mischief" could take place in Noida, at the house of the boy's father.

The police said they used mild force to disperse the crowd. "How can the police allow people to barge into someone's house? We got a distress call and we performed our duty," said SSP H.N. Singh.
New Delhi : Washington, Dec 22 (IASN) US President Donald Trump singled out $4.6 billion in missile defence funding on Friday, as part of a short-term spending bill that he signed to keep the government open until next month.

The continuing resolution (CR) keeps the federal government open until January 19, 2018, which includes funding for missile defence programmes, a request the Trump administration made last month.

The CR, which cleared the House and Senate Thursday night, has about $2.4 billion for missile defence procurement, $1.3 billion for research and development, among other things.

Before signing the CR, Trump described the new funding for missile defence as "much-needed" in a tweet on Friday morning.

The President also signed a 1.5-trillion-dollar tax cut bill into law on Friday before leaving for his Christmas break in Florida.
Moscow, Dec 23 : Russia should have the best armed forces in face of the "aggressive" plans of the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

"Russia should be among the leading states, and in some areas -- the absolute leader in building the army of a new generation, the army of the new technological era," Putin said at a meeting of senior Defence Ministry officials, Xinhua reported.

"This is of utmost importance for ensuring our sovereignty, peace and security of our citizens, for a confident development of the country and for an open and independent foreign policy in the interests of our country," he said.

He called the new security strategy recently outlined by the US Administration "offensive" and "aggressive", saying that the Russian military should take this into account in their practical work.

He said that although Russian nuclear forces had a level that provided "reliable strategic deterrence", they should be developed further.

By 2021, the Russian ground-based nuclear forces should be 90 percent equipped with new missile systems that can confidently overcome existing and prospective missile defence systems, Putin said.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the meeting that the budget of Russia's defence spending in 2018 will amount to $46 billion, 2.8 per cent of its gross domestic product.

Russia's military spending in 2017 was set at 3.05 trillion rubles ($52 billion), equaling 3.3 per cent of the GDP, according to the 2017 federal budget.
Washington, Dec 23 : The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested a former US marine who was planning to attack a tourist pier in San Francisco on Christmas Day in the name of the Islamic State (IS).

Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, became a suspect of US authorities in September because of his postings on social medial in support of jihadis, according to court documents entered on Friday by the FBI.

Jameson had celebrated on Facebook the attack that left eight people dead on October 31 in Manhattan, perpetrated by a man who also said he was acting on behalf of the IS, reports Efe news.

It was a trusted FBI informer who tipped off the agency about Jameson's cyber plotting.

Earlier this month, an undercover FBI agent posing as an IS member got in touch with Jameson.

The man now in custody offered to do "whatever" in the name of the IS and particularly noted how his military experience in the "army of the infidels" equipped him to perpetrate the attack.

According to the FBI, Jameson spoke in that way about his time in the US Marine Corps in 2009, when he was discharged for "fraudulent enlistment" because he never mentioned his chronic asthma.

During his time in basic training with the marines, Jameson earned a "sharpshooter" qualification.

Asked by the undercover agent about some specific plan, Jameson spoke of attacking the Pier 39 in San Francisco on Christmas Day.

Jameson, who had conceived a combined bombs and firearms attack, asked the undercover agent for a rifle and explosive material, and told him he was "ready to die".

His plan was to make the bombs at a distant campsite, then store them in his house in Modesto, California.

In a statement from the Department of Justice, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said that "today, our incredible law enforcement officers have once again helped thwart an alleged plot to kill Americans".
London, Dec 23 : A British Princess has apologised for wearing a brooch that has been called "racist" by some people on the social media, the media reported on Saturday.

Princess Michael of Kent, who married Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin, attended a Christmas banquet at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday wearing the blackamoor brooch, reports the BBC.

Blackamoor figures and sculptures are exotic figures which usually depict African men and were prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries.

A spokesman said the princess "is very sorry and distressed that it has caused offence".

"The brooch was a gift and has been worn many times before."

Prince Harry's fiance, Meghan Markle, who is mixed-race, was also a guest at the lunch.

The brooch, coupled with the fact that Princess Michael will have met Markle at the lunch, has sparked controversy on social media websites.

It is understood the princess will not wear the brooch in future.
New Delhi : In a year of appalling, gawd-awful sequels and repeatedly renewed franchise films, when Priyanka Chopra made her Hollywood debut with what is arguably the worst film of her career -- yes, "Baywatch Returns" was worse than her Bollywood debut "Andaaz" -- Hollywood came up with a cold turkey. No, make that a frozen turkey -- called "The Mountain Between Us".

Just how much of a hash could be made of a romantic drama featuring two charismatic actors like Idris Elba and Kate Winslet is a question that this film answers with telling force.

There were two things that kept me watching till the very end of this survival drama, where the question whether the lead pair would live through the air crash or not was overtaken by a larger concern, whether I, the viewer, would survive the ordeal of watching this disaster.

I did. That's the good news. I kept watching till the corny end when Elba and Winslet rushed towards each other from two corners of London's crowded street to collide in a clinch that "Titanic" would have welcomed. I was there, glued, because I wanted to know when the gorgeous pair would make love.

Elba and Winslet are, on paper, such a sexy pair that you just want them to hit the sack immediately after the plane crashes. But the narrative, hell bent on torture, procrastinates on the inevitable copulation. And when it does happen, the love-making sequence in an abandoned snow-drenched cabin, with a canine watching, is a joke. Rather, a horny misadventure.

Fumbling and grasping at all the wrong places, while moaning and cooing in encouragement, Winslet seems to be practising for a Titanic sequel that would never happen. As for Elba, there are enough jokes about the "mountain" that he brings with him wherever he goes.

I wish he had worked on not turning it into a molehill.

Elba's excuse is that he had not done a love-making scene before, so he left the nitty-gritty of the act to his co-star, who in her time has done plenty of the torrid with co-stars as young as 14 ("The Reader").

Love-making scenes in the movies are, more often than not, hilarious -- and very awkward to perform. Actor Ray Romano has spoken about how awkward love scenes can get because -- and I quote - "I know it's fake, but he (pointing to his pelvic region) doesn't."

Amen.

The other interesting aspect in an otherwise drab and dull drama that is "The Mountain Between Us" is the "colour blindness" of the lead pair. In case you didn't notice, Idris is Black, Winslet is White. Not once during their tedious togetherness is this fact mentioned. For all we know, Idris Elba could be White.

This is an inverted kind of racism where in the garb of liberalism the cultural specificity of the actor is magically erased from the script.

"You are Black. But I love you just the same" is the theme song underlining this race-removed romance.

Chalo, at least Hollywood is making an effort to free cinema of colour prejudice. In India, Shah Rukh Khan is still selling "fairness" creams to a country obsessed with the gora rang.

(Subhash K. Jha can be reached at jhasubh@gmail.com )
Dublin, Dec 23 : Two Irish heterosexual men have married in Dublin to avoid paying 50,000 pounds inheritance tax on a house, the media reported on Saturday.

Best friends Matt Murphy and Michael O'Sullivan decided to get married when they discovered how much tax would have to be paid on the house Murphy, 83, intended to leave in his will to O'Sullivan, 58, who is his carer, reports the Guardian.

Same-sex marriage was legalised in Ireland following a referendum in May 2015.

"I've known Matty for 30 years. We became very friendly after my second relationship broke up," O'Sullivan, a father of three, told the Irish Mirror.

"I have been bringing Matt out in my car to various parties and all that kind of thing. He became friends with all my friends, they all loved him."

Each man went went through some tough times, with O'Sullivan becoming homeless and Murphy suffering from giant cell arteritis which affects the optic nerve.

"I stayed over with him for a while and eventually Matt said 'Why don't you come and stay here?'. I would go over and stay with him the odd time but never full time."

Murphy could not afford to pay O'Sullivan as a carer. "Eventually Matt said the only way he could pay me was to leave me the house. He said he would give me the house so I have somewhere to live when he goes."

However, O'Sullivan knew that would mean a huge tax bill and the house would have to be sold to pay it. He said Murphy "was chatting a friend down the country in Cashel, Co Tipperary, and she jokingly said we should get married. Then one night he turned around and said it to me and I said I would marry him".

The couple got married in a former hospital on Dublin's Grand Canal Street, followed by a meal for five at the nearby Gasworks bar, the Guardian reported.

O'Sullivan was previously married to a woman. It is Murphy's first marriage.
New Delhi, Dec 23 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday condoled the deaths of 30 people who were killed when a passenger bus fell into a river near Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur, saying his "thoughts" were with the victims' families.

"Anguished by the bus accident in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. The state government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected," Modi tweeted.

The accident took place earlier on Saturday. The Sawai Madhopur-Lalsot bus was driven by a 16-year-old conductor who lost control due to over-speeding, officials said.

The bus skidded and fell off a bridge into the Banas river.
New Delhi, Dec 23 : Like Special Judge O.P. Saini, I also followed the much-hyped and so-called 2G spectrum scam case, my first assignment as a cub, "religiously" for seven years.

It was a hazy morning on February 8, 2011. I nervously walked into the sessions court in Delhi to cover remand proceedings of the high-profile case of alleged corruption.

The main accused, A. Raja, was brought for the remand hearing to the jam-packed Room P-3 on the ground floor of the publishing building in the court complex housed in the historical structure that once was an abode of the Patiala royals. The hearing extended to a couple of hours and the CBI got his custody for the second time.

Raja appeared as relaxed then as he was when Judge Saini finally cleared him of all the charges on Thursday. The former Telecom Minister was quickly rounded up in a CBI van as his supporters shouted slogans.

The tainted politician was arrested on February 2, 2011. What baffled almost everyone, including journalists, was that he didn't move a bail application. It was as mysterious as the notional Rs 1.76 lakh crore loss, his alleged wrongdoing had caused to the country.

Nobody in his camp was speaking on why he was not seeking bail. Others accused in the case were already pleading for their release. Most of them had even been set free on bail bonds.

Raja had already spent 14 months in Delhi's Tihar Jail in the case that cost him his ministerial job in November 2010.

On April 21, 2012, Raja was again brought to the court for recording statement of witnesses. I walked inside and surprisingly saw an empty chair next to Raja's. I grabbed the chance and sat next to him.

I nervously asked him why he was not applying for bail. I thought he wouldn't speak because he had never spoken to the media about the case.

To my utter surprise he not only spoke smilingly but patted my back since I had introduced myself as a journalist during an earlier meeting.

"I want to come out of jail with clean hands, rather than be released on bail... It will be better to seek acquittal," he said, maintaining he was innocent and had done nothing wrong.

On May 15, 2012, he was finally given bail on the ground of parity as all the accused were already released.

Nearly six years later, Judge Saini proved Raja right because the prosecution -- the CBI and Enforcement Directorate -- failed to prove their charges that the politician had misused his power and accepted bribes to allocate second-generation radio wave spectrum licences to a chosen few.

On Thursday, when he was acquitted, Raja was in the same courtroom, appearing as cool as he had been during the tough times of the trial.

The seven years of the 2G trial will be remembered by those who followed it closely for many other reasons.

Judge Saini, known for his clock-like punctuality, would always enter the courtroom before 10 a.m. He was not off the mark when he wrote in the judgment that "for the last about seven years, on all working days, summer vacation included, I religiously sat in the open court from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., awaiting for evidence".

As cool as he could be, the judge would always ask the defence and prosecution during their heated arguments to maintain the decorum of the court as the media was watching keenly.

Many faces kept changing in the defence as well as prosecution.

Senior Prosecutor K.K. Goel argued the case in its initial days but was replaced by A.K. Singh later.

Singh was dropped after he was allegedly heard in a telephonic conversation advising one of the accused how to fight the case. The audio was leaked to the media in 2013.

Goel returned. But he was too smart. I would usually find it difficult to read his notes -- written in a somewhat coded language -- when I had a chance to peep into his notebook. Some of the defence counsels privately shared with me that they also faced similar problems.

The appointment of Special Public Prosecutor U.U. Lalit as Justice in the Supreme Court in July 2014 dealt a blow to the CBI's case.

Senior advocate Anand Grover was appointed as the new Special Public Prosecutor in September 2014. But he had to laboriously go through the hundreds of thousands documents the CBI had collected. By this time, many key witnesses had already been examined.

There were some lighter moments also during the seven years of trial. Senior Advocate Ram Jethmalini, who appeared for Raja and Kanimozhi, asked a witness how he could afford a cell phone that cost Rs 2 to 4.5 lakhs.

The witness on the next date of hearing told the court that his London-based brother-in-law had gifted it to his wife and he had found out that the cost was a mere Rs 4,914. Everyone, including the judge, burst in a loud laughter.

The courtroom was almost always overcrowded. One day DMK MP Adi Shankar had come to support Kanimozhi. As the case was being argued, Shankar fainted. Jethmalini quipped about his own age and how he was still fit to argue the case. "I am 87 and more likely to faint but still I can argue my client's case."

(Amiya Kumar Kushwaha can be contacted at amiya.k@ians.in)
New Delhi, Dec 23 : The BJP on Saturday appointed Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju as incharge of party affairs in Nagaland and Assam Health and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of Tripura.

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah appointed both to the party posts in view of the two assembly elections next year, a party statement said.

Elections in Tripura and Nagaland were held in February 2013 and the tenure of current assemblies end in March 2018.

Sarma, a Congress rebel who joined the BJP in August 2016, is convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), an alliance of regional parties.

Tripura is governed by the Left Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist since 1993, while Nagaland is governed by the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland that includes the BJP.
New Delhi, Dec 23 : In a new development that could spell fresh trouble for the Shalimar Bagh-located Max Hospital, the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) has issued a notice to the hospital seeking details of its qualification and details of the Delhi Nursing Council registration.

The notice was issued on December 20 -- the day the hospital resumed its services, soon after its registration was cancelled by the Delhi government and was barred from admitting new patients.

The Delhi government's action had come after a 22-week-old premature baby was declared dead at the hospital, even though he was alive, and handed over to his parents in a plastic bag, along with his still-born twin.

"Based on the medical reports that a newborn baby was declared dead along with his still-born twin and handed over to his parents at Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh. In this regard, the DMC has taken suo motu notice of the media reports, alleging medical negligence on the part of doctors of the hospital, and (the case) is being examined by DMC," reads the notice.

The Council has also directed the hospital to submit a statement of defence, together with any other documents in support of their defence, within 15 days.

"You are directed to submit a copy of your qualification and Delhi Nursing Council registration details," the notice said.

Girish Tyagi, the DMC Secretary, said the notice issued "is in concern to all the doctors in the hospital related to the case", and the Council had sought their individual replies.

"We want to check the role of every doctor involved in the case, including the gynaecologist when the baby was delivered. We want to know what exactly happened," Tyagi told IANS.
Gandhinagar, Dec 23 : Rahul Gandhi, on his first visit to Gujarat after becoming Congress President and post the state Assembly election results, went to the Somnath temple and offered prayers. He later held meetings with state party leaders and election candidates.

After his arrival, Gandhi in the morning visited the revered Somnath temple to offer prayers and also offered a temple flag to Lord Somnath. This time his visit was devoid of any entry registration due to lack of time.

During his earlier visit, a controversy had erupted after he was shown as a non-Hindu in the temple registry, which the ruling BJP latched on to and created a hullabaloo.

After his temple visit, Gandhi was in the financial capital Ahmedabad, where he had meetings with the north Gujarat Congress leaders, including all the candidates who contested the recent elections. This was the first time that Gandhi was meeting the candidates and leaders one-on-one, without the filter of the state president or other state leader barriers.

According to sources in the party, the Congress' poor performance in north Gujarat was attributed to the outsiders who were inducted into the party following Alpesh Thakore's induction and influence. As Thakore was busy in his own campaigning, he was unable to devote time for his projected candidates.

The Gandhi scion is to hold similar meetings with the central Gujarat leaders, and thereafter with Saurashtra leaders and finally South Gujarat candidates and leaders. The meetings are to not only discuss the recent election performance but also the Congress party's roadmap for the 2019 general elections.

In the evening he will address the entire Gujarat Congress at the GMDC Ground in Ahmedabad.

Gandhi also met Congress rebel, Bhupenrasinh Khant, who won as an Independent from Morva Hadaf constituency, after the party denied him a ticket to contest. For Khant, who has now rejoined the party, it was a 'Ghar Vapsi'. He had won the election, beating the BJP rival and Congress candidate Brijesh Merja. With his return, the Congress tally in the assembly has risen to 78.

Earlier, there was speculation that like Ratansinh Rathore, independent legislator from Lunawada constituency who has declared his support to the BJP government, Khant too would lend support to the BJP.
Panaji, Dec 23 : Another major u-turn by Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, this time on the Mhadei water dispute, has put the BJP-led coalition government in a spot, with critics accusing him of putting the state's natural resources at stake, merely to boost BJP's chances in the upcoming Karnataka polls.

Parrikar, after a meeting with party president Amit Shah and senior party colleague from Karnataka, B.S. Yeddyurappa in New Delhi earlier this week, agreed "on humanitarian grounds" to consider the southern state's need for drinking water, even as the matter is being heard by a Tribunal.

But his current intention of "resolving" the dispute is in sharp contrast to his own statements earlier, unequivocally opposing diversion of water for any purpose to Karnataka.

Soon after becoming Chief Minister in 2012, Parrikar had asserted that he would not listen to his party's Central leadership, if they press him to sacrifice Goa's interests on the dispute.

Goa and Karnataka are currently battling out a dispute over the latter's controversial Kalsa-Bhandura dam project across the waters of the Mhadei river at a central tribunal. Mhadei, known as the Mandovi in Goa, is known as a lifeline in the northern Karnataka, where it originates, passes through Maharashtra briefly and drains into the Arabian Sea at Panaji.

While the river traverses 28.8 km in Karnataka, it runs through a length of 81.2 km in Goa. Karnataka plans to construct seven dams on the river, aimed at diverting 7.56 TMC water into its water-starved Malaprabha basin in North Karnataka.

At a meeting of the National Water Resources Council in 2012, Parrikar had said diversion of the Mhadei water by Karnataka, would be opposed at all forums.

The Chief Minister however now insists that he is not under pressure from the party's central leadership and has blamed the Congress of trying to unnecessarily rake up the issue.

"The Congress is unnecessarily making a hue and cry over the issue. Their governments have in the past gave written submissions to the courts saying that there was no problem with diverting the Mhadei water," Parrikar told reporters on Friday, adding that a letter written by him to Yeddyurappa on the contentious issue had taken care of Goa's interests.

Yeddyurappa, the BJP's first Chief Minister in south India, is expected to lead the party's campaign in the region, when the state goes to poll next year. BJP sources said that the party was looking to leverage the Mhadei issue in north Karnataka constituencies, especially in districts like Belgaum, Bagalkot, etc.

"A promise to end the Mhadei dispute and provision of drinking water will be a big plus during poll campaign in Karnataka. BJP leaders from Goa like Parrikarji are also expected to join the election campaign there and the promise of diversion of drinking water will be an attractive poll promise," a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.

The Congress has now accused Parrikar and BJP of letting down Goa's interests.

"Chief Minister's stand that in principle, Goa will not oppose reasonable and justified quantum of drinking water to Karnataka from Mhadei on humanitarian grounds is unrealistic and will be harmful for the state," state Congress president Shantaram Naik told IANS.
Patna, Dec 23 : Minutes after former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad was on Saturday convicted in a fodder scam case by a special CBI court in Ranchi, the party announced that it will challenge the verdict in the high court.

"The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will challenge the special CBI court's order in the high court soon," senior party leader Jagdanand Singh, considered close to Lalu Prasad, told the media here.

A former state minister, Singh has termed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as "tota" (parrot) and robot, controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government.

He asserted that the RJD was united and it would remain united.

"The RJD is one and united. We will politically fight against communal and fascist forces. As our leader Lalu Prasad has refused to bow before them, now he has been convicted in a baseless case under a conspiracy," Singh said.

Soon after the court verdict in Ranchi, hundreds of RJD leaders and workers gathered outside 10, Circular Road, the official residence of Lalu Prasad's wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi.

Most of them said the RJD chief had been convicted due to political vendetta.

"How come former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra has been acquitted in the same fodder scam case in which Lalu Prasad is convicted? Mishra was acquitted for his support to the BJP, which has managed the CBI and Lalu was convicted for fighting against them," RJD worker Santosh Rai said.
Ghaziabad, Dec 23 : Over 100 workers of the BJP and other Hindu outfits, including a dozen-odd leaders, were booked in Ghaziabad on the charge of clashing with police and rioting over the marriage of a Hindu woman with a Muslim man, police said on Saturday.

The case was lodged at midnight Friday by Kavi Nagar police through Sub Inspector Dinesh Sharma under Sections 147, 148, 336, 341, 427, 353 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act.

The accused had allegedly clashed with police earlier in the day in Ghaziabad over the marriage they dubbed as a case of "love jihad" and also staged a sit-in outside the house of the woman's parents and disrupted traffic.

The woman's family had organised a wedding reception at their house in Ghaziabad.

Police said they removed the protesters by using mild force on the ground that they were trying to interfere in the personal lives of individuals.

"How can police allow people to barge into someone's house? We got a distress call and performed our duty accordingly," Superintendent of Police H.N. Singh said.

The FIR named BJP city President Ajay Sharma, businessman Dinesh Goel, Rahul, Goel, Pinki Chaudhary, Vineet, Neeru, Himanshu, Rajnish Sharma, Virendra Chaudhary, Sachin Soni, Shiv Sena's West Uttar Pradesh head Mahesh Ahuja, Hindu Raksha Dal leader Pradeep Chaudhary, and Jai Shiv Sena leader Amit Aryan and around 100 unidentified persons.

The bride's father Pushpendra Kumar told IANS: "I was receiving phone calls for the last two days to stop the marriage. But both (bride and bridegroom) are majors and mature enough to know what's wrong and what's right."

Bride Nupur Singhal is a psychologist with a Ph.D in Human Psychology, while her husband Mansoor Harhat Khan holds a Master's in Business Administration and works in a private company. His family originally hails from Aligarh, though his father lives in Delhi but owns a house in Noida as well.
New Delhi, Dec 23 : Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Manoj Tiwari on Friday slammed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his treatment of the state's homeless people and said his government is insensitive towards the poor.

He also said that he would raise the issue in Parliament.

Tiwari, accompanied by party legislator Manjinder Sirsa and suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Kapil Mishra, met people sleeping on pavements and below the flyover near the Nigambodh cremation ground on early Saturday and distributed blankets to the needy.

Speaking to reporters, the BJP MP from northeast Delhi said: "Kejriwal claims himself as a common man. But look at the condition of these common people who are forced to sleep under the open sky in this winter season."

"This government, which claims to champion the rights of the poor, has become insensitive," the BJP leader said.

They have taken bungalows for themselves but have nothing for them," Tiwari said attacking the AAP government.

He also said he was shocked to see that despite the Delhi government's claims of opening a number of night shelters, over 100 people are sleeping in open.

"Kejriwalji, this place is only one-and-half km from your residence. What are you doing for them?" he asked.

"I shall raise the issue of these people in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday," he said.

Mishra, a former Minister in the Delhi government slammed Kejriwal and accused his government of being a photo crazy government.

"They claim that they have made number of night shelters across the city. But the reality is different, and as you all can see, these people are forced to sleep under the open sky.

"The people in this government only goes to few places, gets their pictures clicked and then they put it on social media claiming that they have done a lot," he alleged.

"But the fact is they don't want to face reality," he added.

The three leaders also promised to arrange a makeshift night shelter camp for 350 people by Sunday.
Jammu, Dec 23 : Three Indian Army soldiers, including a major, were killed and another soldier injured on Saturday in a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

Police said the ceasefire violation took place in the Keri area of the LoC in Rajouri district.

"The deceased major has been identified as Prafool Kumar of 120 Infantry Brigade. The injured soldier has been airlifted to hospital for treatment. Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively," a police officer said here.

"Further details are awaited," the police officer added.
Pune, Dec 23 : In a bizarre incident, two brothers have been arrested for allegedly knifing two youths, including one who was 'staring' at them, and another who intervened in their brawl and died later, police said here on Saturday.

The incident happened late on Friday night in Morevasti area of Chikhli village, on the outskirts of the city, said investigating officer of Nigdi police station, Yogesh Awhad.

Around 10.30 p.m., one person, Atul Anil Gade, 24, was standing on the ground floor of the building where he lives while Samadhan R. More, 24 and his brother Chetan R. More, 20, were standing on the second floor of the same building, "As Gade was 'staring' at them continuously, the More brothers took objection and it resulted in a loud argument and fisticuffs. Gade's acquaintance, Dinesh Nivrutti Patil, who was in the neighbouring building heard the ruckus and rushed down to enquire," Awhad told IANS.

As Patil attempted to end the brawl, the More brothers suddenly whipped out a knife and repeatedly stabbed both Gade and Patil in their abdomen before escaping from the scene, he said.

The stunned neighbours summoned the police who rushed the injured victims to a nearby hospital for treatment.

However, Patil, 25, succumbed to the knife injuries on Saturday morning, and following Gade's statement, the More brothers have been arrested on charges of murder and attempt to murder, Awhad said.

Incidentally, both the victims, Gade and Patil, and the accused More brothers, hail from Jalgaon district and police are investigating the motives behind the crime, including previous group rivalry and whether the More brothers are history-sheeters.
Kathmandu, Dec 23 : Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has reopened an investigation into the mountaineering ban imposed on an Indian couple after they were alleged to have faked scaling of Mount Everest in May 2016, the media reported.

The summit certificates of Dinesh Rathod and his wife Tarakeshwari, both police officers in Maharashtra, were rescinded for presenting doctored photographs showing them on the top of the world's highest peak.

They were also suspended from Pune police in November last year after an inquiry found that their 'Himalayan' claims were "misleading and bogus".

The Ministry has decided to reopen the case after Rathod and his wife filed an application seeking re-issuance of their summit certificates at the earliest, the Himalayan Times reported on Saturday.

After receiving the couple's application, Minister Jitendra Narayan Dev of the caretaker government immediately issued a written order in the name of the Tourism Department for the reopening of an investigation into the case, a Joint Secretary in the Ministry told the newspaper.

Dinesh Bhattarai, Director General at the Tourism Department confirmed that the Ministry had set up a three-member committee to relook at the case. "The panel will submit its report to the minster by early next week," he told the paper.

The couple is now in Kathmandu to lobby with the government authorities to get their summit certificates back, said an official at trekking agency Makalu Adventure, which ran the Everest expedition for them.

The Rathods had obtained certificates from the Tourism Department on June 10, 2016, by submitting allegedly morphed pictures that showed them on the roof of the world with Liaison Officer Ganesh Prasad Timsina and Makalu Adventure approving their claims.

The Sherpa guides, on the other hand, had remained out of touch at the time the couple's claims were questioned.

Makalu Adventure had been fined $4,000 for helping them obtain summit certificates by submitting allegedly fake claims to the Tourism Department.
Agartala, Dec 23 : The Left Front will retain power in Tripura, winning more seats and votes in the next assembly elections due in February, a CPI-M leader said here on Saturday after a one-day review meeting of the party.

"CPI-M-led Left Front will undoubtedly retain power in Tripura in February's assembly polls winning more seats and votes," Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) central committee member Gautam Das told the media.

The Left Front in the outgoing assembly has 51 seats in the 60-member House, with the dominant partner having 50 seats.

Das said: "A large number of other party supporters are joining the CPI-M. In the last three months, over 3,335 people belonging to opposition parties joined the party. People are getting fed up with the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the functioning of its government at the Centre."

The Goods and Services Tax (GST), demonetisation and other steps of the central government were creating a havoc in the life of the people, he added.

Ahead of the assembly elections, the Tripura CPI-M's state committee held a daylong review meeting and discussed party's strategy for the upcoming polls.

Das said the formal elections campaign of the Left party would start from December 31, with a rally here on the day. CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D. Raja and Trpura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, among other leaders, would address the rally.

Das alleged that BJP for the past several months had been trying to create trouble and law and order problems to destabilise the peace ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

"The BJP has been backing tribal-based party IPFT (Indigenous People's Front of Tripura), who are also creating huge ethnic problems and destabilising the peace in Tripura by demanding a separate state in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council areas," the CPI-M leader said.

In support of their demand, the IPFT had blocked the vital National Highway-8, the lifeline of Tripura, and the lone railway line in the state for more than 10 days in July, causing acute shortage of essential items and hardship to the people.

Rubbishing media reports about any doubt among the Left parties, Das said the Left Front would unitedly fight the next elections to achieve victory and to form the eighth Left Front government in Tripura.

"As part of the conspiracies against the Left Front government, the allocation of funds meant for MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) has been drastically reduced and financing of various projects under the DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) Ministry has also been slashed," the Left leader added.
Jaipur, Dec 23 : At least 33 persons were killed and around two dozen others injured when a bus carrying them fell in Banas river early Saturday morning in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, police and eyewitnesses said.

According to eyewitnesses, the driver, aged around 40, was overspeeding and trying to overtake another vehicle on the narrow bridge when he lost control with the bus plunging 100 feet into the river around 6.45 am near Dubi village.

Four children and seven women were among the 33 dead, whose bodies were sent to the district hospital mortuary. At the time of filing of the report, bodies of 25 dead had been identified and 19 of these handed over to their respective families.

The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital.

Earlier report stating that the bus was driven by a minor was dismissed by the police who said the vehicle's conductor was physically challenged and hence could not possibly drive it.

Though fog was also mentioned as a cause of the accident, a police probe is in progress.

According to information available, passengers on the 40-seater bus hailed from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and most were on way to Ramdevra Temple in Lalsot on the Rajasthan-Madhya Pradesh border.

In Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths and said his thoughts were with the victims' families. "Anguished by the bus accident in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. The state government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected," Modi tweeted.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia also condoled the deaths and ordered quick action to rescue the injured. Authorities announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each for the bereaved families and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.

A team of the State Disaster Management and Relief Department and swimmers helped in rescuing the injured and bringing out the dead from the bus, which lay on its side on the river bed.

Health Minister Kalicharan Saraf said the injured would be taken care of on priority in hospitals.

Both government and private doctors are engaged in tending to the injured, said MLA Diya Kumari who was present at the spot.

District officials led by District Collector Kailash Chand Verma and Superintendent of Police Maman Singh reached the spot to supervise search and rescue operations. Inspector General of Police Alok Vashishth too was present.

Eyewitnesses said several locals helped in rescue operations.

Diya Kumari said the government would extend full support to the bereaved families and the injured. She said efforts would be made to build a concrete bridge at the accident spot.
New Delhi, Dec 23 : Backing the protest by doctors in Rajasthan for higher pay, promotion and changes in shifts, the doctors' body at AIIMS on Saturday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "live" a government doctor's life for a day to understand their stress and helplessness and also take note of the "dying healthcare system".

In a letter to Modi, dated December 23, the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) has also urged him to understand the tremendous pressure on the doctors at government hospitals due to the poor infrastructure and misbehaviour of patient's kin during emergency situations.

The letter comes after several doctors in Rajasthan were arrested as the state government invoked the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) for three months after the doctors warned of indefinite strike in support of their demands.

However, before the start RESMA could start, the Rajasthan government began randomly arresting doctors from different districts of the state.

"Rajasthan doctors are on strike from December 16, this strike is helplessness rather than intentional because the state government arrested 86 doctors by imposing RESMA," read the letter.

"Their demands were previously accepted by the Rajasthan government but now they refuse to fulfil them resulting in mistrust and anguish among the hardworking doctors. Please instruct the Rajasthan government to stand on their promises and stop all atrocities against doctors."

Stating that all the doctors were feeling "insulted" after the treatment meted out to doctors in Rajasthan, the RDA sought Modi's immediate intervention.

"We are lucky to have an active PM like you.... Now RDA AIIMS requests you to put (on) white apron and spend one day as a government doctor to understand the tremendous amount of pressure we face, the agony of patients who did not get treatment, the dying healthcare system due to lack of resources and infrastructure.

"It will also set an example to ministers who put false allegations on doctors for cheap publicity," the letter said.

"Your one day as a government doctor can be a turning point for healthcare system as it will restore faith in the medical profession and some constructive measures to improve healthcare access and delivery," said the letter quoting Harjit Singh Bhatti, President RDA.
New Delhi, Dec 23 : The Congress on Saturday termed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as behaving like a "pet performing parrot" of the Narendra Modi government.

"The biggest proof of this that in the 2G spectrum case, there are three verdicts. The first verdict is 1,556 pages long. But even before this verdict was uploaded, the CBI and ED (Enforcement Directorate) said that they would go for appeal," Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said.

"Now, the CBI and ED are not private lawyers, they are state agencies and are supposed to function in a fair, objective and transparent manner. There are separate directorates of prosecution in both CBI and ED. Did these directorates, or anyone else in the two agencies, before making such a comment make a value judgment whether there are grounds for conviction or not?" Tiwari asked.

He said that before filing an appeal against an acquittal, the investigating agency needs to take the High Court's permission.

In response to a question, the former Union minister said that to hope that CBI and ED will probe the multi-crore Srijan scam that has taken place under Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's "nose", is like "kite flying".

"We have been demanding that probe in the Srijan scam should be dome by a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT)," he said.

The Srijan scam refers to the fraudulent transfer of huge government funds in the account of a Bhagalpur based NGO called Srijan Mahila Sahyog Samiti between 2004 and 2014.

On his party continuing alliance with Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya (RJD) Janata Dal even after his conviction by a CBI court in a fodder scam case, Tiwari said that court cases and political alliances are "two separate things".

A special CBI court on Saturday convicted RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a case relating to the multi-million rupee fodder scam.
Ahmedabad, Dec 23 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who came calling here on Saturday days after his party narrowly missed victory in the Gujarat Assembly elections, exhorted the party rank and file that with a little more effort the BJP could be defeated in the state, contrary to belief.

Gandhi, who flew down here after offering prayers at the Somnath Temple, said he could sense a victory even in the party's defeat and this election had demonstrated it.

"We lost in the elections, but we have won. This is the reality. We won because they fought with anger, with money, police, chief ministers from various states, industrialists. We had only truth.

"We stood against this and showed it to the entire country that Congress can fight and win," the Congress President said.

"The Gujarat Congressmen have shown that if they unite and fight on their ideology, they do not lose."

Gandhi complimented the rank and file, "You fought well. The tickets were more or less distributed well."

Speaking in Hindi, the Congress chief said with confidence, "We have dismantled all the development talk of Modiji. Now he cannot talk about it."

The Congress finished with 80 seats, including three independents, in the House of 182 where the BJP was reduced to 99 seats from its 2012 tally of 115 and was hoping for an unprecedented victory by getting more than 150 seats. The Congress was meandering in the 50s through the last five elections and had lost all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat in 2014.

Rahul Gandhi asserted, in a sense of triumph, "Three four months ago, the question here was whether Congress could fight the elections at all. Nobody gave us a chance of winning. The BJP said Congress would win 20-25 seats and they would win 150-plus."
Imphal : Imphal Dec 23 (IANS) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday assured that there will not be a final agreement on the vexed Naga problem in the northeast without the consent of the people of Manipur, a sposkesman for Manipur's civil society bodies said.

The Minister held out the assurance to representatives of different civil society organisations from Manipur who met him in Delhi, Elangbam said.

Those who met Rajnath Singh included leaders of United Committee Manipur, All Manipur United Clubs Organisation and Committee on Civil Societies Kangleipak, who are camping in the national capital to apprise central leaders of Manipur's stand on the framework agreement signed between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland(Issac-Muivah) on August 3, 2015.

"The Minister said there is no question of compromising on Manipur's territory as a result of the agreement. The Centre will solicit the views of Manipur people before any final agreement."

The civil organisation leaders pointed out that peace in Manipur was affected on June 18, 2001, when the ceasefire with the NSCN-IM faction was extended "without territorial limits".

Earlier this week, the Manipur assembly passed a resolution to demand that details of the framework agreement be put in the public domain.

The Manipur activists have met Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah and other national leaders.

A team of United Naga Council is also camping in Delhi to demand implementation of the framework agreement.
Islamabad, Dec 23 : The arrival of the relatives of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav remains unconfirmed by New Delhi, the media reported on Saturday.

"India is yet to provide details about Jadhav's wife and mother, Geo News quoted sources as saying, adding that "only one employee of the Indian High Commission in Pakistan will be present during the meeting".

Jadhav has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism.

According to the report, the Pakistan Foreign Office will issue pictures and a video of the meeting between Jadhav and his family.

Pakistani authorities on Thursday said that the country was ready to permit media interaction with Jadhav's wife and mother.

Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that the Ministry was waiting for India's decision in this regard. He further said that the meeting would be held in the Foreign Affairs Ministry on December 25.

Faisal had also assured that Jadhav was not under any threat of immediate execution and his meeting with his wife and mother had been arranged "purely on humanitarian grounds".

"Let me assure you that the Jadhav is under no threat of immediate execution and his mercy petitions are still pending," he said.

The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued visas to Jadhav's mother and wife earlier this week.

Islamabad had earlier repeatedly rejected New Delhi's plea for consular access to Jadhav, who it says was arrested in Balochistan.

India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.
Beijing, Dec 23 : The Chinese government on Saturday called for the latest UN sanctions on North Korea to be implemented in a comprehensive and balanced manner for a peaceful solution to the problem in the Korean peninsula.

The UN Security Council imposed fresh sanctions on the Kim Jong-un regime on Friday.

In a statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying reiterated Beijing's call for restraint and working to ease tensions while finding an appropriate solution to the conflict in the Korean peninsula, Efe news reported.

The new resolution number 2397 increases sanctions to pressurize North Korea into stopping its nuclear programme and missile tests, by banning the export of nearly 90 per cent of refined petroleum to the country.

Hua also underlined that China -- a member of the UNSC with a veto power -- remains committed towards achieving denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, as well as maintaining peace and stability in the region.

She also recalled China's earlier proposal of finding a solution to the crisis, which included the US and South Korea putting an end to military drills in the region in return for Pyongyang abandoning its weapons programme.

The Chinese customs authorities reported that trade between China and North Korea, very limited due to the sanctions, reached $388 million in November, which is 15.9 per cent more than in October but around 36 per cent less year-on-year.
Harare, Dec 23 : Zimbabwe's former army chief, General Constantino Chiwenga, who led a coup that ended Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule, was on Saturday appointed vice president and second secretary of the ruling Zanu-PF party, the presidency said.

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said in a statement that Chiwenga, who retired from the military last week, and state security minister Kembo Mohadi were appointed as President Emmerson Mnangagwa's deputies in the ruling party "with immediate effect".

Mohadi belongs to the old PF-Zapu, which was led by late Vice President Joshua Nkomo, who signed a unity accord with then President Mugabe's Zanu-PF to form the united Zanu-PF, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two's appointments pave the way for them to be appointed the country's vice presidents.
Jammu, Dec 23 : Four Indian Army soldiers, including a Major, were killed on Saturday in a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

According to Army sources, the cease fire violation took place around 12.15 p.m. in Keri sector of the LoC in Rajouri, where a patrol party of the Indian Army was targeted by Pakistan Army.

The soldiers killed were all in their early 30s.

The officer killed has been identified as 32-year-old Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas of 120 Infantry Brigade, who hailed from Bhandara district of Maharashtra. He is survived by his wife Avoli Moharkar.

Other soldiers killed were 34-year-old Lance Naik Gurmail Singh from Amritsar, Punjab, who is survived by his wife Kuljit Kaur and a daughter, and 30 year-old Sepoy Pargat Singh of Karnal, Haryana who is survived by his wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son.

Another soldier, who was grievously injured, later succumbed to his injuries, police said, taking the toll to four.

A statement issued by the Indian Army said Indian forces retaliated heavily to the cross-border firing.

"Indian Army has retaliated strongly and effectively on Pakistan Army posts. Martyrdom of the Indian Army soldiers will not go in vain," the statement said.

According to information given to Parliament by the government, 771 ceasefire violations were reported on the LoC up to December 10 this year and 110 on the International Border till November 30.

A total of 30 people - 12 civilians, 14 Army personnel and four Border Security Force (BSF) personnel - were killed in these ceasefire violations.

Ceasefire violations on the LoC, under operational control of Army, this year were threefold higher compared to 228 in 2016. There were 152 ceasefire violations in 2015 and 153 in 2014 on the LoC.

However, there was a steep decline in ceasefire violations on the IB, manned by BSF, compared to 221 incidents in 2016. A total of 253 ceasefire violation were reported on the IB in 2015 and 430 in 2014.

India shares a 3,323 km long border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.
New Delhi, Dec 23 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has issued summons to Hurriyat separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's younger son Naseem Geelani, asking him to come to Delhi for questioning in connection with its ongoing probe into terror funding by Pakistan-based terrorist groups to stoke unrest in the Kashmir valley.

Naseem, a professor in Sher-e-Kashmir Agriculture University in Srinagar, has been asked to appear next week before the investigators at the NIA headquarters in south Delhi's Lodhi Road area.

"We have issued summons to Naseem Geelani. He has been asked to appear at the NIA headquarters next week," an NIA official told IANS.

If Naseem responds to the NIA summons, he would be quizzed for the third time in the case. Earlier, Naseem and his elder brother Naeem, a doctor by profession, were questioned in August twice over a span of a fortnight.

The anti-terror agency, which has been probing terror funding by Kashmiri separatists and have so far arrested half-a-dozen separatists including the S.A.S. Geelani's son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah, suspects that Naseem was also involved in the terror funding.

The NIA had registered a number of cases in connection with the terror funding in the Valley against several top separatist leaders in the month of May.

On July 24, the NIA arrested seven separatist leaders on charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against India. Those arrested included Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Bashir Ahmad Bhat alias Peer Saifullah.

In mid-August, the agency arrested Kashmir's prominent businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali.

The NIA on September 5 also arrested two alleged stone-pelters -- Javed Ahmad Bhat of Kulgam and Kamran of Pulwama -- in connection with the ongoing probe into the terror funding to keep unrest alive in the Kashmir valley.

On November 7, the agency seized nearly Rs 36.5 crore in demonetised currency and arrested nine persons in connection with the case. Of them, three hail from Jammu and Kashmir, two from Delhi, three from Maharashtra (two from Mumbai and one from Nagpur) and one from Uttar Pradesh.

The total number of arrests in the terror funding case has reached 19.
Bengaluru, Dec 23 : A case has been registered against BJP's Lok Sabha lawmaker Shobha Karandlaje for "provocative" tweets she posted in the social media over an alleged attack on a minor girl in Karnataka's Honnavar, police said on Saturday.

"We have registered an FIR under sections 153 and 503 of the Indian Penal Code on Friday against the MP for some provocative tweets, which were brought to our notice," Inspector General of Police, Western Range, Hemant Nimbalkar told IANS on phone from Karwar in Uttara Kannada district.

The coastal town of Honnavar, about 487 km from Bengaluru, witnessed public unrest and protests over the death of 19-year old Hindu activist Paresh Mesta in early December and the lawmaker's tweets were both incidents.

"The Honnavar police are investigating the case and verifying the tweets," said Nimbalkar.

Responding to the FIR against her, Karandalaje tweeted that "Govt which has failed in providing safety to women in Karnataka now tries to stifle my voice through a FIR.@siddaramaiah Govt protecting Jihadis".

The state government had, however, transferred the inquiry into the "mysterious" death of Mesta to the CBI on December 13 on the request of his father Kamalakar Mesta.

Mesta's mutilated body was found on December 8 floating in a lake at Honnavar. According to his family, he went missing from home since December 6.

In the second incident, a 14-year-old girl from a nearby village (Magodu) was allegedly waylaid at Honnavar on December 14 by two youth when she was on way to school in a bid to abduct her.

"Preliminary inquiry revealed that the victim had self-inflected the wounds and fabricated the kidnap bid by the youth," Honnavar Sub-Inspector Ananamurthy told IANS.

Reacting to the alleged attack on the minor, Karandlaje tweeted on December 15 that "Jihadists had tried to rape and kill the girl".

"Will continue my fight against Jihadi elements. There is no way I'll succumb to the pressure of @siddaramaiah Govt.#HinduLivesMatter," she said in another tweet.
Moscow, Dec 23 : Russia on Saturday said that the US decision to sell lethal weapons to Ukraine will lead to "new bloodshed".

"The US weapons can lead to new victims in our neighbouring country (Ukraine), to which we cannot remain indifferent," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in a statement, according to Xinhua.

"Washington is trying to present itself as an intermediary. But it is an accomplice in fomenting a war," Ryabkov said, adding that there is overwhelming "Russophobia" among many US politicians.

The response came after the US State Department said on Friday that Washington will sell advanced weapons to Ukraine to help update its defense capabilities. The arsenal will include Javelin anti-tank missiles, which Kiev has long desired.

Ukraine launched a military operation in its southeast Donbas region in April 2014, after the pro-Russia local residents refused to recognize the new pro-West Ukrainian authorities and sought independence.

Armed conflicts have been plaguing Donbas since then and have claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people.

Kiev and the insurgents reached a peace agreement brokered by Russia, France and Germany in Minsk in September 2014. A more detailed renewal of the agreement was signed in February 2015.

The pact spells out a cease-fire, a withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the line of separation between the two warring sides, exchange of prisoners, and holding local elections in Donbas.

But the agreement has been breached from time to time, with both parties accusing the other of violations.
Ahmedabad, Dec 23 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who came calling here on Saturday days after his party narrowly missed victory in the Gujarat Assembly elections, exhorted the party rank and file that with a little more effort, the BJP could be defeated in the state, and the Congress would get 135 seats in the next elections.

Gandhi, who flew down here after offering prayers at the Somnath Temple, said he could sense a victory even in the party's defeat and this election had demonstrated it.

"We lost in the elections, but we have won. This is the reality. We won because they fought with anger, with money, police, chief ministers from various states, industrialists. We had only truth.

"We stood against this and showed it to the entire country that Congress can fight and win," he said.

"My main challenge was that if Gujarat Congress believes that it is going to win, then it would win. You believed in it 70 per cent and can see the results. Now Gujarat Congress has confidence. Now you know that you can win. Now just wait for the results of (2019) Lok Sabha and (2022) Assembly elections. It will be a great result. All those sitting here will be in government," he said.

"The Gujarat Congressmen have shown that if they unite and fight on their ideology, they do not lose."

Speaking in Hindi, the Congress chief said with confidence, "We have dismantled all the development talk of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji. Now he cannot talk about it."

He congratulated the BJP for its victory and accepted the Opposition's role, while claiming that the new BJP government would work for a handful of and "snatch away lands" of farmers.

"What we talked about Gujarat government in the elections is the truth and the fight has not ended. Farmers, women and youth have voted for us. You have to show that Congress legislators fight for people, their issues and do not take a step back," he said.

Gandhi said that Congress in the state had been able to take away the "development" plank of Prime Minister and BJP. "They stand exposed on this. In the end he (PM) talked about himself all the time. The entire country knows it and they cannot use it (development plank) anywhere," he added.

The Congress finished with 80 seats, including three independents, in the House of 182 where the BJP was reduced to 99 seats from its 2012 tally of 115 and was hoping for an unprecedented victory by getting more than 150 seats. The Congress was meandering in the 50s through the last five elections and had lost all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat in 2014.

Gandhi asserted: "Three four months ago, the question here was whether Congress could fight the elections at all. Nobody gave us a chance of winning. The BJP said Congress would win 20-25 seats and they would win 150-plus."

The Congress president claimed that the main reason for his party's loss was the campaign of "defamation" and "lies" by Modi and his BJP against the Congress and its leaders.

Gandhi was here for a review meeting on party's performance in elections with elected legislators, losing candidates and party workers. "You fought well. The tickets too were distributed fairly, except few mistakes that happen," he said.
Dallas Probate Attorneys: Burdette & Rice, PLLC This is a huge, continuing honor not just for Mark but for the entire law firm.

Burdette & Rice, one of the leading Texas law firms focused on estate, trust, and probate disputes, is proud to announce that firm attorney, Mark Caldwell, has been selected by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers as a Rising Star Trust and Estate Litigator for 2018. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Mark has been voted by his colleagues to be acknowledged as a leader among Texas Trust and Estate Litigators. Marks ongoing commitment to excellence and protecting and fighting for his clients rights is a never wavering goal.

This is a huge, continuing honor not just for Mark but for the entire law firm," explained Elliott Burdette, Managing Director of Probate Litigation at Burdette & Rice. Accordingly, we are very proud of him and the services he provides to our clients who may need litigation support for estate, trusts, probate and other complexities under Texas law."

Persons interested in learning more about Mark Caldwell at http://www.dallasprobateattorneys.com/mark-r-caldwell/ or on the Super Lawyers website at http://bit.ly/mark-r-caldwell. Those interested in a basic overview to probate can start at the website at http://www.dallasprobateattorneys.com/probate/. With offices in Dallas and in Plano, the firm's probate attorneys are easy to meet with on a one-to-one basis.

MORE ON MARK R. CALDWELL, TEXAS ESTATE AND PROBATE ATTORNEY

Mark Caldwell represents individuals involved in contested guardianships actions and has wide experience in protecting clients rights in disputed matters involving trusts, estates, guardianships and breaches of fiduciary duty. He is a recognized lawyer throughout Texas in areas of trust, probate, and estate litigation, and Mark earned his law degree from the New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2005, before returning to Dallas, Texas. Interested parties are referred to the website to read a full list of Marks publications and speaking experience. Mark is a prolific writer and frequent speaker at many continuing education events throughout Texas.

ABOUT BURDETTE & RICE, PLLC

Burdette & Rice, PLLC is a top Dallas probate law firm, with lawyers dedicated to listening to their clients, being fully present to them, and advocating their clients positions in the simplest and most persuasive way possible. The law firm employs some of the top probate and estate lawyers in Dallas, Texas. Clients come to Burdette & Rice to contest a will in Texas, work on complex inheritance litigation and disputes, and to litigate disputes over powers of attorney, guardianship and trustee issues all based on Texas law. Learn more about their Dallas location at https://goo.gl/maps/Hzk9Ta219Fo.

Burdette & Rice, PLLC

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Customers know best which transactions should and should not be allowed against their cards and accounts, so Tranwall provides the ability to effortlessly set your own transaction controls and security via multiple channels, including mobile phones.

Perth based Tranwall Ltd (Tranwall), an Australian Fintech company announced the signing of a non-exclusive Reseller Agreement with Union Mobile Financial Technology Co., Ltd (UMF), a significant Chinese financial services provider in Beijing. The deal provides a platform for Tranwalls transaction control technology to reach millions of card and accountholders in China.

Tranwalls transaction control platform allows consumers to manage their card and account transactions via multiple channels in real time, with the mobile phone being most prominent device used, therefore ensuring the control and security of their finances. Customers can select what transactions should and should not be allowed to be authorised against their cards or transactional accounts.

This includes a consumers ability to switch specific transaction types on or off in real-time, including Tap and Pay, ATM or e-commerce transactions, just to mention a few. It also allows the management of specific merchant type transactions, for example not allowing betting and gambling transactions.

Tranwall co-CEO, Greg Haynes said we are very excited about the conclusion of the Reseller Agreement with an organisation such as UMF, and are looking forward to the opportunity now presented for both of our companies to build the adoption of our technology in China.

This is a significant agreement for the growth of our business and provides the opportunity for Tranwall to market the technology to UMFs existing Chinese client base, and new clients, said Mr Haynes.

Tranwalls technology provides financial institutions with an out-of-the-box customer focused mobile solution for increasing customer engagement, customer retention and top of wallet status, whilst reducing fraud and operational costs through increased customer self-service. The service can be either integrated directly into the financial institutions current mobile banking application, or used as a stand-alone application, dependent on the institutions desired digital and growth strategy, and can also be made available via their internet banking platform.

UMF is a significant organisation in the Chinese market, currently cooperating with over 110 financial institutions, more than 3,000 large enterprises, 700,000 small & medium-sized enterprises and over 450 million individual consumers, and we are very proud to have an organisation of this standing in our camp, providing local credibility to the technology and services we provide, said Mr Haynes.

The Tranwall technology has been developed and refined over the last few years, and whilst existing reseller relationships exist in Africa, the Perth based company is now developing reseller agreements across the APAC region in which the company has a strong focus.

Tranwall intends to invest significant resources in the Chinese banking market over the coming years. As per the Peoples Bank of China, the end of 2016 showed a 12.54% year on year growth of cards in issue in China, to 6.13 billion cards, as well as 35.49% year on year growth in bank card trading volume.

China is already the largest card market in the world, and additionally, with US$5.5 trillion in mobile payments last year, China is also the leader in mobile banking technology and adoption of mobile payments platforms through the likes of Alipay, JD.com and WeChat.

We are currently focusing on the APAC market and expect that the Chinese adoption of Tranwall technology will lead to market acceptance throughout the wider Asia market, said Mr Hayes.

For further information please contact:

Phil Vaughan

Clarity Communications

T: +61 8 9380 0700

E: phil.vaughan(at)claritycommunications.com(dot)au
Daniel K. Donkel urges Donald Trump to run for president and open the ANWR 1002 area for oil exploration at 1989 inauguration of George H.W. Bush The Six Sisters well trend is the gateway into a better understanding of the petroleum resources of northwest ANWR. -- Dr.Robert B. Blodgett, geologist

When President Donald Trump signed the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul into law Dec. 22, a provision calling for oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge raised the profile of ANWR as well as adjacent oil discoveries that may extend from Alaska state lands into the refuge.

Independent Alaska oil and gas lease investors Daniel K. Donkel and Samuel H. Cade  owners of Donkel Oil and Gas LLC  hold one such block of Alaska state oil leases which surround the 1990 ARCO Stinson #1 well oil discovery along the northern margin of the ANWR 1002 Area.

The timing of the tax bill signing coincides with the release of a Donkel and Cade commissioned report on six arctic exploration wells that shed some light on what oil and gas explorers may expect to find below the surface of ANWR.

The Six Sisters well trend was reported by Geologist Dr. Robert B. Blodgett in a comparative core sample study of the Stinson #1 well, versus five other wells to the west situated along the Beaufort Sea coastline leading to ANWR.

The Six Sisters well trend is the gateway into a better understanding of the petroleum resources of northwest ANWR, Blodgett said. The Six Sisters wells indicate the presence of two play horizons, consisting of a basal Tertiary play; and a lower Cambrian play.

In the Tertiary play alone of the Stinson well, a 2010 third party engineering report suggested oil reserves of between 80 and 420 million barrels, with a base case reserve of 150 million barrels. The quartzite play found in Stinson's Lower Cambrian basement complex had a predicated flow rate of 700-800 barrels of oil per day under clear hole conditions.

Nearby, in the Tertiary age play of the Alaska State A-1 well oil discovery (immediately west of Stinson) a flow rate of 2,507 bopd was reported.

These potential reserves, according to consulting geologist David Gross, could be part of the 10.3 billion barrels that the United States Geologic Survey estimates lie below and around ANWR in the 1002 Area.

Based on numerous scientific studies, the oil pools at Stinson appear to extend into ANWR. Similar shared pools appear to be present on the west boundary of ANWR at the Sourdough discovery in the Exxon Pt. Thomson unit, and at the Yukon Gold discovery where Regenerate Alaska Inc. recently acquired state of Alaska leases. Geologists believe production from these Alaska lands on the flanks of ANWR would drain oil and gas from beneath ANWR.

Consequently Stinson, if it was drilled and produced prior to Sourdough and Yukon Gold, would mark the first oil and gas production from ANWR.

While oil drilling in ANWR is years away, the Stinson prospect is drill ready, according to Donkel. Donkel and Cade are seeking a qualified drilling operator to further delineate the Stinson discovery as early as the 2018/2019 winter drilling season.

XXX

Donkel and Cade are actively marketing approximately 60,000 acres of Alaska North Slope and Beaufort Sea leases, including the Stinson prospect. More information on Donkel and Cade's Alaska holdings can be found at http://www.donkeloilalaska.com or inquire to donkeloil(at)gmail(dot)com.
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Alliant Energy Corp.s Iowa utility company is adding a wind farm in central Iowa to serve its customers in that state.

Madison-based Alliant said it has reached an agreement with Tradewind Energy, an independent renewable power developer based in Lenexa, Kansas, to establish the English Farms Wind Farm, about 60 miles east of Des Moines.

Tradewind has developed the site and received the necessary approvals; Alliant will build, own and operate the wind energy site. Estimated cost: $300 million.

The wind farm will have 69 turbines capable of producing as much as 170 megawatts of electricity at peak conditions, with an annual output expected to be enough to serve about 50,000 homes a year, Alliant said. Construction will start in 2018.

Alliant officials said in 2016 the company planned to invest $1 billion in wind power in Iowa by 2021. Over the past two years, Alliant has received the approval of Iowa utility regulators to add up to 500 megawatts of wind energy in 2016 and has requested a similar wind expansion in 2017.

With the addition of those projects, Alliant said Iowa customers will get more than one-third of their power from wind by the end of 2020.

The English Farms wind project will not affect Alliants Wisconsin customers. Alliant has proposed adding wind through its Wisconsin utility, as well.

In November, the company proposed buying part of the Forward Wind Farm, along with Madison Gas & Electric, and Wisconsin Public Service Corp., of Green Bay. The Forward Wind farm can generate up to 129 megawatts of electricity. It is in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties and is owned by Forward Energy, an affiliate of Invenergy.

Eight percent of Alliants Wisconsin electricity currently comes from wind.

Alliant and its utility subsidiaries now own one wind farm in Wisconsin; one in Minnesota; and two in Iowa, with two more set to be built next year. Alliants non-regulated subsidiary announced earlier this year that it planned to buy 50 percent of a wind farm in Oklahoma  the 225-megawatt Great Western Wind Project, owned by EDF Renewable Energy. The acquisition was finalized this fall.
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The incident disrupted court proceedings as court attendants rushed out to catch a glimpse of the collapsed police officer.

The trial judge, Justice Suzan Okalanuy, reportedly had to prematurely adjourn the dramatic court session.

This is the first time to see this happening in my court. I have to adjourn the session in order to check on my bodyguard, terrified Okalany said.

He was rushed to hospital by his colleagues and is reportedly recuperating from the ordeal.
Exact Sciences Corp.  the Madison company whose Cologuard DNA stool test screens for colorectal cancer  is building more than just a big laboratory building at its new campus just off Schroeder Road on the West Side.

Exact is submitting plans to the city to construct a 77,000-square-foot addition onto the existing four-story office building at 1 Exact Lane, formerly 601 Rayovac Drive.

The offices used to house the headquarters for consumer products company Spectrum Brands, now in Middleton. Exact bought the property in November and is updating the structure, which sat vacant for four years. Exact already has moved several hundred of its call center and administrative employees there.

Most of the new addition also will be four stories, but part of the space will be a one-story structure with a possible green roof and rooftop deck.

The addition will house offices; an employee cafeteria; fitness space; and an outdoor patio, according to a preliminary design presented to the Madison Urban Design Commission on Wednesday. A covered walkway will connect the addition to the new processing lab.

Exact has not said yet how much the addition will cost. Construction is expected to start in summer 2018 and be completed in 2020, Exact spokesman Scott Larrivee said.

Construction began in November on the new lab, whose address will be 650 Forward Drive. It will be Exacts second facility for processing completed Cologuard tests, and at 137,000 square feet, will be big enough to handle 2 million tests a year. The current lab, on Badger Road, also is being expanded so that eventually, the company will have the capacity to put through 4.5 million tests a year.

Exacts current headquarters are at University Research Park, where the company occupies all or part of four buildings.

Publicly traded Exact Sciences has about 1,200 employees, with more than 850 of them in the Madison area.

In documents provided to the city several months ago, the laboratory project was estimated to cost $57.3 million, but CEO Kevin Conroy later said it will cost at least that much.
In an emotional Whatsapp status, the widow asked God to tell her late husband "we miss you."

Yesterday, I asked God how you were doing and to tell you we miss you! the bereaved wife shared on her Whatsapp status.

Captain Maxwell Mahama of the 5 Battalion of Infantry at Burma Camp in Accra who was on detachment duties at Diaso in the Central Region was lynched to death by the youth of the town.

The officer was on operational duties at the Alaska C&G Mining Company at Amenase Forest, near Diaso in the Central Region.

He was said to be jogging when some residents accused him of being part of a robbery gang that stormed Denkyira-Obuasi the previous day.
I think she has a point that the coverage has painted her as less successful in the tax negotiations than she really was.

The case of clear-cut sexism she pointed to was The New York Times reporting that she failed to cry when meeting with an ALS patient who advocated against repealing the healthcare individual mandate. As Collins notes, it's hard to imagine that line being written about a male senator, and The Times removed the line after she complained.

But that's just a misplaced bit of color in a story.

The bigger problem with the Collins narrative is the idea that she got nothing in exchange for her vote for the bill, and therefore she must have been "duped" in exchange for her vote: That she is guilty of being an incompetent senator.

I do think it is highly doubtful whether one of Collins' key demands will be met. Collins says she has an ironclad commitment from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to move two bills that aim to stabilize the market for individual health insurance, which would do something to offset the disruption caused by the tax bill's repeal of the individual mandate.

House Republicans are strongly resistant to pass these bills, which they see as Obamacare "bailouts." The president has sometimes indicated support for them, but he has also changed his mind repeatedly.

But this is a tax bill. While solutions to shore up health insurance markets after the repeal of the individual mandate has been the key fixation for many national observers of Collins' vote, it wasn't the singular item she was looking for.

Collins got her way on many of her asks

Collins demanded preservation of part of the deduction for state income taxes. She insisted the medical expense deduction be expanded instead of repealed. She rejected complete repeal of the estate tax. And she fought to make sure the final bill would continue to allow the issuance of tax-exempt bonds for the activities of non-profit entities like hospitals and universities.

She got her way on these issues, some of which are of particular importance in Maine, a state with a high income tax and an aging population.

Collins also says she was instrumental in blocking several unpopular provisions from the House version of the bill, including taxes on student loan interest and grad students' waived tuition  though the student loan interest idea was so politically toxic I suspect it might have collapsed under its own weight anyway.

No, Collins hasn't gotten everything she wanted, and given the track record of this Congress there is a great likelihood she won't get the insurance market bills she wants in 2018. But normally, when a lawmaker gets part of what they asked for in a bill, we call that an outcome of a negotiation, not a duping.

To be clear, I think Collins is wrong on the merits of the bill, even after it was amended to her liking in several ways.

Like many of her Republican colleagues, she has made the ridiculous claim that the bill may grow the economy enough to pay for itself. The economic effects of the tax bill are one area where I believe she has duped herself  as most Republican lawmakers have done.

Finally, I want to reiterate something I wrote a few weeks ago: While repealing the individual mandate will somewhat increase insurance premiums in the individual market (only for unsubsidized insurance buyers  for people making less than 400% of the federal poverty line, the premium increase will be 100% covered by a government subsidy), it is not the death blow to Obamacare the president is making it out to be.

The individual mandate is just one of several ways federal government policy encourages people to carry health insurance, and far from the most important one. The keystone of coverage in Obamacare is the spending  spending on subsidies that reduce the price of insurance below its true cost, and grants to states to expand Medicaid.

The Congressional Budget Office has revised downward its estimates of how much mandate repeal will raise insurance premiums for unsubsidized buyers  an acknowledgement that the mandate already wasnt doing as much as it was supposed to do to encourage healthy people to buy insurance coverage, and therefore to hold down premiums.

The grave unpopularity of the mandate is one of the factors that undermined its efficacy. Ideally, in addition to imposing a financial penalty, the mandate should have fostered a norm under which people felt a social obligation to buy insurance. Instead, people mostly thought the mandate was unfair.

I have come to believe the mandate is too controversial and unpopular to ever work as intended.

In the long run, it will be need to replaced with more popular measures that encourage insurance coverage by reducing its cost to buyers. One of Collins' ideas  a reinsurance program  would help with that.

And even if the bills she wants don't get through this Congress, such an approach is likely to get traction if Democrats retake one or both houses of Congress next year.
Rep. Tim Ryan: What's happening I think is a great awakening with women across the United States of recognizing that they do not have to tolerate this kind of behavior.

No one should go to work and feel scared, feel uncomfortable, feel like they have to worry about somebody literally grabbing them or pushing them around or pushing them in an office or doing all the kind of things that we've been hearing about.

I'm proud of these women who are standing up, who are speaking out, and they need to know that there are a lot of men in the United States that stand with them, stand by them, and will continue to do that. So those of us in power have an obligation to stand with these women as well, who are really standing up and speaking out against the most powerful men in the United States, including the president of the United States.

I believe that the Democratic Party and the leaders in the Democratic Party have handled this a lot better than the Republicans. We acted, maybe not as quickly as I would have liked, but we acted and you still have the Republicans defending, campaigning for perverts that are running for office. Actually sending Republican campaign money and operatives to support a candidate who has acted in ways that nobody could condone.

So they have shown themselves incapable of being able to really get the moral high ground here and try to do what is right. And they did it with President Trump through the campaign, ignoring his behavior, they did it in the last week or so with the race in Alabama. There was not an outcry for Republican members of the House who were settling suits and all the rest. So they have missed an opportunity here to really communicate to the rest of the country that the Republican Party should be a party that doesn't tolerate this stuff.

The Democrats have acted. It's not always easy, but the Democrats did the right thing because we want to send a signal that this kind of behavior is not appropriate.

At least 19 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct.

The president doesn't take responsibility for any of his actions, so I think it would be foolish of us to think all of a sudden he's going to have a "come to Jesus" meeting and he's going to take responsibility for all of the misdeeds that he has been accused of over the course of the last many years. Which is why I think that the Congress of the United States needs to have an investigation looking into the accusations against the president.
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Fresh off the excitement of gaining acceptance into the most competitive university in America, Stanford University incoming freshmen will likely want to take the summer to relax a bit.

Administrators at Stanford want them to continue thinking critically about complex issues, and release The Three Books program every summer to suggest books that the entire community should read and discuss.

"The Three Books program is designed to introduce you to the experience of reading, thinking, and talking about challenging subjects as a member of Stanford's intellectual community," professor

Diffenbaugh, the faculty moderator of the program and a professor of earth system science, said this year's theme was on sustainability and equity.

"All three of these books have had a deep impact on me and my thinking," he wrote. "And, just as each of these books offers a sense of hope and optimism amid extremely challenging circumstances, I am optimistic that in discussing these challenges we can help each other find a sense of hope for the future!" he continued.

Read on to see the three books Stanford wants incoming freshmen to read this summer.

'Homegoing,' by Yaa Gyasi

From Stanford:

"

'The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History,' by Elizabeth Kolbert

From Stanford:

"

'Salvage the Bones,' by Jesmyn Ward

From Stanford:
The new terminal was designed by architect David Rockwell, who has designed numerous high-end restaurants. The Global Bazaar, which has a number of rotating fast-casual eateries and a few fancier sit-down restaurants, is at the heart of the terminal.

It all feels very high-tech. There are no cashiers for any of the fast-casual eateries or convenience stores. Instead, everyone pays at self-check-out kiosks spread across the floor.

There are a lot of options, but some are only open at certain times. While Casciano's Deli serves up fresh Italian sandwiches at dinner time, the signage rotates in the morning to serve breakfast sandwiches at Poppy's Bagels.

Most of the to-go options are in the $12-16 range. The cheekily named Notorious P.I.G seemed to be a popular option. If I was hankering for BBQ, I surely would've ordered food here.

What would the future be without a Coca Cola Freestyle machine? I've sworn off soda as of late, but anyone who's given the Freestyle a try knows it has a mind-numbing number of soda customizations.

The terminal is filled with tables and seating so you can hang out and get some work done. Because who needs to unplug when you can just plug in?

The number of outlets is a game-changer. I have spent too many layovers huddled around the only two outlets in a terminal fighting with travelers for power.

There are a lot of fine dining options  and you can tell a lot of attention was paid to the design of the restaurants. Each has its own flair. Like wine bar Oeno, which looked like a modern art installation plopped into the center of the concourse.

For something a bit in between, you could head to celebrity chef Josh Capon's Wanderlust Burger Bar. It seemed to be the busiest in the terminal.

Buckle up, because the future isn't cheap. The fish tacos at Surf, a restaurant serving Jersey Shore-inspired seafood, will run you $19.50.

As I am forever in the mood for ramen (who isn't?), I decided to try out Kaedama in the center of the Global Bazaar. There seemed to be 6,000 iPads in the terminal for ordering food at the various restaurants.

I must note that the reviews for many of the restaurants in the terminal are low and it seems the iPads may share some of the blame. One reviewer for nearby Vesper Tavern said the lack of interaction with waiters due to the iPad made the restaurant experience "sad and lonely."

I noticed similar comments on Yelp reviews for other terminal restaurants. I see their point, but can't say I agree.

No more trying to flag down bartenders or dealing with pesky humans. In the future, your beer magically appears at your table.*

While you wait, the iPad is loaded up with games and newspapers. You can also scan your boarding pass to keep tabs on your flight. Turned out my flight was delayed by 45 minutes. Thanks United!

I got the $16 pork tonkotsu ramen. You could do worse; that price is comparable to Manhattan. The noodles were springy and the broth flavorful. However, I take issue with using pulled pork rather than chashu. Not a fan.

When you're finished, dine and ditch! Just kidding. Swipe your credit card and you're finished. No waiting while the gate for your flight closes before you get there.

Above Kaedama is a 40-foot art installation inspired by Tokyo's bright lights. When I was there, the mesh of 17,000 LED lights was showing a rotating selection of Hanukah decorations. The War on Christmas continues it appears.

With my flight delayed, I decided to continue exploring the terminal after dinner. The United Club is open to United Club pass holders and offers snacks, beer and wine, showers, and Wi-Fi. I am not a pass holder.

Bar Left is a good option if you're in more of a drinking mood. I wouldn't blame you with the state of the world these days.

There are dozens of stores, from shoe seller Johnston & Murphy to more expected vendors like luggage maker Tumi. This souvenir shop was subtly named America! Unfortunately, it didn't seem like many people were interested in what America! was selling.

Many of the shops sell locally sourced products like the Jersey Shore's famous salt-water taffy and beer glasses. I also discovered artisanal beef jerky and pork cracklings.

Not even Duty Free is safe from the consonant-and-vowel-stealing marketers of the future.

Are we in the Lower East Side? Because it's starting to feel like it. Thyme was developed by vegetable chef extraordinaire Amanda Cohen of Dirt Candy fame.

Perhaps Midtown is more your scene? Fine-dining superstar Paul Liebrandt's Vesper Tavern serves upscale pub food.

If you would like some old-fashioned cornflakes to take on the plane, you're out of luck. But can I interest you in Cibo's extensive selection of "superfood" products?

I opted for the cheapest water I could find. Hey, "responsibly sourced" water from upstate New York packaged in paper cartons doesn't come for free, you know.

After exploring, I found a place to get a bit of work done. The touch screen was tempting me with extravagant $15 ice cream shakes. A part of me hoped my plane  and my middle seat in Economy  would never arrive.

Wonderful terminal  now if only United could figure out how to run a decent airline, they'd really be on to something.
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Oye said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka while reacting to the situation on Saturday, December 23.

He said it is unfortunate that the cartel responsible for the hardship inflicted on Nigerians has not been defeated but are rather dictating the pace in the system.

Oye said there is need for clear delineation of powers and functions of the offices of the Minister of State for Petroleum and that of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC).

Oye described scarcity as a seasonal period when the poor suffered so that the rich could be richer, adding that it was beyond the control of filling station operators.

He said, "There are a lot of factors affecting fuel distribution in Nigeria and this bothers on sharp practices in the various agencies involved in the system like the Petroleum Products PricingRegulatory Agency, Department of Petroleum Resources and the NNPC.

"We hear about corruption is responsible for the problem of fuel distribution in this country,

"what we have now is the consequence of the rot in the petroleum industry, when you keep pilfering a system, there will come a time when the entire system will feel the pressure.

"When we hear about billions of dollars about the size of our External Reserve not being properly accounted for by NNPC, few persons are having money and and houses all over the world without questions about how they made this money.

"There is cartel in the oil industry, as we are groaning now, they are smiling to the bank.

"My definition of scarcity is the time of the year when the poor suffers for the rich to enjoy, that amount you pay on top of N145 per litre goes to the pockets of this cartel or cabals

"I am aware that Buhari said Dr Ibe Kachikwu should end the scarcity as soon as possible but it is not going to be possible.

"We need to know the powers available to the Minister of State for Petroleum and what powers are at the disposal of the NNPC GMD, the conflict between the two offices is accountable for what we are witnessing today."

The APGA chairman called on President Muhammadu Buhari to reduce the tasks in his hands by appointing a substantive Minister of Petroleum who will supervise the ministry more closely with the capacity to act on policy issues.

"The president cannot handle the position of Minister of Petroleum very close as he would have wished in the light of the numerous things at his hands, that position is sensitive, he needs to hand it over to a professional.

"Buhari is not getting younger, he just recovered from ill health and I am one of his prayer warriors so he should listen to people like us, he should unbundle himself and the system.

"Kachikwu is competent to do the job but they are breathing down his neck, they are not allowing him to work because of reasons I cannot tell," Oye said.

ALSO READ: NSCDC seals 2 filling stations in Niger over fuel scarcity
He said the Federal Government is nonchalant about ending the fuel crisis.

The Governor also called on Buhari to resign as Minister of Petroleum given his poor performance in that office.

"It is obvious that the president has failed in all ramifications and he needs to do Nigerians a favour by relinquishing the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum", he said.

He also maintained his earlier assertion that the Federal Government is punishing Nigerians with fuel scarcity so as to achieve its planned increment of petrol pump price from N145 to not less than N185 per litre.

Fayose added, "Already, fuel is being sold officially at between N180 and N200 at petrol stations across the country."

ALSO READ: NNPC says fuel queues will disappear by weekend
He narrated, while reaffirming his position that the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led federal government wants to achieve its planned increment of petrol pump price from N 145 to at least N185 at all cost, thus deliberately punishing Nigerians for the purpose.

He reiterated: Like I said a few days ago, what the federal government is doing is to create scarcity so that Nigerians will be willing to buy at any price, provided the product is made available.

He explained that they purposely restricted supply of petrol to NNPC alone to achieve this planned increment of petrol pump price, while noting that already, fuel is being sold officially at between N180 and N200 at petrol stations across the country.

In a release issued early on Friday, the Governor sympathized with Nigerians.

He was quoted by his Special assistant on Public Communications and News Media, Lere Olayinka to have said that it is sad that this government had to choose this Christmas and New Year period to ground Nigeria with the fuel scarcity that it deliberately orchestrated.

He however said: I warned Nigerians before President Buhari was elected, and I am telling Nigerians now that the only option to rescue our country from being brought down completely is to vote out Buhari and APC in 2019.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defectors were received by Mr Olusola Sokunle, representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency I at the Lagos State House of Assembly and the APC Chairman in the LGA, Alhaji Olamide Kasali.

Sokunle, who was elected into the Assembly on the platform of PDP, had in February, alongside six other lawmakers, defected to the ruling party on the floor of the House.

The lawmakers had cited the performance of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode and the leadership style of the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, as reasons for their defection.

The new defectors were led by a PDP chieftain in the council, Mr Fola Mosaku, and four councillorship candidates of the party in the July 22 council polls in the state.

Sokunle, receiving them, said: APC is a party to belong to, where our political aspirations can be achieved. So, endeavour to frequently attend political meetings in your wards.

 Let us thank Governor Ambode for giving Oshodi a facelift. More projects are still on the way.

 The door is still open for other interested PDP members to join us.

He said that the APC-led government had performed beyond expectations, with various development projects executed in different parts of the state.

Also welcoming the defectors, Kasali assured them that APC would ensure their interests were protected.

The party chairman said that the party would soon begin its membership registration in the wards.

He urged all new and old members to go to their various wards for registration immediately the exercise commences.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Mosaku said: We dumped the PDP for APC because of the performance of our Honourable Sokunle.

We are also motivated by the performance of APC government in Lagos; we will not make any u-turn back to the PDP."

Four councillorship candidates in the last local government election and I are leading other members of PDP to APC today."

We are joining APC permanently, Mosaku said.
A recent spike in fighting between Ukraine's army and Russian-backed rebels has resulted in casualties on both sides, despite ceasefire deals supposedly being in place.

"There is no alternative to an exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict," German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement issued by the Elysee, referring to "the recent unacceptable increase of ceasefire violations".

"It is necessary to implement agreements on disengagement and the withdrawal of heavy weapons behind the agreed withdrawal lines, withdrawal of tanks, artillery and mortars to the agreed storage sites," the statement added, listing requirements to end the conflict.

It said the two leaders "urge the parties to face their responsibilities and to implement as soon as possible the decisions they have already agreed upon, in order to alleviate the suffering of the populations most affected by the present situation."

A ceasefire was agreed in Minsk in February 2015 as part of a broader peace plan, but its terms haven't been fulfilled.

Violence has frequently broken out and UNICEF this month warned that hundreds of thousands of children are at imminent risk of being hit by mines and other explosive weapons in the war-torn east.
Despite strict laws that ban religious conversion, Christianity has spread rapidly over the last two decades in Nepal, where many see it as an escape from the deeply entrenched caste system.

The Himalayan nation was ruled by a Hindu monarchy for over two centuries until the overthrow of the monarchy in 2008 and also has a strong Buddhist tradition, particularly in the mountainous north.

But the remote Lapa Valley where Richet is located is now predominantly Christian.

Many residents are recent converts to the faith, among them Rika Tamang, who became a Christian after his mother fell ill and the family struggled to pay for the animal sacrifices a local shaman encouraged them to make.

"Whatever I had, I had to offer as a sacrifice to god," said Tamang, now the pastor of his village in the Lapa Valley.

"Once I converted to Christianity I didn't have to make sacrifices. I was relieved of that burden."

According to the 2011 government census, Christians make up less than 1.5 percent of Nepal's population of 29 million.

But Christian groups estimate the number at more than 3 million. Locals said the census tended to classify people by the faith associated with their family name, meaning many converts were excluded.

Richet is in the northern district of Dhading, one of the first areas where Christianity took hold. It has since spread throughout the country through an active network of evangelical churches.

But some say well-funded foreign missionaries are using aid to convert people in the impoverished country.

Community tensions

In Richet the dust had only just begun to settle from the powerful earthquake in April 2015 when a group of South Korean and Singaporean missionaries turned up.

They surveyed the damage and left. A few months later bags of cement arrived to rebuild the village's church.

It was the same story in the nearby village of Kachet, where a new church paid for by South Korean missionaries was nearing completion when AFP visited recently.

"We are happy that we don't need to be under the sky when we go to church for prayers," said Richet resident Aman Tamang.

"But we would be happier if we had got grants for rebuilding our homes as well."

Prashant Tamang, a community leader in the nearby village of Borang that has clung to its Buddhist heritage, said the selective distribution of aid had created tensions between communities.

"Dispute arises sometimes when Christians pressure poor people to adopt their religion by helping them in the time of need," he told AFP.

Jail for proselytising

Proselytising has long been illegal in Nepal.

But a new criminal code that will come into force in August 2018 increases the potential jail sentence from three to five years and states that foreigners sentenced of the crime will be deported after serving their time.

Activists say it seeks to curb the rapidly growing Christian community, and have drawn parallels with Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws, which are often used to stir mob violence against minority groups.

"We have seen how that has played out in Pakistan. If you have inadequate safeguards then the laws in Nepal can be misused as well," said Steven Selvaraj, South Asia expert with the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide advocacy group.

Nepal's growing network of evangelical churches continues to draw people, and many are concerned that the new law could be used against them.

"The church in Nepal is taught in a way that all believers are taking the commandment of Jesus Christ to go out and tell others about Jesus," said Tanka Subedi, a Kathmandu pastor.
In a strongly-worded statement Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov accused the United States of "crossing the line" and fomenting the conflict in eastern Ukraine, a region known locally as Donbass.

"Kiev revanchists are shooting at Donbass every day, they don't want to conduct peace negotiations and dream of doing away with the disobedient population. And the United States has decided to give them weapons to do that," Ryabkov said.

"Today, the United States clearly pushes (Ukrainian authorities) towards new bloodshed," he said, adding: "American weapons can lead to new victims" in the neighbouring country.

The US State Department announced Friday that Washington had "decided to provide Ukraine enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defence capacity."

An ABC news report before the announcement said the US planned to supply Ukraine with anti-tank missiles, including possibly the advanced Javelin system, citing four State Department officials.

"The total defense package of $47 million includes the sale of 210 anti-tank missiles and 35 launchers," the report added.

Need 'peaceful settlement'

Another Russian deputy foreign minister, Grigory Karasin, said the US move would undermine efforts to reach a political settlement in Ukraine.

"Essentially this decision undermines the work to implement the 2015 Minsk agreements," Karasin told TASS state news agency, referring to a Western-brokered peace deal.

He said Washington chose to support "the party of war" in Kiev.

"This is unacceptable," he added.

He reiterated Russia's position that Ukrainian authorities should negotiate with Kremlin-backed rebels through "honest and direct dialogue."

"There is no other way to solve the internal Ukrainian conflict."

The leaders of France and Germany, two other countries involved in the Minsk talks called Saturday for honouring the ceasefire and working for peace.

"There is no alternative to an exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict," German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement issued by the Elysee, referring to "the recent unacceptable increase of ceasefire violations".

'Right to buy weapons'

For its part Ukraine welcomed Washington's announcement, saying it would help contain "the aggressor."

"Finally!" Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chaly wrote on Facebook.

"Our strategic partners -- the United States -- have definitively made up their mind: as a sovereign state, Ukraine has a legitimate right to buy and receive defensive weapons including lethal weapons," he said.

"Weakness provokes the aggressor. Strength contains him," he added.

Despite a new ceasefire, Ukrainian military spokesman Vasyl Labay accused rebels of shooting at government positions and seeking to thwart the latest truce.

Senior rebel representative Eduard Basurin told local reporters that attacks by government troops had decreased but added that the Kiev army still tried to provoke the rebels into opening return fire.

Since the start of the conflict over three years ago more than 10 such ceasefires have been declared but all of them have been violated.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of funnelling troops and arms across the border to fan the flames of the conflict as punishment for Kiev's pivot toward Europe.

More than 10,000 people have died and almost 24,000 have been injured since the pro-Russian insurgency broke out in eastern Ukraine in April 2014.

A UN report said this week that 220,000 children are at imminent risk of being hurt by mines and other explosive weapons in eastern Ukraine, one of the most mine-contaminated places on earth.
Two local drug development companies are seeking approval to start new rounds of clinical trials  one, here in Madison, and the other, across the globe.

Cellectar Biosciences wants to test its lead drug candidate, CLR 131, on children and teens with a variety of cancers. The Madison biopharmaceutical company has filed an investigational new drug application with the oncology division at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to see if CLR 131 can help young people with certain rare cancers.

The first phase would involve giving a single, intravenous dose of CLR 131 to up to 30 children and adolescents with cancers that could include neuroblastoma, sarcomas, lymphomas and malignant brain tumors to check for the safety and tolerability of the drug and to see if theres any preliminary effect on the cancer.

If its approved, the study will be conducted at the UW Carbone Cancer Center.

Together, our hope is to bring new and effective treatment options for children battling life-threatening cancers, said Cellectars chief medical officer John Friend.

Cellectar said CLR 131 targets cancer cells and delivers radiation to them, minimizing exposure to normal tissue. The company said animal studies of CLR 131 against several types of solid tumors have shown significant benefits on tumor growth rates and survival.

The drug compound already is being evaluated in two studies involving adult patients. One is for adults with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells. It will test up to 40 patients at 10 leading cancer centers around the U.S.

Cellectar, founded in 2002, has about 15 employees.

Liver disease to be focus of trials

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is asking for the OK to start the first human clinical trials of its drug compound, ARO-AAT for treating adults with alpha-1 liver disease. It is Arrowheads second-generation drug candidate for the disease, which is a hereditary disorder.

Arrowhead submitted its application to New Zealands Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority.

Arrowhead is based in Pasadena, California, but its research and development team is located in Madison. The company is working on a series of drugs, based on RNA interference, to combat a range of diseases.
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Siggy Flicker is planning to depart "The Real Housewives of New Jersey."

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The 50-year-old Israeli television personality said in a statement Friday that she's leaving the Bravo series after Season 8 to focus on her family and other business ventures.

"After much reflection and Bravo's support, I have decided that this will be my last season on 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey,'" Flicker said on the network's website.

"I am grateful to the network for allowing me to be a part of this successful franchise and wish only the best for Teresa, Melissa, Dolores, Danielle and Margaret," she added.

"At this time, I want to focus on my beautiful family, my growing business and some exciting new projects."

Flicker joined the show in Season 7, and made a splash by accusing co-star Margaret Josephs of being anti-Semitic.

She explained in an interview with Us Weekly that she had "too many obstacles" working against her to remain on the series.

"I feel like I lost the battle but I won the war because at the end of the day, everyone's goal should be ... to be happy," the star said.

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"And there is nothing more than I love than myself, my husband and my family too much for them to be unhappy and for me to be unhappy."

Sources told the magazine Flicker, who married Michael Campanella in 2012 and shares two children with ex-husband Mark Flicker, felt "betrayed" and "singled out" by her portrayal on the show.

"There's not a chance she'll go back. She feels liberated," an insider said. "[The show] focused on Siggy's reactions and not her interactions."

Season 8 premiered in October and airs new episodes Wednesdays.

The series co-stars Josephs, Teresa Guidice, Melissa Gorga and Dolores Catania, and also features Danielle Staub.
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The regulator will conduct forensic audit of all the seized documents, laptops, and mobile phones, which are suspected to be involved in the fraudulent activity, reports Shrimi Choudhary.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is said to have identified 34 people in the WhatsApp earnings leak case. The regulator has launched a massive search and seizure operation on persons directly or indirectly connected to the blue-chip companies whose earnings got leaked.

According to a regulatory official, these 34 people are company executives, brokerages, and entities who allegedly gained out of the leaked price-sensitive information.

Sources say this is the first case where Sebi has conducted such a massive operation against big firms. About 30 Sebi officials and 70 policemen were deployed for the search operation in Mumbai.

We have seized digital devices at all premises and brought them to the Sebi office. We are in possession of crucial documentary proof, which could help us in cracking the case. We are going to continue further enquiries in the matter, said the official cited above.

According to the official, the regulator will conduct forensic audit of all the seized documents, laptops, and mobile phones, which are suspected to be involved in the fraudulent activity.

Sources say the regulator will primarily focus on probing breach of Sebis Prohibition of Insider Trading (PIT) norms.

If they find some other violation, they could refer the case to enforcement agencies like the income-tax department.

Last month, the regulator had initiated a probe against a dozen firms (including Dr Reddys, Cipla, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, Tata Steel, Wipro and Bajaj Finance) for the alleged leak of sensitive information before being made public. The others were Mahindra Holidays and Resorts, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals, Mindtree, Mastek, and India Glycols.

On November 17, Reuters had reported that September quarter earnings of these 12 companies were circulating on various private WhatsApp groups. Under PIT rules, disclosing any unpublished price-sensitive information and trading on this is forbidden.

Last week, the regulator had summoned senior officials of all the 12 companies. They were asked for explanations on what had happened and what they had done to stop a recurrence.

Sources say Sebi identified the five companies after examining 12-month trade data. During the preliminary probe, it was found that leaked information such as net profit figures, gross sales and operating profit of some of these firms were closely matching the actual earnings.

Subsequently, the regulator is said to have approached cybercrime experts. However, experts believe it would not be an easy job to trace the original sender.

It is difficult to track the original sender or creator of these messages. This is because WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, said a state police cybercrime specialist.

Photograph: Reuters.
'From his persistent fuelling of pan-Hindu nationalism to pandering to narrow Gujarati chauvinism, Rambo rides again, using fair means and foul -- and often foul -- to gain the battleground,' says Sunil Sethi.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

If the Gujarat election were a Hollywood movie the fight would go down as a contest between Rambo and 'Mr Zabardast'.

It is clear that Narendra Modi, like the Vietnam vet Sylvester Stallone, skilled in aspects of survival, weaponry, hand-to-hand combat and guerrilla warfare, has vanquished Rahul Gandhi, the Congress's new head who promised a 'zabardast' (overwhelming) result.

From his persistent fuelling of pan-Hindu nationalism to pandering to narrow Gujarati chauvinism, Rambo rides again, using fair means and foul -- and often foul -- to gain the battleground.

His last act of swashbuckling braggadocio also involved a seaplane ride to a temple visit.

Analysts who optimistically believed Gujarat was a neck-and-neck race will soon be chewing the cud on how the caste arithmetic panned out -- did the influential Patidar vote neutralise the OBCs? -- or how Mr Zabardast's sudden reincarnation as a shiv bhakt failed against the rallying troops of Modi bhakts, may lose sight of one over-riding fact.

In his self-glorifying portrayal as the poor Gujarati tea-seller who rose to the office of prime minister, Narendra Modi's success hinged on galvanising Gujarati pride.

A visit to Vadodara not long ago, a place from where Mr Modi was elected in 2014 with a margin of 570,128 votes -- the second-highest ever recorded in a Lok Sabha election -- confirmed this.

It is a remarkably confident, prosperous city, with smart coffee shops next to thronging Gujarati shops purveying a choice of traditional farsaan (snacks).

In the hotel restaurant recommended for its impeccably-served thaalis, at Rs 285 to eat as much you liked, the room rang with foreign accents, of overseas professionals doing business and non-resident Indians back for a home visit.

Money matters here. Despite simmering antagonisms against 22 years of BJP rule, for many Gujaratis the BJP's ruling trinity in New Delhi -- the prime minister, his close confidant and 'booth-management' strategist Amit Shah, and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who represents Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha -- represents a windfall of gifts, in cash and kind.

It is not for nothing that Mr Modi has been on a spending spree, with the up-to-speed construction of a Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and the mammoth 600-foot, Rs 2,989 crore (Rs 29.89 billion) statue of Sardar Patel on a river island near Vadodara.

Several of his Rambo-like initiatives to capture eye-balls at home and abroad, demonetisation for example, have failed miserably, or been laid to waste, such as the Swacch Bharat campaign.

His foreign policy has shown up to be a jerky, often tawdry, exercise in self-aggrandisement. Discounting his questionable habit of enveloping world leaders in deep embrace, he has an odd way of observing birthdays.

At his own in September 2014 he parked Chinese President Xi Jinping, alongside himself, on a jhoola on Ahmedabad's riverfront park for photo-ops, with officials describing the encounter 'as more about bonding than business'.

More indelibly imprinted on public memory is his impromptu Christmas Day visit in 2015 to Mian Nawaz Sharif's estate to wish him many happy returns. The compliment was not returned, but followed by a series of terrorist attacks on the Pathankot air base and elsewhere.

For Mr Modi then to depict a blameless dinner at Mani Shankar Aiyar's home in honour of Pakistan's former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri -- in the presence of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, former vice-president Hamid Ansari, impartial senior civil servants and others -- as a Congress-Pakistan-Muslim conspiracy to meddle in the Gujarat election, is stooping low to conquer.

The semantics of the word 'low' are operative; in Mr Aiyar's apology that is what he meant by 'neech' rather than the casteist slur of 'low-born' that Mr Modi interpreted full throttle in his campaign.

Mr Aiyar has paid heavily for his mistake; Mr Modi is the butt of universal censure for tarring the nationalism of anyone other than that of his camp followers.

The journalist Rahul Singh, Khushwant Singh's son, who attended the dinner, has given a detailed account, asking if they were indulging in 'anti-national, treasonable activity' at just another mundane Indo-Pak discussion.

Karan Thapar slams the prime minister's allegations as 'malicious, delusional... (and) utter nonsense'.

Pakistani commentators have understandably had a field day taking apart Rambo's rants, in particular over an ex-Intelligence officer, Sardar Arshad Rafiq, whom Mr Modi described as a former 'DG in the Pakistan army' attempting to foist Ahmed Patel as chief minister of Gujarat. (In fact no 'DG' designation exists in the Pakistani army and Mr Rafiq calls himself 'a nobody'.)

Mr Modi's Pakistan bogey, sums up noted Dawn columnist F S Aijazuddin, 'is the equivalent of President Donald J Trump's numerous demons -- North Korea, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Cuba, Mexico, and the Democrat party -- all rolled into one. Trump may be afflicted by many headaches; Modi has only one -- a migraine called Pakistan'.

But as Rambo rides it out in Gujarat, the pain was worth it.

The struggle ahead is all uphill for 'Mr Zabardast'.
'Although the Congress party ethos resembles a court with courtiers, Sonia Gandhi's style was to be consensual.'

Aditi Phadnis looks back at Sonia's tenure as Congress president.



IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi toasts then Congress president Sonia Gandhi at the dinner for then US president Barack Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan, January 25, 2015.

At a rally for the 2001 assembly elections in West Bengal, Sonia Gandhi saw her alliance partner, the Trinamul Congress' Mamata Banerjee, lead her supporters in performing Mexican waves while shouting slogans. Gandhi asked a senior aide, 'Do I also have to dance like this?'

She did not find success easy to come by. There were electoral reverses, and one devastating moment when she staked a claim to form the government, claiming she had the required support of 272 MPs in the Lok Sabha, only to be found embarrassingly short.

She also used a no-confidence motion to pull down the first government led by a BJP prime minister, barely 15 days into its life, only to have the government come back after fresh elections, with greater strength in the House.

It was these days of learning -- especially tricks about parliamentary management -- that saw her forming her opinions about the abilities of various colleagues.

In the Lok Sabha, it was Shivraj Patil who was by her side, steering her through the minefield of parliamentary procedure.

When the Congress was to form a government subsequently, it was Patil who was made home minister, not because of any special expertise, only because he enjoyed her support and confidence.

He harked on this till the very last moment when the Congress Working Committee virtually asked him to go home for ineffectual functioning after the November 2008 attacks on Mumbai. Gandhi had no choice but to yield to the party.

Slowly, however, she found her feet and began to win state election after state election, until the Congress ruled in the majority of states although the BJP-led coalition ruled in New Delhi.

The high point of her career was, of course, leading the party into an alliance that, with the support of the Left, won the majority in the 2004 elections.

The formation of the UPA showed Gandhi had matured as a politician.

During the first part of the 13th Lok Sabha (1999 to 2004), Gandhi preferred to stay away from leaders of other parties until Somnath Chatterjee, then leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist), in the Lok Sabha suggested that as a leader of the biggest Opposition party she should not confine herself to the Congress but try to build up a larger secular force.

Gandhi understood and decided to attend a dinner party at Chatterjee's residence to which leaders from many like-minded parties were invited.

The centre of attraction of the meeting was Gandhi's long interaction with Jyoti Basu, the veteran Communist leader. Just a few years ago, Gandhi had shown little interest in promoting or endorsing Basu as the prime ministerial candidate. But in 2002, she realised the importance of sharing political space with Basu and Harkishan Singh Surjeet.

Gandhi created a relationship of trust with the RJD's Lalu Prasad and Sharad Pawar, the NCP boss who quit the Congress on the single point issue of refusing to accept Sonia, a 'foreigner', as the party chief.

Everyone assumed that she would now become prime minister, but she put forward Manmohan Singh instead -- thus killing all criticism about a naturalised citizen becoming the head of the government.

But she had not renounced power, retaining it instead through key appointments in the government and maintaining an influence on policy from her perch as the chairperson of the specially created National Advisory Council.

She also decided that while economic reforms (Manmohan Singh's lasting claim to fame) were all very well, they would not help the poor for which the government had to specially tailor policies.

Using the slogan of 'inclusive growth', the party pressed on the government, the national rural employment guarantee programme, and many others; and massive increases in the funding of education and health care.

Although the Congress party ethos resembles a court with courtiers, Sonia Gandhi's style was to be consensual while having the final say.

In a typical party meeting, Sonia would make introductory remarks, explaining the context and seeking partymen's opinion. The final decision would come only after she had privately consulted her trusted lieutenants.

Also, unlike her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, who changed chief ministers, Cabinet colleagues and party aides at will, Sonia took slow and deliberate decisions. During her tenure, she hardly replaced Congress chief ministers.

In 2002, after the results of the state elections in the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir were declared, the Congress found that it had won more seats than any other party, but its local ally, the People's Democratic Party, demanded that its nominee be made the chief minister.

Sonia called a meeting of party leaders. There, Pranab Mukherjee, in a minority of one, argued that keeping in mind the sensitivities of Kashmiri politics, the Congress should allow the PDP to assume power.

Two days later, Sonia Gandhi invited the head of the PDP, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, to her residence at 10, Janpath, and offered him the position of leader of the coalition in Jammu and Kashmir for the first half of the assembly's five-year term.

That was Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
'I think he had this in his head to go to different places, get some experience and then become the Congress president.'



IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi began his campaign for the assembly election in north Gujarat with a visit to the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, November 11, 2017.

Remember Sheela Bhatt's exclusive interview with Ahmed Patel on Rediff.com?

It was the first time that Patel -- Sonia Gandhi's political secretary -- had spoken at such length, and the interview created tremors in both the Congress party and its rival Bharatiya Janata Party.

You can read it here: 1, 2, 3.

Sheela has since moved from Rediff.com to the NewsX television network, where she spoke to Ahmed Patel after his boss stepped down as Congress president.

We publish the transcript of the interview with kind permission.

Part 1 of the interview: Only Soniaji can answer how active she will be'

Now, please read the second part of Sheela's interview with Ahmed Patel where he discusses Rahul Gandhi's rise to the Congress presidency, why Nitish Kumar left the Mahagathbandan in Bihar and his own future:

Don't you think there was some huge political issue that after ten years of Congress Raj, Congress got only 44 seats?

See the way their (the Bharatiya Janata Party) marketing was and the way we worked for ten years and whatever programmes we introduced -- whether it was MNREGA, RTI, RTE, food security etc.

So we could not market the revolutionary or the good work we had done. Our opposition, by putting wrong charges, won.

But then there was the 2g scam (this interview was recorded before the verdict in the 2G case)...

Can anyone prove that it was a scam of thousand crores of rupees?

This was a false allegation. And by doing wrong and false publicity people have been misled.

Ahmedbhai, don't you think the way Narendra D Modi came up as such a strong leader winning a majority of votes, it must be the result of some fault of yours too?

It wasn't that Narendra Modi was a strong or popular leader. It was anti-incumbency whose advantage they took. He was desperate to become a PM candidate. And we all know how he became the PM candidate.

How?

If there has been someone else instead of him as the PM candidate, even then this NDA government would have been formed. Maybe they would have got a few seats less.

Your relationship with Narendra Modi has been in the limelight. He quoted someone's tweet saying that Ahmed Patel would have been Gujarat CM...

I don't think it is right to say such a thing while sitting in such a high and respectable seat. He could have avoided this thing. It was an irresponsible statement.

Coming back to the 2014 elections, don't you think Congress was unsuccessful in hearing the voice of the common people?

When ministers use words like 'Hindu terrorism'...

See, every party has made some mistakes. But it is not that we were unsuccessful in explaining to the people.

They are realising today the programmes we gave and the benefits they reaped.

Whether it is about employment or increment, today people are praising that good work was done in ten years. But we could not reach out to the people...

But people also talk of corruption side by side...

This has been a wrong attempt at showing the Congress in the wrong light of corruption. It has only been three years till now for them (the BJP) too. See what happens in the future.

You are a senior Congress leader. An ordinary Congress worked would want to know why the high command is unable to run the party with a combination of experienced and young people? What are the reasons?

It is not like that. The history and achievements of the Congress, after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the children who were born must be 25/27 today. They do not know what the Congress did in the ten years.

Our opposition has been successful to an extent in convincing them. We were unable to do that.

But in the Gujarat elections this time, when Rahulji had his meetings, we mostly got to see young people. The youth were responsive when Rahulji came and spoke.

You maintained good relations with the Congress' allies. Now the Congress is slowly losing all its allies. The NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) is also sitting on the fence.

It is not that I alone was coordinating with allies, other people were engaging with them too. But being in power and maintaining relationships is different from being in the Opposition and maintaining relationships.

But it is because you are not giving hope which is why they left...

It is not so.

Then tell me, why do you think Nitish Kumar left?

Everyone knows why he left. I would not like to say anything on camera. The way he left and how he was criticised for it, everyone knows well.

Ahmedbhai, you have been with the Gandhi family and the Congress party for the last 40 years. What new message would you like to give to the new party president Rahul Gandhi?

I am very happy that he has taken over the position of Congress president. I have full faith, there is a lot of change in Rahul Gandhi.

I have seen him closely in Gujarat and I have full faith that with his coming, the Congress will get new energy and strength.

And the organisation will come up as a strong one which will be able to handle all the challenges that are in front of the party or the country.

Ahmedbhai, why did it take so long for Rahul Gandhi to become the Congress president when everyone knew this was going to happen?

I think he had this in his head to go to different places, get some experience and then become the president.

Do you think he will work Indira Gandhi style or Sonia Gandhi style?

No, he will work his own style.

What is his style?

His style is to take everyone along and make the Congress stronger. Everyone has their own style.

Ahmedbhai, what is your future?

I am here, I am in Parliament. Whatever work I will be given, I will do it.

But now even I am growing old, I have been in politics for 40 years now. Younger people should now be given opportunities.

Don't you think that somewhere the Congress' message is not reaching out to people? People are not absorbing it. Where do you think is the disconnect?

I don't think so. I have been observing for the last 6, 8 months and the message that should reach out to the people is reaching them.
The question is: Who misrepresented the facts to the then PM? It was not A Raja but Pulok Chatterjee, in consultation with T K A Nair, as he had suppressed the most relevant and controversial part of the letter of A Raja from the then Prime Minister, says the special CBI judge in his 2G spectrum case verdict.

The trial court verdict in the telecom scam, acquitting everyone indicted, had said then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not properly briefed by T K A Nair, and Pulok Chatterjee, two top officials in the Prime Ministers Office.

Judge O P Sainis observation, however, vindicates tainted telecom minister A Rajas stand that the latter had written to Singh before a letter of intent was issued to companies which had applied for spectrum in September 2007 . The court says the PM had asked Nair and Chatterjee to examine Rajas letter and prepare a note.

The file was placed before the PM on Jan 7, 2008. It is not clear from the record if this note was seen by (Singh) or not. However, it is clear somebody from the Prime Ministers Office had given a go-ahead to the department of telecommunications (DoT) for issue of new licences and, most probably, it was Pulok Chatterjee himself, as his note records that he had spoken to secretary (telecom), Saini noted in his 1,522-page judgment.

Thereafter only on the same day, the process of issue of Letters of Intent (LOIs) started with the recording of notes by Nitin Jain and A K Srivastava. Had the PMO hinted otherwise, DoT would not have dared to go ahead with the process of issue of LOIs, as secretary (telecom) only joined on January 1, 2008 and was quite new in his job. He (Siddhartha Behura) would not have dared to go against the PMO, the judge observed.

Raja first informed the then PM on November 2, 2007, about the cut-off date of inviting applications for licences. He told Singh the DoT had decided to issue LOIs to those who had applied on September 25, 2007.

Singh then wrote to Raja that the licences needed to be allocated in a transparent manner. Raja wrote to Singh on December 26, 2007, that he was following the earlier policy of first come, first served basis. Saini says Singh then directed Nair to examine the same urgently.

Chatterjee again discussed the issue with Nair and recorded a long note. He marked the file to Nair, who signed it on January 7, 2008. The file was sent to Singh the same day.

Saini says the note prepared by Chatterjee and Nair only talks of availability of spectrum. This note did not consider at all the issue of new licences, which were to be issued as per the changed criteria from date of application to date of payment, and was also the most controversial one.

Moreover, the note suffered from the vice of excessive length and technical jargon. It is lengthier than the letter of A Raja. The Prime Minister is a busy executive. Wherefrom would he find time to read such lengthy notes? A PM is not expected to be immersed in files. It was much easier and better for him to read and understand the letter of A Raja than this note of Pulok Chatterjee.

Saini further decides it was Chatterjee and Nair, who misrepresented the facts to Singh. The question is: Who misrepresented the facts to the then PM? It was not A Raja but Pulok Chatterjee, in consultation with T K A Nair, as he had suppressed the most relevant and controversial part of the letter of A Raja from the then Prime Minister.

Image: Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Photograph: Thierry Roge/Reuters.
Pakistani troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol, killing a Major and three soldiers, along the Line of Control in Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Saturday, officials said.

The latest violation of the ceasefire agreement took place at a time when Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was camping in Rajouri district headquarters to address people's grievances, they said.

A defence spokesman said Pakistani troops targeted the army patrol at Brat Galla in Keri sector at around 1215 hours.

"We suffered three fatal casualties including one officer in the incident. Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to their injuries. Two other personnel also sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment," the spokesman said.

Defence sources, however, said four army personnel were killed in the "unprovoked" firing.

The army, in a statement, said that Indian troops retaliated "strongly and effectively".

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh paid rich tributes to the slain soldiers and condemned Pakistan for the ceasefire violation.

"Pakistan is indulging in such cowardly actions and is being given a befitting response, but it does not desist from such cowardly acts," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Jammu.

Major Ambadas, 32, belonged to Bhandara district in Maharashtra and is survived by wife Avoli Moharkar, while Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, 34, belonged to Amritsar district in Punjab and is survived by wife kuljit Kaur and a daughter.

Sepoy Pargat Singh, 30, belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the Army said.

"Major Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail and Sepoy Pargat were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the army statement said.

The deputy chief minister said Pakistan has got isolated at the global stage, especially on the issue of terrorism.

"Pakistan is a terrorist state and it will not be too long before the country is declared a terrorist state by the world. It does not only support terrorism but also provide state sponsorship," Singh said.

Representative image
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who on Saturday met party leaders here to discuss assembly election results, claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's much talked-about Gujarat development model was debunked during the polls.

The Congress chief held zone-wise "introspection meetings" in Ahmedabad to ascertain reasons for the party's defeat.

"You fought very well. We managed to 'gherao' the BJP, as you could see that they were not able to give reply to our questions," Gandhi told party workers.

"Modiji, in the end, spoke about himself, about (former prime minister) Manmohan Singh. But all earlier talk about development and Modi model was debunked by Congress workers and the people of Gujarat," he said.

The entire country was asking what happened to the Gujarat model. Modiji would not be able to talk about it in the future, Gandhi said.

"The question asked three or four months ago was can the Congress fight elections, nobody was talking about us winning it. The Gujarat Congress has shown the entire country that if it fights in one voice on the basis of its ideology, it won't get defeated," he said.

"We lost in the elections, but we won. That is the reality. We won because they (the BJP) fought with anger, they had all the equipment, money, chief ministers of different states (to campaign), industrialists, but we had truth," the Congress chief said.

In the morning, Gandhi visited the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district.

While the BJP retained power in prime minister Modi's home state by winning 99 seats in the assembly polls earlier this month, the Congress increased its tally significantly by winning 77 seats.

Earlier, the newly appointed Congress president took a swipe at the ruling party saying if it had a film franchise it would be called "Lie Hard".

"If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard," he said on Twitter, while rhyming it with Hollywood action blockbuster Die Hard.

His attack on the BJP came a day after he accused the ruling dispensation of having its structure and foundation based on lies. He was speaking at the meeting of Congress's highest decision-making body, its Working Committee.

Gandhi has been using one-liner laced with satire to target the BJP in recent months. Gandhi also used three taglines on Twitter along with his remark.

Gandhi's attack came after the BJP targeted him for watching the film Star Wars on the day election results for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh were announced and his party lost the elections.
The Pakistan government has requested a Islamabad court not to consider Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-backed Milli Muslim League's plea seeking its registration as a political party, saying the group would breed violence and extremism in politics.

Saeed earlier this month had confirmed that his organisation Jammat-ud-Dawah would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the Milli Muslim League.

The MML had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan's order on October 11 that had declined its registration as a political party.

The interior ministry, in its written reply submitted to the Islamabad high court on the MML's petition, said that it opposed the group's registration as a political party as the group was an offshoot of proscribed entities.

Dawn newspaper reported that the government requested the court not to consider the MML's plea and dismiss the petition.

The ministry formed its opinion on the basis of a security agency's report which expressed apprehensions that the registration of the MML as a political party "would breed violence and extremism in politics".

According to the ministry's reply to the court, the MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jamaat-ud Dawa.

According to Political Parties Order 2002, organisations which act in the manner prejudicial to fundamental rights, undermine the integrity of Pakistan, promote sectarian, regional or provincial hatred, bear a name as a militant group and impart any military or paramilitary training to its members, do not qualify for registration as political party.

In it reply to the court, the interior ministry said a security agency had opined that "it is difficult to believe that the MML will tread its own path, completely at variance with its mother (LeT and JuD) organisations."

The agency "recommended that since registration of such groups would breed violence and extremism in politics, such groups be avoided," it said.

According to the reply, the LeT, JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation are facing United Nations sanctions, therefore, the interior ministry "furnished comments to the ECP that the registration of the MML, an offshoot of the same network of JuD/FIF (which apparent in MML as well), was not supported".

The JuD chief 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.

The MML had contested a bypoll in September for NA-120, a National Assembly seat that had fallen vacant following disqualification of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sheikh Yaqub, MML candidate, had secured 6,000 votes. Yaqub was placed in 2012 on a US Treasury sanctions list of those designated as leaders of terrorist organisations.
SOUTH BELOIT, Ill.  An Illinois lawmaker says a casino proposed for southern Wisconsin would deal an economic blow to an adjacent Illinois town.

The casino is being proposed by the Wisconsin city of Beloit and the Ho-Chunk Nation. Beloit officials and the Native American tribe shared results of a November economic impact study that shows the casino would employ 1,500 people.

But Republican Sen. Dave Syverson of Rockford said the casino would devastate Rockford by taking away business from Rockfords convention center and other businesses. It would include an indoor water park, a hotel and convention center

That would shut Magic Waters down, Syverson told The Rockford Register Star. They would have Tier 1 concerts; that would wipe the Coronado and BMO (Harris Bank Center) out.

Syverson said the project still faces some hurdles to gain federal and state approvals.

Beloit City Manager Lori Luther said she expects the Department of Interiors Bureau of Indian Affairs to approve the project by the end of next year. She said that President Donald Trumps administration is looking at creating jobs. Luther said the casino project has been in the works since 2012.

It looks very promising that progress is going to be made in moving forward, said Wilfrid Cleveland, president of the Ho-Chunk Nation. The Trump administration seems a lot more aggressive in wanting to get things done.

Luther said Gov. Scott Walker is expected to consider approving the casino in 2019. Backers of the $405.5 million casino said its expected to open in 2021.
HARTFORD  More than 200 people joined State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier recently at an inspirational ceremony at the Legislative Office Building to celebrate 100 ninth-grade students and 100 high school seniors who were selected as recipients of a 2017 CHET Advance Scholarship.

The enthusiasm and promise that these students represent make this one of my favorite nights of the year, said Treasurer Nappier, Trustee of the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET). These are kids with a vision for their future, and its especially gratifying to know that this scholarship will help them to further their dreams.

Local students included freshmen Trevor Rinaldi, Harwinton, Christopher Lee, Torrington, and Abigail Luis, Sophia McSherry and Isabella Weber, all of New Milford; and seniors Hannah Littlefield and Sunita Pfitzner, New Milford, Alicia Davis, Warren, Brandon Barnosky and Broghan Henebery of Watertown, and Amber Basso and Marshall Shields of Winsted.

2017 is the fifth year of the CHET Advance Scholarship program, which awards $2,500 scholarships to high school seniors and an initial $2,000 in scholarships to freshmen. The freshmen have the opportunity to receive an additional $500 if the students family saves $500 in a CHET account by the time the student goes to college.

Among the speakers at the Dec. 1 ceremony was past scholarship recipient DarRon Brown, who told the audience, On this evening I would like to take the time to encourage the seniors here tonight. I was in your seats a few years back thinking that I had my life all together and figured out. But when you get to college, let me explain that the bills don't stop, the stress doesnt stop. You have to keep pressing on. You may fall but get back up.

Brown was one of the first 200 students in Connecticut to receive the CHET Advance Scholarship when the program launched in 2013.

Also speaking at the ceremony were two high school seniors, as recipients of a 2107 scholarship: Jessica Aca-Tecuanhuehue, from Central High School in Bridgeport; and Michael Austin, from Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury. Aca-Tecuanhuehue spoke of being one of seven children and, with her father as sole breadwinner, that the scholarship has given me the opportunity to cover basic school needs. Austin noted that he has applied to five schools, at a cost of almost $500, so the scholarship will be really helpful. I assure you it will definitely be put to good use, he said.

Treasurer Nappier, in her remarks, told the students, Know this: As long as you believe that the sky is the limit, it will be. So, if entering the CHET Advance Scholarship contest and winning has inspired or encouraged you to step up your commitment to your future, then youre already on the path to success. Now all you have to do is work to stay on that path.

The winners, who were randomly selected from a pool of more than 3,300 applicants, hail from high schools across the state. All five congressional districts are represented among the winners. Of the winners, 117 are girls and 83 are boys.[1]

The process of researching, applying for and deciding what college to go to is incredibly stressful for students and families. If we are able to help reduce that stress level by a small amount or help fill the cost gap with CHET Advance Scholarship, then thats a win in my book, Treasurer Nappier said.

CHET Advance Scholarship is administered by the Connecticut Higher Education Trust, Connecticuts 529 college savings plan. As Trustee of CHET, Treasurer Nappier negotiated for the establishment of the scholarship program. TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. and The Hartford, plan managers for CHET Direct-Sold and CHET Advisor-Sold, respectively, contribute annually into a scholarship account to finance the scholarship program, under their contracts with the Treasurers Office to manage CHET 529. No state funds are used for awards issued under CHET Advance Scholarship.

To ensure the impartiality of the random drawings, International Scholarship and Tuition Services, which has more than 25 years of scholarship administration experience, administers the selection process with oversight from TIAA.

For more information about CHET Direct, visit www.aboutchet.com or call the customer service center at 866-314-3939. Or go to facebook.com/CHETcollegesavings or on Twitter (@CHET529).
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At 11:28 a.m. Thursday, winter officially arrives.

And with that comes a forecast with a variety of winter weather that could affect holiday travelers.

On Thursday we will have no weather worries. Skies will be sunny and temperatures in the mid-30s.

On Friday there is a chance of snow. The snow is expected turn to rain in southern Connecticut and continue through Saturday.

However, travelers heading to northern destinations like upstate New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine will have some moderate snow to deal with.

Winter weather advisories have already been posted for Friday for northern New York as well as central and northern Vermont with up to seven inches of snow.

In the Boston area, snow is likely after 3 p.m.

Here are some highlights of the National Weather Services forecast discussion for Connecticut for the days ahead:

Friday night into Saturday precipitation should increase and be all rain, though cannot totally rule out some mixed precipitation Friday evening across interior southern Connecticut.

Rain should be light Friday night, then become moderate during the day on Saturday. As a warm front lifts to the north on Saturday, temperatures in New York City and along the coast should rise to the lower/mid 50s, and to the mid/upper 40s inland.

Mainly dry and colder weather should briefly return for Sunday.

Low pressure is likely to develop off the Mid Atlantic coast Sunday night and bring a variety of weather to the area from then into Monday, primarily rain at the coast, mixed precipitation inland from NYC east, and all snow well northwest of New York City.

That said, all areas may eventually see some snowflakes at some point on Christmas Day as colder air surges in on a blustery northwest flow behind the intensifying low as it passes east of New England.

The forecast

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. Wind chill values between 10 and 20. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. Light and variable wind.

Friday: A chance of snow between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., then a chance of rain after 1 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 36. Wind chill values between 20 and 30. East wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Friday Night: Rain, mainly after midnight. Temperature rising to around 41 by 5 a.m. Wind chill values between 30 and 35. East wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday: Rain. Patchy fog after noon. High near 47. Light and variable wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Saturday night: Rain likely before 9 p.m., then a chance of showers between 9 p.m. and midnight. Patchy fog before 9 p.m. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39.

Sunday night: A chance of snow before 9 p.m, then a chance of rain, snow, and sleet between 9 p.m and midnight, then snow, freezing rain, and sleet likely after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Chance of precipitation is 70 .

Christmas Day: A 50 percent chance of snow showers before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 36.
Mr. Machrophages nickname is Munch, since the green anteater-like creature gobbles up cancer cells for lunch.

Twinkle and Sparkle are T-cells with immunity power, while Glow is a killer T-cell fighting cancer.

The fictitious characters are part of a childrens book created by a retired art teacher to help children battling cancer to better understand their real-life immune systems and the power of cells within the body.

The Immune System Super Duper Team was written and illustrated by Sharon Reilly Caldwell, a former elementary school art teacher who in 2013 was diagnosed with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, a rare, slow-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Reilly Caldwell, who lives in Green Lake, was inspired to write the book after undergoing 33 blood transfusions as part of her treatment and was among those at Fridays 32nd annual Red Cross Holiday Blood Drive at the Alliant Energy Center thanking donors for their willingness to give.

I just want to thank the donors for keeping me alive, said Reilly Caldwell, 64, who is in remission. Everybody hears of the Red Cross during disasters, but I am the wife, mother, teacher, friend, neighbor, who needed blood to stay alive. I just really wanted to get that point across that sometimes its just for a single person.

The Holiday Blood Drive draws hundreds of donors and over 100 volunteers, and is the largest blood drive of the year for the Madison-based Badger-Hawkeye Blood Service Region. Since its inception, the annual event has collected more than 21,000 pints of blood and on Friday had a goal of 690 pints.

The event in Exhibition Hall included a piano player, free T-shirts and volunteers dressed in Christmas sweaters and Santa hats. Dozens of donation cots were set up with donors getting more than cheese and crackers after their donation was completed. The menu included hot ham and turkey sandwiches, bagels, fruit and Christmas cookies. On their way out they could also grab packages of donuts, cupcakes, bread, pie and cake donated by Hy-Vee and arranged by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which also brought several volunteers.

The blood drive is typically held on the morning of Christmas Eve but is held on a weekday when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday or Monday so that more people attend and staff and volunteers are more readily available. To keep up with demand, the region, which covers much of Wisconsin and part of Iowa, needs to collect 455 pints a day.

The past year has included several natural disasters like hurricanes Irma and Harvey and wildfires, which interrupt blood collection in those areas. That means other parts of the country must fill those voids while still meeting the demand for their own region, said Tom Mooney, regional chief operating officer and chapter executive for the Wisconsin Region of the American Red Cross.

We just need more people just to try it, Mooney said of donating. It has been a challenge this year. Inventory is the key. We need roughly 80,000 units on the shelves (nationally) on a daily basis for us to maintain our inventory. When you handle 40 percent of the blood inventory in the U.S., thats quite a responsibility.

Reilly Caldwell grew up in Florida and attended UW-Madison. She spent 18 years in the DeForest School District and seven years in the Green Lake School District before being forced to retire due to her diagnosis. The idea for the book came in 2014 on a sleepless night. Hours later, she had written much of the text and sketched out the images for the book, which was self-published and available on Amazon.

The words for the book came pouring through me, Reilly Caldwell said. I thought that if I cant be teaching theres got to be a way to help children who are fighting (cancer), especially lymphoma.

Reilly Caldwell is now working on a coloring book for children going through chemotherapy and inspired her husband of 34 years, Doug Caldwell, to donate on Friday for the first time since 1975, when he was 21 years old and studying chemical engineering at UW-Madison. He even found and brought along his donor card from 42 years ago.

This is just a way to give a little something back, said Caldwell, 63, who owns and operates a lumber mill in Columbus. I think Ill be a more regular donor now.
[PETERSBURG] A 24-year-old Petersburg man is being sought in a recent carjacking on Interstate 85.

Petersburg police described Tony James Woodley as being 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 195 pounds. His last known address was in the 700 block of High Street.

Police said Woodley is wanted for grand larceny, reckless driving, and driving on a suspended license.

The victim in the Dec. 13 incident remains in the hospital and is in stable condition, police said.
Time magazine has put together a list of its Top 10 photos of the year, and Ryan M. Kellys photo of a vehicle running into a crowd during the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12 made the list.

The attack killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer, and last week the city of Charlottesville formally designated a section of Fourth Street Northeast as Honorary Heather Heyer Way.

A grand jury last week indicted James Alex Fields Jr. on all 10 charges he faced in the car attack that killed Heyer, including first-degree murder. Fields faces a penalty of 20 years to life in prison on the murder charge.

In a preliminary hearing on Thursday, prosecutors upgraded the charge from second- to first-degree murder.

Kelly is a former staff photographer at The Daily Progress and now lives in Richmond.
A Virginia businessman who used shell companies to fraudulently apply for nearly a thousand foreign workers visas will spend 28 months in federal prison before he is likely deported to India.

Also, his wife and U.S.-born son are being sent back.

For years Raju Kosuri ran what prosecutors in Alexandria federal court described as a visa-for-sale system using the H1-B program for specialized foreign workers, making over $20 million in the process. He pleaded guilty last year to visa fraud and making false statements.

President Donald Trump has frequently criticized the H1-B program, at times suggesting he would eliminate it altogether.

Kosuri, 45, was initially facing far more prison time as leader of the fraud conspiracy. Judge Leonie M. Brinkema said in court Friday that problems with the prosecution of the case led to a more lenient sentence, but that she had to send a message to anyone considering similar malfeasance.

The H1-B visa program has the potential to yield great financial rewards, the judge said. The temptation is there.

Kosuris wife, Smriti Jharia, 46, is one of the immigrants he illegally sponsored. She pleaded guilty to falsely obtaining naturalization and agreed Friday to move back to India immediately and give up her American citizenship. She said their son, a native U.S. citizen who has never lived in India, will go with her.

Steve McCool, Jharias attorney, said his client was grateful that she was permitted to voluntarily remove herself from the United States. Unfortunately, her son has to pay a heavy price for her criminal conduct.

Charges against three other defendants allegedly involved in the scheme were dismissed after Brinkema found prosecutors had failed to turn over relevant evidence, according to court records. A sixth defendant was allowed to withdraw her guilty plea; she went to trial earlier this month and a verdict has not yet been reached.

This has been a long and unusual case, said Kosuris attorney, Stuart Sears. He regrets his conduct, and he and his family have paid a tremendous price.

Starting in 2000, Kosuri launched over a dozen businesses that claimed to provide information technology services out of Danville. In fact, he admitted they existed merely as vehicles to obtain visas for Indian nationals who would actually work elsewhere.

Kosuri, who immigrated from India in 1999 and was a lawful permanent resident, was paid millions by the companies where those visa recipients worked. Kosuri also obtained millions in bank financing by misrepresenting his business, as well as a $500,000 grant from the Virginia Tobacco Commission. He and his wife tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to win federal contracts through the Small Business Administration through one of the companies.

In 2015, 71 percent of H-1B visa recipients came from India, according to a 2016 DHS. Giant multinational outsourcing firms based in India every year submit tens of thousands of applications for workers in the technology and engineering fields.

If fraud like the (Kosuris) becomes too prevalent, the result may be that the H-1B process is severely cut back, Assistant United States Attorney Jack Hanly wrote in a court filing. That would be a major setback for those who use the program honestly and benefit from its availability.
This Indie Guitarist Is Paying Off His House Thanks To Streaming Revenue.

Here Chris Robley reveals the DIY success story that is Lance Allen, an artist who doesn't tour or sell merch, but is able to earn a full time living from music through the combined revenue of guitar lessons and money generated from streams on Pandora, Spotify, and YouTube.

___________________________

Guest post by Chris Robley of DIY Musician

The music career of Lance Allen is a true DIY success story. He doesnt tour. He doesnt rely on merch sales to pay the mortgage. He isnt a household name. And yet hes earning a full-time living in music by balancing guitar lessons with streaming revenue. That money hes generating from Pandora, Spotify, and YouTube is a pretty sizable portion of his overall earnings too. Its enough to buy a new guitar every month, but instead hes using it to pay off his house.

Hows streaming working so well for him? I asked.

An interview with Lance Allen, the Guitarlancer

CR: Your main focus is clear from the calls-to-action at the very top of your website homepage: drive action on Spotify and Pandora. Why those platforms? Why not touring? iTunes? YouTube? CD sales?

LA: Spotify and Pandora Radio have the largest audience, and thats the reason why theyre my main focus. Plus it has been a source of income for me.

In late 2015, I was lucky and one of my songs was chosen for the new playlist on Spotify called Acoustic Concentration. A Skype guitar student that I teach told me about this. I didnt know what to expect really, considering most people in the industry complain about Spotifys royalty rates. The first payment I received was somewhere in the tune of $700 and I was floored! I didnt know how long it would last, but I held out hope. It kept going and eventually the playlist switched up songs and I remained on there. This stayed constant, but I wasnt doing any research until earlier in 2017, when I accidentally stumbled on a short book called The Slotify Method by George Goodrich. This book and the CD Baby PDF on how to get added to playlists put a fire in my feet and I got started right away. Ive done most of the things suggested in each of the pamphlets, and it has worked greatly.

As far as touring, I dont need to do that. I have a successful guitar lesson business and a family at home. Its quite nice to be at home with the family. I do the occasional gig at coffee houses, weddings, or corporate events. Its at those type of things that I bring physical CDs. I have a box with a hole in the top and lay my CDs around the box and have a sign that says, Pay the box, take a CD. Any amount is ok. Enjoy! This seems to work great, because most people pay more for the CD than they would normally.

YouTube is strong for me. I started in 2006 posting videos of my arrangements on guitar. My camera got better, sound got better, and everything else fell into place. I do generate a little income from the AdSense. YouTube is very friendly with Google, so whenever I release a song Ill make a live performance of me playing it and link to my Spotify and Pandora artist pages, as well as where you can buy tablature or sign up for lessons. Sometimes Ill do multiple videos of the same song on various guitar brands to get more keyword juice going. Every little bit helps. You just have to keep the content going.

CR: What, if any, are the unique opportunities that Pandora and Spotify offer instrumental music?

LA: I have found that businesses all over the globe are using Spotify and Pandora to stream instrumental music in their shops and offices. Whether its a coffee shop, a boutique store, gift shops, or doctors offices, they use these platforms typically to play instrumental music. A lot of them use existing playlists, but some create their own. So there is a lot of opportunity for me in these areas. Still learning about them.

So, you currently have half a million monthly listeners on Spotify, but take us back to Day 1: How did you get those first 1000 listeners? The first 10,000 listeners? Can you walk me through the real foundational steps for driving interest in your music? And how much of your success was the result of engaging your existing audience vs. reaching out to playlist curators?

I cant remember really what my earliest numbers were like as I didnt pay much attention until I saw some income from being on Acoustic Concentration.

After reading up on how to get on playlists, here are some of the things I started doing:

Posting screenshots of my artist page to Instagram and using pre-loaded hashtags for reach. I did this daily!

Using Twitter to promote the playlist I was already on, as well as encouraging people to follow me on Spotify.

Finding playlist owners and asking them to add me to one of their playlists.

Becoming acquainted with Spotify editorial departments on LinkedIn.

Speaking of, how DID you reach out to playlisters? Whats the method in terms of research, pitching, promoting, and so forth?

I did a search on Spotify using keywords that pertained to my genre of music (Acoustic Guitar, fingerstyle guitar, instrumental guitar, study music and so on. There are a lot!) I set about an hour each morning while I enjoyed my single origin pour-over coffee to do this. I searched out the creators of the playlist on Facebook and Twitter. I matched up photos, and requested them to be a friend, along with sending them a message telling them about my music and how it would fit nicely into their playlist. Its very tedious work and some playlist curators dont even get onto social media. The key is to stay persistent with it and then the ones that matter end up connecting with you and help you out.

I know from when I met you in person at the DIY Musician Conference that you have a confident way of promoting your music, without it seeming cloying or arrogant. Is that just your natural demeanor, or did you have to work to acquire those skills of self-promotion? What part do you think that confidence plays in your career successes?

Confidence is one of my major strengths! If you have a dream or are very passionate about making a living doing something you love, you have to be willing to do what it takes to succeed. Ive learned this through growing my guitar lesson business and meeting people. You never know who is going to be the next person to help you out. They may recommend you, buy a CD, or support your fundraisers. Or put you on their playlist!

Ive read a lot of books on self selling, and making friends and influencing people. One that especially got me going was The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone. After listening to that book on audio, I found myself putting in ten times the effort! There are a lot of great books out there on making yourself sellable and influential.

What have been some of the letdowns or failures youve experienced along the way, and how did you pick yourself back up?

The letdown is not being able to reach someone with a user generated playlist I know will help me. Im focused on getting onto the playlist that users create because that in turn gets my name on the Spotify curators radar.

Something that I do to help with keeping persistent is having a goal sheet written in bold sharpie just above my computer. I try my best to keep at it, regardless of a failing outcome. I have seen results from my efforts, so I just keep with it. I find that I learn new things and techniques along the way. This hasnt happened yet, but getting pulled from a playlist would be a disappointment. Especially a Spotify playlist, as their independent curators are ghosts and difficult to have direct contact with. However I would keep pushing, because it is my goal to succeed with my music.

Taking a look at your discography, you put out albums every few years, with two related albums in 2017, but you also started dropping a bunch of singles over the past year. What effect did putting out music more frequently have on your musics streaming performance?

Releasing singles has been the best thing for me. It keeps listeners engaged with my artist profile. I started releasing covers too, because CD Baby makes it so easy to do. That has been a game changer! People love hearing cover songs. And because mine are all instrumental, they get put on big playlists, like Instrumental Pop Covers.

The two related albums are String Poet and String Poet Guitar Solos. One of the releases has the violins and cellos in the mix and the other is just solo guitar. I did this because of a playlister who only wanted solo guitar. It got me on the playlist, so it was worth releasing them that way.

In August 2017 one of my songs got placed on the Peaceful Guitar playlist, which is a Spotify playlist with half a million followers at the time. Im quite confident that this happened as a result of being prolific on the platform. The pay from Spotify streams is big for me. I could easily buy a new guitar each month if I wanted, but its paying my house off!

In October I decided to record a song just for the Peaceful Guitar playlist. I didnt know how it would go, but I did it anyway. I listened to the playlist and created a song that would fit. I took into consideration that most of the songs on there were nylon string and quite peaceful, so I got some new strings and went to work. I even gave it a title in the same manner as the other tracks in the playlist, Raining Slowly. It wasnt a lot of work really. I sat in my living room with my laptop, GarageBand, a single AKG microphone, and a Focusrite preamp and recorded one take of an idea that I had. I took an iPhone photo of my guitar and used Font Candy to make a title on the photo. This ended up being my cover for the release. I got the song uploaded on Spotify and on day one it was placed on the Peaceful Guitar playlist!

Took me about 1.5 hours to do this tune and now its a part of my income. Holy Cow that was awesome. Im doing what I can now to replicate that.

Whats the basic checklist of things you do to promote each single?

Make sure you are ready to post in every social media outlet, tagging people, messaging your friends who have created playlists (you know, the ones you met from doing the research).

Make a YouTube performance video, linking everything together. You can also make a video with the audio layed underneath your cover photo of the release. That seems to help as well. Dont forget to put links in every video.

Besides frequent releases and pitching to playlists, what else are you doing to drive Spotify engagement?

Creating and promoting my own playlists. Ive created a playlist that is growing quickly called Acoustic Guitar Cafe.

Its a lot of my friends who play guitar similar to me. I just recently asked every artist on there if they would be interested in chipping in $20 for a Spotify ad to promote the playlist. I was able to get a decent budget on a Spotify ad to promote the playlist. This will hopefully help find new followers and listeners of our music. Its also started a discussion with some of the artists where were sharing stats and techniques of what is working to get our music heard.

What are you doing to drive Pandora streams? Are you using AMP?

I use AMP every day or every other day. I try to post artist messages that are personal, sometimes funny. The key is to connect with people that are listening. Being that its instrumental, I can provide a short blurb about why I wrote the tune. Things like that generate thumbs up, which in turn brings your music up more often.

What role does data play in shaping your strategies? Do you make a habit of looking at analytics?

I look at the analytic all the time. In fact I cant wait until 11 CST to see the artist.spotify update. That tells me if Ive gotten on any new playlist. I also used the data when creating the Spotify ad to promote my playlist. Im eying the AMP data as well, to see if my artist messages are working and possibly making conversions or new listeners and fans.

So what are some of your big picture goals?



Id love to earn a complete living with streaming revenue, and in fact Id love to say that I paid my house off with streaming bucks. Im well on the way.

Also, Id like to see my music in the movies or TV eventually. I know in the music business its all about who you know. Im already in a library, so just hoping a music supervisor picks it up and hears it.

I didnt quite make it, but I tried to get nominated for a Grammy this year. Although I dont need a Grammy to succeed with this, it would be neat to get a nomination. So I will continue to submit every year I do album.

Who are your musical idols  and have your songs appeared alongside some of theirs in curated playlists?

Yes! One is Phil Keaggy, and it was a dream to have him on one of my songs, Blue Ireland. Tommy Emmanuel is another big influence, and I hope to one day record something with him.

Whats the next year look like for you?

Next year Pandora will have increased, as well as Spotify numbers. I will be releasing more Christmas music for the holidays as well as an album of cover songs. I may even do an original album of peaceful guitar music or possibly a Volume 2 to my String Poet album that everyone has loved. I may even look into doing an electric guitar album or something in the smooth jazz style of music. That elevator music pays too!

Chris Robley is the Editor of CD Baby's DIY Musician Blog. I write Beatlesque indie-pop songsthat've been praised by No Depression, KCRW, The LA Times, & others. My poems have appeared in Poetry Magazine, Prairie Schooner, The Poetry Review, & more. I live in Maine and like peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, a little too much.

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With apologies to the New York Sun.

DEAR EDITOR:

I am 8 years old.

Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.

Papa says, If you see it in THE SUN its so.

Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia OHanlon

115 West Ninety-Ffifth Street

Virginia, your little friends are right. There used to be a Santa Claus, but not anymore.

Oh, he is real, dear girl. He most certainly exists. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist. But he has gotten out of the gift-giving game.

It all started a few years ago when agents from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration stormed into his workshop, waving a warrant. An elf disgruntled over Santas decision not to stock decaf in the break room had dropped a dime, and when the agents arrived they found more than a dozen violations of federal rules.

Elves were making toys without proper safety equipment. Melted ice on the floor had pooled, creating a slip-and-fall hazard. There was no eye-wash station or Automated External Defibrilator in the facility, let alone an ADA-compliant sign for one ... it went on and on. They walloped Santa with more than $70,000 in fines, those inspectors did, and forced him to come up with a remediation plan approved by a court-appointed special master within 60 days. That sort of took the wind out of old Santas sails, if you know what I mean.

He was just getting over that when he was served with a certified, cease-and-desist letter from the lawyers at Mattel, accusing him of copyright infringement. Some of the trains the elves had been making looked too much like Mattels Thomas the Tank Engine (at least so far as Mattel was concerned), and the company threatened to haul Santa into court for theft of intellectual property. He took it pretty hard, I must say.

Still, he probably would have let it go eventually if it hadnt been for the incident with the fighter jets. One of Santas little helpers had, rather unhelpfully, forgotten to file a flight plan with the Federal Aviation Administration. So when radar picked up something that looked like a sleigh being pulled across the sky by eight tiny reindeer, a couple of nervous Nellies at the Pentagon grew concerned. Reindeer and sleighs simply do not fly  that is official Defense Department doctrine, Virginia. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be mens or childrens, are little.

The Pentagons little minds grew even more jittery when they calculated that this sleigh, which they figured was probably Russian or Chinese, was transecting the hemisphere at speeds of roughly 1,800 miles per second. That is more than 3,000 times faster than the maximum speed of the F-15 Strike Eagle, the fastest plane in the U.S. military. So they sent up an entire squadron of F-22 Raptors from Tyndall Air Force Base to inform Santa that he was violating U.S. air space and bring him down for a frank heart-to-heart.

Well, Santas droll little mouth drew down in a frown, and his knees shook, but not like a bowlful of jelly. More like a handful of maracas. Santa tried to explain that NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, was tracking him already, but they werent buying it. Inter-service rivalry. You know how it is.

After that everybody seemed to pile on. Animal-rights activists tried to sneak a hidden camera into the reindeer stables to catch Santa doing whatever it was he must be doing to poor Rudolph to make his nose glow red. They were soon followed by a bunch of half-naked women from PETA who objected to making reindeer fly at all. The elves thought the demonstration was pretty spiffy, but Mrs. Claus did not approve, not one little bit.

Then the social-justice crowd got into the act. They were outraged by the idea of a white Christmas  let alone a straight, white, cisgender male running around the world acting like he was Gods gift to children or something. #WhitePrivilegeChristmas started trending on Twitter, and it turned into a pretty vicious flame war.

Santa still would have stuck it out, I think, if it hadnt been for the neighborhood watches. A woman in Arkansas posted a message on Facebook about how some fat, bearded creep had climbed down her chimney in the middle of the night  and the next thing Santa knew, every time he landed on a roof he took incoming fire from camouflaged vigilantes with AR-15s and Winchester .308s.
A fair number of Virginians have been shocked to learn that the winner of the tied contest in the 94th House of Delegates race will be chosen by, essentially, picking a name out of a hat. But is that really such a terrible way to decide elections? Imagine how things might look today if  to pick a totally random example  thats how the GOP had chosen its 2016 presidential nominee.

Its been over a week since the FCC repealed net neutrality. Yet somehow the internet is still working just fine. Imagine!

Virginia Tech receives largest single gift ever, $15.2 million, to build new classrooms and offices for English Department, the Times-Dispatch reported earlier this week. Ha, ha! Good one, right? In reality, the donation will build a new dining hall for student athletes. Because, when you come right down to it, thats what college is really all about, isnt it?

And speaking of higher ed: U.Va.s board of visitors recently recommended a tuition hike. In related news, Gov. Terry McAuliffes budget recommends $149 million in general-fund spending for U.Va.  a 14 percent increase over 2013.

On the plus side, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education reports that while far too many schools still sustain oppressive speech codes, such codes are diminishing  while the number of schools adopting free-speech statements is rising.

The GOP has passed its tax reform bill in the dark of night and devoid of bipartisan support. The tactics used were the same the Democrats employed to pass their Affordable Care Act during the wee hours in 2009. That makes the two parties even-steven. Maybe now they can declare a truce and begin to work together. It would be a Christmas miracle.

Years of conservative attacks on the Internal Revenue Service have greatly diminished the ability of agency regulators to oversee political activities by charities and other nonprofits, according to The Washington Post. Who says the press never prints good news?
Sometimes, neighborhoods have colorful pre-development histories that have slipped out of the popular memory. By the time a developer shows up and surveys what looks like standard farmland and woodlands, the details have grown fuzzy, and the landscape itself offers few clues. In the case of The Forest, a quiet subdivision in Goochland County, the details include mules and the Civil War.

In the 1860s, the 340-acre property, which was then a farm called The Forest, belonged to a colonel in the Civil War who raised mules on the site for the Confederate Army, said Richard M. Dick Nelms, a retired real estate agent and developer.

Now, this is all third-hand, but thats what I was told, said Nelms, who formed Bowers Nelms & Fonville with two business partners in 1967.

According to historic records, in the course of the 19th century the property was also owned by two members of the Virginia House of Delegates, one of whom was a Civil War general and an owner of Richmonds Tredegar Ironworks.

The history was intriguing, but its not why Nelms bought the property in 1973. He was simply looking for a place to settle down with his family in the country. He had already bought a parcel of land a couple of miles away from The Forest and planned to build there, but once he saw The Forest, he changed his mind.

It was a much more attractive property, Nelms said.

So he bought The Forest with the intention of subdividing it into 25 parcels. He planned to keep 50 acres for himself and sell the remaining parcels for residential construction.

Nelms knew exactly where he wanted to live. A house built by Thomas Pleasants, a Quaker and wealthy landowner, shortly after he bought the property in 1776 was still standing on a prominent hill, and Nelms hoped to renovate it for his own use.

I had some people look at it, but it was too far gone to save, Nelms said.

Still, he managed to salvage stones, brick and wide-plank flooring from the house, and he built a 4,961-square-foot, Georgian-style house on the site. (In addition to using the salvaged materials in the new house, Nelms also used some of the salvaged stone to build low columns at the subdivisions entrance, near the intersection of state Routes 6 and 645.)

Nelms developed the land himself, installing the streets and siting the parcels with an eye to the most picturesque setting for each prospective house. He also built a 9-acre pond.

Nelms finished construction on his house in 1974, and he listed the other parcels for sale that same year. Sales and construction of new houses continued through the 1990s.

Today, The Forest has 22 custom-built homes. Architectural styles are fairly evenly divided among Colonial, Cape and Contemporary, with a small number of Transitional-style houses rounding out the mix, said Sarah Mumford, a real estate agent with Long & Foster.

Lot sizes range from 12 to 28 acres, with an average of just under 13 acres.

Each property has an individualized look and feel, said Lee Mumford, a real estate agent with Long & Foster.

Historically, homes in The Forest have gone on the market infrequently, Sarah Mumford said. So far this year, though, four have sold, with another one pending.

Among this years sales was the Nelms-built house, which Otway and Laurie Wallace bought from its second owner. (Sarah Mumford was the listing agent for the property.)

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Wallaces were attracted to the area for the same reasons Nelms was nearly 50 years ago.

We wanted to be in the country, Laurie Wallace said. We were looking for the feel of the countryside with rolling hills, and this had the feel of an old farmhouse.

Its an enduring attraction, Sarah Mumford said. People like that big-sky feeling. And its a relaxed style of living. The breezes that blow through The Forest dont blow the same way in the city.

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A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Massive Victory For Songwriters, Publishers As Court Allows Fractional Licensing  BMI, ASCAP React

[UPDATED] In a major victory for songwriters and publishers, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled against the U.S. Department of Justice which had sought to end the practice of fractional music licensing.

The U.S. Second Circuit agreed with Judge Louis L. Stantons September 16, 2016 decision that the BMI consent decree allows for the practice of fractional licensing.

This is a massive victory for songwriters, composers, music publishers and the entire industry<" said Mike ONeill, President and CEO of BMI in a statement." We have said from the very beginning that BMI s consent decree allowed for fractional licensing, and we are incredibly gratified that Judge Stanton and the Second Circuit agreed with our position.

"We thank all the songwriters, composers, publishers and organizations who supported us throughout this process, which unfortunately, has been a nearly two-year distraction from our original intent which was to update our outdated consent decree and modernize music licensing," he continued. "We look forward to our continued efforts to protect and grow the value of music.

From Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP CEO:

"The Second Circuits ruling today is an important victory for music creators across the country. The Court affirms what we have known all along, that the right of public performance allows for the fractional licensing of musical works in our repertories, and the consent decrees do not limit that right. ASCAP and BMI can now continue to offer blanket licenses to our hundreds of thousands of licensees that contain all the shares of works that are in our repertories and the livelihoods of our 650,000 ASCAP songwriter, composer and publisher members can continue to depend on a strong collective licensing system. ASCAP remains committed to making music licensing more efficient, effective and transparent for todays digital music marketplace.

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RICHMOND  After calling for sweeping campaign finance reforms during last years Democratic primary, governor-elect Ralph Northam is accepting five-figure checks from some of Virginias biggest corporate donors to fund his inauguration.

Dominion Energy, the states top public service corporation whose bankrolling of Virginia politics has made some lawmakers increasingly uneasy, contributed $50,000 to Northams inaugural committee earlier this month, the same amount the company has given to help celebrate the last four incoming governors.

Northams committee received an additional $50,000 from the tobacco giant Altria, and took in $25,000 each from Anthem, Capital One, Hunton & Williams and Aetna Life & Casualty, well-known players in health care, banking, legal and insurance.

Combined, the inaugural committee has taken in more than $250,000 from corporate or business donors, according to data on large donations compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project.

The committee has reported raising almost $650,000 so far, including a $67,795 transfer from Northams PAC and several big checks from Democratic donors.

Though Northam isnt the first governor-elect to accept corporate assistance to pay for his inaugural festivities, hell be sworn in Jan. 13 amid what seems to be growing scrutiny of Virginias lax campaign finance system.

While competing for the Democratic nomination against former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, an anti-corporate reformer who swore off donations from Dominion and other regulated utilities, Northam called for banning corporate and business donations and capping most contributions at $10,000.

At the time, Northam said Virginias system alienates its citizens and makes them lose faith in government. But Northams campaign said he would not unilaterally disarm by imposing the restrictions on himself, adding that the push for reform would come after he was elected governor.

Northam has not yet begun rolling out specific legislative proposals for 2018.

Asked about the decision to accept corporate donations, a spokesperson for Northams inauguration committee said the generosity of Virginian people and businesses allows Northam to focus on getting to work when his administration formally begins.

This years inauguration is about bringing the entirety of the Commonwealth together, and the committee appreciates support from any Virginian, person, group or business, that supports our mission, said Northam spokesperson Christina Freundlich. The Northam Inaugural Committee is a 501(c)(4), meaning that the funds raised cannot be used for political purposes. The goal is to set the foundation for a government that works together to do whats best for Virginia.

Josh Stanfield, the executive director of the progressive group Activate Virginia, circulated a pledge this year asking Democratic candidates for the House of Delegates to refuse money from Dominion and Appalachian Power.

Stanfield said Northams decision to take corporate cash for the inauguration makes it all the more imperative that the new governor deliver on the reforms he championed during the campaign.

I think this really just ups the ante, Stanfield said. OK, youre going to take this money. Obviously youre not responsive to the grass-roots pressure on this point. But you were running on a pretty serious, sweeping campaign finance reform. So hes got to move on it.

Though Northam called for banning all corporate donations without singling out any particular interest, utilities such as Dominion and Appalachian Power have come under extra scrutiny due to the frequent business they have at the statehouse as regulated utilities.

Environmental activists have repeatedly confronted current Gov. Terry McAuliffe over his support for Dominions Atlantic Coast Pipeline project. That protest activity may continue with Northam even though he hasnt taken a clear stand for or against the pipeline.

Stanfield secured pledges to refuse the utilities donations from nearly 60 Democratic House candidates this year. Of those, 13 won their races, adding to the ranks of state lawmakers battling long odds on legislation to ban donations from Dominion and Appalachian Power.

Sen. Chap Peterson, D-Fairfax City, said the legislation hes introduced for 2018 currently doesnt include inaugural committees. But it should, he said, because a donation is a donation.

Its all part of being in politics and promoting yourself and getting your message out, he said. I just think that public service corporations should not be in that business.

A Dominion spokesman declined to comment for this story.

In addition to the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, Northams inauguration will include a parade featuring Bolivian dancers; cadets from Virginia Military Institute, which is Northams alma mater; fiddlers; and a performance by the fastest oyster shucker in the Commonwealth, according to a recent news release.

The inaugural ball will be held at Richmonds Main Street Station, the ornate, French Renaissance-style train station that dates to 1901.

The theme for the Northam inauguration is The Way Ahead.
The ceremony was so lovely that even one of the stone-faced U.S. border guards cracked a smile as they held a gate open while an American groom and his Mexican bride took their wedding vows last month.

From the Tijuana side of the wall: Evelia Reyes and her young daughter, each with white gowns but no visas.

From the California side: a beaming Brian Zachary Houston, who earlier this year had been caught smuggling 133 pounds of meth, cocaine and heroin across this very same section of the border, and was out on bail.

They wed and kissed inside the gate on Nov. 18. Cameras clicked, the crowd cheered. Then bride and groom returned to their respective countries and agents shut the metal door  as they do each year after letting a select few families briefly unite at a border theyre forbidden to cross.

Usually, there are no weddings at the annual hour-long border opening.

Certainly, there isnt supposed to be a convicted drug smuggler.

Now U.S. officials are struggling to explain how they failed to spot Houstons criminal record before allowing him to become the public face of a federally sanctioned open-border ceremony  a high-profile embarrassment when immigration tensions are already sky-high amid the Trump administrations crackdown.

Turns out we provided armed security for a cartel wedding, a spokesman for the local Border Patrol union told the San Diego Tribune.

Houstons lawyer denied that the 26-year-old San Diego resident had been working for a cartel when he drove a Volkswagen stuffed with narcotics from Mexico to the San Ysidro border station in February.

He was basically a drug mule, defense attorney Russell Babcock said. Hes certainly not a cartel individual.

He declined to say for whom his client was muling. In any case, the Jetta was so loaded down with drugs that a border agent could smell them wafting out of the trunk, according to court records.

Houstons hands shook as he handed over the keys. Agents found package after package of heroin, cocaine and meth  inside the spare tire, the panels, all four doors.

Houston pleaded guilty to three counts of smuggling in May, and expects to go to prison when hes sentenced early next year, his lawyer said. In the meantime, he had to surrender his passport and agree not to visit Mexico, where his longtime partner Reyes lived.

He was supporting her. They were separated by this unfortunate event, Babcock said. Someone suggested, get married. He had no idea this was going to become an international story.

And border guards had no idea what Houston had done when he showed up at the gate in Friendship Park, California, last month  with a tuxedo, priest and ring, and federal approval to walk through.

Houston and his bride-to-be were one of 12 estranged families selected by the Border Patrol to meet inside the gate, which for the past six years has been opened for an hour before International Childrens Day so loved ones can embrace under federal supervision.

Border Patrol officials selected Houston from among dozens of applicants, according to Enrique Morones, whose nonprofit group partners with the agency to coordinate the annual event. He said his group, Border Angels, simply sends in a form listing the name and birth date of each applicant; Border Patrol is supposed to vet each one and come up with a shortlist.

Border Patrol has told us we dont want anybody with a criminal record to be allowed to do this, Morones said. Houston hadnt mentioned his, and he assumed the man had none when the government selected him.

The government has not explained how Houston passed a background check. Its possible no one would have noticed had his surprise wedding at the border gate not created a media spectacle.

A wedding is outside the purview of why this partnership was established, a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection in San Diego said in a statement to The Washington Post. It is also highly unlikely if the ceremony was requested that it would have been permitted.

Morones had been as surprised as anyone, he said. The couple had merely planned to exchange rings inside the gate, he said, and then marry a few weeks later on opposite sides of the wall.

A Border Patrol agent said, Why is she in a wedding gown?  he said. Brian said, Were going to do it now. 

He said the agent walked off and spoke on the phone to someone, then came back and said the wedding was OK.

So after the other estranged families had taken their turns to hug, a row of border guards held the door open as Houston said his vows and embraced his new wife and her daughter.

A press gaggle was on hand, and The Washington Post was among many national news outlets that covered the story.

I cant go there and she cant come here, Houston told reporters after the ceremony. Hopefully very soon she can get a visa to come here, and we can be together.

Only after the ceremony, the Border Patrol spokesman said, did officials discover Houstons conviction.

The surprise wedding aroused agents suspicions, he wrote. As a result, database queries were completed after the ceremony that revealed Mr. Houstons arrest for drug smuggling.

This unauthorized event has now jeopardized future events and the continued opening of the border wall door, the spokesman wrote.

Immigration officials have told Morones the same thing, he said, and hes now trying to persuade them not to end the gate opening tradition.

Houston, meanwhile, had no idea his little wedding had caused a furor until the San Diego Reader published a story about his criminal background over the weekend, his defense lawyer told The Post.

Hes very sorry the Border Patrol was put in this position, but he had no reason to believe they wouldnt know about this, Babcock said. We thought it would be as simple as if they didnt want him to have this wedding or ceremony, hed get a phone call.

Now, Babcock said, both husband and wife are facing public backlashes in their respective countries, where immigration politics were already fraught over President Donald Trumps promise to wall off the entire border.

The couple hasnt seen each other since the ceremony, and Houston is preparing to begin a prison sentence next year while his wife begins the long process of applying for a U.S. visa.

The whole point of the wedding had been to ensure they could be together once Houstons drug bust troubles were behind him, Babcock said.

Now its unclear when and if theyll end.

It was supposed to be a story about love and his responsibility, Babcock said. Now everyones pointing the finger.
RICHMOND  The family of a slain Virginia State Police trooper has teamed up with an advertising agency this holiday season to convey their appreciation to police officers nationwide.

On Friday, the message will appear on Lamar Advertising Co.s digital billboards locally and in 16 other states. The billboards are a collaboration between the company and the family of trooper Chad P. Dermyer, 37, who was killed in the line of duty in March 2016.

John Dermyer, Chads father, said they are intended to honor his son and thank law enforcement officers for their service.

Its a Christmas present to myself to get it out there, and Ive got to do something to support my son and what he chose for his profession and what he loved, Dermyer said. I think I owe it to him. Thats what it means to me: Its repaying a debt that he paid with his life.

Chad Dermyer died from gunshot wounds he sustained when a man opened fire at officers during a state police training exercise at the Greyhound bus terminal on North Boulevard.

Police killed the gunman, James Brown III, at the scene. Dermyer was married with two children.

Before joining the state police in 2014, he served in the Marine Corps and worked for the Newport News and Jackson, Mich., police departments.

As last Christmas was approaching, John Dermyer decided he wanted to honor his son by thanking as many law enforcement officers as he could. He and his wife, Christine, settled on a billboard as their medium of choice.

They contacted Lamar Advertising, a Louisiana-based advertising company that operates 2,800 electronic billboards nationwide. The company agreed to help design the familys message and feature it on its digital billboards in seven states, including Virginia, free of charge, Dermyer said.

Beside an image of the state police badge, the message reads: The Dermyer Family would like to thank you for what you do every day. Merry Christmas. In loving memory of Virginia State Trooper Chad P. Dermyer. End of Watch 3/31/2016.

The response was overwhelmingly positive, John Dermyer said, so he decided to ask the company to share the message again this year.

Beyond Virginia, Lamar will feature it on billboards in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
Heavenli Hill loves English class and digital photography. She especially likes to take photos of nature. She is, in many ways, an average 12-year-old  and she also has Treacher Collins syndrome.

Considered a craniofacial condition, Treacher Collins is a genetic disorder characterized by downward-slanting eyes, a small jaw, and underdeveloped cheekbones and ears.

On Wednesday, Heavenli enjoyed a rare treat: Seeing someone on the silver screen with the same condition she was born with. She feels the connection of shared experience with August Pullman, the protagonist of the novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio, which has been adapted into a film starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson.

Hes in the same situation that I am, said Heavenli, who lives in Chesterfield County. He has Treacher Collins, and we both get made fun of, and we both get surgeries.

There arent many representations of people with craniofacial conditions  a broad term applying to malformations of the face and skull  in pop culture. Many of the children born with it struggle to be accepted in school and in public, so seeing someone who looks like them on the big screen can make a big difference.

Heavenli receives care at the Center for Craniofacial Care at Childrens Hospital of Richmond at VCU, which held a special viewing of the film Wonder on Wednesday for all its patients and their families. Some of the kids have already received craniofacial surgery.

But the surgery is just one part of the childrens treatment, explained Dr. Jennifer Rhodes, a pediatric plastic surgeon and director of the center.

We have to make sure that, on the inside, that child feels good about themselves and believes they can achieve their dreams, Rhodes said. It is a lot of emotional support.

The center works with other disciplines at Childrens Hospital of Richmond at VCU, such as speech therapy and child psychology, and it receives contributions from the MCV Hospitals Auxiliary to hold confidence-building activities such as Wednesdays movie showing. The center was able to rent an entire theater at Bow Tie Cinemas in Richmond to show the film.

We think its really important to keep our kids engaged and so they dont just see us [for] medical procedures, Rhodes said. We want them to realize we see them as humans.

Craniofacial conditions include a wide variety of disorders. The most common is cleft palate or cleft lip, but the center works with any patients who have some sort of condition that affects the head, skull or face, or any sort of visible birth defect.

Rhodes said shes heard horror stories about how the children she spends every day with now were once treated.

Fifty years ago, the culture was different, she said. We have some adult patients, one in particular Im thinking of whose mother I know, who told me that 50 years ago, when her child was born with a craniofacial disorder, the doctors told her to institutionalize him and never look at him. She said she had to fight to keep her own baby.

The center advocates for its children and their families whenever it can, Rhodes said. The entire family needs support because kids and parents face challenges in all areas of their lives, including their financial and social lives.

Thats why its so important that the kids and their families see themselves in films and books. Rhodes and the centers program coordinator, Ruth Trivelpiece, have even been part of a team working on a picture book called Jacks New Smile, about a child with a cleft palate and lip. They hope to make it the first in a series of books about kids with craniofacial disorders, so kids see themselves and dont think of themselves as different.

If our goal is to make sure that kids look, feel and function the very best possible, the most intangible of those is, how do you help kids to stay engaged in their care and to feel good about themselves? Rhodes said. Having any kind of public [attention], whether an actor or movie or books or concerts, all of those things kind of help to normalize what these kids go through.

Holly Marshall, 14, and her mom, Jean Marshall, also attended Wednesdays showing. Holly was adopted from Ukraine, and as soon as she was brought home the surgeries began. She has received 17 surgeries for her cleft lip and cleft palate.

Theres a lot of bullying, shes certainly been through a lot of that, Jean Marshall said.

On top of that and all the medical procedures, Hollys father died in 2016 and the Mechanicsville family has struggled with that grief.

As they talked about it before the movie Wednesday, Hollys mom put her arm around her daughter and gave her a quick squeeze.

Holly said theres only one way to deal with difficult times: to stay positive, no matter what. Be around people that care about you and stay positive about stuff and dont let bad things get you down, she said.

Her mom said thats not too difficult for Holly.

Shes a pretty happy little girl, Jean Marshall said.

Heavenlis life has been dotted with surgeries, as well. Shes had about 15 to 20 since she was born, according to her grandmother, Carolyn Stump. Its difficult, Heavenli said, especially when combined with people not understanding her situation and making fun of her.

Ive been dealing with it all my life, she said. When I first started, it was hard, but then I just got used to it.

Its been a challenging journey for Stump, too. When Heavenli was first born, Stump didnt know how she was going to care for her.

To see her go through any surgery was hard, Stump said. Sometimes shed be in there for 8 to 10 hours, and [I wouldnt] know the outcome. But Heavenlis a miracle. Shes truly a miracle.

Stump said she wishes adults would explain to their children that its not nice to make fun of somebody just because theyre different.

Get to know them, because they have a big heart; you can have fun with them, she said. Theyre just like you. Theyre just different. Everybodys different.
. To do so, first type the original number into the text box. Then click on the "Scientific Notation" option located at the top of the floating window. Finally, click on the "Standard" button found beneath the text box to display your result. This program is useful for scientists and engineers working with decimal-based numbers. It provides easy access to those who need to convert those numbers into more compact forms without having to do heavy math calculations first.

Scientific notation is a way to express very large or very small numbers. It is used in physics, chemistry and other fields where large numbers are common. Those numbers are written as a power of 10 followed by a number with an exponent. For example, 1,000,000 (one million) is written as 1  103. The exponent shows how many zeros are after the first digit. For example, 1,000,001 is written as 1  102. Scientific notation is a useful tool for making calculations easier. You can use it to write down very big or very small numbers in one step instead of writing out both the large and small numbers separately. You can also use it to express large or small numbers in terms of other units like centimeters or millimeters.

Scientific notation solver is an online tool that can be used to convert any number into scientific notation. Simply enter any number to the left of the decimal point and it will automatically convert it into a scientific notation equivalent. This web tool can be very helpful when you need to convert a large number into scientific notation. However, please note that this online tool can only convert numbers that are in scientific format. For example, it cannot convert a non-scientific number like "1,085" into a scientific notation equivalent. It is also important to keep in mind that this web tool only works when converting numbers from one particular format to another. For example, if you want to change a non-scientific number like "1,085" into standard format, then you will have to use another online tool like NumberFormatting.com.
President al-Sammad meets Parliament Members of Sa'ada, Al-Jawf and Raimah provinces

SANA'A, 23 Dec (Saba)-President Saleh al-Sammad, head of the Supreme Political Council, met today with a number of Parliament members in the the governorates of Sa'ada, Al-Jawf and Raimah.



The meeting discussed the current situation in light of the continuation of the Saudi-US aggression and the deliberate repeated strikes that targeted the children in Saada , Al Jawf and Raimah, which caused horrified crimes against citizens in homes, roads and markets.

The meeting also reviewed the heroic role of the House of Representatives members in Sa'ada, Al Jawf and Raimah provinces as well as the role of the sheikhs, social figures in overcoming the difficulties imposed by the Saudi-US aggression and siege.



President al-Sammad praised the people Al Jawf, Saada and Raimah and their role and steadfastness in the face of aggression.



He urged the representatives to redouble their efforts to address the needs of the citizens and alleviate their sufferings, which were caused by the continued aggression and siege.



He also stressed the importance of strengthening national and social unity and to avoid differences and to be attention to the real enemy which is targeting the whole Yemeni people without any exception.



Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Abdul Salam Hashoul, thanked the President for his great role in promoting unity and national alignment in the face of aggression.

"We are in contact with the heads of the parliamentary blocs of the provinces and they are part of the solution, and their role during the current stage is important and pivotal in touch the conditions of citizens and their needs." Hashoul said.



He pointed out that most members of the House of Representatives at home reject any compromises that aim to deny the sacrifices of the martyrs who gave their souls to defend the homeland and its security and stability and to confront bravely the Saudi-US aggression.



The meeting was attended by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Abdul Salam Hashoul, Governor of Raimah Hassan Al-Amri and member of the Political Bureau of Ansarullah Hussein Al-Ezi.



TN



SABA

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[24/December/2017]
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday filed a chargesheet against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Misa Bharti ' title=' Misa Bharti '>Misa Bharti in an alleged Rs 8,000 crore money laundering case.

The agency filed the chargesheet before Special Judge Naresh Kumar Malhotra at Patiala House Court. The judge has listed the matter for consideration in the first week of January.



The chargesheet against Bharti, the eldest daughter of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, is under under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, an ED official said.



The ED in July had also filed a supplementary chargesheet against Bharti's chartered accountant Rajesh Agrawal in connection with the case in which it named around 35 accused, including businessmen brothers Surendra Jain and Virendra Jain and some companies.



Agrawal was accused of converting black money into legal source of income through dubious transactions with the help of Surendra Kumar Jain and his brother Virendra Jain -- known as Jain brothers.



The ED arrested the Jain brothers on March 20. In May, the ED filed its first chargesheeet in the case and thereafter, arrested Agrawal on May 22. Agrawal has also been accused of helping Bharti's husband's company, Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd "with some transactions".



Earlier this month, the ED also questioned Bharti here in connection with the case and also raided three premises in Delhi belonging to Bharti and her husband, including the farmhouses located in the high-class localities of Ghitorni, Bijwasan and Sainik Farms.
Rahul Gandhi, on his first visit to Gujarat after becoming Congress President and post the state Assembly election results, went to the Somnath temple and offered prayers. He later held meetings with state party leaders and election candidates.

After his arrival, Gandhi in the morning visited the revered Somnath temple to offer prayers and also offered a temple flag to Lord Somnath. This time his visit was devoid of any entry registration due to lack of time.

During his earlier visit, a controversy had erupted after he was shown as a non-Hindu in the temple registry, which the ruling BJP latched on to and created a hullabaloo.

After his temple visit, Gandhi was in the financial capital Ahmedabad, where he had meetings with the north Gujarat Congress leaders, including all the candidates who contested the recent elections. This was the first time that Gandhi was meeting the candidates and leaders one-on-one, without the filter of the state president or other state leader barriers.

According to sources in the party, the Congress' poor performance in north Gujarat was attributed to the outsiders who were inducted into the party following Alpesh Thakore's induction and influence. As Thakore was busy in his own campaigning, he was unable to devote time for his projected candidates.

The Gandhi scion is to hold similar meetings with the central Gujarat leaders, and thereafter with Saurashtra leaders and finally South Gujarat candidates and leaders. The meetings are to not only discuss the recent election performance but also the Congress party's roadmap for the 2019 general elections.

In the evening he will address the entire Gujarat Congress at the GMDC Ground in Ahmedabad.

Gandhi also met Congress rebel, Bhupenrasinh Khant, who won as an Independent from Morva Hadaf constituency, after the party denied him a ticket to contest. For Khant, who has now rejoined the party, it was a 'Ghar Vapsi'. He had won the election, beating the BJP rival and Congress candidate Brijesh Merja. With his return, the Congress tally in the assembly has risen to 78.

Earlier, there was speculation that like Ratansinh Rathore, independent legislator from Lunawada constituency who has declared his support to the BJP government, Khant too would lend support to the BJP.

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At least 30 people were killed and 15 injured when a passenger bus fell into a river on Saturday near Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur, police said.

The Sawai Madhopur-Lalsot bus was driven by a 16-year-old conductor who lost control due to over-speeding, officials said. The bus skidded and fell off a bridge into the Banas river.



According to witnesses, the bus was trying to overtake another vehicle on the narrow bridge.



All the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, the police added.





According to Subhash Mishra, Complaint Officer, 26 bodies were recovered. Rescue operation is underway to find survivors.



The passengers travelling in the 40-seater bus hailed from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Most of them were en route to the Ramdevra Temple in Lalsot.
With unprecedented Chinese backing, the Security Council tightened the economic chokehold on North Korea by unanimously voting on Friday to impose the strictest sanctions on North Korea aiming to cut off most fuel supplies and ban major exports following Pyongyang's latest missile test.

The resolution introduced by the US after intense lobbying won the support of China, which has had a special relationship with North Korea and had in the past opposed or tried to soften sanctions.



The new round of restrictions further tightens the sanctions imposed last month, which had been lightened to gain the support of Moscow and Beijing.



"This resolution ratchets up the pressure on North Korea even further, building on our last resolution, which included the strongest sanctions ever imposed on them," US Permanent Representative Nikki Haley, who piloted it, told the Council.



Haley acknowledged Beijing's cooperation saying: "I would like to specifically thank my Chinese colleagues for working with us on the negotiations."



Beijing's vote for the tougher sanctions indicates that its direct influence with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is waning and that China is recognising the global dangers from North Korea's nuclear and missile arsenals.



The Charge d'Affaires at the Chinese Mission, Wu Haitao, said there was a risk of the situation spiraling out of control.



The resolution would reduce North Korea's refined petroleum imports by 90 per cent from the 2017 mid-year level to 500,000 barrels per year, and it authorises the Council to further reduce petroleum imports if it carried out any missile or nuclear tests.



All North Korean exports and most imports are also banned under the resolution. It also requires the expulsion by the end of 2019 of all North Korean expatriate workers who are estimated to earn the government $500 million each year.



Fifteen North Koreans, who are bankers or are involved in weapons developments were put on a sanctions list banning their travel and freezing their assets.



The resolution also requires all nations to seize ships smuggling goods to North Korea.



Wu called for an end to all rhetoric that would escalate tensions and said that "tough posturing" only led to Pyongyang advancing its proliferation activities.



Haley softened her tone this time at the Council without the past threats of violent retaliation that matched Pyongyang's rhetoric.





The high-level Council meeting on North Korea earlier this month attended by US Secretary of Rex Tillerson and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono paved the way for the latest sanctions because it sent a very clear message that the international community would not accept a nuclearised North Korea, Japan's Permanent Representative Koro Bessho said at a news conference after the vote.



After the November 28 intercontinental ballistic missile test the campaign for the latest round of sanction began, he said.
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP)  Toshiba Corp.'s energy systems unit on Friday unveiled a long telescopic pipe carrying a pan-tilt camera designed to gather crucial information about the situation inside the reactor chambers at Japan's tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant.

The device is 13 meters (43 feet) long and designed to give officials a deeper view into the nuclear plant's Unit 2 primary containment vessel, where details on melted fuel damage remain largely unknown.

The Fukushima plant had triple meltdowns following the 2011 quake and tsunami. Finding details about the fuel debris is crucial to determining the right method and technology for its removal at each reactor, the most challenging process to safely carry out the plant's decades-long decommissioning.

Japan's stricter, post-Fukushima safety standards also require nuclear plant operators elsewhere to invest more time and money into safety measures.

On Friday, Kansai Electric Power Co. announced that it would decommission two idle reactors at the Ohi Nuclear Power Plant in western Japan, citing the difficulty of adding all the safety requirements at the nearly 40-year-old reactors that would be needed to get approval for their restart.

Reports have said it would cost about 58 billion yen ($500 million) and take 30 years to decommission a reactor, about half the estimated cost to restart one.

Also Friday, Japan Nuclear Fuel said that it was postponing the planned launch of its trouble-plagued spent fuel reprocessing plant by three more years until 2021. It cited delayed approval by the authorities. It also said it was postponing the planned manufacturing of fuel from recycled plutonium and uranium.

The mission involving Toshiba's new probe at Fukushima's Unit 2 reactor could come as soon as late January. Company officials said the new device will be sent inside the pedestal, a structure directly below the core, to investigate the area and hopefully to find melted debris.

The device looks like a giant fishing rod about 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) in diameter, from which a unit housing the camera, a dosimeter and thermometer slowly slides down. The probe, attached by a cable on the back, can descend all the way to the bottom of the reactor vessel if it can avoid obstacles, officials said.

Two teams of several engineers will be tasked with the mission, which they will remotely operate from a radiation-free command center at the plant.

A simpler predecessor to the pipe unveiled Friday had captured a limited view of the vessel during a preparatory investigation in February. A crawling robot sent in later in February struggled with debris on the ground and stalled in the end due to higher-than-expected radiation, its intended mission incomplete.

The upgraded probe has been co-developed by Toshiba ESS and International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning, a government-funded unit of construction and nuclear technology companies over the past nine months.
The Fire Emergency Services Authority (F.E.S.A.) is investigating a fire that demolished a government house at Faatoia on Friday night.

This was confirmed by F.E.S.A. Captain, Aomua in response to questions from the Sunday Samoan yesterday.

Information provided to us shows that this government housing has not been used for a quite a while, he said.

It doesnt have electricity and so weve ruled out faulty wires."

We think this may be an arson case, however further investigations will determine that and the matter will be handled as a crime.

According to Captain Aomua, they were able to save other government properties in the area.

He said because of the narrow road, their fire trucks were unable to get to where the fire was.

Our fire truck could not go through the road, so we parked at the main road and pulled our hoses to where the fire was and eliminated the fire.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is adamant that Parliaments passing of the Criminal Libel law should send a warning to people who abuse freedom of speech that they will be dealt with.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer, Tuilaepa said people hiding behind anonymous names on blogs and social media pages should remember that they cannot hide forever.

Asked how government plans to deal with people living overseas who use Facebook and faceless blogs to criticise his government, the Prime Minister said there are lawyers who will deal with them.

He did not say who the lawyers are and how they plan to execute the Criminal Libel to bring them to Court.

Last week, Parliament re-introduced the Criminal Libel Act into the law books of Samoa. Abolished by the ruling Human Rights Protection Party in 2013, Members of Parliament unanimously agreed to bring back the law.

Tuilaepa has been instrumental in the decision.

Asked to comment on claims that the law only exists to cripple the media who criticise his administration, Tuilaepa disagreed.

If your sources give out the facts then there is nothing to worry about, he said. But if its a lie, then there will be an issue here.

According to the Prime Minister, the media will be asked to reveal their sources if the information published is inaccurate.

He said there are about 30 reporters in Samoa and of this number, only a few write inaccurate stories. He did not name them.

Yet the people some of the 30 reporters are writing about are the 189, 970 residents of Samoa."

This means the government should not focus on some 30 reporters but rather should be concerned about the rest of the country.

Tuilaepa reiterated that the media has nothing to worry about if they stick with reporting facts.

The governments concern is for people who are affected by the publication of inaccurate information."

There are reporters who continue to defame members of the public, not only publishing inaccurate information, but also publishing a photo that depicts an ugly person or a photo of something that happened about twenty years ago.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa said the problem is when reporters add their opinions to the facts.

Defamation is wrong, he said. The law affords the opportunity to low income families who are defamed to get justice."

Those affected can easily file a criminal complaint and the Police will take the case from there.
Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is.

With Samoa being so full of candid moments, why not share them with the world?

That was the idea behind Business Systems Ltd (B.S.L.) and Samoa Observers promotion, #Observershots.

With the theme Everyday Samoa, participants were given a chance to win the highly anticipated iPhoneX by simply uploading everyday photos around Samoa onto Instagram and hashtag #observershots.

Yesterday, Lillian Stunzer, via her Instagram alias Nor.illy, was the lucky winner. She was presented with her prize yesterday morning at the B.S.L. office, Apia.

Her winning photograph depicted her daughter, Norma Kailia Katoa, playing with puppies which got 969 votes.

Ipads, tablets and smartphones were given as consolation prizes to the top 10 participants.

All prizes were sponsored by B.S.L.

According to B.S.L. spokesperson, Leeroy Feaunati, the competition was a great success. Mr. Feaunati added the competition showed Samoa that promoting our country is as simple as taking random photographs and placing them onto a social media platform for all to see.

It is a good promotion that not only promotes both companies, but also Samoa, he said.

This promotion ran for three months and this morning we have our winner and also our nine consolation prizes which will be awarded."

The promotion really turned out well, it motivates and inspires our young people of Samoa just to push with technology and also social media.

According Ms. Stunzner, the prize is a great early Christmas present for her mother.

Im feeling really good because mom really wanted the phone, she told the Sunday Samoan.

We really couldnt believe it; we were like are you sure? and thats pretty much it. We were just shocked.

Ms. Stunzner said she did not consider herself a photographer and she gave all credit for the photo to her brother.

To be honest, it was my brother, who took the photo, she said. So they were just playing with the puppies because she (Norma) loves animals so much and she was lying down and yeah."

They were just crawling up over her since she loved it and then he decided to take a photo.

Ms. Stunzner says she is a stay-at-home mother and spends much of her time taking care of her three-year-old Norma.

She admits that she doesnt see herself as creative enough to be a photographer, but in her own personal view, a great photograph takes into account good background, good content and with good colors.

And with her family sending in a total of three photographs into the competition, they can sit back and enjoy their early Christmas present from B.S.L. and Samoa Observer.

I submitted one, my mother did one and my younger did one too, Ms. Stunzner said. Thank you to B.S.L. and Samoa Observer. Have a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.

Top 10

1. Nor.illy

2. Liaifaiva

3. Chichi

4. Joseph

5. Ashlene

6. Betham_Sumi

7. Tianesse

8. Dianne3leehang

9. Moana

10. J.Williams.
Late night shopping throughout the week and the late opening hours for supermarkets on the outskirts of Apia played a huge role in alleviating the last minute rush yesterday.

That was the feedback from most businesses in town who say sales this year were moderate compared to previous years.

In the Apia Township yesterday, although it was buzzing, the chaotic crowds of previous years was surprisingly absent.

Apart from bumper-to-bumper traffic, town cleared up pretty quickly. By 2pm, it was almost deserted.

The Samoa Observer team spoke with some businesses about how things had gone.

At G.S.I, business was good.

Supervisor, Pilesi Vai said they had been opening late for the past few days and they were expecting a mad last minute rush as Samoans like to do.

Among the promotions they had running was a prize for a lucky customer who spends more than $50 to win a dinner for 20 people at the Jixiang restaurant.

There were many other prizes.

Away from the shops, tourism operators and accommodation providers picked up some good business.

A worker at Tanoa Tusitala Hotel said they had a good occupancy rate and they were getting a lot of diners and people walking in.

The same story came from other big hotels like Sheraton Samoa and Taumeasina. All these hotels  and others  had Christmas specials.

They are expected to be busy today with Christmas eve gatherings and dinners.

It is not just the people in Upolu who are busy; Savaii as well is also experiencing the rush.

The ferry run by the Samoa Shipping Corporation is fully booked in terms of vehicles until next week Friday.
The dirty manger where the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was born and his humble upbringing is the true message of Christmas.

It is about love for one another and humility.

Thats what Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi said in wishing Samoa and the rest of the world a Merry Christmas.

The Prime Minister said occasions like Christmas, which will be celebrated in Samoa tomorrow, are opportunities to sit back, reflect and appreciate Gods gift to mankind.

He added that such holidays are about families and spending time with people that matter the most.

Tuilaepa said the birth of Jesus Christ was a miracle.

He left the heavens to come to this earth in human form. He was born in a manger, the ugliest and dirtiest place of them all. His birth place sends a strong message to all of us about the importance of staying humble, he said.

We should take the lead and follow his example to be humble."

There are times when we are tempted by the devil and we easily forget this important example."

As we are near Christmas, I urge everyone to remember his examples, stay humble.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa, who is a staunch Catholic, reminded that Christmas is about Jesus Christ who fulfilled Gods purpose and love for the world.

If it was not for the sin of our first parents (because without sin) there wouldnt be a Christmas, he said. If they didnt sin, there would be no deaths and we would be living life happily ever after. But because of the sin of man, we are suffering the consequences as a result of the action of our first parents.

Tuilaepa then wished Samoa a very merry Christmas.

During his weekly press conference, Tuilaepa urged families to use the opportunity wisely to spend quality time with each other. He urged everyone to exercise caution and be aware of small frictions that could lead to divisions within families and communities.

The Head of State, His Highness Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aletoa Sualauvi II will deliver his Christmas address tonight.
Local historian Jim Newland is adding to his collection of books focusing on East County with his latest tome, Grossmont Hospital: A Legacy of Community Service.

Grossmont Hospital documents the history of the La Mesa hospital owned by East County residents. Newland partnered with Grossmont Hospital and the Grossmont Healthcare District to tell the story about the hospital, whose history dates back to the 1920s.

The 153-page book, available online at arcadiappublishing.com and amazon.com, will be released to local bookstores in January.

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Newland is a La Mesa resident, past president of the citys historical society and sits on La Mesas Planning Commission. He is also a manager with the California State Parks.

Newland has also penned two Images of America books  one chronicling the history of La Mesa, the other focusing on Mount Helix.

This book is really designed as a tribute to the vision and dedication of our community leaders from a previous generation to provide a public hospital both as a necessary healthcare provider as well as a manifestation of our regions legitimacy as a modern community, Newland said. It also illuminates how our local hospital has continued to survive and thrive in the ever-changing American healthcare industry.

Newland said he hopes people will see that Grossmont Hospital is even more impressive than at first glance as a landmark, publicly owned community hospital.

In early 1952, East County citizens voted to establish the Grossmont Hospital District and three years later, the district opened Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa.

It now serves a 750-square-mile district through a lease for hospital operations with San Diego-based nonprofit Sharp HealthCare. That relationship began in 1991.

The Grossmont Healthcare District helped with the books research, providing historic photographs and documents. Earlier this year, it reached out to the public to submit old photographs, newspaper clippings, promotional materials and other historical documents. Some of those are included in the book

The La Mesa Historical Society will be holding a roundtable discussion of the book at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, at the districts headquarters at 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com
The talk in the tourist haven of Los Cabos these days often focuses as much on escalating violence as on the anticipated influx of Christmas visitors.

The fast-rising homicide rate in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur has been making headlines for months, as rival criminal gangs battle it out for lucrative drug-smuggling corridors to the United States.

Officials have said that the reports have not damaged tourism, the regions economic lifeblood. The violence has been concentrated among warring gang factions and has largely spared foreign visitors.

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But this week brought another shock: The grisly discovery in the predawn hours Wednesday of the bodies of four men dangling from highway overpasses. The corpses of two other men were found tossed on the pavement of overpasses, authorities said.

Photographs of victims slung from highway bridges in Mexico became a trademark image in border areas like Ciudad Juarez, across the Rio Grande from El Paso. Authorities view the actions as brutal warnings from one faction to another in the countrys drug wars.

But the emergence of a similar phenomenon in Baja California Sur has sent a new chill through a region where many are worried that the chaos of criminal violence may well be deepening, with a possible negative effect on tourism.

Four of the six bodies were found on bridges along roads leading to the airports at La Paz and Los Cabos, key entry points for foreign visitors.

Here everyone is worried about the violence, Armando Diaz, 28, a waiter, said via telephone from San Jose del Cabo, one of the states twin signature beach resorts, along with Cabo San Lucas. We as Mexicans are accustomed to hearing about the violence, but people found hanging from bridges here? That scares us. Imagine what the foreigners think. I could understand it if they see the news and decide not to come.

Despite the official pronouncements that the rising violence has not discouraged tourism, many here wonder whether the incidents may be prompting some visitors to seek out safer holiday destinations.

Of course the insecurity and violence affect us, Gabriel Quintero, 42, who runs El Coral restaurant in San Jose del Cabo, said via telephone. The government and the tourist associations tell us everything is fine ... but we have seen a reduction in the numbers of visitors. A year ago we had a lot more people.

Officials in Baja California Sur said they have stepped up security, bolstered police patrols and are planning a new military marine base in response to the violence.

Although none of the recent violence has explicitly targeted tourists, the U.S. State Department in August warned Americans to take extra precautions when visiting Los Cabos.

The great fear in Los Cabos is that the region could suffer a fate like that of Acapulco, the storied Pacific resort that has become a battle zone for warring drug factions. The violence there has steered many foreigners away.

By Friday, Mexican authorities had yet to identify publicly the six men found dead on bridges this week. None suffered from gunshot wounds, authorities said, without elaborating on the causes of death. The cases were still under investigation, authorities said.

In at least two of the cases, the apparent killers also strung obscenity-laced banners from bridges, warning in one sign that they held the power in the region.

The six killings were the latest in a grim toll for Baja California Sur.

Between January and October, investigators opened 409 homicide investigations in the state, more than double the previous years total. During the same period in 2016, police in Baja California Sur investigated 147 homicides.

In November gunmen in the Baja California Sur state capital of La Paz fired on a vehicle carrying Silvestre de la Toba Camacho, president of the state human rights commission. He and his 20-year-old son were killed, and his wife and daughter were seriously injured.

UPDATES:

3:45 p.m.: This article has been updated throughout with background on crime in Baja California Sur and with comments from Gabriel Quintero and Armando Diaz.

This article was originally published at 12:40 p.m.
Marine officials knew that erosion was constricting the roadway and exposing potentially deadly gas lines months before a Sept. 13 explosion consumed an armored vehicle, burning 15 troops inside, Camp Pendleton officials disclosed on Friday.

The corps also owned and operated the natural gas pipeline cut by the assault amphibious vehicle while trying to extricate itself from a rut in the road, Camp Pendleton spokesman Brian Scott Villiard acknowledged in an emailed statement.

The command is  assessing the condition of all natural gas infrastructure in operational ranges and training areas on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Villiard added.

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An assault amphibious vehicle  nicknamed an amtrack in the corps  severed the pipeline along Range 301 Road near the Bravo 3 combat town training site. Sparked by a backfiring engine, the gas fueled a pillar of fire that flamed like a blowtorch for six hours, gnawing through the vehicles steel roof, according to an interim report released by the 1st Marine Division on Dec. 12.

The accident sent 13 troops from both 1st Platoon, A Co., 3rd Assault Amphibious Battalion and C Co., 1st Battalion, 1st Marines to area hospitals. All survived the explosion and were released but several continue to undergo medical care, according to 1st Marine Division spokesman Capt. Paul Gainey.

Although Camp Pendleton and 1st Marine Division both fall under corps control, theyre actually separate commands. Villiards Marine Corps Installations West-Marine Corps Base Pendleton acts like a landlord and Gaineys 1st Marine Division is its tenant.

The disaster unleashed multiple interim or ongoing investigations into its causes.

A report filed by Camp Pendletons Range Control office after the September accident blamed the explosion on a constricted roadway and soil erosion along its shoulder, which uncovered the gas pipe  which was painted gray and blended in with the surrounding dirt.

Signs that warned of dangerous underground gas lines also were dilapidated and hidden behind overgrown brush, 1st Marine Division investigators found in a separate interim probe.

Less than three months earlier, a D8T bulldozer fell into an eroded portion of the road about 90 feet north of the explosion and cut the same gas line. The driver heard a hissing sound and quickly shut off the vehicle before it triggered an explosion, according to the Range Control report.

The report indicated that the crew transporting the bulldozer were FMD Roads personnel. Camp Pendletons Facilities Maintenance Department maintains, repairs and operates the bases roads and signs plus its electrical, water, propane and natural gas lines, often with the help of outside contractors.

No one answered numerous calls to the departments telephone line on Friday, but Villiard said the June 26 incident was caused by a piece of heavy equipment that was being used to maintain a fire break.

Base officials knew about the soil erosion and grading problems along the road and started developing a plan to fix them in 2016, and contracting for the repair project began in June of 2017, he wrote.

The interim report endorsed by 1st Marine Division determined that the officers planning the war games that led up to the explosion were not told about the June accident along the same roadway or warned in advance about potentially dangerous gas lines.

Its not the 1st Marine Divisions final say on the subject, however. A larger probe by both the division and the Naval Safety Center began hours after the Sept. 13 explosion but has yet to be released.

The investigation will analyze the information gathered, including information about the natural gas pipeline signs, and develop conclusions, causes, and recommendations. All finding and recommendations will be provided to the commanding general of Marine Corps Installations West. The conclusions and information will also be used to make our future training as safe as possible, Gainey said in his email Friday.

Echoing Gainey, Camp Pendletons Villiard said that his commanders will support the investigation, review it, and take timely additional recommended corrective actions.

Supporting the operating forces is central to everything Camp Pendleton does, and the information from these investigations will assist the command in making its training areas and facilities safer, he wrote.

One of the Sept. 13 accidents vicitms, Cpl. Carlos Tinoco, suffered third-degree burns. He filed a lawsuit on Dec. 5 against San Diego Gas & Electric, alleging that the utility which supplies gas to the base negligently installed pipes there.

Citing the ongoing litigation, SDG&E has declined comment on the lawsuit. The company reiterated in a Dec. 12 statement to the Union-Tribune that the gas lines belong to the federal government.

The federal government is protected from lawsuits brought by troops who are injured in the line of duty under a legal theory called the Feres Doctrine. Service members harmed in the line of duty are instead compensated by military and Department of Veterans Affairs pension and health benefits.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
In a move expected to dramatically reduce wait times for hundreds of trucks that each day move goods from Tijuana to San Diego, Mexican customs officials for the first time are working side-by-side with their U.S. counterparts at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.

Under a pilot program formally launched Friday, U.S. and Mexican officials are operating out of adjacent booths at the busy U.S. port, working separately but simultaneously as they carry out inspections on products crossing into the United States  everything from tomatoes to televisions.

Known as Unified Cargo Processing, the program has proven successful at other ports of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border, including Nogales, Douglas and San Luis in Arizona and Calexico across from the Baja California capital of Mexicali. Wait times have plunged by as much as 85 percent for qualifying shippers.

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This is a game changer, said Alejandra Mier y Teran, executive director of the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce, many of whose members are in the trade and maquiladora community.

The Otay Mesa Port of Entry is the second busiest U.S commercial port of entry on the Mexican border, with an average of more than 3,500 truck crossings per day according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In a worst-case scenario, the process of entering San Diego can stretch to five or six hours, if trucks are twice pulled over for secondary inspectionfirst as they leave Mexico, and again as they enter the United States.

Early Friday afternoon, a line of trucks streamed steadily from Tijuana into the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. In one lane, drivers leaned through their windows as they handed over paperwork to Michael Horn, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. Horn then immediately shared some of the documents with Rosa Maria Barrientos, an official with Mexicos Tax Administration Service, or SAT, who worked out of a separate booth. And within a couple of minutes, the truck was cleared to continue to the United States.

Had either of the officers questioned a shipment, the truck would have been pulled over for an inspection conducted jointly by U.S. and Mexican officials.

The joint inspections involve only about a third of the northbound truck traffic, limited to shippers who are enrolled in a trusted traveler program known as CTPAT, an abbreviation for Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism.

Eduardo Acosta, vice president in San Diego of R.L. Jones Customhouse Brokers, expects many of his clients in Tijuanas booming maquiladora industry to benefit from these inspections as they export products such as televisions, audio speakers, prosthetics and pacemakers from Mexico to the United States. Toyota, which operates a Tacoma pickup manufacturing plant in Tijuana, is among the main beneficiaries.

The goal of the joint cargo inspections is to reduce wait times at the border, eliminate separate inspections by CBP and SAT, and create more efficient inspections in order to lower the cost of doing business in the region, according to a CBP statement on Friday that announced the program. It will also enhance national security for both countries demonstrating both the United States and Mexicos commitment in facilitating cross-border commerce.

CBP officials have said they expect to cut inspections times in half with the program.

The program underscores the collaboration that has been taking place at the border between CBP and SAT. Were building upon the structures and procedures that are already in place, said Larry Fanning, assistant port director for trade at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.

The joint inspections at Otay Mesa comes more than two years after the U.S. and Mexico launched a pilot pre-inspection program that has had U.S. and Mexican officials working together at a facility in Tijuana to inspect agricultural goods crossing into from Baja California to San Diego.

The collaborative efforts are seen as a way to increase efficiency even as the U.S. and Mexican governments have struggled with limited funding to expand ports of entry and build new ones.

The joint inspections have come at a time of uncertainty over the future of commercial relations between the United States and Mexico as the North American Free Trade Agreement, is being re-negotiated.

With the noise were hearing about NAFTA, we are not waiting to see what happens, we are moving forward, said Luis Hernandez, president of the Tijuana Maquiladora Association.

The joint inspection program tells you that both U.S. and Mexican authorities understand whats going on with the dynamics and flow of goods, Hernandez said.

Trucking companies that carry goods across the border expect to not only save time, but also increase productivity under the new inspections. Alfonso Esquers family-owned trucking company, Fletes Esquer, makes about 50 crossings a day into San Diego. If we can move faster, we might be able to move more loads without investing more money in equipment, he said.

sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com

@sandradibble
Just in time for the holidays, a loggerhead sea turtle at Birch Aquarium in La Jolla got a perfectly fitting gift.

The turtle, rescued in 2013 with a broken shell and twisted spine, this month received a 3-D printed brace that fills a gap in her carapace, the upper portion of her shell.

Gliding recently in her tank at the aquarium, she swam up to the glass to investigate visitors and eagerly munched fish her handlers provided.

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Its a big improvement from her condition four years ago, when she was found in the canal of a New Jersey power plant, emaciated and injured.

She weighed less than 100 pounds and her shell was cracked, with a plate-sized chunk missing from the right rear side. She had both scoliosis and lordosis  sideways and vertical curvature of her spine  and her rear flippers were paralyzed.

Rescuers didnt know how she got hurt, but they transferred her to an aquarium in South Carolina. There the staff stabilized her for transfer to a permanent facility after determining that she could never be released to the wild.

Birch agreed to take her knowing she would be a long-term patient who would require care as long as we had her, said Jenn Moffatt, senior director of animal care for the aquarium, which is part of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

That could be quite a while. Her handlers arent certain of her age, but estimate that shes a 10- to 15-year-old juvenile. Loggerheads, known by the scientific name Caretta caretta, reach maturity at 35 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Authorities say their life span is over 50 years and possibly up to 100. The turtles are found around the world, and are listed as endangered.

So we want to protect every one, said Jennifer Frohlich, a veterinarian with UC San Diego who assisted with the turtles care.

Birch Aquarium received the turtle in November 2014, and after running blood work and other tests, introduced her to the tank where she is on display.

She grew from 75 to 215 pounds, approaching her expected adult weight of about 250 pounds. But the growth aggravated her condition, putting her at risk for complications, Moffatt said. Aquarium team members knew they would eventually have to fix her shell to keep her healthy and prevent further damage to her spine and organs.

Consulting with doctors, veterinarians and other experts at the university, they considered various procedures, ranging from surgery to external bracing. They were seeking the least invasive option, and hit upon 3-D printing several months ago.

The turtle has received a CT scan at UC San Diegos Thornton Hospital twice since her arrival to monitor changes in her shell, the aquarium said. So the team used those CT scans and their own 3-D scanning techniques to design a rigid plastic brace that molded to her shell.

Researchers tested several prototypes and identified one that fit perfectly. They fabricated the final version using 3-D printers, which create a three-dimensional object from a digital model.

They chose an epoxy that was safe for the turtle and would hold the piece securely. Two weeks ago, they fixed it to her shell, where it set underwater.

The procedure went smoothly, they said, and had the benefit of restoring her to neutral buoyancy; previously, her rear end tended to float up because of her damaged shell.

Over the past couple weeks, the young loggerhead is as hungry, alert and curious as ever, Frohlich said.

Loggerheads are very charismatic, very friendly, she said. Theyre the Labrador dog of sea turtles. Shes very charismatic and knows when people are in front of the tank, and she hams it up.

deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com

Brennan writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The Thomas fire on Friday became Californias largest wildfire on record, burning 273,400 acres during its destructive march across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

The fire eclipsed the 2003 Cedar fire in San Diego County, which burned 273,246 acres.

The milestone reaffirmed 2017 as the most destructive fire season ever in the state. In October, a series of fires in wine country burned more than 10,000 homes and killed more than 40 people.

Those blazes, along with the Thomas fire, were fueled by dry conditions and intense winds.

Despite its size, the Thomas fire has been less destructive than either the wine-country fires or the Cedar fire, which destroyed 2,820 structures and killed 15 people.

The Thomas fire has claimed just over 1,000 structures since it started on Dec. 4, and San Diego fire engineer Cory Iverson died fighting the blaze last week.

Sources: USGS, Cal Fire, Santa Barbara County (Raoul Ranoa/@latimesgraphics)

The fire earned its place in history after calming winds and even a bit of rain helped firefighters gain the upper hand.

The fire consumed tens of thousands of acres a day in its first week but is now nibbling up vegetation at a relatively slow pace  288 acres on Wednesday, 770 on Thursday.

The Thomas fire broke out in the foothills above Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula on Dec. 4. Fueled by 50-mph winds, the fire swept into downtown Ventura, burning hundreds of homes that first morning.

For the next two weeks, the fire ebbed and flowed with the winds. It swept into the Ojai Valley but spared the resort town. Then it moved up the southern Santa Barbara County coast, where firefighters made a stand in the hills above Montecito.

Despite heavy winds, the fire only destroyed a few homes  and officials said hundreds of others were saved.

The Thomas fire was by far the largest of a series of wildfires in December that destroyed homes in Bel-Air, northern San Diego County and the hills above Sylmar and Lake View Terrace. Officials said powerful Santa Ana winds, coupled with extremely dry conditions and a lack of rain all autumn, set the stage for the firestorm.

Any new growth on the Thomas fire will probably be due to controlled burns by firefighters.

The main fire itself will not have any growth, said Capt. Brandon Vaccaro of the California City Fire Department. Any growth that we see or is reflected in the acreage will be based on the control burns.

Firefighters set the speed of the burn, he said, using bulldozers, fire engines and hand tools. A train of personnel moves along, setting the fire to ensure no fire jumps the control line or gets out of hand, Vaccaro said.

The improving conditions allowed officials to lift many evacuation orders on Thursday.

Cal Fires list of the worst fires in California history dates back to the 1930s (in fact, the Matilija fire of 1932 was Number 6 on the list and also burned through Ventura County).

That list, however, does not include what some consider to be Californias largest known wildfire  the 1889 Santiago Canyon fire, which scorched parts of Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties.

UPDATES:

7:05 p.m.: This article was updated with more background.

6:30 p.m.: This article was updated with the Thomas fire becoming Californias largest on record.

11 a.m.: The article was updated with evacuations lifted in some areas.

This article was originally posted at 9 a.m.
Courtrooms are generally the place where dramas play out  often with unhappy endings, not where miracles take place.

But on Dec. 15 in the San Diego Hall of Justice, something happened that caused Superior Court Judge Randa Trapp to email colleagues about a Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa miracle that occurred in her courtroom.

The case involved a debt of $1,200. The defendant showed up wearing his Office Depot shirt and explained that he would like to pay it off but had no money to spare. He was working full-time, his wife was working part-time and they were raising three young children.

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Judge Trapp attempted to negotiate payment in installments of $50 a month. Eventually, the defendant agreed, saying he would try to pick up extra hours at work over the holiday and would ask his wife if she, too, could work more hours.

The case was set aside while Mark Spencer, the lawyer representing the credit card collection agency, stepped into the hallway to call his client to get its agreement to the deal and possibly reduce the debt amount.

When Judge Trapp recalled the case, Spencer stepped up and reported that it was settled. He explained that someone in the audience had just paid off the defendants debt.

I was stunned, Spencer told me afterward. An attorney, who wished to remain anonymous, had approached him in the hallway, opened his wallet and handed him $300 toward the mans debt.

Then the attorney changed his mind and offered to pay the entire debt. He asked Spencer to negotiate the best possible settlement amount with his client, and they mutually agreed on a $705 payoff.

The defendant never learned the identity of his secret Santa.

The look of relief on his face is something I shall never forget, noted Judge Trapp.

It was the look of a man whose prayers had been answered. My clerk, Mr. (Anthony) Shirley, was almost in tears, as was I and most of the people in the crowded courtroom, which erupted in gasps and whispers.

Later, the enormity of what had happened hit me, Judge Trapp added. I had to take a moment.

She said that was a first for her courtroom. However, Spencer had witnessed a similar goodwill gesture a couple of years earlier.

After issuing a judgment against a defendant who, likewise, owed about $1,000, Judge Richard E.L. Strauss removed $100 from his own wallet and asked that it be credited toward the defendants debt.

Both defendants seemed like very nice guys who just got behind in their payments, Spencer said. They definitely deserved a break.

diane.bell@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1518

Twitter: @dianebellSD

Facebook: dianebell.news
Among the many cases that will move through the court in the new year, the one involving Jon David Guerrero, who is accused of killing four people in 2016  all but one of whom were homeless men  is at the top of my list of cases to watch.

Guerrero, who has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, attempted murder, arson and assault, was sent to a state hospital in July, after questions were raised for at least the second time about his ability to stand trial.

So, for now, his criminal case remains suspended until doctors determine that he is mentally competent.

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Aside from Guerreros case, there are several others to look for in 2018. Here are just a just of few of them:

Head-on collision that killed two UCSD medical students

A Jan. 3 trial is scheduled in San Diego Superior Court for Jason Riley King, a Marine accused of drunken driving and causing a wrong-way crash that killed two UC San Diego medical students in May 2015.

The collision happened on state Route 163 north of Interstate 8, when a pickup hit a Toyota Prius, killing Madison Elizabeth Cornwell, 23, from Mission Viejo, and Anne Li Baldock, 24, of La Jolla and injuring three other people.

King, 24, is charged with vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI.

The disappearance of Jahi Turner

A Superior Court trial is scheduled for Jan. 25, for Tieray Jones, 39, who is charged in the 2002 disappearance of his stepson Jahi Turner.

Jahi was just 2 years old when Jones reported him missing in San Diego. Jones told authorities he walked away from the boy at a playground in Golden Hill to get him a drink from a vending machine. When he returned, Jahi was gone.

The childs body was never found.

Chicano Park fatal DUI case

Trial is scheduled for May 3 in downtown San Diego for Richard Sepolio, who is accused of driving drunk and plunging off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, killing four people.

Sepolio, who is stationed at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI.

Prosecutors say he was speeding when he lost control of his pickup while transitioning from northbound Interstate 5 onto the bridge. The truck crashed through a barrier wall and landed in Chicano Park.

A defense lawyer has argued that Sepolio was not intoxicated at the time of the crash, and that it happened because he was trying to avoid another driver on the bridge.

The victims in the Oct. 15 crash were: Cruz Contreras, 52, and his wife, Annamarie Contreras, 50, of Chandler, Ariz., and Andre Banks, 49, and his wife, Francine Jimenez, 46, of Hacienda Heights.

The shooting of an Oceanside police officer

Court proceedings are scheduled in Vista in January and March for Jose Compre, 27, who is accused of fatally shooting 25-year-old Oceanside police Officer Dan Bessant 11 years ago.

Bessant was assisting another officer during a traffic stop on Dec. 20, 2006, when teenage gang members opened fire on them. Bessant was killed.

Months after the shooting, Compre and co-defendants Meki Gaono and Penifoti P.J. Taeotui were charged with murder. Gaono and Penifoti were tried as adults and convicted, but the charges against Compre were dismissed for lack of evidence.

Citing new evidence, prosecutors refiled the case against Compre in 2016.

The shootings of two San Diego police officers

A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 5 in the case involving Jesse Michael Gomez, 57, who is accused of shooting two San Diego police officers, one of whom died.

A prosecutor told a Superior Court judge earlier this month that the District Attorneys Office will seek the death penalty against Gomez if he is convicted of murder and other charges and allegations.

Officer Jonathan J.D. De Guzman was fatally shot July 28 in Southcrest. His partner, Officer Wade Irwin, was wounded.

City News Service contributed to this report.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
The alleged manager of a regional drug distribution network in the Midwest is facing money laundering charges in San Diego federal court, according to a complaint unsealed this week.

Jose Ignacio Avendano was arrested last Saturday.

Avendano is accused of running a drug network with hubs in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Grand Island, Neb., with links to an organization based out of Sinaloa, Mexico, according to the complaint.

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The investigation began in September 2015 when a confidential informant provided information to the FBI about an unnamed person who oversees money laundering activities for the organization and later led agents to an alleged associate, Avendano, the court document states.

The FBIs Cross Border Violence Task Force helped infiltrate the organization with undercover operatives, including one who represented that he/she managed a money-laundering cell and could provide its services to the unnamed person, referred in court documents as Target Subject 1.

In April, undercover operatives were put in touch with Avendano who identified himself as Tamales. He was supposed to give the undercover operative about $270,000 in illegal drug proceeds, the complaint states. Much of the money was in $20s.

FBI agents tracked Avendano down to a downtown Cincinnati apartment and served a search warrant, finding two handguns, $203,000 in cash  much of it banded and bagged in a kitchen cabinet  a ledger tracking cash and 11 iPhones. The cellphones were locked and unable to be reviewed by law enforcement.

Avendano told agents the money didnt belong to him, but he wanted a seizure receipt from law enforcement because he didnt want to be killed over some stupid (expletive), according to the complaint.

Avendano is accused of continuing his laundering activities after the seizure. In May he met an undercover operative at a Cheesecake Factory in Liberty Township, Ohio, to hand off a bag of cash, according to the complaint.

During the meal, Avendano made several comments about his activities and drug trafficking, the court documents say.

When asked if he had to get a new phone after the raid, Avendano replied, We have plenty of phones, and added, I only use iPhones for two weeks and then I get rid of them, according to the complaint.

The undercover operative then said his fictitous cell could move money to Colombia, and Avendano replied, We have a direct line with Colombia.

The conversation turned to selling cocaine and heroin.

According to the complaint, Avendano referenced synthetic opioid fentanyl being laced into heroin, as well as sister drug carfentanil, used as an elephant tranquilizer: It was killing people, but that was because down south the cooks did not know what they were doing. And he added It is regularized now and that is not going to happen anymore.

That thing would drop an elephant, imagine what it did to you, he said.

Other undercover cash pickups were organized in July  $120,000  and in August  another $120,000. The money was wired to U.S. bank accounts.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
March Fong Eu liked to tell constituents that she was born behind a Chinese laundry, and it wasnt far from the truth.

Eus parents ran a hand-wash laundry in Oakdale, a modest town in the San Joaquin Valley where  at the time  a girl of Chinese descent might well have thought twice about dreaming too big.

But Eu climbed the rungs of education, plowed through the high brush of politics and became the first Chinese American to hold a constitutional office in California when she was elected secretary of state, the first woman to hold that office.

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A potent symbol of womanhood and persistence through her life, Eu died Thursday following surgery after falling at her home in Irvine, said Caren Lagomarsino, Eus longtime spokeswoman. She was 95.

She was such an exemplary role model and an encouragement for women to break the glass ceiling, said Lagomarsino, who worked with Eu for 19 years in Sacramento.

Gov. Jerry Brown said he found Eu inspiring. She was a pioneering woman who helped open doors to public service for more women and Asian Americans.

After first serving four terms in the state Assembly from 1966 to 1974, Eu rode into the headlines with her populist campaign to ban pay toilets from public buildings, which she said symbolized the second-class treatment of women who would be left fumbling for pocket change in their purses just to use a bathroom.

She received the highest vote total ever at that time for a statewide politician to become the states chief elections officer and keeper of business and archival records. She was unbeatable in the next four elections.

During her nearly 20-year tenure, Eu instituted voter registration by mail and got federal approval of legislation allowing voters to register at the Department of Motor Vehicles and other state agencies.

Eu technically became the states first female governor  if only for a day  in 1976, when all the other state officials in the line of succession were out of California.

In 1988, midway through her fourth term, Eu sought the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate, hoping to become the first woman to serve as a California senator. However, she withdrew because she did not wish to disclose the financial holdings of her wealthy second husband, Henry Eu, a Singapore businessman.

Four years later, Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer were elected the first two female California senators.

Toward the end of her fifth term as secretary of state, Eu resigned when President Clinton named her ambassador to the Pacific nation of Micronesia, a post she held for two years until 1996.

Though she never again held public office, Eu could not keep away from politics after her ambassadorship. In 1998, she supported a Republican  her adopted son, Matt Fong  in his unsuccessful attempt to unseat Boxer.

Four years later, Eu announced plans to run once again herself  for her old secretary of state job. By then almost 80, Eu said she was prompted to jump back into politics because she was disturbed that California still had punch-card voting equipment like that in Florida, equipment that had caused a constitutional crisis in the 2000 presidential election.

These old systems are time bombs that periodically explode whenever there is a close election, said Eu, whose election slogan was No More Chad. Its time to act in California before we become the next victim.

Eu had a great advantage because of her name recognition, but she lost in the Democratic primary to Assembly Majority Leader Kevin Shelley, who went on to defeat the Republican candidate, Keith Olberg.

Eu, a onetime dental hygienist, served on the Alameda County school board in the 1950s and became interested in politics while serving as president of the American Dental Hygienists Assn. She was elected to the state Assembly in 1966, serving four terms.

Eu quickly made a name for herself by taking up the issue of coin-locked toilets, saying that forcing women to fumble for pocket change was discriminatory.

To make her point, she staged a publicity stunt in 1969 in which she bashed a toilet lock with a sledgehammer (and accidentally smashed the toilet as well).

Though Eu was ridiculed by her male colleagues in the Legislature over the pay-toilet issue, in 1974, the same year that Gov. Ronald Reagan signed a bill banning pay toilets in public buildings, she used the issue in her bid to become secretary of state and received a record 3.4 million votes. Four years later, she topped that by 600,000 votes.

March Fong Eu, former California secretary of state, in 2002. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press )

The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Fong was born March 29, 1922, in Oakdale, northeast of Modesto. Her parents operated a laundry there and, after moving to San Francisco, opened a laundry there as well.

Although she was a straight-A student, a high school counselor told her not to count on becoming a scientist as she had hoped because she was Chinese and it was likely nobody would hire her.

Much of my drive is based there, she once said.

She received her bachelors degree in dental hygiene at UC Berkeley, a masters at Mills College and a doctorate in education from Stanford University before running for the state Assembly in 1966.

Eu did not call herself a feminist, but she bristled at restrictions on women. She once staged a protest at an all-male club in Sacramento, first wrangling an invitation to lunch there and then informing television stations to come and watch her be thrown out.

Even if I were chairman of a committee meeting there for luncheon, I would be excluded, an indignant Eu told The Times.

The club later agreed to accept female members.

In 1986, Eu was mugged in her own home while her husband was upstairs, unaware that a burglar had entered their house in gated Fremont Place in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles. The burglar beat her with the blunt edge of an ax and dragged her around the house by her hair until she found $300 to give him. The man was later captured and sent to prison.

Eu is survived by a daughter, Suyin. Her son Matt, who was elected state treasurer in 1994, died of cancer in 2011.

Luther is a former Times staff writer. Times staff writers Steve Marble and Liam Dillon contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

2:40 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the cause of March Fong Eus death.

This article was originally published at 1:50 p.m.
Grieving family, friends and public-safety colleagues are gathering now at a Liberty Station church to salute and say goodbye to a firefighter from Escondido who lost his life facing down the largest wildfire in California history.

The private service at The Rock Church in Point Loma is honoring the memory and sacrifice of Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson, who served the state agency for more than eight years prior to his Dec. 14 death in the line of duty.

The 32-year-old firefighter suffered non-survivable burns and smoke inhalation near Fillmore while helping battle the Thomas Fire, which has spread over 273,400 acres, destroyed more than 1,000 structures and led to two fatalities since erupting north of Santa Paula nearly three weeks ago. As of Friday evening, the huge burn area was 65 percent contained.

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Iverson, who was assigned to the Ventura-area inferno as part of afire-engine strike team from Cal Fires San Diego unit, left behind a pregnant wife and toddler daughter.

Upon learning of Iversons death, Gov. Jerry Brown ordered Capitol flags to be flown at half-staff.

His bravery and years of committed service to the people of California will never be forgotten,' the governor stated.

Iverson is survived by his wife, Ashley; 2-year-old daughter, Evie;mother, Denise Butler; stepfather, Scott Butler; and father, Craig Iverson.

An online account established to help Iversons family with funeral costs and other expenses can be found at www.gofundme.com/nmkkc-for-ashley-iverson-and-her-girls.

To watch a live stream of the funeral services, please click https://www.sdrock.com/liveplayer/
A speculator glowing streak over Southern California sparked a flurry of cell phone photos and social media speculations Friday night.

An alien attack? A meteor? Santa test-driving a souped-up sleigh?

Actually, it was a contrail from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 5:27 p.m. The 18th and final SpaceX mission of the year brought 10 satellites into space, and the clear sky and twilight hour combined to put on quite a show over San Diego County.

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At the San Diego Police Department, watch commander Officer Robert Heims said a few officers called in wondering what they had seen in the sky. By then, he said he had been alerted through department communications that there had been a two-stage rocket launch that night, and officers should pass the news along to any concerned citizens.

San Diegan Lisa Johnson Kogan spotted the contrail, aimed her camera and began live-streaming on Facebook.

Whats going on? and What the hell? were among the immediate replies.

Camp Pendleton took to Twitter to let people know they had nothing to do with what people were seeing.

For those asking, the lights are not from Camp Pendleton, read a tweet from the base , adding that the beautiful images were courtesy of SpaceX.

For those asking, the lights are not from Camp Pendleton. Beautiful images courtesy of @SpaceX & their Falcon 9 launch. https://t.co/CAf2CYx5eW  Camp Pendleton (@MCIWPendletonCA) December 23, 2017

Some people posted and tweeted that they would have appreciated some kind of heads-up to avoid a celestial freak-out. In fairness, SpaceX founder Elon Musk himself tweeted Launch underway immediately after a 60-second countdown alert from @SpaceX.

Joining in on the fun, Musk later posted a video of the contrail with the tweet, Nuclear alien UFO from North Korea.

Nuclear alien UFO from North Korea pic.twitter.com/GUIHpKkkp5  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 23, 2017

Some photos on Twitter came from as far east as Arizona, where the streak also could be seen.

Dana Fadlalla saw the streak in the sky from Coronado.

People had theories it was North Korea, and my nephew thought the sky was falling, Fadlalla said.

Beth Chee of Mission Valley said, It was so cool, but I was kind of hoping it was aliens.

The 10 satellites launched Friday will be part of a constellation operated by Iridium Communications, which plans to have 81 satellites in all.

SpaceXs last Iridium mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base was Oct. 9, when it also launched a set of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites into orbit.

Staff writer Gary Robbins contributed to this report.

Homeless Playlist  On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
San Diego Police are searching for a 21-year-old woman suspected of stabbing a man in a Talmadge home Friday night.

According to a police report, the woman was at a residence on 47th Street just north of Meade Avenue with two other men at about 5:40 p.m.when the attack occurred.

The three reportedly were sitting on a couch watching television when for an unknown reason the woman hit a 54-year-old man with a remote control and then grabbed a knife and stabbed him one time in the back.

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The victim was taken to a hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The woman fled the scene and was seen westbound on Meade Avenue. She is described as Latina, 5-foot, 6 inches tall and 180 pounds. She was wearing all dark clothing.

Homeless Playlist  On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
The Artistry Room defies easy categorization, but has both maker space and social gathering place in its DNA. In late October, the new small business opened its double doors on Old Town Temeculas Sixth Street.

Imagine that the online marketplace Etsy landed in the heart of Temecula, promised to teach you how to make hip home goods, accessories and artwork in an airy, welcoming environment. And poured you a glass of wine, to boot.

The Artistry Room is the brainchild of local entrepreneur Noelle Fiore, who was inspired to launch the business after a quest for creative outlets left her disappointed.

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I spent so many hours searching for some kind of creative outing  something that would stimulate my mind and replace the same old dinner & drinks, Fiore said.

I had done the paint n sip one too many times and, although I enjoyed the experience, I always left with a painting Id probably never hang and very little skills learned.

The Artistry Room was designed to inspire guests to learn skills and create items they would want to use or hang in their space. I want them to feel a sense of accomplishment with their creation and fall in love with the finished projects, she said.

This isnt the first entrepreneurial effort for Fiore, who already has a design business (www.cytdesignstudio.com) and a small nonprofit (www.holehearted.org) under her belt. We asked her about her newest venture, and about being an entrepreneur in Temecula.

Q: What is the Artistry Room about?

A: When people first walk through our double doors, they instantly feel inspired by the unique decor, the array of lights that fill the room and the open aired breeze from the industrial roll-up door being opened at the back.

Q: Why did you choose Temecula as home for The Artistry Room?

A: Temecula is my home town. In college, I would commute to San Diego for work and school but resided in Temecula because I always needed property to board my horses. Temecula has grown leaps and bounds since I was a kid and as much as I complain about the traffic, I have enjoyed watching it make its mark on the map.

Q: What advice would you give to small business owners or someone who wants to start a business in Temecula?

A: You never know what you are capable of until you try. No matter what the outcome is, you wont be sorry  its life changing. I have definitely mastered the ability to pick myself up and try again.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 or years?

A: I would love to see more locations open up.

The Artistry Room is open throughout the week and into the weekend, offering a variety of DIY projects and weekly workshops led by local artisans. Guests can book online or come in on a walk-in basis. The Artistry Room can also be rented for occasions.

INFO BOX

The Artistry Room

Address: 41920 Sixth St., Suite B, Temecula

Phone: (951) 345-4387

Email: Hello@theartisytryroom.com

Website: www.theartistryroom.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/theartistryroom

temecula@sduniontribune.com
The news that AT&T and Comcast would give $1,000 bonuses to hundreds of thousands of workers due to pending corporate tax cuts  and the reports that other companies will follow suit  cements 2017 as the first year in a long time with plenty of good news for middle-class workers.

A Federal Reserve study released this summer found that median pay was growing just under 4 percent annually for continuously employed full-time workers. An American Enterprise Institute report issued in September showed Americans were far more upbeat about their chances of having and holding a good full-time job than in recent years. That month, Washington Post columnist Robert J. Samuelson hailed the quiet comeback of the middle class. The wage stagnation that has triggered a populist uprising in both parties may have ended, at least in some industries.

This narrative shouldnt be oversold. Twenty percent of Californians are mired in poverty, algorithms and robots are sure to find new industries to hollow out, and the possibility of a U.S.-China trade war worries CEOs and economists around the world. But seeing the U.S. economy bounce back from the Great Recession so well is a welcome reminder that it is still powerful and resilient.
For most of the past year, our Street Art series has sought to humanize the individuals who make up San Diegos homeless population. The goal was to look past the numbers and statistics of the crisis and focus on how each of these people has a name, a hometown and a story.

It was never difficult finding homeless individuals to talk to. I just had to leave my drawing table at 600 B and take the elevator to the streets to find folks to interview and sketch. But what I found surprised me. I learned that homeless people, for the most part, really want to open up and share. Maybe its because theyre lonely, maybe its because they want attention brought to their plight, maybe its because an interview with a person from the newspaper is the first time in a while anyone has shown them respect and treated them with dignity. Im not trying to pat myself on the back here, but its true. Most of these people have been ignored, scorned and abused for much of their lives. Its refreshing for them to have someone look them in the eye and say, Tell me about yourself.

Im far from an expert, but I learned a lot by talking with a few dozen of San Diegos homeless:

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Balboa Park is dangerous at night.

Homeless people call the area near Petco Park and the downtown library The Bottoms and its also dangerous at night.

The safest place to sleep is around Bankers Hill.

A lot of homeless admitted to suffering from mental illness, but hardly any acted threatening or unstable in my presence.

A lot of homeless dont like shelters. This was discouraging to learn because the employees and volunteers at these organizations work so hard and they do have success getting some people off the street. But I heard time and again from homeless people that they dont like all the rules at a shelter. (Obviously, these rules, like no drugs and no alcohol, are in place for good reason.)

Homeless people are frequently stealing each others stuff. Many tell me they have to sleep with one eye open.

Many of the homeless people I talked to told me they suffered from abuse or neglect as children.

Soft foods like ice cream sandwiches and canned Vienna sausage are popular because many homeless do not have teeth.

Sporty water bottles are often receptacles for booze.

Before the hepatitis outbreak reached critical mass this summer and the city installed Port-A-Potties around town, many complained about the lack of public restrooms around the city. This is something most people dont really have to think about. You just use the restroom in the grocery store or at the movie theater.

A pet is not seen as a burden or a second mouth to feed but as an indispensable companion.

Homeless people I talked to were not interested in calling loved ones to ask for help even when they are offered a phone.

It was easier to find men willing to give permission to use their name and likeness in the paper than women. Im not sure why.

Many homeless people are sharp and funny. I often found myself engaged and genuinely interested while talking to them about life, politics, religion, etc. I encountered several where I thought, I could be friends with this person.

For me, thats the most important takeaway from the Street Art series: The homeless are just regular people. Sure, I know thats a cliche, but I think a lot of us tend to forget this  or maybe we dont want to believe it. A part of our brain tends to write the homeless off as drains on society and not worth our time  those people have too many problems, etc. Its easy and convenient to quickly walk past them. I do it myself.

But when you take a minute to look in their eyes as they tell you about their childhoods, their former jobs or their medical ailments, youre reminded that they could be your neighbor, or your uncle or your sister. Despite their inhumane living conditions, you see their humanity.

Experts say you shouldnt give money or food to the homeless because it perpetuates a cycle of dependency on the streets. This makes sense. But it doesnt have to be cash or blankets or ice cream sandwiches. The most important thing anyone can give the homeless is respect. You can smile at them. You can offer a simple hello or maybe, if you have a little time, you can say, Tell me about yourself.
A mysterious light that streaked across San Diegos night sky Saturday, visible as far away as Nevada and Arizona, was a Trident missile test-fired by the Navy.

Navy Strategic Systems Programs conducted the scheduled Trident II (D5) missile test flight at sea from the Kentucky, an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, in the Pacific Test Range off the coast of Southern California, a Navy spokesman said.

Mystery light over San Diego

The test was part of a scheduled, on-going system evaluation test, said Cmdr. Ryan Perry with the Navys Third Fleet.

Perry said launches are conducted on a frequent, recurring basis to ensure the continued reliability of the system. Each test activity provides valuable information about our systems, thus contributing to assurance in our capabilities, he said in a statement.

The missile was not armed and Strategic Systems Programs does not routinely announce missile testing. Information regarding the test launch of such missiles is classified prior to the launch, Perry said.

The test range is a massive area northwest of Los Angeles. The Navy periodically uses the range to test fire Tomahawk and Standard cruise from surface ships and submarines.

Law agencies and news media in San Diego were flooded with calls about 6 p.m. from people reporting everything from a flare to a comet to a nuclear bomb in the western sky.

Some people saw it fade from bright red to white or blue, and thought it traveled from south to north.

Its not clear if the test has anything to do with flight restrictions issued for Los Angeles International Airport for the coming week.

Nighttime flights into and out of the Los Angeles airport are to avoid passing over the Pacific Ocean just the west of the airport because the U.S. military has activated airspace there, Reuters reported.

The FAA and the military did not disclose the nature of the activities taking place near the second-busiest U.S. airport.

Airplanes normally fly over the ocean when arriving and departing the coastal Los Angeles International Airport during the night to avoid disturbing nearby residents, airport officials said in a statement to the news service.

But the FAA has indicated that military airspace over that patch of ocean was activated beginning on Friday night and continuing through Thursday night, airport officials said.

As a result, the airport will need to deviate from normal flight patterns during the next six nights, the statement said.

Many witnesses to the explosion speculated it was part of the annual Taurid meteor shower, which is reaching its peak. But Brian Keating, an astrophysicist at UC San Diego, quickly dismissed that.

The Taurid meteors would be coming from the east  and this light came from the west, Keating said. We'd also be more likely to see meteors about midnight, and the flash came near sunset.

Staff writers Kristina Davis and Gary Robbins contributed to this report.
BENNETTSVILLE, S.C.  The Rev. John Foster III, 60, died on Thursday, Dec. 21. He was 60. Service arrangements were pending as of late Saturday afternoon by Morris Funeral Home in Bennettsville.

Foster was an associate professor of Religion, and director for Diversity, Interfaith, and Inclusion Education at Coker College in Hartsville. He had a M.Ed., and a B.A. from the University of South Carolina, and was an ordained by the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina.

Coker Colleges Dr. Robert Wyatt made this comment when asked about Foster.

It is impossible to adequately express the loss Johns passing has on the Coker and Hartsville communities, he said. His dream was to make the world a better, peaceful place for everyone and he did that every single day of his life. His leadership, mentorship and friendship will be missed on campus and around our town. May we all work together to carry out Johns prayer of a better, more peaceful world,.

Brianna Douglas, Vice President of Student Success at Coker also made a statement on behalf of Coker College.

"John was a dear friend for many years, she said. He made our community a better place by showing love and compassion for all. We will honor him by continuing to bring people together for positive change. He will be missed."

Foster headed up Coker College's Center for Diversity, Interfaith and Inclusion Education. The Center spearheaded a number of initiatives, all aimed at creating a sense of belonging for all students at Coker. One of his latest was the Coker Gentlemen, according to college resources.

There are a number of reasons why students leave college, but one of the most pervasive is feeling like they dont belong. The Center for Diversity, Interfaith, and Inclusion Education at Coker College was created in an effort to promote the wellbeing of all Coker students, and to ensure that everyone is able to experience a sense of belonging on campus.

Students who arent persisting, theyre leaving because they feel like they dont belong, said Douglas. Through cultural awareness programming, were hoping to increase that sense of belonging.

The centers newest initiative is the Coker Gentlemen mentoring program. Designed specifically for sophomore male students, Coker Gentlemen provides mentees with the opportunity to meet confidentially with their mentors to discuss issues such as academics, personal concerns, or spiritual matters. By the end of their sophomore year, the goal is that mentees have a strong support system in place and a positive self-imageand the necessary encouragement to stay in school through graduation.

Its a program that looks at the academic and the emotional, but its also a program that looks at how men perform masculinity, said Foster in department information.

Many of our men have problems in social spaces. A lot of our men come from backgrounds that have not been supportive. A lot of men come from backgrounds where theyve been given mixed messages about what it is to be a man...So how to deal with power benevolently will be one of the goals, the many goals, that we have to help these men achieve, not only here at college but in the workplace, he said.

The Coker Gentlemen program is not an insular initiative; the Center will offer other male-centered programs, open to all men on campus. There are also plans to develop a similar mentoring program for women at Coker.

Foster also pastored at Bartholomews Episcopal Church, but had been with St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Darlington the past year.

The following message was posted on the Diocese of South Carolina website.

Please keep the family and loved ones of the Rev. John Foster in your prayers. John died in his sleep early this (Thursday) morning, it said.

Foster was ordained to the Vocational Diaconate Dec. 1, 2012 at the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul in Charleston.

Foster was born Sept. 30, 1957 in Bennettsville. He was a graduate of the Bennettsville Class of 1975, where he was class president.

He is son of the late Rev. John Foster, Jr, and Hattie Lucas Foster, of the home and survived by Hattie Lucas Foster, of the home.

Services will be held at Historical Sawmill Missionary Baptist in Bennettsville on Thursday at 2 p.m.
2017 has been an exciting and dramatic year for the global cruise business.

Seatrade Cruise Review's December issue recounts the year's hottest news items as reported on Seatrade Cruise News.

They include Ritz-Carlton's dive into cruising, and the exciting technology breakouts by Carnival Corp. & plc (Ocean Medallion) and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (Excalibur).

Not surprisingly, hurricane-related stories were big, especially Norwegian Sky's Hurricane Irma rescue mission to pick up stranded travelers in St. Thomas and Carnival's announcement of when ships would return to San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten.

As always, fascinating new ship features captured attention. The first reveals of Celebrity Edge with its intriguing Magic Carpet, Norwegian Joy's racetrack and the first look at Virgin Voyages' sleek exterior design were highly engaging.

Readers honed in on the newbuilds that propel the business, including Carnival Corp.'s ambitious plan to build ships in China, in partnership with Fincantieri and China State Shipbuilding Corp., and Royal Caribbean's whopping finance package for Oasis 5 and Edge 3 and 4.

Plus, on the shipyard front, Italy's Fincantieri took a hefty stake in STX Francebut it wasn't easy.

Refurbishments continued to be big news, and big bucks, like the $400m 'Celebrity Edge' fleetwide refurbishment plan, and the conversion of Dawn Princess into Pacific Explorer at Sembcorp Marine.

In the booming expedition segment, SunStone Ships' newbuilds in Shanghai made a splash with cruise industry readers, along with Mario Ferreira's ambition to build Mystic Cruises into a 10-strong fleet. And, when it came to expeditions, The World made history by reaching Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf.

Leaders and dynamic personalities often dominated the headlines. This year, especially big stories were Tom Wolber succeeding Edie Rodriguez at the Crystal helm, and a tribute to popular, long-time Carnival Cruise executive Natko Nincevic.

Further top stories included MSC Cruises' groundbreaking at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, a major new destination in the Bahamas, and a recounting of Royal Caribbean's emotional first foray to Cuba.

For a look back at the 'Headliners' of 2017, click here.
Keppel O&M has agreed to pay over $422m in the Brazil, the US and Singapore, to resolve charges related to a decade-long scheme under which millions of dollars in bribes were paid by its former Brazilian agent Zwi Skornicki.

Keppel O&M has accepted a conditional warning from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in Singapore, and entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), while Keppel FELS Brasil, has reached a Leniency Agreement with the Public Prosecutor's Office in Brazil, the Ministerio Publico Federal (MPF).

The US Department of Justice said that court documents showed that between 2001 and 2014 Keppel paid approximately $55m in bribes to officials from Petrobras and the then governing party of Brazil in order to win 13 contracts with Petrobras and another Brazilian entity, Sete Brasil. It said Keppel hid the payments by paying outsized commissions to an intermediary.

Under the agreements Keppel O&M is to pay $211.1m to Brazil and $105.5m each to Singapore and the US, the latter includes a $4.275m criminal fine.

An unnamed former senior member of Keppel O&M's legal team has plead guilty to a charge in the US.

These agreements relate to corrupt payments made by Mr Skornicki in relation to several KOM projects in Brazil, which were made with knowledge or approval of former Keppel O&M executives, Keppel said.

US court documents cited six unnamed executives of Keppel and three Brazilian officials. For legal reasons, Keppel is unable to comment on the agreed Statements of Facts released by the investigating authorities or on the identities of individual employees, Keppel said.

Keppel received credit for its cooperation into investigations in the bribery claims, and disciplinary action taken against the individuals involved, and the criminal penalty was reduced by 25% as result.

We regret and are deeply disappointed by the actions that we now know to have taken place at the Group's offshore and marine business in Brazil from around 2001 to 2014, said Lee Boon Yang, chairman of Keppel Corp, parent of Keppel O&M.

Since the allegations emerged, we have moved quickly and decisively to put in place stricter controls and embedded best practices across the group to ensure that such unacceptable behavior will not be repeated."
By Meetu Jain: That it's the CBI which has been indicted for its 2G investigation is by now a well known fact. But the fact is that botch up happened from day one and details of CBI's big misses have actually been chronicled in the PAC report that was prepared way back in 2011 under the BJP's watch. Then PAC chief Murli Manohar Joshi had given a hard hitting report in which one chapter was dedicated to the CBI's investigation of the 2G Scam.

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One of the many reasons given by the CBI director for the poor progress of the case was that the investigation officer in the case was tied up with several other cases. In fact the officer managed to find time for the 2G case only after completing his other cases. For instance, he first completed the probe in one case in early 2010 and was simultaneously attending to another case regarding the NTPC. Untill May 2010, he was attending a computer training course in Florida for which he needed time to complete the preparations, the CBI chief told the PAC. On his return from the USA, the officer completed a four month computer course in India, all this while the investigations were underway.

The CBI had filed its FIR on October 21, 2009 nearly two years after the 2G licenses were first given in January, 2008. Surprisingly the FIR was filed against unknown persons. When asked by the PAC whether it was a general practice in the CBI to lodge an FIR against unknown persons, the then CBI director AP Singh (himself in the dock for allegedly favouring several persons being probed by the CBI, including meat exporter Moin Quereshi) said, "Normally we register a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) in which we establish who are the persons responsible and then we lodge an FIR."

Asked why the practice was not followed while lodging an FIR in the 2G spectrum case, Singh said that the CVC did not name anyone in their report and wanted the CBI to probe.

Interestingly, the director also informed the PAC, "They (unknown persons) have been arrested and are now known."

The fact that the CBI was dragging its feet is clear because the agency actually waited for the Central Vigilance Commission to first look into the matter and come out with an inquiry report of its own before taking any action.

Responding to questions why the first raids started nearly a year after the FIR was lodged, the CBI chief denied that there was any influence on the agency about not proceeding quickly. In fact, the CBI director did mot even seem to have the information provided to him by a whistleblower, Aseervatham Acharya, ex aide of Raja. Those details had actually been provided to the CBI chief by former telecom minister Arun Shourie. It was only after the PAC's intervention that the CBI got in touch with the whistleblower who then proved to be a gold mine of information.

ALSO WATCH | DMK leader Kanimozhi speaks exclusively to India Today after being acquitted in 2G scam

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--- ENDS ---
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In a region where the daily commute can be a soul-ravaging exercise in traffic gridlock or overstuffed railcars, the 154 sparkling white piles poking out of the water just south of the San Francisco Ferry Building offer a glimmer of hope.

Those piles, pounded 150 feet into the dense bay sand, represent the foundation of a major expansion of Bay Area ferry service, a mode of transportation that most people find delightful, but few are in a position to use regularly.

The $74 million expansion of the ferry terminal, with the first phase set to be completed late next year, will triple the number of ferries that can stream in and out of downtown San Francisco, according to the Water Emergency Transportation Authority, which operates ferries between San Francisco, the East Bay and the Peninsula.

It will also create the infrastructure needed for new routes to Richmond, Treasure Island, Berkeley, Redwood City and San Franciscos Mission Bay. The terminal in Richmond is under construction while the others are in the planning stages. The authority currently has stops in San Francisco, Vallejo, Oakland, Alameda and South San Francisco. Another organization, Golden Gate Ferry, provides service to Marin County.

Ridership of the authoritys ferries has grown 78 percent since 2012, and is expected to continue to grow with the Bay Areas population. About 10,000 people ride those ferries each day. Michael Gougherty, a senior planner who is heading up the San Francisco expansion, compared the project to a much smaller and water-focused version of the Transbay Terminal, the transit hub opening next year at First and Mission streets.

We have been in a situation on our busiest routes where we are leaving people behind, said Gougherty. Its a good problem, but its a problem.

The regulatory approvals required to build on the water adjacent to busy downtown San Francisco were formidable, according to the contractor, Power Engineering and Construction in Alameda. Besides the Port of San Francisco, the project required approvals from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board, the State Historic Preservation Office, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies.

To avoid disrupting the herring spawning season, which starts in December, the work crew had just six months, from June to November, to dredge the turning basin area, demolish the condemned Pier 2, where the restaurant Sinbads had been located, and drive the piles that will support two new ferry gates, a promenade behind the State Agriculture Building at 101 The Embarcadero and a half-acre plaza where passengers will wait to board.

Working on a network of floating barges just south of the Ferry Building, about 40 workers used 67,000-pound vibratory hammers to drive the piles, which weighed a combined 2.3 million pounds. Laborers built temporary platforms  known as falsework  to have a dry stable place to work from. We had 11 barges and tugs out there at one point, said David Mik, president of Power Engineering. Its a pretty tight little site. It was a balancing act.

Under the agreement with the ferry authority, the contractor agreed the work would not impact traffic along the Embarcadero, nor could it interfere with existing ferry traffic.

When the two new gates open late next year, workers will turn their attention to Gate E, which is being used but is badly in need of rehab. The entire project will be wrapped up by the end of 2019.

Long-term solutions to traffic congestion will involve a second Transbay Tube, Gougherty said, but a project like that is unlikely to be completed before 2037.

There are clear long-term solutions  adding BART capacity  but what do you do in the short and medium term? he said. You are not going to build another bridge. You are not going to add another BART tube for another 20 years. So ferries present an option. There is plenty of capacity on the bay. Its a flexible investment because you can put the boats where they are needed.

Emily Loper, policy director for the Bay Area Council, an advocate for beefed-up ferry service, said her organization has pushed to have $300 million for ferry infrastructure included in Regional Measure 3, a bridge toll increase ballot measure that could be before voters next June.

There is a compelling case to be made that ferry service can make a significant impact, taking pressure off other transit systems, said Loper.

The expanded ferry terminal in San Francisco will serve as a cornerstone of a large vision for expanded water transport service, she added.

The Bay Area is suffering from the worst traffic crisis in history, and people increasingly are looking toward more convenient and congestion-free means of transportation, Loper added. Every month when WEDA reports ridership numbers its always breaking new records.

Ferry commuters tend to be a passionate bunch  and very much on top of the improvements. Howard Ashcraft, an attorney who has been taking the ferry between Alameda and downtown San Francisco since the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, said the service has been gradually improving with faster and more comfortable boats and more consistent and frequent service.

Its a hell of a lot better than it was that first day, Ashcraft said. The early boats had no bike parking and they were slow and small and creaky.

The expanded terminal will allow for more convenience and flexibility, he said.

Ideally you get to the point where nobody has to look at a schedule because they know its there and dependable, he said.

Ashcraft travels for work frequently and said that people get green with envy when I tell people what my commute is.

If you gotta commute, its a pretty good way to do it, he said.

Photographer Nico Ovid takes the ferry daily from Jack London Square in Oakland to his job near Oyster Point in South San Francisco. He said he is a recent convert to ferry travel, but an enthusiastic one.

I will bend myself over backwards to avoid any other way of traveling, he said. It sounds like a cliche but its true: My commute has gone from the worst part of my day to the best part.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen
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The holiday season hardly felt like a time for rejoicing in 1941. Japanese warplanes attacked Pearl Harbor just 18 days before Christmas, thrusting the United States into World War II. Newspapers normally fill their Dec. 25 editions with seasonal feel-good stories, but this year was anything but normal.

Readers opened their Chronicle on Christmas Day to find a front page photo of a ship and the headline, The Victim of a Jap Sub. The story began, A Japanese submarine with a false fishing boat superstructure showing, snaked close to the California shore yesterday and sent a torpedo crashing into the side of the 5,696 ton American freighter Absaroka.

Hundreds of people on shore saw the attack in the Catalina channel, The Chronicle reported. The badly damaged ship was towed to shore.

There was a local connection. The lone seaman killed in the attack was 67-year-old Joseph Ryan, who lived in a hotel at 607 Montgomery St. Ryan was trying to save another crewman who had been thrown into the sea by the explosion when a load of lumber fell on him.

San Franciscans didnt know it, but the Japanese navy had planned to give them a Pearl Harbor-style Christmas present. The Japanese submarine that torpedoed the Absaroka was one of nine that were dispatched to the California coast in the first weeks of the war to attack U.S. merchant ships. Between Dec. 18 and 24 they attacked eight vessels, sinking two.

As a climax to the operation, around midnight on Christmas Eve the submarines were supposed to surface and shell San Francisco and other cities with their 5.5-inch deck cannons. The Japanese military called off the plan because of fears the submarines would be detected in advance, although one one sub did shell an oil refinery near Santa Barbara two months later.

The war did come home to San Franciscans that Christmas, in a painful and dramatic way that no one present would ever forget. As related in an earlier Portals, a convoy of camouflaged ships carrying wounded evacuees from Pearl Harbor steamed through the Golden Gate early Dec. 25.

Thousands of people, many of whom still did not know if their loved ones had survived the attack, streamed to the closed-off Embarcadero. The Red Cross and other service organizations handed out toys to the displaced children and provided evacuees with housing. The wounded were loaded into ambulances and taken to the naval hospital at Mare Island.

As for the larger war, the news was mostly bad that winter. The Chronicles lead headline on Christmas screamed, SHOWDOWN FOR MANILA! The Battle for the Philippines. 100 enemy troop transports infest island waters; MacArthur leaves to take command in field.

The story tried to sound upbeat, but it was clear that the military situation was grave. The next day, the paper reported that Manila had been declared an open city, meaning all defensive military operations had been suspended to protect the civilian population. Japanese forces occupied the Philippines capital a week later.

Small items in The Chronicles Christmas edition reveal a city doing its best to shift to the new wartime reality.

Residents were still learning the new blackout regulations: A small, boxed story at the top of Page One, headlined The Signals, described the different siren blasts that would sound for Blackout and All Clear. On Page 8, a story headlined, Tree Lights Must Be Off When Youre Out, reminded readers, Theres no Christmas truce in the war and orders to blackout come without warning.  Air raid wardens are empowered to break into houses in a blackout if lights are on and owners not home.

Another story reported that local engineers and architects were mobilizing to help people build bomb shelters in their backyards. In the classifieds, there were 15 ads for blackout materials and air raid supplies.

The war affected every aspect of local life  even on Alcatraz.

A story headlined War Dangers at Alcatraz are Studied reported that the federal governments island prison presented special problems. Blackouts on the island are considered extremely dangerous, it noted  but leaving the lights on could make it an easy air-raid target. A well-placed bomb could loose on San Francisco the group of men held to be the most dangerous in this country.

Another story, with an accompanying photograph, reported that two of The Chronicles reporters had enlisted in the Army Air Corps. One was David Perlman, who had joined the paper 18 months earlier and was going off to work in the public relations office of the West Coast Air Corps Training Center.

Nine years later, Perlman would find his way back to The Chronicle. He went on to become one of the countrys preeminent science reporters, retiring only this past August at the age of 98.

Naturally, there were numerous stories about the home front. Under the headline The Red Cross: Final Plans for Most Crucial Drive, The Chronicle reported that the relief organization planned to raise $50 million in 1942. San Francisco was expected to kick in $800,000 and also increase its blood bank supplies from 35 to 110 pints a day, with 80 pints reserved for the military.

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The papers somber editorial was simply titled Christmas 1941. It began, For the first time since the Christian world began to fall into worse than heathendom, we can celebrate Christmas this year with full self-respect. For we now believe in peace enough to fight for it.

The piece concluded, For (our children) and their childrens children, the world will be what we make it now. Rejoice with them today that at least we have today. And rededicate yourself, in the spirit of the Prince of Peace, to fight now to banish war, and to build later a lasting peace, of right and justice, good faith and good will.

The war would last 3.5 more years. Every citizen made sacrifices. And many made the supreme sacrifice. Almost 1,900 San Franciscans, from every neighborhood in the city  Hunters Point to Pacific Heights, South of Market to the Sunset  would be killed in the line of duty before the war ended.

Gary Kamiya is the author of the best-selling book Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco, awarded the Northern California Book Award in creative nonfiction. All the material in Portals of the Past is original for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: metro@sfchronicle.com

Trivia time

Previous question: Where is the building used for the exterior shots in the cult classic movie The Room?

Answer: On Broderick, between Bay and North Point.

This weeks trivia question: Why were the streets of 1849 San Francisco strewn with shirts?

Editors note

Every corner in San Francisco has an astonishing story to tell. Gary Kamiyas Portals of the Past tells those lost stories, using a specific location to illuminate San Franciscos extraordinary history  from the days when giant mammoths wandered through what is now North Beach to the Gold Rush delirium, the dot-com madness and beyond. His column appears every other Saturday, alternating with Peter Hartlaubs OurSF.
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Right around here, says Marin Shakespeare Companys managing director, Lesley Currier, positioning herself in a very particular spot in her companys new space in downtown San Rafael: on an open second-floor walkway that overlooks what will be the main stage, down on the first floor.

She doesnt have to explain what shes referring to. You can already envision the immortal scene: Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?

That Marin Shakes new venue has a balcony for Juliet already built in is just one of the reasons this former baby store  the local favorite Hellers for Children, on Fourth Street  is an auspicious site for the growing company.

Curriers husband, Artistic Director Robert Currier, says theyve been looking for a home for their company for about 20 years but always assumed theyd have to rent. (The pair have run the company since 1989, reconstituting it from the then-defunct Marin Shakespeare Festival.)

He discovered this site on a drive in August 2015. I turned right on Fourth, and I couldnt believe it, he says. I just about crashed my car. ... It was this building for sale  not for lease or for rent  for sale. Whoa!

In addition to a stage and seats for audiences of up to 165, the space will house three classrooms, dressing rooms for actors and a lobby with a cafe and a small platform stage. It also has office space and an attic for storing costumes, props and sets.

The company bought the space for $2.1 million with the help of an anonymous donor, and now its in the middle of a $2.5 million renovation  fixing the plumbing, making the space accessible for the disabled, complying with the fire code (including installing sprinklers), getting rid of giant pillars that are in the middle of where the stage will be, and building more bathrooms. Marin Shakes has been holding classes there since not long after it got the keys in January, but the space wont be ready for performance for a while, Robert says.

Theres currently no other permanent, professional performance space in downtown San Rafael. Local troupe AlterTheater performs in various vacant Fourth Street storefronts, and Marin Shakes stages its annual three-show season in Forest Meadows Amphitheatre, on the campus of Dominican University.

The Curriers have no plans to move their summer season. Outdoor summer Shakespeare is really the heart and soul of who we are and what we do, Lesley says.

In fact, the pair are also planning to renovate that amphitheater after the summer 2018 season  running electric cables underground, building a permanent lighting tower, installing a retractable shade cloth over audience seating, upgrading the acoustics and improving accommodations for the disabled. Permanent facilities will mean that the company wont have to spend five weeks each year reopening the amphitheater, which means the Curriers can focus more on being artists.

Still the Curriers laugh at their own ambition in embarking on two big construction projects at once. We meet with one architect here, then meet with plumbers there, then were back here  were back and forth a lot, Robert says.

But even with all those improvements to Forest Meadows, that site alone would still have major limits for Marin Shakes. Right now we perform three months out of the year, Lesley says. Its so exciting to think that we can program 12 months out of the year.

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She envisions new play development, festivals of readings and small-scale performances.

The amphitheaters in the middle of 27 acres, she says. It doesnt have any street signage, which makes it difficult not only to advertise but also to communicate all that Marin Shakes does. In addition to its main stage season, the company teaches Shakespeare to children and adults, as well as bringing its Shakespeare for Social Justice program to eight prisons.

For the Curriers, the new space will also mean they can move their work, their staff of five and decades of theater detritus out of their home, after years of storing costumes under their kids beds or asking their employees to step over dirty laundry.

I actually love working from home, Lesley says, but its not a great business plan for a company that we want to survive beyond us.

People dont look upon it as professional, Robert adds. We get called a mom-and-pop a lot, slightly pejoratively. If that was more accurate in the companys early days, its a label the company has earned the right to shed, now that its annual budget is $1.3 million and they employ 80 people a year.

Were not quite as mom-and-pop as we used to be, Lesley says.

Lily Janiak is The San Francisco Chronicles theater critic. Email: ljaniak@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LilyJaniak
By PTI: (Eds: Adding CMs quote; Updating toll)

Jaipur, Dec 23 (PTI) At least 33 people, including four children, were killed and seven others injured today when a bus plunged into Banas river after veering off a 100-foot bridge in Rajasthans Sawai Madhopur district, police said.

The incident took place early morning in Soorwal police station area when the bus carrying about 45 passengers was on its way to Lalsot from Sawai Madhopur, they said.

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The driver of the bus lost control over the vehicle and it plunged into the river after breaking the railing of the bridge, the police said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and said his thoughts were with the families of the deceased.

"State government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected," the Prime Ministers Office tweeted.

Soorwal police station SHO Anoop Singh said of the 33 people killed, seven are women and four children. The injured were rushed to hospitals.

The bus driver was also killed in the incident, a police officer had said earlier.

He said that 19 bodies were handed over to the kin of victims after post-mortem and autopsy of 14 bodies was yet to be conducted.

One body is still unidentified, he added.

On reports that the bus driver was a minor, the SHO said it was yet to be ascertained.

Passengers were from Rajasthan and other states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. Several of them were going to offer prayers at a temple in Malarna Chour in the district, the SP said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje expressed her condolences to the families of the victims.

"I am saddened by the bus accident that took place in Dubi Banas. Took stock of the situation from the officials present on the spot and directed them to provide all possible assistance to the affected people," she said in a tweet.

In a statement issues later, she said in-charge minister of the district Rajpal Singh Shekhawat was rushed to the spot to oversee the relief measures.

"I pray for peace for the departed souls and courage for the aggrieved family members to overcome the shock," the chief minister said.

Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Rajasthan Congress Chief Sachin Pilot, Sawai Madhopur MLA Diya Kumari and NPP leader Kirori Meena also expressed grief over the incident. PTI AG DIP

--- ENDS ---

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Some of the estimated 400,000 people who ordered Teslas new Model 3 sedan are about to receive quite a Christmas present.

Tesla confirmed Friday that Model 3 deliveries to reservation holders who are not Tesla employees are beginning to take place. The electric car company, based in Palo Alto, is expected to release fourth-quarter Model 3 production and delivery numbers in early January.
Before you buy any smart gadgets, make sure theyre not dumb.

This holiday season, a third of Americans plan to buy a smart home device, according to the Consumer Technology Association.

And nearly half of Americans use digital voice assistants, according to the Pew Research Center.

But just hooking up the Internet to a door lock, kettle or dog bowl (yes, thats a thing) doesnt make it smart. The trick is figuring out which ones are worth the cost, trouble and inevitable security risks.

Ive been in those weeds. After reviewing dozens of smart home products, Ive learned to be skeptical of any gadget that feels like a Star Trek prop, and a little paranoid about things that are listening, watching or collecting data.

Any gadget you install in your house should work with software from the major tech firms. And it should be made by a company with years of experience in homes, or at least with top-notch customer support.

The good news is that some of these connected gadgets are actually awesome. I picked five smart home devices that are genuinely useful enough that Ive given them as a gift  including to myself.

Ring Video Doorbell 2

Price: $200

Why its useful: Whos at your door? The Ring is a doorbell that doubles as a Wi-Fi security camera, so you can watch, hear and talk to the person at the door through an app  even if youre not at home. It alerts your phone with a live feed when somebody presses the bell, or any time somebody comes near. No rewiring required. The Ring at my house caught package thieves and vandals, and produced video evidence I gave to the cops.

The downsides: To review, share and store video clips for 60 days requires a $30 per year subscription. If your existing doorbell isnt powered, youll have to charge the Rings battery every six to 12 months.

Why its the best: There are lots of video doorbells, but Ring has solid customer service, delivers on its promises and works with other home devices including Amazons Echo Show. (Alexa, show me whos at the front door.) The Ring app also lets you share clips and alerts about criminal activity with neighbors who also own a Ring.

How it handles security: Ring encrypts your video. In 2016, researchers discovered a flaw in the first-generation Ring doorbell that could have let hackers access a homes Wi-fi network. Ring issued a patch and says it updates doorbell software automatically.

Lutron Caseta

light switches

Price: $80 for starter kit

Why its useful: OK, switches arent exactly an exciting present. But these Lutron Caseta ones only look like regular dimmers  theyve actually got superpowers to turn on and off with an app, remote or voice command. Thats useful for safety: You can program your porch light to come on after sunset, or set lights to random when youre on vacation. Theyre also a convenience  like when your bed is just too warm and comfy to leave, so you just say good night to Siri and watch the whole house turn off at once. Ive programmed mine to wake me by slowly making the room brighter.

The downsides: I needed to hire an electrician to install my Caseta switches, though its certainly possible to do it yourself. Caseta also requires a hub (included in its starter kit) attached to your home router.

Why its the best: The Lutron switches require more effort than stand-alone connected bulbs like Philips Hue. But Lutrons tech is rock-solid reliable, and allows you to still turn off lights the old-fashioned way, with a light switch. It also works with Apple HomeKit, Alexa, Nest and more.

How it handles security: If your homes Internet goes out, Caseta switches still work. Lutron does penetration testing for hackers and automatically pushes updates to your hub, but it wouldnt say whether its systems have ever been breached.

Eero mesh

Wi-Fi router

Price: $300 for a two-hub pack

Why its useful: Eero solves the No. 1 home tech problem: Bad Wi-Fi. The reason your Netflix stutters is there are corners in your house that one poor, overworked router just cant reach. Eero uses hubs to create a mesh that spreads Internet all over. Thats a lifesaver in big houses or ones (like mine) with walls filled with metal, plaster and and other materials that act like Kryptonite for radio waves.

The downsides: Eero is pricier than stand-alone routers and mesh systems like Google WiFi and Netgear Orbi. If you want Eeros hubs to work well, you cant hide them under a stack of old People magazines  they need to be out in the open. (Fortunately, theyre pretty.)

Why its the best: Eero is the simplest home gadget Ive ever tested. Other routers may be a little faster or have more features, but Eero is reliable and offers solid customer service. It also now offers a security service, called Eero Plus (for $100 per year), to detect and stop hackers, and help you manage passwords, combat malware and access a VPN when youre on the go.

How it handles security: Eero uses the cloud to give you remote control over your network and to ensure performance, but it doesnt log or store where people go on the Internet. And the cloud lets Eero quickly update your hardware when security problems come to light.

Ecobee 4 thermostat

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Price: $250

Why its useful: Baby, its cold outside  and in that room at the back of your house. Thermostats measure the temperature one place (usually the hallway), but who hangs out there? The Ecobee 4 thermostat uses sensors to keep track of which room youre in and what the temperature is, and makes adjustments accordingly. Its smart enough to compensate for a cold snap, and it should also be more energy efficient than an old-fashioned thermostat, though your savings may vary.

The downsides: You get one room sensor in the box, but extras cost $80 each. Your installation experience may vary: to make the Ecobee 4 work with my extremely ancient heating system, I had to buy a $15 external AC transformer.

Why its the best: Nest makes the most well-known learning thermostat, but the Ecobee 4 beats it with the room-sensing tech and a few other features. Its got Alexa built into a speaker and microphone on the thermostat, so you have one more spot in the house to chat with your favorite virtual lady-friend. And Ecobee works with lots of smart home software, including Apple HomeKit, Google Home and (of course) Amazon Alexa.

How it handles security: The Ecobee 4 works even without an Internet connection. The company does security audits and says its products havent suffered from any breaches it knows about.

Sonos One

speaker

Price: $200

Why its useful: Talking speakers are all the rage, but most lower-priced ones dont sound fantastic. The Sonos One does, and it has the ability to switch its voice between either Amazon Alexa or Googles Assistant. The Sonos One can also join other Sonos wireless speakers that come in many sizes and shapes to fill every room with music. I keep my house on perpetual party mode.

The downsides: The Sonos One costs twice as much the new Amazon Echo and Google Home. Support for Googles Assistant, along with Apples AirPlay 2, wont come until 2018. And some of its Alexa voice commands are unintuitive, but that should improve over time.

Why its the best: The One is the connected speaker to beat because of its neutral status in the talking artificial intelligence wars, and Sonos years of experience making great-sounding wireless speakers. But I wont blame you for waiting until professional reviewers get our hands on Apples much-hyped (and much-delayed) $350 HomePod next year.

How it handles security: Sonos offers frequent free software updates. Like the Amazon Echo, theres a button on top that stops its microphone from listening.

Geoffrey A. Fowler is a Washington Post writer.
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A pair of thieves snatching packages off porches in Hayward were nabbed in a holiday season sting when they swiped a parcel police implanted with tracking device, officials said Thursday.

Package theft is a nettlesome problem for police departments at this time of year, when gifts are delivered on doorsteps around the Bay Area and country. The so-called porch pirates who steal the packages usually go undetected.

Its been an nagging issue in the Bay Area this year. In Mountain View, police announced that there has been a rash of package thefts, and said that theyre seeking a suspect who they believe may have been responsible for a string of them.

In Hayward, a series of package thefts prompted such concern that police devised a technological trap for the culprits.

You hear enough of whats going on and eventually you say, Hey, its time to do whatever we have to to stop this from happening, said Lt. Guy Jakub of the Hayward Police Department.

So police came up with a plan, which Jakub said is based on similar undercover operations they do year-round. Officers placed a decoy packagean Amazon box with a tracking device in iton a porch where parcels had been previously stolen.

The package was placed on the porch at 11 a.m. Wednesday, and by 2 p.m. thieves took the bait.

Police tracked the device to a white Acura. When they searched the car, officers recovered not just the decoy package, but several parcels that had been pilfered from porches.

We found a couple dozen stolen items, Jakub said. One item was a stuffed bear in a Santa hat, which police said will be returned to its rightful recipient in time for Christmas.

Police arrested two suspects, who were both on probation for theft. Their names were not immediately released, but they are now in custody at the Hayward Police Department awaiting charges.

Hayward Police hope that this operation, and ones like it, will be a deterrent to others thinking about commit ting similar crimes.

Theres more than one person in the Bay Area doing this, said Lt. Eric Krimm, also of the Hayward Police Department. Were sure there are other persons out there who may be temped to commit this type of a theft and hopefully when they realize that these types of operations are being conducted, it may discourage them.
A burglary suspect was shot and killed by a Sonoma County sheriffs detective at a Ukiah (Mendocino County) motel Thursday night after her accomplice leveled a gun at officers, officials said Friday.

The dead woman, whose name was not released, was also armed, said Sgt. Spencer Crum of the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office. The woman was found inside the Sunrise Inn after the detective fired an unknown number of rounds at her companion, Crum said.

Crum said deputies from Sonoma and Mendocino counties and Ukiah police went to the budget motel at about 8 p.m. after receiving information that the two Sonoma County burglary suspects were there.

One detective shot an undetermined amount of rounds and a male suspect was ultimately taken into custody. The second suspect was found deceased, Crum said.

The name of the suspect who aimed a gun at officers was not immediately released. He was not injured in the encounter.

A woman who identified herself as the motel manager said multiple shots were fired into the motel room.

The shots were from outside, and they broke the glass in the bathroom, and the lady was in the bathroom, said the manager, who would give only her first name, Mira.

Mira said the dead womans name was Mary and that she and her companion had checked in on Monday and had stayed inside the nonsmoking room, smoking cigarettes. She did not know anything more about them.

How can we know who is a criminal and who is not a criminal? Mira said. We run a motel.

Officials did not release details of the burglary the two suspects were involved in or how long the Sheriffs Office had been searching for them.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com
Even before it completely falls apart, even before it begins to seem as though it were being made up on the spot, Downsizing is strangely unlovable. Its a place we dont want to visit, a world we dont want to inhabit. Watching it feels like work.

Co-written and directed by Alexander Payne, the movie is an intelligent persons response to the environmental and economic anxieties plaguing the modern world. Dumb sci-fi movies are all about the destruction of the universe, but Downsizing is more localized, serious and despairing. Its whole atmosphere is depressed  post-hope.

In the movies first scene, scientists develop a process by which people can be shrunk to 5 inches in height, a process designed to reduce the human footprint and save the planet. But in practice  this is the movies one genuinely clever and poetic touch  people are attracted to downsizing for economic reasons. For an outlay of just $150,000, a person can buy a mansion and finance a life of leisure, without ever having to work again.

Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig play a fortyish couple, struggling to buy a first house. They become attracted to downsizing because they grasp that, in the full-size economy, they are always going to be struggling. Though they approach downsizing with some enthusiasm and expectation, we cant help but see this the way Payne and co-screenwriter Jim Taylor see it, as the self-abnegation of the middle-class, as two people willing to erase themselves and do violence to their own bodies because of the way wealth is allocated in modern America.

This is a provocative and arresting opening, but its only an opening, and from there Payne must deliver. He does, but only in small ways, such as the careful rendering of Leisureland, the downsized community. In terms of story, or at least narrative interest, Downsizing is essentially over less than a third of the way in. Paul (Damon) floats through the movie with a sadness that never lifts, which reflects the movies outlook and philosophy.

You know a film is bad when even Christoph Waltz cant save it. He plays Pauls upstairs neighbor, who is always having wild parties in his fancy apartment, and for a time we think, OK, good, something fun will come from this character. Hes full of mischief. Hes a black marketeer, pirating luxury items (wines, cigars) to the small communities. But nothing really happens.

Instead, Payne bogs himself down in a story line about a Vietnamese dissident (Hong Chau), who stows away to Leisureland and, because she didnt buy in, ends up as a cleaning woman. This leads to a whole rumination on income inequality within Leisureland itself, with the idea, I suppose, that even in a downsized community, hierarchies based on exploitation are inevitable. But it all seems so tired, so good, so preachy, so weak, so without vitality or promise, as though Payne were just indulging in liberal despair, rather than thinking his way through the story.

It doesnt help that he guides Hong Chau to a sentimental performance, full of tearful outbursts, or that he seems to forget that Waltz is even in the picture. Meanwhile theres poor Matt Damon: If you see Downsizing  but why would you?  pay attention to Damon in the movies last 45 minutes. Notice how hes hanging on by his fingernails, really trying. This is an experienced actor pushing through the scenes, actively willing the screenplay to work by investing in every moment. And he can do nothing.

In the end, Downsizing doesnt get past its original conceit and doesnt even work out the implications of its premise. What about predators? When the little people go boating in Norway, what about birds and insects? By the end, Downsizing is one of those great ideas that should have just stayed an idea.

Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicles movie critic. Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle

Downsizing

Sci-fi drama. Starring Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz and Hong Chau. Directed by Alexander Payne. (R. 135 minutes.)
When Isabel Fondevila, director of the Roxie Theater, thinks about Christmas as a child in her native Spain, it makes her hungry and want to sing. I am not talking about turkey and cranberry sauce, or Christmas carols, she says. I am talking about prawns (the really big ones you can't find here), pate and delicious turron (almond and chocolate), and the Do Re Mi song from The Sound of Music.

Fondevila remembers big dinners on Dec. 24, with all the family, including cousins, at her grandmothers house in San Sebastian. I remember us kids following a Catalan tradition (my grandfather was Catalan) and hitting a bunch of logs with the stick of a broom while singing Tronc de Nadal in Catalan to find out what was under the logs. If the kids were bad, there was raw fish. This happened only once to all of us as a sick joke from the adults. If the kids were good, there was candy and chocolate. That night we would not get a lot of sleep.
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This movie awards season is delivering a clear message: Call your mother. Or your daughter.

Mother-daughter stories have dotted Academy Awards history since the days of womens pictures. This year, films with strong mother-daughter story lines, from Lady Bird to The Florida Project, are dominating the awards landscape.

These movies reflect mother-daughter predecessors in some ways, but also seem immediate. In other words, they are catnip for Academy voters, who probably will reward them with nominations in January.

Frances McDormand already is nominated for a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award for her performance as Mildred, public shamer of local authorities sluggish response to her daughters murder, in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Margot Robbie and Allison Janney, who play skater Tonya Harding and her abusive mother in I, Tonya, also are up for Globes and SAG awards, as are Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, who play a headstrong Sacramento teenager and her matter-of-fact mother in Lady Bird. Holly Hunter is up for a SAG award for her portrayal of the mother of a comatose young woman in The Big Sick.

Most of these films also have shots at best picture nominations, as does Florida. Willem Dafoes kind motel manager in Florida has drawn most of the attention, but its key relationship is between mother and daughter motel dwellers played by newcomers Bria Vinaite and Brooklynn Prince.

It is almost as if mother parts, once considered a concession an actress had to make upon turning 35, are now the thing to play.

I dont think mother has that stigma anymore, said Janney, who also stars opposite Anna Faris in the mother-daughter CBS comedy Mom. And the mother-daughter relationship will never stop being interesting and fascinating.

The reason it felt like it was a bummer to get a mother part before was that a mother role was sort of a placeholder, said Lady Bird director/screenwriter Greta Gerwig. There were fewer women writing and creating. Mothers were shown as being either monsters or angels.

Gerwig and Emily Gordon  who co-wrote Big Sick with her husband, Kumail Nanjiani, based on her own sudden illness  are the only female writers in the current mother-daughter pack. But women wrote the books on which 2009s cycle-of-poverty drama Precious and 2014s adventure tale Wild  both of which held significant mother-daughter content  were based. MoNique won an Oscar for playing the abusive mother in Precious, and co-star Gabourey Sidibe was nominated, as were Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern for Wild.

One could argue that MoNiques character is a monster, and Janneys not far behind. But performances can transcend two-dimensional roles. MoNiques showed a viciousness so towering you could see pain beneath it. In the serio-comic Tonya, Janney makes her mark with droll line readings.

The years other awards-worthy mothers seem like real, well-intentioned but flawed people who are as far removed from the mother-as-monster as they are from mothers-as-martyrs Stella Dallas (Oscar nominee Barbara Stanwyck) and Mildred Pierce (Oscar winner Joan Crawford).

This years Mildred (McDormand) is reeling from grief, but so prickly in general that you know the personality predated the daughters death. Hunters character gets loaded while her daughter is comatose.

Were these mothers purer souls, awards bodies would not be responding as positively. Stereotypical female characters do not play in 2017, year of the fed-up woman. From todays perspective, screen mothers and daughters interested in the same man (in Pierce and Imitation of Life, to name a few films) seem like relics, but so do a theatrically shrieking (and Oscar-nominated) Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep in August: Osage County.

August was an anomaly in a progression toward authentic mother-daughter stories that began with 1983s Terms of Endearment. Shirley MacLaine won an Oscar for her performance as Aurora, the hypercritical but loving mother to a terminally ill daughter (Oscar nominee Debra Winger).

ELI REED

Most forward movement happened in the 1990s, thanks to female authors writing semiautobiographical novels about their mothers. They included Carrie Fisher (Postcards From the Edge) and Anna Quindlen (One True Thing), who enabled Streep to win Oscar nominations as a daughter and mother in the same decade.

The 90s rise of independent film brought compelling duos like Oscar winners Hunter and Anna Paquin, who played a mother sold into marriage and her daughter in Jane Campions alternately elegant and raw The Piano. In Secrets & Lies, a black optometrist (Oscar nominee Marianne Jean-Baptiste) discovers that her birth mother (Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn) is white and working class. In Tumbleweeds, an impulsive woman (Oscar-nominated Janet McTeer) heads west in her beat-up car, daughter in tow.

This periods mothers intrigued, but so did their daughters, no longer the bad seeds or ciphers used to prop up an older actress star turn. There was a push and pull, as there is between Robbies and Ronans characters and their mothers, although Robbies, sadly, mainly gets pushed.

Although not as seasoned as other actresses in this group, Vinaite and Prince show a believable chemistry in Florida. Putting that film in the mix gives 2017s mother-daughter stories an unprecedented degree of realness and of timeliness, in larger themes of money worries and challenging authorities.

Hunters character outdoes MacLaines in hospital scenes, questioning whether her daughter is in the best facility. A lack of movement in her daughters case prompts McDormands Mildred to put up billboards chastising local police.

Mother-daughter narratives often have built tension on the question of whether mothers are viable breadwinners. But Lady Bird, Tonya and Florida mention money so often, it helps to have a calculator handy.

When her husband loses his job, Metcalfs nurse character takes double shifts. In Tonya, Janneys waitress single mother bitterly complains about bankrolling her childs skating career.

Florida resembles the mama-was-a-rolling stone Tumbleweeds in that its jobless mother, Halley, also wants to be the fun mom. But theres no whimsy in her itinerant status. And no car.

Her situation seems more urgent than those in Tonya and Lady, partially because she is poorer but also because her story is present-day, compared with the 2002-set Bird and mostly 90s Tonya. Defiant toward authority in a less focused way, posturing and posing for selfies amid desperate circumstances, Halley feels like an emblem of todays America, with its social media addictions and tattered safety net.

Carla Meyer is a Northern California freelance writer.

I, Tonya, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Lady Bird and The Florida Project are playing in Bay Area theaters.

Mildred Pierce: 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27. The Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu
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WASHINGTON  The Senates failure to approve an $81 billion disaster-relief bill before leaving town for the holidays will have no immediate effect on victims of the Wine Country fires, but federal aid money will need to be replenished soon, officials said Friday.

Everything is continuing to go on, there is money in the fund, and that money will be spent down while this is worked out, said Rep. Mike Thompson, a Democrat whose Napa County district was the locus of Octobers Wine Country fires. I think about mid-January we come into a problem.

And California will soon be asking for more aid for the fires that ravaged Southern California this month. Gov. Jerry Brown made a second request for a presidential disaster declaration for the Southern California fires Thursday, the first step toward getting federal aid.

The states aid request for the Wine Country fires was $4.4 billion, and Thompson said the relief bill in Congress would have covered it. The bill, approved by the House on Thursday before stalling in the Senate, will be taken up again after Congress returns in January.

The state will need more money soon, said Brian Ferguson, Browns deputy press secretary. With the Thomas Fire in Southern California, the largest in the states recorded history, still burning and only 65 percent contained, Ferguson said its too early to assess the damage. But he said the December fires will require another disaster bill beyond the one Congress put on hold.

The House passed the $81 billion disaster bill late Thursday, 251-169, with help from Democrats. But the legislation died just a few hours later in the Senate after Democrats there blocked it.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the bill suffered from inadequacies. Particularly, he said, it didnt provide enough funding for Puerto Rico, ravaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria. Schumer also wanted the disaster aid to be considered with other issues important to Democrats, including deportation protection for young undocumented immigrants.

Republicans had their own issues with the bill too, and decided unilaterally against spending Christmas week dealing with it. Second-ranking Senate Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, whose state was struck hard by Hurricane Harvey, said the bill had a lot of moving parts and varied interests, competition between various jurisdictions over who gets what.

Congressional aides said some Texas Republicans hoped the delay would give them a chance to get more money for the Gulf Coast. That suggests Senate Republicans may want to make changes to the House bill, instead of simply trying to pass it. Such a strategy would delay final approval, perhaps for weeks.

The Senate returns to work Jan. 3, but the House wont be back until a week later.

By then, the disaster bill will be competing with multiple, major controversies that are tangled in an urgent new deadline of Jan. 19 to pass a spending bill. Thats the expiration date of a bill Congress just passed to keep the government open.

The controversies tied with the spending bill include protecting young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation, renewal of a domestic surveillance program and raising caps imposed during the Obama administration on military and domestic spending.

Although California is not in immediate distress because of the delay in the disaster bill, Florida citrus growers said thats not the case with them.

Its been an emotional roller coaster, said Ellis Hunt Jr., a citrus grower whose grandfather started the family business in 1929 in Lake Wales, Fla. Hunt said hes worried that his business wont reach its 100-year anniversary after Hurricane Irma damaged thousands of acres of orange groves in the middle of the state.

Hunt, who also chairs the Florida Citrus Commission, said growers were just beginning to see relief from the citrus greening disease that struck their groves in 2005, and then the hurricane struck. Already financially distressed, growers lost this years crop to Irma, leaving them without funds to grow next years oranges.

Hunt said most growers have been hanging on by a thread for awhile. They need help, the sooner the better, he said.

If lawmakers could stand in the orange groves with any Florida citrus grower and see the rotten fruit on ground, you can realize the devastation, he said. You can smell it, and you can see it.

Even House passage of the disaster bill was a struggle, complicated by opposition from conservative Republicans in the Freedom Caucus, who complained that its price tag was not offset by funding cuts elsewhere. Conservative political action committees, Heritage Action and Club for Growth, which wield power over lawmakers by threatening to finance primary challenges, urged no votes.

Club for Growth said it opposed the fake $81 billion disaster relief bill, saying some of it was long-term, not emergency spending. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove (Sacramento County) was the lone California Republican to join the no vote.

The Freedom Caucus people will vote to spend $2.3 trillion to give rich people tax cuts and not pay for it, but they wont vote to spend $81 billion to take care of natural disasters in our United States of America, Thompson said, referring to the full estimated cost of the tax bill President Trump signed Friday.

Many Bay Area Democrats also voted no, because they were angered by GOP inaction on young immigrants, an expiring childrens health insurance program, inadequate disaster assistance for Puerto Rico and other issues.

Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., said voting against the disaster bill because it didnt do enough is like saying youd just as soon starve to death as have a meal.

Ross said he was also disappointed with GOP leaders for not acting sooner. I cant imagine theres a member out there that wanted to delay, because every constituency at one time or another is going to be impacted by a disaster, he said.

The $81 billion bill is the largest in the nations history, and brings total federal disaster spending for the year to $133 billion. Scientists have linked the three powerful hurricanes last fall and Californias rainy-season fires to climate change  the fires are connected to the Arctic melting that has altered the circulation of the Earths atmosphere. As climate change accelerates, disaster-related costs are expected to grow rapidly.

The relief bill included several disaster mitigation programs to help reduce the costs of future disasters by helping states and localities assess and prepare for future risks as they rebuild.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead
Alexa, wheres Santa?

Amazons diligent, computerized know-it-all is the latest technology to enlist in NORAD Tracks Santa, the military-run program that fields phone calls and emails from children around the world eager to ask when Santa will arrive.

Now entering its 62nd year, NORAD Tracks Santa will go live Sunday, with about 1,500 volunteers answering calls and emails at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. Updates will be posted on social media and at www.noradsanta.org.

And if you have an Amazon voice-activated Echo device, you can ask Alexa once you enable the function.

Technology has always been at the heart of NORAD Tracks Santa, which got its start in 1955 with an old-school glitch.

An advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper that year invited kids to call Santa, but it mistakenly listed the number for the hotline at the U.S. Continental Air Defense Command. CONAD, as it was called, had the job of monitoring a vast radar network from a combat operations center in Colorado Springs, searching the skies for any hint of a nuclear attack by the onetime Soviet Union.

Col. Harry Shoup, who was in charge of the operations center, took the first childs call. Once he figured out what was happening, he played along, he said in a 1999 interview.

Here I am saying, Ho, ho, ho, I am Santa, said Shoup, who died in 2009. The crew was looking at me like I had lost it.

He told his staff what was happening and told them to play along, too.

Its not clear what day the first call came in, but by Dec. 23, of that first year, the Associated Press reported that CONAD was tracking Santa.

Note to the kiddies, the story began. Santa Claus Friday was assured safe passage into the United States by the Continental Air Defense Command combat operations center here which began plotting his journey from the North Pole early this morning.

Preston Schlachter, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, a U.S.-Canadian command that eventually succeeded CONAD, said TV and radio stations began broadcasting Christmas Eve bulletins, And by the 1980s, NORAD was soliciting phone calls from children. The number is now (877) 446-6723.

The Santa-tracking website was added in 1997. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube followed in 2008. Mobile apps came in 2011, Instagram in 2016.

Last year, NORAD got nearly 154,200 phone calls and drew 10.7 million unique visitors to its website. It snared 1.8 million Facebook followers, 382,000 YouTube views and 177,000 Twitter followers.

And this year, Alexa joins the party.

Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian whose books include Santa Claus: A Biography, said NORADs Santa tracker is one of the only technological upgrades the public has welcomed into the Santa story.

Santa is incompatible with most technology, Bowler said, because he represents something timeless, and people dont want him to become dated.

We dont want him using a fax machine or carrying around one of those 5-pound cell phones.

Dan Elliott is an Associated Press writer.
By PTI: Mumbai, Dec 23 (PTI) Looking to ride the economic boom, Air Deccan will aim to stimulate air travel demand in smaller cities rather than compete with big players, its founder Captain G R Gopinath said today ahead of the launch of its maiden flight under the regional air connectivity scheme.

Nearly a decade after bidding adieu to scheduled air services, Air Deccan would today start services on Mumbai- Jalgaon route.

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"The dream is big. We are not competing with big players. It is a different market we are getting into," Gopinath told PTI.

Air Deccans flight comes under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) which seeks to connect unserved and under-served airports as well as make flying more affordable.

"We are actually not competing against the big players. We are going to areas they were reluctant to go or at least they have no strategy for those markets. They are looking at a different market, I am looking at a different market," Gopinath said.

In June 2008, when Air Deccan merged with Kingfisher Airlines, it was the largest player in the domestic space. It had services to more than 76 destinations, out of which 30 were smaller cities, with a fleet of 33 Airbus and 12 ATR planes.

"Our idea was to stimulate the demand...I want to ride the economic boom...," he said, adding that it would be a big challenge the airline is ready to take on.

Currently, the airline has a fleet of three 19-seater Beachcraft B-1900D aircraft. It received the scheduled commuter operator (SCO) permit on Friday.

Air Deccan bagged 34 routes in the first round of bidding under UDAN. Besides Jalgaon, it would connect Nashik and Kolhapur.

He said between Air Deccan and its strategic partner Air Odisha, they will have 108 daily flights from across 67 airports in the next 5-6 months, operated by a combined fleet of 12 aircraft.

Gopinath is credited with pioneering low-cost flying in the country in the early 2000s with Air Deccan. PTI IAS RAM ABM

--- ENDS ---
Im not asking for much this Christmas season. I will leave it to others to ask Santa (or Robert Mueller) to deliver the really big things for a more perfect union or better world: indictments and/or impeachment, Mideast peace, a defusing of the U.S. stare-down with North Korea, a tax cut that really reduces your taxes instead of your most essential deductions, a #MeToo movement that accomplishes its mission of workplace equality and equanimity, or banishment of Steve Bannon and other purveyors of hate and division from American politics.

Heres my list:

10. Autocorrect that actually corrects

It seems that autocorrect has introduced as many mistakes as it has caught. Among its myriad transgressions: Its caused many folks to miss the distinction between its (singular possessive) and its (it is or it has). Its also required many frantic deletions of text messages ... or abject apologies ... or sheepish explanations. I had such a scare at a recent Warriors game when I was about to post a photo of Klay Thompsons introduction with the words Lets go, Klay! Thank goodness I noticed that autocorrect had changed the y to n before I hit send.

There is no substitute for a human proofreader.

9. Stoplight serenity

Nothing is more maddening at a stoplight than an inattentive driver ahead of or behind you. How many times has the light turned green and the car ahead of you not moved  while you can see the telltale glow of a cell phone on the drivers lap? Another irritating phenomenon: The driver behind you honks at you at a red light, oblivious to the No Turn on Red sign.

You can offer your fellow drivers  including me  the gift of attention behind the wheel.

8. Civility in S.F. politics

I have little or no hope that the polarization in the nations capital will dissipate anytime soon. San Francisco may be dominated by Democrats, but the chasm between progressives and moderates can rival the partisan hostility in Washington, D.C. Let the coming mayors race set a standard of substance and civility. The growing list of candidates even have a role model to emulate: the late Mayor Ed Lee.

7. Sports in The Town

The Golden State Warriors this season debuted a sharp black jersey with the nickname (The Town) of the city they are about to abandon for a gleaming $1 billion arena across the bay. The Raiders are planning to bolt for the glitz and $750 million taxpayer offering of Las Vegas.

That will soon leave the As as the only game in The Town, where their prospects for a new ballpark remain stuck on first base. Their aspirations for a Laney College site were just blocked by the community college board. Heres hoping for progress in 2018, even if it requires the sale of the team to owners with deep pockets and a commitment to Oakland.

6. Literally gone

I literally implode at the overuse  and rampant misuse  of the word literally. Of course I dont, because Im here to write this. Heres the bottom line: If something is literally true, the word is unnecessary. If something is not literally true, the correct word is figuratively.

Are you listening, cable news commentators? Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., did not literally draw a red line in the sand in warning President Trump last week not to fire special counsel Mueller.

5. Backlash on emoji

Were going backward, folks, in replacing prose with the modern equivalent of cave paintings. My request, in two words: Use words.

4. Friendlier skies

Change fees, baggage fees that extend to the overhead bin, in-flight fees on everything from blankets to Wi-Fi. Decreased leg room. Increased delays and overbooking. What will airlines think of next? How about the comfort and satisfaction of their passengers?

3. A battery revolution

A half century ago, Gordon Moore predicted that the power of computing would double every two years, with dramatic reductions in cost, setting the pace for the digital revolution. Regrettably, Moores Law has not been extended to battery life. It has steadily improved, but not enough to remove the risk of taking a cell phone on a hike or an overnight trip without a charger. Those of us doing our part to save the planet with an electric car are afflicted with what is known as range anxiety.

I long for the day when I can head to Lake Tahoe without worrying about whether my ride or my phone might conk out somewhere between Rocklin and Truckee.

2. Homes, not tents

The plight of the homeless remains a great civic disgrace. San Francisco has been making strides toward upgrading the efficiency and effectiveness of the various government and nonprofit efforts, but still, the deprivation on the streets is an everyday reminder that the issue is far from solved. The ever-expanding tent encampments on sidewalks and parks in Oakland pose serious health and public hazards  and a sad testament to the rich-poor divide in an era of Bay Area prosperity.

1. Reader appreciation

Your subscriptions make real news possible. Your Letters to the Editor enliven our editorial page every day. Your tips and feedback inspire us, and remind us that we have an engaged audience that holds us to high standards. You are appreciated.

Merry Christmas, Chronicle readers.
Laced with favorite themes and bristling with go-it-alone messages, President Trumps formal national security policy is a fair reflection of his strident run for office. But its nowhere near the full picture of an impulsive, Twitter-shooting leader who thinks on the fly.

The White House is going through a prescribed process in issuing a 68-page security strategy as Congress requires of presidents. The document distills Trumps America First views such as tearing up trade deals, strengthening border controls and boosting military power. It singles out China and Russia as prime rivals in a world the U.S. no longer dominates.

Thats a fair enough picture of the presidents past thinking. But thats not how its playing out now. No sooner was the strategy paper issued, than the president delivered a speech intended to describe it. The upshot was startling though not a surprise.

The whirlwind president cant be contained by his past thinking because hes all about cutting new deals in the future. China and Russia may be balance-of-power threats, but Trump has remade them as chummy allies since taking office.

In the strategy paper, China is roughed up as an aggressive trading foe that manipulates markets and evades the rules, an outlook taken from the presidents many campaign speeches. But now hes lavishing time and praise on the Chinas leader Xi Jinping, whos needed in corralling North Korea.

Russias even a starker switch. The policy report delineates Moscows efforts to subvert democracies with disinformation and hacking. But in his own remarks, Trump barely acknowledges the topic, sidestepping U.S. intelligence findings that Russia interfered in last falls election on his behalf.

Sticking with a global security outlook that will endure constant challenges is hard enough for any White House. But its especially difficult for the Trump team led by a man who dispenses with past beliefs and invents new ones. The document summed up Russias rough-edged expansionist goals, and within hours Trump talked up a friendly phone call from Russian leader Vladimir Putin thankful for CIA help in breaking up a terrorist plot.

There is worth in summarizing the White House world view and the threats this nation faces. It should be a reminder to foreign powers and this countrys leaders what the White House is thinking.

But the problem is gauging how seriously this president takes his pledges. The strategy paper totals up his past, but its nothing close to a road map of the future.

Trumps ham-handed approach to foreign policy also was evident this week in the 128-9 U.N. vote condemning the Trump administrations decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital. The U.S. move jeopardized its ability to serve as an honest broker in Mideast peace talks, inflamed tensions in the region and alienated some of this nations most venerable allies. The United Kingdom, France and Germany were among the nations that voted for the motion.

In advance of the vote, the ever-blustering president linked the vote to future U.S. foreign aid. Let them vote against us, he said. Well save a lot. We dont care. After the vote, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Washington would remember this day and the nations that disrespected the United States.

The outcome suggests his words rang hollow.

The Trump administration seems to have a hard time distinguishing friend from foe.

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.
The Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office has completed an investigation of its own practices and announced Friday that it prevented no immigration detainees from using the bathroom and did not confine inmates to cells for 23 hours at a time.

The allegations came from several of the 38 women detained at the West Contra Costa County jail in Richmond by federal immigration officials, including Dianny Patricia Menendez, who in October told The Chronicle she would rather be deported than suffer the jails distressing conditions. In September, 27 women signed a letter documenting their complaints.

The Sheriffs Office has a $6 million-a-year contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to run the immigration detention center at the jail.

Nearly all of the complaints were unfounded and unsubstantiated, Sheriff David Livingston said in a statement, noting that investigators with the department interviewed 110 witnesses, using translators when necessary or listening to recordings. They also watched hundreds of hours of video surveillance and looked at logbooks, computer entries and other evidence.

Livingstons office did find that one staff member had used profanity and said that employees could do a better job of replacing detainees room keys when they are lost or damaged.

However, claims of being locked down for 23 hours a day were false, the statement said. The most time any ICE detainee was confined to their dormitory room was 1 hour and 24 minutes for facility counts or administrative reasons.

In fact, the sheriffs statement said, the detainees have keys to their rooms and free use of common restroom facilities.

Yet, some women in the jail told The Chronicle they were forced to urinate and defecate in plastic bags because their cells had no toilets, and their requests to leave their cells to use the bathroom were ignored.

Regarding the use of red biohazard bags for toilet needs, there was no evidence that any detainee was forced to use the bags in that manner, the Sheriffs Office reported. In very few cases detainees did use the bags for that purpose in violation of policy.

After The Chronicle published its first story, inmates said conditions grew worse.

In response, Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, asked state Attorney General Xavier Becerra to investigate.

On Dec. 4, Becerra said his office would look into the allegations of mistreatment at the jail. He has until March 2019 to report to state lawmakers.

At the same time, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., wrote to Thomas Homan, acting director of ICE, and asked him to investigate.

Meanwhile, the Sheriffs Office said it is investigating itself.

Also unfounded were two complaints about health care being withheld, the sheriff said, but added that Contra Costa Health Services will review them.

Consistent with independent ICE inspections, we found that the alleged policy violations were largely unfounded, Livingston said. Many detainees told us they are well treated at the West County Detention Facility.

Menendez, meanwhile, was deported to her native Honduras on Oct. 31.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
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An East Bay jury has awarded former Black Panther leader Elaine Brown $3.75 million in damages for injuries she suffered when Oakland Councilwoman Desley Brooks assaulted her during an argument at a downtown restaurant.

In its verdict Thursday, after a day of deliberations, the Alameda County Superior Court jury agreed with Brown on every disputed issue in the case: that Brooks had attacked her without justification, that Brown had never threatened her, that Brooks was acting within the scope of her employment with the city, and that the assault on the then-72-year-old woman was an act of elder abuse.

The award against the city of Oakland covers damages for pain and suffering. The jury will return next month to consider additional sums in punitive damages.

Brown is very grateful for the jury verdict because its going to protect the elderly, her lawyer, Charles Bonner, said Friday.

He said the city was responsible for the damages because of the jurys finding that Brooks was acting as a city employee  contrary to the City Councils conclusion in January 2016 when it rejected Browns demand for $1 million from the city and $6 million from Brooks. Bonner said Brooks would be responsible for any punitive damages the jury awards after it returns Jan. 8 to hear further testimony.

Brooks has been a councilwoman since 2002, representing District Six in East Oakland. In a statement Friday, she said, While Im disappointed in the decision, I respect the jury and the process. I assume the city will appeal the decision and I will respect that process.

Brown joined the Black Panther Party in 1968, helped it to organize community breakfasts, wrote and recorded songs to promote its causes, and became its leader in 1974 after Huey Newton fled to Cuba to avoid murder charges. Brown, the only woman to lead the radical organization, stepped down in 1977 and later wrote that the movement was male-dominated.

Newton was tried for murder after he returned, but prosecutors dropped the case after two juries deadlocked. He was shot to death in 1989.

Brown also ran unsuccessfully for the Oakland City Council in the mid-1970s and managed Lionel Wilsons winning campaign to become the citys first black mayor in 1977. Recently, she has been an adviser on prisoner rehabilitation for Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, who also formerly employed Brooks as an immigration lawyer.

The womens confrontation stemmed from Browns recent venture to build affordable housing for formerly incarcerated people near the urban farm she operates in West Oakland.

The two faced off in Everett & Jones Barbeque, a restaurant near Jack London Square, in October 2015. Brown said Brooks, 54, threatened to block her funding request and told her the project was of no benefit to black people.

Brown said Brooks followed her to another part of the restaurant and, after more arguing, told her I have not moved on you before because youre old, shouted a profanity and punched her in the chest with both fists, sending her sprawling over a stack of chairs onto the floor on the back of her head and shoulders.

Brown was hospitalized and suffered bruises and a torn rotator cuff, which will cause her pain for the rest of her life, Bonner said. He said Brooks had testified that Brown had poked her, but the jury found unanimously that Brooks had no reasonable belief that she was in imminent danger from Brown, and that Brooks conduct was outrageous.

Jurors awarded Brown $2.4 million for past pain and suffering and $1.375 million for future suffering.

The district attorneys office looked into the incident last year and decided not to file criminal charges against Brooks.

This June, the City Council voted 6-0 to allow the city to sell a plot of land in West Oakland to a nonprofit headed by Brown for the housing project. Brooks criticized the proposal but abstained from the vote.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
POINT HOPE, Alaska  This is one of the most remote towns in the United States, a small gravel spit on the northwest coast of Alaska. Icy seas surround it on three sides, leaving only an unpaved path to the mainland.

Anchorage is 700 miles and two flights away. Basics like milk and bread are delivered by air, and gas is brought in by barge during the summer.

I dont know if people even know that we exist, said Daisy Sage, the mayor.

This is not the sort of place you expect to be a hub of the high-tech digital world.

But in a surprising, and bittersweet, side effect of global warming  and of the global economy  one of the fastest Internet connections in America will soon be delivered to Point Hopes 700 or so residents, giving them their first taste of broadband speeds.

The new connection is part of an ambitious effort by Quintillion, a 5-year-old company from Anchorage, to take advantage of the melting sea ice to build a faster digital link between London and Tokyo.

High-speed Internet cables snake under the worlds oceans, tying continents together and allowing email and other bits of digital data sent from Japan to arrive quickly in Britain. Until recently, those lines mostly bypassed the Arctic, where the ice blocked access to the ships that lay the cable.

But as the ice has receded, new passageways have emerged, creating a more direct path for the cable  over the Earths northern end through places like the Chukchi Sea  and helping those emails move even more quickly. Quintillion is one of the companies laying the new cable, and Point Hope is one of the places along its route.

Financial companies would certainly welcome  and pay for  a faster connection between London and Toyko. For a decade, traders have increasingly relied on powerful computer programs to buy and sell securities at huge volumes and lightning speeds. A millisecond can be the difference between a big profit and a big loss. Quintillions faster connection would also appeal to the operators of data stations around the world that store and send information for social media sites, online retailers and the billions of gadgets that now connect to the Internet.

But it will be years before the full connections between countries are made. For now, Quintillions undersea cables are just around the northern part of Alaska, and the company is taking advantage of a nascent business boom in the Arctic. Oil, shipping and mining companies that can benefit from a faster Internet are rushing into the more open waters.

Quintillion is also teaming up with local telecommunications companies to use the undersea cables to bring faster Internet service to some of the nations most disconnected communities.

In Point Hope, the new connection could mean better health care, as patients in the town and doctors in faraway cities communicate via seamless webcast. It could help improve education, too. Teachers, now used to waiting hours to download course materials, will be able to do it in minutes.

Many of Point Hopes older residents cringe at the incursion of technology. For the most part, this is still a traditional community of Inupiaq native Alaskans. Until the 1970s, many families lived in sod houses framed with whale bones.

People here also have no illusions about the overall effect of global warming. They see the waters rising and worry about sea mammals disappearing. They rely on the sea for food, and their year is built around festivals for berry picking and whaling.

Inupiaq people are taught to be patient, said Steve Oomittuk, a leading local whale hunter whose family has lived in Point Hope for many generations. We wait for animals to come to us for our food, our shelter, our medicine, our clothing. The Internet makes people impatient for everything. This is not our way of life.

But interviews with dozens of Point Hope residents suggest that people here see Quintillions cable as a way of connecting with an outside world that has long been beyond easy reach  and something that could change their lives for the better.

Leona Snyder, for one, is excited about what the connection could do for her 15-year-old son, Justice Jones. She wants him to go to college, which would mean leaving the village. Having broadband Internet could help him study and research outside opportunities.

Internet means exposure to the world, she said. I want that for Justice. I want him to be a judge. Judge Justice Jones. It has a ring to it, dont you think?

In June, three ships carrying huge rolls of cable traveled through waters in the Bering Strait and the Chukchi Sea to lay the final miles of Quintillions undersea Internet network.

The boats unfurled 40 miles of fiber optic cable into the dark, choppy water. An enormous shoveling tool plowed the sea floor and buried the cables for protection. It was the final stretch of a 1,200-mile network connecting six coastal towns, including Kotzebue, Nome and Point Hope.

A project like this has been discussed for 20-plus years but was formidable from a cost and weather standpoint, said Tim Woolston, a Quintillion spokesman. The ice situation has evolved to the point where its now physically possible.

The company would not say how much the network had cost to build so far. But it insisted that supplying high-speed Internet service to an estimated 20,000 people along the cables route would be a good business.

Although that is a relatively small number of people, Quintillion believes it will increase along with what the company expects to be broader commercial growth in the region driven by oil and mineral exploration. With broadband service available, Quintillion is also betting that more data centers, research centers, hospitals and schools will make the Arctic Circle home.

Other broadband providers have the same idea. Cinia, a telecom company owned by the Finnish government, has completed the first stage of a multiyear plan to lay a subsea broadband network between Europe and Asia through the Arctic Ocean. Cinia, which expects the Arctic network to cost about $700 million, just completed the first leg, from Germany to Finland.

After Alaska, Quintillion plans to bring its undersea cables to Asia. A third stage would extend the network to Europe. The company would not predict how long the project would take to complete.

In the meantime, Quintillion is offsetting some of its costs by joining forces with local telecom companies along its path to sell the Internet service directly to customers. In Point Hope, several local companies, including the Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative, have rushed to prepare homes. Alaska Communications, another telecom, has signed up city offices and businesses at other sites.

The people here are already thinking that the new broadband lines could transform the local economy. The one general store, the Native Store, will be able to more easily order new supplies. The phone association has put computer terminals into the City Hall building to provide free Internet service to the public.

Point Hopes transportation director is building a conference center with Wi-Fi and web video conferencing above a bus garage to host state events. Artists are planning to sell native crafts and jewelry online.

In late November, about 25 residents, including the mayor, gathered in City Hall and talked about how Internet service could turn Point Hope, one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities of North America, into a tourist destination with a museum that would have interactive displays and a website. The villages small motel, with 20 beds, would offer Wi-Fi.

The trigger to all of this is lower-cost broadband that will bring a whole new economy and hope to places like Point Hope, said Jens Laipenieks, president of the Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative.

Cecilia Kang is a New York Times writer.
The toys your kids unwrap this Christmas could invite hackers into your home.

That warning comes from the FBI, which said this year that toys connected to the Internet could be a target for crooks who may listen in on conversations or use them to steal a childs personal information.

The bureau did not name any specific toys or brands, but it said any Internet-connected toys with microphones, cameras or location tracking may put a childs privacy or safety at risk.

If you decide to let a kid play with it, there are ways to reduce the risks:

Before opening a toy, read reviews to see if there are any complaints or past security problems. If there have been previous issues, you may want to rethink keeping it.

Reputable companies will also explain how information is collected from the toy or device, how that data is stored and who has access to it. Usually that type of information is found on the companys website, typically under its privacy policy. If you cant find it, call the company. If there isnt a policy, thats a bad sign.

You shouldnt use it, said Behnam Dayanim, a partner at Paul Hastings in Washington, and co-chair of the firms privacy and cybersecurity practice.

Companies can change their privacy policies, so read them again if youre notified of a change.

Make sure the Wi-Fi the toy will be connected to is secure and has a hard-to-guess password. Weak passwords make it easier for hackers to access devices that use the Wi-Fi network. Never connect the toy to free Wi-Fi thats open to the public. And if the toy itself allows you to create a password, do it.

When the toy is not being used, shut it off or unplug it.

And if the item has a camera, face it toward a wall or cover it with a piece of tape when its not being used. Toys with microphones can be thrown in a chest or drawer where its harder to hear conversations, Brill said.

You should register the toy; a software update may fix security holes, and you dont want to miss that fix, says Brill.

But be stingy with the information you hand over; all they need is contact information to let you know about the update. If they require other information, such as a childs birthday, make one up. Youre not under oath, said Brill. You can lie.

If the toy or device allows kids to chat with other people playing with the same toy or game, explain to children that they cant give out personal information, said Liz Brown, a business law professor at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., who focuses on technology and privacy law.

Discussions are not enough: Check the chat section to make sure children arent sending things they shouldnt be, Brown said. People could be pretending to be kids to get personal information. It can get creepy pretty fast, said Brown.

If a toy was compromised by a hacker, the FBI recommends reporting it through its Internet crime complaint center at www.ic3.gov.

Joseph Pisani is an Associated Press writer.
Spas have long been a staple at airports in Europe, Asia and, especially, the Middle East, where airlines are known for over-the-top extravagance. But it has only been in the past few years that airlines in the United States have embraced them.

And the spas, in turn, have been embraced by anxious fliers like Emily Lyons, chief executive of Femme Fatale Media Group in Toronto.

I am not a good flier, very nervous, Lyons said.

She took a fear of flying course, where, she said, Their advice was to be as relaxed as possible. But it was not until she mentioned her problem to an American Express concierge that she found out about airport spas.

Now, Lyons said, I like to plan my trips around any spas or other areas that can help me at all to relax. On top of being a bad flier, Im normally very busy and wouldnt get a chance to do my spa treatments.

The increasing availability of airport spas has been driven by several factors, including credit-card relationships with airlines and competition for increasingly elaborate lounges as well as expanded security waiting times and the overall stressful nature of airports.

Spas are split into two general types  those within airport terminal shopping areas, and those that offer an air of privilege, within airline lounges and airport clubs, often accessible only to those with specialized credit cards or frequent flier memberships.

Masuda Sultan, an American businesswoman in Dubai who also does philanthropy work with women in the developing world, said she was flying from Abu Dhabi to Goa, India, when she discovered Etihad Airlines Six Senses Spa.

I remember somebody that I was traveling with said, Lets look at the spa, and it turned out they had free massages, Sultan said.

The fact that it was free just made you want to get it, she said. I can get a massage anywhere, but free is a special perk.

She said the massage was shorter than at a spa outside the airport, but it helped me sleep on the plane, because it got me into the relaxation mode. Massages can also help fliers deal with travels physical strains, Sultan said. You carry things, your luggage, your bag is heavy, your purse is heavy, your laptop. So it helps with all of that, too.

Etihad has three spas in Abu Dhabi International Airport and one at London Heathrow that offer showers, beauty salons and barbers as well as massages, according to Allix Wright, a former corporate communications officer in North America for the airline. Spa sizes vary, as do treatments.

Wright said first-class passengers and platinum-level frequent flier members receive one complimentary spa treatment. Those booking the Residence, a private first-class area on the A380 that can cost $20,000 for a flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi, receive two complimentary treatments. The sense of exclusivity, though, is easily overcome: Business and economy passengers can pay for treatments ranging from $25 to $40. Non-Etihad passengers can also pay for access.

Virgin Airlines of Britain was the leader in bringing spas to U.S. airport airline lounges, opening a spa in 2012 in its clubhouse lounge in Kennedy International Airport in New York. The airlines other spas are in Gatwick and Heathrow airports in London. In an email, Louise Holding, a Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman, said because most of Virgins flights out of Kennedy take off in the evening and fly overnight, we offer treatments that encourage relaxation, which will help aid sleep onboard.

Only in the past year have U.S. airlines begun to open spas. Delta Air Lines opened its first spa, under the Asanda Spa Lounge brand, in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in late 2016. The carrier has opened a spa at Kennedy Airport and another is set to open in Atlanta.

Brian Condenanza, founder and chief executive of Fluo shoes, said he stumbled on Deltas spa at Kennedy as he was about to board an 11-hour flight to Buenos Aires, where he lived at the time. It was my first time in a spa, ever, he said. I was mostly curious.

Condenanza said he used his American Express Platinum card to get access to Deltas lounge, one of the cards perks, and to pay for the services. He said he had long been curious about airport spas to relieve preflight tension but was wary of going to one in the terminal because everybody can see you, and I didnt like that. The lounge spas felt private.

The idea behind the Asanda spas is to bring a sense of privacy and duplicate the services available in a hotel spa in the limited confines of valuable airport space, said Gene Frisco, director of Asanda Air II, in New York.

Frisco said lounge spas were part of a high-end flying experience for passengers.

Thematically, he said, we are trying to create the idea that they have arrived before they have departed.

In a limited space, Frisco said, what we were looking for was a way to use the visual cues that people will respond to in a space that emulates a first-class cabin. Travelers can book services online or from a connecting flight, giving them access within a relatively short window while they are waiting to get to the gate. Each Delta spa can serve between 3,000 and 5,000 people a month, Frisco said, adding that airports like Seattle-Tacoma, where domestic flights often connect to long-haul international flights with a few hours of layover, were ideal spa locations.

While membership credit cards, including Deltas, may allow lounge access, so do certain American Express cards, as Condenanza discovered.

American Express also offers spas, said Heather Norton, the companys director of corporate affairs and communications. Working with the spa company Exhale, American Express opened spas in its Centurion airport lounges in Miami in 2015 and Dallas-Fort Worth in 2013, each offering free 15-minute spa treatments. The company, though, does not plan to open more. Still, Norton said, American Expresss relationships with various airlines and through the Priority Pass lounge program mean cardholders have access to lounges offering spas across the globe.

Not a frequent flier member or a holder of a high-end credit card? Many lounges offer day passes, usually ranging from $25 to $50, that allow access to spa treatments for an additional fee. And there are always airport terminal spas, under brands including XpresSpa, Be Relax Spa and others, which also offer haircuts, manicures and other treatments.

Passengers with long layovers or who are staying overnight for connections also have the option of looking for spas in airport hotels.

Beyond the few locations he mentioned, Frisco of Asanda was mum about plans by his company and Delta for any additional lounge spas.

You have to remember, he said, these are secret weapons that set airlines apart, when deciding perks for frequent travelers.

Sultan, the philanthropist, said she didnt understand why there werent more airport spas.

I think it really adds a lot of value for a traveler. And it is the best thing to do before a flight.

Michael T. Luongo is a New York Times writer.
CHESHIRE, Conn.  The fast-growing online service was built with help from Facebook engineers and designed to help students learn at their own speed. But its been dropped because parents in this Connecticut suburb revolted, saying there was no need to change whats worked in a town with a prized reputation for good schools.

The Summit Learning program, developed by a California charter school network, has signed up over 300 schools to use its blend of technology with go-at-your-own-pace personalized learning.

Cheshire school administrators and some parents praised the program, but it faced criticism from others who said their children were spending too much time online, some content was inappropriate, and students were not getting enough direct guidance. Superintendent Jeffrey Solan said this week he accepted the change was too much, too soon for some.

Some people were more comfortable with a model where a teacher stands in front of a class and lectures for 40 minutes. We havent been comfortable with that model for a long time, he said in an interview. Thats an old factory model that doesnt fit in to contemporary learning.

The reversal was vindication for parents who started a petition drive against the program and blasted it at public meetings.

What was broken in the Cheshire school system, a highly successful system, that they needed to experiment with our children? parent Heidi Wildstein said in an interview.

Many schools around the country have stories of successful technology initiatives, and one lesson from other districts is the importance of getting parents as excited as teachers, according to Lindsey Tepe, a policy analyst at the nonpartisan New America think tank in Washington.

This huge shift were seeing in classrooms around the country increasing the use of new technologies is going to be bumpy in places that arent laying a groundwork, Tepe said.

Cheshires service was created by Summit Public Schools, which runs charter schools in California and Washington state. The organization backs personalized learning, a concept centered on the interests and needs of each individual child as opposed to universal standards.

With funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the service was made available for free to schools across the U.S. beginning in the 2015-16 school year. Ninety-three percent of schools using it last year stuck with it this year, according to Summit Learning spokeswoman Catherine Madden.

Summit Learning is designed to equip students with the skills, knowledge, habits and a sense of purpose that set them up for success in college and beyond, Madden said.

The program emphasizes self-directed learning with students reviewing a range of materials online, project-based learning and mentoring with teachers who help students work toward personal goals. Students can take and retake tests when they feel prepared to do so.

In Cheshire, the program appealed as a way to build on the districts goal of promoting complex thinking, Solan said. Educators saw it in use on a visit to schools in Framingham, Mass., and liked what they saw. Summit flew the Cheshire administrative team to Oakland for training and provided the district with 130 Chromebook computers. In the district of some 4,000 students, the program was introduced at the start of this year for about 540 students in fifth, sixth and seventh grades.

Solan said the district made every effort to help parents understand the program, but he complained the effort was also up against misinformation shared on social media. There were rumors about a plot to eliminate teachers, he said, and some believed the program had students online all day, even though 70 percent of the program involved opportunities to apply learning through debates, projects or experiments.

Theresa Commune said her 11-year-old son just wanted more attention from teachers than he was getting.

They need teachers to get them to love learning at this stage, she said.

As the outcry grew, the district pledged a community survey. Solan said he ultimately decided to suspend it after parents pointed out a part of the seventh-grade curriculum that the district deemed inappropriate: a Web page on ancient Rome that made reference to sex with animals. (Asked about the content, a Summit spokeswoman said it was honored to support the Cheshire districts work and it respects that each community is unique.)

Solan said officials didnt intend to suspend the program until that discovery.

It wasnt simply that, Solan said. It was the whole totality of the experience and what it was doing for our school community. We needed to take a step back.

Michael Melia is an Associated Press writer.
In the wildest dreams of wireless engineers, the mobile network of the future controls our cars, lets our refrigerators talk to the grocery store to order more milk, and provides fast, reliable broadband connections to our homes so we can sever ties with cable companies.

But its going to cost the mobile-phone companies, chipmakers, device manufacturers and software developers about $200 billion a year in research and capital spending to get to that point, with engineers laboring to work around interference from trees and rain and provide a strong enough signal to handle so much demand.

Even if theyre successful, making a profit on that investment will be difficult in an industry that isnt growing much anymore. In most developed countries, like the U.S., the wireless market has reached saturation, and there are few new subscribers to sign up without undercutting rivals on price.

Historically, 1G to 4G, its been a pretty straightforward evolution from the point of view of business and technology, said Chetan Sharma, a wireless consultant. The revenue grew proportionate to the usage.

The future of 5G, as the next-generation wireless network is known, is already beginning as a handful of carriers, including Verizon Communications, move from trials to deployments. The first technical standards everyone can use to design their networks, phones and chips for 5G were released last week in Lisbon, Portugal.

Most mobile-phone companies are targeting 2020 for the initial rollout of the technology, which promises 10 times faster speeds and lower lag time in transferring data when its requested. After that, wireless carriers revenue will grow about 2.5 percent a year through 2025  only about half a percentage point more than their growth in the previous five years, according to industry group GSMA.

This time around, its not clear that 5G will translate into more revenue until perhaps five or 10 years from now, Sharma said. New applications like the Internet of Things  using wireless connectivity to let machines on the factory floor talk to each other, and for autonomous cars on the freeway to talk to light signals  may take years to materialize, and may not pay that much.

After all, many of these applications can be handled by Wi-Fi networks, while others  like driverless cars  would likely use onboard communications rather than cellular for safety reasons, said Craig Moffett, an analyst with MoffettNathanson LLC.

Whats left in the middle is undoubtedly still a real opportunity, but its not clear its a very big one, he said.

First, engineers have to figure out how to make 5G work. Rain, fog and trees have long been the enemy of high frequency radio waves. AT&T is among the companies that have been exploring the problem. With environmental conditions you get degradations but we havent lost signals completely, said Andre Fuetsch, president of AT&T Labs and chief technology officer.

Given the relatively short, fragile nature of high-frequency 5G signals, carriers have to configure networks differently. Theyre shifting more of the network hardware from tall towers that are scattered to spread signals over broad areas, to smaller, more clustered sites like rooftops and street poles.

These small cells use cabinets that look like mini-refrigerators mounted on poles or rooftops. Inside the cabinets theres an array of more than 1,000 antennas, says Ed Chan, senior vice president of network planning for Verizon. In dense, urban areas, network engineers will have to install lots of small cells to handle demand for data, adding to the costs of 5G.

Some companies, including Verizon, aim to make money by offering up 5G as an alternative to home broadband, competing with cable and landline phone providers. High costs could make that impractical.

Carriers are all looking at 5G for fixed wireless broadband, even though the technology isnt particularly well suited to that application, Moffett said. Thats largely because it is almost impossible to identify any other real revenue opportunities for the technology.

Verizon says it will take a targeted approach, which will require a few years of spending before theres enough 5G service to prove that it can be a viable source of revenue.

The company has told analysts and investors that the goal for the first phase of its 5G network is to build a coverage area of 30 million homes starting next year in Sacramento, and possibly four additional cities. It will take a short number of years of network investment to have 5G within reach of that many homes and a few years before it shows some returns, Verizon Chief Financial Officer Matt Ellis said at a UBS investor conference this month.

As weve seen with other products, you build up to your penetration levels over some period of time, Ellis said. After enough customers sign on, it starts to be significant to our financials in the next two to three years, he said.

Each of the top four wireless carriers in the U.S. decided to take different paths with 5G. AT&T plans to sell both a direct-to-home wireless service and a mobile service. T-Mobile is adapting its network to 5G through a software update, and Sprint is planning to upgrade its antenna towers with advanced network gear. Neither T-Mobile nor Sprint have specified how they plan to generate revenue from 5G.

Verizon and AT&T have been testing the 5G technology in controlled settings. The trials have gone well enough to take the service to consumers starting late next year.

Sprint plans to boost network spending from about $4 billion this year to as much as $6 billion in 2018 as it kicks off a four-part upgrade plan, Chief Financial Officer Tarek Robbiati said at an investor conference this month.

T-Mobile officials, meanwhile, are saying they will be the first to offer 5G service nationwide, though its not clear if theyre referring to the same type of technology others are implementing.

The capital were putting in the ground, starting now, is future ready, Chief Operating Officer Mike Sievert said at the same conference. Were not hyping it right now like our competitors because we actually have a story in the part of a business where the revenues and profits are.

Olga Kharif and Scott Moritz are Bloomberg writers. Email: okharif@bloomberg.net, smoritz6@bloomberg.net
Pawan Kalyan has just assumed a new sobriquet. The popular Telugu cine star, who heads the fledgling Jana Sena Party (JSP) in Andhra Pradesh, is calling himself a "political coolie". Having supported the Telugu Desam Party-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in 2014, Kalyan is now keen to step out on his own and publicly distance his JSP from both the ruling coalition as well as the other opposition parties in the state.

Evidently feeling ignored, Kalyan says, "Those who won the last elections because of my campaign, don't seem to know who I am nowadays." Maintaining he has never been one to shirk responsibility, the actor has announced a break from his cinematic career.

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By devoting himself to politics, he hopes to transform the JSP into a formidable alternative ahead of the assembly polls in 2019. Travelling through the state over the past fortnight, Kalyan raised various people's issues, and faulted the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance for reneging on promises like according AP special category status, among other things.

Kalyan's decision to sail with the TDP-BJP alliance in 2014 did help define the electoral outcome. Besides his personal charisma, he drew significant support from his community, the electorally significant Kapus, who constitute 27 per cent of AP's electorate. The absence of his support could spell trouble for the partners of the ruling coalition.

"I want to be one of the hundred persons Swami Vivekananda asked to change the world," the actor proclaims dramatically while addressing audiences on the need to "shape the raw and potent force of the youth through discipline". Conducting himself like the angry, young idealist he portrays on screen, Kalyan says he is confident of rallying the youth.

Leaning heavily on support from the Kapu community, present in significant numbers through the Godavari delta districts, Kalyan believes the JSP will also attract his fans across communities. "I know those who worked for the failure of the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP). I will teach them a lesson," he thunders at his public meetings. Founded by his elder brother Chiranjeevi, only to be merged with the Congress in 2011, the PRP could never grow beyond playing the role of a 'spoiler'.

Kalyan's move to go it alone instead of making speeches alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, as he did in 2014, is a bold step, but he is yet to give JSP the organisational backbone of a serious political party.

Analysts believe the support of the Kapus and cinema lovers of the state could well help Kalyan achieve his aim of transforming JSP into a political entity to reckon with. They say there's every possibility the actor's party will emerge as a major partner in a future ruling coalition perhaps with the TDP.

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1 Sexual misconduct: Most Americans think the Republican Party has been too lenient when it comes to reports of sexual misconduct, but theyre split on how well the Democrats are handling the allegations, a new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows. The poll shows 60 percent of Americans think Republicans are too lenient on politicians from their own party who are accused of sexual misconduct. Another 31 percent think their reaction is about right and 7 percent think theyre too hard on them. The survey was conducted before Alabama voted to elect Democrat Doug Jones to the Senate over his rival, Roy Moore, who stood accused of sexual misconduct with teenage girls while he was in his 30s.

2 Train crashes: Nearly 300 people have died in train crashes that could have been prevented if railroads across the U.S. implemented critical speed-control technology that federal safety investigators have been pushing for close to five decades, according to rail crash data obtained by the Associated Press. But despite overwhelming evidence it could save lives, Congress extended the deadlines for railroads to implement positive train control for years. All the while, new high-speed train routes continue to spring into operation without the technology, including the new route involved in Mondays Amtrak crash south of Seattle that killed three people.
President Trump has acted illegally, for the third time, in banning U.S. entry of anyone from a group of mostly Muslim nations, a San Francisco-based federal appeals court ruled late Friday.

But the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals delayed enforcement of its ruling  which would largely block Trumps travel ban  while the government appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court. On Dec. 4, the high court allowed the Trump administration to enforce the presidents executive order while the case was pending, a possible signal of judicial support for the presidents latest version of his executive order.

Fridays ruling was the first by an appeals court on the latest version of the travel ban. Another appellate court in Maryland is weighing a separate suit.

The Sept. 24 order, issued after two previous temporary travel bans were struck down by federal courts, would indefinitely prohibit most entrants from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

It would also ban travel from North Korea, which sends few people to the United States, and by officials of Venezuelas leftist government and their families. The lawsuit by the state of Hawaii, supported by California and other Democratic-leaning states, did not contest those bans and challenged only the restrictions on entry from the six predominantly Muslim countries.

Hawaiis attorney general, Doug Chin, said the ruling was a tribute to his states spirit of ohana ... that nobody gets left behind and nobody gets targeted for unfair discrimination.

Trump said his latest order followed a review of foreign nations policies for screening travelers and immigrants to the U.S. and was aimed at countries that were judged to be incapable of spotting potential terrorists. Government lawyers argued that the court should defer to the presidents broad executive authority over issues of immigration and national security.

But the appeals court said the president lacks authority to override federal immigration laws, including the 1965 law that prohibited discrimination against migrants based on their national origin.

That law was intended to repudiate a history of nationality and race-based discrimination in United States immigration policy, dating back to the 1875 Chinese Exclusion Act, the court said.

Congress has also passed laws, as recently as 2015, to address the heightened risk of terrorism in certain countries by requiring close scrutiny of visa applications and excluding entrants with serious criminal records, the court said. But it did not bar entry from entire nations or authorize the president to do so, the court said.

Justice Department lawyers cited a federal law that allows the president to exclude any foreigner, or class of foreigners, who is found to be detrimental to the interests of the United States. But the court said Trump has offered no evidence that entry of any or all residents of the six nations  with a total population of over 150 million  would be harmful to U.S. interests.

The government has been able to successfully screen and vet foreign nationals (from the six countries) under current law for years, the panel said.

The unanimous ruling was issued by judges Michael Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez, all appointed by President Bill Clinton.

Rather than totally lifting the ban, the court said it would allow entry only by those with a credible bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States  a close family member, including grandparents and grandchildren, or a university or other institution where the visitor has an agreement to work or study.

The ruling will not take effect while the Trump administration seeks Supreme Court review.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
The notification instructs temples to celebrate new year as per Hindu calendar and not by western calendar.

By Ashish Pandey: In a controversial decision the Endowment department of Andhra Pradesh has asked Temples to not celebrate New Year on January 1st.

A notification (Rc.No.29/HDPT/2017) issued by the Hindu Dharma Prachara Trust of endowments department on 21 December is signed by its secretary Dr Chilakapati Vijaya Raghava Charyulu. The notification points how "Christian era" (Gregorian calendar) was being followed and the Telugu new year 'Ugadi' in 'Chaitra Masam' is the actual new year as per Hindu tradition.

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"Greeting and holding celebrations on January 1 is not in line with the Indian Vedic System. Further, it has come to the notice of the Commissioner (Endowments) that the English culture has spread to the temples and the temples are extending greetings to devotees and are spending lakhs of rupees on floral decorations and welcome banners for the New Year which is not appropriate and in accordance with the Hindu tradition''

The communication also said that spending money donated by devotees on January 1 is not correct.

The notification issued by Andhra government

The notification is sent to the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner and all officials of the Endowment department directing them to take necessary steps to insure the implementation of the order.

While the order has attracted a huge applause from the Hindu organisations it is also being criticized.

The Endowment minister of Andhra Pradesh P. Manikyala Rao is from BJP and has RSS background.

Meanwhile an online campaign has been started by Bharata Punarutthana Trust in neighbouring state of Karnataka, requesting its CM Siddaramaiah to not celebrate Jan 1 2018 as new year in any of the government administered Temples & not to use temple funds for any celebrations.

Yogi Adityanath: Congress worships Tipu Sultan instead of Lord Hanuman

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The investigation was carried out by the countrys then anti-corruption investigators, Task Force Sweep, in conjunction with the National Fraud Squad. The Prime Minister refused to comply with the warrant and forced the resignation of the police commissioner and disbanded Task Force Sweep. The matter hastily reached the court rooms.

The saga began in June 2014, when an arrest warrant was issued for ONeill after allegations that he fraudulently authorised the payment of a reported K72 million sum to a national law firm, Paul Paraka Lawyers.

CANBERRA - Papua New Guineas Supreme Court has decided to void the arrest warrant of prime minister Peter ONeill, bringing to an end one of the most controversial legal cases in the countrys history.

Pursued In court

ONeill applied to the National Court for a restraining order to prevent the police from enforcing the warrant. The Court refused on 1 July 2014 on the grounds that restraining the police would amount to interfering with Police functions.

But newly installed Police Commissioner Jeffery Vaki refused to enforce the warrant and instead applied to the District Court to have it set side. Chief Magistrate Nerrie Eliakim rejected the application on 4 July, satisfied there was a case to justify issuing the warrant.

The debate continued to 2 October, when the Supreme Court responded to a set of constitutional questions following the District Courts decision. One key issue was whether the Police Commissioner has ultimate control over the function of the police.

The Supreme Court said he does, however, that does not mean that the Commissioner can delay or stop a validly issued warrant from being executed. The Supreme Court held that the warrant of arrest against the Prime Minister was something more than an authorisation: it is an order, demanding obedience from police officers including the Commissioner.

Having received the clarification, the case returned to the National Court, to hear a contempt charge against the Police Commissioner for refusing to enforce the warrant. The chief justice found on 17 June 2015 that the warrant was validly issued, clear and unambiguous, and the Police Commissioner was guilty of contempt.

The issue still dragged on. On 8 August this year, just a week after ONeill was returned as Prime Minister, the National Court ruled the arrest warrant to be valid and that the decision by the chief magistrate to issue the warrant cannot be reviewed until the criminal trial is underway.

Justice Collin Makail was pressed to consider the potential damage to the reputation and standing of the Prime Minister. Malkail denounced the argument as an attempt to create two sets of laws for [the] people; one for the small people and one for the big people. He rejected it as a dangerous precedent.

Warrant ruled defective

All of which leads to the Supreme Court decision on 15 December. On appeal, the Supreme Court found the warrant of arrest to be defective. Under section 87(2) of the Criminal Code, a warrant is needed to arrest a person suspected of committing the offence of official corruption. It is a mandatory requirement.

When applying for a warrant, one of the requirements under the Arrest Act, is to supply the court with a brief description of the offence or the nature of the information on which the charges are based. ONeill argued that this information was not presented to the Chief Magistrate at the time when she issued the warrant of arrest, rendering the warrant defective.

The Supreme Court accepted this argument. It was a three-person judgement comprised of Justices Joseph Yagi, Harold Terrence Foulds and Terrence Higgins (the latter two former Australian practitioners and jurists).

This judgement raises interesting issues.

First, Chief Justice Salamo Injia dealt with the same issue in 2015 and took a different view. He ruled on evidence that Chief Magistrate had information at the time she issued the warrant and the technical aspects of the warrant were intact. He further held that those who opposed failed to prove otherwise.

Interestingly, this judgement was not mentioned or considered by the Supreme Court in this recent ruling. There seems to be potential inconsistencies between the judgements, which may require a proper assessment for future cases.

Second, there was no opposing party at the trial. After Task Force Sweep was disbanded, and the Fraud Squad were denied independent lawyers, all the parties representing the case, including the state lawyers that acted for the police, wanted the warrant to be set aside.

This was unusual for a high profile case. Justice Makail observed, worryingly, in earlier proceedings that the parties represented at trial all wanted the warrant of arrest set aside.

In essence, the case came down to the conscience of the judges against an alliance of lawyers. It is a disturbing precedent and judges in such instances are expected to do more than just adjudicate or rely on submissions from lawyers.

Third, it was interesting to observe the international cases cited in the judgement were all from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), especially for a case of such national significance. A more comparative analysis of different and perhaps prominent jurisdictions with similar socio-political circumstances to PNG would be beneficial to the development of law in the country.

ONeill not exonerated

The effect of this decision is ONeill is no longer a subject of an arrest warrant. The Supreme Court did indicate that a new warrant can be obtained, but that would be impossible under conditions that have changed since the original warrant was issued.

Any attempt by the police would be subjected to the recently established internal vetting committee and concerns for job security is sure to discourage the Police Commissioner. An appeal to the full bench of the Supreme Court is possible but there are no opposing parties.

The Courts ruling did not exonerate ONeill of the allegations of corruption. It only said that the warrant issued was defective, leaving the substantive allegations still open to scrutiny.

ONeill has called for attention to be turned to the real culprits. The case concerning Paul Paraka Lawyers is still on foot and it will be interesting to see where it will lead and whether ONeill will be implicated. The case about the warrant of arrest is also a reminder to the police to ensure a high standard of diligence.

The prime minster is also relieved as his government prepares to host the APEC leaders summit next year. But it is hard to tell if the people of PNG share his relief, especially after a tumultuous national election this year and the worrying socio-economic conditions of the country.

This case costs taxpayers millions of kina and senior public servants their jobs, damaged the reputations of statutory agencies, and above all, left a dent in the rule of law in the country.

ONeills fight maybe over for now, but the consequences it leaves behind are sure to remain.
By PTI: (Eds: With additional inputs)

Jammu, Dec 23 (PTI) Pakistani troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol, killing a Major and three soldiers, along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district today, officials said.

The latest violation of the ceasefire agreement took place at a time when Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was camping in Rajouri district headquarters to address peoples grievances, they said.

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A defence spokesman said Pakistani troops targeted the Army patrol at Brat Galla in Keri sector at around 1215 hours.

"We suffered three fatal casualties including one officer in the incident. Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to their injuries. Two other personnel also sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment," the spokesman said.

Defence sources, however, said four Army personnel were killed in the "unprovoked" firing.

The Army, in a statement, said that Indian troops retaliated "strongly and effectively".

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh paid rich tributes to the slain soldiers and condemned Pakistan for the ceasefire violation.

"Pakistan is indulging in such cowardly actions and is being given a befitting response, but it does not desist from such cowardly acts," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Major Ambadas (32) belonged to Bhandara district in Maharashtra and is survived by wife Avoli Moharkar, while Lance Naik Gurmail Singh (34) belonged to Amritsar district in Punjab and is survived by wife kuljit Kaur and a daughter.

Sepoy Pargat Singh (30) belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the Army said.

"Major Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail and Sepoy Pargat were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the Army statement said.

The deputy chief minister said Pakistan has got isolated at the global stage, especially on the issue of terrorism.

"Pakistan is a terrorist state and it will not be too long before the country is declared a terrorist state by the world. It does not only support terrorism but also provide state sponsorship," Singh said. PTI TAS AB SKL SMN

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San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee was able to answer paramedics questions as he rode to the hospital in an ambulance from the Safeway where he had collapsed the night of Dec. 11, before dying of a heart attack three hours later.

Sources familiar with efforts to save the mayors life that night confirmed that Lee was conscious and talking in the ambulance after 10:12 p.m., shortly after witnesses at the supermarket on Monterey Boulevard called 911.

None of the sources would speak on the record, citing Lee family privacy.

Three people called 911 from the Safeway that night, according to recordings obtained by The Chronicle.

The first call came from an unidentified man who simply said he was calling from 625 Monterey Blvd., the address of a Safeway at which Lee and his wife, Anita, had been shopping near their Glen Park neighborhood home. The call ends after that.

A dispatcher answered the second call at 10:07 p.m. from an unidentified woman who said that a 65-year-old man needed help.

The dispatcher said shed already requested an ambulance.

Its the mayor of San Francisco, the caller said.

After a pause, the dispatcher said: OK, OK, but is he completely alert when youre talking to him?

Seconds go by. No response is heard.

At 10:09 the dispatcher said: Im sending the paramedics now. Stay on the line. Ill tell you exactly what to do next.

After another pause, the dispatcher asked: Is he right in front of the Safeway?

A minute passed before the caller responded: By the vegetables.

All right. theyre on their way, the dispatcher said. Call us back if anything changes, OK?

Meanwhile, another 911 dispatcher had responded at 10:09 to the third call, from a man who said he was in charge of the Safeway. The dispatcher assured him that an ambulance was en route.

Im not 100 percent sure, the caller said, but Im almost 100 percent sure that I think its Ed Lee, mayor of the city.

Im sorry, the dispatcher said. Who is it?

I think its Mayor Ed Lee.

The dispatcher asked: Is there any way you can ask him?

The man, who was calling on a landline, told the dispatcher to hold on.

He returned at 10:10 pm: Yes, it is Ed Lee.

Were you able to ask him how hes doing? the dispatcher asked.

I did not, the man said.

They talked about where Lee was located in the store, and shortly after 10:11 p.m. the dispatcher again asked if the patient really was Lee.

Does it look like him? Do you think its him?

The man responded: When I asked for his name, they just told me Lee. L-E-E.

OK, the dispatcher said. And does it look like the mayor?

Yes.

Not that that makes a difference, the dispatcher said. Because, you know, were getting him help regardless. We just, you know, obviously, like to know something like this.

Yeah.

They ended the call at 10:12 and 22 seconds, when paramedics arrived at the Safeway. About five minutes had passed since a dispatcher picked up the first call.

In the ambulance, the mayor answered questions from paramedics and was able to speak, sources said.

Lee died at 1:11 a.m. on Dec. 12. The San Francisco medical examiner confirmed that the cause of death was a heart attack.

In a statement, the Lee family thanked the many people who provided a shoulder of support in recent days. They called it one of the most difficult times of our lives.

Many will remember Ed Lee for his historic role as the first Asian American mayor of San Francisco. But we will forever remember him as a loving father, husband, son, uncle and friend, the family wrote, noting that he made deep personal sacrifices as mayor, but he always did things with a smile and an infectious sense of humor.

The family has established the Edwin M. Lee Community Fund through the San Francisco Foundation to support nonprofits and social causes he cared about.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov

@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
By Srijani Ganguly/Mail Today, Adila Matra: ULTIMATE FEAST

Over at Philtre and Olive Bistro, there will be no dearth of food. At Philtre, the feast comprises of tandoori turkey, pesto and grilled artichoke crostini, and more. And at Olive Bistro, there is everything from wild mushroom soup to pork loin roulade on the table. Both restaurants are in Gurugram.

HIGH ON JOY

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DLF Promenade's huge Christmas tree bedecked with Swarovski crystals is a must visit. Head to the Pullman in Aerocity to marvel at the 12 feet gingerbread house made of 2,000 gingerbread cookie tiles and 100 kgs of icing. The 20 ft gingerbread at The Oberoi, Gurugram, has 250 kgs of honey, 400 kgs of flour, 10 kgs of spice mix that will leave you in awe.

PARTY TIME

Teddy boy in CP will transport you to London with a snowy Christmas theme party. The upmarket cafe will be adorned with snowflakes, snowman, snow fairies and everything white from Dec 23 to 25. Waltz your way through the festivities this Christmas with Lord of the Drinks Forum's highly anticipated Yule Ball eve from Dec 23 to 25.

FESTIVE CHEER

Arriba Mexican Grill & Tequileria, Khel Gaon Marg is offering Merry Margaritas such as Frozen Layered Strawberry & Kiwi Margarita and White Christmas Margarita with tequila, Triple Sec, fresh coconut, cream and lime. The Beer Cafe's 'Hoppy Holidays' deal is offering your favourite brews at Rs 1. A Ta Maison near Khan Market has a Christmas brunch with unlimited booze.

ENDLESS NIGHT

Kaama Klub in Ansal Plaza is kickstarting Christmas with a Christmas Eve party with Arjun Rampal as DJ at Rs 11,999 per couple. Social Odeon has a special Naughty/Nice menu with DJs Leon Russell and Johnie Ernest on December 24 & 25. Qla restaurant and courtyard has a Karaoke Night on December 24. For a retro Christmas eve, head to Lock & Key, Gurugram where Chezin will sing carols.

SWEET TOOTH

A delightful selection of Christmas goodies (biscuits and cakes) is on offer at L'Opera Salon de The by PVR Director's Cut. If L'Opera isn't enough, then you can head to Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport where, at The Pastry Shop, there are desserts such as cinnamon star cookies, plum pudding, rich plum cakes and Christmas puddings. L'Opera Salon de The by PVR Director's Cut is in Vasant Kunj and Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport is in Mahipalpur.

CHRISTMAS EVE

If you are craving delicious food on the eve of Christmas then there is no better place to go than The Irish House and Goldfinch Hotel. At The Irish House, you can get unlimited drinks and food (beginning from Rs 495++), which will include dishes such as sweet crepes and honey glazed chicken. At the hotel, there will be a Christmas eve dinner from 7 pm to 11 pm. The Irish House is in Nehru Place and Goldfinch Hotel is in Surajkund.

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By PTI: Panaji, Dec 22 (PTI) The Congress has termed the Goa government?s openness for bilateral talks with Karnataka over the diversion of Mahadeyi river water as an "anti-Goa" move.

Congress? Goa Chief Shantaram Naik in a press conference here today stated that the reason for Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to take such an "anti-Goa" and "anti-Goan" decision on Mahadeyi water was to win the Karnataka elections.

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"Manohar Parrikar has gone against the interest of Goa and Goemkars (Goans) by taking a decision to allow Karnataka to lift water of the Mahadeyi when the matter is pending before the Mahadeyi Water Tribunal," Naik said.

"The stand taken by Parrikar that in principle Goa would not oppose reasonable and justifiable quantum of drinking water to Karnataka from the Mahadeyi river on humanitarian grounds is unrealistic. It will prove harmful for Goas claim placed before the tribunal," Naik added.

Naik alleged that Karnataka is full of underutilized drinking water sources like the tributary of the river Malaprabha near Hubli which has a catchment area of 5048 square kilometres.

"Unfortunately, this water is hardly used to the extent of 1.5 TMC (thousand million cubic feet). Karnataka also has about 22 rivers in Belgaum unutilized,? he added.

Naik said that considering the projected water needs of Goa till 2050, a committee of experts has stated that the Mahadeyi river is a water deficit basin and therefore has no scope for water diversion.

"No neighbouring state can divert the natural flow of rivers that are flowing in the direction of a wildlife sanctuary without obtaining permissions from the environment ministry and also from National Board of Wildlife Protection," he added. PTI RPS BNM

--- ENDS ---
Rarely do Hindu and Muslim leaders agree. This time, Deoband in Uttar Pradesh has thrown up a surprise as Muslim clerics from the Darul Uloom and a pandit from the same city have express concern over celebrating New Year on January 1.

By Rajat Rai: Rarely do Hindu and Muslim leaders agree. This time, Deoband in Uttar Pradesh has thrown up a surprise as Muslim clerics from the Darul Uloom and a pandit from the same city have expressed concern over celebrating New Year on January 1.

Cutting cake and rejoicing is part of celebrating New Year. However, Maulana Mufti Tariq Quasmi has said the practice of cutting cakes is unIslamic. "This is not legitimate in Islam," he said.

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Quasmi feels Muslims and those practising should stay away from such practices and abide by the practices of Islam.

"Our new year begins in the month of Moharram. We have no objection to people of other religion following such practices but Muslims, especially the youth, should avoid such things," added Quasmi.

Recently, the Darul Ulum in Deoband had banned the use of smart phones in their campus. According to the clerics, smart phones were hindering studies and made students less attentive.

At a time when even a staunch Islamic country like Saudi Arabia is making radical changes in society, it's surprising what the clerics in Deoband are talking about.

Surprisingly, Quasmi's observations and suggestions have also been seconded by Hindu priests in the same area in Uttar Pradesh.

"According to Hindu shastras, our new year begins on the first day of Navaratri in the Chaitra month. Our new Nav Vikram Savant (new year) begins on that day and this is also mentioned in the government records", Pandit Satendra Sharma of the Ma Shri Tripur Bala Sundari Mandir Seva Trust of Deoband said.

"Our youths should not follow English customs blindly. They should have basic knowledge of their religion," added Sharma.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 23 (PTI) Two trial court judges have been suspended by the Delhi High Court for alleged corruption.

The decision to suspend the two additional sessions judges, posted at Dwarka District Court, was taken by a full court of the high court on December 21, Registrar General (RG) Dinesh Kumar Sharma said today.

Both the judges did not respond to repeated messages and phone calls by PTI.

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The registrar general said that one of them was presiding as an additional district judge (Motor Accident Claims Tribunal) and the other was a special judge (electricity).

The high courts decision was then communicated to the district judge of Dwarka Court, where the two officers were posted, for necessary action, the RG told PTI.

A source close to Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittals secretariat said that there were allegations that one of the judges foreign trips were funded by third parties and the other was accused of demanding 10 per cent of a fixed deposit for allowing its premature release.

The source also said that the Acting Chief Justices secretariat was in possession of audio recordings against one of the two judges who is allegedly heard demanding a bribe.

"The judges voice was identified by the vigilance committee of the high court, headed by Justice Vipin Sanghi," the source said, adding that the full court of the high court is also seized with enquiry of six to seven other lower court judicial officers.

It said that the suspension of the two judges is for 120 days and for further extension of the suspension, the full court will have to assemble again.

The RG said since there were serious allegations against the two judicial officers, they were suspended immediately.

The two have been suspended under appropriate rules of the Delhi Higher Judicial Service Rules and All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, the RG said. PTI PPS HMP SKV RKS SMN

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: (Eds: Dropping name from para 2)

New Delhi, Dec 23 (PTI) Two trial court judges have been suspended by the Delhi High Court for alleged corruption.

The decision to suspend the two additional sessions judges, posted at Dwarka District Court, was taken by a full court of the high court on December 21, sources close to the Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittals secretariat said today.

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Both the judges did not respond to repeated messages and phone calls by PTI.

The sources said that one of them was presiding as an additional district judge (Motor Accident Claims Tribunal) and the other was a special judge (electricity).

The high courts decision was then communicated to the district judge of Dwarka Court, where the two officers were posted, for necessary action, they told PTI.

They said that there were allegations that one of the judges foreign trips were funded by third parties and the other was accused of demanding 10 per cent of a fixed deposit for allowing its premature release.

The sources also said that the Acting Chief Justices secretariat was in possession of audio recordings against one of the two judges who is allegedly heard demanding a bribe.

"The judges voice was identified by the vigilance committee of the high court, headed by Justice Vipin Sanghi," one of the sources said, adding that the full court of the high court is also seized with enquiry of six to seven other lower court judicial officers.

They said that the suspension of the two judges is for 120 days and for further extension of the suspension, the full court will have to assemble again.

They said since there were serious allegations against the two judicial officers, they were suspended immediately.

The two have been suspended under appropriate rules of the Delhi Higher Judicial Service Rules and All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, they said. PTI PPS HMP SKV RKS SMN SMN

--- ENDS ---
When architect Wallace Cunningham presented the plans for 243 Highway 1 in Carmel to county staff and neighbors, he was nervous the modern design of concrete, glass and steel wouldn't pass approval in an area known for its rustic homes.

But Cunningham hoped the community would embrace his vision for a home built to complement its location on the cliffs overlooking a private cove on Monterey Bayand they did.

"One of the neighbors stood up and said, it may not meet the regulations but it's beautiful and we love it. And then approved it," he said. "How often does that happen?"

Cunningham was hired by Joan Murray, an international philanthropist, to design the home, and she provided inspiration through her love of beauty, nature, simplicity and conservation.

"She would say things like I want to see the moon and the stars and so the ceilings are tall to get that upward view through the windows," he said. "She loved tai chi and there's a stone perch to do tai chi."

Murray passed away before the home, which took 10 years to build, was completed in 2017 and never lived there. Now her estate is selling the property for $11.4 million.

The 2,667-square-foot home has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, an arched roof and floor-to-ceiling windows in both the rear and front. In the living room, facing an expansive wall of curving glass, you feel like you're sitting outside next to the ocean.

Murray lived in Japan for many years and wanted her home to be in the Japanese style where the purpose of rooms was flexible and interchangeable. "The furniture can be moved around to create whatever purpose you want in a room," said Cunningham.

She also wanted a home where the community could gather and her family, neighbors, artists and scientists could enjoy.

"The upstairs hall isn't an upstairs hall," Cunningham said. "It's a balcony for a concert or a lecture."

Outside, two stone staircases lead to the water's edge and a patio hangs right over the ocean. "She loved the property and the rocks and the sea," Cunningham said. "There's something enchanting about the site. It's like a family with the seals, baby whales, otters."
Although 2015 VisionSF nominee PulpWorks continues to make a name for itself in the world of biodegradable packaging, Co-Founder and CEO Paul Tasner has found a new, unlikely platform as of late.

Since he was featured in the VisionSF spotlight last year, Tasner has had the opportunity to tell his powerful story via a TEDTalks video and residency. Since his video was posted in October, it has garnered over 1.2 million views  and Tasner's message is clear: it is never too late to reinvent yourself.

"I know my story resonated with people  because I get more mail than I can handle," Tasner said.

"People tell me how they lost their jobs in their 50s 60s and feel worthless  they feel like all their value was tied up in their jobs. The messages are heartwarming and heartbreaking."

In the TEDTalk, Tasner explains how he worked as an engineer for various consumer product companies for 40 years  until one fateful day when he was let go from his most recent employer. Retirement wasn't an option for Tasner, so he started work as a consultant. Then, at age 66, inspired by his concern for the environment, he got the idea to start PulpWorks.

Although he thought his great idea and decades of connections would translate into a seamless new start in the environmentally conscious Bay Area, it didn't quite happen so easily for Tasner and the team at PulpWorks.

"I can't tell you how demoralizing it was too look for investors five years ago -- it was downright humiliating. We were dismissed in favor of younger entrepreneurs, and the investment community wasn't excited about creating packages out of waste," Tasner explained about the ageism he encountered trying to get funding for his PulpWorks venture.

"We've got to change that balance. We've got to get older entrepreneurs to be taken a lot more seriously. (Seniors) have twice the success rate of younger entrepreneurs  so perhaps, all that experience pays off. Perhaps we are less risk averse. Either way, we have to be taken a lot more seriously," Tasner said.

"Young entrepreneurs are great, but you can't get everything from Google search  and so many of them depend on their relationship with the screen."

As a TedTalks Resident, Tasner was invited to spend 14 weeks with a cohort of 24 storytellers in New York City  all of them selected because they have a story to tell.

One of those fellow storytellers Tasner met was multi-media artist, filmmaker, educator and photographer Bayete Ross Smith, who was doing a residency for his own Ted video about breaking down stereotypes with art and media. Ross Smith was interested in PulpWorks' general mission to save the public from their overconsumption of plastic packaging and was inspired to incorporate it into his art.

"One day during a discussion with Paul and a curator I had brought to TED, he mentioned that PulpWorks has packaging that is made out of sugar cane and cotton. I thought that those materials could have conceptual significance as the major products that brought enslaved Africans to the Americas for the industries these products proliferated and the immense wealth they generated," Ross Smith said.

What followed was a plan to create boombox replicas out of PulpWorks' cotton and sugar cane fiber materials and use them to build installations based on Ross Smith's series of site-specific Boombox sculptures, entitled "Got The Power". In the past, Ross Smith's sculptures have been made out of vintage boomboxes and play soundtracks of comprised of the local community's favorite songs as oral histories. Although the location of the installations has yet to be decided, Ross Smith hopes his partnership with PulpWorks will continue to inspire others.

"What I hope my work does is cause people to self reflect and be truly introspective about their preconceived notions and perspective. I hope to provoke them to consider the validity of other perspectives on the world that may seem foreign to them or that they initially disagree with. I think this help us become aware of our shared humanity," Ross Smith said.

With an expanding global clientele, an exciting new platform to inspire senior entrepreneurs and an inspiring partnership in the art world, the possibilities for Tasner and PulpWorks are endless  and never to be taken for granted again.

"It's been a great year given what I can see on the horizon  and I'm going to keep preaching my message as long as they'll have me," Tasner said.

About the VisionSF Spotlight Series:

Although PulpWorks isn't nominated for a Visionary of the Year award, their vision, mission and work is a powerful example of Bay Area businesses working to drive social and economic change everyday.

About The Chronicle's VisionSF program and its 4th annual Visionary of the Year award:

Mission statement: "Visionary leaders are paradigm changers  individuals who strive to make the world a better place by employing new, innovative business models and practices. As the world faces an increasing number of widespread social and economic challenges, visionary leaders understand the broad impact of the business community and recognize its potential to drive great change."

How nominees are selected: A group of prominent Bay Area leaders is selected by The Chronicle to identify visionaries who are making a difference in their respective fields. Each of the nominees will be profiled in a series of stories, in the newspaper and on SFChronicle.com, beginning January 2018.

How winner is decided: Chronicle Publisher Jeff Johnson, Editor in Chief Audrey Cooper and Editorial Page Editor John Diaz will select the winner from six finalists. The winner, who will receive a $25,000 grant, will be announced at the end of March 2018.

Past winners: Evan Marwell, founder of Education Superhighway (2015), Chase Adam founder of Watsi (2016), and Priscilla Chan co-founder of Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative (2017).

Presenting Sponsor: Pacific Gas & Electric. For more information visit: www.pge.com

For more on VisionSF visit SFChronicle.com/VisionSF
The hi-technology RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system to check trucks, yellow plated cabs and other commercial vehicles coming into Delhi may finally be installed by October-November 2018.

By Baishali Adak: The hi-technology RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system to check trucks, yellow plated cabs and other commercial vehicles coming into Delhi may finally be installed by October-November 2018.

Ordered by the Supreme Court in year 2015, RFID enables automated and credible collection of taxes such as toll charges and green cess or Environment Compensation Charge (ECC).

At a time when the Capital is battling severe pollution crisis and breathing has become tough for many, the RF tags will again help.

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The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) is acting as the nodal agency in this for the city's three civic bodies.

On Wednesday, the standing committee of SDMC passed a proposal to sanction Rs 1,200 crore to set up the RFID scanners at 13 major entry points of Delhi, plus operation and maintenance (O&M) cost for the next five years in total.

Bids by various companies, which specialise in installing the complex system, will be analysed post-January 9, when the tendering process closes.

Post this, work will be awarded and, by contract, has to be completed in the next 10 months, said SDMC officials.

The entry points include: Kundli, Rajokri, Tikri, Aya Nagar, Kalindi Kunj, Kapashera, Shahadra (Main), Shahadra (Flyover), Ghazipur (Main), Ghazipur (Old), DND Toll Bridge, Badarpur-Faridabad (Main) and Badarpur-Faridabad.

Officials said that 82-85 per cent of the traffic coming into Delhi from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and other states go through these points.

The other border toll points are mainly in village areas and need not be monitored through RFID, they said.

Sandeep Kumar, additional deputy commissioner, SDMC, said, "The whole cost will be managed from ECC (Environment Compensation Cess) that we are levying on commercial vehicles entering Delhi on the orders of the Supreme Court since November 2015."

"The apex court had ordered the new tax to reduce the number of polluting trucks in the city. At that time, our toll tax collecting concessionaire, M/s. SMYR Consortium LLP, had withdrawn from their agreement with us, citing losses," he added.

"There was a dispute on the number of trucks that had diverted their routes because of ECC as all surveillance was done manually. Now, everything will be done automatically and electronically with RFID," he noted.

First, the commercial vehicles will be asked to register for RFID. Then, they will be provided with the small RFID devices that have a SIM-like chip and can be attached to trucks, cars, etc.

The moment they cross toll booths, their details will be read by a scanner and toll tax, congestion charge, ECC, etc., will be debited automatically from their e-wallet.

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SDMC had also commissioned a video-based 'Origin-Destination' (OD) traffic survey at the 20 major entry points into Delhi.

The company ordered to do this, M/s. Vaan Infra Pvt. Ltd. has recently submitted its report, officials said.

Senior SDMC official, Yashpal Dahiya, said, "RFID has been a difficult prospect for us as there are hardly any successful precedents of this project in India. Even the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been trying to introduce RFID for five years now and its pilot project is yet to be rolled out."

The SDMC had floated a similar tender earlier this year as well. But due to lack of experience in the sector, its specifications turned out to be unacceptable to most bidding companies.

This is SDMC's second attempt which it hopes will be successful.

--- ENDS ---
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A sealing drive by the MCD on Friday in one of Delhi's poshest markets, Defence Colony, took shoppers and store owners by surprise.

By Mail Today Bureau: A sealing drive by the MCD on Friday in one of Delhi's poshest markets, Defence Colony, took shoppers and store owners by surprise.

The upper floors of several popular restaurants - Social, Moets, Aka Saka and 4S - were sealed for allegedly "carrying out unauthorised constructions."

A team of municipal inspectors arrived in the morning, accompanied by officers of a Supreme Court -mandated panel to clamp down on "unlawful commercial use of residential premises."

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The committee, set up on March 24, 2006, has recently been revived by the apex court after it was presented reports on how edifices were coming up sans permits.

A bench headed by Justice MB Lokur recently also observed that the city was being "ravaged by its own citizens and officials governing."

Officials said at least 50 shops were sealed till 5pm and the drive was still on. All shops, which had "extended businesses beyond ground floor were sealed," they said.

Shop owners, however, claimed they had paid all charges and had valid documents.

"I had paid around Rs55 lakh as conversion charges in 2006. Later, I paid mutation charges. I pay commercial taxes regularly. I have all the documents to prove. Despite that my restaurant was sealed," said Hargurdev Singh, owner of restaurant Capri Italy.

DISTRESSED SHOP OWNERS: NO NOTICE WAS GIVEN BY AUTHORITIES

"We received calls that all restaurants in Defence Colony are being closed. Upon reaching, the authorities were already inside. There was no notice given and our employees were abused," said an owner.

Another shop owner said they tried to show the documents to the authorities, but all in vain. "The December 14 order was in regard to unauthorised constructions. We are sitting in a commercial authorised market. We have been here since 1952. Already GST has taken a toll on us and now our shops are sealed during Christmas when we give bonuses to staff," one lamented.

A store owner Vipul Gupta tweeted, "@ArvindKejriwal Respected CM ji,we are occupants of Defence Colony market where MCD guys have come in today with police force and are sealing first , second floors ..without any notice....we seek your urgent help and mercy."

The SC committee comprises KJ Rao, former advisor to the Election Commission, Bhure Lal, chairman of Environment Pollution Control Authority and Major General (retd) Som Jhingan.

On September 23, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee had sealed 21 restaurants in Hauz Khas Village for not procuring the required environmental clearances.

--- ENDS ---
The controversial ashram Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya that has come under the scanner of the Delhi High Court for alleged illegal confinement and sexual exploitation of the minors and women has turned out to be an unregistered society.

By Sneha Agrawal: The controversial ashram Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya that has come under the scanner of the Delhi High Court for alleged illegal confinement and sexual exploitation of the minors and women has turned out to be an unregistered society.

The Delhi High court on Friday was told that it also appeared that did not have any legal status.

At the same time, the counsel for the petitioner Shalabh Gupta informed court about six identical ashrams located at Majlis Park, Nangloi, Palam Vihar, Uttam Nagar, Karawal Nagar and Uttam Nagar in the capital.

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The bench comprising Justice Geeta Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar gave the order for the inspection of these premises.

During the hearing, the bench was informed by the ashram that there were over 168 women living on the premises and the Delhi government's health department had also set up a medical board, which will soon visit both the premises to medically examine all inmates to ensure their well-being.

The CBI has been asked to unearth the whereabouts of the self style godman Virendra Dev Dixit and when will he be produced before the high court.

The three-member committee - Nandita Rao, counsel for the state; Ajay Verma, counsel for the High Court; Delhi Legal Services Aid and Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal, appointed by the Delhi High Court told court that they had identified 41 girls for age verification.

During the hearing, the court also questioned the spirituality imparted at the ashram and the claim of its lawyer that the women and girls were there on their own free will.

"It is a strange setup where hundreds are lodged in closed confines. Where is the concept of free consent or spirit when you are not allowed to meet family or friends or wear what you want to or cannot go out when you want to?

"What kind of spirituality is it when people are kept confined as animals in cages? We do not understand it," it said.

The bench also noted that the ashram or vidyalaya, which it claimed to be, did not appear to have any legal status as it is neither a registered society as per the law nor a trust or company.

--- ENDS ---
Property dispute turned so ugly in south Delhi's Defence Colony that a state-level woman shooter allegedly shot at her mother and brother on Friday morning.

By Ajay Kumar: Property dispute turned so ugly in south Delhi's Defence Colony that a state-level woman shooter allegedly shot at her mother and brother on Friday morning.

Local police apprehended the accused following the incident.

Accused Sangeeta Singh (47), used her licensed revolver to gun down both of them. Luckily, the bullet hit her brother Harsharan Singh's leg and he is said to be out of danger. The mother Geeta Singh (75) sustained injuries on chest and stomach and her condition is said to be serious.

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Police said the incident occurred at 12.30 a.m, when Sangeeta, under the influence of alcohol, came out of her room and had a verbal dual with her brother.

Sources have said that Geeta has an old property dispute with her sister due to which this incident might have happened.

Sangeeta owns a private tourism office in Gurugram's Sohna road and used to organise adventure event in Delhi-NCR.

--- ENDS ---
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The officers in the SACAT team investigate anything ranging from sexual assaults on adults and children through to child abuse matters. But more recently there has been an increase in a relatively new area of crime. There is a growing trend of young people sending explicit images of themselves to each other - known as sexting. Under the law, it's called child pornography. If that image is sent on to someone else, it's distributing child pornography. "There are definitely more jobs in relation to child pornography being distributed particularly among young people," Detective Jack* said.

"It's all fun and games until it starts getting spread around the school." Senior Constable Hamish said he couldn't think of a single job in that area where the victim considered the consequences in the future. "They all know about it," he said. "They all know what sexting is and the problems it can lead to, but not one of them thinks it's going to happen to them." This is an issue that poses a problem for police, because the officers are there to punish people who break the law.

"But how do you punish two kids that have made a bad mistake that has had serious consequences for another person?" Detective Jack said it was generally young girls whose photos were distributed. "They're actually committing an offence themselves by sending those photos. We don't prosecute for those matters, because they've made a mistake, but I don't think they realise the seriousness until after it comes to us." But every day is different. Child abuse crimes make up the majority of work in the unit, but thankfully, the officers said, most of the reports turned out to be misunderstandings.

"When you're talking about little children, they say things that get taken out of context," Detective Jack said. He said mandatory reports - often from teachers - can sometimes come in with the barest of detail. "The child will say, 'daddy hit me', or 'mummy did something', and then they often don't ask any more questions to get context around what they meant about that," he said. "I think a fairly good example was, 'daddy hit me with his elbow'. Whoever interviewed them from the team sat down and got the context of that, and it turned out to be the child was running through the house and they ran into daddy's elbow." "The teacher has obviously thought dad's abusing the child and reported that. It's just a misunderstanding. On the flip side, there are those matters that you suspect that something has happened."

Detective Jack said while it takes up a lot of time, it was crucial these cases be reported and investigated. The team said there were a lot of misconceptions about what the police do during sexual assault investigations. The most important thing was to report sexual assault as soon as possible, because there are two types of these matters: historical and current. Historical matters could be as little as three days old. "If there's no forensic evidence, the person has washed, they haven't been to see the doctor, there's no CCTV it can come down to someone's word against another," senior constable Hamish said.

But it doesn't stop the police from investigating, and it doesn't necessarily stop them getting prosecutions in court. "It just makes it more difficult," Detective Jack said. "Another hard part of our job is explaining to people that we have to prove matters beyond reasonable doubt. Just because we put it before the court and it doesn't get up doesn't mean we don't believe you, it just means we haven't reached that threshold." He said people should report to police as soon as they can after being sexually assaulted. "If they just come and speak to us, they don't have to make a statement straight away or go to court or anything like that. But it means we can gather evidence and then if they want to go ahead with it later on, they can."

He said there were misconceptions within the community that it would be too hard to prove, or that police wouldn't believe the victim. "We can tell you exactly what to expect and you can base your decision on that," Detective Jack said. Victim liaison officer Cindy said everyone should be held accountable for their actions, but the team's role was to prevent further harm to the victim. This is particularly true of sexual assault cases. "They're already victimised and they're already struggling with what's happened," Cindy said.
The Tuggeranong parkrun is a big part of the reason Canberrans Emily Buchanan and Belinda Harding are planning on spending the rest of their lives together, now it's set to become one of their Christmas traditions as well.

Parkrun, the expanding exercise phenomenon, will be held on Christmas Day for the first time this year, providing Canberrans with another option to express some festive cheer.

Emily Buchanan (running) and Belinda Harding (crouching) will take part in the Tuggeranong parkrun on Christmas Day. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Ms Buchanan started attending parkrun to impress Ms Harding and 18 months later they are engaged to be married.

However, for Ms Buchanan, who has a sciatic nerve disorder which can render her unable to walk on some days, parkrun has provided her with an invaluable social outlet.
The ACT government's backdown on its proposal to close Lonsdale Street during the two main nights of Summernats in 2018 is a welcome decision.

There was public outcry this week over the news the government planned to kill off the popular cruising event that attracts hundreds of people every year.

The government said the decision had been made at the request of ACT Policing, which had cited safety concerns and the fact the event was unregulated.

But supporters of the event claimed no one could remember a major incident happening in the three decades the tradition had planned out during the festival.
A mid-level state appellate court will let a special prosecutor re-present charges to a grand jury in Cayuga County in connection with a 2013 Memorial Day weekend assault case.

In 2014, Judge Elma Bellini granted a motion to dismiss an indictment against Scott E. Blauvelt, Kyle C. Norcross and Johnathon T. Foltz. The defendants were charged with gang assault and criminal mischief for allegedly attacking a man in Auburn.

On Memorial Day weekend 2013, two middle-aged men  Shane Maneri and Douglas Springer  claimed they were assaulted outside Angelo's Pizza in Auburn. At the time, Maneri said he suffered several injuries, including a broken leg.

Blauvelt, Norcross and Foltz were charged in the incident, but the judge later dismissed the charges, citing "prosecutorial misconduct" and a lack of evidence. The Cayuga County District Attorney's Office appealed that ruling with respect to the cases against Blauvelt and Norcross.

On Friday, the Appellate Division, Fourth Department ruled the case can be re-presented to a grand jury.

The state court agreed with the prosecution that the evidence was "legally sufficient to establish that the victim sustained a serious physical injury." However, the court also said it agreed with Judge Bellini that the district attorney "acted improperly in repeatedly asking leading questions of his witnesses and in introducing hearsay evidence."

Although the court concluded that the indictment had been properly dismissed, it ruled that the prosecution should be allowed to resubmit the evidence to another grand jury. It noted that District Attorney Jon Budelmann offered to recuse himself and seek a special prosecutor to handle the case.

"In my 25 years as a prosecutor, I have indicted hundreds if not thousands of cases and not one of those indictments has been dismissed by another judge," Budelmann said in a press release Friday. "In an effort to get justice for this victim, who as a result of this beating now walks with a cane, we appealed the decision and offered to have another prosecutor appointed to re-present this case. We are gratified that this victim will now be able to pursue justice and that the court found enough evidence to sustain the felony charges."

As to why the third defendant, Foltz, was not included in the appeal, the district attorney said he could not comment. Attorneys for the defendants could not be reached Friday.
A 19-year-old boy was thrashed by a group of three inebriated men, who were returning from a party on Thursday night in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar.

By Mail Today Bureau: A 19-year-old boy was thrashed by a group of three inebriated men, who were returning from a party on Thursday night in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar.

The trio has been arrested in the roadrage incident, police said.

Around 10.30 pm on Thursday, Garvit Chawla, son of a businessman, was driving his Swift. When he reached Vivekanand College crossing, a speeding Duster hit his vehicle.

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Chawla received injuries due to the collision.

"When the traffic signal turned green, Chawla crossed the signal and parked the car at the roadside. He got down and stood in front of the Duster which had three inebriated occupants," said an officer.

An eyewitness said the man at the wheels of Duster tried to speed away in a bid to run the vehicle over him.

The trio got down from their car and allegedly started thrashing him after he did not step aside while they were trying to speed away.

"While the trio was thrashing him, Chawla raised an alarm to seek local's help. When people came, they tried to flee. However, one of them, later identified as Gaurav was caught by them. He was later handed over to police," the officer added.

"After a call was made to the PCR, a team reached the spot and Gaurav was taken into the custody. He told the identities of his accomplices - Aditya and Uday. The two were arrested on Friday morning," said Nupur Prasad, DCP (Shahdara).

It was learnt that the three of them were returning home from a party at a nightclub. Uday, who was allegedly driving the Duster, had failed to locate the Swift as he was drunk, the officer said.

--- ENDS ---
I suspect that we taxpayers and our children, through higher levies and taxes, will be paying for this light rail for the next decade or so.

I agree it should go the the Woden Town Centre precinct, however it would be an extra kilometre of track to get it to the hospital. The government remains tight-lipped about the cost of the two options, although Ms Fitzharris said the cost would be comparable to the $939million expected to be spent on stage1 of the project (really?). Happy to be corrected, but has any ACT government delivered any infrastructure project on time, on budget and on program without cost blowouts?

Transport Minister Megan Fitzharris said "the popular extension to the Canberra Hospital was dumped due to technical restraints", whatever they were. Perhaps she needs to get rid of the consultants the government would have engaged (with taxpayer funds) to assist them, and engage those with a "can do" attitude. Parking at the hospital is still a problem for visitors.

M.Flint, in his ongoing campaign against light rail, does occasionally make a valid point, as in his letter of December19. He says that the residents of Canberra are going to pay yearly amounts for light rail, and there are other uses for the money. He is right, but has not followed the argument through.

We can have light rail and the money to use for other purposes if we, the users of light rail, invest in it ourselves. If we agree to use it, we should be allowed to invest in it. When we use it we will get our investment back, plus a good return, and reuse it for some other purpose within Canberra.

If the government permitted users to do this and get a defined return on their money, all the funds to build and operate light rail would stay in Canberra for further use. Many with superannuation are looking for high-return secure investments. Infrastructure projects like light rail are such, but the riders of light rail are not permitted to invest in it.

The opportunity goes to investors outside Canberra, and they line up for it. Instead of giving the opportunity to others, let the riders of light rail pay for it with their investment dollars.

If M.Flint does not want to ride in it, then he does not get the right to invest, and he can stop his tedious complaining, as it is not his money paying for it.
Your humble holiday columnist made a successful foray into Pitt Street Mall on Thursday night to finish his Christmas shopping. Forget your namby-pamby 9pm  many shops were open until midnight, and they were so packed that sardines would have found it claustrophobic.

The streets were just as full, and the buzz in the air left me hoping for Sydney's transformation into a proper night city like Tokyo or Hong Kong, where crowds throng to shops, bars and restaurants near our workplaces before heading home. The new Grounds of the City, a charmingly retro "coffee lounge" with a well-stocked cake trolley, is doing great business. Restaurateurs and barkeeps  if you build it, we will come.

Christmas shoppers have breathed life into the city at night. Credit:Janie Barrett

The new George Street pedestrian precinct was especially popular, with so many selfie flashes that I felt I was walking down a red carpet instead of a half-built tramway  I apologise to all those whose snaps I ruined. At this rate, there will be no room for the light rail carriages when they start running in 2019.

But amid the festivities, I couldn't help noticing the concrete cubes beside the roadway. Some were cheerfully wrapped like Christmas gifts, and others were in use as handy seats  but their real function, of course, is as pedestrian safety bollards. I'm sure that all of us shopping that night were thinking of our friends down south, whose own Christmas cheer was shattered by the terrible events on Flinders Street. No doubt Melbourne's recovery will be swift and strong.
Sydneysiders sweltering through a hot and humid day can expect some relief in the early afternoon, when thunderstorms and a cool change are expected to come through.

The mercury will peak at 34 degrees in the city and 41 degrees in the west on Sunday and humidity levels will also increase throughout the day, senior meteorologist at Weatherzone, Jacobus Cronje said.

Beachgoers enjoy Bondi. A cool change will sweep through on Sunday evening. Credit:Louise Kennerley

By 1pm, temperatures had reached 32.3 degrees in the city and 39 degrees in Penrith.

However, showers are expected to begin in the early afternoon in south-west and western Sydney, with the possibility of some rain in the city.
There's an unintelligible cry from Radhi. He jumps to his feet and throws his arms around Mansfield, who returns the bear hug. Radhi grins from ear to ear when asked a few minutes later how he feels. "I feel so much better," he says. "My heart nearly stopped!" Facing extradition But Radhi's battle is far from over  he could yet be extradited to Australia face criminal trial. In its decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court acknowledged Radhi risked being caught in "immigration limbo" if he were extradited to Australia. He's not a New Zealand citizen, meaning Immigration NZ could deny him re-entry regardless of whether a jury finds him guilty. International refugee treaties mean Radhi could not be returned to his native Iraq, where he would likely face persecution, meaning he runs the risk of indefinite detention similar to that suffered by detainees on Manus Island.

The Supreme Court ruled his case should be referred to New Zealand Justice Minister Andrew Little. One potential work-around would be for immigration minister Iain Lees-Galloway to grant a special visa to Radhi, guaranteeing his return to New Zealand  and to his wife and three children  regardless of any trial outcome in Australia. It's the latest twist in a decades-long saga that has thrown the Radhi family through a series of extraordinary hoops. A near-death escape Maythem Radhi's wife was bleeding out. She had been shot through the chest.

"She was dying in my hands, and there was blood everywhere," he says, during an interview at the family's Mangere Bridge home. The bullet was supposed to hit her husband. Masked men had burst into their family home in Baghdad late one winter night in 1996, demanding extortion payments. "They ask for money," Radhi says, "and because we didn't pay, they start shooting." The attackers fled into the night. They were never found. Radhi cradled his wife as his brother rushed them to hospital.

Surgeons discovered the bullet had missed her heart, and worked through the night to save her life. By the time Radhi's wife gave birth to their first child the following year she'd made a full recovery. But the young married couple knew they had to leave. They were Sabean, a minority religious group, and there was no place for them in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. "If we stayed it was going to get worse and worse," says Radhi. "We wanted to find a place where we were free to live like normal people." The smuggling accusations

Maythem Radhi left almost everything behind when he fled Iraq in 2000. Together with his brother, wife, and young daughter, he escaped first to Jordan, then onward to Malaysia, and then Indonesia. They were among hundreds, perhaps thousands, of refugees heading toward Australia. "Everyone there is coming to leave," Radhi says. "It's not that people are coming to Indonesia to stay. My family, we come there, and we want to leave." Refugees pooled their resources and pitched in to help each other. Australian police allege Radhi became involved during this time with Abu Quassey, an infamous people smuggler. They say Radhi worked as his right-hand man, gathering fares for the doomed SIEV-X voyage.

Radhi tells a different story. "It's all the people helping, it's not only me," he says. "They ask, 'which smuggler is good?' Just because we are talking does not mean we are smugglers." Radhi and his family planned to leave Indonesia on that fateful voyage, which set off in the early hours of October 18, 2001. At the last minute they heard they might be considered for asylum in the UK  a brother already lived there  so they did not board. "And then we heard the ship had sunk." The SIEV-X sinking

Parents watched in horror as their sons and daughters screamed and thrashed in the oily shark-infested waters. Their cries gradually faded away as they grew weak and drowned. Just 45 people survived when their vessel, old, leaky, and hopelessly overcrowded, capsized that afternoon. Most of the 353 who perished were women and children. One woman gave birth as the disaster unfolded. Later, her body was seen floating in the ocean near that of her newborn, joined together in death by an uncut umbilical cord. The boat later came to be known as SIEV-X, a clinical designation of Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel, yet to be assigned a tracking number. Maythem Radhi knew many of the victims. "My friend was there and died, and really we cried," he says. "My wife kept dreaming about him every day for two years."

Yet survivors pointed to Radhi as one of those responsible for the disaster. He was arrested by Indonesian police. "I have nothing to hide from," he says. "I didn't do anything wrong, so I went with them." Then in his mid-20s, he spent four months behind bars in Jakarta in early 2002 before being released due to "insufficient evidence". Quest for justice Australian police fought long and hard in their quest for justice.

SIEV-X mastermind Abu Quassey was arrested in Indonesia and repatriated to his home country of Egypt, where he was sentenced to five years and three months in prison. Fellow smuggler Khaleed Daoed was found in Sweden in 2003 and extradited to Australia for prosecution, where he received a prison sentence of nine years. However the AFP failed in its attempts to haul Maythem Radhi before the courts. A warrant was kept out for his arrest, but the investigation was suspended in 2003 when it became clear it would not be possible to extradite him from Indonesia. The trail went cold. During the following years, Radhi appealed to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to help build a new life. A UNHCR report found the former goldsmith was a refugee "in continuing need of international protection", and in 2008 it recommended him as a suitable candidate for resettlement.

In 2009, the Radhi family was accepted into New Zealand as part of the annual refugee quota. Australian authorities were astounded to learn of Maythem Radhi's arrival in New Zealand, and have been fighting to extradite him ever since. A life in New Zealand Radhi has come to see New Zealand as his home. It's a "beautiful country", he says, "and the people here are really nice. Nobody asks you about what is your religion, and what is your race." Radhi wants to become a citizen, and says he can't wait to be rid of the cloud that's hung over his head for so many years.

"My children are first. We just want to try to give them a nice life," he says. And his mum. He hasn't seen her since he fled Iraq, and she's now living in Europe with his sister. He can't risk leaving New Zealand to visit. "She can't travel here, and she's very sick," Radhi says as tears well in his eyes. "I wish I can meet her again one day." He'd never go back to Iraq. Since he and his wife left, their family has suffered an agonising trail of bloodshed. "It's like the mafia," Radhi says. "They keep coming after your family one by one."
Santa won't be the only one busy this Christmas Day. He is joined by people across Sydney who will be spending their December 25 working or volunteering.

Jayson Sharman has been a firefighter at Parramatta Fire Station for nearly 15 years and is working Christmas Day because "plain and simple, that was when I was rostered".

Although his job on December 25 will be "no different to any other day", Mr Sharman expects that nice surprises may accompany the festive day: a cook-up with neighbouring stations, visiting children in hospital, and residents calling in to "wish us a Merry Christmas, or give us a card, or leave a little something as a thank-you for doing what we do".

"We're very fortunate in this job in that we're at a workplace that's like home," says Mr Sharman. "We've got the option of being at home with our family, or the second-best choice, being at work with our second family."

While the mood around the station will feel more relaxed  fire trucks decorated with tinsel, and firefighters wearing Santa hats  "as far as attending incidents and fires, that won't change one bit", he said.

"We're here to help out people who might have something go wrong on [Christmas Day]. Hopefully that doesn't happen, but we're there to try and make it a better day for them."
Some motorists who are caught driving over the blood alcohol limit will avoid losing their licences, while others will receive on-the-spot fines and disqualifications in proposals being considered by the NSW Government.

In a plan to declutter the court system and align NSW laws with those in Victoria, drink drivers without previous convictions and those who register blood alcohol levels under 0.10 will never have to face a magistrate.

John Sutton is solicitor and managing partner at Armstrong Partners Law Firm. John is critical of a proposal for on the spot fines for low-range drink driving to keep cases out of the court system. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

However the proposals, seen as a "priority area" within the state's draft Road Safety Plan 2021, have been criticised by some in the legal profession as being too lenient and lacking a deterrence factor for others thinking of getting behind the wheel while drunk.

Under current Victorian law, drivers aged over 26 who register a blood alcohol limit of between 0.05 and 0.07 only receive an on-the-spot fine and lose 10 demerit points.
"If you take men who score high on the scale and put them in situations where the system suggests they can get away with it, they will do it," he said. "Impunity plays a large role." Why are people in positions of power so often doing the harassing? In recent years, a growing body of research has shown how power warps one's perception of others and alters people's behaviour. "In study after study we're seeing that power makes you more impulsive. It makes you less worried about social conventions and less concerned about the effect of your actions on others," said Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at the University of California at Berkley. One of Keltner's experiments, for example, found that people who see themselves as wealthier were more likely to cut pedestrians off on a pedestrian crossing. Another found that those who felt powerful were even more likely to take lollies from children. Other experiments have shown that powerful people become more focused on themselves, more likely to objectify others and more likely to overestimate how much others like them.

"It becomes a kind of solipsism. You think what's inside your head is true about the world around you," Keltner said. "Someone like Harvey Weinstein may think 'I'm so horny right now, so the whole world must feel that way.' " What makes these men think women want to see all that? Comedian Louis C.K. was accused of sexual misconduct. One of the most puzzling and icky details from the recent string of high-profile cases is this signature move of several powerful men: exposing themselves to women, apparently with the expectation that those women are attracted to them, or will be once they see their bodies. There is, surprisingly, a scientific explanation for this. A particularly eye-opening 2011 study found that people in leadership often pick up phantom sexual signals from subordinates.

The experiment, designed by Jonathan Kunstman and Jon Maner, took 78 adults and paired them with a member of the opposite sex. Those pairs were assigned a Lego-building project, with one person put in charge of the other. In private interviews at the end of the project, those who were appointed leaders were much more likely to have perceived sexual interest from their subordinates, even when the subordinate said in surveys that they had no sexual interest at all. When researchers studied video of most pairs interacting, they found the leaders much more likely to act on that misperception, touching the subordinate's leg or engaging in eye gazing. "Power creates this perfect mental storm for misconduct," said Kunstman, an experimental social psychologist at Miami University in Ohio. "This tendency to over-perceive romantic interest can lead to a feeling of freedom to touch, which can then lead to misconduct." So what are these men really after? Sex or dominance? "The hackneyed phrase everyone always says about sexual harassment is that it's not really about sex, it's about power," said Illinois researcher Pryor. "But that's not really true. It's about both."

In recent years, psychologists trying to understand the relationship between power and sex have found that, for many men who score high on the harassment scale, the two ideas are often intertwined. "They are two sides of the same coin and so strongly fused that it's impossible to cleave them apart," Pryor said. "If these men have power over someone, they find it difficult not to have those sexual ideas come to mind. And the more they think about it, the more that association is reinforced." Why is it almost always men doing the harassing? There's a statistical answer for this: the way our society stands now, with all its flaws, discriminatory biases, and historical and cultural baggage, there remain many more men in leadership positions than women. (At least one woman in a position of power, however, has recently been accused of harassing a male subordinate.) There's also a feminist structural reading of such harassment: that harassment often serves as a vehicle to exert dominance and put women in their place.

But behavioral science has also shown there are behavioural differences between the sexes, said Louise Fitzgerald, a psychologist at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. "It's not like women are somehow immune from dark personality traits," she said, "but we know from gender research that men are more aggressive, more socialised to seek sex and believe they have a right to it." How likely is the #MeToo movement to change anything? Fitzgerald, who has spent three decades studying the devastating effects of sexual harassment, is surprisingly pessimistic about the current movement producing momentous change. "I remember thinking the same thing during the [US Supreme Court judge] Clarence Thomas hearings, that the cultural moment had come and everything would change," she said. "But here we are 20-some years later when people are suddenly rediscovering yet again that sexual harassment exists."

The cases now making headlines, she noted, largely involve high-profile people in Hollywood and media. "Will that have an effect on the woman being harassed at her job ... on the factory floor? I don't know." But one thing the #MeToo movement may be changing is the stigma of sexual assault and harassment, said Pryor, the longtime harassment researcher. "The #MeToo movement shows just how common these experiences are. And that may take away the silence that often allows the harassment to be hidden." Another important byproduct of the #MeToo movement may be increased interest in sexual harassment research, say Pryor, Fitzgerald and others. When Pryor began studying sexual harassment in the 1980s there was little support for the work. Pryor funded many of his earliest studies himself, and had to work in his spare time to develop research like his "Likelihood to Sexually Harass" scale. In the decades since, the situation has improved but only marginally, said Pryor, now semi-retired. Loading
Los Angeles: What was that in the skies above LA on Friday night that stopped traffic and sparked alarm and curiosity?

It was a rocket.

The contrail from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is seen from Long Beach in California, more than 100 miles southeast from its launch site. Credit:AP

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 5:27pm local time, was carrying 10 satellites to low-Earth orbit. The satellites will be part of a constellation operated by Iridium Communications.

All 10 satellites successfully deployed, with the last one deploying about 1 hour and 12 minutes after lift-off.
One man is dead and his female passenger has sustained serious injuries following a collision between a car and a truck in the state's west.

The incident happened on Banyena Road in Banyena  140km west of Bendigo and 280km north-west of Melbourne  at about 5pm on Saturday evening. The woman's injuries are not life threatening.

The incident happened about 280km north-east of Melbourne. Credit:Rob Gunstone

The unidentified male driver of the car was killed at the scene. The male driver of the truck was not physically injured, according to police.

He is now assisting police with their inquiries. It remains unclear what caused the crash. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
DMK working president MK Stalin, along with other party leaders, today welcomed Kanimozhi and A Raja, who were acquitted in the 2G spectrum allocation case, at the Chennai airport.

DMK working president MK Stalin, along with other party leaders, today welcomed Kanimozhi and A Raja, who were acquitted in the 2G spectrum allocation case , at the Chennai airport.

A large number of DMK cadres were also present at the airport to greet the two leaders. Meanwhile, a huge crowd has also gathered at Gopalapuram residence of Karunanidhi.

From here on, there will be a new journey for the two leaders, who were vindicated after more than six years of battle. Though both of them have been active in DMK with the blessings of Karunanidhi could not be promoted much. Their taint had rubbed on DMK which had to lose consecutive elections. But, now the banners across Tamil Nadu is hailing Kanimozhi as "Thiyaga thalaivi"( sacrifice leader) and Raja as someone who has got his deserved justice.

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DMK POLITICS WILL CHANGE

Now on, the DMK politics will change. MK Stalin though is happy that the taint on DMK is gone, he is worried about the possible demand from Kanimozhi and Raja to elevate them. If Karunanidhi had been active, sources say he would have immediately rewarded the two with an elevation.

"He was always sorry for his daughter and Raja who were made scapegoats in the 2G scam under the UPA regime. But now, Stalin has to be guarded considering that his elder brother Alagiri is already waiting to ask for his pound of flesh though expelled from the party. He has been reaching out to Kanimozhi, but she had been waiting for the verdict," said a supporter of Alagiri.

Tamil Nadu, which recently lost a powerful woman leader -- J Jayalalithaa could as well welcome another. Except for the 2G taint, Kanimozhi has always comes across as no-nonsense sweet person approachable to everyone. She dons many hats as poetess, journalist, MP and women's wing leader in the party.

After Murasoli Maran passed away, when Dayanidhi was sidelined due to rift, Kanimozhi and Raja were the torch bearers for the DMK in the state capital. Kanimozhi's English speaking skill and friends circle in Delhi was always noticed. She was responsible for being bridge between Karunanidhi and UPA leaders in translations and meetings. Even after the verdict came out, senior Congress leaders rushed to meet Kanimozhi who has made friends. Despite 2G trial, Kanimozhi had been actively voicing Tamil Nadu's issues in the Parliament.

"Most importantly, everyone sees her with sympathy now. As a woman who had to leave behind a young son at home, she suffered in the prison. Now she has been proven innocent. But for politics, legally case against her could have been won even in the local court. She needn't have suffered," said a person close to Kanimozhi.

As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, Kanimozhi has also been in touch with her powerful "Nadar" community leaders to create a base.

"Caste politics is important in Tamil Nadu. Nadars are important business community. She will get their support," said a source.

Similarly, A. Raja has also been using his Dalit card to say he had to suffer because of it.

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In his emotional letter to Karunanidhi on 21st December, Raja had written, "Who is going to punish those who tainted your 80-year public life? Lot changed after my spectrum allocation in a fair manner. It paved way for new technologies. I give the 2G verdict on your feet with gratitude. You preserved me in snow so that I don't dissolve in the battle. The media did not do research and showed bad taste on spectrum wouldn't 'see' the social perspective."

Well, Raja had indicated many times that his Dalit caste was responsible for falling prey in the "elitist" circle. Karunanidhi had, time and again, said Raja was being punished for being a Dalit. Now, Raja would leave no opportunity to tap the Dalit caste.

"Now, if Kanimozhi and Raja join hands they can still demand a lot within the party or rebel," claimed a source in DMK.

But, since Stalin had already structured the party and brought everything under control, for now DMK would prefer to put a united face using this opportunity, said sources in the top-level DMK camp. "But, no more they can be ignored," he added as the last word.

--- ENDS ---

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Feral horse numbers in Victoria's alpine areas are at critical levels, causing severe environmental damage that can only be repaired by a major cut to their ranks, a government report argues.

About 2500 wild horses live in the state's Alpine National Park, and 6000 more just across the border in NSW's Kosciuszko National Park, destroying habitat for threatened native plants and animals and fouling mountain streams, including the source of the Murray River.

Wild horses in the Snowy Mountains. Credit:Judy Goggin and Paul McIver

The Murray's source would be a clear stream if left untouched, but it has been trampled into a muddy bog, a report by Parks Victoria says.

It says the horses also have damaged ancestral Aboriginal burial grounds.
Some of Melbourne's most iconic locations are having protective bollards installed as anti-terror security measures spread beyond the Melbourne CBD.

St Kilda's Luna Park is the latest Melbourne landmark to be surrounded by the grey concrete bollards that have become ubiquitous throughout the city.

Concrete bollards were installed this week outside St Kilda's Luna Park. Credit:Darrian Traynor

They have also been placed on the St Kilda foreshore and outside the newly renovated Palais Theatre, with more to come along the Esplanade and at South Melbourne Market.

The security measures will cost the council several hundred thousand dollars.
A man in his 30s is fighting for his life in hospital after a fight in East Fremantle left him with serious head injuries.

Police spokesman Adam Brouwer said officers were called to Riverside Road about 1:30am on Saturday where they found a man with serious head injuries.

A man was left with serious head injuries after a brawl in East Fremantle. Credit:Rohan Thomson

He was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital by St John ambulance where he remains in a critical condition.

Another man in his 30s was arrested at the scene and is currently assisting detectives with their enquiries.
A Snowman at a local, empty restaurant in Ubud. Credit:Alan Putra Bali is spluttering back to life for the peak holiday season between Christmas and New Year but the whole island is hurting. About 70,000 Balinese who lived within Mt Agung's 10km red zone will see in the new year in cramped refugee camps. Janet De Neefe at one of her restaurants, Casa Luna, in Ubud. Credit:Alan Putra The Australian Government this month announced it would contribute $600,000 to help provide evacuees with clean drinking water, shelter, sanitation services and medical care.

The resort island's tourism industry - Bali contributes about 40 percent of Indonesia's total tourism revenue - has been devastated. China, the biggest source of tourists to Bali (Australia is second), has issued travel warnings, telling its people not to go to Bali until January 4. Flights have been suspended from China. Whilst not quite as drastic, other countries, including Australia, have also issued travel alerts. "Since 21 November 2017, eruptions at Mount Agung have caused disruptions to flights and airport operations," the Australian government warns in its latest update on December 20. The Indonesian Tourism Ministry estimates $US1.2 billion in potential losses. On Friday President Joko Widodo held his cabinet meeting in Bali, tweeting photos of himself strolling barefoot along Kuta beach (which had been scrubbed of rubbish ahead of his visit) and posing in selfies with crowds of people.

"Bali is safe, please holiday in Bali. This afternoon Kuta beach is busy, try and see, busy, very busy," tweeted President Jokowi, as he is popularly known. It is always highly significant when cabinet meets anywhere other than in Jakarta or Bogor. In June last year a cabinet meeting was held on a warship in the Natuna Islands in a defiant gesture to China indicating Indonesia had sovereign rights over disputed waters in the far north of the archipelago. Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said the president's presence in Bali spoke volumes. "Bali is normal," he said. Arief said Bali had an average of 15,000 tourists a day in 2017. At its lowest point after Mount Agung erupted there were only 2000, but now numbers had returned to 12,200 a day, 80 per cent of the average figure.

In the cultural hub of Ubud, winding roads, eerily deserted for a couple of weeks, are beginning to fill up with motorbikes and tourists. Ubud Permai sells wooden penis bottle openers, frangipani hairclips and miniature statues of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh. It is the sort of old-school Bali souvenir shop that has almost, but not quite, been entirely replaced by shops selling yoga pants, Havianas and gourmet gelato. Years ago Ketut Nadi could sell five wooden penises a day - "At first I was embarrassed to sell that stuff, but then it caught on". It's been a while since the heyday of wooden penises but after the airport closed Ketut said there were no buyers of souvenirs, period.

"It was more quiet than after the Bali bombings," she says, swatting away a monkey, the only thing showing much interest in her wares. Ketut is starting to make a few sales again but says there are fears there will be another big eruption of Mount Agung and the airport will close again. "Usually the big crowd comes after December 25th but we have no idea what will happen this year," she says. On December 17, Janet De Neefe, the founder of Ubud Writers' Festival and owner of Ubud restaurants Casa Luna and Indus, the Casa Luna cooking school and Honeymoon guesthouse, posted a photo of herself sipping a coconut on Facebook. "Stay with me and receive 50 percent discount and if you are stranded we will throw in two free nights, a green coconut and a chance to play Mahjong with me," she wrote.

The posting was humorous - the photo was a pisstake of the iconic image of Barack Obama sipping a coconut which many falsely believed had been taken in Bali - but reflects the dire predicament of those in the tourism industry in Bali. "We need Obama now to save us," De Neefe jokes. Honeymoon Guesthouse is almost always full in the week between Christmas and New Year - now just 15 of its 40 rooms are booked. There were no cooking classes for two weeks: "They cancelled themselves". Dinner at Indus on New Year's Eve is usually so popular the restaurant sometimes has two sittings. "This year there are two bookings. That is what we are up against," De Neefe says. "When there are a lot more staff to customers you know you are in the red. This month we have not made enough to cover wages."
Moscow: Boris Johnson confronted Russia on Friday over attempts to meddle in British elections as his Moscow visit descended into a slanging match.

The Foreign Secretary said Russia tried to derail British democracy, prompting Sergei Lavrov, his counterpart, to accuse him of "making up" allegations of interference in Brexit.

The exchanges, played out in front of journalists and diplomats, saw the men accuse each other of dishonesty.

As Mr Lavrov denied any undermining of Britain's democratic processes by computer hacking, Mr Johnson interrupted, saying none of the attempts had been successful and pointedly referred to Russian interference in elections around the world.
The new Austrian government, announced last weekend, will be watched vigilantly by its European neighbours because it includes the far-right Freedom Party - and because, thanks to its presence, Austria will become the first Western European country to implement an unapologetically right-wing immigration policy.

Its 180-page coalition agreement could set the tone for similarly draconian policies (and unusual coalitions) in other European Union member states and the wider Western world.

The link-up between the centre-right People's Party, led by 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz, and the anti-immigrant Freedom Party owes its existence to Kurz's decision that Austrians were tired of milquetoast centrist policies pursued by "grand coalitions" of the People's Party with the Social Democrats.

Kurz, whose government career began with the integration portfolio, decided to talk to Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache rather than his party's traditional centre-left partners and rivals.
HARBOUR VIEW:--- On December 22, 2017, the Governor of Sint Maarten, His Excellency drs. E.B. Holiday, requested the fraction leader of the Democratic Party, Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams, to finalize the formation of an interim government as formateur.

After Mr. Meyers returned the commission to form a new government on December 20, 2017, the Governor held consultations on December 21 and 22, 2017 with Mr. Meyers, Mr. Brownbill, and Mrs. Wescot-Williams. These consultations were a result of the declaration of October 29, 2017, signed by the United Peoples Party, Democratic Party, and MP C.E. Brownbill to form a new Government, the motion of no confidence passed against the Cabinet Marlin II and the decision of the Council of Ministers to dissolve Parliament.

Based on the consultations the Governor requested Mrs. Wescot-Williams to finalize the formation of an interim government supported by a majority in Parliament. A government that consists of ministers who are committed to the promotion of the well-being of the people of Sint Maarten and who are dedicated to the reconstruction of Sint Maarten.

As with Mr. Meyers, the Governor requested the formateur to form an interim government that dedicates itself to take immediate action to conclude the development of a recovery plan, to reach agreement with the Netherlands on the financing of the recovery plan, to cooperate with the social partners in rebuilding Sint Maarten, to revisit the budget for 2018, to develop a plan to strengthen security, to execute the agreement with the Netherlands on border control, to implement the law on the integrity chamber in accordance with the protocol with the Netherlands, to the execution of the elections and to take steps to realize electoral reform.

The Governor further emphasized the importance of the strict observance of the regulatory requirements including the screening criteria, applicable to the appointment for candidate-ministers.

The formateur took the commission into consideration and will inform the Governor regularly during the formation process. The Governor requested Mrs. Wescot-WIlliams to present him the final report of the formation process ultimately January 12, 2018.

From the Cabinet of the Governor of Sint Maarten
~ Labor Department to take decision in March 2018 ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- The management of Cable TV under the auspices of TELEM filed a request for mass dismissal of Cable TV employees. SMN News understands that the head of the Department of Labor and Social Affairs along with the Minister of VSA has decided that a decision on the request will be taken in March 2018 since the department and Minister wants more information on the dismissal.

Even though the management of Cable TV was informed in writing of the decision taken by the Department of Labor, the director of Cable TV Beulah Jonis chose to send out a letter to the employees informing them that they must turn in all properties such as keys to management since the employees will be officially dismissed on December 31st. Besides the decision taken by the Department of Labor, the employees and their union representative are waiting on the outcome of the court case they filed against Cable TV and TELEM. That case went before the courts last week Friday and a verdict is expected on December 29th.

SMN News further learned that employees at TELEM would have to take on the extra work of managing Cable TV and TELEM workers are already peeved that they would have to execute duties that are not part of their daily tasks.

While the feud between the workers and the management of Cable TV and TELEM is ongoing, residents that have been paying their monthly bills for cable and internet that was provided by Cable TV are still without services especially clients that are connected overhead. Even though the infrastructure is in place for reconnection, management of Cable TV is yet to purchase the much-needed materials for the reconnection process to begin.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The CFT advised the Kingdom Council of Ministers to issue an instruction to the government of St. Maarten for the 2018 budget. A letter dated December 22nd, 2017 was sent to the chairlady of Parliament regarding the advice given by the CFT to the Kingdom Council of Ministers.

Even though the CFT gave the advice to the Kingdom Council of Ministers up to the time this article was written no instruction has been issued.

SMN News contacted Minister of Finance Richard Gibson Sr. for a comment on the advice given by the CFT to the Kingdom Council. Minister Gibson said he is unable to comment on the matter as he did not receive anything from neither parties meaning the CFT and the Kingdom Council of Ministers.

Click here to view the letter sent to Chairlady of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams by the CFT.
Fresh trouble brews for Misa Bharti and her husband as Enforcement Directorate has filed a fresh chargesheet against both in a money laundering case.

By PTI, India Today Web Desk, Press Trust of India: Former Bihar CM Lalu Parsad Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband found themselves in a tight spot as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed charges against them in a money laundering case today

The charges were filed by ED Counsel Nitesh Rana before the court of Special Judge N K Malhotra. Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family have been on the receiving end as ED and Income Tax department have closed in on the assets owned by the family.

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ED had earlier attached a Delhi farmhouse in connection with its money laundering probe against Bharti and her husband, Shailesh Kumar.

The farmhouse, located at 26, Palam Farms in south Delhi's Bijwasan area was attached provisionally under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

It belongs to Bharti and Kumar and is "held in the name of Ms Mishail Packers and Printers Private Limited", the central probe agency said.

"It was purchased using Rs 1.2 crore involved in money laundering in the year 2008-09," the ED alleged.

The agency had also conducted raids at this location and few others in July as part of its probe against two brothers, Surendra Kumar Jain and Virendra Jain, and others who have been alleged to have laundered several crore rupees using shell companies.

The Jain brothers were arrested by the ED under the PMLA.

It had also arrested a chartered accountant, Rajesh Agrawal, who mediated and provided a cash amount of "Rs 90 lakh to the Jain brothers in advance so as to invest in Ms Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd as share premium".

One of the firms that the arrested duo dealt with was Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited.

Bharti and her husband are alleged to have been directors of this firm in the past.

"The company, Ms Mishail Packers and Printers, was registered at the address 25, Tuglak Road, New Delhi till the shares were bought by Bharti.

"It was only during the year 2009-10 that the address was changed to farm no 26 Palam Farms, VPO Bijwasan, New Delhi. Bharti and Kumar were the directors of the company during the relevant period," it said.

The couple were also interrogated and their statements recorded by the agency in this probe case.

The agency said the Jain brothers, CA Agrawal and the daughter and the son-in-law of the former Bihar chief minister were the "key persons behind the money laundering of Rs 1.2 crore"

--- ENDS ---

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By PTI: by 2018: Lohani

Jaipur, Dec 23 (PTI) The rail route connecting New Delhi to Jaipur will be electrified by December next year, Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani said today.

At a press conference here, he said electrification of rail routes was progressing at a fast pace and it would improve average speed of trains.

Lohani said, 4,000 km of rail track will be electrified in the current financial year and another 7,500 km track will be electrified in the next fiscal.

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Safety was of utmost priority for the railways. Refurbishment and maintenance of rail tracks were being done on priority basis, he said, adding though the works have affected punctuality of trains, it would have far-reaching effects.

Electrification of New Delhi-Jaipur rail route will get completed by December 2018, Lohani said.

The railways was currently refurbishing nearly 400 km track every month, which was earlier limited to 200 km, the Railway Board chairman said.

Twenty-two stations would be developed into world-class facilities and 963 stations will be equipped with CCTV cameras by the end of 2018. All rail services would have bio-toilets, he said.

North-Western Railways Chief Spokesperson Tarun Jain said Lohani, who was on two-day tour in the railway region launched, an SMS-based residential area maintenance system, a holiday home and rest house booking app and a mobile application for receiving passenger feedback.

He will visiting Jodhpur on tomorrow, Jain said. PTI AG NSD

--- ENDS ---
First responders in Connecticut will soon have access to a state-of-the-art technology to connect them with a secure network to enhance communications during emergencies and disaster response situations.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Friday the state would accept the technology, FirstNet, to enhance the public safety community. He said he believed opting in would best serve the interests of those in Connecticut.
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Connecticuts population had a slight gain over the past year, with 499 new residents calling the Constitution State home.

States prison population lowest in more than two decades

On Wednesday, the U.S. Census Bureau released the latest national and state population estimates.

It showed Connecticuts population in 2017 estimated at 3,588,184, up from 3,587,685.

While Connecticuts population gain is small, it reversed a population decline of 14,434 measured between 2015 and 2016.

Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Vermont, which all lost population in 2016, all made slight population gains this year. Pennsylvania had a 0.1 percent increase with 18,452. Vermont  the least populated state with 623,354 residents, gained 303.

Population growth in Connecticut and Fairfield County is sluggish, but some communities  Stamford, Shelton and Danbury  are enjoying a growth spurt, according to census figures released earlier this year.

Danburys population of 84,922 posted the fastest growth, gaining 335 residents between 2015 and 2016, and growing by 5.1 percent since 2010.

Stamford, with 129,113 people, gained 239 residents and its population grew by 5.3 percent since 2010. Bridgeport, despite a one-year loss, grew by 1.2 percent since 2010.

Norwalk, with 88,438 residents, lost a handful of people between 2015 and 2016, but its population grew by 3.3 percent since 2010, the numbers show.

Shelton, with a population of 41,334, gained 108 residents and is up 4.5 percent since 2010.

The figures released Wednesday showed the U.S. population grew 0.72 percent to 325.7 million. Net international migration decreased 1.8 percent between 2016 and 2017, making it the first drop since 2012-2013. However, net international migration continues to be a significant factor in the population growth of the United States, adding just over 1.1 million people in the past year.

Nationally, eight states lost population between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017. Illinois had the largest decline, losing 33,703 people  a relatively small percentage change compared to its population of 12.8 million. Wyoming had the largest percentage decline with 1 percent.

Idaho was the nations fastest-growing state over the past year. Its population increased 2.2 percent to 1.7 million from July 1, 2016, to July 1, 2017.

Following Idaho for the largest percentage increases in population were: Nevada, 2 percent; Utah, 1.9 percent; Washington, 1.7 percent, and Florida and Arizona, 1.6 percent.

States in the South and West continued to lead in population growth. In 2017, 38.0 percent of the nations population lived in the South and 23.8 percent lived in the West.

In addition to the population estimates for the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the new estimates show that Puerto Rico had an estimated population of 3.3 million, a decline from 3.4 million in 2016.
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My friends started calling as soon as the news broke about the Amtrak derailment in Washington state.

They worried I would suffer flashbacks to the horrible night in May 2015 when Amtrak 188 derailed near Philadelphia.

I was one of the lucky ones; unlike the woman right behind me, the midshipman two rows ahead and six others, I lived. I only had scratched corneas, broken ribs and a damaged knee.

In some ways, flashbacks are appropriate because the similarities between the two derailments are eerie: In both, the trains were going much too fast.

In both, positive train control (PTC) safety systems could have prevented the accidents by automatically slowing down the trains.

In both cases, PTC systems had already been installed on the tracks. And, in both cases, they hadnt been turned on yet  because the deadline for installing them hadnt been reached and Amtrak balked at spending money on safety until it absolutely had to do so.

I did have flashbacks, but they werent to the accident. I flashed back to Amtraks responses afterward, which were appalling  a combination of callous indifference and phony promises to reform.

And to the response of Congress, equally appalling, which was both to delay PTC requirements that would prevent these disasters and to limit Amtraks liability to compensate its victims when disasters occur.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending PTC for 45 years, but it took a head-on train collision in 2008 in California that killed 25 people and injured more than 100 to get Congress to move.

Responding to that disaster, Congress gave major railroads more than seven years, until the end of 2015, to install PTC systems.

Had the requirement been in place eight months earlier, Amtrak would have turned on its PTC system, Amtrak 188 wouldnt have derailed, I would still have my knee, and eight people would be alive.

Sadly, the response of the railroad industry to the Philadelphia disaster was not to install PTC, but to delay it. Railroads complained about the costs and threatened not to run their trains unless Congress pushed the deadline to 2018.

Congress caved completely, allowing railroads to defer PTC without penalty. Congress even allowed an additional loophole: If railroads showed progress, they didnt have to start using PTC until 2020.

The first thing that Amtrak Cascades 501 victims and their families will likely learn, as we did, is that this accident didnt have to happen.

But the bad news doesnt stop there, because in 1997, Congress also decided to cap at $200 million the total compensation that Amtrak and other passenger railroads must pay when their negligence leads to an accident.

This means that the costs of major accidents are sometimes borne not by the negligent railroad, but by its victims. One judge applying this cruel law in another case said, There just wasnt enough money . . . what was given to one victim had to be taken from another. He described the process as a daily exercise in Sophies Choice.

Thats what happened after the Amtrak accident in Philadelphia. Congress raised the cap to $295 million, but that was far from sufficient to compensate the eight families who lost loved ones and the 200 passengers who suffered life-changing injuries.

Amtrak ended up paying only a fraction of the damage it had inflicted. The victims ended up bearing a large part of their own medical costs and lost wages.

Meanwhile, Amtraks chief executive, who ran what the NTSB described as a railroad lacking a safety culture for eight years, retired without so much as a slap on the wrist.

My heart goes out to the victims of Amtrak Cascades 501. They deserve better than what we experienced after Amtrak 188.

Sadly, the responses from Washington thus far arent encouraging. President Donald Trump, ignoring the sharp cuts to Amtraks funding that he proposed this year, used the tragedy instead to talk about an infrastructure program he has yet to propose  despite the fact that the tracks had been refurbished and the train was new.

Congress, for its part, now makes statements about the need for PTC, but they do not mention that they delayed requiring it and that more people have died as a result.

For the victims of the crash Monday near Seattle, its far too late to promise better safety controls. But its not too late to eliminate the liability cap and to say that government-funded railroads should be responsible for their actions and that the victims of Amtraks negligence should get the full protection of the law.

Joshua Gotbaum is a guest scholar in economic studies at the Brookings Institution.
By PTI: Chennai, Dec 23 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind today said engineers can play a much larger role in solving key challenges facing the country including issues related to food and environment.

Kovind said evolution of technology was changing the way how people live, work and think.

The president urged engineers to draw inspiration from former president A P J Abdul Kalam who, he said, "trained as an engineer and became famous as a missile technologist."

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"Engineers can play a much larger role in solving key challenges facing our country-- in food, health care and environment and in providing low cost east to build housing," Kovind said.

The president was participating in the valedictory session of the 32nd Indian Engineering Congress, organised by The Institution of Engineers. "We will still need machines, tools and power grids, roads and bridges, aircraft and ships. But this traditional practice of engineering will have to both embrace and drive innovation in cutting-edge areas." Terming that the civil engineers were "specialists" in materials, he said, they use this knowledge for construction. The same knowledge of composites and materials will increasingly be deployed for both micro needs such as creating medical implants for the human body as well as micro needs.

About his visit to the state, he said, it was his first visit to Tamil Nadu after being elected as the President of India.

"It is appropriate that it has coincided with the valedictory function of the 32nd Indian Engineering Congress," Kovind said. "This is a land of engineers as well as social engineers who have contributed to our country," he said. Referring to his visit to former president A P J Abdul Kalams memorial at Pei Karumbu in Rameswaram earlier in the day, Kovind said along with the late R Venkataraman, Dr Kalam was one of two former presidents who were his "illustrious predecessors", to have come from Tamil Nadu. "Kalam trained as an engineer and became famous as a missile technologist," he said.

"He was a proud son of India. He could have earned millions in the West, but he chose to devote his learning and his life to the development of our country," the president said. "All of us as Indians, and all of you as engineers, must draw inspiration from him," Kovind said.

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The president also praised Tamil Nadu saying the state has made impressive strides in social reforms right from the days of Rajaji and Periyar. "The journey of reforms and of peoples welfare continued under C Annadurai, K Kamaraj and M G Ramachandran, whose birth centenary we are celebrating this year."

"Dr J Jayalalithaa took Tamil Nadu even further. And I cannot forget to mention that gifted wordsmith and patriarch of our politics M Karunanidhi," the president said. The mid-day meal scheme that originated in Tamil Nadu gave India a model to combat malnutrition and help in the physical and cognitive development of children, he said.

Tamil Nadu used engineering to build a solid industrial economy - creating thousands of jobs, the president added. PTI VIJ BN BN

--- ENDS ---
By India Today Web Desk: A big confusion was seen outside the special CBI court in Ranchi just ahead of the judgment in one of the fodder scam cases. Before the CBI judge could actually read the judgment, some of the RJD workers started celebrating saying that Lalu Prasad had been acquitted.

However, soon the air cleared that the judgment was yet to be read in the CBI court.

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It is a day of reckoning for former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav as his fate hung in balance with special CBI reserving its verdict in the case on December 13. The special CBI court today rejected the agency's charges.

The allegations of the scam have been a frequent headache for Lalu Prasad Yadav since the nineties. He was among the 22 who were in the dock for fodder scam

It is a case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of more than Rs.89 lakh from Deoghar treasury between 1991 and 1994.

He was confident of acquittal as he spoke to India Today exclusively yesterday.

"I am not at all tensed over the judgment to come tomorrow. I have complete faith in the judicial system of the country," said Lalu Prasad Yadav yesterday.

His son and Bihar's ex-deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav expressed confidence before the verdict today

We trust the judiciary & hope the verdict will be in our favor. Just like BJP propaganda was busted in #2GScam & #AdarshScam, similar will happen now: Tejashwi Yadav ahead of #FodderScam verdict pic.twitter.com/VjeFkiE83z- ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

His acquittal in the scam provides relief for Rashtriya Janta Dal chief who has found himself on the receiving end from the action by the authorities. The Enforcement Directorate (ED)and other government agencies have been coming down heavily on assets owned by Lalu and his family members, including his daughter Misa Bharti and former Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav. ED has filed a charge-sheet against Misa Bharti and her husband in a money laundering case today.

The verdict is a shot in the arm for Lalu Prasad Yadav and his party after his 'Mahagathbandhan' ally JD(U) deserted him to form a government with BJP in Bihar.

In all, there were 34 accused in the case, out of which 11 died during the course of the trial, while one turned CBI approver and admitted the crime.

Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra have already been convicted in another fodder scam case and they are out on bail.

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A Raja to India Today: CAG report on 2G scam incorrect

--- ENDS ---
Box Butte General Hospital Infection Control Nurse Mary Mockerman is asking the public to please refrain from visiting the hospital for social reasons if they are sick, especially if they have come down with one of the more common illnesses, such as the flu. She said if someone is sick and wants to visit a patient, the hospital is asking them to not visit because it risks the spread of contagious illnesses and puts patients at risk of contracting an infectious illness.

We dont want people from the community who are sick with flu, bronchitis, diarrhea, sinusitis, or other infection to come to the hospital for social reasons, including visiting patients, she said.

Children under the age of 15 will not be allowed to visit in the hospital until further notice because of the increasing incidence of influenza across the state, regionally and locally.

Mockerman stressed the request is made for social visits, and not if someone has an actual hospital necessity.

The flu season is now in full swing, which runs from the end of October to the beginning of April. It is not too late to get a flu shot, Mockerman said. To do so, contact your primary care clinic or medical provider.
Taken into custody were Patrick Jiron, 80, and Barbara Jiron, 83. Vrbka said the two elderly people indicated they were from Clearlake Oaks, California, and were headed for Vermont.
How do you define success when it comes to a government poverty program?

When less people need government assistance, I think that is success. As Ive said before, the focus of government programs is on making poverty less miserable. The enthusiasm many politicians have toward expanding government poverty programs should, with equal vigor, be directed to policies that make poverty more escapable. Just as we have a collective duty to help those who cannot help themselves deal with the hardships of poverty, we should be working just as hard to permanently lift them out of it and end their dependence on government programs.

In a couple weeks well be in the middle of a budget debate. Were facing a nearly $200 million deficit because tax revenues did not come in as forecast. Much of the next session will be consumed by the argument over what to cut. The Department of Health and Human Services has a $1.5 billion budget. Much of this is devoted to poverty programs. Just about 35 cents of every tax dollar we appropriate in spending goes to this agency. It doesnt take an advanced math degree to realize that if you are consuming 35 percent of the budget, your agency will very likely face serious scrutiny when cuts have to be made. Its times like these I wish we could have been measuring success in poverty programs by how many Nebraskans no longer needed them.

I read a big poverty study done by the Brookings Institute recently. In a nutshell, it said if a young person did three things, not only would they avoid poverty, they would end up in the middle class.

1. Graduate high school.

2. Get a job.

3. Dont have children until youre married and have completed one and two.

I asked myself, what can government do to provide incentives for people to accomplish these three things? What are we doing right now? Are we doing the right things? Are we doing the right things well?

According to the Omaha World-Herald, the statewide high school graduation rate in Nebraska is 89 percent. That puts us fifth highest in the country. The national average is 82 percent. Among minorities, however, Nebraskas high school graduation rate falls to 79 percent. What leads 11 percent of our young people to the terrible mistake of not graduating high school? What programs are the taxpayers of Nebraska paying for right now that incentivizes a young person to graduate from high school? What is the performance of this program? Has it moved the needle? Are things improving because of it?

When I looked at the get a job metric, I found some troubling information. According to US News and World Report, Nebraska has the worst state economy in the country. At the same time, our unemployment rate is at a historic low of 2.8 percent and the number people employed is at an all-time high. Statistically speaking, we have just enough jobs to employ every person willing and able to work. Nebraskas Labor Participation Rate is one of the best in the country at around 70 percent. These employment numbers also mean that even if everyone living in poverty and depending on government assistance wanted to, it is increasingly difficult for them to move from government assistance to work. Young, unskilled Nebraskans living in poverty have it the worst. What can we do to attract more business to Nebraska so more jobs will be available? Do Nebraskas high tax policies help this? What affect does raising the minimum wage have on creating new jobs for young, unskilled workers just entering the workforce? What effect does illegal immigration have on young, unskilled workers finding work?

Ill spend more time with this subject latter in the session. One thing is clear: since the early 1960s when President Johnson started the War on Poverty our country has poured over $20 trillion into a host of poverty programs. The poverty rate in 1966 was 14.7 percent. Today the national poverty rate is 13.5 percent. If simply giving people money through more government spending and bureaucracy actually helped lift people out of poverty, then we would have won the war on poverty a long time ago.

Please contact my office with any comments, questions or concerns. Email me at: tbrewer@leg.ne.gov. Mail a letter to: Sen. Tom Brewer, Room #1202, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509 or call us at 402-471-2628.
As 2017 draws to a close, I sit by the fire with pen and paper in hand, reflecting on all that has transpired since I first took office back in January 2017. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to represent the good people of District 47 in the Nebraska Legislature. So, I thank you for providing me with this very exciting and wonderful adventure in Nebraska politics.

Nebraska really is the good life. So, I went to Lincoln with the understanding that my job is to somehow make the good life even better. This is no easy task when State revenues have been in decline. Nevertheless, I have communicated my vision for how to accomplish this task every week through these newspaper articles I write. I trust you have enjoyed reading therm.

The most important factor in shaping my vision for Nebraskas future is you. I appreciate the way so many of you have shared your thoughts, your concerns, and your ideas with me this past year. I hope our conversations will continue. It amazes me to see how deeply so many folks living in the Panhandle care about what happens 400 miles away in a Capitol City far, far away.

This past year, I fought vigorously in the Legislature to provide all Nebraskans with agricultural land valuation reform. LB 602 was the most important bill I introduced this year, and this was strongly reflected by the positive support I received in the public hearing. So, I will continue to fight for the kind of agricultural land valuation reform which makes good sense for our farmers and ranchers.

Going forward, I plan to take up a new cause. I will fight for property tax relief. As I have stated so many times before, I will introduce a bill to give property owners back half of what they pay in property taxes for education. If I cannot successfully push the 50/50 plan through the Legislature, a citizen led initiative should ensure that the measure gets placed on the ballot for a public vote in November 2018.

In many ways, this is the calm before the storm. These days I am busily getting ready for the next legislative session, which will begin on Jan. 3, 2018. For this reason, I will not submit a newspaper article for next weeks newspaper. Nevertheless, I will pick up right where I left off as soon as the New Year arrives. Thank you for reading my articles, and may God bless your plans for the year ahead.

Now we must pause, for we are about to enter one of the holiest times of the year. In a few days, we will celebrate the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. The baby who was born so long ago in a manger, came only to die as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. This is the true meaning of Christmas, and I invite you to join me in celebrating this most precious and joyous event in human history. Merry Christmas.
SCOTTSBLUFF  The North Platte Valley Artist Guild is awarding one $500 scholarship to current high school seniors or junior college students planning to study art at a higher college in the near future. The scholarship may be used at any junior college, four-year college, university or trade school with an accredited art department. The applicant must be a resident of western Nebraska or eastern Wyoming.

Application forms are available at West Nebraska Arts Center, 106 E. 18th St. in Scottsbluff, www.thewnac.com or from the schools art instructor. Applications are due on or before the postmark deadline of Monday, April 2. The decision of the NPVAG will be final and notification to the winner will be made on or before Friday, April 27. For questions regarding the application process, students may contact West Nebraska Arts Center Executive Director and NPVAG Scholarship Committee Chair, Donna Thompson, at 308-632-2226 or email donna@thewnac.com.

The North Platte Valley Artist Guild is an organization of individuals living in the North Platte Valley interested in the visual arts who enjoy each others fellowship, encouragement and inspiration. NPVAG raises money for this scholarship through the sale of NPVAG member artwork. Guild meetings are held the third Monday of each month, 6:30 p.m., at the West Nebraska Arts Center in Scottsbluff and all are welcome.
A special CBI court will shortly pronounce judgment in Deoghar fodder scam case, in which Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishar are among the 22 accused.

By India Today Web Desk: A special CBI court will shortly pronounce its judgment in Ranchi in over two-decade-old fodder scam case.

Former Bihar chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav, Jagannath Mishra and 20 others are accused in the case.

This case pertains to alleged fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

On his way to the CBI court in Jharkhand, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said that he expected a 2G scam like verdict in the fodder scam case.

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"We trust and respect the judiciary. We won't let the BJP's conspiracies work. Jaisa 2G mein hua, Ashok Chavan ka hua vaisa hi humara bhi hoga (What happened in 2G scam and Ashok Chavan (Adarsh Housing scam) cases, the same will happen in my case)," Lalu Prasad said ahead of fodder scam case verdict.

A special CBI court in New Delhi acquitted all the accused in 2G spectrum scam case holding that the prosecution failed to prove the charges of corruption earlier this week.

In Adarsh Housing Society scam case, the Bombay High Court yesterday quashed the Governor's permission to prosecute former Mahashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan.

Lalu Prasad faces three other cases related to the fodder scam. The RJD chief also appealed to his supporters in Bihar to maintain peace and order irrespective of the verdict.

Former MP R K Rana, three former IAS officers - Phoolchand Singh, Beck Julius and Mahesh Prasad - are also among the accused in the case.

A charge sheet was filed against 38 persons on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.

--- ENDS ---
Travel writer Janice Nieder is A Kiwi in Alabama. Part 5, and the conclusion to the series, takes us to Birmingham.

From the tastiest BBQ pig (the Pork & Greens at Saws Soul Kitchen, located in the newly trendy nabe of Avondale) to their too-cool-for-school restored pig iron foundry, there is waaay too much going on in Birmingham to fit into the barely a day, we had to spend there, particularly since our main mission was to was to enjoy a leisure dinner at the Frank Stitts legendary Highlands Bar and Grill.

Birmingham, once a fading old industrial town, is now teeming with creativity and young energy, led by one of the youngest mayors since 1893, who tweeted that he is looking forward to moving our city forward. We learned that Birmingham has more green space per capita than any other U.S. city. One perfect example is Railroad Park, an unused railroad switch field that was turned into a well-maintained, eight block green space, so popular the locals refer to it as Birminghams Living Room.

We decided that before tackling the Big 3 civil rights sights, we should fuel up first at Bottega, Frank Stitts stunning Italian restaurant housed in an imposing, repurposed Mid-twentieth century department store. Stitt, a nine-time James Beard Foundation finalist who was inducted into the James Beard Foundations Whos Who of Food and Beverage in 2011, is known for his regional, down-home cooking prepared with European finesse. We thoroughly enjoyed our beautifully plated Tuscan salad, homemade chips and charred onion dip, and fried chicken livers, although after seeing the blackened-edged, sweet-smelling fennel sausage pizza our server brought to the next table, Id order that next time.

We began at The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the largest civil rights museum in the country, which traces the struggles of Black Americans starting with the Jim Crow laws in the1800s up to the demonstrations in the 60s. You can touch the original jail bars where King was being held when he wrote, and later smuggled out, his famous Letter From Birmingham Jail in 1963.

I took a deep breath to steel myself for our tour of The 16th Street Baptist Church. I had watched Spike Lees film, 4 Little Girls, on my flight over so I was well-versed in this horrific story, yet nothing could prepare me for the heartbreak of seeing the where white supremacists placed the bomb that killed four African-American schoolgirls while they prepared for worship service.

For a much needed emotional break, we walked across the street to the Kelly Ingram Park, where an inscription on the wall reads a place of revolution and reconciliation. The park served as ground zero for many civil rights sit-ins, demonstrations and confrontations in the 60 s.

Tune in to the self-guided, phone tour which dramatically brings to life the stories behind the powerful, life-sized sculptures placed along the Freedom Walk.Begin at the memorial sculpture for the four girls inscribed with A Love That Forgives.

We took a brief detour en route to Vulcan Park and Museum to pop into the new Pizitz Food Hall, which holds court in another repurposed old department store.

Its filled with about 20 eclectic foodie pop-ups including everything from the Ghion Cultural Hall, the states first Ethiopian restaurant, to a tempting local offering, the Alabama Biscuit Co., which uses locally sourced sprouted spelt flour.

Vulcan Park and Museum is where you go to:

see Vulcan, the bare-bottomed, Roman god of forge and the worlds largest cast iron statue, learn the fascinating back story about everything that goes into the making of a statue this size- I mean how would you even begin to erect this sucker that weighs in at 1000,000 pounds and is 56 feet tall read about the history of Birmingham And get the best city views.

Inside Tip: While taking in the city views we spied some strange conglomeration of smokestacks that turned out to be Sloss Furnaces, a National Historic Landmark. We raced over for a quick exploration of this old pig iron factory which is now a working museum. Very cool spot for photographers!

It was finally time for our culinary piece de resistance, dinner at Highlands Bar and Grill. Since Highlands opened 35 years ago you would think that the crowds might have moved onto newer pastures, but not so. The place was packed to the Largemouth Bass gills with a well-heeled crowd. Many seemed to be regulars, content in the knowledge that while other chefs might rest on their laurels, Stitt just keeps raising his standards.

We asked our well seasoned, server, Dawson, for suggestions on what to order. He almost magically divined just the right dishes, suggesting the flavorful Rabbit-Two Ways for me and the Mixed Grill for Jules, so she would be able to sample many different Southern specialties, including a tender farm-raised quail. Although the menu changes daily Dawson wisely insisted we try their signature stone-ground baked grits with country ham and wild mushrooms. After our delightful meal, we decided that a girl can never eat at too many Stitts restaurants!

We also felt that after our ten days of exploring, we had only begun to scratch the surface of Alabamas offerings, so were already working on a sequel to our play.
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WASHINGTON  Boeing Co. has been awarded a $6.2 billion contract for 36 F-15 aircraft for Qatars air force, the Pentagon said in a statement on Friday.

The aircraft, which will be manufactured by Boeing in north St. Louis County, are expected to be delivered to Qatar by the end of 2022.

This contract provides for the foreign military sales requirement to procure 36 new F-15QA aircraft for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The contracts announcement is likely to be welcomed by the Qatari government and comes amid an ongoing diplomatic row between Qatar and a number of its Gulf neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

A deal to sell the fighters was signed in June but had been several years in the making.

While the F-15, an aircraft originally developed by McDonnell Douglas, is assembled in St. Louis County by Boeing, a network of suppliers mean the job impact of a Qatar deal will be widespread.

In June, Qatars Defense Ministry said the deal would create 60,000 jobs in 42 U.S. states while reducing the burden on U.S. forces.

Qatar is an important base for the U.S. military carrying out operations against Islamic State militants and other groups in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and beyond.

Al Udeid Air Base is home to more than 11,000 U.S. and coalition troops.

Includes reporting by Reuters, CNN and the Post-Dispatch.
BRASILIA  Brazilian President Michel Temer said on Friday that he opposed Boeing Co. taking control of Embraer SA, although he would welcome an injection of foreign capital into the regional planemaker.

Temer told a news conference he would study any decision the companies take on an alliance when it arrives at his desk, emphasizing that his government could use its 'golden share' in the company to block foreign control. Brazil's government holds veto power over strategic moves at the planemaker, a formerly state-run company fully privatized in 2006.

Boeing and Embraer said on Thursday they are discussing a "potential combination" in a move that could consolidate a global passenger jet duopoly, provided Brazil's government gives its blessing.

"When a decision arrives, I will examine it," Temer said. He added: "The purpose of the golden share is for the government to take such a decision."

Defense Minister Raul Jungmann said the government welcomed a commercial alliance with Boeing.

"We are in favor of this and other partnerships," Jungmann said at the same news conference with Temer.

But because Embraer plays such a central role in Brazil's defense industry and sits at the heart of a cluster of domestic technology companies, foreign control of the company was out of the question.

"The moment that control of Embraer passes to a company from another country, it will control strategic decisions" for Brazil, he said. "No country would give up control of that."

He cited the Gripen fighter jets Embraer will build with Sweden's Saab AB and the KC-390 cargo jet project with which Embraer plans to dominate the military transport market long dominated by the U.S.-made workhorse Hercules C-130.

Boeing and Embraer last year signed a deal under which the U.S. planemaker will help market the new military cargo jet but also provide maintenance services once they are sold.

The government's opposition to a full sale does not preclude a more targeted deal, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Some kind of commercial jet joint venture between the two jet makers would "make a lot of sense," Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia said. "Even some kind of military joint venture such as military transports would make sense  but an acquisition of Embraer makes no sense."

Embraer shares, which soared 20 percent on Thursday, were up another 2.7 percent on Friday. Boeing shares dipped 0.24 percent.

It would be harder to quantify the gains to shareholders from a more limited joint-venture deal than with an outright acquisition, said Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr.

"I honestly think Boeing knew all along that it would be a joint venture or partnership," he said. "But just like with Airbus-Bombardier, you can still set up something along those lines that's clearly a win-win."

The Boeing-Embraer talks come just two months after Airbus SE struck a deal to buy a majority stake in Bombardier Inc's CSeries jetliner program.

Potential gains for Embraer would include Boeing's greater sales clout with major airlines, as well as with servicing existing jets and potential savings with suppliers, he said.

Additional reporting by Greg Roumeliotis, Tim Hepher and Christian Plumb.
ST. LOUIS  In the late 1980s, then-Alderman Fred Wessels wondered why so little of the money from parking meters and tickets in St. Louis was making its way to city coffers. The majority of the cash, he realized, went into the citys parking division, which is under the purview of the city treasurer.

Wessels introduced bills to change the system, but they didnt make it to a full vote, he said. He made an unsuccessful bid to become treasurer himself and even filed a lawsuit against the city and former Treasurer Larry Williams to challenge the constitutionality of St. Louis parking operations.

Wessels now represents part of the city in the Missouri House of Representatives. And St. Louis elected a new treasurer in 2012, Tishaura Jones.

But the debate over how much money the St. Louis treasurer controls, and whether it belongs in the general revenue fund, has been reignited with a new lawsuit. Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, 22nd Ward, is suing the treasurer and arguing that parking operations belong under city control.

The players may be different, Wessels said, but this game has been played for 30 years.

Some St. Louis aldermen have fought to tap into the parking divisions millions in reserve funds, which Jones says is necessary for her office to maintain a strong credit rating and insure more than $60 million in outstanding debt from modernizing the parking meter system and building parking garages.

Jones also points to a state law dictating that the treasurer must transfer to the city government no more than 40 percent of the parking meter funds net revenue after all payments for capital improvements and debt service have been made.

In the most recent fiscal year, that calculation came out to $1.68 million for the city. Total operating revenue from parking meters, violations, city-owned garages and lots and rental property for fiscal 2017 was roughly $18 million before any expenses were paid, according to a recent audit of the parking division, which Jones posts on her website annually.

The Board of Aldermen has since passed legislation in an attempt to adjust how the city share is calculated, hoping to increase the payment. Supporters cited a dire need for more revenue to pay for essential city services. But Jones questions the legality of the move.

Were governed by the state. Im a former legislator, Jones told the Post-Dispatch in an interview. You cant make changes to the state law from a local office. Local government exists at the pleasure of the state.

The great divorce

As treasurer, Jones oversees millions of taxpayer dollars as the citys chief investment and cash management officer. Shes also manager of the citys parking division. The oddity of the arrangement is something Jones readily acknowledges.

Ive done the research. I havent found another city treasurer that does parking, Jones said.

The job grew even more powerful and its duties vastly expanded in the 1990s, when Larry Williams successfully lobbied the state Legislature for bonding authority. He went on to create an empire of jobs, parking meters and garages.

But to fully understand how the office operates, you have to go back to 1876, when St. Louis opted to separate from St. Louis County in whats known colloquially as The Great Divorce, said Terry Jones, an expert on metropolitan government at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He has no relation to Tishaura Jones.

Ever since, St. Louis has operated as both a city and a county, making for an unusual governmental structure. The dual status means that while St. Louis isnt technically a county, it has to perform county functions.

County officeholders are independently elected, with separate staffs: the circuit attorney, circuit clerk, collector of revenue, license collector, public administrator, recorder of deeds, the sheriff and the treasurer. They derive their authority from state laws, Terry Jones said.

One such law creates the Parking Commission. Another tasks the treasurer of any city not within a county  St. Louis  with supervising it.

A lawsuit thats been moving steadily through the courts since January questions whether the Parking Commission of St. Louis should even exist under Missouris constitution. In August, a member of that commission  Jeffrey Boyd, who heads the boards streets, traffic and refuse committee  became a plaintiff suing the state and the city. Another plaintiff in the suit is James J. Wilson, the former city counselor under Mayor Vincent C. Schoemehl Jr.

In most of the country, the parking division is part of the municipal government. This is a great opportunity to correct a system thats broken, Boyd said.

In the meantime, the body tasked with overseeing all public parking in St. Louis hasnt met since June, and likely wont until the legal process runs its course, on the advice of Jones attorneys, and to the chagrin of Boyd.

He cites the same measure passed by the board to increase the amount of parking revenue Jones must turn over to the city, which he sponsored. It includes a provision requiring monthly meetings of the Parking Commission, unless a majority on the commission approves a cancellation or rescheduling. Suspending meetings indefinitely violates that law, he argues.

History repeats itself

Wessels made a similar case when he sued Williams in 2012, over Williams decision to outsource parking services.

Both that lawsuit and the one brought in 2017 were filed by St. Louis attorney and former assistant city counselor Elkin Kistner. They claim that statutes creating the Parking Commission and deeming the city treasurer the supervisor of parking violate an article in the state constitution that states: No law shall be enacted creating or fixing the powers, duties or compensation of any municipal office or employment, for any city framing or adopting its own charter under this under this or any previous constitution.

Wessels voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit when former Mayor Francis Slay appointed him director of the citys Community Development Administration. But his feelings on the matter havent changed.

(Parking operations) should be under a city agency. The staff in that office should be under civil service, he said. Its from a long gone era, the way its been operating and the way it operates now.

Kistner argues that theres also practical reason for invalidating the parking statutes, and not just a constitutional one: The city is strapped for cash.

Twice this year, St. Louis leaders raised the sales tax to pay for city needs. In crafting the citys fiscal 2018 spending plan, budget writers grappled with a $17 million shortfall.

Lets get these monies in the hands of people who were elected by the city to craft its budget, Kistner said. The treasurer is not elected to make decisions with what to do with excess money.

Jared Boyd, Jones chief of staff, who is not related to Jeffrey Boyd, said the nature of the lawsuits claims lacked merit, and that the office has consistently given the city the maximum 40 percent of the parking revenue under state law.

Beyond that, the office has funded the North-South MetroLink study, economic development projects and was willing to help pay for Scottrade Center renovations, Jones says.

She has also questioned if the lawsuit is politically motivated, alleging that Jeffrey Boyd has long had a personal vendetta against her. They ran against each other for treasurer in 2012, and again for mayor this year.

Jeffrey Boyd has pushed back on that accusation.

Even though Im the alderman for the 22nd Ward, I make decisions that govern the whole city of St. Louis, he said. And everybody else that complains its personal, I feel those are people who are just crying. Change is difficult when youre used to doing things your way.

Office of Financial Empowerment

But it feels personal to Jones, she says, citing aspects of the lawsuit that go after programs she created within her office, such as the College Kids Childrens Savings Account Program, providing college savings accounts to all kindergarten students in St. Louis Public Schools.

Accounts are opened with $50 in seed money provided by residual revenue from the citys parking division.

We recently reached a huge milestone with 10,000 children now in the program, Jones said. If the court sides with Jeffrey Boyd, that program ceases to exist. So if he wants to be the one responsible for taking away college accounts of 10,000 schoolchildren, thats something hes going to have to sleep with every night.

The suit challenges the validity of that program, as well as Jones Office of Financial Empowerment, which offers free financial literacy classes and counseling and was modeled after similar operations within the city treasurer offices in Chicago and San Francisco.

Created by a city ordinance in 2014, the financial empowerment office continues to grow with new programs and partnerships, including a home mortgage program for city employees, an alternatives to payday lending guide, credit counseling, utility and rent or mortgage assistance, student loan counseling and money management seminars.

I have a firm belief that the efforts our office is involved in have a direct correlation to reducing poverty. And poverty is the father of crime. You reduce poverty, you reduce crime, Jones said.

But the office itself is beyond the scope of the city treasurers responsibility, Kistner said.

If you look at the statutes that create the treasurers office, theres no contemplation that the treasurer is going to provide social welfare functions. Its just not there, he said.

Jared Boyd, Jones chief of staff, says that argument is contradictory.

They claim that state laws that deal with the parking division limit our ability to fund the Office of Financial Empowerment. At the same time, theyre arguing those same statutes are invalid, Boyd said.
ST. LOUIS  Hundreds of people turned up Saturday morning for a well-publicized gun buyback opportunity that officials hope will make the community safer.

It was so popular that many left without their hoped-for holiday cash.

Lured by the promise of $100 to $200 per weapon, with no questions asked, participants schlepped bags full of pistols, rifles and shotguns, many of them old and rugged.

My brother in Arkansas rabbit-hunted with it all last year, Willie Shelton, 67, of the citys Penrose neighborhood, said of a pump 20-gauge shotgun that hadnt been oiled in a long time. It was just sitting in the corner, and I heard on the news that I could get $150.

Behind him, Stan Sisley toted a .22-caliber rifle in a guitar sack. The inherited gun had been in a storage unit in north St. Louis County. Around 10 a.m., he and his wife were at the very end of a line that zigzagged out the Omega Center, 3900 Goodfellow Boulevard, through the parking lot and down the block.

Might as well get rid of it, and I could use the Christmas money, said Sisley, 62.

But he didnt get the chance. After the couple waited in the cold more than two hours, he said, officials began turning people away at 12:15, unless they had assault weapons or wanted to donate their guns.

I think maybe they didnt expect the turnout that it was, he said. Maybe they will be more prepared next time.

Doug Albrecht, president of the St. Louis Police Foundation, said $125,000 in donations was raised from the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, individuals and companies such as Ameren and Spire to pay for the guns.

Leading up to the event, Albrecht expected about 500 to 1,000 guns to be gathered and destroyed. Should there be more, he said then, more fundraising would be needed for another event in the new year.

Wed just do it again, which would be a good problem to have, he said.

The event had been scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

As you can see there is a whole group of people lined up around this building, Mayor Lyda Krewson said at a morning press conference. This speaks to, first of all, how our community is awash in guns and how difficult that makes our police officers job. It also speaks to the good people of this community who went to their basement or garage and said I dont want this gun to fall into the wrong hands.

She was flanked by Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards and Acting Police Chief Lawrence OToole, who were pleased by a sampling of buyback weapons that included a stolen handgun, an assault rifle with two 30-round magazines and a sawed-off shotgun.

Right here is a huge success, OToole said of the weapons selected for the news conference.

Edwards also was pleased.

I am happy to report that many of the weapons are coming from citizens right here in the city of St. Louis, particularly in this area, he said.

Late in the day, the police department reported that it had purchased 303 handguns, 533 long guns and six assault rifles.

But many of the people in Saturdays line were not from the city.

The wrong people are turning them in, said Kent Oxman, who works at a pawnshop in St. Charles County and hoped to sell a dozen guns, including several old pistols. The gangbangers and criminals, they arent going to turn their stuff in. They are still sleeping.

Tom Flowers, 40, said it would be nice if the buyback would turn up the $1,200 handgun that was stolen from his home in south St. Louis a few years ago.

Meanwhile, he made the cut in line. He sold a Japanese rifle from the 1940s that hed struggled to find ammo for, an old French rifle and 12-gauge shotgun. All for $450.

It was worth standing in line, he said. Real good return on investment. I probably spent $150 on all of them.

In an earlier telephone interview, Ed Dowd Jr., president of the bar association, repeated a common refrain from officials.

Guns and violence in St. Louis are everybodys problem, and we need everybody in St. Louis to work on the solutions to gun violence, he said. The gun buyback is one piece. If it stops one person from being shot, one person murdered or robbed, I would consider it successful. It will have a bigger impact than that.

Dowd was U.S. attorney here from 1993 to 1999, a period when homicides went from 267 to 130. He said the numbers were drastically cut by a community-wide effort.
By PTI: acquitted

(Eds: With minor edits)

Ranchi, Dec 23 (PTI) In a major setback to the RJD, a special CBI court today convicted former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a fodder scam case 21 years after it had surfaced, while acquitting six others including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

Special judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

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The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3.

The copy of the judgement was not immediately available.

Sixty-nine-year-old Lalu Prasad, who heads the RJD, and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict. Lalu Prasads son Tejaswi Yadav, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, was present in the court.

Lalu Prasad and other convicted in the fodder scam case were then whisked off to Birsa Munda jail, where security has been tightened, CBI sources said.

The special court acquitted 80-year-old Jagannath Mishra and five others -- former Public Accounts Committee chairman Druv Bhagat, former Indian Revenue Service officer A C Choudhary, fodder suppliers Saraswati Chandra and Sadhana Singh and former minister Vidya Sagar Nishad.

Besides Lalu Prasad, the court convicted political leaders Jagdish Sharma and R K Rana, IAS officers Beck Julius, Phoolchand Singh and Mahesh Prasad, and government officials Krishna Kumar and Subir Bhattacharya. The others are suppliers/transporters Tripurari Mohan Prasad, Sushil Kumar Sinha, Sunil Kumar Sinha, Raja Ram Joshi, Gopinath Das, Sanjay Agarwal, Jyoti Kumar Jha and Sunil Gandhi.

In 1996, the Patna High Court ordered an inquiry into the fodder scam cases and a charge sheet in the Deogarh treasury case was filed against 38 people on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.

The accused faced charges under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court had on December 13 reserved its on the matter.

Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that the party would move the high court against the special CBI court order.

Soon after the verdict, a post on Lalu Prasads Twitter handle read, "Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes. And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished."

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"Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and casteist minds. No one should expect any different treatment," added another tweet.

On September 30, 2013, Lalu Prasad, Jagannath Mishra and several others had been convicted in another case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the early 1990s. Todays conviction is the second in the scam.

The Supreme Court had granted bail on December 13 that year to Lalu Prasad, who had been behind the bars for two months. He had moved the apex court challenging the order of the Jharkhand High Court which had dismissed his bail plea.

Lalu Prasad faces another three fodder scam cases for illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.97 crore from the Dumka Treasury, Rs 36 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury and Rs 184 crore from the Doranda treasury.

"The legal fight will continue," Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told reporters outside the special CBI court here reacting to the conviction of the RJD chief.

He said that besides fighting it legally, the party would go to the people "fight it politically also".

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Another senior RJD leader, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, a confidant of Prasad, said it was not right to comment on a judgement but the people were discussing how it is freedom for some people and jail for others in the same case.

"The layman is asking why it is jail for some and freedom for others? It is baffling how the BJP and JD(U) had predicted the verdict. This has created confusion among the people also," he said.

"The case was on excess withdrawal from Deogarh treasury. Laluji has been charged with connivance as he was the finance minister then - the charge is not direct. The withdrawal had been taking place since 1977. There were several chief ministers who were in charge of the finance department when Laluji was not the finance minister or the chief minister so why is he being singled out?" Siddiqui asked.

"Lalujis going to jail is not new for RJD. He had been sent to jail on earlier occasions and every time RJD bounced back with double the strength. That is why we are still number one in Bihar," he said.

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The party was waiting to know the quantum of punishment to Lalu Prasad to be pronounced on January 3 and would then decide its course of action, Sidiqqui added. PTI PVR SBN JM SUN KK SC SC

--- ENDS ---
How St. Louis-area members of Congress voted in the week of Dec. 18-22.

House

$81 Billion for Hurricane, Wildfire Relief  Voting 251-169, the House passed on Dec. 22 a bill (HR 4667) that would appropriate $81 billion to fund recovery from hurricanes Maria, Harvey and Irma and this years wildfires in California. A yes vote was to send the Senate a bill providing $28 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agencys disaster-relief fund; $26 billion in grants to communities, $12 billion for infrastructure projects and hundreds of millions for loan programs and wildfire recovery.

Yes  Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth; Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin; Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro; Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville; John Shimkus, R-Collinsville.

No  William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis; Jason Smith, R-Salem.

Four Weeks Stopgap Funding  Voting 231-188, the House on Dec. 22 adopted a bill (HR 1370) that would fund the government on a stopgap basis through Jan. 19, giving lawmakers more time to negotiate issues such as renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for dreamers. A yes vote was to pass a bill that also would temporarily extend the Childrens Health Insurance Program and fund community health centers.

Yes  Bost, Shimkus, Davis, Wagner, Smith, Luetkemeyer.

No  Clay

Senate

Four Weeks Stopgap Funding  Voting 66-32, the Senate on Dec. 22 joined the House (above) in passing a bill (HR 1370) that would temporarily fund the government through Jan. 19, averting a partial government shutdown slated to occur at midnight. A yes vote was to send the bill to President Donald Trump for his signature.

Yes  Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.; Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

No  Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.

KEY VOTES AHEAD

The House and Senate have adjourned until the opening of the Second Session of the 115th Congress on Jan. 3.

The votes and descriptions are compiled by Voterama in Congress, a legislative tracking organization.
BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS  An interim director was named Friday to oversee the St. Louis Veterans Home after the top administrator was placed on a 45-day leave earlier this month amid allegations of mistreatment of residents.

Stan Smith steps into the top job Jan. 2. He oversaw operations of all seven Missouri Veterans Homes before leaving state employment in 2014. He has 34 years of experience in nursing home administration.

Smith replaces Rolando Carter, who was placed on leave after Gov. Eric Greitens replaced five of the nine members of the Missouri Veterans Commission. The shakeup of membership also resulted in the resignation of the commissions longtime executive director, Larry Kay.

Smiths appointment was made Friday afternoon by Kays replacement, interim executive director Grace Link, who continues to review Carters employment status.

Link announced Smiths appointment during a residents meeting, which included a question-and-answer session for veterans and their families. Link said she would regularly conduct meetings with residents so they can update her on concerns and to gauge progress.

Link, appointed Dec. 13, is on leave from her position as staff director for the Missouri Air National Guard.

At the meeting, Link said the Veterans Commission had hired a consulting firm to help develop a long-term recruitment, retention and training plan. She said two nurse consultants who also were licensed home administrators were being reassigned from the Missouri Veterans Commission central office to the St. Louis Veterans Home to provide additional leadership.

A plan also is in place to provide additional nursing staff to the home as soon as possible, she said.

Our focus is on improving the quality of care, communication with veterans and their families and ensuring that our residents are treated with the dignity and respect they have earned, Link said in a statement after the meeting.
TRIBUTES have been paid to a committed servant of Stratford Joan McFarlane who died suddenly on Wednesday 6th December at the age of 86.

A former mayor, town councillor and district councillor, Joan was a well recognised figure in the town who championed many causes and gave her time freely over many years to the people of Stratford.

Joan McFarlane was actively involved with several groups and projects within the town including Springfield Mind, Stratford in Bloom, Stratford Town Trust  as a trustee  and the Friends of Lucys Mill Bridge which campaigns for greater access to all bridge users.

Stratford Town Council said it had received many tributes to Joan Mcfarlane.

A proud Stratfordian by adoption, Joan was first elected to Stratford Town Council in 1987, and was later returned for a second term, representing the Alveston Ward, in 2010. She was particularly honoured and extremely proud to serve as mayor in 1995 to 1996, an office she executed with her customary aplomb, ably supported by her husband and consort, Ian. Joan was a colourful, larger than life individual who cared passionately about the town she loved.

The Mayor of Stratford, Victoria Alcock said: I was so shocked to hear of her tragic and sudden death. The town will just not be the same without her. I send sincere condolences to Ian, daughters Sheena, Joanna and Anthea, and members of her family at this very sad time.

Reflecting on 20 years of friendship and public service, former Stratford mayor Cllr Juliet Short said: I have known Joan for 20 years as a councillor and friend. She had strong principals and a wicked sense of humour. Her knowledge of the town which she loved was second to none, if you wanted any information about the history of the town Joan would either find it out or point you in the right direction. She was a great mayor of the town renown for her dramatic hats and the care she took in making everybody she met feel special. Lucy's Mill Bridge was something she was passionate about and as people dropped out she was still there with a dedicated small band of supporters trying to raise funds and awareness for the project. I hope perhaps we can deliver it in dedication to Joan's perseverance and determination for it to succeed. I will miss Joan and her forthright approach to everything and her determination to do what was right and proper.

Dr Roy Lodge MBE, another former mayor of Stratford spoke of his friendship with Joan which also dates back 20 years.

Joan and I first met when in 1997 we were both standing in the local elections for the district council and canvassing in Alveston and Bridgetown. I have been indebted to her ever since for her support and guidance and for her considerable wisdom and experience that she shared with me. Above all else it was her down-right honesty, sincerity and integrity that impressed me most, Dr Lodge said.

She also had expert local knowledge and her book  Historic Cameos  the key events in the history of Stratford-upon-Avon was published this year.

Justine Williams, chief executive of Stratford Town Trust said: Joan McFarlane served as a nominated trustee from 2012 until 2016. Joan was a tireless community advocate, was always willing to involve herself and was generous with her time. Joan's sense of humour, her passion for the history of Stratford and commitment to all will be sadly missed.
PAULINA Guzinska, the 26-year-old Stratford woman involved in a serious crash last week, has lost her fight for life.

Paulina Guzinska was airlifted to the major trauma centre at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire last Thursday, 14th December, when the car she was travelling in collided with a tree, after slipping on black ice.

The accident occurred on Banbury Road at Oxhill at around 7.40am as Paulina was driving to work at DCS in Banbury.

She sustained a catalogue of serious injuries including a fractured skull and collapsed lung, and has been through a four-hour emergency operation to relieve pressure on her brain.

A crowdfunding campaign has raised almost 12,000 to support her Polish family who have flown over to be at her side.

The money donated helped pay for their accommodation, food and travel expenses.

Sylwia Fabiniak, who set up the crowdfunding appeal, said: "We would like to thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts to every family member, friends, everyone who shared this information, to everyone who prayed and thought about Paulina.

"No one has expected that we will raise so much money and in such a quick time."

Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision and anyone with information is asked to call 101 with the reference number 60 of 14th of December.

If you knew Paulina and would like to leave a tribute, email us at news@stratford-herald.com or call 01789 412805.
While appealing the party workers to maintain calm, Tejashwi said that they should respect the verdict and that the truth will be out in the open soon.

Tejashwi Yadav said they will challenge the judgment in high court. (Photo: ANI)

By India Today Web Desk: Hours after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted in one of the fodder scam cases, his son Tejashwi Yadav said they will challenge the judgment in high court.

"We have already appealed in the high court against the conviction in the case. The bail procedure would take place only after HC opens. We can also approach the Supreme Court in order to get justice," Tejashwi told media-persons after the verdict.

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While appealing to the party workers to maintain calm, Tejashwi said that they should respect the verdict and that the truth will be out in the open soon.

??? ?????? ???????????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?? ????? ???? ???? ??? ???????? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ????? ?? ?????, ?? ????&; Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) December 23, 2017

He slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that both Nitish Kumar and the party have been trying to malign Lalu's image.

"The Opposition hatched a conspiracy against Lalu ji. People of Bihar will give BJP a befitting reply. Our party is fighting in unity at this moment," said Tejashwi.

Continuing his dig at the Bihar CM, Tejashwi said, "Nitish ji was ready to compromise with the Opposition and now they are conspiring against our family. We did not agree with their ideology so, we are facing this day today".

He also questioned the inaction against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the Srijan scam. "What about the Srijan scam? Why is no-one talking about it? Why has no action been taken against Nitish Kumar?" asked Tejashwi.

Lalu was taken into police custody soon after the special CBI court pronounced him guilty. He will remain in jail till January 3, when quantum of sentence will be decided.

A total of 15 people have been held guilty in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of more than 89 lakh from Deoghar treasury between 1991 and 1994.

WATCH VIDEO | BJP, Nitish conspiring against our family: Tejashwi Yadav on Lalu's conviction

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As he heads towards completing a year as Goa chief minister in March 2018, Manohar Parrikar appears to have lost his way. In complete contrast to his earlier three tenures, his performance on the economy, environment and law and order is raising questions across Goa this time around. Many believe the pressure from Delhi and coalition partners is telling on the chief minister.

At a presentation to legislators on December 11, the chief minister tried in vain to convince his audience that the Centre's plans to nationalise Goa's rivers as well as increasing the coal-carrying capacity of the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) were in the state's interest.

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Vehemently opposed by locals, both projects, nationalising rivers and upping coal-carrying capacity, are incidentally being pushed by minister for road transport and highways, shipping and water resources Nitin Gadkari. But activists point out that the transport ministry's plan to use the Chapora, Sal, Mapusa, Pomburpa, Mandovi and Zuari rivers as part of its national waterway project would effectively end the state's rights over its rivers and eventually impact fishing Goa's third largest enterprise. As many as 60 gram sabhas have cited environmental concerns to oppose ferrying more coal.

Insiders say even Parrikar believes both proposals are against Goa's interests. But the CM is apparently beholden to Gadkari, who played a key role in convincing the Goa Forward Party (GFP), Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three independent MLAs to back Parrikar as chief minister after the BJP had failed to secure a majority in the assembly polls last year.

He is, therefore, singing a predictable tune. While 'not available' when India Today made repeated attempts to contact him, Parrikar said in Panaji: "The Centre's attempt to 'notify' six rivers in Goa as national waterways is a feat accomplished. Goan rivers are kept open for shipping and navigation. It is not nationalisation of rivers." The story doing the rounds is that the state government is readying to sign memorandums with MPT and the Inland Waterways Authority.

Olencio Simoes, joint general secretary of Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott, an NGO that has threatened to challenge the move in court, says close to 70 per cent of the catch of local fishermen comes from inland waterways. But Parrikar says the Centre will implement the National Waterways Act even if Goa refuses to sign the MoUs. "Don't ask me for the moon," he told the activists, arguing at the same time that the state did not possess the resources to dredge its silt-filled rivers.

In a bit of a surprise, though, Goa's pollution control board has filed a criminal complaint against MPT, demanding action against port officials for handling coal in excess of the consented capacity. MPT, however, denies the charge.

Even as these twin issues threaten to boil over, Parrikar has fresh problems on the iron ore mining front. Ore exports were down 76 per cent in the first two months of the current season and expected to result in a Rs 400 crore dip in mining revenue. This, when Goa's tiny economy is already in trouble with a debt of Rs 17,000 crore, which is 20 per cent of its GDP and precariously close to the 23 per cent cap.

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Parrikar is now also beginning to lose friends. Goa Foundation director and environmentalist Claude Alvares is convinced that he is working under extraneous pressures "from mining firms who had funded the BJP's poll campaign". "I have lost faith in him," says Alvares.

The growing number of drug seizures is another embarrassment for Parrikar. His home department hit a new low when he had to relieve Vimal Kumar Gupta, the state's No. 2 IPS officer, who was facing bribery allegations, on December 5.

On the political front, too, Parrikar is now saddled with having to appease coalition partners. And so he has consented to appoint the tainted Atanasio Monserrate of the GFP as chairman of the newly established Greater Panaji Development Authority. The MGP too has been allowed a free run with its PWD portfolio.

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Somehow, no one in the BJP is questioning CM Parrikar's 'questionable' decisions. So while Manohar Parrikar may have succeeded in settling his minority government, analysts say that his personal image has taken a beating.

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By PTI: (Eds: Correcting a word in para 1)

New Delhi, Dec 23 (PTI) The government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court against an order allowing hotels and restaurants to charge higher price than the MRP on mineral water, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said today.

"In relation with the recent Supreme Court judgement on MRP issue, we are filing a review petition before the apex court to reconsider its judgement," Paswan told reporters here.

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Earlier this month, the apex court had said that the government cannot enforce sale of mineral water on their MRPs in hotels and restaurants as the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976 does not apply.

Allowing the appeals filed by the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), the Supreme Court had set aside the previous order passed by Delhi High Court.

The FHRAI had contended that providing mineral water to its customers was a transaction consisting predominantly of a service and not of a sale of drinking water.

"We are, therefore, of the view that neither the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976 read with the enactment of 1985, or the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, would apply so as to interdict the sale of mineral water in hotels and restaurants at prices which are above the MRP," the Supreme Court had said in its order passed on December 12, 2017.

Paswan has always been vocal against dual MRPs on products and favouring certain mandatory labelling requirements.

He approved amendments to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, that will come into effect from January 1, 2018. The amended rules, among others, prohibit dual MRPs on products.

Paswan, on several occasions in the past, also spoke against unfair imposition of service charge on food bill and had even sought explanation from hotels and restaurants bodies. PTI VIT KRH UK MJH RKS MKJ

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Usually a shy bird, well-camouflaged and rarely seen, the birds were found around the Waimapu Estuary.

The chicks make a total of five matuku chicks brought into ARRC for care over the last two years, with the first three chicks rescued in January 2016. A critically threatened species, the matuku, commonly known as the Australasian bittern, a type of heron, has a population of less than 1,000 in New Zealand.

ARRC receives more than 700 injured and orphaned birds each year and this was a rare and exciting occurrence, says ARRC Wildlife Trust Veterinarian Dr Liza Schneider.

In 2016, three chicks were brought into ARRC Wildlife Trust for care. ARRC worked with DOC and the birds were taken to Hamilton where they were reared into adults.

Two of them survived and had transmitters attached so that they could be monitored and more could be learned about this threatened species once they were released back into the wild.

Two years on, one of the monitored birds has been seen incubating a clutch of eggs, regarded by DOC as a fantastic development since no other rehabilitated bittern has survived in NZ for this long with a transmitter on.

Of the first three chicks in January 2016, one died shortly afterwards, says Department of Conservation Ranger Karl McCarthy.

Two were rehabilitated & released. One was a male, unfortunately he was hit by a vehicle. This is a common demise of bittern, having habitat close to roads and being big heavy birds that are slow to get up into the air and away from vehicles.

The other bird was a female. She is significant for matuku nationally as she is the only female in the country with a transmitter. Males are easier to catch as they are territorial and can be caught by playing their calls back on a sound recorder.

We are still developing a method to catch females but in the meantime rehabilitating them from chicks is the only way we have been able to monitor female survival and nesting success.

There seems to be a heavy bias in the population towards males. We think this is because females are more vulnerable throughout the nesting period.

This week two more matuku chicks were rescued and brought into ARRC.

One brought in by the Tauranga SPCA and another brought in by a member of the public, says Liza. Both were found to be in good health and have now been transferred to Hamilton for further care.

Theyve basically just walked off the nest, says Karl, who says they were found in properties bordering the Waimapu Estuary. Something has happened and were not sure what. It could be that the nest got predated on and the chicks had to go out and fend for themselves. And they end up wandering off to odd places. Or it could be that theres not enough food in the estuary. Matuku use both wetland and estuary habitats. Oioi rushland habitats within estuaries seem to be a hot spots for nesting.

Theyve recently been reclassified as critically endangered,a says Karl. A significant decline has been documented since the 1970s and loss of habitat is considered a major contributor.

In NZ weve drained 90% of our wetlands. Thats the habitat theyre dependent on.

Founded in 2003 by Dr Liza Schneider, ARRC Wildlife Trust has been assisting the Department of Conservation, Vet clinics and public with the rescue and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife in the Bay of Plenty.

Matuku are important to Maori. They appear in language as part of legends, stories, early pictures and metaphor and there are numerous place names referring to them.

When Europeans arrived they were abundant, but now it is rare to see more than one at a time. Australasian bittern are also found in Australia and New Caledonia, but populations there have declined dramatically and they are now classed globally as endangered.

In New Zealand, they are mainly found in wetlands of Northland, Waikato, East Coast of the North Island, and the West Coast of the South Island.

Matuku are a potential indicator of wetland health because they are dependent on the presence of high quality and ecologically diverse habitats and rich food supplies.

Although wetlands support a range of threatened species, management techniques for restoring populations are poorly developed.

Developing methods for surveying and monitoring bittern systematically has been a focus for DOC. These methods will establish baseline data and distribution maps; identify important wetland habitat types for conservation; measure the response of matuku to management such as pest control, habitat maintenance and restoration.

DOC has been developing call counts for bittern. These take place with either an observer listening for set times at dawn or dusk for the booming calls of bittern, or with new automatic recorders (electronic recorders developed by the DOC Electronics Lab) recording calls remotely.

DOC are also developing methods for restoring wetlands through the Arawai Kakariki programme. Restoration involves developing management tools including methods for controlling weeds and predators, managing water levels water quality, and restoring wetland vegetation and food supplies for bitterns.

I do a bit of work locally with mataku, says Karl. "Its been a real community project with some great volunteers following birds with transmitters around. Weve all learnt a lot.

Theyre a very cryptic secretive species. Theyre not often seen. As a result peoples awareness of them is quite low. The two young chicks found are at the near fledging stage. Their feathers are not quite fully developed.

The chicks will be assessed before releasing, and may not be released back in the same spot. The decision will be made alongside iwi.

It may not be a good idea to release them back into a habitat where we know theyve failed, says Karl. We release them locally, but it may not be that estuary.

The birds will have transmitters attached so that they can be monitored after being released back into a wetland area.

The Department of Conservation ask that the public help by reporting any sighting of a matuku or their booming call, to their nearest DOC office.

To help protect NZ native birds it is important when visiting parks, beaches, rivers and lakes to only take dogs to areas that allow them, and keep them under control. When visiting beaches, available access ways to get to the beach should only be used, nesting birds should be left alone, and leaving old fishing lines on beaches or in the sea should be avoided. The water care code and local navigation bylaws should be followed, and vehicles are required to keep to formed tracks rather than drive on riverbeds.

Other ways the public can help protect native bird species is to get dog trained in avian awareness, volunteer to control predators and restore bird habitats, set predator traps on their property, and put a bell on their cats collar, feed it well, and keep it indoors at dusk, dawn and at night.

Call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) immediately if you see anyone catching, harming or killing native wildlife.

One of the bittern chicks rescued in 2016 (photo supplied)
A nurse triage service was introduced to answer after-hours calls for all 30 of the Western Bays GP Practices last year and was already in place for Eastern Bay practices prior to that.

The service helps people get fast, effective advice any time of the day or night, says Dr Joe Bourne, a GP for Nga Kakano Foundation in Te Puke.

It is very simple - for medical advice you need only remember the phone number of the GP Practice you are registered with. If the call is after-hours it will automatically re-direct to a qualified nurse who will discuss your treatment options with you.

Phoning their GP first would mean patients received expert medical advice immediately, helping them get better sooner, adds Dr Bourne.

Its a good idea to save your GPs number to your mobile phone so its handy when needed, he says.

The call could save you time and money. For example, you could save yourself a potentially long wait in the Emergency Department for an issue which could be treated at the pharmacy. And if its a simple case of buying medicine over-the-counter, this could save you the cost of a consultation.

So if youre sick, save time and money and phone your GP first.

If the issue is a medical emergency the triage service will be able to connect patients with an ambulance.
Sixty metres of the 1.5 metre-wide polyester matting, which works well on soft sand and undulating surfaces, has just been rolled out at Mount Maunganui ready for summer.

Halberg Trust Disability Sport adviser Cherryl Thompson confirmed it is the first beach access mat in New Zealand. She has been inundated with letters of support since the mat was trialled at the Mount last summer.

Tauranga tetraplegic Amanda Lowry is one of the many thrilled to have the opportunity to again experience the joy of the beach from close quarters.

Amanda, who is parent to two young daughters, was at the mat trial last summer. She says using the mat to get down on the sand to play with her children is just amazing.

I want the opportunity to get some sand in my togs and lie there next to my kids. Its not just about disabilities, its about everyone. Its about living a full life with no restrictions  no barriers. Its about being on the beach and celebrating what it is to be a Kiwi.

Tauranga City Council community development advisor Dani Jurgeleit says the access mats Australian distributor left the model behind after the trial to give the council the opportunity to seek funding.

It was an opportunity immediately embraced by Metro Marketing managing director Michelle Whitmore, who started the ball rolling with a $2000 gift toward the mat, which cost about $15,000. Various organisations, including Harbour City Lions and an anonymous donor, met her challenge to help make the mat dream a Tauranga reality.

Michelle says she realised her $2000 could make a world of difference if it provided the catalyst for good action. Various people doing a little bit could collectively change the world for those needing support to enjoy the beach, she says.

We are globally recognised as having one of the worlds best beaches. The fact it has been inaccessible to so many is just wrong, she says.

Tauranga City Council confirms the mat will be in place every day, weather permitting, over summer from December 15 through until mid-February, next to Mount Maunganuis cenotaph.

From later this year, a flag will be in place on the boardwalk alongside the cenotaph whenever the mat is out. It is expected to be used not only by people in wheelchairs, but for anyone with mobility challenges.

Dani says there is the possibility more matting could be purchased. Extra metres will enable a greater turn-around and congregation area on the water front, for example. There were also the options of multiple mats at different beach localities, more branches off the main mat, and the possibility of purchasing floating wheelchairs, each valued at $4000.

Those keen to get behind the project are encouraged to contact Tauranga City Council Project Tauranga manager Michael Vujnovich at michael.vujnovich@tauranga.govt.nz

Amanda broke her neck in a surfing accident on Mt Maunganui beach in 2013, which left her wheelchair-bound. She is also an ambassador for the Bayfair Festival of Disabled Sport  a national event that will be held in Tauranga on March 24-25.
The facility, which is run as a social enterprise by Birthing Centre, last month celebrated three years since opening.

Its success has inspired a second birthing unit, which opened in Palmerston North in November, with a third centre to open in Wellington in the New Year and another in South Auckland late 2018.

Birthing Centre is owned and supported by registered charitable trust the Wright Family Foundation.

Birthing Centre founder Chloe Wright says the 12-suite Tauranga birthing centre has been embraced by both mothers and midwives, providing another choice in where they want to give birth.

The facility has always had post-natal guidelines in place, but previously it had been able to offer its services beyond the guidelines. This meant mothers had been able to choose to birth at Bethlehem Birthing Centre or to use the service only for their post-natal stay.

But its popularity means that from March 20, the centre will no longer be able to blanket-offer post-natal stays to women who have not birthed at the facility. Some exceptions apply.

We opened Bethlehem Birthing Centre as part of a vision to give best care to mothers and babies, and to provide a choice and support for women who can give birth without intervention, says Chloe.

Due to the increase in the numbers of women birthing at the centre, which is fantastic, our post-natal focus and priority now must be on the women who are booked for birth, and those who began labour at the centre but transferred out.

We have recently had situations where we have had to turn away women who were booked to birth at the unit, as our rooms were occupied by women who have had a primary birth at the hospital and transferred to us for their post-natal stay.

Bethlehem Birthing Centre is a primary birthing unit for healthy pregnant women who do not expect interventions. Evidence consistently suggests that healthy women with a low-risk pregnancy who labour and deliver in a primary birthing facility have better outcomes for both mother and baby.

From March 20, women with no risk factors who choose to birth at Tauranga Maternity Unit will no longer be able to have free post-natal stay at Bethlehem Birthing Centre. This is in line with DHB initiatives to have primary birthing out of secondary units. This will now be self-funded and based on availability of beds.

Effective immediately, priority must go to the women who have booked to birth at the birthing centre, and then the women who need to return to the centre after having to transfer to Tauranga Maternity Unit during their labour.

All women who birth at Bethlehem Birthing Centre will still be able to stay for two nights post-birth, plus their birth night, free of charge,says Chloe.

Mothers who start the birth process at the centre but who require a transfer to Tauranga Hospital will be the next priority, and will also be able to stay at the birthing centre for two nights free of charge.

If a woman is deemed as having a high-risk pregnancy under the Ministry of Health Referral Guidelines and needs to birth at Tauranga Maternity Unit, she may recover at the birthing centre for two nights post-natal care free of charge, if a room is available.

Such circumstances would include twin pregnancies or medically required caesarean sections, and this needs to be discussed with the Clinical Midwife Manager prior to the delivery.

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board may also refer women who have required secondary care and have birthed at Tauranga Maternity Unit, to receive free post-natal care at the birthing centre.

This arrangement will be made between the Clinical Midwife Manager from the Tauranga Maternity Unit and the Birthing Centre.

Bethlehem Birthing Centre provides substantial post-natal care, including support with breastfeeding and baby care.

Our breastfeeding rates are extremely high, with 98 per cent of mothers leaving the centre exclusively breastfeeding, and we pride ourselves on providing staffing and equipment above and beyond the legal requirements, says Chloe.
The Bay is all set and ready for jam-packed summer boasting some of the nations most iconic music festivals and events.



Kicking it all off are Kiwi favourites Katchafire and the Black Seeds, who open at Mount Park on December 30 where a crowd of over 2000 is expected.

Hot on their trail is Bay Dreams at Bay Park Stadium on January 1-2, and festival promoter Pato Alvarez says the crowds can expect an even bigger and better year this time around.

More than 40 artists from around the world have joined the line-up, including DJ Snake, Big Shaq, Machine Gun Kelly, Kehlani, Foster the People and Flatbush Zombies.

Weve come up with a new layout for the venue, extending its capacity to allow around 5000 more people in, says Pato.

Around 20,000 people attended last year, and were expecting about 25,000 this year.

An extensive traffic management plan has also been put in place for the festival, with five park-and-ride stations established at spots around the city.

Final tickets are still on sale and more details about the event are available at: baydreams.co.nz

Hot on the heels of Bay Dreams in Haitian/Canadian DJ, Kaytranda, who headlines Bay Park on January 4.

His last show sold out within 24 hours of being announced at the Power Station in Auckland, says Pato.

He has a very loyal fan base and were expecting a lot of support for the event.

This is followed by the highly-anticipated Bryan Adams gig on January 5, and to conclude a great summer is One Love, which takes place on January 27-28. Tickets are still available for both shows.

Pato says the events would not be possible without the support of his A team, alongside business partners Mitch Lowe and Toby Burrows.

Official after-parties for each event will be held at Bahama Hut and Flow Bar.
Designated global terrorist and aspiring politician in Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed is not the first or the only one to raise private militia in that country. Here is a list of a few outfits that have their own fighters in Pakistan.

By Prabhash K Dutta: Hafiz Saeed is not only the mastermind of 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008, he is an aspiring prime minister of Pakistan. His Milli Muslim League is lobbying hard to get recognition as a political party in Pakistan.

The Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief has emerged as a challenger to the Pakistan government, which is so alarmed that it has reportedly urged the Islamabad High Court not to allow Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League to get registered as a political party.

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Hafiz Saeed moved the high court after Pakistan's Election Commission rejected an application by the Milli Muslim League for recognition in October this year. The Interior Ministry of Pakistan had refused to give clearance to Hafiz Saeed's outfit on security grounds.

Now about a month after having been released from jail, Hafiz Saeed is about to introduce his private army. Reports from Pakistan suggest that the recruits have completed military training and are ready to raise the first regiment of Hafiz Saeed's army.

NOT THE FIRST PRIVATE ARMY IN PAKISTAN

Howsoever shocking the development may be but Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-ud Dawa is not be the first outfit in Pakistan to do this. A Wikipedia search throws up as many as 46 pages on the "Rebel Groups" in Pakistan, each having their own committed band of fighters.

Reputed Stanford University of California, US tells its students, through online study material titled "Mapping Militants" that 13 terrorist outfits, each with its own private militia, are operating in Pakistan under the United Jihad Council (UJC).

The United Jihad Council is believed to have been created by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan Army. Its objective was to bring all anti-India terror groups operating in Pakistan under one umbrella. However, many of the outfits affiliated to the United Jihad Council are more active deep inside Pakistan or more in its western and northwestern areas, away from India-Pakistan borders.

Jamaat-ud Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba of Hafiz Saeed are among the terror outfits, which are responsible for carrying out terror attacks in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.

PAKISTANI OUTFITS WITH PRIVATE MILITIA

Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa:

Formed in 2002, the JuD is the front organization of the LeT after latter was banned by the Pakistan government. The LeT came into being in 1990 as a militant branch of the Ahle-Hadith organization, Markaz-ad-Dawa-wal-Irshad (MDI).

Jaish-e-Mohammad:

The JeM is a Sunni extremist outfit, which aims to ultimately rule Pakistan in accordance with its own interpretation of Sharia.

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen:

The HuM operates from Pakistani soil and its chief Syed Salahuddin enjoys patronage of Pakistan's ISI. Syed Salahuddin is the current head of the United Jihad Council.

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Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami:

The HuJI sprang out from Pakistan-based Deobandi militant group in 1984 to launch terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Its current chief is Qari Saifullah Akhtar, who has ties with both the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

OTHER GROUPS

Besides these overtly anti-India terror groups, there are several others which have private militia. Some of these groups are in state of war with the US forces as well as Pakistani Army, after latter buckled under former's pressure to initiate action against those jihadi outfits.

Some of these groups are:

Taliban

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan

Al Qaeda

Haqqani Network

Al Rashid Trust

Ummah Tamir-e-Nau

Al Akhtar Trust

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

Harkat-ul-Mujahideen

This means Hafiz Saeed is treading the same path as other terror chiefs but his political aspirations are making Pakistan's civil establishment nervous.

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Halloween Asteroid is a skull-like shape floating through space and was first discovered in 2015. The skull rock will fly by Earth again next year.

By India Today Web Desk: A giant rock in the space which looks like human skull is set to fly by Earth again next year.

The asteroid in the shape of the scary skull will fly by our planet exactly 36 months after the frightening space rock was discovered floating through space during the Halloween period.

Termed as 2015 TB145 or the Halloween Asteroid, the skull rock is over 600-metre-wide. The Halloween Asteroid rushed past Earth on October 31, 2015.

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According to a BGR report, it is time for the scary space rock for its another visit in November, 2018, as it heads towards the planet Earth. This has intrigued several scientists as they keep a close eye on the Halloween Asteroid.

The asteroid is similar to dark carbonaceous meteorites.

A few radar images were captured by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The space agency got the shots when the skull asteroid came withing some 4,80,000 km of our planet.

See radar bounced from CA to W.Va off the #HalloweenAsteroid while it was going 22 miles/sec https://t.co/8CkqO4A2bx https://t.co/2cmzZ6B8AP- NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) November 3, 2015

The photos of Halloween Asteroid revealed its structure and cuts which provide the grisly looking boulder its typical skull-like shape.

FIRST APPEARANCE

The skull asteroid was first observed on October 10, 2015, by researchers at the University of Hawaii.

Asteroid 2015 TB145 was discovered the university's Pan-STARRS-1 (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System) on Haleakala, Maui.

According to Pablo Santo-Sanz from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, the skull asteroid's last encounter with Earth yielded some striking information about its characteristics and behaviour.

The large space rock zipped past the Earth at 1.00 pm in 2015. The Halloween Asteroid flew by Earth at just 1.3 lunar distances which is about 490,000 km and did not pose any threat to planet Earth.

The scientists observed the asteroid with NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) in 2015. Two years ago, IRTF programme scientist at NASA Headquarters said, "The IRTF data may indicate that the object might be a dead comet, but in the Arecibo images it appears to have donned a skull costume for its Halloween flyby."

OBSERVATIONS

"From observations from Spain, we discovered that this object's most likely rotation period is 2.94 hours, in other words, this is the approximate length of its day, although we cannot rule out another possibility: 4.78 hours, another solution which is consistent with our optical data," RT quoted Pablo Santo-Sanz from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia.

"The object measures between 625 m and 700 m, its shape is a slightly flattened ellipsoid, and its rotation axis was roughly perpendicular to the Earth at the time of its closest proximity," he added.

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Santo-Sanz further added that through light analysis of the Halloween Asteroid, the skull rock is "only slightly more reflective than charcoal", while the rate at which it absorbs heat is consistent with that of other asteroids.

UPCOMING EARTH FLY BY

The Halloween Asteroid is expected to fly by Earth in November 2018. However, it will not come anywhere near as close as before for many years to come.

According to Thomas G Muller, a researcher from the Max-Planck-Institute who was involved in studying the Halloween Asteroid, the subsequent "exciting" visit from the Halloween asteroid will come 71 years from now.

"The next slightly more exciting encounter will be around Halloween's day in the year 2088, when the object approaches Earth to a distance of about 20 lunar distances. The encounter on Halloween in 2015 was the closest approach of an object that size since 2006, the next known similar event is the passage of asteroid 1999 AN10 on August 7, 2027," RT quoted him.

VIDEO: Halloween Asteroid is a radar science treat

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By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 22 (PTI) The Delhi High Court today sought response of the DDA over its decision to demolish a hostel for the blind which left 20 visually impaired students without a roof in winter.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also expressed concern over their rehabilitation and sought to know from the local authorities about their well-being.

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The bench directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to submit a status report, giving details of the place they have been shifted to.

The court issued notice to the authorities after it came across a news report that occupants of a hostel for visually impaired students in Janakpuris Virender Nagar here have been sleeping in the open for almost a week now, after the DDA demolished their hostel on December 15.

The high court on its own initiated proceedings against the authorities after the news report alleged that the occupants were neither given prior information about the demolition nor ample time to gather their belongings.

The hostel, Louis Welfare Progressive Association of the Blind, has been running for the last 17 years. Around 20 people, mostly students of Delhi University or the nearby Sarvodaya school, used to stay there. PTI PPS HMP RT

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Apple recently confirmed that it was, in fact, purposefully slowing down performance of older iPhone models after the batteries degrade overtime. The behavior was first made public by a Redditor, claiming that their iPhone ran smoother and faster after giving it a brand-new battery.

A spate of similar claims followed shortly thereafter, with highly credible proof, no less. These folks said that their iPhones also started running more efficiently after a battery replacement  they posted Geekbench results to prove it, too.

Many theories came flying. Some speculated that the revelation would spark high-profile legal action against Apple. Some are even saying it's an example of "planned obsolescence," or when manufacturers intentionally design or apply updates to products for them not to last long  and thus force users to buy another one.

The planned obsolescence part seems like a stretch. But the legal action part isn't. Apple has now been hit with a class action lawsuit over its performance slowdown tactic. Filed in a California court, the lawsuit accuses the company of causing users to suffer and hurting the value of older devices.

Apple Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over iPhone Slowdown

TMZ reports that the lawsuit primarily focuses on the iPhone 7, which was recently updated with the performance-throttling feature. Because of this, it's safe to assume that there are other lawsuits to come moving forward that focuses on other models Apple also intentionally throttles.

The plaintiff argues that Apple's decision to intentionally slow down older iPhone models to balance battery health was "never requested or agreed upon." He also claims that Apple uses this feature as a way to force consumers to upgrade their phone every year. Apple, like most other manufacturers, releases a new version of their smartphone every year.

The plaintiff seeks damages to affected users, and they also want Apple to stop implementing the performance/battery balancing feature.

Will This Lawsuit Go Anywhere?

Does this lawsuit have any chance of getting traction? It's hard to say. 9to5Mac notes that it almost certainly overgeneralizes Apple's intentions and misrepresents its intentions. Even still, there's something to be said about people buying a premium product not knowing it would run significantly slower after a certain period has passed. Sure, lithium-ion batteries  the ones used inside iPhones  degrade overtime. That's common knowledge. What isn't common knowledge, however, is companies secretly throttling performance to adjust to battery quality.

Check back with Tech Times to see how the lawsuit goes.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Los Angeles Zoo was forced to euthanize its entire herd of Nubian ibex, in what the authorities said was a ""difficult yet responsible decision" for the protection of the other animals in the zoo.

The herd of ibex was put to sleep after they were found to be carrying a disease that threatened all the other hoofed animals in the Los Angeles Zoo.

Los Angeles Zoo Euthanizes Nubian Ibex Herd

The herd of Nubian ibex, made up of seven goats that come from the mountains of the Middle East, was euthanized last month after they were discovered to be the carriers of a very contagious and incurable form of herpes.

The Los Angeles Zoo became aware of the presence of the virus when six African antelope became sick and passed away in October due to malignant catarrhal fever. The Nubian ibex were later discovered to be the carriers of the disease.

The disease, which could be fatal to other even-toed hoofed animals but could not be passed on to humans, develops from a herpes virus that is often carried asymptomatically. Among the symptoms in infected animals are depression, rough coats of hair, appetite loss, and nasal discharge.

"The Nubian ibex could not be sent to any other facility housing hoofed animals, as those animals could contract the disease and die," explained the zoo in a statement, adding that it would be irresponsible to send the herd to another facility where they could possibly infect and cause the death of other animals.

The disease is no longer present on the grounds of the Los Angeles Zoo, and all the other animals are considered safe.

Animal Euthanasia In Zoos

Euthanization, which painlessly ends the life of animals, is never an easy decision. However, some zoos decide to pursue it for some of their animals for certain reasons.

In August, Tiffany, the 49-year-old lowland gorilla of Topeka Zoo in Kansas, was euthanized after she was discovered to have stage 4 ovarian cancer. In April, Hogle Zoo in Utah put down Rizzo, the 19-year-old polar bear, after he was diagnosed with terminal kidney failure. In February, Granddad, an Australian lungfish in the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago that is said to be the world's oldest public aquarium fish at almost 100 years old, was euthanized after his vital systems showed signs of shutting down.

Meanwhile, Prashant Khetan, CEO of the animal advocacy nonprofit group Born Free USA, said that the Los Angeles Zoo's decision to euthanize the entire Nubian ibex herd reveals that animals simply do not belong in zoos.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A theory that claims neutron star mergers produce short gamma-ray bursts has recently been proven by the GROWTH team, comprised by astronomers from around the world.

Short GRBs refer to energetic explosions emitting a wave of gamma rays, with a duration of fewer than two seconds. Since 2005, only a few of such astronomical events were successfully detected throughout the galaxy. Their origin has also remained a mystery until the discovery of a gamma ray-emitting GRB in 2014.

A compact merger generated GRB 130603B lasting 0.2 light-seconds and followed by an afterglow of X-rays. Scientists then observed a jet of small-sized particles, which they identified to be similar to primary objects of a neutron star. This led them to conclude that collision of neutron stars are potential sources of short GRBs.

A report published by journal Nature on Dec. 20 supports such conclusion. Scientists from various institutions, such as the University of Sydney, Caltech, and CSIRO, observed a neutron star merger detected in August 2017.

After three months of investigation, their radio telescopes picked up a wide-angled emission of gamma waves from the wreckage lying 130 million light years away from Earth.

Astronomers Fail To Find Jet In Neutron Star Merger Site

A gamma-ray curve dubbed GW170817 was produced by the neutron star collision. It was emitted at a distance of 40 megaparsecs without an identifiable jet associated with GRBs. This led scientists to formulate two conclusions.

One conclusion states that a jet was produced but was only directed away from the line of sight, while another proposes that GW170817 could be the tail of a cocoon, a neutron-rich material ejected in the collision. The cocoon model explains the wide-angled curve of GW170817 and is the most consistent with the team's observations.

Based on their discovery, neutron star mergers may not be the direct sources of short GRBs but they expel cocoons, which could be potential sources of transient electromagnetic waves occurring around the Universe.

Recently, neutron stars have been associated with habitable planets. A study by Leiden University's Alessandro Patruno and Mihkel Kama suggests that such planets exist in zones around neutron stars despite harsh conditions.

Discovery Of Cocoons Opens More Investigations

Now that the team has discovered the existence of cocoons, its member Dr. Adam Deller from the Swinburne University of Technology says they will conduct investigations to look for more of the neutron-rich material. He also forecasted a bright future for gravitational-wave astronomy.

A collision of two stars has been predicted for 2022. The event is expected to produce a red nova, which will be visible from Earth.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Scientists from Argentina have uncovered fossil remains of an enormous sea reptile that inhabited Antarctica 150 million years ago.

The reptile is believed to be the most ancient creature ever found in Antarctica.

Unexpected Discovery Of Giant Sea Creature

A team of scientists was surprised to discover the remains of a giant plesiosaur in a new paleontological site located two hours away from the Argentine Marambio Base in Antarctica.

The scientists believe that the 4-finned meat-eating reptile inhabited Antarctica around 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic era. They also consider the reptile, which measures up to 12 meters in length, to be the most ancient creature ever found on the Antarctic continent.

Antarctica used to be part of a continent that included Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and India, according to Marcelo Reguero of the Argentine Antarctic Institute.

Never Been Documented Before

The National University of La Matanza in Argentina stated that the discovery came as a surprise to scientists as it has never been reported in the Antarctic continent before.

The site where the sea reptile was discovered is known to hide remains of a number of diverse sea creatures, including bivalves and ammonites. However, scientists say they did not expect to discover such a giant sea creature in the same area.

Soledad Cavalli, a paleontologist from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council, explained that the types of rock in the site were considered to be unfavorable for the preservation of skeletons.

As of now, the scientists did not provide any more details about the newly-discovered ancient plesiosaur, but they said they plan to continue working on the discovery by early next year.

Oldest Known Plesiosaurs Were Strong Swimmers

The fossil remains of the oldest known plesiosaur, Rhaeticosaurus mertensi, were discovered in a clay pit in Germany by a private collector back in 2013.

Unlike the newly discovered sea creature, this plesiosaur is believed to have lived on Earth during the Triassic era around 201 million years ago. Researchers from the University of Bonn, for the first time, attempted to describe the ancient reptile's effective swimming ability in a recent study published in the journal Science Advances.

They believe the reptile propelled itself through the ocean using underwater flight similar to the way penguins and sea turtles propel themselves into the sea. They also suggest that plesiosaurs adapted to forage while they were in the open ocean.

The Rhaeticosaurus mertensi species are known to have evolved and survived the mass extinction that marked the beginning of the Jurassic period before dying out completely along with the dinosaurs around 66 million years ago.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Russia is making a return into the space tourism industry with the development of a hotel module on the International Space Station over the next few years.

The Roscosmos State Corporation has started reviewing a proposal for a 20-ton module measuring 15.5 meters in length. It will deliver over 90 cubic meters of pressurized space divided into four cabins, two hygiene and medical stations, and a lounge.

Each sleeping quarter has been designed with a nine-inch porthole, while the lounge area will have a larger 16-inch window. WiFi, gym equipment, and photowalks facilitated by a cosmonaut are among the amenities and services planned for guests.

A one to two week-trip to the Earth's lower orbit is estimated to cost $40 million for each person. An additional $20 million will be charged for the photo walk or a month-long accommodation.

Space Tourism Pioneer To Build NEM-2

The hotel module, dubbed NEM-2, will be created by RKK Energia which is known for launching the space tourism business during the 1990s. It leased the Mir Space Station to a private company and also flew guests to the ISS using the Space Shuttle.

However, it stopped accommodating tourists in recent years due to the lack of orbital transportation. The Soyuz, which is Russia's only means of space travel after the Space Shuttle's retirement in 2011, has been busy serving NASA's space mission under the ISS partnership. A report says it will become available in two years after America's contractors release their own spacecraft.

The contractor is currently working on the NEM's first model which will serve the ISS as a science laboratory and power-supply station. It shares the same external design as NEM-2.

Russian Space Hotel Needs 12 Passengers To Kick Off

Building the module will cost Russia an estimated $279 to 446 million. To recover the state's investment within seven years, RKK Energia proposes to fly at least two guests with an accompanying cosmonaut on three Soyuz flights annually.

Moreover, it aims to attract a dozen tourists who can pay $4 million upfront to fund the module's development and another $12.6 million in a couple of years. The remaining amount of $10.8 million will be paid during the time of launching.

This strategy is similar to Virgin Galactic's investment model to launch its space tourism business. SpaceX also used the same method. It announced in February 2017 that two guests, traveling on a private flight to the moon by 2018, have already made a "significant" down payment.

Space tourism has long been encouraged by astronauts and NASA. In 2016, the American space agency released a set of posters that promoted space exploration.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In a shocking incident, a video of a senior police official kicking, slapping and abusing a man has gone viral.

By Ashish Pandey: In a shocking incident, a video of a senior police official kicking, slapping and abusing a man has gone viral.

The video shows Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police of Madhapur, Gangireddy, kicking, slapping and abusing a man, who is identified as a film maker.

Madhapur zone comes under Cyberabad commissionerate in Hyderabad.

According to the reports, a woman had approached police against a man, Yogi Kumar, after which he was summoned and thrashed.

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Meanwhile, the Cyberabad commissioner has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

WATCH VIDEO | Caught on camera: Hyderabad cop kicking, slapping man

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By PTI: order

Ahmedabad, Dec 23 (PTI) A court here today partly lifted its gag order against news portal "The Wire", allowing it to publish articles on the business of Jay Shah, the son of BJP chief Amit Shah, but said it should not link the subject matter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Additional Senior Civil Judge B K Dasondi also stayed the operation of his order for two weeks, so that Jay Shah, who had filed a civil defamation suit against "The Wire", could move a higher court against it.

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"The Wire" had moved the court against its injunction that it should not publish anything about Jay Shahs business until the suit was disposed off.

The court today said the news portal could publish articles regarding Jay Shahs business, but it would not have any reference to the prime minister, as the original article in question could not justify linking the rise in Shahs companys turnover to Modi becoming prime minister.

The article, titled The Golden Touch of Jay Amit Shah, had said the turnover of a company owned by Jay Shah -- Temple Enterprise Pvt Ltd -- "increased 16,000 times over in the year following the election of Narendra Modi as prime minister".

Calling it slanderous, Jay Shah had filed both a civil defamation suit as well as a criminal defamation complaint against the portal.

The civil court had, earlier, issued an injunction, prohibiting "The Wire" from "publishing, broadcasting or printing" anything on the basis of the article till the suit was disposed off. The news portal had challenged it before the high court, which had asked the lower court to hear the matter and pass an order within 30 days.

"The Wire" had argued against the gag order, saying if the author of the article could justify her contention saying it was true and based on public record, the court could not issue such an injunction, whatever the final outcome of the case might be.

The court accepted this argument, but said there was no justification regarding the reference to Modi in the article.

Jay Shah sought a months time to move a higher court against todays order, but the court stayed the order for only two weeks.

Shah has filed a Rs 100-crore civil defamation suit against Rohini Singh, the author of the article, five editors of "The Wire" and its publisher, Foundation for Independent Journalism. PTI KA PD KRK RC

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East Baton Rouge leaders have created a system meant to curb human trafficking, prostitution and other illegal activities they say have flouri
An unrestrained 2-year-old boy was killed and 10 other people were injured in a three-vehicle wreck in Zachary on Friday evening, according to Louisiana State Police spokesman Bryan Lee.

The 2-year-old was identified as Christian Johnson, of Zachary.

Clara Peterson, 38, of Zachary, was slowing her vehicle on U.S. 61, just south of La. 64, to take a right turn about 6 p.m., Lee said. The vehicle behind Peterson, driven by Zachary's Keshon Forest, 28, slowed her vehicle in response, however the vehicle trailing Forest did not, Lee said. Christian Johnson was a passenger in Forest's vehicle.

A Chevrolet Silverado driven by 32-year-old James Lopresto Jr., of Greenwell Springs, struck the rear of Forest's vehicle, which then hit Peterson's vehicle. The reason Lopresto failed to reduce his speed remains under investigation, Lee said.

Forest and four additional passengers in that vehicle were treated for moderate injuries. Peterson and three passengers in her vehicle also suffered moderate injuries after Forest's car was forced into her vehicle, Lee said.

State Police: One child dead, one resuscitated after three vehicle crash on U.S. 61 in Zachary Friday night One child died and a second was resuscitated by first responders Friday night after a three vehicle crash at U.S. 61 in Zachary, said State Po

Lopresto sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene, Lee said.

Impairment is not suspected in the crash, but toxicology samples were taken from all three drivers, Lee said. Any arrests are pending the ongoing investigation.

Initial reports from the crash on Friday indicated that a second unrestrained child in Forest's vehicle had been killed, but was saved by EMS responders, Lee said Friday night.
After nine freezes in the past 10 years, news that basic state aid for public schools may be frozen yet again is sparking both resignation and worry among Louisiana superintendents.

"We kind of expected it, we kind of prepared for it," said Wesley Watts, superintendent of the West Baton Rouge Parish school system.

"It just continually makes it tougher for us to provide the number of personnel we would like to put in front of our students," Watts said.

Earlier this month Donald Songy, education adviser for Gov. John Bel Edwards, said it is unlikely the governor will recommend a hike in what the state spends on public school students.

Louisiana public schools face another aid freeze Gov. John Bel Edwards is unlikely to recommend a hike in basic state aid for public schools, an aide to the governor said Tuesday.

Songy noted that the state faces a budget shortfall of around $1 billion for the financial year that begins July 1, a recurring theme in state government since 2008.

Louisiana is spending $3.7 billion to educate more than 700,000 students now.

Louisiana's school aid plan clears final hurdle in legislature; here's what it includes Legislation that would authorize spending $3.7 billion for public schools for the 2017-18 academic year won final legislative approval Monday.

That translates to $3,961 per student.

The only time it has risen in the past decade was for the 2014-15 school year, from $3,855 per student.

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will make its own spending recommendations to the Legislature in March.

Amid state budget mess, BESE backs another freeze in basic state aid for public schools More than 700,000 public school students would face another freeze in basic state aid under a plan recommended Tuesday by Louisiana's top scho

But the governor's stance, barring a sudden improvement in state finances, means a freeze in what the state spends per student is likely.

"Realistically, if there is no money there is no money," said Scott Devillier, superintendent of the Zachary School District, the top-rated school system for the past 13 years.

"But you know, on our end, if there is no cut we can manage," Devillier said.

Higher education and health care have faced multiple budget cuts in recent years.

"We have sort of planned on no additional money in the MFP," said Warren Drake, superintendent of the East Baton Rouge Parish School District.

Drake said he has directed his staff to prepare a zero-based funding formula.

"We have to anticipate being leaner every year," he said.

State school dollars are funneled through a formula called the Minimum Foundation Program, or MFP.

The money helps pay for textbooks, school supplies, salaries, utilities and other operating costs.

Increasing health care and retirement costs are often cited as expenses that squeeze districts when school aid is frozen.

"With rising costs due to insurance and retirement, we will have to find a way to do more with less," Hollis Milton, superintendent of the West Feliciana Parish school district said in an email.

Increases in those two areas alone will cost the Central school system nearly $600,000 for the next school year, former superintendent Michael Faulk said.

Faulk, who stepped down as superintendent on Dec. 19, is now executive director of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents.

David Alexander, superintendent of the Ascension Parish School District, said another freeze would damage an already modest support system.

"That funding from the state is already underfunded in so many ways," Alexander said.

"Obviously it is discouraging to think as you start creating your budget for the '18-19 school year that you are going to have to anticipate some places where you are going to have to look more closely and sharpen your pencil," he said.

For years basic state aid for public schools rose by 2.75 percent annually.

Had spending risen annually by that amount since 2009 the state would be spending $4,921 per student, according to figures compiled by the Louisiana School Boards Association.

The MFP should be adjusted so that it pays for mandated increases in health care and retirement now borne by local school boards, said Scott Richard, executive director of the LSBA.

Cade Brumley, president of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, said another freeze would be disappointing.

But Brumley, in an email, also said "I'm a realist who understands the financial constraints of our state."

Brumley is superintendent of the DeSoto Parish school system in northwest Louisiana.

Doris Voitier, superintendent of the St. Bernard Parish School District and one of Edwards' three BESE appointees, said until the state's financial health improves MFP gains are unlikely.

'A broken record': What another freeze in state aid will mean for Louisiana public schools In a rerun of previous years, public school leaders are gearing up for crowded classrooms, program cuts and possible layoffs after learning th

"This is not unusual, that we are not able to have a per pupil increase in the MFP," Voitier said.
The soldiers belonged to the 120-Infantry Brigade Batallion, and were on patrol when the incident took place.

By India Today Web Desk: In an unprovoked attack, Pakistan today violated the ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC) and fired at the Indian Army patrol.

The incident took place in Keri area of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, an army official said.

Three Army men, including an officer, were martyred and one was injured.

The soldiers belonged to the 120-Infantry Brigade Batallion, and were on patrol when the incident took place.

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Forces launched a major search operation in the area

More Details are awaited.

(With inputs from Ashraf Wani and Ashwini Kumar)

WATCH | Kashmir: 3 Army jawans martyred, 1 injured in firing along LoC in Rajouri

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After praising his leadership, the Louisiana House of Representatives gave Speaker Taylor Barras a standing ovation in the final minutes of the special session on Friday, June 16, 2017. The New Iberia Republican had rough couple months with criticism from lobbyists and the largest newspaper in his region as well as the Legislature being unable to pass a state operating budget during the regular session.
What could be a critically important relationship between the city's newly elected mayor and state lawmakers is off to a rocky start after Mayor-elect LaToya Cantrell showed up at a meeting this week with one of the legislators' former colleagues: ex-con Derrick Shepherd.

Court rejects AG's appeal to yank LaToya Cantrell credit card probe from N.O. judges A state appeals court panel has rejected a bid by Attorney General Jeff Landry's office to remove its investigation into Mayor-elect LaToya Ca

Shepherd, a former state senator who served more than a year in federal prison after pleading guilty to money laundering, accompanied Cantrell to a meeting with New Orleans legislators designed to begin building relationships during the five-month transition before she is sworn in.

But any good will the gathering was intended to generate may have been squandered by Cantrell's decision to include the former West Bank lawmaker.

State Sen. Conrad Appel, a Metairie Republican whose district includes parts of New Orleans, confirmed Shepherd was at the meeting, which was held at a local church. He said Shepherd did not take part in the general discussion, in which Cantrell urged cooperation over the coming years, and it was not clear what his role there was.

While Shepherds potential role in the Cantrell transition or the new administration remains unclear, several legislators who asked not to be named said they had serious concerns that the mayor-elect would bring someone with his history to such a meeting.

Cantrell spokesman David Winkler-Schmit said by text message Friday that Shepherd has no defined role or position in the transition. But he did not immediately respond to questions about why he was at the meeting.

The mayor-elect has been holding various meetings with community members and is very excited about the future for the city and the transition, Winkler-Schmit said. The future is bright as we move forward together as a city.

Why cases, like one Jeff Landry possibly building vs. LaToya Cantrell, can be tough to prosecute The face-off between state Attorney General Jeff Landry and New Orleans Mayor-elect LaToya Cantrell over Cantrells possible abuse of a city c

Shepherd, a Marrero Democrat, was seen as an up-and-coming politician when he was elected to a state House seat in 2003, and he won a spot in the state Senate during a special election less than two years later.

That was followed by a bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Bill Jefferson, who was already dogged by the corruption allegations that would eventually land him in federal prison. But Shepherd came in third behind Jefferson and then-state Rep. Karen Carter Peterson  now a state senator and head of the state Democratic Party.

That race would play a role in Shepherds own downfall, after Jefferson connected him with a bond broker who needed a partner in a money laundering scheme involving bogus bonds.

Shepherd moved about $141,000 through his law firm as part of the deal, keeping about $65,000 for himself and his campaign account, according to a federal indictment.

Shepherd was originally charged with multiple crimes. But in a plea deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to just one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and resigned from the Legislature in late 2008.

He was sentenced to more than three years in prison in February 2010, serving time both behind bars and in a halfway house before being released to federal probation in March 2012.

Cantrell argues subpoenas for bank records in credit card probe is 'harassing ... intrusive' Attorney General Jeff Landry's office wants more than LaToya Cantrell's City Council credit-card records as he launches a probe into New Orlea

His early release was, in part, due to cooperation with federal investigators on other cases, according to documents Shepherd filed with the Louisiana Supreme Court as it considered whether to permanently disbar him.

He was disbarred, and it is not clear how he has made a living since his release.

The former lawmaker also has faced multiple allegations of domestic violence, including accusations that he attacked a jilted lover in 2008 and left her bruised after breaking down her door in the middle of the night. She claimed it was the third time he had attacked her.

Allegations of domestic violence could be particularly toxic for relations with the New Orleans delegation, some of whose members have led the campaign to root out sexual harassment and abuse in the Legislature.

While most politicians with such a history would have long ago retreated from the limelight, Shepherd mounted a short-lived attempt at a comeback after his release from prison.

Despite a state constitutional amendment barring felons from the ballot for 15 years after their release, Shepherd signed up to run for his old House seat in 2015. He was disqualified and went on to challenge the constitutionality of that provision, pointing out that the language passed by the voters differed from the wording that had been approved by the Legislature.

In a Pyrrhic victory, Shepherd won the legal case but months after the election had passed without his name appearing on a ballot. State lawmakers have still not put a new version of the amendment before the voters.

Former state Sen. Derrick Shepherd wins his challenge to law that bars felons from running for office Crooked politicians, take heart: You may yet have a chance at a second act in elected office.

Given Shepherd's liabilities, several lawmakers said any association with him showed poor judgment by Cantrell. Any involvement he would have in politics in Baton Rouge could also give lawmakers from elsewhere in the state cause to question or oppose initiatives sought by New Orleans, which already is a frequent target for criticism.

Its important for an administration to maintain a positive relationship with the citys legislative delegation in the best of the times in order to try to steer bills through the Capitol, ensure local projects get funding and block provisions that would harm the city.

And building those relationships could be even more critical for Cantrell because many members of the delegation sided with her opponent, Desiree Charbonnet, in the elections this fall.

Asked earlier this week whether he was seeking or had taken a role in the Cantrell administration, Shepherd said, I defer all questions to Madam Mayor-elect.
Has body of N.O. woman murdered 41 years ago finally been found? Officials think so

Has body of N.O. woman murdered 41 years ago finally been found? Officials think so
The Federal Court has dismissed a cartel behaviour case brought against laundry detergent manufacturer Cussons by Australia's consumer watchdog.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) brought the case against PZ Cussons Australia in 2013, alleging the company engaged in cartel conduct by arranging with Colgate and Unilever to stop supplying standard concentrate laundry detergents in early 2009 and instead supply only ultra-concentrated products.

The ACCC in 2013 alleged Cussons had engaged in cartel conduct. Credit:Gabriele Charotte

Ultra-concentrated products are cheaper to produce, store and transport.

On Friday, the court dismissed the cartel allegation and also dismissed the ACCC's allegation that Cussons had reached an understanding with the other manufacturers that substantially lessened competition in the laundry detergent market.
Christmas in Cambodia. It sounds like a novel, and the story does have rather a Shakespearean fall. But if Christmas in Phnom Penh's notorious Prey Sar prison is half as bad as the other 180-odd nights my friend James Ricketson has spent there, it's a Christmas you wouldn't wish on Scrooge himself.

Cell 26 houses 27 men. It's small  so small they can't all lie down at once  and dark, the TV being its only source of light. One man, larger than the others, sits slightly apart, writing furiously in the small patch of yellow light that shafts in from the street. He hunches, having been deprived of his glasses, and constantly shifts the notebook since the light patch is smaller than the page.

The man, James, is 68 years old. He stops now and then to scratch. Scabies. Body lice. Pustules that spread and pop, forming craters that take weeks to heal. His stomach and back, he writes, feel "like a cheese grater". Everyone has skin conditions here. Washing is limited to two daily ladles of water each. Only gruel is supplied; fresh air and fresh food must be bought. The stench is appalling, from a sewer in the street and an open squat toilet in the corner.

You can bribe your way to better accommodation, and maybe a better outcome, but it's risky. Success is uncertain and running out of money can see you charged with bribery by the very people extorting it. There's no privacy, no bedding, and the men must sleep in turns, petty thieves and paedophiles sardined beside those like James, jailed for bearing witness.
Larissa Waters made history in May as the first woman to breastfeed in federal Parliament. In June, she made headlines again by feeding baby Alia while moving a motion on black lung disease. While Waters' career was cut short soon after due to the citizenship debacle, the image of the new mum balancing work and family life in the Senate is one of the most enduring of the year. Making history ... former Senator Larissa Waters with her baby Alia in June. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen 4) Scott Ludlam makes an important discovery Uh oh. When the Greens senator called a press conference one Friday afternoon in July, no one had any idea that it would kick off one of federal Parliament's most uncertain and bizarre episodes. Ludlam resigned because a member of the public tipped him off that he was still a New Zealand citizen (and therefore ineligible to sit in Parliament). It was shocking. But it turned out he was not the only one, not by a long shot. Everyone from the Liberal Party, to Labor, the Nationals and the crossbench was eventually caught in the mass stuff-up. And the High Court cases and possible byelections will continue in 2018. Hooray!

The High Court will consider the eligilbility under Section 44 of the Constition for politicians (anti-clockwise from top left) Barnaby Joyce, Fiona Nash, Matt Canavan, Nick Xenophon, Malcolm Roberts, Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam. Montage created 9 October 2017. Credit:Fairfax Media 5) Julie Bishop starts an unlikely diplomatic incident Foreign ministers are supposed to stop diplomatic crises, so it took considerable skill from Bishop to start a fight with Australia's best mate and next-door neighbour, New Zealand. It was all to do with contact Australian Labor had with NZ Labour over dual citizenship issues that related to Barnaby Joyce's situation. And centred around Bishop saying it would be difficult to trust NZ Labour if they won government. So it was textbook awkward when Labour's Jacinda Ardern became prime minister some two months later. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop during the infamous New Zealand press conference. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

6) Xenophon quits federal politics for the big time Nick Xenophon has been a kingmaker in Canberra, commanding a crucial three votes on the Senate crossbench. So at first, his surprise announcement that he was quitting his Senate spot to run in the upcoming South Australian state election seemed ... wacky. But with polls showing his SA Best Party could do well enough to make him premier, the decision seems more understandable. Nick Xenophon packing boxes in his office at Parliament House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen 7) Parliament unites in grief In October, Labor MP Linda Burney had to face the unthinkable when her 33-year-old son Binni Kirkbright-Burney was found dead in the family home. Both sides of Parliament stopped to acknowledge her loss.

"She is cast deep in grief, but she does not grieve alone," Turnbull said. "We know how much Linda loved her son and we know how much her son loved Linda," Bill Shorten added. Susan Lamb holds hands with Anne Aly as Bill Shorten talks about the death of Binni Kirkbright-Burney, the son of Linda Burney. Credit:Andrew Meares 8) Cash makes a hash of Senate estimates Employment Minister Michaelia Cash had a shocker at Senate estimates hearings in October. After a dinner break, she had to come back and correct the record after she had spent all day denying her office had tipped off the media about a police raid on Australian Workers' Union offices. In the end, it turned out one of her staffers had alerted the media. The staffer quit but there was significant pressure from Labor for Cash to resign herself.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash under fire during the estimates hearing. Credit:Andrew Meares 9) Parliament unites in joy Parliament - and Australia - erupted in rainbow colours in November when same-sex marriage passed both houses of Parliament and became legal in Australia. There was singing in the public galleries and celebration right across the political spectrum. Liberal MP Tim Wilson even used his speech in Parliament to propose to his partner, Ryan. This was preceded by the same-sex marriage postal vote, which had Labor's Penny Wong - a long-time campaigner for the reform - shedding tears of relief when the 61.6 per cent yes vote was returned. Penny Wong after the same-sex marriage result is announced at Parliament House. Credit:Andrew Meares
Witold and Urszula Walkowski had travelled from Canada to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary, but their celebrations were cut tragically short in a car crash outside Australia Zoo.

Mr Walkowski, 57, died in the crash on December 15 but his wife, who was in the passenger seat, escaped the wreck with non-life-threatening injuries.

Mr Walkowski died when the van he was driving was hit by a ute outside Australia Zoo on December 15.

The van driven by Mr Walkowski was turning right off Steve Irwin Way into Fraser Road across one lane of oncoming traffic when it was hit by a ute.

The crash happened about 10.30am and forced the closure of Steve Irwin Way for more than two hours while the Forensic Crash Unit investigated.
There are 53 cases related to fodder scam. Lalu Prasad was named accused in five of the cases. He has been convicted in two.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad is an accused in fodder scam cases. He has already been convicted in one such case. (File photo)

By Prabhash K Dutta: Fodder scam is a series of financial irregularities that was carried out during 1980s and 1990s in undivided Bihar. An estimated Rs 950 crore-fodder scam brought down the regime of Lalu Prasad, who was hailed as a social revolutionary for being the voice of the oppressed in Bihar.

Commenting on the fodder scam, a report by auditor general of Bihar noted, "Cattle were transported on scooters, police vans, oil tankers and autos by the suppliers." And, yet the bills for such expenses were passed by the treasury without asking any questions.

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Lalu Prasad and former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra (the then Congress leader, now with ruling JD-U) are accused in five fodder scam cases. Present case is related to financial irregularities committed in Deoghar, now in Jharkhand.

DEOGHAR CASE

Deoghar fodder scam case is about fraudulent withdrawal of more than Rs 89 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994. Besides Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra, 20 others are also accused in Deoghar fodder scam case.

The CBI had filed charge sheet in the case way back in October 1997 naming 38 persons accused. Eleven of the accused died during trial. Three accused turned approvers. Two accused confessed to their crime and were convicted accordingly in 2006-07.

After conclusion of arguments, the special CBI court had reserved its order on Deoghar fodder scam case on December 13. Earlier, Lalu Prasad was convicted in Chaibasa case of fodder scam. He faces three other fodder scam cases.

Chaibasa case was related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa treasury by producing fake bills. Lalu Prasad was convicted in the case in September 2013 disqualifying him from contesting elections.

WHO EXPOSED SCAM?

Unearthing of fodder scam could be called a chance expose as the then finance commissioner of West Singhbhum VS Dubey and his deputy Amit Khare noticed some unusual withdrawal patter while reviewing performance of various departments.

It was in December 1995, when sitting in his office and examining volumes of files, Dubey found that some of the departments were withdrawing money in excess of the allocations meant for them. He was surprised that no questions were being asked for excessive withdrawals.

Dubey and Khare sunk deeper into those files and discovered that the animal husbandry department secured maximum overdraft. The practice was on for several years. Unquestioned.

For instance, Rs 10.5 crore had been allocated to the animal husbandry department for 1993-96 period for buying 5,664 pigs, 40,500 hens, 1,577 goats and 995 sheep. But, the animal husbandry department withdrew Rs 255.33 crore during the period for the same purpose.

Other expenses were added to this work and at the end, Dubey found, total fraudulent withdrawals shot up to Rs 409.62 crore.

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CASE WENT TO CBI

Once Dubey and Khare red-flagged the financial irregularities, the auditor general of Bihar examined the withdrawals of these departments. The AG report also found footprints of corruption that came to be known as fodder scam.

The reports by the revenue department officials led to a huge uproar in the political circle of Bihar. Current deputy CM of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi mounted a sharp attack on Lalu Prasad government forcing the then chief minister set up an enquiry committee.

Sushil Modi and others demanded CBI probe, which Lalu Prasad rejected. Meanwhile, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court, on whose direction, the Patna High Court handed over the probe to the CBI in 1996.

HOW FODDER SCAM WORKED

The CBI investigation exposed the nexus between babus, netas and suppliers. For every demand - that involved irregularities - in the animal husbandry department, fake bills were produced and forged documents were submitted by the suppliers.

The officials responsible for passing the bills did not ask questions. Both the involved officials and suppliers enjoyed political shelter. The reimbursement claims against the animal husbandry department kept rising.

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The nexus was so smooth that the perpetrators of the scam became lax. Registration numbers of two-wheelers were mentioned in the forged documents submitted to claim reimbursement for transporting even buffaloes over hundreds of kilometres - from Punjab to Bihar (now Jharkhand).

ANY EXAMPLES?

For instance, bills for transporting 500 kg of mustard oil worth Rs 15 lakh purchased for polishing the horns of buffaloes were submitted and cleared without asking questions.

In another case, pigs were shown as having been purchased from Ludhiana in Punjab. Interestingly, the documents submitted claimed that half of the pigs died in Varanasi in UP while they were being transported to Bihar. The officer involved in this case was RK Rana, who went on to become an MP on RJD's ticket. The CBI probe found that the claims were bogus.

There are altogether 53 cases of financial irregularities under fodder scam. The CBI is the probing agency for all the cases, which are under various stages of judicial process. Special trial courts have decided 45 of the cases.

--- ENDS ---
Accused Flinders Street driver Saeed Noori mowed down 18 pedestrians with the intention of killing or seriously injuring as many people as possible, police have alleged in court.



Mr Noori, 32, kept his head down when he faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday afternoon.

He has been charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and one count of reckless conduct endangering life.



Mr Noori's mother, who speaks little English, was in court to support him and was visibly distressed, rocking back and forth throughout.

Accused Flinders Street driver Saeed Noori leaves West Melbourne Police Station before appearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court. Credit:Darrian Traynor

When her son first appeared in the dock, she stood up and appeared to try to take a photo of him as her son put his head in his hands before she was reprimanded by court security.



Police prosecutor Senior Constable Amitoj Singh told the court Mr Noori allegedly drove at pedestrians with "the intention of killing or causing serious injury to as many people as possible".



His motive, Senior Constable Singh said, was still under investigation.



Mr Noori's lawyer Tass Antos said his client had mental health issues.

Magistrate Bob Kumar ordered him to undergo a psychiatric assessment.
"You have to understand the odds aren't great with these things." Credit:Ron Tandberg He has spent the past month undergoing intensive radiation treatment for oesophageal cancer. And being Tandberg, he has done a series of cartoons, all of them unpublished until now, about his contest with mortality. Taking a deep breath. Credit:Ron Tandberg There is one portraying him as a small figure standing helplessly as a giant wave approaches, threatening to sweep him away. And another from within an MRI scanning machine. "Take a deep breath," the machine instructs the small man inside. "Breathe normally". "Are you going to find a cure for cancer?" inquires the patient. "Don't hold your breath," says the machine.

There are more, but the cartoon depicting the scene in the art gallery is a puzzle. Tandberg himself needs to explain it, at which point it becomes illuminating. Ron Tandberg with an old sparring partner, John Howard. Credit:Simon Schluter The self-portraits by Da Vinci, Van Gogh and Rembrandt symbolise Tandberg's awakening to great art. At the age of 16, a working-class boy with not much more than Year 10 of secondary school to his name, he enrolled among better educated, richer kids in art school at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Nearby, housed those days in the State Library of Victoria in Swanston Street, was the art collection of the National Gallery of Victoria. Tandberg does not altogether subscribe to the cliche that Donald Trump is a great gift to cartoonists. Credit:Ron Tandberg

Tandberg took to spending his free hours wandering the gallery, and he became transfixed by a self-portrait painted by one of the greatest visual artists in history, the Dutch master Rembrandt. "The honesty of it," Tandberg enthuses of the painting. The absence of vanity. And the immense work involved. All these decades later he remains awestruck. Tandberg's black humour has been used to great effect on his own situation. Rembrandt seemed to have laboured forever to make every brush stroke an illumination, yet Tandberg himself found he could draw with great intensity for not much more than half an hour. In quest of personal artistic honesty, Tandberg decided to pursue his strength.

"I went for simplicity and minimalism," he says. "I'd try to capture the essence of something with that abstract little line, almost defying reality to create a new reality." And here, after a half century of labouring at getting his own style and his abstract little line just so, is Ron Tandberg's self-portrait: a cartoon. It is of a man bewildered to find himself, at 73, under treatment for one of the more insidious of cancers, and bemused to find he is still alive. No vanity here. It is the most honest work he can offer. The great artists who inspired him are long gone from the Earth, their work ageless, but Tandberg, who has reduced his art to a few near perfect lines on a page, clings on. A cartoonist to the end. Credit:Ron Tandberg

It is what he does, day after day, often - like most artists - consumed by doubt. Tandberg has been submitting "pocket cartoons" to the pages of The Age since 1972. He has won 11 Walkley Awards, two of them gold. He has won admirers everywhere for his refusal to let the powerful, particularly those in the political world, get away with conceit. It is almost impossible to visualise an edition of The Age without a Tandberg distilling the big issue of the day into a tiny drawing and forcing a snort of laughter out of it, and doing so with the fewest possible strokes of his artist's pen and a brief caption.

His targets over the decades have been unmistakeable and unforgettable: Malcolm Fraser as an Easter Island statue, Jeff Kennett with his mouth perpetually open wide, Tony Abbott as a pair of ears in lycra, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in infants' highchairs. Tandberg's portrayal of Malcolm Fraser won him the 1979 Walkley Award. Credit:Ron Tandberg Tandberg's most fraught relationship with any of his subjects was with former Victorian premier Kennett. One night, at a big public event hosted by Fairfax, Tandberg was speaking and sketching on stage when Kennett pointedly turned his back. Tandberg, merrily sketching the premier with his mouth wide as Port Phillip Bay, ventured a few verbal jabs about how Kennett had "opened up" Melbourne and Victoria.

Fairfax's CEO of the time, Fred Hilmer, later told staff he'd never been so embarrassed, and Tandberg was told by another senior executive that Fairfax wanted to sack him. The open mouth: Jeff Kennett on the air with Neil Mitchell. Credit:Ron Tandberg Tandberg takes some contentment from the fact that Kennett hasn't been premier for decades, Hilmer left Fairfax 12 years ago  and he, Tandberg, remains employed as one of Fairfax's most revered cartoonists. But the heroes of Tandberg's little pockets on a page have always been anonymous bystanders. They are diminutive people prepared to ask the silly question or to point out the screamingly obvious; those who stand mute and unimpressed as the most dumbfounding absurdity unfolds before them, or those who watch with droll interest or innocent enthusiasm as the mighty crumble before their eyes.

They are you and me ... but most of all, they are Tandberg himself; the little bloke who stands on the side of all the other little people. Having been beaten unmercifully by the Christian Brothers at primary school and by bigger boys at Coburg Tech, he says, he cannot abide bullies. Amid his current trials, Tandberg is about to publish a new book of his cartoons, all of them from 2017 - and none of them from his personal "cancer" series. A Year of Madness, it is titled.

Tandberg has documented a lot of mad years, but none of them comes close to 2017, he says. "Trump, Pauline Hanson, Abbott, chaos in the government, the continuing asylum seeker tragedy ... there's quite a lot of madness around, really," he says, dry as one of his works. The collection begins and ends with classic Tandberg takes on the personification of madness in the 21st century, Donald Trump. Tandberg, however, does not altogether subscribe to the cliche that Trump is a great gift to cartoonists. "Sometimes he gets too far from reality to make a good cartoon - he is very childlike; an undeveloped spoilt child," he says of the President. "It's all about him."

There is a series of character sketches at the end of the new book that offers less familiar but privileged access to Tandberg's depths as an artist. It is a collection of drawings that catch Melburnians relaxing in pubs, coffee shops and simply sitting about reading the paper. "We all need a distraction and strange as it may seem, I love to draw people in my spare time," Tandberg explains in the book. Lawrence and Tony at The Drunken Poet, October 5, 2017. Credit:Ron Tandberg "Like a good waiter I try not to intrude, quietly sketching the people around me, trying to capture their shape."

Each drawing proves Tandberg's mastery of draughtsmanship. He uses a pen, not a pencil, leaving no chance at invisible revision. He does not need it. These are drawings completed at speed, but they exude the subjects' characters. "I discovered I could draw when I was very young," he says. "My grandfather loved horses and he took me to the races. I suppose I was about seven. It seemed very glamorous, the lawns at Flemington and all these beautiful horses. "And I drew a horse. Mum was blown away that I could draw a horse with such accuracy. "She was right. I can draw with accuracy, but I disguise it with my little cartoons." The Tandberg family lived in a small house at Pascoe Vale South when Ron was a child. There is a brother, Ken, who is a bit older, and the brothers remain close.

"We had very loving parents," Tandberg says. "Dad worked at William Angliss Meatworks and rode his bicycle across to work at Footscray each day. He didn't get a car till he was 42. Mum worked at the knitting mills. "Leunig's parents worked at William Angliss, too [referring to fellow artist and long-time cartoonist for The Age, Michael Leunig]. "One day the William Angliss building burnt down, and Leunig and I watched it from the windows of The Age building; this fertile breeding ground of young Age cartoonists going up in flames." Tandberg recalls that he and his brother Ken took pleasure as children listening to the wireless at home in the evenings. Ken developed a fine singing voice, but Ron Tandberg got something else, equally treasured, from the music playing on the wireless.

"I loved the lyrics of the songs in the 1940s and 50s," he says. "Peggy Lee's 'Is That All There Is?' "How does it go? 'I'm in no hurry for that final disappointment, for I know just as well as I'm standing here talking to you, when that final moment comes and I'm breathing my last breath, I'll be saying to myself: Is that all there is, is that all there is? If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing. Let's break out the booze and have a ball'." Tandberg takes a breath. "So, anyway, I grew to love great lyrics, and I try to capture the idea of good lyrics when I write my captions on my cartoons," he says. "Just a few carefully chosen words to sum things up."

Music and Tandberg's art fused on November 11 - his last night out on Melbourne town. Ron Tandberg's depiction of his brother Ken, November 5, 2017. Credit:Ron Tandberg Tandberg had attended earlier that night the opening of an exhibition featuring his and other cartoonists' work, Ink in the Blood, and he went on later to the Drunken Poet, a pub in North Melbourne. His brother Ken was singing at the "open mic" night at the Drunken Poet, and Tandberg got out his pen and sketch book and began furiously drawing the patrons and the musicians. Some of the drawings appear in his new book. All along, wielding his pen in the corner, Tandberg knew something was wrong. He hadn't been able to eat for many days, and he had shed far too much weight. "I was drawing as if it was my last drawing," he says.

Within a couple of days, he discovered why he couldn't eat. A large tumour was blocking his oesophagus. "There's a stoicism in the family, and the black humour runs strong," he says. "It helps. I'm not going to roll over, but you have to understand the odds aren't great with these things." I'm not going to roll over. Credit:Ron Tandberg How much influence does he think his work has had over the years? "I've been drawing for close on 50 years," he says. "And the world is in a worse place now than it was when I started, so I'd have to say my influence has been pretty limited."
One of the victims of the Flinders Street attack has described the "blood-curdling screams" and the terrifying moments before being struck by a vehicle which ploughed into pedestrians in central Melbourne on Thursday.

Thirty-five-year-old mother of four Rebecca Larrigan said she expected to remain in hospital for several weeks as she recovered from her ordeal but was grateful to be alive.

Rebecca Larrigan (left) with her family.

She was among 20 people who presented to hospital after the incident on Thursday afternoon. Three people remain in a critical condition.

Several of Ms Larrigan's bones  including her left leg, knee cap and femur  were broken or shattered when she was struck by the SUV on Thursday afternoon.
Pattaya: Pattaramon Chanbua points to a photograph of Gammy's twin sister hanging on the wall of her cluttered house 150 kilometres south-east of Bangkok.

"I miss her so much. I think of her every day and want to be with her," says the 23 year-old mother of twins at a centre of a surrogacy scandal in Thailand that sparked international outrage in 2014.

Gammy in the family's house south-east of Bangkok that was bought with donations from Australia. Credit:Am Sandford

"I also want Gammy to meet his sister, even if only for a short time, "she says.

"They should be together."
Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock stands out among US mass killers because of his wealth. He became a millionaire, according to his family, through the buying and selling of real estate and through high-stakes gambling.

His fortune is not big enough - perhaps $5 million - to make a significant dent in the likely payouts from lawsuits and claims against Paddock's estate. But it is enough to prompt an unusual legal strategy by lawyers for some of Paddock's victims, who want to make sure the money is not depleted by legal expenses.

The lawyers have asked a Nevada court to set up the estate so that the money can be distributed, without lawsuits, to families of the dead and those who were wounded in the attack. One idea being discussed is folding Paddock's assets into a fund already set up for victims, which has raised about $22 million. More than 500 people were injured and 58 others died after Paddock opened fire from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in October.

The lawyers also want the court to ensure that Paddock's heirs do not benefit from the estate and that they have no role in how it is managed. No will has been discovered.
The Diadem of the Stars (Wikimedia Commons)

It seems like all the world is decorated with holiday stars these days, so I thought it was only appropriate to feature one of the starriest and spangly-est tiaras that ever graced a royal head: the star tiara of Queen Maria Pia of Portugal. Worn in various forms during the last years of the Portuguese monarchy, the Diadem of the Stars is now a part of the Portuguese Crown Jewels.

Maria Pia wears her diamond stars in a portrait, ca. 1871 (Wikimedia Commons)

Maria Pia, who had been born an Italian princess, commissioned this tiara (and a suite of accompanying jewels) herself. In 1863, she directed Estevao de Sousa to craft the jewels for her. It took three years for de Sousa to fashion the parure, which is made of gold, silver, and diamonds. A large yellow diamond sits at the center of the largest star in the tiara; the diamond itself is a treasure, and its often simply called the Maria Pia Diamond. The diamond stars are set on spiralled wire, which means that they moved and twinkled slightly as the wearer moved.

The tiaras coordinating necklace (Wikimedia Commons)

Although we see the tiara today with two rows of closely-bunched diamond stars, the piece is apparently more versatile in arrangement; early photos show wearers with a single row of stars, and it seems that they could be worn in various settings. A few additional stars could be worn as hairpins, and to top it all off, the tiara also has a matching necklace.

Amelie wears the diamond stars, ca. 1896 (Grand Ladies Site)

The tiara was a showstopper against the tall hairstyles of the late nineteenth century. After Maria Pias husband, Luis I, died in 1889, the tiara was worn by the next queen, Amelia. But her tenure as queen consort was a relatively short one. Her husband, King Carlos I, was assassinated in 1908; two years later, her son, King Manuel II, was deposed. The family had little time to gather their belongings, and the tiara was left behind when they fled the country.

Amelie wears the diamond stars, ca. 1904 (Wikimedia Commons)

Today, the tiara is a part of the nations crown jewels. Although the piece was restored during the twentieth century, it is not currently on display. In fact, none of the crown jewels in Portugal are  theyre held in a vault at the Ajuda National Palace in Lisbon. The collection was once on display at the palace, but a theft in 2002 that involved part of the crown collection (but not this tiara) has led the Portuguese to take serious measures to secure their most valuable jewels. Today, you can only see Maria Pias stars when they are occasionally brought out for special exhibitions.
Lalu Prasad was held guilty in Deoghar fodder scam case by the CBI court in Ranchi. JD-U leader Jagannath Mishra was acquitted in the case.

By India Today Web Desk, Rohit Kumar Singh: The special CBI court today held Lalu Prasad Yadav guilty in one of the fodder scam cases. Quantum of punishment will be pronounced on January 3.

Soon after pronouncement of judgment, Lalu Prasad was taken into custody and taken to jail in Ranchi.

Former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra has been acquitted. Five other accused were also acquitted by the CBI court.

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Mishra and Lalu Prasad were among the 22 persons, who were named as accused by the CBI in over two-decade-old corruption case.

It is a case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of more than 89 lakh from Deoghar treasury between 1991 and 1994. A total 15 accused were held guilty by the CBI court.

Reacting to the judgment, RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha alleged that the BJP was responsible for conviction of Lalu Prasad. He said that the CBI acted in partisan manner under pressure from the BJP. He added that the RJD will fight the conviction of Lalu Prasad legally. The RJD spokesperson alleged that the legally admissible evidence provided by them was set aside.

Meanwhile, Lalu's son Tejashwi Yadav spoke to media persons and accused Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and BJP of maligning the RJD supremo.

Will challenge judgement in HC. We have already appealed against conviction in Chaibasa treasury case in HC. Bail procedure would take place only after HC's opening. Nitish Kumar, BJP kept trying to malign Lalu Ji: Tejashwi Yadav on father Lalu Yadav's conviction in #FodderScam pic.twitter.com/qLVyl4ebMS- ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

Earlier, Lalu Prasad expressed confidence that he would be acquitted in the Deoghar fodder scam case.

Speaking to India Today, Lalu Prasad had said yesterday, "I am not at all tensed over the judgment to come tomorrow. I have complete faith in the judicial system of the country."

His conviction in the scam spells more trouble for Rashtriya Janta Dal chief, who has found himself on the receiving end from the action by the authorities.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED)and other government agencies have been coming down on assets owned by Lalu and his family members, including his daughter Misa Bharti and former Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav.

The ED has filed a charge-sheet against Misa Bharti and her husband in a money laundering case.

In all, there were 34 accused in the Deoghar fodder scam case. Eleven accused died during the course of trial while one turned CBI approver and admitted to the crime.

Before the pronouncement of verdict, Lalu Prasad's son and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav expressed confidence that the verdict will be in their favour.

We trust the judiciary & hope the verdict will be in our favor. Just like BJP propaganda was busted in #2GScam & #AdarshScam, similar will happen now: Tejashwi Yadav ahead of #FodderScam verdict pic.twitter.com/VjeFkiE83z- ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

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Lalu Prasad Yadav has previously accused the BJP of using government agencies for political purposes.

Lalu Prasad and ex -Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra have already been convicted in another fodder scam case. They are out on bail.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: (Eds: updating with additional input)

London, Dec 23 (PTI) A fire broke out today at the UKs famous London Zoo in which eight people, including staff, were injured and an aardvark was killed.

Four meerkats also remain unaccounted for after the fire ripped through an animal adventure enclosure at one of the worlds oldest zoos in the early hours, Zoo officials said.

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Over 70 firefighters worked for hours to bring the blaze under control, which spread to a cafe that included a petting enclosure and a gift shop near a penguin pool at the back of the site.

London Ambulance said paramedics treated eight people at the scene - six for smoke inhalation and two for minor injuries, with one of those treated taken to hospital.

A nine-year-old aardvark, an African nocturnal mammal named Misha, died in the blaze, the Zoo confirmed.

The duty staff who live on site were on the scene "immediately" and started moving animals to safety, it said.

"Sadly our vets have confirmed the death of our nine- year-old Aardvark, Misha. There are also four meerkats unaccounted for at this stage, and we have limited access to site to confirm this," a London Zoo statement said.

"All other animals in the vicinity are being monitored closely by our vets, but early signs suggest they have not been affected. We will continue to monitor them over the coming days," the statement added.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The authorities shut the zoo "until further notice".

It took about three hours for the firefighters at the popular London tourist attraction in the north-west of the British capital to be brought under control.

"Firefighters worked hard to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible and to stop it from spreading to neighbouring animal enclosures," the London Fire Brigade said.

London Zoo said that it will work closely with fire investigators to determine the cause of the blaze. PTI AK SMJ

--- ENDS ---
Researchers with the Texas A&M University Health Science Center say this year's flu season is expected to be worse than usual, with reports that this particular strain of the virus is not well covered by the current vaccine.

However, Cindy Weston, assistant professor in the College of Nursing, said just because the vaccine may be less effective doesn't mean people should avoid the preventative measure.

"Still get your flu vaccine if you have not already," Weston said. "Despite reports of low efficacy, it still provides some protection."

She said particularly with the holiday travel season unfolding, the virus is expected to spread beyond the southern U.S. states in which the flu season had an early start this year.

According to the most recent data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma and South Carolina -- along with 16 other states in the continental U.S. -- received the highest designation of "widespread" influenza activity estimates based on reporting from each state as of Dec. 16.

"Widespread," the highest designation, is defined as an increase in influenza-like illnesses in at least half of the state's regions and at least one confirmation of flu in the previous three weeks.

Other states like New Mexico, Georgia and Colorado received the second-highest designation, known as "regional." The states with the least activity estimated by the CDC are Utah, West Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D.C. with a designation of "local activity" just below the "regional" estimate status.

In Texas, CDC data showed a 10.49 percent increase in the percentage of positive flu cases over the previous week and a 3.43 percent increase in health care visits related to influenza-like illnesses.

Nationwide, the CDC showed a large increase in estimated activity of the flu, with 11 states -- including Texas -- increasing from the status of "regional" to the status of "widespread" between the week ending Dec. 9 and the week ending Dec. 16.

Weston said although it is still early in the flu season, there is reason to believe it will only get worse based on the current trends as well as the flu prevalence patterns in Australia, where Melbourne-based World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centers for Reference and Research on Influenza laboratory reported higher and more seasonally prolonged influenza rates than in the previous five years. The Australian report did note, however, that the rates did not exceed the 2009 flu season, which reached the level of a pandemic.

Jesse Parr, pediatric clerkship director at the Texas A&M College of Medicine, said the practice of looking toward Australia as an early indicator of the U.S. flu season is largely due to the typical migration pattern of the virus.

"The reason we look to Australia is that influenza seems to migrate from northern hemisphere to southern hemisphere and back," Parr said. "Changes in the antigenic structure, which affect severity and likelihood of protection by vaccine, occur in these transitions and allow us to predict what will likely occur in the subsequent season in the opposite hemisphere."

Parr said thus far this season, most of the flu reported has been of the H3N2 strain, which he said is "not well covered by this year's vaccine."

Weston said among her advice for those hoping to avoid catching the virus this holiday season include getting plenty of rest, exercise and nutritious meals, frequent hand-washing and the use of hand sanitizer, and avoiding touching your eyes and face.

For those who do end up getting sick, however, she suggested seeking medical attention early and said staying home and covering up coughs are among the best ways to help ensure the virus doesn't spread.

For a look at the trends nationwide of reported flu cases, go to cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm.
Sunday

Faith United Church (UCC), 2901 Austin's Colony Parkway in Bryan, on the Fourth Sunday of Advent will have a 9:15 a.m. Sunday study, 10 a.m. fellowship and 10:30 a.m. worship. Pastor Karl Tewold message is "How to Handle Good News." There will also be a Christmas Eve Fellowship at 6:30 p.m. and a Service of Carols, Candles and Communion at 7 p.m. All are welcome. Faithuccbryan.org.

St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1101 Rock Prairie Road in College Station, will have a Christmas Eve service at 10:30 a.m. and a candlelight service at 10:30 p.m., both celebrated by the Rev. Lacy Largent. Following the morning service, we will decorate the sanctuary with the Christmas tree, creche and poinsettias from Down Home Ranch. For information on weekday services and events, contact the church at 696-1491 or stfrancisbcs.org.

First Christian Church, 900 S. Ennis St. in Bryan, will celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent in worship at 10:45 a.m. Guest minister Bob Richards' sermon topic will be "Greetings, Favored One!" based on Luke 1:26-55. Sunday school classes for all ages begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by coffee time at 10:30 a.m. Child care is available. A Christmas Eve Service of lessons and carols will be at 5 p.m., featuring communion and the lighting of the Christ candle. All are invited. 823-5451 or firstchristianbcs.org.

Covenant Presbyterian Church, 220 Rock Prairie Road in College Station, will observe the fourth Sunday of Advent in worship at 10:30 a.m. Pastor Jonathan Murray will preach on "Unexpected Blessings: The Angel Visits the Shepherd." There will be a child-friendly Christmas Eve service at 5 p.m., featuring candles and a living nativity. 694-7700 or covenantpresbyterian.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Brazos Valley, 800 George Bush Drive (Texas A&M Hillel), will meet at 10:30 a.m., for a service called "Wait and See!" by the Rev. Aaron Stockwell. There will also be a candlelight service at 5:30 p.m. 696-5285.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Bryan, will host services at 7:30, 9 and 11:15 a.m. www.standrewsbcs.org.

Unity Spiritual Center of the Brazos Valley, 4016 Stillmeadow Drive, Bryan, will have services at 10:30 a.m. Call 324-9857 or unityspiritualcenterbv.org.

Spirit of Faith Church, 900 E. 29th St. in Bryan, will have Sunday school classes for all ages at 10 a.m., followed by morning worship at 11 a.m. 436-6910.

Mount Nebo Missionary Baptist Church, 3610 Plainsman Lane in Bryan, will have Sunday school classes for all ages at 9:15 a.m. and worship service at 10:30 a.m. 846-4753.

CBS Religious School is offering Sunday morning classes. Students are invited to learn about and experience Judaism in a welcoming and egalitarian environment. For more information or to register, contact religiousschool.cbs@gmail.com.

Tuesday

Eagle's Nest Praise and Worship Ministries will staff a free prayer line from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The prayer line number is 775-1513, and calls will be answered by a trained prayer ministry associate. The prayer line is coordinated by pastors Gary and Sheila Jones.

Wednesday

Faith United Church, 2901 Austin's Colony Parkway in Bryan, invites men of all ages to Wednesday morning coffee and guy talk at 10 a.m. Faithuccbryan.org.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Bryan, will have evening prayer at 5:30 p.m. www.standrewsbcs.org .
The flu is hitting Brazos County hard -- 269 patients so far this season compared to 10 at this time last year -- prompting health officials to urge residents to take precautions against spreading the highly contagious disease.

Flu season peaks around January and February, says Julie Anderson, a family nurse practitioner with the Brazos County Health Department's Community Health Services. But this December has higher than average numbers, which follows what's becoming a nationwide trend.

"We noticed from last week to this week, there was a noticeable jump," Anderson said. "Enough to say by the numbers it was an outbreak."

There were 69 confirmed cases of the flu reported to the department and 39 additional cases that were likely the flu in the first week of December. In the second week, there were 35 reported cases with an additional 30 likely cases. The virus causes acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections and can lead to potentially serious complications, officials said, including pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections and more.

Anderson said in the first week of December in 2016, there were two cases of the flu and 10 additional instances that likely were the flu. The reported cases slowly grew, and by the last week in December, there were 39 confirmed cases and 11 likely cases.

While there's no reason to panic, Anderson said it's even more important now to take precautions heading into Christmas and New Years celebrations.

"As we head into the holidays, we're going to start all being inside together," Anderson said. "And nobody wants their Christmas morning ruined by having the flu."

The flu is a respiratory illness, so Anderson says it's important to cover mouths when coughing or sneezing, wash hands, avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth, and avoid sick people.

Above all, she recommends getting the flu shot, which residents can get at their doctor's office, a hospital, several pharmacies around town and at the health department, which is at 201 North Texas Ave. in Bryan. The vaccine costs $25 per adult. For children under 18, the fee is $10, though Anderson says they will not turn away kids if their families cannot pay.

"Even if you don't feel like it's a big deal -- you are young and healthy -- really you are helping to protect someone who is not," she said. "Like pregnant women, very small children, the elderly, maybe someone who is on cancer chemotherapy or immunosuppressive agent, and I always tell people, we always know someone in your life who meets those criteria."

Those in Brazos County who do inevitably contract the flu should also stay away from the office and reconsider holiday plans, Anderson said.

"For instance, I have a dad who is in a longterm care facility for Alzheimer's," she said. "If I had the flu, I might stay home. I would not be spreading Christmas cheer, I would be spreading my flu."

Symptoms of the flu include the following:

 Fever or feeling feverish/chills

 Cough

 Sore throat

 Runny or stuffy nose

 Headache

 Muscle or body aches

 Tiredness (can be extreme)

Health officials said that antiviral drugs -- such as Tamiflu, which can only be obtained with a prescription -- are an important second line of defense that can be used to treat flu illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of antiviral drugs as early as possible to treat flu illness in people who are sick with flu and those at high risk of serious flu complications.
A 20-year-old Bryan man accused engaging in a gun battle outside a College Station apartment complex threatened to kill the officer who later drove him to jail, according to court documents released Friday.

Alexavian Domonike Lashawn Wilson initially was charged Thursday with deadly conduct, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in connection with firing his rifle. A short time later, Wilson made repeated threats against the officer and his family, prompting another third-degree felony -- retaliation against an officer -- to be filed, authorities said.

He also was accused of damaging the inside of the officer's patrol vehicle and destroying a pay phone inside his jail cell, the documents state, detailing how both are misdemeanor charges.

Wilson remained jailed late Friday on $20,000 bail, while the other young man involved in the incident had not been yet found.

The gunfire rung out at about 2:45 p.m. Thursday at Southgate Village Apartments off Luther Street -- a complex where neither of the men resided, police said. Wilson was visiting a woman who lived there, according to documents that state the woman said Wilson was inside when a person she knew only as "Brandon" came in and pointed a gun at Wilson, starting the altercation, the documents state.

Wilson went to his car, where he secured a .308-caliber rifle and went back inside, eventually firing in the direction of the other man and shattering a sliding glass door, court documents state. Witnesses and police said that bullets entered at least one other apartment, striking where a child reportedly regularly sat when he was home. No one was in that room at the time, however.

The court document did not specify whether the man fired his weapon; however, on Thursday a spokesman for College Station police said the pair did exchange gunfire, though it wasn't immediately clear who fired first.

Officers were able to locate Wilson at his mother's home in College Station soon after the shooting, and he admitted to shooting in the direction to scare the other man but not to kill him, the documents state. Wilson said he had been pistol-whipped by the man; police said an injury on his head was consistent with such an incident.

Bullets from his firearm matched shell casings found at the apartment complex, the report states.

The officer who transported Wilson to jail wrote in a report that Wilson was cursing at him and said several times that once he got out he would find the officer and his family, then kill them, according to the statement.

Wilson was placed in a holding cell that contained a pay phone. Wilson picked up the phone receiver and pounded it against the wall until it broke, causing $450 worth of damage within an hour of causing $400 in damage to the patrol officer's vehicle when he tried to kick the protective covering of the back driver's side window.
WASHINGTON  In foreign policy, conventional wisdom has an almost biblical force. Gospel-like, practitioners intone the commandments: Never get involved in a land war in Asia. Terrorism and religion are unrelated. And, holy of holies, do not appear to prejudge the outcome of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

Clearly, the gospels are not for Donald Trump, who declared that Jerusalem is indeed the capital of the state of Israel, and that the United States will move its embassy there from Tel Aviv.

Predictably, the president was denounced by the usual complement of opinion leaders, journalists and political opponents. And since Donald Trump is so often wrong, it is tempting to succumb to the opprobrium of polite society and agree he was probably wrong again. Except he wasnt.

Starting with the purely factual, Jerusalem has the virtue of actually being the capital of Israel. It is the seat of the Israeli prime minister, its parliament, its Supreme Court and its president.

Notwithstanding the objections of other countries, it is established practice for sovereign nations to choose their own capitals.

Dissenting savants will insist that Jerusalem is disputed territory, and therefore must be off limits to the Jews when it comes to capital-choosing.

But for most polite society  excluding Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorists  the question of Jerusalem relates to its Old City and Eastern portions.

Not to all of Jerusalem. And Donald Trump made clear that the United States does not intend to place its embassy on disputed land or prejudge the outcome of a successful negotiation between Israel and Palestinian representatives.

Opponents will add that acknowledging Jerusalem as Israels capital will enrage the Arab world. Perhaps thats true  though most Arab states have been surprisingly perfunctory in their condemnations  but its not a reason for the United States to avoid acknowledging reality. It should certainly be a factor. But it should not be decisive.

But what about the so-called Arab street? And the Palestinians? Yes, they are cross. Hamas and others promptly declared Days of Rage to do what they do on most days that end in y, terrorize civilians and destroy property.

Threats of violence are unacceptable, and should not be recognized with sage nods and murmurs about what-we-should-expect. Moving a building is not a pretext for violence, and all who accept the notion that terrorism has a justification are part of the problem.

Finally, there is the peace process. Successive secretaries of State have winded themselves in their breathless pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize, all to no avail.

But the truth is that the Israelis have had their capital in Jerusalem for almost 70 years, and Washington has maintained an embassy outside Jerusalem for the same time period, and none of that has led to a resolution between the Arabs and the Jews.

There is no reason to believe that acknowledging reality will prejudice that particularly hopeless cause. Perhaps it will have the opposite effect.

Some suggest that behind the Trump administrations thinking on Jerusalem is the notion that upending the status quo, shaking the parties out of their worn-down shibboleths and going back to the table on the basis of reality could be a path forward.

Maybe. Certainly, the status quo has resulted in little more than dazzling prosperity for Israel and growing misery for Palestinians trapped under an unelected gaggle of octogenarian kleptocrats and more youthful terrorists.

Ultimately, it will be the Israelis and the Palestinians who decide the future for themselves. And it will not be the location of the United States embassy that will shape the fate of the region.

Rather it will be the birth of a partnership between the two sides in the belief that all will be better off at peace.

Danielle Pletka is the senior vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. She earned a M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins and previously worked on Middle East issues for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Write her at AEI, 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Distributed by Tribune News Service.
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Four tiger deaths in just 45 days could seriously imperil Madhya Pradesh's push to regain its place as India's 'tiger state'. The fresh big cat mortalities, from unnatural causes, have taken the total number of deaths in 2017 to an unacceptable 25. Fifteen of these deaths were recorded in forest areas in and around the Bandhavgarh National Park.

In the latest instance, on December 11, an adult tigress was found dead near Kachodar in Umaria district. A day later, one of her cubs was discovered, similarly electrocuted by traps laid by poachers. That both carcasses were found three days after the death points to lackadaisical monitoring wildlife officials responsible for tracking the felines in Bandhavgarh clearly had no idea this had happened. In two earlier instances in November, an adult male tiger was found dead near Shahdol after being poisoned while another tiger was found dead after being electrocuted in Dhorai in Umaria district.

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Alarmed by the sudden spike in 'unnatural' tiger deaths, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has issued a notice to the MP forest department seeking an explanation. And while the state authority is yet to respond, it has provoked an only too familiar blame game in the state.

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) aren't being followed, says a senior forest official requesting anonymity. "Once you know there is a tiger in the area, there must be enhanced patrolling to check for electrical wire traps, especially in an area notorious for such things," the officer said. According to him, there's no system in place to sensitise the local population because there are few trained wildlife officers in the field. "They are either at headquarters or posted outside the forest department," he said.

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey also points to the "shortage of boots on the ground because lower level staff is engaged in VIP duties at tiger reserves". Dubey rejects explanations trotted out by forest officials that the traps weren't meant for the tigers. "What kind of an excuse is that?" he asks. "A local, invariably a tribal, is arrested while there is no let-up in the incidents."

Until 2006, Madhya Pradesh was the leading tiger state', with a population of 300 of the big cats. But with rising mortality, it lost the top spot to states like Karnataka and Uttarakhand. Having now run a sustained repopulation campaign, MP is looking toregain its preeminent tiger status after the National Wildlife Census is conducted in 2018. But it will have to find a way to put an end to the poaching.

--- ENDS ---
WASHINGTON  By designating Jerusalem as Israels capital, President Donald Trump is telling the world that when it comes to Israel, might makes right.

Washingtons explicit endorsement of Israels illegal annexation of East Jerusalem strikes a blow to the Palestinians and Israelis nonviolently working to end Israels military occupation and push for lasting peace.

Less than two weeks out from this fateful decision, Palestinian and Israeli blood already has been shed, and undoubtedly the death toll will mount as Israel further entrenches its military occupation and violent extremists continue to draw validation.

In the U.S. media, the violence of Israels military occupation is largely ignored, while the absence of deadly attacks against Israelis or at U.S. embassies worldwide has been cited as evidence that the impact of Trumps decision was merely symbolic.

It may be merely symbolic for Trumps billionaire donors, including Trumps top campaign contributor Sheldon Adelson, who shelled out millions for this policy change.

However, on the ground, Trumps decision has flesh and blood consequences.

In its aftermath, Israeli attacks have killed at least eight Palestinians, two Israelis were stabbed by Palestinians, and Israeli forces have arrested hundreds and injured more than 800 during protests against Trumps decision. Israeli airstrikes have pounded the Gaza Strip, and Hamas launched several rockets at Israel.

One of the Palestinians killed was a paraplegic activist named Ibrahim Abu Thuayeh. He joined thousands in protesting on Gazas border, and Israeli soldiers shot him in the head.

Following his killing the Israeli armys spokesperson did not claim it was a mistake, writing during the violent riots, IDF soldiers fired selectively toward the main instigators.

After global condemnation, the Israeli army announced that Abu Thuayehs killing is now under investigation.

Trump called his Jerusalem decision a recognition of reality. Yet he failed to acknowledge the reality of a military occupation that makes it possible for Israel to kill a Palestinian who doesnt have legs, is blind in one eye, and is trapped behind a fence in the cage of the Gaza Strip, while he was, by all accounts, nonviolently protesting Israels continuing theft of Palestinian land.

Trump and most Republicans and Democrats in Congress fail to recognize the reality of Palestinian life in Jerusalem and Israeli violations of international law.

Today, Israel controls all of Jerusalem, and while Israelis there enjoy full citizenship, the vast majority of its Palestinians residents have no political rights and are citizens of nowhere. When I lived in Jerusalem, I met Palestinians dragged out of their homes at gunpoint by Israeli forces to make way for settlers.

By conferring U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, Trump has exposed his peace plan as a farce. Prescribing an ever-diminishing Palestinian presence in Jerusalem and ever-intensifying Israeli subjugation of Palestinians is a plan not for peace, but for endless bloodshed.

Just months ago, a more hopeful vision was broadcast in Jerusalem. Tens of thousands of Palestinians  Muslim, Christian and secular East Jerusalemites  took to the streets to pray and non-violently protest Israels imposition of a new security arrangement on Palestinians going to pray at Al Aqsa Mosque.

These peaceful protests endured a brutal Israeli crackdown, and ultimately won the day, with Israel reversing its decision to install metal detectors outside the compound.

U.S. citizens, as major funders of Israels half-century-old occupation, have a responsibility to support such courageous manifestations of nonviolence.

With taxpayers now asked to fund a fortress-like embassy at Trumps behest, it is incumbent upon Americans to urge Congress to oppose this funding.

Trump has committed a major foreign policy mistake that legitimizes past and present violence. We must press U.S. policymakers to block Trumps embassy move, and insist that legitimizing nonviolence should take center stage in U.S. policy toward Israel-Palestine, and in U.S. engagement around the globe.

Kate Gould is the legislative director for Middle East policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker lobby in the public interest. She previously interned for a think tank in Jerusalem and worked in the West Bank city of Hebron. Write her at FCNL, 245 Second Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Distributed by Tribune News Service.
Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

NORWALK  The Norwalk Public Library System will offer free, full-service VITA/IRS Volunteer Tax Assistance at the main library, South Norwalk branch and other locations from Jan. 29 through April 17. This program provides free state and federal income tax preparation and e-filing, with special attention to seniors and low to moderate income households.

Once again, the Norwalk Public Library will partner with the IRS through the VITA program and its IRS-certified volunteers. Along with its companion AARP program, more than 65,000 volunteers will provide service at over 9,000 sites across the country. Previously in Connecticut, more than 52,000 federal returns were prepared and e-filed, in addition to an equal number of state returns and many amended filings.
The new year will come with added perks for 4th Taxing District residents after Mayor Harry Rilling announced a new pilot program targeted at the area.

Rilling recently revealed that the district will be the training grounds for the new Bulk Waste Collection Pilot Program. Beginning January, the new program will offer residents of the 4th Taxing District the opportunity to call Customer Service to request a pickup once a month.

Upon the successful completion of the test phase, the areas that receive city garbage collection will be divided into four sections and will be assigned one bulky waste pickup per month. The collection day will be on a Wednesday.

Currently, the city offers bulky waste collection once a year. The new system will provide residents with a more efficient and convenient way to dispose of their bulky items, Rilling said.

To request collection of bulky items, residents must call Customer Service at 203-854-3200, ext. 4 before 3 p.m. on the Monday before their scheduled pickup day. The items they are placing at the curb must be specified.

WEST NORWALK

With Norwalk Community Colleges Lifetime Learners Institute, it is never too late to learn something new.

Registration is now open for Lifetime Learners Institute, a program aimed specifically at people ages 50 and older.

The winter session runs from Jan. 8 through Feb 2. Paid courses, which costs $30 per course with a $50 annual membership, will be offered on Wednesday and Thursdays. Courses include: Fairy Tales are Not Just for Children, Current Events, Chagall and Salvador Dali, Stalins Revolution and Essentrics Body Movement.

Members will also be offered free courses on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Courses include: Car Savvy, 60s Greatest Hits, Why is CT Floundering, DNA Testing, Pak Korea  King Sejong the Great and I Have a Dream.

Classes run from 1:10-2:50 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10:10-11:15 a.m. on Fridays. NCC also offers Lunch and Learn programs with refreshments on Fridays from 12:15-1 p.m.

For more information, visit www.lifetimelearners.org. Registration is available online on the website. Checks may also be mailed or brought into the office.

SOUTH NORWALK

The Bob Macauley Americares Free Clinic of Norwalk is calling on volunteers to help their mission of providing health care for the citys most at-risk populations.

The clinic is seeking medical volunteers and interpreters to help care for low-income patients without health insurance. Physicians, nurses, and other medical volunteers are needed, along with interpreters fluent in both Spanish and English.

Volunteers typically work one or two clinic sessions per month. The clinic, located at 98 South Main St., is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age.

For more information, contact Americares Free Clinics volunteer services senior associate Lorraine Larkin at 203-658-9521 or llarkin@americares.org.

The Americares Free Clinics provide quality health care to low-income, uninsured patients in a setting where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. Since 1994, clinics in Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford have helped 26,000 Connecticut residents receive free health care services.

ROWAYTON

Brighten up your holiday season with the latest offerings of the Rowayton Arts Center as it kicks off the new year with From the RAC Studio, a special exhibit of work by RAC students and instructors chaired by Suzy Aubrey, education director.

The all-media, open-themed show opens from 4-6 p.m. on Jan. 14. If you took a class in 2017, you are eligible to enter. Art submissions are from 4-7 p.m. on Jan. 8, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 9.

The opening reception on Jan. 14 is free and open to the public. The center will also offer free art demonstrations with Anda Styler from 2-4 p.m. on Jan. 14. The winter session of classes begins on Jan. 3.

Interested in trying to achieve Exhibiting Member status? Drop off art for the review committee on Jan. 18.

For more information, visit rowaytonarts.org.

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To share your community and neighborhood news with The Norwalk Hour, contact Pat Tomlinson at 203-842-2570, or at ptomlinson@hearstmediact.com.
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NORWALK  Santa Claus has arrived several days early for residents of St. Pauls Flax Hill Cooperative.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Friday the award of more than $31 million in state funding to support affordable housing projects in 10 communities across Connecticut.

The award includes nearly $4.1 million to upgrade St. Pauls Flax Hill Cooperative, an 86-unit housing cooperative located at 28 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Built in 1978 with a federal loan, the cooperative is managed by Konover Residential Corporation.

Maria Umpierre, who has lived at the complex since 2002 and in her current unit for about three years, is hopeful the funding can be used to replace her kitchen cabinets.

These are really, really old cabinets, Umpierre said. When I moved in they were supposed to put new ones in.

Under the award, the Connecticut Department of Housing will provide up to $4,090,000 to St. Pauls Flax Hill Cooperative, Inc., to assist with the renovation of the complex.

The cooperative was originally financed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Affordability restrictions recently expired with the full repayment of HUDs 40-year loan, according to a statement released by Malloys office.

Residency at St. Pauls Flax Hill Cooperative is open to very low-, low- and moderate-income residents. There are no age restrictions. The cooperative includes one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units in 10 two- and three-story buildings within walking distance of the heart of South Norwalk.

Malloy pushes affordable housing

Malloys office described Fridays awards as among a number of initiatives undertaken by his administration to help create, rehabilitate or preserve nearly 600 units of affordable housing for both renters and homeowners. Those initiatives include the Competitive Housing Assistance for Multifamily Properties, the State Sponsored Housing Portfolio and the Affordable Homeownership funding programs.

When we invest in affordable housing, we invest in Connecticuts future, Malloy said in the statement. Our affordable housing policies continue to make our state a more attractive place to live, work and raise a family, while providing stability and assistance to our veterans and our most vulnerable residents. With this round of funding, I look forward to continuing the progress we have made in transforming Connecticut into an affordable housing leader.

Evonne Klein, state housing commissioner and former Darien first selectwoman, said the awards announced Friday represent the Malloy administrations continued commitment to increasing access to affordable housing.

Were creating housing opportunities for all demographics, and by expanding access to both quality rental and homeownership units were giving Connecticut individuals and families another opportunity to thrive, Klein said in the statement.

Karl Kilduff, executive director of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, said the financing announced Friday will be used for improvements that enhance the quality of life for current residents and ensure the sustainability of State Sponsored Housing Portfolio properties in the future.

Financing with private activity tax exempt bonds from CHFA and four percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits are leveraged with the states investment and other sources of funding to make these renovations possible, Kilduff said in the statement.

Since 2011, the state has created, rehabilitated, or preserved approximately 10,000 affordable housing units. Nearly 3,300 affordable units are under construction, and funding commitments are in place to create about 5,200 more affordable units. The state has invested more than $1 billion in affordable housing, spurring another $2.5 billion in direct economic activity in Connecticut, according to Malloys office.

Gentrification a concern

The award comes as Norwalk officials grapple with maintaining the affordable housing stock amid the ongoing construction of largely luxury apartments in the citys urban core, including South Norwalk.

At a public hearing at City Hall on Monday evening, the Norwalk Planning and Zoning commissions invited input on a proposal to boost the affordable-housing mandate from 10 percent to 20 percent in the area surrounding the South Norwalk train station.

Several developers said boosting the requirement to 20 percent would decrease profitability and jeopardize the feasibility of multifamily housing development altogether, given high land and development costs. Affordable housing advocates rejected those assertions and suggested turning to not-for-profit developers.

In 2007, Norwalk adopted a Workforce Housing Regulation, which requires that a minimum of 10 percent of units within developments of 20 or more units be affordable to households earning no more than 80 percent of the applicable median income.

In 2016, at the urging of the Norwalk Fair Housing Advisory Commission, Mayor Harry Rilling formed a panel to explore how to provide housing for persons in lower-income brackets. A report is forthcoming.

People are concerned about gentrification and so are we, Rilling said in August.

The citys Workforce Housing Regulation, according to Norwalk Fair Housing Officer Margaret Suib, doesnt help households whose annual incomes fall in the $35,000-to-$65,000 range.

Adopted in 2007, the regulation requires a minimum of 10 percent of units within developments of 20 or more units be affordable to households earning no more than 80 percent of the applicable median income.
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NORWALK  Residents of StoneWood Condominium wont be returning home for the holidays nor anytime soon after a fire destroyed portions of their Richards Avenue complex earlier this month.

We heard a year, said Mimi Rivera, who with her husband was displaced and is now living with their daughter in Stamford. They still havent made a determination. Theres nothing definite yet. They have engineers and a lot of people are still on site over there going through whats stable and whats not.

Rivera said she and her husband were allowed to enter their condominium once after the fire to retrieve their medications and some clothing. Imagineers, the property management company that oversees the building, has kept residents informed by email, she added.

Imagineers did not respond for comment when asked when residents will be able to return to StoneWood.

Assessment underway

Fire tore through the upper levels of the four-story, building at 100 Richards Ave. on Dec. 11, destroying parts of the roof and leaving smoke and water damage in other portions of the 54-unit complex.

On Thursday afternoon, Imagineers continued its assessment of the building as workers with two cleaning companies removed plastic-wrapped furniture.

Its going to be razed, predicted Henry Selverstone, after speaking with workers on site. Were in the last apartment up on the top floor. Were unable to get in. Were waiting for them.

Selverstone was among the StoneWood residents at an informational meeting held by Imagineers at City Hall Tuesday evening. Norwalk Deputy Emergency Management Director Michele Deluca, Acting Fire Chief Gino Gatto and Fire Marshal Broderick Sawyer also were present.

Most of the questions were about getting back into the building to get their belongings, Sawyer said.

Fire investigators determined that the blaze was an accident sparked by carelessly discarded smoking materials left on a third-floor balcony. The worst damage occurred near and above that unit, where large sections of the roof collapsed. Firefighters from as far away as Stamford responded to the fire.

Major work expected

William Ireland, Norwalks chief building official, said he is awaiting the report of a structural engineer who inspected the building about a week ago. Determining the structural integrity of the building, restoring a damaged exit corridor, and ensuring that the sprinkler and fire-alarm systems are again functioning are among the issues that must be addressed before anyone can again live in the building, according to Ireland.

They have to get the sprinkler system in operation, the alarm system in operation, the two exits fully accessible, Ireland said. Then it would just be an assessment of what type of construction might be infringing other units for safety, and that would be a field decision.

While the fire was limited to the upper levels of the north section of the complex, water and smoke damage occurred elsewhere. Ireland said all units likely suffered water damage and thus may require renovation.

Its not going to open up in the next three or four months, I dont think. I dont foresee that, Ireland said. I think they have quite a bit to do.

Depending upon the timetable, insurance and other individual circumstances, some residents may decide to sell their units and not return to StoneWood.

Dont count Rivera and her husband among them.

I really cant wait to go back, Rivera said. I was very happy there, very happy there. I would like to go back.
By PTI: Nagpur, December 22, (PTI) Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil today said that the state government had no answers to issues raised by the Opposition.

He was speaking at a press conference here after the conclusion of the winter session of the Assembly.

He said that despite the Opposition demanding that the session be extended to three weeks, the government right from the start wanted to wrap it up as soon as possible.

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He attacked the government over its failure to address the issue of compensation to farmers whose cotton crop had been attacked by bollworms.

He also accused the goverment of failing to provide fair price to soyabean and cotton producers.

Raising doubts on the farm loan waiver scheme, Vikhe Patil said the government was yet to submit the list of farmers whose loans had been waived.

"It is clear from the winter session proceedings that this government is against social justice, is anti-farmer and is protecting corrupt practices," he said.

Attacking the government on the issue of law and order, he said that government was still unable to nab absconding BJP corporator Munna Yadav from Nagpur.

He alleged that the absconding corporator was hiding in a farmhouse near Nagpur.

"We had asked the government to remove him from the government post he is in charge of but the CM did not reply to this demand," Vikhe Patil said.

He also attacked the Shiv Sena saying that the party did not take a stand on the farmers issue.

In reply to a query on holding the monsoon session of the Assembly in Nagpur, Vikhe Patil said that his party had no objection to it being held in July.

"It is a good move and it should be extended to three weeks. It will allow for comprehensive discussions on issues relating to Vidarbha," he added.

He demanded that the government should apologise to former chief minister Ashok Chavan over the allegations leveled against Chavan in the Adarsh scam.

He said the present government had decided to pursue action against Chavan despite the earlier Governor refusing sanction to prosecute him.

"Subsequently, the present Governor set aside the previous Governors order and allowed Chavans prosecution. However the recent verdict on Chavan has proved that the government leveled false allegations and it should apologise to him," said Vikhe Patil. PTI CLS BNM

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Reindeer on a stick and a visit from Santa. What better way is there to start the Christmas holiday weekend?

Thats how about 200 kids spent Friday morning at the Grand Island Public Library.

It was the third annual Breakfast with Santa event at the library for preschoolers through fifth-graders.

The staff really gets excited, said Celine Swan, youth services librarian. We get to decorate and get everything all beautiful.

On hand Friday were volunteers to help with the event. Community volunteers included Grand Island Senior High School students Karla Marquez Cell and Karen Guerrero.

Santa was there and the kids sat on his lap and told him what they wanted for Christmas. They also posed for a photo with Santa. The photos are on the librarys Facebook page.

While visiting with Santa, the kids were also treated to holiday songs sung by Becca Eaton. After visiting with Santa, the kids had breakfast. The breakfast consisted of reindeer on a stick. In reality, it was a Jimmy Dean sausage dipped in pancake batter and fried. It looks like a corn dog.

The kids could play with their food before eating it. There were pretzels for antlers and M&Ms for the eyes and mouth. There was also applesauce and juice for the kids.

After breakfast, it was playtime. There were craft stations for the kids where they made crafts such as Christmas trees from green construction paper or Christmas cards or Santas beard from cotton balls.

There were also games and Christmas stories. There were prizes for the kids to take home.

The real gift is the crafts, Swan said. They really love doing the crafts.

Every year it grows just a little bit more, she said.

Swan said the community didnt have a Breakfast with Santa event until the librarys was created. She decided it would be a fun thing for the kids, especially as they are now on their Christmas break from school.

We thought it would a good way to get people in and get them in the Christmas spirit, she said.

The event was also part of the librarys holiday break program that will continue next week.

The library has the following events for the same age group, each beginning at 10 a.m.:

 Tuesday  Superhero Day with games, stories, and crafts; participants can come dressed in superhero gear

 Wednesday  Central Nebraska Humane Society, winter pet care

 Thursday  LEGOs Build Contest

 Friday  Slime Party, where kids will learn how to make slime and even get to take some home

There are also programs for kids age 10-18 at 2 p.m. at the library:

 Tuesday  Anime Club, featuring crafts, games, and movie; participants can come dressed in cosplay

 Wednesday  OddBods winter craft

 Thursday  Game Day with board, card, and video games

 Friday  movie and bookmark craft

It is not only fun for the kids, but the parents said it really got them in the holiday spirit, Swan said about Breakfast with Santa. They were looking for activities as their kids are out of school.

The library also worked with the Head Start program during the event.

We are trying to do more with Head Start because we want our families to come in for early literacy to happen, Swan said.

When Santa entered the room, many of the kids got excited.

Santa said his schedule is pretty hectic this time of year. But he looks forward to having breakfast with the kids in Grand Island.

They are good kids, Santa said.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 23, 2017 10:08 1791 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ebbb64 1 Art & Culture bekraf,Indonesia,China,Indonesian-movies Free

The Indonesian Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) celebrated on Thursday its collaboration with Red and White China and PT Kamala Media Cipta to produce Boundless Love, a romantic drama to be directed by China's Wing Yiming.

Gansu Biaoshi Culture Communication Group has also contributed co-production funding for Boundless Love.

This is not the first Chinese movie to be set against the backdrop of Indonesia. However, this is the first time Bekraf will be directly involved in the filming process, Bekraf marketing deputy Joshua Puji Mulia Simanjuntak said at the agency's Central Jakarta office, reported Antara News Agency (https://www.antaranews.com/berita/672612/bekraf-dan-china-berkolaborasi-buat-film-boundless-love).

The jointly produced film is a direct result of the Indonesian Creative Incorporated (ICINC) for Film, which was introduced in May in Shanghai.

Read also: Agency to host pitching, financing forum for Indonesian film projects

The 90-minute drama tells of the romantic relationship between a Chinese and an Indonesian mixed couple, highlighting the differences between the two cultures.

Director Wing Yiming said, I have come to Indonesia three times and have revised the script 46 times. I think I will be able to make a film about a love story that can bring the two countries closer.

A number of well-known actors from the two countries, such as Shen Hao (China), Putri Ayudya and Ray Sahetapy, are slated to be involved in the film, along with 25 crew members from Indonesia and 25 from China.

Production on the film will run from Dec. 22 to Jan. 7, will filming set to take place in Jakarta, Bandung and Palembang. The shoot in Palembang, which will co-host the 2018 Asian Games, will feature several Asian Games venues to promote the multi-sports event.

Joshua said he had communicated with local officials regarding the filming schedule and locations. We will not only do this with our Chinese counterparts, this is the first model of co-production by the government. Of course, we wont stop at Boundless Love, he added. (asw)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 23, 2017 08:06 1791 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2eb8629 1 Science & Tech medal,students,Competition,robot,technology,International-Robot-Olympiad Free

An Indonesian team consisting of 13 students from Jakartas SMA 28 state senior high school and SMA Al Azhar 19 senior high school came home with a silver medal following their participation in the International Robot Olympiad in Qinhuangdao, Hevei province, China.

Held on Dec. 14-21 with "Public Safety and Security" as its theme, the red-and-white team earned a silver medal in the Robot in Movie category, as well as the Technical award in the Creative Team category.

"We're proud of these students, who were able to make such an achievement in the international scene," Indonesia Robot Committee deputy head Riza Muhida in Beijing, China, on Friday as quoted by Antara news agency.

He added that the students had shown both high spirit and confidence at the event.

Read also: Jakarta students win silver, bronze in Moscow sci-tech olympiad

Introduced in 1999 in Seoul, South Korea, the Olympiad aims to increase the young generation's intellectual capacity in technology and their talent in the field of robotics and introduce the technology to a wider audience.

"Hopefully, through this participation, Indonesian youths can increase their creativity in creating robot technology in this digital era and develop a social network with other countries' young generation," said Riza.

Among the participating countries at the event were Germany, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, as well as Central Asia and Latin American countries. (kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Frankfurt am Main, Germany  Sat, December 23, 2017 16:08 1790 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ec536c 2 Lifestyle birkenstock,Amazon,#Amazon,e-commerce,#eCommerce,Internet,#Internet,Fraud,#Fraud Free

The head of the iconic German shoe brand Birkenstock on Friday slammed Amazon for failing to tackle the scourge of counterfeit goods online, accusing the e-commerce giant of acting as "an accomplice" to the fraudsters.

"The truth is that Amazon makes money with these fakes," Birkenstock chief executive Oliver Reichert told Spiegel news weekly. "As far we're concerned, Amazon is an accomplice."

The broadside comes days after the veteran footwear company said it would stop selling on Amazon Europe websites from January in protest at the online retailer's lack of action against knock-off Birkenstocks.

Birkenstock, founded in 1774 and best known for its comfortable, wide-strapped leather sandals adored by fashionistas, has taken a firm stance against trademark infringements.

Last year, it ended its relationship with the US arm of Amazon, citing the repeated failure to stop fake Birkenstocks from being sold on the website.

Read also: This gadget tells you if your handbag is a fake

"If you sell dodgy merchandise on your marketplace, you have to answer for that," said Reichert.

But Amazon strongly rejected the criticism.

In a statement sent to AFP, the US firm said it removed items that violated its policies "as soon as we become aware of them" as well as taking action against the offending sellers.

"Amazon prohibits the sale of fraudulent products," it said.

"We encourage rights owners who have a product authenticity concern to notify us, and we will investigate it thoroughly and take any appropriate actions."
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Szolnok, Hungary  Sat, December 23, 2017 17:11 1790 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ec56a2 2 Science & Tech robot,#robot,Education,#education,police,#Police Free

A talkative little robot has been enlisted by police in Hungary to help bring an electric jolt to presentations in schools and pensioner clubs.

"Hi kids!" said robot "Robi" to a class of primary school children in Szolnok, 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Budapest.

"Some things you need to be careful with when using the internet..." he continued in a tinny voice.

About 40 centimeters tall and 20 wide (16 by eight inches), and weighing 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds), Robi's 16-part body stood on a table, gesturing as he talks.

"It grabs the attention more if a robot is talking," Robi's programmer Csaba Erdos, a police educational instructor, told AFP. "It's a new way of communicating and presenting," he said.

Robi has been operational in the Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok county since May, and Erdos, 38, said there are plans to have similar robots jumping into action soon around the country.

Most weeks Erdos takes Robi with him to help at presentations to schoolkids and elderly people on themes like crime prevention, digital security and road safety.

Read also: Jakarta students bring home silver medal at robot Olympiad in China

During a break to recharge -- after 30 minutes of talking Robi needed more power -- one boy at the Tiszaparti school told AFP that he hadn't seen a talking robot before, apart from in the "Transformers" cartoon.

"His voice took a while to get used to but I loved it, he was very clever," said 10-year-old Milan Markus.

After the talk, the children laughed as they all tried to mirror his robot moves.

Occasionally Robi also greets reporters at press conferences, where he gives advice on how to avoid crimes like break-ins.

He can even answer questions, "as long as they are pre-programed," said Erdos.

Sporting a police logo on his chest, the friendly Robi can also help engender trust in the police, Erdos said.

"Robots can be a force for good, helping and supporting people, rather than replacing or threatening them, as they are sometimes portrayed in films, he said
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu, Suherdjoko and Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Semarang/Surakarta  Sat, December 23 2017

Local administrations across Indonesia have been instructed to tighten their security measures and put fire departments on standby ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said heightened security measures had been implemented in all areas across the country starting from Friday through Jan. 3.

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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali  Sat, December 23, 2017 13:04 1790 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ebeee4 1 National Indonesia,bali,alert-status Free

The government has lifted the alert status on Bali, suggesting activity on Mount Agung might only affect those within a 10-kilometer radius from the crater.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said on Friday that the alert status had unfortunately triggered foreign countries to issue travel advisories.

"The President has decided to revoke the alert status. Bali is now ready to welcome tourists again," he said after a limited Cabinet meeting led by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in Denpasar.

Among countries that issued travel advisories, China banned its citizens from traveling to Bali from Nov 27 to Jan 4. The travel advisories reportedly dealt a severe blow to the island's tourist industry.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said the number of tourist arrivals to Bali had gradually recovered to 12,300 visitors per day, recently. The number had plunged to as low as 2,000 visitors per day after Mt. Agung erupted on Nov. 29. On normal days, the average number of visitors is 15,000.

Currently, the situation is conducive and stable," he said. (dmr)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 23, 2017 14:53 1790 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ec2f6f 1 Business SOEs,loss,2017,Garuda-Indonesia,Krakatau-Steel Free

Thirteen out of the 115 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are projected to suffer financial losses to the tune of Rp 4 trillion (US$295 million) this year, with national carrier PT Garuda Indonesia and steel giant PT Krakatau Steel accounting for at least half of the sum.

In comparison, the SOEs combined losses amounted to Rp 5 trillion ($368 million) last year.

Minister for State Enterprises Rini Sumarno blamed fierce competition and management troubles at some of the companies for the losses.

Some of them have suffered losses for years, she added, as reported by Tempo.

Garuda and Krakatau Steel would likely see their losses amount to more than Rp 1 trillion, Rini said at a meeting with the directors of 115 SOEs.

Garuda faced stiff price wars this year and some of its international routes were inefficient, she said.

Krakatau Steel struggled against Chinese products being dumped on the Indonesian market, Rini added.

Papermaker PT Kertas Leces, aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia and PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines were the other big losers in 2017, she said.

Rini told the SOE directors to strive for efficiency and look for ways to merge some of the companies that are in the same line of business. (sha/bbn)
Indonesia commemorates the first womens congress of 1928 on Dec. 22, where 30 womens organizations across Java and Sumatra gathered to fight for womens equality in what was then the Dutch East Indies.

It remains a mystery how after independence in 1945 both Sukarno and Soeharto managed to turn the day into a celebration of motherhood. Debates between those who try to correct the misconception and those who wish to retain the more palatable Mothers Day sentiment remain heated on social media to this day.

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A native of Mahabubabad of Telangana, Jampanna was number seven in the central committee, which is the supreme body of CPI (Maoist).

By Ashish Pandey: In a major blow to the Communist Party of India- Maoist (CPI-Maoist), one of its top commander surrendered to the Telangana police.

The Maoist's Central Committee member Jinugu Narasimha Reddy alias Jampanna, who was in-charge of the Andhra-Odisha Special Zonal Committee has surrendered along with his wife Rajitha.

However, official announcement of the surrender is still awaited.

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Jampanna carries a reward of Rs 1 crore in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha and other Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states.

A native of Mahabubabad of Telangana, Jampanna was number seven in the central committee, which is the supreme body of CPI (Maoist).

He along his wife rose from the ranks in the banned outfit and Jampanna also became the secretary of maoist party's North Telangana Special Zonal committee (NTSZC).

Sources say he was appointed Secretary of Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) special Zonal Committee which holds a liberated zone at the tri-junction of Andhra, Odisha and Bastar of Chhattisgarh.

Recently he was active in Kandhmal Kalahandi division (KKBN) of Maoists in Odisha.

Jampanna was involved in several attacks on security forces in Bastar- the state government had also announced a reward of Rs 40 lakh on his head.

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Linkedin (AFP) Kuala Lumpur  Sat, December 23, 2017 09:53 1791 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2eba878 2 SE Asia Islamic-militants,Malaysia,terrorism,arrest Free

Malaysian police have detained 20 alleged Islamic militants, including a leading member of an Indonesian extremist group and others believed to be planning to fight in the strife-torn southern Philippines, authorities said Friday.

They were the latest arrests of alleged extremists in Muslim-majority Malaysia, as fears grow militants who had been fighting with the Islamic State (IS) group overseas are heading back to Southeast Asia after the jihadists' losses in the Middle East.

The arrests were made in nationwide raids from late November to mid-December, police said in a statement.

Among those detained was an alleged senior leader of the Indonesian IS-linked militant outfit Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), which has been blamed for several recent deadly attacks in its home country.

The 24-year-old was picked up in the southern Malaysian state of Johor, police said, without identifying him.

A 50-year-old Filipino suspected of trying to recruit people to join Philippine kidnap-for-ransom gang Abu Sayyaf was arrested in Kuala Lumpur.

Several Filipinos, Malaysians and Indonesians were detained on Borneo island, also suspected of planning to join militants in the Philippines.

The arrests come after hundreds of local and foreign gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS laid siege to the principal Islamic city in the mainly Catholic Philippines for five months.

The brutal battle for Marawi claimed over 1,000 lives.

A militant from an unidentified North African country who had previously fought with IS in the Middle East was also arrested at Kuala Lumpur airport, police said.

Malaysia has rounded up hundreds of suspected Islamic militants in recent years but has not suffered a major attack.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 23, 2017 11:09 1791 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ebd25d 1 News Zagreb,Croatia,Christmas,Europe,Christmas-market Free

Croatian capital Zagreb has been named the best Christmas market in Europe for the third consecutive year, European Best Destinations announced earlier this month.

Of the 200,516 travelers that voted, nearly 40,000 voted for Zagreb, which helped it finish ahead of Frances Colmar and Austrias Vienna.

Known for its breathtaking beach resorts and islands, Croatia has only recently been discovered as a viable winter destination. Zagreb sees increasing numbers of tourists annually, with almost all hotels fully occupied during Advent.

In December 2016 alone, the city recorded 145,000 overnight stays, about a third more than in the previous year. This year, Zagreb expects to hit a new record.

Read also: From Zagreb with love

The Christmas market today is much larger than its inaugural version 16 years ago, which was a comparatively low-key affair.

Security measures have been trumped up too, with more police in the city center and barriers set up as a precautionary measure against terrorist attacks.

Pavel Kalinic from the Emergency Management Office told CGTN.com that more rigid barriers should be put in place. Only last weekend there were about 200,000 people in Zagreb, indicating that it is an attractive place and there will be more and more people, he said. (afr/kes)
An online petition has been launched against Matt Damon, regarding his controversial statements on sexual harassment in Hollywood.

By India Today Web Desk: Matt Damon might not be seen in a cameo role, in Ocean's 8, which stars Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett.

According to recent reports, an online petition has been launched against Matt Damon, regarding his controversial statements on sexual harassment in Hollywood.The online petition demands the producers of the film, George Clooney, Steven Soderbergh, and Susan Ekins, to cut the actor's cameo in the all-female spin-off of the Ocean's trilogy which is "supposed to be an empowering film for women", reports aceshowbiz.com.

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"Matt Damon should not be in this movie. Damon's inclusion would trivialise the serious nature of the charges against sexual abusers like Harvey Weinstein - a show of massive disrespect for the brave women speaking out."

The petition also said that if the producers didn't remove Damon's cameo from the film, it would show a "lack of accountability for sexual harassment in the workplace that four in ten American women experience."

In the past few months, Hollywood has been grappling with shocking accusations directed against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Over 80 actresses stepped forward and said that he had sexually harassed and molested them.

Earlier in an interview, Damon was asked if he would like to work with those accused of sexual assault in Hollywood.

Damon had a rather shocking answer to give. "I wouldn't want to work with somebody, life's too short for that. But the question of if somebody had allegations against them, you know, it would be a case-by-case basis. Rotten apples are only about one percent of the industry and there are plenty of good men. There's a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right? Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn't be conflated, right?"

Ocean's 8, the next film in the enormously successful Ocean's series, will release on June 8, 2018.

ALSO WATCH: Harvey Weinstein to Kevin Spacey: Hollywood's dirty secret is exposed

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Old or new, in the cinema or in TV, these films haunt us for the whole season like the ghost of Christmas present. And, lets be honest, most of them are so bad that they ruin the Christmas spirit just a little. But there are some that not only are good, but have also been around for so many years that we know the whole script by heart. But they are great, so we dont mind. Here are eight Christmas films that are so wonderful that they have stood the test of time.One of the best movies of all time, Its a Wonderful Life tells the story of a man who wishes he had never existed, and of an angel who shows him how different everybodys life would be if he hadnt been born. Its a story about family and love with one of the most touching endings in film history, and it is not only the perfect Christmas movie, but is also considered a classic even 71 years after its release.

The endearing story about Kris Kringle, a shopping mall Santa Claus who claims to be the real one, is a true classic. It has even been remade, although the best version is, of course, the first one. The story has served as inspiration for countless Christmas stories, but the charm of the original Kris Kringle is irreplaceable. Seventy years have passed, but we still know and love this classic Christmas film.

This film is not only a great Christmas story, but also the origin of the song White Christmas, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1943. And taking into account that Bing Crosbys version of the song is the worlds best selling single, and that we all know the lyrics almost eight decades later, Holiday Inn unquestionably deserves a place in this list.

Arnold Schwarzenegger as a father struggling to find the sold out toy that his son wants for Christmas is so hilariously relatable that its no wonder the story has become a true Christmas classic.This funny story about a little boy who gets left behind by his hectic family and has to spend Christmas alone figuring everything out and defending his house from burglars has become one of the most known Christmas films around the world in less than twenty years. Every Christmas we revisit the story of Kevin, portrayed by the once angelic Macaulay Culkin, only to burst into laughter and tears again and again.

Dickens novel A Christmas Carol has been brought to the big screen countless times: the Flintstones, the Muppets and even Bill Murray, among many others, have their own version of the story. But Disneys Christmas Carol has something magical that makes it stand out from the rest. Starring Scrooge McDuck in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge (naturally), the movie gathers some of the most loved Disney characters to bring Dickens story to life in a movie that has been for years reminding children everywhere of the true meaning of Christmas.

23 years ago, Tim Allen gave life to Scott Calvin, a man who accidentally kills Santa Claus and is magically (and legally) forced to take his place. This innovative and amusing family film won our hearts and today remains one of the most famous Christmas films ever.

Last but not least, the British film that in just 14 years has become one of the most loved Christmas classics of all time definitely deserves a place in this list. This movie made of crossover stories of a group of diverse but ordinary characters who spend their Christmas season in London is exactly what we need to watch every year. This movie speaks of incredibly relatable topics such as getting your heart broken, finding a new love and letting go of an old one. The whole thing is nothing but a love story made of love stories set in Christmas which reminds us that love actually is all around.
On Thursday, 128 members voted in favour of supporting the existing international consensus that Jerusalem can only be settled as an agreed final issue in a peace deal.Only nine states - including the US and Israel - voted against the resolution. Other states that supported Trump were Togo, Micronesia, Naura, Palau, Marshall Islands, Guatemala and Honduras. Earlier this week, Trump threatened to cut off financial aid to those who backed the resolution. "They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us. Well we're watching those votes," he told reporters at the White house. Earlier that day, it had become clear that the US and Israel would be heavily defeated. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later called UN a "house of lies." "Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, whether or not the UN recognises this," he said. "It took 70 years for the United States to formally recognise this, and it will take years for the UN to do the same." Israel's Deputy Minister for Diplomacy Michael Oren called for Israel to cut its ties with the UN and expel the organisation from its Jerusalem offices. "We must evict the UN from the scenic Governor's House, where its bloated staff does nothing, and give this historic site to a school, a hospital or - best yet - a new US embassy," he said.
By PTI: (Eds: Adds more quotes)

Ahmedabad, Dec 23 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who today met party leaders here to discuss assembly election results, claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modis much talked- about Gujarat development model was debunked during the polls.

The Congress chief held zone-wise "introspection meetings" here to ascertain reasons for the partys defeat.

"You fought very well. We managed to gherao the BJP, as you could see that they were not able to give reply to our questions," Gandhi told party workers.

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"Modiji, in the end, spoke about himself, about (former prime minister) Manmohan Singh. But all earlier talk about development and Modi model was debunked by Congress workers and the people of Gujarat," he said.

The entire country was asking what happened to the Gujarat model. Modiji would not be able to talk about it in the future, Gandhi said.

"The question asked three or four months ago was can the Congress fight elections, nobody was talking about us winning it. The Gujarat Congress has shown the entire country that if it fights in one voice on the basis of its ideology, it wont get defeated," he said.

"We lost in the elections, but we won. That is the reality. We won because they (the BJP) fought with anger, they had all the equipment, money, chief ministers of different states (to campaign), industrialists, but we had truth," the Congress chief said.

At one time the BJP said the Congress would get only 15- 20 seats, he said, adding the "new leadership" in the Assembly would bring the Congress to power in Gujarat in 2022.

Gandhi alleged Modi and the BJP ran a campaign of "lies and defamation" over the last two decades and it was the "main reason" for the Congresss defeat in the polls.

"My main challenge was to make the Congress accept that it was going to win the elections. You believed 70 per cent of it, and you saw the results," he said.

"Now, the Gujarat Congress has regained confidence. You know that the Congress can win elections. Now see the kind of results we will get in the Lok Sabha and next Assembly (polls). It will be a good result, and in the next Assembly we will form the government," Gandhi said.

"The BJP said it will get 150 seats (in 2017 polls)... We will get 135 seats (in 2022 Gujarat polls)," he said.

Action will be taken against "5-10 per cent" renegade party workers while those who worked with devotion will be rewarded, the Congress chief said.

"You have to show the people of Gujarat that Congress MLAs fight for peoples issues and never backtrack. Whatever we had said about the Gujarat government during the election is true and the fight has not ended yet," Gandhi said.

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"The BJP will run the government of five-ten industrialists and will work to snatch lands from farmers. It is our duty to protect the people of Gujarat, its farmers and youths...We will give a fight to the BJP at every level," the Congress president said.

Gandhi met newly elected Congress MLAs, defeated candidates and district unit presidents to elicit their views on the results.

The reasons cited by the leaders included late declaration of candidates, lack of management at the local level and lack of state-level coordination, party sources said.

Some leaders also blamed OBC leader Alpesh Thakor over his choice of some candidates, sources said.

In the morning, Gandhi visited the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district. PTI KA PD KRK GVS

--- ENDS ---
University of Cambridge will have to ask students for their permission before publicly sharing their exam results.

For the past 300 years, degree classification of each student at the University of Cambridge has been displayed alongside their name outside Senate House.

The information is also published online in the Cambridge University Reporter.

The European Unions General Data Protection Legislation (GDPR) aims to strengthen data protection for all citizens within the EU. This legislation, which is set to be introduced in May 2018, might force Cambridge to seek permission from their students before publishing their grades on the class lists.

The class lists have been a contentious issue for some time, with many students campaigning for the lists to be abolished and others - often unsuccessfully - applying to opt out of the lists. Campaigners argue that the lists encourage mental ill health amongst students by emphasising a competitive element to examinations which are often already incredibly stressful for students.

A proposal to allow students to opt out of the class lists has been submitted for approval by the Cambridge University Students Union (CUSU).

Speaking to The Cambridge Student, Union President Daisy Eyre said:



From now on, students will be able to easily remove themselves from the Class Lists, meaning that students will no longer have to feel anxious about who may see their results.

"On top of this, Class Lists promoted an atmosphere of competition that was stressful for many Cambridge students.

This is definitely a step in the right direction in terms of creating a more supportive atmosphere at Cambridge, and promoting systems that safeguard students' mental health as best they can.
In the UK, our Christmas traditions generally involve last minute card-writing in a tube station, heavy drinking and arguing with our Tory-voting uncle about financial management.

In the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, the spirit is much merrier.

One of the famous Venezuelan traditions is to give your house a fresh lick of paint in the few weeks leading up to Christmas. A bright new colour and a bit of a tidy up is a way for the locals to prepare their houses for the annual Christmas bejewelling, and sets a positive tone for the New Year to come.

You wont find too many Christmas trees inside the newly decorated houses, instead, traditional nativity scenes. Some families go all out, creating entire dioramas which are passed through the generations!

As a predominantly Catholic society, it is a custom to attend one of nine carol services which take place across the city. The services, called Misa de Aguinaldo (Early Morning Mass) run between the 16th and 24th December, starting in the early hours of the morning. Accompanied by colourful exploding firecrackers, loud bell-songs, tostados and coffee, the services are a proper family affair.

The way the families attend the carol services however, is a little bit more unorthodox.

Many neighbourhoods close their streets to cars until 8am, to make sure there are no barriers for the cascade of roller-skaters heading to early morning mass. Legend has it that children will go to bed with a long piece of string tied to one of their toes, with the other end dangling out of the window. As the skaters glide down the empty streets, they tug at the end of the piece of string so children know its time for mass.

The final service is on Nochebuena de Navidad (Christmas Eve), and sees huge swells of locals gather for mass and then return home for that all-important family meal.

Venezuelan food has a huge part to play in the South American Christmas tradition, with the most important dish being the hallacas - traditional savory and sweet meat pies, covered in a cornmeal crust and wrapped in banana leaves. Theyre usually boiled for a few hours, and stuffed full with raisins, olives, capers, pickled vegetables and peppers.

They may be delicious, but theyre also a job to make! Preparing the hallacas brings the whole family together, which sounds great in principle but you know, too many cooks and all...
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By PTI: Kolkata, Dec 23 (PTI) A high-level business delegation from Morocco, headed by a minister, visited Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) to explore opportunities in the eastern part of the country.

Moroccan minister of Equipment, Logistics, Transport and Water, Abdelkader Amara, and Ambassador of Morocco to India, Mohamed Maliki, along with other senior officials visited Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) of Kolkata Port Trust yesterday.

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The delegation held discussions with KoPT deputy chairman G Senthilvel, and other senior officers of Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) on issues of common interest relating to trade and commerce, KoPT officials said.

HDC is having plans to expand its capacity by at least 10 million tonnes in the coming years and letter of Intent has been issued for development of Outer Terminal-II and construction of a liquid cargo jetty at Shalukhali which will increase the capacity by 4.5 million tonnes, officials said.

The Outer Terminal-I to cater to dry bulk cargo is at the proposal stage and will increase the capacity by another five million tonnes.

Morocco is a major exporter of fertilisers to India. The North African country is scouting for opportunities in several areas during the visit. PTI BSM JM

--- ENDS ---
At this Mumbai restaurant, servers communicate with guests through sign language.

By Asian News International: A restaurant in Mumbai has pushed for social change by employing people who are speech and hearing impaired.

The Mirchi and Mime restaurant in Mumbai's Powai area mainly consists of people with hearing and speech disability who communicate with guests through sign language.

Each item on the menu is paired with sign language images to help customers ask what they want using hand gestures, or sign language.

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The restaurant currently has 50 such staff.

The owner of the restaurant is planning to open a chain of restaurants across India to provide employment to at least 500 such people.

Also read: From a food truck to restaurant chain in Mumbai: the inspiring journey of Paninaro

"There is a little briefing before the operation gets started in the restaurant. There is a lunch briefing and a dinner briefing. This is done to ensure the smooth running of the restaurant," said Ranjan, a trainer specialist in sign language and captain of the restaurant.

The interiors of Mirchi and Mime. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Mirchi and Mime

Prashant, the owner of the restaurant, said he and his partner opened this restaurant inspired by a similar type of restaurant in Canada.

"When I and my partner came back to India, We wanted to do something that not only generates wealth for us, but also for society at large and keeping that in mind, we were looking for a restaurant concept," Prashant told ANI.

Also read: This brand new diner in Mumbai serves comfort in a bowl

The restaurant is famous for its Nutella & Toffee Tarte. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Mirchi and Mime

"We saw a video about a similar type of restaurant in Canada and thought that we can do it," he added.

Prashant said that he met his staff through various NGOs and colleges and persuaded them to work in his restaurant.

Prashant has learnt the sign language also for the smooth functioning of the restaurant.

--- ENDS ---
Set the day after tomorrow, the second novel by Laline Paull  author of the Baileys Prize-shortlisted The Bees  warns of the coming dangers of global warming, not least the resulting economic apartheid thats going to tear nations apart.

There are violent coups in the flooding Maldives; shrinking snowlines see Alpine ski resorts now only functioning at the very highest altitudes, and at astronomical prices (those that make even the rich feel poor); in Venice great chunks of the city are collapsing into the lagoon; and the British capital that looked and felt wrong is coated with a fine, gritty film of ochre Saharan dust blown across Europe from Africa, sending respiratory patients running to overcrowded A&E departments. In shining a spotlight on the growing connections between environmental damage and civil unrest, The Ice is an important and powerful novel, but its also strikingly prescient too.

It opens with the discovery of a body, that of Tom Harding, the victim of a caving accident in the Arctic. At the inquest subsequently held to determine the precise cause of death, a Cambridge professor of ocean physics called upon as an expert makes the most of his soapbox, apportioning blame to the reckless endangering of our planet by every industry that ignores the environmental recommendations for how to operate, and to every government that fails to abide by the Paris Agreement.

That the publication of Paulls novel coincides with Donald Trumps appalling announcement the US will withdraw from the climate treaty makes for all the more chilling reading. She cant have predicted this, of course, but she gets a dig in regardless. The world is governed by lunatics and we just sit quiet? the eminent professor concludes in animated exasperation.

Flashback to a few years earlier and we learn that Tom, previously head of Greenpeace, was an idealistic environmentalist as obsessed with the Arctic as his best friend Sean Cawson. Despite having different end-goals in sight, the bond they forged at the Lost Explorers Society while students at Oxford is a strong one  Tom really did want to save the world and Sean really did want to put his name on the map and become phenomenally wealthy. Both were articles of faith. So much so that it sees them joining forces to establish a retreat that apparently reconciles business and environmental ethics on Svalbard, the new Ibiza of the north. Their roles that of vigilant stewards of the Arctic, or thats what they tell themselves.

Disaster quickly follows, and what plays out thereafter is an intriguing environment thriller-cum-courtroom drama that sets personal betrayal alongside larger moral questions about wealth and power. Led by ideas rather than its characters, The Ice starts slow  reading the first few chapters was a little like trying to penetrate the milky veil Paull describes that can suddenly appear in the Arctic like a spell, blanking out contours, hiding crevasses, wiping out direction. But as the confusion mounts and loyalties are twisted, so too the pace soon ratchets up leading to a taught den-ouement.
Gruesomely nailed to a cross and raised over the hill of Golgotha, Jesus Christ  the one and eternal son of the Father hung upon it for three painful hours. Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit. Those were his last words uttered in a tone of complete surrender to his Heavenly Father. He was subjected to a cruel death, so shameful that it was inflicted only on the most despicable people.

Disheartening it is to note that Jesus was crucified beside thieves. An inscription attesting to his kingship, satirically of course, was affixed to the top of his cross. This is the king of the Jews. John the evangelist even notes that it was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, so that no one would mistake what it said.

Watching his humiliation stood the people. They were helpless. They couldnt express anything. They were afraid to take sides. The leaders kept jeering at him, for they had cowed him down. Now that their victory over Jesus of Nazareth was irreversible, they challenged him by saying He saved others; let him save himself. Sharing the triumph of their superiors, the soldiers too exclaimed: If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. To cap all these insults, one of the thieves crucified with Jesus joined in rebuking him, If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself and us.

Jesus made no reply to those challenges. It was as if he did not even hear them. Christ could have used his powers to get rid of the nails in his hands and feet, and would have easily descended from the cross. He could have imposed his incontestable authority on the subdued spectators. But he was no showman. He had been confronted with the same sort of temptation when he was fasting in the desert after his baptism. He refused to use his powers for any personal advantage. His life was not designed for his personal gratification.

The second thief crucified alongside Jesus intervened and reprimanded the other thief who had insulted Jesus. Acknowledging his own faults and admitting the justice of punishment he was receiving, the criminal affirmed the innocence of Jesus. What gave him the courage to take a clear-eyed look at things was his approaching death. He knew that he would be dead in a short time. The situation was hopeless for him. Hence placing his trust in Jesus, he asked Jesus not to forget him when he enters his kingdom. And Jesus replied. This day you will be with me in paradise. Those were the only words that Jesus expressed in the whole narrative.

Jesus consoling words were words of promise. His promise spoke nothing about Jesus himself. He had responded for the one who had made a request of him. Jesus let him into his kingdom.

Thats the significance of Jesus words: KnockIt shall be opened. Ask it shall be given. Bowing his head after his lost words, Jesus gave up his ghost. This happened some two thousand and odd years ago. 7 April, 34 AD, to be exact and these scenes were witnessed on that First Good Friday.

In many Christian denominations it was a day of mourning and penance. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.When Jesus gave up his ghost, the earth shook, the rocks split apart, the graves ripped open and many of Gods people who had died came back to life. The dead who were raised to life marched towards the Holy city in thunder, lightning and torrential rain, where many people saw them.

The army officer and the soldiers with him who were watching Jesus saw the earthquake and everything else that happened. They were terrified and said: He really was the Son of God.

Jesus Christ died on the cross to free men from all clutches and through his gospel of love he brought redemption to all mankind. Though his parables and the sermon on the Mount, he replaced hatred with love, doubt with faith, despair with hope, darkness with light, sadness with joy. By his death on the cross, he taught the world that only by giving we can receive, only by pardoning others we are pardoned.
Scheduled commercial banks including select financial institutions lost Rs 16,789 crore due to frauds in 2016-17, Parliament was informed on Friday.

Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla told the Lok Sabha, in a written reply, that the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) Fraud Monitoring Reports showed that an amount lost on account of frauds during 2016-17 was Rs 16,789 crore.

On the question about the impact of cyber crimes on the banking system and the ways to combat it, he said: An inter-disciplinary Standing Committee on Cyber Security has been constituted by RBI, comprising, inter alia, of academia, information security audit or forensic or cybersecurity experts.

The committee reviews, inter alia, threats inherent in the existing or emerging technology, and suggests appropriate policy interventions to strengthen cybersecurity and resilience framework in the banking system.
Faced with confusion after the defeat of its Chief Ministerial face, Prem Kumar Dhumal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may clear the air on the Himachal Pradesh CM in a meeting of MLAs on Sunday.

Central observer, Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar, along with and party in-charge for HP, Mangal Pandey, are arriving in Shimla to announce the high commands decision in the meeting.

BJP insiders said although the name of Union minister, Jagat Prakash Nadda from Bilaspur has emerged as a front-runner for the post now, fingers of his supporters are crossed as the names of five-time MLA, Jai Ram Thakur from Mandi and senior party leader, four-time MLA from Shimla, Suresh Bhardwaj are also doing the rounds.

You never know the considerations before high command. None is confident till the name is announced, said some BJP men.

However, State BJP chief, Satpal Singh Satti, said the central observers have taken the view of party leaders, core committee and MLAs.

The core committee members can also attend the meeting to be addressed by party high ups in Peterhoff, he said.

Sources said during the two-day visit of central observers and party incharge, the supporters of former CM, Prem Kumar Dhumal, who lost the poll, and five-time MLA, Jai Ram Thakur raised loud slogans in favour of their leaders.

Sources said the move to shout slogans to dominate the party meetings at Peterhoff was not taken well by party high ups.
The Raman Singh-led BJP government comfortably survived a no-confidence motion moved by Opposition Congress in the Chhattisgarh Assembly by 10 votes after a record 19-hour-long debate on it.

As many as 48 members voted against the motion while 38 polled in its favour. In the 90-member House, BJP has 49 members, Congress 39, BSP one and an independent.

The Congress had moved the motion on Wednesday, the second day of the winter session, expressing no confidence in the four-year-old BJP government.

The voting took place around 7 AM on saturday after the conclusion of the debate on the motion that had begun at noon on friday.

In his reply on the motion in the Assembly, which lasted for over an hour, Chief Minister Singh termed as poor the Oppositions charges and said the party has raked up the same old issues even this time.

As the motion was put to vote by Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal, Leader of Opposition T S Singhdeo demanded division, following which the Speaker announced voting in reference to the motion.

In his reply, the chief minister said his government has been continuously working for the development of the state.

Proper development can be witnessed not only in the capital, but also in all the 27 districts, including Bijapur, Dantewda and Sukma, he said.

Several initiatives were taken to transform Chhattisgarh into a digital state, he claimed.

Under the Bharat Net Yojana, the Centre recently sanctioned Rs 1,624 crore to Chhattisgarh as a part of which a network of optical fibre will be laid across the state, Singh said.

The project will ensure internet connectivity in every panchayat, right from Balrampur to Bijapur and Raigarh to Rajnandgaon, he added.

The chief minister said that under the Bastar Net project, the state government has been layingoptical fibre network to the tune of 800 km in Bastar division to enhance internet connectivity.

Moreover, under the SKY (Suchna Kranti Yojna) scheme, a target has been set to distribute45-50 lakh smartphones to peoplein the state in the next eight months free of cost and more than 1,500 mobile towers will be set up in different parts of the state to enhance telecommunication connectivity, he added.

In an apparent reference to the Congress over the recent case of allegedcirculation of a sex CD allegedly involving a state minister, Singh said he was pained to see the use of digital technology in hatching a political conspiracy.

We are encouraging digital kranti (revolution) by distributing smartphonesin order to take Chhattisgarh into a digital age. On the other hand, a political conspiracy was openly hatched using the digital technology to destabilise a government. Killing anybody is easy, but it causes life-time pain if someones character is assassinated, he said.

Do we stoop to such a level in greed of power? I think doing such kind of politics is bad. I am disappointed to see the standard of politics declining to such a level, the chief minister added.

Singh also listed the achievements under various schemes of his government.

Countering the Oppositions charges over the Agusta Westland and Panama Papers issues, he said the Agusta matter is in the Supreme Court and they should wait for the verdict to come. If the Opposition members have some facts on these issues, they should submit it to the investigative agencies, he added.

It is the confidence of the people in our government that we came to power for the third consecutive time. They (Congress) have beensittingin the opposition for the last 15 years and they also have to sit there for the next 15 years, he said.

He also dubbed as poor the Congress charge-sheet, which was part of the no-confidence motion and said old issues have just been copy-pasted into it.

Earlier, while speaking in favour of the motion, Singhdeo said the state government has cheated the people by not fulfilling the promises made to them.

The Opposition party had brought 168-points charge- sheet in the House as a part of its no-confidence motion moved against the government.

The condition of the state is miserable. The state government has failed on multiple fronts. The roads lack quality, farmers are reeling under crises, there are no jobs under MNREGA, journalists are being attacked and chit fund companies duped the people to the tune of crores of rupees, Singhdeo alleged.

No major agro-based industry was established in the state in the last 14 years, which can ensure a better price to the farmers against their products, he said.

Hitting out at the government for hiring experts underChief Minister Good Governance Fellowship programme, he sought to know why there was a need to appoint such fellows on hefty salaries, when there are administrative officials.

He also attacked the BJP government over the Agusta Westland helicopter deal (2007), Panama Papers issue, among others. People have lost confidence in the government after the alleged scams were unearthed, he said.

Singhdeo
The sister city ties bonding Osaka and San Francisco for 60 years will be no more. Osaka is cutting ties, citing a betrayal of trust, after a comfort woman statue was unveiled in a San Francisco park recently to honour those coerced into the sex trade to service the Japanese military during World War II. The issue of comfort women remains emotive more than 70 years after the War even as civil activists argue that they are a part of history that should not be ignored.

As Tokyo strives for forward-oriented ties, it also needs to realise that the comfort women issue cannot reasonably be swept under the carpet, particularly at a time when anti-sexual harassment movements are gaining traction.

Much as the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki had caused unspeakable horrors to its victims, the intangible trauma wrought on comfort women persists to this day  and should not be scrubbed from consciousness.

In the same way that Japan has memorials honouring its nations atomic bomb victims, Koreans all around the world want to honour the memory of the numerous comfort women victims, said Dr Lauren Richardson of the University of Edinburgh who has written about the comfort woman issue. Tokyo needs to accept this as the status quo, she told The Straits Times.

However, Japan has time and again bristled over the issue that has come to haunt diplomatic ties. Critics accuse Tokyo of not being sincere in its redress to victims, and of trying to downplay the atrocities.

The outwardly right-wing ideologies of Japans top leaders fan the flames of these assertions, with many politicians still justifying that war was waged in the name of liberating the region from colonial rule.

This stance is spelt out at the Yushukan museum beside the controversial Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, which enshrines 14 convicted war criminals and where politicians make biannual pilgrimages.

There is dissonance between Japans words and actions, political scientist Koichi Nakano of Sophia University in Tokyo said. It is not for Japan, the aggressors, to decide if we have apologised enough. The apologies need to reach the victims, and despite these apologies there are counter-productive moves by the same right-wing to basically nullify these efforts.

Last month, Tokyo vehemently protested Seouls invite of a former comfort woman to a state banquet held for visiting United States President Donald Trump.

It also denounced a move by Seoul to designate 14 August as a day to remember wartime comfort women as one that throws cold water on bilateral ties. It was on that date in 1991 when a South Korean victim first went public with her experience. For three months this year, Japan recalled its top envoy to South Korea after a comfort woman statue was erected outside the consulate in the southern city of Busan. However, much as Japan hopes the world will come to see its point of view, dozens of comfort women monuments have sprouted up in other parts of the world besides South Korea and US, such as in Australia, Canada and Germany.

Fuelling this is a vicious cycle brought about by Japans excessive offence over the movement, experts said. Dr Richardson said the issue crops up time and again because victims have continually had their victimhood denied and challenged by elements of the right-wing in Japan.

The right-wing Sankei daily said in an editorial last month that comfort women statues like the one in San Francisco distort historical facts and condemn Japan in what amounts to anti-Japanese propaganda.

It added, We need to ponder the aim of dredging up the historically unfounded comfort women issue 70 years after the war. Mr Jun Yamada, Japans consul-general to San Francisco, also said the aim of current comfort women memorial movements seems to perpetuate and fixate on certain one-sided interpretations.

Tokyo has taken offence with the use of the term sex slaves to refer to comfort women, citing an official full-scale fact-finding study in the 1990s which had not found any concrete evidence of the forceful taking away of comfort women by the military or the government. It also says the oft-cited estimate that there were 200,000 comfort women was an exaggeration lacking in concrete evidence.

To be clear, comfort women had also been perpetrated in South Korea, where a court this year ruled that Seoul entrapped women to serve as prostitutes for US soldiers in the 1960s and 1970s. There has also been evidence showing that in many instances, Chinese and South Korean gangs were involved in trafficking their fellow countrywomen for the Japanese military, and that some women were sold by impoverished families.

But Tokyos stance, in the eyes of the victims, exposes a lack of understanding and sensitivity, Dr Nakano said. It is not a question of whether the women were forcibly abducted, traded, or paid for what they did. The fact remains they were forced or coerced into giving sexual favours.

Japan has maintained that a deal struck with South Korea in 1965, when the two nations normalised ties, would have completely and finally settled civilian-related issues including comfort women and requisitioned workers during the war.

In 2015, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe entered a final and irreversible comfort women pact with then-South Korean President Park Geun Hye, offering an apology and one billion yen (S$12 million) for a foundation for the comfort women still alive.

Tokyo has repeatedly said that it should not be engaging in apology diplomacy, and that it has already expressed its genuine regret over the lives ruined and lost over the war. Even so, Dr Richardson said apologies and state compensation are but the first steps toward closure.

Governments must also demonstrate their intent that such crimes will never again be repeated. This is commonly achieved by memorialising victims, which serves to concretise an expression of remorse and ensure that the crime in question will not be forgotten, she said.

The Japanese government has shown great distaste for the efforts of citizens around the world to memorialise the tragedy of the comfort women system. This behaviour is clearly not in keeping with international norms.
If you receive a fraandship request from anyone standing beside a beautiful Ferrari, Jeep, SUV, Harley-Davidson or any other exotic set of wheels, think twice before accepting it. In case you are doing it because you like the automobile in the picture, chances are that the person got that picture taken during the Karachi Car-Nival 2017, which showcased many such cars last week.

Despite the rope-and-post barriers around the cars, volunteers at the motor show, organised by Motorheads Pakistan and Bullseye Communications, were having a difficult time keeping the enthusiasts away from the cars and bikes on display. Every other minute, there would be someone or the other stepping inside the cordoned off area and posing for a photo.

Please beta, dont touch that, says Saifullah Khan, a young volunteer guarding the cars behind the barriers, to a seven-year-old boy who seemed so much in love with the shiny black Porsche that he was lying on top of its bonnet, with arms outstretched as if giving it a bear hug. The youngster had to be pulled away from the car by two volunteers who swiftly deposited him back on the other side of the barriers. It is even more difficult keeping the women at bay. We cant even force them to leave, says Mohammad Umer, another volunteer.

Two women visitors, mother Sana Yasser and daughter Raveeha Yasser were so happy to be there that they were even appreciative of a decorated rickshaw in a stall. But when it came to other kinds of wheels, the main attractions of the show, the mother liked the fast cars such as the Ferraris, MGs, Aston Martins, Jaguars, Mercedes and BMWs while the daughter fell in love with the Harley-Davidsons, Suzuki Hayabusas, Moto Guzzis, Ducatis and the classic Triumphs.

The mother said that she drives a Honda Civic but was hoping to seal a deal with the owner of a Mazda RX-8 soon. When informed that RX-7 would be a better choice, she said that she is aware of which is the better car but she is getting the former at an affordable price. Meanwhile, the daughter then disclosed her age. At just 16, she isnt going to get a license so she could utilise the time to learn and better her biking skills on a Honda C70. Well, I have to begin somewhere before going on to the bigger and better bikes, she says.

Only the volunteers and car owners are allowed near the cars. Some of the owners begin to panic when they see anyone approaching their car while some dont mind at all. A young man, Umer Humayun, understands the possessiveness of the finicky vehicle owners. He is into detailing, a way of cleaning and maintaining these expensive machines through high-quality products including ceramic coating. Its to make them scratch-resistant, he explains. After that you dont even need to wax or polish your car after washing it, he says.

About the cost of the treatment, he says that it depends on the size of the vehicle. An average car, the size of a Corolla, will cost you around 35,000 rupees, he says. But such cars are owned by the elite class. Surely, they can afford the extra protection. Nadir Magsi, a member of the Sindh provincial assembly, is also there with a white Ferrari along with several others from his vast collection of fast machines. The Ferrari actually belongs to my brother Amer Magsi, he shares. Its a 2010 F430 Spider. Spider means it is a convertible. The seven Magsi brothers share a deep love for powerful fast cars. Between them they own a collection of some 150 to 200 sets of wheels. I have lost the actual count now, laughs Magsi.

And where do they park so many cars? At home, in our village and at our garage and workshop in Korangi, he replies. With so many cars it was both sensible and feasible to have our own car workshop, too, so that we can take care of them ourselves. Magsi says that his father Saifullah Magsi and grandfather Mehboob Ali Magsi loved their cars, which were also quite extraordinary.

My grandfather had his own collection of Buicks, Pontiacs and Cadillacs, Magsi says. I still remember and miss my fathers 1956 300 SL Gullwing Mercedes. There were only 27 of them in the world but we were only children when he passed away and not realising its worth my mother sold it off. I miss that car dearly. He said that it was because of its upward swinging doors. When opened they resembled the wings of sea gull  thus the model name Gullwing.

There was a separate line of trucks on display. Fords seemed to be everyones favourite there. There was a place reserved for jeeps as well. Though we are used to calling every other four-wheel drive vehicle a jeep, Jeep is an actual brand name. Syed Sarfaraz Noor wanted to draw attention to his yellow CJ-7 Jeep in mint condition, so he had turned on its headlights. After a while, when the headlights began draining the battery, he also turned on the engine to keep the battery charged. About his pride and joy, Noor says that he came across it in Old Golimar, when it was barely more than a rusted frame on a chassis.

After buying it from its previous owner, I got down to work, he says. I scraped off the rust from the chassis and body myself before applying generous coats of anti-rust on them before giving it a colour of my choice. The innards were gone so I fitted in a Toyota Surf engine. It is a 2.7-litre engine with automatic transmission, he says while telling me about the snorkel he has fitted to it so that it can also move about when submerged.

Mohsin Ikram, chairman of Motorheads Pakistan and founding president of the Vintage and Classic Car Club of Pakistan, said that car shows such as the Karachi Car-Nival 2017 are a good way of bringing car enthusiasts together. It also promotes a soft image of our country abroad where people are associating us with God knows what not, he smiles before hurrying back to check on his own automobiles in the show.
Deck the halls and step into Christmas  Britain is officially the most festive nation in the world.

A study of the most Googled words from around the globe has revealed that its Brits who are searching for the most festive terms.

According to Googles data, which is complete to 13 December, this is the fourth year in a row that the UK has had the highest search interest in Christmas.

Be it hunting for the perfect Christmas pudding recipe or finding out where the best parties are, Brits seemingly cant get enough of the most wonderful time of the year.

As youd expect, searches for festive terms grows over the course of the year, starting to drastically increase in October and peaking in December.

After the UK in first place, Ireland takes the second spot, followed by Slovakia, Italy, the Czech Republic and the US.

The Lincolnshire village of Keelby was revealed to be the part of the UK most obsessed with Christmas, and at the other end of the scale is Burnham in Buckinghamshire, where there were festive searches 20 times less often than Keelby last year.

According to consumer and retail analyst Kate Hardcastle, the reason Brits are getting particularly into the Christmas spirit this year is because the national mood has been so low in recent months.

Life is really tough right now and emotionally, therefore everyone is aiming towards a celebration, she explained to the BBC. Hardcastle also believes the reason Brits outdo Americans when it comes to Christmas interest is that Thanksgiving is an important holiday in the US, whereas in the UK, all our attention is focussed on Christmas.

And if the search data is anything to go by, Christmas really does start earlier every year  searches for festive terms in September and October have more than doubled over the previous seven years.But given the year weve had, perhaps
By PTI: Bhubaneswar, Dec 23 (PTI) A day after ropping Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout from the council of ministers, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik today dismissed any possibility of reshuffle in his ministry.

?There is no plan for any reshuffle yet,? Patnaik told reporters while replying to a question on a possible reshuffle in the ministry.

Rout was yesterday sacked from the ministry over his alleged derogatory remarks against Brahmin community at a public function in Malkangiri district.

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Following Routs sacking, Patnaik has distributed the departments looked after by Rout to other ministers.

While Panchayati Raj Minister Pradeep Maharathy has been given additional charge of agriculture and farmer empowerment, fisheries and animal resources development departments, Finance Minister S B Behera is put in charge of public enterprises department.

In his reaction, Rout said that he was not worried over being dropped from the ministry.

"I was elected by the people to serve them and not to become a minister. I will continue to work for the people as an MLA," Rout said.

Describing the development as "natural", Rout said, "I have been dropped from the ministry as the chief minister lost confidence in me."

He added that it is up to the chief minister to decide whom he will retain or take in the ministry.

"Becoming a minister is not anyones constitutional rights," he said.

Rout, who was dropped from the ministry thrice in the past, also said that people are his "masters".

Rout had all along been in the news for his controversial remarks, the lastest one being on Brahmins. While addressing a public meeting in Malkangiri recently, Rout had said that tribals do not beg even in adverse situation while Brahmins beg for alms if the situation so demands.

Routs remark had sparked severe resentment among the Brahmins, who had demanded an apology from the minister while seeking his sacking. PTI AAM JM

--- ENDS ---
Three soldiers, including a officer, were killed and one was injured in firing from the Pakistani side on Saturday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keri in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district, an army official said.

According to the official, Pakistan violated the ceasefire and fired on an Indian Army patrol.
The Armys 77 Mountain Brigade also known as Chindits today celebrated it s 75th Raising Day Platinum Jubilee at its Counter Insurgency training center at Harchura near Balipara in Sonitpur district.

Inaugurating the programme, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Red Horn Division Maj Gen P S Behl said the Brigade was established during the World War-II on June 10, 1942 at Sagar in the state Madhya Pradesh by the legendary Brig Orde Wintage.

The Chindits, known officially as the Long Range Penetration Groups, were special operations units of the British and Indian armies, which saw action in 1943 1944, during the Buram Campaign of World War-II.

Chindit is a corrupted form of the Burmese mythical beast Chinth or Chinthay, statues of which guard Buddhist temples.

The first Chindit unit, the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, was gradually formed in the area around Jhansi in the summer of 1942.

To commemorate the momentous occasion numerous events were spread over two days commencing from today to be attended by many serving and veteran officers, Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks to mark the 75 years of dedicated service of the Chindits Brigade to the Nation, the GoC said.
India on Friday repatriated four Pakistani prisoners, who have completed their sentence and whose nationality has been confirmed by Pakistan authorities, via the Attari-Wagah border.

India attaches high priority to addressing all humanitarian issues, including early release and repatriation of Indian fishermen and prisoners in Pakistans custody, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

It also stated that India has secured the release of 370 Indian prisoners, including 363 fishermen, in 2017.

The release of the Pakistani prisoners comes ahead of the visit of the mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian national sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on alleged charges of espionage, to Pakistan.

Pakistan has issued visas to Jadhavs mother and wife to meet him in a Pakistani prison on December 25.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi will again be visiting Gujarat on Saturday to meet the newly-elected MLAs and hold a review meeting of the partys performance in the recently concluded Gujarat assembly elections.

According to party sources, the Gandhi scion will begin his three-day visit by praying at the Somnath temple followed by meetings with the MLAs and party workers all over the state.

There will be a party workers meet at Gujarat University Convention Hall at GNBC ground in Ahmedabad.

He will be chalking out the partys strategy in the state, buoyed by the significant increase in the number of seats from 61 in 2012 to 80 in 2017  a gain of 19 seats.

However, the party will also analyse in detail why it failed to dislodge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has ruled Gujarat for 22 long years.

Before his visit, the Congress chief again attacked the BJP on social media and accused it of lying to the people of the nation.

If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard, tweeted Rahul in the wake of the 2G and Adarsh housing society verdict wherein the courts provided relief to the accused from the Congress party and its allies.

Senior Congress leaders have alleged that the BJP manufactured lies and scams to portray the UPA government as a corrupt and dishonest regime just to win elections.

A special CBI court on Thursday acquitted all 18 accused including A Raja and K Kanimozhi of the DMK  an ally of the UPA government  in 2G spectrum allocation case.

A day later, the Bombay High Court on Friday set aside the sanction granted to the Central Bureau of Investigation by Maharashtra Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao to prosecute senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh housing society scam.
Donald Trump has unveiled a purported National Security Strategy. On closer reflection, it isnt a strategy; at best an attempt to adjust the worldwide perception of his foreign policy ~ generally uncharitable ~ with the proposed plan of action. While producing the document is a legal requirement, abiding by its provisions is not. Thus even as a signal of intent, it is unlikely to be convincing, far less credible. The nub of the matter must be that the present administration, even after close to a year in office, has no calculated roadmap. As often as not, it cuts a sorry figure when its members contradict each other.

The Presidents observation on Twitter that America is determined to win is merely a rhetorical charade which shall not overshadow the current isolation over dropping climate-change from the list of global threats. Double-think runs wild in the documents reference to Russia and China, when both powers appear to be inching towards the US; in effect the Kremlin and the White House had relegated the Cold War to the limbo of history. Far from a forthright enunciation of the paradigm shift, both Russia and China have been declared as revisionist powers that are trying to shape a world antithetical to US values and interests. Astonishing is the disconnect after the widely discussed Russian support to ensure Trumps victory and Hillary Clintons defeat. Likewise, there has been a similar mending of fences with Beijing.

The criticism of Moscow is striking. Post the electoral flirtation, the document has accused Russia of interfering in the domestic political affairs of other countries. Markedly, it has skirted the evidence of its meddling in the 2016 election, let alone the FBIs probe into his campaigns alleged collusion. Given that the President and his Republican cabal have consistently debunked the inquiry, it is open to question whether the White House will pursue a tougher stance towards Russia.

The remarks on China are milder in comparison, and the document acknowledges the need for cooperation not least in view of North Koreas nuclear threat. The hard reality must be that China is becoming ever so powerful, and wants to shape its international rules of engagement according to its lights. This is the major challenge in contemporary geostrategy. In point of fact, Trumps America needs Xis China to confront North Korea. Whether the regime in Beijing is ideologically revisionist, as Mr Trump contends, or revolutionary is of relatively lesser moment in the overall construct. The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement has been binned, without offering an alternative for US engagement in the region. Tackling Irans nuclear proliferation programme remains another prickly issue. The document, that has been packaged as strategy, lacks consistency and cohesion and is marked by flights of whimsy, wishful thinking, and subjective reflection. These infirmities cant be papered over by calling India a leading global power.
While the world is moving towards the right, Nepal is leaning towards the left. This is the signal one gets from the recent elections where the Left combine won a comfortable majority. Nepal will soon have a Leftist government led by former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. The Left alliance bagged 116 seats out of a total 165 in the just-concluded parliamentary polls. The ruling centrist Nepali Congress has won just 21. Incumbent Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba failed to deliver and was quite unpopular. In the power sharing, and Oli would lead the government, the Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Center (CPN-MC), Pushpa Kamal Dahal known as Prachanda, would be the chairman of the new Nepal Communist Party, formed after the merger of CPN-UML and CPN-MC.

India has no choice but to work with whoever comes to power in Nepal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Oli and other Nepal leaders to congratulate them recently. South Block came out with a customary statement saying, India welcomes the conduct of Parliamentary elections and first ever Provincial elections in Nepal. We congratulate the Government and the people of Nepal. India has age-old, unique, time-tested ties of friendship with Nepal. We look forward to working with the next democratically elected Government in Nepal to advance our close and multifaceted partnership across all sectors and to support Nepal in its pursuit of peace, stability, economic prosperity and all round development. Nepal experts in India only hope that this would be the beginning of a new Nepal policy as India has messed up its relations with the country. While Modi began with a lot of goodwill, subsequently the relations had become strained on the issues of its Constitution-making and the Madhesi protests.

New Delhi has been uncomfortable with Left leaning governments in the past. New Delhi did not have good relations with Oli when he was the PM from August 2015 to September 2016. Oli believed that New Delhi manipulated his ouster. During the Madhesi protest last September, the Madhesis blocked all supplies from India and a desperate Oli turned to China for help. A grateful Oli later continued to play the China card, which irked South Block.

Oli has many challenges before him. The first is power sharing. The CPN-UML and the CPN-MC had shared seats in a ratio of 60:40 before the elections. Both would now demand same proportion of power sharing in the government. Olis challenge will be to deal with the Maoist party either through power sharing or unification. Secondly Oli has the daunting task of changing Indias perception that he is pro-China and anti-India because he needs to keep both the giants happy. Thirdly, the concerns of the marginalised groups including the Madhesis and Tharus need to be addressed as none of the issues raised by them have gone away including the discrimination against the region. Fourthly even in running parliament, Oli may face a strong opposition if the Madhesis and the Nepali Congress come together. Fifthly, there are problems including meeting domestic requirements like energy, security and modernisation of security forces.

As well known Nepali author Kanak Mani Dixit writes, The ride to democratic stability is bound to be bumpy, not least because the constitution  written by politicians rather than jurists and constitutionalists  is so magnanimous that it will be a challenge to implement.

Nepal has seen continuous turmoil in the past two decades and seen ten prime ministers in ten years. What it needs is stability, which is also in the interest of India and China. The Maoist insurgency, the frequent regime changes, a devastating earthquake in 2014 and problems in adoption of the new Constitution all contributed to the chaos. The decisive mandate to the Left combine gives hope that the new government may be stable. Also under the new constitution there cannot be any no-confidence motion for two years.

Many Nepal experts here believe that New Delhi has to engage with Kathmandu much more and should not needlessly be concerned about a probable pro-China tilt. India needs Nepal for its security and Kathmandu cannot ignore India. South Block also has to stop playing favourites and engage all those on the political spectrum. The other Nepal political parties do not believe that India plays fair with them. Secondly, both countries should make efforts to bridge the trust deficit. The younger generation of Nepalis resent that New Delhi has taken Nepal for granted. Thirdly, India should take note of the growing Chinese influence in the neighbourhood. For instance, Nepal is on board for Chinas One Belt-One Road project. Sri Lanka has just handed over Hambantota port to the Chinese. Maldives has provided docking facilities for Chinese ships in the Indian Ocean. Both are also part of Chinas maritime silk route. This cannot be ignored.

South Block should shed its old Nepal is my backyard attitude and begin a more solid relationship. Olis second term could well be the beginning of this era.
Interestingly, even as the Election Commission (EC) of Nepal is yet to announce the results of parliamentary and provincial assemblies elections conducted on November 26 and December 7 under the proportional representation system on the basis of the Sainte-Lague formula, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 21 December congratulated Nepali Congress chief and Prime Minister SB Deuba for successfully completing the elections, and UML Chief KP Sharma Oli and PK Dahal, chairman of the Maoist Centre for the landslide victory of the Left alliance in the elections. He has also invited the would be PM, Mr Sharma to India and shown his eagerness to work with the new government.

Earlier, Nepal had conducted three-phased local level elections in May-September peacefully after adopting the new constitution in September 2015. However, through the federal parliamentary election, it has decisively chosen its political course. The Left alliance of the CPN-UML (UML) and the Maoist Centre (MC) has almost swept the polls at the national and provincial levels except province-2 where Madhes-centric parties have proved their own popular strength.

Ironically, while the final results are awaited, the vague and complex provisions of the Constitution that was adopted hurriedly and with the conflicting interests of the Left alliance and the outgoing government, the nation appears to have been trapped in unnecessary controversy. Significantly, the ordinance to hold elections to the National Assembly(NA), which is held up with the presidents office for the last two months, has become the bone of contention between the government and the Left alliance.

The winning Left alliance wants the Deuba Government to resign immediately to pave the way for the formation of the new government enabling it to appoint governors for seven provinces to convene provincial Assemblies (results not declared) and redraft the ordinance with regard to the electoral system for NA. The government on the other hand is insisting on the authentication of the ordinance immediately as it was legally forwarded to the president. Hence, uncertainty prevails as to how much time will be needed to get out of the present standoff.

The electoral results in favour of the Left alliance are along expected lines based on the performances of the UML and MC in the last local level elections. Strategically, the alliance was formed last October with three objectives. First, it was to contest both parliamentary and provincial elections jointly to secure majority in parliament and provincial assemblies. The second objective was to convert the alliance into a single communist party to rule the country for a long time. And lastly, it was to derive maximum economic benefits from Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a signatory to the Initiative, which may reduce, if not eliminate, the countrys economic dependence on India.

For elections to the federal and provincial legislatures, the UML and the MC shared seats on a 60:40 ratio to get electoral benefits from each other. The sharing was also made with a view to having two-thirds majority in the house to amend the constitution and replace the parliamentary system with a directly elected executive presidential system to ensure stability of the government, which the parliamentary system failed to provide.

Although the alliance fared well, it could not achieve the desired results, as the electoral results are not up to its satisfaction. The new parliament will have 275 members, 165 to be elected under the First Past the Post system, and 100 through Proportional Representation (PR) system. Under the first segment, the UML has secured 80 seats and under PR it is likely to have 41 seats. In all, it will have 121 seats, 17 short of a majority in the House. However, since MC has 36 seats under the first category, a majority is secured. But its dream of getting a two-thirds majority remains elusive, as the MC is likely to secure only 17 seats under the second segment, leaving a gap of ten seats to achieve the 184 seats for such a majority. Even after adding five independent members, there remains a gap of five seats. Hence, in spite of all efforts neither could the UML get its own simple majority nor could the alliance succeed in getting two-thirds majority in the House.

Sadly, the Nepali Congress (NC), which was the single largest party with more than 200 seats in the House of 601 in the pervious legislature/parliament, has got its strength reduced, as it has secured only 23 seats under FPtP segment and is likely to secure 40 seats under PR system. However, there is a spectacular achievement of the Sanghiya Samajvadi Forum and the newly formed Rashtriya Janta Party, which have secured 10 and 11 seats respectively under FPtP and may secure six seats each under PR system. These two parties had formed an alliance to share the seats recently after realising their past mistake of contesting elections independently by dividing their votes. It was also necessitated to cross the threshold of three percent of votes for getting representation under the PR segment.

The political impasse has polarised the country as had happened in 1994 when the then Manmohan Adhikari led UML government had dissolved the House of Representatives when the no-confidence motion was already registered. People were keen to have a new government soon but their aspirations are getting watered down by the impasse.

(The writer, a former Election Commissioner of Nepal, is associated with the Nepal Transition to Peace Institute.)
In the past, discussions concerning forgiveness were typically relegated to the domain of religion. But in recent times, forgiveness has acquired a lot of attention in several academic disciplines such as theology, philosophy, psychology, medical science, and neuroscience. It is indeed interesting to note that numerous studies on forgiveness are now being conducted on university campuses in different parts of the world. For example, the Campaign for Forgiveness Research, which is funded by Templeton Foundation, currently has 46 different research projects all focusing on some aspect of forgiveness. Additionally, there are neuroscientists who are exploring the parts of the human brain that impede engaging in acts of forgiveness.

Modern research on forgiveness demonstrates that forgiveness plays a critical role in transforming peoples emotional, mental, physical and even spiritual wellbeing. According to Fred Luskin, director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects, and author of Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness, in careful scientific studies, forgiveness training has been shown to reduce depression, increase hopefulness, decrease anger, improve spiritual connection, and increase emotional self-confidence. Scientific studies also show that individuals who engage in forgiving report fewer health, mental or physical problems. These are just a few of the important benefits of forgiveness.

As more studies are conducted on the benefits of forgiveness, there is also an increasing interest in the negative effects of not forgiving on an individuals health and mental state. Researchers in medicine and psychology have found that people, who refuse to forgive and hold on to anger and resentment, tend to be in a state of stress and depression, which ultimately becomes a risk factor for heart disease, high blood pressure and other chronic stress-related ailments. Furthermore, these angry and resentful people also suffer from high anxiety, insomnia, ulcers, migraines and severe backaches. On the other hand, when an individual engages in genuine forgiveness, these physical ailments seem to disappear.

It is indeed ironic that although spiritual and religious leaders from both the west and the east have been educating us from time immemorial about the benefits of forgiveness, many chose not to take their advice seriously because they didnt have the credibility that researchers from the fields of psychology, medical science and neuroscience tend to enjoy in contemporary society.

While medical science, neuroscience and psychology can reveal the benefits of forgiveness to our mental, physical, emotional and even spiritual wellbeing, they fail to explain the deep connections that we have with one another and our desire to live in peace and harmony in our communities. It is only by practising compassion and forgiveness that we can succeed in creating loving communities. In Life Is for Living, Eric Butterworth reminds us: We cannot endure without love and there is no other way to the return of healing, comforting, harmonizing love than through social and complete forgiveness. If we want freedom and peace and the experience of love and being loved in our communities, we must let go and forgive. The renowned feminist scholar, Bell Hooks, points out that forgiveness is always a practice that is founded on generosity. It demands that we release someone else from the prison of their guilt or anguish over our feelings of courage or anger. By engaging in forgiveness, we actually pave the way for love to blossom in our communities.

According to Leo Buscaglia, who was a professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Southern California and author of several best selling books on loving relationship, forgiveness is a complicated process that requires our sympathetic understanding, empathy and wisdom. For Buscaglia, there cannot be lasting love unless we are ready to forgive others for their transgressions. Forgiveness is always a volitional act. We either decide to forgive or we dont. Buscalgia reminds us that to be forgiven and to forgive involves the same dynamics. If we want to be forgiven for our wrongdoings, then we should also be able to do the same for others who have hurt us. This implies that if we cannot forgive others, we also cannot expect others to forgive us.

In any kind of loving relationship we become susceptible to hurt and disappointments. We often operate from negative experiences of the past, old habits and different expectations in our relationships with others. This is why conflict is inevitable in relationships. In such conflicts when we feel wronged, we immediately try to blame the other party instead of looking inwardly. We perceive ourselves as the ones who are victims and so it is justified to demand justice. And this justice is often achieved by hurting those who have caused us pain, or by making them suffer in some way. When we feel the hurt and the pain caused by others, we want revenge. We feel that only by taking revenge can we correct the wrong that has been done to us. Experts tell us that we wont be happy or content even if we succeed in avenging our wrongdoing.

The chances are that we will still carry the unwanted weight of sorrow, anger, dissatisfaction, resentment, and bitterness. In other words, revenge is never sweet. On the other hand, theres a wonderful warm aura that surrounds the act of forgiving. Forgiveness is a letting-go, a releasing energy ~ an action that has the power to soothe, heal and reunite. Forgiveness is truly liberating. It frees ones spirit from the haunted past and prepares us to face the future with renewed hope and faith. Buscaglia calls forgiveness the unconditional gift of love.

Experts on forgiveness tell us that we can only forgive when we view the wrongdoers as ourselves. We can only forgive when we look at the wrongdoers with compassion and understand that they are just as flawed as we all are. According to Buscaglia, sympathetic understanding, heart and mind felt identification with others are the necessary first steps in piercing the otherwise impenetrable walls of unforgiving attitudes. In his famous work, Strength to Love, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., reminds us that forgiving does not imply ignoring the wrongful act. It means that the wrongful act does not create a barrier to the relationship. For Rev. King, the act of forgiveness sows the seeds that help create a new beginning, a fresh start. It helps lift the heavy burden of anguish and suffering that seems to crush an individual. However, when we say, I will forgive you, but Ill never forget what youve done, it does not explain the real nature of forgiveness since we can never really forget. When we engage in the practice of forgiving, the wrongful act ceases to plague us and it also does not have the same kind of potency as it did before.

We often offer forgiveness as a gift to the wrongdoer. According to experts, this is not genuine forgiveness because it is like a bargain, which makes the whole notion of forgiveness undignified and fake. More importantly, it is laden with power where the giver is superior to the receiver. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, believes that forgiveness also does not depend on the action of others. For example, when we say, I am willing to forgive you if you say you are sorry. The problem with this kind of conditional forgiveness is that it binds us to the person who harmed us. These are the chains whose keys the perpetrator holds and it is the perpetrator who actually decides whether the conditions are to be met or not. Archbishop Tutu encourages us to offer forgiveness without any strings. In his opinion, this kind of unconditional forgiveness frees the person who inflicted the harm from the weight of the victims whim. it also frees the one who forgives.

Although every religion has at its heart deep a commitment to compassion and forgiveness, it is not easy to do. Forgiving is often too complicated, too overwhelming and too difficult to practice. How can we forgive if theres no apology or regret expressed by the wrongdoer? How can we forgive if the wrongdoer has not done anything to demonstrate that she/he deserves our forgiveness? While forgiveness is not easy to practice, we cannot forget that it is the only path to a healing and a happy heart. Harboring anger, malice and resentment is bad for the spirit. It certainly doesnt help our physical, mental, or spiritual wellbeing. A famous Buddhist monk reminded his disciples as to why they should practice forgiveness: Let go. Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing that keeps you from hope and love? Refusing to forgive only leads to anger, bitterness and hatred, which poison our heart and soul; it is corrosive to the human spirit. It is only when we practice compassion and forgiveness that our suffering, our pain and our losses are transformed.

(The writer is professor of communication studies, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles)
My cup of sorrow was full after spending three days at Chaukari as all my excitement of visiting Kumaon range of Himalaya had been badly crushed there. Yet, there had been no deficiency in my arrangements. The gala plan to witness a host of Himalayan peaks had been rudely brushed aside by the clouded haze of Chaukari. Terribly dejected, I was about to shout in desperation when my driver noticed my frustration and anger. He came forward to console me and promised to show something extraordinary from my next destination, Munsiyari. I had no reason to take him seriously.

The thick clouds overcast the sky, it was giving a clear hint that even in next 15 days no peak will be visible from this zone. I left Chaukari with a broken heart and in gloom. My driver did his best to cheer me up and suddenly stopped the music that was playing RD Burman songs.

He then remarked, Sahab kuch hamara/ Kumayuni gaana suno  aap ka maan khush ho jayega. Without waiting for my consent, the flash-drive was changed. Songs in an unknown yet charming language started playing and engulfed us. The mood took a swing, so did the panorama around. We were now gliding through hilly tracks of Uttaranchal where zigzag roads cut through deep jungles of pine. Every village that we were crossing displayed the rich culture of hill people in their faces, songs and even in their small huts. Women donned exceptional ornaments and men wearing unique headgear caught my attention.

From Munsiyari no one comes back without seeing Panchachulli  my driver announced with confidence. Do you know why Panchachulli is famous, Sir?

I nodded my head but he did not care for that. He had his own story to tell, the story of Mahabharata, which is a part of any legend of Kumaon. His mood was upbeat and he was out to share his part of knowledge.

It is there in Mahabharata that at the end of their rule Pandava brothers left their kingdom and took a long trail to Himalaya for eternal peace. It was here Draupadi cooked a meal for the last time for her five husbands in five different ovens. Thus Pancha chulli derived its name from five chullas that is oven. This is there in history book, sir.

History book! May be in our country where Padmavati is counted as historical figure and Anarkali is believed to be a real character, I am sure that this story is also taught in school as history.

I know what is there in history Panditji  I know how Munsiyari got its name.

I told him the fact. In ancient time this was the trade route to Tibet from this region as people living here were heavily dependent on trade because of limited scope of agriculture. In Tibetian language Mun means snowflakes and siyari means field. Thus Munsiyari means field full of snowflakes. The name is apt, sir  exclaimed the excited driver.

We were nearing the zone of Johar. This valley of dream known as Johar is believed to be a place which was once ruled by serpent kings the Nagas as they are described in our mythology. Garuda, their stepbrother started killing them and when the last Naga was alive a divine man named Shaukya Lama tamed him. Thus, the tribe that has inhabited here for centuries called themselves Shaukyas. The 103 km long drive was charming. The captivating nature was splendid enough to overpower my imagination. We stopped 34 km before of Munsiyari to see an incredible waterfall splashing down from 125 mts, named Birthi.

Arriving at Munsiyari by afternoon I parked myself at KMVN guest house that offered a balcony overlooking the best view of the world. The horizon was clouded but not that thickly. Around 4 pm the first peak of Panchachulli shone through and then within 20 minutes three more of the range unmasked partly. But unfortunately nothing much happened beyond that. It was all for that evening.

Next morning I woke up as soon as the alarm clock rang. Outside the sky was turning into a sea of melted gold and black, the shadow of all five peaks of Panchachulli slowly unfolding.

They were breathtakingly beautiful in their mighty size. Slowly a golden sun rose over the peaks and showered dazzling rays on the other side. Shining there were other peaks: Hansling, Rajarambha, Chiplakot and many more at the Nepal and Tibet border.

Gulping down a quick breakfast I rushed to Nanda Devi temple from where the view is even more breathtaking. However the Panchachulli range from this place is something to die for. Every blade of grass on the levelled field around the temple was full of colourful Himalayan butterflies and other fauna. I noticed a unique ground lizard looking like a monster yet attractive at the same time.

At twilight, all five peaks in full bloom appeared over the horizon on which the setting sun was slowing descending. Out of all five the highest peak of Panchachulli is P2, around 6904 mts high, shone the most.

A silent night followed soon after. And bless my lucky stars, it was full moon! A plethora of stars started blinking on a cloudless sky and slowly moonbeams started rising from the back. At 2 am in bone rattling cold I dared to hit the balcony once more. As soon as I set my eyes over the horizon, an electric wave seemed to pass through my body. It was Panchachulli before me in a full moonlight and I was witnessing that quietly in seclusion! I took a few more minutes to ensure that it was not a dream.

I did not try to take any photograph of that panorama. There are some moments which are not to be caged in a digital memory card. Those are to be stored in the heart forever. My last morning in Munsiyari was equally enchanting. It was a clear day when all peaks were also glowing bright. I left the guest house after breakfast and encountered Panditji with an ear to ear smile. He had been proved correct.

While driving down we stopped at Nangababa kali mandir from where Panchachulli was smiling again. In that dense solitude I pressed my camera shutter one last time.
Federal agents arrested a former US Marine on Saturday for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group, according to court documents.

Tow truck driver Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, was planning to target the citys busy Pier 39 tourist spot, according to an affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Christopher McKinney.

The suspect outlined to undercover agents how he wanted to use explosives to target crowds at the pier between December 18 and 25 because Christmas was the perfect day to commit the attack.

Jameson professed not to need an escape plan as he was ready to die, according to the document.

The suspects home in Modesto, California, was raided by FBI agents on Wednesday, where they allegedly found his last will and testament along with several weapons and ammunition.

Jameson attended basic training with the Marine Corps in 2009 and graduated with a sharpshooter rifle qualification, according to the FBI, but was discharged after failing to disclose a history of asthma.

According to McKinney, Jameson selected Pier 39 because he had been there before and knew it was a heavily crowded area.

Jameson explained that he also desired to use explosives and described a plan in which explosives could tunnel or funnel people into a location where Jameson could inflict casualties, McKinney stated.

The suspect inadvertently revealed his plans to an undercover FBI agent he believed to be a senior leader of the Islamic State group, according to the court document.

Jameson said the US needed another attack like New York or San Bernardino, adding that he wanted to use vehicles and firearms to carry out an attack.

Today, our incredible law enforcement officers have once again helped thwart an alleged plot to kill Americans, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is real  and it is serious  but the American people can be assured that the Department of Justice remains vigilant in protecting our homeland, he added.
By PTI: Kathmandu, Dec 23 (PTI) Nepal has reopened a probe after an Indian couple, banned from mountaineering for a decade for allegedly faking their Everest expedition by morphing photos, filed an application seeking the re-issuance of their summit certificates, a media report said today.

Police constable couple Dinesh and Tarkeshwari Rathod had been dismissed from Pune police in August after they falsely claimed to have summited Mount Everest in May last year.

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The action was taken after an inquiry conducted by a fact-finding committee, set up by the Maharashtra police, found that their claims were misleading and bogus, and it was confirmed that they had faked about the ascent.

The Nepal government last year banned Dinesh and Tarkeshwari from mountaineering for 10 years.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has reopened investigation into an Indian couple who were slapped mountaineering ban in Nepal for a decade, getting their summit certificates rescinded for presenting morphed photographs to show themselves on the top of Mount everest, the worlds highest peak at 8,848 metres, The Himalayan Times reported.

The ministry has decided to reopen the case after Dinesh and his wife Tarkeshwari filed an application in the ministry seeking for the re-issuance of their summit certificates at the earliest, the report said.

After receiving the Indian couples application, Minister Jitendra Narayan Dev issued a written order in the name of the Department of Tourism for the reopening of an investigation into the case, a Joint Secretary in the ministry said.

Dinesh Bhattarai, Director General at the Department of Tourism (DoT), confirmed that the ministry set up a three- member committee under his leadership to reopen the case.

An under-secretary each from the ministry and the DoT has been named as members of the committee, he said.

"The panel will submit its report to the Minster by early next week," Bhattarai said.

The panel was studying the decisions and actions taken earlier by the government authorities, he said.

It was also summoning the Rathod couple, respective DoT officials, liaison officer, expedition handling agency and others concerned officials, Bhattarai said.

As per the minister-level decision taken in August, the couple had faced a decade-long mountaineering ban in Nepal, getting their certificates rescinded.

After a month-long investigation, the government panel had also concluded that the photographs submitted to the DoT by the Maharashtra police couple as evidence of their Everest summit were doctored.

The Rathods had obtained certificates from the DoT on June 10 last year by submitting morphed pictures that showed themselves on the top of Mount Everest on May 23, 2016 with Liaison Officer Ganesh Prasad Timsina and Makalu Adventure approving their claims, the report said.

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The Sherpa guides, on the other hand, had remained out of contact at the time the couples claims were questioned.

The photos submitted by the Rathod couple were found faked after Satyarup Siddhanta, an Indian climber from Bangalore, accused the couple of doctoring his May 21 photographs, the report said.

The couple are now in Kathmandu to meet government authorities for getting their summit certificates back, an official said, the report said.

Makalu Adventure, the trekking agency which ran the Everest expedition for the Rathod Couple, had also been fined USD 4,000 for helping them obtain summit certificates by submitting all fake claims to the DoT, it added. PTI CPS

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A federal appeals court has ruled against US President Donald Trumps latest travel ban, saying that it exceeds the scope of his delegated authority, but that it was ultimately for the Supreme Court to decide.

The three-judge panel with the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled on Friday that Trump had again exceeded his lawful authority in issuing the latest ban and that he had not made a legally sufficient finding that entry of those blocked would be detrimental to the interests of the US, the New York Times reported.

The ruling, however, is of little immediate consequence, as the judges said they would put it on hold pending consideration by the apex court, which allowed the ban to take effect.

In a statement, Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said: We are pleased that the Supreme Court has already allowed the government to implement the proclamation and keep all Americans safe while this matter is litigated. We continue to believe that the order should be allowed to take effect in its entirety.

Trumps September ban blocks various travellers from eight countries, six of them predominantly Muslim, from entering the US. Two federal judges had earlier blocked its implementation, at least in part, although the Supreme Court this month allowed it to fully take effect while the legal battle ran its course through the courts.

The administration said the restrictions would be in effect until those countries proved to the US that they had adequate screening. But the appeals court said that the ban was, in effect, an indefinite one, and that Congress did not give the President the authority to stop immigration from any country indefinitely.

Neal Katyal, who argued the case before the Ninth Circuit court for the state of Hawaii, hailed the decision. We are very pleased the Court of Appeals recognized that the Presidents latest travel ban is flatly illegal, he said, and that his order defies the law Congress has laid down.

The US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit is considering a separate challenge to the ban.
MARK FLANAGAN is a retired Sun Chronicle editor. He can be reached at mflanagan754@gmail.com.
The sanctions cripple North Korea's fuel imports and much of its other imports and exports. USA lobbied heavily building consensus with China, a staunch North Korea ally.

By India Today Web Desk: The United Nations Security Council has imposed new set of stringent sanctions on North Korea as it seeks to further cripple its economy.

The new sanctions makes fuel imports difficult for the Asian nation. It also puts curbs on its other major imports and exports.

These sanctions are in response to the latest series of missile tests by the communist nation. North Korea had also fired a missile over Japanese islands on 29th August, 2017 causing widespread uproar in the international community.

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USA lobbied heavily for the latest sanctions on North Korea. This won China's support for the sanctions. China is the closest physical and political ally for North Korea and it is heavily dependent on the aspiring superpower for majority of its affairs.

The newly voted round of restrictions further tighten the sanctions imposed last month, which were softened to gain the support of Moscow and Beijing.

Beijing's vote for the tougher sanctions indicate that its direct influence with Pyongyang is waning and that it is recognising the global dangers from North Korea's nuclear and missile arsenals.

The resolution would reduce North Korea's refined petroleum imports by 90 percent from the 2017 mid-year level to 500,000 barrels per year, and authorises the Council to further reduce petroleum imports if it carried out any missile or nuclear tests.

All North Korean exports and most imports in addition to oil are also banned under the resolution. It also requires the expulsion by the end of 2019 of all North Korean expatriate workers who are estimated to earn the government $500 million each year.

The resolution also requires all nations to seize ships smuggling goods to North Korea.

- with inputs from IANS

Trump urges UN member states to isolate Kim govt until it ceases its hostile behavior

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Theres a beach for everyone: from the stunning sands of Latin America, to the beautiful British coast, onwards to the Mediterraneans best beach, and then down to a Pacific island paradise.



JANUARY  San Juan del Sur Bay, Nicaragua

Nicaragua may be a little unknown as a holiday destination but at this time of year is bathing in sunshine and you could be too on their beaches. The San Juan del Sur Bay beach has a dazzling horseshoe shape of muted beige soft sand that is overlooked by a giant statue of Jesus perched north of the bay. The waters around here are calm and very rarely get large enough to surf, making this an ideal beach for young families. For surfers, theres the Playa Maderas a little further along.

There are plenty of fine eateries from which you can enjoy a most delightful sunset. And after sun down, theres a fun vibe of a busy nightlife to enjoy.

Check out great value hotel offerings from Expedia from 111 per night

 ALSO READ: Why your next holiday should be in Nicaragua

FEBRUARY  Isla Espiritu Santo, Sea of Cortez, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau called Mexicos Sea of Cortez the worlds greatest aquarium because of its unique and rich ecosystem. To get up close and personal with nature, base yourself in La Paz. All the islands are UNESCO protected as World Heritage Biospheres.

Uninhabited Espiritu Santo, absurdly beautiful, is the jewel in the crown: the sea is so turquoise its like swimming in a bottle of Curacao. Once ashore youll find wedding-cake white sands, nail-varnish pink volcanic rocks, clouds of yellow butterflies and strange 300-year old boojum trees.

At Los Islotes, you can snorkel with friendly sea lions. There are many migratory species such as humpback whales, manta rays and leatherback turtles.

Check out Expedias creative deals to Espiritu Santo

MARCH  Kovalam Beach, Kerala, India

Known as the Paradise of the South, Kovalam is arguably the best beach in India. This coconut-forested, crescent-shaped beach is full of character, with the Vizhinjam mosque at the northerly end, brightly-painted boats in the middle, and Ayurvedic massage centres where you can indulge in a rejuvenating herbal, body-toning massage or other holistic therapy. The equivalent of 30p buys you a scrummy curry served on a leaf.

APRIL  White Island, Camiguin, The Philippines

Small, pear-shaped and known as the Island Born of Fire, Camiguin is home to the spectacular White Island beach, a Tippex-white sandbar with views of two volcanoes, Mt Hibok-Hibok and Mt Vulcan. Close by, the turquoise Bohol Sea hides an unusual treasure  the Sunken Cemetery lying 20 feet underwater following a volcanic eruption in 1871. The island has old ancestral homes and historic churches.

MAY  Praia de Lopes Mendes, Ilha Grande, Brazil

Just three hours south of Rio de Janiero, Ilha Grande is a small island home to the jaw-achingly beautiful Praia de Lopes Mendes. To get to the beach is quite an undertaking, but well worth the effort  you have to hike through Atlantic forests thick with hummingbirds, butterflies, tropical flowers and waterfalls with Pygmy and Holy monkeys running everywhere. With sand as white and as soft as flour, the beach of Lopes Mendes is irresistible. The island was discovered in 1502 but today preservation is the word with roads only existing in the islands main village.

JUNE  Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia

Whether you arrive by seaplane or boat, Whitehaven Beach has oh-so-white sands, rainforest and crystalline waters. Its on a tiny, wild island, part of the 1,250-mile-long Great Barrier Reef. The sand is 99.89% pure quartz and you can swim with 1,500 types of multi-coloured fish and observe humpback whales on their annual migration. Seventy-three other islands await discovery, some deserted and ideal for a very intimate and secluded day in the sun.

You can camp on some islands but always remember the advice of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: take with your photos and memories, and leave behind only bubbles.

Base yourself on the mainland at Airlie Beach Organic B&B, with massage, yoga, meditation and organic meals. They sell original art and crafts made by local Ngaro and Gia people.

JULY  Oxwich Bay, Gower Peninsula, Wales, UK

You have to look to Wales for our most beautiful beach in Britain. Soft, sandy Oxwich Bay, framed by woodland and overlooked by Penrice Castle, could come straight from an Enid Blyton story. With its Arcadian beauty, in summer Oxwich is an ideal place for safe swimming, a walk on the sands or through the nature reserve with its 600 species of flowering plants.

The Gower, lying west of Swansea, was Britains first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and this year is the 50th anniversary. A footpath leads from Oxwich to St Illtyds Church, reputedly haunted by a half-man, half-horse creature and further along, the coastline is dotted with castles and ancient monuments and many unspoilt bays.

Nearby Swansea is a city that has reinvented itself in the past five years with a thriving local food scene showcasing the regions rich food heritage: laverbread, cockles, Welsh black beef, and sea bass jostle.

AUGUST  Guludo Beach, Quirimbas Peninsula, Mozambique

Possibly the most beautiful beach in Africa  Guludo beach bewitches: fine, white sand lapped by the Indian Ocean and fringed by the wild African bush. This is a true, barefoot paradise where you can snorkel the reef and observe humpback whales (Jun-Oct).

Climb a hill and watch elephants at sunset. An unforgettable trip is to the nearby isle of Rolas, where youll meet local fisherman, Old Man Coconut Crab, who will take you into the Coral Rock Forest to spot the largest crabs in the world.

Tours go to Guludo village where you can learn to pound cassava, weave mats or buy a colourful fabric and take it to the local tailor who will make you a new shirt or dress.

SEPTEMBER  Super Paradise Beach, Mykonos, Greece

International jet-setters have been visiting tiny Mykonos for 50 years and its not hard to see why. With bread-crumb sand and rare cerulean waters, Super Paradise Beach is the most peerless beach on an island ringed by magnificent beaches. Its located 9km from town.

Super Paradise  like the rest of the island  is hedonistic, funky and tolerant of alternative lifestyles making it a mecca for gay travellers. Mykonos town has traditional tavernas, designer boutiques and attracts world-famous DJs, making it among the top clubbing destinations in the Med.

 ALSO READ: Top 5 beaches of the Greek Islands

OCTOBER  Eilat, Israel

With its eclectic mix of Bedouin hospitality, middle eastern cuisine and Las Vegas-style hotels, Eilat can also work well as a family holiday. The Red Sea is famous for deep-sea diving, snorkelling and swimming with dolphins. Romantics can relax in candle-lit spas while the young and young at heart will love the nightlife ranging from tented discos to live band bars. Sun lovers hugging the beach can enjoy the vista of the red mountains of Petra on the horizon while trekkers can join a desert safari by truck, camel or horse and dine with the Bedouins.

NOVEMBER  One Foot Island, Aitutaki Lagoon, Cook Islands

Captain Bligh and the crew of the HMS Bounty discovered the Aitutaki Lagoon in 1789. After weeks at sea, they must have thought they were hallucinating at the surreal beauty. Tranquil One Foot Island, lined by giant banyan trees and frangipani, fulfills even the wildest of tropical island dreams. Bring a bottle of champagne and the picnic blanket, for this is the perfect place to make love.

Stay in one of seven water bungalows at the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa where you can laze in a hammock, have a soothing Polynesian massage, go crab-hunting, learn to husk a coconut or dance the hura.

DECEMBER  Playa Flamenco, Culebra, Puerto Rico

Used as a pirate refuge for more than three centuries, Culebra, also known as Snake Island, is seventeen miles east of Puerto Rico. Topped by Mount Resaca, cushioned in green jungle vegetation, Playa Flamenco has some of the clearest seas in the Caribbean with 1 mile of white, coral sand. The beauty of this 7-mile long island inspires impulsive acts, like hugging trees. The reefs are untouched and there are four endangered species of turtles that visit the beach. The Culebra National Wildlife Refuge protects large colonies of terns and boobies.
Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
US President Donald Trump signed Republicans massive $1.5 trillion tax overhaul into law on Friday, cementing the biggest legislative victory of his first year in office, and also approved a short-term spending bill that averts a possible government shutdown.

Trump said he wanted to sign the tax bill before leaving Washington on Friday for his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, rather than stage a more formal ceremony in January, so he could keep his promise to finish work before Christmas.

I didnt want you folks to say I wasnt keeping my promise. Im keeping my promise, he told reporters in the White House.

The two pieces of legislation represent Trumps most significant accomplishment with Congress since taking office in January, as well as a sign of what awaits when he returns from Florida after the Christmas holiday.

The tax package, the largest such overhaul since the 1980s, slashes the corporate rate from 35 per cent to 21 per cent and temporarily reduces the tax burden for most individuals as well.

Trump praised several companies that have announced employee bonuses in the wake of the bills passage, naming AT&T, Boeing, Wells Fargo, Comcast and Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Corporations are literally going wild over this, he said.

Democrats had opposed the bill as a giveaway to the wealthy that would add $1.5 trillion to the $20 trillion national debt during the next decade.

The spending bill extends federal funding through January 19, largely at current levels. It does nothing to resolve broader disputes over immigration, healthcare and military spending.

Republicans also are divided over whether to follow up their sweeping overhaul of the US tax code with a dramatic restructuring of federal benefit programs.

House Speaker Paul Ryan has said he would like to revamp welfare and health programs but Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told National Public Radio on Monday that he was not interested in cutting those programs without Democratic support.

Trumps year also closes with significant turnover of many top staffers who had been in the White House since early in his term. On Friday, the White House confirmed Deputy Chief of Staff Rick Dearborn and Jeremy Katz, who worked under White House economic adviser Gary Cohn, were leaving.

Reuters
An FIR was lodged by members of the Valmiki community against Bollywood actors Salman Khan and Shilpa Shetty for allegedly using derogatory language against Scheduled Castes on television. On Friday, the Valmiki community staged protests in Rajasthan against Salman Khan's new film Tiger Zinda Hai. They held demonstrations outside cinema halls in Jaipur and tore posters of the film.

According to reports, Khan, while promoting Tiger Zinda Hai on a television show, used the word 'bhangi' (a casteist slur) while referring to his dancing skills. Shetty reportedly used the word to describe how she looks at home.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has sought a reply from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the police commissioners of Delhi and Mumbai over complaints.
Actor Parvathy mesmerises with her brilliant performances, and her talent received its rightful recognition at the 2017 International Film Festival of India (IFFI), where she bagged the prestigious Silver Peacock award. The Qarib Qarib Singlle actor also has a non-conformist, rebellious side that has raised heckles in the Malayalam film industry. She shocked the traditionalists by publicly disavowing her upper-caste surname. She raised many eyebrows in Mollywood by talking loudly about the prevailing casting couch. And, she refuses to be diplomatic in her criticism of misogyny in the performances of her colleagues, co-workers, or superstars. Neither death nor rape threats sway her convictions.

In a recent incident, when she called out the anti-women dialogues in a movie which starred Malayalam superstar Mammootty, his fans descended in droves and she was subjected to weeks of online abuse and harassment. Curiously, the actor still remains silent on the issue. The industry was also divided on the issue, leading to some heated exchanges. When director Jude Anthany Joseph equated her behaviour to a monkey in a circus suddenly achieving fame, Parvathy hit back with a vengeance: OMKV (an expletive to show utter disdain), she wrote on her Twitter page. Parvathy, despite the controversies surrounding the statement, is least bothered and is busy shooting in Ootty for a much-awaited film by director Anjali Menon.

Excerpts from a conversation:

Your critics say you are deliberately trying to be different... Are you?

Am I different? To tell you the truth, I really don't think so. I would like to believe that I am normal. In this context I will share with you something. While I was a teenager, I had fibroid in uterus and used to get cramps because of that. But I used to think that it was normal. Only later did I realise that it was not. Like that, the notion of normalcy is quite subjective. But it is true that I never try to fit in anywhere.

Have you always been like this. Or did you develop this attitude after becoming successful?

Frankly, I also had gone through this phase, when I tried to fit in and wanted to please everyone. I wanted people to say nice things about me... But then I realised that by doing all those silly things, I was not being myself... I can act on screen, but I no longer want to act in real life. Most importantly, I realise that it is okay if others don't like me just because I am myself. To tell you the truth, I really don't care...

You making such blunt statements while most other actors are masters at being politically correct

This is me. You can take it or leave it. I say only those things with I am convinced about. For me, sleep is very important. So I never say or do anything that makes me lose sleep. I never do anything deliberately to hurt anyone. That is one advice my father has given me, and something which I have followed.

Were your parents a great influence on you?

I am what I am because of their unstinting support and the sacrifices they made in their lives. They saw to it that my brother and myself had a very rooted and grounded upbringing. Like every middle class parents, they had their share of concerns about me joining the film industry. But they never stopped me. They always let me be myself.
A special CBI court in Ranchi pronounced former Bihar chief minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav guilty in a fodder scam case on Saturday.

He was taken into custody immediately after the verdict was announced. The court has set January 3 as the date for sentencing.

Lalu and another former Bihar chief minister, Jagannath Mishra, had been accused along with 20 others of illegally withdrawing nearly Rs 90 lakh from the Deoghar treasury between 1991 and 1994. Mishra was acquitted in the case on Saturday.

Of the other accused, 16 have been convicted with Lalu on Saturday.

Before the verdict, Lalu declared that he had full faith in the judicial system. Earlier on Saturday, Lalu appealed to his supporters to maintain peace, irrespective of the nature of the verdict. Lalu faces three other cases related to the fodder scam.

In October 2013, Lalu was convicted in another fodder scam case and was sentenced to five years in jail and disqualified from Parliament. However, he was granted bail by the Supreme Court later that year.

The first charge-sheet in the scam was filed in October 1997.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has filed a charge-sheet against Lalu's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar over a case of money laundering related to the purchase of a farmhouse.

(With agency inputs)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that his party would get 135 seats in assembly elections of Gujarat in 2022.

Rahul was on a day-long visit of the state to analyse the results and address party workers. He also met leaders and party workers from various zones of the state.

The Congress president, who visited Gujarat for the first time after taking over the reins of the party, said that though they lost the election, actually they had won. It is a reality, he said.

Rahul alleged that the BJP had won the elections with anger. BJP had everythingmoney, police, chief ministers of various states and industrialistsby its side while the Congress had only truth by its side, he said.

Rahul, who flew into the Ahmedabad after visiting the Somnath Temple again, told the elected representatives that they are party's ambassadors and that the people are seeing how they work. They see that you fight for their issues and do not go back, he added.

Exhorting party MLAs and other party workers to continue to fight, he feared that in the coming five years, the BJP would work only for industrialists. We will have to protect the interests of youth, women and farmers, he said.

Stressing that the Congress and its workers made the BJP leaders sweat in this election, Rahul claimed that the BJP was cornered in the state. Three to four months ago there were talks whether the Congress would be able to fight the elections or not, but the party has shown that if it stood up and fought unitedly with ideology, it does not lose, he added.

Appreciating the efforts of partymen, he said that they fought nicely and the AICC also fought well. He, however, accepted that there were a couple of mistakes in ticket distribution. Otherwise it was 'broadly right', Rahul said.

Based on the feedback he received after meeting district party presidents and Congressmen, who contested elections, Rahul said that 90 per cent of the party men remained with the party. However, there were 5 to 10 per cent who did not help the Congress. Amid loud applause, he said that the party would take action against them. This leadership will run Gujarat after five years, he said. The newly elected Congress president gave clear indication that anti-party activities won't be tolerated.

The main reason, he said, for the Congress to lose election was the wrong propaganda by the BJP in the last 20 years. Rahul said that Congress can win if it believes that it would win. You believed 70 per cent, but did not believe cent per cent, he said, adding that now you have seen the results and the difference is of only 10 seats. Now Gujarat Congress has got the confidence, he observed.

Rahul urged the partymen to fight at every level and not go an inch back.

He said that he congratulates the BJP on forming the government. They (the BJP) will work for five years and we will play the role of the opposition, he said.

Earlier, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said that the party would have to start working for the Lok Sabha elections of 2019 from now onwards. We have to get a minimum of 20 seats, he urged. In the 2014 LS elections, the BJP had swept all the 26 seats from Gujarat.

He credited Rahul and the partymen for this moral victory of the party.

In the 182-member assembly, the Congress won 77 seats, the highest since 1985.
In a wholly deplorable development, Jamaat Ud Dawah chief has created an army of his own. The images of the special security team created by the Lashkar-e-Taiba for global terrorist and Jamaat-u-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed are seen on the passing out parade of new recruits.

By Mayank Pratap Singh: In a wholly deplorable development, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief has created an army of his own. Images of passing out parade of new recruits that forms the special security team for the UN designated global terrorist and Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, created by the Lashkar-e-Taiba have come up.

In Gujranwala, the new recruits of Jamaat-ud-Dawa are going to take an oath for serving the global terrorist.

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Hafiz Saeed visited the Gujranwala town for the passing out parade of the new recruits, after being in house arrest .

The LeT squad has been charged with providing Saeed round-the-clock security cover even when he travels outside Lahore for his 'engagements'. This squad is an armed one and carries deadly weapons.

The new video surfacing clearly show how the deadly terrorist is now working not only for his political career, but also on propagating terrorism.

It has only been a few weeks since Hafiz Saeed was released by Pakistan from what was already a sham house arrest. Immediately after his release, he declared his intention to continue his Jihadist activities.

He has also declared that his new political outfit, the Milli Muslim League (MML) will be contesting next year's general elections, something that led the US to fear that the terrorist would be running for the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Earlier this week Pakistan's Army chief General Qamer Javed Bajwa had also spoken about Hafiz Saeed's activities in Kashmir.

ALSO WATCH | Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed to contest 2018 Pakistan general election

--- ENDS ---
It was 15 December 2016 when Parliament's Winter Session was on, in the backdrop of the demonetisation announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress and other opposition parties were pressing for a debate on the subject and wanted the prime minister to explain the reform. The ruling party said, 'okay', but only after the Congress first answers on the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned. Senior parliamentarian and leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, commented, It is for the first time in the history of India that it is the ruling party that is not letting the House function.

The BJP is not only credited with the top honours in terms of its own government not letting the house function that day, but also with disrupting Parliament for the maximum working hours while in the opposition. So much so that the Congress and other current opposition parties appear to have learnt their lessons of how to be an opposition from the BJP.

Consider this: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha in August 2012 favoured parliamentary disruptions. In an article titled Defending the Indefensible, Jaitley said, If parliamentary accountability is subverted and a debate is intended to be used merely to put a lid on parliamentary accountability, it is then a legitimate tactic for the opposition to expose the government through parliamentary instruments available at its command.

That is exactly what the Congress is doing now in the course of the Winter Session of Parliament, which remained obstructed all through the first five days ending Friday. The Congress wants Prime Minister Modi to clarify his statements against former prime minister Manmohan Singh during a campaign rally in Gujarat.

To recall, Modi had charged Singh with colluding with Pakistan to engineer a victory for the Congress in Gujarat in order to install Ahmed Patel as chief minister. Patel is a Muslim and Pakistan is not a friendly neighbour.

This statement from Gujarat's best-known son was seen as aimed at polarising votes along communal lines in the state that has not been allowed to forget the Godhra riots. Modi's statement also came late into his campaign in Gujarat, at a time when ground reports suggested that it would not be a cakewalk for the BJP.

Surely, the Congress will not allow the fair name of its two-term prime minister to be so tarnished, and nothing short of an explanationpossibly with supporting evidencewould appease the party.

Jaitley, while in opposition, had also argued that disruption should not be described as preventing work from being done, because what we are doing is very important work itself. Defending their top leader's image and the party's credibility is definitely what Congress leaders consider a serious part of their work.

But this is not the first time the Congress has obstructed the functioning of Parliament.

In July 2015, the Congress and the rest of the opposition wanted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to go on grounds of the Lalit Modi fracas, without discussionjust the way the BJP had wanted UPA ministers to resign. Resign first, discuss later, they had told the Congress then.

No discussion without resignation. Sushma has done a criminal act, said then Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje too had supported Lalit Modi's case for passport and visas before the British Government. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was quagmired in the Vyapam scandal. The entire Monsoon Session was a washout that year; time lost in the Lok Sabha was 56 per cent and in Rajya Sabha 91 per cent.

In the winter of 2014, there were frequent disruptions in the Lok Sabha, but the Rajya Sabha was stalled for over a week continuously. The opposition, in majority in the upper house, united on the issue of minorities after Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti had made a controversial comment in the course of electioneering in Delhi. It was only after Prime Minister Modi apologised that the opposition relented.

Lost in that session was an insurance bill that Jaitley had brought in. Ironically, the Congress had introduced that very bill in 2008. But they nevertheless obstructed Parliament in a spirit of tit for tat! Jaitley called the Congress obstructionists.

In the 15th Lok Sabha, during the UPA-2 government, the BJP's disruption of Parliament resulted in loss of 61 per cent of working time in the Lok Sabha, and 66 per cent in the Rajya Sabha, according to parliamentary research institute prsindia.org.

When the first Congress-led UPA government was in power, the house recorded productive time of 549 of 768 hours. In the first five sessions of the current BJP-led NDA, the Lok Sabha functioned for 704 of the 711 hours, suggesting that there were fewer disruptions.

After the first eight sessions of Parliament in UPA I, the sitting time lost to disruptions was 38 per cent, then a record, indicating that the party that now rules resorted to disrupting Parliament more frequently over their years in opposition.

The maximum time lost in a session was in the winter of 2010, when a ferocious BJP demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee be set up to probe into the 2G Scam94 per cent time was lost in the Lok Sabha and 98 per cent in the Rajya Sabha. Coming close was the Monsoon Session of 2012, when the Lok Sabha worked for 20 per cent of the scheduled time, and Rajya Sabha for 27 per cent of scheduled hours.

Neither Modi nor BJP president Amit Shah, nor for that matter Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Rajya Sabha chairperson Venkaiah Naidu, can charge the Congress with disrupting Parliament anywhere near what the BJP has done. For, the Monsoon Session of 2016 saw the working hours of Lok Sabha touch 101 per cent, and the Rajya Sabha 96 per cent. The Monsoon Session of 2017 similarly saw the Lok Sabha working for 67 per cent, and the Rajya Sabha for 72 per cent of the allocated time.

While Jaitley as leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha had justified obstruction of Parliament as a legitimate tool of democracy, his then Lok Sabha counterpart Sushma Swaraj had waxed eloquent, We had to stall Parliament to expose the government and its corruption. Anyway, it is the government's job to run the Parliament, not that of the opposition.

Now when Congress president Rahul Gandhi tells his team to take on the BJP in Parliament, the team will take a leaf out of the BJP's book .And it is going to be business as usual in Parliament. With obstructions and disruptions. For while the tables have turned, nothing else has.
Security agencies were put on high alert in border areas of Punjab on Saturday after intelligence inputs on infiltration of terrorists into Indian territory from neighbouring Pakistan, informed sources said.

Security was tightened, particularly in border districts of Pathankot and Gurdaspur, including near the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, which bore the brunt of terror attack on January 2, 2016, as well as nearby Mamoon Cantonment of the Army.

India's international border with Pakistan falls in both districts that adjoin Jammu and Kashmir.

Apart from Punjab Police, men of the Border Security Force and personnel of different security agencies have been put on alert following intelligence inputs.

Suspected Pakistani terrorists had on July 27, 2015, attacked Dinanagar town in neighbouring Gurdaspur district, around 225km from Chandigarh, killing seven persons, including a Punjab Police officer, three Home Guards and three civilians.

The three terrorists were killed after a 11-hour gun battle with security forces at the Dinanagar police station.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is known for her prompt and pro-active responses on Twitter, which in many a time have brought praises from various corners. However, the senior BJP leader found herself at the receiving end of a controversy, after she replied to a tweet by a Muslim leader from Assam on Friday.

M. Badruddin Ajmal, president of the All India United Democratic Front, on Friday thanked the Union government for India's decision to vote against United States' move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In reply to this Swaraj tweeted: Thank you Ajmal Sahib. Now you vote for us.

Thanks Government of India for voting in the UN against US decision of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.@SushmaSwaraj  M Badruddin Ajmal (@BadruddinAjmal) December 22, 2017 Thank you Ajmal Sahib. Now you vote for us. https://t.co/OsQPv4PNDe  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 22, 2017

The minister's tweet has sparked off a political row with many accusing her of mixing politics and government policies. The Assam leader himself reacted sharply on Saturday saying his party would vote for the BJP the day when the saffron party "does not differentiate between majority and minority community".

Our vote is always for India, Madam. The day BJP does not differentiate between Majority and Minority community, our vote will be for you. https://t.co/yLoEoCazqD  M Badruddin Ajmal (@BadruddinAjmal) December 23, 2017

Ajmal's AIUDF has three seats in Lok Sabha and 13 seats in the state assembly.

On Saturday, in another tweet linking to a story on a leading news website, Ajmal said there is no question of supporting the BJP. The present situation has become so communally polarised. We can't be party to a government like this, he said.

India on Thursday joined 127 other countries to vote in the United Nations General Assembly in favour of a resolution opposing the recent decision of US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Trump had on December 6 announced that he would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, triggering protests and strong condemnation from across the world.
Indian Air Force is keeping its fingers crossed to have upgraded Light Combat Aircraft Tejas with its enhanced offensive capability, as the Final Operation Clearance (FOC) that makes fighter jet a battle worthy, is still a distance away. With repeated delays, HAL, manufacturer of the Tejas is expecting to get FOC by the end of 2018. Last year, IAF had asked for 42 minor and major modifications in the aircraft, which are yet to be incorporated by its developer.

Early this week, IAF has placed order for 83 Tejas aircraft with HAL. Of these, 73 will be the upgraded version called the Mark-1A and remaining 10 will be its trainer version. IAF order will be as per required specifications, approved as per the existing FOC.

Main modifications, which IAF is eyeing include AESA radar in place of the manually scanned Israeli Elta radar, external mid-air refuelling capability, Electronic warfare, a self protection jammer and integration of Beyond-Visual- Range Air-to- Air Missiles. In order to meet the IAF's requirement, HAL has already issued tenders to procure these warfare systems so that it can be loaded in the aircraft as early as possible.

Speaking to THE WEEK, HAL's spokesperson claimed that the FOC schedule is on time. "We are targetting FOC before the end of 2018. Tenders have been issued and evaluation process is on for the upgrades," said company spokesperson.

"Though HAL has managed to do majority of upgrades in the aircraft, four of these modifications are yet to be done to make the aircraft battle worthy, " said an IAF official.

Out of 20 Tejas fighter jets ordered in the Initial Operation Clearance (ICO) configuration, IAF is operating five Tejas fighters, inducted in the squadron named as 45 in July 2016 and remaining 15 will be delivered by HAL next year.

Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd) says it is high time for the state owned HAL to pull up its socks to deliver the project on time, as Tejas is going to replace air force's ageing fleet of MiG-21 and MiG 27.

"HAL really needs to pull up its socks because its history is not good. MoD has to crack the whip. We need to get numbers in terms to enhance our capability. IAF is now depending on Tejas to bridge the gap its capability deficit," AVM Manmohan Bahadur told THE WEEK. IAF presently operating with 33 squadrons comparing to 42 squadrons required to handle the two front scenario.

IAF's combat fleet is depleting fast. By 2032, it will be come down to 27 and 19 squadrons by 2042.

LCA Tejas, an over three-decade-old project is a single seat, single engine multi-role light fighter aircraft developed by HAL, claiming to be nearly 60 per cent indigenous. It has the fly by wire, state of the art open architecture computer for avionics and better weapon and combat capability.

However, last month, IAF, while pitching for case to have single engine fighter jet, told the government that Tejas is not enough to protect Indian skies with its limited capabilities. IAF is believed to have told the the ministry of defence that the "endurance" of Tejas in combat is just about 59 minutes and can carry a pay-load of about three tons, which are much below the capability of other single-engine jets available in the global market. IAF also informed the government that the maintenance cost of Tejas is also very high as it needs 20 hours of serving for every hour of flying. And in order to maintain its operational effectiveness, IAF is all set to issue global tenders for the single engine fighters.

While comparing with Rafale, Bahadur claims that both are different platform and can not be compared.

Comptroller and Auditor General of India, in its report on Tejas tabled in Parliament in 2015, had also come down heavily on the program. CAG pointed out 53 significant shortfalls in its Mark-I version that have reduced its operational capabilities and survivability.
Pakistan's Interior Ministry has opposed the registration of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League (MML) as a political party with the Election Commission by terming it as an "offshoot of proscribed entities".

The Ministry's opposition came after a security agency's report expressing apprehension that the registration of MML as a political party "would breed violence and extremism in politics", Dawn online reported on Saturday.

The Ministry requested the Islamabad High Court not to consider MML's plea seeking registration.

In September, MML-backed candidate Yaqoob Sheikh secured 5,822 votes and stood fourth in a by-election in Lahore's National Assembly constituency.

The by-election was held after the Supreme Court's disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister in the so-called Panama Papers scandal.

The Interior Ministry called MML an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JuD. The Election Commission had sought a clarification of the position of MML from the Interior Ministry with regard to Section 3(4) of Political Parties Order (PPO) 2002.

As per the PPO, organisations which undermine the integrity of Pakistan, promote sectarian, regional or provincial hatred, bear a name as a militant group and impart any military or paramilitary training to its members, do not qualify for registration as political party.

The Ministry processed the MML's case as per procedure and requested the security agencies for report in the matter.

The security agency said that "it is difficult to believe that MML will tread its own path, completely at variance with its mother (LeT and JuD) organisations" and recommended "such groups be avoided".

The Interior Ministry also cited the response of the Foreign Affairs Ministry against MML's registration in view of international obligations.

MML had challenged the Election Commission's order of October 11 declining its registration as a political party due to the alleged interference of Interior Ministry.

The JuD floated the MML in August this year to mark its entry into politics, promising to make Pakistan "a real Islamic and welfare state".

The US had expressed concern earlier this week over the alleged mastermind of 2008 Mumbai terror attack Saeed running for office in Pakistan's 2018 general elections.
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with police and fire departments reax)

New Delhi, Dec 23 (PTI) A major fire today broke out at a hospital in east Delhis Preet Vihar and 92 patients were evacuated from the building, officials said.

Some patients suffered minor injuries in the fire that broke out on the second floor of the Metro Hospital and Cancer Institute, the police said.

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"The fire broke out on the second floor of the hospital. When I arrived the hospital, I saw smoke coming out from that floor," a hospital official told PTI.

"We immediately evacuated all patients and staff. Of the 92 patients admitted in the hospital, 43 were sent to Metro Hospital in Noida, while others were moved to Max Patparganj and government hospitals nearby," the official said.

He said everyone was evacuated from the five-storeyed building and no casualty or major injury was reported.

At the time of the incident, 240 staffers were present in the hospital.

The fire started in an air conditioning vent and then spread to other floors, a senior police officer said.

A senior officer of Delhi Fire Services said a call was received at 3.20 PM alerting them about the blaze, which intensified in the next 20 minutes. Twelve fire tenders were rushed to the spot, he said.

"But it was controlled by 4.15 PM and completely doused by 4.50 PM," the official said.

Cooling operation was underway, the police said, adding that some patients suffered minor injuries in the incident.

The fire department official said that nearly 51 persons, including 40 patients were evacuated by the firefighters using a hydraulic lift.

The others, who were stuck there, were evacuated by the time the firefighters reached the spot.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the police said, adding it is suspected that a short-circuit triggered the blaze.

The fire department will submit a preliminary report to the district administration, following which the exact reason of the fire would be known, a senior police officer said. PTI SLB KND SLB NSD

--- ENDS ---
With its festive red livery and a name that sounds like one of Santa's speedier reindeer, what better present to give yourself this Christmas than the sporty and bold new Stinger grand tourer from Kia.

Having put one through its paces on UK roads this week, I can tell you this is a proper belter. Think of it as a coupe-like muscle car from South Korea  a rival to America's Ford Mustang.

But it's also gunning for BMW's 440i Gran Coupe and Audi's S5 Sportback. Though they are all around the same price bracket, Kia believes its fully loaded packages  less to spend on extras  will tempt buyers.

Cracker: Kia's new Stinger is a South Korean muscle car that combines blistering performance with a very sensible seven year warranty

Kia, whose UK HQ is in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, expects to sell about 1,500 in the UK in the first year with deliveries starting in the New Year.

I drove the top-of-the-range Stinger GTS model with a 3.3 litre turbo V6 petrol engine linked to a new eight-speed automatic gearbox (with manual paddles) that takes you smoothly, but with gusto, from 0 to 60mph in just 4.7 seconds.

Top speed, should you be on a German autobahn, is a mighty 168 mph. And for an all-in, on-the-road price of 41,140, it's packed tighter than Santa's sleigh with masses of kit as standard.

Competition: The Stinger is a rival for BMW's 440i Gran Coupe and Audi's S5 Sportback

Grunt: The top-of-the-range Stinger GTS model is equipped with a 3.3 litre turbo V6 petrol engine linked to a new eight-speed automatic gearbox with manual paddles

Performance: The GTS model will take you from 0 to 60mph in just 4.7 seconds and hit 168mph

This includes leather upholstery, front-heated seats and a heated steering wheel.

My favourite  which should be standard on every car  is a fighter-pilot style head-up display so you can see satnav and traffic information reflected through the windscreen without taking your eyes off the road.

There are five variants, with prices from 31,995 for a 2-litre turbo GT Line with a 244 bhp engine that does 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds and a top speed of 149 mph.

With its long, low bonnet I felt like I was cruising the mean streets in a U.S. cop film.

It also has four full-sized doors and ample passenger room.

Styling was overseen by global design boss Peter Schreyer  who created the original Audi TT  and, to cap it all, it has Kia's class-leading seven year or 100,000-mile warranty.

Looks: Styling was overseen by global design boss Peter Schreyer  who created the original Audi TT

Practical too: The rear seats fold down to provide a very useful load space

Cabin: Standard kit includes leather upholstery, front-heated seats and a heated steering wheel

Choice: There are five variants, with prices from 31,995 for a 2-litre turbo GT Line with a 244 bhp engine that does 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds and a top speed of 149 mph

LAND ROVER LAUNCHES POSH 4X4 VAN

If Santa needs help delivering presents, Land Rovers new commercial van version of its Discovery could do the job.

The second and third rows of seats have gone and the rear windows have been blanked to create arguably Britains poshest 4x4 van with 1,856 litres of boot space. Prices from 40,333 plus VAT.

Haughty hauler: The new Land Rover ban has 1,856 litres of boot space and a 40,333 price tag

F1 TECH IN AN ELECTRIC BIKE Fancy a state-of-the-art vehicle developed with F1 know-how and made of super-light carbon fibre that you can pick up for the cost of a second-hand car? Itll even help you burn off all those festive calories if you over-indulge on the Christmas pud and mince pies. The 4,790 Lavelle Power Bike combines a lightweight carbon fibre frame with a powerful 250w electric motor Costing 4,790, its not a car, but a hand-built high-tech bike boosted by a 500W battery and a 250W electric motor and automatic gears to pull away fast at junctions. The Lavelle Power Bike, created by Oxford-based Formula 1 and aeronautical engineers, doubles as an exercise bike and health monitor you can programme for your fitness as you ride. It has built-in satellite GPS diagnostic systems for both the ride and the riders performance, including monitoring the cyclists heart. The Lavelle has built-in satellite GPS diagnostic systems for both the ride and the riders performance, including monitoring the cyclists heart. It will reduce or increase the level of assistance according to the riders fitness or surrounding landscape. But it wont carry the children or keep you dry  which a decent second-hand supermini for the same price can.

Quirky British car company Morgan is to put its EV3 electric three-wheeler into production next year.

The Malvern-based manufacturer has teamed up with Frazer-Nash Energy Systems to create its first battery powered car, inspired by aero-engine race cars, classic Thirties motorcycles and Fifties fantasies.

Itll have a 120-mile range.Expect to pay around 52,000  about 60 orders have been placed already.
As the political warfare over the new bogogo grants rages on, one question that boggles the mind is will the warring factions ever come up with the much needed solution?



Every week it seems our sorry government has a hot potato on its lap. And it is not funny anymore. But to some of us, who have been around for some time, we know that these are the signs of time. I am not referring to the Biblical end times though.



I mean the signs that normally precede the election year. We are less than 10 days before the dawn of the much anticipated 2018, which will be a very busy year for the country. Legislators are already consumed by the anxiety of the elections.



They are beginning to remember that they were elected into Parliament to represent their constituencies. It is not surprising that they are not pulling away from any debate that touches on issues affecting the electorate now, when compared to some two, three years back.

It is in times like these that they have since awakened to the reality that they are supposed to be the voice of the voiceless. They are exerting pressure on government now on the thorny issue of the elderly grants, especially those who have just turned 60 years. Expect more on the free primary education when Parliament opens next year.



It will be their last opportunity to try and convince their people that they are still worth a place in the August house. The elderly grant debate will be the suitable vehicle to use for their political ride. The delay in paying the recently graduated elderly group has at times threatened to tear apart the countrys politics.



The argument was that the new bogogos share had not been budgeted for in this financial year. This is despite the fact that everyone knows that every year there will be people who will be looking forward to turning 60 years so they can also exercise their right to benefit from the elderly grant.

Heated debates in Parliament have been the order of the day in recent days, where even Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini found himself caught up in a street-fight kind of a verbal showdown with legislators.



At the heart of the debate is the one question. And that is; did government ever count the costs before embracing the Elderly Grant Policy? Or as usual, it opted to play to score cheap political points at the expense of the vulnerable elderly of the country.

As it is now, there seems to be a lot of grey areas in the whole Elderly Grant Policy, just like there are plenty in the Free Primary Education Policy that has already negated the state of our education, and the economy.



Government is spending on a lot on projects that are not clearly spelt out. The elderly grant for instance, has even benefitted individuals who are far well off than those who are really vulnerable. You find retired civil servants who have been given as huge as close to a E1 million package on top of monthly pension packages of about E10 000 to E13 000, lining up for the meagre E600 quarterly elderly grants. You ask yourself the question. Are these retired civil servants really vulnerable?

Or let me say are supposed to be vulnerable? Current statistics show that over 70 000 elderly are receiving their grants from government. However, because government didnt take time to properly consider all these possibilities when crafting the Elderly Grant Policy, these grey areas were left unattended. And pity they are eating deeply into the State coffers to a point where the deputy prime minister, whose portfolio the issue is under, had to dodge a barrage of criticism from vote-seeking legislators.The amount given to the elderly is not even enough to alleviate their vulnerability from food security, HIV/AIDS or other disasters.



What can a mere E600 in three months do for anyone? But when you consider that of the 70 000 there are plenty individuals who are far from being vulnerable. Some are living high lives and are only feasting on the elderly grant as nothing but means to enjoy their rights as enshrined in the policy.



They are 60 years old anyway and they are Swazis. So they claim and they are entitled to benefit from the E600 which other individuals regard as luxury. A government that is serious about what its doing should have by now reviewed the policy, so as to channel the grants to deserving and vulnerable elderly of the country, than to waste it on retired pensioners.



They have their own grants as provided by the Public Service Pension Fund. The only prudent thing to do now is to remove all these individuals from the list of elderly people receiving grants and save government from the unwarranted criticism from parliamentarians.

The elderly need to be taken care of but that should be those who are really in need of help. The grant is not to boost individuals coffers that are already full. It is a programme that seeks to uplift the standard of the needy. Government has to take action now, by reviewing the policy so that the money allocated to elderly grant could benefit those who are vulnerable.












By PTI: Bhubaneswar, Dec 23 (PTI) A day after dismissing him from the ministry, Odisha Chief Minister and BJP president Naveen Patnaik today removed Damodar Rout from the post of party vice-president.

"BJD president Naveen Patnaik has been pleased to relieve Dr Damodar Rout from the post of vice-president, Biju Janata Dal," Odisha Minister and BJD vice-president Usha Devi said in a statement.

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Patnaik also removed Rout from the responsibility of the partys observer in Dhenkanal district with immediate effect, Devi said.

The chief minister has yesterday dropped Rout, who was Agriculture minister over his anti-Brahmin remarks at a public meeting in Malkangiri district.

"The Chief Ministers stand is very clear. Yesterday, he had dismissed Rout from the ministry in the capacity as the Chief Minister. Today, he removed him from party posts as party chief. The action has followed after his irresponsible remarks against a community," BJD spokesman Prashant Nanda told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Rout in his reaction had said that he was a Biju Patnaik loyalist and would continue to remain so.

"I was elected by the people to serve them and not to become a minister. I will continue to work for the people as an MLA," Rout said.

Rout also clarified that he was dismissed as he did not resign when the chief minister wanted yesterday afternoon.

Opposition BJP, however, dubbed Patnaiks action as a political stunt.

"BJD believes in caste and communal politics. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has dismissed Damodar Rout to mislead people with some other motive," BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma had said earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former minister Suresh Routray said: "It is injustice to remove the senior leader like Rout from the ministry. Rout has a lot of contribution towards development of the state." PTI AAM RG

--- ENDS ---
MBABANE  You create your own fortunes in life! This idiom rings true for two teenage boys from Msunduza, a location in the outskirts of Mbabane, who instead of brooding on the misfortunes of their lives, to an initiative to get what they want through hard work and sweat.



Festive



The duo of *Mandla, 14, and *Bongani, 16, instead of blaming other people for their state of being, they took responsibility for the let downs in their lives. Mandla, who is a grade six pupil at Mqolo Primary School, said he decided to partake in temporal work to raise money for the festive season.



I want to buy things for myself as my mother is unemployed.

The teenager said he did not want to look at his peers and wish for their lifestyle so he approached an artisan to help him with whatever manual work that needed to be done in his workshop.



He said he devised the plan to look for employment with his pal who is doing Form One, Bongani. He said what inspired them to think of what they could do to source extra money was that they wanted to have goodies for Christmas and fireworks for the New Year cross over celebrations.



Bongani cemented this and said that he wanted to buy fireworks so that he can also be jovial and colour the sky like many who will be cracking fireworks.

The duo said they are paid E20 per day and have been working for two weeks now.



Our parents will not afford to buy us fireworks so we saw an opportunity in getting this job and making extra cash.

The pupils further said they had single parents who were raising them; therefore, every cent within the family had to cover up for essential necessities.
PIGGS PEAK  They may not believe in Christmas but Muslims yesteray made sure that scores of Swazis will also have a Merry Christmas.



Over 40 families were showered with food hampers at the Luhlangotsini Masjid (Mosque).

Some of the Muslims were heard saying the words Allahu Akbar.



However, the words, which mean God is Great were met with excitement.

Several Muslims participated in distributing the food, which was donated by a businessman from Mbabane.

Just like many communities surrounding Piggs Peak, having a good meal is an occasional luxury for most people at Luhlangotsini.

The mosque there has developed from a mud structure to a strong brick one that it is today.



Imam Ismail Mohamed led the distribution after a prayer that was held at the mosque.

Muslims normally have prayer at midday every Friday as was the situation.



Beneficiaries of the food hampers included both Muslims and Christians who are in need, according to Mohamed.

He said as Muslims, giving to the needy was a very important part of the religion.



The best charity is when you give to people who are genuinely in need, he said.

Aramina Mabuza, one of the residents at Masjid, said many people in the community were struggling.

Life is difficult here especially for those raising children, she said.

Mabuza, who is Muslim, said the charity work was a sign that God was real.
MBABANE  While the Cabinet ministers will be living large, some members of society will be wallowing in pain as the country cannot afford to offer basic services.



These services include grants of the elderly who have turned 60 years this year. Also, patients who were receiving specialised medical attention. Cabinet has repeatedly noted that there is no money to fund some of these essential services.

To add in the woes this country will endure was the 30-50 per cent cut for on-call and standby allowances earned by doctors and technical staff in health institutions.

These cuts follow the increment of a selected few in the civil service.



This increment was brought about by Circular Number 2 of 2017, which was said to be means to readjust salaries of those who were not properly remunerated following the adjustments made through the salary review done by LCC Consultants.



Also, while most Cabinet ministers and senior civil servants will be exchanging gifts with their loved ones, oblivious to what other families would be enduring, some members of society will be turned away as there is medication that is still not available in hospitals.
By PTI: (Eds: Adds details of Kovinds visit to Kalam memorial)

Rameswaram (TN), Dec 23 (PTI) President Ramnath Kovind today offered prayers at the Sri Ramanathaswamy temple here as he embarked on his first tour of Tamil Nadu since assuming office in July.

Kovind, who was accompanied by his wife and daughter, was received at the temple gate by the priest and other officials with the traditional "Poorna Kumbha Mariyathai" (temple honours).

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"It has been a pleasure to visit this historic and holy temple which signifies that good always prevails over evil...the visit has filled me with immense peace and happiness.... My appreciation to all those who work tirelessly to maintain the splendour of this temple," Kovind wrote in the visitors book at the temple.

After spending nearly 30 minutes at the temple, the president left for the government guest house.

Later, he visited the memorial of former president A P J Abdul Kalam at Pei Karumbu and paid homage to the latter.

In the visitors book there, Kovind wrote, "It is a personal privilege and honour to be able to offer prayers and pay homage to my predecessor -- a great scientist and son of the soil -- at the National Memorial."

He also described the memorial, built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), as a "major architectural and engineering marvel" and said it was a befitting tribute to Kalam.

The president also met the relatives of Kalam, including his nephew and grand-nephew, and enquired about the health of the former presidents elder brother from them.

During his visit, he also enquired about an autorickshaw driver, Shanmugham, who had taken him on a guided tour of the island town years ago, when Kovind was a Rajya Sabha MP.

A three-tier security cover was in place in view of the presidents visit, the police said.

Kovinds itinerary also includes appointments in Chennai.

Earlier, the president arrived by a special flight at Madurai, from where he went to a nearby "Mandapam" by helicopter.

Kovind was received at Madurai by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and District Collector Veera Raghava Rao. PTI CORR SSN ROH KIS RC

--- ENDS ---
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COLONIE  Fredrick Pangburn, who's been homeless for two years, was faced with a choice this holiday season. He could take a bus to Petersburg, West Virginia to escape the cold streets and celebrate Christmas in the warm home of his daughter, Ida. But that would mean leaving behind his best friend: his dog Thumper.

For Pangburn, it wasn't really a choice.

"Where I go, she goes," he said.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society and Molly O'Brien of the Albany District Attorney's office, Pangburn and Thumper were driven down to West Virginia Friday afternoon by MHHS volunteers Patrick and Kerry Linskey to celebrate Christmas together with his family.

"We're just so happy to be able to help Fred," Todd Cramer, president and CEO of the MHHS, said with tears in his eyes. "He has gone above and beyond what probably most pet parents do."

Pangburn said he became homeless when he got involved with a woman addicted to crack and heroin, who funneled money from him to feed her addiction. But instead of staying in homeless shelters for the past two years, Pangburn lived in his van until it broke down a few months ago. He then began sleeping in abandoned warehouses under five blankets so he could keep Thumper with him.

"That dog inspires me," Pangburn said. "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here. She gives me a reason to wake up in the morning."

Thumper  a 9-year-old, German shepherd/border collie/Siberian husky mix  greets most every person with a wagging tail and smile, but might hide under a table when a man enters the room. Her name was inspired by the thumping noise her foot makes as she scratches her ear. She raises her paw to ask for treats, and when Pangburn leaves the room, she cries and stares at the door until he comes back.

She is what Cramer calls a partner animal.

"Thumper is a true pal for him, they're connected at their souls," Cramer said. "He has suffered and put himself second and gone hungry so he could feed and care for his dog."

In November 2017, Pangburn was arrested for petit larceny  he had been stealing DVDs and food to support his now former girlfriend  and was required to do community service. That's when O'Brien, who was setting up his community service, met him and learned where he was sleeping.

"I'm a dog person, so when I heard he's putting himself at risk I was like, 'Wow, that's a lot of dedication,' " O'Brien said. "I can't say what it is about him, I just felt really bad for him."

She was able to arrange for Pangburn to sleep at the Capital City Rescue Mission, thanks to an emotional support animal certificate purchased by the Victory Christian Church, but Greyhound Lines wouldn't allow Pangburn to travel with Thumper without a doctor's note.

O'Brien ended up collaborating with Cramer, who sent out an email to volunteers asking if someone would drive Pangburn down to West Virginia.

"Within the first half hour, we had three responses, and more came in after that," said K.C. Campbell, volunteer manager at the MHHS.

The organization is sending Pangburn down with a $150 Walmart gift certificate, a Christmas meal basket for his family, and food for Ida's four cats, four dogs, four chickens, and three ducks.

The first thing Pangburn is going to do when he arrives at Ida's home?

"Probably cry," he said. "I haven't seen my two grandkids (ages 13 and 11) and my daughter in a while."
ALBANY -- Jerome Lefkowitz, former chairman of the state Public Employment Relations Board and a noted attorney with the CSEA union, died Thursday at age 86.

The Albany resident was also an active member of the region's Jewish community since arriving in the area with his wife Myrna in 1965, according to his obituary in Saturday's Times Union.

"Jerry had a long, distinguished career as an advocate for labor and public employees," said Civil Service Employees Association President Danny Donohue in a statement. "He was a driving force behind the 1967 Public Employees' Fair Employment Act, commonly known as the Taylor Law."

The Taylor Law gave public employees in the state the right to join in activities of any union of their choice, or to decline to do so, according to the PERB website.

Lefkowitz graduated from New York University and received his law degree from Columbia University Law School. He also attended the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.

In 1991, Lefkowitz was named chair of the New York State Bar Association's 1,808-member labor and employment law section.

Lefkowitz left the CSEA after 19 years, where he was deputy counsel, in 2007 after he was appointed as PERB chairperson. Donohue remarked that his tenure at the state agency was "marked by fairness, balance and neutral application of the very laws he helped craft."

The Albany-based PERB board sets policy and its offices administer the process of resolving disputes in collective negotiations, among other functions, its website says. It has regional offices in New York City and Buffalo.

Lefkowitz retired from the agency in January 2015.

"Jerry was an accomplished attorney, advocate and community leader," his obituary reads. "His quiet passion for law and justice informed his career path."

Services are noon Sunday, Dec. 24, at Temple Israel, 600 New Scotland Ave., Albany. Interment follows in Floral Park Cemetery, Monmouth Junction, N.J.
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FINANCIAL

LEVERPOINT MANAGEMENT LLC

Holly Dunn, Travis Bailor and Kylee Minthorn joined as members of the investor services team.

Aimee Welsh joined as a human resources generalist.

Gisele Batubenge joined as a treasury specialist.

Christina Husvar and Emily Pringle joined as senior accountants on the management company team.

Laura Dwyer joined as an AP clerk on the management company team.

Matthew Perrotte joined as a member of the investment services team.

Brittany Rodriguez joined as a file clerk on the administrative team.

Tyler Quintana joined as a fund team senior accountant.

Mary Ellen Boese joined as a business development and marketing assistant.

Kellie Graf, Jayson Overocker and Matthew Fortin joined as a fund team staff accountants.

HEALTH CARE

CAPITALCARE FAMILY PRACTICE

Dari Cook-McGibbon joined the Ravena office. Cook-McGibbon is a certified nurse practitioner and adult gerontology primary care nurse practitioner.

SARATOGA HOSPITAL

Taylor Herrick was promoted to director of public safety. Herrick joined in 2007 as a part-time public safety officer and for the past six years has served as public safety coordinator.

NONPROFITS

HISTORIC ALBANY FOUNDATION

Richard J. Lundgren was named executive director. Lundgren has experience in historic preservation, city planning, land conservation and commercial real estate.

SERVICES

RIVERS CASINO & RESORT SCHENECTADY

Rob Long joined as general manager. Long previously served as president and CEO of Bally's and Resorts casinos in Tunica, Miss.

THE GALESI Group

Tara Curley joined as director of leasing. Curley previously served as a licensed associate broker and managing director of corporate portfolio solutions at Mohr Partners Inc.

PROFESSIONS

CHA CONSULTING INC.

Katya London joined as a human resources talent management leader. London will support talent management activities.

Jessica Baxter joined as a marketing communications specialist. Baxter previously worked as a chamber broadcast coordinator at the New York state Assembly.

Richard Anderson joined as an engineering designer. Anderson will provide expertise in fire protection engineering to the mechanical group.

David Taillon joined as a project manager, supporting the transportation team. Taillon is a licensed engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors.

Daniel Olsted joined as a senior structural engineer, working with the general structures team. Olsted has more than 20 years of experience performing construction administration tasks, preparing building condition reports, calculations and contract documents.

Ethan Thaler joined as a technical support specialist, working with the information technology team. Thaler is trained and certified in advance systematic software troubleshooting and hardware repairs, including all Apple products and Apple software.

 Jennifer Patterson
As newly elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi chaired his first Congress Working Committee meeting on Friday, he set the tone for an aggressive campaign against the 'Modi model' that will be at the heart of the party's agenda in the run-up to the 2019 elections.

By Sweta dutta: As newly elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi chaired his first Congress Working Committee meeting on Friday, he set the tone for an aggressive campaign against the 'Modi model' that will be at the heart of the party's agenda in the run-up to the 2019 elections.

Even as the meeting remained dominated by emotional farewell speeches for former party president Sonia Gandhi, the new party chief attempted to keep the focus on two issues - exposing the Modi model of development and strengthening internal democracy within the party.

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"I view you as the voice of the Congress party so I would like that we institutionalise a meeting of the Working Committee, maybe once every two months and we just close the date. And, every two months automatically, the working committee meets so that we can hear what you want to say and what the nation is feeling," he told the CWC members.

Rahul said, "It (loss in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh) was disappointing" but "it was pleasing to see the Congress fight hatred and anger with respect, love and courage".

"BJP's entire foundation is on lies. Be it 2G or Modi model, Rs 15 lakh in every bank account, right prices for farmers' produce, demonetisation, Gabbar Singh Tax. All lies, the truth of the 2G is out there now," he told reporters after the meeting.

--- ENDS ---
Albany

With a contentious mayoral race behind her, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan says now the focus can return to the issues facing the capital city.

"It's time to move forward and look to the future and solve some of the challenges. To do that with an election looming over every single move you make, it gets challenging," Sheehan said. "I've always been much more comfortable doing the job than doing the things that you need to do to try and get the job."

MORE STORIES: Check out timesunion.com/topstories for the year's Top 10 stories as they are published through Dec. 31.

Sheehan won a second term in November, following a Democratic primary against Albany Common Council member Frank Commisso Jr. and Council President Carolyn McLaughlin where Sheehan won with less than 50 percent of the vote.

She defeated Commisso  who is the son of longtime county Legislature Majority Leader Frank Commisso Sr. and was on the Independence Party line  again in the general election, capturing over 70 percent of votes.

Albany's mayoral race often was heated with Commisso Jr. criticizing Sheehan's administration over finances and tax breaks given by the city Industrial Development Agency, and the mayor working to combat the criticism through television advertisements.

Sheehan, who has said she dislikes seeking campaign donations, loaned $387,000 to her campaign, a large portion of which went to paying for the ads.

Will Waldron

With the campaign behind her, Sheehan said she's looking forward to making state funding the city has to negotiate for each year a permanent revenue stream. She said her administration will continue to tackle the problem of vacant and abandoned buildings.

Filling the $12.5 million gap in the 2018 budget will be a top priority for Sheehan next year. While she was successful convincing the state to provide $12.5 million in new funding this year rather than the typical advance on a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes owed to Albany for the Empire State Plaza being off the tax rolls, it didn't come with the promise of future funding.

"I think it's critically important that we not have to go year to year with this huge gap that is so clear to anybody looking at it," she said. "It's clear that we're not treated fairly, or like other New York cities with respect to (Aid and Incentives for Municipalities)."

And when retractors say the capital city should live within its means, Sheehan said, "O.k., give us the same means you give other cities, and we'll absolutely live within those means."

While new growth is happening across the city, Sheehan said her focus will be on vacant buildings. Earlier this year, Albany launched a $1 million grant program to provide funds to help people purchase vacant homes to renovate them into affordable housing.

The remains will be used in conjunction with the Albany County Land Bank to help fund resources for technical support in those pursuits, Sheehan said.

Other key issues to be tackled next year include the future of trash removal in the city as the Rapp Road Landfill nears closure and sewage discharges.

"This is the year for us to really be out there in the community finalizing a solution for when our landfill closes, estimated to be 2021," Sheehan said. "And we'll also be talking a lot in the community about another century's old problem with (sewage) discharge."

In 2014, the DEC and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $136 million, 15-year plan to reduce the amount of combined sewer overflows by up to 90 percent. The plan covers Albany, Troy, Cohoes, Watervliet, Rensselaer and Green Island, which have about 150,000 homes and businesses.

Efforts on the largest piece of that project -- a $45 million sewage treatment facility at a massive discharge pipe called "Big C" just north of the Port of Albany, which is the major source of Albany's spills  will be ramped up in 2018.

"Long after I'm here, these are things we need to solve now to resolve two things that most people don't like to talk about," Sheehan said. "I'm very optimistic about where we are, the work that we did to get to where we are and what that's going to allow us to do in the future."

Will Waldron/Times Union

afries@timesunion.com  518-454-5353  @mandy_fries
Police said six fraternity members in Maryland hosted a disruptive party with so much booze the air inside the home tested positive for alcohol, local media reports.

The American Universty fraternity party took place in mid-November and ended with all six students being charged with 126 counts each for allowing underage possession of alcohol and furnishing alcohol to a minor, according to ABC 7.
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LONDON (AP)  Renowned conductor Charles Dutoit has denied serious accusations of sexual misconduct.

Dutoit's office issued a statement Saturday saying the allegations "have absolutely no basis in truth."

The Associated Press reported earlier this week that four women had accused him of sexual assault.

Dutoit's statement says he is seeking legal advice and plans to defend himself.

He says "media accusations on serious physical abuse do not help society tackle these issues properly if the claims are in fact not true."

The 81-year-old Dutoit is artistic director and principal conductor at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London and is known to Capital Region audiences for his 20 years as artistic director of the Philadelphia Orchestra and their summer concerts at SPAC. After retiring in 2010, Dutoit returned as guest conductor.

An accuser who said that Dutoit assaulted her in 2006 at SPAC did not want to be identified, saying she feared speaking up because the power the famous maestro wields could lead to her being blacklisted from the industry.

She said that after a rehearsal with the Philadelphia Orchestra that summer, Dutoit called a meeting in his dressing room and, when others left, pressed her against the wall, restrained her wrists and pushed himself against her. He grabbed her breasts on two other occasions, she said  while they were riding in a car and also backstage, right before they walked on stage to perform.

Four years later, when the soprano performed again with Dutoit in Philadelphia, she said he pushed her against a wall and forced his mouth on hers.

"There is nothing wrong with him as a musician," she said. "But he has been allowed to operate as a predator off the stage."

"We are mortified to hear that this behavior happened on the grounds of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center where, needless to say, it would not have been tolerated then or now," said Elizabeth Sobol, SPAC's president and CEO in a statement earlier this week. "The courage of the victims who have come forward gives us hope that this moment of reckoning we are experiencing in all facets of society will continue to amplify the voices of those who have faced harassment and bring about change to any culture that may have enabled such predatory behavior in the past."

Dutoit has also appeared as guest conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood.
A lawsuit filed by six physicians alleging "self-dealing" by the major health care provider Crystal Run cites hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions given by the company and its officials to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's campaign fund.

The plaintiffs allege they were not consulted by the Orange County-based company's management about making the donations  and their attorney says he will seek information about whether donations made by company executives were actually paid for by pooled company money. If that were the case  there's no public evidence that it is  it would raise serious election law questions for Crystal Run executives.

Asked if the contributions had been given in this manner, a Crystal Run spokeswoman declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.

The lawsuit, filed in state Supreme Court in Westchester County, was prompted by Crystal Run's pending "business combination" with Bronx-based Montefiore Medical Center  a relationship that the plaintiffs say will harm their financial interests and those of other Crystal Run physicians, who jointly own the company in a partnership.

In February, the Times Union reported that the state Department of Health had awarded $25.4 million in March 2016 to build two Crystal Run health care facilities, despite both having broken ground about six months earlier. A thriving business, Crystal Run is the largest private sector employer in the Hudson Valley.

Crystal Run, its executives, their spouses or its doctors have given at least $400,000 to the Cuomo campaign, including a flurry of 10 $25,000 donations at a Cuomo fundraiser in October 2013.

Seven of those $25,000 donors had not given a donation in a New York election for at least a decade.

"Another thing Plaintiffs recently learned as a result of recent press coverage was that Crystal Run and its senior executives had apparently made hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to a public official whose administration then made decisions favorable to Crystal Run," the lawsuit states. "Plaintiffs were not consulted about the decision of Crystal Run's management to make these payments."

When a senior Crystal Run executive was asked to explain "what appeared to be an unlawful payoff" he responded "that there are certain things that management needs to do and that the other physicians need not know about," according to the lawsuit.

The Crystal Run doctors' partnership agreements state that they must each make substantial, regular "capital contributions" to Crystal Run to fund its operations.

The plaintiffs' attorney, Steven Shore, said he would seek information in the discovery process about whether the doctors' pooled company money was given to various company executives  and if they in turn gave the donations to Cuomo in their own names. Of the $400,000 given to Cuomo, $80,000 came from the company itself, while the rest came from individuals.

It is illegal under New York election law to give a campaign donation in anyone's name except one's own.

Cuomo's office has repeatedly said that campaign donations don't impact policy, and the Department of Health says it gave out competitively bid grants from a $1.2 billion pot of money, including those to Crystal Run, in the exact order of their scoring. Whether a project was already being built without a subsidy was not among the criteria.
United Nations

The United Nations Security Council placed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday that significantly choke off fuel supplies and order North Koreans working overseas to return home, in what may prove the last test of whether any amount of economic pressure can force the isolated country to reverse course on its nuclear weapons program.

The sanctions, proposed by the United States and adopted by a vote of 15-0, were the third imposed this year in an escalating effort to force the North into negotiations. China and Russia joined in the vote, in a striking display of unity, but only after the Trump administration agreed to soften a couple of provisions.

Under the new sanctions, North Korea's imports of refined petroleum will be cut by 89 percent, exacerbating fuel shortages. North Korean laborers who work in other countries, a key source of hard currency, will be expelled. Nations will be urged to inspect all North Korean shipping and halt ship-to-ship transfers of fuel, which the North has used to evade sanctions.

But the resolution does not permit countries to hail or board North Korean ships in international waters, which the Trump administration proposed in September. That would be the most draconian measure, because it would enable the U.S. Navy and its Pacific allies to create a cordon around the country, though Pentagon officials say it would also carry a high risk of triggering a firefight between North Korea and foreign navies.

The new sanctions are the toughest ever, but so were the last two rounds: In August, the Security Council blocked North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood, and in September, it called for inspections of ships going in and out of the North's ports.

Experts, and even the White House, agree that the United States is running out of sanctions options.

The CIA assessment is that no amount of economic sanctions will force the North to give up its nuclear program.

"President Trump has used just about every lever you can use, short of starving the people of North Korea to death, to change their behavior," the White House homeland security adviser, Thomas P. Bossert, said Tuesday. "And so we don't have a lot of room left here to apply pressure to change their behavior."

The vote came just four days after the United States charged that the North was responsible for the "WannaCry" cyberattack that crippled computers around the world in May, and nearly a month after the country launched a new intercontinental missile that appears capable of reaching any city in the United States.

The United States, which has led the sanctions effort at the Security Council, drafted the latest round in consultation with other members, notably China, which historically has been reluctant to impose them.

There were some last-minute changes in the final version of the resolution, partly to satisfy Russian complaints. The changes included doubling the deadline for the return of North Korean workers to 24 months from 12 months.

Russia's deputy ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, who attended the Security Council vote, made a point of complaining about negotiations over the resolution, in which he said Russia had not been adequately consulted.

Still, Russia went along with the new measures  though U.S. officials have charged that in recent months the Russians have secretly opened new links to the North, including new internet connections that give the country an alternative to communicating primarily through China.

The unanimous decision was a diplomatic achievement for the Trump administration, only a day after most members of the U.N. General Assembly, brushing aside President Donald Trump's threats of retaliation, condemned the United States' new recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Nikki R. Haley, the U.S. ambassador, thanked the other council members  especially China  for coming together on the resolution and said further North Korean defiance would "invite further punishment and isolation."

Haley called North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile test last month "another attempt by the Kim regime to masquerade as a great power while their people starve and their soldiers defect."
TROY  Running Rensselaer County is not a glamorous job, but one that deals daily with overseeing social services and other programs required by state law.

Retiring Republican County Executive Kathleen M. Jimino performed that task for 16-and-a-half years attempting to draw attention to the financial demands the state places on the county that take funds away from programs such as highways, sheriffs road patrol and senior centers that are popular among county voters.

I joke the 'M' stands for mandates, Assemblyman John T. McDonald III, D-Cohoes, said about the word that rolled off Jiminos lips for years as she spoke out about required, unfunded state programs.

Thats good, Jimino said about McDonalds quip. It means Ive gotten the message across.

Jiminos attack on mandates began when she first became county executive. Eddie Patrick of the Veterans of Lansingburgh and Stephen Acqaurio, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties, told her she had to have a clear message to convey. For Jimino, it was explaining why county property taxes always seemed to be soaring.

Youve got to tell people why taxes are so high. I always felt you to attract peoples attention in government you have to be upfront about what theyre doing, Jimino said. That led to the attacks on unfunded state mandates.

McDonald, who represents part of the county and was mayor of Cohoes, said Jimino spoke about the concerns felt in local government, ensuring that those concerns were heard.

As of Jan. 1, Jimino, 61, is leaving that behind after deciding in May not to seek a fifth four-year term leading county government. She will have spent 36 years working in county government  16 years in IT, four years as a county legislator representing Troy and 16 years as elected county executive. The half year as county executive came when she was appointed by the County Legislature to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of former County Executive Henry Zwack in 1991.

While Jiminos fought mandates, she says the fulfillment has been working with others to improve life in the county and in serving the residents. She is known for being accessible.

There were no political reasons for her to be helpful to me. Im going to miss her, said East Greenbush Supervisor Jack Conway, who was elected on the independent East Greenbush First slate. He said she was very helpful in responding to his concerns.

Jimino worked with the city of Rensselaer, said Mayor Dan Dwyer, a Democrat. She represented the interests of the people, particularly their financial interests.

County Legislator Michael Stammel, R-Rensselaer, who will become the County Legislatures chairman in January said Jimino always put Rensselaer County and its taxpayers first. She became known for challenging the state o New York when they passed legislation and expected everybody else to pay for it.

Jimino said her accomplishments went far beyond demanding mandate reform from Democratic and Republican governors. She said shes proud of stabilizing county finances; creating a Human Services Cabinet to coordinate provision of social services to benefit residents; delivering services efficiently; to assist the countys municipalities with problems such as water contamination in Hoosick and Petersburgh; upgrading the emergency radio communications system; economic development; and working to expand and improve the county-sponsored Hudson Valley Community College.

Jimino had worked for Deputy County Executive Christopher Meyer elected as her successor. That plan was derailed when Assemblyman Steven McLaughlin, R-Troy, defeated Meyer in the Republican and Conservative primaries then won the general election against Democrat Andrea Smyth.

When asked about the state Assembly sanctioning McLaughlin for a June 2016 incident in which a female Assembly aide accused him of asking for nude photos, Jimino said the issue of appropriate behavior is part of the national debate at this time. She said how these incidents are viewed has changed and that they can no longer be ignored.

Jimino said she does not plan to seek elective office again. After some time off, she said she will become involved with local boards to help out the community. She said she will spend more time with her grandchildren and family than she could have previously while working as county executive.

Looking back, Jimino said, I relished the opportunity to work with people. I always enjoyed our annual veterans breakfast to award past medals. Its something that would be done by higher ups in the federal government or military. I was honor to do it.
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"Full House" fever is in full swing now that the Netflix spinoff "Fuller House" is slated to return for the second half of Season 3 on Fridayjust in time for a holiday binge-a-thon!

And that got us wondering: What's up with the real "Full House" house?

We checkedand it turns out it's stirring up a truckload of trouble.

'The worst thing that's happened'

We're talking, of course, about the gorgeous Victorian whose exterior appears in the opening credits of "Full/Fuller House," located at 1709 Broderick St. in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. Even though the show is filmed in a studio elsewhere, this 19th-century beauty has gained pop culture status, drawing throngs of fans over the years.

And that hubbub has apparently gotten worse ever since the 3,125-square-foot, three-bedroom, four-bathroom home was sold for $4 million to none other than Jeff Franklin, the producer of both "Full House" and "Fuller House." After purchasing the place in April 2016, Franklin said he planned to renovate the interior so it finally matches the setpossibly so that he could use it to film some new footage of "Fuller House," or stage a sleepover for the cast. Or, just maybe, rent the place out for big bucks.

Now Playing: "It ain't going away, so I better embrace it," the actor says Video: Entertainment Weekly

Since then, the renovation permits have been granted, but at least two of Franklin's neighbors have recently filed a request for a "discretionary review" hearing, which could throw a wrench in moving forward. The reason they're fighting Franklin's reno plans? They're worried that they might make their neighborhood even more overrun than ever.

Franklin is a Hollywood producer who has bought the house for commercial purposespromoting it as a fan destination, using it for promotional events and filming at the house, complained neighbor Carla Hashagan in the San Francisco Examiner. According to Hashagan, at peak times, the block is now teeming with 150-250 or more visitors and 50-75 cars per hour, with 1,000 visitors or more on weekend days. All this attention, she asserts, has wreaked havoc on our neighborhood.

As a result, locals say the sidewalks are littered with trash, and parking has become next to impossible.

Weve lived here for 46 years, and weve seen a lot of things go on. This is probably the worst thing thats happened," area resident David Natcher told CBS news. "Its brought a lot of people from all over the country, and it becomes a mob scene."

According to locals, appealing directly to Franklin to address these concerns has had little effect.

We arent getting anywhere dealing with him directly," said Natcher. "So now we have to go to the city and try to get them to do something about his requests and have him scale back what he's doing and maybe listen to our concerns."

What rights do neighbors have?

Franklins spokesperson, Evette Davis, said the producer is trying to work with neighborsby, say, going on social media to remind fans to be respectful when visiting the house. However, we cannot deter tourists from visiting, she said. We genuinely tried what we could to help.

Your guide to living in the Capital Region, Hudson Valley and beyond New in town? Looking for a change of scenery? Find your new home or apartment. Your guide to living in the Capital Region, Catskills and Hudson Valley

But what happens if Franklin decides to turn on the cameras to film "Fuller House" here? Is that even allowed?

It turns out, it is allowed, to a degree. "I actually know this because I've done it," Los Angeles developer Tyler Drew tells realtor.com. "A few years ago, I renovated a large abandoned loft in Los Angeles. Once renovated, I put the home onto various film location scout websites.

"The IRS allows 14 days of tax-free filming a year," adds Drew. And you can film beyond that if you pay taxes on any income generated, and apply for the right permits before the cameras start rolling.

"Can you do it? Yes," says Drew. "Only should you all the time as a homeowner? Eh, that's where it gets tricky. [Franklin's] neighbors obviously have legal rights to quiet use of their homes."

As for what the neighbors can do, "they have the option to change the zoning's use for filming, but that could be a long and costly process," explains Jeff Miller, a Baltimore-based real estate agent at AE Home Group. "It would be better for the neighbors to take a short-term approach to minimize the impact of visitors until the hype fades away. Neighborhood-provided public trash cans can help alleviate the litter, and pooled funds to hire an off-duty police officer during peak hours could help deter loitering and illegal parking."

Even at the worst, neighbors should find some comfort in that the hubbub won't last forever. "Given a few years time, the home will likely lose its appeal as a tourist attraction," Miller says.

Sooner or later, those "Full House" fans will binge-watch their way into indifference. Or here's another upside noted by Samuel Pawlitzki, a real estate agent with Beach Cities Real Estate in Malibu, CA.

"On the one hand, it's a nuisance to have the home next to you be a tourist attraction," Pawlitzki says. "On the other, it does raise property value considerably."

The post The 'Full House' Home Faces Its Biggest Scandal Yet appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
At least 33 dead bodies have been recovered from the river in Sawai Madhopur's Dubi.

The cause of accident is reported to be over-speeding. Photo:ANI

By India Today Web Desk, Dev Ankur Wadhawan: At least 33 people dead and over 15 are reported to have suffered serious injuries after a passenger bus fell into Banas river today in Sawai Madhopur's Dubi.

The Sawai Madhopur-Lalsot bus fell off a bridge into the river, reportedly after the driver lost control of the vehicle due to over-speeding. Four children, seven women and 22 men are among those killed today.

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The passengers travelling in the 40-seater bus hailed from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Most of them were en route to the Ramdevra Temple in Lalsot.

All the injured have been rushed to a nearby hospital.

In a condolence message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. State Government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected."

Anguished by the bus accident in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. State Government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM @narendramodi- PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 23, 2017

Rajasthan: Total 26 bodies have been recovered so far. Rescue operation is underway to find any survivors: Subhash Mishra, CO, City on bus accident in Sawai Madhopur's Dubi pic.twitter.com/x8QCCTFED6- ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

Watch the video here: Rajasthan: Passenger bus skids off bridge, falls into Banas river; 30 killed

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[December 22, 2017] Merging Traffic Invests in Mercury Cash, a Digital Wallet Company for Cryptocurrencies

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Merging Traffic announces a new investment in Mercury Cash. Mercury Cash is a digital wallet company for cryptocurrencies that helps advance the disruption of the banking industry. Mercury Cash is creating solutions for common citizens to excel in their financial capacities, promote new and reliable ways for savings, and finding faster and cheaper ways to invest in cutting edge financial technologies. Mercury Cash partnered with Merging Traffic to leverage investment and expertise to facilitate the use of cryptocurrencies in the current economy and become the future of banking. Cryptocurrencies add a sense of security by hashing every transaction and adding it to a ledger that is kept on many different servers, making it very difficult to fake transactions. The ability to eliminate third parties reduces the cost and time of transactions, creating more efficiencies for businesses and individuals. Mercury Cash is bridging the gap between digital currencies and the current economy to transform the way we interact with money. "The banking era is clearly in its dawn, and a rising Blockchain System is involving financial interest around the globe. Since the creation of the first platform developed under the Blockchain Technology in 2010, over 800 approximate Cryptocurrencies have been created and more than 200 Cryptocurrency Exchanges."  Victor Romero, Founder & CEO, Mercury Cash With cryptocurrencies on the rise, Ethereum has been standing out as the decentralized Blockchain platform of choice. Mercury Cash has capitalized on the Ethereum rise by providing different levels of support on its platform allowing financial transactions between people without the need of a third party such as banks and merchants. Due to Blockchain's ransparent and real time transactional nature, Mercury Cash believes it will become the preferred choice for reliable, and cost-effective ways to make any exchanges. Mercury Cash has seen a 200% increase in demand in a 45-day period, going from 500 clients on November 1st to 1,660 clients by the end of December, 2017.



Currently, Mercury Cash services allow individuals and institutions to exchange the Ethereum cryptocurrency to USD and vice versa. Not only can you exchange the currency but also safeguard it by creating an account within Mercury Cash to hold tokens/coins. This means that companies can, in real time, use cryptocurrencies to pay their customers, supply chain managers, invest in retirement funds, and more. "Mercury Cash has become a regulated institution; registered as a money transmitter through Florida's Office of Finance Regulation, the Department of Treasury of the U.S. under the Department of Finance and Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and is PCI DSS Compliant). This is a tremendous opportunity for Mercury Cash and the advancement of the marketplace."

 Dr. Max W. Hooper, CEO / Managing Director, Merging Traffic Merging Traffic leaders have become leading experts in the Blockchain field, recently releasing the book, Blockchain Enabled Applications: Understand the Blockchain Ecosystem and How to Make it Work for You. The partnership helps to further evaluate the reliance of cryptocurrencies and how they are deployed into the current economy. Victor adds, "Merging Traffic was the right lead investor for this round because they have an in-depth understanding in where this industry is headed, expertise in Blockchain, and experience taking companies public." About Merging Traffic Merging Traffic is a Global Capital Formation Engine catalyzing growth, investment and access to capital in emerging technologies. It's a combination of targeted fund raising and diversified fund investments. www.mergingtraffic.com About Mercury Cash Mercury Cash is a specialized and secure platform that has its own Ethereum wallet and market exchange for ETH/USD. Mercury Cash is a project that will lead people in the investment, adoption and usage of cryptocurrencies with a series of innovative strategies and solutions. www.mercury.cash News Contact: A.J. Ripin

Company: Merging Traffic, LLC

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1 (561) 346-1096 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/merging-traffic-invests-in-mercury-cash-a-digital-wallet-company-for-cryptocurrencies-300575152.html SOURCE Merging Traffic, LLC

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[December 22, 2017] In Response To iPhone Battery Issues -- Experimac Offers Rapid Replacement

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Following news that Apple* admitted intentionally throttling or slowing iPhone performance on older batteries with decreased output, Experimac, the retail leader in the sales and service of pre-owned Apple computers, iPhone devices, and iPad tablets, has announced it will be including iPhone battery testing and replacement among their already extensive list of Mac and Apple technical and repair services. "Our aim is to provide Apple users with an alternative to waiting in busy holiday lines, or taking a risk on an unbranded replacement battery purchased online," said Jim Muir, President of Experimac. "The good news is that there IS a fix for slowed-down iPhone performance due to an aging battery, and you absolutely CAN get professional support and a new battery with a lifetime warranty by visiting a local Experimac store." The root of the performance problem is related to a feature built into iPhone 6, 6s, 7, and SE phones, which scales back CPU output as batteries decline over time. There is no confirmation from Apple that older iPhone models are also impacted, but it could be possible. The affected iPhone models all use lithium-ion batteries, which degrade over time, holding less charge, and lead to an unexpected or untimely shut down. The throttling feature was created to protectinternal components of the iPhone from such shut down or low-battery-related issues. For battery-related performance issues, replacing the battery with a new one should return the phone to peak CPU performance. Experimac offers high-quality battery replacements, starting at $49.99 for iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, and SE models; $59.99 for iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s and 6s Plus models; and $79.99 for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models. In January, the iPhone 7 model batteries will drop to $69.99.



"Anyone experiencing slow iPhone performance should strongly consider simply replacing the battery, as opposed to replacing the entire phone," Muir continued. "Here at Experimac, we can test the battery to see if it is performing within recommended ranges, and if not, we have premium batteries in stock for replacement. And in participating stores, all of those batteries come with lifetime warranties against defects." Muir then pointed out that replacement batteries will eventually experience a decline in performance as is normal with all lithium-ion batteries. Especially around the holidays, with Apple Store locations and big box stores in many cities experiencing heavy crowds and lines out the door, some customers could expect to wait up to an hour or longer for service and support. Those eager to get their batteries tested, replaced, and get back to their lives will find Experimac a time-saving solution with an expert level of support and knowledgeability. To find the Experimac store location nearest you, please visit https://experimac.com/locations/ for address and hours of operation.

About Experimac

Experimac is a unique franchising concept that specializes in the sale of certified pre-owned Apple products. Your Local Experimac can also repair, upgrade or buy your current device, and no appointment is ever necessary. The brand offers a 90-day guarantee, which takes the risk out of buying pre-owned. Experimac was founded by Jim Muir in 2009, and began franchising as one of United Franchise Group's family of brands in 2014. Today, there are more than 100 locations across the globe; Experimac stores can be found in Australia, Mexico, Chile, South Africa, France, and Ireland. The brand has seen tremendous growth with no sign of slowing down. For more information, visit www.ExperimacFranchise.com . *The use of the Apple Inc. logo or trademark does not represent an endorsement by Apple Inc. of Experimac or United Franchise Group. Apple, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Store are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Media Contact:

Ashley Soto

305-631-2283 x1005

[email protected] View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/in-response-to-iphone-battery-issues----experimac-offers-rapid-replacement-300575136.html SOURCE Experimac

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[December 22, 2017] Webcast Metrics Ranks the Top Digital Audio Properties in the U.S. and Latin America for October 2017

Triton Digital, a leading technology provider for the audio industry, today released its monthly Ranker in the U.S. and Latin America for October 2017, providing insight into the top streaming audio providers in both regions for the month of October. During this month, all measured clients within the domestic U.S. reported a total of 5,571,802 Average Active Sessions (AAS) during the Monday through Friday 6:00 am to 8:00 pm daypart, and 4,633,299 AAS during the Monday through Sunday 6:00 am to Midnight daypar. All metrics within the Webcast Metrics rankers include listening from both ad-supported and ad-free services, where applicable.



Triton Digital's Monthly Ranker is a listing of its top 20 clients' digital audio stations and networks measured by the Media Rating Council (MRC) accredited Webcast Metrics audience measurement platform. Webcast Metrics uses a proprietary platform to track audience data and convert it to audience metrics that can be easily understood by stations, publishers and advertisers. Unlike other measurement solutions, Triton's Webcast Metrics information is based on census data, rather than consumer surveys, providing the most accurate information. Full results of the October 2017 Rankers can be found here:

www.tritondigital.com/publishers/measurement/rankers

About Triton Digital

Triton Digital (https://www.tritondigital.com) is building a better audio marketplace by making online audio advertising more accessible, intelligent, and effective. Launched in 2006 and operating in more than 45 countries, Triton Digital is the largest global technology and services provider to the digital audio industry. Triton's technology is designed to help broadcasters, podcasters, and music services streamline their day-to-day operations, build their online audience, and maximize their online revenue. Its comprehensive product suite includes online audience measurement, streaming delivery and media players, advertising technology and online audience engagement tools. In addition, Triton operates a programmatic audio advertising marketplace that delivers a streamlined and effective way for brands to reach a range of audio audiences through a single programmatic platform. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171222005522/en/

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By India Today Web Desk: There was a flood of excitement on December 20, as Taimur Ali Khan, son of Saif and Kareena turned one. Wishes poured in on Twitter, and people couldn't get over how adorable Taimur looked on his birthday. The little star kid was beside himself with delight, as he got to cut a huge jungle cake. And, he got as a forest as a gift.

#taimursfirstbirthdayA???A???A???#birthdayfunA??? A??A @thehouseofpixels A post shared by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) on Dec 20, 2017 at 2:58am PST

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It was a quiet family evening at Pataudi Palace. Grandparents Randhir and Babita Kapoor, along with aunt Karisma Kapoor, and her kids Kiaan and Samaira. Earlier there were reports of Karan Johar attending the party, but KJo wasn't present at the celebrations. Ranbir Kapoor was expected to come as well, but owing to his office commitments, he couldn't attend the merry little party.

We love our parentsAA #familycomesfirst#pataudidiaries A post shared by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) on Dec 20, 2017 at 8:52am PST

A source reportedly told Pinkvilla, "Ranbir is very fond of Taimur and that is also one of the reasons he was invited for Taimur's celebration. Ranbir was keen to go, but a few important work-related things came up and he could not make it."

A???A???A???A?AAAAA???#birthdayfun#ourloves#pataudidiaries A??A @thehouseofpixels A post shared by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) on Dec 20, 2017 at 5:04am PST

We're sure Taimur would have been more than happy to see his uncle at his party.

ALSO WATCH: Saif and Kareena become proud parents to a baby boy, Taimur Ali Khan

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Kansas governor's nomination set to return to White House TOPEKA, Kan. - A spokesman for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback's nomination for an ambassador's post is set to return to the White House. McConnell communications director David Popp said in an email Friday that Brownback's nomination is not on a list of those to be carried into next year.

The latest chapter in the long goodnight for the Kansas Guv and his supply-side hype that is now part of the national economic agenda. Take a look:
Old KCI Endures This Christmas

KCI packed with travelers for the holidays on Friday night Kansas City International Airport is packed with travelers for the holidays.

Kansas City Foodie Homecoming

KC Meals Worth Coming Home For + Pizza It's the time of year when KC expats come home for the holidays. We take a look at the restaurant meals that they have to have during their visit, and a chat with a KC native whose New York barbeque restaurant has become a hangout for homesick Kansas Citians.

JoCo Burnout Aftermath

Home destroyed, 2 people hospitalized after early morning Shawnee house fire SHAWNEE, Kan. - The sheer size of a fire burning through a home on Nieman Road early Friday morning stunned Cody Newman and other neighbors. "My dog woke me up about 4 o'clock in the morning, and I didn't know what he was barking at," he said.

Midtown Kansas City Gun Crackdown Consideration

Private sidewalks in Westport cause mixed emotions for business owners, KC residents KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Westport business owners are hoping private sidewalks will bring people back to the KC neighborhood, but not everyone is convinced the privatization is a good thing. The Kansas City Council voted 8-5 on Thursday to turn ownership of sidewalks over to Westport business owners, allowing them to control who comes into Westport Square.

Crossroads Living Situation

Home2 Suites opens Crossroads Arts District hotel - Kansas City Business Journal Downtown Kansas City's newest hotel and only its second extended-stay venue has opened in the Crossroads Arts District to strong demand. Located at the southeast corner of 20th and Main streets, the Home2 Suites by Hilton Kansas City Downtown features 114 suites with hip, colorful decor and a rich amenity package along the city streetcar line, which connects nearby Union Station and the River Market.

Even More Little Helpers For Santa

Quadruplets born 10 weeks early in Overland Park on World Prematurity Day Quadruplets were born about 10 weeks early at Overland Park Regional Medical Center and, coincidentally, their birthday is World Prematurity Day. "We always knew they were going to be little and premature and the NICU would be part of our journey," their mother said.

Golden Ghetto Literary List

Johnson County Librarians' Book Gift Ideas For Kids And Teens Have a little last minute shopping to do for the young bookworms on your list? With a visit to your local bookstore, and these recommendations from the Johnson County Librarians, you'll be all set. Today, the librarians give us their reading pics for tots to teens and all the kids in-between.

We start our morning news cycle withand move forward from there . . . Take a look:is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . .
"Whats the issue: Truman Medical Centers, with campuses near Lakewood and on Hospital Hill, is the areas only safety net hospital. Critical funding is at stake, and Congress this week only passed a stopgap measure to address it.





"How does it affect me: About one-fourth of TMCs patients lack health insurance. It provides more than $100 million a year in uncompensated care  one-third of that for residents of Eastern Jackson County."

Quick look at the local impact of tax cut legislation on locals in desperate need of healthcare access.Checkit:Deets:Developing . . .
Greek Americans have always been a very active community in the United States reinforcing the historic ties between the two nations and certainly boosting tourist inflows over the years

The American Hellenic Council (AHC) has announced that it is currently accepting applications for the 2018 Scholarship Awards.

The deadline for applicants is January 31, 2018, while the winners will be publicized at the AHC annual awards gala on March 31, 2018.

The three prizes to be awarded to deserving students include:

* The Aris Anagnos $1,500 Scholarship

* The Dr. & Mrs. Kallins $1,000 scholarship

* The Van Vlahakis Family $1,000 scholarship

Named in honor of three of the Councils founders and generous supporters, the scholarships are designed to recognize outstanding Greek-American university students who have the necessary academic accomplishments, and a proven record of participation in community affairs.

The purpose of these scholarships is to reward the students for their exemplary academic accomplishments, engage the next generation of Greek-Americans in Southern California with the American Hellenic Council and its mission, and encourage their generation to become ambassadors of Hellenism, noted AHC in a statement.

See the eligibility details below:

In order to be eligible to apply the applicant must:

A. be a resident of Southern California  specifically residing anywhere within the northern limits of Santa Barbara to the southern limits of San Diego and within the eastern limits of Palm Springs.

B. be an undergraduate student (sophomore, junior or senior) currently enrolled, full time, in an accredited College or University, and who will be fully enrolled during the 2018/2019 academic year.

C. must have a minimum 3.5 GPA, (maximum 4.0 scale)

D. the applicant or a member of his/her immediate family must be a paying member of the American Hellenic Council or become one.

Previous winners of AHCs scholarships are not eligible. Apply here.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Source: greekreporter.com
Michael Psaros announces the donation of $100,000 in matching funds during his speech at the dinner of Chian Federation of America, which honored him with the Homeric Award. (Photo by TNH/Costas Bej)

NEW YORK  The Chian Federation of USA and Canada is helping its beautiful Greek island namesake in a practical and essential manner by sending hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical supplies there.

A big container arrived on December 12 and a second one departed Portland, OR on the 13th.

It all started a year ago in December when the Chian Federation honored one of the most prominent and successful sons, Michael Psaros, with the Homeric Award.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Source: thenationalherald.com
Shehzad Poonawalla has insinuated that Gandhi's should be probed for their involvement in the scam.

By Anindya Banerjee: If the arrest of Jaiprakash Bagarwa and Ashok Kumar, in connection with Bikaner land scam, was not enough for discomfiture within the Congress, former party leader Shehzad Poonawalla has dropped another bombshell.

He insinuated that Gandhi's should be probed for their involvement in the scam.

On Friday, the ED arrested Bagarwal and Ashok Kumar on charges of money laundering.

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"Both Jaiprakash and Ashok are related to Mahesh Nagar, who was an authorised representative of Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd (that is alleged to be linked with Robert Vadra)," Poonawalla said.

"Now people may question the move of the Enforcement Directorate today calling it political vendetta. But what happened when then ED chief, Katoch, summarily hushed up cases where the Gandhi's were linked?" Poonawalla alleged.

"Clearly, Vadra alone can't do that. There must be political superiors who could have (exerted) influence and Katoch played the role he played," he added

"So my submission is that this link doesn't stop at the door step of Robert Vadra. Big fish are involved," he alleged.

The agency searched properties belonging to Bagarwa and Kumar in April this year and reportedly seized evidence from there.

--- ENDS ---
Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 23

It has been a year of highs and lows on the health front. While the Health Department managed to conduct the biggest measles and rubella campaign, the expansion plan of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) continued to remain in limbo after the UT authorities pitched an exorbitant price for transferring of land.

The Health Department yet again failed to curb the dengue menace. However, no death, as per the claim of the department, was reported this year but dengue cases again crossed the 1,000 mark.

The year also witnessed unprecedented spurt in swine flu cases. As many as six persons from the city lost their life while over 56 were hospitalised. As per the department, patients had suffered from a new type of strain, (Michigan strain) which proved to be fatal.

In March, Dr Jagat Ram (60) took charge as the Director of the PGIMER.

Dr Ram, head, Advanced Eye Centre, was the senior-most among the three doctors who were shortlisted for the post. His term will run till October 30, 2021. G Dewan replaced RK Kaushal as the new Director, Health Services, UT.

The infant mortality rate (IMR) in Chandigarh has come down to 14 from 21 deaths per 1,000 live births, as per the 2016 sample registration system (SRS) bulletin. The bulletin prepared by the Census Department was released in October.

Cancer, mental health issues

One in eight males and one in seven females in the city are at the risk of developing cancer, said a survey report released during the non-communicable diseases (NCD) congress.

Prof BS Chavan, Head, Department of Psychiatry, GMCH- 32, while releasing a report on mental health had said over one lakh people living in the city were suffering from one or other kind diagnosable mental disorder.

Controversies

The much-hyped survey conducted by the PGI on the menace of drugs in Punjab also caused much uproar as the survey found less than one per cent of the total population hooked to drugs. It also found that 42 per cent of drug addicts in Chandigarh used injectables.

A cancer survey released during the world non-communicable disease congress also found liquor, not underground water, to be the main cause behind rising cancer cases in the Malwa region.

No let-up in burn cases on Diwali

There was no let-up in burn cases during Diwali. As many as 141 persons sustained burn injuries while 52 patients suffered eye injury. The festival of light turned fatal and led to the death of veteran politician Madan Mohan Mittals granddaughter Aditi Mittal (22) who suffered burn during Diwali.

Delivery of 10-year-old

The 10-year-old-girl who was raped by her uncles gave birth to a girl child through C-section at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32. The child was born after 35 weeks of pregnancy, which was discovered in July. The delivery was a challenge for doctors of the GMCH. The eight-member board constituted by the PGI had ruled out any possibility of termination of pregnancy.

Highs

PGIMER conferred with Health Excellence Award at World Hospital Congress, Taiwan.

In July, city performed the first lung transplant at PGI. However, the patient died after two weeks.

PGIMER received 42 cadaver donations in 2017 as compared to 27 last year, which is highest so far.

Renal Transplant Surgery Department conducted 78 cadaveric kidney transplants.

PGI begins a new procedure for liver cancer.

The Week-Nielsen Survey 2017 ranks PGIMER the second best in medical education, research and patient care.

The Health Department introduced a new mobile food testing laboratory.

Infant mortality rate in city comes down to 14 from 21 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Lows
The Arumughaswamy Commission, formed by the Tamil Nadu government to probe the demise of ex-CM J Jayalalithaa, on Friday issued summoned her former aide VK Sasikala.

By Akshaya Nath: The Arumughaswamy Commission, formed by the Tamil Nadu government to probe the demise of ex-CM J Jayalalithaa, on Friday issued summoned her former aide VK Sasikala.

Sasikala is currently serving a four-year term in Bengaluru's Parapana Agrahara jail after being convicted in the DA (disproportionate assets) case by the SC.

The panel, which is headed by retired judge A Arumughaswamy, has given Sasikala 15 days to respond to the summons.

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It is yet to be decided if Sasikala will appear in person or through a video conference.

Sasikala had been Amma's confidante for more than 30 years. In 2011, Sasikala and her famous Mannargudi family had been kicked out by Jayalalithaa.

However, after some years, Sasikala staged a comeback with her "sister" Jayalalithaa.

At a time when there is intense speculation even one year after the former Tamil Nadu CM's death on several issues relating to her illness and line of treatment, Sasikala was the one who spent most time with her.

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, December 23

The weekly agitation started by ex-HMT employees continued here today. The employees separated on VRS gathered in front of the HMT Administration Block and raised slogans against the management of the firm.

They have been demanding their pending salaries from January 2017 to the date of their separation, renewal of lease for company quarters for the next eleven months and completion of pension formalities.

Suresh Chauhan, president, HMT Ex-Employees Association, while addressing the gathering, said the management had issued notices to the former employees separated on VRS to vacate the company quarters. Otherwise, penal rent will be imposed on them with legal implication. Whereas around 500 quarters are still lying vacant on the premises even after allotting around 300 quarters to Haryana Government employees, defence personnel, etc.

After 11 months of relieving, the management is still unable to clear the pending salary of the employees. How the employees can construct or buy houses without funds? Chauhan said.
Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 23

Dousing flames during fire mishaps in narrow lanes and congested markets will become easier now as the Fire Services Department of the local Municipal Corporation has acquired state-of-the-art motorcycles for firefighting operations.

The custom-built motorcycle is fitted with portable water and foam tenders.

Anil Kumar Garg, Chief Fire Officer, MC, said they faced difficulties while carrying out rescue operations during fire incidents in congested areas. However, these motorcycles would make the task easy as these could cruise through the crowded and congested lanes without much difficulty and delay.

Named fire rescue bike, the motorcycle could also find its way through traffic snarl-ups. The Fire Service Department has acquired seven such motorcycles initially and would buy more in future. The bikes cost around Rs 48 lakh to the MC, the equipment price included.

An officer of the Fire Department said a new device attached to the bike would employ mist method to douse flames. In other words, the water jet or foam jet released at high pressure would acquire mist-like appearance as the gap between water and foam particles would be 270 microns. Such minute gaps would effectively put out fire in electrical devices.

He said since water had got certain density it acted as a good conductor of electricity and if there were gaps the quality would be neutralised. The water and foam could be thrown up to a distance of 50 feet.

The motorcycles are

also equipped with sirens and blinking lights which the rider can switch on while rushing to the accident spot.

Garg said these bikes would be used as the first response and would prevent flames from spreading further. He said these bikes would be parked at all fire stations in the city.
Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, December 23

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today directed government departments to issue an acknowledgement copy bearing an official stamp on receiving a public complaint.

He ordered this during a janata durbar here today. Several people turned up for the durbar to air their grievances against officials for not taking action on their complaints.

When Khattar asked them to furnish a copy of their complaints submitted to officials, they had nothing to show.

At this, Khattar said: It is difficult to fix responsibility of an official without proof that a complaint was indeed submitted to the department concerned. Both parties may hide their actions on flimsy grounds. The department should ensure that it issues a stamped copy of acknowledgement after accepting a complaint.

He asked his personnel staff to ensure strict compliance with the order.

Khattar, meanwhile, accepted all 207 complaints and demands for development projects, and assured action as per rules.

On complaints by a few outsourced workers employed in government departments, Khattar clarified the state did not make any commitment to provide them with regular jobs.

It (contract job) is just a stopgap arrangement. Outsourced employees are the sole liability of the contractor. They should keep trying for an alternative employment. As for the governments responsibility, it will ensure that no candidate gets preferential treatment during recruitment, he told a youth seeking a regular job.

He took a dig at Kurukshetra University for excessive outsourcing.

The Chief Minister directed his staff to conduct a statewide study on complaints pertaining to the difficulty in subscribing to power connections in residential colonies meant for below poverty line (BPL) families.

There is zero tolerance for power pilferage. People should share information about those drawing electricity through kundi connections, Khattar said.

The Chief Minister suspended Pala Ram, an assistant in the SDMs office of Pehowa, for illegally obtained a BPL card. He also ordered a departmental inquiry against the official.

Pit stop in Karnal

Karnal: On his way to Kurukshetra, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar stopped near a restaurant here for five minutes and interacted with party workers. District BJP president Jagmohan Anand, Kurukshetra Vikas Board honorary general secretary Ashok Sukhija and other party workers welcomed the CM. A couple of city residents apprised him of the problems being faced by them. TNS
Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 23

A pall of gloom descended on Ramba village in Karnal after the news of death of Sepoy Pragat Singh, who was among four Army men killed along LoC, reached his home on Saturday evening.

Pragat Singh (30) had joined the Army as a Sepoy around 12 years back.

He is survived by his father Rattan Singh, mother Sukhwinder Kaur, wife Ramanpreet Kaur and four-year-old son Yuvraj Singh, said Harvinder Virk, a friend of Pragat Singh.

Deputy Commissioner Aditya Dahiya said the mortal remains are expected to reach the village by tomorrow afternoon and the last rites would be performed with full honour.

Several youths of this village have been serving the armed forces.

As the news reached the village around 7.30 pm, hundreds of people thronged the house of Singh to console the family members.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Shimla, December 23

The suspense over the next Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh may end on Sunday when the BJP Legislative Party meets and may announce a name.

BJP state President Satpal Satti told reporters here that the BJP legislative party will be meeting here on Sunday.

A top state BJP leader had earlier said that the name of the new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh would be announced by late afternoon on Saturday.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Unless there is a last-minute change in the script, the top contenders for the position appear to be five-time MLA Jairam Thakur and Union Health Minister JP Nadda.

It is learnt that the BJP parliamentary board had a late-night discussion over the name.

The two BJP central observers--Union ministers Nirmala Sitaraman and Narendra Singh Tomar--returned to Delhi from Shimla on Friday afternoon after holding consultations with the newly-elected party MLAs and workers on the issue.

They are also said to have met the state RSS leaders.

A senior BJP leader, on condition of anonymity, said there was a strong view in the party that the new CM should be from among the newly-elected MLAs.

It was after the shock defeat of the partys chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal, who has been the chief minister for two terms, the race for the top post opened up, bringing Nadda into the contention.

Nadda, a Rajya Sabha member, is a senior party leader from the state.

The party won 44 seats in the 68-member assembly.  With IANS
Tribune News Service

Rajouri/Jammu, December 23

A Major and three soldiers of the Indian Army were killed in ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Keri sector along the Line of Control in Rajouri district on Saturday evening.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

"We suffered three fatal casualties, including one officer, in the incident. Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh and Sepoy Pragat Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to their injuries," a defence spokesman said. Another soldier, Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh, also died later.

Read: Pall of gloom descends on Karnal village after soldier killed in LoC firing

The latest violation of the ceasefire agreement took place at a time when Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was camping in Rajouri district headquarters to address people's grievances, they said.

The defence spokesman said Pakistani troops targeted the Army patrol at Brat Galla in Keri sector at around 1215 hours.

The Army, in a statement, said that Indian troops retaliated "strongly and effectively".

Major Ambadas (32) belonged to Bhandara district in Maharashtra and is survived by wife Avoli Moharkar, while Lance Naik Gurmail Singh (34) belonged to Amritsar district in Punjab and is survived by wife Kuljit Kaur and a daughter.

Sepoy Pragat Singh (30) belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the Army said. Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh belonged to Kaureena village in Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda district in Punjab.

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh paid rich tributes to the slain soldiers and condemned Pakistan for the ceasefire violation.

"Pakistan is indulging in such cowardly actions and is being given a befitting response, but it does not desist from such cowardly acts," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Major Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail and Sepoy Pragat were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the Army statement said.

The deputy chief minister said Pakistan has got isolated at the global stage, especially on the issue of terrorism.

"Pakistan is a terrorist state and it will not be too long before the country is declared a terrorist state by the world. It does not only support terrorism but also provide state sponsorship," Singh said.  With PTI
New Delhi, December 23

Talented youngsters from Jammu and Kashmir can contribute greatly to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a delegation of schoolgirls from the state today.The girls are touring various parts of the country as a part of the Army's "Sadbhavana" programme.

The Prime Minister spoke to the girls on a host of subjects, ranging from education to the Swachh Bharat campaign and benefits of yoga.

"Delighted to welcome a delegation of schoolgirls from Jammu and Kashmir, who are touring various parts of the country as a part of the Indian Army's Sadbhavana programme. The schoolchildren from Jammu and Kashmir and I had a lively interaction on areas pertaining to education, Swachh Bharat, benefits of yoga," Modi later tweeted.

"They were particularly keen to know about the steps our government is taking towards furthering girl child education."

"The talented youngsters from Jammu and Kashmir can contribute greatly to the nation. It is gladdening to see more youth from the state joining the civil services and showing great potential in sports," he said in a series of tweets.  PTI

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Salman Khan and Shilpa Shetty Kundra have reportedly landed up in legal trouble after their comments on scheduled caste in public. Salman Khan, during the promotions of Tiger Zinda Hai, had used the word Bhangi referring to his dancing style. On the other hand, Shilpa Shetty during her interaction with paparazzi used the same word to describe the way she is dresses at home. The Valmiki Community has filed a case against both the actors for using the word that has hurt people's sentiments. They have lodged a police complaint against them and urged for strict action. A copy of the registered complaint by the Valmiki Samaj Action Committee Delhi has been shared on their Facebook page too. The community has strongly opposed Salmans Tiger Zinda Hai.
Salman Khan is on the receiving end of strong backlash, as he allegedly made a casteist slur on a dance show. Various groups are now vandalising theatres that are screening Tiger Zinda Hai.

By Siraj Qureshi: While promoting his film, Tiger Zinda Hai, with Shilpa Shetty on a dance show, Salman Khan had allegedly made a casteist slur, where he compared his dancing skills to a sanitation worker, "or "bhangi." Shilpa had also laughed along with him, and said that she also looked like one.

There has been a mighty uproar against these statements, as several groups felt that it was a derogatory insult to scheduled castes, and sanitation workers. Posters were torn down, slogans were raised as protesters vandalised threatres in Rajasthan demanding that Tiger Zinda Hai not be screened.

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The rage has spread to Agra. In an appalling show of lawlessness, a large crowd of members of the Valmiki community, including Agra municipal corporation's sanitation workers hijacked a Municipal truck and attacked a film theatre in the city, which was displaying Salman Khan's film, Tiger Zinda Hai.

Interestingly, this vandalism took place when Dy. Chief Minister of UP Keshav Prasad Maurya was present in Agra.

According to the theatre manager Mohd. Imtiyaz Chand, a huge mob of Valmiki community members tried to enter the gates of the theatre today, demanding that the film be pulled down immediately. The demonstrators claimed that Salman Khan and Shilpa Shetty have humiliated the Valmiki community by making some comments on the community. When the film wasn't stopped, the mob attacked the theatre with rocks and tore down the film posters from the walls.

Chand said that the mob had also brought a municipal corporation truck filled with debris with them and this debris was dumped in a pile outside the theatre gate, blocking the entrance. He said that the mob was joined by members of a right-wing Hindu organization Rashtriya Hindu Sena later, and had the police not reached the spot in time, the theatre would have been set afire.

Talking to India Today, Senior Superintendent of Police Agra Amit Pathak said that the police reached the theatre well in time and lathicharge was ordered on the mob to disperse the crowd. Two accused have been arrested on the complaint of the theatre manager and police force has been deployed all over the city at the theatres that are displaying this movie.

Some members of the Valmiki community told India Today that Salman Khan had made some derogatory comments against the community in a TV channel interview and both Salman and his co-star Shilpa Shetty should be charged under the SC/ST Act. They claimed that the Agra District Magistrate Gaurav Dayal has also been served a memorandum of these demands.

Valmiki Samaj Kalyan Sangh President Dilip Utsahi said that the district administration had been warned in advance that if a case under SC/ST Act is not registered against the two actors, the Valmiki community will be forced to take this matter down into the streets. He warned that if any theatre tries to display this film, the Valmiki community will force it to stop the display.

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Rashtriya Hindu Sena President Manu Rajput expressed solidarity with the Valmiki community and said any dishonour caused to Hindus will not be tolerated. He said that effigies of Salman Khan will be burned in front of every theatre displaying his film in the Agra division, unless he is booked under SC/ST Act and sent to jail.

Expressing his anguish at this outbreak of senseless violence in the city, Hindustani Biradari Vice-President Vishal Sharma said that cases of damage to public and private property and criminal intimidation should be registered against the office-bearers of the Rashtriya Hindu Sena and the members of Valmiki community for their acts of violence.

He said that if the Rashtriya Hindu Sena cares so much about the Valmiki Community's honour, then it should work towards ending the practice of untouchability against this community among the Hindus.

He expressed surprise that a Municipal Truck was used in the vandalism, which indicated that there were a large number of municipal workers present in the demonstration, who should be identified prosecuted too.

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He also asserted that the way a right-wing Hindu organization jumped into a community-specific demonstration and made it a matter of Hindu dishonour, it becomes clear that this matter was taken up as another opportunity of Muslim-bashing, as the film's main actor Salman Khan is a Muslim. He said that Agra has been known for its religious tolerance and is known as the city of Sulh-e-Kul and such violent activities only serve to tarnish the image of this glorious city, which used to be the capital of the entire Mughal India at one time.

Sharma demanded a ban on all political and social organizations who call themselves 'Sena' and said that the world 'Sena' itself reeks of militant thoughts and should not be used for any political and social purposes.

Tiger Zinda Hai, starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, released on December 22.

ALSO WATCH| Salman Khan's Tiger Zinda Hai met with protests in Rajasthan

--- ENDS ---
Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, December 23

The Allahabad High Court on Friday upheld the right of every citizen to celebrate their festivals in a peaceful manner and asked the administration not to create hurdles in this regard.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice DB Bhonsle and Justice MK Gupta made this observation while hearing a PIL filed by Sanjay Singh and 34 members of the Christian community from Birner village in Kaushambi district.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The petitioners had charged the local administration of not lifting Section 144 of the Cr PC imposed during the conduct of the recently concluded civic bodies election prohibiting the assembly of more than four persons in the village.

When the standing counsel for the state government pointed out the use of loudspeaker during Christmas celebrations, the court asked how permission could be denied if it was used as per norms and only till the time permissible.

The petition had sought permission to celebrate Christmas between December 24 and 31, the permission for which had been pending before the district administration since December 16.

The court directed the district authorities to consider the application filed by the petitioners on or before December 25 in accordance with law.

Allowing the petition, the court observed: We hope that unless there are some law and order issues involved, authorities concerned will not decline permission to celebrate festival in the village.

Curbs on Hindu leaders near Christian schools

An Aligarh court has ordered five leaders of Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) not to go within 500 metres of missionary schools and churches in the district

Additional City Magistrate Renu Singh issued notices to HJM following its advisory asking missionary school of Agra and Aligarh not to force students to celebrate Christmas

Rajnaths advisory to states on Xmas security
New Delhi, December 23

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday mocked the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) saying if the party had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard.

If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard #BJPLieHard #BJPLies #HowManyBJPLies, Gandhi tweeted.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Meanwhile, Rahul is expected to visit Gujarats Somnath temple on Saturday ahead of a review meeting with newly-elected MLAs and party workers following the Gujarat assembly election results.

After his Somnath Temple visit on November 29, a controversy had erupted after Rahuls name along with senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel was allegedly mentioned as non-Hindus in the visitors book. ANI
New Delhi, December 23

The Congress on Saturday termed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as behaving like a "pet performing parrot" of Prime Minister Narendra Modis government.

"The biggest proof of this that in the 2G spectrum case, there are three verdicts. The first verdict is 1,556 pages long. But even before this verdict was uploaded, the CBI and ED (Enforcement Directorate) said that they would go for appeal," Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said.

"Now, the CBI and ED are not private lawyers, they are state agencies and are supposed to function in a fair, objective and transparent manner. There are separate directorates of prosecution in both CBI and ED. Did these directorates, or anyone else in the two agencies, before making such a comment make a value judgment whether there are grounds for conviction or not?" Tiwari asked.

He said that before filing an appeal against an acquittal, the investigating agency needed the high court's permission.

In response to a question, the former Union minister said that to hope that CBI and ED will probe the multi-crore Srijan scam that has taken place under Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's "nose", is like "kite flying".

"We have been demanding that probe in the Srijan scam should be dome by a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT)," he said.

The Srijan scam refers to the fraudulent transfer of huge government funds in the account of a Bhagalpur based NGO called Srijan Mahila Sahyog Samiti between 2004 and 2014.

On his party continuing alliance with Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya (RJD) Janata Dal even after his conviction by a CBI court in a fodder scam case, Tiwari said that court cases and political alliances are "two separate things".

A special CBI court on Saturday convicted RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a case relating to the multi-million rupee fodder scam.  IANS
Ranchi/Patna, December 23

The Rs 950-crore fodder scam was unearthed in the undivided Bihar regime in 1996.

After Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000, 39 of the 61 cases were transferred to the new state.

There were 20 truckloads of documents in the case, in which a special CBI court today convicted former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Following is the timeline of events:

January 1996: The fodder scam is unearthed after Deputy Commissioner of Chaibasa, Amit Khare, raids the Animal Husbandry Department.

March 1996: Patna High Court asks CBI to investigate the fodder scam. CBI registers FIR in the Chaibasa (in undivided Bihar) Treasury case.

June 1997: CBI files chargesheet, names Lalu Prasad as one of the accused.

July 1997: Lalu quits as chief minister, anoints Rabri as CM. Lalu surrenders before CBI court, sent to judicial custody.

April 2000: Rabri too named as accused in the case but is granted bail.

October 2001: Supreme Court transfers case to Jharkhand HC, after Bihar's bifurcation.

February 2002: Trial begins in Special CBI court in Jharkhand.

December 2006: A Patna lower court acquits Lalu and Rabri in Disproportionate Assets case.

March 2012: Charges framed against Lalu and Jagannath Mishra.

September 2013: Lalu, Mishra and 45 others convicted in another fodder scam case. Lalu sent to Ranchi jail and disqualified as Lok Sabha member; debarred from contesting elections.

December 2013: Supreme Court grants bail to Lalu.

May 2017: Trial revives after SC order on May 8. Apex court asks lower court to separately try them in Deoghar treasury case.

December 23, 2017: CBI special court finds Lalu and 17 others guilty. Lalu now stands convicted in two out of six cases.  PTI
Jitendra K Shrivastava

Tribune News Service

Ranchi, December 23

A special CBI court in Ranchi today held RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and 14 others guilty in the fodder scam under which a sum of Rs 89.27 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn from the Deoghar treasury, now in Jharkhand, between 1994 and 1996. However, former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra and seven others were acquitted.

The court of Shivpal Singh will pronounce the sentence on January 3, 2018.

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Meanwhile, Lalu, 69, has been sent to Birsa Munda Central Jail in Hotwar, Ranchi. The court ruled that the property acquired by him after 1990 would be attached.

Krishnandan Prasad, Lalus counsel, said: The CBI had filed a chargesheet against 38 persons on October 27, 1997. Eleven accused died. Three turned approvers and two were convicted in 2006-07. We will appeal for justice in the higher courts.

Upset at the court ruling, RJD vice-president and former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh attacked the PM. Lalu ko jail, Mishra ko bail, yahi hai Modi ka khel. We will fight legally and politically.

Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui argued: Laluji has been charged with connivance as he was Finance Minister then. The charge is not direct. The withdrawal had been taking place since 1977. There were several CMs who were in charge of the Finance Department when Laluji was not the Finance Minister or CM. So, why is he being singled out?

Before leaving for the court, Lalu told the media: Every RJD worker is Lalu Prasad and will fight the BJP. The RJD will emerge stronger if I am sent to jail. Leader of the Opposition and Lalus younger son Tejaswi Prasad Yadav accused the BJP of trying to root out Opposition.

Soon after the verdict, a post on Lalu Prasads Twitter handle read: Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes. And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished...

Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and casteist minds. No one should expect any different treatment.

Congress Manish Tewari alleged the CBI was a pet performing parrot of this government and questioned why similar action was not initiated against Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in the Srijan scam in which the quantum of embezzlement was of a much greater order. Asked whether Congress association with the RJD would continue, he said court cases and political coalitions were separate matters. (With PTI inputs)
Ajay Banerjee & Shyam Sood

Tribune News Service

New Delhi/Rajouri, December 23

A Major and three jawans were killed as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district on Saturday afternoon.

The deceased were identified as Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, Lance Naik Kuldip Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh  all of the 2 Sikh Regiment.

Major Ambadas, 32, from Bhandara district in Maharashtra, is survived by his wife Avoli Moharkar.

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Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, 34, belonged to Punjabs Amritsar district. He leaves behind his wife Kuljit Kaur and a daughter. Lance Naik Kuldip Singh belonged to Kaureena village of Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda while Sepoy Pargat Singh, 30, belonged to Karnal district in Haryana. He is survived by his wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son.

They were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them. The Indian Army has retaliated strongly and effectively on Pakistan army posts, read an Army statement.

The incident is suspected to be the handiwork of the Pakistan army border action team (BAT) and not the routine LoC firing. Though technically classified as a violation of the ceasefire agreement of 2003, sources said the activity was more like a BAT action.

Killing four trained soldiers in a single strike is rare during a violation of the ceasefire. It is being suspected that Pakistan army troops crossed the Line of Control and ambushed this group of the Indian Army, indicating a BAT action. The fencing is several hundred metres inside the LoC. This is clearly firing from a very close range, less than 200 yards, it is suspected. Indian Army posts close to the LoC are well fortified.

The possibility is Pakistan army was aiding the infiltration of terrorists through Rajouri as the high passes have been snowed down and are impossible to cross.

Rajouri is relatively lower in altitude. The military operations wing at New Delhi and the Armys Northern Command are analysing their response and a strong military response was expected. But all responses will be calibrated to cause maximum damage.
YANGON, December 23

Two Reuters journalists detained in Myanmar will be allowed to meet their families once their first 14-day period of remand expires, according to local media reports.

Reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been in detention for 11 days in an undisclosed location and have had no access to their families, lawyers or colleagues.

They were arrested after being invited to meet police officials over dinner on the outskirts of Myanmar's largest city, Yangon on December 12. The authorities are investigating whether they violated the country's colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which has a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

"After the first remand (expires), they will be able to meet their families. They will be sent to the court for testimonies," Tin Myint, permanent secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs, was quoted as saying by Radio Free Asia.

In Myanmar, those remanded must be brought to court within 14 days. But it's not immediately clear when the pair was first remanded and whether the authorities will seek court approval to remand them for a second 14-day period.

The Home Affairs Ministry did not respond to several requests for comments.

Family members of the two journalists say they have not received any official communication about the question of remand or the investigation, and neither has Reuters.

Tin Myint said the case against the two Reuters reporters will be "transparent" and the authorities will follow the rule of law, according to Daily Eleven newspaper.

Major governments, including the United States, Britain and Canada, leading international political figures and top United Nations officials are among those who have demanded the release of the Reuters reporters.

The two journalists had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in the western state of Rakhine, where an estimated 655,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from a fierce military crackdown on militants.

A spokesman for Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi this week told Reuters that the police had almost completed their investigation and the two reporters will be treated in line with the law.

The Ministry of Information said last week that Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, had "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media". Reuters
Ghaziabad, December 23

Over 100 workers of the BJP and other Hindu outfits, including a dozen-odd leaders, were booked in Ghaziabad on the charge of clashing with police and rioting over the marriage of a Hindu woman with a Muslim man, police said on Saturday.

The case was lodged at midnight Friday by Kavi Nagar police through Sub Inspector Dinesh Sharma under Sections 147, 148, 336, 341, 427, 353 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act.

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The accused had allegedly clashed with police earlier in the day in Ghaziabad over the marriage they dubbed as a case of "love jihad" and also staged a sit-in outside the house of the woman's parents and disrupted traffic.

The woman's family had organised a wedding reception at their house in Ghaziabad.

Police said they removed the protesters by using mild force on the ground that they were trying to interfere in the personal lives of individuals.

"How can police allow people to barge into someone's house? We got a distress call and performed our duty accordingly," Superintendent of Police H.N. Singh said.

The FIR named BJP city President Ajay Sharma, businessman Dinesh Goel, Rahul, Goel, Pinki Chaudhary, Vineet, Neeru, Himanshu, Rajnish Sharma, Virendra Chaudhary, Sachin Soni, Shiv Sena's West Uttar Pradesh head Mahesh Ahuja, Hindu Raksha Dal leader Pradeep Chaudhary, and Jai Shiv Sena leader Amit Aryan and around 100 unidentified persons.

The bride's father Pushpendra Kumar said: "I was receiving phone calls for the last two days to stop the marriage. But both (bride and bridegroom) are majors and mature enough to know what's wrong and what's right". Bride Nupur Singhal is a psychologist with a Ph.D in Human Psychology, while her husband Mansoor Harhat Khan holds a Master's in Business Administration and works in a private company. His family originally hails from Aligarh, though his father lives in Delhi but owns a house in Noida as well. IANS
New Delhi, December 23

A Pakistan High Commission staffer was injured after his car rammed into a bus in Delhi Universitys South Campus area, police said on Saturday.

Rao Mohammad Anwar, 45, was in the vehicle when it collided with the Haryana Roadways bus on Friday, they added.

Anwar was being treated at a hospital.

Police are investigating the matter. PTI
Rameswaram (TN), December 23

President Ramnath Kovind on Saturday offered prayers at the Sri Ramanathaswamy temple here as he embarked on his first tour of Tamil Nadu since assuming office in July.

Kovind, who was accompanied by his wife and daughter, was received at the temple gate by the priest and other officials with the traditional "Poorna Kumbha Mariyathai" (temple honours).

"It has been a pleasure to visit this historic and holy temple which signifies that good always prevails over evil...the visit has filled me with immense peace and happiness.... My appreciation to all those who work tirelessly to maintain the splendour of this temple," Kovind wrote in the visitors' book at the temple.

After spending nearly 30 minutes at the temple, the president left for the government guest house.

Later, he visited the memorial of former president A P J Abdul Kalam at Pei Karumbu and paid homage to the latter.

In the visitors' book there, Kovind wrote, "It is a personal privilege and honour to be able to offer prayers and pay homage to my predecessor -- a great scientist and son of the soil -- at the National Memorial."

He also described the memorial, built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), as a "major architectural and engineering marvel" and said it was a befitting tribute to Kalam.

The president also met the relatives of Kalam, including his nephew and grand-nephew, and enquired about the health of the former president's elder brother from them.

During his visit, he also enquired about an autorickshaw driver, Shanmugham, who had taken him on a guided tour of the island town years ago, when Kovind was a Rajya Sabha MP.

A three-tier security cover was in place in view of the president's visit, the police said. Kovind's itinerary also includes appointments in Chennai.

Earlier, the president arrived by a special flight at Madurai, from where he went to a nearby Mandapam by helicopter.

Kovind was received at Madurai by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and District Collector Veera Raghava Rao.

PTI
Salman Khan is on the receiving end of strong backlash, as he allegedly made a casteist slur on a dance show. Protesters have vandalised theatres in Rajasthan, demanding that Tiger Zinda Hai should not be screened.

By India Today Web Desk: While Salman Khan's Tiger Zinda Hai has had an explosive first day, but it looks like it has hurtled into a controversy.

While promoting his film with Shilpa Shetty on a dance show, Salman had allegedly made a casteist slur, where he compared his dancing skills to a sanitation worker, "or "bh**gi." Shilpa had also laughed along with him, and said that she also looked like one.

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There has been a mighty uproar against these statements. Posters were torn down, slogans were raised as protesters angry vandalised threatres in Rajasthan demanding that Tiger Zinda Hai not be screened.

Now, according to a report in Hindustan Times, a small political party approached the Mumbai police today, seeking action against Salman and Shilpa for their alleged casteist remarks on the show. The Rojgar Aghari Republic Party of India lodged a complaint at the Andheri police station, said that the duo "intentionally insulted and intimidated with intent to humiliate and abused" by using derogatory comments about a scheduled caste community. The complainant, Navin Lade, also claimed that he has a video clip and demanded an FIR to be filed against the two.

Paramjit Singh Dahiya, deputy commissioner of police, however said no FIR has been registered even as a letter of complaint was received by the Andheri police. The police are still investigating the report.

Not just this. After Republican Party of India threatened to protest outside Salman Khan's residence for hurting sentiments, police have beefed up the security at his Bandra residence. The protesters have given the star one day to apologise. "Salman Khan has hurt the sentiments of our community. We are giving him time of today to tender apology. If he doesn't then we will agitate against him in Mumbai and will not allow him to roam anywhere in city," they've said in a statement.

(With inputs from Mayuresh Ganpatye)

ALSO WATCH: Salman Khan's Tiger Zinda Hai met with protests in Rajasthan

--- ENDS ---
Ariyalur(TN), December 23

Six persons, including a Siddha doctor, were arrested for allegedly selling a new born baby girl for Rs 1.80 lakh to a 'childless couple' near Meensuruti in the district, police said.

A young couple decided to sell their third child due to poverty and approached their relative for giving away the child for adoption, police said.

The relative in turn approached a siddha doctor who identified a "childless couple" in Coimbatore district and struck a deal to sell the infant for Rs 1.80 lakh.

The matter came to light after the Village Health staff at Meensuruti Primary health centre found that the couple had not turned up for immunisation, went to their house and asked them to bring the baby for vaccination.

When the couple gave contradictory replies, the staff reported the matter to the authorities concerned, who in turn alerted the District Child Protection Officer and the Collector.

As per directions, an enquiry was conducted and it was found that the child had been sold due to poverty.

On a complaint police arrested the couple and others and remanded them to judicial custody today.

The couple's relative was absconding, police said. PTI
New Delhi, December 23

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has strengthened itself by creating more Border Outposts (BOP) after the Dokalam standoff with China.

Addressing the border guarding force during its 54th anniversary parade here, the minister said the SSB not only guards India's border with Nepal and Bhutan, it also takes care that friendly relations with these neighbouring countries do not sour.

"The past year has been tremendous for the force. The SSB has increased its strength after the Dokalam standoff with China, by creating more border outposts near Sikkim and Bhutan border," Singh said.

He also lauded the force for its counter insurgency operations and anti-Naxal operations.

"People living near border areas should be considered as strategic assets of India. The force takes care of them by organising several events which is appreciated," he said.

When asked about confidence building measures with neighbouring countries, Singh said, "Confidence building measures are a continuing and ongoing process. It is always on and should be always on." PTI
New Delhi, December 23

Like Special Judge O.P. Saini, I also followed the much-hyped and so-called 2G spectrum scam case, my first assignment as a cub, religiously for seven years.

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It was a hazy morning on February 8, 2011. I nervously walked into the sessions court in Delhi to cover remand proceedings of the high-profile case of alleged corruption.

The main accused, A. Raja, was brought for the remand hearing to the jam-packed Room P-3 on the ground floor of the publishing building in the court complex housed in the historical structure that once was an abode of the Patiala royals. The hearing extended to a couple of hours and the CBI got his custody for the second time.

Raja appeared as relaxed then as he was when Judge Saini finally cleared him of all the charges on Thursday. The former Telecom Minister was quickly rounded up in a CBI van as his supporters shouted slogans.

The politician was arrested on February 2, 2011. What baffled almost everyone, including journalists, was that he didnt move a bail application. It was as mysterious as the notional Rs 1.76 lakh crore loss, his alleged wrongdoing had caused to the country.

Nobody in his camp was speaking on why he was not seeking bail. Others accused in the case were already pleading for their release. Most of them had even been set free on bail bonds.

Raja had already spent 14 months in Delhis Tihar Jail in the case that cost him his ministerial job in November 2010.

On April 21, 2012, Raja was again brought to the court for recording statement of witnesses. I walked inside and surprisingly saw an empty chair next to Rajas. I grabbed the chance and sat next to him.

I nervously asked him why he was not applying for bail. I thought he wouldnt speak because he had never spoken to the media about the case.

To my utter surprise he not only spoke smilingly but patted my back since I had introduced myself as a journalist during an earlier meeting.

I want to come out of jail with clean hands, rather than be released on bail... It will be better to seek acquittal, he said, maintaining he was innocent and had done nothing wrong.

On May 15, 2012, he was finally given bail on the ground of parity as all the accused were already released.

Nearly six years later, Judge Saini proved Raja right because the prosecutionthe CBI and Enforcement Directoratefailed to prove their charges that the politician had misused his power and accepted bribes to allocate second-generation radio wave spectrum licences to a chosen few.

On Thursday, when he was acquitted, Raja was in the same courtroom, appearing as cool as he had been during the tough times of the trial.

The seven years of the 2G trial will be remembered by those who followed it closely for many other reasons.

Judge Saini, known for his clock-like punctuality, would always enter the courtroom before 10 a.m. He was not off the mark when he wrote in the judgment that for the last about seven years, on all working days, summer vacation included, I religiously sat in the open court from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., awaiting for evidence.

As cool as he could be, the judge would always ask the defence and prosecution during their heated arguments to maintain the decorum of the court as the media was watching keenly.

Many faces kept changing in the defence as well as prosecution.

Senior Prosecutor K.K. Goel argued the case in its initial days but was replaced by A.K. Singh later.

Singh was dropped after he was allegedly heard in a telephonic conversation advising one of the accused how to fight the case. The audio was leaked to the media in 2013.

Goel returned. But he was too smart. I would usually find it difficult to read his noteswritten in a somewhat coded languagewhen I had a chance to peep into his notebook. Some of the defence counsels privately shared with me that they also faced similar problems.

The appointment of Special Public Prosecutor U.U. Lalit as Justice in the Supreme Court in July 2014 dealt a blow to the CBIs case.

Senior advocate Anand Grover was appointed as the new Special Public Prosecutor in September 2014. But he had to laboriously go through the hundreds of thousands documents the CBI had collected. By this time, many key witnesses had already been examined.

There were some lighter moments also during the seven years of trial. Senior Advocate Ram Jethmalini, who appeared for Raja and Kanimozhi, asked a witness how he could afford a cell phone that cost Rs 2 to 4.5 lakhs.

The witness on the next date of hearing told the court that his London-based brother-in-law had gifted it to his wife and he had found out that the cost was a mere Rs 4,914. Everyone, including the judge, burst in a loud laughter.

The courtroom was almost always overcrowded. One day DMK MP Adi Shankar had come to support Kanimozhi. As the case was being argued, Shankar fainted. Jethmalini quipped about his own age and how he was still fit to argue the case. I am 87 and more likely to faint but still I can argue my clients case.  IANS
Washington, December 23

The United Nations Security Council on Saturday unanimously placed new sanctions on North Korea for its November 19 intercontinental ballistic missile test, limiting its access to refined petroleum products.

The US-drafted resolution imposes tough measures on energy, export and import sectors, overseas North Korean labourers, and asks maritime authorities to help shut down North Koreas illicit smuggling activities.

Signed by all 15 members of the Security Council, the resolution bans the import of nearly 90 per cent refined petroleum products to the country.

On November 29, Pyongyang launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. This was another attempt by the Kim regime to masquerade as a great power, while their people starve and their soldiers defect. But for the international community, this is an unprecedented challenge from a defiant state. So we have levelled an unprecedented response, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said.

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British Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft said most of the petroleum products are used by the North Korea regime to resource their illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

By cutting off this supply we will restrict their ability to develop and deploy these weapons, he said.

The Security Council also banned North Korean exports of food products, machinery and industrial and electrical equipment.

We have taken another important step to end the exploitation of North Korean workers who are sent overseas with the sole aim of generating earnings for the regime, Rycroft said.

We have taken these steps to restrict the income the DPRK uses to fund its prohibited nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. I congratulate the United States on this diplomatic achievement and we join them in leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of a diplomatic solution, he said.

DPRK stands for Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea or North Korea.

The resolution calls on all states to implement the present resolution and previous resolutions, fully.

It is only by all of us doing this that they will have the intended impact, the British Ambassador to the UN said.

The adaptation of the Security Council resolution would tighten the grip and would make it even harder for the North Korean regime to fund illegal ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, he said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the Security Council resolution in response to the latest ballistic missile launch by North Korea.

The unity of the Security Council is essential to achieving the goal of denuclearisation and creating the space for diplomatic initiatives aimed at achieving it in a peaceful manner, said a statement attributable to the spokesperson of the Secretary General.

As per the resolution, the countries should repatriate all North Korean nationals earning income in that countrys jurisdiction and all North Korean government safety oversight attaches monitoring DPRK workers abroad immediately but no later than 24 months unless the countries determined that the nationals repatriation is prohibited under applicable national and international law, or if that national is a national of that member state. PTI
Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 23

Air India launched the Amritsar-Nanded biweekly flight from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport here today.

There were 160 passengers on the maiden flight, including Congress MP Gurjit Singh Aujla and former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti.

The national carriers 162-seater AI815 flight, which connects Akal Takht and Takht Hazur Sahib, will operate on Saturday and Sunday.

Before take-off, Golden Temple ardasiya Sultan Singh offered prayers, while Head Granthi Jagtar Singh, SGPC secretary Dr Roop Singh and others felicitated Air India officials with siropas.

Union Minister Vijay Sampla thanked the Narendra Modi government for launching the flight, claiming that the partys Rajya Sabha MP, Shwait Malik, had taken up the matter with the Centre over the past one-and-a-half years. Aujla and Malik together cut the ceremonial cake along with other Congress and BJP leaders.

When asked whether he should be credited with the launch of the flight, Aujla declined comment. The local MP said he was undertaking the inaugural journey as a common pilgrim.

Sampla said it took about 36 hours to reach Nanded (Maharashtra) from Amritsar by train, while the air journey would last about two-and-a-half hours. He added that the Amritsar-Birmingham flight would be launched in January, while efforts were on to start a flight between Amritsar and Patna.

Meanwhile, Union Food Processing Industry Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal thanked Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha for connecting Amritsar with Nanded through a direct flight.

The flight follows a request made by Harsimrat on behalf of the Sikh Sangat, the minister said in a release.
Phagwara, December 23

A young married woman, Jiwan Jyoti, belonging to Rurrke-Khurad village, near Goraya, and presently living in Saudi Arabia, has appealed to the Indian Government, Punjab government and AAP state convener Bhagwant Maan to rescue her from her employer, who has kept her in captivity at his house for the past several days.

Sudarshan Kumar, husband of the victim, told mediapersons here today that they had three sons and he worked as a plumber. They were facing difficulties in earning livelihood, so his wife Jiwan Jyoti, with the help of a village travel agent, went to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to earn livelihood. However, her employer used to torture her there. She narrated her tale of woes through social media. Sudarshan Kumar said he had not been able to communicate with his wife for the last 15 days. He feared that his wife might be kept in captivity by her employer in his house.  OC
Fazilka, December 23

The police yesterday filed a challan in a local court against liquor baron and former SAD halqa incharge Shiv Lal Doda for allegedly running a kangaroo court in the Fazilka sub-jail on January 4. Former Assistant Jail Superintendent Jashandeep Singh and 24 others are also named in the challan.

Doda was incarcerated as an undertrial in the Bhim Tank murder case when the Fazilka Deputy Commissioner had raided the sub-jail. Over 20 persons, including SAD leaders, were found present in the prison. They were booked under Sections 177, 188 and 448 of the IPC. There were reports that on a tip-off from a senior Congress leader, the Election Commission had directed the district administration to raid the sub-jail shortly after the model code of conduct for the Assembly elections was enforced. The court has fixed January 17 for the hearing.

Allowed to consult doctor

Abohar: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has allowed Shiv Lal Doda to consult a gastroenterologist in a private hospital. Dodas counsel submitted in the court that the petitioner was facing trial under Section 302 of the IPC in the court of the Additional Sessions Judge, Fazilka. He presented a certificate issued by Dr Harpreet Singh, Multi-Specialty Hospital, Amritsar. OC
Jitendra K Shrivastava

Tribune News Service

Patna, December 23

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar laid the foundation stone of Bahudeshiya Prakash Kendra and released the Hindi edition of a coffee table book on Guru Gobind Singh here today during the closing ceremony of Parkash Utsav to mark the Gurus 350th birth anniversary. H also released a coffee table book on the Guru circuit.

Nitish said: The kendras foundation is being laid near Guru Ka Bagh. Land has been taken from the Bihar Agricultural Board. The centre will inspire the young generation to learn from the life and thoughts of Guru Gobind Singh.

He said the Bihar Government would develop the Guru circuit by connecting Takht Shri Harmandar Ji Patna Sahib Gurdwara, Patna Bal Lila Gurdwara, Handi Sahib Gurdwara (Danapur), Teg Bahadur Sahib Gurdwara (Gai Ghat), Guru Nanak Kund (Rajgir) and Guru Pachchis Sangat (Munger), along with shrines in Arah, Katihar, Nawada, Gaya, Sasaram and Bhagalpur.

Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Aggrawal said over 10, 000 Sikh devotees arrived on five special trains here today. About 70 buses were used to ferry them from the railway station.

Amritsar resident Sukhbir Singh said: We had also attended Parkash Utsav here early this year. State government officials have made our stay comfortable.

Bihar is devoted to serving guests and pilgrims from India and abroad during the three-day closing ceremony (December 23-25), said Sardar Jeet Singh, an executive member of the Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
Its one thing to read about birds exodus in later part of the year and its another to experience it. To capture them in pictures, to follow their flight, to watch them swim and dive and dine, its akin to celebrating winter. You do raise many a toast to the sub-zero temperature, with seasons foods by you side. But what about the eye appetite! A day on the banks of Yamuna provides food for thought and sore eyes. It makes you wonder about their journey from Siberia, Eastern Europe and Alaska, how winter after winter they travel to where they must to survive.

They are a lesson in adaptation and at the same time adventure. A seagull was a protagonist in Richard Bach novella Jonathan Livingston Seagull. As the fledgling learnt about life and flight, it gave readers nuggets in self-perfection.

While we still are at it, here is trying to host the guests with lunch and getting to know a bit more about their long sojourn.

Photos by S Chandan
Roisin OConnor

An artist has created a powerful installation to highlight the ongoing refugee crisis.

British war artist Arabella Dorman, who first visited Lesbos in 2015 after spending time on the frontline in Iraq and Afghanistan, said nothing compared to what she witnessed on those beaches.

It was so shocking to see the level of trauma, especially among children, the innocents caught up in war, she told the Guardian.

There were thousands of items of clothing discarded by refugees. I was struck by the concept of the empty garment, evoking the hidden presence of the person who had worn that item. These clothes reveal what is now being forgotten.

There are among 700 items of refugee clothing, found on beaches and fields around the Greek island, in the artwork which Dorman calls Suspended.

The piece is currently hanging in the nave of St Jamess Church in Piccadilly, London, and aims to bring the refugee crisis back into mainstream consciousness, and to raise money for the Starfish Foundation, which helps refugees.

 The Independent
By Suhani Singh: Tiger Zinda Hai, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles, is the grand Bollywood release today. Here is our Tiger Zinda Hai movie review.

Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Girish Karnard, Angad Bedi, Paresh Rawal, Kumud Mishra, Paresh Pahuja, Anupriya Goenka, Sajjad Delafrooz, Anant Vidhaat Sharma)

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Director: Ali Abbas Zafar

Rating: (1.5/5)

Eight years have gone, Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger (Salman Khan) and Zoya (Katrina Kaif) are runaway spies and happily settled parents to a seven-year-old in the Austrian Alps. But they are forced out of retirement because there's no love bigger than love for the motherland. For Tiger it's a matter of "Desh ki izzat", for Zoya it's to show that Pakistan stands "for peace".

When Tiger isn't battling wolves in the snow, he monitors what the R&AW is up to by hacking into their computer system. (Yes, our top secret agency is easily susceptible.) Zoya, when she isn't shopping for vegetables and cooking, is fit and agile to break bones of thieves. A party pooper in their calm life arrives in senior R&AW officer Shenoy (Girsh Karnad) who wants Tiger, and only Tiger, to lead a mission to bring back 40 nurses held hostage in a hospital in Ikrit, Iraq. So what if Shenoy has only a week to first track Tiger down, plan a rescue operation, put together a squad and then see it executed. Mission impossible, you say? If anybody can, it is Salman Khan who has made a reputation of being Bollywood's ultimate macho hero (Tiger Shroff you have a long way to go). He has aced being superhuman.

Ali Abbas Zafar taking over the reins from Kabir Khan, who directed the original Ek Tha Tiger (2012), continues with the message of India-Pakistan unity and friendship and takes it a notch further. This time around, R&AW and ISI are jointly leading the #BringBacktOurNurses operation. What the respective governments cannot do, the unbreakable love of Tiger and Zoya can - bring the favourite worst enemies for a noble cause. Even as the Indian government entrusts Tiger with massive responsibility, it's also worried that he may be compromised agent given his relationship with a Pakistani. Nothing much comes of this dramatic arc for Zafar, also the screenplay and dialogue writer, wants every character to wear his patriotism on his sleeve. So a scene where an Indian Muslim agent's love for his nation is proven only after a neatly folded Indian flag emerges from his bag.

Zafar sells the fanciful scenario with a contrived plot and brief humour but there are a few oddities. When an Indian nurse is asked by the ambassador how many nurses are stranded, her response is 25 Indians and 15 Pakistani. Clearly the animosity here runs deep even if the makers want us to believe this is a sisterhood without any religious or geographical barriers.

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The scale for the sequel is big and impressive. Austria, Morocco, Abu Dhabi, Greece are some of the locations the cast and crew travel to. Apart from ISI and R&AW, the CIA is involved too, with the Americans rushing the Indians and Pakistanis to save the nurses so as to conduct drone strikes to bring down the ISIS-inspired organisation which here goes as ISC. Its leader Abu Usman (Sajjad Delafrooz) is its menacing, fanatical leader of the religious army ordering mass beheadings, bombings and shootouts.

Viewers will be reminded of Hollywood action thrillers set in a war zone. There's an Indian sniper here (American Sniper) who doesn't have much to do other than carry the Indian flag which he hopes to raise during victory; Angad Bedi, as a bomb diffuser specialist (Hurt Locker), is one of the lucky few to get a moment in the spotlight. The rescue operation in itself aims to be in the zone of Zero Dark Thirty. Cars crash here at a frequency that'd make Rohit Shetty envious and bullets come in from all directions but the enemies of course rarely hit target. What's missing is a real sense of tension and the adrenaline rush.

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Tiger this time has a few good men at his disposal but Khan doesn't pass off as the most active and dangerous agent out there. In fact it's Zoya who comes across as the wonder woman, one present at the right place at the right time, doing all the hard work. As the 30-minute climax unfolds, a lot of it in slo-mo, Zafar has achieved the impossible. sex slaves have been freed, a child soldier is rescued, there's minimum casualty and ISC is no more. What's left? World peace? Which is why this too ends on an open note. Because if history has taught us anything, it's that man's need to cause harm and people's appetite for Salman Khan are unlikely to change.

ALSO WATCH: Katrina talks about working with Salman in Tiger Zinda Hai

--- ENDS ---
Rajesh Krishan

It is Christmas time in Strasbourg, capital of the Alsace region of France, and in the old town area, a Unesco World Heritage site, the lights lining the medieval streets are giving the city a cozy feel.

It was founded exactly 1,000 years ago, says Marila Boutineau, our walking tour guide, as we stand at the Cathedral Square in front of the 466 feet high Notre Dame de Strasbourg Cathedral, marvelling at the intricacy of the carvings on its facade.

The interior of the cathedral is breathtaking, with its historic stained-glass windows, sky-high ceiling and attractions such as the Pillar of Angels and Astronomical Clock. Its among the oldest mechanical masterpieces, still in operation, says Marila, as she narrates the story of the 16th century clock. The main attraction of the clock is the March of the 12 apostles who parade before Christ everyday at half-past 12.

On the Cathedral Square, the site for Christkindlmarkt, the oldest Christmas market in France, grows busy and festive from the end of November to Christmas. It then turns into a wonderland with a variety of wooden chalet stalls offering gingerbread, mulled wine, fairground rides as well as live performances.

From here we go to La Maison Kammerzell, a richly carved half-timbered 16th-century house, before walking to the nearby Place Kleber, an open square in the heart of the city, where a massive Christmas tree is being adorned. The place is historically important because its here in 1792 that Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle composed La Marseillaise, the French national anthem.

Next comes the Petite France quarter. With its historical landmarks  Ponts Couverts, the medieval covered bridge, the Vauban Dam, and the magnificent 16th century half-timbered houses, all along the Ill River, its appeal is timeless.

We stop at a window display of pains depices, a small gingerbread boutique. As we step in, the delicious waft of cinnamon, cloves and butter floats through the air. From inside the tiny kitchen of the boutique appears Mireille Oster. Serving up a taste of French hospitality, she offers us with some of her treats for tasting, as well as to take home some.

The next day is spent taking a boat ride along the Ill River and visiting the popular attractions of the city like the European Parliament, Le Palais Rohan, and the Alsatian Museum. As the day comes to an end, it is time to head to La Maison des Tanneurs, the famous restaurant in the Petite France district, dating back to the 16th century, for a relaxed farewell lunch. This restaurant attracts attention from visitors for its central location, historical value as well as traditional Alsacian specialties, like bibeleskaes, choucroute, and baeckeoffe, an oven-baked casserole dish, which, as Francois Lenhardt, the owner of the restaurant, puts it, was traditionally prepared by farmers wives, and, represents the multicultural personality of the capital city.

Getting there

Multiple airlines fly to Paris from New Delhi. Paris to Strasbourg is just over 2 hours by the high-speed TGV train. A one-way ticket from Paris to Strasbourg costs approximately Rs 2000 per head in second class. One can also buy a France Rail Pass (www.raileurope.co.in) which allows unlimited travel.

Accommodation

For stay, the options are aplenty, from modern hotels to typically Alsatian ones, such as Le Cour du Corbeau, which is centrally-placed in a historical building from the 16th century.
Ira Pande

Ira Pande

Those of us who still read at least four newspapers a day and watch prime time news are in danger of becoming bipolar soon. Because while our newspaper editorials and news anchors predict a certain kind of election result or trend, the exact opposite happens and while we all profess to practise and swear by the Constitution, public behaviour seems to be headed another way altogether. We swear by religious tolerance but look around you to see the depth of religious violence prevalent all across the land. We claim to be in a new century and yet I see more sliding into the Middle Age than marching into a brave new world. We claim to worship women, yet crimes against them are multiplying at an alarming rate.

Perhaps the answer lies in the collision of the values passed on to us by our education with the new world that is emerging after globalisation and neo-liberalism. The rise of this dangerous trend the world over is way past mere condemnation and tut-tutting. We have to look within ourselves to find out why an older social system based on the firm bedrock of high-minded personal ethics and public morality appears to be retreating in the face of aggressive self-interest and where the goal is more important than the means.

To make it clearer, take the example of the recent election campaigns run by the two major national parties in Gujarat. To extract victory anyhow, every rule was thrown to the winds. The Election Commission seemed paralysed by the sheer audacity of political leaders and the blatant violation of time-honoured boundaries. The unseemly controversy stoked over the efficacy of the EVMs and the sly hints at tampering were the final straw. Is it time to revisit some of these guidelines? In an age of instant news dissemination and the enormous reach and penetration of social media, is it not absurd to expect that roadshows, interviews or political appeals should be stopped 24 hours ahead of an election? Show me one person who is not tracking all the above on their mobiles and I will eat my words.

As for our opinion makers, the time has come for our newspapers and digital media to come out of the echo chambers they have set up. The English media particularly, hampered by their unease over local dialects and languages, have long retreated to their editorial chairs or pontificate from the safe confines of their studios. If they do step out it is to eat at popular street stalls and ask a few questions of the people they encounter there. Most of these seem more eager to flash a V-sign to their families and take selfies with the anchor and can hardly be described as the quintessential man on the street. Stock questions will elicit stock responses. I am tired of the long-winded questions that our news anchors frame (often leading questions) that prompt the answer they seek. By and large, they seem to be preaching to the converted. When faced by the rising new class that prefers to watch films and serials that have no connection with their own and bombarded by advertisements that make them hanker for more and more, do you think the appeal to lead simple, honest lives and be good makes any sense?

Most ordinary people prefer to believe what they see, not what they are told. So if they see their leaders preach one thing and practise another, believe me they are not going to be swayed by the meaningless, preachy rhetoric of election speeches. If Gujarat taught us anything, it is that you can fool some people for some of the time but not all people for all the time. The verdict delivered by the state to its favourite poster-boy is that we bailed you out this time but watch out, and for the new leader of an old party, it is that unless you build your broken party from scratch, there is no hope for resurgence the next time. The lesson for our media and political commentators is that just because you went to posh colleges and universities, dont think you understand the world better than the man on the street. In the new India that is emerging out of an old shell, there are no entitlements  whether of class, caste, education or ideology  that you can safely bank on. Let us remember that the men who most harmed their partys prospects in Gujarat were a brilliant, silver-tongued Brahmin and a seasoned lawyer. And what dealt the other party a slap on their smug faces was their arrogance (or arrogancy, as they say in Gujarat).

The wheel of fortune is turning and those who were at the bottom a few years ago are riding the crest today. In the brave new world that is emerging, it is the Dhonis, Virat Kohlis and Rohit Sharmas who can afford weddings that we thought only the Hindujas and Mittals could hold. So before you quote the virtuous views that you grew up on, pause and think whether they hold water any more.
Harish Khare

Harish Khare

Former telecom minister A Raja has been acquitted in the so-called 2G scam by a CBI judge who has shown a remarkable, indeed monumental, judicial rectitude in the face of the entrenched perceptions about the wrongdoing in the spectrum allocation.

I have always maintained that the 2G allocation became a scam because a full-fledged war had broken out among the corporate thieves; and, the losers in this war started a halla bol on the Manmohan Singh government.

These corporate quarters were the first to start the rumours of a policy paralysis; and then, whispers of massive corruption became a self-evident truth when Vinod Rai, the then Comptroller and Auditor-General, came up with that fabulous concoction called notional loss to the national exchequer to the tune of 1.73 billion rupees.

The corporate India bank-rolled the Anna Hazare movement; large chunks of the media establishments bought into the corruption narrative because they had sensed middle class aspirations for an ethically sustainable political system.

The corporates, as also the political rivals, took advantage of the internal divisions within the UPA-II. While the Congress paid the price for its political incompetence, the nation also suffered an enormous loss in terms of prestige and reputation as a bad place to do business. Because of those clamorous protests, the global business community developed a trust deficit about Indias economic ecosystem. The BJP could reap electoral dividends by harping on humungous black money, but even after more than three years of being in power, it has not been able to restore Indias tarnished image.

How Vinod Rai got appointed as CAG is a story that has not yet been told. It was one of the few occasions when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was very poorly served by his PMO. This singularly disastrous appointment was the Manmohan Singh governments undoing.

Because of Vinod Rais misconceived calculations, A Raja had to spend 16 months in jail. Since we do not have any provision for an impeachment, is there, now, a case for forcing Vinod Rai to spend an equal amount of time doing some kind of penance?

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A few days ago, I was able to visit the special exhibition in Delhi on Indira Gandhi, put up by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust to mark the centenary of her birth. I had thought I would be one of the handful of visitors lingering around; instead, the place was bustling with crowds of young and old, all busy, animatedly drawing attention to this or that item of the exhibition.

It is not fashionable these days to speak favourably of Indira Gandhi and her family, with many of us internalising the new rhetoric of Congress-mukt Bharat (India without Congress). This is what is called the new normal. Maybe.

Anyone who rules a difficult country like India as Indira Gandhi did during the years of transition is bound to have left behind a mixed record and a troubled legacy. Indira Gandhis long prime-ministerial innings are not without their blemishes, but then, the pluses outweigh the minuses.

Notwithstanding the current officially-inspired anti-dynasty talk, a visitor to this centenary exhibition cannot help admiring the familys central place in the story of modern India. Nor can the visitor remain unmoved at the sight of the blood-stained sari Indira Gandhi was wearing at the time of her assassination. And then, there is a replica of the clothes Rajiv Gandhi was dressed in at the time of his assassination. A rare and unparalleled example in modern history of the same family paying twice with its blood for serving the nation.

The exhibition also gives a peep into how this thoroughly prosperous family of a hugely successful barrister, Motilal Nehru, moved out of its comfort zone to become Indianised. Jawaharlal Nehrus transition from an aristocrat to a nationalist and a patriot was most absolute. Modern day sarkari historians may try to airbrush Nehru out of Indias modern narrative, but there can be no doubt that the 11 long years Nehru variously spent in British jails consecrated his leadership of the nationalist movement.

The Indira  A Life of Courage exhibition brings alive Indira Gandhis contribution to the consolidation of India as a modern state. Indira Gandhi at the inauguration of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam (1967), at Bokaro Steel Plant (1972) and at Bombay Offshore Drilling (1975) are some of the snapshots that capture the story of Indias industrial growth. And then, there are those iconic images from the 1971 war and the first nuclear test in 1974.

A sobering experience.

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Chandigarh and Le Corbusier will continue to fascinate and excite the future generation of architects and planners, just as the present crop wants to keep intact the mystique of the city and the allure of its builder. That is what a master is all about: always challenging, prodding and even infuriating the disciples and the critics.

Le Corbusier was a master. No doubt about it. A kind of cult has effortlessly and naturally developed about him.

Rajnish Wattas, one of the most sensitive souls in Chandigarh, has done his bit to add to this Le Corbusier aura. He has joined forces with Deepika Gandhi to edit and produce a very handsome coffee-table book, Le Corbusier Rediscovered  Chandigarh and Beyond.

But it is much more than a coffee-table book. It is meant to be read  and it does make a rewarding read.

It is about an architect by other architects. That makes it a fascinating affair. And, the reason is simple.

With the possible exception of poets and painters, the architects make the most creative  as also, a cantankerous  community. And, a good architect is not just creative in the sense of being technically sound or just being good with his drawings but also his creativity is pretty much anchored in an understanding of the social context, cultural values and economic prejudices.

And, Le Corbusier was a very evolved personality. As PL Verma puts it, he lived a serious life, unfettered by the superficial pleasures of present-day society. That is why, perhaps, he could conceive a new civilization, with a new architecture, new idioms of space and building relationships, all integrated with nature.

Le Corbusier was not a plasticky professional; he was a personality and a profoundly individualistic character. That is why he could think differently in a fundamental sense. As BV Doshi points out, he had made a Pact with Nature: Perhaps, the large plain at the Shivalik foothills was such a sacred site, that the hills, though far away, would yet provide wiser counsel, eternity and reverence for the citizens of the city from everyday political intrigue.

Touche!

This Wattas-Gandhi collection has reflections by some of the finest practitioners and teachers on the philosophy and practices of architecture.

It is gratifying, for instance, to read Raj Rewal talk insightfully of the 1991 economic liberalisation and its mostly deleterious effects on the planning for cities and towns: Private capital chooses to build environments that are insulated from their context, without the burdens of facilitating citizenship or place-making necessary in a real city.

And then, there is a captivating essay by Rahul Mehrotra, provocatively meditating on the impatient capital and its imperious demands on the architect, who is called upon to readjust his aesthetics and manners, by way of homage to the nouveau riches new prosperity. The results are a mindless and disastrous aping of Dubai or Shanghai or Singapore.

This collection brings together some of the finest practitioners of the craft who are uncharacteristically generous in acknowledging Le Corbusiers genius. But again, that is a master for you.

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Last Thursday morning, at seven, I started the drive back from Delhi for Chandigarh. Just after we crossed into Haryana, a massive, blinding fog engulfed us. And it became a nightmare of a journey. The visibility was extreme low; no road-signs could be seen; the traffic was, thankfully, moving cautiously, yet we came across at least four serious accidents in the next three hours.

It was a strange drive. Except for the assurance of being on a familiar road, a sense of exactness was missing. An SUV affords the advantage of higher seats and better visibility; and then, my young driver also had the advantage of keen eyes and sharper reflexes.

It was after four hours of a tense ride that we could make a pit stop at a dhaba. By then, fog was dispelling and the visibility had somewhat restored.

And, I had never thought that I would find a glass of tea that satisfying as I did that morning. This week, then, instead of coffee, do join me for tea.

kaffeeklatsch@tribuneindia.com
Sushil Manav in Chandigarh

Sushil Manav in Chandigarh

A raw culture of agriculture was in full evidence a few days back on the high street of the national capital, Sansad Marg: Dushyant Singh Chautala, the INLD MP from Hisar, rode to Parliament in a tractor. The daring act created quite a stir as security personnel swirled around in who-and-why of anxiety. Seated alongside Dushyant were his partys Sirsa MP, Charanjit Singh Rori, and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Kumar Kashyap.

The Hisar MP flashed a message: it is his way to protest the Centres move to declare tractor a transport vehicle. This move would burden farmers with an additional heavy registration fee and force them to pay a toll on highways, he said. Dushyant also waved a permission letter from the Parliament Secretariat to the fidgety guards who led him to the parking area in full media glare.

All this has had an impact: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Friday that the Centre has withdrawn the draft notification putting tractor in the commercial category. Khattar said he had recently met Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari in Delhi and conveyed him the farmers concerns.

The extraordinary spectacle of the MPs daring act did not miss out on those who knew that in September this year, the ministry of road transport and highways had brought an amendment in the Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, ending the status of tractor being a non-transport vehicle. Sources say the move was a result of pressure from the truckers lobby because tractors are being increasingly used to ferry goods, affecting the truckers business.

Dushyant is an alumnus of California State University, Bakersfield, US, and knows the political ground nurtured by his great grandfather Chaudhary Devi Lal, the former Deputy Prime Minister country with the portfolio of Agriculture. Devi Lal had used his influence to declare tractor a non-transport vehicle. As Haryana CM in 1978, Chaudhary Devi Lal had exempted tractor from token tax, and when he became Deputy PM, he got the tractor the status of non-transport vehicle, recalls Dushyant.

Both Punjab and Haryana contribute 11.5% to the countrys total annual tractor sales of 6.35 lakh units. Old timers remember that Devi Lal used to tell villagers that mein thare tractor ko gaada bana diya. Ab na koi tax, na koi registration fees (I have made your tractor a bullock cart. It will neither invite any tax nor any registration fees).

So, Dushyant was determined. Soon after my speech in Parliament on Tuesday where I raised the issue during zero hour, a senior official sought a copy of the September 27 amendment which I provided. I was assured that the government would soon withdraw the notification, he said.

It is not that Dushyant is new to the tractor. I have been driving tractor since I was 12 years old. I had a Massey Furguson tractor registered against my name. But this time he chose a different one. It was a Preet Tractor, the only tractor which is completely Indian and is manufactured in Nabha (Punjab), he said.

The significance of tractors in the rural belt cannot be underestimated. Home-grown auto major Mahindra and Mahindra has reported 32% increase in total tractor sales at 22,754 units in November this year. The company had sold 17,262 units in the same month last year, Mahindra and Mahindra said in a statement. Escorts, too, has recorded a higher sale.

Driving this is the rising disposable income in rural areas. Hero MotoCorp derives nearly half of its volume from the rural market. Its stock is nearly 40% cheaper than that of Maruti Suzuki despite being the market leader in motorcycles. This gap may reduce with continuous improvement in rural income.

(With inputs from Deepender Deswal In Hisar)
KV Prasad in New Delhi

KV Prasad in New Delhi

There is a lot of curiosity about me in the media, and they keep following... This was how a brief conversation began with Rahul Gandhi with this correspondent in the summer of 2004 in the dusty town of Munshiganj in Uttar Pradesh. The young Congress leader had filed his nomination for the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency and was getting ready to leave for the neighbouring Rae Bareli constituency to accompany his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Since then Rahul Gandhi has come under a fair amount of scrutiny. Last week he ended one of the longest periods in contemporary politics of remaining an understudy before assuming the leadership role. He entered the Lok Sabha in 2004, and, for a long period, made few interventions or raised questions. He preferred to be seen in the company of Jitin Prasada, Milind Deora, Sachin Pilot and Deepender Hooda.

A decade ago...

It was not before autumn of 2007 that Rahul became the general secretary in-charge of Indian Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India. He could not hide his impressive political lineage starting with great-great grandfather Moti Lal Nehru, to great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru, grandmother Indira Gandhi, father Rajiv Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi, all of who were presidents of the Indian National Congress. Yet he made an earnest attempt to usher in a change.

Rahul Gandhi sought to dispel the notion that ordinary karyakartas cannot aspire for leadership roles and straightaway decided to reform the process from selection to election. It had a none-too happy outcome as clever people from well-known Congress families found a way to beat the system.

Things moved on, rather drifted, almost without hope for the Congress party. The heir-apparent continued to wait in the wings and took charge to turn around the partys fortunes in UP. A pleasant surprise came in 2009 when the party won 22 seats. But it came a cropper in the 2012 assembly polls.

Sometime later that year Rahul Gandhi announced his readiness to take additional responsibility. The only thing left for his bosses, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, was to take a call on his role in the party or the government.

Final accession

Came January 2013, party leaders made him the vice president  and since then the wait began amid intermittent chants by loyal party members that the final accession was imminent. In Jaipur, the young leader bared his heart out as to the anxieties that crossed his mind the night before sharing his assessment that power is chalice.

In between, Rahul Gandhi was at best inconsistent as he turned up, almost by surprise, riding pillion on a motorcycle to reach Bhatta Parsaul in Greater Noida to be on the side of farmers agitation against land acquisition or to be with the tribal folks in Niyamagiri, Odisha against mining.

Only Rahul could explain his reluctance to be part of the Manmohan Singhs Council of Ministers despite the then Prime Minister expressing his keenness on more than one occasion to induct him as a member of his team. Probably, he wanted to avoid an impression of becoming an alternate centre of power. But then he did an almost blasphemous act of disagreeing with a decision of the coalition government that granted relief to convicted politicians. That public rebuke at the Press Club of India came at a time when the PM was on an official overseas visit, and the opposition found a good opportunity to chastise the Congress-led UPA government.

Best foot forward

During the last three years on the opposition benches, the most potent blow he inflicted on the almost invincible Narendra Modi was characterising his government as suit-boot ki sarkar. The barb came both in the backdrop of the suit the PM wore with his name inscribed on the stripes, and the controversial land acquisition move. Since then PM Modi appeared less donning a suit and preferring to appear in traditional Indian attire even during overseas visits.

That newfound aggression was attributed to a trip overseas for course in meditation. But the real transformation for the leader who was turned into a Pappu by the combative cyber warriors, came in the US this year: he told the audience the perception about him is the handiwork of political opponents.

Armed with an equally attacking cyber warrior squad, Rahul quietly turned the tables on the social media platforms countering the BJP cyberspace gladiators with an equal, if not superior match, word for word, pun for pun. The recent Gujarat election indicates how he appeared to have come of age.

Senior Congress leader and general secretary BK Hari Prasad says Rahul has always been sincere and hardworking with a keen understanding of what is to needed to be done for the party. He is a workaholic, but for the campaign against him by the Sangh Parivar.

The biggest shift from the time when Sonia Gandhi took charge 20 years ago and now is the change in political landscape. Rahul Gandhi today faces aggressive and heavyweight political opponents who do not believe in granting any concessions, whatsoever.

The advantage with which Rahul comes to office is the years of training under his mother much longer than his father had under Indira Gandhi. In addition, Sonia Gandhis presence and wisdom should add to his strength in the years to come. Yet, the stark reality and bottom line for the Congress will be: can he get us the votes?
Aditi Tandon in New Delhi

Aditi Tandon in New Delhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhis immediate task will be building a new official team ahead of the 2018 state election cycle and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Its no news that on political issues, Gandhis final advisor is his family  mother and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Vadra. Congress veterans have long maintained that anyone claiming to know anything about major party decisions is needlessly posturing. Only the family knows and, after the family, Ahmed Patel knows, says a senior leader privy to Congress functioning.

Rahuls topmost advisor at present is technocrat NRI Sam Pitroda, who made a success of Gandhis recent US trip, giving him a major image overhaul. Pitroda, recently appointed Overseas Congress chairman, played an active role in social media campaigning of the party in the run-up to the Gujarat polls. He also provided inputs for the partys manifesto in the state. There are others considered close to Rahul though the sense is he consults different experts on different subjects.

There are a few who form the inner circle of the new party chief. They are:

SAM PITRODA

The 75-year-old technocrat is known for his closeness to the Gandhi family. Technical advisor to Rajiv Gandhi, Pitroda left India after Rajiv Gandhi lost power in 1989. He returned as chairman, National Knowledge Commission, under the Congress-led UPA I.

K RAJU

A bureaucrat-turned-politician, Raju is known to be equally close to Sonia and Rahul. Chairperson of Congress SC Cell, the low-profile leader is a permanent presence on Rahuls side and his principal advisor on dalit rights issues. Raju, formerly with the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council, won Gandhis favour more when he declined a Rajya Sabha seat offered to him.

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA

Guna MP Scindia, 46, is a formidable future face of the party and a close advisor to Rahul in Parliament. Scindia plays a major role in deciding Congress parliamentary strategy and is often fielded in the LS to speak on important issues. He is in competition with senior most Congress MP Kamal Nath in the race to the party presidency of election-bound Madhya Pradesh.

RANDEEP SURJEWALA

The suave 50-year-old MLA from Kaithal in Haryana has put the Congress back in the news cycle and is Congress' chief spokesperson as the party's media cell head. Surjewala, who took up the media assignment from Ajay Makan, is known to be Gandhi's close aide on communication strategy, an area of BJPs strength.

ASHOK GEHLOT

His role in the Gujarat election preparation has been hailed widely in Congress. Former Rajasthan CM, Gehlot was named AICC general secretary for Gujarat in April and energized the party organization enough to give BJP a close fight. Insiders say Rahul can no longer ignore Gehlot, who is at daggers drawn with another Rahuls confidante, Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan.

MILIND DEORA

Son of late minister Murali Deora, 41-year-old Milind Deora is Rahuls friend and advisor and often accompanies him on overseas visits. A key link between the industry and Congress, Deora was with Rahul during his US visit in September.

DIVYA SPANDANA

Actor-politician Spandana, 35, recently replaced Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda as Congress social media head. A ex-MP from Karnataka, Spandana is credited with enhancing Congress' hitherto weak social media presence.

KAUSHAL VIDYARTHEE & ALANKAR SAWAI

Former urban planner and Oxford university alumnus Vidyarthee has been in Rahuls office since 2008 and looks after his appointments and travel. Sawai, formerly with ICICI, looks after research in Rahuls office.
Dehradun, December 23

Union Minister for Environment and Climate Change Dr Harsh Vardhan asserted today that there were over five hundred green deeds that an individual can perform to address the environment issues on their own.

He was addressing the Indian Forest Service (probationers) during the inauguration of 2017-19 course at Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy here today. Dr Harsh Vardhan said environment was certainly a cause of concern and even individuals could put in efforts to conserve it.

He also emphasised on striking a balance between environment and development. He also called upon the probationers to be prepared for tough challenges ahead of them.

Director General Forests Siddhant Das in his address referred to the pre and post-independence history of forestry in the country. He asserted that training at the academy would guide the officers in combating rising challenges in forestry and environment sector.

Earlier, course director Dr K Sasikumar welcomed the minister and said 96 probationers had joined the 2017-19 batch, including eight women officers and two foreign trainees from Bhutan. Besides IFS probationers, scholars from Forest Research Institute were also present.  TNS
JERUSALEM, December 23

Israeli authorities have arrested three Turkish tourists in Jerusalem over an incident that followed Muslim prayers at a flashpoint holy site, a police spokesman said on Saturday.

The spokesman did not elaborate on the circumstances of Friday's arrests, which came as Israel confronted Palestinian protests against US President Donald Trump's December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as its capital.

The Turkish consulate in Jerusalem had no immediate comment.

Unverified bystander video appeared to show Israeli police detaining several fez-wearing men and boys in the walled Old City of East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and which Palestinians want as capital of their own future state.

Although Trump left open the possibility of Israelis and Palestinians drawing up Jerusalem borders under a future peace deal, his announcement reversed decades of US reticence over the city's status. Turkey has been a vocal opponent of his move. Reuters
Tokyo, December 23

Japans Emperor Akihito marked his 84th birthday on Saturday with a pledge to fulfil his duties until the day of his abdication in 2019, and to prepare for passing the torch to the next era.

Akihito waved to thousands of well-wishers from a balcony of the royal palace. He was to attend birthday celebrations at the palace later Saturday.

In his annual birthday comment at a news conference earlier this week and released on Saturday, Akihito thanked the people for putting together thoughts and efforts to achieve his abdication wish that had surprised the nation.

Akihito still has a busy schedule, signing official documents, receiving foreign dignitaries and traveling to disaster-hit areas. But he said he will keep working until April 30, 2019, the day he is scheduled to abdicate.

Over the remaining days, I continue to carry out my duties as the symbol of the state, Akihito said. I would like to make preparations for passing the torch to the next era, together with the people concerned. Akihito last year expressed his wish to abdicate, citing his age and health as a concern. He ascended the throne at the age of 56 in January 1989, after the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito, beginning the Heisei Era.

The government has adopted a one-time law allowing for Akihitos abdication, and this month formally set the date for the event. His elder son Crown Prince Naruhito will ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne the next day, on May 1, 2019. He will be 59.

There will be more preparations ahead of the abdication, including deciding a new era name and a new home for the emperor and the empress.

Akihitos desire to leave the throne revived a debate about the countrys 2,000-year-old monarchy, one of the worlds oldest, as well as discussion about improving the status of female members of the shrinking royal population.

The current male-only succession rules prohibit women from succeeding the throne. Women lose their royal status when they marry a commoner.

Unlike his father who was worshipped as god until the end of World War II, Akihito has devoted himself to being a symbolic figure as defined in Japans postwar pacifist constitution while trying to soothe the wounds of war from his fathers era.

Though spoken in soft language, his emphasis on the importance of peace and compassions toward the handicapped, the weak and the elderly as he himself grew older is often seen in contrast to Prime Minister Shinzo Abes ultra right- wing, hawkish policies.

In his birthday comment, Akihito also mentioned his sympathy for the suffering of those affected by volcanic eruptions and fatal rainstorms in southern Japan earlier this year.

The last emperor to abdicate was 200 years ago Kokaku in 1817.  AP
United Nations/Seoul, Dec 23

The UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday for its recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil and its earnings from workers abroad.

The UN resolution seeks to ban nearly 90 per cent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year and, in a last-minute change, demands the repatriation of North Koreans working abroad within 24 months, instead of 12 months as first proposed.

The US-drafted resolution also caps crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year and commits the UNSC to further reductions if it were to conduct another nuclear test or launch another ICBM.

North Korea on November 29 said it successfully tested a new ICBM that put the US mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

Tension has been rising over North Koreas nuclear and missile programmes, which it pursues in defiance of years of UN Security Council resolutions, with bellicose rhetoric coming from both Pyongyang and the White House.

In November, North Korea demanded a halt to what it called brutal sanctions, saying a round imposed after its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 3 constituted genocide.

US diplomats have made clear they are seeking a diplomatic solution but proposed the new, tougher sanctions resolution to ratchet up pressure on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It sends the unambiguous message to Pyongyang that further defiance will invite further punishments and isolation, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said after the 15-0 vote. The North Korean mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Wu Haitao, Chinas deputy UN ambassador, said tensions on the Korean peninsula risk spiralling out of control and he repeated Beijings call for talks.

Chinas foreign ministry said it hoped all parties would implement the resolution and urged all sides to exercise restraint. It also reiterated a call for what it calls a dual suspension proposal for the United States and South Korea to stop major military exercises in exchange for North Korea halting its weapons programmes.

South Korea welcomed the sanctions and called on the North to immediately cease reckless provocations, and take the path of dialogue for denuclearization.

North Korea regularly threatens to destroy South Korea, the United States and Japan, and says its weapons are necessary to counter US aggression. The United States stations 28,500 troops in the South, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.

On Friday, North Korea called US President Donald Trumps recently released national security strategy the latest attempt to stifle our country and turn the entire Korean peninsula into an outpost of American hegemony.  Reuters

Tough stance to increase pressure
By PTI: Hyderabad, Dec 23 (PTI) Leaders from Telangana today paid tribute to former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao on his 13th death anniversary.

Former Union Minister and BJP MP Bandaru Dattatreya, Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker S Madhusudanachary among others visited P V Gyan Bhoomi, the samadhi of the departed leader at Hussain Sagar lake here, and paid floral tributes.

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The Telangana government organised an event on the occasion at the samadhi.

Speaking on the occasion, Dattatreya recalled the economic reforms initiated by Rao while Madhusudanachary called Rao a statesman the country should be proud of.

Rao, who was Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996, passed away on December 23, 2004. PTI SJR BNM BAS

--- ENDS ---
Washington/Tegucigalpa, December 23

The United States on Friday backed the re-election of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez despite widespread misgivings about the vote count, prompting the opposition candidate to describe his bid for the presidency as a lost cause.

The Honduran electoral tribunal declared Hernandez winner of the Nov. 26 election last weekend amid strident opposition protests over the vote count in the impoverished Central American country, which is a major hub for drug trafficking.

The vote tally had initially clearly favored opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla, a center-leftist, but it swung in favor of the incumbent after a 36-hour delay.

After the United States weighed in, Nasralla was pessimistic about his chances of winning support in Honduras, claiming in an interview with Reuters that the nations supreme court and electoral tribunal are in Hernandezs camp.

But he maintained that he had a path to victory at the international level, noting the Organization of American States (OAS) had called for new elections to resolve the dispute.

Nationally, we think its a lost cause, he told Reuters.

But internationally, we are confident that the OAS, which understands the great fraud in Honduras, will take action so that they repeat the elections.

Earlier in the day, Nasralla appeared all but ready to bow out of the race, saying in an interview with TV network France TV that his political career was over.

The situation is practically decided, he told the network.

I no longer have anything to do in politics, but the people, which are 80 percent in my favor, will continue the fight. The United States followed Mexico and other Latin American countries in supporting Hernandez, who has been a reliable US ally.

The US State Department congratulated Hernandez and said Honduras should pursue a long-term effort to heal the political divide in the country and enact much-needed electoral reforms, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The Honduras election tribunals declaration in Hernandezs favor last week sparked violent protests in Honduras, and the OASs call for new elections has been rejected by the Honduran government.

Nasralla had been backed by former President Manuel Zelaya, a leftist who was ousted in a 2009 coup after he proposed a referendum on his re-election, which was barred by the constitution at the time. But Zelaya said Friday that Nasralla was no longer a member of his alliance.

Nasralla said that he had no need for party membership anymore.

I am the president elect of all Hondurans, he said. It no longer makes sense to belong to the Alliance. The streets of the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa and other major cities were largely calm on Friday with a few protests cleared by the armed forces. By mid-week some 27 people had died in clashes, according to local human rights group COFADEH.

The State Department called for all sides to refrain from violence, for those who wish to challenge the result to use legal means, and for the government to ensure that security services respect the rights of peaceful protesters.

It also called for the electoral tribunal to transparently and fully review any challenges filed by political parties. Hernandez has led a military crackdown against gangs in the Central American country, and Honduras notoriously high murder rate has slid since he took power in 2014.

Nasralla, a television host, traveled to Washington this week to urge the United States not to recognize the vote, but a senior State Department official said on Wednesday the government had not seen any evidence that would alter the votes outcome.

Nasralla said the US decision reflected Washingtons strategic concerns over a leftist government in Honduras.

Theyre afraid of losing Honduras, he told local television. Reuters
A man who was being sought in connection with the death of a Wagoner High School graduate turned himself in Friday night.

Authorities had issued a first-degree felony manslaughter warrant for the arrest of Cody Sherman, who was wanted in the death of J. Cruz Mendoza.

Sherman was released on a $50,000 bond after he was booked, according to Wagoner County sheriff's Deputy Nick Mahoney.

Here is an earlier version of the story.

Wagoner Police are looking for a suspect involved in a Dec. 11 altercation that has led to the death of a Wagoner man.

WPD Detective Benjamin Blair said around 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12, authorities received a 911 call for assistance as someone had been beaten up and was unconscious for 13 hours.

During an investigation, it was discovered that the victim, J. Cruz Mendoza, was involved in a fight with Cody Sherman of Wagoner in the 200 block of North Jefferson Street around 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11. The Wagoner High School graduate and student-athlete reportedly sustained a severe head injury and was knocked unconscious.

Mendoza was transported by Wagoner EMS to Wagoner Community Hospital and then airlifted to St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa where he remained in a coma-like state for eight days before dying.

Blair said a first-degree felony manslaughter warrant was obtained Dec. 19 through Wagoner County for Shermans arrest. No arrest has been made, as the suspect has not been located since he was initially interviewed by authorities.

In that interview, Blair was told that Mendoza and Sherman were at one time best friends, growing up together and playing sports.

They knew each other really well, then life took them their separate ways, Blair told reporters during a Dec. 22 news conference. They didnt really have a falling out, but they werent really the best of friends anymore.

When asked what the argument was about, Blair said there was allegedly a burglary and Mendoza was being accused of the crime. A burglary report has not been filed; however, the detective was told the property taken was two marijuana grinders and a Bluetooth wireless speaker.

Mendoza was reportedly hit one time with a closed fist and was not expecting the punch. He was knocked unconscious, fell onto concrete stairs and never woke up.

Blair said there are a few witnesses; however, no one will come forward to speak or meet with authorities.

Blair said calls made to Shermans cellphone are going straight to voice mail.

If we are not able to locate him here in the city, our next step will be to contact the U.S. Marshals Service for assistance, the officer said. I would advise Cody to turn himself in to whatever local police department he is closest to.

A report has been made and this investigation will not be complete until I get somebody in jail, Blair said. My one lone goal is to get a suspect put in jail. That way, I can assure the mom we were able to ascertain a warrant and somebody potentially answers for the death of her son.

If anyone knows the whereabouts of Cody Sherman, please contact the Wagoner Police Department at 918-485-5511. Blair said callers can remain anonymous.
The swearing-in ceremony is set to take place at Gandhinagar Sachivalaya Ground on December 26 at 11 in the morning.

Vijay Rupani was retained as the Gujarat CM for a second term on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

By India Today Web Desk: Vijay Rupani will take oath as the chief minister of Gujarat on December 26. The swearing-in ceremony is set to take place at Gandhinagar Sachivalaya Ground at 11 in the morning.

Nitin Patel will take oath as the deputy CM of the state.

Swearing in ceremony to take place at Gandhinagar Sachivalaya Ground on 26th December, 11 AM; Vijay Rupani set to become CM and Nitin Patel Deputy CM #Gujarat (File pic) pic.twitter.com/vBxEauvRty&; ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

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Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Friday announced that Rupani will continue as Gujarat Chief Minister, aided by Nitin Patel as his deputy.

"A proposal to elect Rupani as the leader of the state BJP legislature party and Nitin Patel as the deputy leader of the legislature party has been adopted," Jaitley told at a press conference.

Rupani won the Gujarat Assembly election from Rajkot West.

The BJP won 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, the first time its tally slipped below hundred since 1995, while challenger Congress clocked its best in many years, clinching 77.

Rupani's proximity to the top party leadership, his clean and caste neutral image apparently tilted the scales in his favour.

He was appointed as chief minister of Gujarat on August 7, 2016, after Anandiben Patel was removed from the post.

ALSO WATCH | Vijay Rupani retained as Gujarat CM; Neta Rajini to make political debut; more

--- ENDS ---
Vijender Singh defeated Ernest Amuzu from Ghana by unanimous decision to retain WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific Super middleweight titles.

By Rohan Sen: Star Indian boxer Vijender Singh on Saturday maintained his unbeaten record as he defeated Ernest Amuzu from Ghana by unanimous decision in the Rajasthan Rumble fight in front of a packed Sawai Mansingh stadium in Jaipur.

Vijender, who didn't have the ideal preparation coming into this bout, didn't need to go all out throughout the fight as Amuzu proved to be no match in front of the Haryana boxer's power and reach.

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This was Vijender's second fight against an African boxer. He faced Francis Cheka from Tanzania last year in December and won the bout through technical knockout in the third round.

The 31-year-old obviously had the advantage of a longer reach over Amuzu and he used it to full effect.

Vijender usually takes the first couple of rounds to size up his opponent and he did exactly that against Amuzu and till about the fourth round kept landing punches to stay ahead in the judges scorecards.

But it was from the fifth round that Vijender started his onslaught on Amuzu landing one blow after another on the Ghana boxer's face and body with equal affect.

(IOS Boxing Photo) (IOS Boxing Photo)

Amuzu, who has never been knocked out in his career, started to wobble by the sixth round but somehow managed to stay on his feet and lasted the next four rounds but by then everybody knew what the outcome of the fight is going to be.

Amuzu was then just trying to delay the inevitable as Vijender kept on landing heavy blows.

In the final round it seemed like Vijender had pulled up a muscle as he held back on his attack and just concentrated on his defense because he knew that he was way ahead in the scoresheets.

As the bell rang in the final round Vijender shook hands with his opponent, raised his hands and went back to his corner.

(IOS Boxing Photo)

Moments later the presenter read out the scores as all three judges ruled in favour of Vijender with Amuzu recording his third career defeat.

Four fights took place before Vijender's main bout against Amuzu. Dharmendra Grewal beats Harsh Nagar by Technical Knockout (TKO) in the first bout in cruiserweight category.

Kuldeep Dhanda then defeated Fateh Singh by unanimous decision in the lightweight bout.

Dharmender Grewal wins his bout via TKO, beating his opponent Harsh Nagar in the 2nd round.#IndiaBullsRajasthanRumble pic.twitter.com/X78aFqiBBd- IOS Boxing (@IOSBoxing) December 23, 2017

It was followed by the bantamweight fight between Amandeep Singh and Manoj Kumar in which the former won on points.

Kuldeep Dhanda won his bout via Unanimous Decision against Fateh Singh.#IndiaBullsRajasthanRumble pic.twitter.com/5NPezYRzex- IOS Boxing (@IOSBoxing) December 23, 2017

Amandeep Singh won his bout against Manoj Kumar in a very tight contest via Unanimous Decision.#IndiaBullsRajasthanRumble pic.twitter.com/KEe6abNfGH- IOS Boxing (@IOSBoxing) December 23, 2017

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And finally, Pardeep Kharera outpunched Nikhil Sharma by unanimous decision.

Paredeep Kharera won his bout against Nikhil Sharma through the Unanimous Decision!#IndiaBullsRajasthanRumble pic.twitter.com/lnVrVgxG05- IOS Boxing (@IOSBoxing) December 23, 2017

--- ENDS ---
Mounira, a 20-year-old Somali with her son Mubarak, shortly after being evacuated with others from Libya to Italy  UNHCR/Alessandro Penso

ROME, Italy  A first group of 162 refugees from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen has arrived safely in Italy from Libya, in a landmark operation putting an end to months of detention and suffering.

The group  which included families, single mothers, unaccompanied children and disabled people  was evacuated on Friday (December 22) in two Italian military aircraft. All of them are in need of health care and counselling after being held captive in inhumane and degrading conditions and undergoing abuse from traffickers, smugglers and others on hazardous journeys across Africa.

This is really groundbreaking.

For the first time, we have been able to evacuate vulnerable refugees straight from Libya to Italy. This is really groundbreaking and a much welcome development that could not have happened without the strong commitment of the Italian authorities and the support of the Libyan Government, said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCRs Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean Situation.

We really hope other countries will follow the same path, Cochetel added.

This refugee baby was born three weeks ago in a detention center in Libya. He was evacuated to Italy yesterday with his mother. He is safe, now.



Life can prevail over war, exploitation and abuse. pic.twitter.com/ypDymJNM2Y  Filippo Grandi (@RefugeesChief) December 23, 2017

One of the evacuees, Timnit  a 25-year-old Eritrean  was almost overcome with emotion and relief.

I didnt believe it when UNHCR told me that I was coming to Italy, she said. I still cannot believe it now that I am here.

Timnit had been trying to join her husband in Germany for nearly two years. Alone in Libya, she was detained on several occasions for long periods. She sits in a wheelchair with a thick blanket around her legs, as she explains she can no longer walk on her own due to the pain.

My pain is psychological, my legs hurt more when I am angry, she said.

In an attempt to end her suffering, 10 days ago Timnit made the risky attempt to cross the Mediterranean with smugglers.

Her travel companions carried her on their backs to the boat, but after three hours it was intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard and all 100 passengers were brought back to Libya and detained.

Timnit, a 25-year-old Eritrean refugee, sits on a wheelchair unable to move due to the pain in her legs, shortly after being evacuated from Libya to Italy.  UNHCR/Alessandro Penso

I havent spoken to my husband since attempting to cross by boat. When I call him and tell him UNHCR has taken me to Italy by plane, hes never going to believe me, she smiled.

The group was accompanied from detention facilities by Libya-based UNHCR staff and then flown to Italy on two separate aircraft to the military base near Rome. UNHCR has welcomed the evacuations as a new mechanism to deal with people in need of resettlement in Libya, where many countries do not have embassies and dealing the complex mgiration issues is particularly challenging.

Upon arrival, all refugees went through medical checks and were given warm clothes and a hot meal before undergoing identification procedures. UNHCR staff and CARITAS volunteers welcomed the refugees and provided them with information upon arrival.

The refugees will now be transferred to several reception facilities where accommodation and assistance will be provided by the Episcopal Conference of Italy through Caritas.

Shawki, 19, fled Taizz in Yemen because of war.

The situation at home was terrible, but Libya is worse than Yemen because you are not scared only of the fighting, you are scared of people coming to kidnap you and asking for ransom. Anything can happen to you. My friend and I paid US$5,000 just to be freed, he explained.

The number of refugees evacuated from Libya is expected to reach 400.

Shawki entered Libya through Egypt to where he had flown.

I tried to get a visa to enter Europe, but it wasnt possible. Thats when I decided to come by sea," he added.

The number of refugees evacuated from Libya is expected to reach 400 with a third evacuation from Libya to Niger in the coming days.

This has only been made possible after intensive efforts from our staff and partner organizations. The smile of relief on the faces of those evacuated is a source of additional motivation to save more. We really count on international solidarity to help us reach our objective of bringing to protection 1,300 highly vulnerable refugees out of Libya as soon as possible. added Cochetel.
Failed vote to oust president shakes up Peru's politics

By Mitra Taj and Teresa Cespedes

LIMA, Dec 23 (Reuters) Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski could end up the surprise winner of an attempt to oust him from power this week, after some opposition lawmakers broke ranks with party leaders to support him, opening a divide that might strengthen his hand.

Despite having a Congressional majority, the rightwing opposition party Popular Force was unable to push through a motion to remove Kuczynski from office on Thursday, after 10 of its own lawmakers broke ranks to save the president.
UN welcomes agreement to revive Sudan peace pact

United Nations, Dec 23 (UNI) Welcoming the signing of an agreement on cessation of hostilities and improving humanitarian access in South Sudan, the United Nations Mission in the country (UNMISS) has urged all parties to work collectively to ensure durable peace in the nation.

The Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Access is an important first step in the revitalization of the peace process, said the mission in a news release on Friday.

UNMISS is committed to supporting the peace process in line with its mandate through advancing reconciliation efforts, strengthening conflict resolution mechanisms, building national cohesion and engaging in regional and international peace initiatives, it added.


Editors note: UTSA students, faculty, staff and alumni are building a legacy of excellence locally, across the nation and around the world. Theyre tackling societys grand challenges and making impactful contributions through research, innovation and engagement.

To celebrate Roadrunner Nations biggest accomplishments, UTSA Today is looking back at the top news stories of 2017. Heres number eight.

(Dec. 23, 2017) -- The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has launched a bachelor's degree program in chemical engineering to provide south Texans with greater access to top-tier engineering education.

A $1 million gift from The Klesse Foundation will help support the program, enabling the acquisition of new equipment, including a two story distillation column, and funding the newly created Margie and Bill Klesse Endowed Scholarship in Chemical Engineering.

UTSA's chemical engineering students will have the option to specialize in one of five areas: petroleum and energy systems, environmental engineering, materials engineering, bioengineering, or technology management.

"By offering a chemical engineering degree, we certainly fill that emphatic call for a program that is not readily available at many schools in this region," said JoAnn Browning, dean and David and Jennifer Spencer Distinguished Chair of the College of Engineering. "And also of note, we are offering a new degree that traditionally attracts more aspiring female engineers. This will allow us to make a tremendous impact on the percentage of women in STEM."

Women only make up about 20 percent of engineering enrollment across the country, whereas 35 percent of chemical engineering students are female. Browning also noted that chemical engineers address a broad range of issues that allow them to make a difference in their communities. Graduates of chemical engineering programs are highly sought-after in a wide variety of industries, including oil and gas, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals as well as environmental and materials engineering.

"Chemical engineers are in high in-demand in Texas and have a great positive impact on their environments. Our country needs more engineering and a pragmatic approach to problem-solving," said Bill Klesse, founder of The Klesse Foundation. "Chemical engineers' careers can go in many directions, including manufacturing industrial goods as well as the refining and petrochemical industries, to help make people's live better. We are very pleased to be able to support UTSA's new program to enhance our community with a new generation of talented, top-tier engineers."

Klesse, the former CEO of Valero Energy Corporation, and his wife, Margie Klesse, have a long history of supporting higher education. Over the past five years alone, they have supported the creation of a College of Engineering Scholarship, the Diamond Shamrock Legacy Endowed Scholarship for the College of Engineering and the Diamond Shamrock Legacy Endowed Scholarship for the College of Business.

"We will be providing very well-trained chemical engineers," said Ruyan Guo, Robert E. Clarke Endowed Professor and the new program's interim director. "This industry needs talented engineers and UTSA is the institution that will provide the best education to train these promising young students. By offering interdisciplinary knowledge, we'll allow them to explore and be creative with their training while developing their skills as leaders."

"Foremost in our mind is that this program is a critical piece in the puzzle for raising the educational profile of the region by providing a new and creative type of engineering training. And we can do this while we attract even greater diversity at UTSA," Browning said. "We are much better served when we have diversity in the classroom and the workplace."

UTSA has already received more than 70 applications to fill the 30 chemical engineering spots that are available in its fall 2017 entering class.

The UTSA College of Engineering is a major public provider of undergraduate and graduate engineering in South Texas with enrollment exceeding 3,300 students. The college has seen an unprecedented increase of more than 100 percent in graduate enrollment in the past few years and continues to grow steady with the mission to provide outstanding education and research opportunities and service to the region's multicultural community, the nation and beyond.
Photo AFP/File | Kazuhiro Nogi

Global equities rallied over the past year on hopes Donald Trump's key election promise to cut taxes would boost corporate profits and put money in people's pockets, but traders cashed in their profits soon after the bill was passed this week.

However, buying perked up again Thursday on bets that the tax reform would further fire the already healthy US economy, while there was also cheer for news that lawmakers had agreed a deal to avert a painful government shutdown.

"A day after being nonplussed with the passage of the US tax bill through the House and Senate, it seems stock traders decided that yes, after all, they do think the tax cuts will help valuations and the economy," said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader.

The US gains extended into Asia with Hong Kong up 0.7 per cent, Sydney adding 0.2 per cent and Singapore putting on 0.1 per cent.

Tokyo's Nikkei closed 0.2 per cent higher, while Seoul, Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta were also stronger.

But Shanghai dipped 0.1 per cent.

"The US corporate tax cut will lead to better earnings results and have a positive impact on the economy," Hideyuki Ishiguro, a senior strategist at Daiwa Securities in Tokyo, told Bloomberg News.

'REALITY CHECK'

However, Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trading at OANDA, warned of possible headwinds for 2018, pointing out that Trump could struggle to push through a planned US$1 trillion infrastructure bill in the face of low poll ratings and possible mid-term election losses.

On currency markets the euro edged down but held its own after Catalan separatists won the crucial election Thursday, fuelling fresh uncertainty in Spain, one of the eurozone's biggest economies.

The vote came after a failed independence bid earlier this year rattled Europe and triggered Spain's worst political crisis in decades.

While pointing out there had been little immediate negative impact on the single currency, Innes said the result "would deal a significant blow (to) Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy that could potentially escalate".

Bitcoin sank 20 per cent to briefly sit just above US$13,000 for the first time since Dec 7, hit by profit-taking.

The volatile cryptocurrency kicked the week off with a bang, hitting US$19,500 as it extended its astonishing rise but it has suffered a significant correction this week, losing a third of its value since its Monday high.

Investors are having a "reality check", Innes said. "At the heart of the matter was a frenzied demand for coins with limited supply has now led to unsophisticated investors holding the bag at the top."

At its height, Bitcoin had soared almost 30-fold since the start of the year and has moved into the mainstream as two major US exchanges began trading futures in the unit.

In early European trade London and Paris each lost 0.2 per cent and Frankfurt was 0.3 per cent off.

- Key figures around 0820 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.2 per cent at 22,902.76 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.7 per cent at 29,578.01 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 per cent at 3,297.06 (close)

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.2 per cent at 7,592.13

Euro/dollar: DOWN at US$1.1855 from US$1.1871 at 2200 GMT

Pound/dollar: DOWN at US$1.3380 from US$1.3384

Dollar/yen: UP at 113.44 from 113.30

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 20 cents at US$58.16

Oil - Brent North Sea: DOWN nine cents at US$64.81 per barrel

New York - DOW: UP 0.2 per cent at 24,782.29 (close)
Axed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont (centre) flanked by deposed government's members reacts as he watch on a computer the results of the Catalonia's regional elections, at the Square - Brussels Meeting Centre in Brussels. (Photo source: Aris Oikonomou)

Madrid had called Thursday's vote after secessionists declared independence on Oct 27, amid Spain's worst political crisis since democracy was reinstated following dictator Franco's death in 1975.

The vote was widely seen as a moment of truth on the independence question, a hugely divisive issue for the wealthy northern region, that has rattled a Europe already shaken by Brexit.

But with the secessionists maintaining their parliamentary majority, the move to call snap polls appeared to backfire against Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who had sacked the regional government and dissolved its parliament.

Still, in a clear indicator of the gulf over independence afflicting Catalan society, anti-secessionist centrist party Ciudadanos won the biggest individual result with 37 of the 135 seats in the regional parliament.

Unless the three pro-independence lists fail to clinch a deal to work together in the coming months, however, they will govern Catalonia with 70 seats -- two less than their previous tally.

"This is a result which no one can dispute," deposed leader Carles Puigdemont said from self-imposed exile in Belgium.

"The Spanish state was defeated. Rajoy and his allies lost," he told reporters.

'BIGGEST LOSER IS RAJOY'

Puigdemont's Together for Catalonia list secured the best result of the three separatist groupings.

"The biggest loser of election night was the People's Party (PP) of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, which obtained only three seats," said Antonio Barroso, a political risk analyst at Teneo Intelligence in London.

How the independence camp will rule remains a mystery, however - and should its leaders fail to put their house in order, Catalans may even have to return to the polls.

"It is unclear whether Puigdemont will be able to be re-appointed ... as he will be arrested if he comes back to Spain," Barroso said.

"As a result, the investiture process will be far from straightforward, and the risk of new elections in 2018 remains high," he added.

"The investiture of a new first minister is likely to be a protracted and noisy process," he said.

Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium and tried to rally international support for the separatist cause, faces charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of funds in Spain.

Other independence leaders, including Puigdemont's former deputy Oriol Junqueras, are behind bars pending trial.

In a news conference in Brussels on Friday, Puigdemont said he was ready to hold talks with Rajoy outside of Spain.

Rajoy had yet to respond early Friday afternoon. He has repeatedly said there can be no talks unless separatists abandon their independence drive.

So far the EU has backed Rajoy, saying it supports constitutional order, and that it is an internal matter for Spain.

The European Commission stressed its stance remained the same regardless of the result of the vote.

'SIT DOWN AND TALK'

Ciudadanos's candidate Ines Arrimadas saw the glass half-full for the anti-independence side.

The fragmented vote result shows Spain and the world "that here in Catalonia there has never been a secessionist majority", she told reporters.

One pro-independence voter, 50-year-old marketing specialist Francesc Portella, said of Thursday's result: "The message to Spain is, sit down and talk."

Rajoy may speak in the afternoon after a meeting of his party, which saw its number of seats in the Catalan parliament slashed from 11 to just three.

Pablo Casado of Rajoy's PP party warned the separatists that "whatever new government rules the region, (the separatists) know the consequences for breaking the law."

Crucially, however, the pro-independence camp is not expected to attempt another breakaway from Spain but rather try to enter into negotiations with Madrid.

For all the talk that the separatist cause had been legitimised, analysts predict a softening around the edges of the independence bid.

The Catalan business elite, some of whose members have close links with Puigdemont's party, "know that they have to give a fresh boost to tourism and the economy", sociologist Narciso Michavila told AFP.

At stake in the crisis is the economy of a region that has seen its tourism sector suffer and more than 3,100 companies - including the largest banks, utilities and insurers - move their legal headquarters out of Catalonia.
The decree will make sure less buyers get their fingers burnt

Among the big projects to be launched is An Khanh New City Developments sale of its first phase this quarter. The mega $2 billion project is developed by South Koreas Posco E&C and Vietnams Vinaconex, located in Hanois Hoai Duc district, along the Thang Long Boulevard.

Scheduled for completion in 2013, the city is expected to supply 6,440 apartments, equivalent to 392,319 square metres of accommodation, enough for 30,000 people.

Even though Hoa Phat Group, the investor in a more than 1,000 apartment Mandarin Garden in Cau Giay districts Tran Duy Hung road, refused to release its launching time, real estate experts predicted the project would be soon launched.

At the beginning of this month the CT7D, located in Le Van Luong street and invested by Nam Cuong Group and the FLC Landmark Tower of FLC Group will also be launched, with a total of 200 units and prices ranging from VND23 million ($1,200) to VND28 million ($1,470) per square metre.

In Gia Lam district, over the Red River, the second lot of Rung Co Residentials belonging to the Eco Park is also being launched, with around 1,500 apartment units.

In addition, Victoria Van Phu, Star City, Diamond Tower and Song Da City View will also add apartments to the mix.

Real estate consultant CBRE Vietnam expected that there would be 3,000 units in Hanoi launched this quarter, compared to 1,950 units in the third quarter. There were more than 4,600 units launched in the second quarter.

This decline, according to CBRE Vietnam, could be due to the Decree 71, effective on August 8, 2010 providing guidance on the Housing Law, which caps the proportion of units sold via capital contribution contracts at 20 per cent with the remaining 80 per cent sold on transaction floors.

This decree, CBRE Vietnam said, had put a pressure on developers with low financial capabilities and enhanced market transparency.

However, CBRE Vietnam executive director Richard Leech said new project launches would continue trending towards more affordable options.

With the opening and improvement of major infrastructure routes, the capitals western and southern districts are attracting new residents with easier access for commuting into the core urban districts, Leech said.

He said that the Decree 71 was expected to benefit the market by enhancing transparency, placing pressures on developers with low financial capabilities, lessening the threat of price bubbles and limiting speculative forces.

Tran Nhu Trung, Savills Vietnam associate director, said the Decree 71 had showed off its advantages to clearly regulate five types of mobilising capital investment. However, Trung said the procedures to implement Decree 71 were still complicated and wasted customers time and energy.

The more simple it [decree] regulates, the more it is practical in the real life, Trung said.
Delegates attend an investment promotion workshop in Cairo on Wednesday.- VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Truong

Long made this statement at an investment promotion workshop in Cairo on Wednesday.

During the event, Long highlighted the potential for stronger co-operation in economy as well as trade between Viet Nam and Egypt, saying that the recent State-level visit to Viet Nam by Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi, has started a new stage in the bilateral relation.

He also briefed participants on Viet Nams economic development, business environment, investment attraction policies and key exports.

The ambassador suggested measures to promote economic and trade ties, calling on the two countries businesses to participate in trade fairs, exhibitions and investment workshops, thus seeking more business opportunities.

The Vietnamese Embassy is always willing to help Egyptian firms to connect with partners in Viet Nam, he affirmed.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of the Egyptian Business Association Mohamed Yousef said leaders of the two nations have agreed to enhance bilateral economic relations, which is bringing great benefits to enterprises from both nations.

Promoting trade co-operation will enhance two-way trade between the two countries, thus strengthening bilateral ties, he added.

Yousef also used the occasion to introduce Egypts investment environment and policies.

According to Vietnamese commercial counsellor in Egypt, Pham The Cuong, Viet Nam has exported a number of goods to Egypt including seafood, coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, wooden products, textiles and mobile phones. Two-way trade reached US$311.8 million in the first 11 months of this year.
Celebrating a martyr: An exhibition on the life of Pho uc Chinh opened at the historic Hoa Lo Prison complex in Ha Noi yesterday. It will remain open for a week. - VNS Photo Huong Sen

Chinh (1907-1930), was a founder of the Vietnamese Nationalist Party that fought French colonial rule during the early 20th century.

After leading the Yen Bai Revolution (1930), hes reported to have asked his executioner to let him lie on his back so he could see the blade fall, and shouted long live Viet Nam as it fell.

Many historians and scholars nationwide attended a workshop held yesterday, discussing his life, career and revolutionary ideals.

The event aims to raise peoples awareness of the nations patriots and evoke gratitude for sacrifices made, officials said.

The exhibition will run at 1 Hoa Lo Street, for a week. All the photos and documents at the exhibition will then be displayed at Pho uc Chinh Commemoration House in the martyrs native place, a Nguu Village, in the northern province of Hung Yen.
Shin Kyuk-Ho, the founder of South Korea's fifth largest business conglomerate Lotte Group, arrives for his trial at Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on Dec 22, 2017. (Photo: Yonhap/AFP)

Shin Kyuk-Ho, 95, founded the group in Tokyo in 1948 and built into a sprawling giant that today has dozens of units focused on food, retail and hotels in South Korea and Japan.

It is the fifth biggest of the chaebol, the family-run conglomerates that have powered South Korea's growth into the world's 11th-largest economy, but are sometimes accused of murky business practices and overly-close ties with politicians.

Lotte has been a target of investigations since Shin's two sons made headlines with a bitter public fight for control of the group, featuring personal attacks in which they accused each other of mismanagement, personality flaws, and of manipulating their frail, aged father.

The founder, three of his children, and his mistress were all in the dock on multiple charges at the Seoul Central District Court.

Shin was accused of embezzling at least 128.6 billion won (US$119 million) from the firm to benefit his relatives.

He was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison, although the court said it could not specify the amount embezzled and allowed him to remain free on health grounds pending an appeal - he has diseases of old age, including dementia.

"The accused Shin disposed of company assets as if they were his own in betrayal of his responsibility," said presiding judge Kim Sang-Dong.

"This case reveals how the founding families of chaebol attempt to obtain private gains from companies."

Shin shouted incoherently in court when the sentence was read out.

BEAUTY CONTEST

Prosecutors accused Shin and his son and successor as chairman Shin Dong-Bin of causing 77.8 billion won (US$72 million) in damages to the group by renting out Lotte Cinema concessions at discounted rates to the founder's eldest daughter and mistress.

The daughter was jailed for two years, while the mistress - a former model and actress 39 years Shin's junior, who came to his attention after winning a beauty pageant - was given a suspended sentence.

The court also found Shin and Dong-Bin guilty of enabling the mistress' daughter to receive 10 billion won (US$9.3 million) in salary from Lotte without doing any work.

But Lotte Group chairman Dong-Bin was given 20 months in prison - suspended for two years - on the grounds he was not in a position to refuse his father's orders, leaving him free to try and revive the conglomerate after steep losses in China.

"I apologise to the public," Dong-Bin said as he left court, without commenting further.

Shin Dong-Bin, the chairman of retail conglomerate Lotte Group and the son of group founder Shin Kyuk-Ho, arrives for his trial at Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on Dec 22, 2017. (Photo: Yonhap/AFP)

Another son, Dong-Joo - who lost the bitter succession battle when board members sided with his younger brother - was cleared of all offences.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The ruling will come as a relief to the retail-to-chemicals group at the end of a difficult year during which it became the highest-profile corporate victim of a Beijing-Seoul spat over South Korea's installation of a US missile defence system.

South Korea's fifth-largest conglomerate said, "We respect the court's decision. Lotte Group executives and employees will further unite to contribute to economic progress and do our best to meet our social responsibility."

The prosecution did not have an immediate comment. Legal experts said the prosecution was likely to appeal.

Dong-Bin is on trial separately in connection with the corruption scandal that brought down President Park Geun-Hye, with prosecutors seeking a four-year sentence in that case.

In the meantime, Friday's ruling means Lotte, with 110.8 trillion won worth of assets, avoids a leadership vacuum for the time being as it navigates mounting China losses and an uncertain recovery.

Shunned in China, its key market, after it was pressed by Seoul to provide land for the THAAD missile defence system, Lotte's third-quarter China hypermarket sales were nearly wiped out to about US$278,000 from around US$264 million a year earlier.

Nearly all Lotte Mart stores in China have been shut for much of the year with local authorities citing fire safety issues, and the group has now put the business up for sale.

But the sale is likely to be delayed past the end-2017 deadline Lotte had sought, Lotte Corp official Choi Min-Ho said, without giving a reason.

BATTENING DOWN THE HATCHES

Lotte's businesses in South Korea, including its major duty-free operations, that had counted on big-spending Chinese tourists, remain under pressure amid curbs on Chinese tour groups travelling to the country.

South Korea's credit rating agencies have downgraded or cut their outlook for corporate bonds of the group's flagship retailer Lotte Shopping and Hotel Lotte, citing hurdles in improving their financial stability.

Lotte, which shelved plans for an estimated US$4.5 billion IPO of Hotel Lotte amid the investigation, is now battening down the hatches as a difficult year draws to an end.

Lotte Shopping has frozen wages for its department store business this year for the first time since 2009, three Lotte officials said this week, declining to be identified as the matter was sensitive.

While Lotte confirmed wages had been frozen, the retail-to-chemical conglomerate declined further comment.

However, one of the officials from the department store business said: "Wages have been frozen due to various factors, but the THAAD issue was one of them."
Big shot Hanoi buyers are looking to spread the wealth to the provinces

A range of real estate projects have been introduced to Hanois market from Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Danang and Nha Trang. The projects include The Charm, Sunrise City, Ocean Villas, Hyatt Regency, Olalani, Fusion Alya, Azura and Blooming Park.

Talking with VIR at a recent road show to introduce Sunrise City, located in Ho Chi Minh, in Hanoi, Novaland Joint Stock Company marketing deputy director Huynh Du An said many units were sold to Hanoians and those from northern provinces.

Meanwhile, a range of other central and southern projects have been rushing into Hanoi. Setia Becamex launched Binh Duong provinces Ecolakes My Phuoc in the capital late last week, a week before TD Group introduced the Costa Nha Trang to Hanoians. This week Singapores Guoco Lands Canary, located at the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in Binh Duong province, will be unveiled to northern customers.

Bringing Ecolakes My Phuoc to Hanois market is one of our key marketing strategies. Hanoians are paying more attention to higher standards of living and are interested in ecological housing, said Khoo Teck Chong, general director of Setia Becamex.

VIR was told that for many projects in the central and southern parts, roughly 70 per cent of customers were from Hanoi and other northern provinces.

Matthew Koziora, sales director of VinaCapital - developer of the Azura in Danang, said the first 60 units, out of 225, were launched in Hanoi recently.

Out of the 40 units sold, 90 per cent of the buyers had come from Hanoi.

Hanoi has, according to Koziora, proven itself to be a key market for most new projects in Vietnam, given the demographics of these immediate catchments.

While condominium offerings will always be available in Hanoi due to previous pent-up demands, we can see that not all projects will enjoy a healthy sell-through, as was seen 12 months ago.

We do see, however, given the price differentials between house and land packages in Hanoi versus Ho Chi Minh City, that this market will be better received in the current marketplace and over the next six months as opposed to condominium project offerings at this time, Koziora said

Ngo Huu Truong, managing director of a real estate agency in Ho Chi Minh City, said many customers from Hanoi and Haiphong had come to Ho Chi Minh City to find out information about new projects there.

Demand is real and many projects investors have realised this trend and they are coming to Hanoi to promote their projects, Truong said.

He also said the jury was still out on how effective the promotions were.

I think that these developers [who bring their projects to Hanoi] have at least seen their target to raise their image and brand names in northern customers, Truong said.
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A recent Bloomberg report has revealed how a secret unit of Facebook has helped create troll armies for governments around the world including India for digital propaganda to influence elections [1]. Under fire for Facebook Inc.s role as a platform for political propaganda, co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has punched back, saying his mission is above partisanship.

But Facebook, it turns out, is no bystander in global politics. What he hasnt said is that his company actively works with political parties and leaders including those who use the platform to stifle oppositionsometimes with the aid of troll armies that spread misinformation and extremist ideologies [2].

The initiative is run by a little-known Facebook global government and politics team led from Washington by Katie Harbath, a former Republican digital strategist who worked on former New York Mayor Rudy Giulianis 2008 presidential campaign as well as 2014 Indian elections.

Since Facebook hired Harbath to run their secret global goverment and politics unit three years later, her team has traveled the globe (including India helping political clients use the companys powerful digital tools to create troll armies for digital propaganda.

In India (many other countries as well) the units employees have become de facto campaign workers. And once a candidate is elected, the company in some instances goes on to train government employees or provide technical assistance for live streams at official state events.

In the U.S., the unit embedded employees in Trumps campaign. In India, the company helped develop the online presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who now has more Facebook followers than any other world leader.

At meetings with political campaigns, members of Harbaths team sit alongside Facebook advertising sales staff who help monetize the often viral attention stirred up by elections and politics. They train politicians and leaders how to set up a campaign page and get it authenticated with a blue verification check mark, how to best use video to engage viewers and how to target ads to critical voting blocs. Once those candidates are elected, their relationship with Facebook can help extend the companys reach into government in meaningful ways, such as being well positioned to push against regulations.

That problem is exacerbated when Facebooks engine of democracy is deployed in an undemocratic fashion. A November report by Freedom House, a U.S.-based nonprofit that advocates for political and human rights [3], found that a growing number of countries are manipulating social media to undermine democracy. [4] One aspect of that involves patriotic trolling, or the use of government-backed harassment and propaganda meant to control the narrative, silence dissidents and consolidate power.

In 2007, Facebook opened its first office in Washington. The presidential election the following year saw the rise of the worlds first Facebook President in Barack Obama, who with the platforms help was able to reach millions of voters in the weeks before the election. The number of Facebook users surged around the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East around 2010 and 2011, demonstrating the broad power of the platform to influence democracy.

By the time Facebook named Harbath, the former Giuliani aide, to lead its global politics and government unit, elections were becoming major social-media attractions. Facebook began getting involved in electoral hotspots around the world.

Facebook has embedded itself in some of the globes most controversial political movements while resisting transparency. Since 2011, it has asked the U.S. Federal Election Commission for blanket exemptions from political advertising disclosure rules that could have helped it avoid the current crisis over Russian ad spending ahead of the 2016 election.

The companys relationship with governments remains complicated. Facebook has come under fire in the European Union, including for the spread of Islamic extremism on its network. The company just issued its annual transparency report explaining that it will only provide user data to governments if that request is legally sufficient, and will push back in court if its not [5].

Facebook Troll Armies In India

India is arguably Facebooks most important market recently edging out the U.S. as the companys biggest. The number of users here is growing twice as fast as in the U.S. And that doesnt even count the 200 million people who use the companys WhatsApp messaging service in India, more than anywhere else on the globe.

By the time of Indias 2014 elections, Facebook had for months been working with several campaigns. Modi relied heavily on Facebook and WhatsApp to recruit volunteers who in turn spread his message on social media. Since his election, Modis Facebook followers have risen to 43 million, almost twice Trumps count.

Within weeks of Modis election, Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg both visited India as it was rolling out a critical free internet service that was later curbed due to massive protests. Harbath and her team have also traveled here, offering a series of workshops and sessions that have trained more than 6,000 government officials.

As Modis social media reach grew, his followers increasingly turned to Facebook and WhatsApp to target harassment campaigns against his political rivals. India has become a hotbed for fake news, with one hoax story this year that circulated on WhatsApp leading to mob beatings resulting in several deaths. The nation has also become an increasingly dangerous place for opposition parties and reporters.

However its not just Modi or the Bharatiya Janata Party who has utilize Facebooks services. The company says it offers the same tools and services to all candidates and governments regardless of political affiliation, and even to civil society groups that may have a lesser voice.

What is interesting is that Mark Zukerberg himself wants to be the President of US and has already employed in succession David Plouffe (campaign adviser to Barack Obama in 2008) and then Ken Mehlman (George Bush Jr.s campaign adviser in 2004) [6]. He is currently employing Amy Dudley (Senator Tim Kaines former advisor), Ben LaBolt (Barack Obamas former press adviser) and Joel Benenson (Hillary Clintons former campaign adviser in 2016).

Facebooks Emotion Manipulation

A 2014 study titled Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks [7] manipulated the balance of positive and negative messages seen by 689,000 Facebook users. The paper details the experiment running from January 11 to 18, 2012, in an attempt to identify emotional contagion effects by altering the amount of emotional content in the targeted users news feed. The researchers concluded that they had found some of the first experimental evidence to support the controversial claims that emotions can spread throughout a network, [though] the effect sizes from the manipulations are small.

The study was criticized for both its ethics and methods/claims. As controversy about the study grew, Adam Kramer, a lead author of both studies and member of the Facebook data team, defended the work in a Facebook update [8]. A few days later, Sheryl Sandburg, Facebooks COO, made a statement [9] while travelling to India. While at an Indian Chambers of Commerce event in New Delhi she stated that: This was part of ongoing research companies do to test different products, and that was what it was. It was poorly communicated and for that communication we apologize. We never meant to upset you.

So what was this new revolutionary product for which Facebook was conducting psychological experiments on emotion manipulation of its users? These revolutionary products are called digital propaganda Troll Armies that spread Fake News like wildfire assisting its clients during elections.

Shortly thereafter, on July 3, 2014, USA Today reported that the privacy watchdog group Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) had filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade claiming that Facebook had broken the law when it conducted the study on the emotions of its users without their knowledge or consent [10]. In its complaint the EPIC alleged that Facebook had deceived it users by secretly conducting a psychological experiment on their emotions: At the time of the experiment, Facebook did not state in the Data Use Policy that user data would be used for research purposes. Facebook also failed to inform users that their personal information would be shared with researchers. Most of the guinea pigs for these emotion manipulation experiments were Indians [11].

Most of us dont give much thought to what we post on social media, and a lot of what we see on social media is pretty innocuous. However, it only seems that way at first glance. The truth is that what we post online has a frightening potential. According to recent research from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Washington, the things we post on social media could be utilized by software to predict future events  maybe even the next Prime Minister of India.

In a paper thats just been published on ArXiv, the team of researchers found that social media can be used to detect and predict offline events [12]. Twitter analysis can accurately predict civil unrest, for instance, because people use certain hashtags to discuss issues online before their anger bubbles over into the real world.

The most famous example of this came during the Arab Spring, when clear signs of the impending protests and unrest were found on social networks days before people took to the streets.

The reverse of this is also true. Meaning that anger can also be manufactured on social media & once it reaches an optimum level be targeted on to real life events on the streets as we have been witnessing since atleast a couple of years in India with cases of mob lynchings and such.

How Indias Fake News Ecosystem Work

In India a massive fake news industry has sprung up exercising influence over traditional discourse of politics and has a potential in becoming a security challenge like the Arab Spring if not kept in check. As the debate over mob lynching in India is raging it should be understood that such incidents would not have had such a rapid and massive effect if the youth had not had access to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media that allowed the fake news industry to organise and share made-up videos and information. The mob lynching since the past years are a direct result of the fake news industry spilling over from social media to the real world.

This takes a totally new dimension now that it has been revealed that Facebook & WhatsApp itself colluded with the establishment in creating such troll arimes for digital propaganda, resulting directly into violence on Indian soil. This is a clear textbook case of terrorism. Terrorism is defined as the systematic use of terror or violence by any individual or group to achieve political goals. In this case this terrorism is perpetrated by a foreign company Facebook on Indian soil using digital information warfare. What more are we waiting for to respond to such an act?

Fake News was used very effectively during US Presidential elections. It was part of the official campaign itself run in collaboration with tech companies and it is also being alleged that even the Russians also ran their own network. The same method was used to shape the Brexit debate as well. As we write this the fake news industry is spreading its tentacles in India as well. Many of Indias leading sportsmen, celebrities, economists, politicians have already fallen victim to this by disseminating such fake content. This is a dangerous trend and should be kept in check by our intelligence agencies to avert future disaster.

The way it works in short is like this. Numerous websites and portals of varying degree of legitimacy and funding are floated. Specific news contents are generated for different groups based on their region, ideology, age, religion etc. which is mixed with a heavy dose of soft porn to slowly blend in with their objective. These fake contents are than peddled in social media and specific groups targeted via analytics tools developed by tech companies. As a lot of such fake content is generated slowly it starts getting a momentum of itself and somewhere down the line it is picked up by any unsuspected person of influence  celebrities, politicians and even journalists themselves. What happens after this point is sheer madness.

Whether by choice or by ignorance even the mainstream media starts peddling this nonsense, dedicating their entire primetime news shows in analyzing the fake news, who said what and why and blah blah instead of identifying where the fake content was generated in the first place and getting it shut. Due to the nature and sensationalism of the generated content and also because its echoed by persons of influence with time this fake worldview has the potential to spill over in the real world with physical casualties, as we have seen in so many lynching cases. If not kept in check it could capture and take over the entire national discourse. We will reach a point where it will be very difficult to keep track of what is fact or fiction and the entire society would be radicalized into different opposing camps all based on lies.

Facebook & Indian Elections

Around the time of the Indian election in May 2014 a serious-headlined story began spreading which asked Did Google affect the outcome of the Indian election? Beneath the headline was an iceberg  If Facebook can tweak our emotions and make us vote, what else can it do? [13]

Surprisingly, the Election Commission of India itself has partnered with Facebook for voter registration during election process [14]. Dr.Nasim Zaidi, Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, said I am pleased to announce that the Election Commission of India is going to launch a Special Drive to enrol left out electors, with a particular focus on first time electors. This is a step towards fulfilment of the motto of ECI that NO VOTER TO BE LEFT BEHIND. As part of this campaign, Facebook will run a voter registration reminder in multiple Indian languages to all the Facebook users in India. I urge all eligible citizens to enrol and VOTE i.e. Recognize your Right and Perform your Duty. I am sure Facebook will strengthen Election Commission of Indias enrolment campaign and encourage future voters to participate in the Electoral Process and become responsible Citizens of India.

All 17 American Intelligence agencies have raised serious concern about the impact of this fake news industry on their election process and their society. According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center a majority of Americans (a whopping 88%) believe that completely made-up news has left Americans confused about even the basic facts [15]. And we in India are heading towards a worst scenario than this. Why? Because unlike India, the US Government and Intelligence community has publicly addressed this issue and are working towards resolving this menace. Will Indian govt address such meddling by Facebook in Indias internal affairs?

Committees after committees are being setup, senate hearings are being convened to reach to the bottom of this and new Units are being created to effectively counter this threat to their society. While Facebook is being investigated for meddling in US Presidential elections not much focus has been given to how Facebooks secret unit has influenced elections in India. In light of these revelations Facebooks interference in Indias elections should be thoroughly investigated. Ofcourse in order to do so first the Govt should have to acknowledge the existence of this fake news industry in order to take action against it.

Along with Facebook, American Microchip Inc and Japanese Renesas contracted by Election Commission for fusing secret EVM code should also be investigated for interfering in Indias elections and all those who colluded with them. It will be a grave mistake to take this threat of foreign companies interfering in Indias elections lightly [16].
A three-century period of intellectual, cultural and political turmoil spawned seeds of belief found today in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, with multiple echoes seen in the Christmas story, according to a Baylor University historian.

Philip Jenkins, a distinguished professor of history in Baylors Institute for Studies of Religion, said ideas of angels, a non-military messiah, and heaven  all parts of the Christmas story heard each year at this time  can trace their beginning and development to Palestine during a period between 300 and 50 B.C.

It was a great era of globalization, Jenkins said in a recent phone interview from his home in State College, Pennsylvania, where he splits his time with Waco during the Baylor school year.

The Greeks under Alexander the Great had spread and established their culture wherever they went, integrating their conquests into an economy that connected large regions of territory, he said.

Palestine, the land in which Jesus grew up, fell within what Jenkins calls the Hellenistic Triangle whose vertices were centers of Greek thought and trade: Antioch, Alexandria and Seleucia.

Jewish scholars and scribes scattered throughout that area found their beliefs confronted by not only new thoughts from other religions and philosophies, but also Greek concepts of science and learning. Some stretched their beliefs to incorporate those ideas and stories, while others became more rigid in their orthodoxy.

Theres a real cultural and spiritual revolution in that period, Jenkins said.

Power struggles over territory in the decades after Alexanders death in 323 B.C.  primarily between the Seleucid and the Ptolemaic dynasties, with Rome coming to dominate both  and popular revolts against those ruling powers made ripe conditions for cultural and theological ferment, captured in the title of Jenkins newest history, Crucible Of Faith: The Ancient Revolution That Made Our Modern Religious World.

Jewish books and writings from that period, some preserved in the Apocrypha found between the Old and New Testaments in many Bibles, show the development of new ideas on angels and demons, Satan, heaven, hell, a messiah and a final apocalypse between good and evil, Jenkins said.

The Book of 1 Enoch, written in approximately the second century B.C., proved a pivotal work, particularly in its description of supernatural beings and existence.

The angels of the Old Testament are different than those in the New Testament period. Theyre more of a generic figure, serving as Gods voice, Jenkins said. They dont have individual identities and they dont have names.  But with the Book of Enoch, youre dropped into this world of angels and demons, heaven and hell.

Angels in Enoch and subsequent writings have names  Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, Ariel and the like  as well as specific duties and identities. Why? Part of the reason may come from the strengthening of the Jewish belief in one God, or monotheism, during that period, Jenkins said. As the concept of an all-powerful God grew, so did the distance between that God and humankind, causing some to fill that space with intermediaries or messengers, he said.

By the time the Gospels of Matthew and Luke were written, the two New Testament books with the stories of Jesus birth, angels were fairly established in popular Jewish belief. In Matthews and Lukes Nativity accounts, angels are everywhere, Jenkins said. Angels deliver messages to Mary, the priest Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, Joseph and the shepherds tending their flocks at night.

Other messiahs

Also in circulation at the time were concepts of one or more messiahs to deliver the Jewish people. Writings from the Qumran community in the second century B.C., many contained in what is termed the Dead Sea Scrolls, show a vigorous discussions of the idea of a messiah, apocalyptic struggles between good and evil, a heaven where the good were rewarded and a hell where the wicked were punished.

The picture in the New Testament is less surprising than we might think, the Baylor scholar said.

Political violence in the two centuries before Jesus also provide an interesting context to the birth of the Prince of Peace. Many may know of the Jewish revolt of the Maccabees against a Seleucid government in 160 B.C., an event celebrated in the holiday of Hannukah, but a smaller yet bloody uprising occurred near Galilee in 4 B.C.  a time that some historians believe may be closer to Jesus actual birth.

Its possible that Jesus was born in one of the most bloody and chaotic times of Jewish history, Jenkins said.

While historians havent confirmed Herods slaughter of infants that Matthew recounts, what is known about Herod makes it plausible, he said. Herod not only saw himself as a Jewish king, but as a Greek and Roman one as well, and was not above killing family and court officials to maintain control.

Its absolutely in the style of what he did to his relatives and family, Jenkins said.

The suggestions of Jesus as a new or second Adam, found in the Apostle Pauls letters to early Christians, also have roots in Jenkins crucible period.

Adam and Eve arent mentioned in the Bible (after the creation account in Genesis) until Paul, he said. Around 200 BCE, people start writing a huge amount about Adam and God.

He said the apocryphal book The Life of Adam and Eve proved one of the most influential books of that period, and many of the ideas in that book, such as the tempting serpent equated with Satan and Satans fall from heaven due to sin, show up in John Miltons Paradise Lost and popular Christian belief.

Jenkins Crucible Of Change followed from his last book, The Lost Gospels, in which he traced the long influence of Jewish and Christian books outside the standard Jewish, Catholic and Protestant canons on Christian belief and tradition.

There are dozens and dozens of books written in this (Crucible) period, but most people who arent scholars dont pay any attention to this, Jenkins said.

The prolific Baylor scholar wont have to travel as far for source material on his next book, a history of the United States since 2000.

This is literally a story youre making up as you go along, he said. The good thing is you have all the information in the world. The bad thing is you have all the information in the world.
Coldwell Banker Jim Stewart Realtors, one of the largest and most influential real estate agencies in Waco, has been sold to a Dallas-based real estate powerhouse that will enjoy $1.6 billion in projected sales this year and operates 16 offices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Coldwell Banker Apex President Lori Arnold, confirmed Friday the company has joined forces with its counterpart in Waco that employs about 50 agents and whose commercial division includes such high-profile performers as Bland Cromwell, Brad Davis and Gregg Glime, who is involved in several development projects downtown.

The merger will create the ninth-largest Coldwell Banker operation in the United States and the largest owned by a woman, Arnold said. Real estate tracking website Real Trends ranked the agency 181st on its most recent list of the 500 largest real estate firms in the U.S. based on sales.

My relationship with the Waco office is very old, and we will work together to accomplish great things, Arnold said. Jim Stewart and I go back to his early days. He was a wonderful man, very encouraging when we started out as just a small company, one office with five agents.

Stewart, who died in February, formed Jim Stewart Realtors in 1970, and it became the dominant real estate firm in Greater Waco, attracting the attention of and becoming part of Coldwell Banker in 1999.

Arnold said management of the Waco office will not change under the ownership of Coldwell Banker Apex, adding the two companies already have a close working relationship in that they often share information and make referrals when clients move between the Dallas area and Waco.

Kathy Schroeder and I have known each other for 20 years, and we talk to each other two or three times a month, Arnold said, referring to the Coldwell Banker Jim Stewart Realtors staffer who oversees residential services. During our first month together, Im already seeing more back-and-forth between agents, the synergy we were hoping to achieve.

Arnold said in 1990 she assumed ownership of the company her parents founded, and it joined the Coldwell Banker system in 1993. It has steadily grown to 635 agents, with acquisition of the Waco agency.

Im very excited about the transaction. I think it will bring a whole new energy, cutting-edge technology and marketing that will create all kinds of benefits to sellers, Schroeder said.

Schroeder, Davis, Cromwell, Earl Patrick and Steve Cunningham, all partners in Coldwell Banker Jim Stewart Realtors, approved the sale of the company to the Apex unit, according to Cromwell and Davis.

I think its exciting, but also bittersweet, said Cromwell, a 41-year veteran of the local real estate scene and a perennial leader in brokered commercial and industrial sales among Coldwell Banker agents nationwide. I think Jim (Stewart) would be happy, and thats most important.

Were basically being folded into a larger company, giving us access to a larger network while maintaining the status quo when it comes to management and keeping the name, which will not change.

Davis said Arnold has done a remarkable job of growing the reach of her enterprise, with her energy and knack for elevating the performance of those around her. He said the sale was a mutual decision among the parties, which know and respect the values of each other.

Arnold said her son, Josh Arnold, attended Baylor University, receiving undergraduate, MBA and law degrees there. Her daughter-in-law, Natalie Arnold, also graduated from Baylor and now serves as marketing director for Coldwell Banker Apex, Arnold said.

Arnold described Waco as a nice, strong market that often mirrors Dallas in housing trends, which should prove to be a real advantage when it comes to sharing information among our agents.

Its always nice to see what happens first, she said. Dallas tends to mirror states out West, and agents I knew in Las Vegas tipped me off to the housing downturn of 2007, which happened there first.

She said agents affiliated with her company will broker sales on about 6,500 properties this year, with exact figures available in two weeks. Transactions have a value of about $1.6 billion, up from $1.2 billion in the top-500 ranking compiled by Real Trends.

Arnold confirmed that her company, in a separate transaction, bought the office building that Coldwell Banker Jim Stewart Realtors occupies at Valley Mills and Waco drives.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On December 15th, Lu Huaping, the assistant to Secretary General of the China Passenger Car Association, revealed that, the new energy vehicle subsidy policy will be further tightened up. China government is discussing the policy adjustment in 2018, and they intend to give privileges to vehicle models with long range and low energy consumption. Meanwhile, it's very likely that the local subsidy will be cancelled.

As people's living improves with the development of society, people all pay attention to the development of new energy vehicle (NEV) since it is convenient and consumption-efficient. Therefore, the news about NEV policy may bring great influence on as well as new challenges to NEV industry.

It's obvious that the new energy subsidy has been shrinking. Moreover, the government will raise the bar of subsidy approval. Under such a condition, enterprises have to rely on themselves independently in the future. In other words, only competent enterprises can survive the tough situation, while some may end with failure. Therefore, next year is very likely to be a watershed for the NEV industry.

Big auto companies, like BYD, experienced in production, technology, sales, marketing, channels and branding, will boast leading advantages after they implement their new strategies and plans.

Many companies have successively announced their new strategies for NEV. For example, Changan is ambitious to ban the sales of conventional cars by 2025; Chery launched its new NEV model EQ1, and envisioned it as "a dream in NEV industry", which was a prelude to its further efforts in NEV area; and Geely launched "Blue Geely Action", claiming that the NEV products will account for over 90% by 2020.

It's reasonable to believe that many auto companies will make corresponding adjustment to their strategies after the release of new policies about NEV. More important, the emerging vehicle renting and sharing platforms will provide more opportunities as well as competition possibilities for NEV industry, which will attract more efforts and dedication of various auto companies into NEVs.
Local restaurateur Sammy Citrano is starting his 25th year as owner of the iconic Georges restaurant in South Waco, having acquired it from George Betros after a stint as managing partner of The Elite Cafe on Wacos traffic circle.

As many readers know, Chip and Joanna Gaines of Magnolia Market and Fixer Upper fame bought The Elite and are transforming it into Magnolia Table, with an opening planned early next year.

Citrano said he felt a tad nostalgic as he watched a work crew remove the old Elite Cafe sign last week, but he was more in the mood to talk about Georges, where it has been and his plans for the future.

Despite the onslaught of competing restaurants, Georges, known for its expansive menu, chicken-fried steak and Big O goblets of beer, is holding its own and then some. A second Georges now operates in Westrock Centre on Hewitt Drive, run by Sammy Citranos son, Kyle, who doubles as president of the Waco Restaurant Association. Other managers include Chris Cady, Wade Canuteson, Kevin Lopez and Paula Owen.

We made right at $13 million between the two this year, which is an all-time record, and we have 250 employees and a payroll of $4 million, said Citrano, who is hosting a Christmas party Sunday for staffers.

Im so proud of Chip and Joanna and what they have done for Waco, bringing people here from all over the country, Citrano said. Visitors want to eat at the most local place they can find, and I think that is Georges. It seems like the more restaurants open, the better our business gets.

Citrano continues to put money back into the business, having acquired several pieces of property near his South Waco location to provide more parking options. He also invested in a party hall for large groups.

Ive always been embarrassed by our restrooms there, but that is going to change, he said with a laugh. Were adding 1,100 square feet to enlarge the dining, waiting and to-go areas, and were getting first-class mens and womens restrooms. The best to be found in Waco.

At the Hewitt Drive location, Citrano hopes to create more space for walk-in coolers and food preparation. He said Georges has outgrown the leased site, but his landlord has not approved adding additional seating.

He has contracted with the Waitr service to deliver entrees to call-in customers willing to pay an extra $5 to avoid a drive.

The fan favorite among menu items is the chicken-fried steak served with mashed potatoes, green beans and jalapeno cornbread. It runs $5.99 at lunchtime and $8.99 for dinner portions, Citrano said.

Being Italian, I know that service is the key to any successful restaurant, he said. Dont give people a reason to go anywhere else.

On other fronts, Citrano said he has a solid prospect for the vacant former Buffalo Wild Wings building he owns on Franklin Avenue near New Road.

A lot of people are looking at it, but Im very picky, he said.

Melody Ranch for sale

Melody Ranch has hit the market priced at $1.7 million, according to Bentwood Commercial, which is listing the legendary dance hall on Robinson Drive that has welcomed country stars including Garth Brooks, Hank Williams Jr., Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and the Bellamy Brothers over the years, some before they were stars.

The 15,000-square-foot building sits on 3-plus acres, agent Bryan Jenkins said. He is showing the Ranch with fellow agent Amber Boney. They held an open house last week, Jenkins said.

He said he thinks the space could prove attractive to an investor, considering its proximity to the old Elite Cafe that Chip and Joanna Gaines are converting to Magnolia Table.

Great opportunity to own one of the most iconic locations in Waco, Texas, Brentwood promotional material states.

Dwyer growth

The Dwyer Group, a franchising empire based in Waco, is celebrating what it is calling record global growth in 2017.

According to a company fact sheet, Dwyer Group has expanded to 2,800 franchise locations across nine countries. Its 19 brands enjoyed $1.5 billion in sales. It awarded 300 franchises in 2017. And it completed two acquisitions: Bright & Beautiful, a home-cleaning service, and Countrywide Grounds Maintenance, both based in the United Kingdom.

The company also broke ground this year on a new building at its Waco campus, which will house the growing support staff for our expanding franchise network, according to a Dwyer Group press release.

Other business news

Houston-based Mattress Firm has announced it will shutter a couple hundred of its underperforming locations, a move that has claimed the shop at 1115 N. Valley Mills Drive. Two other local stores remain open for now, including one in Central Texas Marketplace.

The Milo Biscuit Co. food truck is relocating to the home of Pinewood Roasters, 2223 Austin Ave., when the new year arrives, according to a press release. It will also be at the Waco Wine Shoppe, 1800 Austin Ave., in the evenings.

The REFIT Studio, a fitness center now operating on Richland Drive, is relocating to 1522 Washington Ave.

A self-described food shack called the Franklin Avenue Mac House will open early next year at 3428 Franklin Ave., according to a Facebook post.
The jobless rate in Texas dropped to a record low 3.8 percent in November, prompting Gov. Greg Abbott to release a statement praising the states economy as a model for the nation.

Meanwhile, unemployment in the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes McLennan and Falls counties, slipped to 3.5 percent last month. Thats up slightly from 3.3 percent in October, but down from 3.9 percent in November of last year, according to figures provided by the Texas Workforce Commission and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Though the Waco MSA enjoyed a year-over-year dip in the jobless rate, the number of residents with jobs in McLennan and Falls counties actually declined by an estimated 1,600 positions, from 118,100 to 116,500, over the past year, according to the workforce commission.

Mitigating that decline is the fact fewer people are looking for work in the Waco MSA. The civilian labor force, which includes people with and without jobs, fell by an estimated 2,100 between November 2016 and last month.

About 4,200 people in the Waco MSA were out of work in November, down from 4,700 a year earlier, the agency reported.

The addition of 330,600 jobs over the year demonstrates the consistency with which employers in our state create job opportunities for the highly skilled Texas workforce, workforce commission Chairman Andres Alcantar said in a press release in response to the rock-bottom state numbers.

Abbott said the record low statewide jobless rate is a testament to our diverse and talented workforce that is attracting new businesses to the state and driving our booming economy.

Abbott said economic prosperity does not occur by accident or chance, but is the result of low taxes and reasonable regulations applied to business and industry, according to his press release.

Seasonally adjusted figures show that fractionally more than 13 million people living in Texas had jobs in November, an increase from nearly 12.8 million in November a year earlier. An estimated 100,000 fewer Texans were without jobs last month compared to November 2016.

Nationally, the jobless rate hit 3.9 percent in November, down half a percent from a year earlier. About 2 million more Americans have jobs.

A separate report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed the Waco MSA showed a 1,300-job decline when residents of McLennan and Falls counties, as well as commuters from outside those counties, are counted.

The declines were most severe in professional and business services, down 800; leisure and hospitality, down 400; education and health services, down 200; construction, down 100; and trade, transportation and utilities, also down 100.

Local builders and contractors have expressed frustration over their inability to find skilled workers, a problem that could become more acute as more subdivisions appear on the drawing board for 2018, said Scott Bland, president of the Heart of Texas Builders Association.

Leisure and hospitality, meanwhile, could see an explosion of hiring during 2018, as work or planning continues for new hotels in Legends Crossing, Central Texas Marketplace and near South 10th Street and Interstate 35.

Around the state

The Amarillo and Midland MSAs recorded the months lowest jobless rate among Texas communities, at 2.6 percent, followed by the Austin-Round Rock, Bryan-College Station and Lubbock MSAs, all with a rate of 2.7 percent.

The San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA had a jobless rate of 3.0 percent.
Illustration: Jim Pavlidis However, the fair judgment is that, notwithstanding tactical errors by Labor in overemphasising Malcolm Turnbull's overzealousness in his pursuit of Labor Senator Sam Dastyari's untenable dealings with a Chinese businessman, Keneally did her best. Questions that arise are: what went wrong, or what didn't go right, and what single factor beyond others may have contributed to an outcome that has proven a reality check for Labor? Opposition Leader Bill Shorten: on shakier ground post-Bennelong. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In its Bennelong postmortems a persistent question for party strategists will be the extent to which Shorten helped or harmed the campaign. Conclusions will not be all that encouraging for the Opposition Leader, who visited the electorate on multiple occasions, including on the night of the count, thus associating himself with success or failure.

"Shorten should have stayed away," is the verdict of a Labor insider. "He's a liability on the campaign trail  We should have been able to cut the margin to 3 per cent," . Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Labor candidate for Bennelong Kristina Keneally: a very poor result for Labor. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The party's concerns over the Shorten factor in Bennelong have wider implications at a moment in the election cycle when the Turnbull government is showing flickering signs of getting its act together. Speaking of Shorten's dismal polling, Fairfax Ipsos pollster Jessica Elgood says that data going back to the 1990s suggests that if the alternative prime minister does not have better ratings it is difficult for him or her to make that last leap to the Lodge. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: still ahead of Shorten on ''likeability''. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Elgood notes that, going into the election in 2007, Kevin Rudd led John Howard 52-39 per cent as preferred prime minister; in 2010 when Julia Gillard scraped back into office, she led Tony Abbott 56-35 per cent; in 2013 Rudd was ahead of Abbott 47-46 per cent; and in 2016 Turnbull led Shorten 49-35 per cent. "Whatever way you look at it, Shorten is a drag on the Labor ticket," Elgood says. Labor strategists will tell you that leaders' relative poll standings should not be overstated, especially when it comes to the preferred prime minister measurement. That is true  up to a point  but this metric becomes relevant when there is a significant gap between the prime minister and the alternative. In latest Ipsos polling, Turnbull leads Shorten 48-31 per cent, with 22 per cent uncommitted. This is a big margin historically. The baleful detail for Shorten is that in five polls since the 2016 election he hasn't got his preferred prime minister polling above the low to mid-30s.

Then there are the character issues: Ipsos periodically polls 11 metrics to test such issues as trustworthiness and influence by minority groups. In these categories Shorten polls badly, although there would be some consolation for him in Turnbull's regression on these sorts of issues from his highs early in his tenure. This brings us to the likeability factor. In Australian polling this quality tends to be undervalued. This is not so in America. It could be argued that in a contest of "unlikeables", Donald Trump was less unlikeable than Hillary Clinton, and thus prevailed. According to Newspoll this month, Turnbull has a likeability rating of 58 per cent compared with Shorten's 47 per cent. In the battle of "unlikeables", Turnbull is less unlikeable, apparently. This sort of polling will be encouraging a blitzkrieg in the forthcoming election against Shorten on likeability and character issues - assuming the main players remain in place. Not least of the surprises of the 2016 campaign was the Coalition's failure to drive up Shorten's negatives. This was both a tactical and strategic error that is still confounding Labor strategists.
Whether you like the dress or not, or felt it was appropriate or not, it all adds up to proof that Markle is pretty clear on her job.

Not only did she dutifully represent her country-to-be by wearing all British brands (sweater by Victoria Beckham, dress by Aussie expats Ralph & Russo), as opposed to the Canadian labels she has favoured in the past, but she did so while simultaneously acknowledging the Cinderella nature of her romance, at least in the public mind, and breaking, ever so slightly, with tradition.

She represents, simply by background, a completely different kind of royal. This has both raised expectations for reform and made traditionalists nervous. The engagement photo doesn't shy away from either reaction; it underscores both. It also demonstrates that she is perfectly aware that everything she wears is going to be under the social media spotlight, so she might as well make it work for her.

Indeed, it's not just what she wears, but what anyone around her wears. Just before the portraits were released, Markle attended the queen's Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace. Another guest, Princess Michael of Kent, who is married to the queen's cousin, came under fire for sporting what looked like a Blackamoor brooch on her coat.

The choice of accessory was widely seen a not-so-subtle slap at Markle, who has talked about her past experiences with racism. Whether Princess Michael thought her jewellery through or whether it was simply an extraordinarily tone-deaf choice, the piece, and the reaction to it, are a sign that even the smallest gestures are going to have a heightened import as the royal family adjusts to a modern identity. Far beyond Britain and the formal royal watchers, many have a special investment in this particular story and how it gets told.
Police had to call in additional crews to shut down a wild party in Redcliffe on Friday night that saw more than 100 rowdy partygoers spill on the streets of the eastern Perth suburb.

Police were called to a home on Grand Parade about 11pm after reports a group of people was causing disturbances outside the address.

Police had to call in additional crews to shut down a party in Redcliffe. Credit:Quentin Jones

As officers arrived the group went back into the home.

More people arrived at the house and police consulted with the home owner and shut down the party.
Madrid: The crisis over Catalan independence deepened on Friday as Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, rebuffed an offer of talks from Carles Puigdemont in the wake of the secessionist victory at the polls.

Mr Puigdemont spoke from his self-imposed exile in Belgium to call on Mr Rajoy to negotiate, after the snap elections ordered by the Spanish leader in a bid to crush the secessionist project instead returned its architects to power.

Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont Credit:VIRGINIA MAYO

Insisting the "Rajoy recipe" had failed, the ousted Catalan president said pro-independence parties, who secured an absolute majority of 70 seats, had "at a minimum... won the right to be listened to".

"Mariano Rajoy needs to rectify (the situation) and I am willing to meet with him in any country of the European Union apart from Spain, for obvious reasons," said Mr Puigdemont, who faces a warrant for his arrest if he returns to Spain. Such talks must take place without any preconditions, he stressed.
Four children could be in line for a share of their estranged father's "substantial" estate from a Lotto win.

New Zealand man David Wayde Carson had no contact with his now-adult children since separating from their mother in 1974.

The Nelson man won big at Lotto, never told his kids, and died insisting some of it be given to cattle research. Credit:George Heard

He left them nothing in his will, gave instructions that no-one in his family be told about his death, and created a trust to use some of his money for cattle research.

The executors of Carson's estate sought legal advice on their obligations to locate the children, and what information they were required to give.
On this day 98 years ago the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 was passed, officially deeming women to be persons. Previously, this omission disqualified women from entering the professions, including law. [Kats have always been allowed] . This anniversary provides an opportunity for some feminist feline musing and a timely introduction to the World IP Women (WIPW) global network.





The gender conversation is by no means new to IPKat - see AmeriKat's post here . But, as Mary Beard stated in her Manifesto: Women & Power, there remain both reasons to be angry as well as reasons to celebrate. For example, here you can watch Baroness Hale talking of her achievements and the role of women in the legal profession. However, whilst gender equality is slowly improving, it continues to be a grave injustice, as so described by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her seminal essay, We Should All Be Feminists.

Reading gender disparity statistics like...



Wangari Maathai famously stated that: The higher you go, the fewer women there are, and the legal profession is no exception. According to the UK Solicitors Regulation Authority, women make up just 33% of partners in small or medium sized law firms, and larger firms have even fewer, with 27% female partners. In the UK legal profession, the gender pay gap is estimated at 30%, compared with a UK-wide average of 19%.





Intellectual property law is, sadly, recognised as particularly poor in gender diversity. In an interview with Inside Council , Felicia Boyd (Partner and firm-wide co-chair of the Intellectual Property group at Barnes & Thornburg) suggested that one reason for fewer women in IP, was that less women pursed degrees in science and technical fields. Whilst this rather academic Kat does not doubt that education is the answer to almost everything, it is worth noting that women far outnumber men in 112 of 180 degree subjects. For example, this year 135,940 (18 year old) women were placed for an undergraduate degree, compared to 105,150 (18 year old) men.





Adichie suggested that whilst things have started to improve, due to policy and law, what matters even more is our attitude, our mind set. Building on this, Shirley Chisholm [everywhere] must be revolutionaries. maintained the law cannot do it for us. We must do it for ourselves. Women in this countrymust be revolutionaries.





In the spirit of this day of celebrating the achievements in the progression towards gender equality, whilst also recognising that there is still some way to go, this Kat wanted to share with you her recent gender agenda. She has created a free global network for women working in intellectual property law; World IP Women (WIPW).





The key objectives of WIPW are to:





(1) Increase the visibility of women who work in IP by creating and publishing an open-access d irectory of women working in IP . The database will enable people to search by name, location, or field of expertise.





(2) To promote gender equality and grow the global network of women who work in IP by connecting women with their local IP communities , and connecting those communities in a global network.





LJ Sumption once cautiously suggested that we not rush into gender equality, a statement not well received and, frankly, ignored. This Kat submits that in order to achieve gender equality, we do not need time, we need conviction. Gathering together, supporting each other and making Women in IP more visible will no doubt encourage more women to join the IP community.





So, I invite any fellow female felines to become a member of WIPW by simply filling in the information you want to appear on the directory, and joining the community group on Linkedin





Wishing you all a joyful winter break!




Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required.

Your Full Name: (optional)

Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required.
MATTOON -- Gold Star daughter Laura Stream received surprise early Christmas presents on Friday from the Coles County Veterans Support Coalition, including presents that will help with her swim team competitions.

The newly formed veterans group surprised Laura, 14, with an ultralight competition-level swimsuit, goggles, swim caps, a kick board and other gifts just before her practice with the SAMY Seals swim team at the Mattoon Area Family YMCA.

Friday's gift presentation is part of the coalition's efforts to provide support services for local Gold Star families, the immediate families of U.S. service members who have been killed in action. Laura's father, Illinois Army National Guard Sgt. Scott Stream, was killed in action on Feb. 24, 2009, in Afghanistan.

The Coles County Veterans Support Coalition's stack of gifts for Laura also included a hooded sweatshirt from Grunt Style, a veteran-owned apparel company in the Chicago area; as well as a journal and other items to help with her interest in creative writing. In addition, the group presented a food gift box to Laura and her mother, Rasa Stream.

"Thank you guys. This is so thoughtful of all of you," Laura said as she unwrapped the presents and smiled from ear to ear.

During an interview prior to the gift presentation, coalition board member Blake Leitch said one of their top priorities is to provide support services for the Gold Star families whose service members have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

"If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. That is what we are here for," Leitch told Laura and Rasa Stream on Friday.

The coalition raised money for Laura's presents by holding a trivia night contest on Dec. 2 at Hunan Restaurant in Mattoon. They are already planning a second trivia contest, among other fundraisers for the group's efforts.

Coalition board member Connie Jones said, during Friday's presentation, that they also plan to roll out a volunteer program in January to help local veterans. Rasa Stream asked that the group to keep her posted about how she can volunteer.

"I would love to help," Stream said.

The Coles County Veterans Support Coalition has provided direct support programs to provide assistance for veterans and has organized social activities, such as a free breakfast for veterans at Pagliacci's in Mattoon. Requests for help and more information about the coalition are available on its website, www.colescountyveterans.org, or by calling Jones at 847-612-2547.
100 years ago, Dec. 23, 1917

Sunday. No paper.

50 years ago, 1967

CHARLESTON -- Army Pfc. Stanley Hutchison, 23, of Charleston has died of injuries sustained in Vietnam. His widow, Connie Cuppy Hutchison, was notified of his death late last night. Pfc. Hutchison was born Jan. 31, 1944, in Charleston, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Jean Hutchison. His body is scheduled to be returned to Charleston on Monday... TOLEDO -- Winners have been announced in the Christmas lighting contest sponsored by the Toledo Kiwanis Club. The winners are Don Wicke, Bill Dryden, Mendell Treadway, John Saathoff, and Robert Burton.

25 years ago, 1992

CHARLESTON -- The warm cheer of holiday giving reached about 270 needy families last week with the Charleston Civic Associations annual Christmas Basket Drive. Civic Association Secretary Gail Bower said it was rewarding to see young children come in with their parents to drop off donated items. Toys for children and food for the entire family were distributed. Food bags included chicken, potatoes, fruit and candy. Bower said a couple of turkeys donated were given to the largest families. Twenty-six volunteers were on hand to help the families select toys and carry the food bags MATTOON -- Santa Claus holds a special place in the hearts of Tim and Angela Diltz of Mattoon. And, Santa also has several special places in the Diltz household. There are wooden Santas, including one made from a fence post, as well as Santas made of clay and some resting in grapevine wreaths. This year the couple offered some of their Santas to the public at the Market Place held at Peterson Park earlier this year. While they had about 50 available this year, the Diltzes plan to double that number for next year.

100 years ago, Dec. 24, 1917

CAMP ZACHARY TAYLOR, Ky. -- Work for soldiers in training here, including a number from the Mattoon area, ceased for the Christmas holiday today. Only about 2,000 of the men and officers will enjoy the day at their homes, the remainder being held in camp by order of the war department. All of the companies had Christmas trees erected today and presents from home were arriving in great truckloads for the Sammies. It is the first Christmas away from home for many of the boys. Preparations have been made for a great Christmas feast for the men and they will have a dinner "like mother used to make." ... MATTOON -- Ten war commandments for the women of America are proposed by the woman's committee of the Council of National Defense, with the suggestion they be made the basis for a New Year's resolution. They are: 1. Do not chatter. Keep to yourself the news you hear. 2. Do not listen to alarmists or slackers. 3. Be moderate in your spending. 4. Encourage national industries, avoiding imported ones. 5. Do not look upon the departures for the front of those dear to you as abandonment. 6. Do not complain of the difficulties and annoyances cased by war. 7. Multiply your activities in and outside your home. 8. Exhibit hour by hour and day by day the courage a man shows on the battlefield. 9. No matter how long war may last, await victory with strength and patience. 10. If you are stricken in your dearest affections, bear your sorrow nobly that your tears may be worthy of the hero whose death you mourn.

50 years ago, 1967

Sunday. No paper.

25 years ago, 1992

CHARLESTON -- For the first time, brothers David and Robby Smith, both Navy seamen, will not be together for Christmas. Even in basic training they were together, explained their mother, Diana Groff. Robby, 20, will spend the holidays on a ship near Barcelona, Spain, while David, 19, will spend the holiday at home. Stationed in North Carolina, David Smith is the only one of the Smith-Groff children who will be home for the holidays. When Diane Smith and Howard Groff married about five years ago, they also joined their families of her five sons and his two sons and daughter. Howie Groff, 20, is a Marine in Okinawa, while Elaine Groff, 22, is in the Navy at Norfolk, Va. Another son, Kevin Smith, has been in the Army for four years WASHINGTON -- Americans will buy more than 36 million live Christmas trees this holiday season, and nine of every 10 are grown on tree farms, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture experts. Farmers grow Christmas trees much like they grow other crops, said F. Dale Robertson, chief of the USDAs Forest Service, but a Christmas trees growing season lasts seven years, instead of the few months that most crops take to mature. Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states, employing about 100,000 people with wholesale sales of about $1.2 billion.

100 years ago, Dec. 25, 1917

Christmas. No paper.

50 years ago, 1967

Christmas Day. No paper.

25 years ago, 1992

Christmas. No paper.
If youre headed out of Nebraska for the holidays, there are three notable exhibitions in regional museums that are worth a stop  or that can serve as an afternoon escape from the family.

The biggest and most important of the three is Through the Eyes of Picasso, which is on view at Kansas City, Missouris Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

The exhibition, which is one of the largest temporary shows to be held at the museum, features 170 works. They include more than 60 paintings, sculptures and ceramics by Picasso alongside more than 20 works of African and Oceanic art that were part of his collection, pieces that he kept with him in his studio through his death in 1973.

Instructively, the exhibition also features works that the young artist encountered at the Musee d Ethnographie du Trocadero in Paris, where he lived in the early 1900s. Those masks and sculptures unquestionably influenced Picasso in his experimentation and exploration of the abstraction of the human body and the invention of Cubism.

A selection of photographs of the artist at work and play complete the exhibition that was organized by Pariss Musee du Quai Branly and the Nelson-Atkins.

The Nelson-Atkins is the only U.S. venue for Through the Eyes of Picasso, which was exhibited at Musee du Quai Branly earlier this year. It is on view at Nelson-Atkins through April 8. It will then travel to Montreal for its third and final showing in May.

Tickets for Through the Eyes of Picasso are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors and $10 for students and are available at nelson-atkins.org. Purchasing tickets in advance is recommended for the popular exhibition.

'Her Paris' in Denver

Impressionism is the most popular subject for museum exhibitions, the shows drawing thousands to see the art created largely in Paris in the 1870s and 1880s. So shows featuring the work of Manet, Monet, Degas, etc., are common.

Her Paris: Women in the Age of Impressionism, at the Denver Art Museum, however, concentrates on the women of the movement, featuring more than 80 paintings, including works from the best-known female Impressionists Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot and Rosa Bonheur.

Her Paris is something of a companion exhibition to Women of Abstract Expression, a 2016 DAM exhibition that explored the work of the women in the New York school of the mid century, such as Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell, Grace Hartigan and Helen Frankenthaler.

Women in the Age of Impressionism is on view at the museum through Jan. 14. Advance tickets, again recommended, are available at denverartmuseum.org.

'Drawing in Space' in Des Moines

Theres no traditional drawing in Drawing in Space, the exhibition that has taken over the Des Moines Art Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Rather, artists Dave Eppley, Monika Grzymala, Heeseop Yoon and the collective, Numen/For Use, have used tape  as in ordinary tape  to create structures that fill open spaces and climb walls in the centers three buildings.

The structures in Drawing in Space are interactive, with visitors walking underneath and through and, in one case, climbing inside. The popular exhibition is on view through Jan. 21. You might have to wait in line a bit  a limited number of people are allowed into the show at a time.

Also on view at Des Moines is the just opened The Irrational and the Marvelous, an examination of Dada and Surrealism. The show features work by Dadaists Marcel Duchamp and Hannah Hoch and surrealism from Leonora Carrington, Roberto Matta and Dorothea Tanning.

Admission to all Des Moines Art Center shows is free.
Buffalo County averaged 13 inmates per day locked up in county jail, according to reports filed with the state Dept. of Corrections.

Prisoner counts ranged from a high of 17 inmates on Nov. 22 to lows of 10 prisoners on Nov. 1 and Nov. 30.

Lt. Diane Mikelson, county jail administrator, said the average inmate population in November included 8 males and 5 females.

The sheriffs department had 35 jail bookings in November, down from 37 in October, 46 in September and 54 in August.

Bookings from January through November totaled 454, including 332 males and 122 females, Mikelson reported.

Jailer staffing was trained in advanced correctional healthcare services and suicide prevention in November.

A county jail assessment revenue account carried a $62,547 balance in November.
Caine M. Rieck, 38, of Alma, competency hearing re-scheduled to Jan. 26 on charges accusing him of disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property and resisting or obstructing a police officer. Rieck was charged as a repeat offender.

Daniel S. Haynes, 40, of Mondovi, court hearing adjourned to Jan. 3 on drug charges accusing him of possessing methamphetamine, manufacture/delivery of up to three grams of amphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Tyler M. Smith, 31, of Buffalo City, case status conference scheduled Jan. 17 on charges accusing him of possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Smith entered a plea of not guilty in October.

Jefferson L. Selje, 46, of Eau Claire, was bound over for trial on a felony drug charge accusing him of possessing methamphetamine. An arraignment court hearing was set for Jan. 3.

James A. Cieminski, 55, of Fountain City, court trial scheduled Feb. 1 on a misdemeanor charge accusing him of disorderly conduct. He pleaded not guilty to the charge in October.

Clint M. Granger, 41, of Mondovi, pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge accusing him of disorderly conduct involving domestic abuse. Court hearing scheduled Jan. 23.

Daniel C. Hendrickson, 59, of Eau Claire, plea hearing scheduled Feb. 28 on a misdemeanor traffic charge accusing him of third offense operating while intoxicated. Hendrickson also is accused of speeding.

Eleazar Luna-Rodriguez, 31, of Arcadia, pleaded not guilty to charges accusing her of second offense operating while intoxicated and driving while license revoked. A case status conference was set for Jan. 18.

Randall Q. Merrick, 46, of Nelson, preliminary court hearing scheduled Jan. 19 on drug charges accusing him of possessing methamphetamine, THC and drug paraphernalia.

Richard E. Tillman, 46, of Chippewa Falls, case status hearing scheduled Jan. 19 on a misdemeanor charge accusing him of disorderly conduct involving domestic abuse. Tillman pleaded not guilty in October.

Joshua M. Buttke, 24, of Menomonie, court hearing adjourned to Jan. 17 on a felony drug charge accusing him of manufacture/delivery of up to three grams of amphetamine.

Samantha L. Ewing, 37, of Winona, case status hearing scheduled Jan. 17 on drug charges accusing her of possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Ewing pleaded not guilty in August.

Peter J. Wieczorek, 39, of Fountain City, case status hearing scheduled Jan. 17 on drug charges accusing him of possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Wieczorek has pleaded not guilty.

Michael L. Gates, 56, of Mondovi, plea hearing re-scheduled to Jan. 17 on a felony charge accusing him of fifth offense operating while intoxicated. Gates entered a plea of not guilty in July.

Kassandra J. Dahl, 32, of Cochrane, pleaded not guilty to a felony charge accusing her of possession with intent to deliver up to 200 grams of THC. A case status hearing was scheduled for Jan. 3.

Haylee M. Queensland, 20, of Byron, Minn., plea hearing scheduled Jan. 19 on a felony charge accusing her of possession with intent to deliver up to 10 grams of amphetamine.

Teresa A. May, 45, of Eau Claire, pleaded not guilty to charges accusing her of possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. A case status hearing was scheduled for Jan. 3.

Shanara J. Patchen, 30, of Bloomer, case status hearing scheduled Jan. 17 on drug charges accusing her of possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Joseph W. Deck, 56, of Alma, court hearing adjourned to Jan. 17 on a misdemeanor traffic charge accusing him of second offense operating while intoxicated.

Kaitlyn L. Evers, 25, of Wabasha, court hearing adjourned to Jan. 19 on a felony charge accusing her of second offense possession of THC.

Robert L. Guenther, 48, of Winona, court hearing scheduled Jan. 3 on a felony drug charge accusing him of possessing methamphetamine.

Michael B. Jehu, 49, of Trempealeau, court hearing adjourned to Jan. 17th on a charge accusing him of 2nd offense operating while intoxicated.

Jeffrey G. Johnson, 18, of Colfax, jury trial scheduled Jan. 10 on a misdemeanor charge accusing him of possessing THC.
The administrator of Cooperative Education Service Agency (CESA) 4 in West Salem, Wis., met with Cochrane-Fountain City School Board members last week to review services and future endeavors of the organization.

Cheryl Gullicksrud, a former school superintendent at Mondovi, gave the C-FC Board an outline of services provided by CESA 4 and those purchased at C-FC School.

C-FC buys assorted instructional, digital learning and special education services through CESA 4 as well as agency wide services that include van deliveries, accounting assistance, video licensing and materials on environmental, health and safety programs.

CESA instructional services purchased by C-FC include academic and career planning, school improvement, Carl Perkins consortium and federal Title program services.

C-FC also is involved in CESAs Mississippi Valley Youth Apprenticeship consortium, a project that involves arranging apprentice work release for students.

Principal Steve Stoppelmoor said C-FC did not have any students active in the apprentice program at this time, but the district was working on finding suitable employers for future projects.

Gullicksrud said special education services at C-FC included part-time school psychologist access, special education director guidance and other school based and itinerant services.

CESA 4 services 26 school districts in and around the La Crosse County region, including schools from Buffalo, Trempealeau, Jackson, Monroe, Vernon and Crawford counties.

Wisconsin passed legislation creating CESA districts across the state in 1963. Nineteen agencies were in operation statewide by 1965.

Gullicksrud said agencies were consolidated and reduced from 19 to 12 districts in 1983. CESA agencies were designed to provide educational services to pupils statewide.

CESA 4 has no taxing authority. It sustains its budget by selling services to school districts, doing work for the state Dept. of Public Instruction and obtaining money from state and federal grants as well as fees for workshops.

Gullicksrud said an estimated 45 percent of CESA 4 revenue was derived from services sold to school districts. Districts annually pick-and-choose services desired from those offered.

A CESA catalog of offered services changes every year, Gullicksrud said. Services are sold to districts on one-year contracts.

The agency is governed by an 11-member Board of Control made up of district school board members. Larry Cyrus of C-FC is a member of it. There is also an advisory committee comprised of six school superintendents.
Students at St. Matthew's Lutheran School made sure some kids less fortunate than they are will have a little joy in their holidays.

Instead of exchanging gifts with each other, the students at St. Matthew's Lutheran School donated Christmas presents, gift cards and money for families who stay at the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester.

The students and their families enjoyed contributing to this worthwhile cause, St. Matthew's Lutheran School principal Scott Schomberg said.
NORTH FREEDOM  While Mid-Continent Railway Museum prepares for the long-awaited return of one steam engine, it has parted ways with another.

The museums steam-powered locomotive, the Chicago & North Western No. 1385, is undergoing restoration work at SPEC Machine shop in Middleton, and a new boiler for the engine, along with other integral parts, are being built by Continental Fabricators in St. Louis.

Once the fabrication process is complete, the new parts will be shipped to SPEC Machine, where Mid-Continent and shop workers will reassemble the locomotive.

At this point, we dont know exactly how long that will take, Mid-Continent office manager Jeffery Lentz said Thursday. It would likely be spring 2019 before it sees any passenger service.

The engines return comes in wake of a controversial decision made last December by the museums board of directors to not run Roland Skip Lichters privately owned steam locomotive, the Saginaw Timber Co. No. 2, despite it being ready for the rails.

In a statement posted to Mid-Continents website, board members said their decision was based on the potential large financial liability in running the Saginaw No. 2.

In addition the board of directors is committed to running museum-owned engines, not privately-owned engines, and at the present time does not believe, with the high cost of maintaining and running steam locomotives, that two engines can be run at the same time, the statement said.

Following the boards decision to shelve the No. 2, an arbitrator ruled in February that the museum violated a 2003 lease agreement with Lichter to pay for repairs and run his engine for 15 years. The arbitrator required Mid-Continent to pay Lichter more than $200,000 for restoration work he conducted on the engine, plus interest. The museum also was required to cover Lichters legal fees, and pay to have his locomotive relocated.

Lichter and his 1912 engine left Mid-Continent in October for the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad in Garibaldi, Oregon. Lichter said the cost of moving his engine on the 2,000-mile trip was more than $100,000. Lichter said he has not spoken with museum board members or reached a resolution since moving.

I did not want to move, he said. I would have been happy at Mid-Continent. It was not my choice, and it was not my doing.

When Mid-Continents Chicago & North Western No. 1385 was taken off the rails for an overhaul in 1998, museum workers discovered the engine was in need of extensive repairs. The repairs, combined with required boiler improvements, were more than the museum could afford.

The costs sidelined the locomotive until 2011, when the representatives from the Wagner Foundation approached the museum with a fundraising plan to restore the engine. Since then, the locomotive has undergone nearly $2 million in restoration work, Lentz said.

Lentz said hes confident the steam engine will increase ridership at the North Freedom museum.

Were trying to recreate railroad atmosphere from the turn of the last century, and steam locomotives are a big part of that, he said.
President Donald Trump on Monday sized up the global competition for economic and geopolitical clout and outlined a muscular new national security strategy to advance Americas interests in the world.

His conclusions wont come as much of a surprise for those who have listened to his speeches and watched his tweets carefully. Synthesized to two phrases: American internationalists aspirations for kumbaya partnerships with China and Russia are out, confronting fierce competition is in. That competition doesnt preclude trade deals that generate mutual benefits  the economy is still global  or military cooperation against common threats, terror groups included.

Trump acknowledged perilous realities in a 55-page national security report. From the documents introduction: China and Russia challenge American power, influence and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity. They are determined to make economies less free and less fair, to grow their militaries and to control information and data to repress their societies and expand their influence.  These competitions require the United States to rethink the policies of the past two decades  policies based on the assumption that engagement with rivals and their inclusion in international institutions and global commerce would turn them into benign actors and trustworthy partners. For the most part, this premise turned out to be false.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union and the demise of communist influences elsewhere, presidents of both major parties have alternated between confronting Americas rivals in tussles over economic and military might on one hand and striving to make friends with Moscow and Beijing on the other. To read this document, as well as Trumps speech Monday, is to see that beyond his cordial-on-the-surface relations with Chinas Xi Jinping and Russias Vladimir Putin, the American president wants those governments to understand they cant challenge American interests without inviting a bold American response. Expect to hear echoes of Mondays declarations if, say, Beijing tries to control shipping lanes in the South China Sea, or if Moscow tries to expand its influence in the Baltic states.

This national strategy  presidents customarily issue these every few years  is best read not as an ironclad promise or threat but as a hint of how the administration might react to coming military, political and economic challenges: with unapologetic emphasis on the America-first philosophy Trump has revived. A secure, prosperous and free America will be strong and ready to lead abroad, to protect our interests and our way of life, his report says.

The new strategic blueprint lays out a world full of threats  from terrorists, hackers, jihadists, global criminal organizations  and discusses how to confront each of them. But this is a forward-thrusting statement of purpose, not a delineation of tactics.

Allies and adversaries alike may read Mondays document and perceive different levels of threat and opportunity. Good.
PARDEEVILLE  A quiz, from Tuesdays Village Board meeting:

Jenny Wren is:

A. A small brown bird.

B. The name of a Paul McCartney song.

C. The name of a street in Pardeeville.

D. The name of the villages newest park.

E. All of the above.

Yes, the answer is E.

Right now, theres not much to see at Jenny Wren Park  white picket fences at all four corners to clarify its boundaries in relation to the surrounding lakefront residences, and straw cover from a recent reseeding at the shore of Park Lake, after an October storm blew down some large trees.

But before long, said Village Administrator David Tracey, the park will likely have a picnic table or two and a fishing pier. And he sees it as a potential prime spot for watching the July 4 fireworks over the lake.

The agenda for Tuesdays meeting, however, was confined to the naming of the park.

Former Village Trustee Barry Pufahl said the name Jenny Wren was the right name for two reasons. First, the park is small, like a wren. Second, its located on Breezy Point Drive, but the nearest cross street is a short one with just four houses  Jenny Wren Pass.

Trustee Jim Buckley, chairman of the Village Boards Public Works, Parks and Properties Committee, said Jenny Wren was one of three contenders for the new parks name.

Others were Breezy Point Park, because its located in the 400 block of Breezy Point Drive, and Shore Acres Park, because the name Shore Acres has been associated with a nearby subdivision.

A jenny wren is a tiny little bird, Buckley said, and this is a tiny little park.

Tracey said the land, which has long been village-owned, is about 30-31 feet wide at Breezy Point Drive and about 22-23 feet wide at the lake shore. Theres a sign at the entrance marking it as a public access foot path.

The land is surrounded by residences, but its much too small to have a building on it.

It is the villages sixth park. The others are Chandler Park (the villages marquee park, located along Park Lake), Westcott Park, Veterans Memorial Park, Bittersweet Park and Volunteer Park.

Volunteer Park is the second-newest park, dedicated and named five years ago. Its located on North Main Street (Highway 22), on what used to be a patch of gravel, which the village acquired for building a spillway under the road after the catastrophic 2008 flooding.

The park  named in honor of volunteers who filled and placed sandbags in the vicinity of what is now Volunteer Park  has a swingset, a gazebo, picnic tables and access, via a steep embankment, to Spring Lake.

Tracey said the decision to create and name Jenny Wren Park means that the village will devote resources to its maintenance and add amenities. He said he hopes the Pardeeville Lakes Management District will work with the village to install a public fishing pier.

Buckley said he thinks it will be a park that village residents will enjoy.

There are oak trees for shade, and its a nice place to come and watch the fireworks, he said.
A 58-year-old convict got four to five years more in prison Friday for sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl in Firth in 2004.

Ernest "Ernie" Lawrence Jr. pleaded no contest to sexual assault of a child and felony child abuse.

When the allegations came out in July 2015, Lawrence was on parole for a drug-related conviction but was returned to prison based on the new charges.

The girl, then a teenager, said the same night that a tornado struck the town of Hallam she woke on the couch to Lawrence inappropriately touching her, according to an affidavit for his arrest.

She told investigators that he forced her to have sex.

He said when he woke up from a dream about his girlfriend he was grinding against the girl, but denied doing anything more than that. He said he told the girl's father what happened and apologized. No one reported it then.

Lawrence ended up charged after the girl disclosed what he did in an interview about her abuse at another man's hands.

"I would never hurt a child," Lawrence said at his sentencing Friday in Lincoln. "This is the sickest thing that I've ever been accused of."

Lancaster County District Judge Andrew Jacobsen said it was unfortunate the adults in this child's life made the decisions that they did at the time that they did.

"But I cannot ignore the serious nature of the offense," the judge said, and he sentenced Lawrence to prison.
The list of Columbia County supervisors who wont be seeking re-election in April includes not only the longest-serving supervisor, but also three of those with the shortest stints on the County Board.

It came as no surprise to anyone that Supervisor John Tramburg of Fall River  a supervisor since 1982, a former County Board chairman and the chairman of the powerful Finance Committee for 15 years  had decided to relinquish his District 19 seat, which represents the village of Fall River and Ward 1 in the town of Fountain Prairie.

But two other supervisors  Steve Attoe and James Brooks, both of the town of Lodi  have also declared non-candidacy, as has Craig Robson of Portage, who was appointed in June to fill an unexpired term.

Another longtime supervisor, Fred Teitgen of the town of Dekorra, is stepping down after 14 years on the County Board.

The deadline for declaring non-candidacy was Thursday because county offices were closed Friday and will be Monday for the Christmas holiday.

Tramburg was 54 in September of 1982, and had been Fall River village president for 20 years, when he was asked to accept an appointment to fill the unexpired term of his friend, Carl C. Frederick, who was stepping down after 35 years due to ill health. Frederick died less than a year later, at age 84.

In a way, however, both Tramburg and Frederick will forever be a part of Columbia County government.

At Wednesdays meeting, County Board Chairman Vern Gove reiterated his strong recommendation that two of the meeting rooms in the new Administration Building, 112 E. Edgewater St., should be designated in honor of Frederick (Room 113) and Tramburg (Room 114).

However, the official designation will be delayed until the County Boards January meeting so Tramburgs family can be present.

Tramburg was visibly moved.

Its quite an honor, he said, and Im really kind of overwhelmed.

The non-candidacy of Brooks, a first-term supervisor who represents District 26 (Wards 1 and 2 of the city of Lodi and Wards 4 and 5 of the town of Lodi), was expected. He has noted, almost from the beginning of his tenure, that County Board meetings, and especially meetings of governing committees, were difficult to schedule around his job as Capitol Police officer.

Brooks was absent from Wednesdays County Board meeting.

Committee meetings are all held during the day, and Brooks was absent from the committees to which he was assigned  Health and Human Services and Solid Waste  far more than he was present.

Brooks colleague from District 25 (Wards 1 through 3 of the town of Lodi), Steve Attoe, had the same problem.

Attoe made most of his meetings for County Board and his committees, but to do so, he had to take vacation from his job as a linesman at Waunakee Utilities. (Attoe missed the September County Board meeting because he volunteered to restore power in Florida after Hurricane Irma.)

Ive used over two weeks of vacation for coming to these meetings, Attoe said.

Attoe said the schedule of County Board-related business  with all the committee meetings held during the day and the half of the County Boards monthly meetings scheduled for mornings  makes it challenging for working people to serve on the County Board.

I would run again, he said, if there were evening meetings.

Attoes committee assignments included the Columbia Health Care Center and Agriculture, Extension and Land and Water Conservation committees.

Robson said hes not seeking re-election because of the likelihood that he will move out of District 7 (Wards 2 and 4 of the city of Portage) in the near future. He said he enjoyed his six months on the County Board, and would have gladly sought re-election if he had planned to stay in the district.

Im sure there is someone who is willing to run, he said.

Robson was appointed to fill the vacancy created when Supervisor Kenneth Hutler moved out of the district after 17 years on the County Board.

Robson took over Hutlers committee assignments, which included the Highway and Solid Waste committees.

It was Robsons uncle, Claire Robson of Poynette, who was Teitgens predecessor on the County Board. According to Teitgen, Claire Robson stepped down to devout himself to other endeavors, and Teitgen, who was then chairman of the town of Dekorra, was the only person who stepped forward to take his place in 2003.

Teitgen now represents District 16, encompassing Ward 1 of the village of Poynette and Wards 2 and 3 of the town of Dekorra.

It was a hard decision not to run for a seventh term, Teitgen said. I have enjoyed serving.

At age 75, Teitgen said, hed like to focus on other activities, such as traveling and singing.

Teitgen, a retired architect, is one of five members of the County Boards Ad Hoc Building Committee, which has overseen the countys $45.51 million building project  the biggest, by far, in county history. He also is chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee and a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Its far from unprecedented, by the way, for a supervisor who declares non-candidacy to end up getting elected anyway. The most recent example of that is Supervisor Robert McClyman of Wisconsin Dells  the only incumbent to declare non-candidacy in 2016. He was elected by write-in votes, and agreed to take the post.




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Erin Konecky expected Christmas would be difficult this year after her son's death in October. A Lincoln police officer's unexpected visit to her home Dec. 7 added more stress.

Officer Riley Ference told Konecky a package carrying a Christmas present for her 6-year-old son, Gram, had been swiped from their doorstep and was recovered by investigators.

"I didn't even realize it was missing until she showed up," Konecky said recently.

But Ference told her she wouldn't get the gift  a Spirograph drawing toy for her young artist  until January, and she'd need to coordinate with the prosecutor's office to have it turned over.

The next day, the Waverly High School teacher told her co-workers about the police visit to her home. Deputy Amanda May of the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office, who serves as the school's resource officer, was among those who listened.

"You dont deserve that, May told her. "Youve been through enough in the last four months."

Konecky and her husband, Tim, had their second miscarriage to start the year. Erin became pregnant in March, but a 20-week ultrasound in July brought troubling news: Their baby had birth defects he would not survive.

The family spent the last half of 2017 preparing for their son's birth and death, and on Oct. 12, Spencer Keith Konecky was born.

He lived 96 minutes.

Knowing all of this, May resolved to remedy the Konecky's Christmas present situation.

She called Ference and the Lancaster County Attorney's Office and explained the importance of getting this $20 item back to the family.

The prosecutor explained the stolen Spirograph was needed for the trials of two 19-year-old men who were accused of stealing dozens of packages, including the Koneckys', that were left outside Lincoln homes in mid-November and early December.

Prosecutors couldn't just take a picture of it because it was a felony theft case, May was told.

Meanwhile, Erin Konecky explained to her son that one of his presents had been taken, hinting that it was an art-related gift.

He understood he would have to wait until after Christmas to get it.

"Those guys must just really like art," Gram told his mother.

Over the weekend, May checked around for a Spirograph as she did shopping of her own but couldn't find one.

Meanwhile, Ference sent May an email telling her to reassure Konecky  she'd found one.

Ference delivered a wrapped present to the Konecky home in northeast Lincoln on Dec. 15.

Gram opened the present and immediately started drawing. The officer posed for a picture with Gram and let him sit in the back of her cruiser.

Ference told Konecky she had been moved by their story, but Konecky said Ference and May's efforts to replace a $20 toy touched her even more.

"It felt like a nice bookend to this year that has been pretty rough," the 35-year-old mother said.

Working in law enforcement puts officers into the worst times in people's lives, so it's important to seize opportunities  no matter how small  to make a positive impact, May said. Ference declined to do an interview.

Police have since released the Koneckys' gift along with several others, and Gram has decided he wants to donate the extra Spirograph so another child can play with it.

Konecky wants people to know about the efforts of both officers, she said.

What amazes her is how much they cared for her family at a time of year when everyone has their own shopping and planning to do.

Her family has received an outpouring of support over the course of this difficult year. This unexpected, unnecessary but deeply appreciated gesture underscores that, she said: "Because of this, we've known true love from our community."
Carol concert by local school children brings Christmas cheer to Wrexham Maelor Hospital

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Dec 23rd, 2017

Over 40 children from a local primary school brought yuletide joy to patients and staff at Wrexham Maelor Hospital with a note perfect Christmas carol concert

The children, from Ysgol Hafod in Johnstown, entertained the patients of Onnen rehabilitation ward with an impressive range of festive favourites including Away in a Manger, We wish you a Merry Christmas and Silent Night.

A brass band from the Salvation Army players also played a selection of Christmas songs to the patients during the interval.

Patient Mona Morris from Wrexham said: It was a really nice concert. The kids have all done so well and also the band were lovely.

Ive been here three days because I broke my arm. Its not that great being in hospital near Christmas but this has really cheered me up.

As part of their visit to the hospital, the pupils and staff received some training in hand washing from quality support nurse Lisa Bradford as part of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Boards work to help prevent the spread of viruses in particular Norovirus this winter in the community.

Lisa said: It was so fantastic to see the children singing on the ward and they were so attentive and well behaved in the hand washing session.

By the end of the session all of the children were aware of how to wash their hands thoroughly and I know theyll go home and share that with their families which is fantastic.

Its really important we target people of all age groups when trying to prevent the spread of viruses like Norovirus as everyone has a part to play.
Computing technology students create website for charity

This article is old - Published: Friday, Dec 22nd, 2017

A team of Computing Technology students in Wrexham have helped design a new charity website.

The BTEC Level 3 IT students at Coleg Cambria took on the brief from NewMind.org to design and build the charity a new website to reach out to young people suffering with mental health issues.

During this project, which makes up part of their Advanced Skills Challenge certificate, the students worked on their skills in project management, web design, problem solving, team building, understanding key requirements and communicating to the customer.

The website had to be built to strict specifications that the charity had provided and the students had to ensure that they met these requirements in the design.

The charity visited Cambria to see the students present their website designs. Each team demonstrated why their website should be chosen, they were also questioned intensively to see what technical issues they came up against during the process.

The winning team for the Crisis App was William Griffith, Aaron Daniels, Nikki Prochacha and Connor Evans. Although they originally pitched for the New Mind App it was felt they would be best suited to undertaking the Crisis App as the presentation was highly detailed.

Winning the pitch for the New Mind App was Megan Duley, Chantelle Pearson and Ieuan Phoenix.

Judges feedback included that the team was very committed and also honest, they really liked the fact that it was aimed at teenagers and it was very comprehensive.

Finally winners in the pitch for the website included Kai Taylor, Kyle Davies and Rakibul Hassan. The judges stated that they were impressed with their presentation style and also the google presentation, especially the fact it was focused on Wrexham and particular mental health disorders.

The judges were also impressed with Damian Skolarczyk, James Ware, Kalin Anastasov and Dafydd Rawlinson who were the only group who pitched for the Crisis App and gave a very solid presentation.

Coleg Cambria Computing Technologies Lecturer, Simon Prince said: This has been an amazing opportunity for the students in that they had a real project to work on, and that the finished website will be used by the charity for all to see.

The students have gained real IT skills that well help them to get the careers they want, and its great that Coleg Cambria gives them these opportunities.
Wrexham Trading Standards issue warning about fishy traders

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Dec 23rd, 2017

Residents are being warned of a group of fishy bogus traders who are currently targeting properties in the Wrexham area.

The Trading Standards team at Wrexham Council has issued the warning urging people to beware of rogue traders trying to pressure householders into buying fresh fish.

Reports to Trading Standards mention door-to-door traders asking residents  including the elderly and the vulnerable  if they would like to buy fish.

In many cases traders tend to be selling fish of poor or sub-standard quality, and try to pressurise people into buying far more than they would need or want.

Rebecca Pomeroy, Food and Farming Lead in Wrexham Councils Public Protection Service, said: We are concerned regarding this matter, especially as to whether or not the sellers are registered as a food business operator  a legal requirement  and if they are adhering to all proper safety and hygiene regulations.

When buying fish from door-to-door salesmen, the buyer will not have any way of checking how the fish have been stored and whether or not they are safe to eat.

Such bogus salespeople tend to use non-refrigerated vans, and there are likely issues with the labelling, quality and descriptions of the fish  and they may pressurise vulnerable residents to buy more than they actually need.

As with any doorstep caller we would urge people not to be tempted to buy and ask them to leave.

The best place to buy fish is from a reputable fishmonger at an established shop or stall, or even with a trader with a regular prearranged round

Anyone wanting advice on doorstep trading or wishing to report an incident can contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 (03454 04 05 05 for Welsh language) which gives free, independent and impartial advice on all consumer issues. Alternatively, they may also call police on 101.

Any person feeling intimidated or threatened by any doorstep seller should shut the door and call the police emergency number 999.
According to media reports, on December 14 a still-unnamed male worker in the Amazon fulfillment plant in Sacramento, California became ill, vomited blood and was hospitalized. He died the next day.

The company confirmed he was a full-time employee. An Amazon spokesperson tried to distance the company from the incident, saying, An employee experienced a personal medical incident.

The states occupational safety agency, CalOSHA, is reportedly investigating the death. CalOSHA spokesman Frank Polizzi told the Sacramento Bee that work in the plant continued as normal after the event, as the agency found no danger to other workers.

CalOSHA has six months to carry out an investigation and issue any citations. Corporations routinely pay slap-on-the-wrist fines as conditions in workplaces have steadily worsened. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released figures showing 5,190 fatal workplace injuries in 2016, up seven percent from the 4,836 workers killed on the job in 2015.

Amazon employs 125,000 workers in 75 US fulfillment centers. For this years holiday rush, the company has nearly doubled its workforce, hiring an extra 120,000 across 33 US states on a temporary basis, and the same as its 2016 seasonal hires.

Dangerous working conditions prevail in the companys warehouses. There have now been at least three Amazon workers who have died on the job in recent months. In September, 59-year-old Philip Terry was crushed to death in an Indianapolis-area fulfillment center, and 28-year-old Devan Shoemaker was run over by a truck working at a fulfillment center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

On the same day that the unnamed Amazon worker died in Sacramento, a UPS warehouse worker, 51-year-old William Stubbs, was killed in that companys Atlanta hub.

In Terrys death, the Indiana Department of Labor named four violations that might result in fines of as much as $7,000 each, which included poor training and violation of safety procedures. Amazon can appeal those penalties. No additional findings have yet been reported by OSHA on Shoemakers death.

The Metro Air Park fulfillment center in Sacramento opened on October 25 this year, and in the first month of its operation became known for deplorable work conditions, with little or no time to sit down, eat a meal or use the toilet. About 30 days after Metro Air Parks opening, workers brought a class-action suit against Amazon for unpaid overtime, unpaid wages and denial of breaks. The suit reportedly covers all California Amazon employees.

At Metro Air Park, about 1,500 employees share a massive 855,000 square-foot campus with robotic devices that the company boasts increase inventory capacity and reduce time to ship. A facility of this size can be expected to process up to one million orders a day during the holiday season, according to Amazon officials. The facility is located near the Sacramento International Airport, where Amazon has received city approval to open an air cargo facility.

The super-exploitation of the Amazon workforce is worldwide phenomenon. In a recent exposure of Amazon warehouse conditions in Britain, a fulfillment worker described his job: Alone in a locked metal cage, 10 feet from my nearest colleague, a robot approaches from the shadows and thrusts a tower of shelves towards me. I have nine seconds to grab and process an item to be sent for packinga target of 300 items an hour, for hour after relentless hour.

The company has built up its centers and expanded its workforce in areas hard hit by deindustrialization and recession. It demands maximum scheduling flexibility and imposes mandatory overtime on all its fulfillment workers. Another 855,000 square foot facility, was recently approved for what was once the site of Bethlehem Steel near Baltimore, Maryland.
Directed by Alexander Payne; co-written by Payne and Jim Taylor

Alexander Paynes new film Downsizing, is an uneven, but engaging science-fiction satire that proposes to solve the earths ecological and other problems by downsizing, or physically shrinking, human beings.

The creator of such noteworthy films as Election (1999), About Schmidt (2002) and Nebraska (2013), Payne employs, in Downsizing, a generally light touch in attempting to address pressing social ills.

His film features Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig as Paul and Audrey Safranek, a lower-middle-class couple with thwarted dreams and nearly empty pockets. Paul, always having wanted to be a surgeon, is now an occupational therapist at Omaha Steaks in Omaha, Nebraska. The Safraneks drab and financially overstretched lives render them susceptible to the claims of Norwegian scientistswho have invented a technology capable of reducing organic material at a cellular levelthat miniaturization will solve myriad problems.

For example, the Safraneks are informed that their net worth of $150,000 will be the equivalent of $12 million in the tiny model community called Leisureland. In addition, it will not only be financially advantageous to be reduced dramatically in size, but the procedure will help save the planet! Flashy sales seminars, with cameos by Neil Patrick Harris and Laura Dern, extol the virtues of being reduced to five inches high. The amusing Jason Sudeikis as Dave Johnson, connected to Pauls high school days, enthuses over his dollhouse-size existence.

Paynes film is at its drollest when it visualizes the shrinking process. Dental fillings must be removed so heads dont explode and giant (that is, normal size) nurses transfer the newly miniaturized into tiny hospital beds with spatulas. Audrey backs out after her head and one eyebrow have been shorn, leaving her husband to sign divorce papers with a pen several times his size.

As for Paul, he soon realizes that Leisureland is not the Shangri-la he was told to expect. Not only is his Serb neighbor Dusan (a wonderful Christoph Waltz) loud and vaguely depraved (along with his friend, played by the veteran and practically inimitable German-born actor, Udo Kier), but the community is afflicted by acute social polarization, with dark slums hidden away from the glitzy moneyed class. In fact, included in Dusans team of house-cleaning maids is Ngoc Lan Tran (Hong Chau), a one-legged Vietnamese activist shrunk against her will by the government of that country. (Chau, who was born in Thailand to Vietnamese parents, grew up in Louisiana. Unfortunately, her harsh Vietnamese accent, intended to be humorous, is mostly grating.)

As problems with Leisureland begin to emerge, so do the problems with Downsizingit becomes somewhat unfocused and even unclear in its attitude toward climate change. Paynes movie seems finally to go off in several directions at once, none of them satisfying. However, its conclusion suggests that its better to dig ones heels in and fightand livewith the rest of humanity rather than bow to the inevitable, and that seems healthy.

Paynes Downsizing does deliver a bite with questions such as, Should you [tiny people] get the same rights as normal-size people? and its references to the concerns of Homeland Security: shrinking illegal immigrants and terrorists will make breaching American borders that much easier!

Payne, born in 1961 in Omaha, Nebraska to a Greek-American immigrant family, has been one of the more interesting satirists working in the American film industry for two decades, since Citizen Ruth (1996), about the debate in the US over abortion rights. He has demonstrated a particular interest in and acuity about social and psychological life in Middle America.

His Election featured the memorably abominable Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon), a conniving, ambitious and devoid-of-principles high school student, as we noted on the WSWS, and the well-intentioned, hapless Mr. McAllister (Matthew Broderick) in a lampoon of the American political landscape. Flick, a sharp and amusing film creation, aspires to be student body president and at one point appeals to Dear Lord Jesus to go that one last mile and make sure to put me in office where I belong so that I may carry out your will on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

About Schmidt, one of the few current movies that tries honestly to offer social satire and criticism, and Nebraska, which concerned itself with the bleak lives of decent people without prospects, have been other high points of Paynes career.

In interviews about Downsizing, Payne pointed to the multiple issues that were on his and screenwriter Jim Taylors minds. He told Variety, Its a summing up of all the themes that Ive been working with.  Theres the look at class in America, theres political satire, a humanist point of view...

I liked the idea of trying to solve the worlds greatest problem through something as preposterous as miniaturization. But when you think about it, theres no better solution. If we are going downand it sure looks that waywhat are we supposed to do? Colonize another planet? Allow plague, food riots, starvation and natural disaster to just kill us all off?

Now, with our horrible times, we need horror films like we did in the 50s, he says. No other genre does a better job of conveying a type of collective anxiety. You look around and think its probably a good idea to remake Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

In regard to Donald Trumps plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and its echo in Downsizing, Payne told Esquire that a lot of the elements of the screenplay have more significance now: the wall that surrounds Leisureland, and the [fact that] the Mexicans and Central Americans who work in Leisureland live on the other side of that wall. We had no idea that the wall would acquire significance.

In any case, of course, there are better solutions to the worlds greatest problems, and one suspects Payne knows that, but the filmmaker is better at this point at feeling and intuiting those problems than at theoretically grasping them. Downsizing sticks in ones memory less because of the depth of its analysis than its slightly muddled, chaotic, well-meaning, bemused, troubled concern for humanity and its future.
As the holidays approach there has been a heart wrenching increase in fire deaths of children, highlighting the deplorable housing conditions and systemic poverty within the US. The US Fire Administration (USFA) collects information on civilian casualties due to fire and reports that as of this writing, 2152 people have lost their lives in fires. The prior year's total was 2,290.

The three states most impacted in November were Texas, with 21 lives lost, Illinois with 16, and California losing 14. Texas had the most fatalities for all of 2016 - 132. The states toll stands at 126 thus far in 2017.

The house fire crisis disproportionately impacts the working class, which faces substandard housing conditions, as well as declining living standards.

The beginning of this winter season has seen unusually cool temperatures in the southern US, which has led to increases in fatalities. Inevitably the onset of the winter heating season sees an increase in the loss of life and debilitating injuries because of the use of less safe, alternative heating methods such as space heaters. The poor condition of many older houses and apartments is generally characterized by inadequate insulation or improperly maintained or non-functioning central heating systems, often the result of strained budgets.

An equally serious problem is the high cost of utilities, which have outstripped any gains to workers stagnant wages, forcing unthinkable choices between necessities such medicines, food, education and medical care. As a consequence tens of thousands are impacted by the social crime of utility shutoffs, forced to live without light and heat in the winter months.

The USFA designated category for young people includes only children up through the age of 13. Those 14 years of age and older are not included, likely to blunt the true scope of the crisis. As a result, the total for November is 25 compared to the same period last year when 24 died. Novembers total fatalities were 227, far exceeding last years 191 lives lost.

These figures also don't account for the life changing injuries, both physical and emotional, inflicted on the victims. Many often don't have any form of insurance, exacerbating the suffering.

Some of the more recent house fires in the United States include:

* A fire in Baltimore, Maryland which broke out sometime before 1 a.m. on December 13 in an older two-story row house. The blaze took three lives: Alicia Evan and her two young daughters Layla and Amani, four and five years old.

Fire officials have not reported a cause for the fire, but stated that there was at least one working smoke detector.

According to the US Census Bureau the poverty rate in Baltimore for those 18 and younger is 33.3 percent, and undoubtedly higher in some sections of that city.

Baltimore has recently seen a horrific rise in the death toll from fires. In the last year alone there have been 28 people who have perished in fire disasters that could have likely been prevented if more resources were available.

* In another tragic fire, on December 14 in Vicksburg, Mississippi a house fire took the lives two young children; Mariah Dearman and Glen Williams, 16 and 27 months old.

Firefighters arrived at the home within minutes of the initial call to find two adjacent homes fully engulfed. Before their arrival, the children's uncle Thomas Dearman 24, attempted their rescue and suffered severe burns to his face and arms. The modest homes were old style wood frame construction and had a fireplace, which was probably the cause of the fire.

The state of Mississippi is one the poorest in the US. The Census Bureau poverty rate figures for ages 18 and under statewide last year was 31.5 percent, while for Vicksburg it was a staggering 55.8 percent.

* On November 27, Brian Perez Jr., 10, and his great grandfather Tony Perez 85, lost their lives from in house fire on Tradewinds Road in Wichita Falls, Texas. The city of Wichita Falls lies near the Oklahoma border. The Census Bureau reports a 29.2 percent poverty rate for young people.
The Washington Post, citing unnamed government officials, reported Friday that the Trump administration is considering a proposal to tear immigrant children from their parents when families are captured crossing the US-Mexico border. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official told the Post that People arent going to stop coming unless there are consequences to illegal entry.

According to the newspaper, the proposal to separate children from their parents is one of a series of measures under consideration targeting, in particular, Central American families and unaccompanied children entering the country. They include a crackdown on undocumented immigrants living in the US who send for their children. Data collected by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to be used to deport parents who seek to regain custody of their children from child internment facilities operated by HHS.

The Post writes: The proposals, which have been presented for approval to new DHS (Department of Homeland Security) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, were developed by career officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other DHS agencies, administration officials said.

The proposal comes as the number of young people and families crossing from Mexico into the US increases, with 7,018 families arrested attempting to cross the border in November, up 45 percent from October. The Post reports that the number of children crossing on their own (labeled unaccompanied alien children in government newspeak) was also up 26 percent. Tens of thousands of immigrants will spend Christmas in immigration jail, with DHS officials reporting that detention centers for both adults and children are at near maximum capacity.

The Trump administration has also implemented a number of other cruel measures against immigrants in recent weeks. Immigration officials fought to deny a young pregnant immigrants request for an abortion after she was raped while crossing the border, though a court forced the government to honor her request for medical attention. Eighty percent of women immigrants crossing the US-Mexico border are raped along the way.

The Trump administration has quietly rounded up hundreds of Cambodian refugees, including many who fled the Khmer Rouge and who have lived in the United States since they were children. DHS transported many immigrants and moved them to remote detention facilities thousands of miles away from their families and lawyers in an attempt to intimidate them and prevent them from receiving legal representation.

Some 1,400 Iraqi immigrants arrested this summer remain locked up in detention centers across Michigan and Ohio, even though federal judges have repeatedly blocked their deportation on the grounds that many prospective deportees will be killed upon removal to Iraq.

All the while, the Trump administration is fanning the flames of far-right anti-immigrant chauvinism by portraying them as dangerous criminals. On Thursday, the Department of Justice and DHS published a report asserting that one fifth of federal prisoners are immigrants, of which more than 90 percent are undocumented. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, At the border and in communities across America, our citizens are being victimized by illegal aliens who commit crimes.

A number of university and non-profit studies show that immigrants are far less likely to commit crimes than non-immigrants. Fifty percent of all federal criminal arrests are for immigration-related crimes, mostly for merely attempting to cross the border, which can mean years in prison. In 2004, only 28 percent of federal criminal arrests were for immigration offenses, but such prosecutions increased dramatically under the Bush and Obama administrations.

As the Trump administration ramps up its attacks on immigrants, opposition is growing to the Democratic Partys agreement to postpone debate on protecting 800,000 recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Democrats have pledged their willingness to provide added funding for border security, which Republican leadership has accepted as the framework for negotiating an extension of the DACA program, which will expire in March per Trumps decision in September.

DACA recipients voiced their anger that the Democratic Party is using immigrant youth as bargaining chips and trading away the safety of other immigrants, including those crossing the border, in exchange for temporarily preventing their own deportation. One DACA recipient, addressing his remarks to Democratic Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, said, Total lie and thank you for turning your back on us, sir, along with [Democratic House Minority Leader] Nancy [Pelosi]

Another said she would be extremely upset if the Democrats reached a deal to make it harder for family members to petition for their parents and relatives to gain legal status, a proposal that may become a part of a deal on DACA. I wouldnt want to leave my mom hanging and I know plenty of parents waiting for their kids to turn 21 to petition them, she said.

In a major political victory for the Trump administration, the Supreme Court unanimously blocked a lower court from demanding that the administration release internal documents relating to its decision to rescind the DACA program. The case involves a challenge to the legality of the DACA rescission. The Trump administration has released only 56 pages of internal documents in a clear effort to steamroll the lawsuit. The Supreme Court decision was without any dissent, meaning Democratic justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan are all helping the Trump administration block the challenge.

Breitbart News praised the decision as a victory, writing the unanimous decision threw out orders by a federal trial judge and the Ninth Circuit appeals court requiring disclosure of sensitive government documentspapers which may include communications with President Donald Trump about the decision to end the amnesty program.

If the political fate of immigrants is left in the hands of the Democratic Party, the lives of millions will remain at risk in the next round of horse-trading. Socialists reject the reactionary framework of the immigration debate and demand immediate citizenship for all DACA recipients and permanent protection from deportation for their families. All immigrants have the right to live wherever they chose without fear of harassment or deportation.
The Health Service Journal (HSJ) recently exposed a scandalous handout given to private healthcare company Virgin Care by a Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in the county of Surrey, England.

This brings to light how private companies are plundering the National Health Service (NHS) with impunity like never before, with the blessing of central governments.

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 replaced the secretary of state for healths duty to provide health care with a duty to arrange, and provided the basis to create 211 Clinical Commissioning Groups, which are allowed to purchase care from any qualified provider.

The Surrey Downs Clinical Commissioning Group accidentally disclosed in its October public finance papers a backdoor payment of 328,000 to Virgin Care, owned by billionaire business mogul Richard Branson. This would not have come to public knowledge were it not for the mistake on CCGs part.

The removal of the report from the Surrey Downs CCG websiteafter the HSJ made enquiries about the settlementtestifies to the ongoing conspiracy to keep the population in the dark about the scope of the influence of private companies. Surrey Downs CCG later stated that this level of detail should not have been included in the report.

In 2016, Virgin Care lost its bid to provide childrens health services across Surreya contract worth 82 million. It then sued NHS England, Surrey County Council and six CCGs in Surrey, arguing that there were serious flaws in the procurement process. Surrey Downs CCG handed over the payment as a part of their liability in an out of court settlement with the private company. The amount paid by the other parties to Virgin Care remains undisclosed, but some reports suggest that the private company could have received more than 2.5 million from the NHS.

This spring, it was reported that Virgin Care was in dispute with East Staffordshire CCG over arrangements in the seven-year prime provider contract for frail, elderly patients, people with long-term conditions and intermediate care. In October, the HSJ reported that Virgin Care was demanding an extra 5 million from East Staffordshire CCG.

The anger felt by people nationwide against this daylight robbery is such that a petition, demanding Branson hand back the ill-gotten money to the struggling NHS, reached well over 100,000 signatures within few weeks.

Virgin Care, Virgin Care Services Ltd, Virgin Care Ltd, VH Community Services Ltd and Virgin Care Corporate Services Ltd are some of the subsidiaries of Virgin Healthcare Holdings Ltd based in the UK. Virgin Healthcare Holdings Ltd is a subsidiary of Virgin Group Holdings Ltd, belonging to Branson and his family.

To legally avoid taxes, Virgin Group Holdings Ltd is based in the British Virgin Islands tax haven. It loans Virgin Care the money to invest in the care industry in the UK. In return, Virgin Care transfers money to a mother company as loan repayments.

The NHS Support Federation pointed out this type of corporate set-up has potential for reducing or eliminating the tax liabilities of operating companies; a company in the UK could always report a loss due to loan repayments to sister companies thereby never having to pay tax.

Bransons care companies have been reporting losses since 2012the year that Virgin Care came to prominence for winning a lucrative 450 million NHS contract in Surrey.

This begs the question of why Virgin Care places ever more bids on NHS contracts if it supposedly loses money on them. Despite its reported losses and paying no tax, the company has been aggressively competing to win NHS contacts and exploiting opportunities opened up with the introduction of the Health and Social Care Act.

The Act laid the foundation for the acceleration of the privatisation of the NHS, which began through the backdoor during 13 years of Labour rule from 1997 to 2010. Under the Act, it is mandatory for CCGs to put services out to competitive tender if they can potentially be provided by organisations other than the NHS.

Surrey is a small county in England with a population of just 1.1 million. With the population of the UK at around 60 million, the scale of the rich pickings available to the NHS nationally is vast.

According to the NHS Support Federation, over the period of April 2013 to January 2016, 16 billion in NHS clinical contracts were awarded through the market and the private sector has won nearly 5.5 billion worth. The Federation point out that in total around 30 billion worth of NHS contracts have gone before the market, although just over half this value has been awarded.

Published accounts by the Department of Health demonstrate that NHS commissioners spent 7.7 percent of their budget on private sector providers in 2016/17.

Over the last five years, Virgin Care alone has won over 2 billion worth of NHS contracts to run NHS and local authority services ranging from primary care servicesincluding GP services, walk-in centres and community-based NHS servicesto adult social services. Virgin Care boasts of having 400 services across the country and treating more than one million people a year.

Last year, it won a 700 million contract to run health and social care services in Bath and North Somerset. This was the first NHS contract under which adult social care was privatised.

The latest is the 104 million contract that Lancashire County Council gave to Virgin Care to run the countys 0-19 Healthy Child Programme for the next five years. Virgin Care was chosen as the preferred provider over the Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, which currently provides these services before its contract expires in March next year.

Trusting their political paymasters in government to create endless opportunities to make inroads into the public provision of health care, this year Virgin Care started their own independent clinics that function entirely separately from NHS or Local Authority services. Patients have to pay for appointments to see health care professionals in these clinics.

Virgin Care is not alone in this plunder. Capita, HCA, Circle, Serco, Care UK, Interserve, The Practice, Inhealth and Alliance Boots are among the private operators providing NHS services ranging from direct patient care, elective surgeries, laboratory services, pharmaceuticals, cleaning and maintenance, logistical services and supplies to primary care.

The NHS, which has seen the lowest ever funding increase in its entire history and billions of funding cuts imposed as efficiency savings over the last seven years, is not placed on a level playing field when it is compelled to bid against the private sector for the contracts.

NHS trusts are saddled with massive deficits and are burdened by the crippling impact of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). Under PFImassively expanded under the 1997-2010 Labour governments of Blair and Brownprivate companies were able to build and maintain hospitals and reap enormous profits, payable to them for decades hence.

The combined deficit of NHS trusts stood at 770 million in the last financial year. Over the last six years, private firms have made a record 831 million pre-tax profit from PFI contracts, which otherwise would have been spent on patient care.

When NHS trusts win contracts and deliver care they are forced to make savings and reinvest in patient care, while private companies winning contracts are allowed to make profits and transfer them to tax havens without difficulty, as revealed in the case of Virgin Care.

Numerous reports have exposed how private health companies, including Virgin Care, jeopardise patient care and safety in order to make profits. Some of the practices include replacing trained staff with untrained staff, stopping care packages on which vulnerable patients depend, persuading staff to take home sexual health testing kits to use on friends and family to help make the numbers up, and forcing patients to attend extra appointments to boost profits.

For further information visit NHS FightBack and the NHS FightBack Facebook page .
The management board, works council and IG Metall union have agreed on a drastic reduction in staff and labour costs at Opel in a drive to make the company more profitable as is clear from a comprehensive agreement they presented on 15 December.

The first victims of the deal are temporary workers, who face being thrown out of their jobs. Contracts with several service companies are also being terminated. Older workers are being forced out through early retirement and partial retirement, while those left are likely to face a significant loss in income because of extensive short-time working and shorter working hours.

The management board and works council did not detail the exact number of job cuts and the extent of short-time working. Already in November, however, numbers circulated to the effect that 4,500 of the 19,000 Opel jobs in Germany were to go.

The deal, cynically referred to as a social agreement, marks the beginning of the implementation of the Pace restructuring plan agreed by the works council and IG Metall with the French PSA group, following the takeover of Opel and Vauxhall by General Motors in October.

The job cuts at Opel and Vauxhall coincide with a wave of sackings throughout the metal working and engineering sector. They come as corporations such as Siemens, Bombardier and General Electric are announcing new mass layoffs.

IG Metall and their works council representatives have highly praised PSA boss Carlos Tavares because he has not imposed compulsory redundancies and closed any factories. This also applies to the recent agreement. However, the WSWS has warned right from the start that Pace will see massive job losses and greatly increase the pressure on the workforce. This is now being confirmed.

The exact wording and content of the agreement have not been published yet, but some benchmarks are already known. For example, permanent staff who currently work 40 hours per week and receive an additional payment will be downgraded to a 35-hour week from April 1, 2018, which for many represents a loss of income.

For many older workers there are early retirement models. Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller has announced that he will discuss further measures such as early retirement schemes or innovative working time models with our social partners. These programmes are to be extended to those born in 1960.

In addition, phased short-time working will considerably reduce workers income. On December 11, a month of short-time working began in Eisenach; December 8 was the last working day of the year. The Russelsheim headquarters and the Kaiserslautern engine plant, which supplies Russelsheim with parts, are currently negotiating short-time working.

Salaried employees and engineers in the Research and Development Centre Russelsheim are particularly affected by the cost savings measures. Many of the 7,700 jobs are at risk, and short-time working will definitely be introduced there.

At a factory meeting on December 15, works council chairman Wolfgang Schafer-Klug and Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller explained their big electric offensive. According to this, the Opel and Vauxhall plants are to be rapidly converted to producing electric cars; by 2024, all car models will be e-cars or hybrids.

This will bring massive job cuts, as electric motors are much easier to manufacture than diesel and gasoline engines. Within a short time all Opel models will also be placed on just two PSA platforms and the number of engines is to be reduced from ten to four PSA engines and employ only PSA technology.

The same day, in an interview with Manager magazine, PSA boss Tavares described Opel and Vauxhall as a restructuring case. Due to the high CO2 emissions of the Opel models, the situation in the group was dramatic.

Regarding the future of the International Development Centre in Russelsheim, he said that it was down to the Opel engineers themselves as to how many of them would be needed in future. If we rigorously implement our plan, there will be plenty of work. If not, we all have massive problems, of course.

Despite the threat of massive cuts, the works council representatives and IG Metall continue to collaborate closely with the PSA board, taking on the task of helping to implement the job and pay cuts as smoothly as possible and stifling any resistance to them.

The IG Metall negotiating team also includes Berthold Huber, who headed the union from 2007 to 2013 and made a decisive contribution to transforming it into a branch of management for the corporations. Huber celebrated his 60th birthday in 2010 at the Chancellery at the invitation of Angela Merkel.

The IG Metall and works council representatives are seeking to sell the Opel restructuring programme with half-truths and lies. They describe partial retirement as attractive and celebrate the temporary lack of redundancies and plant closures as a success. In fact, these are hollow promises that will last for a few months at the most. The Vauxhall plant at Ellesmere Port near Liverpool and the Opel Eisenach plant continue to be in acute danger.
The Socialist Equality Party condemns the targeting of Jill Stein, the Green Party presidential candidate in the 2016 election, by the neo-McCarthyite witch-hunters on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The SEP has fundamental political differences with the Green Party. However, we unequivocally defend the constitutional right of the Green Party to conduct its work and campaign for office unmolested by the government and its police and intelligence agencies. The attack on Stein, spearheaded by the Democratic Party, is an unconstitutional attempt to delegitimize and suppress political opposition to the monopoly of the capitalist two-party system.

Stein warned in a statement that investigations are being used to intimidate and silence principled opposition to the political establishment in a climate of attacks on our civil liberties, with the emergence of censorship in social media and the press, criminalization of protest, militarization of police and massive expansion of the surveillance state.

On Monday, Stein confirmed that Senate investigators had demanded that she produce documents related to her alleged interactions with Russia. Her suspicious activity, according to the congressional investigators, consisted of attending a dinner celebrating the tenth anniversary of RT, the only TV network that gave her campaign any significant coverage, at which Russian President Vladimir Putin was also present.

Stein has absolutely nothing to answer for to the US Congress. As a presidential candidate, she was fully within her rights not only to attend a media event, but to meet and have discussions with any other public figure, foreign or domestic.

Is anyone expected to believe that neither Hillary Clinton nor her campaign had contact with any political leaders of other countries? On September 19, 2016, for example, Clinton met publicly with three foreign heads of state, including Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, installed in a fascist-led putsch, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the butcher of Cairo who drowned the Egyptian revolution in blood.

The investigations into allegations of Russian meddling are based on unfounded claims that Russia manipulated the US elections. However, the fact that Sisi and Poroshenko are in power exposes the extent to which the United States meddles in the political affairs of every country all over the world, staging coups, propping up dictatorships and bombing and invading countries at will.

In addition to the dinner hosted by RT, Stein, according to ranking committee Democrat Mark Warner, had very complimentary things to say about Julian Assange. And this is now evidence of potentially criminal activity? Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is a journalist who has helped expose the crimes of the US political establishment.

For having spoken out publicly in support of a political prisoner and dissident, Stein is threatened with being hauled before a congressional committee as if she were involved in treasonous activity.

This is the Orwellian reality of America in 2017, ruled by two right-wing, oligarchic parties that can and will tolerate no political opposition.

The entire premise of Russian collusion is made up out of whole cloth, aimed at explaining away the Democrats own hemorrhaging support among broad sections of the population and pinning their electoral defeat on the very existence of an alternative to the two-party system.

In her book, What Happened, Clinton fumed that the Russians targeted propaganda to undecided voters and to soft Clinton supporters who might be persuaded to stay home or support a third-party candidate.

She continued, Perhaps this is one reason why third-party candidates received more than five million more votes in 2016 than they had in 2012. That was an aim of both the Russians and the Republicans, and it worked, resulting in Clintons loss.

Now, the Democrats are using their institutional power to pursue a vendetta against a party they blame for having contributed to their electoral defeat.

The reason the third party vote grew in 2016 was not Russian meddling, but because millions of people hated the candidates of the two big business parties. The Democratic Party is leading the attack on political opposition within the United States because it feels itself under siege from popular sentiment, which is on the whole moving to the left.

For this reason, the Democratic Party has lashed out with a series of provocations, from allegations of Russian meddling to the hysteria surrounding sexual misconduct. All the while, it has created the most favorable possible conditions for the Republicans to pass a massive reduction in corporate taxes, a policy that enjoys bipartisan support.

The old tropes of the most right-wing sections of the Republican Party at the height of Cold War McCarthyismin which the foreign policy setbacks of US imperialism and all political dissent were presented as the result of a conspiracy of foreign infiltrators and left-wing agitatorshave been adopted by the Democratic Party.

The Senates investigation of the Green Party comes as figures like Warner and House Intelligence Committee ranking Democrat Adam Schiff are pressing for mass political censorship by technology companies, and as the FCC has ruled to revoke net neutrality, giving internet service providers free reign to block access to oppositional web sites.

The targeting of the Green Party marks a new stage in the drive to criminalize dissent and political opposition within the United States as the ruling elite prepares yet another onslaught on the social rights of the working class and draws up plans for great power conflicts that threaten a new world war.
Last month, workers at the Scottish engineering firm BiFab briefly occupied and barricaded the companys construction yards. The occupation took place after contractual disputes left BiFab on the brink of bankruptcy and 1,400 workers facing unemployment.

BiFab operates three facilities: in Burntisland and Methil in Fife, and Arnish on the Isle of Lewis. Of the companys workforce, 1,132 are agency workers, leaving only 251 with permanent contracts.

Around 1,000 BiFab workers marched in Edinburgh on November 16 in protest, wearing their full work clothing, high visibility jackets and boiler suits. Children supported their parents with signs such as Save Daddys Work.

The march concluded at the doors of Holyrood, the Scottish Parliament building, to demand state intervention in defence of the workers jobs.

BiFab manufacture structures for the offshore gas and oil industries along with offshore wind farms. The company recently won a 100 million contract from Dutch-based Seaway Heavylifting and Scottish Southern Electricity to build lattice substructures for the Beatrice offshore wind farm in the Moray Firth, off the North East coast of Scotland. Construction for these substructures was contracted until April next year, but disputes between BiFab and its clients over the volume of work completed led to BiFab suddenly facing administration.

Although workers effectively took control of the yards, the GMB and Unite trade unions were at pains to insist the action was a work-in. Alan Ritchie from the GMB said, The workers have decided to continue a work-in. They will be maintaining the gates to make sure the contract, which is 77 percent complete, will not be taken out of any of these yards.

In a statement on its web page, Unite went further, stating ... the workforce voted unanimously to continue working until further notice to give the company time to sort the financial crisis. BiFab have indicated that at present the company has insufficient funds to pay wages and salaries this week.

The work-in tactic has been used for decades in Scotland to keep disputes isolated and prevent a turn to broader sections of the working class.

In 1971, the Conservative government of Edward Heath threatened the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS) in Glasgow, Scotland, with closure. Heath put forward an Industrial Relations Act in 1970, aimed at slashing social spending while closing outdated yards like those at UCS, which employed 8,500 workers.

Working and living conditions for shipyard workers at the time were harsh, with much of the citys housing outdated and overcrowded. Facing the unemployment queues, workers took over the yards, and UCS rapidly became a focal point of a growing strike wave across Britain.

Seeking to derail this, the trade unions under the Stalinist leadership of the Communist Party of Great Britains (CPGB) Jimmy Reid developed the tactic of a work-in. This meant that rather than being a centre of opposition to the Tory government, work would continue, unpaid, within the yards and would prove to prospective investors that the yards were a safe and profitable investment. The CPGBs nationalist campaign was also aimed in particular at securing a Scottish investor.

BiFab workers are being led into the same dead end. Pat Rafferty, Unites Scottish secretary, summed up the unions bankrupt perspective, making clear that his primary concern was the health of the Scottish economy. He said, This is a Scottish contract for a Scottish company sponsored by the Scottish government. And it looks as if the whole project is about to come crashing down, and with it 1,400 jobs due to a financial dispute instigated by the main Dutch contractor, SHL. Theres too much at stake for us to stand by and watch this happen.

In the event, the Scottish government hosted talks with BiFab, the trade unions and the contractors to cobble together a funding package that would enable the company to continue until April next year. In this scenario, the company can only continue to operate based on new contracts being won, ruthless cost-cutting, low wages and insecure working conditions.

BiFab workers should work to establish factory committees, independent of the trade unions and the company, to unify and co-ordinate their struggle with broader sections of workers across Fife, the Western isles and beyond.
The victory by Doug Jones in Alabama -- a state that hadnt elected a Democrat in 25 years -- was an earthquake.

Many political pundits are already predicting a wave of electoral victories for Democrats in 2018. But, if the party doesnt take seriously the lessons of his election, those predictions are likely to fall short.

NBA legend Charles Barkley, a native Alabamian who campaigned across the state for Jones, said, This is a wake-up call for Democrats to do better for black people and poor white people.

Hes right, of course. But these arent the only voters long neglected by Democrats.

Joness victory should also be a wake-up call to the Democratic Party about the power of independent voters -- particularly millennials -- and the critical need to build bridges to them as early in the electoral process as possible.

As a red-state millennial and elected Democratic state senator myself, I can attest to two things. We can be competitive as a party anywhere we invest the time and energy to reach out to local communities, and success depends on developing a political culture that can attract millennials, who are now the largest group of voters in the country.

In polls, up to 45 percent of Americans identify as independent voters, while only about 25 percent identify as Republicans and about 30 percent as Democrats. This is largely driven by millennials, half of whom identify themselves as independents. Yet more than 26 million of these independents were locked out of the 2016 presidential primaries.

Independents, along with a huge turnout from African-Americans, propelled Barack Obama to the Democratic nomination and eventually the presidency. It is telling that President Obama won 52 percent of independents in 2008, but Hillary Clinton lost independents in 2016, at only 42 percent. In Alabama, 51 percent of independents voted for Doug Jones. Thats how we are going to win again in red states.

Yet, just a couple weeks ago the DNCs Unity Reform Commission, created in a deal struck by Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton delegates during the 2016 Democratic National Convention, missed a golden opportunity to reach out to millennials and independents.

Rather than recommending the DNC fully embrace both constituencies by opening the presidential primaries (something it has the legal power to enforce) and recommending the state parties do the same for down-ballot races, they simply suggested state parties reduce the waiting periods to register with them.

Basically, they told independents and millennials:Sure, well talk to you, but only after you join our party. Its a missed opportunity that could come to haunt us in 2018 and far beyond.

In Nebraska, we allow all voters to participate in open primaries for the state Legislature. In fact, we allow any voter to vote for any candidate, regardless of their party with the top two moving on to the general election.

This has created a body where, despite Republicans' accounting for 71 percent of legislators, Democratic state senators such as myself can get a hearing on our bills, build creative coalitions and actually pass innovative 21st-century policies that move our state forward, on everything from groundwater use to immigration reform. It has also created opportunities for millennials such as myself to have power and a real voice in government.

If Democrats want to earn the trust of the American people to lead the country, then we need to expand the ways we relate to many communities of voters and begin the process of developing those relationships in the primaries -- where many of the most important political decisions are made. Opening our primaries to independents is a critical way we can grow beyond being just a coastal party and once again compete in middle America and the South.

Independents' support for Doug Jones should be our wake-up call to make it happen now.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A fresh round of help is now on the ground in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The third group of City of Tallahassee utility workers now providing aid with the goal of restoring 90 percent of power there before the new year.

The third crew as left the Tallahassee International Airport on Thursday. The group will help with restoration efforts following a devastating hurricane season.

And as one crew leaves, another returns.

WTXL spoke to workers who saw the destruction firsthand and say months after those storms, conditions are still unbelievable.

"I've chased a lot of hurricanes over the years and this is by far the worst devastation I've ever seen," said Mark Vickers, who is a COT foreman. "Pools down everywhere, wires down. I mean, it was bad. But the people, they were very grateful for us being there. I mean, very appreciative."

Mark Vickers says he's thankful for the once in a lifetime experience to give back to those in need.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) shakes hands with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson during a news conference following their talks in Moscow, Russia December 22, 2017. (REUTERS PHOTO)

MOSCOW, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Friday said both London and Moscow were ready to take steps to restore mutual trust in spite of their existing differences.

"There are difficulties in relations between our two countries, but there are many issues we can work on together and there is every reason to build trust now," Johnson said at a press conference after talks with Lavrov, speaking through an interpreter.

"Problems have accumulated and their burden pulls us backwards, although both parties want to find ways to overcome them," Lavrov said.

The Russian minister said both sides realize that adding constructiveness to their relations will correspond to their national interests, including cooperation in the international arena.

Johnson agreed that Moscow and London could find opportunities for cooperation on issues where they had serious common interests.

These include saving the nuclear deal with Iran, stopping the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) from producing and testing nuclear weapons, as well as ensuring peace in Syria.

"Maybe we do not have the same position on North Korea (DPRK), but our goal is one and the same, and that is to ensure peace and security on the peninsula, as well as preserve the non-nuclear status of the region," Johnson said.

Speaking about differences, he said Britain maintained that Russia had violated Ukraine's sovereignty when it annexed Crimea in 2014, but hoped a solution to the problem could be found.

Lavrov disagreed, stating Moscow's position that Crimea was incorporated into Russia following a democratic referendum.

In response to Johnson's remark that Russia had unsuccessfully interfered in the 2016 referendum on Brexit, Lavrov said since no facts or evidence had been presented to confirm the allegation, it was unreasonable to talk about it for the moment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attend a meeting of the Defense Ministry Board in Balashikha in the Moscow Region on December 22, 2017. (SPUTNIK PHOTO)

MOSCOW, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Russia should have the best armed forces in face of the "aggressive" plans of the United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

"Russia should be among the leading states, and in some areas -- the absolute leader in building the army of a new generation, the army of the new technological era," Putin said at a meeting of senior Defense Ministry officials.

"This is of utmost importance for ensuring our sovereignty, peace and security of our citizens, for a confident development of the country and for an open and independent foreign policy in the interests of our country," he said.

He called the new security strategy recently outlined by the U.S. Administration "offensive" and "aggressive", saying that the Russian military should take this into account in their practical work.

He said that although Russian nuclear forces had a level that provided "reliable strategic deterrence", they should be developed further.

By 2021, the Russian ground-based nuclear forces should be 90 percent equipped with new missile systems that can confidently overcome existing and prospective missile defense systems, Putin said.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the meeting that the budget of Russia's defense spending in 2018 will amount to 46 billion U.S. dollars, 2.8 percent of its gross domestic product.

Russia's military spending in 2017 was set at 3.05 trillion rubles (about 52 billion U.S. dollars), equaling 3.3 percent of the GDP, according to the 2017 federal budget.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 05:02:36|Editor: yan

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LISBON, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese government called for dialogues to find solutions for the governance in Spain's Catalonia region after Thursday's snap elections, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday in a statement.

The statement said that the Portuguese government welcomes the expressive popular participation in elections in Catalonia on Thursday, which reflected the Catalans' desire to find solutions for their future.

"In view of the complexity of the situation and the results, a commitment to responsible and democratic dialogues will be essential in order to find solutions for Catalonia's governance, preserving Spain's sovereignty and fully guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of its citizens," the statement said.

"The Portuguese government is confident that, within the framework of the constitution and the law, the Spanish democratic institutions will be able to fulfill this plan of understanding and harmony," it concluded.

In Thursday's elections in Catalonia, Spain's pro-unity Catalan party Ciudadanos won the most votes by gaining 37 seats in the 135-seat regional parliament.

But the pro-independence bloc consisting of three parties -- JuntsxCat, ERC and CUP -- secured an absolute majority of 70 seats in the parliament.
Church volunteers release wishes' sky lanterns during a Christmas celebration in the San Gorgeous church in Aleppo city, northern Syria, on Dec.22, 2017. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

ALEPPO, Syria, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- After losing glamor for over six years, special occasions such as Christmas and New Year are regaining their shimmering magic as the situation is getting better in the war-torn country.

During the wartime in Aleppo, people were busy thinking of how to stay alive amid the intense battles that had raged in that key city in northern Syria for four years.

Mortar shells and explosive-rigged gas cylinders used to rain down Aleppo on daily basis, claiming the lives of countless civilians.

The attacks had intensified during the special occasions of Christmas and New Year, with people staying in their homes praying for salvation and protection from the deadly war.

But after the liberation of the city from the rebels last year, the situation has changed.

This year, celebrations and the love of life are the main themes in Aleppo, whose residents have for long been longing to celebrate, instead of burying loved ones.

Christmas trees have mushroomed across the city, almost in every restaurant and cafe.

In the San Gorgeous church in Aleppo, dozens of Syrians gathered on Friday evening, enjoying Christmas carols, and snapping selfies near a Christmas tree and a decorated cave, featuring baby Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.

The atmosphere was cozy, with the warm lights of Christmas ornament and the smile and joy on the faces of the people, who showed up to celebrate and feel the spirit of the holiday, probably for the first time in years.

Pieces of paper were later given to the crowds.

"Write your wishes and give to us to release it into the sky," one of the church's volunteers told the crowds.

The people were excited to write their wishes for the new year and pasted them on sky lanterns before releasing them into the sky of Aleppo.

With every lantern released, the crowds cheered, as the lanterns looked like floating starts of hope, brightening the night sky of the city.

Mark, one of the organizers, told Xinhua that he and a group of volunteers came with the idea.

"Since the war has ended in Syria, more specifically in Aleppo, we want people to write their wishes so that we can collect all of the wishes and paste them on the sky lanterns in celebration of hope," he said.

Wearing a new outfit, Karol beamed as she was showing her new white jacket to her friend before inching closer to the sky lantern spot, a little sashay in her walk.

"The event and this sky lantern initiative was amazing, we had a wonderful time and we are happy about the gathering of people here because it has been so long since we have done something like this and we were longing to have such events," she told Xinhua.

Karol said her wish is for the peace and security to prevail this country and for those who left to come back and feel the joy together.

Her friend, Elina, in her 20s, also loved the celebration and said her biggest wish is to have her friends and relatives back from abroad.

"I wish for all my friends and relatives who traveled outside the country to return because I miss them and also because the country seemed to have gotten empty over the years of war," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 07:43:03|Editor: Yamei

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Photo taken on Dec. 22, 2017 shows theUnited Nations Security Council voting on a resolution on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at the UN headquarters in New York. The United Nations Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to tighten sanctions against the DPRK. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Friday adopted a new resolution to further tighten sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in response to its ballistic missile launch late last month.

Resolution 2397, which passed the 15-member council unanimously, bans nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum product exports to the DPRK, by setting a ceiling of 500,000 barrels during a period of 12 months beginning Jan. 1, 2018. It provides for the same amount in 12-month periods thereafter with conditions.

It also caps crude oil exports to the DPRK at the current level of 4 million barrels a year.

As an important measure to cut the source of funding for Pyongyang's nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs, the resolution requires UN member states to repatriate all DPRK nationals earning income abroad immediately, but no later than 24 months from the date of adoption of this resolution.

In addition, the resolution bans DPRK exports of food and agricultural products; machinery; electrical equipment; earth and stone, including magnesite and magnesia; wood and vessels.

It bans the supply of industrial machinery, transportation vehicles, and iron, steel, and other metals to the DPRK.

The resolution provides for measures to stop ships from illegally providing oil to the DPRK through ship-to-ship transfers and smuggling DPRK coal and other prohibited commodities by sea.

Member states may seize, inspect, freeze (impound) any vessel in their territorial waters, should they have reasonable grounds to believe that the vessel was involved in activities, or the transport of items, prohibited by Security Council resolutions, reads the text.

The resolution puts 19 new DPRK individuals, most of them DPRK overseas bank representatives, and the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, which manages the general administrative and logistical needs of the Korean People's Army, on a list for a global asset freeze and travel ban.

The resolution reiterates the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large, and expresses its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic, and political solution to the situation.

It welcomes efforts by the council members as well as other states to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue, and stresses the importance of working to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

The resolution reaffirms support for the Six Party Talks involving the DPRK and the Republic of Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, and calls for their resumption.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the unanimous adoption of the resolution.

"The secretary-general welcomes the continued unity of the Security Council, which is essential to achieve the goal of de-nuclearization and create the space for diplomatic initiatives aimed at achieving it in a peaceful manner," said Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement.

The secretary-general supports the Security Council's desire for a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation, as well as its call for further work to reduce tensions, said the statement. He reaffirmed his commitment to working with all parties to that end.

The secretary-general called on all UN member states to ensure the full implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and to redouble efforts to make 2018 a pivotal year for the achievement of sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula.

"The only way forward for a comprehensive peaceful and political solution requires de-escalation and open communication channels, now," said the statement.

Francois Delattre, the French ambassador to the United Nations, said maximum pressure on the DPRK is the best lever of the international community that would lead to dialogue, which then will lead to a political settlement.

"The great determination we are expressing today is our best antidote to the risk of war and the best opportunity we have to open the way to dialogue and to a political solution that we are all seeking," he told the council after the vote.

Irina Schoulgin Nyoni, Sweden's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said sanctions alone will not solve the situation. "Creative efforts that pay the way for a political solution must be pursued."

She cautioned that there is no military solution to the situation on the Korean Peninsula. "We need to ensure that in a search for a comprehensive settlement, every avenue for peace is explored and exhausted."

Wu Haitao, charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the United Nations, said Friday's resolution reflects the unanimous position of the international community in opposing the DPRK's development of nuclear weapon and ballistic missile capabilities and in maintaining the international non-proliferation regime.

China urges the DPRK to take seriously the demands of the international community and refrain from any further nuclear and missile tests, he said.

The resolution also stresses that the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula should be solved peacefully, through political and diplomatic means. There are also provisions in the resolution that the restrictive measures are not intended to hurt normal economic activities and cooperation and food and humanitarian assistance, he noted, calling for full and comprehensive implementation of the resolution.

He stressed that the issue can only be solved through dialogue and negotiations. "It is imperative to put an immediate end to rhetoric and actions that are detrimental to de-nuclearization and peace and stability on the peninsula," he said.

The dangerous situation that carries the risk of spiraling out of control is not in the interests of any country, said Wu.

Resolution 2397 is the 10th Security Council resolution that contains sanctions against the DPRK since 2006, when it carried out its first ever nuclear weapon test. It is the third resolution that contains sanctions in 2017 alone.
Salt Creek tiger beetle, pallid sturgeon, interior least terns  these names are familiar to Nebraskans who have heard of conservation efforts directed at these endangered species.

But theyre far from alone; Nebraska Game and Parks has officially denoted 30 species of birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and plants as endangered or threatened in the state. Nationwide, some 12,000 species are classified as being of great conservation need.

Efforts to save these species from extinction and preserve their fragile habitats are vital to Nebraskas ecosystems, though a finite amount of funding at the state level can limit the reach and number of species aided in this process.

A new bill, introduced last week by Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, aims to provide federal financial support to such voluntary, incentive-based recovery efforts nationwide. This bipartisan bill, which has a Democratic cosponsor, is a commonsense means of preserving and improving our national natural heritage.

By diverting funds collected on mineral and energy rights on federal land into a fund that would be divided up among states and territories to best address conservation programs they deem most important. The legislation is revenue-neutral and disarmingly simple: Turn money made off the land back to the states to invest in the land and its species how they see fit.

All in all, the act sets aside $1.3 billion in its first year, of which Game and Parks estimates Nebraska to receive about $15 million. That money could be used in any number of ways  including expanding species preservation efforts, partnerships among wildlife agencies, urban habitat development and countless others  building upon the states tradition of thoughtful conservation.

Investing in more proactive, voluntary conservation projects would advance Nebraskas legacy of forward-thinking stewardship of the land. Land and water endure forever; the people who occupy them are fleeting. However, we have the responsibility to preserve these natural resources as best we can for future generations.

Nebraskas wild, wonderful natural habitat is among the most diverse in the nation. The lush, green forests and hills along the Missouri River give way, as one moves west, to the Platte River valley to the south and unique Sandhills to the north before reaching the Panhandles rocky landscape.

Each of those distinct landscapes, however, faces its own threats, whether manmade or natural. Animals and plants dependent on the states rivers and waterways, in particular, are disproportionately represented on Game and Parks list of endangered and threatened species.

Coordinated campaigns to turn the tide of these species declining populations are best handled with local control, by the experts who know their states best. Fortenberrys idea of infusing these efforts with federal funds made off the land is one Congress should certainly explore in greater detail.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 10:33:27|Editor: Lifang

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by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The year 2018 is shaping up to be a tough year for Republicans. With President Donald Trump's popularity sinking, the terrain looks uncertain as the Republican Party, commonly known as GOP, heads toward next year's mid-term elections.

"2018 is shaping up as a difficult year for the Republican party. It already has lost a Senate seat in Alabama that has been reliably Republican for many years," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua, referring to the recent loss of a GOP senate seat.

"Combined with Democratic gains ...it suggests the political terrain has shifted against the GOP," he added.

MUCH-NEEDED TAX WIN

The GOP-led Congress this week passed a sweeping 1.5-trillion-U.S.-dollar tax overhaul, which cuts taxes for corporations, small businesses and individuals. The bill amounts to the biggest tax revamp in three decades, and was a much-needed legislative win after Trump's earlier failure to pass a massive healthcare bill.

But experts said this triumph may be short-lived, as it remains unknown whether the GOP will continue to control Congress after next year's midterm elections.

"Trump is very unpopular in most parts of the country and is likely to be a drag on Republican candidates," West said of the 2018 Congressional elections.

"It will be hard for them to separate themselves from the chief executive as Democrats will turn them into Siamese twins with Trump," West said of Democrats' strategy of linking all GOP candidates to the White House.

"Even the passage of the tax cut may not change this problem, because public opinion is negative on the bill. Most see it as a giveaway to corporations and wealthy individuals and not one that will help the middle class," West said.

Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of Congress and the Presidency, told Xinhua: "It's not looking good for the GOP in 2018."

First, the party of the incumbent president has historically faced challenges during any president's first midterm election and often control of Congress changes hands at that point.

Second, recent elections in the states of New Jersey, Virginia, and Alabama have seen even moderate Republicans and conservatively-inclined, educated independents not backing the GOP, according to polls.

And third, the continued emphasis by some, including Trump, to focus solely on Trump's base, bodes ill for a party that sorely needs to expand its reach.

INFRASTRUCTURE OVERHAUL AHEAD

"If the GOP does lose Congress, President Trump will have to figure out how to build bridges with a Democratic Congress that will have a Democratic base that wants to see zero cooperation with the Trump administration," Mahaffee said.

Still, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, as both parties agree that the nation is in need of a major infrastructure upgrade.

"The one issue where there is a possibility of bipartisan agreement is infrastructure repair. That long has been an issue Democrats have wanted to address. If Trump reaches out to Democrats, there is a chance of the two parties agreeing on that area," West said.

Indeed, Trump is expected to release the details of his massive infrastructure plan in January.

Trump vowed in his presidential election race that he would propose a 1-trillion-dollar infrastructure overhaul plan during his first three months in office, but the plan got held up amid efforts to pass a healthcare bill and this week's tax revamp.

Trump is expected to release a detailed plan for upgrading airports, roads, bridges infrastructure ahead of his State of the Union address, which is slated for Jan. 30, according to a Bloomberg report.

But with all the bitter partisan rivalry in Washington for nearly a decade now, Trump's chances of reaching across the aisle to Democrats may be slim, experts said.

"Infrastructure ... could be an area for cooperation, but it's such a politically toxic environment now for cooperation," Mahaffee said.

But at the same time, there are signs that Trump is trying to stave off a knock-down, drag-out fight between the two parties by attempting to cut a deal on infrastructure.

On Friday, Trump posted a message on social media platform Twitter that he was willing to work with the opposition.

"At some point, and for the good of the country, I predict we will start working with the Democrats in a Bipartisan fashion," Trump tweeted Friday morning.

"Infrastructure would be a perfect place to start. After having foolishly spent $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is time to start rebuilding our country!" the president wrote.

The Washington Post also reported Friday that GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is considering infrastructure overhaul as the next bill the GOP should work on, as it's an area on which both parties can agree. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 11:23:37|Editor: Lifang

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UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Friday condemned "in the strongest possible terms" a ballistic missile attack on the Saudi capital of Riyadh by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The missile fired on Tuesday, which was believed to be targeting populated civilian areas in Riyadh, was intercepted.

The council also expressed alarm at the Houthis' stated intention to continue these attacks against Saudi Arabia and their claims to launch additional attacks against other states in the region, said the Security Council in a statement.

The council called on all UN member states to fully implement all aspects of the arms embargo against Houthi rebels as required by the relevant Security Council resolutions, and expressed its grave concern about the reports of continuing violations of the embargo.

The council also expressed concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen. It called on all parties to allow safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian supplies and personnel to the populations of all affected governorates, and to facilitate access for essential imports of food, fuel and medical supplies into Yemen and their distribution throughout the country.

The Security Council expressed concerns about the lack of progress in peacemaking and reiterated its call for all parties to engage constructively in the peace efforts of the UN secretary-general's special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

The Security Council reaffirmed its strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen, said the statement.

The Saudi-led military coalition has intensified military air campaign against Houthi positions in and around Houthis-held capital Sanaa and other northern provinces since Houthis killed former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Dec. 4.

The coalition has intervened in the Yemeni conflict since March 2015 to roll back Houthi rebels, and backed internationally recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi Houthis forced into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The war has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly children, and displaced 3 million, reports say.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 11:33:38|Editor: Lifang

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COLOMBO, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and 44 others injured when their bus skidded off the road and plunged into a stream on Saturday in Ratnapura, a town in central Sri Lanka, police said.

The bus with 60 passengers aboard was heading for Colombo when the accident happened at 2 a.m. local time.

The injured were rushed to the local hospital. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said the local police were conducting an investigation into the incident.

"As for the dead, one injured person died upon admission to the hospital. The other was found dead inside the bus after the accident," he said.

Around 2,000 people are killed in road crashes in Sri Lanka annually.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 11:43:40|Editor: Lifang

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BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have punished 970 people involved in violations of use of poverty relief funds, after an audit of the execution of the government's 2016 central budget and other fiscal revenue and expenditure, the country's top auditor said Saturday.

Hu Zejun, head of the National Audit Office, made the statement while briefing lawmakers in a report on rectification following the audit.

Poverty relief funds involved in the rectification totaled nearly 3.27 billion yuan (497 million U.S. dollars), Hu said.

In an effort to improve precision in identifying the poor, around 101,800 people have been removed from the government list of registered poor, while another 95,100 have been added to the list upon confirmation.

The report was submitted to the ongoing bi-monthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee for deliberation. The session will end Wednesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 12:03:42|Editor: Lifang

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MANILA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 people have been killed in tropical storm Tembin which caused heavy rains, floods, landslides in southern Philippines on Friday, disaster official and police said on Saturday.

Ricardo Jalad of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 15 people have been reported to have died in Salvador, Lanao del Norte, and many of those killed died in floods.

But he said the disaster agency is still validating the report.

Superintendent Lemuel Gonda of the northern Mindanao regional police said the police received reports that 19 people died in Lanao del Norte. Three were reported dead in Bukidnon and one in Iligan, Gonna said.

The NDRRMC main office in Manila has yet to issue an official statement of the casualties.

Saripada Pacasum, head of the Lanao del Sur provincial disaster agency, said on Friday that seven people had been killed in Lanao del Sur, including four in Madalum town, two in Wato and one in Tugaya.

Pacasum said four others are missing in those towns.

The storm, locally known as Vinta, made landfall in Cateel, Davao Oriental in southern Philippines in early hours on Friday.

According to state weather bureau PAGASA, the storm continued intensifying as it moved toward southern Palawan, packing maximum sustained winds of 80 km per hour near the center and gust up to 95 km per hour.

Tembin immediately followed tropical storm Kai-Tak, which brought deaths and ruins to Eastern Visayas last weekend.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 12:03:42|Editor: Lifang

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by Luis Brito, Pei Jianrong and Juan Manuel

MEXICO CITY, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The year 2017 shed light on a multinational bribery scheme masterminded by Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, revealing that Latin America still faces the significant challenge of tackling systematic corruption.

"It's a shame to hear about a new scandal each week in some Latin American country because of some politicians linked to Odebrecht," said Jorge Sanchez Tello, an associate researcher at the Financial Studies Foundation at Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico.

Brazilian prosecutors uncovered Odebrecht's vast network of bribe payments, which went to top officials in about 10 Latin American countries in exchange for lucrative public works contracts. By investigating public-sector corruption, the prosecutors found the region lacking a strong rule of law.

Peruvian President Pablo Kuczynski just survived an impeachment vote on Thursday after the Congress failed to pass a motion against him over Odebrecht-related graft allegations. Kuczynski himself denied any wrongdoing.

Due to the Odebrecht corruption scandal, Kuczynski's predecessors Ollanta Humala is being held in preventive custody and Alejandro Toledo, facing an arrest warrant, is currently a fugitive in the United States.

Ecuador's suspended vice-president Jorge Glas was sentenced last week to six years in prison for having accepted up to 13.5 million U.S. dollars from the company in connection with five public works projects.

Prosecutors in Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and other countries are also in investigation.

"This is precisely due to Latin America not having built a state of law," said Sanchez. "Latin America has had governments that were leftists, right wing, centrist, populist and technocrats, but the corruption is still there because there has been no one in the past 50 years who has really wanted to create institutions to enforce the law."

Weak institutions let politicians or officials get away after using their privileged positions to siphon off public funds or benefit from shady business deals.

Odebrecht even had its own dedicated corporate department to manage the bribes it paid to win public contracts, said company executives in plea bargains with U.S. prosecutors.

Corruption can curb foreign investment as transnational companies look elsewhere to compete in transparent bidding. It can also stem tax revenues, as citizens distrustful of the government are loath to pay their taxes, said Sanchez.

Hugo Beteta, subregional director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Mexico, said strengthening the rule of law is essential to economic development.

"Institutions that fight corruption are essential for investment, for growth, and for policies to function and be socially sustainable," he said.

"Corruption in Latin America is no longer a sporadic phenomenon, but a systematic one," said Guo Cunhai, assistant researcher at the Institute of Latin American Studies of China's Academy of Social Sciences.

According to Guo, "the series of corruption scandals in Latin America will intensify political disturbances in the region, which will make it tougher to establish new economic policies designed to spur Latin American development, and it will certainly leave a negative impact on Latin America's economy."

The expert also said "While many Latin American countries have a relatively robust legal framework, the application of the law is still quite weak in certain countries."

Another major problem is the glacial speed of justice in Latin America, where legal cases can drag on for years.

When public-sector officials are denounced, they rarely if ever pay the consequences, said Peru's Comptroller General Nelson Shack recently.

"From 2009 to 2017, during the administration of the two comptrollers that preceded me, more than 16,000 officials were charged with crimes; of those, only 61 were convicted," said Shack.

Argentine political analyst Rosendo Fraga said corruption cases take an average of 14 years to make their way through the judicial system, leading the public to lose interest in the outcome and eventually to prioritize other issues, such as economic growth and crime, over combating corruption.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 12:08:43|Editor: Lifang

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Washington has decided to sell advanced weapons to Ukraine to help update its defense capabilities, U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Friday.

Nauert said in a statement that Washington will provide Kiev with "enhanced defensive capabilities" as part of its efforts to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity "to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression."

"U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature" and Ukraine "has a right to defend itself," said Nauert.

She added that the United States remains committed to the Minsk agreements as the way forward in eastern Ukraine.

Western nations including the United States and European Union member states have imposed sanctions on Russia citing Moscow's intervention in Crimea in March 2014.

Moscow has continuously expressed its "deep regret" over the sanctions, warning it reserves the right to retaliate.

The Minsk agreements, reached in September 2014 and February 2015 respectively, envisage a ceasefire, a withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the contact line, a prisoner exchange and local elections in Donbas, among other measures.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 12:18:45|Editor: Lifang

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BRUSSELS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) again behaved in a discriminatory manner by publishing a single country report on so-called "market distortions" in China, a leading trade lawyer told Xinhua on Friday.

"It could be argued that the EU, by publishing a country report only on China, again behaves in a discriminatory manner by singling out China," said Edwin Vermulst at VVGB Advocaten, an independent international law firm based here.

Vermulst believed that the 465-page report relied on studies conducted several years ago or by stakeholders.

The EU's new anti-dumping legislation entered into force on Wednesday after being proposed one year ago by the European Commission, an executive body of the EU.

As the new rules require the proving of the existence of a "significant market distortion" for calculating dumping, the Commission on the same day published its first country report on the so-called "state-induced distortions" in China, which the EU industry may rely on as evidence to continue using the analogue methodology in anti-dumping probes.

The report describes certain aspects of the Chinese economy, focusing on the country's macro-economy, the main production factors used in all manufacturing processes, and certain sectors of the economy, including steel and ceramics.

"It proceeds from a black and white world view that does not exist in the real world where differences between, for example, the economic systems of many EU member states and those of China are much more nuanced than the report suggests," the lawyer said.

In November, in a crucial step to update EU protectionism arsenal, the European Parliament gave green lights to the amended new legislation for anti-dumping and anti-subsidized imports from countries outside the EU.

Prior to the European Parliament's vote to approve the new anti-dumping legislation, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) told the EU that its new anti-dumping rules granting separate treatment for imports under "significant market distortions" were not in compliance with its WTO obligations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 12:53:53|Editor: Mengjie

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PYONGYANG, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) accused on Friday the United States of revealing its strategic goal to dominate the world again through a new national security strategy published recently.

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK said that the national security strategy is "a typical outcome of the Yankee-style arrogance seeking total subordination of the whole world to the interests of the U.S."

U.S. President Donald Trump published Monday his first national security strategy, which regards the DPRK's nuclear and missile programs as serious threats. Trump said all options were on the table when dealing with a DPRK threat.

"It is also a criminal document which clearly reflects the gangster-like nature of Trump who likes to create trouble and fish in troubled waters," said the DPRK spokesman in a statement.

The spokesman said the "America first" policy is nothing but "the proclamation of aggression aimed at holding sway over the world according to its taste and at its own free will."

The spokesman said there is no change in "the strategic goal" of the United States to achieve hegemony over the world by means of force and "the goal to stifle our country and turn the entire Korean peninsula into an outpost for seeking that hegemony."

The spokesman also accused the United States of having gone back on all the agreements reached with the DPRK in the past two decades.

"We held bilateral talks with the U.S. and various forms of multilateral talks ... over the last two decades and during the course we had reached some agreements. However, the previous U.S. administrations threw all the agreements reached with us into a garbage can like waste paper," the spokesman said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 13:13:56|Editor: Yang Yi

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GUIYANG, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Guizhou Province will invest 560 million yuan (85 million U.S. dollars) to turn a mythical city into a reality, local authorities said.

The "City of King Yalu" in the Miao-Bouyei Autonomous County of Ziyun, will cover more than 72 hectares. Consisting of three major buildings -- the holy city, the king's castle and the living city, it is scheduled to be completed by May 2018.

"King Yalu" is the a long heroic epic in the local language. It tells the story of King Yalu, a hero of the Miao ethnic group, and depicts the history and migration of the group. For more than 2,500 years, it was passed down orally in western Guizhou.

The epic has been listed as a major project of the Chinese folk art heritage rescue project.

Tours to experience local customs and culture will feature a stage show featuring King Yalu with the "city" to become an important cultural tourism destination.
YORKVILLE  Inside a colorfully decorated workshop set back slightly from North Sylvania Avenue, water is worked into wonderful forms by the ice-sculpting masters at Art Below Zero.

Max Zuleta and his wife, Jeanne Koivunen-Zuleta, moved their ice-sculpting business to Yorkville five years ago. Theyve done ice-sculpting around the world, and Max is ranked among the top ice-sculptors internationally. His award-winning ice carvings have been featured in competitions and exhibitions in Alaska, Belgium Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Holland, Mexico, Venezuela and on the CNN series Somebodys Gotta Do It.

Jeanne, a classically trained chef, is also an ice designer and sometime carver. She runs the business while Max is making intricate, 3-D shapes emerge from ice blocks for weddings, hotels, corporate events and many other events. Just in this area, Art Below Zero has sculpted ice for customers including SC Johnson, the Racine Art Museum, Ascension All Saints Hospital, Jockey International and Meijer Foods.

Art Below Zero has sold pieces ranging from $80 to $90 for a table centerpiece to projects that cost $50,000.

Max entered the world of ice-sculpting when he was 16 and working for a catering company in his native Venezuela, in Caracas.

I found this book written by a Japanese guy, Hideo Hasegawa, Max said. It shows, step by step, how to do a swan or an eagle; basic sculptures. So I started doing it for fun.

Before long, hotels and banquet facilities were asking Max to come and work for them. So, when I had like three offers, I thought, theres something here, he said and chuckled.

Instead of accepting one of those job offers, at age 18 Max started and, for 12 years ran, his own successful ice-sculpting company  the only one in Venezuela, he said.

Max met Jeanne at an international ice-sculpting competition in Chicago hosted by the National Restaurant Association; he was representing Venezuela and she was the events operations manager. Jeanne had learned ice-sculpting in culinary school.

After their courtship, Jeanne went to Venezuela for almost two years and learned Maxs business.

Leaving Venezuela

Eventually, Max and Jeanne decided they couldnt afford to stay in Venezuela. There was a point where it just became very unstable, he said. The political situation, the economic situation.

We used to have, lets say, eight weddings on a Saturday, and then the president (Hugo Chavez at that time) would say something on TV  like, Were not going to use the Constitution anymore, or something crazy, and then everybody would just cancel the weddings, cancel everything. So there was no way for us to plan a future.

They came to Chicago, where Max worked for a large sculpture production company. I had to carve, like, eight swans a day, he explained.

Not a whole lot of room for innovation, Jeanne added.

They decided to open their own ice-sculpting business and, in 2003, started Art Below Zero in Zion, Ill. For the first six months they also had other jobs  and Jeanne had a baby. Max would start work at 5 a.m. at Menards, stacking 5-gallon buckets of paint. Thats 40 pounds, Jeanne said.

Then they would spend half of each day cold-calling, trolling for ice-sculpting clients.

Max was able to go full-time into their business in 2004, and Jeanne joined him the next year. They moved the business to 2638 N. Sylvania Ave.in Yorkville five years ago.

And weve never looked back, Jeanne said. Even during the recession, we were still thriving.  Milwaukee would be hot, and Chicago would be cold. And vice-versa.

Secret ingredient

Max is Art Below Zeros lead sculptor. He also hired and taught Hailey Erato his craft; he grabbed her straight out of Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design after seeing a poster she had done.

Besides their obvious talent, the secret to Art Below Zeros often breathtaking creations is the water they use to make ice. They have a very costly reverse-osmosis system, a water filter and a water softener.

Thats the secret to how we make crystal-clear blocks of ice, Max said.  Our water is super-pure; its better than Evian water.

They go even further to make perfect ice: While the ice block is freezing, water pumps keep the water moving. And this motion makes the particles of water freeze really, really, really tight together, Max said. This creates very strong ice; it melts a lot slower than regular ice from the refrigerator, and its crystal-clear.

Our sculptures are stunning for eight to 10 hours, Jeanne said. The average party is six hours.

In some cases, they add a thin layer of snow to an ice block. That becomes white ice  someones name or initials, for example  in the final product.

Art Below Zeros ice sculptures are so different from the norm, Max said, because they mix computer numeric control, or CNC, technology with hand-carved detail work. They carve step-by-step in slabs, and the sculpture comes to life at the end, in assembly with Arctic glue (cold water).

Custom creations

Although the company website has thousands of sculpture designs to pick from, Max said 99 percent of their work is customized from those designs or totally custom designs.

If the groom is a firefighter and the bride a police officer and they will honeymoon in Paris, Max said, Art Below Zero can combine all of those elements into one sculpture, with the Eiffel Tower in the background  and also make the sculpture a luge which guests can pour martinis through to ice their drinks.

Jeanne described one incredible wedding sculpture they made: She was from Chicago; he was from New York. And he proposed on the Brooklyn Bridge. The couple wanted both cities represented. The resulting sculpture came in 13 to 16 pieces that, when assembled on site, was 14 feet long, weighed 2,250 pounds and cost $3,500. It had Wrigley Field, the Chicago Bean, the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge.

We went that way (with the company), Max said. Lets just do highly custom, highly detailed sculptures, and we charge accordingly.

They also make ice bars: full-size bars from which drinks are dispensed. Maxs longest, which he built in Fairbanks, Alaska, to set a Guiness world record, was 204 feet long.

And they were very, very close to getting a second world record for the tallest ice luge with their 22-foot-tall creation, Max said.

Art Below Zero and the Zuleta family give a 15 percent discount on sculptures for military events and fundraisers for nonprofits such as the Salvation Army.

They keep busy year-round with events from winter festivals, major holidays, Mothers Day and even funerals.

If theres cake, Jeanne remarked, there should be an ice sculpture.

For more information about Art Below Zero, visit artbelowzero.net online or call 414-779-7000.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 13:34:00|Editor: Yamei

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NEW DELHI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin on Saturday is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Indian foreign minister in New Delhi, officials said.

According to spokesperson of Indian Foreign Ministry, Rogozin will arrive in New Delhi on Saturday to participate in the co-chairs meeting of the India-Russia inter-governmental commission on trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).

"External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is hosting the visit and will lead the delegation on the Indian side," a Foreign Ministry official said. "Rogozin will be accompanied by senior Russian government officials and representatives of trade and industry."

A statement issued by Indian Foreign Ministry said the meeting would enable the two sides to review the progress achieved by various working groups and sub-groups under the IRIGC-TEC.

The two sides will also discuss new areas of cooperation that could strengthen bilateral trade and investment, the statement said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 13:54:08|Editor: Lifang

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KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least four militants were killed and three others injured as government forces' aircraft targeted a Taliban hideout in the northern Kunduz province, district governor Nasrudin Saadi said Saturday.

The air attacks, according to the official, carried out in Mohammad Alam village of the troubled Dasht-e-Archi district late Friday night, also destroyed a weapon cache of the militants.

No civilians had been hurt in the bombing, the official asserted.

The Taliban outfit has yet to make comment on the report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 14:14:13|Editor: Yamei

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GUIYANG, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Tea exports form Guizhou, China's largest tea-planting province, have grown every year since 2012, local authorities said Saturday.

From January to November this year, Guizhou's tea exports more than doubled to over 72 million U.S. dollars. Tea has become the province's third biggest export after liquor and tobacco.

Guizhou mainly produces black and green tea. About 40 percent of Guizhou's tea is sold to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, followed by Southeast Asia and North America, according to Guizhou inspection and quarantine bureau.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 14:34:17|Editor: Yamei

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Photo taken on Dec. 22, 2017 shows the United Nations Security Council voting on a resolution on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at the UN headquarters in New York. The United Nations Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to tighten sanctions against the DPRK. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China called on relevant countries to remain restrained and work to ease tension and properly resolve the Korean Peninsula issue.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks Saturday in response to the UN Security Council's new resolution against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The Security Council on Friday adopted Resolution 2397 to further tighten sanctions against the DPRK in response to its ballistic missile launch late last month. The resolution bans nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to the DPRK.

The resolution also stressed that the sanction should not affect normal economic activities, diplomatic activities, food and humanitarian aid.

The resolution reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, and called for a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the issue. It also expressed support for the resumption of the Six Party Talks.

"China calls on all sides to implement UN Security Council resolutions including Resolution 2397 in a comprehensive and balanced manner, in order to push for a peaceful solution to the Korean Peninsula issue," Hua said.

China remains committed to denuclearizing the Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability and resolving problems through dialogue and negotiation, said the spokesperson.

"We hope all parties support China's proposals of 'suspension for suspension' and the 'dual-track', and work with China to promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Hua said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 14:44:19|Editor: Lifang

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UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Friday a new resolution containing tougher sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over its continued and ever advancing nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The newly passed Resolution 2397, showcasing international unity on nuclear non-proliferation, seeks to further limit Pyongyang's access to refined and crude oil, stem the earnings of its overseas workers, and ban exports of its major products.

KEY PROVISIONS

New sanctions included in the resolution will significantly cut short refined petroleum exports to Pyongyang, put a lid on its crude oil imports, ask UN member states to repatriate DPRK nationals earning incomes abroad, and crack down on ships illegally transferring oil to or smuggling banned items from the country.

The resolution sets a ceiling of 500,000 barrels for the import of refined petroleum to the DPRK during a 12-month period beginning from Jan. 1, 2018.

That reduces the country's import of refined oil by almost 90 percent, and is a reduction from the 4.5 million barrels it imported in 2016, as well as a 2 million-barrel limit stipulated in a September resolution.

The resolution also restricts the DPRK's crude oil imports to no more than 4 million barrels a year and requests that countries supplying oil to Pyongyang provide a quarterly report to the Security Council committee monitoring the sanctions.

The U.S.-drafted resolution refrains from banning all oil imports for the Northeastern Asian nation, something the administration of President Donald Trump has threatened many times amid Pyongyang's non-stop provocative actions.

Moreover, UN member states must expel DPRK workers from their territories. The resolution states that money earned ends up becoming a source of funds for the regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The time for completion of the repatriation was extended from 12 months to 24 months in a last-minute change of the text at the request from Russia, which said the prolonged period is "a minimum acceptable for us ... to settle logistics aspects of the problem."

The resolution adds 15 DPRK individuals, including 13 overseas bank representatives and two senior officials related to the country's weapons development, to a blacklist for global asset freeze and travel ban.

The Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, which manages the general administrative and logistical needs of the Korean People's Army, was also put in the list. The number of individuals was reduced from an original version of 19.

Following a September mandate that banned all DPRK exports of textile, the resolution further cut off Pyongyang's major sources of income by prohibiting the country from exporting food and agricultural products, machinery, electrical equipment, earth and stone -- including magnesite and magnesia -- wood and vessels.

Meanwhile, it bans the supply of industrial machinery, transportation vehicles, and iron, steel, and other metals from all UN member countries to the DPRK.

Expressing "great concerns" that the DPRK is illicitly exporting coal and other prohibited items "through deceptive maritime activities and obtaining petroleum illegally through ship-to-ship transfers," the resolution empowers all UN member states to clamp down on such activities.

Member states may seize, inspect, freeze (impound) any vessel in their ports and territorial waters, should they have reasonable grounds to believe that the vessel was involved in activities, or the transport of items, prohibited by Security Council resolutions, reads the resolution's text.

PEACEFUL SOLUTION ONLY WAY FORWARD

The resolution reiterates the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large, and expresses its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic, and political solution to the situation.

It welcomes efforts by the council members as well as other states to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue, and stresses the importance of working to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

The resolution reaffirms support for the Six Party Talks involving the DPRK and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, and calls for their resumption.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the unanimous adoption of the resolution and called for a peaceful solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

"The only way forward for a comprehensive peaceful and political solution requires de-escalation and open communication channels, now," Guterres' spokesman said in a statement, urging full implementation of relevant resolutions as well as doubled efforts to make 2018 a pivotal year for achieving sustainable peace on the peninsula.

Wu Haitao, charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the United Nations, said Friday's resolution reflects the unanimous position of the international community in opposing the DPRK's development of nuclear weapon and ballistic missile capabilities and in maintaining the international non-proliferation regime.

Wu also stressed the importance of the full and comprehensive implementation of the resolution, which he said includes provisions that the restrictive measures are not intended to hurt normal economic activities and food and humanitarian assistance.

"It is imperative to put an immediate end to rhetoric and actions that are detrimental to de-nuclearization and peace and stability on the peninsula," the Chinese envoy said.

Deputy Russian Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov demanded that parties involved show openness to genuine and meaningful political dialogue, saying "isolation and pressure must give way to dialogue and talks."

Echoing calls for dialogue, Francois Delattre, the French ambassador to the UN, said: "We believe maximum pressure (on the DPRK) today is our best lever to a political and diplomatic solution tomorrow ... (and) best antidote to the risk of war." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 14:49:22|Editor: Lifang

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Michel Temer said Friday that there is no chance for Brazil to sell its aircraft company Embraer.

Transferring control over Embraer is not a possibility, Temer told reporters. The statement was made one day after the U.S. daily Wall Street Journal said Boeing was negotiating the acquisition of Embraer.

The Brazilian government holds a golden share in Embraer and has the power to veto any strategic decisions of the company.

"All partnerships are welcome. What is not an option is the transference of control," said Temer.

Defense Minister Raul Jungmann said Embraer is vital for key technologies in Brazil. According to him, selling Embraer would put a foreign company at the helm of projects concerning Brazil's geostationary satellite.

"This is about national sovereignty and national interests, and we cannot negotiate that. The Temer administration understands that sovereignty is non-negotiable," said Jungmann.

The news of negotiations between Boeing and Embraer, which was confirmed by both companies, was welcomed by the market. Embraer's stock price rose 22.5 percent Thursday.
Electronic parts are seen at the demonstration room of an IT company in Minsk, Belarus, March 1, 2017. (Reuters Photo)

MINSK, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday signed a decree on the development of the digital economy, opening up wide opportunities for the use of the blockchain technology.

Speaking to business representatives, Lukashenko said the main goal of the document is to create such conditions that the world IT companies would come to Belarus, set up their representative offices and development centers there, and produce competitive products.

"The second goal of the decree is to invest in the future. These are IT workers and education. The third one is to use advanced financial instruments and technologies," the president said.

Lukashenko said that Belarus is actually the first country in the world which offers a wide range of opportunities for using the blockchain technologies. Belarus has all chances to be a regional competence center in this field, he added.

In addition, the adoption of the decree not only create conditions for the development of the IT sector, but also gain unique competitive advantages for attracting technologies, capitals and especially smart and talented people from all over the world, Lukashenko said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 15:04:25|Editor: Yurou

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PYONGYANG, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has slammed British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson for calling Pyongyang a threat to London, according to Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday.

KCNA quoted a spokesperson of the Korea-Europe Association as saying that on Dec. 19 Williamson told a British newspaper that "the pariah regime is on the pathway to have ballistic missiles that could strike London" and that "this is a real threat to the U.K."

Williamson also reportedly said, "Britain has to step up in terms of dealing with it."

"We are shocked that the current defense secretary of Britain, right after taking office, expressed his view that our state nuclear force poses a 'threat to London,'" said the spokesman of the official DPRK organ in charge of developing relations with European countries.

The spokesman added that the defense secretary of a country should at least have the ability to see what constitutes a real threat, saying "the U.S. is the rogue state that threatens to use force on anyone who even slightly offends it."

The spokesman's remarks came one day after the United Nations Security Council adopted a new resolution to further tighten sanctions against the DPRK in response to its ballistic missile launch late last month.

On Nov. 29, the DPRK announced that it had successfully test-fired a newly developed "Hwasong-15" Intercontinental Ballistic Missile capable of striking the entire U.S. mainland.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 15:49:33|Editor: Jiaxin

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SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has foiled a terrorist attack attempt to blow up Pier 39, a shopping center here on the west coast, local media reported Friday.

Everitt Aaron Jameson, a former U.S. Marine, was arrested Friday and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

The 26-year-old suspect was accused of plotting to detonate explosives and shoot at a massive group of people in the Pier 39 area on Christmas Day.

A criminal complaint filed by the court said Jameson was identified as an ISIS supporter in September based on his social media activity, which attracted the attention of FBI agents.

Jameson was alleged to carry out his plan for the San Francisco attack, under which he would set off pipe bombs at the pier to "funnel" fleeing people into an area where he would be waiting to shoot them with an assault rifle, the criminal complaint said.

He reportedly expressed his willingness to sacrifice his life for the cause on Christmas Day, which he described as "the perfect day" for an attack.

Jameson's plot was thwarted when he was contacted by undercover FBI agents, who disguised themselves as terrorist sympathizers and interacted with him routinely on social media.

The former Marine-trained sharpshooter met with FBI undercover agents on Dec. 16, believing that he was making contact with high-level ISIS leadership, the FBI said.

Local media quoted Jameson's father as saying that his son, who was raised as a Christian, converted to Islam in the wake of a divorce and the loss of custody of his two young children.

In response to the FBI's success in foiling the planned terror attack, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke highly of the FBI agents.

"Today, our incredible law enforcement officers have once again helped thwart an alleged plot to kill Americans," he said in a statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 16:04:35|Editor: Zhou Xin

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BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's fiscal funds for education in 2016 stood at 3.1 trillion yuan (480 billion U.S. dollars), with an average annual increase of 7.9 percent from 2012.

The ratio of the funds to GDP exceeded 4 percent each year during the period, according to a report released on Saturday.

"Overall funds for education in 2016 reached 3.9 trillion yuan, over 80 percent of which were provided by the government," said the report delivered to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) at its six-day bimonthly session.

Over half of the fiscal funds for education were used for nine-year compulsory education in 2016. Expenses on teachers' salaries and students' financial aid also accounted for over half of the fiscal funds for education in 2016, 10.6 percentage points up from 2012, said the report.

Fiscal funds for education transfer payment inclined toward relatively backward areas in 2016, with 84 percent going to central and western regions, which have fallen behind the east.

Compared to 2012, education funds for every junior middle school student, elementary school student and kindergarten kid in rural areas increased in 2016 by over 50 percent on average, said the report.

In 2016, the gross enrollment rates for the pre-school education reached 77.4 percent, 87.5 percent for senior middle schools, and 42.7 percent for higher education. The net enrollment rate for elementary schools was 99.9 percent, said the report.

Over 80 percent of children of migrant workers have received compulsory education in cities where their parents work.

Since 2012, 698.1 billion yuan of financial aid has been granted to students from impoverished families, said the report.
MOUNT PLEASANT  Fewer than nine incidents each year occur on average at the ramps near Highway 11 and Interstate 94, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

The finding stems from a request from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, for the department to analyze safety at the Racine County intersection. His request was sparked by the November death of a 20-year-old Pleasant Prairie woman after her vehicle crashed with a semitrailer at the location.

A letter to Vos by DOT Regional Director Dewayne J. Johnson describes the incident rate at the intersection as historically low based on current data. The DOT is evaluating the interchange to prepare for an expected increase in traffic in the area with Foxconns plans to develop a manufacturing complex in the Village of Mount Pleasant.

Specific to the interchange at WIS 11, there will be safety improvements incorporated into the reconstruction of the roadway and the system ramps connecting the Highway with the Interstate, the Dec. 19 letter states. Foremost of the improvements will be the inclusion of traffic control signals in addition to dedicated turn lanes and improved sightlines with the reconstructed structure.

The letter states the department is waiting for the results of an investigation into the fatal accident at that intersection to determine if any interim changes are appropriate.

The fatal crash

The preliminary investigation of the Nov. 26 crash showed a semitrailer was westbound on Highway 11 and making a left turn onto the northbound ramp to the interstate, according to a press release from police. An eastbound vehicle, driven by 20-year-old Shauntia Renel Brooks-Dobbs, struck the trailer portion of the semi and became wedged underneath, police stated. She died at the scene.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 16:14:36|Editor: Zhou Xin

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by Yang Zhou

BANGKOK, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- A Thai minister said the China-Thailand railway, the kingdom's first high-speed railway, would greatly contribute to the development of Thailand's landlocked northeast and the first phase of the project is expected to be operational in late 2022 or early 2023.

The project, under the Belt and Road Initiative, ushers in a new era of high-speed railway in Thailand, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told Xinhua, adding that the railway, passing mostly landlocked northeastern Thailand, the kingdom's poorest region, will contribute to the industrial and tourism development there.

Thailand and China jointly inaugurated the construction of the first phase of China-Thailand high-speed railway, which links Bangkok and northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima at the province's Pak Chong district, on Thursday.

Of the first phase, the first 3.5-km section is located between two railway stations - Klang Dong and Pang Asok - in Nakhon Ratchasima. The second section of 11 km, the third of 119.5 km and the fourth of 119 km are to open for bidding later.

The 253-km first phase, together with the planned 355-km second phase from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai Pronvince on the Thai-Lao border, would connect with the China-Laos railway to form an artery railway linking Thailand, Laos and China in the future.

The minister said there would be six stations along the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed railway, or the the first phase, among them Pak Chong station would be very likely one station for the railroad.

"If we complete the Pak Chong station, foreign tourists can travel from Bangkok to Pak Chong in an hour to enjoy Khao Yai National Park," Arkhom said.

"We expect tourism would bloom when the high-speed railway is completed," he emphasized that tourism may be the most efficient way to improve local people's lives.

The minister also said the high-speed train will bring investments to the region which has one-third of the country's population and lands, but only accounts for one-tenth of Thailand's total GDP.

Arkhom believed that the high-speed railway is a great opportunity for northeastern Thailand as he expected it would contribute to poverty reduction in the region, exactly like what high-speed railways did in China.

He also mentioned that his ministry would complete the bidding process for the first phase in 2018, which is expected to be operational in late 2022 or early 2023.

As for the second phase, he said that his ministry is going to submit it for cabinet approval next year and will try to complete the railway in 2023 as well to connect it with the China-Laos railway in time.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 16:29:41|Editor: Jiaxin

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Photo taken on Dec. 22, 2017 shows a flooded road in Nabunturan township, Compostela Valley Province, the Philippines. At least 74 people were killed or missing and over 50,000 were displaced in a severe tropical storm which pounded southern Philippines, disaster and local officials said on Saturday. (Xinhua/Compostela Valley information office)

DAVAO CITY, the Philippines, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Scores of people have been killed or missing and over 50,000 displaced after severe tropical storm Tembin pounded southern Philippines, flooding large swaths of the region and causing landslides, officials said Saturday.

In the two provinces of Lanao, at least 22 bodies have been pulled out while over 40 are still missing as landslides buried houses along a national road, said Mujiv Hataman, governor for the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

In the town of Salvador, Lanao del Norte province, disaster officials said they were still verifying reports that about 20 people have been swept away as floodwaters swamped many communities there after Tembin dumped torrential rains in the region.

The initial death toll figures are expected to rise as more data trickle in from the storm-affected villages and towns.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Tembin came ashore at around 1:25 a.m. local time Friday in the eastern Mindanao town of Cateel, packing winds of up to 125 km per hour (kph).

The storm barreled to the west and its 400-km wide rain band drenched most of the country's second largest island.

In the western peninsula of Zamboanga del Norte, authorities said they were still checking on reports that 30 people drowned due to storm surges in the coastal town of Sibuco.

Elsewhere, three fishermen have been reported missing off the coast of San Isidro town in Davao Oriental province, but police said on Saturday that the fishermen have returned safely to shore.

Floodwaters have displaced over 50,000 people in at least three provinces and Davao, the home city of President Rodrigo Duterte, said Leoncio Cirunay, regional head of the office of civil defense.

Storm-induced floods and landslides also killed two other people in two other Mindanao regions, officials said.

At least 21 flights have also been cancelled at the Manila International Airport, mostly domestic trips to the affected regions.

Port authorities said over 6,000 passengers were stranded in various ports across the archipelago nation.

The state weather bureau said Tembin, which re-intensified into a tropical storm after weakening into a tropical depression while traversing the southern Philippines, is expected to be out of the country by Christmas Day.

The storm was last spotted 245 km west-northwest of Zamboanga City with winds of up to 80 kph near the center and gusts of up to 90 kph on Saturday.

The weather disturbance was moving west at 20 kph.

At least 20 typhoons and storms batter the Philippines every year. Tembin is the 22nd to enter the country this year.

Tembin came a few days after powerful storm Kai-Tak battered most of the central Philippines and parts of the Philippine main Luzon Island last Saturday, killing at least 41.

Two of the most destructive typhoons that hit the country in the last 20 years made landfall and devastated Mindanao in 2011 and 2012.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 16:34:42|Editor: Zhou Xin

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BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's pilot of plea bargaining in criminal cases over the past year has greatly improved litigation efficiency and enabled more reasonable allocation of judicial resources, Chief Justice Zhou Qiang said Saturday.

It took 26 days on average for prosecuting organs to deal with such cases, and 83.5 percent of them were adjudicated by courts within 15 days, said Zhou, president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), when briefing lawmakers about the progress of the reform.

In September 2016, the top legislature approved a two-year pilot program to allow suspects to plead guilty in return for a lesser charge in 18 cities, including Beijing and Shanghai.

Under the program, suspects and defendants who are willing to confess, agree with prosecutors' crime and sentencing proposals, and sign affidavits, will be given mitigated punishments.

Defendants who may face jail terms of three years or below fall under the pilot.

As of November, 281 courts and 281 procuratorates have been chosen to pilot the reform, and 91,121 cases involving 103,496 suspects have been dealt with under the pilot, accounting for 45 percent of the total number of cases handled by the designated courts, figures from the report show.

In an effort to ensure right of suspects and defendants, 630 judicial assistance stations were set up in detention centers, courts and procuratorates in the 18 cities.

Zhou said the SPC and Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) would step up oversight on judges and prosecutors to prevent judicial corruption and power abuse.

The report was submitted to the ongoing bi-monthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation. The session will end Wednesday.

Though China has seen a decline in serious criminal cases threatening social order, the number of minor cases is still large and they are not always efficiently dealt with by understaffed judicial departments.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 17:04:45|Editor: Zhou Xin

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi in New Delhi Dec. 22, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Naijie)

NEW DELHI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- India and China have pledged here to develop stable and healthy bilateral relations to contribute to regional and world stability and development.

While meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country has always attached great importance to developing ties with China.

Modi said India is willing to joint hands with China to enhance mutual beneficiary cooperation so as to develop stable and healthy bilateral ties which is conducive to regional and world stability and development.

For his part, Yang said Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Indian prime minister have met for several times in recent years, which has played a strategic leading role for the development of bilateral relations.

China is ready to work together with India to strengthen strategic communication, promote strategic mutual trust and broaden pragmatic cooperation in all sectors to become good neighbors, who coexist peacefully, and good friends, who collaborate sincerely to revitalize their countries, in a bid to make important contribution to stability and prosperity in Asia and the world at large, Yang said.

Yang was in India for the 20th round of talks between Chinese and Indian special representatives on boundary issues.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 17:29:48|Editor: Yurou

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by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

NEW DELHI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in Saturday's bus accident in India's northern state of Rajasthan has risen to 33, officials said.

Seven people injured in the accident have been admitted in different hospitals owing to their condition.

The accident took place in the morning at Dubi in Sawai Madhopur district, about 150 km south of Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan.

"The death toll in today's tragic accident has risen to 33," a senior local government official Kailash Chand Verma told Xinhua over telephone from Sawai Madhopur. "Seven people injured in the accident have been admitted at different hospitals and are being taken care of."

The 40-seater bus carrying Hindu pilgrims from Sawai Madhopur to Lalsot veered off a bridge and plunged into river Banas.

Local media reports said the bus was being driven by a juvenile working as conductor with the bus. However, Verma rebuffed the allegations, saying driver was not a minor.

"What caused the accident is matter of investigation. Preliminary findings revealed the driver tried to overtake another vehicle on the narrow bridge but lost control over the wheel, smashing the bridge railing and fell into the river," Verma said. "We have registered a case in this regard and after investigations things would get clear but minor was driving the bus is just a rumour."

Rescuers accompanied by locals have fished out all the 33 bodies and kept them in mortuary of the district hospital for identification.

Following the accident locals alerted the police, after which teams of police and disaster response force personnel rushed to the spot.

The passengers inside the bus, according to reports, were hailing from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, and were on their way to offer obeisance at the Ramdevra temple in Lalsot.

The wreckage of the bus was pulled out of the river with a crane and gas cutters.

"We are still carrying out searches in the river," Verma said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje felt saddened over deaths in the accident.

"I am anguished by the sad news of bus accident at Dubbi Banas," Raje said. "We have talked to concerned officials and directed them to provide all possible assistance to the victims of accident."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also has expressed grief over the tragic accident.

Deadly road accidents are common in India, often caused due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving.

According to an official report released recently, on average India witnessed over 400 deaths in road accidents every day during 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 17:34:51|Editor: Zhou Xin

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Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (L) shakes hands with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in New Delhi, India, Dec. 22, 2017. Senior officials of China and India have agreed to properly handle border issues so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in their border areas. (Xinhua/Zhang Naijie)

NEW DELHI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Senior officials of China and India have agreed to properly handle border issues so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in their border areas.

At the 20th round of talks between Chinese and Indian special representatives on boundary issues in the Indian capital Friday, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi exchanged views with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on bilateral ties, border issues and international and regional issues of common concern.

Both sides said the China-India relations have maintained the momentum of steady development under the guidance of leaders of both countries, and common grounds between the two countries far outweigh their differences.

Both China and India should better manage and handle differences in accordance with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and in the spirit of mutual respect and accommodation of each other's concerns, they said.

Yang and Doval agreed to strengthen strategic communication and boost strategic mutual trust so as to push forward exchanges and cooperation in various fields and achieve common development.

Both sides believed to settle border disputes at an early date suits the fundamental interests of both countries. The two parties should strengthen coordination and communication, properly handle relevant border issues, and safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas.

Both sides also decided to give full play to the important role of talks between the special representatives on boundary issues, maintain contacts and negotiation, and boost strategic dialogue and communication in a bid to create favorable conditions for the development of the China-India relations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 17:34:52|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's fiscal funds for education in 2016 stood at 3.1 trillion yuan (480 billion U.S. dollars), with an average annual increase of 7.9 percent from 2012.

The ratio of the funds to GDP exceeded 4 percent each year during the period, according to a State Council report released on Saturday.

"Overall funds for education in 2016 reached 3.9 trillion yuan, over 80 percent of which were provided by the government," said the report delivered to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) at its six-day bimonthly session.

Over half of the fiscal funds for education were used for nine-year compulsory education in 2016. Teacher salaries and student financial aid accounted for over half of the fiscal funds for education in 2016, 10.6 percentage points up from 2012, said the report.

Fiscal funds for education transfer payment inclined toward relatively backward areas in 2016, with 84 percent going to central and western regions, which have fallen behind the east.

Compared to 2012, education funds for every junior middle school student, elementary school student and kindergarten kid in rural areas increased in 2016 by over 50 percent on average, said the report.

In 2016, the gross enrollment rates for the pre-school education reached 77.4 percent, 87.5 percent for senior middle schools, and 42.7 percent for higher education. The net enrollment rate for elementary schools was 99.9 percent, said the report.

Over 80 percent of children of migrant workers received education in cities where their parents work.

Since 2012, 698 billion yuan of financial aid has been granted to students from impoverished families.

According to the report, the government will continue to give priority to education. Fiscal funds for education will continue to rise, while society is encouraged to invest more in non-public education.

The focus of fiscal funds for education will shift toward rural areas, old revolutionary bases, ethnic minority areas, and border areas. The integrated development of compulsory education between urban and rural areas need to be strengthened, said the report.

Pre-school, special and online education should be improved. Vocational education and training systems will be optimized. More junior middle school graduates will be encouraged to go to upper middle school, said the report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 17:44:53|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Different policies on different housing will support first-home buyers and upgraders in China and curb speculation in 2018, an official said Saturday.

"We should stick to the principle that housing is for living in, not for speculation, and improve the long-term mechanism to promote a steady, healthy housing market," Wang Menghui, minister of housing and urban-rural development, said at a meeting.

Market monitoring and analysis should be improved to ensure the accuracy of policies, he added.

"We should move faster to put in place a housing system that ensures supply from multiple sources, provides housing support through multiple channels, and encourages both house purchases and rental," he said.

Large and medium-sized cities with net population inflow should step up the development of housing rental market and set up state-owned home renting companies, according to the minister.

China will support home renting companies and build government-led rental management and service platforms.

Third- and fourth-tier cities and counties should continue to reduce unsold housing, Wang said.

China will also improve housing market order with a hardline stance on the violations by developers and property agencies, he added.

A statement released Wednesday after the Central Economic Work Conference said that China will maintain policy consistency and continuity and adopt differentiated property policies.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 18:09:57|Editor: Yurou

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COLOMBO, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's state-owned petroleum refiner Ceylon Petroleum Corporation started building new fuel storage tanks with the aim of doubling storage capacity after a recent petroleum shortage plunged the island into a fuel crisis, local media reported Saturday.

Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said 10 new tanks with a total capacity of 11,200 metric tons were being built at a cost of 412 million rupees (2.7 million U.S. dollars) with priority given to building petrol storage capacity.

Ranatunga said the new tanks being built in Kolonnawa, in the outskirts of the capital, marks the first time in 40 years that the new capacity was being added there.

He said petrol consumption had almost doubled since the ethnic war ended in 2009 in Sri Lanka, with demand increasing about 7 percent annually.

Sri Lanka's transport sector came to a standstill last month amidst a possible severe petrol shortage. Whilst the government maintained they had sufficient fuel stock, angry consumers were forced to line outside fuel stations for hours in order to fill up their tanks.

Following an urgent request from the government, an oil tanker carrying 40,000 metric tons of petrol from the UAE arrived in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Nov 9, ending days of a possible shortage.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 18:30:01|Editor: Zhou Xin

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by Zhang Chunxiao, Wang Wen and Zheng Jie

NEW YORK, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The year 2017 has been an exciting and action-packed one for China and the United States, with both countries interacting closely at different levels in multiple fields.

The following are eight terms that can offer a sneak peek at the trajectory of China-U.S. ties over the year, and beyond.

RESORT MEETING

In April, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, met at Mar-a-Lago resort in the U.S. state of Florida, the first such meeting since Trump took office in January.

Disposing with the formality usually seen during state visits, the two leaders spent more than seven hours in two days, discussing issues of importance and charting the course for one of the world's most crucial bilateral ties.

Recent years have seen Chinese and U.S. leaders meeting in relatively informal settings, but this does not make those meetings any less significant.

A personal bond was forged between the two leaders during the Mar-a-Lago meeting, which sent a positive and reassuring message to the world that the two largest economies were seeking constructive cooperation despite their differences.

As Xi said, "There are a thousand reasons to make the China-U.S. relationship work, and no reason to break it."

STATE VISIT PLUS

On Nov. 8, Trump started his first state visit to China. He was also the first head of state to have visited China since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.

Trump was offered a "state visit plus" experience in China. Apart from the red-carpet ceremony, formal talks and state banquet, there were also special arrangements for Mr. and Mrs. Trump, including a tour of the Palace Museum with President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan.

The First Family enjoyed a tea break, a stop at a relics conservation workshop and a Peking Opera performance at the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City.

"THANK YOU for an unforgettable afternoon and evening at the Forbidden City in Beijing, President Xi and Madame Peng Liyuan," Trump tweeted shortly afterwards. He also briefly changed his Twitter header to a photo of the two couples with a group of Peking Opera performers.

During Trump's stay in China, the two leaders spent more than 10 hours together, comparing notes on a wide array of issues of common concern. Extensive consensus was reached and their personal rapport strengthened.

HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE MECHANISMS

China and the United States have seen headway made in implementing four high-level dialogue mechanisms designed to increase China-U.S. contact and cooperation in the key areas of diplomacy and security, economy, law enforcement and cyber security, as well as social and people-to-people exchanges.

The mechanisms, initiated during the Mar-a-Lago meeting in April, have provided opportunities for Chinese and American officials to talk over significant issues ranging from peace and stability in the South China Sea and military-to-military exchanges, to innovation cooperation and cyber crime.

Heartening results have been delivered. As a case in point, China and the United States have agreed to adopt a "double 100,000" two-way overseas study plan, which will allow China to send 100,000 government-sponsored people to study in the United States and permit 100,000 U.S. students to study in China in the next four years.

PRESIDENTIAL PHONE CALLS

Besides three formal face-to-face meetings, with the second taking place in Hamburg, Germany in July, the top leaders of China and the United States have also maintained close communication through phone calls.

In 2017, nine phone calls were made between the two leaders to exchange views on issues not only significant for bilateral ties but also for the world at large, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Syria and global economic growth.

Experts believe top-level communication is crucial to the sound growth of China-U.S. relations. Continuous and in-depth communication between the leaders could prevent misunderstanding, build trust, manage differences and increase cooperation.

It is in the interest of the international community that China and the United States jointly address global challenges.

PEACE ON KOREAN PENINSULA

In 2017, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has pushed ahead with its nuclear program and conducted a number of missile launches, heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula and prompting the international community to collaborate to find a solution.

With six-party talks yet to be resumed, efforts made by China and the United States, either separately or collaboratively, have become all the more important.

Chinese leaders and officials have on many multilateral and bilateral occasions reaffirmed China's commitment to denuclearization, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. China is also a firm advocate of resolving the nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation.

To this end, China has done a lot of work, including proposing a dual-track approach and "suspension for suspension" initiative, as well as communicating closely with the American side.

TRADE COOPERATION

State visits have proved to be a boon to trade ties between the world's two largest economies, evident by the 100-day action plan initiated during the Mar-a-Lago meeting and 250 billion U.S. dollars' worth of deals signed by Chinese and U.S. companies during Trump's visit to China.

The 100-day action plan designed to boost bilateral economic cooperation has yielded tangible results, including a deal to reopen the Chinese market to U.S. beef in July.

American beef is now back on restaurant menus in China. In November, Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com and the Montana Stockgrower's Association inked a 300-million-dollar beef deal.

The bilateral trade volume between China and the United States exceeded 550 billion dollars in 2016, according to figures from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Despite occasional setbacks it is believed that huge potential for China-U.S. trade cooperation waits to be tapped.

TWO-WAY INVESTMENT

China and the United States have seen exponential growth of two-way investment in recent years, with the figure surpassing 200 billion dollars last year.

Chinese companies invested a record 46 billion dollars in the United States in 2016, a tenfold increase compared to just five years ago, according to a report jointly released by the Rhodium Group and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

The report also showed that the cumulative value of U.S. foreign direct investment in China since 1990 has exceeded 240 billion dollars.

People in both countries stand to benefit from the huge amount of capital flows.

The U.S.-China economic relationship supports roughly 2.6 million jobs in the United States across a range of industries, among which about 104,000 jobs are created by Chinese investment, a study conducted by Oxford Economics and the U.S.-China Business Council showed.

SHOWCASING MANDARIN SKILLS

Arabella Kushner might be more popular in China than her grandfather, Donald Trump.

During his state visit to China, Trump proudly showed the Chinese president a video of Arabella singing and reciting poems in Mandarin. The video later became a hit on the Internet in China, as did another video of Arabella showing off her Mandarin skills back in 2016.

In November, Jim Rogers showed a video of his two daughters reciting poems in Mandarin. Chinese netizens applauded the two girls' language ability and said Arabella now had rivals.

The American investor guru said he always told anyone who would listen that they must teach their children Mandarin because it would be the most important language of their lifetime.

The year 2017 has seen an increase in the popularity of Mandarin in the United States. According to a national survey conducted by American Councils for International Education and released in June, 227,086 U.S. students ranging from kindergarten to grade 12 had enrolled in Chinese language courses.

The number of young Americans studying Mandarin doubled from 2009 to 2015, the survey found.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 18:45:04|Editor: Jiaxin

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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- A fire and explosion at an oil well site Friday night injured one worker in the U.S. state of Colorado.

According to the official page of the Weld County Sheriff's Office, the incident occurred at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Friday (0345 GMT Saturday) at an oil well site near Highway 392 and Weld County Road 21, 90 km north of Denver, the state capital.

"Preliminary information suggests that this was an industrial accident," police said, adding that they found an injured worker at the scene and sent him to the hospital, but did not disclose his condition.

A Windsor Fire Department spokesman said the fire was under control by 11:00 p.m. (0600 GMT Saturday). Crews from several agencies from across northern Colorado arrived to fight the large fire.

Residents living nearby posted video clips and photos on social media, saying they were shocked by the explosion.

"The explosion was so loud that it shook our house! You would have thought a bomb went off!" Brian Terpstra tweeted, whose house is located around 3.5 km from the scene.

What caused the explosion is unknown.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 18:45:05|Editor: Jiaxin

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NEW DELHI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Police in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh Saturday arrested a man accused of raping a 24-year-old American woman two years back.

"Baldev Singh, a 32-year-old truck driver, was arrested from the neighboring northern Indian state of Punjab's Ludhiana city Friday. He was produced in a court the same day and remanded in police custody for interrogation," police officer Anjitha Chepyala told the media.

Police said Singh drove an autorickshaw in 2015 and raped the American tourist along with an accomplice, when she visited Chandigarh in November that year.

"The American national did not lodge a police complaint at the time and left the country as her visa was about to expire, but wrote an email to a top police official after she got back to France where she was working," another police official said.

"A probe soon began and after two years, we finally managed to nab the main accused. A manhunt is now on for the other accused in the case, who is on the run," he added.

Rapes of foreigners are not uncommon in India. In 2016, an Indian court sentenced five men to life imprisonment for the gangrape of a 52-year-old Danish tourist in Delhi in 2014. She approached the men after losing her way back to her hotel near New Delhi railway station.

Despite the Indian government bringing in stricter laws against sexual assaults after the 2012 brutal and fatal gangrape of a 23-year-old medical student by six men on a moving bus in the national capital, such incidents continue to be reported across the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 19:35:11|Editor: Jiaxin

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NEW DELHI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Lalu Prasad Yadav, former chief minister of India's eastern state of Bihar, was on Saturday convicted by a special court in eastern city of Ranchi in a corruption case.

The sentence will be pronounced on Jan. 3.

Lalu is the president of the political party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and two-time chief minister of Bihar between 1990 and 1997. He was India's railway minister from 2004 to 2009, when he emerged as one of the key allies in the then Congress-led alliance government headed by ex-premier Manmohan Singh.

Corruption allegations related to a fodder scam, which continued for several years from even prior to Lalu's term as chief minister in 1990, were levelled against him in 1998 when he stepped down as chief minister and installed his wife as his successor.

Lalu has been both a popular and a controversial politician in India. His political career spans for over four decades. He was one of the youngest members of parliament in 1977 when he won as an MP of the lower house of the Indian parliament "Lok Sabha".

He faces five cases in the fodder scam of which four are pending. The current case pertains to the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of 8.45 million rupees (132,000 U.S. dollars) from a government treasury between 1994 and 1996. There are 34 persons accused in this particular case, including another former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

In one of the corruption cases, Yadav was earlier sentenced to five years in jail and fined 2.5 million rupees (39,050 U.S. dollars) for fraudulent withdrawal of 375 million rupees (5.86 million U.S. dollars) from a government treasury. However, the Supreme Court of India granted him bail in December 2013.
Two elephants walk at the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, Aug. 28, 2017. (Xinhua/Lyu Shuai)

NAIROBI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Stringent laws and international cooperation to contain threats to Kenya's elephants, including poaching and natural calamities, have boosted their population in five key ecosystems, a senior official said on Friday.

Judy Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, told a media briefing in Nairobi that the total elephant population in the Laikipia-Samburu-Meru-Marsabit, Mwea, Aberdare, Mau Forest Complex and the Mount Kenya ecosystem has increased from 13,990 in 2012 to 14,642 as of November this year.

"Recently enacted stricter wildlife laws coupled with international cooperation to combat trafficking of ivory has resulted in an increase in the number of elephants," said Wakhungu during the release of the census of elephants, Buffalo, Giraffe and Grevy's Zebra carried out recently in northern Kenya.

Kenya wildlife Service(KWS) and partners conducted an aerial survey in the savannah ecosystem of Laikipia-Samburu-Meru-Marsabit, Meru Conservation Area and Mwea national Reserve, whereas ground surveys using the dung count have been carried out in the forested ecosystems of the Aberdare Forest, May Forest Complex and the Mount Kenya Forest.

These surveys are undertaken after every 3-5 years to help obtain accurate statistics on giant land mammals and challenges facing their habitat.

Wakhungu said the country's stringent wildlife laws that root for a minimum of 20 years imprisonment for ivory trafficking has discouraged poaching of elephants and rhinos.

She revealed that between 2012 and 2017 elephant poaching in Kenya declined by 80 percent.

The cabinet secretary noted that robust cooperation among government bodies such as border and tax agencies had led to a drastic slump in the slaughter of iconic mammals.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 20:15:19|Editor: Zhou Xin

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KUNMING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12 people, including ten tourists from Taiwan, were injured in an accident in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Friday.

The accident occurred around noon on Friday in Lijiang City, a popular tourists destination. A bus, with 12 people on board, capsized when driving on an icy road in Ninglang Yi Autonomous County of Lijiang City, according to the publicity department of Lijiang.

The tourists, a local guide and the driver suffered injures. Five people were hospitalized. Doctors said none of them are in life-threatening conditions.

Lijiang city government provided prompt assistance to the injured. The tourists will return to Taiwan starting from Sunday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 20:20:19|Editor: Jiaxin

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by Tichaona Chifamba

HARARE, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The military intervention on Nov. 15 has completely changed Zimbabwe's political landscape with the former President Robert Mugabe leaving the helm of both government and the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Having been the only leader Zimbabweans have ever known since the country attained independence from Britain in 1980, Mugabe had for 37 years commanded much respect from the military which exhibited.

In fact, the military in 2008 intervened in another way after Mugabe had suffered a presidential election stumble at the hands of long time rival Morgan Tsvangirai.

It allegedly forced people to vote for Mugabe in the run-off that Tsvangirai boycotted, citing violence perpetrated on his supporters.

However, as succession issues boiled over as party and government officials saw Mugabe edging towards the twilight of his political career, military seeming to take more interest in the emerging succession battle.

The then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Mugabe's wife Grace were seen as likely successors. Their contention grew fierce in recent years, with Grace spiritedly accusing Mnangagwa of trying to topple Mugabe.

On Nov. 6 Mugabe fired Mnangagwa, which led the military to take over of the government on the night of Nov. 14/15, culminating in Mugabe's resignation on Nov. 21.

Within Zanu-PF, Mugabe was also fired as party president and first secretary while his wife Grace and a few other top officials were expelled.

Zimbabwe Defense Forces commander Constantino Chiwenga said the forces had noted that there were purges within the party targeting people who had a history with the liberation struggle, while those who did not participate were gaining ground, which is interpreted as referring to Grace and her allies.

He said there had been no meaningful development in the country for the past five years due to squabbling in the ruling party.

"The resultant economic impasse has ushered in more challenges to the Zimbabwean populace such as cash shortages and rising commodity prices," he said a day before the military action.

The bloodless action, and its public support, have led the regional body Southern African Development Community to accept the new political dispensation in the country.

NEW PRESIDENT, MIXED REACTIONS

Despite the public support for a change of leadership, Mnangagwa's ascendency to the leadership however was met with mixed feelings.

Many have hoped he can turn around the fortunes of the economy despite the fact that he was not their preferred choice for leader.

"Let's give him a chance. He has less than eight months of Mugabe's term left and let's see how he will fare. Things will not change overnight but his policies will assure us whether we are moving in the right direction or not," said informal trader Petros Hove.

So far, he has preached about forgiveness, calling for people to rebuild the country as one regardless of party affiliation.

But his critics still allege that his ascendency was not constitutional as he literally toppled an elected leader with assistance from the military.

Chiwenga, who led the military intervention, retired recently with Mnangagwa saying that he is due for reassignment.

Speculation is high that he will be appointed one of two vice presidents, while two other generals have already been appointed to cabinet positions and another re-assigned to the party's commissariat department.

OVERWHELMING CHALLENGES

One major task facing Mnangagwa is ending the prevailing cash shortages amid the country's struggling economy.

Zimbabweans have endured cash shortages for more than three years and the introduction of bond notes in 2016 to plug the crisis has not eased their woes.

The country's economy also remains under stress mainly due to low domestic production across all sectors. It recorded the lowest growth rate since 2009 of 0.6 percent in 2016, when it had started to grow following years of recession. The 2017 forecast is 2.8 percent, according to the IMF.

Many reasons for the liquidity challenges have been proffered, among them few exports and externalization of the U.S. dollar.

Unsustainable current account and capital account deficits have also put pressure on the nostro accounts of banking institutions, resulting in cash shortages.

Long queues still characterize many banks especially at month-ends when people get their salaries, but some people have stopped visiting banks amid prevailing lack of confidence in the banking sector.

Some banks continued to give clients less than 50 dollars a day while others pegged their limits at 100 dollars once a week.

So far, hopes that Mnangagwa can reverse the trend have remained high. The business community has expressed confidence in the future.

Foreign direct investment is now expected to flow into the country following drastic changes to the indigenization law that previously required foreigners to own up to 49 percent of local companies.

The new law will limit the 49/51 percent threshold to the natural resources sector, particularly diamond and platinum mining.

Zimbabweans are yet to see tangible results from the change of leadership but the signs of changes have kept many upbeat about the country's future.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 20:45:24|Editor: Jiaxin

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ATHENS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission in Greece conveyed best wishes for happy holidays to Greek citizens this week by handing pomegranates to passers-by at a major metro station in the heart of Athens.

"The European Commission decided to give pomegranates to passers-by, to Greek citizens passing from here, in a symbolic gesture so that on one hand we wish in this way the best for the coming year 2018, and convey our message for a happy new year," Clementini Diakomanoli, head of the Representation, told Xinhua.

Pomegranate is indispensable in celebrating the new year in Greece. As an ancient symbol of fertility, good luck, prosperity, abundance and regeneration, it still holds a special place in nowadays Greek households in important events from weddings, funerals to the welcome of the New Year.

On New Year's Eve, when the clock strikes midnight, a pomegranate is smashed at the entrance of the house. Greeks believe that he more seeds scattered on the floor, the luckier the New Year will be.

The pomegranates distributed by the European Commission in Greece are the products of Greek company Alpheios Rodi SA.

Founded five years ago by 250 families at the outskirts of the city of Pyrgos in western Greece, the company completed a fully-automated production line for pure natural pomegranate juice in 2015 thanks to an over 223,000 euros European funding.

Now, its products have reached the shelves of supermarkets across Greece and many European cities.

"We wanted to show how Europe embraces the agricultural food sector in Greece which is very important for the economy and that there are funding opportunities, like the one this specific company seized," said the head of European Commission Representation in Athens.

Paraskevas Paraskevopoulos, president of Alpheios Rodi, stressed the importance of the Commission's helping hand.

"We do not rely on bank loans, but our own resources and I must say this and underline it that 25 percent of the costs were covered with EU funds. This European funding helped our company enormously in a crucial moment," he told Xinhua.

Most of the producers and shareholders who joined the initiative turned to the land seeking ways to cope with the debt crisis, he explained.

"Farming is not the main profession for more than 170 families out of the total 250 households involved. I am an economist and development advisor. There are academics, doctors, private sector employees, jobless, and journalists taking part, representatives of the middle class," Paraskevopoulos noted.

"You know the crisis in Greece did not bring only hardships, but mobilized people towards a different direction," said the former economist but today's entrepreneur.

The pomegranate undoubtedly brought good luck and regeneration to the families involved in the project.

The 60 percent of the production from the 60,000 pomegranate trees are processed and marketed as juice.

And the capacity has been increasing. At the beginning, the juice unit produced only about 16,300 bottles a year. But now, 2.3 million 250 ml bottles are produced every year with about three tons of raw material being processed each hour.

The company is ready to launch new products next year, from pomegranate marmalades to pomegranate-flavored vinegar, and considers new international collaborations. (1 euro=1.18 US dollars)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 21:05:28|Editor: Jiaxin

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HARARE, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Former Zimbabwe Defense Forces commander Constantino Chiwenga has been appointed vice president and second secretary of the ruling Zanu-PF, Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said Saturday.

Charamba said in a statement that Chiwenga, who retired from the military last week after leading a military intervention that resulted in former president Robert Mugabe's resignation in November, was appointed to the same position together with Minister of Defense and War Veterans Kembo Mohadi.

Mohadi belongs to the old PF-Zapu, which was led by late Vice President Joshua Nkomo who signed a unity accord with then President Mugabe's Zanu-PF to form the united Zanu-PF.

The two's appointments pave the way for them to be appointed the country's vice presidents.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 21:45:33|Editor: Jiaxin

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Three Indian army troopers including an officer were killed and another wounded Saturday in an exchange of fire with the Pakistani side on the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir, officials said.

The two sides exchanged heavy fire in Keri sector of frontier Rajouri district, about 222 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Pakistani army today resorted to unprovoked firing along the LoC here, killing three troopers and wounding one," a local government official said. "The slain included an officer of the rank of Major."

Reports said the Indian army also retaliated to the firing from the Pakistani side and the exchange of fire continued for some time.

Reports said the wounded Indian trooper was airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

Also on Friday also, the troops posted on both sides of the LoC in the area exchanged fire. However, no loss of life was reported in the exchange.

According to Indian officials, over 600 incidents of cease-fire violations were recorded along the LoC and the International Border (IB) since the beginning of this year.

The skirmishes have led to killings of soldiers as well as civilians.

Both New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating cease-fire agreements. And both sides maintain that their troops gave befitting reply.

The troops of India and Pakistan intermittently exchange fire on the 720 km-long LoC and 198 km IB in Kashmir, despite an agreement in 2003 to observe a cease-fire.

The LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India- and Pakistan-controlled parts.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniya gestures as he delivers a speech over US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Gaza City on December 7, 2017. (AFP Photo)

GAZA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Head of Islamic Hamas movement Ismail Haneya said Saturday that it is possible that the U.S. administration take more measures against the Palestinians, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.

Haneya addressed a local scientific convention early Saturday, where he slammed the recent U.S. moves against Jerusalem and said "we have information that the U.S. administration might take new decisions regarding Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause, which include recognizing Israel as a Jewish state."

Haneya urged the Arab and Islamic world to take actions against the "U.S. plot."

He also urged the Palestinian National Authority to unequivocally dismantle Oslo accords and end security coordination with Israel.

U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Dec. 6 sparked a wave of tensions throughout the Palestinian territories.
RACINE  The City of Racine, the Redevelopment Authority and two city officials are named in a lawsuit seeking more than $659,000 tied to relocating for a development plan previously called Machinery Row.

Patrick Fagan of Mount Pleasant filed a lawsuit in Racine County Court this week requesting compensation related to damages he said he incurred because of the citys handling of the development plan.

Lawsuit details

The lawsuit names four defendants: the city, the Redevelopment Authority, RDA Chairman James Spangenberg and Matthew Sadowski, the assistant director of the City Development Department.

According to the complaint in the lawsuit, Fagan was a tenant of 615 S. Marquette St., where he ran P & P Products. He alleges the city and the RDA forced him to leave the property by Dec. 30, 2015, for which he incurred expenses related to moving, loading and transporting his business equipment and materials. The RDA purchased the property while it was acquiring buildings for the Machinery Row project, records show.

Fagan argues the defendants in the case either intentionally or negligently failed to file a relocation plan for Fagan and the subject property.

Because of that, the complaint alleges, Fagan had to move his equipment and property four times and has not be able to unload or re-establish the business.

Between September and December this year, Fagan filed three claims with the RDA, seeking compensation for his expenses, the complaint states. Another claim is in progress.

Fagan further alleges that his constitutional rights were violated because he argues he was not treated equally to other people in similar situations he claims received relocation assistance and benefits.

Fagan requested a jury trial in the matter. He is seeking $659,418.34 related to three of his moves  plus a cost to be named attached to his fourth move  less any payments the defendants make. He also seeks damages in unnamed amounts, according to the complaint, along with reimbursement for his legal costs. In addition, Fagan wants the defendants to produce a relocation plan.

Deputy City Attorney Nicole Larsen said in an email Friday that her office is in the process of reviewing the complaint and will not comment on specific allegations. She said the city has been working with Fagan for months on his claims and continues to do so.

Reasonable consideration will be given to Mr. Fagans claims, whether they are presented to the RDA or presented to the court, she wrote. The City and RDA will, however, protect the interests of the taxpayers and defend against unsubstantiated and unwarranted claims made by Mr. Fagan or any other party.

Fagan is represented in the case by Todd A. Terry of Guttormsen & Terry, a law firm in Kenosha. Terry said the defendants were obligated to help Fagan find a comparable place to relocate his machining and woodworking business.

Relocation claims partially denied

The RDA has not yet paid any relocation benefits to Fagan, the suit claims.

The body voted on Dec. 7 to deny payment toward portions of claims he filed. The RDA followed the recommendation of the City Attorneys Office, which addressed two claims by Fagan, according to a memo.

The memo states Fagans supporting documentation for the claims is uncorroborated and uses a calculation that is neither supported by law nor by usual and customary practice. The city determined the amount to reimburse Fagan by using an estimate from a professional mover retained by a relocation specialist, the memo states.

Fagans second claim is related to storage expenses. The claim, according to the memo, included the cost to purchase the storage trailers on top of rental expenses. The city recommended paying only the costs of storage in the trailers over 24 months.

The City Council in November authorized setting aside $350,000 to pay for relocation claims related to the project.

State previously weighed in

Fagans lawsuit follows a June determination by the Wisconsin Department of Administration that the RDA acquired the property where Fagan was a tenant as part of a public project.

The DOA said at the time it appeared to have not received a relocation plan for the Machinery Row project even though people were displaced in the planning process, according to the states finding. A plan should have been submitted for approval, and owners and tenants should have been informed of their rights, the state found.

Mr. Fagan should receive relocation payments, as should others who were displaced from the related properties, the DOA stated.

In the June finding, the state encouraged Fagan and the city to work together to resolve the matter. The state issued the finding in response to a complaint Fagan filed with the DOA in May.

At the time of the finding, Larsen told The Journal Times that the city was unaware Fagan was running a business out of the property.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 21:50:34|Editor: Zhou Xin

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BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China has established 26 overseas centers of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the past three years, most of which are in countries along the Belt and Road, according to the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM).

The country has also set up 25 TCM international cooperation bases in key provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, said Wang Xiaopin, an official with the SATCM.

TCM centers and TCM international cooperation help China provide TCM services, spread the TCM culture and facilitate cooperation among Belt and Road countries, said Wang.

Wang said by 2020, 30 TCM overseas centers will be established with Belt and Road countries, 20 TCM international standards issued, 100 TCM products registered and 50 TCM international communication and cooperation demonstration bases established.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 21:50:34|Editor: Jiaxin

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ISMAILIA, Egypt, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said Saturday that Egypt's armed forces will use "utmost violence" to eradicate terrorism in the country's Sinai Peninsula.

He made the remarks while inaugurating a number of national mega projects at the Suez Canal region in Ismailia province northeast of the capital Cairo.

He said that Egyptians "should never fear any foreign threats" as long as they are united, reassuring the country is heading in the right direction towards development and success despite terrorist plots.

Sisi's remarks came a few days after a shelling attack that targeted Arish airport in North Sinai killed an officer, wounded two others and caused damages to a helicopter during the visit of defense and interior ministers to Arish city.

On Nov. 24, also in Arish, a terrorist attack against a mosque in a small village killed at least 310 Muslim worshippers and wounded over 120 others, marking the deadliest terror operation and the first against a Muslim mosque in Egypt's modern history.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the mosque attack, yet a Sinai-based terrorist group loyal to the Islamic State (IS) regional group is the main suspect.

Following the mosque attack, Sisi ordered the army's chief of staff to restore security and stability in the restive part of the peninsula within three months.

Terror activities in Egypt have killed hundreds of security men and civilians since the military toppled former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian security forces have killed hundreds of terrorists and arrested a great number of suspects during the country's anti-terror operations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 22:00:35|Editor: Zhou Xin

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FUZHOU, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's anti-graft chief pledged to crack down upon corruption and malpractice in poverty relief projects.

Zhao Leji, head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during his inspection tour to southeast China's Fujian Province from Thursday to Saturday.

Officials will face severe punishment for embezzlement and misuse of poverty relief funds, bribery and nepotism, Zhao said when visiting poverty-stricken families in a village of Ningde city.

He also urged local officials to curb bureaucracy and red tape and enhance leadership when implementing poverty relief projects.

Zhao reiterated the importance of punishing corrupt officials at lower ranks, particularly those who shelter and collude with local criminal organizations.

In Zhangzhou and Ningde cities, he talked with local discipline inspection officials to gather first-hand information on the progress of the supervisory system reform.

He urged local Party organizations to strengthen leadership over the reform to ensure a smooth transition, adding supervisory commissions at the county level must be empowered to step up supervision over local civil servants.

During the trip, he also presided over a symposium attended by central, provincial and local discipline inspection officials to hear their opinions on the supervision work.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 22:00:35|Editor: Zhou Xin

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KUNMING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- An increasing number of seagulls are wintering in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, local forestry bureau said.

On Saturday, the Kunming Municipal Forestry Bureau and society for the protection of birds dispatched more than 200 workers to count the gulls. with over 40,500 seagulls seen, the bureau said.

In 2015, the number of seagulls which arrived at Kunming for the winter exceeded 40,000 for the first time, setting a 31-year record.

"The rising number of migrating birds shows the micro climate and environment at Dianchi Lake is improving," said Yang Ming, deputy secretary general of the society.

Public awareness has also been increasing to protect the birds and provide them with food, he said.

The gulls mainly migrate from Lake Baikal in Russia, Uvs Nuur Basin in Mongolia, and Bosten Lake in far west China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, he said.

Local forestry workers have carried out health checks on bird samples and found no danger, he added.

Kunming is known as the City of Spring for its mild climate. Close to 10,000 seagulls flew in the city in 1985 and have been coming every November since. The birds usually stay until late February.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 22:00:35|Editor: Jiaxin

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by Bosun Awoniyi

LAGOS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The fuel scarcity has turned the festive run-up to Christmas and New Year into an expensive struggle for petrol for many Nigerians.

Despite a planned strike by the country's oil union, which led to panic buying and hoarding before it was canceled, respite was yet to be felt as long queues had surfaced in most parts of the country with black market fuel sellers exploiting the situation.

Motorists have decried the scarcity of petrol in most filling stations in Lagos, saying it will affect those travelling for Christmas and New Year holidays.

The fuel queues are already causing a buildup of traffic on major expressways.

And as the fuel crisis, which deepened in the last few days, raised the cost of transportation, it became common for bus stops to be crowded with stranded commuters.

The pump price of petrol now goes for about 250 naira per liter (0.7 U.S. dollar) in most filling stations.

The ordeal of motorists was worsened by the alleged shady deals by officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega stations, who sold fuel at night to other independent marketers.

The marketers in turn sell at exorbitant prices in their stations.

Akin Lewis, a passenger traveling to central-northern Kwara State from Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub, said the cost of the trip used to be 2,000 naira, which went up to 5,000 on Friday.

Similarly, transport fare from Lagos to other parts of the country have increased by almost 100 percent, passengers said.

Some of the drivers at the parks visited by Xinhua decried the situation, urging the government to take urgent actions before the issue got out of hand.

Bola Ahmed, a driver, said it was the high cost of buying petrol that led to increment in transportation fare.

Even some hairstylists in Lagos increased the cost of hairdos due to the prevailing fuel scarcity being experienced in the city.

The costs of hairdos at most salons are usually high ahead of Christmas celebration but the hike this year was astronomical.

Titi Alagba, a hair stylist, attributed the increase in price of hairdos to the scarcity of fuel, leading to long queues in most filling stations.

Amos Akanni, a civil servant with the Lagos State Government, said he had visited more than 20 filling stations in Lagos without getting the product.

Akanni said he opted to buy from the black market at 400 naira per liter when he could not get the product to buy at filling stations.

Maikanti Baru, group managing director of NNPC, blamed the current petroleum scarcity in the country on marketers of the product.

He also said part of the problem was the rumors about purported planned increase in the pump price of petrol, noting that some marketers, in their quest to cash in on the situation, suddenly started hoarding products.

He assured that the corporation had doubled its daily supply of petrol, from 700 trucks (about 27 million to 30 million liters) to 80 million liters since the current hiccup in the supply chain was noticed a few days back.

He further assured Nigerians that the NNPC had enough products sufficiency that would last up to 30 days and that the fuel situation would fizzle out this week.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 22:05:37|Editor: Zhou Xin

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BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- With China and Belarus working to observe 2018 as the Year of Belarus in China and the Year of China in Belarus to boost two-way tourism, the Eastern European country is ready to offer Chinese tourists a variety of experiences, a Belarusian Foreign Ministry official said Saturday.

They range from agritourism, ecotourism and industrial tourism to "red tourism", Dmitry Mironchik, press secretary at the ministry, who was in China to participate in the first inter-Ministry of Foreign Affairs consultations on information issues, told Xinhua.

Mironchik also said Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Belarus in 2015 greatly enhanced bilateral cooperation.

To boost tourism, Belarus this year announced a visa-free entry for citizens of 80 states, including China, that would allow them to stay in Belarus without a visa for five days.

Commenting on the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Mironchik said the event was extensively covered by the Belarusian media.

Mironchik said the congress reaffirmed the importance of China's role in international relations and the world economy.

He also noted Belarus regarded the Belt and Road Initiative as a solid economic foundation for bilateral cooperation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 22:10:39|Editor: Jiaxin

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MOSCOW, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Reacting to the U.S. decision to sell lethal weapons to Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday that it will lead to "new bloodshed."

"The U.S. weapons can lead to new victims in our neighboring country (Ukraine), to which we cannot remain indifferent," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in the statement.

"Washington is trying to present itself as an intermediary. But it is an accomplice in fomenting a war," Ryabkov said, adding that there is overwhelming "Russophobia" among many U.S. politicians.

The response came after the U.S. State Department said Friday that Washington will sell advanced weapons to Ukraine to help update its defense capabilities. The arsenal will include Javelin anti-tank missiles, which Kiev has long desired.

Ukraine launched a military operation in its southeast Donbas region in April 2014, after the pro-Russia local residents refused to recognize the new pro-West Ukrainian authorities and sought independence.

Armed conflicts have been plaguing Donbas since then and have claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people.

Kiev and the insurgents reached a peace agreement brokered by Russia, France and Germany in Minsk in September 2014. A more detailed renewal of the agreement was signed in February 2015.

The pact spells out a cease-fire, a withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the line of separation between the two warring sides, exchange of prisoners, and holding local elections in Donbas.

But the agreement has been breached from time to time, with both parties accusing the other of violations.
File photo shows children marking the Christmas Day at the Millennium Park in Abuja, capital of Nigeria, Dec. 25, 2016. (Xinhua/Olatunji Obasa)

by Bosun Awoniyi

LAGOS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- An ongoing fuel crisis has turned the festive run-up to Christmas and New Year into an expensive struggle for petrol for many Nigerians.

Despite a planned strike by the country's oil union, which led to panic buying and hoarding before it was canceled, respite was yet to be felt as long queues had surfaced in most parts of the country with black market fuel sellers exploiting the situation.

Motorists have decried the scarcity of petrol in most filling stations in Lagos, saying it will affect those travelling for Christmas and New Year holidays.

The fuel queues are already causing a buildup of traffic on major expressways.

And as the fuel crisis, which deepened in the last few days, raised the cost of transportation, it became common for bus stops to be crowded with stranded commuters.

The pump price of petrol now goes for about 250 naira per liter (0.7 U.S. dollar) in most filling stations.

The ordeal of motorists was worsened by the alleged shady deals by officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega stations, who sold fuel at night to other independent marketers.

The marketers in turn sell at exorbitant prices in their stations.

Akin Lewis, a passenger traveling to central-northern Kwara State from Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub, said the cost of the trip used to be 2,000 naira, which went up to 5,000 on Friday.

Similarly, transport fare from Lagos to other parts of the country have increased by almost 100 percent, passengers said.

Some of the drivers at the parks visited by Xinhua decried the situation, urging the government to take urgent actions before the issue got out of hand.

Bola Ahmed, a driver, said it was the high cost of buying petrol that led to increment in transportation fare.

Even some hairstylists in Lagos increased the cost of hairdos due to the prevailing fuel scarcity being experienced in the city.

The costs of hairdos at most salons are usually high ahead of Christmas celebration but the hike this year was astronomical.

Titi Alagba, a hair stylist, attributed the increase in price of hairdos to the scarcity of fuel, leading to long queues in most filling stations.

Amos Akanni, a civil servant with the Lagos State Government, said he had visited more than 20 filling stations in Lagos without getting the product.

Akanni said he opted to buy from the black market at 400 naira per liter when he could not get the product to buy at filling stations.

Maikanti Baru, group managing director of NNPC, blamed the current petroleum scarcity in the country on marketers of the product.

He also said part of the problem was the rumors about purported planned increase in the pump price of petrol, noting that some marketers, in their quest to cash in on the situation, suddenly started hoarding products.

He assured that the corporation had doubled its daily supply of petrol, from 700 trucks (about 27 million to 30 million liters) to 80 million liters since the current hiccup in the supply chain was noticed a few days back.
Constantino Chiwenga, the then Zimbabwe Defense Forces Chief, speaks in a press conference in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Nov. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Shaun Jusa)

HARARE, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Former Zimbabwe Defense Forces commander Constantino Chiwenga has been appointed vice president and second secretary of the ruling Zanu-PF, Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said Saturday.

Charamba said in a statement that Chiwenga, who retired from the military last week after leading a military intervention that resulted in former president Robert Mugabe's resignation in November, was appointed to the same position together with Minister of Defense and War Veterans Kembo Mohadi.

Mohadi belongs to the old PF-Zapu, which was led by late Vice President Joshua Nkomo who signed a unity accord with then President Mugabe's Zanu-PF to form the united Zanu-PF.
A tank is seen withdrawing from the front line in Aleksandrovsk Town, near Luhansk, Ukraine, Oct. 3, 2015. (Xinhua/Alexander Ermochenko)

MOSCOW, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Reacting to the U.S. decision to sell lethal weapons to Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday that it will lead to "new bloodshed."

"The U.S. weapons can lead to new victims in our neighboring country (Ukraine), to which we cannot remain indifferent," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in the statement.

"Washington is trying to present itself as an intermediary. But it is an accomplice in fomenting a war," Ryabkov said, adding that there is overwhelming "Russophobia" among many U.S. politicians.

The response came after the U.S. State Department said Friday that Washington will sell advanced weapons to Ukraine to help update its defense capabilities. The arsenal will include Javelin anti-tank missiles, which Kiev has long desired.

Ukraine launched a military operation in its southeast Donbas region in April 2014, after the pro-Russia local residents refused to recognize the new pro-West Ukrainian authorities and sought independence.

Armed conflicts have been plaguing Donbas since then and have claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people.

Kiev and the insurgents reached a peace agreement brokered by Russia, France and Germany in Minsk in September 2014. A more detailed renewal of the agreement was signed in February 2015.

The pact spells out a cease-fire, a withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the line of separation between the two warring sides, exchange of prisoners, and holding local elections in Donbas.

But the agreement has been breached from time to time, with both parties accusing the other of violations.
BURLINGTON  The first thing Architecture, Construction and Engineering Academy coordinator Peter Leedles students say about the tiny house theyre building is that its big  much bigger than the sheds theyve built in previous years.

Its way bigger, said Burlington High School senior Bryce Morris, who built a shed last year and signed up for the class again this year when he heard they were building the tiny house. Our shed was only half as big.

Leedle said a private couple approached the schools ACE Academy to see if the Principles of Building Trades class would be interested in building a 10-by-40-foot tiny house for them. Leedle happily accepted the challenge.

Ive been wanting to switch things up, he said. I would like to start eventually building houses, so this is a testing ground.

The students were split up into groups to calculate different sections of the house, like the back wall, front wall and roof. They then brought the designs together and gave the couple a quote for the project.

The structure, sitting on a trailer outside a classroom at Gateway Technical Colleges main Burlington campus, 496 McCanna Parkway, is starting to take shape, with walls, doorways and openings for windows. But it still has a way to go.

Construction of the project was delayed because class was relocated into its new space because of the flood last summer. Initially the deadline had been the end of the school year, but its been extended to the end of next school year.

The academy program was relocated from Gateway Technical Colleges Hero Center, 380 McCanna Parkway, to the main Gateway Burlington building. The Gateway buildings flank the high school building at 400 McCanna. The move and remodeling project will essentially double the classroom and workshop space ACE students have, taking it from 2,000 to 4,000 square feet.

Real-world skills

Senior Quinn Hupy said doing the calculations and then the construction has been rewarding.

The actual application of measuring things and doing the math, it helps because you can actually see it, he said.

The project also offers some unique challenges. The structure is anchored to a trailer that could end up being towed across the country so the team has to adapt the structure to that kind of stress.

This could potentially go out to California, said Leedle. Theres a huge learning curve.

Also, unlike a shed, with the tiny house project the students are going to learn how to do an interior, including plastering walls and laying out the electric and plumbing systems. Thats another reason why Morris, who said he plans on studying engineering, said this experience could be valuable to him down the road.

Someday I might build my own house like my parents did, he said.

Leedle said no matter where the students go after high school, whether its in construction or design or engineering, the experience will give them the chance to learn about construction materials, how to make and read plans and work with customers.

Its not just, Hey, lets pound some nails,  said Leedle. I want the students to be as well-rounded as possible so that they can go into whatever.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 23:15:53|Editor: yan

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GUANGZHOU, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Doctors who take day shifts at work may find use for their medical expertise in the "night clinic", which opened on Saturday by a doctors-sharing platform in south China city of Guangzhou.

"Top Doctor Center" was established in Guangzhou by a Hongkang Doctors Group, a private company. It has signed contracts with 500 doctors, who hold assistant professor level or higher credentials for their service.

The center is located at a building which was used for the Canton Fair. Total floor space is around 20,000 square meters. It has 146 rooms and five surgery centers. Total investment for the first phase is 200 million yuan (more thann 30 million U.S. dollars) and it can accommodate 4,000 patients a day, said Zhan Zhiyong, founder of the platform.

The night clinic lasts from six to nine in the night. The clinics are also open during the afternoon, when doctors can come to work in their off-hours.

Song Donglei, a doctor specialized in cerebral surgery, is one of the contracted experts. "Shared doctors have become reality. Platforms like this are growing larger in size, with strong facilities and modern management ideas," he said.

"By providing diverse medical service, shared doctors may be the future of medical service in China," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 23:15:53|Editor: Chengcheng

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Libyan UN-backed Foreign Minister Mohamed Sayala (R) speaks during a press conference with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano in Tripoli, Libya, Dec. 23, 2017. Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano is on a visit to Libya. (Xinhua/Hamza Turkia)

TRIPOLI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj said Saturday that holding elections can solve the political crisis in the country.

Serraj made his remarks during a meeting with the Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano in the capital Tripoli.

Serraj said that the Libyan Election Commission has started registration of voters and preparing for the elections next year, after approving the election law and voting on a constitution for the country, according to the prime minister's media office.

Serraj also said that rejection of certain parties to the political process "complicates the scene, which calls for firm stances from the international community."

Eastern-based army commander, General Khalifa Haftar, announced a few days ago that the UN-sponsored political agreement had "expired" after it was signed by Libyan political factions two years ago.

Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya Ghassan Salame urged Libyan parties to "refrain from any actions that could undermine the political process."

Salame proposed an action plan for Libya in September aimed at ending the political crisis in the country. The plan includes amendment of the current political agreement and holding presidential and parliamentary elections next year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-23 23:45:57|Editor: yan

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CAIRO, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced 26 defendants up to 10 years in prison over acts of violence and sabotage by storming a police station in January 2014, official MENA news agency reported.

Giza Criminal Court handed 13 convicts 10-year jail terms and sentenced 13 others to five years in prison. Their crimes also include illegally holding guns and ammunition and undermining security and social peace.

The 26 are mostly supporters of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, who was toppled by the military in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

Most Brotherhood leaders, members and supporters, including Morsi himself and the group's top chief Mohamed Badie, are currently detained.

Many of them have been handed appealable death sentences and lengthy jail terms over charges varying from inciting violence and murder to espionage and jailbreak.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-24 00:11:00|Editor: Chengcheng

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- In light of the recent rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies globally, Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD), Brunei's central bank, on Saturday advised the public to be vigilant and exercise extreme caution when dealing with such currencies that are privately issued.

In a statement, the monetary regulator of the sultanate said it is highly concerned about the proliferation of cryptocurrencies globally, reminding the public that "cryptocurrencies are not legal tender in Brunei Darussalam and are not regulated by AMBD."

AMBD said that cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ether, are forms of digital currencies which operate independently from monetary authorities or central banks.

"Cryptocurrency transactions are anonymous and are often traded on platforms of unknown jurisdictions in which the authenticity of its operators are difficult to verify."

"Cryptocurrency is also susceptible to being misused as intermediary for illegal activities. It is also highly vulnerable to cybersecurity risks as evidenced by several high profile thefts involving the hacking of organisations in the cryptocurrency network," AMBD said.

The recent rapid escalation in the value of certain cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, is driven by high speculation and there is no clear sense of the fundamental value of these cryptocurrencies, the central bank said.

The risk of losing its value is high and without any regulatory safeguards, members of the public are not protected under the laws administered by AMBD, it added.

The international communities should remain vigilant and AMBD will continue to closely monitor the development of issues surrounding cryptocurrencies, the bank suggested.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-24 00:41:04|Editor: Chengcheng

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YAOUNDE, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed in two attacks by suspected members of terror group Boko Haram on Friday night and Saturday morning in Cameroon's Far North region, a local source told Xinhua.

According to a member of the local vigilance committee contacted by Xinhua, the first incursion occurred late Friday night in the Mayo-Moskota sub-division bordering Nigeria, when suspected Boko Haram members broke into the locality of Zeneme and killed two persons.

A second incursion into the same sub-division resulted in the death of a resident of the locality of Kerawa-Mafa.

The Far North of Cameroon has seen a resurgence of terrorist violence in recent days towards the end of the year.

Early last week, three civilians were killed in two Boko Haram attacks in this troubled region.
U.S. President Donald Trump (C) speaks at an event celebrating the passage of the tax bill on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Dec. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The year 2018 is shaping up to be a tough year for Republicans. With President Donald Trump's popularity sinking, the terrain looks uncertain as the Republican Party, commonly known as GOP, heads toward next year's mid-term elections.

"2018 is shaping up as a difficult year for the Republican party. It already has lost a Senate seat in Alabama that has been reliably Republican for many years," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua, referring to the recent loss of a GOP senate seat.

"Combined with Democratic gains ...it suggests the political terrain has shifted against the GOP," he added.

MUCH-NEEDED TAX WIN

The GOP-led Congress this week passed a sweeping 1.5-trillion-U.S.-dollar tax overhaul, which cuts taxes for corporations, small businesses and individuals. The bill amounts to the biggest tax revamp in three decades, and was a much-needed legislative win after Trump's earlier failure to pass a massive healthcare bill.

But experts said this triumph may be short-lived, as it remains unknown whether the GOP will continue to control Congress after next year's midterm elections.

"Trump is very unpopular in most parts of the country and is likely to be a drag on Republican candidates," West said of the 2018 Congressional elections.

"It will be hard for them to separate themselves from the chief executive as Democrats will turn them into Siamese twins with Trump," West said of Democrats' strategy of linking all GOP candidates to the White House.

"Even the passage of the tax cut may not change this problem, because public opinion is negative on the bill. Most see it as a giveaway to corporations and wealthy individuals and not one that will help the middle class," West said.

Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of Congress and the Presidency, told Xinhua: "It's not looking good for the GOP in 2018."

First, the party of the incumbent president has historically faced challenges during any president's first midterm election and often control of Congress changes hands at that point.

Second, recent elections in the states of New Jersey, Virginia, and Alabama have seen even moderate Republicans and conservatively-inclined, educated independents not backing the GOP, according to polls.

And third, the continued emphasis by some, including Trump, to focus solely on Trump's base, bodes ill for a party that sorely needs to expand its reach.

INFRASTRUCTURE OVERHAUL AHEAD

"If the GOP does lose Congress, President Trump will have to figure out how to build bridges with a Democratic Congress that will have a Democratic base that wants to see zero cooperation with the Trump administration," Mahaffee said.

Still, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, as both parties agree that the nation is in need of a major infrastructure upgrade.

"The one issue where there is a possibility of bipartisan agreement is infrastructure repair. That long has been an issue Democrats have wanted to address. If Trump reaches out to Democrats, there is a chance of the two parties agreeing on that area," West said.

Indeed, Trump is expected to release the details of his massive infrastructure plan in January.

Trump vowed in his presidential election race that he would propose a 1-trillion-dollar infrastructure overhaul plan during his first three months in office, but the plan got held up amid efforts to pass a healthcare bill and this week's tax revamp.

Trump is expected to release a detailed plan for upgrading airports, roads, bridges infrastructure ahead of his State of the Union address, which is slated for Jan. 30, according to a Bloomberg report.

But with all the bitter partisan rivalry in Washington for nearly a decade now, Trump's chances of reaching across the aisle to Democrats may be slim, experts said.

"Infrastructure ... could be an area for cooperation, but it's such a politically toxic environment now for cooperation," Mahaffee said.

But at the same time, there are signs that Trump is trying to stave off a knock-down, drag-out fight between the two parties by attempting to cut a deal on infrastructure.

On Friday, Trump posted a message on social media platform Twitter that he was willing to work with the opposition.

"At some point, and for the good of the country, I predict we will start working with the Democrats in a Bipartisan fashion," Trump tweeted Friday morning.

"Infrastructure would be a perfect place to start. After having foolishly spent $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is time to start rebuilding our country!" the president wrote.

The Washington Post also reported Friday that GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is considering infrastructure overhaul as the next bill the GOP should work on, as it's an area on which both parties can agree.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-24 01:41:11|Editor: Chengcheng

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ATHENS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- An elderly woman was found dead in snow on Saturday, and an aground freighter was rescued in the Agean Sea, as a cold front sweeps across Greece.

The 80-year-old victim went missing on Friday. Her body was found near her home in northern Peloponnese peninsula, southern Greece, according to local authorities.

Meanwhile, the 12-member crew of the freighter which ran aground off Mykonos island in the Aegean sea was rescued.

The Panama-flagged freighter LITTLE SEYMA, with nine Ukrainians and three Azeris on board, was transferring 2,700 tons of flour from Russia to Cyprus, when it ran aground. The mariners have been safely transferred to Mykonos, the Coast Guard said.

With wind velocity reaching up to eight on the Beaufort scale since Friday, many ferryboats have remained docked at ports across Greece.

Temperatures throughout the country have lowered to between zero and 10 degrees Celsius. The low temperatures along with intense snowfall and heavy rainfall have worsened the traffic conditions, which have been already strained during a peak time for the Christmas holidays.

Civil protection authorities have cautioned motorists in press announcements to put snow chains on their vehicles, as meteorologists forecast more ice on roads in the coming days and a probable White Christmas.

Municipal authorities have opened heated halls to provide shelter, blankets, medical aid and food to the homeless during the cold front.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-24 01:41:12|Editor: Xiang Bo

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Residents on a raft try to cross a river after a flood by tropical storm Tembin in Lanao del Norte province, the Philippines, Dec. 23, 2017. Scores of people have been killed or missing and over 50,000 displaced after severe tropical storm Tembin pounded southern Philippines, flooding large swaths of the region and causing landslides, officials said Saturday.(Xinhua)

MANILA, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from mudslides and flooding triggered by tropical storm Tembin has risen to 200, police said here late Saturday night.

Tembin has also left dozens of others missing as it has been pounding the southern Philippines and dumping torrential rains in its way since early Friday.

In a report, Superintendent Lemuel Gonda of the provincial Philippine National Police (PNP) said 135 people have died in Northern Mindanao and 47 in Zamboanga Peninsula during the storm.

Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said 18 people were also killed in the ARMM region.

Of the 135 killed in Northern Mindanao, 127 people were from Lanao del Norte, six from Bukidnon, one from Iligan, and one from Misamis Occidental. About 72 others are still missing, the police said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is still culling reports from the storm-ravaged region.

NDRRNC spokeswoman Romina Marasigan earlier said that the agency has received unofficial reports of 75 people who have died and 58 people missing in the region.

"These are consolidated reports but these are subject to validation," Marasigan said.

In its latest forecast, the state weather bureau Pagasa said that severe tropical storm Tembin made a landfall in Baalbac, Palawan Saturday night. It warned that the storm "may intently turn into a typhoon before exiting the Philippines" on Sunday.

"Scattered to widespread, moderate to heavy rains will prevail over Palawan, while scattered light to moderate with at times of heavy rains are expected over the western section of Visayas and Mindanao within 24 hours," the bureau said.

The bureau also warned more flooding and landslides, and reiterated that sea travels remains risky.

Tembin battered the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Friday, triggering floods and mudslides in the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-24 05:21:35|Editor: Chengcheng

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ALGIERS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- As many as 483 Algerian public and private companies of different specialities are exhibiting their products at the 26th National Production Fair in the capital Algiers, amid efforts of the oil-rich nation to export non-hydrocarbon products.

Algeria is suffering from a financial crisis as its foreign reserves have dropped to fewer than 100 billion U.S. dollars, which is in part caused by the oil prices plunge in recent years.

The government has recently banned more than 900 products from being imported, in a move to encourage local production and curb the increasing import bills.

Private and state companies are encouraged through a set of tax enhancements to level up the quality of their products and ultimately make them competitive enough to be exported.

In fact, several private companies active in the sectors of agri-food and household appliances have already managed to export their products.

Ismail Mehdi, a sale executive at household appliance company Brandt, told Xinhua that the company has managed to export some of its locally made products such as refrigerators and washing machines.

"We have hit remarkable export turnover this year, as we are the first household appliance operator in terms of export," he said.

Brandt is set to open a new factory in Setif Province, which is considered the trade capital of Algeria, to export more of its products in 2018, Mehdi noted.

Olive oil is another potential product for export, as some private operators have made noticeable advances in this sector.

Boudjemaa, an owner of an agri-food firm, said olive oil will become a significant wealth source for Algeria, as there are vast swathes of fertile lands that could be used to plant olive trees.

"All the world is looking for this substance. We have to work more to improve not only the quality and pressing methods, but also attractive packaging," he said.

Algeria now only exports 5 or 6 percent of its olive oil products, according to the businessman.

Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia has encouraged local companies, both public and private, to increase their production quality to satisfy local demand and enter foreign markets.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-24 05:56:39|Editor: Chengcheng

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TIRANA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The largest opposition party in Macedonia, VMRO-DPMNE, elected late Saturday Hristijan Mickoski as its new party leader.

Mickoski, current VMRO-DPMNE secretary general, was elected at the party's extraordinary congress, garnering the votes of 376 delegates out of 428 that attended the voting.

Mickoski, the only candidate running for the party leader post, replaced former prime minister and VMRO-DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski.

The new leader said in his address at congress that his main goal was to consolidate the party to score a victory at the next elections.

"Now is the time to be united to meet the expectations and demands of VMRO-DPMNE and Macedonia. New energy is required as our citizens wish for brightness and hope," Mickoski said.

Mickoski further noted that Macedonia's future is within the European Union and NATO, while he stressed that the country should make real progress and resolve the problems via dialogue.

VMRO-DPMNE delegates attending the congress declared Gruevski for the party's honorary leader.

Gruevski resigned few days ago, taking over responsibility for the loss in the last elections that send VMRO-DPMNE to opposition.
AEPC gets $3m ADB grant to install 10 power plants

Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) with support from Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been working to install wind-solar mini grid power plants in 10 different locations across the country.
Rose Reyes, left, receives items from Davis High School junior Jordyn Hilton, a member of the schools Interact Club, to fill a box of food from the Salvation Army in Yakima, Wash. Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017. The distribution was one of many efforts in the Yakima Valley to help families in need during the Christmas season. (SHAWN GUST/Yakima Herald-Republic)
West Valley High School's National Honor Society took on a service project to assist the Rod's House teen homeless shelter after school on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017. Johanna Shieh, left, and Mary Gerhardstein, right, both seniors at West Valley, cook lasagna for the project. More than 60 members of the National Honor Society brought donations or helped make the meal. WVHS NHS chapter president Miah Robert hopes to make cooking a meal for Rod's House a monthly project for the group. (FREIDA RAJ/West Valley High School)
YORK  The elderly woman, the second defendant in a case where she and her 80-year-old husband were allegedly transporting $336,000 worth of marijuana they said was intended as Christmas gifts, has not been jailed.

York County Sheriffs Lt. Paul Vrbka said Barbara Jiron was cited in the case but was not jailed due to some medical issues.

It has also been clarified that Barbara Jirons age is 70. The sheriffs department inadvertently originally said her age was 83.

Her husband, Patrick Jiron, was taken into custody and booked into the York County Jail on charges of possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver and having no drug tax stamp. He has since posted 10 percent of his $100,000 bond and has been released.

This case began on Tuesday when deputies with the York County Sheriffs Department stopped the Jirons Toyota Tacoma on Interstate 80, near the Bradshaw exit, after they allegedly saw the vehicle going over the center line and the driver failing to signal.

Lt. Vrbka said when they initiated the traffic stop, deputies could immediately smell the strong odor of raw marijuana. Dundee, the countys drug dog, alerted to the presence of a controlled substance and a search was conducted.

Lt. Vrbka said the Jirons acknowledged that the marijuana was in the back of the pickup, under a topper, and deputies found 60 pounds of marijuana inside boxes. Because the marijuana was such high grade, the street value was equally high.

The couple told investigators, according to Lt. Vrbka, that they were traveling from California to Vermont and they intended to give away the marijuana as Christmas presents.

Vrbka said they also told deputies they didnt know it was illegal to transport marijuana in Nebraska.
SATURDAY 12/23

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Saturday at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

MONDAY 12/25

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Monday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

TUESDAY 12/26

>> Sexaholics Anonymous, a 12 Step recovery group for those dealing with addiction to pornography, sex, and other forms of lust, meets Tuesday nights at 5:45 p.m. For more information please call our toll free number 1-877-889-8071 or visit sanebraska.org.

WEDNESDAY 12/27

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Wednesday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

THURSDAY 12/28

>> Weight Watchers meets in the basement of the York Towne House, 5th & Grant Ave., each Thursday. Weigh in 5:15 - 5:45 p.m.; Member meeting 5:45 - 6:15 p.m.

>> AL-ANON meets Thursday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

>> Narcotics Anonymous meets Thursday at 8 p.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in the Annex building.

>> A Red Cross Bloodmobile will be at the American Legion in Fairmont on Thursday, Dec. 28 from 12:30 - 6 p.m.

FRIDAY 12/29

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Friday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

>> A Red Cross Bloodmobile will be at York General Hospital on Friday, Dec. 29 from 10:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

SATURDAY 12/30

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Saturday at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

MONDAY 1/1

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Monday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

TUESDAY 1/2

>> Sexaholics Anonymous, a 12 Step recovery group for those dealing with addiction to pornography, sex, and other forms of lust, meets Tuesday nights at 5:45 p.m. For more information please call our toll free number 1-877-889-8071 or visit sanebraska.org.

WEDNESDAY 1/3

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Wednesday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

THURSDAY 1/4

>> Weight Watchers meets in the basement of the York Towne House, 5th & Grant Ave., each Thursday. Weigh in 5:15 - 5:45 p.m.; Member meeting 5:45 - 6:15 p.m.

>> AL-ANON meets Thursday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

>> Narcotics Anonymous meets Thursday at 8 p.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in the Annex building.

FRIDAY 1/5

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Friday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

SATURDAY 1/6

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Saturday at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

MONDAY 1/8

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Monday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

TUESDAY 1/9

>> Sexaholics Anonymous, a 12 Step recovery group for those dealing with addiction to pornography, sex, and other forms of lust, meets Tuesday nights at 5:45 p.m. For more information please call our toll free number 1-877-889-8071 or visit sanebraska.org.

>> Centennial will host a Mobile Blood Drive on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

WEDNESDAY 1/10

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Wednesday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

>> Sheila Bjerrum, director of Home Health at Midwest Covenant Home will share information on the home health services they provide, at Wednesday morning coffee on Jan. 10, at the Gresham community center.

THURSDAY 1/11

>> Weight Watchers meets in the basement of the York Towne House, 5th & Grant Ave., each Thursday. Weigh in 5:15 - 5:45 p.m.; Member meeting 5:45 - 6:15 p.m.

>> AL-ANON meets Thursday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.

>> Narcotics Anonymous meets Thursday at 8 p.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in the Annex building.

FRIDAY 1/12

>> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Friday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York.
Living Section

Wellton, Arizona - Share your love of books and reading! The Wellton Library Book Club will meet Friday, January 5th and 19th, at 10:00 a.m. All are welcome to attend.

Friday, January 5th @ 10:00 a.m.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult



Friday, January 19th @ 10:00 a.m.

The Dressmakers Dowry by Meredith Jaegar



Books are available for checkout at the service desk at the Wellton Library, located at 28790 San Jose Avenue in Wellton, AZ. For more information, call (928) 785-9575.
Living Section

San Luis, Arizona - Teen anime enthusiasts are invited to the San Luis Library on Wednesday, January 3rd, for the Anime Club New Year Summit at 4:00 p.m. Celebrate the New Year with anime, video games, Japanese crafts, and more! Meet other anime fans, and find out more about our weekly anime events.

There is no charge to attend.



The San Luis Library is located at 1075 N 6th Avenue in San Luis, Arizona. For more information, call (928) 627-8344.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - On December 27, 2017, officers from the Yuma Police Department and community members will come together in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, build relationships and drink coffee.

The event is being held between 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at Coffee Bean, 2450 S. 4th Avenue. All Community members are invited to attend.

Coffee with a Cop provides a unique opportunity for community members to ask questions and learn more about the departments work in the City of Yuma neighborhoods.

The majority of contacts law enforcement has with the public happen during emergencies or emotional situations. Those situations are not always the most effective times for relationship building with the community and some community members may feel that officers are unapproachable on the street. Coffee with a Cop breaks down barriers and allows for a relaxed, one-on-one interaction.

Coffee with a Cop is a national initiative supported by The United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Similar events are being held across the country, as local police departments strive to make lasting connections with the communities they serve.

The program aims to advance the practice of community policing through improving relationships between police officers and community members one cup of coffee at a time.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - Yuma Fire Departments firefighters, deployed to help with California wildfires, have returned home! They were notified early Thursday afternoon that they were being demobilized later in the day, and began the process that ended with them beginning their trip back to Yuma. They arrived back in Yuma after midnight this morning.

Yumas firefighters, working as a part of an Imperial Valley Task Force, first left for assignment to the Creek Fire on Tuesday December 5th. Since then the Task Force was reassigned to the Thomas Fire in Ventura, CA. The first crew of firefighters were relieved and replaced by fresh personnel on Tuesday December 19th.

YFD firefighters worked 24 hour shifts (24 hrs. on and 24hrs. off) protecting homes and dealing with spot fires in their assigned areas. Their duties involved significant amounts of hiking in varying terrains. Our firefighters were part of an effort involving more than 8000 fire personnel.

All YFD personnel are returning back to their regular duty assignments. Those who returned back last night from our department were Fire Captain Brian Friar, Fire Engineer Jesse Townley, Firefighter Alex Diaz, and Firefighter Leo Gonzales. We are glad to have them back (especially in time for Christmas!) and congratulate them on a job well done!

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the Fire Service personnel, their families, and others who have been affected by and have lost so much in this seasons wildfires.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - City of Yuma Road Report, December 22. A weekly list of City projects or encroachment permits authorized by the City of Yuma affecting busy streets.

Westbound I-8 - Caltrans

Caltrans closed the right lane of westbound Insterstate 8 (I-8) from Giss Parkway to approximately Sidewinder Road effective Friday, Dec. 22, to repair a bridge expansion joint over the Colorado River. This lane closure begins in Yuma and crosses over into California. It will be in place for approximately a month. Motorists may experience delays. More details will be included in the web version of this Road Report as soon as they become available.

Main Street, 2nd to 3rd - SW Gas

Gas service replacement will take place on Main Street between 2nd Street and 3rd Street. Current scheduled dates are 5 a.m. Dec. 27 through end of business Dec. 28. The contractor will be contacting customers and affected businesses directly.

Ridgeview Drive, 22nd St.

A contractor will be working along Ridgeview Drive, requiring a closure of that roadway between 22nd Street and Parkway Drive. The road closure will be in place starting the morning of Dec. 26 through Jan. 12. Signs will be posted for approaching traffic to alert them to the road closure and show them to detours, such as 14th Avenue.

4th Avenue, 20th Place - complete

The roadway is to open by end of day on Dec. 22, 2017.

I-8, Araby Road - ADOT (new work)

Drivers on Araby Road south of Interstate 8 will see occasional delays next week as Arizona Department of Transportation crews install a new radar detection system to regulate the traffic signals at Araby and 32nd Street. The radar detection system will replace an aging loop detection system in the pavement at the intersection.

Periodic lane restrictions are expected during the work, which is scheduled for 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. starting Monday, Dec. 18, and continuing through Friday, Dec. 22. Signal timing in the intersection may also be altered during the work. Drivers should approach the intersection with caution.

The site is just south of the Araby Road interchange with I-8. Work on the project to replace signalized intersections with modern roundabouts is on hold until spring to accommodate commercial vehicles hauling winter produce.

Arizona Avenue, 16th-20th streets

Century Link will be accessing manholes on Arizona Avenue. Locations are just north of 16th Street and at 20th Street. Lane restrictions will be in effect in work zones.

28th Street, near 4th Avenue

Crews will need access to a manhole off of 4th Avenue, at a location between 28th and 29th streets, which will lead to a partial road closure on 28th Street while the project is underway. The project will also require some overhead utility work in the area. The project is slated to take place between Nov. 9 and Jan. 9. Signs will be posted in the area to alert traffic to the work zone and the lane closure.

13th Street, near 2nd Avenue

A project to tap into existing sewers, water lines and storm drains will lead to the closure of 13th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue to begin as early as Oct. 27 and to end by Jan. 31. Signs will be posted while the work is underway to alert drivers of the road closure and of detours in the area, such as going through 2nd Avenue to 12th Street or using 1st Avenue.

County 14th Street, Avenues 4E - 5E

There will be a road closure on County 14th Street (56th Street) between Avenue 4E and Avenue 5E for a total of no more than 90 days as set up gas service for a new facility. The project is anticipated to begin as early as Oct. 27 and is to be completed by Jan. 31. When crews are in the work zone, signs will be posted to alert drivers of the closure along County 14th Street as they approach the area. Signs will also be set up in the area to show drivers through to detours.

3rd Avenue, 9th Street - SW Gas

Crews will be replacing a gas main line located near 3rd Avenue and 9th Street. The work is anticipated to end by Dec. 28. While work is underway to replace the gas line, 9th Street will be closed between Orange Avenue and 2nd Avenue. No right turns will be allowed for drivers on Orange Avenue in either direction. Additionally, 3rd Avenue will be closed between 8th and 9th streets. Signs will be posted to alert drivers to the work zone. Northbound and southbound traffic can detour using 4th or 2nd avenues, and westbound and eastbound traffic can detour through 8th or 10th streets.

3rd Street, 13th Avenue

13th Avenue will be closed between 3rd and 2nd streets for a groundbed replacement. Traffic on 3rd Street will not be able to turn onto 13th Avenue while the project is underway, and instead will be asked to detour through 14th or 15th streets. The road is anticipated to reopen by the end of January 2018.

I-8 west of 4th Ave. - Caltrans (updated)

Caltrans crews continue to work on the reconstruction of Interstate-8 in Imperial County, west of Yuma. Recently, crews reduced traffic to a single lane on westbound I-8 between Sidewinder Road and about a mile west of Ogilby Road. Both travel directions have been switched to the I-8 eastbound lanes divided by k-rail. In addition, the westbound on- and off-ramps at Ogilby Road (exit 159) are closed to traffic. Signs have been placed to alert motorists to the ramp closures and to alternate routes.

The I-8 Corridor is a major pavement rehabilitation project consisting of five segments that will construct Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) over 48 miles on Interstate 8 in Imperial County. The work will result in a long-lasting superior roadway, capable of withstanding the heaviest traffic loads. Construction began in 2016 on three of the five segments. Work will be completed by 2019.

4th Avenue gateway - ADOT

ADOT is making improvements to the state facility at 4th Avenue and 1st Street. Lane restrictions are in place. The $773,000 improvement project will last approximately seven months. ADOT will add a right-turn lane and a 10-ft. wide, colored-concrete shared-use path from 1st Avenue along the east side of 4th Avenue to the existing Yuma Canal Bridge. The project also includes upgrading and refurnishing existing lighting, installing signage, landscaping and rehabilitating the Yuma Crossing concrete historic land marker.

Winsor Avenue area - SW Gas

Southwest Gas will be conducting gas main replacement along Winsor Avenue, Torrey Pine Circle and Laguna Place, reducing lanes on those streets in work zones. Work is expected to be complete by Dec. 26.

City Street Maintenance

Asphalt maintenance crews will conduct operations in the following locations during the week of Dec. 25-29 as well as the week of Jan. 1-5:
After all these years

Dont wear that dress, people will throw rocks at you, *Mina Pradhans father tells her as she dons her aunts richly coloured kira, or womens traditional dress, on the morning of December 17.
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- The direct enforcement of the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) and of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) on the statutes of limitation for criminal liability will have consequences on 557 cases under criminal prosecution and before the courts in which the estimated

- The Prosecutors Section of the Superior Council of the Magistrates (CSM) warns that the decision delivered by the top court on the enforcement of the Constitutional Court rulings regarding the criminal statutes of limitation will result in the termination of criminal trials and the clearing of criminal

- The full bench of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (Supreme Court, ed. n.) decided on Tuesday that the decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) on the limitation period applies retroactively. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook

- President Klaus Iohannis declared, on Thursday, that the new justice laws that were recently adopted by Parliament are good and he indicated that he would promulgate them if they pass the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR). Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro

- President Klaus Iohannis stated on Thursday, in respect to the modification brought to the Government Emergency Ordinance on energy that the MPs expect several clarifications from experts, as well as the European Commission's standpoint regarding the gas price capping proposal. Fii la curent

- Prosecutor General Gabriela Scutea stated on Thursday that the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) continued last year to obtain good results in the investigation of high corruption cases, although the amendments made to the laws of justice between 2017-2019 represent a major obstacle to the

- Acting President of the Senate Alina Gorghiu will be visiting the Republic of Moldova, Wednesday to Thursday, where she will meet with the President of the Parliament, Igor Grosu, with the priorities of bilateral cooperation in areas of common interest on the agenda of discussions, a Senate press

- The draft justice laws, under debate in the Parliament, took into account the opinions of the Venice Commission and were drawn up after consultation with the European partners, respectively with the European Commission, the Minister of Justice, Catalin Predoiu, said on Thursday. Fii la curent
Ranchi: A special CBI court in Ranchi set to deliver on Saturday the verdict in a case related to Rs 1,000-crore fodder scam in which RJD chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. Accompanied by his younger son and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, Tejaswi Yadav, the RJD chief arrived in Ranchi on Friday evening.

Here's all that you need to know about the case:-

-Lalu Yadav will present himself in the court of CBI special judge Shivpal Singh during pronouncement of the verdict in the case RC 64(A)/96, which pertains to the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 90 lakh from Deoghar district treasury between 1994 and 1996.

-Yadav, 69, was Bihar chief minister during those years.

-''I have full faith in the judiciary,'' he said after reaching here.

-The case relates to embezzling of more than Rs. 89 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

-The veteran Bihar politician has already been convicted in another fodder scam case that cost him his Lok Sabha seat and disqualified him from contesting elections.

-If convicted, Lalu will be immediately taken into custody.

-In October 2013, when he was first convicted in a related fodder scam case, he had to spend two months in jail before he got bail from the Supreme Court.

-In this case, Lalu Yadav faces accusations that as the Chief Minister and Finance Minister back in the nineties, he kept the file for an inquiry against the mastermind of the scam pending for 16 months and gave three other officials extensions despite objections from bureaucrats.

-Lalu was aware of the scam but allowed the loot to continue by his inaction, the CBI has alleged.

-Besides Lalu Yadav, former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra and 19 others are also accused in the case.

-Of the 34 people initially accused in the case, 11 died during the course of the trial, while one turned approver and admitted to the crime.

-The hearing in the case concluded on December 13 and all accused were asked to remain present in court for the judgement.

-In 2014, the Jharkhand High Court had given relief to the former Bihar Chief Minister and others by dropping charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and prevention of corruption.

-The court had quashed the cases on the grounds that a person convicted in one case could not be tried in similar cases based on same witnesses and evidence.

-In May this year, the Supreme Court ruled that Lalu Yadav will have to stand trial in all the fodder scam cases, setting aside the high court order that dropped cases charges against the former Bihar chief minister.

-The former chief minister of Bihar had been charged in several cases related to the scam, in which Rs. 900 crore were embezzled from the state exchequer for fictitious medicines and fodder for cattle over a period of 20 years.

-The CBI began probing the case in 1996.

-Over 50 cases were registered for embezzlement of funds on the pretext of buying fodder for cattle, among others.
NEW DELHI: In a major blow to the Bihar's Yadav clan, a special CBI court on Saturday convicted former state Chief Minister Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a fodder scam case 21 years after it had surfaced, while acquitting six others including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

Special judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

There were 34 accused in the case and 11 died during the trial, while one turned CBI approver and admitted to the crime. The 16 convicted people include three former IAS officials Phoolchand Mandal, Beck Julius and Mahesh Prasad.

The CBI judge first read the six names who were acquitted. The acquitted people include Mishra, former Bihar Minister Vidya Sagar Nisad and then Public Accounts Committee chairman Dhruva Bhagat.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3.

In another setback to the family, the Enforcement Directorate today filed a chargesheet against Lalu's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband.

ED counsel Nitesh Rana filed the charge sheet before the court of Special Judge N K Malhotra.

The probe agency had earlier attached a Delhi farmhouse in connection with its money laundering probe against Bharti and her husband, Shailesh Kumar.

Lalu and Mishra are already convicted in a fodder scam case in 2013 and are out on bail. Both are accused in four fodder scam cases. The trial in two other cases is going on in special CBI courts of Ranchi.

The farmhouse, located at 26, Palam Farms in south Delhi's Bijwasan area was attached provisionally under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

After the court's verdict today, RJD supremo Lalu was immediately taken into the police custody and was taken to Ranchi's Birsa Munda Central Jail.

Soon after the court's verdict, Lalu's younger son Tejashwi Yadav that the fodder scam verdict depicts a conspiracy by BJP and Bihar CM Nitish to defame the RJD chief.

"We will challenge the verdict in the High Court. The process of bail will take place once the High Court is opened. Today`s conviction shows a conspiracy by the BJP and Nitish Kumar to defame Lalu Prasad and put him behind bars. This is not the final judgment as we still have High Court and Supreme Court and the final verdict will be given by the Apex Court," Tejashwi said.

Meanwhile, senior RJD leader Jagdanand Singh said the party was united and waiting for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when its workers and leaders would fulfil the dreams of Prasad, who fought for social justice.

"The party will continue with its fight and struggle for social justice, right from the streets to Parliament, under the leadership of Tejashwi Prasad Yadav," he said, while appealing to the partymen to register their protest in a peaceful manner.

Besides Lalu Prasad, the court convicted political leaders Jagdish Sharma and R K Rana, IAS officers Beck Julius, Phoolchand Singh and Mahesh Prasad, and government officials Krishna Kumar and Subir Bhattacharya. The others are suppliers/transporters Tripurari Mohan Prasad, Sushil Kumar Sinha, Sunil Kumar Sinha, Raja Ram Joshi, Gopinath Das, Sanjay Agarwal, Jyoti Kumar Jha and Sunil Gandhi.

In 1996, the Patna High Court ordered an inquiry into the fodder scam cases and a charge sheet in the Deogarh treasury case was filed against 38 people on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07.

The accused faced charges under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Ahead of the verdict, in Patna, Lalu Prasad's wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi had organised a special 'puja' at her official residence -- 10, Circular Road. His elder son Tej Pratap, a former Health Minister, also visited a temple in the morning to pray for his father.

On September 30, 2013, Lalu Prasad, Jagannath Mishra and several others had been convicted in another case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the early 1990s. Today's conviction is the second in the scam.

The Supreme Court had granted bail on December 13 that year to Lalu Prasad, who had been behind the bars for two months. He had moved the apex court challenging the order of the Jharkhand High Court which had dismissed his bail plea.

Lalu faces another three fodder scam cases for illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.97 crore from the Dumka Treasury, Rs 36 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury and Rs 184 crore from the Doranda treasury.

Lalu has been convicted in the case relating to embezzling of more than Rs 89 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994. The fodder scam involved the embezzlement of about Rs 900 crore from the Bihar exchequer.

The corruption scheme involved the fabrication of 'vast herds of fictitious livestock for which fodder, medicines and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procured over a period of 20 years'.
PATNA: Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was on Saturday convicted in fodder scam by a special CBI court in Ranchi. The court will announce the sentencing on January 3, 2018.

After the verdict, Lalu was immediately taken into custody.

Special CBI judge Shivapal Singh acquitted former chief minister Jagannath Mishra as well as six others in the case. However, fourteen were found guilty by the court.

The case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 84.5 lakh from Deoghar district treasury.

Meanwhile, reacting to his conviction, Lalu said that he is not alone in his fight for what is right. "Lalu is not alone in this dharma yudh, entire Bihar stands together," he tweeted.

"Truth can be made to appear as a lie, as ambiguous or a half lie by concerted onslaught of bias driven propaganda. But blurred layer of bias and hatred will still be removed, come what may! In end Truth will win. A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. ....But still prevails...In the end though," Lalu tweeted.

The RJD chief also claimed that he is being deliberately punished by people in the 'powerful classes'. "Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes. And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished," he said.

"Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and caste-ist minds. No one should expect any different treatment," he added.

In October 2013, when he was first convicted in a related fodder scam case, he had to spend two months in jail before he got bail from the Supreme Court.

In this case, Lalu Yadav faces accusations that as the chief minister and finance minister back in the nineties, he kept the file for an inquiry against the mastermind of the scam pending for 16 months and gave three other officials extensions despite objections from bureaucrats.

Lalu was aware of the scam but allowed the loot to continue by his inaction, the CBI had alleged.

The hearing in the case concluded on December 13 and all accused were asked to remain present in court for the judgement.

Earlier, Lalu Prasad was convicted and sentenced to five-year imprisonment in one of the five cases for which he is being tried in the fodder scam.

In 2014, the Jharkhand High Court had given relief to the former Bihar Chief Minister and others by dropping charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and prevention of corruption.

The court had quashed the cases on the grounds that a person convicted in one case could not be tried in similar cases based on same witnesses and evidence.

In May 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that Lalu Yadav will have to stand trial in all the fodder scam cases, setting aside the high court order that dropped cases charges against the former Bihar chief minister.

The former chief minister of Bihar had been charged in several cases related to the scam, in which Rs. 900 crore were embezzled from the state exchequer for fictitious medicines and fodder for cattle over a period of 20 years.

The CBI began probing the case in 1996.

Over 50 cases were registered for embezzlement of funds on the pretext of buying fodder for cattle, among others.
Mumbai: Bestselling author Pankaj Dubey wants to cast Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Sushant Singh Rajput and Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the film adaptation of his new book Love Curry.

In the past, Dubey has produced Indie films like Geelee and Naach Ganesh, and made a short film titled Maratha Mandir Cinema featuring actress Sarika and actor-lyricist Swanand Kirkire.

"I have already started scripting the film and thinking about the casting. As the story is mainly about three boys from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, I want to cast Sushant, Fawad for the two of them," Dubey told IANS.

"For the female lead, I think Alia can play the part. Let's see how the casting goes," he added.

Dubey launched the book on Friday night.

The story of Love Curry revolves around three guys from three different continents who live in the UK and how they go through a journey of their life, love and cultural identity.

Though the book is a light read, asked what made him bring the element of identity struggle of South Asians in a western country, Dubey said, "I lived in London for quite some time for my study and work. I have seen how people are narrating their story of identity struggle."

"Though the time has changed drastically and thanks to the internet, people know that India is not a country of snake charmers anymore, there are snob people with disinterest and misconception regarding our culture."

"But at the same time, I do not want to treat the issue with so much seriousness, rather wanted to focus on how these three guys, who are otherwise fighting against each other as Indian and Pakistani unite as one in a western country," Dubey added.
CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) workers on Saturday gathered at the Chennai International Airport for the grand welcome of A Raja and Kanimozhi, who were recently acquitted in the 2G scam case.

Chennai: Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi reaches father Karunanidhi's residence in Gopalapuram after being acquitted in #2GScam pic.twitter.com/RsTWasQOaF  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

The airport was all decked up with party flags in order to mark their return from Delhi.

Tamil Nadu: DMK workers & supporters gather at Chennai Airport as Kanimozhi & A. Raja arrive, they were recently acquitted in the #2GScam case. pic.twitter.com/2vdLA3VdE4  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

The party supporters also gathered near the residence of M Karunanidhi in Gopalapuram. They celebrated by beating drums and dancing to their pleasure.

Tamil Nadu: DMK workers & supporters also gather near M.Karunanidhi's residence in Chennai's Gopalapuram for Kanimozhi's arrival. pic.twitter.com/DCDKOKLAjm  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

On Thursday, the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court had acquitted all the accused in the scam, including A Raja and another DMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi.

The CBI had announced it would challenge the verdict, citing the court may have had not appreciated the evidence in its proper perspective.

It would take legal opinion after going through the copy of the verdict pronounced by the Patiala House Court acquitting all the accused in the alleged multi-thousand crore rupee 2G spectrum allocation scam, the CBI had said.

Reactions from the probe agency came after Special Court Judge OP Saini had acquitted all 17 accused in all the cases filed by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The alleged scam on the issuance of licences and allocation of 2G spectrum by the Department of Telecom occurred during the Congress-led UPA government's first tenure in 2008 but was widely reported in 2010 following a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

In its chargesheet filed in April 2011 against Raja and others, the CBI had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum which were scrapped by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012.

All the accused facing trial in these cases had denied allegations levelled against them by the CBI and the ED.

The court had in October 2011 framed charges against them under various provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, using as genuine fake documents, abusing official position, criminal misconduct by public servant and taking a bribe.
By the horns

An old Disney short from the 1930s gets yanked out of the vault and given the modern Hollywood treatment in the new Ferdinand.
Raipur: The Raman Singh-led BJP government comfortably survived a no-confidence motion moved by Opposition Congress in the Chhattisgarh Assembly by 10 votes after a record 19-hour-long debate on it.

As many as 48 members voted against the motion while 38 polled in its favour. In the 90-member House, BJP has 49 members, Congress 39, BSP one and an independent.

The Congress had moved the motion on Wednesday, the second day of the winter session, expressing no confidence in the four-year-old BJP government.

The voting took place around 7 AM today after the conclusion of the debate on the motion that had begun at noon yesterday.

In his reply on the motion in the Assembly, which lasted for over an hour, Chief Minister Singh termed as "poor" the Opposition's charges and said the party has raked up the "same old issues" even this time.

As the motion was put to vote by Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal, Leader of Opposition T S Singhdeo demanded division, following which the Speaker announced voting in reference to the motion.

In his reply, the chief minister said his government has been continuously working for the development of the state.

"Proper development can be witnessed not only in the capital, but also in all the 27 districts, including Bijapur, Dantewda and Sukma," he said.

Several initiatives were taken to transform Chhattisgarh into a digital state, he claimed.

Under the Bharat Net Yojana, the Centre recently sanctioned Rs 1,624 crore to Chhattisgarh as a part of which a network of optical fibre will be laid across the state, Singh said.

"The project will ensure internet connectivity in every panchayat, right from Balrampur to Bijapur and Raigarh to Rajnandgaon," he added.

The chief minister said that under the Bastar Net project, the state government has been laying optical fibre network to the tune of 800 km in Bastar division to enhance internet connectivity.

Moreover, under the SKY (Suchna Kranti Yojna) scheme, a target has been set to distribute 45-50 lakh smartphones to people in the state in the next eight months free of cost and more than 1,500 mobile towers will be set up in different parts of the state to enhance telecommunication connectivity, he added.

In an apparent reference to the Congress over the recent case of alleged circulation of a "sex CD" allegedly involving a state minister, Singh said he was pained to see the use of digital technology in "hatching a political conspiracy".

"We are encouraging digital kranti (revolution) by distributing smartphones in order to take Chhattisgarh into a digital age. On the other hand, a political conspiracy was openly hatched using the digital technology to destabilise a government. Killing anybody is easy, but it causes life-time pain if someone's character is assassinated," he said.

"Do we stoop to such a level in greed of power I think doing such kind of politics is bad. I am disappointed to see the standard of politics declining to such a level," the chief minister added.

Singh also listed the achievements under various schemes of his government.

Countering the Opposition's charges over the Agusta Westland and Panama Papers issues, he said the Agusta matter is in the Supreme Court and they should wait for the verdict to come. "If the Opposition members have some facts on these issues, they should submit it to the investigative agencies," he added.

"It is the confidence of the people in our government that we came to power for the third consecutive time. They (Congress) have been sitting in the opposition for the last 15 years and they also have to sit there for the next 15 years," he said.

He also dubbed as "poor" the Congress' 'charge-sheet', which was part of the no-confidence motion and said old issues have just been copy-pasted into it.

Earlier, while speaking in favour of the motion, Singhdeo said the state government has cheated the people by not fulfilling the promises made to them.

The Opposition party had brought 168-points 'charge- sheet' in the House as a part of its no-confidence motion moved against the government.

"The condition of the state is miserable. The state government has failed on multiple fronts. The roads lack quality, farmers are reeling under crises, there are no jobs under MNREGA, journalists are being attacked and chit fund companies duped the people to the tune of crores of rupees," Singhdeo alleged.

"No major agro-based industry was established in the state in the last 14 years, which can ensure a better price to the farmers against their products," he said.

Hitting out at the government for hiring "experts" under Chief Minister Good Governance Fellowship programme, he sought to know why there was a need to appoint such fellows on hefty salaries, when there are administrative officials.

He also attacked the BJP government over the Agusta Westland helicopter deal (2007), Panama Papers issue, among others. "People have lost confidence in the government after the alleged scams were unearthed," he said.

Singhdeo also took on the ruling BJP over a number of issues related to forest, health and mining.

After the discussion and voting on the no-trust motion, the speaker transacted other business of the House and adjourned the assembly sine die.

The BJP government recently completed the fourth year of its third consecutive term in office in the state, where assembly polls are due by 2018-end.
Mumbai: India`s first low-cost carrier Air Deccan took to the skies again on Saturday with its maiden flight taking off from Mumbai to Jalgaon.

As per schedule, the airline would also be flying to Pune from Nashik at 6.20 p.m. on Saturday.

Air Deccan's flight comes under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) which seeks to connect unserved and under-served airports as well as make flying more affordable.

The website has sold out all tickets under the Mumbai- Jalgaon route for the next few days. Although some tickets from Jalgaon to Mumbai are still available on the site starting December 30.

Air Deccan bagged 34 routes in the first round of bidding under UDAN. Besides Jalgaon, it would connect Nashik and Kolhapur.

The airline would be employing a Beechcraft 1900D, an 18-passenger twin-engine fixed-wing aircraft for the routes.

Headquartered in Bengaluru, Air Deccan was founded in 2003 by Gopinath, a retired Indian Army captain.

The airline had first launched its operations in August 2003 with a flight from Bengaluru to Hubballi, about 400km to the northwest of Bengaluru.

The company had merged with the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines in 2007 had later ceased its operations in 2008 owing to losses.

With Agency Inputs
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Medical Council has issued notices to nine doctors and two nurses of Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh in connection with medical negligence of case of a newborn who was falsely declared dead.

The council has asked the doctors and nurses to file a reply within 15 days.

The Delhi government has cancelled the license of the 250-bedded health institution's after its doctors on November 30 declared a newborn premature baby as dead even though he was alive.

The super speciality hospital has appealed to the authorities concerned to revoke cancellation of their licence. The hospitals had said in its appeal that the cancellation of licence had caused significant inconvenience to thousands of patients and local residents who did not have suitable alternatives for their medical needs in the vicinity.

"Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh on a monthly basis treats around 14,000 patients in the OPD, attends to over 1,600 emergency patients and additional 3,000 are treated in in-patient wards. In compliance of the cancellation order, not only did we have to turn down the OPD and new IPD (cases), but planned procedures such as 171 chemotherapies, 63 surgeries and 241 dialysis sessions had to be cancelled, rescheduled or transferred," the hospital had said.

The 22-week premature baby boy was declared dead by the hospital on November 30 and handed over to the parents in a plastic bag, along with his still-born sister.

However, the baby showed physical movements while being taken for burial. The baby was then admitted in north Delhi's Agarwal Nursing Home but died on December 6.
New Delhi: Cracking the whip on lax babus, the Women and Child Development Department of the Delhi government has now called for deducting the Casual Leave of any employee reaching office late.

According to the PTI, an order issued by Women and Child Development Department says that one casual leave will be deducted if every three time an employee reaches office after 9.45 am.

The defaulters will also be required to furnish a written explanation for their late arrival, it said.

The move comes after it came to light that a large number of officials posted at WCD Headquarters were reaching office after 9.45 am.

The department also issued a memorandum, directing all officers and officials to ensure punctuality in reaching their respective offices.

"As per the order, one day CL will be deducted for every three late comings after 9.45 am and the officer and officials will also submit the explanation," Deputy Director (admin) SK Srivastava said in the memorandum.

In case of non-availability of CL in the leave account of officials concerned, EL (earned leave) will be deducted, the memorandum said.

"Further, all the branch in-charges of WCD (HQ) are hereby directed to obtain the CL applications from the officers/official and directed to ensure punctuality of officers and officials working under their control," it stated.

With PTI inputs
New Delhi: Chilling details about the illicit activities of alleged 'godman' Virendra Dev Dikshit, who has been accused of running a sex racket and human trafficking, are coming out as the authorities continue raids at all of his ashrams spread in the national capital.

It has now come to light that 'Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya'  the controversial ashram run by the godman  was an unregistered society.

The Delhi High Court was on Friday told that the Rohini centre of the godman did not have any legal status following which the bench comprising Justice Geeta Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar gave the order for the inspection of all of his ashrams.

Among several startling findings made by the authorities, one claims that the devotees of the alleged godman were asked to sign affidavits similar to now-jailed Gurmeet Ram Rahim, stating that there was no pressure on them and that they have given themselves to the ashram out of their wish.

The Delhi Police officials, who raided the ashram, found barbed wire along the boundary walls, metal doors at every interval and several sacks filled with syringes and medicines.

Close to a hundred women, cut off from their families and the outside world, were found to living miserably in tiny cubicles of the Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya ashram in Rohini.

Most of them, who were rescued by the Delhi Police along with the Women and Child Welfare Department, were said to be confined there for nearly 25 years .

The ashram, operating for the past 25 years in Rohinis Vijay Vihar, is now at the centre of allegations of sexual assault, illegal confinement of women and men, use of narcotic substances to allegedly keep the women confined inside the premises.

The allegations came to light after a raid was conducted on Tuesday evening following a Delhi High Court order on a PIL filed by an NGO  Foundation for Social Empowerment.

The NGO had, in its petition, maintained that several minors and women were allegedly being illegally confined at the spiritual university.

The Delhi High Court had yesterday sought details about all eight ashrams of alleged 'godman' Virendra Dev Dikshit, who has been accused of sexual assault and forced confinement of minor girls.

The Delhi High Court directed the authorities to furnish details about all the ashrams of 'baba' Virendra Dev Dikshit at the earliest.

The court also indicated that a warrant would be issued against Virender Dev Dikshit, the head of the ashram, if details about his centres aren't submitted soon.

The Delhi High Court ordered the DCW, Delhi Police and two senior lawyers to inspect all his ashrams.

The step was taken after the Delhi High Court formed a panel consisting of lawyers and the DCW chief to inspect the premises of the ashram, owned by the Baba Virender Dikshit.

The residents of the area have alleged that these minors were "trapped" inside the ashram and were trained to work as sex workers.

"This place has been given the name of a University. Girls from this place were taken to some place in buses and there were trained as a sex labour. This place was a complete fraud and the girls who used to come here were not even allowed to meet their parents," one of the residents told ANI.

In the last 20-22 years, numerous complainants have approached the Police, but to no avail. I was also threatened for raising my voice in the media, but I was not afraid. I wanted to save innocent girls,'' said one of the neighbours of Baba Virendra Dev Dikshit's Ashram.

The Delhi High Court had earlier directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the ashram in Rohini where girls and women were allegedly being illegally imprisoned.

The inmates of the ashram were brought from various parts of the country.

(With Agency inputs)
NEW DELHI: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday will visit Gujarat and attend review meetings to analyse the party's showing in the assembly elections.

The party President, who will hold meetings with all the newly-elected MLAs, leaders and party workers, will start his three-day tour by visiting the Somnath Temple.

Congress along with its alies won 80 seats and restricted BJP to less 100 in a state it considers its fortress.

The party workers' meet will be held at Gujarat University Convention Hall at GNBC ground in Ahmedabad.

The Congress will analyse in detail why it failed to dislodge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has ruled Gujarat for 22 long years, and the road ahead.

Gandhi became the party President on December 16, two days before the results of Gujarat Assembly elections were declared.

(With inputs from agencies)
NEW DELHI: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited Gujarat's Somnath Temple ahead of holding review meetings with the newly-elected MLAs, leaders and party workers.

The meetings will aim at analysing the party's showing in the state assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Monday.

The President of the grand old party is on a three-day visit to Gujarat.

Congress along with its alies won 80 seats and restricted BJP to less 100 in a state it considers its fortress.

The party workers' meet will be held at Gujarat University Convention Hall at GNBC ground in Ahmedabad.

The Congress will analyse in detail why it failed to dislodge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has ruled Gujarat for 22 long years, and the road ahead.

Rahul became the party President on December 16, two days before the results of Gujarat Assembly elections were declared.
SHIMLA: The suspense over the next Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh may end on Sunday when the BJP Legislative Party meets and may announce a name.

BJP state President Satpal Satti told reporters here that the BJP legislative party will be meeting in the capital city on Sunday.

A senior BJP leader said the name of the new Chief Minister would be announced by party's central observers comprising Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar and state party in-charge Mangal Pandey.

Apart from Sitharaman and Tomar, the core group of Himachal BJP unit will also be present in the meeting, which is expected to begin at 12:30 tomorrow.

Several names, including those of Union Health Minister JP Nadda and five-time legislator Jairam Thakur have been doing the rounds.

Sitharaman and Tomar, along with Pandey, had met the newly elected legislators and the Members of Parliament to discuss the formation of the government and the Chief Minister.

After spending two days in Shimla, they returned to New Delhi and submitted their feedback to party President Amit Shah.

Five-time legislator Thakur has emerged as a key contestant in the Chief Ministerial race, with the party expected to take a final call at the BJP Legislative Party meet.

Party sources said central observers are expected to convey the name of the next Chief Minister approved by the party`s central leadership to the legislators and get it approved from them unanimously.

Other names doing the rounds are of party legislators Suresh Bhardwaj and Rajeev Bindal.

The name of two-time Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who faced a humiliating defeat in this election, has not been ruled out either.

The BJP won 44 seats in the 68-member assembly.
NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said an advisory has been issued to all states to ensure law and order during Christmas in the wake of fringe elements recently threatening some Christian community members against celebrating the festival.

A fringe group in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh had on December 17 issued a circular and threatened the management of all city schools against celebrating Christmas saying, if they did so, it would be "at their own risk".

When asked about it, Singh said an advisory has been issued to all the states so that there is no law and order issue. He also conveyed his greetings to the nation on Christmas.

"Any festival, whether it is Christmas, Ramzaan, Holi or Diwali, should be celebrated without any problems. Strict action would be taken if anyone tries to create ruckus during the festivals," the minister said on the sidelines of the 54th anniversary parade of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) here.

He said India is the only country that believes in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' -- a philosophy that inculcates an understanding that the whole world is one family.

"I believe that all people irrespective of any religion should celebrate each other's festivals in its true spirit with full enthusiasm," Singh said.
Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi attacked Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for their temple visits calling it a deliberate attent at marginalisation of Muslims.

"The temple-hopping which we have seen in the Gujarat election campaign was nothing but deliberate political marginalisation of Muslims of Gujarat which is not good for our democracy and polity in the long term," Owaisi said.

He claimed that both parties avoided conversations about Muslim empowerment and their representation in the election campaign for the Gujarat Assembly election.

"Both national parties, in no way, tried to give a message that they are interested in getting Muslim votes (in Gujarat). They deliberately avoided talking about Muslim empowerment and Muslim representation, and the proof is that BJP did not give a single ticket to a Muslim. Congress gave six tickets and only three are now elected," Owaisi said.

"They might win elections like this but our democracy will lose," he added.

Attacking the BJP and Congress leaders, he said he too will go to mosques and dargahs and wear the green flag. "A precedent has been made now. One cannot stop me from doing so, given that they are also using religion as vote bank," Owaisi said.

He added, "Arun Jaitley rightly said that BJP is an original Hindu party and they will not accept a duplicate. If such talks are taking place, then no one should object when there are similar talks from the other side tomorrow."

All top leaders including Prime minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, Congress President Rahul Gandhi made visits to numerous temples during campaigning for Gujarat elections.
Curfew clamped in Kalikot following tensions after Myadi's death

District administration has clamped a curfew in Kalikot district on Saturday due to tensions triggered by the death of a temporary policeman.
Islamabad/New Delhi: Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) is believed to have created a "special security team" to protect Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed who is wanted in India for masterminding the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

According to media reports, Saeed's LeT special security agents have been equipped with modern arms and ammunition.

Reports claimed that the specially trained LeT agents would provide round-the-clock security to Hafiz Saeed, even when he is travelling outside Lahore.

Hafiz Saeed was last clicked on Friday, surrounded by a heavy pose of security men, at the GT Road, Gujranwala, Pakistan where he had gone to give a 'Khutba' or sermon after Friday prayers.

Hafiz Saeed  a UN-designated global terrorist  was recently released after nearly ten months of house arrest following a Pakistan court order.

Hafiz Saeed has been issuing political comments and statements against the United States and Israel on the issues of Jerusalem and the future of the Palestine State.

The co-founder of LeT and the chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawa recently reacted strongly to US President Donald Trump's announcement to shift the American Embassy to Jerusalem, terming the decision pro-Zionist and anti-Muslim.

He warned President Trump that his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would evoke a strong reaction from the Muslim world and could possibly lead to a declaration of war across the Middle East.

On December 12, in Karachi, he stated that member countries of the International Human Rights bodies were active in trampling human rights and also condemned the silence of these institutions to the "oppression" of Muslims in Palestine and other parts of the world.

He further added that Israel in Palestine are "committing atrocities" and urged the Government of Pakistan not to become the victim of external forces and stand with Palestinians in their "freedom struggle".

The US has recently expressed concerns about JuD chief Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan in 2018.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) head and LeT founder had earlier confirmed that his organisation Jammat-ud-Dawa will contest the 2018 general elections in Pakistan under the banner of the Milli Muslim League, which is yet to be registered with the Election Commission.

"Saeed, who was released by Pakistan from house arrest last November resulting in an angry reaction from the US, was the "mastermind" of the Mumbai terrorist attacks and is leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

"It's a group that the US government considers to be a terror organisation. We have many conversations with the government of Pakistan. One of the things that happened recently was that this guy was held on house arrest. Pakistan released him from house arrest, and now there's word that he may be running for some sort of office," she said reporters here.

Saeed and the JuD were already banned by the UN while US has put USD 10 million bounty on the arrest of Hafiz Saeed.
NEW DELHI: Senior officials of the Indian and Chinese delegations have jointly agreed to address the border issues in an effective way so as to safeguard peace and tranquility in their respective border areas.

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi interacted with Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval on the issues pertaining to bilateral ties, border skirmishes and international and regional issues.

Both the leaders met at the 20th round of talks between Chinese and Indian special representatives on boundary issues, here on Friday, Xinhua reported.

The leaders said that relations between the world`s two most populous countries have maintained the momentum of steady development over the years.

"Both China and India should better manage and handle differences, in accordance with the `Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence` and in the spirit of mutual respect and accommodation of each other`s concerns", they said.

Both sides also agreed to settle border disputes very soon that will suit their fundamental interests.Yang and Doval also agreed to strengthen strategic communication and boost strategic mutual trust, so as to ensure cooperation in various fields and achieve common development.Jiechi is here to hold the 20th round of annual boundary negotiations with Doval.

He also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday.Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier reiterated that strong India-China relations were important to the entire world.

The meeting was held almost four months, after the 73-day-long military stand-off, between the troops of the two nations, ended at the Doklam plateau.Last time, Doval and Jiechi met during the BRICS summit in China`s Xiamen in September this year.
RANCHI: Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and 14 others have been convicted by a special CBI court in a fodder scam. Seven others including former chief minister Jagannath Mishra have been acquitted.

The RJD chief and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict. The sentencing in the case will be held on January 3.

Here is how politicians are reacted to the verdict:

Lalu Prasad: Truth can be made to appear as a lie, as ambiguous or a half lie by concerted onslaught of bias driven propaganda. But blurred layer of bias and hatred will still be removed, come what may! In end Truth will win. A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. ....But still prevails...In the end though.

Manoj Jha, RJD leader: I believe in judiciary but in this case, CBI was arranging prosecution. Legally admissible evidence provided by us were set aside. I know this regime, they have this typical Standard Operating Procedure-Try to make a deal with your opposition, if you fail...scare them. Want to tell them-Your end has begun.

Rashid Ali, Congress leader: Respect court's verdict on Lalu Prasad.

Sushil Modi, Bihar BJP: "I was one of the petitioner in fodder scam PIL which resulted in CBI inquiry & monitoring by Patna H Court. Today father, next who? Lalu knows? Whole family involved in corruption. Either fodder scam or benami property ?Today  Next LaRa ? Lalu had to go to jail becose of PIL filed by Sihivanand ,Lalan Singh & myself but now Shivanand defending the indefensible."
NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday issued a notice to hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's son in connection with terror funding case.

In August, Naseem Geelani, a professor by profession, was summoned and questioned by NIA in August this year after the investigative agency arrested half a dozen separatists including Geelani's son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah.

They were accused of receiving funds from Pakistan to fuel protests in the Kashmir Valley.

According to officials, who are not authorised to speak to media, the two were asked to bring certain documents related to financial transactions that have come under the scanner of the NIA.

The NIA had registered the case of terror funding and named Hafiz Saeed, leader of the Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa and banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, as an accused.

It had registered the case on May 30, accusing separatist and secessionist leaders of being in cahoots with terrorist groups.

The case was registered over raising, receiving and collecting funds through various illegal means, including through hawala channels, for funding separatist and terrorist activities in the state.

The case also included causing disruption in the Valley by pelting security forces with stones, burning schools, damaging public property and waging war against India.

It was the first time since the rise of militancy in the early 1990s that a central probe agency conducted raids in connection with the funding of terrorist and separatist groups.
NEW DELHI: Lashing out at the government for framing him under false charges, former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad said that he is not alone in his fight for what is right. "Lalu is not alone in this dharma yudh, entire Bihar stands together," he tweeted soon after being convicted in the fodder scam case.

                   December 23, 2017

"Truth can be made to appear as a lie, as ambiguous or a half lie by concerted onslaught of bias driven propaganda. But blurred layer of bias and hatred will still be removed, come what may! In end Truth will win. A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. ....But still prevails...In the end though," Lalu tweeted.

The RJD chief also claimed that he is being deliberately punished by people in the 'powerful classes'. "Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes. And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished," he said.

"Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and caste-ist minds. No one should expect any different treatment," he added.

Lalu is among 15 people who were on Saturday held guilty by a special CBI court in a fodder scam case. Seven others including former chief minister Jagannath Mishra have been acquitted.
NEW DELHI: The assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal have ended but Congress President Rahul Gandhi is continuing to hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party through his Twitter jibes just like he did during the poll season.

Taking to Twitter, the Congress President said: "If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard."

His statement comes a day after he said that the entire structure of the BJP is "based on lies". He launched the scathing attack during the first Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that he chaired that on Friday after taking over as party president.

"The entire foundation of the BJP is based on lies. The whole architecture of the BJP is about lies," Rahul said.

He added that the people are questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his remarks against Manmohan Singh, and noted that there was a "positive sentiment" towards the Congress in the country.



Targeting the BJP over various issues, including an alleged scam in the Rafale deal, GST, demonetisation, he maintained that the BJP has been "lying about the so-called Gujarat development model".



"It is stealing of resources of people of Gujarat. Whether it is depositing Rs 15 lakh in each bank account, whether it is 2G, whether it is giving farmers proper remuneration, whether it is Gujarat model? one by one the lies are coming out," the Congress leader said.



"There are two other lies, very big ones."



Buoyed by the 2G case verdict, he said that the Congress stand has been "vindicated". "Everyone knows about 2G, the truth has come out in front of you."



He added that the 2G case was "possibly the biggest instrument used against our government" which ultimately turned out to be "fake".

"So the idea, their model, is to come up with a lie, spread that lie, and just keep repeating that lie until people believe the lie. And the good news that I can see is that people are now beginning to question it. Across the country, they are questioning Modi on the economy, they`re questioning Modi when he insults our ex-Prime Minister," he added.
New Delhi: BJP lawmaker Vinay Katiyar has hit out at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for saying that the saffron party has 'leased out' Hinduism and called him a Tipu Sultan 'worshipper'.

Vinay Katiyar, the BJP MP, said someone who idolises Tipu Sultan cannot support Hindus, in a direct reference to the Karnataka Chief Minister.

"Siddaramaiah is one who idolises Tipu Sultan, who caused a lot of harm to the Hindu community. It is natural that such a person will not support or think for the welfare of Hindus or Hinduism," Vinay Katiyar was quoted as saying by ANI.

Earlier in the week, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had accused the Congress of attempting to convert the state, which is "the land of Lord Hanuman", into "a land of Tipu Sultan worshippers".

CM Yogi Adityanath had made this remarks during his visit to Karnataka last week.

Replying to this, Siddaramaiah took to Twitter and questioned whether the BJP had "taken Hinduism on lease".

"Are the BJP leaders only Hindus? Are we not Hindus? Has the BJP taken Hinduism on a lease? My name is Siddaramaiah. Siddhu and Rama are in my name," he said.

In a series of tweets in Kannada, the Chief Minister also called for equal respect to be given to all religions, adding that this was a sign of 'true Hindutva'.

With ANI inputs
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah claimed that while the Central government has been working towards development, it will also ensure that Ram Mandir is built and the issue does not take a backseat.

In an interview to Times of India, Shah said: "After the demolition of the disputed structure, every manifesto mentions the Ram temple. There is no contradiction between reaching cooking gas to the poor and the Ram temple. Both can happen."

However, he said that the party is not using it as an issue to polarise voters as is being claimed by the Congress.

"Who asked for the construction of Ayodhya temple to be put off until after the 2019 polls? We didn't. It was the Congress leadership. Till Kapil Sibal sought dates beyond the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Ayodhya had not been mentioned in the campaign. So who polarised the election? We did not. Congress should be asked whose votes was it seeking to consolidate," Shah said.

Brushing aside Congress allegations that the popularity of Prime Minister Modi is diminishing, Shah said that the opposition is not able to accept the BJP's victory in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

"If someone sees victory in electoral defeat, particularly the opposition, then I do not have any problem. The numbers say we formed governments in both states, full majority in Gujarat and 2/3rd majority in Himachal. Those who see victory in their defeat need to answer when last did they get 49% vote in a state election? That is what BJP got in Gujarat and is a record of sorts," he added.

He also exuded confidence that the BJP will be able to do well in the upcoming assembly elections in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, and Karnataka. "In the north-east I have been visiting Tripura. We are on the streets, we will do well. I have been visiting Karnataka. I can say there is strong anti-incumbency and we are going to win," he claimed.
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has issued summons to Hurriyat separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani`s younger son Naseem Geelani, asking him to come to Delhi for questioning in connection with its ongoing probe into terror funding by Pakistan-based terrorist groups to stoke unrest in the Kashmir valley.



Naseem, a professor in Sher-e-Kashmir Agriculture University in Srinagar, has been asked to appear next week before the investigators at the NIA headquarters in south Delhi`s Lodhi Road area.



"We have issued summons to Naseem Geelani. He has been asked to appear at the NIA headquarters next week," an NIA official told IANS.



If Naseem responds to the NIA summons, he would be quizzed for the third time in the case. Earlier, Naseem and his elder brother Naeem, a doctor by profession, were questioned in August twice over a span of a fortnight.



The anti-terror agency, which has been probing terror funding by Kashmiri separatists and have so far arrested half-a-dozen separatists including the S.A.S. Geelani`s son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah, suspects that Naseem was also involved in the terror funding.



The NIA had registered a number of cases in connection with the terror funding in the Valley against several top separatist leaders in the month of May.



On July 24, the NIA arrested seven separatist leaders on charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against India. Those arrested included Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Bashir Ahmad Bhat alias Peer Saifullah.



In mid-August, the agency arrested Kashmir`s prominent businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali.



The NIA on September 5 also arrested two alleged stone-pelters -- Javed Ahmad Bhat of Kulgam and Kamran of Pulwama -- in connection with the ongoing probe into the terror funding to keep unrest alive in the Kashmir valley.



On November 7, the agency seized nearly Rs 36.5 crore in demonetised currency and arrested nine persons in connection with the case. Of them, three hail from Jammu and Kashmir, two from Delhi, three from Maharashtra (two from Mumbai and one from Nagpur) and one from Uttar Pradesh.



The total number of arrests in the terror funding case has reached 19.
JAMMU: Pakistani troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol, killing a Major and three soldiers, along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Saturday, officials said.

The latest violation of the ceasefire agreement took place at a time Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was camping in Rajouri district headquarters to address people's grievances, they said.

A defence spokesman said Pakistani troops targeted the Army patrol at Brat Galla in Keri sector at around 1215 hours.

"We suffered three fatal casualties including one officer in the incident. Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to their injuries. Two other personnel also sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment," the spokesman said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Rajouri Yougal Manhar added that one of the two injured personnel died later.

The Army, in a statement, said that Indian troops retaliated "strongly and effectively" to the "unprovoked" firing.

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh paid rich tributes to the slain soldiers and condemned Pakistan for the ceasefire violation.

"Pakistan is indulging in such cowardly actions and is being given a befitting response, but it does not desist from such cowardly acts," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Major Ambadas (32) belonged to Bhandara district in Maharashtra and is survived by wife Avoli Moharkar, while Lance Naik Gurmail Singh (34) belonged to Amritsar district in Punjab and is survived by wife kuljit Kaur and a daughter.

Sepoy Pargat Singh (30) belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the Army said.

"Major Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail and Sepoy Pargat were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the Army statement said.

The deputy chief minister said Pakistan has got isolated at the global stage, especially on the issue of terrorism.

"Pakistan is a terrorist state and it will not be too long before the country is declared a terrorist state by the world. It does not only support terrorism but also provide state sponsorship," Singh said.
Dang could be made provincial capital even by forming a separate state: Mahara

Deputy Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara has remarked that Dang district could be made a provincial capital even by making the district a separate state.
Bengaluru: A case has been registered against BJP`s Lok Sabha lawmaker Shobha Karandlaje for "provocative" tweets she posted in the social media over an alleged attack on a minor girl in Karnataka`s Honnavar, police said on Saturday.



"We have registered an FIR under sections 153 and 503 of the Indian Penal Code on Friday against the MP for some provocative tweets, which were brought to our notice," Inspector General of Police, Western Range, Hemant Nimbalkar told IANS on phone from Karwar in Uttara Kannada district.



The coastal town of Honnavar, about 487 km from Bengaluru, witnessed public unrest and protests over the death of 19-year old Hindu activist Paresh Mesta in early December and the lawmaker`s tweets were both incidents.



"The Honnavar police are investigating the case and verifying the tweets," said Nimbalkar.



Responding to the FIR against her, Karandalaje tweeted that "Govt which has failed in providing safety to women in Karnataka now tries to stifle my voice through a FIR.@siddaramaiah Govt protecting Jihadis".



The state government had, however, transferred the inquiry into the "mysterious" death of Mesta to the CBI on December 13 on the request of his father Kamalakar Mesta.



Mesta`s mutilated body was found on December 8 floating in a lake at Honnavar. According to his family, he went missing from home since December 6.



In the second incident, a 14-year-old girl from a nearby village (Magodu) was allegedly waylaid at Honnavar on December 14 by two youth when she was on way to school in a bid to abduct her.



"Preliminary inquiry revealed that the victim had self-inflected the wounds and fabricated the kidnap bid by the youth," Honnavar Sub-Inspector Ananamurthy told IANS.



Reacting to the alleged attack on the minor, Karandlaje tweeted on December 15 that "Jihadists had tried to rape and kill the girl".



"Will continue my fight against Jihadi elements. There is no way I`ll succumb to the pressure of @siddaramaiah Govt.#HinduLivesMatter," she said in another tweet.
LUCKNOW: An Abu Dhabi- bound Jet Airways flight from here was on Saturday diverted to Sharjah due to low visibility.

Later, the flight returned to Lucknow, reported ANI.

Last month, another Jet Airways flight was brought back to Delhi after it was diverted to Varanasi.

Following the incident, the fellow passengers at the Delhi airport had raised a ruckus.
NOIDA: Defying the 29-year-long jinx, a serving Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister visited Noida on Saturday. UP CM Yogi Adityanath is in the millennium city to review the security arrangements ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to inaugurate Noida's first interchange station of the Delhi Metro.

UP cabinet minister Sidharth Nath Singh said that there is no place for superstition when it comes to working for development. "The UP CM going to Lucknow to fulfill the ambitions of people of the state. Superstition has no place here," Singh said.

The superstition of no serving chief minister visiting Noida dates back to June 1988 when the then CM Veer Bahadur Singh was asked to step down by the central leadership after just having returned from Noida.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati braved the superstition during her term as chief minister between 2007 and 2012 and attended programmes organised by the state government in Noida and did not return to power.

Adityanath's predecessor Akhilesh Yadav stayed away from Noida. He gave a miss to the Asian Development Bank Summit organised in Noida in May 2013 despite the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh being present there as a chief guest. Akhilesh Yadav launched Rs 3,300 crore development projects, including access to six-lane Yamuna Expressway, through video link from Lucknow.

Before him, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kalyan Singh and Rajnath Singh also avoided attending events in Noida.

Adityanath will reach Noida on Saturday and after inspecting various sites would visit the public rally site. He would hold meetings with district officials and seek details of the progress of development works in the city. He would also meet BJP workers and address them.

Around 1,300 police and paramilitary personnels have been deployed for Adityanath's security during his visit. Over 5,000 police and paramilitary personnels would be deployed for Modis visit on Monday.
The 27-year-old Australian actor next plays the role of former American figure skater Tonya Harding in the Craig Gillespie-directed 'I, Tonya'.

Robbie was asked about the reason which drove her to portray the character of Harding on screen.

"I love gangster films 'cause I love the underdog story. I love watching someone rise up, despite their circumstances," Robbie told Collider.

"It's always something I feel like I can get behind. And she felt like an underdog, to me," she added.
Mumbai: Actor Priyanka Chopra will be honoured with a doctorate degree by the Bareilly International University.

The international icon will be felicitated with the degree tomorrow by the University chancellor Keshav Kumar Agrawal in a ceremony to be attended by Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan and Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal.

The chancellor will also present Chopra a memento as she revisits her hometown after almost 5 years.

The 35-year-old actor's mother, Madhu Chopra said, "It gives me immense joy and satisfaction, that Priyanka's work for various social causes is being appreciated and felicitated.

"She justifiably deserves it. May god bless her and give her the strength to do good for those who are less fortunate," she added
JAIPUR: At least 33 people, including four children, were killed and seven others injured on when a bus plunged into Banas river after veering off a 100-foot bridge in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district, police said.

The incident took place early morning in Soorwal police station area when the bus was on its way to Lalsot from Sawai Madhopur.

What led to the incident:

The driver of the bus lost his control over the vehicle after which it broke the railing of a bridge and fell into a river.

As per a report, the driver was reportedly attempting to overtake another vehicle when he lost control of the wheel. The bus plunged nearly 100 feet into the river.

The driver identified as Zakir, was among the dead.

Prime Minister offers condolence:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and said his thoughts were with the families of the deceased.

"State government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

Anguished by the bus accident in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. State Government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM @narendramodi  PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 23, 2017

President Ram Nath Kovind too tweeted:

Shocked by news of bus accident in Sawai Madhopur (Rajasthan). State authorities taking all steps to help affected passengers. Condolences to bereaved families #PresidentKovind  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) December 23, 2017

Earlier today, Sawai Madhopur Superintendent of Police Mamman Singh said that five injured were rushed to hospitals and 10 bodies were handed over to their family members after post-mortem.

Most of the people died due to drowning including the bus driver.

Passengers were from other states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Assam. Several of them were going to offer prayers at a temple in Malarna Chour in the district, the SP said.
JAIPUR: At least 32 people on Saturday died and several others were injured after a bus carrying passengers fell off a bridge into a river in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan: #Visuals from the site of accident in Dubi, Sawai Madhopur ; 12 people dead, 24 injured after a bus carrying passengers fell of a bridge into a river pic.twitter.com/7pruEkOjmc  ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017

The accident happened at Dubi in Sawai Madhopur district.

"Total 26 bodies have been recovered so far. Rescue operation is underway to find any survivors," Subhash Mishra, Circle officer (CO), City said.

The bridge is built on the Banas river on the Lalsot Kota Mega Highway.

According to the police, the private bus lost control and fell into the river, breaking the railings of the bridge.

The police immediately rushed to the spot and carried out the rescue work.

Meanwhile, the injured have been admitted to the hospital.

Rajasthan: Injured admitted to hospital after a bus carrying them fell of a bridge into a river in Sawai Madhopur's Dubi; 12 people dead in the accident pic.twitter.com/ypr4xM06Hz

Most of the passengers were reportedly heading to Uttar Pradesh.
NEW DELHI: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday ahead of the tabling of a bill, that makes triple talaq a punishable offence, in the Parliament.

The meeting by the non-government organisation will be held in Lucknow.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will table the bill in the parliament next week.

'The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017' will be tabled in parliament next week and the draft of the bill has been circulated.

After the Supreme Court declared the practice of instant divorce 'void, illegal and unconstitutional', the Narendra Modi Cabinet on December 15 approved the bill that makes instant triple talaq illegal.

The draft bill says that "any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal".

There is also a provision of imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and fine for violators. The draft bill also envisages entitling divorcee Muslim women for maintenance.

It also has a provision for the divorcee Muslim women to have the custody of their minor children.

"Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, a married Muslim woman shall be entitled to custody of her minor children in the event of pronouncement of talaq by her husband, in such manner as may be determined by the Magistrate," the draft bill says.
Farrukhabad: In view of serious allegations raised against spiritual leader Virender Dev Dikshit's Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya in Delhi, the police here on Saturday raided two ashrams run by him at Siktarbad and Kampil and rescued 47 women and a minor girl.

Senior police officials led the raids.

Facing a stiff opposition from the inmates, the police had to enter the ashrams through the roofs of the adjoining buildings, they said.

The women inmates of the ashrams demanded a search warrant for opening the gates and were also involved in a verbal spat with the police.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Tribhuvan Singh said the minor girl, rescued from the Siktarbad ashram, would be produced before a magistrate and her statement would be recorded soon.

The Delhi Commission for Women, along with the police, raided an ashram run by Dixit at Dwarka in the national capital today and rescued five girls.

This came in the wake of raids conducted at the Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya at Rohini in Delhi on Thursday, where women and girls were kept confined like "animals in a cage". The ashram was founded by Dixit.
Beijing: At least 10,000 people were killed in the Chinese army`s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing`s Tiananmen Square in June 1989, according to a newly released British diplomatic cable that recounts the bloodshed in gruesome detail.

The document, made public more than 28 years after the event, describes injured girls being bayoneted, bodies being ground up by armoured vehicles and human remains being flushed into the sewers.

"Minimum estimate of civilian dead 10,000," the then British ambassador Alan Donald said in the secret telegram to London seen by AFP at Britain`s National Archives.

The estimate, given on June 5, 1989, the day after the crackdown, is almost 10 times higher than that commonly accepted at the time of several hundred to more than a thousand dead.

But experts questioned by AFP said the 10,000 figure seemed credible.

Donald`s account gives horrific details of the violence unleashed on the night of June 3-4, when the army entered Beijing to end seven weeks of protests on Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of Communist power.

During their advance, armoured personnel carriers "opened fire on the crowd (both civilians and soldiers) before running over them in their APCs", wrote the ambassador.

He said his source was a person who "was passing on information given him by a close friend who is currently a member of the State Council" -- the Chinese cabinet.

He said the source had previously proved reliable "and was careful to separate fact from speculation and rumour".

Once the soldiers arrived in Tiananmen Square, "students understood they were given one hour to leave square but after five minutes APCs attacked," Donald wrote.

"Students linked arms but were mown down including soldiers. APCs then ran over bodies time and time again to make `pie` and remains collected by bulldozer. Remains incinerated and then hosed down drains."

"Four wounded girl students begged for their lives but were bayoneted," Donald said, adding: "Army ambulances who attempted to give aid were shot up."

At the end of June 1989, the Chinese government had said suppression of the "counter-revolutionary riots" had killed 200 civilians and several dozen police and military.Nearly three decades after the crackdown, the communist regime continues to forbid any debate on the subject, mention of which is banned from textbooks and the media, and censored on the Internet.

There was no sign of reaction to the report on Chinese social media, where an army of online censors blocks any reference to the Tiananmen crackdown and most things critical of the Communist Party.

Donald said the atrocities were committed by the 27th Army, who he described as "60 percent illiterate and are called primitives".

He said the crackdown had created deep rifts within the military and that "some members of the State Council considered that civil war is imminent".

As to the credibility of the toll, former student protest leader Xiong Yan, who is now an American citizen, said: "I think it`s reliable."

China scholar Jean-Pierre Cabestan also said the figure was credible, pointing out that recently declassified US documents gave a similar assessment.

"That`s two pretty independent sources which say the same thing," said Cabestan, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University.

The British ambassador`s report was "not particularly astonishing considering how crowded it was in Beijing, the number of people mobilised" against the Chinese government, said Cabestan, who was in the Chinese capital in the days leading up to the crackdown.

Former student leader Feng Congde, now also based in the United States, pointed out that Donald had sent another telegram three weeks later putting the death toll at between 2,700 and 3,400.

Feng said that toll was quite credible and fitted with figures from the Chinese Red Cross, who at the time estimated 2,700 fatalities, and by student committees based on hospital reports.
EC allots proportional seats of provincial vote

The Election Commission on Friday allotted seats to the political parties on the provincial assemblies under the Proportional Representation category of election, paving the way for formation of the provincial assemblies.
BEIJING: The Chinese government on Saturday called for the latest UN sanctions on North Korea to be implemented in a comprehensive and balanced manner for a peaceful solution to the problem in the Korean peninsula.

The UN Security Council imposed fresh sanctions on the Kim Jong-un regime on Friday.

In a statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying reiterated Beijing`s call for restraint and working to ease tensions while finding an appropriate solution to the conflict in the Korean peninsula, Efe news reported.

The new resolution number 2397 increases sanctions to pressurize North Korea into stopping its nuclear programme and missile tests, by banning the export of nearly 90 per cent of refined petroleum to the country.

Hua also underlined that China -- a member of the UNSC with a veto power -- remains committed towards achieving denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, as well as maintaining peace and stability in the region.

She also recalled China`s earlier proposal of finding a solution to the crisis, which included the US and South Korea putting an end to military drills in the region in return for Pyongyang abandoning its weapons programme.

The Chinese customs authorities reported that trade between China and North Korea, very limited due to the sanctions, reached $388 million in November, which is 15.9 per cent more than in October but around 36 per cent less year-on-year.
LIMA: Peru has declared two North Korean diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within 15 days, according to a foreign ministry statement.

"The Peruvian government has informed the North Korean embassy of its decision to declare First Secretary Pak Myong Chol and Third Secretary Ji Hyok persona non grata," the ministry said late yesterday.

It imposed the measure "having verified that...Diplomatic personnel have carried out activities incompatible with their official duties," it added, but did not give further details.

The ministry said the decision was also related to North Korea's "continuous violations" of UN Security Council resolutions on non-proliferation -- which it said put regional and global peace and security at risk.

In September, Peru also expelled North Korean ambassador Kim Hak-Chol in response to ongoing efforts by Pyongyang to build up its nuclear force -- having already halved the number of embassy diplomats to three in March.
Moscow warned on Saturday that Washington was encouraging "new bloodshed" in eastern Ukraine by its decision to provide the ex-Soviet nation with lethal weapons, while Kiev expressed the hope arms supplies could help contain Russia.

The stern Moscow warning came after a new ceasefire deal between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels went into effect from midnight Saturday ahead of the New Year and Orthodox Christmas holidays.

In a strongly-worded statement Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov accused the United States of "crossing the line" and fomenting the conflict in eastern Ukraine, a region known locally as Donbass.

"Kiev revanchists are shooting at Donbass every day, they don`t want to conduct peace negotiations and dream of doing away with the disobedient population. And the United States has decided to give them weapons to do that," Ryabkov said.

"Today, the United States clearly pushes (Ukrainian authorities) towards new bloodshed," he said, adding: "American weapons can lead to new victims" in the neighbouring country.

Another deputy foreign minister, Grigory Karasin, said the US move would undermine efforts to reach a political settlement in Ukraine.

"Essentially this decision undermines the work to implement the 2015 Minsk agreements," Karasin told TASS state news agency, referring to a Western-brokered peace deal.

He said Washington chose to support "the party of war" in Kiev.

"This is unacceptable," he added.

He reiterated Russia`s position that Ukrainian authorities should negotiate with Kremlin-backed rebels through "honest and direct dialogue."

"There is no other way to solve the internal Ukrainian conflict."

The US State Department announced Friday that Washington had "decided to provide Ukraine enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity."

An ABC news report before the announcement said the US planned to supply Ukraine with anti-tank missiles, including possibly the advanced Javelin system, citing four State Department officials.

"The total defense package of $47 million includes the sale of 210 anti-tank missiles and 35 launchers," the report added.

Ukraine welcomed Washington`s announcement, saying it would help contain "the aggressor."

"Finally!" Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chaly wrote on Facebook.

"Our strategic partners -- the United States -- have definitively made up their mind: as a sovereign state, Ukraine has a legitimate right to buy and receive defensive weapons including lethal weapons," he said.

"Weakness provokes the aggressor. Strength contains him," he added.

Despite a new ceasefire, Ukrainian military spokesman Vasyl Labay accused rebels of shooting at government positions and seeking to thwart the latest truce.

Senior rebel representative Eduard Basurin told local reporters that attacks by government troops had decreased but added that the Kiev army still tried to provoke the rebels into opening return fire.

Since the start of the conflict over three years ago more than 10 such ceasefires have been declared but all of them have been violated.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of funnelling troops and arms across the border to fan the flames of the conflict as punishment for Kiev`s pivot toward Europe.

More than 10,000 people have died and almost 24,000 have been injured since the pro-Russian insurgency broke out in eastern Ukraine in April 2014.

A UN report said this week that 220,000 children are at imminent risk of being hurt by mines and other explosive weapons in eastern Ukraine, one of the most mine-contaminated places on earth.

Moscow has denied the claims of involvement, saying the conflict is Ukraine`s internal affair and Kiev should negotiate directly with separatists.
MOSCOW: Moscow warned Saturday that Washington was encouraging "new bloodshed" in eastern Ukraine by its decision to provide the ex-Soviet nation with lethal weapons, while Kiev expressed the hope arms supplies could help contain Russia.

The stern Moscow warning came after a new ceasefire deal between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels went into effect from midnight Saturday ahead of the New Year and Orthodox Christmas holidays.

But already both sides are claiming ceasefire violations.

In a strongly-worded statement Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov accused the United States of "crossing the line" and fomenting the conflict in eastern Ukraine, a region known locally as Donbass.

"Kiev revanchists are shooting at Donbass every day, they don`t want to conduct peace negotiations and dream of doing away with the disobedient population. And the United States has decided to give them weapons to do that," Ryabkov said.

"Today, the United States clearly pushes (Ukrainian authorities) towards new bloodshed," he said, adding: "American weapons can lead to new victims" in the neighbouring country.

The US State Department announced Friday that Washington had "decided to provide Ukraine enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defence capacity."

An ABC news report before the announcement said the US planned to supply Ukraine with anti-tank missiles, including possibly the advanced Javelin system, citing four State Department officials.

"The total defense package of $47 million includes the sale of 210 anti-tank missiles and 35 launchers," the report added.Another Russian deputy foreign minister, Grigory Karasin, said the US move would undermine efforts to reach a political settlement in Ukraine.

"Essentially this decision undermines the work to implement the 2015 Minsk agreements," Karasin told TASS state news agency, referring to a Western-brokered peace deal.

He said Washington chose to support "the party of war" in Kiev.

"This is unacceptable," he added.

He reiterated Russia`s position that Ukrainian authorities should negotiate with Kremlin-backed rebels through "honest and direct dialogue."

"There is no other way to solve the internal Ukrainian conflict."

The leaders of France and Germany, two other countries involved in the Minsk talks called Saturday for honouring the ceasefire and working for peace.

"There is no alternative to an exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict," German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement issued by the Elysee, referring to "the recent unacceptable increase of ceasefire violations".

For its part Ukraine welcomed Washington`s announcement, saying it would help contain "the aggressor."

"Finally!" Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chaly wrote on Facebook.

"Our strategic partners -- the United States -- have definitively made up their mind: as a sovereign state, Ukraine has a legitimate right to buy and receive defensive weapons including lethal weapons," he said.

"Weakness provokes the aggressor. Strength contains him," he added.

Despite a new ceasefire, Ukrainian military spokesman Vasyl Labay accused rebels of shooting at government positions and seeking to thwart the latest truce.

Senior rebel representative Eduard Basurin told local reporters that attacks by government troops had decreased but added that the Kiev army still tried to provoke the rebels into opening return fire.

Since the start of the conflict over three years ago more than 10 such ceasefires have been declared but all of them have been violated.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of funnelling troops and arms across the border to fan the flames of the conflict as punishment for Kiev`s pivot toward Europe.

More than 10,000 people have died and almost 24,000 have been injured since the pro-Russian insurgency broke out in eastern Ukraine in April 2014.

A UN report said this week that 220,000 children are at imminent risk of being hurt by mines and other explosive weapons in eastern Ukraine, one of the most mine-contaminated places on earth.

Moscow has denied the claims of involvement, saying the conflict is Ukraine`s internal affair and Kiev should negotiate directly with separatists.
First meeting post election cuts no ice

A meeting of the five parties that have won seats in the federal parliament failed on Friday to hammer out a deal for ending the impasse on National Assembly election as the Nepali Congress and the left alliance refused to budge from their respective positions.
December 18, 2017

Nearly three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union and following 26 years of tough negotiations, a solution to the legal status of the Caspian Sea appears to be on the horizon.

Speaking after the recent summit of the Caspian Sea littoral states' foreign ministers in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, We have found solutions to all the remaining major issues related to the preparation of this document [draft Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea]. The text of the meeting is actually ready, although he provided no further details.

Neither Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif nor his Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Turkmen counterparts have confirmed Lavrovs statement. However, two senior Iranian diplomats rejected the notion that the demarcation of the Caspian Sea was discussed at the summit in Moscow.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said, The issue of demarcation was not even on the agenda of the meeting, while Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour said, We still havent reached an agreement over the division, especially with the two neighboring countries of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the three newly independent republics of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan emerged as states along the Caspian coast. Under the new arrangement, Kazakhstan and Russia have been sharing the northern section of the sea, while Iran has been sharing the southern part with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

Use of the term sea in reference to the Caspian can cause confusion as it implies that it is no different from the Black or Baltic seas. The Caspian is landlocked and thus the worlds largest lake. From a legal point of view, the determination of whether the Caspian is a sea or a lake can have a significant impact on the regulations concerning it.

For instance, while the coastal states agreed in the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991 to recognize the Caspian as a lake, Kazakhstan four years later stated that from a legal point of view, it considers it a sea. The implication of the latter would be that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea would apply to it. However, there has been no agreement to date among the coastal states on whether the UN convention governs the Caspian, which could impact the reaching of a final agreement.

Given these challenges, in terms of international law, the matter of the delimitation of the Caspian is a "sui generis" case and thus needs an exclusive legal regime, i.e., a framework of rules governing its legal status. The stakes are high: After Irans border disagreements with Iraq in the 1970s, it is the biggest challenge for Iranian sovereignty over the past four decades.

According to the UN convention, a sea or lake surrounded by two or more countries is considered a closed sea if no waterway gives it access to open waters and thus falls under the following legalities:

Freedom of sailing activities and the principle of innocent passage do not apply to closed seas.

Governing legalities over such bodies of water and designation of borderlines come from an agreement between all surrounding countries.

Coastal countries have exclusive rights over fishing and resources.

Coastal countries have exclusive rights to govern those waters, including the right to legislation.

Among the five Caspian states, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan support the enforcement of the UN convention. But Russia and Iran  two countries with a long and historical right in the Caspian  strongly disagree with the idea of the presence of third-party countries' presence, including military presence, in the region.

Russia is of the view that the 1921 and 1940 agreements between Iran and the Soviet Union could be extended to leverage new potential agreements. It also emphasizes that the Caspian is an indivisible body of water and ecosystem, and that its resources belong to all five coastal states. As such, any exploitation of its resources should only be allowed by multilateral agreement between all parties.

No legislative regime over lakes has ever been developed by the International Court of Justice, which makes the case of the Caspian unique from this aspect as well.

Some governments and international lawyers have made efforts to establish regulations for inland waters. For instance, international common practice posits that lakes surrounded by more than one country should be governed by agreements between the countries. In this vein, there are three major common practice systems: full division, equal division and condominium. Iran has added a legal solution to these methods: acting based on the principle of fairness.

Soon after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Iran was pursuing an equally shared system of use for the Caspian Sea. In this pursuit, Tehrans main objective was to reinforce previous agreements with Moscow, insisting that a condominium regime should apply and disputing exploitation of resources by any individual party. Following changes in the posture of the Iranian government and also changes of position among coastal countries, Iran eventually accepted the idea of dividing exploitation rights between the five countries.

The presidents of the coastal states agreed in their summit in Astrakhan in September 2014 on the scope of territorial waters (15 nautical miles) and exclusive fishing zones (10 nautical miles). But other important issues, such as the seabed status and shares of underwater resources, remain unclear.

Indeed, Irans position is not limited to pursuit of a fair mechanism to share the seabed, but also the rich subterranean resources  for all five countries. This will give about a 20% share of seabed to Iran instead of up to 13%, which was suggested in the Russian proposal. None of the coastal states have so far endorsed the Iranian position. A major stumbling block thus remains, and it remains unclear whether there has been acquiescence to Tehrans proposal or whether something new that is mutually acceptable has been put on the table.

For now, the expectation is that a draft of an agreement on a new legal regime for the Caspian Sea will be finalized at the next summit of the leaders of the coastal states, which will reportedly be held in Kazakhstan in early 2018.

If the text is finalized, it will need to be approved by the Iranian parliament and endorsed by the Guardian Council before Iran can enter a new Caspian Sea legal regime. Implementing the potential agreement would resolve the biggest legal challenge over the largest landlocked sea in the world after nearly three decades.
The Art of Christmas: New Mexico Style

PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
When 7-Eleven chairman Michael Smith bragged about the lengths the franchise giant had taken to compensate thousands of underpaid foreign workers, he failed to impress underpaid workers Manish and Anshu Mehra.

7-Eleven's wage repayment program rejected the couple's $300,000-plus compensation claims on the basis of the "direct family relationship to the franchisees alleged to have been facilitating the underpayment".

The letter, sent to them in August, was referring to the fact that the franchisee was a relative.

They claim they were paid well under the award rate in cash.

7-Eleven chairman Michael Smith earlier this month said more than $150 million had been repaid to thousands of workers. Pat Scala

"This determination does not limit other avenues available to you, such as contacting the Fair Work Ombudsman or 7Eleven's internal investigation unit to discuss further options," the letter said.

Manish and Anshu, who moved from India to Australia in 2006, are now taking their brother-in-law to court. This week, they filed a statement of claim in the Federal Circuit Court in Melbourne against franchisee Lahkwinder Singh and LD Income Trust and Ell Dee Income Trust, of which Singh is a director.

The case, being run by Maurice Blackburn and bankrolled by the couple's union, the SDA, alleges Manish is owed $248,384 in lost wages and super, penalties and annual leave between 2010 until he was made redundant in March 2016.

The statement of claim alleges Manish worked shifts of up to 12 hours at between $10 and $12 an hour in cash, which is well below the award rate.

7-Eleven became embroiled in a wage fraud scandal in August 2015 when a joint Fairfax Media investigation uncovered rampant wage fraud across hundreds of stores. PAUL SAKUMA

Anshu is seeking $89,963 in lost wages, super and annual leave load loading between 2011 and January 2016, when she was made redundant.

Phone calls and questions were sent to Lahkwinder Singh, but he was unavailable to comment.

Professor Allan Fels, who chairs the migrant workers taskforce, has noted that franchisees and their families working long hours for little or no pay is becoming an issue. Alex Ellinghausen

7-Eleven became embroiled in a wage fraud scandal in August 2015 when a joint Fairfax Media investigation uncovered rampant wage fraud across hundreds of stores.

Thanks to a whistleblower who released a cache of documents that proved systemic underpayment and a cover-up, 7-Eleven had little choice but to move swiftly.

The sad thing is nobody was listening, not even 7-Eleven ... We gave our souls to the stores. We worked like slaves and no one cared. 7-Eleven didn't care. Manish Mehra

In an attempt to restore credibility, the convenience store giant hired Allan Fels to head a compensation scheme (then months later sacked him in an effort to control costs and do the compensation in-house). Manish and Ashnu lodged their claims with the Fels panel then moved across to the in-house panel.

"All we wanted was a fair go," Manish said. "We were happy when the Fels panel said we could apply, but once 7-Eleven took over, what could we expect?"

Smith said at the time that the motivation to move the panel in-house, with the help of Deloitte, was "you cannot outsource morality".

Manish questioned the decision of the panel and the 15 months it took to process the claim. He said the delay cost him and his wife tens of thousands of dollars in underpayment claims they couldn't include due to the statute of limitations.

A spokesman for 7-Eleven declined to comment on the case and therefore couldn't explain why it took so long to process.

When asked if 7-Eleven had a policy on compensation for relatives, he said the panel was designed to be as "easily accessible as possible" to avoid discouraging potential claimants from lodging a claim.

"All claims were assessed on their merits, he said.

"Where family relationships were revealed, the claim continued to be assessed on its merits as well as the personal circumstances involved - for example, strength of family relationship, living and working arrangements etc."

Smith told AFR's Boss magazine in December that more than $150 million had been repaid to thousands of workers. He discussed the scandal and the complex ties involved between claimants and those they were claiming against.

"We paid people who were staying in the home of the franchisee," he said. He went on to say: "We had sons making claims against fathers."

Wage fraud can be complex. It is commonplace for franchisees to employ family members and extended family members, including sons and daughters, in-laws and cousins. Some exploit that relationship. It's an issue that isn't unique to 7-Eleven.

The latest franchise group to become embroiled in a scandal is Retail Food Group, which runs iconic brands including Donut King, Gloria Jeans, Brumby's and Crust Gourmet Pizza.

The company stands accused of screwing its franchisees and some franchisees in turn have admitted to using family members to work in their stores for little or no money to stay solvent. Other franchise groups including Caltex and Domino's franchisees have also been caught exploiting workers, including family members.

It prompted Fels, who chairs the migrant workers taskforce, to note that franchisees and their families working long hours for little or no pay was becoming an issue.

"Historically in Australia, we accepted up to a degree the fact that in a franchise arrangement families had to work hard with long hours, but of late this is getting out of hand."

Manish says when his brother-in-law came to his house and asked to help him out, he agreed.

"They had sponsored us to migrate to Australia and live in their house for a year so I had an obligation," he said.

When he started working for his brother-in-law in 2010 as a console operator at a 7-Eleven store in Epping North, Victoria, he says he had no idea about awards and penalty rates. "I trusted him."

Then after a while he realised he was working more and more hours. He started to complain, which resulted in arguments and eventually a family split. He said he also told a district manager at 7-Eleven in 2014.

"The sad thing is nobody was listening, not even 7-Eleven ... We gave our souls to the stores. We worked like slaves and no one cared. 7-Eleven didn't care," he said.

Earlier this year, 7-Eleven changed its compensation scheme, with many complaining the bar has been set so high it will be difficult to make a successful claim.

Thousands of workers have been compensated, but cases like the Mehra's raise serious questions about how genuine it really is.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Within the frames of the Days of Yerevan launched in Moscow, Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan met with Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin, the Yerevan Municipality told Armenpress.

Welcoming the guest, the Moscow Mayor attached importance to expanding the existing partnering relations between the two capitals and stated that today Yerevan is a reliable partner for Moscow.

The friendship of the Armenian and Russian peoples has a centuries-old history and the mutual partnership of our two cities is based on this. I am convinced that the 2018-2021 partnership program will serve as a good base for further strengthening and developing our mutually beneficial cooperation for which we will definitely take consistent steps, Sergei Sobyanin said.

The Mayor of Yerevan in his turn thanked for the warm reception and stated that holding Days of Yerevan in Moscow once again proves the high level of relations between the two cities, expressing confidence that the 2018-2021 partnership program will give new impetus to implement programs between the two capitals.

Within the frames of the cooperation between the two capitals numerous programs have been implemented, and I am convinced that the 2018-2021 partnership program will give new impetus to the cooperation of our two cities. For us today is important to exchange experience and implement joint programs in the fields of transport, tourism, healthcare and smart technologies. And from this perspective its very important that today the representatives of different spheres and heads of structures have discussed and reached respective agreements to deepen the bilateral mutual cooperation. I am convinced that by uniting our efforts we will really boost the partnership of the two capitals, Taron Margaryan said and invited the Mayor of Moscow to visit Yerevan next year.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. The Eurasian Expert Club summarizes the results of its activity carried out in 2017.

The annual session titled EAEU three years: achievements and prospects was attended by Ambassadors of Belarus and Kazakhstan to Armenia Igor Nazaruk and Timur Urazayev, Armenian lawmakers Hayk Babukhanyan and Mihran Hakobyan, a group of experts, economists, historians and students.

Aram Safaryan  head of the Integration and Development Analytical-Research NGO, coordinator of the Eurasian Expert Club, said the annual session is being held for already the fourth time and sums up the activity carried out so far in political, social and economic fields.

I have the honor to open the fourth annual session. For already four years we conduct an active research-analytical activity on social, political and economic processes taking place in the post-Soviet space. We conduct an active work for the success of the Eurasian integration process, carry out deep research on problems and shortcomings, voice them and show the constructive impact to the process. We want to thank our partners, the state structures, universities and media representatives. We are proud of our cooperation since it enables to work effectively, make important predictions which are being implemented. We hope in the upcoming years as well our research-analytical, ideological activity will be demanded by our public, Aram Safaryan said.

Within the frames of the event media representatives were awarded with certificates for the productive work and cooperation.

ARMENPRESS state news agency was also awarded with a certificate as a gratitude for the works carried out so far.

Ararat, H2, Kentron TVs, Iravunk, Irates, Aravot newspapers, Arminfo, Eurasian Daily news agencies also received certificates.

I would not exaggerate if I say that here Armenias leading news agencies are present who conduct an honest, dedicated and productive work aimed at deepening and developing the Eurasian process really having an impact both in Armenia and abroad, Aram Safaryan said.

He also welcomed the new members of the Eurasian Expert Club and handed over to them the membership certificates.

The new members of the Eurasian Expert Club are Director of ARMENPRESS state news agency Aram Ananyan, MP Hayk Babukhanyan and Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the Yerevan State University Ruben Melkonyan.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Relative calm was maintained in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact in the period from December 17 to 23, the defense ministry of Artsakh told Armenpress.

During the abovementioned period the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime nearly 200 times by firing more than 1600 shots at the Armenian positions.

The Defense Army forces mainly refrained from taking countermeasures and continued confidently fulfilling their military task.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Increase has been recorded in several key economic directions in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) during 2017.

During the annual session of the Eurasian Expert Club titled EAEU three years: achievements and prospects, Ambassador of Belarus to Armenia Igor Nazaruk said the mutual trade increased by almost 27%, and the external trade by almost 25%. The growth in industrial field can comprise 2.5%, and 3.2% in agriculture. The Ambassador stated that the figures in Armenia in these spheres are relatively high.

You know, these figures would be higher if our partners, as well as Belarus were not under sanctions. Our partners, including we felt the impact of economic and financial crisis, the Ambassador said.

According to him, there are barriers in several fields, but works are being done to eliminate them. At the moment a liberalization of this or that market is being carried out. Works are also being done to grant status to the goods produced in the EAEU in order to position them in the foreign market as a single production.

In 2018 we expect growth, we are confident that the Eurasian Economic Commission chaired by Tigran Sargsyan will do everything possible for this purpose. Discussions are being held with the EAEUs partnering states aimed at expanding the cooperation. We are completing the talks with Iran, there are positive developments in the discussions with Israel, as well as with Indonesia. We do not stop acting, we should continue the efforts by developing different markets, the Ambassador said.

As a new factor he highlighted the new agreement signed between Armenia and the European Union. This can be an additional component which can increase the effectiveness of two very powerful regional unions.

The Ambassador also stated that the CSTO summit was held in November during which more than 20 documents were adopted, as well as the statement on strengthening the CSTO defense potential and assisting the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Russian Prime Minister, Chairman of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev confirmed that the party supports Vladimir Putin in the 2018 presidential election, TASS reports.

This year marks the partys 16th anniversary. During these years the party had an indisputable leader. A leader who unites different people, Russia. The person whom the partys absolute majority trusts and supports is Vladimir Putin, Medvedev said at the partys congress.

He reminded that the party members have long ago decided whom they are going to support.
Govt forms committee to probe temporary cop's death

Home Ministry has formed a probe committee to look into the death of a temporary personnel in police firing in Kalikot district.
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.
"The special master's final report demonstrates why the process adopted by the Court is unworkable and inappropriate. A court may not draw new maps (or empower a special master to do so) before finding a violation to remedy. Perry v. Perez, 132 S. Ct. 934, 941 (2012). Drawing remedial maps in the absence of an adjudicated or admitted problem with the existing maps is a recipe for precisely the kind of constitutional disaster that Perry is supposed to prevent."

Click here for a timeline of Covington v. North Carolina. The timeline includes important dates for other active redistricting cases in North Carolina, including Dickson v. Rucho and Harris v. Cooper.

In June, Civitas reported on " North Carolina's Continuing Redistricting Saga ," now, six months later, while the saga continues, it may be better characterized as a debacle.Last week Phillip Strach, the attorney for the defendants in North Carolina's redistricting case before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, known as Covington v. North Carolina, signaled that there is only one way for the case to go - the U.S. Supreme Court.Strach represents North Carolina in the lawsuit ( Covington v. North Carolina ) that has overturned the legislative maps which were approved six years ago by the U.S. Department of Justice after the last U.S. Census. In a December 11 filing, Strach asked the Court to issue its final ruling no later than January 10, 2018 . In order to expedite the final ruling, Strach asked the court to move up the previously scheduled January 5, 2018 hearing to "on or before" December 22, 2017. In the motion Strach said;The Court immediately denied Strach's request. According to the News and Record , U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles said the Republican legislators were seeking toEagles said; "The court anticipates that the January 5, 2018 hearing will begin with a short presentation by the "Special Master" as to his recommendations. Thereafter, each side will have one hour to present oral argument in support of their position."The controversial "Special Master" is the newest player injected into the legislative redistricting case. He is perhaps the only reason (at this point) for signifying an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court even before a full outcome to the case before the Federal District Court.On September 15, 2017, 15 days after the Legislature submitted new legislative maps to the three-judge panel, and before the panel had commented on the new districts, plaintiffs floated the idea of a "Special Master" to take over the redistricting process. In a separate filing, the plaintiffs said;It took an additional six weeks for the District Court to issue an order appointing Nathaniel "Nate" Persily, a Stanford law professor, as "Special Master" to "assist the Court in further evaluating and, if necessary, redrawing" the revised maps." They ordered Persily to have the new districts drawn by December 1, 2017. According to the AP , the attorney for the Republican lawmakers objected to the appointment of the "special master," writing thatThe "Special Master" met the December 1, 2017 deadline and seemed to satisfy the plaintiffs' criticisms. Not so the defendants . In a filing on December 8, Defendants argued,While Persily wrote thatThe "Special Master" remedy could be a dream come true for North Carolina's political Left who have clamored for the creation of non-partisan redistricting commission to supplant the legislatures responsibilities ever since Republicans took control of the Legislature in 2010. For more than one reason, it would be a travesty to have a non-partisan redistricting process forced on our state. First, the North Carolina Constitution clearly states that the General Assembly is responsible for redistricting. Second, if the Federal District Court were to step into a political fight and take sides in how our state chooses to redistrict, it would accurately paint them as an activist court.North Carolina is famous for its redistricting lawsuits. North Carolina redistricting cases are taught in law school and have been used as a guide by legislatures when doing redistricting over the years. The current case, Covington v. North Carolina is likely to only be taught as a "how not to" when it comes to judicial intervention in redistricting.It's easy to confuse all of North Carolina's redistricting cases, especially when the cases are active and in different phases. It may even be more confusing now, because most of the lawsuits stemming from the 2011 redistricting processes charged that Republicans relied too heavily on race when drawing new maps. In these cases, plaintiffs argued that the Republicans illegally packed black voters into a few districts and weakened their political clout. Defendants, in all the cases, argued that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 required them to use race to draw majority-minority districts first.While we wait for the three-judge panel of the Federal Court to take up Covington v. North Carolina again on January 5, 2018, it's interesting to consider how decisions on other lawsuits affect how the legislature works on redistricting plans.For instance, through litigation in the 1980s and 1990s, North Carolina's redistricting process was honed to the point that the courts gave the legislators specific guidelines to produce maps. Case in point: In Stephenson v. Bartlett (2002) the Court required a step-by-step method to encompass the "whole county provision" with the other laws. Based on the law, in 2011, legislators followed these guidelines Most recently, Republicans admitted that, though race played a role in the development of the 2011 district lines , it was only done to comply with the Voting Rights Act and previous federal court rulings. Because the latest court rulings decided Republicans had relied too heavily on race to draw the districts in both the Congressional and legislative maps, the Republicans are now drawing districts without looking at racial data. That doesn't seem to satisfy the plaintiffs either. They now say that the Republicans are supposed to look at race. Thus, we've come to the real problem; the Courts have placed limits on racial gerrymandering without telling anyone just what the limits are.Another interesting development from the numerous lawsuits arising out of North Carolina's 2011 redistricting maps is that they have cast a positive light on the 2013 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Shelby County v. Holder case. Shelby County v. Holder struck down the coverage formula used in Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act as unconstitutional, reasoning that the formula was no longer responsive to current conditions. Ultimately, the Court did not strike down Section 5, but without a coverage formula, Section 5 became unenforceable.Section 5 was the preclearance requirement of the historic Voter Rights Act. It prohibited certain jurisdictions from implementing any change affecting voting without receiving preapproval from the U.S. Attorney General or the U.S. District Court for D.C. These jurisdictions were supposed to determine if the change would discriminate against "protected minorities."The coverage formula was originally designed to include jurisdictions that had been determined to have engaged in egregious voting discrimination in 1965. Congress updated the formula in 1970 and 1975 and the formula was ultimately struck down in 2013, nearly two years after North Carolina's maps were approved by the Obama Justice Department - headed up by former Attorney General Eric Holder.While Obama's DOJ quickly approved North Carolina's 2011 legislative and Congressional maps, the approval has done nothing to stop endless litigation over the maps. The maps have been portrayed as racist and bigoted, proving that the preclearance requirement had turned in to little more than a dog and pony show. A show that lawmakers were afraid to touch, because they thought they would be portrayed as racist and bigoted. They were right too. When the Courts finally stepped in and struck down the Section 5 formula, the Left was outraged over the "racist" Court and anyone who might agree with them.North Carolina's redistricting saga is bound to continue. It is possible that legislative filing and primaries will be delayed. It has happened before. In 2016, the Congressional primaries were held in June. In 2002 and 2004 legislative primaries were held in September and July respectively. So, what can we be sure of?This case will go to the U.S. Supreme Court, if the Federal panel of judges approves the "special master's" plan. The appointment of a supposed "nonpartisan" outsider by the Middle District Court is an over-step, on the court's part. Additionally, the appointment is in conflict with the North Carolina Constitution which clearly gives the responsibility of redistricting to the state's legislative branch.
Today is the first day of the holiday break. The morning was too lovely not to notice, as I drove to work. There was a mist hanging over the fields and pastures. When the sun rose over the tree line, the mist became tinted and what a difference, it made to the countryside. The sun looked like a bright clementine for a while. Moments later it turned the color that only the sun can claim. . . though maybe the daffodils would disagree, as they come as close as anything I know of.The air was only slightly chilled. So far, a warm Christmas day is predicted. I took a chance and put a live poinsettia out by the lamp post. The temperature even at night, is supposed to be mild. . . time will tell, as it always does.School dismissed early today and I took full advantage of that. I bought a gift for my sister, filled the car with gas, and then came home. I commenced to wrapping presents, determined to finish that project. Tomorrow, at long last, I am going to Elizabeth City, and I so want to leave the house in good order.It took the best part of the afternoon, but it is with great pleasure I can say that the presents are wrapped and nestled beneath the tree. Most of the ornaments have been hung and how beautifully familiar they are. The kitchen is a kitchen again-and oh, the Christmas china is on the table. I also started packing. How good it feels to prepare for a visit with my only daughter and grandchild. I will stay a few days and then come back to the rabbit patch, for my older sons, Brant and Tres are coming home on Christmas eve. To say, I am "happy as a lark" is an understatement. If all goes well, I hope to have a special supper for Christmas eve. Lyla will be waiting for Santa, for the first time this year, so they will not come til Christmas day. I have no idea what time my sons will arrive, either. It matters little to me, what details work out, as long as they all get here safely. I always say, that I am my happiest, when my children are all gathered and sleeping under my roof again. Of course, they find this amusing and have no comprehension of this notion. The boys tease me, that we are sleeping-and so they wonder how this could evoke such joy for me. The truth is, all I know is that for a little while, we are "the way we were".When the children were young, they received three gifts from Santa-in keeping with the gifts of the "Wise men". Jenny plans to do so with Lyla. One of the gifts, was always a book-and I still have them, of course. Mama would ask the children what they wanted for Christmas, and they would say things like Lucky Charms or White bread. When Jenny was two, she asked Santa for"fried chicken and diamond earrings". These stories still tickle me. Tres asked for a snowman one year, as we have never had a white Christmas, in this "neck of the woods". Lyla has already visited with Santa and she asked for "presents". When I was young, I saw the "real Santa" and did not know it at the time.Mama used to sew and make all of our "Sunday " dresses. Sometimes they matched, but not always. I used to hate the "fittings" for I was bound to get stuck by pins no matter how still I stood. The fittings also seemed to come at the most undesirable times, too. They seemed to come, when my sister I were creating the most exciting dramas with our dolls. Mama sewed a lot and we took little notice of what she was doing at the sewing machine. In fact, we tried to steer clear of Mama altogether, when she was sewing.Most every year, we got a doll for Christmas-real dolls that looked like babies and shut their eyes to go to sleep. I probably loved dolls more than any other toy. I still remember their names, for the dolls were our companions and were never far from us. One year, the dolls came with a lot of little dresses. I thought "Santa" had performed some miracle, as the dolls had dresses made from the same materials as our own. I remember knowing one dress was going to be itchy, and so did not make the doll wear that one often.It was years later when I pieced things together. I was no longer playing with dolls and so I asked Mama about that particular Christmas. Mama said money was especially tight that year, and so she made all of those little dresses. She said it was tedious work, as the dresses were so little and it took her a long while to make them. That is when it "dawned on me", that I had seen the real Santa, after all.One year Kyle asked for a bike for Christmas. We bought one , not assembled, as money was tight that year for us. I wanted that bike put together and begged my husband to do so weeks before Christmas. Jamie said it would take him twenty minutes tops and not to worry. Jamie worked on that bike for hours, Christmas Eve night-finally a neighbor and friend joined the effort. Nuts and bolts were missing, and some were not the right size. It was a harrowing night and I declare Kyle got up within an hour of the completion. . .the real Santa forgot to eat the cookies, that year.WednesdayIt is raining at the early service. It is a softly falling rain, and begs one to linger under a soft blanket. I have a lot of "loose ends" to tie up, before I leave, so I can not heed the beckoning of a morning rain. I must use extra caution on my drive to Elizabeth City. I must pack the rain coat- and the "Christmas books" that tell the stories of the many reasons, I love Christmas. I will sing "Joy to the World" with Lyla and "Away in a Manger"-Lyla will sing her "Twinkle Bells" and I will laugh-and I am bound to cry too, as I am so sentimental (and Irish).Dear Diary-I am glad for Christmas, when hearts are especially tender to one another. I am glad for memories of being loved, for I always have been. . . and I am especially glad that "All hearts come home for Christmas".
In 1977, the Sex Pistols did a charity gig to raise money for the families of striking miners and firefighters in Huddersfield; the show started at lunchtime with an all-kid audience, and went on into the night, with adult punks showing up later in the day.



It was their last UK show, played at a time in which most venues in the UK had banned them (they were only able to play Ivanhoe's in Huddersfield because it was a "charity show"). They flew to the USA a few weeks later, screwed up a bunch of dates, then Sid Vicious OD'ed and that was it.

Johnny Rotten handed out t-shirts and judged a pogo dancing contest, and there was a giant sheet cake frosted with the words "SEX PISTOLS." It was recorded by director Julian Temple, who had a "big old crappy U-matic low-band camera." His footage was aired in a 2013 doc and has found its way onto Youtube.



Fantastic. The ultimate reward. One of my all-time favourite gigs. Young kids, and we're doing Bodies and they're bursting out with laughter on the 'f*ck this f*ck that' verse. The correct response: not the shock horror 'How dare you?' Adults bring their own filthy minds into a thing. They don't quite perceive it as a child does. Oh, Johnny's used a naughty word. 'Bodies' was from two different points of view. You'll find that theme runs through a lot of things I write like 'Rise'  "I could be wrong, I could be right". I'm considering both sides of the argument, always.



https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/dec/23/sex-pistols-anarachy-film-huddersfield-never-mind-baubles [Dave Simpson/The Guardian]





(via Naked Capitalism)
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

SADC chairman and South African President Jacob Zuma has hailed the Zimbabwe Defence Forces for the manner in which they handled "a delicate situation" that could have spiralled out of control and led to disaster under a different set of hands.Further, President Zuma thanked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for guaranteeing the safety of former President Robert Mugabe as the country's elder statesman during Operation Restore Legacy mounted by the ZDF in mid-November.The military operation culminated in the resignation of Mugabe on November 21 when his own party invoked the Constitution to impeach him.President Zuma's sentiments were revealed by Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba while briefing journalists after a meeting between President Mnangagwa and President Zuma in Pretoria, South Africa, on Thursday.The meeting was the first of a series that President Mnangagwa is expected to have in the region before moving to the rest of the world."He (President Zuma) paid ringing tribute to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces for handling a very delicate situation," he said."He says the army in Zimbabwe behaved in a manner that no one expected and to a point that it was not easy to say was this a coup or was it not a coup. What became very clear is that the region was not dealing with a military issue; it was dealing with a political issue which had invited the involvement of the military. He says let us not run away from it; all our armies are political armies because what came first was politics which then found a gun," said Mr Charamba."He was also thankful that throughout the operation, the ZDF command kept briefing commanding South African Defence Forces to a point that the South African Government, through its defence arm, was always aware of what was happening adding to the fact that not a single drop of blood was shed but also that there was no overthrow of constitutional order."Mr Charamba said President Mnangagwa briefed his counterpart on developments leading to his nomination by the party, his appointment to the Government as President as well as confirmation through Congress.Said Mr Charamba: "He (President Mnangagwa) also indicated to the South African President that President Mugabe remains not just safe but revered as the founding father and leader of Zanu-PF and that there is no intention to victimise him or degrade his reputation. Second issue is that he applauded the Bi-National Commission and that his wish is that the Bi-National Commission fits in neatly with the new emphasis of the new era on economy and that nothing should stand in the way of investment, partnerships and trade between the two countries which after all are biggest trading partners and biggest economies in the Sadc region. If there are any impediments there should be that giveness to talk."Third message related to huge population of Zimbabweans in South Africa and he thanked South Africa for looking after Zimbabweans but also for broadening their skills as well as their experience and that time has now come for Zimbabwe to invite back its citizens on the strength of the skills they had acquired for them to contribute to the recovery of their economy."In his address to journalists, President Zuma said: "We have the same background that we had to fight for our freedom. So there is more commonality between us. I am very happy that President did come and I am clearer now about the situation in Zimbabwe. It confirms what I could observe from a distance that it looks that there is stability now in Zimbabwe."I also commended the manner in which the army, when they had a concern, how it handled the situation, the situation could not go out of hand."It indicates the maturity of Zimbabweans in handling any situation that could develop and we are very grateful for that because in a number of countries if the army decided to stand up, then they leave a trail of destruction generally but in Zimbabwe I think they were able to control and indeed finally (the) political situation was controlled."President Mnangagwa responded saying: "I have come to South Africa and a courtesy visit to His Excellency President Zuma for two major reasons. The first is that South Africa is the closest neighbour to Zimbabwe in terms of tradition and history. Secondly, he is the current chairman of Sadc and perhaps thirdly I spent my 16 days of exile here. That aside, I regard President Zuma as my elder brother."With that background, I felt on 26th day in Office I must come to my brother and receive guidance. He is a very experienced President and I felt the challenges which I face the first port of call is to go to my colleague and say Your Excellency I have taken the leadership of Zimbabwe and I seek your guidance in whatever challenge I face and I have no doubt he will give complete and honest guidance."President Mnangagwa said he thanked President Zuma and the ANC for holding a peaceful elective conference.President Mnangagwa also met the new ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and briefed him on political developments in Zimbabwe.Ramaphosa said he was keen to visit Zimbabwe as a guest of Zanu-PF after which he would also visit other sister liberation movements in the region.
News / Local

by Staff Reporter

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has filed a $2 million lawsuit against from former Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko over comments the latter allegedly made insinuating that the former Premier played a part in the Gukurahundi massacres in the early 1980s.In summons filed at the High Court on Monday, Tsvangirai said Mphoko must pay damages of $2 million with interest and costs of suit at an attorney-client rate."The claim arises from the publication of false, wrongful, defamatory and injurious statements that were spoken by the defendant against the plaintiff and subsequently flighted on ZBC-TV, published on online platforms and printed by various print media publications on February 4 and 5 and in the following days this year," Tsvangirai said.According to the summons, on February 4 this year, Mphoko addressed journalists in Bulawayo soon after meeting with the Zanu PF provincial leadership.In his address, Mphoko alleged that Tsvangirai had participated in the commission of atrocities during the 1980s Gukurahundi era.It is alleged Mphoko stated that Tsvangirai had been involved in an assassination attempt on the late Vice-President of Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo in Masvingo and the burning of villages in Tsholotsho.Mphoko further alleged that Tsvangirai murdered a top police officer in Tsholotsho during the Gukurahundi era.However, Tsvangirai dismissed the statements as malicious, defamatory and harmful because they implied that he was a cruel, murderous and evil person who would associate himself with and participate in the horrendous activities of the Gukurahundi period."The defendant had no right to fabricate the false statements, which are defamatory and highly injurious allegations against the plaintiff. As a result of the subject's defamation, the plaintiff's reputation has been damaged and has suffered damages in total of $2 million," he said.Mphoko's lawyers from EN Mlotshwa and Company Legal Practitioners are yet to respond to the summons of demand.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

PALAPYE: Two young men, aged 19 and 20, in Botswana were remanded in police custody last Friday on suspicion of killing a Zimbabwean male aged 30-years whose corpse was found buried near in Mahalapye.The suspects were allegedly engaged by the deceased as helpers at his piece - job where they were fitting tiles. According to Mahalapye Police investigations, the piece-work was allegedly concluded on November 24, the day the deceased allegedly met his fate.Superintendent Isaac Mamadi of Mahalapye Police said the two suspects allegedly took the car belonging to the deceased and used it on their trips to the cattle post around Mahalapye. He said the car led the police to the arrest of the duo. The matter was reported last Thursday by a woman who stayed with the deceased who was worried by his mysterious disappearance.According to Mmegi Online, the two suspects led the police to a river between Mahalapye and Mokotswane villages where the body of the deceased was exhumed."Our investigations are still ongoing, but from what we gather is, issues arose after payment when the deceased gave the suspects half the amount he had promised them because he was not fully paid," Mamadi said."The deceased's body was decomposed when it was exhumedand there were signs of wounds and cuts on the head." In another murder case under investigation in Mahalapye, that happened at Parwe ward on Saturday, a 24-year-old woman was found dead on her bed. Mamadi said the deceased had cuts that made the police suspect a sharp object was used to kill her.Mamadi said no one has been arrested on the matter, but they were still on the manhunt of a suspect after they received a tip-off.In Letlhakane, the police reported three cases of rape in the past weekend to make 10 such cases reported in the same village in less than two weeks' time. In one of the three cases, a 14-year-old boy raped a nine-year-old girl.According to Superintendent Michael Maphephu, the incident happened on Sunday afternoon while the parents were away. The two children have been taken for counselling. In other incidents, two women aged 25 and 28-years-old respectively, were abused at odd hours of the night after a drinking spree.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

People's Democratic Party President Lucia Matibenga has sent happy Christmas message to all Zimbabweans giving them hope for a new Zimbabwe under the People's Rainbow Coalition led by Joice Mujuru.She said December is always a time for reflection on the events of the closing year and as people reach the festive period as a nation, perhaps, they need to reflect upon the milestones of this year of their lord 2017 as it draws to a close."Of all the events of the year none draws prominence above the recent military 'action' that saw the removal of the longstanding dictator Robert G. Mugabe as a result of a 'soft coup' and the installation of Emmerson D. Mnangagwa as president by the military. This to us at the People's Democratic Party and to our partners under the People's Rainbow Coalition, whose presidential candidate is Dr. J. T. R. Mujuru, is worrisome as it does not bode well for our constitutional democracy as a nation. The nation has been transformed into a military state as the role of law enforcement has been taken up by the military displacing the mandated ZRP police force, despite the constitution stating otherwise amidst various reports of citizens being abused physically by soldiers. The biggest enigma though is what the military authorities are planning for our nation and whether the views of citizens will be respected if they go against their wishes and whether those views be accepted or entertained," she said."The bottom line is that Zimbabweans are crying out for a democratic and developmental dispensation that will deliver employment, end the liquidity crisis, eradicate poverty and, in general, accord their constitutional rights as citizens. As the PDP, together with our partners under the PRC, we are seized by and committed to the agenda to bring these aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe to reality."Matibenga said as such they will do everything that needs to be done to deliver a PRC victory for the people of Zimbabwe at the polls, including engaging in the fight for the right of citizens to a credible, free and fair election that will respect and uphold the electoral choices of citizens as provided for under the constitution."To that end we call upon all those eligible to vote, especially women and our young people, to register to vote so that they will be able to exercise their right to vote for the social democratic developmental agenda of their choice whose embodiment is the People's Rainbow Coalition. In short a return to the values which brought the citizens of Zimbabwe together to fight in the liberation struggle that brought us our independence from colonial rule," she said."It is sad that today as Zimbabweans we are still faced with the same problems we have faced for decades, complicated now by the crisis of legitimacy whose roots are found in the controversy of the 2008 elections and exacerbated by an unconstitutional change of leadership by the military. Record-breaking unemployment levels. An economy crippling and socially debilitating liquidity crisis. Dispersion of families that has seen bread winners and our youth seeking employment opportunities in the diaspora and led to some broken homes. Poverty levels that have all but destroyed our social fabric as people engage in the immoral and often illegal to eke out a living."She said it is with this burden of a myriad pending socio-political and economic crises begging for solutions that we are laden with as we approach the festive period as a nation."A season for reflection and for commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, who in his own right was a champion of the downtrodden. A time also to be in the comforting presence of family and friends made difficult by the prevailing crises and hardships. It is against this background that I would like to wish the People's Democratic Party family, our presidential candidate Dr. J. T. R. Mujuru, all our partners under the People's Rainbow Coalition and all Zimbabweans as peaceful and happy accident free Christmas as is possible under the present conditions and pray that the year 2018 brings resolution to all the crises facing our nation and prosperity for all citizens," she said.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

A Harare woman who allegedly strangled her son to death has appeared in court facing murder charges.Thirty-eight year old Vanessa Ayinesi Bwanali from Dzivarasekwa Phase 2 Extension in Harare has appeared in court before Harare Magistrate Ruramai Chitungura facing charges of strangling her son to death.Bwanali was remanded in custody to 12 January next year for trial.It is the state's case that on the 21st of December this year, Bwanali strangled her son Tinashe and immersed his head in a dish of water until he fell unconscious resulting in his death.Upon realising that he has dead, Bwanali took the deceased to Yemura Clinic where she initially indicated that he had fallen into a dish of water and upon being questioned by a nurse she later admitted that she immersed the boy in a dish of water leading to his death.The accused also led the police to the bathroom where she showed them the dish which was almost filled up with water in which she had immersed the now deceased.
News / Press Release

by Staff Reporter

Usually, I ignore false and fake news published by media when it appears that the publication is founded on some mistake or misinformation but when fake and entirely false news is published deliberately and maliciously I have a responsibility to set the record straight.It is very unfortunate that some journalists allow themselves to be on the payroll of dishonest overly ambitious and corrupt politicians who pay them for the publication of falsehoods. Zimbabwe needs a new beginning which cannot take place in the midst of some of this madness.The outrageous falsehoods attributed to myself in the Newsday of 23 December 2017 under a story titled 'Tsvangirai Outfoxes Alliances Partners" written by one Obey Manaiti cannot go unchallenged. Manaiti wrote that, "The development has left Tsvangirai's coalition partners seething with anger, with MDC leader and Alliance Spokesperson Welshman Ncube accusing the former Prime Minister of being an untrustworthy partner bent on perpetuating Zanu PF's rule." This statement is a 100 percent work of fiction.Nowhere in my interview with Manaiti did I mention the MDCT as a party or President Tsvangirai, let alone accuse him of being an untrustworthy partner bent on perpetuating ZANU PF rule. The deliberate falsehoods with regards to my response were designed to create the impression of non- existent fissures within txhe MDC Alliance leadership. This is totally irresponsible. This morning I took up this issue with Manaiti who could not give any rational explanation for inventing the falsehoods. I then took the matter up with the Newsday Editor Wisdom Mudzungairi who has promised to take corrective measures in the next publication of the paper on Monday. I look forward to seeing the corrective measures.For the public record, my response to Manaiti when he called me for a comment in response to statements attributed to the MDCT Secretary Douglas Mwonzora alleging that the MDCT would field candidates in all constituencies notwithstanding the Alliance agreement whereby all partners were allocated seats was as follows:The agreement on allocation of seats to all Alliance partners stands and assertions to the contrary by whoever made the claims to Manaiti were false. The only negotiations that were still ongoing are on the allocation of local government ward seats.I further referred Manaiti to the MDCT Director of Elections, Honourable Zwizwai so that he could get the correct position of the MDCT on the issue of primary elections since it is Honourable Zwizai's department which is responsible for the conduct of primary elections in the party. Cde Zwizai's response is tucked away at the very end of the mischievous fake news story.It is very regrettable that Manaiti chose to falsely attribute to me statements which were entirely his own creation. Such mischief is particularly disappointing when coming from an independent newspaper as we expect them to be a step above the state captured public media.The lack of professionalism by Manaiti in failing to report the truth is very disappointing and unfortunate. The editors of the Newsday, an independent mainstream newspaper, should not allow the paper to become a source of lies, false and fake news and blatant propaganda.
Injured firefighter succumbs to burn injuries

A fire-fighter, who was critically injured in a Birgunj gas bottling plant on Wednesday, died while undergoing treatment in the Capital on Friday.
Prof. Hillel Frisch is a professor of political studies and Middle East studies at Bar-Ilan University and a senior research associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies.





BESA Center Perspectives Papers are published through the generosity of the Greg Rosshandler Family





Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 696..22 December '17..On Friday, December 13, an Israeli officer and his NCO, standing near a home in the village of Nabi Salih, were verbally assaulted by a young woman. Emboldened by their refusal to respond, she proceeded to shove, slap, and kick them. She was not only actively encouraged by girlfriends who were eagerly filming the event with their smartphones, but her mother  who, along with her elder sons, has a long history of violent protest  came out of the house to help her daughter assault and verbally abuse the officers. (If nothing else, this incident exposes once again the falsehoods spread by organizations such as Breaking the Silence.)To add insult to injury, the girls father, Bassem al-Tamimi, accused the soldiers on Facebook  in excellent English  for entering his home, pillaging it, and stealing a laptop. Al-Tamimi is a professional inciter to violence who commands a salary for that purpose as an employee of the Palestinian Authoritys Ministry of the Interior.These events would be unthinkable in any Middle Eastern regime or even, dare one say it, in the states that make up the European Community, which has done so much to secularize the doctrine of turning the other cheek.Fortunately, the Israeli authorities had the sense to return to the home and arrest the young woman and her bellicose mother for assault. But this is hardly sufficient. The young womans friends, all of legal age, should also be brought to court, not only for having done nothing to prevent illegal and indecent behavior but for having joined in. Even more critical is for the father to be summoned by the relevant authorities to investigate the charges he levied against the Israeli soldiers. If those charges are proven false, he should be prosecuted for slander.At first glance, this appears to be a relatively minor event, concerning the officers, the young woman who assaulted them, and her parents and friends. However, its repercussions are far wider.It has been long known that during times of relative calm, the willingness of Israeli youth to join fighting units declines and the attractiveness of joining technologically related units, where they can learn skills highly valued in the marketplace, increases. The lull since the last offensive in 2014 in Gaza has already produced this effect.This recent incident, instantly disseminated via every possible new media channel, can only dampen young peoples willingness to join such units. Israeli youth ask themselves, quite reasonably, why they should not only put their lives on the line but tolerate such humiliation as well. As it is, many Israeli youth question why Elor Azariya, a soldier who shot a terrorist as he lay on the ground after he attempted to kill soldiers at a checkpoint in Hebron, was sentenced to a year and a half in prison.That Israeli officers did not respond to a humiliating assault, possibly out of fear of disciplinary or legal retribution, raises doubts about the Israeli militarys resolve to stand by its rank and file. Prospective soldiers dont want to become victims of the doctrine of turning the other cheek.This incident also sends a dangerous signal to the many Palestinians who want to harm Israelis. Anyone viewing the two-minute video can clearly see how the numbers encouraging the assault grew as the passivity of the officers continued. It begins with two girls, a third joins in, and then the mother enters the fray with two young boys. The assault also becomes increasingly brazen in the face of the officers passivity.One can safely assume that the weaker the IDF looks, the greater will be the willingness of Palestinians to join the ranks of attackers in larger, more charged, and more dangerous scenarios.Israel must make clear that turning the other cheek is not its doctrine. It is as poisonous in this environment as the blood libel, another import to the area from Europe, which a leading Israeli Islamist, Raid Sallah, is now disseminating against Israel.Israel should take its cue from its Palestinian cousins: no to the other cheek; yes to measure for measure. Those involved should pay for their actions to the fullest extent of the law.
India-Switzerland ink agreement automatic sharing of tax-related information

Published: December 23, 2017

India has signed agreement with Switzerland for automatic sharing of tax-related information from January 1, 2018 with an aim to combat black money.

Prior to it, India had to ask Switzerland for specific bits of information against the Indian account holder in Swiss banks. But due to its earlier secretive laws it could delay or deny information altogether.

Contents Background

Significance

Background

Switzerland always has been at centre of debate on black money allegedly stashed by Indians abroad. It is infamously known for very strong secrecy walls around its banking practices till few years ago. In recent past, huge global pressure has resulted in Switzerland relenting on tough secrecy clauses its local laws gave to banks.

The signing of agreement comes after completion of parliamentary procedure in Switzerland for changing domestic secretive banking laws and signing of mutual agreement between India and Switzerland. Both countries in November 2017 had signed a joint declaration for the implementation of Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI). It provided that both countries will start collecting data in accordance with global standards in 2018 and exchange it from 2019 onwards. The AEOI conforms to norm set by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for tax transparency.

Significance

Under the automatic information exchange framework, confidentiality and data protection requirements is to be strictly followed. This process will ensure that signatory always maintains control over its exchange partners and treatment of data exchanged as per OECD norms. The automatic exchange of information will discourage Indians from stashing black money in Swiss banks.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2017

Topics: Automatic Exchange of Information  CBDT  india-switzerland  National  OECD  Taxation

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Since 1987, the Lords Resistance Army terrorist group, under the leadership of self-styled prophet Joseph Kony, has waged a guerilla war against the Ugandan government. The groups purported goal is to establish a multi-party democracy that would rule the country according to the Ten Commandments.

According to UNICEF, the LRA has abducted more than 20,000 children to use as soldiers, servants or sex slaves. Its activities in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo have helped to destabilize the region and contributed to the violence that has displaced over 2.5 million people. For that reason, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Joseph Kony and the Lords Resistance Army in March 2016.

The group finances itself in part through elephant poaching and ivory trafficking. To disrupt their revenue stream, the United States Treasury Department has imposed economic sanctions on two individuals who use the illegal ivory trade in support of the Lord's Resistance Army, pursuant to Executive Order 13667. Executive Order 13667 targets those persons who contribute to the conflict in the Central African Republic.

Okot Lukwang is the LRA's intelligence officer. He oversees supply logistics and has coerced civilians to provide him with information on government forces within the region.Lukwang is in charge of selling or trading the groups hoards of ivory.

Musa Hatari, a merchant by profession, has traded with the LRA since at least 2013, supplying the group with ammunition, mines, weapons, food and other supplies. Hatari buys regularly from the LRA, has sold or traded ivory from the LRA, and has promised to trade anything the LRA wants for ivory.

"Treasury will continue to target armed groups such as the Lord's Resistance Army and their support networks that rely on the global ivory trade and wildlife trafficking to finance their violent campaigns," said OFAC Director John E. Smith. "The U.S. government will not tolerate the actions of those who finance destabilizing activities in central Africa, and we appreciate the cooperation of the governments of Sudan and Uganda to degrade the threat posed by the LRA."
On December 13, U.S. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Ranz handed over eleven armored personnel carriers, also known as APCs, worth over 280 million rupees [$2.7 million USD] to the Islamabad Capital Territory Police, or ICTP, the Frontier Constabulary, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police.

The delivery underscores the U.S. governments commitment to working with Pakistan to improve security for the Pakistani people.

American company Lenco built the vehicles, which are able to maneuver in remote and difficult terrains, helping civilian security forces prevent and respond to crime, terrorism, and militancy. APCs are critical in improving police operational capacity and saving officers lives as they respond to threats from armed groups, including terrorists, militants, and narco-traffickers. Across Pakistan, these groups target police officers. According to the National Police Bureau, almost 6,500 security officials died in the line of duty in Pakistan.

The U.S. State Departments Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, or INL, which funded the acquisition of the APCs, works in more than 90 countries to help combat crime and corruption; counter the narcotics trade; improve police institutions; and promote court systems that are fair and accountable.

INL has provided extensive support to the law enforcement, justice, and corrections sectors across Pakistan since the 1980s. It supports Pakistani efforts to build the human and institutional capacity of civilian law enforcement; to counter the production, trafficking, and use of illicit narcotics; to enhance the rule of law and access to justice; to support a safer, more secure, humane, and transparent corrections system; and to achieve gender equality throughout the criminal justice sector.

The Pakistani police make sacrifices every day to keep their communities safe, said Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Ranz. Both in the United States and Pakistan, we depend on the police to protect our people, and we will continue to stand together with the people of Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and in our commitment to security and rule of law in Pakistan.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. PAUL HANNA (REUTERS)

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday defended his decision to use emergency constitutional powers to call a snap poll in Catalonia despite the failure of so-called constitutionalist, or anti-independence, parties to win a majority of seats in Thursdays regional election.

He also said he was willing to sit down for constructive, open and realistic talks with any new regional government in Catalonia that emerges.

But the leader of Spains Popular Party  which was punished with its worst ever result in Catalonia on Thursday  did not veer from his anti-independence discourse, stipulating talks with what is predicted to be a pro-secession government in the region would have to take place within the framework of the law.

Early general election ruled out Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Friday he had no plans to bring forward Spanish general elections, despite the poor performance of his Popular Party (PP) in the Catalan election. The government is going forward. Legislatures are for four years because we cant oblige people to keep returning to the ballot boxes, he said. After everything that is happening in Spain, the last thing we need is to call new general elections, Rajoy said. Now the main concern for the ruling Popular Party is ensuring that Ciudadanos, which picked up the most seats and votes in the Catalan election on Thursday, does not carry over that success into the rest of Spain, splitting the center-right vote. The Popular Party is now analyzing why it did so poorly in Catalonia. But Rajoy played down the significance of the result: Regional elections in Catalonia are one thing and regional and provincial elections in the rest of Spain are another, as are general elections, he said. I dont think they have punished us for applying article 155 because those who won the elections [Ciudadanos] supported this, Rajoy added. For the government, there are other concerns. Two months after the dismissal of the government of Carles Puigdemont, everything has changed but remains the same with the constitutionalist parties unable to win a majority in Catalonia.

Rajoy also rejected an offer of talks in a location outside of Spain from ousted former premier Carles Puigdemont, whose Junts per Catalunya party surprised many to become the most-voted pro-independence party on Thursday.

Puigdemont fled to Belgium after the Catalan regional parliament voted through a unilateral declaration of independence on October 27. He is facing charges including rebellion and sedition over the recent independence push in Catalonia and would be arrested if he returned to Spain.

However, despite shunning the offer on the table from the former premier in newly bullish spirits after Thursdays result, Rajoy did state he would speak with whoever became premier of the new Catalan government. I will make an effort to maintain a dialogue with whatever government emerges from these elections, but I will also make an effort to ensure the law is obeyed, he said.

I hope the new government abandons the unilateral [independence] route and does not place itself outside the law. I will not accept anyone disregarding the [Spanish] Constitution or the [Catalan] statue, he said.

The embattled Spanish prime minister, who has been widely criticized for a perceived lack of action in the face of the secessionist threat in Catalonia, noted the fact that the pro-independence bloc had picked up fewer seats on Thursday than in 2015  70 against the previous 72  while its vote count was also down.

There is a great deal of social division in Catalonia. It will take a while to repair this and this should be the first priority of all political parties, Rajoy said.

Rajoy was also keen to note the electoral victory of the strongly anti-independence Ciudadanos party which emerged with the greatest number of seats and votes on Thursday  a historic first for a party not backing independence for the region.

The party performed even better than expected winning 37 seats in the 135-seat regional chamber, or three more than Puigdemonts Junts per Catalunya which took second place, but now finds itself having to play a game of wait-and-see as pro-independence forces attempt to form a government.

Thursday election is a triple blow for Rajoy. His Popular Party now has just three seats in the Catalan parliament, which is an all-time low. It also means a constitutionalist coalition in the regional parliament made up of the PP, the Catalan Socialists (PSC) and Ciudadanos  which picked up a combined 43.49% of the votes  would only hold 57 seats, well short of the 68 needed for a majority. These results call into question Rajoys decision to immediately call elections after the application of emergency powers in Catalonia.

Calling elections was a message to everybody. The situation was exceptional and obliged us to dismiss the government and we felt we should tell people that we didnt have the intention to be there indefinitely, said the Spanish leader in reference to the application of article 155 of the Spanish constitution.

Exceptional circumstances must be short-term: it is a question of democratic values, said Rajoy referring to requests from leading PP figures such as the partys candidate for Catalonia, Xavier Garcia Albiol, that the decision to call elections be delayed.

Rajoy is now waiting on future developments. If the new Catalan government acts legally, he will be able to argue his actions helped restored institutional normality in the region. But if that new government pushes for independence again, article 155 will be reapplied. In any case, emergency powers will be in place until a new Catalan premier is sworn in.

English version by George Mills.
Left bloc in power-sharing bid

After getting an almost two-thirds majority in the polls, two parties in the left allianceCPN-UML and the CPN Maoist Centrehave started dialogue for party unification and government formation.
Tehran's Friday Prayer leader has called on the Iran's authorities to avoid airing their dirty laundry in public.

Speaking at Friday Prayer ceremony on December 22, Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani cautioned, The problems [between the countrys leading figures] should not be publicly tabled. Some elders should be selected to weigh your words against the others side and address the problem.

Kashani was referring to the recent heated argument between former President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and the head of judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani.

The two sides have repeatedly charged each other with a barrage of different accusations.

Larijani, according to Ahmadinejad, is a greedy, land-grabbing tyrant and a totally unjust figure who should immediately resign as chief-justice, otherwise the whole ruling system would collapse.

Meanwhile, Larijani has accused Ahmadinejad of high treason and one who has already been convicted of financial corruption.

Ahmadinejad had threatened on December 17 that if within 48 hours the judiciary did not produce the evidence behind the charges brought against him and his inner circle he would expose the illegalities of the judicial branch.

Larijani, apparently ignoring the ultimatum, ordered his staff to publish details about the legal cases filed against Ahmadinejad.

But by the deadline, all Ahmadinejad had done was repeat general accusations against Larijani, calling him a usurper who has repeatedly violated the law.

Both failed to present solid evidence against the other and their personal hostility has been limited to exchanging verbal accusations.

Calling the two sides to seek a compromise, Kashani said, [While the dispute is going on] many unfounded claims might be presented and tenfold enlarged by the media, which leads to public disturbance and disappointing the authorities."

Kashani was the first prominent figure in Iran to publicly acknowledge the row between Ahmadinejad and Larijani.

Meanwhile, the judiciary announced that it has sentenced another close ally of the former president, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, to six months in prison.

Earlier, Ahmadinejads deputy for executive affairs, Hamid Baghaei, had claimed that he was sentenced to 63 years for referring to Larijani's 63 different bank accounts.

In a note published by pro-Ahmadinejad website Dolat-e Bahar, Javanfekr wrote on Decemebr 21, If the head of the judiciary insists on staying in power, no option will be left other than asking Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to dismiss him for the sake of recovering the judiciarys tainted reputation.

Khamenei has the sole authority to appoint or dismiss the head of the judiciary.

So far, though, he has done his best to distance himself from the ongoing war of words between Larijani and Ahmadinejad, who is one of his personal representatives on the influential Expediency Discernment Council.
The wife of an Iranian researcher sentenced to death in Tehran has written to President Hassan Rouhani asking him to step in and assign an impartial board to look into what she says is a violation of her husbands citizens rights.

Radio Farda received a copy of the letter from a person close to the family, in which Djalalis wife, Vida Mehran Nia, says she holds out hope that Rouhanis promises on respecting citizens rights will be fulfilled.

Maintaining that Rouhanis Intelligence Ministry is directly responsible for producing a film that shows Djalali confessing to spying against Iran, Mehran Nia has noted, My defenseless husbands case is another example of his citizens rights being violated, as well as mine and those of his children and heartbroken mother.

Iranian state television broadcast on December 17 what it said were the confessions of Djalali, whom it said had provided information to Israel to help the country assassinate several Iranian nuclear scientists.

Djalali was tried by a hardliner judge, Abolqassem Salavati, in a Revolutionary Court and sentenced to death for Crruption on Earth on October 21. Salavati is well-known for issuing harsh sentences, especially in political cases.

Iran's Supreme Court upheld two weeks ago the death sentence against Djalali, a doctor and lecturer at the Karolinska Institute, a Stockholm medical university.

Djalali was arrested in Iran in April 2016 and later convicted of espionage. He has denied the charges.

In the television report, titled Ax to the Root, Djalali is linked to the assassination of four Iranian scientists between 2010 and 2012 that Tehran said was an Israeli attempt to sabotage its nuclear energy program. Djalali said in the report he had given the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad information about key nuclear scientists.

"They were showing me pictures of some people or satellite photos of nuclear facilities and were asking me to give them information about that, Djalali said in the television report.

However, several days later, a taped voice attributed to Djalali and circulated on social media denied the confession, saying the video had been doctored.

Mehran Nia also said her husband had been forced to read a pre-agreed confession on camera. "After three months in solitary confinement, his interrogators told him that he would be released only if he reads from a text in front of the camera," she told Reuters by telephone from Stockholm.

"My husband told me that they shouted at him each time he was saying something different from the text and stopped the filming," Mehran Nia added.

"Djalali did not have any sensitive information about Irans nuclear program. If he had, he would have been barred from leaving the country," she said.

Sweden has condemned Djalalis death sentence and said it had raised the matter with Iranian envoys in Stockholm and Tehran.

Seventy-five Nobel prize laureates petitioned Iranian authorities last month for Djalalis release so he could "continue his scholarly work for the benefit of mankind." They said Djalali has suggested it was his refusal to work for Iranian intelligence services that led to this unfair, flawed trial.

The United Nations and international human rights organizations regularly list Iran as a country with one of the worlds highest execution rates. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have arrested at least 30 dual nationals during the past two years, mostly on spying charges.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.23

By Gulgiz Muradova - Trend:

Since gaining its independence, Azerbaijan has turned into a modern state with a stable economy developing at a rapid pace, said Petar Stoyanov, the former president of Bulgaria and a member of Board of Trustees at the Nizami Ganjavi International Center.

The leadership of the country has the right to be proud of the achievements," Stoyanov told Trend.

"Tourism and agriculture are intensively developing, while Baku has got a new modern look turning into one of the best European capitals. Everyone can see that Azerbaijan is becoming an increasingly better place to live," he explained.

Stoyanov further noted that one of the most important achievements of Azerbaijan over the years is its opening to the outside world and raise of new generation free from the stereotypes of communist thinking, which is so characteristic to former Soviet states.

"In recent years I had many meetings with the youth of Azerbaijan. Since then, I am firmly convinced that the young people of Azerbaijan are the largest capital of their country. They have impressed me not only with the knowledge of languages, but the responsibility and professionalism with which they deal with their duties. I think this is the biggest bet for the future of Azerbaijan - the intelligent and hardworking youth, who magnificently combine the knowledge of Western universities with the ancient traditions of the homeland," he said.

Speaking about the unique tolerant atmosphere in Azerbaijan, Stoyanov said Azerbaijan is a place, which holds large-scale events devoted to religious and international tolerance.

"Azerbaijan is a truly unique example of tolerance and its citizens can rightly be proud of this. With a predominantly Muslim population, the people of Azerbaijan have a unique sense of understanding and tolerance for Christians and Jews, and in general, for all foreign cultures.

It is no coincidence that Azerbaijan is the birthplace of the great Nizami Ganjavi, whose poetry and philosophy are entirely based on the tolerance and understanding of the other, the different," he said.

Stoyanov said that in today's world, where religious and ethnic hatred, as well as nationalist influences increases, Azerbaijan should be an extremely positive example of cohabitation and tolerance.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 24

Trend:

December 24 is the birthday of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Aliyev was born in Baku on December 24, 1961. He entered the Moscow State University of International Relations (MGIMO) in 1977 and graduated it in 1982. Upon his graduation, Ilham Aliyev continued his education as a postgraduate student at MGIMO and received a Ph.D. degree in history in 1985.

He taught at the Moscow State University of International Relations between 1985-1990. From 1991 to 1994 Ilham Aliyev was involved in the private business sector, heading a number of industrial-commercial enterprises.

He was vice president, and later the first vice president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) from 1994 to 2003. He was actively involved in the implementation of Heydar Aliyev's oil strategy.

Ilham Aliyev was twice elected to the Milli Majlis (parliament) of Azerbaijan in 1995 and 2000, and resigned from his post in 2003 due to his appointment to the post of prime minister.

In addition to his existing responsibilities, Ilham Aliyev has been presiding over the National Olympic Committee since 1997. Ilham Aliyev was re-elected to this post in 2016.

He has been elected deputy chairman of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party in 1999, first deputy chairman in 2001, and party chairman in 2005.

He headed the Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) from 2001 to 2003.

Ilham Aliyev was elected deputy chairman of PACE and member of the PACE bureau in January 2003.

Ilham Aliyev was appointed Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan after his candidacy was approved by the country's parliament August 4, 2003.

Ilham Aliyev was elected president of Azerbaijan on October 15, 2003, gaining over 76 percent of total votes. He assumed his post on October 31, 2003. He was re-elected as president for the second term, gaining 88 percent of votes in the elections, held on October 15, 2008. He assumed the duties of the presidency on October 24, 2008.

On October 9, 2013, Ilham Aliyev was elected for a third term by an overwhelming majority of voters (84.54 percent) for the next five years. He assumed the post on October 19, 2013.

The Azerbaijani people made their choice, voting for political stability, prosperity and sustainable social and economic development.

The unity of the Azerbaijani people and the country's president was once again demonstrated in 2016. Thanks to the care and attention given to the army building by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Ilham Aliyev, today Azerbaijan has the strongest army in the region.

The valiant Azerbaijani army under the leadership of the Supreme Commander of the country's Armed Forces, President Ilham Aliyev gave a rebuff to Armenian aggressors in April 2016.

The Azerbaijani army liberated a large area occupied by Armenia, thus opening another glorious page in the country's history. That demonstrated the world the power and aspiration of Azerbaijan for returning the occupied territories at any cost.



These events once and forever changed the recent situation and proved the unacceptability of the status quo in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.



By having voted in a referendum on amendments to the country's constitution in September 2016, the Azerbaijani people supported President Aliyev's initiative, which became a guarantee of the country's political and economic stability.



The act of referendum signed by the Azerbaijani president envisaged amendments to 29 items of the constitution. Results of the referendum reflected the Azerbaijani people's will. The Azerbaijani people voted for each of 29 items, which became the beginning of a new stage of Azerbaijan's development.



The year of 2017 marked a new stage in the development of the Azerbaijani economy, particularly, the non-oil sector. The 12 Strategic Road Maps adopted by President Ilham Aliyev in late 2016 laid the foundation for a new strategy of the country's economic development until 2025 and beyond, which are designed to ensure the economy's competitiveness and social welfare on the basis of sustainable economic development in Azerbaijan.



The year of 2017 saw such significant events as the beginning of negotiations on a comprehensive cooperation agreement with the European Union, the commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which is the shortest and most reliable way for cargo transportation between Europe and Asia the extension of the "Contract of the Century" until 2050, the successful continuation of construction of the Southern Gas Corridor, including the TANAP and TAP pipelines that will ensure energy security of Europe,. All these were the result of the far-sighted policy of President Ilham Aliyev.



As part of the announcement of 2017 as the "Year of Islamic Solidarity" by President Aliyev, a number of major international events were held in the country, including the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games.



The bright success of Azerbaijan's foreign policy was the recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty of member countries in the statement adopted on the results of the Eastern Partnership Summit of the European Union. The latest report on the "EU common foreign and security policy" by the European Parliament, dated December 13, has become a logical continuation of the process fixed in the joint statement of the Eastern Partnership Summit, held in Brussels on November 24 and which President Aliyev called as the diplomatic success of Azerbaijan.

The European Parliament confirmed for the first time its commitment to the EU's commitments to support the territorial integrity of all the Eastern Partnership countries within their internationally recognized borders.

The staff of Trend Agency sincerely congratulates President Aliyev on his birthday!
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is a guarantee of stability and security in the world.

Novruz Mammadov, assistant to the Azerbaijani president for foreign policy issues, head of the department, made the remarks adressing a briefing on Dec.23.

Mammadov noted that Azerbaijan has made a great contribution to the international community in 2017.

"Azerbaijan has proclaimed this year as "the Year of Islamic Solidarity". This year, and in previous years Azerbaijan hosted a dialogue between civilizations, international conferences, humanitarian forums and other important events. These were possible thanks to the fact that Azerbaijan could easily resolve its internal issues and the President of Azerbaijan had the opportunity to contribute to the international community. "

Referring to the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Mammadov stressed that this rail line is an important part of the historic Silk Road connecting East and West.

"This is a guarantor of stability and security in the world, and we can proudly say that Azerbaijan has successfully realized it. We will continue to see significant contributions of the project to Azerbaijan, to the region, as well as to international cooperation. "
Details added (first version posted on 11:41)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

The Armenian side always tries to delay the negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Novruz Mammadov, assistant to the Azerbaijani president for foreign policy issues, head of the department, said at a briefing in Baku on Dec. 23.

Today there is a great tension in the world and this tension worries the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs as well. From this point of view, it is almost certain that attention to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has decreased, he noted.

"Despite this, the co-chairs recently visited the region, had meetings with the Azerbaijani president; representatives of the European Union and OSCE met with the Azerbaijani president and they showed that processes are underway for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," added the top official.

"Meanwhile, the Russian president made a statement," said Mammadov. In other words, processes are underway, but the Armenian side always tries to delay the negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and does its utmost for this."

He said if the principles of international law are not respected, one cannot speak about stability in the world.

It is necessary to adhere to the principle of justice. Then the stability, security can be established, and a stronger development can be achieved in the world, added Mammadov.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

The ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) is holding a conference At the intersection of East and West: New energy and communication opportunities in Baku Dec. 23.

The conference is being attended by members of YAP, government, parliament and other officials.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The Association of Manufacturers of Building Materials of Azerbaijan proposes to exempt the import of raw materials necessary for production within the country from customs duties, Elkhan Bashirov, the Associations chairman and president of Matanat-A company, told reporters in Baku.

Bashirov said this will allow reducing the cost of production. Meanwhile, he spoke about another problem related to transportation costs of companies.

About 30 percent of the cost of building materials account for their transportation via railway, vehicles and sea. We think the transportation costs should account for a maximum of 5 percent of the production cost, said Bashirov.

The third important issue for today, continued Bashirov, is the subsoil use tax.

Currently, in Azerbaijan enterprises should pay not only for subsoil use permit, but also pay the subsoil use tax.

Moreover, there are also land tax and production tax.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The 12th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Iran intergovernmental commission for economic, trade and humanitarian cooperation has been rescheduled for mid-January 2018, the Azerbaijani Economy Ministry told Trend Dec. 23.

Earlier, it was planned to hold the meeting in Irans Astara on Dec. 25.

The ceremony to open a cargo terminal and the Astara (Azerbaijan)  Astara (Iran) railway as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor was also postponed for 2018.

Both events were to be held as part of the meeting of the intergovernmental commission.

According to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee, trade turnover with Iran amounted to almost $229 million in January-November 2017, more than $213 million of which accounted for the import of Iranian products.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Akhmetzhan Yesimov has been appointed chairman of the board of Kazakhstans Samruk-Kazyna Fund, the press service of Kazakh prime minister said in a message.

On behalf of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Bakytzhan Sagintayev and the head of the presidential administration Adilbek Dzhaksybekov presented new chairman of the board to the staff of Samruk-Kazyna JSC.

Previously, Akhmetzhan Yesimov was the chairman of the board of ASTANA EXPO 2017 JSC.

The prime minister stressed Yesimov's high professionalism and responsibility in carrying out the most difficult tasks.

In a short period of time, Yesimov successfully organized effective preparation and holding of the EXPO 2017 International Exhibition.

"The Fund has very important tasks set by the president, including the further implementation of the transformation program," said Bakytzhan Sagintayev.

The Prime Minister wished success to the new chairman of the board and the staff of the Fund and stressed the need to step up efforts to achieve the goals and tasks outlined by the president.
National assembly should be formed thru STV polling system

Nepali Congress leader Prakash Man Singh has said the national assembly should be formed through single transferable voting system.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund (ADIF) will pay compensations to depositors of OJSC Demirbank as soon as possible, the bank said in a message posted on its official Facebook page.

The remaining liabilities of the bank will be paid in line with the procedure established by law after the appointment of the liquidator.

The Bank asks customers to call for additional questions 149.

Demirbanks license will be revoked on December 23, 2017.

The Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FIMSA) of Azerbaijan said that the license was liquidated due to the discrepancy between the total capital of the bank and the minimum requirement established for banks, and the adequacy ratio of the aggregate capital is lower than three percent stipulated by the legislation.

The bank also lacks the capacity to fulfill its obligations to creditors.

Demirbank is a member of ADIF, and accordingly, deposits of the population in this bank will be returned by the Fund.

A temporary administrator was appointed in the bank under FIMSAs decision. The Authority also appealed to the court in connection with the beginning of the bankruptcy process.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Dec. 23

By Diana Aliyeva  Trend:

Agreements worth more than $30 million were signed during the Uzbek-Chinese business forum held in Beijing with the participation of more than 150 Chinese enterprises.

The forum was organized during a visit of a delegation of Uzbek business circles to Beijing and Shanghai on December 19-20.

The forum was organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan jointly with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) with the assistance of the Uzbek Embassy in China.

The export and investment potential of Uzbekistan was presented during the forum.

The Chinese participants showed great interest in the latest decisions of Uzbekistans leadership on the liberalization of foreign exchange market and export-import operations, as well as the free economic and small industrial zones being created in the country.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree Dec. 22 establishing the Agency for Regulation of Energy Issues under Energy Ministry.

According to the decree, the Agency is created with the status of public-type legal entity.

The decree also affirms the Charter of the Agency for Regulation of Energy Issues.
Details added (first version posted on 13:49)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Huseyn Valiyev  Trend:

As of today, $25 billion have been spent for the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project, Khoshbakht Yusifzade, first vice-president of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR, said Dec. 23.

He made the remarks at a conference titled At the intersection of East and West: New energy and communication opportunities", organized by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) in Baku.

Yusifzade said it is needed to spend about $44-45 billion for the projects implementation.

We have already done a great job in this direction. The Trans-Anatolian pipeline [TANAP, a major part of the Southern Gas Corridor] will be ready in 2018, and the Trans-Adriatic pipeline [TAP, also a part of the Southern Gas Corridor] will be ready in 2019, he said.

Azerbaijan will provide Europe with gas via these pipelines. Questions arise sometimes that do we have enough gas to provide Europe? The countrys proven gas reserves total 2.6 trillion cubic meters, and according to unconfirmed reports, gas reserves reach six trillion cubic meters, added Yusifzade.

Iran and Russia may also join the Southern Gas Corridor, according to him.

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.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend:

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) provided $30 million to the fourth largest financial institution in Uzbekistan, Joint-Stock Commercial Mortgage Bank Ipoteka-Bank.

The EBRD reported that the financing package consisting of a $ 25 million credit line to support micro, small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) and a trade finance limit of up to $ 5 million under the EBRDs Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) was signed in Tashkent.

With the network of 38 branches and over 700 outlets across Uzbekistan, Ipoteka-Bank will be well placed to provide much-needed financial resources to smaller businesses all over the country with the support from EBRD. In addition to the financing, EBRD will provide a technical assistance to Ipoteka-Bank in form of advisory services to foster the development of tailored lending activities to MSMEs.

Meanwhile, the trade finance facility will help Ipoteka-Bank to facilitate cross border trade, contributing to fostering regional connectivity and integration, to further develop its correspondent banking services and strengthen its trade finance product range.

Nick Tesseyman, the Managing Director for Financial Institutions at EBRD, said: "We are very glad to partner with Ipoteka-Bank to support lending to MSMEs and Trade Facilitation Programme. We consider MSMEs as the backbone of the economy and a priority sector to develop as it contributes significantly to economic growth. We are confident that productive cooperation between our institutions may become a springboard for further strong, positive development and actions that will deliver long lasting benefits to Uzbek financial sector."

The EBRD is the largest institutional investor in Central Asia, with close to 11.6 billion (US$ 12.3 billion equivalent) committed to projects in a variety of sectors, from infrastructure to agriculture, with a focus on private sector development.

To date, the EBRD invested 864 million in Uzbekistan in 57 projects. Entering a new stage of engagement in the country, the Bank has already identified a number of possible new projects, some of which are due to be signed by the end of 2017, with more to follow in 2018.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend:

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will take part in an informal meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow on Dec.26, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.

An informal meeting of the Council of Heads of State is convened at the initiative of at least one of the CIS member states. An informal meeting is held in the format proposed by the state hosting the meeting, taking into account the possible wishes of the meeting participants.

Earlier, the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States was held in Sochi on Oct. 10-11, 2017. It was also attended by the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 23

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Yagshygeldi Kakaev was appointed the Turkmen president's adviser on oil and gas issues, reads a decree of the head of Turkmen state.

Turkmenistan is one of the key players in the gas market of the Caspian and Central Asian regions.

According to a report by BP, Turkmenistan holds the fourth largest natural gas reserves in the world after Iran, Russia and Qatar. The largest resources are concentrated in the Mary region in the east of the country.

The reserves of Galkynysh, in conjunction with nearby deposits, are estimated at 27.4 trillion cubic meters. According to the program for the development of the country's oil and gas industry, by 2030 it is planned to increase gas production to 230 billion cubic meters.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 23

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The resolution Strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals was adopted at the initiative of Turkmenistan at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the Turkmenistan TV channel reported Dec. 23.

Reportedly, the countrys president, Gurbanbuly Berdimuhamedov, gave instructions at a government meeting to present proposals, taking this UN resolution as a basis, for the next Global Sustainable Transport Conference in Ashgabat or in the Avaza national tourism zone on the coast of the Caspian Sea.

The first UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference, convened under the auspices of the United Nations, was held in Ashgabat in 2016. Its agenda included a wide range of issues.

Ashgabat is involved in a number of large-scale transport projects. Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railways, automobile and railway bridges across the Amudarya River, airports, highways, international sea port of Turkmenbashi are the important links in the international network of transport communications in the region.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Mamed Dashdamirov  Trend:

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has not signed the draft state budget for 2018.

He stated this in his message to the countrys parliament. In his message, the Uzbek president summed up the results of 2017 and determined the main tasks of the state for 2018.

He particularly noted that the Ministry of Finance does not manage the budget.

I will sign the state budget for the next year, when it is oriented towards people, not towards the Ministry of Finance, added President Mirziyoyev.

He threatened to dismiss Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov if there are no changes within one month.

The population must earn to pay taxes, said President Mirziyoyev.

The Senate of Uzbekistans parliament on Dec. 20 approved the 2018 state budget with a surplus of 0.02 percent of GDP or 59 billion soums. The draft budget was presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov.

The revenue part of the budget is projected at 21.4 percent of GDP or 62.229 trillion soums, while the expenditures are projected at 21.4 percent of GDP or 62.17 trillion soums.

($1 = 8,101.62 on Dec. 23)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

The industrial production has appeared as the best performing sub-sector of Irans non-oil economy 8th Iranian calendar month in terms of value of exports.

Iran exported $11.438 billion worth of industrial products during the first eight months of current fiscal year (started March 20), equal to 40 percent of countrys overall non-oil exports including gas condensates.

However, the value of the exports was almost same as exports during the 8-month period of the preceding year, according to the data, released by Trade Promotion Organization of Iran.

The Islamic Republic exported 28.088 million tons of industrial products, indicating a fall by 10 percent year on year.

The petrochemical products ranked second among Irans non-oil exports in the period. During the 8-month period, Irans petrochemical exports decreased by 5 percent to $8.629 billion.

Meanwhile the volume of petrochemical exports registered a fall by 14 percent to 17.494 million tons in the same span of time.

Iran exported 11.689 million tons of gas condensate, worth $4.586 billion, which, compared to the same period last year, indicates a 2.5 percent decrease in volume and value.

Agricultural products stood at the next place with a share of 8.3 percent from total non-oil exports value.

The value of Irans agricultural exports accounted to $2.354 billion or 6.4 percent less, year on year.

The volume of the exported agricultural products was 2.668 million tons, 13.3 percent less in comparison to the 8-month period of the preceding year.

Iran also exported 18.866 million tons of minerals valued at $1.181 billion during the first eight months of the current fiscal year (March 20-Nov. 22).

The countrys minerals exports registered the highest growth among various sectors with an increase rate of 35.5 percent in terms of value.

However the volume growth was only 1.3 percent, compared to 18.631 million tons of exports in the first eight-month period of last fiscal year.

The Islamic Republic also exported $300 million worth of hand-made carpets and handicrafts in the 8-month period, 29.7 percent more year on year.

Hand-made carpets and handicrafts, minerals and industrials were the only products among Iranian exported goods that witnessed value growth compared to the preceding year.

In the 8-month period, Irans total non-oil exports, which include gas condensate as well, stood at $28.488 billion, which indicates a 1.2 percent fall.
County health officials are warning hikers in Oak Creek Canyon to be on the alert for foxes acting ill or strangely after one of them attacked and bit a person Dec. 20 between West Fork and Slide Rock.

The fox later tested positive for rabies, a deadly disease if not treated immediately. This was second sighting of a likely rabid fox this month  the first on Dec. 5 in West Fork did not result in the fox being captured for testing.

Randy Phillips, division manager for the Coconino County Public Health Services District, said the person fended off four or five attacks by the animal before being bitten. The person then managed to subdue the fox until animal control officers with the health district could dispatch it and send it to a state laboratory for testing.

Phillips said the individual who was exposed on Dec. 20 is receiving post exposure rabies prophylaxis treatment. Trails in the vicinity have been posted with warnings to hikers to keep dogs on leashes and be alert for foxes and skunks, which are usually nocturnal but will emerge during the day when sick and become aggressive, with no fear of humans.

Rabies is an infectious disease that affects the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord of animals and humans. It is caused by a virus present in the saliva of infected animals and is transmitted to humans through contact with the live virus.

Phillips said this is one of the first rabid fox attacks in Oak Creek Canyon in recent memory  Flagstaff had several about a decade ago. He said the virus is more common in southern parts of Arizona and is usually carried north by skunks and other wandering wildlife species.

Call 911 if a wildlife emergency occurs. To report unusual wildlife sightings or behavior call the Coconino County Public Health Services District Animal Management Program at 928-679-8756.
Police shoot dead Myadi recruit for protesting pay cut

A Myadi Prahari (temporary police) personnel was shot dead by police when a clash broke out between the two sides in Kalikot on Friday. More than two dozen others were injured.
The emperors birthday is traditionally marked by a national holiday and an address at the Imperial Palace, which opens to the public on the day, Reuters reported.

Well-wishers waved small Japanese flags and held up smartphones as Emperor Akihito, whose position is ceremonial with no political power, addressed them from a balcony, flanked by his wife and other members of the imperial family.

The morning crowd of 45,900, according to the Imperial Household Agency, was the largest birthday attendance during Akihitos symbolic 29-year reign, known as the Heisei era, which means achieving peace in Japanese.

On this day as we face the cold, my thoughts go out to those who suffered from typhoons and heavy rains, as well as the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake who continue to lead difficult lives, he said, referring to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed and displaced tens of thousands on the countrys eastern seaboard.

Along with Empress Michiko, Akihito has spent much of his reign addressing the legacy of World War Two, which was fought in the name of his father, Hirohito, and consoling victims of disasters such as the 2011 earthquake.

Earlier this month, a 10-member Imperial Household Council agreed that Akihito would step down on April 30, 2019, before passing the Chrysanthemum Throne to his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito.

In comments made to media, Akihito said he would use the remaining days of his reign to carry out his duties and prepare to pass the torch to the next era.

Akihito has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer and said last year that he feared he would struggle to fulfill his royal duties due to his age.

Japan passed a law this year allowing him to step down in a one-off provision as the countrys post-war constitution officially prohibits abdication.

The last time a Japanese emperor abdicated was in 1817.

Throughout his reign, Akihito has consistently urged the Japanese never to forget the horrors of war. His conciliatory remarks contrast with gestures made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has adopted a less apologetic tone over Japans past military aggression.
A woman teacher from Britain caused a major security alert at a Moscow airport after a 'hand grenade' was spotted in her suitcase, Daily Mail reports.

The 46-year-old - named only as Julie - was held and quizzed by police and FSB secret service officers after the discovery as urgent checks were conducted.

The item was later described by officials as a 'hoax grenade', which the woman - due to check in for a flight to London - said she had bought at a Moscow market.



Security teams at Sheremetyevo Airport detained the woman for interrogation as bomb disposal officers were summoned.

Part of the busy airport was sealed off.

The lookalike weapon showed on a scanner during a compulsory luggage check at a terminal entrance .

The London woman was searched and faced questioning by FSB security service officers before being released and allowed to fly home.

The fake weapon was impounded by Russian airport security officers.
Catalonias separatist leader Carles Puigdemont called on Spains government on Saturday to allow him to return home in time for the opening session of the Catalan parliament so that he can become the regions next president.

Puigdemont, who ruled in Catalonia until October and faces arrest in Spain for his role in organizing an illegal referendum on independence and proclaiming a Catalan republic, is currently in self-imposed exile in Belgium.

Separatist parties secured a parliamentary majority in a regional election on Thursday, though it is still unclear whether Puigdemont and other jailed leaders of the movement will be able to attend assembly sessions.

I want to come back to Catalonia as soon as possible. I would like to come back right now. It would be good news for Spain, Puigdemont told Reuters in an interview.

Asked if he would be back in time for the opening session which has to take place at the latest on January 23, he said: It would be natural. If I am not allowed to be sworn in as president, it would be a major abnormality for the Spanish democratic system.

I am the president of the regional government and I will remain the president if the Spanish state respects the results of the vote, he also said.
Cops in Pennsylvania shot and killed a gunman who fired at police in several locations in Harrisburg, the state capital, Daily Mail reports.

Authorities said that Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty, 51, went on a shooting spree that spanned two miles and began at around 4pm Friday near the state's Capitol Building.

During the first incident, El-Mofty allegedly opened fire on a Capitol police officer from inside his own car, hitting the officer's cruiser multiple times. The officer inside was not injured.



About half an hour later, El-Mofty allegedly shot at a Pennsylvania state trooper in her vehicle a few blocks away from the scene of the first shooting. Authorities said that the officer was left 'slightly injured' from the gunfire, WGAL reported.

The spree ended in a shootout between El-Mofty and local and state police, with El-Mofty being fatally shot by officers on scene, authorities said. No officers were injured.

The district attorney's office said that El-Mofty was armed with two handguns, believed to be 9mm weapons.

Authorities were initially unable to approach El-Mofty's body due to the presence of a suspicious device, but the bomb squad determined that the device was not an issue, ABC 27 reported.




At least 10 Taliban insurgents, including key commanders were killed on Friday in Wardak province in a clash with security forces, security officials said Saturday, TOLO News reports.

General Ahmad Fahim Qaim, Wardak police chief, said that the clash occurred when Taliban insurgents attacked security forces who were protecting engineers working on the Arghandi-Ghazni 220 kV power line that comes from Turkmenistan. The engineers had been working in Saydabad district of Wardak province to restore power after it was cut in Sultan Khail village of the district by local mafia.

According to Qaim during the clash Qari Rouhullah, Qari Sami and Mawlavi Nasrullah, Talibans local commanders, were killed.

Six other Taliban insurgents were wounded in the clash, Qaim said.

Qaim said that work on the electricity line will be completed in two days.

One army soldier was killed and two others were wounded in the clash, Qaim added.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 23

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Two citizens of Turkey were detained in Jerusalem, the Turkish media reported Dec. 23.

Reportedly, the citizens of Turkey participated in protests near the Al-Aqsa mosque after the evening prayers.

The media report that the detainees arrived in Jerusalem from Belgium and have dual citizenship - Belgian and Turkish.

Other details of the incident are not reported.

After recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by US President Donald Trump, protests have been staged in many countries.
Prez shows hurdles to endorsing ordinance

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said that some technical, political and legal glitches have kept her from approving an ordinance related to formation of the upper house.
By Maya Kaneko, KYODO NEWS - Dec 23, 2017 - 08:25 | Feature, All

A photo exhibition depicting Swedish stay-at-home dads who took parental leave for more than six months has made a splash across the globe, posing a question on viewers' perceptions of masculinity and gender equality.

Johan Bavman, 35, whose "Swedish Dads" collection of photos has been exhibited in 25 countries since the two-year project was completed in 2015 said during his recent visit to Japan he wanted to show role models who are often "not perfect" as fathers, worn out from taking care of the kids.

Among the 45 fathers portrayed with their children in a photo book, 25 of whom are shown in the exhibition, are a dad vacuuming the floor while carrying his baby on his back, one helping his three kids brush their teeth and another looking at a smartphone while holding his baby in one arm.

The Swedish photographer based in Malmo, Sweden, who spent a total of 19 months on parental leave for his two sons and recently came back to work, said he was motivated to look for other stay-at-home dads because he had "no one I could relate to" when his first child was born five years ago.

He said that most pictures are too commercialized, such as ones that show happy or smiling dads or parents pushing their children on park swings, often leaving out negative emotions that go into parenting.

"Not often you saw pictures that express emotions, tiredness and hard work you have to put in becoming parents," Bavman said.

(Johan Bavman)

Sweden, which ranked fifth out of 144 countries in the World Economic Forum's 2017 Global Gender Gap Report, has one of the world's most generous parental leave systems, allowing parents to stay at home with their children for 480 days paid for by the state.

In Japan, which ranked 114th in the gender gap report, the worst among industrialized nations, only 3 percent of fathers were on childcare leave in fiscal 2016 including those who took only several days off, as opposed to more than 90 percent in Sweden.

To promote gender equality, Sweden allocates 90 of the 480 days to each parent exclusively. But only 14 percent of parents share the days equally and 25 percent of fathers claim all the three-month leave period known as "daddy quota," according to the photographer and Swedish Ambassador to Japan Magnus Robach.

Bavman said his country has been promoting gender equality for the past 40 years, partly driven by a labor shortage, but it still has "a long way to go to call ourselves equal." He said only a fraction of Swedish dads take long-term leave as many men tend to earn more than women and there is a difficulty in changing social norms.

"A lot of women consider themselves better than men (in parenting) and a lot of dads consider themselves better as a breadwinner," he said. "In a way it's easier to go into the role that is given to you."

But the photographer said he found months he spent with his two sons "priceless," as he now has "better understanding of their needs, (a) better relationship and a good ground for me to build on" for the rest of his life being a father.

Working freelance, Bavman said he was initially wary of losing clients while taking paternity leave but his wife, a corporate communicator who also works as a self-employed reporter, faced the same situation. The couple has to rely on each other as no relatives live around them to help out, he added.

"There is always a discussion on whose job is more important" as both of them had "love" for and were "passionate" about their work, he said. "We needed both of us (as much as possible) to be at home but didn't want to spoil our work."

By always sharing burdens, he and his wife now can find it easy to balance jobs and family life, Bavman said.

To find dads for the project, the cameraman put up posters at facilities for those on parental leave to meet other parents, posted information on social media and looked for candidates through the grapevine.

As a documentary photographer, Bavman often spent hours and days to capture moments when dads looked natural in taking care of their kids in everyday life. He said he wanted to take shots that could prompt a discussion about the role of fathers in society.

One of his favorite photos in the collection was the portrait of Goran Sevelin, a student who took a 10-month childcare leave, with his daughter sleeping in a baby sling across his chest.

(Johan Bavman)

"This piece was deemed as controversial as it (was reminiscent) of St. Mary and he looked as if he were pregnant. It triggered a debate on men's image," Bavman said.

The exhibition, which will travel across Japan until next summer, is also scheduled to be held in another 25 countries. So far, the collection was displayed in such nations as Vietnam, China, Uganda, Germany, Australia and the United States.

In Japan, the exhibition that began last August in Tokyo's Shibuya district will travel next year to Okayama, Fukuoka, Gunma, Kyoto and Nagasaki among other places. Until next Monday, the pictures will be shown at the Shibuya Ward office and Glocal Cafe in the Aoyama area of the capital's Minato Ward.

The photographer said he believes his works have drawn interest globally because parenting is something almost everyone can relate to. Many viewers showed the same reaction, recalling similar experiences of handling housework and childcare or being envious of the Swedish parental leave system, he added.

But Bavman said he was shocked to hear a response from a woman in Tehran who said she thought men were taking away the one thing that women are better at. He said she asked, "What is left to me?"

"It's complicated because their role is to take care of children. They're not allowed to go back to work," he said. While the Swedish system is not adaptable in some countries now, Bavman hopes that his exhibition could be a starting point for discussions to promote changes.
KYODO NEWS - Dec 23, 2017 - 12:35 | Feature, All

Addressing the country on his 84th birthday Saturday, Emperor Akihito thanked citizens for their considerations and efforts to enable his abdication on April 30, 2019, and vowed to fulfill his duties until the last day of his reign.

"I am truly grateful that numerous people have put their thoughts and efforts into the matter in their respective roles," with regard to his abdication, the emperor said at a press conference ahead of his birthday.

"Over the remaining days, as I continue to carry out my duties as the symbol of the state, I would like to make preparations for passing the torch to the next era, together with the people concerned," he said.

His annual birthday remarks came after Japan's parliament enacted a one-off law in June to allow him to abdicate -- he will be the first Japanese monarch in more than 200 years to do so -- after the emperor signaled his wish to retire in a rare message in August 2016, voicing concerns that his advancing age would one day stop him from fulfilling his duties.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet formally approved earlier this month the date of April 30, 2019, for the emperor to relinquish the Chrysanthemum throne. The emperor's elder son Crown Prince Naruhito is set to ascend the throne the following day.

The Imperial Household Agency has allocated about 3.5 billion yen ($30.9 million) for the imperial succession, including costs to repair the "Takamikura" traditional throne for the emperor to use in the accession ceremony, currently in the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and to renovate the emperor's residence after the abdication.

Accompanied by his wife Empress Michiko, the emperor waved to the crowd from behind the windows of the palace Saturday morning.

Some 45,900 people visited the palace, a record since he took the throne in 1989, according to the agency.

While expressing his appreciation for the good wishes, the emperor said, "It pains me to think that there are still people enduring hardships in regions affected by typhoons, torrential rains, the Great East Japan Earthquake (in 2011) and other disasters."

"I pray that the next year will be peaceful for all the people."

In the press conference earlier in the week, the emperor read out a prepared statement at the Imperial Palace, which lasted about 12 minutes.

On the emperor's eldest granddaughter Princess Mako's engagement to Kei Komuro, her boyfriend from university days, the emperor said, "This gives me much joy, and I pray for their happiness." The two are scheduled to get married next November.

Looking back, the emperor said it was "sad" that this year turned out to be another year in which many natural disasters occurred.

In October, the emperor and Empress Michiko visited people affected by torrential rains that hit the Fukuoka and Oita prefectures in southwestern Japan in July, causing mudslides and river flooding. The emperor said the sheer scale of the disaster, which he witnessed during the trip, made him realize anew "how terrifying the power of nature can be."

But the emperor added that he also "felt reassured" to learn that survivors are "steadfastly working hand in hand toward reconstruction, even in the depths of their grief."

The emperor also touched on his trip with the empress to Vietnam and Thailand from late February to March.

The emperor said the couple had an opportunity in Hanoi to meet with Vietnamese family members of Japanese soldiers deployed in Southeast Asia during World War II who fought alongside the Vietnamese people in their war for independence from France.

"After the independence of Vietnam, those former soldiers were advised to return to Japan and forced to leave the country...and the families left behind in Vietnam endured numerous hardships," the emperor said.

The emperor said he was "deeply moved" to know that "warm exchange" has continued over the years between those Vietnamese families and a number of Japanese families the former soldiers formed in Japan after their return.

During his visit to Thailand, the emperor said he paid his final respects to the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who passed away in October last year, recalling their "many years of friendship."

The emperor added that his visit in September to the Koma shrine, which is dedicated to ancient Korean settlers, in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, made him think back on "the long history of our exchanges with East Asia in the course of the history of Japan."

The emperor concluded his statement by expressing wishes that the coming year will be a good one for a
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Philippines and infrared imagery showed that Tropical Storm Tembin contained strong thunderstorms with heavy rainmaking potential as it moved across Mindanao in the southern part of the country. The southern Philippines recently experienced a soaking from what is now Tropical Depression Kai-Tak.

Locally in the Philippines, Tembin is known as Tropical Storm Vinta.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of Tropical Storm Tembin on Dec. 21 at 12:17 p.m. (17:17 UTC). Infrared data from AIRS provides cloud top temperatures and showed the coldest cloud tops and strongest storms covered the entire region of Mindanao. Those cloud tops were colder than minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius). NASA research has shown that storms with cloud tops that cold have the potential to generate heavy rainfall.

At 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) on Dec. 22, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted Tembin had maximum sustained winds near 45 knots (52 mph/83 kph). It was located near 8.0 degrees north latitude and 121.5 degrees east longitude, about 401 nautical miles south of Manila, Philippines. It was exiting western Mindanao, the southern region of the country and moving toward the island of Palawan.

On Dec. 22, PAGASA, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, issued Public storm warning signal #1 for the Mindanao provinces of Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay; the Visayas provinces of Southern Negros Oriental and Siquijor and the Luzon provinces of southern Palawan.

JTWC expects Tembin to continue tracking westward into the South China Sea and make a second landfall near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Dec. 25.

###
Executive Chairman of Alphabet Eric Schmidt speaks during a press conference where Alphabet Inc, the owner of Google, announced the project "Sidewalk Toronto", that will develop an area of Toronto's waterfront using new technologies to develop high-tech urban areas in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 17, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Blinch

By Salvador Rodriguez and Sonam Rai

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) said on Thursday its Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt will step down from his position to become a technical adviser as of its next regular board meeting in January.

He will continue to serve on the Alphabet's board of directors, the company said. (http://bit.ly/2BXJzz6)

"The time is right in Alphabets evolution for this transition," Schmidt said in a statement. "The Alphabet structure is working well, and Google and the Other Bets are thriving."

Schmidt will continue to serve Alphabet as an adviser focused on technical and science issues, the company said Thursday.

"I'm incredibly excited about the progress our companies are making and about the strong leaders who are driving that innovation," said Chief Executive Larry Page in a statement.

Schmidt, who was recruited to the company by Google Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, served as chief executive of the company from 2001 through 2011. Schmidt was instrumental to growing the company from a Mountain View, California, internet search startup into a publicly traded, global business with multiple products and business units, former Google employees said.

"He helped them mature into the powerhouse business it is today without throwing away the uniqueness that was Google during those early days," said Joe Beda, chief technology officer of Seattle startup Heptio and a Google employee from 2004 through 2014.

While Page and Brin would focus on the company's technology and the product strategies, Schmidt would focus on how to scale every product to a global level, said Bismarck Lepe, CEO of San Francisco startup Wizeline and a Google employee from 2003 until 2007.

"Understanding how to keep and make your customers happy was important, and Eric understood that in spades, Lepe said. He was incredibly smart and incredibly technical which made him a perfect fit in the organization."

(Reporting by Sonam Rai in Bengaluru; editing by Arun Koyyur and Cynthia Osterman)
On Thursday, Boeing Co (NYSE: BA) confirmed a Wall Street Journal report that the aerospace giant is looking to buy Brazilian commercial jet maker Embraer SA (ADR) (NYSE: ERJ).

The companies said in a release they are engaged in discussions regarding a potential combination.

The Analyst

Buckingham Research Group analyst Richard Safran reiterated a Neutral rating and $203 price target for Boeing, suggesting 31 percent downside from current levels.

The analyst said his view on Boeing remains intact despite the M&A discussion, as he projects little upside to production rates, deliveries, earnings or cash flow expectations.

The Thesis

The talks could result in an outright acquisition, joint venture, minority interest or other link, Safran said in a Thursday note. (See Safran's track record here.)

The analyst said he's skeptical about a Boeing-Embraer combination, given the challenge of securing approval from the Brazilian government.

"We don't think the Brazilian government will look favorably on foreign ownership (in this case U.S.) of a strategic asset like ERJ," he said.

Even if a deal isn't reached, Buckingham Research expects both companies to move closer through either a joint venture or Boeing taking a minority interest in Embraer. Some new agreement between the companies could come out of the ongoing discussions, according to Buckingham.

Although regional jet and business jet segments have not been on Boeing's radar historically, that has changed with the recent executive management changes at Boeing and Boeing Commercial Aircraft, Safran said.

See also: Can Boeing Shares Lift Off Soon? Credit Suisse Sees 29% Upside From Here

Going by the 10-14 times next-12-months EBITDA valuations for recent aerospace deals, the firm said Boeing's potential buy of Embraer could be priced in the $6 billion to $9 billion range, a premium to Embraer's valuation of $3.7 billion. With Boeing recently announcing a $18-billion share repurchase authorization, Safran said it may have to use a combination of debt and/or free cash flow in the event of an all-cash deal.

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Boeing's interest in Embraer could have been motivated by AIRBUS SE (OTC: EADSY)'s recent CSeries joint venture with Bombardier Inc (OTC: BDRBF), which could pose a challenge to the B737 MAX 7 and other MAX models.

"In our view, a BA acquisition of ERJ would not appreciably change the dynamic between BA and Bombardier and the issues surrounding Canadian subsidies and MAX pricing," Safran said.

Another motivation for a Boeing-Embraer deal could be to acquire lower-cost manufacturing and development sites, the analyst said: Boeing could view Embraer as a potential site for manufacturing its next-gen narrow body aircraft.

With Boeing's sales force and global services likely to enhance Embraer's product offerings, the firm views a Boeing-Embraer tie-up as a potential negative to Dassault Systemes SE (ADR) (OTC: DASTY), General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD)'s Gulfstream and Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT).

The Price Action

Boeing has gained over 87 percent year-to-date.

Related Link:

The Boeing-Bombardier Feud Intensified Thanks To Airbus

Latest Ratings for BA

Oct 2017 Bernstein Maintains Outperform Oct 2017 Canaccord Genuity Maintains Hold Oct 2017 Morgan Stanley Maintains Equal-Weight

View More Analyst Ratings for BA

View the Latest Analyst Ratings

See more from Benzinga

 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
- By Mayank Marwah





American aerospace behemoth Boeing Co. (BA) has approached Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer SA (ERJ) with a potential acquisiton proposal. The deal, if successful, can be a boon for Boeing as its range of offerings will be widened.

Bird"s-eye view of the case

This is a strategic move by the company as the potential deal comes two months after Airbus SE (EADSY) acquired a majority stake in Canadian aerospace company Bombardier Inc. (BDRAF). The Brazilian government"s consent is needed for the deal to happen, however. The government holds the veto power in regard to acquisitions, so it will challenging for the deal to move forward. According to Reuters, the Brazilian government is willing to enter a partnership, but any deal that results in the sale of the country"s aviation giant will not be considered. Boeing approached Embraer twice with a bid more than 10 years ago, but both offers were declined due to the Brazilian government"s veto power.





The Wall Street Journal confirmed Boeing is willing to pay a huge premium to the market value of roughly $3.7 billion to secure the deal. If successful, both companies can operate well with each offering complementary rather than overlapping products.

This could be Boeing"s biggest acquisition since it purchased McDonnell Douglas Corp. in 1996 for $13 billion. If the deal occurs, Boeing will have Embraer"s extensive military airplane and corporate jet businesses as well as its commercial aviation unit under its umbrella. However, even a partnership with Embraer will benefit the company.

Last word

Boeing and Airbus are the leaders in the aircraft market. Boeing"s talks with Embraer and Airbus" agreement with Bombardier would wipe out competition from not only existing aerospace players but newcomers like Russia"s Sukhoi. Currently, Brazilian President Michel Temer does not seem interested in approving the deal. If the deal does go through, both Airbus and Boeing would be on an even playing field. If not, the European aerospace company would have a competitive advantage over Boeing.

Story continues

Disclosure: I do not hold any positions in the stocks mentioned in this article.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.






FILE PHOTO - Boeing Co's logo is seen above the front doors of its largest jetliner factory in Everett, Washington, U.S. January 13, 2017. REUTERS/Alwyn Scott

By Brad Haynes and Rodrigo Viga Gaier

SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Planemakers Boeing Co (BA.N) and Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA) are discussing a "potential combination," they said on Thursday, in a move that could consolidate a global passenger jet duopoly provided Brazil's government gives its blessing.

Embraer's shares soared more than 20 percent in New York and Sao Paulo to close with a market capitalisation of $4.5 billion after the statement, which did not give details of how a tie-up might be structured. Boeing shares slipped nearly 1 percent.

The Brazilian government, which holds veto power over strategic moves at Embraer, would support a partnership in commercial aviation with Boeing but would block any takeover attempt, a senior government official told Reuters.

The news comes just two months after Boeing rival Airbus SE (AIR.PA) agreed to buy a majority stake in Bombardier Inc's (BBDb.TO) CSeries jetliner program, a direct rival of Embraer's biggest E-Jets. Reuters reported at the time that the CSeries deal could push Boeing and Embraer closer together.

For decades, Canada's Bombardier and Embraer have faced off in the 70- to 100-seat regional jet segment just below the radar of Airbus and Boeing's larger commercial jet line-ups, but the CSeries alliance may have tipped that delicate balance.

Boeing has approached Embraer about a deal twice before, more than a decade ago, but was rebuffed due to the government's veto, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

ENDING GOLDEN SHARES

Any tie-up involving Embraer requires approval by Brazil's government, which holds a 'golden share' in the planemaker, a formerly state-run company fully privatised in 2006.

Brazil's President Michel Temer took office last year with a market-friendly agenda focussed on privatising state utilities and reducing political influence in state firms such as oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4.SA).

In September, Brazil's Finance Ministry asked an audit court to study how the government could exit the golden shares it holds in former state monopolies.

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Temer's policies contrast with those of the Workers Party that governed from 2003 until 2016, placing an emphasis on state-led development and 'national champions' in strategic industries.

Still, foreign control of the planemaker at the apex of Brazilian industry appears to be a stretch even for Temer.

"Embraer will never be sold in my government," he told military aides in a meeting on Thursday, according to a report by Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.

Folha, which did not say how it obtained the information, said the meeting was called after a report in The Wall Street Journal that Boeing was in talks to take over Embraer.

A spokeswoman at the Defence Ministry, which works closely with Embraer on military programs, said it was premature for the government to say anything that could upset the talks.

"They still have to consult the government. We are following closely but there is nothing concrete yet and anything we say now could be imprudent and harm the talks," said spokeswoman Adriana Fortes. "Not even the companies have agreed on anything concrete."

The two planemakers already work on projects including runway safety and alternative jet fuels. Their partnership intensified recently to include Boeing's commitment to joint sales and support of Embraer's KC-390 military airlifter.

"Although Boeing would look like a good fit with Embraer's Regional Jet business, this is not the case for the company's Executive Jet and Defence divisions," said Rob Stallard, aerospace analyst at Vertical Research Partners in a note.

Boeing is willing to take steps to protect Embraer's brand, management and jobs to help entice the government and is also willing to structure a deal to protect the government's interest in Embraer's defence business, the WSJ reported.

(Reporting by Brad Haynes in Sao Paulo and Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro; additional reporting by Tatiana Bautzer, Ricardo Brito, Anthony Boadle, Arunima Banerjee and Tim Hepher; editing by Daniel Flynn and Nick Zieminski)
President Michel Temer's centerpiece policy of scaling back pensions has been met with dismay by most Brazilians -- but it is considered vital to bring the country's deficit under control (AFP Photo/EVARISTO SA)

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazil on Friday ruled out relinquishing government control over the country's strategically important aircraft manufacturer Embraer but said investment from Boeing would be welcome.

"We welcome an injection of foreign capital. What we are not considering is the question of transferring" control, President Michel Temer said in Brasilia. The government holds a so-called golden share in the privatized Embraer, the world's third biggest airplane builder.

When Embraer and the US aerospace giant announced Thursday that merger talks were underway there was an immediate sharp rise in the Brazilian company's share price.

A merger between the two companies would build on their existing alliance on the KC-39 military plane and would permit the much-bigger Boeing to fill a gap in its fleet with Embraer's regional single-aisle planes.

Crucially, a transaction also would respond to an alliance between Boeing archrival Airbus and Canada's Bombardier to build smaller planes.

However the political sensitivity over Embraer's ownership and immediate opposition from the local trade union means that Boeing is more likely to seek something less than a full takeover, such as a joint venture.

Brazilian Defense Minister Raul Jungmann emphasized the strategic importance of the company. Embraer is also one of the chief sources of economic pride in a country just coming out of a severe recession and whose flagship oil company Petrobras has been badly damaged by graft scandals.

"Our position is positive about this and other commercial partnerships," Jungmann said. However, with its "major defense component," Embraer cannot be fully sold off.

- Competitors circling -

Canaccord Genuity, a US financial services firm, said in an analysis note that while Boeing is looking to defend itself against the Airbus-Bombardier tie-up, a deal with Embraer might not work out.

"We are not surprised the two companies have held talks, but we view an eventual agreement as unlikely, and we do not see the benefit for Boeing aside from as a defensive move," the note said.

Story continues

However, Embraer might also have its own reasons for seeking an ally.

"It's looking for a financial shield against new competitors" in the intense market for smaller planes of 120 to 150 passengers, said Nelson During from DefesaNet website, which covers the sector. They now include manufacturers from China, Japan, Russia and elsewhere.

During also pointed out that from a strategic point of view, Embraer is already closely linked to the United States, with both military and executive aircraft being produced there.

Commercial airliners, however, are produced entirely in the company's site in Sao Jose dos Campos, in Sao Paulo.

The issue is as much political as business-related, especially with a presidential election coming up next year where leftist former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is seeking to return. Part of his message is harsh criticism of Temer's market-friendly reforms, including a push to attract more foreign capital into key areas such as oil.
Warren Buffett's top lieutenant, Charlie Munger, is a bitcoin skeptic. Munger was asked for his views on cryptocurrencies during a University of Michigan's Ross School of Business event. "I think it is perfectly asinine to even pause to think about them," Munger said. "It's bad people, crazy bubble, bad idea, luring people into the concept of easy wealth without much insight or work. That's the last thing on Earth you should think about  There's just a whole lot of things that aren't going to work for you. Figure out what they are and avoid them like the plague. And one of them is bitcoin.  It is total insanity." The interview was posted Wednesday on the business school's YouTube channel. The event was held in Los Angeles on Nov. 30 for the school's alumni. The video has largely gone unnoticed with roughly 7,000 views as of Friday morning. The 93-year-old billionaire investor further explained why bitcoin is not a replacement for gold: "You know it is one thing to think gold has some marvelous store of value because man has no way of inventing more gold or getting it very easily, so it has the advantage of rarity. Believe me, man is capable of somehow creating more bitcoin.  They tell you there are rules and they can't do it. Don't believe them. When there is enough incentive, bad things will happen." Munger isn't the only big name in investing criticizing bitcoin in recent weeks. Value investing giant Seth Klarman called the digital currency a speculative "trading sardine" last Friday. And DoubleLine Capital CEO Jeffrey Gundlach predicted on Dec. 13 if you bet against bitcoin that day "you'll make money." The price of bitcoin declined 28 percent to below $12,000 Friday, according to Coinbase. Despite the sharp drop, the digital currency is still up about 1,100 percent this year. Munger is one of the most celebrated investors in the world and was an essential partner in Buffett's success. Before becoming vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A), the billionaire had quite the track record himself. From 1962 to 1975 Munger's investment partnership generated 20 percent annual returns versus the S&P 500's 5 percent.

WATCH: Bitcoin could be the biggest bubble in history  here's how



More From CNBC


Robust, high-growth companies such as Guyana Goldfields are appealing to investors for many reasons. They bring about a strong upside to your portfolio, and less downside risk as opposed to financially challenged companies. Analysing the most recent financial data, Ive created a list of companies that compare favourably in all criteria, making them potentially good additions to your portfolio.

Guyana Goldfields Inc. (TSX:GUY)

Guyana Goldfields Inc. engages in the investment, acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of gold properties in Guyana, South America. The company size now stands at 615 people and with the stocks market cap sitting at CAD CA$849.71M, it comes under the small-cap stocks category.

GUYs projected future profit growth is an exceptional triple-digit, with an underlying 41.09% growth from its revenues expected over the upcoming years. Although reduction in cost is not the most sustainable operational activity, the expanding top-line growth, on the other hand, is encouraging. This prospective profitability should trickle down to shareholders, with analysts expecting the company to generate a positive return on equity of 9.84%. GUY ticks the boxes for robust growth generation on all levels of line items, which makes it an appealing stock to dig into deeper. Should you add GUY to your portfolio? Take a look at its other fundamentals here.

TSX:GUY Future Profit Dec 24th 17

Home Capital Group Inc. (TSX:HCG)

Home Capital Group Inc., through its subsidiary, Home Trust Company, provides deposits, mortgage lending, retail credit, and credit card issuing services in Canada. The company size now stands at 733 people and with the market cap of CAD CA$1.38B, it falls under the small-cap stocks category.

HCGs forecasted bottom line growth is an exceptional triple-digit, driven by the underlying double-digit sales growth of 31.19% over the next few years. Although reduction in cost is not the most sustainable operational activity, the expanding top-line growth, on the other hand, is encouraging. We see this bottom-line expansion directly benefiting shareholders, with expected positive return on equity of 7.15%. HCGs impressive outlook on all aspects makes it a worthy company to spend more time to understand. Interested to learn more about HCG? I recommend researching its fundamentals here.

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TSX:HCG Future Profit Dec 24th 17

B2Gold Corp, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Nicaragua, the Philippines, Namibia, Mali, Colombia, Burkina Faso, and Finland. Founded in 2006, and currently run by Clive Johnson, the company currently employs 2,719 people and with the stocks market cap sitting at CAD CA$3.56B, it comes under the mid-cap group.

BTO is expected to deliver a triple-digit high earnings growth over the next couple of years, bolstered by an equally impressive revenue growth of 78.71%. An affirming signal is when net income increase is supported by top-line growth. Since net income isnt artificially inflated by one-off initiatives such as cost-cutting, we know this profit growth is more likely to be sustainable. We see this bottom-line expansion directly benefiting shareholders, with expected positive return on equity of 12.11%. BTO ticks the boxes for high-growth generation on all levels of line items, which makes it an appealing stock to dig into deeper. Want to know more about BTO? Have a browse through its key fundamentals here.

TSX:BTO Future Profit Dec 24th 17

For more financially robust companies with high growth potential to enhance your portfolio, use our free platform to explore our interactive list of these stocks.

To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements.



The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned.
Rescued chimps face an uncertain future in Nepal

A group of plainclothes investigators assembled outside an animal smugglers house in the Himalayas recently, waiting for signs of life.
Emerging markets are delivering for investors in 2017. The widely followed MSCI Emerging Markets Index is up 33 percent this year, and two emerging markets exchange traded funds  the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSE: IEMG) and the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSE: VWO)  are among the top 10 asset-gathering ETFs.

Forecasts are in place for a solid year of economic growth in 2018 for developing economies, indicating the run in the aforementioned ETFs and others like them is not over.

Meanwhile, prospects for 2018 are strong. Action Economics, which provides macroeconomic forecasts for MarketScope Advisor, projects world economic growth to expand by 3.9 percent in 2018, up from an expected 3.7 percent in 2017, CFRA Research Director of ETF & Mutual Fund Research Todd Rosenbluth said in a Monday note. While developed international markets will likely post average GDP growth [of] 2.3 percent in 2018, similar to expectations for 2017, emerging markets will likely see economic expansion to 4.9 percent in 2018, up from 4.6 percent in 2017.

A Basic Idea

VWO, the largest emerging markets ETF by assets, is a basic avenue to access emerging equities. The ETF is a favorite with investors due in part to its low fee. VWO charges 0.14 percent per year, or $14 on a $10,000 investment, making in less expensive than 90 percent of competing strategies and one of the cheapest emerging markets ETFs in the U.S.

Chinese stocks account for nearly a third of VWO's lineup. The ETF holds over 4,700 stocks, a combined 27 percent of which hail from Taiwan and India.

Several of VWO's top 10 holdings are rated Buy by CFRA and the ETF also is rated favorably for the above-average S&P Global Quality Rankings of its underlying holdings and its 0.14 percent expense ratio, said Rosenbluth.

An Income Idea

The WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend ETF (NYSE: DGS) is up 28 percent year-to-date, putting it well ahead of competing U.S. small-cap ETFs. The $1.5 billion DGS has a distribution yield of 5.4 percent.

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DGS has a growth feel to it as the technology and consumer discretionary sectors combine for a third of the ETF's weight. Still, the ETF is often less volatile than U.S. small-cap benchmarks. Taiwan, China and South Africa combine for over 53 percent of the geographic exposure in DGS.

CFRA has Overweight ratings on VWO and DGS.

Related Links:

Youthful Multi-Factor ETFs

A Sinful New ETF

Todd Shriber owns shares of VWO.

See more from Benzinga

 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
The hot US housing market saw sales surge again in November to the highest level since before the housing crisis, with the biggest gains in the fire and storm-damaged parts of the country (AFP Photo/FREDERIC J. BROWN) (AFP)

Washington (AFP) - New US home sales saw their largest monthly increase in more than 25 years in November, with buyers in the fire-stricken West snatching up new houses at a rapid rate, according to government data released Friday.

The increase pushed the volume of sales to a fresh 10-year record, putting the pace at its fastest since before the US housing crisis erupted.

The hot market also meant the supply of homes for sale shrank markedly, with biggest monthly drop in 21 years, the Commerce Department reported.

Despite the tightening market, prices cooled for the second month in a row.

Sales of new homes soared 17.5 percent compared to October, reaching an annual rate of 733,000 units, seasonally adjusted -- the largest monthly increase since January 1992 and the fastest sales pace since July 2007.

The gain far outstripped analyst expectations, which called for a rate of 652,000 units.

Last month's increase appeared larger after a downward revision to October, which had originally been reported as a 10-year record.

Still, the month's figures were a stunning 26.6 percent higher than November 2016

In the fire-stricken western United States, new home sales soared 31.1 percent to an annual rate of 194,000 units, the biggest monthly gain since January 2013 and the fastest pace since July 2007.

The storm-hit southern United States added 14.9 percent, the biggest monthly increase since June 2007.

Gains also were reported in all other regions of the country, but were more modest.

Meanwhile, the median home price fell 0.3 percent to $318,700 while the average sank 4.5 percent to $377,100, the largest decline since April of this year.

The stock of new homes for sale on the market was unchanged at 283,000 but the brisk sales pace meant this represented a supply of only 4.6 months, down 14.8 percent -- the largest monthly decrease since February 1996.

Related Video:

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.
Lockheed Martin Corp.s LMT Aeronautics business division recently secured a contract for offering comprehensive F-22 air vehicle sustainment. Work related to this deal is scheduled to get over by Dec 31, 2027.

Details of the Deal

Valued at $7 billion, this contract was awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, UH. The deal includes five-year base ordering period. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance funds will be used to partially finance the task.

Work will be performed at five operational bases and six support locations situated across various parts of the United States as well as overseas locations, combat deployment and enroute support bases, potential locations through depot partnering agreements, and system program office locations.

A Brief Note on F-22

Lockheed Martins F-22 Raptor is the fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft with a unique combination of stealth, speed, agility and situational awareness along with lethal long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry.

However, high development costs, ban on exports and development of the more versatile F-35 aircraft led to the discontinuation of F-22 production few years back. Nevertheless, the companys F-22 team remains committed to provide full support for Follow-on Agile Sustainment, a comprehensive weapons management program. This award-winning performance-based logistics contract offers a highly integrated F-22 support system.

What's Favoring Lockheed Martin?

Of late, there has been a rapid increase in terrorist activities across the globe. With radical institutions having an easy access to weapons and North Korea consistently sending missile threats to the continental regions of the United States, America is leaving no stone unturned to develop tactical weaponries base.

Pentagon being the prime defense contractor, Lockheed Martin enjoys a lions share of the aerospace-defense industry in the United States. Naturally, the number of contracts it wins from Pentagon is also noteworthy. Moreover, the recent budgetary amendments in the country have favored defense giants like Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Corp GD, Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC and The Boeing Company BA, among others.

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In particular, in September 2017, the U.S. Senate approved the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2018, worth $700 billion, include funding for various defense programs. This has been a primary factor which is expected to rake in more orders for the defense majors in the long run.

During the third-quarter earnings call, Lockheed Martins management increased outlook for 2017 profit for Aeronautics, Space Systems and Missiles and Fire Control by $35 million, reflecting both improved performance and higher volumes. We believe significant contract wins like the latest one will substantially help the company achieve this increased profit target.

Price Performance

Lockheed Martins stock has returned 25.4% in last 12 months, underperforming the 42.8% rally of the industry it belongs to. This underperformance was mostly led by intense competition that the company faces in the domestic and international markets.

Zacks Rank

Lockheed Martin currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.

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(l-r) Donald Trump, James Comey, Amy Berman Jackson, and Robert Mueller.[/caption] Its been a wild year in legal news, especially in the nations capital. In the first year of his presidency, four officials from President Donald Trumps campaign have been indicted by Robert Mueller, the special counsel handling the Russia investigation, and two pleaded guilty. The president has nominated dozens of young, conservative judges to the bench and set records with confirmations to appellate courts. Hes also issued three travel ban executive orders, all of which ran into legal roadblocks. Thats meant some crazy headlines at the NLJ this year. What follows are 17 of the most-read courts stories for 2017.Meet Matthew Petersen, DC Court Nom Who Flunked Senators Pop Quiz After video of Petersen's flubs on softball legal questions went viral, the Federal Election Commission member would withdraw his name from consideration. [Read more]DOJ Asks SCOTUS to Discipline ACLU Attorneys in Immigrant Abortion Case The U.S. Supreme Court's still weighing the request from Solicitor General Noel Francisco. [Read more]Amy Berman Jackson, Judge Assigned to Manafort Case, No Stranger to Spotlight Jackson, a former criminal defense lawyer in D.C., was an Obama administration appointee. She took a no-nonsense tone right out of the gate. [Read more]Trump's 8th Circuit Nominee Criticizes ABA Interviewer After Not-Qualified Rating Tensions between conservatives and the ABA deepened after a judicial nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit said his rating as not qualified from the organization was unwarranted. He was confirmed anyway. [Read more] 3 Big Moments for Attorneys in Comey HearingFormer FBI Director Jim Comey got a shoutout for his legal writing skills during his testimony before the Senate about Russian interference in the 2016 elections. [Read more]Fourth Circuit Questions Trump Administration's Travel Ban In May, the en banc court in Richmond had some tricky questions for lawyers challenging, and defending, the second travel ban executive order. The court is now weighing the third iteration of the ban. [Read more] Ex-DOJ Insider Knocks Trumps Prosecutor Purge Whats so unusual, and I believe unprecedented, is that they were asked to clear out their desks by the end of the day. [Read more]Judge Handling Manafort Case Issues Gag Order Judge Amy Berman Jackson laid down the law when it came to Paul Manafort and Rick Gates' lawyers talking to the press. But Manafort would do it any way. [Read more] Trump Tweets About Judges Become Fodder in 6th Circuit Confirmation Trumps Twitter tactics took center stage in the Senate hearing for his first appellate court nominee. [Read more]High-Profile Team Sues Trump Campaign, Alleging Role in DNC HackSome major legal players say Roger Stone and others engaged in a conspiracy with Russia and Wikileaks. [Read more]'You're a Bunch of Radicals,' Gorsuch Jokes at Federalist Society Dinner The newest Supreme Court justice took a victory lap at a conservative groups gala, mocking the Federalist Societys critics. [Read more]More Than 200 Civil Rights Groups Oppose DC Circuit Nominee Greg KatsasThe Senate would confirm Katsas to the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., by a vote of 50-48. [Read more]An AUSA, White House Lawyer and State Judge: Trump's Latest Judicial NomineesWhile some on this list were confirmed before the new year, others are still waiting for confirmation or have even withdrawn their nominations. [Read more]Who's Who: The Lawyers Defending Trump's Travel BanDOJ lawyers such as Hashim Mooppan would become the face of the administration's defense of the travel ban. [Read more]Russia Dossier Subpoena Fight Entangles Big Law and BoutiquesZuckerman Spaeder and Duane Morris got in on the subpoena battle between Fusion GPS, the firm behind the so-called Steele Dossier, and the House Intelligence Committee. The case is ongoing. [Read more]Meet the DC Judge Who's Likely Oversees Mueller's Grand JuryChief Judge Beryl Howell is in charge of settling disputes that arise from the grand jury proceedings, including subpoena fights or concerns about witness testimony. [Read more]3 Things to Know About the Trump Lawyers Memos to Mueller Trump's lawyers tried to get Mueller to see it their way. It's still unclear if this tactic will prove successful. [Read more]
From Tom Kool: Oil prices were flat amid light trading at the end of the week after strong gains on Thursday. The EIA reported some mixed figures  more strong oil production gains from the U.S., but also a sizable drawdown in crude inventories.

The approaching holidays have the market subdued.

Saudi oil minister: Market will rebalance in 2H2018. Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih told Reuters that the inventory surplus will be eliminated in the second half of 2018, and the earliest date to reassess the market will be at the OPEC meeting in June. And while the IEA has forecasted strong supply growth next year from U.S. shale, al-Falih says demand will help drive the market towards rebalancing. [T]he untold story is demand. Demand has been extremely healthy in the last couple of years. 2017 will prove to be a very robust year in terms of demand and we expect that momentum to continue, al-Falih said. Separately, Reuters reported that OPEC has quietly started working on an exit strategy behind the scenes, and the group will reportedly consider several options. Its a continuity strategy, rather than exit, one of the OPEC sources told Reuters.

Ineos: Forties pipeline will restart in early January. The operator of the Forties pipeline system, Ineos, said that the pipeline will be repaired by Christmas and will restart operations by January. Based on current estimates the company expects to bring the pipeline progressively back to normal rates early in the new year, Ineos said.

BP CEO not worried about shale threat. BP (NYSE: BP) CEO Bob Dudley told the FT that he isnt worried about shale threatening conventional oil producers in the long-term. He argued that shale wont be able to grow forever, so the threat to permanently low oil prices is not as big as most people think. There are cracks appearing in the model of the Permian being one single, perfect oilfield, he said. Over the long run, that could diminish shales importance. I dont think [U.S. shale] will be the perfect swing producer now, Dudley said in an FT interview. For a while, I was worried. But I think it is going to be less solid. An estimate from Wood Mackenzie finds that shale growth will face problems in the 2020s after the sweetest spots are picked over. BP has dabbled in shale drilling, but is overwhelmingly concentrated in conventional oil fields.

Story continues

Saudi Aramco hunts for U.S. shale. In a sign of the times, Saudi Aramco is reportedly looking to make an acquisition in the U.S., perhaps for shale assets. The WSJ reports that Aramco is exploring the purchase of a stake in Tellurian Inc., an LNG exporter. Aramco has also reportedly inquired about shale assets in the Permian and Eagle Ford, although such discussions are preliminary. Analysts speculate that the move could help Saudi Arabia better understand the U.S. shale business.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge opens as part of tax bill. The decades-old fight over ANWR came to a rapid conclusion this week, as a provision tucked into the Republican tax bill opens up ANWR for two lease sales. Area 1002 of ANWR is thought to hold between 5.7 and 16 billion barrels of oil equivalent, but that assessment dates back to 1998. The uncertainty over the resources, combined with the fact that development could be costly, could deter investment. Additionally, there is still political uncertainty  the first lease sale is years away and could be vulnerable to reversal by a future administration in Washington.

Eni starts gas production at Zohr. Eni (NYSE: E) started up natural gas production at the Zohr field in offshore Egypt, a little more than two years after the initial discovery. The rapid turnaround arguably sets a new standard for such large-scale projects, and Enis CEO Claudio Descalzi trumpeted his companys approach. The industry should shift its focus from outsourcing to in-sourcing, Descalzi said, according to Bloomberg. Things should move in parallel, of course this implies more risk, but its mitigated by in-house expertise, and this leads to a lower overall cost. Zohr is critical to Egypt as well as Eni. Meanwhile, in the same week, Descalzi found out that he will stand trial along with other top officials at Eni and Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) over an alleged bribery scheme in Nigeria.

Oil discoveries at lowest point since 1940s. The oil industry discovered the least amount of oil in 2017, dating back to the 1940s. Only about 7 billion barrels of oil equivalent were discovered this year, according to Rystad Energy, a seven-decade low. The total was even lower than the last record low set in 2016. Sharp cutbacks to exploration budgets have led to a steep drop off in new discoveries. Rystad warns that the dearth of new oil means that there could be a supply shortage in the 2020s. The oil industry only replaced 11 percent of the oil reserves the world burned through this year, and it hasnt had a reserve-replacement ratio over 100 percent since 2006.

PDVSA in talks with Trafigura for oil swap. Reuters reports that Venezuelas PDVSA is in talks with oil trader Trafigura over a deal that would swap 10 percent of PDVSAs oil output for imported refined fuel. The talks are taking place because Venezuela is out of money and cannot access credit due to U.S. sanctions, which means it needs to rely on bartered deals.

Oasis Petroleum sees shares plunge on Permian plans. Oasis Petroleum (NYSE: OAS)saw its share price dive by more than 20 percent when it announced plans to expand into the Permian Basin. Oasis is a Bakken driller without any Permian assets. The shale producer said it would spend $946 million in cash and stock to acquire acreage in the Permian. The reaction from Wall Street highlights the view that shale drillers should focus on profits and keep drilling plans conservative, but analysts say that because the Bakken is maturing, Oasis needed to look elsewhere. Oasis had to do something, Tim Rezvan, an oil analyst with Mizuho Securities, told Reuters. The core inventory they had in the Bakken was finite, and to not have another asset with similarly high returns would have been challenging for shareholders.

The United States Oil Fund LP ETF (USO) closed at $11.66 on Friday, up $0.02 (+0.17%). Year-to-date, USO has declined -0.51%, versus a 22.00% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

USO currently has an ETF Daily News SMART Grade of A (Strong Buy), and is ranked #3 of 130 ETFs in the Commodity ETFs category.

This article is brought to you courtesy of OilPrice.com.

You are viewing an abbreviated republication of ETF Daily News content. You can find full ETF Daily News articles on (www.etfdailynews.com)
Secret behind successful entrepreneurs is luck

Ideas and philosophies ranging from the cliched to the modern were part of the Next Growth Conclave held in the Capital on Friday.
MIAMI, FL, Dec. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



Amazonas Florestal, Ltd. (www.azflusa.com) (OTC: PINK: AZFL), a natural resources company dedicated to innovative, sustainable forest management, Industrial CBD Hemp and the certification and sales of carbon credits, today announced that the companys wholly-owned subsidiary Amazon Hemp is moving forward with plans to plant additional acreage in Colorado beginning April 2018, and has identified 2 new properties to add to the 2 presently secured. The Company has also hired personnel to complete the formulation of its retail product line of oils that it expects to launch during the first quarter of 2018.

The Company also announced that it entered into a 3a10 process with 303 Farms, its contractors in Colorado, through Northbridge Financial that was approved on November 22, 2017, for a total of $ 291k. These payments complete the company's financial responsibilities in Colorado for 2017.

The Company also announced launching of a new subsidiary, Amazon Labs, and that it has entered into an MOU with Luis Fernandez naming him agent for New Business Development. Mr Fernandez, former director for LATAM BDS, has through an illustrious career been proven effective to raise funding for new business developments and will be collaborating with Company Management to structure a $4 Million investment that the company expects to raise for the completion of Amazon Labs in Colorado beginning the first quarter of 2018.

The Company also announced that it is moving forward with its Carbon Offset project on its properties on Northern Brazil. This week company contractor Edson Braga signed an agreement through which the company will begin geo-referencing the first 10,400 hectares that it owns in Borba, Amazonas. The GEO process forms part of completing the new SYSCAR requirements imposed by the Brazilian Federal Government through its environmental agency IBAMA. This step will move the company one step closer to priming these properties for a REDD + project through a UN initiative that could represent substantial revenues for the company by the last quarter of 2018.

Ricardo Cortez, Company Chairman for Amazonas Florestal, Ltd., said, "We are very pleased to announce this progress on all fronts of our present business directions. Our shareholders will be pleased to know also that management remains dedicated and focused entirely on the fulfillment of these projects that should finally come into fruition during the next three quarters.

Juan C. Ubieto, Investor Relations Officer of Amazonas Florestal Ltd., commented, "Our staff, both in Miami and Colorado, are very happy with the manner in which the Hemp business is developing in Colorado as with the general acceptance that our target accounts have demonstrated thus far on both our CBD products as with the wood products being offered out of northern Brazil. We have a team going to Manaus next month that will also set the groundwork to renew our carbon studies once the geo-referencing of the properties have been completed. These will determine how many carbon credits will be available to market from company controlled lands on 20 and 25 year projects.

About Amazonas Florestal Ltd.

Amazonas Florestal Ltd. is a natural resources company dedicated to innovative, sustainable management of large tracts of land in the rainforests of Amazonas, Brazil, that include the certification and sale of carbon credits and the growth, harvesting, research and development of Industrial Hemp and related products in the U.S.

Headquartered in Miami, FL, Amazonas's goal is to become a leader in sustainable forest management and preservation, creating revenue while protecting the biodiversity of the rainforest ecosystem and enhancing the lives of the people who live in it. Through a strategy of selective harvesting, certification and sale of carbon, biomass and biofuel production, and conservation incentives, Amazonas Florestal Ltd. intends to help protect one of the world's greatest natural resources and show how its preservation can be a profitable activity. Visit the Company at: www.azflusa.com .

Forward Looking Statements

Forward-looking statements in this release regarding Amazonas Florestal Ltd. are made pursuant to the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, continued acceptance of the Company's products, increased levels of competition, new products and technological changes, the Company's dependence upon third-party suppliers, intellectual property rights, and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.




PETERBOROUGH, Ontario, Dec. 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rainmaker Worldwide Inc. (OTC:RAKR) announces that it has partnered with Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) a national not-for-profit organization headquartered in Islamabad, Pakistan to bring safe drinking water to thirsty and marginalized communities in the neediest areas of the country.



To pilot the technology, SPO has identified areas in Sind namely Tharparkar, Sujawal, Thatta, Badin, Malir, Jamshoro, Tando Muhammaad Khan, and the area of Abbottabad namely Dubran, Kholrian, Bandi Phulan and Bhattian. A new potential site in Gawadar, Balochistan, will also be included for discussions with Rainmaker.

Per the terms of this agreement, SPO will facilitate the identification of National and International organizations to participate in this program.

Based on current projections, the first implementations and fresh water delivery would take place Q3, 2018.

After field studies by Rainmaker and SPO, both Water-to-Water and Air-to-Water units were selected for implementation. Each Water-to-Water machine will provide up to 150,000 liters of drinking water per day, while each Air-to-Water machine will deliver up to 20,000 liters per day. All will be powered by a combination of wind and solar to provide the most energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions for delivering affordable water.

Dire water crisis projections demand action today

Recently, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) delivered a grave warning: if the government does not take action, the country will face severe water stress by 2025. Severe water scarcity is already having a negative impact on the countrys public health and the economy.

Media reports indicate that in many cases, traditional tube wells are failing, leaving some communities vulnerable without local sources of clean water.

Sustainable solutions for long-term water problems

Saleem Malik, CEO of Strengthening Participatory Organization said, SPO has been working with communities in over 75 districts in all four provinces to promote access to basic services and facilities. We are helping solve the crisis in water shortages and reduce the high costs when drinking water does become available. After thorough evaluation, we are confident that Rainmaker technology will provide much-needed, consistent supplies of safe drinking water to these communities. We are also pleased that Rainmaker uses clean energy sources to deliver affordable water.

Michael OConnor, CEO of Rainmaker Worldwide said, We thank SPO for choosing Rainmaker technology and we will work closely with the entire SPO team to solve Pakistans pressing water needs. We look forward to a long-term relationship with SPO and collaborating on many future projects.

About Rainmaker Worldwide Inc.

Rainmaker Worldwide Inc. (OTC:RAKR) is headquartered in Peterborough, Canada, with an innovation and manufacturing center in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Our patented water technology provides economical drinking water at scale wherever its needed. Rainmaker builds two types of energy-efficient, fresh water-producing technologies:

1. Air-to-Water, which harvests fresh water from the air

2. Water-to-Water, which transforms seawater or polluted water into drinking water

The technology is both wind and solar powered, is deployable anywhere, and leaves no carbon traces. We also offer options for hybrid, grid and diesel-powered models.

Air-to-Water units are available in three standard sizes, producing 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 liters of drinking water per day. Water-to-Water units are also available in three standard sizes producing 37,500, 75,000 or 150,000 liters per day. This makes each unit suitable for communities of 200 to 30,000 people, depending on number of units deployed. Our goal is to become a global leader in solving the worldwide water crisis. Simply put, were creating safe, drinking water where little or none exists.

Interested parties can access additional information about Rainmaker on the Companys website located at http://www.rainmakerww.com.

About Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO)

Since its transformation from a bilateral development project of the governments of Pakistan and Canada to a national not-for-profit organization in 1994, Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) has grown into a leading Pakistani rights-based civil society organization. SPOs mission is to strengthen and support community organizations and public interest institutions for achieving and protecting basic human rights, with a particular focus on women, girls, youth, children and minorities.

SPO operates through nine permanent offices throughout Pakistan.

Learn more about SPO, its mission and projects at http://www.spopk.org/spo/

Forward-looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this announcement contain statements, estimates and projections about the growth of Rainmakers business, potential distribution partnerships and/or clients, and related business strategy. Such statements, estimates and projections may constitute forward looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time-to-time. Rainmakers undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The recipient of this information is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

For more information please contact:

Rainmaker Worldwide Inc.

Michael O'Connor

info@rainmakerww.com

+1-877-334-3820

Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO)

Saleem Malik

info@spopk.org

051-2301221-22
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As two Guyana projects begin commercial gold production, a new mineral resource estimate is in the works for a third project.



Included in this article is: Guyana Goldstrike Inc. (TSX.V:GYA) (OTC:GYNAF) (FSE:1ZT)

As Guyana opens its borders to international investment, Guyana Goldstrike Inc. (TSX.V:GYA) (OTC:GYNAF) (FSE:1ZT) is updating its historical mineral resource estimate for Mazoa Hill Zone at the Marudi Gold Project.

Guyana Goldstrike announced on Nov. 21 that it has hired Global Mineral Resource Services to establish a new mineral resource estimate to be included in an NI 43-101 technical report. The company noted that there have already been 54 holes (9,666 meters) of diamond drilling completed on Mazoa Hill by previous owners, resulting in a historical mineral resource estimate.

A 2016 NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Marudi Property states that "The central zone, which includes Mazoa Hill, Peace Creek and Marudi Mountain, is characterized by fine gold associated with massive iron formation."

Metallurgical studies "conducted between 1982 and 1995 indicate the mineralized rock is responsive to conventional cyanidation and pre-concentration by flotation or gravity methods and potentially amenable to heap leaching," the report noted.

Continue reading this article: Guyana Shield Is Host to Multiple Gold Deposits

About Streetwise Reports

Streetwise Reports shares investment ideas in many sectors. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

DISCLOSURE:

The following company mentioned in this article is a sponsor of Streetwise Reports: Guyana Goldstrike Inc. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for its services.

The full disclosure is provided at the end of the published article: Guyana Shield Is Host to Multiple Gold Deposits
CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canacol Energy Ltd. ("Canacol" or the "Corporation") (TSX:CNE) (OTCQX:CNNEF) (BVC:CNEC) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding agreement with TecpetrolLibertador B.V. and Sertecpet E&P S.L. (together, the Purchasers) in respect of the sale of its 25% interest in Servicios Libertador S.L., the holding company of Pardaliservices S.A., which is the joint venture company that operates the 15-year incremental production contract awarded by the national oil company of Ecuador for the Libertador and Atacapi mature fields in Northern Ecuador since February of 2012. The Purchasers are each existing partners in the joint venture. In consideration for the sale of its non-operated 25% equity participation in the contract the Corporation will be paid a total of US$ 36.4 million, consisting of an initial payment of US$ 30.4 million anticipated to occur at the end of January 2018, and an additional payment of US$ 6 million in July 2019. Additionally, as part of the transaction, the corporation will also receive an immediate reimbursement of US$ 5.58 million in respect of a cash call it recently paid to the joint venture. The transaction is subject to certain conditions precedent including approvals by Petro Amazonas EP, the state oil company of Ecuador which are anticipated to be approved shortly.



Dr. Charle Gamba, President and CEO of the Corporation, commented This sale marks another important step towards shifting our focus to our high growth / high margin clean natural gas business in Colombia. Funds from this transaction will be used to execute our gas focused exploration and development projects as we move toward our goal of exiting 2018 with 230 MMscfpd of gas sales, making us the largest supplier of gas to the Caribbean coast of Colombia. We are currently planning the divestment of all our conventional oil assets in Colombia and hope to conclude a transaction in the second quarter of 2018, thus completing our transformation into Colombias leading independent clean natural gas exploration and production company.

Canacol is an exploration and production company with operations focused in Colombia and Mexico. The Corporation's common stock trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the OTCQX in the United States of America, and the Colombia Stock Exchange under ticker symbol CNE, CNNEF, and CNE.C, respectively.

This press release contains certain forwardlooking statements within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forwardlooking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, including without limitation statements relating to estimated production rates from the Corporation's properties and intended work programs and associated timelines. Forwardlooking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forwardlooking statements. The Corporation cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with these forward looking statements. They are made as of the date hereof and are subject to change and the Corporation assumes no obligation to revise or update them to reflect new circumstances, except as required by law. Prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements. These factors include the inherent risks involved in the exploration for and development of crude oil and natural gas properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other geological and geophysical data, fluctuating energy prices, the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated costs or delays and other uncertainties associated with the oil and gas industry. Other risk factors could include risks associated with negotiating with foreign governments as well as country risk associated with conducting international activities, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Corporation.
English Swedish

The Swedish National Debt Office has formally decided on plans for how banks and other financial institutions are to be managed in a crisis situation and has also set their minimum requirements for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL). The Debt Office's current assessment is that ten institutions have business activities that are critical to the Swedish financial system, which means that the government will need to take control of them and manage them via so-called resolution in the event of their failure.

For those institutions deemed to have activities that are critical to the financial system, the Debt Office has prepared plans that outline the measures that the Debt Office intends to take in the event of resolution. The Debt Office has also set a minimum requirement which means those institutions must always have a certain amount of own funds and eligible liabilities that can be used in crisis management (MREL). This is a prerequisite for the government being able to implement a resolution without taxpayers having to bear the cost.

- Financial crises are often extremely costly to society. Being prepared to deal with failing banks properly is therefore key. With the plans and requirements now in place, we are even better equipped to manage a banking crisis in Sweden, says Hans Lindblad, Director General of the Debt Office.

Today's decisions mean that the Debt Office intends to manage ten out of a total of 162 institutions via resolution during a crisis. In addition to the four major banks, this applies to Landshypotek, Lansforsakringar, SBAB, Skandiabanken, Sparbanken Skane and Swedish Export Credit Corporation. The Debt Office's assessment is that the remaining institutions may be placed into bankruptcy or enter into liquidation proceedings without threatening financial stability.

The decisions concerning MREL are based on the policy statements made in the memorandum Application of the minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities. The requirement applies from 1 January, 2018 and is already met by all institutions.

Institution

(with business activities deemed critical for the financial system) Group MREL

(percentage of total liabilities and own funds) Group MREL

(per cent of risk weighted assets)



Nordea 7.1 28.9 Handelsbanken 6.6 35.3 SEB 7.7 26.9 Swedbank 7.3 34.8 Landshypotek Bank 10.4 51.5 Lansforsakringar 6.2 28.8 SBAB 5.3 52.1 Skandiabanken 6.8 19.3 Sparbanken Skane 10.7 22.3 Swedish Export Credit Corporation 7.1 28.0



See Questions and answers about the Swedish National Debt Office's decisions regarding the minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities for more information on how MREL is calculated. The final MREL decisions are expressed as a per cent of the institutions' total liabilities and own funds. MREL expressed as a per cent of risk weighted assets is shown in the table for information only.

MREL to be met with subordinated liabilities

The MREL decision applies to the size of the capital base and stock of eligible liabilities that the institution must have at minimum. As previously communicated, the Debt Office also intends to apply a number of principles for how MREL is to be met and the characteristics the liabilities must have.

Liabilities proportion principle

The Debt Office has previously communicated that MREL should be met with a certain amount of debt instruments from 1 January 2018 (the liabilities proportion principle). In this manner, it can be ensured that there are sufficient debt instruments that can be written down and, if necessary, converted to capital if an institution fails.

For the six institutions - in addition to the four major banks - which have now been assessed as carrying out activities that are critical to the financial system, the Debt Office intends to apply the liabilities proportion principle from 1 July 2018.

Subordinated liabilities principle

By 1 January 2022 at the latest, MREL should be fully met with subordinated liabilities. This ensures a clearly-defined order of priority, which means that the subordinated liabilities are written down prior to other liabilities. In this manner, it is clear that investors in these subordinated liabilities will bear the costs after shareholders if an institution fails.

The subordinated liabilities principle applies to the four major banks as has been communicated earlier. For the other six institutions which, according to the Debt Office's assessment, are to be managed via resolution, the Debt Office will revert during 2018 with information as to whether there are grounds to make exceptions from the subordinated liabilities principle.

Simplified planning for most institutions

For the 152 institutions that are expected to be able to be managed via a bankruptcy or liquidation process, the Debt Office has made decisions on so-called simplified resolution plans and set MREL at a level that does not exceed the applicable capital requirements.

Deposit insurance always applies

Irrespective of whether a financial institution is managed by resolution or bankruptcy, the deposit guarantee applies. This means that depositors' funds are always protected up to an amount of SEK 950,000 per depositor and financial institution.

More information about resolution planning and MREL.

Contact

Robert Sennerdal, Press Secretary, +46(0)8 613 47 01

Since 1 February 2016, Sweden has had new rules for handling crises in banks, other credit institutions and investment firms (collectively 'institutions'), which largely replace the bank support legislation from 2008. Under the new rules, the Swedish National Debt Office is the 'resolution authority' responsible for both crisis preparations and managing institutions in crisis. Resolution is a special procedure whereby the Debt Office takes control of a failing institution in order to restructure it or wind it up in an orderly manner. The aim is to protect customers, the financial system and public finances. The costs of resolution are borne by shareholders and investors, not by the taxpayers. The Debt Office therefore sets a requirement ensuring that the institutions always have a certain amount of own funds and liabilities that can be written down in order to cover losses and reinstate the own funds (MREL).
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Azincourt Energy Corp. (Azincourt or the Company) (TSX-V:AAZ) announces it has granted an aggregate of 1,410,000 incentive stock options to directors, officers and consultants of the Company, subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance. Each option is exercisable to purchase one common share of the Company until December 21, 2022 at a price of C$0.10 per common share in accordance with the terms of the Companys stock option plan.



About Azincourt Energy Corp.

Azincourt Energy Corp. is a Canadian-based resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of alternative energy/fuel projects, focusing on uranium, lithium, cobalt, and other critical energy & fuel elements.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF AZINCOURT ENERGY CORP.

J. Ian Stalker

J. Ian Stalker, Chairman

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 please contact:

J. Ian Stalker

Tel: 604-638-8063

info@azincourtenergy.com
English Estonian

The Management Board of AS Silvano Fashion Group, registry code 10175491, registered address Tulika 15/17, 10613 Tallinn, (hereinafter SFG) convenes an Extraordinary General Meeting (hereinafter: EGM) of shareholders on 12th of January 2017 at 11:00 (Estonian time) in Nordic Hotel Forum conference hall Arcturus, address Viru valjak 3, Tallinn, Estonia.

The registration of participants of the Extraordinary General Meeting starts at 10:30 a.m. (Estonian time).

I Agenda

The agenda of the EGM is the following:

1. The amendment of the profit distribution decision approved by the Annual General Meeting held on 29th of June 2017 and additional distribution of profit of AS Silvano Fashion Group

II Proposals of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board of SFG has approved the agenda of the EGM as proposed by the Management Board. The Management Board and the Supervisory Board make the following proposals to the shareholders with regard to the agenda:

1. The amendment of the profit distribution decision approved by the Annual General Meeting held on 29th of June 2017 and additional distribution of profit of AS Silvano Fashion Group

Proposal of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board:

1.1. To distribute the profit by paying dividends to the shareholders from the profit of the company based on the approved annual report of 2016 as follows:

1.1.1. The list of shareholders of AS Silvano Fashion Group entitled to profit distribution shall be fixed on 26st of January 2018 end of day of settlement systems.

1.1.2. EUR 0.30 per share shall be payable to the entitled shareholders as a dividend at the latest on 29th of January 2018.

III Organizational questions

The list of the shareholders entitled to participate in the EGM shall be fixed 7 days prior to the date of the meeting, i.e. on 4th of January 2018 end of day of settlement systems.

At the EGM, a shareholder is entitled to receive information from the Management Board about the activities of SFG. The Management Board may decide to withhold information if there is a reason to believe that the disclosure of information may cause significant damage to the interests of SFG. If the Management Board refuses to disclose information, the shareholder may demand from the EGM to adopt a resolution regarding to the lawfulness of the information request or file a petition to a court of law within two weeks of the EGM requesting the court for the ruling requiring the Management Board to disclose the information.

The shareholders whose shares represent at least 1/20 of the share capital may request for additional items to be included in the agenda of the EGM, if the respective request is submitted in writing at least 15 days prior to the EGM.

The shareholders whose shares represent at least 1/20 of the share capital may present their draft resolutions to each item in the agenda in writing no later than 3 days before the EGM.

Draft resolution regarding to the agenda items and other documents presented to the EGM (including annual report, report of the sworn auditor, profit distribution proposal and report of the Supervisory Board) are available for examination on every working day as of the notification of the EGM until the business day preceding the day of the EGM at the headquarters of the Company at Tulika 15/17, Tallinn on business days from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. (Estonian time).

On the day of the EGM the materials related to the agenda of the General Meeting are available for examination at the venue of the EGM as of the opening of registration of participants until the end of the EGM. In order to examine the documents: (1) the shareholders who are natural persons are required to present a document verifying their identity and their representatives are additionally required to present the power of attorney in written form; (2) the representatives of the shareholders who are legal entities shall present (a) an extract from the registry where the legal entity is registered; and (b) a document verifying the identity of representative; and (c) in case of representation on the basis of proxy, also a power of attorney.

Documents and data which are disclosed according to Article 2941 of the Estonian Commercial Code and the templates of power of attorney are available on the homepage of the Company: http://www.silvanofashion.com.

The following documents must be submitted to participate in EGM - the shareholders who are natural persons shall present a document verifying their identity and their representatives shall present the power of attorney in written form; - the representatives of the shareholders who are legal entities shall present (a) an extract from the registry where the legal entity is registered; and (b) a document verifying the identity of representative; (c) in case of representation on the basis of proxy, also a power of attorney.

Unless otherwise provided by a foreign agreement, a document issued by a foreign authority shall be duly apostilled or legalized. Documents in foreign language should be accompanied by the translation into Estonian, verified by relevant institution.

Prior to the EGM the shareholder may notify the Company of the appointment of a representative or the revocation of the representative's authority by sending a digitally signed e-mail message to info@silvanofashion.com or by delivering the information in person on workdays between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Estonian time) or via mail to AS Silvano Fashion Group, Tulika 15/17, 10613 Tallinn, Estonia by 5 p.m. (Estonian time) on the business day preceding the day of the EGM.

For any information regarding the EGM or the agenda items, please contact Jarek Sargava (e-mail info@silvanofashion.com; phone +372 684 5000).

Jarek Sargava

AS Silvano Fashion Group Board Member

E-mail: info@silvanofashion.com

Tel: +372 684 5000; Fax: +372 684 5300

Address: Tulika 15/17, 10613 Tallinn, Estonia

http://www.silvanofashion.com
Latvian English

Riga, 2017-12-22 10:56 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Capitalia announces that it will redeem 750 of its bonds with ISIN LV0000801488 on December 29, 2017. Before redemption, total number of the outstanding bonds is 3,000.

About Capitalia

Capitalia funds small and medium enterprises in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. To date Capitalia has financed working capital and investment needs of more than 1000 companies investing over EUR 30 million in growth of these businesses.
BobsterGMAT wrote:

International experience is a key factor for most of the prominent business schools in choosing candidates during their MBA selection process. Students who have worked in countries apart from their own bring to the classroom a whole bunch of qualities - they bring cultural and social insights, understanding of business opportunities and challenges from across the globe, and a firm perspective on global issues. Such exposure certainly helps in having rich classroom discussion.



Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument?



a) With all other factors remaining the same, candidates with little or no international experience cannot contribute to business schools as much as candidates with international experience can.



b) Business schools prefer discussions on global business issues to discussions on domestic business issues.



c) Candidates with little or no international experience benefit a lot from business school discussions on international issues.



d) Candidates with international experience generally also bring to class leadership skills, wich are anoter important criterion in business school admissions.



e) Prominent business leaders as well as academicians acknowledge the importance of rich classroom discussions at business schools.



Owner of Angles and Arguments





Check out my Blog Posts here: Blog

For Individual GMAT Study Modules, check

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Premises:International experience students bring cultural and social insights, understanding of business opportunities and challenges from across the globe, and a firm perspective on global issues.Such exposure certainly helps in having rich classroom discussion.Conclusion:International experience is a key factor for selection in MBA.We need to strengthen the conclusion. So we need to find the option which if true, will help the conclusion.a) With all other factors remaining the same, candidates with little or no international experience cannot contribute to business schools as much as candidates with international experience can.This tells us that international experience is a relevant factor and that all other things same, it adds value. Does it become a key factor during admissions? Can't say. Let's hold on and see.b) Business schools prefer discussions on global business issues to discussions on domestic business issues.Doesn't help. If business schools prefer discussions on global issues, we know international experience students will make it rich. But we are already given that intl exposure makes for rich classroom discussion.c) Candidates with little or no international experience benefit a lot from business school discussions on international issues.Whose benefit is the school looking for in its admission process? We don't know.d) Candidates with international experience generally also bring to class leadership skills, wich are anoter important criterion in business school admissions.Candidates with international experience bring leadership too. Leadership is an important criterion in admissions. That makes international experience's position as a key factor stronger in admissions.Correct.e) Prominent business leaders as well as academicians acknowledge the importance of rich classroom discussions at business schools.This talks about opinion of people. A better supporter would have been that rich discussion is important at business schools.Takeaway from the question - Focus on the conclusion. That is exactly what you need to strengthen.No need to invest too much time on the question. The logic is a bit hazy to make it harder._________________
Siddharthanagar turning into modern industrial city

Once a sleepy market town in the Tarai plains, Siddharthanagar Municipa- lity is changing rapidly. A well planned transportation network, brand new airport, vibrant trade and commerce, sizzling real estate market and rapid infrastructural development have transformed Siddharthanagar into a modern industrial city.
Guwahati, Dec 23 (IBNS) : Maj Gen MS Ghura, VSM, Commandant Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare (CIJW) School on Saturday said friendly ties between India and Myanmar have entered a new high with the arrival of the Myanmar Army Contingent at the elite Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare (CIJW) School, in Variegate of Mizoram on Nov 25.

The Myanmar contingent consists of 35 personnel, including five Officers.



During their stay of four weeks, the Myanmar Army Contingent was given extensive and tailor-made training on various Counter Insurgency aspects with special emphasis on Insurgency in North East India and Myanmar.



Experiences of Myanmar Army on combating insurgency was also discussed and best practices of both Armies shared.

During this period, there was also an exchange of delegations consisting of three Officers from Indian and four Officers from Myanmar visiting each others countries. The delegation from Myanmar visited the CIJW School on December 12-16, while that from Indian side on December 10-14.

The visit of the delegates and contingent were mutually beneficial and facilitated the two Armies of operating together to counter terror.

The contingent departed for Myanmar tomorrow.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
The statement was issued a week after Haley had given a presentation in Washington on the topic of those two strike attempts by the Iran-backed militants, as well as other instances of Iran supplying weapons and logistical support to regional proxies. The presentation showcased equipment that was recovered after the missiles were intercepted, and it represented an apparent extension of the White Houses effort to generate international consensus about the need to confront a growing Iranian threat to the security and stability of the Middle East.

Haley pointedly reiterated that goal in her statement on Thursday, calling the latest missile launch a flashing red siren for the UN Security Council. It is only a matter of time before one of these missiles hits the target, she said according to UPI. If we dont do something, we will miss the opportunity to prevent further violence from Iran.

Potential for Clashes

While these remarks underscore the persistent threat to Americas regional allies at a time of escalating tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, a Fox News report was published on Friday that highlighted the potential danger that Iranian influence poses directly to US interests and American servicemen. The report points to the continued entrenchment of Iran-backed militants in Iraq, organized under the banner of the Popular Mobilization Forces, and it suggests that with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant now effectively defeated, many of those militants will now turn their attention toward driving the US out of the area.

Fox News recalled that CIA Director Mike Pompeo reportedly wrote a letter earlier this month to Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The letter expressed concern about the possibility of attacks on US personnel by Iranian forces and their regional proxies, and it declared that Soleimani and the government of Iran would be held accountable for any such attacks.

Earlier reports have highlighted that in addition to leaving some military stationed in Iraq, the US government has no immediate plans to withdraw 2,000 soldiers from Syria, where they are tasked with helping to prevent the reemergence of ISIL. Some of these reports have identified this situation as a possible flash point for hostilities between Iranian and American forces, especially as Iran activates the overland route that is expected to directly link Tehran to Damascus.

Some Iraqi military personnel have already reported seeing IRGC fighters and members of Iran-backed militias using that route to cross from Iraq into Syria, presumably in order to contribute to Irans support of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. The Fox report on threats to US personnel also called attention to this possible phenomenon, noting that many of the militant groups operating in Iraq have demonstrated willingness to defy Baghdad while advancing the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

One way they have done this is by de-prioritizing their supposed defense of their Iraqi homeland, in order to shift their focus onto Syria, an apparent lynchpin in Irans strategy to extend its own national defense into foreign territory. And it is possible that the PMFs willingness to operate on Irans behalf will only grow as that coalition continues to accumulate power within Iranian government and society. The Fox News report indicates that some of its representatives are expected to challenge Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in upcoming Iraqi national elections, after which point them may be in a position to contravene Abadis efforts to limit the extent of Iranian influence.

A Public Relations War

Meanwhile, the United States is making concerted efforts to encourage multilateral actions to constrain this Iranian influence, not only in Iraq but throughout the region. Haleys presentation last week and her statement this week are both indicative of this trend, against which the Iranian regime is recognizably pushing back.

The above-mentioned UPI report indicated that Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif was planning to file a formal complaint with the UN about the accusations regarding Irans missile activities and weapons transfers. At the same time, the IRGC-linked Iranian media outlet Tasnim News Agency published a story praising Irans own ambassador to the UN for lashing out against the US over President Donald Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroos comments on the topic came within an emergency session of the UN General Assembly, which led to a 128-9 vote in favor of a non-binding resolution declaring Trumps move to be null and void. The issue has naturally created tension between the US and much of the world, including longstanding allies such as Saudi Arabia. In this sense, it arguably provides Iran with an opportunity to strike back at the US after the Trump administration has enjoyed some successes in creating a unified front against the Islamic Republic.

In fact, the Washington Examiner published an editorial on Thursday that specifically said Tehran is using every tool at its disposal to prevent a unified global front from taking shape. The article called attention, for instance, to threats by the Iranian foreign ministry regarding the possible resumption of nuclear activities in response to emerging US pressures on the Iranian ballistic missile program.

Of course, threats to scrap the 2015 nuclear agreement have already been familiar for a long time, as they relate to the White Houses stance on the agreement itself. Since Trump took office, there has been a considerable risk of the US pulling out of the deal, although Congress declined to trigger the renewal of sanctions within the 60-day review period that started when the president refused to certify Irans compliance in October. Iran has repeatedly indicated that it will also cease to abide by the terms of the seven-party agreement if the US pulls out, but it has also suggested it would do the same for lesser reasons, including the imposition of unrelated sanctions.

On Friday, Irans Mehr News Agency helped to couch these threats in particularly belligerent terms, quoting one spokesman for the Atomic Energy Agency of Iran as saying that Iran reserves the right to retaliate as soon as it detects signs that the US is planning to undermine the nuclear deal.

But the belligerent tone of this message may serve to undermine Irans efforts to create a one-sided picture of the existing threats to the agreement. In this way, it may also lend credence to Nikki Haleys speculation that a new resolution might soon emerge from the UN to punish Iran for the continuation of its malign behavior. Fox News reported upon this statement, delivered on Tuesday at a briefing on Security Council Resolution 2231, which coincided with the nuclear agreement and called upon the Islamic Republic to avoid the development and testing of ballistic missiles and other weapons that are capable of carrying a nuclear payload.

The Role of Human Rights

On the same day as that briefing, the UN General Assembly did pass a resolution regarding Iran, this one focused on the countrys well-known record of human rights violations. Sponsored by Canada and passed by a margin of 81-30, the resolution urges Iran to uphold, in law and in practice procedural guarantees to ensure fair trial standards, including timely access to legal representation of ones choice from the time of arrest through all stages of trial and all appeals, the right not to be subjected to torture, cruel and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and consideration of bail and other reasonable terms for release from custody pending trial.

Two days after the passage of that resolution, Irans morality policy arrested 230 young men and women for the crime of attending mixed-gender parties, according to Radio Free Europe. Over the past year, hundreds of people have been arrested and summarily sentenced to flogging on this same charge. The persistence of such crackdowns arguably underscores the observation made by the National Council of Resistance of Iran in its reporting on the human rights resolution. The opposition movement noted that Iran rejected that resolution as a politicized document and refused to address the concerns named therein, suggesting that it will continue to avoid cooperating with the UN on human rights issues.

As well as providing a humanitarian justification for the unified front that the White House is striving to develop, these human rights issues also highlight another dimension of the Iranian threat to the West. That is to say, Tehrans human rights abuses occasionally affect Western nationals, including the several who are currently imprisoned and arguably held as hostages in Iranian jails.

On Friday, Reuters reported that Gholamhossein Esmaili, the head of Tehrans justice department, pointedly refused to confirm any recent Western reporting on the cases of these prisoners. He did, however, confirm that the Iranian-British charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was still facing a second round of charges, which could extend her sentence from give years to more than 20.

Esmailis commentary casts doubt upon hopes that the womans case might have been nearing a resolution, and it points to the Washington Examiners conclusion that human rights abuses and hostage-taking constitute a different tactic for the regime to pursue its political goals, namely preventing the development of a unified front against Iranian belligerence and expansionism.
The call from Delhi

The great Indian magician Modi has called our three stooges who run the show in this land of ours. Its not unusual for foreign leaders to call our netas but it seems that Oli, Prachanda and Deuba (OPD) seem to be in the top contact list of our chimekis.
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1 An official uses a telescope to perform "rukyah", the sighting of the new moon for the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Darkest Hour is a new historical drama from filmmaker Joe Wright. The movie shows how Winston Churchill urged the British people to fight against Nazi Germany during World War II. Although the movie is based on facts, it seems more like a political action film.

"The Germans have encircled sixty British and French divisions. We are looking at the collapse of Western Europe in the next few days."

In the spring of 1940, the West was losing the war against Nazi Germany. The Nazis had invaded Belgium and France. Britain was on the edge of surrender. As the British forces were trapped in the French coastal town of Dunkirk, the British Parliament removed Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain from office. Chamberlain had been seeking a political agreement with Hitler to avoid fighting.

The lawmakers replaced him with Winston Churchill, who supported war against the Nazis.

Ben Mendelsohn plays George VI.

"Why have I been forced to send for Churchill? His record is a catastrophe."

Churchill's unpredictable and explosive personality did not win him many friends. The king himself did not support Churchill at first.

"Your majesty.

It is my duty to invite you to take up the position of prime minister of this United Kingdom."

The film uncovers Churchills qualities as a fierce leader, who battled his fears and led Britain to victory against the Nazis.

Kristin Scott Thomas plays Churchill's wife, Clementine. Gary Oldman is Churchill.

"You have the full weight of the world on your shoulders."

"Are you not afraid?"

"Most terribly."



The films director, Joe Wright, says Churchills humanity appealed to him.

"It was the element of doubt. The idea that his doubt was a key element to the attainment of wisdom."

Gary Oldman says he was not immediately sure he should accept the part of Churchill. For one thing, the former leader was physically very different from the actor.

"I studied the footage and what started to emerge was this rather vital, cherubic, cheeky man who was just dynamic and full of life, charismatic, and funny."

One powerful politician urges Churchill to negotiate peace, arguing that Britain is facing defeat on land, destruction of its army and invasion.

And before our forces are wiped out completely, now is the time to negotiate.

Oldman, as Churchill, answers.

"When will the lesson be learned? When will the lesson be learned? You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth!"

Darkest Hour has received generally good reviews. But, almost all critics have highly praised Gary Oldman as Churchill. They have called the actors performance tremendous, fascinating and phenomenal.

"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!"

Most say Oldman will win the 2018 best actor Oscar for the work.

Im Caty Weaver.

Penelope Poulou reported this story for VOA News. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

catastrophe n. a disaster

doubt n. the state of not believing whether something is true or not true

attainment n. the state of having reached a high level

wisdom n. having the knowledge to make good decisions

vital adj. filled with life

cherubic adj. like a cherub, a young, round-faced angel

cheeky adj. showing a lack of respect in a playful way

charismatic adj. having a forceful personality and qualities of leadership

reviews n. opinion writing about artistic performances and events such as movies, plays, etc.

tremendous adj. very good, great

fascinating adj. very interesting

phenomenal adj. unusual, great
The American state of North Dakota is one of the leading destinations for refugees coming to the United States. Each year, about 400 refugees arrive in larger cities like Fargo. Their new lives in North Dakota are not easy.

But some refugees themselves are working this holiday season to make life easier for others.

Sixteen-year-old Puja Chetri and 18-year-old Maria Tuya are among the students who developed the K.I.D.S. Food Pantry. It provides food to the poor. The students began the project with help from the Great Plains Food Bank.

Chetri fled Nepal with her family when she was 10 years old. Tuya is a refugee from South Sudan. Both know what it is like to want for food.

Chetri: Sometime(s) we dont have that much to eat; usually theres like a box of cereal."

Tuya: It's definitely sometimes a struggle. When I open the fridge, there is not much I can pick from.

But there are many foods to pick from at the Great Plains Food Bank.

Chetri is almost crying as she describes the rewards she gets from helping to feed those in need.

"When they are coming through the door and going out, they are so delightful. There is so much gratefulness in their facial expression. Just know that expression, just know that they are getting more hope each day when we are handing this food out."

And the community service is needed. Almost 15 percent of the citys people live in poverty.

The organization Legacy Childrens Foundation made the food project possible. The Legacy Children's Foundation provides support in reading, math and other subjects and offers additional services to help students complete high school. It also teaches students the importance of community service.

Executive Director Mary Jean Dehne says many refugee students, especially, need help to stay in school.

They really are challenged with feeling like they are fitting in. They look different, they talk different, they have a different dialect; they dont always understand what the teacher wants so there are lots of questions.

Puja Chetri knows this painful feeling well.

When you see people in your grade level, and youre not there, and you are so far behind, and you are taken out of class regularly, it just hurts.

Chetri and Tuya are among Legacys success stories. Both students are grateful.

Honestly, if this program didnt exist, I wouldnt be here. I dont know what Id be doing.

Tuya will graduate from high school later this year.

Not only has it helped me with school and education, it has also helped me with leadership skills and confidence."

The two say they wanted to help others because of the help Legacy provided them.

When someone is helping you do better, you just want to give back and make someone elses life get better. Just a small kindness can go a long way.

The students' community service is not just at the food bank. They also take food and blankets to local homeless shelters.

The girls, and students like them, are bringing some holiday warmth to Fargos very cold winter nights.

I'm Alice Bryant.

Kane Farabaugh reported this story for VOA News. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

pantry  n. a small room in a house in which food is stored

destination  n. a place to which a person is going or something is being sent

cereal  n. a breakfast food made from grain

fridge  n. refrigerator

grateful  adj. feeling or showing thanks

dialect  n. a form of a language that is spoken in a particular area and that uses some of its own words, grammar, and pronunciations

regularly  adv. very often

blanket  n. a cloth covering that is used especially on a bed to keep you warm
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Newell Brands Inc. designs, manufactures, sources, and distributes consumer and commercial products worldwide. It operates in five segments: Commercial Solutions, Home Appliances, Home Solutions, Learning and Development, and Outdoor and Recreation. The Commercial Solutions segment provides commercial cleaning and maintenance solutions; closet and garage organization products; hygiene systems and material handling solutions; and home and security, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms products under the BRK, First Alert, Mapa, Quickie, Rubbermaid, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, and Spontex brands. The Home Appliances segment offers kitchen appliances under the Crock-Pot, Mr. Coffee, Oster, and Sunbeam brands. The Home Solutions segment provides food and home storage; fresh preserving; vacuum sealing; and gourmet cookware, bakeware, cutlery, and home fragrance products under the Ball, Calphalon, Chesapeake Bay Candle, FoodSaver, Rubbermaid, Sistema, WoodWick, and Yankee Candle brands. The Learning and Development segment offers writing instruments, including markers and highlighters, pens, and pencils; art products; activity-based adhesive and cutting products; labeling solutions; and baby gear and infant care products under the Aprica, Baby Jogger, Graco, NUK, Tigex, Dymo, Elmer's, EXPO, Graco, Mr. Sketch, NUK, Paper Mate, Parker, Prismacolor, Sharpie, Waterman, and X-Acto brands. The Outdoor and Recreation segment provides outdoor and outdoor-related products under the Campingaz, Coleman, Contigo, ExOfficio, and Marmot brands. It serves warehouse clubs, department and drug/grocery stores, mass merchants, home centers, office superstores and supply stores, contract stationers, and distributors, e-commerce, sporting goods, specialty, and travel retailers. The company was formerly known as Newell Rubbermaid Inc. and changed its name to Newell Brands Inc. in April 2016. Newell Brands Inc. was founded in 1903 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
UNGA vote consistent with Nepals position on Israel, Palestine

Nepals decision to vote in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution criticising the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels Capital was consistent with the countrys historic position on Israel and Palestine and not exactly against the United States, Nepali officials have said.
The following companies are subsidiares of Air Products and Chemicals: 7001 Hamilton Properties LLC, ACP Europe SA, ACP Zolder Invest NV, AJWAA Emirates Gases Company LLC, AJWAA Gases LLC, AP Services South America SpA, APCI (U.K.) Inc., Abdulla Hashim Gases & Equipment Co. Limited, Air Products (Anshan) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (BR) Limited, Air Products (Cangzhou) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Changsha) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Chongqing) Chem-Materials Co. Ltd., Air Products (Dongguan) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Guangzhou) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Hangjin Qi) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Hefei) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Huaibei) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Inner Mongolia) Hydrogen Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Air Products (Jiangxi) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Jincheng) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Jinjiang) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Kunshan) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Linfen) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Middle East) FZE, Air Products (Nanjing) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Ningbo) Hi-Tech Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Qindao) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Rozenburg) B. V., Air Products (Shandong) Engineering Co. Ltd Nanjing Branch, Air Products (Shandong) Engineering Co. Ltd., Air Products (Shanxi) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Shenyang) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Xi'an) Gases Co. Ltd, Air Products (Xia'men) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Zhongshan) Gases Co. Ltd, Air Products (Zhumadian) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products A/S, Air Products Advanced Materials LLC, Air Products Ammonia Distribution AD GmbH, Air Products Ammonia Distribution LLC, Air Products Ammonia Distribution Ltd., Air Products Ammonia Holdings LLC, Air Products Asia Inc., Air Products Bahrain W.L.L, Air Products Blue Energy, Air Products Brasil Ltda., Air Products Canada Ltd./Prodair Canada Ltee, Air Products Caribbean Holdings Inc., Air Products Central Asia Group LLC, Air Products China Inc., Air Products Debang (Lianyungang) Co. Ltd., Air Products Ecuador S.A., Air Products Emirates Gases LLC, Air Products Equipment Limited, Air Products Gas O.O.O., Air Products Gases Holdings B. V., Air Products Gases S.A.E., Air Products Gesellschaft mbH, Air Products GmbH, Air Products Group Limited, Air Products Gulf Gas LLC, Air Products Helium Inc., Air Products Helium Inc. Qatar Branch, Air Products Holdings B. V., Air Products Holdings GmbH, Air Products Huadong (Longkou) Co. Ltd., Air Products Hydrogen Company Inc., Air Products Hydrogen Energy Technology (Zibo) Co. Ltd., Air Products Iberica S. L., Air Products Industrial Gas LLC, Air Products International LLC, Air Products Investments B. V., Air Products Investments Holdings LLC, Air Products Investments LLC, Air Products Ireland Limited, Air Products Israel Ltd., Air Products Italia S. r. I., Air Products Japan Inc., Air Products Japan K. K., Air Products Korea Inc., Air Products LLC, Air Products Leasing B. V., Air Products Llanwern Limited, Air Products Lu'An (Changzhi) Co. Ltd., Air Products Maghreb S. A.R. L., Air Products Majan LLC, Air Products Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Air Products Management BV/SRL, Air Products Manufacturing Corporation, Air Products Manufacturing LLC, Air Products Middle East Industrial Gases Company Limited, Air Products Nederland B. V., Air Products Netherlands Gases B. V., Air Products O. O.O., Air Products PLC, Air Products PLC Branch, Air Products Peru S. A., Air Products Qudra (GICIS), Air Products Renewable Energy Limited, Air Products S.A., Air Products SAS, Air Products San Fu Co. Ltd., Air Products Saudi Investment Company, Air Products Services Europe S. A., Air Products Shared Services Sdn. Bhd, Air Products Singapore Industrial Gases Pte. Ltd., Air Products SinoHytec (Beijing) Hydrogen Energy Technology, Air Products Slovakia s. r. o., Air Products South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Air Products Sp. Z o.o., Air Products Specialized Process Equipment SDN, Air Products Switzerland Sarl, Air Products Taiwan Holdings Co. Ltd., Air Products Ukraina LLC, Air Products West Coast Hydrogen LLC, Air Products Yanbu Limited, Air Products and Chemicals (Anhui) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Banan) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Beijing) Distribution Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Binzhou) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Guiyang) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Hefei) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Hohhot) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Jiyuan) Onsite Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Lianyungang) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Nanjing) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Pengzhou) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Putian) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Qingdao) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shaanxi Pucheng) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shaanxi) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Gases Production Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Gasification Technology Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Hydrogen Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) On-Site Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Systems Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shangluo) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shenzhen) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Tangshan) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Tongxiang) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Weifang) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (WuXi) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (WuXi) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Xi'an) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Xingtai) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Xinxiang) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Xuzhou) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Yichun) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Yulin) Co. 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V., CryoService, CryoService Limited, Dixons of Westerhope Limited, DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials, EPCO Carbon Dioxide Products, EPCO Carbon Dioxide Products Inc., East Coast Nitrogen Company LLC, East Coast Oxygen Co., Far Eastern Industrial Gases Co. Ltd., Gaolu Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Gardner Cryogenics, Gas Direct Limited, Gas Supply Services Ltd., Gas Technologies Ltd., Gases Industriales de Colombia S.A.  Cryogas, Gases Integrated Company Limited (GIC), Gasin II Unipessoal LDA, Gastel Limited, Gazsur S. de R. L. de C. V., Goar Allison & Associates, Green BioFuel s.r.o., Harvest Energy Technologies, Harvest Energy Technology, Helap SAS, INOXAir Products Pvt. Ltd., Indura, Indura Argentina S.A., Indura Holding LLC, Indura Holdings Colombia LLC, Indura Inversiones Limitada, Indura S. A., Indura Sociedad Comercial Limitada, Inner Mongolia Jiutai New Materials Technology Co. Ltd., Inversiones Air Products Holdings Limitada, Jazan Gas Projects Company, Jazan Integrated Gasification and Power Company (JIGPC), Jubail Waves for Gases Company, KRIG Holdings B. V., KRYVYI RIH Industrial Gas, Korea Industrial Gases Ltd., Kulim Industrial Gases Sdn Bhd, Lida SAS, M&M Gases Limited, Markaziy Osiyo Sanoat Gaz LLC, Matgas 2000 A.I.E., NEOM Green Hydrogen Company, NMAP Services Unlimited, Napro S.A., Olin DNT Limited Partnership, Oxigeno Medicinal Domiciliario Limitada, Oxygen & Argon Works, Oxygen & Argon Works Ltd., Oxygen Center Ltd., Oxygen Warehouse Trade (1980) Ltd., PQ Ammonia, PT Air Products East Kalimantan, PT Air Products Indonesia, PT Air Products Indonesia Services, Permea China Ltd., Permea Inc., Procal, Prodair Air Products India Private Limited, Prodair Corporation, Prodair Escravos Limited, Prodair S. A. S., Prodair et Cie S.C. S., ROVI Cosmetics International, S.I.Q. Beteiligungs, SAGA SAS, SCWC Corp., STP & DIN Chemicals Sp. Z.o.o., STS Science Technologies and Services Ltd., Sapio Produzione Idrogeno Ossigeno S. r. l., Servicios Indura Limitada, Shanxi Lu'An Air Products (Hydrogen Energy) Co. Ltd., Sociedad Espanola de Carburos Metalicos S. A., Soprogaz SNC, Stravinsky Investments LLC, Tanasio Industrial Gases Cyf, The Former SR Manufacturers Inc., Union Mobiliere Industrielle S. A.R.L., Vitalox Industrial S.L.U., WuXi Hi-Tech Gas Co. Ltd., Yangnon Industrial Gas Trading Company Limited, Yangon Industrial Gas (Thilawa) Company Limited, Zhangjiakou HyPower New Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Zhangjiakou Jiaotou Hydrogen New Energy Technology Co. Ltd., and Zibo Chuangcheng Design.

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American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer that provides clothing, accessories, and personal care products under the American Eagle and Aerie brands. The company provides jeans, and specialty apparel and accessories for women and men; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections, as well as personal care products for women. It also offers graphic tees and other clothing products under the Tailgate brand name; and menswear products under the Todd Snyder New York brand name. As of January 29, 2022, the company operated 880 American Eagle stores, 244 Aerie brand stand-alone stores, and five Todd Snyder stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong. It also ships to 81 countries through its Websites; and offers its merchandise at 260 locations operated by licensees in 28 countries, as well as provides products through its Websites ae.com, aerie.com, and toddsnyder.com. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. 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Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. 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Ltd, Southern Trials (Pty) Ltd., Specialty (SMI) Inc., Spectra-Physics AB, Spectra-Physics Holdings Limited, Spectra-Physics Holdings USA LLC, Spectronex, Staten Island Cogeneration Corporation, Sterilin Limited, Stokes Bio Ltd., Sweden DIA (Sweden) AB, SwissAnalytic Group GmbH, Systems Manufacturing Corporation, TFLP LLC, TFS Breda B.V., TFS LLC, TFS Singapore HK Limited, TFSL Financing GP LLC, TFSL Senior GP Holdings 2 LLC, TK Partnership, TKA Wasseraufbereitungssysteme, TMOI Inc., TPI Real Estate Holdings LLC, TSP Holdings I LLC, TWX LLC, Technology Design Solutions Pty Ltd, Thermedics Detection de Argentina S.R.L, Thermo Allen Coding Limited, Thermo Asset Management Services Inc., Thermo BioAnalysis LLC, Thermo BioAnalysis Limited, Thermo BioSciences Holdings LLC, Thermo CIDTEC, Thermo CRS Holdings Ltd., Thermo CRS Ltd., Thermo Cambridge Limited, Thermo Cayman Holdings Ltd., Thermo Corporation, Thermo DMA Inc., Thermo Detection de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Dutch Holdings Limited Partnership, Thermo EGS Gauging LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings I LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings II LLC, Thermo Eberline LLC, Thermo Electron (Calgary) Limited, Thermo Electron (Chile) S.p.A., Thermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH, Thermo Electron (Management Services) Limited, Thermo Electron (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Electron A/S, Thermo Electron Australia Pty Limited, Thermo Electron Export Inc., Thermo Electron Holdings SAS, Thermo Electron Industries, Thermo Electron LED GmbH, Thermo Electron LED S.A.S., Thermo Electron Limited, Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited, Thermo Electron Metallurgical Services Inc., Thermo Electron North America LLC, Thermo Electron Pension Trust GmbH, Thermo Electron Puerto Rico Inc., Thermo Electron SAS, Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC, Thermo Electron Sweden AB, Thermo Electron Sweden Forvaltning AB, Thermo Electron Weighing & Inspection Limited, Thermo Elemental Limited, Thermo Environmental Instruments LLC, Thermo Fast U.K. Limited, Thermo Finland Holdings LLC, Thermo Finland Holdings MT1 B.V., Thermo Finland Holdings MT2 B.V., Thermo Finnigan LLC, Thermo Finnigan Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Malta Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN-I) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (CN-II) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings I Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings II Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings 2) LLC, Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) II Limited, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Heysham) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Kandel) GmbH, Thermo Fisher CHK Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust II, Thermo Fisher Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Thermo Fisher Cyprus Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Detection Mexico LLC, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AB, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AG, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Aps, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Austria GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics B.V., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics K.K., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics NV, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.L.U., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.p.A. , Thermo Fisher Diagnostics SAS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Thermo Fisher Eurobonds Ltd., Thermo Fisher Financial Services Inc., Thermo Fisher GP LLC, Thermo Fisher German Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Germany B.V., Thermo Fisher India Divestco Private Limited, Thermo Fisher India Holding B.V., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Thermo Fisher Israel Ltd., Thermo Fisher Production et Services SAS, Thermo Fisher Project Cyprus LLC, Thermo Fisher Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia) C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Barbados) Holdings Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Breda) Holding BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (CN) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China-HK) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (DE) Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Ecublens) SARL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance II) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fuji) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Holding II) B.V. & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Johannesburg) (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mexico City) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Monterrey) S. De R.L. De C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (NK) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) Austria Holding GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-I) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-II) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN1) UK Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) Dutch LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Praha) s.r.o., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) GmbH & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Schweiz) AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Instruments Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Suzhou) Instruments Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific AL-1 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific AU II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Aquasensors LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V.B.A., Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (I) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (II) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics UAB, Thermo Fisher Scientific Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Biosciences Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brahms LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Instrumentos de Processo Ltda., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Servicos de Logistica Ltda, Thermo Fisher Scientific C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cayman Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chemicals Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific China (C-I) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China (S) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings IV B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings Aps, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus IV C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus V C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Denmark Senior Holdings ApS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie 1 Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Europe GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC Finance C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSUKHCO Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Falcon Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Finance Company BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific GENEART GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Germany BV & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific HR Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) I, Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) II , Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings Europe Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific IT Services GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Malta) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments Malta (Sweden Financing) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Invitrogen Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific LSI Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments III S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments IV S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life NL Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Netherlands Holding C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Switzerland Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Tech Korea Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Enterprise Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investments Holding LP, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Luxembourg Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Enterprise Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg German Holdings S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Life Technologies UK Holding S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings I S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings II S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malta Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Mexico City S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Middle East Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Milano Srl, Thermo Fisher Scientific NHK Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Holdings, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway Holdings AS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway US Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Operating Company LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 C.V, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Panama I Cayman Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Peru S.R.L., Thermo Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific SL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Financing LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Holdings Australia LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific South Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific SpA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg I S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Investments Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Switzerland Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific TR Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific West Palm Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Worldwide Investments (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific eCommerce Solutions LLC , Thermo Fisher Senior Canada Holdings LLC, Thermo Foundation Inc., Thermo Gamma-Metrics Holdings Pty Ltd., Thermo Gamma-Metrics LLC, Thermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd, Thermo Holding European Operations LLC, Thermo Hypersil Ltd, Thermo Hypersil-Keystone LLC, Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., Thermo Instrument Controls de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermo Kevex X-Ray LLC, Thermo Keytek LLC, Thermo LabSystems Inc., Thermo LabSystems S.A., Thermo Life Science International Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC.

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Conagra Brands, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer packaged goods food company in North America. The company operates in four segments: Grocery & Snacks, Refrigerated & Frozen, International, and Foodservice. The Grocery & Snacks segment primarily offers shelf stable food products through various retail channels in the United States. The Refrigerated & Frozen segment provides temperature-controlled food products through various retail channels in the United States. The International segment offers food products in various temperature states through retail and foodservice channels outside of the United States. The Foodservice segment offers branded and customized food products, including meals, entrees, sauces, and various custom-manufactured culinary products packaged for restaurants and other foodservice establishments in the United States. The company sells its products under the Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim, Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera brands. The company was formerly known as ConAgra Foods, Inc. and changed its name to Conagra Brands, Inc. in November 2016. Conagra Brands, Inc. was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
The following companies are subsidiares of CVS Health: ACS ACQCO CORP., ADMINCO Inc., AE Fourteen Incorporated, AHP Holdings Inc., AMC - Tennessee LLC, APS Acquisition LLC, ASCO HealthCare LLC, ASI Wings LLC, AUSHC Holdings Inc., Accendo Insurance Company, Accordant Health Services L.L.C., Active Health Management Inc., Administrative Enterprises Inc., AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx LLC, AdvanceRx.com L.L.C., Advanced Care Scripts Inc., Aetna, Aetna (Beijing) Enterprise Management Services Co. Ltd., Aetna (Shanghai) Enterprise Services Co. Ltd., Aetna ACO Holdings Inc., Aetna Asset Advisors LLC, Aetna Behavioral Health LLC, Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Premier Plan MMAI Inc., Aetna Better Health of California Inc., Aetna Better Health of Florida Inc., Aetna Better Health of Illinois Inc., Aetna Better Health of Indiana Inc., Aetna Better Health of Kansas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Missouri LLC, Aetna Better Health of Nevada Inc., Aetna Better Health of North Carolina Inc., Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma Inc., Aetna Better Health of Tennessee Inc., Aetna Better Health of Texas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Washington Inc., Aetna Capital Management LLC, Aetna Card Solutions LLC, Aetna Corporate Services LLC, Aetna Dental Inc., Aetna Dental of California Inc., Aetna Financial Holdings LLC, Aetna Florida Inc., Aetna Global Benefits (Asia Pacific) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bermuda) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Europe) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Middle East) LLC, Aetna Global Benefits (Singapore) PTE. LTD., Aetna Health Holdings LLC, Aetna Health Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Aetna Health Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company of Europe DAC, Aetna Health Insurance Company of New York, Aetna Health Management LLC, Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company, Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of Iowa Inc., Aetna Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Health of Ohio Inc., Aetna Health of Utah Inc., Aetna HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Aetna Holdco (UK) Limited, Aetna Holdings (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Inc., Aetna Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Aetna Insurance Company Limited, Aetna Insurance Company of Connecticut, Aetna Integrated Informatics Inc., Aetna International Ex Pat LLC, Aetna International LLC, Aetna Ireland Inc., Aetna Life & Casualty (Bermuda) Ltd., Aetna Life Assignment Company, Aetna Life Insurance Company, Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC, Aetna Network Services LLC, Aetna Partners Diversified Fund LLC, Aetna Pharmacy Management Services LLC, Aetna Resources LLC, Aetna Risk Assurance Company of Connecticut Inc., Aetna Rx Home Delivery LLC, Aetna Services (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Aetna Student Health Agency Inc., Aetna Ventures LLC, Aetna Workers Comp Access LLC, Alabama CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Alaska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Allina Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, American Drug Stores Delaware L.L.C., Arbor Drugs, Arizona CVS Stores L.L.C., Arkansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Badger Acquisition LLC, Badger Acquisition of Kentucky LLC, Badger Acquisition of Minnesota LLC, Badger Acquisition of Ohio LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Company, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Beauty Holdings L.L.C., Best Care LTC Acquisition Company LLC, Busse CVS L.L.C., CCI Foreign S.a R.L., CCRx Holdings LLC, CCRx of North Carolina LLC, CHP Acquisition LLC, CP Acquisition LLC, CVS 2948 Henderson L.L.C., CVS 3268 Gilbert L.L.C., CVS 3745 Peoria L.L.C., CVS AL Distribution L.L.C., CVS AOC Corporation, CVS AOC Services L.L.C., CVS Albany L.L.C., CVS Bellmore Avenue L.L.C., CVS Cabot Holdings Inc., CVS Cabot Holdings Inc.  Coram Clinical Trials Inc. 99.72%/Aetna Inc. .28%, CVS Care Concierge LLC, CVS Caremark Advanced Technology Pharmacy L.L.C., CVS Caremark Indemnity Ltd., CVS Caremark Part D Services L.L.C., CVS Caremark TN SUTA LLC, CVS Foreign Inc., CVS Gilbert 3272 L.L.C., CVS Health Applications LLC, CVS Health Solutions LLC, CVS Health Ventures Fund GP LLC, CVS Health Ventures Fund LP, CVS Health Ventures Management LLC, CVS Indiana L.L.C., CVS International L.L.C., CVS Kidney Care Advanced Technologies LLC, CVS Kidney Care Health Services LLC, CVS Kidney Care Home Dialysis LLC, CVS Kidney Care LLC, CVS Management Support LLC, CVS Manchester NH L.L.C., CVS Media Exchange LLC, CVS Michigan L.L.C., CVS Orlando FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS PA Distribution L.L.C., CVS PR Center Inc., CVS Pharmacy Inc., CVS Pharmacy Overseas Online LLC, CVS RS Arizona L.L.C., CVS Rx Services Inc., CVS SC Distribution L.L.C., CVS Shaw Holdings Inc., CVS Shaw Holdings Inc.  Coram Clinical Trials Inc. 99.72%/Aetna Inc. .28%, CVS State Capital L.L.C., CVS TN Distribution L.L.C., CVS Transportation L.L.C., CVS Vero FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS-SHC Kidney Care Home Dialysis of Austin LLC, CVS-SHC Kidney Care Home Dialysis of Los Angeles LLC, CVS-SHC Kidney Care Home Dialysis of Philadelphia LLC, CVS-SHC Renal Holdings LLC, Campos Medical Pharmacy LLC, Canal Place LLC, Care Pharmaceutical Services LP, CareCenter Pharmacy L.L.C., Carefree Insurance Services Inc., Caremark Arizona Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Arizona Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark California Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Florida Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Florida Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Hawaii Mail Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Hawaii Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark IPA L.L.C., Caremark Illinois Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Illinois Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Irving Resource Center LLC, Caremark Kansas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark L.L.C., Caremark Logistics LLC, Caremark Louisiana Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Maryland Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Massachusetts Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Michigan Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Minnesota Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark New Jersey Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark North Carolina Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ohio Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Pennsylvania Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark PhC L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Redlands Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Repack LLC, Caremark Rx L.L.C., Caremark Tennessee Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ulysses Holding Corp., Caremark Washington Specialty Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Alabama Mail Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Health L.L.C., CaremarkPCS L.L.C., Central Rx Services LLC, Cofinity Inc., Compscript LLC, Connecticut CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood Tennessee, Continuing Care Rx LLC, Coram Alternate Site Services Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc.  CVS Pharmacy Inc. 75%/Aetna Life Insurance Company 25%, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Alabama, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater D.C., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater New York, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Indiana, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Massachusetts, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Mississippi, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Nevada, Coram Healthcare Corporation of North Texas, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Northern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Utah, Coram LLC, Coram Rx LLC, Coram Specialty Infusion, Coram Specialty Infusion Services L.L.C., Coventry Consumer Advantage Inc., Coventry Health Care National Accounts Inc., Coventry Health Care National Network Inc., Coventry Health Care of Illinois Inc., Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc., Coventry Health Care of Missouri Inc., Coventry Health Care of Nebraska Inc., Coventry Health Care of Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Care of West Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Plan of Florida Inc., Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company, Coventry HealthCare Management Corporation, Coventry Prescription Management Services Inc., Coventry Transplant Network Inc., Credentials Inc., D & R Pharmaceutical Services LLC, D.A.W. LLC, Delaware CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Delaware Physicians Care Incorporated, District of Columbia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., E.T.B. INC., Echo Merger Sub Inc., Eckerd Corporation of Florida Inc., Employee Assistance Services LLC, Enloe Drugs LLC, Enterprise Patient Safety Organization LLC, EntrustRX, Evergreen Pharmaceutical LLC, Evergreen Pharmaceutical of California LLC, Express Pharmacy Services of PA L.L.C., First Choice of the Midwest LLC, First Health Group Corp., First Health Life & Health Insurance Company, Florida Health Plan Administrators LLC, Garfield Beach CVS L.L.C., Generation Health L.L.C., Geneva Woods Health Services LLC, Geneva Woods LTC Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Management LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Alaska LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Washington LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Wyoming LLC, Geneva Woods Retail Pharmacy LLC, Georgia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., German Dobson CVS L.L.C., Goodhealth Worldwide (Asia) Limited, Goodhealth Worldwide (Global) Limited, Goodyear CVS L.L.C., Grand St. Paul CVS L.L.C., Grandview Pharmacy LLC, Group Dental Service Inc., Health Care Management Co. Ltd., Health Data & Management Solutions Inc., Health Re Inc., Health and Human Resource Center Inc., HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Highland Park CVS L.L.C., Holiday CVS L.L.C., Home Care Pharmacy LLC, Home Pharmacy Services LLC, Hook-SupeRx L.L.C., Horizon Behavioral Services LLC, Idaho CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., IlliniCare Health, Indian Health Organisation Private Limited, Innovation Health Holdings LLC, Innovation Health Insurance Company, Innovation Health Plan Inc., Interlock Pharmacy Systems LLC, Iowa CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., JHC Acquisition LLC, Kansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Kentucky CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., LCPS Acquisition LLC, Langsam Health Services LLC, Lo-Med Prescription Services LLC, Lobos Acquisition LLC, Longs Drug Stores, Longs Drug Stores California L.L.C., Louisiana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., MHHP Acquisition Company LLC, MHNet Specialty Services LLC, MHNet of Florida Inc., Main Street Pharmacy L.L.C., Managed Care Coordinators Inc., Managed Healthcare LLC, Martin Health Services LLC, Maryland CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Med World Acquisition Corp., Medical Arts Health Care LLC, Medical Examinations of New York P.C., Melville Realty Company Inc., MemberHealth LLC, Mental Health Associates Inc., Mental Health Network of New York IPA Inc., Meritain Health Inc., Merwin Long Term Care LLC, Minor Health Enterprise Co Ltd., MinuteClinic, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Alabama L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arizona LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arkansas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Colorado LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Florida LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Georgia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Hawaii L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Illinois LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Kentucky L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Louisiana L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maine L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maryland LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Nebraska L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Hampshire L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Mexico L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Ohio LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oklahoma LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oregon LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Pennsylvania LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Rhode Island LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of South Carolina L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Texas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Utah L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Virginia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Washington LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Wisconsin L.L.C., MinuteClinic L.L.C., MinuteClinic Online Diagnostic Services LLC, MinuteClinic Physician Practice of Texas, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services LLC, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services of Texas Association, Mississippi CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Missouri CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Montana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NCS Healthcare of Illinois LLC, NCS Healthcare of Iowa LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kansas LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kentucky LLC, NCS Healthcare of Montana LLC, NCS Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, NCS Healthcare of Ohio LLC, NCS Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, NCS Healthcare of Tennessee LLC, NCS Healthcare of Wisconsin LLC, NIV Acquisition LLC, Navarro Discount Pharmacy, Nebraska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NeighborCare Pharmacy Services LLC, NeighborCare of Indiana LLC, NeighborCare of Virginia LLC, New Jersey CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Niagara Re Inc., North Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., North Shore Pharmacy Services LLC, NovoLogix LLC, OCR Services LLC, Ocean Acquisition Sub L.L.C., Ohio CVS Stores L.L.C., Oklahoma CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Omnicare, Omnicare Indiana Partnership Holding Company LLC, Omnicare LLC, Omnicare LLC  Aetna Inc 0.28%/CVS Cabot Holdings Inc. 49.86%/CVS Shaw Holdings Inc. 49.86%, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania West LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of the Great Plains Holding LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy and Supply Services LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of Tennessee LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of the Midwest LLC, Omnicare Property Management LLC, Omnicare of Nebraska LLC, Omnicare of Nevada LLC, Omnicare of New York LLC, Oregon CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., PE Holdings LLC, PHPSNE Parent Corporation, PP Acquisition Company LLC, PRN Pharmaceutical Services LP, PT Aetna Management Consulting, Pamplona Saude e Beleza LTDA, Part D Holding Company L.L.C., PayFlex Systems USA Inc., Pennsylvania CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Performax Inc., Pharmacy Associates of Glenn Falls LLC, Pharmacy Consultants LLC, Phoenix Data Solutions LLC, Precision Benefit Services Inc., Prime Net Inc., ProCare Pharmacy Direct L.L.C., ProCare Pharmacy L.L.C., Prodigy Health Group Inc., Professional Risk Management Inc., Puerto Rico CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Red Oak Sourcing LLC, Resources for Living LLC, Rhode Island CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Roeschens Healthcare LLC, RxAmerica, Schaller Anderson Medical Administrators Incorporated, Scrip World LLC, Sheffield Avenue CVS L.L.C., Shore Pharmaceutical Providers LLC, Silverscript Insurance Company, Soma Intimates, South Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., South Wabash CVS L.L.C., Specialized Pharmacy Services LLC, Stadtlander Drug Company, Stadtlander Pharmacy, Sterling Healthcare Services LLC, Superior Care Pharmacy LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Administrative Services LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, T2 Medical Inc., TCPI Acquisition LLC, TargetPharmacy, Tennessee CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Company, Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Texas Health + Aetna Health Plan Inc., The Vasquez Group Inc., Thomas Phoenix CVS L.L.C., Three Forks Apothecary LLC, U.S Healthcare Holdings LLC, U.S. Healthcare Properties Inc., UAC Holding Inc., UC Acquisition LLC, UNI-Care Health Services of Maine LLC, Universal American - Medicare Part D Business, Utah CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., VAPS Acquisition Company LLC, Value Health Care Services LLC, Vermont CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virtual Home Healthcare LLC, Warm Springs Road CVS L.L.C., Washington CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Washington Lamb CVS L.L.C., Weber Medical Systems LLC, Wellpartner LLC, West Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Westhaven Services Co LLC, Williamson Drug Company LLC, Wisconsin CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Woodward Detroit CVS L.L.C., Work and Family Benefits Inc., ZS Acquisition Company LLC, Zinc Health Services LLC, Zinc Health Ventures LLC, bSwift LLC, and iTriage LLC.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ASTRUM IT GmbH, Accudyne Industries Acquisition S.A r.l, Accudyne Industries Canada Inc., Accudyne Industries S.A r.l., Air Dimensions, Air Dimensions Inc., Albin Pump SAS, BOC Edwards Global Low pressure Air business, CISA S.p.A., Cameron-Centrifugal Compression, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Comingersoll-Comercio E Industria De Equipamentos S.A., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Dosatron International SAS, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Proprietary Limited, FlexEnergy Holdings LLC, Frigoblock Grosskopf Gmbh, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First (UK) Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings II Inc., GD Global Holdings Inc., GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., GPS Industries, Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp (Canada), Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Limited, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica SL, Gardner Denver Inc., Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver International Inc., Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Investments Inc., Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan Ltd., Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte. Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia s.r.o., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH (f/k/a ILMVAC GmbH), Gardner Denver Thomas Inc., Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Ghh-Rand Schraubenkompressoren Gmbh, HASKEL EUROPE LTD., HASKEL HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, HASKEL INTERNATIONAL LLC, Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, Haskel France SAS, Haskel Sistemas de Fluidos Espana S.R.L., Hibon Inc., Highspeed Newco LLC, Hingerose Limited, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, INGERSOLL RAND ITS JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHANG ZHOU) TOOLS CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHINA) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND CHINA LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE MAQUINAS E EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND DE PUERTO RICO INC., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY B.V., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL SP. Z O.O., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S. INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PHILIPPINES INC., INGERSOLL-RAND SPAIN S.A., INGERSOLL-RAND U.S. HOLDCO INC., IR HPS Holdco. Inc., ITO Emniyet, Ingersoll Rand Cyprus Investments Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Finance LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Investments LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Ventures LLC, Ingersoll Rand Hong Kong Investments Limited, Ingersoll Rand Inc., Ingersoll Rand Investments (SG) Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Investments B.V., Ingersoll Rand Schweiz Investments Gmbh, Ingersoll Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (China) Investment Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Guilin) Tools Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Hong Kong) Holding Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Air Solutions Hibon Sarl, Ingersoll-Rand Beteiligungs Und Grundstucksverwaltungs Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Colombia S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (Uk), Ingersoll-Rand Company South Africa (Pty) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Cz S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand De Mexico S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Equipements De Production S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Industrial Ireland Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International (India) Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Italia S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Italiana Manufacturing S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Korea Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Korea Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments II S.A R.I., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg Industrial Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Machinery (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Malaysia Co. Sdn. Bhd., Ingersoll-Rand S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Services And Trading Limited Liability Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Singapore Enterprises Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand South East Asia (Pte.) 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Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface.

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New York Community Bancorp, Inc. is the bank holding company for New York Community Bank. New York Community Bank is the nations 47th-largest financial institution and its largest thrift. As a thrift, the bank specializes in real estate and consumer accounts specifically real estate loans and savings accounts and has limited exposure to other forms of business banking. Among the benefits to consumers are interest-bearing checking and saving accounts that come with higher-than-average interest rates.

New York Community Bank was founded in 1859 to serve Queens County, New York. It operated under that name, growing all the while, until 2000 when it changed its name to better reflect the business. The company IPOd in 1993 and has made multiple acquisitions in the time since. As of 6/30/2022, the bank had $63.1 billion in assets and $41.2 billion in deposits.

New York Community Bank operates in greater New York City, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, and Arizona. The company provides deposit products ranging from interest-bearing checking and money market accounts to savings accounts, IRAs, and CDs. Brands under the companys umbrella include AmTrust in Florida and Arizona, Ohio Savings Bank, Garden State Savings Bank, and Atlantic Bank.

The bank offers a wide range of real-estate-related loans including but not limited to multi-family loans, commercial real estate loans, construction loans, and consumer loans and mortgages. Investment products include annuities, mutual funds, and life insurance. Customers include individuals, small businesses, and organizations and are served through a network of more than 230 branches, and 300 ATMs, online, mobile, and by phone. Many of the locations are open 24 hours and 6 days a week although those hours are not available at all branches. Clients can access their accounts digitally 24/7.

New York Community Bancorp and its underlying business carry investment-grade credit ratings from all the major rating agencies. The credit outlook in the 4th quarter of 2022 was stable as it had been for some time. In New York, it is a leader in the multi-family market specializing in lower-cost housing in rent-controlled areas. As of June 30, 2022, the multi-family loan portfolio accounted for more than 75% of all investments. The company has a stock purchase and dividend reinvestment plan that help to sustain a high level of ownership.






Four US congressmen have called on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to declassify part of the anti-terror deal, meant to fight terror funding, that was signed with Qatar in July.

Congressmen Jim Banks, Robert Pittenger, Scott Perry and Ron DeSantis have expressed doubt over Qatars compliance with the deal in which the emirate pledged to fight terrorism funding.

The deal, secured by Tillerson, was part of the US efforts to mediate the Gulf Crisis, which erupted on June 5 after Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain plus Egypt cut off ties with Qatar on grounds that it funds terrorism.

The congressmen have addressed a letter to the US top diplomat arguing that US citizens need to know how the Qatari government is tackling terrorism.

The four also believe that the agreement does not contain classified information as noted by the State Department.

President Trump, at the beginning of the crisis, accused Qatar of providing financial support to terror groups, including Hamas and Lebanon-based Hezbollah.

While the US congressmen accused Doha of supporting terror groups, French President Emmanuel Macron last month said he would hand over to the Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman a list of terror groups spreading Wahhabism; known as the harshest implementation of Islam. The doctrine that does not recognize other religions is applied by terror groups.
Turkish and Emirati rivalry in the region has surfaced after UAE foreign minister posted a tweet accusing an Ottoman military commander of looting Medina and mistreating Arabs.

The accusations were posted on twitter by UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahayan, who said Ottoman troops led by Fakhreddin Pasha stole money and manuscripts from Medina in 1916.

Turkeys response was prompt as President Tayyip Erdogan leapt to the defense of the Ottoman Commander saying that he only tried to protect the city from the looters, in allusion to the Arab tribes that entered into alliance with the British at a time Medina was under Ottoman rule.

In a speech to local administrators, Erdogan said those miserable people who are delirious enough to shamelessly and tirelessly say Erdogans ancestors stole sacred items from there and brought them to Istanbul  it was to protect them from the people that came to invade.

He went on to say that UAE foreign Minister is spoiled with money and petrol, and that during the siege Fahreddin Pasha transferred the sacred relics to Istanbul to protect them against the British occupation.

These sacred relics remain in Istanbuls Topkap Palace, where people read the Koran 24 hours a day, Erdogan said.

Turkey and the UAE are at loggerheads regarding a set of regional issues. Turkey backs the Muslim brotherhood while the UAE funds a regional crackdown on political Islam.

Turkey has also been an ally of Qatar to whom it has extended a helping hand following the Saudi-imposed blockade, backed by the UAE and Gulf allies.
Germany was one of the EU members that has traditionally supported Eastern Partnership program and deepening of the EU relations with the neighboring countries. Armenian News-NEWS.am interviewed Ambassador of Germany to Armenia H.E. Mr. Bernhard Matthias Kiesler to ask him about the EU-Armenia deal signed in Brussels on November 24 and development of Armenia-Germany relations.

How do you think the signing of EU-Armenia agreement will affect development of relations between Germany and Armenia? What are your expectations?

November 24 was indeed a very important day in the history of Armenia-EU relations, relations with not only Brussels, but also separate relations between Armenia and all EU member countries. Both the EU and the Federal Republic of Germany have actively participated and assisted Armenia in the course of transitional reforms over the last 25 years, and with the launch of this new comprehensive and enhanced partnership, we open up a new chapter that will enable to support Armenia's further and stronger modernization.

I am convinced that reforms and comprehensive modernization only can lead to a steady development of Armenia, and in this regard, I believe that both Germany, EU member states and the European Union as a whole offers Armenia the best proposals. We are showing interest, and this concerns not Armenia only, but also other Eastern Partnership countries so that people in these countries could live more prosperously. I think that although this agreement is only a framework agreement, but if breath is given to this agreement, we can expect mutually beneficial cooperation. As regards the German-Armenian bilateral relations, I think the signing of this agreement is a signal that Armenia is at the stage of modernization, and this can be an important signal for investors. Now it is important for the Armenian National Assembly and the parliaments of the EU member states to ratify the deal. As far as I know, an agency or a so-called working group will be formed to coordinate and sum up all the proposals and approaches of all the ministries to establish a joint action plan to implement this agreement as soon as possible.

How do you see the future of Eastern Partnership summit amid the challenges that Europe is faced with, given Brexit, migrant crisis and growing Euroscepticism?

A declaration on further steps for the Eastern Partnership has been recently adopted in Brussels. The Brussels Eastern Partnership Summit was a very important event during which 20 deliverables were created to further deepen the Eastern Partnership. But, as we can see, there are six different partnerships, that is, six different states, and the Eastern Partnership should take into account and use the six models, given the peculiarities of any of these countries. You mentioned the challenges: Brexit, the migration crisis and Euroscepticism, but it should be underlined that on November 24, a signal was given in Brussels that the EU remains committed to the deepening and strengthening of the Eastern Partnership program and the EU is pursuing a united policy within the framework of the Eastern Partnership.

How do you see Armenias potential to intensify its presence in the European market? What are the obstacles to develop this potential?

In fact, Armenia's trade balance is negative because the country is importing more than exporting which can be linked to system matters. There may be two approaches: firstly, if you increase your export volumes, and secondly, if you cut your import volumes. As regards the increase in exports, there are new opportunities in the newly signed agreement, which facilitates the export of goods from Armenia to European countries. As regards the reduction of import volumes, I see great potential in this area for Armenia to organize its economy so that to reach growth of its own products or processed products. Armenia has great potential from this perspective. Here again, the circle is closing. Modernization processes have to proceed in a way that entrepreneurs get interested in investing, so that the population could also feel the benefit. I see great progress in service sector, where Armenia has made considerable progress, especially in the field of tourism over the last year. We witness a huge flow of tourists not only from traditionally interested countries, such as Russia or Iran, but from EU countries, which speaks of the great potential of tourism in Armenia.

What is the volume bilateral trade turnover between Armenia and Germany?

Trade turnover for the past year amounted to about $ 300 million, which includes exports and imports. At first glance, it seems that we deal with quite good performance, but in fact, this figure is much lower in terms of Germanys economic standards, which again speaks about the need to develop trade turnover between our countries. Since April last year, the German Business Association (DWV) has been operating in Armenia, with the goal of supporting Armenian and German business circles, establishing business ties. Representatives of agricultural sector paid a very important visit to Armenia in June this year.

Which are the fields where German investors are working in Armenia? Are there any new companies that have recently entered the Armenian market?

The only major German investor is working in the mining field. Investments in other spheres have been made in recent years, mainly in IT. Several German companies have established their affiliates in Armenia and they operate quite efficiently. There are German companies interested in investing in solar energy in Armenia, and currently they deal with obtaining a license for that activity. Large German companies are showing interest in the energy sector.

What progress has been achieved in terms of humanitarian contacts between Germany and Armenia? How will the newly opened Goethe Institute contribute to the development of these contacts?

Germany is well represented in the cultural field in Armenia. DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service has been functioning for many years. Germany is sending German teachers to deepen the teaching of German language in Armenian schools. You are well aware that the Goethe Center was opened in Yerevan last week. The Minister of Education and Science, Foreign Minister of Armenia were present at the opening ceremony. President of the Munich headquarters of the Goethe Institute also visited Armenia. This is a message once again confirming high level of cultural and educational relationships, and it was a long expected event for all of us. Before opening the Goethe Center in Armenia, we have already organizedmany cultural and educational events this year, including hosting musicians from Germany and film screenings. The Goethe Institute participated and supported, among others the Golden Apricot International Film Festival and the High Fest Festival, but we must say that with the opening of the Goethe Center we will have a new format of cultural relations.
Garo Paylan, Istanbul Armenian MP from the opposition and pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) of Turkey, has reflected on the present-day situation in the country, and drawn respective parallels with 1915.

Paylan told Gazete Duvar (Wall Newspaper) online newspaper of Turkey that he feels like as if it were 1915.

The current climate in Turkey is like the climate created by Talaat and Enver [Pashas, the architects of Armenian Genocide], he said. In those times, too, the democratic demands of the Armenian people, the Armenian MPs were the same as the demands of the Kurdish party today.

At that time, the authorities responded to the Armenians [democratic] demands with genocide. One hundred years have passed, but its the same climate today in Turkey.

If there is a little intelligence left among the [present-day Turkish] authorities, they must stop all this. Otherwise, the rug will be pulled from under their feet.
Prime Minister of Finland: Europe is now too reliant on Chinese technology

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Brendan Fraser refuses to come to Golden Globes because of harassment

EU to provide Ukraine with generators and kits to repair power grids

Turkey sentences sect founder to 8,658 years in prison

Tomorrow will be the maximum phase of Leonid meteor shower: Where will it be best seen from?

Xi Jinping urges world to abandon any Cold War mentality

Documentary on Rust camerawoman Halyna Hutchins in works

Aliyev rules out talks with Artsakh State Minister

FP: Ukraine's appetite for weapons depletes Western stocks

Putin and Aliyev discuss energy cooperation

Armenian financial technologies to enter international market: VISA and Idram sign memorandum in Yerevan

Incident in Poland causes disagreement between Kyiv and West

Smartwatch can detect heart failure

Mark Milley urges Kyiv and Moscow to find political solution: Chances of military victory are unlikely

New NATO Secretary General to be announced at Vilnius summit in 2023

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Erdogan: Turkey-Israel relations entered a new phase of development

Shakira, Du Lipa and Rod Stewart refuse to sing at opening of World Cup 2022

Mishustin: Cooperation between Moscow and Baku has become truly strategic and allied

Igor Khovaev to visit Baku

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U.S. general lays flowers at eternal flame at Armenian Genocide memorial

Republicans stand for same-sex marriage rights

Pallone says US State Department should not hesitate to speak about Azerbaijani aggression

Aliyev refuses to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh and threatens Armenia with new aggression

Quentin Tarantino announces plans to make TV series in 2023

Australian Football League will try to invite Ronaldo

Greek minister doesn't get off plane to meet head of Libya's presidential council

More than billion young people can lose their hearing to headphones

Sergey Lavrov to visit Yerevan

Christopher Nkunku to miss six to eight weeks

Meeting titled 'IT Sector Dialogue 2022' discusses problems of relocating companies from Russia to Armenia

Lebanese parliament fails to elect president of country

Kremlin on Zelenskyy's proposal to hold 'public' talks

National Assembly Speaker: Armenia is extremely interested in establishing strategic relations with Georgia

Over past seven months, four IT companies liquidated in Armenia, four bankrupt, 17 more are in liquidation, 342 individual entrepreneurs deregistered

Canada provides additional military aid to Ukraine

Representatives of defense agencies of CSTO countries discuss crisis response issues

Armenian Defense Minister and American General discuss defense cooperation

Changes in blood begin two years before breast cancer is detected

Armenian Safe YOU app is winner of BOOST Women Innovators program

Lily Rose-Depp graces cover of Elle magazine

World Cup 2022: Teams with transfer value of more than 1 billion

Tehran accuses Israel and West of trying to organize civil war in Iran

Armenia becomes full member of COST: What opportunities does it offer?

Oppositionist: No guarantees that war with Azerbaijan can be avoided

Issue of biometric passports to Armenian citizens is temporarily suspended

World Cup 2022: Messi names favorites

Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement to be signed till end of year? Pashinyan's associate voices conditions

Erdogan says Russia and US agreed to refrain from using nuclear weapons

Azerbaijani oppositionist complains of torture by police

Kyaram Sloyan and Andranik Zohrabyan posthumously bestowed 'Hero of Artsakh' title

UN Secretary General Guterres welcomes parties' agreement on renewal of food deal

Eurasian Development Bank: Armenia is the leader among EEU countries in terms of economic growth

Greece promises to continue military support to Ukraine

Number of appeals from Azerbaijan to ECHR is growing

Pashinyan: The wheel of processes related to confiscation of illegal property is spinning

Fire hits Baghdad airport

Russian brokers faced most powerful series of DDoS attacks in history

Inter and Juventus target N'Golo Kante

North Korea fires ballistic missile towards Sea of Japan

Istanbul agrees to extend 'grain initiative' for another 120 days

'Hayastan' Fund to build 6 residential houses in Nerkin Khndzoresk village

Vocal as Russophobic propaganda: Azerbaijani singer sings about 'disgusting peacekeepers'

The IV International Congress of Geriatrics and Gerontology will be held on December 1-2

Actress Denise Richards shot at in road rage incident

Biden congratulates Republicans on winning majority in House of Representatives

Legendary Russian figure skater Alexander Gorshkov dies

14 freight cars derailed in Kazakhstan, train traffic suspended

Newspaper: Ruben Vardanyan does not hurry to make changes in composition of Karabakh government

Russia attacks Ukraine with missiles in morning: Explosions heard in Dnieper, air defense works in Kyiv region

U.S. National Security Council: It is clear that the party ultimately responsible for this tragic incident is Russia

Gold prices decline

Russian Trade Representative to Armenia: Situation at Upper Lars checkpoint is not related to geopolitical issues

Trade Representative of Russia: Trade turnover with Armenia sets new record

Flick is dissatisfied with defensive work of his team

Elon Musk is being called Voldemort on Twitter, fears of Tesla investors are confirmed

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Gas explodes in Fatih district of Istanbul, 10 people injured

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Supercomputer determines favorites for World Cup 2022

Sweden to provide Ukraine with new military aid worth $287 million

Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania meet conditions for joining Schengen zone

Oil prices may reach $120 a barrel and stay at this level for 2 years

Zelenskyy receives 'signals' that Putin wants direct talks

Security Service of Ukraine puts Ramzan Kadyrov on wanted list

Unidentified men open fire at market in Izeh city in southwestern Iran

Karen Donfried tries to explain State Department's decision to exempt Azerbaijan from 907th Amendment
The UN General Assembly resolution that slams the US Presidents decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital city of Israeli and the voting on this resolution is discussed in Turkish social media.

In particular, numerous Turkish users of Twitter recalled that even Armenia voted for this resolution, whereas many of Turkeys friendship and nationally-related countries either abstained or did not take part in the voting.

In this connection, a Twitter user named Sadk Sofuoglu wrote as follows: Shame on you, our friend Bosnia and Herzegovina, which voted in abstention on the Jerusalem vote, and our kin, coreligionist Turkmenistan, which didnt even participate in the voting. You couldnt be even an Armenia.

As reported earlier, the UN General Assembly voted 128-9 with 35 abstentions on Thursday in favor of a nonbinding resolution declaring US President Donald Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital null and void. Armenia also voted for the resolution.

On December 6, US President Donald Trump stated, that he recognizes Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, and said the US Department of State has been ordered to start transferring the US embassy in Israel, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

But this decision has brought about worldwide reaction.
A symposium on the avenues for normalizing Palestinian-Israeli relations was convened on Thursday and Friday, in Beijing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of China informed that, during this event that was held in the countrys capital city, members of the participating Palestinian and Israeli government delegations supported manifesting a moderate approach in the matter of settlement of the status of Jerusalem, and expressed mutual aspiration toward finding the political solution to this matter, according to TASS Russian News Agency.

As per the Chinese MFA statement, the symposium participants came to a mutual understanding that the Jerusalem issue must be resolved based on the precept of two states.

Also, the representatives of Palestine and Israel underscored Chinas role in this matter, and its initiative to provide a platform to discuss the prospects for the improvement of bilateral ties.

On December 6, US President Donald Trump stated that he recognizes Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, and said the US Department of State has been ordered to start transferring the US embassy in Israel, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But this decision has brought about worldwide reaction.

And the UN General Assembly voted 128-9 with 35 abstentions on Thursday in favor of a nonbinding resolution declaring Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital null and void. Armenia also voted for the resolution.
The results of a CNN poll show that 49 percent of Americans are convinced that the US Embassy in Israel should not be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, according to Kommersant newspaper of Russia.

Only 36 percent of respondents to the survey favor US President Donald Trumps initiative to transfer this diplomatic mission to the holy city.

In addition, two-thirds of Americans believe that the US should not take any sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But for those who said the US should take sides, 24 percent noted that it should back Israel, whereas solely 2 stated that it should side with Palestine.

On December 6, US President Donald Trump stated that he recognizes Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, and said the US Department of State has been ordered to start transferring the US embassy in Israel, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But this decision has brought about worldwide reaction.

And the UN General Assembly voted 128-9 with 35 abstentions on Thursday in favor of a nonbinding resolution declaring Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital null and void. Armenia also voted for the resolution.

UN General Assembly adopts resolution on Jerusalem status
Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesperson for the health ministry of the Gaza Strip, stated that the death toll in the ongoing clashes with the Israeli army, and ever since US President Donald Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, has reached 12 among the Palestinians, reported RIA Novosti news agency of Russia.

Clashes between the Israeli security forces and Palestinian demonstrators continue for more than two weeks.

The clashes became a reaction to the aforesaid decision by Trump.

On December 6, US President Donald Trump stated that he recognizes Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, and said the US Department of State has been ordered to start transferring the US embassy in Israel, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But this decision has brought about worldwide reaction.

And the UN General Assembly voted 128-9 with 35 abstentions on Thursday in favor of a nonbinding resolution declaring Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital null and void. Armenia also voted for the resolution.
Guadalupe Lupe Martinez Gonzalez moved to Flagstaff under resident status when she was 18 to be with her mother and stepfather. She couldnt speak a word of English.

Her first job in Flagstaff as a housekeeper was challenging because she didnt know the language. She began to rectify that by taking English classes at The Literacy Center: Literacy Volunteers of Coconino County, now in its 23rd year of service to the community.

It was a slow process, to her, to become fluent in English, but she managed over the years, and she kept getting better jobs. She set her sights on becoming a citizen, and she got help again from the volunteers at The Literacy Center.

On Dec. 8, just a few days before her 24th birthday, she and more than 60 other people became U.S. Citizens during a ceremony at the U.S. District Court in Tucson.

It feels nice, Gonzalez said. It feels important. I feel like Im free.

IMPROVING LIVES

We offer individualized educational support for teens and adults in northern Arizona, said Dianna Sanchez, executive director of TLC.

Among the learners who come to TLC are English language learners, basic language learners (native English speakers), pre-GED and GED learners, and literacy rehabilitation learners at the county jail, Sanchez said. The learners are offered regularly scheduled classes, one-to-one tutor support and drop-in support.

The learners come from all over the globe, Sanchez said, but most of the learners are Spanish speaking. There is no average makeup of learners who come to TLC, but what they all have in common is a dedication to improving the quality of their lives. The learners range from people who want promotions at work to Chinese scholars visiting NAU wanting to improve their English skills.

We get to see so many people from so many walks of life, Sanchez said.

The volunteers also come from all walks of life  from a retired mail carrier to a physicist from NAU.

According to the TLCs annual report, the organization, with a budget of about $143,000, helped 381 people during the 2016-17 fiscal year. Those learners spent 4,700 hours improving literacy skills, and about 100 volunteers gave 5,000 hours of their time in instruction.

Angie Moline, who formerly taught environmental science at NAU for several years and speaks Spanish, has volunteered at TLC for the last year. Gonzalez was her first student, and they would meet once a week to prepare Gonzalez for the citizenship test.

Its been a really rewarding and fun process, Moline said. Shes become a good friend.

Moline, who has gotten to know Gonzalezs family, even went to the citizenship ceremony.

Moline added that she didnt know what to expect from the process of helping somebody prepare for the citizenship test. But Gonzalez was a good student, and the year, after a national election where the names in positions of government changed, offered plenty of opportunity to show the interrelations between past and present and among the three branches of the U.S. government.

It was a lot more fun than I expected, Moline said. It made me happier to be a citizen, too.

NEXT STEPS

Gonzalez said that she began taking English classes about six months after arriving in Flagstaff, and she has continued her learning, both at TLC and at Coconino Community College, to improve her English skills.

She realized, about four years into the process, that she had the potential to become a U.S. citizen and began researching what she needed to do. She applied for citizenship in February, and she had her interview not too long ago.

I was really nervous, Gonzalez said, but the nervousness went away when the person conducting the interview asked her questions she knew the answer to. The studying paid off.

She turned in her green card and received her certificate of citizenship on Dec. 8. Now, she has a passport and plans to visit family in Mexico during the holiday season. Most of her family still lives there.

And her future?

She plans on attending university in Mexico to study business management because the tuition is cheaper there than here in the United States.

The road to citizenship has been a long one, Gonzalez said. But the Moline was generous with her time, and she always had the patience to answer questions and work with Gonzalezs schedule to help her achieve her goal.

As to the help she received at TLC, Gonzalez touched her heart and said, It was amazing. Its a powerful community school.

To donate, to volunteer, or for more information about The Literacy Center, visit www.thinkliteracy.org.
1. Yes. The ordinance goes against state law and is not in the best interest of the cities.

2. Yes. At the very least, it should be amended to give police officers some discretion.

3. No. Voters approved the ordinance by large majorities; the councils cant ignore that fact.

4. No. The petition process has to be given a chance to work. Leave the ordinance alone.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say how the cities should move forward regarding the ordinance.

Vote

View Results
YEREVAN.  The Police of Armenia on Wednesday received information that D. S., 33, was engaged in illegal acquisition and sale of narcotic drugs, and that he was purchasing these drugs from E. Gh., 42.

On the same day at 8:40pm, D. S. was detained and taken to a police station. A total of 29.2 grams of a yellow and greenish substance with ten transparent tin boxes, and three pills were found in his car, the Police press service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The discoveries were confiscated, a forensic chemical examination was commissioned, and a criminal case was opened into this case.

On Thursday, E. Gh.s house was searched, and where a plastic bag with 124 narcotic drug pills, about 385 grams of a hashish-like substance, and about 860 grams of a cannabis-like substance were found.

Furthermore, four guns, two hunting rifles, a weapons case with two bullets, and 19 separate bullets also were discovered.

D. S. and E. Gh. are arrested.

An investigation is underway.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed Israel's ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Friday to submit a formal letter to the organization's director-general announcing Israel's departure from the UN body.

"The letter will be submitted by Ambassador Carmel Sharma-Hacohen in the coming days, certainly before the end of the year," said Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon.

The UNESCO constitution holds that a country's withdrawal from the organization takes effect on 31 December of the year following that during which the notice was given. Accordingly, Israel's departure will become effective on 31 December 2018.

Israel signaled its intention to leave the body in October, hours after the US announced its withdrawal. Netanyahu praised the American declaration, calling it "a brave and moral decision, because UNESCO has become the theater of the absurd and because instead of preserving history, it distorts it."

The US listed "concerns with mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO," as reasons for its departure.
GET FESTIVE

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Yesss queen, give them live vocals and festivity!

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Lol yes. I want her to do well so the haters can look stupid.





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I want the exact opposite

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I'm amazed by this, it means she's probably rehearsing!

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Same. I feel like it's because her diva/queen of shade persona is harmless and comedic.

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can't wait for her to mess up again.

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skinniest, sveltededest lengendriah, ryan seacrust tried to make a fool out of ratingsriah but when u do clownery the clown comes back to bite! 

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Mariah is skinny. Fuck blue lives!

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Lmao this comment wins

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Got this as a back tattoo

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What is the context with this, and why am I loving the concept???

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They better be on alert for Stella trying to sneak backstage like the Grinch

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Well if she effs up again she is done for good.

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What does Mariah being done look like? Shes a superstar, everyone knows who she is, and more people than not like her or at least want her to do well. Shell always get another chance.

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I wasnt aware that shed fired Stellas awful ass. What a nice surprise.

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Omg thank God!!!!!

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Please let her come out of this with a new iconic quote after It Was A Mess and I blame Everybody.

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I'm tuning in and hoping that it goes smoothly this time.

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if you have to go into couples counseling one month into your relationship maybe you shouldn't be together

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I mean this is round what if their relationship? 5? 6? Theyre the type of people who are always in a relationship with one another even when theyre not, even when theyre with other people. Theyll never say never cause the heart wants it what it wants *shrugs*

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the last sentence took me out 

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lol

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I laughed

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What did Justin did to Hailey?

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From what I read, he wanted to apologize to her and move on. They had a history of going out and hooking up. I personally think Selena feels a bit insecure. I don't blame her, since he's cheated before. I don't think she was comfortable with him reaching out to her for whatever reason. Those are just my two cents. They shouldn't be together at all. He's done her wrong so many times. I don't like that the cult is in this, too.

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"Bieber reached out to hayley baldwin to make ammends as a christian and selena was unhappy" what

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the only thing i can think is that she was in love with him and he knew it and led her on?

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Well werent Hailey and Justin date at some point

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jeezus christ

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This will end well.





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That doesn't sound like the pastor is counseling them himself. It sounds like he told them to go to Hillsong's couples counseling which is presumably done by someone who's certified as licensed counselor even if it is one of those nutso religious ones.



Edited at 2017-12-23 05:07 pm (UTC)

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Scientology is jealous that it is not the cult in the news for brainwashing celebrities

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This must be their form of auditing where they get the juicy secrets of the celebs and then they can never leave!

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Counselling brainwashing

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Her mom seems to be having some kind of crisis right now. The videos she posts on Instagram are...something else.

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i would too if my daughter married this asshole

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WAIT THEY SECRETLY GOT MARRIED???

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i thought she was drunk as fuck in one of them but it turns out she always talks like that. still weird

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Her daughter is with Justin Beiber, that would crumble anyones sanity.

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whats her insta?

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funny thing is that her mom still has pics of selena and abel together on her ig

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Hillsong's "counseling" = "please stay together and continue to give our shady pastor money" lbr here.



I'm extremely pro-therapy in general, but getting couples counseling in your early 20s with no marriage or kids in the picture is the universe SCREAMING "just fucking break up already!" at you lol

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MTE... who is out here getting couples counseling at 23

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I went into cc with an ex. We were in our 30s but had only been together two years. In retrospect, we should have just broken up. My friends told me so but I ~wanted to try harder. Ah, well. Lesson learned.

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i feel like they both need or could use individual counselling to work on their own issues, but yeah idg why they're doing couples counselling. they're both so young.

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LOL right? If you're having enough trouble to warrant counseling before you're even married, that's a clear sign that the relationship is doomed.

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nah let them stay together and get married, this is much needed sweet delicious drama tbh

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stupid Justin will probably give all his $ to the cult

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It really strikes me, in every post about these two, how anti-religious ONTD is. Yet many like to pretend they are tolerant. The hypocrisy ... also, we dont have any consequential evidence that Hillsong is a cult but the term continues to be used here to describe the church. Calling actual licensed psychologists nuts just because they are also religious is staggering. If this was done to any other group (or issue) this place would go up in flames in protest.

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why shouldn't we be anti-religion? religion is just patriarchal bullshit based on misogyny with some homophobia thrown in there. it's not hypocritical to be against something that is anti-woman & anti-gay, to just scratch the surface of what's wrong w/religion (christianity in particular, since that's what we're talking about here).



Edited at 2017-12-23 05:33 pm (UTC)

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mtfe

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Who said christianity is anti-women or anti-gay? Lots of christians have interpreted the teachings of Christ to be "love everyone." So true religion is actually the opposite of being anti-anything. Yes you will have extremists who warp the words to their own beliefs, instead of believing in the actual teachings. But you can say that about anything.



I'm not even Christian, but it's easy to see how religion seems to be a stronger force for goodwill and kindness than discrimination. For many people, religion is the reason why they choose to be good, so we really shouldn't be anti-religion at all. Just anti-bad people in general.

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Amen sis



Tell em

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Messsss

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ia that ontd is intolerant of religion and paints Christianity in a particularly broad brush... reading ontd you'd think Christianity was still in the 18th century when in reality many mainstream denominations are lgbt-affirming and women-led.



That being said Hillsong is creepy to me and very corporate-seeming.

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I'm a Christian and I wouldnt touch hillsong with a 15 ft pole so plz stop. These religious institutions dont have qualified psychologists for counselling, the pastor is just that, a pastor, and tells them to pray on it essentially. He doesn't know shit about relationships, his uni major is theology.



Cults like this is why so many indoctrinated women stay cheated on because their faith as recited by these nuts discourages leaving. You can believe in God and not be an idiot at the same time, it's possible.



Edited at 2017-12-23 06:03 pm (UTC)

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How do you know theyre seeing a licensed psychologist? I got the impression that they were in pastoral counseling, which may or may not involve psychology, and in this case could just be a Hillsong-trained pastor with no psychology background (I dont think Hillsong offers psychology courses.) Are you a member of the church?

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as someone who has done extensive research on cults, ia that this group doesnt really fit the criteria. that doesnt mean its not weird and undeserving of criticism.

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We also have no proof that God exists so yah, we are all just jumping to conclusions in these matters.

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Nothing wrong with being anti-religious, organised religion is an oppressive institute after all. I don't think it's hypocritical not to want to be tolerant to smth that hateful to gay people and women

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lol butthurt christians



compare your hurt feelings on an online comm to actual marginalization more, please

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"licensed psychologists" lol thats not the ppl running couples counseling at hilsong

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idgaf abt what people believe in or do in private, but i'm def against organized religion, notably abrahamic ones. they're patriarchal, intolerant, and have been responsible for more harm than good on a societal level.



re: hillsong - please, a bit more critical thinking. the line between organized religion and cult is a very fine one, contrarily to what most people believe. and cults obv don't go about announcing themselves as such. but there's several common traits that are hallmarks of cults - overzealous and unquestioning loyalty to their leader, leadership dictates how members should act, hierarchic and elitist group (with notions of leaders and special members), preoccupation with recruiting new members, preoccupation with making money, members being encouraged to socialize mostly with other members & to cut ties with disapproving family, etc. ALL of these are present in hillsong.

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Nobody asked for your opinion, Lauren.

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lmao imagine writing an essay about this. Girl nobody cares about you or your useless husband.

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Lol right?

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I mean, maybe she wanted another claim to relevancy besides that one time she walked into a plane propellor

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lol for real, I ain't wasting my precious life reading this.

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In her essay, Lauren mentions that during his time at E! News, Jason worked with a female co-anchor who made three times his salary.



She's prob talking about Julianna here, but she had been on E! for a lot longer and did more work. Catt & Jason started out at the same time, they should be making the same amount. I actually really liked Catt, Jason is annoying.

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i think catt had been on e! for like 10 years or something?

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Oh wow, I thought they started out at the same time. I'm glad she left, fuck them.

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7 and Jason for 5 so he definitely should not be making DOUBLE of someone whos been there two years longer.

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Was anyone even blaming Jason tho?? I thought the anger was squarely at the network

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Right? And if so, why not just say its not up to Jason and leave it at that?

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Guiliana was basically the face of E! so she deserved her pay. Jason had no business making more than Kat. He wasn't there as long and he isn't as good as she is.

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Remember who the OP is y'all. Just keep that in mind.

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good point.

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Lmao mte.

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lol

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all of my content has a greater purpose 

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sure but this is worthy of a callout tho?

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https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/catt-sadler-asks-fans-not-to-blame-jason-kennedy-over-e-pay-gap/



So Lauren is EXTRA dumb for this So Lauren is EXTRA dumb for this

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she did acknowledge Cat's defense in a thanks but no thanks its still your fault you started this kinda way

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I dont like either of them

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1) Literally who asked you? And why do you think anyone cares enough to hear your opinion on this?



2) This is a perfect example of whats wrong with us white women. We cant stop caping for our guys even when its not remotely warranted. Its like a compulsion.

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exactly! so Jason comes out Scott free in a way because he kept quiet and made his wife fight the battle

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Very true. You know these are his thoughts and just let her say it.

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She is representative of all those white women that voted for Trump, just following their man.

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Don't think this is exclusively a white women thing tbh, women everywhere are always caping for their man. It's sad

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He gives me gay vibes

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we dont want him unless he's gonna be a sugar daddy.

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I thought it would be her saying her husband had nothing to do with it and blame the network but I sure was wrong. That I could understand, but shes completely denying it being an equal pay issue and defending it.

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If you want to pay for having your opinion shared, but don't dare to come out for it, it's wiser if you choke on that money.

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Blind Gossip printed the lie about Meryl too so I guess they took the money as well. The site is run by conservative trash now who want to destroy Trump enemies. I'm not sure why people still take what the write seriously.

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Yep, I've been saying that about them for a while now that they're Trump supporters. They also ban you if you comment on their site and say anything that goes against the Conservative grain. Fuck them.

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bg has always been racist af so it's really not surprising that they're drumpf supporters.

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What the fuck?

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They give a fuck about Meryl going off on Trump and her new film exposing how politicians try and control the media.

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the only women it could have been would be rose mcgowen tbh.

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https://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/108902006.html?thread=18667703670#t18667703670



i can't i can't

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lmao

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Bloop

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lmao smh

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Oop

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Nnnnnnn @ ppl saying men wouldn't do this because "they don't give a fuck". If reddit has taught me anything it is that men rly do give a fuck about anything and everything women that discredit women, especially if it keeps the spotlight away from them

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it's sad at the end of the day it's not even the sexual harassment/assault/rape they care about. they just want to stick it to meryl cause she said something against their orange savior, and i'm not fond of meryl personally, but come the fuck on.

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Wtf I mean not surprised but still wtf

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Crazy shit

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Well I hope Barbara Kruger sues them...

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secret Friends of Abe meetings



for a minute there I was very confused bc I thought it was Abe as in Shinzo Abe the Japanese PM. I was wracking my brain as to why Hollywood conservatives would have meetings to gush about Shinzo Abe but then I remembered, ohh, Abraham Lincoln



Edited at 2017-12-23 08:41 pm (UTC)

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lmao same?? wow i need to eat lunch

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thanks for explaing this to me, I was equally confused

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i was just reading about friends of abe on wikipedia. if you feel the need to hide your association with an organization so fiercely, maybe you should consider why that is. if you really felt morally right about supporting the likes of paul ryan and ann coulter, then you wouldn't do it through some top secret society.

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damn rich white people always spending their money on dramatic brainwashing propaganda





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Gary Sinise?!



Fuck you, Lieutenant Dan.

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he's always been conservative (he doesn't support T***p though)

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I never knew that.



Well congrats on being decent, I guess lol

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fucked up

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Jesus Christ

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where's that heart attack

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Fucking DIE.

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December 2017, Phuket  Join us for an unforgettable night as we ring in the New Year with style and elegance at Novotel Phuket Phokeethra. Treat yourself to fabulous food at AMOR restaurant with our carefully curated menu of gastronomical indulgences, followed by delicious cocktails and drinks at the ESTRELA Sky Lounge. The Lounge is situated on the 18th floor rooftop with unrivaled views of Phukets famous Old Town, the perfect backdrop to the evenings glitzy celebrations on 31st December 2017.

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With the promise of a night to remember, we hope you will choose to join all of us at Novotel Phuket Phokeethra for an evening of drinking, dancing and looking back on a fabulous year filled with love and laughter. Our New Years Eve celebration is the place to be, so if you are interested in one of our offers please call the resort at 076-396-777 or email h9932-fb@accor.com.

www.novotel-phuket-phokeethra.com
2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #51

Posted on 23 December 2017 by John Hartz

Skeptical Science Facebook page during the past week. A chronological listing of news articles posted on thepage during the past week.

Editor's Pick

Iceland's most trusted politician is a feminist environmentalist who is the 'antiTrump'

Iceland Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir meets people at a stand of her party set up at the Kringlan shopping mall in Reykjavik on Oct. 25, 2017.

Credit: Halldor Kolbeins/AFP/Getty Images

Iceland's new prime minister is a feminist and environmentalist who is among the youngest leaders in the world. She has a degree in literature with a special interest in Icelandic crime novels. She appeared in a music video 20 years ago with an Icelandic band, Bang Gang. And she's considered Iceland's most trusted politician by numerous polls.

Her name is Katrin Jakobsdottir, 41, and she's a mother of three boys and comes from a family of poets and professors. Her new coalition government took power at the end of November, and it spans the political spectrum in Iceland from her Left-Green Movement to the Independence Party to the Progressive Party.

Jakobsdottir talks with The World's host Marco Werman about everything from what it's like to lead a coalition that straddles the left-right political divide to commuting by bicycle.

Iceland's most trusted politician is a feminist environmentalist who is the 'antiTrump' by Traci Tong, PRI, Dec 19, 2017

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Robert Gilpin, R.I.P. - The Washington Post : His greatest book was written in 1981, but the main theory in it is perhaps more trenchant now...
He contributed to the preservation of Slovak cultural heritage by visiting all 4,158 churches.

Font size: A - | A +

Photographer Zdenko Dzurjanin took photos of every church in Slovakia.

I wanted to get to know the country and the best way to do it is visit every village and choose something characteristic of it, said the photographer, explaining why he chose the subject of churches, as cited by the TASR newswire.

Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement

There are 4,158 churches in Slovakia. Only 242 villages out of 3,000 do not have a church. Dzurjanin does not have a personal favourite church but likes several of them.

From Roman Catholic churches, I like the one in Michalovce, in a part of town called Stranany. Its a modern building from 2008 that is reminiscent of a boat, Dzurjanin said for TASR.

I found an interesting evangelical church of violet colour in the Potoky village near Puchov. The Greek Orthodox church in Secovska Polianka has an oriental character, went on Dzurjanin for TASR.

He travelled almost half a million kilometres over eight years to take photos of churches. The photographer travelled by bus, train, car, and even by bike or on foot. Some churches were located in untraditional places.

In Riecnica, a village in the Kysuce region, for example, a church is hidden near a water reservoir and its impossible to approach it by car. I had to walk 11 kilometres to reach it, said the photographer, as quoted by TASR.

Dzurjanin commented that the most churches are located in eastern Slovakia where some villages have up to five churches. He keeps taking photos of churches as new ones are built.

Currently, he is again travelling across Slovakia taking photos of memorials of the First World War.

It is visible that the hundredth anniversary is getting closer; flowers and burning candles are being put on the memorials, said the photographer for TASR.

When I finished taking pictures of churches, I realized that I had contributed to the preservation of our cultural heritage. I would like to do the same regarding memorials, he summed up for TASR.
Juniper Networks, Inc. designs, develops, and sells network products and services worldwide. The company offers routing products, such as ACX series universal access routers to deploy high-bandwidth services; MX series Ethernet routers that function as a universal edge platform; PTX series packet transport routers; wide-area network SDN controllers; and session smart routers. It also provides switching products, including EX series Ethernet switches to address the access, aggregation, and core layer switching requirements of micro branch, branch office, and campus environments; QFX series of core, spine, and top-of-rack data center switches; and juniper access points, which provide Wi-Fi access and performance. In addition, the company offers security products comprising SRX series services gateways for the data center; Branch SRX family provides an integrated and next-generation firewall; virtual firewall that delivers various features of physical firewalls; and advanced malware protection, a cloud-based service and Juniper ATP. Further, it offers Junos OS, a network operating system; Contrail networking, which provides an open-source and standards-based platform for SDN; Mist AI-driven Wired, Wireless, and WAN assurance solutions to set and measure key metrics; Mist AI-driven Marvis Virtual Network Assistant, which identifies the root cause of issues; Juniper Paragon Automation, a modular portfolio of cloud-native software applications; and Juniper Apstra to automate the network lifecycle in a single system. Additionally, the company provides software-as-a-service, technical support, maintenance, and professional services, as well as education and training programs. It sells its products through direct sales, distributors, value-added resellers, and original equipment manufacturers to end-users in the cloud, service provider, and enterprise markets. The company was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Eagle Materials Inc., through its subsidiaries, produces and supplies heavy construction materials and light building materials in the United States. It operates through Cement, Concrete and Aggregates, Gypsum Wallboard, and Recycled Paperboard segments. The company engages in the mining of limestone for the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of Portland cement; grinding and sale of slag; and mining of gypsum for the manufacture and sale of gypsum wallboards used to finish the interior walls and ceilings in residential, commercial, and industrial structures. It also manufactures and sells recycled paperboard to gypsum wallboard industry and other paperboard converters, as well as containerboard and lightweight packaging grades. In addition, the company engages in the sale of ready-mix concrete; and mining, extracting, production, and sale of aggregates, including crushed stones, sand, and gravel. Its products are used in commercial and residential construction; public construction projects; and projects to build, expand, and repair roads and highways. The company was formerly known as Centex Construction Products, Inc. and changed its name to Eagle Materials, Inc. in January 2004. Eagle Materials Inc. was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. produces and distributes specialty plant nutrients, iodine and its derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, potassium chloride and sulfate, industrial chemicals, and other products and services. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications comprising x-ray contrast media, polarizing films for LCD and LED, antiseptics, biocides and disinfectants, pharmaceutical synthesis, electronics, pigments, and dye components. In addition, the company offers lithium carbonates for various applications that include electrochemical materials for batteries, frits for the ceramic and enamel industries, heat-resistant glass, air conditioning chemicals, continuous casting powder for steel extrusion, primary aluminum smelting process, pharmaceuticals, and lithium derivatives, as well as ingredient in manufacturing of gunpowder. Further, it supplies lithium hydroxide for the lubricating greases industry, as well as cathodes for batteries. Additionally, it offers potassium chloride and potassium sulfate for various crops, including corn, rice, sugar, soybean, and wheat; industrial chemicals, including sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, potassium chloride, and solar salts; and other fertilizers and blends. The company operates in Chile, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, North America, Asia, and internationally. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.
Bank of America has a rich history dating back to 1800 and even earlier. It was begun by immigrants as a group of separate and unrelated banks that, over the years, merged and grew together. One such is the Bank of Italy which was founded in 1904 by Amadeo Giannini to serve Italian immigrants that were facing discrimination. He later buys out the Banca de America e de Italia (Bank of America and Italy) which was also located in San Francisco. Over the years additional mergers and changes in Federal banking legislation, as well as the boom brought on by WWI and then WWII, helped boost the bank to national prominence.

Things turned sour, however, in 1998 with a major bond default that led to yet another merger, this time with Charlotte, NC-based Nations Bank to officially become the Bank of America that exists today. At the time, the merger was the largest bank merger in history and the company has only grown in the time since.

Other additions to the new Bank of America include MBNA (a major credit card operator), Fleet Boston (then the US 7th largest and one of its oldest banks), and Merril Lynch, now Merril, which was added to the group in 2008 to provide an investment banking branch. Together the company dominates as one of the Big Four Banks in America. Bank of America lays claim to nearly 11% of all US deposits which ranks in line with its peer group and Bank of America Securities is listed as the worlds 3rd largest investment bank.

Today, Bank of America Corporation provides banking and financial services for individuals, small businesses, institutions, corporations, and governments worldwide. The bank operates in three segments Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management, and Global Banking bringing in a combined revenue greater than $90 billion in 2022.

As of 2022, Bank of America serves approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,200 retail financial centers. The bank also operates more than 16,000 ATMs and digital banking platforms with approximately 41 million active users.

Its Consumer Banking segment offers traditional banking and investment products for retail clients. These range from deposit accounts to savings, credit cards, consumer loans, and IRAs. The Global Wealth & Investment Management segment offers investment and wealth management solutions including, brokerage, banking, and trust and retirement products. The Global Banking segment provides lending products and services, including commercial loans and leases for businesses of all varieties. The Global Markets segment offers market-making, clearing, settlement, and custody services, as well as risk management, derivatives, and FX exchange services.
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. provides technical, professional, and construction services. The company's Aerospace, Technology, Environmental and Nuclear segment offers scientific, engineering, construction, nuclear, environmental, and technical support services to the aerospace, defense, technical, and automotive industries. Its Buildings, Infrastructure and Advanced Facilities segment develops/rehabilitates plans for highways, bridges, transit, tunnels, airports, railroads, intermodal facilities, and maritime or port projects; develops or rehabilitates critical water resource systems, water/wastewater conveyance systems, and flood defense projects; and provides engineering design, construction management, design build, and operations and maintenance. This segment also designs and constructs buildings; offers consulting, engineering, procurement, construction management, and delivery services for life sciences clients; and provides services relating to modular construction and other consulting and strategic planning services, as well as offers services in containment, barrier technology, locally controlled environments, building systems automation, off-the-site design, and fabrication of facility modules. The company's Energy, Chemicals and Resources segment offers services relating to onshore and offshore oil and gas production facilities, processing facilities, gathering systems, and transmission pipelines and terminals; feasibility/economic studies, technology evaluation, conceptual engineering, front end loading, detailed engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and commissioning services; and engineering, procurement, and construction solutions. This segment also provides services, such as manufacturing complex, expansions, modifications, and management of plant relocations; construction management and field construction services; and services to operate and maintain facilities. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. It also offers investment and wealth advisory services; digital investing services; financial services and solutions; and investment management, and trust and custody services. In addition, the company provides life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, and annuity products; creditor and travel insurance to bank customers; and reinsurance solutions. Further, it offers client's debt and equity capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication, and treasury management; strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and recapitalizations, as well as valuation and fairness opinions; and trade finance, risk mitigation, and other operating services. Additionally, the company provides research and access to markets for institutional, corporate, and retail clients; trading solutions that include debt, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit, equity, securitization and commodities; new product development and origination services, as well as risk management advice and services to hedge against fluctuations; and funding and liquidity management services to its clients. It operates through approximately 900 bank branches and 3,300 automated banking machines in Canada and the United States. Bank of Montreal was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
Orange S.A. provides various fixed telephony and mobile telecommunications, data transmission, and other value-added services to customers, businesses, and other telecommunications operators in France and internationally. It operates through France; Spain and Other European Countries; The Africa and Middle East; Enterprise; International Carriers & Shared Services; and Mobile Financial Services segments. The company offers mobile services, such as voice, SMS, and data; fixed broadband and narrowband services, as well as fixed network business solutions, including voice and data; and convergence packages. It also sells mobile handsets, mobile terminals, broadband equipment, connected devices, and accessories. In addition, the company provides IT and integration services comprising unified communication and collaboration services, such as LAN and telephony, consultancy, integration, and project management; hosting and infrastructure services, including cloud computing; customer relations management and other applications services; security services; and video conferencing, as well as sells related equipment. Further, it offers national and international roaming services; online advertising services; and mobile virtual network operators, network sharing, and mobile financial services, as well as sells equipment to external distributors and brokers. Orange S.A. markets its products and services under the Orange brand. The company was formerly known as France Telecom and changed its name to Orange S.A. in July 2013. Orange S.A. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
PHOENIX -- Arizona's construction industry may finally be showing some real signs of life.

New figures Thursday from the Office of Economic Opportunity show total construction employment hit 142,200 last month. That's 6.2 percent higher than the same time a year ago -- the biggest year-over-year jump of any sector of the state economy.

In fact, construction employers added another 1,000 workers just last month.

What makes that significant is that November is typically a slower time for construction. Since the end of the recession the average month-over-month loss this time of year is about 1,100 jobs.

And there are signs that the situation will continue to improve.

Doug Walls, the agency's research administrator, pointed to an increase in permits for new single-family construction. He also cited higher selling prices, an indicator of increasing demand.

Still, the industry has a long way to go to get back to pre-recession levels. It remains at just 58 percent off the peak it hit in June 2006, when construction employment reached 244,300.

Overall, Arizona added 28,100 private sector jobs last month. That was enough to drop the state's seasonally adjusted jobless rate for November two-tenths of a point from October, to 4.3 percent.

The U.S. unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent.

Other than construction, the strongest sector of the economy remains in eating and drinking places, with 12,100 more people working at bars and restaurants now than a year ago. That translates to a 5.3 percent annual growth rate.

At the opposite extreme, employment in the state's information sector declined by 5.6 percent in the past year. Walls said the loss appears to be among companies who do data processing and data housing.

Not surprisingly, retailers added 13,000 jobs between October and November as they ramp up for the holiday season. But even here, employment levels remain below where they were a year ago, likely because of competition from online retailers.

Aside from the 0.2-point decline in the overall employment rate, Walls said there are other signs of an improving economy.

The rate of "discouraged workers'' declined from 5.4 percent in the second quarter of the year to 5.0 percent in the third quarter. These are people who had previously been employed but have stopped looking because they cannot find jobs.

At its 2010 peak, discouraged workers amounted to more than 11 percent of the labor force.

There's a similar decline in the number of people who are looking for full-time employment but say they can only find part-time work. That figure went from 10.5 percent in the second quarter to 9.9 percent in the most recent quarter.

That figure peaked in Arizona in 2010 at 18.7 percent.

Every area of the state is doing better now than a year ago with the significant exception of Pima County. There the latest figures show 2,500 fewer private sector employees now than a year ago, with declines in virtually all areas with the exception of bars and restaurants.

But George Hammond, economist at the University of Arizona, said there's reason to believe those figures are inaccurate.

The numbers come from a survey of approximately one out of every three employers, a list of companies that can change from month to month. By contrast, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does a quarterly survey of all businesses.

Hammond said the differences can be stark. More to the point, he expects that when the state revises its figures early next year, using the data from what's called the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, the number of jobs in Pima County is likely to be higher than the state figures show.

He specifically questioned the state data showing a loss of 2,000 jobs in professional and business services over a one-year period, "which is weird, because that's a sector that normally grows.''

More to the point, Hammond said if those numbers were accurate, it would be big news.

"Normally if something of that magnitude happens in Tucson, we hear about it,'' he said. "It's in the papers. People are talking about it.''

Walls agreed that there's reason to question the Pima County numbers from his agency's latest report.

The methodology used by the Office of Economic Opportunity shows zero growth in Pima County between the second quarter of 2016 and the same time this year. But the figure is 1.5 percent when using QCEW data.

The "why'' behind why that great disparity -- which seems to be limited to Pima County -- is less clear.

"It's something in the way they're working with the sample,'' Hammond said of the state figures. And Walls had nothing concrete to explain it.
The following companies are subsidiares of Colgate-Palmolive: 887357 Ontario Inc., COLGALIVE S.A., CP GABA GmbH, CP International Holding C.V., CP West East Investment Limited, Cleaning Dimensions Inc., Colgate (BVI) Limited, Colgate (Guangzhou) Company Limited, Colgate (U.K.) Limited, Colgate Business Services of the Americas S.C., Colgate Flavors and Fragrances Inc., Colgate Global Business Services Private Limited, Colgate Holdings, Colgate Inc., Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals Inc., Colgate Palmolive Ghana Limited, Colgate Palmolive Holding S.Com.P.A., Colgate Palmolive Nouvelle Caledonie Sarl, Colgate Palmolive Tanzania Limited, Colgate Sanxiao Company Limited, Colgate Venture Company Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Asia) Pte Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Blantyre) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Brunei) Sdn Bhn, Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc. y Compania Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive (Centro America) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (China) Co. Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Costa Rica) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominica) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominican Republic) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (East Africa) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Eastern) Pte. Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Egypt) S.A.E., Colgate-Palmolive (Far East) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Fiji) Pte Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Gabon) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Guyana) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (H.K.) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Hellas) S.A. I.C., Colgate-Palmolive (Hong Kong) Holding Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Kazakhstan) L.L.P., Colgate-Palmolive (Latvia) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Middle East Exports) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Myanmar) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (New York) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive (Proprietary) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Research & Development) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Romania) SRL, Colgate-Palmolive (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Uganda) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Vietnam) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Zambia) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Zimbabwe) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive A.B., Colgate-Palmolive A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Adria Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Treasury Services Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Belgium S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Bolivia Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Canada Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Caricom Service Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Central European Management Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Chile S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cia., Colgate-Palmolive Comercial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Commercial (Hellas) SP LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Commerciale S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive Commericale S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive Compania Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive Company Distr. LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Company GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Cote dIvoire S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cyprus Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Development Corp., Colgate-Palmolive East West Africa Region (Pty) Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Enterprises Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Espana S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Europe (Holdings) Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Europe Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Finance (UK) plc, Colgate-Palmolive Global Trading Company, Colgate-Palmolive Holding Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Holding Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Hungary Kft Limited Liability Company, Colgate-Palmolive IHQ Services (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Inc. S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Industrial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Industriel S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive International Holding LLC, Colgate-Palmolive International LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Investment Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (BVI) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (PNG) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Investments Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Israel Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Italia S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive JSC, Colgate-Palmolive Lanka (Private) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Latin America Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Manufacturing (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Marketing Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive Maroc S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Mocambique Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive NJ Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Nederland B.V., Colgate-Palmolive Norge A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Participacoes e Investimentos Imobiliarios Lda., Colgate-Palmolive Peru S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Philippines Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Pty Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Retirement Trustee Limited, Colgate-Palmolive S.A. de C.V., Colgate-Palmolive S.p.A., Colgate-Palmolive Senegal S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Services (Hellas) LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Services (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Services CEW GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Services S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Slovensko s.r.o., Colgate-Palmolive Support Services, Colgate-Palmolive Temizlik Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticart S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Transnational Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Ukraine LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Unipessoal Lda, Colgate-Palmolive de Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive de Puerto Rico Inc., Colgate-Palmolive del Ecuador S.A.I.C., Colgate-Palmolive del Peru (Delaware) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Eeska republika spol. s r.o., Colpal CBS S de R. L. de C. V., Consumer Viewpoint Center Inc., Cotelle S.A., Dimac Development Corp., Dominica Coconut Products Limited, EKIB Inc., ELM Company Limited, Elta MD Holdings Inc., Elta MD Inc., EltaMD, Filorga Americas Inc., Filorga Asia Limited, Filorga Benelux SA, Filorga Cosmetiques Polska, Filorga Middle East DMCC, Filorga Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Filorga RU Limited Liability Company, GABA Europe Holding GmbH, GABA International, GABA International Holding LLC, GABA Schweiz AG, GABA Therwil GmbH, Gamma Development Co. Ltd., Global Trading and Supply LLC, Hamol Ltd., Hello Products, Hello Products LLC, Hills Funding Company, Hills Pet Nutrition (NZ) Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Asia Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Canada Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Denmark ApS, Hills Pet Nutrition Espana S.L., Hills Pet Nutrition GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Holding B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Indiana Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Italia S.r.l., Hills Pet Nutrition Korea Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing s.r.o, Hills Pet Nutrition Norway AS, Hills Pet Nutrition OOO, Hills Pet Nutrition Pty. Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition S.p.A., Hills Pet Nutrition SNC, Hills Pet Nutrition Sales Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition South Africa Proprietary Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition Sweden AB, Hills Pet Nutrition Switzerland GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Taiwan Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition Trading (GZ) Co. Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hills Pet Nutrition de Puerto Rico Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition s.r.o., Hills Pet Products (Benelux) S.A., Hills Pet Products Inc., Hills Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Hills-Colgate (Japan) Ltd., Hopro Liquidating Corp., Hygiene Systemes et Services SA, IES Enterprises Inc., Inmobiliaria Colpal S. de R.L. de C.V., Inmobiliaria Hills S.A. de C.V., Innovacion Creativa S.A. de C.V., Kolynos Corporation, Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Espana S.L.U., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Italia S.R.L., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques S.A., Laser Brand Toothpaste, Lournay Sales Inc., Mennen Company, Mennen Interamerica Ltd., Mennen Limited, Mennen South Africa Ltd., Mennen de Chile Ltd., Mennen de Nicargua S.A., Mission Hills Property Corporation, Mission Hills S.A. de C.V., Norwood International Incorporated, Olive Music Publishing Corporation, PCA SKIN, Paramount Research Inc., Penny LLC, Pet Chemicals Inc., Physicians Care Alliance LLC, Productos Halogenados Copalven C.A., Purity Holding Company, Purity Music Publishing Corporation, Refresh Company Limited, Samuel Taylor Holdings B.V., Sanex, Sanxiao Company Limited, Services Development Co. Ltd., Societe Generale de Negoce et de Services (GENESE) S.A., The GDN - The Global Distributive Network SAS, The Lournay Company Inc., The MPDP - The Medical and Pharmaceutic Distributive Platform SAS, The Murphy-Phoenix Company, Tom's of Maine, Toms of Maine Holdings Inc., Toms of Maine Inc., Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Vipont Pharmaceutical Inc., and XEB Inc..

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United Parcel Service, Inc. provides letter and package delivery, transportation, logistics, and related services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States. The International Package segment provides guaranteed day and time-definite international shipping services in Europe, the Asia Pacific, Canada and Latin America, the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, and Africa. This segment offers guaranteed time-definite express options. The company also provides international air and ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, distribution and post-sales, and mail and consulting services in approximately 200 countries and territories. In addition, it offers truckload brokerage services; supply chain solutions to the healthcare and life sciences industry; shipping, visibility, and billing technologies; and financial and insurance services. The company operates a fleet of approximately 121,000 package cars, vans, tractors, and motorcycles; and owns 59,000 containers that are used to transport cargo in its aircraft. United Parcel Service, Inc. was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
The title in English would be The Emperor Showa. And his Majesty's Mausoleum is named the Musashino no Misasagi, thus the long title: ...
Facebook has removed 159 accounts whose posts are meant to defame Vietnamese leaders and spread anti-government propaganda, as requested by Vietnam, Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan said Friday.

The ministry has tasked its Authority of Broadcasting and Electric Information with asking Internet giants such as Facebook and Google to pull content Vietnam deems toxic off their platforms.

Facebook, the worlds largest social network, has removed 107 fake accounts, 394 shared links that advertise illegal services and products, 159 accounts created mostly to defame Vietnamese leaders or to disseminate anti-state information, Tuan told Fridays meeting.

In the year to date, Google has also deactivated some 4,500 toxic Youtube videos, whose content is either fake news or anti-Vietnamese government, following a request by Vietnam, the minister added.

Vietnam is among countries whose requests have been well complied with by Google, Tuan underlined.

The minister also stressed that Vietnam has become one of the pioneering countries in implementing measures to regulate global giant service providers such as Google and Facebook.

Tuan said illegal activities on social networking sites have become highly sophisticated today, with their forms changing constantly, making it hard to detect toxic content.

This is particularly worrying when some forces tend to use foreign platforms to disseminate toxic information against the government, he added.

Tuan also told the event that one of the ministrys main goals next year is to complete guidelines and regulations regarding foreign companies providing Internet-based content in Vietnam.

There should be more initiatives to encourage domestic companies to provide online content services, he added.

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A Ho Chi Minh City-based travel company has been allowed to hold fireworks displays to celebrate both the New Year and Lunar New Year at a local theme park.

A low-range pyrotechnic exhibition will also take place at the same time at.

Ho Chi Minh City chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong has given a go-ahead to Saigontourist to hold pyrotechnic exhibitions for the two special occasions, Dan Tri (Intellectual) reported on Friday, citing an urgent dispatch from the municipal administration office.

On the New Years Eve next week, a fireworks display will light up at Dam Sen Park on Hoa Binh Street, District 11.

Another show will take place at the same venue on the night of February 15, 2018 to usher in the Lunar New Year, or Tet as Vietnamese call it.

A fireworks performance is pictured in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Fireworks exhibition at Dam Sen Park, funded by the private sector, has long been a traditional activity in Ho Chi Minh City to celebrate such occasions as the Reunification Day on April 30, Independence Day on September 2 and the New Year.

The pyrotechnic display helps diversify the citys tourism products and attract more visitors, which is why chairman Phong backed the plan to hold the show to welcome the year 2018.

Phong underlined that relevant agencies should ensure safety and organize the events with top responsibility.

No fireworks shows were held for the 2017 New Years Eve and Lunar New Year in Ho Chi Minh City and any other part of the country, pursuant to an order from the Secretariat of the Party, which requested that funds earmarked for pyrotechnic shows be used to support the poor.

Public workers in Vietnam are given three days off in a row, from December 30, 2017 to January 1, 2018 to enjoy the New Year holiday.

A range of public activities will be held across Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of December 31 to celebrate the transition into 2018.

Festive lights sparkle over Le Duan Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A New Years countdown event will be held on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street on the evening of December 31 with a 3-D mapping show illuminating the city hall building located at the streets end.

Since Wednesday, festive lights have twinkled along streets from Tan Son Nhat International Airport to the city center, namely Truong Son, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ham Nghi, Dong Khoi, Le Duan, Pham Ngoc Thach, Ton Duc Thang, Vo Van Kiet, Ben Van Don, Nguyen Hue, Cach Mang Thang Tam, Hai Ba Trung, Pasteur, and Pham Ngu Lao.

The annual light show will remain until January 20, 2018, using funds contributed from the private sector.

Landmark buildings such as the City Hall, the Municipal Theater, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, the headquarters of District 1s administration, the Central Post Office, and the Monument of Ho Chi Minh on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street will also be lit up with artistic lighting during the festive season.

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Check out the news you should not miss today, December 23

Politics

-- President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man visited and extended Christmas greetings to Catholic and Protestant dignitaries and followers in southern localities on Friday.

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe expressed their delight at the robust growth of Vietnam  Japan relations across all sectors in 2017 during a talk on the phone on Friday.

Society

-- Japan will provide Vietnam with non-refundable aid totaling nearly $400,000 for five health care and educational projects, according to contracts signed on Friday by the Japanese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City

-- Three people have been held by police in the northern province of Hai Duong for illegally transporting two kilograms of drugs and 4,000 methamphetamine pills, officers said on Friday.

-- A high-level court in the northern province of Ha Nam on Friday upheld the verdict for Tran Thi Nga, who was sentenced at a July first-instance trial to a nine-year imprisonment on the charge of conducting anti-state propaganda.

-- Police issued a wanted notice on Friday for Phan Van Anh Vu, a business tycoon whose house in the central city of Da Nang searched by investigative police on Thursday, on charges of "deliberately disclosing state secrets."

-- Authorities in Tien Giang are ready to evacuate 40,000 local residents as typhoon Tembin , the 16th to hit Vietnam this year, may make landfall in southern Vietnam on Monday next week.

Business

-- PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PVOil) is completing preparations for its January 25, 2018 initial public offering (IPO) in Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE), with interested investors encouraged to pay deposit from December 22, 2017 to January 17, 2018.

-- Facebook has followed Vietnam's request to remove 159 accounts that defame and spread anti-state propaganda, Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan said at a meeting on Friday.

-- Total volume of remittance to Ho Chi Minh City in 2017 topped $5.2 billion, up 4.5 percent from last year, according to Nguyen Hoang Minh, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City branch of the State Bank of Vietnam.

-- Vietnams foreign reserves have reached a record high of $48 billion, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Le Minh Hung revealed at a meeting on Friday.
Realizing the potential dangers posed by run-down water towers located in several of the citys residential areas, Ho Chi Minh City leaders have officially decided on a step-by-step approach to their imminent demise.

Thirty mushroom-shaped water reservoirs of varying sizes litter the citys neighborhoods. Several of them still operate while others collect rust and pose dangers to the residents who live in their shadows. Among these, seven have been selected for demolition by the citys administration.

The first major water tower put up in the southern metropolis was constructed sometime between 1878 and1886 by Saigon Water Corporation (Sawaco) as a means to regulate the municipal water systems.

The tower gradually fell out of use following the construction of Thu Duc Water Treatment Plant in 1966 and was eventually labeled a cultural relic in 2014 by the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City.

Seven other major reservoirs sprung up during the three-year period from 1966 to 1969, though some were never put into operation due to design flaws and a lack of maintenance caused by the American war in Vietnam.

A 2009 inspection of the eight major reservoirs conducted by Saigon Construction Quality Control JSC, as commissioned by Sawaco, revealed rampant degradation in the quality and safety levels of the of the structures.

The top of the reservoir on Tran Van Trang District, District 1, has been pulled off. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The findings were presented to the Ho Chi Minh City administration by Sawaco in a bid to be granted permission to transform the reservoirs into underground water reserves that would serve the citys demand for domestic water.

The green-light was given in 2015 and the project is currently moving ahead as planned. Based on guidance from the municipal administration the water towers are being removed with combined efforts from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the district-level administrations, and relevant departments.

Two of the reservoirs are currently being pulled down - one on Nguyen Van Dau Street in Binh Thanh District and the other on Tran Van Trang Street in District 1.

Earlier this month, the citys authorities began relocation efforts for residents in the area around the water tower in District 1, following a clear municipal plan for fair relocation and compensation.

The top of this reservoir has been completely removed and demolition is well underway.

The oldest reservoir still stands high within the premise of Sawaco on Vo Van Tan Street, District 3. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Pity over the edifices

News that the century-old structures are to be demolished aroused mixed feelings amongst locals, many of whom consider the relics to hold significant cultural value.

Duong Ngoc Khoa, a Ho Chi Minh City resident, says the particular reservoir he passes each day gives him an odd feeling.

Its just funny to see this huge mushroom. Now that its being pulled down, it feels like Im parting with a memory, he adds.

Uyen Huy, a Saigonese painter, agrees with the administrations decision, given the safety and security issues they present.

But rather than completely demolish the structures, Huy suggested that they might be transformed into other facilities, such as restaurants and coffee houses.

Echoing the opinion, Dr Vu The Long, a committee member of UNESCO Hanoi, strongly opposes the complete destruction of the water towers.

Structures from the old days appeal to tourists. Saigons attraction will decline if all our tangible value disappears, he emphasized.

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The Investigative Security Agency under Vietnams Ministry of Public Security has issued a wanted notice for a business tycoon, notoriously known as a mafia boss of the central city of Da Nang, local police confirmed on Friday.

The wanted notice for Phan Van Anh Vu was signed on Thursday, one day after the Investigative Security Agency initiated legal proceedings against the 42-year-old mogul on charges of deliberately disclosing state secret, an official from the Da Nang police department told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Vu, also known as Vu nhom (aluminum), had his house in the central Vietnamese city searched on Thursday night.

Vu was not present at his home at 82 Tran Quoc Toan Street when officers announced the decision to place him under investigation and his whereabouts remains unknown, leading to the issuing of the wanted notice.

Phan Van Anh Vu and one of his 'problematic' projects in Da Nang. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Vu is the owner of different companies, including the I.V.C Co Ltd, 79 JSC and Bac Nam 79 JSC, and holding a stake in several other firms.

He is believed to possess numerous land plots in prime locations across the central city, including two floating restaurants on the citys iconic Han River.

The tycoon is also believed to have played a role in several land transfers and the sale of publicly-owned houses during the tenure of former city Party chief Nguyen Ba Thanh and former chairman Tran Van Minh.

Da Nang voters have complained that the mafia boss has manipulated not only Da Nangs economy but also the municipal administration, and questioned as to why he has been able to have so much impact on the city.

People watch as police search the house of Phan Van Anh Vu in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

In September, the investigative unit under the Ministry of Public Security found a multitude of legal offences revolving around the sale of publicly owned land and houses by the Da Nang administration and deiced to launch a probe into the matter. The police requested that the Da Nang administration provide files on the sale of 31 publicly-owned houses and plots, alongside nine other projects, most of which are linked to Vu nhom. Of these, there are three houses on Nguyen Thai Hoc, numbered 43, 45, and 47, that are releated to the city's former Party chief Nguyen Xuan Anh, who was removed of his post in October. Anh and his family lived in the 43 Nguyen Thai Hoc house and uses the other two for business purposes. According to the files, I.V.C, 79 JSC and Bac Nam 79, all owned by Vu, proposed to either lease or buy those land and houses to serve its business and production activities or build company offices. The Da Nang administration agreed to the proposals along with a request that the properties be used under the right purposes and functions. However, shortly after receiving the rights to the properties, the three companies failed to open any offices, instead deciding to resell some of the real estate at a profit and use the rest for other purposes. The land plots and houses under investigation have been sold to companies under Vus umbrella without following proper auction regulations. As a result, the citys revenue took a hit. The deals were also made at prices much lower than market rates. In October, the Da Nang administration admitted in a report to the State Inspectorate of Vietnam and Ministry of Public Security that the prices were determined in favor of the businesses.
Pedestrians may be subject to imprisonment sentence if they are found to violate road safety regulations and cause fatalities from 2018, when an amended Vietnams Penal Code comes into effect.

The amendments to the Penal Code, effective from January 1, 2018, include stricter penalties regarding traffic law offenses caused by pedestrians.

Any pedestrian found guilty of jaywalking may be jailed if the offense either results in at least three deaths; causing harm to at least three people with the total bodily damage ratio of 201 percent; or resulting in property damage worth at least VND1.5 billion (US$66,150). The jail terms for the offender ranges from seven to 15 years.

A group of student climbs over a median strip in the southern Tien Giang Province.

In Vietnam, numerous accidents caused by jaywalkers have been recorded, but the offenders often received minor charges.

Fourteen years ago, for instance, a man was walking on a bridge in Ho Chi Minh City when he suddenly decided to cross from one side to another, causing a motorbike driver behind to stop abruptly, eventually falling down and succumbing to death en route to the hospital.

The guilty pedestrian was only handed down a nine-month re-education without imprisonment.

There are various reasons for pedestrians in Vietnam to jaywalk. One of them is the widespread occupation of the sidewalks by street-side booths or parked motorbikes. Moreover, there are not enough zebra crossings on some long streets, forcing the walkers to take short-cut across the roads.

Some other thoroughfares do not have sufficient footbridges or having long median strips.

The following are codes of laws on traffic road in Vietnam (effective from 2008). 1. Pedestrian have to use the sidewalks or pavements. In case of no sidewalks or pavements along the streets, pedestrians have to walk close to the edge of the streets. 2. Pedestrians can only cross the streets where there are traffic lights, zebra crossings, or footbridges, and have to follow the traffic signals. 3. If there are no traffic lights, zebra crossings, or footbridges, pedestrians have to observe the traffic on both ways before crossing the roads. 4. Pedestrians are not allowed to climb over the median strips, nor hold on to moving vehicles. When carrying bulky items, pedestrians have to ensure that their items do not interfere with the traffic and other people. 5. Children under the age of seven must be accompanied by an adult when crossing urban streets or roads having regularly passing vehicles. Adults should have the responsibility of helping any child under seven years old to cross the streets.
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Trading will be exceedingly restrained over the coming week, with scarcely a skeleton shift left to man the trading desks, but several relevant reports will be nevertheless be released throughout the week.

The most important bit of data for global capital markets will come at the end of the week, on 31 December, in the form of two 'official' surveys on conditions in December in China's manufacturing and services sectors.

Japanese data will also be in the spotlight, with the latest readings on the country's consumer price index, rate of unemployment and real household spending for November all set for release on Tuesday, followed by industrial production figures for November on Thursday.

Back in Europe, analysts will be perusing the outcome of the regional elections in Catalonia, Spain, and trying to predict the likely implications of the vote.

In other data, a reading on German consumer prices in December is set to be published at the end of the week, on Friday, alongside euro area money supply data for November.

Meanwhile, in the States, Thursday will bring with it reports on foreign trade in goods during November and the Chicago NAPM's factory sector purchasing managers' index for December.

Monday December 25

No results scheduled

Tuesday December 26

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Chagala Group Limited (DI)

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

General Electric Co

Wednesday December 27

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Pending Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Canadian General Investments Ltd.

AGMS

Sirius Petroleum

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

BBA Mortgage Lending Figures (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

DFS Furniture

Thursday December 28

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BT Group, Dart Group, Dixons Carphone , FIH Group , Fulcrum Utility Services Ltd. (DI), Halma, KCOM Group, Morses Club , Polar Capital Holdings, RPC Group, Xafinity

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust , Real Estate Investors, Schroder Income Growth Fund, Value and Income Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (16:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Wholesales Inventories (US) (13:30)

AGMS

Lionsgold Limited NPV, Shore Capital Group Ltd.

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Nationwide House Price Index (07:00)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Cambria Automobiles, Focusrite, Grainger, Hargreave Hale AIM VCT 1, Inland Homes, Proactis Holdings, Schroder Asia Pacific Fund

Friday December 29

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

First Property Group, Kainos Group , LXI Reit , MS International, Palace Capital

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Albion Technology & General VCT, F&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd., HICL Infrastructure Company Ltd, Honeycomb Investment Trust, MedicX Fund Ltd., NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited Red, Premier Global Infrastructure Trust, RM Secured Direct Lending, The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Import Price Index (GER) (06:00)

M3 Money Supply (EU) (08:00)

EGMS

Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas NPV (DI)

AGMS

Andalas Energy and Power, Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas NPV (DI), Regency Mines, Regency Mines, Sabien Technology Group, Secure Property Development & Investment (DI), Trading Emissions

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Foresight VCT Infrastructure Shares, Foresight VCT Planned Exit Shares, Royal Bank of Scotland 11% Cum. Prf, Royal Bank of Scotland 5.5% Cum. Prf., Royal Bank of Scotland Ser 1 Non-Cum Eur Prf (144a)
Low-cost carrier Ryanair flew higher on Monday after it posted a rise in first-quarter profit as traffic grew and maintained its full-year profit guidance, although the company warned of significant risks post Brexit.

Net profit increased 4% to 256m as traffic rose 11% to 31m and revenue grew 2% to 1.65bn. The average fare fell 10% to 39.92, but this was offset by a 9% reduction in unit costs.

Chief executive officer Michael OLeary said: This modest 4% increase in Q1 profit to 256m is in line with previous guidance. The absence of Easter in Q1 and ongoing market volatility arising from terrorist events, and repeated ATC strikes (particularly in France) weakened fares on close-in bookings and caused almost 1,000 flight cancellations.

The company said it still reckoned profit would rise approximately 12% to a range of between 1.38bn and 1.43bn

However, the company  which had campaigned for the UK to remain in the European Union  cautioned there were significant risks following the vote to leave.

In the near term we expect that Brexit uncertainty will lead to weaker sterling, slower growth in the UK and EU economies and downward pressure on fares until the end of 2017 at least. Over the longer term, if the UK is unable to negotiate access to the single market/open skies it may have implications for our three UK domestic routes and UK nationals on our share register but these risks are not material and will be manageable.

Ryanair said that in the meantime, it will pivot its growth away from UK airports, focusing more on growing at its EU airports over the next two years. The company will cut capacity and frequency on many London Stansted routes.

Atif Latif, director of trading at Guardian Stockbrokers, said the key focus is guidance being maintained when the worst was being priced in.

The plan to move away from UK airports into the EU we see as a positive move and this should counteract weak domestic trends with greater promotions allowing load factor increases in collaboration with strong fuel hedging.

Overall a solid set of numbers but we see scope for a lack of growth in the coming quarters and would see this move today as more short covering.

At 1140 BST, Ryanair shares were up 5.9% to 11.54.
Banco Santander-Chile, together with its subsidiaries, provides commercial and retail banking products and services in Chile. It operates through Retail Banking, Middle-Market, Corporate Investment Banking, and Corporate Activities segments. The company offers debit and credit cards, checking accounts, and savings products; consumer, automobile, commercial, mortgage, and government-guaranteed loans; and Chilean peso and foreign currency denominated loans to finance various commercial transactions, trade, foreign currency forward contracts, and credit lines, as well as mortgage financing services. It also provides mutual funds, insurance and securities brokerage, foreign exchange, financial leasing, factoring, financial consulting and advisory, investment management, foreign trade, treasury, and transactional services, as well as specialized services to finance projects for the real estate industry. In addition, the company offers short-term financing and fund raising, and brokerage services, as well as derivatives, securitization, and other tailor-made products. It serves individuals, small to middle-sized entities, companies, and large corporations, as well as universities, government entities, and local and regional governments. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated 326 branches, which include 220 under the Santander brand name, 14 under the Select brand name, 7 specialized branches for the middle market, and 22 as auxiliary and payment centers, as well as 1,338 ATMs, including depository ATMs. Banco Santander-Chile was incorporated in 1977 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.
The winerys president, Alex Howe, said the new wine started out as a 2016 sauvignon blanc that was fermented traditionally. The winemaker then used a proprietary process to remove the alcohol, which state regulations bar from being mixed with cannabis, and infuse the beverage with THC. Terpenes  chemicals that give marijuana its distinctive fragrance  are also added.

Its a mild scent, but you know its not a traditional wine, Howe said.

The cannabis-infused wine has a relatively low amount of THC  16 milligrams per bottle  to provide a mild high, comparable to the intoxication that someone might get from sipping a glass of regular wine, according to Howe. He sees that relative mildness as appealing to boomers who havent smoked marijuana in years and are worried that the weed being sold today might be too intense for them.

Our purpose is to mimic the ritual of drinking a bottle of wine that people are used to, particularly older Americans, Howe said. He also hopes to appeal to boomers who want to use marijuana without subjecting their lungs to smoke.

The $59 wine will be available only in California dispensaries or for delivery in the state. But Howe said the company hopes eventually to sell it elsewhere, as more states legalize recreational marijuana.
The Tax Cut and Jobs Act, which the president signed today, is projected to add $1.5 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. Under the 2010 pay-as-you-go law known as PAYGO, that increase to the deficit would have triggered automatic spending cuts to programs, including a $25 billion cut to Medicare in 2018 alone. But in an AARP-supported move, the House and Senate on Thursday waived the required cuts as part of a temporary spending bill to prevent a government shutdown. Thousands of AARP members contacted their legislators, urging them to act before the end of the year and prevent the Medicare cuts.

Preventing the cuts will help preserve seniors access to their doctors and hospital services. Medicare covered 56.8 million people last year, including 47.8 million age 65 and older.



Still, even with Congress action, Medicare and other programs will continue to face budgetary pressure.



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said this week that the Senate is unlikely to tackle Medicare and Social Security in 2018. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has also ruled out 2018 Medicare cuts. However, Ryan has made reducing the nations debt and reining in government spending a priority, and has openly discussed Medicare changes such as premium support.



Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid are among the governments biggest programs. The government will spend about $700 billion on Medicare this year, a number the Congressional Budget Office projects will increase to nearly $1.4 trillion in 2027. AARP supports responsible solutions to reduce health care spending that do not shift costs onto Medicare beneficiaries or reduce their access to care.
Three charged in connection to missing Aberdeen man

As the Aberdeen Police Department continues to investigate the disappearance of Simon Deng in Aberdeen, three people now face charges.
WASHINGTON  In one of its final acts before the holiday recess, the U.S. Senate late Thursday set aside 21,000 acres within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument for wilderness protection, which would keep the area free of roads or other development.

The bill, which was approved unanimously in the Senate, establishes two new wilderness areas, the Cerro del Yuta Wilderness and Rio San Antonio Wilderness in the monument near Taos. The legislation has not yet passed the U.S. House.

This legislation will further complete the vision of the diverse coalition and stakeholders who fought so hard to protect the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and will preserve traditional practices and boost New Mexicos growing outdoor recreation economy, said Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat who sponsored the legislation. By designating the most rugged and unique habitat in the Rio Grande del Norte as wilderness, we can protect New Mexicos natural heritage for our children and for generations to come.

Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., has introduced legislation to establish federally-protected wilderness within the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument near Las Cruces.

Michael Casaus, New Mexico director of the Wilderness Society, urged the House to follow the Senates action in creating the Rio Grande del Norte Wilderness area.

We call on the House to do their part and listen to the call of millions of Americans who believe we should protect wilderness areas, Casaus said. From the ruggedness of Ute Mountain, to the grasslands that feed migrating elk, this is a place worthy of Congress full support.
Police say it didnt take long for James Lee to get caught drinking and driving again.

New Mexico State Police Officer Carl Christensen said officers arrested the 66-year-old not once, but twice, for drunk driving on the same road in less than a week.

In both arrests, Lee was charged with DWI, driving while license revoked and open container.

Christiansen said State Police pulled Lee over on US 64, around noon, on Dec. 14.

Police say the officer found Lee with a mouth full of Doritos as a passenger tried to hide numerous cans of beer.

Lee failed sobriety tests and was booked for DWI.

Christiansen said six days later, on Wednesday morning, police pulled Lee over again on US 64.

The officer witnessed actions that led him to believe that Mr. Lee was unable to operate a motor vehicle safely, he said.

Christiansen said again, Lee had an open container of alcohol.

And again, Lee failed sobriety tests and was booked into jail.

This marks Lees third DWI arrest, according to court documents. His license was revoked after his first DWI in 2016.
Prosecutors in Las Cruces have decided to bring in outside attorneys to oversee the third murder trial against ex-Santa Fe sheriffs deputy Tai Chan.

Chan is accused of first-degree murder in the killing of his law enforcement partner Jeremy Martin in 2014, who was shot five times in the back. Chan claims he acted in self-defense.

The first Chan trial ended in June 2016 with a hung jury, after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict despite more than 14 hours of deliberation. A second trial in May resulted in a mistrial as well. Jurors deliberated three hours before declaring they could not reach a verdict on first-degree murder or any lesser murder charge.

A spokesman for the 3rd Judicial District Attorneys announced late Friday afternoon that they have asked two attorneys with the New Mexico Office of the Superintendent of Insurance to step in as special prosecutors for the third trial, set for , 2018.

We believe that fresh eyes and a rigorous prosecutorial perspective, implemented by a team of seasoned prosecutors such as Mr. (Troy) Davis and Mr. (Devin) Chapman, will effectively present this case to a jury, Dona Ana County District Attorney Mark DAntonio wrote in a news release sent out at the end of the business day Friday.

Office of the Superintendent of Insurance spokeswoman Heather Widler said Davis has extensive history as a prosecutor and has volunteered to take on the case on his own time. The Dona Ana County District Attorneys Office will be paying the attorneys, DAs spokesman Damien Willis said.

The OSI regulates insurance and prosecutes insurance-related fraud, Widler said. The Chan case is not insurance-fraud related.
Terror attacks on American soil, mass murders in church, widespread serial sexual assaults, unwarranted police shootings, continued gang activity in major cities, nationwide political schisms  news headlines during 2017 were both frightening and disheartening. So, will 2018 be any better?

The truth? It depends on us. All of us.

First, to restore respect among citizens politicians need to draw on their better instincts, ignore pressure from their party leadership and stop with all the political pot shots. They do no good and only tear at the fabric of government. Politicians at every level  local, state and federal  need to concentrate on the job and pledge to take actions for the good of the country, not their political party.

Sheriffs, police chiefs and all law enforcement leaders should demand more of and for their officers. Insist on better training in anger management, mediation and conflict-dispute resolution because teaching an officer ways to respect all citizens and keep the peace in lieu of reaching for their weapon is a win-win for everyone involved. Standing by a good officer is to be admired; protecting a bad officer is not.

Judges, lawyers and employees of the criminal justice system need to remember that compassion really does have a place in their work, especially when dealing with guardianship of the elderly or issues involving children. Uncaring or unfair treatment leads to growing citizen mistrust of the system. As does uneven application of the law.

Prison wardens must maintain discipline, for sure. But the dehumanizing conditions in some facilities are shameful. Guards who rape, employees who threaten visitors and deliberately inadequate meals or medical attention for inmates is disgraceful. Ice cold cells in winter, oven-hot cells in summer are akin to torture. Serving hard time is difficult enough, but making every day a struggle to survive only serves to make inmates more anti-social upon their release. Thats a no-win for everyone.

Lawful gun owners must make sure to safely store and protect all their firearms to make sure the criminal element  or, God forbid, children  cant get at them.

The families of a gang member need to try to convince their loved one there is a better path in life, urge them to help sweep out the neighborhoods criminal element and turn guns over to the nearest police precinct. While this may sound impossible, it is not. Who better to talk sense into a bad kid than a concerned parent or loving relative?

Mental health experts must band together and protest until they are blue in the face to get the necessary funding for more treatment centers and psychiatric beds. Mass shooters and homegrown terrorists who turn their wrath on innocents just to see how many people they can kill rarely act on impulse. They live and work among us and display their unbalanced discontent in all sorts of ways. When we fail to help them, society pays a morbid price. Think the outdoor concert attack in Las Vegas, the massacre at the First Baptist church in Texas or the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

Men and women across this country need to reassess their sexual attitudes and behavior toward each other. Everyone needs to keep their hands and suggestive thoughts to themselves until they are sure there is genuine interest from the other person. If men who grab, squeeze and demean women havent already gotten the message, they better get it fast. And women should realize the current dialogue now imbues them with the power and responsibility to stop sexual harassment and assaults dead in their tracks. Standing up for ones self doesnt mean running to a lawyer. It means forcefully saying, Back off  now!

Special interest groups with a duty to speak up for their constituents must realize the whole world doesnt revolve around their particular needs. They are only one square on Americas quilt of needs.

Organizations demanding automatic diversity, racial harmony and acceptance of alternative lifestyles need to realize change happens incrementally, not overnight. And change forced down the throats of others is, really, no change at all.

Those on the right, left and on the fringes have to stop vilifying others points of view be they political, intellectual, spiritual or otherwise. It may seem foreign to some  say, those on college campuses  but this country was founded on the basis of tolerance and the right to freedom of thought and speech. Those must remain at the forefront of our national attitude.

It all really boils down to respect for others. Their choices, their opinions, their bodies and the way they live their lives. If they arent hurting others or committing a crime, tolerance should be the key.

If we could only move the needle a bit on these issues  if everyone would work to improve their own little corner of the world  we could truly make 2018 a better year.

www.DianeDimond.com; email to Diane@DianeDimond.com.
Just in time for the holiday season, heres the perfect example of government taking more than it gives:

 In March 2017, there were 53 appointees for various state boards and commissions waiting to be confirmed by the New Mexico Senate.

 In December 2017, there are 69.

Guess we dont have to ask Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, what she didnt get around to this year. But maybe in the spirit of the holidays we should consider the inability of Lopez and Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, to fight government inertia a blessing.

A big financial one.

Because when Lopez and her committee got off the dime and confirmed five nominees earlier this month, it cost you, the taxpayer, around $1,000 for each in committee member per-diem and mileage reimbursements. Multiple that by 69 and were talking a lot more than what most New Mexicans make in an entire year.

And its all to give a thumbs up or down on people who volunteer their time to serve groups like the states Human Rights Commission, the Commission for the Blind, the Labor and Industrial Commission, and the Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

The point is the majority of these 69 appointees dont need Lopez & Co. to get their act together to serve; Hanna Skandera led the Public Education Department for four years before getting a confirmation hearing and Senate approval. And unless they are filling an open seat, those appointees who do need confirmation before taking office include individuals who have been waiting for months to be anointed university regents. In the interim, those university boards have had to rely on the largess of regents whose terms are up to make important decisions, including ones involving budgets and tuition and presidential searches.

New Mexicos confirmation system follows the federal model and requires high-level officials be appointed by the governor, with the consent of the Senate. Under Lopez they have become the perfect marriage of inefficient government and partisan politics as she uses her chairmanship to curry favor with her party, advance her political career and carry out a vendetta against the woman who won the governorship she lost.

The fact these confirmations are simply not getting done, have become largely superfluous and are expensive to boot should have New Mexicans asking if the law that requires them should disappear as fast as wrapped presents on Christmas morning.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
We applaud New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas efforts to get the state Law Enforcement Academy Board to put police officers discipline reports in a searchable, online database accessible by the public. Those who make hiring and discipline decisions for law enforcement agencies in the state should follow suit.

In making his pitch to the board last week, Kassetas intimated those hiring police officers dont always look at the applicants personnel file, where disciplinary actions would be noted. He said he has fired State Police officers for disciplinary violations only to learn they were hired within weeks by another agency.

A key task of the 10-member Law Enforcement Academy Board, chaired by state Attorney General Hector Balderas, is to review discipline cases against police officers and consider suspension or revocation of their law enforcement certifications. Currently, those records are only available by filing an Inspection of Public Records Request with the Department of Public Safety  a process that can take weeks.

Kassetas says thats not good enough; we agree. Interestingly, its Kassetas agency that is currently in court trying to invalidate a hard-fought 2007 settlement agreement that defined which State Police records are open to public inspection and set requirements for managing and providing records. Any attempt to further limit access to police documents hurts the public.

Regarding police discipline records, making them as accessible as possible is important because police officers are trusted to protect and serve the public. Police should be held to a higher standard than most public servants. Just as law enforcement agencies should be alerted to bad apples in the applicant pool, the public deserves to know in a timely manner when an officer fails to meet those standards and how they are disciplined.

Its refreshing to see a high-ranking police official publicly push for more transparency at a time when some of his colleagues are eschewing it. It is essential Kassetas now walk his transparency talk so others can follow in his path, as well as put a halt to his agencys attempt to weaken public access to police reports.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
A 19-year-old from Santa Fe pleaded guilty last week in the drunken driving crash that left a Colorado woman dead near Algodones.

Luke Griffin was sentenced Dec. 15 to 9 years and 122 days in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised probation, according to court documents. He will receive credit for the 122 days that hes spent in custody since the crash.

According to police, Griffins blood-alcohol level was .22 percent that night, nearly three times the legal limit.

Griffin was headed south on Interstate 25 around 11 p.m. on a Friday in February when he rear-ended a Nissan, killing the driver, 49-year-old Corrina Vaden of Aurora, Colo. Two passengers in the Nissan were transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

On Dec. 11, Griffin pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide while driving under the influence and two counts of great bodily harm by vehicle while driving under the influence. Under his plea agreement, none of the crimes were classified as serious violent offenses, meaning Griffin is eligible to see his sentence reduced by 50 percent for good behavior.

A witness told police that Griffins vehicle was traveling around 100 mph when it passed him in the right shoulder. And another reported seeing what seemed to be a liquor bottle thrown from the car.

Tom Clark, Griffins attorney, said that at the time of the crash, his client was a freshman at the University of New Mexico, and a gifted classical and jazz guitarist.

The tragedy of Lukes life can never amount to the tragedy in these other womens lives, but its tragic all around, Clark said. Theres just deep sadness with everyone involved in this case.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

A federal judge ruled that deputy U.S. marshals and other law enforcement officers did not violate the constitutional rights of Gilbert Serrano when he was shot and suffered serious injuries during his arrest on a parole violation in April 2016.

Serrano was seeking $6 million in damages for injuries he suffered during his arrest, claiming deputies violated his constitutional rights and acted in a negligent manner when he was shot in the 500 block of Five Points SW.

His attorney, Louren Oliveros said, We respectfully disagree with the ruling and will most likely appeal.

At the time of the shooting, Serrano was wanted for state parole violations, and state Corrections Department Probation and Parole officers assigned to work with the U.S. Marshals Office were looking for him.

During the parole investigation, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and other charges were filed against Serrano.

Deputy U.S. marshals found Serrano outside a methadone clinic and attempted to block his truck but only partially succeeded.

When they moved in to arrest Serrano, his truck moved forward, stalled, then went into reverse, according to the opinion. Deputies fired, and Serrano suffered a serious head wound.

Serrano claimed that the deputies did not identify themselves and were in plain clothes. He also claimed that he was attempting to flee the unidentified armed men when he was shot.

Deputies said their unmarked cars had flashing police lights, they wore armored vests and they identified themselves when Serranos truck went into reverse at a high speed.

Chief U.S. District Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal of Wyoming ruled that the deputy who fired the shot wounding Serrano was reasonable in using deadly force to protect himself and other deputies involved in the scene.

She found that it was reasonable for deputies to perceive that they were in danger of Serrano hitting them with his vehicle.

The officers were in close range, with little room to maneuver away from the vehicle as it came at them, she said in the ruling dismissing the case with prejudice.

Freudenthal was hearing the case in Albuquerque because local judges are in close contact with the U.S. Marshals Service, which provides security for the court and transports prisoners to their courtrooms.
Poor Sparky. He never had a chance, but he went out with a bang and his memory continues to burn bright.

Earlier this month, the unlucky raccoon, perhaps looking for love in all the wrong places, nuzzled up to a transformer inside a Public Service Company of New Mexico substation. The little guy was immediately electrocuted, and the transformer exploded and burned, causing a midweek power outage that lasted 2 hours and affected 9,300 PNM customers in Rio Rancho.

A roadside memorial to Sparky now sits outside the PNM substation near Iris and Idalia in Rio Rancho, thanks to Trent Heffner, principal of Vista Grande Elementary School, his wife, Janice, and two of their children.

On the Saturday after the Dec. 13 incident, as Heffner and his wife were driving by the substation, it occurred to us that it would be funny and clever if someone erected a memorial for the raccoon, he said. So rather than wait for somebody else to do it, we did it ourselves. We used scrap wood in our backyard, and our kids and one of their friends wrote messages on rocks. It was my wifes idea to name him Sparky.

The memorial is in the shape of a cross and inscribed with the words: RIP Sparky ?-12-13-17

Heffner acknowledged that even though he hammered together a cross, he did not actually know the religious affiliation of the raccoon; rather, he just adopted the traditional style of New Mexico descansos, roadside memorials that mark the place of a violent or accidental death.

The evening the raccoons descanso was set up was windy, so Heffner said he returned the next night to light the devotional candles.

Since then, other people have added items to the memorial, including artificial flowers and a stuffed raccoon toy.

Heffner posted pictures of the memorial to the Nextdoor neighborhood website and has received generally positive feedback.

People said the power outage brought their family together for a couple of hours; so on some level, Sparky did bring our community together by getting the kids off Wi-Fi and other electronics, and it just gave everyone a story to tell, he said.

Of course, not everyone saw the levity buried in this tragic tale.

Heffner said, A colleague of mine said her husband commented that Someone put up a memorial for a raccoon. What kind of an idiot does that? 

Shortly after the power outage, a Twitter feed issued by PNM thanked customers for their patience and said: Cause is believed to be a large possum that crawled into the transformer, causing the explosion.

To be clear, said Lynn Tupa, ABQ BioPark zoo manager and a mammal expert, there are no opossums in New Mexico, except for the occasional stowaway aboard trucks.

PNM now admits the mistaken identity, but in all fairness, spokeswoman Meaghan Cavanaugh said, Sparky didnt make it through very well  poor little guy. Consequently, identification of the charred animal found at the foot of the transformer was initially a bit confusing.

Still, Cavanaugh said, We thought the memorial was a really sweet gesture from someone with a good heart.

And lest anyone think the folks at PNM are bitter about the power interruption and damage caused by Sparky, Cavanaugh said she will get a rock and have all of us in corporate communications sign it, and then well go and lay it out there and pay our respects.

Rest in peace, Sparky.

UpFront is a regular Journal news and opinion column. Comment directly to Rick Nathanson at 823-3929 or rnathanson@abqjournal.com.
WASHINGTON  In one of its final acts before the holiday recess, the U.S. Senate late Thursday voted to set aside 21,000 acres within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument for wilderness protection, which would keep the area free of roads or other development.

The bill, which was approved unanimously in the Senate, establishes two new wilderness areas, the Cerro del Yuta Wilderness and Rio San Antonio Wilderness in the monument near Taos. The legislation has not yet passed the U.S. House. A wilderness designation offers a greater level of protection from development and other non-natural uses than monument status.

This legislation will further complete the vision of the diverse coalition and stakeholders who fought so hard to protect the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and will preserve traditional practices and boost New Mexicos growing outdoor recreation economy, said Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat who sponsored the legislation. By designating the most rugged and unique habitat in the Rio Grande del Norte as wilderness, we can protect New Mexicos natural heritage for our children and for generations to come.

Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., a co-sponsor of Heinrichs bill, has also introduced legislation to establish federally protected wilderness within the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, near Las Cruces.

Michael Casaus, New Mexico director of the Wilderness Society, urged the House to follow the Senates action in creating the wilderness area within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

We call on the House to do their part and listen to the call of millions of Americans who believe we should protect wilderness areas, Casaus said. From the ruggedness of Ute Mountain to the grasslands that feed migrating elk, this is a place worthy of Congress full support.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Bernalillo County officials say that the recent indictment of Metropolitan Detention Center supervisor Eric Allen has no direct bearing on the countys ongoing effort to terminate him.

Allen was indicted earlier this month on a charge of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, stemming from a December 2015 incident in which he allegedly ordered prison guards to hurt a state prison inmate who corrections officers said was being belligerent. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday.

The county had placed Allen on paid administrative leave in January 2016 in connection with an excessive force investigation. And this past September, the county sent him a letter notifying him of its intent to terminate his employment, citing a pattern of excessive force and inappropriate conduct.

In the nearly two years since he was placed on leave, Allen has collected roughly $88,700 in county pay. He earns nearly $46,000 a year.

I support the MDCs administrators proposed disciplinary action to terminate Mr. Allens employment, County Manager Julie Morgas Baca said this week in a statement. I am eager to see this case come to a close for the benefit of everyone involved.

But county spokeswoman Tia Bland said the fact that Allen has been charged with a third-degree felony doesnt mean the county can now expedite the termination process.

No direct bearing

The criminal indictment has no direct bearing on the countys administrative employment action, specifically the countys current process in progress to terminate Eric Allens employment, she said. Although the indictment is separate, it arises from the same set of facts and reinforces the countys position to terminate Eric Allens employment.

Stephen Perkins, president of the corrections officers union, agrees that the indictment doesnt affect the disciplinary process that is underway, nor does it change the unions plan to defend him through the county process.

Im not a legal expert, but just looking at the facts of the case, I think the district attorney overreached.  The truth will come out, Perkins said.

He said Allen is being made a scapegoat because of his union activity.

While MDC has no policy specifically stating that employees facing criminal charges can be terminated, some other public agencies do.

An Albuquerque Police Department operating procedure states that police officers can face discipline up to termination if they are indicted or have criminal charges formally filed against them for a felony or a misdemeanor crime.

According to our legal staff, MDC does not have a policy like that, Bland said. The reason APD and the (sheriffs office) have that policy is because per state statute a police officer cannot serve as a police officer with a felony conviction, and a law enforcement agency cannot have officers enforce the law when they themselves have charges pending. There is no such prohibition for corrections officers.

Next step is hearing

As for Allen, Bland said the next step will be a due process hearing, which will be scheduled in January, that will allow him to respond to the countys notice of intent to terminate his employment and the evidence the county presents.

Allen will present his arguments to MDC Deputy Chief of Security Ralph Fernandez, who will then make a recommendation to MDC Chief Greg Rees to either overturn or sustain the recommended discipline.

If the decision is made to fire Allen, he can appeal, first to Rees, then to Morgas Baca or a designee. If the termination is upheld, Allen can request arbitration, during which a third party would hear arguments and issue a ruling. That decision could then be appealed to District Court by either Allen or the county.

The incident for which Allen was indicted involved inmate Joe Ray Barela and happened in front of medical staffers who were trying to treat him in the jails infirmary.

In statements to the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office and a private investigator hired by the county, those witnesses described what happened to Barela as torture and said they were in tears. They told investigators that officers used excessive force on Barela and that the incident fueled tension between medical staff and corrections officers inside the jail.

Other incident

That incident was one of two involving Allen that resulted in a criminal investigation.

The other incident occurred in September 2015 and involved inmate Susie Chavez, who was shocked with a stun gun, held in a wrist lock and hit with pepper spray because she wouldnt stop crying.

Allen, one of two supervisors present, recorded the incident with an on-body camera, and that footage showed Chavez shrieking in pain as corrections officers used force against her.

A Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office detective concluded that the application of force by Allen and another corrections officer was done in a rude and insolent manner. The district attorneys office is still reviewing that case.

The county has previously tried to terminate Allen.

He was fired in 2008 after being accused of punching an inmate in the head twice. The union argued Allen had been hit first, and in 2009 an independent arbitrator ordered the county to reinstate him, determining that Allens reaction was reasonable and in keeping with his training.
State Park Ranger Caleb Bellah received the Best Student Achievement Award for Academics at the Department of Public Safetys Dec. 1 graduation ceremony.

Bellah, of Navajo Lake State Park, is one of only a few park officers from New Mexico State Parks to receive that honor, officials said in a news release.

The award goes to the student who earns top overall academic scores during the 16-week session.

The Department of Public Safety trains law enforcement recruits for most state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies from around the state, except for State Police and the Albuquerque Police Department, which have their own academies.

Ranger Bellahs academic average at the academy was 95.49% and he is a wonderful addition to our parks law enforcement team and will be a great asset to the Division, said Barry Lucero, Law Enforcement and Boating Safety Bureau chief, in a statement.

Bellah is the son of Roger and Tracy Bellah and is a 2008 graduate of Carlsbad High School.

The Academy was difficult and challenging, but I look forward to serving New Mexico State Parks as a Ranger, Bellah said in a statement.

We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com.

State Park Ranger honored at State Law Enforcement Academy
DENVER  The Colorado Department of Transportation is warning holiday travelers to use caution, particularly on the Interstate 70 Mountain Corridor.

State officials urge drivers to remember to slow down in snowy conditions and check road conditions before heading out on Saturday. Interstate 70 westbound is already closed at Empire Junction due to winter weather, and officials say crews are repositioning plows to focus on that area.

The National Weather Service has predicted that a winter weather advisory will be in effect until 11 p.m. on Saturday, with snow, blowing snow and slippery road conditions expected in the mountains.

CDOT Director of Highway Maintenance Kyle Lester says drivers also should keep a safe distance between their vehicle and the car ahead.

Officials also ask that drivers give snow plows plenty of space.
December 21, 2017

BETHLEHEM, West Bank  Bethlehem's Al-Mahd Church, better known as the Church of the Nativity, is greeting Christmas with a fresh face this year following a major rehabilitation of its roof and ancient mosaics.

The church, on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2012, has suffered earthquakes, storms and even political sieges ever since its construction in A.D. 330. The renovation of the church has been on the agenda ever since the late 2000s, with both the Palestinian Authority and UNESCO expressing a commitment to raise funds for much-needed work. Several parallel rehabilitation efforts started in 2013, and today, about 70% of its renovation work has been completed, Hanna Issa, the secretary-general of the Islamic-Christian Commission in Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites, told Al-Monitor.

Known as the world's oldest church in daily use, Al-Mahd's original basilica was built in the fourth century by Roman Emperor Constantine I above a cave where Virgin Mary is said to have given birth to Jesus. In the early medieval period, other ecclesiastical buildings were incorporated into the original site. Consequently, today the Church of the Nativity is overseen by members of the Greek Orthodox Church, the Custody of the Holy Land and the Armenian Church. It's considered one of the most important Christian churches in the world after the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

The chapels floor and interior walls are decorated with marble and beautiful mosaics. Behind the altar, a silver star bears the Latin inscription, Jesus was born here of the Virgin Mary.

Issa pointed out that the church has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. He told Al-Monitor, Al-Mahd Church was destroyed during the revolution of the Samaritans against the Byzantines in 528, then rebuilt in 535, but the last large-scale restoration and rehabilitation was in 650.

By the 21st century, both the mosaics and woodwork had been badly damaged. When UNESCO's experts placed the site on the World Heritage List, they noted that the structure of the main church was highly vulnerable due to a lack of maintenance and repair. The interior walls and the mosaic floor are cracked and its ancient wood carvings have been damaged by humidity. A technical plan to restore the roof was developed by an advisory committee formed by the Palestinian president in cooperation with the three churches in charge of the holy site.

Muslims in the area made donations for the churchs restoration and rehabilitation.

Issa pointed out that Arab, Islamic and European countries as well as the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian banks contributed funds. So did Palestinian businessmen at home and abroad, the Paltel group and the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency.

The cooperation reflects the peaceful religious coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Palestine and the world, along with the common fate they both share, he said.

Italian companies are working on the restoration of the church. In August 2013, the Italian Piacentini Costruzioni company signed a contract with the presidential committee tasked with the renovation of the Church of the Nativity to fully restore it. So far, more than 70% of the rehabilitation work has been completed, Issa told Al-Monitor.

Issa went on, The Italian company restored the churchs wooden roof, which had been damaged. It also restored most mosaic murals on the walls and floor of the church. The main wooden door and the four iron gates inside the church were also restored. Work is now ongoing to restore the 50 marble columns.

He added, So far, restoration works have cost more than $12 million. More donations are needed to complete the rehabilitation of the church, which has been severely damaged over the years. Most recently, the church was directly affected by gunshots during the Israeli invasion of the West Bank in 2002.

Al-Mahd was besieged for 40 days during the Israeli invasion of the West Bank as part of the military operation called Defensive Shield. The operation resulted in the death of eight Palestinian fighters and the deportation of dozens of them to the Gaza Strip and some European countries.

Issa urged joint efforts to preserve the position of the church as a beacon for pilgrims, saying, "[We must] work together to make it the center of attention of international and regional institutions and organizations. It is one of the three oldest and most important churches in Palestine, along with the Resurrection Church that witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and the Church of the Annunciation, where the Virgin Mary was told she was carrying Jesus Christ.

He also noted that Christmas is an important occasion in Bethlehem. Christians and Muslims around the world to go to Bethlehem city, especially with Christmas season approaching and the lighting of the Christmas tree, considered one of the most beautiful in the world, and to visit the touristic sites of the city and to pray in its religious sites for peace and love to prevail in the holy lands," he said, adding that some 45,000 Christians live in West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

The dean of Al-Azhar Institute in Palestine, Imad Hamato, told Al-Monitor, "Islam calls for Muslims to preserve places of worship, whether Christian or Muslim. This aims to create mutual respect and to strengthen national unity, tolerance and love by showing the depth of the relationship between [the different faiths]." He added that the donations from the Muslims for the church's rehabilitation was a good example of this goodwill.

Hamato went on, "The church embraced Muslims during the recent Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2014. It opened its doors to them and they took refuge while escaping the Israeli bombardment of the Shajaiya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City after their homes and properties were destroyed. The church also provided services to them without any discrimination based on religion."
December 22, 2017

BAGHDAD  The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has agreed to lift sanctions imposed on Iraq when the country invaded Kuwait 27 years ago.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said Dec. 9 the country had completed its obligations under the sanctions, which were imposed in 1990 when dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. The UNSC levied the penalties after naming Iraq a threat to international security and ordered it to pay reparations to states and other parties that suffered as a result of the invasion.

Some 27 years later, Iraq is still suffering the effects of the invasion. Hisham al-Rukabi, the head of Vice President Nouri al-Malikis press office, told Al-Monitor that the Iraqi people welcomed the recent UN decision.

Saad al-Hadithi, the spokesman for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, said the move is an important event in Iraqs recent history and the closing of a painful [age] that lasted a long time, during which the Iraqi people suffered reduced sovereignty as well as political and economic sanctions that damaged the countrys institutions as well as individuals.

Lifting the sanctions, he said, will make Iraq more able to develop and achieve prosperity for its citizens, and restore the worlds trust so it can deal with Iraq as a fully sovereign nation.

He predicted the decision will allow Iraq to play a greater political and economic role in the Middle East, experience an economic recovery and attract new investment.

Iraq has long suffered the consequences of the sanctions, which were enforced militarily any time Iraq posed a threat to international peace. The country was economically cut off from the world, and its sea, air, land and communications links were severed. Its diplomatic relations with other states were cut, and it lost control of its financial resources and oil exports, which were placed under UN supervision under the oil for food program. A significant proportion of its revenues were used to pay states harmed by its Kuwait invasion.

Iraq paid reparations to the states that were environmentally and economically harmed by the war, including Israel and Jordan," but its reparations stalled in 2014 because of the fall in oil prices, according to legal expert Tareq Harb. The governments deal with Kuwait to pay the remainder of reparations in the form of gas exported via Basra prompted Kuwait to report to the UN that Iraq was fulfilling its obligations, resulting in a resolution in Iraqs favor.

Kuwaiti Oil Minister Essam al-Marzouq said Dec. 10 that the 10-year deal with Iraq provides for imports of 50 million cubic feet of natural gas a day in the first stage, later rising to 200 million. The deal appears to have been the key factor that persuaded Kuwait to call for the UN to lift the sanctions.

Iraqi parliament member Jassem Mohammad Jaafar, who is close to Abadi, gave Al-Monitor more details on the deal. Before the sanctions were lifted, Iraq was not even able to open foreign bank accounts in the name of the government, and its economic and financial contracts and commercial activities were conducted through intermediaries in order to avoid lawsuits. That cost the Iraqi treasury enormously, he said.

From now on, Iraq can manage the legal and technical aspects of its financial resources itself  along with everything relating to deposits and foreign real estate holdings  and dispose of its own affairs," he said. Other countries will no longer hesitate to invest in Iraq, and foreign firms will be encouraged, as Iraq is an oil-rich country and also has major gas reserves and swathes of agricultural land that could be very profitable.

Iraqi writer and analyst Wathiq al-Jabari, a member of the Tanmiya Center, told Al-Monitor that the resolution will have positive social effects."

All efforts to freeze Iraqi funds in international banks have ended, which will enhance Iraqs financial standing and its creditworthiness, he said.

The decision to lift sanctions coincided with Abadis announcement Dec. 9 that the fight against the Islamic State was over and security and stability had returned to Iraq. He also played up the countrys investment climate now that it can once again work with international firms and banks. With its vast oil reserves, Iraq can look forward to an economic revival, providing the government is able to bring stability and work fast to stamp out violence and terrorism.
December 22, 2017

Ever since the passing of prominent Iranian politician Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in January, Ali Akbar Velayati has been attempting to earn the approval of radical Principlists in hopes of presenting himself as the Principlist option.

Velayati is a veteran politician  he held the longest tenure as foreign minister in the history of the Islamic Republic, serving in that position from 1981 to 1997. His long-time presence on the political stage alongside Rafsanjani resulted in many considering him an ally of the latter. Even during the 2013 presidential debates  although Velayati was one of the three Principlist candidates alongside Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel  he attacked not only Ghalibaf but also hard-line candidate Saeed Jalili. These actions were of great aid to moderate Hassan Rouhani, who eventually emerged as the winner of that vote. While supported by traditional Principlists, Velayati apparently had chosen to form an unofficial coalition with Rouhani in a move that was perhaps premeditated. Indeed, he never criticized Rouhani during the debates and instead focused his attacks on Jalili and the way he had conducted prior negotiations with world powers over Irans nuclear program. Ultimately, these actions resulted in many considering him an agent of Rafsanjani dispatched to play a particular role during the elections. As a result, the Reformists were content with Velayati while the Principlists were furious.

Two months after Rouhanis inauguration in 2013, Rafsanjani appointed Velayati as the head of the Center for Strategic Research. The think tank, which operates under the Expediency Council, had, until the elections, been headed by Rouhani. Principlists saw this as Velayati being rewarded for his actions during the campaigning.

In this vein, Velayati  who also serves as the supreme leader's foreign policy adviser  was very supportive of Rouhani during Irans nuclear negotiations with the six world powers. He gave numerous speeches and interviews in support of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his colleagues, and he responded to all the criticisms against them coming from the Principlist camp. His support was particularly notable considering his advisory position to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But this is not the end of the story of Velayatis participation in Iranian politics.

After Rafsanjanis passing earlier this year, a new face emerged of this trained pediatrician on the political stage. Velayati, who was appointed by the supreme leader to replace Rafsanjani as the head of the Board of Trustees of Islamic Azad University (IAU), started to present himself as more radical-leaning and Principlist. IAU is the largest noncorrespondent university in the world and has a branch in almost every Iranian city. It operates under the guardianship of its Board of Trustees, which  because of Rafsanjanis presence in recent years  was considered as being shaped under his influence and pillared on his viewpoints and beliefs.

Upon taking office, Velayati immediately initiated changes, first by removing the Rafsanjani-appointed president of the university, Hamid Mirzadeh. A month later, on May 28, he also removed Rafsanjanis son, Yaser, who served as the chief of staff of the head of the board of trustees. Finally, on July 16, Velayati appointed Farhad Rahbar, one of the senior members of the campaign of conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi  the main rival of Rouhani in the 2017 elections  as the head of IAU. These actions resulted in Velayati being accused of wanting to remove Rafsanjani from IAU, which  since its founding  has been directly associated with the Rafsanjanis. This was, of course, enthusiastically supported by Principlist media and naturally harshly criticized by Reformist outlets. However, Velayatis radicalism was not limited to appointing new staff and firing old ones. In a directive on Oct. 29, Velayati ordered the president of IAUs branch in Arak to fire a professor who argued that hijab is not a product of Islam but rather an idea put forth by Shiism and also expressed doubt about whether hijab prevents sexual corruption in society. The radical and Principlist media outlets, who praised his assertive attitude on the matter, welcomed Velayatis order.

On Dec. 8, Velayati wrote a letter to the president of the Najafabad branch of IAU in which he harshly criticized the students who had marked Students Day by dancing. He said, You and other officials of IAU must know that a new policy is at work here. We, the officials of IAU, must behave in a way that will demonstrate to people that the guidelines issued by the supreme leader are on the top of our agenda.  The events that took place on Students Day  were obscene and detrimental to the honor of both the students and the university itself. Such actions injure the souls of our dear martyrs.

This approach harshly contrasts with that of Rafsanjani, who interfered in issues such as these when he was head of the board of trustees. Such matters rather used to be under the jurisdiction of the president of the university.

The question remains as to why Velayati has suddenly decided to become more conservative in regard to cultural issues. After losing the 2017 election to Rouhani and the Reformists, the Principlists have few, if any, figures they can put forth as a candidate. This has resulted in heavy competition among various Principlist figures hoping to come out on top. Although parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani appears interested in taking a shot at the presidency in 2021 in spite of his crushing defeat in 2005, it appears that Velayati is also trying to get the approval of the radical Principlists by presenting himself as more politically conservative. However, he does not command much popularity, as seen during the 2013 presidential election. One can thus only wait and see whether his sudden turn to the right is related to dreams of the presidency or another plan.
December 22, 2017

US President Donald Trumps Dec. 6 proclamation on Jerusalem appears to have complicated efforts to restore Jordan-Israel ties. The two countries have been embroiled in conflicts over repeated incursions on Haram al-Sharif (which Israel calls the Temple Mount) by Jewish settlers and the July 23 killing by a guard of two Jordanian citizens at the Israeli Embassy in Amman. Since then, Amman has refused to allow the Israeli ambassador and embassy staff to return to the kingdom until the assailant is put on trial and families of the victims are compensated. The row has threatened work on a regional water and energy project linking the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, an undertaking of high strategic importance to Jordan.

But Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital and to move the American embassy there has added a new twist to the strained relations between the two neighbors who signed a peace treaty in 1994. Encouraged by the government, tens of thousands of Jordanians have been protesting the US move following Friday prayers in Amman and other major cities across the kingdom. Enraged protesters have called on their government to abrogate the 23-year-old peace treaty and all bilateral agreements with the Zionist entity. Enmity toward Israel has reached new heights as Jordanians expressed solidarity with Palestinians in the occupied territories who have been clashing with Israeli soldiers almost every day since the Trump announcement.

Public outrage coincided with an extraordinary diplomatic offensive by King Abdullah aimed at rallying international support against the US move, which he had described as dangerous and a violation of international law. Jordans campaign had focused on the European Union, the Vatican, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Ammans coordination with the EU had thwarted an attempt by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convince European countries to support the US decision during a surprise visit to Brussels on Dec. 11.

Jordan has argued that the fate of Jerusalem, in particular occupied East Jerusalem, should be decided in final status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Trumps vague pronouncement is seen as pre-judging the citys future, threatening Jordans special role as custodian of Muslim and Christian holy sites in the Old City and destroying the two-state solution. Furthermore, it pre-empts credible negotiations to reach a peaceful settlement and strengthens the Israeli far-right's false claims that a Palestinian state already exists in Jordan. Far worse, the decision resurrects Jordanian fears of a possible transfer of Palestinians by Israel to the east bank of the Jordan River, a scenario that undermines the Hashemite kingdom.

Such existential fears explain why the government has allowed anti-Israel, and in many cases anti-US, protests and sit-ins to continue. Jordans parliament has gone so far as to form a committee in December to review the peace treaty with Israel and other bilateral agreements, including last years multibillion-dollar gas deal between the kingdoms national electricity company and a US company responsible for exploiting Israeli gas fields.

Jordans official and public reaction to Trumps decision has not only added pressure on ties with Israel but may have rattled relations with Washington, the kingdoms major economic and military backer. Observers here believe Amman cant afford to threaten its peace treaty with Israel despite Netanyahus provocative stances. For years, Jordan and Israel had maintained a special security and intelligence-sharing relationship. Jordans internal stability has been traditionally defended by Israels top military and security brass.

Jordans first ambassador to Israel, former Deputy Prime Minister Marwan al-Muasher, told Al-Monitor that while Israel is no longer a partner or a friend to Jordan, we cannot repeal the peace treaty or even amend it. Muasher added, What we can do is cancel the gas deal that makes us dependent on Israel for 15 years.

In his view, Jordan has no cards to play in confronting Israel or the United States. The only option for us is to strengthen our domestic front and close ranks, back the Palestinians so they can stay on their land and raise the cost of occupation for Israel, Muasher said.

Political commentator and columnist Oraib al-Rintawi agreed. He told Al-Monitor, This is the worst crisis to hit Jordan-Israel relations and we have to accept that we have no partners in Israel.

In his view, the time when Jordan could influence the ruling elite in Israel has ended. We are dealing with a new type of leadership that is hostile to us and we also have no real allies in the White House, he said. With few options left, Rintawi said Jordan should continue to move diplomatically and try to create new alliances, but avoid major confrontations and certainly the peace treaty with Israel should remain intact.

Despite public outrage and parliaments threat to review the peace treaty, which would not be the first time it has done so, it is unlikely that Jordan will take any step that risks its shaky peace with Israel. But there could be other moves that include suspending the unpopular gas deal or not renewing the lease of territory in the Jordan Valley to Israel. The 25-year lease ends next year and deputies have called on the government not to renew the agreement.

Columnist Mohammad Abu Rumman warned in his Dec. 18 piece in Al-Ghad that Jordanians should be aware that there is a cost for Jordans diplomatic offensive over the issue of Jerusalem. We are almost alone in fighting this battle and there are disagreements with our Arab allies and our options are few and difficult, he wrote.

We should stick to our principles, but we must be aware that we will come under pressure at the worse economic times, Abu Rumman concluded.
December 22, 2017

Unlike all previous Arab-Israeli confrontations at the United Nations, this one was not about Israel. The world was given clear instructions by the sole superpower to accept its dictates even if they flaunt the resolutions of the world body, or suffer direct financial consequences.

The world didnt flinch or back down under the threats of the powerful United States, but called the American bluff.

The UN General Assembly was holding an emergency meeting according to the UN charters Uniting for Peace clause, which allows for an appeal to the General Assembly when a veto decision is cast. The General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution, 128-9 with 35 abstentions, submitted jointly by Yemen and Turkey on behalf of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to declare the US move "null and void."

Speaking to the Saudi-based Arab News, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, called the vote impressive and stressed the resilience of the international community despite US pressures. This vote was not against Israel; it was a vote against the US. I am happy with the result despite all the pressure that was placed on UN member states not to support this resolution.

In the days leading up to the vote, both President Donald Trump and his envoy to the UN, Nikki Haley, threatened countries with financial punishment if they went against the United States.

Rashid Khalidi of Columbia University told Al-Monitor that the latest display of childish pique when things do not go President Trumps way provides an extraordinary spectacle.

In an email exchange, Khalidi predicted even before the vote that countries that might have succumbed to the usual quiet American-Israeli pressure tactics may now be too embarrassed to do so.

Khalidi, an Edward Said professor of Arab studies, said that the United States has employed arm twisting, threats and pressure myriad times during its reign as the worlds leading superpower. Such tactics, for instance, were deployed in 1947, when the UN adopted UNGA Resolution 181 known as the Partition Plan.

PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi said in a press statement after the vote that Trump should know that some things are not for sale or subject to blackmail. Extortion is the most effective way for the US to isolate itself even further and to weaken its influence and standing globally, she warned. Ashrawi noted that despite US efforts to safeguard Israel against its own violations and war crimes, the majority of members maintained their principled positions while a minimal few succumbed by abstaining or voting against the resolution.

This further demonstrates the isolation of the US in its blind support of Israeli lawlessness and impunity. It is therefore called on to rescind its irresponsible and dangerous decision and refrain from joining Israel in its criminal behavior," Ashrawi concluded.

The results of the vote showed that Canada, which voted Dec. 19 against the Palestinian right of self-determination two days earlier, abstained from the vote on Jerusalem. Israeli writer Barak Ravid tweeted Dec. 21 about why Canada made a last-minute change. Canada considered voting against the UNGA resolution on Trump's Jerusalem announcement but changed vote to abstention after hearing Trump's threats in order not to be perceived as US puppet, Western diplomats tell me, he tweeted an hour before the actual vote.

In its daily press review Dec. 22, the Palestine News Network observed that the Israeli media noted that the UN vote was difficult for Israel and its legitimacy, a defeat to [Benjamin] Netanyahu and a cause for shame to US President Donald Trump.

Mahdi Abdul-Hadi, director of the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, told Al-Monitor that despite the US threats and blackmail, Palestinians are seeing a majority of countries rejecting the US position. Does this mean that the Trump administration will be ushering in a new chapter of international relations [to replace the one] that has been with us since the end of the second world war and the creation of the UN?

While the majority of the discussion centered on the US threats, the decision at the extraordinary General Assembly meeting was also seen as a vote of confidence in the UN and for the preservation of the world order.

Speaking on CNN after the vote, Palestinian envoy to the United States Hussam Zumlot argued that the UN decision was about the credibility of the international organization. This wasnt a win for Palestine, it was a vote internationalism, for multilateralism, for international legality, for international system. Otherwise we would be in the rule of the jungle.  Today was a clear day that the world has voted for its own resolutions.

While the vote was overwhelming in support of the resolution vetoed in the Security Council on Dec. 18, the atmosphere that has ensued has isolated the United States and Israel. This isolation comes just as Trump and Netanyahu face their own internal legal problems and appear to be running away from them by creating international distractions.

The vote at the UN will not bring peace any closer, nor will it do much to change the situation on the ground, but it does restore a sense of integrity to the world body while shaming a superpower that threatens poor people around the world with financial punishment if they dont toe their line on how to practice their sovereign rights as independent countries.
Google is going to begin blocking redirect ads in Chrome for Android as the latest version of Chrome for Android Beta now includes this feature, helping people browse the way they were intending and thus saving them time as well enhancing the experience. Since this is available in the beta version of the app its possible Google has already been working on this for a little while, and it makes sense considering Googles preparation of the new ad blocking features that Chrome will be getting in the beginning of next year.

While this is just the beta version of the app it is a default feature so once it makes its way into the stable version users can expect it to work automatically when needed. It is possible to bypass the feature if you like, but seeing as how its intended purpose is to stop ads from pulling you away from the page you were on in the first place most users likely wont want to bypass it. That said, if you do end up wanting to be redirected, Chrome is going to notify users with a popup that an ad redirect was blocked, and if you want to visit the site that the ad was going to take you to then you can tap on the details link on that block alert and then tap on the link to the other web page.

In addition to the new ad redirect blocking, the navigation bar down at the bottom of the Chrome browser app is white just like some of Googles other apps which have already made the switch to using the new color scheme when normally the navigation bar is black. Also new in this latest beta, though for Windows 10 and not necessarily just Android, is HDR video playback support, which means if youre using your browser to watch videos on Netflix and Amazon video instead of the apps through various other connected devices, then youll be able to watch any of the HDR content that both providers are offering. There are also a handful of other changes and improvements though theyre under the hood and not really as user-facing.
Researchers are now beginning to move beyond using photographs to teach Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) about the world around them, opening an array of new possible uses for the technology and possibly signaling a step forward toward truly aware A.I. There are, as always, challenges to be met and overcome. A.I.-driven systems that are camera enabled are not necessarily going to suddenly become much better overnight. Up until this point, machine learning systems that have been tested and programmed using machine vision  an A.I. linked to a camera  has been centered around the analysis of and the tying of results to image or text databases. That has, of course, proven useful and it could be argued that without that groundwork, analyzing a video would be next to impossible. However, being able to recognize video content or streaming content as it is in motion could represent a huge step forward for A.I.

More specifically, the machine learning algorithms that exist now are still primarily focused on analyzing individual frames and looking for recognized objects and then using other hardware or algorithms to respond is specific, pre-programmed ways. Even where videos are concerned, they arent analyzing what is happening in those videos. That includes the vast majority of video systems associated with self-driving cars, which is an industry that would certainly benefit from A.I. designed to analyze video footage. While those systems can recognize objects through the use of single frames, the rest of the computing for what is actually going on in the world around the vehicle is performed using data taken from other instruments such as LiDAR. A similar set of sensors and tools is used to assist other A.I.-driven systems, with machine vision acting as an augment to other tools and sensors.

The ability for machine learning to include contextual relevance would lend to systems capabilities in recognizing the more abstract idea of what is happening with a person or object it is looking at instead of just what that person or object is. It should be said that video-based machine learning is still very much in its infancy and various organizations and companies are currently using very different methods to fill out data-sets to be referenced by A.I. To expand on that, MIT and IBM are engaged in the creation of an index they call The Moments in Time Dataset, which centers around three-second long videos that include an array of activities. Googles efforts focus on better recognition of objects, text, and audio from videos, utilizing its Cloud Platform and its YouTube-8M Dataset project. Facebook, meanwhile, is focusing on object recognition, scenarios, and actions with its Scenes, Actions, and Objects dataset  using annotations to provide contextual meaning. Finally, a startup based out of both Toronto and Berlin called Twenty Billion Neurons is taking a real-world approach and crowdsourcing the creation of its database, with paid workers performing simple tasks which are added to its database.

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The different approaches are understandable since each will have a very different use. Google, for example, might use its dataset to improve any number of products falling under its umbrella, while Facebook is primarily focused on advertising and social networking. MIT and IBM, in the meantime, are more likely interested in discovering the possibilities of using video datasets and the problems inherent in storage, inconsistencies, and maintenance. That should mean vast improvements to self-driving vehicles, smart cameras, biometrics, digital assistants, social enforcement policies  such as Googles A.I.-driven YouTube policy enforcement  and much more.

With consideration for the relatively open nature of those involved, the implications are likely to go much further than simple improvements to current systems, whether updates or new product iterations. It could, in fact, lead to a veritable wealth of new ideas and innovations that simply dont exist today. In fact, it should also mean new, previously unthought of and perhaps currently unimaginable products and services. Tied in with new advances in hardware, the advent of 5G and other IoT-centric networks, and software optimizations, the ability to really understand the surrounding world in real-time could actually bring A.I. much closer to human cognition. It is important to recognize that isnt likely to happen for quite some time, however, as neural networks are still limited by the human understanding of consciousness and the hardware constraints associated with human-built systems.
Web content giant Google is currently giving away four month long free trials for Google Play Music and YouTube Red. The two services are tied together, which means that going to the source link and signing up for the four month free trial of Google Play Music will thus net you four free months of YouTube Red, though keep in mind you will need to sign into your Google account for this offer to show up and it will only show up if you havent already redeemed it once before.. You can also reach the deal by heading through the Shop option in Google Play Music. Trying to get the deal through the YouTube Red signup page, meanwhile, will get you only three free months of both services. No matter which portal you go to, the deal is only on offer for single-user plans. Those wanting to purchase a family plan will only be able to access the two month free trial thats normally available.

As a refresher, signing up for Google Play Music Unlimited will get you exactly what the name implies; youll have unlimited access to the whole library of music published to the Google Play platform, and youll have it on demand. Youll be able to stream any songs you want, and download them to your device to enjoy offline. A YouTube Red account, meanwhile, grants users access to all of the original premium shows and movies that Google has made in collaboration with popular YouTube stars. Perhaps most importantly, buying into these services will remove any and all advertising. This means that music buffs can enjoy their YouTube Mix playlists without ads between videos, and those who like to use Google Play Musics radio stations to find new music or listen to auto-pilot mixes centered around their favorite artists can now do so without having to listen to ads.

Google Play Music Unlimited and YouTube Red cost $9.99 per month, which means that a four month free trial will save customers $40. You can cancel the trial any time you like, but you do have to enter in billing information. Like nearly all free trials, this one will automatically bill you once the trial period is over, unless you cancel the service during that time. There are no penalties for cancellation at any point, but you wont be eligible for any future free trials or promotional pricing. Those offers only apply to brand new, first-time subscribers.
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The expected executive order will likely amplify the impact of repealing the individual mandate. Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

The Trump administration is expected to release regulations as soon as today that will expand access to inexpensive, relatively skimpy short-term health plans  a move that could further destabilize the Affordable Care Act's insurance markets, even on top of the pending repeal of the individual mandate.

Yes, but: Short-term health plans don't offer protections to people with pre-existing conditions, and therefore could pull healthy people out of the risk pool for ACA coverage. But short-term plans would likely be a bigger deal if the individual mandate was stronger  short-term plans can only pull healthy people out of the market if they're in the market to begin with.

The upcoming regulations will implement Trump's executive order on health care. They'll likely help small businesses form association health plans and relax rules surrounding employer health reimbursement arrangements. But expanding access to short-term plans is seen as the main event.

The details: Right now, consumers can only keep a short-term plan for three months. The new rule is expected to extend that to a year.

These plans don't have to abide by the ACA's protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and they often don't cover a comprehensive set of benefits. That means they're really only attractive to healthy people.

But the stability of the ACA's exchanges depends on healthy people being enrolled there.

"The expansion of loosely regulated short-term insurance policies really magnifies the effect of repealing the individual mandate penalty," said Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

What they're saying:

Topher Spiro of the Center for American Progress: "The markets will become segmented and premiums will spike for people with pre-existing conditions who need ACA-compliant plans."

of the Center for American Progress: "The markets will become segmented and premiums will spike for people with pre-existing conditions who need ACA-compliant plans." Tim Jost, professor emeritus of Washington and Lee law school: "The exchanges will essentially become a home for consumers for qualify for premium tax credits and a high-risk pool for everyone else, and a very uncomfortable place for insurers to be. The number of uninsured will shoot up, as will the uncompensated care burden for hospitals."

professor emeritus of Washington and Lee law school: "The exchanges will essentially become a home for consumers for qualify for premium tax credits and a high-risk pool for everyone else, and a very uncomfortable place for insurers to be. The number of uninsured will shoot up, as will the uncompensated care burden for hospitals." America's Health Insurance Plans, along with other industry groups: "We are concerned that this could create or expand alternative, parallel markets for health coverage, which would lead to higher premiums for consumers, particularly those with pre-existing conditions. Further, these actions destabilize the health insurance markets. "

The other side: "Providing more flexibility to short-term health plans could segment the market, but again, I think the behavior is already playing itself out such that people are already gravitating towards these plans, or no coverage at all," says Chris Condeluci, a former GOP Finance Committee aide.

The bottom line: This is consistent with everything else that's happened under Republican control: The GOP is steadily nudging ACA marketplaces toward becoming a government-funded program for low-income people  and unaffordable for everyone else.
In his year-end news conference on Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that with the Senate split 51-49 next year they'll have to work on bipartisan issues such as a revisitation of banking legislation which would change parts of Dodd Frank. He touted 2017 as a year of "extraordinary accomplishment by any standard," but went on to say it was also "pretty partisan."

Entitlement reform: McConnell said that President Trump, Speaker Paul Ryan and him will be meeting in the next few weeks to discuss what to do about entitlement reform in 2018.

Other highlights:

On Trump's tweets: McConnell said he wasn't a fan of Trump's tweets until this week. He added that he and the President "have established a really good working relationship" and that "tax exercise kind of brought everything together."

McConnell said he wasn't a fan of Trump's tweets until this week. He added that he and the President "have established a really good working relationship" and that "tax exercise kind of brought everything together." Obamacare: McConnell hinted that making any more changes to Obamacare would be difficult with the slim Republican majority, but pointed to the GOP achievement of repealing the individual mandate as part of the tax cut bill.

McConnell hinted that making any more changes to Obamacare would be difficult with the slim Republican majority, but pointed to the GOP achievement of repealing the individual mandate as part of the tax cut bill. On sexual harassment: He pointed to Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Richard Shelby who have been working on proposals for improving the sexual harassment filing process. He said he hopes to work on the policies in a bipartisan manner.

He pointed to Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Richard Shelby who have been working on proposals for improving the sexual harassment filing process. He said he hopes to work on the policies in a bipartisan manner. On Steve Bannon's influence in the Alabama election: "The political genius on display  throwing away a seat in the reddest state in America, is hard to ignore."

"The political genius on display  throwing away a seat in the reddest state in America, is hard to ignore." On DACA: McConnell refused to say he supported a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, but said that the legal immigration system should be improved  particularly stopping chain migration.

McConnell refused to say he supported a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, but said that the legal immigration system should be improved  particularly stopping chain migration. One fun thing: When asked if he planned to visit Mar-a-Lago over the holiday, McConnell laughed and said he had no plans.

Go deeper: McConnell sat down with Axios' Mike Allen on Thursday.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has seen his company embroiled in scandal over the Russian campaign. Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

A Facebook tool to show users whether they followed pages placed by Russian operatives in the 2016 election went live on Friday. It covers pages and accounts on the company's main social network and its subsidiary Instagram between between January 2015 and August 2017.

Real talk: Facebook isn't telling users who didn't follow any of the pages whether they were exposed to the divisive content in their newsfeed when, for example, it was shared by a friend during the 2016 election. That's a far broader group than those who connected directly with the accounts.

How it works:
A top Russian diplomat lambasted the U.S. decision to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons including Javelin anti-tank missiles, arguing that the move would only further fuel the conflict in the country's east, per The Associated Press.

Why it matters: Ukraine has long been seeking weapons for its fight against pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country, which has killed more than 10,000 since April 2014, AP reports. Former President Obama was reportedly considering to send lethal weapons to Ukraine. The Trump administration's decision would deepen American involvement and further strains U.S. relations with Russia.

What they're saying: Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told the state RIA Novosti news agency on Saturday, according to the AP, that the administration's decision "raises the danger of derailing the process of peaceful settlement in Ukraine."
The Department of Homeland Security has identified 16 critical parts of our infrastructure that are at risk for a cyber attack  energy, financial services, transportation, water, and defense, to name a few.

But, but, but: Adam Meyers, vice president of Intelligence for cyber security company CrowdStrike, told Axios that the focus on critical infrastructure is misplaced; he argues there are smaller hacks occurring every day "that are laying the groundwork" for even bigger attacks in the future.

Why it matters: When it comes to cyber-security vulnerabilities, the U.S. has "unlimited risk, limited resources, and a thinking enemy," according to the Director of George Washington University's Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, Frank Cilluffo.

Recent attacks on everyday items:

The Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, New York, was the biggest U.S. hospital hack in 2017, per CBS News. The computer system of the level one trauma center was down for six weeks. The head of the cyber security firm that got the hospital back online told CBS this hints at other major concerns: "Imagine that physicians, clinical staff, nurses came in one day and...all of the data in the EMR [electronic medical records] was actually just wrong and you didn't know which data was wrong."

in Buffalo, New York, was the biggest U.S. hospital hack in 2017, per CBS News. The computer system of the level one trauma center was down for six weeks. The head of the cyber security firm that got the hospital back online told CBS this hints at other major concerns: "Imagine that physicians, clinical staff, nurses came in one day and...all of the data in the EMR [electronic medical records] was actually just wrong and you didn't know which data was wrong." 500,000 pacemakers were recalled in August by the FDA due to fears of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. While there were no reports of hacks, the FDA recognized the weak-spot in pacemakers that could allow hackers to "deliberately run the battery flat," or alter its pacing, the Guardian reports.

in August by the FDA due to fears of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. While there were no reports of hacks, the FDA recognized the weak-spot in pacemakers that could allow hackers to "deliberately run the battery flat," or alter its pacing, the Guardian reports. The Equifax security breach earlier this year compromised the personal data of over 140 million people, exposing extremely sensitive information for everyday Americans.

earlier this year compromised the personal data of over 140 million people, exposing extremely sensitive information for everyday Americans. More than 30 schools in a Montana school district were targeted in a cyber hack in October, CNN reports. Hackers demanded money, or threatened to release private records on students and staff. The Department of Education warned parents and teachers that these extortion attempts have "included threats of violence, shaming, or bullying the children unless payment is received."

in a Montana school district were targeted in a cyber hack in October, CNN reports. Hackers demanded money, or threatened to release private records on students and staff. The Department of Education warned parents and teachers that these extortion attempts have "included threats of violence, shaming, or bullying the children unless payment is received." North Korea, Russia, or China aren't as likely to go for a massive critical infrastructure attack just yet, because "the U.S. has articulated there will be significant consequences," according to Will Carter, deputy director at the Technology Policy Program for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. So instead, they're aiming to gather data on Americans with the goal of manipulating people into stealing intellectual property, spying for them, and furthering their "espionage goals."

One last thing: A Pew Research survey shows that awareness of cyber vulnerabilities has grown among Americans. 70% of Americans expect a major cyberattack on infrastructure in the next five years, and 62% believe the government can handle it.
A three-judge federal appeals court ruled unanimously against the latest version of President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban, saying the policy "exceeds the scope of his delegated authority," per The New York Times.

Why it matters: This decision was procedural, the Times reports. And it will not have any immediate effect because the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order earlier this month allowing the administration to fully implement the policy for now. But, the high court had also urged appeals courts reviewing the case the make a ruling  a sign that it intended to take up the issue, according to the Times.

The current policy is the third iteration of the ban, and the nations included are Syria, Libya, Iran, Chad, Somalia, Yemen, North Korea and Venezuela.
23 December 2017 11:01 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

An extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of the VTB Bank (Azerbaijan) will be held Feb. 7, 2018, the banks press service told Trend Dec. 22.

The meeting will be held at 11:00 (GMT +4) at the banks head office located at 38 Khatai Avenue.

The meeting will discuss election of secretary of the extraordinary general meeting of the banks shareholders and the composition of the banks Supervisory Board.

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23 December 2017 11:59 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The Armenian side always tries to delay the negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Novruz Mammadov, assistant to the Azerbaijani president for foreign policy issues, head of the department, said at a briefing in Baku on Dec. 23.

Today there is a great tension in the world and this tension worries the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs as well. From this point of view, it is almost certain that attention to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has decreased, he noted.

"Despite this, the co-chairs recently visited the region, had meetings with the Azerbaijani president. Representatives of the European Union and OSCE also met with the Azerbaijani president and they showed that processes are underway for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," added the top official.

"Meanwhile, the Russian president made a statement," said Mammadov. In other words, processes are underway, but the Armenian side always tries to delay the negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and does its utmost for this."

He said if the principles of international law are not respected, one cannot speak about stability in the world.

It is necessary to adhere to the principle of justice. Then the stability, security can be established, and a stronger development can be achieved in the world, added Mammadov.

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23 December 2017 11:13 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Majority of the Azerbaijani tourists have once again chosen Georgia for spending the New Year holidays, Nahid Bagirov, chairman of Azerbaijan Tourism Association (AZTA), told Trend Dec. 22.

"It would be wrong to link the desire of Azerbaijani tourists who prefer to travel to Georgia only to low prices for services in the country," he said. "Such a choice of Azerbaijani tourists is also explained by the close geographic location of Georgia."

"The flight takes only 50 minutes and one can drive to Georgia in no more than five hours," he said.

Azerbaijani tourists travel to Georgia not because of high prices in Azerbaijan, he noted. There is shortage of rooms in Azerbaijani hotels; almost all rooms in hotels in Guba, Gusar and Gabala districts have been booked for the New Year holidays. Azerbaijani citizens and foreign tourists show a great interest in these districts.

Bagirov added that during the New Year holidays, Azerbaijani tourists also prefer to travel to Turkey, the UAE and countries of Europe.

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23 December 2017 10:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

A New Year celebration for children in need of special care, children deprived of parental care, children from refugee and IDP families and children with disabilities has been held in the Zira Cultural Center.

Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of IDEA Public Union Leyla Aliyeva attended the festivity co-organized by IDEA Public Union and the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs.

Leyla Aliyeva congratulated the children on the holiday and wished them success.

Participants of the 4th National Forum of Azerbaijani Children thanked First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva and Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva for their assistance in organizing the event.

The forum participants presented a kalaghayi, a traditional Azerbaijani women's headgear, to Leyla Aliyeva.

New Year gifts were presented to the children by IDEA Public Union.

The children then were informed about the Resource Center housed in the Zira Cultural Center.

Bird Paradise - Aghgol National Park documentary from the series of 9 Wonders of Azerbaijan was screened.

The children toured an eco-park of the center.

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23 December 2017 12:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Since gaining its independence, Azerbaijan has turned into a modern state with a stable economy developing at a rapid pace, said Petar Stoyanov, the former president of Bulgaria and a member of Board of Trustees at the Nizami Ganjavi International Center.

The leadership of the country has the right to be proud of the achievements," Stoyanov told Trend.

"Tourism and agriculture are intensively developing, while Baku has got a new modern look turning into one of the best European capitals. Everyone can see that Azerbaijan is becoming an increasingly better place to live," he explained.

Stoyanov further noted that one of the most important achievements of Azerbaijan over the years is its opening to the outside world and raise of new generation free from the stereotypes of communist thinking, which is so characteristic to former Soviet states.

"In recent years I had many meetings with the youth of Azerbaijan. Since then, I am firmly convinced that the young people of Azerbaijan are the largest capital of their country. They have impressed me not only with the knowledge of languages, but the responsibility and professionalism with which they deal with their duties. I think this is the biggest bet for the future of Azerbaijan - the intelligent and hardworking youth, who magnificently combine the knowledge of Western universities with the ancient traditions of the homeland," he said.

Speaking about the unique tolerant atmosphere in Azerbaijan, Stoyanov said Azerbaijan is a place, which holds large-scale events devoted to religious and international tolerance.

"Azerbaijan is a truly unique example of tolerance and its citizens can rightly be proud of this. With a predominantly Muslim population, the people of Azerbaijan have a unique sense of understanding and tolerance for Christians and Jews, and in general, for all foreign cultures.

It is no coincidence that Azerbaijan is the birthplace of the great Nizami Ganjavi, whose poetry and philosophy are entirely based on the tolerance and understanding of the other, the different," he said.

Stoyanov said that in today's world, where religious and ethnic hatred, as well as nationalist influences increases, Azerbaijan should be an extremely positive example of cohabitation and tolerance.

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23 December 2017 13:35 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Presidential elections will be held in October 2018 in Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev has a high chance to be elected.

Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister and YAP Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary Ali Ahmadov made the remark addressing a conference titled "New Energy and Communication Opportunities at the Crossroads of East and West" on Dec.23.

Ahmadov stressed that President Ilham Aliyev's high reputation, rating, people's unequivocal support to his policy, the positive changes taking place in the life of Azerbaijan, the rise of country's image in the world - all these gives the President a high chance to be elected.

"I am confident that after the 2018 presidential elections we will hold the next December conference under the influence of the president's new victory with a great joy," he said.

He said that the successful economic policy founded by the national leader in Azerbaijan today is being successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev.

He said that thanks to this policy, Azerbaijan has a great role in the realization of global projects.

"The extension of the "Contract of the Century ", implemented by national leader Heydar Aliyev, is of great importance for our country, and the increase of our international reputation can be regarded as dividends of these projects."

Speaking about the fact that Azerbaijan is located at the crossroads of the East and West, Ahmadov said that President Ilham Aliyev skillfully uses the advantages of Azerbaijan.

"Thus, the implementation of global projects brings economic dividends, and our country turns into an energy communication center of the whole world. Thus, the position of Azerbaijan in the world is increasing significantly," he said.

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So, what are we going to be reading in 2018? Well, there's a plethora of big anniversaries, a promise of "the next Girl On The Train" and, of course, a certain royal wedding on the horizon - all of which will throw up plenty of possibilities.

In fact, 2018 should see a raft of books to mark the centenary of the Armistice, while others celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first General Election in which women (over 30, at least) could vote, predicts Caroline Sanderson, associate editor and non-fiction previewer of trade magazine The Bookseller.

"Ones to watch include Rise Up Women! The Remarkable Lives Of The Suffragettes by Dr Diane Atkinson (Bloomsbury, February 8). It covers the lives of more than 200 suffragettes, not just Pankhurst and the names everybody knows," she says.

"There's also a book by Helen Pankhurst, great-granddaughter of Emmeline, called Deeds Not Words (Sceptre, February 6), which looks back at the last century and the way forward for equality." Of course, the royal wedding is likely to attract some quick-response publications, she notes.

"There are bound to be books pegged to the Harry and Meghan story. Pitkin rushed out Harry & Meghan: A Royal Engagement by Halima Sadat this month, but there will be more. You can imagine there will be some funny takes on it as well, with the American-British connection."

Publishers are being much more cautious when it comes to celebrity autobiographies and there aren't as many huge advances for showbiz memoirs as there once were.

The main spring title is Andrew Lloyd Webber's autobiography Unmasked (HarperCollins, March 8), coming out to coincide with his 70th birthday.

Novels from celebrities include Never Greener (Bantam, April 5), the debut from Gavin and Stacey actress and writer Ruth Jones. There's a moving and surprisingly humorous book from Clare and Greg Wise (the husband of Emma Thompson), based on Clare's blog, which she started when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. When she became too weak to write, he completed Not That Kind Of Love (Quercus, March 1).

Denise Fergus, the mother of murdered child James Bulger, is bringing out I Let Him Go (Blink, January 25), which is bound to attract a lot of coverage. "Denise doesn't want her son to be remembered as a murdered child and with this beautifully written book, she succeeds. It's about the legal battle to change the way the law treats victims of crime, so it's campaigning as well," says Sanderson.

On a lighter note, Strictly Come Dancing contestant Susan Calman is bringing a book out in the autumn called The Kindness Quest: Dancing For Joy (Two Roads, September 6), which aims to persuade people to be kinder to each other and spread more joy.

In the world of fiction, publishers are elbowing each other in their quest to find the next blockbuster thriller, says Alice O'Keeffe, books editor of The Bookseller.

"In the past few years, domestic noir has been really strong. It kicked off with the success of Gone Girl and The Girl On The Train, so every publisher is still looking for this year's Girl On The Train. Domestic noir is still where everybody's at," she adds.

"The stand-out debut is The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (Macmillan, February 8). It's terrific. It starts with a narrator who you believe to be a wronged divorcee, whose wealthy ex-husband has traded her in for a younger version, and she talks about the revenge she is going to take. It stands out in a very crowded market."

Close To Home by Cara Hunter (Penguin, out now), about a girl who goes missing, and Lullaby (Faber, January 18) by Leila Slimani, which focuses on the power struggle between a working mother and the nanny she employs, leading to a double murder, are other novels to watch.

Romantic fiction seems to be increasingly set in Cornwall, O'Keeffe notes, following on from novels by the likes of Judy Finnigan and Fern Britton.

"There are plenty of escapist novels, and Cornwall seems to be the popular setting for commercial women's fiction. There's still a continuing craze for novels set in cafes, or about cupcakes. Maybe there's a Bake Off influence in there, too.

"Sophie Kinsella has a new book coming out - Surprise Me (Bantam, February 8) - about a couple who realise they are going to have had seven decades of married life together if all goes well, so they concoct this plan to keep their relationship fresh and exciting, which goes really wrong because a secret comes out.

"Joanna Trollope is another stalwart. She has picked a topical theme for her next book, An Unsuitable Match (Mantle, February 22), about a middle-aged couple getting married, but they both had families before - and its how their respective children get along. She's very good at taking modern life dilemmas and turning them into fiction."

O'Keeffe predicts that 2018 is going to be a good year for historical fiction, too.

"The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry has opened up the public's interest in historical fiction more. Sarah Waters has sold in big numbers and that has further fuelled interest.

"The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock (Harvill Secker, January 25) is a terrific debut by Imogen Hermes Gowar, which opens in 1785 with a sailing merchant whose boat has been missing for months, with no contact from the captain. Then one night, the captain arrives home - he has sold the ship for what appears to be a mermaid."

Broadcaster and non-fiction writer Sally Magnusson's debut novel The Sealwoman's Gift (Two Roads, February 8) takes a real event in which barbary pirates turned up in Iceland and raided the coast, kidnapping 400 Icelanders and taking them to Algiers to sell them into slavery. This tells the story of the wife of the pastor.

Keep an eye out for well-established authors, including Kate Atkinson, whose new novel Transcription (Doubleday, September 6) features a post-war secret service heroine whose life starts to unravel; crime writer Belinda Bauer, whose next psychological thriller Snap (Transworld) is out in May, while Sarah Pinborough follows Behind Her Eyes with a twisty new thriller Cross Her Heart (HarperCollins), also out in May.
TV star Gloria Hunniford has paid tribute to "brilliant" Belfast Telegraph journalist Eddie McIlwaine, who today pens his last Ulster Log for the paper.

Eddie's Ulster Log has been informing and entertaining Telegraph readers for 40 years. Last night Gloria recorded a special video message to evergreen Eddie (81), who began his Tele career back in the 1950s.

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The Loose Women star told Eddie: "You and I have been in this business for at least 100 years! I have to thank you very much because in the early part of my career in Northern Ireland you were really, really helpful.

"You were always brilliant at getting a scoop.

"You broke the news that I was getting married for the second time .

"Where you got the info I don't know - but you were spot on!"

The former BBC presenter who hails from Portadown continued: "I feel as if I've known you forever - I have known you forever!

"We always had good times when we met, and you were always very, very kind to me -you're a brilliant journalist."

Signing off, Gloria added: "Sending you much love, wish you a very happy Christmas, and a lovely retirement - If you ever retire! God bless you Eddie - we all love you!"
With her cousin Charlotte at the animal shelter

A young girl is giving up her birthday presents to save a turkey from ending up on the Christmas dinner table.

Annabelle Hope, who turns nine today, is saying no to gifts so that the money can be used to adopt a turkey for her over the festive season.

And Annabelle, from Jonesborough in Co Armagh, has persuaded her family not to have turkey on their Yuletide menu on Monday.

"I couldn't bear the thought of eating a turkey, and saving one will be my perfect birthday gift," said Annabelle.

The Cloughogue Primary School pupil asked her parents Carina and Paul to finance the rescue of a turkey by an animal charity in Moira with the money they would have given her for her birthday.

Carina said: "She says if she has any more cash from her birthday or from Christmas she wants to sponsor another turkey."

The Belfast Telegraph reported last week how Barbara Mladek's charity was planning to rescue 61 turkeys after buying them from farmers.

Carina added: "Annabelle heard me talking about Barbara's plans, and she immediately asked me to use her birthday money to adopt a bird for her.

"She loves animals and she didn't eat the turkey that was in the Christmas lunch at school the other day."

Annabelle, who is an award-winning Irish dancer and an enthusiastic gymnast, has already named her turkey Hope.

And she travelled to Barbara's Nut House Battery Hen Rescue and Re-Homing Centre In Moira yesterday to see her new feathered friend.

Paul and Carina were planning to buy a turkey for their Christmas Day meal.

But Annabelle gave the idea the chop.

She said: "I couldn't see the point of saving a turkey if we were going to eat another one."

Mum Carina added: "We are going to have a special Christmas buffet instead with no turkey in it."

Carina has three other children as well as Annabelle, and revealed that the family had recently suffered a pet bereavement.

One of their two cats, Bobby, died last week at the age of 17. But the Hopes still have a cat of a similar age, called Paddy, and a four-year-old dog, who is named Milo.

In the past Annabelle has encouraged her parents and her friends to help animal shelters.

"She's already planning a career that involves working with animals," Carina revealed.

"She has always been keen on animals and from no age she hated eating meat."
A total of 79 inmates from Northern Ireland's jails will celebrate the festive season at home compared with 93 in 2016 (stock photo)

Fewer prisoners than last year have been granted temporary release to spend Christmas with their families.

A total of 79 inmates from Northern Ireland's jails will celebrate the festive season at home compared with 93 in 2016.

Their temporary release has been granted for varying periods from yesterday until January 2, 2018.

The 2017 figure includes 35 prisoners from Magilligan and 35 from Maghaberry.

Of these, 19 are serving sentences for serious offences, including life or indeterminate sentences.

Meanwhile, six young men and three women from Hydebank Wood College in Belfast have also been granted temporary release.

All 79 will have to abide by stringent conditions.

Those who have an extended custodial sentence must have served at least 50% of it to be eligible for home leave. Prisoners on remand awaiting trial are not eligible.
Conor McSorley (18) appeared at Londonderry Magistrates Court yesterday accused of 13 offences linked to the collision on the outskirts of Derry on Wednesday night. He was granted bail and is due to appear in court again on January 11

The son of a murdered man has appeared in court charged in connection with a crash in which a young woman was critically injured.

Conor McSorley (18) appeared at Londonderry Magistrates Court yesterday accused of 13 offences linked to the collision on the outskirts of Derry on Wednesday night. He was granted bail and is due to appear in court again on January 11.

The court heard that McSorley, from Roe Mill Walk, Limavady, was in the family home when his father was murdered 16 years ago.

The defendant, who has 57 previous criminal convictions, is charged with driving while unfit through drink or drugs, driving without a licence and without insurance, and failing to remain at the scene of an accident, among other counts.

A police officer told the court that when they arrived at the crash scene on the Clooney carriageway at 9.45pm last Wednesday, they found a Renault Clio lying in a field and an unconscious woman inside, bleeding profusely from head injuries. The court heard the defendant was found close to the scene, detained by a member of the public. When arrested, he told police he hoped the victim would pull through.

Objecting to bail, the officer said the defendant's criminal record was an aggravating feature, as well as the fact that 10 bench warrants had been issued for his arrest on a single day.

Applying for bail, defence solicitor Derwin Harvey said his client was aware of the consequences of the incident for the young woman.

He added: "When aged two, the defendant was present in the family home when his father was murdered. He went into the care system and spent his teenage days in the care system.

"He accrued his criminal record during his time in the care residential system and he left there earlier this year to return to live with his mother.

"He has turned the tide in that his sustained period of not offending coincides with him returning to live with his mother.

"His alcohol reading after he was breathalysed was at the lower end of the excessive scale."

The judge released McSorley on 150 bail with a surety of 750 to return to court next month, on condition he live at an address agreed with police.
A community has rallied to bring comfort to a Belfast family whose baby daughters ashes were stolen in a burglary.

The distressing theft happened in the Ballygomartin Road area last week.

A small, clear bag containing the ashes of baby Holly  who was stillborn on November 13, 2016  was taken from a wooden box surrounded by family photos on a bedside table.

Speaking at the time, devastated mum Claire Smallwood said the burglary had left her feeling like she had lost little Holly twice.

A local community group was contacted and it discovered that the babys grandmothers also had some of the ashes.

So it set about creating a special gift for the family.

Stephen Paul of Community First said it wanted to do something to help.

He explained: We found out one of the local jewellers did a pendant on a necklace where the ashes can be put in and sealed.

I went in and met him early in the week and explained what we were doing and he donated the items of jewellery to us.

We had to make sure it was okay with the family, so we did it through a close friend to make sure everything was okay.

Stephen said he hoped it would go some way to letting the family know they are in the thoughts of local people.

It was just a wee gesture from the group, and I dont expect it to ease all the pain and suffering they are going through, but just a wee thing to say we are thinking about them.

He added: Its a wee bit of comfort. We thought that it was a great opportunity to try and do something.

Steven Harrison, owner of SKS jewellers on the Shankill Road, , said he had gifted the pendants because of what the family had been through.

Its just terrible. At least they have something to hold on to, he added.

Claire said she was very touched by the gesture.

Its nice that everyone is still thinking of us, but at the end of the day we just want Hollys ashes back. But its nice that people are coming together and thinking of us, it is nice to know.

There is still no news on the whereabouts of the ashes.

She stressed she didnt want to know anything about those who took them, she just wanted the ashes returned.

Police are also appealing for those responsible to return them.

Inspector Paul Noble said: Understandably, this has left the victim extremely distressed, therefore we are appealing to whoever entered the property to please do the right thing and return the bag to police.

Anyone in the Ballygomartin Road area on December 12 between 6.15pm and 9.30pm who noticed any suspicious activity is asked to contact police.
A member of staff has been assaulted following a robbery in Newtownabbey.

It happened at the Abbey Credit Union at Green Walk on Saturday morning.

Police said it was reported that at around 8.30am two men with scarves covering their face entered the premises and assaulted a staff member and made off with a sum of money.

Detective Sergeant Gray said: "I would appeal for anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area or who has any information which could assist with our enquiries to contact detectives at Antrim Station on 101 quoting reference number 540 23/12/17.

"Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.
Leo Varadkar said the country has 'fallen back quite a lot' with its contribution to international development aid commitments

Ireland must increase its spend on international aid, the Taoiseach has said.

Leo Varadkar said the country has "fallen back quite a lot" with its contribution to international development aid commitments because of the recession and, more recently, a very fast growing economy.

In September it emerged that Ireland's overseas development aid was well below the UN target.

The Irish Aid Annual Report 2016 showed the country spent 724 million euros on overseas development aid in 2016, which was 12% more than the previous year, but at 0.33% of Gross National Income (GNI) it was still below the UN target of 0.7%.

Mr Varadkar said: "By the middle of the year (2018) we'll have done some work on a review of our international development aid commitments.

"Ireland has fallen back quite a lot, first because of the recession and secondly, more recently, because of a very fast growing economy."

The Fine Gael leader added: "Our contribution to international development is now only about 0.3% of our GNI.

"We had been around .58 at one stage so the time has come I think for Ireland as a country to start increasing our spending on international development again and that will be part of our plans for Ireland's contribution to the world and also for our foreign policy."

Mr Varadkar said he hoped to be able to set out a schedule by the middle of the year as to how that can be done in the years ahead.

The Irish Aid Annual Report 2016, released earlier this year, showed that almost 200 million euro of the country's overseas development aid went towards the urgent humanitarian need in Syria, Yemen and other countries.

Almost a quarter of all aid went to NGOs based in Ireland.

Half the allocation was spent on development projects in eight countries including Ethiopia, Malawi and Sierra Leone.

At the time Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said the UN spending goal would be achieved in 2030.

However, Dochas - an umbrella group of NGOs - said the target needs to be met by 2025.
Boris Johnson has clashed publicly with his Russian counterpart over Crimea and Moscows alleged cyber attacks on the West, as the two men met in Moscow.

Sergey Lavrov denied claims the Kremlin had interfered in democratic elections online and accused Mr Johnson of being a hostage of untrue Western narratives on the issue.

But in a series of extraordinarily frank exchanges, Mr Johnson insisted there was abundant evidence of Russian interference in polls in the US, Germany, Denmark and France.

When the Russian foreign minister told a press conference in Moscow that Mr Johnson himself had confirmed Russia had not interfered in the UKs election and Brexit referendum, the Foreign Secretary interrupted to add: Not successfully.

The clash came after Mr Johnson issued a warning to the Kremlin that Britain was prepared and able to respond in kind to cyber attacks.

Speaking after more than an hour of talks on the first visit to Russia by a British foreign secretary for five years, both men acknowledged that relations between the two countries were at their worst for many years.

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Nevertheless they accepted their countries had a duty to work together as fellow permanent members of the UN Security Council on issues affecting global security like Syria, Iran and North Korea.

The two men insisted they had established a level of personal trust, with Mr Johnson joking that he had even handed his coat with everything in my pockets, secret or otherwise to Mr Lavrov when he arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building.

Mr Lavrov joked back: I can say that there was nothing in the pockets of Boriss coat, to which Mr Johnson responded in surprise: So you have searched it already?

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However, when Mr Johnson rejected Mr Lavrovs denial that Russia had attempted to interfere in British polls, the Russian foreign minister retorted: He is afraid if he doesnt contradict me his reputation is going to be ruined.

Mr Johnson said Russian attempts to interfere in Britains referendums and elections whatever they might be had not been successful, adding that if they had, that would have been an entirely different matter.

Mr Lavrov said the evidence produced so far of Russian attempts at interference amounted to no more than the spending of a few kopecks on social media adverts.

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I think you have made all this up in your Western community and unfortunately right now you are hostage to this subject, it is very difficult for you to climb down from the fence you have climbed.

He criticised Britain for cutting off ties with the FSB security agency over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London, complaining that UK authorities had refused to hand over information in the case.

He said the takeover of Crimea had been approved by a referendum of its citizens unlike the break-up of the former Yugoslavia

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And he said that UK Government criticism of politicians who speak to Russian media outlets like the RT TV channel did not reflect well on the UK.

We are concerned that the cradle of democracy, the United Kingdom, sees the vilifying of people for speaking to Russian media, he said. It doesnt add to the good reputation of the Government, unfortunately.

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Earlier Mr Johnson was rebuked by his host for speaking in public about their differences. On the eve of the talks, Mr Johnson sent a blunt message to the Kremlin to stop its use of cyberspace to disrupt Western countries.

He told reporters: The UK is certainly prepared and able to respond, should we so desire.

Facing Mr Johnson across a conference table at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Guest House in Moscow, Mr Lavrov said: It is no secret that right now our relations are at a low point.

You prefer to talk about these reasons publicly, whereas we would prefer to talk about our mutual concerns not before a mike and at a tribune, but directly.

In a move likely to further aggravate his Russian hosts, Mr Johnson later laid a bunch of red roses at the spot on Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge where opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was assassinated in 2015.
Tributes left by the Aldi in Skipton (Pat Hurst/PA)

A 44-year-old man has appeared in court charged with murder after a doting mother and a loving wife was stabbed to death at the supermarket where she worked.

Customers pinned down a man after 30-year-old Jodie Willsher was attacked at an Aldi in Skipton, North Yorkshire, on Thursday.

Neville Hord appeared at York Magistrates Court on Saturday where he was remanded in custody in a hearing lasting three minutes.

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Hord, of Great Horton Road, Bradford, stood in the dock flanked by two security officers.

Wearing a blue quilted t-shirt and grey shorts, he spoke only to give his name and confirm his date-of-birth and address.

He was handcuffed as he was led up stairs into the dock in the centre of the large courtroom, but these were taken off as the hearing got under way.

There were no family members in court.

Balding Hord was told he will appear again at Leeds Crown Court on December 28.

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Mrs Willshers husband Malcolm described his wife as lovely and warm, and always having a smile on her face.

She was amazing, beautiful and a lovely person. She was a doting mother and a loving wife, he said in a statement.

North Yorkshire Police said Mrs Willsher suffered multiple serious injuries and died at the store on Keighley Road at about 3.30pm.

Colin Breslin, regional managing director at Aldi, said Mrs Willsher was a much loved and popular colleague, and that they were all deeply shocked and saddened by her murder.

The town councils mayor Andy Rankine said those who live in Skipton were in shock and grieving over the loss of Mrs Willsher.

Floral tributes to her have been left at the edge of the police cordon around the store, which is closed until further notice.
A minority Muslim group has launched a nationwide initiative this Christmas to bring some festive cheer to the elderly and isolated.

Young Ahmadi Muslims from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) will be visiting care homes and hospices as well as providing a free taxi service to the elderly on Christmas Day.

AMYAs members hope to carry out more than 2,000 visits to spend some time with people who might otherwise be on their own, the organisation said.

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They will also visit homeless shelters where they will prepare warm meals and gift bags.

One of AMYAs initiatives will see 50 members in Yorkshire offering a taxi services to more than 100 elderly members of the local community and take them to YMCA centres.

Members will serve them, sit with them, pack them a meal for Christmas Day, then take them home, the organisation said.

AMYA said it was hoping to beat last years record of feeding over 1,600 people, donating 336kg of food and 100kg of clothing and visiting 1,500 isolated adults.

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The organisation said in a statement: This campaign is particularly important to us as we feel that it offers our youth vital training and personal development, which helps to shape them into productive, conscientious and well integrated members of British society.

Moreover, it enables us to demonstrate the motto of our community: Love for all, hatred for none.

On New Years Day AMYA has planned a clean-up of Britains streets involving 500 members who will go out litter picking after 7am prayers.

There are an estimated 35,000 Ahmadiyya in the UK, while AMYA itself has around 8,500 members across its 124 branches.

Ahmadiyya are regarded as blasphemous by radical Islamists because they believe Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who founded the movement in the late 19th century, to be the messiah promised to Muslims in the Koran.

The sect is widely persecuted in Pakistan and in November it emerged threats had been made to the Ahmadiyya community in Britain, prompting some mosques to install metal detectors.

In March last year, Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah was murdered by extremist Tanveer Ahmed because of his religious views.

Ahmed, a taxi driver, travelled from his home city of Bradford to carry out the killing after identifying his target through social media.

As he was jailed for a minimum of 27 years, Ahmed shouted: Praise for the Prophet Mohammed, there is only one prophet.
Tensions have been simmering between the two countries (AP)

Turkey's president has criticised the United Arab Emirates' foreign minister, who retweeted a post which accused the Turkish leader's Ottoman "forefathers" of mistreating Arabs and stealing manuscripts from the holy city of Medina.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on UAE foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan to "know (his) place", without naming him directly.

Mr Erdogan said the Ottoman Pasha who governed Medina between 1916 and 1919 was protecting the holy city and its treasures, adding: "O you poor (man) who is slandering us, where were your ancestors at the time?"

The squabble comes at a time when Turkey has sided with Qatar in a diplomatic dispute with the UAE and other Gulf nations over Doha's alleged support to extremists and overly warm ties to Iran.
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This month, on the evening of December 7, my wife and I felt the pang of irony--we were now renting an apartment in East Flagstaff, and we were busy organizing a meeting on climate change at the East Flagstaff library to support the groundbreaking, spectacular, emerging Flagstaff Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

But around 7 p.m., we received notice to evacuate our home in Fallbrook, California. The San Diego Lilac Hills fire was spreading westward, rapidly, cruelly, toward our Fallbrook home. What made it even stranger was that in May 2014, the same thing had happened to us, as nine fires going on simultaneously had forced us to prepare for evacuation from the same area.

A once in blue moon incident, they said back in 2014. They said the same thing again last week.

Travel anywhere. You can see the cause of our troubles today: gas-driven automobiles, diesel-propelled trucks, coal-consuming powerplants, jet-fueled planes, carbon-producing forest destruction, all increasing yearly. Globally, the carbon-eating machine continues in lockstep. And the puzzle pieces, the impacts, fit together-melting arctic ice, ever more powerful hurricanes, and mega fires that rip through communities like Lilac Hillsor here in Northern Arizona, the shorter winters, the shrinking flow of the great Colorado, heat records, and mounting aridness. To us the anecdotal evidence confirms the underlying science as incontrovertible.

Now witness the full-scale, frontal attacks on large swaths of this countryCalifornia, Puerto Rico, Texas, Florida, Montanaand the indirect attacks on Arizona, Colorado, Alaska, costing billions in property destruction, and costing lives, especially of the poor who cant move, and the old who are not able to move fast enough.

Scientists recognize the reasons for these catastrophes, but some of our leaders are in dismissal. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, we did not say it was because bombs fell and ships sank, we readily identified the culprit. Similarly we identified the Ebola virus, rather than fumble around with its bloody symptoms. With lives clearly at stake, nobody disregarded the scientific advisories on dealing with that crisis. But the response to climate change has been unique: actual ban of the words climate change, calling climate science a hoax, cuts in research, and the promotion of folks in leadership who want more climate change!

Even the global attack--in excruciating droughts in Africa, record temperatures approaching 125 degrees in the Middle East, massive ice melt in Greenland and at the poles--seems to be dismissed, together with the pleas and resolutions of all countries save one at Paris and Bonn. Bill MCKibben of 350.org has likened climate change to a war we are losing not because it cannot be won but because we do not recognize it as a war.

But it is a war, which we must win! We must mobilize at the grassroots. And we must counterattack by supporting strong climate action plans such as the one emerging in Flagstaff. As a start these plans reduce the import of oil and gas and coal, keep income local, reduce gas guzzling transportation, promote water conservation, rescue our forests and tourism, and ultimately bring jobs and prosperity to our community.

And we must counterattack on a national level, too. Through pressure from below, our legislators must adopt a carbon fee and dividend approach to shift us out of fossil fuels into more accurately market-priced energy such as wind and solar. And as the Citizens Climate Lobby urges, we must support national unity in which Republicans and Democrats work together to implement this policy. With popular engagementwe can succeed in rallying the resources and capacity of our country to defeat this ogre. We can win!

Please, Senator McCainwe ask you to join our fight in this effort across Arizona at the grassroots. The once in a blue moon attacks are bound to increase. We need to face the enemy now. And you, Senator McCain, having stood strong in one war, should help us stand up in another, as a patriot, and take a first big step. Endorse the carbon fee and dividend plan at the national level. Inspire us!

And, yes, our Fallbrook home survived, less than 1,000 yards away from the fires edge. We take it as another warning for us all.
HUNTERTOWN  One of the Fort Wayne areas newest businesses is already proving to be equally popular amongst kids and nostalgic adults alike. Beyond that, its opened the door to a whole new world of competition for enthusiasts statewide.

Wizards World is the newest addition to the presently booming Lima Plank Mercantile in Huntertown, offering around 30 pinball machines  some brand new and some older than 40  to scratch your inner childs arcade itch.

Mike Burgess owns the new Huntertown arcade, and Matt Ogden of Kendallvilles Ogdogs Pinball Pleasures serves as technical director.

Its something Ive wanted to do since I was a kid, Burgess said, fondly recalling the first time he played pinball at a Laundromat when he was 5 or 6 years old.

Burgess bought some machines in the 90s, and collecting has been his pleasure ever since. The arcade was his way of bringing his collection to the public.

The venture isnt all about leisure, though, as Wizards World plays host to International Flipper Pinball Association knockout tournaments the third Monday of each month.

Monday, Dec. 18 was the arcades inaugural tournament, with competitors being paired up with random players and continuing rounds until one player without three losses was left.

Thirty-six competitors showed up, making it the states third-largest tournament in 2017.

Burgess said while players of all skill levels were represented, the goal for some was to qualify for the Indiana State Pinball Championship. Mondays tournament and another held in Lafayette on Tuesday were the last chances to qualify before the end of the year, so it came as no surprise that the Wizards World tourney attracted some illustrious competition  including current state champion Tommy Skinner and Matt Peace, whom Burgess is convinced will be the next champion.

Hes given me the champions curse, Peace said jokingly.

Also in attendance Monday was Dan St. John, owner of Lafayettes Main Street Amusements and host of Tuesdays tournament. Burgess competed there as well.

Burgesss next goal is to work on boosting his state rank. At the start of the Dec. 18 inaugural tourney, he ranked 26 in Indiana.

In the meantime, he will continue to host tournaments at the new Huntertown arcade.

Wizards Worlds next tournament will be Jan. 15 at 8 p.m.

There is a $5 entry fee to play, and the money collected is paid out to the top four finishers. Coin drop is still required on all games.

Wizards World can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FWAPinball. The business is located at 14613 Lima Road.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/12/2017 (1790 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Based on patient volumes alone, Manitobas wait times reduction task force would propose closing the vast majority of emergency departments in Westman.

However, that same task force, whose recommendations were revealed by the province this week, explained those statistics alone do not seal the fate of any emergency room.

Prairie Mountain Health CEO Penny Gilson wanted to make that point clear.

Data from Prairie Mountain Health

Sometimes for all the right reasons, we deliver services in rural areas that dont have the volumes that larger areas or communities would have.

In those occasions, we look at ways to mitigate the fact that we dont have the volume. How do we keep staff competencies up? Gilson asked, referencing ongoing education and training as examples. Its a much larger picture than looking at one indicator that speaks to volumes only.

The task force is recommending the possible closure of any rural emergency department that treats 12 or fewer patients annually who qualify as Level 1 on the Canadian triage acuity scale, or 200 or fewer patients who qualify as Level 2.

Patients whose emergency visits are considered Level 1 require immediate care, such as cardiac arrest or multi-system trauma. Level 5 visits are better suited by a walk-in clinic.

After The Brandon Sun requested patient volumes for emergency departments at Prairie Mountain Health in response to the task forces findings, officials obliged. PMHs figures reveal most of its hospitals do not reach the task forces standards. Some sites, its worth noting, have experienced intermittent or prolonged suspensions due to insufficient staffing, which does impact volumes.

Based on the 2016-17 fiscal year, only hospitals in Brandon and Swan River exceed the task forces standards in terms of the number of CTAS 1 and CTAS 2 patients.

The 18 other health-care facilities did not meet at least one category.

Dauphin and Russell exceed the 12 CTAS 1 patient standard per year, while Virden well eclipsed the number of CTAS 2 patients but not CTAS 1.

Other communities, including Neepawa, Minnedosa and Souris, fell short of the task forces parameters.

The report further expresses that Shared Health Services, in conjunction with regional health authorities, establish a provincially co-ordinated service plan to integrate regional hubs, urgent care centres, primary care and EMS stations.

Its suggested 10 of the larger hospitals in rural Manitoba remain emergency departments.

When evaluating which ones should stay open, the task force notes the government should evaluate the emergency departments already delivering 24-7 care and whether there is another location within a 60 minutes drive.

While the statistics may paint a doomsday scenario for rural health-care advocates, Gilson reiterated that patient volume is one of numerous factors the province and regional health authorities would consider, along with geography, availability of primary care and the proximity of EMS stations.

Gilson said the recommendations of the wait times reduction task force, as well as the changes pitched in the much-cited Peachey and KPMG reports, would inform their discussions with Shared Health Services.

In broad strokes, however, the reports express the current number of rural emergency departments isnt sustainable.

Data from Prairie Mountain Health

Gilson said they signal a need for innovation.

I would say our lived experience in trying to sustain all of the emergency rooms, acute care facilities in our region has been challenged, she said. Theres a lot of evidence to support that, where weve had ongoing ER suspensions due to lack of human resources in particular.

I do think change is inevitable if we want to have quality, sustainable services going forward.

One option PMH has floated for years is a joint hospital between Minnedosa and Neepawa, a pitch first presented to the province in 2008.

Gilson said part of their rationale for backing the project is to ensure a critical mass of population is there to make the hospital viable. Still, she indicated volume is just one factor to be considered.

The task forces report also conveyed that most emergency care in rural Manitoba is actually primary care. It should be possible to transform many EDs (emergency departments) to collaborative emergency centres (CECs) or urgent care centres in order to provide the majority of care currently available in those EDs.

 ifroese@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ianfroese

By the numbers:

The Canadian Triage Acuity Scale ranks all emergency visits on a scale of 1 to 5, with Level 1 covering conditions needing immediate care, such as cardiac arrest or multi-system trauma, and Level 5 as ER visits for problems better suited for a walk-in clinic.

Prairie Mountain Health supplied the below figures for their emergency departments between Apr. 1, 2016 to Mar. 31, 2017, with Emergency (2) indicating the number of patients seen within the parameters of CTAS 2 and Resuscitation (1) the number of patients whose visits were categorized in CTAS 1.

As part of the recommendations of the wait times reduction task force, it is suggested any rural emergency department with less than 12 CTAS 1 or less than 200 CTAS 2 visits per year be considered as potential candidates for transformation to a non-ED (emergency department) function.
The British government has confirmed in writing that "uninhibited movement" will continue on the Irish border after Brexit.

According to newly-published documents from the UK Foreign Office, the rights of Irish and British citizens under the Common Travel Area will be protected after the UK leaves the EU.
Cleaners at one of St Vincent de Paul's homeless centres face being left out in the cold after the charity dumped one of its contractors.

This month, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW dismissed its cleaning company, Nationwide Health and Aged Services, which were contracted to clean Frederic House, a long-term refuge for homeless men in Sydney.

Shane Vining-Brown, a cleaner for St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, says he is devastated by news he could lose his job so close to Christmas. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Three cleaners now face losing their jobs at Nationwide if they cannot be redeployed within the organisation by December 31. Nationwide is also refusing to pay the workers a redundancy and said it is under no obligation to do so.

The Health Services Union, which is assisting the workers, is holding the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW to account, insisting it has a moral and legal obligation to help the workers.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who's laboured for years under the title of Europe's last dictator, is making a bid for a shiny new image as the continent's freewheeling cryptocurrency king.

Lukashenko, who's ruled the former communist republic that's wedged between Poland and Russia since 1994, signed a decree on Friday offering tax breaks and legal incentives for dealing in digital currencies in an effort to turn Belarus into an international tech haven.

"Belarus will become the first government in the world that opens wide opportunities for the use of blockchain technology," Lukashenko said in a statement on his website.

"We have every chance of becoming a regional centre in this area."
Residents living near Canberra schools are being urged to watch out for intruders during the summer holidays after a string of recent break-ins at one ACT school.

The calls come following four break-ins at Isabella Plains Early Childhood School, three of them during the most recent school term.

Schools are stepping up security measures in time for the summer holiday period.

It's understood laptops, iPads and children's bikes were taken during the break-in.

In a Facebook post, the school's principal said the robberies at the school during the past term had been targeted.
More people are spending their Christmas Day in Canberra's emergency departments, with patient numbers rising to their highest levels since 2011.

Figures from ACT Health show there's been a 14 per cent increase in the number of admissions to emergency rooms at both Canberra and Calvary hospitals on Christmas Day in the past five years alone.

There were 338 people admitted to the emergency department on Christmas Day in 2016. Credit:Rohan Thomson

Last year there were 338 presentations to Canberra emergency departments on December 25, which was the highest figure in six years.

Despite the large number of people in hospital on Christmas Day in 2016 compared to previous years, the number of admissions was still down on the average of 384 people per day during the past calendar year.
Prawns, prawns and more prawns, that's all Canberrans want for Christmas.

Across Canberra on Saturday and Sunday seafood retailers were preparing to sell tens of tonnes of cooked prawns alone.

Ocean Fresh Foods at the Fyshwick markets owner Chris Russell with some of this year's Christmas prawns. Credit:karleen minney

Ocean Fresh Seafoods owner Chris Russell had been gearing up all week for Sunday, the Fyshwick shop's busiest day of the year.

Mr Russell said the top five picks for Canberrans this Christmas had proven to be prawns at number one - of which he has four varieties for sale -, followed by oysters, lobster, crab and fresh salmon.
More than 40 kilometres of combined congestion greeted drivers on their way to family and friends ahead of Christmas, with major roads north and south of Brisbane clogged on Saturday.

By late afternoon, the delays had cleared on the Bruce Highway and the M1 was moving nicely, but drivers had been left frustrated by gridlock conditions earlier in the day.

Northbound congestion on the Bruce Highway in Burpengary just after midday. Credit:Department of Transport and Main Roads

Australian Traffic Network reporter Ben Mihan said there was a combined total of 44 kilometres of delays on the Bruce Highway and M1 at 12.30pm.

The sheer volume of traffic led to northbound congestion along the Bruce Highway for six kilometres between Bald Hills and Murrumba Down.
United Nations: The United Nations Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday in what may prove the last test of whether any amount of economic pressure can force it to reverse course on its nuclear program.

The sanctions significantly choke off new fuel supplies and order North Koreans working overseas to return home within two years.

North Korea's missiles - a growing concern. (Pictured) a Japanese Air Self Defence Force surface to air interceptor near Tokyo. Credit:EUGENE HOSHIKO

Adopted by a vote of 15-0, they were the third imposed this year in an escalating effort to force the North into negotiations. China and Russia joined in the resolution, though American officials have charged that in recent months the Russians have secretly been opening new links to the North, including new internet connections that give the country an alternative to communicating primarily through China.

Under the new sanctions, oil exports will be limited to their current level, which has already begun to result in shortages around the country. Countries around the world will be ordered to expel North Korean workers, a key source of hard currency.
Women harvest grapes at the Silver Heights Vineyard in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Due to Chinas climate, many vineyards have to bury their vines during the winter and then replant them in the spring, which increases the sophistication of Chinese wine-making. Photo: Silver Heights Vineyard

Chinas growing upper middle class and affluent population  which McKinsey & Company has projected will grow from 43.5 million people in 2012 to 225 million in 2022  have shown that they have a taste for the finer things in life.

This groups demand for high-end products will see them account for a whopping 44% of global luxury sales in the next few years, according to McKinsey.

And one luxury product for which China seems to have an unquenchable thirst is foreign wine. Data released by the China Association of Imports and Export of Wine & Spirits showed that wine imports grew to 407.37 million liters in the first seven months of 2017, an increase of 15.49% over the same period a year earlier. This wine was worth $1.475 billion, 7.65% more than in 2016.

Euromonitor data shows that Chinese people spent an average of 321 yuan ($49) on wine in 2016, up from 255 yuan in 2011. This figure includes all kinds of wine, including rice wines such as Japanese sake and fortified wine.

Chinese businesses have been keen to take a sip of this success, producing a total of 11.37 million hectoliters (a hectoliter is 100 liters) of wine in 2016, according to data cited by wineinfo.com, a Chinese wine industry news portal. This makes China one of the worlds top 10 wine-producing countries by volume.

And along with this production has come international recognition. In 2011, at the Decanter World Wine Awards, Chinese wineries took home several awards, even besting more established wine-growing regions.

While some may have seen this as a groundbreaking moment similar to when Californian wines beat out those of the old world in the Blind Wine test in 1976, Chinese fine wines still face a bottleneck.

Despite their increasingly sophisticated production, the success of Chinese vintners will likely continue to be constrained by production costs and environmental handicaps  both of which make them less competitive compared to their foreign peers.



The Silver Heights Vineyard is one of the more well-known Chinese vineyards. Ningxias climate, though colder than the Mediterraneans, is recognized as one of the better provinces in China for producing wine. Photo: Silver Heights Vineyard

Chinese winemakers in the 19th century primarily used cabernet sauvignon grapes, and this has widely continued until the present day, with the grape still being the key variety used for wine production in China. However while this grape is easy to grow in large quantities, it is difficult to make top-quality wine with this fruit and it takes a long time to ripen.

According to Edward Ragg, who co-founder with Master of Wine Fongyee Walker (MW) of Dragon Phoenix Wine Consulting, an education firm that has been in the Chinese wine industry for a decade, some of Chinas best wine producers are increasingly prepared to experiment with different grape varieties. Some have found that Chardonnay grapes are better suited to certain Chinese areas and climates. Some have also changed wine styles and have moved on to focusing on sparkling wines as the grapes used also tend to be easier to grow and harvest.

However many regions are still not adventurous enough in terms of the varieties they plant, Ragg argues.

When ripe, grapes begin their journey into the bottle.

The process of turning grapes into wine is also becoming more sophisticated at some vineyards. Though China does not have the depth of winemaking culture possessed by France or Italy, Chinese fine wine producers are taking advantage of these countries experiences.

A top-shelf example of a company that has incorporated foreign expertise into its winemaking is the Silver Heights Vineyard, which won a commendation at the 2011 Decanter awards in Paris. The Ningxia Hui autonomous region vineyard says it has been heavily influenced by French winemaking.

French winemaking traditions are important to Silver Heights. The daughter of the vineyards founder has a degree in French winemaking, and her husband worked at a historic Bordeaux winery for 26 years, explained Alexa Boulton, Silver Heights export director. This background is apparent in not only the structure and taste of our wine, but also in the very methods that we use, Boulton said.

While these methods  used to remove sediment or otherwise clarify the wine  create products that are of better quality, they also increase the price. Also increasing the price of these vintages are the materials used in the production process.

As wine is fermented, many wineries targeting the luxury market will place the liquid into oak barrels of differing kinds, which allow winemakers looking to produce complex wines to vary the color, flavor, tannin profile and texture of their wines depending on the materials qualities.

Made of oak, the barrels used to ferment the wine at Silver Heights Vineyard come from either the United States or France. Those shown above are from France. While the barrels are essential for creating a distinguished taste, they also can substantially raise the price of the wine. Photo: Silver Heights Vineyard

But costs can be high, especially if Chinese wineries follow the tradition of maturing their wines in 100% new oak. A new French oak barrel costs around 800 euros ($948), which is a significant overall cost if the barrel may only be used once for a top wine and then one to two years further for other wines, according to Ragg.

The bottles that end up standing empty on drinkers tables also are designed to influence shoppers perception of quality. Ragg points out that many brands keen to impress put their wines in expensive heavy bottles in the hope that people will, rightly or wrongly, associate the packaging with quality. So you see, with a lot of Chinese wines, often made from cabernet sauvignon, that the costs borne by the producer can be higher than in some parts of the world where lighter-weight bottles are more accepted.

For wineries looking to make a top-notch product, these techniques and production methods are a must, as every Chinese producer must fight against the countrys environment.



Fighting the environment

China does not have the Mediterranean climate in which wine production is easiest. While the worlds top wine-producing regions like Chile, Californias Napa Valley and Bordeaux have dry summers and mild winters, south China has wet summers and northern regions have harsh winters.

This means that in the south, many vineyards wage a constant battle for the future of their grapes with fungal diseases. A consequence of this is, while there are some exceptions such as LVMHs Ao Yun vineyard in the lofty mountains of Yunnan Province, most of Chinas wine is produced in its drier north and west.

To combat the windy, dry climate of these northern regions, Chinese winemakers have come up with a unique solution. As the temperatures drop, grapes grown in Ningxia, Shanxi, Shandong, Hebei and Xinjiang will be buried underground. The vines are unearthed at the beginning of spring.

Although this allows grapes to come to fruition where they may have otherwise withered, it adds to the cost of maintaining vines, requires workers with special training and a portion of the yield is sacrificed each year.

If youre producing wine in a region where you need to bury your vines during winter, even with vine burial occurring, there is still some vine death  anywhere between 5% to 10% in some vineyards in Ningxia, Hebei or Liaoning, Ragg noted.

Ragg explained that this burial requires skilled workers, which are hard to come by today, and that those who remain  primarily older workers  are asking for relatively high wages.

Massive migration from rural areas to cities has diminished the rural labor pool. According to official data cited by a 2013 report from the International Labor Organization, of the 151 million people who had moved from rural to urban areas in 2010, 58.4% were under 30. Moreover, total rural employment has declined since 2008, the report said.

While Chinas far-western region of Xinjiang does have a long tradition of growing grapes, only a small proportion of their grapes go to wine, as there is more money in China in selling dried grapes for eating rather than turning them into wine, Ragg told Caixin.

These difficulties contribute to the fact that Chinas greatest wine-producing regions in terms of sales, Shandong and Hebei, generally bring wines of lower quality to market. Stephen Zhang, sommelier at high-end Beijing restaurant Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB), said: The wine they produce, Im quite sorry to say, its much more for the financial part. The ones they produce are for quantity, and not really for customer quality. Because the Chinese at that time were not very sure about wines, but they were trying to get different color drinks.

While more and more Chinese people are becoming sure of their knowledge of wine, many of them are also sure that they prefer foreign products to domestic drinks.



Cool customers

The shelves of Pudao Wines, a wine tasting and retail chain with outlets in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong reflect this preference. The company, which says it is proud to present a broad and comprehensive selection of 1,000 great wines, has only 14 Chinese brands on offer in its flagship Beijing store. Store supervisor, Joyce Kong, notes that while the stock is set by the company as a whole, her customers prefer new world wines for a better bottle at a lower cost.

Cynthia Lau, who also works at Pudao Wines store in Beijing, told Caixin that Chinese customers usually bring foreign friends when buying Chinese wines.

Stephen Zhang says that he has noticed this among guests to TRB, explaining that Chinese wine is mostly bought by foreigners. However foreign fans of Chinese wine might find it difficult to get their hands on it in their own country, as little high-quality wine is exported.

Ragg notes that China doesnt have the wine making technology experience for producing large volumes of wine for export and its climates gravitate against large volume quality production. Even the premium Chinese wineries cannot compete on a positive quality-price ratio when it comes to exports because there are fine wines from all over the world going to mature markets like the U.K. or parts of the U.S., where there are available typically better wines for better prices.

Though this may be the case, Boulton from Silver Heights did tell Caixin that the winery is in the process of launching in several other markets at the moment.
Photo: Greg Newmarch Washington's Department of Ecology fined Greg Newmarch for building his retaining wall "above and below" the lake's high-water mark.

UPDATE: 11:15 a.m.

A Kelowna man who has been fined $21,600 by Washington's Department of Ecology says those issuing the fine have a "personal vendetta" against him.

Greg Newmarch says he has been trying to comply with the state's regulations by restoring his property to its original condition since July, but the state did not approve the way he wanted to do it.

"It was obvious at that point (in July) that I was dealing with bureaucracy that had already determined the answer, they weren't willing to listen to reasonable arguments," Newmarch said.

While he says he has built well above the lake's high-water mark, which he says he determined using the state's own regulations, the Department of Ecology determined the high-water mark was higher and says Newmarch's retaining wall is "above and below the ordinary high-water mark."

Newmarch says the state used water levels from 2017 to determine the high-water mark, despite the abnormally high spring runoff conditions this year.

Additionally, he says he had received a permit from the county prior to construction, and was unaware he needed the state's approval as well.

He believes the people he has dealt with in the Department of Ecology have been quick to punish him because he challenged them on their high-water mark determination.

"It's become a personal vendetta because I did not take these people's determination," Newmarch said. "I questioned their inconsistencies, that's what the problem is."

Newmarch plans to appeal the Department of Ecology's decision and he's confident he'll be successful.

ORIGINAL: 5 a.m.

A Kelowna man has been fined more than $21,000 for removing vegetation from a Washington Lake and constructing a building pad for a new home without a permit.

Washington States' Department of Ecology fined Greg Newmarch earlier this month for removing all the plants from Palmer Lake near his property, installing retaining walls above and below the lake's high-water mark and making a building pad, all without authorization to work on the shoreline.

The state says Newmarch violated the shoreline management act and the Okanogan County shoreline master program, and he had been warned before the fine was issued.

The order and penalty follow a notice of correction issued in November 2016, numerous technical assistance efforts and site visits, the Department of Ecology said in a statement.

Palmer Lake is located just south of the border, near Osoyoos.

Shorelines are a valuable resource in the state of Washington, and we want property owners to be aware of the permitting processes and procedures that are in place to ensure uses and development align with governing regulations, said Gary Graff, with the Department of Ecology. Violations such as these can result in costly restoration work and penalties.

The state says that water quality can be impacted when developments occur without proper measures in place to keep dirt, fill and other pollutants out of the water.

Newmarch has been ordered to remove his construction and restore the lakebed and shoreline to its original state.
'Identity Politics' Divides but Love of God Unites We ought to avoid the divisive modern culture that judges people by one's natural traits such as the color of one's skin or by one's sexual orientation.

In 2017, Australian politics has been dominated by questions and debates over identity. Whether it be the loyalties of our parliamentarians, the merits of sexual minorities being afforded additional social standing, to who can make a home in our country, rampant identity politics has been an underlying cause of division in our society.

As the year ends, many Australians remain dumbfounded at the incompetence being exposed with increasing numbers of senators and representatives revealing questions over their dual-citizenship status. Adding to the crisis of national loyalty is the scandal involving a senator having accepted funds from and tipping off a foreign citizen.

Initially when a handful of parliamentarians resigned after discovering their ineligibility to serve, some called for the supposedly outdated Constitution to be amended to provide leeway for individuals to hold dual-citizenship while representing the Australian public.

Having been an avid political observer and reader of the Scriptures, the country's deliberations over loyalty raise an even more important question that not just our parliamentarians ought to consider. That is where does our identity lie  is it as a follower of Jesus that gives us citizenship in Heaven or are we merely wanderers on this earth with no certainty in eternal life?

The Gospels remind us that it is not possible to serve two masters and those who try will be devoted to the one and despise the other (Matthew chapter 6 verse 24). Similarly, the Constitution should not be changed for incompetence or oversight to be excused, rather the nation's founding documents ought to be a symbolic reminder of the need for sole loyalty  which in moving beyond politics is a right relationship with God.

Love thy neighbor

At the very same moment that this article is being written, legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry in Australia is being passed through the national Parliament. The often-ugly debate leading up the postal survey into this matter has exposed the worst of both sides with violent attacks on Christians, and religious groups using scare mongering tactics instead of making the case for traditional marriage.

For many individuals arguing to preserve traditional marriage, their identity has been caught up in the political debate rather than being one situated in Christ. With a growing divide between "Bible believing Christians" and "liberal Christian progressives" including on the interpretation of Scripture on matters of homosexuality, it really seems that more focus was drawn on the sexual identities of certain individuals rather than raising awareness toward the need of an ultimate identity open to all sexualities  an identity in Christ...

And likewise, the excessive amounts of band wagoning and virtue signaling from many seeking to change the definition of marriage highlights a staunch lack of integrity. Prior to the postal survey, many proponents of change rallied against conservative parliamentarians for considering voting against their constituents even if their electorates returned a majority 'Yes' result.

However, nothing much has been said toward the Western Sydney parliamentarians that have voted contrary to their electorate's significant majority 'No' results. Such actions further the unhelpful premise ingrained in our society over the past decades that one's sexuality forms the pinnacle of an individual's identity.

Moving forward, the bigger question is not how churches will be impacted by such changes but rather as followers of Jesus  what will each of us will do to live lives of integrity that is centered on Christ rather than the left or right wings of politics?

Where's our real home?

The Australian government has been facing growing calls to resettle the refugees from Manus Island into the country. Such calls have also been met with growing anti-immigration sentiments with many judgments and denigrative allegations cast on certain groups simply for their differing cultural backgrounds.

In recent years, the government's decision to accept 12,000 Syrian refugees with nearly 78 percent of them being Christians has been attacked by both left-wing and right-wing activists. The favoring of Syrians from religious minorities namely Christians has drawn criticism from the left given their anti-Christian rhetoric and beliefs that the faith grants them additional "privileges" in society. On the other hand, some on the right have been staunch in their opposition in immigration from the Middle East on the unfounded basis, put simply because they are "all terrorists".

Where does your identity lie?

The Bible makes a clear argument against the divisive nature of 'identity politics', something that Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. championed as well. Our human identities ultimately don't matter whether it be ethnicity, sexuality or culture because we are all equal human beings.

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians chapter 3 verse 28) as written by the apostle Paul. We ought to avoid the divisive modern culture that judges people by one's natural traits such as the color of one's skin or by one's sexual orientation.

Similarly, the temptation lies in 21st century Western culture for individuals to identify themselves and others with a race or sexuality hence the impositions of divisive assumptions such as "the privilege of the straight Christian white male". Let us pray that we act on the words of Reverend King that individuals ought to be held to account "by the content of their character" instead of the narratives arising from identity politics.

As followers of Jesus, let us be weary of attempts to divide our loyalty away from our identity in Christ. With Christmas and the New Year approaching, perhaps it is time to stop looking at the left or right for socio-political and cultural guidance but rather back towards the centre or even above the political spectrum which is the Cross.

Jesus is our passport that allows us to fly over the sinful and downfallen state of human power struggle (earthly politics) to a better future.

Roydon Ng is a Christian and freelance journalist from Western Sydney. Roydon Ng's previous articles may be viewed at: http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/roydon-ng.

This article is courtesy of Press Service International and originally appeared on Christian Today Australia.
What's Happened Since a Texas Baptist Church Affirmed Homosexuality? How did a Texas Baptist church start out examining the same-sex dilemma facing the Church and then move to full affirmation of homosexually active behavior?

In November 2016, a prominent Dallas-area Baptist church cast a 577-367 vote to extend full membership to homosexually active people, including leadership ordination and marriage officiation. "Open to all, closed to none," is now Wilshire Baptist Church's proud slogan.

It's been one year since the church's controversial vote made headlines. What's happened at Wilshire Baptist Church since then? To find out, the Institute on Religion and Democracy conducted a phone interview with Wilshire Baptist's Senior Pastor George Mason.

Some church members have left, while others have joined. But Mason insists Wilshire continues to be a fruitful and orthodox church, depending on how you define fruitful and orthodox.

Moving towards LGBTQ affirmation

My first question was: how did a Texas Baptist church start out examining the same-sex dilemma facing the Church and then move to full affirmation of homosexually active behavior?

Long before Wilshire's congregation voted or even considered a proposal on same-sex behavior, the church conducted a 14-month study to closely examine LGBTQ issues. The study was conducted by 19 church-elected representatives as part of an "Inclusion and Diversity Study Group."

"This was sort of a way of helping the congregation hear about the Biblical [sic] and science and experience and different ways of looking at the issue that the study group was wrestling with," said Pastor George Mason.

Upon completion of the study and before any proposal was made, the group presented their findings during a two-hour long seminar. (You can watch the entire seminar on YouTube here.)

"From that point, there were also roundtable discussions that we had where people had five opportunities to come and draw a number and randomly be placed at a table with others in the congregation who wanted to talk about their experience with this, their point of view, their way of thinking about it, just listening to one another and share," explained Mason.

Next, the study group came to its conclusion, with the majority advocating full LGBTQ affirmation and a minority dissenting. Each presented their reports to the congregation. The church would soon vote on the majority's recommendations.

"There was a church-wide meeting in which the recommendation was presented and we spent about two hours hearing from people in the congregation for or against the motion. And then after that, we voted," explained Mason.

In fact, Wilshire's congregants voted over two Sundays to be sure all members had the chance to cast their ballots. "Interestingly, it was the Sunday before the national election and the Sunday after, so there was a lot going on," added Mason.

A total of 944 Wilshire members voted, with 577 in favor of full LGBTQ affirmation.

Losses versus gains

Fallout from the vote is what Mason calls "the biggest misjudgment of my ministry."

Clarifying, Mason explained he was shocked by "the consequence of the number of people for whom this would be a decision they could no longer remain in the church."

"So my miscalculation was that I knew that there would be a lot of people who would vote 'no' on this. What I didn't know was they would leave over it," admitted Mason.

At the time of the vote in November 2016, Mason noted Wilshire claimed about 1,500 active, resident members. After the vote in favor of LGBTQ affirmation, not all of those members continued calling Wilshire their church home.

"Months later, after the bleeding had stopped, the church counted its losses: About 250 members left, taking $700,000 of annual giving with them," Advocate Magazine reported in November 2017. "Three Sunday school classes of older adults disappeared altogether."

Mason confirmed the Advocate's report of membership loss was accurate. However, he assured me new members continued to join Wilshire. Nearly 120 have joined since last November, he said later on in the interview.

"Let me say, yes we've lost these members. But again, we've gained back nearly half the ones we've lost. Maybe forty percent at this point," explained Mason. "So yes, our numbers have declined in attendance. But I would remind us all numbers are declining in American Christianity all across the board. Year by year churches are all struggling with their attendance and their participation."

For Mason, the decline in church attendance across the nation, as he notes, has to do with the growing rise of secularism in the West. Mason holds firm LGBTQ affirmation has less to do with a church's decline.

"I think to put such a fine point on saying churches that choose to include LGBT persons fully or to affirm them are sort of the litmus test to whether you're going to decline or you're going to continue to grow, I don't think that's fair."

Wilshire's efforts were done in the name of inclusion and diversity. What I wanted to know was have their efforts actually resulted in more people from a variety of backgrounds?

"It's not like we've seen a lot more African American folk or Latinos," began Mason. "But the question really that we were asking is does that include LGBT persons. And so we were answering that question with this vote. The answer was yes it should, and it does. And yes, we have had a number of gay Christians join the church. And even more than that worshiping with us."

However, the majority of Wilshire's new members are not LGBTQ people, as Mason candidly offered.

"The majority of peopleand there's more than 100 now who have joined since the vote, maybe about 120 at this pointare not gay, but they want to be in a church that has no restrictions on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity," said Mason. "But it's not like Millennial gay people have joined our church in droves or anything like that. More of them have been middle age and Millennials."

Research does suggest younger Evangelicals are increasingly more likely to affirm same-sex marriage than their older congregants. A recent Pew Research Center survey shows that while Millennials are still relatively conservative, 45 percent of younger Evangelicals favor same-sex marriage. By contrast, the survey found only 23 percent of Evangelicals born before 1981 favor same-sex marriage.

"It doesn't take much to convince a Millennial that this is a decision the church should make. It does take a lot more to convince an older person who has grown up in a more traditional evangelical-like church," commented Mason.

Following the footsteps of liberal Mainline Protestants?

A driving force behind Mason's personal advocacy of the Church's LGBTQ affirmation seemingly stems from his compassion for same-sex attracted Christians who are fated to a life of singleness and celibacy in non-affirming Evangelical churches.

"It seems to me [Evangelical churches] don't have a fruitful path for gay Christians in non-affirming churches. I think if you try to think about where that leaves the Church, it leaves the Church with many gay Christians who do not have a way to exercise their spiritual gifts on behalf of the body of Christ in a healthy, wholesome way. They are forced to be among us, if they are at all, as people who must be alone."

Of course, there do exist affirming denominations. Consider Mainline Protestant denominations such as the Episcopal Church or the United Church of Christ.

During the interview, I pointed out Washington D.C.'s massive Mainline Protestant sanctuaries that tout rainbow flags and yet see sparse and aging Sunday morning attendance.

Is it then that Wilshire is following the declining trajectory of some Mainline denominations who have adopted revisionist sexual ethics? Of course, Mason hopes not, but he offered, "Honestly, I don't know the answer to that question. I think we're going to have to see."

"Honestly, one of the difficulties for gay Christians is that they've had to choose between non-affirming churches or affirming churches that are single-issue churches. And we don't think that's necessary for us," stated Mason. "We think to continue to be a church that has held to Christian orthodoxy in a healthy and whole way of presenting the Gospel and they can join us."

What Mason does know is he doesn't feel the need for his church to specifically advertise its LGBTQ affirmation with signs or rainbow flags outside the sanctuary.

"Now, in terms of our own church, what we're going to try to do, I would say the answer to that is we have not taken the approach that we are going to make LGBTQ inclusion a single marketing issue for our church, so to speak," explained Mason. "We don't have it out on our sign. We don't have rainbow flags. We don't actually think that most gay Christians want to be singled out in some way. They want simply to be the body of Christ."

And how about affirming Evangelical churches like the Nashville-area megachurch GracePointe? The IRD's Jeffrey Walton, Anglican Programs Director, recently reported the major decline of GracePointe, a Nashville-area megachurch. After GracePointe's Senior Pastor Stan Mitchell announced the church would embrace same-sex marriage, the megachurch lost more than half of its members and is experiencing financial strain.

"GracePointe for instanceI don't know them very well, but I know who they are. Any of us might ask, if GracePointe were starting over today, if they were just to start and were to be the size they are and are an inclusive church, would we consider them to be a substantial congregation with a significant mission?," Mason asked. "And I think the answer to that is yes. Because they once were of a larger size and because of this matter they are smaller, does that mean they are an insignificant church now? I don't think so."

He continued, "I think this whole question of what makes a congregation important in the kingdom of God...we have to have broader definitions of measurement of faithfulness, and vitality, and all of that than merely we once were this large and now we're this large."

Questioning orthodoxy

Most interestingly, Mason takes issue with how orthodoxy is being defined by conservative Christians.

"I often hear people, more conservative Evangelical people and Orthodox, Catholic, and whatnot, that this is a heretical point of view. For instance, it's not part of Christian orthodoxy," elaborated Mason. "And I'd just ask us to think about whether historically orthodoxy includes the question of marriage or if we've not added that as something we're now adding to the doctrine of God, the Nicene Creed, all of that."

Seemingly, Mason suggests conservative Christians are adding new, restrictive layers on what constitutes orthodoxy.

"So often what I start reading from people who are saying this is not orthodox or it's Christian heresy, I want to say, 'Where in the creed are we in violation?' And then they'll want to say, 'Well let's go to the Bible, the Bible plainly says.' Alright, the Bible is not where we talk about Christian orthodoxy," claimed Mason.

He added, "Historically, when we've talked about orthodoxy we've talked about it in terms of our creedal tradition of what orthodoxy is which has to do with who God is, with who is Jesus Christ, what is salvation, what is the nature of God...we have not had as part of these creeds, marriage is between a man and a woman only."

Who gets it wrong?

Wilshire made headlines in 2016 when his state's Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) swiftly severed ties with Wilshire for its departure from traditional Christian teaching on marriage.

The dissolved affiliation meant Wilshire could no longer send representatives, called "messengers," to BGCT's annual meetings; contribute funds to mission projects; or have congregants participate on the convention's leadership boards and committees.

I found 215 churches in Dallas listed as affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. They include congregations such as Afrika Community Church, Gospel Light Eritrean Baptist Church, Iglesia Bautista Agape, and Brazilian International Baptist Church. Diverse in many ways, but not in their teachings on marriage.

When asked if these pastors from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds get the LGBTQ issue wrong, Mason answered, "I'm only responsible for, I think, what we do and for the decisions we make."

He continued on:

What other people do is something they're responsible for. I don't judge other people's decision about that. I do advocate, personally, for LGBT inclusion but I try not to interfere in other people's churches about that because in our understanding of church as Baptist, even though we participate in conventions and the like, we're not a connectionalist body. We're not a denomination that makes a decision as a denomination. We're a denomination that makes decisions as local churches.

Although Mason personally advocates for LGBTQ affirmation, he assured me he is not angry with conservative Christians who hold a traditional understanding of marriage. In fact, he says he held a traditional view of marriage for most of his ministry.

"God in time may prove that I was wrong about this, or that our church was wrong. I don't know that," concludes Mason. "But we only have this moment to be responsible for the decisions we make. And so I'm willing to live with that."

One final thought

It was my intention to let the interview speak for itself, free of cluttering commentary from my countering opinions. (Although the ironic twist of roles was not lost on me. An older, white Baptist gentlemen advocating LGBTQ affirmation talking with a fully disclosed young Millennial woman writer who works for a conservative Christian think tank.)

However, I will add one comment here. It seems to me that Pastor Mason is not confident Wilshire will follow the more fruitful trajectory of orthodox evangelical churches. Instead, I believe he hopes to revise the definition of what it means to be a fruitful and orthodox church.

Can Wilshire steer away from becoming a once-effective church now aging and dying, like so many affirming Mainline churches? Mason is right, only time will tell.

I do pray for the success of Wilshire Baptist Church and for Pastor Mason. I pray the Holy Spirit reveal truth to Wilshire's leadership and congregants and that they might share the undistorted Gospel and, ultimately, minister to lost souls in their Dallas community.

Originally posted at Juicy Ecumenism.

Chelsen Vicari serves as the Evangelical Program Director for the Institute on Religion and Democracy. She earned her Masters of Arts in Government from Regent University and frequently contributes to conservative outlets. Follow her on twitter @ChelsenVicari.
Why We Need Heroes Today The world seems to have a fascination with heroes.

The world seems to have a fascination with heroes, super humans with amazing abilities (and great outfits) who fly/run/teleport in and save the day. Marvel and DC are huge corporations releasing movies that people can't wait to see, action figures that kids (and, sadly, adults) have to have and costumes to dress up in and imitate our favorite characters.

This year's "Wonder Woman" was the highest grossing superhero origin film of all time, $821.749 million made worldwide. Obviously, a lot of people (including me) wanted to see Diana Prince realize her powers and kick some butt.

There is something deeply satisfying about seeing someone recognize that they have the ability to change the world, and making it happen. I get goose bumps when Batman appears back on the scene to fight Bane just as it seems all is lost, when Iron Man sacrifices himself to take the tesseract into outer space and away from planet earth (more specifically, New York, which is always copping it in these types of movies) or when Wolverine races to his death to save his daughter and her friends.

Of course, in all these movies, the super heroes are fighting super villains, other people with extraordinary powers who are using their abilities for evil, not good. I can only speak for myself, but I know I don't get goose bumps when evil seems to be triumphing, it's the fight against it that draws me in. Therefore, it seems it's not the "super" we are drawn to, but the "hero".

We need to know that people exist who will fight for what's right, who are willing to sacrifice everything, to protect who and what they love. Ethics scholar Dr Scott LaBarge says:

"We need heroes first and foremost because our heroes help define the limits of our aspirations. We largely define our ideals by the heroes we choose, and our ideals -- things like courage, honor and justice -- largely define us. Our heroes are symbols for us of all the qualities we would like to possess and all the ambitions we would like to satisfy."

It is so important that we both have people we can look up to, and that we are the kind of people others can look up to. This isn't about hero worship, this is about recognizing our abilities, our 'powers', and doing what we can to change our world, no matter how small that may seem.

The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, said to follow his example, as he followed Christ's (1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 1). It takes a lot of guts to be able to say to a whole group of people: act how I act, speak how I speak.

Paul could confidently say this because he looked up to the ultimate hero, Jesus Christ. His aspirations were things like, healing the sick, feeding the hungry and ultimately bringing life to everyone around him. Sounds pretty heroic to me. By telling the Corinthians to follow his example, Paul gave them a living, breathing model to look up to. He wasn't being arrogant, he just trusted in the example of Jesus.

Everyday heroes

Likewise, while I look ultimately to Jesus, I need to fill my life with people who I can watch and hear, who I can speak to, so I can follow their example. Everyday heroes, making their world a better place.

The quote above states that our ideals and aspirations are based largely on such people, so it's important that we choose our heroes well. As cliche as it may be, my mum and dad have always been my heroes. Two people who show me everyday what it means to love unconditionally, give generously, to look out for the littlest and the least. My marriage benefits every day from the example my parents show, and I pray that I am half as compassionate, understanding and loving toward my daughter, Lucy, as my mum is toward me. I want to be able to tell Lucy to follow my example, as I follow Jesus'.

Even as I write this article, I know it bears a striking resemblance to a sermon from our youth pastor many years ago, Steve, another hero for me to look up to. Who we are, what we do, and what we say matters even years on, and we may never even know how that may impact our world.

We can be heroes

If you're anything like me, you read the title of this article and instantly heard David Bowie singing in your head (if you thought of the Chris Lilley show, I'm sorry, I don't have an analogy for that right now). If you did, it's quite apt, as that song led to the German government thanking Bowie posthumously for his part in bringing down the Berlin wall. Bowie wrote that song about lovers from either side of the wall, and performed it in West Berlin in 1987, and was being admired and applauded for it years later, in 2016, even after his death.

This world needs heroes. Not super heroes in lycra, with capes and fancy gadgets, but people who are courageous, self-sacrificing, compassionate, gracious and genuine. Regular people, who can be heroes.

This article is courtesy of Press Service International and originally appeared on Christian Today Australia.
As you probably have heard, RSV is hitting early and hitting hard this year. Here at Winona Health, my fellow caregivers in Pediatrics and Family Medicine and I are fielding many questions from concerned parents and child care providers. We are always happy to be your resource!
A chapter of aviation history is closing this year, as commercial U.S. airlines bid farewell to the Boeing 747, the jumbo jet that made air travel affordable for millions of people around the globe because it could fit hundreds of passengers inside.

The double-decker plane with the humped fuselage is one of the world's most recognizable planes. But after flying the four-engine, fuel-guzzling plane for decades, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are retiring the so-called Queen of the Skies in favor of sleeker, more fuel-efficient models that are cheaper to operate. The planes are used frequently for cargo, which was part of the inspiration for the plane's design: Some models were given a hinged nose to allow for easy loading of goods.

In a sign of how efficient modern planes have become, Southwest Airlines last month announced it will offer service to Hawaii, and new, single-aisle Boeing 737s will likely do the job.

Delta Air Lines marked the retirement of its Boeing 747s this week with a six-city tour, the last U.S. airline to retire the jumbo jet.

United pulled out all the stops for a farewell flight last month. Its first 747 took off from San Francisco and flew to Honolulu in 1970. It retraced that route for the final passenger flight Tuesday, complete with a crew dressed in 1970s uniforms. Smoking was not permitted, however.

The plane will live on as a workhorse cargo jet, flown by UPS and others.

Here's a look at the Boeing 747, and how it changed the world from its introduction nearly five decades ago:
watch now

Cyberwarfare is likely to be at the center of geopolitical disputes for a long time to come, strategists told CNBC.



When asked whether ever-improving ties between China, Saudi Arabia and Russia could be detrimental to the U.S. next year, John Studzinski, vice chairman at Blackstone Group , told CNBC: "They are a reaction to the fact that the U.S. has been increasingly passive about managing its own foreign policy." While China has stepped in to displace the U.S. on the global stage, Russia has "astutely" chosen to prioritize investments in cyberdefense over military spending, according to Studzinski. This had led to Moscow becoming the "masters" of so-called "cyber foreign policy," he added. Ties between Russia and the U.S. have plummeted to their lowest level since the Cold War era. The relationship breakdown was initially triggered by Russia's annexation of Crimea and alleged part in the destabilization of eastern Ukraine. As a result, Moscow is currently enduring the sharp end of tough international sanctions from Washington.

An illustration of a hacker working at a laptop. Bill Hinton | Getty Images

However, more recently, Russia has been accused of meddling in the U.S. presidential election in order to boost Donald Trump's chances of victory. In January, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded Russia attempted to tilt the presidential election in favor of Trump. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the allegations "lies" while Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Moscow, calling an ongoing investigation a "witch hunt."

'Asymmetric means of recovering power'

Russia has been "an employer of asymmetric means of recovering power  and what is more asymmetric than cyberwarfare?" Mark Malloch-Brown, former deputy secretary general of the United Nations (UN), said in an interview with CNBC. "The Russians see it as much cheaper than an extra division of tanks (and) the Chinese see it as probably the culminating component of a rising empire's hold on things. So I think cyber is going to be at the center of competition for a long time to come," Malloch-Brown said.

T-72B1 battle tanks take part in military exercises near Murom as part of an operational meeting of the Russian Armed Forces top officials. Vadim Savitsky | TASS | Getty Images
Firefighters light backfires as they try to contain the Thomas wildfire which continues to burn in Ojai, California on December 9, 2017.

Although a cold front and calmer winds have helped aid firefighters, the massive Thomas fire in Southern California now ranks as the state's largest-ever wildfire, Cal Fire said late Friday.

The flames have charred at least 273,400 acres, or more than 427 square miles. That's slightly above the previous wildfire record of 273,246 acres from the 2003 Cedar blaze in San Diego.

"The Thomas Fire is now the largest wildfire in recorded California history," Cal Fire spokesman Brandon Vaccaro told CNBC late Friday. "The weather has been extremely cooperative, except for some winds we had earlier this week that were not bad."

As of Friday evening, the Thomas fire was 65 percent contained.

If the weather continues to cooperate, firefighters may be able to mop up the remaining portions of the wildfire shortly after Christmas, Vaccaro said. That would end the most destructive and deadly wildfire season in California history.

Just over 2,800 fire personnel were fighting the blaze as of Friday evening, down from about 4,400 crew on Thursday and well below the more than 8,000 firefighters on the lines last week.

There have been at least two fatalities related to the Thomas blaze, including a Cal Fire engineer killed last week on the fire lines.

Thousands of residents in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties were forced to evacuate due to the fire, although officials lifted the orders over the weekend in many areas.

More than 1,000 homes and other buildings were destroyed. The fire didn't discriminate, burning mobile homes and middle-class neighborhoods in Ventura County and multimillion-dollar estates in the upscale Montecito area of Santa Barbara County.

Also, Ventura County agriculture officials say the fire consumed farms with avocados and report there also was a significant impact on local livestock operators, as grazing land was scorched. Some local beekeeping businesses, who supply bees to farms for pollination, also suffered extensive losses.

The fire started Dec. 4 near the city of Santa Paula in Ventura County. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee with the other heads of the U.S. intelligence agencies in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill May 11, 2017 in Washington, DC.

President Donald Trump lambasted Andrew McCabe, deputy director of the FBI, on Twitter on Saturday.

The president repeated false statements about McCabe's wife and donations she received during a 2015 campaign for Virginia state senate.

@realDonaldTrump: 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 wife's campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation?

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a close friend of Hillary Clinton, donated almost half a million dollars to Jill McCabe through his political organization. Later, Andrew McCabe would help oversee the Clinton email investigation.

Trump also tweeted about reports that the deputy FBI director intends to retire in early 2018.

@realDonaldTrump: FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!

The president's remarks come after The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that McCabe plans to retire after he becomes fully eligible for pension benefits.

A Justice Department official told NBC News that there McCabe has not formally notified the agency of his intent to retire. The official confirmed, however, that McCabe would be able to retire with benefits in March. The person said the FBI director is not required to indicate his intention to retire this early.

On Thursday, McCabe sat down for a transcribed interview with two House committees investigating the bureau's handling of the Clinton email investigation last year.

The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

 NBC News, Reuters and CNBC's Tucker Higgins contributed to this report.
Santa Claus has been preparing all year for Christmas Day, which is set to take place Monday amid a trans-continental sleigh ride.

Children need to be ready Christmas Eve to be sleeping in their beds when Santa comes, otherwise he will not be able to drop off any presents.

Now that the kids are bored of reading this article, we can get on with the real article and stop with the disguise.

Rex Carter has been one of Santas helpers in Black River Falls for 25 years, getting his start in 1992 after he was asked to be Santa for the Black River Memorial Hospital Christmas Tea.

I wore the beard and it was just seeing the mostly joy of the kids and the parents seeing their child, Carter said about why he likes being Santa.

Over the last 25 years, Carter has made special appearances as Santa at the hospital, daycare center, library, banks and the Christkindl Festival.

As Santa, Carter has two rules when interacting with kids: dont lie and also dont promise them anything.

First of all you cant bald face lie to a child, but there is the little white lie, Carter said

One of Carters favorite white lies is when children ask him where his reindeer are, to which he says they are at a farm outside of town because he cant trust the hunters.

They will shoot anything, Carter added with a smile. So you have to stretch the truth a bit.

Carter attributes his quick-witted personality to being a local actor in some plays.

I was a member of the Falls Players and they didnt have improv, but you did learn to perform and that is what you are doing. The child is the center, but you are also the center of attention, Carter said.

Carter is also known to talk his way out of being placed in a hard spot by children including when asked if he is the real Santa. His response is always, Well do I look like the real Santa?

Carter said children will often fill in the blanks and move on, which is why he loves the innocence of the children that sit on his lap every year.

One time Carter went to someones house as Santa, and when he left the kids showed their true innocence.

The next day when I came to work the grandmother said that after I had left, the kids went to the window and were looking for the reindeer leaving, Carter said. That is how innocent kids are.

Carter becomes Santa every year because of the kids, but he said being Santa is also about the parents and getting a picture for them, which can be hard to do sometimes.

Seeing Santa is a scary thing, Carter said. There are a lot of parents who come and dont expect to be in the picture because at home they have prepared the child.

Carter has noticed that having a bench next to Santa can help sometimes so the parents can sit with the child and act as a buffer.

Being scared sometimes also makes children forget their list completely. Carter has seen where kids will copy what the kid in front of them said when this happens.

While the kids can ask for many things, Carters wife Mary is always wondering about two specific answers, I always ask him what was the saddest thing and what was the cutest thing.

While most kids ask for toys, sometimes the childrens requests are much more heartfelt.

Ive had children say that they would like their dad back from Iraq. That just about brings a tear in your eye, Carter said.

Besides the answers kids bring him every time he is Santa, Carter especially enjoys watching children grow up year after year.

When you see the kids every year, you kind of see how the kids grow up. One year they may be a little timid to Santa, but next year they might be a little bit better, Carter said.

Carter is also currently a school bus driver for the Black River Falls School District, which posed an interesting question one day when he had his beard grown out.

I was a sub bus driver at that time and I had these little kids that wanted to be elves, Carter said adding that he then asked if they were good at building things. They fell right into that.

Despite all of the children he has been Santa for over the last 25 years, Carter is now excited that he can be Santa for his granddaughter Savannah. I got to be her first Santa.
Can't seem to get past this. Everything I do is giving me an invalid cast exception.



I'm using GetOleDbSchemaTable ( OleDbSchemaGuid.Columns, ...) to return schema information on an Access table.



Columns that return value types are giving me problems. I'm not extremely experienced in C# so this is probably something basic.



The documentation says that the DATA_TYPE column in the resultset is a UInt16 which I should be able to cast like this: ushort DATA_TYPE = ( ushort )row.Field<UInt16> ( " DATA_TYPE" ); but that gives me the same invalid cast exception. I can't even be sure that the cast that is causing the exception is ushort and UInt16 because I'm not understanding where to look.





"(I) am amazed to see myself here rather than there ... now rather than then".

 Blaise Pascal







What I can't understand is the syntax I need to use in the generic method. I suspect it's the <t> part because that's where I'm getting "Unable to cast type Object to type long" exceptions



public T DBToType<T> ( T value ) { if ( !Convert.IsDBNull ( value ) ) { return ( T ) Convert.ChangeType ( value , typeof ( T ) ); } else { return default ( T ); } }



I'm working on a WPF app that accesses its data from a DAL class hitting SQL on a server. Pretty standard.



I want to make the calls to the DAL async. So I have:

public async Task<CompanyEntity> GetCompany( int id) { using ( var db = new JayhawkDB()) { CompanyEntity results = null ; try { var query = from x in db.Companies where x.Id == id select x; var record = query.FirstOrDefault<Company>(); results = new CompanyEntity { Id = record.Id, CreatedById = record.CreatedById, CreatedDT = record.CreatedDt, DeletedById = record.DeletedById.GetValueOrDefault(), DeletedDT = record.DeletedDt.GetValueOrDefault(), CompanyName = record.CompanyName, Abbreviation = record.Abbreviation, Notes = record.Notes }; } catch (Exception e) { throw ; } return results; } } I get a warning under the method name that says "The method lack await operators and will run synchronously..."



That message is correct. The really isn't anything here to await on. Therefore this will be a blocking call.



I want the ViewModel to call through the BL an into the DAL and have the VM await the call so the UI doesn't get blocked.



What the right way to do this?



Thanks

If it's not broken, fix it until it is.

Everything makes sense in someone's mind.

Ya can't fix stupid.



async modifier if you've got an await in the method. All this method needs to do is return a Task or some kind, which your method isn't doing. A dirty conversion of your code to returning a Task would be:

C# public Task<CompanyEntity> GetCompany( int id) { return Task.Factory.StartNew<CompanyEntity>(() => { using ( var db = new JayhawkDB()) { CompanyEntity results = null ; var query = from x in db.Companies where x.Id == id select x; var record = query.FirstOrDefault<Company>(); results = new CompanyEntity { Id = record.Id, CreatedById = record.CreatedById, CreatedDT = record.CreatedDt, DeletedById = record.DeletedById.GetValueOrDefault(), DeletedDT = record.DeletedDt.GetValueOrDefault(), CompanyName = record.CompanyName, Abbreviation = record.Abbreviation, Notes = record.Notes }; return results; }); } }

The caller await s this code, not the other way around.



Oh, and that try/catch block is pretty much useless if all you're going to do is catch all Exceptions and just re-throw them.



System.ItDidntWorkException: Something didn't work as expected.



C# - How to debug code[

Seriously, go read these articles.



Dave Kreskowiak System.ItDidntWorkException: Something didn't work as expected. ^ ].Seriously, go read these articles.







Well duh

If it's not broken, fix it until it is.

Everything makes sense in someone's mind.

Ya can't fix stupid.



I need to know the key that is currently pressed in a C# WPF application, so:

List<Key> PressedKeys = new List<Key>(); private void Window_KeyDown( object sender, KeyEventArgs e) { if (!PressedKeys.Contains(e.Key)) { PressedKeys.Add(e.Key); txtKeysDown.Text = String .Join( " , " , PressedKeys); } } private void Window_KeyUp( object sender, KeyEventArgs e) { PressedKeys.Remove(e.Key); txtKeysDown.Text = String .Join( " , " , PressedKeys); } This works, sort of. However, it does not give me the raw input from the keyboard so when AltGr is pressed it canges from Key.RightAlt => Key.LeftCtrl + Key.RightAlt whitch is Windows interpretation according to this: AltGr key - Wikipedia[^]. I dont want this, as I want the user to be able to "bind" any key to a spesific action.



So I tried to use the user32.dll call:

[ DllImport ( " user32.dll" , EntryPoint = " GetKeyboardState" , SetLastError = true)] private static extern bool NativeGetKeyboardState([Out] byte[] keyStates); private static bool GetKeyboardState(byte[] keyStates) { if (keyStates == null ) throw new ArgumentNullException( " keyState" ); if (keyStates.Length != 256 ) throw new ArgumentException( " The buffer must be 256 bytes long." , " keyState" ); return NativeGetKeyboardState(keyStates); } private static byte[] GetKeyboardState() { byte[] keyStates = new byte[256]; if (!GetKeyboardState(keyStates)) throw new Win32Exception(Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()); return keyStates; } private static bool AnyKeyPressed() { byte[] keyState = GetKeyboardState(); return keyState.Skip( 8 ).Any(state => (state & 0x80 ) != 0 ); } }



With the function:

bool MyIsKeyDown(Key key) { return ((( byte )GetKeyboardState()[( int )key] & 0x80 ) & 0x80 )>0; }



and code implementation:

private void Window_KeyDown( object sender, KeyEventArgs e) { foreach (Key item in Enum.GetValues( typeof (Key))) { if (MyIsKeyDown(item)) { if (!PressedKeys.Contains(e.Key)) { PressedKeys.Add(e.Key); txtKeysDown.Text = String .Join( " , " , PressedKeys); } } } }



But still, windows insisted on giving me the replacement Key.RightAlt => Key.LeftCtrl + Key.RightAlt. So how do I get the key pressed on the actual keyboard?





bool ok = ( Keyboard.IsKeyDown( Key.LeftShift ) || Keyboard.IsKeyDown( Key.RightShift ) ); "(I) am amazed to see myself here rather than there ... now rather than then".

 Blaise Pascal







The problem is that I need to know what happened on your keyboard before windows do changes to it.







Anyway, what you're citing is a "sequence of key states" that translates into some operation; and has nothing to do with testing individual key states.



Your problem is determining / tracking intent once a key is pressed.

"(I) am amazed to see myself here rather than there ... now rather than then".

 Blaise Pascal



Message Closed







I don't think spam was your intention, but I'd strongly suggest that you remove the link before it gets reported in S&A and you get kicked out.

Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!







If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] Bastard Programmer from Hell



Hi All



i am trying to populate a graph from a datagridview

(Not sure if this is the best practice)



i am using a sql pivot script that populates the correct data into the datagrid



It is showing the years (last 3) in column 0 and 12 months starting from column 1.





How do i show 3 series (for the years) and the 12 months on X and the value of each month on Y.







Below my code





Thank you very much











private void DoGraph( string Title) { string ConString = CString; string CmdString = string .Empty; using (SqlConnection con = new SqlConnection(ConString)) { dataGridViewYears.DataSource = null ; CmdString = " SELECT *" + " FROM(" + " SELECT" + " year(Date) as [year], left(datename(month, date), 3) as [month]," + " SalesCatRoom as YearSales" + " FROM tblBudgetMaster" + " WHERE DATEPART(yy, date) >= 2015 AND DATEPART(yy, date) <= 2017" + " ) as s" + " PIVOT" + " (" + " SUM(YearSales)" + " FOR[month] IN(jan, feb, mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug, sep, oct, nov, dec)" + " )AS pvt" ; SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand(CmdString, con); SqlDataAdapter sda = new SqlDataAdapter(cmd); DataTable dt = new DataTable( " Years" ); dt.Dispose(); sda.Fill(dt); dataGridViewYears.DataSource = dt.DefaultView; dataGridViewYears.AutoResizeColumns(); con.Close(); chart1.Titles.Clear(); ChartArea chartArea1 = new ChartArea(); chartArea1.AxisX.MajorGrid.LineColor = Color.LightGray; chartArea1.AxisY.MajorGrid.LineColor = Color.LightGray; chartArea1.AxisX.LabelStyle.Font = new Font( " Arial" , 8 ); chartArea1.AxisY.LabelStyle.Font = new Font( " Arial" , 8 ); chart1.ChartAreas.Add(chartArea1); chart1.Series.Add( new Series()); chart1.Series[0].XValueMember = dataGridViewYears.Columns[0].DataPropertyName; chart1.Series[1].XValueMember = dataGridViewYears.Columns[0].DataPropertyName; chart1.Series[0].YValueMembers = dataGridViewYears.Columns[2].DataPropertyName; chart1.Series[1].YValueMembers = dataGridViewYears.Columns[3].DataPropertyName; chart1.DataSource = dataGridViewYears.DataSource; chart1.Series[0].Name = " Budget" ; chart1.Series[1].Name = " Actual" ; chart1.Series[0].Label = " #VALY" ; chart1.Series[0].SmartLabelStyle.Enabled = true ; chart1.Series[1].Label = " #VALY" ; chart1.Series[1].SmartLabelStyle.Enabled = true ; chart1.Size = new Size( 1000 , 450 ); chart1.Titles.Add(Title); chartArea1.Position.Height = 80 ; } } }









How do I show 3 series (for the years) and the 12 months on X and the value of each month on Y?



Data from datagridview - 3 rows





Thank you







Charting and "data grid viewing" are "parallel" operations on the same data source; one does not follow the other.

"(I) am amazed to see myself here rather than there ... now rather than then".

 Blaise Pascal



In Visual C#, I made a user control, which contains several separate "individual" properties. But I would like to make it into one. In which there is a plus sign in font of my property where users could click on it and expand it and access its members. Just like the property Location, Size, or Font.



I tried packaging all those properties into one class and use the class as the property type, but then I have no idea how to get or set the values! And the property just return the whole class as the value! There is NO plus sign for anybody to click!



PLEASE help me out! Thank you very VERY much! God bless you!!!





This Object should also use as TypeConverter the ExpandableObjectConverter.

Now you can use this Class-Object as Type for your Property.



tps://stackoverflow.com/questions/42031763/c-sharp-expandable-property[^]



Getting the Most Out of the .NET Framework PropertyGrid Control

"(I) am amazed to see myself here rather than there ... now rather than then".

 Blaise Pascal



Hi,



I have defined a combobox inside a DataTemplate.

I would like to access the selected item through the SelectedItemChanged event.

Problem: the comboBox seems to be not accessible from code behind.



Could someone tell me how to proceed?



RV



xaml:



<groupbox grid.row="1" grid.column="0" background="Transparent" margin="2,0,5,0">

<groupbox.header>

On going actions list view



<dockpanel grid.row="1" background="Transparent">

<datagrid name="dataGridActionsToPerform" autogeneratecolumns="False"

="" background="Transparent" borderbrush="Transparent">

<datagrid.resources>



<Setter Property="Template">

<Setter.Value>

<ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type GridViewColumnHeader}">

<Border Name="Border"

BorderThickness="0,0,0,1"

BorderBrush="Gainsboro"

CornerRadius="4,4,0,0"

Margin="2,0">

<TextBlock x:Name="ContentHeader"

Text="{TemplateBinding Content}"

Padding="5,5,5,0"

Width="{TemplateBinding Width}"

TextAlignment="Center">

</textblock>

</border>

<ControlTemplate.Triggers>

<Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="True">

<Setter TargetName="Border"

Property="Background" Value="LightGray">

</setter>

</trigger>

</controltemplate.Triggers>

</controltemplate>

</setter.Value>

</setter>

<Setter Property="OverridesDefaultStyle" Value="True" />

<Setter Property="Foreground" Value="Black" />

<Setter Property="FontFamily" Value="Segoe UI" />

<Setter Property="FontSize" Value="12" />





<Setter Property="Template">

<Setter.Value>

<ControlTemplate TargetType="ListBoxItem">

<Border x:Name="Border" SnapsToDevicePixels="true">

<GridViewRowPresenter VerticalAlignment="Stretch" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch"/>

<Border.Style>

<Style TargetType="Border">

<Style.Triggers>

<DataTrigger Binding="{Binding ColorProperty}" Value="Black">

<Setter Property="Background" Value="Blue"/>

</datatrigger>

<DataTrigger Binding="{Binding ColorProperty}" Value="Red">

<Setter Property="Background" Value="Red"/>

</datatrigger>

</style.Triggers>

















<datagrid.columns>

<datagridtextcolumn header="Actions"

="" width="220" binding="{Binding ActionName}">



<datagridtemplatecolumn header="Control"

="" width="50">

<datagridtemplatecolumn.celltemplate>

<datatemplate>

<combobox name="ControlActionComboBox"

="" itemssource="{Binding CollectionOfPictures, Mode=TwoWay}" selectionchanged="controlAction_SelectionChanged" selecteditem="{Binding SelectedItem, Mode=TwoWay}">

<combobox.itemcontainerstyle>



<Setter Property="Padding" Value="5"/>

<Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="LightGray"/>

<Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="1"/>





<combobox.itemtemplate>

<datatemplate>

<dockpanel>

























RV


CORNWALL, Ontario  Ontario residents, check your LOTTO MAX tickets! Last nights draw produced a bevy of winners across the province.

Seven MAXMILLIONS tickets, worth $1 million each, were sold in Cornwall, Mississauga, the Newmarket area, Oakville, Thunder Bay, Toronto and the Woodbridge area.

There were three winning MAXMILLIONS tickets, worth $500,000 each. Two were sold in London and one in Richmond Hill.

One MAXMILLIONS ticket, worth $333,333.40, was sold in Newmarket.

There were two second prize winning tickets, worth $219,189.70 each, sold in Windsor and onPlayOLG.ca.

In addition, an ENCORE winning ticket, worth $1,000,000, was sold in Brampton and an ENCORE ticket, worth $100,000, was sold in the Woodstock area.

Since its launch in September 2009, Ontario LOTTO MAX players have won over $4 billion, including 54jackpot wins and 390 MAXMILLIONS prizes, right across the province.

For each $5 play, LOTTO MAX players receive three sets of seven numbers ranging from one to forty-nine. Players must match all seven numbers, in any one set, to win the jackpot or the MAXMILLIONS prizes.

The next LOTTO MAX draw will be held on Friday, December 29 for an estimated $26 million jackpot. Players can purchase tickets at authorized OLG retailers or buy online at PlayOLG.ca until 10:30 p.m. for the draw that evening.
December 23, 2017, at 11:07 a.m., a member from the Morrisburg Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was involved in an altercation with an adult male outside of the Morrisburg OPP Detachment.

During the altercation the adult male sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer is being treated for undetermined injuries.

The OPP has notified the provinces Special Investigations Unit (SIU) which has invoked its mandate. As a result, the OPP will not be able to provide any further information. Any other inquiries should be directed to SIU Communications at (416) 622-2342.
Its important, every so many years, we take a good look at how we fund schools, said Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon). How do we  make sure our schools have what they need for the next 20 to 50 years.

Co-chairs Olsen and Rep. Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) recently convened a Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding. I serve as the only Senate Democrat on the new commission.

Wisconsin has seen studies to change the way our schools are funded come and go throughout the years. The co-chairs emphasized they did not want the work of the Commission to sit on a shelf and collect dust. The impression that the Commission existed only as an election-year talking point was clearly on the minds of some members.

As I mentioned in the hearing, Ive long been an advocate for changing Wisconsins approach to funding schools. We pay for schools, largely, with a combination of property tax and state aid. Schools are paid on a per-pupil basis.

Many school funding problems come from demographic changes happening in our state. Shifting patterns in our population affect schools. For example, Wisconsin has more children living in poverty today than ten years ago. Rural areas have seen a decline in students.

Not all students have the same needs. Different school districts have different costs. These needs are not adequately reflected in the funding formula.

To add to problems, the fallout from Act 10 and the criticizing of public school teachers had a profound effect on our schools. Teachers left or retired. Fewer college students are going into education. School districts have trouble filling vacancies. Standards for teachers were lowered. Morale is low. Student opportunities were diminished. Cuts in state aid forced taxpayers to pass referendums and raise property taxes just to keep their schools running.

Of the two major problems with our school funding, the first is the level of state aid.

Despite increases in the recently-passed budget, schools havent recovered from the massive cuts to state aid in 2011. In real dollars, public schools will be getting less in the next two years than a decade ago.

The second problem with how we pay for schools is the state aid formula itself.

At the heart of the problem is the economic disconnect between district revenues and district costs. Revenues assume education is a constant cost activity. In other words, you get so many dollars for every student.

Education, however, is not a constant cost activity. Schools have high fixed costs and low marginal costs. Fixed costs are those bills that are the same regardless of how many students attend the school. For example, keeping the building heated or the lights on are costs that dont change much even as the number of students change. As time passes, this disconnect between the way the state pays for schools and the way the schools incur costs causes a lot of problems. Difficulties are particularly acute for districts with declining enrollments.

We need to move toward an adequacy formula that takes into account fixed costs, recognizes that some students cost more to educate than others and recognizes that school districts in different situations face different costs.

We also need to reduce our reliance on the property tax to fund schools. The cornerstone of school funding should be state aid.

We must address todays school funding problems. But we must also plan for how we educate our children of tomorrow.

For too long, rules, regulations and testing requirements stifled the creativity, excitement and challenge of teaching. Our state spends so much time and money on testing and evaluating that teachers dont have the time to teach or the resources and energy to try innovative approaches. We need a different plan to meet the needs of tomorrow.

Our children and our schools are our future. A lost opportunity for a child is often forever lost.

Since the formula was first enacted, our demographics have changed and our economy has changed. Tinkering around edges is not enough.
You know the tune: Money, money, money, money. Money. The one by the OJays (For the Love of Money). We often think that when it comes to motivating or keeping our employees engaged its all about the money. Turns out that may not be the case.

According to a podcast from Donald Miller, he noted a recent survey that indicated 90% of employees prefer culture over compensation. He emphasized, Studies show that employees who fit well with their organization are likely to stay and show superior job performance.

Think about that for a minute. While what you pay someone is certainly a factor in their performance, loving what they do and whom they do it for is actually more important. In other words, culture trumps compensation.

As Miller said in the podcast, If you create a company culture of service, youll attract and retain amazing employees who will share your brands mission and dedicate themselves to brining customers back to you consistently.
Nancy Pelosi's legacy: From passing Obamacare to impeaching Trump

Congressional scholars and modern politicians rate Speaker Nancy Pelosi as one of the most consequential legislative leaders in U.S. and House history.
United Nations human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein, speaking to the BBC from the UN headquarters in Geneva, recently said he was not ruling out the possibility of genocide charges levied against Myanmars de facto leader and democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi or the army chief Min Aung Hlaing.

He said: Given the scale of the military operation, clearly these would have to be decisions taken at a high level [as the thresholds for proof were high]." He would not be surprised if Myanmar leaders were one day held accountable at an international court.

The UN rights chief added that even before the August-end resurgence of violence, he had personally called on Aung San Suu Kyi to intervene to bring these military operations to an end. I appealed to her emotional standing to do whatever she could to bring this to a close, and to my great regret it did not seem to happen.

Image: Reuters photo

According to international medical aid group, Doctors Without Borders, its field survey has revealed that 6,700 Rohingyas were killed in the military crackdown from August to September 2017.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Dhaka has reported in the first week of December that Rohingyas have continued to flee Myanmar, even after Naypyidaw and Dhaka last month agreed upon a timetable for their return home in Rakhine state. International rights watchdog Human Rights Watch has reported that as late as December 2, there was evidence that Rohingya villages were still being damaged, contradicting Myanmar governments assurances that violence had ceased before it signed the agreement with Bangladesh to start the repatriation process from January 2018.

This has caused concern to international observers since continued violence could lead to radicalisation of the Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh and their counter-attacks on the Myanmar military could worsen the situation.

However, Myanmar leaders do not appear to be serious in responding to international concerns over the future of over six-and-a-half lakh Rohingya refugees which is causing heavy social and economic burden on Bangladesh. This was evident in Naypyidaws refusal to issue a visa to UN special rapporteur Yanghee Lee, who was to visit Myanmar in January 2018 to find out procedures in place for the return of refugees and investigate increased fighting in Myanmars Kachin and Northern Shan areas.

Commenting on Myanmars refusal, Lee said, They have said that they have nothing to hide, but their lack of cooperation with my mandate and the fact-finding mission suggests otherwise. She added that she was disappointed, as Myanmars representative at Geneva Htin Lynn had told the UN Human Rights Council that they would cooperate.

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG) was adopted by the UN General Assembly (Resolution 260) in December 1948 and came into force on January 12, 1951. Till December 2017, 149 states have ratified or acceded to the treaty. Myanmar (then Burma) acceded to the genocide convention treaty on December 30, 1949 and ratified on March 14, 1956. So, Myanmar is obliged to take action in letter and spirit against genocide both in times of war and peace in accordance with the Genocide Convention.

The convention defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in the whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group". It was based on internationally recognised definition of genocide incorporated in the criminal legislation of many countries and also adopted by the Rome Statute of International Criminal Court that established the International Criminal Court (ICC).

According to the definition, acts such as killing members of the group, causing serious bodily harm or harm to mental health to members of the group, deliberately inflicting acts calculated to bring about physical destruction of the whole group or in part, imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group would constitute genocide.

However, the military junta, which came to power in 1962, never bothered about international treaty obligations. Its operations against Communist and over a dozen non-Bamar ethnic insurgent groups were notorious for gross human rights violations bordering on genocide.

In fact, the military junta, which ruled Myanmar till the 2008 constitution was enforced, had systematically worked to curtail the rights of indigenous population and Burmanise them.

The seven judges of the Rome-based International Peoples Tribunal, after holding hearings on the Rohingya issue in London and Kuala Lumpur in September 2017, have held that Myanmar was fully responsible for genocide against the Rohingya people. The tribunal judgment was based on witness testimonials both in person and over videos, as well as a long list of well documented atrocities including systematic rape, murder and eradication of identity and culture, presented by a team of prosecution lawyers.

But the moot question is, can Aung San Suu Kyi and the Myanmar Army chief be charged for genocide as suggested by the UN Human Rights Chief?

Aung San Suu Kyi, the de-facto head of state, is holding the extra constitutional appointment of state counsellor specially created for her. Officially, only the foreign ministry is under her direct control. So, her status as head of state exists only as long as the army accepts it. As only the army controls the ministries of defence, border affairs and internal security as per the 2008 Constitution, it is doubtful whether she can be successfully prosecuted for genocide by the international tribunal.

This was not the first time Rohingya issue had drawn the attention of the world body; in the past collective UN action was decided more on considerations of real-politick than on humanitarian needs. So, UNs punitive action against Myanmar over its conduct on the Rohingya issue will continue to be inconclusive and lukewarm because Myanmar is seen as critical to Chinas growing influence in South and Southeast Asia.
Genpact Limited provides business process outsourcing and information technology (IT) services in India, rest of Asia, North and Latin America, and Europe. It operates through three segments: Banking, Capital Markets and Insurance; Consumer Goods, Retail, Life Sciences and Healthcare; and High Tech, Manufacturing and Services. The company offers CFO advisory services; and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) services, such as data management, carbon accounting, human rights assessment, sustainability diligence, and ESG reporting. It also provides finance and accounting services, which include accounts payable, such as document management, invoice processing, approval and resolution management, and travel and expense processing; invoice-to-cash services, including customer master data management, credit and contract management, fulfillment, billing, collections, and dispute management services; record to report services comprising accounting, treasury, tax, product cost accounting, and closing and reporting services; financial planning and analysis consisting of budgeting, forecasting, and business performance reporting; and enterprise risk and compliance services, including operational risks and controls. In addition, the company provides supply chain advisory services, and after-sales services; sourcing and procurement services comprising direct and indirect strategic sourcing, category management, spend analytics, procurement operation, and master data management; and sales and commercial services, including campaign, order, and dispute management, lead generation, pricing, and promotion optimization. Further, it offers IT services, which comprise end-user computing support, infrastructure management, application production support, and database management services; and transformation services that include digital solutions, consulting services, and analytics services and solutions. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Dear Amy: My mother is a very hardworking and dedicated mother, but she has some very problematic views of the world. She assumes that refugees are going to terrorize our country and that women only gossip and tear each other down (for instance). The thing is, she is an immigrant herself from a Latin country.

When I explain to her how problematic her thinking is, she tells me one story about something she saw that backs up her claims.

I was privileged enough to graduate from a private liberal arts school (through scholarships). That experience opened my eyes to racism, sexism and other problems in our country and around the world.

I visit my mother once a week and we read the newspaper together. We start a dialogue about the never-ending stories about sexual assault and police brutality, and it always ends in a fight.

I want to spend time with my mother, but its hard to listen to the things she says.

I think its important for me to explain to her what I know and have learned, but I also dont want to spend my evenings with her doing that.

How can I spend time with my mom and talk about these important issues without arguing?  Frustrated Daughter

Dear Daughter: You should table your impulse to educate your mother, for now, and spend your time together getting to know her as an adult.

Your mother is more than the sum of her opinions regarding current events. She is a person with a story of her own.

I love it that you read the newspaper together, but you two might need a new routine that promotes togetherness. This might sound hokey, but working on a giant jigsaw puzzle together comes to mind. As you hunch over the image, you can talk and catch up. Try asking open-ended questions and listening without correcting.

Some of what you are experiencing now is the real-life irony being played out when someone with a fancy diploma comes home and uses her privilege to try to change her parents. (I know because I did this, myself.)

Your mothers view of the world might never come around to your standard. But she might be offering you insights that you are too offended to recognize.

Instead of leaping in to correct her, you might say, I know what you think, but I dont know why you think the way you do. Can you explain?

Dear Amy: My husband and I shop at a wonderful grocery store that has self-dispensing machines for nuts, candies, chocolates, peanut butter and other nut butters. Underneath these machines is a tray. The shopper can take a pint plastic container to fill. Often some nuts or candies are spilled onto the tray.

While we were shopping in that aisle, an elderly woman scooped up a cup or so of pecans that were spilled on the tray, along with some chocolate candies. She put them in one of the stores plastic containers and put them in a large bag she carried. She said, They just throw these away, so I might as well take them.

What she did next blew us away. She picked up a plastic container lid and put it up to the peanut butter machine, scraping off the peanut butter from where it comes out of the machine. She licked the lid off, then used the same lid to scrape off the nut butters from the other two dispensers, licking the lid off after each one.

We were flabbergasted, but we did not know what to do. Should we have said something to her? Should we have told a store employee what happened?  Not Buying the Nut Butters

Dear Not Buying: In this age when some supermarkets have antibacterial wipes to use on the shopping cart, I can imagine some fairly serious consequences from essentially licking machine dispensers.

I would have let the nut filching go, but when it came to the nut butters, you could have said, Maam, please. Thats not sanitary.

Understand that this elderly person might have cognitive or other health problems affecting her behavior.

You should definitely have asked a clerk to assist after the fact.

Dear Amy: Upset objected to her Asian in-laws setting places at their holiday table for deceased relatives. Thank you so much for your educated and respectful advice! Families everywhere should embrace their cultural differences, so we can all learn from one another.  A Fan

Dear Fan: Thank you. I completely agree.

(You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@amydickinson.com. Readers may send postal mail to Amy Dickinson, c/o Tribune Content Agency, 16650 Westgrove Drive, Suite 175, Addison, Texas, 75001. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or like her on Facebook.)
Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao engages in the retail of food, clothing, home appliances, electronics, and other products through its chain of supermarkets, specialized stores, and department stores in Brazil. It operates in Brazilian Retail, Grupo Exito, and Other Businesses segments. The company sells non-perishables, beverages, fruits, vegetables, meat, breads, cold cuts, dairy products, cleaning products, disposable products, and personal care products; and home appliances and other non-food products, such as clothing and baby items, shoes and accessories, household articles, books, magazines, CDs and DVDs, stationery, toys, sports and camping gears, furniture, mobile phones, mattresses, pet products, and gardening equipment and tools, as well as electronic products, including personal computers, software, computer accessories, and sound and image systems. It also offers medications and cosmetics at its drugstores; and non-food products at gas stations, as well as rents commercial spaces and e-commerce sales. The company operates its supermarkets under the banners of Pao de Acucar, Extra Supermercado, Mercado Extra, and Compre Bem; hypermarkets under the banner of Extra Hiper; and proximity stores under the banners of Mini Extra, Minuto Pao de Acucar, Pao de Acucar Adega, and Aliados Minimercado; and gas stations and drugstores under the banners of Extra and Pao de Acucar, as well as sells its products through its Websites. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 667 stores, 74 gas stations, and 68 drugstores in 16 Brazilian states and the Federal District, as well as 15 distribution centers and warehouses across Brazil. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao operates as a subsidiary of Casino, Guichard-Perrachon S.A.
Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a marine fuel logistics company that markets and supplies refined marine fuel and lubricants to vessels in port, at sea, and on rivers worldwide. The company offers fueling services to ocean-going and a range of coastal vessels, including oil tankers, container ships, drybulk carriers, cruise ships, reefers, LNG/LPG carriers, car carriers, and ferries, as well as to marine fuel traders, brokers, and other end-users of marine fuel and lubricants. It also markets and distributes marine lubricants under the Alfa Marine Lubricants brand; and provides a range of shipping services, such as technical support and maintenance, insurance arrangement and handling, financial administration, and accounting services. As of December 31, 2016, the company owned and operated a fleet of 46 bunkering vessels, including 45 double hulls and 1 single hull special purpose vehicle; 15 double hull bunkering vessels with an aggregate carrying capacity of approximately 292,400 deadweight ton (dwt); operated 10 land-based storage facilities with an aggregate storage capacity of approximately 1,075,000 cubic meters; and operated 2 vessels as floating storage facility with a cargo carrying capacity of approximately 86,800 dwt. Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Athens, Greece.
Dear Amy: My wife and I are on a friendly basis with a couple who have two children under the age of 10.

Both of these adults are seriously overweight. The mother has stated, in fact, that she knows she is a "big girl," which (of course) is her business.

The problem is that the bad eating habits of the parents are beginning to affect the children. Both of the youngsters are now also overweight, though not yet obese.

We are very close to the grandparents, who are trying to convince the overweight mom to be more careful when feeding the children, but their efforts have been in vain. The overweight mom tells them simply to mind their own business.

I'm inclined to tell the obese parents that they must help the children to keep their weight down. Such a remark will cause a major kerfuffle, but I don't care. What do you think?  Want to Intervene

Dear Want to: I think that stating the obvious to these parents will make you feel triumphant  as if you have done something smart and necessary.

You know that this remark could cause a kerfuffle and interrupt your relationship with both the parents and grandparents. Yet you seem to operate under the assumption that your point of view is meaningful to this family, which, at least from where I sit, seems pretty arrogant.

So yes  go for it. Let me know how things turn out.

Dear Amy: My fiance and I are planning a wedding in a few weeks. It is not our first wedding and we are including our children in the ceremony. We reserved a few tables at a local restaurant to have a happy hour with family and friends from out of town the night before the ceremony.

I have a small group of high school friends who live out of state, and another small group of college friends (all of whom live here in town). We decided to invite the high school friends since they were coming in from out of town and we don't get to see them often.

There is one high school friend who lives here in town. She is friends with our local college friends.

We decided to invite her to the happy hour, since she is part of the high school group who don't get to see each other often. When she found out we weren't inviting the in-town/college group, she said she wouldn't come. She claimed that it put her in an awkward situation, and that she didn't want an invite to a wedding event where other local people weren't included.

At first I was annoyed. Then mad. Then sad. I was looking for a drama-free, excited weekend. I certainly don't want to be walking on eggshells with someone I have known for most of my life.

I don't remember ever questioning someone else's event guest list.

Am I wrong?  Embarrassed Bride

Dear Bride: I'm going to suggest that you look at this episode as a grand opportunity.

The rudeness displayed by this particular friend should teach  and then remind  you to keep your eye on the ball during your wedding celebration.

You are correct that guests should not question a host's guest list. This particular pronouncement does not require any sort of reply from you. You should file this person's attitude in your "...WhatEVER" file.

Living beautifully and being happy is the best response to the petty slings and darts others occasionally lob our way. Enjoy your day.

Dear Amy: Responding to "Unappreciated Stepmom," you say that teenagers should not be grateful?

I drove a school bus with middle and high school children. I can tell you for certain that there are grateful teenagers. Some are wealthy. Some are poor. Some are in the middle.

This teen should be grateful for having even a broken family who cares enough to worry about her.

This father should be grateful to have a wife who cares enough to write you a letter seeking advice.

This stepmom should be grateful to have been given a chance to affect change and help a child to live a life with gratitude and a solid work ethic, despite challenges.

I usually agree with your advice, but you muffed this one.  Jill

Dear Jill: Thank you. There are definitely grateful teenagers.

This stepdaughter had been bounced around between families. Her stepmother expected gratitude for basically putting a roof over the teen's head. I feel optimistic that the gratitude will come later.
Dollar General Corporation, a discount retailer, provides various merchandise products in the southern, southwestern, Midwestern, and eastern United States. It offers consumable products, including paper and cleaning products, such as paper towels, bath tissues, paper dinnerware, trash and storage bags, disinfectants, and laundry products; packaged food comprising cereals, pasta, canned soups, fruits and vegetables, condiments, spices, sugar, and flour; and perishables that include milk, eggs, bread, refrigerated and frozen food, beer, and wine. The company's consumable products also comprise snacks, such as candies, cookies, crackers, salty snacks, and carbonated beverages; health and beauty products, including over-the-counter medicines and personal care products, such as soaps, body washes, shampoos, cosmetics, and dental hygiene and foot care products; pet supplies and pet food; and tobacco products. In addition, it offers seasonal products comprising holiday items, toys, batteries, small electronics, greeting cards, stationery, prepaid phones and accessories, gardening supplies, hardware, and automotive and home office supplies; and home products that include kitchen supplies, cookware, small appliances, light bulbs, storage containers, frames, candles, craft supplies and kitchen, and bed and bath soft goods. Further, the company provides apparel, which comprise casual everyday apparel for infants, toddlers, girls, boys, women, and men, as well as socks, underwear, disposable diapers, shoes, and accessories. As of February 25, 2022, it operated 18,190 stores in 47 states in the United States. The company was formerly known as J.L. Turner & Son, Inc. and changed its name to Dollar General Corporation in 1968. Dollar General Corporation was founded in 1939 and is based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.
Ooma, Inc. provides communications services and related technologies for businesses and consumers in the United States and Canada. The company's products and services include Ooma Office, a cloud-based multi-user communications system for small and medium-sized businesses; Ooma Office Pro, which offers various services, including HD video meetings, call recording, enhanced call blocking, and voicemail transcription; Ooma Connect, which delivers fixed wireless internet connectivity; Ooma Managed Wi-Fi, a plug-and-play enterprise-grade Wi-Fi solution; and Ooma Enterprise, a unified-communications-as-a-service solution. It also provides Ooma AirDial, a plain old telephone service; Ooma Telo basic that provides unlimited personal calling within the United States; Ooma Premier, a suite of advanced calling features on a monthly or annual subscription basis; PureVoice HD, a residential phone services; Ooma Telo, a home communications solution designed to serve as the primary phone line in the home; and Ooma Telo 4G, which combines the Ooma Telo base station with the Ooma 4G Cellular Adapter and battery back-up. In addition, the company offers the Ooma Mobile HD app that allows users to make and receive phone calls and access Ooma features and settings; Ooma Telo Air, a wireless Ooma Telo with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; Ooma Smart Security, a security and monitoring platform; and Talkatone mobile app. It offers its products through direct sales, distributors, retailers, and resellers, as well as online. Ooma, Inc. was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs, engineers, manufactures, and sells wood and concrete construction products. The company offers wood construction products, including connectors, truss plates, fastening systems, fasteners and shearwalls, and pre-fabricated lateral systems for use in light-frame construction; and concrete construction products comprising adhesives, specialty chemicals, mechanical anchors, carbide drill bits, powder actuated tools, fiber-reinforced materials, and other repair products for use in concrete, masonry, and steel construction, as well as grouts, coatings, sealers, mortars, fiberglass and fiber-reinforced polymer systems, and asphalt products for use in concrete construction repair, and strengthening and protection products. It also provides connectors and lateral products for wood framing, timber and offsite construction, structural steel construction, and cold-formed steel applications; and mechanical and adhesive anchors for concrete and masonry construction applications. In addition, the company offers engineering and design services, as well as software solutions that facilitate the specification, selection, and use of its products. It markets its products to the residential construction, light industrial and commercial construction, remodeling, and do-it-yourself markets in the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The company was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California.
DULUTH, Minn.  Last December, the Obama administration refused to renew mineral leases crucial to Twin Metals Minnesotas efforts to build a huge underground copper-nickel mine near Ely and the Boundary Waters, all but killing the plan.

On Friday, however, the Trump administration reversed that decision, paving the way for Twin Metals to get its leases back and resurrecting the effort to build the controversial mine.

An opinion published Friday by a top attorney at the U.S. Interior Department concludes the federal Bureau of Land Management erred last year when it concluded that BLM had the power to grant or deny the Twin Metals lease renewals. The reversal means the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service must reconsider Twin Metals 2012 lease renewal application.

Last December, Twin Metals called the Obama agencies decision to not renew the leases a devastating blow to the future economic vitality of northeast Minnesota.

Twin Metals also filed a federal lawsuit to try to invalidate the Obama decision, but late Friday the company said it was no longer pursuing legal action against the federal government.

The (Friday) decision is an important first step to ensure the certainty of investments in U.S. mining projects and to reaffirm long-standing property rights and the rule of law, a statement released by Twin Metals said.

The company has projected the mine could create 650 jobs and operate for at least 30 years. While the plan has won support among local officials who see the mine as job creator and economy booster, critics say the potential for an environmental disaster so close to the Boundary Waters outweighs the economic benefits.

Fridays opinion will allow the proposed Twin Metals project to continue to move forward, although many obstacles remain.

The U.S. Forest Service has launched a two-year study of the environmental and economic risks and benefits of copper-nickel mining in the watershed of the Boundary Waters.

The agency has also proposed, essentially, a mining moratorium, a step that would need to be approved by the Interior secretary after the study is completed. If Twin Metals gets its leases back, it would be exempt from any new moratorium that might be imposed.

Earlier this year, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue pledged that process would proceed. This legal opinion from the Interior Department does not appear to affect it.

Still, state lawmakers who support the mine applauded the Friday ruling.

Its refreshing to have an administration that understands the importance of mining to Minnesota and the entire United States, Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Zimmerman, said in a statement.

This move brings Minnesota one step closer to thousands of good-paying jobs and billions in revenue that will be a boon to Northeast Minnesotas economy, state Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, added in the statement. We need government at every level to be a partner and referee rather than an adversary for job creating projects...

Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer applauded the decision Friday, saying it showed a commitment to unwind the politically motivated actions by the previous administration and put Minnesota and the nation on a path to prosperity ... for generations to come.

Gov. Mark Dayton on Friday ripped the Interior Department decision.

This shameful reversal by the Trump Administration shows that big corporate money and special interest influence now rule again in Republican-controlled Washington, Dayton said in a statement.

The group Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness plans to sue to challenge the decision, said vice chair Becky Rom. She argued the government has the right to refuse to renew mineral leases that were originally granted in the 1960s without any environmental review.

This is just uncalled for, and creates a tremendous threat to the Boundary Waters, she said.
Terex Corporation manufactures and sells aerial work platforms and materials processing machinery worldwide. It operates in two segments, Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) and Materials Processing (MP). The AWP segment designs, manufactures, services, and markets aerial work platform equipment, utility equipment, and telehandlers under the Terex and Genie brands. Its products include portable material lifts, portable aerial work platforms, trailer-mounted articulating booms, self-propelled articulating and telescopic booms, scissor lifts, utility equipment, and telehandlers, as well as related components and replacement parts for construction and maintenance of industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential buildings and facilities, utility and telecommunication lines, construction and foundation drilling applications, and other commercial operations, as well as in tree trimming and various infrastructure projects. The MP segment's materials processing and specialty equipment includes crushers, washing systems, screens, trommels, apron feeders, material handlers, pick and carry cranes, rough terrain cranes, tower cranes, wood processing, biomass and recycling equipment, concrete mixer trucks and concrete pavers, conveyors, and related components and replacement parts under the Terex, Powerscreen, Fuchs, EvoQuip, Canica, Cedarapids, CBI, Simplicity, Franna, Terex Ecotec, Finlay, Terex Washing Systems, Terex MPS, Terex Jaques, Terex Advance, ProStack, Terex Bid-Well, MDS, and Terex Recycling Systems brands and business lines. Its products are used in construction, infrastructure, and recycling projects; quarrying and mining, and material handling applications; maintenance applications to lift equipment or material; and landscaping and biomass production industries. The company offers financing solutions to assist customers in the rental, leasing, and acquisition of its products. Terex Corporation was incorporated in 1986 and is based in Norwalk, Connecticut.
MOUNDS VIEW, Minn.  On a recent Sunday, the parking lot at Bethlehem Baptist Church was packed, and cars had overflowed onto nearby side streets.

Approximately 1,500 people attend the Mounds View church on any given weekend. And this is just one of three Bethlehem Baptist churches in the Twin Cities. Last Easter weekend, all told, more than 5,000 people walked through their doors.

And while those people may not agree on every political issue, said one of the pastors, they do share a broad consensus on some controversial topics  namely, the definition of marriage and the sanctity of life.

Were pretty clear on how weve defined marriage, said the Rev. Steven Lee, a pastor at Bethlehem Baptist. We see from the Bible that its one man and one woman.

That tends to keep away the more politically liberal. There could be some who could find this to be a place where they could worship, but my guess is not many, he said. Although we would welcome them.

Abortion and same-sex marriage are the two major issues that divide more conservative churches from the more liberal. They also divide many Republicans from Democrats.

Those divisions may also play a role in one finding of a recent survey commissioned by MPR News and the APM Research Lab: Minnesotans are far more likely to go to church every week if they identify as Republican than if they identify as Democrat.

One of our values is we dont pick and choose which parts of the Bible we like or that well preach or teach on, said Lee. We take all of it.

Church elder Andy Naselli, who teaches theology at Bethlehem College and Seminary, said last years presidential election was divisive for the congregation. Some members felt they had to vote for Donald Trump because of his stance on abortion. Others, including Naselli, couldnt vote for someone they thought was not of good moral character.

So Im at the point now where I dont even identify as a Republican, Naselli said. Im theologically conservative, politically conservative, but Im not in the pocket of any political party at all. I did not vote for President Trump, and Im embarrassed to be a Republican because of him, so I dont call myself a Republican.

What brings him and his family to church each week, Naselli said, is his deep love of Jesus and the Bible.

We most glorify God when he most satisfies us, and one of the ways he satisfies us is when his people come together, sing together and pray together and hear the word preached, he said. And thats something that happens weekly, according to the practice of the New Testament. Thats why its every week for us. And its something we love  its kind of hard because were so big here, but were a big family and we love it.

The church has several social service programs  food banks, car repair funds, crisis care for church families in need. But by far its largest effort is to share the faith, by translating the Bible into different languages and by starting up new congregations.

Lee said approximately 110 Bethlehem Baptist families are currently serving as missionaries around the world, reaching out to communities that have never read the Bible.

We want to alleviate both physical suffering in the temporal sense and we also want to alleviate spiritual, eternal suffering, which we believe will come in the afterlife, Lee said. We would feel like we would be doing someone an injustice if we helped them get a meal and did not address their eternal state.

Compared to Bethlehem Baptist, Mayflower United Church of Christ in Minneapolis is a modest congregation.

The church serves approximately 800 households. About 400 people show up on any given Sunday.

Mayflower identifies itself as both theologically and politically liberal. Anyone can take communion, whether or not theyve been baptized. The congregation is actively involved in several social issues, including climate change. The church has installed 200 solar panels, and seeks to be carbon-neutral by 2030.

Alix and Holly Magner joined Mayflower this past year. Alix said they both grew up attending church, but stopped going and stayed away for years.

Being gay, being part of the queer community, we just had incredibly negative experiences with church, said Alix. When I would meet someone that would say they go to church, I would think, I cant be friends with you, because you probably dont like gay people, and your church is probably preaching against gay people.

When the Minnesota marriage amendment was put on the ballot in 2012, Alix got involved at a phone bank. There she overheard other volunteers quoting the Bible as they worked to persuade people to vote against a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Intrigued, Alix found out they were members of Mayflower. Soon after, she and Holly started attending church again.

But hardly any of their other liberal friends do.

Weve both said it feels like coming out of the closet again, Holly said. Its like this weird feeling of coming out as churchgoers now because people, our friends, are going, Whoa, wait a minute  you go to church?! But youre queer! And youre liberal, and youre educated, and youre logical. Holly, youre a public school science teacher! You believe in God enough to go to church?

The Magners say they value the intergenerational community at Mayflower, and how the church encourages them to step outside their own bubble.

Three nights a week, volunteers like Mayflower member Jack Forsman go to the Creekside Commons apartment building next door to help kids with their homework. Mayflower, working with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, built Creekside Commons to fill a need for affordable housing. The 30 families who live in it are predominantly Somali and Muslim. The church also runs an early childhood center that welcomes people of all faiths.

The Rev. Sarah Campbell said that while some people think liberal churches are light on religion, Mayflower is anything but that.

We know our Bible stories, we read them, Campbell said. They mean everything to us. We are religion-intense, and so we welcome everyone but we are also very clear that we are on the Jesus path, and thats less about certain beliefs about Jesus and God, and more about the path being about compassion, justice, nonviolence... a very joyous, rigorous path.

Campbell acknowledged that her church does not get the same attendance as a church like Bethlehem Baptist, but she said the congregation is growing. People dont need religion to be moral and good, she said, but it helps:

Theres so much distraction that would take us away from living generous, forgiving lives, and I do believe that spiritual practices or religious practices do help people be more moral.

Both the Rev. Campbell and the Rev. Lee agree: While their beliefs may occasionally align them with specific political parties, the work of Jesus goes deeper than that of either the Republican or the Democratic party.
Dear aliens,

You may have been amused by a recent news story (you do read The Tribune and its competitors, right?) about the latest chapter in Americas long, futile, semi-secret, widely mocked efforts to unmask you, to prove that your spaceships have been hovering, darting and befuddling fighter pilots with impossible aerobatics for decades.

The latest episode, revealed in The New York Times: The Pentagon spent millions over several years on a top-secret Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program to investigate UFOs.

The Pentagon says the program was shut down in 2012. Ha ha! Who believes that? You know humans wont quit pursuing you. We are too curious and persistent.

Seriously, we know you are here. How else to explain all those alleged sightings, including the video from a 2004 encounter between a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet and a UFO. Theres a whole fleet of them  theyre all going against the wind, an awestruck pilot radios to a comrade. The winds 120 knots to the west. Look at that thing, dude.

Gives us chills just listening to that exchange and watching that video of a darting space-crafty blip on the radar screen.

One Navy pilot who encountered that craft recently told The Washington Post: It was a real object; it exists and I saw it.

What was it? Something not from the Earth, he said.

Off-world friends, please show yourselves. If you are as technologically advanced as we suspect, whats the harm? And, truthfully, arent you getting tired of flitting around the planet, playing hide-and-seek? Bonus incentive: How about we throw in a free iPhone X for your crew members?

We guarantee the planets inhabitants will celebrate your arrival. (Never mind The Day The Earth Stood Still and its ilk.) Youll be instant celebrities. Bigger than Trump. Even He of the Globe-sized Ego will have to admit that.

If you come down to Earth now, you will save humans decades of constructing conspiracy theories about Area 51, yearning to know if we are truly alone  and spending a lot more government money to ferret out the truth.

In October, a group called Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or METI International, beamed a message at a star a dozen light-years away with a possibly inhabitable planet. METIs ice-breaking message, sent via radio telescope, included the universal languages of music and math.

Yes, we know that famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has warned against sending such messages, lest space invaders find us to be easily vanquishable. Those space marauders may be so powerful that they and may not see us as any more valuable than we see bacteria, Hawking cautions.

Hawking also predicts that humans have about 1,000 years to master space travel and populate a new planet if the species is to survive. He believes that climate change, asteroid strikes, epidemics and population growth make a long-term future on Earth problematic at best.

Is that your strategy, aliens? Wait us out for the next 10 centuries, then claim this splendid blue orb?

We hope not. That would be a terrible anticlimax for those of us eager for first contact sooner than, say, 3018.

Come on, extraterrestrials, lets cut out the chase. Were here. Youre here. Lets meet.
Ingredion Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells starches and sweeteners for various industries. It operates through four segments: North America; South America; Asia-Pacific; and Europe, Middle East and Africa. The company offers sweetener products comprising glucose syrups, high maltose syrups, high fructose corn syrups, caramel colors, dextrose, polyols, maltodextrins, and glucose syrup solids, as well as food-grade and industrial starches, biomaterials, and nutrition ingredients. It also provides edible corn oil; refined corn oil to packers of cooking oil and to producers of margarine, salad dressings, shortening, mayonnaise, and other foods; and corn gluten feed used as protein feed for chickens, pet food, and aquaculture, as well as fruit and vegetable products, such as concentrates, purees and essences, pulse proteins, and hydrocolloids systems and blends. The company's products are derived primarily from processing corn and other starch-based materials, such as tapioca, potato, and rice. It serves food, beverage, brewing, and animal nutrition industries. The company was formerly known as Corn Products International, Inc. and changed its name to Ingredion Incorporated in June 2012. Ingredion Incorporated was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Westchester, Illinois.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, and markets biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, neuroscience, and covid-19 diseases. The company's products include Revlimid, an oral immunomodulatory drug for the treatment of multiple myeloma; Eliquis, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; and Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis. It also provides Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia; Yervoy for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma; Abraxane, a protein-bound chemotherapy product; Reblozyl for the treatment of anemia in adult patients with beta thalassemia; and Empliciti for the treatment of multiple myeloma. In addition, the company offers Zeposia to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis; Breyanzi, a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma; Inrebic, an oral kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adult patients with myelofibrosis; and Onureg for the treatment of adult patients with AML. It sells products to wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, retailers, hospitals, clinics, and government agencies. The company was formerly known as Bristol-Myers Company. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure, Gas Utilities and Infrastructure, and Commercial Renewables. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest; and uses coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, oil, renewable generation, and nuclear fuel to generate electricity. It also engages in the wholesale of electricity to municipalities, electric cooperative utilities, and load-serving entities. This segment serves approximately 8.2 million customers in 6 states in the Southeast and Midwest regions of the United States covering a service territory of approximately 91,000 square miles; and owns approximately 50,259 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure segment distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and power generation natural gas customers; and owns, operates, and invests in pipeline transmission and natural gas storage facilities. It has approximately 1.6 million customers, including 1.1 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as 550,000 customers in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. The Commercial Renewables segment acquires, owns, develops, builds, and operates wind and solar renewable generation projects, including nonregulated renewable energy and energy storage services to utilities, electric cooperatives, municipalities, and corporate customers. It has 23 wind, 178 solar, and 2 battery storage facilities, as well as 71 fuel cell locations with a capacity of 3,554 MW across 22 states. The company was formerly known as Duke Energy Holding Corp. and changed its name to Duke Energy Corporation in April 2005. The company was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Jared Kimball found a good job, moved into his own apartment, finished his accounting degree and paid off his first nice car.

Then, overnight, he was gone. The 29-year-old from Madison died in his sleep in April from epilepsy, apparently after a seizure.

His parents, struggling to endure their first holiday season without him, are turning to Lilys Fund for support and purpose.

The fund, set to hold its 10th and final Lilys Luau next month, raises money for epilepsy research at UW-Madison.

The fund has awarded a grant that aims to prevent deaths like Kimballs. The money pays for research on the sometimes dangerous connection between epilepsy and sleep.

People dont realize how deadly this disease can be for some people, said Bruce Kimball, Jareds father.

Jared Kimball was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 12, but many of his friends and co-workers didnt know he had the condition, said his mother, Cathy Kimball.

He never complained about epilepsy, she said. He didnt want people to feel sorry for him.

Epilepsy, a brain disorder marked by seizures that can range from mild to violent, affects one in 26 people at some point in their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The condition can be caused by injury, illness or abnormal brain development. In many cases, the cause is unknown.

David and Anne Morgan Giroux, whose daughter Lily, 22, has epilepsy, started Lilys Fund in 2007 to help UW-Madison expand research on the disease.

Events, including Lilys Luaus held each January since 2009, have raised more than $1.2 million. About $450,000 has been given out in grants and fellowships. Another $100,000 grant will be awarded at the next Lilys Luau, scheduled for Jan. 20 at UW-Madisons Union South.

With about $800,000 remaining, the Girouxs are hoping to raise $200,000 at the final Lilys Luau. That would give the fund $1 million, enough to hand out 10 more $100,000 grants.

Though Lilys Luau is ending, Lilys Fund is not, as smaller events will continue.

Were hoping people will take the idea of the luau and keep the hula going in other ways, Morgan Girioux said. Epilepsy is still not at that breast cancer level, where the rallying cry has gone out. Its still being tucked away, and theres still a stigma.

Studying epilepsy and sleep

Jared Kimball died April 7 from sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, or SUDEP. Such deaths are thought to be caused by seizures or by breathing or heart problems related to seizures, said Dr. Rama Maganti, an epilepsy researcher and clinician at UW Health.

Seizures disrupt sleep, and disrupted sleep makes seizures worse, said Maganti, who received $100,000 from Lilys Fund to study epilepsy and sleep. It can be sort of a vicious cycle.

In a study by Maganti and other UW-Madison researchers of people with epilepsy, those whose brains had more seizure activity had more abnormal sleep.

In a study of epileptic mice, Maganti and collaborators at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, found an inability to sleep regularly in the final 15 days of their lives was associated with three-fourths of their deaths.

Maganti is seeking federal funding to compare two kinds of sleeping pills in epileptic mice, with the hope that one or both of the pills might reduce sleep disturbances in people with epilepsy.

Perhaps theres a time window when we can act and prevent SUDEP, he said.

Jared Kimball didnt complain of problems sleeping before his death, but he apparently wasnt taking his epilepsy medication regularly, said his parents, who live in McFarland.

His prescription wasnt refilled as scheduled the month before he died, and an autopsy found none of the drug in his body.

Other epilepsy drugs he had taken caused him to lose weight or become sleepy. But the one he was on the past several years  oxcarbazepine  hadnt caused side effects, his parents said.

But the drug label said to limit alcohol intake, and he occasionally drank heavily, they said.

Learning more

about seizures

When Jared Kimball was a child, before his diagnosis, his parents thought he simply wasnt paying attention at times.

Wed be talking to him, and all of the sudden his eyes would just wander off, like he was following a fly up into the corner of the room, Bruce Kimball recalled.

They later learned the episodes were seizures. In seventh grade, he had whats called a grand mal seizure, with convulsions and loss of consciousness. Then his epilepsy seemed to subside, and he went off medication, before he had major seizures again, during sleep, at age 19 and 21.

After graduating from McFarland High School in 2005, Jared Kimball earned associate degrees in culinary arts and accounting from Madison Area Techinical College.

He got an accounting job at J.H. Findorff and Son, a Madison builder, and a four-year accounting degree from Lakeland College.

In February of this year, he wrote to Morgan Giroux, asking how he could help with Lilys Fund. The next month, he organized a fundraiser at Findorff and encouraged co-workers to wear purple, which represents epilepsy.

Now his parents are planning to go to their first Lilys Luau, on their sons behalf.

He had such a great life ahead of him, Bruce Kimball said. One day he was here, and the next day hes not.

When Jared was a child, his parents thought he simply wasnt paying attention at times. Wed be talking to him, and all of the sudden his eyes would just wander off, like he was following a fly up into the corner of the room. Bruce Kimball, Jareds father
Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc. provides home and security products for residential home repair, remodeling, new construction, and security applications. It operates in three segments: Plumbing, Outdoors & Security, and Cabinets. The Plumbing segment manufactures, assembles, and sells faucets, accessories, kitchen sinks, and waste disposals under the Moen, ROHL, Riobel, Victoria+Albert, Perrin & Rowe, and Shaws brands in the United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America directly through its own sales force, as well as through independent manufacturers' representatives to wholesalers, home centers, mass merchandisers, and industrial distributors. The Outdoors & Security segment offers fiberglass and steel entry door systems under the Therma-Tru brand; storm, screen, and security doors under the Larson brand; composite decking and railing under the Fiberon brand; and urethane millwork under the Fypon brand. This segment also manufactures, sources, and distributes locks, safety and security devices, and electronic security products under the Master Lock and American Lock brands; and fire resistant safes, security containers, and commercial cabinets under the SentrySafe brand. It serves home centers, hardware and other retailers, millwork building products and wholesale distributors, specialty dealers, and remodeling and renovation markets, as well as locksmiths, industrial and institutional users, and original equipment manufacturers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America, Japan, and Australia. The Cabinets segment manufactures custom, semi-custom, and custom cabinetry, as well as vanities for the kitchen, bath, and other parts of the home directly to kitchen and bath dealers, home centers, wholesalers, and builders in North America under the AOK, Diamond Brands, Homecrest, Kitchen Craft, Omega, and EVE brands. The company was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.
The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V..

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The following companies are subsidiares of HP: 3Com, 3PAR, ABB CADE, AOME Holdings Ltd., Albacore Holdings Jersey Ltd, Alpha Holding One B.V., Alpha Holding Two B.V., Anatolus Holding B.V., Apogee, Apogee Corp, Apogee Corporation Ireland Limited, Apogee Corporation Jersey Limited, Apogee Corporation Limited, Apogee Europe Limited, Apogee France Holdings SAS, Apogee France SAS, Apogee Germany Holding UG, Apogee Group Limited, Apogee Rentals Limited, Apollo Computer, AppIQ, Applied Optoelectronic Tech, ArcSight, Arnon Holding B.V., Arteis, Artivision Technologies, Aruba Networks, Atos Origin, Atos Origin Middle East group, Autonomy Corporation, Avantek, BAS - Burosysteme GmbH, BT & D Technologies, Balreed Digitec Group Limited, Balreed Digitec North Limited, Balreed Digitec SE Limited, Balreed Digitec UK Limited, Bamberga Holding B.V., Bitfone Corporation, Bluestone Software, Boonton Radio, Bristol Technology Inc., Bromium, Bromium UK Limited, CEC Europe Service Management, CGNZ, CaLan, China HP Co. Ltd Hangzhou Branch, China HP Co. Ltd., China HP Co. Ltd. Chengdu Branch, China HP Co. Ltd. Guangzhou Branch, China HP Co. Ltd. Jiangan Branch, China HP Co. Ltd. Nanjing Branch, China HP Co. Ltd. Shanghai Branch, Choose Packaging, City Docs Limited, City Docs Solutions Limited, Colorado Memory Systems, Colubris Networks, Colubris Networks, Compaq Cayman Holdings Company, Compaq Cayman Holdings General Partnership II, Compaq Information Technologies, Compaq Information Technologies LLC, Computing and Printing Global Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Computing and Printing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Consera Software, ConteXtream Inc, Convex Computer, David Vision Systems GmbH, Dazzle, Digipro Limited, Division, EDS (Electronic Data Systems), EEsof, EYP Mission Critical Facilities, ElseWare, Eon Systems, Eucalyptus Systems, Eunomia Holding B.V., ExcellerateHRO, Exstream Software, Extreme Logic, F&M Scientific Corporation, F. Smith & Co Office Equipment Limited, F.L. Moseley Company, Flame Holding B.V., Fortify Software, Four Pi Systems, GNA Biosolutions GmbH, HP Austria GmbH, HP Belgium BV, HP Bilgisayar ve Baski Teknolojileri Limited Sirketi, HP Brasil Industria e Comercio de Equipamentos Eletronicos Ltda, HP Brasil Industria e Comercio de Equipamentos Eletronicos Ltda. - Branch 01 Tambore, HP Brasil Industria e Comercio de Equipamentos Eletronicos Ltda. - Branch 2 Sorocaba, HP Brasil Industria e Comercio de Equipamentos Eletronicos Ltda. - Branch 3 Porto Alegre, HP Canada Co. HP Canada Cie, HP Canada Licensing L.P., HP China Holding B.V., HP Chongqing Co. Ltd, HP Chongqing Manufacturing Export Procurement and Settlement Co. Ltd, HP Colombia SAS, HP Computing and Printing Middle East FZ-LLC, HP Computing and Printing Nigeria Ltd, HP Computing and Printing Systems India Private Limited, HP Computing and Printing d.o.o., HP Deutschland GmbH, HP Deutschland Holding GmbH, HP Europe B.V., HP Europe B.V. - Abu Dhabi Branch, HP Europe B.V. Regional Dubai Branch, HP Europe BV Amsterdam Meyrin Branch, HP Finland Oy, HP France Holding SAS, HP France SAS, HP Global Trading B.V., HP Global Trading B.V. Kazakhstan Branch, HP Health Solutions Inc., HP Health Solutions Spain Sociedad Limitada, HP Hewlett Packard Group LLC, HP Inc AP Hong Kong Limited, HP Inc Argentina S.R.L., HP Inc Bulgaria EOOD, HP Inc Chile Comercial Limitada, HP Inc Costa Rica Limitada, HP Inc Czech Republic s.r.o., HP Inc Danmark ApS, HP Inc Gulf, HP Inc Hong Kong Limited, HP Inc Magyarorszag Kft., HP Inc Peru S.R.L., HP Inc Polska sp. z o.o., HP Inc Romania SRL, HP Inc Slovakia s.r.o., HP Inc Thailand Ltd., HP Inc Tunisie SARL, HP Inc UK Limited, HP India Sales Private Limited, HP Indigo B.V., HP Indigo Ltd, HP Information Technology R&D Shanghai Co. Ltd, HP International Pte. Ltd., HP International Pte. Ltd. Taiwan Branch, HP International Sarl, HP International Trading B.V., HP International Trading B.V. Puerto Rico Branch LLC, HP Israel Ltd, HP Italy S.r.l., HP Jade Holding LLC, HP Japan Inc., HP KSA Ltd., HP Korea Inc., HP Licensing Holding LLC, HP Luxembourg S.C.A., HP Malaysia Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., HP Nederland B.V., HP New Zealand, HP Norge AS, HP Onyx Holding L.P., HP PPS Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., HP PPS Australia Pty Ltd, HP PPS Costa Rica Limitada, HP PPS India Operations Private Limited, HP PPS Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., HP PPS Maroc, HP PPS Philippines Inc., HP PPS Sales Sdn. Bhd., HP PPS Services India Private Limited, HP PPS Singapore Sales Pte. Ltd., HP PPS Sverige AB, HP Pakistan Private Limited, HP Panama Sales and Distribution S. de R.L., HP Print Services Ireland Limited, HP Printing Korea Co. Ltd., HP Printing Shandong Co. Ltd., HP Printing and Computing Solutions S.L.U., HP Printing and Personal Systems Hellas EPE, HP Production Company Limited, HP Puerto Rico LLC, HP R&D Holding LLC, HP R&D Singapore Pte. Ltd., HP Schweiz GmbH, HP Scitex Ltd, HP Singapore Private Limited, HP Solutions Creation and Development Services S.L.U., HP South Africa Proprietary Limited, HP South Africa Trust, HP Taiwan Information Technology Ltd., HP Technology Holdings LLC, HP Technology Ireland Limited, HP Technology Israel Ltd, HP Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd, HP Technology Vietnam Company Ltd, HP Trading Kunshan Co. Ltd., HP Trading Shanghai Co. Ltd., HP Trading Shanghai Co. Ltd. Dalian Branch, HP Trading Shanghai Co. Ltd. Zhangjiang Branch, HP UK Development Limited, HP US Digital LLC, HP USA Manufacturing LLC, HPCP  Computing and Printing Portugal Unipessoal Lda., HPI Bermuda Holdings LLC, HPI Brazil Holdings LLC, HPI Federal LLC, HPI J1 Holdings LLC, HPI Luxembourg LLC, HPQ Holdings LLC, Heartstream, Hewlett-Packard A.O., Hewlett-Packard Angola Lda., Hewlett-Packard Company Archives LLC, Hewlett-Packard Copenhagen B.V., Hewlett-Packard Development Company L.P., Hewlett-Packard Enterprises LLC, Hewlett-Packard G.K., Hewlett-Packard Global Holdings B.V., Hewlett-Packard Global Investments B.V., Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing Solutions Europe BV, Hewlett-Packard Ireland 1 Limited, Hewlett-Packard Ireland Holdings Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Japan Holding B.V., Hewlett-Packard Japan NK Holdings C.V., Hewlett-Packard KSA Ltd. Qatar Branch, Hewlett-Packard Lisbon B.V., Hewlett-Packard MENA FZ-LLC Libya Branch, Hewlett-Packard Mercator B.V., Hewlett-Packard Sunnyvale B.V., Hewlett-Packard West Indies Limited, Hewlett-Packard World Trade LLC, Hiflex Software, HyperX, IBRIX, IndiGo, Indigo America Inc., Iseo Holding B.V., Kale Holding B.V., Kale Holding B.V. Puerto Rico Branch LLC, Knightsbridge Solutions, Kopiervertrieb Rhein-Ruhr GmbH, Lefthand Networks, Limited Liability Company HP Inc, Logoworks, Lyra Holding B.V., MacDermid ColorSpan, ManageOne, Manzana Bidco Limited, Manzana Holdings Limited, Melodeo, Mercury Interactive, Metrix Network Systems, NUR Macroprinters, Neoware, Nihon HP Nin-I Kumiai, Novadigm, NuView ManageX, OOO Hewlett-Packard RUS, Office Perfection Limited, OneFlow Systems Limited, Opelin, Opelin, Open Skies, Opsware, Opsware, Optimization Systems, Optotech, OuterBay Technologies, OuterBay Technologies, PERSIST Technologies, PIXACO, PROLIN, PT Hewlett-Packard Indonesia, Palm, Palm, Peregrine Systems, Perigee Holdco UK Limited, Perigee Midco UK Limited, Perseus Holding B.V., PipeBeach, Poly, PolyServe, PrinterOn America Corporation, Printware Limited, Qosnetics, RLX Technologies, Regor Holding B.V., SPI Dynamics, Samsung Printing Solutions, Scitex, Scitex Vision, Scope Communications, Security Force Software, Shunra Software, Shunra Software, Silverwire Holding, Simpress Comercio Locacao e Servicos Ltda, Snapfish, StorageApps, Stratavia, Synstar, Tabblo, Talking Blocks, Tall Tree Insurance Company, Technology Partners, Telegra, Teradici Corporation, Teradici Inc., Teradici UK Limited, The Danwood Group Limited, The Technology Partners, Tower Software, Tower Software Engineering Pty Ltd, Transoft Networks, Trellis Software & Controls, Triaton, Trinagy, TruLogica, Trustgenix, VeriFone, Verifone, Versatest, Vertica Systems, Vital Technology Pte Ltd, Voltage Security, VoodooPC, Xact Document Solutions Limited, and Xera-Logic Group Limited.

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National Bank Holdings Corporation operates as the bank holding company for NBH Bank that provides various banking products and financial services to commercial, business, and consumer clients in the United States. It offers deposit products, including checking, savings, money market, and other deposit accounts, including fixed-rate and fixed maturity time deposits. The company also provides commercial and industrial loans and leases, such as working capital loans, equipment loans, lender finance loans, food and agriculture loans, government and non-profit loans, owner occupied commercial real estate loans, and other commercial loans and leases; non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans consisting of loans on commercial properties, such as office buildings, warehouse/distribution buildings, multi-family, hospitality, and retail buildings; small business administration loans to support manufacturers, distributors, and service providers; term loans, line of credits, and real estate secured loans; residential real estate loans; and consumer loans. In addition, it offers treasury management solutions comprising online and mobile banking, commercial credit card, wire transfer, automated clearing house, electronic bill payment, lock box, remote deposit capture, merchant processing, cash vault, controlled disbursements, and fraud prevention services, as well as other auxiliary services, including account reconciliation, collections, repurchase accounts, zero balance accounts, and sweep accounts. As of January 20, 2022, the company operated through a network of 81 banking centers located in Colorado, the greater Kansas City region, New Mexico, Utah, and Texas. It also operates 121 ATMs. The company was formerly known as NBH Holdings Corp. and changed its name to National Bank Holdings Corporation in March 2012. National Bank Holdings Corporation was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.
ALLETE, Inc. operates as an energy company. The company operates through Regulated Operations, ALLETE Clean Energy, and Corporate and Other segments. It generates electricity from coal-fired, biomass co-fired / natural gas, hydroelectric, wind, and solar. The company provides regulated utility electric services in northwestern Wisconsin to approximately 15,000 electric customers, 13,000 natural gas customers, and 10,000 water customers, as well as regulated utility electric services in northeastern Minnesota to approximately 145,000 retail customers and 15 non-affiliated municipal customers. It also owns and maintains electric transmission assets in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois. In addition, the company focuses on developing, acquiring, and operating clean and renewable energy projects; and owns and operates approximately 1,000 megawatts of wind energy generation facility. Further, it is involved in the coal mining operations in North Dakota; and real estate investment activities in Florida. The company owns and operates 158 substations with a total capacity of 10,066 megavolt amperes. It serves taconite mining, paper, pulp and secondary wood products, pipeline, and other industries. The company was formerly known as Minnesota Power, Inc. and changed its name to ALLETE, Inc. in May 2001. ALLETE, Inc. was incorporated in 1906 and is headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota.
Skechers U.S.A., Inc. designs, develops, markets, and distributes footwear for men, women, and children; and performance footwear for men and women worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Domestic Wholesale, International Wholesale, and Direct-to-Consumer. It offers casual, casual athletic, sport athletic, trail, sandals, boots, and retro fashion footwear for men and women under the Skechers USA, Skechers Sport, Skechers Active, Modern Comfort, Skechers Street, Mark Nason, and BOBS brands; sneakers, casuals, boots, and sandals for boys and girls under the Skechers Mega-Craft, S-Lights, SKECH-AIR, Foamies, Twinkle Toes, Z-Strap, Skechers Stretch Fit, and Skechers Street brands; and technical footwear under the Skechers GOrun, Skechers GOwalk, Skechers GOtrain, Skechers GOtrail, and Skechers GO Golf brands. The company also provides men's and women's slip-resistant and safety-toe casuals, boots, hikers, and athletic shoes; and lifestyle apparel for men, women, and kids. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 4,306 company and third party owned Skechers stores. The company sells its products through department and specialty stores, athletic and independent retailers, boutiques, and online retailers; and through its e-commerce sites, concept stores, and factory and warehouse outlet stores. It also licenses its Skechers brand. Skechers U.S.A., Inc. was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California.
The following companies are subsidiares of PepsiCo: Alimentos Quaker Oats y Compania Limitada, Alimentos del Istmo S.A., Amavale Agricola Ltda., Anderson Hill Insurance Limited, Asia Bottlers Limited, BAESA Capital Corporation Ltd., BFY Brands, BFY Brands LLC, BFY Brands Limited, BUG de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Balmoral Industries LLC, Bare Foods Co., Barrhead LLC, Be & Cheery, Beaman Bottling Company, Bebidas Sudamerica S.A., Beech Limited, Bell Taco Funding Syndicate, Bendler Investments II Ltd, Bendler Investments S.a r.l, Beverage Services Limited, Beverages Foods & Service Industries Inc., Bishkeksut OJSC, Blaue NC S. de R.L. de C.V., Blue Cloud Distribution Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arizona Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arkansas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Colorado Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Florida Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Georgia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Illinois Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Indiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Iowa Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Kentucky Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Louisiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Minnesota Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Mississippi Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Missouri Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nebraska Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nevada Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of North Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Ohio Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Oklahoma Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Pennsylvania Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of South Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Tennessee Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Texas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Virginia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Wisconsin Inc., Blue Ridge Sales LLC, Bluebird Foods Limited, Bluecan Holdings Unlimited Company, Bokomo Zambia Limited, Bolsherechensky Molkombinat JSC, Boquitas Fiestas LLC, Boquitas Fiestas S.R.L., Bottling Group Financing LLC, Bottling Group Holdings LLC, Bottling Group LLC, Bronte Industries Ltd, C & I Leasing Inc., CB Manufacturing Company Inc., CEME Holdings LLC, CMC Investment Company, Caroni Investments LLC, Centro-Mediterranea de Bebidas Carbonicas PepsiCo S.L., Ceres Fruit Juices Pty Ltd, ChampBev Inc., China Concentrate Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Chipsy International for Food Industries S.A.E., Chipsy for Food Industries S.A.E., Chitos Internacional y Cia Ltda, Cipa Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cipa Nordeste Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cocina Autentica Inc., Comercializadora CMC Investment y Compania Limitada, Comercializadora Nacional SAS Ltda., Comercializadora PepsiCo Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Compania de Bebidas PepsiCo S.L., Concentrate Holding Uruguay Pte. Ltd., Concentrate Manufacturing Singapore Pte. Ltd., Confiteria Alegro S. de R.L. de C.V., Copella Fruit Juices Limited, Copper Beech International LLC, Corina Snacks Limited, Corporativo Internacional Mexicano S. de R.L. de C.V., CytoSport Holdings Inc., CytoSport Inc., Davlyn Realty Corporation, Defosto Holdings Limited, Desarrollo Inmobiliario Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Dilexis S.A., Donon Holdings Limited, Drinkfinity USA Inc., Drinkstation Inc., Drinkstation Innovation Co. Ltd., Drinkstation Limited, Dutch Snacks Holding S.A. de C.V., Duyvis Production B.V., EPIC Enterprises Inc., Echo Bay Holdings Inc., Elaboradora Argentina de Cereales S.R.L., Enter Logistica LLC, Environ at Inverrary Partnership, Environ of Inverrary Inc., Eridanus Investments S.a r.l, Evercrisp Snack Productos de Chile S.A., FL Transportation Inc., FLI Andean LLC, FLI Colombia LLC, FLI Snacks Andean GP LLC, Fabrica PepsiCo Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Fabrica de Productos Alimenticios Rene y Cia S.C.A., Fairlight International SRL, Far East Bottlers Hong Kong Limited, Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd., Forest Akers Nederland B.V., Forty-Six Peaks Holding Inc., Fovarosi Asvanyviz es Uditoipari Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Freshwater International B.V., Frito Lay Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Frito Lay Poland Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay de Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Frito-Lay Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Frito-Lay Dip Company Inc., Frito-Lay Dominicana S.A., Frito-Lay Global Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Inc., Frito-Lay Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Manufacturing LLC, Frito-Lay Netherlands Holding B.V., Frito-Lay North America Inc., Frito-Lay Sales Inc., Frito-Lay Trading Company Europe GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company Poland GmbH, Frito-Lay Trinidad Unlimited, Fruko Mesrubat Sanayi Limited Sirketi, GB Czech LLC, GB International Inc., GB Russia LLC, GB Slovak LLC, GMP Manufacturing Inc., Gambrinus Investments Limited, Gamesa LLC, Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Natural de Merida S. A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. Laktasi, Matudis - Comercio de Produtos Alimentares Limitada, Matutano - Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Lda., Mid-America Improvement Corporation, Mountainview Insurance Company Inc., Muscle Milk, NCJV LLC, New Bern Transport Corporation, New Century Beverage Company LLC, Noble Leasing LLC, Northeast Hot-Fill Co-op Inc., Office at Solyanka LLC, Onbiso Inversiones S.L., One World Enterprises LLC, One World Investors Inc., P-A Barbados Bottling Company LLC, P-A Bottlers Barbados SRL, P-Americas LLC, PAS Luxembourg S.a r.l, PAS Netherlands B.V., PBG Canada Holdings II LLC, PBG Canada Holdings Inc., PBG Cyprus Holdings Limited, PBG Investment Partnership, PBG Midwest Holdings S.a r.l, PBG Soda Can Holdings S.a r.l, PCBL LLC, PCNA Manufacturing Inc., PR Beverages Cyprus Holding Limited, PR Beverages Cyprus Russia Holding Limited, PRB Luxembourg S.a r.l, PRS Inc., PSAS Inversiones LLC, PSE Logistica S.R.L., PT Quaker Indonesia, Papas Chips S.A., Pei N.V., Pep Trade LLC, Pepsi B.V., Pepsi Beverages Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bottling Group Global Finance LLC, Pepsi Bottling Group GmbH, Pepsi Bottling Group Hoosiers B.V., Pepsi Bottling Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bugshan Investments S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Colombia Ltda, Pepsi Cola Egypt S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Panamericana S.R.L., Pepsi Cola Servis Ve Dagitim Limited Sirketi, Pepsi Cola Trading Ireland, Pepsi Logistics Company Inc., Pepsi Northwest Beverages LLC, Pepsi Overseas Investments Partnership, Pepsi Promotions Inc., Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Marketing Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bermuda Limited, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Holding C.V., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Of St. Louis Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Ft. Lauderdale-Palm Beach LLC, Pepsi-Cola Company, Pepsi-Cola Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Co. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Finance LLC, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland Sp. z o.o., Pepsi-Cola Industrial da Amazonia Ltda., Pepsi-Cola International Cork, Pepsi-Cola International LLC, Pepsi-Cola International Limited, Pepsi-Cola International Limited U.S.A., Pepsi-Cola International Private Limited, Pepsi-Cola Korea Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Management and Administrative Services Inc., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Of Uruguay S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International Limited, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Mediterranean Limited, Pepsi-Cola Marketing Corp. Of P.R. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mediterranean Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mexicana Holdings LLC, Pepsi-Cola Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Pepsi-Cola National Marketing LLC, Pepsi-Cola Operating Company Of Chesapeake And Indianapolis, Pepsi-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc., Pepsi-Cola Technical Operations Inc., Pepsi-Cola Thai Trading Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola de Honduras S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola of Corvallis Inc., PepsiAmericas Nemzetkozi Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, PepsiCo ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Alimentos Antioquia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Colombia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Ecuador Cia. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Z.F. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos de Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Amacoco Bebidas Do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCo Asia Research & Development Center Company Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Cyprus Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Limited Partnership, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 1 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 2 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Australia Holdings Pty Limited, PepsiCo Australia International, PepsiCo Austria Services GmbH, PepsiCo Azerbaijan Limited Liability Company, PepsiCo BeLux BV, PepsiCo Beverage Sales LLC, PepsiCo Beverage Singapore Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Beverages Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Beverages International Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Italia Societa' A Responsabilita' Limitata, PepsiCo Canada Finance LLC, PepsiCo Canada Holdings ULC, PepsiCo Canada Investment ULC, PepsiCo Canada ULC, PepsiCo Captive Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Caribbean Inc., PepsiCo China Limited, PepsiCo Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo De Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Del Paraguay S.R.L., PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, PepsiCo Eesti AS, PepsiCo Euro Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Euro Finance Antilles B.V., PepsiCo Europe Support Center S.L., PepsiCo Finance Americas Company, PepsiCo Finance Antilles A N.V., PepsiCo Finance Antilles B N.V., PepsiCo Finance South Africa Proprietary Limited, PepsiCo Financial Shared Services Inc., PepsiCo Food & Beverage Holdings Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Foods A.I.E., PepsiCo Foods China Company Limited, PepsiCo Foods Group Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Foods Guangdong Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Nigeria Limited, PepsiCo Foods Private Limited, PepsiCo Foods Sichuan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Taiwan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, PepsiCo France SAS, PepsiCo Global Business Services India LLP, PepsiCo Global Business Services Poland Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Global Holdings Limited, PepsiCo Global Investments B.V., PepsiCo Global Investments S.a r.l, PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC, PepsiCo Global Real Estate Inc., PepsiCo Global Trading Solutions Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Golden Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Group Finance International B.V., PepsiCo Group Holdings International B.V., PepsiCo Group Spotswood Holdings S.a r.l, PepsiCo Gulf International FZE, PepsiCo Hellas Single Member Industrial and Commercial Societe Anonyme, PepsiCo Holding de Espana S.L., PepsiCo Holdings, PepsiCo Holdings LLC, PepsiCo Holdings Toshkent LLC, PepsiCo Hong Kong LLC, PepsiCo Iberia Servicios Centrales S.L., PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, PepsiCo India Sales Private Limited, PepsiCo Internacional Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., PepsiCo International Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo International Limited, PepsiCo International Pte Ltd., PepsiCo Investments Europe I B.V., PepsiCo Investments Ltd., PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Japan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Light B.V., PepsiCo Logistyka Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., PepsiCo Management Services SAS, PepsiCo Manufacturing A.I.E., PepsiCo Max B.V., PepsiCo Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo Nederland B.V., PepsiCo Nordic Denmark ApS, PepsiCo Nordic Finland Oy, PepsiCo Nordic Norway AS, PepsiCo Nutrition Trading DMCC, PepsiCo One B.V., PepsiCo Overseas Corporation, PepsiCo Overseas Financing Partnership, PepsiCo Panimex Inc, PepsiCo Products B.V., PepsiCo Products FLLC, PepsiCo Puerto Rico Inc., PepsiCo Sales Inc., PepsiCo Sales LLC, PepsiCo Services Asia Ltd., PepsiCo Services CZ s.r.o., PepsiCo Services LLC, PepsiCo Twist B.V., PepsiCo UK Pension Plan Trustee Limited, PepsiCo Ventures B.V., PepsiCo Wave Holdings LLC, PepsiCo World Trading Company Inc., PepsiCo Y LLC, PepsiCo de Argentina S.R.L., PepsiCo de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda., PepsiCo do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCola Interamericana de Guatemala S.A., Pet Iberia S.L., Pete & Johnny Limited, Pine International LLC, Pine International Limited, Pinstripe Leasing LLC, Pioneer Food Group Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Groceries Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., Pioneer Foods Holdings Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods UK Ltd, Pioneer Foods Wellingtons Pty Ltd, Pipers Crisps Limited, PlayCo Inc., Pop corners, PopCorners Holdings Inc., Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company, Premier Nutrition Trading L.L.C., Prestwick LLC, Prev PepsiCo Sociedade Previdenciaria, Productos Alimenticios Rene LLC, Productos S.A.S. C.V., Productos SAS Management B.V., Punch N.V., Punica Getranke GmbH, Q O Puerto Rico Inc., QFL OHQ Sdn. Bhd., QTG Development Inc., QTG Services Inc., Quadrant - Amroq Beverages S.R.L., Quaker Development B.V., Quaker European Beverages LLC, Quaker European Investments B.V., Quaker Foods, Quaker Global Investments B.V., Quaker Holdings UK Limited, Quaker Manufacturing LLC, Quaker Oats Asia Inc., Quaker Oats Australia Pty Ltd, Quaker Oats B.V., Quaker Oats Capital Corporation, Quaker Oats Europe Inc., Quaker Oats Europe LLC, Quaker Oats Limited, Quaker Sales & Distribution Inc, Raptas Finance S.a r.l., Rare Fare Foods LLC, Rare Fare Holdings Inc., Reading Industries Ltd, Real Estate Holdings LLC, Rockstar Energy Drink, Rolling Frito-Lay Sales LP, S & T of Mississippi Inc., SIH International LLC, SVC Logistics Inc., SVC Manufacturing Inc., SVE Russia Holdings GmbH, Sabritas LLC, Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Sabritas Snacks America Latina de Nicaragua y Cia Ltda, Sabritas de Costa Rica S. de R.L., Sabritas y Cia. S en C de C.V., Sakata Rice Snacks Australia Pty Ltd, Sandora Holdings B.V., Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited, Sea Eagle International SRL, Seepoint Holdings Ltd., Senselet Food Processing PLC, Senselet Holding B.V., Servicios GBF Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Servicios GFLG y Compania Limitada, Servicios Gamesa Puerto Rico L.L.C., Servicios SYC S. de R.L. de C.V., Seven-Up Asia Inc., Seven-Up Light B.V., Seven-Up Nederland B.V., Shanghai PepsiCo Snack Company Limited, Shanghai YuHo Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Shoebill LLC, Simba (Proprietary) Limited, Simba Proprietary Limited, Sitka Spruce, Smartfoods Inc., Smiles and Bites Holdings S.de R.L. de C.V., Smiths Crisps Limited, Snack Food Investments GmbH, Snack Food Investments II GmbH, Snack Food Investments Limited, Snack Food-Beverage Asia Products Limited, Snacks America Latina S.R.L., Snacks Guatemala Ltd., So Spark Ltd., Soda-Club CO2 Atlantic GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 Ltd., Soda-Club Switzerland GmbH, Soda-Club Worldwide B.V., SodaStream, SodaStream Australia Pty Ltd, SodaStream CO2 SA, SodaStream Canada Ltd., SodaStream Enterprises N.V., SodaStream France SAS, SodaStream GmbH, SodaStream Iberia S.L., SodaStream Industries Ltd., SodaStream International B.V., SodaStream International Ltd., SodaStream Israel Ltd., SodaStream K.K., SodaStream New Zealand Ltd., SodaStream Nordics AB, SodaStream Poland Sp. z o.o., SodaStream SA Pty Ltd., SodaStream Switzerland GmbH, SodaStream USA Inc., SodaStream Osterreich GmbH, South Beach Beverage Company Inc., South Properties Inc., Spitz International Inc., Sportmex Internacional S.A. de C.V., Springboig Industries Ltd, Spruce Limited, Stacy's Pita Chip Company Incorporated, Star Foods E.M. S.R.L., Stokely-Van Camp Inc., Stratosphere Communications Pty Ltd, Stratosphere Holdings 2018 Limited, Streamfoods Ltd, TFL Holdings LLC, Tasman Finance S.a r.l, The Gatorade Company, The Good Carb Food Company Ltd., The Pepsi Bottling Group Canada ULC, The Quaker Oats Company, The Smith's Snackfood Company Pty Limited, Thomond Group Holdings Limited, Tobago Snack Holdings LLC, Tropicana Alvalle S.L., Tropicana Beverages Limited, Tropicana Europe N.V., Tropicana United Kingdom Limited, Troya-Ultra LLC, United Foods Companies Restaurantes S.A., V-Water, VentureCo Israel Ltd, Veurne Snack Foods BV, Vitamin Brands Ltd., Walkers Crisps Limited, Walkers Group Limited, Walkers Snack Foods Limited, Walkers Snacks Distribution Limited, Walkers Snacks Limited, Whitman Corporation, Whitman Insurance Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Beverages JSC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Brands Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Central Asia-Almaty LLP, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Georgia Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann JSC, and Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine PJSC.

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Sasol Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated chemical and energy company in South Africa. The company operates through six segments: Mining, Gas, Fuels, Chemicals Africa, Chemicals America, and Chemicals Eurasia. It offers acetate, acrylate monomer, ammonia, carbon, chlor alkali, explosive, fertilizer, glycol ether, hydrocarbon blend, inorganic, ketone, mining, polymer, and wax chemicals, as well as lacquer thinners, light alcohols, and phenolics or cresylic acids. The company also markets and sells brick, electrical, engine, hand, non-ferrous, and window cleaners, as well as parts wash products and super soaps; degreasers; bitumen, fuel oils, lubricants, motor fuels, and gas-to-liquid fuels; and other fuels, such as illuminating paraffin, light cycle and distillate oils, light straight run fuels, and synthetic paraffinic kerosene. In addition, it wholesales diesel and petrol; operates coal mines; offers engineering services; and develops lower carbon solutions. Further, the company explores, develops, produces, markets, and distributes natural gas and related products through pipelines. It serves adhesive, agriculture and forestry, automotive and transportation, aviation, burner fuel, chemical, construction and material, corrosion protection, electrical and electronic, flavor and fragrance, furniture, health and medical, household and consumer goods, industrial product, lubricant, manufacturing, mining, packaging, paint and coating, personal care, pharmaceutical, plastic and polymer, publishing and ink, pulp and paper, rubber and tyre, specialty graphite, steel and foundry, textile and leather, water treatment, and other industries. Sasol Limited was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In report after report after Donald Trumps election, career staffers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration kept saying the same thing: Climate change is real, serious and man-made.

Thats surprising because Trump has called global warming a hoax. His political appointees at the Commerce Department, which oversees the NOAA, have complained to its staff but stopped short of demanding changes. So the reports, blog posts and public updates kept flowing. The bureaucrats won.

Everything coming out of NOAA does not reflect this administration, said David Schnare, a retired lawyer for an industry-backed think tank who was on Trumps transition team and is skeptical of climate change. It reflects the last one.

Thats true across the government as some of the roughly 2 million career employees have found ways to obstruct, slow down or just ignore the president.

Staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission, for example, issued a report contradicting the White Houses position about the negative effects of banking regulations. The State Departments embassy staff preserved policies of President Barack Obamas administration to boost the economies of developing countries  at odds with Trumps America First campaign pledges  not by changing the substance of the programs but merely by relabeling them as a way to create markets for U.S. exports.

Perhaps no policy area better illustrates the dynamic than climate change. A report commissioned by the energy secretary to explore the dangers of wind and solar energy to the power grid initially found just the opposite. Pentagon staffers effectively stalled a Trump reversal of an Obama policy on climate change and national security by initiating a review thats apparently still being done nine months later. Federal procurement officials have kept promoting zero-emission vehicles but by focusing on economic gains rather than environmental benefits.

Two factors may be making it harder for the Trump White House to impose order: a desire to reorient major agencies from their traditional missions and the slow the pace at which it has filled key posts. Less than two-thirds as many appointments have been submitted and won Senate confirmation as were in place at the comparable time during the Obama administration.

But even that wouldnt fully tame the permanent government layer of bureaucrats who stay on from president to president, burrowed deep in agencies across Washington.

Its an enormous challenge for a new president and administration to exert influence over the bureaucracy, said David Lewis, chairman of the political science department at Vanderbilt University. They know a lot more than the political appointees who come into the agencies. That gives them an advantage.

Before taking office, Trump repeatedly dismissed global warming as a hoax  a position at odds not only with the vast majority of scientists, but also with the long-standing policy of the U.S. government.

In 1990, Congress directed the executive branch to research the effects of global warming, and report on that research regularly. Since then, the federal governments involvement in fighting climate change has grown to include regulating emissions and working to mitigate their consequences.

Trump has used his executive authority to reverse some of the most prominent environmental policies initiated by Obama, including rolling back limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, pulling out of an international agreement to cut carbon emissions signed in 2015 in Paris and effectively opening up more public land to oil drilling and coal mining.

But when it comes to the endless number of more mundane policies and decisions farther from the spotlight, Trump and his appointees have met with resistance  some of it subtle, some of it not.

The bureaucracy is generally resistant, no matter what the hell youre trying to do, Leon Panetta, who guided presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama through transitions, said in an interview. But when a president sets out to be as disruptive as Trump has, Panetta said, getting career staff to implement those policies is gonna take a hell of a lot longer.

As the case of the NOAA illustrates, the most radical example of bureaucratic resistance may also be the simplest: continuing to issue information or reports that are factually accurate, even when they clash with the administrations policies.

Different agencies have taken different approaches to the reports written. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a in a statement: I have not suggested one word of change to any NOAA research report on any topic. But political officials in other departments have been more willing to get involved  sometimes triggering pushback from civil servants.

Just ask Rick Perry.

In April, Perry, Trumps secretary of energy, directed career staff at his agency to write a report on the question of whether the expansion of wind and solar power threaten the stability of the electricity grid, by reducing the amount of critical baseload resources  in other words, power generated by coal, nuclear and other traditional sources.

With Trump pledging to reverse regulations that have harmed coal, the study was viewed by critics as a way the administration would justify curtailing the expansion of wind and solar power and help coal plants and miners.

But the draft staff report, coordinated by an Energy Department contractor, reached a surprising conclusion: the growth in renewables wasnt endangering the reliability of electric power after all. Grid operators are using technologies, standards and practices to assure that they can continue operating the grid reliably, concluded the draft report, obtained by Bloomberg in July.

The drafts conclusions were those of the contractor, not of career staff at the agency, according to Shaylyn Hynes, a department spokeswoman.

Trump appointees at the agency pushed back on the drafts conclusions; one official called some of its findings unacceptable and inflammatory, according to a copy of the draft marked up by the official. Drafts of the report soon leaked out, making it harder for political staff to change them.

Officials eventually released a version of the report that hewed closely to the initial draft, but with policy recommendations that supported Perrys goal of preserving the nations coal and nuclear industries. Travis Fisher, a political appointee in Perrys office and a lead author of the study, said in an interview that the leak didnt have an effect on the overall posture of the report. It was always going in the direction that it ended up, he said.

But career staff, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, viewed the episode as a qualified success, arguing that reports findings would otherwise have been even more hostile to renewables.

Bureaucrats can also continue programs or initiatives that predate Trump by calling them something new or describing them in different ways.

Take the General Services Administration, which manages the federal governments fleet of more than 640,000 cars, trucks and other vehicles. Since 2011, the GSA has added more than 1,000 electric vehicles to the fleet  a policy that was presented in distinctly environmental terms.

The Federal Government is leading by example, the GSA said when it announced the electric-vehicle program in 2011. The goal was to build a 21st century clean energy economy.

Those goals are now squarely at odds with the Trump administrations view on climate change, which strongly favors fossil fuels.

Rather that cutting the program, the GSA staff has focused on its contributions to jobs and cost cutting, rather than reducing emissions.

That messaging workaround was on display in late summer when the GSA promoted National Drive Electric Week, whose presenters included the Sierra Club. Welcome to National Drive Electric Week! The agency said in a September blog post that it said was to celebrate the benefits of alternative-fuel vehicles.

ing technologies play a significant role in our mission to save taxpayer dollars, create jobs and stimulate economic growth in the United States; which is one reason we provide the federal fleet with vehicles that offer the latest and most efficient transportation technologies available, including electric vehicle (EV) technology, the agency wrote.

The post made no mention of environmental benefits. If the agency had any noneconomic reasons for using electric vehicles, they went unmentioned.

A GSA spokeswoman, Pamela Dixon, didnt respond to emails seeking comment.

The career bureaucracy is seen by many in the administration, and by the president himself, as sort of the problem, said Paul Verkuil, who during the Obama administration was chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States, an independent federal agency charged with improving the efficiency of the bureaucracy. The irony is, because theyre not confirming their own policy people, the quote-unquote problem is running the government.

In other agencies, officials have found it best to simply delay implementation of new initiatives, hoping they may be modified or canceled.

In March, for example, Trump, flanked by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and coal miners, signed an order that rescinded some Obama policies to fight climate change. Youre going back to work, Trump told the men around him.

Among the policies Trump reversed was Obamas 2016 Presidential Memorandum on Climate Change and National Security, which had instructed the Defense Department to account for the effects of global warming. Those effects include rising sea levels that threaten U.S. naval facilities; stronger and more frequent heat waves, which interfere with the militarys ability to train its personnel; and the interplay between extreme weather events and conflicts overseas, which risks entangling U.S. forces.

The department was aware of those threats, and had already started putting Obamas policy into effect through a directive called Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience.

But rather than reverse or alter that directive after Trumps order, staff at the Pentagon began what it called a review, which forestalled changes. Adam Stump, a department spokesman, refused to say whether that review has concluded, or what it found. For now, he said, the directive issued under Obamas administration remains current.

Defense Secretary James Mattis has said climate change can be a driver of instability and the Department of Defense must pay attention to potential adverse impacts generated by this phenomenon.

Even seemingly insignificant actions by civil servants can add up to a meaningful difference in federal policy, said Anna Aurilio, director of the Washington office at the nonprofit Environment America.

I dont think its a silver bullet, unfortunately, Aurilio said. Still, It can be very helpful for career staff to actually do their jobs properly, and not rubber-stamp the rollback or weakening of regulations.

Career staff who slow down policy directives are sometimes justified in doing so, according to Lewis, the Vanderbilt professor. For example, they may feel that stalling gives political appointees, some of whom are new to the policy areas theyre responsible for, time to consider other options.

To carry out your job faithfully requires you to balance sometimes conflicting demands  from the president, from Congress and from the law itself, Lewis said. What can be seen as slow-walking something, and has a nefarious meaning, also has a charitable interpretation.

In the long run, career staff can face consequences for resisting presidential policy. While its hard to outright fire a civil servant, congressional Republicans in January gave themselves the ability to reduce the annual pay for any individual federal employee to $1.

An administration can also punish bureaucrats through punitive reassignments, designed to make them quit. Joel Clement, a senior policy manager at the Department of Interior, was moved to the accounting office in June  retaliation, he alleged, for speaking out about the risks of climate change.

A department spokeswoman, Heather Swift, denied that. Clements reassignment was to better serve the taxpayer and the Departments operations, she said.

Clement, who has since left the agency, described a checklist he said bureaucrats should follow before acting to impede a political directive.

Clement said career staff should first consider whether they simply didnt like the new policy, which he said wasnt a reason to get in its way. But if the new policy put public health and safety at risk, for example, or was based on deliberately inaccurate information, Clement argued that staff should then try to raise their concerns through internal channels. You first have to try a legitimate approach before you obstruct, he said.

Only if that didnt work, Clement said, should civil servants take action outside of normal channels  leaking documents, for example, or slowing down the implementation of the policy. But he said he expects more career staff to start doing so, as more of the Trump administrations specific policy initiatives make their way through the bureaucracy.

The tide is rising on that kind of resistance, Clement said. Whether its public or not.

Two factors may be making it harder for the Trump White House to impose order: a desire to reorient major agencies from their traditional missions and the slow the pace at which it has filled key posts.
The German manufacturer, BMW, has rolled out the first prototype of the upcoming X7 SUV, from its Spartanburg plant. The carmaker has released a few shots of the X7 flagship SUV, which is set to go on sale globally in 2019.

In India, the X7 is expected to join other SUVs under BMWs X range like the X1, X3, X5 and the X6. Incidentally, we believe kits for the X3 and the X5 models, which are assembled at the carmakers facility in Chennai, come from the same plant where the pre-production models of the X7 are being built. BMWs official release featuring the X7s pre-production also hints in the same direction. It states, Together with the BMW X7, a total of five BMW X models will be exported from Spartanburg to all four corners of the globe. In case you were wondering, the kits for the X1 come from Germany, while the X6 is a CBU import.

BMW has smartly camouflaged the pre-production models, which are set to go through various tests and homologation in the coming months, to hide what the production-spec SUVs looks. The overall silhouette, however, remains identical to the butch and boxy X7 iPerformance concept, which was showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2017 (check out the picture above).

It has retained the concepts big, fat grille with a thick chrome surround along with the sleek LED headlights and wraparound LED tail lamps. The all-glass roof of the concept, however, has made way for a panoramic one.

Though BMW has not revealed any technical specifications of the upcoming X7 SUV, it is expected to borrow its powertrain from BMWs flagship sedan, the 7 Series. More importantly, since the concept was showcased as a plug-in hybrid, we expect the upcoming X7 to pack the hybrid powertrain option from the 740e xDrive iPerformance, which packs a 2.0-litre, inline 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine coupled to an electric motor. This setup makes a total system output of 322PS. The X7 plug-in hybrid will be among the 25 electrified models that BMW intends to launch by 2025.

The Bavarian carmaker says it will reveal the production-spec model in nearly 12 months from now. This could indicate that the carmaker plans to showcase the X7 to the public at the 2019 Detroit Motor Show, which is usually held in January. We expect BMW to launch the SUV in our market in 2020. The X7 will take on the mighty Range Rover and the Mercedes-Benz GLS, among others.

Source: CarDekho.com
Many teens still dont get the vaccine at least in part because parents fear it will encourage adolescents to start having sex. (Photo: Pixabay)

Young women who get vaccinated against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) understand that they still need condoms to protect against other sexually transmitted infections, a U.S. study confirms.

To see how vaccination influenced womens attitudes about safe sex, researchers followed 91 women and girls for 30 months starting when they received their first dose of the HPV vaccine. When participants joined the study, they were 15 years old on average and none of them had had sex.

When researchers surveyed the young women at the start of the study, most thought it would be very risky to have sex without condoms. This opinion didnt change over time, the study team reports in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

By the end of the study, 65 women, or 71 percent, were sexually active. The timing of their first sexual encounter wasnt influenced by how concerned they had been about safe sex or catching sexually transmitted infections other than HPV.

These findings suggest that young women understand that vaccination against HPV does not protect against infections other than HPV and that safer sexual behaviors like using condoms are still important, said lead study author Dr. Tanya Kowalczyk Mullins of Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio.

Research demonstrates that HPV vaccination of adolescent women, whether sexually experienced at the time of vaccination or not, does not lead to riskier sexual behaviors, Mullins said by email.

HPV is among the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Most infections dont cause symptoms and go away on their own, but the virus is a still leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. It can also cause genital warts and lesions in the upper respiratory tract.

In the US, the HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys at age 11 or 12 years, with the goal of protecting them against the virus before they become sexually active, and also for teens and young adults who may not have previously been vaccinated.

Many teens still dont get the vaccine at least in part because parents fear it will encourage adolescents to start having sex too soon or without condoms.

The current study wasnt a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how the HPV vaccine might influence when teens choose to have sex or if they practice safe sex. Because the vaccine is recommended for all youth to prevent cancer, it wouldnt be ethical to do a controlled experiment depriving some participants of the vaccine.

Parents need to understand, and pediatricians should stress, that this vaccine is to prevent cancer caused by the majority of HPV infections and not a vaccine to prevent all sexually transmitted diseases in general, said Dr. Linda Fu, a pediatrician at Childrens National Health System in Washington, D.C.

If this message is being delivered to patients effectively, there should be no reason for vaccine recipients to believe that they are at lower risk for any STD other than HPV, said Fu, who wasnt involved in the study, in an email.

But its still important to keep talking to teens about safe sex and preventing sexually transmitted infections, said Dr. Cora Collette Breuner, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on adolescence and a researcher at Seattle Childrens Hospital and the University of Washington.

The young women in this study demonstrated appropriate risk perceptions, Breuner, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email.

But parents and healthcare providers should continue to provide education to young women about the limitations of protection afforded by the HPV vaccine in order to facilitate development of appropriate risk perceptions among vaccinated young women, Breuner advised.
The first nativity scene was assembled by St. Francis in 1223 in the small Italian town of Grecio. (Photo: Pixabay)

Franciscan monks have put the baby Jesus in a crib made of bullet shells in a yearly provocation nativity scene designed to draw attention to those suffering in the world.

The successors of St. Francis of Assisi, who invented the nativity scene, craft a different scene each year outside the basilica in the Italian hill city of Assisi, the burial place of the 13th century patron saint of peace and the environment.

The monks said the bed of 445 bullet shells honors the estimated 445 Roman Catholic priests, nuns, monks and lay religion teachers killed for their faith around the world since 2000.

People of peace, people of dialogue are killed, tortured and massacred for peace because they want to change the unjust systems in many societies, said Father Enzo Fortunato, a senior monk at the basilica and convent complex.

Each year the monks choose a different theme for the nativity scene as part of what they call a provocation to underscore the need for peace, he said.

Last year they made the scene using stones from the Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia, also in the Umbria region, which collapsed after a series of earthquakes that killed about 300 people.

The year before, they made it from the remains of a boat that had carried migrants and refugees across the Mediterranean. More than 14,000 people have died trying to make the perilous crossing to Europe in the past four years.

The first nativity scene was assembled by St. Francis in 1223 in the small Italian town of Grecio to represent the Biblical story of Jesus birth in a manger in Bethlehem.
When Gov. Scott Walker signed Assembly Bill 280 on Nov. 30, more than 40 people crowded in behind him to be part of the official bill-signing photo. The larger-than-normal turnout for the event was emblematic of the widespread support for the legislation, which requires Wisconsin K-12 school districts to incorporate personal finance into their curricula.

The bill had passed the Assembly and Senate by voice vote, and also had the strong backing of a variety of private-sector stakeholder groups from the financial services industry. Gov. Walker enthusiastically signed the bill, which took effect immediately.

As Secretary of the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), I was pleased to be present for the historic signing, which makes Wisconsin one of 18 states to require the teaching of personal finance. DFI, through our Office of Financial Literacy, has been working for years to promote the importance of this critical life-long skill, with a special emphasis on educating our K-12 students. Our agency spearheads the work of the Governors Council on Financial Literacy, which Gov. Walker convened in 2011. We also collaborate with a variety of stakeholders groups to promote financial literacy in our schools, workplaces and communities across Wisconsin.

The signing of AB280 was, indeed, good news. But the even better news is that Wisconsins K-12 school districts already have made outstanding progress on incorporating personal finance into their curriculum requirements. Consider this:

In 2010, a survey showed that just 25 percent of Wisconsin high schools required students to take a personal finance class in order to graduate.

In 2016, based on a district-by-district review conducted by DFI, the percentage of districts with such a requirement had risen to 64 percent.

And today  drum roll, please  more than 70 percent of Wisconsin high schools now have such a requirement in place, based on DFIs most recent survey.

It is gratifying to see that a significant number of local school boards across the state have decided to add personal finance to their graduation requirements in the past seven years. Quite obviously, they have come to the realization that financially literate students have a far greater likelihood of becoming financially successful adults than do students who are financially illiterate. Studies have shown that mandated financial education increases financial knowledge later in life, including improved retirement planning. In addition, by age 22, people who were taught personal finance in school have credit scores that are 8 to 17 points higher than those who werent. Given the rapidly evolving nature of the financial services industry, the need to equip young people with these skills has never been more important.

The hard work by many educators, stakeholders groups and others on this topic is paying dividends, but there is more work to be done. DFI, our Office of Financial Literacy and Gov. Walkers Council on Financial Literacy stand ready to help.
Hinting at Congress workers who did not contribute in the election campaign and worked against the party, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Rahul said action will be taken against them. (Photo: File | Twitter @INCIndia)

New Delhi: After being elected as the Congress president, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met the party workers in Gujarat and congratulated them for giving a tough fight to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

Rahul said he is confident that his party will form the next government in Gujarat which is the home-state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He assured his party workers that the Congress party will win 135 out of 182 seats in the Gujarat Assembly elections in 2022.

Let me assure you, in the next Gujarat elections we will win 135 seats. In the meantime, you will not retreat. You will not give an inch. You will counter the BJP: Congress President Rahul Gandhi #ThankYouGujarat  Congress (@INCIndia) December 23, 2017

Boasting the confidence of his party workers in Gujarat, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the party can win elections in Gujarat.

If the Congress in Gujarat believes that it can win the elections, we will win. 70% of you believed this. We saw the results. You now know that Congress can win elections in Gujarat: Congress President Rahul Gandhi #ThankYouGujarat  Congress (@INCIndia) December 23, 2017

Hinting at Congress workers who did not contribute in the election campaign and worked against the party Rahul said that action will be taken against them.

90 per cent people fought together and made efforts with the Congress in the election but five to 10 per cent did not help the party and that action will be taken against them.

Asking his party members to remain steadfast, Rahul said the Gujarat polls, despite the results, were a victory for the Congress because it used truth and love as a weapon to fight the polls.

"Agar Congress ek saath khadi ho jaati hai, to wo haarti nahin hai. Chunaav mein humari haar hui, par hum jeete kyunki wo gusse se lade aur unke paas sab saadhan the. aur humare paas sach; hum pyaar se lade" (If Congress stands together, it won't lose. In the elections (Gujarat polls), we lost. But it was our victory because they fought with anger and they had all the means. And we (only) had truth; we fought with love.), Rahul said.

The Congress chief added that his party lost the Gujarat elections because of the malicious campaign by BJP to defame the Congress party for the last 20 years.

Let me tell you about the reasons for our defeat. In the last 20 years, the BJP and Mr Modi have run a campaign of defamation against Congress party workers and leaders, Rahul said.

The Congress president, however, said that the perception about the partys ability to win seats in Gujarat has changed following the results.

I want to congratulate all workers for a well-fought election. 3-4 months ago, people were questioning if the Congress could even contest elections in Gujarat.

In the end, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulated the BJP for winning the election and said his party is all set to play the role of opposition for the coming five years.

"They will work for Gujarat for next five years, and we will play the role of opposition," he concluded.
Vijayawada: The decision of the AP endowments department not to allow lavish expenditure on decorations on January 1 at major temples has forced seers and heads of various mutts asking the government and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) to put an end to the New Year celebrations. They also sought an end to organising festivals of other religions in the TTD-run educational institutions.

Being a board, the TTD has liberty over the activities it wants to perform or discharge, said Swamy Swaroopanandendra Saraswathi, and added that TTD shouldnt forget its prime responsibility of confining itself to the Hindu dharma.

The TTD has to strictly direct institutions to follow and perform only Hindu festivals, said Swaroopananda.

The seer asked the government to bring in compulsory rules to be followed in Hindu dharmic institutions. When contacted, A. Suryakumari, Sree Durga Malleswara Swamy Devasthanam executive officer, said that the temple had never been under the influence of the western culture and never followed New Year darshans. This January 1, we are performing Sri Nataraja Swamy Kalyanam in the temple, and nothing beyond that, the EO said.

Chilakapati Vijaya Raghavacharyulu, Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust secretary, said that the HDPT wants to curb the unnecessary expenditure as per the Gregorian calendar. I want to clarify that temples shouldnt spend lavishly on beautification and modification on the eve of January 1, Mr Vijaya Raghavacharyulu said.
Tow truck driver Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, was planning to target the city's busy Pier 39 tourist spot, according to an affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Christopher McKinney. (Photo: File/Representational)

Los Angeles: Federal agents arrested a former US Marine on Friday for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the ISIS, according to court documents.

Tow truck driver Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, was planning to target the city's busy Pier 39 tourist spot, according to an affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Christopher McKinney.

The suspect is said to have outlined to undercover agents how he wanted to use explosives to target crowds at the pier between December 18 and 25 because "Christmas was the perfect day to commit the attack."

Jameson professed not to need an escape plan as he was "ready to die," according to the document.

The suspect's home in Modesto, California, was raided by FBI agents on Wednesday, where they allegedly found his last will and testament along with weapons and ammunition.

Jameson attended basic training with the Marine Corps in 2009 and graduated with a "sharpshooter" rifle qualification, according to the FBI, but was discharged after failing to disclose a history of asthma.

According to McKinney, Jameson selected Pier 39 -- which gets around 10 million visitors a year -- because "he had been there before and knew it was a heavily crowded area."

'Radical jihadi beliefs'

"Jameson explained that he also desired to use explosives and described a plan in which explosives could 'tunnel' or 'funnel' people into a location where Jameson could inflict casualties," McKinney stated.

The suspect inadvertently revealed his plans to an undercover FBI agent he believed to be a senior leader of the ISIS, according to the court document.

Jameson said the US needed "another attack like New York or San Bernardino," adding that he wanted to use vehicles and firearms to carry out an attack.

"Today, our incredible law enforcement officers have once again helped thwart an alleged plot to kill Americans," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

"The threat from terrorism is real -- and it is serious -- but the American people can be assured that the Department of Justice remains vigilant in protecting our homeland," he added.

According to the criminal complaint, Jameson "has espoused radical jihadi beliefs, including authoring social media posts that are supportive of terrorism."

He had voiced support for the October 31 attack in New York in which a jihadist drove a pick-up truck into a crowded bike path, killing eight people, said the FBI, and was active on Facebook, "liking" pro-IS posts.

He "loved" a post on November 29 of a propaganda image of Santa Claus standing in New York with a box of dynamite.

'Gentle, kind'

He was charged in the Eastern District Court of California with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

"He was under surveillance by law enforcement, and the public was never in imminent danger," the FBI said in a statement.

Local newspaper the Merced Sun Star published a video interview with a man it identified as the suspect's father, Gordon Jameson, who described his son as a "the gentle, kind type of Muslim person" and said the FBI had got its facts wrong.

"I don't know too much about the case because the FBI isn't saying much to me but I know my son wouldn't harm nobody. He wouldn't do that to innocent people," he said.

"I love him to death and I can't wait to see him again and hold him in my arms."

The Sacramento Bee quoted the grandfather of Jameson's ex-wife Ashley Monett Jameson, who told the paper the couple have two young children.

Ashley Jameson is in prison, according to the paper, which added that the children were in foster care, citing a restraining order that it said had been filed by the suspect.

Hours after his arrest it emerged that Jameson had written to his local newspaper, the Modesto Bee, when he was 16, offering his backing for US troops remaining in Iraq following the conflict that began in 2003.

"I don't know what you were taught, but I was raised to finish something you start, and guess what? It's not finished yet," he wrote.
The move is likely to escalate tensions between the United States and Russia, as President Donald Trump contends with ongoing questions about whether he's too hesitant to confront the Kremlin. (Photo: File)

Washington: The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, US officials said Friday, aiming to fortify the former Soviet republic military as it fights separatists backed by Russia.

The new arms include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles that Ukraine has long sought to boost its defenses against tanks that have rolled through eastern Ukraine during violence that has killed more than 10,000 since 2014. Previously, the US has provided Ukraine with support equipment and training, and has let private companies sell some small arms like rifles.

The officials describing the plan weren't authorized to discuss it publicly and demanded anonymity.

The move is likely to escalate tensions between the United States and Russia, as President Donald Trump contends with ongoing questions about whether he's too hesitant to confront the Kremlin. Ukraine accuses Russia of sending the tanks, and the US says Moscow is arming , training and fighting alongside the separatists.

Trump had been considering the plan for some time after the State Department and the Pentagon signed off earlier in 2017. President Barack Obama also considered sending lethal weapons to Ukraine.

The State Department, responsible for overseeing foreign military sales, would not confirm that anti-tank missiles or other lethal weapons would be sent. But in a statement late Friday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US had decided to provide "enhanced defensive capabilities" to help Ukraine build its military long-term, defend its sovereignty and "deter further aggression."

"US assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself," Nauert said.

The White House's National Security Council declined to comment.

Although the portable Javelin anti-tank missiles can kill, proponents for granting them to Ukraine have long argued they are considered "defensive" because the Ukrainians would use them to defend their territory and deter the Russians, not to attack a foreign country or seize new territory.

Under law, the State Department must tell Congress of planned foreign military sales, triggering a review period in which lawmakers can act to stop the sale. It was unclear whether the administration had formally notified Congress, but lawmakers are unlikely to try to block it given that Democrats and Republicans alike have long called on the government to take the step.
The nine-day gun deer hunt may be over, but hunters can still participate in archery and crossbow seasons and an antlerless-only gun hunt.

The antlerless-only holiday hunt will be offered in 17 farmland units from Dec. 24Jan. 1. These seasons are used at the request of County Deer Advisory Councils and utilized in units with high deer numbers in need of antlerless harvest to slow overall herd growth. Hunters may fill any unused antlerless tags in their proper deer management zone, county and land type. Any unit where the holiday hunt is not offered will be open for archery and crossbow hunting, and bucks may be taken.

Any legal firearm, crossbow or archery equipment may be used during the statewide antlerless-only and holiday hunt. Additional opportunities are also available for U.S. Armed Forces members and Class A and C disability permit holders. The archery and crossbow seasons will remain open through Jan. 7, 2018 statewide.

Metro sub-units archery and crossbow seasons remains open through Jan. 31. All hunters except waterfowl hunters are required to wear blaze orange or blaze pink clothing during any open firearm deer hunt. Other outdoor enthusiasts recreating on public lands are encouraged to wear bright colors for their own safety during these periods.

For more information regarding which hunts may be offered in each county, check out the interactive deer map at keyword DMU.

Chronic wasting disease sampling

CWD sampling is being offered at various locations throughout southern, central and northern Wisconsin including both in-person service as well as self-service options. Self-service kiosks are 24/7 options for hunters to drop off a deer head to be tested for CWD. The online registration database now includes within the station type option drop down menu the specification of self-service kiosks in available counties.

To find sampling station locations and additional information, search keywords CWD sampling.

Hunters can search for CWD test results individually or view a summary. Hunters will need a customer ID or CWD sample barcode to search for individual results. For information regarding CWD test results, search keywords CWD results.

The cooperation of hunters and private businesses has become increasingly vital to the success of our sampling process. Department staff would like to thank all those who continue to assist with CWD surveillance.

Hunters asked to participate in online Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey

The Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey will remain active until all deer seasons have ended, and wildlife managers ask that hunters to submit a report of what they saw during their time in the field. This information will provide valuable data pertaining to Wisconsins deer herd and other species.

For additional information, search keywords deer hunter wildlife.
Disability in South American Countries

Published: 2017-12-23

Author: Disabled World | Contact: disabled-world.com

Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A

Additional References: Library of Disability Information Publications

Synopsis: Basic facts, statistics and information regarding disabilities from South American Countries. In Uruguay, cities like Montevideo are generally accessible while towns in the countryside are not. The same is true for Argentina, where Buenos Aires is very accessible and cities like Tucum'an are not, and communities like Amaicha del Valle are reminiscent of Alabama in the 1930's, with dirt roads and no provision for wheelchair access at all.

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In Uruguay, cities like Montevideo are generally accessible while towns in the countryside are not. The same is true for Argentina, where Buenos Aires is very accessible and cities like Tucum'an are not, and communities like Amaicha del Valle are reminiscent of Alabama in the 1930's, with dirt roads and no provision for wheelchair access at all.

Countries Listed by Population in South America Include:

Brazil

Population 193,891,867 - Brazil is one of the largest countries in South America, and thus has a large population of people with disabilities. The country's legal framework provides multiple protections for the rights of people with disabilities including Law 7853, which criminalized discrimination based on disability. In Brazil there are currently some 16 million people with special needs, of whom 9 million are working-age. Yet only 1 million Brazilians with disabilities are in the labor force and only 200 thousand have signed work papers.

Colombia

Population 45,656,990 - Disability rights became explicitly recognized in Colombia when the national constitution was enacted in 1991. Columbia ratified the OAS Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities in 2002.

Argentina

Population 40,085,130 - The number of people in Argentina with disabilities is estimated to be at least three million, with some government estimates rising to 7 - 8% of the total population. Disabled people's organizations estimate that 15% of the population has some form of disability.

Peru

Population 29,368,000 - Peru became the 15th country to ratify the international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the 9th country to ratify the accompanying Optional Protocol. The CRPD is an international human rights treaty focused on protecting the rights of people with disabilities. Some of the rights it is meant to protect include: equality before the law without discrimination; freedom from torture; right to live in the community; respect for home and the family; right to education; right to health; right to work; right to an adequate standard of living; right to participate in political and public life.

Venezuela

Population 28,149,000 - In 2006 the Venezuelan National Assembly yesterday passed a new Law for Persons with Disabilities that will guarantee disabled people medical assistance and will ensure they are adequately represented in the work place. The law includes physical, hearing, mental, and visual disabilities.

Chile

Population 17,295,000 - 25 years ago, Chile replaced its traditional old age security system with one in which workers contribute to accounts they individually own. The new disability system is less well-known than its pension scheme, but it is equally innovative. First, like the old age system, it is pre-funded, so each generation covers its own disability costs. Second, private pension funds and insurance companies participate in the process of assessing workers' disabilities, and financially benefit from controlling costs. Disability rates and costs in the new system are lower than in the old system and lower than in most other countries. Disabled workers who qualify are guaranteed a defined benefit for the balance of their lives: 70 percent of their average wage (if totally disabled) and 50 percent (if partially disabled)

Ecuador

Population 14,228,000 - Approximately 13% of the population in Ecuador has some type of disability. Ecuador has a constitution that specifically addresses the topic of disability rights, to laws and regulations such as the Disability Act, the Regulations on the Registration of Persons with Disabilities, the Childhood and Adolescence Code, and the Labor Code. Unfortunately, poverty, social and architectural barriers, neglect, high levels of unemployment, and lack of access to training and education are just a few of the many obstacles that persons with disabilities must still overcome.

Bolivia

Population 9,182,000 - Over 15% of Bolivia's population is disabled. Most disabilities are caused by preventable diseases such as polio and German measles, high malnutrition rates in children are also a major contributory factor. In 2007, International Service began a three year project in Bolivia, funded by Irish Aid, aimed at improving the lives of people with disabilities and on mainstream disability issues in Bolivian society.

Paraguay

Population 6,158,000 - Paraguay's definition of persons with disabilities is based on the WHO's definition of persons with disabilities. The Law 780, Article 6 defines them as exceptional, beneficiary or deficient persons who suffer a decrease of their mental or physical ability that affects their possibilities of self-sufficiency, learning or work, due to congenital or acquired causes. At the moment an accurate number of persons with disabilities in Paraguay and the distribution of persons with disabilities by age categories is unknown. However the majority of persons with disabilities in the country are children and youth, and the number of persons with disabilities is increasing due to the high rate of increase in population and lack of strategies for disability prevention, especially for primary prevention.

Uruguay

Population 3,463,000 - Figures for Uruguay are separated for severe and all disability definitions. We observe a 2.5% of severe disability across the whole population. Only individuals aged 65 and more have more than average presence of disability, but the figure of 4.7% is not extremely large compared to the rest of the population. This indicates that, although severe disability is related to age, the incidence is not particularly higher for elderly people.

Guyana

Population 751,000 - Guyana's constitution was recently amended by Bill 9 of 2003 which declared discrimination against people with disabilities unconstitutional. The government did not, however, sign the Inter-American Convention of the Elimination of Discrimination Against People with Disabilities. Important progress has been made in recent years to expand policy, programs and support to address the needs of persons with disabilities in Guyana through the further development to sector specific projects focusing largely on rehabilitation and education. But important and pressing challenges still remain to be addressed. Persons with disabilities are often the most disadvantaged of all groups in society. Many do not have access to education and employment which leads to social and economic exclusion. Persons with disabilities are often trapped in a cycle of poverty and disability; each being a cause and consequence of one another.

Suriname

Population 499,000 - Disability rights are not high on the political agenda in Suriname. The development of services for people with disabilities has stagnated. The government lacks policy initiatives regarding this group and expresses limited support for initiatives by NGOs.

French Guiana

Population 187,000

Falkland Islands

Population 3,060

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Population 20

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Disability Information and Statistics for Central America and Mexico

Published: 2017-12-23

Author: Disabled World | Contact: disabled-world.com

Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A

Additional References: Library of Disability News in the Americas Publications

Synopsis: Disability information and statistics for Mexico and the seven countries that make up Central America. Central America has an area of 524,000 square kilometers (202,000 sq mi), or almost 0.1% of the Earth's surface. As of 2009, its population was estimated at 41,739,000.

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Central America has an area of 524,000 square kilometers (202,000 sq mi), or almost 0.1% of the Earth's surface. As of 2009, its population was estimated at 41,739,000.

Central America is currently undergoing a process of political, economic and cultural transformation that started in 1907 with the creation of the Central American Court of Justice. In 1951 the integration process continued with the signature of the San Salvador Treaty, which created the ODECA, the Organization of Central American States. However, the unity of the ODECA was limited by conflicts between several member states.

Disability in Mexico

Mexico, officially known as the United Mexican States, is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost 2 million square kilometers (over 760,000 sq mi), Mexico is the fifth-largest country in the Americas by total area and the 14th largest independent nation in the world. With an estimated population of 111 million, it is the 11th most populous country and the most populous Hispanophone country on Earth.

According to the general census of population and housing in the year 2000; there was 1,795,000 people with a disability in Mexico, which represents 1.8% of the population. Only 15% of people with a disability between the ages of 15 and 29 have an education. The legal standing of disability rights in Mexico is contradictory. A Federal Act for Persons with Disabilities is currently under legislative consideration, and Mexico has been very active in United Nations attempts to create a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. However, much current legislation lacks regulations, and compliance is a problem. Moreover, awareness of disability rights is low among both people with and without disabilities.

Countries Listed by Population in Central America Include

Belize

Population 307,000

The government generally respects the human rights of its citizens. Human rights problems include brutality and the use of excessive force by security forces, which the government in most cases takes steps to prosecute. Lengthy pretrial detention remains a problem. Domestic violence, discrimination against women, sexual abuse of children, trafficking in persons for sexual and labor exploitation, and child labor are also problems in Belize.

Costa Rica

Population 4,579,000

Special education has been part of the Costa Rican public education system for more than 60 years. Approximately 10% of the 75,000 students who receive special services have a severe disability; however, there is a chronic shortage of personnel trained to educate students with significant educational needs.

El Salvador

Population 6,163,000

El Salvador is one of 34 countries to have ratified the CRPD. The CRPD is the first international, legally-binding treaty to protect the human rights of people with disabilities. It protects many different human rights including: the right to healthcare and to informed consent in health services; the right to procreate and to obtain contraceptives; the right to education; the right to live with one's own family in the community; and many more. However, women born with disabilities are still shunned, imprisoned in their homes, sexually and physically abused, and left to live their lives at the discretion of the economic resources of the family.

Guatemala

Population 14,027,000

In Guatemala special education and rehabilitation were started in the private sector by parents and charitable groups. Responsibility for such programs has shifted somewhat in recent years with governments sharing in program development and operation. Guatemala, Central America's most heavily populated country, offers a prime example of this shift to a more balanced public-private sharing of responsibility for improving the lives of disabled people. How one third world nation, such as Guatemala, responds to its citizens with disability may be significant for understanding disability in developing countries worldwide and could lead to a theory of social response to disability.

Honduras

Population 7,466,000

Estimates suggest there are almost 700,000 persons with disabilities living in Honduras, which is equivalent to 10% of the population. The 2002 survey recorded 177,516 persons in Honduras as having a disability, but the definition used was rather narrow. 68% of those covered by the census were unemployed (compared to 49% for the total population), 53% were illiterate, 44% of children with disabilities did not have access to school (compared to 8% for non-disabled children), and only 17% of people with disabilities received any kind of rehabilitation. Despite the existence of a new legal framework for disability (October 2005), there has been no genuine implementation of this law.

Nicaragua

Population 5,743,000

The main health determinant for Nicaraguans is poverty. 20% of children aged less than 5 years of age are chronically malnourished. The Nicaraguan study on disability in 2003 found that chronic conditions were responsible for 67% of disability followed by 12.2% for accidents. In looking at causes of disability 67% of blindness in Nicaragua is related to chronic conditions and old age. Other large health problems are mental health with 27.9% of the total population with a specific mental disability, 10.3% of the population over 6 years of age has some form of physical disability and 9% of deaths in women are due to cancer. In Nicaragua, Handicap International assists disability stakeholders and promotes the rights of people with disabilities. It is also involved in inclusive education and disability prevention activities (preventing diabetes in general population and preventing disability in children aged 0-5 years old).

Panama

Population 3,454,000

Unfortunately, Panama does not have specific statistical studies documenting how many persons have disabilities and what type of disabilities. Until quite recently, there was virtually no accessibility for persons with disabilities in public institutions or private buildings, including places of commercial activity. In December 2002, President of Panama Mireya Mocoso signed Executive Decree No. 88 modifying Law No. 42, to strengthen the foundations of equal opportunities for persons with disabilities, particularly in the area of access to work.

Disabled World is an independent disability community established in 2004 to provide disability news and information to people with disabilities, seniors, their family and/or carers. See our homepage for informative news, reviews, sports, stories and how-tos. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook or learn more about Disabled World on our about us page.

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Disabled World provides general information only. The materials presented are never meant to substitute for professional medical care by a qualified practitioner, nor should they be construed as such. Financial support is derived from advertisements or referral programs, where indicated. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.

 Cite This Page (APA): Disabled World. (2017, December 23). Disability Information and Statistics for Central America and Mexico. Disabled World. Retrieved November 18, 2022 from www.disabled-world.com/news/america/camstats.php



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By C.J. Polychroniou

The first 100 days are considered to be a benchmark for presidential performance. This is part of the legacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who managed to reshape the U.S. governments role in the economy within the first 100 days of his administration. However, the fact of the matter is that usually, a first-time president doesnt have the slightest inkling of what governing from the Oval Office is all about. Theres no better proof of that than the early records of the most recent U.S. presidents, from Nixon to Obama. Nonetheless, no recent U.S. president has demonstrated such an overwhelming ignorance about governing as the current occupant of the White House.

But is Trumps apparent inability to govern and conduct himself in a remotely conventional manner an innate character flaw or part of a well-conceived strategy aimed at a society that loves reality TV? Is Trumps fondness for Putin simply an infatuation with a strongman and admiration for autocratic rule or something of a more political and strategic nature? And what does Trump mean when he says jobs? In this exclusive Truthout interview, world-revered public intellectual Noam Chomsky shares for the first time his views about the first 100 days of the Trump administration.

C. J. Polychroniou: The first 100 days of Donald Trump in the White House are characterized by complete disrespect for the truth and the freedom of the press and, overall, a style of political leadership that is not merely authoritarian but also smacks of fascism. In your view, is all this part of a preconceived strategy or simply a reflection of the whims of a person with a very fragile ego?

Noam Chomsky: I dont pretend to have any special insight into the mind of this strange person, though the people around him have been fairly coherent, in particular Steve Bannon, who seems to be the shadowed figure behind the throne.

What is happening before our eyes appears to be a two-pronged operation, I presume planned.

Bannon/Trump (and the pathetic Sean Spicer, who has to defend the latest shenanigans in public) have the task of dominating TV and headlines with one wild performance after another, the assumption apparently being that his fabrications will quickly be forgotten as the next episode displaces them and the base will be satisfied for a time, believing that their champion is standing up for them. So, who remembers the millions of undocumented immigrants who voted for Clinton or the charge that that really bad guy Obama (sad!) literally wiretapped poor Trumpa claim now downgraded to irrelevance, but not withdrawnand so on? Look how well the birther tales played for many years, ending hilariously with Trump blaming Clinton for initiating the farce.

Meanwhile, the real work is going on more quietly, spearheaded by Paul Ryan, a different and more malicious kind of posturer, who represents the most brutal fringe of the Republican establishment and somehow manages to present himself as a man of ideas, maybe becauseas Paul Krugman argueshe rolls up his sleeves and uses PowerPoint. The ideas are quite familiar. They are the standard fare of the component of the Republican establishment dedicated with unusual ferocity to enriching the rich and powerfulbankers, CEOs and other types who matterwhile kicking in the face the vulnerable, the poor and Trumps rural and working-class constituency. All of this abetted by the ultra-right billionaire cabinet and other appointees, selected very carefully to destroy whatever within their domains might be helpful to mere humans, but not to the chosen few of extreme wealth and power.

The consistency is impressive, if not breathtaking.

With the collapse of the shameful GOP health care proposals, we are likely to see this scenario enacted with real passion. The White House and its congressional allies have many ways to undermine the current health care system, which, with all its flaws, is a considerable improvement over what preceded it though still well behind comparable societies, let alone what the population wants and deserves, as polls continue to show: a rational single-payer universal health care system. That is a fairly resilient phenomenon over many years, with some variation, quite remarkable in that there is virtually no articulate elite advocacy of this sane and popular position.

Of course, undermining the system will harm a great many people, but that cannot be a consideration. After all, Ryancare was going to add some 24 million to the ranks of uninsured, which might kill more than 40,000 people annually according to an analysis by health care specialists Steffie Woolhandler and David Himmelstein. If the health system can be substantially damaged and people really do suffer sufficiently, then the propaganda drumbeat can proceed to blame the disaster on the political opposition and maybe even get away with it. A good deal is possible in the era of alternative facts. We are already witnessing the early stages.

The lead character in the show does indeed present himself as a thin-skinned megalomaniac whose only ideology is Me. But his appointments, and the policies for which all of this is a cover, are too systematic to be merely random shots.

As I mentioned, the policies being formulated and enacted are drawn from the playbook of the most reactionary fringe of the Republican establishment. The abject service to private wealth and power is accompanied with an authoritarian and fundamentalist program to transform U.S. society. The project is driven by the Bannon-Sessions vision of a society devoted to Judeo-Christian roots and white supremacy, eliminating such pernicious and threatening nonsense as arts and humanities, upholding the Betsy DeVos doctrine that public education has to be dismantled, while if science conflicts with religion, then too bad for science. Meanwhile, we are to wave a mailed fist at the world while cowering behind walls and rebuilding the depleted military that is the most powerful force in human history, dwarfing any collection of competitors. All of this resonates with at least parts of a society that has long been the safest and most terrified in the world.

The fundamentalist project goes well beyond getting rid of arts and humanities. Science is also in the crosshairs. Trumps budget cuts medical research. Theres been considerable attention to his dismantling of the EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency], now pretty much in the hands of associates of James Inhofe, the Senates leading climate denier, who has explained that if God has decided to warm the Earth, so be it. But thats the least of it. For action and research on climate, EPA is a small actor. Far more important is the Department of Energy. Its Office of Science is scheduled to lose $900 million, nearly 20 percent of its budget. DOEs $300 million ARPA-Energy program is eliminated completely. Thats in addition to deep cuts to the research programs at the EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a 5 percent cut to NASAs earth science budget.

In Congress, the science-deniers can scarcely contain their glee now that the wrecking ball has opened the path for demolition of the heresies of the modern world. Lamar Smith, who for years has used his position as chair of the House science committee to harass scientists, now feels free to openly acknowledge that the committee is now a tool to advance his political agenda rather than a forum to examine important issues facing the U.S. research community.

An appropriate comment on all of this was made by Stephen Colbert, when the Republican-run legislature in North Carolina responded to a scientific study predicting rapid sea level rise by barring state and local agencies from developing regulations or planning documents anticipating a rise in sea level. This is a brilliant solution, Colbert said. If your science gives you a result that you dont like, pass a law saying the result is illegal. Problem solved.

Most important of everything that is happening is the attack against future generations, in fact even against those coming of age today, as Trump and allies, departing from the world, cheerily lead the race to environmental destruction while the rest take at least halting steps toward averting a looming catastrophewhich doesnt weigh in the balance against fabulous profits tomorrow for the select few.

A few years ago Republican governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal took a little time off from his campaign to drive the state even deeper into the abyss to warn that Republicans are becoming the stupid party. The respected conservative analyst Norman J. Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute described the current party as a radical insurgency that has abandoned parliamentary politics Has any other organization dedicated itself with such enthusiasm to undermining our prospects for decent survival? And not in the distant future.

Click here to read additional interview questions with Chomsky.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Truthout.
Ahead of the Peoples Climate March, Senators Jeff Merkley, Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey stood beside movement leaders to introduce legislation that will completely phase out fossil fuel use by 2050. The 100 by 50 Act outlines a bold plan to support workers and to prioritize low-income communities while replacing oil, coal and gas with clean energy sources like wind and solar.

100 is an important number, said 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben. Instead of making changes around the margins, this bill would finally commit America to the wholesale energy transformation that technology has made possible and affordable, and that an eroding climate makes utterly essential. This bill wont pass Congress immediatelythe fossil fuel industry will see to thatbut it will change the debate in fundamental ways.

The 100 by 50 Act would put a halt to new fossil fuel infrastructure projects like Keystone XL and the Dakota Access pipeline, and fracked gas pipelines facing opposition from tribes and landowners. Instead of new fossil fuel infrastructure, the bill invests hundreds of billions of dollars per year in clean energyenough to create four million jobs. These large-scale clean energy investments prioritize black, brown and low-income communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

While fossil fuel billionaires supporting Trumps administration put profits before people, we now have a legislative roadmap to phase out this dirty industry once and for all, said 350.org Executive Director May Boeve. This bill deploys clean energy in communities that need it most and keeps fossil fuels in the ground. From Standing Rock to the Peoples Climate March, movement leaders have been calling for these solutions for years. This bill is proof that organizing works, and its the beginning of an important conversation.

The issues covered by the bill reflect the demands of the climate movement, from Standing Rock to the fossil fuel divestment campaign, to the fight to keep fossil fuels in the ground. The content stands in bright contrast to Trumps vision of a more polluted America where fossil fuel billionaires profit at the publics expense. While this precedent setting bill is unlikely to pass during the Trump administration, similar bills are being considered at the state and local level in California, Massachusetts, New York and elsewhere across the country.

At a press conference held by Senators Merkley and Sanders, speakers included representatives from climate and environmental justice groups, progressive organizations and more. A crowd of supporters carried banners and signs reading 100% Clean Energy For All, and, Keep Fossil Fuels In The Ground. The event was part of an ongoing week of action leading up to the Peoples Climate March on April 29, when thousands of people are converging in DC and around the country to march for jobs, justice and the climate.
This was a year of tug-of-war for the environment. With Donald Trump becoming president of the U.S. at a time when wildfires, hurricanes, and floods were devastating the country, it was challenging for scientists, activists and concerned citizens to get their voices heard. But several stood out as global leaders on climate and helped give rise to those who were silenced. Below are 14 of the most notable influencers of 2017 and how they fought for a cleaner, safer environment for all.

1. Emmanuel Macron

After his inauguration as president of France, just a few months after U.S. President Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron made immediate waves. He started off by addressing Trumps withdrawal from the Paris agreement with a Make Earth Great Again slogan and welcoming American climate scientists to France to continue their research. He forged on, offering multi-year grants totaling $70 million. Macron also hosted the One Planet Summit where 20 international companies announced they would phase out coal. With his continued criticism of Trumps decisions regarding the planet, Macron has proven himself a global leader on climate change and has set the stage for progress in 2018.

2. Elon Musk

Elon Musk, entrepreneur and founder of several companies including SpaceX, Tesla and SolarCity, began 2017 with a seat on President Trumps economic advisory council. Musk made multiple attempts to reverse Trumps stance on climate change, but after Trumps decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement, Musk left the council on June 1, causing a huge media storm. Then in October, when Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and left the islands without power, Musk swooped in and began building a solar grid. He started with restoring a childrens hospital in San Juan and has continued delivering and installing Tesla battery systems since. Musk has also made huge strides in green technology with his push for electric vehicles and renewable energy in the U.S., despite the Trump administrations favoritism towards the fossil fuel industry.

3. Angela Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stepped up to the plate as one of 2017s female leaders on climate in a multitude of ways. Nicknamed the Climate Chancellor, Merkel has outwardly expressed her differences with Trump, calling his stance on climate change regrettable. She reassured the UN that Germany would uphold its targets for the Paris agreement, despite the U.S. change of heart. She has also made significant progress in ensuring sustainable growth in Germany with the G20 Hamburg Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth. Then, in November at the COP23 in Bonn, Germany, Merkel sent a strong message to all global leaders, saying we will not be able to adhere to the 2C or 1.5C target with the current national commitments. That is why each and every contribution is incredibly important.

4. Bernie Sanders

Senator Bernie Sanders didnt let his loss in the 2016 presidential race stop him from speaking out on climate. In 2017, Sanders relentlessly criticized Trumps rejection of the Paris agreement and his outright denial of climate science. He is one of the few politicians who has spoke out about the Energy and Natural Resources Act of 2017, which aims to expand the fossil fuel industry. He also introduced a $146 billion recovery package for Puerto Rico, after Hurricane Maria hit and Trump neglected to provide relief. The package would rebuild Puerto Ricos infrastructure with sustainable resources. He also helped to introduce the 100 by 50 Act, which would support workers in the fossil fuel industry while simultaneously phasing out fossil fuels by 2050.

5. Pope Francis

Pope Francis has openly condemned climate change deniers for years, but 2017 might have been the most radical year yet for the sovereign. In February, the Pope spoke up for indigenous peoples and their right to consent when it comes to government activities on their sacred lands. The strong words came shortly after President Trump signed two executive orders calling for the approval of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines in January, though the Vatican said the timing was coincidental. On World Food Day in October, the Pope urged governments to mitigate climate change, as it is a lead driver of the increase in world hunger. And in November at COP23, he outlined four perverse attitudes that are preventing climate action. To top it off, he also acquired an electric car.

6. Michelle Rodriguez

Actress and climate activist Michelle Rodriguez is one of the newer voices of the climate movement. In March, Rodriguez joined an all-woman survey team known as Operation Ice Watch on an expedition to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada where the seal population is under siege by hunting and ice loss caused by climate change. Led by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Animal Justice, the crew surveyed the ice, or lack thereof, while filming a documentary to raise awareness about the ecological catastrophe. Rodriguez also partnered with Operation Taino Spirit Promise and Sea Shepherd to provide relief to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria struck and start a campaign for a sustainable rebuild.

7. Michael Bloomberg

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was also a notable influencer of 2017, representing the U.S. at COP23 where he, alongside Governors Jerry Brown of California and Jay Inslee of Washington introduced the We Are Still In coalition, a network of U.S. politicians who support climate action despite Trumps withdrawal from the Paris agreement. In October, Bloomberg also announced that his charity would donate $64 million to the retirement of U.S. coal plants, greatly impeding Trumps efforts to revive the American coal industry.

8. Patricia Espinosa

Mexican politician and current executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Patricia Espinosa made significant progress on shifting the dialogue surrounding climate action in 2017. In February, she said getting fossil fuel companies on board is a critical factor in combating climate change. She also used her position to direct the climate conversation away from technology and toward security, arguing that security officials understand that our current crisis pales in comparison to what is coming if climate change is left unchecked. She also spoke about womens involvement at COP23 and introduced the Gender Action Plan to promote meaningful participation by women in the climate movement.

9. Al Gore

Former vice president and environment activist Al Gore is known for his stance on climate change. But in 2017, with the release of his newest documentary An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, Gore found another big spotlight. In July, he boldly predicted that the U.S. would still meet the targets of the Paris agreement, despite Trumps about-face in June. On Dec. 4-5, Gore also hosted the Climate Reality Projects 24 Hours of Reality, where he highlighted citizens taking action all across the globe to inspire others to do the same. The program reached more than half a billion viewers on TV and 32 million online, making it the worlds largest social broadcast on climate to date.

10. Jerry Brown

At almost every turn for the past 365 days, California Governor Jerry Brown has undermined President Trump. In June, almost immediately after Trumps withdrawal from the Paris agreement, Brown partnered with Chinese President Xi Jinping to continue expanding green technology and trade. In July, Brown extended Californias climate legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. And as wildfires have raged through the state and region, Brown said he was linking with other similar-minded people all over the world and pushing forward even as Trump blusters.

11. Noam Chomsky

Well known linguist and scientist Noam Chomsky spoke out numerous times in 2017 for the sake of the environment. In an interview with Truthout in March, Chomsky called out the Trump administration for cutting federal spending to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, stating that his actions are an attack against future generations. In May he spoke out again, telling BBC Newsnight that the Republican Partys denial of climate change has made them the most dangerous organization in human history. Chomskys criticisms opened up an intellectual dialogue for conservative voters and encouraged the scientific community to weigh in.

12. Leonardo DiCaprio

Actor and philanthropist Leonardo DiCaprio made impressive strides on climate action in 2017, including investing in the entirely plant-based food company Beyond Meat and a farm-raised seafood company LoveTheWild. In June, DiCaprio also partnered with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto to conserve the Gulf of California for the vaquita porpoise, classified as the most endangered marine mammal in the world. Most recently, at the Yale Climate Change Conference in September, DiCaprio announced that his foundation will be awarding $20 million in grants to more than 100 environmental organizations.

13. Stephen Hawking

World-renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking represented the majority of the scientific community in 2017 on several occasions, urging Trump to stop denying evidence of climate change. In June, Hawking had a few choice words about the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris agreement, warning that we are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible. And in November, Hawking once again pushed Trump to stop denying climate change and take action. Hawking nearly gave up on Earth altogether, telling WIRED UK that our Earth is becoming too small for us, global population is increasing at an alarming rate and we are in danger of self-destructing.

14. David Attenborough

English documentary filmmaker and naturalist David Attenborough, whose series Blue Planet II began in October, spoke out several times on plastic pollution in 2017. In September, Attenborough told Greenpeace of the heartbreaking footage he recorded of mother birds feeding their babies plastic, an iconic moment for him that pushed him to speak up about plastic pollution in oceans., and tell Trump to reconsider his withdrawal from the Paris agreement. He emphasized that never before have we been so aware of what we are doing to our planetand never before have we had such power to do something about it.
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria didnt just destroy buildings and dump several feet of water into several American communitiesthe powerful winds also snapped and downed innumerable trees, altering treasured landscapes.

Thats why the Arbor Day Foundation launched its Hurricane Tree Recovery Campaign in an effort to help tree restoration efforts in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico following this years string of devastating hurricanes. The program, which debuted in October, aims to plant a total of five million trees over the next five years as a way to contribute to the rebuilding efforts in the affected communities.

It may take years for these canopies to be restored, but now is the time to begin, Dan Lambe, Arbor Day Foundation President, said in a

UN Climate Programme report. While it could be months until final disaster numbers are reported, what we do know is that these events and our need to act are dire.

The three major hurricanes left a combined damage of more than $200 billion. And while insurance covers some of the costs to rebuild damaged infrastructure, they do not compensate for lost trees and landscapes in the communities, the Arbor Day Foundation noted.



South Carolina Army National Guard Responds to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico October 2017. Flickr

The benefits of trees are incalculable, from providing oxygen and cooling our city streets with shade, to helping us relax and connect with nature.

Trees and forests not only play an essential role in creating healthy, thriving communities where our citizens live, work and play but are also critical to the economic engine of Harvey-impacted areas and essential to our recovery efforts, Tom Boggus, Texas state forester, said in the UN report.

On Thursday, telecommunications giant Verizon announced it was joining the effort, and has committed to planting 250,000 trees as part of the campaign. This is the second time the company has collaborated with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees in hurricane-affected areas.

Thousands of people are continuing to feel the impact of the hurricanes, including our customers and employees. We have made a commitment to aid in disaster relief efforts, and do our part to repair the communities affected by these storms, said Jim Gowen, chief sustainability officer for Verizon. An important part of this effort is restoring vegetation, and we are proud to expand our partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation to join them in this mission.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to planting trees. Since 1972, the organization has planted more than 300 million trees in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests around the world.

To find out more about the hurricane tree recovery campaign, click

here.
Pope Francis defended the rights of indigenous tribes at the Indigenous Peoples Forum in Rome Wednesday. As part of a UN International Fund for Agricultural Development meeting, he spoke in Spanish with 40 representatives of the 300 largest indigenous groups in the world.

The particular characteristics of indigenous peoples and their territories, must be protected, Francis said, according to Reuters. He stated this was especially true when planning economic activities which may interfere with indigenous cultures and their ancestral relationship to the earth. He also promoted the full participation of indigenous peoples in local and national government.

The right to prior and informed consent should always prevail, as foreseen in Article 32 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, he added, according to US News. Only then is it possible to guarantee peaceful cooperation between governing authorities and indigenous peoples, overcoming confrontation and conflict.

The 2007 UN Declaration the Pope referenced was opposed by the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Pope Francis has a record of defending the environment. His 2015 encyclical on the environment and human ecology shared a prayer for the earth: Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

While he didnt specifically mention the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), many news outlets picked up on his suggestive and timely focus on indigenous land rights and reported the connection. Reuters described his actions as backing Native Americans seeking to halt part of the Dakota Access Pipeline, saying indigenous cultures have a right to defend their ancestral relationship to the earth.'

https://twitter.com/SierraClub/status/831593891564490753 expand=1]

Evidently, hes informed of the numerous problems that affect indigenous peoples, but theres no element in his words that would give us a clue to know if he was talking about any specific cases, Paloma Garcia Ovejero, a Vatican representative, told the Catholic News outlet, Crux.

On Jan. 24, President Trump signed two executive orders calling for the approval of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines. On Feb. 13, a federal judge denied a temporary injunction against DAPL construction, requested by the Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Sioux tribes. The judge plans to reconsider this case Feb. 27.

[facebook https://www.facebook.com/EcoWatch/videos/1911366655763004/
Tynwald committee seeks feedback on business grants

A Tynwald committee is seeking feedback from the public on grants offered to local businesses.

The Economic Policy Review Committee is looking into the Department for Enterprise's grant system.

The Committee wants to hear from anyone with experience of the grants system.

The DfE offers grants to small businesses, for vocational training and green business loans.
One of the longest crude oil pipelines in years stretching from West Texas to Corpus Christi is set to start construction early next year.

The 730-mile long EPIC crude oil pipeline  which stands for Eagle Ford, Permian, Ingleside and Corpus  has received enough interest to start construction in early 2018. The pipeline will have a capacity of 440,000 barrels a day out of West Texas Permian Basin and another 150,000 barrels a day out of South Texas Eagle Ford Shale field.

EPIC spokesman Bruce Kates said there is no cost estimate for the pipeline, which will run parallel to the under construction EPIC NGL pipeline, which will transport 220,000 barrels per day of natural gas liquids when completed. Natural gas liquids include propane, butane, and ethane, which is used in plastics production and as a petrochemical feedstock.

EPIC is also working to finalize terms of a strategic relationship with Houston-based oil and gas exploration and production company Noble Energy. EPIC said that it is working to complete an agreement with Noble to transport up to 75,000 barrels a day of crude oil from its Reeves County acreage.

In the third quarter, Noble Energy recorded daily sales volumes of 27,000 barrels of oil equivalent from its Delaware Basin assets, which are part of the larger Permian Basin oil field. Of its Delaware Basin production 85 percent was crude oil and natural gas liquids, the company said.

Another unnamed company is said to have made a commitment of 75,000 barrels of oil per day on the crude oil pipeline.

The pipeline is one of at least 10 pipelines that are 100 miles or longer that have submitted new construction reports to the Texas Railroad Commission, the states oil and gas regulator, in 2017.

On Thursday Kinder Morgan announced that it will build the $1.7 billion Gulf Coast Express Pipeline Project, a 1.92 billion cubic feet a day natural gas pipeline stretching from West Texas to near Agua Dulce, close to Corpus Christi.

Rye Druzin is a San Antonio Express-News energy reporter. Read more of his stories here. | rdruzin@express-news.net | @druz_journo
San Antonio-based M7 Aerospace has been awarded a contract worth up to $176 million for maintenance work related to two military transport planes.

The contract was awarded by McLean, Virginia-based DynCorp International, a U.S. defense contractor. M7 Aerospace, itself a subsidiary of Fort Worth-based Elbit Systems of America, will perform work on the fleet of U.S. Army C-26 and UC-35 aircraft.

The contract starts with a one-year term worth up to $25 million that can be extended for five additional annual terms for a total amount of up to $176 million.

Chris Hickey, the general manager of sustainment and support solutions for Elbit Systems of America, said the San Antonio facility had already been the contractor for the Armys C-26 aircraft, a twin-engined propeller-driven airplane used for transport and other missions. The addition of the UC-35, a twin-engined jet airplane, meant M7 Aerospace had to add 70 people in San Antonio and took on another 100 employees in multiple other support locations.

We basically do everything but fly the airplanes, Hickey said. Routine maintenance, depot maintenance, day to day squawks, fueling, runup, all of that. We do everything but fly the airplane. The Army pilots come, they jump in the plane and go.

The additional hires brings M7 Aerospaces workforce in San Antonio to around 200, Hickey said.

M7 Aerospace was bought by Elbit Systems of America in 2010, which is itself a subsidiary of Israel-based Elbit Systems Limited.

Rye Druzin is a San Antonio Express-News energy reporter. Read more of his stories here. | rdruzin@express-news.net | @druz_journo
Brits who are worried about the price of their foreign produce going up after Brexit should be more patriotic about their choices, according to Michael Gove.

Mr Gove, who attended the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) on Wednesday (20 December), has criticised claims that the price of cheddar cheese will go up by 40 percent if Britain leaves the EU without a trade deal.

The Defra Secretary said Brits should instead focus their priority on British cheddar. He said that, in a WTO scenario, if cheese prices rise steeply then the British public should buy more British cheese.

But Labour MP Angela Smith explained that much of the cheddar in British supermarkets comes from Ireland. She said if the UK left the EU with no deal, tariffs of 40 percent will apply.

Mr Gove responded: "I am deeply concerned about your unpatriotic attitude towards cheese." He explained DEFRA is "very pro UK cheddar", and that Britain's dairy farmers respond to what the market wants.

He boasted that British dairy farmers boast some of the finest cheeses in the world.

He told MPs: "If it is the case that we end up on WTO terms then I'm sure that British farmers and British food producers will find the opportunity to meet demand in this and other areas.'

"One of the striking things about British farmers and British food producers is that they are capable of responding with rapidity and skill to fluctuations in the market."

Consume more British

Defta's farming minister George Eustice told the environment committee: "What would probably happen, if everybody put up such a tariff wall, is that we would consume more of the cheese we produce, rather than send it to Ireland, and Ireland would be selling us less cheese."

Mr Eustice added: "We are the best manufacturer of cheese anywhere in the world." He said the UK currently exports 320m of cheddar to Ireland every year and imports 389m of cheddar.

Mr Gove explained to the committee that the government did not want to leave the EU without a trade deal, and that going to WTO rules was as likely as "a tsunami hitting the South West of England".

During the committee, Mr Gove also suggested that MPs will be able to block certain parts of a US trade deal with the UK post-Brexit.

He said that certain parts of a post-Brexit US trade deal could be blocked if it included allowing the import of chlorine-washed chickens.
A woman has been charged following a sheep worrying incident in Aberdeenshire, further highlighting the legal trouble dog walkers can face when livestock are attacked.

Scotland Police Officers received a report on Tuesday (December 19) whereby several sheep at a farm at Gartly were injured.

The owner of the dog was subsequently charged and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

Local Sergeant Ian Moeller said: "After being unable to stop the dog, unfortunately the farmer had no choice but to humanely destroy it to prevent any further injury to his flock.

"It's the last thing any famer would want to do however they are within their right to shoot dogs worrying sheep on their land as a last resort to prevent further injury."

Shocking figures show more than 1,800 farm animals have been killed by dog attacks in the space of four years, according to a new report which highlights the blight of livestock worrying.

Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, if a dog worries sheep on agricultural land, the person in charge of the dog is guilty of an offence.

'Completely tragic'

Sergeant Moeller added: "Sheep worrying incidents are completely tragic for everyone involved - there is the financial and emotional impact on the farmer, the suffering caused to the animals and the worst case scenario is that a dog can end up being killed.

"The sad thing is these incidents could be completely avoided if dogs are kept on leads, kept under control and measures are put in place to ensure they can't escape when unsupervised.

"I would also ask dog owners who are walking and exercising their dogs in the countryside to ensure they are constantly under control and to avoid going into fields where livestock is grazing."

Farmers have frequently stressed how important it is to recognise the devastating consequences of a dog attacking, chasing or even being at large in a field where sheep are kept.

Anyone with concerns about livestock worrying can contact 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 to remain anonymous.
Photograph: Ruslan Gilmanshin/123RF

A post shared by Flavio Funicelli (@flaviofunicelli) on Dec 15, 2017 at 1:56am PST

Byron fell in love with the land and people, Lawrence Durell wrote in his lyrical best about the island life  Greece seems to inspire all who came here. With its blue seascapes, whitewashed villages, its not difficult to see why. Heres how you can experience the best of the country, its rugged Balkan surroundings, stunning architecture that ranges from classical to modern periods, and islands dotted across three seas.At the top of your list, when youre visiting Greece, should be the imposing white columns of the, which sits atop a hill that looks over Athens. Equally stunning are the spectacular sunstes that you can view fromvillage at the northern tip of Santorini. If youre in the regions surrounding the plain of, do stop by the monasteries of. The rocky pillars will make for travel memories that youll hold dear for a long long time. The Knights Quarter and Turkish relics ofs walled old town must also feature on your must-see list when you're in the country.
Here's What Rakhi Wants To Gift Them

In a statement, the actress said, "Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma are the loveliest couple. They just stepped into their married life. I want to gift my condoms to them so that they play safe and share their feedback on the product after experiencing it."

She Has A Reason For It

Rakhi further added, "I feel my condoms are special. They are first in market to give so many flavours. One can enjoy their sexual life with the taste they enjoy the most. It will help the couple to enjoy for long and will give more pleasure with pressure from the dotted texture."

Does She Regret Doing The Condom Ad?

Rakhi said that doing a condom ad was the most worthwhile decision of her life. In fact, she openly challenged that if any company can beat her new line of products, she would happily promote it.

Rakhi Has A Message For Baba Ramdev Too

While concluding, she even said that she now wants Baba Ramdev to enter the market with Patanjali condoms! *facepalm*

When She Spoke About The Recent Condom Ban

"The government did not censor condom ads by Sunny Leone or Bipasha. But as soon as the news of Rakhi Sawant's condom ad made headlines, the government put a ban on ads between 6 am to 10 pm. Is the government scared? Do they already have a problem with the ad without even watching it that they put the blanket ban during the day?"

Rakhi Ko Gussa Kyun Aaya

She had added, "If condom ads stop, everyone in India will get AIDS. Children will sleep off and they will not know what a condom is and the use of the product. Seems like the government wants Indians to get AIDS. Until children don't see the ads, how will they know about precaution? If they feel it is unsuited for television, they should edit or censor it."
Here is the comprehensive list of 55 Richest actors in the World who have huge bank balances. Some actors are so rich that they can provide loans to the country's biggest financial institutions. Some even earn up to 20 million US Dollars (USD) per film. Check out who's at the top of the list on our Richest Actors list and see what their Net Worth is.

No.55: Daniel Radcliffe Net Worth:

$110 Million

English film and stage actor, Daniel Jacob Radcliffe has a net worth of $110 million. He is best known for playing the title character in the Harry Potter film series. Radcliffe made his acting debut at age ten in BBC Ones 1999 television movie David Copperfield, followed by his film debut in 2001s The Tailor of Panama.

At age eleven he was cast as the title character in the first Harry Potter film, and he starred in the series for ten years until the release of the eighth and final film in July 2011. Thanks to Harry Potter, by age 12 Daniel Radcliffe was already conjuring up more money than his parents. Financial records published in 2010 by Gilmore Jacobs  the firm set up in 2000 by his parents to manage his assets  revealed that the actor had fixed investments worth over 18million. He owns three properties in New York worth a total of 10 million and a flat in London.
The vote to leave the EU means the UK will be able to draw up its own agricultural policy and set the rates for any support that comes with it.

After Brexit, funding for agricultural support will have to compete with other areas such as the NHS, education and security, says Andersons Research consultant Caroline Ingamells.

Over the medium-term the budget for a Domestic Agricultural Policy (DAP) is likely to reduce. A cut of 50%, compared to current levels, phased in by 2025, is not inconceivable.

See also: Collaborate to build resilient farm businesses

Summary Agricultural support could face 50% cut from current levels by 2025

Universal area-based payments unlikely to disappear soon but their long-term future looks uncertain

EU is stepping up free-trade negotiations, which UK must replicate to retain existing trade advantages post Brexit. The more deals done, the bigger the task

Until the UK leaves the EU, UK farmers will continue to receive support through the CAP, says Mrs Ingamells. Government has also announced the agricultural sector will receive the same level of funding until the end of the current Parliament. This is scheduled to be 2022, but could be earlier.

Defra has not yet provided any details of what a future UK agricultural policy will look like, although a focus on the environment, hill areas, competitiveness and risk management tools seems to feature at the forefront of its plans.

In our view, whilst a universal, area-based, income support scheme (currently the BPS) will not disappear overnight, there seems little long-term future for this type of subsidy in the English lowlands, says Mrs Ingamells.

This is despite concerted lobbying efforts from parts of the farming industry to retain a BPS-like payment. From our viewpoint, it seems a waste of effort trying to preserve existing (some would say failed) systems, rather than looking to create something much better.

The EU hopes to start talks on free trade deals with both New Zealand and Australia, while talks under way with the Mercosur block and Mexico could be concluded by the end of 2017.

This could have a big impact on UK agriculture, says Mrs Ingamells. Any deals negotiated by the EU will need to be replicated by the UK on Brexit to retain our existing trade advantages. The more deals the EU does, the bigger that task becomes.
Ah Christmas! That jolly time of the year when farmers pre-teen kids dream of ride-on tractors and Farmers Weekly journalists think up cheery ideas to bring a smile to readers. And this year we have come up with something a bit different  a pedal tractor test.

The first stage in this epic exercise was to phone up the tractor makers to see if they would send us one of their ride-on tractors. They were certainly keen and a few days later eight huge cardboard boxes arrived in the Farmers Weekly office.

Then, on a freezing early December day in a farm workshop in Hampshire, a team of crack machinery writers consisting of Oli Mark, Edd Mowbray, Nick Fone, James Andrews and David Cousins ripped open the boxes to see what was inside.

See also: Cracking Christmas gift ideas for farmers in 2017

Lets make one thing clear. These are purely pedal-powered (via a chain) and not be confused with the frankly much-less-fun battery-powered items you see some kids riding around on.

Price

Cost is anywhere from about 130 for a slightly smaller tractor with no loader to about 280 for a bigger tractor with a hand-operated loader. Though we were sent a relatively simple offering from New Holland, they do sell a full-size pedal tractor, too.

Putting the tractors together revealed some surprises. For a start, more than half of the tractors had proper inflated rubber wheels with decent lugs, rather than the usual cheapie plastic-moulded ones.

That alone did make the tractors seem more like a grown-up tool rather than the basic versions we remember as kids. Although the downside is that some of the tractors were heavier than you might expect. Theres an extra cost of about 40 per tractor, too.

It takes an adult about 20 minutes to put the machine together using a cordless screwdriver. In almost all cases you have to put the transfers on yourself  a job that requires an adult with a steady hand or an older (and preferably well-behaved) child.

Specifications

Pretty much all of the tractors came with front loaders, while they all have pull-up bonnets, too, though theres not much detailing in the engine bay to get excited about. Incidentally, the Claas Arion was a stand-out machine as it had a flashing beacon  good to get them health and safety conscious early on

Most of the tractors had front and rear pins to allow kit to be pushed (tricky) and pulled. The front loaders that were fitted on the tractors were moderately sturdy and fairly easy to drop on and off.

Other goodies that were sent to us included a winch with a hook and tow rope. Most impressive of all was a trailer and hookloader system for those kids who are already planning to take over from dad the moment they reach 16.

Charity

In case you were thinking that the FW machinery team were keeping the tractors as a low-emission means to get around the office, we should mention that the tractors were donated to charity.

One was The Childrens Trust in Tadworth, Surrey, which offers residential and community-based rehabilitation services to children and young people with a brain injury.

The others were St Michaels Hospice in Basingstoke; Baby Bank Network, which supports less privileged families in Bristol; the womens refuge in Alton, Hampshire; and Spurgeons in Winchester.
The Willamette Valley Ag Expo is set for Tuesday through Thursday, Nov. 15 through 17, at the Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E. in Albany.
Transsion Holdings launches Oraimo a new smart accessory brand in India News oi -Samden Sherpa Oraimo specializes in designing, manufacturing and selling consumer electronics products.

Chinese handset maker Transsion Group has now launched Oraimo, its smart accessory brand in India.

Oraimo specializes in designing, manufacturing and selling consumer electronics products. It is currently available in over 20 countries across Africa and Asia.

In line with its brand philosophy 'Keep Exploring', the launch is aimed to help young Indians explore through a large variety of cool, trendy, and smart accessories to add more excitement to their lives. This launch will help company's four mobile phone brands - itel, TECNO, Spice Devices and Infinix to add another exciting experience to the consumer's overall ownership experience.

"The growing mobile/smartphone adoption and digital penetration in India is led largely by younger consumers across multiple geographies. These consumers are always on the lookout for more, evolved offerings, which is why we have decided to further enhance their mobile phone ownership experience with Oraimo, our mobile accessory brand," said Guoli Liu, General Manager of Oraimo, Transsion Holdings.

Going forward, Oraimo aims to build on the success of its sister brands with its wide range of smart, innovative, and affordable accessories across various categories such as Power Banks, Headphones, Wearable Smart Devices, Speakers, Chargers, Cables, Protectors, Memory Cards etc.

Inputs from IANS

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Specifications, features and Connectivity

The ultrawide curved monitor has a screen size of 49-inches and an aspect ratio of 32:9. The QLED curved monitor offers a resolution of 3840x1090 pixels. It has 1 (MPRT) ms response time and a refresh rate of 144 hz that makes it one of the best PC monitor for gaming. A higher refresh rate improves the visual output as it allows the monitor to display additional information as what you get with the standard 60 Hz refresh rate.

The Windows 10 certified monitor comes with Freesync technology that balances the rate of frame transfer between graphics card's frame rate and monitors refresh rate by synchronizing the number of frames. The monitor also has Game colour mode, Screen size optimizer, Refresh rate optimizer and Low input lag mode. As far as connectivity is concerned, the curved monitor has 1 display port, mini-display port, 2 HDMI ports, Audio-in, headphone port and USB hub. The monitor comes with height adjustable stand, HDMI cable, DP cable, install CD and manuals.

Powered by Samsung's Quantum dot technology

The ultrawide curved monitor works on Samaung's Quantum dot technology that improves light efficiency, offers picture stability and a wider colour spectrum. The QLED display seemed vibrant and blacks looked quite deep while playing games and during video playback. The monitor also supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) to improve contrast and colour range to enhance dark areas to appear darker and light areas to appear brighter. The low input lag takes into account how fast the screen responds to commands to reduce eye strain and to prevent ghosting.

Eye Saver Mode and Flicker Free technology

Samsung has also added Monitoruses Eye Saver Mode' and Flicker Free Technology' to make viewing experience comfortable. The technology is said to maintain eye comfort during long working and gaming sessions. The monitor has an Eye Saver Mode that obstructs Blue light wavelengths to reduce eye-fatigue.

Multi-screen support

The 49-inch curved monitor comes preloaed with Easy Setting Box S/W' application that will come quite handy during productivity tasks. The app lets users partition the screen into displays of various sizes and functional configurations for efficient multitasking. Other features include increased speed, finer control and multiple input ports that make it easier to connect the display with any device.

Pricing and Availability

The 49-inch ultrawide curved monitor is priced at R. 1,50,000 and will be available at Samsung Shops across the country and soon at all leading retail outlets.
Asus ZenFone 3 Max starts receiving ZenUI 4.0 update News oi -Samden Sherpa Asus in its forum page has said that the update is being rolled out as an OTA update and it'll take around one week for the system to complete the autopush.

If we recall, sometime in August during the launch of ZenFone 4 series, Asus the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer had revealed its future roadmap for OS updates for its smartphones. As such, the company had announced that ZenFone 3 and 4 would be getting the update.

It seems Asus is following its schedule of bringing updates for its smartphones. Just a few weeks back the company pushed out ZenUI 4.0 for ZenFone 4 Max while ZenFone 3 Zoom had already got the update much earlier.

However, now ZenFone 3 Max is getting the same treatment. Asus has started rolling out a new update for ZenFone 3 Max (ZC553KL) smartphone. The update comes with a version number V14.0200.1712.347 and it moves the system user interface to ZenUI 4.0.

Asus in its forum page has said that the update is being rolled out as an OTA update and it'll take around one week for the system to complete the autopush. So users might have to wait a bit more to receive the update. Moreover, the device owners should receive a notification of the update. If no update prompt is spotted then users can always head to Setting > About > System Update to update manually. Meanwhile, users will still have to wait for Android Oreo update.

Talking about the ZenUI 4.0, it comes with a smart new cleaner look and a lighter feel meaning there should be less bloatware. ZenUI 4.0 also comes with new security features, new animated themes, a new Game Genie mode for high gaming performance, a brand new Gallery app, as well as some visual changes.

Now as more smartphones are getting the update, Asus could bring the update to other devices in the Zenfone 4 and Zenfone 3 series as well.

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Chinese smartphone brands continued to grow in Bangladesh News oi -Priyanka

According to a new report by research firm Counterpoint, Chinese brands continue to grow in Bangladesh and now capture 29 percent of the market, up from 13 percent a year ago.

The report said that major Chinese brands like Huawei, iTel, Xiaomi, and OPPO have already started to make their presence felt by grabbing market share from local brands.

Commenting on the growth of Chinese brands, Shobhit Srivastava, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research said, "Chinese brands have been aggressively expanding in the Bangladesh smartphone market with low-cost offerings. Major Chinese brands like Huawei, iTel, Xiaomi, and OPPO have already started to make their presence felt by grabbing market share from local brands.

The expected launch of 4G services in January 2018 will further add to the advantage of the Chinese brands, as they offer budget 4G smartphones with good specs. Local brands like Symphony, Walton, and Winmax will have to quickly adapt to the change in the market if they want to maintain share."

Meanwhile, Bangladesh handset market grew 19 percent Y-o-Y and 1 percent sequentially. Flat sequential growth during the quarter was attributed to excess inventory in the market post-EID festival and the impact of heavy rainfall across the country for almost two weeks.

"Samsung was able to maintain its second position in the smartphone segment with 14 percent market share. Its sales nevertheless declined 3 percent compared to Q3 2016. Its Galaxy J2 model was the number one smartphone sold in the country during the quarter thanks to strong promotions," report added. Huawei managed to garner the third spot with 8.5 percent market share in the quarter as its low-cost Y series smartphones helped the brand stay relevant to Bangladeshi consumers and iTel, another is at number five captured 6.9 percent share.

SEE ALSO: 10 cool Instagram features launched in 2017 that we like

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Samsung Research launched to help drive Samsungs future innovations News oi -Samden Sherpa Samsung Research will function as an integrated R&D organization for Samsung's Consumer Electronics as well as IT and Mobile businesses.

Samsung has now announced the launch of Samsung Research a new center that has been formed by reorganizing the company's Software R&D center and Digital Media & Communications (DMC) R&D center into a new entity.

Samsung Research will function as an integrated R&D organization for Samsung's Consumer Electronics as well as IT and Mobile businesses. Chief among the priorities for the organization will be to drive forward maturation and advancements within artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and other areas to ensure Samsung continues to lead the industry conversation.

As a global entity, Samsung Research will operate 22 R&D centers around the world, with a total of 20,000 staff. In addition to leading future innovation, the mandate of the new organization will also be to help explore and create new business possibilities.

At a recent launch event, Hyun-suk Kim, President and Head of Samsung Research, detailed the vision of the new entity, emphasizing to staff the vital role they would each play in making sure Samsung Research reaches its goal to 'shape the future with innovation and intelligence.'

"Starting now, Samsung Research will drive the most advanced technological leadership and innovation based on AI technologies to realize the future that everyone dreams of, with the most talented people in the world," Hyun-suk Kim told employees at the event. "In order to achieve this vision, one of Samsung Research's first missions will be to instill a development culture where everyone encourages one another in creativity, as well as autonomously participates in the development process."

As the capabilities of AI grow, Samsung's continuing work and driving aim will be to build a single robust, flexible and expandable platform to integrate and optimally utilize the technology. Within its R&D environment, and with Samsung Research playing a key contributing role, Samsung will connect its technologies together to enable interoperability and simplicity for users, all powered by the latest in cutting-edge AI technologies.

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Merger of BSNL and MTNL would give them a chance to take on private sector: Report News oi -Priyanka This year in May Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said that it has not taken any decision on the merger of MTNL and BSNL

A parliamentary panel on Friday said that the merger of BSNL and MTNL would give them a chance to fight or take on the private sector which is undergoing consolidation.

According to a report in PTI, Committee on Petitions tabled in the Parliament said that, "The committee is of the view that for the long-term survival and success of MTNL and BSNL, their merger would only be a viable proposition - in view of the fact that their merger would give both the entities a chance for competition against the emerging consolidated private sector players."

The report pointed out that, the Committee on Petitions said that Department of Telecom had provided suggestions to constitute an expert group to examine the prospects the merger.

Furthermore the report said that the ministry had provided two suggestion to the government that merger would give them a chance to become a pan-India integrated offering wired and wireless telephony services and secondly this will provide an option to MTNL focusing on a turnaround with support from the government and shareholders and seeking opportunities to sell and divest select business assets.

To recall, this year in May Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said that it has not taken any decision on the merger of MTNL and BSNL.

SEE ALSO: Sony H8266 visits Geekbench with Snapdragon 845, Android Oreo

He said, "We have not taken any decision on the merger issue."

In fact last year in November, Manoj Sinha had also said in written reply to the Rajya Sabha that, "In a case of MTNL, it has been going slow in up gradation of equipment during the last 4-5 years due to severe financial problems. MTNL is under serious debt burden and is borrowing money to meet its day to day requirements."

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) is offering services in Delhi and Mumbai and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), on the other hand, is operating across rest of India.

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Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Dec. 22, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria between Dec. 18 and yesterday, conducting 11 strikes consisting of 21 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the most recent strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Yesterday near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted a strike engaging an ISIS tactical unit and destroying an ISIS vehicle and an ISIS staging area.

On Dec. 20 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes consisting of 13 engagements against an ISIS tactical unit, destroying two ISIS indirect-fire weapons, two explosive hazards, two maneuver elements and an ISIS headquarters command-and-control center.

On Dec. 19 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes consisting of three engagements against an ISIS tactical unit, damaging an ISIS supply route and a command-and-control center.

On Dec. 18 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of two engagements against an ISIS tactical unit, destroying a heavy weapon.

Strikes in Iraq

There were no reported strikes conducted in Iraq on Dec. 21, 2017.

On Dec. 19 near Qaim in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike that destroyed an ISIS tunnel.

On Dec. 18 near Baaj in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of an engagement against an ISIS tactical unit.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

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Army strengthens allied partnerships in 2017 with joint, multinational exercises

By Crystal Marshall December 22, 2017

WASHINGTON -- Across the globe, the U.S. Army is strong, dependable ally and partner for many countries. This level of seamless cooperation was on strong display in 2017, as the U.S. conducted multiple training exercises and operations with its allies abroad to promote international security. Here are two of the year's most significant, intensive exercises that strengthened the enduring partnerships between the U.S. and allied countries.

ATLANTIC RESOLVE

Operation Atlantic Resolve is a demonstration of continued U.S. commitment to collective security through a series of actions and exercises designed to reassure NATO allies and partners of America's dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region in light of the Russian intervention in Ukraine.

"This is all about deterrence," said Lt. Gen. Frederick "Ben" Hodges, former commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, who retired in early December. "To deter, you have to have real capability and demonstrate the will to use that capability."

Hodges declared 2017 as "Year of Execution" this past January during the annual U.S. Army Europe Commander's Conference in Weisbaden, Germany. He said the "Year of Execution" signified U.S. Army Europe's commitment to implementing the strategic decisions of the alliance.

U.S. Army Europe demonstrated its deterrence capability earlier this year when more than 6,000 Regionally Allocated Forces rapidly deployed across 5,000 miles of ocean with approximately 3,800 pieces of their own equipment, ready to respond at a moment's notice in support of Atlantic Resolve and other joint and multinational efforts.

"This rotational force, deploying with its full complement of equipment, put U.S. armor and aviation back into Europe on a continuous basis for the first time since 2013," said Hodges. "Their forward presence is the bedrock of our country's ability to assure allies, deter adversaries and posture to act quickly if deterrence fails."

The 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division's deployment in support of Atlantic Resolve marked the beginning of a continuous U.S. armored and aviation brigade presence in Europe. The start of heel-to-toe rotations, made possible by the European Reassurance Initiative, is a strong signal of the United States' ironclad commitment to strengthening the defensive and deterrence capabilities of the alliance.

"We were very fortunate to be put in the middle of this type of environment," said Col. Christopher Norrie, former commander of 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. "Within 10 days of the first piece of equipment being offloaded from the ships in Germany, Iron Brigade tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles units were firing live ammunition rounds down range in Poland, demonstrating the ability to move and assemble Soldiers and equipment to be ready to fight if necessary."

In the first half of their nine-month rotation, the brigade completed eight large-scale movements (battalion-sized or larger). This included assembling the entire brigade in Poland upon arrival; moving three combined-arms battalions to Germany, the Baltics and Black Sea region from Poland; moving the brigade headquarters and three battalions to Germany for exercise Combined Resolve VIII in April; and relocating the brigade headquarters and five of seven battalions to Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary for exercise Saber Guardian in July.

Through rotational deployments and exercises, U.S. Army forces will continue to maintain a persistent presence in Poland and the Baltics. Other training events that took place this year as part of Atlantic Resolve included Combined Resolve in Germany, Saber Strike in the Baltic region, Rapid Trident in Ukraine, and Saber Guardian in Bulgaria.

TALISMAN SABER

Australia is not for the faint of heart. Scorpions, snakes, and spiders lurk in the Australian Outback; treacherous terrain crisscrosses the northeastern countryside; extreme temperature shifts can swelter during the day and chill to the bone at night.

For the more than 33,000 U.S. and Australian personnel participating in the biennial military training exercise Talisman Saber 2017 in Australia during June and July, these challenges were just minor nuisances compared to the grueling training exercises they conducted.

Talisman Saber, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and Australian Defence Force Headquarters Joint Operations Command, incorporated the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force and the Australian Defence Force, as well as other government agencies from each country.

In addition to Talisman Saber, he U.S. and Australia also train and work together in a variety of exercises and missions throughout the year, including working together on humanitarian and civic assistance missions in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

For the Soldiers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, also known as the "Tropic Lightning Soldiers," Talisman Saber 17 kicked off with a 19-hour direct flight for a task force of paratroopers a company from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

The paratroopers conducted a forced entry parachute assault from six Royal Australian Air Force and United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo planes into the rugged terrain near Williamson Airfield in central Queensland to secure the airfield and establish a strategic blocking position on the battlefield. Once in place, the Soldiers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division then executed a prearranged hand-over to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment task force and Australian soldiers of 3rd Brigade.

"Talisman Saber is an excellent builder of readiness, both multinational readiness and unilateral readiness within the United States Army. Being able to train with our allies and partners brings about a level of readiness that is not achievable anywhere else," according to Lt. Col. Josh Davis, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment.

"We get the opportunity in the States to train in the deserts of California, the woodlands of Louisiana, and the mountainous and freezing Arctic conditions of Alaska, but being able to train somewhere you're not accustomed to, brings a level of readiness and confidence that the Soldiers would just not get anywhere else," he said.

(Editor's Note: This article is part of a series reflecting on the top Army events of 2017. This article is a compilation of three different articles, whose links are below: "The Year of Execution: US Army Europe rotational forces in action" by Staff Sgt. Tamika Dillard, "Exercise Talisman Saber highlights enduring US and Australia alliance" by Russell Goemaere, and "Army Soldiers prove their mettle, readiness in Australian exercise" by Sgt. Frank Strumila.)

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Top US commander warns of war with Russia, Pacific countries

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 22, 2017 07:26PM

A US top commander has warned of an imminent war by pointing to a shift of focus on conflicts in the Middle East to Russia and the Pacific region.

General Robert Neller, the commander of the US Marine Corps stationed in Norway, announced the impending war on Thursday and called on his troops to be ready for redeployment as the US presence in the region would to be expanded.

"I hope I'm wrong, but there's a war coming," Neller told the US forces during a visit to the Nordic country. "You're in a fight here, an informational fight, a political fight, by your presence."

The top commander referred to Russia and the Pacific as the next major areas of conflict, predicting a "big-a** fight" in the future.

"I think probably the focus, the intended focus is not on the Middle East," Neller said, when asked by a Marine about where the force saw itself fighting in the future. "The focus is more on the Pacific and Russia."

While the Marine Corps commander admitted that the US troops would remain in the Middle East for some time to come, he pointed to "a slight pullback" from that region and a reorientation toward Russia and the Pacific.

"Just remember why you're here," he added. "They're watching. Just like you watch them, they watch you. We've got 300 Marines up here; we could go from 300 to 3,000 overnight. We could raise the bar."

The comments were made amid tensions between Russia and NATO allies, with Moscow warning Oslo that the presence of American troops could hurt relations after the Nordic country decided to host a new unit of US soldiers through the end of 2018.

The deployment will strain already tense relations with Russia, as it goes against a vow made by Norway not to allow the deployment of foreign combat forces on its soil unless the country was under the threat of attack or for military drills.

Russia and NATO have had strained ties since conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine some three years ago. More than 10,000 have been killed in the war in Ukraine's industrial east, where the Kiev government is fighting pro-Russia forces.

Russia has long been wary of NATO's expansion eastward  toward Russia's western borders. NATO has deployed around 4,000 troops, consisting of four battle groups, to Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland in recent years.

The US is also engaged in joint military drills mainly with South Korea and Japan in the Pacific region, as a show of force against North Korea in response to Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missiles program.

North Korea, already concerned by the US's permanent and heavy military presence in the region, has described the the drills as a "provocation."

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Abbas: Palestinians will no longer accept any plan from US

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 22, 2017 10:42AM

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says his nation will "no longer accept" any initiative from the US as part of the so-called Middle East peace process, calling Washington a "dishonest mediator."

"The United States has proven to be a dishonest mediator in the peace process and we will no longer accept any plan from the United States," Abbas said after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday.

Abbas also condemned a threat by US President Donald Trump to end financial aid to the countries which voted at the UN against Washington's move to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's "capital."

Macron, for his part, condemned Washington's declaration on Jerusalem al-Quds, saying, "The Americans have marginalized themselves and I am trying to not do the same thing."

The French president, however, ruled out unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state in the short term, saying France will adopt the decision "at the right time."

Macron further announced that he would make a visit to the Palestinian territories in 2018.

"I have committed myself very clearly to doing everything" to further the so-called peace process, he said.

Abbas, in turn, hailed Macron's efforts as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"We have trust in you. We respect the efforts made by you and we count heavily on your efforts," he said.

On Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution that calls on the US to withdraw its controversial recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israeli "capital."

In an attempt to avert the resolution, Trump had warned that "we're watching," threatening reprisals against countries that back the measure, which earlier faced a US veto at the UN Security Council.

Israel, however, rejected the world body's resolution while thanking Trump for his decision to move US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds.

The dramatic shift in Washington's Jerusalem al-Quds policy has drawn fierce criticism from the international community, including the United States' Western allies, and triggered demonstrations against the US and Israel worldwide.

Jerusalem al-Quds remains at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Palestinians hoping that the eastern part of the city would eventually serve as the capital of a future independent Palestinian state.

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India, China hold 20th round of talks over disputed border regions

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 22, 2017 10:00AM

India and China have held special delegation-level meetings on key points in a dispute on border regions.

India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China's State Councilor Yang Jiechi met, along with other senior officials, on Friday for the 20th round of the India-China border talks in New Delhi.

China and India have tried to develop their bilateral relations in recent years but have been involved in a bitter border dispute.

That row worsened in mid-June after Chinese troops began building a road on the remote Doklam Plateau, a region disputed between China and India's ally, Bhutan.

India has military presence in Bhutan.

Heated rhetoric in both Beijing and New Delhi raised concern at the time about a renewal of hostilities that had resulted in a short but deadly frontier war between the two sides in 1962.

The nuclear-armed powers share a 3,500-kilometer border, much of it is disputed between them.

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6 police officers killed in Taliban attack in Afghanistan

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 22, 2017 08:41AM

At least six police officers have been killed in an attack by the Taliban militant group in southern Afghanistan.

Four officers were also wounded when an assailant drove his explosive-laden vehicle into the police headquarters in the Maiwand district of Kandahar Province on Friday.

The Taliban were quick to claim responsibility for the attack.

Kandahar police spokesman Ghorzang Afridi said "all victims were local policemen."

Another report put the death toll at eight.

Separately, Kandahar's police chief General Abdul Raziq said that a motorcycle bomb blast in a Shia neighborhood in the western Herat Province had killed four civilians on Thursday.

The Takfiri Daesh terrorist group took responsibility for that attack.

Afghanistan is still suffering from insecurity and violence years after the United States and its allies invaded the country as part of Washington's so-called war on terror. The invasion removed the Taliban from power, but militancy continues to this day.

In another development, US Vice President Mike Pence made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan on Friday.

"Under President Donald Trump, the armed forces of the United States will remain engaged in Afghanistan until we eliminate the terrorist threat to our homeland, our people once and for all," Pence said there.

In August, US President Donald Trump announced a controversial war strategy for Afghanistan. In a blatant U-turn from his campaign pledges to end the now 16-year occupation of Afghanistan, Trump said US military presence in the country would continue.

Trump also authorized an increase of thousands of troops in Afghanistan.

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U.S. Vice President Claims 'Progress' In Afghan War On Surprise Visit To Kabul

RFE/RL December 22, 2017

On a surprise visit to Afghanistan, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence praised U.S. and Afghan troops for what he said was "real progress" in the 16-year war and declared President Donald Trump's new strategy there is working.

"The results are really beginning to become evident around the country," he said after meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah at the presidential palace in Kabul late on December 21.

Pence said the two Afghan leaders told him "they've begun to see a sea change in the attitudes among the Taliban," and Ghani told him more senior Taliban leaders have been killed this year than in all the prior years of the conflict.

Pence said the Afghan leaders also expressed hope that "eventually the enemy will tire of losing" and be willing to join peace negotiations.

Trump this summer outlined a strategy of increasing U.S. troops on the ground and giving greater authority to U.S. military leaders to carry out the battle against the Taliban, and Pence said that approach is now bearing fruit.

Pence arrived late on December 21 on a military plane at Bagram Airfield before traveling by helicopter to Kabul. He said he told the Afghan leaders that his presence in the country was tangible evidence that the United States is "here to see this through."

"Under President Donald Trump, the armed forces of the United States will remain engaged in Afghanistan until we eliminate the terrorist threat to our homeland, our people, once and for all," Pence said.

He later traveled back to Bagram to address some of the estimated 14,000 U.S. service members stationed in the country, who provide training and assistance to Afghan forces in their battles against Taliban insurgents and other extremists.

Pence thanked the troops for their sacrifice and said, "I believe victory is closer than ever before."

Pence also received a briefing from U.S. military leaders, including the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson.

At Bagram, Pence had sharp words for neighboring Pakistan, echoing previous comments by Trump that accused Islamabad of providing safe harbor to terrorists operating in Afghanistan.

"Those days are over," Pence said, adding that Pakistan had much to gain from working with the United States but much to lose by harboring "criminals and terrorists."

Pence's short visit to Afghanistan, originally part of a Middle East trip that was called off, was shrouded in secrecy for security reasons. Reporters traveling with the vice president were asked not to reveal his whereabouts until after Pence had addressed U.S. troops at the Bagram air base.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-pence-surprise-visit/28932465.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Serbia Negotiating Purchase Of More Russian Arms After Vucic's Visit To Moscow

December 22, 2017

Serbia is negotiating the purchase of military helicopters from Russia in one of several possible new Russian arms purchases that could heighten tensions in the Balkans.

Serbia's Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin told Serbian state TV on December 21 that a "high level of military cooperation" between the two countries was agreed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during Vucic's visit to Moscow this week.

Vulin said Serbia wants to buy six MI-17 helicopters as well as form an overhaul base for the Russian choppers, which in effect would give Russian military personnel a presence in the country.

Serbian officials said Serbia and Russia are also discussing supplies of Buk-M1 and Buk-M2 missile systems and the delivery of six additional MiG-29s and possibly S-300 air-defense systems from Belarus.

Vulin said that close military and other ties with Russia have "significantly changed and strengthened" Serbia's position internationally.

In October, Russia gave the Serbian Air Force six older model MiG-29 fighter jets and Moscow has also promised to donate 30 used battle tanks and 30 armored vehicles to Serbia.

With neighboring Montenegro recently having become NATO's newest member and other Western Balkan nations aspiring to join NATO, Serbia's acquisitions put it at odds with neighboring states, including Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo, that it waged war with in the 1990s during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

Serbia, like other Western Balkan nations, has been on a path to join the European Union. But under pressure from Moscow, Belgrade has insisted it won't join NATO and has maintained what it calls "military neutrality."

Serbia is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program and has held military exercises with both the Western military alliance and the Russian military.

Based on reporting by AP, TASS, and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-negotiating-purchase -more-russian-arms-helicopters-buk-s300-after -vucic-visit-moscow/28932486.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Abbas Says Palestinians Will Not Accept Any U.S. Peace Plan

RFE/RL December 22, 2017

Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas says that the Palestinians "will no longer accept" any Middle East peace plan proposed by the United States.

Abbas spoke in Paris on December 22, a day after the UN General Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

"The United States has proven to be a dishonest mediator in the peace process and we will no longer accept any plan from the United States," Abbas said after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on December 6 that the United States now recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital and will move its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, triggering international condemnation and protests across the Muslim world.

Macron said that France remains committed to a "two-state" solution in which Israel and Palestine peacefully coexist side by side.

He said that France would recognize a Palestinian state "at the right time" and not under pressure.

"The Americans have marginalized themselves and I am trying to not do the same thing," Macron told a joint news conference with Abbas.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the United States to reverse the decision and discussed the issue in a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The U.S. should turn back from this wrong step," Erdogan said at a meeting of his AK Party in Istanbul.

He said the UN took an "honorable" position "despite threats," a reference to Trump's suggestion that the United States could cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favor of the resolution.

A total of 128 countries backed the nonbinding resolution to reject the U.S. decision, while nine voted against and 35 abstained. Twenty-one countries did not cast a vote.

In their telephone conversation on December 22, Erdogan and Putin discussed Middle East peace efforts "in the context" of the UN resolution, the Kremlin said on its website.

It said they agreed that Russia and Turkey "will continue to foster a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on international legal norms and the realization of the Palestinian people's right to the creation of an independent state."

With reporting by AFP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/abbas-palestinians- will-not-accept-any-us-peace- plan-trump-jerusalem/28933305.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Uzbek President Vows Reforms In State-Of-The-Nation Address

RFE/RL December 22, 2017

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has vowed to pursue reforms and called on officials across the Central Asian country to improve communications with ordinary people.

Mirziyoev spoke on December 22, in an end-of-year address to parliament that was broadcast live on state TV and billed by his office as Uzbekistan's first-ever state-of-the-nation speech.

Smiling frequently and casting himself as a team member, Mirziyoev seemed to be seeking to set himself apart from his autocratic predecessor, Islam Karimov, who ruled for more than a quarter-century before his death in 2016.

Mirziyoev, who was appointed interim president in September 2016 and elected in a tightly controlled vote in December, has sought to implement economic and social reforms, decrease Uzbekistan's isolation, and improve ties with regional neighbors. In the speech, he claimed have made progress and promised more.

"The first results of the large-scale reforms implemented in 2017 are reflected in our people's everyday lives. They woke up social activity among them and strengthened their confidence in tomorrow," Mirziyoev said in the speech, which was attended by foreign diplomats and watched by regional officials and civic group leaders via video link.

Uzbekistan's relations with Western countries were strained under Karimov, whose government was accused by human rights groups of severe and pervasive abuses. In recent months, several public figures, journalists, and politicians jailed on what rights activists say were politically motivated charges have been released.

In October, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that Uzbek authorities had taken "some positive steps" during Mirziyoev's first year in office and called for "sustainable" improvements in human rights.

Mirziyoev stressed the importance of democratic reforms in the country, saying that the functions of the state and government structures must be based on democratic principles.

He condemned officials, not mentioning names, who use vulgar words when talking to their subordinates or ordinary citizens.

"Governors of three districts cannot speak to the people. Who gave them the right to insult people? That shows their ignorance and illiteracy," he said, referring to recent media reports that carried videos of local authorities beating and insulting people.

Mirziyoev said the government has to focus on more reforms in the judicial, economic, education, science, and social spheres.

He declared 2018 "the year of support of active entrepreneurship, innovative ideas, and technologies" and said that 2017 has been the "the year of the dialogue between the government and ordinary people."

Mirziyoev also said that inspections of private businesses must be stopped in order to support small and medium-sized businesses in the country.

"If we stop lying to ourselves, if we sincerely want our country to prosper, our people to be proud members of society, and our children to be happy and looking to a bright future, we, all together, will be able to achieve a lot," Mirziyoev said at end of his address.

With reporting by RFE/RL correspondent Merhat Sharipzhan

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan-president-vows-reforms- state-of-the-nation-address/28933332.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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New Outbreak of Violence in DR Congo Pushes More People to Seek Refuge in Uganda

Sputnik News

14:47 22.12.2017(updated 14:50 22.12.2017)

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The latest outbreak of violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has led to a sharp increase in number of refugees fleeing the country to neighboring Uganda, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly said Friday.

"UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is witnessing a sharp rise in the number of people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) seeking safety in Uganda. More than 2,650 refugees have crossed the border this week, fleeing fresh violence in DRC's Ituri province  five times the usual number of arrivals. Most of them are women and children," Pouilly said at a press briefing.

According to the spokeswoman, the refugees are reportedly fleeing violence at Djugu territory in the northeastern Congolese Ituri province, where reports emerged on Monday of "houses being scorched in the area, and people being attacked with machetes and firearms." Over 20 villages have been abandoned by the residents so far, she added.

"Inside Uganda, UNHCR is stepping up its capacity to meet the refugees' needs. We are supporting the authorities to receive the new arrivals and transfer them to Kyangwali settlement, some 50 kilometers to the east. There, refugees are registered, medically screened and provided with hot meals and basic relief items," Pouilly said.

She stressed that over 230,000 refugees from Congo were already residing in Uganda, alongside some 1.2 million refugees from other countries.

"In total, the number of Congolese refugees in neighboring countries has increased by almost 100,000 people in the space of one year, reaching over 623,000 by end November," Pouilly noted, adding that the majority of them settled in Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been suffering from instability since the mid-1990s when the country became mired in conflicts. The Second Congo War, also known as the Great War of Africa, ended in 2003, but clashes continued in the eastern areas of the country, where various rebel groups continue to operate.

 Sputnik

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Finland Launches Navy Upgrade, Buys Swedish Torpedo Systems

Sputnik News

12:18 22.12.2017

Finland has approved contracts worth $276 million for a sweeping improvement to its Hamina-class fast attack crafts. As part of the upgrade, a torpedo weapon system will be acquired from the Swedish company Saab.

The Finnish Defense Forces' Logistics Command has received a mandate from Defense Minister Jussi Niinisto to sign a contract with local arms manufacturer Patria Aviation as part of the naval development program.

The upgrade of the four Hamina-class fast attack craft, built between 1998 and 2006, will ensure sufficient combat readiness in the 2020s after the decommissioning of the Rauma-class vessels and before the next-generation Squadron 2020 corvettes have been put to use, Finnish national broadcaster Yle reported.

The goal of the upgrade program is to prolong the service life of Hamina-class vessels until 2035, extend their independent operating time and improve their anti-submarine capability as well as self-protection. The Hamina-class sub will be equipped with the same type of missile system chosen for surface-to-surface missile batteries and four Squadron 2020 coastal corvettes worth $1.4 billion.

The craft's lightweight torpedo system has been designed with an emphasis on the coastal conditions of Finland's Baltic Sea coast, which is exceptionally rich in islands and islets. It has been specifically coordinated with the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV), and deliveries from Sweden's Saab Dynamics are scheduled to take place in 2023-2025. Prior to that, a loan agreement on the torpedo systems will be concluded with the FMV for 2019-2022.

The Finnish Navy employs 1,400 people and trains about 3,200 conscripts each year. It has bases in Turku, Kirkkonummi, Raseborg and Helsinki and consists of four Hamina-class fast attack craft, two Hamenmaa-class minelayers, three Pansio-class minelayers, three Katanpaa-class mine countermeasure vessels, three Kuha-class minesweepers and six Kiiski-class minesweepers.

After World War II, the Finnish Armed Forces were substantially limited by the Paris peace talks in 1947. For the Finnish Navy, this meant a limitation of no more than 10,000 tons and 4,500 men, as well as a ban on torpedoes, submarines, mines and missiles. The restrictions were eased somewhat in the 1960s and nullified by the breakup of the Soviet Union. However, the size of the Finnish Navy remains roughly the same as it was during the Cold War-era.

The next generation surface combatant unit known as the Multi-Purpose Vessel 2020 or Squadron 2020 is currently still at the pre-development stage. The four corvette-sized ships, which are intended to be slightly bigger and more capable of engaging in international cooperation, are stated to replace the Hameenmaa minelayers and the already retired Rauma-class missile boats. The design stage is planned to continue until 2018 and the vessels will be built in 2019-2024. The projected cost of four vessels with a lifespan of at least 35 years is about $1.4 billion.

 Sputnik

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Australia's Defense Chief Declares End of Air Campaign Against Daesh

Sputnik News

11:38 22.12.2017

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne on Friday declared an end to the nation's airstrike operations in Syria and Iraq, although she admitted the challenge was not over yet, local media reported.

The decision was taken, Payne said, after consultations with Iraq and the international coalition fighting the terror group Daesh, according to The Australian, a newspaper.

"The Australian government has determined that we will bring home our six Super Hornet strike aircraft from the Middle East, marking the end of Australia's air strike operations in Iraq and Syria," she told reporters.

Payne said the broad battle was "most certainly" over, but Australia would not underestimate the efforts that Daesh might still make, she added.

Australia's support aircraft, the E-7A Wedgetail surveillance plane and the refueling plane, will further provide assistance for the US-led Coalition operations and the Iraqi Security Forces.

"They will continue to support the Iraqi Security Forces and counter-terrorism service in their work to ensure that Daesh is precluded from taking any further hold," Payne noted.

The Australian Defense Minister's statement comes after the Iraqi Prime Minister announced earlier this month that the territory of Iraq had been freed from Islamists and declared that the fight is over.

 Sputnik

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Sharp rise in refugee arrivals to Uganda as fresh violence flares in DR Congo - UN agency

22 December 2017  Fresh violence in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) forced over 2,650 refugees to cross over into neighbouring Uganda this week, five times the usual number of arrivals, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

The new arrivals to Uganda, who are mostly women and children, are reportedly fleeing intercommunal violence in Djugu territory in Ituri province, Cecile Pouilly, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva.

"Since Monday, there were reports of houses being scorchedin the area, and people attacked with machetes and firearms," Ms. Pouilly said.

"More than 20 villages were abandoned due to the fear of reprisals. Services have been paralysed and panic engulfed the population."

The majority of refugees cross Lake Albert on rickety fishing vessels to arrive to Sebagoro, a village some 270 kilometres northwest of the Ugandan capital, Kampala. About 650 refugees arrived in two boats this morning. This route is being used by a large number of refugees for the first time after a tragic shipwreck in 2014 that left over 200 dead.

"Refugees report that many more people are gathering on the Congolese side of Lake Albert waiting for their turn to cross, despite the journey's high cost," stated Ms. Pouilly.

UNHCR is stepping up its capacity inside Uganda to meet the refugees' needs. "We are supporting the authorities to receive the new arrivals and transfer them to Kyangwali settlement, some 50 kilometers to the east. There, refugees are registered, medically screened and provided with hot meals and basic relief items," Ms. Pouilly said.

However, the agency's operation in Uganda is currently only 39 per cent funded, and more resources are urgently needed to upgrade the reception capacity and assist the new arrivals.

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South Sudan Government, Rebel Groups Sign Cease-fire Deal

By Jill Craig December 22, 2017

A cease-fire is scheduled to go into effect on Christmas Eve in conflict-ridden South Sudan, after the country's government and rebel groups, as well as other signatories, signed a cessation of hostilities agreement in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia late Thursday.

International Crisis Group senior analyst Casie Copeland says there was a lot of pessimism over whether the agreement would be signed, after both the government and the largest opposition group raised significant challenges to the draft.

"The government raised issues with the fact that the agreement wouldn't have allowed them to re-arm for any other purposes, such as domestic law and order, and the opposition thought that the composition of the cease-fire monitors and the peace oversight body needed to be reviewed in light of changed situations."

In the end, she says, the agreement incorporated provisions that satisfied both sides.

U.S. Institute of Peace visiting researcher Aly Verjee notes there have been several cease-fire agreements since early 2014. He says they generally suffer from three main challenges: commitment, verification, and the ability to de-escalate conflict.

"The most important of those problems is political commitment," said Verjee. "Are the groups that are involved actually committed? So when they say they will immediately disengage, as is specified in this text, do they actually do that? When they say that they will notify everybody under their command of the provisions of this agreement, do they actually take that forward?"

Ahmed Soliman, a research associate for the Africa Program at Chatham House, says that for the agreement to stick, South Sudan's neighbors must hold it accountable.

"The guarantors of this are going to be the neighbors, the IGAD countries  Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, others," says Soliman. "And without them saying that there's a risk of punitive measures and IGAD will pursue those if the parties aren't taking this seriously, then I see small hope for them in January when the discussions take place again, leading to positive outcomes."

Verjee argues the success of this agreement will depend upon what happens next.

"If everybody goes home or goes off for the holidays and in two weeks or three weeks, or a month's time, something hasn't really returned, then we're not really going to see progress moving forward. It's very difficult to generate momentum once you've come to a stop."

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in South Sudan and more than 2 million people have fled the country since the conflict broke out in December 2013.

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South Sudanese Refugees React Warily to Signing of Cease-fire

By Jason Patinkin December 22, 2017

In the Meri refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 30,000 South Sudanese refugees yearn to return to their homeland, which has been ripped apart by a four-year civil war.

The new cease-fire signed Thursday between the government of President Salva Kiir and different rebel groups should raise hopes of peace in the war-torn country.

But the refugees in Meri camp who spoke to VOA said they are not celebrating just yet.

"We hear, but we don't know whether it is going to be," said Rose Tabu, a 20-year-old mother of one who came to Congo last year to escape fighting. "We just leave it in God, since last time we hear 'peace peace peace,' but there is not peace."

The cease-fire stipulates the two sides must stop military activities, allow access for aid groups, and uphold the laws of war, including not committing atrocities against civilians.

Lilias Arie, 24, urged the warring parties to stop targeting civilians. She said government soldiers had attacked civilians, while the rebel group led by former vice president Riek Machar, called the SPLA-IO, had stolen property.

"Since the fighting is between the IO and the government soldiers, why are they killing civilians, harassing civilians, even burning houses, why?" Arie said. "Let them not kill civilians. Salva should tell his soldiers to not kill civilians. And Riek should come to the table to find a solution to this war."

Lino Lasuba, 32, said he did not have high hopes because many previous cease-fires have fallen apart.

"Of course, this is not the first signing of peace in South Sudan, several peace [deals] have been signed, so at the end of the day, what we expected changed to be the contrary," Lasuba said.

As the cease-fire goes into effect Sunday, South Sudanese refugees in Congo will be watching closely to see if peace will hold  and whether they can finally return home.

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Thousands Fleeing Intercommunal Violence in DRC's Ituri Province

By Lisa Schlein December 22, 2017

The U.N. refugee agency reports thousands of people are fleeing from a fresh wave of intercommunal violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri region.

UNHCR reports more than 2,650 refugees, mostly women and children, have fled to Uganda in search of safety this week alone. It notes this is five times the usual number of arrivals.

The refugees tell aid workers renewed intercommunal violence at Djugu territory have sent them fleeing for their lives.

UNHCR spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly says the majority of refugees are crossing Lake Albert on rickety fishing vessels. She says many are bringing valuable belongings such as motorbikes and livestock.

"Since Monday, there were reports of houses being scorched in the areas and people attacked with machetes. More than 20 villages also are reported to have been abandoned due to fear of reprisals. Refugees report that many more people are waiting to cross despite the journey's high cost," Pouilly said.

Sporadic intercommunal violence between the Hema and Lendu ethnic groups in Ituri, sparked by land disputes, has been going on for decades. Pouilly says this latest exodus is putting even more strain upon Uganda, which already hosts some 1.4 million refugees, the largest number in Africa.

She says the UNHCR is stepping up its aid for the displaced. But this, she says, is becoming increasingly difficult to do since the agency has received only 39 percent of financing required for its operational needs.

Pouilly says more money is urgently needed to provide shelter and to assist people with special needs. These include unaccompanied children, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, pregnant women and people with disabilities.

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Pro-Independence Parties Win Majority in Catalonia Elections, A Blow to Madrid

By Henry Ridgwell December 22, 2017

Pro-independence parties have won an absolute majority in elections in the Spanish region of Catalonia, dealing a blow to the Spanish government under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

The election was called after Madrid sacked the Catalan government and arrested many secessionist leaders, after they tried to declare independence following a disputed referendum in October.

Independence supporters gathered to celebrate the results Thursday night, as it became clear that the three pro-secessionist parties kept their overall majority by two seats.

Marta Rovira, secretary general of the Catalan Republic Left party, which won 32 seats, demanded the release of the jailed independence leaders.

"The republican and independence forces have again won the Catalan elections. We have won! Freedom! Freedom! The people have voted for freedom, for the government to return from exile!" Rovira told cheering supporters.

Among those in exile is former Catalonia President Carles Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium in October. In a defiant speech after the result, he pledged to return to Barcelona.

"Firstly, as president of Catalonia, I would like to congratulate the Catalan population for this great lesson in civicism and democracy: a record turnout, historic participation and a turnout which has led to a result that no one can dispute," Puigdemont said.

However, the result was not as emphatic as many had hoped, with the independence parties winning two fewer seats than in the previous election in 2015.

For the first time, a pro-Spanish unity party  Ciudadanos or "Citizens"  won the election, but was short of the numbers needed to form a government.

Prime Minister Rajoy had called on Catalan voters to restore political normality. Instead, they overwhelmingly rejected his Popular Party, which lost eight of its 11 seats.

The pro-independence parties will now seek to form a coalition government in Catalonia  and some party leaders say they now have a mandate to demand a legitimate referendum on independence from Madrid.

Spain, and Europe, had hoped that the election would end the political crisis. But the breakaway movement appears to be re-energized.

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Japan Reportedly Holds Drills With PAC-3 Air Defense Missile System in Nagasaki

Sputnik News

14:15 22.12.2017

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) conducted military exercises on Friday with the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile interceptor in the Nagasaki prefecture, local media reported.

The drills were carried out at Sasebo base and became the first in incorporating the PAC-3 system in southwestern Japan, the Jiji press media outlet reported. Some 30 JASDF servicemen brought the necessary components and equipment from the Kasuga base to set up the system, the news outlet added.

The procedures were double-checked to practice a response to a missile attack, according to the media outlet.

Located on the Japanese island of Kyushu, Sasebo hosts bases of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the US Navy.

The PAC-3 is a high-velocity interceptor that can defend against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and planes.

After World War II Japan adopted the Yoshida Doctrine, according to which Japan would rely on the US for its defense, renouncing the deployment of its own military forces.

In recent years, Japan has been pursuing a goal of amending its pacifist Constitution, with the country's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announcing a plan to revise the charter by 2020.

Japan's strive for its own military forces is prompted by the provocative actions of North Korea, which has recently launched its most advanced ballistic missile, a rocket which, according to Pyongyang's military, is able to strike targets in mainland US.

 Sputnik

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PLA to make strides in new era

People's Daily Online

(Global Times) 08:11, December 22, 2017

Military strength forms basis for diplomatic victory in defending sovereignty: expert

A shipyard in Dalian, a coastal city in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, was surrounded by crowds on April 26 to witness the launch of the country's first domestically built aircraft carrier, Type 001A.

When the US sent its aircraft carriers to the Taiwan Strait in the 1990s, Chinese couldn't imagine their country having an aircraft carrier, experts said, but now, in 2017, China has two with another (Type 002) on the way.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping declared in his report to the 19th CPC National Congress on October 18 that "We have reached a new historical starting point in strengthening national defense and the armed forces."

In 2017, the PLA celebrated the 90th anniversary of its founding and it received a series of "birthday gifts," advanced weapons that strengthen its combat capability.

Hardware upgrade

Apart from the Type 001A aircraft carrier another gift was China's first home-grown 10,000-ton class missile destroyer Type 055 launched on June 28.

"We can confidently say that, as far as destroyers are concerned, there is no generation gap between China and the US anymore," said Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert.

The Type 001A is preparing its first mooring test, and the Type 002, far more advanced than the Type 001A, is under construction in Shanghai.

The PLA Air Force refuses to be left behind. China's fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighter jet has begun training with China's biggest transport aircraft, Y-20, and will be capable of mobilizing drones for battle by serving as their control platform in five years.

The PLA's achievements are just the beginning. Xi, also the chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, has drawn a clear path for China's military development.

"We will make it our mission to see that by 2035, the modernization of our national defense and our forces is basically completed; and that by the mid-21st century our people's armed forces have been fully transformed into world-class forces," he said in the report at the 19th CPC National Congress.

In 2016, then-PLA Air Force commander Ma Xiaotian said that China was developing a new generation long-range strategic bomber. Chinese military analysts call it the H-20, which they believed could match the US B-2 stealth bomber. Some predicted it will appear in 2018's Zhuhai air show.

The PLA Rocket Force will receive its "new gift," the DF-41 bomber, as early as the first half of 2018, Xu Guangyu, a retired major general and senior adviser of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association told the Global Times.

Muscle & soul

Muscle, which refers to combat capability, is nothing without soul, said Peng Guangqian, a retired major general and a strategic studies expert at the Academy of Military Sciences.

"In the 1950s, we could push the US back to the south of the 38th parallel and our weapons were far worse than the US' at that time."

"We will strengthen Party building in the military," Xi said in his report.

Peng said, "This is for casting the soul of our military. China has experienced a long period of peace in the past three decades, and unavoidably, we need to prevent our soul from being corrupted."

The anti-corruption campaign within the PLA has gained major achievements after the 18th Party National Congress. Many high-ranking corrupt military commanders have been investigated and convicted.

In February 2016, the Central Military Commission issued a circular on the termination of military paid services. All military paid services will be terminated by the end of June 2018, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xi said in the report, "A military is built to fight. Our military must regard combat capability as the criterion to meet in all its work and focus on how to win when it is called on."

Combat capability also consists of drills and the command system.

Mission training

The PLA sent its fleet and aircraft to areas it had never been to before for training including international waters and airspace beyond the First Island Chain.

In the past, due to its limited defense budget, PLA training was not enough but now, one-third of the defense budget is used for exercises, said retired major general Xu.

"That's why China will be able to frequently send aircraft and fleets to far areas," he said.

"Although we don't seek to gain combat experience through launching wars, we can do it through participating in UN peacekeeping missions, anti-piracy missions and joint counter-terrorism operations overseas."

Overseas military presences are important for protecting overseas interests, a new mission for the PLA as China's national interests spread globally, experts say.

"There are also dangers of military conflict. That's why we need to keep our muscle strong," Xu noted.

"The Doklam standoffand Korean Peninsulacrises in 2017 have reminded us that the threat of war to our country is not that far away," he said. "Taiwan's secessionist activity also needs PLA attention."

No one should underestimate China's determination to use military force when necessary, Peng said.

"A key reason why we gained a diplomatic victory in the South China Sea is the strong support of military power," he said.

"In the new era, we will not hesitate to use the military together with diplomatic efforts to protect our sovereignty and interests."

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Navy conducts combat exercise in western Pacific

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 08:25, December 22, 2017

The Chinese Navy recently conducted a combat exercise in the western Pacific Ocean involving its aircraft and ships, the Navy said in a news release on Thursday afternoon.

Dozens of fighter jets, bombers, electronic warfare aircraft and early-warning planes from the South Sea Fleet took off from multiple air bases of the fleet. They then joined the exercise with ships of the 28th Escort Fleet that is sailing toward the Gulf of Aden, according to the release. It did not elaborate on the time or exact location of the exercise.

Photos published by the Navy show that the aircraft involved in the operation included the J-11 fighter jet, H-6 bomber, KJ-200 and KJ-500 early-warning planes.

The 28th Escort Fleet was formed by three vessels from the North Sea Fleet - two guided-missile frigates and a supply ship - and left a naval port in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Dec 3.

The Navy said the long-range drill was part of the South Sea Fleet's annual training plan and complied with international laws and norms, adding that it wasn't aimed at any specific nation, region or target. The operation did not affect the "freedom of navigation and flight" in related waters and airspace, according to the release.

The release quoted commanders of the fleet's aviation wing as saying that such long-distance operations have become a regular activity for naval aviation forces. They said realistic combat training between aircraft and ships in rough weather and complicated electromagnetic environments has verified and enhanced their units' operational capabilities.

"Such exercises effectively improved the Navy's ability to handle the currently sophisticated situations and to safeguard the nation's interests on the sea. We will continue to execute such exercises," the release said.

The exercise has been the Navy's latest large-scale operation this month. About two weeks ago, the Navy mobilized more than 40 ships from its three fleets to carry out a live-fire air defense drill in the East China Sea.

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North Korean leader says Trump policy seeks 'total subordination of world'

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 22, 2017 02:11PM

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has censured US President Donald Trump for his expansionist policy, which, he says, seeks "total subordination of the world."

"This has fully revealed that 'America first policy', which the gang of Trump is crying out loudly about, is nothing but the proclamation of aggression aimed at holding sway over the world according to its taste and at its own free will," Kim said at the 5th Conference of Cell Chairpersons of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) on Thursday.

North Korea's KRT TV on Friday released video footage of Kim and high ranking North Korean officials, including Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong, at the party's gathering in the capital Pyongyang.

Kim went on to say at the meeting that no one could deny that North Korea had rapidly emerged as an atomic state and was capable of posing a substantial nuclear threat to the United States.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry described Trump's new national security strategy as a "criminal document" that seeks the "total subordination of the whole world." The North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman called Trump's recently released national security strategy the latest American policy seeking to "stifle our country and turn the entire Korean peninsula" into an outpost of American hegemony.

In the document, unveiled on December 18, Trump said Washington had to deal with China and Russia, the two powers which are challenging the American global hegemony, and confront the challenge posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear development programs.

Washington's decades-long military presence in and around the Korean Peninsula has forced Pyongyang to develop its ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons as a deterrent against Washington's aggression. However, Pyongyang's internationally-condemned weapons programs have been faced with United Nations sanctions.

Meanwhile, Trump's new strategy, according to senior administration officials, outlines a detailed plan to first push back against China's global ambitions and then go on to deal with Russia.

In the meantime, analysts said newly proposed sanctions on North Korea, which will hinge on greater support from China and Russia, could have a significant effect on the isolated country's already struggling economy.

The new sanctions seek to ban nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum product exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year and demand the repatriation of North Koreans working abroad within 12 months. It would also cap crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year, and ban a number of North Korean exports such as machinery, lumber, and other products and resources.

"If they were enforced, the cap on oil would be devastating for North Korea's haulage industry, for North Koreans who use generators at home or for productive activities, and for (state-owned enterprises) that do the same," said Peter Ward, a columnist for NK News, a website that tracks North Korea.

The forced repatriation of foreign workers would also cut off vital sources of foreign currency and investment not only for the government but also for North Korea's emerging market economy, he said. "If such sanctions were enforced, they would thus impede and endanger North Korea's economic development."

Asked about the effects of sanctions before these latest proposals were announced, Michael Kirby, who led a UN inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea, said cutting off fuel imports would be "a very serious step."

"Cutting off oil, petroleum supplies would obviously have a very big impact on the ordinary population," he said.

China, which supplies most of North Korea's oil, has backed successive rounds of UN sanctions but has resisted past calls by Washington to cut off supplies to its neighbor.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called on all sides to exercise restraint and to "strictly implement the current relevant UN Security Council resolutions."

While not directly addressing the new proposals, Hua said that China would maintain communications with all sides and support measures to "quickly create the necessary conditions to peacefully resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through talks."

Russia quietly boosted economic support for North Korea earlier this year, and last week Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said that Moscow was not ready to sign up to new sanctions that would strangle the country economically.

China and Russia have asked for more time to consider a US proposal to blacklist 10 ships for transporting banned items from North Korea, diplomats said.

It was unclear how much more time would be given.

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Pyongyang: North Korea Presents 'Substantial Nuclear Threat' to US

Sputnik News

22:05 22.12.2017(updated 22:11 22.12.2017)

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un warned that his country's military poses a "substantial nuclear threat" to the US, according to comments published by state media December 21.

"Nobody can deny the entity of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], which rapidly emerged as a strategic state capable of posing a substantial nuclear threat to the US," Kim said during opening remarks at the fifth Conference of Cell Chairpersons of the Worker's Party of Korea.

"The rapid development of the DPRK's nuclear force is now exerting [a] big influence on the world political structure and strategic environment," Kim, who also holds the title of WPK chair, continued.

Indeed, South Korea, Japan and the US are all poised to increase military spending in 2018, and the North Korean threat is almost always present in defense ministers' justification for more spending on programs such as missile defense.

"North Korea seeks the capability to kill millions of Americans with nuclear weapons," the US administration said in a new national security strategy report.

For its part, Beijing has urged all parties to ease tensions, but with relatively little success.

"Resorting to the Cold War mentality  to endlessly exert pressure or create confrontation  will not help to reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula or maintain regional stability and security," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told Sputnik News Friday.

Since the beginning of the year, North Korea has conducted a series of missile tests. On November 28, Pyongyang tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) yet, capable of reaching the US mainland. In December, in response to the DPRK's missile tests, South Korea and the United States launched large-scale military exercises. The UN has imposed sanctions against the DPRK several times already and is passed a new round of sanctions Friday, but Pyongyang has shown no signs of curbing its nuclear weapons program.

 Sputnik

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UNSC Unanimously Adopts Resolution to Impose New Sanctions on N Korea

Sputnik News

21:42 22.12.2017(updated 23:00 22.12.2017)

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The UN Security Council has unanimously voted on Friday in favor of the resolution to introduce new sanctions against North Korea for its continuing ballistic missile tests.

"The draft resolution received 15 votes in favor. The draft resolution shall have been adopted unanimously as the resolution 2397 of 2017," Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations Koro Bessho announced following the vote.

The US-drafted resolution stipulates sanctions on North Korea's oil dealings, which will be limited to 4 billion barrels per year, as well as restrictions targeting 95 percent of the country's oil products.

Beginning on January 1, North Korea will be allowed to receive no more than 500,000 barrels of various oil products per year, including petroleum, diesel and kerosene as per the resolution. Oil product exporters dealing with North Korea will have to report on their deliveries to the UN Security Council.

Moreover, the resolution commits the UN Security Council to reduce further petroleum exports to North Korea following another nuclear test or an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

The resolution also stipulates the immediate expulsion of North Korean workers earning income abroad, but no later than by end of 2019, in order to diminish Pyongyang's ability to receive money to finance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Moreover, the resolution calls for adding 16 individuals and one entity connected to the financing and development of North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs to the UN sanctions list.

Restrictions on North Korean exports of goods, machines and electrical equipment as well as transport vessels and raw materials, including wood and magnesium, are also called for by the resolution.

The resolution, however, does not target the Russian-North Korean railway project Rajin-Khasan, which includes the development of a port to export coal to third countries.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated this year as North Korea continues to conduct nuclear and ballistic missile tests in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

North Korea has already faced a round of comprehensive sanctions in September, but Pyongyang has continued the development of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

 Sputnik

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India Launches $500 Mln Program to Acquire 15 Light Combat Helicopters

Sputnik News

17:51 22.12.2017(updated 17:54 22.12.2017)

5.5-ton light combat helicopters will provide crucial air support to the armed forces deployed along the border with China as they have the power to carry out operational roles under extreme weather conditions at altitudes of up to 20000 meter in the difficult Himalayan terrain.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  The Indian government has ordered fifteen locally developed Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) for fulfilling urgent requirements of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army. These will be manufactured at the Bengaluru facility of Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) which was inaugurated by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year.

The selling point of the twin-engine LCH is that they are not only lighter compared to the American AH-64E Apache attack helicopters but also come at half the price i.e. $35 million per unit.

"HAL has received a Request for Proposal (RFP) for 15 Limited Series LCH from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army today. This comes close on the heels of HAL receiving RFP for the supply of 83 LCAs (Light Combat Aircraft) just days ago," HAL said in a statement.

The current version of the helicopters lack sophisticated fire control radar like that of the Apache but HAL has promised to locally develop such radars at a later stage.

The 5.5-ton class LCH is capable of carrying eight French-made Mistral air-to-air missiles, 20mm guns, unguided rockets, cluster bombs, grenade launchers and anti-radiation missiles.

"The helicopter can carry day/night targeting systems for the crew including the helmet pointed sight and electro-optical pod consisting of CCD camera, FLIR, laser rangefinder and laser designator," Gopal Sutar, HAL spokesperson said.

Its high-performance night fighting ability makes it capable of targeting enemy tanks from up to four kilometers away. The LCH can also destroy unmanned aerial vehicles, slow-moving aircraft, and armored and infantry combat vehicles. Furthermore, the LCH is fitted with self-protection suite consisting of radar/laser missile warning systems and countermeasures dispensing system.

Presently, four technology demonstrators are flight testing the LCH following which the flight's air-to-air missile testing capability would be ascertained.

The LCH has the distinction of being the first attack helicopter to land in the forward bases at Siachen, 5400 meters above sea level.

 Sputnik

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US Imposes New Sanctions Against Iran, Threatens to Scrap Nuclear Deal

Sputnik News

16:09 22.12.2017(updated 16:12 22.12.2017)

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The last year saw many controversial steps taken by the administration of US President Donald Trump, but the harsh policy on Iran, including the introduction of new sanctions against Tehran over its ballistic missile program and refusal to certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), are among the most notable issues worth reflecting upon.

Trump's policy on Iran created uncertainty and anxiety among the international community, which fears that the US president may follow through on his threats to scrap the deal signed in July 2015 by Iran, the European Union and the P5+1 group of nations comprising the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany after 20 months of difficult negotiations.

New Rounds of Sanctions

The agreement stipulating the gradual cancellation of the sanctions in exchange for Tehran abandoning its nuclear program did not stop the US administration from toughening the restrictions it imposed on Iran as in August Trump enacted new sanctions against the country over its missile program. According to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, any individuals who are engaged in or support in any way the Iranian government's ballistic missile program and other programs related to weapons of mass destruction that "directly threaten the United States and key allies in the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond," should have their property seized, visas denied, or even be expelled by Washington.

The law also imposed restrictions on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

, an elite faction of Iran's military which is said to be executing Tehran's "policy of supporting terrorist and insurgent groups" and "destabilizing activities." The sanctions included property seizures, suspension of entry into the United States and prohibition of transactions with individuals engaged in IRGC activities.

The move was widely criticized by senior Iranian officials, who claimed that the US law had violated the provisions of the JCPOA which were signed in July 2015 by Iran, the European Union and the P5+1 group of nations comprising the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had even warned that Tehran might pull out from the nuclear deal "within days or hours" if the United States continued its hostile policy, accusing Washington of being "neither a good partner nor a reliable negotiating party." US officials have argued that sanctions were not related to the country's nuclear program and therefore did not violate the deal.

Trump made the US relations with Iran even tenser by announcing on October 13 more sanctions against entities related to the ballistic missile program and the IRGC. Trump's move prompted an immediate response from Tehran, with its Foreign Ministry warning that it would have "a consistent and harsh reaction" to the measures against the IRGC. Furthermore, the Iranian military vowed to speed up the development of the country's missile program.

The next month the US Treasury Department expanded the sanctions against Tehran even further, imposing restrictions on the IRGS-related Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization, Air Force, Al-Ghadir Missile Command, and Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization.

Trump Decertifies Tehran's Compliance With JCPOA

Even during his election campaign, Trump labeled the JCPOA as "the worst deal ever negotiated." Since assuming the office in January, he had repeatedly slammed Iran for alleged non-compliance with the deal and threatened to pull out from the agreement which was actively promoted by his predecessor Barack Obama and led to the removal of all nuclear-related US sanctions against Tehran.

The Western diplomats and leaders exerted efforts to convince the Trump administration of the JCPOA's merits on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. For example, the issue has been discussed at the bilateral meetings between Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Theresa May, however, they did not manage to make him change his stance. Trump told May that he had already made his mind on what he would do next month, when he was due to announce whether to certify Iran's compliance with the JCPOA.

On September 19, Trump addressed the UN General Assembly on various international issues, including the nuclear deal with Iran and Tehran's policy in the Middle East. The US president accused the Iranian authorities of funding terrorism, backing Syrian President Bashar Assad's "dictatorship" and fueling the war in Yemen. Trump also stated that the nuclear deal served as a disguise for Iran's nuclear program and called the deal itself an "embarrassment" to the United States.

Next day, the foreign ministers of all signatory states convened the meeting of the Joint Commission on the deal's implementation. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson explained to his counterparts that the Obama administration implemented the deal through the executive order without congressional ratification, and therefore the United States was seeking to renegotiate the terms of the agreement so that it satisfied the incumbent president and the US citizens. He also confirmed that Trump had decided on whether to walk away from the deal, which prompted concerns about the US potential withdrawal.

After the meeting, EU foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini noted that the deal "belongs to the international community," and therefore was not subject to unilateral re-negotiation. She stressed that the world was already facing one nuclear crisis in North Kora and there was no "need to go into a second one."

Following Trump's rather castigating speech, the Western nations waited with bated breath for the US president's endorsement of the 2015 deal, which should be carried out every 90 days under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (INARA). As the certification deadline set for October 15 was approaching, US media reported that Trump would possibly announce the country's withdrawal from the JCPOA instead of the deal's re-certification. Such allegations and growing uncertainty further fueled fears of the deal's inevitable collapse.

On October 13, apart from announcing fresh sanctions, Trump stated that his administration had decided not to re-certify Iran's compliance with the JCPOA. He added that the White House would work with Congress and its allies abroad to fix "many serious flaws" of the agreement, in particular replacing temporary restrictions on Iran's nuclear program with permanent ones, and threatened to otherwise unilaterally terminate the deal. The US president citied Iran's alleged non-compliance with the deal, referring to the fact that Iran had exceeded agreed-upon limits on its heavy water stocks several times, which, in fact, is not a direct violation of the agreement.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on the other hand, has repeatedly certified that Tehran was fulfilling its nuclear-related commitments. Following Trump's statement, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano reiterated that "the nuclear-related commitments undertaken by Iran under the JCPOA are being implemented." He also noted that Iran was subject to the world's most robust nuclear verification regime.

If Washington pulls out of the agreement, it's likely to not only re-impose its own nuclear-related sanctions on Iran's economy, but might also demand the reinstatement of the UNSC's sanctions, which were promoted by former US presidents George Bush and Barack Obama, and later lifted after the JCPOA was signed.

Trump's decision naturally prompted an outcry from Tehran. Rouhani warned that his country would react "in a corresponding manner" if its interests under the nuclear deal were harmed.

Other parties to the JCPOA also slammed the move, since the agreement secured nuclear stability both globally and regionally.

The leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany issued a joint statement expressing their concerns with Trump's decision and urged Washington "to consider the implications to the security of the US and its allies before taking any steps that might undermine the JCPOA."

The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed Moscow's regrets over Trump's move, calling on all sides to adhere to the agreement and warning the United States against undermining its international commitments by scrapping the deal.

Nevertheless, hardliners in Iran may even welcome Washington's complete abandonment of the deal. With the Iranian economy not signaling the recovery promised by Rouhani after signing the JCPOA, the conservative powers in the country are getting more and more doubtful whether the deal was in fact beneficial for Iran.

The new US sanctions, though not related to the nuclear program, were a hard blow itself, prompting the Iranian officials to accuse Washington of acting in bad faith and further deepening the internal rift between conservatives and the Iranian leader, who belongs to a more liberal group of politicians.

In particular, Trump's rhetoric on IRGC promoted quite aggressive response of IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari who warned the United States against designating the elite military as a terrorist organization, noting that otherwise the United States would have to move its bases outside Iran's ballistic missiles range.

"In such circumstances, Tehran is likely to double down on policies it views as intrinsic to its national security: its ballistic missile program and alliance with non-state actors and proxies in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. The result would be that, by destabilising the JCPOA, the Trump administration could provoke precisely the outcome it purportedly seeks to avoid," the International Crisis Group think tank warned in a statement.

Reasons Behind

Trump's decision to not recertify the deal seems to be not about Tehran's compliance with the agreement, since it had been repeatedly confirmed by both IAEA and the US intelligence, but rather Washington's intent to pursue certain geopolitical goals in the region.

The United States sees sanctions and strengthening restrictions under the nuclear deal as coercive means to curb Iran's aggressive policy in the Middle East, which contradict the US security interests. This includes Iran's funding of the Shiite militia in crisis-torn Lebanon and Yemen, primarily through its ally, the Hezbollah movement, as well as support for the Assad government in Syria and engagement in the diplomatic row between Qatar and Arab states.

Furthermore, Washington is using economic and political pressure to roll back Iran's non-nuclear military development, first and foremost, the country's ballistic missile program which poses a direct threat to Iran's adversaries and the US allies in the region, namely Israel and the Gulf Cooperation Council, in particular Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) think tank, noted that despite division within the Congress on the nuclear deal, the US officials were sharing concerns with Tehran's persistent attempts to arm Hezbollah in order to increase its military role in the region.

"Whatever the debate over the JCPOA, there may well be a broader consensus in the administration that Iran's growing military role in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere in the region must be countered," Abrams wrote in his blog post for CFR.

The harsh stance on Iran, though broadly criticized by other parties to the JCPOA, was welcomed by the United States' major allies in the region, which have long been countering Iran's attempt to gain stronger influence in the region. This, in turn, forged an unlikely alliance between the Israelis and the Saudis, who hold opposing positions on the Palestinian issue.

In November, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. General Gadi Eisenkot said in an interview with the Saudi Elaph newspaper that Israel was willing to share intelligence with Saudi Arabia regarding Iran's activities in the region, with Iranian media even alleging that Israel is directly lobbying the US Congress to abandon the deal with Iran.

At the same time, the Trump administration may pursue certain goals in its domestic policy through exerting additional pressure on Iran.

Gianluca Pastori, an adjunct professor at Italy's Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, told Sputnik that the sanctions policy aimed at proving to Congress that the Trump administration's international stance was tougher than the approach of the previous administration.

"[Such moves] have a strong domestic dimension, appeasing the largely anti-Iranian Congress and remarking the difference existing between the current and the previous administration," the expert said.

Uncertain Future of Deal

Given that Tehran, according to IAEA, has complied with the JCPOA, the international community is now forced to choose between its commitment to an alliance with the United States and commitment to the Iran nuclear deal. Dr. Basham suggested that neither the United States nor its allies in Europe would compromise on the issue.

"It's quite unlikely that any of the major players will make concessions. Therefore, either Congress will ignore the president and the deal will continue as is, or the Trump administration will sufficiently unnerve the international community that other major Western powers will step in and say, 'look, America is going to walk away; we need to save this, so everyone is going to have to give a little,'" Basham told Sputnik.

At the same time, Tehran is also reluctant to make any concessions on the issue, since such a move could affect both Iran's domestic and geopolitical policies, Pastori said.

"Today, Iran enjoys wide international support. EU and the European countries remain supportive of the JCPOA, and none of them seems interested in following the US path of decertification. On these assumptions, it seems difficult to envisage any Iranian concession. On the domestic side too, President Rouhani cannot afford to appear too 'soft' on the issue, not to strengthen his domestic opposition," the expert noted.

However, the expert went on to point out that Iran could maintain its "conciliatory position" on the JCPOA, since Tehran itself was interested in protecting the deal.

"Rouhani and his supporters have the utmost interest in promoting loyal adherence to the JCPOA, but they can do so only by proving to the Iranian public opinion that the nuclear deal makes their country better off," Pastori said.

Bashem noted that if Trump does scrap the JCPOA, the international community would end up with "a 2.0 deal," another agreement that would exclude the United States. Nevertheless, there is still a hope that the deal will remain as it is, with Russia acting as a mediator in the dispute, according to the expert.

"In practice, I think Russians would be in the best position because they have a good relationship, well at least a far better relationship, with the Iranians than America and other Western nations do  The irony in today's climate is that I think that Russia would be, there's no ideal go-between, but Russia would be the best go-between available," the Bashem said.

It is still rather difficult to foreshadow how the situation may develop in the upcoming year, but one thing is clear  the US administration's moves are unlikely to coerce Iran into renegotiating the deal, whereas the reliability of cooperation with the United States was cast into doubt once again.

 Sputnik

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Japan government approves record high military budget

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 22, 2017 05:44AM

Japan's government has approved a record military budget, which allocates significant funding to the purchase of American-made weaponry.

The Japanese government on Friday approved the record 5.19-trillion-yen (45.76-billion-dollar) military budget for the financial year starting on April 1.

The new military budget shows a 1.3-percent increase compared to the 2017 military budget.

The biggest ticket item is 137 billion yen to reinforce a US-made missile system against what Tokyo perceives as a North Korean ballistic missile threat.

"It is essential that we have the latest, most capable equipment to bolster our defenses," Japanese Minister of Defense Intsunori Onodera said after cabinet members approved the new military budget.

Japan plans to allocate 279 billion yen of the 2018 military budget to buying weapons through the US government's Foreign Military Sales system. That is 15 percent more than the 2017 budget and more than double the amount spent in the year that ended March 31, 2015.

In November, US President Donald Trump had urged Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to buy more American-made weapons.

"One of the things I think is very important is the prime minister is going to be purchasing massive amounts of military equipment, as he should," Trump said in Tokyo in November.

Japan, along with its main ally, the United States, has been opposed to North Korea over its weapons programs. It has been dependent on the US for protection. North Korea fired two missiles over Japan this year, which Tokyo could not shoot down because of constitutional restraints. Pyongyang has also formerly threatened to "sink" Japan in the event of war.

On Tuesday, Japan's cabinet had approved the deployment of the US military's ground-based Aegis missile terceptor system in the country.

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About 655,000 Rohingya Refugees Fled to Bangladesh Since Late August - IOM

Sputnik News

18:55 22.12.2017

GENEVA (Sputnik) - Around 655,000 Rohingya refugees have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh since the start of the crisis in late August, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Friday.

"On Christmas day it will be four months since the start of the influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh. Latest figures show 655,000 people have arrived in that period, bringing the estimated total number of Rohingya in Cox's Bazaar to 867,500," the agency said in a statement.

The IOM and its partners are increasing their distribution of aid among the refugees as the weather gets colder, the agency added. According to the statement, the distributions include blankets and emergency shelter materials, such as bamboo bundles and tarpaulins, as well as other non-food relief items.

The IOM is also supporting the refugees and the local population affected by the influx of Rohingya Muslims with water, hygiene, and sanitation, and supporting a vaccination campaign for children under six to respond to the ongoing diphtheria outbreak, the agency noted.

In late August, Myanmar's government deployed police and military units to respond to Rohingya insurgents' attacks on security posts in the country's Rakhine state. The clashes pushed hundreds of thousands Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh and were condemned by the international community.

 Sputnik

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Russia's Putin slams Washington's new national security strategy

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 22, 2017 03:46PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized US President Donald Trump's newly announced national security strategy as both "offensive" and "aggressive," adding that Moscow would take due notice of the stance.

Trump announced on December 18 that he planned to launch a new strategy to overpower Russia and China, which, he claimed, were making efforts "to shape a world antithetical to US values and interests." Trump's plan promises "a balance of power that favors the United States," according to senior US administration officials.

Speaking at a Russian Defense Ministry meeting with top military brass on Friday, President Putin warned that the "strategy recently put out" by Trump was "definitely offensive" and "definitely aggressive."

We "should take into account" the "America First" strategy, Putin said, adding that "Russia has a sovereign right and all possibilities to adequately and in due time react to such potential threats."

Putin then went on to say that the United States violated the landmark Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty dating from 1987, which eliminated all nuclear and conventional missiles with short and intermediate range and practically ended the Cold War era.

The Russian president claimed "the US is on its way to destroying the INF treaty."

"Let's call things by their name  infrastructure being created there is offensive infrastructure," he said in reference to the US missile systems in Europe.

Putin said American Patriot missiles deployed in Poland and Romania could be used to strike Russia, thus violating the INF treaty.

"Launching systems for air defense missiles can become systems for intermediate range cruise missiles at any moment," Putin warned.

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Putin Calls Trump's New Security Strategy 'Aggressive'

December 22, 2017

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the U.S. security strategy unveiled by President Donald Trump as "aggressive," saying Moscow would take that into account in its own actions.

Speaking at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow on December 22, Putin claimed the United States and NATO were engaged in a military buildup in Europe that the Kremlin leader said was of an "offensive, aggressive character."

Putin also accused the United States of plotting to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which bans short- and intermediate-range land-based nuclear and conventional missiles.

Both Russia and the United States have accused each other of breaking the landmark arms control treaty that helped end the Cold War and have said its existence is now under threat.

Putin said Russia's nuclear arsenal was capable of serving as a "strategic deterrence" to any emerging threat.

Unveiling his new U.S. national security strategy on December 18, Trump warned that Russia and China are trying to shape a world antithetical to U.S. values and interests.

Trump said the United States will seek a "great partnership" with Russia, China, and other nations but will "always protect our national interests."

Based on reporting by Interfax, TASS, and RIA Novosti

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-trump-new-security- strategy-aggressive/28933390.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russia to finalize Saudi S-400 deal by year-end

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 22, 2017 02:49AM

Russia says it is working with Saudi Arabia to finalize a deal to sell advanced S-400 missile systems to the oil-rich kingdom.

Vladimir Kozhin, the Russian presidential aide for defense cooperation, said Thursday that Moscow and Riyadh had already signed "a package of agreements" that also included launching the production of Kalashnikov assault rifles in Saudi Arabia.

"As far as more complicated systems are concerned, negotiations still continue," he said. "Both technical issues and financial aspects are being discussed. I hope that we will get answers to all remaining questions by the end of the year."

The official said "those negotiations are literally under way at the moment."

Russia and Saudi Arabia first signed a contract for the delivery of one battery of the Russian-made systems in March 2017, when Saudi monarch King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was on a four-day trip to Moscow.

The Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) said back then that the memoranda of understanding also "include the transfer of technology for the local production" of the aforementioned military systems.

"In addition, the parties will cooperate in setting a plan to localize the manufacturing and sustainment of parts of the S-400 air defense system," SAMI said, noting that the cooperation would "have tangible economic contributions and create hundreds of direct jobs."

The system is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles 400 km away and at a maximum altitude of 30 km. The system's missiles can also be used against ground targets.

Known as Triumf, the S-400 missile system first entered service in 2007.

In April, Russian Aerospace Force Deputy Commander-in-Chief Viktor Gumyonny said Russia had started to equip the system with missiles capable of destroying targets in outer space.

As part of the deal, Moscow also agreed to provide the Riyadh regime with the Kornet-EM anti-tank guided missile system, 220mm 24-barrel TOS-1A multiple rocket launcher as well as AGS-30 Atlant automatic grenade launcher.

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President Tsai says China's drills have affected regional stability

ROC Central News Agency

2017/12/22 22:13:02

Taipei, Dec. 22 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () took to Facebook on Friday to point out that China's increasingly frequent military drills near Taiwan have affected regional stability, while motivating the military to stay vigilant in safeguarding the country against security threats.

In her post, Tsai noted that the military drills the Chinese air force has been conducting have increased in frequency and have impacted the stability of the region.

The president said that Taiwan's air force, navy and army have improved on their surveillance capability and ability to safeguard Taiwan's safety and the region's stability.

Tsai's post also noted Taiwan's commitment to the safety of the Asia Pacific region and to its own national defense. The first line of Tsai's post reads "rather a hundred years without war, but not a single day without preparations for war."

Tsai, who visited the ROC Air Force Combatant Command on Thursday, said that she is confident in the ability of Taiwan's military to monitor the People's Liberation Army.

Her comments come a couple of days after China's Air Force conducted its 10th drill near Taiwan since the conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October, according to data released by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense.

MND spokesman Chen Chung-ji () said on Thursday that in response to the increased Chinese military activity near Taiwan, the ministry will continue to act on the principles of "not taking provocative action, not triggering a conflict, and reducing antagonistic behavior."

(By Fan Cheng-hsiang and Kuan-lin Liu)

Enditem/cs



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Provision of US arms to Ukraine can mean more bloodshed: Russia

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 22, 2017 07:06AM

Russia has warned the United States about the consequences of supplying arms to Ukraine, saying that the provision of weapons may cause new bloodshed in the country's troubled east.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that the weapons would provoke "hotheads" among Ukrainian nationalists to seek to unleash new bloodshed in eastern Ukraine.

On Wednesday, the US State Department announced it had approved a license for US manufacturers to sell firearms and smaller weapons to Ukraine, including assault rifles, combat shotguns, silencers, military scopes, and flash suppressors.

Moscow has several times warned Washington against supplying Kiev with lethal weapons.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said that by selling Kiev the sniper rifles and other arms, Washington was encouraging "massive bloodshed" in eastern Ukraine and becoming an "accomplice to murder."

The sale of new US weapons to Ukraine could complicate hopes for new peace talks and lead to further casualties in the war, which has claimed more than 10,300 lives already.

Russia's first deputy permanent representative to the UN, Pyotr Ilyichev had on Tuesday warned that shipments of US and Canadian weapons to Ukraine would encourage the country's leadership to seeks new military adventures.

The government in Kiev has been engaged in an armed conflict with pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine since 2014.

The pro-Russians have turned the two regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in the east  collectively known as the Donbass  into self-proclaimed republics.

The administration of former US president Barack Obama had refused to supply Ukraine with lethal weaponry and instead provided Kiev with 600 million dollars in military assistance, including training, equipment, and advice.

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GAO: Likely Inherent Errors in Key Components of US Strategic Nuclear Subs

Sputnik News

05:30 22.12.2017

Critical components of the Columbia class next-generation strategic ballistic missile submarine may not work as expected, be delayed or cost more than planned, the General Accounting Office (GAO) said in a report.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The GAO warned that if any one of the Columbia-class technology components experiences significant problems, the scheduled deployment of the submarines in 2031 could be delayed.

"It is unknown at this point whether several Columbia class submarine technologies that are critical to performance  including the integrated power system, nuclear reactor, common missile compartment, propulsor and related coordinated stern technologies  will work as expected, be delayed or cost more than planned," the report said on Thursday.

In the report, GAO chastised the US Navy for underrepresenting the program's technology risks in its 2015 Technology Readiness Assessment when it did not identify the technologies as "critical."

The GAO said that Congress may not have been fully informed about the technology risks. However, the Navy did not have a requirement at the time to report the technology risks inherent some of the new submarine's systems.

The GAO said in its report that it was set to recommend that the Navy provide Congress with additional information on technological risks in the Columbia-class submarine program "but removed it because of recent legislation that implements this requirement."

The Navy has planned for the purchase of 12 Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, according to the report. They will replace the older 14 Ohio-class submarines once they begin to be removed from service in 2027.

 Sputnik

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Haiti - Politic : Official wishes of President Jovenel Moise





At this end of the year, President Jovenel Moise at the official greeting ceremony presented his wishes to the population for the new year 2018.



Wishes of President Jovenel :

"Since the day of my installation at the head of the State on February 7th, I pledged myself to work, relentlessly and without reserve, to the recovery of the State. I knew that I was going to face a lot of difficulties.



Today, more than 10 months later, I feel reinforced in my convictions that more must be done to ensure that this valiant and courageous Haitian people can at last have a better future.



The resilience and combativeness of the Haitian people remain my main source of inspiration for transforming the state and truly putting it at the service of the population by taking measures to :





Improve its living conditions ;



To preserve the environment ;



Diversify and increase national production ;



Fight against corruption ;



Reduce inequalities of all kinds.





I therefore pay a well deserved tribute to the Haitian people for the confidence he has kindly placed in me.



It is also a time to express my thanks to my family for having understood the meaning of my commitment to the Haitian people and for their unwavering support.



In the same way, to all my collaborators, from near and far, I recognize your much needed contribution during the first 10 months of my mandate. I greet all those who have recognized in me the qualities of a servant of the Haitian people, those who started and maintained this journey with me, as well as those I met along the way.



Ladies and Gentlemen, members of the diplomatic corps,



I want, in the new year, to strengthen the rapprochement I started with you. An active, frank and sincere partnership focused on national priorities is, without doubt, one of the best, if not the most important, path leading to the strengthening of bilateral relations and to this necessary communion of ideas and actions to face the many global challenges, such as climate change.



With regard to resilience to the effects of climate change, Haiti holds the rotating presidency of the Caribbean Community on January 1, 2018. At the One Planet summit on financing climate action, which I led the Haitian delegation, in Paris on December 12, the conclusion was reached that the countries of the Caribbean, particularly the CARICOM members, are victims of a phenomenon caused by emissions of greenhouse gases which they hardly contribute.



The wish of the Haitian government is to strengthen hurricane insurance mechanisms, while providing a common front for adaptation and mitigation efforts at the level of regional island countries.



With regard to official development assistance, I reiterate my readiness and that of the Government to continue to work with you in the spirit of solidarity that drives international cooperation. My administration is open to collaboration with all partners, indistinctly, according to the deep aspirations of the Haitian people and according to the priorities identified by the government.



My sincerest wish, in connection with Haiti's external relations, is that, drawing the necessary lessons from the experiences of the last thirty or forty years, we will continue the path of effective collaboration that my administration has begun during the past ten months.



Together, in 2018, we will continue to correct and innovate in the methods and practices of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, so that the social, economic and political development of Haiti ceases to be wishful thinking, a declamation to make politically correct and become a lived reality, experienced by every citizen.



It is also the vision that drives the Caravan of Change. I invite you to visit the field to see the recovery efforts underway in Haiti in the context of the Caravan.



Ladies and Gentlemen, Haitian people,



With regard to the national outlook for 2018, a number of challenges await us, of course. However, we will redouble our efforts to strengthen the ongoing political dialogue. Because I believe and I insist that the proper functioning of the state requires a constant exercise of listening and understanding. Some fellow citizens do not share the same political orientations as I do. Beyond our differences, we join in our shared desire and our shared will to profoundly change our country.



I want to reassure all my compatriots, opponents, supporters, young, old, workmen, craftsmen, entrepreneurs, students, teachers, laymen, religious, all Haitians indiscriminately, that the door of true and constructive dialogue remains open so that, with mutual respect , we can weave together the necessary understanding for political and social stability in the best interest of the nation and for the good of our dear Haiti.



This year, the consolidation of stability characterized by the departure of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah) offers an opportunity to strengthen the country's governance. For the maintenance of this stability, I express the wish that the powers of the State will spare no sacrifice for the consolidation of democracy.



In this sense, I invite the political parties, the civil society, the private business sector, in short, all the forces of the Nation to work tirelessly in 2018, to maintain the momentum of the dialogue initiated this year, to :



Lead to the success of sectoral States General of the Nation ;



Establish the Permanent Electoral Council ;



Complete the Court of Cassation ;



To set up the Constitutional Council ;



Strengthen the judicial system.



Article 136 of the Constitution enshrines in the presidential institution the continuity of the State and the crucible, par excellence, of national unity. In my capacity as President of the Republic and Head of State, I will not cease for a moment to fulfill this noble mission.



My political vision, to which the Haitian people, who has mandated me, commits me to the major projects that should lead to the economic and social recovery of the country. Among my best wishes are the continuation of efforts to :



Build the national electricity grid ;



Gradually convert the country to Green Energy ;



Protect our watersheds;



Modernize and finance agriculture ;



Review our social security policy ;



Strengthen vocational education ;



Control and ensure the management of surface water ;



Gradually fill the 12,000 classroom shortage and improve the quality of education ;



Improve the business climate and attract direct investment ; and



Transforming Public Administration.



All of these policies help to restore young people's confidence in their future, in their country.



Haitian people,



Ladies and gentlemen,



May the year 2018 bring us all the wisdom and strengthen our civic and patriotic spirit, which is more than ever necessary, to overcome our differences for the collective well-being and progress of our dear Haiti.



Thank you."



Jovenel Moise, President of the Republic of Haiti



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Religion : Christmas message of bishops of the Catholic Church of Haiti





The bishops of the Catholic Church of Haiti (CEH), meeting in Ordinary Plenary Assembly at the headquarters of Lilavois sent their traditional Christmas message to priests, religious, faithful lay and men and women of good will whom we invite you to share excerpts.



Excerpts from the Christmas message of the Bishops of the Catholic Church of Haiti :



"[...] As we prepare to celebrate this feast of the Light, we live in particularly dark events in our history. We observe with great sorrow and anxiety the growing phenomenon of mass migration of Haitians and especially young people to Latin America (Chile and Brazil), the Caribbean and North America (Canada and USA). This migratory flow deprives Haiti of a significant part of its youth, its executives. It is the very future of the country that is threatened. The young people of Haiti are struggling to hope, to build their future in a country that, in their opinion, offers them no chance, no prospect for the future [...]



There is also and above all the shameless corruption that is spreading at all levels of society and becoming rampant. Indeed, corruption, 'without respect for the borders, concerns people, public and private structures of power and the ruling classes'. This is a situation that 'promotes impunity and the illicit accumulation of wealth, lack of trust in political institutions, especially in the administration of justice and public investment, which are not always transparent, neither equal for all, nor effective' (John Paul II, The Church in America, 1999, n.62). The plague of corruption must be denounced and fought with force by those who hold the authority and with 'the generous support of all citizens, animated by a strong moral conscience' (John Paul II, Message for the World Day of Peace of 1998).



Certainly, some people fructify honestly their credit. But unfortunately many others enrich themselves with impunity, fraudulently to the detriment of the impoverished population. With impunity, the perpetrators of evil are tolerated, even protected by those who should chastise them and bring them back on track.



[...] We urge the holders of the three powers of the state to take firm measures and concerted decisions to create conditions conducive to job creation, state stability and security of the nation. We urge the elites of different sectors (economic, political, professional) and politicians to invest and invest more in the consolidation of institutions, respect for democratic rules and development of the country.



We urge the Haitians from here and our compatriots in the diaspora to feel themselves challenged by such a dramatic situation and become aware of their civic responsibility towards the Haitian nation to build together and on values, such as : living together of people and the vocation to develop it; the pursuit of the common good, which is at once the good of all and the good of everyone; respect for human dignity, honesty and civility.



We are preparing to celebrate Christmas, the feast of Love, Solidarity, Sharing, Fraternity, Communion in the Son of God who has incarnated. It is a time of grace that we, Haitians, are called to welcome and live in unity, forgiveness, reconciliation. Haitians, let us hold ourselves sincerely and solidly by the hand, and say: No to the division which weakens us and destroys our Nation ! Yes to the union that is strength ! Let us put together our intelligence, our talents, our resources, our wealth, at the service of building a solid rule of law, a democratic and prosperous nation, a Haiti that looks with confidence at its future to live fully and with hope its present. On this time of Advent, time of hope and active waiting in prayer and action, let us turn, together, with our eyes wide open, towards the salvation that God offers us in Jesus, the Messiah, the long-awaited Savior...



We wish you all: a Merry Christmas 2017 and a Happy New Year 2018 in the hope of the Lord who turns evil into good, death into life and changes darkness into Light !"



HL/ HaitiLibre
























Haiti - News : Zapping...





Spirit Airlines : Direct flight Florida/Cap-Haitien

Spirit Airlines announces that effective April 12, 2018, Spirit will begin a non-stop flight from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Cap-Haitien International Airport 3 times a week all year round. This new flight is in addition to the already existing towards Port-au-Prince.



Vote against Trump, Haiti abstains

Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly voted to 128 vote against, 9 for and 65 abstentions, a symbolic (non-binding) text declaring "null and void" the declaration of the American President Donald Trump to make Jerusalem the capital of the Jewish State. During this vote, 65 States abstained including Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Canada... Recall that the American President Donald Trump had threatened before the vote, to reduce funding to States that would support the text.



Activities and Christmas greetings of the First Lady

The Office of the First Lady Martine Moise, announces the holding of cultural and leisure activities from 22 to 24 December 2017 in the area of the Champs de Mars on the theme "Nwel chanjman : yon jenes fo pou yon demen miyo" On the program: street performances, dance performances, musical group concerts, jugglers, gift distributions and other types of attractions. Christmas is the family's day. On this occasion, the First Lady wishes Happy Holidays full of peace and love to Haitian families.



Distribution of mattresses and hygiene kits to prisoners

This Friday, December 22, the Office of the Protection of the Citizen (OPC) will proceed to the distribution of mattresses and hygiene kits respectively to the National Penitentiary, to the Prison of the Arcahaie and to the Center of Reinsertion of the Minors in Contravention with the Law (CERMICOL).



Payment of contractual of MAST

Wednesday, during a press briefing Stephanie Auguste the Minister of Social Affairs announced that after treatment of irregularities in the files of the 4,000 contract workers of the Ministry (duplicates, contractual inactive or unassigned etc...) ,882 checks were delivered by the Ministry of Finance. The distribution of checks started on Thursday, December 21, 2017, from 9:00 am on the sites of : Delmas 33, rue Coicou ; Centre dAccueil of Delmas 3 and to the Centre dAccueil of Carrefour.



Schedules MUPANAH

The General Directorate of the Haitian National Pantheon Museum informs its friendly visitors and the general public that the institution will keep its doors closed on Monday, December 25 and Monday, January 1 and Tuesday, January 2, 2018. On Sunday, December 24 and 31, 2017, the museum will function normally.



Museum hours : Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm; Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm; Saturday and holidays: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday noon to 5:00 pm



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Published on 2017/12/22 | Source

Added episode 5 captures for the Korean drama "Black Knight" (2017)

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Directed by Han Sang-woo

Written by Kim In-yeong

Network : KBS

With Kim Rae-won, Shin Se-kyung, Seo Ji-hye, Chang Mi-hee, Kim Hyun-joon, Hwang Jung-min-I,...

16 episodes - Wed, Thu 22:00

Synopsis

In this supernatural romance drama, a businessman with a pure heart braves danger for his love, a travel agent who has never traveled abroad. It is a love story that spans over two hundred years.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/12/06

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Published on 2017/12/22 | Source

Added episode 9 captures for the Korean drama "Prison Playbook" (2017)

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Directed by Sin Won-ho

Written by Jeong Bo-hoon-I, Lee Woo-jeong-I

Network : tvN

With Park Hae-soo, Jung Kyung-ho, Sung Dong-il, Kim Sung-cheol, Jung Jae-sung, Lee Ho-cheol,...

16 episodes - Wed, Thu 21:30

Also known as "Wise Prison Life"

Synopsis

Set in a prison, this is a drama about the lives of the prisoners and prison staff.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/11/22

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Michael Mooney has been sentenced to five months in prison

A driver failed to give his correct details to a garda inspector, who he claimed was wearing a hoodie, because he "didn't know what to make of the fella".

Michael Mooney (33) also alleged that the senior officer grabbed him by the neck and demanded his car keys.

Insp Oliver Woods said he was in full uniform, driving a marked garda van and Mooney did not ask to see identification.

Judge Dermot Dempsey sentenced Mooney to five months in prison and disqualified him from driving for 12 years.

The defendant, of Ceol Na Mara, Rush, Co Dublin, was found guilty at Swords District Court of driving without insurance or a licence at Chapel Green, Rush, last June 1.

Insp Woods said he stopped the defendant driving a 2003-registered Volvo because the car's lights were off.

Seized

The inspector told the court that Mooney, who had no identification on him, gave him the false name "Michael Graham".

After he failed to produce his insurance documents, the vehicle was seized and Mooney ran from the scene.

Insp Woods said he later called at Mooney's home and was satisfied he was the driver of the car on the day.

In his evidence, Mooney claimed the car was parked up and he was replacing the fuel injectors.

He said he refused to give the inspector his proper details as he did not know he was a garda.

"This fella came up in a cream hoodie and navy trousers and asked my name. I didn't know what to make of him," he said.

"I asked him a few times who he was, but he turned his back."

Finding Mooney guilty, Judge Dempsey said he did not accept his story.

The court heard that the defendant, a father-of-one, had received an eight-year driving ban in 2015.

Mooney immediately appealed the sentence.
A man took in a homeless teenager, let him stay in his apartment then sexually assaulted him as he slept on the couch, a court has heard.

Mayvine Gurriah (39) had met the 18-year-old on a city street and offered him a meal and a place to sleep for the night, before later allegedly putting his hand down his trousers and groping him, Dublin District Court was told.

When gardai arrived, Mr Gurriah had left his locked flat and the alleged victim was on a second-floor balcony, shouting for help and threatening to jump.

The 18-year-old, who had been thrown out of his family home, alleged Mr Gurriah asked him to sniff something from a "small black bottle".

Gardai later found a medicine container with a muscle relaxant drug.

The accused has denied sexually assaulting the teenager, saying he was trying help him, was not looking for sex and may have brushed against him accidentally.

He alleged that the youth tried to rob him and threatened to kill him if he did not give him all his casino winnings. Mr Gurriah maintained he himself had fled in fear, looking for help.

Judge Anthony Halpin adjourned the case.

Mr Gurriah pleaded not guilty to sexual assault at his home at Seven Oaks, Sarsfield Road, Inchicore, last May 26.

The accused had met the alleged victim the previous day, the court heard.

The next night, Mr Gurriah offered him a place to stay. They went to a casino and later got food before taking a taxi back to Mr Gurriah's home.

Shock

The youth said he thought the accused would have two beds but had only one, and he told him he would not get in bed beside him.

He claimed Mr Gurriah said it would "make me very happy if you got in beside me".

Mr Gurriah also told him that "just because I am giving you a place to stay for the night doesn't mean I want to have sex with you", the court heard.

The youth put a pillow on the floor but fell asleep fully clothed on the couch. He woke to find Mr Gurriah sitting beside him.

The accused "had one hand down my trousers and the other on my chest", the youth alleged.

The hand was inside his trousers and underwear and Mr Gurriah touched him for about 15 seconds, he alleged.

"I was in a state of fear, a state of shock, I didn't know what was going on," he said.

He said Mr Gurriah ran out of the front door and he went to the balcony.

He denied asking for money, threatening the accused or "over-reacting to something innocuous" and losing his temper.

Mr Gurriah denied asking the youth to sniff from a bottle, or saying it would make him happy if the youth got into the bed.

Mr Gurriah, a Mauritian national, alleged the teen went "crazy", demanding money. He was afraid he would be killed and ran, leaving his phone and 300, he said.

A caretaker said Mr Gurriah approached him outside and asked to use his phone. The caretaker called gardai when he saw the youth on the balcony shouting: "I'm going to jump."

The youth was pointing at the accused, saying: "He's a paedophile."

The prosecution's case continues next month.
An Irish dad has said his miracle triplets show other parents of premature babies that there is hope as they prepare to celebrate their fifth birthdays on Christmas Day.

Lucy, Ethan and Matt O'Rourke, who are in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's earliest surviving triplets, weighed just over one pound each when they arrived at Cork University Maternity Hospital on December 25, 2012.

The children, from Clashmore, Waterford, were officially written into the record books as the tiniest triplets in the world after arriving 113 days early.

Their father, Pat, still looks back in wonder at the size of his two sons and daughter when they came into the world at 23 weeks and six days, weighing less than half-a-bag of sugar.

"I remember my hand could cover Ethan. There's a picture where my whole palm covers him. You could just see his head - that's how small he was," he said.

The three babies all battled through chronic lung disease and were resuscitated on a number of occasions by the neo-natal staff at Cork University Hospital.

Mr O'Rourke said he has returned with the triplets to the neo-natal unit where medics nursed them back to health.

"It just shows there's hope," he said.

The triplets are preparing to celebrate on the double on Christmas Day, with Santa's presents in the morning and their birthday party in the evening.

Cute

"They'll be five this year. They're cute," said Mr O'Rourke.

"They know Santy is coming and they know it's their birthday too.

"We have Christmas in the morning and their birthday in the evening."

Mr O'Rourke said he and his wife, Pamela, are expecting another new addition to the family next year.

He added that the doctor carrying out the eight-week scan on his pregnant wife knew all about the arrival of the triplets.

"He told me, 'Ye messed up a lot of Christmas dinners that day'," he said.
A close associate of murdered Real IRA boss Alan Ryan has been arrested following a drugs bust in south Dublin.

The man and his father were arrested on the Naas Road, Dublin 12, where gardai recovered around 30,000 of cannabis resin.

The seizure was carried out shortly after midnight yesterday by officers from Sundrive Road Garda Station.

Mourner

The son, aged in his 20s, was a prominent mourner at the funeral of Ryan and was considered to be very close to the dissident republican leader.

Ryan (32) was shot dead in September 2012, in what gardai suspect was an assassination ordered by the 'Mr Big' drug gang.

The father detained in relation to yesterday's drug seizure, who is aged in his 50s, was previously arrested in relation to the murder of James Kavanagh in 2004.

Kavanagh was stabbed to death in the Irishtown area just yards from his home.

Last night, gardai were continuing to question the father and son in relation to the drugs bust.

It has emerged the pair were travelling along the Naas Road in the capital when three gardai pulled them over when it was spotted there was a broken break light on their car.

The new garda recruits - the most experienced having been with the force for just 18 months - became suspicious and searched the vehicle.

During the course of the search, the drugs were discovered, concealed in a spare tyre in the boot.

The two men were last night being held at Sundrive Road and Kilmainham Garda Stations on suspicion of drug trafficking. A source praised the diligence of the young gardai which led to the drug haul being confiscated.

"This was a routine stop, but due to their diligence they managed to seize 30,000 worth of drugs," the insider said.

"The most experienced of the pair is only in the job one-and-a-half years and made a good call in deciding to search the vehicle."

The two arrested men are originally from the Donaghmede area and have close links to dissident republicans.
How good are these two guys, Penn State fans? It may surprise you ...
Theres been a lot of music that came out this year but one song in particular stands out. Big Shaqs Mans Not Hot took over the world after he rapped it on Fire In The Booth. At the time, many just thought it was a freestyle but Big Shaq later revealed that it was a fully recorded song that he had in the stash. After its release, the track and the video both ended up becoming a massive hit in the UK and overseas. Since then, Big Shaqs been getting major recognition from some of the biggest stars in the world including one of hip hops OGs.

In a recent performance in London, Busta Rhymes popped by one of Big Shaqs performances at Tape London. Before Big Shaq began to perform his hit single, Busta Rhymes gave the London fans a teaser of the upcoming Mans Not Hot remix. Busta said it was an Christmas gift to those in attendance but he didnt mention anything about when it would be released. Regardless, it definitely sounds fire and Busta even comes through with his own set of adlibs that compliment Big Shaqs. Hopefully, it surfaces before the year ends.

The success of Big Shaqs Mans Not Hot propelled his career to another level. While it first bubbled in the U.K., he ultimately became well known in America and Canada as well. On top of that, his song became so well known, that even British MPs quoted his song during a debate in the House Of Commons.

Check the clip below.
LNG Ltd. operates out of Houston, but formally it will remain an Australian company for now as it competes to lead the second generation of liquefied natural gas export projects along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

LNG CEO Greg Vesey, a Chevron natural gas veteran, is working hard to sell potential investors and buyers on his company's $4.5 billion Magnolia LNG project by Lake Charles, La. (It's actually $6 billion with financing and ancillary costs.)

Houston-based Cheniere Energy remains the nation's only major LNG exporter with its Sabine Pass complex in Louisiana near the Texas border. Other projects are Houston-based Freeport LNG's project in, you guessed it, Freeport and Sempra Energy's Cameron LNG - another project in Louisiana near the Texas border. Cheniere also has its Corpus Christi LNG facility under construction.

Globally, Australia has brought on a glut of new LNG projects like Chevron's new Wheatstone.

Then there's the next wave of competitors like LNG Ltd., hoping to bring projects online in about five years once global demand is projected to pick up again.

Q: How do you see that timeline playing out?

A: All the pundits were saying 2022 would kind of be the point where demand would again exceed supply in the LNG space. Sure enough, we saw a bit of a glut and things went down. I still think we've got a couple years of glut coming because of new projects coming on. I don't think it changes the 2022 time frame.

Q: And how does that work for your company?

A: What that means is it takes roughly four years to build the facility and some time to get the contracting. So you really need to make a decision between now and mid- to late 2018 if you're going to have supply locked up in that time frame. The discussions with potential customers are good. They're just not in a huge hurry. Every time they start thinking they need to make a decision, crude will go down again and kind of have an overall dulling effect on the market. I think they're realizing they have to decide by mid- to late 2018, and our job is to convince them earlier than that.

Q: LNG Ltd., which is publicly traded in Australia, decided to delay a U.S. switch. But upstart Houston competitors like Tellurian and NextDecade went public earlier this year. How does the competition stack up?

A: In permitting, we have a big lead on all of the grass-roots plants and some of the brownfields even. We have a 24-month lead over most of these. We have regulatory certainty with our (Department of Energy) and (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) approvals. We signed a $1.5 billion equity deal with (New York-based private equity firm) Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, so we've got financial certainty. We could literally start building in Lake Charles tomorrow. For us, it's about selling the off-take and being able to go to financial close so we can get started.

Q: And how are the negotiations going to sign customers for the planned 8 million metric tons of LNG per year?

A: Because we're not sure who's going to sign, we're actually having serious discussions with what amounts to three times the capacity of the facility. We're probably talking about deals up to 25 million tons just to see what's real and who's going to sign first. I think the smaller scale and size we offer gives us a little bit of an advantage.

Q: Where geographically do you see the most LNG need after 2020?

A: They say you can never compete with Gazprom in Europe, and that's probably true from a price standpoint. But we're having enough serious discussions because people don't want to be solely beholden to Gazprom. As contracts are expiring, they're looking to bring in Gulf Coast LNG. In China, there are now a lot of second-tier buyers behind the big three (CNOOC, Sinopec and PetroChina). They see interest in the Gulf Coast as well. Then typical players, South Korea, Japan and others, as they continue to scale down from coal and crude. What they like is we've got this huge resource in North America, which we didn't even know about until 10 years ago, and a very stable price environment, and they know that the U.S. is a good place to do business.

Q: How confident are you that Magnolia LNG moves forward next year?

A: I actually feel very confident. It will take into 2018 to get the whole facility sold out. But, being mid-scale, customers are confident it can get built. I think that gives us an advantage. They're looking for that first person to move. The analogy we use is everyone is standing around the pool, and they're all waiting for that first person to jump in. Then the rest will jump in, and that first facility will get sold out pretty quickly.

Q: And the incorporation move to the U.S. from Australia will still happen eventually?

A: I and my whole leadership team is here in Houston with the exception of one corporate secretary that's required in Australia. Business 101 says you should be listed where your projects are and where your office is. That just kind of makes sense.

Q: Does that mean Houston growth?

A: We would staff up a little in Houston. It's not huge. We're at 20 people now, and it'd probably be 50.
Although Kinsale native Sophie Healy-Thow doesn't come from a farming background, she is fast becoming one of the leading new voices on agricultural issues such as food security and world hunger at the tender age of 20.

Sophie told the Farming Independent that she first became interested in issues around food and farming when she was studying for her Junior Certificate.In 2013, her team was crowned the overall winners at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition for its project which examined how natural bacteria could be used to increase crop output.

The project later went on to win the top prize at the Google Science Fair in San Francisco the following year and saw the three young women make Time magazine's Most Influential Teens list.

Prior to this stream of success Sophie recalls getting in touch with a leading scientist who told her that the project "obviously wouldn't work" and remembers being disheartened at the time but was determined to continue with the project.

"It was very disheartening and I nearly wanted to give up on the whole idea but then I realised that just because the idea hadn't been done before didn't mean it wouldn't work. I thought to myself, well if there's no proof to say it does or doesn't work, then I'll make the proof," she says.

Fast-forward four years later and the Cork woman is a First Year scholarship student at University College Cork where she studies International Development and Food Policy and has also spoken at prestigious TED talks and at UN conferences about the danger of food insecurity.

'Agriculture isn't just about wearing welly boots and standing in a field doing manual labour'

Most recently, Sophie was chosen as the only Irish representative to attend the European Youth Ag Summit in Brussels. Sophie said it proved to her the wide scope of the farming sector and agri-business.

"It really showed me that agriculture isn't just about wearing welly boots and standing in a field doing manual labour. It's so much more than that," she says.

"Agriculture is one of the fastest growing industries. It is big business and the technology being developed in agriculture is hugely innovative and exciting. Seeing the commitment of young people at the summit made me believe that the future of agriculture is in good hands."

Sophie was part of a winning team at the Ag Summit which won 10,000 to develop their idea, Agrikua which is an online social enterprise aimed at helping women in agriculture in developing countries.

"It will empower young women in Kenya and other developing countries to get involved in agriculture and teach them about agricultural business techniques, business opportunities, agricultural grants and scholarships, and put them in touch with organisations who can help them get started, develop and thrive in the sector," she explains.

"Women in rural areas make up the highest percentage of farmers in developing countries so we also have designed a section on the platform which will help connect and bridge the gap between educational facilities and the older agriculture women leaders in the rural villages. It's about women helping women within agriculture."

Sophie and her team from other European countries recently spoke at Westminster to inform politicians of their experience at the Ag Summit. She thinks it's important that those with positions in power listen to young people rather than "pat them on the head".

"I really believe that a lot of older people can dismiss young voices very easily. I've been to events where it feels like I've been patted on the head, given a well done and ignored. I don't think people mean to do this, it's just a way of thinking people are used to," she says.

"I think expertise comes in all shapes and sizes, young people have an incredible way of thinking outside the box. Even if it can't be done or it seems it can't, we will try anyway."

Power

"We ask questions people are sometimes afraid to ask. Imagine a world in which people in positions of so-called power really work alongside young people, imagine how many of the world's problems and inequalities would be lessened? Policy makers and people in positions of power must listen to young people."

Although Sophie still has more than three years left to study in UCC, she says that after university that she'd like to work for a charitable organisation that helps women as she is already heavily involved in ActionAid UK which helps some of the world's poorest women and girls in poverty stricken regions.

"Through my role as a board trustee of ActionAid UK I can see first hand how food insecurity has a major impact on gender inequality as women and children are most often the first to be affected by food scarcity," she says.

"I'd like to work in policy making and international development or maybe in a charity organisation which works with women farmers. I've still three more years, so who knows?"

Ireland should look to its history and take a lead role on food security issues

Ireland needs to look back to its own Great Famine and take the lead to help countries suffering from dangerous levels of food insecurity, says Sophie Healy-Thow.

She says that while the Irish government is a big donor as a whole to charitable organisations, it should be doing more to help regions that are food insecure.

"The Irish Government doesn't do enough to help countries. It rarely makes big statements on any issue and I think it's time it should," she says.

"We should take the lead on food security. If we look back on our own history, the Great Famine was a time of immense food insecurity for Irish people. We as a nation have experienced a food crisis and therefore we have a moral obligation to help people who are now suffering just like we did."

Sophie explains that by 2050 there will statistically not be enough food to feed the world's population and that it is everyone's business to step up to this challenge.

"Food insecurity is a huge challenge which many people and organisations are trying to tackle. Small scale businesses and projects are popping up with the aim of reducing food insecurity, helping in the distribution of crops to the market, equal pay for farmers for their crops, education about crop rotation and the importance of agriculture, eating smaller portion sizes and being consumer aware when purchasing food," she says.

"These will all help in becoming food secure, but only if people are willing to understand that they have a part to play, however big or small in the area of food security and agriculture.

"If we want to secure the future we need to be food secure. It's a simple message but it can change the world.

She adds that we also need to stop viewing food security as a 'Third World' issue as it impacts all the food chain.

"Everyone has a role to play to create a food secure world. Many people don't understand what it means or think it's just a Third World issue when it's something that affects us all. It impacts on climate change. We all need to be aware of its impact and I want to get the message out."
The accounts note that the principal activity of the group is the sale of giftware and clothing, as well as the operation of a hotel in Blarney, Co Cork. Stock image

The Woollen Mills group, whose businesses include Meadows & Byrne, posted an operating profit of 1.8m last year, up from the 803,000 it made the year before.

Blarney Woollen Mills has also returned to a "sustainable financial state" after refinancing its bank facilities, it said.

Turnover at the group's stores hit 17.5m in the financial year to the end of last January, compared to 17.4m in the previous financial year.

The accounts note that the principal activity of the group is the sale of giftware and clothing, as well as the operation of a hotel in Blarney, Co Cork.

"In the period 2007 to 2011, the group incurred significant trading losses and asset impairments which, taken to together, resulted in the group having a deficiency in shareholders' funds and being in breach of banking covenants," directors note in the latest set of accounts.

The directors of the business include Freda Hayes, who is the chief executive of the Blarney Woollen Mills group.

"In more recent years, the group has traded profitably and during the year and subsequent to the year end, has refinanced its banking facilities, which resulted in the group returning to a sustainable financial state," the directors added.

During the year, the business said that one of the bank facilities was discharged through a combination of asset sales and a settlement agreement which resulted in a "significant improvement" in the group's overall balance sheet position.

A second facility totalling 7.5m was renegotiated, it added. A third banking facility of 19m was renegotiated following the financial year end and is now repayable over a seven-year term.

Its lender is Allied Irish Banks. Blarney Woollen Mills said that it has prepared cashflow projections for coming years.

"The directors have tested the impact of variations from these projections and assessed the adequacy of the group's funds under a combination of different scenarios to reflect down-side risks," the accounts note.

"The directors have also identified certain non-core assets that may be disposed to reduce the group's overall loan obligations without adversely affecting trading activities," the directors said.

The added that they are confident the group can meet its liabilities as they fall due for the foreseeable future.
The DAA, which operates Dublin and Cork airports, has put its multi-million-euro power contracts out to tender.

The current contracts end in March 2019, but the semi-state is already seeking a provider for a two-year term from that date.

The DAA, whose CEO is Dalton Philips, will have the option of extending the contract for a further year.

The tender is for electricity and gas supplies to both Dublin and Cork Airports. The contract is thought to be worth about 8m a year. The DAA's electricity is currently supplied by Go Power, and gas by Vayu.

The DAA has been targeting continued reductions in energy consumption at both Dublin and Cork airports. In 2014, the DAA announced that it had signed an agreement with the ESB to cut energy consumption at Dublin Airport by 33pc by 2020. The then DAA chief Kevin Toland said at the time that the semi-state body was committed to developing Dublin Airport as a "hub of energy efficiency".

The DAA has told potential bidders for the power contract that its sites use a combined 76.7m kilowatt hours of electricity every year, it said in tender documents. The group uses the equivalent of just over 54 million kilowatt hours of gas every year.

The DAA has worked to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint across a number of its facilities, such as T2 in Dublin Airport.

Earlier this year, it also secured planning permission for a small solar farm that will help power a large reservoir that delivers 500 million litres of water to Dublin Airport every year.

The DAA said that the solar arrays will provide as much as 50pc of the reservoir's power needs.
Dublin-based ecommerce analytics company Clavis Insight has been bought for $119m (100.3m) by the UK firm Ascential.

The fee may rise to as much as 187m ($219m) depending on scheduled earn-outs agreed as part of the deal, according to the companies.

The acquisition marks a successful exit by chief executive and co-founder Garry Moroney, as well as early backers such as Dublin-based financiers Brian Caulfield, Jim Mountjoy and venture capital firm Delta Partners.

Clavis Insights technology is seen as important as volumes in ecommerce and online shopping continue to rise.

The head of Retail Excellence Ireland retail told Independent.ie that while physical stores are seeing static trade in Irelands booming economy, online trade is up 70pc this year.

Clavis currently employs 170 people, including 100 in Dublin, with hub locations in the US, UK, France and China for its global customer base.

The company says that it had revenue of 11m with a loss of 6m last year, against assets of 13m. However, it said revenue would grow to 14m this year and it expected to break even next year.

Clavis benefits from a high level of recurring revenue with 95pc of total revenue being subscription-based, said a company spokesman.

While the initial sum being paid is $119m (100.3m), it could rise to 186m.

Earn out consideration is payable in cash based on the annualised recurring revenue of the business at the end of each of the next three years to 2020 and is expected to total between approximately $25m and $50m, said an Ascential spokesman.

A portion of the earn out is subject to founders remaining in employment with the company. The total potential consideration, including initial consideration and earn out payments, is capped at $219m in the event that extremely stretching annualized recurring revenue levels are reached.

Clavis Insight is described as a market leader in eCommerce analytics, with its proprietary technology letting consumer product companies track and optimise the performance of their products across hundreds of retailer websites and mobile commerce sites globally.

Its customers include P&G, Nestle, Unilever and LOreal.

It will now join Ascentials Information Services division with a view to linking up with Ascentials One Click Retail system.

In 2018 we will integrate Clavis with OCRs Amazon sales and share product, which, like Clavis, helps consumer product companies drive sales through eCommerce, said an Ascential spokesman. This combined product suite will constitute a globally leading eCommerce performance measurement platform, to enable both companies to provide broader capabilities to their existing customers.
Supermarket giant Tesco is to ensure no food which is fit for human consumption will go to waste by February, it is reported.

Dave Lewis, who spent nearly three decades at Unilever before becoming the chief executive of Tesco in 2014, said the initiative will involve all 2,654 stores in the country, adding that the amount of wasted food is "really stark".

Currently, the company discounts items in store with reduced stickers, and has set up a scheme where unsold items are given to local charities.

Mr Lewis told the Telegraph: "Last year we sold 10 million tons of food to the British public. But even if our waste is just 0.7pc of the food, that's still 70,000 tons of food.

"And so long as that food is fit for human consumption, I'd much prefer it to go to people than landfill, or animal feed or fuel.

"Food waste has been talked about for years but if Tesco can make this work, with all of our different stores across the country, then why can't everybody?"
Supersonic passenger travel, which died out with the Concorde's demise in 2003, will make a comeback by the mid-2020s if three entrepreneurial US-based companies can make jets quiet and efficient enough to win over buyers and fliers.

Fifteen years ago, Boeing cancelled plans to build the near-supersonic Sonic Cruiser, the last big attempt by a major manufacturer to speed up commercial travel.

Now Japan Airlines and Virgin Group are backing one of the three US supersonic projects, Denver-based Boom Technology, which plans a 55-seat all-business-class jet.

Lockheed Martin Corp is partnering with Aerion to develop smaller supersonic business jets, with Spike Aerospace also targeting the private jet market given many see the super-rich as the likeliest early adopters of supersonic travel.

Concorde was developed in the 1960s, meaning this is hardly a new technology. But the programme was government-backed, with only 14 jets ever delivered to then-government owned British Airways and Air France.

Other airline orders evaporated as the purchase price soared and they were eventually retired as maintenance costs rose and passenger revenue fell.

New players are relying on venture-capital-funding models.

"This is more about engines and economics than it is about airframes," Richard Aboulafia, the vice-president of analysis at aerospace research firm Teal Group, said of the challenges of a supersonic revival.

To make the project economics stack up the engines need to be far more fuel-efficient and less noisy than those used by Concorde or fighter jets.

That has proven tough to engineer, especially at higher speeds like the Concorde's Mach 2, which halved the travel time from London to New York to 3.5 hours. Engine manufacturers and jet makers have spent decades improving fuel efficiency, expanding range and reducing noise.

But to get up to mach speed, a supersonic jet requires an engine core more like those on the commercial jets of the 1970s and 1980s which noisily gobble more air and fuel.

"A large fraction of the benefits we have in efficiency and noise reduction we are going to lose as soon as we have to go back to that sort of architecture," said Daniel Edgington-Mitchell, an aerospace engineering lecturer at Melbourne's Monash University.

Aerion, the most advanced of the proposed supersonic jet projects, is working with GE Aviation to develop an engine based on a core used in F-16 fighters and Boeing 737s that was developed in the 1970s, a GE spokesman said.

In a sign of the challenges involved using an older engine core rather than spending $1 billion-plus to engineer a new one, Aerion has reduced the jet's planned speed from Mach 1.6 to 1.4.

Today's top business jets fly at around Mach 0.9 and commercial jets at Mach 0.85.

Jeff Miller, Aerion's head of marketing, said the speed had fallen to meet noise standards and due to temperature limits involved with adapting an existing engine core.

Aerion, chaired by billionaire businessman Robert Bass, plans for the 12-seat, $120m jet to make its first test flight in 2023, with entry into service in 2025.

"Aerion has researched the problems since 2003 and therefore reached the highest degree of realism," Leeham Co analyst Bjorn Fehrm said, comparing it to the loftier supersonic ambitions of Boom and Spike.

"If one wants to go faster, a suitable core is harder to find."

Boom wants a $200m jet capable of Mach 2.2 and Spike aims for a $100m jet at Mach 1.6, down from an earlier Mach 1.8. Both want their jets to enter service in 2023, two years earlier than Aerion.

Several industry sources said those timelines appeared unrealistic because the companies have yet to select engines and will face testing and certification challenges.

Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl said the company was examining an adaptation of an existing engine as well as a clean-sheet option. Spike CEO Vik Kachoria said his company was in talks with two engine suppliers.

Both are working on smaller demonstrator aircraft with different engines designed to prove the concept is achievable within their proposed timeframes.

Engine maker Rolls-Royce said it was interested in supersonic work. The Pratt & Whitney division of United Technologies said it was "not currently" working with Boom and did not respond to a question on Spike, while GE did not provide comment on either project.

Scholl said airlines need a speed of at least Mach 2 to make the supersonic business case stack up because that would shave a day off a trans-Atlantic itinerary and two days off trans-Pacific trips.

For now, only over-water itineraries are under consideration due to widespread bans on civilian supersonic flights over land. (Reuters)
Im A Celebrity champion Georgia Toffolo has ruled out a career in politics as she joined the team of This Morning.

On Friday the TV star, 23, announced she would be part of the ITV daytime programme starting in January.

The Queen of the Jungle is an outspoken Conservative Party supporter but rejected rumours she would become a politician during an appearance on Channel 4s The Last Leg.

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She said: Everything that politicians say gets taken out of context so I dont think its a job for me, no.

However she did back fellow Im A Celeb campmate and former MEP Stanley Johnson for the role of Prime Minister.

Asked who she wanted in Downing Street next year, Toffolo said: I hope its my friend Stanley Johnson.

I completely adore him, she added.

Earlier on Friday, the Made In Chelsea star had appeared in a snowy video from Switzerland during This Morning as they announced her as the latest member of the presenting team.

She told viewers: Hi everyone. From the heat of the jungle to the cold slopes of Switzerland, I just wanted to wish you all a really, really happy Christmas and share with you some exciting news.

From January I am going to be joining the This Morning family and I am so so happy to be part of the team. You will be able to find out in the new year what I have been up to here.

Rylan Clark-Neal, who is taking a break from the show, said: Out with the old and in with the new.
The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is targeting the leaders of 20 crime gangs believed responsible for a major portion of the burglaries that have plagued the nation over the past five years.

A dossier has been compiled on the assets of the targeted figures and some cases are already before the courts.

The main culprits are either Dublin criminals or members of travelling gangs, who are behind the bulk of the rural crimes.

Most of the recent rural burglaries are being carried out by travelling gangs based in west and south Dublin, as well as two other outfits based in Laois and on the Kildare-Laois border, and others with links to Limerick.

The assets under the spotlight are worth several million euro and CABs inquiries are based mainly on the information supplied to it from Operation Thor, the anti-burglary initiative launched in November 2015, and the various units attached to the serious crime operations section. The bureau has also expanded its network of divisional assets profilers, small units which focus on local criminals and then send files on for assessment to CAB.

The head of CAB, Det Chief Supt Pat Clavin, said: We have now trained 302 divisional asset profilers, of which 279 are in the Garda and the rest are in Revenue and Customs or the Department of Social Protection, and they look at potential targets for us right around the country.

Chief Supt Clavin and other officers have also been briefing joint policing committees in various local authority areas to encourage locals to play their part in getting out the message about hitting criminals in their pockets.

A full-time asset profiling unit has been established in Dublins north inner city area, covered by Store Street Garda station, while others operate part-time and are based in all of the cities and major towns, and also along the Border.

Dublin criminals account for 45pc of the targets, while the rest are spread around the provinces, mostly in the bigger urban centres.

CAB investigations have resulted in more than doubling the number of cases before the courts.

Current inquiries include a huge crackdown on a dozen suspected associates of the Kinahan cartel, with seizures involving several houses, over 20 vehicles and a large haul of cash that has been frozen.

During 2017, CAB also targeted an organised crime gang, run by two brothers originally from west Dublin and two brothers believed to be Kinahan associates in south Dublin.

The bureau also finalised its legal fight over the past two decades against convicted drug trafficker John Gilligan by seizing the remaining part of his property portfolio.

Amendments introduced in 2016 to the Proceeds of Crime legislation have strengthened the powers of CAB to strike against mid-level criminals by reducing the threshold for goods that can be seized from 13,000 to 5,000, as well as giving the bureau the authority to detain property for 24 hours, and the chief bureau officer can then extend that detention for a further 21 days while preparing an application to the High Court for an interim restraining order and prevent its disposal in the meantime.

The amended legislation has been used eight times in CAB seizures since it was introduced.

The size of the bureau has been expanded recently with additional gardai and Revenue officials attached to it while a six-strong unit from the Chief State Solicitors Office has been located within the bureaus headquarters to provide immediate legal services.

Det Chef Supt Clavin said: We have been going through a particularly busy period in November and December with significant asset seizures for five weeks in a row and we will continue our operations against those involved in a range of crimes, from drug trafficking to burglaries, fraud and organised prostitution, as well as dissident republicans.
Pictured: Tomislav Cubic, who uses the name 'Eguna Latse' on social media to advertise the Rathmines property

A landlord exposed by Independent.ie for renting a small three-bed house in Dublin to 23 people at one time has continued to overcrowd the property - even though authorities were alerted to the dangerous conditions.

Tomislav Cubic this week posted an advertisement on Facebook for the house in Rathmines.

It reads: "Shared room, single bed 350. Wifi, washing machine, dryer, on [sic] Rathmines. PM me if interested ;)".

Independent.ie revealed in October how Mr Cubic was dangerously overcrowding the house, with up to eight young women sleeping in one room.

There is only one shower and two toilets in the house.

The property was so overcrowded when viewed, tenants had to hang their clothes on bunk beds and keep suitcases in the hallway.

Expand Close One of the overcrowded rooms in the Rathmines house / Facebook

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Whatsapp One of the overcrowded rooms in the Rathmines house

One room was crammed with four single beds and two of the tenants had to climb over the other beds to get into their own.

Council's response

Dublin City Council said the property was inspected in November and "On this date the property appeared to be partially occupied and could not be considered to be overcrowded."

Independent.ie previously revealed how bunk beds and items of furniture were being removed before inspections to deceive council staff about overcrowded conditions in houses across Dublin.

Mr Cubic denied removing furniture and beds, while the council told Independent.ie; "Where the rented property is found to be non-compliant there is no authority under housing standards legislation to require the landlord to terminate a tenancy, to vacate a property or to determine the type of occupants of any rented property.

"There is no provision under the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017 that regulate overcrowding in private rented dwellings."

After the original article was published, Mr Cubic messaged the 23 tenants in November saying he "needed to close the house" and return home to Croatia as his wife was "due a baby soon".

However, the property is still being rented out and Mr Cubic confirmed he is still acting as landlord.

When asked if the house is still overcrowded, he responded: "I never stopped renting the house is still the same There is a capacity for 20 people in the house Some tenants wanted to stay so I continued to rent and decided not to move back , some tenants moved out so I just found new people.

"I am not writing to you any more," he added.

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A source close to some previous tenants said a number of beds were moved back into the house a few weeks ago.

"Its business as usual," the source said.

'Enforcement action'

A spokesperson for Dublin City Council stated "Enforcement action is currently being taken under the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017. There is no provision under this legislation to require a landlord to cease renting a property."

Mr Cubic has been using the name 'Eguna Latse' on social media to advertise the property.

In response to questions about dodging council inspections, Mr Cubic said: "Never [did I remove beds or furniture]. The owner knows and the council knows. They meet lots of the tenants and talk every few months. The standard of accommodation at the property does not fall below the minimum standards required under the legislation. I am tax compliant in all respects".

Below is a copy of the lease between Mr Cubic and the owner of the house.

Its not known if the owner is aware that the property is being subletted as we have been unable to contact them.

It was previously advertised as a three-bed house and was sold for 499,950 to the current owner.

Ring of landlords

This property is just one of up to forty that a group of landlords are managing across Dublin.

Independent.ie found seven of the houses- including the Rathmines property - to be overcrowded.

The landlords - including Mr Cubic - are all working under the guidance of one man, who we cannot name for legal reasons.

Up to eight landlords controlling 40 properties are involved in the scheme. Each of them runs a number of the properties on behalf of the businessman we cannot name.

Mr Cubic denied having any involvement with the other properties which are located in Ranelagh, Rathfarnham, Rialto, Shankill, Tallaght and Clontarf.

"I know of some of those properties you mentioned. As far as I'm aware some of those properties that you have mentioned are rented by individuals on a sole trader basis," he said.

"I know redacted [the businessman] personally.These houses are run like myself, registered as sole traders and earning a profit by subletting legitimately. Myself personally and redacted [the businessman] have no business association with these people. They just happen to be in the same line of business of subletting."

We exposed how these landlords have been removing mattresses and furniture the night before inspections and storing them in warehouses in Bray and Drumcondra.

All the properties viewed are two-storey houses in residential areas, except for a three-storey house in Clontarf.

The Clontarf house was split into 14 bedrooms when viewed by Independent.ie, each occupied by one person. A tenant currently living there said they are each paying "close to" 700, meaning the house would be generating around 10,000 every month in rent.

"One of the rooms doesn't have a window, so we think that person pays less, it's the cheapest room in the house," another tenant said.
The scene of the crash on Flinders Street in Melbourne

An Irish woman is still recovering in hospital after she was among more than a dozen injured when a driver ploughed into pedestrians in Melbourne.

The woman (25) is understood to be in a "stable" condition in hospital after the horrifying incident in the Flinders Street area of the city.

The driver of the car attributed his actions to the "treatment of Muslims", police said.

However, officers stressed no terrorist links had been found during their initial investigations. Some 19 people were wounded, three of whom remain in a critical condition, after a car was driven at pedestrians outside Flinders Street station on Thursday.

The area surrounding the major transport hub was busy with Christmas shoppers during the first week of the school summer holidays.

Police have said the suspect, reportedly named Saeed Noori, a 32-year-old Australian citizen of Afghan heritage, had a history of mental illness and drug abuse.

Nine of the victims were foreign nationals, police said.

Two men from South Korea are in a critical condition, while a four-year-old South Korean boy, the youngest victim, is in a stable condition.

A Chinese national (24), an Indian national (45), and a Venezuelan national (40) - all men - also remain in hospital.

An Italian man (25) and a man from New Zealand (43) were taken to hospital but have since been discharged.

The oldest victim, an 83-year-old Australian man from the city, is also in a critical condition, police said.

The suspect was admitted to hospital in the wake of the incident but has now been discharged and is in custody awaiting questioning once "medically cleared".

Victoria Police acting commissioner Shane Patton said officers had spoken to him in hospital as investigators carried out search warrants and also spoke to his family on Thursday evening.

"During that (questioning) he made utterances, talked about dreams and voices but nonetheless did attribute his actions he said to the way that Muslim people are being treated, so based on that we haven't ruled anything out," he said.

"Obviously we've done search warrants last night and we haven't found anything at all to indicate his linkage or involvement with any type of extremism, with any terrorist organisation or anything of a terrorist nature.

"So given the mental illness background and everything we need to step carefully and the investigation is ongoing," he said.

The suspect was known to the police, having been convicted of an assault in 2010, and is understand to have been on a mental health plan and receiving treatment.

Lachlan Read told the 'Herald Sun' the incident lasted about 15 seconds. "It was bang, bang, bang. It was just one after the other.

"The last bang the car stopped," the 20-year-old said. "There were bodies on the ground and people running up to them - it was mayhem."
A man died following a fire at a house in Dublin on Friday night.

The fire broke out in a cottage in the North Strand area of the city shortly before 9pm.

An elderly man was taken from the scene by Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance to the Mater Hospital where he was pronounced dead later.

A number of fire engine crews from Dublin Fire Brigade battled the blaze at the house on Hiberian Avenue.

Gardai sealed off the property last night. A forensic investigation will be carried out to ascertain the cause of the fatal blaze.

The victim was aged more than 60 years of age, said a fire brigade spokesman.
The miracle Irish siblings who are in Guinness Book of Records as the world's earliest surviving triplets are set to celebrate their festive fifth birthday on Christmas Day.

Little Lucy, Ethan and Matt O'Rourke all weighed just over 1lb (450g) when they arrived at Cork University Maternity Hospital at 6pm on December 25 in 2012.

The little O'Rourkes, from Clashmore in Waterford, have been officially written into the record books as the tiniest triplets in the world after arriving an incredible 113 days early.

Their dad, Pa O'Rourke, still looks back in wonder at the size of his two sons and daughter when they came into the world at 23 weeks and six days weighing less than half a bag of sugar.

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He said: "I remember my hand could cover Ethan. There is a picture where my whole palm covers him. You could just see his head - that's how small he was. "When I see the pictures of their little blankets in the incubator, which I think were teddy bear blankets, you think of it straight away."

Their hands were so tiny they could fit through their Dad's wedding ring. He said he has returned with the triplets to the neo-natal unit in Cork where medics nursed the siblings back to full health against all the odds.

"It shows there is hope. I come across people on chatrooms on Facebook who ask questions about what happens when they get home.

"I was chatting to a lady over in America and she had 23-week triplets. They are all in play school now and will be going to school in September."

And now they are preparing to celebrate on the double on Christmas Day with Santa's presents in the morning and their birthday party in the evening.

"They will be five this year," he said laughing. "They know Santy is coming and they know it's their birthday too. We have Christmas in the morning and their birthday in the evening."

They made their traumatic arrival into the world on Christmas Day five years ago when their mother Pamela was just 23 weeks and 6 days pregnant - all just weighing over 1lb.

The three babies all battled through chronic lung disease and were resuscitated on a number of occasions by the neo-natal staff at Cork University Hospital.

Ethan and Matt were born naturally while Lucy was delivered by emergency caesarean section before they were whisked straight into intensive care, where they underwent 18 blood transfusions between them.

"It's amazing what they can do up there," Pa said.

"It was all hands-on deck 24/7. That day was crazy. The two boys were there for seven months."

He said the triplets are now aware of their premature arrival into the world.

"They see the pictures and say 'Aw we were tiny'."

Last year, Matt had a minor heart operation and Ethan is getting an operation on his head next year as his plates fused early, but their Dad says that should be the end of the medical treatment.

And the Waterford Dad said he and his wife Pamela will have another new edition to the family next year.

He said the doctor carrying out the eight-week scan on his pregnant wife in recent weeks knew all about the arrival of the triplets into the world nearly five years ago.

"When I told him we had triplets Christmas Day, he said, 'oh you're the triplets'. He knew about us. He said, 'ye messed up a lot of Christmas dinners that day'."
Rogue landlords who breach fire regulations or subject tenants to overcrowded conditions will be banned from renting out property and hit with hefty fines.

Criminal sanctions will be imposed to include fines levied based on the amount collected in rent, and some landlords could be hit with a lifetime ban, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has said.

He pledged that one in four rental properties would be subject to annual inspection by 2020 to ensure that tenants are fairly treated and provided with good-quality accommodation.

His comments come amid concerns that low-income households are forced to live in overcrowded homes, often in breach of fire safety regulations and where basic standards are flouted, due to rising rental costs.

The latest data shows the average national rent now stands at 1,056 per month, up 9.5pc over the last year. In Dublin, it's 1,518. Almost 900,000 people are living in rented accommodation, the highest since records began, according to estate agents Savills. This figure has increased by almost 40,000 in the last year.

In an interview with the Irish Independent, Mr Murphy said sanctions would be introduced for those who "abused" regulations around fire safety and overcrowding.

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He said there was "basically no threat" for errant landlords, who could only be fined if they fail to comply with an improvement and prohibition notice from a local authority which found the property to be in breach of regulations.

A new system will oblige landlords to annually self-certify with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) that their rental property meets the standards, with legal action to immediately arise if breaches are discovered.

"If you're a rogue landlord, when we catch you we will be able to enforce strict penalties immediately," the minister said. "Ideally I'd like the penalty to be meaningful, calculated on a percentage of what they're taking in, rather than a flat fee. If you're overcrowding, you could be taking in a significant amount of money and a flat fee might not be a disincentive.

"We also want to make sure where there's conditions that a landlord is in a significant breach, to make it impossible for them to be a landlord again."

Data from Census 2016 shows that just over 95,000 people - a 28pc increase since 2011 - are living in overcrowded dwellings, where there are more people than rooms. The legislation is being discussed with the Attorney General, the minister said, and he wanted breaches to be a criminal offence.

"I want to be very clear, it will be a criminal offence. It's not about going after good landlords, or to make it difficult for them to do their jobs. It's for the people we have seen recently exposed, people who are breaching people's human rights, where they are lying to the State about their duty of care to their tenants. It will be meaningful sanction on them."

He said that inspections would increase to 25pc of rental properties in each year by 2020, and that the RTB may enter into service level agreements with a local authority to complete inspections on its behalf. If a landlord was in breach, the RTB would prosecute.

Mr Murphy also said that some 350 new tenancies were being supported every week, and that a target to place 16,000 households in private rented accommodation would be exceeded for 2017.

He said that new apartment guidelines would help reduce costs, and that international firms would also seek to build 'shared living' accommodation, where workers shared kitchen and living areas.

"I have had a few conversations with some businesses who are in the process of approaching large multi-nationals with accommodation solutions for them," he said.

"They have a large workforce, used to sharing working spaces, and they're moving around from country to country so those multi-nationals would get great benefit from that."
Dr Maurice Hayes has passed away aged 90.

Born in Co Down, Dr Hayes completed a PhD in English at Queen's University of Belfast and was a teacher in his early career.

Maurice was an independent member of the 21st and 22nd Seanads, and was nominated as a senator by the Taoiseach.

He was an author of three books of memoirs and wrote many pieces of journalism for the Irish Independent, and later became a long-serving non-executive director of Independent News & Media Plc, retiring in 2009.

He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy and the Research Ethical Committee of Queen's University Belfast medical school and a governor of the Linenhall Library, Belfast.

He was also a long-serving member of the Scholarship Board of the O'Reilly Foundation and a board member at Regtel.

A former county hurler, Dr Hayes was voted European Person of the Year in 2003.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan paid tribute this afternoon, writing online; "Saddened at the passing of Maurice Hayes.

"A man of many talents. NI Ombudsman, Police reformer, Senator, Chair of Forum on Europe. Down GAA strategist.

"Always balanced fair & even handed on Northern Ireland matters. Rest in peace."
With the country poised to welcome 2.3 million visitors by the end of this year, tourists in Iceland will soon exceed the national population by seven to one.

The meteoric rise of tourism in the small Nordic country has prompted the Icelandic government to consider introducing a series of measures to limit arrivals, including a imposing a "nature tax" on tourists to help preserve the countrys raw beauty.

With just 340,000 residents spread across a 40,000 square miles, Iceland has witnessed an exponential rise in the number of visitors in recent years, sparked by appearances of its otherworldly landscape in the ever-popular Game of Thrones television series and various Hollywood blockbuster films from Star Wars to Interstellar.

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Since 2010 the number of tourists visiting has nearly quadrupled to around 1.8 million tourists, with the number of overnight stays at 7.8 million in 2016.

Last year, critics warned Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, was becoming Disneyland, as the number of US tourists alone (around 415,200) surpassed the countrys population.

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The expanding industry, which is now Icelands second largest after its wholesale and retail sectors, has raised concerns over the sustainability of such rapid growth.

This sector is maturing and becoming a real industry in Iceland, and with that of course come challenges that we need to be ready to tackle, Thordis Kolbrun R. Gylfadottir, the countrys tourism minister told Bloomberg.

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Top 10 destinations where tourists outnumber locals (2016)

Andorra - 36.6 annual tourists per resident Macao - 25.6 British Virgin Islands - 13.3 Saint Maarten - 13.1 Turks and Caicos Islands - 13 Aruba - 10.5 Northern Mariana Islands - 9.6 Guam - 9.4 Monaco - 8.7 Palau - 6.4

Source: UNWTO

Sedlabanki, the central bank of Iceland, warned of the risk that accompanies continued rapid growth and how it could be a shock for the economy as a whole, in its latest financial stability report in October.

In particular, the bank highlighted the strain that tourism has put on local housing, as prices are still rising steeply and the surge in short-term private rentals is a major factor, it warned.

Last year, authorities in Iceland attempted to clamp down on short-term rentals by proposing a business tax on those letting out their homes on Airbnb for more than 90 days a year.

But the property rental business in the country has shown no signs of slowing down, with new figures revealing earlier this year that the most prolific Airbnb landlord in Iceland had reportedly earned 1.9million in 12 months, with five individuals bringing in more than 790,000 in the same period.

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We need to map this out to see what we can do to make the tolerance higher. Sometimes it is about strengthening infrastructure, sometimes it can be about steering access to particular areas, Gylfadottir said.

The decisions we make will affect how this sector will evolve, she added.

One of these could be to introduce a "nature pass" fee, which would be used to fund the preservation of Icelands natural resources, but this is yet to be discussed and worked out, according to the minister.

We will probably never compete with the lowest priced destinations, but people need to experience that they are getting their moneys worth.

Iceland is already one of the worlds most expensive countries, but earlier this year the government was considering increasing the existing hotel tax  which raised a reported 400 million krona (3.19 million) in 2016  forcing tour operators to purchase licenses and imposing limits on the number of People who can visit certain sites.

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The government claimed money raised through any such initiatives would go towards improving infrastructure and facilities.

The world's most visited countries (2016)

France - 82.6m annual visitors United States - 75.9m Spain - 75.6m China - 59.3m Italy - 52.4m United Kingdom - 35.8m Germany - 35.6m Mexico - 35m Thailand - 32.6m Turkey - 25.4m

Source: UNWTO

The sector and all of us have to be careful not to become victims of our own success, the minister said earlier this year.

Some areas are simply unable to facilitate one million visitors every year, she said. If we allow more people into areas like that, were losing what makes them special  unique pearls of nature that are a part of our image and of what were selling.

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Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
It's been a busy year for local writer Jaki McCarrick, with three international productions of her play 'Belfast Girls', with a Canadian premiere in Vancouver, a West Coast (of USA) premiere in Portland, Oregon, and a production in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

All three productions were staged to rapturously received to sold-out runs and enthusiastic reviews.

'I think it's safe to say, Margaret, Belfast Girls' has been a transatlantic smash!,' said a delighted Jaki, who is looking forward to seeing the play opening in Kansas City, Missouri next April as well as an Australian premier in 2018.

Following a reading of 'The Naturalists' in Manchester, she hopes that this will be next play of hers to be staged. 'I wrote this in 2008 and it had an early reading at the Flat Lake Festival in 2009. Like my play 'The Mushroom Pickers' and many of the stories in 'The Scattering' it's set on the Irish border.

Her play 'Bohemians', which is the story of a former punk icon a la Patti Smithset in New York, had two brilliant readings this year. The first was at RADA, with actress Imogen Stubbs in the lead and later, in November, with Sharon Small in the lead. Jaki hopes that this play will also be staged next year.

As the year draws to a close, Jaki has been nominated for the prestigious The Pushcart Prizes for her short story, 'Fogarty'.
On Friday night I headed for the Crowne Plaza where National Pen were hosting their 30th Christmas party and a huge crowd of 725 were dressed to impress and were ready to party the night away.

I was only in the door when I caught up with Kevin Schmitz, Manuel Canibol and Tobias Schmitz all from Ravensdale who were looking very well and were looking forward to a good night with everyone there.

Not too far away I then got talking to Bjorn Tilly and Andreas Persson both from Mullaharlin Road who told me they were expecting a fantastic night and were definitely ready to party.

Next I headed over for a word with Rufant Ismajlov from Bay Estate and Tomas Jasurek from Bettystown who told me they were hopeful of a great night celebration for the company's 30th.

Not too far away I caught sight of Stephanie Kreis and Vanessa Imhoff both from Blackrock who were looking extremely well and were making sure to get around chatting to all their workmates.

Making my way over to another table I then got talking to Oliver and Anna Clarke who had travelled from Kells specially to be there. Oliver had worked with the company for 17 years and had retired, but, along with a number of others, had been invited back to celebrate the 30th Christmas party.

After this I made my way over for a chat with Ronan Kerr from St. Clements Park and Saburota Kusum from College Manor who told me it was both their first time attending the National Pen Christmas Party, had heard loads of stories about what happens at them and were "optimistic" the night would be an eventful success.

Next I met up with Katherine Crosby from St. Nicholas Avenue and Eryn McCrory from Coulter Place who wanted a big shout out for all ones in 'the pen' and to say "c'mon de town".

The girls were having a laugh with Martin Dawe from Lennon Melia Court and Ryan McKeown from Castleross who said that Martin was only there for a chat and wouldn't be taking part in the celebrations but would be heading home soon, yea right!

Not too long later I got talking to David Lennon from Kilcurry and Anthony Tuite from Haggardstown who were saying it was going to be a nice quiet affair and they certainly wouldn't have sore throats from singing later on.

Meanwhile up near the bar I got a word with Gerry Moore from Grangebellew and Gerry Molloy from Ravensdale who have been with the company for 26 and 15 years respectively and have been to more than their fair share of Christmas parties saying they're always a good night out and that it'll take one or two more champagnes before they'd be interested in throwing some shapes on the dancefloor.

Just arrived in the door and ready to party were Martina Kenny from Racecourse Road and Geraldine Murphy from Dunleer who told me they particularly liked the champagne, so it was the start of a good night for sure.

Two lads who were definitely up for making a major night of it were Peter Monaghan from Blackrock and Wally Abuagun from College Manor who couldn't wait to get the festivities under way.

After this I headed over for a word with Betty Mellon from Mountain View, Holly Butterly from Lower Point Road and Ann Kavanagh from Muirhevnamor who were on for a fantastic night and were delighted to see Oliver Clarke again.

One lady who was on top of her game on the night was main organiser Bridie Clifford from Ardee Road who told me they had guests from China, Bordeaux and San Diego along with retirees and representative from the IDA and yes, she would be enjoying the night, at some point!

Not too long later I got a quick word with Rocco Formiconi who was optimistic that the night was going to be one of the best over the festive period.

Finally, before I departed I met up with Peter Dollard from Grange Drive who assured me he was on his best behaviour, there's always a first time for everything I thought!
Grey Day....Conor Hughes takes a nap during one of his annual fundraising events which are held every St. Stephens Day

Charity supremo Conor Hughes sets the bar high every year with his annual antics on St. Stephen's Day to raise funds for CrossCause.

But the Blackrock native is set to scale new heights for the 2017 event, the details of which are always a closely guarded secret. But, speaking to the Argus, Conor hinted he will be aiming high.

'At this stage what I can say is that it will have a musical theme..... and it will involve a 30 foot elevation!'

After more than 25 years entertaining people on St. Stephen's Day, Conor has been everything from King Kong climbing the Empire State building to Thierry's infamous ' hand of God', a giant buzzing bee and last year he took a quirky look at the 'Fr. Ted.'

'It can be a challenge coming up with something different every year,' admitted Conor. 'In the last few years we have focused on the humour of it which has been great fun. But this year I am looking at returning to more of an endurance theme.'

All of the fun and frolics have of course had a purpose, raising vital funds for Conor's charity - Crosscause.

'It has been an incredibly busy time over the last few weeks. There has been sixty tonnes of aid has gone out to Ghana over the last fortnight alone.'He added they had an 'unbelievable' response to the appeal for old sewing machines to be donated.

Catch Conor's sky high antics on Blackrock beach from 12 noon, St. Stephen's Day.
An intrepid group of De La Salle students embarked on an action packed tour of Germany recently.

The busy, yet educational and fun-filled itinerary, enabled the group to fit as much as possible into their four-day stay and gave the students a wonderful opportunity to experience Germany's culture, language and breath-taking scenery.

On day one the group visited Cologne and were given a panoramic city tour where they passed testimonials of Roman and medieval Cologne and got the chance to appreciate the impressive and beautiful Cathedral which dominates the city square.

The group enjoyed some of the finest German cuisine, and on their second day took a cruise along the Rhine by steamer from St. Goarshausen to Ruedesheim, catching sight of the mythical 'Lorelei Rock' and statue.

The students also enjoyed a visit to the 'Opel Arena' in Mainz. This multi-purpose stadium opened in 2011 and hosts the German Bundesliga side, 'Mainz 05' home matches.

The group were fortunate enough to secure tickets to watch 1.FSVMainz05 play Eintracht Frankfurt, enjoying the eletric atmosphere.

Day three was possibly one of main highlights for the students as they got to spend the entire day in Phantasialand! One of Europe's finest theme parks, it features waterfall rides, the 'Bob Sleigh', the 'Black Mamba, the Mono Rail and the Cine 2000. The 'Scenic Railway' was a particular highlight featuring the reconstruction of a street in Old Berlin, an authentic impression of life in the German city prior to World War 1. The teachers even did themselves proud by proving they could match the students' fearlessness on most of the attractions, before steaming mugs of hot chocolate and warm 'Apfelstrudel' awaited!

On their final day, the students had time to visit the picturesque town of Cochem and its beautiful Reichsburg Castle Situated on an outstanding hill more than 100 metres above the River Moselle, the castle is a popular tourist attraction.

The very last port of call, before the journey back to Dusseldorf Airport, was the 'Nurburgring' where they enjoyed a guided tour with a glimpse behind the curtains of Formula 1, the historic Grand-Prix -Paddock, the Pit Lane, Media Centre and the VIP Terrace.
The secretary, caretaker and cleaner at Faughart School have been given a Scrooge like gift for Christmas when they were informed that they are being made redundant.

The three, who were deployed by the Board of Management, will be out of work for the new year while the school principal, who has been sitting in a school with no pupils since September, will be redeployed by the Department of Education.

Helen Kerley, who has worked as secretary at the troubled school for the past 14 years told 'The Argus' that she is 'heartbroken' at the chain of events which has left them without jobs and the parish without a school.

Parents withdrew their children from the school when efforts to address their concerns about leadership and teaching in the senior classes, as highlighted in the Department of Education inspector's report, didn't provide a satisfactory outcome.

'We knew that this was on the cards but didn't know when the axe would fall,' she said, revealing she was given the news by Maria Spring, the Manager appointed by the School's Patron, who said that the Archbishop was 'very sad' about the situation in the school.

Having worked in the school for fourteen years, Helen said she was 'very sad' that the parish is now without a school, as it was the focal point of the community.

'We had wonderful parents and grandparents in Faughart School. They were very supporting and interested in education and were very good at fundraising.'
A man described by a judge as 'a paedophile of the dangerous kind' has been jailed for 18 years for raping and abusing children for nearly three decades.

Peter Sharkey (47) of Mucknow Street, Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, sexually abused six children and raped two of them. The victims were aged from nine to 16 when Sharkey attacked them.

The abuse, which took place at a number of addresses in Co Louth, continued until one of his victims went to gardai in April 2015.

Sharkey pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to three counts of indecent assault on dates ranging from 1987 to 1990 and six counts of sexual assault committed on dates between 1997 and 2015.

He also admitted one count of rape with an object on a date in 1998 or 1999 and one count of rape in 2014.

In sentencing last Friday, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy paid tribute to the victims, saying the 'trigger point' occurred when one victim, now aged 19, went to gardai in April 2015 to report that she had been raped.

This resulted in the other five victims coming forward to report what the judge termed 'extremely serious' abuse.

'Although they were isolated while the abuse was occurring, perhaps there is some comfort now in realising that together they brought him to justice,' he said.

Mr Justice McCarthy said several comments made by the complainants in their victim impact statements 'made for very striking reading'.

'This court sees again and again victims saying they have little confidence and self esteem and never told anyone of their secret,' he said.

Two of the girls were sisters, aged in their teens, at the time of abuse.

'He stole a piece of my soul and today I'm here to reclaim it,' one of the sisters told the court.

The other sister said she didn't want to be responsible for breaking up a family and therefore buried the memories of the abuse.

'The damage cannot be undone; no child should ever have to carry this burden. I was targeted in my own home, and he left me in a constant state of fear' a fourth victim told the court.

The fifth victim said in her statement that the defendant robbed her of her childhood and said she had to sleep with her mother for months after the abuse came to light.

'Nobody knows the fear I had to live with, the man who was supposed to love and protect me,' she said.

The youngest victim, a juvenile male, told the court via video link that he blamed himself for the abuse perpetrated against him and he is left with anger and sad memories.

Justice McCarthy said the offending was 'a gross breach of trust' and constituted 'the most extreme category of offence'.

'There is no cure for paedophilia. This is a case where there is no alternative but to conclude that this man is a paedophile of the dangerous kind. I cannot sentence him on this basis as the law does not allow for it,' he said.

He noted that the accused had shown contrition a fortnight before he pleaded guilty but not while dealing with gardai.

'However the first step towards rehabilitation is acknowledging guilt. This defendant entered guilty pleas, made admissions of guilt, showed an acceptance of his wrongdoing and one can only infer that there is contrition here,' Justice McCarthy said.

Mr Justice McCarthy imposed various consecutive sentences totaling 18 years. He said he had looked at sentencing in the round, to ensure it was not disproportionate as there are multiple victims in this case.

'It is one of those cases where the sentences have to be consecutive so that there is punishment for the wrong done to each victim,' he said.

He directed that the defendant undergo supervision by the probation services for a period of five years upon release and ordered that his name be entered onto the sex offenders register.

He acknowledged that Sharkey had a good record of employment and was in employment at the time of offending but had since lost his job at DK Interiors in Dundalk.
Christmas came early at National Pen with the announcement that the company is expanding and will create 250 jobs over the next five years.

The news came as the company, a global provider of personalised marketing merchandise, celebrated its 30th anniversary in Dundalk.

The expansion, creating 250 jobs, is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

And existing staff got the opportunity to celebrate this vote of confidence in Dundalk at a company party in the Crowne Plaza on Friday night acknowledging the valued contribution which they had made to the company's success over the past three decades.

'Dundalk has proven a great location that has allowed us to grow to the extent we have,' commented National Pen CEO Peter Kelly. 'Next year we will be taking a second premises in Dundalk to accommodate our growth over the coming years.'

National Pen set up its International Headquarters in Dundalk in 1987, comprising a manufacturing plant which personalises promotional products, and a contact centre which supports corporate functions including finance, HR, recruitment, IT, e-commerce and other support functions.

Over the past thirty years, National Pen has grown from having a small workforce in Dundalk to reaching the milestone of over 1,000 employees between full-time and temporary staff.

National Pen's CEO Peter Kelly said: 'It is with great pride that we celebrate our 30 years anniversary in Dundalk. Over the past ten years the company has grown significantly to now over 1000 employees. It is truly down to the entire team across National Pen that we have developed and cultivated our success. We manifest a culture of opportunity, hard work, autonomy and respect. A year ago in December 2016 National Pen joined the Cimpress family which extends our opportunities for further investment. It continues to be an exciting time for all involved.'

National Pen markets and sells its products in 24 countries around the world, with its Dundalk workers being responsible for selling over 130 million personalised promotional products into its markets in 2016.

Minister for Business, Enterprise & Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD congratulated the company on its recent growth and its 30th anniversary, saying: 'This is a huge milestone for National Pen, 30 years in Dundalk. You have constantly evolved as a business to suit your clients' needs and in doing so secured your own survival. I welcome the additional 250 jobs which will provide a further boost to the local economy. Your ongoing innovation will ensure your continued growth in the years ahead.'

Congratulating the company on its 30th anniversary, IDA Ireland's CEO Martin Shanahan said: 'Supporting established companies to develop and grow, adding jobs, is a key focus for us. National Pen is a great example, having instigated new strategic initiatives to significantly grow the business and ensure the Irish operation's future success. The longevity of this company - 30 years in operation now in Dundalk - points to a substantial contribution to the local and wider regional economy.'

Founded in 1966, National Pen Corporation is head quartered in San Diego, California with operations in Tennessee, Mexico and France, employing over 2,500 people globally.

It is a leading provider of personalised marketing merchandise to more than one million small and medium sized business globally. The company provides high value promotional products for businesses and professionals in every industry, with a range of over 5,000 products including pens, magnets, calendars, mugs, tote bags and more.

The news was welcomed by local politicians with Deputy Fergus O'Dowd thanking the IDA for all the work they have put in to secure this expansion.

'Dundalk and Louth are ideally located for business growth, exemplified by the fact that national Pen are taking on a second premises,' he said.

He noted that 'We have been very lucky in county Louth in 2017, with several major jobs announcements, bringing thousands of new jobs to our county.

We now have 21 IDA companies in the county and numbers employed by the foreign companies here have risen form 1,300 in 2009 to close to 4,000 currently, this is a remarkable vote of confidence in Louth.

'Fine Gael in Government continues to prioritise job creation and use the benefits of a strong economy to improve people's lives here in Louth and across the country," Deputy O'Dowd said.

'"The Government will continue to do everything it can to provide and maintain an attractive business environment for all companies in Dundalk and the wider community."
A 10million fund for disability services across the country will help to ease the current respite crisis for Louth families, the Argus has learned.

A joint Oireachtas debate led by Louth TD's Declan Breathnach and Fergus O'Dowd in the Dail last week, saw Minister of State Finian McGrath announce the 10million fund.

'This funding comes following numerous debates on this issue, and constant pressure brought to bear on the Minister from all of the Louth Oireachtas members, the families and disability groups in Louth, and following last week's RTE Investigates Programme 'Carers in Crisis' said Deputy Breathnach.

While there are no specific services mentioned as yet to receive some of this funding the Minister stated that 8 million will be provided for nine new dedicated houses for respite in each community health area, plus an additional three houses in the greater Dublin area to respond to the very high demand for respite in this area. These additional 12 respite houses will provide approximately 19,000 respite nights yearly to the people living in those areas. In addition, a further 2 million extra funding will be used for innovative respite solutions, such as home sharing and extended day services, to provide assistance where people need it most.'

Declan Breathnach pointed out that 'in view of the fact that there will be funding for a dedicated house for respite in each community health area, I am aware of a very suitable large house which has been purchased by Praxis Care at Dublin Road area of Dundalk and with very little adaptation would be capable of accommodating 5 or 6 clients for respite. I am hopeful that the funding announced will go towards this service and also that there will be funding to pay for the Bower House respite centre in Balbriggan which is run by The Talbot Group.'

Louth TD, Fergus O'Dowd welcomed the additional 10 Million, saying it will 'help ensure significant steps are taken to improve respite services in County Louth.'

'Respite services give well deserved breaks to those most in need, we must now continue our campaign to secure as many of those approximate 19,000 respite nights for families in need in County Louth.'

Dundalk TD Peter Fitzpatrick also added his welcome to the new funds, saying: 'We know there is a severe shortage of respite care in County Louth. Twelve people over 80 years of age are looking after their sons and daughters.

He added: 'A location has been found in Dundalk that will cater for over 80 families, it will cost 800,000 a year to run. We have facility, the staff now we just need the funding. This will go some way to fulfilling the needs of carers and their families in Louth.'

David Lally, from Dundalk Parents and Friends told the Argus they welcomed the new funding.

'We are hopeful some of th8is funding can be used for the centre in Dundalk which would be of huge benefit for families needing respite.'
Michael Gaynor President of Dundalk Chamber is delighted to announce that sales of the Shop Local Gift Vouchers has hit an unbelievable record of over 500,000 worth of Shop local Gift Vouchers sold this Christmas.

Dundalk Chamber started this initiative over two years ago and they have been an unmitigated success. Michael mentioned that there was a huge effort put in by the Chamber to help local retail and this voucher scheme has given local retailers a welcome boost. This means that over 1.2 million worth of vouchers have been sold since their launch two years ago.

Michael Gaynor thanked the business community of Dundalk for getting behind this scheme and buying the vouchers for their staff this Christmas.

Michael mentioned 'these sales would not have happened if it has not been for the good will of the business community who see the value in keeping money in the locality. Stopping the flow of money from the town has been our priority.'

Michael also thanked members of the public who bought the vouchers and kept it local this Christmas.

Michael commented that 'this initiative was set up to help keep money, and protect local jobs within the local economy. The Chamber plan is to grow sales even more in 2018!'

Paddy Malone PRO of Dundalk Chamber commented on the vouchers saying the give the receiver 'the gift of choice as they can be spent in toy shops, restaurants, hair salons, gift stores, gyms, beautician, clothes shops, and much more- you will be amazed with the selection of businesses now redeeming them which includes over 280 shops all around Dundalk and surrounding areas. The vouchers now come in a 5 denomination as well as 10, 20 and 50's. They are an ideal gift all year round for Birthdays, Weddings, Communions, Confirmations, Competitions, Retirements and staff rewards.

Paddy mentioned that the 'beauty of these vouchers is that they do not expire and the shops get the full amount back. They do not lose value over time.' Members of the public can buy the vouchers in Grants Dublin St, McCuskers in Earl St, Central News Clanbrassil St, Centra Blackrock, Flanagans Mace, Sheelans in Riverstown, Finnegans in Louth Village and Victorys Centra in Dunleer. You can also purchase them online on www.dundalk.ie/vouchers - there is no charge for delivery. The vouchers can also be purchased directly from the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce Office by calling Brenda on Tel: 042 9336343 or email accounts@dundalk.ie
Greystones Train Station will not close after all, Irish Rail has confirmed.

It emerged in recent weeks that Irish Rail had plans to lease out the train station to a commercial tenant, with entrance and exit points to rail services be located at alternative sites.

Local campaigns and petitions were launched as concerns in the town included the potential harm to the business community; safety for commuters, particularly younger people; and access for disabled people at an unmanned station.

Minister Simon Harris, Deputy Stephen Donnelly and Cllr Jennifer Whitmore all welcomed Irish Rail's decision last Friday.

'While decisions on staffing will not be made until the New Year, we have reviewed the station building issues,' said Barry Kenny of Irish Rail. 'Following representations from the local community, both directly and through elected representatives, the importance of maintaining a prominent entrance from Main Street was clear. The optimum solution is the current entrance. We will continue to pursue potential commercial use for the remainder of the building.'

'When I learned of the proposals by Irish Rail, I immediately contacted the Chief Executive and arranged to meet with him,' said Minister Harris. 'Having held a number of meetings with the Greystones business community and concerned residents, it was clear to me that the proposals made by Irish Rail would have a very significant impact on our town.'

Deputy Stephen Donnelly said that he had received commitment from the CEO of Irish Rail David Franks regarding the station's future.

Deputy Donnelly said that he had been in touch with Irish Rail as far back as June and his petition had collected several hundred signatures.

He met the CEO last week to discuss the station, high fares and overcrowding.

'The local community will be thrilled to hear that the station will remain in use,' said Deputy Donnelly. 'I have also received further commitments to improve services for people with disabilities.'

Cllr Jennifer Whitmore said that she had also spoken to Irish Rail last Friday, confirming that pedestrian access through the station would be maintained.

Cllr Whitmore said that parents of schoolchildren had very real concerns about the safety of their children if an alternative entrance to the station was to be provided down Bow Lane.

'However, this recent announcement does not indicate whether there will be any changes in the manning of the station and any potential impact that this may have for people with disabilities that may need assistance to use the train,' she said. 'I will continue to work with Irish Rail on this issue to ensure that any changes regarding assistance will not cause any further difficulties to any members of our community.'
An Cosantoir - the Defence Forces Magazine, and Ireland's Military Story magazine have teamed up with Military Archives and the National Museum of Ireland in search for the oldest veterans of the Irish Defence Forces.

They would like to find the eldest veteran in each Corps/Service and record their story.

If you served or know anyone who served in the following Corps or Services: Air Corps, Artillery, Cavalry, Coastwatching Service, Construction Corps, Engineers, Infantry, Local Defence, Security Force, Local Defence Force (LDF), Forsa Cosanta Aitiuil (FCA), Medical, Marine, Naval Service, Signals, Transport, Military Police, or Ordnance, get in touch.

As part of an ongoing Oral History project, the Veterans accounts will be recorded and deposited for future generations in Military Archives and the National Museum, and published in both magazines.

A reception will be held in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin, in the New Year.

Contact editor@irelandsmilitarystory.ie for more information.
Heritage is very much alive at this time of year with so much tradition and history shared by family and friends alike. The Christmas trees are all in place (a tradition which began in Germany during the 1500s) and Santa Claus will most likely pay a visit to many good youngsters, harking back to the 3rd century monk Saint Nicholas.

2017 has been a wonderful year from a heritage perspective and the heritage offering in 2018 looks fantastic with it being the European Year of Cultural Heritage; the Year of the Irish Language; the 70th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the centenary of Universal Suffrage, giving voting rights both to men and women. 2018 will also see the 300-year anniversary of William Penn, founder of Philadelphia, who lived in both Macroom and Shanagarry during much of his youth in the mid 17th century.

The year will, of course, also see the build-up to the centenary commemorations of the War of Independence. While it is generally held that the War of Independence commenced in January 1919, things were already well underway in Cork, as for example, the Ambush of Beal A'Ghleanna in the Muscrai Gaeltacht on July 7th, 1918.

Cork's role in the War of Independence cannot be understated and many of the most pivotal events of the conflict played out in the Rebel County. The War of Independence and ensuing Civil War saw much loss of life, on both sides, and included civilian victims. In a publication by Barry Keane, 'Cork's Revolutionary Dead', it has been documented that over 700 people were killed in Cork during the 1918-1923 period.

As a companion piece to the publication, a website has also now been set up which contains 120 photographs, and counting, of the 700 plus War of Independence and Civil War victims of County Cork. Many previously forgotten images have been collated on the one site by Barry Keane and for further information email bkeanefg@yahoo.com or visit https://corkrevolutionarydead.wordpress.com/2017/12/11/the-dead.

Christmas is a time of much joy and celebration but it is also a time when we remember and reflect on the state of the world, past, present and future. One of the darkest periods of Irish history was the Great Famine of the mid 19th century and it is believed by many that there never should have been a famine.

Notwithstanding this, we remember with compassion this period of our history and in Kinsale on December 24th a famine wreath-laying ceremony will take place at 2pm (location - famine graveyard and Millwater, Kinsale). This annual event is being organised by the Kinsale History Society.

Indeed, with regard to the famine, 2018 will see Cork host the National Famine Commemoration in the month of May. This will take place in University College Cork and will see a number of famine related exhibitions, talks and much more throughout the year. 2018, as the European Year of Cultural Heritage will also see a number of Europe themed events and the County of Cork has a very strong European connection as far as heritage is concerned ranging from ecclesial heritage to maritime history and much more in between.

2018 will also see the further roll-out of the Creative Ireland Programme both nationally and in the County of Cork - a very real opportunity for local community groups to embrace their culture and heritage.

Last Monday, at a packed room in the Library HQ Building, the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Declan Hurley; Chief Executive Tim Lucey and Director of Services for Planning, John O'Neill, launched the 'Heritage Castles of County Cork' publication as well as a wonderful design guide regarding shopfronts. 2018 will see a continuation of the Heritage of County Cork Publication Series and for many of the key points outlined above, is a year very much to look forward to from a heritage perspective.

Merry Christmas all, agus go mbeirimid beo ar an am seo aris.
Over the past few weeks the children of Rahan National School have been busy recording songs for a CD which features choral renditions of traditional and modern Christmas carols.

Excitement grew across the entire school community as the launch of the CD was imminent. The CD features classics such as Oh Holy Night, performed beautifully by the senior choir, Away In A Manger performed by the children of First, Second and Third class and Little Donkey performed by the Junior and Senior Infant children.

The recording also features esteemed honourable guests, the students from Krafty Kidz Pre School at Rahan. Their song is Christmas Is Coming.

In total, the CD has 16 tracks with plenty surprises.

Rahan National School has a longstanding tradition of choral singing and performance and this is the culmination of years of classical voice training within the school.

This CD is the perfect Christmas gift for family members, grandparents, relatives and friends, especially those family members living overseas. The children at Rahan NS suggested that it would be great to play in the car to get into the spirit while doing Christmas shopping or while decorating the home for Christmas.

A donation from the proceedings of the sale of this CD will be made to St Vincent De Paul. CD's available at the usual outlets. Your support would be greatly appreciated.

A childs Christmas in speech

The African adage 'It takes a village to raise a child' took on a real meaning at the Christmas meeting of Speakeasy Toastmasters Club.

The "accidental theme" of this meeting was childhood, be it a child's Christmas in Ireland or a child's formative years in rural Nigeria. Delivering her 'Ice Breaker' speech, new member Celine O'Shea presented a frank and fascinating account of her childhood years in her native Nigeria. She eloquently asserted how her ten years growing up in a small village, playing with clay, moulded her life and her values.

It was a childhood without many of the things that we take for granted - running water, electricity and school books. Despite her many travels to Nigeria's capital city, to Cyprus, London and Ireland, the core of her character was created in that tiny rural village.

The Christmas childhood thread continued to be woven in Bobby Buckley's hugely enjoyable speech, 'The Bay Window Christmas Tree'. It was a tale of vanity in 1950's Mallow and his mother keeping up appearances by fitting a bay window to the family home in The Spa. But a window of such dimensions requires an equally imposing Christmas tree. It fell to Bobby to rescue the situation and restore domestic harmony, following his father's futile attempt.

This speech evoked nostalgia for a Mallow long since vanished, with its references to the Beet Factory, O'Flynn Stores and Ardley's Bicycle Shop.

Mary Moynihan presented a beautifully evocative interpretation of Patrick Kavanagh's "A Christmas Childhood". This popular poem is filled with beautiful imagery of a rustic Christmas. "The music of milking" and "One side of the potato pit was white with frost" are just two of word pictures that the poet painted in this wonderful poem.

Finally, Don McSweeney told his tale "My life as an elf". Set in his childhood years in the the town of Castleisland, Don held a very important role in his family's toy shop - he served as elf and toy adviser.

His "job" began in February when the toy companies held their trade exhibitions. This was a time when parents placed deposits on Christmas toys before they made the big purchase. Don had a busy time in the packaging department and spent very little time on the shelf.

Toastmaster or Chairperson of the meeting was Liam Flynn of Millstreet. Now celebrating what he describes as "11 great years in Speakeasy", Liam set the tone for the meeting and introduced each speaker with aplomb.

Topicsmaster was Verna Byrne. In stark contrast to Liam, Verna is in Speakeasy for a short 12 months. She presented a varied selection box of topics, ranging from seasonal subjects like "Your favourite Christmas song". Songs like "Fairytale of New York," "Merry Christmas Everybody" and Joni Mitchell's "River" were popular choices.

A topic that provoked a great response was "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?"

At the meeting's conclusion, Bridie O'Connell, in her role as General Evaluator presented awards to Mary Buckley, Best Evaluation; Kieran Butler, Best Topic; Bobby Buckley, Best Speaker.

Speakeasy Toastmasters Club will take a little break for Christmas but will return in the New Year. As we ponder our resolutions for 2018, why not consider learning a new and valuable skill. Speakeasy Toastmasters is dedicated to helping it's members develop their communication skills in a relaxed, friendly environment.

ST look forward to seeing you in the Hibernian Hotel at 8pm on Thursday, January 11. Speakeasy Toastmasters wish all a peaceful and happy Christmas. For more information, check out website speakeasytoastmasters.com. Or visit on Facebook.

Christmas message

Once again loved ones are reunited with kisses, hugs and handshakes shared as we celebrate Christmas 2017. But at this time of year we must not forget those people working and on call over the Christmas period for the safety of us all such as gardai, paramedics, doctors, nurses, hospital and nursing home staff and fire service and emergency service personnel.

We must also thank wonderful school students and organisations who have raised so much in the past weeks for the good of the less well off in our society.

We must also remember those people who have lost dear family members and close friends during 2017 and those who are not with family members on Christmas Day due to emigration or illness.

Most importantly, we must not forget those vulnerable in the community, specially the elderly, lonely and those living alone. A quick visit or phone call would be appreciated.

May I wish all readers a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas.
The lifelong contribution to the Irish co-operative movement of former Chairman of Dairygold Co-Operative Bertie O'Leary has been recognised nationally by the industry's highest national honour - The Plunkett Award for Co-operative Endeavour.

Mr. O'Leary from Ballymakeera attended the ceremony in Dublin with his wife Joan, sons Sean, Timmy, Bertie Og, Seamus and extended family.

Presenting the award, ICOS (Irish Co-operative Organisation Society) President Martin Keane said: "Bertie is widely regarded and known for his passionate and unwavering commitment to Dairygold Co-Operative Society and to the greater co-operative movement in general."

Mr Keane said that for almost three decades, Bertie has dedicated his time, leadership, integrity and vast knowledge to co-operative endeavour, dairy industry development and the success and sustainability of dairy farming.

"It's our honour to recognise him and his many years of hard work and dedication by presenting him this prestigious award," he said.

A highly regarded dairy farmer, Bertie O'Leary's involvement in Dairygold's Co-Operative structure began in 1991 when he was elected to their Regional Committee for the Mid-Cork region during a hugely significant period in the co-op's history following the merger of Ballyclough and Mitchelstown co-operatives. He was then elected onto Dairygold's Board in 2004 and successively re-elected until 2014 when he reached his maximum permitted service period on the Board.

During this time, he served as Vice Chair in 2009 and 2010 before becoming Chairman in 2012 until 2014. During this time, he led the post-quota planning process within the society and pioneered the introduction of Milk Supply Agreements and milk volume forecasting within the dairy industry. This included the development of innovative investment and funding proposals where he led an extensive consultation and approvals process among members.

Mr. O'Leary also served as Dairygold's nominee on the Board of Ornua from 2013 to 2015. He continues to play an important part in Dairygold as a member of the co-operative's general and regional committees.

He sat on the Dairygold Rules Sub Committee in 2004. The primary focus of the Rules review involved the transition of voting rights to active members of the society and changing the representative structures to ensure cross regional support for elected members of the board.

He joined the Board of ICOS in 2009 and was elected Vice President later that year. He was also elected Chairman of the Dairy Committee in 2011 and went on to become President of ICOS in 2012 until his retirement from that role in 2014. In his time with ICOS, he also served as a board member of the Golden Jubilee Trust as well as a member of the Trustee Management Committee of the Irish Co-Operative Societies' Pension Scheme.

As ICOS President, Bertie O'Leary led the discussions on the implementation of the National Dairy Assurance Scheme which provides national certification of milk production systems and standards and is a vital element in the international marketing of Irish dairy products. The leadership he showed during his Presidency, combined with his integrity and strength of character, was enormously beneficial to ICOS and to the Co-operative movement nationally.

Bertie farms near Baile Bhuirne, where he has been an active member of the West Cork IFA Dairy Committee, and was a founding member of the Ballyvourney/Coolea Show Committee.

The Plunkett Award is the premier honorary award made by ICOS annually. It is presented each year to one individual who is regarded as having made an outstanding, lifelong contribution to the co-operative movement in Ireland.
The long-awaited Mallow Relief Road has taken another step closer to finally becoming a reality following the submission of a route feasibility report for the project to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

The report, commissioned by Cork County Council and undertaken by Jacobs Consulting Engineers Ltd, recommended that "the requirement for a Northern Relief Road stands on its own merits as a strategic congestion solution for Mallow Town east/west traffic'.

"The cost/benefit assessment shows it (the relief road) is not dependent on any N20 upgrade needs in the vicinity of Mallow," the report stated.

"Nor is it apparent that the viability of an N20 upgrade is dependent on the Northern Relief Road except in the context of facilitating an access point for a junction on an N20 upgrade," it added.

Briefing northern divisional councillors on the issue this week the council's director of road services, Tom Stritch, said the report was "quite positive" towards the scheme saying it outlined a "positive benefit to cost ratio" for the project.

"The fact that the M20 motorway has been announced independently from the (Northern Relief Rd) project is good in one sense, because it was viewed as one of the more beneficial parts of the overall M20 scheme," said Mr Stritch.

"It is my understanding that TII are more willing to run with the Northern Relief Rd separately if that is what Cork County Council wants because of the fact that its does stand on its own two feet."

Mr Stritch said the preferred route for the road was the one originally proposed, which predominantly follows the old railway alignment from the Beecher Street roundabout to Ballyvintner Bridge and joins up with the N72 and N73 at Ballyvorisheen near Oliver's Cross.

He said the over-arching objective of the road would be to free up the town centre road network for access and local traffic, while enabling east/west flowing traffic along the national routes to travel a more efficient route around the town.

"It would facilitate access to key supply and market routes for the agri-food industry in the town across north Cork. Importantly, it would also form an integral component in the future completion of the wider N20 corridor upgrade."

Asked by Cllr Timmy Collins (Ind) what the next move would be, Mr Stritch said the hope was the council would be given clearance to advertise for consultants to take the project through the design phases.

"We would be hopeful this clearance will be forthcoming in 2018," said Mr Stritch.

"The hope is that TII will approve the report allowing us to procure consulting engineers to bring the project through phases one to four, which will bring us to the stage we could make an application to An Bord Pleanala on Compulsory Purchase orders," said Mr Stritch.

His comments were widely welcomed by councillors with Cllr John Paul O'Shea (Ind) echoing sentiments saying the relief road would be "a fantastic resource for Mallow."

"Hopefully the Department and Minister will now look at the project favourably in terms of funding," he said, suggesting the northern committee also write to TII requesting funding for the project be given priority in 2018.

Cllr Melissa Mullane (SF) said she hoped 'the powers that be' would provide the funding needed to move ahead with the scheme, while Cllr Collins said it was important the issue was now not allowed to slip off the agenda.
Cork County Council is to write to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in relation to the re-occurrence of what one councillor described as a "putrid" smell coming from the Dairygold Plant in Mallow.

The issue was raised by Cllr Gearoid Murphy (FF) at the December meeting of the council's Northern Committee, following an incident last Friday.

"This issue was raised in this chamber earlier in the summer and to give credit to Dairygold it has improved considerably since then. However, it has not completely ceased, with smells still coming, erratically but continuously, from the plant. He said that last Friday in particular the smell was so bad it was "difficult to breathe" in the town centre.

"Obviously, with industrial processes the standard in terms of output can sometime deviate. But, I would submit that with a plant so close to the centre of a major town there should never be a putrid smell emanating to that extent. Unfortunately, it still does periodically come out," said Cllr Murphy.

He asked the council's director of environmental services, Louis Duffy, for an update on the issue suggesting the authority write to Dairygold and the relevant authorities highlighting the issue.

"I would say the only acceptable standard is that kind of thing never happen, both from a health and safety point and from making Mallow a pleasant place to live in," said Cllr Murphy.

Mr Duffy said that as the plant was licenced by the EPA it was not something the council would have a role it, other than following up on reports and supplying information to the agency.

"It would be between the industry and the EPA to resolve this issue. As I live in Mallow, I have experienced this issue myself, but as I understand it is being addressed by Dairygold," said Mr Duffy.

Cllr Melissa Mullane (SF) said she was in regular contact with Dairygold chiefs and that they invested "a huge" amount of money to address the issue. "They are good to deal with and are being very proactive on this," she said.

Divisional manager James Fogarty was keen to point out that "no one was suggesting anything different" but that the authority would write to the EPA on the issue.

"If members would like to write to the EPA individually to outline concerns expressed here today, by all means do that," he said.

"The whole reason for writing to the EPA is to ensure that all the investments made at the plant are having an effect on the ground."
Patients using Mallow General Hospital (MGH) have given the facility a largely clean bill of health, according to the results of the first ever national survey undertaken to assess standards within Irish hospitals.

Under the auspices of the National Patient Experience Survey, which was undertaken in partnership between HIQA, the HSE and the Department of Health, some 27,000 patients discharged from 40 public acute hospitals during the month of May were asked to described their experiences.

Mallow was among five facilities in Cork included withing the survey, the other being the Cork University Hospital, the Mercy University Hospital, the South Infirmary and Bantry General Hospital.

Some 84% of all patients surveyed said their overall experience was either 'good' or 'very good', with more than 90% saying that doctors and nurses answered their questions in a manner they could understand.

More than 80% said they were treated with respect and dignity during their hospital stay, with 83% saying they always had confidence and trust in the hospital staff that treated them.

However, the survey did identify a number of key areas that were in need of improvement, chief among these being waiting times in emergency departments. While 79% of respondents described the admission process as being 'good' or 'very good', only 30% said they were admitted to a ward within the target waiting time of six hours.

"Long waiting times have been linked to with negative health outcomes and as a result pose a threat to patients safety," wrote the surveys authors. Communication on wards proved to be another major issue, with less than half of those surveyed saying they could not always find a staff member to talk to about their concerns. More than a third of people said they were not involved as much as they would have liked in decisions made about their care.

The biggest concerns raised were in relation to the discharge or transfer process, with many patients saying there needed to be better communication with patients in relation to issues including the side effects of medication, the danger signals to watch out for after release and how patients should care for themselves at home.

In relation to Mallow General Hospital the response from patients was, on the whole, positive with 80% of those describing the care they received on the ward and the examination, diagnosis and treatment regime as 'very good'.

However, in line with the national survey, the discharge and transfer process was called into question with just 60% describing it as 'very good' and 20% ranking it as being 'fair to poor'.

Some 24% of Mallow patients said they did not receive a clear explanation of how their operation or procedure had gone, 31% said they were unable to find a staff member to talk about their worries and fears and 35% were not provided with any printed information regarding what they should do or not do when they returned home.

Overall the MGH rated well within the survey with 83% of people rating their overall experience as being very good (compared to the national average of 54%), 16% saying it was 'good' and just 1% described their stay s 'fair to poor' (compared to the national average of 16%).

Of the Mallow patients surveyed some 91% said the toilets and bathroom facilities were 'very good', with 85% saying they were satisfied with the standard and choice of food they were offered.

Responding to the findings of the survey, the HSE said they had listened to what patients at the MGH had said and were working to improve the issues addressed. Ongoing actions include addressing hospital food and nutrition for patients, increasing the awareness of supports available for patients wishing to speak to someone about worries and concerns, providing more accessible health information to patients and providing more information to patients at the point of discharge.

The HSE said that monitors made in relation to performance indicators set for the Medical Assessment Unit were "constantly assessed" and that continuous improvement was a priority.

"We continue to increase self awareness among staff and to engage in continuous improvement in the unit to provide an improved experience for the patients families," said the HSE.

They said management would continue to "support and implement" hospital-wide programmes that would "enhance patient experience". These include support for the role and function of its consumer services department, promoting and valuing the roles of staff through the '#Hello My Name Is....' campaign and twice weekly meetings with staff to chart progress updates in improvement issues.
Members of the Travellers of North Cork group who held a protest outside the Cork County Council offices in Mallow to highlight the issue of homelessness

"Housing rights are human rights - a home for all is needed this Christmas."

That was the theme of a festive gathering with an important message that took place on Wednesday morning outside the Cork County Council offices at Annabella House in Mallow.

Santa joined members of the Travellers of North Cork (TNC) group for the protest, which TNC primary health care co-ordinator Bec Fahy said was held to highlight the lack of action being taken within the region to address the issue of homelessness.

"It has been nine months since the Irish State formally recognised Traveller ethnicity yet the human right to adequate housing has been an area that has seen no improvement for the traveller community," said Ms Fahy.

"Increasing numbers are experiencing homelessness and more are forced to live in unsuitable, overcrowded or dangerous conditions," she added.

She said that on Wednesday TNC representatives handed over details of 30 complaints to Cork County Council made by members of the Traveller community arising from a series of housing rights workshops held in Cork.

"The workshops highlighted a number of issues such as the lack of suitable accommodation and that fact that North Cork does not have a dedicated homeless unit. A lot of families are facing uncertainty this Christmas, with some living under the threat of eviction and facing the reality that there is nowhere for them to turn," said Ms Fahy.

She said the workshops and a guide for human rights monitoring survey also undertaken by TNC revealed a "history of neglect, delay and discrimination."

It found that 42% of those surveyed had been on the council waiting list for more than seven years, with a quarter of those on the list for more than a decade; only 11% of those on the list had ever received written offers of accommodation; families were living without basic facilities such as water, electricity and sanitation and 99% felt the State did not understand, respect or support Travellers rights to live a nomadic lifestyle.

Ms Fahy said that Wednesday's gathering, while organised by TNC, was also highlighting the accommodation issues faced by all vulnerable groups right across Irish society.

"For Travellers in North Cork there has always been a housing crisis. But, with the increasing lack of available housing we see all vulnerable groups, not just Travellers, being pushed out of the housing market and facing increasing difficulty in finding suitable accommodation," she added.

With this in mind, TNC is preparing to join the various groups that form the Housing and Homeless Coalition for the planned national housing protest next April.

"Until then we are asking that all groups who experience homelessness and housing uncertainty stand together and support the right to housing for all," said Ms Fahy.

"While Wednesday's protest was a fun and festive event it also had a very serious point. Santa and those present were also calling on Cork County Council and the Government to share the gift of human rights," she added.
Cork North West TD Deputy Aindrias Moynihan has slammed the government over what he described as the "unacceptable" delay in implementing the Ballyvourney/Ballymakeera flood relief scheme.

The Fianna Fail deputy was commenting after raising the issue on the floor of Dail Eireann through a parliamentary question to the Minister for the OPW and Flooding, Kevin 'Boxer' Moran.

Asked when works would be advancing in areas across the upper Lee area, Minister Moran replied that final plans were currently undergoing an independent review by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

"Once this has been completed and observations addressed, I would hope by early 2018 to seek approval for flood risk management plans under the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) programme," he said.

"Thereafter, I would hope to announce the proposed structural measures contained within those plans that will be taken, through a prioritised approach over the coming years, to detailed design to protect those communities at assessed risk."

Deputy Moynihan was clearly not impressed with the reply, pointing out that six-years had already passed since the initial designs for the Ballyvourney/Ballymakeera were first published.

"The detailed design was due for completion in 2016 after the National Parks and Wildlife Service had cleared everything with the pearl mussel. A second exhibition promised for spring 2017 was pushed back and now, based on the Minister's reply, it is being promised for the start of 2018," he said.

"For the past number of years, the local community have been promised progress but for all intents and purposes, no progress has been made."

He said that in the meantime local residents were living under the constant threat of flooding to roads, schools and businesses from the River Sullane every time there is a heavy downpour of rain.

"Until this project is completed, local residents will continue to struggle to get viable insurance cover. They are fed up with waiting and fed up with being made promises that are never delivered on," fumed Deputy Moynihan.

"The local community cannot and will not accept any further delays in the delivery of this critical piece of local infrastructure. As the local TD. I will continue to lobby the Government to ensure that it is delivered."
Up to 2,700 patients in the north Cork area could be affected by the ongoing scan crisis at University Hospital Kerry.

The Tralee hospital has been engulfed in scandal since it emerged over the weekend that over 46,000 scans examined by a former radiologist at the hospital must be rechecked.

The recheck of the scans - one of the largest such reviews ever undertaken in Ireland - was prompted by three missed cancer diagnoses which were discovered in July and August. On Monday the HSE admitted that another four cancer diagnoses had been missed, bringing the total to seven.

A team of eight external radiologists have now been appointed to review 46,302 scans including x-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds relating to 26,751 patients. The scans were all initially examined by an individual locum radiologist who worked at University Hospital Kerry (UHK) from March 2016 until late July 2017.

The radiologist was placed on administrative leave after the first of the missed cancer diagnoses was discovered and notified to management of UHK and the HSE's South/South West Hospital Group (SSWHG) of which UHK is a member.

When two further missed cancer diagnoses were discovered in August a preliminary audit of the radiologist's work was carried out. Based on the results of the audit the SSWHG decided to carry out a full recheck of every scan that had been examined by the locum radiologist during their time at UHK.

This comprehensive recheck - which the HSE kept secret until news of it broke in the media - commenced in early October.

The locum at the centre of the controversy - who previously work at the Mater Hospital in Dublin and in hospitals in the UK and Canada - formally resigned from their post at UHK on October 18.

Management of UHK and SSWHG told HSE management said they were not in a position to provide an exact breakdown but they estimated that approximately 10 per cent of the scans under review relate to patients from north Cork.

Based on that estimate it would appear that roughly between 2,000 and 2,700 patients in Cork are affected by the scandal.

There has been severe criticism of the HSE's decision not to notify the public about the recheck, a choice the executive said was based on standard HSE policy and which was aimed at avoiding public panic.

The Chairman of the HSE South Regional Forum Kerry Fine Gael County Councillor Bobby O'Connell said that the first time forum members heard about the recheck was when it was reported in the media.

"No-one in the HSE mentioned this to us. I am extremely disappointed that as chairman of the HSE, I was not informed about what was happening in my own area. This review should have been made public at the earliest opportunity," said Cllr O'Connell.

The forum - which includes nine members from Cork County Council - is expected to debate the issue at its next meeting in January.
On Friday last, Drogheda Chamber welcomed the local business community to the d Hotel for their annual Christmas networking lunch.

The event was a tremendous success and raised much needed funds for the Boomerang Cafe (Youth Centre and Cafe). Catrina Culligan, representing Boomerang Cafe, thanked President of Drogheda Chamber, Paddy Callaghan, (pictured) and the business community in Drogheda for their ongoing commitment and support of the service.

Guest speaker on the day, Michael Carey of East Coast Bakehouse, described to a captivated audience, how he set up his current business in Drogheda. He went on to emphasise the importance of businesses supporting local organisations, such as Boomerang Cafe, and pledged to match the funds raised on the day to demonstrate his company's commitment to the town and such services.

Also speaking at the event was Pauline Ashwood of Drogheda Classical Music Series, "Music gives me a buzz. Putting together and promoting concerts that I believe in gives me joy." Pauline is passionate about Classical Music and about putting Drogheda on the map for it. She invited the business community in Drogheda to really get behind the Series, which runs from September to March.

The event was sponsored by State Street. Mayor Pio Smith and Superintendent Andrew Waters were amongst the special invited guests.
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Whale Watching Week Features over 20,000 Whales Just Off Oregon Coast

Published 12/22/2017 at 4:45 AM PDT - Updated 12/22/2017 at 4:55 AM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Oregon Coast)  All of the Oregon coast (and one point in both Washington and northern California) will be a part of the Whale Watching Week, starting December 27 and going until December 31. The entire coastline will be checking out some 20,000 gray whales that meander past as they head south from Alaska to birthing waters off the coast of Baja, Mexico. (Photo above courtesy OPRD).

This splendid cetacean display features volunteers from the Whale Watching Spoken Here program, stationed at 24 sites along the Oregon coast (and just north and south of it), helping you to spot the whales. They'll be there from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day, offering tips of spotting whales and facts about the gargantuan beasts.

Whale guides will point out special behaviors such as spy hopping, breaching, and spouting, as well as discuss whale feeding, courtship, and migration patterns. But most of all they assist you in spotting the giant cetaceans as they pass by here.

Some areas can see as much as 30 a day in that three-hour stretch that includes the whale guides. 2015 saw 1,600 whales total across those 24 sites on that week.

You may also see Orcas and Humpback whales as they journey past the Oregon coast.

Luke Parsons, an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) ranger with the Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay, says one of the goals of the event is to create awareness and compassion for whales and other marine life.

"Whales are a special part of the Oregon coast," said Parsons. "Nearly 20,000 people visit our whale watch sites each winter and are educated by our excellent volunteers. I hope visitors walk away feeling a little more connected to these animals, along with a greater appreciation of our oceans."

It happens every year from December through the middle of January: gray whales swim about 6,000 miles to calving lagoons near the Baja peninsula. The fun does not stop at the end of Whale Watching Week: they're here in fairly large numbers through the middle of January, but some still trickle through for another week or so after that.

By February they're gone, until they start to pop up in early March as they head north again, this time with their babies in tow.

The Whale Watch Week sites begin with one on the Washington coast at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Ilwaco, Washington.

See Best of Oregon Coast Lodging for Whale Watching, Whale Watch Week

Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach has one, and the next is 15 miles south at the Neahkahnie Mountain Historic Marker Turnout on Highway 101, just above Manzanita.

On the Three Capes Tour there is Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, Cape Lookout State Park (that one requires a 2.5-mile hike to the site at the tip of the Cape), and then several miles south at the top of Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City.

In Lincoln County, you'll find the most sites: Inn at Spanish Head Lobby on 10th floor (Lincoln City), Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint (near Depoe Bay), The Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay, Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint (just south of Depoe Bay), Cape Foulweather and the Devil's Punchbowl State Natural Area (both between Newport and Depoe Bay), Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in Newport, and Don Davis City Park, also in Newport.

The next one is about a 30-minute drive south, past Yachats, at the Cape Perpetua Interpretive Center and the Cook's Chasm Turnout (directly on the Lincoln County/Lane County line).

About 15 miles south of there is the Sea Lion Caves Turnout  the large Highway 101 turnout south of tunnel, and a bit north of Florence.

On the southern Oregon coast, the Whale Watch sites are Umpqua Lighthouse, near Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, Shore Acres State Park, Face Rock Wayside State Scenic Viewpoint, Battle Rock Wayfinding Point in Port Orford, Cape Ferrelo, Harris Beach State Park, Brookings, Oregon, and the 9th Street Beach, Crescent City, California. More at whalespoken.org - Also see Oregon Coast Whales - Guide to Whale Watching; Whale News













Photos below courtesy Seaside Aquarium







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Christmas Eve

at Methodist Church

TWIN FALLS  The annual Christmas Eve candlelight service will begin at 8:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 360 Shoshone St. N., Twin Falls. The celebration of candles, carols and special music is based on the theme Its Time to Unwrap the True Meaning of Christmas. The Rev. Michael Holloman will lead the service.

Regular worship will be at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, led by Pastor Holloman.

Everyone is welcome at these services. More information: call 208-733-5872 or go to www.tffumc.com.

Unitarian Universalists host candlelight service

TWIN FALLS  The Magic Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will hold a candlelight Christmas Eve service at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Vendor Blender and Event Center, 588 Addison Ave. W. near the old hospital, Twin Falls. Refreshments will be provided; a collection will be taken for Heifer International. There will be no service Sunday morning.

Unitarian Universalism honors the differing paths individuals travel. Congregations are places where people celebrate, support and challenge one another as they continue on their spiritual journeys. Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote: the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another. Newcomers of all religious paths, or none at all, are always welcome. Child care is available. The center is handicapped-accessible. Parking is in the rear of the building.

More information: call Ken Whiting at 208-734-9161 or email mvuuf83301@yahoo.com.

Christmas worship

at Ascension

TWIN FALLS  Ascension Episcopal Church welcomes the community for the celebration of Christs birth at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at 371 Eastland Dr. N., Twin Falls. There will be singing of Christmas carols and the service of Holy Communion with guest celebrant Canon Lucinda Ashby  transition minister for the Diocese of Idaho. No child care will be available for this service; children are welcome at worship.

Djembe Drumming will not meet until the second Monday in January.

Knit-Us-Together  the handwork group  will meet from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays to work on prayer shawls, infant hats, adult hats and scarves for donations, as well as individual projects. All are welcome, including those who are interested in learning to knit or crochet.

Find worship, study and fellowship at Ascension. The church is handicapped-accessible. More information: call 208-733-1248 or go to www.episcopaltwinfalls.org.

Buddhists present doctrine talk in Boise

BOISE  The Buddhist Society of Idaho welcomes everyone in the Magic and Treasure Valleys to hear Arjahn Chaiya, chief monk from the Chaiya Meditation Monastery in Las Vegas. He will present a dharma talk  a doctrine or teaching of the Buddha  at 2 p.m. Saturday at 4948 Kootenai St., Building B, Boise.

Arjahn Chaiya is coming to meet and greet Buddhists; friends of Buddhists; people who have an interest in Buddhism, but do not know who to contact; and people who have questions about Buddhism, but are afraid to ask.

The event will celebrate the beginning of the Buddhist Society of Idaho which was approved in August as a 501(c )(3) religious organization by both the state of Idaho and the federal government. Buddhists living in the Magic and Treasure Valleys met last summer in Boise to form the society. It is to be a place Buddhists can meditate, chant and meet each other as well as other interested people.

People of all religious paths, or none at all, are welcome to attend this event with Arjahn Chaiya. As with all Buddhist monasteries and temples  Theravada tradition  there never is a charge; freewill donations are accepted, but never required. More information: call Ken Whiting at 208-734-9161 or go to buddhistsocietyidaho@yahoo.com.
The water pipe refurbishment works on the Marsh Road commenced on December 11th and finish on December 22nd. Works to resume January 3rd.

Monsters of Rock in McHugh's on Dec 23

The Monsters of Rock return to McHugh's Venue on Saturday 23rd December, with young Shane Kelly in tow.

Expect a head-wrecking and liver-bashing menu of Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Metallica, Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Megadeth, Whitesnake, Van Halen, Guns n Roses, Ozzy and many more to make your head and body ache...

Kevin Fox - vocals, Colm McSherry - guitar, miming, Jagger Murray - guitar, miming, Kieran McDonnell - bass, miming and Mark Duffy - drums, miming, make up the outfit.

Shane Kelly is the support. Admission is 10.

85 blood donors in Stamullen clinic

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) would like to thank all 85 Donors who attended the recently held clinic in the City North Hotel. A breakdown of the total figures show that 13 first time donors and 9 former donors attended. For further details, please contact Catherine Hughes, Area Manager at Ardee Regional Office, 041 - 685 9994.
Local woman Jacinta Walsh has welcomed the announcement that funding of 10m has been allocated for disability services to help ease the chronic shortage of respite facilities available in Louth and nationwide.

Jacinta, who is well known throughout the area as one of the founding members of ABACAS school in Drogheda, appeared on a Primetime Special last week to highlight the difficulties faced by her own family who have had no respite for her adult son Sam who has autism, in over two years.

Jacinta revealed how Sam began to have violent outbursts and lash out at around the age of 14 or 15 and the family now have locks on almost every door to protect both themselves and Sam.

She told how one day at the beach Sam suffered an episode which resulted in him headbutting Jacinta relentlessly for around 25 minutes.

Jacinta said Sams outburts they are quite short but can be incredibily intense.

He has no concept of I shouldnt hit a woman, its just whatever chemical is going on in his head, its complete overload, she explained. Hes a big adult person with all the teen hormones racing around and he has no coping skills, no outlet. He cant play sport, go out with his friends, play loud music all the things that other young people do to let off steam he has it all in there building up.

Sams routine is extremely predictable because he needs that. He needs to be told whats coming next. If things keep happening in a certain way he can rely on it and hes calmer. Its anxiety.

She said on the programme: I cant tell you the difference it makes having respite. It makes such a huge difference if you know that youre getting respite in three weeks time you can carry on in between but if theres no break on the horizon, ever, thats where we are now - there is nothing - thats really really hard.

After the RTE special aired, Jacinta received an outpouring of support and well wishes and her story and those of others featured highlighted the ongoing lack of resources for families in need of respite care for loved ones.

Last week, the government announced funding of 10 million, including 8m which will be provided for nine new dedicated houses for respite in each community health area, plus an additional three houses in the greater Dublin area to respond to the very high demand for respite in this area.

These additional twelve respite houses will provide approximately 19,000 respite nights per year to the people living in those areas on a full year.

Speaking to the Drogheda Independent this week, Jacinta said she was delighted the funding has been ringfenced for these services and believes the Primetime Programme Carers in Crisis helped to shine a spotlight on the issue and bring it to the fore after years of campaigning by local groups and politicians.

I think the programme did highlight the whole list of concerns particularly for adults. There is such a lack of support, planning and transparency. Its about planning and being involved in planning for your childs future.

Everything seems to be left until things reach an absolute crisis point. It makes no sense. If people have respite then their families can live at home with them for much longer. Its cheaper, its better for them, its better for the family. They child or adult gets to know other people and becomes familiar with other environments so that if, down the road they have to move its not such a big shock. Theres a care plan in place.

Its not a case that suddenly a parent has a stroke or something and emergency care has to be set up, which is expensive and not in the persons best interest.

We want to keep our children at home as long as possible but you need that break, you need respite.

She said the programme really struck a nerve because people could see the physicality of what carers are dealing with on a day to day basis.

There was a huge reaction to the programme and loads of messages of support and well wishes. I know lots of parents like me, lots of families in similar situations. How can people who havent experienced this understand it, half the time I cant believe myself the stuff thats going on in my house. Were in some parallel universe.'

She said the campaign has received a lot of support locally with local politicians campaigning to improve respite services and continually raising the issue on their behalf.

However, she said their questions were often met with blank generic responses from the government and the HSE.

Along with the lack of respite theres a serious lack of clinical support. If Sam had been seen at a younger age I really think things wouldnt have got as bad as it did. Because as a parent we dont know whats wrong, it was only through talking to other parents that we realised he needed to see a psychologist.

Sam is diabetes type 1 and when Sam was diagnosed the medical professionals take responsibility for him, they said he has diabetes we have to look after him whereas we dont have that feeling with the disability services.

She said the recent allocation is a welcome step in the right direction to providing proper respite services.

It is great that this money has been specifically allocated for this but we havent yet to be told exactly how this will be implemented. All I know is that Minister McGrath is aware of the empty respite house in Balbriggan.'

He said they are aware of it and are looking at it but I havent been told anything specific. Its great the money is ringfenced, thats really important.
The Stop sign at the top of Constitution Hill is proving a nightmare for motorists in icy conditions.

And local Fianna Fail activist Anthony Moore has received a number of complaints and is now urging a change in the traffic system on the Cord Road. He has called on Louth County Council to take urgent action to remove the "stop" sign.

'At the moment, cars coming up Constitution Hill have to stop and yield to traffic coming across the Cord Road and heading for Francis Street. In summertime that would not be a problem, but it's now winter.

'A number of motorists contacted me about this and they told me that during the recent frost and snow, after being stopped in their cars at the top of Constitution Hill, they found it extremely difficult to take off again. Their tyres were just skidding all over the place. This is a serious problem and as the cold weather worsens, we run the risk of cars sliding back down the hill and piling into each other, or even striking pedestrians.'

He now wants traffic on Constitution Hill to be allowed travel on up Francis Street and a yield/stop sign placed on the Cord Road.

'The stop sign currently in place at the top of the hill needs to be moved onto the Cord Road requiring cars coming over the Cord Road to yield to cars coming up the hill. But there is no time to lose.'
Broadcaster Alison Comyn is encouraging young and old people right across Louth to get out and take part in one of three GOAL Miles taking place across the county this Christmas and New Year period.

The Miles will once again offer people an opportunity to exercise, have fun and help raise money and awareness for some of GOAL's most vital programmes in the developing world.

Now in its 36th year, the GOAL Miles regularly attract tens of thousands of participants each year. People run, jog or walk a Mile in villages, towns and cities the length and breadth of Ireland. More than 130 Miles will be held across the country over the festive period, confirming the ever-growing popularity of the event.

Alison is particularly encouraging families to make sure their children take part in their local event.

"Anyone, no matter their age or fitness level, can take part in a GOAL Mile, but the individual events become very special when lots of children participate. Not only are young boys and girls exercising and having fun, but they are also learning about - and helping - children in other parts of the world who may be suffering because of hunger, disease or conflict."

GOAL General Manager, Celine Fitzgerald, says the GOAL Miles have become annual social occasions is communities the length and breadth of the country at this time of the year. "The GOAL Mile has gone from strength to strength every year since its inception in 1982," she said. "Over the past three-and-a-half decades, it has become an integral part of Christmas for thousands of families.

"We are grateful to everyone who helps make the GOAL Mile such a popular event, and we are particularly thankful to the local organisers, who give up so much of their time to ensure each event is successful as possible. Thanks to them, and to everyone who takes part, GOAL is able to highlight, and support, some of the most vulnerable communities in the world."

Miles will be held at three locations across Louth this year: at Dundalk IT on Christmas Day from 10-11am; at St. Fechin's GAA Grounds, Termonfeckin on St Stephen's Day from 11am-12pm; and at Dunleer AC Track on Christmas Day from 11am-12pm. In addition, the Mile at Termonfeckin celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and will be marking the occasion by having Fergal McEvoy and friends play traditional music on the day - also a nod to the fact that Drogheda will host the Fleadh Cheoil next year.
The community that has been part and parcel of the North Strand for decades shed a united tear last week.

The death of Roisin Ni Chairbre saw a little piece of Drogheda's tradition also disappear.

For years, she was a familiar face in the family pub, helping to run the business with sister, Aine, and her late mother, Bean Ui Chairbre.

Her red hair was her trade mark and tributes poured in on social media, some describing her as a 'Drogheda legend'.

Others stated how she enjoyed the music and the company that would light up the pub, from the Blue Grass to the traditional Irish - every genre has its place in Carberrys.

Roisin passed away after an illness at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and was beloved daughter of the late Caitlin Ui Chairbre and the late Patsy Carberry and is sadly missed by her sisters and brothers, Niamh, Aine, Fidelma, Dominic, Aongus and Fiacre, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Her funeral mass on Tuesday to Our Lady of Lourdes Church, was a true celebration of her life.

The family pub also hosted a memorial night at the weekend to honour her memory.
Senator Ged Nash has expressed his disappointment that the government has rejected an amendment in the Seanad to the 2017 Dail Constituencies Bill that would have seen the title of the Louth Dail constituency change to 'Louth & East Meath.'

"Three separate boundary commission reports since 2007 have recommended that the Louth Dail constituency should include significant parts of the Meath coastal area such as Laytown, Bettystown and Mornington and the urban areas in Drogheda, Co. Meath which are contiguous to Drogheda town, Co. Louth," he stated.

"This arrangement is working well and the recent boundary commission report recommends that the status quo should remain.

"I have always been of the firm view that the title of the constituency should reflect the geographic reality of its make-up and local affiliations and affinities.

"We know that county loyalties run deep in Ireland. As a significant part of the population of East Meath prepares to vote in their third successive election in the constituency of Louth, it is only right that the title of the constituency should be amended to "Louth & East Meath" in order to reflect the county-based identities of a sizeable proportion of the electorate in the Laytown, Bettystown, Mornington, Donacarney and Julianstown areas.

"While the work of the Commission is independent, as it should be, there was nothing preventing the government from accepting a common-sense amendment on the name of the constituency."
A date has been set for the trial of five men, charged in connection with the murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly.

The 35-year-old father of two was shot dead on March 6, 2013 outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston, Co Meath.

Books of evidence were served on five men in connection with the case before the non-jury Special Criminal Court last Friday.

They were Michael McDermott (58), of Riverdale House, Garrymore, Ballinagh, Co. Cavan, who was one of the men charged with the actual murder of Mr Butterly outside the pub that day.

Secondly, he is charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh Na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on the same date.

He is also charged with possession of a 9mm Beretta semi-automatic pistol with the intent to commit murder and the possession of seven rounds of 9mm ammunition on March 5, 2013 at Blackthorn Apartments, Brackenwood Avenue, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.

Kevin Braney (43) with a last address at Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght in Dublin is also charged with Mr Butterly's murder. He's further charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on March 6, 2013.

He is also charged with the possession of a 9mm calibre Beretta model 9000s semi-automatic pistol and the possession of seven rounds of 9mm ammunition with the intent to commit murder on March 5, 2013 at Blackthorn Apartments, Brackenwood Avenue, Balbriggan.

Frank Murphy (58), of McDonough Caravan Park, Triton Road, Bettystown, Co. Meath is the third man charged with Mr Butterly's murder.

He is also charged with possession of a 9mm Beretta semi-automatic pistol with the intent to commit murder and the possession of seven rounds of 9mm ammunition on the same date.

He is further charged with membership of an unlawful organisation within the state, namely Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA at the time.

Laurence Murphy (60), a brother of Frank Murphy and also of McDonough Caravan Park, Triton Road, Bettystown, Co. Meath is charged with membership of an unlawful organisation within the state, namely Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA on March 6, 2013.

Ray Kennedy (38), of Whitestown Drive, Blanchardstown, in Dublin is charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh Na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on March 6, 2013.

Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, presiding with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain, Judge Cormac Dunne set at trial date for 2nd October 2018 for all five men, noting that the estimate for the duration of the trial was up to ten weeks.

She extended legal aid to cover a second junior counsel for each man, on hearing of the volume of paperwork in the case.
Martin Murphy, a member of The Irish Mini Owners Club, donated bikes and go-karts to the Autistic Unit of St. Senan's Primary School. He is pictured with children from the unit, SNA's and deputy principal Seamus Kavanagh

While usually presents are delivered on a sleigh at this time of year, special presents came from a Mini Cooper as Christmas came early to St Senan's PS. A committee member of the Irish Mini Owners Club, local man Martin Murphy was given 1,000 from the proceeds of their International Mini meet in Westport earlier this year to donate to a charity of his choice.

Martin could think of nothing better than bringing some smiles to the faces of local children and decided to use the money to purchase bikes and go-karts for the children in the Autistic Unit at the school.

The excitement was immense as the children got to grips with the new wheels and Martin was delighted to see them so happy.

'I chose St Senan's school for my donation because my two children are both past pupils,' he said. 'I especially wanted to help the children in the Autistic Unit and I was delighted to see them so happy with the new bikes.'

Martin also wished to thank Enniscorthy Bike Centre for providing the bikes and go-karts at such a reasonable rate and he wished the children at St Senan's happy pedalling as he left them to play with their new wheels!

The staff and management at St Senan's PS also wished to express their appreciation to Martin and everyone in the Irish Mini Owners club for their generosity and ensured them that they're donation would result in hours of fun for the pupils in the Autistic Unit.
County Wexford Community Workshop in Bellefield is facing major difficulties following recommendations made by the Labour Court relating to salary increments for staff there. The dispute over non-payment of increments at CWCW was brought before the Labour Court after parties failed to find a solution following talks at a local level.

The issue surrounds an alignment between CWCW salaries and HSE consolidated pay scales. The Unions acting on behalf of staff (SIPTU and INMO) pointed out that public sector pay cuts had been applied to CWCW staff and, thus, any increments now in place in the public sector should also apply to CWCW staff.

The company countered this argument, saying that the costs involved in meeting the Union claims was prohibitive, adding that service reductions or redundancies were currently the only options available to the company to fund any potential increments.

Approximately 150 staff, consisting of nurses, care assistants, social care workers and support workers, are currently employed at the CWCW, which provides a broad range of services to both children and adults with intellectual disabilities. It is a Section 39 agency that provides services under a service level agreement with the HSE. 80% of its funding is provided by the HSE with the other 20% coming from fundraising. Between 2008 and 2013, the HSE reduced its funding year-on-year by between 1% and 5.75%. Up until 2009, the CWCW applied for, and received, a separate payment from the HSE to cover payments of increments to staff but this was subsquently discontinued and no increments have been paid since 2010.

The Labour Court was told that the CWCW has been operating on a break-even basis for a number of years and that the cost of restoring increments would be approximately 150,000. The company denied that staff had a contractual entitlement to annual increments.

IBEC submitted that the CWCW, in the absence of additional specific funding from the HSE, would have to reduce its service offering in order to fund the Unions' request for payment of increments. This, they said, would have a detrimental impact on service users and would result in a loss of jobs as a reduction in service would also prompt a reduction in grant aid for the following year.

Upon hearing all the details of the case, the Labour Court said that as their pay is aligned with the HSE, staff are entitled to receive the same increments as HSE staff. The court conceded that CWCW has been receiving a reduced level of funding while being expected to provide the same level of service.

'The court has considerable sympathy for the CWCW, which finds itself in a wholly unsatisfactory situation not of its own making,' the findings stated. 'It does not have any control over its level of funding nor does it have de facto control over the pay levels of its staff. It is manifestly the case that CWCW is not being provided with sufficient funds to meet its obligations to staff. Nevertheless, having regard to the pay alignment referred to above, the Court has no option but to acknowledge the entitlement of the staff concerned to payment of increments and to recommend concession of the Unions' claims. The Court further recommends that the parties should jointly approach the HSE to secure the resources necessary to meet the cost of this Recommendation.'

CWCW chief executive Trevor Jacob was unavailable for comment.
BURLEY  Thanksgiving Day began with a turkey and friends visiting for dinner. It ended in a bloody beating for one Burley woman, who testified Friday that her abusive boyfriend made her toddler help torture her with knives.

David James Gifford, 36, is charged with felony domestic battery, injury to a child and attempted strangulation.

In emotion-filled testimony, Giffords 29-year-old girlfriend took the witness stand in Cassia County Magistrate Court and tearfully recounted an attack that included him punching, kicking and strangling her until she lost consciousness. The woman, who has a 4-month-old infant with Gifford, said he stabbed her multiple times with a steak knife and gave a knife to her toddler and got him to stab her, too.

The woman said the holiday began with guests at their home and a turkey dinner. Gifford, who had become intoxicated, became enraged over a detail regarding the turkey and started berating her, according to the womans testimony. At one point he went in the kitchen and began tossing the turkey around, she said, which included picking it up and throwing it with both hands and digging into the bird with his hands and ripping it apart.

I was scared, she said. It didnt seem like something a sane person would do.

When she grabbed a cellphone to call the sheriffs office, he put her in a headlock and flipped her onto the bed.

The woman said she heard her 2-year-old come into the bedroom and Gifford say What else can we do to her?

Gifford yanked her hair until her neck popped. He jumped and landed on her back and grabbed her neck with his hands.

I couldnt breathe at all and was gasping for air. I was scratching and clawing at him, she said.

She lost consciousness and everything turned black. She was coughing up blood when she woke up.

The woman testified she went outside and screamed for help, but he forced her back in and told her she wasnt leaving. Gifford choked her again in the living room where their infant was sleeping.

He told me hed kill me and Id never see my kids again, the woman said, hunching over at the witness stand and sobbing, which caused the court to call a short break.

When the hearing reconvened, she told the court at that point she was badly injured and couldnt see well from the blood and swelling in her eyes.

He told my son to go grab a knife, she said. The woman thinks the boy returned with a butter knife because Gifford told him No, a sharp one. Gifford retrieved two steak knives, one of which he handed to the boy.

He held her down while boy stabbed at her several times in the stomach, the woman testified, but not hard enough to penetrate her skin.

Gifford flipped her over and told the boy, Stab mommy again, she said.

Gifford and the boy were both stabbing her in the back using different pressure.

One was pushing into me and the other was quick jabs, she said.

Giffords attorney, Peter Wells, questioned the woman about her relationship with Gifford, whether she was taking any medication that day, whether she had been drinking and if she had struck him in the face causing a black eye that day, an act she admitted doing.

Wells said her story during the hearing differed from the version she told deputies after the incident. He said she could have left and questioned why she didnt get up and try to leave.

Her son was close by, she said.

I would have taken a beating to keep him from getting hurt, she said.

When Wells asked her if she had a criminal record, Cassia County Chief Deputy Prosecutor McCord Larsen objected and Wells withdrew the question and said he was finished questioning her.

Cannon said he found the womans testimony credible and there was enough evidence to warrant the felony charges.

Cannon said the circumstances were very dangerous and exposed the children to extreme violence. It appeared, he said, Gifford completely lost control.

Gifford was bound over to court and will be arraigned at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 23 in Cassia County District Court.
A milestone was well and truly marked at The Bailey recently as Enniscorthy Camera Club celebrated 40 years with a special dinner. Founded back in 1977, the club has provided advice and encouragement for local photographers since its inception and is still going strong today.

Many of the founding members of the club were present on the night and three of them were presented with special awards. Paddy Murphy and Christy Doyle were both awarded honorary life membership of Enniscorthy Camera Club, while fellow founding member John Wilkinson was awarded with honorary life membership of the Irish Photographic Federation. The club's first Chairman Ger Carty said a few words of encouragement for the club on the night and said how wonderful it has been to see it grow and develop over the past forty years.

The club currently has around 35 members on the books and they meet every second Tuesday at the Church Institute for a chat and to exchange hints and tips, as well as planning various outings throughout the year.

In addition to a fine feed, members present at the anniversary dinner were also treated to a sideshow which trawled through the archives of various photos and outings from the past 40 years, and it was agreed that some of them had indeed aged like a fine wine.

Each of the founder members were also presented with a special momento to mark the occasion in the form of a beautiful rose bush. A great night was had by all and the merriment lasted well into the night.

Enniscorthy Camera Club is always open to new members and anyone interested in joining is invited to come along to one of the meetings at the Church Institute to see what it's all about.
Rathnure family the O'Connors came agonisingly close to being crowned Ireland's Fittest Family as the final aired on RTE on Sunday night. The family qualified for the final and managed to make it to the final face-off against the Beirne family from Leitrim, ultimately missing out on the win by a couple of seconds.

Managed by Wexford Hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald the family faced their share of adversity over the course of the series, losing Cathal (18) to a broken arm, with him having to be replaced by brother Ciaran (19).

The final got off to the best possible start for the O'Connor's as father Chris (48) and daughter Roisin (14) managed to come first of the three families in a gruelling bog run. In a twist, host Mairead Ronan told the families that they would have to face the same race again and Davy Fitz picked Micheal (16) to run the gauntlet, where he was going very well until he got stuck in a patch of particularly thick bog.

In the car-pull, the family really showed its character, however, and they smashed it, earning a place in the final showdown with the Beirne family. One of the stars of this series, young Roisin showed amazing character after her race got off to the worst possible start when she took a rough tumble down some hay bales at the very start, bloodying herself in the process. She continued on valiantly though and was the first of her family across the line.

In a nail-biting finish, the O'Connor's were just a couple of seconds behind the Beirne family crossing the line, narrowly missing out on the title of Ireland's Fittest Family. Davy Fitz was full of praise for the Rathnure family, however, saying that they showed immense character and that he 'couldn't be prouder' of the effort they put in throughout the series.
Black Raven Drummer Donnacha at the 3 Arena before playing with the Ravens and Andre Rieu

Members of the acclaimed Black Raven Pipe Band are pinching themselves after they had privilege of performing at the two recent Andre Rieu concerts in the 3 Arena.

Rieu is a world famous violinist and along with his Johann Strauss orchestra, they have travelled all over the world during the last thirty years, popularising classical music.

The standard of musicianship at Andre's shows is exceptional, and his shows are highly entertaining. He is probably most famous for performing the Blue Danube, which is the quintessential music for waltzing.

He has toured Ireland consecutively for the last eight years and often includes the bag pipes in his repertoire.

The Black Raven Pipe Band were asked to perform Scotland the Brave, Highland Cathedral and Amazing Grace, which were all very appropriate tunes for this time of year.

The band were also asked to march among the audience before walking on stage to join the orchestra, which made for a very dramatic entrance.

It was a dream come true for the senior members of the band to perform with such an iconic musician and for the younger members of the band, Callum and Tristan Piner, it was a thrill not only to meet Andre, but also to perform at such an huge venue.

Andre and his crew couldn't have been more welcoming and generous with their time, and they even invited us to the after show party!

The Black Raven Pipe Band has a school of drumming and piping, and they are always delighted to have new members join the band.

All tuition, instruments and uniforms are provided for new members. Please contact us if you are interested in the joining our pipe band, everyone is welcome.
Swords chart-toppers, Kodaline are to play their biggest gig in Fingal ever when they headline one of four confirmed gigs for next summer at Malahide Castle.

A triumphant homecoming for the band is promised next June when they play the castle venue as they tour their new album, which is due for release, next year.

Already confirmed to play at the castle next June are Liam Gallagher, LCD Sound System and Gorillaz and last week, the Swords band confirmed news that local fans have been waiting for a long time to hear, when they announced they would play amid the splendour of Malahide Castle on Friday, June 8, 2018.

The night before the big announcement, Kodaline teased fans on social media that big news was coming with the cryptic message 'Tomorrow. 9am!' accompanied by an Irish flag emoji.

The next day the band confirmed they would play the Malahide Castle gig just a few miles down the road from their hometown of Swords.

It's the second of Fingal's heritage properties to host the band but this concert is on a much bigger scale than the intimate gig the band played at Bremore Castle recording a special performance fro VEVO.

Confirming the Malahide Castle date, the band told fans: 'IRELAND!!! You asked, we answered! This is gonna be amazing!'

And clearly their fans agreed because the post received more than 5,000 likes and generated a lot of excitement among Kodaline fans both local and international.

This was the fourth concert to be confirmed for next summer at Malahide Castle, two more than was staged as big gigs returned to the castle last June.

However, the Fingal Independent understands that promoters may not stop at four dates at the castle for next summer and negotiations are ongoing with two other big name acts to stage a further two concerts at the venue, bringing the dates to six for the summer of 2018.

Once again, Fingal County Council will team up with MCD for the gigs - a partnership that worked well this summer when major gigs at the castle returned after a long absence.

The capacity for this summer's gigs at the castle was around 20,000 and it's expected a similar number of punters will attend the concerts next June.

Stepping up the number of gigs at the venue indicates that the promoters and the council see Malahide Castle as being a regular fixture on the summer concert scene in Ireland and locals can expect the events to become an annual feature of life in Malahide and will bring welcome business to the town.

Before the Malahide gig, Kodaline will be at home this Christmas to play the big New Year's Eve gig in Dublin's City Centre.

Tickets for the Malahide show went on sale on Friday.

It promises to be a homecoming gig not to be missed and one of the certain highlights of next summer's calendar of events in Fingal.
Applications have opened for Dublin City University's prestigious Female High Fliers accelerator. Run by the DCU Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurs, the 13-week programme supports Ireland's most promising female-led start-ups.

The programme is supported by Enterprise Ireland and attracts on average 130 high calibre female entrepreneurs every year who are looking to develop leadership skills, fast track their business and achieve scale. This year, ten selected participants will gain access to a peer startup founder network and to the DCU Ryan Academy network of experienced entrepreneurs and investors. They will take part in weekly workshops delivered by a team that understands the particular needs and challenges facing their businesses. They will be challenged on their business plans and given an opportunity to pitch to potential investors.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 23 January 2018. For further info visit http://ryanacademy.ie/portfolio/female-high-fliers/
It is not up to Bob Geldof who is and is not awarded the Freedom of Dublin City

It appears that Bob Geldof has been causing quite a stir of late over his spat with Dublin City Council which revoked his Freedom of the City of Dublin honour during the week.

The council voted to do so after Geldof publicly handed it back in disgust over the fact that Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi had not at that point been stripped of the same honour.

After a very public returning ceremony at Dublin City Council, Geldof then came out on national radio to say that he was 'disgusted' that the council had gone ahead and voted for such.

He claimed that he would never have handed it back had he known they were going to later strip Aung San Suu Kyi of the honour in response to her handling of the Rohingya crisis in her country during which more than 6,000 Muslim people were killed.

Geldof's views on Aung San Suu Kyi are indeed shared by many, but his actions treated an honour bestowed to him by his own country with contempt.

Was there not a better way to voice his opinion on this dreadful situation rather than making a mockery of the honour that was bestowed on him?

You cannot have your cake and eat it so when Geldof handed back his award in such a public and scathing way how can he act 'disgusted' when the council actually accepts it and does what he asks.

The council claims it was a non-conditional return, while Geldof says this was not the case and that if the honour was stripped from Aung San Suu Kyi then he would be honoured to retain it.

The reality is that it's not up to Geldof who is and is not awarded the Freedom of Dublin City.

Regardless of what he thinks of any other recipient, holding the honour himself does not entitle him to dictate to the council members about how to manage it.

Unfortunately for those who are being wronged and who are suffering, as Geldof wished to support, this did nothing to help their cause.

Instead, it was a publicity stunt which failed and left him red-faced.

Receiving the freedom of any city is a big deal and there are not many people who can lay claim to the honour in Dublin.

For Geldof to use it as leverage in a publicity stunt was tasteless and showed a lack of respect for the honour.
Pupils from Lusk National School at the Leinster Regional Final of the 2017 Intel Mini competition which took place at IT Blanchardstown with 250 students from 90 different schools in attendance

Lusk National School's investigation into how plastic waste is affecting our seas has been named as one of 20 regional winners of the Intel Mini-Scientist Competition.

For the past number of months, 4th, 5th and 6th class students from across Ireland have been getting hands on with science and showcasing their big ideas as they take part in the annual Intel Mini Scientist competition. The competition, which is now in its eleventh year, gives young students the chance to explore science through project based learning and exhibitions.

The first phase of the program involves students participating at exhibitions in their own schools which are visited by Intel employees who judge the first round of exhibitions and select from each school a winning project to go forward to a regional final.

Regional finals were then held at various locations last week including the event in IT Blanchardstown which brought together over 250 students from 90 different schools in Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Meath, Offaly, Wicklow, Wexford, Carlow, Roscommon, Louth and Monaghan.

Some 20 projects were selected at the event to go forward to the National Grand Final which will take place in February 2018 at the Helix in DCU. 2017 has been the biggest year yet for the Intel Mini Scientist competition with more than 7,800 students from 135 schools in 18 counties across Ireland taking part.

At the Leinster Regional Final event the participants exhibited their projects for a panel of judges, which was made up from Intel employees and Intel Women in Technology scholars.

The participating students shared their projects which each included visual displays, projects books and practical experiments based on a scientific area aligned with the national primary science curriculum.

The regional final was filled with innovative and imaginative projects and the judges had the difficult task narrowing down the list of winning projects.

The 20 winning schools, who were presented with prizes by Director of Public Affairs at Intel Ireland Hugh Hardiman, included pupils from Lusk National S@chool who presented a project entitled 'How is Plastic Affecting the Ocean'.

Sarah Sexton, coordinator of the Intel Mini Scientist program, was delighted with the success of this year's competition, She said: 'We are passionate about introducing young students to science and technology in a way that is fun and exciting and the Mini Scientist has given us a wonderful opportunity to do that. Once again this year we have had thousands of student's right across the country taking part and showcasing creative, innovative and inspiring work.'
A Romanian teenager who came to Ireland looking for work to enable him to send money home to his ill mother has been convicted and fined for shoplifting - just two days after he arrived here.

Mihai Helmigeann (18) used a foil lined bag to steal nearly 100 worth of groceries from Tesco supermarket at Clarehall Shopping Centre on December 11th.

He claimed, through his solicitor Fiona D'Arcy he was given bad advice by someone who 'recommended to him to use the foil lined bag to commit the offence of theft.'

'He is quite a naive young man and has expressed his remorse,' said Ms D'Arcy.

She explained the defendant had only arrived in the country two days prior and came here to find work.

'He is staying with a friend in the city centre but can't make contact with the friend,' said Ms D'Arcy, adding that he was unsure of the address.

The defendant, of No Fixed Abode, pleaded guilty to the theft of 94.61 worth of groceries from the supermarket on December 11th.

He further pleaded guilty to being in possession of the foil lined bag to be used in connection with a theft on the same date.

Swords District Court heard the defendant paid for a number of items but concealed other items in the bag and left the store without paying for them.

He was apprehended and arrested. All of the items were recovered, the court heard.

Ms D'Arcy explained to Judge Dermot Dempsey the defendant's father has passed away and he has no money to support himself.

'His mother is in Romania and she is ill,' she said.

Judge Dempsey convicted and fined him 150 for being in possession of the foil lined bag.

He took the charge of theft into consideration.
Tom OConnor, Managing Director, MEIC Ltd; Eoghan Murphy, TD, Minister for Housing Planning and Local Government; Cllr Mary McCamley, Mayor of Fingal; and Paul Reid, Chief Executive, Fingal County Council, pictured at the launch of the Donabate Distributor Road today

Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal, Alan Farrell has said the development of the Donabate Distributor Road is much needed and will be positive for the local community.

Deputy Farrell was speaking following the turning of the sod for this project by the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy TD.

He said: 'I was pleased to join my Fine Gael colleague, the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy as he turned the sod for the Donabate Distributor Road project alongside Mayor Mary McCamley.'

Deputy Farrell added: 'The Donabate Distributor Road will allow for the development of 1,200 housing units by 2021, with the long-term potential for 2,200 housing units to be constructed.

'While this is positive for both the local community and the North County as a whole, I have engaged with Minister Eoghan Murphy regarding concerns of local residents relating to the development and growth of the local community in Donabate.'

Outlining some of those local concerns on the peninsula, Deputy Farrell said: 'It is important that the necessary social infrastructure is provided for Donabate and Portrane in conjunction with the growth of the local community, including the provision of school places, local amenities and measures to tackle construction traffic travelling through Donabate village itself.'

He added: 'Furthermore, in line with the future development of the peninsula, the delivery of DART extension and an increase of capacity on the Northern Commuter Line are of the utmost importance. These are issues which I recently raised with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross in Dail Eireann.'

Deputy Farrell concluded: 'I will continue to use my voice, as the local Fine Gael TD to ensure the needs and concerns of local residents are heard, and understood by Government.'
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and the thoughts of children across Fingal and millions more around the world are turning to a certain old man with a white beard who will be arriving soon to leave all kinds of wondrous Christmas gifts to brighten up everyone's Christmas Day.

With just a few days to go before the big day arrives, a certain Mr. Claus found some time in his busy schedule to pop over from Lapland and have a cup of hot chocolate with the Fingal Independent in the splendid surroundings of Swords Castle where he recently visited to hear what local children want in their Christmas stockings, this year.

In our now annual exclusive chat with the great man, Mr Claus revealed just who in Fingal was on the naughty and the nice lists this Christmas and the good news is that the nice list is a lot longer than the naughty one, so far.

Regular readers may remember that this world exclusive interview has been conducted at Skerries Mills in the past but Santa insisted on a change of venue after getting thoroughly fed up of trying to land on the Mill's pointed roof.

Last year we met at Ardgillan Castle in Balbriggan and just to mix it up a bit and get around the county, Santa chose the splendour of Swords Castle to meet this year.

Santa was delighted to be able to land the sleigh inside Swords Castle this year and is happy to see the castle being opened up to the public again after being shut away from them and from him for so many years.

With the ease of landing and the reindeer happily tucking into some grub, we find Santa in great form and willing to chat for as long as his busy schedule allows.

Our first question is how Santa keeps up with the latest trends and how he knows what toys will be popular each Christmas? Of course, you can't beat some first-hand research from children's letters and meeting them in the run up to Christmas but it seems a certain television show also helps.

Santa explained: 'We tune into RTE every year up in the North Pole to see what that Tubridy lad is up to. We know that the toys shown that night will be in big demand in Ireland so the elves take careful note of everything Ryan demonstrates and the next day, we concentrate on building the toys we need for Ireland.'

So what keeps Mr Claus coming back year after year and does he ever think of retirement? 'Oh no, no, no I couldn't retire - who else would do it? Rudolph is great but I don't see him sliding down a chimney anytime soon and as for Mrs Claus, she's a wonderful woman but she is afraid of flying,'

Santa explained. 'No, I've been doing this now for hundreds of years and I'll expect I'll be doing it for hundreds for more as long as my work is fuelled by the Christmas spirit in everyone of us from the very young to the well, young at heart,' Santa added.

So why does he do it? He said: 'Well you would do it if you could. There's nothing better than flying around the world and delivering a little bit of joy and a touch of magic to children all over the globe.

'My only regret is that I'm gone before they open their presents and I never get to see the joy on their faces when they rip that wrapping paper off but I can hear the screams of delight from below as we pass over homes we've already delivered to, on the way to our next stop so I know I'm making people happy and there is no better job than that.'

Santa began to chat about his love of Fingal, built up over centuries of visiting children in the county. 'I'm older than Swords Castle,' he joked.

The famous man with the white beard said: 'Oh, I've been coming to Fingal for longer than I care to remember and these days there are an awful lot more houses to visit than there used to be and almost none of them have chimneys! I remember when Fingal was a very quick visit to a few farmhouses but now it's a much bigger challenge for myself and the reindeer but with a sprinkle of magic dust and crossed fingers, we manage to get it done.'

Whether it's our bigger towns like Balbriggan and Swords or our rural villages and even those little by-roads known only to the Fingal Walking Group, Santa knows where you live and whatever the weather, he will be arriving on Christmas Eve. Santa enjoys flying over the county's landmarks and places like Malahide Castle and Ardgillan Castle help him plot his course across the county from south to north.

So what about the contents of those all important nice and naughty lists? Are there any children in Fingal that are just too bold to get their presents this year? Santa said: 'Well there's a few I can see here that have been kicking up a bit of a fuss but they've all said sorry and they're promising to be good from now until Christmas Day, so if they can manage that, everyone should make it onto the nice list and we'll have no need for that nasty, naughty list.'

That news should come as huge relief to all the children waiting on their presents from Santa this year but the big jolly man said nobody should be disappointed if they don't get exactly what they are looking for this Christmas.

'Well there has been years of recession in the North Pole too, you know? We are climbing out of it and looking forward to better times and we'll try to get exactly what the children ask for but if we can't, there'll still be something nice and I'm sure the nice children of Fingal will be grateful for anything they get this Christmas,' the North Pole gift-giver said.

Fingal plays a crucial part in Santa's visit to Ireland every year and is the first place he lands in the country each Christmas which means that children in Fingal have to be particularly careful they are in bed nice and early before Mr Claus arrives.

'I can't stress enough how important it is for the children of Fingal to go to bed when their mammies or daddies tell them to. Lovely Fingal is the first place on my trip to Ireland so I'll be there early,' Santa warned.

While Fingal is the first place in Ireland to be visited by Santa Claus, Dublin Airport is the first place he will touch down on Fingal soil and the airport and everyone who works there plays an essential part in his journey around the world.

'Yes, that's right. Dublin Airport is my first stop on every trip to Ireland,' Santa told the Fingal Independent.

The airport plays a crucial part in the whole effort and without it, it would be almost impossible for Santa to get in and out of Ireland. The good people in air traffic control at Dublin Airport guide Santa's flying sleigh through Irish air space, taking care that commercial aircraft are not too close and none of the passengers flying in of out of Dublin Airport on Christmas Eve catch sight of the magic sleigh.

Santa lands there and refuels the reindeer with food and water and takes a bit of refuelling himself in the bar at T2, but the less said about that, the better.

Let's just say the man from the North Pole is looking forward to a visit to the Irish Whiskey Collection in The Loop at Dublin Airport. 'Refreshed' and ready to go,

Santa takes off again and delivers presents all over Fingal and then the rest of the country before saying goodbye to Ireland for another year and carrying on with his one night, whistle-stop tour of the world.

We had our own goodbyes to say to Santa at this point - he was off to attend some local functions before heading back to base at the North Pole to see how preparations for the big day were coming.

So with a wave on his hands a flexing of the reins, he and his reindeer troupe lifted off from Swords Castle and headed north - way, way north - and the sleigh disappeared into the darkening sky of a December evening.

Wherever you are, remember Santa's advice for all the children of Fingal, go to bed early, sleep well and in the morning you will wake up to find a present at the foot of the bed or under the Christmas tree and you will know that Santa has been to call, just as he promised. Only a few days left to wait now so happy Christmas everyone, from all at the Fingal Independent.
A teenager who assaulted a young man on his graduation night, breaking his wrist and delaying his defence force career ambitions, has been given a suspended sentence.

Craig May (19) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of assault causing harm to Daniel Kelly at Balbriggan beach on May 27 last year.

May, with an address in Fancourt Heights, Balbriggan, was 17 when he set upon Mr Kelly during the unprovoked attack, kicking him several times to the head along with a group of teenage boys.

Sentencing him last week Judge Pauline Codd said it was a serious assault that left the victim with 'significant psychological injuries' as well as physical ones.

She said it was 'reprehensible' for a group of people to attack one person.

However she took into account several mitigating factors, including May's youth at the time, his lack of offending since and a probation report which deduced he is at a low risk of re-offending. She handed down a two-and-a-half year sentence and suspended it on a number of conditions.

Garda Colin Noonan told Noel Devitt BL, prosecuting, that Mr Kelly was celebrating his school graduation with his girlfriend on the night in question.

The pair were walking back from the beach in the early hours of the morning when they encountered a group of teenage boys, including May, who started shouting abuse.

As Mr Kelly and his girlfriend walked away, Mr Kelly received a 'thump to the back of the head' and was then pushed down a hill by May.

May then ran at Mr Kelly and attacked him.

The pair scuffled on the ground before the rest of the teenagers joined in and started kicking Mr Kelly repeatedly to the head.

Mr Kelly put his hands to his temples to try and protect his head, and his wrist was broken. His girlfriend jumped on top of him to try and protect him from the blows.

She too received a number of kicks to the head, the court heard.

The couple managed to escape and called gardai.

Mr Kelly's girlfriend recognised May from school and identified him to gardai. He voluntarily made a statement in relation to the incident in October of that year.

In a victim impact statement handed into court, Mr Kelly described how he received facial abrasions as well as the broken wrist, which was in a cast for eight weeks.

He said he was in the middle of cadet training for the defence forces but he had to drop out of it due to his injuries.

He was 'devastated' by this, he said. He is now hopeful of being accepted into the army, the court heard.

The assault also left him 'looking over his shoulder' whenever he was out, and he became withdrawn and spent a lot of time at home, the court heard.

May has seven previous convictions, including burglary and robbery.

Defence barrister, Patrick Jackson BL, said his client had no history of criminality until he started getting into trouble during a short period last year.

He said this happened after the death of a close family friend, which had a big impact on May.

Mr Jackson said May used to help the man in is workshop and was the last person to speak to him before he died.

May started using drugs and alcohol in the aftermath of his friend's death and was hanging out with a 'negative peer group', Mr Jackson said.

He has since stopped using alcohol and drugs, and has not come to the attention of gardai since the assault.

He works as an apprentice electrician and enjoys his job, the court heard.

May had 1000 in court for Mr Kelly as a token of his remorse, which was accepted.
Turning the first sod on the LIHAF funded Donabate Distributor Road were Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy TD; Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Mary McCamley; and Fingal County Council Chief Executive, Paul Reid

The sod has been turned on the long-awaited new Donabate Distributor Road which is seen as crucial to the future development of the peninsula and will cost over 14 million to construct in an 18-month long project.

The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy, TD, launched the Donabate Distributor Road last week, which is the first LIHAF (Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund) project under the Rebuilding Ireland programme to reach the construction stage.

The Minister, along with the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Mary McCamley, and Fingal County Council Chief Executive, Paul Reid, turned the first sod on the 4km road which will run in an easterly direction from the R126 Hearse Road on the south-west of Donabate village, across the Dublin-Belfast railway line, before heading in a northerly direction to reconnect with the R126 on Portrane Road.

The cost of this LIHAF project will be 14.15m with 10.61m (75%) being funded by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government with match-funding of 3.54m (25%) from Fingal County Council. MEIC Ltd has been appointed as contractors.

According to Fingal County Council, the Distributor Road will lead to the provision of 1,200 new housing units by 2021 with an anticipated potential build of 2,200 units being provided in the long-term. That figure includes the construction of approximately 1,000 mixed tenure housing units on council-owned land.

The Minister officially launched this LIHAF scheme at a reception in Donabate Community Centre.

He said: 'The whole purpose of this scheme that is behind the Donabate Distributor Road is that it is actually about using a small bit of public money to do a bit of both. To do both public housing and private housing together and to open up new lands, open them up more quickly to get these houses built.'

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Mary McCamley, said: 'Around 3,600 new homes are envisaged within the Donabate Local Area Plan and the new Distributor Road will make a lot of that possible, including 1,000 mixed tenure homes on Council-owned land. The new road will also ease traffic congestion in Donabate village and make access to Portrane, Balcarrick and Corbalis much easier.'

The Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, Paul Reid, said: 'The Distributor Road is a key strategic aim of the Donabate Local Area Plan which provides for the future sustainable growth of the town through the implementation of three phases of development across land parcels located to the north, south, east and west of the existing town centre.'
A man caught with six stolen cars and 70,000 worth of cannabis, who was stopped on route to Wexford with parts from a stolen car in his van, has been jailed for five and a half years.

Christopher Keeley, aged 53, was involved in the chopping up of stolen vehicles in order to sell the spare parts, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

He pleaded guilty to possession of stolen cars and to possession for sale or supply of cannabis, all of which were seized by gardai during a search of an industrial lock up in Summerhill, Co Meath.

Garda Ruadhan McLoughlin told the court that acting on confidential information, gardai set up a surveillance operation at the Springvalley industrial unit. Keeley was followed driving to the unit in a van and observed going in and out of the unit.

Gardai subsequently stopped his van while Keeley was driving to County Wexford. They found a large number of broken up car parts taken from a stolen car.

In a follow-up search of the unit in Meath, gardai found cannabis herb with an estimated street value of 69,250 hidden underneath the bonnet of a car.

Gardai then searched his home in Rossfield Court, Tallaght, Dublin and found fake bank drafts and the keys to a business unit in Blessington, County Wicklow.

In a further search of this lockup on the same day, gardai seized two Audi cars and and a Hyundai Santa Fe and 6,415 worth of cocaine hidden in a gold-coloured Nissan Almera.

The court heard all the cars seized had being stolen during house burglaries around the country.

Keeley of Rossfield Court, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to possession of stolen cars at two locations on August 31, 2016. He also pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply of cannabis and cocaine and possession of fake bank drafts on the same date.

The court heard that gardai also found items used for drug dealing, such as a digital weighing scales, bagging and a 'tick-list' at Keeley's home.

Sentencing Keeley last week, Judge Martin Nolan said it was clear that Keeley was dealing the drugs and was doing so for profit.

He said he could accept that Keeley was remorseful and that he would not appear before the court again for similar offences. Judge Nolan said he was also taking into consideration Keeley's serious medical problems.

The court heard that Keeley had had three distinct bouts of cancer since the late '90s. He has also suffered from a clot in his lung and from arthritis.

Judge Nolan noted Keeley would have great difficulty in prison.
The roadside monument in Ardmona and a photograph of the ill-fated John Twiss c1894  image courtesy of Paul Dillon

Filming has begun in several locations from Cordal to Glenlara in North Cork this week on the still intriguing story of the wrongful hanging of John Twiss in the spring of 1895.

The controversy generated by the rapidly moving events of the days and months from April 1894 to February 1895 gripped the imagination of the people at the time - and ever since.

The film project is being undertaken by Chalkboard TV - a London based independent company which makes and supplies documentaries and game-shows to the BBC and others.

Their particular interest in the John Twiss story is that they're currently following a vein of wrongful convictions and hangings on their own island and on ours.

The longevity of the John Twiss story has, in no small measure, been aided and abetted by his neighbour, Eugene O'Meara's remarkable song, 'Johnn Twiss of Castleisland'.

The Michael O'Donohoe Memorial Heritage Project papers contains many items of important, historical significance in its huge collection.

Among these items are research notes on John Twiss who was hanged in Cork County Jail on February 9, 1895 for the murder, on April 21, 1894, of James Donovan, a caretaker of an evicted farm at Glenlara near Newmarket in County Cork.

Twiss lived with his sister Jane in a cottage in Ardmona, Cordal and was widely believed to have been innocent of the murder.

Apart from the widely reported court case of that time, Eugene O'Meara's song recorded the event and leaves little doubt of the innocence of his former neighbour:

Farewell my dearest sister Jane, your fond and last adieu,

At the early age of 35 I now must part from you,

For the murder of James Donovan I am now condemned to die

On the ninth of February ninety-five upon the scaffold high.

John Twiss from Castleisland, it's true it is my name

I never did commit a crime, why I should deny that same

I own I was a sportsman, with spirit light and gay,

But paid spies and informers, my life they swore away.

The song is still sung today and you'll hear it regularly at the Saturday afternoon singing sessions at the Patrick O'Keeffe Traditional Music Festival for example.

According to the the O'Donohoe papers, following the trial and conviction which took place in Cork in January 1895, a reprieve campaign was organised and more than 40,000 signatures were collected in Ireland and Britain. Lord Lieutenant, Lord Houghton and Chief Secretary John Morley, however, refused to intervene.

His speech from the dock, published in the Kerry Sentinel and Kerry Weekly Reporter (January 12, 1895) was composed mainly of questions and illustrated his absolute bewilderment in the face of the proceedings against him.

Twiss wondered how the police, without a 'four-penny bit under their foot unknownst to them' could have brought such a case, 'you will never see a man as innocent as I am of the charge'.

Twiss compared his circumstance to that of Poff and Barrett: 'Two innocent men hanged here before - Poff and Barrett - and now they have me here hanging me wrongfully, the third man up from Kerry  After the murder and the hanging of Poff and Barrett, it should be an eye-opener to all the juries of Ireland, to take a murder case into larger consideration than five minutes'.

Twiss also alluded to police corruption: 'It is a frightful thing if I took bribery money and hanged innocent people. Death before dishonour. Hang me before you'll hang a man'.

After the trial Twiss's sister, Jane, travelled to Cork where she met her brother in the prison in early February 1895. They spoke through the bars and their parting was described as 'most trying' to witness. 'He clasped her hand for the last time  the girl was borne away by the nuns in an almost insensible condition'.

The nuns were the Sisters of Mercy of the Convent of St Marie's of the Isle who had supported Twiss during his incarceration. Jane also received friendship and support from a stranger:

She had never been much away from home and was quite lost and apparently without a friend. A Mrs M'Namara, wife of a saddler, in Dominick Street and herself a Kerrywoman, hearing of the miserable and solitary condition of the young woman, found out her lodging and insisted that she would accompany her home and stay with her as a guest. Here she has since resided in comparative comfort and amongst friends.

Jane was described as 'aged nearly 30, has thin features, refined in expression and now much lined by suffering. She is tall and slender but apparently strong. Her dress was that of Kerry peasant girls, including the characteristic brown shawl with shoulder circle patterns woven into it. Her headdress was her light brown hair'.

Jane was not among the hundreds who gathered outside Cork prison on the morning of February 9, 1895. At eight o'clock the tolling of a bell and the hoisting of a black flag told that all was over.

At a signal from the Mayor, all that vast throng surging outside the prison walls dropped to its knees on the snow and prayers, fervent and long, were offered up for the peace of the troubled soul that had gone.

In June 1895 Jane was appointed caretaker for Kilmurry and Kilmanihan graveyards, a position which had been held by her brother. She had a son, Denis Cronin (1901-1985), who in a memorial notice revealed his mother did not long survive her brother:

'In remembrance of my dear uncle, John Joe Twiss, Ardmona, Cordal, Castleisland, Co Kerry, who was executed in Cork Prison on 9th February 1895 for Moonlighting; also my mother, Jane Twiss, died 18th November 1902, also my father, Michael Cronin, died May, 20 1936. Inserted by Denis Cronin, wife and family.'

A few years after the death of Jane, it was claimed that a man who was shot in Canada during a robbery made a dying confession to the 'Kilbane murder' in Limerick (September 1900) and also to participation in the Glenlara murder for which Twiss had been innocently hanged (Kerry Sentinel, 8 March 1905).

A memorial to John Twiss was unveiled by his nephew Denis Cronin at Cordal on August 5, 1984, a year before Denis passed away.
Japanese Knotweed has been a hot topic in many communities this past year. Having arrived in the 19th Century as an ornamental plant, it has in recent years taken over large areas of our countryside due to bad management practices and a fundamental lack of awareness of the effects the spread of this invasive species could have.

Japanese Knotweed is known to cause structural damage in construction as its extensive root system can force its way through weakness in buildings and roads.

Its ability to out-compete our native plants, creating a monoculture of Japanese Knotweed, is also reducing our native biodiversity at an alarming rate. This effect is most prevalent along our roadsides and waterways, which act as vital corridors throughout our agricultural areas for all wildlife, particularly birds, bees and other invertebrates.

Due to the extensiveness of this invasion it is beyond the capacity of one organisation or indeed one individual to halt its spread. It is therefore falling on local communities to come to together and implement plans to protect our waterways and roadside verges and reduce the prevalence of Japanese Knotweed in these areas.

One such Community is Caherdaniel where a group of local volunteers have formed the Caherdaniel Japanese Knotweed Group. Their aim is to develop a research project testing and comparing non-chemical methods of Japanese Knotweed management along the Coomnahorna River, which flows through the centre of the village. Throughout the year they have worked tirelessly to survey the extent of Knotweed growth in their area, build a network of organisations and experts that can assist with the project and secure funding for the project work.

Their most recent event, an EPA-funded community open day that was held in Caherdaniel Hall and entitled 'living with Japanese Knotweed', brought together active committees from the local community development group 'Choiste Pobail Cathair Donal' to showcase the range of developments happening in this small village, including a Dark Sky walk, a new playground and an ICW. Government organisations and local environmental groups (IFI, Water and Communities Office, Seasynergy, IPCC, Wild Derrynane and Waterville Lakes and Rivers Trust) were also on hand to showcase the areas unique and varied ecology and heritage.

A youth art project was launched to engage the local children on the importance of native biodiversity and the issues caused by its loss, and local knowledge relating to the history of the Coomnahorna River was also gathered through facilitated storytelling.

Overall the day was very successful, with many local community members enjoying the displays and discovering new facts about the wildlife outside their doors.

The Caherdaniel group is currently working to secure funding for their planned pilot project which, if funded, would help to aid local landowners in managing Japanese Knotweed on their land. It would provide training and local employment on diverse levels, from agricultural to ecological monitoring and project management, all by establishing the specific research sites and monitoring, evaluating and reporting research outcomes.

The Caherdaniel Japanese Knotweed Group would like to thank everyone who has supported them this year and they are looking forward to the New Year and its challenges!

To contact the group please email caherdanielknotweedproject@gmail.com Further information leaflets are available and the group is also on Facebook: Caherdaniel Japanese knotweed group.
St. James's church in Dingle, is set for a major renovation that will make it more functional as a oncert venue if plans to modernise the facilities in the church are realised.

An ambitious plan which the Rev Phyllis Jones, Minister of the church, says will "take the building into the next century", will include a development of the use of the building as a venue for concerts and lectures.

The Church of Ireland church, dedicated to St. James, is the place of worship for the Anglican community in West Kerry and over the past 16 years it has been the home to the internationally famous 'Other Voices' series.

"It is an iconic church that is widely used by the West Kerry community during The Storm festival, the Film Festival, Feile na Bealtaine, the Food Festival and Other Voices and hundreds of people attend music concerts there in the summer time," said Rev. Phyllis.

While the church is principally a place of worship, "the footfall that has arisen because of the other activities is truly amazing, bringing a variety of people in to share our place of worship" she said.

Regular concerts in the St. James' were first organised by Steve Coulter, a harpist from Califronia who made Dingle his home in the 1990s.

The church is attracting a constant stream of visitors and Rev. Phyllis said that people are impressed by the ambience of the building. "A lady from Germany loved the place so much that she returned this year to hold a service of renewal of her wedding vows, and is planning to return with her family again."

The international reputation that the small church gained as the home of Other Voices attracts people from around the globe and the sharing of a place of worship with other events is not problematic for Rev Phyllis

"It is a joy to be able to share this amazing sacred place with so many visitors and performers - many who wouldn't normally come here, Each of these people share the place where we worship God and some of the love of God goes with them, when they go," she said.

The planned renovation of St. James's includes the addition of a small kitchenette and a toiled for the disabled as well as the installation of an underfloor heating system. The plan reflects the multi-purpose use of the small church and will include the addition of a recessed stage that can be folded away under the altar when not in use for concerts.

The plan also includes the replacement of the partition between the main chapel and the side chapel with a glass screen, which will allow more light into the church. A separate room for the use of performers with a kitchenette and toilet off this room is also planned.

The church, constructed in 1808 on the site of an earlier medieval church, underwent substantial repairs in 2004 to deal with damp ingress through the walls and the poor condition of the windows. The planned project will cost in the region of 500,000 and Rev Phyllis is hopeful of attracting outside support from some of the successful artists who have enjoyed the use of the church at an early stage in their careers.

She is keenly aware of the scale of the task that she is undertaking and will take the first steps in the fundraising campaign with a 100km walk on a section of the Camino de Santiago in early May.

Standing room only at Carol Service

The annual Dingle Ecumenical Carol service was held in St. James's church on Sunday night and standing room only was the order of the evening as people gathered to listen to Bible readings and take part in the service.

Representatives of the organisations who have used the church during the year delivered the readings with Caroline Boland of the Dingle Peninsula Tourism Alliance and Other Voices founder Philip King among the readers.

The music was provided by a collaboration of talent that included St. Mary's Church Choir, Dingle Gospel Choir and, according to event co-organiser Eric Prestage, "a number of talented musicians from the Christian Fellowship Group who hold meetings in the church on Sunday nights". Bill Hadnett gave a wonderful rendition of O Holy Night and there was an invitation for everyone to sing along with old Christmas favourites.

The event has been part of the Christmas calendar in Dingle in recent years and according to Reverend Phyllis Jones it is "an excellent way for us all to join together, to prepare for the real meaning of Christmas".

There was no cover charge but donations gathered on the evening will be divided between the Kerry Hospice and Pieta House".

Open door at Dingle Men's Shed

The recently established Men's Shed in Dingle based in Ballintaggart is nearing completion and West Kerry residents are invited to come and view the premises at an open day on Saturday, December 23 from 11am to 3.30pm.

Everybody is welcome on the day at the Men's Shed, which can be found by taking the first turn on the right after Ballintaggart Race Course.

Information will be provided on the work of Men's Sheds in Kerry and how to join the Dingle Men's Shed.
The Catholic Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne is urging everyone to renew family bonds this Christmas.

In his Christmas message, the Bishop suggests that people might take the time to look back over their family histories with the aid of old photographs in a renewed celebration of what it means to belong to one another by blood.

His message comes ahead of the World Meeting of Families in 2018, a global Catholic celebration of the family unit.

"The heart of Christmas is amazing: that the baby born to Mary and Joseph, was God coming to be with all people on earth," Bishop Browne's message began.

"A happy and a blessed Christmas to one and all. Enjoy the presence of children. Have time for family, neighbours, family and friends. Let no neighbour's Christmas day be long and lonely because no one comes to visit. Be generous to needy causes, give what you can. Have time for God. Have time to say a prayer and count your blessings. Especially give thanks for the goodness of the people in your life. Let us all gather together in church to joyfully give praise and thanks to God.

"This Christmas, mindful of the World Meeting of Families in 2018 (WMF 2018), let us remember the story of our own families over the past two or three generations, the joys and the sorrow, the births and the deaths. Maybe even look through old photographs. In families, periods of enormous loss or pain are so often followed by genuine healing and new hope and happiness. Recalling the past, see the wonderful loyalty, care and love of your own family through the decades.

"Pray that worldwide all families will one day have the opportunities that we take for granted in Ireland. WMF2018 asks us to see all people on earth as one family under God Our loving Father. It will call on the whole world to appreciate and give priority to family life. Remember especially families in Ireland with no hope of a place to call home.

"Home, family and marriage are God's greatest gifts to humanity. God bless all our homes and families." Thanking all who contributed to the life of their parish during the year, Bishop Browne concluded by praying for grace and peace in every home.
Serious concerns about staffing levels and the quality of work being carried out at the Radiology Department at University Hospital Kerry were raised in the Dail six years ago.

In September 2011, Kerry Sinn Fein TD Martin Ferris quizzed then Health Minister Dr James Reilly on the case of an individual whose chest x-ray was allegedly misread resulting in an eight month delay before the patient was eventually diagnosed with cancer.

Deputy Ferris asked Minister Reilly to make a statement and launch an investigation into the 2009 case but the Minister did not reply to the questions and referred them to the HSE.

The Kerryman has contacted Deputy Ferris' office to see if a reply from the HSE was issued and, if so, what it contained.

Three months earlier Kerry Fine Gael Deputy Brendan Griffin had also raised concerns about the UHK Radiology Department with Minister Reilly.

Deputy Griffin asked "what efforts were being made to alleviate the impending crisis in radiologist staffing" at the hospital which was then known as Kerry General Hospital.

Again Minister Reilly did not reply and referred the matter to the HSE.

In the wake of this week's revelations, several politicians are now calling for a root and branch review of how the Radiology Department is staffed and run.

Fine Gael Cllr Aoife Thronton took issue with the HSE's insistence that the current crisis has nothing to do with staffing or resources and is solely "an issue of competency".

"I am not convinced it is about competence. I am not satisfied it's competency, that it is not workload," she said.

"The number of scans that were examined by a single radiologist raises serious questions. I would have concerns that a radiologist is being made a scapegoat and their life potentially ruined to paper over serious ongoing resource issues at the Department," said Cllr Thornton.

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae also raised concerns about the volume of scans dealt with by the locum at the heart of the controversy.

"It's very worrying. This person was dealing with an astronomical number of scans and if you do the sums the amount of time given being to each one must have been miniscule, considering the potential enormity of what they were looking at. It seems like an enormous amount of work for one person," said Deputy Healy-Rae.

The HSE has also come in for severe criticism over its policy based decision to withhold information on the scandal from the public.

Since the story broke over the weekend, the HSE has issued contradictory information on how many people are affected.

On Monday morning, senior management from UHK and the HSE's South/South West Hospital Group told reporters at a press briefing that three serious cancer cases had been misdiagnosed.

Less than an hour later at a meeting with local elected representatives - following intense questioning from Sinn Fein Cllr Toireasa Ferris - the same HSE panel admitted there were actually seven cases, one of which involves a patient who apparently now has an inoperable tumour.

Who is consultant blamed for current hospital scanning crisis?

The Consultant Radiologist at the centre of the ongoing scan crisis at University Hospital Kerry was a locum who was hired on a temporary basis in March 2016.

The doctor - who is on the specialist register maintained by the Irish Medical Council - has been a medical professional since the mid 1990s.

They had previously worked in several other hospitals in Ireland, the UK and Canada.

The consultant worked in Dublin's Mater Hospital from June 1996 to July 1997 and again in January and February of 2006.

The HSE has said no issues have arisen with regard to the consultant's work while employed at the Mater hospital.

According to the HSE, the Irish Medical Council is the body responsible for contacting the relevant hospitals in the UK and Canada to inform them of the current investigation.

Though it has been reported that the consultant was hired to work at UHK via an Irish locum agency, senior HSE Management told The Kerryman that the doctor had not been employed through an agency and that the individual had made a personal application seeking employment.

HSE management said the consultant's CV and their apparent level of experience had given those involved in the hiring process no cause for suspicion.

26,000 scans are still to be re-examined

The scan crisis at University Hospital Kerry affects 26,751 patients, the vast majority of whom are understood to be from Kerry.

Eight external radiologists have now been appointed to review 46,302 scans and x-rays that were taken between March 2016 and July 2017.

The expert review team is working through the files in reverse order and all relevant scans from 2017 have now been reviewed.

So far 21 people have been recalled though none of these case have required a change in their treatment.

About 26,000 scans are still to be reviewed and this process is expected to take another six to eight weeks.

In any case, where a serious error is found the patient will be contacted immediately.

A special helpline for anyone concerned about the issue will operate until 10pm tonight (Wednesday). The number to call is 1800-742-900.
The late Kathleen Fitzgerald (nee OConnor) with then Ceann Comhairle John ODonoghue at an event in 2008 marking the 90th anniversary of Irelands first elected female TD. Kathleen was the most senior member of the former TDs present at the celebration on the day

The county this week mourned former Kerry North TD Kathleen Fitzgerald (nee O'Connor), who passed away last Wednesday, December 13, at the age of 83.

Mrs Fitzgerald was born in July 1934 at Farmer's Bridge, Tralee, and was best known for successfully standing in a 1956 by-election for Clann na Poblachta. Before entering politics, she taught at Meen National School, Knocknagoshel, having studied in Colaiste Ide, Dingle, and Carysfort College, Dublin.

She was asked by Clann na Poblachta leader Sean MacBride to stand for the Dail after her father, Johnny O'Connor, was killed in a road accident in December 1955, and would go on to win what was the first and only by-election in the constituency.

Fine Gael, Labour, and Clann na Talmhan chose not to run candidates in opposition to Mrs Fitzgerald, who defeated Fianna Fail's Dan Moloney in the ensuing vote. It was a remarkable success given that she became the youngest TD in the 15th Dail and had in fact been too young to vote for herself in the very by-election she won.

Having been one of just seven female deputies in Dail Eireann, she chose not to defend her seat in the 1957 General Election and would instead return to teaching.

Before she passed away last week, the mother-of-four was the oldest living former female TD.

Among those to pay tribute to the former Clann na Poblachta TD was SF Deputy Martin Ferris, who said he "knew and respected Kathleen for many years".

Her Requiem Mass took place at St John's Church on Saturday afternoon, before she was laid to rest in Rath Cemetery.

Predeceased by husband Eamon, she is survived by daughters Ann and Claire; sons John and Brian; five grandchildren; and her many friends and relatives.
Cllr Donal Grady leading a group of locals to hand in a petition at Linden House, New Road, Killarney on Saturday. Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin

Councillor Michael Gleeson said he is 'absolutely horrified' over Cllr Grady's protest at a decision to house refugees in Killarney's Linden House, which made national headlines this week when a group of around 30 people joined Cllr Grady in his remonstrations.

Cllr Donal Grady said he intends to organise more protests until the refugees at Linden House are gone from Killarney. The protest has polarised public opinion, creating a swell of negative and hostile comments about refugees on social media and with some people condemning the actions of Cllr Grady.

The Kerryman understands that 14 refugees have been housed in the centre, which is capable of accommodating 55 people.

Cllr Gleeson said Killarney has always been devoted to hospitality and should facilitate the refugees in their time of need. He added that Killarney is a town capable of hosting 40,000 people on any given day without trouble and is one of the safest towns in the country. To somehow see the refugee issue as a threat to the town is wrong, he said.

"We should welcome these people and wish them well," said Cllr Gleeson.

"To be fomenting fears is very unwise and is wrong. This is the great reality of the modern age with wars and ever increasing climate change making regions of the world uninhabitable. Our greatest gift is our shared humanity. If we renege on that we diminish ourselves and our community. I am very upset about this," he added.

Cllr Grady rejected any suggestion that his action was racist and said he has received overwhelming support from people, especially from those who are afraid to say publicly what he has said.

"I have received huge support since the protest and we plan to hold more until these men are out of here. We don't want any trouble, but we're determined to see this through," said Cllr Grady.

When contacted for a comment, a spokesperson for The Killarney Asylum Seekers Initiative (KASI) said they did not wish to 'feed into the debate' started by Cllr Grady.

"The reason we support refugees in this town is because they deserve a second chance. But we have no comment regarding what Cllr Grady has orchestrated."

At Saturday's protest Cllr Grady asked why people in Killarney can't get houses and are homeless when a facility like Linden House is offered to refugees. The refugees first arrived in Dublin in mid-November and Cllr Grady claims he saw some of the refugees entering a Killarney night club on Friday night - adding they are 'drinking coffee all day' .

"They're out of their minds drinking coffee since they arrived and where are they getting the money for this? We need to look after our own first and if people think I'm against foreigners, I'm not. I have helped foreign nationals in the past to stay in Kerry," he said.

"I'm upset over this and I fear for Killarney and what might happen. I want them away from Killarney and away from the nearby school," he added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Danny Healy-Rae said he has sought a guarantee from the Department for Justice that the refugees at Linden House have all been Garda vetted as part of their application on arrival in Ireland.

"Myself and many locals have been concerned about the Garda vetting issue in this case but I have been assured that these refugees have gone through this process," he added.
Christmas came early for six people this week when they travelled to Kingsbridge Hospital in Belfast for cataract surgery as part of a trip organised by deputies Danny Healy-Rae and Michael Collins from west Cork.

The eight-hour journey is a gruelling one but, having waited years for life changing surgery that takes just 15 minutes, it was a short trip indeed for the patients from Tralee, Rathmore, Killarney, Kilgarvan and Ballymacelligott who made the journey.

Over 14,300 people are waiting for cataract surgery in Kerry and Cork, which is one of the regions worst effected by delays. The condition, a clouding of the lens, affects vision and seriously reduces quality of life for older people. Frustrated over excessive waiting times, Deputy Healy-Rae said he, along with deputy Collins, arranged the bus in order to 'give people a chance'.

"It's either go to Belfast or go blind," Deputy Healy Rae said. "I want to congratulate the people for embarking on the journey given they were let down badly by the HSE. It's a fair undertaking for older people travelling to Belfast. It's a sad reflection on our health system considering the millions pumped into it."

Margaret Sheehan (84) from Kielduff near Tralee said they were treated like royalty during the trip: "We were looked after so well and I can't get over the difference in my eye since Sunday.

"The bus journey was hard but I can't thank Danny enough for what he has done."

Patrick Casey from Tralee was waiting over seven years for treatment. The irony for Patrick is that 50 years ago his grandfather was able to access the surgery in Tralee.

"It's a sad state of affairs that I had to go to Belfast in 2017 while he had the procedure done in my home town nearly 50 years ago. Where's the progress in that? I'm sitting here now reading the paper and I can't believe the difference it's made," Patrick said.

Eileen Kennedy from Ballymacelligott was waiting over two years just to be seen by a specialist and she also praised deputy Healy-Rae for highlighting what she described as a 'scandalous situation'.

"You'd be gone blind waiting and it's a joke. I'm over the moon with the surgery and I can see so much clearer now," she said.

"If they can do 13 people on a Sunday in Belfast - consultation included - surely they can make more of an effort down here. The gift of sight is one of the most important things you have," Eileen added.
As the fallout from the scan review at University Hospital Kerry continues, several serious questions have arisen about the system of safety checks that were in place at the hospital's scandal hit Radiology Unit.

The key question relates to the circumstances that saw a single radiologist examine 46,302 scans - relating to 26,751 patients - apparently without proper oversight.

Following a similar scandal in 2015 - which involved a review of 7,700 scans examined by three locum radiologists who had worked at Kerry, Bantry and Cavan Monaghan General Hospitals - the HSE introduced guidelines aimed at insuring all scans are reviewed by several people before a diagnosis.

This does not appear to have happened in University Hospital Kerry.

According to the HSE, the process of ongoing audits is "inbuilt into radiology practice in Irish hospitals and peer review takes place continuously when radiologists review older scan images while reporting on newer ones."

Furthermore, the HSE said in 2015 that "radiology departments participate in multidisciplinary team meetings where images are reviewed by teams who decide on the course of treatment a patient should receive".

Under its National Quality Assurance Programme for Radiology (NQAPR), the HSE recommends that all Radiology Departments should hold regular "discrepancy meetings" where "there is open discussion of cases".

Given that over 46,000 scans examined by the locum at the centre of the current crisis were apparently not viewed by other radiologists, it suggests the HSE's recommendations were not being followed in all cases.

The sheer number of scans examined by the locum also raises major questions.

The locum Radiologist in question worked at UHK for 16 months and during that time examined over 46,000 scans.

According to Dr Niall Sheehy, a Radiologist at St James's Hospital and the Secretary of Ireland's Faculty of Radiologists, the average number of scans examined by a single doctor in one year would typically be between 7,000 and 15,000.

This would depend on the complexity of the scans with broken bones, for example, often far quicker to diagnose than a tumour.

The Radiologist at UHK examined more than three times the average and would - based on the time-frame and number of scans involved- have been signing off on well over 100 scans a day.

Senior management at UHK admitted to The Kerryman that they were aware - while the locum was employed at the hospital - that the individual had been processing a "very high volume of scans".

It seems unusual that a red flag was never raised regarding the number of scans the locum was processing and, consequently, the level of attention each scan was receiving.

Timeline of a scandal

March, 2016: Locum Radiologist at the centre of scan crisis begins work at University Hospital Kerry (UHK).

July 26, 2017: Management at UHK are informed of a 'Serious Reportable Event' (SRE) relating to a potential missed cancer diagnosis involving the Radiologist. The Radiologist is immediately placed on administrative leave pending a review of the SRE.

August, 2017: Two further SREs involving the Radiologist are reported to management. Following the receipt of the third SRE a preliminary audit of the Radiologist's work is commenced by the HSE's South/South West Hospital Group.

October, 2017: Based on the findings of the audit it is decided to carry out a full 'look-back' review of all 46,302 scans that had been examined by the radiologist during a 16 month stint at the hospital. Six external radiologists are appointed to help UHK's radiologists carry out the review.

October 18, 2017: The Radiologist at the centre of the review formally resigns from their position at UHK.

December, 2017: In the first week of the month GPs around Kerry begin to learn of the ongoing review at UHK.

December 17, 2017: News of the investigation - which had not been disclosed by the HSE - breaks in the media.
A Tralee man who has been to the forefront of the nationwide roll-out of the Junior School Warden scheme has picked up the Road Safety Authority (RSA) Leading Lights Road Safety Ambassador award for 2017.

The award was presented to Donal at the RSA's tenth 10th annual ceremony in Croke Park, having been a Garda Sergeant in Carlow town when he developed the warden scheme ahead of its official launch in 1970.

Carlow was the first location for the introduction of the popular scheme, but the RSA praised Donal for his crucial work in facilitating its roll-out around Ireland.

"The objective of the School Warden project was to provide a system whereby schoolchildren were conducted safely across the road at lunchtime and again in the evening time," an RSA spokesperson said.

"Carlow was the first location where the Junior School Warden scheme was introduced; however, as time went on, it was taken up at several locations throughout Ireland.

"Donal supported this roll-out by giving talks at many centres nationally as well as making a film to promote the system which was shown on RTE. Schoolchildren who participated in the Junior School Warden scheme acquired a sense of responsibility and leadership as well as being conscious about all aspects of road safety," the spokesperson added.

A total of 24 individuals and organisations were honoured for their commitment and dedication to road safety at the Croke Park ceremony.
Thousands of air passengers due home for the Christmas holidays breathed a collective sigh of relief following Michael O'Leary's last minute decision to recognise the pilots' trade union IMPACT.

A one-day strike planned on Wednesday would have affected Ryanair passengers in Dublin, Cork and Shannon, with planned stoppages also in Spain, Portugal Germany, Sweden and Italy over the Christmas period.

While there remains the possibility of future strike action if sufficient progress isn't made when meetings between Ryanair and IMPACT begin on Tuesday, travellers are in a much more secure place than they were this time last week.

Mindful of the fiasco with pilots' rosters back in October which saw the cancellation of hundreds of flights, senior management at Ryanair couldn't afford the risk of another PR disaster with angry customers stranded at airports unable to be with family at Christmas.

The outcome represents a dramatic climb-down for Ryanair, a company that previously beat its chest over its decision not to recognise trade unions. A representative for the pilots' union said on Sunday evening that they are now looking forward to a positive relationship with management and that's music to the ears of air travellers.

The uncertainty has seen a significant cut in Ryanair's share price target. But while many may gloat and revel in O'Leary's reversal, there is no hiding from the fact that Ryanair has been one of Ireland's most successful business creations.

The airline broke the stranglehold of extortionate air fares, opening the airways to budget travel. Therefore, those partaking in 'Ryanair bashing' on the back of this outcome must be mindful of the fact that European city breaks and cheaper travel between Ireland and the UK became a reality for thousands of ordinary people on the back of O'Leary's business acumen.

The outcome is being hailed in some quarters as a 'Christmas miracle' but it would be totally wrong to dwell on who's wrong and who's right as thousands of people will now be making their way home from the four corners of the globe over the next few days.

It's also a time of year when we should remind ourselves that Ireland is a nation defined by emigration.

The recent protest by up to 20 people in Killarney against the inclusion of 55 refugees in the town is food for thought on Ireland's sometimes inverted outlook on immigration.

The protesters waved placards saying 'our own first', a loaded statement given that all our ancestors at some point arrived for the 'first' time in their chosen destination - be that the shores of America or a quiet country town in Ireland. People have always been on the move fleeing oppression and poverty and Irish people are no different in this respect.

Christmas is a time to pause and reflect on how we all arrived at our chosen destinations - be that by boat, car, train or even Ryanair.
A New Ross man who claimed he was in the UK when a member of An Garda Siochana saw him in a drunken disturbance at a hotel in Cork in 2015 was fined 300 at court last week.

Edward Cash, 47, of 4 Abbey Hall, New Ross, denied being drunk and a danger at the Clarion Hotel, Lapp's Quay, Cork, on August 8, 2015, claiming it was a case of mistaken identity.

Garda Michael Bohane said he had no doubt the man he arrested was the man before Cork District Court on Tuesday, Edward Cash.

Cross-examining the guard, solicitor Diane Hallahan said on Cash's behalf: 'You are confusing him with a different person. He was not here on the day. He cannot recall being arrested on the day.'

Garda Bohane replied: 'That would not be a big surprise.'

Cash went up to the witness box on crutches to give evidence in his defence.

He said he was in the UK at the time of the alleged incident.

'I don't know what is going on," he said.

'My name is getting given around the country. It was not me he arrested.

'Surely be to God they'd have CCTV. I am not going to plead guilty to something I did not do, your honour.

'The Cash family look alike and have an awful habit of using other people's names.'

Even though the case dated back more than three years, the defendant said that last Tuesday was the first he had heard of it.

Inspector Finbarr O'Sullivan said to the 47-year-old: 'The guard recognised you. You were very intoxicated. He has no doubt you were the person he arrested. The guard is certain. You are mistaken in what you say.'

Cash replied: 'Like I said, I couldn't be in two places at the one time, could I?'

Judge Olann Kelleher said the New Ross defendant was simply stating that he was in the UK on the relevant date but he was not presenting any documentation in support of that claim.

The judge convicted him of the public order offence.

At that point, the judge asked if Cash had any previous convictions.

The inspector said he had 91 convictions.

Even after the judge convicted him, Cash continued to assert his innocence.

'There are ten Edward Cashes living in New Ross,' he insisted.

Judge Kelleher said he was satisfied on the evidence to convict him of being drunk and a danger at the Clarion Hotel three years ago.

Cash said to the judge: 'You saw me there? You were there yourself? I missed that.'

Judge Kelleher, who sits regularly at the court, fined him 300 or five days in prison in default of payment.
Ramsgrange's 800 homes will be included in an application for funding for a new sewerage plant for coastal south west Wexford.

Senior executive engineer Dan McCartan said: 'We are trying to get Ramsgrange village into the scheme. We have a secondary school and two national schools in the area, which could be developed. There is no real treatment (in Ramsgrange) at the moment. Sewage is going into percolation. I think we should be pushing this.'

Mr McCartan said residents in some estates in the locality have requested a connection to a sewerage plant. 'If there are enough applications going in I think they (Irish Water) will be more positive towards this. It's very important to get it.'

Cathaoirleach Cllr Willie Fitzharris said the lack of adequate sewerage facilities in the area affects social housing residents, along with private home owners.

'I am sure the plant can facilitate the extra houses.'

Cllr Martin Murphy said he was advised by council officials a few years ago when he raised the issue that it would be better to wait for funding to be approved for the plant for Duncannon, Ballyhack and Arthurstown, and then add in Ramsgrange. Cllr Murphy said there are 800 people in the village who need access to the plant.

Mr McCartan disagreed, saying: 'In my opinion now is the time to get in as they are doing it and designing it. I would say that a massive change would be needed (to include Ramsgrange). The council have been talking to Irish Water and I don't think there has been a negative response.'

Cllr Murphy backed Mr McCartan's proposal, while Cllr Larry O'Brien said: 'The plant is going to be one mile from the village. I would be absolutely ridiculous now for us not to have it included.'

He said sewage is the biggest problem in the district.

'People are wondering why we can't build houses. It's because we don't have the infrastructure. It's just a pity Campile wasn't included in the scheme as well.'

Cllr John Fleming said the plant, due to be built by 2021 some 20 years after it was first mooted, will give business a chance to develop in the area.

Cllr Willie Fitzharris said a joint motion should be submitted to Wexford County Council to progress the matter. Cllr Anthony Connick seconded Cllr Murphy's proposal.

District director Eamonn Hore said: 'Irish Water are not closed to the idea.'

He said an application, including Ramsgrange, must be submitted.
Robin, the smallest, youngest elf in the North Pole sat spinning a globe his older brother Timmy made in Santa's workshop.

Closing his eyes, he placed his finger tentatively on the spinning, high tech orb, stopping it with a jolt. A bubble - which had formed electronically on the magic globe - revealed a teddy bear shaped country called Ireland.

In keeping with tradition, each year an elf gets to pick the first place in the world Santa is to visit and to his delight Robin was chosen for the task.

Overlooked for so long in the busy workshop where toys of all shapes and sizes are made, Robin's name was plucked by Mrs Claus from a humongous sweet bowl on December 1, the day the giant 50 ft advent calendar for 2017 was unveiled in Snow Hall, where all elf celebrations are held.

Billy Sillitoe, the mean elf in the workshop who made fun of him because of his small size, was so jealous that he jumped around on the spot in a fit of rage.

Robin, who was only 1002 years old, (quite young for an elf), was sitting outside Santa's room on a giant green marshmallow-like chair.

'Come in,' said a warm friendly voice.

'Robin, congratulations. Are you ready to join me, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph on the greatest adventure.'

'Why yes Santa, where are we going?'

'Well, you tell me.'

'Ireland!'

'Oh, that's my favourite country. Your grandmother was from there. The children are so good in that wee country. We never use much coal in Ireland.

'My favourite county is Wexford. Mmmmm, the strawberries, the jam, the marshmallows and chocolates. Mrs Claus doesn't like me going there because sometimes I come back 2 stone heavier.'

With that Robin was lifted into the sleigh - which groaned under the weight of millions of neatly wrapped presents - and in the blink of an elf eye, was off over the clouds.

Santa was looking forward to the trip around the world like never before. Elf trade union issues and gender relations problems - after it emerged that contrary to popular myth, all his reindeer were female and not male - had made the run-up to Christmas a very stressful time indeed.

The fact that the skies would be clear of Ryaniar planes due to a planned strike meant one less thing to worry about as the reindeer ran on the funway out of the North Pole, taking off over the trees.

'Wow!' Robin said, as he looked back on the North Pole and Santa's village, sparkling in crystalline light below. A few seconds later, the super power sleigh was over Gorey. By this time Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph were exhausted, so Santa put the sleigh on automatic.

Ever curious, Robin enquired how the sleigh could fly without reindeers pulling it.

'A child's excitement and love makes anything possible. This is the real magic and that is how we are here tonight,' Santa, a brilliant magician in his own right, said with a broad smile.

'Do you know what's on my list for Christmas?' he asked Robin. 'I don't. I didn't even think you'd write a list being an adult and all.

'Well, adults have wishes too. My wish, if you really want to know, is for children to spend a little time on Christmas. The greatest gift you and the children of Wexford can give someone this Christmas is your time. Because when you give time, you are giving a portion of your life that you will never get back.'

Robin saw evidence of magic in homes all over County Wexford. In the time and effort adults, (who were really just big children with too many jobs' lists), put into making their house cosy and beautiful for this special time of year.

The decorations, some used for decades from when they were children, on the trees, the lights on the roofs. 'I thought only we felt the power of Christmas. Are these houses powered by Christmas too?'

Santa laughed a hearty laugh, his breath visible in the midnight sky. 'These homes are powered by love, which is what Christmas is all about. Taking time to say hello to your neighbour elf. Making friends. Forgetting about little arguments and rows. This is a time to celebrate being alive and all that is good Robin and you and all elves and children must enjoy this precious time. You've all been so good this year.'

The Elf on the Shelf team had kept Santa informed of this and about how good the children there were so Santa was thrilled to land on the first roof top near Tara Hill where he disappared down a chimney, placing presents under a beautifully decorated tree.

He stopped in thousands of houses from Bunclody to Enniscorthy, where he admired the castle, and on to Wexford town, where the reindeer stopped at the women's and children's refuge - Santa peeping in on the sleeping children, before delivering their gifts.

The next stop off was at Johnstown Castle for a drink of water, then on to Kilmore Quay, down along the coast to Duncannon and all the houses in between, before their final destination, New Ross, where Santa, enjoyed a one second break.

Robin couldn't believe how beautiful the county was. Snow, which had blanketed the fields, rooftops and cars on Christmas Eve, glistened and sparkled. Robin felt so big and tall in the sleigh, but not big enough to contain all the feelings of excitement he had, his hair blowing in the cool North wind under billions of stars, as they set off across the world delivering presents to lucky boys and girls.
The four members of the Alexander family who were killed in the horrific accident on the N25 at Begerin Hill - were laid to rest in Illinois on Saturday following a funeral service.

Building contractor Doug Alexander, from Tyrone, his wife, Lily from Patrickswell, Limerick, and their sons, Stephen P. Alexander, an award-winning Bolingbrook police officer, and Doug Jnr, a talented musician, were laid to rest following prayers at Thompson & Kuenster Funeral Home on Friday afternoon and evening, and their funeral Mass at St. Gerald Church in Oak Lawn early the following morning.

There were heartbreaking scenes at the service for the family - who mourners were told, lived the American dream - which took place a mere nine days before Christmas.

Doug, Lily, Doug Jnr and Stephen were killed when their rental 5 series BMW collided with a 40ft articulated lorry at Begerin Hill at 6.30 p.m. on Monday, December 4. The vehicle was struck on its side and was driven into a high embankment further down the road. The four family members had travelled together to attend the funeral of Lily's sister Winifred Keevey in Cushinstown and had met their relations earlier that day. They had stopped off at their hotel, prior to making their short journey to Cushinstown.

Garda technical investigations are continuing into the cause of the crash.

Members of the Keevey family from Lacken made the difficult journey with the remains of Doug (75), Lily (75), Doug Jnr (52) and Stephen (49) to Illinois on Thursday, following a funeral Mass at St Mary's Church in Cushinstown three days previously. The four family members were cremated at Mount Jerome Crematorium in Dublin following the Mass, where warm tributes were paid to all four Alexanders.

Debbie Ceglarek, the daughter and sister of the deceased, attended the funeral Mass on Saturday, along with Doug Jnr's wife Marian, their daughters Abby (7), and six-year-old Katie and Stephen's partner Susan Verden Schulze and their daughters Trinity and Savannah.

There was a strong presence of Bolingbrook police officers, as Stephen was a popular member of the force over 17 years.

Bolingbrook Police director Ken Teppel said: '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. 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.'

Marian Alexander emigrated to Illinois in the US from County Clare 13 years ago and married Doug Jnr in 2008 and the happy couple had daughters Abby, seven, and six-year-old Katie.
Warm tributes to the late Eamonn Barnes, a native of Ballymote who became the country's first Director of Public Prosecutions, were led by Judge Keenan Johnson at Sligo Circuit Court.

Judge Johnson, himself a native of the South Sligo town, said Mr Barnes, who was born in 1934 and who was called to the bar in 1958 and practised on the Midland circuit becoming DPP in 1975, had blazed a trail in the legal profession. Judge Johnson said the leadership which Mr Barnes gave was exemplary .

"He was a kind, affable man who wore his achievements lightly," said the Judge who described himself as a personal friend of the late Mr Barnes who was the son of two school teachers in Ballymote.

The Judge added: "His passing is a huge loss to the legal profession and to Sligo with which he kept close links." The Judge said Mr Barnes kept in touch with the Ballymote Heritage Group and returned from Dublin to meet up with them each August.

"He will not be forgotten and may he Rest in Peace," said the Judge.

Judge Johnson extended sympathy to the Barnes family and in particular to his son, Joe, who is a practising barrister on the Midland Circuit and who was present in Court. Mr Colm Smyth SC, on behalf of the Bar, said it had been a great honour for the Midland Circuit when Mr Barnes was appointed DPP and he went on to set the standards.

State Solicitor Mr Hugh Sheridan said he knew Mr Barnes as his boss for a number of years before his retirement. He was a very learned man and blazed a trail as the country's first DPP. He was a man of energy, a very friendly man and one felt happy always in his company.

On behalf of the Sligo Solicitors' Association, Mr Declan Gallagher said Mr Barnes had created a legacy for the way in which he set up the office of the DPP. Sympathy was also extended by Treena Heever on behalf of the Courts Service. Mr Joe Barnes BL thanked everyone for their kind remarks about his late father.
Some higher ranking Gardai might shun the opportunity to sit down face to face with a newspaper editor but Chief Superintendent for the Sligo Leitrim Division Aidan Glacken was happy to chat.

The only subject off limits was that of Maurice McCabe. On the Whistleblower controversy all he was willing to say was that within the Gardai and indeed society as a whole 'there is always a place for whistleblowers who need to be protected.' But he cautioned: "Their allegations need to be examined and tested before people jump to conclusions."

My first impression of the region's newest Chief Superintendent is positive. The Sligo native seems both welcoming and affable, as he leaves his tidy mahogany desk, with interestingly enough a printed copy of a recent Irish Independent column on whistleblowers, to sit in seats by the window.

Outside and across the road at Sligo Courthouse, a camera crew is waiting to get a shot of a troubled young Sligo Garda who is to plead guilty to criminal offences. The media interest in a fallen guard never ceases to amaze. And I wonder does Chief Supt Glacken feel that the 'bad press' the force has battled with in recent months is justified.

Or is he ready to defend the boys in blue at every juncture? Like his superiors and perhaps because of his superiors he emulates a party line, that of shock at the recent scandals that have shook An Garda Siochana to its very core.

Last month a report by the Policing Authority into wrongful road traffic convictions and false breath tests found that there could be another 400,000 false breath tests on top of the 1.5m already identified.

Referring to the damning document, Chief Supt Glacken says: "I was shocked by what I read. It's all out there for everyone to see. The problem was endemic. Everybody right through the organisation has a responsibility for what went wrong. It is wrong ethically. The behaviour around it is wrong. Nobody can condone it."

From a managerial point of view he rejects claims that recording more breath tests as having taken place helped to progress a career or 'make a department head look good.'

In fact he goes so far as to say: "It's not even a figure we should be interested in. If there was a breath test checkpoint in my division, I would want to know how many people tested positive, were they arrested and are those arrests being processed.

"Otherwise it's like every customer going into penny's being counted and recorded as well as those shoppers arrested for shoplifting. Why should we be interested in those that were abiding by the law. Why did we even need to record that. It is not even a useful statistic."

Perhaps better than most senior Gardai Aidan Glacken has a deeper understanding as to why such scandals unfolded. Prior to the move back to his home town of Sligo last month, he was based in Garda HQ in the Phoenix Park, working on a major project to 'change the force from within.'

He was over the Modernisation and Renewal Programme 2016-2021 which took three years to compile. The ultimate aim of the project is to modernise and renew the force.

"It is a programme of reform," says Chief Supt Glacken "which was badly needed."

He explains that the work brought legacy issues to light identifying bad practices that urgently needed to be updated.

Walking to his cabinet he produces a hard copy of the finished document. The hefty booklet outlines 13 key areas that need to be examined from Garda Culture to Victims of Crime to Technology.

"The programme is available online; the work involved painstakingly going through public attitude surveys, internal reports, about 10 years of Garda communication and identifying more than 100 key projects in 13 areas," he says.

So what did the team find? "Bad processes create gaps for bad behaviours. A lack of strong accountability and governance systems led to the failures we've seen in recent times," Chief Supt Glacken admits.

He also firmly believes losing experienced personnel to retirement and a lack of recruitment and investment in the force has played a part.

"Lack of investment has come to bear. We've had few promotions which does not help. The last decade has been one of deficit, a lack of resources and investment in people and technology, in teaching and training and recruitment, the ripple effect of retirements and not replacing people. Our technology is 30 years behind where it should be."

So has the project been worthwhile and is the former Summerhill pupil confident his programme of reform will work?

"Part of modernisation is unearthing the issues of the past and when you have legacy issues they will generate headlines," he admits. But Chief Supt Glacken maintains he has made great strives to try and improve the lot of the Gardai and as the programme highlights, change has to come from within.

"Garda personnel at all levels need to be trained and need continuous professional development," says Chief Supt Glacken who strongly welcomes 'the idea of increased civilians active in the force.'

The landscape of policing is changing and will continue to change. He believes the modern day police force has to continually adapt to meet the needs of the community it serves. That link to the community which is the very ethos of the Gardai is 'the envy of police organisations across the world.'

So says the regional head of police who wants to 'work hand in hand' with the community in Sligo both formally and informally.

"From what I have seen in Sligo so far there is a very strong community and voluntary sector both regulatory and non-regulatory. I see the key role of the Gardai as enhancing a quality of life for all the community, protecting people who are the most vulnerable and from all backgrounds."

'Policing is a sticky plaster of society'

Chief Supt Aidan Glacken has good intentions. He is returning to where it all began for him, his home town of Sligo.

Over his tenure, he says he wants to strengthen the links between the Gardai and the community and even set up a crime prevention Facebook Page for Sligo citizens.

"My intention is to work with my managerial team to work with all sectors of the community. People need to hear and see from the Gardai on a continual basis. I want to hear from various sectors as to how we can provide the best possible service to Sligo," he says.

The son of a Garda, Aidan remembers living in the Station House in Dromahair with his Dad Frank, mother Eileen and siblings, before moving to Carraroe where he attended national school and Summerhill College.

Referring to a recent front page story in The Sligo Champion about anti-social behaviour in St. Joseph's Terrace and criticisms that there is not enough of a Garda presence on the streets, he says: "I welcome the feedback of criticism. I have to look at the allocation of resources across the division. It appears to be adequate but this is something that I will be working to try and improve."

But, the garda who has risen his way through the ranks from his days as a school leaver in Templemore to his current position warns: "Community Policing is not a panacea to all of these problems. Policing is like the sticky plaster of society."

He has a message to those experiencing anti-social problems: "I would encourage people to work hand in hand with us, to voice their concerns and I can assure people that we will be making every effort to address concerns within the parameters of the law."

He admits intimidation can put people off saying: "Sometimes that will require people to be very courageous."

With regard to the local fight against drugs the 53-year-old still has some research to do: "I've to look at the criminal landscape here. It will take me a bit of time to get my head around it. We will have to prepare for any changes or threats depending on our assessments and consider redeployment of resources or more specialised officers to tackle problems."
A 34-year-old man robbed a headshop at gun point to pay off a drug debt, which his father eventually paid but after handing over the 10,000 demanded they came back looking for a further 10,000, Sligo Circuit Court was told.

On the second occasion the money was demanded, Gardai got involved and the gang was told the family wasn't paying over anymore.

Details of the transaction involving the family and the gang emerged during the sentencing hearing before Judge Keenan Johnson of Mark Harte who had pleaded guilty to robbing 6,716.44 in cash along with herbal drugs worth 3,000 at Cosmic Closet, Market Street on May 1st 2010.

Harte also admitted a charge of using a firearm during the robbery. After the robbery, Harte, a father of one, left for a new life in Spain and the court heard he was now managing restaurants in Barcelona and Ibiza. He was brought back to Ireland on a European Arrest Warrant and subsequently released on bail.

Sergeant John Walsh told Ms Dara Foynes BL with State Solicitor Mr Hugh Sheridan (prosecuting) that the money stolen from the shop had been kept in envelopes at the back of the shop.

At around 6.45pm, employee John McNamara was sweeping and cleaning up and was about to close the shop when the defendant came in. He had his hood up and he had a mask on. He also had a gun in his hand. He ordered Mr McNamara to go down on his knees. A second person had also come into the shop with the defendant.

He was then told to get up and get the money. Mr McNamara kept his head down and got the money. The envelopes were thrown into a holdall by the defendant who then ran off. Mr McNamara rang 999 on the shop phone and Gardai were quickly giving chase to the getaway car. Gardai pursued the car but Ms Foynes said there was a lot of traffic in town that evening because of a match and for the safety of the public they had to abandon the chase. The holdall was subsequently found at Oakfield Road having been thrown from the car and contained 5,900 in cash. The getaway car, a red Citroen Saxo was also located. DNA evidence was got from the holdall and it matched that of Harte who was subsequently brought in for questioning. He gave a flat denial of any involvement and during a second interview he also did not cooperate. Harte subsequently said he was under pressure and was doing it for other parties. The firearm was not recovered.

He appeared before the Circuit Court on March 28th last and pleaded guilty. Sgt Walsh told Judge Johnson that the defendant was brought back on a European Arrest Warrant having been arrested in Madrid in June 2016. He had been on bail of 10,000 since and had been coming over and back for court hearings. Harte would have been aware that the matter was under investigation but he had not been on bail when he originally left for Spain, said Sgt Walsh. Harte had eleven previous convictions, five road traffic, five public order and one for assault.

Sgt Walsh agreed with Mr Colm Smyth SC with Mr Keith O'Grady BL instructed by Ms Laura Spellman, solicitor that the robbery was set up in order for the defendant to pay money to people he owned. The witness also agreed that Harte appeared to have turned his life around having been involved with people who were deeply associated with the sale and supply of drugs in the North West.

Retired Detective Sergeant Con Lee, called on behalf of the defence, told the court that he was a personal friend of the defendant's father Val and his partner.

He was aware at the time that the defendant was involved in the drugs scene. It seemed that the robbery was "set up by these people" in order to pay off a debt. He told the court he was familiar with the drug dealers who were main players in Sligo town. The debt was 10,000 and the defendant was put under pressure to pay it. His father Val agreed to pay 250 a week to a particular dealer to pay it off on behalf of his son. He didn't want to get the Gardai involved.

Mr Val Harte, who had been ill in recent times, was later approached a second time and was told the debt was 20,000 and not 10,000. It was at this stage that the witness said he was made aware of the situation. He met a person and he told them that no more money was being paid over and that he didn't want any comeback on the family.

"I was later contacted and told that the matter was sorted," said Mr Lee.

He agreed with Mr Smyth that if the money had not been paid back there would have been a threat to the defendant's life and probably his car would have been burned out.

The court heard that the defendant's employer was prepared to keep him and there were references in court. Mr Lee, who spent 33 years in An Garda Siochana, said he would be surprised 'if the defendant ever appeared in this court again.'

He added: "I would certainly say he has turned his life around." In reply to Judge Johnson, the witness said the matter of the money being paid over was reported to CAB. The Judge remarked that this seemed to be an outrageous state of affairs.

Harte told the court he regretted what he had done every day and apologised to all involved. His intention was to go back to Spain and continue with his life on the straight and narrow. He was in a new relationship now and his daughter was starting secondary school.

He said he was under severe pressure at the time of the robbery. "I don't think I'd be here today if I didn't comply," he said. He was concerned for everyone's safety. Mr Smyth pleaded that a probation report was positive. He asked the Judge not to impose a mandatory minimum of five years in prison saying that in extenuating circumstances, a suspended sentence could be applied.

Passing sentence, Judge Johnson said the robbery seemed to be a bit of a botched job with the defendant being apprehended shortly after with the money being thrown out the window of the car and then abandoned.

"I have been told he was acting under duress and this was accepted by the sergeant and the court has to acknowledge this as a significant factor as the cause of his offending."

He said it was quite clear it was a frightening experience for Mr Mamara. There was verbal aggression used and he was in a distressed state in the aftermath of the incident and it must have had a profound impact on him. Mr McNamara didn't wish to be heard by the court and wanted to draw a line under the matter.

The Judge said he had no doubt if the defendant hadn't removed himself from this area he would have become a victim of his past. He said thankfully due to the intervention of Mr Lee no further sums were paid over to the drug dealer and he was delighted to see that CAB undertook an investigation.

"CAB has proven to be most effective in dealing with people like these, hitting them where it hurts in the pocket."

The Judge added that he was satisfied he had discretion to deviate from the mandatory sentence. He imposed a three year jail term on the firearm charge, suspended for five. Harte was ordered to pay 20,000 over the next five years, 4,000 a year with 12,000 going to Mr McNamara and 8,000 to a charity. The robbery charge was taken into consideration.
County Council Chief Executive Ciaran Hayes has slammed what he calls the "politics of negativity" as the row over whether a commitment to give the council an extra 750,000 was made rumbles on.

A government minister and senior civil servant have both insisted that no promise was given to the council to hand over the money at a meeting in 2015 but this week, CEO Ciaran Hayes insists such a commitment was given.

He's also hit back at what he says is an "unnecessary debate" surrounding the issue. The matter has been raised by Councillor Declan Bree who says the situation is unprecedented.

In a statement to The Sligo Champion Mr Hayes said the Council's Management Team was given a commitment by the Assistant Secretary that the 750,000 withdrawn by the Department would be remitted to the Council following approval of the Financial Plan.

"The commitment was given at a meeting with the Management Team in Sligo on 18th February 2015, when the Assistant Secretary met for the specific purpose of advancing the Financial Plan. It is the clear recollection of the entire Management Team that in the course of the meeting, the Assistant Secretary stated that when the Plan is approved and 'over the line' a way would be found to allocate the 750,000 back into the finances of the Council. Once this commitment was given, it would be negligent of me not to follow through on it."

This view is at total odds with the recollection of the Assistant Secretary Paul Lemass who emailed Cllr Bree to state no commitment to remit the 750,000 was given to Mr Hayes, either by him or by the Secretary General of the Department at the meeting on the 7th of September 2016.

Mr Hayes went on to say that he was pleased to confirm that the finances of the Council had improved immeasurably in recent years.

"A budget surplus is being returned again in 2017 making it three years in a row for the production of a surplus and the finances are now operating on a sustainable basis.

"The serious legacy issues regarding Lissadell legal costs are being addressed and the county is on the cusp of major infrastructural investment.

"Sligo's profile and reputation has been enhanced with the success of events like the Fleadh, Royal Visit and European Volunteering Capital in recent times.

"The Council has also been innovative and creative in progressing strategic alliances with Knock Airport and Stewart Airport outside of New York for the benefit of the region while we have also advanced an innovative Trade Office in Providence for the benefit of small local enterprises. All of these initiatives reflect positively on Sligo.

"In this context, it is disappointing that we should be drawn back into an unnecessary debate that reverts to the politics of negativity and causes reputational damage for the Council. Negativity did not work for Sligo in the past and it will not work in the future."

The matter was also raised in the Dail last week with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy saying no commitment was made to pay 750,000 to the council.

In response to Parliamentary Questions asked by Clare Daly T.D. and Marc MacSharry TD the Minister said no commitment to remit the 750,000 was given subsequent to it being withdrawn in 2015 or at the meeting on the 7th of September 2016 or in the intervening period. Councillor Bree said as far as he was concerned the situation was unprecedented.

"As far back as February 2015 it was made abundantly clear to the Chief Executive and to councillors that the 750,000 was withdrawn because of the failure of the Council management to submit a sustainable financial plan to the Department before the end of 2014. "In June 2015 when a deputation from the Council met with the Asst. Secretary of the Department, Mr Lemass, it was again made clear to us that the 750,000 was not available," said Cllr Bree.

He added: "Sligo County Council is the only council in the country which is receiving bailout money from the Department and now we have the Chief Executive embroiled in a public row with the most senior people in the Department. This certainly won't help us in our dealing with the Department in the new year."
A father-of-one who raped two women in his apartment after meeting them on a night out in a nightclub has been jailed for seven and a half years.

Clement Limen (45) of North Court, Quayside, Sligo town, was convicted after a trial at the Central Criminal Court of raping two women at his flat on June 2, 2014 and one count of sexual assault.

Mr Justice Paul Coffey noted the trauma and anguish caused by Limen's attacks on the women before he imposed a prison sentence of seven and a half years.

Garda Sergeant Martin McHale told Eileen O'Leary SC, prosecuting, that Limen invited the two women back to his apartment for a party after meeting them in a nightclub on the June bank holiday weekend in 2014.

The court heard that the women, who were aged in their 30s, saw Limen inviting others to the party and they initially fobbed him off.

He was waiting outside the nightclub and the women, who were lifelong friends, decided to travel back to his home with 10 other people he had invited from the club.

Both women recall him giving them "a very strong drink that tasted like vodka" before "going totally blank".

One woman said she remembered waking up on a couch, feeling very disorientated while lying on her back, and then realising that Limen was raping her.

Sgt McHale said the woman then found her friend in a bedroom, lying on her back. The second woman told her friend she too had been raped by the defendant.

The women fled the apartment and rang the husband of one of the victims, who came to collect them.

During the trial, Limen denied raping either of the women, telling the court he made them "a cocktail with grenadine and vodka".

Limen told the jury he had consensual unprotected sex with one woman, and denied having sex with the other victim.

In a victim impact statement, one woman told the court that her life had changed dramatically since that night.

"I was once carefree and fun-loving. I became introverted and racked with anxiety. I regularly wake with a jolt, thinking he is standing over me," she said.

She said she sometimes gets up in the middle of the night to check doors and windows are locked.

"If he had pleaded guilty and apologised, I could have forgiven him. But he taunted us at every opportunity, he showed no remorse, was arrogant, and told nauseating lies," she said.

The second woman said in her victim impact statement that she was still coming to terms with the incident that destroyed the last three years of her life.

"It is impossible to underestimate what has been done to me unless you're standing in my shoes," she said. "He carried my listless body into a bedroom where he violated and raped me."

"I am fearful this statement will not do justice to the pain and humiliation I suffered and I'm scared of that failure," she said.

The woman said she recalled lying on the examination bed at a hospital the following day and crying her heart out because she had never felt so lonely.

Both victims said Limen's refusal to give gardai a blood sample in order to test him for sexually transmitted diseases, caused them considerable distress.

"I had to go to an STD clinic, which was humiliating as I am a married woman. The anti-HIV medication made me violently sick and extremely gaunt. It was an extra blow to put us through," one woman said.

Both women praised their partners, family and friends for supporting them, but said every person in both of their lives have suffered as a result of Limen's crimes.

Kieran O'Loughlin SC, defending, told the court that Limen was a university graduate from Cameroon, who had been living in Ireland for seven years, and had no previous convictions.

The court heard Limen intends to appeal his conviction as he does not accept the jury's verdict and to separately make a constitutional challenge regarding the terms of his detention.

Mr Justice Coffey said the crime was aggravated by the "trauma and anguish" it caused the victims.

He said there was no "evidentiary basis" for suspending any part of the sentence.

He also imposed a sentence of four years for the sexual assault count and ordered that all three sentences run concurrently.
A 49-year-old woman who moved to Ireland to battle her alcohol addiction died due to acute respiratory depression caused by toxic levels of ethanol and Paroxetine in the blood.

Elzbieta Szczegodinska tragically passed away in January having fallen ill.

The inquest into her death last Thursday heard that Elzbieta's daughter Martha Szczegodinska has been living in Ireland for nearly 11 years having moved here from Poland.

Martha moved her mother in with her in Woodtown Lodge as she had been battling alcoholism for a number of years.

Martha went back to Poland previously to try and help Elzbieta, but she told the inquest that her mother would not listen.

She also suffered with high blood pressure, increasing Martha's concerns about her mother's welfare.

After moving to Ireland in June 2016, Martha said her mother had been doing well, and she thought she had given up drinking.

On January 9th, Elzbieta appeared to be in good form, but felt unwell and went to bed to rest.

At 5pm Martha checked on her and she was sleeping. She checked again later on and saw that Elzbieta was not moving.

She grabbed her Mum's hand but it was cold and slightly grey in colour.

"A few days before she died I started to think that she may have been drinking again, but not as much as previously but she was acting strange and sleeping a lot although I did not see her drink.

"A few days after she died I was cleaning her room and found two bottles of wine which were empty.

"She had not been seeing a doctor in Ireland, however she was taking tablets for high blood pressure," Martha said.

She added: "On the day that she died she was in good form. It was completely unexpected. I did everything I could to help my mother. I believed that I had helped her to stop drinking by bringing her over from Poland."

Coroner Eamonn McGowan delivered a verdict of death by misadventure due the elevated levels of ethanol and Paroxetine in the blood.

"This is a tragic case, this was your Mum and you were trying to help her. She was such a young age. I hope you can pick up the pieces and move on," Eamonn McGowan told Martha at the inquest.
Mary and Larry Egan with Stephanie Rainey and John Doherty of Little Hours

A South Wicklow pub recently hosted a Bord na Mona music session after overwhelmingly winning an online vote.

Egan's of Parkbridge hosted the Wicklow edition of the national event, which featured 30-minute live music sets by up-and-coming Irish acts Little Hours, Stephanie Rainey and Ye Vagabonds.

Proprietors Mary and Larry Egan welcomed the performers and were delighted with the turnout for the event, which promoted live music by Irish performers in intimate local pub settings complete with open fires. Supported by the Vintners Federation of Ireland, pubs across the country were invited to participate, to host one of three, hotly anticipated Hearth Sessions.

Mary and Larry said that the session was a 'memorable night' and that the customers who came from far and wide were stunned by the level of talent.

They paid tribute to their loyal customers for voting for Egan's and making the night possible.
A road safety project devised by five bright young minds from Wicklow Montessori Primary School has been selected to go forward to the national final of the Intel Mini Scientist competition.

Out of 90 entries into the regional final held in Blanchardstown IT, Wicklow Montessori's Road Alert Project was picked along with 19 others to compete in the finals in February.

The competition, which is now in its eleventh year, gives young students the chance to explore science through project based learning and exhibitions.

The first phase of the programme involves students participating in exhibitions at their own schools. These are visited by Intel employees who judge the exhibitions and select a winning project from each school to go forward to a regional final.

Wicklow Montessori impressed last year with their 'Bad Hair Day' project and this year's team of Bluebell Dynes, Elsha O'Reilly, Ruairi Phillips, James McCann and Luca Nolan look set to even surpass that achievement.

Their teacher Melanie Shortt said the pupils put a huge amount of effort into their project.

'They looked at different areas of road safety, including aquaplaning. To prevent motorists from losing control of their vehicles while passing through a body of water, 50 per cent of the water has to go down the middle of the tyre, with the rest spread evenly on the left- and right-hand side.

'The pupils also made a model tyre to warn people when their tyres are bald. The level underneath the black rubber is coloured yellow, which acts as a warning to say your tyre treads are worn. The next level is red for danger, as in there are no treads left.'

The pupils also carried out fatigue experiments, answering a number of questions late at night while tired and then answering the same questions when refreshed after breakfast the next morning, and comparing the results. Reaction times were tested by asking the pupils to catch a ruler dropped from a height without any distractions, while also having to catch the ruler while engaged in a phone conversation and when texting someone a phone message.

Speed and its influence over traffic accidents was also monitored.

At the Leinster Regional Final, the Wicklow Montessori team were presented with their prizes by the Director of Public Affairs at Intel Ireland, Hugh Hardiman, as one of the 20 regional winners.
Annemarie McCormack, Lynn Tyndall, Molly Brown, Lauren Tyndall, KatelynTyndall and Jason Carthy with Santa at the switching on of the Christmas lights in Roundwood

There was plenty of excitement in Roundwood village recently as Santa Claus switched on the Christmas Tree lights.

Mr Claus made it all the way from the North Pole to spread some festive cheer to local boys, girls and their families on Saturday, December 9. Some seasonal carol signing only helped to add to the whole Christmas atmosphere.

A sizeable crowd had gathered by the tree at Roundwood Garda Station in anticipation of the arrival of the man in red.

A large cheer echoed throughout the village when Mr Claus flicked the switch to officially turn on the lights and launch Christmas in Roundwood. Afterwards everyone was invited back to Roundwood Parish Hall for some mince pies and a hot brew to help warm up from the winter chill. Santa also held court and listened intently as local kids informed him of what presents they were hoping for this year and if they were naughty or nice during the year.
Members of the East Coast Roosters Motorcycle Club get ready to set off from Jack Whites with the items they collected for the homeless

An appeal to help the homeless was met with a huge response from south Wicklow in the past number of weeks.

East Coast Roosters Motorcycle Club had called on people from around the county and beyond to donate to a collection of supplies to help those without a home at Christmas. Donations flooded into drop-off points at Jack White's Inn and Ashgrove Interparts, Arklow.

Members of the East Coast Roosters and their supporters gathered at Jack White's last week, from where 30 motorcycles and two vans set off with the donated goods and delivered them to the Lighthouse Drop-in Centre in Dublin.

The latest official rough sleeper count was carried out earlier this month and found there were 184 people bedding down in streets, doorways and green areas.

That figure represents the highest on record since the official count began in 2007. It is also double the figure seen during the winter of 2015.

A spokesperson for the centre thanked the people of Wicklow for their support and said: 'These donations will bring comfort to so many of our homeless this winter season.'

East Coast Roosters Motorcycle Club has sent its thanks to Ashgrove Interparts, Jack White's Inn, Boland's Hardware, Heatons, Floods Menswear, Dermot Hall's Menswear and Redcross Church's Kids club along with all the individuals who supported this appeal.
A young Wicklow man who brutally raped and bit the breast of a vulnerable teenager has been jailed for six-and-a-half years.

Trevor McDonagh (19) was convicted following a Central Criminal Court trial last month of raping the then 16-year-old girl, sexually assaulting her by biting her breast and engaging in a sex act with a child under the age of 17 at a Co Wicklow location on March 4, 2014.

He had pleaded not guilty to these offences but pleaded guilty to a fourth charge of stealing the girl's phone on the same date.

The court heard that McDonagh, with an address at Woodlands Green, Lamberton Road, Arklow, and with family links in Kilkenny, raped the girl as she was bent over in pain from him biting her breast.

A local detective garda told Tara Burns SC, prosecuting, that McDonagh was 15 years old at the time and had lured the girl down a lane way with another boy.

He pushed her against a wall, rubbed himself against her and bit her on her breast when she struggled to get away from him.

The court heard that McDonagh stopped the rape and ran off after thinking gardai were in the vicinity. The girl realised her phone was missing when she went to call her mother.

McDonagh co-operated with gardai on arrest but claimed the penetration was consensual.

Reading from her Victim Impact Statement, the now young woman revealed she suffered hair loss and frequent seizures as a result of the attack.

Described by Mr Justice Paul Butler as a 'very articulate and intelligent young lady', the woman outlined the invasive sexual assault examinations she had to endure after the rape.

She said she had never had a sexual relationship before and that this first experience was 'disgusting, dirty, unwanted' down a cold lane where nobody could hear her 'screaming for my mammy'.

She said the pain from McDonagh's bite was 'indescribable' and that the resulting wound bled for a month and had to be treated by her doctor.

She detailed the prolonged medical testing and treatment she received to prevent any sexually transmitted diseases and revealed that she tried to take her own life after the attack.

The woman paid tribute to her mother, who she said slept in a chair beside her each time she was in hospital and bought her a new phone despite serious financial constraints.

Addressing McDonagh, she said he had 'never shown remorse or responsibility' for what he had done.

'I am strong, I am not a victim, this will not define me. I have a future,' she said.

She thanked everyone involved in the case, her friends, family and her 'patient, kind and gentle' boyfriend.

Damien Colgan SC, defending, submitted to Mr Justice Butler that his client had been expelled from school at the age of 13.

He asked the judge to be lenient on McDonagh and to provide some structure in his sentence.

Mr Justice Butler took into account McDonagh's young age at the time, the fact he has no relevant previous convictions apart from minor thefts and that he has no formal education.

He imposed an eight-year sentence with the final 18 months suspended on condition he makes no contact with the woman, stays away from her area and and is of good behaviour.
Nobody talks anymore, Brent Pope tells me.

Were sitting in The Westbury Hotel during Christmas week, surrounded by poinsettias and 10-foot tall Nutcrackers and women catching up over afternoon tea: it's hard to escape what time of year it is.

Were here to talk about his shoe range POPE Shoes, but we get side-tracked early on with a shared opinion that Christmas is rarely all its cracked up to be. For some people, its a reminder of their loneliness  which is Brents real passion project: educating people on the importance of socialising with the elderly.

Those days of going out and being able to talk to the bank manager or butcher, who can ask, Hows the dog, hows your kid? and chat for those few minutes, theyre gone, he says. Its important and were losing that."

Brents parents, who are based in his native Christchurch, New Zealand, are both in their late eighties and hes flying back home to meet them this week. But its clear the impending visit is playing on his mind.

Loneliness for older people is a killer in this country, he explains.They talk about people with rural backgrounds being stuck out in isolation, but then when they get on a bus, theyre being faced with people all wearing headphones or on their iPhones, all rushing to somewhere. Its a real rant of mine; I want to bring it peoples attention to look after the elderly.

As for Christmas, he recalls a handful of stories at the top of his head  the newly separated father who doesnt know if he will see his daughter on Christmas Day or the widowed father-of-two - to illustrate the importance of loving thy neighbour, or at least knowing their name.

I think there are people that are sad at Christmas time. Even for just 10 minutes, call down to your elderly neighbour and see how they are. Its just a chat is what they really want, he says.

I was on the bus into town and out of 30 people; I counted 26 people who were on some sort of device. I sat next to a guy and he started telling me that his two sons had emigrated and theyre married, living in Australia. Then I saw him welling up a bit and I said, Are you okay?

He said, No, actually. Im very much alone. I lost the love of my life a year ago with cancer and now I feel very alone.

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"I said, Would you not live with your sons?

"He said, I feel a burden to them, theyve got their own lives.

When I got off the bus, he grabbed my hand and said, Thank you for talking to me. Nobody talks to me anymore.

I was really quite emotionally taken by that.

Theres no virtue signalling in his appeal, there are no pictures on social media of his do-gooding or preaching atop a high horse. He is simply, as he says, employing everyday people like me to make more of an effort.

While he makes a purpose of visiting New Zealand once a year, he made a difficult decision last Christmas to try something new and chose to volunteer at a homeless hostel over his normal routine of spending the day with close friends.

I dont have my own family, Im not married  Christmas is a happy time for most people and I want people to be happy, but for some, its actually lonely and its a sad time, he tells me.

Last year, I decided on Christmas Day - because I often feel that people are very good to me and very generous about spending Christmas with them, but I always feel its a family day for them - I went to one of the homeless hostels and helped cook a meal; more again, all they really wanted was just to talk.

I had a lovely day of meeting people and listening to their stories, some of them sad and some of them full of hope. That night, I thought, What a lovely day.

This is going to sound stupid, when I see movies or ads around Christmas that involve barking dogs and big trees, its a sadness for me. Yes, peoples argument would be that I had a choice; it doesnt have to be that way for me and I do have a choice, I could go out and be with my friends, but its just my way of thinking about Christmas because Im away from my family. Thats where the sadness comes from. Theyll be there for Christmas Day and Ill be over here.

In recent years, he has become more sentient because of his parents' advancing age and and fears receiving "one of those calls that everyone dreads" while living on the other side of the world.

My father is 87, my mother is 82  they had a tough year last year, mum has bad osteoporosis and she had a couple of bad falls last year, he says, adding that his mother suffered a broken shoulder, elbow, hip and pelvis.

Now she has to have injections every day. She was always so active with horse breeding and such an active person; dad has had health problems for the last year or so and Ive seen him age a lot. My brother has been great but I need to go home once a year and spend a bit of time with them. Ive been here 26 years  theyve grown up without me and Ive grown up without them.

It was very emotional last year for me, I was thinking, Im going to get one of those calls that everyone dreads. If I cant get home to say goodbye, its a two day trip, suddenly if mum were admitted to hospital with something life-threatening, I wouldnt get to say how I feel about them. Its quality time.

Brent speaks fondly of his parents and its clear he misses the connectivity of having family in the same hemisphere and is enjoying the wisdom that comes with age.

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When I left New Zealand, they were about the age I am now. So I would have sat around the dinner table while they were in their mid-50s and I would have taken off for my adventures around the world and I looked at them and thought they were a bit old, he said. Now I look back and think, god Im that age. Its scary sometimes. 

"They havent been able to see my life and I havent been able to see theirs. Last time mum was over was maybe 20 years ago and then dad came over about 10, 11 years ago and helped me build and renovate my house. It was a great time for us together; we had a lovely time, but that was the last time he was over and they werent able to travel again. I make a point of getting back once a year.

He is full of praise for his brother Mark, who is his parents' primary caregiver and whose workload he tries to ease during his visits home.

Hes been really great and Im really grateful for him because hes been the one to pick up the pieces and sometimes I feel slightly selfish, he adds. Yes, Ive made my life over here and Ive tried to do the best I can, but sometimes I go back and thats why its important for me to go home and allow him maybe a bit of time. Hes looked after them and hes been there and I cant be there for them anymore from the other side of the planet.

I would have loved to come from a big family, thats not saying thatunfortunately I wasnt an easy birth and I dont think my mother could have other children after me. I would have loved a sister.

When I ask about his personal relationships, he explains that he prefers to keep that part of my life private out of respect for partners.

Im not married I can go as far as to say that. Over the years, I found relationships can be difficult for me. A lot of my life isnt private and I like to keepthats not to say if I was getting married I wouldnt shout it from the rooftopsat this stage, out of respect for people I might be seeing. Its one of those things I just dont talk about, he says.

But back to shoes, which is why were here. His love of fashion goes deeper than a well-tailored blazer and jazzy pocket square, as a young man, it was his battle armour, his choice of weapon to boost his low self-esteem.

My love of clothes which Ive had all my life, comes from having low self-confidence and low self-esteem, he explains. Its unusual for people to start with that. I think its important for people to know that growing up, I didnt have a lot of confidence in the way that I looked and I thought if I could dress smartly then I would feel better about myself. Thats where I got my love of clothes. I used to buy clothes from the UK and Australia from seeing them in magazines, now I never looked like the models, but I always on trend.

I didnt follow the trends, I was always being criticised at rugby training  that was a macho world where guys all dressed the same and I would arrive in different gear whether it was rolled up trousers or looking like Dexies Midnight Runners on week. Id always liked clothes.

The lightbulb moment to set up his own brand in 2013 came from the attention his unique dress sense was bringing him. But setting up a small business is never easy and this was before influencer culture permeated our business culture and putting your name on a product was a big risk - one, as it happens, that has paid off for him.

I always wore other peoples brands on the tv over 30 years and people would come up to me, especially wives or partners, after rugby matches asking where they could get a certain tie, shirt or shoes and I was always having to point them to other brands. About four years ago, why dont I try my own brand, he said.

I was told by so many people that it cant and wont work; retail is so ruthless. My whole life has been about stepping out of my comfort zone in a lot of ways, even in coming to Ireland, not following the trends and being an advocate of mental health, all of these things have been difficult. I wanted to be hands on with everything  working with the design, fabrics, the buttons, to such an extent that I get the shirts delivered, I unpack and repack them, I go down to each of the stores and check sales, I do debt collecting, I do everything.

I want to build up a little POPE brand. I always loved shoes. I want men to get into nice brogues and boots that are comfortable. I was sick of having to take your shoes off to hit the dance floor at a wedding.

Anything Ive done in life has never been about financial gain. I keep saying to people, Ive never chased the golden egg, I do it because Im passionate about it. I dont wake up during a sleepless night and thinking about whos paying for the shirts and I cant cope with the sales or the pressure; I do it because I want it to succeed. The buzz I get from people saying I love your shoes. Its because I love saying, I did that.
Former Miss Ireland Aoife Walsh put her best foot forward after being forced to pull out of Dancing With The Stars.

The New York-based model (23) was scheduled to appear on the RTE One show in January, but she broke her toe early on in rehearsals and her recovery was taking longer than she hoped.

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"I'm devastated to have to hang up my dancing shoes so soon, but it just wasn't meant to be this time. I want to thank RTE and [production company] ShinAwiL for the opportunity and their support. I'd also like to wish all my fellow contestants the very best in the competition - I'll be watching and cheering them on every week," she confirmed earlier this week.

"I'm looking forward to getting better and back on both feet again very soon."

She put on a brave face on Friday during a girls night out in Dublin as she put on a stylish appearance at the five star Westbury Hotel. The flame haired model was dressed for the cold in a leopard print fur coat, black beret and Gucci Marmont black leather bag, but her most notable accessory was the cast on her right foot.

The capital has been bustling with celebrity activity in recent days as familiar faces dart around town to get some last minute shopping done, including Brian McFadden, who was spotted at Paul Sheeran Jewellers and later on, his good pal Keith Duffy beamed for photographers.
Holding court in Vienna after winning the election on an anti-immigration platform, newly sworn-in Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (right) and Austrias new Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache attend their first cabinet meeting. Photo: Getty Images

Recently, Austria became the only country in western Europe with a far-right partner in government, as a party founded by former Nazis after the Second World War took key ministries in the country's new ruling coalition.

The move - and the relatively muted reaction it prompted across the EU - begs the question of not only how much the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) has changed as it claims, but also how much Europe has changed.

When the FPO last entered government as a coalition partner in 2000, the news was met with outrage and sanctions from the EU. More than 150,000 Austrians then took to the streets of Vienna to protest the inclusion in government of a party that summoned unwelcome ghosts of the country's past.

Last week, some 5,000 people took part in anti-FPO demonstrations in the Austrian capital and EU officials chose their words carefully when addressing the new government headed by Sebastian Kurz of the Austrian People's Party.

Comparing the response to the FPO in 2000 and now is a measure of how much Europe's political currents have lurched right-wards, with messaging once associated with the far-right - particularly on immigration - now increasingly mainstreamed.

There is much trepidation over what the new coalition might mean, not just for Austria but Europe more generally, not least given the fact Vienna holds the EU presidency in the latter half of next year.

"Things are doubtless different from the previous time, in 2000," tweeted Pierre Moscovici, France's former finance minister and Socialist party stalwart. "But the presence of the far-right in government is never without consequences."

The UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, was a rare voice of stark warning. "I am very worried," he said, adding that the FPO entering government marked a "dangerous development  in the political life of Europe".

Kurz's party won 32pc of the vote in elections held in October, garnering 62 seats in the 183-seat national council. The FPO party came third with 26pc of the vote and 51 seats.

Under the coalition deal struck by Kurz, at 31 the youngest head of government in the world, the FPO will control sensitive portfolios in the new government, including the interior and defence ministries. The new interior minister, Herbert Kickl, previously a speechwriter for the FPO's former leader Jorg Haider, was responsible for concocting controversial party slogans including "More courage for Viennese blood", and anti-Islam campaign messaging. While Kurz's office will oversee European affairs, the post of foreign minister has gone to an FPO nominee.

Kurz's deputy will be the FPO's head Heinz-Christian Strache. Having been involved with a neo-Nazi group in his youth, Strache now distances himself from such currents, and has suspended party members for making the Nazi salute in public.

So what can Austria - and Europe - expect from the new far-right-tinged government in Vienna?

The FPO has historically tilted Eurosceptic but Strache now says he has agreed to Kurz's demands to drop the idea of a referendum on EU membership. Instead, the new coalition says it "commits to Europe" while at the same time pledging to act to "steer the EU back in the right direction towards its fundamental ideas".

During its EU presidency, it says, Austria will "take a leading role in correcting some of the erroneous developments" of the bloc.

The FPO, which has a co-operation agreement with Vladimir Putin's ruling party in Russia, wants EU sanctions on Moscow eased and is staunchly against Turkey joining the EU.

But it is the question of immigration, so central to the sloganeering used by both coalition partners in recent elections, that is likely to define the lifespan of Austria's new government.

Tapping into anti-immigration sentiment that has grown in Austria over the past two years, the coalition pact agreed by the parties vows to introduce strict new rules on immigration and speed up deportation of those denied asylum.

Those "refusing to integrate must expect sanctions" and "parallel societies" must be prevented, it says.

Among the new measures the coalition plans to introduce is making asylum seekers give up any money they have when they submit an asylum claim, so that it finances their upkeep.

During its EU presidency, Austria plans to hold a summit on immigration, raising concerns that it may seek to push a tougher anti-immigration line on the wider European stage.

There are worries too that Vienna's shift to the right may also further fuel the populist currents already holding sway in its post-communist neighbours in central Europe, such as Poland and Hungary.

Last weekend, Kurz described his coalition as one which wants to "actively shape Europe". The EU is about to find out what that might mean.
A couple are opening their shop on Christmas Day to host anyone who is facing the day alone.

Shashi and Pallu Patel have run newsagents Meet and Deep in Twickenham, south west London, for 35 years since arriving in the UK from Uganda.

They run the shop with the help of their sons Deepen and Meeten.

The couple used to take Christmas Day off as their one day of rest in the year.

However, eight years ago an elderly neighbour called Dorothy fell victim to a scam just before Christmas. She was conned by men who came to her door posing as boiler repair men.

The men stole all the money she had saved from her pension.

"She had no family and was scared," said Deepen.

"We warned others about what had happened to Dorothy, then people started giving donations for her, little sweets or food for her cat.

"We invited Dorothy over on Christmas Day. We gave her the big sack of presents we'd collected and she cried and said it was the best Christmas of her life."

From then on, the family realised that other people would be alone and in need of help over the Christmas period.

"Although it's a lovely time of year, it can be tough for others," said Deepen.

"People feel they have no one to talk to because everyone is preoccupied celebrating, they don't want to bring them down."

So they began opening the shop on Christmas Day, welcoming in anyone who was lonely for a mince pie and a chat.

They quickly realised that it was not just older people who were lonely.

"One man who came in had just got divorced, so his children were with his ex-wife. He had all the food and the presents at home but no one to celebrate with," said Deepen.

Even though Christmas Day was the one day off they had all year, the family still think it is worth going into work.

"My parents are getting a bit old, so we asked them if they wanted to not work. But they said no, they want to make sure they are serving the people who rely on them."

Although the Patels are Hindu, they believe in celebrating all religious festivals.

"My parents brought my family up to believe there's just one power with many names, you can celebrate all divinity in every way," said Deepen.

"We have the tree and the decorations, a special meal, light some candles and have a crucifix," he said.

"In Hinduism the main message is to help everybody in life, especially those less fortunate.

"Everybody should have somebody at Christmas, so we try to be that somebody."
Macedonia's left-wing prime minister has said he is ready to renounce his country's claim to the legacy of Alexander the Great to help solve a 26-year-old dispute with neighbouring Greece over the country's name.

Zoran Zaev, who has been in power since the spring, said: "I give up (the claim) of Macedonia being the sole heir to Alexander. The history belongs not only to us, but also to Greece and many other countries."

Since its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Macedonia has claimed at least part of the heritage of the most famous ruler of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia, infuriating Greeks who also view the name "Macedonia" itself as hiding expansionist claims against the Greek region of Macedonia.

Greece has vetoed Macedonia's Nato membership as a result.
Two Palestinians were killed in renewed clashes with Israeli forces, Gaza's health ministry said yesterday, as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged France and Europe to play a stronger role in peace efforts amid continued fallout over President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The fresh violence came a day after the UN General Assembly resolution denouncing Mr Trump's decision.

Mr Abbas, on a visit to Paris, urged France and Europe to play a stronger role in peace efforts, insisting he'll no longer accept any US plans for Middle East peace because of Mr Trump's position on Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as the administration siding with Israel on the most sensitive issue in the conflict.

Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Kidra said a 24-year-old and a 29-year-old were killed by live fire in clashes along the border with Israel. Another 45 Palestinians were wounded, he said.

The Israeli military said thousands of Palestinians participated in "violent riots" along the Gaza border and across the West Bank, "hurling firebombs and rocks and rolling burning tyres" at Israeli forces.

It said troops responded with tear gas and deployed live fire "selectively toward main instigators".

Palestinians have been clashing with Israeli troops since Mr Trump's Jerusalem announcement, on December 6.

Ten Palestinians have been killed and dozens more wounded so far.
The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, US officials have said.

The move intensifies US support for Ukraine's military as it fights rebels that the United States says are supported, armed and trained by Russia.

The decision is likely to inflame tensions with the Kremlin.

Congress has a chance to stop proposed foreign military sales, but is unlikely to do so in this case.

Politicians have long urged the US to send lethal weapons to Ukraine.

The State Department would not confirm that lethal weapons would be sent, saying only that the US planned to provide "enhanced defensive capabilities".

The State Department called the assistance "entirely defensive".
Marrapese Jr was handed a life sentence for murder and extortion

Prominent Rhode Island mobster Frank "Bobo" Marrapese Jr has died in prison aged 74 while serving a sentence for murder, racketeering and extortion.

Rhode Island State Police Lt Col Joseph Philbin confirmed Marrapese's death on Friday at Rhode Island Hospital.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections said Marrapese had recently been taken to hospital, but could not immediately provide the cause of death.

Federal authorities said Marrapese served as an enforcer for New England mafia boss Raymond Patriarca in the 1960s and 1970s.

Marrapese was serving time for the 1975 murder of Richard "Dickie" Callei. He had eluded capture for nearly a decade but was convicted in 1987 and sentenced to life in prison.

He was interviewed for the popular Crimetown podcast launched by the creators of HBO's The Jinx.
The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, according to several US officials (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, US officials have said.

The move intensifies US support for Ukraine's military as it fights rebels that the United States says are supported, armed and trained by Russia.

The decision is likely to inflame tensions with the Kremlin.

Congress has a chance to stop proposed foreign military sales, but is unlikely to do so in this case.

Politicians have long urged the US to send lethal weapons to Ukraine.

The State Department would not confirm that lethal weapons would be sent, saying only that the US planned to provide "enhanced defensive capabilities".

The State Department called the assistance "entirely defensive".

AP

A senior Russian diplomat said the decision by the US will fuel the conflict in the country's east.

Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told the state RIA Novosti news agency that the US move "raises the danger of derailing the process of peaceful settlement in Ukraine".

AP
Washington, Dec 23 (IBNS): New research predicts that migrants applying for asylum in the European Union will nearly triple over the average of the last 15 years by 2100 if carbon emissionscontinue on their current path.

The study suggests that cutting emissions could partially stem the tide, but even under an optimistic scenario, Europe could see asylum applications rise by at least a quarter.

The study appears today in the journal Science.

Europe is already conflicted about how many refugees to admit, said the studys senior author, Wolfram Schlenker, an economist at Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and a professor at the universitys Earth Institute. Though poorer countries in hotter regions are most vulnerable to climate change, our findings highlight the extent to which countries are interlinked, and Europe will see increasing numbers of desperate people fleeing their home countries.

Schlenker and study coauthor Anouch Missirian, a Ph.D. candidate at SIPA, compared asylum applications to the EU filed from 103 countries between 2000 and 2014, with temperature variations in the applicants home countries. They found that the more temperatures over each countrys agricultural region deviated from 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) during its growing season, the more likely people were to seek refuge abroad. Crops grow best at an average temperature of 20 degrees C, and so not surprisingly, hotter than normal temperatures increased asylum applications in hotter places, such as Iraq and Pakistan, and lowered them in colder places such as Serbia and Peru.

Combining the asylum-application data with projections of future warming, the researchers found that an increase of average global temperatures of 1.8 C  an optimistic scenario in which carbon emissions flatten globally in the next few decades and then decline  would increase applications by 28 percent by 2100, translating into 98,000 extra applications to the EU each year. If carbon emissions continue on their current trajectory, with global temperatures rising by 2.6 C to 4.8C by 2100, applications could increase by 188 percent, leading to an extra 660,000 applications filed each year.

Under the landmark climate deal struck in Paris in 2015, most of the worlds nations agreed to cut carbon emissions to limit warming by 2100 to 2C above pre-industrial levels. President Trumps recent decision to withdraw the United States, the worlds second largest carbon emitter, from the accord now jeopardizes that goal.

In a further setback to reducing U.S. carbon emissions, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency has proposed lowering the U.S. governments social cost of carbon, or the estimated cost of sea-level rise, lower crop yields, and other climate-change related economic damages, from $42 per ton by 2020 to a low of $1 per ton. The EPA partly arrived at the lower figure by excluding the cost of U.S. emissions on other countries, yet as the study shows, effects in developing countries have clear spillovers on developed countries. In the end, a failure to plan adequately for climate change by taking the full cost of carbon dioxide emissions into account will prove far more costly, said Missirian, a fourth-year sustainable development major.

The research adds to a growing body of evidence that weather shocks can destabilize societies, stoke conflict and force people to flee their home countries. In a widely-cited 2011 study in Nature, a team of researchers led by Solomon Hsiang, then a graduate student at SIPA, linked modern El Nino drought cycles to increased violence and war globally.

More recently, researchers have highlighted the connection between the drying of the Middle East and ongoing conflict there. In a 2015 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, another team of Columbia researchers made the case that climate change made Syrias 2006-2010 drought two to three times more likely, and that the drought was a catalyst for Syrias 2011 uprising. The civil war that followed has so far claimed 500,000 lives, by one estimate, and forced 5.4 million Syrians to flee the country.

Germany has taken in the largest share of asylum-seekers from Syria and elsewhere, but increasingly faces a backlash from German voters worried about assimilation and loss of jobs. A wave of anti-immigrant sentiment elsewhere in Europe has led to Hungary building a wall to keep refugees out and influenced Great Britains decision to leave the European Union. In the United States, President Trump was elected in part on his promise to build a wall to block Mexican immigrants from entering the country illegally.

Hsiang, now an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the research, called the study an incredibly important wakeup call. We will need to build new institutions and systems to manage this steady flow of asylum seekers, he said. As we have seen from recent experience in Europe, there are tremendous costs, both for refugees and their hosts, when we are caught flat footed. We should plan ahead and prepare.

Colin Kelley, a climate scientist at Columbias International Research Institute for Climate and Society who linked climate change to Syrias ongoing conflict, also praised the research. Its unclear how much more warming will occur between now and the end of the century, but the study clearly demonstrates just how much climate change acts as a threat multiplier. Wealthier countries can expect to feel the direct and indirect effects of weather shocks from manmade climate change in poorer, less resilient countries.

The research was initiated at the request of the European Commissions Joint Research Centre (JRC), which also provided funding. These findings will be especially important to policymakers since they show that climate impacts can go beyond the borders of a single country by possibly driving higher migration flows, said Juan-Carlos Ciscar, a senior expert at the JRCs Economics of Climate Change, Energy and Transport Unit. Further research should look at ways for developing countries to adapt their agricultural practices to climate change.

The U.S. Department of Energy provided further support for the study.
Patna, Dec 23 (IBNS): Former Bihar Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad's political future will be determined as a verdict on his alleged involvement in the fodder scam case is awaited on Saturday, media reports said.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court will announce the verdict.

Along with Lalu, Jagannath Mishra and former top bureaucrat Sajal Chakraborty are accused in the case which pertains to their alleged withdrawal of Rs. 89.27 lakh from Deoghar district treasury between 1994 and 1996.

Lalu Prasad has already been convicted by trial court and sentenced to 5 years jail term in Chaibasa treasury withdrawal case connected to the fodder scam.

For him he conviction in 2013 invited a ban on running for office.

Interacting with media, Lalu said he has full faith in the judicial system. "I have full faith that I will get justice."

Hinting at political vendetta by the BJP, he said: "Under any circumstances, I will uproot BJP from power."

The RJD chief cleared that it would be his sons, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap,who will lead his party if he is jailed.

Tejashwi also told media that he believes the verdict will be in favour of the RJD.
New Delhi, Dec 23 (IBNS): Continuing the perpetual attacks on the saffron brigade that country had witnessed of late, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took a dig at the BJP saying if it had a film franchise then it would be called "lie hard".

Rahul in a tweet said: "If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard #BJPLieHard #BJPLies #HowManyBJPLies."

If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard #BJPLieHard #BJPLies #HowManyBJPLies  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 23, 2017

The tweet by the Congress President came after his party got a series of reprieves this week.

In a major turnaround in Indian politics, a special court acquitted all accused including former Telecom Minister A Raja and DMK leader M Kanimozhi in 2G scam case, which rocked the previous UPA government.

A Raja, who was a minister in Manmohan Singh government, had to resign after the allegations were brought against him.

On Friday, Bombay High Court rejected Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao's sanction to prosecute former Congress Chief Minister in Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan, in Adarsh scam case.

Chavan was accused of cheating and criminal conspiracy in Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society Case.

Earlier in the week, Congress, bagging 80 seats, restricted BJP to just 99 seats, 16 less to what the saffron party got in 2012.

Meanwhile, five days after the Gujarat poll result, Rahul will pay a visit to the state on Saturday.



Image: .facebook.com/rahulgandhi
Chennai, Dec 23 (IBNS): Former Telecom Minister A Raja of the Congress led UPA government and DMK leader M Karunanidhi's daughter M Kanimozhi were greeted with a hero's welcome by party workers on their arrival in Chennai on Saturday.

The party supporters were seen crowding the airport area with posters of the duo, media reported.

According to media reports, a large number of cheering supporters were also seen around M.Karunanidhis residence in Chennais Gopalapuram.

On Thursday, much to the relief of the Congress and its ally DMK, a special CBI court acquitted A Raja, M Kanimozhi and others accused in the 2G scam case.

The accused were acquitted as the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient proofs.
Ahmedabad, Dec 23 (IBNS): Rahul Gandhi, who in his capacity as the party vice president campaigned extensively in Gujarat prior to the state Assembly elections held recently, returned to the state on Saturday as the party's president to meet his party workers and discuss about the electoral outcome.

Somnath Temple in Gujarat was his first stop in the state.

Even though BJP returned to power in Gujarat, it won 99 seats, the lowest in last 22 years, and the Congress bagged 80 seats.

Post elections, the Gujarat Congress organised a three-day conclave, to be concluded on Saturday, to discuss the results and other issues, media reported.

Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to meet the newly-elected MLAs as well as other leaders in Ahmedabad on Saturday, before addressing the gathering of party workers in the evening.



Image: Gujarat Congress/Twitter
Jaipur, Dec 23 (IBNS): The bus, which fell off the bridge in Sawai Madhopur district in Rajasthan, on Saturday, resulting in the death of 32 people, was reportedly being driven by the 16-year old bus conductor when the mishap occurred while the driver was taking a nap.

The driver and the conductor were among the dead, the media quoted the police as saying.

The bus was ferrying around 50 passengers from Lal Soth to Sawai Madhopur, about 65 km away, reported NDTV.

The 15 injured have been moved to hospitals, reports said.

The accident took place in Sawai Madhopur district's Dubi region.

According to reports, the vehicle lost balance on a bridge and fell into Banas river in Malarna Dungar area at around 7.30 am on Saturday.

President of India Ram Nath Kovind expressed his grief over the incident and tweeted, "Shocked by news of bus accident in Sawai Madhopur (Rajasthan). State authorities taking all steps to help affected passengers. Condolences to bereaved families."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Anguished by the bus accident in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. State Government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected."

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje tweeted, "Deeply pained by the accident in Dubi, I had talked to to the officers and asked them to provide assistance to all those who are affect."

Tweeted Union Minister of State for Sports, Rajyavardhan Rathore, "Extremely saddened by the bus accident in Sawai Madhopur. Thoughts and prayers with the families of victims. Hoping for a quick rescue and recovery of the injured."
Patna/Ranchi, Dec 23 (IBNS): Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing political vendetta in its chief Lalu Prasad's conviction in fodder scam case that dates back to 1994.

In a press conference held shortly after the verdict, the RJD spokesperson said: "It is a political vendetta. We will fight it politically. We have full faith in the judicial system."

However, other accused former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra has been acquitted.

Out of 22 accused, 16 have been convicted. Mishra is one of those six who have been acquitted.

The sentencing will take place on Jan 3, 2018.

The case pertains to an alleged withdrawal of Rs. 89.27 lakh from Deoghar district treasury between 1994 and 1996.

Lalu Prasad has already been convicted by trial court and sentenced to 5 years jail term in Chaibasa treasury withdrawal case connected to the fodder scam.

For him he conviction in 2013 invited a ban on running for office.

Earlier, in the day, Lalu had cleared that his two sons, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap, will run the party.
Delhi murder: Aftab Ameen Poonawala burnt Shraddha Walkar's face after killing her, says report | Massive fire breaks out at SSKM hospital's CT scan building, no casualty so far | 'Don't tarnish Jharkhand's image with sensational statements on illegal mining case': Hemant Soren's letter to ED | India using technology as weapon in war against poverty: PM Modi | After PM Modi-Rishi Sunak meet, UK gives go-ahead to 3,000 annual visas for Indians
Srinagar, Dec 23 (IBNS): Three soldiers, including an officer, were killed and two others sustained injuries after their patrol party was attacked by Pakistan Rangers at Keri area along the Line of Control in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district on Saturday.

Army's Udhampur based defence Spokesman Col NN Joshi said Pakistan Rangers, in violation of ceasefire, opened fire upon the army posts near Keri in Nowshera sector along the LoC.

Five soldiers, including a Major, suffered injuries and were evacuated to military hospital.

However, among the injured, three soldiers, including the major, succumbed later, the spokesman said, adding the soldiers manning the fence retaliated the fire strongly and effectively.

Defence sources identified the deceased as Army Major, Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas (32) of Bhandara district in Maharashtra, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh (34) of Amritsar district in Punjab and Sepoy Pargat Singh (30) Karnal district in Haryana and Lance Naik Gurmeet Singh. The soldiers belonged to 2 Sikh Regment under 120 Infantry Brigade Battalion.

Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti and Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh paid tributes to the Army Major and three jawans.

The Chief Minister has conveyed her heartfelt sympathies to the families of slain soldiers.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)
New Delhi, Dec 23 (IBNS): Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday afternoon.

Prime Minister welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin to India on his third visit this year.

He noted with satisfaction the marked increase in high-level exchanges this year and warmly recalled his own visit to St. Petersburg in June for the Annual Bilateral Summit.

Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin discussed the steady expansion and diversification of bilateral ties, particularly noting the standout collaboration in the energy sector and the common pursuit of high- technology cooperation.

Dmitry Rogozin conveyed the greetings of President Putin to Prime Minister, which the Prime Minister heartily reciprocated.
Mumbai, Dec 23 (IBNS): An FIR was lodged against Bollywood actors Salman Khan and Shilpa Shetty Kundra at Mumbai's Andheri police station on Saturday allegedly for using the word 'bhangi' as a ridicule during a public show, according to media reports.

The complaint has been lodged by Navin Ramchandra Lade, general secretary of Rojgar Aghari Republican Part of India.

Lade, a member of the scheduled caste, said in his complaint that by using the word 'bhangi' in the television show, the actors have insulted the sentiment of the scheduled castes, media reported.

The media quoted Lade as saying, "I felt insulted and humiliated being a member of Scheduled Caste myself. I feel very pained and hurt due to the insulting statement made by Salman Khan and Shilpa Shetty."
New York, Dec 23(Just Earth News): Welcoming the signing of an agreement on cessation of hostilities and improving humanitarian access in South Sudan, the United Nations Mission in the country (UNMISS) has urged all parties to work collectively to ensure durable peace in the nation.

The Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Access is an important first step in the revitalization of the peace process, said the mission in a news release, Friday.

UNMISS is committed to supporting the peace process in line with its mandate through advancing reconciliation efforts, strengthening conflict resolution mechanisms, building national cohesion and engaging in regional and international peace initiatives, it added.

The Agreement was signed Thursday between the Government and opposing groups attending the High-Level Revitalization Forum in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

It aims to revitalize efforts to implement the 2015 peace agreement in South Sudan which came under increasing strain due to violence in the country.

Also in the news release, the UNMISS acknowledged the efforts of all actors involved in the Forum in reaching an agreement and thanked the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an eight-country trade bloc in Africa, for its leadership of the peace talks.

[We] urge all parties to adhere to the Agreement and end the ongoing violence so that durable peace can be achieved in the interests of the people of South Sudan, added the UN Mission.

The world's youngest country, South Sudan has spent much of its short life mired in conflict, riven by a political face-off between President Salva Kiir and his then former Vice-President Riek Machar, that erupted into full-blown war late in 2013.

Photo: UNICEF/Holt (file)

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Dec 23(Just Earth News): Fresh violence in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) forced over 2,650 refugees to cross over into neighbouring Uganda this week, five times the usual number of arrivals, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

The new arrivals to Uganda, who are mostly women and children, are reportedly fleeing intercommunal violence in Djugu territory in Ituri province, Cecile Pouilly, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva.

Since Monday, there were reports of houses being scorchedin the area, and people attacked with machetes and firearms, Pouilly said.

More than 20 villages were abandoned due to the fear of reprisals. Services have been paralysed and panic engulfed the population.

The majority of refugees cross Lake Albert on rickety fishing vessels to arrive to Sebagoro, a village some 270 kilometres northwest of the Ugandan capital, Kampala. About 650 refugees arrived in two boats this morning. This route is being used by a large number of refugees for the first time after a tragic shipwreck in 2014 that left over 200 dead.

Refugees report that many more people are gathering on the Congolese side of Lake Albert waiting for their turn to cross, despite the journeys high cost, stated Pouilly.

UNHCR is stepping up its capacity inside Uganda to meet the refugees needs. We are supporting the authorities to receive the new arrivals and transfer them to Kyangwali settlement, some 50 kilometers to the east. There, refugees are registered, medically screened and provided with hot meals and basic relief items, Pouilly said.

However, the agencys operation in Uganda is currently only 39 per cent funded, and more resources are urgently needed to upgrade the reception capacity and assist the new arrivals.

Photo: UNHCR/L. Beck

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Dec 23(Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres extended for another three years the mandate of the tribunal set up to try those accused of carrying out the February 2005 attack in Beirut, which killed 22 people, including the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafiq Hariri, and injured many others.

The trial in absentia of four individuals indicted over the killing began in January 2014 at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is based near The Hague in the Netherlands, and is currently ongoing.

The Tribunals mandate has been extended from 1 March 2018 for a period of three years, or upon the completion of the cases before it if sooner.

The United Nations looks forward to the completion of the mandate of the Special Tribunal in a timely manner, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

The Tribunal also has jurisdiction over attacks carried out in Lebanon between 1 October 2004 and 12 December 2005 if they are connected to the attack of 14 February 2005 and are of a similar nature and gravity.

Photo: STL

Source: www.justearthnews.com


The epidemic is not yet over and more concerted efforts need to be deployed to ensure that it is controlled in the immediate term and prevented from reoccurring in the near future, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told a press briefing in Geneva.



Responding to the deadly outbreak in late April, WHO set up treatment centres, provided supplies, trained health workers, and worked with local communities on ways to prevent the disease.



These efforts resulted in tens of thousands of lives being saved.



According to WHO, 99.7 per cent of the people who became sick with suspected cholera and who could access health services survived.



The UN agency continues to support dehydration treatment centres across the country as well as collect stool samples for lab testing, transport them to labs, meet operational costs and make available supplies and reagents.



It also continues surveillance, detection and treatment work.



One outbreak after another



With its health and sanitation systems in near ruin, Yemen is also now experiencing a rapidly spreading diphtheria outbreak, which has affected 18 of its 22 governorates. About 333 clinically diagnosed cases (mostly in Ibb and Hodeida governorates) have been confirmed.



Diphtheria  a highly-infectious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria that infects the throat and upper airways, and produces a toxin affecting other organs  can be prevented with vaccines and treated with antitoxins and antibiotics.



But lack of medicines in the country mean the number of cases could rise.



UN response amid ongoing challenges



Responding to this latest outbreak, the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) airlifted some 6 million doses of essential vaccines for children, include inoculations for diphtheria.



WHO has also delivered antibiotics and 1,000 vials of life-saving diphtheria antitoxins to affected governorates.



Similarly, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also upped its response, providing more than 20,000 medical consultations to internally displaced people and other conflict-affected Yemenis via 22 mobile health teams and two permanent health facilities.



But the fact that the outbreak is occurring amid a complex emergency setting with violent clashes and restrictions of transport of supplies, including medical supplies, means response efforts are extremely difficult.



Underscoring the need for unhindered and sustained access to all areas of Yemen to save lives, the WHO spokesperson asked the Yemeni authorities and all parties to the conflict to facilitate the importation and distribution of medicines and medical supplies, as well as clearances for health partners to reach and treat affected communities.



If [we] cannot bring in medicines and medical supplies, we cannot save lives, he stressed.



Photo: UNICEF/UN066510/Fuad



Source: www.justearthnews.com












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2017 is nearly over, and boy! it's been quite a year. As we approach 2018, we thought we'd take a look back at the year's most significant moments through the lens of photographers around the world.

1. An inferno that tore through Grenfell tower in West London left 71 people dead. As 200 firefighters struggled to douse the fire and rescue people, they also made some heart-breaking discoveries. The charred remains of a child's letter describing hopes and dreams was found amongst the debris.

Twitter

2. A woman cries during an homage to Juan Pablo Pernalete in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 27, 2017. Pernalete, a victim of Venezuela's unrest, was killed during protests when he was struck by a tear gas canister fired by security forces.

Reuters

3. A disabled Iraqi girl who is fleeing her home waits in a street for a truck to carry her to a safe place, as Iraqi forces battle with Islamic State militants, in western Mosul, Iraq.

Reuters

4. A man cries as he carries his daughter while walking from an Islamic State-controlled part of Mosul towards Iraqi special forces soldiers during a battle in Mosul.

Reuters

5. A candlelight vigil on the Las Vegas strip following a mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., October 2, 2017.

Reuters

6. Ariana Grande gets emotional as she performs on stage during the One Love Manchester Benefit Concert at Old Trafford on June 4 after at least 22 people were killed in a suicide bombing at her concert in Manchester, England.

7. Raphael and Mirjam were the first guests in a bedroom of the Null Stern Hotel  a "zero-star hotel"  a land art installation by Swiss artists Frank and Patrik Riklin on a mountaintop near Gonten, Switzerland, on June 1. Guests can order overnight stays in the hotel room, which has no walls or roof.

Reuters

8.Hamida, a Rohingya refugee woman, cries as she holds her 40-day-old son, who died as a boat capsized in the shore of Shah Porir Dwip, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, September 14, 2017.

Reuters

9. Residents wade through flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Beaumont Place, Houston, Texas.

Reuters

10. A woman assists an injured person after an attack that happened on Westminster Bridge in London.

Reuters

11. Soldiers use bulldozers to destroy hundreds of guns and weapons confiscated during a pro-Islamic State group siege in Marawi, at the Philippine Army Headquarters in Manila on December 13, 2017.

AP

12. A dastardly attack on the CRPF troops, while they were eating their lunch, left 25 brave jawans dead. Baljeet Kaur, wife of CRPF constable and martyr Raghbir Singh shouldered her husband's coffin all the way to the pyre.

AFP

13. Violent protests erupted in Haryana, killing at least 29 people, after a court convicted self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of raping two women, angering thousands of his supporters.

Reuters

14. Nigerian students shared several videos that they said depicted assaults against them in Greater Noidas Ansal Plaza. Tension started after a Class 12 student in Greater Noidas NSG Black Cats Enclave went missing on a Friday evening. Soon, rumours spread that the teenager had last been seen with a group of Nigerians. When officials failed to find Manish Khari, they accused the Nigerians of having eaten him up.

Facebook/Association of African Students in India

15. Ashish Pareek, a Gurgaon-based wedding photographer, conducted a special photo shoot where a couple was seen wearing anti-pollution masks, against the backdrop of the thick cover of smog.

BANJARASTUDIOS/INSTAGRAM

16. Irom Sharmila, the civil rights activist who sat on a hunger strike for 16 long years demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Manipur, married her long-time partner Desmond Coutinho in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu.

PTI

18. Kandy Freeman takes part in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City.

Reuters

19. A boy moves away as a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) helicopter lands in Rubkuai village, Unity State, northern South Sudan, February 18, 2017.

Reuters

20. Caleb Amisi Luyai, an opposition politician of the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition, reacts after a gas canister fired by policemen hits his car during a protest along a street in Nairobi, Kenya.

Reuters
911 gets strange callers demanding the most ridiculous things. But officials couldn't help but melt when they received a call from a 5-year-old to stop the Grinch from stealing Christmas this holiday season.

The police department in Bryam, Mississippi, USA got an urgent phone call reporting a grave crime on Saturday.

I just want to tell you something, started the phone call (audio below). Watch for that little Grinch. Because the Grinch is gonna steal Christmas, okay? said the five-year-old boy on the line.

Five-year-old TyLon Pittman of Byram, Mississippi, called his local police for help to save Christmas from the Grinch after watching a video online about the classic Seuss curmudgeon.

I want yall to come back to my house and take him to jail, he said, citing that the Grinch steals everybodys Christmas.

According to The Clarion Ledger, TyLon was invited to come to the police station on Monday to help lock up the Grinch after he was caught. TyLon was also named an honorary junior officer for the day. Watch the full clip below.

How adorable is that!
2017 brought new developments, along with fortunate and unfortunate events. While it began with India standing in queues after the demonetisation of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency notes, an economic decision like GST once again made the nation curse or applaud the government midway around July.

IndianExpress

The lynching of Pehlu Khan and later brutal murder of Mohammed Afrazul in Rajasthan, once again sparked the debate whether the political bigotry has seeped deep into the social fabric of the country or any hope is still left. Various state elections, especially of Gujarat in the last leg of the year unleashed a fury of political banters where politicians even resorted to being audacious enough to call each other Neech and Pakistani agents.

Reuters

But, in a year that full of interesting events which became the talk of the town, there were many happening which didnt much attention.

Here are those events, which failed to get major traction despite being equally compelling to draw empathy, ecstasy, sorrow, anger, pride and any other possible human emotion.

1. Gorkhaland Agitation

bccl/representational image

Though Gorkhaland agitation has been happening for decades now, the agitation that took place in June this enveloped the whole region falling in West Bengal. Violent clashes took places between forces and the protesters but national media didnt give it enough coverage despite one region of West Bengal remained completely cut from rest of the state for months. Gorkhaland agitation history goes back to 30 years and to date, no solution has been reached.

In 1986, Subash Singh raised the demand for a separate state for Gorkha people to be carved out of Darjeeling hills and Dooars and Siliguri areas. The violent protest led to the death of 1200 people then. During 2017 protest, hundreds of tourists remained stranded in the violence-hit region especially in Darjeeling and other tourist places.

2. ISRO launching 31 satellites

Riding on the success of launching of 104 satellites in February by ISRO, putting the Indian Space Agency into the league of worlds leading space agencies, national media didnt give much heed to another great feat accomplished by ISRO in June when it launched 31 satellites in one go in June. Earlier this year, India had launched 104 satellites with the single rocket and most of these satellites were American. Later in August ISRO failed to put one navigation satellite in orbit as technical glitches stopped rockets' heat shield from separating which resulted in the mission failure. Post the Mars Mission in 2014, ISRO has been seen as best destination globally for the affordable launch of satellites.

3. Assam, Bihar, West Bengal And Nepal floods claimed 450 lives

reuters/representational image

While Gujarat floods got coverage with PM Modi also visiting the ravaged state. Around the same time in August huge area comprising Nepal, Assam, Bihar and West Bengal was engulfed with floods which not only displaced thousands of people but also killed over 450 people. Neither did media nor the centre give much heed to it. Not only Assam, but almost an area as big as whole North India got affected by floods with human as well as flora and fauna getting destroyed. The Rhino sanctuaries in Assam and Nepal were affected majorly as a large number of Rhinos and other animals died in the floods, but media was busy covering Gujarat floods where our PM Modi went to take stock of the situation.

4. Mandsaur firing of farmers

ap

Also read: Tamil Nadu Farmers Invoke Lord Krishna To Make Govt Listen To Their Demands Of Loan Waiver

In June, police opened fire at farmers protesting in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh. Five farmers were killed in the incident. The national did cover it, but didnt understand the tenacity of the situation and didnt give it the coverage it deserved. After the deaths of farmers, media did cover it for a couple of days, but the focus was shifted towards the firing from the actual issue of farmer problems which should have been the centre of discussion anyways and that's why the issue died within a couple of days from the firing incident.

ap

5. Shimla rape case

In July this year, a 16-year-old girl was raped and killed in wood in Kotkhai near Shimla. The girl was returning from her school. The incident resulted in massive tension and violence in the area as the people not protested at the police station, but blocked roads. The protest kept going for many days, but it only made news for only a couple of days. Due to heavy protests police arrested 6 people. But the protest got fueled further and locals ransacked Kotkhai police station after one of the accused died in police custody.

6. Jaipur farmer Satyagraha

BCCL

Also read: Global Warming Caused Nearly 60,000 Farmer Suicides In India Since 1980, When Will The Govt Wake Up?

In October, the farmers of Nindar village, that is located on the outskirts of Jaipur, are protesting against the acquisition of over 1300 bighas of land for a housing project claiming that the compensation offered was not enough. The protest was unique as farmers had kept themselves buried neck-deep as a mark to protest. But despite finding a unique way of protesting, the media gave it some coverage initially, but the issue was forsaken later. The protesters even celebrated Diwali in the same pits they had been living in for months. But the government didn't budge and minus the media attention, the farmers interest got sidelined.

7. While Gorakhpur children deaths was covered, 52 Children died in Jamshedpur

In August, the death of 70 children due to the unavailability of oxygen cylinders in BRD hospital in Gorakhpur made national headlines. Even the government claimed to have taken swift action and the issue remained in news for the week. For Barely a week later, the 52 children had died in over 30 days in Jamshedpurs Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, but it didnt even get close to the scale of coverage received by Gorakhpur.

Also read: Gorakhpur Is Just One, Here Are 11 Facts Which Show That India Has Failed Its Children

The government in Uttar Pradesh even had the audacity to say that Kids die in Monsoon season and its nothing new. The government also launched a probe against Dr Kafeel Khan in which he came clean later. But despite being the capital of Jharkhand, Ranchi deaths didn't receive much traction in media which speaks about the selective coverage by media.

Also read: Here Are 8 Facts About India's Health Infrastructure That Show Many Gorakhpurs Are Waiting To Happen

8. Pesticide poisoning of Maharashtra farmers

Over 40 farmers died due to pesticide poisoning in Maharashtra's Vidarbha. Majority of the farmers died in Yavatmal alone. The deaths were recorded from July 2017 till November. But much like farmer suicide which has become a norm in Maharashtra, these deaths too didn't get much media coverage. Maharashtra farmers have been in news for decades now as Vidarbha, the region is now known as the graveyard for Indian agriculture. If one wants to measure the scale of the issue, the suicide of 2414 farmers since January 2017 till October is enough to make one understand the alarming levels of the situation.

9. Tamil Nadu Farmers in Delhi

BCCL

Hundreds of Tamil Nadu farmers have been protesting in Delhi seeking loan waivers from Centre. But despite heavy protest drawing empathy from the masses, media didn't give it enough coverage despite the issue demanding it. If media had covered it, the centre might have looked towards this crisis with empathy.

There were other events too which didnt get much traction, but these seven were big and compelling enough to attack coverage, but unfortunately remained most uncovered.
A local court in Bhopal has sentenced all four men accused in the brutal gang rape of a 19-year-old girl in October to spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

The fast-track court on Saturday found the four accused- Golu Bihari, Ramesh, Raju and Amar who had abducted and gang raped a civil service aspirant guilt under relevant sections pertaining to gang rape, attempted murder, kidnapping, causing injury and snatching valuables. Read more

Bus Driven By Juvenile Plunges Into River In Rajasthan, At Least 32 Pilgrims Killed

At least 32 people were killed while 7 others were injured in a road accident in Sawai Madhopur's Dubi area of Rajasthan on Saturday after the bus they were travelling plunged into a river.

According to police, the incident took place early in the morning when the driver of the bus lost control over the wheels and the bus fell down into 100 feet Morel river. Read more

No Respect For Law: Interfaith Couple Gets Married In Court, Yet Right-Wing Groups Calls It 'Love Jihad'

In what can only be described as a case of the Hindu right wing's obsession to brand all interfaith marriages as 'love jihad', a newly-wed couple in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, faced protest from BJP, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Raksha Dal and Dharam Jagran Manch members.

The couple who had opted for a court marriage on Friday morning, which was followed by a reception at the girl's home for friends and family. Read more

Drunk Drivers Causing Death Will Be Sent To Jail For Seven Years

The government is set to increase the prison term for deaths caused by drunk drivers to seven years besides making lifetime third party insurance compulsory for all vehicles at the time of registration.

At present, drunk drivers causing death are booked under Section 304A (causing death due to negligence) and face a two-year jail term or fine or both. The Supreme Court has already termed this penalty "absolutely inadequate" and sought harsher punishment for such offences. Read more

Kerala Police Bust Child Pornography Group On Telegram. Its Operations Will Sent A Chill Down Your Spine

The cyber crimes wing of Kerala Police has busted a paedophile group circulating child pornography in the highly secure, encrypted instant messaging platform Telegram.

Police have arrested Sharaf Ali, a resident of Malappuram District, whom the cops said is the admin of 'poombatta', which means butterfly in Malayalam. He has been booked under relevant charges of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and IT Act. Read more

109 Tigers Have Died Across India In 2017 So Far, We Wonder What's Wrong With Govt's Policy

India's efforts to save tigers have produced results except for a few exceptions. Maharashtra, for example, has seen deaths of 21 tigers this year which is highest in a decade. only MP recorded more deaths than Maharashtra in 2017 with 25 tigers dying.

The numbers have come up in a year-end report by a Delhi-based non-profit Wildlife Protection Society of India. Read more
With social media fast emerging as a source for news channels, the Information and Broadcasting ministry has issued an order to TV channels to verify the content so that fake or doctored material does not get passed off as news.

News will also have to issue a disclaimer if the content is derived from individuals or social media platforms, and run scrolls that alert viewers to the source of their information, Hindustan Times, quoting a ministry official reported.

BCCL/ Representational Image

The government action comes days after a Gujarati channel, VTV was taken off air for two days after it was found to be in violation of norms.

The channel, on in its programme called 'Viral Truth', had in March televised a four-minute visual clip of a man beating children in an orphanage in Valsad.

The I&B ministry said the visuals, upon investigation, were found to have originated in Egypt but were passed off as having happened in Gujarat, without adequate investigation by the channel.
Ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations, the US Embassy in India has come up with a video to celebrate the friendship between the two nations. The song is "Yeh Dosti Hum Nahi Todenge" from the 1975 classic movie "Sholay".

In the video posted under #USIndiaDosti, US Embassy staff and their families are seen singing and dancing to the iconic bollywood song.

"2017 was another banner year in 'US India Dosti'. We wish all of you a fantastic 2018," the message along with the video said.

The friendship video comes at a time when the bilateral relations between India and US are the closest in history, something that is only likely to grow, despite New Delhi turning its back on Washington at the UNGA, voting against President Trump's move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel capital.

Last month, the White House had termed India a "natural ally" of the US due to their shared commitment to democracy and counter-terrorism.

"India is a natural ally of the United States, because of the shared commitment to democracy and to counterterrorism, and because the region is so vital to the US security," White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah said in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump's meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in November this year.
Apples recent admission that it slows down old iPhones is not going down well with customers. Never mind the companys claims that its to save the internal from harmful power spikes and prolong battery life, Apple now is now being sued for the practice.

Los Angeles residents Stefan Bogdanovich and Dakota Speas, filed a lawsuit with the California District Court today, accusing Apple of slowing down their older iPhone models when new models come out.

Defendant breached the implied contracts it made with Plaintiffs and Class Members by purposefully slowing down older iPhone models when new models come out and by failing to properly disclose that at the time of that the parties entered into an agreement, the lawsuit stated.

Bogdanovich and Speas say theyve owned the iPhone 7 and several older iPhone models in the past, and have in each instance noticed that their older iPhone models slowed down when new models come out. The two say they didnt consent to Apples so-called battery optimisation measures and were not even presented with the choice.

The class action lawsuit theyre seeking would cover every person thats ever bought an iPhone older than the iPhone 8, across the US. Unfortunately, because of how the lawsuit has been worded, it might just fail.

The plaintiffs seem to believe their old iPhones were being throttled whenever a new model came out when whats really the case is that Apples code slowed down their phones gradually as the batteries aged. Granted, doing that without informing owners isnt excusable either, but technicalities matter in court.
Elizabeth Holmes faces judgment day for her Theranos crimes AP - Thu Nov 17, 6:55PM CST A federal judge on Friday will decide whether disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes should serve a lengthy prison sentence for duping investors and endangering patients while peddling a bogus blood-testing... $SPX : 3,946.56 (-0.31%) $DOWI : 33,546.32 (-0.02%) $IUXX : 11,676.86 (-0.19%)

Fed official suggests substantial rate hikes may be needed AP - Thu Nov 17, 5:16PM CST The Federal Reserve may have to raise its benchmark interest rate much higher than many people expect to get inflation under control, That's according to James Bullard, who leads the Federal Reserve Bank... $SPX : 3,946.56 (-0.31%) $DOWI : 33,546.32 (-0.02%) $IUXX : 11,676.86 (-0.19%)

Red Thursday for Cotton Barchart - Thu Nov 17, 4:47PM CST Cotton futures closed off their lows on Thursday, but still gave back 122 to 148 points across the front months. New crop cotton ended the day firmer with only 25 to 33 point losses. Cotton bookings from... CTZ22 : 86.71 (-0.38%) CTH23 : 84.70 (-0.68%) CTK23 : 83.86 (-0.63%)

Cattle Rally on Strong Feeder Market Barchart - Thu Nov 17, 4:47PM CST Front month feeder cattle futures finished the day with $0.95 to $1.17 gains. Cash trade picked up on Thursday; the USDA confirmed $148 to $156 sales on Thursday, citing $152 as the bulk of business in... LEZ22 : 152.750s (+0.63%) LEG23 : 155.400s (+0.75%) LEJ23 : 158.900s (+0.74%) GFX22 : 175.850s (+0.09%) GFF23 : 179.975s (+1.41%)

Hogs Gain on Thursday Barchart - Thu Nov 17, 4:47PM CST The lean hog market continued to work higher through the Thursday session, save for the Dec contract which gave back 60 cents. The other nearbys added 5 to 12 cents to the move. The USDA National Average... HEZ22 : 84.975s (-0.70%) HEJ23 : 96.000s (+0.39%) KMZ22 : 95.500s (-0.42%)

Soy Futures Continue Lower, Beans Down Double Digits Barchart - Thu Nov 17, 4:47PM CST Soybean futures ended the day 11 3/4 to 12 3/4 cents in the red, as Jan printed a 25 cent range on the day. Meal stayed weaker as well with $0.90 to $1.50/ton losses to close. BO futures closed off their... ZSF23 : 1422-6 (+0.41%) ZSPAUS.CM : 13.9182 (-0.86%) ZSH23 : 1429-2 (+0.49%) ZSK23 : 1435-0 (+0.46%)

Red Thursday for Wheat Futures Barchart - Thu Nov 17, 4:47PM CST Domestic wheat prices ended the day with 10 3/4 to 12 cent pullbacks in the SRW market. KC futures faded by 11 1/4 to 17 1/2 cents in the front months. Spring wheat futures were down 11 3/4 to 13 1/2 cents... ZWZ22 : 809-2 (+0.31%) ZWH23 : 827-6 (+0.33%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.4110 (-1.43%) KEZ22 : 937-6 (unch) KEPAWS.CM : 8.9632 (-1.92%) MWZ22 : 953-0 (unch)
Financial Analyst vs. Actuary: An Overview

The financial sector is full of careers for analytical individuals; perhaps no two jobs exemplify this more than the financial analyst and the actuary. These are good careers for those who love math, statistics, charts, and models, and those who can dive into a subject and pick apart its complexities.

Actuaries are the unsung heroes of the insurance industry, which makes them unsung heroes of the medical industry, mortgage industry, car industry, and every other industry where insurance coverage plays a prominent role. They are responsible for compiling and analyzing statistics about risks and the individuals who are exposed to risk.

There are actuaries who work in other industries. Some large financial institutions, particularly lenders, employ actuaries to assess risks on loan products. Actuaries can be used to measure the potential for loss in an investment portfolio, which directly crosses over into the realm of financial analysis.

Financial analysts serve as experts for businesses and investors on a wide variety of subjects, such as economics, markets, investments, regulations, taxes, or corporate governance. The fundamental role of a financial analyst is to provide accurate information to others and to make recommendations based on that information. Corporations, private companies, public agencies, defense contractors, and nonprofits all employ financial analysts.

Key Takeaways Being a financial analyst or actuary is a good career for those who love math, statistics, charts, and models, and those who can dive into a subject and pick apart its complexities.

Most actuaries work fewer than 45 hours a week after receiving their certifications.

The average financial analyst works between 40 and 50 hours per week, receives more than 20 days of paid vacation every year, and is not forced to work holidays.

Both careers are here to stay. Financial analysts are expected to thrive in a business environment because regulations are becoming more onerous and financial markets are growing more complex. There is almost always a shortage of actuaries in the U.S., and both careers can expect average or above-average job growth until 2028. 

Financial Analyst

Since there are many different kinds of financial analysts (buy-side, sell-side, institutional, industry-specific, corporate, private, and so on), there is no defined career path or set of necessary skills to become one. Every financial analyst should be gifted at analytical problem-solving and have the ability to communicate effectively to non-experts, but there are relatively few additional hard-and-fast requirements.

Common areas of study for financial analysts include finance, economics, statistics, accounting, mathematics, or other business-related fields. Many financial analysts eventually pursue other professional designations, such as the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations. Some financial analysts have advanced degrees, such as an MBA.

Actuary

There are comparatively few actuaries in the United States. Actuarial workwhich involves long hours of dedicated analysis and statistical modelingappeals to a relatively small subset of the population. Another key reason, however, is that actuaries are forced to spend several years passing a series of rigorous certification exams before most companies will consider them.

Aspiring actuaries are encouraged to pursue an undergraduate degree in a field such as mathematics, statistics, or actuarial science. Other strong analytic and mathematical fields include economics, physics, and accounting.

After receiving a degree, actuaries become licensed through one of two professional associations: the Society of Actuaries (SOA) or the smaller Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS). There is no federal law requiring an actuary to be licensed, but very few employers consider hiring applicants without these credentials. Most actuaries spend between four and seven years in pursuit of full licensure.

Without actuaries, insurance providers would have no idea how to price their products, how many individuals or businesses to insure, or what kinds of liabilities should be covered.

Key Differences

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary for an actuary in the U.S. is $108,350 as of 2019, though aspirants are unlikely to earn near the median salary unless they are credentialed by the CAS or SOA. The BLS expected an additional 20 percent increase in actuarial positions over the subsequent decade, much faster than the average for all occupations.

There are fewer than 30,000 actuaries in the U.S. There aren't many licensed actuaries to go around, so businesses really have to compete to hire good people.

As of 2018, the median salary for financial analysts is $85,660. The BLS has estimated that financial analyst positions will increase by 6 percent between 2018 and 2028, or as fast as average overall job growth.

Special Considerations

The average financial analyst works between 40 and 50 hours per week, receives more than 20 days of paid vacation every year, and is not forced to work holidays. Unlike many of their compatriots on Wall Street, financial analysts are not generally expected to dedicate their entire lives to their work.

Actuaries spend even less time at the office than financial analysts do. Most actuaries work fewer than 45 hours a week after receiving their certifications. Actuaries who are still pursuing their credentials can expect to spend an additional 15 to 30 hours a week studying for their exams.

Some actuaries in the investment banking world may work more than 50 hours a week and may also be expected to travel often to meet with clients. Financial analysts who work for investment banks often do so as well.

Financial analysts don't receive the same kinds of accolades about job desirability, but this career is a better fit for people who like the Wall Street environment, who like working in support of multiple teams, and who may eventually want to move into another financial career, such as investment banking or private equity.
Dateline We Urge Authorities to Value Press Freedom and Protect Journalists

This week, Dateline Irrawaddy discusses the recent arrest of two Reuters reporters charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act.

Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, well discuss the recent arrest of two Reuters reporters Ko Wa Lone and Ko Moe Aung. They were arrested for alleged violation of the Official Secrets Act for acquiring information about the conflicts in northern Rakhine State. Well discuss this from legal and journalistic points of view. U Sein Win of the Myanmar Journalism Institute and U Than Zaw Aung of the Myanmar Media Lawyers Network join me to discuss this. Im The Irrawaddy Burmese editor Ye Ni.



As you know, two more journalists have been arrested, and this time under the Official Secrets Act. So far, we have only heard about the allegations from one side, and not yet the response of the detainees. Lawyers and families have not yet been allowed to see the two. As far as Im concerned, detainees have the right to a lawyer. Ko Than Zaw Aung, will you explain this?

Than Zaw Aung: They have the right to see families, lawyers and other guests. The Myanmar Police Manual and Section 50 of the Code of Criminal Procedure restrict detaining the accused for more than a permitted period of time as well as allow detainees to see lawyers and visitors. But I heard that [in the case of the two journalists] families still dont know their whereabouts.

YN: The arrest has really shocked many journalists because the two were making investigative reports about the Rakhine issue amid the international communitys allegations about killings and human rights violations. In a recent interview in Naypyitaw, [NLD spokesperson] U Win Htein asked the journalists not to be naive. So this led to this questionwhether the two journalists were set up because of Reuters investigative reports about conflicts in northern Rakhine State. Ko Sein Win, how do you assess this?

Sein Win: As far as I know, the two were invited by police officers to a restaurant. And they were inspected on their way back, and documents were found on them. I can understand if all passersby were checked because of unusual circumstances. But this was not the case, and that of course raises our suspicion. We feel it as a warning sign to those who are reporting the same issue. Taking a look at the number of journalists who have been jailed for doing their jobs, you can see that many media agencies have been subjectedthe case of reporters from The Irrawaddy and DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] in Shan State, Ko Kyaw Min Swe of The Voice, and the case of 7 Days report, and the case of a Turkish news agencys journalists and fixer, and the last one, the case of the Reuters reporters. All of these cases are related to the security sector. This is alarming. As a result, some news agencies that were strongly critical have stopped criticizing. It is a warning message to journalists. If you touch this, you will face the consequences. But there are certain things that Im pleased with. Arakanese reporters were at first emotional in their reporting about the Rakhine issue, but now they have looked for facts. It is very valuable. I see it as a positive trend in journalism.

YN: Speaking of the charges targeted at journalists, Article 66 (d) of the Telecommunications Law and Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code were applied in the past. This time, the Official Secrets Act was used against the Reuters reporters. Before this, the Unity Journal was prosecuted under this act under U Thein Seins government. Would you explain this act from a legal point of view?

TZA: The act is intended to prevent spying on matters that could harm the interests and security of the country. This is a British law, and later the UK reduced the penalties. The 1989 Official Secrets Act of the UK prescribes two years imprisonment and a fine or both. And countries like Malaysia and Singapore also implement the Official Secrets Act, but they have reduced jail terms and fines as well. But in Myanmar, the law remains unchanged.

Another problem is the conflict between laws. The Official Secrets Act is managed by the Home Affairs Ministry and the media law is managed by the Information Ministry. Though journalists work in line with journalistic ethics, their actions may violate one or another existing law. So, journalists are frequently prosecuted because of the conflicts between laws.

According to my study, the first case of prosecuting journalists under the Official Secrets Act happened in 1961. Journalist U Phoe Thauk Kyar made a report in Moe Gyo Newspaper about a commanders conference, which called for economic thrift among soldiers. He was charged under the Official Secrets Act for leaking the details of the commanders conference. That time, he was granted bail. The charge was dropped after the chairman of the Myanmar Journalists Association U Sein Win made a request to then Prime Minister U Nu. There were similar cases between now and then. Those charges were however understandable in the past, for example, in the time of President U Thein Sein, as it was a quasi-civilian government. However, such frictions under the new government are not a good sign. There is a need for review and reconsideration, I think.

YN: While journalists do their job to find the truth, they are accused of infringing on national security and legal action is taken in response. The interesting point is that according to the latest report, police have also detained some of the sources who the two journalists had met in Maungdaw for their reporting. And the Tatmadaw True News Information Team said in a statement that bodies buried in the graveyard of Inn Din village were found. It said legal action would be taken against any security personnel or soldier who breached the rule of engagement (ROE). So, we journalists should ask thiswhether exposing the extrajudicial killings against the ROE amounts to violating the Official Secrets Act? What do you think, Ko Sein Win?

SW: The two journalists were looking for evidence to find out what happened in Buthidaung and especially in Maungdaw where killings happened. On the ground, civilians know why and how those killings were committed and who committed them. For journalists, quoting civilians is not enough; they are obliged to look for evidence and confirm. It is nothing to do with love or hatred. It is just about presenting the facts as they are. The two journalists are dutiful and are good journalists. They dug deep into the case, and they were arrested. I agree that countries need security acts to prevent spying by enemies. But journalists are not responsible to the government, but to the people. They have to inform the people of the truth. When a government makes a wrong decision, the whole country has to suffer. All the people are negatively impacted. So, only when investigative reporting is allowed without restriction, can checks and balances be carried out for the national interest. And I therefore think it is very wrong to restrict investigative reporting. And in the end, we will face the ill fate of the country as a result.

YN: This is the first case charged under the Official Secrets Act under the government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Unity Journal reporters faced the same charge under U Thein Seins government for reporting about a military factory. Ko Than Zaw Aung, what interesting points do you see when you compare the two cases?

TZA: Both in the case of Unity Journal and the case of Moe Gyo Newspaper journalist U Khin Maung Lay that happened before the Unity Journal case, they were charged only after they published the reports. But in the case of the Reuters journalists, they were arrested while they were collecting data. It is like there is a ban on pregnancy, and they were sued and arrested during the dating stage. This is the difference.

YN: As Ko Sein Win has said, the arrest of journalists is like breaking up the fledgling press freedom, and restricting the efforts to find out the truth goes against the interests of the nation and society. Information Minister U Pe Myint said that he has no information about the case. Considering this and what U Win Htein has said, the divide between the civilian government and the Home Affairs Ministry, that focuses on security and is overseen by the Tatmadaw, has become clearer. We dont want journalists to be arrested while they are doing their jobs. We urge authorities to value press freedom and protect journalists.

Ko Sein Win, Ko Than Zaw Aung, thank you for your contributions!
Specials Most Read Stories of 2017

The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Here is a look back to some of the most-read stories published by The Irrawaddy in 2017. The list includes features, opinion pieces and interviews covering the full range of issues confronting Myanmar, from headline-grabbing political intrigues and diplomatic tensions, to development and business affairs, social and gender issues as well as human interest stories about people, places and the arts. Its been a year that was at different times exhilarating and disheartening, but always fascinating. We trust you found the journey as engaging as we did covering it.

FEATURES

Housekeeper Recalls Swimmer who Surprised Suu Kyis House

Daw Aung San Suu Kyis caretaker recalls her time with the democracy icon when she was under house arrest, including the strange visit by the American John Yettaw.

Burmas 200-Mile Shopping Trip

A tribe from the foothills of the Himalayas treks nearly two weeks across Kachin State to buy and sell foodstuffs in the Putao market.

Taxi Driver U Nay Win, A True Citizen

Ill impress upon my children the spirit of their fatherto be helpful to anyone and to be good citizens, said Ma Su Thet Khaing, U Nay Wins widow.

COMMENTARY

Daw Aung San Suu Kyis Trend of Silence

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remains noticeably silent on human rights issues lately, causing people to question her allegiance to the people.

Who Killed U Ko Ni?

If powerful figures were involved in the killing, the mastermind behind the lawyers murder may never be brought to justice.

The Reality in Rakhine and Myanmars Complex Political Conundrum

If the internatioal community wants to see a stable Myanmar, it needs to help the government halt the violence in Rakhine and implement Kofi Annans recommendations.

Britain is Still Being Beastly to its Former Colony Myanmar

The misdemeanor of Britains foreign secretary is just the tip of the iceberg of bullying of Myanmar by its ex-colonizer.

IN PERSON

KIA General Gun Maw: To Talk and Live as Equals, That is Genuine Peace

We are not terrorists or insurgents as long as our ethnic Kachin people and all the local people do not consider us as terrorists.

Book Highlights Womens Unique Role and Contribution to Burmese Society

In The World of Women Myanmar, author Carin Salerno explains the importance of sharing stories by women from diverse ethnic and professional backgrounds.

Bertil Lintner Recalls Slain NLD Lawyer

He was a man of high integrity whose main devotion was to make this country more democratic than it is, the journalist says about U Ko Ni.

Arakan Army Chief: The Burma Armys Real Intentions Are to Continue Fighting

Brig-Gen Tun Myat Naing speaks about the conflict between the Burma Army and the Northern Alliance, and Chinas role in the peace process.

Burmese Jaggery A Reflection of Childhood for Local Entrepreneur

Ma Cho Lei Aung transformed a traditional dessert into a bite-sized piece of nostalgiaher jaggery has become a story of traditional Burmese identity.

SPECIALS

TIMELINE: Reporters 67 Days Behind Bars

Freed after 67 days in detention, The Irrawaddy looks at the most pivotal moments during the arrest and imprisonment of three journalists.

TIMELINE: China-Myanmar Relations

From Maos revolution to Belt and Road engagement  A chronology of relations between China and Myanmar from 1949 to today.

A Tide of Trash Swamping Setse Beach

A resort in Mon State has been popular since the 19th century, but successive governments have failed to clean and develop the beach.

Alternative School Near Inle Reimagines Primary Education

Built from sustainable materials and emphasizing play and inclusivity, the Inle Heritage Private School is the first of its kind in the area.

Left Behind: Karen Refugees at Mae La Camp

Disconnected from their homeland and losing funds for humanitarian assistance, Karen refugees face a tougher existence at a camp in western Thailand.

Saving Cultures in Karenni

Guides use community-based tourism to help save Karenni States waning traditions.

ARTS

Where the Land and Water End Exhibition

A showing by German conceptual artist Wolfgang Laib is set up in Rangoons Secretariat building.

Win Tint Craves New Ideas, Even After Success

Artist Win Tint employs new painting techniques in his sixth solo show.

The Art of Politics

Artists, sculptors, installation artists and photographers showcase work that reflects on political changes in Myanmar over the past decade.

CULTURE

The Tragedy and Hope of a Palace

Locals fear for the future of a dilapidated but storied manor in northern Shan State.

Hearing Burma: Teaching Artistry in Rangoon

Community music center Gitameit is taking new, bold steps in its efforts to protect and promote music in Burma.

Psycho ZeroMyanmars First Zero-Budget Movie?

Premiering at Yangons human rights film festival, the 85-minute movie features shorts by 14 different directors.

The Art of Street Stories

A Myanmar artist travels to France to share everyday stories of children he has met around the country.

WOMEN

A Fighter in Heels

Women have their own rights, and not because they are given by men, says a co-founder of the Myanmar Womens Self-defense Center.

Champions for Change

On International Womens Day, we celebrate some of the inspiring private sector business leaders championing inclusivity and diversity.

Burmas Gender Gap: Only Four Women Ministers in Nearly a Century

The government is presented with a mammoth struggle to improve gender equality.

Transforming Futures of Female Kachin IDPs Through Sex Education

Community-based groups are educating girls and young women about sexual and reproductive health to decide their own futures.

The Women of 1988

The Irrawaddy profiles seven women who were involved in or inspired by the events of 1988.

DATELINE IRRAWADDY

Rakhine Violence: On the Ground in Maungdaw

With violence raging in Rakhine States Maungdaw District, reporter Moe Myint shares what he saw and heard on a recent trip.

Internal Peace and National Reconciliation are Preconditions for Building Democratic Federalism

Irrawaddy reporters discuss the social and political outlooks for Burma as reflected in politicians New Years greetings.

This System Calls for Cooperation

The Irrawaddy discusses the impact of the new public transit system on commuters soon after its launch, as well as the challenges ahead.

The Govt Must Reform State-Run Media

The Irrawaddy discusses the development of private media and necessary reforms to state-run media.

The Politics of Young People Today Is About Their Part in Rebuilding the State

The Irrawaddy discusses the role of Burmas youth in shaping the political landscape.

EDITORIAL

A Hero to Remember

U Ko Ni was a fearless fighter who spoke up for his views, and he was a strong force in the democratic movement.

The Failed UN Mission in Myanmar

Myanmar could be a UN success story if the organization appointed effective personnel to the country.

Where Does Burma Stand on Chinas One Belt, One Road?

Burma faces the challenge of negotiating with its giant neighbor over varied interests stretching from the Bay of Bengal to the Burma-China border.

NLD Government Needs to Shut Down Ma Ba Tha Affiliates

The government was quick to take action against nationalists disrupting Muslim ceremonies, but more needs to be done so Ma Ba Tha is not resurrected.
Saturday, Dec 23rd, 2017 (12:01 am) - Score 1,630

Internet and mobile provider EE appears to have discounted the monthly prices of their top Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) based unlimited 38Mbps and 76Mbps capable fibre broadband packages for the Christmas and New Year period, which shaves a few extra pounds off the rental.

New customers typically receive unlimited usage, an included wireless router (BrightBox 2), phone line rental, UK and Ireland based customer support, 5GB mobile data boost (if youre an EE pay monthly mobile customer) and if your current ISP charges you to cancel then EE could give you 50 to help cover it.
This year, Beatrice Bakery is celebrating an impressive milestone.

Grandmas Fruit and Nut Cake--Beatrice Bakerys number one seller--has been around for 100 years.

The recipe didnt originate at Beatrice Bakery Company, but the company is keeping the tradition alive with thousands of fruitcakes produced each year, making their way to holiday celebrations around the country.

It was 1917 when the Lantz brothers immigrated to the United States and settled in St. Louis, where they opened up a bakery. Their grandmothers fruitcake recipe proved to be a hit with area residents, as well as a treasured family heirloom. When the brothers retired from the baking business, they needed to find a bakery that would carry on the tradition.

The Beatrice Bakery bought the formula in the 1960s with a promise to never change the recipe and, since 1963, the same ingredients have gone into the fruitcake, using the same cooking techniques and even some of the same equipment.

Keeping the recipe the same was not only a promise, but one of the reasons Grandmas Fruit and Nut Cake has such staying power.

Beatrice Bakerys president, Greg Leech, said the company has seen an uptick in online sales after being featured on the QVC television network, and more people have been walking into the store in the basement of the factory.

We're just known for our fruitcake, Leech said. That's the main reason they come in. Then they see our other products. The main reason they come in is to buy fruitcake.

On Tuesday afternoon, the retail space was bustling with out-of-towners. Some of the shoppers had seen a feature story in the news and came all the way from across the state, while others even crossed state lines to get to the bakery.

Inside the shop, near a tree decorated with small, plastic fruitcakes, a group of four women from Lincoln were perusing the display. Theyd carpooled to Beatrice to pick out the perfect fruitcake.

Justine Lovell had seen Grandmas Fruit and Nut Cake on 1011 and on the Food Network show Unwrapped a few years ago and got a group together to come down to get some.

I'm just excited to come here, Lovell said. I just got the regular one, but I got one chocolate for myself.

Lovells friend, Ruthann Ronne, bought a peach-flavored cake and an Irish creme one, but said she had family reasons for not buying a traditional fruitcake.

I like it, but my family doesn't, Ronne said. So that means I'd eat the whole thing.

Lovell scoffed, sitting down on a bench in the shop to jokingly chide her friend.

If you go to a hamburger place, you should get hamburger, Lovell said. If you go to a fish place, you should get fish, if you go to a steak place, you should get steak. So, if you come here, you should get regular fruitcake. That's my theory.

Jonathan Hnosko was helping the group with their shopping, though his job is typically done behind the scenes. Hes Beatrice Bakerys food safety and quality control officer, meaning hes usually working on labeling, nutrition and safety. But this time of year, hell make an exception.

This is only Hnoskos second month at the bakery, but hes learned to love the famous holiday treat.

You know, I had tried fruitcake and it wasn't really something that was a favorite of mine until I had a chance to try this, he said. And this really does taste different from what most people would say is a stereotypical fruitcake.

Over the course of the year, the bakery ships about 700,000 pounds of cakes out the door. They use about 35,000 pounds of walnuts, 50,000 pounds of pecans and 140,000 pounds of cherries and pineapple, Leech said.

Their walk-in traffic has nearly tripled in the last few years, he said. Usually, traffic increases in the months leading up to Christmas, but this year, the bakery was packed during the eclipse in August.

We had one guy who stayed out in a camper out at the fairgrounds, Leech said. He came in on the morning of the eclipse and bought some fruitcakes. And he walked, clear from the fairgrounds. They started eating them, they saw the eclipse and then they drove here afterward and bought some more.

Fruitcake has been Leechs whole life, he said. Next month, hell have been with the Beatrice Bakery for 39 years. Then, in May, hes planning to retire from the business to spend more time with his family.

I have wonderful people that work for me and the public's been wonderful, Leech said. I'm going to miss that part. I'm not going to miss the rush from October through December.
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TeleSur |  

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the U.S. government dishonest and said he will no longer accept any (peace) plan from them.

One day after the United Nations voted to revoke the U.S. governments inflammatory decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he no longer views the dishonest nation as a mediator between his government and Israeli authorities.

The United States has proven to be a dishonest mediator in the peace process and we will no longer accept any plan from the United States, Abbas said after meeting with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris.

He criticized U.S. President Donald Trump and his ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, for hurling threats at General Assembly members prior to the vote, conditioning financial aid to lapdog adherence to orders meted by the boys in Washington.

While Macron took care to avoid acknowledging Palestine as a free, independent state, opting to say that France will make a decision at the right time, he shared Abbas sentiments on U.S. policy in the region.

The Americans have marginalized themselves and I am trying not to do the same thing, Macron said, noting that Washingtons mistake was to want to unilaterally manage from afar a situation whose solution is in the hands of the Israelis and Palestinians, according to Haaretz.

Taking a more diplomatic approach, the French president has committed himself very clearly to doing everything in his power to further peace. He wrapped up his comments by saying he plans to visit the Palestinian territories in 2018, according to PressTV.

Abbas praised Macron for his statesmanlike outlook, responding that he has the trust of Palestinian authorities which respect the efforts made by you and we count heavily on your efforts.

The international community has galvanized in protest after Trump, going one step further than his predecessor and other former presidents, announced plans to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Demonstrations have been held in Palestine, Lebanon, Indonesia, Colombia, France, the United States and elsewhere.



Related video added by Juan Cole:

France 24: Mahmoud Abbas: The United States have excluded themselves from the political process
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By Hossam Shaker | (Middle East Monitor) |  

A girl has defied the occupation with unrivalled courage. Over the past years, the media has broadcasted videos of her daringly confronting the heavily armed occupation soldiers, face to face, and demanding that they leave the territories they are forcibly occupying, indifferent to their threats and attacks. This blond Palestinian girl is 16-year-old Ahed Tamimi who grew up in the village of Nabi Saleh in the West Bank. This village is experienced in the art of popular resistance and mass confrontations with armed occupation soldiers and settlers.

h/t Telesur

Early on in her childhood, Ahed has mastered the use of school principle language with the aggressive armed soldiers. She addresses them like rebellious children and expertly reprimands them and degrades their army. While doing so, she uses her own weapon: a smart phone that records her moments of defiance for her people and the whole world to see.

The entire Tamimi family is involved in this tradition, after realising the impact the use of a phone camera has in cornering the occupation soldiers and curbing their usual aggressive behaviour. The soldiers cannot confront a camera that exposes their harassment of the Palestinians across the world and openly reveals their faces.

The occupation did not take into account the fact that the smart phone would be invented and would be added to the Palestinian trenches during clashes and confrontations in Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps. Today, after the Palestinian people are winning the battle of image by exposing their reality exactly the way it is, the Israeli propaganda is busy trying to distract the world from this reality and whitewash the military occupation and illegal settlements. The Israeli propaganda machine also tries to justify the construction of walls and imposing a new system of isolation on the Palestinians. While, the Palestinians know that their struggle on the ground will not be decided or won by the camera, they are aware of its impact, at least in depriving the occupations propaganda from winning the hearts and minds of the world.

Read: Life as a young British Palestinian activist in the UK

Ahed Tamimi was arrested on 19 December 2017. Her mother was then arrested after visiting her at the Israeli armys detention centre a few hours later. The arrest occurred after Ahed gave the occupation soldiers a dose of admonishment after they gathered around her familys home in order to attack the young Palestinians in the village. The courageous young girl demanded that they leave immediately, and once they tried to beat her, she, along with her sister, delivered blows and kicks, forcing them to flee. Millions on social networking sites witnessed this, thanks to the smart phone camera.

A young photo of Palestinian Ahed Tamimi and her parents

Ahed is one of the symbols of a Palestinian generation full of boldness which refuses to keep their anger bottled up. It is a generation that announces its defiance and does not care about the resulting beatings, arrests and even field executions that the occupation forces have increasingly committed against Palestinian minors since October 2015. It has become easy for the soldiers to open fire on these minors in cold blood.

Ahed Tamimi is an example of the development of a new generation of the successive Palestinian intifada generations. This generation that declares its rebellion against the reality of apartheid and systematic intimidation practiced against them by the occupation forces, this includes the arrest campaigns occurring at dawn every morning, accompanied by military attacks on villages and raiding of homes at bedtime. Thousands of Palestinian children have several experiences etched into their memories of being awoken by heavily armed soldiers in their bedrooms, some of whom are masked, and Ahed is one of these children. She had witnessed the arrest of her family members, including her father, Bassem Tamimi, who has been arrested nine times so far, and still seems more determined than ever to challenge the occupation.

This Palestinian generation, which is full of anger and rage caused by the reality of the military occupation, does not know the meaning of fear. A reckless American president giving Jerusalem to the Israeli military occupation was enough to ignite the mass popular Palestinian anger that lurks beneath the surface. This seems to be a new wave of anger that has begun to take on the characteristics of an intifada, with the use of stones and smart phones.

The Israeli leadership may believe that it has finally conquered Jerusalem, has cut the path to the establishment of a Palestinian statement, and ensured its control over the land. However, this arrogant logic leads it to a serious predicament, it itself created. The army forces, with their weapons and ammunition, have to chase children in their villages everyday and engage in daily clashes with angry youths at various crossroads and checkpoints. These disturbing incidents are seen by the world, such as the incident when 15 armed soldiers beat a young helpless unarmed Palestinian boy as old as their children. This boy is Fawzi Al-Junaidi, who was subjected to their big fists while he continued to unflinchingly hold his head up high. He is also another symbol of a Palestinian generation the Israeli occupation will not be able to claim domination over.

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

Via Middle East Monitor



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Al Jazeera English: 16-year-old Palestinian girl arrested by Israeli forces
VANCOUVER, B.C., Dec. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultra Lithium Inc. (TSX-V:ULI) (ULI or the Company) has received preliminary assay results of the first four samples from the second round of sampling completed in December 2017 on the Salar Laguna Verde Discovery Zone in Catamarca Province, Argentina. Assay results indicate lithium values in the range of 263 to 1,178 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or parts per million (ppm), magnesium values less than 20 ppm to 9,150 ppm and potassium values are 6,706 ppm to 21,741 ppm. The Laguna Verde area is marked by low magnesium to lithium ratios, in the range of 0.019 to 7.77.

A total of 36 samples were collected from surface and shallow sub-surface brines down to a depth of one meter or less. Hand tools, such as hammers, and shovels were used to break the surface salt / sediment layers to access the brines. Brine samples were collected in clean plastic bottles which were rinsed with brine before sampling. Field parameters of each sample were recorded which include: depth of water table from surface, total dissolved solids, temperature, conductivity, salinity, pH, and density. All samples were shipped to SGS Laboratories in Buenos Aires, while four duplicate samples were sent to Alex Stewart Laboratories in Jujuy, Argentina. The samples were assayed by method LMMT03 (ICP-OES). The results of these four duplicate samples are reported with highlights presented below (also see Table 1).

Highlights:

Sample 17CA079  indicated 1,178 ppm lithium (Li), 16,994 ppm potassium (K), 1,900 ppm boron (B), and 9,150 ppm magnesium (Mg); with Mg/Li ratio of 7.77.

Sample 17CA081  indicated 263 ppm lithium, 6,706 ppm potassium, 602 ppm boron, and 34 ppm magnesium (Mg); with Mg/Li ratio of 0.13.

Sample 17CA082  indicated 685 ppm lithium, 10,084 ppm potassium, 777 ppm boron, and 3,861 ppm magnesium; with Mg/Li ratio of 5.64.

Sample 17CA083  indicated 1,048 ppm lithium, 21,741 ppm potassium, 2,734 ppm boron, and less than 20 ppm magnesium (Mg). Mg/Li ratio cannot be calculated because magnesium values are below the laboratory method detection limit of 20 mg/L.

The Company is waiting for the assay results from SGS Laboratories in Buenos Aires, Argentina which are expected in January.

Alex Stewart International and its worldwide group of Companies extends over 40 countries to provide professional inspection and laboratory analysis to business and government. Alex Stewart International maintains a dedicated, personalized attention to all of its customers and provides technical expertise for inspection, weighing, sampling, analysis, testing and operational auditing of all commodities and products.

Qualified Person

The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Afzaal Pirzada, P.Geo., a qualified person, as defined by NI 43-101 who works as Vice President Exploration of the Company.

About Ultra Lithium Inc.

Ultra Lithium is an exploration and development company with a focus on the acquisition and development of lithium assets. The Company currently holds five brine lithium properties in Argentina, and one hard rock spodumene type lithium property at the Georgia Lake area in northwestern Ontario, Canada.

Table 1: December 2017 Sampling Data from Salar Laguna Verde Discovery Zone
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It seems that whenever there is a discussion of health care costs in America, at least one critic pops up  usually more than one  who carps about physician fees, income, earnings, etc. and how they greatly impact rising health care costs. They dont, and it is a false narrative to claim that they do, but critics continue to throw the charges out there in the expectation that some will stick. We hope that this blog will shed some light on the subject and that it will help put an end to the misinformation.

Economist Dean Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, is merely the latest critic to slam physicians for their role in rising health care costs. In a recent article in Politico, he is quoted as claiming that physicians are being paid twice as much on average as physicians in other wealthy countries, and that getting U.S. health care costs down is a Herculean task; getting doctors pay in line is a big part of the solution. Its time to break up the doctor cartel. If his comments werent so absurd, they might be amusing. Lets look at the facts.

Several years ago, Princeton Professor Uwe Reinhardt (who sadly passed away several weeks ago) wrote an article for The New York Times on the subject of rising health care costs in America. He was surprised when several readers criticized him for not even mentioning physician incomes as one of the salient factors. Reinhardt, also an economist, responded to the critics with an extensive letter to the editor. He suggests that instead of comparing the incomes of American physicians with those earned by doctors in other countries, a more relevant benchmark would seem to be the earnings of the American talent pool from which American doctors must be recruited. As he points out, any college student bright enough to get into medical school surely will be able to land a high-paying job on Wall Street. The obverse is not necessarily true. Against that benchmark, Professor Reinhardt went on to say, every American doctor can be said to be sorely underpaid.

The total amount Americans pay their physicians represents only about 20 percent of total national health spending. Of that, close to half is absorbed by physician practice expenses, including malpractice premiums, but excluding the amortization of college and medical school debt. These debt figures become all that more important when one considers that in many countries  but not in the U.S.  medical education is free. Even if physicians all took a pay cut of 20 percent, the savings would amount to a minuscule two percent of our health bill.

The deeply respected and revered Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, Mike Royko, who wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune is remembered as a no-nonsense, tough but fair and probing reporter. Politicians cringed at the very mention of his name, especially if he was doing a story on them. When asked about a poll critical of physician earnings in April of 1993, he did not mince any words  in typical Royko style. In a column entitled, Doctors Pay Poll Reflects a Whiny and Stupid Society, he addressed those who felt that physicians were being paid too much. Maybe the poll questions should have been phrased this way, he began: How much should a person earn if he or she must, (a) get excellent grades and a fine educational foundation in high school in order to, (b) be accepted by a good college and spend four years taking courses heavy in math, physics, chemistry and other lab work and maintain a 3.5 average or better, and, (c) spend four more years in grinding study in medical school, with the 3rd and 4th years in clinical training, working 80 to 100 hours a week and, (d) put in another three to ten years of post-graduate training, depending on your specialty and, (e) maybe wind up $ 100,000 in debt (editors note-more than $166,000 today) and, (f) then work an average of 60 hours a week, with many family doctors putting in 70 hours or more until they retire or fall over?

He closed with one other pertinent comment: Let us talk about medical care and one of the biggest problems we have. That problem is you, my fellow Americans. Yes, you, eating too much and eating the wrong foods; many of you guzzling too much hooch; still puffing away; getting your daily exercise by lumbering from the fridge to the microwave to the couch; doing dope; filling the big-city emergency rooms with gunshot victims; engaging in unsafe sex and catching a deadly disease while blaming the world for not finding a cure. You and your habits, not the doctors, are the single biggest health problem in the country. If anything, it is amazing that the docs keep you alive as long as they do. Harsh words perhaps, but he uttered them 24 years ago, and there is still some truth in them.

With respect to the health of our citizens and the costs involved, Peter Laakman also said that factors such as genetics, behaviors, lifestyle and social environment (disparities, etc.) explain far more about American health outcomes when compared to other countries than any other factors. And relative to other highly developed countries, the U.S. has higher rates of obesity and diabetes, car accidents, homicides, lack of exercise, drug abuse, poverty and more. These unfortunate truths also greatly impact our overall health care costs.

Those are the facts. Can we finally put to rest the inherently false charges and accusations that physicians earnings are too high and responsible for rising health care costs and, along with them, the phony comparisons of countries and other bogus misinformation?

Walker Ray and Tim Norbeck are president and CEO, respectively, The Physicians Foundation.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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When President Trump slurred his words during a news conference this week, some Trump watchers speculated that he was having a stroke. I watched the clip and, as a physician who specializes in brain function and disability, I dont think a stroke was behind the slurred words. But having evaluated the chief executives remarkable behavior through my clinical lens for almost a year, I do believe he is displaying signs that could indicate a degenerative brain disorder.

As the presidents demeanor and unusual decisions raise the potential for military conflict in two regions of the world, the questions surrounding his mental competence have become urgent and demand investigation.

Until now, most of the focus has been on the presidents psychology. Its now time to think of the presidents neurology  and the possibility of an organic brain disorder.

Every day of my working life, I evaluate people with brain injuries. It falls to me to make decisions about what is normal and what is not, what can improve and what will not, whether or not my patients can work, what kind of work they can do, and pretty much everything else.

In turning my attention to the president, I see worrisome symptoms that fall into three main categories: problems with language and executive function; problems with social cognition and behavior; and problems with memory, attention, and concentration. None of these are symptoms of being a bad or mean person. Nor do they require spelunking into the depths of his psyche to understand. Instead, they raise concern for a neurocognitive disease process in the same sense that wheezing raises the alarm for asthma.

Heres the evidence on which I base my conclusion that it would be prudent for the president to be tested for a brain disorder.

Language and executive dysfunction

Language is closely tied with cognition, and the presidents speech patterns are increasingly repetitive, fragmented, devoid of content, and restricted in vocabulary. Trumps overuse of superlatives like tremendous, fantastic, and incredible are not merely elements of personal style. These filler words reflect reduced verbal fluency. Full transcripts of the presidents interviews with outlets like the New York Times and Time reveal the extent of his disorganized thought patterns.

The problem becomes especially apparent in the transcript format, where his thinking is no longer camouflaged by visual accompaniments to communication like facial expressions and gesticulations. Some outlets have sought to protect the president, forgiving his lapses by declining to publish full transcripts. When Politico published a leaked transcript of the Wall Street Journals July interview, we learned that the presidents intellectual curiosity rises to the level of introductory geography: You call places like Malaysia, Indonesia, and you say, you know, how many people do you have? And its pretty amazing how many people they have.

The president made that remark in response to a question about the ideal corporate tax rate, demonstrating the degree to which his thinking drifts. The problems with language expression extend to language interpretation, the likely source of the presidents gross misunderstanding of London Mayor Sadiq Khans message to his city in the wake of a terror attack in June.

Dysfunction of social cognition and behavior

Some of the presidents most concerning behaviors suggest a decline in social cognition: reduced insight and awareness into the thoughts and motivations of other people, coupled with symptoms like impulsivity and disinhibition that make him behave rudely and create needless controversy.

The decision to fire FBI Director James Comey in the middle of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election is an example of an impulsive decision that was greatly damaging to the president himself, assuming he was not actually trying to cover up his own complicity in the matter under investigation. Contradicting his own communications staff by disclosing that the Russia investigation was one reason he fired Comey is an example of disinhibited behavior. Rashly threatening Comey with a recording he did not have is reflective of poor emotional control.

Trumps easy Twitter trigger finger, most recently retweeting British far-right videos he apparently knew nothing about simply because the social media platform promoted these videos in his feed, reflects poor impulse control. Numerous problematic moments in the Trump presidency, such as his volunteering top secret Israeli intelligence to the Russian ambassador or volunteering that his immigration restrictions were indeed a travel ban, reflect an inability to contain himself.

We saw this most recently with his inability to make it through a simple White House ceremony honoring Navajo code talkers without making an ethnically derogatory reference to an opposition political figure.

The presidents decision to launch into a fight with a Gold Star wife and mother who lost their soldier in Niger is also reflective of impaired social cognition. It could also signal memory decline, since it seemed as though he had not learned from a similar imbroglio during the campaign.

Episodes like these often occur because of impaired frontal lobe brain systems. These typically provide some degree of restraint from saying the first thing that crosses your mind. In a healthy brain, these ideas must make their way through multiple layers of checks and balances that take into account the social propriety and appropriateness of the audience for a given remark. Such frontal impairment often does not stop at troublesome communication, but has physical manifestations such as childlike facial expressions and physical restlessness, both features we see in Trump.

Dysfunction in memory, attention and concentration

The integrity of other primary cognitive domains like memory, attention, and concentration are tied up in all of the problems I mention above. Memory impairment is specifically implicated in episodes like forgetting to sign orders  not once, but twice  that were the purposes of the press events the president was attending. Attention and focus are key to forming memory; the lack of either makes it more likely to forget why one was in a room in the first place.

The persistence of fixed beliefs about the crowd size at his inauguration, President Obama having a fraudulent birth certificate, or millions of undocumented people voting for Hillary Clinton suggest either a shocking willingness to lie, which falls into the behavioral dysregulation category, or a memory disorder that hobbles the president with fixed delusions that cannot be swayed by contradictory information. The New York Times opinion section has catalogued an astounding collection of the presidents lies so extensive that such lying implicates the cognitive systems that undergird ones hold on what has happened in ones life.

If the president is questioning whether the Access Hollywood videotape of himself celebrating a lifestyle rife with misogyny and sexual assault is really him, that worries me more about a memory disorder than a particularly poor effort at gaslighting.

Moving forward

The clinical task is to distinguish the presidents symptoms from normal aging. Typically, thats accomplished with standardized neuropsychological testing that would help compare the president to peers of similar age and education. Its perhaps useful to think of how many 71-year-olds in your life display similar behaviors, thoughts, and speech patterns as the ones we are witnessing in Trump.

If I were to make a differential diagnosis based on what I have observed, it would include mild cognitive impairment, also known as mild neurocognitive disorder or predementia. About 16 percent of people the presidents age fall into this category. Mild cognitive impairment comes in various flavors as the precursor to a variety of different full-blown dementias. The key distinguishing characteristic between mild cognitive impairment and dementia is whether the decline is starting to interfere with essential daily functioning. In a billionaire typically surrounded by assistants, who is now the president surrounded by more assistants, whether Trump can perform his necessary daily tasks on his own may be difficult to assess.

The symptoms Ive observed raise the concern for mild cognitive impairment preceding frontotemporal dementia, which is particularly heavy on the behavioral symptoms like those the president displays, as well as more typical Alzheimers dementia, or dementia with Lewy bodies. Though advanced testing such as brain imaging, as well as genetic testing and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, are not required to make the diagnosis, all of this testing is warranted in the presidents case if cognitive testing is consistent with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

Its entirely possible that the president does not have predementia or is not progressing toward dementia. But he is definitely behaving as such.

If an individual with these symptoms was in an average job in an average community surrounded by an average family, he or she would most likely be seen by a doctor. In the clinical evaluation of dementia, the concerns expressed by family members and the patient themselves are essential: They explain the changes observed over recent years, and that history is a prime ingredient in formulating the differential diagnosis.

The uniqueness of the megalomaniacal media personality that Trump has built himself into, followed by the presidency and its attendant cadre of fawning assistants, have most likely prevented him from getting proper assessment.

The presidents apparent symptoms are advancing and warrant medical evaluation by relevant specialists. Given the sensitivity of his case, an independent panel would be appropriate. Its entirely possible that the president does not have predementia or is not progressing toward dementia. But he is definitely behaving as such.

In either scenario, I do not think this is an individual who is fit to serve the office.

Why I wrote this article

The president is sick. Thats the impression shared by a growing number of Americans  including me, as both a citizen and as a physician.

I am not a psychiatrist, and I have always taken some solace while writing about various public figures in the news that I am not governed by the Goldwater rule, which prohibits psychiatrists from dispensing free-form psychoanalysis about public figures theyve never personally examined. But according to the American Medical Association, a variation of that rule now applies to all physicians. In a largely unreported addition to the AMA Code of Medical Ethics this fall, the AMA now has its own variation of the Goldwater rule: Physicians should refrain from making clinical diagnoses about individuals (e.g., public officials, celebrities, persons in the news) they have not had the opportunity to personally examine.

The statement seems out of the blue, as the Goldwater rule has been around since 1973 without the rest of medicine ever joining in. The AMA has unfortunately chosen a time to issue its own prohibition precisely at a moment when physician insight into a public figure is needed more now than ever before.

I sought to better understand the source of this restriction, so I spoke with AMA media representative Robert Mills, who told me that the media ethics guidance derived from concern about Dr. Mehmet Oz. A medical student member, citing Ozs endorsement of fringe medical practices that seemed to be influencing Americans broadly, suggested that the association resolve to provide stricter media guidance to physicians that would help discourage them from portraying themselves as all-knowing media authorities.

Thats a noble idea, but capping dialogue about public figures seems rather peripheral and worthy of deeper consideration than given by the paragraph in the broader statement. Dr. Matthew Wynia, who was formerly Director of the AMA Institute for Ethics and now directs the University of Colorados Center for Bioethics and Humanities, told me that he considers the AMAs new position, emphasizing the importance of in-person examination, misplaced given the way medicine is practiced in 2017.

In Trumps case, we have no relevant testing to review. His personal physician issued a thoroughly unsatisfying letter before the election that didnt contain much in the way of hard data. Thats a situation many people want to correct via an independent medical panel that can objectively evaluate the presidents fitness to serve. But the prospects for getting Congress to use the 25th Amendment in this way seem poor at the moment.

What we do have are a growing array of signs and symptoms displayed in public for all to see. Its time to discuss these issues in a clinical context, even if this is a very atypical form of examination. Its all we have. And even if the president has a physical exam early next year and releases the records, as announced by the White House, what he really needs is thorough cognitive testing.

Before biting the bullet, I also spoke with Dr. Dennis Agliano, who chairs the AMAs Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, the panel that wrote the new ethical guidance. He advised me to be careful: You can get yourself into hot water, since there are people who like Trump, and they may submit a complaint to the AMA, the Tampa otolaryngologist told me. Ultimately, he reassured me that I should just do what I think is right.

Which is warn the president that he needs to be evaluated for a brain disease.

Ford Vox is a medical journalist and commentator who practices brain injury medicine. This article originally appeared in STAT News.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched into space from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base north of Los Angeles at 5:27 p.m. PST (8:27 p.m. EST/0127 GMT)  just 30 minutes after sunset  carrying 10 Iridium Next communications satellites into orbit. The mission was a success, with all 10 satellites reaching their intended orbits. But it was the jaw-dropping views of the Falcon 9 streaking into space that stole the show, leaving an ethereal glowing plume in its wake as it soared into orbit.

"Caught off guard and had no idea what was happening at first ...must say it was one of my life's coolest moments!!!," said Michelle Snyder, who watched the launch from the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, California. She sent in the video shown above. "A forever memory with my daughters and parents who were in town visiting for the holidays. FOREVER MEMORY!!!

From a southbound lane of the Interstate-5 freeway in Irvine, the launch wowed my 9-year-old daughter Zadie, who marveled at seeing the Falcon 9's first stage separate from its upper stage ("I saw first stage separation? I saw stage separation!") as we drove to meet relatives for the holidays. Her final say on the launch: "That is beautiful!"

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My daughter wasn't alone in her awe. Observers across Southern California, and even as far away as Arizona and Tijuana, Mexico, reported stunning views of the launch.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk chimed in with a joke: "Nuclear alien UFO from North Korea," he wrote in a video post of the launch on Twitter.

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Scroll down to see more spectacular views of the launch shared by observers.

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Enjoy those awesome views? We'll try to share more as readers send in images, but SpaceX says its rocket launch shows will only get better.

In one last Twitter post, Elon Musk promised even more spectacular views when SpaceX's new heavy-lift rocket  the Falcon Heavy  begins launching in 2018. That rocket consists of three first-stage boosters, each of them based on the Falcon 9 first stage, that will separate and return to Earth much like the booster seen in Friday night's launch.

"If you liked tonight's launch, you will really like Falcon Heavy next month: 3 rocket cores & 3X thrust. 2 cores return to base doing synchronized aerobatics. 3rd lands on droneship," Musk wrote.

The first Falcon Heavy test flight will launch in January from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying Musk's midnight cherry red Tesla Roadster into space (no really, here are the photos).

So keep your eyes peeled in 2018!

Editor's note: If you captured an amazing photo of video of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launch and would like to share it with Space.com for a story or gallery, send images and comments in to: spacephotos@space.com. This story was updated at 10:42 a.m. EST to include the video and comments by Michelle Snyder from Coronado, California.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Officials say the device was known as an "unexploded ordnance," or an explosive weapon that did not explode and still posed a...
A Northern California man was arrested this week and accused of planning an ISIS-inspired Christmas Day suicide attack on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.

Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, faces one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

In an 11-page affidavit filed in federal court in Fresno Friday, FBI special agent Christopher McKinney alleged that Jameson espoused "radical jihadi beliefs" on social media. According to the agent, Jameson "liked" and "loved" ISIS-related social media posts, including one that threatened a Christmas attack in New York City.

Jameson also allegedly expressed support for Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbek immigrant who drove a rented truck down a Lower Manhattan bike path on Halloween, killing eight people and injuring 11 others.

"I'm glad to know we Muslims are finally hitting back," Jameson wrote to an FBI informant he was communicating with. "The Kuffar deserve everything and more for the lives they have taken," he added, using an Arabic term meaning "non-believer."

Earlier this month, McKinney said an undercover FBI agent began communicating with Jameson and questioned how he might be able to help ISIS. Jameson allegedly responded, "I was a soldier in the Kuffar army before I reverted. I have been trained in combat and things of war. [God willing,] anything of that nature."

McKinney said Jameson attended Marine basic training "in or about" June 2009 and trained as a sharpshooter, but was later discharged for failing to disclose a history of asthma.

On Dec. 16, McKinney claimed Jameson met with a second undercover FBI agent and "expressed that he was willing to do anything for 'the cause,'" including traveling to fight with ISIS in Syria. At the same meeting, Jameson allegedly suggested a bomb-and-gun attack on Pier 39, a popular tourist area on the San Francisco waterfront. Jameson added that "he did not have and did not need an escape plan because he was ready to die," McKinney wrote in his affidavit.

That night, Jameson allegedly drafted a note swearing allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump.

"Each and every Kuffar in this Nationalistic, Godless society has a hand in this," the note read. "You've allowed Donald J Trump to give Al Quds [Jerusalem] to the Jews. Both You and he are wrong, it belongs to the [Muslims] ... These acts will continue until the Lions of Islam overtake you."

Two days later, however, Jameson appeared to be getting cold feet about his plan. In a conversation with the second undercover FBI agent, Jameson allegedly said, "I ... don't think I can do this after all. I've reconsidered."

"[God willing], one day I can," Jameson added. "But I can't."

On Wednesday, FBI agents searched Jameson's home in Modesto and recovered multiple guns, ammunition and fireworks. When interviewed by FBI agents, Jameson "stated his support of ISIS and terrorism" and said that "he would be happy if an attack was carried out."
The U.S. military saw a number of newsworthy events during the past year, from the swearing in of a new president and commander-in-chief to deadly ship collisions in the Pacific that triggered a leadership reorganization of the Navy's 7th Fleet.

The list below highlights 10 stories from 2017 determined by Military.com editors to have the most editorial significance.

But we also want to hear from you: What stories that affected the military this year do you think were the most important? Please let us know by responding in the comments section or sending us an email.

Related Video:

1. Deadly Ship Collisions Rock the Navy's Surface Fleet

Seventeen sailors were killed this summer when two U.S. Navy destroyers, in separate incidents, collided with commercial vessels in the Pacific. The first occurred June 17, when the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald struck the Philippine-flagged tanker ACX Crystal off the coast of Japan, claiming the lives of seven sailors when compartments flooded. The second incident occurred two months later, on Aug. 21, when the USS John S. McCain hit the Liberian-flagged container ship Alnic MC near the Straits of Malacca, causing the deaths of another 10 sailors. The accidents exposed massive training and leadership problems and resulted in the firing of a number of officials in the 7th Fleet, including the commander, Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin.

2. US, North Korea Tensions Skyrocket Amid Nuclear, Missile Tests

North Korea repeatedly rattled the international community this year with a series of ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests that showed major advancements in military technology. The regime of Kim Jong-un in September conducted an underground test of a thermonuclear weapon, or hydrogen bomb, designed for an intercontinental ballistic missile. The yield for the North's sixth and latest nuclear test was estimated at between 100 kilotons and 300 kilotons -- its largest to date and many times the destructive power of the atomic weapons the U.S. dropped on Japan during World War II. The regime in November launched an ICBM that flew for 50 minutes and reached an altitude of more than 4,000 kilometers -- the longest and highest flight yet of any such test. The U.S. responded with show-of-force exercises with allies in the region, including South Korea and Japan. The U.S. has also blamed the North for the WannaCry ransomware attack that affected computers around the world in May.

3. Bergdahl Pleads Guilty to Desertion, Avoids Prison

In one of the most controversial military court cases in years, Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl in October pleaded guilty to deserting his post in 2009 in Afghanistan. While he was later sentenced to receive a dishonorable discharge and reduction in rank to private, he avoided prison time. Bergdahl, 31, was captured by Taliban forces and spent five years in captivity before being released in 2014 as part of a prisoner exchange involving five Taliban members. His trial included testimony from troops who were wounded during missions to find him. Bergdahl, who was held in a cramped cage and beaten by his captors, testified that he was sorry for the wounds suffered by searchers. The controversy continues as lawmakers press the Army to not award him back pay while his attorney seeks to have him receive a POW medal.

4. US Beats Back ISIS in Iraq and Syria, Ramps Up Airstrikes in Afghanistan

The U.S. military, with partner forces in Iraq and Syria, helped crush the Islamic State's last strongholds in Iraq and Syria. American troops on the ground worked with Iraqi and Syrian troops to repel ISIS militants from Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria. While Pentagon officials have been reluctant to disclose the number of U.S. troops on the ground, the Defense Manpower Data Center recently listed 8,992 American service members in Iraq, 1,720 in Syria and 15,298 in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, the U.S. ramped up airstrikes, dropping its biggest non-nuclear bomb on the ISIS Khorasan branch and unleashing the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter to bomb Taliban drug labs. Still, the Taliban control or influence 54 of 407 districts in the country, or 13 percent, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

5. After High-Profile Recruit Death, Marines Crack Down on Hazing

The Marine Corps took steps to crack down on hazing following the March 18, 2016, death of 20-year-old Raheel Siddiqui, a Pakistani-American Muslim recruit from Michigan who reportedly leapt from the third floor of a squad bay 11 days after arriving at boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. The family is suing the government for $100 million for his death, claiming "negligence on multiple levels of command," the Detroit Free Press reported. After Siddiqui's death, 15 drill instructors and five other senior leaders at the boot camp were removed from their posts. Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Felix, a former drill instructor at Parris Island, was named as a senior drill instructor who slapped Siddiqui and made him conduct physical "incentive training" as punishment in the minutes before his suicide. A military jury in November found Felix guilty of tumbling another Muslim recruit in an industrial dryer in a liquor-fueled hazing session, and abusing and assaulting a dozen other recruits.

6. Church Shooting Reveals DoD's Failure to Disclose Criminal Records

Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, the man who shot and killed 26 people at a Texas church on Nov. 6, had previously served in the U.S. Air Force but received a bad-conduct discharge after being court-martialed for assaulting his wife and child. Kelley was court-martialed in 2012 for two counts of Article 128 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: assault on his spouse and assault on their child. He received a bad-conduct discharge, confinement for twelve months and a reduction to the grade of E-1. Even so, the Air Force didn't forward his criminal record to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as required by law. Because the agency wasn't aware of his criminal past, Kelley was able to buy an assault rifle-style weapon used in the church shooting, described as the deadliest to occur in Texas. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein ordered a review of the case to avoid similar lapses in the future.

7. Air Force Grapples with Rising Pilot Shortage

The Air Force's pilot shortage this year climbed to about 2,000 airmen, as more service members opted for the better pay and steadier schedules offered by the commercial airline industry. With a pilot shortage estimated at about one in 10 -- 2,000 out of 20,000 pilots -- the service has rolled out new initiatives in an effort to keep flyers in uniform, including more flight incentive pay and aviation bonus programs. But the efforts may not be enough to combat a readiness crisis that leaders blame on a high number of missions being carried out by a disproportionately small force. As a result, the service may try to force pilots to stay in the cockpit. President Donald Trump in September signed an executive order to voluntarily recall up to 1,000 pilots back to active duty. The Air Force says it doesn't have any immediate plans to resort to such a tactic but nevertheless now has such authority, just in case.

8. Congress Criminalizes Military Revenge Porn

In the wake of the Marines United scandal, lawmakers in Congress moved swiftly to criminalize so-called revenge porn in the military. The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, which sets policy for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, calls for court-martial punishment for troops who engage in revenge porn, or the unauthorized sharing or distribution of "an intimate visual image of a private area of another person." At least five Marines were punished in the wake of a scandal involving a Facebook page, Marines United, whose members reportedly circulated a hard drive filled with compromising photos of female service members. While the private Facebook group had roughly 30,000 members, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said the number of those found to have possibly engaged in prosecutable activity was much lower.

9. Trump Announces Transgender Ban, Courts Block Order

President Donald Trump in July surprised even the Pentagon's top brass when he announced via Twitter a ban on transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. The president tweeted, "After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow ... Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military." The order was immediately challenged in the courts, which have so far rejected the administration's request to delay transgender enlistments. There are between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender troops currently serving on active duty, amounting to between 0.1 percent and 0.5 percent of the 1.3 million-member active component, and between 830 and 4,160 in the Selected Reserve, according to a 2016 study by Rand Corp. Advocacy groups put the estimate at closer to 15,000 transgender troops in the ranks. The Defense Department has said the enlistment of transgender recruits will start Jan. 1.

10. Sig Sauer Wins the Army's Modular Handgun System Contract

The U.S. Army in January awarded Sig Sauer a contract worth $580 million to make the next service pistol based on the company's P320 handgun. Sig beat out Glock Inc., FN America and Beretta USA, the maker of the current M9 9mm service pistol, in the competition for the Modular Handgun System, or MHS, program. Glock protested the Army's decision, but the complaint in June was rejected by the Government Accountability Office, which arbitrates federal contract disputes. Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in November began receiving the new XM17 MHS and spent time shooting the new pistol. Weapons officials plan to issue the service's new sidearm down to the team-leader level.

-- Richard Sisk, Matthew Cox, Hope Hodge Seck and Oriana Pawlyk contributed to this report.

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
Fancy Gadam

23.12.2017 LISTEN

The current VGMA Discovery of The Year Fancy Gadam has rated his yet to be released music video 'Customer' which features Nigerian dancehall artiste Patoranking above his 'Total Cheat' music video featuring Africas Best Rapper, Sarkodie.

Fancy Gadam told King Hassan in an exclusive interview on the Northern Drive on Radio Justice 98.5MHz last Friday that, every artiste always want his/her next song or video to be better than the previous ones.

Comparing the yet to be released muisc video, 'Customer' with 'Total Cheat', he said Customer is above Total Cheat.

The Customer music video was shot in Abuja and Lagos.

Fancy Gadam said when the video is released, it will hit across the globe. He said the video is far beyond Northern Region and Ghana.

The Total Cheat hitmaker also disclosed that, he has several songs featuring big artistes including Mr. Eazi, Mugeez and many more.

But when King Hassan asked him if making the music video cost him like $10,000.

He replied to him "it is more than that amount", Fancy Gadam however asked his fans to keep watching out for more.

Source: Ghana360news.com
The legal tussle between Afia Schwarzenegger and her former husband Abrokwah has taken a new dimension as the television personality amended the charges to include stealing $2,000 and 500 from her.

The two are in court after their short-lived marriage ended with Abrokwah recording a video of Afia in bed with another man.

Abrokwah was arraigned before the Accra circuit court and is facing five charges, including two counts of domestic violence, threat to harm, assault and publication of obscene material which he has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

But Daily Guide is reporting that the case has taken a different dimension as the charge sheet has been changed to include stealing $2,000 and 500 from her. Afia Schwarzenegger is also accusing Abrokwah of taking the belongings of the man Afia was allegedly having sexual intercourse with.

Although the charges have been amended, Lawrence Abrokwa is to be on his old bail term of GH20,000 with three sureties.

Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to January 6 next year.
23.12.2017 LISTEN

REFLECTIONS, one of Ghanas finest Christian gospel concert is marking its 3rd edition with yet another power-packed concert of authentic Christian music, drama, poetry and choreography in Bogoso on Monday, January 1, 2018.

Reflections, since its inception in 2015, has been an all awaiting programme in Bogoso, celebrating the new year with thanksgiving.

Authentic Lifestyle World will grace the occasion with spirit-led ministrations, with support from groups like Created To Worship Crew and Throne Room Worship Crew.

Other Ministers include Minister Ransford Nana Bentil, Minster Paa Kofi Efavi, ST. Thomas Agyemang.

Authentic Lifestyle World's 2018 Reflections under the theme REFLECTING ON HIS LOVE; Ephesians. 2: 4, will be held at the Bogoso Town Park near the Methodist Church in the Prestea Huni-Valley District of the Western Region.

Reflections, since its birth, has touched and transformed many lives.
UNDERSTANDING HOMOSEXUALITY, THE BARE FACTS.

Before we start discussing homosexuality, let us get used to the following terms.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION. This refers to an individual's pattern of affectional, romantic or sexual attraction to the Same sex(Homosexuals), Opposite sex(Heterosexual) or Both sexes(Bisexual)

Homosexual men are referred to as Gay.

Homosexual women are referred to as Lesbians (or gay).

Heterosexual individuals are referred to as Straight.

Bisexual individuals are sometimes referred to as Bi.

LGB: short form for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexuals.

Asexual: Individuals who describe themselves as, attracted to neither sex

Gender Identity: Refers to a person's inner sense of being female, male, or another gender.

Transgender: Individuals whose genetic and anatomic sex may be male, female, but whose inner identity is of another gender

Transvestite: Individuals who derive sexual pleasure or comfort from dressing in the clothing of the opposite sex. This behavior is, often independent of the individual's sexual orientation.

In the closet: Denial of LGB to the outside world. (Close contacts, however, may know about it).

Coming Out: A process of self-acceptance and public disclosure of one's Homosexual orientation

PREVALENCE OF HOMOSEXUALITY:

Homosexuals exist within all ethnic, religious and socioeconomic groups.

Among the adult population, estimates for gay and lesbians range from 3-10%, with an even larger percentage being bisexual

ETIOLOGY, WHAT CAUSES HOMESEXUALITY? The answer is "NO DEFINITE CAUSE"

Being Homosexual is not a choice or a matter of "something gone wrong". Being homosexual or bisexual are normal forms of human bonding. (Up to 10% of humans, bond in this way.)

Both homosexual behavior and heterosexual behaviors are normal aspect of human sexuality and they seem to be well established by early childhood.

STAGES OF HOMOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT (Troiden RR. 1988 homosexual identity model)

These stages are not so linear, (and they are affected by society and family norms) and have not been uniformly adopted

Sensitization: Homosexual kids, while growing up, begin to feel they are "different" from their peers of the same sex. This stage of sensing a difference is the first of the four stages of homosexual identity development, and occurs before puberty

Identity Confusion: Here in the adolescent's, sexual attraction toward members of the same sex begins, and none toward the opposite sex. There is identity confusion, inner turmoil and the individual develops coping mechanisms, including Denials and Avoidance.

Identity assumption: the individuals assume, they are gays and they may come out voluntarily, or may be discovered. They start to contact other lesbian and gay individuals, on the internet. These teenagers are at risk of rejection from peers and family members.

Commitment: the individuals accept their sexual orientation and they start to engage in intimate relationships.

DANGERS OF BEING HOMOSEXUAL.

When LGBs grow up in a region where there is total lack of knowledge and intolerance of homosexuality, stigmatization, rejection by family, friends and religious institutions predominates. The LGB youth, in a predictable way, becomes depressed. They may drop out of school, run away from home to start engaging in risky sex, using drugs and turning to street life and prostitution. In our society, worried parents may, initially, turn to men of God for counseling, God's intervention and deliverance. LGBs have been physically assaulted and they do suffer a lot of social prejudice.

A significant percentage of LGB youths, consider suicide to be their only choice. Approximately,30-40% of teenage LGB youths have, at least once, attempted suicide. A third of those teens who attempt suicide, do so within 1 year of identifying their homosexuality. Other problems include

STDs (sexually transmitted diseases):

Male adolescents are at risk for multiple infections, including

1. Viral: (HIV, Hepatitis A, B, C, and D, Chlamydia, Herpes, Warts)

2. Bacterial: Syphilis, Dysentery,

3. Parasitic infections like Amoebic dysentery, Giardiasis, leading to the following abdominal symptoms: gas discomfort/bloating, cramping and flatus

Anal Trauma:

Fisting (Insertion of hand into the anus), vigorous anal intercourse could lead to tears in the anus, rectum, and the lowermost parts of the large intestines (recto-sigmoid tear)

Frequent or vigorous intercourse, could lead to trauma and edema of the penis, as well.

HELPING LGBs. How can we help individuals, who, through no fault of theirs, have become homosexuals?

The answer is Education! Education! and Education.

Whether we like it or not, homosexuality is normal human behavior. No one chooses to be gay, LGB were born with that orientation. After all, 3-10% of all human beings are vulnerable.

Religion: Religious leaders are supposed to guide their congregations back to God. They are, however, driving LGBs away from God. They quickly, quote Judges 19: 1-30, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, and other biblical verses to condemn LGB. With our modern day understanding of LGB, we now know, God loves everyone unconditionally and we must accept LGB, as who they are. Enlightened religious leaders should welcome, openly gays, into their mist.

Political Leaders: Politicians have disowned LGBs, they have enacted laws against LGBs. Politicians must know that sexual orientation is not a matter of choice, and that LGB is a normal and healthy sexual development. LGBs are not criminals.

Family: The role of LGB family members is very important. Research has shown that, vulnerable adolescents who grew up in stigmatizing or risky environment, thrive when they are connected to safe and supportive families, friends and communities

ALL HANDS, ON DECK:

We must create a safe environment and supportive networks of family, peers, Teachers, Counselors, Clergy, Medical Doctors, and others, to buffer the often, hostile society in which LGB youth grow up.

Prominent members in the society, who are gay, should "Come Out"

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question: is LGB a mental disorder?

Answer: No, both Heterosexual and Homosexual behaviors are Normal. There are many individuals who find themselves somewhere in between being completely heterosexual and completely homosexual

Question: What causes one to be homosexual?

Answer: No particular factor/factors have been found to cause homosexuality. Up to 10% of the populace were born with it

Question: Is homosexuality a foreign culture?

Answer: No. Homosexuality has been with us, for a very long time. Because of social prejudice, lots of LGB cases were kept "in the closet"

Question: Is homosexuality a choice or determined at birth?

Answer: Most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation. No one chooses to be gay. LGBs are part of God's wondrous creation, created to be just who they are, and completely loved and treasured by God.

In the future, as the society begins to realize that LGB is part of normal and healthy sexual orientation, more homosexuals would start Coming out

ALEX SARKODIE, MD
Four men have been arrested in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, for allegedly camping 580 youth in a shady recruitment business.

The police swooped in on the group at about 8:30 am and found them camped in three separate houses at Atimatim, close to Tafo in the capital.

Police believe the recruitment is suspicious activity but the leaders say they were assembled by a networking company called Qnet.

One of the four, Adam Yakubu, who spoke to Luv FM's Erastus Asare Donkor explained, they ask interested persons to rope in their "best friends" and "people you love" and want to help prosper.

The recruits are asked to pay 3,100 cedis, he said to do work that promises to pay at least $250 a week.

Explaining why a lot of the recruits are Northerners, Adam Yakubu said: "the northerners heard it first". He said many of them are suffering and found the "business" a path out of poverty.

Yakubu could not give details of the company's legal status explaining he has only been in the business for not more than four months.

"Unless I ask our top leaders", he said after he was asked if the venture is duly registered.

The Ashanti regional minister Simon Osei-Mensah who accompanied the police, interrogated the young men, and wondered what the nature of the business is.

The police have moved the 580 youths to the Jubilee Park for further screening. They are treating the group as a security threat.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com
The immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the National Communication Authority (NCA), William Tevie, and four others, have been put before a High Court over the alleged fraudulent $6 million contract between the NCA and Infraloks Development Limited.

Mr. Tevie, alongside the former board chairman, Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie; Alhaji Osman, a former Deputy National Security Coordinator and a private citizen George Oppong, have been charged and arraigned for willfully causing financial loss to the State contrary to section 23(1) and section 179(3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960, Act 29.

They have also been charged with 16 other offences.

The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges, and were granted bail to the tune of $1 million each with 3 sureties.

They are also to surrender their passports to the court Registrar.

The five are facing trial over some $4 million withdrawn from the NCA's accounts, purportedly for the purchase of a surveillance equipment.

The officials had contracted an Israeli company, NSO Group Technology Limited, to supply listening equipment at the cost of $6 million, to enable National Security monitor conversations of persons suspected to be engaged in terror activities.

A local agent, Infraloks Development Limited, was also charging $2 million to facilitate the transaction, bringing the total sum to $8 million.

But only $1 million was paid into the accounts of the Israeli company.



By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Former NCA boss, 4 others charged with causing financial loss appeared first on Ghana News .
President Akufo-Addo has urged members of the government's anti-galamsey task-force Operation Vanguard in the Eastern Region, to remain focused despite criticisms of their operations.

He said he was proud about their work, and encouraged them not to be disturbed by the allegations by some Ghanaians they were conniving with illegal miners.

President Akufo-Addo made the statement when he visited the members of the task-force, Operation Vanguard at their base at Akyem Afosu in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region.

I came here to say thank you very much and in thanking you, tell you that all kinds of people are going to be saying all kinds of things about the work you are doing. Please do not let any of that demoralize you. They should not get to you. Do your work which is most important to the future of the country. It is about our country and its future, he said.

This operation is one of the most important operations you'll undertake in your life because it is about the future of our country. If you don't come in to help us and allow this illegal mining to spread, You'll not have a Ghana to give to your children, he added.

The anti-galamsey task-force was deployed to three regions; Ashanti, Western and Eastern about five months ago, to help fight and sustain and campaign against illegal mining.

Their operations have resulted in the arrest of at least 600 illegal miners including foreign nationals, particularly Chinese.

The deployment of the joint police and military task-force came as a major boost to government's fight against illegal mining in the country, following news of its devastating effects on the country's land and water resources.

The government placed a six-month ban on all forms of mining until further notice, but later extended the ban to January 2018, because the needed result has not been achieved.

citifmonline.com
The Minority Spokesperson for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, is calling for the immediate resignation of the Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson over her display of improper discretion in the allocation of budgetary resources within her ministry.

According to him, her Ministry's allocation of GH800,000 for the development of a website smacks of corruption and must not be encouraged.

It emerged on Thursday that the Ministry for Special Development and Initiatives had budgeted GH800,000 of tax payers' money to build a new website.

The amount, although heavily criticized by the minority in Parliament, was approved by Parliament since the NPP has the majority in the House.

Mavis Hawa Koomson  Minister for Special Development and Initiatives

But many Ghanaians have taken to social media to criticize the ministry and the minister over the amount which has largely been described as bloated and an overestimation.

Following the backlash, the sector minister, Mavis Hawa Koomson, claimed that the GH800,000 was a typographical error, and that the actual amount was GH80,000.

But Cassiel Ato Forson believes the Minister's statement was merely a reaction to the public outcry and that amount was indeed GH800,000.

What we considered at the committee is GH800,000, certainly not GH80,000. Is the Minister telling me that she is such an incompetent lady to the extent that she couldn't read and understand her own document? he said.

He said Hawa Koomson must immediately resign because of her incompetence in handling the matter.

He said the Minister must immediately resign over this is gross incompetence.

I don't think she even deserves to occupy the office as a minister of state. She should go immediately, she doesn't qualify to occupy that office This is blatant corruption. It is job for the boys, he said.



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 800k website: 'Incompetent' Hawa Koomson must resign  Ato Forson appeared first on Ghana News .
Alhaji Abdallah - NPP Northern Regional Chairman Aspirant

23.12.2017 LISTEN

A Northern Regional chairman aspirant hopeful of the governing NPP, Alhaji Hindu has advised supporters of various aspirants to be circumspect as they gear towards the regional congress.

Alhaji Hindu, who is the current Northern Regional Organizer of the party said this in a press release copied to ghana360news.com.

His advice came as a result of supporters using unprintable words against each other and the candidates they campaign for on the media. Particularly social media.

According to him, whoever emerges a victor after the congress will need all the losers on board to win the 2020 elections.

We need to respect all aspirants any time we write. Character defamation, ill languages and open insults should not be part of us as a family. Remember we are one family and we need a very strong and united front to fight a bigger battle come 2020, he said.

Below is a full text of the statement:

LET DECENCY PREVAIL  ALHAJI ABDALLAH HINDU  NPP NORTHERN REGIONAL CHAIRMAN HOPEFUL ADVISED

Though we all have the right to market and project our preferred candidate (s), but this right does not give us the room to be using harsh words on other candidates. We need to respect all aspirants any time we write. Character defamation, ill languages and open insults should not be part of us as a family. Remember we are one family and we need a very strong and united front to fight a bigger battle come 2020. Lets put a stop to this unfortunate behaviour. We all need each other after this internal elections. I will need all candidates to support me if I become the victor at the end of the day.

We are one and must continue to be one,before, during and after the elections. Respect is reciprocal. Your utterances give others the chance, whether to respect you and your candidate or to disrespect. Therefore,I urge all my supporters to do a clean and factual campaign and desist from insults and character attacks. United we stand, divided we fall.

Long live NPP

Long live Northern Region

Long live TEAM HINDU

Thank you

Source: Ghana360news.com
Angola has suffered a week of fuel shortages, a bitter irony for one of Africa's leading oil producers, and a hardship that some people blame on opponents of President Joao Lourenco.

The majority of petrol stations in the capital Luanda have had long lines of motorists for seven days now, all waiting for the chance to fill up their tanks.

"We don't have any more," said Henriques Carvalho, a pump attendant in the Bairro Popular district.

"They came here to refuel but demand has been so great that we sold our last few litres tonight. I'm waiting for the next tanker."

In front of each pump, lines of trucks and cars stretch out of view.

"I've been queueing for two hours," said Gisela Manuela from behind the wheel of her sedan.

"I've already tried three other petrol stations -- all in vain. Hopefully it will be better here."

Several other filling stations in provinces outside Luanda have also run dry, according to residents contacted by AFP.

Rationing has caused the price of fuel to surge on the black market. One litre of super unleaded has more than tripled in Luanda -- surging from 160 to 500 kwanzas (0.80 euros to 2.50 euros).

Though the impacts of the shortages are clear for all to see, the reasons are not.

A week ago the state oil company Sonangol acknowledged "delays in processing fuel at the country's ports because of minor issues around the payment of certain suppliers".

But in a statement Sonangol insisted that it was "not short of fuel" and that there was "no reason to be alarmed".

It promised that the rationing was simply to guarantee supply during the festive year-end period.

Sonangol declined to comment further when contacted by AFP.

'Frankly I can't understand'

Angola, along with Nigeria, is one of Africa's biggest oil producers, pumping 1.7 million barrels per day.

But because there is no domestic refining capacity, processed petrol and diesel must be imported from abroad.

The drop in the price of oil, the country's economic lifeblood, since 2014 has plunged the economy and the government's finances into a crisis from which Angola has struggled to extricate itself.

Sonangol, which makes the largest annual contribution to state coffers, has found itself in particularly dire financial straits.

In March last year Angola was struck by shortages which were again blamed on "delayed payments" to suppliers caused by the weak oil price.

In the absence of another explanation, critics of Angola's government have made their own allegations about the reasons for the shortages, fired by social media speculation.

"All of this is an attempt to obstruct the government of President Joao Lourenco," said Agostinho dos Santos, a political analyst with close ties to the opposition.

"The majority of filling stations in Angola belong to or are controlled by the generals who were in the regime of the former president (Jose Eduardo dos Santos) and his daughter Isabel dos Santos. These owners want to avenge the old president."

Dos Santos quit the presidency following elections in August after 38 years in power, during which time he stood accused of corruptly enriching his friends, families and allies.

Lourenco, from the same party, promised to fight corruption and subsequently began a crackdown on graft and waste.

After taking office he quickly fired a number of leaders at state-run companies as well as several security chiefs who were seen as close to his predecessor.

His main victim was Isabel dos Santos, who was removed from the helm of Sonangol last month.

"This fuel shortage is only a facade," said Adao Bunga, a rapper and regime critic known as MC Life.

"The immunity and impunity of Dos Santos's generals has gone and they are angry, which is why they are attacking Dos Santos."

But drivers, the main victims of the shortages, have begun to lose patience.

"We can't live without petrol," said Isaias Soares, a driver from Malanje, about 380 kilometres (240 miles) east of Luanda.

"Frankly I can't understand how we can have a shortage in a country that produces oil."
The Yapei and Buipe bridges in the Central Gonja district of the Northern region are reopened to traffic. The Ministry of Roads and Highways supervised rehabilitation of the bridges that were closed for weeks following the dilapidated nature which posed threat to commuters.

Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako-Attah cut the sod at a brief event for the reopening on Friday, December 22.

Mr Amoako-Attah indicated that vehicles not exceeding the allowable load limit will be allowed to use the bridges.

Vehicles approaching the bridges will be weighed at the Jema Weigh Station near Kintampo and the Yapei Mobile weigh van before allowed on the bridges.

"The Ministry through the Ghana Highway Authority wants to assure the general public that, traffic will be managed to ensure safety of the general public

"Motorists travelling to and from the Northern Sector of Ghana are therefore advised to adhere to directional and safety signs that will be placed at appropriate sections, the minister added.
23.12.2017 LISTEN

A judge in Kumasi on Thursday December 21, gave a prisoner a rare opportunity to recite the Lords Prayer and have his four years sentence struck out but, the convict failed.

The judge who was furious over the prisoners failure to utilize the golden opportunity called him stupid in open court.

Nonetheless, the High court chaired by Justice Wilson, reduced Owusu Ansahs jail term from 4 years to 3 months.

The convict was jailed two years ago for stealing, and has been appealing the case.

According to Starrfmonline.com sources, the judge is famous for asking prisoners to either recite the Lords Prayer or the national anthem to negotiate their freedom.
President Nana Akufo-Addo is hopeful that education at the university level could eventually be free if his government is able to fix the economy.

He has hinted of plans to make university education universally free after the smooth implementation of the Free Senior High School Program.

President Akufo-Addo was speaking at an end-of-year party for children organized by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection at his hometown of Kyebi as part of his tour of the Eastern Region.

I have two things to share with you on education. First the government treasures education and so, we will do everything to make it easily accessible to all children. If God permits and we are able to fix this economy for it to improve, we will even make university education free, the President stated.

He further assured that the ongoing Free SHS policy will never be cancelled. It is here to stay. It is an irreversible piece of social legislation. When we leave, it will remain.

The President said his government will do all it can to ensure all students in the country go to school to better themselves.

The Akufo-Addo administration has consistently retorted to critics of the Free SHS programme who have claimed that the programme is not sustainable that his government will do everything possible to sustain the programme.



By: Neil Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Free tertiary education possible with strong economy  Nana Addo appeared first on Ghana News .
Residents of Gbetsile near Michel camp in the Kpone-Katamanso District of the Greater Accra Region, have been advised to regularize their land lease agreements with the Gbetsile Stool Lands Secretariat or have themselves to blame.

The advice was given at a news conference by the Divisional Chief of Gbetsile, Nii Teye Kojo Amanquah Sune I, who warned that his outfit will be forced to take legal action against recalcitrant persons.

It has come to the attention of the Gbetsile Stool that several people have occupied pieces or parcels of Gbetsile Stool lands without legitimate cause. The Gbetsile Stool therefore entreats all residents of Gbetsile who have built on parcels or portions of Gbetsile Stool lands, but do not have documents from the Stool, to report to the Gbetsile Stool immediately for regularization of their interest in the lands.

It must be noted that, any person or group of persons who fail to comply, would have themselves to blame when the Stool institutes a Court action against them, and there is an order for demolition of their buildings, the Chief said at the press conference.

Dealing with land guards

On activities of land guards, the chief called on the police to intervene to bring peace to the area.

We call on the police and the National Security to come to our aid and intensify their security patrols around the community in order to protect lives and property, and to also prosecute persons who are found culpable, he added.

Nii Teye Kojo Amanquah Sune I, Divisional Chief of Gbetsile, also rejected claims that he is not the rightful claimant of the Stool.

According to Nii Sune I, he has been gazetted as the Divisional Chief of the area, adding that he together with the Mankrolo, Nii Teye Kojo I, have all been accepted by the National House of Chiefs.

Nii Teye Kojo Amankwah Sune I, the Divisional Chief of Gbetsile and Nii Teye Kojo I, Gbetsile Mankralo, were duly nominated, elected, confined, installed and outdoored by the legitimate king makers and Elders of Gbetsile with the consultation of the Elders of Kpone. Their installation and outdooring ceremony was held on 26th June, 2015 at Gbetseli, and they later swore the oath of allegiance to the Kpone Paramount Chief which signifies their approval and acceptance into the Kpone Traditional state.

As constitution demands, the Chief and the Mankralo have respectively gone through the due process to be approved and accepted by the National House of Chiefs, and their names have been entered into the National Register of Chief, and thereby gazetted as the Divisional Chief of Gbetsile and Sub- chief (Mankralo) of Gbetsile respectively, he added.



By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Regularize your lands with us or blame yourself  Gbetsile Stool appeared first on Ghana News .
A 21-year-old suspected thief, Emmanuel Nana Kofi Sossah, who allegedly stole two laptops from the Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon, has been arrested by the owner, one Emmanuel Tetteh, from the same hall.

He was handed over to the Legon security personnel, who then handed him over to the police for further investigation.

During investigation, the suspect confessed having stolen the HP and Compaq laptops.

According to the Legon police, that was the third time Nana Kofi Sossah had been brought to the station for stealing.

The suspect would be arraigned before the Madina Magistrate Court for trial, according to a police source.
23.12.2017 LISTEN

I wonder why we are surprised by the revealations that the Special Development Ministry will spend Ghc 800k on a website that should cost only 8k ( Eight thousand cedis). I hear the current excuse is that the 800k is a typo. And then I remembered that in 2011, IMANI had cause to seek clarification from the Chief Director of the Finance Ministry when we noticed series of unexplained misallocations.

We never received an official response. I was later privately informed by an official of the ministry that an allocation of Ghc 42m that had been made to a division within the finance ministry was a typo, and that in fact, the actual amount was Ghc 420, 000. Suffice to say that budget was passed by Parliament with the Ghc42m allocation. I do not know if the amount was claimed by any financial engineer, but see the specific request IMANI made of that amount

"In the same document we noticed an allocation of approximately GHc43 million to a division of the Ministry of Finance named as: External Economic Relations Division. We are perplexed by the size of this allotment (approximately 23% of the total budget of the ministry) in comparison with the budgets of other divisions. We observed that this division is a relatively new one. Is the Ministry able to furnish us with additional information, in particular a detailed breakdown, of the expenditure of this division as well as its functions and structures?"

Read the rest of that letter dated 23rd July 2011.

The Chief Director

Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning

Accra

23rd July 2011

Dear Mr. Cobbinah,

Clarification Needed With Respect to Budget Allocations

My organisation, IMANI Center for Policy & Education, studies government policy in order to contribute to informed public debate on the choices confronting us as a nation.

The budget statement is no doubt one of the most important public policy positions Government of Ghana presents for parliamentary and public scrutiny yearly.

Following the release of the supplementary budget statement on the 14th of July 2011, we have sought like other civil society groups to assist in the public education process so vital to democratic development.

We are however hampered by our inability to reconcile what appears on the face of it to be discrepancies, inconsistencies, and in some cases hard-to-rationalise allocation decisions.

We appreciate that the primary sectoral allocations are mainly driven by sector ministries, but insofar as the Ministry of Finance retains the mandate to scrutinise the budget requests of individual ministries and to justify any final allocations on behalf of the President of the Republic, we believe yours is the right quarters to direct our concerns about the 2011 budget, and the 14th July supplement & mid-year review.

Our concerns are as listed below:

In the appendices to the 2011 budget (bearing the digital signature of Mr. Samuel Arkhust):

-We see a consistent pattern of Japan (except in the case of environment-related projects), the EU and the UN agencies (UNICEF, UNDP)  except in the case of the Millennium Village projects - failing or refusing to disburse projected grants and loans for financial year 2010. What is the Ministry's assessment of this situation? Has there been a deterioration in Ghana's development partnership with these countries and organisations, or is it a case of reduced eligibility for facilities in view of Ghana's low-middle income status attainment?

In appendices 8A and 8B, significant sums are devoted to multi-sectoral and contingency expenditures, to the tune of GHc1,118,439,807. We cannot access the breakdown of these funds through the channels readily available to the public. Can the Ministry provide us with the full schedule of distribution of these funds from 2010 to date (projections and actuals)?

In the document titled: 2011 Appropriation Detailed Summary of Expenditure by Function, Economic Item, and Funding:

-On page 1 of the aforesaid document, we noticed an allocation of approximately GHc1.645 million to the Bureau of National Communications under the Office of National Security. Can the Ministry kindly confirm for our benefit and that of our audience if the budget of this unit is classified? We observe that the only publicly available information related to this unit is its work with the National Communications Authority relating to its migration from the 800 MHz band to the 450 MHz, removing in that process illegal squatters from the latter band (we are informed that this band is required for the use of some mobile network operators in the country). Is the Ministry furnished with any additional information about the work of this entity that it can disclose? We note that the Bureau has no dedicated personnel budget.

-In the same document we noticed an allocation of approximately GHc43 million to a division of the Ministry of Finance named as: External Economic Relations Division. We are perplexed by the size of this allotment (approximately 23% of the total budget of the ministry) in comparison with the budgets of other divisions. We observed that this division is a relatively new one. Is the Ministry able to furnish us with additional information, in particular a detailed breakdown, of the expenditure of this division as well as its functions and structures?

-We were also surprised to discover that while the all-important Policy Planning, Budget, Monitoring & Evaluation (PPBME) directorate of the Ministry of Employment & Social Welfare receives approximately GHc18,000, the Management Development & Productivity Institute (MPDI), a subvented agency under the Ministry, receives approximately GHc2.3 million. Our surprise stems from the fact that the MDPI does not appear to be serving any strategic purpose in the wake of the rise of the more effective and dynamic Ghana Institute for Management & Public Administration (GIMPA).

The PPBME directorate of the ministry, on the other hand, is critical to the success of the ministry's programs. MDPI purports to be running e-learning programs and yet cannot even maintain a functional website. Surely the attention of the sector ministry was drawn to this perversity and an explanation sought? May we inquire what the justification for this allocation formula, as given by the ministry, was? This underfunding of policy planning units appear to be a worrying feature of the budgets of a number of vital public agencies, including ministries.

-We were also somewhat perplexed to discover in page 7 of the detailed summary of expenditure document that 90% of total headquarters budget of the Ministry of Trade & Industry, which in turn forms 70% of the total budget of the ministry, goes to a division, by name Industrial Development & Investment Division, that has no public recognition, is not recognised in the publicly available classification of the ministry's departments, directorates and agencies, and can only be a new creation. Is this new division merely an agglomeration of existing functions played by hitherto autonomus units?

-Equally curious is the line item of the Ministry of Defence budget on page 19 of appropriation summary headed Defence Advisors. This entry of approximately GHc12.9 million is definitely not self-explanatory. Subject to prudent classification policies, is the Ministry of Finance able to shed additional light on this line item from the notes taken during your budget meetings with the Ministry of Defence?

We shall be very grateful, Sir, if you and your team are able to assist with this enquiry.

Thank you.

Respectfully submitted,

Franklin Cudjoe,

Executive Director
December 22, 2017.

A philanthropist, Nana Baakoh a.k.a Abroso has extended a helping hand to the less privileged in the Himan area.

About 300 people made up of Widows, Aged and less privileged received an exmas package each in a short ceremony held at The Prestea Himan Community Centre which saw thousands thronging the venue.

The package contained a 5 kilo bag of rice, vegetable Oil, tin fish and Chicken.

The Assembly Member of Himan electoral area, Hon Badu Samora commended the kind hearted Businessman for giving hope to the less privileged in the area, " We all know how difficult this year has been, for a young man of his age to take it upon himself to put smile on your faces I think is a very good thing".

Hon Samora urged mothers to pray for their children to be successful in their businesses so that in the coming years more people can do what Nana Baakoh has done today.

On his part, Nana Baakoh a.k.a Abroso oooo Abroso a businessman and philanthropist could not hide his excitement for seeing thousands gracing the occasion.

" I am very honoured to see all of you here, the program has been very successful and I take this opportunity to thank you all for honouring my invitation.

Those who did not register this year should do so next year when registration opens, if God gives us all life, next year will be mega".

Let's all continue to be one another's keeper, the businessman prayed.

On his part, Prophet Francis Bismark Ntim, Founder of the Macedonia prayer camp advised the gathering to take their work serious, worship God in truth, take our health serious, strengthen our interpersonal relation with others among other things.

Some of the recipients in jubilant mood thanked God and asked for his blessings on Nana Baakoh for remembering them.

Ante Naana who received a package said " how could I have celebrated the exmas if I did not receive these items,she urged those who are well to do to emulate Nana Baakoh because God loves a cheerful giver".

God bless Nana Baakoh

God bless Abroso

Abroso oooo Abroso

Img-20171222-wa0008
23.12.2017 LISTEN

The Coalition of Democratic Governance (CDG), in July 2017 noted with dismay, as 17 unnamed staff of the Electoral Commission (EC) petitioned President Akufo Addo; requesting an impeachment process against the EC Boss-Mrs Charlotte Osei. Since then, the President has received three petitions.

One against the EC Boss, the second against the two Deputies of the EC, and the third against Gloria Akufo - the Chief Justice.

The CDG since the petitions, has been following the process with keen interest; often asking research questions and seeking answers;

is it likely that Nana Addo sent the first two petitions because he has personal interest in getting rid of Mrs Charlotte Osei? Why did he not send the third petition sent to him requesting the dismissal of Mrs Sophia Akufo, the Chief Justice? is it likely he ignored the third petition because the Chief Justice is his relative? is it likely that the top functionaries of the NPP, who kicked against the appointment of Mrs Osei are the same people initiating the impeachment ? is it likely that the threat to remove Mrs Osei from office, issued by NPP functionaries last year is being progressively carried out?

Why is the process of impeachment shrouded in abnormal secrecy? Why are we dealing with 17 unnamed and faceless petitioners? If they exist, do they not have names? Why have the 17unnamed petitioners suddenly reduced to two? Why has Mrs Charlotte Osei still not received copies of the petition as well as the names and composition of the committee?. Is President Akufo Addo aware that Mrs Osei needs the document to enable her seek requisite legal advise.

Indeed there are more questions than answers and Ghanaians are looking for answers. Certainly the President could have ignored the first two petitions as he did to the third petition. Why did he not do that? According to former Presidential spokesperson, the late President Atta Mills received a petition in 2009, asking for the removal of the immediate past Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Wood but the late Prof Atta Mills ignored the petition, and would not interfere with the Judiciary since the Judiciary is an independent arm of State. If former President Kufour could work with Dr Afari Djan; if former Presidents- Mills and Mahama could work with Mrs Georgina Wood, why cant Nana Addo work with Mrs Charlotte Osei?

It is no secret that many of the appointees in President Akufo Addo`s Government are his relatives. Relevant examples are the Chief Prosecutor (the Attorney General and Minister of Justice) and the Chief Justice. One prepares the prosecution document and the other judges. Mrs Charlotte Osei who is not a relative is seen by President Akufo Addo as a misplaced entity in his family business circus, and so has to be removed. To sustain and perpetuate the monarchical Democracy that Nana Addo has instituted and now set in motion, Mrs Charlotte Osei has to go.

For us in the CDG, the EC is a major independent institution of governance. Any attempt therefore by the Executive to usurp the independence and power of the EC destroys the basic pillar of our Democratic governance and must be challenged.

Dr. Kofi Hayfor

Chief Convener

CDG
Six months after being displaced by floods, some residents of Dunkwa-on-Offin in the Upper Dankyira East Municipality of the Central Region, on Friday received relief items from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

According to the Regional NADMO Public Relations Officer, Eric Arthur, the long delay was due to the non-existence of a NADMO board to sanction the purchasing and supply of the items.

In June this year, a downpour caused the Offin River to overflow its banks destroying some buildings and other properties of many residents of Dunkwa-on-Offin.

The displaced and distressed victims were registered by NADMO and had since been housed in a temporary shelter awaiting relief items from the Municipal and Regional authorities for the last few months.

On September 6, the Governing Board of NADMO was eventually sworn in by the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, to spearhead the activities of the organization under the Act 927 (2016).

Items presented to the victims include 200 bags of cement, fifty bags of rice, 250 mattresses, twenty mini cartons of soap, mosquito nets and thirty blankets.

Other items were 100 rubber buckets, 100 rubber basins, four bales of used clothes and twenty cartons of cooking oil.

Presenting the items, the Central Regional Director of NADMO, James Appiah Mensah, charged the newly appointed district Director of NADMO for Dunkwa-on-Offin and his officials to ensure that all disaster victims who were duly registered are allocated the relief items.

He further urged the victims to exercise patience since more items may be brought to them later.

Speaking to Citi News, the Regional PRO admitted the frustrations of the victims as a result of the delay but added, The Regional Director together the Municipal Assembly has been assisting them, but it was not enough, so we registered them and counselled them.

He further stated the work of NADMO goes beyond the supply of relief items, and that the organization will also be visiting the victims and counsel them as they recover from the distress the disaster caused them.



By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Dunkwa flood victims receive relief items after six months appeared first on Ghana News .
An NGO, A Rocha Ghana has organized a workshop for the review of the West Gonja District's bye-laws on environment as part of the action plans embedded in the blueprint to regulate cattle grazing, Forestry, Logging, Charcoal production, Bush fires, among others in Gonjaland towards livelihoods and environmental sustainability to the people, on Wednesday 20th December, 2017 Damongo .

The review and action plan was centered on four key environmental areas which include Cattle grazing, Forest reserve, Logging and Charcoal production and Bushfire (burning).

The Ag. Northern Sector Manager of A Rocha Ghana Mr Godwin E. Dzekoto explained why the event was necessary. At earlier stakeholders meeting, it was identified that the district bye-laws were mostly ineffective to protect the environment because the people and some hon assembly members of the assembly didn't know what were contained in the laws.

'Some assembly persons across the district didn't know there were district bye-laws on the environment and, these laws are kind of outmoded because looking at the current environmental issues that are ongoing in the district, they needed to be reviewed to enable the district assembly deal with the distraction ongoing around us", he said.

We realized the traditional leaders have their own laws they use to govern the environment since they are the custodians of the land. So we needed to synchronize the traditional laws into the district assembly bye-laws to have a composite bye-law that will be able to move forward the agenda of protecting the environment or harnessing whatever we have on it to the benefit of the people.

He emphasized that the NGO will work closely with authorities to get the best protection for the environment this he said, will benefit generations today and the unborn.

The review committee chairman, Chief Tolondopewura Ahmed Abdallah facilitated the discussion.

Speaking to Damongo based radio PAD(95.1mhz) on the sidelines of the workshop, the chairman said he was overwhelmed by the inputs of the people.

He, however, lamented the high ignorance of the bye-laws and national laws among Ghanaians.

"Many of the people still don't know the laws.

If you make a law and hide it somewhere, then what you have simply done is that you still say they should continue in the old behaviour. The people need to know the laws and how they operate."

That is why the district assembly and their partners and agencies, like A Rocha Ghana, are out to sensitise the people about the existence of the law and how the laws operate. He opined that a sub-committee be formed to embark on massive education with regards to the environmental bye-laws to the chiefs, community members and others.

The Chiefs, opinion leaders, heads of departments, agencies, religious leaders and all members of the area must be informed about the existence of the laws and how they operate.

Although it may take some time, the committee will present its recommendations to the district assembly. The assembly will then forward it to its legal department to go through before the document is finally sent to the Local Government ministry for gazette.

The district officer for the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) reminded the public that the bye-laws can only be recognized only if they are consistent with the national laws else, they become invalid.

Bye-laws are like a factor tree, the national laws remain supreme and the same, then the bye-laws support the national one. Any bye-law which is inconsistent with the national laws cannot be enforced or accepted before the law court.

Participants at the workshop want the penalty units for illegal logging and it's related activities be increased from the current twelve penalty units to sixty penalty units and also a three month supposed prison term be increased to twelve. This according to them will help reduce or totally put a stop to the menace.

They charged the law enforcing agencies to act and arrest all perpetrators who are involved in illegal activities across the district.

Also, they want the assembly to issue license to buyers, sellers and manufacturers of charcoal in other to have total control of their actions towards the environment. Other inputs were made with regards to environmental sustainability.

The one-day event was attended by the traditional and religious leaders, hon assembly members, heads of departments, security agencies, EPA officers, Forestry Commission, peacebuilding actors among others.
23.12.2017 LISTEN

I never followed the tenure of the former Mahama-appointed Central Regional Minister, and so there is not much that I can say about the man beyond this matter-of-factly response to the cynical sneer by Mr. Aquinas TawiahQuansah that very soon, the Akufo-Addo government will almost exclusively spend the Ghanaian taxpayers money on its fee-free Senior High School policy initiative (See Free SHS Will Soon Swallow All Incomes Generated  Former Minister Peacefmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 12/6/17).

Mr. TawiahQuansah is further reported to have said that no roads, clinics, police stations and even school buildings will be constructed by the Akufo-Addo Administration. This kind of cynical sneer or tantrum can only come from a very frustrated and utterly despondent career politician who does not see the countrys main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) returning to power anytime soon. For starters, even as Nana Akufo-Addo himself attested recently while on a working tour of the so-called Three Northern Regions, there is absolutely no palpable evidence on the ground that infrastructure development was among the list of the topmost priorities of the Mahama-led regime of the National Democratic Congress.

Where are the much-ballyhooed roads that President Mahama and his ministers claim to have constructed all over the country? one news report quoted President Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo to have queried with consternation. And soon what moral grounds is Mr. TawiahQuansahs diatribe based? Not very clear; at least not to yours truly. You see, a regime that really cared about the multi-fronted development of our country would not have sunk GH 13 million-plus into the uncompleted boondoggle purported to be a state-of-the-art Vice-Presidential Mansion.

Then also, the Mills-Mahama tandem regimes would not have willfully and criminally collaborated with Mr. Alfred AgbesiWoyome, the notorious NDC campaign underwriter, to scam the Ghanaian taxpayer of some GH 52 million. At the last count by the vigilant operatives of the IMANI-Africa think-tank, or the Franklin Cudjoe Group, not even 20-percent of the promised 200 ultra-modern Senior High School physical plants or buildings had been constructed by Mr. Mahama and his Abongo Boys and Girls by the close of his scandal-ridden tenure.

We must also promptly add that the preceding is a very charitable estimate. The real, or true, figure hovers somewhere between 5-to-10-percent. In other words, the regime of which Mr. TawiahQuansah was a principal player has absolutely no credible track-record of caring about the quality-of-life improvement of the average hardworking Ghanaian citizen and/or his/or dependents. And, by the way, has the former Central Regional Minister bothered to find out whether the Mahama cabinet appointees actually followed through with their boss order to donate 10-percent of their fat salaries into a set-aside fund to be used to build community health facilities?

At any rate, exactly how many of such facilities were built out of a projected how many? Then, also, how many police stations were built by the Mahama government? We will not even dissect the details of the deluge of recruitment scams that rocked the Ghana Police Service (GPS) under the Mahama regime. The fact of the matter is that even if all the taxpayer-generated development funds are exclusively sunk into the fee-free Senior High School policy initiative, it would still be money well spent. At least the Akufo-Addo-led government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would have wisely invested in the future well-being of our country. the same, of course, cannot be said of the Cash-and-Carry NDC socialist ideologues who provided neither a fee-free nor a qualitative Senior High School System for the country.

Then, also, who said that taxing the Ghanaian worker in order to build a bright future for his/her own children and grandchildren is a regressive policy agenda? Compared to the distribution of free sanitary pads to schoolgirls, as a curricular-enhancing learning tool? Come on, folks, lets get serious!

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
Manasseh Azure Awuni raised some serious issues in his writeup on corruption under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

I am one person who has always maintained that Manasseh just like any other Ghanaian has his own views and no one can ever attempt to gag him from expressing those views.

Especially not Akufo-Addo who fought for the repeal of the criminal libel law and brought this 'everyone should speak his/her mind' on our neck.

Manasseh raised several issues that seek to impugn negativity on the presidency and again, that's his right.

But the allegation raised directly against the person of the president where Manasseh alleged that the President directly ORDERED for a stop into the conduct of investigation instituted by the energy minister Boakye Agyarko in the BOST saga smacks of a defamation of the president's character: if the allegation raised by the young man is found out not to be entirely accurate.

As a journalist, I know Manasseh -professionally- is NOT obliged or better still CANNOT disclose the said source in government alleged to have 'leaked' this information to the young journalist.

Whiles Manasseh is under no obligation per journalistic rules and ethics to reveal the identity of his 'source', the president on the other hand is under obligation to clear himself from this allegation.

The best way to do this is to sue Manasseh Azure Awuni and allow the court to clear him(the president), since our current political dispensation doesn't seem to give the president any other alternative.

As a man who has fought for press freedom for the greater part of his life and he himself been a journalist, any attempt to try to sue Manasseh smacks of 'trying to gag the media' and any attempt to let this allegation go unattended to is a huge indictment on his person which can easily cost him his presidency.

So how does a human right lawyer, a fighter for democracy and a journalist clear his name without making it look like he is censoring the media in the country?

A test case for Akufo-Addo and the Akan will say mmer ne nkrabea na bkyer(time and season will determine).

The writer is a journalists and a youth activist.
Ghana was among one of the 128 countries that voted against the US proposal at an emergency session of United Nations Thursday.

The US government had also threatened to cut funding to countries that did not back the US position at the emergency session of United Nations on Thursday.

Despite the threat, countries such as Nigeria, Congo, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Mali, and Zimbabwe all voted against the US position.

Countries including Togo, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands, Guatemala, and Honduras supported US President, Donald Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Below is the full statement:

The vote against the United States (US) by the United Nations General Assembly special sitting on Thursday, 21 December 2017 is nothing but a farce. The UN cannot dictate to Israel or any other country which of its cities it has to recognize as a capital. In the same regard, the UN cannot dictate to the US or any other country whether or not to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and where to site their embassies in Israel.

This voting by the UN General Assembly is meaningless from the view point of International Law. It is therefore evident that, the Palestinians are using all forms of diplomatic efforts in international organizations to fight against Israel instead of engaging in direct negotiations with Israel for the sake of peace.

As stated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel completely rejects this resolution. Jerusalem was, is and will always remain the eternal capital of Israel.

The Embassy of the State of Israel in Ghana therefore regrets the mistaken vote of Ghana against the State of Israel during the Special United Nations (UN) General Assembly sitting on Thursday, 21 December 2017 as the assembly adopted a resolution regarding Israels capital Jerusalem. We hope such mistake will not be repeated by Ghana in subsequent motions.
Following the successful completion of Project Panama, The Global Housing Foundation (GHF") in partnership with UN Habitat hosted an exciting gathering at the United Nations in New York City. Bringing together a select group of top international influencers within the global real estate community as well as other industries, the event helped GHF identify opportunities to advance industry knowledge and further the discussion on the importance of housing for the working poor throughout the world.

The goal of the program aligned with our mission which is to encourage private and public citizens to come together and establish innovative partnerships which will enable us to facilitate the continued development of housing for those who are economically disadvantaged, explained Global Housing Foundation President Sharon Young.

Key note speaker for the UN Day event was Ellis Henican, a Pulitzer Prize Winner, columnist with the global Metro papers, a popular commentary on media outlets including CNN and the bestselling author of a dozen books. Henican commented that according to UN Habitat, in 2010, almost 980 million urban households lacked decent housing. It is estimated that this number will increase another 600 million between 2010 and 2030.

In fact, in developing nations, one out of every four households live in poverty. It is estimated that one billion new homes will be needed worldwide by 2025 costing an estimated $650 billion per year, or $9-11 trillion overall. This makes housing for the working poor a vital and essential topic of conversation. It is our moral responsibility to explore opportunities and seek solutions for the lack of workforce housing. What the Global Housing Foundation is committed to can reshape the future of the world, he explained. The security of owning an affordable home translates to financial security, improved family conditions, healthier environments and ensures we can build a stronger foundation for future generations to grow and positively contribute to, he continued. Henican outlined 5 ways that leaders in the room could mobilize to make a significant difference and along with the principals of the Global Housing Foundation led a lively discussion with cutting-edge ideas that coincided with the luncheon theme.

Another industry expert and speaker was Peconic Bay Medical Centers Infectious Disease Expert, Dr. Sandeep Gandhi who discussed Why Housing is the Best Medicine to Improve Health. Dr. Gandhi touched upon his global expertise with infectious disease and his experience about how lack of adequate housing not only drains community resources but also has a long-term negative impact on both physical and mental health within a society.

This is especially true for those who are most vulnerable  the elderly, the young and those with disabilities. Decrease of health issues/problems within a population is directly and indirectly influenced by access to a safe, clean and secure home, he explained. Dr. Gandhi also answered questions about types of diseases which can occur when a natural disaster takes place and how secure housing can minimize those effects.

Global Housing Foundations Panama Project is its most recent success - completed in partnership with the United Nations and in alliance with the Grupo Shahani in Panama. The construction of these homes for the working poor in Panama successfully addressed three of the UN Habitat Directives (Initiatives):

Creation of public/private partnership in building homes

Empowering women

Creating workforce housing

The Global Housing Foundation is a 501(c)3 launched in 1999 when its founder and United Nations Scroll of Honor recipient, Rene Frank took up a challenge from the United Nations Commission on Human Settlements (UNCHS) as to why the private real estate industry did not do more to help solve the housing crisis around the world. The foundations mission is, in conjunction with UN-Habitat, to bring together the resources necessary to create housing for the working poor. Our commitment is to leverage the combined expertise and knowledge of global real estate industry leaders and spearhead the creation of solid partnerships between public, private, academic, community and governmental organizations to work towards a common goal of providing the working poor with the opportunity to owning a safe and affordable home, explained Global Housing Foundation Chairman Owen Gwyn. We feel there can be no greater contribution to society than to transform a family and provide them with a strong and secure future, he explained.
THE Department of Foreign Affairs has said that it was still studying the possibility of whether or not to downgrade the alert level from 2 to 1 in Libya, an official said.

Although she did not say the exact date, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola said that the agency has been constantly monitoring the situation in Libya.

She said a decision will be made on the basis of the safety of the Filipino workers there.

Our OFWs in Libya face two natural difficulties: their safety and security, and their ability to send their earnings back to the Philippines, Arriola said.

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Based on actual feedback from the few remaining Filipino workers in Libya, the required infrastructure and mechanisms for remitting their hard salaries are still in the offing.

Foreign currency is scarce in Libya, and in the competition for the scarce resource, foreign workers lose out to uncontrollable economic and political forces.

Arriola advised prospective workers to carefully scrutinize private offers for employment in Libya.

These job offers circumvent the safety features set up by the Philippines through so-called backdoor deployment schemes where workers are advised to travel first as tourists to other Asian cities to secure their Libyan working visas there, she said.

Such kind of recruitment, she said, is illegal, which is frowned upon by the Libyan government.

All workers who wish to be employed in Libya should follow government regulations and pass through the POEA.

Under the present Alert Level 2, for the safety of all parties, the deployment of new workers to Libya is still not possible.

Libyan Charge d Affaires Ahmed Eddeb recently called on the Philippine government to reevaluate the security risk in Libya and lift the deployment ban to be able to hire new Filipino professionals, stressing that majority of hospitals there are in greatly need of nurses, technicians, construction workers, among others.

Eddeb, who wrote letters to the DFA several times, urged the DFA secretary to visit Libya, check the security situation, and downgrade the Crisis Alert Level for Libya from 2 (Restriction Phase) to 1 (Precautionary Phase)

In September 2016, the DFA has lowered the Crisis Alert Level for Libya from 4 (Mandatory Repatriation or Evacuation) to 2 (Restriction Phase).

Alert Level 2 is issued when there are threats to life, security, and property of Filipinos arising from internal disturbances, instability, and/or external threat.

Under this Alert Level, Filipinos are instructed to restrict non-essential movements, avoid public places, and prepare for evacuation.

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23.12.2017 LISTEN

Hon Minister of Transportation and State Leader of the APC, Rt Honourable Rotimi Amaechi, CON held a crucial meeting with Party leaders from the three Kalabari LGAs in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The Kalabari leaders during the meeting used the occasion to reinforce their unanimous resolve to work with the former Governor & the APC to take out the terribly wasteful PDP led government in 2019.

There were two major highlights of the meeting namely: the constitution of the novel Pan-Kalabari Elders Council and the Leadership Committees of the three LGAs.

The Pan-Kalabari Elders Council has Chief Bekinbo Soberekon as Chairman, Engr Beks Dagogo-Jack as Deputy Chairman & Prince Tonye Princewill as Secretary. Membership of the Elders council cut across the three LGAs with notable personalities including Engr. Levy Braide, Mr. Ngo Martins-Yellowe, Lolo Ibieneye, Dumo Lulu Briggs, Charles Ijuye, Prof Owunari Georgewill, Mrs Joeba West, and others.

The Chairmen of the LGA Leadership Committees are as follows: Ojukaye Amachree - Asari-toru ; Hon Sokonte Davis, Degema & Mr Christian Don-Pedro, Akuku-toru. The APC State Leader emphasised that Party faithfuls must learn to make personal sacrifice and also resist the temptation for immediate material benefits if they want to win the elections ahead.

Governor Amaechi informed the audience that the time is long overdue for the leaders in the Kalabari area to unite and rise up against the devastating effects of militancy and criminality on their areas, especially in terms of education, economic activities and quality of life in these communities.

The Leader also reiterated that, whilst he does not believe in Upland Riverine politics, he believes that after 20 years, the riverine areas of the State should also be given an opportunity to produce the next governor. Nevertheless his position remains that when all is said and done, the best candidate, from the whole State who emerges from the political process shall become the Party Flagbearer. He urged those interested in serving to begin now to work for the unity and strength of the Party in the State.

The Hon Minister, in particular enjoined the Kalabari leaders to go all out and energize their voter base across all Kalabari towns and villages to build a united mass movement in support of the APC for the 2019 elections, reminding them that a United Kalabari formation is critical to realizing their legitimate aspirations.

The meeting closed with the APC Kalabari leaders thanking the State Leader , Rt Hon, Minister Rotimi Amaechi for convening the meeting and formerly constituting the critical leadership organs for the work ahead.

The APC Kalabari leadership further assured His Excellency that the Kalabari area shall mobilize en masse to deliver the block votes necessary for victory in 2019.
The Sekondi Police Command led by ASP Emmanuel Tetteh has arrested Detective Adjei Shaibu of the Inchaban Police station for allegedly shooting and killing a student of the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS).

Detective Adjei also allegedly injured another student.

It is unclear why the police officer shot and killed the student known as Lawrence Joe Baidoo, a final year student of GSTS in Takoradi and at same time injuring Kwabena Dukpor.

The entire Nyankrom community close to Shama was thrown into a state of shock and mourning when news went viral Friday evening about the killing of the 18-year-old GSTS Student.

A police source told Empire News Emmauel Ohene Gyan that the police officer has been detained.

Dukpor who sustained gunshot wounds is currently receiving treatment at the St. Benedict hospital at Inchaban while his friends body has been deposited at the Effia Nkwanta regional hospital for preservation and autopsy.
23.12.2017 LISTEN

By convention, new ministerial and other top government appointees, upon being sworn into office, are taken through orientation at secluded destinations. I have not had the opportunity to attend any of such sessions and therefore cannot be that specific about areas of focus where these officials are taken through.

But in all, the essence is to equip them fort the task ahead. These appointees are to represent the President at their respective operational sectors and provide direction in ways that ensure efficiency to actualize the vision of the appointing authority [the President].

Now, once appointed, it is imperative to be conscious of the fact that one will be serving at the pleasure of the president and therefore can be either shifted to a different position or relieved of the position, all together, as and when the president deems fit. A President, whose incorruptible nature is, has, and will never be in doubt, unquestionably, will expect his appointees to reflect same.

A President who is humble and never looks down on people, practically, will never expect the opposite from his appointees. And a President, who is bent on ensuring prudent dissipation of the nations resources, equitable distribution of wealth and overall happiness of the people, will not expect anything different form his appointees.

I had the rare opportunity of being appointed a campaign Aide by then candidate Akufo-Addo, and therefore traveled with him on most of his campaign tours across the country in 20016. I was a witness to the great toil the man had to go through to sell his message to Ghanaians. The level of insults he had had to endure from his political opponents, over the years, is of public record and therefore not necessary to rehash here.

With this backdrop, anyone who has been given the opportunity to serve under Nana Addos Presidency must see it as a challenge to mirror, first of all, the mans character, and most importantly, believe in his vision and work tirelessly to ensure the man succeeds. And to do this, there are clearly laid-down principles, by way of Boardroom Dynamics amongst which are Accessibility, Openness and Humility that must guide every step of these appointees.

Accessibility

Often times, when people are opportune to be spotted by the president, out of the millions of members who toiled to bring the party to power, they instantaneously develop this self-conceited aura of pomposity, bury themselves in a solid concrete burble and become totally invincible to fellow party members, not to talk of apolitical members of Ghanaian society.

The reason for this overnight invincibility is that we are very busy which, unquestionably, in most cases, is the fact. However, for people who, only a couple of months ago, traversed every nook-and-cranny of the country, shook every hand, said every word and dished out goodies to convinced Ghanaians for votes, would abruptly turn round to claim of being too busy to be accessible to these very people with whom they mingled.

Front desk Executives of these appointees suddenly become accustomed to the mantra of my boss is in a meeting to everyone who would seek an audience. Phone call/text messages are not responded to, and when bumped into at both official and party functions, the mantra will always be, please come to see me at the office and let us talk.

But you go to the office, and the secretaries, who are often civil servants performing their legitimate duties, and therefore have no understanding of pampering party followers, will simply recite their characteristic mantra of my boss is in a meeting.

Openness

Political appointment is ephemeral and therefore it must always be exercised with caution and openness. We have a well-established civil service structure which transcends governments and presidents. This service is, technically, is the fulcrum around which our governance system revolves and State structures run.it is therefore an established fact that technocrats manning these structures are not sidelined and looked-down upon by governments appointees since they are the ones very conversant with the system. A cordial relationship with these technocrats is key to smooth operation of every sector of the national economy.

Government appointees only provide oversight role to ensure things are done in perfect consonance with the vision of the appointing authority. It is therefore imperative to always ensure proper co-existence in order to create conducive working-environment.

This must be done with firmness to avoid being taken for granted, tactfulness so you do not step on toes unduly; and meticulousness in order to avoid cooked figures being concealed in procurement contracts for you to append signature, unwittingly.

Also, our technocrats who are in the habit of having flags of political parties under their sleeves and therefore allow same to cloud their professional judgments with expressed-purpose to sabotaging a ruling government, must jettison such retrogressive attitudes.

Humility

Some people, immediately their names are mentioned by the president to occupy certain positions, come under the illusion of superiority in archaeology to zoology. Their capacity to listen to reason suddenly deserts them while their once humble disposition meteorically vanishes into thin air.

They tend to cloth themselves in unholy garment of pomposity and blatantly demand to be held in the highest esteem over the President himself. They walk about with peacock arrogance and self-conceited aura of non-existent authority.

But people representing a personality as Nana Addo, who will call you by the name when he spots you in a crowd of a million, should always learn to mirror the mans impeccable personal attributes of humility, tolerance, kindness and civility. Politics, they say, is a game of numbers and these numbers must never be treated as parachutes that are only called upon when we find ourselves in emergency situations.

Indeed, I have always maintained that YOU MIGHT FAIL TO MEET THE ASPIRATIONS OF GHANAIANS BUT THEY WILL FORGIVE YOU WHEN YOU ACCORD THEM RESPECT. HOWEVER, YOU CAN BUILD CASTLES IN THE AIR FOR GHANAIANS BUT DISRESPECT THEM, AND THEY WILL REJECT YOU WHEN YOU NEED THEM.

Justice Abeeku Newton-Offei

Office of the President

Flagstaff House

Kanda-Accra
Every five minutes the line grew longer and longer spilling to the street outside of the Chapel on Manger Square.

What are the people thronging in for? Is there a special sermon going on that they want to listen to? Or there is there a special religious activity that they wanted to participate.

The entrance to the main auditorium is not much wide for people to rush in so what is happening I crave for answers.

Over there look, that is the Church of Nativity where Jesus Christ was born over two thousand years ago my tour guide pointed to me.

Oh yes! I am in Bethlehem, the city of bread, the Holy City where Jesus Christ was born over two thousand years ago. Whew!

Crossing Gilo border from Israel to Bethlehem which is under [Palestinian Authority], recently was as easy as any exercise I have ever done in my life.

Apart from gun wielding Israeli border security officers who were manning their side of the border check point, not a single soldier from the Palestinian side was spotted manning their side of the border.

After the free movement of tourists, pilgrims, visitors and holiday makers across the border, I stood still for a while, heave a sigh of relief, turn round and asked where the security personnel are?

Wondering where I was, I turned around again and looked at the tall concrete wall that separates Palestine from Israel, the long cross border security tunnel and realized, Oh yeah I am in Bethlehem and now under Palestinian control.

The hospitality of the people in the city, the beautiful ancient but well maintained manger baby Jesus was put, the gift of the three wise men and the shining star on the spot where the saviour Jesus Christ of Nazareth was born, called me to visit Bethlehem, the city of Bread for the second time.

Infectious smiles on the faces of Palestinian commercial drivers just over the border check point, who are always ready to help tourist, visitors, pilgrims and holiday makers will always make one to return for a visit.

So for me twice a Jerusalem Pilgrim [J.P], it was not surprising to cross the border to the city only to be mobbed by commercial drivers who asked me where I was going and how they could help me.

Where are you going and how can I help. Please come and let me take you to your destination. Do not be afraid, I will treat you nice because you are in safe hands were the welcome message I received from these kind Palestinian drivers.

Among the several drivers who came to my side, Mohamad a taxi driver got the green light from his cousin and drove me from the border check point to Bethlehem Bible College [BBC] which was not far from the church of Nativity where Jesus Christ was born in a cave over 2000 years ago.

Tourists, holiday makers and visitors who were not aware they were in Bethlehem because they did not see heavy security at that time came to themselves later and were not barred from either visiting the Church of Nativity, Jesus birth place as well as other equally important places like chapel of St. Catherine, shepherds fields, Church of Milk Grotto, the manger square market, Rachel tomb and Herodion.

Joy feel my heart when through my good Samaritans I contacted my hosts Dr. Bishara Awad and Dr. Salim J.Munayer, both from the Bethlehem Bible College [BBC] in Palestine.

Bethlehem Bible College [BBC] which was solely founded in 1979 by Dr. Bishara Awad, a Palestinian, exists to train people to serve Christ in the world, advocate a Palestinian evangelical perspective and model Christ through community development in the city of Bethlehem, a Palestinian controlled territory.

The lord used Dr. Bishara Awad, to start the light for him with a gift of 20 dollars from a local pastor and the college have four buildings well equipped with 150 students being trained to become pastors, church leaders, Sunday school teachers and educators and the college is fully recognized by the Palestinian Authority, Ministry of Higher Education.

After a wonderful tour of the Bethlehem Bible College led by the founder Dr. Bishara Awad, who is now on retirement, we visited the Church of Nativity, the birth place the birth place of Jesus Christ of Nazareth which took place over two thousand years ago.

A lot has changed at the Church of Nativity as the whole place is currently undergoing a massive renovation but the power and joy at the spot where the saviour was born, the manger, in which baby Jesus was put and the gifts from the three wise men could still be felt with the blue haze indicating the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Long queue was expected at the birth place but not at the time where the city was not celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth at the cave in the church of Nativity in Bethlehem in Palestine.

The little town of Bethlehem, which in Hebrew means city or house of bread, has many biblical associations reflecting a tranquil, pastoral existence.

As its name signifies, in antiquity the district was known for its fields and terraces. In the old Bethlehem, is often referred to as Ephrat, which means fruitfulness.

Here nearly four thousand years ago, Jacob buried his young wife Rachel; here was the home of Naomi and her family; here Ruth gleaned in the fields and fell in love with her kinsman Boaz; here their great-grandson David was born and here Samuel anointed him in the midst of his brethren[1Samuel 16:13].

But the event which took place here and transformed the course of history was that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea Mathew 2; 1. Today, this town, surrounded by a beautiful hilly landscape, is the home of Christians and Muslim Arabs, many of whom are skilled artisans and craftsmen.

CHURCH OF NATIVITY

Luke 2:7 describes how Mary brought forth her first born and laid him in a manger; because there was no room in the inn. Over this cave-like manger, traditionally Jesus birth place, rose the Basilica of the Nativity.

From the very beginning of the Christian era this was a sacred grotto, above which in the fourth century, Emperor Constantine constructed a large church, first piercing a hole in the cave roof for the faithful to look down into the Holy place, then erecting an Octagonal alter over it.

The altar is still there. Around two hundred years later, Emperor Justinian rebuilt the Basilica much as it is seen today, and put up a mosque pediment of the Magi in Persian dress.

Because of this picture, it is claimed, the church of the Nativity from destruction. No basic changes were made by the crusaders except for the decoration of the church with rich paintings and glass mosaics.

The entrance to the Basilica of the Nativity, which is shared by the Armenians, the Greek orthodox and the Latins has been filled bellow the straight wide Byzantine lintel to outline the pointed crusader doorway.

This in turn was partially blocked by the Turks, leaving the present opening small to allow for easy defence and prevent horses and other animals from entering the church.

The rectangular prayer hall is approximately 200 by 90 feet, with four rows of twelve brown Bethlehem stone pillars. The oak ceiling was donated by Edward IV of England and Duke Philip of Burgundy in 1482.

There is a pink marble font to the right and the original eight sided altar directly ahead.

In the floor are trapdoors through which remains of the mosaic floor of the original church can be seen.

Curved steps descend to the Grotto, where a silver star overlies the spot of Jesus birth.

It bears the Latin instruction Hic de virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus estt-1717 here Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary-1717. Nearby, is the chapel of the Manger, which belongs to the Greek orthodox, Mary is said to have laid the child Jesus Christ.

CHAPEL OF THE ST. CATHERINE.

Adjacent to the church of the Nativity is the Franciscan Chapel of St. Catherine of Alexandra, sensitively restored by Antonio Barluzzi in 1933. From here, Bethlehems annual midnight mass on Christmas is broadcast all over the world.

A statue of the St Jerome, who lived here in the fifth century and translated the Bible into Latin, stands in the middle of the courtyard, interesting crypts, said to be the burial places of St. Jerome, St Paula and St. Ensebius of Cremona, honey comb the rock.

Another door, always kept locked, links the crypt with the Grotto of the Nativity. Within the church of St. Catherine are the Chapel of St. Joseph where Joseph was commanded by an angel to flee to Egypt and the chapel of Innocents, commemorating the massacre of the babies killed by Herod.

SHEPHERDS FIELDS.

Shepherds still pasture flocks around Bethlehem, where the shepherds heard the good tidings of Jesus birth from the angel of the Lord who told them to go to Bethlehem to adore the child [Luke 2].Shepherds field, sometimes called Ruths field, is near the village of Bet-Sehur.

Everywhere, evidence is found of Byzantine convents and a Greek orthodox church, covers a cave which has a fire fourth century mosaic floor.

Another church, called Campo Dei Pastori-Shepherds Field was rebuilt for the Franciscan by Antonio Barluzzi in 1950.

The design of the church represents a shepherds tent and the light penetrating the church through the glass openings of the dome recall the light that shone on the shepherds when angel appeared to give them the tidings of Jesus birth.

The walls are decorated with frescos depicting the story of the shepherds and in the center of the church is an altar supported by bronze statues of the shepherds.

CHURCH OF THE MILK GROTTO

The milky white church of the Milk Grotto is a Franciscan Chapel built over the cave in which the Holy Family sheltered during the flight to Egypt. When King Herod heard from the three wise men that the new born King of the Jews had been delivered or born in Bethlehem, he ordered all male children aged two years and less to be killed.

An angel warned the Holy Family of these murders, and they fled to Egypt. Tradition holds that while nursing the baby, some of the Marys Milk spilled on the stone floor, turning the entire cave white.

Packets of the powdered white stone are sold there and are especially popular with nursing mothers who believe that the powder will ensure a plentiful supply.

After fruitful discussions with my hosts, a tour of these places of Christ, I enjoyed lunch in Bethlehem and headed back to Jerusalem.

It was really an experience having visited Bethlehem on September 09, 2017 where there was no hurling of stones by Palestinians at Israeli soldiers or tooting of guns by Israeli soldiers at Palestinians which created an imaginary scene of peace and how the world would have been lovely with it.
23.12.2017 LISTEN

The world, virtually all over, is grinding to a halt, following one Man, Jesus Christ, who about 2000 years ago, walked on earth. This Man remains quite enigmatic in human thought and philosophical speculations. Many have debated over Him: ranging from His deity, historicity, mission, death, resurrection, ascension, and second advent (in the immediate future).

There are those who believe He was one of the greatest moral teachers and philosophers, whose teachings shaped and continue to shape human values. The Hindus believe He is one of the gurus. The Muslims believe He is one of the greatest prophets who walked the earth.

The Africans believe is one of the greatest ancestors. The New Agers believe He is one of the transcendental masters. The atheists believe He was nothing short of a figment of imagination.

The Man Jesus has inspired the trajectories of history either negatively (through human misappropriation of His words) or positively, or both. His name was invoked in the inquisition, crusades, slavery, and genocide in Heroro. Others also invoked His name to reverse the harm caused in human history. He never carried an arm or formed a political party; He never travelled beyond the land of Palestine (apart from a few stay in Egypt); He did not live beyond 33 years;

He was not born in a palace like Siddhartha Gautama, who later became Buddha, the enlightened one, and yet, He dramatically changed the course and theatre of history. For Christians, who have conceptualised time in a linear dimension, His birth marked the beginning of the reckoning of time, which was a breakaway from time reckoning in the past.

This Man Jesus has had more universities established in His name more than any other human being or incarnated being, like Krishna, who walked the surface of the earth. Great universities like Cambridge, Oxford (the other place), and Harvard were established with Him in mind. Until the emergence of the modern university, He was the focal point of intellectual discourse. During the renaissance, attempts were made to obliterate His memory in human history, as knowledge of Him was put out of the public space, under the hubris of separation of religion and politics, and yet, He survived that, such that today, He still remains the linchpin of most disciplines, from Archaeology to Zoology.

Many have tried to elide Him in the academic space, by making Him the whipping boy, and yet He continues to gain more souls. The more He is attacked and defamed, the more He gains fame; and the more He evokes awe. His is like positive expression of Kwasi ananta twini in Akan folklore!

He stands at the crossroad of history, determining the fate of humankind. The conspiracy to blot His memory out of history began right after His resurrection, and because the resurrection is the deciding factor in human history, following the inevitability of death, and mans powerlessness before death, many have attacked His resurrection as fictitious and a hoax. In fact, one polemist, Ahmed Deedat ridiculed the crucifixion and resurrection in his book, Crucifixion of Crucifiction.

His Bible (particularly the New Testament/Covenant), which is the canonisation and codification of His words, remains the all time bestseller that serves as the anvil that bends the hammers of skeptics (to paraphrase Charles Spurgeon). Invoking His name has transformed sinners into saints, and made the scum of the earth, a prince. He first came as a humble servant, but will soon come again as the ultimate judge.

Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year!

Satyagraha

Charles Prempeh

African University College of Communications, Accra
23.12.2017 LISTEN

The caption of this brief column is, of course, a pun on the news article titled You Will Vomit Our Money  KwekuBaako Tells Woyome GhanaCrusader.com / Ghanaweb.com 11/29/17). About all I can say here is that the Ghana Supreme Court ought to be heartily congratulated for putting the operatives of the so-called African Human Rights Court where they squarely belong, namely, in the realm of human rights, and not criminal justice, where the crimes for which the notorious National Democratic Congress thuggish underwriter was convicted. About my only dissatisfaction here is that anybody who knowingly accepted some of the stolen GH 51.2 million Woyome Heist money, as the convict himself has publicly hinted several times in the past, needs to be equally prosecuted. Which would make a remarkable percentage of the front-row leadership of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) actionably culpable.

Indeed, it was inexcusably insulting for the Tanzania-based African Human Rights to have presumed to second-guess the moral, intellectual and judicial integrity of the Supreme Court of Ghana. I hope the members of the African Human Rights Court were not strung up on some narcotic contrabands when they scandalously decided to give audience to a case whose contents and details lay well outside their jurisdictional purview. Mr. Woyome needs to have additional charges brought against him for presuming to cavalierly impugn the integrity and the credibility of the highest court of the Sovereign Republic of Ghana. I, however, dont agree with the Editor-Publisher of the New Crusading Guide, Mr. Abdul-Malik KwekuBaako, that the criminal convict is playing delay tactics. It is quite obvious that Mr. Woyome is fully convinced that he can get away with his crime for a number of quite plausible reasons.

One, the fact that he was staunchly backed in his decision to rob the Ghanaian taxpayer by the key operatives of the Mills-Mahama-led government of the National Democratic Congress, including then-Attorney-General Betty Mould-Iddrisu, and the latters deputy, Mr. Ebo Barton-Odro, seems to have fully convinced our mega-thief that there was absolutely no way that he could be brought to account. Then also, we had then-President John Evans Atta-Mills, late, publicly appear together with Mr. Woyome to caustically castigate those calling for this impudent fraudster to be vigorously and rigorously prosecuted, and even cynically praising Mr. Woyome for being a patriotic Ghanaian citizen who, all he did wrong was to selflessly advance the material development of the country.

And, finally, but by no means exhaustively, 8 years of National Democratic Congress occupancy of the helm of our national governance has only served to further convince the criminal convict that, indeed, he has good friends and associates in high places who are willing to disregard the laws of the land and staunchly ensure that he was never brought to book because, clearly, the reputation and freedom of these NDC movers-and-shakers are equally on the line, should Woyome be successfully prosecuted or brought to book. Now that the proverbial dust has settled, it has become traumatically clear to the mega-scam-artist that, indeed, President Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo was not jiving in the lead-up to the 2016 Presidential Election, when he promised the criminally scammed Ghanaian taxpayer that he intended to have Mr. Woyome fully settle accounts with his victims.

That the key operatives of the main opposition National Democratic Congress have decided to maintain a deathly silence on the Woyome Affair, ought to send a loud and clear signal to the Ghanaian voter that the NDC is a party of thieves and mega-scam-artists as, indeed, Justice Jones Dotse poignantly observed, when the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court described the singular agenda of the Mahama Posse as one that squarely entailed the Creation, Looting and Sharing of the public wealth.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
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I stuck to what the coaches ...
A SELF-C0NFESSED kin of dead terrorist leader Isnilon Hapilon from the Abu Sayyaf Group in Mindanao has been arrested for allegedly recruiting his countrymen working in Malaysia to fight in the southern Philippines.

According to the News Straits Times, the arrested suspects confessed recruitment work had raised worries among security officials that the terror group might attempt to recapture Marawi City, which has since been recaptured by government troops after terrorists launched a siege there in May this year.

The Straits Times said the unnamed 50-year-old Filipino man was picked up on Dec. 6 in Kuala Lumpur in a special operation conducted by Malaysias Counter Terrorism Unit.

He was among 20 peopleseven Malaysians, seven Filipinos, five Indonesians and a north Africanarrested in Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Johor and Selangor, between Nov. 30 and Dec. 15 for their alleged involvements in terrorist activities.

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There was no immediately available comment from Philippine security officials nor from the defense establishment.

The latest security swoop meant that 105 suspected militants have been nabbed in Malaysia this year. The authorities arrested 119 suspected militants last year, both Malaysians and foreigners, with many of them enticed by the ideology of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

More than 400 suspected militants have been detained since 2013, with many of the locals behind bars and the foreigners deported.

Malaysias police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun, referring to the Filipino detainee, said in a statement on Friday: The suspect has family ties with a high-ranking ASG leader.

He was believed to be recruiting his fellow countrymen in Kepong [Selangor] to join the terror group in southern Philippines.

A intelligence source told The Straits Times the suspectwhose exact affinity to Hapilon was not established in the Straits Times reporttold investigators he had been recruiting Filipinos living in Malaysia since 2016.

He admitted that he is related to Isnilon Hapilon and said that the dead relative was one of the commanders during the fight in Marawi, the Straits Times source was quoted as saying.

Government troops lifted the siege of Marawi on Mindanao island in October, five months after some 1,000 terrorists stormed the city in what is one of the biggest security crises in the Philippines.

More than 1,000 militants, government troops and civilians were killed in the conflict.

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Ventura, CA  The huge Southern California wildfire that has claimed the lives of two and destroyed over 1,000 structures in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties is now the largest in the states recorded history.

State fire officials declared the Thomas fire that after it reached 273,400 acres or about 427 square miles of scorched coastal foothills and national forest overnight. It took the number one slot by surpassing the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego by 154 acres. That fire killed 15 people.

As reported here, earlier this week Tuolumne Countys 2013 Rim Fire, which burned 257,314 acres and had held the number three spot, was bumped down to the fourth largest California wildfire.

Thousands of firefighters have been battling the blaze since Dec. 4. A firefighter and a woman fleeing the blaze died. The funeral for firefighter Cory Iverson was held today in San Diego. Iverson, who was stationed out of San Diego, has local ties to the Mother Lode, as back in 2015 he was based at the Columbia Air Attack and drove a Heli-tender truck.

The Thomas Fire remains 65 percent contained. Currently, 2,512 fire personnel remains on scene including 116 fire engines, 61 fire crews, 31 water tenders, 19 dozers and 26 helicopters. What sparked the blaze is still under investigation.

Click here for the Top 20 Fire List.
Sacramento, CA  Unemployment rates dropped in 20 states across the country and marked record lows in California, Alabama, Hawaii, Mississippi and Texas in November.

Californias unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent in November from 4.9 percent in October and 5.3 percent in November 2016. The state Employment Development Department reported Friday that it is the lowest number in data dating back to the beginning of 1976.

The Mother Lode is following that downward trend. Tuolumne Countys rate dropped from 4.6 percent in October to 4.3 percent last month. Calaveras Countys rate fell from 4.2-percent to 3.8 percent in November.

Industry sectors with the most gains included educational and health services posting the largest jobs increase of 16,700 jobs, followed by leisure and hospitality, up 15,400 jobs, and professional and business services, up 13,700 jobs. Two industry sectors reported job declines over the month, down a total of 8,200 jobs. Information posted the biggest drop over the month, down 4,200 jobs, followed by trade, transportation and utilities with a decrease of 4,000 jobs.

The U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent. The Labor Departments state unemployment report showed that in the past 12 months, 27 states have added payroll jobs. Texas had the most growth with 330,600 jobs. California was second with 288,300. Job totals have also essentially been unchanged in 23 other states.

The state with the lowest unemployment rate was Hawaii at 2 percent. It was below 2.7 percent in Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Dakota. In total, 17 states have unemployment rates below the national average.
Can These Seabirds Adapt Fast Enough to Survive a Melting Arctic? Audobon Society

The Flood That Could Change Everything Weather Channel

U.S. Drought Risk Rising as a Second La Nina Winter Kicks In Weather Underground

Louisiana, Sinking Fast, Prepares to Empty Out Its Coastal Plain Bloomberg

Bitcoin swings wildly after its biggest reverse of 2017 FT

Bitcoin plummets, reveals Ponzi scheme traits The Hill

Edward George: Banks are in danger of becoming utilities LSE Business Review. Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished!

Days after iPhone battery fiasco, lawsuits against Apple begin to mount Ars Technica

Smartphones Have an Unexpected New Rival Bloomberg. So Yves and I are so retro were trendy.

Self-driving cars face a new test: snow FT

New Net Neutrality Bill Has Glaring Loopholes Scientific American. Blackburns bill.

Beyond Secrets: The Consumer Stake in the Encryption Debate (PDF) Consumers Union (via).

Brexit

North Korea

50 Most Influential K-Pop Artists: 4. Lee Mi-ja Ask a Korean!

Syraqistan

New Cold War

U.S. says it will provide Ukraine with defensive aid Reuters * * * Putins First Year in the White House Andrew Sullivan (Re Silc). Re Silc: This is why, at the end of 2017, I feel close to despair about the liberal-democratic project in the West. When it isnt being assaulted by the identitarian thugs of the hard right, it is being corroded by the identitarian puritans of the social justice left. This is how liberal democracies die  or rather how they reveal that they are already, under the surface, dead. Lambert here: If you dont put the working class first, youre not on the left. Hence, identitarians are not left. I know that the conventional usage doesnt make that distinction, but then it wouldnt, would it? More Media Malpractice in Russiagate The Nation. The term, RussiaGate, neatly begging the question as it does, finally seems to be getting traction, after a year. From the article: But what exactly is Trump to protect us from? The basis for the virtually uncontested truths of the years biggest story remains the Office of the Director of National Intelligences January 2017 report, which accused Russia of hacking Democratic e-mails and using social media to influence the 2016 election. Yet the report openly acknowledges that its conclusions are not intended to imply that we have proof that shows something to be a fact. Nearly one year later, we have yet to see a shred of proof. What we have in its stead is a stream of Russiagate stories that make bombastic entrances only to quietly slink away. The pattern persists thanks to a media and political culture that embraces credulity and shuns accountability. Commentary: In democracies, voters warm to secret services Reuters. In an extraordinary shift in public sentiment, the American secret services, battered by a president who veers between praise and vitriol for the agencies, have now emerged as defenders of constitutional propriety, and thus democracy. Note lack of, er, agency. The Memo: Impeachment fervor fuels Dem tensions The Hill. A year-and-a-half of gaslighting, and now the Democrat leadership is worried their base is too worked up. Top FBI official linked to reporter who broke Trump dossier story Politico

Tax Reform

Trump Transition

Allegations of Racial Bias and Illegal Campaign Activity at a Conservative Nonprofit That Seeks to Transform College Campuses Jane Meyer, The New Yorker

NYPD to reveal names of vendors hidden for nearly nine years NY Daily News. The News reported in February that vendors names for contracts worth nearly $390 million in the NYPDs budget were withheld on the city Comptrollers Checkbook 2.0 database that details city spending. Thats real money!

Democrats in Disarray

Imperial Collapse Watch

Neoliberal Epidemics

Class Warfare

In the Maze n+1

An Open Letter on Why Were Removing Usernames, Addressed to the Worst Ones Weve Ever Seen OK Cupid. Womens real names on a dating site. What could go wrong?

Happy Holidaze

The Mystery of Maines Viking Penny Atlas Obscura

Dr. Kings Interconnected World NYT (MR)

Antidote du jour (via):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here
Interview with Michael Hudson, a research professor of Economics at University of Missouri, Kansas City, and a research associate at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College. His latest book is J is for Junk Economics. Cross-posted from Hudsons site.

As many people turn towards their Christian and Jewish faiths this Christmas and Hanukkah in an attempt to make sense of the year that was, at least one economist says we have been reading the bible in an anachronistic way.

In fact he has written an entire book on the topic. In And Forgive them their Debts: Credit and Redemption (available this spring on Amazon), Professor Michael Hudson makes the argument that far from being about sex, the bible is actually about economics, and debt in particular.

The Christianity we know today is not the Christianity of Jesus, says Professor Hudson.

Indeed the Judaism that we know today is not the Judaism of Jesus either.

The economist told Renegade Inc the Lords Prayer, forgive us our sins even as we forgive all who are indebted to us, refers specifically to debt.

Most religious leaders say that Christianity is all about sin, not debt, he says. But actually, the word for sin and debt is the same in almost every language.

Schuld, in German, means debt as well as offense or, sin. Its devoir in French. It had the same duality in meaning in the Babylonian language of Akkadian.

The idea harks back to the concept of wergeld, which existed in parts of Europe and Babylonia, and set the value of a human life based on their rank, paid as compensation to the family of someone who has been injured or killed.

The payment  the Schuld or obligation  expiates you of the injury caused by the offense, Dr Hudson said.

The Ten Commandments Were About Debt

People tend to think of the Commandment do not covet your neighbours wife in purely sexual terms but actually, the economist says it refers specifically to creditors who would force the wives and daughters of debtors into sex slavery as collateral for unpaid debt.

This goes all the way back to Sumer in the third millennium, he said.

Similarly, the Commandment thou shalt not steal refers to usury and exploitation by threat for debts owing.

The economist says Jesus was crucified for his views on debt. Crucifixion being a punishment reserved especially for political dissidents.

To understand the crucifixion of Jesus is to understand it was his punishment for his economic views, says Professor Hudson. He was a threat to the creditors.

Jesus Christ was a socialist activist for the continuity of regular debt jubilees that were considered essential to the wellbeing of ancient economies.

Governments Can Forgive Debt. The Bible Says So.

In Sumer and Babylonia, whenever a new ruler would come to power, the first thing they would do was proclaim a clean slate, forgiving the populations personal debt in what was known as a debt jubilee.

The alternative would have been for those who couldnt pay to fall into bondage to their creditors. Governments would have lost thee availability of such debtors to fight in its armies.

But the rulers of classical antiquity who cancelled their subjects debts tended to be overthrown with disturbing frequency  from the Greek tyrants of the 7th century BC who overthrew the aristocracies of Sparta and Corinth, to Spartas Kings Agis and Cleomenes in the 3rd century BC who sought to cancel Spartan debts, to Roman politicians advocating debt relief and land redistribution, Julius Caesar among them.

Jesus first reported sermon in Luke 4 documents his announcement that he had come to revive the enforcement of the Jubilee Year. The term gospel (or good news) was used specifically to refer to debt cancellation which became the major political fight of the imperial Roman epoch, pitting Jesus against the pro-creditor Pharisees, (a political party and social movement that became the foundation for Rabbinic Judaism around 167 BC).

Jesus Died for Our Debt

Professor Hudson says Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for his activism.

The Pharisees, Hillel (the founder of Rabbinical Judaism) and the creditors who backed them decided that Jesus growing popularity was a threat to their authority and wealth.

They said weve got to get rid of this guy and rewrite Judaism and make it about sex instead of a class war, which is really what the whole Old Testament is about, Professor Hudson said.

That was that was where Christianity got perverted. Christianity turned so anti-Jesus, it was the equivalent of the American Tea Party, applauding wealth and even greed, Ayn-Rand style.

The economist says that Christianity was reshaped by Saint Paul, followed by the African school of Cyril of Alexandria and St Augustine.

Over the last 1000 years the Catholic Church has been saying its noble to be poor. But Jesus never said it was good to be poor. What he said was that rich people are greedy and corrupt. Thats what Socrates was saying, as well as Aristotle and the Stoic Roman philosophers, the biblical prophets in Isaiah.

Neither did Jesus say that it was good to be poor because it made you noble.

What Jesus did say is that say if you have money, you should share it with other people.

But thats not what Evangelical Christianity is all about today, says Professor Hudson. American Fundamentalist Christians say dont share a penny. King Jesus is going to make you rich. Dont tax millionaires. Jesus may help me win the lottery. Tax poor people whom the Lord has left behind  no doubt for their sins. Theres nothing about the Jubilee Year here.

What Would Jesus Do?

To understand how to fix todays economy, Hudson says that the Bibles answers were practical for their time.

When you have a massive build up of debt that cant be paid, either you wipe out the debt and start-over like Germany did during the 1947 Miracle when the Allies forgave all its debts except for minimum balances, or you let the creditors foreclose as Obama did in America after the 2008 crisis and 10 million American families lost their homes to foreclosure, he said.

If you leave this wealth in place then its going to stifle society with debt deflation.

Todays world believes in the sanctity of debt. But from Sumer and Babylonia through the Bible, it was debt cancellations that were sacred.

The economist recommends replacing income tax with land, monopoly and natural resource tax, banning absentee ownership, and empowering the government to distribute land to the population.

If you want to be like Jesus then you become political and you realise that this is the same fight that has been going on for thousands of years, across civilisation  the attempt of society to cope with the fact that debts grow faster than the ability to pay, he says.

And Forgive them their Debts: Credit and Redemption will be available for purchase just in time for Easter on Amazon.
By Lambert Strether of Corrente

Periodically, weve looked at the situation in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria: Roads, power, water, and money, PROMESA (the Obama plan that imposed an austerity regime on the island), and vulture capitalists squabbling over Puerto Ricos body. In this post, I want to return to Puerto Ricos electrical power situation:

Lieutenant General Todd Semonite, commanding general and chief engineer for the Corps, said in an interview Wednesday that he expects Puerto Ricos electric grid to reach 75 percent of customers by the end of January. That should rise to 95 percent by the end of February, and 100 percent by the end of May, he said, more than eight months after Hurricane Maria hit. The slow pace of restoring electricity following Hurricane Maria has become a symbol of the U.S. governments uneven response. Just 61 percent of electricity had been restored as of Wednesday [December 13] according to data on a website run by the islands government.

That government website now lists power restoration at 66.2%. Why so long? The answer, it seems  the story is thinly sourced, with no reporting from the ground  is logistics: Power poles and cable take time to manufacture and ship, for example. Theres also a scarcity of transformers and fittings.[1]

In this post, Ill go into how power restoration is distributed (unequally, as you might think) and then look at ripple effects of power problems for water, hospitals and mortality. Ill conclude with some words on the policy coming out of Washington.

Unequal Power Distribution

New York Magazine has an excellent report from the ground, from which Ive pulled out this material on power. The stats use the classic method of concealing problems with averages:

A few days later, I spoke with Jose E. Sanchez, who is leading efforts by the Army Corps of Engineers to restore the islands electricity. I asked him when power would be restored to the most remote, rural areas. Sanchez declined to answer. He noted that some of the most important repairs can be done only by helicopter.  Sanchez told me that status.pr, a government website, was giving an overly optimistic view of the grids recovery. The site measures progress in terms of megawatt capacity, which was then over 60 percent. It neglected to mention that the recovery has been concentrated around cities and industrial sites, leaving more than half of PREPAs customers in the dark . People on the mainland might take a look at that site and think things are going well, Sanchez said. Theyre not.

And heres what we mean by concentrated around cities:

Two months after the storm, it was apparent that the most vigorous recovery efforts were concentrated around the capital. Many stores were open for business, including the lavish Mall of San Juan . With few streetlights operating, drivers were still improvising left-hand turns across four lanes of traffic, but conditions were nothing like in the rural areas, where the only aid many received were handouts of bottled water and military rations from the local mayor.

Now lets look at some ripple effects from power failures.

Ripple Effects: Water Supply

From the Washington Post:

[P]ower problems are water problems by another name. . Power and water are intimately connected: Water treatment plants are hooked to the electricity grid and rely on consistent energy. When treatment plants and pumping stations are propped up with generators, power can  and does  fail, resulting in frequent water shutoffs, as the islands water authority indicates. Local officials in Puerto Rico say their water service typically goes in and out. There are numerous accounts of waterborne disease and bacterial illness in Puerto Rico. Leptospirosis, an often deadly bacterial disease, has seen a significant uptick in cases. Whether these illnesses are caused by floodwaters, drinking water or other sources of water exposure, they are a cause for serious concern.

The Natural Resources Defense Council:

Over two-thirds of the population of Puerto Rico was at potential risk of exposure to bacterial contamination in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, according to government test results obtained by NRDC. More than 2.3 million Puerto Rican residents were served by water systems which drew at least one sample testing positive for total coliforms or E. coli after Maria devastated the island in September. The tests performed by the Puerto Rico Department of Health confirmed that several cities in Puerto Rico are at risk of bacterial contamination in their water supply, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The documents show that forty-two cities had a water sample testing positive for total coliformsan indicator of potential pathogen contamination in the water. One of those cities is San Juan, whose water system serves upwards of one million residents.

Of course, not all that contamination is attributable to water treatment plants failing without power, but the power failures certainly cant be helping.

Ripple Effects: Air Pollution

Since the power isnt reliable, people use generators (reminds me of Baghdad). The New Republic:

Puerto Rico has become known as Generator Island since the loss of the vast majority of the electric grid, as diesel and gas generators have become one of the only options for reliable power. In October, the Times noted that the generators are raising health and safety concerns, since they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. But three months of widespread, ongoing diesel generator use presents a different problem: Diesel exhaust, which contains more than 40 toxic air contaminants, including many known or suspected cancer-causing substances, such as benzene, arsenic, and formaldehyde, according to one study. That study also notes that up to 70 percent of cancer risk attributable to inhalation of toxic air pollutants in the United States arise from diesel exhaust. In October, FEMA warned Puerto Ricans using generators to protect themselves against fire, electrocution, and carbon monoxide poisoning, but didnt mention air pollution.

Ripple Effects: Hospitals and Mortality

From the same New York Magazine article linked to above:

The damage caused by the extended electrical outage is most acute in the islands hospitals. A study of power outages in Ghana over a five-year period found a 43 percent increase in patient mortality on those days that a health-care facility loses power for more than two hours.

A description of Centro Medico, Puerto Ricos largest, most sophisticated hospital:

And even as conditions stabilized at Centro Medico, health risks swelled. I spoke to several doctors who worked there during the first weeks after the storm.  Most recalled the electricitys failing at least ten times for a half-hour or longer during the first month. The floors were slippery, one told me. The patients were sweating. It was the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. You try and do your best under these conditions, but thats just not possible. The power went down, said another, and the temperature went up. The sterile conditions were lost. And they did their operations anyway, because they had to. I asked whether any patients died owing to the intermittent electricity. Dr. Carlos Gomez, the director of ASEMs emergency room, emphatically denied that any had. But one doctor estimated that Maria-related electricity outages had caused 15 patient deaths. They were in very bad condition already, the doctor acknowledged. Losing the electricity pushed them over the cliff.

So if thats San Juan, imagine whats going on out in the boonies:

Elsewhere on the island, however, many small hospitals were facing the loss of power and dwindling supplies of food, water, and medicine. Six hospitals shut down completely; at least two, in Arecibo and Aguadilla, reportedly operated for weeks without full electricity. A Florida-based doctor who visited the hospital in Aguadilla told me that temperatures in the emergency room regularly reached 97 degrees Fahrenheit, and that, later, the hospital was closed because of mold. Hospitals lucky enough to be equipped with reliable generators desperately searched for sources of diesel. With morgues quickly filling to capacity, the Army deployed battlefield MIRCS  olive-drab Mobile Integrated Remains Collection Systems  to hospitals in San German, Ponce, and Fajardo, where they remained for more than a week.

Conclusion

To their credit, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren introduced a Marshall Plan for Puerto Rico at the end of November. Although the bill was a messaging bill, not intended to become law as written, but to lay down a marker for Democrats to fight for as negotiations continue over relief for the island. And to her credit, Warren did say that The vulture funds that snapped up Puerto Rican debt should not get one cent from the island, not one cent. But we havent heard anything from the Democrat leadership on Puerto Rico at all. (I cant find a thing from Schumer, for example; perhaps he was too busy caving on DACA.)

Naomi Kleins Shock Doctrine trained me to watch for neoliberals rushing in to exploit natural disasters; for example, after Katrina, Milton Friedman immediately began to push for New Orleans to replace its public schools with charters. But if thats happening in Puerto Rico, its certainly happening at a much slower pace. The slow pace raises the dispiriting conclusion that, as global weirding leads to more natural disasters, the response will simply be to treat damaged areas as sacrifice zones and abandon them, unless (like Houston) they have something (oil) the elites really, really want. For example, the New York area has some political clout, but New York City is still behind on storm-proofing, restoration projects five years after Hurricane Sandy. Perhaps we are looking at another aspect of the new normal.

NOTES

[1] I wonder if the supply chain has been so optimized that theres no slack to provision disasters. Fine for corporations, not so fine for citizens.
(Natural News) A Danish investment group is predicting that the popular online cryptocurrency Bitcoin will continue to soar in price to more than $60,000 per coin, before eventually crashing due to an engineered sabotaging effort led by Russia and China.

Saxo Bank says that Bitcoins price trajectory will probably continue to move upwards throughout most of 2018, before plunging dramatically after topping the $60,000 threshold. The institution believes that Bitcoin will reach a $1 trillion market cap globally, after which time it will drop in price substantially to around $1,000 per coin.

This prediction stems from the belief that the Kremlin will eventually crack down on the mining of Bitcoin, as it shifts focus away from the cryptocurrency in an effort to keep more Russian capital onshore. Saxo also predicts that China, which is currently the world leader in Bitcoin mining and holdings, will eventually launch its own Bitcoin alternative, which could set Bitcoin on a downward price spiral.

As is usually the case, the heavy hand of state intervention, Saxo says, will eventually interfere in the cryptocurrency markets to such an extent that price volatility will increase. Should this occur, the speculative forces driving the price of Bitcoin ever upwards will take a major hit, which could leave Bitcoin in dire straits.

Its a financial bubble bigger than the tulip craze, says veteran investor Eric Schiffer, a believer in the theory that Bitcoin is shaping up to become the biggest financial disaster of the 21st century. I think bitcoin is a tower of death. It is going to result in the imminent death of your investment  a thermonuclear death.

Chief trader of Ayondo Markets says Bitcoin is actually just fine and wont crash

However, not everyone agrees with this assessment. Jordan Hiscott, chief trader at Ayondo Markets, says that it is unlikely that Bitcoin will ever see the type of dramatic crash that Saxo is predicting. While he has issued warnings in the past that people should make sure they know what theyre doing before entering the cryptocurrency market, Hiscott has a much less apocalyptic perspective.

For good investment options, find trusted companies that would do that for you or look for a commodity with actual underlying value, hes quoted as saying.

Federal regulators, on the other hand, lean more towards the view of Saxo Bank. Joe Borg, president of The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), told USA Today that the average Joe shouldnt expect to become a millionaire by investing in Bitcoin.

Its a mania  just like the dot-com bubble, Borg stated to media sources, adding that more millionaires are being created from bitcoin than any other source. 

Its the tulip mania  except you dont have any tulips. Its just computer code.

Despite its meteoric rise in price throughout 2017, Bitcoin could end up being a one-hit wonder, Borg warns. With people assuming that its only going to continue going up in price and never dip down, Bitcoin could become the catalyst through which many unsuspecting investors lose it all  especially those whove mortgaged their homes and risked other life assets just to purchase Bitcoin.

Bitcoin, once started as a really cool innovation for decentralized currency, has now become a purely speculative mania market rooted in tulip bulb delusion, claims Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, another Bitcoin skeptic who believes that people who buy into Bitcoin are setting themselves up for financial failure.

In the same way that transgenderism advocates now deny the existence of genetics and the laws of physical biology, Bitcoin cultists now believe the laws of economics and finance can be waived away through mere wishful thinking.

Sources for this article include:

SHTFplan.com

USAToday.com

BitRaped.com
(Natural News) Following nearly every mass shooting or terrorist attack over the last decade, thanks to the 24-hour news cycle Americans are fully informed of the facts surrounding the events.

We know who the attacker(s) is(are). We know salient details surrounding the attacks. We know their history, their last known address, their criminal (or terrorist) background.

We know everything about them and the motive behind their attack.

So why dont we know why the Vegas shooter, Stephen Paddock, decided to ambush a crowd of thousands, killing 58 and wounding around 500 people in the process, in early October?

Moreover, why did the FBI just announce it will be nearly a year before Paddocks motive is revealed?

As reported by Fox News:

Be prepared to wait a while  possibly until next October  the chief of the FBIs Las Vegas office revealed this week during an interview in which he said the agency probably wouldnt brief the public until their report is released sometime before the tragedys first anniversary.

Whats worse than having to wait is the agent in charge treating the American public like a bunch of ignoramuses.

Now thats a long time for some people, but speaking for the FBI, thats light speed, all right? Special Agent in Charge Aaron Rouse told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday.

Light speed? Is he serious?

No, Mr. FBI Agent, light speed is knowing all there is to know about an attacker and his motivations like, within a few days to a week, at most.

Recall the latest mass shooting at that Texas Baptist church in Sutherland Springs in early November. Within an hour we knew the shooter  Devin Patrick Kelley  and within a few days, we knew why he attacked (anger at his ex-wifes family and his history of mental health issues). We even knew that hed been convicted of domestic violence by the Air Force, served a year of confinement, and that the service then neglected to report his conviction and court-martial to the FBI, as required by law, which enabled him to buy the gun he used in the killings.

We knew all that stuff within days, not a year. So what the H is Rouse talking about?

Mind you, his statement came as the Las Vegas PD announced the mysterious disappearance of one of its ranking officers, police Capt. James Larochelle. As The Gateway Pundit reported, the officer was last seen early on the morning of Dec. 21 near Desert Foothills & Charleston, driving a tan 1998 Land Rover with a Nevada license plate (592 JBV).

HELP US LOCATE #missingperson #LVMPD Captain James LaRochelle, last seen early this morning near Desert Foothills & Charleston, driving a tan 1998 Land Rover with NV license 592JBV. Please call 702-828-3111 with info. pic.twitter.com/LlMnCc8KVb  LVMPD (@LVMPD) December 21, 2017

In November, TGP noted further, LaRochelle unveiled ShotSpotter technology which employs sensors to triangulate the source of gunfire in the Las Vegas Valley. The officer is the commander of Metros Organizational Development Bureau.

What in the world is going on?

Rouse said that reports from other agencies investigating the Paddock shooting will be released at various times in the upcoming months. However, he said his agencys report is focusing a large part on the why which is what everybody wants to know. (Related: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: Official story of Las Vegas shooting unravels; physical impossibility of lone gunman senior citizen makes narrative ludicrous.)

Thats true, we do. But that doesnt explain why itll take a year to release.

Because either the FBI already knows the reason, or it doesnt. And if the reason isnt yet known, why not just say that?

Rouse said the FBI has interviewed around 400 people around the world who had any connection to Paddock at all. He said the bureau has brought in an equivalent number of analysts and specialists to help document the evidence.

He said it took agents 14 days to comb through the scene of the attack, the Route 91 Harvest concert venue across the street from the Mandalay Bay Casino, where Paddock attacked. He said it took agents 13 days to go through his hotel room.

He added that agents have collected 22,000 hours of surveillance and cellphone footage and 250,000 photos.

And were supposed to believe they still dont know why Paddock attacked?

I smell a big, fat rat. And a cover-up to boot.

J.D. Heyes is also editor-in-chief of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

FoxNews.com

LasVegasSun.com

TheNationalSentinel.com
(Natural News) Far-Left progressive Cenk Uygur is hard to take even when hes not trying to be an obnoxious boor, which is not often. So when hes trying, well, hes just unbearable.

The Young Turks co-host was recently busted for his dark, dank history of racism, sexism, and pro-rape comments, after which he offered one of lamest excuses you ever heard for his remarks: He says he was a Republican when he made them.

Riiiight.

As reported by The Gateway Pundit, Uygur was 30 when he made and posted comments that, if hed said them about one of your kids, youd likely have been waiting for him out in the parking lot.

In one 2002 post from an archived page of his radio show, he wrote: I hook up a decent amount (defined as: at least make out with a new girl every six to eight weeks and have sex with a steady girl at least once a week), but it seems like there is a sea of t*ts here, and I am drinking in tiny droplets. I want to dive into the whole god d**n ocean.

Continuing, he had this to say about women in general: Obviously, the genes of women are flawed. They are poorly designed creatures who do not want to have sex nearly as often as needed for the human race to get along peaceably and fruitfully.

He also described women as whorish in the same post.

In another post headlined, Girls Who You Hate, But Really Want To Do, this pig body-shamed women, including actress Calista Flockhart for being too thin, while shaming others for being too fat.

Lets see, what else? Oh yes. Hes written that Japanese women would sleep with an American man for a new purse and he has referred to Native Americans as Redskins (and not in the context of its historical meaning), The Gateway Pundit  which outed this lout in the first place  reported.

Well. How does one defend himself against such verbal heresy, especially among fellow travelers?

Easy; just come up with the political equivalent of I was drunk at the time.

In an interview with The Wrap (or The Warp, if you prefer), Uygur slithered his way out of his bind by blaming his insensitivity on an ideology.

The stuff I wrote back then was really insensitive and ignorant, Uygur said, admitting that the blogs were indeed his. If you read that today, what I wrote 18 years ago, and youre offended by it, youre 100 percent right. And anyone who is subjected to that material, I apologize to. And I deeply regret having written that stuff when I was a different guy.

If someone said that today, I would heavily criticize them on the show and rightfully so, and I have. Ive criticized myself over the years, he added. I had not yet matured and I was still a conservative who thought that stuff was politically incorrect and edgy. When you read it now, it looks really, honestly, ugly. And its very uncomfortable to read. [Emphasis added] (Related: H-wood screenwriter on Harvey Weinstein sex abuse: Everybody f**king knew)

Yes, of course. It was all before his political transformation and awakening from a Neanderthal Republican into an enlightened, uber-tolerant progressive.

Except, not.

The Wrap also spoke to an unnamed former employee of Uygurs on the condition of anonymity who said what he wrote back in the day is how he still feels today.

Cenk is just a knucklehead. Hes a boy. He talks about women the way I talked when I was 13, the source said. Hes obsessed with body count. Basically, how many people you f**ked. This is an important number to him.

More: Uygur also stated, quite shockingly, that if his son or daughter was raped by a teacher and they were attractive, he wouldnt want to see them jailed. At 16 youre perfectly capable  of something, I guess  according to a video clip that has since been taken down, The Gateway Pundit reported.

Another day, another Left-wing pro-women dung heap talking trash aboutwomen.

Read more of J.D. Heyes work at The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

Slate.com

TheNationalSentinel.com
The owner of a San Francisco pawn shop is hospitalized after being shot in an armed robbery.

A spokesman at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital said late Friday the business owner sustained life-threatening injuries and is in critical condition. Police are searching for four men they said are responsible for the shooting and armed robbery.

The crime occurred earlier in the day just before 5:30 p.m. when police said the group of men walked into the Mission Jewelry and Loan Pawn Shop on the 2300 block of Mission Street.

Witnesses said three shots were fired in the incident and the suspects also roughed up the shop owner's son. It appears the suspects confronted three men, ages 77, 60 and 63, and shot the eldest before fleeing the scene, according to police.

A witness said she could hear the gunshots at her taco stand across the street.

Police have not said if the suspects made off with any cash or merchandise.



No other injuries were reported.
Loved ones and firefighters from around California gathered in Point Loma Saturday to celebrate the life of fallen San Diego County firefighter Cory Iverson, killed while battling the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties that by Friday had become the largest fire in recorded state history.

Cal Fire Engineer Cory Iverson, 32, of Escondido, was part of a strike team made up of five engines with Cal Fire San Diego on the front lines of the Thomas Fire in Fillmore, California when an accident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 14.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office determined Iverson died of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Details of the incident that led to his death have not been released.

Cal Fire said they are conducting an investigation into the incident, which will provide insight into the circumstances surrounding the death.

Cal Fire said they are conducting an investigation into the incident, which will provide insight into the circumstances surrounding the death.

A private memorial service for Iverson began at 10 a.m. Saturday at The Rock Church in Point Loma.

Iverson leaves behind his wife, Ashley and their two-year-old daughter. The couple was expecting their second child in May.

After nearly a dozen people took the stage to fondly remember Iverson, Ashley stood at the podium to speak.

Before saying a word, she took a deep breath that could be felt throughout the room.

"'Just breathe' is what I told one of my best friends when she lost her soulmate at the age of 22 seven years ago, the widow began.

"Will you join me in taking a breath?"

Ashley said that although the past few weeks have been some of the worst of her life, she was without words at the amount of support she has received.

"'Wow' is all I can say and feel today and over this past week and two days," Ashley said. "The overwhelming amount of love I have felt is otherworldly."



Those who knew Iverson said the top priority right now is to take care of his family. Online fundraising efforts are underway to do just that.

An online fundraising page was created by a close friend and co-worker of Iversons widow to assist the family with funeral costs and other expenses they may have. In it's first few hours live, the page had already raised $20,000 for the Iversons.

By Saturday, the page had surpassed the half-way point on its way to meeting a $1 million goal.

Cal Fire San Diego County Firefighters Benevolent Fund has also set up a donation page for Iversons family. Donations can be made here.

California Gov. Jerry Brown flew in from Sacramento for the Celebration of Life and met with the Iversons ahead of the service, according to Cal Fire Cheif San Diego Chief Tony Metcham.

Iverson had spent most of his life fighting fires. He was an eight-year veteran of Cal Fire and had previously spent seven years with Harmony Grove Fire Department.

"If you were going to clone a firefighter, you would clone Cory Iverson, Cal Fire Chief San Diego Chief Tony Metcham said at the service, echoing a sentiment shared by many of the mourners who took the stage one-by-one to share stories of the 32-year-old.

Family and close friends told stories of Iverson's determination, quick wit and sometimes stubborn, but charming personality. They described him as a "model firefighter" and a "happy man."

To put it bluntly, hes the kind of man youd want your daughter to marry and the type of fireman youd want your son to grow up to be, Cal Fire Capt. John Heggie said days after Iverson's death.

Last week, thousands of firefighters lined freeway overpasses as Iverson's remained traveled a more than 200 mile route from Ventura County to San Diego.

Iverson's death is the second attributed to the Thomas Fire, which on Saturday had been burning for two-and-half weeks and had become the largest in recorded California state history at 273,400 acres.

The blaze surpassed San Diego County's 2003 Cedar Fire that killed 15 people.
Steven Seiler told police that, for about a month, he had noticed a bad smell coming from the bedroom of the Uptown apartment he shared with his wife, but he never bothered to look inside, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

If he had, Cook County prosecutors said Friday, Seiler might have noticed a pile of blankets covering his wifes body, which was naked save for a blue tarp, Assistant States Attorney Julia Ramirez said Friday.

Seiler said he didnt find out his wife had died until he got a call from his daughter. The 60-year-old, however, was charged with concealing a death, implying that authorities believe he might have known sooner.

Police had a building manager open the door to the apartment on Dec. 10, after getting a request for a wellness check on Seilers 58-year-old wife, Tamara Wilson.

Noticing bodily fluids smeared all over the apartment and a rotting smell, officers forced open the locked bedroom door and discovered Wilsons badly decomposed body, Ramirez said.

Seiler was detained by police Tuesday, when he returned to the apartment in the 4400 block of North Clifton Avenue, and was found to be carrying Wilsons state ID, Social Security Card, debit card, birth certificate and wedding ring, Ramirez said.

On Friday, Judge David Navarro ordered Seiler released on electronic monitoring. The Cook County Medical Examiners Office said Wilson had been dead for at least four days when her body was discovered by police. The office is awaiting the results of toxicology testing before issuing a ruling on how she died.

By Seilers timeline, he should have noticed the smell coming from his wifes room by Nov. 24, when he used her debit card to buy a gold coin online, Ramirez said. Presumably the odor would not have improved on Dec. 1, when he allegedly sold the coin at a pawn shop.

The couples relationship was apparently stormy. Seiler in October had pleaded guilty to domestic battery charges for assaulting Wilson, and a judge entered a protective order barring him from coming to the Uptown apartment while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Ramirez said.

Three days earlier, an inheritance check payable to Seiler had arrived in the mail  and Wilson took it to her attorney. In a 2009 civil lawsuit stemming from another domestic violence incident, a court had awarded Wilson $120,000 from Seiler.

Surveillance cameras showed Seiler entering and exiting the apartment, and checking the mail, each day for the five days prior to police discovering the body, Ramirez said.

The couple had married in 2014 and their daughter is 22, Ramirez said.
Bullets flew near the Pennsylvania Statehouse in Harrisburg on Friday afternoon during a shooting spree that spread two miles across the state capital and left the gunman dead.

Law enforcement officers shot and killed the gunman, who they say fired at police in several locations in Harrisburg. Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said he has "no doubt" the gunman targeted law enforcement.

Authorities said 51-year-old Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty fired several shots at a Capitol police officer at 3rd and Walnut streets in downtown Harrisburg around 4 p.m. Friday, striking his car several times and sending one shot "that went very close to hitting him," Marsico said.

He then fired at a Pennsylvania state trooper a few blocks away at Fifth and Strawberry streets about 30 minutes later, leaving her slightly wounded, the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office said.

The trooper is "doing well," is in good condition and is expected to make a full recovery, Marsico said.



El-Mofty pursued the trooper to a residential neighborhood, where city and state police encountered him at 17th and Mulberry streets, the DA's Office said.

"He approached them with two handguns ... firing many shots at those police officers," and the officers returned fire, killing him, Marsico said.



Eric Heisler / Dauphin County District Attorney's Office

The "series of shootings" in the center of Pennsylvania's capital city had the entire city gripped with angst and confusion. Those feelings lingered into the evening when the gunman was shot and killed, but police remained unable to approach him due to "a device" on his person, according to NBC affiliate WGAL. The device turned out to be of no importance, authorities said.

El-Mofty was armed with two handguns, believed to be 9 mm weapons, authorities said.

Marsico said El-Mofty has ties to the Middle East and recently traveled there, but the motive for the attack isn't yet known.

Marsico said the state trooper who was struck by a bullet is doing well.

A relative, Ahmed Soweilam, told PennLive.com that he and his family doesn't know what to make of the reported actions by El-Mofty, his sister's ex-husband.

"That's not his behavior at all," said Soweilam, co-owner of a Halal store in Camp Hill. "That's not him. I still don't believe it."

Soweilam said the family had been estranged from El-Mofty, who had been married to his sister until they separated about six years ago. He said El-Mofty worked as a security guard and then moved back to Egypt, his former home, until returning a few months ago. He said El-Mofty had no history of violence or mental illness.

"He's not the perfect guy, but he's not an aggressive person," Soweilam said.

Department of Homeland Security Acting Press Secretary Tyler Q. Houlton said Saturday that El-Mofty was a naturalized U.S. citizen who was admitted to the country from Egypt on a family-based immigrant visa.

"The long chain of migration that led to (El-Mofty's) admission into the United States was initiated years ago by a distant relative," he said in a statement.

Houlton said incidents like the one involving El-Mofty "highlight the Trump administration's concerns with extended family chain migration." He said chain migration and the diversity visa lottery program have been exploited by extremists.

"Not only are the programs less effective at driving economic growth than merit-based immigration systems used by nearly all other countries, the programs make it more difficult to keep dangerous people out of the United States and to protect the safety of every American," he said.

Gov. Tom Wolf said Saturday he had talked to the director of Homeland Security as federal, state and local law enforcement authorities investigate "last night's attack on law enforcement."

In an earlier series of tweets, he thanked officers who "were directly in harm's way."

"They did not hesitate and protected others from harm," Wolf said.

Grateful for the swift reaction to this incident by Capitol Police, @PAStatePolice and City of Harrisburg Police. Our officers were directly in harm's way but they did not hesitate and protected others from harm. https://t.co/s6E4ZQGvTX  Love Is Stronger Than Hate (@GovernorTomWolf) December 23, 2017

Marsico also expressed gratitude to state and local police for bringing a rapid end to an episode he said could have been much worse.

"This could have been a really tragic incidence with this individual firing many shots at police cars in downtown Harrisburg in the midst of rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon and then coming up here in a residential neighborhood and firing again many shots," he said.

The district attorney's office asked anyone with information about El-Mofty to call 911 or submit a tip online.
All candidates agree that gun violence is a major issue, but Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy says that he has a unique way to approach the problem.

Kennedy said Friday that instead of just focusing on gun violence as a public health crisis, the state should instead focus on addressing inequities in the property tax system so that they have money to spend on creating alternatives and opportunities for young people.

We need resources. We need to reinvest in education, and our community policing, Kennedy said.

Kennedy says that the money for those types of programs has stagnated because of the way Illinois politics has influenced the way property taxes are collected.

When we are allowing a handful of connected lawyers, like the leadership of the Democratic Party, to artificially reduce the value of our buildings (and) to deny that tax revenue that should have fully funded our schools, we are allowing our political leaders to destroy our economy and our kids, he said.

Kennedy cited a pair of buildings in Chicago that he says have been fraudulently assessed: the Willis Tower, located in the South Loop, and 300 North LaSalle, located along the Chicago River.

(Those) two are so fraudulently under-assessed that a full $50 million a year in tax revenue has gone missing, he said.

The candidate says that investing in economic opportunities is one part of his eight-point plan to combat gun violence in the city of Chicago.

Other candidates have also called for changes to the property tax system, including State Senator Daniel Biss, who introduced legislation to fix what he called a rigged system, and businessman J.B. Pritzker, who has called the property tax system flawed and inequitable.
What to Know WHAT: A mixture of snow, sleet, and rain will move in late Christmas Eve.

WHEN: Starting between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. Christmas Eve and ending between 7 a.m and 10 a.m. Christmas Day.

WHERE: All of Connecticut with highest accumulations in northwest and north central Connecticut. Mixing expected along the I-95 corridor.

After a wintry mix tonight into tomorrow NBC Connecticut Meteorologists are forecasting snow, sleet, and rain Christmas Eve into Christmas day.

Much of Christmas Eve will remain dry with high temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s.

We're forecasting a mixture of snow, sleet, and rain to overspread the state between the hours of 10 p.m. Sunday and 1 a.m. Monday.

Areas along the shoreline will be dealing with rain to start with a transition to sleet and snow during the overnight hours.



Parts of interior Connecticut especially from Litchfield county to Tolland county will be dealing with plowable snow by Christmas morning.

Take a look at snowfall accumulations. Higher accumulations will in northwest and north central Connecticut where precipitations should stay primarily snow.

The snow, sleet, and rain will come to an end by 7 to 10 a.m.

Stay with the NBC Connecticut First Alert Weather Team for the very latest on the situation.
Control of the country's oldest legislative body could come down to which old film canister an election official pulls out of a glass bowl  or maybe an old fashioned tri-corner hat or a silver cup.

A three-judge panel in Virginia certified the 94th District in Newport News as tied Wednesday, one day after a dramatic recount appeared to give Democrat Shelly Simonds a victory over Republican Del. David Yancey by a single vote. Democrats decried the decision and indicated they may file a legal challenge.

At stake could be control of the Virginia House.

Here are some key questions and answers on the election:

HOW IS A WINNER PICKED IN A TIE VOTE?

Virginia law says in a tied race, the state elections board publicly determines the winner "by lot." The law doesn't specify the actual method or when that takes place.

Virginia Board of Elections Chairman James Alcorn said barring some kind of legal challenge, the board will likely try to meet as soon as possible. He said the board would probably pick the winner the same way it picks ballot order. He said each candidate's name is placed into a separate film canister. The canisters are placed into a glass bowl and shaken up. The canister containing the winner's name is pulled out at random by a board member.

If the board feels festive, it may use an old-fashioned tri-corner hat to put names in, which Alcorn said he thinks has been used to settle local election ties in the past.

HAS THIS HAPPENED BEFORE?

In Virginia, where the state House has been around since the 1619 founding of the House of Burgesses at Jamestown, something similar has happened at least once. In 1971, Republican candidate William H. Moss Sr. appeared to have lost the election for a Fairfax seat. He demanded a recount, which ended in a tie, and then won when his name was drawn at random, according to news reports from the time.

"The bowl used, in somewhat typical Virginian style, is a silver loving cup," reported The Washington Post.

Outside Virginia, various methods of settling ties have been used.

Two years ago in Mississippi, two House candidates broke a tie by reaching into a red canvas bag and pulling out a silver-plated business card boxes engraved with the state's name. The winner drew the box with a longer straw in it.

In Alaska in 2006, a coin flip broke the tie in a Democratic primary for a state House seat. The incumbent called "heads" and lost.

WHAT ARE THE STAKES?

At stake in the race could be control of the state House.

If Yancey wins, Republicans would have a 51-49 majority as long as no other seats switched. Democrats could force a 50-50 power-sharing agreement if Simonds wins.

However, two other state House races have not been finalized and could also affect the House's partisan balance. One of those contests could be decided by a federal judge.

Powered by unhappiness with GOP President Donald Trump, Virginia Democrats rode a tidal wave in November, erasing Republicans' 66-34 advantage. Democrats nationwide hope it's a preview of the 2018 elections.

But the possible 50-50 split could also foreshadow political chaos in the Old Dominion, as Republicans and Democrats will have to hammer out some kind of power-sharing agreement in order for the House to function. If they can't, the House won't operate. Electing a speaker is one of the first things delegates do once they are sworn in, right after a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. If no one is elected to the role, there's not much else the body can do except adjourn.
The head of a ranch that houses at-risk children in the Texas Panhandle issued an apology after several former residents said they were abused by staffers there from the 1950s until at least the 1990s.

Former residents told The Guardian , a British newspaper, about abuse they suffered at Cal Farley's Boys Ranch. Steve Smith, a 68-year-old from Amarillo, told the newspaper for the Wednesday story that after his mother left him there as a boy, he was beaten many times and had to watch helplessly as his younger brother, Rick, was beaten.

A statement from the organization Wednesday said it was aware of the claims regarding "harmful encounters they experienced at Boys Ranch years ago."

"For those who left Boys Ranch having experienced abuse of any form, I am truly sorry, both as the leader of this organization and as a man," Dan Adams, president and CEO of Cal Farley's, said in the statement. "It is for these reasons that regulatory oversight and strength-based models of care in this field evolved, and Cal Farley's strives to be a leader in observing both.

Adams told The Guardian that since he took over in 1996, corporal punishment has been phased out.

The privately funded, faith-based residential community is open to children ages 5 to 18 and currently supports about 250 boys and girls. The ranch said at-risk boys and girls can be placed there by their parents, a managing conservator or guardian.

Rick and Steve Smith and others told The Guardian that the abuse was systemic and affected hundreds. Ed Cargill of New Mexico, whose time at Cal Farley's overlapped with Rick Smith's, said he made repeated escape attempts from the place he called "a paradise for adult abusers." He said that after one escape attempt he was made to run back in front of horses.

"Anytime I floundered, they'd hit me with coiled-up rope or run over me with the damn horse," said Cargill, who said his dorm parent would also encourage other boys to administer physical punishment.

Bill Varnado, who was there at the same time as Steve Smith, said "you really didn't have to `get in trouble' for them to beat the hell out of you." Normally, he said, "they used a belt, but as you got older they used their fists on boys."

Rick Smith said he was raped by another boy at the ranch. Cargill said that the wife of a staff member was having sex with him and three other boys.

Steve Smith told the Amarillo Globe-News they want more than an apology. Smith leads a Facebook group of other survivors that presented Adams in April with a proposal of how to deal with the past abuses.

The proposal included Boys Ranch issuing a public statement acknowledging wrongdoing, the creation of a fund for survivor care, utilization of best practices for abuse prevention and a review of marketing material to make sure information about the past is not misleading.

Smith also wanted the organization to stop honoring past staff accused of abuse. Cal Farley's dedicated a new dormitory to a former superintendent at the ranch alleged to be one of the worst abusers.

The Child-Friendly Faith Project, a nonprofit that works to expose religious groups that abuse children, took the allegations to The Guardian after it became apparent Cal Farley's was not going to act on the proposal, said Janet Heimlich, the nonprofit's founder and a former journalist.

Heimlich first came into contact with Smith and the Facebook group after writing a blog post in 2015 praising Boy's Ranch for an advanced therapeutic model. Smith commented on the post and they got in touch.

Adams told the Globe-News he didn't want to initially make a public apology because it would give children, families and donors undue concern.

Heimlich agreed that Boys Ranch, which opened in 1939, had cleaned up since the 1990s and emphasized that it still maintains a "flagship model" for child therapy.

The ranch currently has a license with the state as a general residential operation providing child care and transitional living. Texas Health & Human Services Commission spokeswoman Christine Mann tells The Associated Press that they have no recent history of corrective or adverse actions. She said it was initially licensed by the state in 1979.

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spokesman Patrick Crimmins said the ranch does have a contract in good standing to take in children in foster care. Over the last five years 19 foster children have been placed there, including 11 who are currently there.
The Trains at NorthPark, a holiday tradition for a lot of North Texas families, are celebrating 30 years.

In that time, the festive display has raised more than $13 million for Ronald McDonald House of Dallas.

Like clockwork, the tiny locomotives zoom in, out and around the decorated tracks at NorthPark Center, capturing the imaginations of every age.

Hundreds of volunteers like 15-year-old Eric Hershman, an engineer in training, help keep things in order.

"I've been coming ever since I was a little kid," he said. "And then met some of the guys, and they just became friends, and that's how I ended up back here."

The Trains at NorthPark run through Jan. 7. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children and seniors.

MORE: Click here for more information on the Trains at NorthPark


A Texas-sized jump in jobs has the Lone Star State leading the way nationally.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, unemployment dropped to record lows in four states, including Texas; with Texas gaining more than 330,000 jobs.

Villa Grande Restaurant has watched its corner of Fort Worth grow quickly.

"This place right here, in this area, it was nothing. Not even apartments," Genesis Jimenez said.

More work means more employees, more customers and more chances for them to hire as well.

"This is our fourth store, and they are getting ready to open another one at the beginning of next year," Jimenez said.

Chris Olguin is their newest employee, having started only a few weeks ago.

"Before, I used to do construction work," he said.

Olguin was injured and couldn't continue in construction and is hoping to eventually start his own business. He knows the North Texas job market well as he searched for work in the last year.

"There is a lot of opportunity. Whatever you want to do," he said. "It is exciting to be here in Texas."

He wasn't surprised to hear that Texas was atop the job growth list.

"Just because it is growing so much, everywhere. Fort Worth [and] Arlington, the growth is ridiculous," Olguin said.

"We have one of the fastest growing communities in North Texas. Unfortunately, people love to live here and love to bring their families here, but they tend to travel outside the city to work," Fort Worth Director of Economic Development Robert Sturns said.

It has become a part of the Fort Worth's challenge in the next five years to fix an unhealthy ratio of residents to high-skill jobs.

"It's not a simple matter of just going out and finding a headquarters and plopping a few hundred jobs in here. They've got to be the right types of jobs," Sturns said.
The second of two cruise ships carrying passengers who were on a deadly bus crash in Mexico made its return to South Florida on Saturday.

Royal Caribbean s Celebrity Equinox docked at Port Miami Saturday morning, with passengers departing the ship shortly after arriving.

At least a dozen passengers from both Royal Caribbeans Serenade of the Seas and Celebrity Equinox were killed when a bus that was returning from taking tourists to the Mayan ruins flipped over.

Royal Caribbean s Serenade of the Seas arrived at Port Everglades last week.

Authorities confirmed that 78-year-old Fanya Shamis from Coconut Creek was killed in the crash along with her daughter and grandson, Anna and Daniel Behar of Virginia. Behars husband and other son were injured in the crash.

Two others from Florida, Christopher and Laura Couallier from near Orlando, were also confirmed to be among the dead. Christopher Couallier was the CFO for the Port Miami tunnel project, according to friends and family.

The driver of that tour bus has been in custody as a manslaughter investigation determined negligence and excessive speed caused the crash.
As a student at Harvard, future Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee joined a landmark, long-term study that looked at participants' physical and mental health.

One file entry, as detailed by the recent HBO documentary, "The Newspaper Man: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee," noted his "a strong desire and emotional feeling toward the movie 'Foreign Correspondent.'"



Bradlee's affinity for Alfred Hitchcock's 1940 fictional tale of journalism and political intrigue presaged the role he'd play in the greatest newspaper movie of them all. Jason Robards portrayed the hard-charging editor in "All the President's Men," the very real account of Richard Nixon's downfall.

More than four decades after Watergate and three years after Bradlee's death, the newspaperman is back at the center of the cinematic action.

He's a key player in "The Post," a drama that tells the story of the paper's 1971 fight to publish the Pentagon Papers after The New York Times' initial printing of documents detailing the secret history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam spurred a temporary restraining order.

The film, opening Dec. 23, offers an opportunity to celebrate Bradlee and other real heroes of journalism who defied the fake news accusers of their day to bring the public the truth.

Top among those champions is then-Post publisher Katharine Graham, an afterthought in the movie version of "All the President's Men," but the fearless backer of the paper's high-impact reporting on Watergate and the Pentagon Papers.

The new film, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Meryl Streep as Graham and Tom Hanks as Bradlee, follows 2016 Oscar-winner "Spotlight" in betting the public will embrace stories about journalists who reveal major institutional failures in the name of public service.

The timing couldn't be better  or worse, depending on how you look at it. "The Post" arrives as President Trump regularly takes to Twitter to assail reporting he doesn't like as "fake."

But the challenges facing the legitimate press go beyond Trump's Nixonian approach. Rogue outfits pump out misinformation in bids to sway the electorate as social media becomes an increasingly crowded and hazy battleground where fact, opinion and outright BS fight for supremacy.

It doesn't only take dogged reporters and gutsy editors to wage this war, but bold owners in the Graham mold who are willing to put principle above all else.

"The Post," nominated for six Golden Globes, might be dismissed by some as propaganda wrought by some of Hollywood's top liberals.

But it's not too much to hope that quality and truth will win out  and that just maybe audiences will leave "The Post" as inspired as young Ben Bradlee was when he first saw "Foreign Correspondent" all those years ago.

Hester is Director of News Products and Projects at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also the author of "Raising a Beatle Baby: How John, Paul, George and Ringo Helped us Come Together as a Family." Follow him on Twitter.
Bullets flew near the Pennsylvania Statehouse in Harrisburg on Friday afternoon during a shooting spree that spread two miles across the state capital and left the gunman dead.

Law enforcement officers shot and killed the gunman, who they say fired at police in several locations in Harrisburg. Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said he has "no doubt" the gunman targeted law enforcement.

Authorities said 51-year-old Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty fired several shots at a Capitol police officer at 3rd and Walnut streets in downtown Harrisburg around 4 p.m. Friday, striking his car several times and sending one shot "that went very close to hitting him," Marsico said.

He then fired at a Pennsylvania state trooper a few blocks away at Fifth and Strawberry streets about 30 minutes later, leaving her slightly wounded, the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office said.

Police positioned on corners around downtown Harrisburg. Capitol police, HBG city police, and PSP were seen responding. pic.twitter.com/xtJ2zAhxpy  Eric Heisler (@Heisler_Eric) December 22, 2017

The trooper is "doing well," is in good condition and is expected to make a full recovery, Marsico said.



El-Mofty pursued the trooper to a residential neighborhood, where city and state police encountered him at 17th and Mulberry streets, the DA's Office said.

"He approached them with two handguns ... firing many shots at those police officers," and the officers returned fire, killing him, Marsico said.



Eric Heisler / Dauphin County District Attorney's Office

The "series of shootings" in the center of Pennsylvania's capital city had the entire city gripped with angst and confusion. Those feelings lingered into the evening when the gunman was shot and killed, but police remained unable to approach him due to "a device" on his person, according to NBC affiliate WGAL. The device turned out to be of no importance, authorities said.

El-Mofty was armed with two handguns, believed to be 9 mm weapons, authorities said.

Marsico said El-Mofty has ties to the Middle East and recently traveled there, but the motive for the attack isn't yet known.

Marsico said the state trooper who was struck by a bullet is doing well.

A relative, Ahmed Soweilam, told PennLive.com that he and his family doesn't know what to make of the reported actions by El-Mofty, his sister's ex-husband.

"That's not his behavior at all," said Soweilam, co-owner of a Halal store in Camp Hill. "That's not him. I still don't believe it."

Soweilam said the family had been estranged from El-Mofty, who had been married to his sister until they separated about six years ago. He said El-Mofty worked as a security guard and then moved back to Egypt, his former home, until returning a few months ago. He said El-Mofty had no history of violence or mental illness.

"He's not the perfect guy, but he's not an aggressive person," Soweilam said.

Department of Homeland Security Acting Press Secretary Tyler Q. Houlton said Saturday that El-Mofty was a naturalized U.S. citizen who was admitted to the country from Egypt on a family-based immigrant visa.

"The long chain of migration that led to (El-Mofty's) admission into the United States was initiated years ago by a distant relative," he said in a statement.

Houlton said incidents like the one involving El-Mofty "highlight the Trump administration's concerns with extended family chain migration." He said chain migration and the diversity visa lottery program have been exploited by extremists.

"Not only are the programs less effective at driving economic growth than merit-based immigration systems used by nearly all other countries, the programs make it more difficult to keep dangerous people out of the United States and to protect the safety of every American," he said.

Gov. Tom Wolf said Saturday he had talked to the director of Homeland Security as federal, state and local law enforcement authorities investigate "last night's attack on law enforcement."

In an earlier series of tweets, he thanked officers who "were directly in harm's way."

"They did not hesitate and protected others from harm," Wolf said.

Grateful for the swift reaction to this incident by Capitol Police, @PAStatePolice and City of Harrisburg Police. Our officers were directly in harm's way but they did not hesitate and protected others from harm. https://t.co/s6E4ZQGvTX  Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) December 23, 2017

Marsico also expressed gratitude to state and local police for bringing a rapid end to an episode he said could have been much worse.

"This could have been a really tragic incidence with this individual firing many shots at police cars in downtown Harrisburg in the midst of rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon and then coming up here in a residential neighborhood and firing again many shots," he said.

The district attorney's office asked anyone with information about El-Mofty to call 911 or submit a tip online.
What to Know Shallow water levels in the Delaware River threatened the annual re-enactment of George Washington's Crossing.

A nonprofit that teaches Philly students to build boats donated six rowboats that can handle the river's current conditions.

The Christmas tradition remembers Washington's 1776 crossing that helped turn the tide in the Revolutionary War.

Philadelphia students with a knack for boat building have saved a Christmas tradition for "George Washington" and his "troops."

Due to low water levels in the Delaware River, the annual Christmas Day reenactment of George Washingtons crossing was in jeopardy.

Low water made it impossible to ensure safe passage for reenactors and the expensive replica wooden Durham boats that they use to cross from a park in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to the river's New Jersey side.

But, thanks to Philadelphia Waterborne, a nonprofit organization that teaches inner-city students boat-building skills, Washingtons crossing is back on this year.

That #FridayFeeling when you learn that the annual #Crossing reenactment is still on! A huge thanks to the #Philly students lending us boats that can handle the low-water conditions on the Delaware River! https://t.co/iGNBd6KBxJ pic.twitter.com/e2Yn0esqXz  Washington Crossing Park (PA) (@WashXingPark) December 22, 2017

The students are loaning the reenactors a half-dozen handmade rowboats that can be used in shallow water.

"The program is lending Washington Crossing Historic Park six handmade, 12-foot rowboats. ... The boats only draw about 6 inches of water, which means they can get across the river under current conditions," the park said in a news release.

Thousands of people turn out each year for the reenactment of an event that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War.

Boats ferried 2,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 18 cannons across the river from what is now Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, to Titusville, New Jersey, during the original 1776 crossing. Washington's troops marched about eight miles downriver before battling Hessian mercenaries in the streets of Trenton.

You wont see quite that much firepower on the rowboats this year. Still, the event in the borrowed boats remains historically accurate, organizers said.

"In fact, theres plenty of historical authenticity to this unique reenactment," organizers said. "While Durham boats were used in the original 1776 crossing, historians agree that General Washington probably used various river craft to make his daring Christmas Day crossing."

Nicholas Pagon, founder and managing director of the Philadelphia Waterborne program, said the agreement "suddenly came together." He said people in the crossing event were aware of his program and asked if they had boats that could be used.

"This is just great, so perfect for the students," Pagon said Friday. "As part of this program, I wanted them to build something real and to see they could build things that were valuable to the community, which is why being part of this Washington crossing event is so wonderful. Their work will be on display."

Roughly 75 students in Philadelphia are now involved in the program, and more than 200 have taken part overall since it began four years ago. Pagon said he plans to attend the crossing on Christmas Day, and is spreading the word to students in the program so they can also watch.

Small groups of students in the program meet weekly in their own schools to build small wooden rowboats as a team. This allows them to consider design and the cultural history of boats, along with the mathematics, physics and geometry needed for the project.

They eventually launch and row the completed boats on local rivers together.

The Washington Crossing reenactment  now in its 65th year  gets underway at noon and is free to the public. The crossing is set to occur around 1 p.m.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called on the European Union to take the lead in putting forward peace initiatives in the Middle East as trust fades in the US mediation after Trumps declaration of Jerusalem capital of Israel.

After a meeting with French President Emanuel Macron in Paris Friday, Abbas told the press that Palestinians will no longer accept any peace plan proposed by the US.

I confirmed to President Macron that after Trump announced Jerusalem as capital of Israel, I told Macron that Trump is no longer a partner in any kind of political process and can no longer be a partner in this process, what has happened and the way the US acted specifically took them out of the role of being a broker for peace, Abbas said.

President Macron for his part, ensured that the role of France is to ensure stability in the region and security for all.

A decisive vote of 128 countries in the UN for a resolution rejecting Trumps declaration took place on Thursday. The vote has been received in Washington as a stinging rebuke for Trump and a rejection of his unilateral declaration of Jerusalem as a capital of Israel.
The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, a long-awaited move that deepens America's involvement in the military conflict and may further strain relations with Russia. Moscow responded angrily on Saturday.

The new arms include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles, U.S. officials said late Friday. Ukraine has long sought to boost its defenses against Russian-backed separatists armed with tanks that have rolled through eastern Ukraine during violence that has killed more than 10,000 since 2014. Previously, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with support equipment and training, and has let private companies sell some small arms like rifles.

The officials describing the plan weren't authorized to discuss it publicly and demanded anonymity.

The move is likely to become another sore point between Washington and Moscow, as President Donald Trump contends with ongoing questions about whether he's too hesitant to confront the Kremlin. Ukraine accuses Russia of sending the tanks, and the U.S. says Moscow is arming, training and fighting alongside the separatists.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the U.S. decision will only make the conflict more deadly and suggested that Russia could be forced to respond. He also said the U.S. can no longer cast itself as a mediator. "It's not a mediator. It's an accomplice in fueling the war," Ryabkov said in a statement.

The intensified support for Ukraine's military also comes amid early discussions about sending U.N. peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine, to improve security conditions not only for Ukrainians but for monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who are on the ground.

The U.S. and other nations were cautiously optimistic when Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to send in peacekeepers. But there are major disagreements about how and where the peacekeepers would operate, especially about whether they'd be deployed only on the "line of conflict" between separatists and the government. The U.S. and Ukraine want peacekeepers deployed throughout the separatist-controlled regions stretching to the Ukraine-Russia border.

By approving a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, the Trump administration could see it as providing leverage in these negotiations. While some are skeptical about Putin's proposal, others suggest he may be looking for a way out of the conflict. Alexander Vershbow, former deputy secretary general of NATO and a former ambassador to Moscow, said a U.N. peacekeeping mission could serve as cover for Russia to withdraw its forces and weapons from eastern Ukraine.

Trump had been considering the plan for some time after the State Department and the Pentagon signed off earlier this year. President Barack Obama also considered sending lethal weapons to Ukraine, but left office without doing so.

The State Department, responsible for overseeing foreign military sales, would not confirm that anti-tank missiles or other lethal weapons would be sent. But in a statement late Friday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. had decided to provide "enhanced defensive capabilities" to help Ukraine build its military long-term, defend its sovereignty and "deter further aggression."

"U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself," Nauert said.

The White House's National Security Council declined to comment.

Although the portable Javelin anti-tank missiles can kill, proponents for granting them to Ukraine have long argued they are considered "defensive" because the Ukrainians would use them to defend their territory and deter the Russians, not to attack a foreign country or seize new territory.

In thanking the U.S. for its support, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addressed the concerns over how the weapons would be used.

"American weapons in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers are not for an offensive, but for a decisive rebuff of the aggressor, the protection of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, as well as for effective self-defense," he wrote on Facebook. "It is also a trans-Atlantic vaccination against the Russian virus of aggression."

Under law, the State Department must tell Congress of planned foreign military sales, triggering a review period in which lawmakers can act to stop the sale. It was unclear whether the administration had formally notified Congress, but lawmakers are unlikely to try to block it given that Democrats and Republicans alike have long called on the government to take the step.

The move comes as the United States and European nations struggle to break a long logjam in the Ukraine-Russia conflict that erupted three years ago when fighting broke out between Russian-backed separatists and government troops in the east. France, Russia and Germany brokered a peace arrangement in 2015 that has lowered violence but not stopped it, and a political settlement outlined in the deal hadn't been fully implemented.

In recent days, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned that violence is up about 60 percent this year. In Europe earlier this month, Tillerson called Russia's involvement the biggest tension point between the former Cold War rivals.

"It stands as the single most difficult obstacle to us renormalizing the relationship with Russia, which we badly would like to do," Tillerson said.

Both the Obama administration and the Trump administration had expressed concerns in the past that injecting more weapons into the conflict was unlikely to resolve it, especially considering that Russia is well-equipped to respond to any Ukrainian escalation with an even stronger escalation of its own. Sending lethal weapons to Ukraine also creates the troubling possibility that American arms could kill Russian soldiers, a situation that could thrust the two nuclear-armed nations closer to direct confrontation.

The United States, under Obama, also imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion and annexation of Crimea. The Trump administration has insisted those sanctions will stay in place until Moscow gives up the Crimean Peninsula.

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee, Lynn Berry and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday to denounce President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, largely ignoring Trump's threats to cut off aid to any country that went against him.

The nonbinding resolution declaring U.S. action on Jerusalem "null and void" was approved 128-9  a victory for the Palestinians, but not as big as they predicted. Amid Washington's threats, 35 of the 193 U.N. member nations abstained and 21 were absent.

The resolution, sponsored by Yemen and Turkey, reaffirmed what has been the United Nations' stand on the divided holy city since 1967: that Jerusalem's final status must be decided in direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said afterward that he completely rejects the "preposterous" resolution. He thanked Trump for his "stalwart defense of Israel" and said Jerusalem "always was, always will be" the capital of the Jewish state.

The United States and Israel had waged an intensive lobbying campaign against the measure, with U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley sending letters to over 180 countries warning that Washington would be taking names of those who voted against the U.S. Trump went further, threatening a funding cutoff: "Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care."

But in the end, major U.S. aid recipients including Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania and South Africa supported the resolution. Egypt received roughly $1.4 billion in U.S. aid this year, and Jordan about $1.3 billion.

The nine countries voting "no" were the U.S., Israel, Guatemala, Honduras, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, the Marshall Islands and Togo. Among the abstentions were Australia, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic and Mexico.

The absent countries included Kenya, which was the fifth-largest recipient of U.S. aid last year, Georgia and Ukraine, all of which have close U.S. ties.

The U.S. is scheduled to dispense $25.8 billion in foreign aid for 2018. Whether Trump follows through with his threat against those who voted "yes" remains to be seen.

After the vote, Haley tweeted a photo naming the 65 nations that voted no, abstained or were absent, and said: "We appreciate these countries for not falling to the irresponsible ways of the UN."

But within hours, the Trump administration appeared to be backing away from its funding threats. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said cuts to countries that opposed the U.S. are not a foregone conclusion.

"The president's foreign policy team has been empowered to explore various options going forward with other nations," Nauert said. "However, no decisions have been made."

Trump's pressure tactics had raised the stakes at Thursday's emergency meeting and triggered accusations from the Muslim world of U.S. bullying and blackmail.

"It is unethical to think that the votes and dignity of member states are for sale," said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. "We will not be intimidated! You can be strong but this does not make you right!"

Arab, Islamic and non-aligned nations urged a "yes" vote on the resolution.

Yemeni Ambassador Khaled Hussein Mohamed Alyemany warned that Trump's recognition of Jerusalem undermines any chance for peace in the Mideast and "serves to fan the fires of violence and extremism."

He called Trump's action "a blatant violation of the rights of the Palestinian people and the Arab nations, and all Muslims and Christians of the world," and "a dangerous violation and breach of international law."

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, who flew to New York for the meeting, called the U.S. action "an aggression on the status of Jerusalem" and said, "Those who want peace must vote for peace today."

On Wednesday, Trump complained that Americans are tired of being taken advantage of by countries that take billions of dollars and then vote against the U.S.

Haley echoed his words in her speech to the packed assembly chamber, threatening not only member states with funding cuts, but the United Nations itself.

Haley said the vote will make no difference in U.S. plans to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but it "will make a difference on how Americans look at the U.N., and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the U.N."

"And this vote will be remembered," she warned.

The Palestinians and their supporters sought the General Assembly vote after the U.S. on Monday vetoed a resolution supported by the 14 other U.N. Security Council members that would have required Trump to rescind his declaration on Jerusalem.

The resolution adopted by the assembly has language similar to the defeated measure.

It "affirms that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the holy city of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded."
A photo of exhausted Kern County firefighters battling the Thomas Fire in Montecito finally got a chance to shut their eyes, sleeping outside, after working incredible 24-hour shifts.

The 272,800-acre Thomas blaze, just within 500 acres of becoming the largest in state history, had been burning for 18 days. It was 65 percent contained by Friday.

The firefighters' photo struck a chord with many across social media after it went viral.

Many recognized that the firefighters were away from home battling the blaze so that other Southern California residents would still have a home for the holidays.
Stone Brewing has started selling its beers in China.

The Escondido-based companys brews have been available in China through the so-called grey market without company approval and were often shipped warm and with their expiration dates removed, said Greg Koch, Stone Brewing executive chairman and co-founder.

Stone beer is now shipped via the companys cold, expedited supply chain. Temperatures are tracked throughout shipping.

I returned from China energized and blown away by the welcome we received, Koch said. Our reputation has evidently preceded us, and I loved being there as our fans enjoyed the bold and complex aromas of flavors of uber fresh Stone beers for the first time.

Among the Chinese locations stocking Stone beer are Liangshi Brewerys Dao Taproom in Beijing; Tipsy Bar & Restaurant, Bravo, and The South 12 Craft Beer Bar in Guangzhou; Hugo Brewpubs Foam Ranger Taproom in Xian; The Pub in Shenzhen; and Dazhimen Beer Restaurant, and Commune in Wuhan.

Additional stories from the San Diego Business Journal are available here. Sign up for their free daily email newsletter.
A Modesto man charged with plotting a terror attack in San Francisco on Christmas Day "in support of ISIS" trained at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, military records show.

The suspect, Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, is accused of providing "material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization" between Oct. 24 and Dec. 20, and expressing his willingness to "do anything for 'the cause,'" according to an affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Christopher McKinney.

The plot was uncovered by way of a monthslong sting operation that involved two undercover FBI employees and a confidential informant.

Jameson enlisted in the Marines in Sacramento, records show. He attended basic Marine Corps recruit training and served at Camp Pendleton from June to November 2009, where he trained at the base's School of Infantry.

Jameson had earned a "sharpshooter" rifle qualification, but was discharged for "fraudulent enlistment" after failing to report that he had asthma.

According to the court document filed by the FBI, Jameson singled out San Francisco's Pier 39 as a "possible target location, noting that the best place would be a large area." He picked the popular tourist destination, saying he was familiar with it and wouldn't need to scout the location beforehand.

The time in question for the attack was between Dec. 18 and 25 because, according to Jameson, "Christmas was the perfect day to commit the attack."

When asked about an escape plan, Jameson replied "he was ready to die."

Jameson converted to Islam two years ago, the court document said. The Merced Islamic Center told NBC Bay Area that he went to the center two or three times to worship by himself, but nobody there really knew him on a personal level.

According to the complaint, Jameson "espoused radical jihadi beliefs, including authoring social media posts that are supportive of terrorism, communicating with people he believes share his jihadi views and offering to provide services to such people, including in the form of his presumably employer-provided tow truck in service of the 'cause.'"

Jameson used derogatory terms to refer to so-called enemies of radical Islam, the court document stated. "Kufr" or "kuffar," he called them.

NBC Connecticut

A confidential informant also reported that Jameson spent time "liking" and "loving" Facebook posts that were "pro-ISIS and pro terrorism," including one that featured Santa Claus armed with dynamite in New York, according to the court document.

The suspect allegedly professed support for the vehicular terror attack that killed eight people in New York City on Oct. 31 and for the 2015 mass shooting that claimed 14 lives in San Bernardino. Jameson "wanted to use a combination of the two" attacks, which McKinney believes is an indication of him wanting to inflict "casualties through the use of a vehicle and firearms."

In terms of how he could support ISIS' cause, Jameson offered funding, referred to his previous military experience  training in combat and war and the use of M-16 and AK-47 rifles  and said he could "blend in" or "shock and awe," according to the documents. In online interactions with an undercover FBI agent, Jameson also said he was willing to travel to Syria.

The pair met on Dec. 16, the court document shows. At one point, Jameson stated he needed equipment such as PVC pipes, powder, nails, timers and detonators to purportedly build some sort of explosive device. Law enforcement officials said those materials were never provided.

Jameson said he could "go to the mountains" to build the explosive devices and then return home to store them, according to the document.



But on Dec. 18, when the FBI employee tried to arrange a follow-up meeting, Jameson said that he was "very busy tonight." He then backed out of their plan.

"I also don't think I can do this after all," Jameson wrote. "I've reconsidered."

The employee said, "We only can do Allahs will," according to the document.

Jameson responded: "In Sha Allah one day I can. But I can't."

On Dec. 20, a search warrant was served at a residence in Modesto. FBI agents recovered three firearms  a Winchester .22 caliber rifle, one Ruger M77 rifle, a 9 mm handgun  along with ammunition, fireworks, a will and what appeared to be a suicide martyrdom letter.

Dated Dec. 16, the letter derides the U.S. as "nationalistic" and "Godless" and criticizes President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel.

FBI agents spoke with Jameson after his arrest. During the interview, "Jameson stated his support of ISIS and terrorism and discussed aspects of the plan to carry out an attack, noting that he would be happy if an attack was carried out, the court document noted.

The San Francisco Police Department said Friday that people can expect to see an uptick in police presence at the city's attractions through the holidays, but they had planned for the additional enforcement before this alleged plot came to light.

Acting Mayor London Breed said that there are no outstanding threats to the city in connection to the investigation into Jameson's alleged activities.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a statement, saying in part: "The Department of Justice works resolutely every day to prevent terrorist attacks. In my time back at the Department, nothing has impressed me more. Today, our incredible law enforcement officers have once again helped thwart an alleged plot to kill Americans."



Jameson is slated to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe at 2 p.m. on Friday.

If convicted, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine, according to the FBI.
What to Know Scorching at 272,000 acres, the Thomas Fire has been dubbed as the second largest wildfire in modern state history.

The blaze was contained by 60 percent since Thursday.

Officials said gusty winds could cause the inferno to grow into the state's biggest fire ever.

All evacuation orders related to the Thomas fire in Santa Barbara County were lifted Thursday, more than two weeks after the wildfire started in Ventura County and grew into one of the state's largest blazes on record.

The announcement from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department came after many evacuated residents remained out of their homes for days, taking shelter from California's second-largest wildfire.

After a welcome lull in powerful winds that drove Southern California's massive wildfire, crews and homeowners braced for the return of potentially dangerous gusts that could revive the flames. Some residents were watching from afar at hotels and evacuation centers, while others are waiting in their homes and hoping for the best.

Katy and Bob Zappala have stayed in their home in Santa Barbara, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, despite a mandatory evacuation order that's been in place since Saturday.

"Our cars are packed, we have all our clothes and jewelry, so we're ready to leave at a moment's notice should we have to," Katy Zappala, 74, said Wednesday. "We're ready to leap in and leave, and we're just keeping a good eye on the sky."

The Zappalas and their cat, Madeline, haven't left home since the evacuation order was issued because authorities wouldn't allow them back in. They're starting to run out of food and are hoping that if they make it through the next wave of winds, the ordeal will be over.

"It's a critical day," Zappala said. "You're always nervous when the winds come up."

Some 18,000 homes and other buildings remain threatened in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

The Thomas Fire, which began Dec. 4, is responsible for two deaths, has destroyed at least 750 homes, and has burned about 425 square miles (1,100 square kilometers).

The blaze scorched through 272,000 acres and was 60 percent contained. It is now the second-largest in California history. Officials said the new winds could cause it to grow into the state's biggest fire ever.

Firefighters used three days of calm conditions to bulldoze containment lines and set controlled fires to clear dry brush ahead of winds expected to whip up late Wednesday.

Forecasts called for winds of 30 mph with gusts of up to 60 mph by early evening.

That would force fire crews to fall back to safe zones rather than risk being trapped by the surging flames.

"When it's being pushed by 60-plus mph winds ... you're not getting in there and extinguishing the fire, you're just trying to get out of its way and clean up its aftermath," said Capt. David Zaniboni of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

Days and days of such fierce, often erratic gusts combined with extremely dry weather have pushed the blaze with virtually unprecedented speed, blackening more ground in weeks than other fires consumed in a month or more.

It would take an hour to drive from one end of the fire to the other by freeway, Zaniboni said.

"It's burned through downtown Ventura, it burned through the foothills of Montecito ... and it's also burning in the back wilderness up in the mountains," he said. "It's done a little bit of everything. It's massive."

"We're obviously not going to be able to put out every hotspot," Zaniboni said. "We worry about it blowing an ember, sparking a fire over the (containment) line and basically, doing it all over again."

Brian Bromberg, 57, and his fiancee, Wendy Frank, were staying at their home in Upper Ojai on Wednesday despite several brushes with death the first week of the fire.

Bromberg defended their 20-acre (8-hectare) property with buckets of water for hours as flames burned their neighbors' homes and embers began hitting theirs on Dec. 5. The couple could feel the heat from the flames as they fled the property with their four horses and later drove through a wall of fire as it jumped a major highway.

"We're basically waiting and seeing," Bromberg said of Wednesday's forecast. "I can't believe these winds keep coming back. We thought it was over."

Around his property, even though the flames went through more than two weeks ago, Bromberg said the ground was still smoking and smoldering.

"It's scary," he said. "It's like it never ends."

Those who remain evacuated are watching the blaze from afar, hoping their homes survive another possible onslaught.

"My husband has the feeling, 'Why aren't they letting us back in?'" said 82-year-old Curry Sawyer, whose Christmas tree is up still waiting for her grandkids to decorate it after she and her husband Ray were forced to flee from their Santa Barbara home two weeks ago.

"But they've got hot spots up there and if we get more Santa Ana winds, we're going to be back to square one," she said. "I'm not sure we're out of the woods."

Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Maryland officers and firefighters are rallying around a police officer who experienced a devastating loss on Wednesday.

Prince George's County Police Detective Gloria Neeld and her elderly mother have been displaced after a fire gutted the Warrenton, Virginia, home where they lived, according to a news release.

While Neeld's mother escaped the blaze, seven of their pets died in the fire, said John Teletchea, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Prince George's County.

Making matters worse, the family was not covered by the homeowners insurance policy and they have lost all of their belongings.

The Prince George's County Fire Department is asking for people to consider donating to Neeld's family through a GoFundMe page. The donations will go toward relocated Neeld's mother to an assisted living facility and helping Neeld and her lone surviving dog find shelter.

"I am confident our collective support will make a huge difference by helping Gloria to provide the necessary care for her mother while she works to rebuild her life," Taletchea said.

The GoFundMe page has raised more than $2,500 of its $30,000 goal.

Neeld works with the Criminal Investigation Division/Child and Vulnerable Adult Unit.
The director of the Family Crisis Center of Prince George's County, which oversees one of the county's only domestic violence shelters for women and children, was fired after unlivable conditions were revealed in the home.



Prince Georges County officials confirmed Wednesday that the areas only shelter for abused women and their children failed to meet standards of acceptability, days after residents told News4 they were living without proper heating in a mold-infested home.

Sophie Ford, the program's director, was terminated Friday. Residents in the shelter had accused Ford of trying to quickly clean up the home before county officials came for an inspection.

Elana Belon-Butler, the director of Prince Georges County Family Services, inspected the shelter and found conditions below par.

Things were not fine, Belon-Butler said. "We need to make sure that this facility is safe and clean. Not just for the women that are there, but their children."

Theres mice popping out of couches. Theres mold everywhere, one resident said.

2017 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Another woman said she and her daughter have asthma, making conditions at the home scary. Asthma can be aggravated by mold, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

The mold seems to grow in the bathrooms, kitchens and other areas of the house, according to photos the residents shared. Mold can even be found on food in the kitchen, residents said.

The house is also extremely cold, multiple residents reported.

I cannot even let my kids stay in the room because its so cold, a mom of four kids said.

Ford, in an interview with News4 days before her firing, denied bad conditions in the shelter. When asked if the home was warm and clean enough, she indicated it was.

The Family Crisis Center of Prince George's County is a non-profit organization funded by city and state dollars. The city have the shelter more than $300,000 last year. The state of Maryland gave the shelter over $1 million last year.

A woman who worked for the Family Crisis Center for two years, but was fired one month ago, says the pictures show the true situation.

The stuff that theyre saying is true. Those pictures are accurate, the former employee, Keiyauna Stanley-Gregg, said.

All of these women are survivors of domestic violence who went to the Family Crisis Center to escape abuse.

Theyre victims being revictimized. In a domestic violence shelter, Stanley-Gregg said.

Before the county inspectors came, residents say the Ford threw out molded food and the trash. Some residents also said someone was shredding paper, and they believe Ford was trying to dispose of evidence they had documented.

Some residents videotaped the alleged cover-up, and former employee Stanley-Gregg identified Ford in the videos.

Belon-Butler promised that the county would work closely with the shelter to fix the problems as soon as possible. The shelter has been open since 1993.

Family Services offered to house the women in hotels if they don't want to stay in the house.

If you are interested in helping the shelter, you can drop off clothing, toiletries and more at this address:

Domestic Violence Shelter Help

Prince Georges County Department of Family Services

6420 Allentown Road

Temple Hills, MD 20748
Residents of the rural town of Scotland, Connecticut, are becoming lords and ladies in the United Kingdom country of the same name.

The Scottish land preservation company Highland Titles said Tuesday it's gifting all 1,694 residents 1 square foot of land on its nature reserve in Glencoe Wood, Scotland. The residents will get courtesy titles of Lord or Lady of Glencoe and instructions on how to visit their plots.

The company sells forest land ranging from 1 square foot to 1,000 square feet so they can't be developed.

Scotland First Selectman Dan Syme says the Connecticut town was settled by a Scotsman named Isaac Magoon in 1700 and celebrates that heritage by hosting an annual Highland Festival.

Highland Titles says residents have to call Town Hall to claim their free plots.
By an overwhelming majority, Member States in the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday demanded that all countries comply with Security Council resolutions regarding the status of Jerusalem, following the United States decision to recognize the Holy City as the capital of Israel.

In a resolution adopted by a record vote of 128 in favor to nine against (Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Togo, United States), with 35 abstentions, the 193-member Assembly expressed deep regret over President trumps recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem. The Holy City is a final status issue to be resolved through negotiations in line with relevant UN resolutions, the resolution stressed.

The resolution demanded that all States comply with Security Council resolutions regarding the Holy City of Jerusalem, and not recognize any actions or measures contrary to those resolutions.

The General Assembly further affirmed that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council.

In that regard, the Assembly also called upon all States to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem, pursuant to Security Council resolution 478 adopted in 1980.

Reiterating its call for the reversal of the negative trends that endanger the two-State solution, the Assembly urged greater international and regional efforts and support aimed at achieving, without delay, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

The General assembly session was convened after the Security Council failed last Monday to adopt a similar text deploring Trumps recent decisions regarding the status of Jerusalem, as it was vetoed by the United States.
Hearing-impaired people tuning in to a news conference about the arrest of a suspected serial killer last week in Florida got a message of gibberish from an American Sign Language interpreter.

As Tampa police Chief Brian Dugan announced the arrest of Howell Donaldson Wednesday night, interpreter Derlyn Roberts was there beside him, making signs that made no sense.

"She sat up there and waved her arms like she was singing Jingle Bells," Rachell Settambrino, who is deaf and teaches American Sign Language at the University of South Florida, told the Tampa Bay Times through an interpreter.

Among the things Roberts signed, according to Settambrino, was the following: "Fifty-one hours ago, zero 12 22 (indecipherable) murder three minutes in 14 weeks ago in old (indecipherable) murder four five 55,000 plea 10 arrest murder bush (indecipherable) three age 24."

In fact, the chief was providing a timeline of the four shootings, and describing how his agency had received some 5,000 tips before arresting the 24-year-old suspect.

"I was disappointed, confused, upset and really want to know why the city of Tampa's chief of police, who is responsible for my safety ... did not check her out," Settambrino said.

The city was just as confused.

Tampa Police Department spokeswoman Janelle McGregor told the Tampa Bay Times officials are conducting a review because they didn't even request an interpreter for the Nov. 28 news conference.

At the next day's follow-up news conference, a different interpreter, Ben Zapata, was beside the chief.

It is the most recent example of an apparently unqualified signer appearing at news conferences. In September, as Hurricane Irma approached Florida and officials announced a mandatory evacuation, an interpreter in nearby Manatee County began signing words like "pizza," ''monster" and "bear," along with other gibberish.

Manatee County officials later said they were in a pinch and called on a county employee who had an understanding of sign language because he communicates with his deaf brother. However, it quickly became apparent he was in over his head. The deaf community demanded an apology and the video of the news conference went viral.

In 2013 in South Africa, a fake interpreter appeared beside former President Barak Obama and other world leaders during a memorial service for Nelson Mandela, apparently signing gibberish. He later said he is schizophrenic and had seen angels descending in the stadium where the event took place.

Settambrino said Florida, unlike some other states, does not require ASL interpreters to be certified through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, a national nonprofit that "seeks to uphold standards, ethics, and professionalism" for the field, according to its website.

Florida says only that ASL interpreters have to be "qualified," Settambrino said. "But what is that definition of qualified?"
The Salvation Army of Massachusetts is asking the public to help close a $800,000 gap in its fundraising needs for 2017.

Saturday is the final day of the Red Kettle Campaign for 2017 and the organization says that communities served by The Salvation Army in Massachusetts are now at risk of losing assistance because of the shortfall.

We are just hours away from the end of this campaign, and we desperately need help to reach our goal and to meet all of the need we anticipate in 2018, said Major David B. Davis, Massachusetts Divisional Commander. Time and again weve seen the miracle of human kindness and generosity take over when the people we serve most need it. This is one of those times, and The Salvation Army will be staffing every Red Kettle in Massachusetts to the very last moment possible.

The organization set a $3.5 million fundraising goal for 2017, however, many communities are seeing reduced fundraising.

In comparison to last year around this time, Athol is down 30 percent, Lawrence is down 40 percent, Malden is down 50 percent, Milford is down 22 percent and Plymouth is down 23 percent.

In order to reach that goal, close to $800,000 in new Red Kettle donations must be received by the end of the day on Saturday.

Davis believes that the changing consumer habits may be the main reason for the shortfall.

People dont necessarily carry and use cash in the same ways they have in the past, and every year more and more Christmas shopping transitions online, he said. This is something we are experiencing in 2017 perhaps more than ever before  and the impact on our fundraising has been severe.

Programs that the Salvation Army supports include feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, supplying meals at Thanksgiving and toys for children at Christmas, helping natural disaster victims, and much more.

Those who are not nearby to donate, can still make a donation by texting KETTLE17 to 4144 to give securely from a smartphone.
A Massachusetts man has been sentenced in New Hampshire to 17 years in federal prison for producing child pornography.

Court documents say 47-year-old Matthew Adey, of Methuen, Massachusetts, met a 14-year-old boy in an online chat group in February and requested a photo of the teen engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which was sent. The two continued to communicate.

The documents say in March, Adey traveled to the teen's home in New Hampshire and had sex with him.

A forensic analysis of Adey's computers indicated that he possessed various images and videos containing additional child pornography.

Adey, who pleaded guilty, will be on supervised release for 10 years following his release from prison.
Police investigated a second suspicious device after one was found at an apartment complex in Fall River, Massachusetts, on Thursday night.

State police say officers were called to a rear parking lot of the South Coast Landings apartment complex on North Main Street Friday night. A bomb squad responded but was called off shortly after.

A suspicious device was found in the same location at 8:17 p.m Thursday. Residents in the area were evacuated and police set up a perimeter.

The Massachusetts State Police bomb squad, the FBI, and ATF also responded to help secure the area. MSP bomb squad then inspected the package with the use of a robot and detonated the device, which state police described as a pipe bomb.



Resident George Darocha said police knocked on his door to tell him he and his neighbors had to leave.

"They said somebody found a cooler and they checked it out and there were wires and a pipe," Darocha recalled.

No injuries were reported, but the detonation did cause property damage to the door of an apartment.

The incident left many residents uneasy.

"Everybody was nervous. We didn't know half of the stuff of what was going on," said Darocha.

Police said the incident is not believed to be terrorist-related, but it is also not considered random. No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Fall River Police Department Major Crimes Division at 508-324-2796.
A vehicle collided with a school bus which was carrying 34 students in Hyde Park, Vermont, on Friday afternoon, according to officials.

Allysha M. Taylor, of Johnson, was traveling eastbound on Route 15 when she collided with the rear end of a vehicle, the Lamoille County Sheriff's Department says. However, while trying to avoid the collision, Taylor crossed into the westbound lane and was then struck by the school bus.

Out of the 34 students, nine were evaluated by local EMS and Morristown Rescue for minor injuries. No students needed to be taken to the hospital.

The drivers involved in the accident were not injured.
Man and woman were stopped by police at Chieveley Services

TWO London dealers have been jailed for supplying drugs in Newbury.

Futsum Tedla, 31, of Brixton Road, Lambeth, and Evija Sazonova, 26, of Lingard Avenue, Barnet, were both sentenced to three years behind bars at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday.

They were both found guilty of one count of possession with intent to supply class A drugs, heroin, and one count of possession of criminal property following a five day trial in November.

On March 10, 2016 Thames Valley Police received information from a member of the public who believed that occupants of a vehicle were dealing drugs in Chandos Road, Newbury.

Police officers located the vehicle and stopped it in Chieveley.

On carrying out searches, police officers found several mobile phones, a quantity of cash and seven wraps of heroin.

Tedla and Sazonova were arrested at the scene and charged with the offences on August 15 last year.

Investigating officer, PC David Burleigh said: "I am pleased with the jury's verdict and custodial sentence given to Tedla and Sazonova who came from London to West Berkshire to sell drugs.

"County drug line runners need to be aware that they cannot prey on the vulnerable in West Berkshire and get away with it.

"Thank you to the public for their continued support of the police and providing vital information when dealing and fighting crime in their community."
An international study led by scientists from Inserm and Paris Diderot University (France), the University of Chicago (USA), the National Heart and Lung Institute (UK) and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (USA) together with researchers of the Trans-National Asthma Genetics Consortium (TAGC) has discovered five new regions of the genome that increase the risk of asthma. This study was published Friday, Dec. 22 in the journal Nature Genetics.

A major finding of this study is that the genetic loci associated with asthma are enriched in epigenetic marks characterizing gene enhancers. Another key element is the shared associations of variants with asthma, auto-immune diseases and diseases with an inflammatory component. The outcomes of this work open new avenues of research with the goal of elucidating the biological mechanisms underlying asthma in relationship with environmental exposures and to promote the development of new therapies.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects more than 300 million people worldwide including 10 to 20 percent of children. It has a significant socio-economic impact. Asthma is characterized by clinical heterogeneity. Asthma results from both genetic predisposition and exposure to environmental and lifestyle factors.

The TAGC study brought together more than 45 research groups from Europe, North America, Mexico, Australia and Japan. It allowed pooling data on millions of DNA polymorphisms (genetic variants) throughout the genome in more than 142,000 asthmatic and non-asthmatic subjects of European, African, Latino and Japanese ancestry. Meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies conducted in these ethnically-diverse populations identified a total of 878 genetic variants belonging to 18 loci associated with asthma risk.

The TAGC study showed that genetic variants associated with asthma are preferentially located near epigenetic markers in immune cells, suggesting a role of these variants in the regulation of immunologically related mechanisms.

Another key element concerns the involvement of several identified candidate genes in the immune response to viruses, thus highlighting the importance of viral infections in the risk of asthma.

The genetic variants associated with asthma have also effects on autoimmune diseases and other diseases with an inflammatory component such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, neuro-psychiatric diseases, which strengthens the importance of pleiotropy in multifactorial diseases.

In conclusion, these results highlight the importance of large-scale genetic studies to better characterize complex diseases. This study opens new avenues of research aiming at integrating genomic and epigenomic data together with environmental exposures in order to elucidate the physio-pathological mechanisms underlying asthma and to promote the development of new therapies.
Philippines storm: More than 74 dead after flooding

Manila : At least 74 people were killed and over 50,000 displaced after tropical storm Tembin pounded southern Philippines, flooding large swaths of the region and causing landslides, disaster management officials on said Saturday.

In the two provinces of Lanao, at least 22 bodies were recovered while over 40 are still missing as landslides buried houses, reports Xinhua news agency.

The casualties are expected to rise. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Tembin made landfall at around 1.25 a.m., on Friday in Mindanao region, packing winds of up to 125 km per hour.

The storm barrelled to the west and its 400-km wide rain band drenched most of the country's second largest island. Floodwaters have displaced over 50,000 people in at least three provinces.

At least 21 flights have also been cancelled at the Manila International Airport, mostly domestic trips to the affected regions. Port authorities said over 6,000 passengers were stranded in various ports across the archipelago.

At least 20 typhoons and storms batter the Philippines every year. Tembin is the 22nd to hit the island nation this year. Tembin struck a few days after powerful storm Kai-Tak battered most of central Philippines last week killing at least 41.
@NewsbySmiley

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is taking heat from immigration activists over his decision to support a stop-gap measure to continue funding the federal government through mid-January despite the lack of a solution to protect scores of young undocumented immigrants facing deportation.

Nelson, who is up for reelection next year in Florida, was among a handful of Senate Democrats to vote Thursday in favor of what's known as a continuing resolution. The 66 - 32 vote, which following a favorable vote by the House, allowed the federal government to avoid a shutdown on New Year's Day.

Immigration groups wanted Nelson -- and all Democrats -- to vote against the measure in order to pressure Republican leadership to pass legislation this year protecting a class of some 800,000 Dreamers facing deportation after President Trump chose to phase out a protective Obama-era order known as DACA. Some Republicans, including South Florida's Carlos Curbelo and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, voted against the continuing funding measure for that very reason.

"Last night, Senator Nelson from Florida and a handful of Democrats voted with Republicans to prevent immigrant youth from getting the protections they desperately need," United We Dream, an immigrant, youth-led network based out of Texas, wrote in a statement after the vote.

Nelson took to Twitter Friday to say he's "proud to be a co-sponsor of the Dream Act and will keep fighting to pass it into law."

"I will continue working to make sure #Dreamers who came here at no fault of their own are not kicked out of the only country they've ever known," he wrote.

Florida House Democrats Charlie Crist, Al Lawson, and Stephanie Murphy also voted in favor of the continuing resolution, which passed 233 - 181 in the chamber. The bill, which Trump signed Friday, gives the federal government until Jan. 19 to find a permanent solution (or another short-term fix) to avoid a shutdown.
Norad has a Santa tracking website and Santa tracking apps.

For over 60 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santas flight.

On December 24, 1948, the United States Air Force issued a communique claiming that an early warning radar net to the north had detected one unidentified sleigh, powered by eight reindeer, at 14,000 feet [4,300 meters], heading 180 degrees. The Associated Press passed this report along to the general public. It was the first time that the United States Armed Forces issued a statement about tracking Santa Clauss sleigh on Christmas Eve, although it was a one-time event, not repeated over the next several years.

The program originated before the actual formation of NORAD, as an annual event on December 24, 1955. According to legend, a Sears department store placed an advertisement in a Colorado Springs, Colorado, newspaper which told children that they could place a call to Santa Claus and included the number ME 2-6681. A call allegedly came through to Colorado Springs Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center as one digit was misprinted.

Shoup asked CONADs public relations officer, Colonel Barney Oldfield, to inform the press that CONAD was tracking Santa Clauss sleigh. In his release to the press, Oldfield added that CONAD, Army, Navy and Marine Air Forces will continue to track and guard Santa and his sleigh on his trip to and from the U.S. against possible attack from those who do not believe in Christmas.

Today, NORAD relies on volunteers to make the program possible. Each volunteer handles about forty telephone calls per hour, and the team typically handles more than 12,000 e-mails and more than 70,000 telephone calls from more than two hundred countries and territories. Most of these contacts happen during the twenty-five hours from 2 a.m. on December 24 until 3 a.m. MST on December 25. A website called NORADSanta.org was established to allow project access for Internet users.
This is a long (14 page) interview with Dr. Aubrey de Grey by Ariel Feinerman.

You can donate to SENS at this link.

Ariel is a polymath. He started his carrier as an entomologist and studied systematics, morphology and ecology of Stoneflies (Plecoptera). He went on several field expeditions, including one in the Caucasus Mountains. Then Ariel switched fields and became a software engineer. He designed several projects, including a framework for interactive multimedia books.

In 2014 Ariel enrolled in the Physics Department of Saint Petersburg State University where he studied physics and pursued a research interest in medical nanomachines as potential drug delivery vehicles. His engineering expertise is a definite asset in this research area.

Ariel believes that only an interdisciplinary approach can help us win the war against aging. So in 2015-2016 Ariel also worked at the Laboratory of Plant Genetic Engineering and Laboratory of Physiological Genetics at Saint Petersburg State University. There he studied PCR, Real-time PCR, DNA Extraction, DNA Gel Electrophoresis, and genetic engineering techniques.

Now he works as a consultant in bioengineering company Youthereum Genetics.

Preface

What is aging ? We can define aging as a process of accumulation of the damage which is just a side- effect of normal metabolism. While researchers still poorly understand how metabolic processes cause damage accumulation, and how accumulated damage cause pathology, the damage itself  the structural difference between old tissue and young tissue  is categorized and understood pretty well. By repairing damage and restoring previous undamaged  young  state of an organism we can really rejuvenate it! Sounds very promising, and so it is. And for some types of damage (for example, for senescent cells) it is already proved to work!

Today in our virtual studio somewhere between cold rainy Saint-Petersburg and warm sunny Mountain View we meet a famous person. I hope everyone knows Aubrey de Grey  the man who fell to Earth in order to change our vision of aging, to fight with and to finally save us from it! For those of you who are not familiar with him here is a brief introduction.

Dr. de Grey is the biomedical gerontologist who researched the idea for and founded SENS Research Foundation. He received his BA in Computer Science and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Cambridge in 1985 and 2000, respectively. Dr. de Grey is Editor-in-Chief of Rejuvenation Research, is a Fellow of both the Gerontological Society of America and the American Aging Association, and sits on the editorial and scientific advisory boards of numerous journals and organizations. In 2011, de Grey inherited roughly $16.5 million on the death of his mother. Of this he assigned $13 million to fund SENS research.

I will not ask Dr Aubrey de Grey any of those stupid questions that journalists usually annoy him with, about his appearance, overpopulation and so on. Instead, we will talk about science and engineering that will rejuvenate our bodies, allow us to be healthy and live longer (I mean really much longer). Because of the recent breakthroughs in many fields, from bionics and applied physics to molecular biology and regenerative medicine, it can (and, I am sure, will) be sooner than you think.

Interview

Feinerman: Hello, Dr de Grey!

de Grey: Hi  thanks for interviewing me.

Feinerman: In 2012, I read an article by David Sinclair, where he described reversing the loss of mitochondrial function in old mice cells by using NAD+. I felt this was a major change. The past five years have been remarkable! Now every day I read new articles and news about age reversal. In three years, there has been the creation of a few dozen new bioengineering companies whose main goal is to reverse aging. Billions of dollars are now invested in this area. I believe we will remember 2016  2017 as the most important years in antiaging. Do you share this feeling?

Note: First phase 1 human aging reversal trials (GDF, Myostatin) will be in a year or two and George Church discusses how to affordably rejuvenate the whole body.! The first version of human CRISPR/Cas9 was created in 2013 and now it is ready for use.

In 2015 eGenesis began to work on pigs for xenotransplantation and now they claim they have created retroviruses free pigs!

In 2016 Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte has reprogrammed cells by using special factors and reverted back biological clock in live mice. And its only a tiny fraction of news.

de Grey: Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that there are indeed more and more exciting breakthroughs being made in the lab  and of course I am very proud that SENS Research Foundation is responsible for some of them. But no, in the sense that there is still a terribly long way to go; we need to fix a lot of different things in order to get rid of aging, and for some of them we are still at a very early stage in the research.

Feinerman: George Church said that his lab is already reversing aging in mice and that human applications may only be a few years away. He said: We have 65 gene therapies that are being tested in mice and larger animals. If they go well we will go straight into human trials. Church predicts that age reversal will become a reality within 10 years as a result of the new developments in genetic engineering. However, he warns that age reversal at a molecular level doesnt necessarily mean that everything else rejuvenates. No one knows what age reversal will mean for humans. Anyway, all that sounds very promising.

What do you think?

de Grey: George is exactly right, both in his urgency and optimism, and also in his caution about how much we dont yet know.

Feinerman: You have really changed the worlds opinion, but now you are behind the scene. I regularly read about new breakthroughs in the news while I dont see much about your work, even though research in SENS is more fundamental in general! When I went to the SENS web page, I was wondered how much you do. This seems like an injustice and can it be fixed?

de Grey: Oh, Im still quite prominent  Im still doing just as many talks and interviews as ever. If to some extent, my contributions are now being overshadowed by other peoples breakthroughs, thats a good thing! I have always said that my goal is to advance the crusade far enough that I can retreat into glorious obscurity because others are doing my job better than me.

Feinerman: For many people, their appearance is as important as their health. When you say that SENS 1.0 panel of therapies can rejuvenate people from 60 to 30, do they look like 30? Or can they look like 30?

de Grey: Definitely yes. When we thoroughly rejuvenate the inside of the body, the outside is the easy part!

Feinerman: Can we now say that biomedical engineering and biotechnology have entered an exponential phase?

de Grey: I think we can just about say that, yes. Its very exciting. Ending Aging revisited

Feinerman: Your famous book Ending Aging was published 10 years ago. Would you like to make a new version?

de Grey: I probably should, at some point, but its not a priority, because the overall approach that we described in that book has stood the test of time: we have made plenty of progress, and we have not come across any unforeseen obstacles that made us change course with regard to any of the types of damage. Note: If you have not read Ending Aging yet I suggest you to do it as soon as possible, and to be more comfortable with the ideas we are discussing below I highly recommend you to read a short introduction to SENS research on their web page. Also if you are interested in recent news and up to date reviews about [anti]aging and rejuvenation research the best place to look for is FightAging! blog. Finally, if you are an investor or just curious, I highly encourage you to take a look at Jim Mellons book Juvenescence.

Feinerman: You look for bacteria who feed on dead animals to find enzymes capable of breaking glucosepane. Do you consider insects? They can eat nearly everything  and much faster!

de Grey: Nice idea, but were looking for a different sort of eating. Insects eat stuff and excrete what they cant digest, just like us. Bacteria are much more versatile.

Feinerman: Many insects have no special enzymes, instead they rely on bacteria who do all the work. In any case they are nice place to look for!

de Grey: Yeah, well, not really. Insects have commensal bacteria, yes, but so do we. In general, though, bacteria that are living freely in the environment are more diverse than those in the guts of animals. Feinerman: How do you find useful bacteria?

de Grey: We are using a metagenomic strategy for identifying enzymes that can break glucosepane: we take standard E. coli bacteria, we break one or two of their genes so that they become unable to synthesise one or another chemical (in this case typically arginine or lysine) so that they need to take it up from their surroundings, and then we add random DNA from the environment (which could come from any bacteria, even unculturable ones) and add bits of it to the E. coli. Very occasionally the new DNA may encode an enzyme that breaks glucosepane, and if so, the bacteria will grow even without any arginine or lysine in the environment, if (but only if) we give them glucosepane instead and they break it to create arginine and lysine.

Feinerman: In your book you proposed WILT  the removal of telomerase in all cells in order of preventing cancer and reseeding stem cell population regularly. Is any success in that? And wouldnt it be simpler to use non integrating telomerase therapy to safely lengthen telomeres? Like approaches developed in Sierra and BioViva?

de Grey: We are making progress there, yes; in particular we have shown that telomerase-negative stem cell reseeding works for the blood. However, no, the problem with non-integrating telomerase is that it will extend cancer telomeres just as much as normal cells telomeres. I support that research, though, not least because there may be breakthroughs in combating cancer in other ways (especially with the immune system), in which case it would be much safer to stimulate telomerase systemically.

Feinerman: Now we have very precise CRISPR, and removing genes is easier than inserting ones because you can target the same cell more than once. When we solve delivery problem can we be able to apply WILT?

de Grey: Yes, certainly.

Feinerman: Why dont we know if medicine can remove telomerase locally in compromised tissue?

de Grey: Its being tried, but it is very difficult to make the removal selective.

Feinerman: There is growing evidence that epigenetic changes are highly organized and may be one of the causes of aging. This allows some researchers to claim that aging is a programme. It does not matter, however, how researchers see such changes  as a programme or as a damage. But restoring previous epigenetic profile by special reprogramming factors we can turn old cell in the young cell, and resetting profile we can turn adult cell to pluripotent stem cell. Experiments show that restoring epigenetic profiles of many cells in vivo rejuvenates an entire organism. What do you think? Maybe should we consider epigenetic changes as another type of damage in SENS model, calling EpiSENS?

de Grey: We need to be much more precise with definitions in order to answer your question. Epigenetic changes can be classified into two main classes: shift and noise. Shift means changes that occur in a coordinated manner among all cells of a given type and tissue, whereas noise means changes that occur in some such cells but not others, increasing the variability of that type of cell. Shifts are caused by some sort of program (genetic changes to the cells environment), so yes, they can potentially be reversed by restoring the environment and putting the program into reverse. Noise, on the other hand, is not reversible. And we have for several years worked on determining whether it happens enough to matter in a currently normal lifetime. We have not got to a definitive answer, but its looking though no, epigenetic noise accumulates too slowly to matter, other than maybe for cancer (which, of course, we are addressing in other ways).

Feinerman: Should we use transcription factors to reverse the epigenetic programme?

de Grey: Probably not. There may be some benefits in doing so, as a way to restore the numbers of certain types of stem cells, but we can always do that by other methods (especially by direct stem cell transplantation), so I dont think we will ever actually NEED to dedifferentiate cells in vivo.

Feinerman: One thing keeps me out of bed at night: the fear that stochastic nuclear DNA damage and mutations may play a big role in aging. Ten years ago you proposed that most of the cells which have critical DNA mutations either make apoptosis, become senescent or cancerous. But if mutations are not critical, cells will live, accumulate them  one broken protein here, another one there  and it will finally lead to malfunction of the organ.

de Grey: Dont worry. These mutations dont accumulate nearly fast enough to harm us, because they are prevented by the same machinery that prevents cancer for a currently normal lifetime, and cancer can kill us as a result of only one cell doing the wrong thing, whereas non-critical mutations would need to affect a huge number of cells in order to affect the function of a tissue.

Feinerman: If it is proved that nuclear DNA damage and mutations play a role in aging do you have something in your pocket? I believe you already thought on that. How will we fix the problem? Maybe, extensive stem cell therapy (like proposed Whole-body Induced Cell Turnover)?

de Grey: Right. But they dont play a role. Note: Whole-body Induced Cell Turnover (WICT) consists of the qualitative and quantitative coordination of targeted cell ablation with exogenous cell administration so as to effect the replacement of a patients entire set of endogenous cells with exogenous cells (of the same quantity and cell type as the ablated endogenous cells they are replacing) derived from human pluripotent stem cells and directionally differentiated in vitro prior to their administration. The idea of WICT was firstly proposed in 2016 and improved in 2017 year. The aim of WICT is the removal from the organismal environment of accumulated cellular and intracellular damage present in the patients endogenous cells, including telomere depletion, nuclear DNA damage and mutations, mitochondrial DNA damage and mutations, replicative senescence, functionally-deleterious age-related changes in gene expression and accumulated cellular and intracellular aggregates.

Feinerman: What do you think on the WICT? Combined with WILT it looks like all-in-one solution when implemented.

de Grey: The general idea of accelerating cell turnover is definitely a good one. It is a bit like the idea of replacing whole organs: if you replace the entire structure, you dont need to repair the damage that the structure contains. However, also like replacement of organs, it has potential downsides, because evolution has give us a particular rate of turnover of particular cells, and the function of each of our cell types is optimised for that. So it may end up being complicated, with many pros and cons.

Feinerman: While other rejuvenating therapies (excepting, maybe, OncoSENS) are achievable in the near future and dont involve special genetic surgery, full allotopic expression is a really long way to go. What do you think on the mimic approaches, for example, NMN which rises NAD+ level and restores mitochondrial function in a cell?

de Grey: It may help to preserve health a little, but I think it is very unlikely to extend life by more than a year or two on average (and it could be even less than that). But we are working hard to develop better methods of gene therapy that may make allotopic expression practical sooner than people think.

Feinerman: Oh, can you unveil the mystery?

de Grey: Well, basically we are combining two technologies that are both very very safe (in the sense that they have very low incidence of random DNA damage) but they have complementary limitations. One is CRISPR, which can make small changes very safely to a chosen location in the genome but cannot insert more than very small amounts of new DNA. The other is a very neglected system called BXB1 which can insert large amounts but only into a location that does not exist in the mammalian genome. Our idea is to use CRISPR to insert the BXB1 landing pad at a good location and then to use BXB1 to insert our chosen engineered genes at that location. We are developing this at the Buck Institute in Brian Kennedys lab.

Feinerman: Thank you for your explanation! However, there is a big problem with all genetic therapies. We need to target every cell in the body, and now it is nearly impossible. Our best delivery systems involving adeno-associated viruses (AAV) available today have only 10  50% efficiency. We should honestly admit that we still have no universal instrument for introducing new genes in an adult human. How will you solve this problem?

de Grey: We believe that the approach I described in my earlier answer will achieve a much higher efficiency, because its lack of off-target effects means it can be used at much higher titer.

Feinerman: The main SENS approach is to rejuvenate our own bodies, but also there is a regenerative medicine which involves tissue and organ engineering. Wont it be easier to print or grow new organs instead of rejuvenating the old ones? Of course, we cannot replace everything, but we can replace some critical parts: we can grow new heart, liver, muscles, and, indeed, skin.

Note: Tissue and organ engineering is among the most fast-growing areas of regenerative medicine. Engineers have already bio-printed or grown in bioreactors almost all human organs. Now they are used mostly for testing new therapies or drugs. The main problem why they cannot be used for transplantation now is the vascularisation challenge. While engineers can bio-print or grow arteries and big vessels, they are still unable to create the vasculature  the web of tiny vessels and capillaries within the organ. Companies like Organovo pursue this goal and promise to solve it within next decade.

de Grey: Thats absolutely correct. I expect that in the early days of implementing SENS, some organs will be easier to replace than to repair. However, of course replacing an organ requires invasive surgery, so we will want to develop repair eventually.

Feinerman: You emphasize that stem cell research is already a well advanced field and SENS has not needed to get involved in this area. As far as I know many of them are for very specific diseases and not for rejuvenation. Or will we get it as a side-effect?

de Grey: As you know, I dont think that diseases of old age should be called diseases at all  they are parts of aging, so their treatment is definitely part of rejuvenation. A great example right now is Parkinsons disease  there are several stem cell clinical trials in progress or in preparation for it.

Feinerman: Do you mean they are parts of aging like runny noses and cough are parts of flu? So treating them separately is as foolish as treating cough without addressing the flu virus.

de Grey: Its even worse than that. Treating runny nose and cough makes some sense, because the body will get on with attacking the flu virus anyway, and it makes sense to be less miserable during that time. But with aging, were just talking about different parts of a phenomenon that the body does not know how to attack.

Feinerman: What in your opinion will be the order of arrival of rejuvenating therapies?

de Grey: Well, a lot of the stem cell side of things is in clinical trials already, and removal of amyloid is there too in the case of Alzheimers. Next on the list will probably be senescent cell ablation, which Unity Therapeutics is saying will be in the clinic next year, and removal of intracellular garbage for macular degeneration will also be, courtesy of our spinout Ichor. The other three are harder but they are all chugging along.

Feinerman: There are about twenty various types of amyloids, we can see some success in removing transthyretin and beta-amyloid. What is about others? Can we scale success in removing the above two on the others?

de Grey: Im very confident that the removal of other amyloids can be achieved using more or less the same methods that have worked against those two. The next one on my list would be islet amyloid, which contributes to diabetes.

Feinerman: As far as I know intracellular junk in the eyes is not lipofuscin per se but A2E, oxidized form of vitamin A. Is any progress in removing true lipofuscin  more widespread form of intracellular junk.

de Grey: We have funded some preliminary work on that, but its still early. The difficulty is that lipofuscin is very heterogeneous, made up of many different components. Our strategy is to target it more like the way we target the extracellular matrix: rather than breaking it down, we want to identify some key crosslinks that are protecting it from being degraded by our existing lysosomal machinery.

Feinerman: Now everyone is obsessed with aging biomarkers and biological clock. Are they valid conceptions? Is it possible to have a single clock for the whole body? Maybe can we just use every type of damage as a biomarker and keep it below certain threshold?

de Grey: I agree with you  ultimately, we still need to fix the damage, so there is not much more that indirect proxy measures can tell us. These indirect measures are useful today, though, when we dont have those repair therapies, because they help us to see what interventions may (slightly) slow down the accumulation of damage. WHO, FDA and new medicine.

Feinerman: FDA has a very long approval for new therapies or drugs. What do you think on medical tourism and biohacking as an alternative way?

de Grey: There have always been places with less restrictive regulatory systems for new drugs  medical tourism is nothing new. I think the key thing we should be doing more of is making better use of those who choose to go abroad to get treated: we should make it as easy as possible for them to report on what treatment they received and how well it worked, any side-effects, etc, for a long time after the treatment, so that such information can be analysed and used to guide future research. The people who provide experimental therapies dont have any incentive to gather such data themselves, so it usually never gets gathered.

Feinerman: Does SENS Research Foundation or associated companies hold regular meetings with FDA to inform them and clear the way for the new rejuvenation medicine? Some components of the SENS 1.0 panel are already in development or clinical trials, and others will arrive during next 20 years. These new coming medicine uses completely different repair-based rather than compensatory approach and needs different clinical trials protocols and the whole new health paradigm. Transition period has already begun and we should use it wisely, otherwise US may become an outsider in the medical world.

de Grey: I look forward to the day when we have such meetings, but thats a little way off. Thats OK, though, because companies that are pursuing various components of SENS are indeed having such discussions. The FDA and its counterparts worldwide are being kept up to speed.

Feinerman: We already have many amazing results in the lab which can save human lives just now, but lack of funding and up-regulated medical system dont give them any chance to be in clinics in coming years. With current pace of progress they will already be outdated before clinical trials. Do you think that translational research becomes the bottleneck?

Note: Even though 90% of US deaths and at least 80% of US medical costs are caused by aging: National Institutes of Health budget ($M): ~30,000 National Institute of Aging budget: ~1,000 Division of Aging Biology budget: ~150 Spent on translational research (max): ~10 SENS Research Foundation budget: ~5 These numbers speak for themselves, they are all you need to answer when all discussed amazing therapies will be available in the clinics.

de Grey: I think things are improving. The idea of real rejuvenation is becoming more and more accepted. At this point, therefore, I would say that the main bottleneck is still at the earliest stage: the funding for work that is not yet investable.

Feinerman: The current WHOs agenda is kind of shame! They know that fire is coming but they prepare gasoline to put it out with. Do you agree that the conception of healthy aging is a nonsense? Aging cannot be healthy because if you are healthy you, well, do not age. WHO forces people to be more comfortable with aging instead of fighting with it. They recommend to spend billions to build more nursing houses and buy more wheelchairs instead of investing these money into rejuvenation biotechnology! Its ridiculous!

de Grey: Well, I think we need to do both things: we need to maintain older peoples quality of life as best we can with the limited tools we have today, and we also need to develop better tools. Terms like healthy aging are indeed double edged: on the one hand there is, indeed, obviously no such thing, but on the other hand the terminology helps to emphasise that the purpose of all our work is to extend healthspan, with the extension of lifespan being simply a side-effect. Rejuvenation research wont fund itself

Feinerman: When I ask people to donate to SENS Research Foundation they often say that their a few bucks dont matter. Of course, they are wrong! Every dollar, even every cent matters! For example, how many people may read this? We assume 10 000. Well, if every of you will donate $50, only $50, per month it will be over $5 000 000 per year! Which will double current SENS budget. So, united we can change the world. We cannot and should not wait when governments and big pharma will fund rejuvenation research. (In fact they wont, they will wait and see the first results.) We can do it ourselves! What can you say to our readers to encourage them?

de Grey: You are saying it really well. One way to say it is to calculate how many dollars it would take to save a life by donating to SENS. I estimate that a budget of $50M per year would let us go three times faster than now and would bring forward the defeat of aging by about a decade. About 400 million people die of aging in a decade, so that means donating to SENS has a bang-for-the-buck of roughly one life per dollar. No other cause comes anywhere near that.

Feinerman: Another doubt that people usually express is how does SENS Research Foundation do anything meaningful with such a small budget? While NIH and many others have hundreds of millions per year and cannot cope with aging, SENS has only $5 000 000 per year. I answer that SENS is a highly efficient organization, goal-directed and result-oriented rather than process-oriented. Everyone can go through SENS web page and read last years annual report.

de Grey: Thank you!  that is indeed correct. Almost all research that is funded by governments is almost useless, because its effects on health will be tiny. SENS is different because it is a coherent, comprehensive plan for bring aging under complete medical control.

Note: Unfortunately, I [Feinerman] agree with Dr de Grey. If you take a close look at NIH funded work well You will find hundreds of publications about obesity, lifestyle, air pollution and their impact on longevity. Dont you know that obesity, smoking and much drinking of alcohol is bad for you? How can this information may help us create a new cure against cancer, Alzheimer or atherosclerosis? Do we really need another one work on it? Also you can find many publications about calorie restriction and various genetic manipulations on worms and other model organisms that mimic it. Calorie restriction is everywhere! While we know for twenty years that CR does not work for humans. In 2015, $500,000 was given to projects like A Large Randomized Trial of Vitamin D, Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cognitive Decline. Its not a joke, its a real research work. You can find more here. All that is useless because you cannot use it to produce working rejuvenation therapies. Only small part of these publications are useful in the sense of defeating aging. Do you know what is the most interesting? Its all your taxes, all you money! Now you know that. At the same time really important research projects like work on glucosepane breaker therapy (which will end many aging pathologies like arterial stiffness, chronic inflammation, hypertension, strokes, and will save many lives) in Spiegel Lab at Yale is permanently underfunded and would be closed last year without financial support from SENS Research Foundation and German entrepreneur Michael Greve. Finally, the cost of implementing the working rejuvenation treatments in old mice would by current estimates be only 1-2% of the Apollo Program. And the same amount of money and time was already spend on Sirtuins which have obviously produced nothing.

Feinerman: Can you say what Project|21 is, why it is so important and how people can help?

de Grey: Project|21 is our name for our appeal to wealthy individuals. We of course welcome donations of any size, but at present it remains the case that most of our income is donated by a small number of wealthy donors, so it stands to reason that we are doing all we can to attract more of those. What other people can do to help is easy  donate what you can, and encourage donations by friends who are wealthier than you! Note: Project|21 is a new initiative created by SENS Research Foundation to end age-related disease through human clinical trials, starting in 2021, through investment in rejuvenation biotechnology. Through three new programs, the Bridge fund, The Center of Excellence, and The Alliance Program, Project|21 will deliver the perfect environment for this fusion of opportunity and investment. $50 million in total funding is required for Project|21, at least half of which will come from the members of SENS Research Foundations Group|21. Group|21 will bring together 21 philanthropists, each donating between $500,000 and $5 million. Grants, grassroots efforts, and matching-fund strategies will provide the remaining support. $5 millions was already donated by German Internet entrepreneur Michael Greve. Thank you, Mr Greve! You are our hero!

Feinerman: Some people prefer to donate not to the whole organisation, but rather to concrete project or lab. Of course, it is not among the most convenient and efficient ways to manage money but anyway do you consider such an option?

de Grey: Certainly yes. We sometimes have projects that cannot be funded because there is too little unrestricted money to go around, but for the most part we are able to make it work, so absolutely, if anyone wants to restrict a donation to a particular project, we are totally happy to work with that.

Feinerman: Now cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies allow completely new and efficient ways for crowdfunding and investment. We can see as various no-name companies easily rise tens of millions dollars via ICO for clearly doubtful projects. While really important areas like generative medicine, rejuvenation biotechnology or bionics are permanently experiencing an acute thirst of money. Do you consider ICO for Project|21? I believe it perfectly fits into ICO conditions and requirements!

de Grey: Its definitely important for us, and we are working closely with various people who are experts in cryptocurrencies. Vitalik Buterin, who created Ethereum, is actually a donor. We very much hope to bring in substantial funding via that route. Human psychology not the science is the key issue in defeating aging.

Feinerman: When I ask people, do they want to live hundreds of years? many of them say no, but when I ask them, do they want to look and feel like 30 being 70? they say yes, of course! I hope, you got my idea: people are afraid of big numbers. People dont want to live forever, they just want not to be sick forever, even though big numbers logically emerge from not being sick. Have you ever regret about your claims about big numbers and 1000 years lifespan? People usually understand them in the wrong way. Some your colleagues say that without such claims your ideas would be much more popular.

de Grey: It has always been a difficult decision. Yes, people are afraid of big numbers and they are really bad at reasoning about the distant future. But the most important thing, in the long term, is that I am saying what I believe to be true and that I can always give very thorough, logical answers to any challenges. If I had gone out in 2005 saying that we could live to 150 with rejuvenation tech, and people had said why not 250, I would not have had a good answer, and people would not have trusted me. In the end it always works best if you tell the truth.

Feinerman: What do you think of 2013 work The hallmarks of aging, which is obviously inspired by your seven types of damage? They look more sophisticated, and harder to deal with. Anyway, does it mean that researches finally demystified aging and recognised it as a solvable problem?

de Grey: Youre right, it was definitely a reinvention of SENS. It had quite a few mistakes, but the basic idea of divide-and-conquer damage repair is identical. It is not at all more sophisticated, its the same. And yes, it means that mainstream researchers have finally accepted that aging is now pretty well understood and is solvable.

Feinerman: Although, biomedical gerontologists do not afraid to speak about aging any more, as it was 10 or even 5 years ago, which itself is a very big step, they are still very sceptical  at least publicly  about our ability to put aging under medical control in a foreseeable future. You know many of them in person, is it their real opinion? Maybe, face to face, they are more optimistic? Note: I think that gerontologists should take a lesson from physicists and engineers. When physicists realised that our Sun uses nuclear fusion reaction they was excited by the idea to build a fusion reactor. Being full of courage they started to work and immediately came across many obstacles. Although reaction itself is very simple, the processes behind it are complex. However, engineers havent given up and said: We dont fully understand these processes so lets stop working and study the Sun for 100 years. They continued to work as hard as they can, built many working prototypes, and now we are much closer to commercial nuclear fusion reactor than ever before. And they are full of optimism! If you ask any physicist, is it possible to build such a reactor? he answer: Yes, of course! And if you ask an engineer, when can we build it? he probably says: 20  25 years, and it can be much sooner, if we have enough funding. Sounds similar, doesnt it? Aging is the same. But when you ask a gerontologist, can we defeat aging, he likely calls you a crazy. Why? They are both engineering problems!

de Grey: Well, maybe some of them are slightly more optimistic in private than they are in public, but really no  the problem is that they are basic scientists, so they are trained not to believe anything for which they do not have direct evidence. They just dont like to speculate about time frames, even in private.

Feinerman: Yeah. With current pace of progress anything beyond 2030 is uncertainty. However, what I know exactly is that if we want to have something working in 2030 we should work very hard in the right direction just now. So why do many [anti]aging researches consciously or unconsciously choose the most inefficient and ineffective way  altering metabolism via genetic manipulations or medications to only slightly possibly modestly slow down aging  and use that as a proof (!) that we cannot radically extend human health and lifespan? Such an example is ridiculous by itself and nearly impossible in any research or engineering area, except biomedical gerontology!

de Grey: That is not something specific to anti-aging research. In all research areas, the leaders always think they are right and take a long time to understand radically new ideas.

Feinerman: Maybe, that is the reason? Maybe we need to have less gerontologists who merely study aging and more biomedical engineers who repair damage? In other words we should switch our focus from aging research to rejuvenation engineering. Since aging is an engineering problem, then from the gerontologists point of view it looks like not my job to reverse it.

de Grey: Exactly. The main problem is that until only 17 years ago no one had any coherent plan for fixing aging, so it made sense to carry on treating gerontology as a basic science in which the priority was to discover more about it rather than to manipulate it. And 17 years is not very long in science, so the people who are most senior and influential are still the people who formed their mindset in the pre-rejuvenation era.

Feinerman: Unfortunately, the vast majority of biomedical engineers, those who do actual rejuvenation research, do not want to be associated with any [anti]aging business and life extension, are not involved in longevity discussions and usually keep silence. When pressed, they, however, are not very optimistic about life extension. Its quite surprisingly to hear such claims from cutting-edge researchers, especially from those who recently promised to print or grow all vascularised human organs to 2035 and grow new limbs to 2030. If it is not about life extension, so what is it all about? Why do they behave in such a manner? Because of pro-aging trans? Or because they are too specialised and cannot see the whole picture? For example, cell engineers make predictions as though there will be no progress in bionics, and bionics engineers make predictions as though the will be no progress in cell engineering. Each technology alone unlikely will be game changer but when combined their impact will be enormous!

de Grey: Youve got it. These technologies are developed largely independently of each other, so their leaders are largely unaware of how much progress is being made in the other areas. Since SENS is a divide-and-conquer approach, one cannot be optimistic about the overall outcome unless one is informed about all the components. Thats the main reason why I ran the Cambridge conference series starting in 2003, which is being revived in Berlin in March 2018  to bring the leaders of these fields together.

Feinerman: Thank you very much for your amazing interview! Our conversation was wonderful! I wish you all your wishes come true as soon as possible. When we succeed, I hope we will shake our hands one hundreds years from now, walking along the waterfront of Mars City which Elon Musk has promised to start to building in 2020s. Ah, and when you meet with him, remind him, please, that we will not be able to colonise Mars until we defeat aging! Because microgravity and cosmic radiation have the same implications on human organism as premature aging.

de Grey: Thank you for your support!

Afterwords

We live in the exciting era, The Era of Very Rapid Progress in science and technology  era when many things which were merely a science fiction only five years ago are common now, and things that are no more than a science fiction now will be common in next five years. At the same time we live in The Era of Great Uncertainty  era when our small everyday life decisions may have a huge impact on next several decades. One step to the right  and we may defeat aging in twenty years. One step to the left  and the whole research areas will stagnate for another twenty years (like it was in the case of glucosepane research).

New rejuvenation medicine is still very young and fragile like the first spring flower after dry and cold winter. In these days it especially needs our support! Even in such relatively advanced fields like stem cell or cancer research there are grey underfunded and under-researched areas we need to care of.

Of course, you wish to know the time frames  when will we defeat aging? You wish to know, will you personally benefit? Nobody knows. I intentionally did not ask Dr Aubrey de Grey about the time frames and predictions. The will be no more time frames. Enough. Because they give you an illusion that some good clever guy will do all the work needed, while you may just relax, wait when he finish and live long enough to live forever. But he wont! It is too big, too ambiguous project for one person. Now you know  your future only in your hands. Not live long enough but work long enough! I always say that scientific and technological progress is a function of efforts  not of the time. The only way to get rid of a painful uncertainty and get to the definitive answer is to support meaningful rejuvenation research just now!

How can you help? Well, if you are a researcher yourself, then spend your time and money on the meaningful repair-based approach which will produce working rejuvenation therapies in the foreseeable future. If you are a businessman  donate money to SENS Research Foundation and allies  Project|21, Methuselah Foundation, Forever Healthy Foundation, Life Extension Advocacy Foundation or directly support research groups. Invest in the associated rejuvenation companies or found your own. If you are a celebrity, then use your fame to give attention to the problem and such a research. If you are an ordinary person, well, you can encourage your more influential friends and do almost the same  just scale your abilities!

Some of you may ask: is it real? I hope we gave you enough evidence. Yes, of course, its real. Mover, its already happening! The right question, however, is is it happening fast enough to help us  currently living adult persons? And the answer is, probably, no. Of course, the may (and likely will) be many unexpected breakthroughs but we should not rely on probability and scientific serendipity when we talk about human lives (especially our own). We should rely on well-written plan, reasonable budgeted and our efforts.

So the next question is can we speed up the progress? Yes, we can! All we need to do is what Dr Aubrey de Grey said many times before and what I have just said above  unite against our main enemy and help researchers. But will we? Although, people rarely think and behave rationally I prefer to be cautiously optimistic! See you on Mars!
Hemmed in by war and geography, Yemen's 28 million people are essentially trapped. It's tough to get out by air, it's dangerous by land, and the sea crossing to Africa is perhaps the most perilous of all - especially if, like Awzra Abdusaid, you can't swim.

In early September, Abdusaid and her adult son boarded a fishing boat in the southern port of Aden. It was her first time at sea and she had sold her gold earrings to pay 35,000 Yemeni riyals ($140) for the journey. They set sail into waters patrolled by various foreign navies, swarming with pirates, and buffeted by heavy winds. By evening, their small vessel had arrived at the fishing village of Obock in northern Djibouti, site of the only United Nations camp for refugees from Yemen's often-forgotten war.

Since her escape fighting has intensified, alliances have shifted and the country has sunk deeper into a humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia, which is leading the war on rebels linked to Iran, has stepped up bombing and tightened an economic blockade. There are signs that the U.S. is getting impatient with its ally - yet America continues to provide military support for the Saudi campaign. Meanwhile, inside Yemen, cholera and famine are spreading.

"Anyone who's tasted the pain there will try to flee," Abdusaid said.

If they can. When Abdusaid got to the U.N. camp she found about 1,100 fellow Yemenis there, a tiny fraction of the 3 million who've been forced from their homes. The longer Yemen's conflict goes on, and the deadlier it becomes, the harder it is to get out. It's estimated that about 180,000 people have left the country, compared with perhaps 5 million from Syria, which has a similar population.

"This is how we feel - that the whole world is saying, 'the Yemenis should stay in their country and die,"' said Suha Basharen, a gender researcher in the capital, Sana'a.

Yemen is the Arab world's poorest country. Although plenty of women worked before the war, cultural expectations were that men supported their households.

In recent years, though, men have been disappearing to the frontlines to fight. Tens of thousands have been killed or injured. Many more saw their incomes evaporate, as Yemen's government stopped paying the salaries that about 30 percent of the population depended on.

"Who's taking the burden of all this? It's women," Basharen said.

That wartime shift is happening inside Yemen, where stories are spreading of women breaking taboos by selling vegetables at street stalls, or starting bakeries. Journalists are largely barred from entering Yemen, so it's difficult to capture the trend. But it's happening among refugees too.

"Women have become the sole breadwinners of entire families," said Mayada Saleh, who works at a non-governmental organization in Amman, Jordan - one of the few countries where Yemenis can get refugee status. "When the war started, women started to look for creative ideas to earn more money and to make ends meet."

That's a constant preoccupation at the Obock camp in Djibouti.

It was set up three years ago, in an area that has centuries-old ties with Yemen. In the early days, there were security problems for women and their families: Aid workers reported cases of adolescent girls lured into sex work in exchange for food and money.

Now, the camp has settled into life as a makeshift Yemeni village.

Several aid agencies have set up shop, offering handicraft lessons and reading programs. Children run in and out of neighbors' tents. And men, when they can get it, chew on the country's beloved qat, a mild narcotic.

The camp's men work in fishing and construction, at restaurants in town, or for aid agencies. Or, like Ahmad Abdu Ragab, not at all. Ragab, shirtless with wisps of thinning white hair, interrupts another man complaining about the quality of qat. He has a deeper problem with the camp arrangements. There aren't enough jobs and only a bare minimum of food, mostly rice, he said. "We've become addicted, like sheep."

The qat offers comfort, and a reminder of lost lives. Meanwhile, many of the camp's women are having to break new ground.

---

Mahina Saleh, a middle-aged divorcee, has been in the camp since its early days. She crossed by sea from Dhubab on Yemen's southwestern tip, along with her children and relatives, after their coastal homes were destroyed in the war.

Inside her tent, Saleh displays a series of purses and wallets she's made at the camp. One design has a labyrinth of red and khaki squares, another is like a rainbow.

"The most important thing is money," she said. "If you have money, you can be mobile."

Saleh appreciates the aid efforts of camp officials, but says the monthly rations aren't enough for her family. So she and other women turned to sewing. They use their own money to buy supplies, then sell their products to shops in Djibouti's capital, three hours away, for about 750 Djiboutian francs ($4.20) apiece - half what they're worth, she says.

"I think about how I used to live in Yemen," Saleh said. "I imagine, and then I cry, and contemplate suicide. And then I say, God forgive me. And then I tell myself, 'This is my destiny, this is what was written for us by the Most Merciful."'

The midday call to prayer reverberates through the camp.

Deep in the capital's central bazaar, the Souk al-Dhubab, is where Saleh's handiwork finds a market. It's a bustling scene. Hawkers sell perfume and Yemeni sweets; women crush into a small abaya shop, sizing up the designs.

Further down, another refugee is selling her own goods.

Afrah Suhail's shop has signs in Arabic and French. Open the door, and a waft of bukhoor, Yemeni frankincense, fills the air. Inside, tubs of Yemeni and Ethiopian honey sit on shelves, along with spices and herbal teas. Almost everything is hexagonal, from the yellow honeycombs painted on the walls, to the light fittings and storage boxes. "It's all my idea," says Suhail from behind her desk.

Trained as a chemist, Suhail worked for Yemen's education ministry before the war. She flew to Djibouti with her teenage son shortly after the fighting started and hadn't reckoned on staying there. But Egypt - where she was planning to join some relatives - imposed new entry requirements for Yemenis. Suhail found herself with a visa to nowhere. The money she'd brought out of Yemen started to dry up.

Then, her son fell ill with a high fever. She couldn't find a taxi, and had to carry him to the hospital. She found herself thinking of the remedies she would've tried at home - including honey, for which Yemen is famous. And she was surprised that she couldn't find anywhere selling it.

"I wasn't thinking about honey as a business," Suhail said. "But suffering produces ideas."

---

For Suhail's husband and his family, the idea of a woman running a shop was outlandish. She blames tribal and cultural traditions - not religious principles - for the taboo, which is shared by younger Yemeni males. "My son started asking, 'How are you going to go out and how are you going to open a shop and stand there?'" Suhail said. "He was in shock."

Still, she arranged for the sale of her car and other assets back in Yemen, and found a store to rent. Family members helped out with money, and sent tubs of honey from her homeland; she also found suppliers from Ethiopia. The shop opened in August 2015.

"I had a comfortable lifestyle in Yemen," Suhail said. "I had to push myself through a much harder situation here." The store has brought in enough money for her to send her mother and son to Egypt, once visa rules were eased. The boy, Majdi, studies there; back in Djibouti during vacation, he was helping his mother with the labelling as she poured dark honey from five-liter tubs into smaller jars. When he was gone, for almost a year, Suhail said she felt alone.

"Yemeni men come to me and say, 'How could you open the project all by yourself, as a woman, in Djibouti?"' she said. "I transformed from a refugee into a businesswoman."

Yemenis like Suhail who earn money abroad are sending much of it back to their homeland - providing a lifeline for the broken economy. Remittances totaled about $3.4 billion in 2014, the last available estimate, according to the World Bank. That's about 8 percent of GDP.

---

Across the sea, Jordan has a sizable concentration of refugees from Yemen, with about 8,500 officially registered. They tend to be better-off than their compatriots in Djibouti, and many were already in Jordan when the war broke out.

In mid-September a group of them gathered at a hip co-working space in Amman. They're a mash-up of students, consultants for international NGOs, and job-seekers.

Most feel welcomed by Jordanians, but many also grumble that it's hard to get by in this expensive Arab capital, which also hosts some 2 million Syrian refugees. You can get a residency permit by depositing 20,000 dinars ($28,000) in a Jordanian account. Few have that kind of money.

Yasmeen Al-Nadheri, a divorcee who's supporting her parents and daughter with her income from a job at a foreign NGO, started a network dubbed #TransitYouth; she says she's trying to build a database of exiles, in Jordan or Egypt but also further-flung outposts like Malaysia, where Yemenis have ended up, and "raise awareness among donors that we exist.''

The group set up a telephone hotline for Yemenis coming to Jordan, or just passing through, in case of medical emergencies. Many of its members were shaken by the story of a Yemeni who was transiting through Amman to get medical treatment in India, but wasn't allowed onto the plane because he didn't have a doctor's note saying he was well enough to travel. He then died.

Al-Nadheri's outfit has also voiced concerns to Ismail Ould Sheikh Ahmed, the U.N. special envoy to Yemen, whose office is based in Amman, and whose efforts to broker peace talks have struggled. But for all their ambitions, the gatherings also serve as a kind of support group for these young people, many of whom haven't seen their families for almost three years.

One thing that the Yemeni women in Jordan have noticed is that their roles are changing.

Some of the shifts may look tiny. "I put my picture up,'' says Soumaia Al-Montaser, who's studying to be a nurse, with a smile. It's the first time her Facebook profile carried her photo. Yemeni women typically wear a face-veil, and on social media their appearance - and sometimes even their real names - often remain hidden.

That's just the visible part of deeper shifts that the war has brought, says al-Montaser, who also tutors kids in Amman to earn extra cash which she sends back to her family in Sana'a - helping pay school fees of her nieces and nephews. "The suffering has opened up something different," she said.

On a busy street in Amman, Al-Montaser recounts just how it's different. When her father passed away a few years ago, she said, her brothers forbade her from continuing her education. After four years of sitting at home, she was "broken."

She gathered all her clothes and possessions from her room, dumped them in the back-yard, and sprinkled petrol over them. She set them on fire. Then, she says, she turned to her brothers: "You want me to be like that? I'm like that - I'm burning." They relented, and she eventually studied English at Sana'a University, before the war got her thinking about a stable career like nursing.

Across town, near the University of Jordan, Sala Khaled, who moved to Amman with her family in 2015, also talks about a silver lining to the hardships of war. It's not that an elder generation of Yemenis suddenly became more open-minded, she says; it's that they're afraid. Parents, she said, think: "We have to find an alternative future for our daughters. So even if they're not married, they can go to wherever."

Khaled, who's part of a venture called Innovative Yemen that aims to encourage entrepreneurs, sees social changes afoot as well. Even previously conservative friends have stopped wearing not only the face-veil but the staple black abaya, and in some cases even headscarves. She's now hunting around for scholarships to continue her studies abroad, something her family never would have countenanced before.

There's a sense of transience in Amman. "We don't know if the war's ending tomorrow or after 10 years,'' says Al-Nadheri, of #TransitYouth. "If we're staying here or leaving to another country."

---

There have been comings and goings at the Obock camp in Djibouti, too. Locals described the scenes early on, when boatloads of refugees were arriving daily. Restaurants offered free meals of Yemeni spicy grilled fish for the new arrivals, as they waited at the port for their cases to be processed.

But many have moved on. Djibouti's government estimates that more than 20,000 Yemenis have passed through the country since 2015. The camp hosted more than 6,000 Yemenis at its peak; the number is now less than one-fifth of that. The war hasn't eased; it's just harder to get out.

Those still in Obock probably aren't going anywhere. Around the tents, workers have been busy erecting more permanent structures paid for by Saudi Arabia. "At the beginning, we thought these people would stay one or two months,'' says Hossein Hassan Darar, director of Djibouti's refugee agency. "But I think it will be protracted and they will stay for a long time."

In late afternoon, a boy seizes a September gale that sends his red kite soaring. On the other side of the camp, a white kite's tail rips above. Then, a black kite snakes high up in the distance. All three colors of the Yemeni flag.

As Yemenis anchor their lives here, there have been births, marriages and deaths. In May, 22-year-old Niyala Salem married Abdu Ibrahim, a shy guard at the camp. She wore a white dress, and there was music, Yemeni and African.

Salem, in a black face-veil, works as a nutritionist at the camp's clinic. She's made friends with two other young women, Iyhan and Fatima, who also have jobs there. All of them help support their families with their income, though they insist that women in Yemen worked before the war too. They tick off some of the reasons why people are no longer arriving at Obock. Few fishing boats are willing to make the trip; people don't have money to pay smugglers; roads to the coast are closed and drivers demand high fees.

Salem says she lost her brother during the war. She won't say how. She takes her husband's hand as they walk out of the clinic tent.

"As soon as the war finishes,'' she says, "we'll go back."

---

Bloomberg's Samuel Dodge contributed. Reporting for this article was supported by a Media Fellowship through the initiative on Religion and the Global Framing of Gender Violence, Center for the Study of Social Difference at Columbia University.
The random shout-out appears to be because Trump, toward the end his flight to Florida, saw a Fox News segment with DeSantis, according to a reporter on the plane. More here.
Morbi Bridge is not the only Incident - Quality of Bridges, roads and Highways in BJPs government!

2G verdict: Raja, Kanimozhi get hero's welcome by DMK in Chennai

India

oi-Anusha

By Anusha Ravi

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Clear of all charges in the 2G case, A Raja and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozi were accorded a hero's welcome in Chennai on Saturday. Working Presdient of the party, M K Stalin was present at the airport to receive the duo.

Thousands of workers gathered at the Chennai airport to welcome A Raja and Kanimozhi after the court acquitted them in the 2G spectrum allocation case. At least 5,000 party workers waited since Saturday morning to welcome the duo- whose acquittal has added strength to the DMK at the state and national levels.

DMK's headquarters turned into a sea of red and black with supporters shouting slogans hailing Kanimozhi. The road to DMK headquarters was dotted with posters and banners of Kanimozhi, M K Stalin and party patriarch Karunanidhi. The duo will meet party general secretary K Anbazhagan after which Karunanidhi is expected to welcome them at Gopalpuram residence.

Folk artists, party workers- especially women gathered outside the party office, M K Stalin's residence, as well as the airport, is a massive show of support to Kanimozhi. The duo's acquittal comes as a shot in the arm for the DMK ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Bogged down by allegations of corruption since the 2G spectrum allocation case broke out, the acquittal has come as not just relief but added strength to the DMK to launch attacks on rivals and position itself as a strong alliance partner at the national level.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 12:55 [IST]
Andhra Pradesh bans New Year celebrations on January 1 in temples

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Setting off a new controversy, Andhra Pradesh government on Friday issued a circular asking temples in the state not to celebrate New Year eve and January 1 as these "festivals are not part of Hindu culture and ethos".

The move comes days after fringe Hindu outfits in Aligarh asked schools not to celebrate Christmas as it is not part of the Hindu culture.

In a circular, the Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust, which is part of the Andhra Pradesh endowments department, has said that it was inappropriate to indulge in New Year's revelry, which is not in accordance with Hindu traditions.

"The Hindu tradition says temples should organise festivities on Ugadi, which is the New Year for Telugus across the world. Temples should not be decorated or they should not distribute sweets on western New Year," read the notification.

The notification also questions the need to splurge on floral decorations and other events on New Year.

Every year, the Tirumala temple celebrates New Year's Eve with lavish arrangements. This time too, officials expect over 1 lakh pilgrims to come for the 'darshan'.

The latest diktat, however, is being welcomed by several Hindu groups on social media.

According to the reports, 'Bharata Punarutthana Trust' has also written a petition to Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, saying January 1 should not be celebrated as New Year at any government-administered temples.

OneIndia News
Lalu Prasad Yadav appears before CBI court in Patna in fodder scam case, to attend RJD event on Wednesday

Bihar fodder scam: Key facts and timeline

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

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A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ranchi will on Saturday deliver verdict in a fodder scam case involving former Bihar chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Jagannath Mishra.

This is the second fodder scam case against Yadav in which the verdict would be delivered.

Lalu Prasad was forced to quit the chief minister's post in 1997 when his name figured in the CBI investigations in the scam, which surfaced in 1996.

The multi-million animal husbandry department scam, popularly known as the fodder scam, accuses Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra, both former chief ministers of Bihar, and ministers from the department, two IAS officials and others, of fraudulent withdrawal of Rs.37.70 crore from Chaibasa district treasury.

Altogether 61 cases were filed by the CBI in the scam, 53 of which were transferred from Bihar to Jharkhand after the bifurcation of the state in November 2000.

Here is a timeline of fodder scam

January 1996: The scam surfaces after Deputy Commissioner Amit Khare raids the offices of the Animal Husbandry Department and seizes documents that showed siphoning of funds by non-existent companies in the name of supplying fodder.

March 11, 1996: The Patna High Court directs the CBI to probe the scam. The Supreme Court upholds the order.

March 27, 1996: The CBI registers an FIR in the Chaibasa Treasury case.

June 23, 1997: The CBI files a charge sheet and makes Mr. Prasad and 55 others as accused in the case. Sixty-three cases were registered under IPC Sections 420 (forgery) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) and Section 13 (b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

July 30, 1997: Prasad surrenders before a CBI court and sent to judicial custody.

April 5, 2000: Charges framed before the special CBI court. Rabri Devi's name included as co-accused. She was granted bail, Mr. Prasad's bail plea rejected and he was remanded in judicial custody.

October 5, 2001: The Supreme Court transfers the scam cases to Jharkhand after the creation of the new State.

February, 2002: Trial begins in the Ranchi special CBI court.

December 2006: Prasad and Rabri devi acquitted of charges in the disproportionate assets case filed by the CBI

June 2007: The special CBI court in Ranchi sentences 58 persons, including two nephews of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, to jail terms ranging from two-and-a-half years to six years for fraudulently withdrawing Rs. 48 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury in the 1990s.

March 2012: Six months after their appearance before the Special CBI court, charges are framed against Mr. Prasad and Mr. Mishra. The court charges the former with fraudulent withdrawal of Rs. 47 lakh from the treasuries at Banka and Bhagalpur districts, where alleged forged and fake bills were drawn by the Animal Husbandry Department in 1995-96 when he was the Chief Minister.

August 13, 2013: The Supreme Court rejects Mr. Prasad's plea seeking the transfer of the trial court judge hearing the case.

September 17, 2013: The Special CBI court reserves its judgment.

September 30, 2013: Prasad and Mishra, along with 45 others are convicted by Special CBI Judge Pravas Kumar Singh. Mr. Prasad stands disqualified as member of the Lok Sabha following the verdict. The two cannot contest any election, including those of the Assembly/Council, for six years from the date of their release from jail.

November 2014: The CBI challenges the order of the Jharkhand High Court quashing four pending fodder scam cases against Mr. Prasad on the grounds that a person convicted in one case could not be tried in similar cases based on same witnesses and evidences. The court upholds the CBI plea to continue proceedings in the trial court against Mr. Prasad under two sections.

November 2016: The Supreme Court pulls up Mr. Mishra for allegedly dragging and delaying the appeal filed by the CBI challenging the quashing of four pending fodder scam cases against him.

May 2017: The Supreme Court holds that Mr. Prasad and other accused persons, including Mr. Mishra, will be tried separately for corruption in a criminal case involving the withdrawal of Rs. 84.53 lakh and falsification of records from the Deoghar Treasury in 1991-94

December 23, 2017: A special CBI court in Ranchi to pronounce the judgment in the case.

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)
BJP's film franchise would be called 'Lie Hard': Rahul Gandhi

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday mocked at the BJP, saying that if the latter made a film series, it would be called "Lie Hard."

Taking to twitter on Saturday, the die-hard movie buff quipped if the BJP were to make a film franchise, it would be called Lie Hard, referencing the Die Hard series, an American action series comprising five films.

The sarcastic remarks came a day after Gandhi chaired his first meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting as party President, in which he roundly slammed the BJP.

A special court on Thursday acquitted all the accused in the 2G scam, one of the biggest corruption scandals erupted during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government.

"You all know the truth now about 2G, the truth is in front of you," 47-year-old Rahul Gandhi said.

In his under three-minute speech, Rahul slammed the BJP for 'spreading lies', when he was asked if he thought the 2G verdict in which all the accused have been acquitted was a vindication of Congress' stand.

"Everyone knows about 2G, the truth has come out in front of you, but the whole architecture of BJP is about lies, their whole structure is all about lies," Rahul said.

The Congress president, who had launched a relentless onslaught against Modi during the Gujarat polls, continued in the same vein as he termed the 'Gujarat model' a "lie".

Rahul said, "2g has been a vindication. The whole architecture of BJP is about lie, like Modi's model of Gujarat and that's what the people of Gujarat told us. The BJP is stealing resources. Even BJP Chief Amit Shah's son is converting 50 thousand to 80 cr and the PM is silent about it, same about the Rafael deal."

Taking on the ruling BJP government, Rahul further added, "In every promise, the BJP has faltered be it about depositing 15 lakh in bank accounts or GST. The country has to think why is Modi silent. And the truth behind 2g has come to the forefront. Everything is infront of the public to think and form a decision now."

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 14:17 [IST]
Only women to walk with Rahul Gandhi in Bharat Jodo Yatra on Indira Gandhi Jayanti

Rahul Gandhi flags off Gujarat tour, offers prayers at Somnath temple

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday began his three-day Gujarat tour by paying a visit to Somnath Temple in Gir Somnath district.

This is Rahul's visit trip to Gujarat after the assembly polls results were announced in the state on Monday.

Gandhi will meet all the newly-elected legislatures and party workers from across the state to review the election results. He will meet leaders from North, Central, Saurashtra and South Zone during the day before heading to the Gujarat University Convention Hall at GNBC ground in Ahmedabad where a party workers' meet has been arranged.

In the elections, the results for which were declared on Monday, the Congress could not wrest power from the BJP even though its tally increased to 77 seats from 61 last time.

The Congress ally Bharatiya Tribal Party won two seats, and along with an independent backed by it winning his seat, the tally of the Congress-led alliance stood at 80, 12 short of the simple majority in the 182-member assembly.

The BJP retained power for the sixth time, though with a reduced score of 99 seats against 115 in 2012.

The Congress performed well in rural areas of Gujarat but failed to make a significant mark in the urban pockets.

The venue of the conclave on Wednesday and Thursday is a resort in Mehsana district and on the third and final day, the venue will shift to Ahmedabad where Mr. Gandhi will be present, Mr. Solanki said.

Gandhi, who campaigned extensively in the state for the assembly elections, will address the Congress workers on Friday.

"The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee has organised the 'chintan shivir' with the aim of discussing the Assembly poll results and to provide a road-map to strengthen the organisation and increase its connect with the people, keeping in mind the 2019 Lok Sabha elections," Mr. Solanki told reporters.

"For two days, we will meet here in Mehsana, and on third day, we will meet in Ahmedabad where Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit to address party workers," he said.

Rahul took over the chairmanship of the Congress from his mother Sonia Gandhi on December 16 after being unanimously elected to the post.

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)
Sonia tells Lalu, Nitish to meet her again after Cong gets new president

Congress calls CBI Centre's "pet parrot" after Lalu's conviction

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

With a CBI court convicting RJD Lalu Prasad Yadav in the second of the many fodder scam cases, the Congress on Saturday called the CBI as "pet parrot" of the BJP-led-government at the Centre.

Immediately after the verdict was pronounced, Congress leader Manish Tewari addressed the media and said that even in the 2g case, the CBI had shown over eagerness to appeal against the acquittal.

"Lalu Yadav has been fighting this legal battle since 1996. It started when BJP leaders filed PIL against him in Patna HC. He & his lawyers are capable of fighting this case. I want to ask BJP why Srijan scam is not being investigated?," Tewari said.

Total 16 people, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, were found guilty. Six, including former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra, were acquitted. Quantum of punishment will be pronounced on January 3.

CBI judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994. Lalu Prasad Yadav and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict amid tight security.

The scam, exposed in 1996, involved the embezzlement of around Rs 1,000 crore from the state exchequer for the purchase of fictitious medicines and fodder for cattle between 1990 and 1997, when Yadav was chief minister.

On September 30, 2013, he was held guilty in the first. Yadav was in jail for a few months in 2013 after a CBI court had convicted him in the first of the fodder scam cases. He got bail in December 2013, three months after he had been convicted. In May this year, the Supreme Court had reinstated criminal conspiracy charges against him in another fodder scam case.

In 2014, the Jharkhand High Court stayed trial against Prasad in four pending fodder scam cases on the ground that a person convicted in one case could not be tried in similar cases based on same witnesses and evidence. However, the Supreme Court quashed the High Court order in May this year and ordered Lalu to stand trial in all pending cases.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 17:12 [IST]
Lalu Prasad Yadav appears before CBI court in Patna in fodder scam case, to attend RJD event on Wednesday

Lalu Prasad Yadav convicted in fodder scam, sentencing on January 3

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

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RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has been convicted in a fodder scam case by a special CBI court in Ranchi on Saturday.

Total 16 people, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, have been found guilty. Six, including former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra, have been acquitted. Quantum of punishment to be pronounced on January 3.

CBI judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

Lalu Prasad, the chief of RJD, and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict amig tight security.

Out of the six fodder scam cases registered against Lalu Prasad, this is the second case thatLalu has been found guilty.

The case pertains to the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of 84.5 lakh from the Deoghar district (now in Jharkhand) treasury between 1994 and 1996 when Prasad was the Chief Minister.

There are altogether 34 accused in this case, of which 11 have died during the course of the trial.

Lalu Prasad, also the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief, reached Ranchi on Friday evening, along with his son Tejashwi Yadav to hear the verdict.

Lalu is hoping for a verdict as in the one on the 2G case in which all the accused have been acquitted.

"I do hope that I will get justice as in the 2G spectrum case ... I have full faith in the judiciary but whatever verdict will come, I will abide by it," Mr. Prasad told presspersons.

"It is the BJP, the RSS and Nitish Kumar who are behind all this ... they want me to be sent to jail so that they will have no political opponent, but they don't know that every worker of the RJD is a Lalu Yadav," he said.

The scam, exposed in 1996, involved the embezzlement of around Rs 1,000 crore from the state exchequer for the purchase of fictitious medicines and fodder for cattle between 1990 and 1997, when Yadav was chief minister.

On September 30, 2013, he was held guilty in the first. Yadav was in jail for a few months in 2013 after a CBI court had convicted him in the first of the fodder scam cases. He got bail in December 2013, three months after he had been convicted. In May this year, the Supreme Court had reinstated criminal conspiracy charges against him in another fodder scam case.

In 2014, the Jharkhand High Court stayed trial against Prasad in four pending fodder scam cases on the ground that a person convicted in one case could not be tried in similar cases based on same witnesses and evidence.

However, the Supreme Court quashed the High Court order in May this year and ordered Lalu to stand trial in all pending cases.

OneIndia News
Do RAW, others get a raw deal in the name of 'intelligence failure'?

The NIA, ED dossiers that led to the raid on the PFI

Keep it clean, keep it safe: How the federal agencies raided the PFI

Forced conversions to top agenda of Intelligence Bureau meet

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Forced conversions would be the key focus of a three day Intelligence Bureau meeting to be held next month. The meeting which will be hosted in January at Tekanpur, Madhya Pradesh would be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The PM during his address to the 250 odd officials who would be from both the police force and IB would touch upon key issues such as radicalisation and cyber crime.

The ISIS threat too would be discussed at length during the three day meeting. The highest number of cases have been reported from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra followed by Telangana, Kerala and Karnataka.

The itinerary of the topic to be discussed would also include the threat being faced due to the rise of the Islamic State. The main topics of discussion would be the illegal indoctrination and forced conversions.

This would be a crucial meeting said a senior officer in the Intelligence Bureau. He said that the National Investigation Agency has been probing several cases on these subjects and it has been found that the threat is immense.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 10:42 [IST]
90 Percent of Indias Online Skill Gaming Industry Says 28 Percent GST over GGV Will Be Catastrophic

GST collections up by 16.6% to Rs 1.52 lakh crore in October, says Centre

Give GST 18 months, it will stabilise says Niti Aayog

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Give it 18 months time and the Goods and Service Tax (GST) regime would stabilise, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman, Rajiv Kumar said.

"Give us time and you will see that in the next 18 months, GST will get stabilised, and this is where I think your (CAs) role is critical," he said while addressing the Southern Regional Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India here.

"Unfortunately, some of you are trying to scare investors away from GST rather than helping them. I think it is rather unfair," he added.

Kumar said if CAs do not extend cooperation, India will not be able to erase dualism in terms of organised and unorganised sectors, which is not good for the economy.

"Formalisation of the economy will give a fillip to tax compliance. At present, tax compliance is between 40 to 43 per cent. It must increase to 90 per cent. The role of CAs becomes that much important," he said.

Kumar said tax rates under GST will rationalise into three slabs, from five at present.

"In times to come, tax rates under Goods and Services Tax will converge into three slabs -- 0, 12 and 28 per cent," he said.

Kumar said to expect one tax rate under GST was impractical, given the size of the country which is equal to all European nations from Moscow to London put together.

"Also, there are varied cultures and business ethics followed by different states, and hence it is not feasible to have one tax rate under GST. Hence, it was necessary to have those multiple rates," he said.

Kumar said it will be a huge step forward if petroleum products are brought under GST, about which Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had recently spoken in the Rajya Sabha.

On demonetisation, he said the government may not have been able to convert all black money into white, but it has converted black money into grey.

"Believe me, Rs 4.5 lakh crore that has returned to banks by way of demonetisation will be acted upon," he added.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 6:14 [IST]
Only women to walk with Rahul Gandhi in Bharat Jodo Yatra on Indira Gandhi Jayanti

INC stands for India's Notoriously Corrupt Congress Party, BJP replies to Rahul

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Dec 23: The new Congress president Rahul Gandhi seems to be in no mood to stop attacking the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP, on its part, too is always ready to counter any allegations hurled against the saffron party by the opposition Congress and its new party president.

On Friday, after chairing his first Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting as the party president, Rahul interacted with the media. He stated that "the BJP is all about lies".

Replying to Rahul's jibe, the BJP stated that "the Congress is synonymous with corruption".

"The Congress party, thanks to the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, is now a minor regional party. The INC now stands for India's Notoriously Corrupt Congress Party, not Indian National Congress. Rahul is lying every day, which is leading to the erosion of his credibility," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told ANI.

Rao added that the BJP's "Gujarat model" has been accepted, contrary to Rahul's claims as the party has won the recent state elections by bagging 99 seats in the 182-member Legislative Assembly.

"The Amethi model (Rahul is a member of Parliament (MP) from the Uttar Pradesh's constituency) has been rejected by the people of India, as it signifies poverty and underdevelopment," Rao said.

Escalating his attack on the BJP, newly-elected Congress president alleged that the entire architecture, structure and foundation of the ruling party was based on "lies" and PM Modi's "Gujarat model was flawed and fake".

"Whether you look at the Modi Model or the promise of Rs 15 lakhs in every bank account, demonetisation or Gabbar Singh Tax... everything is a lie," Rahul told reporters after chairing his first CWC meeting as the party president.

"The whole architecture of BJP is about lies, the whole structure is about lies. The Modi Model in Gujarat was a lie. When we spoke to the people, they said there's no model, what's going on is that the BJP is stealing their resources," the 47-year-old politician alleged.

Rahul also questioned Modi's silence on allegations of financial irregularities against BJP president Amit Shah's son and the Congress charges on the Rafale aircraft deal.

"One by one, the BJP's lies are coming out. First: Amit Shah's son, who converted Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore in three months. The PM has nothing to say about it. Second: the Rafale deal is altered, one industrialist reaps all the benefits. We asked PM Modi three questions, but he wasn't able to answer a single one," he said.

Rahul said the recent 2G spectrum scam case verdict is a vindication of the Congress party's stance.

The scion of the Gandhi family added that the alleged scam surrounding the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-era policy was a fabrication by the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

"Everyone knows about 2G, the truth has come out in front of you," he said.

In looks like in the coming days, in the wake of Assembly elections in eight states in the country in 2018, the war of words between the BJP and the Congress would continue.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 6:56 [IST]
Karnataka Assembly Elections: Congress sets deadline for Lingayat committee

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

As the BJP scored brownie points in the Mahadayi row, the Congress has decided to pour water on the party's efforts by raking up the Lingayat issue. Deliberations on the minority religion status to Lingayats have been expedited by the Congress government in Karnataka.

The Karnataka State Minorities Commission to which the issue had been referred has formed a seven member committee. The committee would be led by retired judge High Court judge, H Nagamohan Das. The committee would have to look into the issue and submit its report.

In a bid to gain brownie points over the issue, the committee has been told to expedite the process. It has been given a deadline of 4 to 6 weeks. It appears that Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah wants to make a major announcement on this issue before the model code of conduct sets in. If the committee recommends minority status for the Lingayats, then the CM is more or less likely to make the announcement before the elections.

There are five petitions that the committee would look into. There are three that demand a minority status for Lingayats while another argues that they are Hindus. The last petition by the Akhika Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha states that they are not Hindus, but demands a minority-religion tag for the Veerashaiva-Lingayats.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018: BJP's unique 'listen' not 'speak' experiment

The committee comprises also includes the chairman of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission C S Dwarkanath; political scientist Muzaffar Assadi, head of the Kannada Language Chair at JNU Purushottam Bilimale, chairman of Kannada Development Authority S G Siddaramaiah and senior journalist Saraju Katkar.

The developments have evoked mixed reactions. While former bureaucrat S M Jamdar who is leading the Lingayat agitation has welcomed the move, others have termed it as political. M Thipanna the national vice-president of the Mahasabha felt that the move was political. The announcement comes close to the elections, he said while also asking if those part of the committee had any expertise on the subject.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 7:06 [IST]
Mahadayi: North Karnataka bandh on December 27

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Scores of farmers from North Karnataka have called for a bandh on December 27 to express their dissatisfaction with the resolution to the Mahadayi water row.

Several farmers have already from Nargund and Navalgund taluks have already left for Bengaluru and are planning to lay siege at the BJP's office. The BJP's chief ministerial candidate, BS Yeddyurappa had released a letter written by Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in which it was assured that water for drinking water purposes would be released.

However many farmers hit the streets in Hubbali and said that they need more to be done. Some questioned if this was a political move while stating that there would be a bandh in North Karnataka on December 27.

Many farmers have decided to sit in dharna before the BJP's office in Bengaluru. The letter by the Goa Chief Minister is a mere assurance, but we want the Kalasa Banduri project to be implemented.

The farmers have questioned the logic of the Goa CM writing a letter to Yeddyurappa instead of Siddaramaiah. Further, they have also demanded that Siddaramaiah act on the issue instead of writing another letter to the Goa CM.

OneIndia News
Former PM Manmohan Singh explains why Congress lost Gujarat elections

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Dec 23: Both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress continue to do "post-mortem" of the Gujarat Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Monday.

While the BJP won the elections in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 99 seats, the Congress bagged 77 seats in the 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

A day before Congress president Rahul Gandhi's visit to Gujarat to review election results on Saturday, on Friday, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that the grand old party lost the elections to the BJP because it failed to connect with the urban voters.

Singh made the remark during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting chaired by Rahul for the first time as the party president. In fact, the former PM also campaigned in Gujarat alongside Rahul where he spoke against demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

While explaining the defeat of the Congress in Gujarat due to failure to garner urban votes, Singh gave the example of 2009 Lok Sabha elections when the Congress was able to do well in urban areas.

He added that the party needs to introspect why it has failed to win the confidence of upwardly mobile urban voters. Singh asked his party colleagues to come up with a strategy to build base with urban population across the country.

In fact, during the 2009 parliamentary elections, the Congress won 34 of the 57 parliamentary seats in big metros. The grand old party also won a majority of the 144 Lok Sabha seats in the country's smaller cities and towns.

In the recently concluded Gujarat polls, the BJP won 36 of the 42 urban seats and the Congress achieved victory only in six seats.

Before meeting Congress leaders in Gujarat, Rahul on Saturday offered his prayers at the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district, some 420 km from the state capital Gandhinagar.

The Congress conducted a three-day long conclave to analyse the election elections results. The conclave will end on Saturday.

OneIndia News
How to fight elections with Rs 1,000 asset? Learn from poorest candidate in poll fray in Karnataka

More power to BJP in Gujarat? Independent MLA declares support to CM Rupanis govt

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Gandhinagar, Dec 23: While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Gujarat Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Monday, for the sixth consecutive time, the opposition Congress has declared that the poll results were a "moral victory" for the grand old party.

The BJP won 99 seats and the Congress bagged 77 seats in the 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly. This time, the BJP got lowest number of seats in the state Assembly in the last 22 years, and thus the victory is not one of the party's best performances.

After the results were out, the critics of BJP stated that the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his home state Gujarat has eroded because of which it got just seven seats more than the magic number 92 to form the government in the state by any party or an alliance.

Amid all these war of words over the election results, the saffron party got a boost on Friday after an independent member of legislative assembly (MLA) in Gujarat has declared his support to the BJP.

Lunawada MLA Ratansinh Rathod wrote to Gujarat Governor OP Kohli declaring his support to the BJP and also came to the BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar to participate in the meeting of its newly-elected MLAs to elect their leader.

"I have declared unconditional support to the BJP," Rathod told reporters. "I have given outside support and as of now I have not joined the BJP," he said in reply to a question.

In his letter to the governor, Rathod has said he extends his unconditional support to the BJP government. Rathod was a Congress member of Mahisagar district panchyat.

"I had asked for ticket from the Congress party, but they did not give it so I had to contest as an independent candidate," Rathod said.

Rathod is one of the two independent MLAs who have won in the recently concluded assembly polls.

On Friday, incumbent chief minister Vijay Rupani was elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in Gujarat. Rupani will be the state's CM for a second term, Union minister Arun Jaitley said.

Deputy CM Nitin Patel will continue to be the second in command, after he was declared the deputy leader of the legislature party by Jaitley, the central observer appointed by the BJP leadership for the election.

In the recently concluded Gujarat elections, the Congress performed its best in many years. However, it could not unseat the BJP in the home turf of PM Modi.

Before the polls, the Congress president Rahul Gandhi relentlessly campaigned in the state. The party has given Rahul the credit for performing "so well" in the elections in a state considered to be the BJP's citadel.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 8:14 [IST]
Great tolerance, the CBI is sitting idle in Goa says its SP

Not just in 2G case, here are the other times that the CBI has bungled

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Central Bureau of Investigation once again failed to cross the hurdle of judicial scrutiny when a special court acquitted all the accused in the high profile 2G spectrum case.

Once referred to as a 'caged parrot' by the Supreme Court, the CBI has been left in an embarrassed situation in several high profile cases.

From the alleged corruption cases in the 2G spectrum allocation to criminal matters such as the sensational Aarushi murder case, the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has come under sharp criticism not only from the trial courts and high courts but also from the Supreme Court.

The 2G spectrum cases, which had rocked the Manmohan Singh-led UPA-II government, led to the filing of charge sheets by the CBI in four different matters along with documents running into lakhs of pages but the agency could not secure even a single conviction.

In two cases dealt with by the special 2G court -- the Aircel-Maxis deal and the additional spectrum allocation matter -- the accused were discharged while in the main case involving former telecom minister A Raja and others, all the accused were yesterday acquitted.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini, who adjudicated all the 2G matters, had also let off the promoters of Essar Group and Loop Telecom.

Aarushi murder case:

The theory of the CBI in the murder case of Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj had come under sharp criticism in October from the Allahabad High Court which had termed it as "impossible hypothesis" and "patently absurd".

The high court had acquitted Aarushi's parents, dentists Nupur and Rajesh Talwar, holding that the prosecution had "miserably failed" to prove that the Talwars had destroyed material evidence. The dentist couple were convicted by a Ghaziabad court in 2013 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Bofors:

The CBI's investigation in the politically sensitive Bofors payoff case was also unable to withstand judicial scrutiny with the Delhi High Court on May 31, 2005, quashing all the charges against the Hinduja brothers -- Srichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand -- and the Bofors company.

The high court had also castigated the CBI over its handling of the Bofors case, saying it had cost the exchequer about Rs 250 crore.

The CBI's Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency probe into the larger conspiracy aspect in the assassination case of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi has recently come under the radar of the top court.

In scathing remarks, the Supreme Court had observed that the investigation does not appear to have achieved "much headway" and could be "endless".

In the coal scam, the CBI was time and again caught on the wrong foot by the SC and the special trial court over its investigation.

Fodder scam:

The Supreme Court had in May this year slammed the CBI for "failing to live up to its reputation" in a fodder scam case involving RJD chief Lalu Prasad, saying there was "intolerable lethargy" in filing an appeal.

The CBI's case relating to alleged illegal mining in Bellary in which the agency had charge sheet former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and others, also fell flat with the trial court discharging all the accused.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 6:25 [IST]
Terry Linton says her dog Keonie, who died in the fire that destroyed her home on Argyle Street Monday, was more than just the family pet.

In addition to being the familys best friend, Keonie was also a service dog for Lintons 8-year-old developmentally disabled daughter and her 9-year-old daughter, who has autism.

(Keonie) was our world; she was the center of our universe, said Linton, a single mother of five children ages 4 through 10.

Linton said the dog was donated to the family by a Montana breeder and was trained by a nonprofit that specializes in training service dogs.

When flames and smoke began emanating from Lintons home on the 2700 block of Argyle Street Monday around 12:30 p.m., Lintons children were all in school and she was dropping off a donation to Buttes YMCA for Safe Space, a domestic-violence prevention center in Butte.

It was her neighbors, Linton said, who called her to say that her home was on fire.

After receiving the call, Linton immediately drove home, honking and flashing her lights at other motorists.

When she arrived at the scene, visible flames and smoke were pouring from the windows and doors of her home and firefighters were cutting into her house trying to reach the flames.

Fire Marshall Brian Doherty said Monday the fire started in the basement and burned through the first floor, causing extensive damage.

In a similar house fire earlier this month, firefighters were able to save a dog using a pet oxygen mask. The mask was one among seven that have been donated to the fire department. But Keonie, a bluetick coonhound, didnt fare as well. She was treated with one of the pet oxygen masks and fire officials gave her CPR, but she didn't make it.

Since the fire, Linton and her five children have been staying at hotels around Butte, first at the Clarion Inn Copper King Hotel and Convention Center and now at the Fairfield Inn & Suites. The family has been assisted by the American Red Cross, and both hotels have either comped overnight stays or offered a discounted rate.

Linton said shes not sure yet what shell do in the long term for housing, adding that her family lost nearly everything they own in the fire, down to the toilet paper and beds.

We literally lost everything in the house, Linton said.

She added that shes doing her best to keep the spirit of Christmas alive  Im trying to keep the magic going, she said  because she doesnt want her children to have to relive the memory of Mondays fire in the years to come.

But keeping the magic going, she said, is hard when a member of the family is gone. People have donated toys to her children, but she says her children just want their dog back.

Linton said she and her family have been through hard times before. In 2016 she was diagnosed with cancer. But the mother of five says the loss her family has experienced has been dampened by the kindness of strangers.

Many people in the Butte community have stepped up to provide the family donations, including the Butte School District, two Butte restaurants, fire and law-enforcement personnel, the American Red Cross, the Uptown tavern Party Palace, and  among others  Butte firefighter Chris High, who Linton said has helped spread the word about the familys need and made a spaghetti dinner for the family on the first night after the fire.

The love and support of the community has been absolutely amazing, Linton said, adding that Butte has become our family.

Its not hopeless, she said.
'Beauty is not about how you look': Mamata Banerjee apologises for Trinamool minister's comments on President

Rejecting West Bengal tableau from Republic Day parade an insult to state: Mamata Banerjee

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday attacked the central government for rejecting West Bengal's tableau for the Republic Day parade in Delhi.

Asserting that it was an insult to the people of Bengal, Mamata wondered whether West Bengal's tableau was rejected because of its theme 'There is harmony in unity'.

The West Bengal government had proposed 'unity is brotherhood' as its theme for the tableau for the parade, which has a worldwide viewership.

"This year our proposed theme was 'Ekatai Sampriti' (unity is brotherhood). I think this was why we have been left out," Banerjee said inaugurating the Christmas Festival at the Allen Park here.

"This year we have been excluded from the Republic Day's parade. I would like to know the reason... . I am sorry to say that this is an insult for Bengal," Banerjee said.

West Bengal won awards twice for the best tableau and the state has the right to know the reason behind being left out from the next year's Republic Day parade, she said.

"Because we have done quite good in the Republic Day parades so we have the right to speak on this. Between 2013 and 2016 we received the first prize twice," she said.

West Bengal proposed theme was appreciated in the expert committee's meetings and the state had agreed to follow its suggestions, she said.

"We were called for the expert committee's meeting in September and also for another meeting in October and our proposal was appreciated there. We had also accepted all their suggestions, but we were not called for the next meetings because our proposed theme was on unity," she added.

The West Bengal tableau on its acclaimed 'Kanyashree' scheme, which is a conditional cash transfer scheme aimed at improving the status and wellbeing of the girl child in the state by incentivising the schooling of all teenage girls and delaying their marriage till the age of 18, was not allowed in 2015 as it was reportedly found having similarity to the Centre's tableau on 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 10:28 [IST]
Take aways from the Doval-Jeichi meet: Indo-China adopt forward-looking approach

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

India and China have decided to hold periodic meetings to resolve issues in a bid to ensure that peace along the border is maintained. A forward looking approach was taken during the meeting between the meeting between National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval and Chinese Sate Councillor Yang Jeichi held on Friday.

Putting the Doklam issue behind and striking a positive note on the lines of the Astana consensus, both countries agreed to maintain regular contact. Both sides also agreed to cast aside differences and also give due respect to each other's sensitivities.

Sources say that the two sides discussed a host of issues which included confidence building measures. It was also decided that the foreign ministries and the militaries of both sides would meet regularly. The source said that sectoral command meetings at various border points too would be held.

Following the meeting both Doval and Jeichi briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 20th round of talks between the special representatives of China and India on the boundary question

"The prime minister fondly recalled his visit to Xiamen for the 9th BRICS Summit in September, and his meeting with President Xi Jinping there. The prime minister said that a strong India-China relationship is important not only for the mutual benefit of the people of India and China, but also for the region and the world," a PMO statement said

Yang Jiechi also conveyed the greetings of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang to the prime minister.

The source added that the talks were constructive in nature and the approach was forward looking.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 6:09 [IST]
Do RAW, others get a raw deal in the name of 'intelligence failure'?

The NIA, ED dossiers that led to the raid on the PFI

Keep it clean, keep it safe: How the federal agencies raided the PFI

The Rohingya hunt continues: Lashkar makes fresh bid at terror recruitment

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Vulnerable Rohingya Muslims have come under the scanner of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, an Intelligence Bureau report has warned. This is the third such report that the IB has issued in the past year ever since the charity wing of the terror outfit has started taking keen interest in the Rohingya crisis.

The report states that the charity wing Falah-e-Insaniyat has been supplying relief material in the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh. It has also simultaneously been looking to possible recruits, the report also warns.

Lashkar's Rohingya outreach: Making terrorists in the name of humanity

Intelligence Bureau reports state that the outreach is yet another attempt to rope in the Rohingya Muslims. This time around the outfit is trying to dole out funds for the refugees and rope them in for terror activities, the IB report also stated.

The latest intelligence report states that a group of Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists who have infiltrated into the Valley are trying to get in touch with these people in an attempt to radicalise them.

In addition to this Bangladesh has shared fresh information with India about the radicalisation plans by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. There have been repeated attempts by groups such as the Lashkar to instigate the Rohingya Muslims in India.

While rights groups have been arguing that deporting them would not be the right decision, the Indian government wants to take no chances.

"It is a highly sensitive issue. One of the camps in Jammu and Kashmir to is very vulnerable to radicalisation", the IB says. They are easy prey for terror groups and repeated attempts are being made to take them into their fold, IB officials also say.

The IB also signaled the respective state police to keep a close watch on the Rohingya Muslims. States such as Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana among others also have a considerable presence.

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 6:35 [IST]
This is Hafiz Saeed security structure: 100 member squad armed with lethal weapons

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

He will now travel with 100 security guards. Each one of them handpicked from the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and indoctrinated into the outfit's financial wing, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa.

Hafiz Saeed who has announced his entry into politics will have security which is equivalent to the Prime Minister of Pakistan. A camp was exclusively set up in Gurjanwala, Pakistan to train Saeed security team.

A video that has been in circulation shows the passing out ceremony which was personally overseen by Saeed, days after his release from house arrest. Saeed has launched the Milli Muslim League and this would be his political outfit on whose ticket he would contest the polls in 2018.

All members of the squad are armed with lethal weapons. All the 100 plus security force accompanies Saeed round the clock. They are with him when he stationed at Lahore and accompany him when he travels outside the city as well.

Saeed has plans of travelling the length and breath of Pakistan ahead of his big election campaign. He will contest the elections next year and had also declared his political outfit the Milli Muslim League. Recently he got support from the Pakistan military with both the serving and former chief backing him.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Saturday, December 23, 2017, 10:37 [IST]
Trump likely to announce bid for presidency next week

Former US President Donald Trump announces his bid for 2024 presidency post

UN sanctions North korea: 'World wants Peace, not Death,' says Trump

International

pti-PTI

Washington, December 23: US President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed the adoption of new sanctions targeting North Korea over its nuclear program, saying the international community was pushing for peace with the isolated regime.

"The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 in favor of additional Sanctions on North Korea. The World wants Peace, not Death!" Trump tweeted.

With China's backing, the UN Security Council slapped new sanctions on North Korea that will restrict oil supplies vital for Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programmes.

The council unanimously adopted a US-drafted resolution that also orders the repatriation of North Korean workers abroad and earning revenue for Kim Jong-Un's regime.

It is the third raft of sanctions imposed on North Korea this year and comes as the United States and North Korea are showing no signs they are willing to engage in talks to end the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

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Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to the southeast, Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, Lake Erie and the Canadian province of Ontario to the northwest, New York to the north, and the Delaware River and New Jersey to the east.
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately 600,000 square kilometres (230,000 sq mi). Prior to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, it was the eighth-most populous country in Europe, with a population of around 41 million people. It is also bordered by Belarus to the north; by Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; and by Romania and Moldova to the southwest; with a coastline along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast. Kyiv is the nation's capital and largest city. Ukraine's official and national language is Ukrainian; most people are also fluent in Russian.
From LA Progressive

On May 2, 2017, before becoming Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, as Minister of Defense, spoke about the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen, a war he orchestrated since March of 2015. "A long war is in our interest," he said, explaining that the Houthi rebels would eventually run out of cash, lack external supplies and break apart. Conversely, the Saudis could count on a steady flow of cash and weapons. "Time is on our side," he concluded.

Powerful people in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Sudan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Morocco, Senegal and Jordan have colluded with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince to prolong the war against Yemen. The Saudis have employed Sudanese fighters from the terrifying Janjaweed militias to fight in small cities along Yemen's coast line. The seeming objective is to gain ground control leading to the vital Port of Hodeidah. UAE military are reported to operate a network of secret prisons where Yemenis disappear and are tortured, deterring people from speaking up about human rights violations lest they land in one of these dreaded prisons.

Among the most powerful warlords participating in the war are the U.S. and the UK.

Despite the recent publicity for stern words from Donald Trump and Theresa May, urging Saudi Arabia to lift its blockade of Yemen, both countries continue to pocket billions of dollars selling weapons to Saudi Arabia. President Trump swiftly condemned the Houthi fighters for firing several rockets at Saudi Arabia and the UAE. But the Houthis could claim to be using these weapons in self-defense after Saudi and UAE jets have dropped tons of bombs, purchased from the U.S. and the UK, on Yemeni cities and civilians. Observers say if the U.S. stopped its midair refueling of Saudi bomber planes, the war would end shortly thereafter. Yet, the U.S continues these military operations. The UK still supplies the Saudis with surveillance, and both countries work to maintain a comfortable relationship with the Saudi Ministry of Defense and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Just over 1,000 days of Saudi-led coalition war against the Houthi rebels in Yemen has been deadly and devastating for Yemeni civilians.

Mark Lowcock, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, says that 7-8 million Yemenis are one step away from starvation. The BBC reports that more than 80% of Yemenis lack food, fuel, water and access to health care.

The number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen has reached one million, according to the International Commission of the Red Cross.

1.8 million children in Yemen are acutely malnourished, including 400,000 under the age of five who suffer from severe acute malnutrition. Malnourished children are also at increased risk of dying from infectious diseases.

Like the children of Iraq who perished by the hundreds of thousands during U.S. led economic war against Iraq, these little ones in Yemen mean harm to no one. They've done nothing to deserve punishment. Yet, they will pay the price for abysmally failed policies. The food and clean water they hunger and thirst for could reach them, but not if powerful elites decide it's acceptable to blockade Yemen's ports, bomb roadways, destroy sewage and sanitation systems, attack fishermen and farmers, and even kill participants at a wedding celebration.

After dancing in Saudi Arabia with Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi princes, President Trump set in motion a $110 billion-dollar weapons deal.

Boeing, Raytheon, and other military contractors already benefiting from this deal will likely agree with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: a long war is in their best interests.

But, ordinary people who prefer not to be represented by vicious warlords and who face no risk of torture, disappearance or other frightening punishments (people like me for instance) have a responsibility to speak up visibly and clearly. Time is running out for the children of Yemen. The Crown Prince is mistaken.

Any war, long or short, may seem to favor the perpetrators, but in the long run, wars sow seeds of revenge, retaliation, hatred and death. Real courage requires control over our fears and mutual agreements to protect the most vulnerable among us. Especially the children.
U.S. taxpayers feel both proud and resentful of the amount of US foreign aid that they give away. Cheers went up when President Donald Trump threatened to cut off foreign aid to what he calls ungrateful recipients. Speaking at the United Nations, the US's mouthpiece Ambassador Nikki Haley said that Trump's decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem "is the right thing to do. No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that." Not only would the consensus of the international community not make any difference, but the US would retaliate against any country that dared to vote against it.

Haley's pathetic speech was Trump's ridiculous attempt at an FDR moment of "a date which will live in infamy" after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Lowering herself to the occasion of the UN's thumbs down vote, Haley puffed herself up to say with a stern face:

"The US will remember this day, in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation".

How dare the UN inflict the equivalent of a terrorist attack, a new Pearl Harbor event, was the tone of Haley's diatribe. Or as President George W. Bush said after the attacks of September 1, 2001, Haley was saying that "either you are with us, or you are against us". Trump is certainly no FDR, and he makes Bush look like a statesman.

Trump considers the UN's failure to rubber stamp the US the equivalent of a terrorist attack. Trump thinks that it rises to the level of economic sanctions. What next, a blockade of the UN? But this is not Trump breaking any new ground. The US has always considered the UN nothing more than an extension of itself, and a toady with lipstick to act as a fig leaf to hide its naked foreign arrogance and aggression behind.

When the US wanted to destroy a once prosperous Libyan people, assassinate their leader Muammar Gaddafi, steal their oil for the benefit of US corporations, and put in a rightwing puppet government, then the UN was thought to be doing its assigned job of respecting the US by making it all look moral and legal. Most of the member countries of the UN must have suspected that the US was lying that Gaddafi was committing genocide against his own people with black mercenaries hopped up on drugs and sexed up on Viagra. Only the US public is naive enough to believe the same US war propaganda over and over and over again.

Neocons and much of the US public have contempt for the UN when it does not do US bidding. Then the UN is a waste of US taxpayer money, and just more evidence that the world is ungrateful for the indispensable USA. Haley said she could be speaking about the US as well as Israel when she said:

"I've often wondered why, in the face of such hostility, Israel [USA] has chosen to remain a member of this body. And then I remember that Israel [USA] has chosen to remain in this institution because it's important to stand up for yourself, but it [Israel/USA] also stands up for the ideals of freedom and human dignity that the United Nations is supposed to be about."

Only the US public could believe that the US is generous with its financial aid and supports the ideals of freedom and human dignity. It's not and it doesn't. The US is actually miserly, and often does not honor its promised aid, such as the billions of unpaid dollars that the US has promised for Iraqi and Syrian refugees. Refugees that the US is responsible for having created in the first place, with its invasions and regime change projects. Any country that dares to reject US global dictates is ripe for invasion and regime change.

When the US does honor its dues to the United Nations and humanitarian aid, then it expects obedience. The only sincere statement that Haley made in her speech was to admit that the US "demands more for our investment" of humanitarian aid. When the US, "make generous contributions to the UN, we also have a legitimate expectation that our good will is recognized and respected", Haley added. The US does not give money away for nothing, it expects kowtowing respect and an obedient empire for its investment.

Haley's speech was for domestic political consumption. The other members of the UN must be tired of US lectures and insults. All the boasting, whining, crying and threatening by the "disrespected" US giant was propaganda and repeating the mythology of a benevolent, exceptional and indispensable USA. Only a gullible US public believes it. The rest of the world knows that the US is really a playground bully that when it does not get its way it says it is taking its ball and going home. When the US bully gets angry, then millions of people may die, and the US public does not bat an eye.

The reason that Trump's threat to take his ball and go home is just a bully's bluff is because US aid is not aid at all. Almost all of the billions of dollars that the US gives to other countries is military aid to expand the US empire and prop up compliant repressive regimes such as the Absolute Monarchy of Saudi Arabia, military dictatorships such as Egypt, inhumane tyrants such as Benjamin Netanyahu, and US 'colonies' such as South Korea and Japan.

Military aid is not aid at all. It is an investment, as Haley admitted, for empire and US foreign policy goals. US foreign policy goals benefit US corporations. Countries receiving US military aid are expected to spend most of it buying US weapons from the military-industrial-complex dominated by such giants as Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies, Lockheed Martin, L-3 Corporations, and BAE Systems.

What about all the humanitarian aid that the US gives to starving people? That is expected to be spent buying from US agri-businesses such as Monsanto, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Archer Daniels Midland, and Bayer CropScience. Most US humanitarian aid flows through US corporations.

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From Consortium News



A protest in favor of Net Neutrality in 2015.

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Despite its importance to a functioning democracy in the Twenty-first Century, many people's eyes still glaze over at the uttering of the term Net Neutrality. However, whenever there is a clear explanation available, people -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- overwhelmingly support the concept and understand that, once again, it will be big business and corporations that will benefit greatly from the purging of the concept of Net Neutrality, and poor and working-class people and their families who will suffer from the recent decision to end it.

For an in-depth primer on the subject, I spoke with Professor Victor Pickard about the implications of the recent actions taken by the Republican-led Federal Communication Commision. Pickard is associate professor at the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book America's Battle for Media Democracy.

Dennis Bernstein: We turn now to the issue of net neutrality and its very serious implications for Internet users everywhere. Welcome Professor Pickard. Could you start by giving us an extended definition of net neutrality? People's eyes still tend to glaze over when you raise the topic of net neutrality.

Victor Pickard: In a way, it is an unfortunate term. We can thank Timothy Woo for coining it, but I think we're stuck with it at this point. Essentially, it means an open Internet. Net neutrality is the safeguard that prevents Internet service providers such as Verizon and Comcast from interfering with your online content. It prevents them from slowing down or blocking content or offering what is known as "paid prioritization." This is where they set up slow and fast lanes and a kind of payola system where they try to shake down content creators and force them to "pay to play" in order to load and stream more quickly. This changes the underlying logic of the Internet, which was meant to be an open medium with all voices created equal.

Bernstein: And it was hoped that net neutrality would be an equalizer, making it possible for people to have a voice who hadn't had one before and be able to access content that would not have been available before. Isn't this essentially a question of democracy?

Pickard: Yes, the Internet has always had significant democratic potential. At least in theory, it can level power hierarchies. It can be used to give the voiceless more access to the public sphere. Of course, it never quite panned out this way. There have always been barriers to entry and there is still a major digital divide in this country. Nonetheless, the channels through which we access the Internet were meant to be kept equal and open, and without net neutrality that is no longer going to be the case.

As soon as you remove the basic safeguards, Internet service providers not only have the ability, they have a perverse incentive to make more money by charging us more for access to various types of content or charging content creators more to access the Internet. Of course, large corporations like Amazon and Netflix can afford to pay up. Those who will be hurt will be the activists and journalists, the people without the resources to pay to play.

That is what is so deeply troubling about this: It is going to hurt us as consumers -- it is going to hurt us economically -- but more importantly, it is going to hurt us democratically.

Bernstein: It is interesting, one of the consequences of the disappearance of newspapers, particularly investigative reporting, was the emergence of various independent investigative organizations online who have been doing an incredibly good job. They will suffer from this, won't they?

Pickard: Yes, they will suffer disproportionately from this. Traditional newspapers and smaller independent news outlets depend on the Internet to reach broader audiences. They couldn't afford to do this otherwise. Without having the resources to pay up, it is going to create a stranglehold on those kinds of investigative outlets. This is especially troubling now, at this perilous political moment.

Bernstein: What is problematic about the claim of [FCC] Chairman Ajit Pai that he "would hate to side with the Democrats, but this was Bill Clinton's vision for the Internet"?

Pickard: Such a claim is disingenuous and ahistorical. While it is possible to argue that the Internet has traditionally been lightly regulated, in many cases this has simply not been true. In fact, we wouldn't even have the Internet if not for massive public subsidies and regulations.

You have to go back to 2002, when then FCC chairman Michael Powell re-categorized Internet services. Instead of considering it a telecommunications service -- which had always been heavily regulated -- the category description became one of an "information service," which is only lightly regulated. That is what really started this whole ongoing debate and policy battle. So you can't say that this was a democratic position. That's simply not true.

Bernstein: What did the inventors of the Internet envision as its function and how could it potentially be an important democratizer?

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Thermal Energy Storage Market - Industry Insights by Technology, Storage Material, End-user Application and Geography Forecast to 2023

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Thermal energy storage technologies store thermal energy for later use, which can be utilized as when required, rather than utilizing them at the time of production. The increasing need for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint has changed the global power generation and distribution scenario which has prompted researchers and power generation companies to develop innovative solutions in storing energy in an efficient manner. This has led to the widespread adoption of thermal energy storage systems across the globe.Request for a free sample of this research report:The increasing shift towards non-fossil fuels have increased the share of renewable energy in the generation mix. This has created significant demand in the global thermal energy storage market enabling the end-users to store energy for effective later use. Additionally, the rapid industrialization across the globe have increased the need for uninterrupted power supply which would further lead to the growth in the overall market for thermal energy storage during the forecast period.Thermal energy storage utilizes 3 major technologies: sensible heat technology, latent heat technology and thermochemical technology. Sensible heat technology is the most commonly and widely used thermal energy storage system as they are easy to install and most economical. These types of technologies are used for residential and industrial applications. Latent heat technology is the most efficient technology of thermal energy storage and are being widely adopted on account of their high-energy density. This technology allows high storage capacity and are used for solid-liquid phase changes. Thermochemical technology offers the highest storage capacity. Increasing focus should be provided on developing compact systems having minimal heat loss over a long period. This would lead to the increased penetration of thermal energy storage technologies across the globe.The global market for thermal energy storage is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period (2017-2023) due to the growing demand for efficient, reliable and economical energy storage technologies, and imminent shift towards renewable energy sources owing to the increasing environment concerns. Based on technology, sensible heat technology is expected to be the largest segment of the global thermal energy storage market during the forecast period. Based on application, district heating and cooling is projected to generate the highest revenue in global thermal energy storage market during the forecast period.Explore report at:The key trend observed in the thermal energy storage market is the rising R&D activities. In July 2016, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy invested approximately US$9.0 million for 6 R&D projects in the concentrated solar power (CSP) market. This is likely to result in technological advancements and cost reductions in the field of CSP market, creating ample opportunities in the global market for thermal energy storage during the forecast period.The major factor driving the growth of thermal energy storage market are increasing policy support from the government in the form of incentives to promote the use of thermal energy storage systems. The increasing demand for electricity is another key factor that is expected to increase the demand for thermal energy storage systems during the forecast period.Make enquiry before buying the report:Some of the key players in the global thermal energy storage market include Abengoa Solar, S.A., Brightsource Energy, Inc., Solarreserve, LLC, Baltimore Aircoil Company, Caldwell Energy, Burns & Mcdonnell, Calmac, Cristopia Energy Systems and Cryogel.About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide market research reports, industry reports, business intelligence and research based consulting services across a range of industries.With the help of our professional corporate relations with various companies, our market research offers the most accurate market forecasting. Our analysts and consultants interact with leading companies of the concerned domain to substantiate every single data presented in our publication. Our research assists our client in identifying new and different windows of opportunity and frame informed and customized strategies for expansion in different regions.Contact:P&S Market Research347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Embolization Coil Market Size Grow Over $1 Billion by 2023: Acumen Research and Consulting

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The global market for embolization coil is projected to grow and reach $1.0 billion by 2023 at a significant rate of 4.7% from 2016 to 2023India, Pune, Dec.07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - According to a new report published by Acumen Research and Consulting titled Embolization Coil Market (Deployment: Detachable, Pushable; Application: Neurology, Oncology, Urology, Peripheral Vascular Disease)  Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Opportunities and Forecast, 2012-2023, the global market for embolization coil is projected to grow and reach $1.0 billion by 2023 at a significant rate of 4.7% from 2016 to 2023. Paradigm shift from clipping to coiling and gradually towards non-coiling techniques have opened doors of opportunities in global embolization coil market. Rising demand for minimally invasive surgery is the major factor driving global market growth. Among the other factors responsible for the growth of this market include minimally invasive alternative offered by this procedure over traditional treatment, growing patient awareness, and introduction of newer technology resulting in higher success rate.Download sample of this report atEmbolization coil offers minimally invasive procedure and best alternative to treat aneurysms. Preference from patients and physicians for minimally invasive treatment procedures is expected to drive the demand for embolization coil. Endovascular coiling is a minimally invasive alternative to surgical clipping that decreases the procedure duration, complication and recovery time. Embolization particle procedures offer a minimally invasive alternative to hysterectomies, myomectomies and tumor and vascular anomaly excisions. Endovascular cerebral aneurysm repair accounts for the main parts of the hemorrhagic stroke, therefore market would be mainly credited to embolic coils, aneurysm stents and flow diverting devices, remodelling balloons and other associated access devices as well as tiny fragment of the liquid embolics market.Browse Detail Report With Table of Content, List of Table and Figure at:Detachable embolization coil to lead the market growthThe global embolization coil market is segmented based on deployment type and applications. Based on deployment type, the embolization coil market is segmented into detachable and pushable embolization coils. Among these segments, pushable coils led the market and accounted for more than 50% share in 2015; however, owing to higher precision and better safety offered by detachable coils, this segment is expected to surpass pushable coils segment over the forecast years. The disadvantages associated with the deployment of pushable coils such as the possibility of being stuck during sharp curves of the blood vessels, difficulty in mobility once deployed, and possibility of getting jammed in catheters are few of the challenges slowing their adoption rate.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report atNorth America dominated the market space owing to higher expenditure on healthcare and availability of technologically advanced treatment facilitiesNorth America led the global embolization coil market in 2015 and accounted for the share of over 42% followed by Asia-Pacific. This is mainly attributed by the availability of advanced healthcare facilities in the U.S. and Canada and higher expenditure on healthcare in the region. North America is expected to maintain its leading share in the global embolization coil market throughout the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market for embolization coil, registering a CAGR of around 5% during the forecast period from 2016 to 2023.Among the major players operating in this market, few profiled in the report include Terumo Corporation, Boston Scientific, Stryker, Medtronic, Sirtex, and Cook Medical.Buy this premium research report atWould like to place an order or any question, please feel free to contact: sales@acumenresearchandconsulting.comAbout UsAcumen Research and Consulting (ARC) is a global provider of market intelligence and consulting services to information technology, investment, telecommunication, manufacturing, and consumer technology markets. ARC helps investment communities, IT professionals, and business executives to make fact based decisions on technology purchases and develop firm growth strategies to sustain market competition. With the team size of 100+ Analysts and collective industry experience of more than 200 years, Acumen Research and Consulting assures to deliver a combination of industry knowledge along with global and country level expertise.Contact:Frank WilsonSales Manager | Acumen Research and ConsultingEmail: frank@acumenresearchandconsulting.comPh - USA +1 716-2400-831Asia-Pacific +912065600384Web:Blog:
Market For Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine: Trend of Periodontal Therapies Growing in Europe

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Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market (Type: Ultrasonic Cavitron, Sandblasting Teeth Cleaning Machine; Application: Treatment, Medical Beauty; Procedure: Above the Gum Line, Below the Gum Line) - Industry Analysis, Market Size, Opportunities and Forecast 2024India, Pune, Dec.13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - The dental hygiene has advanced significantly in recent years and so have the goals for cleaning your teeth through periodontal therapy to prevent and/or treat gum disease. Bacterial plaque or biofilm is the major reason for periodontal diseases and regular cleaning of hard deposits of such biofilm and tartar through scaling treatment would help in preventing gum related diseases.View Full Report With Complete Table of Content, List of Table and Figure@A recent study by Acumen Research and Consulting on Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market forecasts that the market for teeth cleaning machines in Europe is expected to grow at a significant rate of around 6% during the period from 2017 to 2024 and reach the market value of over $600 million by 2024. The major factors responsible for this growth, as outlined in the report include increasing focus on cosmetic dentistry and initiatives from Council of European Dentists (CED) to promote high standards on oral healthcare and dentistry. This is expected to set new developments, enhancing the use and efficacy of teeth cleaning machines in the region. The advancement in air polishing equipment design and powder and particle technology are the key factors leading to the greater demand for teeth cleaning machines in the region.Download Sample Pages@Further, Germany represented the largest regional market for teeth cleaning machines. The dental market in Europe is all set to expand on the account of growing awareness towards preventative and corrective treatments. Increasing focus on cosmetic dentistry would drive the demand for teeth cleaning machines over the forecast period.The instruments used for removing plaque of tartar could be ultrasonic or manual. Ultrasonic instruments have a number of advantages over manual instruments; however, the usage of either of these two instruments depends on the amount of plaque deposited on the patients teeth. Ultrasonic instruments are preferred in case of presence of enormous amount of tartar and plaque build-up; however, many dentists prefer using hand instruments for small amount of tartar on teeth.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report@The major players analyzed in the report include W&H Dentalwerk International, LM-Instruments Oy, RK Transonic Engineers Pvt. Ltd., Denticator Inc., Ningbo Runyes Medical Instrument Co. Ltd., GC Europe NV and Ivoclar Vivadent among others.Table of ContentChapter 1. Research Scope & Methodology1.1 Market Definition1.2 Market Scope1.3 Market Breakdown By Type1.4 Market Breakdown By Application1.5 Market Breakdown By Procedure1.6 Market Breakdown By Treatment1.7 Market Breakdown By GeographyChapter 2. Executive Summary2.1 Key Findings2.2 Market Snapshot: Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine MarketChapter 3. Market Outlook3.1 Introduction3.2 Trends in the Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market3.2.1 Federal Policies Supporting Usage of Advance Technology3.2.2 Transforming Roles of the Dentists3.3 Opportunities in the Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market3.3.1 Opportunity for Digital Infrastructure Manufacturer3.4 Factors Driving the Growth of Market3.4.1 Ageing Population3.4.2 Technological Advancements3.4.3 Growing Demand from Cosmetic Dentistry3.5 Impact Analysis of Key Market Drivers3.6 Factors Hindering the Market Growth3.6.1 High Cost and Associated Complexity3.7 Impact Analysis of Market RestraintsChapter 4. Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market By Type4.1 Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Type4.1.1 Ultrasonic Cavitron4.1.2 Sandblaster Teeth Cleaning Machine4.2 Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Application4.3 Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Procedure4.4 Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Treatment4.4.1 Scaling4.4.2 Root Planing4.4.3 Others4.5 Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By CountryChapter 5. Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Country5.1 Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market5.2 Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Country5.3 Europe Dental Ultrasonic Cavitron Machine Market, By Country5.4 Europe Dental Sandblasting Machine Market, By Country5.5 UK5.5.1 UK Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Type5.5.2 UK Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Application5.6 Germany5.6.1 Germany Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Type5.6.2 Germany Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, by Application5.7 Spain5.7.1 Spain Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Type5.7.2 Spain Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Application5.8 France5.8.1 France Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Type5.8.2 France Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By Application5.9 Rest of Europe5.9.1 Rest of Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, by Type5.9.2 Rest of Europe Teeth Cleaning Machine Market, By ApplicationChapter 6. Company Profiles and Strategic Developments6.1 Key Company Profiles6.2 W&H Dentalwerk International6.2.1 Business Overview6.2.2 Product and Service Offerings6.2.3 Company Strategy/News6.3 LM-Instruments Oy6.3.1 Business Overview6.3.2 Product and Service Offerings6.3.3 Company Strategy/News6.4 R. K. Transonic Engineers Pvt. Ltd.6.4.1 Business Overview6.4.2 Product and Service Offerings6.4.3 Company Strategy/News6.5 Denticator Inc.6.5.1 Business Overview6.5.2 Product and Service Offerings6.5.3 Company Strategy/News6.6 Ningbo Runyes Medical Instrument Co. Ltd.6.6.1 Business Overview6.6.2 Product and Service Offerings6.6.3 Company Strategy/News6.7 GC Europe NV6.7.1 Business Overview6.7.2 Product and Service Offerings6.7.3 Company Strategy/News6.8 Ivoclar Vivadent6.8.1 Business Overview6.8.2 Product and Service Offerings6.8.3 Company Strategy/NewsBuy this premium research report atWould like to place an order or any question, please feel free to contact: sales@acumenresearchandconsulting.comAbout UsAcumen Research and Consulting (ARC) is a global provider of market intelligence and consulting services to information technology, investment, telecommunication, manufacturing, and consumer technology markets. ARC helps investment communities, IT professionals, and business executives to make fact based decisions on technology purchases and develop firm growth strategies to sustain market competition. With the team size of 100+ Analysts and collective industry experience of more than 200 years, Acumen Research and Consulting assures to deliver a combination of industry knowledge along with global and country level expertise.Contact:Frank WilsonSales Manager | Acumen Research and ConsultingEmail: frank@acumenresearchandconsulting.comPh - USA +1 716-2400-831Asia-Pacific +912065600384Web:Blog:
Global Cloud Based Contact Center Market to Grow at a CAGR of +23% during forecast period 2017-2022

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Contact centers are the facilities that manage clients contacts through various mediums such as letter, e-mail, fax, telephone and online live chat. Contact center is defined as a synchronized system of people, strategies, technologies and processes that provides access to resources, data and expertise, through suitable channels of communication. These communication channels enable interaction among various business departments that creates value for the customers and organizations. Companies worldwide are continuously searching for cost-effective approaches with cloud based partners to optimize the effectiveness of their contact center systems and applications.This report presents a 360-degree overview of the competitive scenario of the Global Cloud Based Contact Center market. The report includes massive data relating to the recent product and technological developments observed in the market, complete with an analysis of the impact of these advancements on the markets future development. The research report analyzes the global Cloud Based Contact Center market in a detailed manner by explaining the key aspects of the market that are expected to have a quantifiable influence on its developmental prospects over the forecast period.Get Sample Copy of this Report:Key Players:3CLogic, 8x8, Inc., Aspect Software Parent Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., Connect First, Inc., Five9, Inc., Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc., Newvoicemedia, Nice-Systems Ltd., Oracle CorporationThe study also examines the numerous policies that regulate processes in the global Cloud Based Contact Center industry, precisely, the ones that are currently active, along with an analysis of the top news stories about the global Cloud Based Contact Center industry. This report also offers an important analytical guidance on the trends and developments in this industry. The report also provides a professional and comprehensive analysis on the global Cloud Based Contact Center market while articulating industry insights into its current state of affairs.It provides a refined view of the classifications, applications, segmentations, specifications and much more for Cloud Based Contact Center market. Recent developments and policies with respect to this market are clarified with maximum data. The report also examines the cost structures and pricing regarding the suppliers, raw materials, labors, equipments needed, and many other. This study is a compilation of primary and secondary research, which allows the readers and players to have a strong understanding of the overall market.Avail Discount up to 30% on this report now at:A birds eye view of the Cloud Based Contact Center industry made available in the report helps readers to understand the key drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities that are shaping the global Cloud Based Contact Center market. Furthermore, the report evaluates challenges experienced from buyers and sellers side. The report offers advice from key industry experts on how these challenges can be overcome.The analytical tools such as investment return and feasibility analyses have also been employed in this research to determine the market attractiveness. The report evaluates the products available in the market on the basis of the production volume, their pricing structure, and the revenue generated by them. Production chain and the dynamics of demand and supply has also been assessed in this report. The research report also analyzes the market hierarchy carrying out a SWOT analysis of the key players operating on the global Cloud Based Contact Center market in order to provide an overall picture of the competitive landscape in the industry and assist the participants to come up with market winning strategies to gain an edge over their peers.Get Complete Report@:About QYReports:We at, QYReports , a leading market research report publisher accommodate morethan 4,000 celebrated clients worldwide putting them at advantage in todayscompetitive world with our understanding of research. Our list of customersinclude prestigious Chinese companies, multinational companies, SME's and privateequity firms whom we have helped grow and sustain with our fact-based research.Our business study covers a market size of over 30 industries offering unfailinginsights into analysis to reimagine your business. We specialize in forecastsneeded for investing in a new project, to revolutionize your business, to becomemore customer centric and improve the quality of output.Contact:QYReportsJones John(Sales Manager)+91-9764607607sales@qyreports.com
Global Cloud Computing Market to grow at a CAGR of +26% during forecast period 2017  2022

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Cloud computing is a hosted infrastructure; it uses the internet in order to deliver IT services, thus eliminating capital expenditure (CAPEX) on infrastructure. It also helps in ensuring consumption-based billing, and is witnessing increasing adoption in a number of end-use sectors including government organizations. This is expected to be the key driving force for the market in the coming years. While larger organizations use private clouds to ensure security and reliability, smaller organizations usually opt for public cloud services since they are cost-efficient in nature.The report evaluates the figures of the global Cloud Computing market and presents reliable forecasts as to the markets growth prospects over the coming years. The historical development trajectory of the global Cloud Computing market is examined in the report, offering solid factual support to the analysis and estimations presented in the report. The geographical and competitive dynamics of this global market are also presented in the report, helping deliver a comprehensive picture of the marketGet Sample Copy of this Report:The study also examines the numerous policies that regulate processes in the global Cloud Computing industry, precisely, the ones that are currently active, along with an analysis of the top news stories about the global Cloud Computing industry. This report also offers an important analytical guidance on the trends and developments in this industry. The report also provides a professional and comprehensive analysis on the global Cloud Computing market while articulating industry insights into its current state of affairs.It provides a refined view of the classifications, applications, segmentations, specifications and much more for Cloud Computing market. Recent developments and policies with respect to this market are clarified with maximum data. The report also examines the cost structures and pricing regarding the suppliers, raw materials, labors, equipments needed, and many other. This study is a compilation of primary and secondary research, which allows the readers and players to have a strong understanding of the overall market.Avail Discount up to 30% on this report now at:A birds eye view of the Cloud Computing industry made available in the report helps readers to understand the key drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities that are shaping the global Cloud Computing market. Furthermore, the report evaluates challenges experienced from buyers and sellers side. The report offers advice from key industry experts on how these challenges can be overcome.The analytical tools such as investment return and feasibility analyses have also been employed in this research to determine the market attractiveness. The report evaluates the products available in the market on the basis of the production volume, their pricing structure, and the revenue generated by them. Production chain and the dynamics of demand and supply has also been assessed in this report. The research report also analyzes the market hierarchy carrying out a SWOT analysis of the key players operating on the global Cloud Computing market in order to provide an overall picture of the competitive landscape in the industry and assist the participants to come up with market winning strategies to gain an edge over their peers.Get Complete Report@:About QYReports:We at, QYReports , a leading market research report publisher accommodate morethan 4,000 celebrated clients worldwide putting them at advantage in todayscompetitive world with our understanding of research. Our list of customersinclude prestigious Chinese companies, multinational companies, SME's and privateequity firms whom we have helped grow and sustain with our fact-based research.Our business study covers a market size of over 30 industries offering unfailinginsights into analysis to reimagine your business. We specialize in forecastsneeded for investing in a new project, to revolutionize your business, to becomemore customer centric and improve the quality of output.Contact:QYReportsJones John(Sales Manager)+91-9764607607sales@qyreports.com
Embedded Systems Market  Get Facts About Business Strategies and Financial Status over Forecast to 2022

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An embedded system comprises of embedded programming into PC equipment that makes the system gave for an application or particular bit of an application or part of a bigger system. An embedded system isn't a microchip deployed in a 'traditional' figuring application, however a chip utilized as a module in another bit of innovation. These systems are utilized to control, help or screen the operation of apparatus, hardware or plant. The term 'embedded' reflects the way that they are an indispensable piece of the system, and they offer noteworthy attributes, for example, speed, exactness, size, unwavering quality and versatility. Robotization in preparing and assembling areas, and vitality metering is viewed as a noteworthy propeller for embedded system industry growth.Top Key Players:Intel Corporation (US), Infineon Technologies AG (Germany), Renesas Electronics Corporation (Japan), Texas Instruments Incorporated (US), Microchip Technology Incorporated (US), STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland), Qualcomm Technologies Incorporated (US), Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (US), Analog Devices Inc. (US), Broadcom Limited (US), Fujitsu Limited (Japan), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Netherlands), and Toshiba Corporation (Japan)Get Sample Copy of this Report:It explains a detailed outline of the Embedded Systems Market depending on the important parameters. End users, products, regions, and many other segments are studied and explained. A brief idea of the driving forces which help make the market more flourishing is discussed in order to help the client understand the future market position. Estimated revenue growth in terms of volume with respect to the market for the upcoming years has been mentioned in depth.According to the research report, the Global market for Embedded Systems Market is witnessing a continual rise in its valuation with the advancement in technologies, which is impacting the consumer behavior and, accordingly, their purchasing patterns to a great extent. In addition to this, the rising penetration of internet and the surge in mobile surfing are anticipated to boost the demand for network management software across the world, states the research report.Know more about this Premium Report:On the basis of geographical regions, the Global Embedded Systems Market is segmented broadly into Latin America, Global, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The Global market is still in its exploratory stage in most of the regions but it holds the promising potential to flourish steadily in coming years. The major companies investing in this market are situated in Canada, U.K., and the US, India, China and some more countries of Asia Pacific region. Consequently, Asia Pacific, North America, and Western Global are estimated to hold more than half of the market shares, collectively in coming years.This statistical surveying research study presents an all-inclusive evaluation of the worldwide market for network management software, taking various industry parameters, such as the capacity of production, product pricing, demand, supply, and sales dynamics, returns on investments, and the growth rate of the overall market into consideration.In the last sections of the report, the manufacturers responsible for increasing the sales in the Embedded Systems Market have been presented. These manufacturers have been analyzed in terms of their manufacturing base, basic information, and competitors. In addition, the technology and product type introduced by each of these manufacturers also form a key part of this section of the report.Table of Content:Global Embedded Systems Market Research Report 2017-2022Chapter 1 Embedded Systems Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic ImpactChapter 3 Competition by ManufacturerChapter 4 Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2017-2021)Chapter 5 Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2017-2021)Chapter 6 Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Market Forecast (2017-2021)Chapter 13 AppendixAbout Research n Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Contact us:Mr. Sunny DenisContact No. +1-888-631-6977sales@researchnreports.com(ResearchnReports)
HR Analytics Market Analysis, Market Size, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2017 To 2022, Focusing On Top Key Vendors: ADP, IBM, Oracle, SAP, and Tableau among others.

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A comprehensive analysis of the Global HR Analytics Market is been done in this intelligence report. It includes the investigations done on the past progress, ongoing market scenarios, and future prospects. An accurate data of the products, strategies and market shares of leading companies in this particular market is mentioned. This report presents a 360-degree overview of the competitive scenario of the Global market. The report further projects the size and valuation of the global market in the coming forecast period. The report also presents a thorough qualitative and quantitative data affecting to the projected impact of these factors on markets future growth prospects.Top Key Vendors:ADP, IBM, Oracle, SAP, and Tableau among others.Get Sample Copy of this Report @The Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) vertical is expected to hold the largest market share in the HR Analytics market in 2012. The healthcare sector is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2017 to 2022, in the HR Analytics market. The BSFI industry will be investing greater resources in the market to focus on providing better services to customers through their limited global and local workforce. Authorities are encouraging investments in the healthcare industry in a bid to modernize and digitize the industry infrastructure and workforce.Global HR Analytics Market to grow at a CAGR of +15.02% during Forecast Period.It explains a detailed outline of the HR Analytics Market depending on the important parameters. End users, products, regions, and many other segments are studied and explained. A brief idea of the driving forces which help make the market more flourishing is discussed in order to help the client understand the future market position.Know more about this Premium Report:According to the research report, the global market for HR Analytics Market is witnessing a continual rise in its valuation with the advancement in technologies, which is impacting the consumer behavior and, accordingly, their purchasing patterns to a great extent.On the basis of geographical regions, the Global HR Analytics Market is segmented broadly into Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The global market is still in its exploratory stage in most of the regions but it holds the promising potential to flourish steadily in coming years. The major companies investing in this market are situated in Canada, U.K., and the US, India, China and some more countries of Asia Pacific region. Consequently, Asia Pacific, North America, and Western Europe are estimated to hold more than half of the market shares, collectively in coming years.This statistical surveying research study presents an all-inclusive evaluation of the worldwide market, taking various industry parameters, such as the capacity of production, product pricing, demand, supply, and sales dynamics, returns on investments, and the growth rate of the overall market into consideration.In the last sections of the report, the manufacturers responsible for increasing the sales in the HR Analytics Market have been presented. These manufacturers have been analyzed in terms of their manufacturing base, basic information, and competitors. In addition, the technology and product type introduced by each of these manufacturers also form a key part of this section of the report.Table of Content:Global HR Analytics Market Research Report 2017-2022Chapter 1 HR Analytics Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic ImpactChapter 3 Competition by ManufacturerChapter 4 Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2017-2021)Chapter 5 Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2017-2021)Chapter 6 Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Market Forecast (2017-2021)Chapter 13 AppendixResearch N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. We're relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Asia-Pacific competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer to consult as an extended arm of our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently, we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin - 77064,Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.com ,
In our latest series of articles, we want to highlight the wonderful women from Pakistan who are the movers and shakers of their tech scene. Pakistan is a country which earns a reputation for all the wrong reasons. However, it is full of amazing and talented people. In this article, we focus on Sabin Muzaffar. Sabin is the Founder of Ananke, an interactive, digital platform empowering women.

Tell us a little about yourself, your background, your work and your

I am the Executive Editor and Founder of Ananke  an interactive, digital platform empowering women through awareness, advocacy and education. I started my career some twenty years ago back in Karachi, Pakistan right after doing my intermediate before even starting the university. I was hired as a trainee sub-editor at daily The News International. Six months down the line, I enrolled at the Karachi University, studying English Literature, History and Philosophy.

From 1997 to 2003, I had the opportunity and privilege of working for and contributing to leading Pakistani publications including SHE, Womens Own, Aurora, Dawn, Health & Beauty; also editing monthly SPIDER at a time when the web of social media was just being woven.

After moving to Dubai, UAE  I contributed to local as well as international media entities such as Gulf News, Khaleej Times, ITP Publishing, Pakwired, Mangobaaz, InsideAsean.com, Tuck Magazine, Bayzaat.com, BBVA OPENMIND, Glassbreakers, World Pulse, International Womens Initiative, Empower Women and many more.

It was in 2014 while I was freelancing for Gulf News and interviewing movers and shakers in the GCC corporate world, when I realized that not many women trailblazers and in leadership position were not being showcased as much as they should be. It was also a time when I was selected as a UN Womens Empower Women Global Champion for Womens Economic Empowerment. This is when I launched Ananke to not only showcase visionary women as role models for aspiring women to emulate; but also to document their achievements digitally so this data could be reached and read in every corner of the digital realm. Ananke was also launched to trigger an all-encompassing dialogue and discussion pertaining to issues facing women around the world.

Ananke was later selected among the 12 finalists of Hadafi program for women entrepreneurs from 2000 plus submission in 2015.

Eventually, I launched multiple digital internships and mentoring programs for women and girls from around the world. It gives me such a sense of pride to say that in one year, we mentored over 25 girls from Pakistan, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco, UAE, USA, Canada and Australia. Many of who have gone on to become Empower Women Champions themselves as well as being selected to participate in TechWomen program. We have also launched a Vimeo channel Anankemag with programs like POWER TALK and the newly launched Speak Now!

It is truly humbling to say that my efforts and Ananke were featured in the Moroccan Times, which lauded the initiative as an empowering, one-of-a-kind platform across the MENA region.

What motivates me is the resilience of women across the world. From the young girl who walks miles to bring water to her family to the mother who is the sole carer of her family and also earns a living  doing her best to maintain work-life balance.

What has affected me is the wretchedness of our society  patriarchy, gender-based violence, lack of equal opportunities, in access to education and modern labour markets  issues and grievances that disempower and marginalize women. I personally know victims of honour killing, harassment and abuse and feel it is our duty as global citizens AND virtual denizens to act responsibly and do our bit to make the world a better place.

Do you think Pakistan has changed as a society, in terms of letting women take on jobs?

There is change  yes. Certain awareness among the educated and enlightened one. Our youth is also more aware thanks to the Internet and revolutionary events such as the Arab Spring, the many dharnas and discussions held on social media. The mindset is still there and it will take a lot of effort to dismantle rigid taboos and social norms, but things are set in motion  thankfully.

We have come a long way even if I look back at my journey as a professional female journalist and those of others. Thats the term used before, now there is more emphasis being put on not placing gender as far as profession or vocation is concerned. You are a journalist  not a female or male one!

But this is a situation mostly in Pakistans urban society. Women are going out working, even permitted to sitting late in the office, which is finally becoming a norm now. But if you look at our rural society, women are already working, the only difference is their work goes unrecognized and mostly unremunerated.

What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?

To put it bluntly  marriage. Many women in Pakistan have to leave their jobs once they get married or have to leave mid-way in order to tend to their familys needs. This is an affliction faced by many globally as well. While I dont mean to say that marriage affects negatively but we need to create an empowering space for women where they are able to work even after marriage and kids. What happens is when women leave their jobs, it creates a gap between freshers and mid-level positions and those of C-suite and managerial ones.

Another significant barrier is the gender stereotype women suffer. Look at the tech sector, how many women do we see in leadership positions, not many!

What is the best and worst decision youve ever made?

The best decision I made was launching Ananke. Any decision one makes is a learning experience so I dont count them as worst ones.

What woman inspires you and why?

I am daily inspired by the resilience of ordinary women  especially those living in the rural areas; who toil day and night inside and outside homes  their efforts go unrecognized.

But if I am naming a few names; I start with Pakistani women. Maria Umer comes to my mind. She is hard working, created a brilliant digital platform for women  Womens Digital League  she is an amazing woman whose humbleness can sometimes be exasperating because she has achieved so much and is still so grounded and the fact that she speaks her mind.

Other include UAEs H.H.Raja Easa Al Gurg, H.H Sheikha Budoor Al Qasimi of Kalmiat (a publishing group), Jane Goodall humanist, primatologist and apart from them a lot of my friends in Africa like Gladys Muthara who works for Action Aid Africa, Liz Guntai, my former intern Josephine Adeti. These women are unsung SHEroes who are doing remarkable things to empower women.

Do we have any role models for women? If not, what can we do to create them in Pakistan?

We have amazing role models like Maria Umer, Sadaffe Abid, Jehanara, Faiza Yusuf, Kalsoom Lakhani and many more.

And we need more! We need to work together to create more role models It is really about women empowering women. Even a daughter can be a role model for her mother.

I believe creating different platforms like Circlewomen.org or the Facebook group Pakistan women in tech (by Faiza) are great in bringing women and girls together where they can share their experiences, knowledge and also mentor aspiring women  young and old.

Is there a neutral platform or forum for women to discuss their career needs?

Women in TechPK is one of them locally speaking. We need to have entities and events like fireside chats focusing women, where women can meet up and discuss professional issues and needs.

Ananke is also one of them. We have our program Speak Now! on our Vimeo channel (Anankemag) where we invite women and girls to talk about issues. At the moment though, we are focusing on womens health. We also do twitter sessions on various topics including Women in STEM etc and have collaborated with entities like UN Womens Empower Women, Sayfy.com, Empowerment Hour, CircleWomen.org, Women Engineers Pakistan etc.

What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?

Dismantling patriarchy and rigid mindset was and still is the biggest challenge women are facing. This needs to be countered if women truly want to be economically and socially empowered. Care work is another area that needs to be focused. Men and women need to work together and both are and ought to be responsible for care work. It is wrong to claim that it is a womans prerogative. It is not. Even work at home for women goes unrecognized and unremunerated, which devalues her as well. By being the primary caregiver and not having time and opportunity to work professionally, women also become dependent on others financially further disempowering her. The idea is to grow in a wholesome way  and only this can create a fair society.

What needs to change to help more women come forward?

We need to change because first and foremost, it is the right thing to do. Helping women, respecting them and providing them with equal opportunity means recognizing their basic human rights. By doing so we are helping to create a just and sustainable society.

If you could change one thing, what would it be?

Our education system. It should be free for all and the curricula should be inclusive, shunning gender stereotype.

How can OxGadgets and its readers help you and other women of the industry?

By raising awareness, through the power of collaboration and creating a forum that engages in meaningful discussions.

You can find out more about Sabin Muzaffar and Ananke by visiting the links below. Please do visit the pages and find out all the awesome stuff being done.

Social media info:

Twitter: @Anankemag, @Critoe

Facebook: www.facebook.com/anankemag

Website: www.anankemag.com
Russian President Vladimir Putin made the new accusation speaking at a session of the Russian Ministry of Defense on December 22, adding that the target-missiles used to test its antiballistic missile systems are identical to intermediate-range and shorter-range ballistic missiles.

They are already available and are being used. Their production in the U.S. can attest to the development of technologies banned by the INF treaty, RT quoted him as saying. The 1987 treaty is regarded as symbolic of the easing of tensions as the Cold War wound down.

Putins comment comes days after he made the same accusation during his annual news conference on December 14. He said then that the United States had deployed ABM (antiballistic) systems in Romania that he claimed could be converted to offensive uses. He further accused the U.S. of engaging in propaganda for a possible U.S. withdrawal from this Treaty."

He argued that it is easy to replace the defensive Aegis missiles, built originally to intercept a shipboard attack. The Aegis missiles installed in Romania are adapted for land-based defense. Russia claims they can be converted to intermediate-range attack missiles. This would violate the INF treaty and, by implication, threaten Russias security.

Under the Treaty, the United States and Russia are required to eliminate and permanently forswear nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles of specified ranges. Considered a major milestone in the international security framework that reduced threats of surprise and preemptive attack, the INF provided for the destruction of some 2,692 intermediate-range nuclear-armed missiles. The destroyed systems reportedly included the Soviet SS-20, the American Pershing II, and an American ground-launched cruise missile. As the two nuclear powers pared down their nuclear arsenals, the INF is seen as the nuclear treaty that contributed to international security in the years after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

According to Scott Ritter, a former U.S. intelligence officer who dealt with the implementation of arms control treaties during the Cold War, Moscow appears keen to provoke the United States to withdraw from the treaty  a move Washington appears only too willing to consider.

The United States and Russia have accused each other of violating the treaty on multiple occasions. Besides the deployment of Aegis interceptors, Moscow points to the U.S. drone program as an example of the treaty violations and has on numerous occasions claimed that the United States has failed to present evidence and specific examples of Moscows own violations.

In a series of latest declarations on the issue, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova made this statement a day prior to Putins news conference: I would like to remind that the Americans do not present a single scrap of evidence for their allegations [against Russia]. They simply cannot present it because such evidence fundamentally does not exist.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov similarly dismissed the allegations of violations, stating last March: There have been no violations on our part. The U.S. claims otherwise, without providing any specific information that could be verified in order to clarify the situation.

Contrary to the statements by the high-ranking Russian officials, U.S. officials have not acted to leave the treaty, though some have called for it.

Moreover, the United States has detailed the allegations of Russias violations numerous times.

According to the Arms Control Association, in 2014 the U.S. State Department alleged in a report Russias violations of the treaty not to possess, produce, or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 km to 5,500 km, or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles. The department reportedly repeated its allegations in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

In 2015, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Brian McKeon in his statement on the issue to the U.S. Congress stated that the evidence of Russias violations was conclusive, adding that Russia has tested this ground-based system well into the ranges covered by the treaty.

We are talking about a real system and not a potential capability, he stressed, referring to a Russian cruise missile that U.S. officials dubbed the SSC-X-8. Russia tested it in 2014, and allegedly deployed one of the two missile battalions at a test site near Volgograd.

Christopher Ford, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Weapons of Mass Destruction and Counterproliferation on the National Security Council, confirmed the name of the missile on November 29 while speaking at the Washington, D.C.-based Wilson Center.

Speaking on Russias alleged violations, NATOs Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti stated in March 2017 that Russias fielding of a conventional/nuclear dual-capable system banned under the treaty creates a mismatch in escalatory options with the West.

However, in his July testimony, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul J. Selva stated that the Russian system, which allegedly violates the treaty, does not provide Russia with a special military advantage given the location of the specific missiles and deployment.

Thomas Karako, International Security Program and Director of the Missile Defense Project at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote in 2014 that both the Russian and the U.S. press had provided reports covering Russias alleged violations.

On the basis of extensive classified information and confirmation by the Departments of State and Defense, the House of Representatives in May declared Russia in material breach of the treaty, he wrote, quoting former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer suggesting Russias INF missile tests were part of a disturbing pattern of disregard for international agreements.

Referencing 2013 report by STRATCOM and the Joint Chiefs examining U.S. capability gap under the INF, Karako argues that Washington needs to consider its options if the treaty lapses in 2021 in order to address threats from intermediate-range systems of Iran, North Korea, and China, and Russia. Such options, he specified, include deployments of improved Army Tactical Missile Systems, Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, as well as the Vertical Launch Systems.

On the other hand, Russia accuses the United States of violating the treaty by deploying the Mark 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS), a component of a missile defense system capable of launching offensive missiles. Russia further alleges that the United States has relied on banned missiles in its missile defense tests while contending some of its armed drones represent banned cruise missiles.

However, U.S. officials argue that the INF allows systems created only for intercepting objects not located on the surface of the earth, such as the Aegis missile system.

Vladimir Leontiev, deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministrys non-proliferation and arms control department, said in June that threatening actions by the U.S. in the context of the INF treaty would lead to counter-measures by Russia to restore the military balance.

A November article in the Arms Control Today quoted Putin as saying that Russia might be tempted to break the treaty if it did not have its air- and sea-based missiles matching U.S. capabilities. The INF, it notes, left both countries free to deploy air- and sea-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers, a range the INF covers for the land-based missiles.

The article quotes Putin warning of an immediate and reciprocal response if the United States withdraws from the treaty: You can see how effective the Kalibr missiles are, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Caspian Sea, from the air or from submarines, whatever you wish, he said. Besides Kalibr, with an operational range of 1,400 kilometers, we have other airborne missile systems, very powerful ones with an operational range of 4,500 kilometers.

The article notes that some Republican lawmakers, including Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), reportedly advocate for the U.S. withdrawal from the treaty and that, according to U.S. officials, the United States provided some specifics of Russias violations of the treaty in November 2016. This came weeks after Putin criticized Washington for refusing to specify its allegations.

On December 8, 2017, the U.S. Department of State issued a statement underscoring U.S. firm commitment to the INF Treaty but emphasizing that it seeks Russias return to compliance and that it cannot stand still while Russia develops systems that are violating the treaty.

While the United States will continue to pursue a diplomatic solution, we are now pursuing economic and military measures intended to induce the Russian Federation to return to compliance. This includes a review of military concepts and options, including options for conventional, ground-launched, intermediate-range missile systems, which would enable the United States to defend ourselves and our allies, should the Russian Federation not return to compliance. This step will not violate our INF Treaty obligations, it said. It added that Washington is ready to stop its activities if Russia complies with the INF fully and verifiably.
Vodafone Hungary slapped with HUF 200 mln fine for unfair practices

Hungary's competition watchdog GVH has fined Vodafone Hungary Zrt. HUF 200 million for unfair practices, with the amount reduced substantially from the original after Vodafone showed outstanding cooperation and gave proof of clear steps to change its behavior, the GVH said in a release. The mobile provider had repeatedly been fined for unfair practices and is considered a habitual offender.

introduced stricter compliance standards above and beyond regular market practices;

amended its commercial practices and subsequently the schemes in question; and

offered affected customers to cancel the definite-term contracts free of charge, thereby taking on substantial costs.

The competition authority looked at whether Vodafone informed its customers truthfully about the price of phones in a promotional campaign launched in October 2013, as the discount prices of HUF 1 to HUF 19,999 did not contain an extra monthly charge to be paid in relation with the devices.The GVH found that Vodafone gave misleading information about the actual cost of the phones in ads that did not contain this monthly device fee, even though it charged customers a monthly amount for using the phones. The ads may have made the impression that only the one-off cost had to be paid, the GVH said.The competition authority found Vodafone's communications regarding the monthy charge in breach of regulations. Vodafone, while not admitting culpability, hasThe GVH considered the above as mitigating circumstances and set the fine, which was calculated based on the cost of the promotional campaigns, at HUF 200 mln.
George E. Tittle, former Director of Public Safety for the City of Folly Beach. Photo / FBI National Academy
The area had been blocked off by city officials. No one was hurt and nothing damaged. The wall has been menacing passersby for many years. A fix is in the works. Read morePortion of old brick wall by Charleston's Second Presbyterian Church gives way
There was a combination of superlative hysteria and political opportunism behind the warnings about the end of democracy leading up to last weeks elections, but it wasnt inconceivable that wed have flare-ups of violence and intimidation, that people who embrace the fantasy that the 2020 e Read moreEditorial: Election 2022 gave everybody something to celebrate
Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the attack on her husband, Paul, by an intruder in their family home made her think about staying on as the House Democratic leader. She says she almost thought about being leader again because she couldnt give them that satisfaction of intimidating her out of politics. Pelosi spoke to reporters Thursday at the Capitol after announcing she would step aside for a new generation of leaders. She will remain the congresswoman from California. Pelosi says shes not sad about her choice to step aside but feels balanced in her decision. She has no plans to endorse a successor and no desire to meddle with the new leadership's vision. Read morePelosi's big decision: 'Theres a life out there, right?'
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Bird River Resources Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Winnipeg, Manitoba (FSCWire) - Bird River Resources Inc. (CSE:BDR). has issued a press release with the following headline:Bird River Closes $3.4 Million First Tranche of FinancingTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Bird River Resources Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Bird River Resources Inc.Source: Bird River Resources Inc. (CSE: BDR)Date: December 22, 2017Time: 7:34 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Bird River Resources Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-23 12:28:22

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Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,



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# 360 Words

Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,Delhi 110049PR Head+919899886258

Sending cakes to Navi Mumbai now is just a matter of a few hours with Indias best online gifting portal Myfloralkart.com . If you are planning to send cakes to Navi Mumbai ( https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-navi-mumbai.html) to your loved ones on any special occasion, then Myfloralkart.com offers you a seamless delivery service in all regions of Navi Mumbai like Panvel, Nerul, Kharghar, Vashi, and several other regions of the city. There are so many occasions wherein, we welcome them by slicing a cake. And, on occasion like birthdays, cutting a cake is like a tradition. Myfloralkart is the best cake shop in Navi Mumbai, and understands the importance of your occasion, and brings to you a wide range of delicacies. Myfloralkart.com is an online gifting portal through which you can send gifts to your loved ones residing in Navi Mumbai and anywhere in the country in just one click. They house gifts for all occasions like Christmas, New Year, Diwali, Valentines Day, Mothers Day, etc. They have an extensive delivery coverage in the country which gets your gifts shipped right on time to your loved ones.You do not have to worry about your celebrations of any occasion, even if you are miles apart from your loved ones as we are vouching for your celebrations of special moments through our offerings and services. , says Mrs. Alka Arora, marketing head at Myflroalkart.com Myfloralkart.com also has midnight cake delivery in Pune ( https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-pune.html) for occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. They have several cakes to choose from. You will find blueberry cakes, chocolate cakes, pineapple cakes, butterscotch cakes, red velvet cakes, and several other best sellers. The company has tied up with bakers in Navi Mumbai who get you cakes right in time. You can also send cakes to Pune, as they have their shipment services in Mumbai as well. So, for any special occasion, order cakes online in Pune only from Myfloralkart.com About MyFloralKartMyFloralKart is an online florist and gifting website in India.Media ContactName: Sunil SinghDesignation: PR Marketing HeadContact: +919899886258Email: info@ myfloralkart.com
PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-23 00:17:13

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for First Energy Metals Limited--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - First Energy Metals Limited (TSX Venture:FE). has issued a press release with the following headline:First Energy Metals Announces Board ChangesTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on First Energy Metals Limited, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/First Energy Metals LimitedSource: First Energy Metals Limited (TSX Venture: FE, OTC Pink: ASKDF, FWB: DFLA, WKN: A2DJLL, ISIN: CA32016U1084)Date: December 22, 2017Time: 6:17 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of First Energy Metals Limited and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
Do It Right! 8-Time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney on Triceps Training

Written by Lee Haney

23 December 2017

Do It Right! 8-Time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney on Triceps Training

Part 6: Triceps Training

So far in this series, we have covered the best exercises for back, chest, legs, shoulders and biceps; pointing out common technique errors and giving you tips on how to do them right. This time, we conclude the series, talking about the right way to train triceps. No pair of great arms was ever built that didnt feature some impressive horseshoes, so lets discuss how to get them.

Safety First for Triceps: 3 Common Mistakes That Can Hurt You

Staying safe and injury free is important no matter which muscle group were focusing on, but it bears special emphasis with regard to the triceps. I talk to far too many bodybuilders with chronic elbow pain and inflammation, and even more than you would think who have literally torn their triceps off the bone. The most common culprit is overtraining the triceps in an effort to stimulate maximum growth. Because the triceps inevitably work very hard as a secondary muscle group in any type of pressing movement for the chest and shoulders, special care needs to be taken so they arent worked too often or with too much work at once.

Ive seen some people who work all the pushing muscles of the upper body chest, shoulders and triceps all in one workout. Thats just too much. Youre much better off working chest and shoulders on different days, and choosing just one of those to pair up triceps with. If your schedule permits, you might even consider working the larger body part in the morning and triceps in the evening, on a double split routine. This is especially valuable during the contest-prep phase when training volume is increased and energy levels and carbohydrate intake is decreased.

Another reason we see inflamed or torn tendons as well as burst bursa sacs inside the elbow joint is a ballistic snapping of the arm at the peak of extension or pressing motions. Not only is snapping the elbows dangerous, it also takes tension off the muscle and makes the movement much less productive at stimulating growth.

Finally, many bodybuilders do far too much for the triceps in their workouts. Considering the tris assist in all presses and they are also a smaller muscle group than something like the chest or back, there is no need to do more than eight or nine work sets for them. Many times I see bodybuilders doing two or three times that amount of volume, which is sheer overkill and is doing a number on their poor elbows to boot. With all that being said, lets get into a safe and highly effective triceps workout.

Cable Pushdowns

Warming up the elbow joints is a must, which is why I highly recommend starting off your triceps workout with cable pushdowns before doing any type of power movement such as a free-weight extension (skull-crushers or overhead dumbbell extensions). Here, you want to do four sets of 10-12 smooth, controlled reps; pyramiding up in weight as you go. Cable pushdowns will help you add both size and quality to your triceps.

Skull-Crushers

I actually call these nose-breakers or French presses, but most guys these days seem to like to call them skull-crushers. Whatever you call them, these are a total mass builder like none other for the triceps. We keep the reps around 8-10 for four sets, again increasing the weight in pyramid fashion as you progress. This is one movement you dont ever want to snap the elbows at the end of your reps, or guess what? Someday it might be your triceps tendon snapping, and you dont want that! You can use a straight bar if you like, but I prefer a cambered EZ-curl bar. Most people find its easier on the wrists.

One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extensions

The two above exercises should be all you need, every other workout. On the alternating workouts, you can add a third movement, the overhead dumbbell extension with one arm. Keep your elbow pointed straight up at the ceiling, and lower the dumbbell behind your head, keeping it very close and getting a full stretch. As you extend the dumbbell back up, stop short of full lockout to keep stress on the triceps, but do flex it at the top of each rep. This hits the full belly of the triceps for that sweep and hang you want to see when the arms are up in a front or rear double biceps pose. Three sets of 8-10 reps here.

One-Arm Reverse Cable Pushdowns

In the final 10-12 weeks leading up to a contest, you can substitute this cable motion for the overhead dumbbell extension. The one-arm reverse-grip cable pushdown is a pure isolation movement that helps bring out those killer cross-striations in the back of the triceps that are always a sight to see. Make sure you extend your arm out and away from your body and squeeze the triceps hard on every rep.

Compound Movements?

Im sure some of you are wondering when Im going to get to dips and close-grip bench presses. I simply dont believe they are worth including in a triceps routine, due to the fact that they involve too much chest. That being said, you can do a variation of cable pushdowns that simulates the close-grip press. When you hit failure after 8-10 reps of cable pushdowns, step right up close to the cable, bring your hands a little bit closer together, and push the bar down with your elbows flared out for five to six extra reps.

And thats how to get the best pair of triceps you can!

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The report offers a detailed insight into the upstream raw material analysis and downstream demand analysis along with crucial elements

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Office No.10, Wing C, Rajhans, Baner, Pune-45, IndiaDigital Marketing Executive7507349866

- YEAR END BONANZA -Flat 20% discount on purchase of reports from 1st December to 31st December.* Terms & Conditions apply!!Contact No. : +16269994607 (US), /+91 7507349866 (IND)Email: sales@ researchtrades.com Report Overview:The report offers a detailed insight into the upstream raw material analysis and downstream demand analysis along with crucial elements of Smart Gas Meter Market report for furthermore highlights key proposals for new project development along with offering an assessment of investment feasibility analysis. This study is a useful guide to all investors to identify the lucrative market avenues across different segments and geographical regions. The market entry conditions along with emerging avenues will help the new entrants to gauge the pulse of the market. Furthermore, the study tracks industry news in terms of new mergers and acquisition made by prominent companies to expand their product offerings across various countries. The report is a useful guide to market players, all stakeholders, interested market participants and investors to formulate their strategies.Get exclusive sample copy of this report @ https://www.researchtrades.com/request-sample/1360921 Scope of the Report:The Global Smart Gas Meter Industry 2017 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Smart Gas Meter industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Smart Gas Meter market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (North America, Europe, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Smart Gas Meter industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Key Chapters of This Report:1 Industry Overview of Smart Gas Meter1.1 Definition and Specifications of Smart Gas Meter1.1.1 Definition of Smart Gas Meter1.1.2 Specifications of Smart Gas Meter1.2 Classification of Smart Gas Meter2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Smart Gas Meter2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Smart Gas Meter2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Smart Gas Meter2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Wedding Ring2.3.1 USA Labor Cost Analysis3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Smart Gas Meter3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Smart Gas Meter Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Smart Gas Meter Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 Status of Global Smart Gas Meter Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Smart Gas Meter Major Manufacturers in 2016ContinueBrowse this complete report @ https://www.researchtrades.com/report/global-smart-gas-meter-industry-2017-market-research-report/1360921
PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-23 12:28:39

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Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,



Delhi 110049



Sunil

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https://www.myfloralkart.com/occassion/new-year.html





# 374 Words

Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,Delhi 110049PR Head+919899886258

If you are planning to send cakes to Delhi to your loved ones on any special occasion, then you do not have to worry about its delivery or time. Myfloralkart.com is Indias finest online gifting platform which enables you to send cakes to Delhi in no time. Celebrations of every special occasion start with the cutting of a cake. What if you are distanced from your loved ones who are living in Delhi? Myfloralkart is taking care of your celebrations and makes sure that distance does not hamper your special moment. So, order cakes online in Delhi only from https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-delhi.html to make your celebrations grand. Myfloralkart has tied up with world-class bakers in Delhi, who provide you mouth relishing delicacies at your doorstep.Besides, offering the wide range of cakes, they also have a plethora of gifts for all festivals that we celebrate throughout the year. Be it Valentines Day, Diwali, Holi, Christmas, New Year, Mothers Day, or any special occasion, you can drop by and send gifts to Delhi in a jiffy. Myfloralkart offers value for money, and of course, its quick delivery process makes your gifting experience matchless. Being the capital of the country, we have strengthened our shipment services in Delhi, to provide our shoppers a matchless gifting experience. This will also take care of our loyal shoppers, and will help gain more, says Mrs. Alka Arora Marketing Head at Myfloralkart.com If you are looking for the best cake shop in Mumbai, then Myfloralkart has to be one of the lists. Also, their midnight cake delivery in Mumbai makes sure that your cakes are delivered right at 12 a.m. at the recipients doorstep. With such large portfolio of cakes available in different flavors and sizes, you will end up choosing one for the upcoming event. With Myfloralkart, you can also send cakes to Mumbai https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-mumbai.html . So, be it any special occasion, bring a smile to your loved ones face by sending cakes online to Delhi from Myfloralkart.com About MyFloralKartMyFloralKart is an online florist and gifting website in India.Media ContactName: Sunil SinghDesignation: PR Marketing HeadContact: +919899886258Email: info@ myfloralkart.com
Do you wish to convey your regards to your loved ones on special occasions? Well, here is the way.

PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-23 12:27:34

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Myfloralkart

Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,



Delhi 110049



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+919899886258

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https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes.html





# 355 Words

Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,Delhi 110049PR Head+919899886258

Do you wish to convey your regards to your loved ones on special occasions? Well, here is the way. You can send cakes to Kolkata from ( https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-kolkata.html.) . Every year we celebrate so many occasions. However, it is impossible to make it every event. Well, Mtfloralkart makes it easier for you to connect to your loved ones on special occasions. Cakes are a go-to for any special occasion. We begin celebrations of any special occasion by slicing a cake. You can also order cakes online in Kolkata right at your doorstep as the company has its wide delivery network in all areas of the city.Myfloralkart is an online gifting portal which aims to be the best platform to send gifts to your loved ones on special occasions. There are several occasions that we celebrate with our loved ones and exchange gifts. Occasions like Diwali, Christmas, Valentines Day, Rakhi, New Year, etc. are celebrated and gifts are exchanged. You can send gifts to your loved ones if you are living away from them anywhere in India.Besides sending cakes to Kolkata, with Myfloralkart, you can send cakes to Chennai ( https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-chennai.html) as well. The company has tied up with world class bakers in the city which get you fresh delicacies at your doorstep. Also, they have Midnight Cake Delivery in Chennai, which tenders the tradition of wishing at 12 a.m. at midnight. If you are looking for the Best Birthday Cakes in Chennai, then browse through the offerings of Myfloralkart. They have a wide range of options to choose from. The pricing of the cake is on the lower side. You can shop for chocolate cakes, pineapple cakes, butterscotch cakes, Ferrero Rocher cakes, and several other. We do not want our visitors bouncing the website empty handed. We have tied up with different bakers to bring in variety in our offering. , Says, Mrs. Alka Arora, Marketing head at Myfloralkart.com About MyFloralKartMyFloralKart is an online florist and gifting website in India.Media ContactName: Sunil SinghDesignation: PR Marketing HeadContact: +919899886258Email: info@ myfloralkart.com
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Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,



Delhi 110049



Sunil Singh

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# 354 Words

Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,Delhi 110049PR Head+919899886258

The best way to celebrate any special occasion is to slice a cake with your loved ones around. So, if you are planning to send cakes to Hyderabad ( https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-hyderabad.html.) for any special occasion, then Myfloraklkart is at your service. We all know that celebrations of special occasions invariably call for cakes. Be it birthdays, parties, or wedding, we cut a cake, as it is considered as a sign of happiness and good health. Myfloralkart understands the importance of your celebrations and offers you seamless delivery of cakes anywhere in Hyderabad. The offerings that Myfloralkart houses are well-rounded. If you have cravings for any special flavor, they have answers to all. They house flavors like Chocolate, blueberry, red velvet, butterscotch, black forest, and several others. They also have special Ferrero Rocher cakes for special occasions. So, if you are order cakes online in Hyderabad, then there should not be any second thought in choosing Myfloralkart as your trusted gifting platform.Myfloralkart is Indias best online gifting platform through which you can send gifts to your loved ones on any special occasions. They have an assorted collection of gifts for all occasions that we celebrate throughout the year, like Christmas, New Year, Valentines Day, Rakhi, Mothers Day, Diwali, etc. They house gifts for all occasions and for every relationship.If you are looking for the Best Birthday Cakes in Kolkata ( https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-kolkata.html) , then Myfloralkart has its delivery in this as well. You can send cakes to Kolkata in any region from this platform. They also have Midnight Cake Delivery in Kolkata so that you be the first to wish your beloved on occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. Our impeccable midnight delivery service is something that sets up apart from our competitors. Off late, we have strengthened it, and will keep improving it to make your gifting experience like never before, Says Mr. Kapoor Operation head at Myfloralkart.com About MyFloralKartMyFloralKart is an online florist and gifting website in India.Media ContactName: Sunil SinghDesignation: PR Marketing HeadContact: +919899886258Email: info@ myfloralkart.com
Its always a sheer delight to celebrate X-mass when you enjoy much-awaited get together with your friends and family members with each bite of our fresh baked goodies.

PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-23 12:28:49

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Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,



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# 398 Words

Shop No.L-11, Jain Mandir Market, South-ex-2 New Delhi,Delhi 110049PR Head+919899886258

Its always a sheer delight to celebrate X-mass when you enjoy much-awaited get together with your friends and family members with each bite of our fresh baked goodies. MyFloralKart understands the value of celebration and so this season offering an array of fresh cakes which include chocolate butter cakes, tiramisu cakes, black forest cake, and almond cakes online among many others. Plus, for vegetarian lovers, the company also provides a range of eggless cakes which looks and taste as wonderful as the original recipes.This festive season, avail online cake delivery in Barangar ( https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-baranagar.html) and enjoy your time with loved ones. In fact, the entire process to order and send cakes to Barangar is a lot easier. A buyer just requires to fill all the fields like Name, and exact Recipients Address, and Delivery date; and MyFloralKart delivery team ensure to deliver the order to the estimated time frame.At MyFloralKart, we know that you always like to give surprise to your relatives. Just log in to MyFloralKart website and order cake online in Barasat ( https://www.myfloralkart.com/cakes-delivery-barasat.html) and surprise them with our mouth-watering cakes, combined with flowers. No matter, even if you are far from your relatives or loved ones, MyFloralKart could be your best cake shop in Barasat. Each cake is baked fresh in a buyer place the order.Today, undoubtedly we are expert in online cake delivery in Barasat & Barangar with a facility to provide our customers even with printed photos on the cake. We guarantee you 100% simple eggless cake delivery as per your convenient time. You will definitely love our services at your valuable hours of your life. We are here to make it easier for you to send cakes to cities like Barangar & Barasat with just a single click, said Joginder Verma, Regional Business Head, MyFloralKart.About CompanyMyFloralKart is one of Indias leading online gifting portal where any online visitor could place an order to send gifts, cakes, and flowers to his or her loved ones at most discounted rates. This online portal has a wide range of portfolio of gifts centering on Indian festivals like Holi, Diwali, Rakhi etc. Adding to that, one can also place orders for flowers, cakes along with other gift items for any occasion such as Valentines Day, Mothers Day, New Year, Christmas, etc.
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Vertex Resource Group Ltd.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Sherwood Park, Alberta (FSCWire) - Vertex Resource Group Ltd. (TSX Venture:VTX). has issued a press release with the following headline:Vertex Resource Group Ltd. Announces Granting of OptionsTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Vertex Resource Group Ltd., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Vertex Resource Group Ltd.Source: Vertex Resource Group Ltd. (TSX Venture: VTX)Date: December 22, 2017Time: 6:30 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Vertex Resource Group Ltd. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
The sum of N41 billion has been released to the Power, Works and Housing Ministry from the Sukuk bond raised for road rehabilitation by the Nigerian government, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

Hakeem Bello, spokesperson to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, made this known in an exclusive interview, Friday afternoon.

He also told PREMIUM TIMES that the ministry had initially received N22 billion from the fund with which it paid the beneficiary contractors handling the projects.

He, however, noted that as at Thursday, all claims from contractors had been forwarded to the Debt Management Office, DMO, for an authorisation clearance that must be endorsed by the DMO and Trustees before additional funds were released to the Ministrys Sukuk account.

Total payment on Sukuk is now N41 billion as at today (Friday), he said on Friday afternoon.

The Nigerian government issued the debut Sovereign Sukuk of N100 billion in September 2017, with a tenor of seven years.

The bond was raised to facilitate the rehabilitation of 25 key economic road projects across the country.

In October, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, handed over the N100 billion proceeds cheque to the Mr. Fashola.

Mrs. Adeosun, who disclosed that the offer was oversubscribed to the tune of N105.87 billion, said the milestone was a sign of confidence on the Nigerian economy and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

She also explained that the Sukuk proceeds would unlock the potentials of Nigeria.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, Patience Oniha, Director General at DMO explained the payment procedure.

She said the funds were being released in bits in order to ensure that they are used to execute the targeted projects, and to ensure that the milestones set aside for the project were met.

As per the Sukuk, there are two trustees (in the capital market) and we have to get approval from the regulatory bodies. They will have to review the job completion certificate and say it is okay.

The Sukuk money is disbursed through the Cash Management Office and the Office of the Accountant General who authorises payment to MDAs.

So payment has been made (to the Ministry of Power); not N100 million because there is a milestone which must be completed. Its not that you just give the money out. When that milestone is completed, the ministry issues the job completion certificate and then payment is authorised.

The DMO boss explained further that the Sukuk fund cannot be moved into the agencys general account but into a separate Sukuk account with the CBN.

The Ministry of Power itself has a dedicated Sukuk account. So for the Sukuk, there are specific roads and the money cant go to another road.

There are trustees, like I said, so we couldnt have moved all the N100 million to Power (Ministry) and let them use it for any other project. There is a trustee and there are milestones to be met, she explained.

She said the milestones put in place and the inclusion of the two trustees were part of governments measures to ensure that the funds are monitored and judiciously used to facilitate the projects for which the Sukuk was raised.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government on the current fuel crisis in the country.

A statement issued by Bolaji Abudullahi, the partys spokesperson on Saturday, said the APC-led Federal Government was making efforts to address the situation.

We empathise with Nigerians at this difficult time and appeal for patience with the Federal Government as it make efforts to improve the situation, he said.

He added that government was making efforts to find lasting solution to the problem that had bedeviled every administration in the country.

Our party acknowledges the difficulties Nigerians are currently experiencing as a result of the unfortunate fuel scarcity across the country; especially at this yuletide period.

We understand that the Federal Government is doing everything to improve the situation and bring succor to the people as soon as possible, he said.

The party had earlier downplayed the fuel crisis, saying on Friday there was no real scarcity.

Mr. Abdullahi said the APC also understood the unhappiness of Nigerians at the situation, which he noted was happening for the first time in the Christmas period since its administration came to power.

He further said while the APC accepted the choice of the opposition PDP to make political gains out of the development, it condemned its desperation to make the APC-led government look bad.

This, Mr. Abudullahi said, the PDP was doing by maliciously fabricating and circulating fictitious statements in the names of government and APC officials.

According to him, the PDP had continued to attack the APC on the basis of such fabricated statements, saying, this is bad politics.

(NAN)
In order to ensure proper use of funds earmarked for the provision of Universal Basic Education, UBE in Kaduna State, an outfit, the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, CHRICED, has launched an innovative data-driven project.

The executive director of the group, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, in a press statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, said the project would provide the platform for communities in Kaduna State to track and report on spending by the relevant agencies, especially the State Universal Basic Education Board.

He said the organisation had decided to put the spotlight on basic education delivery because it is the bedrock of education in Nigeria.

It provides three years of Early Child Development, and nine years of formal schooling. It is the Federal Government policy for ensuring every child of school age has access to quality basic education.

However, while the problem of inadequate funding has been implicated as one of the reasons for the low quality of service delivery in the Universal Basic Education, UBE, corruption and its damaging effects have derailed the potential of the policy to deliver quality basic education to citizens, he said.

According to the CHRICED director, for the next three years, the innovative data-driven project, through expenditure tracking, research, training, media engagement and robust community dialogue sessions, will address the impacts of corruption on basic education delivery and outcomes in Kaduna State.

We will be working with stakeholders and communities in the three focal local governments of Kauru, Kubau and Zaria in Kaduna State, the aim of the data-centered monitoring of the UBE system is to strengthen accountability and transparency in the management of UBE funds in Kaduna State, he said.

He said the projects ultimate goal is to minimise corruption and financial leakages, while improving the quality of service delivery and outcomes of basic education.

This problem merits intervention due to its serious consequences for the millions of pupils produced by the basic education system, for the civil security of the society, and for our national development- hence the project: Social Mobilisation for Accountability in the Implementation of Universal Basic Education Funds in Kaduna State, he said.

Mr. Zikirullahi said it is the duty of government to provide basic social services noting that Section 18 of 1999 Constitution, as amended, under the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy is explicit about the need for government to direct its policy towards ensuring there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.

He spoke on the specifics of the project.

The CHRICED project on strengthening accountability and transparency in service delivery in this sector would provide the needed tonic for citizens to take a greater interest in how public resources are used to deliver this critical service, upon which the future of millions of Nigerian children dependfuture of millions of Nigerian children depends.

According to the statement, the three-year project is supported by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a United States based independent philanthropist organisation.

The UBE programme is a nine year basic educational programme, which was launched by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on 30th September, 1999 in Sokoto to eradicate illiteracy, ignorance and poverty as well as stimulate and accelerate national development, political consciousness and national integration.
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has banned the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force from conducting stop and search operations on roads except when necessary.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some group of Nigerians recently in the social media, called for the scrapping of SARS over alleged harassment of innocent Nigerians, using the hashtag #EndSARS.

Following the allegation, the Inspector- General of Police promised to restructure and reposition the unit for effective service delivery.

Mr. Idris also warned members of the group against acting as bodyguards, delving into land matters and debt collection that were considered civil.

He further warned that members of the unit must only embark on operations with the permission of the commissioner of police in charge of SARS in the police commands.

You must operate in official uniform clearly marked for identification.

I just want to warn you all here that any officer caught engaging in these activities will be dealt with accordingly.

The Nigeria Police force under my leadership shall operate strictly guided by the human rights principles as enshrined in the United Nations charter on human rights, he said.

He mandated the Inspector-General of polices monitoring units and the X-squad and other over sights unit of the force to monitor the activities of the SARS.

The police boss noted that the establishment of the unit was due to activities of the men of the underworld.

He said as part of measures to check the unit, they would be solely mandated to confront only armed robbery cases and violent crimes in the country,

Mr. Idris also said men deployed to SARS would undergo training, continuous assessment and psychometric test to determine their suitability or otherwise.(NAN)
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The Senate ended its legislative activities for 2017 on Thursday, but the week did not end without the usual drama that characterises its plenary.

In the outgoing week, the Senate dug out the issue of Ibrahim Magus rejection as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Chairman, threw shades at Ministers and Heads of MDAs on their poor showing at the 2018 budget defence and made a stand on the $1billion withdrawal from the Excess Crude Account, ECA.

Below are the key events that happened in the Senate this week:

Monday

 Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy accused the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, of duplication of items in the 2018 budget estimates as well as padding of proposed expenditures.

Tuesday

 The senator representing Kogi East, Atai Aidoko, told other lawmakers that his seat had not been declared vacant by the Court of Appeal contrary to reports.

 Some senators, giving the report of their budget consideration, took turns to condemn the attitude of some ministers and heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, over poor preparation and defence of their 2018 budgets.

Wednesday

 The Senate mandated its committee on anti-corruption and financial crimes to investigate the arrest of the Chairman of Innoson Motors, Innocent Chukwuma, by the EFCC and report back within 24 hours.

 We rejected somebody here, yet he is allowed. Are there no other Nigerians who are credible to fight corruption? Every small thing, EFCC. Tomorrow, if a wife refuses to give his man sex, they will go and call EFCC. It will get to that point.  Sam Anyanwu on the arrest on Innoson boss.

 The Senate called on the federal government to stop the planned sale of the National Theatre and Tafawa Balewa Square, both in Lagos state.

 The Senate on Wednesday resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate allegations of economic waste against the Nigeria Customs warehouses in Kano, Kastina, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Western Marine Lagos, Eastern Marine Port Harcourt and Zone C Federal operations Owerri and Port Harcourt currently filled with seized perishable items, rotting away at great cost to the economy.

Thursday

 The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, gave the assurance that the $1billion withdrawal from the Excess Crude Account, ECA, will not be spent until the Senate considers the processes involved.

 Contrary to claims by embattled Kogi East Senator, Attai Aidoko, that he remains the rightful occupant of the Kogi East senatorial seat, court documents exclusively sourced by PREMIUM TIMES indicate the seat was declared vacant.

 The Nigerian Senate on Thursday closed its activities for 2017 but will resume committee works on 2018 budget consideration on January 9, 2018 while plenary is to commence on January 16, 2018.
Nollywood lost some of its brightest stars in 2017, with the Yoruba film industry losing three within 30 days.

On a closer look, Nollywood lost some veterans because they were unable to raise funds to treat themselves.

These stars may be no more but their legacies live on thanks to their numerous memorable movie roles and productions.

Here, PREMIUM TIMES remembers 16 Nollywood acts lost to the cold arms of death in 2017.

January

1 The Yoruba movie industry recorded its first death of 2017 on January 2 when Toyin Majekodunmi aka Iya Kike, died.

She was the first Nigerian entertainer to pass on in 2017.

Married to a fellow actor, Solomon Majekodunmi aka Baba Kekere for 37 years, she was a delight on stage and in movies. She had three children  two daughters and a son.

She also featured in numerous Yoruba movies and often starred alongside her husband. Prior to launching her movie career, she worked with the Lagos State Ministry of Information for many years.

February

2. Popular Kannywood movie producer, Ibrahim Bauni, died on February 17 after a brief illness.

Mr. Bauni spent 20 years in Kannywood film industry and had produced films like Kalubale, Harafin So, Rumaisa, Sarauniya, among others.

March

3. After a protracted battle with diabetes and kidney ailment, veteran Nollywood actor, James Uche, died on March 8.

He passed on in an ambulance while on the way to undergo dialysis. The actor passed on two days to his scheduled trip to India for a kidney transplant and eye surgery in India.

He was bedridden for several months and was in dire need of an urgent kidney transplant and eye surgery. He had been ill for eight years.

He was down with high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney failure. The actor was famous for his role in Nollywood blockbusters like Igodo, Coronation, Lost Kingdom and The Councillor.

April

4. A fast-rising Nollywood actress, Modupe Oyekunle, died on April 5 after giving birth to her third child, a girl.

Her baby survived. Popularly called Oyinbo because of her complexion, the actress played a prominent role of Sandra in Segun Ogungbes blockbuster movie, Ibi Giga, among other movies she has acted in.

She was a member of Igi Aloye caucus in Abeokuta, which produced the likes of Odunlade Adekola.

5.Veteran Nollywood actor, Olumide Bakare, died on April 22 after a failed battle with a heart and lung disease.

Mr. Bakare was sick for over a year and reports say aside from suffering low blood flow into the heart, there were also indications of a lung-related disease.

He suffered cardiac arrest earlier in the year and was rushed to the emergency unit of University College Hospital where he was placed in intensive care.

Mr. Bakare, 65, was famous for his role as Chief Koko in the rested TV series, Koko Close. A crossover actor, he also starred alongside Genevieve Nnaji and Hollywoods Isaiah Washington in Tony Abulus 2013 film, Doctor Bello.

May

6. Seasoned Yoruba actor, Samuel Adesanya, popularly called Pastor Ajidara, died on May 7.

Mr. Ajidara, 62, died of kidney failure. His family had called for financial support of N12 million from the public, following his doctors recommendation that he would need a kidney transplant to survive.

This was a few days to his death. Ironically, Mr. Adesanya was owed about N4 million by the Ogun State government as a retiree of Ogun State Judiciary.

He retired from the service on July 2, 2015 but was yet to get his retirement benefit till he died. Until his death, Mr. Adesanya was the Governor of Ogun State Chapter of Theatre Art and Movie Producers Association of Nigeria, TAMPAN.

7. Popular Yoruba movie actress, Moji Olaiya, passed on in Canada barely two months after she welcomed a child.

She died on May 17 after she reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest.The 42-year-old star actress was the daughter of legendary Nigerian highlife maestro, Victor Olaiya.

She welcomed her first child in Canada a few months after she officially divorced her first husband. Her death came as a rude shock because her last post on Instagram was less than 24 hours.

She is best known for her roles in films such as No Pains No Gains, in which she played Ireti, Sade Blade (2005), Nkan adun (2008) and Omo Iya Meta Leyi (2009). She also starred in the Agunbaniro.

June

8. Victor Eze Okwuchukwu, who played Alika in the popular TV series, Fuji House of Commotion, passed away on Sunday, June 25, 2017, after a long battle with stroke.

The late Eze was an actor, dancer and writer, known for Stigma (2013), Widows, Beyond Reason, Baby Guards 2 (2005), Changing Faces, and Together as One (2003).

July

9. A renowned journalist, poet and actor, Adebayo Faleti, passed away on July 23, 2017, at the age of 86.

He was a renowned journalist in his prime having taken up top management positions at the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) in the role of a General Manager and also as the Film Editor and Librarian at the National Television Authority (NTA), Ibadan, Oyo State.

He was laid to rest on Friday, September 8, 2017.

August

10. Popular for his role in Conspiracy, Obi Madubogwo announced in 2016 that he was in need of public support for his health.

He had just come out of coma after a toxic battle with a diabetic wound, and was in need of financial support for a surgery, tests and medications to avoid amputation of his leg.

Unfortunately, the actor died on August 28, 2017 and was laid to rest on November 10, 2017.

September

11. Alhaji Kasimu Yero

The Cock Crow At Dawn actor passed away at the age of 70.

He died at his house on Sunday, September 3, 2017, in Kaduna State after a protracted illness.

His son Masur Yero confirmed his death. The veteran was buried after the funeral prayers that took place at the Sultan Bellow Mosque according to Islamic rites.

12. Comic actor, Okwy Chukwujekwu, popularly known as Main Bossman, passed away in September.

The Men of Wisdom actor passed away in Anambra State, following an asthma attack. Fellow actor, Odira Nwobu, confirmed his death.

Chukwujekwu was laid to rest on October 5.

13. Actor and movie producer known as Friday Ugwu was reported to have been involved in an accident along Lagos-Badagry express road in Ojo.

He was riding with one of his friends when a trailer suddenly lost control and ran over them and crushed them to death on the spot.

Ugwu, a native of Orokam in Ogbadibo LGA of Benue state, shot into limelight when he produced and played the lead role in the movie entitled Okaka De Don many years ago.

October

14.Yoruba Nollywood actress, Funke Abisogun-Alhassan, passed away in October.

According to actor Tunde Ola Yusuf, who shared the news on Instagram, the actress passed away a few days after being delivered of a baby.

An actress and a producer, Abisogun owned the production house Funke Abisogun Heritage Links, and was married to filmmaker, Taofeek Al Hassan Abisogun.

November

15. Nollywood actor, David Nwajei, also known as Davo died during the year.

His friends, Brumen John, Dona Power, among other took to social media to share the news.

While the news of his death spread on a Friday, he died on November 15th after a brief illness.

December

16. Tunde Oloyede, the producer and director of the defunct television drama series, Village Headmaster, reportedly died in his sleep at his residence in Festac Town, Lagos.

Mr. Oloyede was a former President of Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria. He was also the producer/director of popular TV drama series, Tightrope, amongst several other productions.

Until his death, Oloyede ran his own production outfit, Media International Production.

His wife, Bimbo Oloyede, is a veteran broadcaster and a guest newscaster on Channels Television.
The unabating nationwide fuel scarcity has drawn public outcry by Nigerians on social media especially on twitter as many have taken to the medium to express their displeasure.

Though the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) had suspended its nationwide strike, queues are still very visible with car owners waiting endlessly to buy fuel.

Karen Rikko, a traveller going to Jos, Plateau, expressed displeasure over the worsening situation of fuel scarcity adding that it does not speak well of the country.

I wouldnt say any Nigerian is happy about the fuel scarcity, I will say it has become a yearly ritual and has inconvenienced everyone. Moving from Abuja to Nasarrawa satellite town takes over two hours and also artificial traffic. The little fuel you get after so much struggle will almost get finished. I dont think this is convenient, as time is money. Generally I dont think it has any positive effect on the working of the economy, she said.

A twitter user follow4follow @Shameh_NG, said Being a tout pays when theres #FuelScarcity in d country. I dey here over 2hrs with my 10 litre gallon,

some touts just entered slapped everyone close to the tank with 4 of 25 litres.

I just dey one corner dey speak English.. @biolakazeem @RadioPaparazi @Gidi_Traffic @MBuhari.

Another Twitter user, Chidi Okereke@Chydee said, Guys, if youre driving and your car isnt full, help someone going your route please. This #FuelScarcity has left some people stranded. God bless you as you do.

Read more reactions here:

Guys, if youre driving and your car isnt full, help someone going your route please. This #FuelScarcity has left some people stranded. God bless you as you do.  Chidi Okereke  (@Chydee) December 22, 2017

https://twitter.com/timiakegbejo/status/943571296675422209

How does Goodluck Ebele Jonathan sleep at night? How can he explain this fuel scarcity of December 2017?#fuelscarcity #Nigeria  Chuba Ugwu (@ChubaUgwuu) December 21, 2017

Nigeria leaders come to USA, UK and many other countries, they see how the basic social amenities are available to citizens, like good Road, water, light, yet they go back to Nigeria and act like its normal for Nigerian not to experience good life. #FuelScarcity  Wash your hands, you detty PIG. (@OrissAreg_) December 22, 2017

Putin: Law degree

Trump: Economics degree

Merkel: PhD in physical chemistry

Xi Jinping: Chemical engineering and Doctor of Law.

Buhari: PhD in Recessionology & Doctor w/ zero WAEC. you then wonder why we're on retrogression mode.#FuelScarcity#RestructureNigeria#endsars  Nwo-Diali PH (@Manlike_ED) December 21, 2017

https://twitter.com/iAm__TT/status/944292554937380866

This is the 3rd fuel scarcity under Buhari in 2 1/2 years. First one was in Sept-December 2015. For 3 months Nigeria suffered but PMB didn't blink. Second one was in April/May 2016 which he cunningly increased fuel from N87  N145 and now December 2017. Buhari and #fuelscarcity pic.twitter.com/hjw70oeshJ  The Omonile Lawyer | Arsenal Fan | (@MatthewOttah) December 22, 2017

https://twitter.com/damorela00/status/944477369309581312

Those good old days when MAN U Fans attacked everything about a "title winning" Mourinho at Chelsea but never knew they will later defend "a less successful parking the bus" Mourinho era at MAN U. #FuelScarcity pic.twitter.com/FKA5mc47v0  Ebube The Statesman (@akaebube) December 22, 2017
The proposed visit of a Nigerian senator, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to Kano state next Saturday is aimed at spiting President Muhammadu Buhari, the senators kinsman, Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, has said.

Mr. Kwankwaso, a former governor who the brother claims has not visited Kano since May 2015, is set to visit Kano next Saturday.

The kinsman, who is Kano States Commissioner for Rural and Community Development, in a statement said the ex-governor deliberately shunned the recent official visit of President Buhari to Kano.

He said Mr. Kwankwaso shunned Mr. Buharis visit because he wants, to test his popularity with Buhari in his Saturday visit.

Out of the three Kano senators, only Kwankwaso deliberately shunned Buharis visit. Senator Barau Jibrin of Kano North and his colleague of Kano South, Kabiru Gaya did not only attend the gathering, they played their roles in ensuring the successful hosting of the President, he said.

He said the sole aim of Mr. Kwankwaso Saturdays visit is to show the world that he is more popular than Mr. Buhari in Kano state, even when the reverse is the case.

But we want to remind him (Kwankwaso) of how Buhari defeated him in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary in Lagos, even Kano delegates who were his then voted for Buhari. Nothing has changed since then, he said.

The commissioner said no matter the resources channeled towards the visit, Kwankwasos outing can never match that of Buhari because come sun, come rain, Kano remains that of Buhari.

He urged Mr. Kwankwaso to forget his presidential ambition and appeal to the Kano state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in order to retain his senatorial seat come 2019.

Vibrant people are eyeing Kano central senatorial seat because of Kwankwasos abysmal performance at the Upper Chamber. How many times has he spoken on the floor of the Senate ? How many bills has he sponsored since 2015 when the Senate was inaugurated ? And how many projects has he attracted to Kano from federal level? The answer is zero.

However, countering the allegations against her boss, the spokeswoman of the senator, Binta Spikin, said the former governor was simply coming to Kano strictly as his constitutional right to visit his State.

Why must everything be about Kwankwaso being against Buhari. Are they saying the Senator is a political threat to Buharis second coming. They should know that Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is coming home, moreso there is an election into the local governments and he has every right to ensure that those contesting adhere to his Kwankwasiyya political ideologies, she said.

EDITORS NOTE: This post has been updated to reflect the information we received that the Kano Commissioner is not former Governor Kwankwasos brother, but his kinsman.
United States President Donald Trump described Nigerians as people living in huts which they would not want to return to whenever they visit America, the New York Times reported Saturday.

The paper published accounts of some administration officials who were present at a meeting about the administrations immigration policy in June.

Mr. Trump has pushed controversial immigration policies since becoming American president in January.

Amongst his first policies was to ban visits from several countries  mostly from the middle east.

The policy has been overturned and upheld by different American courts.

The Times reported that Mr. Trump had a ready-made excuse for almost all the countries his controversial immigration policy targeted.

He said he was banning people from Afghanistan because the country was a terrorist haven.

When asked about why he was restricting people from Haiti, he described them as being infested with AIDS.

On Nigerians, Mr. Trump said they would never go back to their huts in Africa, the Times reported, citing two officials who were presented at the meeting held in Mr. Trumps office but who sought anonymity.

Although some administration officials acknowledged that the meeting took place, they denied that the president used AIDS and huts at the meeting.

Nigeria was eventually not included in the list of countries whose nationals were banned from entering America.
A presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, says the responsibility of maintaining peace and peaceful coexistence is not only the duty of the government, but also of religious organizations whose words carry weight.

Mr. Shehu stated this in a statement on Saturday while responding to the allegations by the Supreme Council for Sharia, accusing the President of letting down Muslims in his inability to attend the emergency summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The extraordinary summit of the OIC in Istanbul, which was attended by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, was convened by Turkey to discuss the U.S. President Donald Trumps declaration of Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel.

Mr. Shehu described the allegation as totally misleading and baseless, saying the president was represented at the OIC summit by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.

He said President Buhari had to go to France to attend the Climate Change Summit because he had earlier given a firm commitment to President Emmanuel Macron.

The Paris summit on climate change wasnt a junket. It was also about the problems of the Lake Chad region which affects Nigeria as well as the neighboring countries.

About 30 million lives are involved. Without the drying up of the lake, we would probably not have had the acute poverty that nurtured the environment for Boko Haram terrorism, he said.

Mr. Shehu recalled that countries such Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which sponsored the UN General Assembly Resolution to condemn Mr. Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel, did not also attend the Turkey meeting for various compelling reasons.

As a respectable religious organization, an organization that we hold in high esteem, the Supreme Council for Shariah could have helped themselves and the nation by checking the facts before the outburst, which sadly, was repeatedly aired by the international radio.

By the time the Erdogan summit was called, the Presidential advance team was already in Paris, ready to receive him. At that point, the best President Buhari could do was to send a representation.

He called President Erdogan and explained the circumstances and the Turkish leader expressed his understanding and appreciation. We are signatory to the final resolutions, he said.

He said at every available opportunity, including his addresses at the UN General Assembly sessions in the past, 2015, 2016 and 2017, President Buhari had always spoken passionately and forcefully about the Palestinian issue and the necessity and urgency of finding a just solution to their case.

Mr. Shehu said: It is very uncharitable for any religious organization to accuse the President of abandoning Muslims as alleged.

As can be seen from the UN vote on Jerusalem, the issue of Palestine is for all men of conscience, Muslims, Christians, Jews and even nonbelievers.

Besides, the President has shown consistency in his support for the Palestinian cause.

Mr. Shehu, who is the Senior Special Assistant to the President, also quoted the Presidents address at the General Assembly in 2015, where he said as we engage in these annual debates, we need remind ourselves of the principles that led to the founding of the United Nations. Among those are peaceful coexistence and self determination of peoples.

In this context, Mr. President, the unresolved question of self-determination for the Palestinian people and those of Western Sahara, both nations having been adjusted by the United Nations as qualifying for this inalienable right must now be assured and fulfilled without any further delay or obstacle.

The international community has come to pin its hopes on resolving the Palestinian issue through the two  states solution which recognises the legitimate right of each state to exist in peace and security.

The world has no more excuses or reasons to delay the implementation of the long list of Security Council resolutions on this question. Neither do we have the moral right to deny any people their freedom or condemn them indefinitely to occupation and blockade.

In his address at the UN in 2016, Mr. Shehu also quoted Mr. Buhari as saying that, Mr. Presidentthe Palestinian issue, despite years and years of international efforts is no nearer to being resolved. Nigeria in company with member States of the African Union, firmly support the Two-State solution with Palestinian rights to statehood in conformity, with numerous Security Council Resolutions beginning with Resolution 242 of 1967.

Let me seize this opportunity to once again thank all UN and other aid agencies and development partners currently deployed in North East Nigeria. I reaffirm Nigerias commitment to collective action towards an effective global response to address the root causes of refugee flows worldwide. 

Mr. Shehu further stated in September this year, Mr. Buhari took the issue of Palestine to the UN General and spoke the minds of Nigerians and many in the world that  new conflicts should not make us lose focus on ongoing unresolved old conflicts.

For example, several UN Security Council Resolutions from 1967 on the Middle East crisis remain unimplemented. Meanwhile, the suffering of the Palestinian people and the blockade of Gaza continue.

The presidential spokesman advised religious organizations to avoid jumping to conclusions and making unfounded allegations without adequate knowledge and facts of the reality surrounding certain decisions and actions of the government.

Shehu expressed the appreciation of the Presidency for the support and prayers for the President from all religious organizations and assured that President Buhari was committed to the promotion of peace and harmony in the country.

The Presidential Media Aide urged all religious leaders to recognize the sensitivity of some of their utterances on the unity and peaceful coexistence of the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that U.S. president Trumps announcement of recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was met with widespread condemnation and sparked protests across the world.

NAN recalls that 128 members of the United Nations General Assembly had on Thursday voted to reject U.S. PpTrumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital in spite initial threat and warning to sanction those that might vote against American interest.

(NAN)
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has directed immediate commencement of Stop and Search operations throughout the yuletide period.

A statement by the Force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, in Abuja on Saturday, said Mr. Idris directed all state police commands across the country to strengthen security at flash points, black spots and vulnerable points on major roads and highways across the country.

He warned that in order to ensure free flow of traffic and ease movement of travellers, the operation should not be located at areas susceptible to traffic gridlock or vehicular hold-ups.

The Police teams on traffic control and observation patrols have been deployed to such points and sections to manage traffic and carryout Police observation duties,he said.

Mr. Moshood said that Mr. Idris further directed all Commissioners of Police to supervise police personnel deployed to the stop and search points to make sure that they are not turned to roadblocks.

Members of the public should promptly report any roadblock seen mounted anywhere in the country to the IGP X-Squad, he said.

He said all personnel of the force deployed for the Stop-and-Search operations were under strict instructions to be polite and civil in carrying out their duties.

The Inspector General of Police, therefore, calls on all Nigerians especially travellers and other road users to cooperate with personnel of the Force deployed in their localities,he said.

(NAN)
Abdullahi Sani-Oseze, the Director-General, Nasarawa State Pension Bureau, has said that the state government has increased the minimum pension of retirees to N5, 000.

Mr. Sani-Oseze said this in Lafia on Saturday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said the government made the adjustment in order to make life more meaningful for pensioners, in view of the prevailing economic realities in the country.

The Director-General said some workers, who retired from active service before the implementation of minimum wage in the state, were receiving as low as N1, 000 as their monthly pension.

So we consider the plight of this category of pensioners and reported to Gov. Umaru Al-Makura, who directed that there should be an upward review of their pensions.

No pensioner today in the state receives less than N5, 000 as his monthly pension, he added.

Mr. Sani-Oseze said the bureau had taken measures to address issues of some pensioners, who had not benefited from any payment since the inception of Al-Makura administration in 2011.

He said the agency had, through the media, directed that any pensioner, who had not received any payment since Mr. A-Makura came on board, should come to the bureaus office with necessary documents.

We have given them one week to come forward with their documents and the response has been impressive.

Those who were unable to come as at December 22 can still bring their documents after Christmas; we will still attend to them, the Director-General said.

He added that the next-of-kins of those retirees who had died and were not paid their gratuities, should also come forward with the necessary documents for prompt action.

Sani-Oseze gave assurance that this category of pensioners would be the first to be shortlisted in January 2018 for the payment of their gratuities.

He, therefore, advised pensioners to take advantage of the exercise to get the entitlements of their departed loved ones.

(NAN)
Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State on Friday signed the N98.6 billion budget for 2018 into law, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The state House of Assembly had on December 19 passed the budget as presented by the governor.

Signing the budget at the Government House in Ado Ekiti, the governor commended the assembly for ensuring its early passage.

This is the last budget I will sign as governor of Ekiti, having done the little God had helped me to do.

I commend the assembly for standing by me. It is my prayer that this assembly will continue to grow from strength to strength.

You have demonstrated responsible leadership. Im not in doubt record will show you as one of the best assemblies we ever had in the history of Ekiti.

NAN reported that the 2018 budget, code-named Budget of Accomplishment, was presented at a plenary presided over by the Speaker Kola Oluwawole on Dec. 5.

The budget is greater than 2017 estimates of N93.09 billion by 5.5 per cent.

It consists of N66.4 billion recurrent and N32.1 billion capital expenditures.

Mr. Fayose had said, The recurrent to capital ratio is 67:33 as against 42:58 in the 2017 fiscal year.

This was in consonance with the Fiscal Responsibility Plan which is globally acceptable.

We have chosen to be sincere and be realistic with our people instead of having a bogus budget that is unrealisable.

He added that the budget would be financed through federal allocation (33 per cent), internally generated revenue (11 per cent), Value Added Tax (11 per cent), Education Intervention Fund (4 per cent) and sundry incomes (12 per cent).

He said the budget, when passed, would help to complete projects under construction.

(NAN)
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aireon announced today the successful fourth launch and deployment of its space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) payloads hosted onboard the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation. At 5:27 PM PST, a flight-proven SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, marking the halfway point of the Aireon system deployment and bringing the total number of Aireon payloads in orbit to 40.

"This is a huge achievement. With 40 payloads in orbit, we're officially approaching two-thirds of the way to being operational," said Don Thoma, chief executive officer, Aireon. "As we continue to deploy our space-based system, we witness greater and greater performance from our service. We couldn't be more thrilled to go into 2018 celebrating this milestone."

Prior to the deployment of these 10 payloads, the Aireon system was already receiving approximately 6 billion position reports per month. The position reports produced by the system have also received additional validation testing from several successful test flights with both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NAV CANADA.

Among the surprises discovered during the ongoing testing and validation process, is the payload coverage area, or "footprint", being substantially larger than initially expected. This results in greater coverage areas per payload and establishes increased redundancy across the system.

"Every Aireon payload has an independent chance to receive a message from an ADS-B transponder," says Dr. Michael Garcia, director of systems engineering at Aireon. "The larger the payload footprint, the larger the overlap between areas of coverage. The result is a highly validated aircraft position report."

The Aireon service is hosted by the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation, which will consist of 66 low-earth orbit interconnected satellites. A total of 81 Iridium NEXT satellites are being built, all of which will have the Aireon payload onboard. Currently, 75 satellites are planned to be deployed with nine serving as on-orbit spares and the remaining six as ground spares. The constellation is planned for completion in mid-2018.

For additional information about Aireon, visit www.aireon.com.

About Aireon LLC

Aireon is deploying a space-based air traffic surveillance system for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipped aircraft throughout the entire globe. Aireon will harness next-generation aviation surveillance technologies that are currently ground-based and, for the first time ever, extend their reach globally to significantly improve efficiency, enhance safety, reduce emissions and provide cost savings benefits to all stakeholders. Real-time ADS-B surveillance will cover oceanic, polar and remote regions, as well as augment existing ground-based systems that are limited to terrestrial airspace. In partnership with leading Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) from around the world, like NAV CANADA, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), ENAV and Naviair, as well as Iridium Communications, Aireon will have an operational, global, space-based air traffic surveillance system by 2018. For more information, please visit www.aireon.com.

Press Contact

Jessie Hillenbrand

Aireon

+1 (703) 287-7452

[email protected]

SOURCE Aireon

Related Links

http://www.aireon.com


LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Dec. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Effective December 1, 2017, Jennifer Dugan announces changes to Dugan's Travels team.

Jennifer Dugan is named Chief Family Officer. Jennifer will be responsible for nurturing the culture of Dugan's Travels and agent recognition and awareness. Jennifer will ensure Work With A Family of Agents! is not just a slogan but a way of life for Dugan's Travels. As the agency owner, Jennifer is also responsible for licensing, state seller of travel regulation compliance, and other banking and legal matters.

Virginia Ann Busceme is named Chief Operations Officer. Virginia will be responsible for the business activities of the agency including commissions, agent contracts, invoicing, ClientEase, Smart Agency implementation and development, and other business related activities.

Shari Speer is named Chief Supplier Relations Officer. Shari will be responsible for developing and expanding Dugan's Travels' relationships with travel suppliers and agent awareness and education on the business, offerings, and promotions from travel suppliers. Shari is also responsible for all Dugan's University seminars.

Karen Pattison is joining the team of Dugan's Travels as the New Agent Coordinator. In her position Karen will work with new agents when they join Dugan's and advise and assist them through the New Agent Orientation program.

Melissa Land is named Marketing Coordinator. Melissa will be responsible for promoting Dugan's Travels and Dugan's Preferred Suppliers through inward and outward facing marketing. Melissa will continue to do prospective agent telephone sessions.

Carolyn Orf is named Chief Development Officer. Carolyn will be responsible for agent development for new and experienced agents. Carolyn will continue to nurture agents through Dugan's STEP Program and will oversee and develop Dugan's New Agent Orientation and other agent education programs.

Karlene Penick will continue in her role as Agency Specialist--Contracts and Commissions.

Barb Cerbie will continue in her role as Agent Advisor.

Wendi Carrillo will continue in her role as Senior Agent and Problem Resolution Specialist.

STRIX of Louisiana will continue to coordinate agent contracts, agent invoices, web and cloud support, and the development, implementation, and operation of Smart Agency.

Karen Pattison is joining the team of Dugan's Travels as the New Agent Coordinator. In her position Karen will work with new agents when they join Dugan's and advise and assist them through the New Agent Orientation program.

Jennifer Dugan stated, "Dugan's Travels has been a host agency since 1999. We are so excited to continue to grow and evolve to make sure all our agents' needs are met."

Dugan's Travels is a travel host agency with 400 independent contractor agents located across the United States. Dugan's Travels is located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. All staff work virtually and are also located across the United States.

Dugan's Travels was founded in 1997 and began hosting agents in 1999. Dugan's Travels has received many awards including Presidents' Circle with Travel Leaders Network, Platinum Funjet 500 Club Agency, Crystal Preferred Partner with Apple Vacations, and Best of the West with Sandals. Dugan's Travels is a member of IATAN, CLIA, ASTA, and PATH. For more information please visit www.travelathome.com.

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE Dugan's Travels

Related Links

http://www.travelathome.com


WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kmart Corp. has agreed to pay $35.3 million to the federal government and a number of states to settle a whistleblower lawsuit jointly litigated by Phillips & Cohen LLP and Korein Tillery that alleged Kmart overcharged government healthcare programs and private insurers for generic prescription drugs.

The "qui tam" (whistleblower) case  filed in 2008 by Phillips & Cohen on behalf of former Kmart pharmacist James Garbe  alleged that from 2004 to 2016 Kmart charged Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare as well as private insurers more for generic prescription drugs than it charged customers who paid cash. Pharmacies are required to bill government insurance programs the lowest price offered to cash-paying customers.

The $35.3 million settlement includes $3 million paid to California and Illinois to settle Garbe's allegations that Kmart also improperly billed private insurers higher prices for generic prescription drugs in violation of the California Insurance Fraud Prevention Act and the Illinois Insurance Claims Fraud Prevention Act.

This case stands out because the whistleblower's attorneys, Phillips & Cohen joined by co-counsel Korein Tillery, litigated the case against Kmart on their own without government assistance. Because of this, Garbe will receive a whistleblower award of 29 percent of the federal government's recovery ($9.3 million), which is nearly the maximum percentage whistleblowers can be awarded under the False Claims Act.

The False Claims Act requires the government to decide whether it will join a qui tam case, which depends on many factors. When the government does not intervene, the law allows whistleblowers to litigate qui tam lawsuits on their own to recover funds for the government.

"The settlement shows we were right to continue to pursue the case on behalf of taxpayers, despite the government's decision not to join the qui tam lawsuit," said Erika A. Kelton, a whistleblower attorney and partner at Phillips & Cohen. "Not only did we recover funds for taxpayers, we also stopped a practice that would have been an improper drain on government healthcare funds."

Kmart waged a fierce legal battle to get the qui tam case dismissed after it was unsealed seven years ago, taking the litigation all the way to the US Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court declined in January to hear Kmart's appeal of a US Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decision in 2015 that ruled against Kmart and denied the company's request to dismiss the case.

"This was a hard-fought victory for our client and for taxpayers," said Larry Zoglin, a whistleblower attorney who is Of Counsel to Phillips & Cohen. "It is wrong for a pharmacy to charge government healthcare programs more than it charges cash-paying customers for the same prescription."

For instance, according to the whistleblower's complaint, Kmart sold a 30-day supply of a generic version of a popular prescription drug for $5 to customers who registered for a discount program but Kmart sought reimbursement from the government for $152 for the same drug for Medicare customers, which Kmart claimed was the "usual and customary" price.

Kmart argued in court that it could exclude the lower prices that it charged members of its discount program when determining the proper price  known as the "usual and customary price"  to charge government healthcare programs. But the appeals court shredded that argument.

"The 'usual and customary' price requirement should not be frustrated by so flimsy a device as Kmart's 'discount programs,'" the court wrote in its opinion.

Qui tam case citation: US et al. vs. Kmart Corporation, Civil Action No. 12-cv-881-NJR-RJD (SD IL).

About Phillips & Cohen LLP

Phillips & Cohen is the nation's most successful law firm representing whistleblowers, with recoveries for governments totaling more than $12.3 billion in civil settlements and criminal fines. The firm represents whistleblowers in qui tam lawsuits as well as cases brought under the whistleblower reward programs of the SEC, CFTC and IRS. www.phillipsandcohen.com

SOURCE Phillips & Cohen LLP

Related Links

http://www.phillipsandcohen.com


INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BD International Group, a local logistics company, and its employees are donating their time and money this holiday season to help a local shelter.

BD International Group plans to donate lunch and clothes Friday, Dec. 22, to For God So Loved The World, a shelter on the southeast side of Indianapolis.

BD International Group

"As one of the largest minority-owned companies in Indiana, we feel it is our duty to pioneer giving and help the less unfortunate," BD International Group CEO Brighton Dube said. "I was introduced to Pastor Rhonda at For God So Loved The World a few years ago by the late Dr. Gene McFadden and since then it has had a special place in my heart and the heart of employees at BD International Group."

Dube said he plans to make this donation an annual event and also hopes to create a partnership with the shelter moving forward.

"I'd like to expand our relationship with For God So Loved The World and eventually create a program that gets people out of the shelter and back into the workforce," Dube said. "These efforts are ongoing."

In addition to giving back during the holiday season, BD International Group also donates money for tuition fees for kids in Africa.

More about BD International Group

BD International Group, based in the Indianapolis, Indiana, area, is a minority-owned and certified international logistics and supply chain management company providing a diverse client base both asset and non-asset based services.

Our transportation management service clients range from 100 percent outsourced solutions to transactional opportunities. We have assembly and distribution operations strategically located in the Southeast and West Coast.

David Plew

2117 Directors Row, Indianapolis, 46251

www.bdinternationalgroup.com

SOURCE BD International Group
ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Twin Metals Minnesota issued the following statement in response to today's action by the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) to reaffirm Twin Metals' right to renewal of two federal mineral leases held in Northeast Minnesota for more than 50 years. The DOI action withdraws and replaces a March 2016 DOI legal opinion that served as the basis for the December 2016 action by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to deny the renewal of the two Twin Metals leases. Twin Metals' federal leases are important components of the underground mine project proposal the company is preparing for submittal to state and federal agencies for extensive review through an Environmental Impact Statement.

"Twin Metals is pleased with today's action by the U.S. Department of the Interior to reaffirm Twin Metals' right to renewal of federal mineral leases held in Northeast Minnesota for more than 50 years. The decision is an important first step to ensure the certainty of investments in U.S. mining projects and to reaffirm long-standing property rights and the rule of law. The DOI's new legal position also paves the way for federal agencies to reverse previous actions denying renewal of Twin Metals' federal leases. In response to the DOI's action, Twin Metals today dismissed its federal lawsuit challenging the Department's previous legal opinion and denial of lease renewal. Twin Metals looks forward to working with the agencies through the proper process of renewing the company's leases."

Twin Metals' federal mineral leases were first issued by the federal government in 1966 with a right of unlimited, successive 10-year renewals. The leases were renewed by BLM and USFS without controversy in 1989 and again in 2004. Twin Metals filed for the third renewal of the leases in late 2012. The legal opinion issued by the DOI in March 2016 served as the foundation for the government denying the company's lease renewal application. Twin Metals filed a federal lawsuit challenging the DOI's legal opinion in September 2016.

Twin Metals has invested more than $400 million to date in acquisition, exploration, technical, environmental, and other project development activities. The Twin Metals project will meet all state and federal environmental standards, provide hundreds of jobs for generations of Minnesotans, and result in billions of dollars of environmentally-responsible economic growth in the region.

About Twin Metals Minnesota: Twin Metals Minnesota is a Minnesota company focused on developing and operating an underground copper, nickel, platinum, palladium, gold and silver mining project (TMM Project) in the Iron Range region of Northeast Minnesota. Twin Metals is owned by Antofagasta plc, one of the top ten copper producers in the world.

Contact:

Bob McFarlin

[email protected]

612-655-2099

SOURCE Twin Metals Minnesota
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
DALLAS, Dec. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Genesis Research & Technology Group, the leader in chemical-free clean water, will start pre-registration on Dec. 28, 2017, for the highly publicized ICO WaterToken. The response to this ICO has yielded over 100,000 downloads of the whitepaper and media requests worldwide. Genesis Research & Technology Group is launching after negotiations with government officials in Sudan, India, Johannesburg, and the U.S. were complete. Ron Price, CEO of Genesis Research & Technology Group says, "With so much pressure to clean water in so many different parts of the world, our focus has always been on the water rather than the ICO."

WaterToken is set at $0.25 per coin and will be discounted at the start. Unlike other tokens, these will be paid in perpetuity and the token holder will reap the profits year after year. Michael Lagow, CAO of Genesis Research & Technology Group states, "The excitement of the system and its complete cleaning of all variances of water is amazing and coupled with the fact that it is a green IoT (Internet of Things) system makes this a worldwide game changer." The productivity of the portable and scalable systems can clean up to 20,000 barrels of water an hour; which is pivotal for the ecosystem in the oil and gas industry. The patented Genesis System cleans toxic fracking water which is contaminated with oil and other particles and then can be reused in the fracking process or safely put back into the earth.

Darren McVean, CEO of MVP Asia Pacific, LLC states, "We believe the blockchain solves the serious issues around trust and verification of environmental impact monitoring. With the introduction of blockchain and smart sensor devices, ultimately environmental regulation will require real-time monitoring of equipment sensors to ensure instant access to accurate environmental statistics." Genesis Research and Technology Group senior executives approached MVP and Universal Media Group 18 months ago because Genesis was exploring a new technology partner with experience in IoT (Internet of Things) smart devices. MVP and Genesis made the commitment to explore the storing of valuable environmental records to the blockchain. MVP was able to develop the IoT and blockchain platform for Genesis along with access to MVP's massive electrical engineering team that worked closely with the technology department to test and simulate the water readings from the Genesis System.

In 2008, roughly 25 billion barrels of polluted water was produced in the United States alone. This year (2017), it is estimated that the number of barrels of produced water will number in the 31 billion. In response to this immense threat to the environment, Genesis Research and Technology Group has developed sole-sourced, green, state-of-the-art Industrial Water Treatment Technologies that treat produced and frack water and return it to a reusable state.

The Genesis process relies on three licensed purification methods: ozone (O3) generation, coagulation, and ultrafiltration. Using these cutting-edge technologies, Genesis can offer the following services:

Frack and produced water recycling for reuse

Desalination

Drinking water sterilization and treatment

Wastewater treatment and recycling

Meat and product sterilization for the food industry

Industrial, petrochemical and refinery wastewater recycling

About Genesis Research and Technology Group: Genesis Research and Technology Group is a U.S.-based company that has developed a patented, state-of-the-art technology that provides clean reusable water for the world's population. The Company exploits its CHEMICAL-FREE technology as its efforts are being recognized by several leading government agencies developing and implementing Green technologies to protect and preserve our Earth's resources.

Genesis Research and Technology Group provides custom-built state-of-the-art water treatment technologies for all types of water. Years of research and development go into perfecting this technology that allows Genesis to offer its clients a sole source, reusable water filtering and cleansing technology that is totally chemical-free.

For more information: watertoken.io

Media Contact:

Patricia Almand

Phone: 855-8100UMG

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Genesis Research & Technology Group

Related Links

http://watertoken.io


The Federal Court of Australia has ordered that Patrick John Godfrey, the former managing director of Banksia Securities Limited (In Liquidation) (Receivers and Managers Appointed) pay a pecuniary penalty of $25,000 and be disqualified from managing corporations for a period of five years.

The Court was satisfied on an agreed statement of facts between ASIC and Mr Godfrey, and declared, that Mr Godfrey contravened section 344(1) of the Corporations Act, in that:

Banksias financial reports for the financial years ending 30 June 2011 and 30 June 2012, and its half-year financial report for the half year ending 31 December 2011, did not comply with the relevant accounting standards, nor did they give a true and fair view of the financial position and performance of Banksia given the amount disclosed for the provision of bad and doubtful debts was inadequate. Mr Godfrey failed to have or obtain a sufficient understanding of the requirements of the relevant accounting standard, AASB 139 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement (AASB 139) for the recognition and assessment of the impairment of mortgage investments made by Banksia. Mr Godfrey's recommendations as to the appropriate amount of provision for bad and doubtful debts resulted in Banksias financial reports failing to give a true and fair view of Banksias financial position. Mr Godfrey failed to take all reasonable steps to secure compliance by Banksia with AASB 139.

In imposing the disqualification order (which is not to commence until 1 February 2018 at 4:30pm) and the penalty, Justice Moshinsky found the penalty and disqualification order that ASIC and Mr Godfrey had jointly submitted were appropriate and should be made.

ASIC Commissioner John Price said the importance of ensuring that the financial accounts of a company are reported in accordance with the law by complying with the correct accounting standards is essential to provide assurance and market confidence.

"Mr Godfrey fell short of the standards required of him in this case," Mr Price advised.

Banksia was a Kyabram-based unlisted public company involved in raising money from the public by issuing debentures and lending the funds raised to borrowers for property investment and development purposes.

As a non-bank lender, Banksia grew out of a network of solicitors' mortgage investment companies, or SMICs.

Banksia's predecessor business was started by Patrick Godfrey in 1968, called Kyabram Housing Investments.

It collapsed in 2012.

As at October 2012, Banksia had raised approximately $663 million from 15,622 investors.

On 25 October 2012, Tony McGrath, Joseph Hayes, Matthew Caddy and Robert Kirman of McGrathNicol were appointed as receivers and managers to Banksia by The Trust Company (Nominees) Limited, the trustee for debenture holders.

On 11 June 2014, ASIC accepted an enforceable undertaking from Mr Warren John Sinnott, the former auditor of Banksia, under which he is prevented from practising as a registered auditor until 10 June 2019.

On 24 June 2014, John Lindholm and Peter McCluskey of Ferrier Hodgson were appointed as Official Liquidators to Banksia by an order of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

On 23 June 2017, ASIC commenced civil penalty proceedings in the Federal Court against Mr Godfrey
A convergent giant is born in Argentina, as the Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (Enacom) has given the green light to the merger of Telecom and Cablevision, the country's leading telco and pay-TV provider.

The decision anticipates the new regulation to allow full convergent telecom services in the country, effective from January 2018. The merger operator will be the first in line to start offering quad-play services, including pay-TV, mobile and broadband.However, Enacom has established a series of special conditions for the resultant company, in order to try to protect competition and the small players outside the countrys largest cities.The regulation established that full convergence would be enabled in January 2018 only for Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Rosario, said the analyst Enrique Carrier , referring to the difficulties of offering convergent services out of the three most populated areas of the country.But Cablevision offers pay-TV outside these cities. Therefore, the Enacom had to rule for the merger company not to start selling packaged services until 2019, when convergence will be enabled in every town over 80,000 inhabitants, he continued. The merger will shake up the entire telecom and pay-TV market, as the resultant telco will have around 30 million customers: over 50% of the fixed broadband market and 40% of pay-TV.Aiming to keep competitive offerings for the users, Enacom has also ruled that the merger company, as the dominant player, will have to allow other players to use its telecom infrastructure. Such condition will be mandatory over the next two years and will continue to apply in those markets in which the company has over an 80% share.
The main advertisers and media associations in Spain are aiming to create a reference multi-platform measurement system to monitor the countrys digital audiences.

IAB Spain, the Asociacion para la Ingestigacion de Medios de Comunicacion (AIMC) and the Asociacion Espanola de Anunciantes (AEA) have called for bids to create an online, digital audience measurement system that can be used as a reference by any media and advertising player.The awarded company will have to measure users, consumption time, views, traffic source and unique visitors across digital audio and video services as well as websites with embedded audio and video. They will also have to consider traffic from computers, tablets, smartphones and smart TVs.As for video, the system will measure live streaming and video-on-demand (VOD) consumption, differentiating between VOD platforms and catch-up, as well as video distributed through social media.The full details of the tender process are available online, on the IAB Spain website Currently, there is no unique measurement system for VOD and streaming consumption in the country, and even the telecom authority has just started to publish figures about over-the-top (OTT) players
Contradicting the ruling of the European Commission last year, the EU Court of Justice has stated there are no strong arguments to say that Spains public compensation for DTT broadcasters is in breach of the EU rules.

According to the Court, the Commission needs to more clearly explain the grounds on which it found the state aids for the roll-out of the digital terrestrial television (DTT) in Spain to be selective.The decision has different consequences. For terrestrial broadcasters, it means that they wont have to give back the almost 300 million in public aid they got during the first years of DTT deployment.For satellite operators, which have largely fought against Spains DTT roll-out scheme for considering it selective, it means a temporary setback towards achieving full technological neutrality in the country.While it will take more time than expected to achieve technological neutrality and competition on the merits, SES considers it essential that the current process be brought to completion to enable competition on the merits in Europe and in Spain in particular to the ultimate benefit of the digital television viewers in Spain and beyond, pointed out John Purvis, chief legal officer of SES After the European Commission verified the compensation granted to digital terrestrial broadcasters and the procedure, it opened a state investigation in 2012. In August 2016, the investigation found that Spain's support for the transition from analogue to digital TV broadcasting was offered only to DTT broadcasters to the detriment of alternative platforms, such as satellite, cable and IPTV.
How many steps will it take to walk off Thanksgiving dinner?
Senior officials from Cambodias opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) are encouraging colleagues to declare their assets as instructed by the countrys Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) to avoid legal action, following a warning by Prime Minister Hun Sen that those who fail to do so will be jailed.



On Dec. 11, the ACU issued a letter informing all elected CNRP officials who were removed from their posts following a decision last month by the Supreme Court to dissolve the party to declare their assets within 30 days. The court ruling followed allegations the opposition was planning a rebellion.



During a speech to several thousand factory workers in the capital Phnom Penh on Dec. 17, Hun Sen threatened to imprison all CNRP members who failed to disclose their assets by the deadline imposed by the ACU.

Some have questioned why they need to declare their assets if their party has already been dissolved, he said at the time.



Im afraid you will end up in jail if you fail to do soIm telling you. When you took your position you had to declare your assets once. When you leave your position, you must do it again. If your declared assets are more than previously declared, then you will be investigated.



On the day of Hun Sens warning, the ACU had released an updated account of the number of CNRP members who had declared their assets33 lawmakers, three former members of the National Election Committee, and 262 provincial, district, and commune councilors throughout the country.



On Friday, CNRP Senator Sor Chandeth told RFAs Khmer Service that 70 percent of his partys 300 elected commune councilors in Banteay Meanchey province had already declared their assets, and he encouraged the remaining councilors to do so as soon as possible.



May I urge all CNRP officials to proceed with their declaration of their assets as soon as possible, in order to avoid being politically harassed further for failing to do so, he said.



We consider the requirement for us to declare our assets unjust and improper. However, we have no other option.



San Soeung, the head of the CNRP in Kampong Cham province, told RFA that only a few of his colleagues had declared their assets because many of them had yet to receive a notification to do so.



Very few have declared their assets because they have not been officially informed, he said.



On top of that, many of my colleagues are reluctant to declare their assets because they were in office for just a few months and havent acquired any new assets to declare.



Chea Cheav, the head of the CNRP in Battambang province, told RFA that only 10 percent of party officials under his jurisdiction had declared their assets, echoing concerns over late notifications.



Yin Mengly, Banteay Meanchey province coordinator for the rights group Adhoc, said the authorities have applied a double standard in forcing members of the opposition to declare their assets within a limited time period, and suggested that the public also believes officials from the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) receive preferential treatment on the issue.



I think the Anti-Corruption Unit should listen to constructive criticism and review such practices to avoid a double standard, he said.



Hun Sen first declared his assets in 2011, claiming that his U.S. $13,800 annual salary was his sole source of income.



But a July 2016 report by London-based Global Witness found that the prime ministers family members are amassing vast personal fortunes in Cambodias private sector, and wield significant control across most of its lucrative industries, with links to major international brands including Apple, Nokia, Visa, Procter & Gamble, Nestle and Honda.



Hun Sens family has a combined wealth estimated to total between U.S. $500 million and U.S. $1 billion, the report said, while 40 percent of Cambodians still live below or close to the poverty line.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Five Lao Christians were detained by authorities in western Laoss Savannakhet province this month after a group in one village invited a pastor from a neighboring area to help organize Christmas celebrations, a local resident told RFAs Lao Service this week.



The invitation was a breach of regulations designed to restrict Christian practice in the provinces Phin district, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



Early last week, as Christians in the Non Soung village of Phin district were preparing for Christmas celebrations, a Christian pastor from another village in the same district came to help organize the festivities, RFAs source said.



A couple of days later, district security guards arrested five Christiansfour from Non Soung village and the pastor who had come from the other village nearby, he said.



The five are still believed to be held in custody, with no word immediately available on their condition of present whereabouts, RFAs source said.



As a rule, villagers can hold Christmas celebrations only in their own village. People from other villages are not allowed to come over, the source said.



Also speaking to RFA, a Phin district official declined to discuss the arrests but confirmed that Christian observances in Phin are subject to a wide range of controls.



In general, Christians are still restricted in this district, the official said, also speaking on condition he not be named.



They are not allowed to teach from the Bible or to spread their religion to others, because Christianity is the religion of the Europeans and Americans, he said.



Worse in remote regions



Christians continued to be detained across Laos during last year, with a pastor in one village in Luang Prabang arrested for preaching to residents of another village, according to World Watch Monitor, a group tracking persecution of Christians worldwide.



In another case, more than 50 Christian residents of a village in Bolikhamxay province were ordered by other villagers to renounce their faith, and when they refused, one was gunned down and the others forced to flee, the rights group said.



Restrictions on both registered and unregistered minority religious groups, especially Protestants, remained disproportionately high in certain remote regions of Laos during 2016, the U.S. State Department said this year in an annual report.



NGOs stated the relatively decentralized nature of the government structure contributed to abuses on the part of local officials, some of whom were reportedly unaware of laws and policies protecting religious freedom or [were] unwilling to implement them, the State Department said.



Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Malaysian police carry a coffin containing the body of a Rohingya found in a human-smuggling camp, during a mass burial ceremony in Kedah, June 22, 2015.

Malaysia will investigate allegations of a police cover-up in the 2015 discovery of mass graves that held corpses of scores of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar and Bangladeshi migrants at human-trafficking camps in the jungle, a senior government official said Thursday.

Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamad spoke to BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, after a local newspaper, the New Straits Times (NST), published an expose alleging that Malaysian authorities had known about the graves and camps close to Wang Kelian, a town near the Thai border in the northern state of Perlis, months before police publicly revealed the grim discovery.

The case on Wang Kelian has never been closed, Nur Jazlan told BenarNews. It is still ongoing. And what has been reported by New Straits Times will definitely be taken into account.

When NST broke the story a day earlier, its reporters questioned his boss, Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, about the explosive allegations.

Definitely, investigations into this must be carried out. I want the authorities to get to the bottom of this, Zahid told NST. There will be no closing of the Wang Kelian file.

In late May 2015, Malaysian police disclosed they had unearthed 106 corpses from 139 graves at abandoned human-smuggling camps near Wang Kelian. Earlier that month, officials in Thailand announced that similar graves of smuggled Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshis were found at an abandoned camp in the jungle on the Thai side of the border.

Covered up

In its report, NST claimed it found a massive, coordinated cover-up by Malaysian law enforcement authorities near the border, saying a team of investigative journalists had pored over scores of official documents, checked reams of reports and sought out witnesses during the past two years.

One shocking discovery was that the authorities, particularly the Perlis police, knew the existence of these jungle camps in Wang Kelian in early January 2015, but had allegedly chosen not to do anything about them until half a year later, the report said.

According to the newspaper, about 150 bodies were found at the jungle camps. The victims were mostly Rohingya Muslims from Myanmars Rakhine state, it said.

The discovery of the graves and camps on both sides of the frontier led to a humanitarian crisis in Southeast Asia in May 2015, after Thailand launched a crackdown on human-smuggling syndicates and prevented boatloads of illegal migrants from landing on its southwestern shores.

As a result, about 3,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals, who were abandoned by their handlers, suddenly came ashore in neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia.

In July this year, a Thai court convicted and sentenced a former three-star general and 61 other defendants in Thailands largest human-trafficking case, which stemmed from the discovery of the graves near the Malaysian border two years ago.

The NST report claimed that Malaysian law-enforcement personnel, other than knowing about the camps existence, had also cleaned up the crime scene and were working together with the smuggling syndicates.

The newspaper questioned why Malaysian police had sent hundreds of men, including commandos, up the hill on May 11 when their own men had already taken photographic evidence and filed reports on Jan. 19 and March 13, 2015, about the existence of the camps.

A commando team that raided camps in January 2015 saw six cages, where scores of men and women were packed inside under the watchful eyes of foreign men armed with M-16 rifles, the report said.

On June 12, 2015, then-Perlis Police Chief Shafie Ismail told journalists that there were no elements of foul play and said the victims had died from hunger after post-mortems had been done on the remains. The cases were classified as sudden deaths.

The NST opened its expose by alleging that mass killings had taken place at the death camps in the jungles of Wang Kelian, but the report but did not delve into how people who were kept prisoner there were killed.

Foreigners charged

To date, Malaysia has only prosecuted four suspects in connection with the Wang Kelian case.

In March 2017, Zahid, the deputy prime minister, told parliament that four foreigners had been charged in connection with the mass graves. He said 12 police officers were arrested, but eventually released for lack of evidence.

On Thursday, attempts by BenarNews to reach the Perlis police chief and the Wang Kelian Special Investigation Team for reactions were unsuccessful.

Im on leave now. If it is about Wang Kelian, please refer to Bukit Aman as the special investigating team was from there, Azisman Alias, the chief of Perlis police, told BenarNews.

Calls to Malaysian Police Chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun and his deputy went unanswered.

For its report, however, NST managed to reach Khalid Abu Bakar, Malaysias former police chief, who was in charge when the graves at Wang Kelian were found.

The paper tracked the retired chief to a local bowling alley, where reporters confronted him with questions. Khalid spoke on condition that the conversation not be recorded, NST said.

The ex-chief appeared visibly apprehensive and when he finally spoke, his voice betrayed the enormity of what he was about to tell us, the paper said, adding it was bound by journalistic ethics not to publish what he had told us.

Without fear or favor

Meanwhile, the chairman of Malaysias Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) said he had faced difficulty obtaining information from law-enforcement agencies, particularly the police, when his panel began investigating the tragedy at Wang Kelian.

SUHAKAM has also requested information on the criminal investigation from the Ministry of Home Affairs to which no reply was received. No information on any progress made in the investigation thus far was supplied to SUHAKAM, Razali Ismail said in a statement Thursday.

Elsewhere, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), a human rights and law-reform group, called on the Malaysian government to set-up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to to seriously investigate these killing fields at our very own backyard.

In order to do so, the government must demonstrate political will to act and hold accountable all those involved, regardless of rank, status or connection, Eric Paulsen, the groups executive director, said in a statement.

Civil society has long believed that such extensive and brazen human trafficking operations for so many years under the noses of the Malaysian authorities would not have been possible without the direct or indirect cooperation and assistance of local authorities, he added.

Tenaganita, another local rights group, expressed shock over what it called the blatant complicity of the authorities in the alleged cover-up as reported by NST.

Human trafficking by criminals is a common phenomenon all over the world, but it is extremely agonizing when law enforcement agencies are found to be entrenched in the criminal activities, Tenaganita Executive Director Glorene A. Das said.

The reported cover-up of the activities of the human trafficking syndicates and the destruction of vital evidence need to be explained; those involved in it should be brought to book, without fear or favor, she said.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Myanmar soldiers walk away from a helicopter that took them to Maungdaw in western Myanmar's Rakhine state to track down attackers who staged deadly raids on border posts, Oct. 10, 2016.

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Myanmar general who led the militarys brutal crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in the countrys violence-ridden northern Rakhine state.

Major General Maung Maung Soe, head of the Myanmar Armys Western Command during the military operation that has now driven more than 650,000 Rohingya across the border to Bangladesh, is one of 52 people and entities that the U.S. has sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act for alleged human rights violations and corruption.

He is the first high-level military officer to be named in the sanctions for overseeing the campaign of atrocities against the Rohingya.

Passed in 2016, the act imposes sanctions that freeze the assets that individuals or entities hold in the U.S., prevent them from using American financial institutions, and forbid Americans from doing business with them. The act is based on a law passed in 2012 designed to punish Russian officials who violated human rights or engaged in graft.

The U.S., United Nations, and rights groups have said that the atrocities the Myanmar military has committed against the Rohingya, including summary executions, the rape of Rohingya women and girls, killing of children, and arson, amount to ethnic cleansing.

The United States government 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, said a statement issued by the U.S. Treasury Department whose Office of Foreign Assets Control administers and enforces sanctions programs.

The U.S. has already banned top Myanmar military officers involved in the crackdown from participating in exchanges, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that the country is looking at others for possible inclusion on the sanctions list.

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 Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin in the statement issued by the U.S. Treasury Department.

Treasury is freezing their assets and publicly denouncing the egregious acts theyve committed, sending a message that there is a steep price to pay for their misdeeds, he said.

At the direction of President [Donald] Trump, Treasury and our interagency partners will continue to take decisive and impactful actions to hold accountable those who abuse human rights, perpetrate corruption, and undermine American ideals, Mnuchin said.

Others must be sanctioned

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-NY) lauded the decision to sanction Maung Maung Soe, but said others responsible for atrocities committed against the Rohingya must be added to the list as well.

I welcome the decision to add Maung Maung Soe to the Global Magnitsky list, he said in a statement issued Thursday. He should clearly be sanctioned for his role in committing atrocities against the Rohingya.

However, with 6,000 dead and thousands more raped, beaten, and displaced, it is clear Maung Maung Soe has not acted alone, Crowley said. The other military officials involved in the ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya must be sanctioned for their roles in this genocide. The United States has a moral obligation to act.

New York-based American Jewish World Service (AJWS), a New York-based organization dedicated to human rights and poverty eradication around the world, also welcomed the new sanctions but insisted that the U.S. must do more to stop attacks against the Rohingya and achieve justice for them.

Sanctioning Maung Maung Soe, the former western commander responsible for the military in the Rakhine state, is a small but crucial first step in holding these perpetrators of atrocities against the Rohingya people accountable, and sending the clear message that the United States is serious about using diplomacy to promote the safety and dignity of the Rohingya people, said Robert Bank, president and chief executive officers of AJWS, in a statement.

Additional sanctions should be imposed on other military actors who are guilty of perpetrating this horrific violence  in particular Burmese military commander [Senior] General Ming Aung Hlaing  and businesses owned by the military that finance its operations, he said.

Nyan Win, spokesman for Myanmars ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party, said the sanctions will have a detrimental effect on the countrys ongoing transition to democracy under de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

U.S. sanctions on Myanmar can hurt the relationship between Myanmar and the U.S. but may not amount to that much, he told RFAs Myanmar Service. They will definitely harm Myanmars path to democracy, but we have to wait and see how serious it will be.

The Myanmar government and army have consistently denied allegations of human rights violations and justified the military operations in northern Rakhine as a response to deadly attacks on police outposts by Rohingya militants in late August.

Rohingya Muslim refugees from northern Rakhine state in Myanmar walk down a hillside in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh, Nov. 26, 2017. AFP Satellite images, survivor testimony



Aung San Suu Kyi has come under heavy fire by the international community first for not speaking up about the crisis, and then for not doing anything to stop the militarys slaughter in northern Rakhine.

Min Aung Hlaing, who met with Tillerson in Myanmars capital Naypyidaw in mid-November to discuss the situation in volatile Rakhine state, has supported the findings of a military investigation team that determined that soldiers had conducted the security operations in accordance with their duty assignments and the law, and had not used excessive force.

A statement issued on Min Aung Hlaings Facebook page on Nov. 13 also said that all subsequent clashes between security forces and Muslim militants occurred between Aug. 25 and Sept. 5, the date on which the military operation ended.

Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh and rights groups, however, contend that attacks by security forces and Buddhist mobs had still occurred after that date.

Right groups have also issued reports with satellite images of burned villages and testimonies by Rohingya in refugee camps in Bangladesh who survived the massacre.

Earlier this week, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued satellite images showing 40 Rohingya villages destroyed by fire in northern Rakhine state since October and November, while Myanmar and Bangladeshi officials were discussing a plan to repatriate refugees.

The identification of 40 new burned villages increased to 354 the total number of Rohingya communities partially or fully destroyed by the violence since Aug. 25, HRW said.

The Geneva-based international aid group Doctors Without Borders issued a report last week that said at least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed during the first month the crackdown that began in late August, based on interviews with Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh marking the highest death toll given to date.



Safe for repatriation

The sanctions come as Myanmar is preparing to accept back Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh under a repatriation deal the two nations signed on Nov. 23.

The agreement allows refugees to return voluntarily to Myanmar if they can prove prior residency and show that they left after Oct. 9, 2016, when another military crackdown in response to smaller-scale attacks by Muslim militants drove out tens of thousands of Rohingya.

Though Win Myat Aye, Myanmars minister of social welfare, relief, and resettlement, has said that repatriations will get underway on Jan. 22, rights groups have argued that many Rohingya will not want to return because they have lost their homes and farmland.

The groups also point out that the Rohingya will continue to face repression and discrimination in Myanmar, where they are considered illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and are denied citizenship and access to basic services.

On Friday, however, Win Myat Aye told reporters at his ministry in the capital Naypyidaw that conditions in northern Rakhine state are safe enough for the refugees to return.

More security guards have been deployed, and the security level has been raised in the Maungdaw area, he said, referring to the township in northern Rakhine that was the focal point of the crackdown.

The United Nations has cautioned that the repatriation plan must not be carried out in haste and that its refugee agency (UNHCR) should be involved.

The Myanmar government first will resettle Hindu residents driven from their villages by Muslim militants during the crackdown before it begins repatriating the Rohingya.

Reported by Thinn Thiri and Win Ko Ko Latt for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
A court in Vietnams Ha Nam Province upheld a 9-year prison sentence for human rights activist Tran Thi Nga on Friday, rejecting her appeal of her conviction for spreading "propaganda against the State" in a hearing that sparked protests by activists who were then beaten by police.

A human rights defender noted in Vietnam for her online activism, Nga, 40, was sentenced on July 25 to nine years in prison and five years under Article 88 of Vietnams penal code, a provision frequently used to silence dissident bloggers and other activists.

Attorney Ha Huy Son, one of the lawyers who represent Nga, told RFAs Vietnamese Service that Ngas rights were violated throughout the procedures and that she looked thin and in poor health.

The collection of evidence was not in accordance with legal process, said Son.

There is no legal evidence to support the charges against Ms. Tran Thi Nga. The court heard our defense, but they didnt consider any of the information we provided, he added.

Son complained that assessors assigned to the case merely sent in written statements without attending the hearing. Defense requests to postpone the hearing to hear the assessments delivered in person were rejected.

Vietnam does not currently have any laws regulating the assessment of citizens' thoughts. But assessment documents are still used, and in this case the assessment of citizens thoughts served as the basis for conviction, Son told RFA.

Son and two other lawyers attended Fridays hearing, but her husband and other relatives were kept out of the court room.

Outside of the courtroom, activists who gathered to support Nga were beaten when they tried to record videos in a scene of blanket repression.

All the teahouses and coffee shops were closed off by public security officers. Police and security forces were all around the court area, Nguyen Thuy Hanh, an activist from Hanoi who went to Ha Nam province to support Nga, told RFA.

After we parked our motorbikes, we were roughly loaded into a car. Not one person was left outside. They captured us all, Hanh added.

He said a least nine people were detained at the scene, including Nga's husband Phan Van Phong, and taken to the local government office in Tran Hung Dao ward.

This is an extremely wrong, unfair sentence to Thuy Nga as well as to human rights activists. Thuy Nga's actions are beneficial to the society; she has done nothing wrong. This harsh sentence is a flagrant disregard of human rights, said Hanh.

Among activists from Hanoi who were detained outside the court house were Mai Phuong Thao, Nguyen Thuy Hanh, Hoang Lan, Trinh Dinh Hoa, Truong Van Dung.

Thao later posted on Facebook that she was beaten in the ribs by about 10 thugs, while police looked on. Relatives of Dung told RFA that after he was released, Dungs phone was taken by two plainclothes policemen while he waited for a bus back to Hanoi.

Nga, who has two children, is well known for defending the rights of Vietnamese migrant workers and victims of government land grabs, and in May 2014 suffered serious injury when she was assaulted by a group of men wielding metal pipes.

The seizure of land for development, often without due process or fair compensation for displaced residents, is a major cause of protests in Vietnam and other authoritarian Asian countries, including China and Cambodia.



Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
One of Afghanistan's most powerful regional politicians has vowed to defy his ouster as governor of the northern province of Balkh, posing a potential threat to the shaky Western-backed governing coalition of President Ashraf Ghani.

The presidential palace said on December 18 that it had approved the resignation of Atta Mohammad Noor, who goes by the nickname "King of the North" and is a leading figure in Jamiat-e Islami, a party which represents Afghanistan's Tajik ethnic minority.

But Noor, addressing several thousand people on December 23 at a gathering in the provincial capital, Mazar-e Sharif, said he would continue to serve as governor.

"I have said many times that no one can remove me with a decree," he said.

Noor also criticized his former ally, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who is also a leader of Jamiat-e Islami.

Noor called Abdullah "a snake up everyone's sleeve," accusing him of weakening his own party.

"Your teeth will not sink into us," Noor said, referring to Abdullah. "We will break your teeth."

Noor has used his position in Balkh, on the northern border of the country, as a power base to push for a major role on the national stage and was seen as a top rival of Ghani.

Noor is one of several powerful regional and ethnic leaders whom Ghani has struggled to control since he took office after a disputed election in 2014. Ghani, a Pashtun, has tried previously to remove Noor, but has also discussed a possible role in the government for him.

Ghani's national-unity government, formed after the 2014 election forced him into an uneasy power-sharing arrangement with Abdullah, retains the support of the United States and other Western states.

But it has faced mounting criticism from a growing array of opposition groups.

Parliamentary elections originally due to be held next year are in doubt and former President Hamid Karzai has called for a Loya Jirga, or traditional grand council of political leaders and elders to decide the future of the government.

Noor's showdown with Kabul also comes at a time when tensions between Tajiks and Pashtuns, Afghanistan's two biggest ethnic groups, have been rising.

It heightens uncertainty ahead of presidential elections in 2019. Noor has previously hinted that he may run for the presidency, while Ghani has not yet said whether he will run again.

The confrontation with Noor comes several months after Vice President Rashid Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek, fled to Turkey after he was accused of arranging the rape and torture of a political rival in 2016.

Noor recently called for Dostum's return. Earlier this year he met in Turkey with Dostum as well as Deputy Chief Executive Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior figure in the mainly Shi'ite Hazara ethnic community, to form what they called the "Coalition for the Salvation of Afghanistan."

With reporting by ToloNews and Khaama
The Indian Army says four of its soldiers were killed when Pakistani forces fired across the de facto border in the disputed region of Kashmir.

The Indian Army said in a statement on December 23 that Pakistani forces fired on Indian posts in the Rajouri sector, calling it an "unprovoked cease-fire violation."

The statement said that the dead included an army officer.

There was no immediate reaction from Pakistan.

Following the incident, heavy cross-border firing and shelling was reported at several locations along the border.

Pakistani and Indian troops routinely clash along the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan claim the divided Kashmir region in its entirety and have fought two wars over it.

India-administered Kashmir has faced a violent secessionist movement since the late 1980s that has resulted in the deaths of more than 44,000 people.

Based on reporting by AP and dpa
Macedonia's prime minister says he is ready to renounce his country's claim to be the sole heir of Alexander the Greats legacy, a potential concession that could lead to the easing of a long-standing dispute with Greece.

"I give up [the claim] of Macedonia being the sole heir to Alexander, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told TV station Telma in an interview late on December 22.

The history belongs not only to us, but also to Greece and many other countries, the left-leaning prime minister added.

Alexander the Great is the famed ruler of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia.

Greece has objected to Skopje's use of the name Macedonia since its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, arguing that it implies territorial ambitions on the part of the country.

Athens objections have complicated Skopje's aspirations to join NATO and the European Union.

Greece in 2008 blocked Macedonia's bid to join NATO under its provisional name of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) because of the dispute.

Zaev did not indicate how or if the countrys name would change if it were to give up the claim as Alexanders sole heir.

Macedonias former conservative government pushed the use of the name, naming the country's main highway and airport after Alexander and building a 28-meter-high monument in Skopje's main square.

Former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski blamed his VMRO-DPMNE party's fall from power on his refusal to compromise with Athens in the dispute. Gruevski has stepped down as party leader and was replaced by technocrat Hristijan Mickoski at the party convention on December 22.

Matthew Nimetz, the United Nations special representative for the naming dispute, said on December 12 that the issue can and should be resolved next year after the parties met for the first time in three years in Brussels.

Nimetz, a U.S. diplomat who is the personal envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said after a meeting with Greek and Macedonian envoys that the atmosphere is a much better one and from both Skopje and Athens there is an indication that we should make an intensive effort to resolve this issue that has been outstanding for so many years.

In his interview, Zaev also said he was optimistic Macedonia would be rewarded for its reform process with an invitation soon to begin EU membership talks.

If we continue with reforms at a good pace, Macedonia will get a date for starting negotiations with the EU at the June summit, he said.

With reporting by RFE/RL correspondent Rikard Jozwiak, AP, and Telma
Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, has accused social-media networks of bowing to pressure from Washington and disabling his Russian-language pages after the U.S. Treasury Department hit him with financial and travel sanctions.

Kadyrov said he found his Russian-language Instagram and Facebook accounts were not functioning on December 23 and that he never received a response from Instagram after sending a request for service support. His English-language Instagram account was unaffected.

"Instagram's move, which still wants to pretend it is independent from official Washington" is weird, he wrote on the social-media site Telegram.

"They wanted to stir my indignation, but were wrong, and this is the only thing which pleases me in actions Instagram and their patrons in the White House are undertaking. I have planned already to quit the network. But I thought I could fail my friends and subscribers, as on Instagram and Facebook I have more than 4 million followers," Kadyrov added.

Representatives from the social networks and the U.S. government have yet to comment on whether the accounts were officially blocked.

However, Dzhambulat Umarov, Chechnya's press and information minister, called the issue a "vile sabotage cyberattack" by U.S. authorities.

"Each word, every look from Ramzan Kadyrov instills fear in the greedy hearts of overseas cowards, capable only of behind-the-scenes geopolitical fuss and bleeding nations," Umarov was quoted by the RBC.ru news website as saying.

Kadyrov said on Telegram that a new social network, Mylistory, was being tested in Chechnya and should be up and running in the New Year. He added that in the meantime he would continue to communicate through other social networks such as VKontakte, Twitter (RKadyrov), and Telegram.

One of the last Instagram postings before the page went down was a video recording by Kadyrov in which he responded to the sanctions, brought about under the Magnitsky Act, a 2012 law that aims to punish Russians alleged to be involved human rights violations, by saying he had no current reason to travel to the United States.

Human rights groups say Kadyrov has used threats and abuses to maintain control over Chechnya, the site of two post-Soviet separatist wars and years of insurgent violence stemming from the conflicts since Putin appointed him to head the region in 2007.

The U.S. sanctions law is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who was arrested after blowing the whistle on what he said was the theft of $230 million from Russian state coffers through tax fraud.

He died in jail in December 2009, and relatives and rights activists said he had been tortured and denied medical care. A Council of Europe investigation concluded the conditions leading up to his death amounted to torture.

The Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta was the first to document evidence that police in Chechnya rounded up, tortured, and humiliated dozens people they considered to be gay.

The report was later corroborated in part by RFE/RL as well as Human Rights Watch, which said the "antigay purge" lasted from late February until at least early April and that "it was ordered and conducted by officials in Chechnya."

Kadyrov and the Kremlin have denied the accusations.

Relations between Russia and the United States are badly strained by tension over issues including Russia's aggression in Ukraine, its role in the war in Syria, and what U.S. intelligence agencies say was an "influence campaign" of interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

With reporting by TASS and Interfax
Russia's Civil Initiative Party has officially nominated journalist and TV personality Ksenia Sobchak to run as its candidate in a presidential election next year that is widely expected to hand President Vladimir Putin another six-year term.

The decision, adopted by a party congress on December 23, followed an announcement by Sobchak, the daughter of Anatoly Sobchak, the reformist mayor of St. Petersburg in the early 1990s and a mentor to Putin, that she was seeking the nomination to run for the post in a March 18 vote.

The 36-year-old has featured in television shows such as Russia's equivalent of Big Brother, and A Blonde in Chocolate, in which she often cursed, appeared drunk, and wore revealing clothing. She has also been on the cover of the Russian version of Playboy magazine.

Sobchak, sometimes called the Russian Paris Hilton for her reality-TV notoriety, has said she wants to make her country's "extremely intolerant" society and political system more open and democratic.

Critics of the 36-year-old Sobchak -- including liberal opposition Yabloko party leader Grigory Yavlinsky -- say her effort to run plays into the hands of the Kremlin, merely giving the appearance of a democratic process by having another well-known person on the ballot.

Sobchak has also irked some Kremlin supporters with comments saying that Crimea is legally part of Ukraine despite its annexation by Moscow.

Russia-backed separatists have been fighting government forces in eastern Ukraine in a war that has killed more than 10,300 people since it started in April 2014. Russia's annexation of Crimea has not been recognized by the international community.

Russia denies interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs, despite compelling evidence that Moscow has provided military, economic, and political support to the separatists.

She has also called for the resignation of top Russian officials she says are responsible for the country's sports-doping scandal and has rejected Kremlin claims of U.S. meddling in Russian politics, saying interference by foreign players could not significantly impact domestic affairs.

Earlier on December 23, the Russian Communist Party unanimously approved Pavel Grudinin as its nominee in the election.

Aleksei Navalny, Russia's most well-known opposition politician, has also declared his intention to run in the March election, although the authorities are blocking his candidacy based on a criminal conviction Navalny says is politically motivated.

With approval ratings regularly exceeding 80 percent, Putin, who is running as an independent, appears set to easily win his second consecutive term, and fourth overall, in the balloting.
Konstantin Kosachyov, the chairman of the Russian Federation Council's International Relations Committee, says Moscow has to keep pressure on both North Korea and the United States in the search for a solution to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

Speaking to reporters in Moscow a day after the UN Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions on North Korea in response to last month's launch of a ballistic missile that Pyongyang says is capable of reaching anywhere on the U.S. mainland, Kosachyov said Russia was bound to push all sides to end the crisis.

"Russia and China offered two tracks of resolving the issue to de-escalate tensions: North Korea's abandoning its nuclear program and primarily the U.S. eliminating its military presence on the Korean Peninsula," Kosachyov told reporters on December 23.

"As long as none of these tracks develop, Russia not only has the right, it should continue pressuring both North Korea on one side and the U.S. and its allies in the region on the other. And we do this consistently, one thing does not contradict the other and one thing does not replace the other," he added.

The new sanctions approved in the UN resolution on December 22 include sharply cutting limits on North Korea's imports of refined oil and orders the repatriation of all North Korean nationals working abroad by the end of 2019.

Kosachyov said the unanimous vote approving the sanctions showed the international community was in sync in its view on the crisis, just "differences" on how to address the issue.

To prevent North Korea from circumventing sanctions, all countries were authorized to seize, inspect, freeze, and impound ships suspected of carrying illegal cargo to and from North Korea.

The United States hailed the adoption of the new sanctions after warning North Korea's leadership last month that it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shot back on December 21 by asserting in a speech that his country has "rapidly emerged as a strategic state capable of posing a substantial nuclear threat to the U.S."

With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and AP
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have agreed on the need to expedite an exchange of prisoners held on both sides of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Merkels office says.

A spokesman for Merkel on December 22 said the comments came in a telephone conversation between the two leaders. It also came a day after Merkel had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"This [a prisoner swap] will be an important step in the implementation of the Minsk agreements," the spokesman said.

"President Poroshenko stressed that he would do everything to ensure that the exchange took place as soon as possible," he added.

Russia-backed separatists have been fighting Poroshenko's government forces in eastern Ukraine in a war that has killed more than 10,300 people since it started in April 2014. Russia has also annexed Ukraines Crimea region, a move not recognized by the international community.

The Ukrainian presidential press service said Poroshenko and Merkel supported the latest agreement reached in the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) to establish a new cease-fire in eastern Ukraine.

The TCG -- Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) -- said on December 20 that they agreed on a holiday cease-fire to begin at midnight on December 23.

While welcoming the holiday cease-fire, both leaders agreed it should lead to a longer-term improvement of the security situation in the region, officials said.

Several cease-fire deals have been announced as part of the so-called Minsk agreements -- September 2014 and February 2015 accords aimed at resolving the conflict -- although they have met with little success on the ground.

During the TCG meeting, the parties also confirmed the need to move forward with the prisoner swap, although specific dates were not settled upon. Some officials have expressed hopes that the exchange would take place before the end of the year.

Reports say Ukraine has 306 separatist fighters in custody, while the separatists are holding 74 government soldiers.

The Ukrainian and German leaders expressed regret over Russia's decision to unilaterally withdraw its representatives from the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC) for the cease-fire in the conflict region.

They urged Moscow to rejoin the JCCC effort and discussed the possibility of German and French representatives becoming involved in the process.



The planned cease-fire as well as the potential prisoner exchange were discussed by Putin and Merkel during a phone call on December 21, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin also told Merkel that Russia withdrew its military observers from the JCCC because of what Moscow said were "restrictions and provocations" by Ukrainian authorities, according to the Kremlin.

Kyiv criticized Moscows decision, saying it could fuel hostilities

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and Reuters
The United States and European Union say they oppose any action by Kosovos leadership to press for an end to a war crimes court linked to its 1998-99 independence struggle, calling it a "terrible idea" that will lead to the countrys isolation.

U.S. Ambassador Greg Delawie on December 22 said such a move would have "extraordinarily negative implications" for Kosovo.

"It is just a disgrace," he told reporters in Pristina. "This will be considered by the U.S. as stab in the back. Kosovo will be choosing isolation instead of cooperation."

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, was established as a result of pressure by the United States and EU on Kosovo's government to hold accountable those responsible for alleged war crimes by the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) against ethnic Serbs during the war for independence.

The court's judges and prosecutors are mainly U.S., Canadian, or European, but it was established under Kosovar law, giving Pristina jurisdiction over it.

It was set up in the Netherlands to minimize the risk of witness intimidation and judicial corruption. It has yet to hear any cases.

Kosovar Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, President Hashim Thaci, and parliament speaker Kadri Veseli are former UCK commanders.

On October 9, Thaci accused the international community of failing to keep the promises made to the country in exchange for setting up the court, including a fast-track process for EU membership.

Lawmakers from the governing coalition are pressing for a vote to abolish the court. An attempt by 43 of 120 lawmakers to press the measure in parliament on December 22 failed for lack of a quorum amid an opposition boycott.

Parliament speaker Veseli said lawmakers would attempt to vote on the issue in the coming days.

Isa Mustafa, Kosovos former prime minister and the leader of the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), said the proposal was "devastating for our state and very damaging for justice."

Kujtim Shala, also of the LDK, said the move was "very dangerous" because it threatened its relations with the United States and the EU.

There was no immediate response from the Kosovar government to the U.S. ambassador's comments.

The United States has been a key ally and financial backer of Kosovo since it broke away from Serbia and then declared independence in 2008. The move was recognized by 115 countries, although not by Serbia or Russia.

The EU representative in Pristina, Nataliya Apostolova, also criticized efforts to end the court, calling it "appalling and extremely damaging."

The separate UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague convicted some Serbian military commanders for actions against ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo during Belgrade's intervention into the conflict.

An estimated 10,800 Kosovar Albanians and some 2,200 Serbs were either killed or disappeared in the war.

Kosovo is about 90 percent populated by ethnic Albanians and some 5 percent by ethnic Serbs.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, Reuters, AP, and Balkan Insight
The United States says it will provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities" to help it "deter further aggression," a move that deepens U.S. involvement and prompted an angry rebuke from the Kremlin as Kyiv battles Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said late on December 22 that the assistance was intended to help Ukraine, which has long sought to boost its capabilities to "defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression."

Russia swiftly denounced the decision, accusing the United States of fueling war instead of acting as a mediator.

"Today the United States is clearly pushing [the Ukrainian authorities] towards new bloodshed," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in a statement on December 23.

"American weapons can lead to new victims in our neighbor," he said, adding that Washington had "crossed a line."

"I am grateful for the leadership of President Donald Trump, clear position of all our American friends, and for strong bipartisan support of Ukraine," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Facebook in English.

"American weapons in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers are not for offensive [purposes], but for stronger rebuff of the aggressor, protection of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, as well as for effective self-defense," he added.

"It is also a trans-Atlantic vaccination against the Russian virus of aggression."

Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Valeriy Chaly, hailed the decision as a move that would help bring peace.

"Weakness encourages an aggressor," he said on Facebook. "Force helps deter him and push him toward peace."

Offensive Or Defensive?

The U.S. statement did not specify the type of weapons, but CNN and the Associated Press quoted unnamed U.S. officials as saying they would include Javelin antitank missiles, which Ukraine has urged the United States to supply.

Nauert said only that "U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself."

"The United States remains committed to the Minsk agreements as the way forward in eastern Ukraine," she said, adding that the State Department would not comment further on the situation "at this time."

Konstantin Kosachyov, a senior member of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, called the move a step toward war.

"Washington's recent decision, alas, once again is in favor of war, not peace," he wrote on Facebook.

Kosachyov added that the move "has an obvious, blatant, and even articulated political implication."

Ryabkov warned that the U.S. move could prompt a Russian response, saying that Moscow could not "remain indifferent."

"The American weapons can lead to more victims in the neighboring country, and we couldn't stay indifferent to that," he said.

Valentina Matviyenko, the speaker of the Federation Council, said in remarks carried by Russia's TASS news agency that Washington had made a "big mistake" that would "pull them into Ukraine's internal conflict."

"With lethal weapons supplies, the U.S. gives a clear signal to Kyiv that it will support a military option," Aleksei Pushkov, the head of the upper house's Information Committee, said on Twitter.

The announcement comes after the State Department on December 21 said it had approved an export license for Ukraine to buy certain types of light weapons and small arms from U.S. manufacturers.

That license covered weapons in categories such as semiautomatic and automatic firearms up to .50 caliber weapons, combat shotguns, silencers, military scopes, flash suppressors, and parts.

However, the State Department played down the significance of the licensing after that announcement.

"Under the previous two administrations, the U.S. government has approved export licenses to Ukraine, so this is nothing new," Nauert said on December 21.

Sales of this type generally would require approval from Congress. It was unclear whether the administration had formally notified Congress, but lawmakers are unlikely to try to block it as moves to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine have strong bipartisan support.

Cease-Fire In Tatters

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently warned that violence is up about 60 percent in Ukraine this year, and Kyiv has urged Washington to provide heavier weapons, such as the Javelin missiles, to strengthen its capabilities against the separatists.

In the face of the surge in violence, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron issued a joint statement on December 23 saying there was no alternative to a peaceful settlement in eastern Ukraine and that Russian officers should return to the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC).

On December 18, Russia pulled its officers from the JCCC, accusing the Ukrainian side of obstructing their work and limiting access to the front line.

"In the light of the volatile security situation, they ask the sides for immediate and verifiable steps to remedy this situation," Macron and Merkel's statement said.

"It is necessary to implement agreements on disengagement and the withdrawal of heavy weapons behind the agreed withdrawal lines, withdrawal of tanks, artillery and mortars to the agreed storage sites," the statement added.

The increase in support for Ukraine's military comes amid preliminary discussions on the possibility of sending United Nations peacekeepers to the region to improve security for Ukrainians, as well as for special monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who are on the ground in Ukraine.

U.S. media reported on December 22 that President Donald Trump was ready to authorize the sale of the missiles, although that was not referenced in the State Department statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned against any U.S. move to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, saying it would fuel the conflict and could lead the separatists to expand their military operations.

Ukraine has been battling Russia-backed separatists who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the eastern part of the country in a war that has killed more than 10,300 people since April 2014.

Several cease-fire deals have been announced as part of the so-called Minsk agreements -- one in September 2014 and another in February 2015 -- although they have met with little success on the ground.

Russia denies interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs, despite compelling evidence that Moscow has provided military, economic, and political support to the separatists.

With reporting by CNN and AP
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Larry Bubbles Brown has sustained a San Francisco comedy career touching five decades by being self-deprecating, pessimistic and bitingly hilarious.

So it was no surprise that when asked to share a holiday story, it centered on dysfunction  and was bitingly hilarious.

The scene begins in conservative Cincinnati in 1960, where 8-year-old Browns grandparents were coming down from Columbus, Ohio, for Thanksgiving. Browns progressive mom and dad gave the future stand-up one directive: Whatever you do, dont tell Grandma and Grandpa that we voted for John F. Kennedy.

I must have let it slide out of my mouth within five minutes after they arrived, Brown says. The next thing I know theres this huge screaming match going on. At one point my grandmother is leaving the house, and she points to my father and said, Youre no longer my son! and they left.

If thats too dark for you, hold on for the punch line.

My mother picked up the turkey and threw it out the back door in the backyard, Brown says. We had a white Persian cat. I think he ate the entire turkey  because the next day he couldnt even move. That was how Thanksgiving 1960 ended at the Brown household.

He says the event didnt seem particularly funny in 1960, when Kennedy beat Richard Nixon in a contentious race, but acknowledges that the humorous tilt has built over time.

Its like the Lincoln assassination, Brown says. One hundred years later people make jokes about it.

Brown says his grandparents mended the fence and arrived for a comparatively uneventful Thanksgiving a few years later. Brown moved to San Francisco in the 1970s and found a place where he fit in, performing at the Holy City Zoo and other comedy clubs. He describes himself as a JFK Democrat like his now-deceased parents, except in this locale hes to the right of the local populace.

Brown says he doesnt love the holidays. Its a busy work time for stand-up comics  Brown plays the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley on Tuesday, Dec. 26, and appears with Dave Attell at the Masonic on New Years Eve.

He co-starred in the acclaimed documentary Three Still Standing with fellow 1980s comedy workhorses Will Durst and Johnny Steele a few years back. And, in a rare showing of Larry Bubbles Brown optimism, the comedian reports that work has been going well this year.

Its been a good year for me money-wise, Brown says. I guess Im not done yet.

Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicles pop culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub

See Larry Bubbles Browns tour dates and comedy videos at www.larrybubblesbrown.com
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla.  Anthony Stansbury propped his rusty bike against a live oak tree and cast his fishing line into the rushing waters of Floridas Anclote River.

When he bought a house down the street last year, Stansbury says he wasnt told that his slice of paradise had a hidden problem. The neighborhood is adjacent to the Stauffer Chemical Co. Superfund site, a former chemical manufacturing plant that is on the list of the nations most polluted places. That 130-acre lot on the rivers edge is also located in a flood zone.

Me and my kids fish here a couple times a week. Everyone who lives on this coast right here, they fish on this water daily, said the 39-year-old father of three.

Stansbury is among nearly 2 million people in the U.S. who live within a mile of 327 Superfund sites in areas prone to flooding or vulnerable to sea-level rise caused by climate change, according to an Associated Press analysis of flood zone maps, census data and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency records.

This years historic hurricane season exposed a little-known public health threat: Highly polluted sites that can be inundated by floodwaters, potentially spreading toxic contamination.

In Houston, more than a dozen Superfund sites were flooded by Hurricane Harvey, with breaches reported at two. In the Southeast and Puerto Rico, Superfund sites were battered by driving rains and winds from Irma and Maria.

The vulnerable sites highlighted by the Associated Press review are scattered across the nation, but Florida, New Jersey and California have the most, and the most people living near them. They are in largely low-income, heavily minority neighborhoods, the data show.

Across the nation, more than 800,000 homes are located near flood-prone toxic sites

Many of the 327 sites have had at least some work done to help mitigate the threat to public health, including fencing them off and covering them in plastic sheeting to help keep out rain water.

The Obama administration assessed some of these at-risk places and planned to gird them from harsher weather and rising seas. EPAs 2014 Climate Adaptation Plan said prolonged flooding at low-lying Superfund sites could cause extensive erosion, carrying away contaminants as waters recede.

President Trump, however, has called climate change a hoax, and his administration has worked to remove references from federal reports and websites linking carbon emissions to the warming planet.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has said he intends to focus on cleaning up Superfund sites, and he appointed a task force that developed a list of sites considered the highest priority.

But like Trump, Pruitt rejects the consensus of climate scientists that man-made carbon emissions are driving global warming. His task forces 34-page report makes no mention of the flood risk to Superfund sites from stronger storms or rising seas, but eight of the 21 sites on EPAs priority list are in areas of flood risk.

Jason Dearen, Michael Biesecker and Angeliki Kastanis are Associated Press writers.
BEIRUT  At a news conference announcing the end of yet another fruitless round of peace talks in Geneva last week, the U.N. envoy for Syria held up a color-coded map showing the divisions of territorial control in the war-torn country.

The multicolored image displayed by a frustrated Staffan de Mistura is what Syria looks like today: a collage of mostly ravaged enclaves controlled by an assorted mix of local and foreign powers, each with a stake in the countrys ongoing civil war.

Nearly seven years into the conflict, the war seems on one level to be winding down, largely because of Russian-backed government victories and local cease-fires aimed at freezing the lines of conflict.

Underscoring this perception is the fact that President Bashar Assad has survived the conflict, sitting more comfortably now than at any time since the rebellion against his rule erupted in March 2011. The fight against the Islamic State, which at one point controlled a third of the country, is almost over, with both Russia and the United States declaring victory in their mission to defeat the extremist group.

Thanks to Russias military intervention, Syrian government forces have retaken large swaths of rebel and Islamic State-held areas, including main cities such as Homs, Aleppo and most recently, Deir el-Zour. This month, they entered the rebel-held province of Idlib in northern Syria for the first time in years.

Yet the country is still a tangled mess, with violent conflict likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Despite stepped-up diplomatic efforts, the parties are no closer to reaching a peace settlement than they were in 2012, when the first round of peace talks was held in Switzerland.

Assad will not voluntarily step aside and will likely stay on at least until 2021, when his current second presidential term ends. The opposition  down but not out  has not completely abandoned its goal of toppling him militarily. Fierce fighting continues in some areas.

Assads battlefield triumphs have come at so great a cost that it will be extremely difficult to reinstate legitimate state authority over recaptured areas, particularly with no resources to rebuild what has been destroyed.

A mammoth reconstruction effort is needed to rebuild cities, including Homs, Aleppo and Raqqa, which have been completely destroyed.

And millions of Syrian refugees are scattered across the globe and close to half a million have been killed.

Zeina Karam is an Associated Press writer.
Georgetown City Council finalized the rezoning of the steel mill three days after the announcement that it has been sold.
This photo taken in December 2010, shows workers coming out of the steel mill in Georgetown.
WASHINGTON  It's one of those ideas that never really goes away: The deployment of missiles in space to intercept ballistic missiles aimed at the United States and its allies. With North Korea testing ever more advanced nuclear weapons and delivery systems, the push to place interceptors in space is back in the conversation.

Congress is asking the Pentagon to investigate the possibility. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 authorizes the development of a "space-based ballistic missile intercept layer, capable of providing boost-phase defense."

Don't do it, warns a new report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The think tank included space-based missile interceptors as part of its series titled "Bad Ideas in National Security."

This would be an attempt to resurrect the high-tech missile shield derided with the moniker 'Brilliant Pebbles' during the George H.W. Bush administration. The idea somehow has resurfaced after a hibernation period between Republican administrations, wrote Thomas Roberts, program coordinator and research assistant for the Aerospace Security Project at CSIS. [The Most Dangerous Space Weapons Concepts Ever]

"Space-based missile interceptors are a bad idea because of their inefficiency and vulnerability," said Roberts. "Investments in missile defense would be better directed to other, more effective areas."

From a political standpoint, the consequences of a space-based missile interceptor system would be troubling, Roberts said, as such a system would be seen as overt weaponization of space.

Defending against a missile strike during the boost-phase is generally preferred but it presents the same challenge to space-based interceptors as it does for ground-based ones: having an interceptor close enough to the missile to respond when one is launched, Roberts explained. "The physics of orbital mechanics dictates that only interceptors in low-Earth orbit can reach a target missile in the required response time for a boost phase intercept  about 120 and 170 seconds for solid-and liquid-propelled missiles respectively."

Satellites in LEO are in constant movement over the surface of the Earth, meaning a large constellation of satellites is needed to ensure at least one is within range of a particular place on Earth at all times, Roberts noted. While satellites in geostationary orbit stay fixed over one area, at an altitude of more than 22,000 miles, they are simply too far away for an interceptor to reach a missile while it's still in its boost phase.

To defend against multiple missiles being launched at the same time  a salvo attack  several weapons must be within intercept range to provide effective coverage. Having a minimum of one interceptor available to strike a missile would require a constellation of hundreds of space-based interceptors, Roberts argued. Having multiple interceptors in position to defend against multiple missiles would mean thousands of interceptors in orbit. He cited a 2004 study by the American Physical Society suggesting that 1,646 satellites would be required for full-Earth coverage. The cost of such a system is estimated at $67 billion to $109 billion.

One inherent weakness of a space-based missile shield is that the use of even a single interceptor can undermine the effectiveness of the remaining interceptors, Roberts noted. An adversary could both launch a missile to create a gap and later launch a second missile through the gap. Filling gaps in coverage would require back-up interceptors in orbit, waiting to take the place of an expended one, or the ability to launch new interceptors with short notice. These options would require a substantially greater investment than a minimal satellite constellation.

Roberts said space-based interceptors could contribute to the greater missile defense complex by "thinning the herd" in a ballistic missile attack. But the physical constraints inherent to a boost phase intercept from orbit make it an impractical system to defend the United States and its allies. Investments in missile defense, he contends, would be better spent on adding a space-layer for tracking and target discrimination or additional land- and sea-based interceptors. The Outer Space Treaty does not prohibit placing conventional weapons like missile interceptors in space, as it does for nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in general. "But the fact that it is not prohibited does not make it a good idea."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launched two satellites into space Friday (Dec. 22) on separate missions to study the Earth and test new ion engine technology.

A JAXA H-2A rocket launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan carrying the Global Change Observation Mission-Climate (GCOM-C) satellite and the Super Low Altitude Test Satellite (SLATS). Liftoff occurred at 8:26 p.m. EST (0126 GMT) on Friday, though the local time was 10:26 a.m. Saturday Japan Standard Time.[Earth from Space in 2017: DigitalGlobe's Most Impactful Photos]

A Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency H-IIA rocket launches the Global Change Observation Mission-Climate (GCOM-C) satellite and the Super Low Altitude Test Satellite (SLATS) into orbit from the Tanegashima Space Center on Dec. 23, 2017 Japan Standard Time (Dec. 22 EST). (Image credit: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd./JAXA)

The GCOM-C satellite, nicknamed Shikisai (which means "Color" in Japanese), is an Earth-observing satellite designed to be the first in a pair to monitor Earth's climate from space over 15 years. It carries instruments to study Earth's carbon cycle, clouds, aerosols, ocean color, vegetation, and snow and ice, according to a JAXA mission description.

"GCOM is expected to play an important role in monitoring both global water circulation and climate change, and examining the health of Earth from space," JAXA officials wrote.

The SLATS satellite (nicknamed Tsubame, or "Swallow") is on a technology demonstration mission to test how ion engines could help keep satellites aloft in "super low orbits" below 186 miles (300 kilometers).

"This orbit is an undeveloped region and it has yet to be fully utilized by satellites," JAXA officials wrote in mission overview. "Satellites in a super low orbit will bring benefits such as high-resolution observations for optical imagers, low power transmissions for active sensors, and cost reductions for satellite manufacturing and launches."

Such a low orbit will subject SLATS to 1,000 times the atmospheric drag on satellites in higher orbits between 372 and 497 miles (600-800 km), JAXA officials said. Even the International Space Station is in a higher orbit of about 248 miles (400 km).

"In order to solve the atmospheric drag issue, JAXA has adopted an ion engine," JAXA officials wrote. "The ion engine uses fuel 10 times more efficiently than gas jets. Furthermore, we are developing a compact satellite to minimize air resistance, and will verify that our technology can support orbiting at super low altitudes over an extended period of time."

JAXA's successful satellite launch on Friday came just over one minute before another rocket launch.

The U.S. spaceflight company SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 10 Iridium Next communications satellites into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The launch created dazzling views for spectators across Southern California.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
A couple are opening their shop on Christmas Day to offer lonely people a mince pie and someone to chat to.

Shashi and Pallu Patel have run newsagents Meet and Deep in Twickenham, south west London, since arriving in the UK from Uganda 35 years ago.

The couple, who run the shop with the help of their sons Deepen and Meeten, used to close the shop on Christmas Day to enjoy one day off in the year.

But that changed when, eight years ago, their elderly neighbour needed support over the festive period.

Neighbour Dorothy had fallen victim to a scam just before Christmas and was conned out of all her life savings by people posing as boiler repair men.

Shashi and Pallu Patel who have run the Meet and Deep newsagents in Twickenham, south west London, for 35 years since / PA

"She had no family and was scared," said Deepen. "We warned others about what had happened to Dorothy, then people started giving donations for her, little sweets or food for her cat.

"We invited Dorothy over on Christmas Day. We gave her the big sack of presents we'd collected and she cried and said it was the best Christmas of her life."

From then on, the family realised that other people would be alone and in need of help over the Christmas period.

"Although it's a lovely time of year, it can be tough for others," said Deepen. "People feel they have no one to talk to because everyone is preoccupied celebrating, they don't want to bring them down."

They began opening the shop on Christmas Day and welcoming in anyone who was lonely for some company and quickly realised that it was not just older people who were lonely.

"One man who came in had just got divorced, so his children were with his ex-wife. He had all the food and the presents at home but no one to celebrate with," said Deepen.

Christmas leftover recipes 1 /8 Christmas leftover recipes Eran Tibi Bala Baya Turkey, roasted squash & spelt risotto Holborn Dining Room Carrot and Brussel sprouts pasta Deliciously Ella Turkey Ramen Salon Christmas Turkey Gumbo Ya-Ya Plaquemine Lock Turkey Biriyani Benares Restaurant

"My parents are getting a bit old, so we asked them if they wanted to not work. But they said no, they want to make sure they are serving the people who rely on them."

Although the Patels are Hindu, they believe in celebrating all religious festivals.

"My parents brought my family up to believe there's just one power with many names, you can celebrate all divinity in every way," said Deepen.

"We have the tree and the decorations, a special meal, light some candles and have a crucifix," he said.

"In Hinduism the main message is to help everybody in life, especially those less fortunate. Everybody should have somebody at Christmas, so we try to be that somebody."


A n aardvark was killed and four meerkats are presumed dead after a fire ripped through part of London Zoo.

The large blaze tore through the Animal Adventure area of the popular tourist attraction, which is close to the meerkat enclosure at about 6am on Saturday.

Zoo workers and firefighters battled to rescue animals from a childrens petting zoo which houses alpacas, llamas, pigs, goats and rabbits as flames spread to a gift shop and cafe.

The zoo confirmed a nine-year-old aardvark named Misha died in the fire. It earlier said that four meerkats were missing, but has since added they are now presumed dead.

Flames lit up the night sky over Regents Park as firefighters tackled the large blaze / Paul Wood 01992 768767

Six members of staff were treated for smoke inhalation and a further two for minor injuries, London Ambulance Service said. One person was taken to hospital.

Seventy-two firefighters and ten fire engines battled the blaze which destroyed three-quarters of the cafe and shop and half of the buildings roof.

Photographs posted on social media showed bright orange flames and thick black smoke billowing into the air around the cafe. Others showed staff in tears as fire crews worked to extinguish the fire.

London Zoo employees comfort a colleague after a fire broke out / AFP/Getty Images

The tourist attraction will open tomorrow as normal as fire crews remained at the site while they investigated the cause of the fire today.

In its latest statement, the Zoo said: Sadly our vets have confirmed the death of our nine-year-old aardvark, Misha. There are also four meerkats still unaccounted for, but we are now presuming these have also died.

We are all naturally devastated by this, but are immensely grateful to the fire brigade, who reacted quickly to the situation to bring the fire under control.

Mischa the aardvark was killed in the fire / London Zoo

Its too soon to speculate on the cause of the fire but we will be working very closely with fire investigators over the coming days and weeks to ascertain the cause.

The Zoo will be closed for the day and fire crews will remain on site for some time damping down. After consultation with fire experts attending today, we are confident that we can safely open the zoo tomorrow.

Fire crews walk past llamas as they work to establish the cause of the blaze / AFP/Getty Images

The zoo, in Regent's Park in the north-west of the capital, is usually open every day except Christmas Day.

Firefighter and station Manager David George, who is attending the incident, said: "The fire mainly involved the cafe and shop but part of a nearby animal petting area was also affected."

"When they arrived our crews were faced with a very well developed fire. They worked incredibly hard in arduous conditions to bring it under control as quickly as possible and to stop it from spreading to neighbouring animal enclosures. Crews will remain at the scene throughout the morning damping down any remaining pockets of fire."
L abour has blamed austerity in the criminal justice system for the recent collapse of two rape cases amid concerns about the disclosure of evidence.

Shadow attorney general Baroness Chakrabarti said the increasing prevalence of social media and text messaging has made the handing over of evidence to lawyers an increasingly "labour-intensive" process.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick has said disclosure of evidence is becoming "increasingly incredibly complex and demanding" in the digital age.

Scotland Yard is urgently reviewing around 30 sex cases due to go to court after the rape trial of Liam Allan was halted last week and the prosecution of Isaac Itiary, accused of raping a child, collapsed on Tuesday.

Liam Allan's case was halted last week / Sky News

On Thursday, Samuel Armstrong, chief of staff to Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay, claimed he was cleared of raping a woman in his boss's office after "crucial evidence" was disclosed just days before his trial.

Lady Chakrabarti called for the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to be properly trained and resourced, and sufficient legal aid to be made available for defence teams to bring challenges when they receive evidence.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I have been hearing as have others on an increasing basis about a system that is under-funded.

"And under-funding in relation to disclosure in particular, which these days with social media and text messaging and so on can be a really labour-intensive process."

She added: "It's not happened in these two rape cases until late in the day, is the concern, but of course if we've got a problem with disclosure in this country it won't just be about sex cases, it could potentially be about all sorts of very serious cases, and we cannot have an undermining of confidence, whether on the part of complainants or of defendants in something as serious as the criminal justice system."

Last week the trial of Mr Allan, 22, was halted at Croydon Crown Court as it was decided there was "no longer a realistic prospect of conviction".

Police are understood to have looked at thousands of phone messages when reviewing evidence, but it was not until the prosecution was close to trial that Met officers disclosed messages between the complainant and her friends which cast doubt on the case against Mr Allan.

The CPS offered no evidence against Mr Itiary, who was facing trial at Inner London Crown Court charged with the rape of a child under 16, along with other offences.

He was charged in July, but police only disclosed further "relevant material" in response to the defence case statement submitted on December 15.

Mr Armstrong, 24, was accused of attacking the young parliamentary worker when she fell asleep after a night drinking in the Houses of Parliament.

On Thursday, he wiped tears from his eyes after a jury of seven women and five men found him not guilty of two counts of rape, one of sexual assault and one of assault by penetration, after a two-week trial at Southwark Crown Court.

Mr Armstrong and his lawyers refused to elaborate on what evidence he was referring to, but the court heard the complainant initially refused to give police access to her mobile phone and medical records.

In messages recovered from her phone, she said she had contacted a journalist just hours after the alleged attack to secure a "sympathetic" write-up, while her medical notes revealed details of a history of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
The president, Klaus Iohannis, is the patron of the state's repressive system which in exchange uses the president as a puppet, on Friday said the Senate's President, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu.

The allegations were formulated by Popescu-Tariceanu after the public space was flooded with pieces of information that a surveillance mandate on his name existed in 2014, in the presidential election campaign."The president's involvement - I said what it is. He is further the patron of the state's repressive system, that is using him as a puppet, to prolong, to perpetuate the crooked system settled in Romania. I believe that this is Romania's huge problem currently. Instead of him to take attitude and observe the promises and commitments he has made in the electoral campaign, to leave no more these inequities go on and return to what it really is a rule of law, he is patron to the parallel state. (...) I made the accusations, I told them very clearly, I voiced my point of view. And here surface the question marks. And the question marks cannot bear a full stop. We could align in a row all of the people who could have benefited. And I said one thing: today, in the forefront of the country lays the puppet of those who have brought to power the current president," Tariceanu told a news conference at the Parliament seat.Moreover he sustained that president Klaus Iohannis is leaning on the force institutions and cares not by the "gross infringement" of the citizens' rights and freedoms."In the past 13 years, in Romania have performed three institutional actors who have perverted the good functioning of the rule of law: the president, the prosecutors' office and the services. (...) Further on, two actors have remained yet to perpetuate the system that had functioned before: the president and the prosecutors' office. As long as a president is leaning on the force institutions and doesn't care about the gross violation of the citizens' rights and freedoms,that means he is actually a puppet used by those who have created this crooked order and want to maintain, and which is works by the same rules as before. Specific rules, so to call them, well-known from the communist era," Popescu-Tariceanu said.The ALDE (Alliance of Democrats and Liberals, minor at rule, ed. n.) opined that president Iohannis is repeating "the mistake" of his predecessor, Traian Basescu, to using "repressive forces of the state in order to settle political fight.""He maintained, the took over exactly the same bad habits of Basescu's, less his qualities, of course," he added."This period, when the debates on the Laws of Justice took place we have practically witnessed the creation of an extremely deep, dangerous fissure inside society, and we obviously ask ourselves what are we doing, who's contributing to smoothing asperities, to resolving disputes that become serious radical, violent issues. Instead of trying to play this role, the president is doing just the other way around. He is nurturing, stressing and aggravating through his attitude, through his statements this deplorable situation," Calin Popescu-Tariceanu assessed.The above-mentioned specifications were made in the context where on Friday the Facebook page of former SRI (Romanian Intelligence Service, ed. n.) Colonel Daniel Dragomir published a document that says that a judge with the Criminal Court of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ, Supreme Court, ed. n.) would have authorised a video, audio or photo surveillance, in 4 July - 2 August 2014, of several scores of persons, among whom Calin Popescu-Tariceanu.
The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea on Friday stated that the development sovereign fund's draft law and the administrative code are among the legislative priorities of 2018.

"The sovereign fund is not the only priority, yet it is a major one. The administrative code is a large document, an important law, second legislative priority because it is part of the state's reform. The public-private partnership draft law after exiting the gov't, we have to see whether it needs amendments or improvement, and there are many other draft laws to be set. The year 2018 will be a full one from the legislative viewpoint," said Dragnea, when asked about the next year's legislative priorities.
The High Court of Justice and Cassation (ICCJ, Supreme Court, ed. n.) says in a notification sent on Thursday to the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) that the amendments to the Law no. 303/2004 in connection with the material liability of the magistrates violate the Constitution and international regulations, because they have a "unclear" and "confusing" and do not comply with the criteria of predictability and will raise interpretation issues when applied.

The Supreme Court's justices complain about unconstitutionality of 12 articles modified by the Parliament in the Law no. 303/2004 on magistrates' statute.One of the contested articles is the one referring to the magistrates' material liability (art. 96 of Law no. 303/2004).ICCJ sustains that the amendments are contrary to Art. 1 paragraph (5) of the Constitution of Romania referring to the obligation of observing the Constitution and the laws, "through their unclear and confusing contents" thus infringing the legality principle which is fundamental for the rule of law's good functioning.The Supreme Court says that the current institutional framework offers the strong guarantee of the fact that a person who has been victim of a judicial error will be compensated for the damages thus caused, as well as the fact that the current contents of the fundamental law foresees the magistrates liability which it circumscribes to the condition regarding the existence of exercising a magistrate's job in ill-will or with serious negligence, and decides in a manner that does not involve in any way the elements of a direct material liability.Moreover, at Point 5 letter iii) of the preliminary works of the Opinion no. 3 of the European Justices' Consultative Council it is said that it is not appropriate that a justice be exposed, as regards their job's exercise, to any personal liability, exception being the case when they make a mistake with intention. The same conclusion is resumed in the "Magna Charter on Justices Statute," (points 20 - 22).ICCJ specifies that the text of Art. 96, in the form proposed to be modified, changes the constitutional view upon this judicial construction of liability for the judicial error (thought as a direct liability of the state and a subsidiary liability of the magistrate) and by establishing the compulsory character of the action in regression against the magistrate, it basically establishes the latter's responsibility, contrary to the constitutional spirit, an objective material liability.ICCJ further explains that the invoked international dispositions do apply only then when the conviction is annulled or the pardon is granted, if, a new fact demonstrates a judicial error had occurred.Moreover, the international regulations crayon the judicial error as a distinct judicial figure, that does not confound with the error of judgment for which both the internal legal dispositions and the international ones foresee other means of remedy.
On November 28th there was another failure by a Russian satellite launcher to get its valuable cargo into orbit. This failure was traced to a software error in the fregat third stage that carried one large weather satellite and 18 tiny cubesats. The control software for the third stage of the Soyuz 2.1 rocket was programmed for launch from the Balkinor launch facility but the failed launch was from the new Vostochny space center. If fact, this was only second launch from Vostochny, which became operational in 2016. The Russian engineers did not change the flight control software to indicate a launch from Vostochny (in the Russian Far East) rather than the Cold War era Balkinor which, since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, belongs to the new Central Asian state of Kazakhstan.

This mishap was disappointing but not unexpected because Russia saw its defense and space related technology efforts rapidly deteriorate in the 1990s with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Suddenly Russia was much smaller and with fewer people and a new economic and political system. Skilled technical talent could no longer he kept confined to jobs and neighborhoods determined by the government. After 1991 the talent was set free and most, especially the managers, wanted to work anywhere but the state owned (or controlled) defense industries. This should have been anticipated because half the Soviet population left to form new nations (or revive old ones).

In 1991 over sixty years of communist rule ended and Russians were free to work where they wanted and few of the technically skilled Russians stayed with state owned defense and space related organizations. This crippled Russian efforts to maintain its space program and suddenly Russia was putting fewer satellites into orbit and a growing number of those launches were failures because there were far fewer experienced managers and engineers available to make it work consistently. This loss of talent was felt throughout the Russian defense industries and since the mid-1990s there were growing complaints from commanders about quality control problems with the new (post-1991) weapons. This was especially true with nuclear submarines, ballistic missiles and aircraft. The problems seemed to be worst, and most embarrassing, in the space program.

In the West the free market made it easier to get the talent and management you needed for exacting tasks like building and launching satellites into orbit. These same skills were required for all the more advanced defense technology projects. The golden cage approach the Soviet communists used worked for a while but crumbled to dust along with the rest of the communist police state. China learned from the Soviet failure and found a way to get free markets to work in a communist police state. North Korea still uses the Soviet method and it sort of works but at the cost of destroying North Korea in a much more thorough fashion that the Soviet Union experienced. The central problem in all these situations is the corrosive impact of corruption. Post 1991 Russians came to understand how this worked but have not yet been able to develop a cure.

In 1999 a new Russian government came into power and has been trying real hard to fix the problem, with only limited success. For example in mid-2013 the government issued a formal reprimand to the director (Vladimir Popovkin) of the Russian Space Agency (RSA), which handles all of Russias satellite launches. The government later clarified that the reprimand was not for several recent disasters but for the fact that since 2010 the RSA has only been able to launch 47 percent of Russian satellites. The reprimand, which in Russia is usually the last warning for someone about to be dismissed, was about the continued inefficiency of the RSA and the inability of Popovkin to reform and revitalize the RSA.

This failure was worse than it appeared. Vladimir Popovkin took over RSA in March 2011. Eleven months later he was hospitalized for exhaustion. There were rumors that he had been worn down by his many subordinates working against the new anti-corruption measures. He was out of the hospital in twelve days and denied the many rumors (like the corruption struggle) swirling about him. Vladimir Popovkin should have been an ideal candidate for the RSA job, as he was a career army officer and scientist who rose to command the Russian Space Forces and several other military operations dealing with large rockets and space operations. Popovkin has apparently not been dismissed because he was qualified to do the job and encountered a lot of problems with corruption and decades of bad management. Russian politicians and state controlled media, both heavily involved in corrupt activities, are not eager to make a big deal of how corruption is crippling the RSA. What Popovkin also had to deal with was a chronic shortage to competent and reliable technical people.

In 2010 the problems with RSA are many and most of them involved the inability to put expensive mapping satellites into orbit. In one case a flawed launch attempt left the Russian GEO-IK-2 earth mapping satellite in a useless (too low) orbit for 17 months until it entered the atmosphere and completely burned up. No fragments of the 1.4 ton satellite were reported to have reached the surface, at least not anywhere that would be noticed by people. How and why this happens explains a lot about why Russia never became a superpower in space and why Vladimir Popovkin was being worked to death.

The GEO-IK-2 was designed to measure the shape of the earth and monitor planetary movement (land, tides, ice). The satellite also had a military use, to measure the planet's gravitational field, which helps make missile guidance systems (and commercial ones) more accurate and reliable. Launched on February 1st, 2011, the GEO-IK-2 satellite reached low orbit but the third stage of the rocket failed to turn on its rockets to put the satellite into its final (higher) orbit. The day after this happened Russian ground controllers restored contact with the GEO-IK-2. Ground control had lost contact with the GEO-IK-2 satellite shortly after launch and the satellite was initially believed to be a total loss. Controllers were not able to get GEO-IK-2 into a better orbit and functioning reliably, making this the second major satellite loss in three months for Russia.

There were repercussions. A month before GEO-IK-2 burned up on reentry, Russia fired two senior managers of the RSA, plus some lesser managers, because of the December, 2010 loss of three navigation satellites. The December incident involved a Proton satellite launcher that failed due to poor management and supervision. It was a stupid mistake. The rocket malfunctioned and caused the satellites to crash into the Pacific. The Proton rocket had been fueled incorrectly, causing the imbalance and failure to achieve orbit. This was poor management at its most obvious.

The prompt dismissal of so many senior managers was actually pretty typical. Russia has a long tradition of the "vertical chop," where several senior leaders in the same chain of command are dismissed (or even executed, at least in the old days) when there was a screw up in their area of responsibility. This approach has fallen out of favor in the West, where the tendency is to fire as few people as possible when there is a major failure. After September 11, 2001, for example, no one got fired. In Russia the vertical chop was never a magic bullet because even during the Soviet period corruption was a big problem and a major reason for the 1991 collapse.

Because of this Soviet legacy, Russian satellite launchers have never been the most flawless, but they got the job done. Including the partial failures, the Proton has about a ten percent failure rate. However, the Russian launchers, and Russian launch facilities, are cheaper than those in the West and nearly as reliable. But the higher failure rate of the Proton rocket causes some concern among potential customers. Nevertheless, the Proton is so cheap that you can afford to pay more for insurance. And there is some comfort in knowing that the RSA suits put their jobs on the line every time one of those rockets is launched.

The repercussions continue in the wake of all the sloppy decisions and stupid mistakes that have led to the loss of launchers and satellites. Another shake up of the RSA is expected if the government can find someone more qualified than Vladimir Popovkin to do the deed. Senior government officials know that Popovkin was not the problem and that the corrupt environment he has to work in is. Cleaning that up means cleaning up the corruption throughout Russian society. That requires more than the vertical chop, it takes time and persistence.

Another problem Russia has was where to launch its satellites from. On April 28th 2016 Russia carried out its first satellite launch at its new Vostochny space center (Cosmodrome). A Soyuz rocket put three civilian satellite into orbit. This Cosmodrome is in the Russian Far East (Amur Province, just north of Manchuria), unlike the Soviet era site in what is now the independent state of Kazakhstan. Construction of the Amur site began in 2010 as Russia realized Kazakhstan was becoming a very difficult landlord. Construction of Vostochny moved quickly in part because the site used to be Svobodny 18, an ICBM base that was shut down in 1993 as part of the START disarmament treaty. Amur Province was ultimately selected because of weather (it averaged only 50-60 overcast days a year, had a dry climate and calm winds) and the absence of earthquakes. Everything went according to schedule as first launches were planned to begin in 2016. This was made possible by the government acting quickly when signs of corruption periodically surfaced. Three construction executives were arrested for corruption and many others threatened. Construction is still going on, mainly to build equipment and facilities for handling heavier cargoes, including supplies and components for space stations. This worked for the completion of Vostochny but not for the rockets and satellites that were sent to Vostochny to be put into orbit.

Military launches will largely remain at Plesetsk, near the Arctic Circle. While Plesetsk's location is good for some types of launches (high inclination, polar, and highly elliptical orbits), the place is frozen most of the year and more expensive to operate because of the climate.

Meanwhile Baikonur has not been abandoned, In 2013 Russia agreed to remain in Baikonur after the Kazakh government agreed to reduce its demands for higher rent. Russia had threatened to cut launches at Balkinor from 75 percent of the Russian total to ten percent by the end of the decade. Kazakhstan originally demanded a lot more money and threatened to shut down Balkinor if the Russians did not pay. In 2012 Russia paid Kazakhstan $115 million a year for the use of Balkinor, in addition to the $50 million a year spent to maintain the facility. Many Kazakhs saw Balkinor as an ATM and anytime there was a cash shortage, they could make a withdrawal and the Russians would be forced to pay. The Russians convinced the Kazakhs that plans to leave Balkinor were real. It was pointed out that Balkinor where the commercial satellites were launched and Russia sold these launch services to a growing list of foreign customers. If Russia paid the higher fees the Kazakhs were demanding the foreign customers would have to pay more than other competitors charged and Russia would have to abandon Balkinor as uneconomical.

Russia had already moved all military launches to the smaller space center at Plesetsk. Russia can turn Baikonur into a big cash cow via commercial launches but the Kazakhs were finally convinced about this when construction of Vostochny began and moved ahead with unusual speed. Thus the Kazakhs agreed to more reasonable rent and, for the moment, Russia's largest satellite launch site is still in Kazakhstan. With Vostochny now operational the Kazakhs have to pay more attention to being a good landlord.

Founded in 1955 by the Soviet Union, Baikonur was long the main satellite launch facility for the Russians. But after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Baikonur found itself in the newly minted Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan. There it became more expensive and difficult for the Russians to use. Russia has leased the Baikonur complex from Kazakhstan since 1991 but this has led to periodic disputes over lease terms and the danger to locals from launch accidents. These disputes were settled but the costs kept rising. The Russians valued the Baikonur launch site as it is very efficient for some types of launchers (geostationary, lunar, planetary, and ocean surveillance missions, as well as all manned missions). But having your main launch site in a foreign country was seen as untenable. So the Russians began building a replacement site to the east, in Russian territory. All manned space programs will be moved to Vostochny by 2020. At that point the Russians will be able to abandon Baikonur, even though they have a lease that lasts until 2050. If the Russians left, they would take or destroy all their gear with them. No point in leaving anything to help a competitor launch satellites. In the end obtaining an affordable launch site proved far easier than regaining the ability to supply the launch site with rockets and satellites that work.
ARABIAN GULF (Dec. 21, 2017) Lt. Larry Young, dressed as Santa, signals to launch an F/A-18 E Super Hornet, assigned to the Stingers of Strike Fighter Attack Squadron (VFA) 113, on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt and its carrier strike group are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Victoria Foley)

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday that his country has the highest economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, despite the sanctions imposed against it. | Read More
As I walked into The Roost Napa on Second Street in downtown Napa, I noticed the We (heart) Napa that became the symbol of Napa after the earthquake of 2014.

The effects from the recent wildfires, both personal and business, bring back memories of the shock and confusion brought on by the unexpected disastrous event.

Patricia Trimble, owner of The Roost Napa, is familiar with how it feels to have your life unexpectedly turned upside down.

The Roost Napa sustained considerable damage in the 2014 earthquake. Needing to put her business back together, Patricia turned to the Napa-Sonoma SBDC at Napa Valley College.

With assistance from an SBDC financial advisor, Patricia was able to secure the working capital needed to replenish her inventory and make repairs.

But its her appreciation for her customers and community that fed Patricias determination to keep her business open.

Im glad to be located downtown for the tourists, but really my store is for locals. The merchandise I buy for my store is for the locals that shop downtown, said Patricia. I have the best customers in the world.

Patricia also developed a motto, Love Militia. Its embroidered on caps in her store.

In my store, I want to promote love. Theres too much negativity in the world right now.

Small business owners are an integral part of the communities in which they live and work. Patricia makes it a priority to involve The Roost Napa in fundraising activities.

My store is a place of community. I hold fundraisers every year. This years beneficiaries included hospice, Voices and Yountville Elementary. Two days following the outbreak of the wildfires, I opened my store and started collecting clothes and toiletry items from friends and the community, said Patricia.

I wanted to provide a place where those who lost everything could go to and feel the caring heart of the community.

In addition to contributing to local nonprofits, Patricia builds personal relationships with her customers, knowing many of them by name.

The community really came together after the earthquake as it has again with the recent wildfires. I want people to feel that heart when they walk into my business, said Patricia.

Im on the floor greeting customers, getting to know them, not standing behind the counter.

Patricias relationship with the other retail businesses on Second Street contributes to her sense of community.

I believe Second Street has come alive since the earthquake, said Patricia. There is nice synergy among the businesses here on the west-end of the shopping district.

The Roost Napa is located at 1407 2nd St. in downtown Napa.

The Napa Valley College Napa-Sonoma Small Business Development Center provides one-on-one business assistance and low cost business training to small business in Napa and Sonoma counties. For an appointment call 707-256-7250 or visit napasonomasbdc.org.
Mustangs Destined for Scrapheap Get New Life as High End Watches

COLOGNE, Germany December 2017; It could be the ultimate Christmas present for the petrol head in your life  a handmade watch, lovingly crafted from components that in a previous existence were used in classic Ford Mustangs.

The idea is the brainchild of Christian Mygh and Jonathan Kamstrup, who together scour salvage yards around the world for models, each of which can be transformed into hundreds of unique timepieces, costing from $1,495.

For the true Mustang enthusiast, REC Watches, based in Denmark, will even create an entirely new watch from parts donated by customers, including World Champion Drifter and professional fun-haver Vaughn Gittin Jr., who wears a watch that includes carbon fibre bodywork from his 700horsepower World Drift Series Ford Mustang RTR.

Most people would just see a pile of metal, a ghost of a Mustang. We see something completely different  the soul of a car and a story that needs to be told, said co-founder Mygh. Im not cutting up Mustangs. Im bringing Mustangs that are beyond repair back to life as a watch.

To ensure these stories continue to be told, REC Watches painstakingly trace the history of each vehicle; talking to previous owners, collecting stories and images from the cars past lives, and incorporating them into a bespoke video.

Each finished design incorporates the vehicle identification number, year of production and classic Mustang design cues. A power dial designed to look like a fuel gauge shows remaining battery life, and the hands, date, and dial numbers are all influenced by the iconic cars dashboard. On one trip to Sweden, the team struck gold with a rare 1966 Raven Black model that has become the basis for their limited edition P51-04 collection of 250 watches.

Named after a World War II fighter plane and launched in 1964, Mustangs radical styling and aggressive performance made it an instant classic. Its superstar status was cemented by a starring role in the 1968 action movie Bullitt with Steve McQueen, as well as a string of songs and films focused on, or incorporating the groundbreaking car. The modern-day Ford Mustang keeps the excitement alive with exhilarating high-performance from the 450 PS 5.0-litre V8 engine and the 290 PS 2.3-litre EcoBoost unit.
Vice founder and CEO Shane Smith. Photo: Mike Windle/Getty Images for Vanity Fair

The investigation is no longer looming: The New York Times has published its anticipated report into Vices sexual-harassment problem, which details a media company that fosters a workplace culture thats blatantly degrading to women. After speaking to over 100 current and former employees, and examining over 100 pages of legal documents, texts, emails, and various other filings, the Times found four sexual-harassment settlements and over 20 other women at Vice who said theyve either experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct.

This isnt the first time Vice, the $6 billion global media company that prides itself on its edginess, has been subject to such an investigation. Last month, the Daily Beast reported that the media companys culture is toxic to women, and touched on the companys notorious Non-Traditional Workplace Agreement, which essentially tells employees to not be offended by anything. (The company has recently stopped requiring employees to sign the form.) After that report, Vice fired three employees who were accused of sexual harassment.

There is a toxic environment where men can say the most disgusting things, joke about sex openly, and overall a toxic environment where women are treated far inferior than men, Sandra Miller, who worked as head of branded production at Vice from 2014 to 2016, told the Times.

Along with various accounts of sexual misconduct, the Times found that Vice has reached four sexual-harassment settlements: In 2003, freelance writer Jessica Hopper reached a $25,000 settlement with Vice after the magazine published she had agreed to have sex with a rapper she was interviewing, which she did not; a former anonymous employee was paid $135,000 when she claimed she was fired after rejecting sexual propositions from Vices president, Andrew Creighton; former employee Martina Veltroni received an undisclosed amount after she claimed Jason Mojica, the former head of Vice News, retaliated against her after they had a sexual relationship; journalist Joanna Fuertes-Knight received a $24,000 settlement after reporting that Rhys James, a Vice producer who has been placed on leave, asked about the color of her nipples and if she slept with black men.

In some cases, its clear that the company and our managers made mistakes, a Vice spokesperson said of the settlements. In others, we disagree with the way in which the underlying facts have been characterized.

Co-founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi responded to the Times report and expressed their regret for their role in perpetuating sexism in the media industry and society in general.

It happened on our watch and ultimately we let far too many people down, they said. We are truly sorry for this.

In the past few months, Vice has formed a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board; has forbidden romantic relationships between supervisors and their employees; updated its policies surrounding sexual harassment; clarified the procedure for reporting inappropriate behavior; and created an employee hotline.

Alvi and Smith also sent out a statement to employees, which is excerpted here:

Listening to our employees over the past year, the truth is inescapable: from the top down, we have failed as a company to create a safe and inclusive workplace where everyone, especially women, can feel respected and thrive. Cultural elements from our past, dysfunction and mismanagement were allowed to flourish unchecked. That includes a detrimental boys club culture that fostered inappropriate behavior that permeated throughout the company. It happened on our watch, and ultimately we let far too many people down. We are truly sorry for this.

As you know, we have already taken action regarding multiple instances of unacceptable behavior, resulting in the termination of three employees. We will continue to investigate all allegations that are brought to our attention.

But employees arent optimistic. At Vices most recent State of the Union session, employees were reportedly frustrated that there was not a single mention of sexual harassment, and when the Times asked if Vice would release current and former employees who had experienced or witnessed sexual harassment from their confidentiality agreements, Vice simply said it was considering the issue.

Read the full story here.

This post has been corrected to say that Martina Veltroni claimed Jason Mojica, the former head of Vice News, retaliated against her after they had a sexual relationship. The Cut regrets the error.
Rescue workers and soldiers ride on an ambulance after a mudslide in the mountain town of Regent, Sierra Leone on Aug. 14, 2017. (REUTERS/Ernest Henry)

270 bodies recovered, 600 missing in Sierra Leone mudslide

FREETOWNRescue workers have recovered 270 bodies so far from a mudslide in the outskirts of Sierra Leones capital Freetown, the mayor said on Tuesday, as rescue operations continued and morgues struggled to find space for all the dead.

President Ernest Bai Koroma urged residents of Regent and other flooded areas around Freetown to evacuate immediately so that military personnel and other rescue workers could continue to search for survivors that might be buried underneath debris.

Dozens of houses were covered in mud when a mountainside collapsed in the town of Regent on Monday morning, one of the deadliest natural disasters in Africa in recent years.

We have a total of 270 corpses which we are now preparing for burial, Freetown mayor Sam Gibson told reporters outside city hall.

Bodies have continued to arrive at the citys central morgue. Corpses are lying on the floor and on the ground outside because the morgue is overloaded, a Reuters witness said.

Our problem here is space. We are trying to separate, quantify, and examine quickly and then we will issue death certificates before the burial, said Owiz Koroma, head of the morgue.

He did not have an updated death toll but said: Its in the hundreds, hundreds!

Police officers stand at the site after a mudslide in the mountain town of Regent, Sierra Leone August 14, 2017 in this still image taken from a video. (REUTERS/Reuters TV)

Fear of Disease

Sierra Red Cross Society spokesman Abu Bakarr Tarawallie said by phone he estimated that at least 3,000 people were homeless and in need of shelter, medical assistance and food.

The Red Cross said another 600 were missing.

We are also fearful of outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and typhoid, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation from Freetown. We can only hope that this does not happen.

A man walks under umbrella in water covered street in Freetown, Sierra Leone August 14, 2017 in this picture obtained from social media. (Instagram/dawncharris via REUTERS)

Residents stand near an ambulance after a mudslide in the mountain town of Regent, Sierra Leone August 14, 2017. (REUTERS/Ernest Henry)

Contaminated water and water-logging often lead to potentially deadly diseases like cholera and diarrhea after floods and mudslides.

Crowds of people gathered, waiting for news of missing family members.

Ive been looking for my aunt and her two children, but so far no word about them, said Mohamed Jalloh, crying. He said he feared the worst.

President Koroma said in a television address on Monday evening that rescue centers had been set up around the capital to register and assist victims.

Bulldozers dug through mud and rubble at the foot of Mount Sugar Loaf, where many residents had been asleep when part of the mountainside collapsed. The government said a number of illegal buildings had been erected in the area.
Recovering drug users, activists, and social service providers hold a morning rally calling for 'bolder political action' in combating the overdose epidemic outside of the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Aug. 17, 2017, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Couple Overdoeses While Driving in Parking Lot With 4-Year-Old Child on Board

A man and woman from Sumiton, Alabama, got doubly lucky on Wednesday, Dec. 20.

Not only did they survive overdosing on herointhey didnt kill or injure anyone while careening around a Walmart parking lot in reverse, while totally unconscious.

Luckiest of all was their 4-year-old child, who was in the back seat the whole time. The child was not injuredand the parents will hopefully get treatment. In the meantime, the child is in the hands of the Department of Human Resources.

Police had to block the car with a police cruiser to get it to stop.

The two adults were identified as Allen Murray and Krystal Bland. Both received medical treatment, and both face multiple charges.

Police found drug paraphernalia in the car. Sumiton Police Chief T.J. Burnett told CBS 42 News that a field test identified the drug involved as heroin.

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A Growing Problem

Much of the incident was captured on video. Cynthia Ward caught the action on her cellphone and posted it on Facebook.

The car can be seen rolling in reverse in ever-growing circles. It was getting closer and closer to the store the whole time, Ward explained.

The video shows volunteers trying to stop the vehicle, but failing because the cars doors were locked.

Ward said she posted the video to highlight the growing problem of opiate addiction spreading across the nation.

It worried me, it scared me, to see it at a local grocery store, Ward told CBS News. Thats very worrisome for people to be in a parking lot like that with their child.

I just want people to be aware of how prevalent this drug problem in our community is becoming, Ward said.

I just hope and pray that these people can get their lives right and try to see that there is more to life than things like this, she concluded.

Not an Isolated Incident

Bizarre as this incident might seem, it is not, sadly, unique.

Officer Kevin Thompson from East Liverpool, Ohio, found a couple passed out on the side of the road with a 4-year-old child in the back seat, on Sept. 7, 2016.

When police investigated, they found that both parents had nearly passed out from heroin use.

The East Liverpool police published photos of the passed-out couple and child, hoping to shock people into realizing that opiate addiction is growing quickly and widely in the United States and it isnt confined to inner cities and slums.

In fact, opiate addiction is spreading widely through the working and middle classes in every state in the nation.

The suspects are identified as 50-year-old Rhonda L. Pasek and 47-year-old James Lee Acord. Police saw their Ford Explorer weaving down the road. When police caught up to the vehicle, it had stopped and one adult passenger was comatose, and the other barely responsive.

Moments later, the driver passed out, while the passenger began turning blue, the officer reported.

Paramedics administered naloxone (Narcan,) an opiate-reversal drug, and were able to save both adults lives.

The child in the back seat was awake, and uninjuredphysically.

Pasek was charged with endangering a child, not wearing a seatbelt, and public intoxication. Acord was charged with endangering a child and slowing/stopping in a roadway. Both had police records, Acord for DUI and Pasek for drug possession.

Passed Out at a Pizzeria

A similar incident happened on Staten Island, New York, in February of this year, when police found 24-year-old Katelyn Cox passed out in her Hyundai Sonata outside a pizzeriawith her 3-month-old son crying in the back seat.

Police told the New York Post that when they reached the car they saw that Cox was turning blue. They administered a dose or Narcan, then a second, before Cox regained consciousness. She and her child were taken to Staten Island University Hospital South. Her child was then turned over to the Childrens Services Administration.

Cox was later charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child, reckless endangerment, operating a motor vehicle impaired by drugs, and refusing to take a breath test.

Major Overdoseand the Engine Was Still Running

On Oct. 27 of this year police on Long Island, New York, arrested a man who overdosed in his car while his 7-year-old daughter looked on, the Daily News reported.

When police arrived, they found Sean Daly, 49, passed out in the drivers seat of his 2018 Nissan pickup, with the engine running. In the passenger seat sat a 40-year-old woman.

Dalys 7-year-old daughter sat in the back.

According to the Daily News it took three doses of Narcan to revive Daly.

Daly was charged with intoxicated driving under Leandras Law for having a minor in the car. He is also charged with driving without a license.

From NTD.tv
Saint Vincent was found wrapped in a garbage bag dumped next to a trash can on Dec. 19. (NYBC Rescue Dogs/YouTube)

Dog Dumped in Trash Bag on the Side of the Road, Rescued by NYPD

An old dog that was dumped on the side of the road and left to die by its heartless owner was rescued by NYPD after he was found by a passerby.

The dog, believed to be a 10-year-old Shepherd mix, was found after a Good Samaritan noticed movement in a garbage bag next to a trash can in Brooklyn on Dec. 19. The police were then immediately contacted. The police alerted New York Bully Crew, a rescue and adoption organization, who sent the injured dog to a hospital.

The poor poochnamed Saint Vincent by its rescuerswas found in a bad condition with his mouth taped shut, reported WABC-TV.

He was barely breathing. He was bleeding from his nose, Carla Mohan, a member of New York Bully Crew, told the news station.

Like I said, his mouth was taped up, Mohan added. He was covered in urine. He has complete urine scalds all over his body.

Saint Vincent was given immediate medical attention by doctors at the Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group in Brooklyn who believe the dog could have been trapped inside the bag for about a week.

This didnt happen overnight or over the course of a couple of days, Dr. Brett Levitzke told the news station.

This is sustained neglect and abuse  just basically leaving him lying in his own urine and feces to the point that hes developed massive infections, the doctor added.

Fortunately, Saint Vincents bloodwork came back and was doing pretty well, according to doctors. He is expected to make a recovery.

The dog is now awaiting adoption at New York Bully Crew.

Police are offering a $4,500 to the public for information that would lead them to the people responsible.

Someone is going to recognize him, and thats our hope, Levitzke told WABC-TV. Someone will come forward so there can be some justice.

The video may be disturbing to some readers and viewers.

From NTD.tv
FBI Arrest Former Marine Planning Christmas Terror Attack

A former marine turned radical Islamist was allegedly planning to conduct a suicide terror attack in San Francisco during Christmas.

FBI officials allege that Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, was planning to commit the terror attack targeting Pier 39 on Dec. 25. The FBI arrested Jameson on Friday and charged him with one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

An FBI affidavit filed in a federal court said that Jamesons social media use showed he held radical jihadist beliefs, that he was supportive of terrorism and and that he offered to supply his services to the cause.

According to the affidavit, Jameson also voiced his support for the Oct. 13, 2017 terror attack in New York City during which a driver used his truck to kill eight people.

Jameson commonly refers to people he perceives to be enemies of radical Islam as kuffar, a derogatory Islamic term for unbelievers, and specifically told an FBI Confidential Human Source that he begged to join the cause against the darul kuffar. Darul (or Dar al variant Dar ul) signifies the land of disbelief and commonly used by radical Islamists as a label for the United States and western nations, it stated.

CHRISTMAS TERROR PLOT? FBI agents arrested a former Marine recruit accused of planning to attack Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco on Christmas Day as authorities say he was inspired by ISIS and the deadly Halloween terror attack in NYC. @PierreTABC reports. pic.twitter.com/NQ8E7NdsaP  World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) December 23, 2017

Through social media, Jameson allegedly said he was ready to join the cause against the darul kuffar and that his not being Arabic would help him blend in so as to shock and awe. He also offered his services as a tow truck driver for the cause against the darul kuffar.

In a conversation with the FBI source two days after the Oct. 31 terror attack, Jameson allegedly said he was pleased by what had occurred.

Im glad we Muslims are finally hitting back! Allahu Akbar! The Kuffar deserve everything and more for the lives they have taken, he was reported to have said.

According to the affidavit, FBI agents posing as overseas Jihadists asked Jameson to assist them. Jameson replied he would do anything and told the fake jihadist that he was trained in combat.

Jameson was a trained Marine who was discharged in 2009 for not disclosing a history of asthma.

The affidavit said that Jameson met with an undercover FBI agent who said his boss was Abu Bake al-Baghdai  the leader of ISIS. During the meeting, Jameson allegedly said he would be willing do anything for the cause.

Jameson said he would provide money to ISIS and also that he was willing to travel to Syria.

Everitt Jameson is a former marine. According to his family, he was trying to get his life back on track, working as a tow truck driver in Modesto. The latest at 5 and 6 on FOX40. pic.twitter.com/WwcGB2eQoI  Kay Recede FOX40 (@KayRecede) December 22, 2017

The affidavit then said that Jameson suggested carrying out a terror attack like that of Oct. 31 in New York City when ISIS-inspired driver Sayfullo Saipov ran down pedestrians on a bike path with a rental truck, killing eight. Jameson also reference the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino that killed 14.

According to the affidavit, Jameson wanted to conduct a terrorist attack that combined elements of both those attacks  the use of a vehicle and the use of firearms.

Jameson then told the undercover FBI agent that Pier 39 in San Francisco would be a good target location, saying that he knew the popular tourist area and that is was often busy with people. He allegedly described a plan using explosives which would funnel people to a location where he could then inflict casualties.

Jameson gave dates when he could carry out the attack, with a focus on Christmas and said he did not need an escape plan as he was prepared to die. He asked to be provided with weapons, including an assault rifle and materials needed to make explosive devices.

The undercover FBI agent told Jameson not to proceed with his plan until he was given a green light from ISIS leadership.

The affidavit also detailed how Jamison planned the attack on the pier and how he volunteered to assist in sourcing a storage facility.

FBI foils planned terrorist attack at San Francisco's Pier 39. Everitt Jameson, 26, was planning to attack heavily the crowded area on Christmas day. Jameson, a former Marine who FBI says was radicalized & supported Islamic State, was arrested before he could carry out his plot pic.twitter.com/lkgFEWHAYF  Sherman (@Shermanbot) December 23, 2017

After a bungled phone call from an FBI agent, it appeared that Jameson may have become suspicious that he was under investigation. On Dec. 18, Jameson told a second undercover agent that had reconsidered.

I dont think I can do this after all, he was alleged as saying.

Two days later, the FBI  armed with a search warrant  raided his home in Modesto, California, where they found a martyrdom letter, weapons and materials that could be used in the building of an explosive device.

The FBI said during their search of Jamesons residence, he admitted that he supported ISIS and that he would be happy if an attack was carried out.

Jameson has denied the allegations and his father says the FBI have got their facts wrong.

He wouldnt do that to innocent people, the father told the Merced Sun-Star. Hes a loving, kind person that would never hurt nobody.

Jameson faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

From NTD.tv
Footage Obtained by Investigators Suggest Abuse of Toddler Found Dead in Concrete Block

Authorities in Wichita, Kansas, believe that photos and video of a toddler boy who was found dead in a block of concrete in September show he was abused.

One photo shows 3-year-old Evan Brewer standing with his hands tied behind his back and a dark, leather-looking belt around his neck, a probable cause affidavit from the Wichita Police Department states.

The childs father, Carlo Brewer, made reports of abuse to the Kansas Department of Children and Families (DCF) in March, saying that Evan had come from his mothers house with a broken nose. After a DCF social worker met with Evan and his mother, Miranda Miller, she also found a bruise on Evans back.

In another incident, Brewer said he saw Evan at Millers house with the skin scraped off the bridge of his nose.

Another video police recovered showed Evan from the legs down without any clothes on in the basement of the house Miller shared with her boyfriend, Stephen Bodine, and with a chain connecting him to something off camera. He appears to be standing on cardboard on top of some wooden pallets on the cement floor, the affidavit states.

A friend of Miller, who used to watch Evan, said that he would flinch and raise his arms to cover himself when she raised her voice at him, and said that he would cry when he had to go home. She also observed burn marks on his fingers and concluded that they were the result of him playing with lighters.

On July 6, a court granted Evans father, Carlo Brewer, custody of him. Repeated attempts to let Miller know about the court order were ignored by both her and Bodine.

On Sept. 2, the property owner of the house Miller and Bodine were renting was cleaning the property when he came across a concrete block in the laundry room.

He went out and bought a sledgehammer to open block and see what was inside.

He was crying while he swung the sledgehammer because he feared Evan was inside and that the concrete block reminded him of a tomb, the affidavit states.

After partially cracking the block, he smelled a foul odor emanating from the cracks and called the police.

Medical investigators later confirmed that the remains found in the cement block were those of Evan. The body was too decomposed for them to determine a cause of death.

Along with the remains, investigators also found a sheet with Ninja Turtle characters on it, grey duct tape, linoleum flooring, and towels.

Both Bodine and Miller, who were in jail on other charges, were charged with Evans murder.

The affidavit also states that Bodine told a sheriffs employee that in October, he came in and she was doing CPR, on Evan, then said he was the one who put the kid in the concrete in the laundry room.

Investigators also interviewed several inmates who Bodine was incarcerated with.

Bodine told [an inmate] that Miranda slept all day and the kid had no adult supervision. Bodine told [the inmate] that he got rid of all the evidence and disposed of it for her.

Both Miller and Bodine were charged with first-degree murder on Tuesday, Dec. 19, and were being held on $500,000 bond.
Stephen Paddock, believed to be the shooter who killed at least 58 and wounded more than 500 in Las Vegas on the night of Oct. 1, 2017. (Twitter)

Las Vegas Alleged Shooters Cause of Death Officially Released

After more than two months, authorities have officially released the cause of death of Stephen Paddock, who allegedly opened fire on an Oct. 1 country concert in Las Vegas killing 58 and injuring over 500.

Paddock died of a gunshot wound to his head inflicted through his mouth. It was ruled a suicide, Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg told The Associated Press.

The Clark County coroners office also released the causes of death of all the 58 victims. Of those, 18 were shot to the head, one died of a leg shot, and the rest were hit in the neck, chest, or back. Six were shot multiple times. All were ruled homicides, based on a chart released by the coroner.

Authorities have still not released a conclusion on what could have possibly motivated Paddock, a gambler and a real estate investor, to commit a massacre.

The chief of the FBI Las Vegas office has revealed that the agency will possibly release their report on the massacre before October next year.

Now, thats a long time for some people, but speaking for the FBI, thats light speed, all right?, Special Agent in Charge Aaron Rouse told Las Vegas Review-Journal in an interview on Dec. 20.

Rouse said the report will focus on Paddocks motive.

Ours is focusing a large part on the why, OK? Which is what everybody wants to know, he said during the interview at the FBIs Las Vegas office.

The FBI has interviewed upward of 400 people worldwide who are thought to have connections to the gunman and have brought in various psychological and sociological experts, and 400 different specialists to work on the case.

As I sit here today, I believe that we are learning as much as we possibly can about why the subject did what they did, Rouse said during the interview. I believe that there is one person and one person alone to blame for what happened on One October, and that is Stephen Paddock.

Rouse said it took investigators 14 days to document evidence from the Route 91 Harvest festival venuewhich is about 15 acres largeand it took 13 days to document Paddocks 32nd-floor Mandalay Bay suite and hotel hallway. All important items found during the investigations have been sent to the FBIs central lab in Virginia.

Were going to have, I think, the best digital schematic of what happened and where it happened and how it happened that you can come up with, Rouse told the newspaper.

Soon after the attack speculation emerged that Paddock wasnt a lone shooter. The police scanner recordings had officers reporting shooters at multiple locations. Multiple witnesses and survivors said they heard the shots coming from more than one location. Some witnesses were adamant about there being more than one shooter.

Some independent researchers have collected indices that seem to suggest Paddock may have had one or more accomplices.

Authorities, however, have repeatedly said they have no evidence of a second shooter.

Rouse said he does not expect the FBI to brief or update the public on the investigation until the report is released next year.

NTDs Janita Kan contributed to this report.
Motivation Disputed Over the Group Beating of Teenage Girl

Local law enforcement are investigating the brutal beating of a 14-year-old girl by three other teenage girls in Florida as others stood by videoing the incident with their cell phones.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office (PBSO), a student from West Boca Raton High School meet up with another student from Olympic Heights High School over an ongoing dispute.

PBSO said the fight was sparked over a boyfriend, reported the Sun Sentinel.

The student from West Boca Raton was under the impression that the two were meeting to talk, said one of several PBSO tweets about the beating that occurred Thursday mid-afternoon in a park.

On Thursday, December 21, 2017, two students; one from West Boca Raton High School and the other from Olympic Heights High School agreed to meet over an ongoing dispute. The victim, student from West Boca Raton HS, was under the impression the two were meeting to talk.  PBSO (@PBCountySheriff) December 22, 2017

The suspect, student from Olympic Heights HS apparently told the victim she wanted to meet to fight. The victim agreed to meet anyway, said another tweet from PBSO.

The West Boca Raton student and the other student fought until two others joined in the beating of the 14-year-old. A group of teenagers watched on and some captured the incident on video. Versions of the video subsequently went viral.

PBSO deputy took a report and will be thoroughly investigating with the PBC School Board. Anyone who witnessed this fight is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS or you can remain ANONYMOUS by downloading our new app. pic.twitter.com/S8XtbFd57v  PBSO (@PBCountySheriff) December 22, 2017

PBSO said they were alerted to the attack by the victims mother and an officer went around to the victims residence. The PBSO said that they would be investigating the case.

At NO time was race or bullying ever discussed, determined or considered to have played a role in the altercation. The victim was wearing a shirt that said Bulls XL, which is believed to be a school t-shirt, said another tweet by PBSO.

According to the Sun Sentinel, charges over the beating are pending.

Dear @BocaPolice, I'm told this is in your town & that this young Muslim girl had been harassed for months before she was brutally assaulted here. 1. Why'd you allow this culture of Islamophobia to grow? 2. What are you going to do to hold those who assaulted her accountable? pic.twitter.com/feqJfNu2ki  Shaun King (@ShaunKing) December 22, 2017

In light of the video, the tweets by PBSO have met a barrage of criticism.

They see it has a fight, because apparently thats the definition of three people having one person on the ground and beating them senseless, being one example of a tweet replying to PBSOs statement.

Despite what PBSO has said, the girls father, Shakeel Munshi, has called what occurred a hate crime because she is a Muslim.

Munshi disagreed with the police version of why the beating occurred, saying that his daughter did not have a boyfriend.

Investigations are ongoing.

From NTD.tv
Photo of Texas Boy Praying With Santa Goes Viral

A touching photo of a 12-year-old Texas boy praying with Santa went viralafter the boy asked Santa to help his sick dad instead of asking for gifts.

Another mother saw the exchange as she was in line to see Santa with her own son at the Bass Pro Shops in Garland, Texas, on Tuesday, Dec. 19.

She told NBC 5 that the boy held a wish list but all he wanted was for his dads health to recover and for help with the familys medical bills.

The woman, who wished to be unnamed, took a photo of the moment and later shared it on Facebook.

For four years, we have always come to Bass Pro to take Jaxens Christmas picture with Santa. Tonight, I knew I was in the right place when the family in front of us went to see Santa, she wrote. I overheard him ask Santa for money for his Dads medical bills, and to please let his dad be healthy! The next thing we notice, Santa and the boy bow their heads.

The photo, posted on Wednesday, Dec. 20, spread like wildfire on the internet gaining over 36 thousand reactions and over 5,000 shares as of Dec. 22.

I have no real words. Its just been heartwarming that so many people out there believe and care, the boys father, Jason Coker, told NBC5.

The family told the network that the Jason has been in and out of the hospital for the past two years due to an undiagnosed blood disorder. His latest visit was on Dec. 10.

Emily Coker, the step-mother of the boy named Jacob, said she was touched when he told her he did not want any presents for Christmas.

He picks up on those things that you dont realize he picks up on until he brings you the glass of water or offers to help, Emily told NBC5. Hes just special.

All he asked for, all he wanted was for me to help his dad, the Santa later told NBC5. He said he had a lot of pain.

The Santa, whose identity was not named, told the network he offered to pray with Jacob after hearing his request.

I asked that the Lord would help him with the pain and that he would have enough joy in his heart to get through the pain, he said.

Now compassionate strangers are offering to help Jacobs family by recently starting a GoFundMe page. As of Dec. 22 the campaign has garnered over $4,000 out of the $10,000 goal.

Santa did what in my opinion the very best of friends do for you  He prayed with him. Jacobs dad is the primary support of their family. Being ill, impending medical bills and lost wages has put a damper on things this holiday season, the GoFundMe campaign stated.

Another employee who witnessed the exchange told NBC 5, It broke my heart, especially when I turned and saw the mom in tears, Janet Contreras said. It definitely tugged at my emotions.

From NTD.tv
Poacher Ordered to Spend All Hunting Season Weekends in Jail

A Texas judge has devised a creative punishment for a man convicted of poaching.

John Walker Drinnon, 34, has to spend every weekend of the hunting season in jail for the next five years, a district court judge in Grayson County ruled.

Drinnon has been sentenced to five years of probation, but he must report to the Grayson County Jail each weekend of deer season starting Dec. 30 and for the whole five years of the probation. He also has to pay over $18,000 in a civil restitution penalty.

The Whitesboro Texan is also prohibited from purchasing a hunting license while on probation.

Drinnons story started about a year ago, when pictures emerged of Drinnon with a 19-point white-tailed buck in his lap. He was questioned by game wardens about how he came into possession of the animal. He said he shot it on public hunting land in Oklahoma.

The wardens had obtained a game camera image of the deer in question, photographed on public hunting land on the Texas side of Lake Texoma, which contradicted Drinnons claim, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) stated in a release.

Game cameras are usually equipped with infrared lights and motion sensors and automatickly snap images or shoot video of passing wildlife.

In cooperation with Oklahoma and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents, game wardens built their case and eventually made Drinnon confess he had killed the buck in Grayson County, shooting it with a rifle from a public roadway.

On Oct. 12, Drinnon pleaded guilty to the felony charge of taking a whitetail deer without landowner consent in 15th District Court in Sherman, Texas.

Advances in stealth surveillance technology have made game cameras essential gear for serious deer hunters, TPWD stated. In Grayson County, wary old bucks present a challenge for bowhunters, but seldom escape the camera or coffee shop gossip.
Porch Thieves Steal Boys $5000 Kidney Medication

A family was left devastated after thieves stole a package off their porchit contained their little boys life-saving medication.

Cody Taylor, a single father living with his 4-year-old son, Austin, in Riverdale, Utah, had been receiving the delivered medication for years with no problemuntil it was swiped from his porch last week.

According to FOX13, Austin was born with several birth defects and has been battling stage 5 kidney failure. Cody said he was given a 25 percent chance of living three months. Doctors were not sure if he would make it.

Two years ago Austin received a kidney transplant but he needs to take the medicine so his body does not reject the kidney.

The package included a 3-month supply of medicine for Austins kidney. The total cost of the medicine was about $5000.

Somebody stole my sons medication delivery, Cody posted in a Riverdale City Citizens Facebook group on Monday, Dec. 18. If it was just a present I would be frustrated but would count it as a loss. Its his 90 day supply of antirejection meds called Rapamune and Mycophenolate.

Months ago Cody recalled his sons miraculous journey that doctors said the boy would never have.

The father pleaded with the thiefwhose identity is still unknown as of writingto return the package.

If it was anyone here please bring it back, I wont call the police, I wont put out a camera I just need it back for him to not reject his kidney and go to the hospital, Cody wrote, in part, to the group.

Cody was not sure if his insurance would cover the costs of replacing the stolen package, adding that his small family could not afford an additional $5000. In an earlier post, the father posted on his Facebook that the medication costs for Austin were $45,000 per year.

Luckily my SUV is paid off. I was prepared to take out a loan and pay for the medication outright, Cody told FOX13.

After working with his insurance company, Cody eventually managed to get his stolen medication covered.

We have gotten so much love and so much support that I just couldnt believe it, Cody told the network. Hes so strong and always fighting.

According to the Washington Post, porch pirates have been a rising problem in recent years, especially during the holiday season. On top of that, more and more Americans are shopping online58 million Americans shopped only online over the Thanksgiving Day weekend, according to the National Retail Federation.

The father said he has a message he wants the unknown thief to listen to.

You dont know who youre hurting by your actions. It could range from ruining someones Christmas to threatening someones life. You just never know, he told FOX13.

According to the network, a company called The Porch Locker later donated a lock box for Austins medication to be safely delivered to.

From NTD.tv
Searchers Locate Body of Missing Man on His Birthday

Police recovered the body of a man missing for over a month from under the sheet of ice covering Lake Silkworth, about 30 miles southwest of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Adam Lutz, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, had been missing since mid-November. He was recovered on Dec. 22, which would have been his 23rd birthday.

DEVELOPING: Dive team is heading into Lake Silkworth to recover a body found under the ice this morning by state police. @WNEP pic.twitter.com/eaH146eR0V  Carolyn Blackburne (@cblackburne) December 22, 2017

Family and friends stood lakeside and watched as the body was brought out of the ice-covered water.

Its a bittersweet moment for them. Today was Adams birthday actually, so near to Christmas and on his birthday, its a bittersweet thing for them, Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Daniel Zola told WNEP, the local ABC affiliate.



Luzerne County Coroner William Lisman told the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader that the family had positively identified the body.

Lutz, 22, disappeared on the night of Nov. 9. His car was found parked at the intersection of Roberts Street and Route 29 near Lake Silkworth. State police said he was out driving with a friend, stopped, and got out.

What may be his last moments were captured by a surveillance camera mounted on a clubhouse on Route 29. On the video, Lutz pulls into the parking lot, exits the car and walks toward the lake.

#BREAKING: Luzerne County Coroner confirms body found in Lake Silkworth was 22-year-old Adam Lutz of Nanticoke. After month and a half long search, district attorneys office says today is bittersweet for his family because today was Adams birthday. @WNEP pic.twitter.com/pioDhMPvhO  Carolyn Blackburne (@cblackburne) December 22, 2017

At first police hoped he had merely wandered off.

After three days, the search for a living person turned to an effort to recover a body, and police focused their efforts on the lake.

Were focusing our efforts on the water, said Lehman Township Police Officer Harold Cain told WNEP on Nov. 12. There are still some people out on foot searching areas, but this general area within miles has been searched on foot, also by helicopter, so pretty much the ground has been covered.

Local police used K9 units, helicopters, and dive teams to locate the body.

Eventually, State Police got involved, deploying a specially trained team equipped with sonar and an underwater camera. This team located the body in 20 minutes, according to Lieutenant Gary Vogue of the Wyoming, Pennsylvania State Police barracks.

Today, we actually brought in our State Police Marine Patrol from Erie and Philadelphia, Vogue told the Times-Leader. The marine patrol had been busy elsewhere before Dec. 22.

Searchers had to bore a hole in the layer of ice covering the lake before lowering in the submersible camera.

Once the body was located, the dive team from the Germania Hose Company, based in Duryea, recovered it.

The body will be autopsied on Dec. 26. Until a cause of death has been established, ADA Zola said, the investigation was openno judgment could be made as to whether foul play might be involved.

Jeff Henry, owner of a nearby restaurant, had watched the entire search since day one.

Well, its been a long time coming, Henry told WNEP. Im glad they recovered the body today. Hopefully, it brings some closure to the family.

From NTD.tv
With four simultaneous performances in different cities in North America, Shen Yun Performing Arts started its global tour of the world with all new programming on Friday evening.

The New York-based companys different touring performance companies staged shows in Houston, Kansas City, Burlington, VT, and Waterbury, CT, treating audiences to exhilarating performances of classical Chinese dance and music.

I thought it was outstanding  the technical mastery, the craft by all the performers was astonishing, commented actor and director Gary Chason after seeing the performance in Houstons Jones Hall for the Performing Arts.

Mr. Chason also pointed to the deep themes in the performance, saying that each story was a fable with a moral. According to the Shen Yun website, China was once known as the Land of the Divine, and the ancient Chinese culture was said to be inspired by the heavens.

I think it has a theme of that which is divinebeing an important part of the human character, and that is sometimes lost in the hustle and bustle of life and in the political maneuvering that we see going on worldwide, Mr. Chason said.

Retired pediatrician Dr. Susan Sponenderg found the performance of the soprano and the Chinese lyrics she sung using the bel-canto style, with English translation projected on the backdrop, to be a thought-provoking experience.

When the soprano sung and the young lady played the piano  [What came to mind was that] there is something positive at the end of it all, she said.



Over in Burlington, Marianne Reed, academic dean and professor of language arts at the College of St. Joseph, was similarly touched by the sopranos performance and the deep meanings of the lyrics she sang.

It was very spiritual, touched you deeply, moved you. And when [the soprano] sang the words of that song about Dafa and compassion and integrity and all of that just  its the way we should be, Professor Reed said.

Holistic Experience

After watching Shen Yun in Burlingtons Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, painter Che Schreiber was full of inspiration, describing the the performance as a holistic experience.

I was so inspired by Shen Yun with the texture, the fabrics, the colors, and the movements. Every aspect of the performance just touched my heart and inspired my being, Ms. Schreiber said.

I really felt the divinity and unification of oneness, and transcendence of pain and the enlightenment of connecting to the greater purpose and passion of what we are meant here to experience.

The beauty, it is indescribable. You can feel it with your eyes closed  And yet when your eyes are opened, you are just entranced into wanting to dance along.

In Waterbury, Christina Shortt, artistic director and owner of the dance school Dance Progressions, said she found the classical Chinese dance, as presented by Shen Yun, to be very expressive.

We dont need to hear words in order to understand the story, she said.

It is beautiful, it is beautiful. I love the precision of it.

In Heaven

Lori Blackwell, a retired construction company owner, simply thought she is in heaven while watching the performance in Waterburys Palace Theater.

I think, if they say, there is an old soul, regenerated, maybe [what Shen Yun presented] was my culture. Because as a little girl, the precision, the honor, is what I love, and I see a lot of that in the show tonight. It is just beautiful, she said.

I am in heaven. Heaven.

In Kansas City, Royce Lane, vice president of sales for a software company, appreciated seeing the variety in the performance and the diversity of the Chinese culture.

Very interesting to see the different aspects of the culture, how good the dancers are. Its just very entertaining, Mr. Lane said.

Donna Welland, a retired stock broker, said she had been waiting to see Shen Yun for a long time.

I thought it was amazing. I loved it. I like the spirituality that was laced through it. The story that they told  I just thought it was amazing, she said.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006.
Fresh Corn Season Might Be Over, but You Can Still Have Delicious Cornbread Using Frozen Corn
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STAMFORD  Lime, lavender, cobalt blue  buildings of exuberant hues serve as both backdrop and subject in Tom Kretschs photography exhibit, The Colors of Nica.

The exhibit has roots in Kretschs days as a Norwalk Public Schools teacher. One day, the parent of a student mentioned the Norwalk/Nagarote Sister City Project, which began 31 years ago during the Contra War. As tens of thousands of people in Nicaragua were killed, Norwalk became the sister city to Nagarote, building a program that provides tutoring and after-school programs, an organic farm and a community center there to this day.

Kretsch became involved, and began traveling to Nagarote once a year with a Norwalk delegation.

When I get down there, I get up every morning to walk around and take pictures of the people and the architecture, he said.

The resulting work, which will have a reception from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, at the Gordon Fine Arts Gallery in the Stamford Town Center, shares some of the places and people he met along the way.

On Friday morning as he set up for the show, Kretsch described a market in Granada, Nicaragua. Mangos, frying pans, chickens, live animals  I love going down and watching it, frantic, full of life.

His photo of a market on display was empty  the only visible traces of the frenzy lie in the weathered walls. Sometimes, I like the simple beauty of the spaces, he said. You can kind of use your imagination.

This isnt Kretschs first time showing at Gordon Fine Arts. Some of his other work can be found elsewhere in the gallery.

Toms one of our best-selling artists, said gallery owner Sue Brown Gordon, whose own father used to teach in Norwalk. Hes a local hero  and if they dont know him from his art, they know him as a teacher  hes influenced generations.

In fact, a former students work can be found in the gallery  Meredith W. Vickerys collages of poetry and bark are on the wall near Kretschs photograph of an abandoned schoolhouse from a series shot in North Dakota.

At one point, that was a place filled with people and sounds, Kretsch said, reflecting on the empty building.

Kretsch hopes that those who feel similarly transported by his scenes of Nicaragua will become involved, possibly even literally traveling to the country with the Norwalk/Nagarote Sister City Project. A portion of the proceeds from all sales of his work will go to the project, and brochures about the members work will be available.

This year, Nagarote has running for mayor two people who went through this project, Kretsch said. He believes the organization that introduced him to Nicaragua has influenced not only in his photography but his outlook as well. Ive learned to appreciate our own country for what we have  and also that you can change lives by providing opportunities.

rschuetz@hearstmediact.com; @raschuetz
In 1976, naturalist T. H. Watkins published John Muirs America. He must have felt that he knew Muirs soul so well that he composed three imaginary conversations with the venerable old mountain man.

The first dialogue began on the veranda of Muirs home in Martinez. The two men discussed many ecological topics as they wandered up to Muirs scribble den. After discussing some of his inventions, Muir rocked back in his chair and closed his eyes until Watkins innocently wandered into the controversial role that Thomas Huxley played in popularizing Charles Darwins theory of evolution.

The old man exploded out of his silence, thrusted forward in his chair and slapped the flat of his palm on the desk top.

Huxleythat bloodless coof! That fool! He and his kind took the work of Darwin and twisted it to fit their vision of the world. And damme, what a cold and heartless world they would have had it be. They called it survival of the fittest, but no matter what they might have called it, was a damnable theory, a dark and chilly reasoning that chance and competition accounted for all things. Oh it was a useful theorythat I canna deny. It justified all manner of cruelty just as my fathers piety excused all manner of cruelty to his children. Should a man be inspired to destroy his best friend in the marketplace, why, he could shrug it off as the natural consequence of living in the great soulless machine of the cosmos.

But it was a damnable theory because it ignored the one real truth of the world, the truth that lives in every rock, flower, leaf, tree and animalincluding man: it was all created by a loving God, and His love covers all the earth as the sky covers it, and fills it in every pore.

Forty years later, Watkins words have become a fulfilled prophecy. On July 1, 2015, an undocumented immigrant discharged an illegally obtained handgun that resulted in the death of a young woman who was out for a walk in San Francisco. The trial was recently concluded with the jury rendering a verdict of not guilty.

Contrary to all the blather from media pundits, politicians and lawyers, the jurys acquittal of the alleged criminal had less to do with ethnicity, immigration status or birth-origin, and more to do with socio-cultural, regressive de-evolution in an increasingly soulless society.

The positive proof of this emerged from the fact that in spite of the perpetrator admitting (on a KGO TV interview) that he pulled the trigger of the lethal weapon, the jury agreed with the twisted logic of the defense lawyers.

Tragically, events like these are going to become more common. In the name of political correctness, our public el-hi schools, colleges and universities are systematically sanitizing curricula, removing all references to spirituality. This will doubtlessly produce generations of morally bankrupt adults who are proponents of the Godless religion known as situational ethics.

Some of the fruits from this evil tree were recently borne for all to see in the San Francisco courthouse.

Of all the countless millions of words generated by this tragedy, two lines stand out.

The day after the verdict was announced, the headline of a SF Chronicle editorial:

Justice was not served.

And one of the jurors anonymously commented; I need to spend some time collecting my thoughts.

Indeed, dont we all?

In his classic book Religions, Values and Peak Experiences, psychologist Abraham Maslow expressed concern for an increasingly spiritless U.S. society. He suggested that the subject of human spirituality could be added to a suitably enlarged biology curriculum without breaching the wall that separates church and state.

Lowell H. Young

St. Helena
St. Helena resident and former Napa Valley College professor, Jan Molen, got an early Christmas surprise when she partnered with a 20-month-old Golden Labrador guide dog named Babe.

Molen, who is afflicted with glaucoma and who, after retirement from the college, became legally blind, had been working closely with the Earl Baum Center for the Blind in Santa Rosa as her eyesight began to fail. Soon after, as medical prognosis became apparent and she was declared legally blind by her ophthalmologist, she applied to Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) in San Rafael for placement with a trained guide dog.

That GDB application process was quite robust, according to Molen. It included a self-screening process in which Molen had to realistically consider her capacity and fitness as well as her confidence in her orientation and mobility skills.

To help her achieve these mobility skills as her eyesight continued to deteriorate, Molen used the therapy and support services of the Earl Baum Center for the Blind in Santa Rosa for more than a year. As her self-confidence and orientation skills increased she became increasingly excited about the prospect of teaming up with a trained guide dog to help her navigate in her neighborhood and her community.

There were also forms for physicians and ophthalmologists and other professionals to fill out, and a home visit from GDB. After a thorough evaluation by the organization, Molen received a notification that she did indeed qualify for a guide dog placement from GDB.

But the waiting list for her own GDB training class was quite long, and Molen was not scheduled to begin her training with a dog until February 2018.

But then, on Dec. 10 Molen received a surprise: There was room in the December class of GDB for her to begin the intensive two-week training on campus in San Rafael. During that training she would be living at the San Rafael campus during which  if she continued to succeed and progress  she would be paired with a highly trained dog.

On Friday, Dec. 23, Molen and her assigned guide dog graduated from this program, and Babe officially became her partner just in time for Christmas.

Babe is perfect, Molen said. Shes 20 months old, a yellow lab with dark eyeliner. And because shes light colored, I can actually see her.
Christmas brings out many St. Helenans and companies that give generously to individuals, to families, and to programs in need. But what you dont read about are those few who give and give again, year after year anonymously, without a desire for recognition. This is the story of one such family in St. Helena: The Sunshine Foods Market family at 1115 Main St.

St. Helenas Boys and Girls Clubs unit director Ash Clements called the St. Helena Star last week and said, You need to do a story on Jay Smith at Sunshine Foods. He is an amazing person. Every year we have come to him asking for some help with a project. For instance, our Healthy Foods program which teaches kids about eating and cooking good organic foods. Thats just one example. 

Jay is incredible, Clements continued. He fights for all his employees, and he treats them all like family. And he gives to the community  hes a real advocate for affordable housing in St. Helena. And hes not looking for acknowledgement or praise. Its just who he is.

But according to Smith, its not about him. Its about family and making the community work.

We made a big change back in 1997, Smith said, standing in front of the checkouts as his customers unloaded their holiday baskets. We knew that the model of the Mom & Pop local grocery store wasnt going to go much further. And so we got together and asked What can we do to bring this store more in line with what St. Helena needs? And we decided on a three year plan to evolve our business by bringing in things that the people of St. Helena really wanted to buy.

Smith looked across to the counter where fresh cut flowers were being selected along with the fresh, locally sourced fruits and veggies. And the fresh breads and the local wines that customers were unloading. It was a three year plan that we implemented in one year, he said. Because it was working.

One example of that ongoing brainstorming transition, he said, was about the stores minuscule advertising budget.

We used to do a little advertising, he remembered, leaning back on a shelf displaying an offering of boutique chocolates. But then someone asked What could we do better with that money we were spending in ads. How could we build on this sense of community if we actually spent it in the community itself? So now, after an experiment, we donate those resources to the things that actually support the community. And our focus is on youth and family.

Smiths decision to move to St. Helena was based on those same ideas of community and family. He and his father had been successful in the consulting industry, helping, he said businesses figure out how to fix the things that werent working.

But I wanted to get married and so I got a full-time job at Ralphs Groceries in Southern California. Then, in 1975 he and his father decided they wanted to work together again. And so we came and bought this little store. At first it was only going to be for a couple of years, but then it was five years, and then 10, and now my two sons are working in it too. My dad retired, my brother retired, even my wife sort-of retired but the business is still going strong. Were into the next generation.

Smith said Sunshine Foods now has more than 80 employees, mostly fulltime. We actually want to have fulltime employees, so they can get benefits. We get to know them and they get involved in growing the business, and most of the ideas come from that interaction. We listen to each other. Sometimes one will need some help, and we try helping them out as best we can. Were not like to large corporations. We do things a little differently here.

For instance, Smith remarked that Walmart recently began permitting its employees to draw an advance against their bi-weekly paychecks. Because their employees live mostly paycheck-to-paycheck. But we learned long ago that life doesnt work on bi-weekly payroll calendar. Something always comes up. So we have always had a weekly payroll, because thats what our employees need.

Smiths pride seems to revolve around those unique needs of his employees, the community, and the people who live in St. Helena. But we really dont want to grow bigger, he said. Because you lose touch with the people who are doing the work. And then you lose touch with the customers. But if you keep it at the right size, you stay in touch with the community too. And then you can put your resources where theyre most useful. And it all stays in the family.

But for Ash Clements back at Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Helena and Calistoga, that family-sense has a source. And its name is Jay Smith and Sunshine Foods itself.

Year after year we come to Sunshine and ask for help with some program, she said. And somehow Jay finds a way, even when things are tight. He always seems to find a reason to say Yes!
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Former ISRO chairperson G Madhavan Nair was today granted bail by a Delhi court in the sensational Antrix-Devas deal case in which a loss of Rs 578 crore was caused to the exchequer.

Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann granted the relief to Nair on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of the same amount.

During the proceedings, the CBI informed the court that two accused could not be served summons as they had settled in the US, and the process was still on to execute the summons to them.

The court, meanwhile, took a strict view over the non-appearance of accused Veena S Rao, a former additional secretary in the department of space, on the ground that she had a meeting with the Karnataka chief minister.

"She (Rao) should be careful about her decisions...Since it is her first appearance after the summons, she is exempted," the judge said.

The probe agency opposed the bail plea, saying they were high profile people and may flee if released on bail.

However, except three accused, the court granted bail to the rest who appeared before it, including A Bhaskar Narayana Rao, the then director in ISRO and K R Sridhar Murthy, the then executive director of Antrix.

The court had on September 16 summoned Nair and others as accused while taking cognisance of the CBI chargesheet which alleged that Nair and other officials of Indian Space Research Organisation and the department of space wrongfully leased out S-Band, a restricted wavelength of the INSAT satellites, to Devas Multimedia by Antrix.

The cognisance of the final probe report was taken after the CBI apprised the court that it had secured the requisite sanction from the authorities concerned to prosecute the former officials of premier space organisations.

The FIR was filed on March 16, 2015 against Nair and others accusing them of facilitating "wrongful" gain of Rs 578 crore to private multimedia company Devas by Antrix, the commercial arm of ISRO.

The probe agency had on August 11 last year filed a charge sheet against the accused, alleging they had caused a loss of Rs 578 crore to the exchequer by abusing their official position to favour a private company.

The case relates to leasing of S-Band, a restricted wavelength of the INSAT satellites to deliver video, multimedia and information services to mobile receivers in vehicles and mobile phones to Devas Multimedia by Antrix. -- PTI
Students design helps spread holiday, school spirit

To showcase the passion, positivity and creativity of the campus community, for the second year in a row, President and Mrs. Fuchs reached out to students to design an original piece of art for their official holiday card.

President Fuchs contacted the UF School of Art + Art History about the project, and assistant professor Jarred Elrod, who teaches a course in typography, assigned five teams of students to compete for the honor.

The class project was a real-world opportunity for students to work with a client. They had three weeks to create their designs, based on an outline and some requirements, including making the card non-denominational.

The card chosen by the Fuchses was designed by students Mary Grace Burkett, Ian Childers, Kendal Jones, Laura Suescun and Allison Vizzi. It features white paper overlay and gold metallic ink with 32 cut out icons representing UF, from Century Tower and the bat houses to a stethoscope and a butterfly from the Florida Museum of Natural History. Albert and Alberta make a cameo appearance, naturally. The project involved two techniques, laser cutting and metallic ink printing for the printed version, which were produced in part at the UF Infinity Fab Lab. To help cover costs, the Fuchses made a donation to the School of Art + Art History.

The message inside reads Warmest Wishes May you find peace, prosperity and happiness in 2018, and was sent to legislators, Board of Trustee members, Board of Governors, family and friends. An electronic version was emailed to faculty, staff, students and alumni in early December.
A justice of the peace has slammed Toronto Community Housing after the landlord pleaded guilty to fire code violations related to a blaze at its 275 Shuter St. building.

Theres an expectation entities such as Toronto Community Housing are on top of these things, are responsible, are following the law and are monitoring the requirements of the law, justice of the peace Ana Christina Costa said in provincial offences court Nov. 24. This is outrageous and if this were not a joint position on penalty, Toronto Community Housing would be getting a much higher amount because I think its unacceptable.

While no was hurt in the Feb. 8 fire in the seventh-storey unit, a fire investigator discovered Toronto Community Housing knew the fire alarm system wasnt working, and did not inform tenants, the on-site supervisor or the fire department, said prosecutor Amanda Cahill. At least two of the buildings supervisors were not trained in fire emergency procedures and did not receive the proper training for another six and a half months after the fire occurred.

In all, Toronto Community Housing was fined a total of $25,000 for two fire code violations. The maximum fine for each violation is $100,000.

It was the latest round of fire code violations faced by Torontos largest landlord.

During the fire on Feb. 8, it fell to tenants to raise the alarm. Joan Harvey was one of the first to respond. She was standing outside the 16-storey, 300-unit building at about 6:30 a.m. when she heard a window shatter. She looked up and saw flames and smoke billowing out of her apartment window.

She ran into the lobby, alerted security, took the elevator up to the seventh floor and pounded on tenants doors.

Im not a hero, Harvey told Star. I just did what everyone would do.

Toronto Fire Services said it has responded to more than 300 fires at Toronto Community Housing buildings in 2016 and 2017, several of which were fatal.

In 43 of these fires, Toronto Fire Services laid charges, some of which are still before the courts. From January 2016 to Dec. 21, 2017, Toronto Community Housing has paid more than $230,000 in fines related to fire code violations, its spokesperson Anne Rappe said. In those 43 fires, Rappe would not say how many charges were laid or provide information as to their status.

Tenant safety and fire life safety, in particular, are top priorities for Toronto Community Housing, Rappe said. Toronto Community Housing is committed to taking all reasonable measures to make (our) buildings as safe as possible for tenants, employees and the public.

But one housing advocate called the violations pure discrimination.

If these apartments were for people who were wealthy, (city officials) would be running to fix the problem. But because it is community housing its like, who cares? said Alejandra Ruiz Vargas on behalf of Acorn Canada, an advocacy group for low-income families.

Justice of the peace Costa could have raised the fine amount in the Shuter St. fire but such a move is unusual, when a deal is reached, said one Toronto lawyer.

The fact the justice of the peace accepted the fine doesnt surprise me because it takes a lot for them to not do that the joint submission has to be so manifestly so unfit for the circumstances it would shock the public, said Antoinette Raviele, a former assistant Crown attorney, now a Toronto defense lawyer.

She said she was surprised, however, that the prosecutor agreed to a $25,000 fine.

What do you think the reaction would have been with a $100,000 fine (for each charge)? Raviele said.

Toronto Community Housing is a city-owned, non-profit corporation that houses 110,000 low-income and oftentimes vulnerable residents across 2,100 buildings. The agency faces a massive repair backlog totaling more than $2.5 billion.

Many of Toronto Community Housings fire code problems may relate to the repair backlog. Fire code violations can include a wide-range of issues, some big, some small, including: holes in walls and ceilings, door latches that dont work, fire doors that dont close, inoperable alarm systems and lack of fire safety training for staff.

There has been a huge effort from Toronto Community Housing and fire services to have better performance in this area, said Councillor Ana Bailao, chair of the citys affordable housing committee. This effort was rolled out this year and will continue next year and its impacts are yet to be determined.

Toronto Community Housing said in 2018 it plans to hire two fire prevention inspectors to regularly review all its buildings.

Toronto Fire Services spokesperson Cpt. Dave Eckerman said it has inspected Toronto Community Housings high-rise buildings over the past two years and has also trained 500 Toronto Community Housing staff of their responsibilities under the fire safety plan.

However, due to budgetary pressures from city hall, Toronto Fire Services has not requested money to inspect the remaining Toronto Community properties, nor to properly address the Toronto Community Housing portfolio-wide issue in 2018, Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said at a recent Toronto budget committee meeting.

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The songwriter of Canadian electronic music band Crystal Castles is being investigated by the Toronto Police Sex Crimes unit, Toronto Police spokesperson Allyson Douglas-Cook has confirmed.

I can confirm that there is currently an active investigation with the Toronto Police Sex crimes Unit involving Ethan Kath (Claudio Paolo Palmieri), she said in a written statement. However, because of the nature of the investigation, and for the privacy of the alleged victims, there is no other information we are able to provide at this time.

Claudio Palmieri, 39, also known by his stage name Ethan Kath currently resides in Los Angeles, Calif. Crystal Castles started in 2006 in Toronto, eventually gaining international popularity.

Palmieris Los Angeles attorney, Shane Bernard, said in a written statement to the Star on Friday that his client has, under no circumstances, engaged in acts with anyone under the age of consent. I have no doubt that the individuals spreading these lies are motivated by their own self interest and financial gain. These sickening and vile allegations are an attempt to injure my clients reputation and in turn hurts actual victims of abuse.

Palmieris former bandmate, Margaret Osborn, known by the stage name Alice Glass, described abuse in a written statement posted on her website in October. In it, she alleges that Palmieri took advantage of her when she was 15, while he was in his mid-twenties.

Over a period of many months, he gave me drugs and alcohol and had sex with me in an abandoned room at an apartment he managed, she wrote. It wasnt always consensual and he remained sober whenever we were together.

Palmieri sued Osborn and Jupiter Keyes, identified in Los Angeles court documents as her boyfriend, for defamation in November. Other complaints include conspiracy and breach of contract.

Osborn released false and malicious lies to the online world, says the lawsuit, referring to her post. As a result, Crystal Castles has suffered irreparable damage, very least of which was the cancellation of the Plaintiffs North American tour.

The Star has spoken with three women who say they have reported Palmieri to Toronto Police for sexual assault.

Their identities are being kept anonymous for the sake of their privacy.

Osborn left Crystal Castles in 2014 and described it as the hardest decision she ever made. She currently performs as a solo act.

It has taken me years to recover from enduring almost a decade of abuse, manipulation and psychological control, she wrote. I am still recovering.

Osborn said via Twitter she was served a court summons document after a recent show in Chicago.

Just got served after my show in Chicago by someone pretending to be a fan, she wrote on Nov. 18. See you in court asshole.

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The Star visited Black Creek Pioneer Village, to deconstruct the way Toronto celebrated Christmas 150 years ago.

CHRISTMAS FEAST 1867

This house at Black Creek Pioneer Village belongs to a middle-class English family. All of the food was made on site at the village in wood-fired bake ovens. Ansley Newland, an education interpreter and resident Christmas enthusiast at the village, explains the Victorian spread.

Christmas plum pudding: A longtime staple during the slaughtering season, the puddings used to be made with leftover bits of meat boiled in intestine, and eaten before the meal. By the 1860s, these puddings were a dessert, with currants and raisins, boiled in a special cloth or baked in a tin. After a meat-heavy main course, they were often doused in brandy and lit on fire by the lady of the house for a ceremonial flourish. In Britain, people added a sprig of holly for festive zip, but holly wasnt native to Canada, so cranberries were a good stand-in, explains Newland.

Mincemeat tarts: Another legacy of the no-waste December slaughtering season, these were made with leftover odds and sods and initially baked into oblong pies, she notes. Folklore has it that the pies were a symbolic stand in for Jesuss cradle, and were considered blasphemous by the Christmas-banning Puritans of the 1640s  idolatry in the crust, The World Encylopedia of Christmas notes  but people loved the treat and found a work-around, in smaller round tarts, which remained in Victorian times.

Christmas cake: In previous centuries, the fruitcake with marzipan icing was usually reserved for the Twelfth Night celebrations, with two beans baked inside that entitled the finders to be Lord and Lady of the evening, creating wacky rules. But by 1867, Twelfth Night celebrations had been curbed back, Christmas revolved more around the family, and the cake had migrated to Christmas dinner.

Kerosene: Torontonians are no longer using whale oil in their lamps, but kerosene developed by Canadian geologist Abraham Gesner. Gas lamps are not widespread in homes just yet, although they illuminate downtown streets. Candles are still popular, and paraffin wax has replaced tallow candles, which were made with animal fat, gave off poor light and smelled bad, Newland notes.

Oranges: A special treat, shipped from Spain (along with a good dose of Christmas port and wine). They are expensive, and families have to pre-order at the general store. Some families might buy one orange to share, and not waste a scrap, candying the peel. There are oranges in the U.S., but Florida is still thinly populated and the mechanization of the orange groves is still a long way in the future, University of Toronto food historian Daniel Bender says.

Plates: Most items around the house are made in Canada because by 1867, Toronto and Montreal are heavily industrialized. Were no longer relying heavily on imports, but those with wealth might still be buying their dinnerware from Europe, Newland says. Finery from overseas is certainly a staple of the advertisement section of the Toronto newspapers.

Sugar: By 1867, sugar is a more common sight in the pantry than it once was, and everyone is on a sugar high at Christmas, feasting on sweets like these white gingerbread cookies. Sugar, for centuries a product of the slave trade, is being grown, harvested and collected by former slaves and indentured labourers in the British Caribbean, Bender says. Sugar is still hard, long exploitative work, but the consumption levels are going up significantly, he says.

Fireplace: Fireplaces continues to be built for nostalgia and romance, but most homes were heated with the help of a cast iron stove. The popular stoves were mass produced by the 1850s, and proved a more efficient way to cook and heat, with regulated heat that radiates through pipes, Newland says.

CHRISTMAS TREE 1867

This house belongs to a Pennsylvania Dutch family of farmers, the Stongs, who were doing well by 1867. Christmas trees were becoming more popular, especially among German and British families. Christmas trees received a mid-century boost when a lithographic print of the Royal Family with a Christmas tree in the background appeared in North American newspapers, Newland says.

Decorations: In 1867, homemade is king, with gingerbread men, lace snowflakes, and Christmas presents, such as hand-knit hats, serving as decorations. Christmas balls arent mass produced until the 1870s and 1880s.

Candles on trees: You had to be careful, yes, but the tree went up in the parlour on Christmas Eve, so it was fresh, and the home was cold at night, and youd only light the candles for a few minutes, and keep a bucket of water close by. It was worth it, Newland says, for the beauty of a candlelit tree in the dark room in the darkest part of the year.

Gifts: Gifts have long been homemade, but industrialization brings mass-production of toys, and by mid-century, Torontos Globe newspaper encourages parents to buy tin horses and dolls for their children, Newland notes. Also in the 1850s, local media publish A Visit from Saint Nicholas (first published in 1823 in the Troy Sentinel), which adds to the excitement. In 1867, Toronto is on the verge of more commercialization and targeted Christmas displays.

Presents under tree: If you were lucky enough to get something too big for the branches, it went under the tree. In the 1860s, because of advances in printing techniques, wrapping paper is in the mix, but the designs are flowers, angels and birds, and not rosy-cheeked Santa Claus. By 1896, Good Housekeeping is saying all the presents should be wrapped and under the tree rather than on the tree, says Newland, an education interpreter at Black Creek village.

Tree toppers: Choose your own flourish: stars, angels, birds of paradise, even a glockenspiel. Were still very much inventing Christmas in the 19th century, says Newland.

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Not all reunions, even those teary-eyed family reconnections after years apart, produce a happily-ever-after storyline.

Sometimes, not being together is actually best.

Such was the case for Detlef Wiedenhoft, who, as a young boy, got stuck behind the Berlin Wall in East Germany and could not join his mother in Canada for 24 years.

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Hannelore Marcus had immigrated to Canada in 1957, leaving her infant son with his grandparents in East Germany. The border was open at the time and Marcus and Detlafs stepfather planned on sending for the boy once they were established in Canada.

That took longer than expected  the couple struggled to maintain employment  and when East Germany began walling off its border in 1961, Wiedenhoft was trapped inside. It became almost impossible for him to join his mom.

When he finally did get out, in time to celebrate Christmas in Toronto in 1985, the Star was at Pearson airport to capture all the emotion of a family brought back together.

Free, free, free, said a joyous Wiedenhoft, 30 at the time, after giving his mother an embrace.

It must be the worst thing that can happen, the wall to keep you apart.

1985 Star story on mother-son reunion View document on Scribd

His mother said the reunion was the most marvelous time of my life. Maybe this will give other people hope.

While Hannelore Marcus had been able to visit her son frequently, it proved extremely difficult to get him out. She consulted embassies, wrote letters and weighed spending $50,000 to buy Wiedenhofts freedom.

It was so frustrating, she said at the time.

Marcus, ultimately, employed the aid of a prominent East German lawyer to put the proper paperwork in place. It still took another eight months after that.

But the elation of that glorious, long-awaited reunion didnt last.

Wiedenhoft and his family  he arrived with his wife, Elke, and 7-year-old daughter, Mandy  moved in with Marcus. However, mother and son were soon at loggerheads. After a few months, Wiedenhoft moved his family into what he recalls as cockroach-infested apartment near Fairview Mall.

Times were tough. Wiedenhoft spoke very little English and the family had come to Canada with little more than a modest amount of clothing.

But Wiedenhofts life played out like the prototypical hard-working immigrant success story.

For three years, he worked at three jobs, toiling from 7 a.m. until 1 a.m. He drove a bulldozer, painted and cleaned offices and renovated homes.

It was a tough transition because hed had a good life in East Germany, where he worked as a tool and die maker. There he owned a house and enjoyed eight weeks a year of vacation.

Missing, however, was the one thing he craved  freedom. East Germans were not allowed to travel as they wished and goods taken for granted in Canada were often in short supply. There were, for example, lines to buy bread.

Obtaining that freedom came at a price.

I lost everything at the time, he says. They took everything away from me. I was stripped of my house and I was stripped of any inheritance money.

Then you become like a prisoner again (in Canada) because you are working so hard.

After three years, Wiedenhoft saved enough for a down payment on a house in Milton and he soon started his own business  D.W. Carpentry and Home Service  while his wife worked as a baker at Springridge Farm. Wiedenhoft specialized in bathroom and kitchen renovations and built up a base of customers largely in Forest Hill and Rosedale.

Canada was good to me. Sure I started late, when I was 30, but I cannot complain, says Wiedenhoft, who, at 62, is easing into retirement.

Its not glamorous, but I had a good life. And I made a good living without any help from the government or assistance from anybody.

Wiedenhoft and Elke now live in Rockwood, near Guelph. Mandy, their daughter, works in the insurance industry.

Wiedenhoft tried to reconcile with his mother two years ago but says he knew within a few minutes of reuniting yet again, it wasnt going to work. He also recently travelled to Germany to find his biological father but learned he had died two years ago.

Can you imagine, a 61-year-old going to try and find his dad? he says.

While Wiedenhoft gave up everything to start a new life in Canada, if he had waited until 1989, when the Berlin Wall came down, he would have had the freedom he craved.

Nobody knew the wall would open up. I never would have thought of this in a million years, he said. Sometimes, I think what if? I probably would have visited Canada but living here? I dont know. I couldnt say that. I like it here a lot but  Ive had a good life. Im happy in this country.

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HOUSTONNASA astronaut Bruce McCandless, the first person to fly freely and untethered in space, has died. He was 80.

He was famously photographed in 1984 flying with a hefty spacewalkers jetpack, alone in the cosmic blackness above a blue Earth. He travelled more than 91 metres away from the space shuttle Challenger during the spacewalk.

The iconic photo of Bruce soaring effortlessly in space has inspired generations of Americans to believe that there is no limit to the human potential, Sen. John McCain said in a statement. The Arizona Republican and McCandless were classmates at the U.S. Naval Academy.

NASAs Johnson Space Center said Friday that McCandless died Thursday in California. No cause of death was given.

McCandless said he wasnt nervous about the historic spacewalk.

I was grossly over-trained. I was just anxious to get out there and fly. I felt very comfortable ... It got so cold my teeth were chattering and I was shivering, but that was a very minor thing, he told the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado, in 2006.

During that flight, McCandless and fellow astronaut Robert L. Stewart pioneered the use of NASAs backpack device that allowed astronauts walking in space to propel themselves from the shuttle. Stewart became the second person to fly untethered two hours after McCandless.

Id been told of the quiet vacuum you experience in space, but with three radio links saying, Hows your oxygen holding out? Stay away from the engines! Whens my turn? it wasnt that peaceful, McCandless wrote in the Guardian in 2015.

But he also wrote: It was a wonderful feeling, a mix of personal elation and professional pride: it had taken many years to get to that point.

McCandless was later part of the 1990 shuttle crew that delivered the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit. He also served as the Mission Control capsule communicator in Houston as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon in 1969.

During his spacewalk, My wife was at mission control, and there was quite a bit of apprehension, McCandless wrote. I wanted to say something similar to Neil when he landed on the moon, so I said, It may have been a small step for Neil, but its a heck of a big leap for me. That loosened the tension a bit.

Born in Boston, McCandless graduated from Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in Long Beach, California. He graduated from the Naval Academy and earned masters degrees in electrical engineering and business administration.

He was a naval aviator who participated in the Cuban blockade in the 1962 missile crisis. McCandless was selected for astronaut training during the Gemini program, and he was a backup pilot for the first manned Skylab mission in 1973. After leaving NASA, McCandless worked for Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Colorado.

Bruce served his country with humility and dignity, and encouraged all of us to reach new heights, McCain said.

Survivors include his wife, Ellen Shields McCandless of Conifer, Colorado, two children and two grandchildren.

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WASHINGTONThe Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, a long-awaited move that deepens Americas involvement in the military conflict and may further strain relations with Russia. Moscow responded angrily on Saturday.

The new arms include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles, U.S. officials said late Friday. Ukraine has long sought to boost its defences against Russian-backed separatists armed with tanks that have rolled through eastern Ukraine during violence that has killed more than 10,000 since 2014. Previously, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with support equipment and training, and has let private companies sell some small arms like rifles.

The officials describing the plan werent authorized to discuss it publicly and demanded anonymity.

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The move is likely to escalate tensions between the United States and Russia, as U.S. President Donald Trump contends with ongoing questions about whether hes too hesitant to confront the Kremlin. Ukraine accuses Russia of sending the tanks, and the U.S. says Moscow is arming, training and fighting alongside the separatists.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the U.S. decision will only make the conflict more deadly and suggested that Russia could be forced to respond. He also said the U.S. can no longer cast itself as a mediator. Its not a mediator. Its an accomplice in fuelling the war, Ryabkov said in a statement.

The intensified support for Ukraines military also comes amid early discussions about sending U.N. peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine, to improve security conditions not only for Ukrainians but for monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who are on the ground.

The U.S. and other nations were cautiously optimistic when Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to send in peacekeepers. But there are major disagreements about how and where the peacekeepers would operate, especially about whether theyd be deployed only on the line of conflict between separatists and the government. The U.S. and Ukraine want peacekeepers deployed throughout the separatist-controlled regions stretching to the Ukraine-Russia border.

By approving a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, the Trump administration could see it as providing leverage in these negotiations. While some are skeptical about Putins proposal, others suggest he may be looking for a way out of the conflict. Alexander Vershbow, former deputy secretary general of NATO and a former ambassador to Moscow, said a U.N. peacekeeping mission could serve as cover for Russia to withdraw its forces and weapons from eastern Ukraine.

Trump had been considering the plan for some time after the State Department and the Pentagon signed off earlier this year. President Barack Obama also considered sending lethal weapons to Ukraine, but left office without doing so.

The State Department, responsible for overseeing foreign military sales, would not confirm that anti-tank missiles or other lethal weapons would be sent. But in a statement late Friday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. had decided to provide enhanced defensive capabilities to help Ukraine build its military long-term, defend its sovereignty and deter further aggression.

U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself, Nauert said.

The White Houses National Security Council declined to comment.

Although the portable Javelin anti-tank missiles can kill, proponents for granting them to Ukraine have long argued they are considered defensive because the Ukrainians would use them to defend their territory and deter the Russians, not to attack a foreign country or seize new territory.

In thanking the U.S. for its support, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addressed the concerns over how the weapons would be used.

American weapons in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers are not for an offensive, but for a decisive rebuff of the aggressor, the protection of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, as well as for effective self-defence, he wrote on Facebook. It is also a trans-Atlantic vaccination against the Russian virus of aggression.

Under law, the State Department must tell Congress of planned foreign military sales, triggering a review period in which lawmakers can act to stop the sale. It was unclear whether the administration had formally notified Congress, but lawmakers are unlikely to try to block it given that Democrats and Republicans alike have long called on the government to take the step.

The move comes as the United States and European nations struggle to break a long logjam in the Ukraine-Russia conflict that erupted three years ago when fighting broke out between Russian-backed separatists and government troops in the east. France, Russia and Germany brokered a peace arrangement in 2015 that has lowered violence but not stopped it, and a political settlement outlined in the deal hadnt been fully implemented.

In recent days, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned that violence is up about 60 per cent this year. In Europe earlier this month, Tillerson called Russias involvement the biggest tension point between the former Cold War rivals.

It stands as the single most difficult obstacle to us renormalizing the relationship with Russia, which we badly would like to do, Tillerson said.

Both the Obama administration and the Trump administration had expressed concerns in the past that injecting more weapons into the conflict was unlikely to resolve it, especially considering that Russia is well-equipped to respond to any Ukrainian escalation with an even stronger escalation of its own. Sending lethal weapons to Ukraine also creates the troubling possibility that American arms could kill Russian soldiers, a situation that could thrust the two nuclear-armed nations closer to direct confrontation.

The United States, under Obama, also imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion and annexation of Crimea. The Trump administration has insisted those sanctions will stay in place until Moscow gives up the Crimean Peninsula.

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WASHINGTONLate to his own meeting and waving a sheet of numbers, President Donald Trump stormed into the Oval Office one day in June, plainly enraged.

Five months before, Trump had dispatched federal officers to U.S. airports to stop travellers from several Muslim countries from entering the United States in a dramatic demonstration of how he would deliver on his campaign promise to fortify U.S. borders.

But so many foreigners had flooded into the country since January, he vented to his national security team, that it was making a mockery of his pledge. Friends were calling to say he looked like a fool, Trump said.

According to six officials who attended or were briefed about the meeting, Trump then began reading aloud from the document, which his domestic policy adviser, Stephen Miller, had given him just before the meeting. The document listed how many immigrants had received visas to enter the United States in 2017.

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More than 2,500 were from Afghanistan, a terrorist haven, the president complained.

Haiti had sent 15,000 people. They all have AIDS, he grumbled, according to one person who attended the meeting and another person who was briefed about it by a different person who was there.

Forty thousand had come from Nigeria, Trump added. Once they had seen the United States, they would never go back to their huts in Africa, recalled the two officials, who asked for anonymity to discuss a sensitive conversation in the Oval Office.

As the meeting continued, John Kelly, then the secretary of homeland security, and Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state, tried to interject, explaining that many were short-term travellers making one-time visits. But as the president continued, Kelly and Miller turned their ire on Tillerson, blaming him for the influx of foreigners and prompting the secretary of state to throw up his arms in frustration. If he was so bad at his job, maybe he should stop issuing visas altogether, Tillerson fired back.

Tempers flared and Kelly asked that the room be cleared of staff members. But even after the door to the Oval Office was closed, aides could still hear the president berating his most senior advisers.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, denied Saturday that Trump had made derogatory statements about immigrants during the meeting.

General Kelly, General McMaster, Secretary Tillerson, Secretary Nielsen and all other senior staff actually in the meeting deny these outrageous claims, she said, referring to the current White House chief of staff, the national security adviser and the secretaries of state and homeland security. Its both sad and telling the New York Times would print the lies of their anonymous sources anyway.

The meeting in June reflects Trumps visceral approach to an issue that defined his campaign and has indelibly shaped the first year of his presidency.

Seizing on immigration as the cause of countless social and economic problems, Trump entered office with an agenda of symbolic but incompletely thought-out goals, the product not of rigorous policy debate but of emotionally charged personal interactions and an instinct for tapping into the nativist views of white working-class Americans.

Like many of his initiatives, his effort to change U.S. immigration policy has been executed through a disorderly and dysfunctional process that sought from the start to defy the bureaucracy charged with enforcing it, according to interviews with three dozen current and former administration officials, lawmakers and others close to the process, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail private interactions.

But while Trump has been repeatedly frustrated by the limits of his power, his efforts to remake decades of immigration policy have gained increasing momentum as the White House became more disciplined and adept at either ignoring or undercutting the entrenched opposition of many parts of the government. The resulting changes have had far-reaching consequences, not only for the immigrants who have sought to make a new home in this country, but also for the United States image in the world.

We have taken a giant steamliner barrelling full speed, Miller said in a recent interview. Slowed it, stopped it, begun to turn it around and started sailing in the other direction.

Trump came into office with a long list of campaign promises that included not only building a wall at the border with Mexico (and making Mexico pay for it) but also creating a deportation force, barring Muslims from entering the country and immediately deporting millions of immigrants with criminal records.

Miller and other aides had the task of turning those promises into a policy agenda that would also include an assault against a pro-immigration bureaucracy they viewed with suspicion and disdain. Working in secret, they drafted a half-dozen executive orders. One would crack down on sanctuary cities. Another proposed changing the definition of a criminal alien so that it included people arrested  not just those convicted.

But mindful of his campaign promise to quickly impose extreme vetting, Trump decided his first symbolic action would be an executive order to place a worldwide ban on travel from countries the White House considered compromised by terrorism.

With no policy experts in place, and deeply suspicious of career civil servants they regarded as spies for president Barack Obama, Miller and a small group of aides started with an Obama-era law that identified seven terror-prone countries of concern. And then they skipped practically every step in the standard White House playbook for creating and introducing a major policy.

The announcement of the travel ban on a Friday night, seven days after Trumps inauguration, created chaotic scenes at the largest airports in the U.S., as hundreds of people were stopped, and set off widespread confusion and loud protests. Lawyers for the government raced to defend the presidents actions against court challenges, while aides struggled to explain the policy to perplexed lawmakers the next night at a black-tie dinner.

The bans message of keep out helped drive down illegal border crossings as much as 70 per cent, even without being formally put into effect.

Immigration officers rounded up 41,318 immigrants who were in the country illegally during the presidents first 100 days, nearly a 40-per-cent increase. The Justice Department began hiring more immigration judges to speed up deportations. Officials threatened to hold back funds for sanctuary cities. The flow of refugees into the United States slowed.

By early March, judges across the country had blocked the travel ban.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and lawyers at the White House and Justice Department decided that waging an uphill legal battle to defend the directive in the Supreme Court would fail. Instead, they wanted to devise a narrower ban that could pass legal muster.

The president, though, was furious about what he saw as backing down to politically correct adversaries. He did not want a watered-down version of the travel ban, he yelled at Donald McGahn, the White House counsel, as the issue came to a head March 3.

Already mad at Sessions, who the day before had recused himself in the Russia investigation, Trump refused to take his calls. Aides told Sessions he would have to fly to Mar-a-Lago to plead with the president in person to sign the new order.

Over dinner with Sessions and McGahn, Trump relented. When he was back in Washington, he signed the new order. It was an indication he had begun to understand  or at least, begrudgingly accept  the need to follow a process.

Even as the administration was engaged in a court battle over the travel ban, it began to turn its attention to another way of tightening the border: limiting the number of refugees admitted each year to the United States.

Trump had already used the travel ban to cut the number of allowable refugees admitted to the United States in 2017 to 50,000, a fraction of the 110,000 set by Obama. Now, Trump would have to decide the level for 2018.

But the travel ban had been a lesson for Trump and his aides on the dangers of dictating a major policy change without involving the people who enforce it. This time, instead of shutting out those officials, they worked to tightly control the process.

By years end, the chaos and disorganization that marked Trumps earliest actions on immigration had given way to a more disciplined approach that yielded concrete results, steered in large part by Kelly. As secretary of homeland security, he had helped unleash immigration officers who felt constrained under Obama. They arrested 143,000 people in 2017, a sharp uptick, and deported more than 225,000.

In September, a third version of the presidents travel ban was issued with little fanfare and new legal justifications. Then, Trump overruled objections from diplomats, capping refugee admissions at 45,000 for 2018, the lowest since 1986. In November, the president ended a humanitarian program that granted residency to 59,000 Haitians since a 2010 earthquake ravaged their country.

As the new year approached, officials began considering a plan to separate parents from their children when families were caught entering the country illegally, a move that immigrant groups called draconian.

At times, though, Trump has shown an openness to a different approach. In private discussions, he returns periodically to the idea of a comprehensive immigration compromise, though aides have warned him against using the phrase because it is seen by his core supporters as code for amnesty. During a fall dinner with Democratic leaders, Trump explored the possibility of a bargain to legalize Dreamers  immigrants who had been brought to the United States as children  in exchange for border security.

He wants to make a deal, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican supportive of legalizing the Dreamers. He wants to fix the entire system.

Yet even after a year of progress toward a country sealed off from foreign threats, the president still viewed the immigration system as plagued by complacency.

Were so politically correct, he complained to reporters in the Cabinet Room, that were afraid to do anything.

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WASHINGTONThe White House has lost another attempt to put a hold on a requirement that it allow transgender people to enlist in the military starting on Jan. 1.

A decision by the three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is the latest court decision to go against the White House, meaning the issue may end up before the Supreme Court.

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted in July that the federal government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the military. That would reverse a 2016 policy change under President Barack Obama allowing transgender people to serve openly.

Read more:

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Trump later formally directed the Pentagon to extend indefinitely a ban on transgender individuals joining the military, and he gave Defence Secretary Jim Mattis six months to come up with a policy on how to deal with those currently serving.

Several legal challenges to that proposed ban are ongoing. The Pentagon has said the enlistment of transgender recruits will start Jan. 1 and go on amid the legal battles.

At least four federal judges have refused to allow the ban to go into effect, including U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal in California. On Friday, Bernal rejected an administration request to throw out a lawsuit asking for the ban to be voided and issued a preliminary injunction against the ban going into effect.

The Justice Department has asked federal appeals courts to intervene and put the Jan. 1 requirement on hold.

The D.C.-based appeals court and the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, both turned away the administrations request.

Administration officials have not shown a strong likelihood that they will succeed on the merits of their challenge to the district courts order, the judges on the D.C. appeals court panel said.

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Tears and a kiss farewell as couple are separated after 73 years, Dec. 20

The tragedy of Herbert and Audrey Goodine has received wide publicity because of the Christmas season, but unfortunately they are not alone. Across Canada, our long-term-care systems for seniors do not sufficiently take into account support for marital and family relationships.

Even more shocking than cases like the Goodines are those of residents in Nunavut. There are no facilities for high-needs, long-term, senior care in the territory, so patients are sent 1,000 or more kilometres south to Winnipeg or Ottawa. Their treatment may be kind and competent, but most people do not speak their language or understand their culture, and they see their families very seldom, if ever.

Although health care is a provincial responsibility, the decent treatment of seniors and Indigenous people is a national problem and needs national study, policy and funding as soon as possible.

Monica A. Connolly, Oshawa

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Galen Weston butters up authorities and offers cheated customers a $25 gift card, Dec. 20

Here I sit again, discouraged with the hardships of the working family trying to get the best deal to put bread on the table. Taken again.

The rich continue to escape the consequences of misdeeds. It has happened once too often for this senior to sit back and complain under my breath. Now its time to speak up.

Loblaw and Weston fix the price of bread to steal a few pennies from those who can least afford it. The pennies add up for the rich and the staples are pushed further away from those at the bottom.

And when the fire gets warm, those with power and influence quietly admit their wrong and get away without any legal ramifications. The fairness of our laws are surely skewed away from us with little influence.

Ron Rotteau, Toronto

To discover that businesses such as Loblaw, which notoriously resisted changing the minimum wage into a living wage, have been fixing the price of peoples daily bread for 14 years is more than disillusioning. It is proof that the institutions that are to serve and protect the public good are essentially colluding with cheaters for profit.

Society should demand more from its law enforcement. A society willing to appease those stealing loaves of bread, which is the symbol of life, is insincere. A society that takes its values seriously would confiscate the profits from the crime of profiteering and jail the perpetrators. Thats public justice befitting collective action.

Letting these companies receive immunity from penalties when they offer their victims an individualized collection system of a miserly gift card (which most individuals cheated wont be bothered to collect) is aiding and abetting criminal behaviour.

Its time for a reality check on profiteers. Let the fine match the crime, plus additional jail time. Otherwise, the breach to the public trust will invite other cheaters to fix their own punishment.

Tony DAndrea, Toronto

A family purchasing an average of 1.7 loaves of bread weekly for 15 years, at a price inflated by 25 cents, paid $332 too much.

If all retailers benefitted from this price-fixing scheme, Ontarios 4.7 million families (average over the period) paid $1.6 billion too much.

Galen Weston is offering a $25 gift card to his customers as a goodwill gesture, less than 10 per cent of his ill-gotten gains. Thanks, but no thanks. Ill wait for the class action.

Gary Mooney, Prince Edward County, Ont.

Price-fixing: The burden on consumers, Editorial, Dec. 22

I read your editorial about price-fixing on bread by Canadas biggest grocers and bakers and it sickened me. It was a gloriously written editorial, until it got to the point when it suggested consumers might bottle up their anger over price-fixing because of Canadas consumer-unfriendly policies.

Huh? There is no way that Loblaw and Weston stores and bakeries can be excused for this type of gouging.

Just because milk, cheese, chicken and eggs are supposedly price-fixed does not give large corporations the right to price fix anything that enters our grocery cart?

Loblaw and Weston bakeries likely only provided information to the Competition Bureau because they got caught and to save their own necks.

What about the Toronto Stars Atkinson principles of social justice, rights of the working people and the necessary role of government?

We have people lining up at food banks across this opulent province and we have thousands of volunteer food bank workers struggling to meet the demand for food. And yet we see excuses being made for corporate greed?

Shame on corporations and the grinches who run them to get away with this kind of ripoff.

Sue Nielsen, Cobalt, Ont.

Thank you for being so outraged on my behalf. I would be quite happy to see the end of supply management and the importation of dairy and chicken products from other countries  if you could also guarantee that those other countries are not supporting their farmers in similar, though not necessarily the same, ways.

For example, the United States provides farm aid to its farmers in various ways, including soil banking and direct cash payments. Can you guarantee that these subsidies will not be used to compete with Canadian products?

I like having a strong agricultural sector in Canada. I like farmers making a decent living. I also dislike the amount of prime agricultural land that is being converted to housing.

Keith Williams, Oakville

Your attack on supply management in Canada is shocking and a disgrace. It is completely unacceptable to try to drive a wedge between consumers and producers.

As consumers, we should show our support and solidarity with those who produce the food we eat. Are we a nation that promotes cheaper food prices at the expense of our agriculture sector? Are we a nation that wants all our food to come from foreign countries?

Canadian food producers have a significant climate disadvantage compared to those in the southern United States, for example.

Supply management is really a small price to pay for Canadian-produced milk, cheese, chickens and eggs.

Ted Turner, Toronto

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The so-called war on Christmases past, Dec. 17

In our multicultural, all-inclusive society, it seems we are constantly debating Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays. Christmas exists in two worlds: sacred and secular. Even Father Christmas is seen more as secular Santa Claus than sacred St. Nicholas.

Having taught in the public school system for 25 years in a community where the majority of the students were of Christian heritage, Christmas meant Santa Claus, gift-giving, family get-togethers, special food, two-week holidays  and very little mention of Jesus Christ. Their favourite Christmas carols were Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, and Frosty the Snowman rather than O Holy Night.

Historically, as Christianity began to spread in the early centuries, pagan festivals, symbols and rituals were adopted but given Christian meaning. Christmas took over winter festivals like the Roman Saturnalia. Greenery, such as Christmas trees were symbolic of life in the dead of winter. Holly, mistletoe, yule logs, candles/lights and gift-giving all have roots in Roman and/or Celtic pagan festivities.

Im sure Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, etc., as well as Christian owners and managers of businesses count on the Christmas season to sell products and services. How much does Christmas contribute to the economy?

The point being: You dont have to be Christian to celebrate Christmas, and Merry Christmas is an appropriate greeting.

Norah Downey, Midland

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In short order, the longest strike ever at Ontarios colleges is now history. Just in time for Christmas, we now have an arbitrators post-mortem:

Pointless.

With a few strokes of the arbitrators pen, the supposedly insoluble dispute has been resolved, seemingly to the satisfaction of both sides. The point is that a strike that dragged on for five long weeks, shortchanging nearly 500,000 college students, could have been resolved easily had both sides acted saner by acting sooner.

Labour relations is always a power struggle. But the lesson is that it neednt be a fight to the death  to the last student body  pitting union solidarity against management obstinacy.

Make no mistake, students were unwilling spectators to this grudge match, paying an unfair price in lost classroom time. In the aftermath, more than 25,000 students dropped out, and hundreds of thousands had their semester unconscionably compressed.

Thats an indefensible toll in collateral and curricular damage. There is no way this war of attrition should ever again be repeated in this province.

Yes, instructors had legitimate grievances on the picket line about their precarious employment, but college students were surely in even more precarious situations  without steady income and with no classes to attend. Against that backdrop, the government finally stepped in last month to legislate teachers back to work, over their objections.

Despite the unions rhetoric, when the burden is disproportionately borne by others no ones rights are unrestrained. In reality, the legislature rescued OPSEU from the corner it had painted itself into, constrained by rigid rhetoric that members adopted as gospel.

Ive written before that what started out as a sensibly practical strike to protect instructors from a precarious workplace  unpredictable scheduling and lack of reasonable job security  morphed into a theoretical crusade for academic freedom fought on the backs of students and waged at the expense of taxpayers. The best evidence that this strike went off the rails is that an arbitrator found the supposed sweet spot so fast.

Much like the Middle East conflict, it was always clear what a final settlement would look like. But the two sides were too bogged down to look up from the trenches until after the arbitrators armistice, by which time all had become retrospectively clear.

While students were undeniably losers, OPSEU and management are now unabashedly declaring victory with alacrity after the arbitrators ruling. How could they both be right?

Apart from spin, the answer is that each side was right and wrong in its own way, on both substance and process: The union started out right and then lost its way by digging in on the wrong issue. The college employer got off on the wrong foot and then found a compromise path  but tried to bully its way through by forcing a vote on an unwilling membership.

This week, the College Employer Council crowed that the arbitrators 7.75-per cent pay hike over four years aligned precisely with their final offer. They were right about that, but money was never a deal-breaker in this dispute.

OPSEU issued a breathless news release claiming it broke new ground on academic freedom. A more realistic reading of the ruling is that the union got what it already had  the arbitrator came up with generic language about the right to speak freely about academic issues, which the employers council points out is already codified in most colleges.

The idea that teaching about the food and beverage industry or auto mechanics requires the same recourse to academic freedom enjoyed by tenured political scientists pursuing controversial topics never made sense. What the union didnt win was the right to share in management rights  notably in designing and administering courses  and so after all those wasted weeks on the picket line, the union belatedly found a way to declare victory on a losing issue.

How to avoid future Pyrrhic victories? A sheepish Liberal government  the provincial paymaster behind the scenes  has acknowledged that it now needs to do for colleges what it long ago did for school boards. The government relies on an independent advisory body to declare whenever a strike threatens the school year, and now wants to emulate that model at the college level.

But the province can do more. When school boards bargain with high school or elementary teacher unions, the government is often in the room helping to reach a resolution. In the latest strike, the all-powerful College Employer Council acted as a province-wide, one-size-fits-all bargaining structure that was a poor fit for campuses that do things differently (like codify compromises on free speech).

Despite the high stakes, an unaccountable college council contracted out negotiations to professional lawyers who were in such a hurry to play hardball with teachers that they missed the mark. Next time the government must step up to the plate instead of wringing its hands on the sidelines.

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This story is part of the Stars trust initiative, where, every week, we take readers behind the scenes of our journalism. This week, we look at how Ottawa bureau reporter Alex Ballingall recently handled the challenge of reporting during the prime ministers trip to China.

Star reporter Alex Ballingall was hunkering down for the 17-hour flight to Canada from China, where he had been covering Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus visit earlier this month, when a staffer from the Prime Ministers Office appeared in the aisle of the government Airbus.

Would anyone like an off-the-record chat with Trudeau?

It was a tempting offer for any journalist. A chance to chat with a prime minister who might be candid about the behind the scenes events of what was considered a failed effort to spark trade talks with the worlds second-largest economy.

The only catch: journalists had to promise not to report what Trudeau said. Some reporters on the flight agreed.

Ballingall was conflicted.

The PMO made the case that its a fun tradition, and that it benefits both the media and the prime minister to get to know each other on a human level. I see where theyre coming from, said Ballingall, a political reporter, based in Ottawa for a year.

But my gut feeling is that I shouldnt agree to go off-the-record with the most powerful politician in the country  maybe ever. As a reporter, Im a representative of the public. It didnt feel right to potentially hear his true feelings about what happened in China, on the condition that I would never report them.

The episode on the plane capped what was a challenging four-day trip for reporters, with hard to come by information  from both the notoriously controlling Chinese government, and from Canadian officials.

The prime minister was travelling to China to build stronger trade and investment links. Many reporters who travelled with Trudeau expected that he was setting the stage for formal free trade talks with the Asian nation  talks that ultimately did not get off the ground during the trip.

On the issue of the off-the-record chat, the Stars Newsroom Policy and Journalistic Standards Guide states that going off-the-record with sources  promising not to report information provided  should be used rarely, if at all.

In an email to the Star, Cameron Ahmad, manager of media relations for the PMO, said on every international trip since Trudeau was elected, the prime minister has joined the travelling delegation of journalists for an off-the-record chat during the flight home.

This informal conversation is an opportunity for the prime minister and journalists who travel with us to have an additional discussion about the trip  or anything else they wish to ask about. And it resumes a tradition that had largely been abandoned by the previous prime minister, said Ahmad.

He stressed that during the China trip Trudeau held three on-the-record media conferences.

The off the record chat on the plane is an added opportunity for dialogue, and as far as we can recall, has always involved the participation of every single journalist who travels with us on every occasion, Ahmad said.

Julie Carl, the Stars senior editor of national and urban affairs and social justice, said Ballingalls call to decline the chat was the right one.

The prime minister should not have done this, Carl said. In my mind, all his move did was underline the fact the mission was a bust and he was trying to do damage control in (almost) the worst possible way  using his charisma to sell a private story to a group of reporters he had taken into the fold.

Going into the trip, there was good reason to expect the two countries would launch formal free-trade talks.

Chinas ambassador to Canada, Lu Shaye, had said publicly that his country wanted a trade deal. And the contingent of staffers and cabinet ministers accompanying Trudeau for a series of meetings with high-ranking Chinese government leaders left the impression that trade talks were imminent.

So it was with some surprise that reporters learned following discussions between Trudeau and Premier Li Keqiang that no formal trade talks would be launched. While the two leaders characterized their discussions as productive, talks were held up, the leaders said.

The question was, why? Getting a clear answer wouldnt be easy for reporters on the trip, said Ballingall.

For one, the only opportunity for Canadian reporters to ask questions of Chinese leaders was cancelled.

Reporters are obliged to provide audiences with an accurate representation of any news event, and to do this they must be diligent in attempting to ensure subjects included in their report are given a chance to represent their side of the story.

But when information is scarce it is difficult to provide a full picture, much less representations from both sides.

China is a country long known for its restrictive press freedoms. Ballingall also discovered that Canadian officials were just as tight-lipped on this trip about what delegates from both countries were discussing.

A scheduled press conference with the leaders was cancelled at the last minute.

Later, at a press conference held at Trudeaus hotel in Beijing without Premier Li, Ballingall asked the prime minister what issues or obstacles were holding them up. The answer he got wasnt forthcoming.

He said there was no single issue and underlined that trade talks between China and Canada would be a big deal, given the size of Chinas economy and the fact that it would be Chinas first trade negotiations with a G7 country, said Ballingall. It would have been very interesting to hear the Chinese leadership answer that question, but we never had a chance to ask.

In the end, to help make up for the lack of concrete official information, Ballingall spoke to Canadian industry representatives and trade experts to get some context and insight to provide to readers.

I made sure to state clearly that they were speculating about what was going on behind closed doors, since neither government was forthcoming  at least in a specific way  about why the trade talks were held up, he said. I just worked as hard as I could to get as much information as possible and then was careful to report it accurately and fairly.

Email your questions to trust@thestar.ca.

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A discriminatory decision took Tunisians by surprise, after UAE authorities have denied all female Tunisian nationals entry into the country under a temporary travel restriction on Friday, December 22.

Different media reports say that female Tunisians were also banned from boarding flights transiting through UAE airports.

Based on the higher travel advisory restriction issued by the United Arab Emirates government, airlines are instructed that all Tunisian female nationals will be denied entry to the UAE by API-UAE, read a statement shared on social media.

UAE officials confirmed the decision, which will last until further notice.

The decision was met in Tunisia with outrage and condemnation as social media was awash with angry Tunisians who denounce a discriminatory and unacceptable act

Tunisia often depicted as an Arab Spring success story where the Muslim brotherhood has political parties operating as part of government coalition. The existence of political Islam was an issue that put Tunisia at loggerheads with the UAE, which has geared its foreign policy to countering the Muslim brotherhood at home and abroad.
Danaher Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets professional, medical, industrial, and commercial products and services worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Life Sciences, Diagnostics, and Environmental & Applied Solutions. The Life Sciences segment provides mass spectrometers; flow cytometry, genomics, lab automation, centrifugation, particle counting and characterization; microscopes; genomics consumables; and Gene and Cell Therapy. This segment also offers bioprocess technologies, consumables, and services; and filtration, separation, and purification technologies to the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical, food and beverage, medical, and life sciences companies, as well as universities, medical schools and research institutions, and various industrial manufacturers. The Diagnostics segment provides chemistry, immunoassay, microbiology, and automation systems, as well as hematology, molecular, acute care, and pathology diagnostics products. This segment offers clinical instruments, reagents, consumables, software, and services for hospitals, physicians' offices, reference laboratories, and other critical care settings. The Environmental & Applied Solutions segment offers instrumentation, consumables, software, services, and disinfection systems to analyze, treat, and manage ultra-pure, potable, industrial, waste, ground, source, and ocean water in residential, commercial, industrial, and natural resource applications. This segment also provides instruments, software, services, and consumables for various color and appearance management, packaging design and quality management, packaging converting, printing, marking, coding, and traceability applications for consumer, pharmaceutical, and industrial products. The company was formerly known as Diversified Mortgage Investors, Inc. and changed its name to Danaher Corporation in 1984. Danaher Corporation was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Washington, the District of Columbia.
Albemarle Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets engineered specialty chemicals worldwide. It operates through three segments: Lithium, Bromine, and Catalysts. The Lithium segment offers lithium compounds, including lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, lithium chloride, and lithium specialties; and reagents, such as butyllithium and lithium aluminum hydride for use in lithium batteries for consumer electronics and electric vehicles, high performance greases, thermoplastic elastomers for car tires, rubber soles, plastic bottles, catalysts for chemical reactions, organic synthesis processes in the areas of steroid chemistry and vitamins, life sciences, pharmaceutical industry, and other markets. It also provides cesium products for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries; zirconium, barium, and titanium products for pyrotechnical applications that include airbag initiators; technical services for the handling and use of reactive lithium products; and lithium-containing by-products recycling services. The Bromine segment offers bromine and bromine-based fire safety solutions; specialty chemicals, including elemental bromine, alkyl and inorganic bromides, brominated powdered activated carbon, and other bromine fine chemicals for use in chemical synthesis, oil and gas well drilling and completion fluids, mercury control, water purification, beef and poultry processing, and other industrial applications; and other specialty chemicals, such as tertiary amines for surfactants, biocides, and disinfectants and sanitizers. The Catalysts segment provides hydroprocessing, isomerization, and akylation catalysts; fluidized catalytic cracking catalysts and additives; and organometallics and curatives. The company serves the energy storage, petroleum refining, consumer electronics, construction, automotive, lubricants, pharmaceuticals, and crop protection markets. Albemarle Corporation was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Spreen, Bedford North Lawrence give Bloomington South a hard time

No. 4 BNL shows off all its weapons to go to 4-0 on the season
The Ninth Circuit again?? Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

An appeals court ruled against the third iteration of the Trump administrations travel ban on Friday, but the decision merely served as an appetizer to the main judicial course, which will arrive when the Supreme Court almost certainly takes up the case.

A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Seattle ruled unanimously that the ban exceeds the constitutional authority of the executive branch, and that the Trump administration has failed to prove that nationality alone renders entry of this broad class of individuals a heightened security risk or that current screening processes are inadequate. The decision upheld the ruling of a federal judge in October.

But earlier this month, the Supreme Court allowed the travel ban to take full effect while two challenges to the case wound their way through appeals court. (The Fourth Circuit in Maryland is expected to rule on a similar case soon.) This means that travel to the United States is blocked, with some exceptions, from eight countries: Iran, Chad, Yemen, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Libya, and Venezuela. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case definitively in 2018.

The Trump administration had lightly modified the list of countries from the first two versions of its ban, in what appeared to be an attempt to to avoid the appearance of a Muslim ban, which the candidate had touted on the campaign trail. But the Ninth Circuit said that the president had engaged in unconstitutional nationality discrimination.

Unlike previous versions, the ban is not time-limited, which the court also took issue with. It said that the proclamations duration can be considered definite only to the extent one presumes that the restrictions will, indeed, incentivize countries to improve their practices. There is little evidence to support such an assumption.
We are planning to take our two teenagers (16 and 18) to Australia from the US for two weeks in June or July. I've been once 20+ years ago (did Sydney-Melbourne-Cairns-Tasmania in April) but my husband and kids have never been. Our typical summer vacation is hiking in national parks here. From everything I read, it's best to stay in the "Top Half" this time of year.

After doing some preliminary reading. am considering:

2-3 days-Sydney

4-5 days- Darwin, perhaps some combination of LItchfield/Kakadu/Katherine

4-5- Uluru vs. Cairns vs. other

Back to Sydney to leave

Main reservation with Uluru is it is too touristy? Choices in tours/experiences seem a bit limited, so don't think there's enough to do there for 4-5 days, and I'd like to keep airfare costs down by not adding another leg.

Main reservation with Cairns is kids aren't too keen on the idea of ocean/snorkeling

Specific Questions:

1) Another other unique national park/hiking/outback experiences we should consider for 3rd destination? We like getting off the beaten path and doing farmstays, hikes etc, but not sure how doable that is in the areas we'd be considering.

2) Specific recommendations for Darwin area?

3) Any other Top Half experience or area that would be good to visit in June that we should do?

Thank you! So looking forward to getting some input as the sheer scope of possibilities is overwhelming.
What, me racist? Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

In a wide-ranging New York Times report on President Trumps harsh immigration policy published Saturday, one anecdote stands out amid all the big-picture nativism. As the paper sets the scene, Trump had been particularly incensed on a June day after being handed a list of how many foreigners had obtained visas to enter the U.S. in 2017:

Haiti had sent 15,000 people. They all have AIDS, he grumbled, according to one person who attended the meeting and another person who was briefed about it by a different person who was there.

Forty thousand had come from Nigeria, Mr. Trump added. Once they had seen the United States, they would never go back to their huts in Africa, recalled the two officials, who asked for anonymity to discuss a sensitive conversation in the Oval Office.

The Times reports that the two anonymous officials who relayed these accounts found them so noteworthy that they related them to others at the time, but that other officials present did not recall President Trump using the words AIDS or huts.

The White House did not dispute the thrust of the conversation in question, but said Trump had not used such language. In an official statement, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that General Kelly, General McMaster, Secretary Tillerson, Secretary Nielsen and all other senior staff actually in the meeting deny these outrageous claims. Its both sad and telling The New York Times would print the lies of their anonymous sources anyway.

But the Trump administration lacks credibility in this arena, and not just because of its constant lying. As the article notes, fear and disgust of outsiders has animated Trump for decades; unlike, say, his position on abortion, bigotry has been one of his consistent traits since he entered public life. Among many, many other examples, Trump has demanded the death penalty for the Central Park Five and failed to change his opinion even when they were proven innocent; called Mexicans rapists on the first day of his presidential campaign; defended neo-Nazis; and, of course, advanced a conspiracy theory about the first black president for years.

So even if the comments reported on Saturday go one step beyond what Trump might say in public (and its a small step), they certainly feel like a plausible representation of the man 63 million Americans voted for  the man whose xenophobia has made America more closed off to the world than it has been in generations.
You should consider 1) Hokuriku Area Pass (5,000 yen, 4 days), 2) Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass(15,000 yen, 7 days), 3) Hokuriku Area Pass(5,000 yen, 4 days) + JR Kansai Wide Area Pass(9,000 yen, 5 days).

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_hokuriku.html

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_kansai_hokuriku.html

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_08.html

Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass covers access to most major tourist destinations in the Kansai Region, such as Okayama, Kurashiki and Naoshima west of Osaka. But, if you don't go to the latter places, you don't need this Pass.

Similarly, JR Kansai Wide Area Pass can be a very good value if you visit the Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Kobe area in combination with at least one major side trip to a less centrally located destination in the pass' coverage area, such as Kinosaki Onsen, Okayama, Takamatsu or the Kumano Region. But, if you don't go to the latter areas, you don't need this pass, too.

Therefore, I think that Hokuriku Area Pass is the only Pass you need. Buy standard JR tickets from Osaka or Kyoto to Tsuruga where you enter the zone for the Hokuriku Area Pass.
The 7-day pass is not the most economical way of travelling for that trip, even you fly into Narita (vs Haneda) - there are other cheaper options for the round-tip and other minor journeys you would make around Tokyo and Kyoto. Plus, without the pass you can save time by getting quicker trains between Tokyo and Kyoto.

If you do decide to stick to Tokyo and do some small day-trips, consider the Tokyo-wide 3-day pass as the coverage area is quite good.
How do I get from the airport (JFK, LGA, or EWR) to Manhattan?

What To Do During Layovers?

Vacation Apartment Rentals Violate NYC Laws

Hotels: Kitchenettes and kitchens in 100+ Manhattan Hotels

Hotels: Two queen beds plus a kitchen/kitchenette

Hotels: Guests under 21 years old (but at least 18)

Hotels: Which ones charge an additional Resort or Facilities Fee

Hotels: When is the best time to go for cheaper rates?

What are the Must-See's and Must-Do's?

How Do I Ride the Subway (UPDATED)?

Tips, Hint and Suggestions for First Timers

SCAMS to avoid in NYC

What Will the Weather Be Like During My Trip?

Any Good Websites for Researching My Trip?

How Safe is New York?

Where to Eat in NYC

Where to eat in NYC - Part 2

Celiac in the City? (gluten free)

Which Area Should I Stay In?

Is There Cheaper Lodging Outside Manhattan?

How Much Do I Tip People?

Are the New York Pass, Explorer Pass or CityPass worth it?

How Do I Hail a Taxi?

Public restrooms/toilets. Where do you go when you GOTTA GO?

Where are the best areas for shopping?

How do I find Discount Tickets for Broadway Shows?

What are the NYC Halloween events for 2021?

Thanksgiving 2021 in NYC: What to Do & Where to Eat

Christmastime in NYC 2021: Dates for the Trees-Windows-Markets-Ice Skating+MORE!

Christmas Day 2021 in NYC: What to Do & Where to Eat

What Should I Do on New Year's Eve?

How Will I Survive the Cold Weather?

Where are the Farmers Markets and Street Fairs?

What is there to see and do near WTC/SOL/Brooklyn Bridge/SI ferry?

What should I know about visiting the 9/11 Memorial and Museum?

What Is There to See and Do in Brooklyn?

How Do I Get to the Brooklyn Bridge?

What Is There to See and Do in Queens?

Exploring neighborhoods - where should I go and what should I see?

Which is the best? ESB or TOTR or OWO?

Which are the significant churches in Manhattan?

Hidden Gems in the city - not so touristy

How do I get from NYC to the Meadowlands and back?

I'm Getting Married in NYC...what do I need to do?

Should I Buy Knock-Off Purses?

What to Do with Kids and How to Do It?

What should we do at night -- especially with kids or under 21's?

Places to eat (and drink) with a view

Where is the Old FAQ?

Trip Reports: Families with Young Kids - Add yours!

Trip Reports: Groups of Friends - Add yours!

Trip Reports: Couples - Add yours!

Trip Reports: Families with Teenagers - Add yours!

Trip Reports: Solo Travelers - Add yours!

Trip Reports: Families of Adults - Add yours!
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Former Forum for Democratic Change president and presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye has said this week's lifting of age limits and extending the MPs' term tenure amounts to the abrogation of the Constitution, and must be resisted.

Besigye said although as opposition, they believe in nonviolent means of changing government, he personally wouldnt have any problem if any Ugandan chooses to use other means that are violent.

Addressing a press conference at Katonga road yesterday, Besigye said starting January 9, 2018 they will be rolling out campaigns aimed at resisting what he called the subversion of the will of the people.

A lot of work is going to be undertaken to prepare for that. You must understand that this is protracted struggle and some people dont realize the kind of progress this struggle has made. A lot of progress has been made; the mindset of Ugandans has changed, they now know the struggle is theirs, he said.

Kizza Besigye addressing the media yesterday

Besigye said even though the highlight of the amendment was probably the reinstatement of term limits, this he added would have no consequence because of the way it was done.

You cannot use fraud to achieve good; we now have a worthless Constitution. Anything there is of no value because the way it is removed is the way it can be put back, Besigye said.

He said Ugandans shouldnt celebrate the apparent 'milestone' as long as Museveni is still interested in being president as nothing can get in his way.

Once the sanctity of the Constitution has been overthrown, provisions in there make no meaning. I think anybody would be a fool to celebrate term limits in the Constitution.

However the four-time presidential candidate said that in principle term limits are good, because they get in the way of an incumbent who wants to use his position to advantage himself.

Parliament has no power to make them cling to their seats; the power that is abused is the executive power, its money and guns that cause fear. Kenya has had change of leaders but no incumbent has lost power, they only change when the incumbent is not on the paper.

The country that you can say has made a leap is Ghana where the incumbent loses and then hands over power. So the introduction of term limits would have made sense if they said that those who have served two terms shouldnt serve again, Besigye said.

Besigye joined a growing section of Ugandans who are criticising the MPs for the amendments, saying it amounted to a coup and subversion of peoples power. He said every Ugandan should join all forms of campaigns to resist what happened.

The Constitution commands that all citizens of Uganda shall have the right and duty at all times to resist its overthrow. Parliament is perfectly in order to start a campaign provide that all of them are in the answer of the command to restore the effect of the Constitution.

Besigye added that they will also be supporting all those who will be going to court to resist the amendments. He called on all Ugandans to come together in order to restore the constitutional order.

Speaking at the same press conference Jeema president, Asuman Basalirwa said the ruling party, NRM duped people when they said they were bringing the amendment as an answer to the Supreme court orders and recommendations in the 2016 Amama Mbabazi election petition case.

He said none of the recommendations that the court made were reflected in the bill.

The amendment in parliament was a fraud. The complaints we made before court in the Amama Mbabazi case had nothing to do with age limit. We have to make choices as a country to confront that fraud, Basalirwa said.

bakerbatte@observer.ug
Supreme court judge Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza has challenged Ugandan Civil Society Organisations to be more creative and proactive in their pursuit of justice for all.



Justice Tibatemwa also says courts, as guardians and trustees of the Constitution, have to stand up to the occasion too  to sometime even look beyond the legality of an in issue for the better good of society.

However, for courts to do that, the petitioners  read civil society  have to come up with more creative ways of bringing what she termed paper rights (human rights) to reality.

I would like to thank Cehurd when it ignored the Constitutional court in the Right to Health case. When the Constitutional court ruled that the right to health was a political matter that it could not pronounce itself on, Cehurd did not stop there, they made amendments to the petition and went to the Supreme court which sent back the case to the Constitutional court, Tibatemwa said while addressing stakeholders at the opening of new offices of the Centre for Human Rights Development (Cehurd) in Gayaza recently.

I expect civil society members to read and research widely and be creative in bringing up such case Cite all those international laws she added.

Justice Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza

According to Tibatemwa, CSOs should not just go to courts for the sake of it but, rather, go there and seek life-long effective remedies to societal problems.

She cited the Law & Advocacy for Women in Uganda Vs the Attorney General, 2007, case which challenged Section 154 of the Penal Code on criminal adultery for being discriminatory against women.

The article gave married men freedom to have sex outside marriage (with an unmarried partner) without criminal sanctions but criminalised women for doing the same.

Whereas the attorney general conceded that, indeed, that article was discriminatory, he asked court to modify the law and offer women the same freedom without necessarily scrapping it off the Constitution. But in its judgement, court reasoned that it has no mandate to modify laws it finds inconsistent with the Constitution, hence scrapping the article.

Similarly, earlier in 2004, the case of Uganda Association of Women Lawyers Vs Attorney General challenged the Divorce Act as unconstitutional.

The Act allowed a man to divorce his wife if she committed adultery but for the man to be divorced by his wife, he must have committed an additional marital wrong.

All the five justices of the Constitutional court held that indeed the Act was unconstitutional and justices Galdino Okello and Amos Twinomujuni even went beyond mere declarations, stating that all the grounds of divorce available to husbands should be available to wives.

Also that alimony applied to both men and women. Parliament was implored to act as soon as possible to the orders but, to date, according to Justice Tibatemwa, nothing has been done.

Are declarations of any value in themselves? she asked.



BEYOND DECLARATIONS & WINNING CASES



Justice Tibatemwa wondered if by going to court, civil society looked beyond earning legal wins but also secure orders and declarations that would benefit society.

For example, in the 2015 public interest action High court case of GreenWatch against Uganda Wildlife Authority over issuing a licence to an individual to export 7,310kg of scales of pangolins, court made several orders.

While court said it could not interfere with the export processes and that UWA had the constitutional mandate to issue licences, it ruled that issuance of such on ad hoc basis encourages illicit trade in endangered species such as pangolins. Court said any further issuance of such licences should happen after UWA has carried out a census of such highly-endangered species.

UWA was also required to plough back into pangolin conservation the money collected from such licences. UWA was to also provide annual quotas for pangolin export. A permanent injunction restraining UWA from endangering rare species of wildlife in Uganda was issued.

Tibatemwa, however, faulted court for not having ordered UWA to file an affidavit indicating how it was going to implement such measures.

But UWA spokesperson Gessa Simplicious said he needed to confirm with the legal department if UWA had made the submissions as demanded by court. He promised to get back to us but had not done so by press time and said if indeed it was an old case, then UWA ought to have abided by the orders.

He said even then, UWA no longer issues export licences for pangolins because they are now an endangered species. Our attempts to get a comment from GreenWatch were futile as repeated calls went unanswered.

Tibatemwa also cited the October 2015 case of Behangana Domaro and anor Vs Attorney General where Behangana, a Mbarara-based businessman, was beaten and detained by two police officers for over a month in 2010.

Court ruled that detaining someone without charge for over 48 hours was unconstitutional. It also ordered that individual police officers who violate the Police Act ought to be prosecuted in their individual capacity.

Court ordered legal practitioners to sue such police officers and their supervisors in their individual capacities because when the Attorney General is ordered to pay, it is taxpayers money that is wasted.

And most recently was the March 2017 ruling of the Cehurd, Mubangizi and Musimenta Vs executive director Mulago hospital and Attorney General case.

Whereas court ordered that the couple who lost one of their twins and were given a wrong dead baby be given psycho-socio care and counseling services as part of their healing process at Mulagos expense, no effort had been made in that regard.

Mulago was also ordered to write reports every four months indicating steps taken to ensure the safety of babies, dead or alive, within its facilities. Cehurd was to be granted unlimited access to oversee implementation of the above.

When asked, Cehurd officials indicated that no follow-ups had been made.

The question is: does civil society just have to stop at just winning cases? asked Tibatemwa.

But Nicholas Opiyo, a human rights lawyer with Chapter Four, said whereas civil society welcomes the criticism from judiciary, the court ought to put her house in order too. He said that on so many occasions, courts make political decisions and toe the state line rather than standing with the people for the observance of their rights.
- Diamond's wife Zari Hassan and his mpango wa kando have been exciting their fans with their ruthless attacks and social media wars

- The two bombshells were hosting lavish parties in Uganda on Thursday, December 21

- As usual, they decided to grace the internet with a few cryptic attacks towards each other

If there's one thing the internet hoped for before the end of the year, it would definitely be Hamisa and Zari burying the hatchet and putting aside their differences.

The two Chibu beauties have been in a constant war of words ever since word broke that Hamisa was heavily pregnant with Diamond's illegitimate baby.

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On Thursday, December 21, Hamisa and Zari both hosted lavish parties in Uganda and there was a competition as to who's soiree had the largest turn out.

READ ALSO: Its official! Diamond Platnumz and Zari Hassan have broken up

Diamond's mpango wa kando and his wife engage in a war of words after hosting parties in Uganda. Photo: The shade chamber/Instagram

READ ALSO: Zari Hassan proves she is over Diamonds infidelity issues after gushing over his recent sucess

Of course, Ugandan beauty Zari was the first to throw a low blow as she hinted that Diamond's side chick was just a mere 'mosquito'.

"There is a difference between a mosquito and an elephant, blessings on blessings. Thankyou God..." She penned.

An embittered Hamisa claimed that she was a better woman than Zari but of course in a cryptic and well calculated post.

READ ALSO: Zari Hassan hooks up with alleged Ugandan lover amidst fight with Diamond

"A mosquito is a more dangerous animal than an elephant, an elephant is not capable of harming a human in any way," Hamisa wrote.

Zari had opened up during an interview about how her man Diamond broke her heart after sleeping with a low life on their matrimonial bed.

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Russian-backed militants launched 22 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the ATO zone in Donbas over the last day, the ATO Headquarters press center reports.

The enemy violated the ceasefire 22 times in the ATO zone over the past day. When there was a threat to the life of the military personnel, the Ukrainian soldiers returned fire to the aggressor, reads the report.

The evening before New Year truce was not quiet the ATO zone. Russian-backed troops continued to violate the ceasefire and launched attacks on the Armed Forces of Ukraine, using prohibited mortars and artillery.

In Luhansk direction, illegal armed formations used 120mm artillery systems to fire at the Ukrainian positions near Staryi Aidar. Also, 120mm mortars were used by the enemy to shell the Ukrainian positions near Troitske, Travneve and Luhanske.

In Donetsk direction, Russian-backed militants used mortars to launch attacks on the Ukrainian strongholds outside Avdiivka, Pyschevyk, and Pavlopil.

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The U.S. Department of State has confirmed that the United States will provide Ukraine with enhanced defensive capabilities to defend its territorial integrity from Russian-backed separatists in Donbas.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert stated this on Friday evening, Reuters reports.

U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself, reads the statement.

Earlier, the U.S. media reported that the US Department of State decided to approve the delivery of small arms to Ukraine.

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Australia will end its airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets in Iraq and Syria after being part of a U.S.-led international coalition for more than two years.

Canberras decision to stop its involvement in airstrikes on the insurgents was taken after consultation with Iraq and other allies.

Six Australian fighter jets will be recalled, although refueling and surveillance aircraft will remain in the region.

Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said their firepower helped to defeat Islamic State, also known as Daesh.

There is no doubt that our airstrike operations have made a difference to the ability of the Iraqi security forces campaign to defeat Daesh and to ensure that the extremists of this organization are prevented from spreading their toxic ideology further across the globe, Payne said.

Australia sent about 780 military personnel as part of the coalition. Canberra says the work of training and advising of Iraqi forces would continue.

Independent monitoring groups believe that as many as 6,000 civilians have been killed in the U.S.-led aerial bombing campaign in the conflict zone. But coalition commanders have estimated that 800 civilians have died as a result of 28,000 airstrikes.

Earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that his troops were now in complete control of the Iraqi-Syrian border.

Australia has forces deployed in several locations around the world, including Afghanistan, Egypt and Sudan.
The U.N. refugee agency is calling on the Australian government to find humane solutions for hundreds of refugees it has abandoned in a precarious situation on Papua New Guineas Manus Island.

UNHCR accuses the Australian government of shirking its responsibilities to care for and protect some 800 refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island.

It says the situation has become more precarious for the refugees since the government closed its so-called offshore processing facility at the end of October. Over the past four weeks, it notes, refugees who were moved to three new accommodation sites have been attacked several times. The worst case involved three people armed with machetes and an axe.

UNHCR spokeswoman, Cecile Pouilly, says local hostility and resentment against the refugees is high and growing. She told VOA the Australian authorities must resolve this critical situation.

We are talking here about people who have suffered extreme trauma and now are feeling so insecure in these places where they are staying. There are many victims of torture. People who have been deeply traumatized have been detained, having no idea what is going to happen next to them. I think this mental issue, this psychological issue is a major one, Pouilly said.

A recent medical report commissioned by UNHCR finds the cumulative effect of uncertainty about their future is causing a deterioration in the mental and physical health of the refugees.

It warns cessation of services, substandard living and hygiene conditions and inadequate medical care are increasing violence and self-harm among the refugees.
As more residents return to Syria's northern city of Raqqa after removal of the Islamic State, civilians say they are suffering from a lack of basic services such as water, electricity and fuel, even as the winter cold closes in. VOA's Mahmoud Bali reports from the region.
Christmas church services and other celebrations are being held this weekend under the gaze of armed guards and security cameras in many countries after Islamic State gunmen attacked a Methodist church in Pakistan as a Sunday service began.

Majority-Muslim countries in Asia and the Middle East were particularly nervous after U.S. President Donald Trumps recent announcement he intends to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that has outraged many Muslims.

In Indonesia, the worlds biggest Muslim-majority country, police said they stepped up security around churches and tourist sites, mindful of near-simultaneous attacks on churches there at Christmas in 2000 that killed about 20 people.

Volunteers ready to add security

Muslim volunteers in Indonesia are also on standby to provide additional security if requested.

If our brother and sisters who celebrate Christmas need ... to maintain their security to worship, we will help, said Yaqut Chiolil Qoumas, chairman of the youth wing of the Nahdlatul Ulema, one of the countrys biggest Muslim organizations.

In Cairo, where a bombing at the Egyptian capitals largest Coptic cathedral killed at least 25 people last December, the interior ministry said police would conduct regular searches of streets around churches ahead of the Coptic celebration of Christmas on Jan. 7.

Egypts Christian minority has been targeted in several attacks in recent years, including the bombing of two churches in the north of the country on Palm Sunday in April.

At the Heliopolis Basilica, a Catholic cathedral in northeastern Cairo, security forces set up metal detectors at the main doors and police vehicles were stationed outside ahead of masses Dec. 25, which marks Christmas Day for Catholic and Protestant Christians.

Bombed-out church

In the Pakistani city of Quetta, members of a Bethel Memorial Methodist Church are repairing the damage done by a pair of suicide bombers who attacked during a service last Sunday, killing 10 people and wounding more than 50.

Broken pews and damaged musical instruments were still strewn around church grounds Thursday, with about a dozen police standing guard.

Were making efforts to complete repairs and renovation before Christmas, but it seems difficult in view of the lot of damage, said Pastor Simon Bashir, who was leading the service when the attackers struck. He was not hurt.

The government of Baluchistan province, of which Quetta is capital, plans to deploy 3,000 security personnel in and around 39 Christian churches this Sunday and Monday.

Provincial police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari told Reuters that volunteers from churches were also being trained to conduct body searches and identify worshippers entering churches.

Worshippers will attend services

Pakistans Christian minority, which makes up about 1 percent of the population of 208 million, has been a frequent target  along with Shiite and Sufi Muslims  of Sunni Muslim militants.

In the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, where an Easter Day bombing in a park last year killed more than 70 people, police Detective Inspector General Haider Ashraf said every church would be monitored with CCTV cameras as part of security measures.

Christian Kaleem Masih lost his aunt in the Easter attack, which was claimed by Islamic State, and his wife was wounded, but he said they would be attending Christmas services.

Christmas is our holy day, Kaleem said. We will fulfill our religious duty by celebrating it with smiles on our faces.

The Jerusalem issue

In Malaysia, a police official said Trumps decision on Jerusalem increased worry about attacks.

We are concerned not only with safety at churches and places of worship but also any threats by Islamic State or any other security threat following the Jerusalem issue, said Malaysias Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

Jerusalem, revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, is home to Islams third holiest site and has been at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it in an action not recognized internationally.

Protests across the Muslim world in Asia and the Middle East have largely been peaceful.

In Jerusalem itself, an Israeli police spokesman said there were no new security measures but police would deploy forces as usual around Christian holy sites including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and also secure convoys of worshippers from the West Bank city of Bethlehem, traditionally known as the birthplace of Jesus Christ and run by the Palestinian Authority.

Many Palestinian Christians oppose Trumps announcement and say they have no fear of attacks.

Trumps decision offended all Palestinians, be they Christians or Muslims. Why would we feel threatened by Muslims? said George Antone, a Catholic who lives in Gaza, which is run by the Palestinian Hamas group.
For millions of Britons, a traditional Christmas Day includes turkey, Brussels sprouts, Christmas pudding, and a special seasonal episode of Doctor Who.

The global success of the venerable sci-fi series means that fans around the world will also tune in Monday to watch Peter Capaldis final adventure as the space-hopping Time Lord known as the Doctor. (Americans can see it on BBC America at 9 p.m. Eastern).

The show has had a dozen Doctors over its 54-year history, and this is one of those bittersweet moments when one lead actor hands over to another. At episodes end, viewers will see Capaldi transform, through a Time Lord process known as regeneration, into Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to play the part.

First, adventure

Before that comes a rollicking and poignant adventure that moves from the World War I trenches to the South Pole, features mysterious creatures made of glass and (of course) involves a jaunt in the Tardis, a time-and-space machine shaped like an old-fashioned British police phone box.



The episode loops back into the shows own history, featuring an appearance by the very first Doctor, a white-haired gent who appeared on TV screens in 1963. He was played by William Hartnell, who died in 1975; David Bradley fills the role here.



Mark Gatiss, a regular writer for the show who guest stars in the episode as a British Army officer marooned in time, said there was a valedictory feel on the set of the finale.



The sense of eras ending all over the place was very profound but at the same time it was actually a very happy experience, Gatiss told The Associated Press in an interview.



Gatiss has loved Doctor Who since childhood and has written for it since 2005.

BBC hit

Hes better placed than almost anyone to explain the enduring allure of a show that survived early years of wobbly production values and a 16-year absence from screens between 1989 and 2005 to become a childhood touchstone, an emblem of British culture, and a money-making export for the BBC.



Partly, he says, its due to the Doctor, an eccentric and slightly off-kilter hero. Partly its the randomness of the adventures, which have sent the Doctor to ancient Rome and the Stone Age, distant galaxies and the end of time.



And partly its the shows slightly ramshackle Britishness, in the very idea of an amazing space-time machine which looks like a beaten up old box.

And somewhere deep down in its absolute essentials, something genuinely magical, he added.



World-view changing

The episode is also the swansong of Steven Moffat, who has been the shows executive producer and chief writer since 2009.



Moffat, who also co-created detective series Sherlock with Gatiss, has no doubt about the shows place in television history. He told audience members at a recent preview screening that Doctor Who is the greatest television show ever made.



People change their view of the world and what they are capable of because of a silly show about a man who travels around in time and space in a police box, Moffat said.



Count the scientists, the musicians, the scholars, the writers, the directors, the actors, who became what they are because of this show. Count, as you might say, the hearts that beat a little faster because of Doctor Who. I dont even know what is in second place, but without doubt and by that most important measure Doctor Who is the greatest television series ever made.



New Doctor, new mood

Doctor Who fans have become accustomed to changes of actor, and the shifts in mood that go with each new Doctor. The announcement that Whittaker (best known from detective series Broadchurch) would be the next occupant of the Tardis was front-page news in Britain. Many fans were delighted, though some grumbled at the idea of a Time Lady.



Gatiss, currently working with Moffat on a new adaptation of Dracula, thinks the naysayers come mostly from that never-satisfied subset of fans who will definitely watch it 28 times just to make sure they hate it.



This is a series about an alien with two hearts who lives in a transcendental phone box, and yet somehow cant change sex? he said. That is not an argument for 2017.
Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski could end up the surprise winner of an attempt to oust him from power this week, after some opposition lawmakers broke ranks with party leaders to support him, opening a divide that might strengthen his hand.

Despite having a congressional majority, the rightwing opposition party Popular Force was unable to push through a motion to remove Kuczynski from office Thursday, after 10 of its own lawmakers broke ranks to save the president.

The vote cemented a growing divide in the opposition and looked to threaten its control over Congress, potentially aiding Kuczynski as he tries to restore political stability and revive investments in one of Latin America's most robust economies.

The surprise defection was the result of a deal struck between Kuczynski and Popular Force rebel lawmaker Kenji Fujimori to get his father and ex-president Alberto Fujimori out of prison, alleged Popular Force secretary general, Jose Chlimper.

Over the past year, Kenji has courted Kuczynski's center-right government while challenging his sister Keiko's leadership of the right-wing populist movement that their father formed in the 1990s.

In defiance of his sister, Kenji threw his support behind Kuczynski ahead of the vote on whether to remove him from office over unproven graft allegations. Nine other Popular Force lawmakers followed his lead.

This is the birth of a serious and formal split (in the Fujimori movement), said Guillermo Loli, the head of political research for pollster Ipsos Peru.

Everything points to a pardon, he added.

Kuczynskis government denied that a pardon for Fujimori was part of its political negotiations.

In an address to the nation late Friday, Kuczynski said he would spend the coming days reflecting on his year and a half in office.

Ill be announcing to you changes to make sure 2018 is not just a year of greater growth, but politically different, Kuczynski said.

Traitors

Efforts to reach the Popular Force lawmakers who defected were not successful. One, Clayton Galvan, said on local TV channel Canal N that Alberto Fujimori called them from prison to ask them to help Kuczynski stay in power.

Alberto Fujimori, who is serving a 25-year sentence for graft and human rights crimes, is a deeply divisive figure in Peru. While many consider him a corrupt dictator, others credit him with ending an economic crisis and bloody leftist insurgency during his 1990-2000 term.

Freeing him would likely anger the well-organized foes of the Fujimori clan  a mix of technocrats, leftists, human rights activists and academics.

The day (Kuczynski) signs a pardon, he loses all of those guys. Permanently, said Harvard University political scientist Steve Levitsky.

Support from the anti-Fujimori crowd was key to Kuczynskis razor-thin victory over Keiko in last years presidential election, and to keeping the motion to oust him from succeeding.

Kuczynski was saved by two diametrically opposed political groups: Kenjis group and the left, which opposes a pardon. He cant please both of them, Levitsky said.

Kuczynski, a 79-year-old former investment banker, took office amid hopes he would usher in cleaner government and faster economic growth. Instead, a graft scandal roiling Latin America has stalled investments and ensnared him in allegations of wrongdoing.

Before the vote on Thursday, Kuczynski fanned fears of a return to Perus authoritarian past and described the motion as part of a legislative coup attempt by Keikos supporters.

Popular Force denies the charge and says the bid to remove him was part of its fight against corruption and within the bounds of the constitution.

A hardline Popular Force lawmaker loyal to Keiko, Hector Becerril, said the Kenji faction represented traitors.

If they have any sense of decency after this vote, the least they could do is present their resignations, Becerril told journalists on Friday. Hopefully today.

With 10 votes fewer, Popular Force would command 61 seats in the 130-member, single-chamber Congress, less than an absolute majority, though it would still be the biggest voting bloc.

The political crisis has cost Kuczynski his interior minister, Carlos Basombrio, who announced his resignation on Friday. Kuczynski could make a decision about other Cabinet changes in coming days, his government said.
Police brought in experts and an explosives robot to investigate a suspicious package found at the Christmas market in the west German city of Bonn late Friday.

Bonn police cordoned off and evacuated a large area of the market just before 9 p.m. local time, and experts were still examining the object five hours later, a spokesman said.

We assume its not dangerous, but were still investigating, the spokesman said. He said the object was discovered shortly before the market was to close for the evening, so it was not crowded.

Germany is on high alert for potential attacks a year after failed Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri killed 12 people when he hijacked a truck and drove it into a crowded Berlin Christmas market.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, marking the first anniversary of the attack on Tuesday, said Germany should learn from security shortcomings exposed in the incident.

German authorities evacuated part of a Christmas market in Potsdam near Berlin earlier this month after a package containing powerful firecrackers, wires and nails was delivered to a nearby pharmacy.

Officials later said that criminals had used the incident to try to extort millions of euros from logistics firm DHL, which had delivered the package.
An immigrant teen who was denied an abortion by a U.S. government official, even though her pregnancy was caused by rape, had threatened to harm herself if she was forced to have the child, according to a government memo released Friday.

The memo is addressed to Scott Lloyd, director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which shelters thousands of unaccompanied immigrant minors who are in the U.S. without legal permission. The American Civil Liberties Union posted the memo as part of its lawsuit over abortion access for immigrant minors in custody.

The document describes how the teen was raped in her home country and believed she had become pregnant as a result. According to the memo, written by the Office of Refugee Resettlement's deputy director, she told a doctor during her first prenatal visit that she wanted an abortion. The teen "disclosed to the medical doctor that she preferred to harm herself rather than to continue with her pregnancy."

In later visits, the teen reported the pressure her mother and a potential sponsor were putting on her to maintain the pregnancy. At one point, she reported facing "physical harm" if she had an abortion.

"She felt pressured by her mother and potential sponsor to continue the pregnancy, but she wants to terminate the pregnancy," the memo said.

'Disapproved'

While the recommendation of the deputy director is blacked out, Lloyd circled the word "disapproved" at the bottom of the memo and signed it.

The teen and another minor eventually received access to abortions after U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled in their favor this week.

In a letter about the case that was disclosed in court filings Thursday, Lloyd argued he saw no obligation under the law or the U.S. Constitution to allow abortions for people in his office's custody, even though government policy restricting abortion broadly has an exemption for women who were victims of rape.

He also said an abortion would not "cure the reality" of the woman's rape. Both abortion and rape are forms of violence, he said in his letter.

"Implicit here are the dubious notions that it is possible to cure violence with further violence," he said.

The ACLU accused Lloyd of implementing a "cruel and heartless policy," and pledged to continue fighting it.
Iraqi Shiite paramilitary groups have deployed to the frontier to back up border guard forces who came under fire from within Syria over the past three days, one of their commanders said on Friday.

There was no immediate word on who opened fire from Syrian territory, but forces arrayed against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria expect the group will resort to guerrilla warfare after losing its urban bastions earlier this year.

After several Iraqi border guard positions came under several attacks by missiles, and backup from security forces was late, the 13th brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) was deployed and targeted the origins of the launch, PMF commander for west Anbar, Qassem Mesleh, said in a statement.

Operations command and the infantry brigade are now present on the Iraqi-Syrian border in border guard positions to repel any attack or movement by the enemy, Mesleh said. This area is not within the PMFs remit but it is our duty to back up all security forces.

The PMF is an umbrella grouping of mostly Iran-backed and trained Shiite militias that formally report to Iraqs prime minister but are separate from the military and police.

Sunni Muslims and Kurds have called on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to disarm the PMF, which they say are responsible for widespread abuses against their communities.

An Iraqi military spokesman confirmed the deployment.

Brigadier General Yahya Rasool told Reuters it was temporary, however, and very normal because it was the PMFs duty to back up government forces.

The PMF were officially made part of the Iraqi security establishment by law and formally answer to Abadi in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Abadi has said the state should have a monopoly on the legitimate use of arms.

Iraqi forces on Dec. 9 recaptured the last swathes of territory still under Islamic State control along the frontier with Syria and secured the western desert.

It marked the end of the war against the militants, three years after they overran about a third of Iraqs territory.

Rasool, the military spokesman, denied backup to the border guards had been late.

The primary responsibility for the borders lies with the border guards and the army, however, said Rasool.

He said Iraqi forces coordinate with both the Syrian army, which is backed by Russia, Iran and Iran-backed Shiite militias, and the U.S.-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

He said parts of Syria  including many areas on the border with Iraq  were still under Islamic State control.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived Friday in the capital of Niger on a trip designed to bolster the morale of French troops in the country in their fight against extremists.

The French president was welcomed to capital city Niamey by his Niger counterpart Mahamadou Tssoufou. The two leaders will meet Saturday to talk about African forces taking a more prominent role in the fight against jihadists.

"We must not leave the Sahel to terrorist organizations," Macron said. "I do not want to give an ounce of territory to the terrorist forces in the Sahel and the Sahara."

The former colonial power has thousands of its military service members in Niger.



Niger houses France's largest overseas military operations.

France has a military base in the capital where Macron hosted a holiday dinner Friday night for the hundreds of French troops stationed there.

As a special treat, Macron brought the Elysee presidential palace chef to Niger with him to oversee the preparations for the dinner.

Some American, Canadian and German forces also were invited to the feast.
One of Afghanistan's most powerful regional politicians has vowed to defy his ouster as governor of the northern province of Balkh, posing a potential threat to the shaky Western-backed governing coalition of President Ashraf Ghani.

The presidential palace said Monday that it had approved the resignation of Atta Mohammad Noor, who goes by the nickname "King of the North" and is a leading figure in Jamiat-e Islami, a party that represents Afghanistan's Tajik ethnic minority.

But Noor, addressing several thousand people on Saturday at a gathering in the provincial capital, Mazar-e Sharif, said he would continue to serve as governor.

"I have said many times that no one can remove me with a decree," he said.

Noor also criticized his former ally, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who is also a leader of Jamiat-e Islami.

Noor called Abdullah "a snake up everyone's sleeve," accusing him of weakening his own party.

"Your teeth will not sink into us," Noor said, referring to Abdullah. "We will break your teeth."

Aiming for national stage

Noor has used his position in Balkh, on the northern border of the country, as a power base to push for a major role on the national stage and was seen as a top rival of Ghani.

Noor is one of several powerful regional and ethnic leaders whom Ghani has struggled to control since he took office after a disputed election in 2014. Ghani, a Pashtun, has tried previously to remove Noor, but has also discussed a possible role in the government for him.

Ghani's national unity government, formed after the 2014 election forced him into an uneasy power-sharing arrangement with Abdullah, retains the support of the United States and other Western states.

But it has faced mounting criticism from a growing array of opposition groups.

Parliamentary elections originally due to be held next year are in doubt and former President Hamid Karzai has called for a loya jirga, or traditional grand council of political leaders and elders to decide the future of the government.

Ethnic tension

Noor's showdown with Kabul also comes at a time when tensions between Tajiks and Pashtuns, Afghanistan's two biggest ethnic groups, have been rising.

It heightens uncertainty ahead of presidential elections in 2019. Noor has previously hinted that he may run for the presidency, while Ghani has not yet said whether he will run again.

The confrontation with Noor comes several months after Vice President Rashid Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek, fled to Turkey after he was accused of arranging the rape and torture of a political rival in 2016.

Noor recently called for Dostum's return. Earlier this year he met in Turkey with Dostum as well as Deputy Chief Executive Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior figure in the mainly Shiite Hazara ethnic community, to form what they called the "Coalition for the Salvation of Afghanistan."
Over the next month, Christians of all kinds will celebrate the birth of Jesus. The world has been wondering about the reality of his existence, his life, death, and the question of his divinity for thousands of years. But the place considered to be his tomb has been dated to the time he is believed to have walked the earth. VOA's Kevin Enochs reports.
Russia has estimated there are about 10,000 Islamic State militants in Afghanistan and their number is growing because fighters fleeing Syria and Iraq also are heading to the war-ravaged country.

Russian media on Saturday quoted Zamir Kabulov, Russia's special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, as saying Moscow is particularly worried about an increasing foothold of Daesh militants in northern Afghan provinces bordering Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Daesh is the Arabic acronym for IS.

"Russia was among the first to be sounding the alarms in connection with the emergence of Daesh in Afghanistan.... Daesh has significantly increased its power in the country recently. According to our estimates, the number of militants exceeds 10,000 and continues to grow, particularly due to new fighters arriving from Syria and Iraq," Kabulov told the Sputnik news agency.

The Russian envoy alleged helicopters without identifying insignia are transferring fighters and delivering Western [military] equipment to the Afghan branch of the terrorist group.

He added that Moscow repeatedly has raised the issue with the United Nations and NATO, but has not yet received a clear response from them.

Kabulov says the situation in the Afghan provinces of Jowzjan and Sar-e-Pol are of particular concern because locals also have spotted Algerian and French fighters in the IS ranks. He went on to assert that the terrorist group aims to extend its influence to Russias southern regions and its partner nations in Central Asia.

"We are regularly asking our NATO partners, who are in fact controlling the airspace over Afghanistan, about this issue, but we have not heard any reasonable answer yet," Kabulov insisted.

Officials at NATOs Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, which consists mostly of U.S. troops, blame Moscow for supporting and arming the Taliban, which has been waging a deadly insurgency to topple the U.S.-backed Afghan government.

Afghan officials are dismissing concerns IS loyalists have established a stronghold in the country, and they are playing down the threat posed by the terrorist group. Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri told reporters earlier this week sustained security operations backed by U.S. airstrikes have in the past nine months killed about 1,600 Daesh fighters, including senior commanders.

IS began its extremists operations in eastern Afghanistan in early 2015, and at its peak had roughly 3,000 fighters, according to U.S. military estimates.

U.S. officials maintain counter-IS operations being conducted in partnership with local forces have since put persistent pressure on the terrorist group, significantly reducing its territory and eliminating one third of its fighters in the country.
A federal appeals court in the District of Columbia on Friday refused the Trump administration's request to put a hold on a requirement that it allow transgender people to enlist in the military starting January 1.

The decision by the three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia was the second appellate decision to go against the White House, meaning the issue might end up before the Supreme Court.

President Donald Trump tweeted in July that the federal government "will not accept or allow'' transgender individuals to serve "in any capacity'' in the military. That would reverse a 2016 policy change under President Barack Obama allowing transgender people to serve openly.

Trump later formally directed the Pentagon to extend indefinitely a ban on transgender individuals joining the military, and he gave Defense Secretary Jim Mattis six months to come up with a policy on how to deal with those currently serving.

Several legal challenges to that proposed ban are ongoing. The Pentagon has said the enlistment of transgender recruits will start January 1 and go on amid the legal battles.

At least three federal judges have refused to allow the ban to go into effect. The Justice Department had asked the federal appeals courts to intervene and put the January 1 requirement on hold.

The D.C.-based appeals court and the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, both turned away the administration's request.

Administration officials "have not shown a strong likelihood that they will succeed on the merits of their challenge to the district court's order,'' the judges on the D.C. appeals court panel said.
South Sudanese armed and unarmed groups who signed a cease-fire Thursday said they are optimistic that peace will return to South Sudan despite the governments refusal to renegotiate parts of the failed August 2015 deal.

Martin Elia Lumoro, head of the South Sudan government delegation at the just concluded talks in Addis Ababa, said despite the bitter arguments among various stakeholders, the cease-fire agreement is a good start for the country.

We start from a very difficult phase in the [IGAD] council [of ministers meeting], we managed to pass the view of the government through. Then we had deadlock on the issues of procurement or purchase of weapons. We were able to put our views through and [these] were adopted and we also went through on how to deal with verification mechanism CTSSAM. So that was very good. I think we are making progress, Lomuro said.



South Sudan Foreign Minister Deng Alor signed the cease-fire accord on behalf of the SPLM Former Political Detainees. He called the accord a "good start."

"I feel happy because the most important issue in that document is the cessation of hostilities during the negotiations period which is very good, it creates confidence building and also gives peace to our people in South Sudan," Alor said.

The former detainees signed the August 2015 peace deal and were given ministerial and parliamentary seats in the Transitional Government of National Unity headed by President Salva Kiir.

The spokesman of the rebel National Salvation Front, Yen Matthew, remains skeptical. He said the deal looks good on paper, but the challenge is in its implementation. Matthew said he still remains hopeful that peace will return to South Sudan.

"I hope all the parties will commit to it and I would like on behalf of National Salvation Front to congratulate the South Sudanese people on this," he said.



The leader of the rebel National Democratic Movement, Lam Akol, could not hide his feelings. He said the cease-fire means a lot to South Sudanese.

The former minister of Agriculture in the Transitional National Government said the people of South Sudan have suffered enough and deserve peace.



It is a Christmas gift for the people of South Sudan provided we respect it. We think that is a good agreement because it allows the guns to be silent, for the humanitarian access for the people and for the parties to be prepared in the next round of talks, he said

The SPLM IO is the first party to declare a cease-fire since signing the deal this week. The leader of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM IO) and former first vice president and rebel leader, Riek Machar, was not invited to the talks. He was instead asked to send three officials from his group to represent him. Machar has been confined to house arrest by South African authorities since last year.



Henry Odwar, deputy chairman of the SPLM IO Machar-faction, said the agreement looks good and it should be implemented.

"There is a sense of hope; there is a sense that the people of South Sudan are now having a glimpse of peace and hope," Odwar said.

The representatives of Norway, the UK, China, and Japan, the EU, United Nations, African Union and IGAD Forum member countries signed as guarantors of the cease-fire agreement. The representative of the United States declined to sign.
Americans are traveling in record numbers this season, according to the American Automobile Association's (AAA) annual estimate, which forecasts more than 107 million will travel by road, rail or air between now and the start of 2018.

Despite higher gas prices, travel volume is expected to be 3.1 percent higher than last year's holiday season, the association said.

AAA said this season marks the ninth consecutive year of rising year-end holiday travel in the United States. Since 2005, it said, holiday travel has grown by 21.6 million, an increase of 25 percent.

The majority of travelers, 97.4 million, will make their way to their destinations by road, while 6.4 million people are expected to fly to see family and friends or to take holiday vacations. Only 3.6 million are expected to take to trains, buses or cruise ships for the holiday.

Apparently, not all holiday travelers are making family visits.

AAA said, for the second year in a row, the top destinations for holiday travel are Orlando, Florida, and Anaheim, California - the homes of theme parks Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

Sunny destinations also make up the next seven entries on the top 10 destinations: Cancun, Mexico; Hawaii, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and several locations in Florida. The only non-beach destination on the list? No. 10, New York City.
The United States on Friday backed the re-election of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez despite widespread misgivings about the vote count, prompting the opposition candidate to bow out of the race.

The Honduran electoral tribunal declared Hernandez the winner of the Nov. 26 election last weekend amid strident opposition protests over the vote count in the impoverished Central American country, which is a major hub for drug trafficking.

The vote tally had initially clearly favored opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla, a center-leftist, but it swung in favor of the incumbent after a 36-hour delay.

Nasralla contested the vote count, but after the United States backed Hernandez, he declared his bid for the presidency a lost cause.

The situation is practically decided, he said in an interview with TV network France 24. I no longer have anything to do in politics, but the people, which are 80 percent in my favor, will continue the fight.

The United States followed Mexico and other Latin American countries in supporting Hernandez, who has been a reliable U.S. ally.

The U.S. State Department congratulated Hernandez and said Honduras should pursue a long-term effort to heal the political divide in the country and enact much-needed electoral reforms, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

Protest, calls for new vote

The Honduras election tribunals declaration in Hernandezs favor last week sparked violent protests in Honduras, and the Organization of American States (OAS) called for new elections to resolve the dispute, a proposal that was rejected by the Honduran government.

Although he has proclaimed an end to his political career, Nasralla still maintains that he is the rightful winner of the election.

The Organization of American States has made clear that there was a monumental fraud, he said.

Nasralla had been backed by former President Manuel Zelaya, a leftist who was ousted in a 2009 coup after he proposed a referendum on his re-election, which was barred by the constitution at the time.

He is no longer with the Alliance, Zelaya said of Nasralla on Friday.

Streets calm

The streets of the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa and other major cities were largely calm Friday with a few protests cleared by the armed forces. By midweek some 27 people had died in clashes, according to local human rights group COFADEH.

The State Department called for all sides to refrain from violence, for those who wish to challenge the result to use legal means, and for the government to ensure that security services respect the rights of peaceful protesters.

It also called for the electoral tribunal to transparently and fully review any challenges filed by political parties.

Hernandez has led a military crackdown against gangs in the Central American country, and Honduras notoriously high murder rate has slid since he took power in 2014.

Strategic concerns

Nasralla, a television host, traveled to Washington this week to urge the United States not to recognize the vote, but a senior State Department official said Wednesday the government had not seen any evidence that would alter the votes outcome.

Nasralla said the U.S. decision reflected Washingtons strategic concerns over a leftist government in Honduras.

Theyre afraid of losing Honduras, he told local television.
Ukraine's president thanked the United States Saturday for its decision to provide lethal weapons to the country, while diplomats in Russia warned that the move would only cause more bloodshed.



The angry response from Moscow comes a day after the U.S. announced it will provide Ukraine with lethal weapons, in an effort to help the country with its fight against Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country.



"Today, the United States clearly pushes [Ukrainian authorities] toward new bloodshed," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, adding that "American weapons can lead to new victims" in the neighboring country.



Kyiv, however, responded to the move with gratitude, thanking President Donald Trump for his "leadership" and insisting the weapons are not for offensive purposes.



"American weapons in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers are not for offensive [purposes], but for stronger rebuff of the aggressor, protection of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, as well as for effective self-defense. It is also a trans-Atlantic vaccination against the Russian virus of aggression," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Facebook in English.



The U.S. State Department said in a statement Friday that the decision to provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities" is in keeping with the "effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity."



The statement added that the "U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature."



An ABC-TV news report issued before the announcement said the "The total defense package of $47 million includes the sale of 210 anti-tank missiles and 35 launchers." The State Department did not confirm that those weapons would be among those supplied.



U.S. President Donald Trump has called for better relations with Moscow, but this deal would likely threaten that plan.



Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned Russia that the stand-off over Ukraine was the single most important obstacle to warmer ties between the two countries.
Zimbabwes President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed a recently retired army general and a defense official Saturday as the countrys ruling party vice presidents. General Constantino Chiwenga, who retired last Sunday, led the military takeover in November that precipitated the resignation of the countrys longtime leader. Defense Minister Kembo Mohadi is the other person appointed as the ZANU-PF party's vice president.

The announcement was made in a statement Saturday by George Charamba, spokesman for Mnangagwa.

It was General Chiwenga who in November led the apparent coup that forced President Robert Mugabe to resign. Chiwenga becomes the third general in Mnangagwas cabinet.

Opposition leader Welshman Ncube expressed concerned about this trend, which began last month with the army's involvement in ZANU-PFs succession politics.

There is everything wrong with the command element of the Zimbabwean national army presenting itself as war veterans belonging to a particular political party, intervening to settle the political dispute of a political party. There is everything wrong with that. There is also everything wrong with leading a coup in order to become vice president, Ncune said.

The former law professor at the University of Zimbabwe says the army is contravening the countrys constitution, which prohibits it from being involved in politics.

At the swearing in of the cabinet, Parrence Shiri, former head of the nation's air force, who is now the agriculture minister, told journalists that as a citizen he had a right to be involved in Zimbabwes politics.

Arnold Tsunga, who leads the International Commission of Jurists in Africa, strongly disagrees. He says the members of Zimbabwes opposition and civic organizations with whom he met are expressing concern the rule of law has been overturned with the military involvement in efforts that ultimately led to Mugabe resigning as president.

Through that process itself there was a lot of concern on whether it was a legal process and whether it conformed with the requirements of international human rights law for a change of government, because the absence of an electoral process through which there would be a change of government would put the entire process through the realm of a military takeover, which is a soft coup, Tsunga said.

"So that was an issue of concern to civil society, and once you put the military into the fray in terms of conducting operations that are supposed to be done by civilians, but also operations that are supposed to be done by certain organs of the law enforcement agencies that are not the military, you also begin to see that the concern to the role of the military in civilian affairs and democratic governance in Zimbabwe was an issue that was raised as an issue of strong concern from everyone that the Secretary General met," Tsunga added.

That said, the stage is now set for the leader of the apparent coup to assume a key position in the Zimbabwes ruling party, widely seen as a first step toward his appointment to become vice president of the country.



The appointments are seen as a first step towards their elevation to vice president of the country.
Every year around the holidays, there is a spike in the viewership of Christmas movie classics. According to the American Film Institute, Frank Capra's 1947 heartwarming drama It's A Wonderful Life tops the list of all-time Christmas favorites.

The story centers on George Bailey, a generous man driven to bankruptcy. When George, played by Jimmy Stewart, wishes he'd never been born, an angel named Clarence comes to Earth and fulfills his wish. Suddenly George is able to view how life in his hometown of Bedford Falls would have been if he had never existed.

His wife, played by Donna Reed, is a single, lonely woman. His mother has been made bitter by the loss of her only son, Harry, who drowned as a child because George was not there to save him. The town, once peaceful and flourishing, now seedy and sad, is ruled by a ruthless businessman.

When George realizes how precious life is, he recants his wish and Clarence returns him back to life, where friends and family pull together and bail him out.

When the film was first released, it did not do well in the theaters, said Todd Hitchcock, director of programming and associate director at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. But it saw a revival through yearly television broadcasts during an era where there were only three TV networks and about 30 million people were tuning in.

"By the time that my generation comes around in the '70s and '80s, it's grown year by year into this institution, this traditional screening that you watch at least once in the lead-up to Christmas with your family, and now it's just taken for granted that it's this established Christmas classic," he said.

A Christmas message from Santa

Nostalgia and tradition are important factors in the making of a classic, but so is the message of a film. An example is Miracle on 34th Street, by George Seaton.

In this favorite, also from 1947, a man who goes by the name Kris Kringle, played by Edmund Gwenn, takes a job as a department store Santa in New York City. He tries to remind the store's events director, a single mother played by Maureen O' Hara, that Christmas is more than just gifts and spending. It's a frame of mind.

The stress from Christmas commercialization is also the theme of animated holiday films produced for TV in the 1960s, such as A Charlie Brown Christmas; The Grinch that Stole Christmas, based on the Dr. Seuss book; and Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. These productions became so popular, they launched franchises of further installments. Eventually, Hitchcock said, they joined the pantheon of Christmas classics.

"Number one, they are really good. Number two, repetition, repetition, repetition. They did well the first year, so they bring it back the next year," he said. "The viewership is huge and it remains consistent year to year. One generation grows up on it, they have children, the next generation grows up on it."

In 1983, another classic was born. Set in the 1940s, Bob Clark's comedy A Christmas Story focuses on young Ralphie, who tries to convince his parents, and Santa, that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.

"That film directly engages with nostalgia and gently tweaks it," said Hitchcock. "There is a lot of '80s comedy sensibility woven into it that looks at this sepia-tone, '40s-'50s growing-up period. And it works fantastically well with A Christmas Story, and as you know, it has become just as much of an institution."

Not just carols and lights

Throughout the years, more film genres have been incorporated into the Christmas favorites list, such as horror and action films. Hitchcock offers the 1988 action flick Die Hard as an example. He said the film was a success because it was well done, and because of its Christmas scenes, many viewers connected it with the Christmas season, though it was not made exclusively for the holiday.

"So I think a great definition about a Christmas classic is the film I like to watch on Christmas, whether or not it is explicitly a Christmas film," he said.

As TV and online broadcast platforms multiply, so does competition for viewership, making it difficult for many of these films, especially the oldies, to reach the wide audiences they could boast of in the past. Hitchcock said curating these films in art theaters such as AFI Silver is one of the ways to safeguard their staying power, starting with It's A Wonderful Life.

"For many people, seeing it on the big screen is a novelty because they grew up with it as a television thing," he said. "And they are surprised how much more impactful it is when they come to see it in the theater on the big screen, and they cry. Some people know they are going to cry. Some people are surprised when they cry. It's that kind of movie."

It's a Christmas classic.
Darren Taylor

Johannesburgs bus stations are packed with people from all over Africa eager to leave South Africas biggest city to spend the holidays with their loved ones.

Many of the travelers are Zimbabweans, some who will be spending their first-ever festive season free of the shadow of Robert Mugabe.

The former president was removed by military action about a month ago, and replaced by former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Travelers mill about, waiting for buses and trains. Two of them are husband and wife Given and Janet Duri, both 32. They shuffle in a long queue.

Given says he moved to Johannesburg from Harare nine years ago to look for work.

I didnt realize; I thought theres a life in here, but  according to me I dont see anything (good)  I need to go back, start a new life again in my place.

MENIAL JOBS

Given says hes a qualified electrician, but has only been able to find informal employment guarding cars. Its a job he says he hates, because it forces him into contact with criminals.

They come to steal the cars this side, or break in peoples car windows, stealing the goods inside the car  Most of the time you mustnt come closer to the car; you have to give that person a little space, so that you can run and make a call (to the police)

Given and Janet find their seats on the bus. The vehicles driver plays some modern Zimbabwean music to relax his passengers. It doesnt work. Given explains that his parents died when he was a boy, but hes looking forward to spending Christmas with his siblings in Harare.

Ive got a brother, Ive got sisters; the sisters are married.

CHRISTMAS DAY

He says his brother told him that not much has changed in Zimbabwes capital since Mugabe disappeared, as he puts it. So, as usual, there wont be any luxuries around for the Duri family on Christmas Day.

For Christmas well be together. Twenty-five (25th), maybe well see where we can go; we can go out, yes and cheer I dont think well have money for presents because its difficult for us.

Given met Janet five years ago, when she was living rough in Johannesburg.

Its a lot of suffering here if you are a girl, let me say it like that.

For Janet, the South African rainbow is as washed out as her husbands jeans.

She says shes praying that the Zimbabwean economy will improve so shes able to move back to Harare.

NICE THINGS

Janet says she wishes she had some money at this time of the year to show her husband how much he means to her.

Wow! I will get him a nice thing to say thanks for getting me up (and away from the streets), because I thought I was going to die here, at Joburg. Its not easy.

At a time when millions of people around the world are relaxing, Janet says all she wants for Christmas is work.

Even if I can get a job that says, Youre going to start on January on these dates, I will say thats a great, great, great present for me.

The bus leaves on its 16-hour plus journey to Harare. The passengers are sweating; some are already sleeping.

Janet rubs her belly. Given reads an old newspaper. He flips a page and the headline reads, 2018: What To Expect. He studies it intently.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Consumer spending rose last month

U.S. consumer spending accelerated in November and shipments of key capital goods orders increased for the 10th straight month, data showed on Friday, the latest signs of strong momentum in the economy as the year winds down.

But the bullish growth picture was dimmed somewhat as the figures also showed household savings dropped last month to the lowest level in more than nine years. Low savings could hurt consumer spending, though economists are optimistic wage growth will pick up in the new year.

Economists see a modest lift to consumer spending from a $1.5 trillion tax cut package approved by the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress this week, in the largest overhaul of the nations tax code in 30 years.

Consumers are still out there spending, but their purchases are being supplemented by low energy costs, credit and a reduction in savings rather than organic income growth, said Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at Stifel Fixed Income in Chicago. Without sustained improvement in wages, consumers will struggle to maintain even todays moderate pace of consumption.

The Commerce Department said consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, rose 0.6 percent last month after gaining 0.2 percent in October. Spending last month was buoyed by an increase in demand for motor vehicles, recreational goods and utilities.

 Reuters

HOUSING

New-home sales jumped in November

Americans stepped up their purchases of new homes at the fastest pace in more than 25 years in November, with sales skyrocketing 17.5 percent amid robust demand and a continued shortage of existing homes on the market.

New-home sales last month jumped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 733,000 units compared with 624,000 in October, the Commerce Department said Friday. Thats the biggest monthly gain since January 1992 and the most homes sold in a month since July 2007, just months before the economic downturn.

The sharp upswing is a sign of the strong demand from would-be home buyers amid the strengthening economy. Sales of new homes can be volatile on a monthly basis, but purchases have climbed 9.1 percent year-to-date and outstripped the increase in construction of single-family houses.

The inventory of existing homes on the market has steadily fallen on an annual basis, while new construction has been unable to keep up with sales that are on their best annual pace since 2007.

 Associated Press

Also in Business

Ford chief executive Jim Hackett has apologized to employees for accusations detailed in a New York Times report that management at two Chicago plants did not respond adequately to complaints of sexual harassment. In an open letter on Thursday, Hackett described as "gut wrenching" his experience this week reading women's accounts of incidents that took place over many years.

Fiat Chrysler is recalling nearly 1.8 million Ram trucks mainly in North America because they can be shifted out of park without the driver's foot on the brake or possibly without the key in the ignition. The recall is mainly in North America and largely covers heavy-duty trucks. All have shifters on the steering column. FCA says it knows of seven injuries that may be related.

A federal judge on Friday overturned a $150 million verdict against pharmaceutical firm AbbVie that was the first to result from lawsuits claiming the company fraudulently misrepresented the risks of its testosterone replacement drug AndroGel. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly in Chicago ruled that the findings by the jury that rendered the verdict in July in favor of Oregon resident Jesse Mitchell were "logically incompatible."

Boeing is exploring a potential combination with Brazil's Embraer, setting the stage for a blockbuster deal that would fuel the U.S. aerospace giant's rivalry with Airbus SE in the highly competitive market for smaller jets. The options include a joint venture that would enable the companies to cross-sell their complementary lineups of commercial jets and negotiate better deals with suppliers, said a person familiar with the matter. Such a partnership would stop short of a politically risky takeover by Boeing.

 From news services
Dear Amy: My mother is a very hard-working and dedicated mother, but she has some very problematic views of the world. She assumes that refugees are going to terrorize our country and that women only gossip and tear each other down (for instance). The thing is, she is an immigrant herself from a Latin country.

When I explain to her how problematic her thinking is, she tells me one story about something she saw that backs up her claims.

I was privileged enough to graduate from a private liberal arts school (through scholarships). That experience opened my eyes to racism, sexism and other problems in our country and around the world.

I visit my mother once a week, and we read the newspaper together. We start a dialogue about the never-ending stories about sexual assault and police brutality, and it always ends in a fight.

I want to spend time with my mother, but its hard to listen to the things she says.

I think its important for me to explain to her what I know and have learned, but I also dont want to spend my evenings with her doing that.

How can I spend time with my mom and talk about these important issues without arguing?

Frustrated Daughter

Frustrated Daughter: You should table your impulse to educate your mother, for now, and spend your time together getting to know her as an adult.

Your mother is more than the sum of her opinions regarding current events. She is a person with a story of her own.

I love it that you read the newspaper together, but you two might need a new routine that promotes togetherness. This might sound hokey, but working on a giant jigsaw puzzle together comes to mind. As you hunch over the image, you can talk and catch up. Try asking open-ended questions and listening without correcting.

Some of what you are experiencing now is the real-life irony being played out when someone with a fancy diploma comes home and uses her privilege to try to change her parents. (I know because I did this, myself.)

Your mothers view of the world might never come around to your standard. But she might be offering you insights that you are too offended to recognize.

Instead of leaping in to correct her, you might say, I know what you think, but I dont know why you think the way you do. Can you explain?

Dear Amy: My husband and I shop at a wonderful grocery store that has self-dispensing machines for nuts, candies, chocolates, peanut butter and other nut butters. Underneath these machines is a tray. The shopper can take a pint plastic container to fill. Often some nuts or candies are spilled onto the tray.

While we were shopping in that aisle, an elderly woman scooped up a cup or so of pecans that were spilled on the tray, along with some chocolate candies. She put them in one of the stores plastic containers and put them in a large bag she carried. She said, They just throw these away, so I might as well take them.

What she did next blew us away. She picked up a plastic container lid and put it up to the peanut butter machine, scraping off the peanut butter from where it comes out of the machine. She licked the lid off, then used the same lid to scrape off the nut butters from the other two dispensers, licking the lid off after each one.

We were flabbergasted, but we did not know what to do. Should we have said something to her? Should we have told a store employee what happened?

Not Buying the Nut Butters

Not Buying the Nut Butters: In this age when some supermarkets have antibacterial wipes to use on the shopping cart, I can imagine some fairly serious consequences from essentially licking machine dispensers.

I would have let the nut filching go, but when it came to the nut butters, you could have said, Maam, please. Thats not sanitary.

Understand that this elderly person might have cognitive or other health problems affecting her behavior.

You should definitely have asked a clerk to assist after the fact.

Dear Amy: Upset objected to her Asian in-laws setting places at their holiday table for deceased relatives. Thank you so much for your educated and respectful advice! Families everywhere should embrace their cultural differences, so we can all learn from one another.

A Fan

Fan: Thank you. I completely agree.
Holiday Shoebox Gifts are stacked to the ceiling at So Others Might Eat on O Street NW. Each box contains articles of clothing and hygiene items for homeless people who come to SOME during the holidays. (John Kelly/THE WASHINGTON POST)

Columnist

Its the most wonderful time of the year. But some of the ways we mark the holiday season  exchanging gifts, settling in with family  are difficult to do when you have no money and you have no home.

Charities that work with people experiencing homelessness are well aware of this. Here's how the partners in The Washington Post Helping Hand try to make things a little more wonderful.

Getting cozy

"We have mothers who may be away from their children at Christmastime," said Kenyatta Brunson, director of programs at N Street Village, a charity that works with District women. "We have women that have experienced very traumatic situations and the holidays aren't always the happiest time of year. For some people, you might see an increase in depression."

N Street Village provides a much-needed sense of community. At Patricia Handy Place, the shelter N Street Village runs in Chinatown that can accommodate 213 women, the members of Tifereth Israel Congregation will provide a special lunch Monday.

At the charity's flagship location near Thomas Circle, Laurie Williams, N Street Village's kitchen manager, will cook a Christmas feast, with ham, brisket, sweet potatoes and rolls. "This is her gift to the women," Brunson said.

And every single woman in N Streets various programs will receive a pair of pajamas.

Said Brunson: Who doesnt want brand-new, cozy pajamas on a cold winter night? For some women, that might be the only gift they get.

To donate to N Street Village, visit posthelpinghand.com or make a check payable to "N Street Village" and mail it to: N Street Village, ATTN: Helping Hand, 1333 N St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20005.

Gingerbread dreams

In the days leading up to Christmas, storerooms and offices at So Others Might Eat on O Street NW start getting crowded with thousands of boxes, stacked liked colorful bricks. Theyre part of a SOME tradition called the Holiday Shoebox Gift.

Each box is stocked by donors with essential items: five articles of clothing (a hat, scarf, pair of gloves, pair of socks and pair of underwear), seven hygiene items (soap, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant and two razors), and for women, sanitary napkins or tampons.

The gifts are utilitarian, but Daryl Wright, director of food services, material donations and volunteer services at SOME, said clients appreciate them. They also enjoy the simple act of opening them.

I like that you get to rip off the paper and tear off the bow, Wright said. That brings back a fond memory from when your life was in a better place.

SOME serves breakfast and lunch all year, including on Christmas Day. The crowd on Christmas is smaller than on other days. The vans that ferry the homeless from shelters to SOME arent running.

Also, for the homeless population, Christmas may be one of the rare days when your family allows you to come home, Wright said.

For those who do come to SOME, there will be a live band and a double protein meal: glazed ham and oven-roasted turkey. And for afterward: On every table will be a do-it-yourself gingerbread house kit for clients to collaborate on.

To donate to So Others Might Eat visit posthelpinghand.com or make a check payable to "So Others Might Eat" and mail it to SOME, ATTN: Helping Hand, 71 O St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.

Shopping spree

There are many special events during the holidays at Bright Beginnings, a preschool for children in homeless families. At a Christmas party thrown by the Junior League of Washington, each child receives a gift bag that includes a book.

For cash-strapped parents who cant afford to give gifts, theres the holiday store. It illustrates how Bright Beginnings serves two generations.

"We try to make it look as much like a real store as possible," said Jeanay Bullock, workforce development manager at Bright Beginnings.

Toys are arranged in a room on the third floor of the Perry School on M Street NW.

At the beginning of the school year, the parents sign a parent contract, explained Bullock. The more activities a parent participates in, the more points he or she accrues.

You had to touch bases all over, said Bullock: going to parent-teacher meetings, attending the schools Literacy Night, taking advantage of job-placement workshops and other duties.

Said Bullock: Participation is incentivized.

Those parents who have accumulated at least 200 points may go to the holiday store and select toys and clothing for their children. This year, 87 of the 99 parents enrolled in the program did.

And to wrap things up? Parents get free wrapping paper, too.

To donate to Bright Beginnings, visit posthelpinghand.com or make a check payable to "Bright Beginnings" and send it to: Bright Beginnings, ATTN: Helping Hand, 128 M St. NW, Suite 150, Washington, D.C. 20001.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
A federal judge has temporarily barred the District from enforcing part of its recently passed law requiring cautionary labels on flushable wet wipes, saying the citys approach probably violates the First Amendment.

Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Friday issued a preliminary injunction that prevents officials from enforcing the law against a single wipes manufacturer, Kimberly-Clark. The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, can still be applied to other companies that were not involved in the lawsuit.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said he was surprised by the ruling, because courts have repeatedly upheld laws that mandate labels disclosing information such as the cancer risks of smoking or the sugar content of snacks.

Its no more of a First Amendment issue, I would think, than telling tobacco companies what they have to put on packages of cigarettes, Mendelson said.

Kimberly-Clark did not respond to requests for comment. D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine (D), whose office is defending the city in the suit, could not be reached for comment.

[Fight over flushable wipe labels heads to federal court]

Boasbergs 30-page written opinion struck a lighter note over the wipes controversy, which has become an unlikely crucible for broad questions about corporate speech, consumer rights and regulatory overreach.

Lurking beneath this citys streets lies a purported scourge of our sewer system, the ruling begins, invoking the threat of certain kinds of wet wipes that unwitting consumers might blithely flush but that bind together in the subterranean realm. He later added that his decision did not mean the Districts Protect Your Pipes campaign is a pipe dream.

The law is intended to remedy a problem city officials find far from amusing. The Districts sewer agency  and other utilities across the United States  say that wipes that do not disintegrate can clog the sewer system and attract grease and oils into pipe-obstructing fatbergs that cost tens of thousands of dollars to clear.

While the citys legislation does not ban such wipes, it requires them to pass a test to determine that they will properly dissolve in the sewer. If the product fails, its manufacturer must label the package with an indication that it should not be flushed.

Wipes have fueled a growing industry in recent years. Niche operators have sprung up, such as Dude Wipes, founded in 2011 by an all-male cohort of recent college graduates.

[D.C. law imposes new regulations on flushable wipe industry]

In its lawsuit, filed earlier this year, Kimberly-Clark alleged that the Districts law was unconstitutional because it sought to regulate businesses outside the city and would force companies that considered their wipes to be flushable to label them otherwise.

Boasberg found that the law likely treads impermissibly on the companys right to free speech.

While the courts have upheld the constitutionality of nutritional labels as well as other types, Boasberg noted, the facts on such labels were generally not in dispute.

By contrast, Kimberly-Clark maintained that its wet wipes could safely be flushed.

It is true that the FDA, for instance, could require Hostess to disclose the calorie count of Twinkies, even if the companys marketing arm might prefer otherwise, Boasberg wrote. But it cannot require that company to tell consumers its sugary treat should not be eaten nor ban it from labeling that product edible. 

Boasberg said that he would revisit the laws constitutionality after the District drafts regulations for specifics on what the labels it requires will look like and say.
Octavia Wolf and Blake Brooks lead a literary lesson at a summer program in Silver Spring, Md., in 2016. The Montgomery County school system lauds the program but is also planning to start extended-year schedules at two high-poverty schools. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

The number of students living in poverty has been rising in the Washington suburbs, and leaders in Montgomery Countys high-performing school system have looked for ways to boost their academic success.

One idea that has sparked growing interest: more days in class.

The sprawling suburb in Maryland plans to experiment with a longer school year  extending into mid- to late July at two high-needs elementary schools in 2018-2019. The plan aims to help economically disadvantaged students, who lose the most ground during long summer breaks.

Theres a lot of evidence that more time makes a difference in learning progression, and we want to see if we can do that effectively as part of the school year, Montgomery County Schools Superintendent Jack Smith said in an interview Wednesday.

The initiative comes as another sign of increasing diversity in a school system once regarded as largely affluent and white. Now, more than 55,000 of its students are from low-income families  about 20,000 more than a decade ago. Enrollment in the states largest school system is 32 percent Hispanic, 28 percent white, 21 percent black and 14 percent Asian.



Rising fourth-graders listen as assistant teacher Blake Brooks reads Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau at Sargent Shriver Elementary School in Silver Spring in July 2016. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

Details of the plan are being worked out, but officials say it would add four to five weeks to the school schedule, blend experiential learning with classroom instruction and involve changing the curriculum across the school year. It would start at two Silver Spring schools  Arcola Elementary and Roscoe Nix Elementary  and be expanded in two to three years if results warrant such action.

We think its an excellent idea and much, much needed, said Diego Uriburu, a longtime community leader and executive director of Identity Inc., a nonprofit organization that advocates for Latino youths in Montgomery County. It is something that was needed years ago.

Smith and others say the idea is to stave off summer learning loss and narrow achievement gaps that leave poor students lagging on measures of academic performance. Research shows that students from low-income families regress in math and reading during summer months.

I really do believe that a strategy for the achievement gap is more time in school, Board of Education member Patricia ONeill said. More time is better, especially for at-risk children.

Montgomery has had summer programs designed to help disadvantaged students, including one run by the nonprofit BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life). Montgomery district officials say it has produced strong results, and they are doubling its enrollment for summer 2018 to 2,100 seats.

[Are summer camps the next frontier in helping disadvantaged students catch up?]

But Smith said the district is also seeking more durable solutions that will not fall away if grants evaporate or funding dwindles.

At what point are we going to say that at least the schools most impacted by poverty need more time and it needs to be built in forever, not based on a grant? Smith said, describing conversations top officials have had for the past year and a half.

Nationally, large urban districts have experimented with extra learning time, especially in low-performing schools, as a way to narrow achievement gaps, said Jennifer Davis, co-founder of the National Center on Time and Learning at Harvard Universitys Graduate School of Education. But many districts have opted to lengthen school days rather than the school year because of cost, she said.

The big issue is time alone doesnt really matter; its how that time is used, she said.

Chester E. Finn Jr., president emeritus of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a right-leaning think tank in Washington, who also serves as vice president of the Maryland State Board of Education, said many charter schools around the country have had success with an extended school year and longer school days.

Its a necessary thing for a great many disadvantaged kids because they depend on school for their learning and dont get a great many academic resources in the rest of their lives, he said.

Byron Johns, education committee chair of the Montgomery County branch of the NAACP, described the idea as a proven concept with great promise for the county. But strong management and focus are important, he said, and he said he worries about the fallout of county budget pressures this year and in the future. The cost of extending the school year is being determined.

The programs that are there to support the disadvantaged kids will be the most vulnerable because there isnt the same kind of political pressure from the community, he said.

[Maryland school gives away more than 2,000 books to spur summer reading]

Lynne Harris, president of the countywide council of PTAs, said the plan makes sense in a school system that serves the haves and have-nots. Some families can afford pricey tutors or summer programs, and then we have a huge number of students in our communities who dont have that option, she said.

Montgomery officials have begun talks with teachers and other employees at the two elementary schools involved, and meetings with community members are planned for coming months.

In neighboring D.C. Public Schools, officials began to experiment with an extended schedule in 2015-2016, a trial that has been expanded to 13 schools at a cost of about $5 million a year, said D.C. schools spokeswoman Michelle Lerner.

While student absences shot up during the final weeks of the year  as other schools embarked on summer break  D.C. officials have been pleased with increases on standardized test scores, she said.

[Extended-year schools in D.C. put extra learning into the school year]

Garfield Elementary in Southeast Washington posted some of the most impressive gains: a nearly eight percentage points improvement in English across grades three to five after the first year and an improvement of 8.5 percentage points in math, Lerner said.

In Maryland, the extended-time plan would require a waiver from a state mandate  issued by Gov. Larry Hogan (R)  that classes start after Labor Day and end by June 15. But Montgomery officials note that the order allows exceptions for innovative schedules put in place at low-performing or at-risk schools.
Police say the driver of this 1997 Ford Crown Victoria had been drinking. (Montgomery County Police Department)

Police in Maryland say this was just the start of it: A 1997 Ford Crown Victoria, traveling in front of an officer early Friday morning, veered off a highway and struck a large traffic sign in Montgomery County.

Next: A wooden support post from the sign became impaled in the Fords front windshield, sticking up and back more than five feet, like a misplaced lance. Yet the driver kept going, refusing to stop even as lights and sirens flashed behind him.

He was lucky no one was killed, said Officer Rick Goodale, a Montgomery police spokesman.

The driver, Omar Rasharn Thompson, 42, eventually did stop, the post still sticking out of his car, Goodale said. Thompson was not injured, and he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The incident unfolded about 2:15 a.m. Friday as an officer from the Takoma Park Police Department  working as part of Montgomerys Alcohol Holiday Task Force  was westbound on the Intercounty Connector, north of Rockville.

The officer spotted the Crown Victoria driving on the grassy area to the right of the roadway, Goodale said.

Then the officer saw the car cross the westbound traffic lanes, travel into the median and strike the traffic sign. Thats when a wooden support post from the sign became lodged in the front windshield of the Ford, Goodale said.

The officer activated his lights and siren, following the Crown Victoria as it exited the ICC onto Shady Grove Road, where the car pulled over.

Thompson could not immediately be reached to comment.

Over a recent five-week stretch, officials say, the Alcohol Holiday Task Force made 150 arrests of drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both.

And a few days ago, while investigators in the county were working a traffic fatality involving a suspected drunk driver, police said two additional drunk drivers rolled up to the scene and were cited for driving under the influence of alcohol.
A federal judge Friday ordered a former Blackwater Worldwide security contractor to remain in a federal prison while awaiting retrial after a federal appeals court threw out his first-degree murder conviction in shootings that killed 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdads Nisour Square in 2007.

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the District of Columbia set a retrial date for June for Nicholas A. Slatten, 33, of Sparta, Tenn. Slatten has been in prison in Sumterville, Fla., serving a mandatory life sentence since his October 2014 conviction, and the evidence in that case weighed against his pretrial release, the judge said.

[Four Blackwater guards found guilty in 2007 Iraq shootings of 31 unarmed civilians]

Lamberth noted that he heard weeks of testimony at Slattens trial that spoke to his danger to the community. In addition, the defendant now knows that the evidence presented at trial was strong enough for a jury to convict  a fact that speaks to whether he is a greater flight risk.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Aug. 4 threw out the initial verdict, saying that the trial court had erred in not allowing Slatten to be tried separately from co-defendants, even though one of them said he, not Slatten, had fired the shots that killed the first civilian victim, leading a team of U.S. security contractors to open fire indiscriminately on vehicles and pedestrians in a crowded traffic circle. The shootings marked one of the lowest points of the U.S. war in Iraq.

[Murder conviction in Blackwater case thrown out, other sentences overturned]

Slattens attorneys had asked that he be released on his own recognizance, with restrictions on travel and possessing firearms, while a new trial was pending. They said those terms would have been appropriate because his prison record was free of disciplinary action and he had spent nearly six years living under similar terms between the time he was first charged in December 2008 and his conviction.

Against this backdrop of Slattens continued cooperation and a new trial at which he will be entitled to present the evidence of his innocence to a jury, the government cannot demonstrate that Slatten is a greater flight risk than before these positive developments, wrote Steven Fredley, one of Slattens attorneys, in a filing.

Prosecutors urged Slattens continued detention, saying his incentive to flee has only increased now that he knows a jury has convicted him and that one can do so again.

Slatten is an extremely dangerous person who believes that some human beings  particularly Iraqis  are no more than animals, and that he is willing to act on those beliefs by committing murder, Assistant U.S. Attorneys T. Patrick Martin and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez wrote to the court. They said his history of threats, assaults, and misuse of firearms during the pendency of this case also show that he is a dangerous individual who does not submit to authority.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Martin of the District had said the government anticipated a six-week case with 50 witnesses, including about 15 from Iraq. Lamberth set a trial date of June 11, 2018.

Prosecutors at Slattens trial accused him of firing the first shots in the civilian massacre, in which Paul A. Slough, 35, Evan S. Liberty, 32, and Dustin L. Heard, 33, were also sentenced to 30 years plus one day after being convicted of multiple counts of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter.

The appeals court in a split decision also ordered the three others to be resentenced, saying their constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment had been violated when they received an enhanced penalty of a 30-year mandatory minimum prison term for their use of military firearms while committing a felony.

The September 2007 shootings, which also wounded 17 people and fomented deep resentments about the accountability of American security personnel, came during one of the bloodiest periods of the Iraq War and made the name of Blackwater  then one of the countrys most profitable and politically connected security firms  shorthand for unaccountable U.S. power.
Buckley Kuhn-Fricker was so disturbed by what she discovered about her teenage daughters boyfriend that she spent a tumultuous week pushing for a breakup. By Thursday, she texted a friend saying the outspoken Neo Nazi was out of their lives.

But just hours later, the family said that the 17-year-old boyfriend had shot and killed Kuhn-Fricker, 43, and her husband, Scott, 48, in their Reston, Va., home. It happened around 5 a.m. Friday, while the couple's children and relatives were inside. They had gathered to celebrate the Christmas holiday.

The teen, who shot himself and is in critical condition at a hospital, was charged with two counts of murder Saturday after police spent Friday investigating at the large, single-family home decorated with Christmas wreaths and snowflakes. The Washington Post generally does not name juveniles charged with crimes unless they are charged as adults. The family of the teen, who is from Lorton, declined to comment.

Fairfax County police would not offer a motive for the double slaying, but family members and friends tied it directly to the couples struggle to keep hate out of their home, as one friend put it. They agreed to talk about the efforts because they said it was important to expose what happened.

Friends and family said Kuhn-Fricker, who owned an elder-care business, was tolerant and passionate about civil rights and social justice, so she put her foot down after discovering alarming tweets and Twitter messages she believed were connected to her 16-year-old daughters boyfriend after looking at the girls phone. She believed the messages were posted under an assumed name.

On Sunday night, Kuhn-Fricker alerted the principal of the Fairfax County private school that her daughter and the boyfriend attend, attaching numerous images of the account that had retweeted missives praising Hitler, supporting Nazi book burnings, calling for white revolution, making derogatory comments about Jews and featuring an illustration of a man hanging from a noose beneath a slur for gay people.

In private Twitter messages, the account Kuhn-Fricker attributed to the boyfriend responded to a photo of a candy shop that featured a display of a dreidel by writing, ima run in there with my swastika armband right now.

I would feel a little bad reporting him if his online access was to basically be a normal teen, but he is a monster, and I have no pity for people like that, Kuhn-Fricker wrote in the email. He made these choices. He is spreading hate.

The Post could not independently confirm that the accounts were tied to the boyfriend. A friend with whom Kuhn-Fricker shared the email provided it to The Post.

Kuhn-Fricker wrote that her daughter told her over the summer that the boyfriend was very good at history and that her daughter asked, Did you know that Jews are partly to blame for WWII?

Janet Kuhn, Kuhn-Frickers mother, said that her daughter told her she believed the boyfriend was trying to indoctrinate the girl with white-supremacist ideas. Kuhn and friends said the girl spent hours on the phone with the boyfriend, often just listening to him talk.

The pair began dating in June.

Friends described it as a passionate relationship that quickly deepened. In the email to the principal, Kuhn-Fricker said her daughter grew so upset in recent weeks when she told her to stop seeing the boyfriend the teenager refused to eat.

We cant allow her to see someone associated with Nazis, a friend who spoke on the condition of anonymity recalled Kuhn-Fricker saying. We dont associate with hate groups in our house.

Janet Kuhn said the family staged an intervention with her granddaughter on Wednesday, taking her to the District to a friends house to try to convince her to stay away from the boyfriend. There was anger, crying and a long discussion about the Nazis, she said, but the teenager eventually agreed it was in her best interests to end the relationship.

After the girl broke it off, Kuhn-Fricker texted a friend Thursday night, saying she had sent the following message to the boyfriends mother: [The boyfriend] was sneaking into our house at night . . . and is an outspoken Neo Nazi. These things render any legal redemption void.

Repeated efforts to obtain comments from the boyfriends family were unsuccessful.

A woman who answered the phone at one number associated with the teens family hung up when called by a reporter. A woman who answered another number linked to the family declined to comment. A man who later answered the same number hung up when reached by The Post.

Janet Kuhn said her daughters last Facebook post came late Thursday night. Her daughter put up a famous quote commonly attributed to the Irish philosopher and statesman Edmund Burke.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing, it read.

Janet Kuhn thinks it was a reference to the situation with her granddaughter.

Her daughter had also asked for recommendations of documentaries about World War II that the family could watch together.

Janet Kuhn said that a detective revealed that her daughter and son-in-law went to check on her granddaughter in the early hours of Friday morning, after possibly hearing a sound.

The parents discovered the boyfriend in their daughters bedroom, according to the detectives account.

Scott Fricker yelled at the boyfriend to get out of the house and to never return, Janet Kuhn said the detective told her.

At that point, the boyfriend pulled out a gun and shot both parents, the detective told Janet Kuhn.

The boyfriend then shot himself in the head, Janet Kuhn said.

Police would not respond to the familys comments.

Janet Kuhn said her daughter grew up in McLean, Va. She attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, before getting a law degree from the University of Denver.

Kuhn-Fricker became interested in elder issues because her mother was an elder-law attorney.

She started Buckleys, her elder-care company, in 2005 and wrote a book about the topic. Friends said she could have charged more for her services, but genuinely wanted to help the elderly.

She was interested in politics and had served as a precinct captain for the Obama campaign, a friend said.

Scott Fricker had a doctorate and worked at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Janet Kuhn said. Janet Kuhn described him as a wonderful, loving and engaged father.

The pair were married in 2005.

Kuhn said that her daughter had an adult son, who lives on his own.

The teenage daughter and a 10-year-old son live in the Reston home. The two older children are from Kuhn-Frickers first marriage, Kuhn said.

Friends and family wondered if the resurgence of hate groups in the country, represented by events like the deadly protest in Charlottesville over the summer, have emboldened those with racially divisive ideas.

Im in shock, Janet Kuhn said. I havent been able to cry yet.

Peter Hermann and Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.
One year after Metro fired 16 track workers for allegedly falsifying inspection reports, their cases have gone to binding arbitration, and Metro's largest union is suing the transit agency  accusing it of stalling the arbitration process.

In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Virginia, attorneys for the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 said Metro is demonstrating a refusal to participate in the arbitration proceedings.

The union wants the court to instruct arbitrators to consider all 16 cases as one group grievance  the equivalent of a class-action lawsuit. But Metros lawyers argue that the arbitration board does not have the power to require that the 16 disparate cases be considered as one entity.

And though the lawsuit centers on a technical question within the arbitration process, its the first public acknowledgment that the high-profile case of the fired track inspectors has reached binding arbitration, a common practice in disagreements between Metro and union officials that has served as a political flash point in recent years.

Some politicians have argued that arbitrators usually side with the union, amping up the costs to taxpayers or offering second chances to poorly performing workers. Others would support more long-term funding to Metro if binding arbitration is eliminated, though a recent funding bill floated by Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) stops short of that requirement.

[Dec. 4: Rep. Comstocks bill would give Metro more federal money in exchange for reform board and controls on labor costs.]

Still, if the terminated track inspectors are rehired by Metro, it could bring more scrutiny to the agency and its embattled union.

Metro spokesman Dan Stessel declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The 16 track inspectors at issue were terminated after an investigation into the July 2016 derailment at East Falls Church station, which resulted in several minor injuries and more than $1 million in damage to the tracks and train.

The derailment was caused by a train that skidded off the rails because the tracks had spread too wide, a defective condition that usually happens after years of inattention and postponed repairs.

Metro has accused the 16 track inspectors of fabricating measurements on track inspection reports in the months before the derailment. Managers also fired five supervisors, who are not represented by ATU Local 689. In total, one-third of Metros track inspection department was terminated, and others were disciplined.

[Jan. 26: One-third of Metros track inspection department has been fired for falsifying records, Wiedefeld confirms]

But union representatives point out that Metro has provided no proof that the workers who were fired had maintained the section of track where the derailment occurred.

They also argue that workers did not receive adequate training.

In the lawsuit filed last week, the unions lawyers assert that Metros track inspection program was designed to keep the trains running, not to shut down stretches of track for safety maintenance.

 . . . WMATA is scapegoating these workers for insufficient track inspection which was intentionally designed by WMATA so as to avoid speed restrictions and immediate repair costs, read court documents filed by the workers. The culture and practice in track inspection has been to file routine reports and to discourage reporting problems which might disrupt rail operation.

The lawsuit also included an account from one terminated track inspector, John Evans, who wrote that he was never properly trained on that protocol for track inspections.

Only had 1 day of training on how to perform switch inspection and had to learn procedures in the field on my own or from senior track personnel, Evans wrote in his grievance document.

He also said he did not have access to Metros digital database of track inspection reports, suggesting that he would not have been able to copy-and-paste the measurements from previous months.

WMATA never showed proof of accurate measurement that would prove my work inaccurate or . . . that my documents were falsified, the track worker wrote.

The unions lawyers also argue that the terminations were illegitimate, because the employees were fired more than six months after the date of their alleged wrongdoings  exceeding the statue of limitations laid out in Metros contract with the union.

[May 2: Fired track workers sue Metro for discrimination, hostile work environment]
In this Oct. 20, 2016, file photo, Metro Board members Jack Evans, Thomas Bulger, Kathy Porter and Jennifer Ellison and General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld listen as World Bank janitor Justino Gomez testifies about the hardship it would create if Metro closes early. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

Shortly after joining Metros board of directors, David Horner pulled Chairman Jack Evans aside to share a candid observation during an executive session.

I dont get it, Horner, an appointee of U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, told Evans. You people get along  you work things out.

I dont see any acrimony on the board that you could characterize as dysfunctional, Horner said.

Horner was perplexed, because in the five months since he joined the board, the panels performance has been the target of intensifying attacks from numerous regional leaders and elected officials, including the governors of Virginia and Maryland.

Many would-be Metro reformers are demanding a drastic overhaul of the board as a condition for providing it with the hundreds of millions in additional funding the agency says it needs by July.

[Gov. Terry McAuliffe proposes higher taxes in Northern Virginia to support Metro]

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has included $150 million in annual dedicated funding for Metro in his final budget, but one of the conditions is that the 16-member board be scrapped and replaced by a five-member reform panel. Its one of the key recommendations in a report, commissioned by McAuliffe, from former U.S. transportation secretary Ray LaHood.

The proposal is contingent on Maryland and the District providing their share of dedicated funding as well.

[Rep. Comstocks bill would give Metro more federal money in exchange for reform board and controls on labor costs]

Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) introduced legislation this month that would boost a federal grant to Metro by 50 percent, but it also would require a new five-member reform board, in addition to other changes.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has repeatedly called for Evans to be ousted. And a bill from Maryland Democrats would increase the state's contribution to Metro by $125 million annually  provided the District and Virginia do the same. But it would require that the state's transportation secretary or another official from the department serve as one of Maryland's Metro board members.

But Horner, fellow federal appointee Steve McMillin and other members said elected officials are acting on outdated perceptions of the board.

Maybe the jurisdictions use the board as a forum for some as proxies for whatever dispute theyre having over regional funding, McMillin said. When were sitting down and actually debating and trying to resolve questions, the individuals work together quite well.

Members said this board is far removed from where it was two years ago, when it was undone by new appointees disdain and distrust of leadership they viewed as ineffective. For nearly a year, bickering and turmoil on the previous board effectively paralyzed the transit agency as it struggled to deal with the fatal LEnfant Plaza smoke incident, the hiring of a new general manager, increased federal scrutiny, numerous safety lapses and chronic service disruptions.

[Mutual disdain split Metro board: Youve got your head in the sand.]

In interviews last week, board members from Maryland, the District, Virginia and the federal government said regional leaders focus on governance as a primary cause of Metros problems is misplaced compared with the larger funding and financial issues the agency faces. The agency would be better served, they say, if Hogan, McAuliffe and others focused on dedicated funding, financial reforms and labor issues.

Its a perception left over from another era, Evans said of the view that the Metro board is an urgent problem to be solved. Its Terry McAuliffe continuing to harp on the fact this board couldnt hire a general manager. Well, we hired Paul Wiedefeld two years ago! We. Hired. Paul. Wiedefeld. So how can people stand up and say Paul Wiedefeld is the best thing since sliced bread, and the board is terrible when we hired him and we support everything he does?

[Maryland Democrats to propose Metro funding bill, and Hogans initial response is positive]

Local business leaders as well as elected officials in Maryland and Virginia counter that years of lax oversight and financial irresponsibility led them to conclude that the 16-member board  consisting of two voting and two alternate members each from Maryland, Virginia, the District and the federal government  is mired in parochialism and overly complex. Under LaHoods plan, Chao, Hogan, McAuliffe and D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) would each appoint one board member, who would collectively select a chair.

Asked why scrapping the board is necessary, Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne said: To give the comfort to the public, through a visible sign . . . that something has changed.

The board did what it did  for many years, it didnt do its job. And now were asking bonding agencies and the public to say, Its okay now, were just giving it much more money,  Layne said. When youre asking legislators to vote, to put up more money, theyre going to want to see something tangible. And Im not saying its fair or not fair, thats just where we are today.

Hogan spokesman Doug Mayer rejected board members view that the panel is not the problem.

Theyre the only people who believe that, he said. Its not every single person on the board is bad. Its more that theres just too many of them. And there are some bad actors  and Jack Evans is one of them.

[In reversal, Hogan offers $500 million extra for Metro if Virginia, D.C. and feds match it]

Hogan has repeatedly called for Evans to resign, including accusing him of "extortion tactics" after Evans threatened this fall to veto a critical Purple Line land transfer if Maryland didn't approve a committee restructuring favored by Evans. Evans argued that Maryland was "out of line" when it opposed the measure supported by the other jurisdictions. The resolution passed in October, minus a provision Maryland opposed that would have shifted the board's calendar to match Metro's fiscal year  potentially extending Evans' term by six months.

Despite state officials reservations with the board, Maryland officials also have questioned whether LaHoods reform board proposal could be achieved without reopening Metros governing compact, a lengthy and likely messy process officials want to avoid. Mayer said Hogan supports any board reform proposal thats legally viable. But, Mayer added, the fact of the matter is Metro needs money, and they need it now.

Emeka Moneme, deputy executive director of the Federal City Council, an influential business group, said governance reforms are meant to ensure the board doesnt slip back into its old ways.

A lot of the changes on governance are How do you create a sustainable balance on governance thats not completely dependent on personality?  said Moneme, whose group supports a reform board.

In a statement, Bowsers office said a reform board without dedicated funding will not deliver safety, reliability and capacity. Bowser supports funding and governance reform concurrently.

In the meantime, we trust the Evans-Wiedefeld leadership team will continue to make progress on restoring safety and reliability, Bowser chief of staff John Falcicchio said.

Board members say they have brought new scrutiny to Metro and supported tough decisions, including truncated service hours, service cuts and fare increases that proved unpopular with thousands of riders. Fourteen of 15 seated members approved a Sense of the Board proposal endorsing dedicated funding.

I cant think of a thing [Wiedefeld has] wanted to do which we havent supported, Evans said, including cutting late-night hours, which was very against my political best interests.

Board members also point out that the agency has delivered clean audits in consecutive years. And Metro statistics show improving reliability. Board member Christian Dorsey, who represents Arlington County, said LaHoods five-member board would not tangibly alter Metros course.

For those of us who do the work, its a facile argument  one thats extremely disappointing  for people to think that shrinking the number just to five does anything to move the agency forward, said Dorsey, who also serves on the Arlington County Board. For anyone to say A-ha  Ive got the solution, its a five-member board, its incredibly infuriating, actually.

Board member Michael Goldman, who often clashed with Evans over such issues as late-night service, the Purple Line land transfer and the board restructuring, said the need for funding far outweighs the need for governance changes. Goldman, who joined the board in 2013 to represent Maryland, described todays board as a quantum leap forward from those in the past.

Its a much more cohesive board. Its a better-functioning board, he said.

Carol Carmody, a former board member who represented the federal government, also questioned the focus on governance.

It calls to mind the old syndrome of worrying about the size of the table and not the issues placed on it, said Carmody, who was replaced when Chao made her appointments this summer.

Evans said a board that didnt have occasional disagreements would be criticized as a rubber stamp for management.

Acknowledging one concern, Dorsey said officials should explore a mechanism to do away with the jurisdictional veto, which requires at least one member each from Maryland, Virginia and the District to approve a resolution before it can be enacted.

You sort of know that as a fallback you can either force a conversation or not participate in a conversation because youve got that veto  thats really a negative incentive to regionalism, Dorsey said.

Evans acknowledges that the board is entering 2018 with uncertainty. In addition to the dueling reform proposals, two prominent officials  Hogan and Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.) want him to resign. And with officer elections approaching, some board members, including Goldman and Dorsey, say its time for a change in leadership.

The vote, typically held in January, has not been scheduled.

The fact of the matter is that every plan out there calls for the board to be disbanded, Evans said. So whats going to happen? Does it make sense to reorganize now if were not going to be here next month? Or are we going to be here next month? How does a board like ours operate under that situation?

Martine Powers and Robert McCartney contributed to this report.
IRAQ

Shiite paramilitaries deploy to Syria border

Iraqi Shiite paramilitary groups have deployed to the frontier to back up border guard forces who came under fire from within Syria over the past three days, one of their commanders said Friday.

There was no immediate word on who opened fire from Syrian territory, but forces arrayed against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria expect the group will resort to guerrilla warfare after losing its urban bastions.

After several Iraqi border guard positions came under several attacks by missiles, and backup from security forces was late, the 13th brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) was deployed and targeted the origins of the launch, Qassem Mesleh, the PMF commander for west Anbar, said in a statement.

An Iraqi military spokesman confirmed the deployment. Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasoul said it was temporary, however, and very normal.

 Reuters

UNITED NATIONS

Israel to quit UNESCO over attacks on state

Israel has announced it is leaving the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, citing the agencys systematic attacks on the Jewish state.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said Friday that the decision was based on UNESCOs attempts to disconnect Jewish history from the land of Israel. He said that the official letter of departure will be submitted before the years end and that Israel will leave the organization by the end of 2018.

Israeli officials have long complained of perceived anti-Israel bias within the United Nations, where the country and its allies are far outnumbered by Arab nations and their backers.

The United States withdrew from UNESCO this year citing similar reasons.

Recent resolutions by the organization outraged many Israelis who viewed them as diminishing deep Jewish ties to Jerusalem and the biblical city of Hebron.

 Associated Press

Trains collide near Vienna, injuring several: Two passenger trains collided Friday near Vienna, injuring several people, authorities said. The trains, one regional and the other local, collided near the station in Kritzendorf, north of the Austrian capital, a little before 6 p.m. Two cars overturned, and a third was leaning. The trains were traveling in the same direction when they derailed, leaving four people seriously injured and four others hurt.

Poland gives large sum to preserve Jewish cemetery: The Polish government donated $28 million to restore and protect a major Jewish cemetery in Warsaw, one of the country's largest public contributions toward preserving the Jewish culture nearly wiped out in the Holocaust. The Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery is the resting spot of 250,000 Polish Jews  writers, rabbis, philanthropists, scholars, bankers and regular citizens who once belonged to a vibrant community that made up a third of Warsaw's population before World War II.

15th U.N. peacekeeper dies of wounds from Congo attack: The U.N. mission in Congo said another peacekeeper has died of wounds suffered in the deadliest attack on U.N. peacekeepers in almost 25 years. The mission, known as MONUSCO, said on Twitter that the death brings the toll to 15 Tanzanian peacekeepers killed in the hours-long Dec. 7 rebel attack on a U.N. base in eastern Congo. The attack has been blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces, one of dozens of armed groups that roam the mineral-rich region.

 From news services
The Dec. 12 Metro article "Student: Sitting for pledge led to ejection" reminded me of a 1958 incident at Northwestern High School in Prince George's County. My classmate Bobby Watson, a member of the American Civil Liberties Union, would discreetly step outside his homeroom during the Lord's Prayer. No one yelled at him or yanked him back to his chair, but he was not invited to join the National Honor Society  despite excellent grades and good character. The next year, the faculty members saw the error of their ways and invited him to join. When he refused, one teacher asked me and a friend to persuade him to join us. He still refused, and I've always admired him for that.

Trish Savage, Washington
Kenneth W. Starr, a former U.S. solicitor general and federal judge, served as independent counsel in the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky investigations during the Clinton administration.

In recent days, the drumbeat of criticism directed at Robert S. Mueller III and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein has become deafening. I continue to believe in the honor and integrity of both men, whom I not only know well but also served with during a period of years. But neither the special counsel nor the deputy attorney general have been served well by key personnel. To the contrary, recent revelations of deep-seated bias against President Trump within the Mueller staff call for both a thoroughgoing reevaluation of the executive branch's approach and a fundamental reset.

I understand the concerns forcefully articulated by the presidents allies about political bias. Throughout my service as Whitewater independent counsel during the Clinton years, my colleagues and I were continually branded as partisan Republicans, part of Hillary Clintons vaunted vast right-wing conspiracy.

In truth, my colleagues were a mixed bunch politically. A number had voted for Bill Clinton in 1992, and I didnt ask, ever, about party affiliation. As I see it, Rosenstein is right to flag First Amendment considerations when pressed about the Mueller teams one-sidedness in their virulently anti-Trump political leanings. But what has been revealed thus far implicates the integrity of the entire process. Unfortunately, in these hyperpartisan times, Mueller has chosen poorly by having smart but deeply politicized senior aides.

The cascading revelations of anti-Trump bias should give all fair-minded observers pause. The appearance of politically inspired prejudice of power-wielding investigators and prosecutors has taken hold in the public consciousness. Calls are increasingly heard for appointment of yet another special counsel. Other voices suggest creating an ad hoc, temporary position within the Justice Department to examine the landscape of Justice-FBI actions in the chaotic events of Campaign 2016, including recently revealed connections to the infamous Fusion GPS dossier.

What to do? From my perspective, the answer lies not in appointing more special counsels or anointing an internal senior counsel. Dont go there.

First, I join my friend Alan Dershowitz in decrying the heavy overreliance on the criminal-justice system. We need to move toward decriminalizing presidential politics, relying instead on basic policy and legal measures, such as disclosure and anti-bribery laws.

Second, as to process, the Mueller experience reminds us that any special counsel  even a Vietnam veteran boasting an impeccable record of service in the administration of justice  will sooner or later be subject to withering, confidence-eroding attacks. So, too, will any senior counsel armed with a broad mandate to examine the FBIs handling of the Hillary Clinton investigation and the launch of the Trump inquiry. Among other impediments to getting the truth-finding job done, either a special counsel or senior counsel would have to set up an office, secure personnel and otherwise create what would be, in effect, a start-up operation. That takes time.

All things considered, the best way forward in our separation-of-powers system is suggested by our basic structure of government. Its time for the Article I branch  the legislature  to step up and carry on more effectively its historic role of truth-seeking oversight. Specifically, its time to consider the appointment of a bipartisan Select Committee, preferably in the Senate, with highly experienced, respected members chosen by the majority and minority leaders. This is the Watergate model. The Select Committees mandate would be broad  to examine all issues relating to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and to open the hearings to the fullest extent practicable.

History shows the wisdom of repairing to the institutions ordained at the American Founding. The Watergate Select Committee uncovered the Nixon tapes; during the Clinton years, a House committee uncovered the FBI files scandal. To amend Alexander Hamilton's insight about the executive branch, at this time in our history the country needs "energy in the Congress." Of course, it's harder to imagine pulling this off in these hyperpartisan times. But that's our system. We should use it.

Whatever the mechanism, congressional deference to the executive branch  whether its conduct of criminal investigations or of internal ethics inquiries  should be jettisoned. As the months roll by, the primary goal should be comprehensive truth-finding and prompt reporting to the American people. The executive branchs operations are particularly ill-suited to achieving those compelling goals.

For this to happen will require a fundamental  and unwelcome  reset within the halls of the executive branch. Both the Justice Department and FBI need to voluntarily  without threats of contempt proceedings  embrace the reset.

Its high time for the U.S. government to embrace the Louis Brandeis solution: sunshine as the great disinfectant. The Justice Department and the FBI should amend their Article II executive-branch playbook of internal review (through the inspector general) and substitute a radically reformed policy of full cooperation with Capitol Hill.

This is the time for the FBI and Justice Department to err on the side of credibility  restoring disclosure and cooperation with Congress. In the process, Mueller will do well to assure the American people that he has Marine-like command over a fundamentally honest criminal-justice process, where investigators and prosecutors leave their politics at the door. Honor needs to be restored to the battlefield.
Columnist

As a functional obsessive-compulsive, Im never happier than at years end when I get to make lists. Herewith, my picks for the most important stories of 2017:

This year my list is short: "Fake News"  from which all cursings flow.

Not only has the presidents frequent fake news defense against any story he dislikes helped codify the idea that the media, especially CNN, the New York Times and The Post, seek only to misinform, but also this strategic deception has created a volunteer class of the arrogantly ignorant.

While such consistent dishonesty is annoying, my greater concern is for the future of the republic. The health of our democratic system of government relies at least somewhat upon a reasonably well-informed citizenry. When truth is relative, facts are fungible and the loudest voice wins the day, why, anyone really can become president.

How do journalists combat the rallying cry of the president himself? It's impossible to argue with a fool or a liar. It is also difficult to convince people of one's earnestness or commitment to standards if they fundamentally don't care. In exasperation, one can be tempted to say such things as "Democracy Dies in Darkness," which happens to be the rather self-regarding slogan emblazoned on The Post's front page  and also happens to be true.

Art, it seems, has come to the rescue. Voila: "The Post."

Among the many reasons to love Steven Spielberg's new movie is that "The Post" may be the best rebuttal yet to the "fake news" mantra. It's the story of the publication of parts of the Pentagon Papers, a classified history of the Vietnam War, which revealed that three presidents (John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard M. Nixon) had lied persistently about the war and its human toll. The New York Times actually broke the story but was forced to cease publishing under a Justice Department injunction, which ultimately was reversed by the Supreme Court in 1971.

The injunction, nevertheless, provided The Post an opportunity to intercept the ball and run with it, publishing excerpts from its own subsequently acquired copy of the documents. The movie traces the partnership of Publisher Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) and Executive Editor Benjamin C. Bradlee (Tom Hanks) as they struggle with the decision to publish the papers.

Much of the focus is on Graham, who assumed control of The Post after her husband and co-owner, Philip L. Graham, committed suicide in August 1963  hardly a tepid time to be in the news business. Although the paper has long been considered a Graham family enterprise, it was Katharine Graham's father, Eugene Meyer, who bought the paper in 1933 at a bankruptcy auction, eventually handing over the reins to his son-in-law.

Underlying the story of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers was an unsubtle, feminist subtext that will be familiar to women of a certain age. In 1963, Kay Graham was the only woman in the boardroom and one of only a few women when she glided through the newsroom. Thus, this wife-turned-publisher not only had to face business challenges for which she was ill-prepared, including a risky public offering, but also had to convince skeptical men that she was up to the job. Her fear, convincingly portrayed and palpably disabling at times, was an obstacle to overcome, which she did with the help of the fearless Bradlee, the warrior-editor who was Hollywood long before Hanks (or Jason Robards in the 1976 Oscar winner All the Presidents Men) played him.

Pivotal in Grahams transformation was the decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, which was portrayed as torturous owing to two concurrent problems: One, she feared the banks would abandon her during the then-imminent public offering; and, two, former defense secretary Robert McNamara, who had commissioned the study that became known as the Pentagon Papers, was one of her dearest friends.

Both she and Bradlee, who had been close to Kennedy, were forced to choose between loyalty to friends  and the truth. Their respective struggles with this essential question was, for me, the essence of the film. At one point, Bradlee, apparently hurt that Kennedy had lied to him, reflects on the inherent tension between being friends with newsmakers and his responsibility to report news.

The message embedded therein is that facts and truth matter most of all. In newsrooms where real-life journalists pursue both, the very real struggles on view in The Post are replicated every day. There may be less drama, but the stakes are just as high. In a time of fake news, darkness settles when people can no longer tell the difference.

Read more from Kathleen Parker's archive, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.
An earlier version of this editorial incorrectly implied that legislation by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) did not include a warrant exemption for emergency cases. Their bill requires warrants in most cases. This version has been updated.

CONGRESS MANAGED to scrape together the votes to keep the government open over the holidays. But when lawmakers return to Washington in January, they will find a long to-do list: long-term funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program, which expired after September; protection for the nearly 700,000 young undocumented "dreamers" who otherwise face deportation beginning in March; support for a destabilized Affordable Care Act; and a longer-term government spending bill. What's more, the clock is ticking down toward the expiration of a crucial national security program that urgently requires congressional reauthorization.

The legislation, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, gives the National Security Agency the authority to eavesdrop on communications of non-Americans located overseas. By necessity, that includes the communications of the people they were speaking with, as well  whats known as incidental collection, and which sometimes includes Americans. Controversially, the FBI can search that incidentally collected information without a warrant in the course of a criminal investigation.

The intelligence community argues that Section 702 is critically important to Americans' security and that letting it lapse, even for a short period, could be catastrophic. With the program about to run out on New Year's Eve, it's a relief that Congress was able to fold a short-term reauthorization into the stopgap spending bill. Section 702 now has firm congressional authorization through Jan. 19.

Because of a legal loophole, the government says it can actually keep the program running through late April, when a court order granted under the existing statute will expire. But that's no reason for Congress not to tackle reauthorization as soon as lawmakers regroup after the holidays. A program of this importance needs to be able to operate with certainty. And collection under Section 702 can't simply be switched off; the NSA will need to know well in advance of the April deadline whether it has to start shutting things down.

The short-term January authorization preserves Section 702 exactly as is. In the long term, however, Congress should reform the statute to limit the FBIs ability to conduct warrantless searches for Americans data in Section 702-collected information. While the government emphasizes that these searches are conducted with rigorous oversight, such power still raises privacy concerns.

Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), both strong privacy advocates, have introduced a bill requiring warrants in most cases. Their concerns are valid, but the potential dangers of such an approach must also be taken into account. The more prudent path would be to allow carve-outs to the warrant requirement in certain circumstances, such as in the case of intelligence investigations and a wider range of emergency situations. Bipartisan legislation proposed by the House Judiciary Committee takes this approach.

Congress can and should take the necessary time to debate the merits of various means of protecting privacy while maintaining the nations security. In the post-Edward Snowden age, its to everyones benefit for the intelligence agencies to operate on the basis of clear, bipartisan authority deserving of the American peoples trust  not haphazard legislation thrown together at the last minute.
Govt to make ppl realize, paying taxes is their responsibility: Shahid Khaqan

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Friday said the government had decided to adopt carrot and stick policy to broaden the tax net in the country.



Addressing the launch ceremony of Promotion of Home Remittances Through M-Wallet and Policy for Promotion of SME Finance here at the State Bank Building, the prime minister said government will take measures to make the people realize that paying taxes was their responsibility. He said the government was striving to improve the taxation system because non-payment of taxes puts burden on those who should not be paying taxes.



The prime minister said foreign companies were taking interest to invest in Pakistan, being happy over the stability brought in by the incumbent government during the last four years. He said a major political change took place in Pakistan on July 28 this year, but it could neither hamper countrys economic policies nor the development projects. This is what we take pride in, he remarked.



Abbasi said much of the remittances come through informal means despite the fact that the Pakistani community abroad was contributing remittances equal to the countrys exports. He said the people who were investing in Pakistan were glad over the economic reforms made by the government, and recalled the recent launch of work on textile and car manufacturing plants in Faisalabad.



He said consequent to the very reforms and robustness of the political system, the companies were pleased to invest in Pakistan despite some difficulties.



The prime minister said the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were the backbone of the national economy despite the fact that half of the start-ups usually met failure and the rest were success.



He believed that Pakistanis were the natural entrepreneurs as they had the precedents of establishing successful businesses in multiple fields. He urged the banks and other financial institutions to cope with the needs of the SMEs and called for changing the relevant laws to facilitate the sector.



Abbasi said without strengthening the SMEs, the economy could not flourish. He said the SBP should not control the SMEs through the same policies it had been toeing for other institutions. He viewed that the SMEs industry could flourish if the financial institutions extend their support in that regard. However, he said, there was a need to explore new business and investment opportunities for the SMEs and also urged the private sector to come up with the proposals in that regard.



He said the government was trying to achieve economic stability within short span of time, besides bridging the deficit between the current and fiscal deficit.



The prime minister also performed the ground breaking for upgradation of Rs 15 billion White Oil Pipeline that would provide uninterrupted petrol and diesel supply upcountry in a cost-effective and efficient manner.



Addressing the ceremony, the prime minister said the 786-km-long strategic project would strengthen countrys energy security and was also the most efficient way of transportation of petroleum products internationally. He expressed the hope that the project of multi-grading of the oil pipeline would complete by 2019.



He recalled the tragic Bahawalpur accident in which over 200 lives were lost after an oil tanker met a road accident. He mentioned that a tanker leaves the storage facility at the port every two minutes and the utilisation of the oil pipeline would lessen the load on roads. He said efforts were also underway to upgrade the fleet of countrys 10,000 tankers and make them safer.



Addressing the concerns of the transport sector, he said Pakistans petrol consumption was increasing at a rate of 20 per cent, while that of diesel was increasing at a rate of 12 per cent. He said the tankers would continue to provide secondary transportation.



Abbasi said with the completion of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, there would be increased economic growth and hoped the countrys GDP would increase to 6 percent next year. He said with the full utilization of the oil pipeline, the cost of transportation would also drop from Rs 1 to Rs 1.50 per liter.
At left, Enchanted Christmas starring Rene Rivera, Alexa PenaVega, Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen and Madison Hall. At right, Lea Coco and Lacey Chabert in The Sweetest Christmas.

I agree with everything Monica Hesse wrote in her Dec. 11 Style article, "All aboard the schmaltz train!" My family and many of my friends watch the Hallmark Channel all year but look forward to the "Countdown to Christmas" in December.

What a pleasure to watch something wholesome and sweet. So what if its a little cheesy and predictable? We love the Christmas spirit, family and love it portrays. The beautiful, festive scenery is amazing. And the characters actually use the word Christmas, not the current politically correct holiday.

We dont want depressing, violent or obscene TV programming, which is most of what is on these days.

I'm not surprised that Hallmark reached 4.9 million viewers with "The Christmas Train" on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Maybe TV sponsors and writers should take a hint about what people want to watch.

I understand that Hallmark is coming out with another channel, Hallmark Drama. I cant wait to get it in our area. I probably wont have time to watch a non-Hallmark channel of gloom and doom. Doesnt that sound wonderful?

Joan Harrison, Rockville

Having thousands of descriptive words at their disposal, whatever would possess The Post's writers and editors to appropriate an obviously Yiddish term, "schmaltz," to describe the most non-Yiddish of Christian holidays ["All aboard the schmaltz train!"]?

David Weinstein, Ellicott City
A group of recounters get some help filling out the paperwork as they recount the ballots for Virginias 94th District. (Joe Fudge/The Daily Press via Associated Press)

VIRGINIA VOTERS were not buying what Republicans were selling in off-year elections this fall, the result being that control of the states House of Delegates, firmly in GOP hands for nearly two decades, now rests on a random drawing to determine the winner in a race for a lone district seat, which a state court ruled Wednesday is a dead-even tie.

The court's decision is dubious, to say the least. Reversing the results of a recount by state elections officials conducted a day earlier, a panel of three judges awarded a single disputed ballot to the GOP candidate, thereby evening the tally at 11,608 votes. State law says that in the event of a draw, the winner is determined "by lot"  a coin toss, or a name picked from a hat  although the loser can then seek another recount.

Whatever the outcome, the shift in the balance of power in Virginia has been titanic. Having entered the November elections holding 66 of the Houses 100 seats, Republicans are now scrambling to emerge with just 51, and even that is in jeopardy.

In a state that has tilted increasingly toward the political center for years, the bill finally came due for Republicans, who have moved simultaneously and insistently to the far right by seeking to impede access to abortions; throw up obstacles to voting by minorities; and widen the state's already lenient laws on firearms ownership and safety.

Certainly, many left-leaning voters who flocked to the polls were motivated by their distaste for President Trump. Yet Republicans would be kidding themselves if they believe their own out-of-the-mainstream politics didnt contribute to the tidal wave that swamped them in the commonwealth.

When lawmakers convene in Richmond next month, they should take heed of the voters' loud-and-clear message. Exit polling showed that voters statewide were particularly exercised about health care  2 in 5 said that was the issue that mattered most to them, more than twice the number who identified any other issue. And no wonder: Even as more than 30 other states, including Republican-dominated ones, expanded Medicaid under Obamacare, Richmond Republicans refused to follow suit. By doing so, they have denied health insurance to some 400,000 struggling, working-class Virginians.

Given that the GOP retains control over a handful of state legislative seats in Northern Virginia, Republican lawmakers might also consider the potential cost of blocking desperately needed additional funding for Metro. In his final budget, outgoing Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has proposed an even-handed package of regional taxes and spending shifts that would yield $150 million in new funds annually for Metro. By obstructing a financial rescue package for Metro  as some GOP lawmakers have threatened to do pending ill-defined reforms in the transit system  Republicans will only remind Northern Virginia that they are indifferent to the region's priorities.
The Dec. 17 front-page article "Opioid case ended in a whimper, agents say" was the latest in a series of articles on the role of pharmaceutical distributors in the nation's opioid crisis. This time, the focus was on a behind-the-scenes agency battle between a handful of retired Drug Enforcement Administration agents and government attorneys over how to resolve a dispute with McKesson.

The article focused on squabbles that should have been put to bed with the settlement agreement when it was signed nearly a year ago after years of negotiation.

The article left readers with the misimpression that McKesson knowingly distributed opioids to non-DEA-registered pharmacies, online or otherwise  and through them to illegal drug rings. Thats flat-out wrong. In fact, we distribute opioids only to DEA-registered pharmacies. If the pharmacies filling prescriptions or the doctors writing prescriptions were known by the DEA to be rogue at the time, why the DEA allowed them to keep their registrations and failed to share its suspicions with us is a mystery not addressed in the article.

The article portrayed the fight as between the federal officials in the field and those at headquarters. It failed to mention that 12 U.S. attorneys supported and signed the settlement. No one was hoodwinked; several dozen senior-level government officials were involved in the negotiation of this settlement, and we welcomed their participation.

Our nation is in an enormous and tragic epidemic. We wont solve it by finger-pointing. Well solve it by engaging together around practical and innovative solutions.

We at McKesson are very much engaged in helping to find those solutions.

First, we have invested millions in a sophisticated Controlled Substance Monitoring Program, which is continually refined and enhanced to stay one step ahead of those who would divert prescription pain medications for illegitimate use.

We are also developing new, innovation-based technology solutions to other aspects of the problem, including, in partnership with the nonprofit National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, a real-time red flag system for pharmacists at the point of filling an opioid prescription.

We have also proposed, and are advocating strongly for, a set of national prescribing and dispensing policy reforms that show promise based on existing application in various states. Many of these ideas are in our recent policy paper, "Combating the Opioid Abuse Epidemic," which was written by our internal Opioid Task Force.

Rather than looking backward and playing the blame game, lets shine real light on this crisis and get to work doing something about it.

John Hammergren, San Francisco

The writer is chairman and chief executive of McKesson.

The problem of heroin and opioid pill addiction in the United States, as discussed in Opioid case ended in a whimper, agents say and many other articles, should be addressed as Switzerland and other countries have. The Swiss distribute heroin to addicts (patients) through clinics. The heroin is of known strength, so overdoses are eliminated; the heroin must be injected on-site, so clean needles eliminate the spread of HIV; and the heroin cost is 6 percent the street price, greatly reducing crime.

This system not only helps the patient but also saves the Swiss $38 per day per patient in reduced police, court and emergency-room costs. The Swiss approach has resulted in lower rates of crime, death and disease, a drop in new users and an improvement in mental and physical health, employment and housing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 91 Americans die from an opioid-related overdose every day. (That's more than 33,000 per year.) The Swiss system used in the United States for opioid pill addiction would result not only in financial savings for the United States but also a reduction in overdoses, saving thousands of American lives every year.

Tom Busby, Silver Spring
Brad Smith is president and chief legal officer of Microsoft.

This month Microsoft became the first Fortune 100 company to endorse legislation inspired by the #MeToo movement. Our endorsement was part of a journey that continues not only for ourselves, but also for many across the country. As we head into 2018, there are opportunities for all of us to ask important questions, learn together and act collectively.

The bill, introduced by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), would ensure that every person facing sexual harassment can make their case in a public court, rather than solely in private arbitration. At Microsoft, our more active involvement began the last day of November during a morning meeting of the company's senior leaders. After we discussed our internal efforts to ensure that employees are aware of the ways they can raise sexual-harassment concerns, a few women asked why we were not also more vocal in addressing the issue publicly. They pointed out that during 2017 we found our voice on the travel ban, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, LGBTQ rights and Charlottesville. They urged us to address sexual harassment, as well.

My initial reaction was that the issue was less about wanting to speak and more about knowing what to say. The past year has been unlike any other for many in business. Social issues have made their way not just into the headlines but also into our workplace conversations. Our employees increasingly look to us, as their employer, to stand up publicly for their needs.

When the year began, we wondered how we would manage these issues. We ultimately found our path, deciding to speak on important matters that affect our employees inside and outside the workplace, but always striving to do so in a principled way. We would avoid personal attacks and make clear what we support and not just what we oppose. And we would seek to offer thoughtful, practical and constructive ideas.

The last part was the most challenging as we considered publicly addressing sexual harassment. What practical steps could we help advance? It seemed sensible to answer that question before speaking externally.

That need was on my mind when I found myself in Grahams office six days later. Although I was there to continue a conversation about cybersecurity and immigration, our staff had suggested that I also ask about the bill he had just introduced.

Graham got my attention when he said 60 million Americans cannot bring sexual-harassment claims in court because they have employment contracts requiring that all such claims be submitted exclusively to private arbitration. And I was intrigued when he made an impassioned case for Microsoft to become the first company to endorse legislation to end this practice.

I said that we would learn more, which is what we did. It has been a thought-provoking journey.

Some across the country read the first news stories about sexual harassment and thought these were tragic but isolated incidents. But with each week, more accounts made the pervasive nature of the problem undeniable.

To a degree different from many other issues, sexual harassment has persisted because the victims too often have been silenced. The change that is needed requires more than courageous victims. People need confidence that their voices will be heard by an objective listener who can take effective action. This is precisely the problem the new legislation addresses.

This led us to reflect on another dimension. I asked internally whether Microsoft required any employees to sign arbitration clauses that would stop a sexual-harassment victim from filing a lawsuit. We had never enforced such a clause, but we found that a very small percentage of our U.S. employees had such a provision.

We discussed how to address this. One option would be simply to wait to see if the law changed. But if we believed the new legislation was worthy, why not act first and change our own provisions requiring arbitration of sexual-harassment claims? This seemed a more principled path. It became the path we took.

It has been interesting to see the interest in Microsofts changes. This is something weve seen on other issues. Like our employees, the broader public increasingly is looking at companies as one agent of social progress.

This led us to a final reflection. As the country addresses sexual harassment, we each need to summon the will to do more. Action is needed by Congress, businesses, and organizations large and small. At Microsoft, we look forward to identifying and taking additional steps.

Ultimately, Im struck by the voices that nudged us on our journey in November. They were the voices of Microsoft women in leadership positions. Theres a lesson here. Its hard to imagine pervasive sexual harassment at institutions where women are well represented at all levels. That needs to be part  perhaps even the most vital part  of our collective destination.
Columnist

President Trump awarded himself a 10 out of 10 score two months ago for his response to Hurricane Maria, which leveled Puerto Rico.

If you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you look at the tremendous hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that died, Trump said as he toured Puerto Rico in October. What is your death count, as of this moment  17?

"Sixteen certified," the governor of Puerto Rico replied.

Sixteen versus literally thousands of people, Trump said. You can be very proud.

How proud we are now.

This week, we learned the truth. Some 1,065 more Puerto Ricans died in September and October of this year than in previous years, almost certainly storm-related deaths, according to the Center for Investigative Journalism. When all is tallied, the destruction in Puerto Rico will be very much on par with what Trump considers "a real catastrophe like Katrina," which killed about 1,800.

Incredibly, a large portion of the island remains without power  three months after the storm. It was reported this week that power may not be fully restored until May. Puerto Ricans  American citizens  are still awaiting tarps and temporary roofs to shelter them after an untold number of homes were destroyed.

A new report from Refugees International said, "Thousands of people still lack sustainable access to potable water and electricity and dry, safe places to sleep." The group faulted the Federal Emergency Management Agency's "bureaucratic and opaque assistance process" for leaving survivors with "enormous challenges."

This, in the United States of America, in 2017. Ten out of 10, Mr. President. A-plus for you!

In October, when Trump was tossing "beautiful, soft" rolls of paper towels at Puerto Ricans, he offered lavish promises of aid and said Wall Street lenders were "going to say goodbye" to Puerto Rico's $72 billion debt. But the debt was not written off, and disaster-relief aid has been inadequate and piecemeal. Now, Trump and congressional Republicans are hitting Puerto Rico with an additional, man-made catastrophe.

The GOP tax bill, which Trump celebrated this week, treats Puerto Rico as a foreign country, imposing a 12.5 percent tax on the income companies there receive from intellectual property  a big hit to its crucial pharmaceutical and medical-device sector. Rather than give Puerto Rico special tax treatment, which it urgently needs, Trump and his congressional allies gave employers a powerful reason to move jobs off the island.

You might recognize this pattern, even if you dont care about Puerto Rico and the suffering of the more than 3 million Americans there. Trump comes in with razzle-dazzle and self-congratulation, promising great things to come. Then, when the cameras are off, comes the quiet collapse.

The prototype is the Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City. In April 1990, it opened with much fanfare as the world's largest casino-hotel complex. Six months later, it defaulted on payments. Nine months after that, it filed for bankruptcy.

Now this happens on a world scale. Trump promises an easy peace in the Middle East but winds up setting off a new wave of violence. He promises a tax cut for the middle class and winds up with a giveaway to corporations and millionaires. He promises to improve upon Obamacare but ravages the program with no replacement.

In business, when Trump attended the ribbon cutting and then moved on while deals went south, people lost their investments. But when the United States walks away from promises, people lose rather more.

Nearly 1 million low-income Puerto Ricans are in danger of losing health care early in the new year because the territory's Medicaid program will soon be unable to pay providers. Federal law restricts Medicaid reimbursements for Puerto Rico to not quite 20 percent, about a quarter of what it would get if it were a state. Puerto Rico's leaders have called for a few billion dollars to avert this latest crisis, but the request went unanswered as Congress rushed to complete the tax cut.

Puerto Rico's (Democratic) governor, Ricardo Rossello, made a dumb mistake in October when, appealing to Trump's vanity, he praised the president's hurricane response. That gave Trump cover to do nothing for Puerto Rico. Now Rossello has apparently realized his mistake, and, in an interview with Politico this week, he vowed to mobilize the more than 5 million Puerto Ricans living in the mainland United States. That includes hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens fleeing Puerto Rico since Maria.

They are eligible to vote, in 2018 and 2020. One suspects they might award Trump something less than the 10 out of 10 he gives himself.

Twitter: @Milbank

Read more from Dana Milbank's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
An earlier version of this op-ed incorrectly stated that Geoffrey Berman and Ed McNally have been nominated for U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York, respectively. Berman and McNally are reportedly being considered for the posts but have not been nominated. This version has been corrected.

Columnist

President Trump's disdain for quality in the federal judiciary ran into a roadblock last week in Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.), but not before the depth of the contempt was revealed. Only a president who disrespects the federal bench would send to the Senate a nominee for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia who was embarrassingly unprepared for the job. Trump's pick, Matthew Petersen, was unable to answer questions about the courtroom process, had little familiarity with federal trial rules, and had never prosecuted or defended a case.

Petersen's disastrous nomination was put on display in a viral video  it attracted more than 8 million views  posted by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). Out of respect for Petersen's tender sensibilities, details of his grilling by Kennedy in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing won't be repeated in this space.

Theres less concern, however, for Trumps sentiments, since he is obviously indifferent to anything critical about him in the media. He deserves continued attention. The federal justice system holds sway in Washington.

It goes without saying: Petersen's collapse (he withdrew from consideration) and the White House's retreat on two other critically flawed federal district court nominees, Jeff Mateer and Brett Talley, could have been avoided had the White House followed past procedures for picking federal judges in the District.

Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton extended senatorial courtesy to the District's congressional representative  Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D)  in connection with the appointment of federal district court judges and other federal law enforcement officials in the District. Norton, in turn, formed a Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission, headed by Pauline Schneider, former chair of the D.C. Bar, and composed of 15 other lawyers and community leaders to advise her on recommendations to the White House. Yes, Norton and the two presidents are Democrats. But the D.C. selection process was governed less by partisanship and more by merit  a consideration regrettably missing in the Trump administration's approach.

Should the failures of Petersen, Mateer and Talley get chalked up simply to poor vetting? Petersen, no litigation experience; Talley, weak on trial experience but strong on the defense of the early Ku Klux Klan; and Mateer, believer in transgender children being proof of Satans plan. Did they just slip through the screening process?

Yeah, right.

But what about a president who ducks responsibility for the people he chooses for the federal judiciary? Wheres the accountability?

Petersen, Mateer and Talley werent self-nominated. Their names werent sent to the Senate by conservative interest groups.

They were all the presidents men.

Except when stuff hit the fan.

Get this: After Kennedys cutdown of Petersen lit up the airwaves, Trump called the senator with an attaboy.

In an interview with New Orleans's WWL-TV, Kennedy said Trump told him, "Kennedy, when some of my guys send somebody over who's not qualified, you do your job." Speaking of Kennedy's rejection of Petersen, Trump said, "Kennedy, I think you're right."

Wait. Trumps guys didnt send diddly squat. Trump signed off on their nominations. The submissions bore his name.

Going bail for Trump, Kennedy told the station, He doesnt interview these guys. He has a staff do it.

Guess that would be it, except, except . . .

This is a city where the federal justice system holds sway. A key player: the largest federal prosecutors office in the country, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

Trumps conduct with respect to federal prosecutorial candidates becomes curiouser and curiouser.

Were told Trump doesnt speak to district-court-level candidates: too many; they dont interest him personally.

Well, there are also scads of U.S. attorneys. A president personally interviewing presidentially appointed U.S. attorney candidates is unheard of  not only because of the size of the candidate pool but also, more importantly, because presidents traditionally keep prospective U.S. attorney nominees at arms length to maintain the independence of federal prosecutors.

That is, until Trump came along.

Breaching that long-standing principle and practice, Trump made a point of personally interviewing three U.S. attorney candidates: Geoffrey Berman, Ed McNally and Jessie Liu.

Guess what? Berman has been considered for U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, McNally for Eastern District of New York and Liu for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

The Senate has confirmed Liu.

Significantly, all three would be assigned to prosecutorial jurisdictions that cover Trumps central business dealings in New York and his actions in Washington.

So, reader, what do we have? Trump, the too-busy president who has no interest in federal justice candidates who are too low on the totem pole for his attention? Or Trump, who breaches protocol and drills down on future federal prosecutors in New York and Washington who might come into conflict with his interests? Any question which tis, in a president whose contempt for the integrity of government seems to know no bounds?

Read more from Colbert King's archive.
Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during the U.N. General Assembly special session on a nonbinding resolution condemning the recent U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. (Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

The Trump administration has scrambled to contain the remarkably broad international rejection of its new policy toward the divided city of Jerusalem, including from important allies  using threats, assurances and a cold shoulder to try to limit the diplomatic damage.

Trumps announcement this month that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israels capital and has initiated the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy there has caused an extraordinary breach with key allies such as Egypt, Jordan, Britain, France and Japan, many of which have characterized the move as shortsighted at best.

Not one major ally or geopolitical leader has pledged to follow the U.S. lead. Many have also spoken in new and starkly critical fashion against Trumps break with 50 years of diplomatic convention that treats Jerusalem  holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians and claimed as a capital by two peoples  as an open question to be resolved only through negotiations.

At the same time, the worst fears of allies and some U.S. diplomats have not materialized. U.S. embassies were not immediately sacked, nor were American tourists or troops targeted for revenge.

Overall, the reaction was more muted than we expected, said one U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. It was not zero, but it was muted.

Trump is more annoyed than surprised, people who have spoken to him said. He has told aides and members of Congress that the decision merely recognizes what is already true in practice, since the Israeli government is headquartered in Jerusalem, and has complained about what he considers narrow thinking and pearl-clutching diplomatic caution.

Let them vote against us. Well save a lot. We dont care, Trump said Wednesday, threatening punitive cuts in U.S. aid to the United Nations ahead of a U.N. vote Thursday condemning the action.

The vote of 128 to 9, with 35 abstentions, illustrated the degree to which the Trump administration is going it alone. Egypt, the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel and a keystone in any hope on Trumps part for a Middle East peace accord, sponsored the original resolution.

[Inside the Trump administration debate over declaring Jerusalem as Israels capital]

America will put our embassy in Jerusalem. That is what the American people want us to do, and it is the right thing to do, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said before the vote, which the United States knew it would lose badly.

No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that, but this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the U.N. and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the U.N. And this vote will be remembered.

Haley thanked the short list of fellow no voters for what she called their bravery. In addition to the United States and Israel, that list included Guatemala, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo.



Watched by Israeli police officers, Palestinians in Jerusalems Old City stage a protest Dec. 15, 2017, against President Trumps announcement on Jerusalem. (Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)

The nonbinding resolution declares that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded.

Language in the resolution was softer and less direct in its criticism of the United States than Palestinians had proposed, after Egypt and some European allies said they would not vote for the original version. U.S. officials said they did not lobby for that but pointed to it as a sign of solidarity with the United States.

Still, the vote reflected the long-standing views of allies that Trump needs for international projects such as the pressure campaign against North Korea or to reinforce a future Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

This vote must not divide or exclude, said Frances U.N. ambassador, Francois Delattre. It is more important than ever to rally the international community around the agreed parameters of the peace process, and this of course includes the United States, as everyone is aware of its particular role and influence on this issue.

The administration vowed that neither the Jerusalem announcement nor the reaction to it would derail plans to seek a Middle East peace accord next year.

Relationships between the United States and other nations have their peaks and their valleys. Some days are better than others, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said when asked about current U.S. relations with the Palestinian leadership. We look forward to continuing those talks, and were confident that well be able to do that.

[U.N. resoundingly rejects U.S. move on Jerusalem]

A White House official said Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and adviser on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict  an objective that Trump calls the deal of the century  and chief Middle East negotiator Jason D. Greenblatt both understood that the Jerusalem announcement would have consequences.

We always anticipated that there might be a temporary cooling-off period, the official said, also speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. We are continuing to work on the plan, work hard on it, and we will unveil it when the time is right.

Trumps proposal for talks and a potential settlement is expected to rely heavily on support from Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, that have always branded Israels 1967 annexation of East Jerusalem as illegal. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

The White House insists that the new U.S. policy is not a de facto endorsement of the Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem and has no bearing on Jerusalems eventual borders.

It was not a decision made on a whim, the U.S. official said. Everybody was focused on what impact it could have. There was discussion about the potential impact, pro and con, on peace negotiations.

Haley and Vice President Pence were among Cabinet members who argued that the move could advance the moribund peace process by shaking up the status quo, several officials said.

Palestinians have rejected that view, saying that the move only spoils U.S. neutrality as a peacemaker.

Pence postponed a trip to Israel, the West Bank and Egypt that was planned to take place in the past week. His office said he was needed in Washington for year-end congressional votes, but the Jerusalem decision had also led Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to call off their meeting.

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi was under heavy domestic pressure to cancel on Pence as well. Jordan, where King Abdullah II had argued strenuously to Trump that the embassy decision would unleash religious strife and extremism, was not on the itinerary at all.

[Kushner says Mideast peace essential to stability, countering Iran]

Jordan, the only other Arab state to make peace with Israel, is a bedrock of U.S. policy in the Middle East and a customary stop for U.S. officials when they visit Israel and Egypt.

Abdullah was among the Arab leaders Trump called ahead of his announcement. A Jordanian palace statement used unusually strong language to note that the king had warned of dangerous repercussions for regional stability.

Its not untrue to say this reflects facts on the ground, but there are a lot of politics involved for nations with a stake inside and outside of the Middle East, said a former senior State Department official.

U.S. officials paid attention to the politics between Persian Gulf states Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the former official said. They tried the same with Egypt and Jordan. Those didnt go as well. They did the best they could once they had the presidents decision.

That is a reference to Trumps insistence that he would not do as the past three U.S. presidents have done and indefinitely defer implementing a 1995 law ordering that the U.S. Embassy be moved from Tel Aviv, Israels commercial capital.

The administration seems to see this as a piety and a rule that could be broken, said Jon Alterman, a Middle East scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In an administration that likes to break rules, they see this as a rule they can break.

Trumps action follows through on a campaign promise to important parts of his political base  evangelical Christian supporters of Israel and wealthy, conservative Jewish Republican donors. It also solidifies Trumps credentials as an iconoclast or, for critics, a bully.

Before this meeting, a U.N. member state threatened all the other members, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at the United Nations. We were all asked to vote no or face the consequences, including cuts in aid, he said. Such an attitude is unacceptable. This is bullying.
Congress voted Thursday to give itself an extra three weeks to settle bitter differences over how to reauthorize one of the governments most prized foreign intelligence-gathering tools, but the last-minute move has done little to reconcile competing concerns about the need to maintain powerful spy capabilities and Americans right to privacy.

Neither Republicans nor Democrats are united over how to limit the authority to conduct foreign surveillance on U.S. soil, particularly when it comes to the question of when law enforcement officials can scour the collected surveillance for information about Americans.

Privacy advocates in both parties have been in a months-long dispute with national security hawks over whether law enforcement officials should have to obtain warrants or simply clear procedural hurdles before viewing Americans' communications collected under the program. And even with more time to talk, few seem ready to abandon their positions in the new year.

Lawmakers approved a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendments Act of 2008 with little fanfare this week, after a frenzied but failed push to rally support for a longer-term measure that would have modified how law enforcement officials search a database of collected information for Americans' communications.

House GOP members of the Freedom Caucus huddled with senior members of the Intelligence Committee in the office of Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Wednesday to try to reconcile their differences. When they went in, the Houses plan was to vote on a measure written by House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) that would have required the FBI to obtain a court order before viewing the contents of Americans communications found in the database that they hope to use in criminal cases.

But that idea was scrapped as Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) proclaimed that no long-term extension would get through Congress at this juncture.

Resolving the Section 702 debate before the statutory end-of-year deadline became less of a priority as Congress focused on more politically charged debates around health care and tax reform. Three committees endorsed proposals in the past several weeks  but only leaders of the House Intelligence Committee seemed satisfied with the long-term proposal that was floated, and then rejected, days ago.

[House plans to advance spy bill]

Nunes said this week that his proposal would probably be the structure for whatever deal lawmakers strike to extend Section 702 in the new year, predicting that several House Democrats would vote for the measure. The restrictions in his bill were first proposed by Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee.

A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) also said Thursday that GOP leaders expect Democrats votes will be necessary to passing a Section 702 reauthorization in the new year.

But it is not clear that, absent changes, the House Judiciary Committee members will be fully on board. Last month, that panel endorsed a proposal that would have required a warrant to view the results of queries for Americans' communications. One congressional aide warned that the Judiciary Committee would have been "near-unanimous in its opposition" to the Nunes bill that was proposed, but not considered, this past week.

The Senate's concerns, meanwhile, go in the opposite direction. There, the most restrictive proposal to have earned the support of the Intelligence Committee imposed only a procedural hurdle requiring the FBI to have the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court weigh in on the legality of any query for information on a "known United States person." On the other end of the political spectrum, privacy advocates such as Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are primed to fight the issue on the floor.

The short-term extension of Section 702s statutory authority expires Jan. 19. With the House not returning to Capitol Hill until Jan. 8, lawmakers will have just a handful of legislative days to work out long-simmering differences.

Read more at PowerPost
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) gets into an elevator at the Capitol Thursday after voting against a stopgap spending bill. Feinstein was planning to vote for the bill but faced pressure from liberals that immigration was not addressed before the end of the year. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Democrats who voted on a spending bill this week to keep the federal government open are facing backlash from their party for not demanding a permanent solution for thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.

Immigration advocates in and out of Congress are railing against those who voted for the stopgap spending bill Thursday despite promises from Democratic leaders that they would force action on the issue by the end of the year. Even before the Senate vote, a group of House Democrats burst into the office of Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate minority leader, demanding an explanation. Protesters shouting Shame on Kaine! briefly occupied the office of Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who said he voted for the measure to prevent a partial government shutdown and protect federal employees.

Every single Democrat who voted for the continuing resolution just voted to deport dreamers and leave kids without access to health insurance, said Murshed Zaheed, the political director of the California-based progressive group CREDO Action. Quite frankly, its a pathetic way for the Democratic Partys leadership to close out a year in which millions of Americans fought back and resisted the Trump regimes racist, xenophobic and dangerous agenda.

The internal party drama is sure to increase the pressure on Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to pass the Dream Act in January, when the latest stopgap spending bill is set to expire. It also threatens the partys unity  and perhaps divisive primary challenges  at a time when Democrats are looking ahead to the 2018 midterms with new optimism that they have a chance to take control of both chambers.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) appears to have anticipated the backlash. Feinstein, who is up for election next year in the state with the largest population of dreamers, surprised activists earlier this week when she said she would vote for the spending bill rather than risk a shutdown over immigration. But Feinstein switched her vote at the last minute.



Protesters demanding a permanent solution for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children rally on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)

A new poll, and pressure from activists, may have played a role in her thinking. On Wednesday, the University of California at Berkeleys Institute of Governmental Studies released a survey showing her leading by 14 points in a race against Kevin de Leon, the Democratic leader in the California Senate. De Leon, who has been in the race for two months, was among the loudest voices demanding that Feinstein oppose the stopgap bill.

Ive talked with them, Ive met with them, I understand their plight and it breaks my heart, Feinstein said in a statement. To allow these young people to suffer is tragic.

The push for immigration legislation erupted in September, after President Trump vowed to end a program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which was instituted by former president Barack Obama via executive action and allowed some immigrants brought into the country as children to stay legally.

At the time, Pelosi and Schumer pledged to enshrine the protections of DACA into law quickly, and advocates have kept the pressure up to ensure they do. Democratic leaders chose not to push the issue this week, however, believing they have stronger prospects for a deal next month, when Republicans will be under pressure to approve a budget deal including defense spending and disaster relief..

Some advocates acknowledged that the prospects will be stronger after the holidays.

In January, Democrats have leverage and need to deliver; Republicans have control and need to govern, wrote Frank Sharry, the director of the pro-immigration reform group Americas Voice, on Friday. If Democrats insist the Dream Act is a must-pass priority and Republicans are willing to negotiate a decent policy approach, it will pass and both parties will benefit.

Still, emotions ran high. United We Dream, an immigrant advocacy group that dispatched protesters to the Hill all week, announced on Thursday that it would go after Democrats that are now the #DeportationCaucus, the shameful Senators and Representatives who voted to deport immigrant youth.



Protesters demanding a permanent solution for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children rally on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)

The group also released a video showcasing all of their protests inside the Capitol, with a warning to Democrats: Weve taken over your offices. Weve blocked your tunnels. Weve closed your cafeterias. Because were not going anywhere.

On Thursday afternoon, Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) led a delegation from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus into a bitter showdown with Schumer. DACA recipients, Gutierrez said, were being thrown under the bus out of convenience. Schumer told Gutierrez to stop insulting his fellow Democrats.

Gutierrez shot back, telling Schumer, Dont raise your voice. Ultimately, the meeting ended amicably, with an understanding that Democrats would take up the fight again in January but that activists are justifiably frustrated.

[Schumer angrily confronted by Hispanic Caucus members]

Members who voted for the spending bill, which keeps the government open until Jan. 19, will be pressured to block next months version if a DACA fix fails to materialize. That includes seven of the 10 Democrats facing reelection next year in states won by Trump. Just three Democrats up in Trump states  Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.)  opposed the spending bill. If nine more Democrats had opposed the bill, it would have stalled, giving United We Dream and their allies a strategy and a hit list for January.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) was not among them. Earlier in the week, Nelson had left open the possibility of opposing the spending bill as protesters camped out in his office. But he ultimately supported it.

Republicans, who initially worried that the end of DACA could backfire on their party, have taken some pleasure in the Democrats agony  and are unlikely to make it any easier for them. At his year-end news conference Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said a DACA working group would get some floor time in January, but he cautioned that Republicans wanted DACA coupled with reforms that improve the legal immigration system  an unreasonable demand for activists who have demanded a clean Dream Act and no less.

Schumer is trying to push it forward, and I understand that, McConnell said. But there is no emergency until March.

The issue is also affecting the relationship between party leaders and its base. New liberal organizations that have sprouted since Trumps election have allied with Democrats to block efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act  and helped ensure that every Democrat voted against the GOPs tax-cut package.

The fight for the Dream Act is messier, reminiscent of previous direct-action campaigns for gay rights and civil rights, when Democrats who thought themselves to be politically safe faced sit-ins and hecklers. Schumer, whom protesters targeted at the start of the year because he did not oppose more of Trumps nominees, will face fresh protests this weekend for not bringing his caucus behind an effective DACA strategy. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), the partys preferred candidate for Arizonas open Senate seat, has also courted controversy with progressives by backing the spending bill in the House.

Those 32 Democrats who voted for this bill voted to deport Dreamers, said Angel Padilla, the policy director of the Indivisible Project, in a statement referring to both House and Senate Democrats. Nearly 4,000 DACA recipients will lose their status between now and January 19, when this current CR expires. Indivisible groups in each of their states will remember this vote.

But Feinsteins surprise move against the continuing resolution, or CR, demonstrated how complicated the politics still are. Feinstein, whose national reputation as a liberal Democrat conflicts with her center-left role in California politics, is facing the most credible primary challenge of any Democrat up for reelection next year.

"Dreamers make up hundreds of thousands of Sen. Feinstein's constituents, and while talking a good game on Dreamers, when it comes to standing up and supporting them, she is AWOL," de Leon said at a Wednesday morning news conference, before Feinstein changed her position. "Don't come back to California if you haven't demonstrated your leadership and your courage to stand up for these young men and women."

Californias top-two primary system, which produced an all-Democratic race for Senate in 2016, may put Feinstein in a prolonged race with de Leon. Even after siding with activists, progressives plan to hold Feinstein accountable in the primary, citing her vote as a reason she cant always be trusted.

By dragging her feet and reinforcing the notion that she was either indifferent or outright hostile to the plight of the dreamers, Feinstein just gave De Leon a much-needed opening, said Markos Moulitsas, the Berkeley-based founder of the progressive blog and activism resource Daily Kos. It just reminded core Democrats that we cant count on Feinstein to do the right thing without having to pressure her to do so. In California, we should be able to count on our senators to automatically do the right thing.

Read more at PowerPost
 Imagine this: You are a lawyer who has just been named presidential spokesman. It is your fourth day on the job. The boss admits to murder.

Last month, not a week into his role as press secretary for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Harry Roque, a human rights lawyer-turned-congressman, found himself in that particular pinch.

On the sidelines of a summit in Vietnam, on the eve of a visit from President Trump, Duterte got to talking about that time, when he was 16, that he stabbed a man to death over an exchange of dirty looks.

He then asked the crowd to consider what he was capable of today, as president. "I won't let you off the hook" if you hurt Filipinos, he warned. "Never mind about the human rights advocates."

Asked to respond, Roque told the press: "I think it was in jest."

He thinks.

When a president often brags about his penchant for violence, when he urges police to kill drug suspects  and they do  it can be hard to tell boastful fiction from bloody fact.

But if Roque is troubled by the task of interpreting and defending Duterte, he does not show it.

In his first month and a half on the job, he's proven an adept handler, talking cheerful, lawyerly circles around murder confessions, political scandals and warnings from the International Criminal Court.

When Roque was tapped by Duterte for the job in October, he was skeptical, he said then, but saw it as an opportunity to shape policy.

"I considered the position with the specific purpose of getting an audience with the president to address key human rights issues in the Philippines. As a member of congress my voice is limited," he said in a statement issued Oct. 28.

"By accepting this position, I am not condoning the violence surrounding the government's anti-drug campaign, nor do I intend to further the same," it read.

But in an interview with The Washington Post in November, he danced around the drug war, denying that Duterte was in any way responsible for his own campaigns. His refrain: There is no evidence.

It is a spectacular turnaround for a man who was once one of Philippine civil societys bright lights  and, critics say, a boost for Dutertes purge.

Denying the death squad

When you meet Roque, its impossible not to wonder, How did we get here?

Based on his resume alone, he seems far more likely to be calling for the International Criminal Court to investigate Duterte for crimes against humanity than urging it to back off.

Roque, 51, was raised in the Philippines and educated at the University of Michigan. He was drawn back to Manila by the 1986 People Power revolution that toppled former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. I couldnt bear the fact that I was not at home, he said.

He decided to become a lawyer, enrolling at the University of the Philippines and then the London School of Economics, where he studied international law. He went on to build a successful practice focused on trade.

Roque credits a squabble with former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo  and a sign from God himself  with his switch to human rights work. After he crossed Arroyo in the press, his clients disappeared, he said.

By that time I really had big money already. I had a house, I had flashy cars. I didnt need anything else, so I said, Well, this must be the reason why He gave us everything already so we can devote our lawyerly skills toward something else. 

Over the years, he's taken on some of the country's biggest cases, including representing victims of the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre, in which 58 people, including 32 journalists, were murdered.

His longtime colleagues remain focused on protecting the free press and promoting human rights. Most recently, they've taken up the defense of drug war victims.

It was the defense of a journalist that led Roque to Duterte. In 2007, a libel case took him to Davao, where Duterte was then a mayor rumored to be running a Death Squad.

Roque returned to Davao to train lawyers and activists working there. Of course, there was a reason we held [trainings] there: because of the Davao Death Squad, he said.

But despite his work there, a vast body of reporting and research, and Duterte's own confession  "I am the death squad? True," he once said  Roque dismissed the notion that Duterte is linked to the squad, or indeed, to any deaths.

I couldnt say he wasnt involved, but I found no evidence.

Defending the drug war

Roque has found a new calling making that case on a national scale.

Yes, Duterte has called for killing, Roque said, but that alone is not proof of incitement. Unless there is clear and present danger, it is protected speech.

He went on to blame just about everyone else for whats happened since Duterte took office, including Filipino lawyers for failing to file cases, and the public for tolerating all the death.

Roque said Filipinos support killing drug suspects because the legal system does not work. There is no alternative to the rule of law, but what can you do? The justice system in the Philippines has so many pitfalls, no?

He is right that millions of Filipinos support Duterte and that many see the drug war as necessary, even just. But surveys show Filipinos are increasingly wary of police violence. And there is certainly flack from within the Philippines.

To many journalists, lawyers and activists, Roques defection  and they see it as a defection  is a major hit.

Ellen Tordesillas, a journalist whom Roque has represented, said she counts him as a friend, but found his decision to back Duterte puzzling and disappointing.

For years, she saw him as a freedom fighter, she said. Now, he is using that experience to sell the war. He is helping Duterte a lot, she said.

Why? Ambition. I think that being spokesperson will serve his higher objective to be a senator, she said.

Roque seems to have wagered that he will change Duterte, not the other way around. He said he talks to him about the rule of law  and that the president listens.

Thats why Im with him. If theres anyone who I think can fix the problem, its him, he said.

Have you seen the kind of political will he has? Oh, my God.

Kimberly dela Cruz contributed to this report.

Read more:

As Trump arrives in Manila, a young victim of Dutertes devastating drug war is mourned

Duterte spokesman: Trump offered to return Philippine fugitive during bilateral talks

Liberated and angry in Marawi

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Interior Ministry opposed MML registration as political party with ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior has termed the Milli Muslim League (MML) an offshoot of proscribed entities and subsequently opposed its registration as a political party with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).



The ministry formed its opinion on the basis of a security agencys report which expressed apprehensions that the registration of MML as a political party would breed violence and extremism in politics.



The ministry in its written reply submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on a petition filed by MML seeking its registration with the ECP requested the court not to consider MMLs plea and dismiss the petition accordingly.



In September this year, MML-backed candidate Yaqoob Sheikh secured 5,822 votes and stood fourth in a by-election in Lahores National Assembly constituency NA-120.



The by-election was held after the disqualification of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif by the Supreme Court.



According to the interior ministrys reply, MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), organisations which India has alleged were involved in the 2008 Mumbai attack and the 2001 attack on Indian parliament.



The reply stated: ECP referred the matter to Ministry of Interior to seek clarification of the position of MML with regard to Section 3(4) of Political Parties Order (PPO) 2002.



As per the PPO, organisations which act in the manner prejudicial to fundamental rights, undermine the integrity of Pakistan, promote sectarian, regional or provincial hatred, bear a name as a militant group and impart any military or paramilitary training to its members, do not qualify for registration as political party.



The reply said: After receipt of the matter from ECP, interior ministry processed the case as per procedure and requested the security agencies for report in the matter.



It said a security agency opined that it is difficult to believe that MML will tread its own path, completely at variance with its mother (LeT and JuD) organisations, adding that, therefore, the agency recommended that since registration of such groups would breed violence and extremism in politics, such groups be avoided.



Moreover, the interior ministry cited the response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs against the MMLs registration in view of international obligations.



As per the reply, the LeT, JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) are facing UN sanctions, therefore, the interior ministry furnished comments to the ECP that the registration of MML, an offshoot of the same network of JuD/FIF (which apparent in MML as well), was not supported.



MML challenged the ECPs order of Oct 11 that had declined its registration as a political party due to the alleged interference of interior ministry.



The petition maintained that non-registration of the MML was violation of administrative fairness, constitutional and statutory obligations and fundamental rights.



According to the petition, the ECP order is also violation of PPO 2002. The petitioner said time and again it had clarified that none of its members belonged to any proscribed or banned organisation. All office-bearers of the party are educated and there exist not even a fictitious FIR against them.



The petition contended that there were almost 352 political parties registered with the ECP which neither fulfil criteria for a political party nor was there democracy in these parties.
One month after U.S. and Afghan forces began bombing suspected Taliban drug laboratories in Helmand province, Afghan officials and analysts say they are relieved that the raids are not harming civilians but doubtful that they will be able to significantly reduce the narcotics trade or the insurgents' profits.

The Pentagon announced recently that U.S.-led coalition forces had destroyed 25 insurgent-run drug labs as part of a new U.S. military strategy to weaken the Taliban by going after its sources of revenue. It said at least $80 million worth of narcotics had been destroyed.

Initially, the raids triggered alarm in Helmand, a vast province that has long been at the heart of Afghanistan's drug production and trade. Afghan opium is the source of much of the world's heroin, and half of it comes from Helmand. Production and sales of Afghan opium have soared to record levels in the past several years.

The lucrative business has increasingly attracted the Taliban, which is active in Helmand and recruits many fighters there, even though the group took strict measures to ban the drug trade during its five years in power from 1996 to 2001.

When the U.S. strikes started, local officials expressed concern that civilians would be mistakenly targeted or harmed. They also suggested that it would be more effective to go after the organized Afghan and foreign smugglers who make deals and transport drugs across certain border points into Pakistan and Iran.

Today, with more than two dozen such raids completed, local fears of collateral damage seem to have waned, and some officials in the region said the campaign has already had an impact on opium sales. They expressed relief that small farmers who grow poppy are not being targeted.

The airstrikes have had their impact for sure, said Nimatullah Ghafari, a legislator from Helmand. He said that even in remote areas, some drug dealers have shut down their business. Since the farmers and ordinary people are not the target, the long-term result will be good and it will not create much hatred against the U.S.

But Borhan Osman, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, wrote in a report that the bombing of drug labs will solve neither the countrys Taliban insurgency nor its drugs problem. He noted that the Taliban has diverse funding sources and that the bombing could increase support for it because drug labs provide a living for ordinary people and are usually located in populated areas.

A tribal leader in the Marja district, Shah Wali, estimated that between 30 and 40 percent of laboratories and drugs produced in the southern part of Helmand have been destroyed by the raids, which also involve Afghan ground forces.

Wali said that some in the area have condemned the airstrikes, but several officials and tribal chiefs have demanded that the raids be expanded into northern Helmand, a more fertile region known as the hub of its drug trade. Karim Attal, the provincial council chief, said far more drug processing and storage centers are located in the north.

Although Attal said the raids in the south had destroyed more than $20 million worth of opium, local and foreign drug traffickers still "easily sold and bought drugs" in the north. Afghan opium production jumped by 87 percent from 2016 to a record 9,000 metric tons in 2017, according to the U.N. Office on Crime and Drugs.

Despite the reported success of the raids, some Afghan commentators last week expressed doubts about the U.S. motivation for embarking on the effort or its likelihood of success. They said it would be hard to make a serious difference after 16 years of fighting, during which drug cultivation and sales continued to grow.

People look at this with skepticism, said Wadir Safi, a professor of political science at Kabul University. During the peak of their presence before 2014, NATO and the U.S. could not stop drugs. Now it will not be an easy job, given that they have much smaller size of force on the ground.

Ahmad Saeedi, a former Afghan diplomat, said the U.S. strategy was aiming too low by targeting small processing laboratories instead of going after the dealers and traffickers in Kabul and abroad.

Anyone can hunt a small fish, he said. They need to go after the big fish and whales, the mega-dealers and the mafia.

Constable reported from Islamabad.

Read more

Rupture between Afghan president, regional leader could shake fragile government

Disputes have put Afghan elections in jeopardy. Is the countrys democracy also at risk?

ICC seeks investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan since 2003

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
The Greek Orthodox patriarch of the Holy Land, Theophilos III, leads a procession to commemorate the bringing of the remains of the great martyr St. George to Lod, Israel, on Nov. 16, 2017. Dozens of Christian Arabs have protested, demanding the resignation of Theophilos III for allegedly selling church land to Israelis. (Ariel Schalit/Associated Press)

Beside a nondescript stretch of highway linking Bethlehem to Jerusalem, theres a large shiny rock and a cluster of olive trees. This place, called Kathisma or seat in Greek, is said to be where the Virgin Mary rested and drank from a well, not long before giving birth in a stable to Jesus.

The only clue to that history is the ruins of a Byzantine church, with a vibrant mosaic floor peeking through mud and smashed beer bottles. And while the ruins themselves remain in the hands of the Greek Orthodox Church, all the surrounding East Jerusalem property has been leased by the church to an Israeli company, according to municipal records.

The Greek Orthodox Church, which serves as a custodian for many such Christian sites in Israel and the Palestinian territories, is coming under increasing criticism from its followers for repeatedly giving up control of its property through land sales or multi-decade leases.

The churchs practice of selling and leasing its properties has caused a split between its followers, who are overwhelmingly Arabic-speaking Palestinians, and the leadership, or Holy Synod, made up mostly of Greeks.

Local Christians say they fear that disposing of the land erodes their already shrinking presence in the Holy Land. And, they say, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate has no right to sell or lease the properties in the first place. They claim its land that belongs to them, given by their ancestors to the church for safekeeping during turbulent times, though they offer no proof.

[Plan to move U.S. embassy to Jerusalem angers Middle East Christians]

Over the past few months, church members have rallied in the West Bank and Jerusalem. They also have taken their campaign to social media and filed a lawsuit relating to some of the properties. Activists want the church to open its files and be more transparent. Some are calling for their leader, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, to resign.

The tensions have forced Theophilos to seek support abroad. This month, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and before that with Pope Francis to give an accounting of the land deals and the growing complaints.

A hundred years ago, there was no way for my grandfather to make this struggle against the church, but weve had enough. We want to fight back, said Issa Rishmawi, a Greek Orthodox Palestinian from Beit Sahour, a town next to Bethlehem.

Residents of Beit Jala, another Christian-majority town near Bethlehem, sent a letter last week to the patriarch saying he would not be welcome at the towns pre-Christmas celebrations this year. Rishmawi said that instead of sending Scout troops with drums and flags to the annual holiday parades, there would be protests.

The leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church has defended its management of the properties. It says in most cases it has leased the land to tenants rather than selling it, protecting the properties while at the same time earning revenue to sustain its religious mission.

Everything we have done is with approval of the synod, but there are individuals who have their own agenda to attack us and slander us, Theophilos said in an interview. We are a religious institution with a spiritual mission here for more than 2,000 years.

[Israeli excavation could shed light on lives of Jesus early followers]

A document put together by the Orthodox Central Council shows that at least 20 tracts of land or properties were sold or leased in this manner over the past 10 years, garnering an estimated $101,114,285 for the church. Most of the identified properties are inside Israel, but several are in occupied territory  East Jerusalem or the West Bank. Aleef Sabbagh, a member of the council, said most of the buyers appeared to be Israeli or Jewish-owned companies.

The church members who object to the land sales say the church leadership has made secret deals with right-wing Israeli groups seeking to expand the Jewish presence in Palestinian areas or with investors more interested in making a profit than in preserving the integrity of the sites.

Critics of the land deals point, for example, to the Hill of Evil Counsel, said to be the spot where Jewish high priest Caiaphas betrayed Jesus, deciding to hand him over to the Romans for crucifixion.

The area is wild and abandoned, remarkable only for its breathtaking view of Jerusalems Old City. A tiny Byzantine church, with a few broken gravestones beside it, stands unkempt in one corner. Local monks believe this is the place where a 7th-century patriarch of Jerusalem, Modestus, a Greek Orthodox saint, is buried.

Ten years ago, the Greek Orthodox church leased the property, in West Jerusalem, to American Jewish philanthropist Michael Steinhardt and U.K.-based Israeli businessman David Sofer, according to property records. In recent months, Jerusalems city council approved plans to build a luxury housing complex on the site despite protests from local residents, a mixture of Arabs and Jews.

The law firm representing Steinhardt and Sofer in the development of the property did not respond to requests for comment.

Patriarch Theophilos said he has had no choice but to sell or lease land held by the church. He said he needs revenue to finance day-to-day church business in Israel and the Palestinian territories, as well as in Jordan and Qatar  all areas under his jurisdiction  and to pay off debts left over from bad real estate deals executed by his predecessors.

[Jesus tomb unveiled after historic restoration]

In some cases, he said, the Israeli government pressured him into selling the property or leasing it cheaply. In other cases, he said, the land was expropriated by the government.

Regarding the transaction with Steinhardt and Sofer, Theophilos said it was done to protect the value of the property before the government could rezone it for another purpose.

The patriarch said he is now battling proposed Israeli legislation that would allow the Israeli government to confiscate some of the land under long-term lease. The legislation aims to protect residential neighborhoods that have been built on the property.

Theophilos also brought a court case seeking to retrieve two properties in the Old Citys Christian Quarter sold more than a decade ago by his predecessor Irenaios I to right-wing Jewish group Ateret Cohanim. A court ruled in August that the sale was valid and would not be voided.

The patriarch is trying to make the narrative about religion and politics against Israel in order to calm their detractors, said Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, leader of the opposition in Jerusalems city council.

This story is truly about business interests and deals that have gone wrong, and others that have made very tidy profits for all sides both over and under the table, she said.

Read more:

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Russian submarines have dramatically stepped up activity around undersea data cables in the North Atlantic, part of a more aggressive naval posture that has driven NATO to revive a Cold War-era command, according to senior military officials.

The apparent Russian focus on the cables, which provide Internet and other communications connections to North America and Europe, could give the Kremlin the power to sever or tap into vital data lines, the officials said. Russian submarine activity has increased to levels unseen since the Cold War, they said, sparking hunts in recent months for the elusive watercraft.

We are now seeing Russian underwater activity in the vicinity of undersea cables that I dont believe we have ever seen, said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Andrew Lennon, the commander of NATOs submarine forces. Russia is clearly taking an interest in NATO and NATO nations undersea infrastructure.

NATO has responded with plans to reestablish a command post, shuttered after the Cold War, to help secure the North Atlantic. NATO allies are also rushing to boost anti-submarine warfare capabilities and to develop advanced submarine-detecting planes.

Britains top military commander also warned that Russia could imperil the cables that form the backbone of the modern global economy. The privately owned lines, laid along the some of the same corridors as the first transatlantic telegraph wire in 1858, carry nearly all of the communications on the Internet, facilitating trillions of dollars of daily trade. If severed, they could snarl the Web. If tapped, they could give Russia a valuable picture of the tide of the worlds Internet traffic.

Its a pattern of activity, and its a vulnerability, said British Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach, in an interview.

Can you imagine a scenario where those cables are cut or disrupted, which would immediately and potentially catastrophically affect both our economy and other ways of living if they were disrupted? Peach said in a speech in London this month.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the cables.

The Russian sea activity comes as the Kremlin has also pressed against NATO in the air and on land. Russian jets routinely clip NATO airspace in the Baltics, and troops drilled near NATO territory in September.

[Russia held a big military exercise. Heres why the U.S. is paying attention.]

Russia has moved to modernize its once-decrepit Soviet-era fleet of submarines, bringing online or overhauling 13 craft since 2014. That pace, coming after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula set off a new era of confrontation with the West, has spurred NATO efforts to counter them. Russia has about 60 full-size submarines, while the United States has 66.

Among Russias capabilities, Lennon said, are deep-sea research vessels, including an old converted ballistic submarine that carries smaller submarines.





They can do oceanographic research, underwater intelligence gathering, he said. And what we have observed is an increased activity of that in the vicinity of undersea cables. We know that these auxiliary submarines are designed to work on the ocean floor, and theyre transported by the mother ship, and we believe they may be equipped to manipulate objects on the ocean floor.

That capability could give Russia the ability to sever the cables or tap into them. The insulated fiber-optic cables are fragile, and ships have damaged them accidentally by dragging their anchors along the seabed. That damage happens near the shore, where it is relatively easy to fix, not in the deeper Atlantic, where the cost of mischief could be far greater.

Lennon declined to say whether NATO believes Russia has actually touched the cables. Russian military leaders have acknowledged that the Kremlin is active undersea at levels not seen since the end of the Cold War, when Russia was forced to curtail its submarine program in the face of economic turmoil and disorganization.

Last year we reached the same level as before the post-Soviet period, in terms of running hours, said Adm. Vladimir Korolev, the commander of the Russian Navy, earlier this year. This is more than 3,000 days at sea for the Russian submarine fleet. This is an excellent sign.

The activity has forced a revival of Western sub-hunting skills that lay largely dormant since the end of the Cold War. Lennon said NATO allies have long practiced submarine-hunting. But until the last few years, there were few practical needs for close tracking, military officials said.

In recent months, the U.S. Navy has flown sorties in the areas where Russia is known to operate its submarines, according to aircraft trackers that use publicly available transponder data. On Thursday, for example, one of the planes shot off from Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily, headed eastward into the Mediterranean. It flew the same mission a day earlier.

The trackers have captured at least 10 missions carried out by U.S. submarine-tracking planes this month, excluding trips when the planes simply appeared to be in transit from one base to another. November was even busier, with at least 17 missions captured by the trackers.

NATO does not comment on specific submarine-tracking flights and declined to release data, citing the classified nature of the missions. But NATO officials say that their submarine-tracking activities have significantly increased in the region.

Submarines are particularly potent war-fighting craft because they can generally only be heard, not seen, underwater. They can serve as a retaliatory strike force in case of nuclear war, threaten military resupply efforts and expand the range of conventional firepower available for use in lower-level conflicts.

The vessels are a good fit for the Kremlin's strategy of making do with less than its rivals, analysts say: Russia's foes need vast resources to track a single undersea craft, making the submarines' cost-to-mischief ratio attractive. Even as Russia remains a vastly weaker military force than NATO, the Kremlin has been able to pack an outsize punch in its confrontation with the West through the seizure of Crimea, support for the Syrian regime and, according to U.S. intelligence, its attempts to influence the U.S. election.

You go off and you try to add expense for anything that were doing, or you put things at risk that are of value to us, and submarines give them the capability to do it, a senior NATO official said of the Russian approach, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence assessments.

Russian military planners can say, I can build fewer of them, I can have better quality, and I can put at risk and challenge and make it difficult for NATO, the official said.

[Latvias cellphones stopped working. Russias war games may be to blame.]

Still, some analysts say the threat to cables may be overblown.

Arguably, the Russians wouldnt be doing their jobs if they couldnt threaten underwater cables. Certainly, NATO allies would not be doing theirs if they were unable to counter that, said Adam Thomson, a former British ambassador to NATO.

Russian military planners have publicized their repeated use of submarine-launched Kalibr cruise missiles during their incursion into Syria, which began in fall 2015. (In Syria, the missiles have not always hit their targets, according to U.S. intelligence officials, undermining somewhat the Russian claims of potency.)

NATOs hunts  which have stretched across the Baltic, Mediterranean and Atlantic  have mobilized submarine-tracking frigates, sonar-equipped P8 Poseidon planes and helicopters, and attack submarines that have combed the seas.

The Russians are operating all over the Atlantic, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. They are also operating closer to our shores.

Russias enhanced submarine powers give urgency to NATOs new efforts to ensure that it can get forces to the battlefront if there is a conflict, Stoltenberg said. In addition to the new Atlantic-focused command, the alliance also plans to create another command dedicated to enabling military forces to travel quickly across Europe.

NATO defense ministers approved the creation of the commands at a November meeting. Further details are expected in February. The plans are still being negotiated, but they currently include the North Atlantic command being embedded inside the U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, which would transform into a broader NATO joint force command if there was a conflict, a NATO diplomat said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been finalized.

Credible deterrence is linked to credible reinforcement capabilities, Stoltenberg said. Were a transatlantic alliance. You need to be able to cross the Atlantic.

Correction: An earlier version of the graphic accompanying this story incorrectly labeled the Crimean peninsula. It is a disputed territory that has been annexed by Russia.

Read more

Putin thanks Trump for CIA intel that foiled a planned terrorist attack in Russia

A Putin-Assad embrace launches Russias new peace bid for Syria

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A federal appeals court panel on Friday ruled that President Trumps third entry ban violates the law  although the judges put their own decision on hold until the Supreme Court can weigh in.

In a 77-page decision, the three-judge panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that Trump had again exceeded his lawful authority in issuing the latest ban and that he had not made a legally sufficient finding that entry of those blocked would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.

The ruling, however, is of little immediate consequence, as the judges said they would put it on hold pending consideration by the Supreme Court, which has allowed the ban to take effect.

In a statement, Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said: We are pleased that the Supreme Court has already allowed the government to implement the Proclamation and keep all Americans safe while this matter is litigated. We continue to believe that the order should be allowed to take effect in its entirety.

Trumps latest ban blocks various travelers from eight countries from entering the United States. Two federal judges had earlier blocked its implementation, at least in part, although the Supreme Court this month allowed it to fully take effect while the legal battle ran its course through the courts.

The 9th Circuit panel said it would let stand a lower court judges block of the ban, although it would allow the government to enforce the measure on those without any bona fide U.S. ties, such as family here. The three judges considering the matter in the 9th Circuit  Michael Daly Hawkins, Ronald M. Gould and Richard A. Paez  were appointed by President Bill Clinton.

Neal Katyal, a lawyer representing the state of Hawaii, which had sued over the ban, wrote on Twitter that the court had issued a thorough repudiation of Trumps position on both substance & procedure. The Justice Department has argued that the president operated within his authority and that the latest ban was inked after an extensive process in which the United States negotiated with other countries for data on their travelers.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit is considering a separate challenge to the ban.
Andrew McCabe, the FBIs deputy director, has become a lightning rod in the political storms buffeting the agency. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Andrew McCabe, the FBIs deputy director who has been the target of Republican critics for more than a year, plans to retire in a few months when he becomes fully eligible for pension benefits, according to people familiar with the matter.

McCabe spent hours in Congress this past week, facing questions behind closed doors from members of three committees. Republicans said they were dissatisfied with his answers; Democrats called it a partisan hounding.

McCabe, 49, holds a unique position in the political firestorm surrounding the FBI . He was former director James B. Comey's right-hand man, a position that involved him in most of the FBI's actions that vex President Trump and in the investigation of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state, a matter that still riles Democrats.

McCabe wont become eligible for his full pension until early March. People close to him say he plans to retire as soon as he hits that mark. Hes got about 90 days, and some of that will be holiday time. He can make it, one said.

A spokesman for McCabe declined to comment, as did an FBI spokesman.

Word of McCabe's plans drew a response Saturday from Trump, who in a Twitter post characterized the move as "racing the clock to retire with full benefits."

[Trump calls conduct at the FBI disgraceful in latest criticism of bureau]

When Trump fired Comey in May, McCabe stayed to run the agency until a new director was in place and to take the political heat for decisions made by his former boss.

Andys in a difficult position now . . . because of the hyperpartisan political environment, said John Pistole, who held the FBIs No. 2 job for six years under former director Robert S. Mueller III. Mueller now serves as special counsel, running the investigation into whether any Trump associates conspired with Russian agents to interfere with the 2016 election.

Pistole said McCabe is weathering the storm.

Its disappointing, he added, to see how the criticism of the FBI is being used to try to undermine the credibility of the Mueller investigation. I think theyve figured out they cant undermine Bobs integrity, so theyre just going to go after whoever they can dig up any dirt on.



FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is escorted by U.S. Capitol Police before a meeting with lawmakers Thursday on Capitol Hill. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

[FBIs top lawyer said to be reassigned]

Within the agency, there is praise  but also some criticism  for how McCabe has handled his role. Still, he has become a lightning rod in the political storms buffeting the bureau. Conservatives have called for heads to roll at the FBI, and McCabe is atop the lists of many. But current and former FBI officials said it would be dangerous to appease those demands.

It would send a terrible message to move him now, but its also a terrible situation hes in, said one law enforcement official.

Last week, the FBI's top lawyer, James Baker, told colleagues he was being reassigned, according to people familiar with the matter.

The pressure on McCabe has only intensified. He got an eight-hour grilling from the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday and returned to Congress on Thursday to face more than nine hours of questions from the House Judiciary and Oversight committees.

Other senior FBI officials, including those who worked closely with McCabe and Comey, are expected to face similar questioning from Congress next year.

[FBI officials text message about Hillary Clinton said to be a cover story for romantic affair]

Republicans are focusing in particular on the FBI's relationship with the author of a dossier containing allegations against Trump. The bureau offered to pay the author of that document after the election to keep pursuing leads and information, but the agreement was never finalized, The Washington Post reported earlier this year.

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), has called for McCabes ouster, saying he ought to go for reasons of being involved in some of the things that took place in the previous administration. We want to make sure that theres not undue political influence within the FBI  the [Justice] Department and the FBI.

Democrats emerging from Thursdays questioning of McCabe urged him to resist Republicans calls to step down, saying the GOPs new focus on McCabe smells of political opportunism.

McCabe should not be fired because of biased political commentary, said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.).

Trump and his supporters have made clear they want McCabe gone, but as a civil service employee, he cant be fired outright without a clear finding of major wrongdoing.

Christopher A. Wray became the FBIs director in August, and a new leader typically appoints a new deputy to help run the agency. When Comey became director in 2013, for example, he got a new deputy after about two months.

But within the FBI, even reassigning McCabe is viewed by many as a bad idea. It would be seen as caving to political demands and might provoke calls for additional housecleaning, according to current and former law enforcement officials.

McCabe rose quickly through the FBIs senior ranks, only to find himself, beginning last year, the subject of intense partisan fighting about his conduct.

Republicans attacked him after reports that his wife, a Democratic candidate for a Virginia Senate seat in 2015, had received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from the political action committee led by a close ally of the Clintons. He had also been part of discussions with Justice Department officials that critics said prevented FBI agents from more aggressively pursuing their investigation of the Clinton Foundation. Agents were trying to determine whether donations to the foundation were made with an expectation of government favors from Clinton or her allies.

After reports about those issues surfaced in October 2016, then-candidate Trump singled out McCabe for criticism, and congressional Republicans demanded detailed answers from the FBI about his role in the Clinton probes  questions they insist remain unanswered.

In a separate Twitter post on Saturday, Trump expressed his incredulity once more, asking how "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 wife's campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation?"

McCabes role is being examined by the Justice Departments inspector general, who has said a report on how the Clinton probe was handled should be finished by spring.

In May came Comeys firing, which left the FBI, according to one person inside the bureau, permanently playing defense.

McCabe was suddenly in charge, and, according to people familiar with the matter, law enforcement officials began to investigate the president for obstruction of justice.

In early December, McCabe faced yet another controversy. The Post reported that one of his senior advisers, FBI lawyer Lisa Page, had exchanged numerous pro-Clinton and anti-Trump text messages with Peter Strzok, the top FBI agent on Mueller's probe. The special counsel removed Strzok when he learned of their communications; Page had left the Mueller team two weeks earlier for what officials said were unrelated reasons. In one text, Strzok wrote that he thought Clinton should win "100,000,000-0.''

More problematic for McCabe is a text in which Strzok told Page, I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andys office that theres no way he gets elected  but Im afraid we cant take that risk. Its like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before youre 40.

Republican lawmakers have seized on the text as evidence that Strzok, Page and possibly McCabe were involved in an effort to somehow ensure Trump would not win the election. But people familiar with the exchange said that the two were debating how overtly they should begin investigating Trump, and that one of the factors they considered was the likelihood he could win the presidency  which they deemed small.

Even that explanation presents a headache for McCabe because it places a conversation in his office about how the expected election outcome should or should not affect the FBIs investigative decisions.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly said a text, which mentioned a meeting in Andrew McCabes office, was sent by FBI lawyer Lisa Page to FBI agent Peter Strzok. The text was sent from Strzok to Page.
Russian officials said Saturday that the U.S. decision to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons to combat Russian-backed separatists will cause new bloodshed, as long-standing tensions between Washington and Moscow escalated over the four-year-old conflict.

Moscows admonition came shortly after the State Department announced Friday evening that the United States will provide heavy armaments to Ukraine for the first time, a step up from the support equipment and training offered so far. A statement by spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the weapons were defensive in nature, as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression.

On Wednesday, Washington said it had approved an export license allowing the sale of light weapons and small arms to Ukraine from commercial U.S. manufacturers.

The U.S. decision to provide lethal weapons brought a predictably sharp rebuke from Moscow, which has tacitly backed the separatists in eastern Ukraine while denying that it actively supports them.

The United States has crossed a line by announcing its intention to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Saturday. U.S. weapons are capable of leading to new casualties in our neighboring country, and we cannot remain indifferent to that.

Moscow has long maintained that U.S. authorities organized and oversaw the Maidan protests in Kiev that led then-President Viktor Yanukovych to flee to Russia in early 2014. Russian state television programs constantly portray Ukraine as a failed state with neo-fascist leaders bent on oppressing ethnic Russians in the countrys eastern Donbas region.

The United States is clearly prompting them to a new bloodshed now, Ryabkov said in comments posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry website. Kyivs revenge-seekers have already been shelling Donbas every day and are unwilling to hold peace talks, while dreaming about doing away with the disobedient population. And the U.S. has decided to give them the weapons for it.

Moscow also blames deep-seated anti-Russian sentiment for the chill in U.S.-Russian relations.

Russophobia is obstructing the views of many of them so much now that they cheerfully applaud to punishers from Ukrainian nationalist battalions, Ryabkov said.

Moscows admonition came shortly after a cease-fire went into effect between Ukraine and Russian-speaking rebels, in acknowledgment of Christmas and New Years holidays. Almost immediately, each side accused the other of violating the cease-fire.

The conflict in Ukraine began after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and then began supporting separatists in the eastern part of the former Soviet country. More than 10,000 people have died in the war, including about 450 in the first 11 months of this year.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed a recent increase in violence during a phone call Friday with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, according to an account provided by the Ukrainian government. The State Department confirmed that the call had taken place but provided no details.

The Ukrainians said Poroshenko thanked Tillerson for the continuation of U.S. sanctions against Russia and for the consistent support of Washington regarding the increase of Ukraines defense capacity. It also said Tillerson reassured him that U.S. support for Ukraine would continue.

Russia has denied sending troops and heavy weaponry to eastern Ukraine, but the United States says Moscow is providing arms, training and troops to support the separatists. Tillerson has said that the strained U.S.-Russia relations cannot improve and that punishing sanctions will not be lifted until Moscow withdraws its support from the rebels in Ukraine and returns Crimea to Ukrainian sovereignty.

Ukraine has for years asked the United States to provide it with lethal weapons. The Obama administration considered providing heavy weapons but balked, fearing such a move would further inflame the conflict. Among the equipment Kiev most seeks are Javelin antitank missiles.

The State Department said the U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself.

In Moscow, a leading Russian lawmaker also spoke out against the U.S. arms deal Saturday, saying that it signaled Washingtons intention to abandon talks on regulating the Ukraine crisis that were established between U.S. special envoy Kurt Volker and his Russian counterpart, Vladislav Surkov.

By deciding to arm Ukraine with lethal weapons, the United States is giving a clear signal to Kyiv that it will support an attempt at a military solution, Alexei Pushkov, a member of the defense and security committee of the upper house of the Russian parliament, tweeted on Saturday. Volker might as well take a vacation.

More-measured voices in the Russian capital also cautioned that the U.S. decision could lead to an escalation of the Ukraine crisis.

The provision of U.S. lethal arms for Ukraine will change little on the battlefield, but it marks Washingtons deeper and more direct involvement in the conflict, Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, commented on Twitter. An important line has been crossed, and it probably wont stop there.

This article has been updated to correct the name of the Russian counterpart to the U.S. special envoy on Ukraine, Kurt Volker. It is Vladislav Surkov, not Sergei Ivanov.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/12/2017 (1790 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Wawanesa Mutual Insurance is looking to get ahead of a trend that some believe could become a staple  cyber-insurance for the homeowner and home-based business owner.

The Winnipeg company believes it is first in the market targeting the homeowner with a product thats seen strong and growing demand on the commercial side for a few years.

Keith Hartry, chief operating officer at Wawanesa  which has assets of $9.1 billion and had revenue in 2016 of $3.1 billion  said while its still too early to understand fully how well the commercial product is working, he believes there is an unmet demand on the homeowner front that Wawanesa is proud to be among the first to address.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Keith Hartry, chief operating officer of Wawanesa Mutual Insurance, says the company identified unmet demand among homeowners and home-based business owners for cyber-coverage.

Its a fairly new field even for business, Hartry said. It has largely, up until now, been a business coverage, but we saw a need for our customers. The insurance industry is changing at an unprecedented pace. We are trying to transform to meet the need of our customer.

Wawanesas cyber-protection portfolio includes coverage and protection for the recovery of data and restoration of systems that have been lost or damaged from a cyberattack; payments and assistance in responding to cyber-extortion; coverage for the direct financial loss from online fraud; and payment for services required to recover from a data breach.

Hartry admits that the number-crunching is continuing regarding how well commercial cyber-insurance works, both from the perspective of the insurer and the insured, so its too soon to make too many conclusions on what the experience has been on the commercial side. But he does acknowledge its a growing line for Wawanesa and that demand for homeowner coverage will also grow.

And there is no denying the risk is increasing in Canada and around the world.

According to Statistics Canada, reported cyber-related violations were up 34 per cent in 2016 compared to the year before, and the estimated cost to the Canadian economy is up to about $6 billion per year.

We all see stories of various instances of cybercrime affecting everyday people, Hartry said. Its important that they are protected.

Wawanesas new personal cyber-insurance package, which will be available Jan. 1, will have two different coverage models  a limit of $25,000 for an annual premium of $45 and $50,000 coverage that comes with a $60 annual premium.

Those prices are in keeping with premium rates on the commercial cyber-insurance products currently on the market.

Ryan Garriock, president of Garriock Insurance and the current president of the Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba, said while Wawanesas homeowner version of cyber-insurance has not yet debuted, the commercial version thats available from most of the major insurance manufacturers is not as expensive as what people would think.

The demand for this product is only going to increase, Garriock said.

At some point in the future, I think almost everyone will have coverage for this kind of thing. The cost of premiums for coverage, like any insurance product, is a direct correlation to the risk associated.

Wawanesa distributes its policies through the independent brokerage network (including the brokers from Western Financial Group, which Wawanesa acquired earlier this year in a $775-million deal).

It is in the midst of educating brokers on its new personal cyber-coverage. It will then be the brokers jobs to educate consumers.

Not everyone will want to buy that coverage, but thats OK, Garriock said.

Our job as brokers is to provide options to clients. Some will want to buy the coverage; others would rather hold that risk themselves.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
Washington should not blame Pakistan for its failiure in Afghanistan: FO

ISLAMABAD/KABUL: Hours after US Vice-President Mike Pences warning that the Trump administration has put Pakistan on notice for harbouring terrorists, Islamabad on Friday told Washington to create peace and reconciliation mechanisms instead of shifting blame onto Pakistan for its own failures in Afghanistan.



Externalising blame should be put on notice, in addition to a host of factors responsible for exponential increase in drug production, expansion of ungoverned spaces, industrial scale corruption, breakdown of governance and letting Daesh gain a foothold in Afghanistan, Foreign Office spokesperson.



Making an unannounced trip to Afghanistan, US Vice President Mike Pence alleged Pakistan had provided safe haven to the Taliban and other groups for too long. Those days are over, he said, and added, Pakistan had much to gain from partnering with the United States and much to lose by harbouring criminals and terrorists.



This is so far the harshest US warning to Pakistan since the beginning of the Afghan war more than 16 years ago and follows several recent statements, indicating US indignation with Islamabad.



The Foreign Office lashed out at the US, claiming that the statement by Pence diverged from recent conversations between officials of both countries. Allies do not put each other on notice, the FO statement said, noting that Pences scathing remarks were at variance with the extensive conversations we [Islamabad] have had with the US administration.



Speaking to American troops at Bagram Airbase, Pence reiterated word for word President Donald Trumps warning that Pakistan must stop offering cross-border safe havens to Taliban factions and armed militant groups fighting US troops and their Afghan allies.



The US VP visited Kabuls Bagram airbase in a trip cloaked in secrecy, becoming the most senior Trump administration official to visit the men and women fighting Americas longest-ever war. Pence then flew by helicopter to Kabul, where he met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.



Afghan Presidential Palace said that Pence in his meeting with President Ghani reaffirmed that the US will continue and further enhance its support to the government and people of Afghanistan.



He commended the performance of the Afghan national defense and security forces and acknowledged the progress of national unity government to counter corruption, promote effective governance, further the peace process and pursue regional cooperation, a statement posted on the presidents website said.



On his part, President Ghani commended the continued support of US for the people and government of Afghanistan. The two sides stressed that 2017 has been a year full of achievements in terms of developing the security and defense sectors as well as focus on counter-narcotics efforts, the statement said.



Earlier in the day, Pakistans Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua rejected Pences rhetorical statements and allegations outright and posed the question as to how the US would be able to address Pakistans regional security concerns.



During a Senate Foreign Affairs Committee briefing, Janjua said that Islamabad and Washington were in touch regarding the unilateral action statements by the US. But, how can unilateral action be taken on a single source of information? she asked.



Pakistan has no terrorist sanctuaries, she asserted, adding that the presence of terrorists in Afghanistan has been detrimental to Pakistans safety. She also accused India of using Afghan soil to destabilise Pakistan.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/12/2017 (1790 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cecily Strongs much-watched Claire from HR character on Saturday Night Live may have been frazzled and exasperated. But amid a deluge of sexual harassment allegations and reports of workplace misconduct, what many human resources managers are feeling is actually this: fear and panic.

Those are the three words CEB human resources consultant Brian Kropp used to describe what hes seeing and hearing from clients as they navigate a flood of complaints and a growing sense of unease that their company could be next in the headlines.

Theyre worried these meteorites could be coming, he said. But they have no idea how to protect their house.

But that anxiety is about more than whether there could be a Harvey Weinstein on the payroll. Kropp and others say that amid the rush of allegations, human resources managers are grappling with a changing social media, technology and cultural environment that makes it more challenging than ever to know how to respond.

The playbook for HR, when it comes to sexual harassment, is a 25- to 30-year-old playbook, Kropp said, one that has long worked this way: Employees made a complaint, HR took time to investigate, and the matter generally stayed private until it could be resolved. Its too slow for addressing these issues as they occur now.

Its been upended by social media, as HR managers awkwardly wonder how to handle a #metoo story they read on a colleagues Facebook page that seems to implicate a co-worker. It can prompt questions about what to do when employees are chatting in anonymous workplace chatrooms, or when a worker writes a public blog post about the sexual harassment they faced  as former Uber engineer Susan Fowler did. And its bringing about a recognition among newer companies that, after years of recruiting young workers with ping pong tables and beer taps, they may not have the HR pros in place with the skills to manage the current wave of complaints.

All the while, theyre in a tougher position with employees  who may see them as less trustworthy, given the current uproar  and more under scrutiny as top executives and boards of directors grapple with the issue.

Employment lawyers say theyre hearing about boards of directors who are setting up committees on sexual harassment and cultural issues. Brande Stellings, an outside member of an oversight panel formed by 21st Century Foxs board, who also leads advisory services for the research and consulting firm Catalyst, said she thinks more companies will see directors get involved. Its now quite clear the implications from a risk perspective, she said.

Kropp isnt the only one sensing alarm bells among those who lead personnel departments.

Human resource consultants and employment lawyers say their phones have been ringing more than ever and worry has set in as they consider how to respond.

Were getting lots and lots of calls from employers who want us to help them re-evaluate their entire process, to look at their policy, to do some training, said Amy Bess, a partner with Vedder Price in Washington.

One of their big concerns is how to respond in an age of social media. If you have a very public allegation that somebody in your organization has engaged in sexual harassment or other inappropriate behaviour, companies are panicking about how to deal with it, she said. Waiting around for a week or two to do a thorough investigation is probably not going to satisfy constituents.

As a result, she says, some companies are jumping to termination decisions quickly: They are between a rock and a hard place, and many are opting to just get rid of the person.

Less than 48 hours passed between when NBC News chairman Andy Lack said the network received a detailed complaint from an employee alleging inappropriate sexual behaviour by Today host Matt Lauer and the announcement of Lauers termination.

Kropp says the #metoo campaign, in which women shared stories on social media of past experiences with harassment, can lead to delicate situations for human resources managers. If they see a story on a colleagues Facebook or Twitter page that sounds like the perpetrator might have been a co-worker or boss, it could seem like an invasion of privacy to step in and ask them to share sensitive details. But if you dont do anything about it, youre exposing your company to legal and reputational risk, he said.

Bess said shes faced questions about that about from clients, especially in the aftermath of the #metoo campaign, noting its similar advice she gives to how an employer should respond when they hear rumours or gossip  look into it. They ask, I saw this employee post something on Facebook, do I have a duty to investigate it? The answer, typically, is yes if it implicates conduct in the workplace, she said.

Technology is also rewriting the rules for how quickly such allegations are addressed. With clear evidence more often available in the form of emails, texts or other electronic posts, the days of he-said, she-said have essentially been eliminated by technology, said John Alan Doran, a Phoenix-based partner with the law firm Sherman & Howard. Increasingly, somebodys got a screenshot somewhere, and the type of evidence thats laid before an HR person has morphed into being either irrefutable or provably bogus.

As a result, he said, the increase in electronic evidence has dramatically cut short the window companies have to respond. These complaints have turned into a drop-everything scenario, Doran said. When someone comes forward with electronic evidence, the response is going to be far more swift and  for better or worse  far more severe.

And in some cases, human resources staff are not in place to deal with such complaints. David Lewis, who runs a consulting firm in Norwalk, Conn., said that in recent years, many newer companies have had personnel managers focused on attracting and retaining employees in a tight labour market, adding perks to mimic the work environments in Silicon Valley.

The HR focus has been twisted into people who had titles like chief of fun, he said. If youve hired someone more for their ability to retain or attract people, but arent capable of dealing with complex employee relations, those are the companies I see really rethinking what the HR role is all about.

 Washington Post
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/12/2017 (1790 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its not the kind of Christmas gift one ever expects to find under the family tree.

Not the family tree with lights and ornaments.

I mean the one with names of people from the same family dangling from branches. Sometimes people who had no idea they were entitled to hang out there. Until, maybe, they went searching to solve part of the mystery of who they are and where they belong.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Columnist Gordon Sinclair Jr. and Linda Skinner have found out they share an ancestor. His grandfather, George Peat Sinclair, is her father.

So it was that late last September I received an email from a relative in the United States who suggested our family tree was about to get a big shakeup. My American cousin Joanna Matesich was writing with a heads-up about being in contact with a woman who was looking for her paternal family.

And, in particular, the father she never had.

So why was she contacting me?

A few years back, Joanna began by way of background, my husband, Ken, and I gave each other Ancestry.com DNA tests for Christmas.

Now I had a feeling where this was headed, although as it turned out I wasnt ready for where it was really going.

Recently, Linda Skinner, from Winnipeg, popped up as my second cousin on Ancestry, Joanna continued. She contacted me and we have spent several months unravelling the mystery of our connection.

By our connection she meant Lindas being part of our extensive, extended clan in North America and beyond.

Im afraid it has rather rocked Lindas world, shaken her identity, Joanna added. I think she had a rough childhood with a single mother in the 50s and 60s. The man she barely knew, but believed to be her father, was just ruled out by the cold facts of science.

Linda was the last of her mother Nellies eight children  who had been fathered by three men  one of whom she always suspected was also her dad. Which is partly why initially Linda wouldnt and simply couldnt believe that the Ancestry results had connected her to Joannas DNA. And that, she was, without doubt, a Sinclair on her paternal side. What made it even more surreal, as Linda described it, was that Joanna had told her something else. That Linda was the aunt of someone she already had a connection of sorts with from reading the Free Press.

She has followed your column for years, Joanna advised me, bought your book and has even written to you several times.

As it turned out there was something else, though; another even more personal connection from the past that surprised me but, not Linda.

We had already met.

In 1994, I had written a column featuring Linda and, more prominently, her then-19-year-old daughter Julie Skinner, a Kelvin High School grad who was home for a summer break from modelling on the catwalks of Paris and Milan. I didnt remember the interview, or the column, even after Linda found it in her files and showed it to me.

More importantly, what Linda wanted to find now was the identity of her father.

By the time Joanna contacted me in the fall, she had narrowed it to three suspects, as my resourceful cousin referred to them: my long-gone grandfather, George Peat Sinclair; my late father, Gordon; and his late brother, my uncle Clayton.

That was a jolt for me. What followed was comic relief.

You are not a suspect, Joanna advised, being four years old when she was born.

By the time Linda and I sat down last week in her Osborne Village apartment, she had decided who the father she never knew was. He was the grandfather my younger brother David and I hardly knew.

George Sinclair had separated from my grandmother Elizabeth around 1950, two years before Linda was born. Linda had confirmed to her satisfaction that George Sinclair was her father through a search for her birth certificate and census material Joanna had found for her.

Linda discovered that her mother had tried to hide his identity; at least partially, by using the name of one of the fathers of her other children on Lindas birth certificate.

But it couldnt really have been him, Linda reasoned, because he went off to the Second World War and never returned.

Besides, the rest of the information her mother provided on the birth certificate pointed directly to my then 59-year-old grandfather: he was Scottish-born, had worked for Canadian National Railway and had lived in a downtown apartment on a street a block away from her mothers place at the time Linda was conceived.

That, and of course the DNA, all matched.

I always knew I was different. I always knew, Gordon, Linda said. I was treated different. I looked different. But when I asked my mother, Who is my father? She would never answer me.

Now Linda has answered it for herself.

Now, with her red hair and blue eyes, she looks like so many others in our Sinclair family, including the father she never knew.

Last week, I took Linda a photo of George Peat Sinclair, set in a frame with his First World War medals.

It was a Christmas gift for her.

As meaningful, I hope, as the one she has given her new-found family.

Merry Christmas everyone, from our family to you and yours.

gordon.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 22/12/2017 (1791 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A promised fairy-tale ending for a Winnipeg rescue dog has turned into a bizarre legal battle that may force the courts to decide the canines fate.

An urgent civil hearing has been set in Manitoba Court of Queens Bench to seek the return of Harrison, a.k.a. Harry, a seven- or eight-year-old border collie mix who was adopted four years ago and then, allegedly stolen by the rescue agency that authorized the adoption.

Amid allegations of theft, animal neglect, defamation and online bullying, with accusations flying from both sides, the case landed this week in front of a perplexed Justice David Kroft, who questioned the need for an urgent hearing only to be told: this is a special dog.

Mike Sudoma Hairless Harry.

I wish my family loved me as much as Harry is loved, Kroft joked.

Laurel Fletcher, owner of the Pawsh Dog  a doggy daycare, salon and training academy  adopted Harry in 2013 to be the businesss live-in mascot.

The adoption was approved by Hulls Haven Border Collie Rescue, run by Sally Hull, who rescued the hairless dog and christened him with his ironic name after he was reportedly found starving in an Ohio barn and sent to a kill shelter in the U.S.

After learning Harry would be adopted by Fletcher and have ready access to Pawsh Dogs services, including massages and a hydrotherapy pool, Hull told the Free Press she had tears of joy for Harry.

He couldnt have landed in a better place. We can finally stop worrying about this poor guy. I wish we could put all our dogs in such spectacular homes, Hull said in a 2013 interview.

By August 2017, Hull had changed her mind.

At the end of that month, after texting back and forth with Fletcher and her husband about the dog needing medical treatment, according to Fletchers statement of claim, Hull showed up at the Pawsh Dog on Taylor Avenue and took Harry.

The statement of claim says she left a typed and signed note saying Harry was being transferred back into the care of Hulls Haven.

In her lawsuit, Fletcher accuses Hull of taking Harry without permission and for no reason, saying she had provided Hull with a veterinarians report that gave Harry a clean bill of health.

A copy of the Aug. 29 report from the Tuxedo Animal Hospital, a day before Harry was taken, notes he needs a dental cleaning and describes him as an overall healthy dog (with) just dirty teeth.

According to the statement of claim, Fletchers husband invited Hull to Pawsh Dog to witness that Harry was OK, but made it clear Harry was not to be taken.

Hulls version of events, according to her statement of defence and counterclaim against Fletcher, is that Fletchers husband agreed to let Hull take Harry back and required a signed letter stating as much.

She accuses Fletcher of violating their adoption agreement by neglecting Harry, leaving him alone overnight at Pawsh, failing to get him medical treatment for serious and debilitating physical injuries and subjecting him to an overwhelmingly unhealthy environment.

Im familiar with how passionate people are about their dogs, but I have never dealt with a situation where somebody steals somebody elses dog and refuses to give it back, said Fletchers lawyer, Troy Harwood-Jones.

Harwood-Jones said Harry lived an enviable life at the 24/7 doggie daycare and wasnt left alone.

Harrys never been neglected. He was adopted to be the store mascot and to be the ambassador, he said, describing Harry as a special dog whose absence is felt at Pawsh.

He was loved and cared for.

Submitted photo Hairless Harry.

He said because Harry is hairless, his skin is sensitive and prone to marks.

He often flaps his ears and gets scratches on them, Harwood-Jones said. The vets report notes a chronic laceration on the dogs right ear, but no other abnormalities, aside from the dental hygiene.

Harwood-Jones said a photo of Harry showing his scabbed-up ear circulated on social media and has sparked online vitriol toward Fletcher, who is pursuing a defamation lawsuit against another woman apart from the legal proceedings against Hull.

I dont know what to make of this woman and her behaviour, but obviously you cant just take somebody elses dog, Harwood-Jones said of Hull. And if you think that the dogs in distress, Animal Services should be notified, he said.

Fletchers statement of claim accuses Hull of posting Harrys photo on Facebook after taking him back, portraying him as being in dire straits and seeking donations for his care.

Hull declined to speak about the case, but confirmed Harry is in the care of the rescue. She said that her legal expenses could be better spent on saving more dogs.

People with money should not be allowed to use the court system to bully people that have no money, and thats exactly whats going on, she said.

While he encouraged lawyers to resolve the matter out of court, the judge agreed to an urgent hearing date in March, five months after Fletchers statement of claim was filed.

Civil cases that arent deemed urgent can take years to get to court, and the chief justice of the Court of Queens Bench recently acknowledged longer delays than are acceptable in civil cases as litigation lawyers spoke out about a three-year delay in Manitoba.

We are moving at what is light-speed for the court, as fast as the court can go, to get Harry back, Harwood-Jones said, acknowledging its not a common kind of litigation.

I dont believe that litigation is the right way to resolve this. Unfortunately, we dont have any other option because Sally refuses to return my clients dog. Weve tried to be reasonable, weve tried to negotiate and get Sally to return the dog, he said.

If she wont talk to us and she wont give the dog back, then what choice do we have but to do this?

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 22/12/2017 (1791 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two more Manitoba First Nations have joined forces with medical cannabis clinic operator National Access Cannabis, announcing plans to open recreational cannabis stores on their land after legalization.

Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and Brokenhead Ojibway Nation announced their agreements with National Access Cannabis (NAC) on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Long Plain First Nation and Peguis First Nation had announced retail agreements with NAC last Friday.

National Access Cannabis is one of a number of companies that have responded to Manitobas request for proposals (RFP) to operate retail cannabis stores in the province after the expected federal legalization of cannabis next year. The government of Manitoba will choose up to four companies to run those stores. The RFP, which had a Friday deadline, sought the participation of Indigenous businesses.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Onekanew Christian Sinclair (left) of Opaskwayak Cree Nation and Chief Jim Bear of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation are seen at National Access Cannabis, with which they signed deals to open pot stores on their land after legalization.

Nisichawayasihk plans to open a store on its Mystery Lake urban reserve land in Thompson, Chief Marcel Moody said.

Its a chance for our community to diversify our economic development portfolio, said Moody. That portfolio, he said, already includes grocery stores in Thompson, The Pas and Nelson House, as well the Mystery Lake Motor Hotel in Thompson.

Brokenhead plans to open a pot store on its land in Scanterbury, about an hours drive northeast of Winnipeg. More locations are possible, Chief Jim Bear said.

We are business-orientated, we have several businesses established in the community, Bear said. We also have an existing medical clinic established in the last year. We also have a pharmacy.

A legal cannabis store would be a safer alternative to the existing black market, he added.

National Access Cannabis does not currently sell cannabis, but runs a series of clinics across Canada where prospective medical cannabis users can be evaluated by a physician and referred to legal producers of medical marijuana regulated by the federal government.

After legalization, which is expected next summer, National Access Cannabis plans to enter the retail market for recreational cannabis.

solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @sol_israel
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/12/2017 (1790 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For Wab Kinew, it was the calm before the storm that will most certainly come in 2018.

After a high-stress summer, in which he had to defend himself against allegations of domestic assault while in the latter stages of a leadership campaign, Kinew had an exceedingly quiet final three months of 2017.

This period of respite was due in part to the fact that, for better or worse, Premier Brian Pallister seemed to be hogging the headlines.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files It was a relatively quiet autumn for new NDP Leader Wab Kinew, but thats sure to change in 2018.

By just about any measurement, the premier had quite a fall.

It started with the sudden and confusing trial balloon on the idea of a health-care premium. He moved quickly to the introduction of carbon tax and marijuana legalization frameworks, then suffered a near-death experience during a botched hike in the New Mexico desert.

Finally, Pallister uttered some ill-considered comments about Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce chairwoman Johanna Hurmes clothes and shoes at the state of the province luncheon, which put him briefly on the wrong side of the #MeToo debate over sexual harassment and abuse.

For Tories, one of the biggest negative effects of the premiers newsworthiness was a lack of attention on Kinew, a leader who came into office under his own cloud of scandal.

Kinew made a few autumn announcements, scheduled a lot of public appearances, jousted in question period and otherwise eased into his new role. It was a period of low-key, unremarkable politicking in which he seemed to benefit by being largely left out out of the media spotlight that remained focused mainly on Pallister.

Kinew understands, however, that the calm will not last. Although the next provincial election is still more than two years away, Kinew said in a year-end interview that he expects rocky roads ahead as the governing Progressive Conservatives sharpen their claws and attempt to exploit his past legal troubles. Still, Kinew said he is confident voters will accept his assertions that he is a changed man.

I believe that Manitobans are a fair-minded people, Kinew said. Ive been upfront about the fact that there was a time in my life when I was younger and had a lot of personal problems. I was somebody who battled addiction and got into fights. Ive had trouble in my life.

Ive also told people that Ive done a lot of work to become a different person. Im willing to handle whatever judgement voters have for me.

It is, in so many ways, difficult at this time to imagine Kinews path to victory. The NDP remains a party decimated by its 2016 election loss; fundraising has slowed to a trickle, support has held firm at unspectacular levels. Kinew is leading a party that is not quite at the abyss, but is certainly a fair distance from being competitive again.

And its important to note that the very worst of what the Tory government can muster has not reared its head, yet.

The two-year mark in any governments term is typically the beginning of pre-writ advertising campaigns. The NDP, when it was in power, started running its infamous Running with Scissors television and radio advertisements in 2014, portraying then-opposition leader Pallister as a reckless cost-cutter who would lay off civil servants and cut frontline services. This campaign was considered a major success in holding Pallisters poll numbers down, particularly in Winnipeg.

In the fall of 2015, the Tories returned fire with a devastating campaign that used images of a news conference featuring five dissident cabinet ministers attacking then-premier Greg Selinger. The catchline for the campaign  Broken Trust; Broken Government  would become the Tory mantra leading up to and throughout the spring 2016 election campaign.

Its not hard to imagine where the Tories are planning to go now that Kinew is leader.

Earlier in the fall, Tory staffers and advisers gleefully tweeted video of U.S. advertisements used by the Democrats to attack Republican Roy Moore in the Alabama special congressional election.

Moore was accused by more than a dozen women of various forms of sexual misconduct, some involving misdeeds when the complainants were teenage girls. The television ads featured images of a half-dozen of these women and quotes from them about what Moore had done. It finished with the rhetorical question: Will we make their abuser a U.S. senator?

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS It has been a relatively quiet autumn for NDP leader Wab Kinew, but thats sure to change in 2018.

It isnt difficult to envision a similar ad being launched by Tories in Manitoba, featuring quotes from Kinews former partner and her relatives alleging that he threw her across a room and threatened her life. Kinew has not vigorously contested the allegations, and has said he cannot admit to something that didnt happen. He has not discussed in detail what did happen.

Complicating matters is the fact the NDP will not have the financial resources to return fire, at least not in 2018.

Opposition parties, particularly those that have been vanquished in a recent election, tend to have trouble raising money. Kinew acknowledges that while his party attempts to rebuild its war chest, he wont be able to compete with the Tories on mass-media advertising.

No, you probably wont see me in a television ad next year, he said. But you will see me all over the province, meeting people in person. Theres going to be a general election in 2020, but until then, I can focus on 57 local campaigns. I will be visiting all of those ridings.

Kinew acknowledges the challenge that lies ahead, indicating that his future political prospects come down to a simple question for voters: Does the life I led as a young man indicate that there would be some flaw in me, some problem in me being the leader of this province? I think the answer is no. I think the experience Ive had will make me a better leader for this province.

That argument may have been a much easier sell in the not-too-distant past, before revelations of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinsteins sexual harassment and assaults irrevocably changed gender politics. The reality for Kinew, and for anyone accused of harassment, abuse or assault, is that there is no clear strategy for survival. Even acknowledging the misconduct may not be enough to salvage a career.

The lifeline to which Kinew and the NDP will cling fiercely over the next two years is the fact Pallister continues to prove that he is his own worst enemy. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that the premier, through his own poorly conceived actions, may have saved Kinew from a quick and painful political death this past fall.

Each misstep by the premier represents a squandered opportunity for the Tories to discredit Kinew.

Two years might seem like a very long time, but for those planning the 2020 election campaigns, that interval will come and go in the blink of an eye.

For now, Kinew says he is content to travel the province, press the flesh and try to avoid getting into gutter politics.

All that will be important if Kinew is to survive. He surely knows that if the next election campaign careens into the gutter, there will be very little chance of steering it back out.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
The Trump administration suffered a humiliating defeat in the UN General Assembly Thursday as 128 countries condemned the presidents December 6 announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The 128-9 vote, with 35 abstentions, reflects the extreme isolation of the United States and increases the prospect of a violent clash in the Middle East.

The vote was preceded by an aggressive campaign of bullying and intimidation by Trump and other officials. On Wednesday, Trump threatened any country that voted against the US with the cut-off of development aid. They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us, Trump said. Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley continued the attacks in her speech at the General Assembly yesterday. The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very right of exercising our right as a sovereign nation, declared Haley. And we will remember when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit. She proceeded to arrogantly inform the assembly that regardless of the outcome of the vote, Washington would stick by its policy.

Only Togo, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Nauru, Guatemala and Honduras sided with the US and Israel in support of recognizing Jerusalem. Thirty-five countries abstained and 21 were absent from the vote, an indication that Trump and Haleys threats had some impact.

Although the US has often found itself in a small minority with its support for Israel on a series of UN resolutions, the readiness of many states to so explicitly defy the US is an expression of growing inter-imperialist antagonisms and the protracted decline of US capitalism.

Traditional US allies like Britain, France, and Germany, who have tended to abstain on resolutions related to Israel, voted to condemn Trumps announcement. Even Canada, arguably the closest US ally and a country which has voted repeatedly in defense of Israel at the UN, abstained.

The fact that Trumps blustering threats made such little impression and the decisive repudiation of Washingtons position only increase the danger that the US could lash out aggressively in the Middle East and trigger a catastrophic regional conflict.

The Trump administrations thuggish and bullying actions are bound up with the resort to the waging of great power conflicts as elaborated earlier this week in Trumps National Security Strategy. Having been engaged in virtually uninterrupted war for over a quarter century, claiming the lives of millions in the process, the American ruling class is now openly contemplating military conflicts on a scale not seen since the two world wars of the 20th century.

Were Trump to carry out his threat to cut financial aid to those states opposed to his line on Jerusalem, it would only further escalate great power tensions over the Middle East. Egypt, Jordan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan all defied Washington by supporting the resolution. The European powers, led by Germany, interpreted the Jerusalem decision as an opportunity to expand their influence in the region at the expense of the US and would rapidly fill the void left behind by a drawdown of US support. Russia and China, the chief obstacles in Washingtons aggressive drive to consolidate unchallenged dominance over the energy-rich region, would also seize the opportunity.

The General Assembly vote, which is non-binding, came three days after Haley cast the only vote against the resolution in the Security Council, vetoing its passage.

Trumps Jerusalem decision ended the decades-long fraud of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict promoted by Washington and the other major imperialist powers. It laid bare the bankruptcy of the bourgeois nationalist perspective which claims that the Palestinians can secure their democratic and social aspirations by achieving a bargain with the imperialist powers.

This was on full display Thursday, as Palestinian Authority officials applauded the passage of a resolution which essentially asserted the status quo under which Israel has ruthlessly oppressed the Palestinian people for decades. PA President Mahmoud Abbas, whose regime has loyally served as a security guard for US imperialism and is widely hated among the Palestinians, celebrated the vote as a victory for Palestine.

We will continue our efforts in the United Nations and at all international forums to put an end to this occupation and to establish our Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, added Nabil Abu Rdainah, Abbas spokesman.

In reality, Washington has made clear it is not prepared to tolerate the emergence of such a state. The European imperialist powers are no more concerned for the fate of the Palestinians, but are hoping to exploit Washingtons inability to broker a settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians, and the crisis of its military intervention in Syria, to advance their own predatory ambitions in the Middle East.

The bourgeois Arab regimes, which used the General Assembly to attack Trumps policy, are thoroughly complicit in the terrible conditions faced by the Palestinians. All of these regimes were informed of Trumps policy announcement in advance. Saudi Arabia, which is keen to win Israeli support for its policy of militarily confronting Iran, reportedly ordered Abbas to Riyadh in November to dictate terms of a settlement to him that involved accepting Israeli control of Jerusalem and reducing Palestinian territory to a few small non-contiguous enclaves.

The Jerusalem decision strengthened the hand of Benjamin Netanyahus right-wing government, which has injured over 1,900, arrested over 200 and killed 10 Palestinians in the two weeks since Trumps speech as Israeli security forces have responded to mass protests with live ammunition. The US decision has also emboldened Tel Aviv to continue flouting international law in the Occupied Territories, including by persisting with its illegal settlement program.

Predictably, Netanyahu went on the offensive following the vote. Blasting the outcome as preposterous, he proclaimed that Jerusalem always was, always will be Israel's capital.

Trumps Jerusalem policy is bound up with efforts to construct an anti-Iranian alliance in the Middle East with the aim of preparing for war with Tehran. Since he visited Saudi Arabia in May to deliver a speech to the assembled Arab leaders in which he called for the formation of a Sunni alliance to combat Iran, Trump and his senior officials have escalated tensions with Tehran and its allies at every opportunity.

Trumps recognition of Jerusalem came less than two months after he refused to certify Iranian compliance with the 2015 nuclear accord negotiated under the Obama administration. He has demanded that Congress adopt tougher sanctions, including on the countrys ballistic missile program.

The lead-up to Thursdays UN vote only underscored the deepening tensions across the Middle East. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Trumps threats to curtail financial aid, calling on the international community to teach the US a good lesson. Mr Trump, you cannot buy Turkey's democratic will with your dollars. Our decision is clear, he continued. I call on the whole world: Don't you dare sell your democratic struggle and your will for petty dollars.

While there is no small amount of political posturing in such remarks, with Turkey seeking to exploit the Palestine issue to bolster its position in the region, Erdogans comments reflect Ankaras growing rift with Washington. Erdogan has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin seven times this year and his government has indicated its intention to purchase a Russian anti-aircraft defense system. In addition, the Turkish government appears set to reach an agreement with Russia and Iran over the presence of Kurdish representatives at peace talks on Syria from which Washington has been largely excluded.
Thursdays election in Catalonia threatens to entrench still further the division between separatist and pro-Spanish unity sentiment in the region, destabilising Spain and the European Union.

The Catalan nationalist partiesTogether for Catalonia (JxCat), the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) and the Candidatures of Popular Unity (CUP)won a narrow majority of 70 seats in the 135-seat Catalan parliament, two fewer than in the previous election in 2015.

Their ability to form a coalition government by January 23 and hold an investiture vote by February 8 is placed in question by the inability of eight of the elected deputies to attend the parliament.

Five have fled abroad to avoid arrest following the invocation of Article 155 of Spains Constitution by the right-wing Popular Party government of Mariano Rajoy in Madrid. They include deposed Catalan Premier Carles Puigdemont of JxCat, which is the largest separatist party after the election. Three others are political prisoners, languishing in jail, including deposed regional Vice-Premier Oriol Junqueras. This could leave the separatists six votes short of the necessary 68-vote majority.

For the first time, a pro-Spanish unity party, Ciutadans (Citizens), known as Ciudadanos in the rest of Spain, won the greatest number of votes, but fell short of the numbers needed to form a government. It and the other anti-separatist partiesthe Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSC) and the Popular Party (PPC)won a combined total of 57 seats.

Catalonia en Comu (CeC)the Catalan branch of the Podemos party, which claimed to be neutral between Spanish and Catalan nationalism, but which opposed the separatists call for unilateral independencewon eight seats.

Article 155 was invoked by Rajoy, with the full backing of Citizens and the Socialist Party of Spain (PSOE), to suspend the Catalan government, arrest its leaders and impose Thursdays election in the hope of obtaining a pro-Spanish unity majority. This plan has backfired.

Speaking in Brussels, Puigdemont declared, The Rajoy recipe has failed The 155 has clearly lost the plebiscite. He ended by calling on Rajoy to take part in negotiations without preconditions, while making yet another futile appeal to the European Union to intervenedespite it having supported Rajoys crackdown through its insistence that the issue was an internal matter for Spain.

We are proud that this is an issue that arouses the interest of the European institutions, Puigdemont declared. I do not ask the European Commission to change its position, only to listen to the whole world, to listen to us in the same way that it listens to the Spanish government.

ERC General Secretary Marta Rovira also made an appeal for a negotiated resolution, tying calls for a government in favour of the Republic as soon as possible to the statement, If Rajoy is a democrat, he has to assume this democratic mandateone that accepts the electoral results. It is time for politics, dialogue and negotiation.

Rajoy will no doubt be under pressure to consider negotiations from some quarters, given the setback he has suffered. Rajoys Catalan PPC is now a rump in the Catalan Congress, after an unprecedented collapse in support from 11 to 3 seats. Just 184,108 people, or 4.2 percent of the electorate, voted for a party hated by workers, whether supportive of separatism or not, especially for the brutal police crackdown during the October 1 Catalan independence referendum.

However, there is no indication of a climbdown on his part. The line taken has been to cite the fact that the separatists overall share of the vote declined and that its reduced majority depends on rural seats with a smaller electorate than urban areas won by their political opponents.

Asked about Puigdemonts offer, Rajoy replied that the only person he [Rajoy] should sit down with is Ines Arrimadas, leader of Ciutadans, who is the one who has won the elections.

Catalonia is not monolithic, it is plural, he added. Only after insisting that the separatists did not speak for Catalonia did he suggest a new era based on dialogue, not on confrontationalways within the framework of the law.

This was reinforced by references to the judicial position of some of the candidates elected, who, he insisted, must also be subject to the law. Rajoy has made repeated threats to invoke Article 155 and suspend the Catalan government if it dares to raise the independence issue again. More nationalists face being rounded up and thrown into jail for their activities leading up to the declaration of independence, including Rovira, former PDeCat (now JxCat) leader Artur Mas, Anna Gabriel (CUP) and Mireia Boya (CUP).

The dramatic headway made by Citizens, a right-wing party that won 37 seats compared with just three in 2006, including in Spanish-speaking working-class areas, is a devastating indictment of the PSC and Podemos/CeC-Podem, which could make no significant appeal to any section of the working class, let alone advance a perspective for class unity.

The Socialist Party is as associated with Article 155 as the PP.

The fate of CeC, whose vote share fell by 2.5 percent, is primarily a response to its failure to organize any opposition to the PPs dictatorial policies either in Catalonia or the rest of Spain. Prior to the election, its spokesman, Xavier Domenech, made a show of advocating unity, not of the working class, but of different bourgeois forces in the form of a three-way coalition made up of the pro-independence ERC, the CeC and the Socialists.

We are the key, so that people dont have to choose between one bloc or another, he boasted. We are not going to play Russian roulette with our country

No one believes such a manoeuvre offers a genuine alternative.

Following the election, Domenech complained, From these results I do not take any joy. They show a detriment of the progressive forces in favour of the right, which must lead to a deep reflection within the forces of the left. The reflections of such political bankrupts will produce nothing of value.

CUP leader Carles Riera had seen his partys vote almost halved, as voters rejected the most bellicose advocates of separatism. He combined expressions of disappointment with declarations that nothing had fundamentally changed: Our pressure [on the larger separatist parties] has decreased with the loss of seats, but we will continue to exercise force in the negotiation. It is not a question of returning to autonomy, but of returning to the republic.

Riera said the CUP will enforce its goal of building the republic unilaterally since CUP continues to have the key.

Elsa Artadi (JxCAT) replied that with more than 2 million independentist votes, we have never had so many independence votes. She added, We have to talk to the CUP, but we have a clear mandate.

The Catalan elections have not resolved the crisis engulfing Spain because only a fresh turn by the working class offers a way forward. An effective struggle against the PP government and its agenda of austerity, militarism and state repression requires a unified struggle by workers in Catalonia and throughout Spain on the basis of a revolutionary, socialist and internationalist perspective.

As the World Socialist Web Site insisted on the day of the elections, Against all attempts to pit Spanish and Catalan-speaking workers against each other, it is necessary to advance the struggle for power by the working class, the expropriation of the financial aristocracy, and the building of a workers state in Spain as part of the United Socialist States of Europe.
The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka will stand for three councils in the upcoming local government elections, fielding 61 candidates. Elections for 341 local bodies, including municipalities, urban councils and Pradeshiya Sabha (divisional councils), are scheduled for February 10.

The SEP is fielding a slate of 23 candidates for the Kolonnawa Urban Council, near the capital city of Colombo, headed by Vilani Peiris, a long-standing SEP political committee member. A slate of 24, led by SEP political committee member M. Thevarajah, is standing for the Ambagamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha near Hatton in the central plantation district. P. Sambandan, another SEP political committee member, is leading a list of 16 candidates for Kayts in the war-ravaged northern Jaffna Peninsula.

Our candidates include party members and supporters drawn from workers and youth who have unblemished records of fighting for international socialist policies within the working class, youth and rural poor.

The SEP is the only party contesting the elections on the basis of an internationalist and socialist program against the threat of an imperialist third world war, the governments austerity program dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and attacks on democratic rights.

President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe repeatedly postponed the local government elections for more than two years. They were eventually compelled to call the elections amid public criticisms of the governments anti-democratic moves.

The government made various excuses for the postponements, such as awaiting a report on electoral boundaries and preparing a new local government elections act. However, the real reason was fear that the coalition government of Sirisenas Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Wickremesinghes United National Party (UNP) would face a backlash from workers and the poor.

Sirisena came to power in the January 2015 presidential election, ousting former President Mahinda Rajapakse. Sirisena promised to improve living conditions, restore democratic rights and address the problems of the Tamil people in the north and east, who suffered a 26-year communal war by successive governments against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The pseudo-left groups, the Nava Sama Samaja Party, Frontline Socialist Party and United Socialist Party, as well as academics, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), backed Sirisenas good governance fraud in order to dupe workers and the poor.

Soon after taking office, Sirisena and Wickremesinghe shifted the countrys foreign policy in favour of US imperialism and its regional ally India, distancing their government from China. Over the past three years, the government has integrated Sri Lanka into Washingtons military buildup against Beijing, aimed at subordinating China to US hegemony, including by going to war if necessary.

In fact, the so-called good governance movement was a cover for a regime-change operation orchestrated by Washington to oust Rajapakse, install Sirisena and change the countrys geo-strategic alignment. Washington was not hostile to Rajapakses authoritarian rule but his reliance on Beijing for financial assistance and to procure arms.

Three years on, the government has become thoroughly unpopular. Mired in the fallout of the global capitalist breakdown marked by the 2008 financial collapse, Sirisenas government, like Rajapakses, turned to the IMF for bailout loans. Under IMF directives, the government has been halving fiscal expenditure as a proportion of gross domestic product from 7.5 percent in 2014 to 3.5 percent in 2020. It is increasing taxes, slashing social programs such as public education, health services and welfare subsidies, and implementing privatisations.

Opposing these attacks, during the past several months alone, tens of thousands of power, oil, rail, health and plantation workers have protested, demanding higher pay, job security and improved working conditions. On Thursday, the closing day of nominations for this election, nearly 500 sacked workers from Hambantota Port demonstrated in Colombo demanding their jobs back. They were retrenched when the government handed the port to a Chinese company.

Tamil people in the north, still military-occupied, are holding continuous protests because the government has taken no significant measures to alleviate the devastation caused by the war and the ongoing military harassment.

So far, the trade unions have scuttled workers struggles with the help of the pseudo-left formations. In November, university students halted a months-long protest after it was betrayed by the pseudo-left leaders of the Inter-University Student Federation.

The government has resorted to violence against protesting workers, students and the poor, unleashing the military, police and goons. In July, the government imposed an essential services order and deployed the army to break an oil workers strike. Just a week ago, the government again used the draconian essential services laws to suppress a railway strike. These police-state methods are part of moves by the ruling classes in every country toward authoritarian methods to defend the crisis-ridden capitalist order.

Each section of the Sri Lankan ruling elite is nervous about the developing struggles. Despite being in a unity government, Sirisenas SLFP and United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) are contesting the elections separately from the UNP. The SLFP is desperately trying to show it has a different identity to the UNP, which has a majority of parliamentarians and is running the government.

Sirisena is also facing his factional rival, Rajapakse, who is leading a section of SLFP and UPFA members of parliament. Rajapakse is seeking to exploit the growing opposition to the government and build a movement to topple it. For the past several months, Sirisena and his loyal ministers have tried to woo Rajapakses faction and mute its criticism of the government. Those discussions have failed, with the Rajapakse group demanding that the SLFP break from the government.

Rajapakses faction is attempting to take advantage of the ruling coalitions crisis by fielding candidates under the name of a newly formed Podu Jana Party (PJP or Common Peoples Party). Rajapakse is competing with the government in inciting anti-Tamil chauvinism and appealing to the Buddhist clergy, aiming to build a communal movement to come to power and crush the working class.

The JVP backed Sirisena to take office, supposedly to oust the dictatorship of Rajapakse and his corruption-riddled regime. After months of directly supporting the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government, the JVP is trying to distance itself from the coalition, with a slogan of defeating corruption and building village political power.

The TNA, the main Tamil bourgeois alliance, is only contesting the elections in the north and east. Though formally in opposition in the parliament, the TNA acts as a de-facto partner of the government.

Though these are local council elections, workers, young people and the poor are facing fundamental issues, like the working masses in every country. There is the looming threat of a global military conflagration, along with attacks on social and living conditions and moves toward dictatorial forms of rule. The ruling parties and the so-called opposition will use the elections to divert attention of people from these crucial issues.

The SEP will issue an election statement in the coming days explaining the crisis of the Sri Lankan ruling elite and outlining the partys alternative program, based on international socialism. As the Sri Lankan section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), the SEP and its forerunner, the Revolutionary Communist League, has a record of fighting for the political independence of the working class from every faction of the bourgeoisie and to mobilise workers, leading the rural poor, for a workers and peasants government to implement socialist policies.

We are planning to hold meetings, workplace campaigns and lectures, not only where the SEP is contesting but also in other areas, to explain this program. The SEP has launched a one million-rupee election and party building fund. We urge workers and youth to support this campaign.
A wildcat strike broke out Thursday at a Ford auto plant in Craiova, Romania after workers forced the removal of the leader of the trade union and repudiated the 2018-19 contract agreed to Wednesday by the union and the company.

Tensions at the plant boiled over Thursday morning when roughly 200 workers spontaneously stopped work and began to march out of the plant. When the next shift began to come in to work, hundreds from the new shift joined the protest, which grew to about 1,000 workers. Production ground to a halt.

The strike at Craiova is a milestone in the growing opposition among autoworkers worldwide to the demands of the corporations and the pro-company unions. Autoworkers in the US, Canada, and around the world will recognize the struggles of their Romanian brothers and sisters as their own.

The strike began because the union-corporate contract agreement did nothing to offset the pay cut imposed by the Romanian government of Prime Minister Mihai Tudose of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). The government recently passed a tax law, set to go into effect January 1, which drastically increases workers tax contributions to fund social insurance. Whereas in the past each worker split the cost of this tax with their employer, the new law forces workers to pay the whole cost of 37.25 percent of their income.

The contract agreed to by the union includes a small wage increase that does not make up for the impact of the tax hike, which cuts pay by 22 percent. For this reason, Thursdays strike is first and foremost a protest against the union, which workers view as an arm of the corporation. One striking worker told local press that we didnt succeed in the workers plan to be represented at contract negotiations by an organization that wouldnt be paid by Ford.

Ford said, Ford Romania does not comment on internal discussions between trade unions and their members. Negotiations on the new 2018 and 2019 collective bargaining agreement were completed yesterday and we have nothing to add.

The similarities between the situation confronting Romanian workers and those facing their US and international counterparts are striking. As in the US, Romanian autoworkers hate their union, which is bought and paid for by the company. In the US, the United Auto Workers is currently under investigation for accepting bribes from GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler in exchange for policing the workforce.

Ford Romania threatened workers that if they did not accept the companys offer, the company could move production elsewhere. Ford official John Oldham wrote on December 13, Over the last few weeks, weve worked with your union to negotiate the new [contract]. Our priority was to reach a two-year agreement to improve the competitive position of the Craiova plant, which is a key factor for attracting new products and securing jobs.

The new contract parallels the sellout agreed to by the UAW and the big three auto companies in 2015 and by the Canadian union Unifor in 2016. The deal includes added flexibility, a Romanian version of the Alternative Work Schedule used in North America in which workers hours are subject to change. The deal also allows the company to shut down production during slow periods, leaving workers without an income for days or weeks at a time. As in the US and Canada, Ford played off the economic desperation of Romanian workers by offering modest wage increases and a paltry signing bonus, which workers courageously spat on.

In recent years, Ford has worked with the union to carry out mass firings of workers who opposed the union-corporate alliance.

According to a 2016 study by the Central European Labour Studies Institute, Ford fired 520 workers in 2014 who had voiced opposition to repeated sellout deals and cut wages by eight percent for the rest of the workforce. The union let this firing happen. The study notes that the mass firing took the representative union by surprise but did not trigger a significant response.

A contract signed by the company and the union in 2015 allowed the company to promote substantial cuts in the labour force over a very short period of time and gave managers full flexibility in deciding production targets, meaning rapid speedups and dangerous slowdowns.

The most recent contract was the last straw. According to Romania-insider.com, Maria Manea, the former union leader, was suspended after employees accused her of not representing their interests, but those of the American corporation. According to an internal document, Ford has directly threatened employees that it would not increase their gross salaries following the transfer of social contributions if they dont sign the contract for two years and dont follow the companys requirements.

The company recently began production of the EcoSport compact SUV, which had previously been produced by even lower-paid workers in Chennai, India. European sales for Ford SUVs grew over 30 percent in 2016 and rose 27 percent in the first eight months of 2017. The plant also manufactors Fords EcoBoost engine.

The action taken by Romanian Ford workers shows that autoworkers across the world confront the same enemies and must conduct their struggle on an international level in a common fight against international corporate enemies like Ford. Major strikes have taken place against Ford elsewhere in recent years, including in Turkey and Brazil in 2015.
The US State Department on Friday officially backed the fraudulent re-election of Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, following the end of the five-day period provided by Honduran law for complaints after Sundays final announcement by the electoral tribunal (TSE).

This comes after a personal visit of the Alliance of Opposition against Dictatorship candidate, Salvador Nasralla, to present evidence of the fraud to the Organization of American States (OAS) and US State Department. The latter declared on Wednesday that it had not seen anything that alters the final result.

The US now joins the governments of Mexico, Guatemala, Spain and Colombia in congratulating Hernandez and effectively disregarding the widespread evidence of fraud as well as the conclusion by the Organization of American States of an impossibility of determining a winner.

OAS observers and analysts reported unauthorized manipulations of ballot boxes transported by the military before being computed, vote-buying, an absence of Alliance representatives at some centers, deliberate human intrusions in the computer system, and finally, an inexplicable shift in the results from a five point lead by Nasralla with two-thirds of the ballots computed to a final 1.5 point victory for Hernandez. Much of the evidence aligns with the methods of fraud planned by the ruling National Party and exposed in an audio reported by the Economist one day before the November 26 polling.

The Opposition Alliance has presented evidence of some tally sheets in the TSE partial special scrutiny lot that were re-printed with different results. It has also suggested that the main fraud and cover-up occurred during prolonged shutdowns of the servers used by the TSE precisely to send out the scanned tally sheets from across the country, including a server for central dissemination maintained by Amazon, a company with close ties to the US State Department and Pentagon.

On Thursday, a group of 20 US Congressional Democrats sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, urging the Trump administration to heed the advice of the OAS and call for new elections, and to denounce the excessive use of force by Honduran security forces.

These cynical attempts by the Democrats to channel the social anger behind empty appeals to the OAS and the Trump administration are exposed by the fact that the latter is supporting a police-state regime installed during a coup orchestrated in 2009 by the Obama administration.

Moreover, it was under Obama that Washington initiated the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle to build up the military and police forces of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador as a means to crack down on social opposition, and prevent refugees from escaping the violence and extreme poverty in the region. Given this recent history and the efforts to derail resistance to the ongoing neocolonial imposition, it is laughable that Democrats base their opposition against the Trump administration on a bellicose frenzy over alleged Russian meddling of the 2016 US elections.

Hernandez, the incumbent, spoke to the military brass during a transfer of powers to a new Joint Chiefs of Staff on Thursday. He said the nation-wide protests against his fraudulent re-election, are the resurgence of sectors of gangs ( maras ), organized crime, hurting Honduras. He then stressed: We must therefore fulfill and finish the [security] task for the nation to live in peace and ease.

Washingtons announcement arrives as the Honduran military and military police have turned to using gunfire ever more nakedly against unarmed protesters and as part of raids into working class neighborhoods to intimidate their families and even prevent them from leaving their homes. In the three weeks since the elections, at least 20 civilians, mostly youth, have been killed as part of the state repression. Dozens more have been injured and hundreds arrested.

While pre-electoral polls showed 70 percent of Hondurans opposed Hernandezs unconstitutional bid for re-election, the opposition to the coup regimewhich has overseen a further impoverishment of the masses in one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the Americashas only become even more generalized as a response to the electoral fraud and attempts to create an atmosphere of terror among the population.

Thousands continue to challenge the deadly risk of manning the roadblocks that the Alliance has called for; the military police officials face scorn and resistance from virtually everyone they engage; police provocateurs have been identified when seeking to encourage looting and have been kicked out of the demonstrations. On Thursday night, several thousand people marched to the US embassy in Tegucigalpa to condemn the killings of protesters.

The legitimate anger and brave protests by workers, youth, and peasants contrasts sharply with the official response by the Alliance and the organizations in its orbit, which have continued to appeal to US imperialism and its agency for neocolonial supervision, the OAS, and have sought to gradually bring forward and legitimize holding talks with the Hernandez regime.

Fridays US State Department declaration clearly sets this as the next step in the fraud: The close election results, irregularities identified by the OAS and the EU election observation missions, and strong reactions from Hondurans across the political spectrum underscore the need for a robust national dialogue.

Manuel Zelaya, the ex-president ousted in 2009 and current leader and left flank of the Alliance, has continued to appear in select demonstrations to advance this agenda. He responded to the State Department statement on Friday declaring: We want to talk, but we dont want an agenda imposed, if Salvador [Nasralla] convokes a dialogue, Ill participate, but we want neutral sectors to participate too.

In a similar but faster sequence of events after the 2009 coup, the stage is being set for the OAS and other international puppets of Washington to mediate a deal between sectors of the so-called opposition and the installed regime to back its rule.

One of the arguments used by the National Front for Popular Resistance (FNRP) leaders to justify joining the 2011 talks was to halt the escalating repressive attacks and killings of local leaders by the state forces, something that did not happen after acceding to the Pact of Cartagena. Today, the military police show every sign of continuing the murderous rampage.

At the same time, the trade unions have now joined the Church and employers in calling for a dialogue, repeating the threats of mass firings made by the transnational corporations. For instance, the president of the Trade Union of Santa Ines Company Workers (Sitraesisa), a banana plantation owned by the Standard Fruit Company, warned with cowardice Thursday, If the situation doesnt improve by Monday, the company said it will lay off 21,000 permanent and temporary workers.
It is no mere historical coincidence that the recently published Report on Worldwide Inequality came to the conclusion that social inequality in Germany is greater than at any time since 1913.

1913 was an historical turning point. It was the last year in an epoch of 40 years in which Europe was relatively peaceful and stable, and registered strong economic growth. In the summer of the following year, a new 30-year epoch began, which included two world wars, bitter class struggle, and the barbarism of the Nazis. When it was over, 100 million people had lost their lives and large parts of Europe lay in ruins.

The period prior to 1914, which from a highly privileged perspective, by an upper-middle-class man of wealth and standing was labelled in retrospect The Gilded Age, la belle epoque or the Wilhelmine era, was seen very differently among the urban masses huddled in the slums of Berlin, Vienna, Paris, St. Petersburg or London, as historian Ian Kershaw observed in his book, To Hell and Back: Europe, 1914-1949.

The development of capitalism into imperialismthe suppression of free competition by monopolies, the emergence of a financial oligarchy, which throws a close network of dependence relationships over all the economic and political institutions of present-day bourgeois society without exception (Lenin), the struggle for colonies, raw materials and marketsimparted an unprecedented severity to the conflicts between both the classes and the imperialist powers.

The First World War was the answer to both of these conflicts. It served to project class tensions outward before they assumed a revolutionary character, enabled the ruling classes to brand all political opposition as treason, and brought about the redivision of the world among the great imperialist powers.

The parallels to the contemporary situation are astounding. Social inequality has once again reached a scale that is no longer compatible with democratic forms of rule. In all leading capitalist countries, the ruling elite is abolishing democratic rights and rearming the state under fraudulent pretexts.

Following brutal colonial wars in the Middle East and Africa, the imperialist powers are preparing for conflicts against nuclear-armed Russia and China, and against each other. Geopolitics are back, and back with a vengeance, after this holiday from history we took in the so-called post-Cold War period, as US National Security Adviser General H.R. McMaster recently put it.

The sharpest expression of this is to be found in the US, where Donald Trump has assumed power with a cabal of billionaires, generals and right-wing extremists, without meeting with any meaningful opposition from the political establishment. But things are fundamentally no different in Germany and Europe. This is the reason for the ongoing governmental crisis in Berlin.

Septembers federal election marked the end of Germanys post-war order, the happy era of moderation and the dominance of two great incumbent volksparteien [peoples parties], wrote Britains Telegraph. The newspaper argued that the breakdown of the consensus on equality and justice as having been caused by the growth of poverty and inequality.

Negotiations on forming a new government are dragging on so long because the ruling elite requires an entirely different regime to launch a vast programme of rearmament, pursue great power policies abroad and impose itself ruthlessly at home.

This has been expressed most clearly by Sigmar Gabriel, the former Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader and current Foreign Minister. In a keynote foreign policy speech at the Korber Foundation, he appealed for an interest-based German great power policy that is not rooted in moral values or norms. There is for we Germans  no comfortable place on the sidelines of international politics any more, he commented.

The political scientist Herfried Munkler, who Gabriel explicitly referred to in his keynote speech, has spoken out in favour of a return to German militarisms most despicable traditions. Millions of people died in wars, heroic fantasies came to an end, and we think we dont need heroes any more. That is an error, he wrote in the Neue Zurcher Zeitung.

On domestic policy, Gabriel is promoting the right-wing, nationalist agenda of the Alternative for Germany (AfD). In a guest commentary in Der Spiegel, the weekly news magazine, he advocated the adoption by the SPD of ideas from the right such as identity, dominant culture and homeland.

The contrast between rich and poor will continue to grow. Already Siemens, Opel, Bombardier, Air Berlin, Deutsche Bank and numerous other firms have announced mass layoffs. The next government, regardless of its composition and whether it is led by Merkel or someone else, will move much further to the right than the current coalition. The coming year will be characterised by harsh class and political conflicts.

Workers and young people must prepare accordingly. Only in this way can a catastrophe like that which occurred in the 20th century be averted. They must break with the SPD, Left Party, trade unions and all the bankrupt organisations responding to the capitalist crisis by shifting rightward, and build their own independent party.

The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party) connects the struggle against war, poverty and repression with the fight for a socialist society. As the German section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, the SGP counterposes the international unity of the working class to the growth of nationalism.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes cabinet yesterday approved a record-high draft budget for the 2018 fiscal year. The plan includes increased spending on the military as Tokyo continues to rearm. The money allocated to the armed forces has steadily risen under Abe throughout his five years in office.

Total government spending in 2018 will reach 97.7 trillion yen ($US862.3 billion), setting a record for the sixth straight year. The cabinet also approved an additional 2.9 trillion yen ($25.6 billion) as part of a supplementary budget for 2017. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga claimed these funds would allow the government to address economic recovery and fiscal soundness.

However, the spending is being driven by a 2.5 percent increase over the current military budget, setting a record-high in its own right at 5.2 trillion yen ($45.9 billion). Abe is exploiting the supposed threat posed by North Korea to justify buying new weaponry, including offensive technology. In the past, Tokyo has been cautious of acquiring offensive weapons that breach the countrys constitution and could provoke public opposition.

With Abe fully backing the Trump administrations threat to totally destroy North Korea, this arms buildup includes cruise missiles that would allow the military, formally known as the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), to strike targets abroad. Tokyo claimed earlier this year that it could even launch a preemptive attack on North Korea as a supposed defensive measure, an act that would, in reality, violate the constitution and international law.

The Abe administration has requested 2.2 billion yen ($19.4 million) to purchase the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) from Norways Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace, and is examining buying additional missiles from Lockheed Martin. The missiles from Norway and the United States would be mounted on the Air SDFs F-35 and F-15 fighter jets respectively.

Members of Abes cabinet, including Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, have claimed that acquiring cruise missiles would not alter the supposedly defensive nature of Japans military. Yet, Onodera, before becoming defense minister, headed a commission of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) earlier this year that examined the possibility of obtaining cruise missiles that could strike North Korean targets.

Hiroshi Imazu, head of the LDPs security committee, similarly stated in March: Japan cant just wait until its destroyed. Its legally possible for Japan to strike an enemy base thats launching a missile at us, but we dont have the equipment or the capability. Imazu claimed Tokyo could launch an attack also if an ally were targeted, under the spurious notion of collective self-defense.

Last Tuesday, Abes cabinet approved the purchase of two land-based Aegis shore missile batteries from the US, adding to its Patriot missile systems and Aegis-equipped destroyers. A cabinet statement asserted: North Koreas nuclear and missile development has become a greater and more imminent threat for Japans national security, and we need to drastically improve our ballistic missile defense capability to protect Japan continuously and sustainably.

The government intends to have the batteries, which each cost approximately $900 million (2.1 billion yen), operational by 2023. Possible deployment sites include Akita Prefecture in the north and Yamaguchi Prefecture in the southwest. Japan will become the third country to host the system after Romania and Poland, as the US seeks to encircle Russia and China.

Tokyo plans to join the US Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) program, aimed specifically at China. A senior SDF official told the Asahi Shimbun recently: [The move] is partly intended to bolster Japans defenses against North Koreas ballistic missiles, but the real aim of introducing the IAMD is to counter China, which has been upgrading a number of its missiles.

The US announced the IAMD in 2013 under the Obama administration and intends to have it operational by 2020. Tokyos budget includes 2.1 billion yen ($18.6 million) to purchase SM-6 interceptor missiles, a core component of the IAMD.

Abe is continuing to push for the revision of Article 9 of the constitution, commonly known as the pacifist clause, by 2020. In a December 19 speech, Abe claimed this would serve as a catalyst for creating a reborn Japanin other words, a Japan capable of projecting military power abroad at a greater intensity than at any time since World War II.

The claim that remilitarization is necessary for defense recalls the rationale advanced by the Japanese militarist regime in the 1930s and 1940s when it insisted that the aggressive annexation of surrounding countries was a defensive measure. In recent years, the history of Japanese expansionism and its war crimes has been officially whitewashed to further an image of Japanese imperialism as a victim and obfuscate the causes leading to war today.

Abe has emphasized maximum pressure on North Korea, an impoverished country with limited and unproven nuclear and ballistic weapon programs. Over the past two decades, Pyongyang has repeatedly attempted to reach accommodations with the US and Japan, only to be targeted again as a supposed threat that can only be dealt with militarily.

Any war on the Korean Peninsula could drag in China and Russia, both nuclear-armed countries. Ultimately, China is Tokyos true target as it attempts to offset Japans relative economic decline. Japans Defense Ministry stated in its 2017 White Paper that China continues to display what may be described as a heavy-handed attitude, including its attempts to alter the status quo by force. In the East China Sea, the territorial dispute with Beijing over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands has been utilized to whip up public fears and justify the deepening military alliance with Washington.

Funds are being allocated in the 2018 budget to send more troops and weaponry to Japanese islands near Taiwan, part of an agenda announced at the end of 2015. The Defense Ministry has requested 26 billion yen ($229.5 million) to deploy and maintain some 700 troops on Miyakojima Island. Troops and surface-to-ship missile systems are also expected to be deployed to the Amami and Ishigaki islands.

There is widespread opposition to this remilitarization and the alteration of Article 9. A recent poll by Jiji Press found that 68.4 percent of people opposed the current proposals by Abe and the LDP for revisions to the constitution in 2018.
Despite pledges by Nashville city officials to reduce homelessness, the number of homeless rises every year, and so do their deaths. But thats not how the citys former mayor and now Democratic candidate for governor of Tennessee would like you to think of it.

In a 2013 puff piece titled Why Nashvilles Solution to Homelessness is a Model for other cities. in Mic.com, then Nashville mayor Karl Dean touted a public/private program he pledged would reduce homelessness.

This effort truly shows how government, nonprofits, and the business community can work together to make progress on reducing homelessness, Dean said at the time.

The Mic.Com reporter dutifully gushed, Nashvilles story is one of hope forged by collaboration between government and the private sector. It is also a story where human compassion shines through byzantine layers of bureaucratic institutions.

But there is little compassion here for the homeless and Deans proposed foul partnership with profit accomplished nothing.

On an average night in January 2015, there were 2,365 homeless in Nashville, with 1,124 in emergency shelters, 560 in transitional housing and 470 living on the street, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors 2015 Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness.

That marked an almost 5 percent increase compared to 2014-2015, putting Nashville in the top 10 cities with growing homeless populations, the Tennessean newspaper reported earlier this year.

The numbers illustrate a homeless struggle in Nashville that has worsened even as the city prospers economically on many fronts. Rising housing and rent prices in Nashville have made housing affordability more elusive than ever, forcing more people to the streets, homeless advocates say, the newspaper stated.

But those figures represent the homeless who stay alive in a city that a 2015 Brookings Institution report concluded ranked sixth in the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the country in income inequality.

There are not only more homeless in Tennessees capital, but they are dying in increasing numbers.

In 2017 to date, 116 homeless men and women have died, an increase of 20 over 2016, according to Open Table Nashville, which tracks the deaths of the homeless. The organization reported that it was the largest number of deaths the group had ever seen.

There were several months in there it seems like we were just losing folks left and right, said Lauren Plummer, the groups housing and outreach coordinator.

Some died of what is being described as natural causes. But for every homeless person facing freezing nights huddled over a steam vent or in cardboard boxes and cars, succumbing to pneumonia or trying to cross busy roads with not even basic crosswalks, there is nothing natural about their deaths.

Open Table also listed frostbite, being hit by vehicles and stabbings as causes of death.

Many of those deaths could have been prevented, Plummer told the Tennessean. She said that research shows that the lifespans of people who experience chronic homelessness get shortened by 25 years. The group held a memorial service recently for the homeless who died this year.

Richard Schweid, author of Invisible Nation: Homeless Families in America and a former Tennessean reporter, began his research for the book in Nashville.

In addition to the high number of single men experiencing homelessness, thousands of children and their families are without a home, and the city does little to help them, he commented in a previous WSWS article on Nashvilles rising homeless rates.

Both children experiencing homelessness with their families, and chronically homeless individuals are more vulnerable to numerous illnesses than their housed counterparts, Schweid commented after being told of the increased number of homeless deaths. These include asthma and other respiratory illnesses; and skin conditions, ranging from eczema to head lice, he said.

According to Jack Shonkoff, director of Harvard Universitys Center on the Developing Child, In addition, being homeless can cause the production of certain stress hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine in youngsters, which can negatively affect their health for their entire lives.

Putting a face on the great divide between the It citys prosperous residents and its homeless is the case of Katie Quackenbush, 27, and Gerald Melton, 54.

Quackenbush, an aspiring musician and daughter of a prominent Texas attorney, was charged with attempted murder in the August 26 shooting of Melton, a homeless man.

The shooting occurred in the early morning hours when Melton complained that Quackenbush had parked her Porsche SUV near where he slept, and he complained that the exhaust fumes were bothering him. The two argued before Quackenbush, who was with a friend who remained in the car, took a pistol, loaded it and shot Melton twice in the stomach.

In recent grand jury testimony, Melton testified that Quackenbush asked him if he wanted to die tonight, the Tennessean reported.

In other testimony, it was revealed that Melton survived the shooting, but no thanks to Quackenbush. After the shooting, Quackenbush and her friend left Melton gravely wounded on the sidewalk and went to a Taco Bell restaurant.

In Port land, Oregon, the WSWS reported on the results of the failure of the Democratic Party-dominated City Council to anticipate and make plans for the readily predictable disaster when in the first 10 days of this year one newborn and four homeless adults froze to death.

Another recent WSWS piece told of a homeless man who died of suffocation when he became stuck in a clothes donation bin in San Diego. Police speculated that he may have been trying to stay warm.

Back in Nashville, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean and his wife saw a rise in their income along with the rise in the homeless.

As the Tennessean reported December 20, The vast majority of the $19.2 million Dean and his wife earned between 2013 and 2016 came through capital gains. In total, they earned $15.3 million from capital gains during that period. As governor, Dean would offer no more hope to the homeless than he did as Nashvilles mayor.
The UN Security Council yesterday voted 15-0 for a US-drafted resolution to inflict draconian new sanctions on North Korea following its testing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last month. Washington has been pushing for a complete economic blockade to starve the Pyongyang regime into submission.

The latest UN measures come on top of existing bans on the export of major North Korean exports such as coal, minerals and seafood, restrictions on the sale of oil to North Korea and the blacklisting of a number of North Korean officials and entities. The US has also imposed its own unilateral sanctions, aimed not just at North Korea but individuals and companies doing business with it.

The new sanctions include:

Tougher restrictions on the import of energy products. A cap of 500,000 barrels will effectively cut the supply of North Koreas imports of refined petroleum products by roughly 90 percent. Crude oil supplies to North Korea will be capped at 4 million barrels a year, with further reductions to come into force if Pyongyang tests another ICBM or conducts a nuclear test.

The repatriation of all North Koreans working abroad. The draft resolution initially imposed a 12-month deadline, but that was extended to 24 months after Russia and China objected. The US estimates there are about 100,000 North Korean guest workers, including 50,000 based in China and 30,000 in Russia, a vital source of foreign exchange for North Korea.

A ban on North Korean exports of food products, machinery, electrical equipment, earth and stone, including magnesite and magnesia, wood and vessels. Combined with existing bans, this will choke off virtually all export trade.

A ban on the sale of industrial equipment, machinery, transportation vehicles and industrial metals to North Korea.

Another 15 North Koreans, along with the Ministry of the Peoples Armed Forces, have been added to the UN blacklist, which freezes their assets globally and bans them from international travel.

UN member states will be able to seize, inspect and impound any vessel in their ports or territorial waters that they believe to be carrying banned cargo or involved in prohibited activities.

The resolution does not, however, permit the boarding and seizure of ships on the high seas as proposed by the Trump administration earlier this yeara provocative measure that could trigger a naval clash.

After the vote, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, declared: It sends the unambiguous message to Pyongyang that further defiance will invite further punishments and isolation. But North Korea is already the most isolated country in the world.

White House Homeland Security adviser Thomas Bossert said earlier this week there were few things left to sanction. President Trump has used just about every lever you can use, short of starving the people of North Korea to death, to change their behaviour, he said. And so we dont have a lot of room left here to apply pressure to change their behaviour.

In reality, North Korea is already facing an economic and humanitarian crisis. UN human rights official Zeid Raad al Hussein recently told the UN Security Council an estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide literally a lifeline for some 13 million.

While the Trump administration refers to diplomacy and the possibility of talks, it will accept nothing short of North Koreas complete capitulation to US demands for the dismantling of the countrys nuclear and missile programs, and highly intrusive inspections. By ramping up the confrontation with North Korea, the US is also seeking to undermine China, which it regards as the chief threat to global American dominance.

Wu Haitao, Chinas deputy UN ambassador, said tensions on the Korean Peninsula risked spiralling out of control and again called for talks. Only by meeting each other halfway and through dialogue and consultations can a peaceful settlement be found, he said.

China and Russia have proposed a so-called freeze-for-freeze plana halt to US and South Korean military exercises in exchange for a pause in North Korean nuclear and missile testingto facilitate negotiations. The US has repeatedly rejected the proposal.

China and Russia voted for the latest UN resolution in a bid to forestall a war on their borders by the US and its allies against North Korea. The Trump administration, however, has insisted that it will not tolerate a North Korea armed with a nuclear ICBM that can reach the United States and will use all options to prevent it.

The London-based Telegraph this week reported, based on three sources, that the White House had drawn up advanced plans for a pre-emptive attack on North Korea. Options included bombing a missile launch site before the next test and destroying a weapons stockpile.

The Pentagon is trying to find options that would allow them to punch the North Koreans in the nose, get their attention and show that were serious, an unnamed former US security official told the newspaper.

In the current tense situation, any incident or accident, let alone a deliberate US military attack, no matter how limited, threatens to trigger a war that would quickly engulf the Korean Peninsula and draw in other powers. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, would be killed.

Speaking at Guantanamo Bay on Thursday, US Defence Secretary James Mattis told US troops they had to be ready to go should diplomacy fail. He declared that North Korea was a not yet imminent but a direct threat to the United States.

If we have to do it [militarily], we expect to make it the worst day in North Koreas life, he said. If war comes, every submarine hes [North Korean leader Kim Jong-un] got is to be sunk, and every ship hes got is to be sunk.

In an ominous indication of what the US is preparing, Mattis said the US had been able to trust that other nuclear powers, such as Russia and China, did not want nuclear war. When it came to North Korea, Mattis said, that may be an assumption we cannot make.

In other words, the US is preparing to wage a nuclear war, if necessary, to destroy North Korea and its small and technically-limited nuclear arsenal.
More than two years after returning to Australia, a Sydney man was arrested on Tuesday in a blaze of media publicity on foreign incursion charges. He allegedly travelled to a Middle Eastern zone that had been proscribed by the federal government.

Belal Betka, 25, is the first person to be charged under foreign fighter laws that the Liberal-National government, backed by the opposition Labor Party, imposed in 2014 as part of a further barrage of so-called counter-terrorism legislation.

His arrest highlights the sweeping character of the laws, which give the government powers to ban travel to any part of the world by ministerial decree and extend the already vast array of vague terrorism-related offences.

Police allege Betka travelled to Syrias Raqqa province between March and July 2015, and returned to Australia in October that year. At the time, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop had declared the Raqqa region as a prohibited zone where a listed terrorist organisationISISwas engaging in hostile activity.

No explanation was provided for the delayed timing of the move against Betka. Police said he had been subject to ongoing investigations since he returned from Syria. Members of the New South Wales Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which includes the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), and state and federal police, were reportedly involved in the operation.

Police said it was part of an in-depth investigation into allegations of money laundering and proceeds of crime being used to help fund terrorist organisations. Another man was arrested the same day on proceeds of crime charges.

On Wednesday morning, Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton, who was about to be sworn in as home affairs minister later that day, gave a round of media interviews. He seized upon Betkas arrest to justify the creation of the new security super-ministry.

Dutton, a key member of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls cabinet, has been placed in charge of ASIOthe main domestic spy agencyas well as the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre.

Dutton was interviewed on Sky News by Peta Credlin, ex-chief of staff of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott. So the idea is that we have a better coordination, a better capacity for those agencies to deal with the threat that exists, he declared.

And its not just in the counter-terrorism spacewe saw yesterday the 81st person has been charged with a terror-related offence since 2014. So the threat is real, and as we know with foreign fighters returning back from Syria and Iraq, it is going to be with us for a long period of time.

Dutton thus directly prejudiced any chance of a fair trial for Betka, who had intended to apply for bail. Long before any trial, the minister insinuated that the 25-year-old was guilty and linked him to the growing list of arrests on terrorism-related charges.

Duttons comment also indicates that the government and the security agencies plan more such operations to politically exploit the foreign fighters issue.

Duttons new Department of Home Affairs later told Special Broadcasting Services News that up to 110 Australians were fighting or engaged with terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq, while about 40 people had returned to Australia after joining such groups.

Betka has been charged with incursion into foreign countries with the intention of engaging in hostile activities. This could result in life imprisonment. He also has been charged with entering and remaining in a declared area, an offence punishable by up to 10 years in jail, and dealing in the proceeds of crime.

The foreign fighters laws ban entering, preparing to enter, or recruiting someone else to enter, a foreign country with an intent to engage in a hostile activity. Such activity is not confined to terrorismit could include opposing a government or opposing US or Australian military operations in another country.

The legislation also features an unprecedented power for the government to proclaim no-go areas overseas. People can be convicted for simply entering such a zone unless they can prove it was solely for a legitimate reason, such as a family visit.

Passports and visas can be secretly suspended, without any notice or right of appeal, on vague and arbitrary grounds, such as, ASIO considers that a person may leave Australia to engage in activity that might prejudice the security of Australia or a foreign country. Those whose passports or visas are revoked can be cut off all welfare payments, including aged pensions and family benefits.

In addition, people face up to 25 years in jail if convicted of fighting for, recruiting, training and gaining or dealing with funds for a group listed by the government as terrorist.

Anyone can be jailed for five years, or groups can be outlawed (making all their members and supporters liable to imprisonment) for advocating terrorism, even if no act of terrorism occurs and they are merely reckless as to whether any terrorism would occur.

Advocating includes urging, promoting, encouraging or counselling. This formulation can cover general statements of sympathy for, or calls for the understanding of the root causes of, terrorism. Submissions to a parliamentary committee on the legislation noted that even people who like a Facebook comment containing favourable reference to terrorist activity could be charged with advocating terrorism.

In his interview with Credlin, Dutton voiced the governments readiness to go further by barring Australian citizens from returning to the country, effectively stripping them of all their citizenship rights. This would also render them stateless, in violation of international law.

The government and Labor have already pushed through legislation to enable the government to revoke the citizenship of Australians who have citizenship entitlements in another country, but sole citizens have not yet been included in those powers.

Credlin asked Dutton: What do you think about what the Brits have just moved in the last 12 months to put in place temporary exclusion orders which will say to those that are only British citizens you cannot come back to this country? In his reply, Dutton insisted: [W]ere very willing to look at any sensible measures.

During his response to Credlins question, Dutton declared that the governments preferred solution was for any foreign fighters to be killed. Frankly, the best thing that can happen to that person is theyre killed in the theatre of war over there so they dont return, he stated.

With Labors assistance, the Turnbull government has also altered the rules of engagement for the Australian Special Forces and warplanes deployed in the Middle East to permit the killing of anyone accused of supporting a terrorist group, even if they are not near a battlefield.

Betkas arrest and Duttons comments are another warning of the governments increasing resort to security scare campaigns and repressive police-intelligence powers under conditions of mounting social and political discontent and rising dangers of war.

The author also recommends:

Australia: Opposition Labor Party rubberstamps Foreign Fighters Bill

[21 October 2014]
The Trump administration approved the sale of $41.5 million worth of US-made lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine this month. It is the largest deal since Congress authorized such sales in 2014 after the government that was brought to power in a US-backed, fascist-led coup met stiff resistance from pro-Russian separatists in the countrys eastern provinces. This latest weapons deal portends an escalation in the nearly four-year-old war in Ukraine, which continues to claim victims and remains a flashpoint between the US and Russia.

First reported by the Washington Post, the latest deal, which was signed off on by President Donald Trump, allows for the sale of M107A1 sniper rifles, .50 caliber Browning machine gun rounds and associated parts and materiel for maintenance of the weapons. Utilizing the large rounds, the M107A1 is particularly effective against light armored vehicles and fortifications.

The report of Trumps decision to begin selling lethal weapons to Kiev was denounced as a dead-end technique, which would unleash bloodshed again, by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, according to TASS.

While the Trump administration reportedly informed the leaders of a handful of Congressional committees of the decision on December 13, no public announcement was made of the measure, which will only further heighten tensions and increase the possibility of war between the US and Russia, the worlds largest nuclear armed powers.

The Obama administration backed the rabidly nationalist movement to oust pro-Russian President Victor Yanukovych, which erupted in February of 2014 after he backed out of signing an association agreement with the European Union. The Kremlin responded to Yanukovychs ouster by supporting pro-Russian separatists in the east and annexing Crimea after a popular referendum in the majority Russian-speaking peninsula registered popular support for joining the Russian Federation.

With the support of Washington, Kiev deployed its military and openly fascist militias against the separatists in the east in an effort to crush any opposition to the newly installed pro-Western regime of billionaire oligarch Petro Poroshenko.

Since April of 2014, more than 10,000 soldiers and civilians have been killed and nearly 25,000 wounded in the fighting; more than 2 million Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes.

Alleged Russian military intervention in eastern Ukraine has been used, initially under Obama and now under Trump, to justify a provocative buildup of US and NATO military forces throughout Eastern Europe and in the Baltic States.

Approximately 4,000 US soldiers are currently stationed on Russias western flank on a permanent rotating basis as part of a buildup initiated by the Obama administration to check Russian aggression. Additionally, several hundred soldiers from the US Army National Guard have been deployed to western Ukraine to participate in training exercises with the Ukrainian military.

Prominent Republican critics of Trump in Congress praised the presidents decision to deliver arms to Kiev and pressed him to go further.

I welcome reports the administration has taken the long-overdue step of approving the sale of lethal defensive weapons to help the Ukrainian people defend themselves from Russian aggression, Arizona Senator John McCain, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a tweet. However, he went on to declare that it must only be a first step. I urge the President to authorize additional sales of defensive lethal weapons, including anti-tank munitions.

Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a statement in which he said the decision to provide the Ukrainian regime with American weaponry reflects our countrys longstanding commitment to Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.

While the weapons deal is scaled back from a plan which had been drawn up by US Defense Secretary Gen. James Mattis and officials at the State Department earlier this year, including the sale of Javelin anti-tank missiles and antiaircraft weapons, the decision opens the floodgates for the much larger and lethal weapons deals that have been demanded by Kiev and pushed for in Congress.

We have crossed the Rubicon, this is lethal weapons and I predict more will be coming, a senior Congressional official told the Washington Post. The 2018 defense budget signed by Trump on December 12 authorizes the US government to provide as much as $500 million worth of defensive lethal assistance to the Ukrainian government.

The Obama administration had publicly contemplated delivering the same range of lethal weapons but held back, supplying only nonlethal military equipment, in part to assuage concerns raised by Germany, France and other EU countries which opposed the move. The European powers, which receive a significant portion of their natural gas from Russia, in particular Germany and France, have sought to cement a ceasefire deal in the Ukrainian conflict while maintaining a pro-EU regime in Kiev.

The Trump administrations decision on weapons sales follows the public announcement earlier this month that the cabinet of Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau had approved the commercial sale of lethal weaponry by Canadian arms dealers to Kiev. Conservative MP James Bezan told reporters that the decision will allow for the sale of Javelin anti-tank missiles.

Next to Washington, the government in Ottawa has been the leading backer of the Poroshenko regime, first under Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and now Trudeau. As part of Operation UNIFIER 200 Canadian soldiers have been deployed to western Ukraine to participate in military training exercises. The Liberal government recently announced that the military mission will continue until at least March 2019.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has announced governments decision to commence the construction of a railway line between Ghana and Burkina Faso next year.



He said, In the area of trade, our two countries have been colonially divided by artificial borders but the railway line will bring us very close.



He said it will make the cost of transport between our two countries much lower, and it will encourage exchange of goods and people between our two countries.



This was when the Burkinabe Minister of Transport, Urban Mobility and Road Safety, Suleman Sumaila, paid a courtesy call on him at the Flagstaff House.



He was accompanied by his Ghanaian counterpart, Joe Ghartey, the Minister for Railway Development.



The Vice President indicated that we are committed to it, the President is very clear. He wants us to move quickly, the instruction for us is to start this railway line next year 2018. We have to break the ground to start the construction of this railway linelets do it quickly.



I can promise you on our side, we are going to work very hard and Im sure your visit here also shows that from your side you are going to work very hard and together we can agree on a common contract quickly, we can move this process forward, he emphasized.



It was a follow up to President Akufo-Addos visit to Burkina Faso, during which he and his Burkinabe counterpart, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, agreed on the construction of a railway line to facilitate trade between the two countries from Accra to Ougadougou.



When completed, Mr Ghartey said, the railway line would improve the economies of both countries.



The Burkinabe government is said to have settled on some potential investors, who have expressed interest in the deal.



It is for this reason that the ministers responsible for the deal, invited experts, made up of lawyers, financial advisers and other relevant agencies, to study the proposal in Ghana to make recommendations to the governments of the two countries.



The committee is expected to meet every two weeks until a final decision agreement is reached.



The Ministers have resolved to send their reports to their respective presidents in three months time.



They are considering selecting a common contractor for the project which is expected to commence next year.



Mr Ghartey said three companies have expressed interest in the project and hinted of a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) agreement with no sovereign guarantee.



We are convinced its a bankable project that can pay for itself.



On his part, the Transport of Minister for Burkina Faso, called for rapid execution of the project owing to the level of trade between the two countries.



Burkinabes clear their goods at the Tema and Takoradi Ports while several articulated trucks travel from Ghana to Burkina Faso each day.



He was of the belief that the construction of the railway line would bring relief to citizens of the two countries.

Source: Daily Guide









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The Pentagon admitted for the first time this week that it has conducted multiple ground operations in Yemen, the impoverished and war-ravaged country on the Arabian Peninsula, while conducting more than 120 air strikes there this year, triple the number in 2016.

This revelation of an escalation on yet another front in the expanding US military intervention in the Middle East came as Yemen marked the 1,000th day of the war being waged by Saudi Arabia and its fellow Gulf oil sheikdoms against the poorest nation in the Middle East.

Multiple aid agencies issued statements warning that the deaths of millions are threatened as the war claims more victims and plunges vast portions of the population into conditions of famine and disease.

The depth of the countrys humanitarian crisis was underscored this week with the announcement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that the number of cholera cases in Yemen had reached one million, making the ongoing epidemic by far the worst in recorded human history.

The rapid spread of the disease, which has claimed the lives of over 2,200 people since April, a third of them children, is an unmistakable manifestation of the destruction of Yemens social infrastructure by the nearly three-year-long, unrelenting US-backed Saudi bombing and blockade of the country.

Cholera is easily preventable and treatable so long as there is access to clean water. US-supplied Saudi bombs and missiles, however, have destroyed much of the Yemens water and sanitation infrastructure, while the air, sea and land blockade has deprived the country of fuel needed to run whatever systems have survived the onslaught. Meanwhile, at least 50 percent of Yemens health care facilities have been destroyed.

According to the ICRC, fully 80 percent of Yemeni population now lacks access to food, fuel, clean water and health care, creating the conditions for the spread not only of disease, but also famine.

In a report released Thursday in Cairo, the UNs Food and Agriculture Organization said that fully one-quarter of the Yemeni population, nearly 8 million people, was suffering from severe food insecurity, placing their lives at imminent risk. Another 36 percent of the population faced what the agency referred to as moderated food insecurity.

Prices of what food is available reportedly shot up 28 percent in the month of November alone, placing basic necessities out of reach for the majority of the population.

While 12,000 civilians have been reported killed since the beginning of the war in 2014, this number is vastly eclipsed by deaths from the hunger and disease caused by the war. Last month, the aid agency Save the Children warned that 50,000 children would die before the years end, while the United Nations has reported that one Yemeni child is dying every ten minutes from preventable causes.

Oxfam, which described conditions in Yemen as apocalyptic, said in a statement: For 1,000 days, huge amounts of sophisticated modern weapons have pounded Yemen, and on top of that we are now witnessing a Medieval siege where mass starvation is being used as a weapon of war.

To put it bluntly, Saudi Arabia and its allies and arms suppliers, principally the United States and Britain, are guilty of a world historic war crime that has employed methods against the people of Yemen comparable to those used by Hitlers Third Reich.

Begun in March of 2014, the war has been waged for the purpose of returning the Saudi puppet, Rabbu Mansour Hadi, to the presidency and to prevent the emergence of a government with friendly ties to Iran.

The US ground intervention and air strikes acknowledged by the Pentagons Central Command on Wednesday are ostensibly directed against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State in Yemen, Sunni Islamist militias that are virulent enemies of the Houthis, whose base is among the Zaidis, a sect that emerged historically from Shia Islam.

Many of the victims of the US operations are civilians killed in both air strikes and search and destroy missions carried out by special operations troops on the ground. In an unusually publicized raid last January in central Yemens Al Baydah Province, special operations troops backed by drones and attack helicopters killed 57 people, at least 16 of them civilians, while one American soldier was killed.

Washington has been waging a covert drone war against Yemen since 2002. Before this year, the number of Yemenis killed in this campaign is estimated at nearly 1,500, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

In the same statement acknowledging its ground operations and the dramatic escalation of its bombing campaign, the Pentagon reported that the number of ISIS fighters in Yemen had doubled since the beginning of the year, an estimate that suggests the US campaign is having little impact outside of killing civilians, and is a sideshow compared to the war being waged by the Saudis with Washingtons backing.

The Saudi monarchy would be unable to wage this criminal war without the support of the US government and military. Massive US arms contracts have supplied the Saudi Air Force with missiles, cluster bombs and other munitions that have been used to reduce Yemeni schools, hospitals, residential areas, farms, factories and basic infrastructure to rubble. US Air Force planes are flying refueling missions to allow the Saudis to carry out round-the-clock bombing, while intelligence officers are supplying them with targets. The US Navy is deployed off Yemens coast backing up the Saudi blockade.

While the Trump administration, with the collaboration of the US corporate media, has remained virtually silent on the deepening of the worst humanitarian crisis on the face of the planet, it has repeatedly signaled its support for Saudi Arabias near-genocidal aggression. It views the war entirely through the prism of its bid to build up a military alliance with Saudi Arabia and the other Sunni Persian Gulf oil sheikdoms, along with Israel, to reverse the growth of Iran as a regional obstacle to the imposition of American hegemony in the oil-rich Middle East.

Washingtons support for Saudi Arabia and its determination to provoke a military confrontation with Iran found particularly noxious expression last week when the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, staged a televised presentation at a military base in Washington, DC in front of the wreckage of what was proclaimed an Iranian missile fired from Yemen at Riyadhs international airport last month. The missile caused no casualties.

Haley insisted that the debris placed on display constituted undeniable evidence that Iran is arming the Houthi rebels, violating the 2015 nuclear accord negotiated with the major powers and acting as a threat to the peace and security of the entire world.

The presentation called to mind nothing so much as the undeniable evidence presented by then US-Secretary of State Colin Powell to the United Nations Security Council in February 2003 of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction in preparation for the US invasion little more than a month later.

In this case, the US evidence is every bit as concocted. According to Foreign Policy, which viewed a UN report prepared following an examination of the same debris used in Haleys television appearance, UN investigators found not just Iranian, but also American parts in what was left of the missile, suggesting that the device was cobbled together by the Yemenis themselves.

Unexplained by Haleys presentation is how Iran could have smuggled missiles into Yemen through a naval blockade maintained by the Saudis and the US Navy that has turned away ships carrying food, medicines and fuel. Moreover, the Yemeni military, whose stockpiles were taken over by the Houthi-led government, had scores of its own missiles.

Responding to Haleys performance, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday described the US allegations as provocative and dangerous. They try to hide their support for the bombardment of the innocent Yemenis through such accusations, Zarif said.

On December 19, the Houthi leadership claimed responsibility for another missile fired at Riyadh, declaring that it had been aimed at the Saudi royal palace. Like the earlier missile, it was brought down without causing any casualties.

The White House condemned the abortive missile attack, again claiming without any substantiation that Iran was responsible. US imperialism is supporting and exploiting the slaughter of the Yemeni people to create the conditions for a new region-wide war against Iran with incalculable global consequences.
The sexual abuse of child victims is going to be in the news again over the coming months as advocates for a more expansive and humane approach in New York put pressure on legislators to make legal changes.

In this area, that pressure is going to be placed on two Republican members of the state Senate, John Bonacic and Bill Larkin. Their party and their majority has been instrumental in blocking efforts to change the laws for years and now a new organization, New Yorkers Against Hidden Predators, is vowing to start asking the two and others in the Senate why.

The issue is as simple as it is emotional. New York abuse victims must seek criminal charges or sue before they turn 23, much too early, advocates say, for many traumatized abuse survivors to come forward. A bill that the Assembly passed in a 139-7 vote in June would give victims until age 28 to seek prosecution and until age 50 to sue culpable institutions. It also would have given previously time-barred victims one year to bring cases.

Those who have successfully opposed the change, most notably the Catholic Church, which has spent an enormous amount of money on lobbying, argue that this opportunity for victims would be what they like to call an evidentiary nightmare, a challenge courts would be unable to negotiate.

But any case can bring such challenges. While it is true that the longer a person waits to lodge a charge, the harder it might be to come up with witnesses and evidence, which is always the case in court. If the victim cannot find people to testify, if evidence is not available, then the courts would not be able to proceed. But those who deal with victims know that it can take decades for victims to get the courage to act and that these arbitrary limits have nothing to do with justice.

The real reason that legislators have been lobbied so heavily to keep New York law the way it is concerns not justice but money.

The bishops feel strongly that we need to do more to protect children from abuse and give survivors of abuse more time to seek justice, a spokesman for the Catholic Conference said. Our only objection is with that retroactive window which comes without any caps on either time or dollars. Any organization that deals with children would be looking at potential catastrophic liability when youre looking at cases from the 50s and 60s.

The Archdiocese of New York prefers to make its own rules when it comes to such compensation and recently announced that it had paid about $40 million to 189 people who identified themselves as victims of clergy sex abuse. The payouts averaged $211,600.

The Archdiocese said that when it comes to sex abuse by priests and others, Fortunately, for the Catholic Church, such horrors are now mostly confined to the past.

Senators can either take that as fact or open the courts to see if there are other victims. If they believe the church, they should at least explain why and not duck the issue by avoiding a vote.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released three stunning official portraits to celebrate their recent engagement on Thursday, and the details behind their dreamy shoot are just as romantic as the photos themselves!

The location has special meaning.

Harry and Meghan shot their engagement photos at Frogmore House, which is located about a mile from Windsor Castle. The 17th-century English country house, which has been a royal retreat for more than 300 years, was the perfect backdrop for the newly engaged couples romantic photo shoot. Windsor is a very special place for Prince Harry, and he and Ms. Markle have regularly spent time there during the last year, a Kensington Palace spokesman previously said. The couple will also tie the knot on May 19 at Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Frogmore House was also where Harrys cousin, Peter Phillips, son of the Queens daughter, Princess Anne, held his wedding reception in 2008. Meghan would have had the opportunity to discuss the reception venue with Peter during the Queens annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

The photographer is a prince!

The couple chose fashion and celebrity photographer Alexi Lubomirski to shoot their engagement photos. And while he has major celebrity ties (he has snapped everyone from Julia Roberts to Angelina Jolie), he also has royal ties. The photographer, who is based in New York, is a prince of the Polish House of Lubomirski. His royal lineage dates back 500 years on his fathers side  he even has the official title: His Serene Highness. They first met Alexi privately during the week of their engagement. They considered a number of options but were very impressed with Alexis style of photography, a royal source tells PEOPLE.

Alexi Lubomirski

Lubomirski was born in England and moved to Botswana (where Harry and Meghan vacationed!) when he was 8 years old. It was an incredible honor to be asked to document this wonderful event, but also a great privilege to be invited to share and be a witness to this young couples love for one another. I cannot help but smile when I look at the photos that we took of them, such was their happiness together, said Lubomirski, who was a protege of Mario Testino. Testino was beloved by Harrys mother Princess Diana and also took Prince William and Kate Middletons engagement photos.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Meghan hints at her bridal style.

The future bride-to-be looked like a fairy tale princess in her stunning couture gown by Ralph & Russo. (A similar look can be achieved with this design from Tadashi Shoji that combines a long, romantic skirt with an illusion top. Bonus: its a fraction of the cost at $428 on Nordstroms website!) The sheer number was an unexpected choice, and could be a sign that Meghan will break with royal tradition and opt for a bold wedding gown. The British-based label can now be added to the running list of possible wedding dress designers for Meghan. And if she decides to go with the brand, who specializes in elaborate couture dresses accessorized with crystals, feathers and metallics, her bridal look will be a showstopper.

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Disney/Lucasfilm

This post contains spoilers about Star Wars: The Last Jedi, so read on at your own peril.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a lot. Between the space battles, unexpected lightsaber fights, new creatures, and Kylo Rens pants its safe to say that theres hardly a dull moment in the entire film. However, in the midst of all that bombast, The Last Jedi also manages some quietly moving human moments as well, particularly involving Carrie Fishers General Leia Organa. While the original plan was for the upcoming Episode IX to be Leias film (The Force Awakens being Hans, and The Last Jedi being Lukes), Fishers unfortunate passing in 2016 caused those plans to be scrapped. However, The Last Jedi still offered a showcase of her immeasurable talent and was a fitting send off to the beloved character. Those emotional moments, according to director Rian Johnson, are largely due to Fisher herself.

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Johnson explained that Fisher put her decades of experience as a renowned script doctor to good use on the set of The Last Jedi.

She is a brilliant writer, an incredible mind. I would go to her house. We would sit on her bed for hours and go through the scripts. We would have these stream of consciousness jazz poetry kinda ad lib sessions. I would just scribble on my script everything she said, and at the end of six hours, there would be like a four-word line of dialogue that was the distillation of all of that that was brilliant.



Fisher was behind the moment of levity in the highly emotional scene where Luke and Leia finally reunite after years apart (and Fisher and Mark Hamill appear on screen together once again).

She loved one-liners and jokes. She could just pop out so many jokes. So the whole thing where she sits down with Luke and [says], I changed my hair, obviously, that was her.

Fisher and Laura Dern were also the creative minds behind the moving scene where Leia leaves Admiral Holdo behind to sacrifice herself for the rebel cause. According to Johnson, that heartfelt You go. Ive said it enough. had Fishers fingerprints all over it as well.

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That whole Holdo scene, that goodbye scene was actually completely rewritten with Carrie and with Laura. The three of us got together and worked through it. And the real heart of that scene came from Laura. It was her saying, I just feel like, from my character to Leia, but also me to Carrie, I want to express what she means to me. I want to express my gratitude. Thats one that may be the most powerful, oddly for me, especially now watching them. Im just so happy we were able to get that.

Fisher truly was a singular talent and will be missed in this and every galaxy.

(Via The Daily Beast)
A Kansas mother and her live-in boyfriend charged in the murder of her 3-year-old son  whose body was found last fall encased in concrete in their former home  allegedly filmed the boys abuse, according to a newly released police affidavit.

On March 14  two days after those images were recorded, and one day after Evans father, Carlo Brewer, called 911 to request a police check on the safety of his son in his mothers custody  Carlo Brewers attorney, Shayla Johnston, asked a judge to force the mother, Miranda Miller, to provide proof that Evan was alive.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

Johnston feared that Bodine was holding Evan hostage, and wanted the case referred for criminal child abuse prosecution, but the judge declined.

He was tortured within days of me begging a judge to help him, Johnston alleges to PEOPLE.

Seven days later, on May 26, Miller purchased concrete mix and a trowel, according to the affidavit, which does not state how or when the boy may have died.

Earlier this month Miller, 36, and Bodine, 40 were charged with murdering Evan, whose body was found by a landlord cleaning the home after evicting the couple. According to a police report, the landlord noticed a strange odor coming from a concrete structure. He contacted police, who discovered the remains that were later identified as Evans.

The child had not been seen since July.

 For more compelling true crime coverage,follow our Crime magazine on Flipboard.

Neither Miller nor Bodine have entered a plea. Both are due in court Jan. 11, a spokesperson for the Sedgewick County District Attorneys office tells PEOPLE.

A call by PEOPLE to the office of Millers attorney, Steven Wagle, was met with a no comment. Bodines attorney, Casey Cotton, could not immediately be reached and did not return a call from PEOPLE.

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The affidavit recounts police interrogation of witnesses who described Bodines alleged drug use and physical abuse of Miller and others, including his daughter and a former wife of Bodines, who allegedly told officers, He enjoyed hurting me. It was a power trip. It made him feel all-powerful.

Evan was the grandson of former Wichita mayor and current Kansas gubernatorial candidate Carl Brewer.

Miller and Bodine are being held without bond.
An unidentified 7-year-old boy was killed by a police officers bullet Thursday when four Texas sheriffs deputies opened fire on a suspected car thief who had fled into a mobile home park, PEOPLE confirms.

The gunfire ended a two-hour manhunt for a wanted felon.

The suspect, a woman who has not been identified, also died during Thursdays deadly exchange.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

Police confirm to PEOPLE the incident occurred in Schertz, near San Antonio.

The 7-year-old boy was struck by a bullet in the abdomen.

Emergency medical technicians summoned to the scene rushed the boy to the nearest hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to investigators, the female suspect had no connection to the boy who was killed.

 For more compelling true crime coverage, follow our Crime magazine on Flipboard.

Detectives are trying to figure out which of the four officers  all members of the Bexar County Sheriffs Office  fired the fatal bullet.

A gun was not found on the female suspect, but police are looking for a weapon she brandished earlier during the pursuit.

Police plan to release more information on the shooting later on Friday.
Princess Michael of Kent is speaking out after she received criticism for wearing a controversial blackamoor brooch to the Queens annual Christmas lunch on Wednesday.

The brooch was a gift and has been worn many times before, a representative for Princess Michael tells PEOPLE in a statement. Princess Michael is very sorry and distressed that it has caused offense.

The wife of the Queens first cousin, 72, was pictured wearing the accessory as she arrived at Buckingham Palace. The decision to wear the brooch drew further criticism due to Meghan Markles biracial background (her mother is Black and her father is white)  and the fact that Princess Michael chose to wear it on the day Meghan was being introduced to many extended royal family members for the first time.

Blackamoor is a genre of art or jewelry originating in 16th century Venice that has been criticized for promoting imagery that is considered racist. Many blackamoor figures portray exoticized images of servants and slaves of African descent.

This isnt the first time Princess Michael, dubbed Princess Pushy, has made headlines for her controversial behavior.

Princess Michael of Kent

She was accused of racism in 2004. While at a New York restaurant, she was said to have told a group of African American diners to go back to the colonies. Following the incident, she attempted to repair her reputation in an interview that only furthered the controversy.

I even pretended years ago to be an African, a half-caste African, but because of my light eyes I did not get away with it, but I dyed my hair black, she told ITV.

I traveled on African buses. I wanted to be a writer. I wanted experiences from Cape Town to right up in northern Mozambique, she added. I had this adventure with these absolutely adorable, special people and to call me racist: its a knife through the heart because I really love these people.

The Prince and Princess of Kent are now Meghans new neighbors. They live in Apartment 10 on the grounds of Kensington Palace, which is a short distance from the newly engaged couples cozy cottage. Meghan will spend Christmas with the royal family next week when she joins them at Sandringham, the Queens country estate.
You cant shop Meghan Markles custom three-stone ring  after all, its made up of a diamond from Botswana and two from the collection of Princess Diana  but fashionistas can replicate the bride-to-bes looks from her dreamy engagement photo shoot with Prince Harry.

The American actress wore a glamorous black dress with a sheer bodice adorned with leaf embellishments in a photo where she and Harry are sitting on steps, with Meghan leaning into her man. While Harry looks dashing in a navy suit by Burberry, which retails for $1,395 (but is currently on sale for $558) and is a favorite of David Beckham and Andy Murray according to its description, Markles gown steals the show.

Celebrity-loved British label Ralph & Russo is behind the stunner, but a similar look can be achieved with this design from Tadashi Shoji that combines a long, romantic skirt with an illusion top. Bonus: its a fraction of the cost at $428 on Nordstroms website.

Dress by Tadashi Shoji

Prince Harry's suit

Meghan kept things casual in another shot, where she and Harry smile as she lovingly places her hand on his cheek. Every woman needs a simple white sweater this time of year, like the wool top with a crew neck by Victoria Beckham chosen by the former Suits star. The piece retails for $588, according to My Theresa, but you can find a similar look for $20 at Uniqlo.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Sweater by Victoria Beckham

But one thing you cant put a price on: love. The couple look head over heels for each other in the stunning snaps shared by Kensington Palace on Dec. 21, which was taken at Frogmore House in Windsor by fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski.

It was an incredible honor to be asked to document this wonderful event, but also a great privilege to be invited to share and be a witness to this young couples love for one another, Lubomirski said, according to a statement from the palace. I cannot help but smile when I look at the photos that we took of them, such was their happiness together.

The release of the photos comes just one day after Meghan joined Harry and other senior members of the royal family for Queen Elizabeth IIs annual Christmas lunchat Buckingham Palace. Meghan will also travel to Sandringham with Harry to join the royal family for Christmas.

Will you be rocking a Meghan Markle-inspired look this holiday season? Share in the comments below.
Princess Michael of Kent sparked fury when she showed up to the Queens Christmas lunch wearing a racially tinged blackamoor brooch  on the day Meghan Markle, who is biracial, was formally introduced to the royal family by Prince Harry.

But this isnt the first time Princess Michael has made headlines for her controversial behavior. Dubbed Princess Pushy, the wife of the Queens first cousin raised eyebrows right from the start.

The former Baroness Marie Christine von Reibnitz married Prince Michael of Kent, a grandson of King George V, in 1978. Similar to Wallis Simpson, she was divorced and Catholic. She married her first husband, a British banker, in 1971 and they separated in 1973. They were divorced in 1977, and their marriage was annulled by the Pope just one month before her wedding to Prince Michael, who had to give up his right to the succession to the throne in order to marry her. The royal couple has two children, Lord Frederick Windsor and Lady Gabriella Windsor.

Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Michael of Kent on their wedding day in June 1978.

Her background also caused a stir. Born in Carlsbad, a German-populated town now part of the Czech Republic, her father, Baron Gunther Hubertus von Reibnitz, was reportedly a Nazi party member. Following the revelation of her fathers Nazi past, she told television viewers in an interview: My shoulders are broad. I shall have to carry it. I wasnt alive when all this happened, so I hope people will judge me on my performance, on what I am.

Princess Michael of Kent in June 2017

Princess Michael, who is descended from many branches of European aristocracy, angered members of the royal family when it was reported she said she had more royal blood in her veins than any person to marry into the royal family since Prince Philip.

Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Michael of Kent in 2014.

Prince and Princess Michael made headlines again in 2002 when it was revealed that the Queen had been covering their rent. As Kensington officials explained: The Queen is paying the rent for Prince and Princess Michael of Kents apartment at a commercial rate of 120,000 annually, from her own private funds. This rent payment by The Queen is in recognition of the Royal engagements and work for various charities which Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have undertaken at their own expense, and without any public funding.

It was announced in 2010 that they would have to pay the full rent themselves from then on.

Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Michael of Kent

Princess Michael was accused of racism in 2004. While at a New York restaurant, she was said to have told a group of African American diners to go back to the colonies. Following the incident, she attempted to repair her reputation in an interview that only furthered the controversy.

I even pretended years ago to be an African, a half-caste African, but because of my light eyes I did not get away with it, but I dyed my hair black, she told ITV.

I traveled on African buses. I wanted to be a writer. I wanted experiences from Cape Town to right up in northern Mozambique, she added. I had this adventure with these absolutely adorable, special people and to call me racist: its a knife through the heart because I really love these people.

She continued to make waves in 2005, when News of the World reporter Mazher Mahmoud claimed she referred to the late Princess Diana as bitter and nasty and Prince Charles as jealous of his then wifes popularity.

Princess Diana stands next to Princess Michael of Kent during Trooping the Colour in 1988.

Then in a 2014 interview on Canadian TV, she said the older generation of royals are boring for most people. In the same interview, she stated that Princess Diana was uneducated, adding that the fact she grew up without a mother made it much harder to cope with her royal status.

Princess Michael of Kent with Prince William and Prince Harry in 2008.

Princess Michael of Kent with Prince Harry and Kate Middleton in 2011.

In September 2015, she angered animal rights activists when she stated that animals do not have rights because they do not pay taxes, have bank accounts or vote. You only have rights if you pay your taxes. You earn your rights, she said.

The Prince and Princess of Kent are now Meghans new neighbors. They live in Apartment 10 on the grounds of Kensington Palace, which is a short distance from the newly engaged couples cozy cottage. Meghan will spend Christmas with the royal family next week when she joins them at Sandringham, the Queens country estate.
Parents are suing schools that dont protect their children from harm. (Photo: Getty Images)

In early December, a middle school student in California named Rosalie Avila committed suicide. Her story echoes those that seem to arise on a regular basis now: stories of school bullies, mournful communities, and GoFundMe pages created to finance funerals.

But theres also a movement to find justice for what parents believe was their late childs school neglecting to stop bullying on school property and online. In September 2016, a Rochester, N.Y., family filed a lawsuit against the district of their 12-year-olds school, claiming negligence for an ongoing bullying problem that they say caused their childs suicide. In August, a New Jersey family filed a lawsuit against their childs school district, saying it failed to stymie cyberbullying that they say caused their 12-year-old to kill herself. An 8-year-old boy in Cincinnati died by suicide, and the family sued the school district for wrongful death in August.

The Avila family now plans to do the same, saying they verbally told school administrators and teachers of the Yucaipa-Calimesa School District that Rosie was being bullied but were met with inaction, according to the familys lawyer, Brian Claypool.

But the Avila family also says laws regarding bullying in public schools need to change, and they started an online petition for U.S. Sens. Kamala Harris and Mike Morrell, and California Assembly member Chad Hayes to draft Rosalies Law. Started two weeks ago, the petition has nearly met its 5,000-signature goal. Rosies Law would require schools nationwide to establish and implement suicide detection and prevention programs on campus, according to a press release.

Meanwhile, the school district issued the following statement to Yahoo Lifestyle:

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the Avila family. Our students, teachers, staff and the communities are mourning the loss of Rosalie as well. Yucaipa-Calimesa School District is committed to working with its students and the community on academics, student safety and well-being. We strive every day to be a safe, supportive and engaging learning environment. We will continue to raise awareness and work with students and the community to support our children. The issue of suicide awareness and prevention is very important to discuss and address as a community. We are cooperating fully with the Sheriffs office as it conducts its investigation. We are also conducting our own internal investigation. Given that these efforts are ongoing, and due to our commitment to protecting the privacy of our students and their families, we cannot share any details at this time.

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But as media outlets report these stories with what seems to be increasing frequency, one might wonder: Are child suicide rates actually increasing, or is more attention paid now because of the 24-hour news cycle and the speed at which these stories spread on social media?

Rosie Avila, who attended Mesa View Middle School in California, took her own life in early December. The family says the school ignored its bullying epidemic, according to the familys lawyer, Brian Claypool. (Photo: Courtesy of the Avila family)

According to a CNN report in August citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, children younger than 13 die by suicide once every five days. The data, which covered U.S. suicides from 1999 to 2015 for children ages 5 to 12, found the rate has increased by 54 percent for 11- and 12-year-olds.

A study from May 2017, meanwhile, looked at data from the Pediatric Health Information System and found that the number of childrens hospital admissions of patients ages 5 to 17 for suicidal thoughts or actions more than doubled from 2008 to 2015.

While grieving parents are beginning to hold schools responsible for their childrens deaths, every state already has laws in place that require schools to implement anti-bullying policies. And at Mesa View Middle School, which Avila attended, reporting procedures and disciplinary action were outlined, according to the school districts publicly available bullying prevention and intervention policy. School employees are required to report incidences of bullying to principal and principal is obligated to report to district; social media accounts may be suspended, the policy says. Corrective actions for a student who commits an act of bullying of any type may include counseling, behavioral intervention and education, and, if the behavior is severe or pervasive as defined in Education Code 48900, may include suspension or expulsion in accordance with district policies and regulations.

Whether that policy was implemented and enforced is the subject of an investigation. It also reflects the larger problem lawmakers and arbiters nationwide face when dealing with instances of school-related bullying: There is a lack of effective enforcement mechanisms by the state, and a lack of data about which policies are best practice.

There are anti-bullying curricula out there, but nothing thats demonstrated all that much success, Justin Patchin, the co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and a professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Were learning over the last decade that weve made progress on what works but we need more resources. Some schools are doing amazing things to prevent bullying, but there are no resources to evaluate efforts  its all kind of speculation and anecdotes.

Patchin explains that based on the data available, schools that use a social-emotional learning curriculum to teach students things like the steps to respect tend to have an impact on how kids relate to each other. Still, that doesnt reflect what happens when there is bullying. One 2013 study conducted by the American Education Research Association recommended that school employees need to better describe the types of bullying that take place to better prevent it.

Federal, state, private money is all needed. Some schools fundraise for these things, and PTAs sponsor assemblies or other programs to raise awareness. But if we want to make a serious dent, legislatively, we need more resources, Patchin explains. The problem with most state bullying laws is that they say schools have to deal with the issue and require schools to have policies, but dont provide provisions or money for schools to purchase the curriculum or hire social workers to do assessments. If authorities were really prioritizing this, theyd also provide the resources to fight it.

The California Department of Education outlines sample bullying prevention and conflict resolution policies on its website, as well as 35 regulations within the California Education Code that relate to discrimination, harassment, and bullying. California Assembly member Patrick ODonnell, chair of the education committee, declined to comment on the laws through a spokesperson, and ODonnells co-chair, Assembly member Rocky Chavez, did not respond to requests for comment.

For the Avila family to win a case against the school district, the family would have to prove that bullying was the cause of their daughters death  a difficult thing to do in a world where the internet has led to increased reports of depression in children, though Claypool says causation is defined as a substantial factor in bringing about the death, not the sole cause of the death.

Dewey Cornell, a professor at the University of Virginia and clinical psychologist who works on the schools Youth Violence Project, says its difficult to determine how frequently school systems are sued for failing to protect students from bullying because most cases are settled without readily available records. But he says there has been a dramatic increase in litigation since the early 1990s. Still, parents tend to lose cases to schools, Cornell adds, citing data from 2014.

No one expects schools to be perfect, but educators cannot ignore bullying and they should take reasonable steps to maintain a healthy school climate that is conducive to learning, Cornell told Yahoo Lifestyle in an email. In the workplace, adults are protected from a hostile work environment. Women and men who are sexually harassed at work can sue. There is no reason why children in school should not be afforded the same protections as adults in the workplace.

Or, as Rosalies bereaved mother, Charlene Avila, told NBC News, Now I know what my daughter was up against. Something needs to be done.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.




Photo credit: Getty / Mario Testino/Clarence House/Handout

From Country Living

By now you've probably heard that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released official photos to mark their engagement, which was announced last month. The photos were captured by fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski at Frogmore House in Windsor, earlier this week.

The series of candid photos show the happy couple relaxed and smiling in both color and black and white. The pictures drew obvious comparisons to those released by Prince William and Kate Middleton in December 2010, ahead of their April 2011 wedding.

Photo credit: Alexi Lubomirski / Getty / Getty

Here's how the photo sessions stack up:

The Photographer

Harry and Meghan chose Alexi Lubomirski to shoot their engagement photos. Lubomirski grew up in Botswana, a particularly favorite country of the prince and actress, but studied his craft at the University of Brighton.

As well as shooting many magazine covers, he has worked with Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Sarah Jessica Parker, to name a few, and recently a Maybelline campaign starring Gigi Hadid. Last year, he released an entire series to promote and celebrate diversity shooting the likes of Lupita Nyong'o and Hari Nef.

Lubomirski has royal blood himself and inherited the title "His Serene Highness Prince" from his birth father's royal Polish heritage.

Prince William and Kate, on the other hand, opted for esteemed photographer Mario Testino to capture their newly engaged moments (Lubomirski actually used to be Testino's assistant before making it himself). Testino's portfolio of editorials, superstars and high-fashion adverts is well-known but what most probably encouraged William to select him was that he was a favorite of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Photo credit: Mario Testino/Clarence House/Handout

The Body Language

There is no denying that Meghan and Harry look suitably loved up in these engagement photos. In the color photo, Meghan is seated between her fiance's knees, holding his hand (and showcasing her beautiful ring, of course) while using her other arm to casually rest on his knee. Their heads are touching and their closeness is palpable.

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The second photo is even more intimate. Harry looks like he's been caught mid-laugh while he pulls her into his coat. Meghan is looking down, smiling and caressing his face. It's so romantic, you almost feel like you're intruding.

On the other hand, William and Kate's photos were a tad more restrained-as could be expected from a royal heir-yet they looked just as happy. There was a formal photo, with the two having their arms around each other yet leaving enough space between them to fully turn towards the camera. Then there was a more informal photo of the couple locked in an embrace, grinning from ear to ear, with their heads touching.

Testino later told Hello magazine that the more informal photo was impromptu: "I wasn't totally satisfied. Then, when I'd finished the shoot, they were about to leave and they suddenly hugged in front of a radiator. It was spontaneous emotion. You could see they were completely in love."

The Location

The two couples were photographed in the chilly month of December, yet one opted for outside while the other had the (probably more sensible) idea of staying inside.

Harry and Meghan's photos were taken in the private grounds of Frogmore House at Windsor Castle, which is suitably near where the couple will exchange vows in May at the castle's St George's Chapel.

William and Kate were photographed at the royal residence of St. James' Palace in central London where William grew up with his brother and father Prince Charles.

The Outfits

For William and Kate's formal portrait, the outfits were, unsurprisingly, formal too. William was dressed in a Turnball and Asser suit, while Kate wore a white Reiss dress and earrings from Links, according to the BBC.

In the informal shot, both wore jeans. William matched this with a shirt and beige Cucinelli jumper while Kate selected a white blouse from Whistles.

Prince Harry was suited up for his engagement photo shoot, choosing a navy design, and then opting for a Burberry coat, according to The Telegraph, to wrap himself-and Meghan-into for the second shot.

Photo credit: Getty

Meghan is continuing to pave the way as someone to watch in the fashion sphere by choosing a sheer, full-length Ralph & Russo gown with gold embellishment detailing for the color portrait. She wore a white jumper by Victoria Beckham for the black and white shot.

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Looks like Meghan Markle is already getting to know her future family: The soon-to-be royalwho announced her engagement to the formerly most eligible bachelor the planet, Prince Harry (whose real name, by the way, is Henry, in case you werent aware) on November 27joined her fiance for Queen Elizabeths annual pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace. The future king of England, Prince William, and his wife Duchess Kate (who is pregnant with her third child), as well as their two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, joined them.

Queen Elizabeth hosts the pre-Christmas party every year before the family sets off for Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where they spend the Christmas holiday. Her future grandmother made an exception for Markle; shell be allowed to join Prince Harry at Sandringham for the holiday celebrations, despite the fact that the pair are not yet married. Kate Middleton was not invited to join the family for Christmas while she was still engaged to Prince William. The family usually celebrates Christmas Eve together, followed by church service on Christmas Day at St. Mary Magdalene Church. After church, the family usually gathers for lunch and a stroll through the woods, according to USA Today. No word on whether or not the queen will be indulging her customary four cocktails a day regiment, but during the holidays who doesn't need a drink?

Just six days ago, Kensington Palace (the official news source for all things related to the royal family) announced that Markle and Prince Harry will be married on May 19, at St. Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle. This morning, the palace also released the couples official (and very romantic) engagement photos. The former actress (and American!) seems to be adjusting quite nicely to her life in the spotlight, and given the pressure she must be under to perform perfectly not just for the public but for her royal in-laws, I personally couldn't be more impressed with her. According to the Kensington Palace Instagram account (which is well worth taking more than a few minutes to peruse), the couple was so thrilled with the response to the photos, which were posted only two hours ago, but have since garnered more than 200,000 likes, that they decided to also release a candid shot from the photo shoot.

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As anticipation and excitement for the wedding continue to grow, surely more rumors, gossip, and grainy photos of the couple arriving at various palaces to spend time with their family will continue to emerge. Its the only fuel we have to go on until the day of the wedding finally arrives.
Princess Michael of Kent arrives for lunch at Buckingham Palace - UK Press

There are fashion faux pas, and then there are errors of sartorial judgement which seem tricky to pass off as a moment of simple bad taste.

It appears that Princess Michael of Kent suffered the latter when she got dressed for The Queen's annual Christmas lunch which took place on Wednesday, and was the first such occasion attended by Prince Harry's fiancee Meghan Markle.

The wife of Prince Michael of Kent, the Queen's first cousin, was pictured arriving at Buckingham Palace wearing a brooch on her left shoulder which appeared to be a piece of 'Blackamoor' jewellery, depicting the bust of a black person with an opulent gold crown and bust, embellished with purple crystals.

It was a gesture which would have appeared shortsighted at the best of times, but has prompted controversy due to Ms Markle's biracial background (her father, Thomas Markle, is Caucasian and her mother Doria Radlan is African American).

It is understood that the brooch was a gift and has been worn many times before.

A spokesman said: "Princess Michael is very sorry and distressed that it has caused offence."

Meghan Markle arriving at the Christmas lunch

The images soon provoked an angry reaction on social media. "I hope the Queen is going to ban this racist, horrible woman from attending any further gatherings," wrote @nesslync. Princess Michael of Kent is an embarrassment to The Royal Family."

A source added there was "no malice at all" behind the decision to wear the jewellery to the Christmas lunch.

The royal family often wear jewellery with meanings- such as The Queen's maple leaf brooch which she has worn in Canada- but the connotation is usually positive and diplomatic. Feelings which are unlikely to have been evoked at Wednesday's lunch.

Markle has spoken extensively in the past about her struggles with accepting her bi-racial status. "While my mixed heritage may have created a grey area surrounding my self-identification, keeping me with a foot on both sides of the fence, I have come to embrace that," she wrote in an essay for Elle UK in 2015. "To say who I am, to share where I'm from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman. That when asked to choose my ethnicity in a questionnaire as in my seventh grade class, or these days to check 'Other', I simply say: 'Sorry, world, this is not Lost and I am not one of The Others. I am enough exactly as I am."

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When Prince Harry's relationship with Markle became public last year, he released a statement condemning many of the reactions which they had experienced. 'His girlfriend Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment... the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces' and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.'

The Blackamoor jewellery worn by Princess Michael has a complex history. While it now comes with resolutely racist connotations, the designs- which originated in Venice- were once the height of glamour and considered a tribute to the 'exotic' Africans who inspired them. Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor both had Blackamoor brooches in their personal jewellery collections.

Dolce and Gabbana's controversial earrings Credit: Getty

In 2012, the Italian design house Dolce and Gabbana showed Blackamoor-inspired earrings as part of their Spring 2013 collection. Although the designers maintained that they were a tribute to the history of Sicily- the island which Domenico Dolce hails from- they were widely accused of seeking to make light of and profit from the West's history of colonialism and slavery.

Princess Michael has been accused of racism before. After an episode in a New York restaurant in 2004, when she was said to have told a group of African American diners to "go back to the colonies", she attempted to repair her reputation with an interview in which she only exacerbated the controversy.

"I even pretended years ago to be an African, a half-caste African, but because of my light eyes I did not get away with it, but I dyed my hair black," she told ITV.

"I travelled on African buses. I wanted to be a writer. I wanted experiences from Cape Town to right up in northern Mozambique," she added. "I had this adventure with these absolutely adorable, special people and to call me racist: it's a knife through the heart because I really love these people."
Rape in relationships is a very real thing, and we need to call it what it is

On Thursday afternoon, Bobette Riales came forward on Twitter and accused actor Danny Masterson of raping her repeatedly, while she was in a relationship with him. Railes is the fifth woman to accuse Masterson of sexual assault, and the second to allege that it occurred while they were dating. The allegations are a terrifying reminder that rape in relationships is a real thing, and that can make it even harder to come forward to talk about.

Masterson denies all of the allegations, but in late November his publicist, Jenni Weinman, was heard on a recorded phone call saying that he couldnt have raped another one his accusers, Chrissie Carnell Bixler, because they were in a relationship at the time.

Although the Los Angeles Police Department is still investigating the allegations against Masterson, its important to remember that marital rape is still very much rape, very much illegal, and is by no means a defense.

Weinman told HuffPost in a statement about her remarks, I respect the law. I would never cover up wrongdoing or threaten people based on the scope of my work. As a publicist its my job to gather information and make informed decisions about media matters. As an outsider looking in I never saw anything but a consensual relationship between Danny and Chrissie, with whom I maintained a cordial relationship after they broke up.

Exclusive: In audio of a phone call I obtained, @dannymasterson's publicist, Jenni Weinman, suggests to one of his victims that a woman can't be raped by a man she's in a relationship with. The Church of Scientology told the victim this as well.



Link: https://t.co/dJJekciFEB pic.twitter.com/e128CzY6no  Yashar Ali (@yashar) November 22, 2017

HelloGiggles request for comment from Weinman about the new allegations and her previous statements was not immediately returned. However, in a previous statement, Masterson said this about the allegations of rape in the early 2000s and his firing from Netflix though his representative, according to Bustle:

From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. Law enforcement investigated these claims more than 15 years ago and determined them to be without merit. I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one. In this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused.

Making this situation even more complicated is that Netflix didnt just fire Masterson in the wake of the allegations against him  they also fired an executive who made remarks about not believing the four women who had come forward against him. Much like Weinman, the timing and the fact that the women had been allegedly in a relationship with Masterson once upon a time, likely had something to do with convincing him. On social media, there are many disheartening comments that make it sound like a woman cant be raped by someone she knows, let alone is in a relationship with, which is peak victim blaming.

My frustration is that you were "repeatedly raped". I would think that once he raped you the first time, you would at least never agree to see/be with him ever again and at most, report the initial crime. After the first rape, why would you continue being with him.  David DeAvila (@DavidDeAvila) December 21, 2017

On Thusday, Riales echoed one of the original accusers story, tweeting, Danny Masterson repeatedly raped me. All I seek is justice and to prevent this from ever happening to anyone else as it has for some time. My truth will be heard. I applaud [Bixlers] strength as well. According to a report in the Daily Beast, the investigation into Masterson has been stalled, despite compelling evidence. Last March, journalist Tony Ortega first reported on the allegations, writing that at least three alleged cases of rape or sodomy of women who were also Scientologists and who claim they were pressured by the Church of Scientology not to contact police or go public with their accusations.

Thank you, Chris. Also its extremely difficult when you trust someone and love them. You think youre the only one and so you deal with it. You justify his behavior because you loved him. The only thing is I wasnt the only one. She wasnt the only one. There are many. So many.  chrissie carnell-bixler (@ChrissieBixler) December 21, 2017

Bixler is no longer a member of the Church of Scientology, but alleges that the Church told her that Masterson couldnt have assaulted her because they were in a relationship when she went to them at the time. According to her allegations, Masterson raped her twice during their six year relationship. According to HuffPost:

One morning in 2001, she says, she woke up in pain with her anus bleeding. When she asked Masterson what had happened the night before, she says, he told her We had anal sex. According to Bixler, when she confronted Masterson about his callousness and said she hadnt been able to consent, he allegedly replied, Stop it, youre making me feel bad.'

Sadly, there are still 13 states that make exceptions for spousal rape. Given that the first state to criminalize rape in a marriage was North Carolina in 1993, that shouldnt be too surprising. Rape within marriage was not commonly viewed as a crime because in most religions, marriage means that a woman becomes a mans property. So unconscious or not, sex is fair game in some peoples minds. Many religious people still feel this way. The Duggar matriarch, for example, notoriously said on her familys TLC show that the key to a happy marriage is having sex even when one doesnt feel like it.

We #SupportSurvivors. Sexual assault is not your fault. If you need to talk: 800.656.HOPE, https://t.co/j9dQGwplI2 , https://t.co/f45UTlwj02  RAINN (@RAINN01) February 1, 2017

But thats not true! Non-consenting sex between partners is still rape. Everyone should always be able to consent to sex, no matter what their relationship to the other person. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, being forced to have sex, have children, or even made to feel like one has to submit to a partner sexually is abuse. Bottom line.

Just like its dangerous to assume that rape cant happen in a marriage, its also dangerous to assume that it doesnt happen in relationships that dont have some legal title. Calling it marital rape or spousal rape denies women such as Bixler and Riales their alleged experience. It makes it easier to assume theyre lying, if only because we dont have the right language for it, much like we dont protect women with simple ways to talk about emotional and physical abuse in relationships.

Many domestic violence laws also dont protect a woman if shes just dating her attacker.

if you're a person who participates in victim blaming, thinks that drunk consent is still a yes, or thinks being in a relationship = consent when it comes to rape and sexual assault then you're the problem.  katie barton (@bartocat40) December 20, 2017

Women already are hesitant to report sexual harassment and assault because they fear people wont believe them, whether its because they had a glass of wine or were on a date with their assailant until they decided they didnt want to have sex. Women in emotionally and/or physically abusive relationships dont leave for so many reasons, one being that theyre in a relationship with this person and part of the abuse is being gaslighted into believing that the violence, any type of it, is somehow their fault, will get better, or is just normal.

In a relationship, being yelled at isnt normal. Being hit isnt normal. And waking up to your partner penetrating you or manipulating you into having sex with them is not normal. Its fine to want to wait until an investigation is completed to make your mind up about an alleged rapist. But dont dismiss the accusers just because they were in a relationship with the person or assume that the investigators arent, too. When we talk about outing all the pigs, we have to include them all, even the husbands and the boyfriends.

If you need to talk to someone about sexual or physical abuse in your or someone you knows relationship, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) or chat with them live here.
All of Southern California thought they saw a UFO  and the photos are eerie

Just before 5:30 p.m. PST this evening, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket into the sky from the Vandenberg Air Force Base  but it turns out, a lot of people thought they were watching a UFO fly over Southern California.

The launch, which saw the Falcon 9 sent into Earths low-orbit with ten Iridium NEXT satellites, marked SpaceXs 18th launch of the year, setting a modern record.

While the aerospace manufacturer founded by Elon Musk had been live-tweeting the Falcon 9 take-off to the excitement of its nearly five-and-a-half million followers, the majority of Californians were left in the dark regarding this pre-planned event (metaphorically speaking, of course), leaving them shocked at the eerie sight of bright lights flying overhead.

The excitement prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to issue a response on Facebook and Twitter, informing fans that the mysterious light in the sky was actually a rocket. But naturally, many took to Twitter to share their UFO sighting  and while it seems the aliens didnt make contact with Angelenos this evening, sight of the rocket flying above them left people in awe. The L.A. Times even reported that commuters driving during the event pulled over to watch, and naturally snap a few photos, of the rocket.

The photos are both stunning and so eerie:

WOW!!! The view from LA is amazing!!!! People are going to freak out #spacex#IridiumNEXTpic.twitter.com/0mznMRvDKI

 Amanda (@alias_amanda) December 23, 2017

I think this is my favorite shot of the @SpaceX launch. What a year. Saw the eclipse & now this, fantastic! #SpaceXpic.twitter.com/FQOFFrP57k

 Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 23, 2017

Here's a better look at tonight's Falcon 9 rocket launch as viewed over downtown Phoenix. #falcon9#SpaceXpic.twitter.com/5SKFjuKqyZ

 John Sirlin (@SirlinJohn) December 23, 2017

Thanks #SpaceX for legit making me think Earth was being invaded for like 10 minutes tonight pic.twitter.com/wwMQcFDM4t

 Eli Braden (@EliBraden) December 23, 2017

While the mass UFO sighting ended up being a stunning rocket, the launch came on the heels of a report published by the New York Times last week, in which The Pentagon confirmed that from 2007 to 2012, it funded a secret UFO investigation program.

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While were grateful the aliens didnt decide to invade Earth this evening  and glad we got to see gorgeous photos of the Falcon 9 rocket  wed definitely love advance notice next time theres a rocket launch, that way we dont immediately start preparing for certain doom.

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At least 10,000 people were killed in the Chinese army's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989, according to a newly released British diplomatic cable that recounts the bloodshed in gruesome detail.

The document, made public more than 28 years after the event, describes injured girls being bayoneted, bodies being ground up by armoured vehicles and human remains being flushed into the sewers.

"Minimum estimate of civilian dead 10,000," the then British ambassador Alan Donald said in the secret telegram to London seen by AFP at Britain's National Archives.

The estimate, given on June 5, 1989, the day after the crackdown, is almost 10 times higher than that commonly accepted at the time of several hundred to more than a thousand dead.

But experts questioned by AFP said the 10,000 figure seemed credible.

Donald's account gives horrific details of the violence unleashed on the night of June 3-4, when the army entered Beijing to end seven weeks of protests on Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of Communist power.

During their advance, armoured personnel carriers "opened fire on the crowd (both civilians and soldiers) before running over them in their APCs", wrote the ambassador.

He said his source was a person who "was passing on information given him by a close friend who is currently a member of the State Council" -- the Chinese cabinet.

He said the source had previously proved reliable "and was careful to separate fact from speculation and rumour".

Once the soldiers arrived in Tiananmen Square, "students understood they were given one hour to leave square but after five minutes APCs attacked," Donald wrote.

"Students linked arms but were mown down including soldiers. APCs then ran over bodies time and time again to make 'pie' and remains collected by bulldozer. Remains incinerated and then hosed down drains."

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"Four wounded girl students begged for their lives but were bayoneted," Donald said, adding: "Army ambulances who attempted to give aid were shot up."

At the end of June 1989, the Chinese government had said suppression of the "counter-revolutionary riots" had killed 200 civilians and several dozen police and military.

- 'Primitives' -

Nearly three decades after the crackdown, the communist regime continues to forbid any debate on the subject, mention of which is banned from textbooks and the media, and censored on the Internet.

There was no sign of reaction to the report on Chinese social media, where an army of online censors blocks any reference to the Tiananmen crackdown and most things critical of the Communist Party.

Donald said the atrocities were committed by the 27th Army, who he described as "60 percent illiterate and are called primitives".

He said the crackdown had created deep rifts within the military and that "some members of the State Council considered that civil war is imminent".

As to the credibility of the toll, former student protest leader Xiong Yan, who is now an American citizen, said: "I think it's reliable."

China scholar Jean-Pierre Cabestan also said the figure was credible, pointing out that recently declassified US documents gave a similar assessment.

"That's two pretty independent sources which say the same thing," said Cabestan, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University.

The British ambassador's report was "not particularly astonishing considering how crowded it was in Beijing, the number of people mobilised" against the Chinese government, said Cabestan, who was in the Chinese capital in the days leading up to the crackdown.

Former student leader Feng Congde, now also based in the United States, pointed out that Donald had sent another telegram three weeks later putting the death toll at between 2,700 and 3,400.

Feng said that toll was quite credible and fitted with figures from the Chinese Red Cross, who at the time estimated 2,700 fatalities, and by student committees based on hospital reports.

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(FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.)  The owner of two Guinness World Record-holding cats says the animals died in a fire that destroyed their suburban Detroit home last month.

Will Powers says in a statement that the remains of Arcturus and Cygnus were found Wednesday in the basement of their Farmington Hills home. Powers says he searched for them during fire but that emergency personnel forced him to vacate. The cats apparently succumbed to smoke inhalation.

Two other cats that disappeared in the Nov. 12 fire remain missing.

Powers sister, Brittney Rose Powers confirmed the deaths Thursday, saying her brother and sister-in-law, Lauren, are devastated.

Arcturus was the worlds tallest domestic cat, measuring at about 19 inches (48 centimeters). Cygnus was the domestic cat with the worlds longest tail, at more than 17 inches (43 centimeters).
What It Is: Hondas Odyssey is one of the most established players in the minivan game, and it was fully redesigned for the 2018 model year. Practicality and family friendliness remain its key tenets, along with a focus on driving enjoyment thats rare among vehicles with this much people- and cargo-carrying capability. It has stiff competition, however, in the form of Chryslers latest minivan, the excellent Pacifica, which narrowly outscored the Honda to claim victory in our latest comparison test. We were still eager to spend more time with the new Odyssey, and were thousands of pleasant miles into a 40,000-mile long-term test of a top-trim 2018 Odyssey Elite.

Why We Tested It and How It Performed: Having had plenty of experience with the Honda vans top trim level, which comes with a Honda-built 10-speed automatic transmission paired with its 280-hp 3.5-liter V-6, we were curious to see what the Odysseys other transmission, a ZF nine-speed automatic, could do. Particularly since Honda has promised to improve to this transmissions shift smoothness over the less-than-impressive behavior weve experienced in the Honda Pilot, where it also does duty in some trims. In the Odyssey, the nine-speed mates with the same V-6 on the LX, EX, and EX-L models, the last of which was the subject of this review. As it turns out, losing one gear made little difference at the test track. The 126-pound-lighter Odyssey EX-L gave up only 0.1 second in the zero-to-60-mph dash and exactly matched the 10-speeds quarter-mile time and trap speed of 15.2 seconds at 95 mph.

More so than accelerative performance, the 10-speeds main reason for being is to improve fuel economy, and on that measure it succeeds somewhat. The tested nine-speed Odyssey fell 3 mpg short of the 10-speeds 30-mpg result in our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, although the EX-Ls overall average of 20 mpg in our hands was 1 mpg higher than the Elites. EPA ratings for the two transmissions are identical, however.

What We Like: Honda engineers have made good on the pledge to improve the ZF nine-speed automatics behavior compared with other Honda and Acura applications. In the Odyssey, its considerably more civilized than it was in our long-term 2016 Honda Pilot, where it hesitated and executed harsh shifts in a variety of part-throttle situations. Its still not quite as sharp as the 10-speed, which exhibits quicker gearchanges and is more eager to downshift, but the nine-speed is smooth and does a good enough job managing the engines power. The EX-L also demonstrates the same satisfying dynamics as other Odysseys weve driven, with well-weighted and accurate steering, a controlled ride, and surprisingly sharp responses.

What We Dont Like: The downside of the Odysseys responsive chassis tuning is a slight sacrifice in passenger comfort, as its not as cosseting as the Pacifica. Some may prefer the plush way the Chrysler soaks up bumps to the Hondas firmer, sharper ride quality. A fair amount of road noise on the highway also is noticeable although not exactly bothersome.

Also, even though the Odyssey is a highly practical and spacious conveyance for people and stuff (as are most minivans), it gives up a bit of versatility to the Pacifica, mostly because of its second-row setup. While the Chryslers Stow n Go setup allows you to easily tuck away the second-row captains chairs into a bin beneath the floor, the Odysseys seats must be physically removed from the car, and they weigh a hefty 68 pounds each. Honda makes up for this deficiency somewhat with its clever Magic Slide seat arrangement, standard on all but the base LX, that give the Odyssey standard eight-passenger capacity (a $495 option for most of the Pacificas trim levels) and a few different second-row configurations, from a three-place bench to two captains chairs to pushing the two chairs together to form a two-place bench on one side of the car for easier access to the third row.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 8-passenger, 4-door van



PRICE AS TESTED: $40,335 (base price: $30,965)



ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection



Displacement: 212 cu in, 3471 cc

Power: 280 hp @ 6000 rpm

Torque: 262 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm



TRANSMISSION: 9-speed automatic with manual shifting mode



DIMENSIONS:

Wheelbase: 118.1 in

Length: 203.2 in

Width: 78.5 in Height: 68.3 in

Passenger volume: 163 cu ft

Cargo volume: 39 cu ft

Curb weight: 4457 lb



C/D TEST RESULTS:

Zero to 60 mph: 6.7 sec

Zero to 100 mph: 17.1 sec

Zero to 110 mph: 21.6 sec

Rolling start, 560 mph: 6.9 sec

Top gear, 3050 mph: 4.2 sec

Top gear, 5070 mph: 4.7 sec

Standing -mile: 15.2 sec @ 95 mph

Top speed (governor limited): 110 mph

Braking, 700 mph: 180 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.74 g

*stability-control-inhibited



C/D FUEL ECONOMY:

Observed: 20 mpg

75-mph highway driving: 27 mpg

Highway range: 520 miles



EPA FUEL ECONOMY:

Combined/city/highway: 22/19/28 mpg




It may be the holidays, but law enforcement rests for no one.

The Abominable Snowman was arrested in Oregon earlier this week for impaired driving.

His arresting officer? Santa Claus.

The yeti, a native to the Himalayas, was photographed by the St. Helens Police Department getting cuffed and fingerprinted before spending a lonely night in a cell.

He took that breath test, he blew twice the legal limit. We later learned that peppermint [schnapps] was the beverage of choice, Chief of Police Terry Moss told InsideEdition.com. Nevertheless, he was treated like anybody else who receives a DUI in St. Helens and he was lodged into the jail.

He pleaded guilty to the charge during his first appearance Wednesday afternoon.

Moss said they had hired Santa Claus, who sported a blue velvet uniform, to officially join their team ahead of the holidays.

Anything Santa did on patrol was going to garner quite a bit of attention [] the decision was made to treat this arrest like any other, and make sure that everything was followed by the book and Mr. Snowman was brought to justice, Moss explained. Because of his unique circumstances and Santas schedule [] the judge expedited the sentencing and sentenced him today to two days in jail and probation.

And of course, Claus clearly took the moment to demonstrate that while naughty children get coal, bad adults get arrested.

While the photo shoot was staged by the police department as a part of their Christmas campaign, Moss said they believed it was an opportunity to remind locals about the perils of drunk driving over the holidays.

Each and every year we send out messages to the community about, you know, dont drink and drive, be responsible, party responsibly and try to share that message, Moss said. I dont know how effective that is, to be quite honest with you.

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(Reuters) - Democrat Doug Jones' surprise victory over Republican Roy Moore in this month's special U.S. Senate election will be certified on Dec. 28, Alabama state officials said on Friday. Jones will be the first Democrat sent to the Senate from Republican stronghold Alabama in a quarter century. When he takes office, Republicans' majority in the chamber will narrow to 51 of the 100 seats. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Attorney General Steve Marshall and Secretary of State John Merrill will meet to certify Jones' win, Merrill's office said in a statement. Jones' margin of victory was 1.5 percentage points. Moore has not conceded defeat in the Dec. 12 vote, despite being urged by President Donald Trump to do so. Calls and emails to Moore's campaign spokeswomen were not immediately returned on Friday. Moore was a controversial candidate whose campaign was beset by allegations that he sexually assaulted or pursued teenage girls while he was in his 30s. He denied the misconduct allegations, saying they were a result of "dirty politics." (Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site.

Consumers struggling to afford health coverage are increasingly being targeted with an attractive pitch from insurance companies and brokers: Low-cost alternatives to Affordable Care Act plans that, they say, provide meaningful protection against large medical expenses.

The main draw of these planscalled short-term because they can currently cover only 90 days at a timeis that they come with much lower monthly premiums than many ACA plans.

For example, the cheapest unsubsidized ACA plan available to a 55-year-old man living in Indianapolisa location recommended to us by eHealthInsurance.com, an online brokercosts $563 a month. He can buy a short-term plan through that company for $103 a month.

Such plans are likely to become more popular in the coming year, for two main reasons.

First, the just-passed Republican tax plan eliminates the penalty on people who dont have ACA-approved health coverage. So people will soon be able to buy short-term insurance without worrying about that penalty.

And President Trump is urging federal regulators to ease restrictions on the sale of the plans, which could let insurers sell short-term policies lasting up to 364 days. (Allowing them to be sold for a full year would require Congress to pass a separate law.) That would make it easier for insurers to market them, says Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University.

But short-term plans dont have to meet standards set by the ACA, so they often come with limitations that can leave people with huge medical bills if they get seriously ill. These plans can be cheap, Corlette says, but they also dont cover very much.

For example, insurers can exclude coverage or charge extra for everything from maternity care and prescription drugs to mental health care. They also dont have to cover pre-existing conditionsthat is, any condition for which you have experienced symptoms or sought treatment for up to five years before enrolling. And if you get seriously ill after the policy starts, the company can refuse to later renew your plan.

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Short-term plans can also have higher deductibles than whats allowed by the ACA. For instance, a close reading of that $103 eHealthInsurance policy shows it carries a $5,000 deductible that you must reach before insurance kicks in. After that you still have to pay 50 percent of most of your medical bills until you spend another $5,000 out of pocket. Trips to the ER are capped at $500 and there are limits on what the plan will pay for surgery and outpatient visits. Plus, theres no coverage for prescription drugs except in the hospital.

By contrast, ACA plans are prevented by law from putting a dollar limit on any of these essential health benefits.

Sean Malia, eHealthInsurances senior director of carrier relations, acknowledges the limitations of short-term plans. Our primary recommendation to consumers is always, if they can, purchase major medical coverage, he says. These plans are primarily for people who for whatever reason cannot purchase an Obamacare policy.

For some people, the limitations of the plans are worth the lower premiums, Corlette says. It depends on the risk the consumer is willing to tolerate and the extent to which they can bear costs related to an unexpected medical event.

And short-term plans have supporters in Congress. In urging regulators to ease the 90-day limit, a group of Senate Republicans called them valuable protection against out-of-pocket costs that offer greater flexibility in the choice of health benefits than on-exchange plans.

But some state regulators feel otherwise. People dont realize these products dont cover much of anything, says Janice Rocco, deputy commissioner of the California Department of Insurance. If they end up needing significant care, they probably wont be able to afford the share of the costs they have to pay.

The Pitfalls of Affordable Plans

Stewart LaMotte, of Lawrenceville, Ga, learned of those limitations the hard way.

At age 64, he felt he could not afford an ACA policy, which he said had a $1,000 a month premium for 2017 and a $6,500 deductible.

A retired restaurateur, he earned too much from his investments to qualify for a tax credit to help with the premium. Online, he found a short-term plan that cost only $261 a month.

I was looking for major medical catastrophic, he says. I wasnt looking for them to pay for every Band-Aid. And because he was in good health, he didnt worry about the policys disclaimer warning that it wasnt an ACA-covered type deal.

At a routine dental checkup about a month before the plans February start date, LaMotte says he mentioned a concern about his upper palate. Several referrals later, he learned he had oral cancer that required surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

The company denied the claim, pointing to a clause in the policy stating that it wouldnt cover any cancer with symptoms or treatments that started within 30 days of enrollment. LaMotte is now working with a patient advocate to see if he can get his $200,000 plus in medical bills reduced.

He has put off reconstructive surgery until he turns 65 in February and goes on Medicare. It will be the best day of my life, he says.

Concerns About Deceptive Advertising

Now that the penalty for not having an ACA-approved plan has been eliminated, and Trump is pushing to relax rules on how long the policies can last, insurers are more likely to aggressively market these plans.

We expect to see lots of these plans flood the market, predicts Betsy Imholz, special projects director for Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization division of Consumer Reports. Big players, like United Healthcare, have told investors they think that these changes can create a rich market for them to mine.



Already, regulators in some states are seeing problems.

In Montana, the state auditor recommended disciplining a group of insurers and brokers that used misinformation and deception to market short-term plans to consumers. An investigation found that many buyers didnt realize their plans fell short of ACA standards and didnt cover pre-existing conditions. Regulators said some consumers who bought these plans from insurer websites believed they were using the official government exchange site.

And Pennsylvanias Insurance Department recently revoked the licenses of seven agents and brokers for deceptive marketing, says Jessica Altman, Pennsylvanias acting insurance commissioner.

Another possible consequence of relaxing restrictions on short-term plans is higher premiums for ACA-sanctioned ones, Altman says. Low-cost options will likely appeal most to healthy, younger people who dont have pre-existing conditions. But individuals who know they have serious or chronic healthcare needs will stay with comprehensive plans, she says. That will drive up the average price for everyone else in that pool.

How to Protect Yourself

Stick with an ACA-compliant plan if you possibly can. As Sean Malia at eHealthInsurance said, ACA plans are better options if you can afford them. Comprehensive coverage could protect you from financial ruin. For example, had Stewart LaMotte bitten the bullet and bought that $1,000-a-month ACA plan, his total outlay for 2017 would have been roughly $19,000a years premium plus the plans likely $7,000 out-of-pocket limitinstead of $200,000 and counting.

Although Open Enrollment for 2018 coverage has ended on Healthcare.gov, the federal governments health website, its continuing in New York, California, and several other states. Check with your states marketplace to see if you can still enroll. And use this calculator from the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation to find out if you qualify for a subsidy on your premium: More than 80 percent of people who apply for an ACA plan do.



Take advantage of special enrollment. Dont assume a short-term plan is your only option if you lose ACA coverage in the middle of the yearfor example, by leaving a job or aging off your parents plan. In these situations you often can may be allowed to purchase an ACA-compliant plan even though its not Open Enrollment season.

If you have no alternative, buy the most generous short-term plan you can afford. Some short-term plans are better than others, Corlette says. For instance, UnitedHealthOne, United Healthcares short-term product line, offers a high-end plan with a $1,000 deductible, a $10,000 coinsurance out-of-pocket limit, a $1 million coverage cap, 30 percent coinsurance, and even limited drug and mental-health benefits.

Use a trusted local broker. Make sure youre working with a reputable local broker that youre going to bump into at the grocery store, Corlette advises. Never, ever buy one of these over the phone or online. Healthcare.gov and many state-run exchanges have lists of state-licensed brokers in your area. And take time to understand any restrictions on coverage.





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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright  2018, Consumer Reports, Inc.
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and John Davison AMMAN/CAIRO (Reuters) - Leading Arab allies threatened with cuts in aid by Donald Trump said on Friday they had no choice but to defy the U.S. president over his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and did not believe he would follow through. More than 120 countries, including every Arab nation, voted at the U.N. General Assembly late on Thursday to urge the United States to withdraw its decision, announced earlier this month. Trump threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favor of the U.N. resolution, drafted by Egypt and supported by all members of the U.N. Security Council except Washington. He repeated his threat on Friday, writing on Twitter: "After having foolishly spent $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is time to start rebuilding our country!" In Egypt and Jordan, among the top recipients of U.S. aid but long the most heavily invested in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Trump's threats were not taken seriously enough to backtrack on firm opposition to the U.S. move. "The Americans know more than any one else that a stable Jordan is crucial for U.S. interests in the region," a government minister who asked not to be named said. For its cooperation in defense and other fields, Jordan receives some $1.2 billion annually from Washington. "We do not expect the American administration to touch assistance but if it does this will only add to Jordan's economic woes," the minister said. UNPREDICTABILITY Former Jordanian prime minister Taher al-Masri said Jordan's role as an ally in a volatile region where unrest has led to attacks on U.S. soil would likely keep the aid safe. "Trump is not giving us aid as charity. Jordan performs a regional role in stability that we have not gone back on delivering," he said. In a sign of concern over Trump's unpredictability, some Jordanian officials privately expressed worry, however. Masri said the U.N. resolution would have received many more votes from member states had Trump not made his threat. For Arab and Muslim states, anything less than total rejection of Trump's Jerusalem decision would have been impossible, he said. Nations around the world have criticized the move as damaging chances to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected any further U.S. role in the peace process. As home to major Muslim, Jewish and Christian holy sites, Jerusalem's status has long been fought over in rounds of failed negotiations, and ignited deadly conflict between Israeli and the Palestinians. Jordan's monarchy is custodian of Jerusalem's holy shrines, making Amman sensitive to any changes of status of the disputed city. SAFETY IN NUMBERS Egypt, which led regional efforts to reject Trump's decision as having a "negative impact" on security in the region, has been a key broker of past peace deals. Egypt's foreign ministry and presidency could not be reached for comment after several attempts following the General Assembly vote. H.A. Hellyer, an Egypt expert at the Atlantic Council, said Egypt likely felt secure over its $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid despite Trump's threats. "I don't think Egypt will be worried ... certainly Trump's inner circle will not be too impressed - but I doubt that it will extend beyond that," he said. Egypt is an important military partner for the United States and is fighting its own Islamist insurgency in part of the vast Sinai Peninsula. Arab countries are unanimous in their rejection of Trump's Jerusalem move. Key allies such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq reiterated their stance at the General Assembly vote. Iraq's foreign ministry described the result as a "triumph for international law". Saudi Arabia's delegation said their vote on the Palestinian cause reflected a "policy priority since the time of the founder (of Saudi Arabia), King Abdul Aziz." It is unclear if U.N. votes and strong rhetoric alone will force Washington to reverse course, however. Israel, the closest U.S. ally in the Middle East, has heaped praise on Trump. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed his decision, which reversed decades of U.S. policy, as a "historic landmark". Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian state to be in the city's eastern sector, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and annexed in a move never recognized internationally. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Tolba in Cairo, Ahmed Aboulenein in Baghdad, Maha El Dahan in Dubai, Dominic Evans in Istanbul, Editing by William Maclean)
Hello and happy solstice, readers! This is Sy.

Lets keep things short and to the point on the shortest day of the year. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has released a new report on U.S. life expectancy and, bluntly, whats killing Americans. The agencys sobering assessment? Life expectancy in America has fallen for the second straight year. And theres a likely culprit that bears a disproportionate share of the blame this time around: Drug overdoses, especially those tied to the opioid crisis.

The 2015 life expectancy drop was the first time American longevity dipped since 1993; the 2016 shortfall is modest but significant, projecting an average 78.6 years of life. Thats a 0.1% decline, which may not sound like much, but is enough to have public health officials worried. (Women still have a significantly higher life expectancy than men at 81.1 years, versus 76.1 years for men.)

In fact, there were more than 63,000 drug overdose deaths in 2016, including more than 40,000 from opioid overdoses. The most concerning trend may be among synthetic opioids like fentanyl since deaths among this opioid class doubled between 2015 and 2016.

If the trend continues, America could well see the third straight year of life expectancy decline next yearthe first time such an event would occur in about a century.

Read on for the days news.

DIGITAL HEALTH

Are new CAR-T cancer therapies cost-effective? According to the Institute of Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), probably! ICER isnt exactly known for being a drug industry cheerleader, no matter how ballyhooed the underlying medical innovation. The cost-effectiveness watchdog has reached harsh conclusions about some of biopharmas most touted therapies, judging many to be too expensive relative to their benefits. But ICER says in its new (preliminary) report that pricey new CAR-T cancer drugs which re-engineer patients immune cells to beat back cancer may actually be worth the price. The data is still in its early stages with these medications, though, and ICER is awaiting public comments on its reports methodology.

Story continues

INDICATIONS

Merck, Pfizer finally join the hot new class of diabetes drugs. U.S. drug giants Merck and Pfizer have won Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Steglatro (ertugliflozin), part of a new type of diabetes medications called SGLT2 inhibitors. These kinds of drugs work a bit differently from traditional type 2 diabetes therapiesthey wind up expelling excess glucose through urine. But Merck and Pfizers entry into this specific field falls behind major competitors like Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and others. (Reuters)

THE BIG PICTURE

Theres a surge in women attending medical school. Heres a 2017 milestone: Women comprise 50.7% of the 21,338 people entering medical school in 2017, compared to 49.8% of the entering class last year, according to figures from the Association of American Medical Colleges. That means the incoming class of medical school students will be, for the first time ever, majority women. (Fortune)

REQUIRED READING

Magic Leap Finally Unveils Its First Augmented Reality Headset, by David Z. Morris

E*Trade Is Now Letting Its Customers Trade Cboe Bitcoin Futures, by Reuters

Yes, Apple Is Slowing Down Your Old iPhone. Heres Whyand How to Fix It, by Sarah Gray

Tesla Is Now Taking Semi Truck Orders In These Countries, by Kirsten Korosec

Produced by Sy Mukherjee @the_sy_guy sayak.mukherjee@fortune.com

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Federal officials charged a California man Friday with allegedly plotting a Christmas terror attack on San Franciscos Pier 39.

Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, is accused of posting radical jihadi beliefs online that showed his support of terrorism, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. FBI officials arrested Jameson for allegedly planning to target Pier 39, a popular tourist location and shopping area in San Francisco.

Officials said Jameson, a tow truck driver from Modesto, Ca., pinpointed Pier 39 as a possible location for a terror attack because he had been there before and knew it was a heavily crowded area, ABC 7 reports, citing FBI documents. He allegedly named the area for a Christmas Day attack that would possibly use explosives, according to ABC 7.

Federal authorities alleged that Jameson communicated with people who share similar views, according to ABC 7. He is also reported to have shown support for the terror attack in New York City on Oct. 31, in which eight people were killed after a truck driver struck several pedestrians on a bike path.
Los Angeles (AFP) - A California wildfire that firefighters have battled for over two weeks is now the state's largest since at least 1932, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Friday.

The so-called "Thomas Fire" has burned 273,400 acres (70,172 hectares), destroyed 1,063 structures and cost more than $177 million since it broke out on December 4, Cal Fire said.

More than 2,800 fire personnel are battling the blaze, which is now 65 percent contained. San Diego-based Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson died fighting the Thomas Fire in Ventura County on December 14.

The Thomas Fire is now even larger than the 2003 Cedar Fire, which burned 273,246 acres and previously topped Cal Fire's list of the top 20 largest wildfires in California, the oldest entry on which dates to 1932.

However, larger fires may predate the list, including the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889 that reportedly burned 300,000 acres.

"There were fires with significant acreage burned in years prior to 1932, but those records are less reliable, and this list is meant to give an overview of the large fires in more recent times," Cal Fire said.

This year is the worst on record for wildfire devastation in California.
By Sonya Dowsett and Jesus Aguado BARCELONA/MADRID (Reuters) - Separatists looked set on Friday to regain power in Catalonia after voters rejected Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's attempt to neuter its independence movement, instead re-igniting the country's biggest political crisis in decades. Spanish markets recoiled at a surprise result that is also a setback for the European Union, which must now brace for more secessionist noise as it grapples with the disruption of Brexit and simmering east European discontent. By risking a parliamentary election in the region, Rajoy appears to have made the same mistake that leaders including Greece's Alexis Tsipras, Britain's David Cameron and Italy's Matteo Renzi have made in recent years: betting that voters would resolve their troublesome domestic conundrums for them. For an interactive graphics package, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2AGBazV With well over 99 percent of votes from Thursday's election counted, separatist parties had secured a slim majority. Spain's stock market fell around 1 percent and the country's borrowing costs rose as investors bet the ensuing ramp-up in tensions with its richest region will hurt the euro zone's fourth-largest economy. Rajoy ruled out calling national elections over events that have weakened his authority, while both he and exiled separatist leader Carles Puigdemont said they were open for dialogue. But they offered no details and such calls in the past have failed to yield any solution. After several strained months that saw secessionists organize an illegal referendum on Oct. 1, and police confiscate urns to try to prevent it from taking place, the election result has done nothing to resolve the standoff either. The secessionists kept a majority, but it was reduced and they may have difficulty forming a government; and support for unionist party Ciudadanos has surged, but not enough to catapult them into power. "The divisions are huge. It will take time to mend them and that should be the priority for all political actors, reconciliation within the remit of the law," Rajoy told a news conference at the government's Moncloa headquarters. With Catalonia accounting for a fifth of its economy, Spain had already trimmed growth forecasts for 2018, and the prospect of prolonged uncertainty worries business leaders. "More companies leaving, less economic activity there - and worse for everyone," said the chief executive of a major listed Spanish company, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the tense climate of the independence debate. More than 3,100 firms have shifted their headquarters out of the region since October's referendum. Overnight hotel stays rose 2.1 percent in Spain in November but fell 7.3 percent in Catalonia, the National Statistics Institute said. 'BACK TO SQUARE ONE' Rajoy, who called the election after sacking the previous secessionist government, had hoped to mobilise hitherto quiescent supporters of union with Spain and deal separatism a decisive blow. Instead, his own party performed miserably, and the result raises the question of a return to power for Puigdemont, who campaigned from self-imposed exile in Brussels after Rajoy deposed him as Catalan president. "Catalonia is back to square one," said Marco Protopapa, an analyst at JP Morgan, forecasting that tensions would quickly return between Madrid and an "emboldened pro-independence camp eager to exploit the tactical advantage of a favorable election outcome". While Rajoy dodged questions about whether he would negotiate directly with Puigdemont, the Catalan politician said now was the time for dialogue between the two. "We've at least won the right to be heard," Puigdemont said, adding that he was open to returning to Spain if given guarantees that he could take his position as head of a potential new Catalan government. Currently he faces the prospect of arrest for his role in organizing the banned referendum. GERMANY, FRANCE BACK RAJOY When the Catalan parliament declared independence after the referendum, Rajoy invoked constitutional powers to impose direct rule from Madrid. He promised to restore Catalonia's autonomy regardless of the election result, but could re-impose it if a new government again pursued secession. The EU's major powers, Germany and France, have backed his anti-independence stance despite some criticism of his methods at times. Meanwhile, Puigdemont's attempts to gain international support in Brussels have failed so far. He has called the EU a "club of decadent countries" for declining to mediate a solution. A German government spokeswoman on Friday urged reconciliation in Catalonia, adding that the Spanish constitution would have to be respected. Secessionists say Catalonia pays an unfair share of taxes to Madrid, but investors fear independence would knock the indebted region out of the EU and the euro zone by default. "There is a huge effect on investment from abroad. As there's a lack of stability here, people who were investing here are going to other cities and other regions," said Rafael Prisco, commercial director in a real estate agent in central Barcelona that deals mostly with foreign clients. Europe now ends the year having struggled to build on the integrationist Emmanuel Macron's victory in the French presidential election in May. Germany faces months of political limbo, Brussels is mired in a nasty dispute with Poland's right-wing government and a far-right party has just entered the government in Austria. In Thursday's vote, Catalonia's separatist parties won 70 of the 135 seats, compared with 72 last time, with Puigdemont's Junts Per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia) retaining its position as the largest separatist force. Ciudadanos (Citizens) won the most votes, but other unionist forces -- Rajoy's People's Party and the Socialist Party -- performed dismally. "It's a bitter victory," said Paloma Morales, a 27-year-old student at a Ciudadanos rally. "It means four more years of misery." (Additional reporting by Paul Day and Andres Gonzalez; Writing by Ingrid Melander and Angus Berwick; Editing by Kevin Liffey and John Stonestreet)
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has punished 8,123 people for committing fiscal violations after an audit of how the government's 2016 central budget was spent revealed multiple problems, the Xinhua state news agency reported. Hu Zejun, head of the National Audit Office, announced the infringements while briefing lawmakers on Saturday, Xinhua said. A broad anti-graft campaign in China, aimed at rooting out deep-seated corruption in the ruling Communist Party, including the misuse or embezzlement of government funds, has ensnared more than 1.3 million officials. Hu said that of the offenders, 970 were punished for misusing funds earmarked for a poverty relief campaign intended to lift everyone in rural areas out of poverty by 2020. Another 1,363 were punished for irregularities in the use of funds meant to provide affordable housing, she said. She said 800 people in state-owned enterprises and 73 people in eight major banks were found to have committed violations, along with 505 people who were punished for malpractice involving medical insurance funds. Hu also said about 48 billion yuan ($7.30 billion) of the funds earmarked for affordable housing projects had been left unused for more than year, she said, while another 1.37 billion yuan of misused funds were recovered. The unused affordable housing funds had since been put to use, she said. Hu gave no details of what punishment the violators faced. (Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Robert Birsel)
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese military aircraft have again carried out drills in the Western Pacific, the Xinhua state news agency said on Thursday, with bombers and fighters from a South China Sea naval air arm exercising with warships. Chinese aircraft, most of them from the air force, have carried out increasing numbers of drills far from Chinese shores in the past few years, most recently focused on self-ruled Taiwan, claimed by China as its own, and near Japan. Xinhua said dozens of aircraft, including bombers, fighters and early warning aircraft, drilled in the Western Pacific along with warships, but it did not give an exact location. The exercises were normal drills, part of annual plans, and accorded with international law and norms and were not aimed at any specific country or region, Xinhua said, citing the military. The exercises had no impact on freedom of navigation or overflight in the area, the news agency added. The participation of aircraft attached to the South China Sea fleet implies they could have flown over the disputed South China Sea, where China has been building airfields and other military facilities, some on artificial islands, unnerving the region. China claims most of the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which $3 trillion worth of goods passes every year. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei all have overlapping claims. China has continued to install high-frequency radar and other facilities that can be used for military purposes on its man-made islands in the South China Sea, a U.S. think-tank said last week. [nL8N1OE7HR] (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel)
On Monday, an Amtrak train traveling from Seattle to Portland derailed near Tacoma while reportedly traveling too fast around a curve sharp enough to require a 30-miles-per-hour speed limit, killing three people and sending more than 100 to the hospital.

But the trains route was never intended to include such a tight curve, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Initial railroad plans proposed by the Washington state government would have eliminated the turn, allowing trains to safely enter the area at higher speeds, according to the Journal. But with a $412 million price tag  more than double the bypass projects budget  and a tighter deadline mandated by federal grants, authorities decided to leave the curve untouched, with a speed limit of 30 miles per hour.

The train that derailed Monday was making its maiden voyage along the new, faster route through Washington when it reportedly entered the bend at 80 miles per hour. Still, local officials had been concerned about the possibility of accidents for some time. Don Anderson, the mayor of nearby Lakewood, told the Seattle Times that his city had opposed the new rail line, and that he had feared accidents long before the derailment.

I didnt predict a time, but I did say somebody is going to get killed, Anderson told the Times. I hoped that wasnt right.
Homelessness is on the rise in the U.S., partly a consequence of a lack of affordable housing. An increasing number of laws makes it illegal for homeless people to partake in basic functions. (Photo: Spencer Weiner/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

An increasing number of new laws across the United States make it a crime to be homeless. But these laws dont actually manage to get people off the streets  they just perpetuate the cycle of homelessness, experts say.

Homelessness has reached such crisis levels that a United Nations expert sent to investigate poverty and inequality in the U.S. included the criminalization of homelessness in an extensive report released last Friday. After spending two weeks meeting with communities facing some of the most dire circumstances, Philip Alston, the U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, concluded that mistreatment of people experiencing homelessness is one of the key contributors to the stark levels of inequality.

The way to end homelessness is hardly to arrest people, keep them in prison for a time and then kick them out on the street again, Alston told HuffPost in a phone interview Friday. Thats a costly, vicious cycle. What were doing is making it worse.

Philip Alston, U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, visited the U.S. for two weeks and concluded that the criminalization of homelessness is a contributing factor to inequality in the U.S. (Photo: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

Homelessness is on the rise in the U.S., an issue thats inextricably tied to a lack of affordable housing. But instead of investing in sustainable housing options and job retraining programs, which have proved to work and save taxpayer dollars, states continue to pass more laws that essentially make it impossible for people to escape the streets.

Such laws make it illegal to stand, sit, sleep, panhandle and partake in other basic functions in public. In turn, police officers dole out fines, which often start out small but quickly balloon into crushing debt for a person without means. Those who are arrested, even for minor offenses, end up with a criminal record that add another obstacle to employment and housing.

Since 2006, bans on sitting and lying down in public have increased by 52 percent in the 187 cities that the National Law Center on Poverty & Homelessness tracks. Bans on sleeping in public have increased by 31 percent over that same period.

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These laws are particularly cruel considering people sitting or sleeping outdoors often have nowhere else to go. The U.S. has seen a dramatic rise in tent cities over the past decade, in a response to a shortage of shelters, according to a new report from NLCPH.

Even those who manage to gain access to shelters often have to make difficult tradeoffs. Going to shelters often means being vulnerable to theft, and many shelters limit the items people can bring, which forces people who are homeless to discard belongings.

You give up all this property for the guarantee  of a spot on the floor for one night, Eugene Stroman, who lives in an encampment in Houston, told NLCHP.

Pedestrians pass an expanding tent city under an overpass in Washington, D.C., last week. (Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Shelters also typically shut their doors during the day, which means that people who are unhoused have to spend at least part of it on the streets  standing, sitting or lying down  and risk getting punished for it.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Developments latest estimates, there were 553,000 people living in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs and in unsheltered settings in the U.S. on a single night this year. That marked a slight increase from 2016. The number of people without shelter in high-cost areas increased significantly, according to the report.

But NLCHP believes that those figures are underestimated because of flaws in HUDs methodology.

For example, the numbers dont account for people in jails and prisons during the time of the count, Maria Foscarinis, founder and executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, told HuffPost.

These numbers can be large, Foscarinis noted, and include people incarcerated for violating laws criminalizing homelessness. HUD also fails to account for people who dont have sustainable housing but arent necessarily visible, including those who crash on couches or sleep in cars.

Low-income people living in expensive areas are bearing the brunt of the criminalization. In California, homelessness increased by 26 percent this year from 2016, according to HUD. Los Angeles reported 6,696 arrests of homeless people on skid row from 2011 to 2016, for example.

Rather than responding to homeless persons as affronts to the senses and to their neighborhoods, citizens and local authorities should see in their presence a tragic indictment of community and government policies, Alston said during a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

In recent years, some cities have tested the concept of housing first and have seen promising results. The concept encourages giving people a place to live first, then addressing employment and medical issues, rather than the other way around, which is how may social service programs work.

In Los Angeles' skid row area, a homeless man rolls down the street to a soup kitchen. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images)

Moore Place, a nonprofit in Charlotte, North Carolina, houses 85 chronically homeless people. In its first year, tenants saved $1.8 million in health care costs alone, a 2014 report found. A hefty portion of that is from a major drop in emergency room visits. Housing comes to about $14,000 a year, per tenant. Tenants contribute 30 percent of their income toward rent. The rest comes from private and church donations, and local and federal government funding.

San Francisco saw similar results after the city provided supportive housing to nearly 2,000 homeless people. From 2011 to 2015, the citys costs associated with dealing with homelessness declined by $31.5 million, or 56 percent, according to a report released last year by San Franciscos Budget and Legislative Analysts Office.

While numerous case studies have demonstrated that housing first works, Foscarinis says that misinformation and a wish for an immediate fix are preventing other cities from implementing such programs.

Many people mistakenly believe that anyone who is homeless is a lost cause because mental health and addiction issues might be factors, said Foscarinis.

These are stereotypes that arent true, Foscarinis said. Theyre myths that have somehow taken hold and need to be dispelled. Its not the case that people dont want housing or dont want help.

Perhaps the harder challenge is convincing lawmakers that investing in long-term, supportive services is worthwhile.

These laws are a quick fix to a growing problem, Foscarinis said. Its easier to pass a law that makes homelessness into a crime than to do something, take action  that requires more time.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the location of Moore Place. It is in Charlotte, North Carolina, not South Carolina.

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WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump, who last month said hes too busy reading documents to watch much television, said he decided to sign the GOP tax reform bill on Friday, ahead of the holidays, after tuning into TV news.

I was going to wait for a formal signing sometime in early January, but then I watched the news this morning and they were all saying, Will he keep his promise? Will he sign it by Christmas? Trump said during a small signing event at the White House.

I called downstairs, I said, Get it ready. We have to sign it now, Trump added.

The president has repeatedly claimed that his busy schedule and work ethic keeps him away from the tube.

The W.H. is functioning perfectly, focused on HealthCare, Tax Cuts/Reform & many other things. I have very little time for watching T.V.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2017

Believe it or not, even when Im in Washington or New York, I do not watch much television, Trump said, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during his trip to Asia last month. I know they like to say that. People that dont know me, they like to say I watch television  people with fake sources. You know, fake reporters, fake sources.

But I dont get to watch much television, he added. Primarily because of documents. Im reading documents. A lot. And different things. I actually read much more  I read you people much more than I watch television.

The New York Times reported this month that Trump watches between 4 and 8 hours of television per day  part of what it described as an hour-by-hour battle for self-preservation. TV serves as the ammunition for his outbursts on Twitter, and his habit includes watching Fox News, CNN and hate-watching MSNBC, according to the Times.

As he so often does, Trump dismissed the story as fake news.

Wrong! he wrote to Twitter. Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News. I never watch Don Lemon, who I once called the dumbest man on television! Bad Reporting.

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Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong! Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News. I never watch Don Lemon, who I once called the dumbest man on television! Bad Reporting.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2017

During Fridays impromptu bill signing in the Oval Office, Trump made clear it was the news media that influenced his decision.

I didnt want you folks to say that I wasnt keeping my promise, he told the press. I am keeping my promise. I am signing it before Christmas. I said that the bill would be on my desk before Christmas, and you are holding me literally to that. So we did a rush job today. Its not fancy, but its the Oval Office.

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President Donald Trump gestures to reporters asking questions as he returns to the White House on 21 December: AP

Donald Trump behaved like narcissistic, vengeful autocrat when he threatened to withhold aid from United Nations (UN) members who criticised the US, a former CIA director has said.

John Brennan said it was beyond outrageous that the President had warned of retaliations against nations that voted to condemn his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital.

The resolution to declare Washingtons decision on the citys status null and void was backed by 128 countries at the UN General Assembly, including the UK, despite American ambassador Nikki Haley promising the US would be taking names of any nations who supported it.

Only nine countries voted against the motion but 35 abstained. Twenty-one were not present. Experts had predicted at least 150 countries would back the resolution, prompting speculation that some nations had caved in to US threats.

Trump Admin threat to retaliate against nations that exercise sovereign right in UN to oppose US position on Jerusalem is beyond outrageous, Mr Brennan tweeted. Shows Donald Trump expects blind loyalty and subservience from everyone  qualities usually found in narcissistic, vengeful autocrats.

Mr Brennan served as CIA director between March 2013 and January 2017, after twice being nominated for the role by Barack Obama. He left after Mr Trump's presidential inauguration ceremony.

Since then, the former intelligence chief has been an outspoken critic of the billionaire Republican leader, describing his ban on travel from certain Islamic countries as simplistic and misguided.

He also suggested the President should be ashamed of himself after a self-aggrandising speech he made during a visit to the CIAs headquarters.

Trump Admin threat to retaliate against nations that exercise sovereign right in UN to oppose US position on Jerusalem is beyond outrageous. Shows @realDonaldTrump expects blind loyalty and subservience from everyonequalities usually found in narcissistic, vengeful autocrats.  John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) December 21, 2017

Mr Brennan's post about the President's threat to fellow UN nations, was only his second since he joined Twitter in September.

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Mr Trump had earlier defended his stance, telling members of his cabinet: For all these nations, they take our money and then vote against us. They take hundreds of millions of dollars, even billions of dollars and then they vote against us.

Were watching those votes. Let them vote against us. Well save a lot. We dont care.

Ms Haley wrote to most of the 193 UN member states warning the US could withhold humanitarian aid if they backed the motion. She said the President was taking the matter personally.

The result of the General Assembly vote has little practical impact as it is not legally binding, but is an embarrassment for the US.

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbass spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said the passing of the resolution was a victory for Palestine.

But Richard Gowan, a UN expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank, told The Independent the vote is still a win for Trump in a perverse way.

It fits with his tough guy, anti-globalist image. If he had backed down in the face of UN pressure he would have looked hollow to his domestic supporters, he said.
Modern researchers have long suspected that the inhabitants of Rapa Nui  known to English-speakers as Easter Island, home of the giant carved monoliths  lived in warrior societies that were constantly engaged in violence. New research on giant stone hats, once worn by the famous statues, provides evidence that this view may be incomplete, suggesting that in fact Rapa Nui was home to a much more cooperative bunch of folks.

In a paper published in the October issue of Advances in Archaeological Progress, archaeologists examined the previously under-studied 70-ton stone hats  called pukao  that once adorned the heads of Rapa Nuis iconic maoi statues, finding evidence of detailed inscriptions that had never been seen before using digital imaging techniques.

These cylindrical hats, which weigh several tons, are made from red volcanic rock called scoria, and while the scientists had known these hats were once placed on top of the statues by the inhabitants of Rapa Nui to honor their ancestors, their significance wasnt entirely clear.

These massive stone hats once adorned Rapa Nui's iconic stone statues. Recent examination revealed never-before-seen petroglyphs.

The practice, however, fits in with what researchers know about the traditions of other Polynesian societies and how they venerated their ancestors. As the study suggests, the process of erecting these giant stone statues and placing hats on them required the warring peoples of Rapa Nui to put down their weapons and work together  at least for a little while.

Using a low-cost 3-D imaging technique called structure-from-motion mapping, which overlaps many redundant images of an object or area, the researchers revealed petroglyphs in the surface of the pukao that modern researchers had never seen before.

The petroglyphs indicated that the people of Rapa Nui were not, as has been hypothesized, a loose collection of warring groups. The varying ages and designs of the maoi suggest that, even as the groups lived separately, they periodically cooperated. These observations led the researchers to conclude that the islands mysterious inhabitants were, in fact, a network of communities who regularly came together to build monumental statues that honored their predecessors.

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Rapa Nui's iconic maois required the cooperation of multiple groups, say archaeologists.

With the building mitigating any sense of conflict, the moai construction and pukao placement were key parts to the success of the island, said Carl Lipo, anthropology professor and director of the Environmental Studies Program at Binghamton University, one of the authors on the paper, in a statement.

In our analysis of the archaeological records, we see evidence that demonstrates the prehistoric communities repeatedly worked together to build monuments. The action of cooperation had a benefit to the community by enabling sharing of information and resources.

Rapa Nui is about 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile in the southeastern Pacific.

While the findings of this study temper the violent stereotypes long associated with the people of Rapa Nui, theres still plenty scientists have yet to learn about them  and how their community came to an end. Researchers know that the population of Rapa Nui experienced a rapid decline at some point in its history, but they arent sure why. Archaeologists, however, have identified some suspects: overpopulation, warfare, and a sudden influx of invasive rats.

Photos via Carl LIpo, Flickr / Erik Charlton, Google Maps, Flickr / Arian Zwegers

Photos via Carl LIpo, Flickr / Erik Charlton, Google Maps, Flickr / Arian Zwegers

Written by Peter Hess

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CAIRO (Reuters) - President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday Egypt will in the next two to three years embark on a $5.60 billion construction project in the Sinai peninsula whose north has been gripped by an Islamist insurgency. While coast of the south of the peninsula is peppered with Red Sea tourist resorts, North Sinai province is underdeveloped and lacks basic infrastructure and job opportunities. Security forces have battled Islamist militants in the mainly desert region, stretching from the Suez Canal eastwards to the Gaza Strip and Israel, since 2013. Militants have killed hundreds of police and soldiers. Sisi ordered armed forces to end the insurgency within three months after an attack on a mosque in North Sinai last month killed more than 300 people. It was the worst militant attack in Egypt's modern history. "We have entrusted the ministry of housing and the engineering authority with a national project of comprehensive urban planning," Sisi said at a ceremony to inaugurate a development project in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia. The president said the project would cost 100 billion Egyptian pounds and that it would be carried out whether he remained in power or not. He did not provide a start date, sources of funding or specific details of what would be built under the project. (Reporting by Ali Abdelatey; Writing by Arwa Gaballa; Editing by Alison Williams)
Washington (AFP) - Two supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pleaded guilty to assaulting demonstrators in Washington, according to court documents released on Thursday.

A group of Turkish security officials and Erdogan supporters attacked pro-Kurdish protesters during his visit to Washington in May, an incident that raised tensions between the US and Ankara.

Sinan Narin and Eyup Yildirim both pleaded guilty to "Assault with Significant Bodily Injury" and were sentenced to a year and a day in jail under plea agreements, according to the documents.

A Washington police spokesman described the incident as "a brutal attack on peaceful protesters," and the US government subsequently froze arms sales to Erdogan's bodyguards.

A total of 19 people including Turkish security officials were identified from video footage of the May 16 clashes outside the residence of Turkey's ambassador and indicted, though almost all are still at large.

Turkey's foreign ministry reacted angrily to the indictments, protesting "in the strongest terms that such an unjust and biased indictment, with names of people that have never been to the US, has been accepted."
San Francisco (AFP) - Google's parent company Alphabet on Thursday announced that Eric Schmidt will step down as chairman, remaining on the board but shifting into a role as a technical advisor.

"In recent years, I've been spending a lot of my time on science and technology issues, and philanthropy, and I plan to expand that work," Schmidt said in a release.

Schmidt's stint as executive chairman is to end at a regularly-scheduled board meeting next month, according to Alphabet.

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin recruited the proven businessman and skilled software engineer as chief executive in 2001, bringing a mature hand to the helm of the then three-year-old internet search company.

Schmidt, Page, and Brin were considered a power triumvirate in control of Google. Page replaced Schmidt as chief executive a decade later, but Schmidt remained at the head of the board of directors.

"Eric has provided us with business and engineering expertise and a clear vision about the future of technology," Alphabet chief Page said in a release.

"Continuing his 17 years of service to the company, hell now be helping us as a technical advisor on science and technology issues."

About two years ago, Google unveiled a surprise corporate overhaul, forming a new parent company dubbed Alphabet to include internet search and a handful of independent companies.

Page became chief executive at Alphabet, a holding company for the tech giant's search products and "other bets" such Waymo self-driving car unit; Nest smart home gadgets, and Google Fiber internet service.

Sundar Pichai was promoted to chief of Google, which includes leading online video-sharing service YouTube.

Eric Schmidt went from being executive chairman at Google to having the same role at Alphabet.

"Larry, Sergey, Sundar and I all believe that the time is right in Alphabet's evolution for this transition," Schmidt said.

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"The Alphabet structure is working well, and Google and the Other Bets are thriving."

- Poaching people -

During his tenure, Schmidt wound up at the center of a civil suit in US federal court over an "anti-poaching" agreement involving tech giants Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe.

The long-running case alleged that major tech companies in Silicon Valley had secret agreements not to hire each other's employees, in a move to keep salaries under control.

The lawsuit, which led to a $415 million settlement, alleged that the late Apple chief Steve Jobs, Google chairman Schmidt and other tech executives were part of the conspiracy.

Other companies in the lawsuit which reached earlier settlements included eBay, Lucasfilm, Pixar and Intuit.

Schmidt served for a few years on the Apple board of directors, but left there in 2009 as iPhone maker's rivalry with Android-backer Google intensified.

Schmidt ranks among the world's richest people. A Forbes real-time tracker on Thursday pegged his net worth at $13.8 billion, with most of that held in the form of Alphabet shares.

Schmidt was listed as a donor and advisor to the winning campaign by Barack Obama to become US president in 2008.

His philanthropic endeavors include the Schmidt Family Foundation established with his wife and focus on challenges such as climate change and protecting the environment.

Schmidt is also known to speak out on technology issues, expressing concerns about matters such as online spying and barriers to the free-flow of data.
The family of a 6-year-old who was killed during a police chase in Texas wants justice.

Kameron Prescott was shot and killed when police opened fire at the Pecan Grove mobile home park this week during the pursuit of a woman who had allegedly stolen a car. A bullet went through the wall of Kameron's dad's mobile home and struck him the abdomen.

"It is shocking really," Kamerons uncle, Christopher Gonzales, told CBS News. It hasn't even hit us to the full extent yet.

Police called the Kamerons death a tragic accident.

Kamerons family is now asking that authorities take responsibility for the boys death.

"If it is the police, we hope that you hold your people accountable. I am sorry that it comes to this, but y'all are people just like us at the end of the day. Y'all deserve to be held accountable. It is a Constitutional right. Y'all just killed a little boy, if it was y'all. There's no weapon, so it wasn't that lady," Gonzales said.

On Friday, police said the woman, 30-year-old Amanda Jones, who they were pursuing did not have a gun, but was carrying a "tubular" object they believed was a firearm.

Police said she had stolen a car and they chased her for two hours as she attempted to break into homes. They reportedly located her outside of the mobile home where she was also fatally shot by police.

Five officers were placed on administrative leave after the incident. Police said they are reviewing body camera footage of the incident.

The family has started a GoFundMe to help the family cover funeral expenses.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe plans to retire next year, after months of criticism from Republicans in Congress and President Donald Trump, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

The newspaper said McCabe plans to retire in a few months after he becomes eligible for his full pension, citing "people familiar with the matter." The Post reported that McCabe will not become eligible for his full benefits until early March, and that he plans to retire as soon as he does.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to comment.

Republicans in Congress have criticized McCabe and accused him of harboring bias against Trump. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, told reporters this week that he would like McCabe out of the FBI.

McCabe was interviewed behind closed doors on Tuesday by the House Intelligence Committee, which is conducting one of the main congressional investigations into Russia, the 2016 U.S. election and whether Trump's election campaign colluded with Moscow.

He also appeared for a closed-door interview on Thursday with the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees after Republicans asked him to discuss the bureau's handling of a probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.

McCabe served as acting director of the FBI after Trump fired former FBI director James Comey in May. In a tweet in July, Trump asked why his Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, did not replace McCabe, who Trump described as Comey's friend. The FBI is part of the Justice Department. Trump tweeted this month that the FBI's reputation "is in Tatters."

"FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!" Trump tweeted on Saturday.

The Republican-led House Judiciary and Oversight committees announced in October they were launching new investigations into a number of long-standing political grievances, including concerns over the FBI's handling of the Clinton email investigation.

Story continues

Republicans have said they want to get to the bottom of why Comey publicly discussed the Clinton investigation and announced that the bureau would not seek to bring charges.

Critics say the Republicans' focus on Clinton is merely a tactic to distract from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Moscow has denied any such activity, and Trump has dismissed talk of possible collusion as a "witch hunt" led by Democrats disappointed about his election victory.

(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Susan Thomas)
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - A surge in Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria's restive northeast despite a sustained military offensive against the jihadists is being driven by a need to replenish food and weapon supplies, security and local sources say.

In recent months, fighters from two of the main factions of the hardline Islamist group, led respectively by Abubakar Shekau and Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi, have launched attacks on troops, hit-and-run raids and suicide bombings in towns and villages across the region.

The upsurge followed a relative lull after months of military offensives against the insurgents which saw them routed from their strongholds, prompting the government to declare them a spent force.

"The increased Boko Haram attacks are in desperate response to the ongoing military operations that have cut off the terrorists' supply lines for food, weapons and ammunitions," a senior military officer involved in the operation in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, told AFP.

"They are fighting back to secure these essential items they so desperately need because they know they will die whichever way, as hunger is a silent killer," said the army officer, who asked not to be identified by name because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

"No doubt Boko Haram (fighters) are starving and are desperately in search of food," agreed Mamman Sani, a fisherman in the town of Baga on the shores of Lake Chad.

"They are attacking military locations for weapons and raiding villages for food," he added.

- Increasingly bold -

In the latest such attacks, on December 13, fighters from the Barnawi faction, which has the backing of the Islamic State group, made a failed attempt to take over a military base in Mainok, a village outside Maiduguri, though they succeeded in seizing four vehicles, two of them armoured.

On November 21, a Boko Haram suicide bomber blew himself up at a mosque in Mubi in neighbouring Adamawa state, killing at least 50 worshippers.

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Last month, fighters briefly overran Magumeri, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Maiduguri, forcing troops to withdraw until reinforcements arrived.

And this month, two suicide bombers killed at least 13 people and injured more than 50 in Biu, a town about 185 kilometres south of Maiduguri.

Worried by the increased attacks, Nigeria's military authorities replaced the army commander in charge of the counter-insurgency operation in the region.

"The terrorists are attacking military locations, particularly those with few troops, to cart away equipment, instill fear and bolster their capabilities," said a local militia member who is assisting the military in the fight against the jihadists.

He said that on December 10, Shekau, the shadowy leader of Boko Haram's other main faction and the former deputy of the group's founder, led about 400 fighters in an attack on a military post in Bita, a village near the border with Cameroon.

He said the jihadists forced the troops to withdraw before hauling away weapons and heading back to their nearby sanctuary in the Sambisa forest -- an area which the military claimed had been seized in December last year.

The eight-year Boko Haram insurgency has killed 20,000 people and forced 2.6 million out of the homes, prompting a humanitarian crisis in the region.

The violence has also taken a heavy toll on a military already overstretched by unrest in Nigeria's oil-producing region along with efforts to halt clashes between farmers and herders, as well as by peacekeeping operations elsewhere in Africa.

President Muhammadi Buhari said recently that Nigeria was considering recalling troops on peacekeeping missions in Guinea Bissau to bolster the counter-insurgency operation at home.

- Failed truce -

On December 4, the two Boko Haram factions met in Duguri on Lake Chad to discuss a truce after days of clashes in the Dikwa area in northern Borno, according to sources close to the negotiation.

The two sides agreed to forge a common front against the military, the sources added.

But the peace talks collapsed days later after the killing of 18 members of Barnawi's faction by Shekau's fighters.

The two sides have been locked in confrontation since August last year, when the Islamic State said it had replaced Shekau with Barnawi, the 23-year old son of the group's founder, Mohammed Yusuf.

"The two sides are back to the trenches and internecine fighting has resumed between them," a source with deep knowledge of the matter.

"Had the truce succeeded it would have signalled increased collaboration between the two factions, which could have led to increased bold attacks on troop locations with attendant consequences", a military source added.
Seoul (AFP) - The wheelchair-bound nonagenarian founder of South Korea's embattled Lotte retail conglomerate was convicted of embezzlement and breach of duty Friday and sentenced to four years in prison.

Shin Kyuk-Ho, 95, founded the group in Tokyo in 1948 and built into a sprawling giant that today has dozens of units focused on food, retail and hotels in South Korea and Japan.

It is the fifth biggest of the chaebol, the family-run conglomerates that have powered South Korea's growth into the world's 11th-largest economy, but are sometimes accused of murky business practices and overly-close ties with politicians.

Lotte has been a target of investigations since Shin's two sons made headlines with a bitter public fight for control of the group, featuring personal attacks in which they accused each other of mismanagement, personality flaws, and of manipulating their frail, aged father.

The founder, both his sons, his elder daughter and his mistress were all in the dock on multiple charges at the Seoul Central District Court.

Shin was accused of embezzling at least 128.6 billion won ($119 million) from the firm to benefit his relatives.

He was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison, although the court said it could not specify the amount embezzled and allowed him to remain free on health grounds pending an appeal -- he has diseases of old age, including dementia.

"The accused Shin disposed of company assets as if they were his own in betrayal of his responsibility," said presiding judge Kim Sang-Dong.

"This case reveals how the founding families of chaebol attempt to obtain private gains from companies."

Shin shouted incoherently in court when the sentence was read out.

- Beauty contest -

Prosecutors accused Shin and his son and successor as chairman Shin Dong-Bin of causing 77.8 billion won ($72 million) in damages to the group by renting out Lotte Cinema concessions at discounted rates to the founder's eldest daughter and mistress.

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The daughter was jailed for two years, while the mistress -- a former model and actress 39 years Shin's junior, who came to his attention after winning a beauty pageant -- was given a suspended sentence.

The court also found Shin and Dong-Bin guilty of enabling the mistress' daughter to receive 10 billion won ($9.3 million) in salary from Lotte without doing any work.

But Dong-Bin was given a suspended sentence on the grounds he was not in a position to refuse his father's orders.

Another son, Dong-Joo -- who lost the bitter succession battle when board members sided with his younger brother -- was cleared of all offences.

- Social responsibility -

The case is only one of several issues assailing the Seoul-based Lotte group which has combined assets valued at more than $90 billion.

Dong-Bin is on trial separately in connection with the corruption scandal that brought down President Park Geun-Hye, with prosecutors seeking a four-year sentence in that case.

The company has also been targeted by Chinese authorities after it provided land to the South Korean government to host a US missile defence system, whose deployment has infuriated Beijing.

It has seen scores of its 120-plus outlets in China shut down, ostensibly over "safety issues", with angry protestors holding demonstrations against it.

The measures have cost Lotte an estimated 2 trillion won ($1.85 billion), according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, and in September the group said it would put its Chinese retail unit up for sale.

The company said in a statement that it respects Friday's court decision.

"We will strive to contribute to the growth of this country and fulfil our social responsibility," it said.
By Brendan Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former Siemens AG employee pleaded not guilty on Friday to U.S. charges he took part in a $100 million scheme to bribe Argentine officials to win a contract to produce national identity cards, according to prosecutors.

Eberhard Reichert, a 78-year-old German national, was released on a $500,000 bond following a hearing before U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan, the U.S. Justice Department said. Cote scheduled a trial for July 16.

Reichert was arrested in Croatia in September, nearly six years after the U.S. first charged him, and agreed to be extradited to New York, said James Margolin, a spokesman for Acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim.

Reichert's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment. Siemens also could not be reached.

Reichert was one of eight Siemens employees indicted on U.S. corruption charges in 2011. According to the indictment, Reichert worked for Siemens from about 1964 to 2001, and was a manager within the company's Siemens Business Services subsidiary.

One other defendant, Andres Truppel, has appeared in U.S. court. Truppel, a former chief financial officer of Siemens Argentina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in September 2015.

Truppel admitted that he participated in a scheme to secure a $1 billion contract with the Argentine government to produce national identity cards by paying tens of millions of dollars.

Under a plea deal, Truppel, a citizen of both Germany and Argentina, agreed to cooperate with authorities.

Siemens in 2008 agreed to pay over $1.3 billion to resolve wide-ranging bribery investigations in the United States and Germany involving the German engineering group.

As part of that deal, Siemens and its subsidiary in Argentina pleaded guilty in the United States to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which bars companies from bribing foreign officials, and paid $449 million in fines.

That plea related to the same $1 billion Argentine contract that became the subject of the indictment against the eight Siemens executives.

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Siemens won the contract in 1998. Throughout the project, the Siemens executives committed to paying nearly $100 million in bribes to members of the Argentine government and opposition party as well as candidates for office, prosecutors said.

Those executives included Uriel Sharef, who had been a member of Siemens managing board and became the first ex-board member of a Fortune Global 50 company to be indicted under the FCPA.

(Corrects time element in first paragraph to say Friday, not Thursday.)

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York)
NextShark

A 19-year-old TikTok user has gone viral after sharing a video of their eulogy to their deceased father at his funeral, in which they call him a racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, Trump-loving man. The user, identified as Saga, goes by the handle @saginthesunforever and has self-described themselves as a Black supremacist on their TikTok bio. Saga, who uses the pronouns they/them, has received widespread backlash after their viral video was re-posted to Twitter by controversial conservative account Libs of TIkTok on Tuesday.
Steve Bannon dubbed Ivanka Trump the 'queen of leaks' - REUTERS

Steve Bannon has issued an excoriating attack on Donald Trumps family by dubbing his daughter Ivanka the queen of leaks and calling her husband Jared Kushner immature.

Mr Bannon, a former Trump campaign chief and White House aide, said Ivanka Trump was a fount of bad advice during the election and once called him an f***ing liar.

He claimed Mr Kushner doesnt know anything about Mr Trumps supporters and blamed him for meetings that left the campaign open to the charge of cosying up to the Russians.

The US president himself is not beyond Mr Bannons ire, according to a 7,000-word profile in Vanity Fair magazine of the man credited with helping win Mr Trump office.

Mr Bannon reportedly thinks Mr Trump has just a 30 per cent chance of making it to 2020, the end of his presidential term, given the chance of impeachment or being removed by his cabinet under the 25th amendment.

He also joked the president is like an 11-year-old child and told an adviser he would consider running for the White House if Mr Trump does not seek re-election, according to the article.

Mr Bannons spokesman denied the latter, saying he is 100 per cent not running for president.

Ivanka Trump, the US president's daughter and White House adviserCredit: REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

The comments mark another rift in the souring relationship between Mr Bannon, who took over the running of the Trump campaign in the final months, and the president.

Mr Bannon was credited with convincing Mr Trump to adopt a more nationalistic agenda before the election and joined the White House after the victory.

However he left the Trump administration in August after a bitter feud with other aides and returned to Breitbart News, the hard-right news website of which he is executive chairman .

Allowing Vanity Fair to join him on a speaking tour to Asia for his first major profile since leaving the White House, Mr Bannon does little to disguise his frustration with other aides.

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In particular he criticises Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the president who is seen as a moderating influence, and Mr Kushner, her husband, both White House advisers at the age of just 36.

He doesnt know anything about the hobbits or the deplorables, Mr Bannon said of Mr Kushner, referring to the nickname for Mr Trump's supporters. The railhead of all bad decisions is the same railhead: Javanka.

Jared Kushner, his wife Ivanka Trump and Steve BannonCredit: Getty Images

He recalls a meeting designed to bring peace between the aides earlier this year, when Ms Trump accused him of leaking in front of her father. Shes the queen of leaks, Mr Bannon replied. Youre a f***ing liar! she reportedly hit back.

Mr Bannon also appeared to blame Mr Kushners meetings with Russian figures during the campaign for leaving Mr Trump open to criticism. An investigation into Russian links has dogged his presidency.

Hes taking meetings with Russians to get additional stuff. This tells you everything about Jared, Mr Bannon said. They were looking for the picture of Hillary Clinton taking the bag of cash from Putin. Thats his maturity level.

Abbe Lowell, Mr Kushners lawyer, responded: Steve Bannon may regret not being in the White House anymore, but that is not an excuse for him peddling false stories about Jared or anyone else.

Mr Bannon is also critical of Mr Trump, despite pledging support for his agenda, not least on the decision to fire James Comey, the FBI director.

Its the dumbest political decision in modern political history, bar none. A self-inflicted wound of massive proportions, Mr Bannon said.

A White House official responded: Especially in light of recent news, for the country, the presidents best decision was firing James Comey. His second best decision was firing Steve Bannon, bar none.

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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico has this year registered its highest murder total since modern records began, according to official data, dealing a fresh blow to President Enrique Pena Nieto's pledge to get gang violence under control with presidential elections due in 2018. A total of 23,101 murder investigations were opened in the first 11 months of this year, surpassing the 22,409 registered in the whole of 2011, figures published on Friday night by the interior ministry showed. The figures go back to 1997. Pena Nieto took office in December 2012 pledging to tame the violence that escalated under his predecessor Felipe Calderon. He managed to reduce the murder tally during the first two years of his term, but since then it has risen steadily. At 18.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, the 2017 Mexican murder rate is still lower than it was in 2011, when it reached almost 19.4 per 100,000, the data showed. The rate has also held below levels reported in several other Latin American countries. According to U.N. figures used in the World Bank's online database, Brazil and Colombia both had a murder rate of 27 per 100,000, Venezuela 57, Honduras 64 and El Salvador 109 in 2015, the last year for which data are available. The U.S. rate was 5 per 100,000. Still, Pena Nieto's failure to contain the killings has damaged his credibility and hurt his centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which faces an uphill struggle to hold onto power in the July 2018 presidential election. The current front-runner in the race, leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has floated exploring an amnesty with criminal gangs to reduce the violence, without fleshing out the idea. Mexican newspaper Reforma said on Saturday that after a campaign stop in the central state of Hidalgo on Friday, Lopez Obrador again addressed the issue when asked whether talks aimed at stopping the violence could include criminal gangs. "There can be dialogue with everyone. There needs to be dialogue and there needs to be a push to end the war and guarantee peace. Things can't go on as before," Reforma quoted Lopez Obrador as saying. Such a strategy harbors risks for the former Mexico City mayor. A poll this month showed that two-thirds of Mexicans reject offering an amnesty to members of criminal gangs in a bid to curb violence, with less than a quarter in favor. The law bars Pena Nieto from seeking re-election. (Reporting by Diego Ore and Dave Graham; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
A petition calling for Mr Haskell to resign, organised by former Miss North Carolina Jennifer Vaden Barth, had gathered nearly 50 signatures from former contestant winners: Getty

The CEO of the Miss America Organisation has been suspended after emails leaked allegedly showing him degrading and mocking contestants.

Fallout has been swift after the Huffington Post published emails in which Sam Haskell was said to have used crude language to deride former contestants, and to comment on their weight.

In a statement, the organisations board said it had voted to suspend Mr Haskell while it conducts an indepth investigation into alleged inappropriate communications and the nature in which they were obtained.

In addition, the board wishes to reaffirm our commitment to the education and empowerment of young women, supporting them in any way possible, the statement added.

Mr Haskell responded by saying the claims were unkind and untrue.

The material is based on private emails that were stolen three years ago by ex-employees, he wrote. The story is so unkind and untrue, and hurts me, my family and the stewardship of this nonprofit.

Those who know my heart know that this is not indicative of my character, nor is it indicative of my business acumen.

A petition calling for Mr Haskell to resign, organised by former Miss North Carolina Jennifer Vaden Barth, had gathered nearly 50 signatures from former Miss Americas by mid-afternoon, according to The Washington Post.

We are deeply disturbed and saddened to learn of the sickening and egregious words used by Miss America leadership, the petition reportedly read. We collectively call for their immediate resignation.

A former contestant Mr Haskell was described as mocking, Mallory Hagan, said in a video posted to Twitter that she felt vindicated by the story.

Ive felt very strongly about these things last couple of years and just didnt have any way to prove they were happening and now that I do have proofjust feels pretty validating, she said.

Production company Dick Clark Productions severed ties in response to the report, saying in a statement the company had become aware of some of the emails referenced in the Huffington Post piece months earlier.

We were appalled by their unacceptable content and insisted, in the strongest possible terms, that the Miss America Organisation (MAO) board of directors conduct a comprehensive investigation and take appropriate action to address the situation, the statement said.
By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Myanmar military, which has been accused of ethnic cleansing against the country's Muslim Rohingya minority, has been invited back as an observer in a major multinational military exercise next year led by the United States and Thailand. Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman, told Reuters that Thailand had invited Myanmar to take part in the annual Cobra Gold exercise, which involves thousands of U.S and Thai military personnel and participants from other Asian countries. Myanmar had been invited to observe the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief portion of the exercise, Logan said. A senior officer at the Directorate of Joint Intelligence of the Royal Thai Armed Forces told Reuters it was unclear whether Myanmar had accepted the invitation but Thailand was eager for them to join. Asked why Thailand decided to invite Myanmar despite concerns over the crackdown against the Rohingya and whether this issue was part of their deliberations, the official said: That never came up in the discussions. We separated that issue (the Rohingya). We focus on training, on education, on military cooperation. That is our wish, to have Myanmar involved." That is politics. We are soldiers. This is a military exercise, added the official, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media. The Myanmar military did not respond to several requests for comment. When asked whether the U.S. military had attempted to apply pressure on Thailand not to invite Myanmar because of the international condemnation of its crackdown, the Pentagon declined to comment on internal deliberations. Myanmar's military cracked down on Muslim Rohingya from Rakhine state following Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts in August. The crackdown has caused around 650,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh in recent months. The United States and the United Nations have described the campaign as ethnic cleansing of the stateless Rohingya people. The Myanmar military has said its own internal investigation had exonerated security forces of all accusations of atrocities in Rakhine. But earlier this week, the United States imposed sanctions on 13 "serious human rights abusers and corrupt actors" including Myanmar general Maung Maung Soe, who oversaw the crackdown against the Rohingya. Zachary Abuza, a professor at the U.S. National War College, said inviting Myanmar to the exercise was outrageous and sent the wrong message. "To invite them after what the U.S. government has labeled ethnic cleansing, when the Treasury Department just yesterday designated the commander for these egregious violations of human rights, just seems wrong, and that is putting it too mildly," said Abuza, who focuses on Southeast Asia and security issues, including human rights. In the 2017 Cobra Gold exercise, 29 nations either participated or observed the exercise, including Myanmar. It included about 3,600 U.S. personnel. Cobra Gold is an annual exercise in Thailand. The 2018 war games are expected to be held in February. The United States and Thailand have carried out joint war games for decades, even though Bangkok's record on human rights and democracy has often been criticized in Washington. The U.S.-Thai relationship cooled when the Thai military took power in a 2014 coup but has improved under President Donald Trump. Two Reuters journalists were arrested in Myanmar on Dec. 12 and on Thursday appeared in court and have been remanded in custody. Reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been in detention for nine days with no detail on where they are being held. They have not had access to visitors or lawyers. (Additional reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre in Bangkok and Yimou Lee in Yangon; Editing by Alistair Bell and Mary Milliken)
Its only been a week since the Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality rules and Republican lawmakers are already trying to set legislation into motion to cement the FCCs ruling.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn proposed the Open Internet Preservation Act in a video on Twitter. In the announcement, the Tennessee Republican touts that this bill will prevent blocking and throttling of legal web content, but she elides that this would bar the FCC from creating any rules that go beyond those requirements. Blackburns proposition would also keep any states from enacting any of their own net neutrality legislation.

The bill is available in full here.

@AjitPaiFCC has done his job, now it's up to Congress to do theirs. This bill will ensure there is no blocking, no throttling. It is my honor to sign this bill- let's get it to @realDonaldTrump's desk. pic.twitter.com/jOf0fvFwcd  Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) December 19, 2017

While Blackburns statement on Twitter made it seem like the goal of the Open Internet Preservation Act is to restore the net neutrality regulations previously in place through the FCCs rules, the bill would actually take away key protections. Most importantly, it would still allow for the creation of Internet fast lanes, which means everyone gets a baseline browsing speed but ISPs can charge users or websites more for access to faster internet.

Net neutrality advocates caught on to this pretty quickly.

This bills true goal is to let a few unregulated monopolies and duopolies stifle competition and control the future of communications, said Craig Aaron, the CEO of the consumer advocaycy group Free Press, in a statement. This cynical attempt to offer something the tiniest bit better than what the FCC did and pretend its a compromise is an insult to the millions who are calling on Congress to restore real net neutrality.

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The FCC last week reversed its 2015 decision to classify ISPs under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934, which meant they were treated like a public utility like telephone, gas, and electricity providers. That meant the FCC was able to stop ISPs from taking any move to throttle, block, or prioritize certain content online.

The new rules allow for what FCC Chairman Ajit Pai calls light-touch regulation, which essentially only requires ISPs be transparent in their practices.

Blackburns newly proposed bill would ban throttling and blocking, but it would leave fast lanes as fair game.

This bill has only been proposed so far, so theres no guarantee it will see a vote, let alone become law. Democrats figure to oppose any Republican plans, as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for a vote to reinstate net neutrality rules, but how much the Democrats can do when they are the minority party in both houses is uncertain.

Photos via Getty Images / Jonathan Ferrey

Photos via Getty Images / Jonathan Ferrey

Written by Danny Paez

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Lines of reindeer follow the prints of the animal ahead on their spring migration karasjok Sapmi Norway - Alamy

Just days before Rudolph flies off to draw Santa's sleigh at Christmas, dozens of his reindeer kin have received a death sentence after a Norwegian court ordered they be slaughtered to preserve pasture land.

The country's Supreme Court said in a statement it had ruled "valid" a demand by the state for reindeer herder Jovsset Ante Sara, 25, to reduce his 200-strong herd to 75.

Jovsset Ante Sara Credit: Jovsset Ante Sara / Facebook

The herder from the indigenous Sami community, who has twice successfully challenged an order to reduce the size of his herd, claimed he could not make a living with that scale of slaughter.

He also argued that the ruling would breach human rights norms.

But the court upheld the state's claim that the slaughter was necessary to ensure sustainable management of the land.

Sara has vowed to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

Sami artist Maret Anne Sara hung 400 reindeer skulls in front of the parliament building in Oslo Credit: Heiko Junge/NTB Scanpix via AP

Earlier this month, Mr Sara's sister, Maret Anne Sara, drew attention to the case when hanging up a curtain made of 400 bullet-ridden reindeer skulls outside Norway's parliament.
Brussels (AFP) - Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on Friday offered to meet Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy outside Spain for talks on the region's independence crisis, a day after separatists won a parliamentary majority in snap polls.

Puigdemont was speaking to reporters in Brussels, where he fled after his region's parliament declared independence from Spain. Should he return, he faces arrest on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of funds.

"I am willing to meet Mr Rajoy in Brussels or in any other location in the EU, so long as it is not in the Spanish state, for obvious reasons," he said.

The vote was widely seen as a moment of truth on the independence question, a divisive issue for the wealthy northern region, that has rattled a Europe already shaken by Brexit.

With the secessionists maintaining their parliamentary majority, the move to call snap polls appeared to backfire against Rajoy, who had sacked the regional government and dissolved its parliament over the independence declaration.
Manila (AFP) - The death toll from a tropical storm that struck the southern Philippines has risen to 44 as mudslides wiped out a mountain village and ravaged another town, officials said Saturday.

Nineteen deaths were reported near the town of Tubod on Friday on Mindanao, the archipelago nation's second-largest island, where Tropical Storm Tembin unleashed flash floods and mudslides that erased a remote village from the map, police said.

"The river rose and most of the homes were swept away. The village is no longer there," Tubod police officer Gerry Parami told AFP by telephone.

Police, soldiers and volunteers used shovels to dig through mud and debris in a bid to recover bodies in Dalama, a farming village of about 2,000 people near Tubod, Parami added.

Boulders brought down by flash floods also buried around 40 houses in the town of Piagapo, killing at least 10 people, civil defence officer Saripada Pacasum told AFP.

"We've sent rescuers but they're making little progress due to the rocks," he said.

The Philippines is pummelled by 20 major storms each year on average, many of them deadly. But Mindanao, home to 20 million people, is rarely hit by these cyclones.

Eight other people were killed by floods elsewhere on Lanao del Sur province, Pacasum said.

Police said three people each died from landslides in the provinces of Bukidnon and Zamboanga Sibugay, while one fatality was also reported in Iligan city.

Four people were listed as missing after being buried in landslides or being swept away by floodwaters, while more than 12,000 have fled their homes, they added.

After slicing across Mindanao on Friday, Tembin sped west over the Sulu Sea with gusts of 95 kilometres an hour.

It was forecast to smash into the tip of the western island of Palawan late Saturday, the state weather service said.

Tembin struck less than a week after Tropical Storm Kai-Tak devastated the central Philippines, leaving 54 dead and 24 missing.

The deadliest typhoon to hit the country was Haiyan, which left 7,350 people dead and destroyed entire towns in heavily populated areas of the central Philippines in November 2013.
The Senate paid nearly $1.45 million in taxpayer-funded discrimination settlements over the last two decades, according to data released on Thursday obtained by several news outlets.

The Senate Rules and Appropriations Committees made publicly available two decades of data from the Congressional Office of Compliance (OOC)  where lawmakers and staffers file workplace claims  on the settlements from 1997 to 2017. The data details the amount paid from a Treasury Department fund for discrimination suits against Senators offices and non-member Senate offices.

The types of settlements included sex discrimination, race discrimination, age discrimination and disability discrimination.

Inbox: The Senate workplace harassment data is OUT. pic.twitter.com/qhu4Y34V98  Elana Schor (@eschor) December 22, 2017

None of the settlements listed in either data set included the names of parties involved in the cases, nor did it break down the settlements by year.

The public data also did not distinguish between sexual discrimination and sexual harassment.

It is not clear that any of the Senate employer discrimination settlements are related to sexual harassment, ABC News Ali Rogin reported. They only list sex discrimination because, for an unspecified amount of time, OOC did not separate out sexual harassment from other sex/gender-related issues.

The 13 settlements involving Senators offices totaled $599,252.47 in taxpayer money, while the 10 settlements involving non-member Senate offices totaled $853,225, with one race discrimination cost of $421,225 making up nearly half of that sum.

The release of the new Senate data comes after a similar but smaller data set from the House of Representatives was made public on Tuesday. OOC data showed that the House used $115,000 of taxpayer money to fund three settlements related to sexual harassment from 2008 to 2012.

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The settlements came from a little-known Treasury Department fund that is used to settle workplace claims involving Capitol Hill lawmakers. The special fund has paid out more than $17 million for 264 settlements involving offices on Capitol Hill since 1995, according to The Washington Post.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
A fire broke out at an eight-story building housing a fitness facility in Jecheon, southeast of Seoul, on December 21. Authorities reported at least 29 casualties as a result of the blaze.

The fire began just before 4 pm and quickly spread through the structure, which housed a gym, driving range, public sauna and a number of restaurants. Authorities reported that a fire that started from a vehicle in the basement parking lot was to blame, according to South Korea outlet Yonhap News.

Fire officials reported that most of the victims were trapped in the sauna on the second floor, where 15 people were found dead.

A nearby resident recorded the scene in multiple videos that show the building ablaze, with black plumes of smoke rising from it, as well as firefighters and police on the scene. Credit: Facebook/Mel-Chris Mehrer-Brockie via Storyful
By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - South Sudan's government and rebel groups signed a ceasefire on Thursday in the latest attempt to end a four-year civil war and allow humanitarian groups access to civilians caught in the fighting. The ceasefire aims to revive a 2015 peace deal that collapsed last year after heavy fighting broke out in South Sudan's capital Juba. It was agreed after talks in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa convened by regional bloc IGAD. A decision by President Salva Kiir to sack his deputy Riek Machar triggered the war in the world's youngest country. The war has been fought largely along ethnic lines between forces loyal to Kiir, who is Dinka, and Machar, who is Nuer. Tens of thousands have died and a third of the population of 12 million have fled their homes. The conflict has since mutated from a two-way fight into one involving multiple parties and this has made it harder to find peace. Representatives of Kiir and Machar were both present at the signing. "I do hope in signing this agreement, you will try to put an end to this tragedy .... This is an encouraging first phase," said Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission. Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu, also present, said: "There is no longer any excuse for the violations of human rights. All parties are obliged to observe cessation of hostilities agreement. Diplomats at the talks told Reuters the next phase of the negotiations would now centre on thrashing out a revised power-sharing arrangement leading up to a new date for polls. (Editing by Maggie Fick and Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
The hashtag #aliens trended briefly on Twitter in Los Angeles as a spectacular light show from the launch of a SpaceX rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base spooked social media users on Friday, December 22.

Social media users from across California, Arizona and Nevada shared accounts of witnessing the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceXs last launch of the year was on a mission to carry an Iridium-4 satellite into orbit.

Twitter user @WallyAction said he captured this footage of the launch from Fullerton, California. Credit: Twitter/WallyAction via Storyful
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site.

Are migraine headaches more likely to strike when the barometric pressure drops, as it does before an impending storm?

A lot of migraineursthe term for people who experience these painful and sometimes debilitating headachescertainly think so.

For example, according to a 2013 survey of migraine sufferers by the National Headache Foundation, nearly 75 percent said they consider weather or barometric changes a trigger.



In a study of 916 headache sufferers by the Atlanta Headache Center, published in the journal Cephalalgia, more than half said weather set off migraine attacks for them at least occasionally. Only stress, hormone changes, and skipping meals were more common triggers.

If you suspect that weather may play a role in your migraines, here's what you need to know.

What the Science Says

Some studies over the years have suggested a link between migraine and fluctuations in weather, while others have not. It's been hard for researchers to draw clear conclusions because most studies on migraine and weather are small and involve self-reported symptoms.

But its safe to say that shifts in barometric pressure can set off headaches for some people, says neurologist Orly Avitzur, M.D., Consumer Reports medical director.

And anecdotal evidence suggests that changes in wind and temperature may do the same.

Just why and how the actions of the weather may lead to migraine pain is uncertain.

We don't know exactly how weather, or for that matter, other triggers of migraine, actually exert their effects, says Lawrence C. Newman, M.D., a professor in the department of neurology and director of the headache division at NYU Langone Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men's Health in New York City.



However, it may be that migraine triggers, including weather changes, may alter levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that can make blood vessels constrict.

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Triggers may also directly affect the way the brain perceives pain.

And researchers have noted that people who experience migraines are often more sensitive to environmental factorswhich may include weather, odors, light exposure, and morethan those who don't experience the headaches.

Storms, Wind, Temperature, and More

Changes in barometric pressurethe weight of the air as it presses on objectsare perhaps the most frequently mentioned weather issue related to migraine pain.

But other weather factors have also been the subject of some interesting research, though none of it is definitive.

For instance, the arrival of Chinook windswarm, dry breezes that blow east from the Rocky Mountainsboosted the likelihood of migraines by 19 percent in a Canadian study of 75 people, published in the journal Neurology.

In another study published in Neurology, a temperature rise of roughly 10 F increased the odds of migraine by 11 percent in 7,054 people who went to a Boston emergency room with the headaches.



In addition, research from the University of Cincinnati on 90 migraine sufferers, published in the journal Cephalalgia in 2013, suggested that lightning may play a role in migraine onset.

The Ohio researchers found that chronic headache sufferers had a 28 percent increased risk of migraine on the days when lighting struck within 25 miles of their ZIP code.

Preventing the Problem, Easing the Pain

You cant control the weather, but you may be able to reduce its ability to set off a migraine by taking control of your other triggers, says Avitzur.

Some people develop migraines when theres the perfect storm of triggersperhaps a bad nights sleep, a stressful day, and a glass of red wine together lower your threshold," she says. "One more trigger could lead to pain."

Take, for example, the findings from a study published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology in 2015, which looked at the frequency and intensity of migraines in 100 people over 12 months.

According to the study authors, while weather may increase headache risk for some people, "other factors may be required to trigger the attack.

So, in addition to avoiding known triggers, carrying migraine medications with you, especially when a weather change that seems to affect you is predicted, is a smart move.

Take them as directed, usually at the first sign of discomfort, Dr. Newman says. We now know that migraine specific agents like the triptans have a better effect if taken within the first 40 minutes of pain onset, he says.





More from Consumer Reports:

Top pick tires for 2016

Best used cars for $25,000 and less

7 best mattresses for couples





Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright  2018, Consumer Reports, Inc.
Kandahar (Afghanistan) (AFP) - A suicide bomber drove an explosives-packed Humvee into a police compound in Afghanistan Friday, killing at least six officers and destroying a building, officials said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn attack on the Maiwand district police headquarters in the southern province of Kandahar, the latest deadly assault by the insurgents, who have been increasingly targeting security installations.

The vehicle was carrying an estimated 3,000 kilogrammes (6,600 pounds) of explosives, Maiwand district police chief Sultan Mohammad told AFP.

It was not possible to verify his claim. If true, that would be roughly twice the number of explosives used in a massive truck bomb in Kabul that killed around 150 people in May.

"We have six police officers martyred and five wounded," Mohammad said, adding the figures could change.

Kandahar police spokesman Ghorzang Afridi confirmed the death toll.

"All the victims were local policemen," Afridi told AFP.

Those killed were new recruits.

While Afghan officials routinely understate the casualty toll in attacks carried out by insurgents, it appears the attacker failed to reach the building where a large number of police were deployed.

Mohammad said the attacker got through the first checkpoint and then detonated the vehicle at the second security check after a policeman opened fire.

One building "was completely destroyed and two other buildings next to it were damaged too," he said.

The force of the blast also blew out the windows of shops located two kilometres away, he added.

"The explosion was very loud and you could hear the sound of the blast miles away from the headquarters," a local police officer told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

He put the death toll at eight with nine others wounded.

"The eight policemen who were killed have been removed or pulled out from under the rubble, and there were other policemen who went missing following the attack," the officer said.

Story continues

The Taliban have stepped up attacks on security installations as they seek to demoralise police and troops, and steal equipment to fuel the 16-year insurgency.

The militants have acquired "dozens" of armoured Humvees and pickup trucks in recent years, officials have said.

Some of those vehicles have been used in suicide attacks on police and military bases with devastating effect -- including one in Kandahar in October that killed more than 40 Afghan soldiers.

Afghan forces, already beset by desertions and corruption, have seen casualties soar to what a US watchdog has described as "shockingly high" levels since NATO forces officially ended their combat mission in 2014 and began a training and support role.

Morale has been further eroded by long-running fears that the militants have insider help -- everything from infiltrators in the ranks to corrupt Afghan forces selling equipment to the Taliban.
By Desire Thompson

A teenager from Aurora, Colo. has been charged with first-degree murder for the death of his stepfather after he admitted to murdering him and posting his final moments of life on Snapchat.

The Denver Postreports Lemar Owensby died Friday (Dec. 15) after he was stabbed several times in the neck, back and chest by his 19-year-old stepson Nickolas Vinson. The teen then posted a video to Snapchat bragging about the murder as his mother Celena Vinson screamed in horror. The couple were together for 14 years and raised Vinson and his 15-year-old brother, Kyle.

Hey guys I just killed him. I just killed him. I just killed him, Vinson could be heard said. Lemar, can you hear me? Can you hear me? No!, his mother screamed. Vinson told police he killed his stepfather because he wanted to throw him out of the house.

Text messages showed the two at odds for some time, with Owensby asking Vinson to perform simple duties like handling the chores and contributing the household. After a few threats, the two allegedly agreed to a fist fight. That Friday, Celena asked the men to talk out their issues but her son refused to. The teen then baited his stepfather into hitting him. Right before Owenbsy threw the first punch, Vinson pulled out a 7-inch blade with a brass-knuckle-style handle and stabbed him seven to nine times.

Police found Vinson leaving the home. He reportedly wanted to tell his friends goodbye and that hed be going away for a long time. When he stepped out the car, he was covered in blood.

Vinson is currently being held without bond at the Arapahoe County Jail and is expected in court today.

This post Teen Stabs Stepfather To Death & Posts Snapchat Video Of His Last Breath first appeared on Vibe.
For loggers, fishers and pilots, the risk of life-threatening accidents in remote locations comes with the job. High rates of workplace fatalities kept those occupations atop the latest list of Americas most dangerous jobs, according to the 2016 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In all, 5,190 civilian workers died on the job in 2016. Thats an average of 3.6 deaths per 100,000 full-time employees, an increase of nearly 6% since 2015.

For loggers, that rate rises to 135.9 fatal accidents per 100,000 workers. Roofers, truck drivers and farmers are also among the top 10 most dangerous occupations, as seen in the table below.

Transportation accidents were the leading cause of job fatalities, resulting in 40% of all workplace deaths in 2016. That figure includes 632 truck drivers, 116 farmers and 62 groundskeepers who were killed, among others.

In the same year, workplace violence surpassed falls, trips and slips to become the second most common danger. That includes homicides at work, which increased by 20%, to 500 cases, the highest figure since 2010.

When people think workplace homicide, they think disgruntled employee going on a rampage. Thats actually a relatively rare form, says James Alan Fox, professor of criminology at Northeastern University. The overwhelming majority of workplace homicides, back in the 80s and 90s, as well as today, are basically robberies and assaults by customers  not coworkers.

Common victims include cab drivers and cops. Fifty-one police officers were killed on the job in 2016, according to BLS (not including traffic deaths). Thats a 50% increase from the 34 police homicides in 2015, but still historically low compared to the early 1990s. The 2016 figure includes five Dallas police officers who were fatally shot that July by a gunman who said he was upset by police shootings of black men.

While women are far less likely than men to die at work, they account for a higher percentage of homicide victims, partly due to domestic violence. Nearly a quarter of the 387 women who died at work in 2016 were homicide victims, compared to 9% of the 4,803 men who died on the job. Women with abusive partners may find a new place to live more quickly than they can change jobs, and many workplaces arent secure, Fox says. Depending on the size of the company and building, not everyone might know to keep this guy out, he says. Its a place where she is oftentimes vulnerable.

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Despite the uptick in 2016, workplace homicides are still much less common than they were a few decades ago, when the U.S. saw more than 1,000 per year, Fox says. He expects the numbers to come back down, in keeping with the larger trend of the past 30 years.

Methodology

Fatal injury rates exclude workers under the age of 16 years, volunteers and resident military. Additional details can be found here.
A Trump administration official blocked a detained immigrant teenager from leaving a shelter to receive an abortion even though she had been raped, arguing it would be curing violence with further violence, according to documents unsealed as part of a lawsuit on Thursday.

Office of Refugee Resettlement Director Scott Lloyd, who has taken the unprecedented step of requiring a sign-off for any abortion of an immigrant teen in custody, wrote in an internal Dec. 17 memo that the 17-year-old girl had been raped in her home country, that the rape had resulted in pregnancy, and that she had threatened to harm herself if she was unable to have an abortion. He also wrote that she was 22 weeks pregnant at the time.

[W]e are being asked to participate in killing a human being in our care, he wrote. I cannot direct the program to proceed in this manner. We cannot be a place of refuge while we are at the same time a place of violence. We have to choose, and we ought to choose protect life rather than to destroy it.

The document was the first to reveal that Lloyd has barred victims of rape from obtaining abortions, as he has done with other teens in government custody, and one of the clearest descriptions yet of how his ideology is shaping the agencys treatment of pregnant girls. The government previously refused to tell HuffPost whether it was barring rape victims from obtaining abortions.

The teen was ultimately able to have the abortion she sought after a district court blocked the Trump administrations decision to deny her the procedure.

Lloyd wrote in the memo that he was mindful that abortion is offered by some as a solution to a rape, but did not see it that way and believed it was perhaps likely that allowing the teenager to receive an abortion would create additional trauma on top of the trauma she experiences as a result of her sexual assault.

[S]ome would suggest that, by declining to assist in the abortion we are in some way engaging in a form of violence against the mother, as in the notion that ORR is forcing her to carry her pregnancy to term, he wrote. I disagree. Implicit here are the dubious notions that it is possible to cure violence with further violence, and that the destruction of an unborn childs life can in some instances be acceptable as a means to an end.

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To decline to assist in an abortion here is to decline to participate in violence against an innocent life, he continued.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the lawsuit on behalf of the teen and on behalf of others in similar situations, said the government agency abused its power and acted inappropriately by denying abortion access to an immigrant in a country where the procedure is legal. The additional revelations that the teen was raped, and that the administrations decision was driven by Lloyds personal opposition to abortion, has outraged reproductive rights advocates.

This story continues to get more unreal, Brigitte Amiri, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, said in a statement. This latest revelation exposes the Trump administrations extreme anti-abortion ideology: it seeks to force women to continue pregnancies against their will.

Under Lloyd, the Office of Refugee Resettlement has taken the extreme step of requiring the directors approval for all abortions for immigrant girls in custody; in previous administrations, the ORR required such approval only for use of government funds in cases of rape, incest and threats to life of the mother.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the ORR, declined to comment on the memo or its policy for whether it makes an exception in abortion decisions for girls who are victims of rape or incest or for health reasons.

Rape is a common occurrence for migrants on the way to the U.S., according to multiple reports. Amnesty International estimated in a 2010 report that as many as 60 percent of women and girls are raped on their journey, while an investigation by Fusion (now called Splinter) in 2014 put the percentage at closer to 80 percent.

But its not only victims of rape for whom the ACLU is fighting. Other girls have similarly been blocked from leaving shelters to obtain abortions. On multiple occasions, Lloyd or other officials have even personally urged teens to change their decisions about whether to terminate a pregnancy, according to the ACLU.

The Trump administration has argued it isnt forcing girls to continue unwanted pregnancies, but rather is simply declining to facilitate them. A government attorney said in court that minors could just agree to leave the U.S. for their native countries  some of which outlaw abortion  or be released to a sponsor and then obtain the procedure.

Those arent reasonable options, the ACLU has argued. Being released to a sponsor isnt in a minors control  that decision is up to the government, and in some cases can take weeks or months. Agreeing to a voluntary removal, even to a country where the girl could receive an abortion, could mean declining to pursue a legitimate legal case to stay in the U.S., such as asylum or other relief.

Planned Parenthood is calling for Lloyd to step down.

He is unfit to serve in government, said Dana Singiser, vice president of public policy for Planned Parenthood. Lloyd is imposing his personal beliefs on the young women in his agencys care  to control their bodies and violate their constitutional rights. His overreach and abuse of power puts these young womens lives in danger.

Also on HuffPost

April 2015

At an event hosted by Texas Patriots PAC: Everythings coming across the border: the illegals, the cars, the whole thing. Its like a big mess. Blah. Its like vomit.

June 2015

At a speech announcing his campaign: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre not sending you. Theyre not sending you. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing those problems with us. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

August 2015

On NBC's "Meet the Press": Were going to keep the families together, we have to keep the families together, but they have to go."

September 2015

On CBS's "60 Minutes": Were rounding em up in a very humane way, in a very nice way. And theyre going to be happy because they want to be legalized. And, by the way, I know it doesnt sound nice. But not everything is nice.

November 2015

On MSNBC's "Morning Joe": You are going to have a deportation force, and you are going to do it humanely."

February 2016

At a GOP primary debate: We have at least 11 million people in this country that came in illegally. They will go out. They will come back  some will come back, the best, through a process.

March 2016

At a press conference when asked if he would consider allowing undocumented immigrants to stay: "We either have a country or we dont. We either have a country or we dont. We have borders or we dont have borders. And at this moment, the answer is absolutely not.

April 2016

At an event hosted by NBC's "Today Show": Theyre going to go, and were going to create a path where we can get them into this country legally, OK? But it has to be done legally. ... Theyre going to go, and then come back and come back legally.

July 2016

At the Republican National Convention: "Tonight, I want every American whose demands for immigration security have been denied  and every politician who has denied them  to listen very closely to the words I am about to say. On January 21st of 2017, the day after I take the oath of office, Americans will finally wake up in a country where the laws of the United States are enforced."

September 2016

At a rally: Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation. That is what it means to have laws and to have a country. Otherwise we dont have a country.

September 2016

On "The Dr. Oz Show": Well, under my plan the undocumented or, as you would say, illegal immigrant wouldnt be in the country. They only come in the country legally.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Mr King said it was time for Mr Bannon to go: Getty

Donald Trumps former top strategist Steve Bannon has been asked to testify before a congressional panel investigating alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mr Bannon, who was fired from the White House this summer, has reportedly been asked to appear before the House Intelligence Committee. The committee has made a similar request to one of Mr Trumps former campaign managers, Corey Lewandowski.

Both men, who remain close to Mr Trump and whose counsel he still seeks even though he has formally broken ties with them, were sent letters this week asking them to appear in early January, according to Bloomberg News.

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

The news agency said the committee, chaired by Republican Devin Nunes and on which Adam Schiff is the senior Democrat, has been looking into Russias alleged meddling in the 2016 election. As part of its work, it has been examining possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The issues are also being investigated by other congressional panels and by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed after Mr Trump fired his FBI Director James Comey in May. Mr Trump, along with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, have dismissed claims that Moscow interfered in the election to undermine Mr Trumps opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Reports suggest the panel is rushing to conclude its investigation, something that has angered Democrats who feel that issues are not being given sufficient scrutiny.

Members of the committee are due to question Rhona Graff, a longtime associate of Mr Trump, who has been described as his gatekeeper at Trump Tower in New York for more than three decades and who rose to become a senior vice president at the Trump Organisation.

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Also scheduled to be questioned is Felix Sater, a Trump associate who once boasted that he could help fix a real estate deal with the aid of Mr Putin that would help win Mr Trump the presidency. Most of the panels interviews have taken place at secure locations inside the US Capitol.

But Democrats claim the process is being rushed. Were departing from all of our practices. Were departing from whats in the best interest of the investigation in an effort to jam in every possible interview in December, Mr Schiff said this week.

And this looks like the House leadership capitulating to pressure from the White House and Steve Bannon.

As far as it is known, Mr Bannon has not been publicly accused of any wrongdoing. However, he was Mr Trumps top strategist during he final few months of the election campaign and then took up a senior position within the White House.

Mr Lewandowski served as Mr Trump campaign manager for 12 months from June 2015. He was fired after he fell out with members of Mr Trumps family, including Ivanka Trump, the real estate tycoons eldest daughter.

He was replaced with Paul Manafort, a veteran political consultant who served in the role for just a handful of months before being replaced himself by Mr Bannon. Mr Manafort is one of four Trump associates to have been indicted by Mr Mueller. He and his associate Rick Gates have pleaded not guilty.

Bloomberg News said that had not yet been a response from Mr Bannon or Mr Lewandowski.

It said the letters that were sent to them were not in the form of a subpoena compelling them to testify but were rather a request for a voluntary interview in the committees offices, which would mean it would be held behind closed doors.

The letters do not lay out specific reasons the committee wants to interview them, or the questions the panel wants to pose, but it makes clear that the interviews are part of the Russia investigation, it said.
GENESEO -- The Christmas Commandos from Grace United Methodist Church in Geneseo recently completed their shock attack and able to make Christmas a bit brighter for the 19 families on their list.

Members of the 7th through 12th graders in the church youth group took holiday baskets to the doorsteps of area residents.

Rev. Mark Graham at Grace said the idea of the Christmas Commandos is to play a game of ding dong ditch. The group takes the basket to the door, rings the doorbell and then runs back to the cars. The idea is for no one to see them make the delivery.

It is an activity that honors peoples privacy and yet is a fun activity for the youth, Rev. Graham said.

The youth groups Commando Ministry was funded from donations from individuals as well as the church's mission budget.

Church members and other area residents submit names of families and elderly persons living alone who might need some extra help during the holiday season. That information is given to the church office and kept confidential.

The holiday baskets contain ham, milk, eggs, stuffing mix, mashed potatoes and gravy mixes, ingredients for green bean casserole, corn, fruit, brownies, cinnamon rolls and cereal.

The baskets were delivered Dec. 17, with participants ringing doorbells or knocking on doors.

The students and I want to follow the example set forth by Jesus and feed the hungry, Rev. Graham said. We dont ask questions. I believe we are here to serve and love, and providing a Christmas meal is just one way we can practice the love of Jesus.

The congregation has been generous in its support of the Christmas Commandos ministry for many years, Rev. Graham said.

The idea of Christmas Commandos was brought to Grace Church by Sarah Hilman, the wife of Chuck Hillman who previously was director of youth ministries at Grace Church. Mrs. Hilman said she was a member of a youth group at the Silvis United Methodist Church which offered a similar outreach.

The ministry has continued for nearly 10 years.

"Its a fun way to do service and a different twist on the food basket concept," the Rev. Graham said. "Christmas Commandos is a response to the gift that we were given through Christ and we want to be able to give something back.
(Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday said President Donald Trump's hotly contested travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries should not be applied to people with strong U.S. ties.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers several West Coast states, also said its ruling would be put on hold pending a decision on the latest version of the travel ban from the Trump administration by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Since taking office in January, Trump has been struggling to enact a ban that passes court muster.

A three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit narrowed a previous injunction from a lower federal court to those people "with a credible bona fide relationship with the United States."

It also said that while the U.S. president has broad powers to regulate the entry of immigrants into the United States, those powers are not without limits.

"We conclude that the Presidents issuance of the Proclamation once again exceeds the scope of his delegated authority," the panel said.

The ban targets people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen seeking to enter the United States. Trump, a Republican, has said the travel ban is needed to protect the United States from terrorism.

The state of Hawaii, however, challenged it in court, and a Honolulu federal judge said it exceeded Trump's powers under immigration law.

Trump's 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 same three-judge 9th Circuit panel, which limited a previous version of Trump's ban, heard arguments earlier this month.

Trump issued his first travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries in January, which caused chaos at airports and mass protests.

He issued a revised one in March after the first was blocked by federal courts.

That expired in September after a court fight and was replaced with the current version.

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The ban has some exceptions. Certain people from each targeted country can still apply for a visa for tourism, business or education purposes, and applicants can ask for an individual waiver.

We are pleased that the Supreme Court has already allowed the government to implement the proclamation and keep all Americans safe while this matter is litigated. We continue to believe that the order should be allowed to take effect in its entirety," U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said in a statement.

(Reporting by Dan Levine in San Francisco and Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Additional reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, California; Editing by Tom Brownand Leslie Adler)
The new U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands is apologizing after a bizarre exchange with a Dutch reporter went viral in both countries.

When Pete Hoekstra, a former Congressman from Holland, Mich., was confronted with remarks he made about there being no-go zones in the Netherlands, he told journalist Wouter Zwart of news program Nieuwsuur, I didnt say that. That is actually an incorrect statement. We would call it fake news.

Then Zwart played the clip of Hoekstra, a conservative Republican, from a 2015 conference saying, The Islamic movement has now gotten to the point where they have put Europe in chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands, where there are cars being burned, there are politicians that are being burned.

He added: And yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands.

Confronted with his own words, Hoekstra then denied telling the journalist it was fake news just moments earlier.

I didnt call that fake news, Hoekstra said. I didnt use the words today. I dont think I did.

The entire exchange was caught on camera.

The interview, part of a lengthy story on Hoekstra and his new role, went viral on both sides of the Atlantic.

See the interview below  the fake news exchange is in English:

Pete Hoekstra is vanaf januari de nieuwe Amerikaanse #ambassadeur in Nederland. Hij staat bekend om zijn conservatieve standpunten. Zo verzette hij zich actief tegen homorechten. Het lijkt dus geen vanzelfsprekende match. pic.twitter.com/dZnetBJvnD  Nieuwsuur (@Nieuwsuur) December 21, 2017

Please see my comments regarding recent interview. Thank you. Pete pic.twitter.com/gxQOcZ8Duk  Pete Hoekstra (@petehoekstra) December 23, 2017

On Saturday, Hoekstra tweeted I made remarks in 2015 and regret the exchange during the Nieuwsuur interview. Please accept my apology.

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Just perfect.

Dutch journalist to new US Ambassador: you said there were 'no go zones' in Netherlands, where are they?

Ambassador: That's fake news, I didn't say that

Journalist: We can show you that clip now.

Ambassador: Err ???????? pic.twitter.com/8ohIOzmYAc  Sunny Hundal (@sunny_hundal) December 22, 2017

Oh wow, watch this. Pete Hoekstra, former representative, now ambassador, asked about something he said, accuses journalist of fake news. Then shown the clip and says its fake news that he denied saying it. We live in the Post-Truth era. https://t.co/qbY9UqaE2o  Jonathan Weisman (@jonathanweisman) December 22, 2017

Thanks to Trump and his people like @petehoekstra our country is now the lying laughingstock of the whole world. #MAGA https://t.co/GZAlDU0zx7  Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) December 22, 2017

Hoekstra was born in the Netherlands, but his family moved to Holland, Mich., when he was young. His appointment to ambassador was met with some disdain in his native country, as some of the former Republican congressmans conservative ideals  including opposition to same-sex marriage and gay rights  run contrary to what most in the highly progressive country believe.

After his appointment, Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant wrote that Trump put a Dutchman in the Netherlands  but it is a Dutchman from the Netherlands of the 50s, the Washington Post reported.
By Susan Heavey and Gustavo Palencia

WASHINGTON/TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The United States on Friday backed the re-election of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, a conservative and U.S. ally, who was certified the winner of last month's presidential contest despite widespread misgivings about the vote count.

The Honduran electoral tribunal declared Hernandez winner of the Nov. 26 election over the weekend amid strident opposition protests over the vote count in the impoverished Central American country, which is a major hub for drug trafficking.

The controversial election came eight years after a military coup sparked by a previous president's flirtation with a second term, which was barred by the constitution at the time. In that case, the turmoil was sparked by leftist leader Manuel Zelaya.

The vote tally had initially clearly favoured opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla, a centre-leftist, but it swung in favour of the incumbent after a 36-hour delay.

The final result sparked violent protests in Honduras, and the Organization of American States (OAS) has called for new elections to resolve the dispute.

That proposal was rejected by senior Honduran officials before the U.S. government recognised Hernandez as president.

"We congratulate President Juan Orlando Hernandez on his victory in the November 26 presidential elections, as declared by the Honduran Supreme Electoral Tribunal," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

She added that Honduras should pursue a "long-term effort to heal the political divide in the country and enact much-needed electoral reforms."

The streets of the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa and other major cities were largely calm on Friday with a few protests cleared by the armed forces. By mid-week some 27 people had died in clashes, according to local human rights group COFADEH.

The State Department called for all sides to refrain from violence, for those who wish to challenge the result to use legal means, and for the government to ensure that security services respect the rights of peaceful protesters.

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It also called for the electoral tribunal "to transparently and fully review any challenges filed by political parties."

Hernandez has led a military crackdown against gangs in the Central American country, and Honduras' notoriously high murder rate has slid since he took power in 2014.

His opponent, the television host Nasralla, travelled to Washington this week to urge the United States not to recognise the vote, but a senior State Department official said on Wednesday the government had not seen any evidence that would alter the vote's outcome.

Nasralla said the U.S. decision reflected Washington's strategic concerns over a leftist government in Honduras.

"They're afraid of losing Honduras," he told local television on Friday.

(Writing by Makini Brice, Susan Heavey and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Alistair Bell and Tom Brown)
By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress on Thursday averted a government shutdown just one day before federal funding was due to expire, sending President Donald Trump a bill to provide just enough money to keep agencies operating through Jan. 19. With lawmakers eager to begin a holiday recess until Jan. 3, the House of Representatives and Senate scurried to pass the hastily written bill by votes of 231-188 and 66-32, respectively. When Congress returns, lawmakers will immediately have to get back to work on appropriating more money for a fiscal year that already will be three months old. They will try to pass an "omnibus" spending bill to fund the government from Jan. 19 through Sept. 30. Negotiators have been struggling for months over thorny issues such as the amount of defense-spending increases versus increases for other domestic programs, including medical research, opioid treatment and "anti-terrorism" activities. Fiscal hawks, meanwhile, are angry that Congress is again moving to bust through spending caps that had been designed to tamp down mounting federal debt. But some of those same lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Congress earlier in the week voted for a sweeping tax bill that will add $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years to a national debt that already stands at $20 trillion. With the clock ticking toward a deadline of midnight on Friday when government funding would run out, Democrats in the House and Senate made a strong pitch for including protections for young immigrants who entered the country illegally as children, popularly known as "Dreamers." In the end, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and immigration advocacy groups failed. But nearly all of the House's 193 Democrats and 29 of the Senate's 46 Democrats voted no, in part to protest the lack of action on the immigration measure. Shortly before the House and Senate votes, Democratic Representative Luis Gutierrez told reporters, "We're really tired of tomorrow," referring to years of failed attempts in Congress to protect Dreamers from deportation, allow them to legally work in the United States and get on a path to citizenship. They will resume their fight in January, aiming to win on the next spending bill or a separate measure. Trump has eliminated Obama-era temporary protections for Dreamers, but has asked Congress to come up with a permanent solution by March. In the meantime, about 122 Dreamers a day are becoming vulnerable to deportation while Congress bickers. Also on Thursday, the Senate put the brakes on another bill that passed the House, which would provide $81 billion in new disaster aid to help Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and several states hit by this year's hurricanes or wildfires. The temporary spending bill did, however, give Trump a modest increase of $4.7 billion for the Department of Defense to be used for missile defense and ship repair. The bill includes $2.85 billion to fund the Children's Health Insurance Program through March and funding for community health centers and the Indian Health Service. The plan also would extend the National Security Agency's expiring internet surveillance program, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, through Jan. 19. Other provisions address funding for veterans, the Coast Guard and flood insurance. Most government programs would be temporarily extended until Jan. 19 at fiscal 2017 levels. (Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Roberta Rampton and Katanga Johnson; Writing by Richard Cowan and Andy Sullivan; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities," the State Department said on Friday, as Kiev battles Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country. "U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself," the department said in a statement. It said the decision was part of the U.S. effort to help Ukraine defend its territorial integrity and "deter further aggression," but did not specify the capabilities being considered. Earlier on Friday, ABC News reported that President Donald Trump was expected to approve the sale of anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, citing State Department sources. Any sale would need congressional approval. Ukraine and Russia are at loggerheads over a war in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces that has killed more than 10,000 people in three years. Kiev accuses Moscow of sending troops and heavy weapons to the region, which Russia denies. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in September that any decision by the United States to supply defensive weapons to Ukraine would fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine and possibly prompt the separatists to expand their campaign there. On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was recalling officers serving at the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) in Ukraine, accusing the Ukrainian side of obstructing their work and limiting access to the front line. Ukrainian officials, security monitors and Kiev's foreign backers warned on Wednesday that Moscow's decision to withdraw from a Ukrainian-Russian ceasefire control group could worsen the fighting in eastern Ukraine. Earlier this week the State Department said it had approved an export license for Ukraine to buy certain light weapons and small arms from U.S. manufacturers. Senator John McCain on Wednesday welcomed the small arms sale. McCain, a Republican, urged Trump "to authorize additional sales of defensive lethal weapons, including anti-tank munitions, and to fully utilize security assistance funds provided by the Congress to enable Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity." (Reporting by Eric Beech and Chris Sanders; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Leslie Adler)
KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has submitted a new draft law to parliament for the creation of an anti-corruption court, the parliamentary website showed late on Friday.

Slow progress establishing an independent court to deal with corruption cases has been one of the main obstacles to the disbursement of loans under a $17.5 billion aid-for-reforms programme from the International Monetary Fund.

A committee will now need to review and approve the bill, before it can be voted on by parliament, the next session of which is in January.

(Reporting by Natalia Zinets; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; editing by Ralph Boulton)
The United Nations Security Council on Friday unanimously voted to apply tougher sanctions on North Korea. The penalties, drafted by the United States in response to Pyongyangs November 28 launch of its most advanced ballistic missile, include a measure to reduce the import of refined petroleum products into North Korea by almost 90 percent.

Last month, North Korea shrugged off White House threats, and fired off its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-15, on a 53-minute flight that reached higher and traveled further than any previous rocket, before landing in the Sea of Japan. The launch provided the clearest evidence to date that North Korea possesses the technical capacity to target the U.S. mainland.

The 15-0 vote, which came one day after the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly denounced President Donald Trumps decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem, demonstrated Washingtons ability to rally international support in the face of a critical security threat. It also comes after the White House claimed North Korea was responsible for last Mays international Wannacry cyber attack.

Building upon Septembers U.N Security Council resolution, already deemed the strongest sanctions imposed on North Korea, this new raft of penalties target North Koreas export, import, and maritime sectors, in addition to its energy security. The sanctions require all countries employing North Korean guest workers and their security monitors to send them home within 24 months, and effectively bans the countrys citizens from working abroad.

Approximately 93,000 North Koreans are working in foreign countries. Historically, North Korean workers abroad have served as a source of hard currency for the regime, sending home up to $500 hundred million annually, according to U.S Ambassador to the U.N Nikki Haley.

The resolution also bans all remaining categories of major North Korean exports, including textiles, and forbids North Korea from importing heavy machinery, industrial equipment, and transportation vehicles. In 2016, these items, worth nearly $1.2 billion, made up 30 percent of North Koreas 2016 imports, according to the United Nations. The resolution also adds a new requirement stipulating that all countries stopping North Korean ships caught smuggling illicit items, including oil and coal, seize and impound those vessels.

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To further pressure North Korea, the resolution singles out 16 additional individuals and one entity connected to the financing and development of North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile programs for special designation on the U.N. sanctions list.

Haley heralded the unanimous vote as an unambiguous message to Pyongyang that further defiance will invite further punishment and isolation, and stated that the unity of the Security Council reflected international outrage against Pyongyangs recklessness.

While Security Council members were careful to assign blame for any pain ordinary North Koreans may face as a result of these new sanctions to the regime in Pyongyang, the sanctions are expected to place great strain on North Korean society. If it is indeed implemented, then we should see not only economic distress but potentially some humanitarian distress, said Scott Snyder, Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Program on U.S.-Korea Policy.

Noting that he believed the sanctions approach were the least costly of available options, Snyder added that their success, which he considered to be a low probability, would depend on their ability to divide North Koreas elite.

The challenge here is that North Koreas leader has tied his legitimacy to nuclear weapons and has tied his survival to nuclear weapons, he said. The only way that is going to work is if it has an impact internally on elite cohesion in ways that cause Kim Jong Un to recognize that he is going in the wrong direction.
Senate passes legislation before deadline

Immigration and healthcare issues to remain unresolved until the new year

Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader. Congress is poised to adjourn on Friday. Photograph: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Congress has averted a shutdown of the federal government, narrowly passing a temporary spending bill that will now go to Donald Trump to sign but that will only delay the reckoning for a month and will kick contentious issues such as immigration and healthcare into the new year.

Congress had until midnight on Friday to pass a continuing resolution to keep government operations running. The House bill passed by 231-188 and the Senate shortly afterwards by 66-32. The concerted Republican effort will push the deadline back by funding the government through 19 January.

The bill passed mostly on party lines with only 13 Democrats in the House voting to fund the government and only 16 Republicans voting against the resolution. In the Senate, the 60-vote threshold was just passed with the help of Democrats in more conservative states.

Congress will now adjourn on Friday and will not reconvene until January.

The spending bill unveiled by House Republicans on Thursday includes a short-term reauthorization of the childrens health insurance program, which provides free or low-cost healthcare to roughly 9 million children annually. It also funds a program that enables veterans to receive healthcare services from community providers rather than within the confines of the Veterans Affairs system.

The bill does not, however, address the future of Barack Obamas healthcare law. Republicans undermined the Affordable Care Act this week by repealing the laws individual mandate, which required Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty, as part of their tax plan.

A bipartisan group of senators had nonetheless hoped to pass a measure to stabilize the insurance markets established under the Affordable Care Act as part of spending negotiations. But conservatives in the House deemed any effort to bring stability to the healthcare law a nonstarter, prompting Republicans in the Senate to punt that issue to January.

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The spending bill also leaves in limbo the fate of nearly 700,000 young undocumented immigrants, known as Dreamers, who were brought to the US as children.

The group was freshly exposed to the threat of deportation following Donald Trumps decision in September to rescind an Obama-era program, commonly referred to as Daca, which allowed qualifying Dreamers to come out of the shadows to legally study and work in the US.

Although Trump gave Congress a deadline of 5 March to replace Daca through legislation, Democrats have long vowed not to leave town unless protections for Dreamers are enacted before the years end. Republicans have insisted the issue is separate from funding for the government and can be dealt with in early 2018. As a result, most Democrats voted against the legislation because it did not protect Dreamers.



Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, announced this week he will hold a vote in January on legislation to resolve the status of Dreamers pending a compromise. A bipartisan working group of senators is in the midst of negotiations on the issue.

Chris Collins, a Republican from New York, told reporters immigration could wait until the new year. These are are reasonable discussions but I think everyone agrees lets not shutdown the government over Christmas.

Trump accused Democrats on Thursday of risking a government shutdown in order to deflect attention from historic changes to the US tax code passed by Republicans this week.

House Democrats want a SHUTDOWN for the holidays in order to distract from the very popular, just passed, Tax Cuts, Trump tweeted. House Republicans, dont let this happen. Pass the C.R. TODAY and keep our Government OPEN!

The Republican tax plan, which temporarily lowers individual rates while permanently extending tax cuts for corporations, has proved unpopular in most polling thus far.

Republicans were not without their own objections to the spending bill.

A pair of libertarian-leaning senators, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah, voted against the spending bill on grounds that it included a long-term extension of a controversial surveillance program. John McCain, the Republican senator from Arizona, was absent as a result of his treatment for brain cancer.

The House bill includes a temporary extension of a provision known as Section 702, within the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, that was set to expire at the end of the year.

The provision grants the US government with the authority to spy on the electronic communications of foreigners overseas without a warrant. The US intelligence community has defended the program as necessary for counter-terrorism activities and national security.
New York (AFP) - The US jury in the explosive Iran sanctions-busting trial of a Turkish banker paused Friday for the Christmas holiday without reaching a verdict and will resume deliberations on January 3.

The 12-member panel ended a third day of deliberations without reaching a consensus on the charges and requested that Judge Richard Berman dismiss them until January 3, after the Christmas and New Year holidays.

They are tasked with deciding the fate of deputy chief executive of Turkish lender Halkbank, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, charged with violating US economic sanctions against Iran, bribery and money laundering.

In a trial that has strained relations between Ankara and Washington, Iranian-Turkish mogul Reza Zarrab admitted being involved in the multi-billion-dollar gold-for-oil scheme, and implicated former Turkish ministers and even President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The 34-year-old was arrested by US authorities in March 2016 after jetting to Florida with his pop-star wife and child on a family holiday to Disney World. Shortly before the trial got underway, he cut an apparent plea bargain.

The defense has called Zarrab a "liar and a briber" and 47-year-old Atilla an "honest, hard-working man." US prosecutors say Atilla is the liar.

Any conviction risks further straining relations between Erdogan and President Donald Trump, already damaged by rows over the war in Syria and US prosecution of Turkish presidential bodyguards.

It could also lead to US sanctions on the Turkish banking sector, beginning with Halkbank. The Turkish lender denies any suggestion that it violated US sanctions, saying it had "not been a party" to any "illegal" transaction.
MOLINE  One firefighter suffered minor injuries and two houses were damaged Friday during a fire on 15th Street.

The Moline Fire Department was called around noon after a bystander saw fire on the north side of the home at 2315 15th St., fire Capt. Kevin Neff said at the scene. No one was home at the time of the fire.

One firefighter fell through one of the floors, but landed on his feet, Capt. Neff said. He left the home on his own and was sent to the hospital for evaluation.

As of 1:30 p.m., the fire in the home appeared to be out, and firefighters could be seen working inside. The blue house, two stories tall, did not have any obvious holes in it caused by the flames, but a number of its windows were out, and most of the siding was gone on the north side. That wall was blackened all the way up to the eave.

As one crew worked on the primary fire, another worked to prevent the flames from spreading to the north, to 2313 15th St., Capt. Neff said.

Some of that building's siding on the wall facing 2315 had waffled and melted because of the heat, but there did not appear to be any breaches or other damage from the flames.

No one was home at that address either, but there were pets inside, which were pulled out by interim fire chief Jeff Snyder and police officers, Capt. Neff said.

The fire might have started in the area of the basement, Capt. Neff said. Asked if the fire was suspicious, the captain deferred to the police, saying they had concerns, but that he did not have evidence of foul play at that time. The fire marshal was on scene conducting his investigation.

The blue house might have been totaled by the fire, he said. The house at 2313 mostly just had the exterior damage, but the power was turned off to both, he said.

He said the Red Cross had not yet been notified as of about 2 p.m.

Police had not yet answered a request for information as of 4:30 p.m.
Chicago (AFP) - A US teen who pleaded guilty to trying to kill a friend to appease a fictitious internet character was sentenced to 25 years in mental hospital by a judge on Thursday.

Anissa Weier and her friend Morgan Geyser were both 12-years-old when they stabbed classmate Payton Leutner 19 times in 2014, because they wanted to appease Slender Man, a sinister internet meme often inserted into the background of ominous black-and-white photos.

Now 15, Weier, who was sentenced Thursday, and Geyser offered insanity defenses and said they believed that Slender Man would hurt their families if they did not meet his demands.

Geyser has also pleaded guilty and is already receiving treatment at a mental hospital. She is awaiting a sentencing decision in February.

Leutner survived and crawled out of the wooded area where she had been left.

Weier's sentence, which will be applied retroactively to when she was first arrested, would keep her in custody until she is 37.

But she could also be released earlier under court supervision, if doctors believe she is well enough.

"I just want everyone involved in this to know that I do hold myself accountable for this," Weier told Judge Michael Bohren before he handed down the sentence.

"I will do whatever I have to do to make sure I don't get any sort of delusion or whatever again. And I want everybody involved to know that I deeply regret what happened that day," she added.

But the judge sided with prosecutors in handing down the maximum sentence, saying he was concerned that a medical report indicated Weier was still having delusions while in custody, which "leads the court to be concerned about a short commitment period."

"I'm satisfied that a 25-year commitment is appropriate," the judge said. "It gives the community assurance of safety and protection."

The case has been the subject of public fascination, with video of the girls' police interrogations featured in the 2016 HBO documentary "Beware the Slenderman."
Washington (AFP) - The US announced Friday it would provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities," a move that could escalate a conflict between government forces and pro-Russian separatists that has claimed more than 10,000 lives since 2014.

It also threatens to undermine President Donald Trump's calls for improved relations with Moscow.

"The United States has decided to provide Ukraine enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression," a State Department statement said.

It added: "US assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself. The United States remains committed to the Minsk agreements as the way forward in eastern Ukraine."

An ABC news report before the announcement said the US planned to supply Ukraine with anti-tank missiles, including possibly the advanced Javelin system, quoting four State Department officials.

"The total defense package of $47 million includes the sale of 210 anti-tank missiles and 35 launchers. Additional supplies will need to be purchased," the report added.

The announcement came a day after EU leaders agreed to extend tough economic sanctions against Moscow over its meddling in Ukraine for six months, and a week after Ottawa authorized the export of automatic weapons to the country.

Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned Russia that the stand-off over Ukraine was the single most important obstacle to warmer ties between the two countries.
By Fabian Cambero and Andrew Cawthorne CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's leftist government prepared to release some 80 jailed anti-government activists on Saturday, and threatened to expel envoys from Canada and Brazil after criticism over rights. Delcy Rodriguez, head of the pro-government Constituent Assembly, told reporters the legislative superbody was recommending the detainees be given alternative punishments such as community service and compensation for victims. Thirteen activists were later paraded in front of state TV cameras during a meeting with Rodriguez, a hardline ally of President Nicolas Maduro. They looked stony-faced as they sat listening to her admonishments in the formal surroundings of Venezuela's colonial-era foreign ministry. Rights groups and foes of Maduro say authorities are unfairly holding 268 political prisoners for protesting against "dictatorship." Maduro, the 55-year-old successor to Hugo Chavez, says all jailed activists are there on legitimate charges of violence and subversion. "Let it be understood that the events promoted by the extremist Venezuelan opposition, which caused Venezuelans' deaths, must not be repeated," Rodriguez said. Some 170 people died in violence around two bouts of anti-Maduro street protests in 2014 and earlier this year. The assembly president told the detainees at the meeting they would return to their detention centers for medical tests then be freed to spend Christmas with loved ones. CANADA AND BRAZIL ANGERED The releases, albeit with alternative sentences, could inject life into stuttering political talks between the government and opposition due to resume in the Dominican Republic in early January. Western nations and Latin American neighbors have been increasingly critical of Maduro this year, accusing him of stamping on democracy and human rights. The government says foreign nations are trying to encourage a right-wing coup. Rodriguez said the Constituent Assembly - which various foreign countries refuse to accept - was also recommending Brazil's ambassador Ruy Pereira and Canada's charge d'affaires Craig Kowalik both be declared "persona non grata." The Canadian government, which has imposed sanctions on Maduro's administration, said it would not be cowed into easing pressure on "the anti-democratic Maduro regime" in Venezuela. "Canadians will not stand by silently as the Government of Venezuela robs its people of their fundamental democratic and human rights, and denies them access to basic humanitarian needs," said Global Affairs Canada, the government department that manages its foreign and trade relations. Brazil's foreign ministry also responded sternly. "If confirmed, the Venezuelan government's decision to declare Brazil's ambassador persona non grata shows once more the authoritarian stance of Nicolas Maduro's administration and its lack of willingness to engage in any dialogue," it said, promising reciprocal measures. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has been especially critical of Maduro, also imposing sanctions on him and other senior Venezuelan officials this year. Under new stewardship with the arrival of charge d'affaires Todd Robinson last week, Washington's embassy in Caracas called on Saturday for the freedom of all jailed activists. "We urge Maduro's regime to respect human rights," it tweeted. "Free them during this holiday time." (Additional reporting by Tatiana Bautzer in Sao Paulo and Amran Abocar in Toronto; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Susan Thomas)
Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela on Saturday said two diplomats from Canada and Brazil were no longer welcome, in an escalating showdown over their criticism of President Maduro's socialist government.

The head of the powerful pro-government Constituent Assembly, Delcy Rodriguez, said the body decided on the move against Brazil's ambassador Ruy Pereira and Canadian charge d'affaires Craig Kowalik.

"We have decided to declare persona non grata the Brazilian ambassador until such time as constitutional order is restored in the neighboring country" Rodriguez said referring to the government of Brazilian President Michel Temer.

The Brazilian conservative replaced leftist Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff after she was impeached.

And Kowalik of Canada has been carrying out "nagging, constant rude and offensive interference in Venezuela's domestic affairs."

On the Twitter account of the Canadian embassy in Caracas, she said, the assembly was described as a threat to Venezuelans' ability to elect their leaders, including their next president.

Last week, Brazil urged Venezuela -- which has been sidelined from the regional trading bloc Mercosur -- to improve its human rights record. Temer said he would welcome Caracas back into Mercosur's fold when Venezuela returns to democracy.

Venezuela considers Rousseff to have been pushed out in a political "coup d'etat" in Congress.

No time frame was set for the diplomats' departure, she said.

In Brasilia, the government said that if the measure were to take place, Brazil would take reciprocal steps.
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She is a 91-year-old religious woman, who is considered one of the mothers of feminism in Israel. She is also the mother of some of the leaders of the religious feminist revolution in Judaism, has trouble reading a Siddur (a Jewish prayer book) because it is written in male gender, and is hoping for a revolution that would take state and religion affairs out of the Rabbinates hands.

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I met with Prof. Alice Shalvi at her home in Jerusalems Beit HaKerem neighborhood. After a short introduction, the tables were turned and she began showering me with questions: Youre ultra-Orthodox? Wow! When did you go into journalism? How did your family react? Then she stopped, smiled and said: Looks like Im the one interviewing you.

An interview with Prof. Shalvi is a trip through history. It gives you perspective of decades from a woman who was here when it all began, and its no wonder that her set of trophieswhich includes the Israel Prizegrew bigger recently with the Nefesh B'Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize . Prof. Shalvi rarely gives interview, and the picture she paints is quite grim.

Prof. Alice Shalvi. Ashkenazi rabbis are becoming increasingly Haredi (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Israel is a backward country. There has been a regression since the 1970s. When I look at whats happening here, its sad. On the one hand, the number of educated women exceeds the number of (educated) men, and its amazing even on the doctoral candidates level. It wasnt like that before. On the other hand, the percentage of women in university faculties has remained almost unchanged. At least we have, thank God, university presidents who are women.

I remember applying for the dean's position in 1972 and being told, But youre a woman! Like how can a woman even consider such a position? That may have changed, but when it comes to manning positions of authority in the state, the percentage of women doesnt reflect their relative share in the population or their level of education and skills. So whats happening here? And why?

Like Alice in Wonderland, Alice Shalvi keeps running and asking, Are we nearly there? And just like that Alice, who was told if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast, she feels we still have to run faster.

Feminism for me is a point of view, she says. Its the real thing, its equality between all human beings in a society where there are no privileges for one group or another. Its sort of like what it says in our Declaration of Independence, which isnt being implemented, unfortunately. That is, in my opinion, the real revolutionary thinking of feminism. Since it pursues equality, it has quite a bit of pacifism in it. After all, what creates conflicts between people? When each person looks for his or her place in the world, and someone else comes along and gets in the way. For me, socialism, pacifism and feminism are integrated together.

I had nowhere to pray

Alice Shalvis biography can fill up a feature film. She was born in Germany in 1926 and fled to London with her family in 1933, at the very last minute. She has a degree in English literature from Cambridge University and a degree in social work from the London School of Economics. In 1949, she immigrated to Israel and was recruited to the feminist movement by the late Pnina Pelei. She has been part of the movement ever since.

Shalvi was also an associate professor at the English literature department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and principal of the Pelech school for religious girls, which turned into a prestigious and groundbreaking institution under her leadership. She founded the Israel Women's Network, won quite a few awardsincluding the Israel Prize, the Yakir Yerushalayim (Treasured Jerusalemite") title and the Nefesh B'Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize, published the book Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia and moved from Orthodoxy to the Conservative/Masorti Movement.

Shalvi. An entire generation of women is completely equal to men in terms of their biblical knowledge (Photo: Shahar Azran)

Today, Shalvi serves as president of Kehilat Zion (the Zion Congregation). Its not a Conservative community, she explains, but its part of the Conservative Movement. The truth is, I didnt find a congregation I was satisfied with spiritually. I kept complaining to Tamar (Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum), who was a student of mine at Pelech and at the Schechter Institute, that I had nowhere to pray. I had no place where I felt spirituality, where I felt satisfied with the spiritual content. For years, she kept saying she would start a congregation for me, and four years ago it happened.

The Kehilat Zion vision and what makes them so unique is the perception of Israeli Judaism, which combines all denominations and ethnic groups, and somewhat returns to the form of prayer (that was practiced) in the Land of Israel in ancient times. Thats what sets it apart from the Conservative Movement, which is why I said its a special place. We are people who come from different backgrounds and pray together. I find communality very important.

With all the pessimism, what do you consider the most important development in feminism today?

What is happening with all types of religious women, she states decisively. Its the result of a new generation of educated women, the scholars students, which is why at Pelech I found it so important to stress that there is not a single area in life that you should be banned from just because you are of female gender. Torah studies, sciencedont let them tell you its not for women, if thats what you aspire to do, and if youre capable. The fact that there is a generation of women who are completely equal to men in terms of their knowledge and biblical educationwhile men are still considered an authoritychanges and has changed everything.

"Im very happy to inform you that I have three students who have undergone halachic training. Two of them have been ordained as rabbis, Avital Hochstein and Tamar Elad-Appelbaum, and the third, Malka Puterkovsky, wasnt ordained as a rabbi and insists on referring to herself as a woman of Halacha. These are three examples women who received the title of rabbi.

The Orthodox Rabbinate is beginning to accept the idea of womens partnership. The problem is that the moment an Orthodox rabbi dares to say a word on the issue, everyone immediately jumps up and says: Hes not Orthodox.

How do we define religiousness?

If youre asking yourself how Shalvi deals with this contradiction in her camp as a religious woman, she will reply with a question: Am I a religious person? And how do we define religiousness? A person who keeps the Halacha? What Halacha? We all aspire to reach something that is beyond human. The undefinable cannot be defined. We dont know what God is. Each person has his own perception.

I can say I perceive divinity, the holy spirit, as something that makes us aspire to be more than we are. It cannot be defined in a physical sense, and definitely not in a scientific sense. I find it in music, in meditationthe feeling that we live in a universe where there is room for everyone and life isnt reduced just to matter.

Shalvi at the Nefesh B'Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize ceremony (Photo: Shahar Azran)

Shalvi finds it difficult to pray from the Siddur. The acceptable prayer with the view of the divine figure as a father, a king, a totally male figureits a language I cant relate to. I have trouble praying using it. In meditation, your soul looks for the superhuman, without words. For years, I felt horribly guilty over the fact the Siddur doesnt cater to my needs. I am very fond of the prayer in public, prayers like Hallel, which reflect this connection between man and God. In the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo expresses just that: Almost touching, but not touching. The movement upwards, not the connection.

We are a halachic state

Asked what should be done to change the current social picture, Shalvi points to two main factors: It wont change until there is peace and the army is less central. With all the advancement of women in the army, its a male-dominated organization. Fighting is a male activity. The armys place as far as our life is concerned leads to frivolity. For example, why can a person who was chief of staff be in politics? What qualifies him for that? I dont know if every general can be prime minister, but its somehow obvious that he is a macho man and he can.

The second thing is the Rabbinates control, which leaves conversions and divorce in its hands. There is one establishment that doesnt represent the entire population but fully controls it: The Rabbinate. Its a completely male-dominated establishment, which doesnt even include one woman. Is there not a single woman who can make halachic rulings? Is there not a single woman who can be a religious judge? Nothing?

According to my views, there shouldnt be a religious establishment. It contradicts the deep-rooted Jewish principle of Ashe Lecha Rav (find a rabbi who is right for you). Choose your authority on your own, if at all. Marriage and divorce are not necessarily a religious matter. Civil marriage would have solved quite a lot. The problem in Israel is that there is no separation between the religious establishment and politics. In Israel, for example, the Haredi parties are always the deciding factor. Not everyone wants to see the Rabbinate decide on their way of life. Israel belongs to everyone, and everyone should be represented.

Are we a halachic state?

Yes, definitely, and I am against it of course. We are a halachic state because of the Rabbinates power, and it is controlled by the Haredi public. The Ashkenazi rabbis are becoming increasingly Haredi. These two centersthe army and the Rabbinateare preventing the advancement of women in Israel.
ROCK ISLAND  Escaping the horrors of war gives a refugee family from Sudan quite a different perspective on Christmas.

Kalthoum Kadfour, a single mother of six children ranging in age from 8 months to 17 years, feels safe.

"I'm so happy," she said. "We have food to eat. We have each other."

And she has her dreams of a better life and higher education, Ms. Kadfour said.

When asked what she wanted most for Christmas, she told Julie Gray, director of Rock Island-Milan School District's Head Start Preschool Programs, about wanting only school supplies and materials to continue her college career.

"She is enrolled in the Black Hawk College Patient Care Assistant Program, and expressed concern about how she will afford the items needed this spring for her clinicals," Ms. Gray said,

"It's not only for me, but it's for my children to know how important education is," Ms. Kadfour said.

She never mentioned toys or gifts, other than when she looked on her table and saw the few things her baby had to play with.

Ever since Ms. Kadfour was a girl, she said she dreamed about becoming a doctor, but couldn't because of her country's unsettled condition.

"My kids understand how difficult it is and how important education is," she said.

"It's so bad in my country, I can't go back," Ms. Kadfour said. "When I was born, there was a war there. They kill children and civilian women there."

She credited humanitarian efforts by actor George Clooney for helping rescue people in Sudan and Darfur.

She and her children had lived in an Egyptian refugee camp from 2004, coming to the U.S., in 2015. They've been in Rock Island for almost two years, living in the Century Woods apartment complex.

When Ms. Kadfour completes the Black Hawk College program this spring, she will have first aid and phlebotomy certification, as well as certified nurse assistant credentials, which should equal a job.

"This should serve as a reminder to the rest of us of how fortunate we have it to be in the U.S.," Ms. Gray said.
The IDF combat units slogan of "War tomorrow"meant to keep the fighters from getting bogged down by routinehas recently taken on a new meaning among soldiers of the Kfir Brigade.

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Echoes of the explosions of dozens of rockets launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip recently were audible in the urban warfare section of the Tze'elim training base in southern Israel, where a stand-in for a Gaza neighborhood was in place to help soldiers better prepare for the potential conflict to come.

The brigade, in fact, is preparing for something it has never fully attempted in the past: a Gaza ground offensive.





Training the base's 'Palestinian neighborhood'

The seeming lack of confidence in the brigade's competence caused consternation among the unit's battalion commanders and fighting men, and further tarnished the image of the unitalready considered the army's "step child." It seems now, however, things are different.

Six months ago, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot placed Kfir Brigade Commander Colonel Tzion Razon in charge of the Palestinian front, both in Gaza and the West Bank. This effectively mean that more than other units, Kfir has been developing its expertise in dealing with Hamas, rather than Hezbollah.

As part of said mission, Kfir soldiers have been training for threats they can expect to encounter in Gaza, such as tunnels and the possibility of kidnapping. The unit is also creating a new reconnaissance battalion , named Haruv after a defunct historical unit, which will use special mechanisms to fight underground. The new battalion's soldiers will also undergo training for scouting, explosives and anti-terrorism missions.

"I want us to be the best in urban warfare and let the other brigades have the advantage in Lebanon," said the brigade commander in an interview with Ynet. "Hamas has evolved since Operation Protective Edge; it is more organized and disciplined and operates with platoons, companies and battalions. There are pros and cons to an enemy with a hierarchy."

"We translate these things into training and intelligence that each of our squad commanders receive. They receive a small map of the specific target house they are expected to overtake, enclosed with coordinates and the enemy's point of view," he said.

"We are not minimizing the threat posed by the tunnels but there are other dangers in Gaza, such as advanced anti-tank rockets , hidden explosives and rocket fire. Hamas militants can pop out of anywhere and open fire. Hamas takes more initiative and behaves more offensively than in the past.

"During one of the training scenarios, after the company had conquered their target at 2am, they were hit by a surprise attack, with many casualties, and the company commander was required to deal with it. We must not wait for the enemy: if we are not alert during the next war, we will be hit hard," said the colonel.





Doubling hand-to-hand combat training

The Chief of Staff's new role for the brigade was quickly translated into action: during basic training, all new recruits are already receiving a month of urban warfare training, with some of them even taking a course on Arabic language and culture at a newly opened instruction center at the brigade's training base in the Jordan Valley.

"They learn more than just checkpoint Arabic, and focus more on urban warfare than on rocky terrain combat," added Colonel Razon. "Kfir soldiers receive twice as much hand-to-hand combat training as other units since there is a decent chance that they will have to fight terrorists from point-blank range, where a gun will not be sufficient."

Colonel Razon began his career in the Nahal Brigade and previously held several positions in the army's Northern Command. He believes in open communication with his subordinates and expects them to speak up if something seems wrong during a briefing.

Military intelligence believes that Hamas is investing more in its tunnels inside of Gaza, as they have earned the terrorist organization with the biggest return during Operation Protective Edge: nabbing the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul.

"The soldiers are trained to believe that there is 'no such thing as a kidnapping,' they must do all in their power to prevent it, and the most important part of that is staying alert, walking in pairs and working in large groups," said Colonel Razon. "If anyone suffers wounds, they are treated, but we advance. I have four children, three will receive combat postings and I expect of their commander to do everything possible to bring them home."

The lessons of the Elor Azaria case

The brigade is using the most advanced military equipment, similarly to the rest of the IDF's elite units, with every company commander having an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at their disposal, but as far as the colonel is concerned, one of their most important 'weapons' is their battlefield ethics. Various incidents of ethical breaches involving Kfir fighters came to light through the years, such as the killing of a neutralized terrorist by Elor Azaria in Hebron.





Part of their training, in fact, now includes a session on dealing with noncombatants in Gaza. In the training scenario, soldiers are tasked with evacuating civilians from a hospital being used by the enemy to fire at IDF forces.

"We do not want to harm innocents We learn how to deal with Palestinians who are being difficult at a checkpoint. We learn the lessons of previous incidents and we intend to actualize the brigade's slogan: 'We fight, we are victorious, and we will maintain our humanity,'" says Colonel Razon.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered a review of "Project Cassandra", a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) program targeting drug trafficking by Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah created during the administration of President Barack Obama, Fox News reported Saturday.

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Sessions didn't say what prompted the review and stopped short of accusing the prior administration of wrongdoing. But the announcement comes after a Politico report that raised questions about whether Obama administration officials thwarted investigators' work on the program for fear of jeopardizing the Iran nuclear deal

The American Department of Justice told Fox News Sessions had ordered a review of the DEA's actions "to evaluate allegations that certain matters were not properly prosecuted and to ensure all matters are appropriately handled."

Project Cassandra, an Obama-era DEA program, targeted Hezbollah's drug operations (Photo: AP, AFP)

The persons in charge of Project Cassandra, Politico reported in its expose, worked out of a DEA facility in Chantilly, Virginia and requested authorization for some significant investigations, prosecutions, financial sanctions and arrests, but senior Justice and Treasury Department officials within Obama's administration outright denied or otherwise delayed approval for the requests.

Thus, by putting various obstacles in the project's way, Obama administration officials allegedly assisted Hezbollah in becoming the worldwide security threat it is today.

"Protecting our citizens from terrorist organizations and combating the devastating drug crisis gripping our nation are two of the Justice Department's top priorities. Operations designed to investigate and prosecute terrorist organizations that are also fueling that drug crisis must be paramount in this administration," Sessions added.

Department of Justice officials further told Fox News the review Sessions ordered could lead to people affiliated with Hezbollah being prosecuted, and could also lead to an Inspector General inquiry into personnel matters relating to the project.

AG Sessions ordered a review of Obama-era actions taken against the DEA program (Photo: AP)

"The DEA has worked tirelessly on this front. I am committed to giving our hard working and dedicated DEA agents all the tools that they need to allow them to shut down these drug rings," the attorney general vowed.

"The Department of Justice is absolutely committed to investigating and prosecuting international drug trafficking organizations and with the assistance of our DEA and FBI agents we will leave no stone unturned as we work to making America safer," he concluded.

Since Politico's report was published earlier this week, several Republican lawmakers have demanded answers to the questions arising from it. Sources previously employed in Obama's administration have thus far denied the allegations, saying they were false.

"There are many reasonable critiques of Obama's foreign policy. The idea that he was soft on Hezbollah is not one of them. The story is so manufactured out of thin air that it's hard to push back except to say that it's a figment of the imagination of two very flawed sources," former Obama official Tommy Vietor tweeted.

'Politics played no part'

Project Cassandra members told Politico that Obama administration officials blocked or undermined their efforts to go after top Hezbollah operatives, including one nicknamed 'The Ghost' one of the world's biggest cocaine traffickers, including to the US, as well as a major supplier of conventional and chemical weapons for use by Syrian President Bashar Assad against his people.

Hezbollah was allegedly involved in drug trafficking worth hundreds of millions of dollars

"This was a policy decision, it was a systematic decision," David Asher, who helped establish and oversee Project Cassandra as a Defense Department illicit finance analyst, told Politico. "They serially ripped apart this entire effort that was very well supported and resourced, and it was done from the top down."

Asher and his team worked in Beirut with Israeli intelligence on an operation intended to penetrate the inner workings of a Lebanese bank in order to track the funds being transferred.

The American-Israeli team collected evidence linking businessman Ayman Joumaa, a Lebanese drug kingpin affiliated with Hezbollah, to drug cartels operating in both Colombia and Mexico and to smuggling tons of cocaine into US territory through the Los Zetas cartel.

Joumaa was also linked to money laundering operations, with $200 million being laundered every month through the aforementioned Lebanese bank as well as various real estate transactions.

Former Obama administration officials, however, denied that they had derailed any actions against Hezbollah or its Iranian allies for political reasons.

"There has been a consistent pattern of actions taken against Hezbollah, both through tough sanctions and law enforcement actions before and after the Iran deal," Kevin Lewis, an Obama spokesman who worked at both the White House and Justice Department in the administration, told Politico.

But according to Asher, "The closer we got to the (Iran deal), the more these activities went away. So much of the capability, whether it was special operations, whether it was law enforcement, whether it was (Treasury) designationseven the capacity, the personnel assigned to this missionit was assiduously drained, almost to the last drop, by the end of the Obama administration."
A 60-year-old German man was filmed accosting restaurateur Yorai Feinberg (36) in Berlin and hurling anti-Semitic invective at him merely for being an Israeli Jew, the German paper Bild reported.

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The video, titled "Six minutes of Jew hatred" by the German paper, was filmed by Feinberg's girlfriend Camilla Thomas (30). It showed the German man telling Feinberg, "You don't belong here. Filthy Jews, you can all go to the gas chambers. This is my land, my country. No one will protect you here."

The German man filmed hurling anti-Semitic invectives at Feinberg

When the man observed the Hanukkah menorah placed in the restaurant's display window, he cried out, "This thing doesn't belong here, in our system."

Footage of the anti-Semitic incident (:   )

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Feinberg quickly called the cops, who arrested the German. He later told the German B.Z. paper, "These anti-Semitic attacks happen on a daily basis, unfortunately. I'm very saddened by them and, in fact, find myself asking the same question the attacker asked mewhat am I doing here? I oftentimes wonder about my continued existence here."

Israel's Ambassador to Germany Jeremy Issacharoff watched the video and was shaken to his core. On Thursday morning he arrived at Feinberg's restaurant, flanked by the mayor of Berlin's Tempelhof-Schoneberg borough Angelika Schottler. Issacharoff iterated his support for Feinberg and praised him for the daring he had shown.

R-L: Ambassador Issacharoff, borough Mayor Angelika Schottler, former Bundestag member Volker Beck, Yorai Feinberg and Mike Dalberg of the Berlin Jewish community

"Anti-Semitism is anti-Semitism regardless of where it comes from and who voices it. Every member of German society should rise up against any form of racism, anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli sentiment. It saddens me this incident even took place, let alone on German soil. I hope this show of solidarity will be a clear-cut message of zero tolerance to such cases," Issacharoff said.

Germany's Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection Heiko Maas also commented on the incident, saying, "This intolerable and inconceivable occurrence merely shows that we should all adamantly and courageously battle anti-Semitism. We mustn't give ground to those who would incite, because talk may be followed actions."
Three Turkish tourists were arrested on the slopes of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on suspicion of assaulting police on Friday. They were released without charge on Saturday.

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Turkish paper Daily Sabah reported eye witness accounts purporting the Israel Police prevented a delegation of Turkish touristssome of them childrento enter the Temple Mount complex.

Some of the tourists wore shirts emblazoned with the Turkish flag, the witnesses said, while others wore traditional Ottoman headdresses.

Turkish and Palestinian flags on the slopes of the Temple Mount (Photo: AP)

Bystander video appeared to show Israeli police detaining several fez-wearing men and boys in the walled Old City of east Jerusalem.



The Turkish Anadolu state-run news agency reported the Turkish group arrived to Israel from Belgium and held dual Belgian-Turkish citizenships.

Anadolu further said eye witnesses maintained the cops told the Turks they would have to remove their shirts if they wanted to enter the complex, and when the tourists refused a scuffle broke out.

A diplomat from the Turkish consulate in Jerusalem arrived to the police station where the group was detained, the state-run agency said.

Israel Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the three Turks had tried to reach Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third-most important shrine, where "they planned on taking part in a demonstration" against US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Rosenfeld said the three Turks "carried out an assault on police officers there." He did not elaborate on the circumstances, other than to say there were no casualties.

Brought before Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Saturday, the men did not speak from the dock. Two of them flashed four-finger hand gestures that appeared to be the so-called "Rabia sign" of solidarity with Egypt's ousted Muslim Brotherhood.

The Turks' Israeli defense lawyer, Nick Kaufman, said police asked the court to keep them in custody so charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest could be brought.

"It was obvious that this was a politically charged case and the judge rightly released them," Kaufman told Reuters.

The Turkish party's arrest may further sour relations between Israel and Turkey. Despite a reconciliation agreement between the two countries in the wake of events surrounding the Marmara flotilla to Gaza, and despite the decision to completely normalize relations, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has continually and scathingly attacked Israel over the past year.

Turkish President Erdogan had made vehement anti-Israeli statements recently (Photo: AP)

Since President Donald Trump's declaration recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Erdogan has tried to position himself as the leader of the bloc opposing the declaration, and has voiced harsh anti-Israeli sentiments over the past two weeks.

The Turkish president said Israel was a " child-killing terror state " and promised not to "abandon" Jerusalem to Jewish hands. On the American threat to halt assistance funds to countries voting against the decision to recognize Jerusalem as capital in the United Nations, Erdogan replied , "Trump, you can't buy us with your dollars."
CAIRO  President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday Egypt will in the next two to three years embark on a $5.60 billion construction project in the Sinai peninsula whose north has been gripped by an Islamist insurgency.

While coast of the south of the peninsula is peppered with Red Sea tourist resorts, North Sinai province is underdeveloped and lacks basic infrastructure and job opportunities.

Security forces have battled Islamist militants in the mainly desert region, stretching from the Suez Canal eastwards to the Gaza Strip and Israel, since 2013. Militants have killed hundreds of police and soldiers.
Mass rallies against government corruption will be held in both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Saturday night.

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The right-wing demonstration at Jerusalem's Zion Square receives support from the coalition - Kulanu MKs Rachel Azaria, Roy Folkman and Merav Ben Ari are expected to speak at the rally.

MK Azaria said she decided to join the protest "because those who will pay the price for hurting the gatekeepers are the public. The police, the State Attorney's Office and the court are not allowed to respond to politicians' attacks, so the public and its representatives have an important role in defending those gatekeepers."

Last week's rally in Tel Aviv (Photo: EPA)

MK Ben-Ari explained that "When I heard about the protest at the beginning of the week, I wasn't sure I was going to join it. But after hearing the divisive discourse, particularly over the last few days, I decided I need to be there. The national camp must be united in support of stateliness and state institutions, in support of law enforcement authorities and in support of the liberal and social right-wing. We, the public's representatives, must set a personal example and lead the national camp on the right path and keep our country Jewish and democratic."

MKs Oren Hazan and Yehuda Glick were initially make an appearance at the rally as well, but the Likud party decided not to allow its members to attend the event, claiming it has become a demonstration against the ruling party.

Former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon, a former member of the Likud party, is also set to speak at the rally.

"I've been a soldier of this state for 50 years, and I've always shown up where I was needed," Ya'alon wrote on Twitter on Friday. "On Saturday night, I'll be at Zion Square in Jerusalem, because this is what needs to be done now to protect our values, stateliness, and the rule of law. I call on each and every one of you to come, so we could tell our children we've done everything to protect the State of Israel in this hour of need."

Also set to attend are former Otzma LeYisrael MK Aryeh Eldad, Rabbi David Menachem, Institute for Zionist Strategies Director Miri Shalem, Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, educator Malka Puterkovsky, educator and publicist Uri Heitner, Rabbi Yisrael Gillis, Rabbi Haim Baruch, Moshe (Kinley) Tur-Paz, and Kolot center director Tehila Friedman-Nachalon.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tel Aviv on the last three Saturday nights to protest against government corruption. The Tel Aviv rally is expected to be held this week as well, starting at 8pm.

In addition to the protests in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, demonstrations will also be held in Rosh Pina, Nahariya, Haifa, Afula, Ness Ziona, Rehovot, Kiryat Gat, Modiin, Be'er Sehva and Eilat.

Organizers wrote on social media: "All of us together will continue the struggle against the corruption threatening the country and against the mafia laws that are being pushed in the Knesset, so government corruption could continue."
BRUSSELS - Catalonia's separatist leader Carles Puigdemont on Saturday called on the Spanish government to allow him to return to Spain in time for the opening session of the Catalan parliament by January 23 so that he can become the region's next president.

Puigdemont, who ruled in Catalonia until October and faces arrest in Spain for his role in organising an illegal referendum on independence and proclaiming a Catalan republic, is currently in a self-imposed exile in Belgium.

Separatist parties secured a parliamentary majority in a regional election on Thursday, though it is still unclear whether Puigdemont and other jailed leaders of the movement will be able to attend the sessions of the assembly.

"I want to come back to Catalonia as soon as possible. I would like to come back right now. It would be a good news for Spain," Puigdemont told Reuters in an interview.
Newly-appointed coalition chairman MK David Amsalem allowed Saturday that "A prime minister who is indicted for corruption cannot be a prime minister," but noted that "corruption is receiving envelopes with forbidden money, not cigars from a personal friend."

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Amsalem replaced as coalition chairman MK David Bitan, who is under investigation for suspected corruption himself.

Speaking at a Bar Association conference in Eilat, Amsalem said he hated "corrupted people, thieves and crooks  and those who belong in this category should not be leading the public," but stressed "a prime minister should not be under investigation over champagne and cigars. It's a slippery slope. Maybe tomorrow we'll arrest a prime minister who received a box of chocolates?"

The new coalition head asserted the police will in fact recommend filing an indictment against Netanyahu. "The police have no choice, they are already well on their way. They'll recommend an indictment," Amsalem said.

MK David Amsalem (Photo: Israel Bar Association)

He later clarified on Twitter that he did not think the allegations against Netanyahu - of receiving illicit gifts from billionaire benefactors - constitute corruption, noting "A corruption indictment in this case is not relevant to Netanyahu at all."

Earlier this week, Netanyahu attacked the police , saying that "the majority of the recommendations made by the police are thrown to the garbage."

Continuing his tirade, he said that a fact that was likely unknown to the public was that the vast majority of the police recommendations end with nothing. I am talking about recommendations against thousands of citizens and public figures, ministers, MKs. It begins in the headlines and explodes and most of the time it ends with nothing.

Netanyahu went on to say that "meanwhile, something happens - these people's lives are ruined. Their blood is being spilled. Their good name tarnished."

Amsalem said Saturday he doesn't "think the Israel Police is making things up... the country is important to me no less than it is to the police commissioner, the attorney general and the Supreme Court justices. If we don't have a strong police force, we don't have a society."

He said the controversial recommendations bill , which seeks to bar police from making public their recommendations on indictment, "was brought to the Knesset two years," rejecting claims the legislation was tailor-made for Netanyahu: "the media and politics are a world of lies."

Amsalem argued that "the State Attorney's Office closes close to 80 percent of cases, and until then, great damage is done to people." Amsalem also remarked on the weekly protests against government corruption , saying "They say we're corrupted, what do they mean?"
Thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday night in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and other cities to protest government corruption.

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As the evening began, some 500 people arrived at Zion Square in Jerusalem. They held up signs saying "We want a personal example," and "We deserve clean politics" and called out "Shame, shame!"

Protest organizer journalist Yoaz Hendel was the first to speak, clarifying: "I'm here today not because I'm against Netanyahu, but because I'm in favor of the State of Israel. I'm here because this is how I was raised in the religious Zionist sector, with a mix of Jabotinsky and Rabbi Kook. I'm here because we cannot live with 'divide and conquer.' We cannot live while my leadership doesn't see the value of setting a personal example and walking humbly."

"There is no contradiction between supporting the settlement enterprise and supporting morality," Hendel stressed.





Protesters in Jerusalem (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)

Former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon called for unity. "When we fought, was wounded and lost soldiers and family members, we didn't ask, nor did our enemies, whether we were Right, Left, or from other ethnicity," he said.

"This kind of unity is needed not just in the IDF and not just in war, but unfortunately short-term political interests led to division. Leadership needs to unite and not divide," Ya'alon continued.

Former defense minister Ya'alon speaking at the rally (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)

"Why do politicians turn the issue of morality into a matter of Left and Right?" he lamented. "We need to demand our leaders to set a personal example. In my experience, setting a personal is a condition of trust. And I'm warning that when this trust is shaken, state security is also shaken."

Ya'alon added that when asked what keeps him up at night, it is not the Iranian nuclear threat, but rather "the corruption that is chipping away at society, hurting equal opportunities, and comes at the expense of our health," he said. "Corruption gives citizens the feeling injustice is being done. This is a bigger danger than the threats posed by Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas or ISIS."

Signs at the Jerusalem protest, including Bible quotes: 'Walk humbly,' 'Be a pure 'May our camp be pure' (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)

Former Otzma LeYisrael MK Aryeh Eldad, meanwhile, asserted that "No honest man can agree with a corrupt government. Netanyahu is trying to convince us that if he falls, the Left wing will rise to power, and I share this fear. If the national camp chooses a trustworthy candidate, there is no reason the exchange of government will lead to the rise of the Left."

The Likud Party rejected the Jerusalem protest: "The right-wing is not buying this bluff. Everyone knows this is not a protest against corruption, but rather a satellite protest of the left-wing demonstration on Rothschild Boulevard, the entire purpose of which is to bring down the Likud government. Right-wing voters are unimpressed by a handful of naive and interest-driven people who collaborate with the Left, and they will not repeat the mistake of bringing down a Likud government and leading to a disaster of another Oslo Accod."

Protesters in Tel Aviv (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

In Tel Aviv, several thousand people gathered on Rothschild Boulevard for the fourth week of protests, calling out "Mandelblit is a failure, he won't get to the Supreme Court," "We'll send the mafia to history's garbage can," "the country is ours, not Netanyahu's" and "Bibi Netanyahu, go to Maasiyahu Prison."

They held up signs saying "Corrupted, go home" among others.

Aerial view of the protest in Tel Aviv ( :  )

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Social justice activist Aybee Binyamin, one of the organizers of the Tel Aviv protests, praised the rally in Jerusalem. "The victory this week is much bigger because the moral right-wing realized it must join us and fight corruption and the corrupted," he said.

"A year ago, outside Mandelblit's home in Petah Tivka, there were only a few of us. Today, we're here and in 16 other locations, more determined than always," Binyamin added. "The gatekeepers, the Knesset and the opposition let us down."

Protesters in Tel Aviv (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Some 300 people gathered in Haifa to protest, including elderly people, parents with children, national religious Jews. They chanted slogans such as: "Corrupted Bibi, we'll see you in court" and "Mandelblit, we'll never forgive or forget the cover up."

"This struggle is not just against corruption, but in support of a different kind of culture to serve democracy," said one of the speakers, Motti Ashkenazi, who spearheaded a protest against the government following the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

"It's not about whether the prime minister is corrupted, but whether Netanyahu's conduct corrupts others," he added.

Ashkenazi noted in regards to the Haifa Bay ammonia crisis that the prime minister "allows endangering the lives of the residents of Haifa, only to increase the profits of the Trump brothers (who own Haifa Chemicals). It's not just corruption, but horrible disregard of human lives."

Also in northern Israel, close to 200 people also demonstrated at the Tzemach Junction, some 300 in Afula and some 100 in Rosh Pina.
Denmark's Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that it was halting financial aid to several Palestinian NGOs over ties with terror groups.

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In addition, Copenhagen set stricter conditions for Palestinian NGOs' eligibility for aid in the future to ensure the money is used for the right purposes, rather than go to terror groups or the BDS Movement.

The decision was made in the wake of an internal investigation in the Danish Foreign Ministry ordered by Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen at the urging of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan.

Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen (Photo: AP)

Starting 2018, aid will be provided to only 10 Palestinian NGOs instead of 24.

The Danish Foreign Ministry said it will "continue to support civil society organizations focusing on the human rights situation in Palestine, which is a priority under the Danish foreign policy," but starting next year, "the funds will be transferred under new and stricter conditions. Donor cooperation will end at the end of the year, and the remaining Danish funds from 2017 will be used for expenses related to the administrative completion of the program."

The Danish investigation into the matter was launched after the Palestinian Women's Affairs Technical Committee (WATC), which enjoyed Danish aid money, opened a center for women last June named after the terrorist Dalal Mughrabi, who murdered dozens of Israelis in the 1978 Coastal Road massacre.

Dalal Mughrabi, right, and the coastal road massacre

WATC received half a million dollars through the Ramallah-based Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat, a donor program sponsored by Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.

According to Israel's Strategic Affairs Ministry, the Secretariat funds many Palestinian organizations that promote the de-legitimization of Israel as well as boycotts against it. Some of these NGOs, such as Al-Haq and Addameer, also have ties to the terror organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Minister Erdan praised the Danish Foreign Ministry's decision, calling it "a significant achievement for Israel in its resolute struggle against the boycott organizations, which suffered a severe blow today."

"It cannot be that European countries continue funding Palestinian organizations working to promote boycott and present a distorted image of Israel, and more gravely - having ties with terror elements," he said.

"I'm glad Denmark has realized the Danish tax payer does not wish to fund - directly or indirectly - Palestinian organizations with ties to terrorism. I call on other nations on the European continent to take the same measure of moral responsibility and take similar steps," Erdan added.
An Israeli court on Saturday freed without charge three Turks who had been arrested on suspicion of assaulting police outside a Jerusalem holy site contested by Jews and Muslims, a police spokesman said.

The men - described by police as tourists - were taken into custody on Friday amid a weekly surge in protests against US President Donald Trump's December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as its capital.
Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono will visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Monday and Tuesday.

This will be his third visit to the region since entering office, and it is part of Japan's Middle East diplomacy efforts meant to aid in stability and security in the area.

Kono will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Israel.
A 34-year-old California man has been charged after authorities say he told an airline employee at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport there was a bomb in his carry-on bag.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that police found no bomb and charged Otis Evans of San Diego with felony disorderly conduct.

Evans was escorted from the plane about 1pm Friday. Chicago police said in a statement that the incident caused a "large law enforcement and fire personnel response which resulted in evacuations and delayed flights."

A police spokesman said the area was searched and found to be safe.
Expert Advice with Jeremy Sheppard. 03/06/2016

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) publishes a report listing the top residential property markets around Australia which they call Hot Spots. But they are not hot spots for investors. On the contrary, investors should probably avoid these locations.

What is a hot spot?

My definition of a hot spot for property investing is based on supply and demand. I want high demand and low supply:

High demand relative to supply = capital growth oh-la-la

A hot spot is one in which demand exceeds supply by such a significant degree that there is tremendous pressure on prices to rise in the short term.

According to HIA hotspots are:

areas which enjoy a combination of rapid population growth as well as high levels of residential building

I love the use of enjoy in that sentence.

To the young investor these 2 definitions might seem like the same thing. But they are closer to being the complete opposite.

Table 1 shows HIAs National top 20 building and population hotspots

Table 1 HIAs hot spots

Source: Housing Industry Association - Population and Residential Building Hotspots 2016

Some investors might read that report and assume these are good investment locations. But these are not hot spots for future capital growth. Some of these markets are actually terrible investment locations.

Investors should be careful to read these reports upside down. You need to know who HIA is and why they claim these locations are hot-spots.

About HIA

HIA are not evil, not to everyone anyway. They do serve a useful purpose.

They have an excellent page on their website declaring their purpose, vision, history, structure, initiatives and more. At least theyre relatively transparent.

However, HIA represent builders. Thats builders of property. Building creates extra supply which helps to keep prices down.

For us evil property investors, we want low supply. We want to target locations in which everything is pointing towards high capital growth.

So HIA actually support our enemies  developers. Their idea of a hot spot should be an investors idea of a not-spot.

Whats wrong with residential building?

Oversupply is the worst thing that can happen to a location in terms of capital growth potential. And theres very little you can do about it after youve bought. Your only option might be to sell.

Investors need to make sure they dont buy into oversupplied areas. Recognising the characteristics of an oversupplied area is not that hard. The percentage of stock on market (SOM%) for example is a great indicator and freely available at DSRdata.com.au.

But investors also need to monitor areas theyve already bought in, to make sure oversupply isnt on its way. If so, they can at least sell before things get ugly. Monitoring regional markets is especially important.

Keep in mind that every new property built represents a pin-prick in the capital growth potential for that area.

Whats wrong with population growth?

I wrote an article on this topic for YIP magazine called, The great population growth myth. It was published in April 2015.

It was 5,000 words. I know, right? So to summarise

Population growth often indicates higher supply NOT higher demand of property. Those locations in which population growth is impossible are the ones in which supply is the most constrained. These have much better capital growth potential.

The greatest population growth that indicates the possibility of oversupply is the kind that occurs with heavy developer activity.

New housing estates are a classic example. They are also usually the furthest distance from the CBD where land supply is plentiful and infrastructure and amenities threadbare.

But even CBD locations can be tarnished with high developer activity - in the unit market. Just remember that population growth at a micro level, like suburbs, is not an indicator of increasing demand, but increasing supply. Imagine getting those round the wrong way.

Two side of the equation

Note that supply is not the only side of the equation  demand is important too. Developers have a tendency to focus on demand more so than supply. Although they may get the supply side wrong, they can often find areas with decent demand.

So some of the markets mentioned in HIAs report will not have the lowest demand to supply ratios (DSR). In fact, the average DSR was 56 which was the median DSR for Australia at the end of April 2016.

The highest DSR in HIAs report was 72 - for Melbourne CBD houses. However, the development they mentioned in Melbourne may have been attributed to the unit market, not housing market. The report didnt specify. The DSR for units in that case was only 66.

Some of the markets in the HIA report had a DSR less than 40. This is in the bottom quartile or red area of the graphic above.

There were over 1,000 property markets around Australia with a DSR of 73 or higher. In other words, there are literally tens of thousands of better investment locations than the ones appearing in HIAs report.

DSR vs HIA

Table 2 shows the top 20 investment markets in Australia by DSR (Demand to Supply Ratio) as at the end of April 2016.

Table 2  High DSR locations

Note that new properties are more expensive than old ones. Developers never build old properties. So where there is heavy developer activity, the median climbs.

But this is not capital growth. Its median growth  not the same thing. If youre ever to find a market with negative capital growth but rising medians, its one with heavy developer activity.

So dont come pointing your finger at me 12 months from now saying I was wrong. Capital growth is not accurately measured in markets with heavy building.

Who loves HIA?

Obviously HIA is a good thing for developers and their builders. And the more development, the more supply which keeps a lid on prices. So, first home buyers might respect them.

The report might also come in handy for real estate agents selling developer stock. In fact, the marketing arm of many a developer jump on these sorts of reports.

Ive even noticed one award winning buyers agent in QLD referring to this report as a plus to invest in some of these locations. Hmm.

Not all BAs are created equal. Before enlisting their help, check if they understand the concept of supply and demand. Most BAs I know totally get it. In fact, a lot of them are members of DSR Data.

Conclusion

Sure it all comes down to supply and demand. But how you interpret the statistics to come up with a demand to supply ratio (DSR) is crucial. Far from being top spots, heavy developer activity actually creates bot-spots.
In 1861 Ulysses S. Grant spent his first Christmas as a general at Cairo, at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. (His wife, the former Julia Dent, whom he married Aug. 22, 1848, was at home.)

By then, he had already fought and won his first battle, the Battle of Belmont. No one would have suspected that he would go on to win another dozen battles over the next three and a half years; finishing with 13 victories, four more than Alexander the Greats nine.

Grants entrance in the Civil War began after the fall of Fort Sumter, when talk of war was in the air in Galena. When Grant, an 1843 graduate of West Point, was asked for his views, the citys leaders were impressed by his clear and common-sense analysis.

Of those impressed, the most important proved to be local congressman Elihu Washburn. Washburn pressed Grants qualifications on his longtime friend, President Lincoln. When given the chance, Grant performed credibly in a succession of short assignments.

In August he became a brigadier general in charge of the District of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. His headquarters were in Cairo. The city was muddy, pestilential, and plagued with mosquitoes and rats.

But the 39-year-old Grant was now a general. Both the Union and the Confederates wanted to control the Mississippi River. In September 1861, the Confederates violated the neutrality of the state of Kentucky by invading from Tennessee.

They began fortifying Columbus, Kentucky, on the east bank of the Mississippi. They not only put artillery at the top level of the 150-foot-high bluffs, they also had guns on the shoreline and at a third point half way up the embankment.

Nearly 140 pieces of artillery were trained on the river, including the largest rifled gun in the entire Confederate arsenal (the 148-pound gun nicknamed Lady Polk) was across the river at Belmont, Mo.

It was an important transit spot for moving troops from Kentucky to Missouri. The Confederates put up Camp Johnson there. Columbus was 20 miles downstream from Grants headquarters in Cairo.

In early November, Grant put the 15,000 troops under his command into motion on five separate paths. Four of the moves were diversionary attacks, to keep the enemy guessing.

On Nov. 6, four transports and two gunboats moved Grants main striking force down to a point on the east bank, near Columbus, observable but out of the range of Confederate guns.

The next morning, Union forces suddenly crossed to the west bank, coming ashore at Hunters Landing north of Belmont. The 3,114 men began marching on Belmont. In a spirited battle, Union forces overran Camp Johnson. The right wing of the attack featured the 27th Illinois, under the command of Col. Nathan Buford, the founder of Andalusia.

The Confederates retreated, but the Union victory was not consolidated. To Grants disgust, the volunteers and many of their officers began looting the camp. Meanwhile, Confederate reinforcements arrived from across the river, and began to surround the happy looters on all sides. Then they panicked.

Grant rallied them shouting, We cut our way in, so we can cut our way out. They indeed fought their way back to their transport ships. Of over 3,000 Union soldiers engaged, 600 were killed, wounded, or captured. The Confederates suffered similar losses.

Grants bold and aggressive raid excited the Northern public that had become impatient at the inactivity of other generals. On the surface, not much was accomplished, but Grants men gained a confidence in themselves and him that they never lost.

Grants Kentucky opponents were left wondering where he would strike next.

No wonder Gen. Grant enjoyed Christmas, 1861.

Sources: Grants Memoirs; Bruce Catton, Grant Moves South; Lloyd Lewis, Captain Sam Grant; Official Records of the war of the Rebellion, Vol. III; Donald J. Roberts II, Battle of Belmont, warfarehistorynetwork. William Anderson also contributed to this column.
Q. Why are the street lights not working on the west side of Brown Street between 4th and 5th streets in Davenport? They have been out for a while. -- Kyle

A. We contacted the city of Davenport to find out. Nicole Gleason, Davenport public works director/assistant city administrator, responded:

"There is currently a coordinated effort between the Downtown Davenport Partnership and Public Works to take over the maintenance for all privately operated street lights. The ones referenced in this email are actually powered by the business on this block and the city does not have access to power. The first such contract was executed on the last council cycle, and we will continue until we have agreements with all private lights that are lighting public streets. The long term goal is to get these lights on the City of Davenport power grid, however, this will take time as we plan to convert them as construction/repairs are occurring."

Q. What are all of the orange markings on trees along Interstate 80 between U.S. 61 and the Mississippi River? -- Reader

A. We contacted the Iowa Department of Transportation to find out. Catherine Cutler, transportation planner, District 6, Iowa DOT, responded:

"We have a project coming to clear up some dead/sick trees and invasive species of trees. Orange markings indicate removal. Blue markings on a tree means it stays."

We also asked if this was an Emerald Ash Borer infestation? Cutler said, "Yes, some. Tree of heaven and red cedar are others. Cedars are a special nuisance as seeds are spread by birds and get into farm fields."

Q. Do any local police departments enforce window tint laws? I am seeing more and more vehicles with extremely dark windows. -- J.W., Walcott, Iowa

A. We contacted the Walcott, Iowa, Police Department; the Davenport Police Department, the Bettendorf Police Department and the Scott County Sheriff for more information.

Walcott Police Chief Jeff Blake said, "We just just recently ordered window tint meters to enforce that law. After receiving them and training the officers we will use the meters."

Bettendorf Police Chief Phil Redington said, "The Bettendorf Police Department does enforce our tinted window laws. Since January 1, 2017, our officers have issued 37 citations and 90 written warnings for dark windows/tint violations.

The Davenport Police Department has not responded. However, a similar question was posed in Ask the Times in 2015. Here was their response at that time:

A. We contacted the Davenport Police Department to find out. Capt. Brent Biggs responded:

"Traffic units are equipped with tint meters, and additional equipment is available for check out on the patrol shifts. The past year 186 (citations and warnings) have been issued for obstructed vision violations, which covers tinted windows."

The Scott County Sheriff's Department has not responded. We will include any responses we receive from the Davenport Police Department or the Scott County Sheriff's Department in a follow up. For more information on window tinting laws visit qctimes.com/askthetimes.
A Davenport man arrested Tuesday for peddling drugs was back in jail a day later for again allegedly trafficking in illicit drugs and possessing a loaded handgun.

Devontate Mauryce Davis Sr. 26, of 3535 Main St., Apt. A, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of possession with the intent to deliver crack cocaine, and failure to attach an Iowa drug tax stamp to the drugs.

The arrest was made on a warrant dated Dec. 8.

According to the arrest affidavit for that arrest by Davenport Police Detective Cpl. Joshua Stocking, at about 8 p.m., on Oct. 16, Davis vehicle was impounded and taken to Freds Towing.

A search warrant was issued by a judge to search the vehicle in which officers seized a baggy containing 21.35 grams of crack cocaine.

Possession with the intent to deliver no more than 40 grams of crack cocaine is a Class C felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. The drug tax stamp charge is a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of up to five years.

Davis was able to bond out of jail Tuesday by paying 10 percent of a $10,000 bond through a bonding company.

The Davenport Police Departments Tactical Operations Bureau kept Davis under surveillance.

Officers watched Davis leave his residence on Wednesday driving a 2001 Maroon Chevrolet Tahoe, according to an arrest affidavit filed by Davenport Police Detective Robert Myers.

Officers followed Davis, who had two passengers in his vehicle, to NorthPark Mall. Officers then made contact with Davis and his passengers. Davis was carrying $3,188 in cash.

During a search of Davis vehicle, officers seized 142.65 grams of marijuana, 10.4 grams of crack cocaine, and 8.3 grams of powder cocaine.

Officers also seized a loaded .22-caliber Jimenez Arms pistol

In this case, Davis is charged with one count each of possession with intent to deliver no more than 100 grams of cocaine, and possession with the intent to deliver no more than 10 grams of crack cocaine. Both charges are Class C felonies.

Davis also is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana and possession of a firearm by a felon. He also is charged with three additional counts of failure to attach an Iowa drug tax stamp. All of the charges are Class D felonies.

Federal authorities could take over the weapons charge, and possibly add more under Project Safe Neighborhoods. Instituted in 2001, Project Safe Neighborhoods is a Justice Department initiative to reduce gun violence.

It is a federal offense for a felon to be in possession of a firearm. It also is a federal offense to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime.

There also is no parole in the federal prison system.

Davis was booked into the Scott County Jail early Thursday. He was being held Friday night in the Scott County Jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond and a $10,000 cash or surety bond.

A preliminary hearing for Davis is scheduled for December 29 in Scott County District Court.
Looking to cozy up this Christmas season with something special and spiked? We gathered a list of custom cocktails to make your holiday even more cheerful. The following recipes were provided by mixologists at Cool Beanz Coffee House in Rock Island, Cru in downtown Davenport and Mississippi River Distilling Co. in LeClaire.

If you don't want to prepare these libations at home, no worries. Hotel BlackHawk, Bix Bistro, UP Skybar and Viva (the latter two are part of the Current Iowa hotel) have partnered with Mississippi River Distilling Company to host the "12 Drinks of Christmas." Through the end of December, you can try special holiday beverages at these establishments. Plus, patrons will receive an entry with drink purchase for a prize drawing to be conducted at the end of month.

1. Earl Grey Hot Toddy

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Bourbon

10 oz Hot Earl Grey Tea

1 tblspoon Honey

Directions:

Combine ingredients and serve with a slice of lemon in a 12 oz mug

2. Irish Coffee

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey

1 oz heavy cream

2 teaspoons sugar

12 oz brewed coffee

Whipped cream for topping

3. Winter's Kiss Martini

Ingredients:

1.5 oz vodka

4 oz Dry Rose Wine

1/2 oz simple syrup

1 tablespoon Barb's Garden Pantry Raspberry Chipotle Jam

Directions:

With a spoon, stir ingredients well in shaker with ice to break up jam. Strain ice and pour into martini glass.

*The three recipes above were submitted by Cool Beanz Coffee House, 1325 30th St., Rock Island.

4. WinteRYE Night

Alex Nagel, the bar manager at Cru, a wine bar in downtown Davenport, says this "fairly simple cocktail evokes thoughts of being surrounded by friends and family and warming up with a great drink."

Ingredients:

2 oz Mississippi River Distilling Co. Iowish Creme liqueur

1 oz Mississippi River Distilling Co. Cody Road Rye

 oz honey brown sugar Syrup

Directions:

Can be served warm or chilled. To make the honey brown sugar syrup, combine 8 oz organic honey, 8 oz boiling water and 4 tablespoon brown sugar plus a dash of nutmeg. Mix ingredients and stir until well combined.

5. Holiday Mule

This drink is a "fun twist on the beloved Moscow Mule," Nagel said. He recommends extrapolating the single serving to make a batch cocktail for larger groups.

Ingredients:

1 oz vodka

 oz fresh pressed lime juice

 oz cranberry syrup

 oz rosemary ginger syrup

Directions:

Combine ingredients and shake, strain over ice and top with ginger beer. To make your own cranberry syrup, mash 1  cups of fresh cranberries and set aside. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1  cups of sugar and cranberries. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain and chill. To make your own rosemary ginger syrup, peel and slice 2 medium ginger roots. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add 1  cups of sugar, prepared ginger and 4 large sprigs of rosemary. Simmer and steep for 20-25 minutes. Strain and chill.

*The two above cocktail recipes were provided by Cru, 221 Brady St., Davenport. For more info, visit facebook.com/cru221.

6. Cody's Bourbon Sour

Ingredients:

1 oz Cody Road Bourbon

 oz fresh lemon juice

 of an egg white

 oz Cranberry/Rosemary simple syrup

Ginger ale to taste

Directions:

Shake bourbon, lemon and egg for 30 seconds. Add cranberry/rosemary simple syrup and ice, strain into a rocks glass and top with ginger ale, rosemary sprig and two cranberries. To make the cranberry/rosemary simple syrup, combine 2 cups unsweetened cranberry juice and 1 cup of sugar. Bring to a slight boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add in 1 sprig of rosemary and let cool. Store in refrigerator for up to one month.

7. Cranberry Rose

Ingredients:

1  oz River Rose

 oz Very Cherry Liqueur

 oz fresh lemon

 oz cranberry rosemary simple syrup

 oz egg white

Directions:

Shake gin, lemon and egg white for 15 seconds. Add cranberry rosemary simple syrup and ice, shake to chill. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.

8. Cody Road Float

Ingredients:

1 oz Cody Road Rye

1 oz Iowa Coffee Company Liqueur

1 oz Iowish Cream

Root beer to taste

Directions:

Shake until frothy. Use plenty of ice. Top with root beer.

9. Brooklyn

Ingredients:

2 oz Cody Road Rye

 oz amaro

 oz dry vermouth

2 dashes plumb bitters

1 barspoon luxardo cherry

Directions:

Garnish with a lemon twist.

10. Black Forest

Ingredients:

1 oz Cody Road Bourbon

1 oz Very Cherry Liqueur

1 oz grenadine

8 oz Hot chocolate

Directions:

Mix in a coffee mug. Garnish with a torched marshmallow.

11. Sip Me I'm Iowish

Ingredients:

1  oz Iowish Cream

1  oz River Baron Artisan Spirit

 oz Hazelnut simple syrup

2 sprays atomized coffee extract

Directions:

Shake until frothy. Garnish with cinnamon.

*The above six recipes were provided by Mississippi River Distilling Co. For more info, visit mrdistilling.com.
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As Vice President Pence fawningly praised Donald Trump's achievements at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, the camera caught Defense Secretary Jim Mattis shuffling his papers, adjusting his water glass and fidgeting in his seat until the adulatory speech ended.

As this year winds down, Mattis remains the good soldier, seated at Trump's left and guarding his flank, trying to avoid the political fracas of this presidency. He's the rare Trump appointee who doesn't seem to have been damaged by his proximity to power. His Pentagon is a force for stability at a time when so many other American institutions are stressed.

Mattis' only problem may be this bipartisan popularity: He's the Trump official who's admired by people who don't like Trump. That rubs some Trump enthusiasts the wrong way. Former White House adviser Steve Bannon is said to view Mattis as too close to the traditional foreign policy establishment. But Trump himself seems respectful of the retired Marine general he likes to call "Mad Dog."

The chivalrous Mattis is an unlikely partner for Trump. He's a Stoic, with an almost superstitious dislike for the spotlight. It's notable that he has avoided gloating this year about victory over the Islamic State, recalling Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's refusal to visit Richmond after its collapse to the Union army in 1865. Mattis clearly abhors the political parlor games that are part of Trump's Washington.

Mattis watched the near-dismemberment this year of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, his friend and ally. After White House leaks about Tillerson's prospective firing, Mattis seemed to embrace him more closely in interagency debates. The controversy around Tillerson was a reminder that there's no "adult swim" in this administration; Trump owns the pool.

Rumors of Tillerson's death proved premature: He's still the administration's point man on North Korea, traveling to Canada this week to discuss new pressures on Pyongyang, including blacklisting ships that have been evading sanctions. Perhaps by keeping Tillerson in place, Trump perversely wants to show that reports of his troubles were just more "fake news."

Trump insiders still predict that Tillerson will depart sometime in the new year, and that he will be replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo. The open, gregarious Pompeo would be an easier fit with Trump, and he appears to have developed a solid working relationship with Mattis as well. Whether Mattis and Pompeo can work well as a team may be crucial for the administration.

Mattis will have continuity at the Pentagon during this period of global turmoil. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford and Vice Chairman Paul Selva were recently reappointed to additional two-year terms. Patrick Shanahan was confirmed as deputy defense secretary in July; the former Boeing executive is beginning to shape acquisitions and technology decisions, two areas where Mattis is weak.

The rest of Mattis' team is finally in place. John Rood has been named undersecretary for policy, a key job to which Mattis had once hoped to appoint former Ambassador Anne Patterson. (She was nixed after opposition from Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., among others; Cotton's rumored appointment to head the CIA if Pompeo leaves might be awkward for Mattis). Adm. Joe Kernan, a former Navy SEAL, is undersecretary for intelligence. Ellen Lord, a former CEO of Textron, is undersecretary for acquisitions.

The trickiest challenge for Mattis next year will be North Korea. The defense secretary backs Tillerson's strategy of diplomatic pressure; the goal is slow asphyxiation. But Trump wants military options, too, and the Pentagon is working hard to deliver them. Dunford must be prepared for a possible North Korean nuclear-missile launch, anytime.

John Hamre, a former deputy secretary of defense, recently cautioned colleagues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which he heads, that a high-level administration official had admonished him that "we are running out of time on North Korea." To which Hamre responded: "What the hell are you talking about? ... Everyone in Washington should just calm down. Stop working ourselves up to a fevered pitch with breathless rhetoric that has no policy direction. We have lived with this before and we will live with it now."

Will Mattis offer similar patient counsel, born of his experience as a battlefield commander? Will a new secretary of state be as effective a partner for Mattis as Tillerson has been? Can Mattis remain so widely respected, among Republicans and Democrats, without drawing the wrath of a peevish, prideful president? Those are some of the Pentagon puzzles for 2018.

Mattis has been reckoned as a force for calm, but it may be that the storm is only just beginning.
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The Vatican's saint-making office has updated its rules governing the use of relics for would-be saints, issuing detailed new guidelines Saturday that govern how body parts and cremated remains are to be obtained, transferred and protected for eventual veneration.

The instructions explicitly rule out selling the hair strands, hands, teeth and other body parts of saints that often fetch high prices in online auctions. They also prohibit the use of relics in sacrilegious rituals and warn that the church may have to obtain consent from surviving family members before unearthing the remains of candidates for sainthood.

Bodily relics are an important part of Catholic tradition, since the body is considered to be the "instrument" of the person's saintliness. Beatification and canonization Masses often feature the relic being ceremoniously brought to the altar in an elaborate display case and allowing the faithful to publicly venerate the new blessed or saint for the first time.

Officials said the new guidelines were necessary given some obstacles that had arisen since the rules were last revised in 2007, particularly when surviving relatives and church officials disagreed. One current case before a U.S. appeals court concerns a battle over the remains of Fulton Sheen, an American archbishop known for his revolutionary radio and television preaching in the 1950s and 1960s.

Sheen's niece went to court to force the archdiocese of New York to transfer Sheen's body from the crypt of St. Patrick's Cathedral to Peoria, Illinois, where Sheen was born, ordained a priest and where his sainthood cause has been launched by Peoria's bishop.

The New York archdiocese refused and appealed a 2016 lower court ruling in favor of the niece. A decision from the appeals court is expected soon.

Monsignor Robert Sarno of the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints said it's impossible to know what difficulties could complicate a saint-making case or whether the new guidelines might have helped avoid the legal battle over Sheen.

But Sarno said the Vatican believed the updates were needed anyway to provide bishops around the world with a detailed, go-to guide in multiple languages to replace the Latin instructions that provided only general rules to follow.

New to the protocols is an article that makes clear that bishops must have the "consent of the heirs" in places where the bodies of the dead legally belong to surviving family members or heirs.

The revised instructions lay out in detail how a body is to be unearthed, saying it must be covered with a "decorous" cloth while a relic is being taken or authenticated, and then re-buried in clothes of similar style.

They also make clear that the bishops involved must agree in writing to any transfer of remains and call for absolute secrecy when a body is unearthed and a relic taken for eventual veneration.

The document repeats church teaching that relics from candidates for sainthood can only be venerated publicly once they have been beatified, the first step to possible sainthood, and not before.

The guidance explicitly allows for cremated remains to be used as relics. For most of its 2,000-year history, the Catholic Church only permitted burial, arguing that it best expressed the Christian hope for resurrection. But in 1963, the Vatican explicitly allowed cremation as long as it didn't suggest a denial of faith about resurrection.

The new instructions only cover the so-called "first class" of relics from the actual body of the saintly candidate. The church also recognizes second- and third-class relics, such as clothes and other materials that came into contact with the would-be saint's body.
How can we find out how much city funding has already been spent by sending our chief of police and others to Texas in regards to the homeless village they want to build downtown? Property taxpayers will pay big time when this project is forced upon us.

First it's the deer, then the mountain lion and now the elk. What's next  the turkeys, rabbits and squirrels?

Congress passes a $1.5 trillion tax cut, which is a tremendous reduction in revenue to the nation and a great Christmas blessing to corporate America. Get ready to pay for this with tremendous cuts to Obamacare, Medicare and Social Security.

If your dog gets out, fix the fence or pay the price. It isn't the people who catch the dogs fault  it is yours, so buck up, buddy.

So Kristi Noem's family collects $3.7 million dollars in tax-assisted farm subsidies from 1995 and she's complaining about paying taxes.

If trying to pay the least possible is not patriotic and unfair to our children who will inherit this national debt, I suggest you write a check for double whatever your tax bill is each year from now on to show your "patriotism" and concern for the children, of course.
WOODS BAY  Someone with a well-worded dream and a willingness to risk $150 will be the next owner of a popular restaurant near Flathead Lake this summer.

Thats the hope of the current owners of the Woods Bay Grill.

Back in 2004, sisters Terry Browning and Margaret Davis-Stiger took a leap of faith to purchase the grill on the east side of Flathead Lake.

Neither knew anything about operating a restaurant or running a business back then.

Over the course of the next 13 years, the sisters and Brownings daughter, Leslie, worked long hours to expand the business to create a hometown cafe that now draws both locals and tourists year around.

We want to find someone to carry this on as a restaurant, Leslie Browning said. We dont want them to change it too much. The local community loves this restaurant. Our hope is that it will continue.

From their own experience, the women knew that purchasing a restaurant and then trying to make payments from the profits they earned was difficult.

We went for years without a paycheck because we had to pay for the place, said Davis-Stiger. We struggled a lot in the beginning.

And so when they heard the story of how the owners of the Center Lovell Inn in Maine had twice found new owners through an essay contest, the three decided that would be the perfect route to find someone with the desire and passion needed to carry on the tradition of good food and friendly atmosphere that they had worked so hard to create.

Over the course of the next six months, the three women plan to spend a good deal of time reading what they hope will be thousands of 300-word essays from restaurant owner hopefuls. If all goes according to plan, by June 15 theyll turn over the best 50 or so essays to a panel of local judges who will make the final decision on who will get the key to the business.

The essays they read wont have a name attached. If they dont get the numbers they need to turn over the business  a minimum of 3,333 entries, totaling $499,950  the entry money will be returned in June.

All of that money will go into escrow, Leslie Browning said. If we dont get enough entries, then well give people their money back. Its not a use-it-or-lose-it kind of option.

Giving up the restaurant wasnt the original plan.

Back when they started, the sisters had hoped to turn over the business to their children, Leslie Browning and Margarets son, Kazz Stiger. They had even nicknamed the restaurant Kazzs Place.

Tragedy struck in 2015 when Kazz died from a drug overdose at the age of 25.

That threw us for a loop, said Terry Browning. It really knocked us down. Thank goodness, December was coming up and we were able to close down. That gave us time to figure out some way to move forward.

It was back then the three really started looking for a way to keep the restaurant intact but in someone elses hands.

This place is an integral part of this community, Terry Browning said. They dont want to see it change very much.

Stepping into the Woods Bay Grill is like taking a step back in time when people looked forward to seeing someone they knew at a place where locals gathered.

The grill is right behind the counter where customers sit on red-topped stools and watch their food being cooked. The counter and tabletops are adorned with thin-sliced agates collected by the sisters parents in eastern Montana.

Its like an old-time diner, said Terry Browning.

The cook isnt stuck back in room where they cant see the people, Leslie Browning said. It creates a relationship between you and your customers thats unique from any other restaurant Ive seen or worked in.

It kind of has the feeling of a nonalcoholic Cheers,  she said. Your friends walk in the door and its like you expect to hear someone yell Norm! 

A lot of people know my name, but I often dont know theirs, said Terry Browning. But if you say, 'Its that man and woman and he eats this and she eats that; you know, the ones who get the caramel roll and the great big thick pancake with huckleberries.' Oh, yes, I know who youre talking about now.

Along the way, the customers became like family.

The restaurant even boasts a Jack Hanna room, where the famous zoologist has been known to bring guests.

You never know who is going to walk through the door from one day to the next, said Terry Browning. One guy gave us a 52-inch TV that was brand spanking new. He had gone out and bought it because I gave him a free salad. I mean to tell, it just flabbergasted me.

The women said theyre willing to share everything theyve learned over the years about what it takes to create a place where people love to gather and eat.

I think it would be a great thing if we can give it away to someone who will appreciate whats here and be willing to give it their all, just like we did, Davis-Stiger said. Weve put everything we had into this.

They know taking over a restaurant debt-free could change someones life.

For someone who has a love for cooking and love for being around people, this place can be their salvation because they can create a new life for themselves here, Leslie Browning said. Thats what were hoping to find.

To learn more about the essay contest, go to woodsbaygrill.com.
Guwahati: Around a week left to publish the first draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Friday said that, NRC updation works on the mammoth exercise still remains incomplete.

After reviewing the NRC updation progress discussing with the top officials of Assam government in Guwahati, the Union Home Secretary said while briefing a press conference that, very significant amount of NRC works still need to be done.

Over 68 lakh applications of 3.28 people and over 6 crore documents were submitted in the NRC process and verification process of maximum documents have been already done. As per directive by the Supreme Court, the first draft of NRC to be published on December 31 next, Rajiv Gauba said.

The Supreme Court has monitored the entire process and we are bound to maintain the time frame. The NRC updation process is a massive exercise that has been undertaken by the Registrar General of India (RGI) through mobilization of the entire state machinery, Gauba said.

The Union Home Secretary further said that, it is a part draft NRC which will be published on December 31 and if somebodys name doesnt include in it then no need to worry.

After publishing the part draft NRC, another draft NRC to be published and people can file their claims and objections, whose names doesnt include in the draft NRC. They will take time to file claims and objections. Every Indian citizen names to be included in the NRC, the Union Home Secretary said.

Rajiv Gauba said that, the both centre and state government have been taken adequate security measures for the entire NRC process and monitored every security corner.

On the issue of porous Indo-Bangladesh border, the Union Home Secretary said that, the entire Indo-Bangladesh border to be sealed by 2018 end.

The border fencing works are going on and modern electronic devices to be used in the riverine border to check infiltration, Gauba said.

The Union Home Secretary said that, the internal security scenario in the North East region has been gradually improved compared to past period.

But few insurgent groups are still active in the region, Gauba said.

The Union Home Secretary said that, the proposed Naga peace pact will not affect the territorial integrity of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

Earlier, the Union Home Secretary had chaired a series of high level meeting with the government, security agency officials and took stock the measures taken by the state government and security agencies to deal with the situation ahead of draft NRC publication.

Gauba also chaired in the Unified Command structure meeting in Guwahati in presence of top officials of Assam police, armys 4 corps, 3 corps, CRPF, BSF, SSB and Nagaland police.

The Union Home Secretary also met Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and discussed in the issues related to Assam Accord implementation, NRC, Indo-Bhutan border etc.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
 Noting executions uncompleted in 2017 | Main | Making a space, yet again, for the airing of sentencing grievances this Festivus 

As reported in this prior post, Prez Trump made some minor modern clemency history by commuting the 27-year prison sentence of Sholom Rubashkin. This NBC News piece, headlined "Trumps first commutation met with hope and skepticism," provides some context and commentary on this decision:

After President Donald Trump commuted the 27-year sentence of Sholom Rubashkin, a former kosher meatpacking plant CEO convicted of financial fraud, prison reform advocates on Thursday immediately perked up.

Trump, they said, did something not even President Barack Obama  a strong proponent for reform  had done: commuted a sentence during his first year in office. It wasn't until 2011 when Obama  three years into his first term  commuted the sentence of a federal prisoner, although he had pardoned nine people a year before.

"I'm extremely excited about this and am very optimistic that Trump is going to surprise people," said Amy Povah, the founder of CAN-DO, a nonprofit that advocates clemency for federal prisoners convicted of drug crimes. "I communicate with a lot of prisoners, and I guarantee you they woke up to renewed hope."

Still, the number of commutations that could roll out under the Trump administration remains unknown. With so much at stake, some fighting for criminal justice reform are asking whether the Rubashkin case is a precursor of things to come  or just a rare one-off. Neither the White House nor the Justice Department immediately responded to requests for comment Thursday....

Rubashkin had the support of both Democrats and Republicans in Washington for his commutation. Notably, a push for the Obama administration to take action fell on deaf ears. That was even as Obama moved swiftly later in his final term to begin commuting sentences. Obama granted clemency to 1,715 federal prisoners  more than any other U.S. president in history. The vast majority had been sentenced under mandatory minimum laws that were enacted in the 1980s and 90s to address the scourge of drugs....

Kevin Ring, the president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, said he's concerned that the bar might be set too high for inmates seeking commutations  given that Rubashkin's case was high-profile enough to attract the interest of lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. He also questioned if certain types of prisoners  those not associated with white-collar crimes like Rubashkin  would benefit from clemency. "Most are just families who don't wield any political influence," Ring said.....

In recent days, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has suggested Congress could tackle criminal justice reform in the next year. That's important to Holly Harris, the executive director of the U.S. Justice Action Network, a lobbying group with advocates from the left and right.

She said a bipartisan bill in the House, the Prison Reform and Redemption Act, which would allow certain prisoners to serve the end of their sentences in halfway homes or home confinement, could be a catalyst in overhauling the system. "Voters are very well educated and realize that one-size sentencing doesn't work," Harris said. "The president of the United States has sent a really positive signal" with the release of Rubashkin.

While Trump ran as the "law and order" candidate, his lack of specifics on the criminal justice issue, apart from how it relates to immigration and national security, could end up going beyond what Obama started and result in sweeping change, Povah added. "We know that he's an outsider, and I don't think he always necessarily cares what's conventional," she said. "So I kind of hope that that can benefit people."




Five projects include to provide medical equipment for the Phu Yen Traditional Medicine Hospital, My Xuyen District Hospital in Soc Trang province and Co Do District Medical Center in Can Tho city; ambulances for the Hau My Bac A Commune Medical Center in Tien Giang province and to build seven classrooms in the Vinh Binh Primary School in Long An province.Speaking at the signing ceremony, Japanese Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Mr. Kawaue Junichi appreciated these projects; and he strongly affirmed good friendly cooperation ties between Vietnam and Japan during the previous time.With a role of Vietnams biggest donor, Japan has made more efforts to help the country in completing infrastructure projects such as expressway construction, urban railways

BY THANH HANG- Translated by Huyen Huong
Moreover, its growth rate is 9.34 percent compared to same period last year. The sector has handed over VND94,994 billion into the governments budget equal to 104.3 percent of the plan.

According to the Ministrys report, the sectors revenue in press is estimated around VND13,912 billion meanwhile it is VND18,933 billion in publication; it is VND7,500 billion in payable television services; VND20,148 billion in postal services; VND352,198 billion in telecommunications; and VND1,723,500 billion communication technologies respectively.

In 2017, telecom firms have taken heeds to spend in infrastructure for its sustainable development in the contest of international integration. Giant firms such as Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group, Viettel, MobiFone have invested in upgrading cable and stations 4G to provide high quality services.

Despite difficulties, telecom firms over- fulfilled a plan to have high growth speed in comparison with 2016. Viettels revenue in 2017 has exceeded by 3 percent while VNPTs turnover has surpassed 6.5 percent and MobiFone has also exceeded 0.1 percent.

For instance, Viettel posted revenue of VND49,500 billion while its pre-tax profit was VND43,936 billion and it paid VND41,142 billion. VNPTs turnover has reached VND144,747 billion with its profit of VND5,.010 billion and its payment into state budget of VND4,116 billion. Meantime, MobiFone has had turnover of VND44,234 billion; with the after-tax profit of VND4,471 billion. Mobifone paid VND5,031 billion into the governments budget.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam was present at the meeting.

By TRAN BINH - Translated by UYEN PHUONG
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Pham Binh Minh also sent a congratulatory message to Foreign Affairs Minister of Japan Taro Kono.On the same day, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also cabled congratulatory message to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.During a dialogue between the two nations Prime Ministers, both sides pleasured good development of the Vietnam- Japan multifaceted relationships in 2017; especially friendly meetings between the senior delegations of the countries including the first state-level visit of Emperor and Empress, official visit of PM Shinzo Abe to Vietnam as well as the official tournament of Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the sunrise country.The two leaders agreed to continue closely collaborating with relevant ministries, departments and agencies to carry out cooperation agreements of the nations senior leaders with a target of deepening the Vietnam- Japan strategic partnership ties including strengthening cooperation in security defense, investment of Japan in Vietnam, organization of activities to mark the 45th establishment anniversary of Vietnam and Japan in 2018.Relating to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe about mutual collaboration to early finish negotiation and signing the agreement.

BY THANH NAM- Translated by Huyen Huong
HINTON, Iowa | This Sunday will be busier than normal for The Rev. Kolleen Queener, who will lead four services at two churches in two different Northwest Iowa cities.

Many churches in larger cities like Sioux City hold more than one Sunday service to accommodate its worshipers, but smaller Siouxland churches, particularly in rural areas, typically offer a single service. That changes in years, like 2017, when Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday.

"I had double services to plan this week. My kids are coming home. I am trying to clean my house, wrap my presents, so yeah, it is a challenge," Queener said.

Like many pastors for smaller churches, Queener serves two congregations -- Hinton United Methodist Church in Hinton and Merrill-Melbourne United Methodist Church, which is located in rural Plymouth County between Hinton and Merrill.

Queener will conduct regular Sunday morning services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., then shift gears for Christmas Eve services at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

At Merrill-Melbourne, she noted there often are less than 20 people attending Sunday morning services. After more than seven years as the pastor there, she's noticed Christmas Eve can draw nearly four times that number. Queener said many people travel back to their hometowns and attend church, since that is important to them.

"There is a very strong tradition of Christmas Eve at both churches," she said.

Both candlelight evening services will have worshipers sharing flames across pew to pew. Queener said she won't give a sermon on Christmas Eve. The service will be heavy on scripture reading and holiday songs. She settled on a lineup of eight songs that included "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "Silent Night" and "Away in the Manger."

She said people relish comforting reminders about the birth of Jesus Christ.

"I just like to let the story stand on its own...People want to have what they expect. It is not a time for experimenting," Queener said.

Queener said the only other busier time of the church year comes at Easter.

A few miles farther east in rural Plymouth County, Steven Stoll serves as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, 29014 Lake Ave. Stoll said the annual Christmas children's program will be held during the regular 9:30 a.m. service Sunday morning. Many of the same people will attend a 7 p.m. candlelight service.

He said the Christmas Eve services draw about 130 people, or roughly double a normal Sunday morning.

Stoll said people have expectations for a memorable service, but it doesn't result in a surge of adrenaline for him to specially deliver that evening. He won't polish his sermon longer than normal, saying his usual preparation of 10 to 15 hours will fit well for his Christmas Eve message.

"The (main) story is the fulfillment of the promise by the birth of the child, of the Old Testament prophecy," he said.

In Elk Point, South Dakota, Elk Point Baptist Church Pastor Jesse Hailey said there is no trouble getting enough people to serve in church roles even in a day with two services. Hailey said the pastoral duties over two services isn't anything he remotely dreads.

"It is work that isn't a chore. It is my life, it is what I love to do," he said.

Hailey said the Christmas Eve service will be heavy on reading the nativity story from the Second Chapter of Luke, plus the candle lighting that people enjoy.

"I am a nostalgic guy. It just has a cool effect to it," Hailey said.

Stoll said the Christmas period is taxing. He has weekly Wednesday Advent services along with the Sunday services, and admitted he'll be tired by the end of the long December month on Sunday night.

"You just have to manage your time a little better," he said.
SIOUX CITY | The Sioux City School District offered no public explanation for suspending finance director John Chalstrom in mid-February, in the midst of the district crafting its annual budget.

A Journal investigation later revealed that the district placed Chalstrom on indefinite administrative leave, with pay and benefits, just two days after he leveled a series of charges against Superintendent Paul Gausman over his management style.

Through an intermediary, Chalstrom accused Gausman of creating a hostile workplace and threatening his job if he shared alternative budget proposals with board members outside of regular board meetings.

Dan Greenwell, a frequent Gausman and district critic, shared the list of the finance director's concerns with board President Mike Krysl and board Vice President Mike McTaggart at a Feb. 11 meeting in a Sioux City coffee shop and in a subsequent series of emails.

Gausman, a former Iowa superintendent of the year, denied all the allegations.

On April 10, a day after the Journal published its story, the school board, in a 5-2 vote, approved a settlement agreement with Chalstrom. Under the deal, he continued on paid administrative leave until the expiration of his contract on June 30, the end of the district's budget year. Additionally, he received about $35,000 in severance pay through Sept. 30.

The board also said it would launch an internal investigation into the issues raised by Chalstrom. Citing advice from an outside attorney based on legal precedents, the board said any records generated by an investigation related to the conduct or performance of a district employee or former employee would be treated as confidential files not subject to disclosure under the states open records law.

In June, Krysl said the probe found no evidence of wrong doing by Gausman or the district. Chalstrom subsequently said he was not questioned as part of the investigation.

"(The public) can rest assure that the board did take this seriously and undertook a fact-finding mission of its own," Krysl said in June, then days later he refused to say whether Chalstrom had been interviewed.

Chalstrom was formerly the superintendent in Siouxland, at the Cherokee School District, for 10 years prior to taking the Sioux City position in 2014.
Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump this past week earned their biggest legislative victory since sweeping into complete lawmaking power: a significant overhaul of the nations tax laws, including tax cuts for most in the middle class and sweeping cuts for wealthy individuals and businesses.

Looking forward, the GOP-authored tax cuts are a mortal lock to be a top issue of debate on the campaign trail next year.

Both sides believe it can be a winning issue for them.

Republicans are confident a voter with a lighter tax bill will be a happier voter.

Letting people keep more of the money they earned is good economic policy, said U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, a Republican representing eastern Iowas always competitive 1st Congressional District.

Democrats are confident voters will be upset with Republicans for passing tax cuts that provide a larger break, percentage-wise, to wealthier individuals and businesses, and are projected to add billions of dollars to the federal deficit.

(Republicans) have all put a partisan victory for Donald Trump and the Republican Partys special interest backers ahead of Iowa families with this tax bill. They should be ashamed of themselves, said Troy Price, chairman of Iowa Democratic Party.

Early public opinion is with the Democrats. Fewer than 1 in 4 Americans said the Republican tax plan was a good idea, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll published this past week. And by a 63 percent to 7 percent margin, Americans said the tax plan was designed to help corporations and the wealthiest individuals rather than the middle class, according to the poll.

Multiple polls found more Americans think the tax plan will hurt them more than it will help them.

That likely is coming from the multiple analyses that some low-income and middle-class wage earners will actually see a small increase in their tax bill as a result of the Republican plan, a projection to which Democrats have been calling attention.

But it is a small percentage of the population: just 1.2 percent and 4.6 percent in the two lowest-income brackets and 7.3 percent of middle class wage earners will see a tax hike under the plan in 2018, according to analysis from the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.

More than 90 percent of middle-class wage earners will get a tax break, the Tax Policy Center projects.

Democrats point to that same analysis and projections that in 2027, after some of the tax plans provisions end, a majority of middle-class workers then would see a tax increase while the wealthiest 1 percent would continue to receive tax breaks.

But Republicans say future sessions of Congress will have the opportunity to extend the tax cut provisions that, as written, are scheduled to end after 10 years.

So public opinion could swing back to Republicans once people start to see a lighter tax bill.

But Republicans also risk damaging any good will from their tax cuts if they opt to reduce spending on popular social programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Were going to have to get back next year at entitlement reform, which is how you tackle the debt and the deficit, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said recently on Ross Kaminskys talk radio show. Frankly, its the health care entitlements that are the biggest drivers of our debt. ... Thats really where the problem lives, fiscally speaking.

If Republicans manage to win the messaging war over their tax cuts, would they then forfeit that ground if they cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid? Expect that to be litigated on the 2018 campaign trail.

NYC's mayor comes to Iowa

Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York City, spoke this past week at a progressive advocacy groups annual fundraiser in Des Moines.

And no, de Blasio insisted, despite being an out-of-state politician giving a political address in Iowa, he is not planning to run for president in 2020.

Ive said it 400 times, Im not one of those candidates, de Blasio told the New York Times.

This political reporter, however, feels compelled to note de Blasio did during his address make one of those red-flag, Hes running type of comments we often hear from presidential hopefuls here: He noted a familial connection to Iowa. (He said his grandmother was born in Iowa in 1888.)

De Blasio gave the keynote address at the annual fundraiser for Progress Iowa.
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. (December 22, 2017)Deputy State Fire Marshals have charged three juveniles with arson following a nearly two month long investigation in Bel Alton. The blaze originally occurred at the Southern Maryland Youth Home on October 29, 2017 located at 9830 Sodus Manor Place in Faulkner, Charles County. The Bel Alton Volunteer Fire Department was alerted to the fire in a 50' x 20' detached shed.



An investigation by the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal revealed that a flammable liquid was poured onto countertops within the shed and ignited. Zorro, an accelerant detection canine with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, was requested at the initial investigation and alerted in several locations throughout the shed. Damages as a result of the fire were estimated to be $5,000.00



At the conclusion of the criminal investigation, Deputy State Fire Marshals were able to charge 3 juveniles with maliciously igniting the fire. On December 22, 2017, two juveniles, ages 14 and 15 were charged with Arson in the 2nd Degree and released back to the custody of the Southern Maryland Youth Home. The third juvenile, 17 years of age was charged with Malicious Burning and later released to a Baltimore City Department of Social Services worker.



The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services was notified at the conclusion of the investigation.
LEONARDTOWN, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme.

(December 23, 2017)The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office released the following juvenile arrest reports. By law, names of juveniles are not released to the public.10/10/2017: Two juvenile females, age 15, from Lexington Park, were arrested for Assault 2nd Degree by DFC. Gaskill# 274.10/11/2017: Juvenile male, age 15, from Leonardtown, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree by Cpl. Maloy# 137.11/03/2017: Juvenile male, age 13, from Lexington Park, was arrested for Theft by Cpl. Worrey# 152.11/03/2017: Juvenile male, age 16, from Mechanicsville, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Activities by Cpl. Holton# 7311/03/2017: Two juvenile males, age 17, from Mechanicsville, were arrested for Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Activities by Cpl. Holton# 73.11/07/2017: Juvenile male, age 15, from Mechanicsville, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Activities and Affray by Cpl. Holton# 73.11/07/2017: Juvenile male, age 15, from Mechanicsville, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Activities by Cpl. Holton# 73.11/07/2017: Juvenile male, age 17, from Mechanicsville, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Activities by Cpl. Holton# 73.11/08/2017: Juvenile male, age 16, from Great Mills, was arrested for Disruption of School Activities by Cpl. Delozier# 160.11/09/2017: Juvenile male, age 15, from Hollywood, was arrested for Disturbing School Activities by Cpl. Delozier# 160.11/10/2017: Juvenile male, age 13, from Lexington Park, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree by Cpl. Hartzell# 97.11/11/2017: Juvenile male, age 16, from Mechanicsville, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree by Cpl. Kerby# 242.11/13/2017: Juvenile male, age 11, from Lexington Park, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree by Cpl. Hartzell# 97.11/13/2017: Juvenile male, age 17, from Great Mills, was arrested for Dangerous Weapon on School Property and Dangerous Weapon Conceal by DFC. Gaskill# 274.11/14/2017: Juvenile female age 17, from Lexington Park, was arrested for Assault and Disruption of School Activities by DFC. Gaskill# 274.11/14/2017: Juvenile male, age 13, from Helen, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree by Cpl. Maloy# 137.11/15/2017: Juvenile male, age 17, from Leonardtown, was arrested for Burglary 1st Degree and Theft by Cpl. Kerby# 242.11/15/2017: Two juvenile females, age 13, from California, were arrested for Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Activities by Cpl. Hartzell# 9711/16/2017: Juvenile male, age 12, from Lexington Park, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree by DFC. Schultz# 258.11/20/2017: Juvenile male, age 15, from Hollywood, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Activities by Dep. Bowie# 317.11/27/2017: Juvenile male, age 17, from Great Mills, was arrested for Displaying Obscene Material to Minor by Det. Teague# 24912/03/2017: Juvenile female, age 16, from Leonardtown, was arrested for Theft by Dep. Bare# 307.
Abigail Marie Adams, age 27, of Sunderland Brian Yancey Sampson, age 37, of Mechanicsville Charles Robert Hyde, age 27, of Colonial Beach Christina Granados McCauley, age 58, of Leonardtown Darwin Terell Banks, age 44, of Lexington Park Devonte Arnez Shubrooks, age 24, with no fixed address Erin Jean Pinno, age 60, of Great Mills Erin Neveal Stokes, age 26, of Lexington Park Ethan Garrett Frawley, age 18, of Mechanicsville Francis Xavier Hill, age 21, with no fixed address Jackson Columbus Sage, age 62, of Lexington Park Jamel Tiant Mitchell, age 33, of Avenue Jessica Ann Bonacci, age 32, with no fixed address Jessica Marie Beachy, age 29, of Mechanicsville Keith Leonard Mackall, age 54, of Lexington Park Kevin Benjamin Berry, age 30, of Lexington Park Krystal Marie Duffy, age 23, of Lexington Park Michaela Ann Sweat, age 22, of Hagerstown Michelle Ellen Waro, age 44, of Leonardtown Ohmer Watson Webb, age 34, of Mechanicsville Olivia Amber Geter, age 26, of Washington, DC Queen Ella Champion, age 35, of Lexington Park Ryan Marshall Edwards, age 29, of Piney Point Shannon Johanna Dement, age 36, from St. Inigoes Walead NMN Othman, age 50, of Lexington Park William Edward Johnson III, age 27, of Suitland Previous Next

LEONARDTOWN, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme.

(December 23, 2017)The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office released the following report of people either charged and/or arrested on a warrant.12/11/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for False Statement to Officer and Telephone Misuse: Repeat Calls by Dep. Sidorowicz# 328. CASE# 65525-17.12/11/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Theft by Cpl. Potter# 255. CASE# 65541-17.12/11/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Assault 1st Degree and Assault 2nd Degree by Dep. Holdsworth# 305. CASE# 65508-17.12/12/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Violation of Probation/Theft/Forgery by Sgt. Peacher# 130. CASE# 65751-17.12/12/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Violation of Probation/1st Degree Assault by Cpl. Potter# 255. CASE# 65694-17.12/13/2017:, was arrested on an indictment for Possession of Fentanyl and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl by DFC. Carberry# 167. CASE# 65987-17.12/13/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for FTA/Theft by Dep. Bowie# 317. CASE# 66008-17.12/13/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Rape 2nd Degree, and Sex Offense 3rd Degree by Dep. Siciliano# 301. CASE# 65858-17.12/13/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding P.G. County Child Support warrant by Dep. C. Ball# 315. CASE# 65877-17.12/13/2017:, was arrested for FTA/Driving While Suspended by Dep. J. Davis# 296. CASE# 65956-17.12/13/2017:, was arrested on two indictments for the charge of Burglary 2nd Degree, Malicious Destruction of Property, and two counts of Theft by DFC. Tirpak #270. CASE# 65903-17.12/13/2017:, was arrested on two indictments for CDS Possess w/Intent to Distribute Narcotics, two counts of Possession of a Firearm, and Theft by DFC. Tirpak# 270. CASE# 65891-17.12/13/2017:, was arrested on two indictments for Robbery, Assault 1st Degree, Assault 2nd Degree, and Theft of Motor Vehicle, by DFC. Tirpak# 270. CASE# 65914-17.12/14/2017:, was arrested for Escape 2nd Degree by DFC. Tirpak# 270. CASE# 66143-17.12/14/2017:, was arrested for Escape 2nd Degree by DFC. Tirpak# 270. CASE# 66131-17.12/14/2017:, was arrested on two outstanding warrants for FTA/Burglary 4th Degree, Trespass Private Property, and a warrant from Queen Anne County for FTA/Driving Under the Influence by Cpl. Handy# 132. CASE# 66197-17.12/14/2017:, was arrested on four outstanding warrants for Burglary 1st Degree, Theft, and Escape by Cpl. Foor# 235. CASE# 3524-17.12/14/2017:, was arrested for Violation of Probation/Assault 2nd Degree by DFC. Tirpak# 270. CASE# 66135-17.12/15/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Theft by DFC. Roszell# 296. CASE# 66340-17.12/15/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for FTA/CDS Possession not Marijuana by DFC. Roszell# 296. CASE# 66329-17.12/15/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for FTA/Non-Support. CASE# 66297-17.12/15/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Violation of Probation/Burglary, Assault, and Property Destruction by Cpl. Foor# 235. CASE# 66361-17.12/18/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Child Support by DFC. Schultz# 258. CASE# 66988-17.12/18/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Assault 1st Degree by DFC. Schultz# 258. CASE# 66985-17.12/18/2017:, was arrested on a Circuit Court Indictment for Assault 2nd Degree by Dep. J. Davis# 269. CASE# 66975-17.12/18/2017:, was arrested on outstanding warrants for Violation of Probation/CDS Possession and FTA/Trespassing by Dep. Robinson# 332. CASE# 66794-17.12/18/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Theft, Theft Scheme, Credit Card: Steal Another's, and Credit Card/Another Charge Less Than $1,000 by DFC. Steinbach# 268. CASE# 44296-17.12/19/2017:, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for FTA/Assault 1st Degree by Dep. Bowie# 317. CASE# 67140-17.
Ashley Nicole Hyde, age 32, of Charlotte Hall Brandon Ryan Harris, age 18, of Mechanicsville Brian Christopher Hancock, age 38, of Leonardtown Creighton Shields Perkins, age 34, of Leonardtown David Robert Russell, age 36, of Lexington Park Devone Articis Hall, age 29, of Ridge Grayton Medina Walter, age 21, of Hollywood Jerel Theodore Gaines, age 19, of Great Mills Joseph Andrew Bush, age 57, of Great Mills Joseph Louis Herbert, Jr., age 61, of Lexington Park Michael Ryan Norfolk, age 28, with no fixed address Neisa Jordan Gaston, age 18, of Bushwood Osie Mae Shade, age 57, of Ridge Shannon Johanna Dement, age 36, of St. Inigoes Teo Tre Richard Gaston, age 18, of Mechanicsville Traci Chamice Matthews, age 29, of California William Lawrence Crowell III, age 33, of California Previous Next

LEONARDTOWN, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme.

(December 23, 2017)The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office released the following arrest and criminal summons reports.10/02/2017 CDS ARREST: Cpl. Flerlage #241, stopped a vehicle driven by. During the stop it was discovered Harris was in possession of marijuana. Harris was placed under arrest and charged with CDS Possession of Marijuana and CDS Possession of Paraphernalia. CASE# 52241-1710/05/2017 THEFT: Suspect, was charged with Theft by Dep. Budd# 325. CASE# 52743-17.10/05/2017 TRESPASSING: Suspect, was charged with Trespassing on Private Property by Dep. Robinson# 332. CASE# 52579-1710/11/2017 BARRICADE, ANIMAL CRUELTY ARREST: Deputies responded to the 16000 block of Three Notch Rd. in Ridge to attempt to serve an arrest warrant on. Deputies observed Hall inside the residence however he refused to come out. A barricade was declared and members of the Emergency Services Team (EST) and Negotiators from the Critical Incident Negotations Team (CINT) responded to the residence. After approximately three hours Hall surrendered and was taken into custody without incident. Hall was transported to the St. Mary's County Rehabilitation and Detention Center where the warrant was served charging him with: Aggravated Animal Cruelty (4 Counts); Animal Cruelty (4 Counts); Unlawful Surgery on Dog (4 Counts); Restrain Dog - Unsafe/Unsanitary Conditions (1 Count).12/01/2017 ASSAULT: Dep. Bare responded to the 21000 block of Briar Patch Lane, in Lexington Park, for a reported disturbance. Contact was made with the victim who indicated Suspect, had assaulted the victim by striking the victim in the face several times. Injury was observed to the victim and Suspect Russell was arrested and charged with Assault 2nd Degree. CASE# 63481-17.12/01/2017 DRUG ARREST: Dep. M. Beyer responded to the 22000 block of Three Notch Road, in California, for a report of suspicious activity in a parking lot. Upon arrival contact was made with. In plain view was CDS and CDS paraphernalia. Suspect Hyde was arrested for CDS Possession-Not Marijuana and CDS Possession-Paraphernalia. CASE# 63399-17.12/05/2017 ASSAULT: Cpl. T. Snyder, responded to the 22000 block of Laurel Glen Road, in California, for a report of an assault. Investigation revealed the suspect, was in an argument at which time she retrieved a knife, and threatened the victim(s). During the incident, Suspect Matthews was disarmed, however shortly after retrieved another knife. Neither victim(s) were harmed with the knives and Suspect Matthews was arrested and charged with Assault 1st Degree, and Assault 2nd Degree. CASE# 64459-17.12/05/2017 CHILD ABUSE: Cpl. Worrey responded to the 17000 block of Jutland Drive in St. Inigoes, for a report of an assault. Investigation revealed the suspect, assaulted the juvenile victim by biting and choking the victim. Suspect Dement was arrested and charged with Child Abuse and Assault 2nd Degree. CASE# 64446-17.12/07/2017 POSSESSING CONTRABAND IN A PLACE OF CONFINEMENT: Dep. J. Smith responded to the St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation Center in reference to Suspect, possessing contraband. Investigation revealed Suspect Hancock was searched after being out of the facility and contraband was located on his person. Hancock was charged with Possessing Contraband in a Place of Confinement. CASE# 64762-1712/08/2017 VIOLATION OF PROTECTIVE ORDER: DFC. Lawrence observed Suspect, in the company of the victim; there is an active Protective Order prohibiting contact between Suspect Herbert and the victim. Herbert was arrested and charged with Violation of Protective Order. CASE# 64928-17.12/10/2017 THEFT: DFC. Lawrence responded to the 22000 block of Three Notch Road, in California, regarding a vehicle being returned late, and Suspect, not paying the outstanding balance owed. Suspect Chase was issued a Criminal Citation for the charge of Theft. CASE# 65342-17.12/11/2017 DRUG ARREST: In the 29000 block of Three Notch Road, in Mechanicsville, Cpl. Flerlage conducted a vehicle stop for an equipment violation. Upon making contact with the operator of the vehicle, Suspect, CDS paraphernalia was observed in plain view inside the vehicle. Subsequent investigation revealed approximately 54 grams of marijuana hidden inside the vehicle. Walter was arrested and charged with CDS Possession Marijuana more than 10 grams, and CDS Possession Paraphernalia. CASE# 65633-17.12/14/2017 UPDATE ON ROBBERY INVESTIGATION: On October 14, at approximately 10:02 PM, deputies responded to the 48000 block of Chisleytown Road, in St. Inigoes, for a report of an assault involving two male suspects. Investigation revealed two suspects arrived at the victim's residence, under the pretense of purchasing an item from the victim. During the interaction, the victim was assaulted by the two male suspects and robbed of property. The two suspects then fled the scene on foot. The victim sustained minor injuries during the incident that did not require medical attention. While responding to the scene, DFC. Tirpak located the two suspects in the roadway; one fled on foot, and the other was detained. Ultimately, Suspect, was arrested and charged with Robbery, Assault, Theft, and Malicious Destruction of Property. The investigation was continued to determine the identity of the second male suspect who fled. Through investigation the second suspect was identified as. On December 14, 2017, Suspect Norfolk was located and arrested. Suspect Norfolk was charged with Robbery, Assault, and Theft.12/15/2017 DUI:, was charged with Driving Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol, and Driving Vehicle While Impaired by Alcohol by Cpl. Connelly# 151. CASE# 66349-17.12/17/2017 ASSAULT: Dep. Siciliano# 301, responded to the St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Leonardtown regarding an assault. Investigation revealed inmate, assaulted a fellow inmate, causing injury. Suspect Perkins was charged with Assault 2nd Degree. CASE# 66675-17.12/17/2017 FRAUD: Cpl. Foor# 235, responded to the 44000 block of Aspen Lane, in California, for a report of a fraud. The victim advised numerous fraudulent purchases were made using his credit card. Investigation revealed the purchases had been made by Suspect. Crowell was arrested and charged with 6 counts of Credit Card Fraud, and Theft. CASE# 66751-17.12/18/2017 ROBBERY: On December 16, at approximately 6:53 PM, deputies responded to the 23000 block of Green Holly Road, in Lexington Park, for a report of an armed robbery. Contact was made with the victim who advised he arranged to meet an acquaintance to conduct a drug transaction. The victim arrived at the predesignated location and the individual he was meeting got into his vehicle. The victim advised he was immediately assaulted, and during the assault two unknown persons opened the car door and began to assault him as well. During the struggle, a handgun was produced and the victim was subsequently assaulted with the handgun. In addition to being assaulted, various items of value were taken from the victim. The victim was transported to MedStar St. Mary's Hospital for non-life threating injuries sustained in the robbery.The investigation was continued by the Criminal Investigations Division (CID), and through the course of the investigation it was revealed, was the individual the victim met with. Detectives were also able to identify the two other individuals who were with Gaines on the night of the robbery.On December 18, Gaines was located at his residence and placed under arrest without incident and charged with the following: Armed Robbery; Robbery; Assault 1st Degree; Assault 2nd Degree; Firearm-Use/Fel Violent Crime; Theft $100 to under $1500.Arrest warrants have also been issued for Gaines' two accomplices:, andAdditional criminal charges are forthcoming after review with the State's Attorney's Office.Anyone with information regarding this incident or the whereabouts of the Neisa Gaston and Teo-Tre Gaston, is asked to contact Detective Melissa Hulse at (301) 475-4200 extension *1996, or by email at Melissa.Hulse@stmarysmd.com. Citizens may also remain anonymous and contact Crime Solvers at (301) 475-3333, or text a tip to "TIP239" plus their message to "CRIMES" (274637).10/04/2017:, was charged with Violation of a Protective Order by Sgt. Raddatz# 99.10/04/2017:, was charged with Theft by Cpl. Knott# 234. CASE# 41676-17.10/04/2017:, was charged with Theft by Cpl. Seyfried# 217. CASE# 49862-17.10/05/2017:, was charged with Theft by DFC Tirpak #270 CASE# 51705-17.10/05/2017:, was charged with Violation of a Peace Order/Fail to Comply by Dep. Ball# 315. CASE# 52179-17.
Kelp Forest UCLA

Kelp forests grow along coastlines worldwide, largely hidden from view. Like rainforests, theyre among the planets most important ecosystems: beautiful but fragile habitats for a wide array of plant and animal species.

But scientists believe kelp forests are being threatened by climate change. Now, researchers from UCLA and seven other universities have an improved tool for tracking these shifting ecosystems, the largest of which is about 5 miles long.

With new funding from NASA, the team recently relaunched Floating Forests, a website that enables volunteer citizen-scientists to scan hundreds of thousands of satellite images for places where the tops of kelp forests skim the ocean surface.

The original site went online in 2014, and its more than 7,000 users had viewed roughly 700,000 satellite images as of early December 2017. The new version launched Dec. 13 with better image filters and enhanced color contrast, which will produce fewer photos that dont have kelp in them, and will make the kelp forests easier to identify.

We hope to track global trends in the abundance of giant kelp forests and identify regions that have experienced significant declines in kelp, said Kyle Cavanaugh, a professor of geography in the UCLA College and a member of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. Giant kelp forests are ecosystem engineers  they provide both food and habitat for incredibly diverse and productive near-shore ecosystems. They are also highly sensitive to changes in climatic and environmental conditions.

Mapping kelp forests has traditionally been a more solitary endeavor: Scuba divers would gather information about areas of the ocean that they could explore themselves. So the data was limited to tiny portions of the ocean, and the information divers gathered could only provide a snapshot of conditions on the day that they collected it  a problem because conditions in the forests can change rapidly.

To gather a fuller picture of the forests, and to monitor them over long periods of time, Cavanaugh recognized he could draw from NASAs Landsat program, which has taken satellite images of the entire Earth every 16 days since the 1970s. Landsat collects data in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths, which made it an ideal tool to track kelp forests: Because water absorbs a lot of near-infrared energy and plants reflect a lot of it, the kelp forest canopies stand out in the satellite images.

But Cavanaugh also knew that it would take human eyes to analyze the images, so he and Jarrett Byrnes, a biology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, obtained funding from a nonprofit called Zooniverse to build a website that would allow people from around the world to participate.

Heres how it works: If one of the citizen-scientists sees evidence of a kelp forest in a satellite image, that image is shown to 15 other users for verification and to carefully trace the outline of the canopy. On the other hand, if four different users view an image and dont see any kelp, that image is discarded from the dataset.

So far, Floating Forests users have helped map kelp forests along the entire coast of California from 1984 to 2011  one user found a large, never-before-mapped patch of kelp on an underwater mountain called the Cortez Bank, about 100 miles off the coast of San Diego. Volunteers also helped map most of the coast of Tasmania, Australia, over the same period, providing evidence that climate change is causing problems in the kelp forests there.

In addition to improvements in its image processing, the relaunched site makes it easier for Cavanaugh and his fellow scientists to add new regions to the platform. One of the newest additions is a collection of 5,000 images of the waters around the Falkland Islands, off the coast of South America. Byrnes said kelp forests are the foundation of the coastal ecosystem there.

Its a breeding ground, he said. Local squid love to lay their eggs on kelp. Its also a source of kelp rafts that can transport some species around the subantarctic oceans.

In the coming months, the researchers hope to study other, less-explored regions around the world, and they plan to add images to the website from the coasts of Baja California, northern Chile, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, the U.K. and Japan.
Although its been over two months since Twister Bi stormed to a five and a half-length victory in the Yonkers International Trot, trainer Jerry Riordan is still processing what the win means to him.

Although its been over two months since Twister Bi stormed to a five and a half-length victory in the Yonkers International Trot, trainer Jerry Riordan is still processing what the win means to him. The history and lore behind the International means Riordan sees himself reexamining and reliving that moment for years to come.

It does take time and its something that as the years go by, well reflect on it. Probably even in a different way each time, Riordan said. Races like that, as the years go by they still keep giving you that pleasure and that satisfaction.

The International, it comes up every now and again, he continued. Legolas, who was second in the International Trot - he didnt even win, he finished second - and they were showing a clip at the racetrack when he was second in the International and he was a big hero. I was thinking to myself, we won it. Only for the biggest races will stuff like that happen.

Twister Bi not only won the $1 million stakes, he blew the field away. After pouncing on defending champion Resolve with one circuit to race, Twister Bi raced to a seven-length advantage on the backstretch through a mile in 1:53.2 before completing the 1-1/4 mile race in a world record 2:22.1.

After his stateside triumph, Twister Bi flew from New York to Liege, Belgium. The five-year-old son of Varenne made a stopover at a nearby stable for quarantine before completing a 10-hour road trip back to Sweden.

He was fine, he got home, he was happy. Even when he was aggressive on the racetrack, hes always been a really cool horse in the barn as far as taking care of himself, traveling, that sort of thing, Riordan explained. He always eats well, hes got a really good constitution, so that was no problem at all.

Upon returning home, Twister Bi enjoyed a few weeks off from training before resuming his work. Naturally, Riordan is targeting the 1 million Grand Prix dAmerique at Vincennes Jan. 28 for his star trotter. This Sunday (Dec. 24), the Group 2 Prix Tenor de Baune will serve as a stepping stone to Frances biggest race.

We just started him back doing his normal thing, twice a week doing some speed. Hes at the point where I pretty much let him decide what he wants to do, the conditioner said. I put him in the sulky one time (last week), let him train himself basically. Hes sound, relaxed, so Im pretty confident in him.

Unlike the four B races - the Bretage, Bourbonnais, Bourgogne, and Belgique - Prix dAmerique prep races which are open to four- through nine-year-olds, the Prix Tenor de Baune is restricted to five-year-olds. Still, this years edition attracted a strong field as the winner earns a place in the Prix dAmerique.

Twister Bi will face Swedish champion Readly Express, who rides a 12-race winning streak including a victory in the Group 1 Grand Prix de l'U.E.T., his last Vincennes appearance, and in the Group 1 Jubileumspokalen at Solvalla where Twister Bi was the runner up. Carat Williams, the champion French five-year-old, Charly du Noyer, champion French four-year-old last year, and Traders, who beat Bold Eagle in the 2016 Prix Marcel Laurent, are all signed on in the 15-horse field. Riordan will also send out last years Criterium Continental winner Treasure Kronos.

Its a tough race, tougher than usual. Theres going to be some horses like Readly Express. He wants to win because hes the Swedish horse, Swedish bred, a lot of following up there, people have big expectations for him and hes a very good horse. I think theyre going to want to win this race and be considered one of the contenders for the Prix dAmerique, Riordan said.

I think Twister is as good or better than any of them, I really do, he continued. He feels as good as he ever did. Well know for sure how he took the trip to Yonkers on Sunday.

Riordan would relish a victory over Readly Express on Sunday. Although the Swedish phenom bested Twister Bi in the Jubileumspokalen, he did so while racing on the lead while Twister Bi was parked without cover the entire 2,140 metres and was still coming on at the finish, losing by only a head.

I said Readly Express got saved by the bell because Twister Bi was coming back at him at the finish line and he was all out driving him to the wire, Riordan recalled.

Although Christoffer Eriksson drove Twister Bi to victory in the International Trot and many of Twister Bis other successes this year, French driver Alexandre Abrivard will take the lines Sunday. Riordan stressed the change is necessary to help Twister Bi navigate the standing start from the 2,700-meter chute, the same configuration as the Prix dAmerique.

The standing start, just being able to get your horse in position, get him out of there good. They almost always have recalls and if you dont know the system, you can end up being a quarter-mile down the track and all the French guys are still up there walking in circles, Riordan said. If it was a starting car, it would be one thing, but with the standing start, Im just more comfortable with a French guy driving.

Abrivard drove Twister Bi to a third-place finish behind Aubrion du Gers and Bold Eagle in the Group 1 European Trotting Masters Series Final at Vincennes September 9. After racing 18-1/2 lengths behind the pacesetter in that start, Twister Bi finished just a half-length behind Bold Eagle.

The Tenor de Baune will be Twister Bis fourth attempt at the standing start. In one prior try, he didnt handle it well. Another time, he started well, but came away last. In his latest try in the Trotting Masters Final, Twister Bi came away in mid-pack before losing ground. For Riordan, Twister Bis handling of the start Sunday is critical.

In this type of race, I dont want to give away a possibility of winning by leaving last, he said. Its really important that he gets away at least in the middle of the group. Hes a really good horse, but nobodys going to make up six or seven lengths on a top horse, it just doesnt happen.

If Twister Bi qualifies for the Prix dAmerique Sunday, he will join stablemate Ringostarr Treb, who earned a berth in the French classic by finishing third in the Prix du Bourbonnais Dec. 10. Riordan emphasized what starting two horses in the Prix dAmerique would mean to him.

The progress Twister Bi has made, last year at this time, I thought it would be a stretch to get Twister Bi in the Prix dAmerique. The horse has made tremendous development, he said.

Ringostarr Treb, he was kind of a surprise because when he came to the stable, I thought he was probably on the downhill side of his career with his best races behind him. Instead, he turned out to be this dynamic horse. Everything weve asked him to do, hes done it better.

Hes a cool horse, hes a smart one. The standing start, if they have five recalls, thats going to destroy Twister Bi, but the more recalls the better for Ringostarr Treb because hes so cool in a race, Riordan continued. Hes got the right kind of characteristics for the Prix dAmerique. Ive always thought you need either a horse thats super powerful or a horse thats really smart and just strong enough and hes like that. Twister Bi gives you a little stress because he gets a little aggressive. Ringostarr Treb is just a pleasure to race.

It would be surreal. Theres a lot of guys out there who are really, really good horsemen who have never even raced in it. Its not wasted on me that Im lucky enough to possibly have two in there.

(SOA of NY)
Since the creation of the UN on 24 October 1945 , the General Assembly has passed scores of resolutions pertaining to Israel-Palestine  arguably to little effect.

With yet another vote in the assembly scheduled today  this time over whether to condemn the US decision to move their embassy to Jerusalem  here are a few of the most important votes taken in the assembly over the longstanding crisis:

Resolution 181: The partition of the British Mandate of Palestine (29 November 1947)

By far the vote with the most lasting impact, at the same time the failure to implement Resolution 181 in its totality has underscored all the problems in the region ever since.

The resolution recommended that the British-controlled territory of Palestine be divided into two states, one for Arabs and one for Jews with a special international status for Jerusalem.

The Jewish Agency, representing Jewish Zionists in Palestine, reluctantly accepted the plan established by the resolution, but the Arab League rejected it and the fallout was a military confrontation that led to the expulsion and flight of more than 750,000 Palestinians from their ancestral homeland and the establishment of the State of Israel.

The General Assembly vote was also contentious  33 countries voted in favour, while 13 (primarily Arab and Muslim) voted against. Ten countries, including the UK, abstained.

Speaking in the assembly, Iraqs foreign minister Fadel Jamall warned that the partition would harm Jewish-Arab relations in the Middle East.

There are more Jews in the Arab world outside of Palestine than there are in Palestine. In Iraq alone, we have about one hundred and fifty thousand Jews who share with Muslims and Christians all the advantages of political and economic rights, he said. Harmony prevails among Muslims, Christians and Jews. But any injustice imposed upon the Arabs of Palestine will disturb the harmony among Jews and non-Jews in Iraq; it will breed inter-religious prejudice and hatred.

Following the establishment of Israel, hundreds of thousands of Jews were expelled or left Arab lands and travelled to the newborn state.

Resolution 2253: Condemnations of Israels measures to change the status of Jerusalem (4 July 1967)

Following the Six-Day war, Israeli forces captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula.

Though Sinai was eventually returned to Egypt, the occupation of these territories has remained the dominant issue in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Resolution 2253 saw the first UN condemnation of attempts by Israel to claim sovereignty over the holy city. Although the motion was unanimous (99 in favour, with 20 abstentions) in calling for Israel to rescind all measures already taken and to desist forthwith from taking action which would alter the status of Jerusalem, it did nothing to prevent Israel formally annexing the city in 1980.

The capture of East Jerusalem and the structure known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Haram al-Sharif to Muslims has led to repeated conflicts over the status of the holy site.

Shortly after the sites capture, the Israeli army chaplain Rabbi Shlomo Goren urged then Central Command head General Uzi Narkiss to dynamite the Dome of the Rock under the cover of war telling him do this and you will go down in history.

The construction of the third temple on the Temple Mount has long been a dream of religious Zionists and while Narkiss at the time threatened to imprison Goren for suggesting it, the threats against the Muslim holy buildings have repeatedly provoked outrage and clashes.

Resolution 3379: Recognising Zionism as a form of racism (10 November 1975)

One of the most controversial resolutions adopted by the body, Resolution 3379, accepted the principle that Zionism as an ideology was inherently racist and comparable with both the apartheid government in South Africa and the white-minority government in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

Israel responded with fury to the resolution and cited the distribution of the anti-Semitic forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion by Arab states as proof of the hypocrisy of the movers of the resolution.

For us, the Jewish people, this resolution based on hatred, falsehood and arrogance, is devoid of any moral or legal value, said Israeli ambassador Chaim Herzog, who tore the written resolution in half at the end of his speech. For us, the Jewish people, this is no more than a piece of paper and we shall treat it as such.

The resolution passed with 72 states supporting and 35 against, while 32 abstained. The resolution opened up a debate on the nature of Zionism  opponents argued that the ideology of European Jews establishing a Jewish state in the middle of the Arab world was by nature racist and colonialist, while others argued that it represented the national liberation movement of the Jewish people.

Regardless, the resolution was revoked in 1991 after Israel made revocation a pre-condition of its taking part in the Madrid conference that year.

Resolution 4321: The First Intifada (3 November 1988)

On 8 December 1987, an Israeli army truck ran into a group of Palestinians near the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza, leaving four dead. The incident proved to be a catalyst for a mass uprising against Israeli rule that put the status of Palestinians living in the occupied territories in the global spotlight.

Resolution 4321 reiterated earlier demands for Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories and called on international powers to provide aid and solidarity to Palestinians living under occupation.

The resolution condemned Israels persistent policies and practices violating the human rights of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem, and, in particular, such acts as the opening of fire by the Israeli army and settlers that result in the killing and wounding of defenceless civilians, as well as a litany of other abuses.

The intifada eventually led to the opening up of dialogue between the Israelis and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority through the Oslo accords  a move which has been both celebrated and condemned in equal measure.

Resolution 6719: Recognition of Palestine as an observer state (29 November 2012)

November 2012 saw the General Assembly recognising Palestine as a non-member observer state. Although the vote was largely symbolic  Palestine was now on the same level as the Holy See  it allowed the Palestinian Authority access to the International Criminal Court, which raised the possibility that Israeli officials could end up facing charges of war crimes.

Speaking during the vote  which passed 138 to 9, with 41 abstentions  PA President Mahmoud Abbas called on delegates to to issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine.

Israeli and American officials condemned the motion as unilateral and argued it violated the spirit of the Oslo accords. However, the acceptance by large parts of the world of the existence of a State of Palestine signified the changing global attitude to the question of Palestine in the like of repeated wars and continuing intransigence on the part of Israel.
The plea-deal with Flynn has him admitting that his contacts with Kislyak were authorized only by Kushner (referred to in Flynns indictment not by name but only by the vague phrase a very senior member of the Presidential Transition Team). However, Flynn had earlier lied to the FBI and said that he never asked Russias ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, to delay the vote for the U.N. Security Council resolution. So: if, subsequently, it somehow does turn out to be Flynns word against Trumps word, then the ultimate decision will be made by Senate Republicans when they either do or dont vote forto take over the remainder of Trumps term. In order for that switch to be made, two-thirds of the entire U.S. Senate  thats 67 of the 100  would need to vote for Pence to take over. Whereas Democrats seem eager for Pence to complete Trumps term, thats only 46 Senators, or 48 if both Independents vote with the Democrats , and at least 9 or 11 of the Senates 52 Republicans would then also need to vote for Pence. The Vice President would not be the presiding officer; instead, the Constitution makes the Chief Justice of the U.S. that, and only the Senators are allowed to be counted in a Senate trial that would follow after the Houses majority-vote for a Senate trial to be held. The V.P. couldnt serve as any tie-breaker in this trial. And removal-from-office would be the only direct harm to Trump; the U.S. provides no way to try the President on any charge via the courts  the only way a U.S. President can be punished for any crime is by being tried, and then convicted and removed from office, by a two-thirds vote in the Senate. Other than that, a U.S. President is above the law.
A federal judge has dismissed claims against two former Longview School District employees in a federal civil rights lawsuit, saying evidence demonstrates they should not be held responsible for the alleged misuse of an isolation booth at Mint Valley Elementary School in 2012.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Bryan said Thursday that its too much of a stretch to hold former Longview School District Superintendent Suzanne Cusick and former Mint Valley Principal Patrick Kelley liable for former special education teacher Jerry Steins alleged practice of placing general education students inside a 4-by-4-foot padded isolation booth.

All three individuals and the school district had been named as defendants in the suit. Cusick resigned in 2013 and Stein retired in 2016; Kelley now is the principal of the Broadway Learning Center.

Bryan also said theres no evidence to support the claim that the Mint Valleys old policy of sending general education students to Stein for disciplinary reasons directly led to the allegations against him.

Theres no indication that (Stein) was not properly supervised or trained, Bryan added Thursday.

However, Stein and the district are still facing claims of misconduct. The families of five former students have claimed Stein inflicted psychological injuries on the kids by illegally forcing them inside the booth for non-emergency reasons.

At the time, the use of restraint and isolation on general education students was prohibited unless a student posed an imminent likelihood of serious harm.

The plaintiffs are also claiming the former students constitutional rights to freedom from illegal seizure and cruel and unusual punishment were violated, and that the district should be held liable.

Plaintiffs lawyers seized on the findings of an investigation by an outside law firm into Steins alleged misuse of the isolation booth. That taxpayer-funded investigation has been admitted as evidence in the suit but remains under court seal because the districts lawyers claim its protected under attorney-client privilege.

Roger Davidheiser, an attorney representing five families suing the district, said Thursday the investigation demonstrates that critical witnesses in the case have made inconsistent statements throughout the three-week trial currently before an eight-member jury.

The district launched the probe in the days following a viral Facebook post on Nov. 26, 2012, by a Longview mother alleging that Mint Valley employees were placing students in a windowless booth for mild misbehavior.

At the direction of Cusick, the booth was destroyed five days after the images surfaced online.

The district is denying that four of the children were ever put inside the booth, but it admits one first-grade boy was legally placed inside on a single occasion because he posed an imminent threat of harm to himself and staff members present at the time. Defense lawyers have also argued the childrens disabilities existed prior to the allegations and contend that plaintiffs lawyers have failed to demonstrate a link between the booth and their disorders.

All of the students reaffirmed their allegations in testimony last week. However, the defense team noted in oral arguments that one of the individuals could not identify who allegedly placed him inside the isolation room. A key factor in the case is whether jurors believe a preponderance of evidence supports the kids allegations  and whether they are then entitled to millions in damages.

Throughout the trial, the testimony has also focused on Mint Valleys old policy of sending general education students to the schools Childrens Learning Center, which served the districts most behaviorally challenged students. Former Special Education Director Jill Stiehl issued guidelines in a Dec. 19, 2012, email prohibiting the practice after the district hired an outside law firm to investigate allegations of abuse. Plaintiffs lawyers have argued the policy ultimately led to the childrens alleged injuries

Davidheiser argued Thursday that the law firms final report reveals discrepancies in key witnesses statements.

For example, Stein said in an earlier deposition that general education students would infrequently come to his classroom and recalled only the single instance when one of the plaintiffs was admittedly placed inside the isolation booth for emergency reasons.

But Davidheiser said Thursday that three teachers reported sending general education students to Stein on a regular basis, according to court transcripts.

Kim Rambo, a paraeducator who was present during the incident the district admits to, told an investigator the practice was so frequent it happened up to six times a day, Davidheiser said.

Rambo also indicated during a deposition that she did not know one of the plaintiffs names, but she listed the students name in an interview during the investigation in 2012, according to transcripts.

These are just some of the most obvious references to material collected by the investigators that appears materially inconsistent with statements by the witnesses and also is central to the defense in this case, Davidheiser said.

Bryan granted a request by plaintiffs lawyers Friday for the underlying notes used to produce the final report.

John Safarli, an attorney representing the district, said Thursday that the witnesses have answers for why they gave conflicting statements, noting their statements during the investigation and taped depositions were four years apart.

They have responses for that, he said.

The Daily News asked the district for a copy of the redacted investigation that it provided to plaintiffs lawyers but was told its still off-limits.

That report remains a privileged client-attorney document, and while it was admitted into this proceeding, it was admitted under court seal, Longview School District Communications Director Sandy Catt said in an email.

The plaintiffs rested their case Thursday and the defense is expected to rest Wednesday or Thursday next week. Jury deliberations could stretch into the first week of January.
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AL pays homage to Abdur Razzak



Awami League (AL) on Saturday paid tributes to its former General Secretary and former Water Resources Minister Abdur Razzak on his 6th death anniversary.

AL and its associate organization paid homage to Razzak by placing floral wreaths on his grave in the city's Banani graveyard.

AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Organizing Secretaries Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, Office Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, Dhaka South City AL General Secretary Shahe Alam Murad and Bangladesh Chhatra League Central President Saifur Rahman Sohag and General Secretary SM Jakir Hossain were present, on the occasion.

Later, they offered munajat seeking eternal peace of the departed soul of Razzak.

Paying tribute to the former AL leader Abdur Razzak, Obaidul Quader said results of the Rangpur City Corporation polls, held on December 21, will have no impact on the next national elections.

"AL is working to win the elections. We will win the polls. We are working to this end," he added.
Britain's incompetence is making Brexit very painful

Kenan Malik :

London's desperation to move on, Brussels knew, would lead it to capitulate on the terms of divorce

If Santa is listening, here's a suggestion about what to deliver Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain and David Davis, her chief Brexit negotiator: a copy of Yanis Varoufakis' Adults in the Room.

Varoufakis is the former Greek finance minister and his book sets out in excruciating detail the story of the 2015 negotiations between Greece's government and its creditors. It feels like necessary reading for the Brexit team.

Last week, European Union leaders agreed that sufficient progress had been made on the first phase of the Brexit negotiations to move on to the next phase, which will set out future trade relations between Britain and the European Union. The first phase revolved around three main issues: payment of what Britain owes the European Union; the rights of European Union citizens in post-Brexit Britain; and what kind of border should exist between Northern Ireland, which will be outside the union, and the Republic of Ireland, which will be inside.

In the nine months of negotiations so far, there has been remarkably little give and take. What Britain agreed to last week was largely what Europe had demanded at the beginning.

European Union citizens' rights have been largely protected, with Britain agreeing that its courts will take into account rulings of the European Court of Justice, the European Union's supreme legal body. The money being paid by Britain for the divorce is less than what some politicians on the Continent were hoping for, but about double what was first offered.

On the Irish border, the two sides have agreed that there will be no border with passport and customs checks - but also that the details will be left to later talks. If there is no mutually agreeable solution, then Britain has promised to maintain "regulatory alignment" with the European Union to ensure that customs checks aren't necessary, even though Britain will have no say over those regulations. A country that voted for Brexit as a way to "take back control" will be acceding even more control to the European Union.

All this is as Varoufakis might have predicted. In the wake of the financial crash of 2008, the Greek economy had imploded. The European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund (collectively known as the "troika"), stepped in to provide huge loans, not for spending in Greece, but largely to bail out the banks (many of them German and French) that had so recklessly lent to Greece in the first place. In return, the troika insisted on an eye-watering austerity program, slashing jobs, welfare payments and pensions.

Anger at the harshness of this program led to the victory in 2015 of the left-wing party Syriza; its leader, Alexis Tsipras, had promised to renegotiate the deal with the troika.

Varoufakis, who led the Greek negotiating team, writes in Adults in the Room that rather than negotiate in good faith, the troika employed a number of tactics to ensure that it got its way. The key maneuver was insisting that negotiations be staged in two parts: Greece first had to "commit to the compromises they wanted and then, much later, we could begin negotiations on debt relief."

It has been a similar story with the Brexit talks. Britain is dealing not with the troika, but directly with the European Union. The bruising negotiating tactics, however, are much the same.

The European Union insisted at the beginning that the negotiations be split into two parts. Only when "sufficient progress" had been made on the "divorce" could talks on future relations begin. Britain's real interest is in signing a post-Brexit trade deal. London's desperation to move on, Brussels knew, would lead it to capitulate on the terms of divorce.

And that is exactly what happened. With much bluster but little resistance, Britain accepted not only the two-part process, but also most of the European Union's demands in the first phase. Varoufakis tried to warn May. To negotiate successfully with the European establishment, he argues, you must have a fallback position that no one wants, but that you are prepared to follow through on if negotiations break down. In Greece's case, the fallback was Grexit: unilaterally leaving not the European Union but the euro's common currency area. This would have caused immense turmoil - not least in Greece - but in Varoufakis' view, the only way to get the troika to negotiate seriously was to show that the threat was not a bluff.

Greece, in the end, did not follow this advice. Even when a referendum in 2015 decisively rejected a new austerity program, the Syriza government feared the chaos of Grexit more than it did the pain of austerity. It submitted to the troika's demands and made spending cuts harsher than the ones it had previously been offered and rejected.

In the case of Brexit, Britain's fallback position is to leave the European Union without a negotiated deal. This would be as chaotic as Grexit. But, as with Greece, it is a threat without substance. From the beginning of the negotiations, many supporters of Brexit have pushed the slogan "No deal better than a bad deal." But it has also been clear that far from being willing to make good on such a threat, Britain, like Greece, is desperate to avoid chaos.

Recognizing this, the European Union is already hemming in Britain's options for the next phase of the negotiations. It has again demanded that the talks be split in two, the first part to deal with the terms of the transition period - a period of probably two years starting in March 2019, when Britain formally leaves the European Union, and ending when it fully separates from it - followed by the terms of trade relations.

The issue is not simply European Union intransigence. It is also that of British incompetence. Davis, the Brexit secretary, recently admitted that he had not commissioned a single study of Brexit's impact on the economy. Only on Dec. 18 did the Cabinet finally formally discuss what exactly it wants out of Brexit negotiations. To negotiate with neither detailed information nor a firm vision of the endpoint is akin to playing poker blindfolded.

The combination of European Union inflexibility and British incompetence means that however, and whenever, Britain finally exits, it is likely to be on the European Union's terms. "Adults in the Room" is necessarily a one-sided account from Varoufakis' perspective. But it does provide a glimpse of the maneuverings usually shielded from public view. Reading it will change little, but at least it might prepare British ministers for what is to come.

- New York Times
Trump travel ban should not apply to people with strong US ties: Court

Reuters, Washington :

A US appeals court on Friday said President Donald Trump's hotly contested travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries should not be applied to people with strong US ties.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers several West Coast states, also said its ruling would be put on hold pending a decision on the latest version of the travel ban from the Trump administration by the US Supreme Court.

Since taking office in January, Trump has been struggling to enact a ban that passes court muster.

A three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit narrowed a previous injunction from a lower federal court to those people "with a credible bona fide relationship with the United States."

It also said that while the US president has broad powers to regulate the entry of immigrants into the United States, those powers are not without limits.

"We conclude that the President's issuance of the Proclamation once again exceeds the scope of his delegated authority," the panel said.

The ban targets 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.

The state of Hawaii, however, challenged it in court, and a Honolulu federal judge said it exceeded Trump's powers under immigration law.

Trump's 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 same three judge 9th Circuit panel, which limited a previous version of Trump's ban, heard arguments earlier this month. Some of the judges appeared more cautious toward the idea of blocking the president's policy. Trump issued his first travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries in January, which caused chaos at airports and mass protests. He issued a revised one in March after the first was blocked by federal courts. That expired in September after a long court fight, and was replaced with the current version.

The ban has some exceptions. 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. US Justice Department officials were not immediately available for comment.
Missing Kalyan Party leader Aminur put on remand

A court here on Saturday sent Bangladesh Kalyan Party secretary general MM Aminur Rahman, who had gone missing nearly four months back, was put on a four-day remand after his arrest on Friday night in a violence case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Debobrata Biswas passed the order after the investigation officer of the case, inspector Md Jehad Hossain, sought a 10-day remand for Aminur for interrogation.

The court also rejected the bail petition filed by Aminur's lawyer Abdur Rauf.

Aminur was shown a suspect in a case filed for cocktail bomb attack on a rally of Awami Mukti Jodha Parisad led by Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan on December 16, 2015, to block BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's office in Gulshan.

Earlier, detectives arrested Aminur from near 'Suvastu Tower' around 11:40 pm.

Aminur went missing after he came out of the party office in Nayapaltan on August 27 last.
Bangladeshi shot at his house in NY

Agencies News :

A Bangladeshi national was shot at his own apartment in Astoria area of New York City on Thursday morning.

Mohibul Islam, 52, survived the attacked, having shot in his leg. He was admitted to the local Mount Sinai hospital.

Hailing from Moulvibazar in Bangladesh, Mohibul has been living in New York with his wife and four children. The New York police have announced a bounty of US $ 2,500 for anyone who would help nab the attackers.

The police published leaflets containing the photograph of four attackers, collected from the CCTV footage.

A black man knocked on Mohibul's door introducing him as a courier boy at around 10:00am on Thursday. When he opened the door, the miscreant aimed a pistol at his head.

During a scuffle, Mohibul was shot in his leg. Another unidentified man was seen waiting outside the door.

The miscreants ran away immediately after the attack. Mohibul was then rushed to the hospital with police help. His condition is stable now. Bangladeshi community in the area has been horrified by the attack.

The motive behind the attack is not known yet. The miscreants took away nothing from him. It is not sure if it is a hate crime.


Rice price volatile

Over 5 lakh fall into poverty

Special Correspondent :

About 5.20 lakh rural people fell below the poverty line and many were at high risk of falling into poverty due to the ongoing rice price volatility, reveals a study report.

"The current rice price volatility has left a dire impact on the country's rural population. It has reduced their real income and household spending pushing many of them into poverty," said the study conducted by the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM).

Dr Selim Raihan, Executive Director of the SANEM, reveled the findings of the study at a programme held at BRAC Center Inn in Dhaka on Saturday.

"Rice price has increased over 35 per cent in the last one year and its prices continue to rise. The price volatility directly affects most of the household, as it is the main staple food for them," said Selim Raihan.

He said it also directly affect on the country's overall poverty headcounts because rice accounts for 25 to 50 per cent expenditure of rural households. "Even a temporary increases in rice prices reduce their real income and household spending," he added.

"A majority of rural people lives close to the poverty line and many of them are falling into poverty whenever rice prices fluctuate," said Dr Selim Raihan quoting findings of the study.

He suggested to the government for formulating a comprehensive 'rice policy' to make balance the rice production, import and supply of the commodity in the markets. "It could help avert unusual fluctuation of rice prices in the market," he added.

Dr Selim Raihan also stressed the need for disseminating accurate market information on production, import and consumption to help produce rational decisions by the government and stabilize prices in a market-friendly manner.

The domestic retail rice prices witnessed record highs following sudden floods across the country that wiped out around 700,000 tonnes of rice crops forcing the government to undertake import of rice to build reserves and cool local prices.

Bangladesh has imported a record quantity of rice during the last three months. The import was the five times higher than the accumulate import of the last fiscal year, according to the SANEM. But the consumers said they are yet to get respite from high rice prices despite the government move to import the grain in bulk following domestic shortage.

Per kilogram fine rice was selling at Tk 60 to Tk 70, medium grade Tk 55 to Tk 60 and course rice at Tk 45 to Tk 48 on Saturday.

"Rice is still trading high at the city markets, although the government went for big imports from neighbouring countries," Prof Shamsul Alam, Adviser of Consumer's Association of Bangladesh told The New Nation.

He said, the recent rice price hike dealt a big blow to the middle income and lower income groups of people, as rice is a major staple food for them.


Pry teachers begin hunger strike for pay scale upgradation

Thousands of Primary School Assistant Teachers begin hunger strike unto-death demanding removal of disparity of salaries. This photo was taken from Central Shaheed Minar on Saturday.

Staff Reporter :

Assistant teachers of government primary schools on Saturday began hunger strike sitting on the Central Shaheed Minar premises of Dhaka city demanding removal of discrimination.

Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers Oikya Jote organised the hunger strike programme.

Hundreds of teachers from all over the country took part in the programme starting from 10am of the day with Pledge to continue their movement till it is realised.

Iqbal Hossain (Azad), Assistant Teacher of Char Kukri Mukri Government Primary School, said, "The remaining salary structure of the assistant primary school teachers is 'disrespectful. Headmasters are in the 11th grade of the 8th National Pay Scale, while assistant teachers are in the 14th grade having equal educational qualification."

"We will not go to the classes until salary disparity is no more," he said.

Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers Society President Tapon Kumar, General Secretary Md Asadur Rahman, and National Primary Assistant Teachers Foundation President Shahinur Aktar spoke at the programme, among others.

"Only 15 per cent assistant teachers of primary schools can get promotion once in their total service life," Tapon Kumar said.

"We arranged press conferences in all the districts of the country on December 15 to press home our one-point demand. We demanded it to fulfil by December 22. But the government did not do it. That is why we have started fast-unto-death at Central Shaheed Minar," Tapon said.

Primary Assistant Teachers' Oikya Jote is a combined platform of some 3,50,000 assistant teachers of Bangladesh Primary Teachers Society, Bangladesh Primary School Teachers Association, Bangladesh Government Primary School Assistant Teachers Association and Primary School Assistant Teachers Forum.
10,000 killed in 1989 Tiananmen crackdown: British cable

Beijing residents gather around the smoking remains of over 20 armoured personnel carriers-burnt by demonstrators during clashes with soldiers near Tiananmen Square.

AFP, Beijing :

At least 10,000 people were killed in the Chinese army's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989, according to a newly released British diplomatic cable that recounts the bloodshed in gruesome detail.

The document, made public more than 28 years after the event, describes injured girls being bayoneted, bodies being ground up by armoured vehicles and human remains being flushed into the sewers.

"Minimum estimate of civilian dead 10,000," the then British ambassador Alan Donald said in the secret telegram to London seen by AFP at Britain's National Archives.

The estimate, given on June 5, 1989, the day after the crackdown, is almost 10 times higher than that commonly accepted at the time of several hundred to more than a thousand dead. But experts questioned by AFP said the 10,000 figure seemed credible.

Donald's account gives horrific details of the violence unleashed on the night of June 3-4, when the army entered Beijing to end seven weeks of protests on Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of Communist power.

During their advance, armoured personnel carriers "opened fire on the crowd (both civilians and soldiers) before running over them in their APCs", wrote the ambassador.

He said his source was a person who "was passing on information given him by a close friend who is currently a member of the State Council"-the Chinese cabinet.

He said the source had previously proved reliable "and was careful to separate fact from speculation and rumour".

Once the soldiers arrived in Tiananmen Square, "students understood they were given one hour to leave square but after five minutes APCs attacked," Donald wrote.

"Students linked arms but were mown down including soldiers. APCs then ran over bodies time and time again to make 'pie' and remains collected by bulldozer. Remains incinerated and then hosed down drains."

"Four wounded girl students begged for their lives but were bayoneted," Donald said, adding: "Army ambulances who attempted to give aid were shot up."




IBBL provides ambulance to CCC

Business Desk :

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has provided an ambulance to Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) under its CSR activities, says a press release.

Arastoo Khan, Chairman of the bank handed over the key of the ambulance to Md. Shamsuddoha, chief executive officer of CCC on Thursday at Islami Bank Tower, said a press release.

Md. Mahbub-ul-Alam, additional managing director, Abu Reza Md. Yeahia and JQM Habibullah FCS, deputy managing directors, Md. Mostafizur Rahman Siddiquee, senior executive vice president and Moshtaque Ahmed, vice president of the bank were present on the occasion.
New Zealand blocks China's HNA due to ownership doubts

Reuters :

New Zealand has blocked HNA Group's $460 million purchase of a vehicle finance firm owned by Australia and New Zealand Banking Group in the latest in a series of setbacks around the world for the acquisitive Chinese conglomerate.

The proposed sale of UDC, New Zealand's largest non-bank lender, was agreed with ANZ nearly a year ago and the bank had counted on the proceeds to boost its capital.

But New Zealand's Overseas Investment Office (OIO) cited uncertainty over HNA's ownership structure for the rejection, reflecting mounting international concerns about the aviation-to-shipping group's transparency and governance.

"The OIO did not determine who the relevant overseas person was from the information provided about ownership and control interests," the OIO's deputy chief executive of policy, Lisa Barrett, said in a statement.

HNA, which has announced acquisitions worth more than $50 billion in the past two years, has faced increased questions about its governance since a July announcement outlining its ownership showed two shareholders were proxies for founding executives.

Last month, Swiss regulators found the group had failed to disclose that company executives held controlling stakes in the conglomerate in submissions relating to HNA's $1.5 billion takeover in 2016 of Gategroup, the airline catering group.

HNA also has faced difficulties in the United States. Earlier this month it was sued by Ness Technologies who accused it of failing to adequately answer questions in a US review, thereby causing a $325 million deal between the two to fail.

Another deal announced in January, for HNA to buy a stake in Skybridge Capital from US President Donald Trump's former press secretary, Anthony Scaramucci, for an undisclosed sum, is still under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

An HNA spokeswoman said the New Zealand watchdog's decision was inconsistent with the views of other regulators around the world that had approved HNA and other Chinese investments.

"The current political environment in New Zealand relative to foreign investment will play a significant role in our determination of next steps," the spokeswoman said in a statement.
Higher math in lower grades: hurting or helping kids?

Campus Desk :

Every parent wants to see her child keep up with peers, and these days that means taking algebra in the eighth grade. But sometimes we forget that algebra is a very demanding course, full of sophisticated and abstract ideas. Do students really need to take this higher math course in lower grades, or can it do them more harm than good?

There are two sides to the issue. Politicians like the idea of offering algebra in middle school. They argue that the world has sped up over the past generation; technology has gotten more complicated, ideas more complex. Why not introduce harder concepts at younger ages? In 2008, California lawmakers began a campaign to make algebra mandatory for eighth-graders, a shift that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger compared to President John F. Kennedy's pledge to put a man on the moon.

Meanwhile, many researchers believe that middle school students aren't ready for algebra. In a 2008 letter to the editor of The Ventura County Star, Professor of Education Dr. Bruce Mitchell argued against California's proposal. His letter referenced the studies of Dr. Herman Epstein, who believed that the human brain has rapid growth periods and plateau periods where no growth seems to take place. For most students, the middle school years occur during a plateau stage, and Epstein argued that "the plateau stages were not optimal times for the introduction of new higher-level thought processes, particularly algebra, which eighth-grade students fail more than any other subject. Historically, algebra has been most often offered in grades 10 though 12. That occurs during the age 14-17 growth-spurt stage, when it's OK to teach abstract reasoning concepts."

After listening to these two sides, parents are forced to make a choice: trust the politicians who claim that our children need to take algebra at younger ages, or the researchers who think that our children need to wait. It can be hard to figure out the right path for your child.

To get some answers from a hands-on expert, I spoke with award-winning high school math teacher, Jerry Brodkey. Dr. Brodkey has a PhD from Stanford in Mathematics and Curriculum Education, and has taught math for thirty-one years. He had some definite opinions about the move to teach algebra at younger and younger ages.

The "normal" track for math classes has shifted down in the past ten years.

When Dr. Brodkey began teaching, the normal track was for students to take Algebra I in ninth grade, followed by three years of college-prep math. This worked well for most students, and there was always a way for a select group of students to get ahead by taking algebra in eighth grade and advance to Calculus by their senior year. But in the past ten years, Dr. Brodkey has seen "an explosion of students taking algebra in the eighth grade. In the past five years, I'd call it a super-explosion." The normal track in many schools now has students taking algebra in the eighth grade.

The pressure to stay on the new "normal" track pushes students into math classes for which they are not ready.

Every year, Dr. Brodkey meets with parents whose freshmen have been appropriately placed in algebra. But want to know how they can accelerate their children onto the new "normal" track so they will reach AP Calculus by their senior year. In turn, Dr. Brodkey asks the parents whether the student wants to make this jump, or if it's a parent-driven decision. He asks them to be careful: "When a student is pushed to take a class for which he is not ready, he rarely acquires a lifelong affinity for math. Instead, he develops a desire to get out of math classes as fast as possible." He has found that when these students get to Calculus, they can struggle. They can do the first step in the problem, but not the next nine that require solid algebra skills.

Parents push their children onto this track because they think it's necessary for college admissions.

Parents are feeling tremendous pressure about getting their children into college. They are seeing students with a 4.3 GPA get turned away from top universities, and they are desperate to find an advantage for their child. But from Dr. Brodkey's perspective, pushing a child onto the Calculus track doesn't always help: "I think that college admissions officers like to see a student with a solid foundation, effective communication skills, and a record of working well with others, not someone who has struggled to fit in an extra AP class."

The move to introduce algebra in lower grades comes from politicians, not teachers.

Like many teachers, Dr. Brodkey questions the motives for California's campaign for eighth grade algebra: "I think that this push is part of a political agenda to show rigor in the schools. I can't see how it's a positive; it's not a student-centered decision. Any student can learn algebra, but the timing is critical." Algebra is an extremely challenging course, even more so than Calculus. Teachers introduce a brand-new topic every three or four weeks, and expect complete mastery. Thirteen and fourteen-year-old students are still developing their emotional and organizational skills, and algebra is a course that punishes any immaturity a student may have.

Algebra can be taught at lower ages, if it's introduced slowly.

Dr. Brodkey approves of the movement to layer algebraic concepts into early education. He asks his eight-year-old daughter questions like, "What number plus eight will make twelve?"

He talks to his ten-year-old son about inequalities. But he feels that the traditional way algebra is taught now, with its demanding pace, is not appropriate for all middle school students. "Eighth grade algebra is fine for some students," he says, "and there may even be one or two students per school who benefit from the increasing hyper-acceleration of algebra into the seventh grade. But to make it an expectation for all students is not doing them any good."

The age at which a student takes algebra must be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The age at which a student takes algebra is an important and individual decision, not one that should be made by blanket policies. Parents and teachers must work closely together to determine a student's placement. If you're a parent wondering whether to accelerate your student, there are some clues to look for. Algebra-ready kids are:

Organized

Mature

Able to pass an Algebra Readiness test

If you think your child is struggling in any one of these three areas, you can do him a favor by waiting another year before enrolling him in algebra. Placing your child in the right math class will teach him to feel successful and confident about his math skills. But pushing him up when he's not yet ready can bring on a case of math anxiety that will last for a lifetime.

-www.educationarticles.com


What to expect in kindergarten

Campus Desk :

By now, you've probably heard the scary rumor: Kindergarten is nothing like the good old days. Back then, you probably went to school for just half a day. You learned to sit at rug-time, take turns at playtime, and handle blocks. In fact, you probably had a lot of fun.

Now, newspapers and magazines across the country are reporting that kindergarten is the new first grade-full of pressure and short on play. Is your five-year-old headed for some kind of academic lockup?

Not at all, say educators. In fact, the main goal of kindergarten is the same as ever: to build lifelong good feelings about learning and school. Chances are, you can expect to see familiar craft projects, painting, and little seeds in cups-and most likely, you will see your child bloom, too, with new friends and self-confidence.

But it's also true that with the arrival of NCLB and standards-based education, kindergarten classrooms across the country now include new challenges that probably go beyond what you remember from your own school years. Specific curriculum varies somewhat, of course, so be sure you check your state's academic standards on its Department of Education website. But the general trend is that kindergarten now includes some basics of early literacy and math which used to be covered in first grade. In some districts, kinders may even, like first graders, attend for a full day.

So what will your child do in school? In kindergarten, students begin very basic curriculum in all subjects, including science, social studies, and the arts; but the most important academic topics will be literacy (reading and writing) and math, which underly everything else to come.

This doesn't mean you should expect your child to recite Chekhov and solve multiplication problems by the end of the year! At this stage, teachers want kids to explore all the building blocks that, in first grade, will make them versatile, fluent readers and mathematical problem-solvers.

What to Expect in Reading and Writing: Kindergarten curriculum starts by building familiarity with a wide number of aspects of the written and spoken word. Does your child understand "concepts of print," for example-the look and feel of books and text? Can your child identify virtually every letter and make its correct sound, then identify the sound in the beginning or end of a word? Look for alphabet letters and letter-sound activities throughout the year, along with early-leveled readers and simple reading groups. Plan to support your child in learning to write the full alphabet, often with both capital and lower case letters. Your child will also begin writing full words using correct pencil grip, though expect that spelling will be largely phonetic and "invented."

Another beloved feature of kindergarten classrooms is full-class "story time." Although this may look like a simple "cozy" activity, look again: increasingly over the year, teachers will ask students to predict what comes next; evaluate character's thoughts; and retell the story afterward in sequence. These are all critical skills for reading comprehension, and great ones to reinforce at home.

What to Expect in Math: Many preschoolers have already learned to chant the numbers from 1-10 and often much higher. But in kindergarten math teachers work on key early concepts of mathematical reasoning. In the very beginning of the year, expect to see lots of objects for counting; this is because teachers want to make sure that students deeply understand that numbers aren't just singsongs, but symbols that represent real things whether it's cubes or blocks or shoes. They'll also work with pattern blocks and shapes, learning to create and recognize repetitive patterns that they'll translate into abstract skills in upper grades. As kindergarteners work with these patterns, they'll also compare sizes, discovering concepts like more, less, and same. When they have fully grasped early counting, they may also go on to break up numbers: odd and even, counting by twos; and doing early addition, especially with hands-on discovery activities.

What to Expect in Science: Kindergarten science is frequently embedded in math and literacy work. A common core science skill in kindergarten, for example, is sorting objects and categorizing them by a variety of criteria, such as "dead" and "alive," or "plant" and "animal." Don't expect those skills to be taught with lab coats and beakers. Instead, teachers will often use books, or hands-on activities, or create mathematical representations such as bar graphs. You can help your child learn to fall in love with science, by introducing fun, hands-on activities at home.

What to Expect in Social Studies: Virtually every kindergarten curriculum includes work on understanding that kids live in a town or community beyond the boundaries of their home. It also covers key American holidays, and examines rules that everyone must follow so that home, school, and community are all safe places.

With so many preschools offering challenging material, some kids may enter kindergarten already reading, or perhaps messing around with math problems that could belong in higher grades. This does not mean that the "simple" topics of kindergarten are a waste of time; what's important is that your child have a deep, automatic understanding of key concepts. And no matter what the topic, teachers expect to adjust lessons to the many learning styles in the room.

A fundamental goal of every kindergarten classroom is to help kids understand not just the "what" of school curriculum, but the "how." Just as important as mastering phonics will be learning to sit still for story time; handle playground time; make new friends; follow the teacher's directions, and manage school routines. Just as with reading or math, teachers will not expect little adults. But they will ask children to work in groups, do structured, age-appropriate activities, and listen to adults in charge.

Watch a neat line of kindergarteners following a teacher to lunch or the library and it all looks easy. But step inside a classroom, especially in September, and it can look like rocket science. If your child still struggles heavily with these behaviors in June, you can expect the school to be quite concerned. But at the beginning of the year, it's not a worry.

What does this mean for your child? Especially in the beginning of the year, you can expect frustrations from time to time, but overall your child should enjoy kindergarten, and should find its challenges manageable. Talk about school with your kinder. Fill your home with letters, numbers, and books. And if you have concerns, don't hesitate to talk to your teacher. Kindergarten is a frontier year, and with support from loving adults, just about every child can settle in just fine.

-From Web
Social worker Farid Mahmud handing over leaflet on development activities of government to Ajit Ranjan Barua, Chairman, Bangladesh Buddhist Association at Buddha Mandir in Chittgaong recently.
Endless gridlock on Postagola bridge

Passengers from over 20 districts facing untold sufferings: Mismanagement blamed

This is common scenario: Hundreds of vehicles got stuck on Postagola bridge in massive gridlock, creating immense sufferings to commuters where more than 20 districtsa transports passing through the bridge everyday. This photo was taken on Friday.

Reza Mahmud :

Passengers from more than 20 southern districts as well as the adjacent areas of capital Dhaka have been undergoing untold sufferings for long due to endless gridlock on China Friendship Bridge on the river Buriganga.

A huge number of vehicles, most of them carrying passengers and goods via Mawa ferryghat, are seen struck in the gridlock from early morning to late night everyday on the bridge, widely known as 'Postagola Bridge.' So, people are now passing a very hard time in absence of any alternative.

Sources said, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is setting up pipe lines from Jasholdia water treatment project through the road adjacent to the 2nd China Friendship Bridge on the river Buriganga at Nayabazar point in the capital.

This on-going development work of WASA has closed the road for traffic from Ikuria to Kadamtoli through Nayabazar Bridge. At the same time, the Roads and Highway Department also started construction work of an elevated expressway from Ikuria to Kadamtoli.

Those development works have pushed all the vehicles to use Postogola Bridge, creating an endless tailback on both sides of the bridge.

When contacted, Taqsem A Khan, Managing Director of WASA, told The New Nation on Saturday, "The development works of WASA are in good progress. I will be able to say details after few days."

The sufferer people and drivers of different vehicles from the southern districts blamed mismanagement for the gridlock and untold sufferings of passengers. They said, if construction

work of any big project is started after completion of the four-lane Jatrabari-Mawa highway, then the condition would not be so worst.

They also said a link-road at Postogola Bridge's jurain point is being used carelessly which also a major reason for the gridlock.

The stakeholders said, the link road is supposed to use for Narayanganj bound vehicles from Dhaka, only for one-way basis use. The transports come from Narayanganj are not supposed to use the link road to enter Dhaka. Those should go through the road under the bridge and turn to the road taking turn through in front the Shampur Police Station point.

If the drivers follow this, a major portion of the gridlock might be solved. But they did not follow it. The traffic police also found careless about this, they alleged.

Abul Hossain, a bus driver who used the Postogola Bridge for long said, "There was a huge traffic gridlock on the Postagola Bridge whenever the Nayabazar Bridge was opened. Now all vehicles from the Nayabazar Bridge route are plying through the Postagola Bridge. As a result, the traffic gridlock gets a worst shape."

The people from the Jurain, Shampur, Postagola and Keraniganj are in acute sufferings for the day-night gridlock.

"Long route bus passengers from up to 20 districts of Khulna and Barisal divisions and a portion of Dhaka division are fall in the untold sufferings everyday for the unsolved problem," said Shamsul Alam, a driver of a Khulna bound bus at Postagola Bridge.

The CNG-run auto rickshaw drivers alleged that there are huge uncontrolled matters liable for the endless gridlocks.

"The trucks are not supposed to ply on roads in city before 8:00pm, but there are huge number of trucks running all the day long on the bridge, also liable for the gridlock," said Ekhlasuddin, a CNG-run taxi driver on the bridges at Hasnabad point.

The other bus and taxi drivers also blamed police for failing to stop truck plying in day time.


Disappearances, secret killings causing panic among people

Failure of law enforcing agencies not acceptable

Staff Reporter :

Although enforced disappearances are prohibited under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, secret killings and abduction are still continuing in the country.

According to security experts, Bangladesh faces serious security challenges. The government should investigate these serious kind of human rights violations and other alleged acts of torture. Failure of the law enforcing agencies will not be acceptable anyway.

It is to be noted that the miscreants, targeting foreigners, religious minorities, writers, bloggers, editors, and gay rights activists, have killed over 50 people between 2013 and 2016.

They also said that the human rights organizations are not plying their due role to stop these human rights violations. They have to seek the government's accountability as well as create pressure to stop such forced disappearances and secret killings.

It is not their (rights bodies) responsibility to find out evidence by interrogating the returned or rescued persons, they said, adding that secret killings and disappearances are creating panic among the people.

However, the horrors of the relatives of several hundred 'missing men' have slightly been turning into expectations as more than three dozens of disappeared people either returned homes or their whereabouts traced.

Mentionable, Bangladesh Kalyan Party Secretary General MM Aminur Rahman, North South University Assistant Professor Mubashar Hasan and senior journalist Utpal Das in the city and Narayanganj returned homes in the last three days.

The security experts believed that the government has almost failed to ensure public security as abduction in the country still continues.

At least 53 people were found or rescued after reportedly went missing in last five months while more than 750 people disappeared in the last few years, according to media reports.

According to the human rights group Odhikar, between January 2009 and October 2017, at least 402 persons became victims of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh. So far, the group said, some 81 people have been "disappeared" this year.

The members of law enforcing agencies are still in dark about the so called 'torture cells' or 'detention rooms' where the retuned missing men were kept and remained missing men believed to be confined.

The law enforcers also remained mum to disclose any information of the 'abductors' as they have no idea about the kidnappers and their torture cells.

They have taken to inquiry the returned missing victims to gather information about the missing issues, Police Headquarters sources said.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Friday took the credit of return of missing men which already have astonished the common people. The countrymen also turned the minister credit as baseless.

Investigations are on to find out those still missing, he said. "I would say the missing people have returned as the law enforcers are active."

Mobasher Hasan's father Motaher Hossain said that the police have no role to trace his son during the 44 days missing period.

Utpal's father Chityaranjan Das said, "We thanks all for helping us. We want proper investigation into the matter and justice to be served."

Siddiqur Rahman, father of Jamal Uddin, who disappeared after leaving his home in the capital's South Banasree area, said that police did not help us to rescue his son.

"Our brothers and children have been picked up and taken away in front of our eyes, but the administration denies any involvement. We appealed to the government to intervene, so that we don't have to gather with the same demand next year again," said Afroza Islam, whose brother Sajedul Islam was abducted four years ago from the capital city.

Minhaj Uddin, a private university student in the capital, said that he had become astonished government took the credit of missing people return. But police have no idea about the return of the missing men and returned missing men.

Bangladesh Centre for Terrorism Research Fellow Shafqat Munir said: "There is no ground to disappear the people. Police should trace them at any cost.

He also claimed that people have been suffering severe scarcity of security across the country.

Md Moniruzzaman, Assistant Inspector General (confidential) of Police Headquarters, said: "Police are working to trace the missing men across the country."






Govt has to own disappearances and secret killings for making life safe

THE captors of North South University teacher Mubashar Hasan were divided over whether to kill him or not, before finally freeing him early on Friday. His return came just three days after journalist Utpal Das was found in Narayanganj, 71 days after his abduction from the capital's Dhanmondi area. Moreover, a banker, businessmen and a municipality mayor were also found after being abducted. The greatest surprise is: The government does not know who are responsible for secret killings and secret disappearances. And the government is not ashamed of such failure.







There is no reason to believe that the missing people have returned because of the law enforcers' active and efficient operations, since not only on a single occasion the police could rescue at least one from their respective abductors. On the contrary, Home Minister Assaduzzaman Khan Kamal has only to say that the government is not responsible and the matter is being investigated. Depending on the amount of information provided by the missing persons returned our police and intelligence agencies have yet not been able to show any success in catching the culprits. This cannot be unless the law-enforcing agencies are thoroughly incompetent which we cannot accept. Another possibility is that those who are responsible for secret disappearances and secret killings enjoy protection of highest order. Motive may be to create panic and cause silence about the wrongs of the government. The trend is dangerous for organising a civilised country for safety and security of life.





People expend crores of taka to maintain police and security agencies and they justify their existence by proving safety of life. No excuse is acceptable. If there is another government outside the government it is the worst both for the government and the people.





In the missing journalist Utpal's case, according to news reports, Utpal was dropped off by a microbus after 71 days of captivity. The abductors keep their victims days and months without the fear of being found out by our law-enforcing agencies.







The nonchalant behaviour of some law enforcers does little to instil public confidence in these agencies. In fact, the lack of seriousness on the part of the law enforcement agencies only serves to raise suspicion in the public mind.







Bangladesh belongs to us all and those who are engaged in creating panic in public life must know they have no other country to live. So do not make the country panic-stricken to deny good and safe life to all.







The government has to own the crimes of secret disappearances and secret killings and must stop. It cannot be incompetent even to provide security of life. We are heading to a dangerous situation for which we shall all repent.


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CARBONDALE  A community radio station manager claims the station's Board of Directors has been hands-off and absent in the management and day-to-day operations of the business, and he and volunteers need them to resign so the entity can move forward.

In an open letter to the Southern Illinois community, Dave Armstrong, station manager at WDBX 91.1 FM, Advisory Board members and some volunteers called for the resignation of the station's governing board  the Heterodyne Broadcasting Co.'s Board of Directors  Armstrong's bosses.

The station volunteers shared the letter on the radio station's Facebook page, calling for the resignation of the Heterodyne Board of Directors, which runs the station. The radio station is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation.

The letter-writers criticized the now two-member board for being distant and disengaged in the oversight of the station.

Armstrong said he planned a meeting with the board on Dec. 12, intending to discuss future direction for the station.

Shortly after they came together, the three board members entered executive session, to which Armstrong said he was excluded. During that meeting, one of the board members, Navreet Kang, resigned. He said the other two board members left without talking to him.

Armstrong said the next day, he and some advisory board members and volunteers wrote an internal email to Egert and Turk, setting the one-week deadline to respond to their concerns.

After the seven-day deadline, the group posted the open letter to its Facebook page.

In the open letter, the letter writers suggest that once the board resigns, that a committee convene to appoint a new seven-member governing board.

"A timeline of one week was set to begin this process  to have a meaningful meeting with this goal in mind, and to start the difficult work necessary to move forward," the open letter reads. "It was also made clear that after that week, a lack of meaningful engagement from the Board members would result in our public expression of those demands, and a call for the resignation of all current Heterodyne Board members."

The letter was signed by Armstrong and five advisory board members, 11 volunteers, one underwriter/volunteer and one listener-supporter.

Sometime after the station was founded, the Heterodyne Board appointed an advisory board. Armstrong said that after some time, the advisory board members realized they had no real power or say in the management of the station.

Armstrong said, overwhelmingly, the community response to the letter has been positive.

Gene Turk, one of the Heterodyne Board members, said Armstrong plans to take over the station and privatize it. Turk, who said he was also speaking on behalf of fellow board member Tom Egert, said his next steps were to enjoy the coming holidays.

Its sad  that he is using a public forum for his own personal soapbox, not even soapbox, trying to take over, Turk said.

"I want to enjoy Christmas," Turk said, "and then after Christmas, well sit down and try to figure out what should we do here."

Kang noted that anyone considering taking over the station or the board needed to note that that came with a financial responsibility, such as management of about $75,000 in loans for the station. He and Turk said about $70,000 of that was for the building mortgage and the other $5,000-plus for a lot next to the station on Washington Street.

WDBX is run by about 100 volunteers  excluding Armstrong, its only paid staff member. The station has an operating budget of $100,000, about two-thirds of which comes from community donations and the other one-third from underwriters and sponsorships.

Now that Kang, who handled the station's financial matters, has resigned, Armstrong said he is not sure who would authorize the payment of his paycheck. But,he added, he is not worried about that at this point.
Jim Koonce has a goal: To place wreaths on the graves of all veterans buried in Mound City National Cemetery. Koonce and Honor Wreaths for Veterans, a Marion-based charity he founded, are getting closer.

Each year, Honor Wreaths for Veterans works with local groups and organizations to raise funds to purchase wreaths from Wreaths Across America. Wreaths Across America is a national organization that honors and remembers the life of veterans by placing wreaths on their graves and saying their names.

The project was fantastic. We have come a long ways from what we had before, Koonce said.

When the group started, Mound City National Cemetery received around 200 wreaths. Their first year, Honor Wreaths for Veterans added 250 wreaths, for a total of 450 wreaths. Last year, the cemetery ended up with 1,100 wreaths.

This year, Honor Wreaths for Veterans raised money for 1,745 wreaths. A total of 2,699 graves were decorated at Mound City National Cemetery.

The group also worked with a Rotary Club to raise money to place wreaths on veterans graves in a cemetery in OFallon.

They had 388 wreaths they put on, which was all the veterans at the cemetery, Koonce said.

The group also saw an increase in volunteer response, with more than 130 people volunteering through Honor Wreaths for Veterans.

In addition to Mound City, a few wreaths also went to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Camp Butler in Springfield, Danville and Abraham Lincoln in Elmwood.

Thats a lot of wreaths, and we still have a long way to go. To get Mounds covered, we have to have 9,000 wreaths, Koonce said.

He added that they get great support from Womens Life Insurance Society, which offered a matching program in the fall. They matched every donation for a six-week period.

The Elks Lodges in area came in at the end to sponsor wreaths and help place them. Rotary Club of Carterville was tremendous, Koonce said.

Fundraising began in July. In addition to a four-way stop collection in Colp and a fish fry, McAllisters, Buffalo Wild Wings and Don Sol in Carbondale helped raise funds.

If everything goes right, I would like to add a few more cemeteries, like Carbondale, Carterville, Herrin and Marion, Koonce said. We do have veterans at all those cemeteries. They deserve the same honor as the veterans buried in the national cemeteries.

Wreaths Across America places more than 1.5 million wreaths at more than 1,400 cemeteries nationwide. Wreaths are delivered by volunteers with trucking companies.

We were unloading boxes, and it seemed to go on and on. If we get to our goal, we will have more than one truck come in, Koonce said.

In hopes of honoring more veterans, Koonce said the group will start fundraising immediately.

I appreciate all the help our donors have given to us and I hope they are supportive next year. We would like to get more businesses involved, Koonce added.

Donations can be sent to: Honor Wreaths for Veterans, 1212 N. Garfield St., Marion, IL 62959 or made online at www.honorwreathsforveterans.org.
Denmark Technical College is continuing to improve after the state tech system took over its operations, officials said.

Looking to 2018, interim President Dr. Christopher Hall has said his goal is to continue to increase enrollment by improving marketing for the college and the retention of students.

"We have refined our process ... to make everything we do student-centered," Hall said. "We want to make sure we put the student first in all decisions we make.

Our theme going forward is 'One DTC.'"

Denmark Tech's problems became apparent in May 2016 when the State Tech Board launched an investigation after receiving numerous reports of problems through its fraud hotline.

After examining the college, the board reported Denmark Tech needed to accept technical assistance to improve its operations. An audit showed Denmark Tech's operating balance plummeted from $9 million to $285,000 in four years.

DTC officials have blamed the college's financial problems, in part, on enrollment falling from 2,000 students in 2012 to 600 students last fall without adjustments to employees and course offerings.

Outdated equipment and underfunding have also contributed to the problem, they say.

In January of this year, the Denmark Tech Area Commission removed the president. The college then named Hall, a dean at Sumter's Central Carolina Technical College, as Denmark Tech's interim president.

Hall was escorted off campus a few weeks later at the request of Denmark Tech Area Commission Chairman Thomas Williams after Hall refused to reinstate a suspended employee.

The commission reinstated Hall as interim president while also removing Williams as chairman and appointing commissioner Dewayne Ennis as the new chairman.

Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, introduced a bill in February to dissolve the Denmark Tech board and temporarily give its oversight to the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education.

The bill was challenged by the Denmark Tech board, which expressed fears it would mean the closure of the college. Legislators, however, said there was no intent to close the institution.

Later, a law was enacted that gives the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education control over the college until November 2018.

At the end of the period, full control will revert to the Denmark Tech Area Commission. A local advisory commission is assisting during the transition.

The State Tech Board is required to provide quarterly status reports on Denmark Tech to the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

The college has seen improvements, according to a second-quarter status report presented to the S.C. General Assembly on Oct. 31.

"We are working closely with the college to make progress, but it is a slow process," state Tech System spokeswoman Kelly Steinhilper said last month.

"We are hopeful that by next May  the one-year anniversary of the State Board assuming oversight  we will see marked improvement, she said.

The Tech System reported the college is operating within budget despite a decrease in student enrollment of about 17 percent.

As part of its recovery effort, the college had to eliminate some staffing to more accurately reflect its declining enrollment and needs.

Other changes include:

 The renovation of new biology and chemistry labs.

 Focused spending and enhanced enrollment strategies.

 Increased job training and apprenticeship opportunities for students.

 Streamlined processes.

 Upgraded information technology infrastructure.

 Course eliminations and additions based on enrollment and employment opportunities.

Hall said morale has improved at the college as a result of the changes.

"People want to come to work and people want to do a good job. They see where the college is headed and they want to be a part of that, he said.

Hall said officials will continue to streamline internal processes by bringing the entire college online by the spring or summer of the new year.

"We also plan to expand our partnerships with businesses and industry in the local area," Hall said.

Denmark Technical College has been awarded a $1.2 million TRIO Upward Bound grant to serve 10th and 11th graders from the Allendale County and Bamberg 2 school districts.

The five-year grant is from the U.S. Department of Education and will begin this fall.

The program is designed to help students be more successful in high school and better prepared for college.

Hall noted, "This will allow us to work with high schools in the area to improve their academic outcomes."
The Regional Medical Center is seeking to hire employees who can replace contract workers, who can cost twice as much as regular staff.

The hospital had 81 contract employees in November, including 41 nurses and 11 in clinical support areas.

"Over the next 90 days to 120 days the goal is to increase nurse recruitment and to reduce the use of agency staff," RMC Chief Financial Officer Liza Porterfield told trustees earlier this week.

Porterfield said the hospital is aggressively recruiting hospitalists, which are physicians who specialize in caring for patients in the hospital.

Trustees agreed to hire four hospitalists as part of the effort to reduce contract labor.

The hospital saw a total loss of $1.5 million for the month of November and year-to-date has seen a total loss of $1.6 million.

Taking into consideration Edisto Regional Health Services, the hospital's primary care practices, there was a total loss for the month of $1.7 million and a $1.9 million loss for the year so far.

This same time last year, the entire hospital system saw a loss of $1.4 million.

The hospital's fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.

Porterfield said a change has been made in how the hospital handles its self-pay accounts receivable.

She said the accounts will remain in accounts receivable for 120 days before going to bad debt collection.

She said the change will result in an increase in accounts receivable.

"We are going to work to establish new targets or review our existing targets to make sure they are appropriate for us," Porterfield said.

Previously, those accounts were written off as bad debt on day 27 of being discharged, Porterfield said.

ERHS Chair Gladys Arends said volumes for the primary care practices were off target, but above last year by 9 percent.

She said the wellness visits and revenues were also below budget but above last year.

"Even with all this, the total collections were over the target because the total operating expenses were within 5 percent of the targeted goals," she said.

In other business:

 Trustees gave new hospital President and CEO Charles Williams and Porterfield signing authority on hospital bank accounts.

 Trustees recognized Dr. Arden Weathers for his service to the board over the past four years. Weathers has served on the board both as the medical staff executive committee chairman and chief of the medical staff. Weathers retired in July.

"There have been some good times and not-so-good times," Weathers said. "I have enjoyed being here and I enjoyed knowing all of you and working with you."

Dr. Vann Beth Shuler will be assuming Weathers position on the board as the chairwoman of the MSEC.

 Following the boards regularly scheduled meeting, there was a holiday drop-in at The Cinema for hospital employees. The drop-in was also an opportunity for employees to meet Williams. Williams first day was Dec. 11.
UAE-based property investment firm Awtad has celebrated the listing of companys shares on Second Market of Dubai Financial Market (DFM) where investors can trade on private firms shares within a regulated and advanced environment.



The company boasts a capital of Dh150 million ($41 million) distributed between 1.5 million shares with a nominal value of Dh100 per share.



Majid Abdullah Alsari, the chairman of Awtad rang the market bell on Thursday (December 21) to celebrate the listing in the presence of Hassan Al Serkal, the chief operating officer and head of operations division of DFM as well as senior representatives from both sides.



Welcoming the listing, Essa Kazim, the chairman of DFM said the Second Market represents significant value for businesses and investors alike as it enables investors to trade on private companies shares within a regulated and advanced environment and through the electronic trading system.



"The listing also enables private companies that play an integral role in the economic activity, to avail various benefits of being a listed company," he noted.



"The second market has a huge potential to expand considering the big number of private joint stock companies in the country of approximately 150 companies and DFM encourages them to be part of its comprehensive platform," ramarked Kazim.



The listing on the second market provides these companies with numerous benefits including; links with local and international investors, the streamlined access to funds necessary for expansion as well as enhancing its competitiveness through the implementation of best practices of transparency, corporate governance and investor relations, preparing the company for a new era of growth," he added.



On the listing, Alsari said: "We are proud to have Awtad listed on the Second Market."



"We give high regard to SCA and DFM and we are confident that this will provide us with a tremendous opportunity to grow our investments, expand our business activities, increase our investor base and contribute to enhancing the concept of transparency and disclosure by applying corporate governance rules to the benefit of all parties," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The economy of Dubai in 2016 continued to perform well at the macro level with real GDP (gross domestic product) growing at 2.9 per cent, according to a report.

Dubai was able to achieve growth rates that exceeded that of developed economies despite the decline in oil prices, stated the emirate's Economic Report - 2017 signed recently by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council.

Growth in 2016 was supported by progress in key economic sectors, such as manufacturing, transport and storage, real estate, finance and insurance, wholesale and retail trade and tourism.

The report compares the economic performance of the emirate to countries that possess similar economies for evaluating the development of Dubais economy, and future prospects of this development.

It helps raise awareness of decision-makers in the public and private sectors to set policies and sound plans that will help contribute to the growth rate of Dubais economy in particular, and the UAE economy in general, said the report.

The document, issued by the Dubai Economic Department, highlights the emirates economic development in 2016 and reviews the growth of the emirates economy in 2017, based on the latest official data and economic indicators.

It shows that the vitality of Dubai's economy is due to the strong foundations on which the government is based and the effective policies being adopted to stimulate diverse economic activities, especially in the tourism, air and sea transport and real estate sectors.

It has also helped to strengthen Dubai's openness and develop partnerships with many countries in the region and the world, attracting companies, investment and tourism from all over the world.

Key economic sectors accounted for 77.2 per cent of Dubai's gross domestic product of Dh376.8 billion (in constant prices) in 2016. All sectors excluding the construction sector achieved positive growth rates, stated the report.

The wholesale and retail trade sector (which also includes the repair of automobiles) accounted for 27.5 per cent of GDP and 22.4 per cent of total employment and in spite of a slowdown in 2016 the sector is expected to spring back to rates close to the overall growth of the Dubai economy.

The report also provides details on developments and changes in key sectors of the emirates economy, such as wholesale and retail, the industrial sector, comprised of the processing industries, extractive industries, and water and electricity.

Other sectors highlighted include the banking, financial and insurance sectors, as well as construction, real estate activities, tourism, transportation and telecommunications. The report also includes social indicators, such as those related to population, education and health.

According the report, the hospitality sector was the fastest growing in 2016 at 10.6 per cent, contributing 5.1 per cent to the emirate's real GDP, followed by the realty sector, which grew by 6.5 per cent, the transport and storage sector at 4.7 per cent, processing industries at 3.4 per cent, and the banking , financial and insurance sector at 1.3 per cent.

Dubai has paid great attention to developing transportation, storage, communications and information services, which together accounted for 16 per cent of GDP in 2016.

Growth in the transport sector was 4.7 per cent and in the telecommunication sector, 3.6 percent. Dubai has a high-quality transport infrastructure, with the UAE ranking first in the region and fourth in the world among 138 countries in the quality of transportation infrastructure.

The industry sector maintained, according to the report, an advanced position, coming as the fourth largest contributor to the emirate's real GDP after the wholesale, retail, transport, storage and finance sectors.

The process industries sector contributed 10 per cent to the GDP in 2016, growing by 3.4 per cent as compared to 2015 on the back of the emirate's plans to bring it up on par with its peers in the world's most advanced countries.

The report shows that the prospects for the growth of Dubai's economy in 2017 is promising. The emirates economy is expected to achieve a real growth of 3.2 per cent or higher due to the continued recovery of the global economy in 2017 and improved growth rates in developed, emerging and developing economies.

Strategic initiatives adopted by the government of Dubai during the past years to cover Islamic economy and innovation as well as the Smart City programme and hosting Expo 2020 in addition to the mega projects announced by the government aimed at diversification and sustainability, including major road and transport infrastructure projects estimated at Dh15 billion, will take Dubai past various milestones and other major economies regionally and globally.

According to the report, the remarkable successes in the economic field would not have been possible without the vision of the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who aspires to improve the welfare of the community and enhance the emirate's position on the global competitiveness map.

This vision was translated into action by Sheikh Hamdan, who mobilises resources and energies in the emirate towards transforming the goals set into clear work programmes for sustinable development acccording to the Dubai 2021.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had recently predicted a 3.4 per cent economic growth for the UAE in 2018 with Dubais and Abu Dhabis non-oil sectors to be major boosters.

The improved outlook for the UAE follows a predicted 1.3 per cent growth in 2017 as low oil prices continued to impact all regional economies. The new forecast shows a steady growth of Emirati economy in comparison to this year predictions estimated at 1.3 per cent.

The positive trend will be driven by strong economic growth in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which are the leading spots in the region, Jihad Azour, the IMFs Director for the Middle East and Central Asia, said recently.

The IMF projected a GDP growth in Dubai at 3.5 per cent against 3.3 this year and little above 2.9 percent in 2016.-TradeArabia News Service
The wind, oil and gas industries will no longer face penalties for causing incidental migratory bird deaths, per a legal argument published Friday by the Interior Department.

The brief, which calls repercussions for bird deaths a sword of Damocles, replaces a conflicting argument laid down by the Obama Administration that threatened fines on industry for incidental takes, of more than 1,000 species of migrating birds.

Rep. Liz Cheney had proposed an amendment to the same effect that passed through in the U.S. House of Representatives in November, part of a larger bill attempting to give states more control over permitting and regulating oil and gas activities.

The new legal position from the Trump administration has rankled environmental groups like the Audubon Society who say it sets back conservation efforts and gives industry a free pass to be careless. Industry groups are applauding the action, saying they were unfairly threatened with expensive charges when birds were killed by their otherwise lawful operations.

The Obama approach, ushered in at the tail end of his administration, conflated migratory bird protections with endangered species protections, said Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance in Denver.

Those restrictions that reduce jobs and economic opportunity are justified when birds are truly threatened or endangered and any impact can threaten their survival, but not for species that are not, she said in a statement Friday.

Sgamma criticized a 2006 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study often cited by the Audubon society that reported 500,000 to 1 million bird deaths per year from oil field waste pits.

While industry groups argue that the 100-year-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act was being misapplied, conservation groups say the expansion of the law was a milestone in protecting bird species from the perils of development.

The Trump administration is pitting economic advancement against conservation in what had been a bi-partisan issue, argued said David ONeill, Audubons chief conservation officer, in a statement Friday.

Christmas came early for bird killers, ONeill wrote. By acting to end industries responsibility to avoid millions of gruesome bird deaths per year, the White House is parting ways with more than 100 years of conservation legacy.

The Audubon society said it would fight the Trump administration move.
The U.S. Forest Service has withdrawn snowmobile use maps for two national forests in Idaho and part of another in Wyoming after environmental groups in a lawsuit said the maps violate the federal agencys regulations and environmental laws.

The Forest Service last week withdrew Over-Snow Vehicle Use Maps for the Payette National Forest and Boise National Forest in Idaho.

The agency also withdrew the map for the Teton Division of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming.

But the agency in the three separate notices also said that for this winter there will be no change in over-snow motor vehicle use for any the forests from the 2016-2017 season as a result of withdrawing the maps. The agency also said new maps would not be completed any sooner than April 1.

Winter Wildlands Alliance and Wildearth Guardians filed the lawsuit in September, and The Wilderness Society joined in November. That lawsuit has been put on hold until at least March 15 when the Forest Service is scheduled to give a progress report.

The environmental groups say the maps are based on outdated information and arent restrictive enough for snowmobiles that in recent years have become more numerous and powerful, giving more snowmobilers access to remote areas.

The groups said that can harm wildlife and also create conflicts with backcountry skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts looking for a quieter experience.

One of the main things is designating places where people can backcountry ski and snowshoe without having snowmobiles running around, said Laurie Rule, an attorney with Advocates for the West representing the groups.

Specifically, the lawsuit contends the Forest Service in using the maps didnt adhere to an updated January 2015 rule that required new travel management plans for snowmobiles that must designate specific roads, trails and areas open for use.

That rule also includes requirements minimizing damage to natural resources and disruption of wildlife. It also seeks to minimize conflicts with other recreation users.

The 2015 rule presents an important opportunity to enhance quality recreation opportunities for everybody, protect wildlife during the vulnerable winter season, and prevent avoidable damage to wild places, said Alison Flint, counsel and planning specialist at The Wilderness Society. But not if forests short-circuit the process required by the rule.

The groups also contend the Forest Service in approving the maps violated various environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act due to Canada lynx and northern Idaho ground squirrels found in the forests.

The U.S. Department of Justice, which handles legal matters for the Forest Service, didnt immediately respond to an email on Wednesday from The Associated Press.
Pack goat aficionados and bighorn sheep conservationists appear to have struck a compromise in Wyomings Shoshone National Forest.

This is the way were supposed to do business, especially in the West, said Steve Kilpatrick, executive director of the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation. It demonstrates that we can get along if we sit down and talk.

Overall, the Shoshones decision is a win-win for bighorn sheep conservation and goat packing, as the decision provides ample protection of bighorn sheep herds while still allowing recreational pack goat use on areas of the forest, said Andrew Irvine, a Jackson, Wyoming, lawyer who represents the North American Packgoat Association.

Pack goat use would be prohibited in occupied core native bighorn sheep habitat in the Shoshone but could be authorized under a permit system in other areas. Domestic sheep grazing would continue to be allowed on two current allotments.

The proposals are part of the forests Final Environmental Impact Statement and draft Record of Decision for the use of domestic sheep, goats and pack goats. The rules were developed after the forest was sued in 2015 by the North American Packgoat and Idaho Wool Growers associations.

The proposal is subject to a 60-day objection period.

Wild sheep

The Shoshone National Forest has the largest number of bighorn sheep of any national forest, with about 4,550 of the 6,000 bighorn sheep in Wyoming. Northwestern Wyoming contains eight core native bighorn sheep herds, which have never been extirpated and re-populated with transplanted bighorn sheep.

These core native herds include the Clarks Fork, Trout Peak, Wapiti Ridge, Younts Peak, Francs Peak, Targhee, Jackson, and Whiskey Mountain herds, which account for more than 90 percent of the bighorn sheep in the state.

Protecting those herds was the primary concern of regional forester Brian Ferebee. In his record of decision he wrote, While I appreciate pack goat users interest in this form of backcountry recreation, I have chosen to exercise caution and select an alternative that will reduce the risk of contact and potential for disease transmission to the core native bighorn sheep herds on the Shoshone National Forest.

While there is emerging science to indicate that pack goats may present less of a disease transmission risk, only a small number of scientific studies have been done specific to the risk of disease transmission from pack goats, Ferebee added. The magnitude of the consequences if disease were to be transmitted from pack goats to bighorn sheep places the risk of allowing pack goat use within occupied habitat for core native bighorn sheep herds beyond an acceptable level.

The biggest issue in the West for wild sheep is disease, Kilpatrick said. They are somewhat imperiled.

Irvine countered that, While NAPgA does not believe the limited risk of disease transmission from pack goats to bighorn sheep warrants closure of any of the forest to goat packing, it recognizes the desire to mitigate against any potential risk of disease transmission to bighorn sheep, and believes the Shoshone has achieved that desire with its decision.

Pack goat response

Newly elected Packgoat Association president Curtis King said his organization has worked closely with the Forest Service and bighorn sheep conservation groups to find common ground since filing its lawsuit.

Weve never been a difficult group to work with,but were somewhat frustrated, King said.

That frustration comes from what King said is the fact that theres never been a disease transmission or bighorn sheep die-off caused by a pack goat coming into contact with a bighorn or mountain goat.

The science does not support that goats are a danger to bighorn sheep, King said. I believe the Forest Service is erring on the side of caution, and I understand that.

But he warned bighorn sheep wildlife groups, as well as other national forests across the West, not to take the groups acquiescence as a sign of approval for pack goat restrictions.

They cannot argue this is a scientific fact, and weve been doing this since 1970, King said.

Bighorn infections

Two of the Shoshone National Forests core native herds have suffered significant die-offs in the past due to bacterial pneumonia. The Jackson herd, on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, was hit in 2002, and the Whiskey Mountain herd has suffered through several outbreaks of the disease. Managers also suspect that disease played a role in a population decline in the southern Absaroka Mountains during 201113.

Domestic sheep are known to carry bacteria that can infect and kill bighorns, however scientists have been unable to narrow the deaths down to a specific pathogen.

The science tying bighorn deaths to pack goats is much thinner. A study published in June by lead researcher Thomas Besser, of Washington State University, showed that although bighorn sheep could contract pneumonia from pack goats the severity of the disease was markedly milder than when the sickness is caused by domestic sheep.

The Wyoming Game & Fish Department conducted capture operations for all bighorn sheep herds on the Shoshone National Forest for disease surveillance and other purposes from 2011-2017. The results indicate that all of the herds harbor an array of pathogens that have been identified as being factors in bighorn sheep pneumonia outbreaks.

The results of this disease surveillance work do not diminish the concern for disease transmission from domestic sheep, domestic goats, or pack goats to bighorn sheep on the Shoshone National Forest, the agency stated. Forest Service biologists believe it is possible that in some cases the strains currently carried by bighorn sheep in these herds may be less virulent, or that these bighorn sheep have developed some level of immunity specific to those strains.

History

Domestic sheep grazing on the Shoshone reached its highest point in the early 1900s and has been on a steady decline since. From the 1960s to 1980s many sheep allotments were converted to cattle. Since then, all commercial sheep grazing permits on the SNF, except for one, have been removed.

Two active allotments on the southern end of the SNF comprise the current extent of domestic sheep grazing on the forest. Up to 1,150 ewe/lambs are grazed on the Pine-Willow Allotment, and are then moved to the adjacent Slate Creek Allotment. No domestic sheep grazing is authorized within core native bighorn sheep range on the Shoshone.

There are no active commercial domestic goat allotments on the SNF, and domestic goats are not used for vegetation management, but recreational goat packing is allowed on the Washakie Ranger District.

Goat use

In 2011, domestic goat use on the Clarks Fork, Wapiti, Greybull and Wind River ranger districts was restricted. The closure was implemented to reduce the risk of disease transmission from pack goats to core native bighorn sheep herds. The pack goat closure order was issued again in June 2016 and will be in effect until Dec. 31, 2019, or until rescinded. Under this temporary closure, domestic goat use is only authorized on the Washakie Ranger District.

Under the newly released proposal, permit-only pack goat use would be allowed on portions of the Clarks Fork, Washakie and Wind River districts.

Pack goat use for backcountry trips into the Wind River Range occurred prior to implementation of the closure order, primarily into the Fitzpatrick Wilderness.
Sen. President Eli Bebout suggested he was disappointed that a recent education report lacked an analysis of why Wyoming spends so much on education compared to its neighbors.

What I really wanted to see: I wanted to be able to look at and analyze why we spend so much more money, he said Wednesday. We dont seem to get an answer.

He said that lawmakers are unlikely to obtain that analysis in the final report.

The report was released Monday by consultants hired by the state to conduct a top-to-bottom review of Wyomings education system. While it was similar to a lighter briefing presented to lawmakers earlier this month, the draft report provided the most fleshed out look into the consultants work.

The consultants recommend a number of changes, but the ones that caught the eye of most educators and lawmakers were changes to teachers salaries and class sizes. Both recommendations would move the two areas closer to whats happening in districts.

Essentially, because districts receive their state funding in block grants, they have wide latitude as to what they do with those dollars. Most pay their teachers more and make class sizes slightly larger, both of which are different than what the state funding model expects.

The wide-ranging review of the education system, called recalibration, typically takes place every five years but was initiated three years early last spring to deal with the states looming education funding crisis. Bebout, who largely drives the agenda of the state Senate and has been resolutely against tax increases to fill the schools deficit, said he was against hiring the Denver-based consultants who conducted the review.

I was in the minority because we went ahead (with hiring the consultants), Bebout said. Some of these questions like were going over, I didnt think wed end up getting it.

Bebout, along with some senators  prominently Sen. Dave Kinskey, a Sheridan Republican  have been critical of Wyomings schools performance. The state spends about $17,000 per student.

Bebout wanted to know why and said consultants in general have failed to demonstrate it. He said he should expect more in Wyoming when I pay closer to $17,000.

The argument about whether Wyoming is getting a big enough bang for its buck has come up repeatedly as lawmakers have examined its education system. Theres evidence for and against how much money is spent. For instance, the state is consistently ranked in the bottom half for ACT scores. Statistically, its in the middle of the pack in some categories of the statewide assessment.

But other lawmakers argue those are misleading statistics. The ACT, for instance, is given to every junior in the state, regardless of whether that student is heading to college. Sen. Chris Rothfuss has noted that the aggregated state assessment scores are actually top five in the nation. House Speaker Steve Harshman noted that graduation rates have gone up since he was in high school.

Still, theres some credence to Bebouts criticism, which he has voiced repeatedly for months. For instance, the consultants found that Wyomings education standards are similar to a number of other states, but the state spends significantly more than many of them. On the other hand, it also spends similarly to a number of states though, crucially, it did not compare salaries, which account for 80 to 85 percent of districts budgets.

Essentially, the question of whether Wyoming has received a return on its significant education investment is difficult to answer, with both sides clinging to evidence they say is conclusive.

While Bebout somewhat demurred on the question of whether hell cut education as a result of what he sees as inadequate results, he reiterated that he was firmly against a tax increase. He suggested the Senate would introduce responsible reductions in the coming legislative session, similar to proposals that were swiftly killed by a more moderate House last winter.

For him and other senators, they say it comes down to results.

Well, for me, again if youre going to pay that much, you should be getting the results that are much better, Bebout said.
A Montana judge has temporarily restricted wolf hunting and trapping near Yellowstone and Glacier national parks and imposed tighter statewide limits on killing the predators. Wildlife advocates sued last month claiming that looser hunting rules adopted in the Republican-controlled state could harm wolf populations. State District Court Judge Christopher Abbott on Tuesday ordered officials to reimpose rules from 2020 that allow the killing of only five wolves per person, instead of 20, and forbid the use of snares for trapping. Abbott also limited hunting and trapping near the national parks. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte criticized the ruling, saying he thinks the judge overstepped his bounds. But state wildlife officials have pledged to comply with the order.
Wyoming grant sought to subsidize Cheyenne air service

CHEYENNE Officials in Wyomings largest city will apply for a grant to subsidize air service.

The Cheyenne Airport Board voted unanimously Thursday to seek a $580,000 state grant. The money would help lure a new airline to the airport.

A new terminal and other work at the Cheyenne airport are scheduled for completion sometime in 2018. The projects will cost $18 million.

Cheyenne-based Great Lakes Airline is providing one flight a week from Cheyenne to Denver, down from eight flights it used to make.

Airport officials are negotiating with two airlines. Possible destinations include Las Vegas, Dallas and Phoenix.

A $1.4 million guaranteed revenue grant approved in 2010 for American Eagle was used up in its first year in Cheyenne. The airline withdrew from Cheyenne in 2012.

Police: Idaho suspect allegedly leaving underwear on porches

MERIDIAN, Idaho  Police in southwestern Idaho say they are searching for a male intruder who has allegedly left womens underwear on the front porches of his victims houses.

Officials with the Meridian Police said Friday a family notified officers earlier this week that an unknown intruder had entered their home but ran away after a family member went downstairs once their dogs started barking.

The family told police that theyve had womens underwear left on their porch four separate times since November, including on the day of the break in. The family didnt notify police until Monday because they thought it was a prank.

On Thursday, Meridian Police then responded to an attempted burglary where a woman told officers she had found a pair of womens underwear on her door knob the day before.

Police are currently investigating and ask the public to report any similar incidents.

Officials euthanize bald eagle found shot on side of road





STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo.  A bald eagle found injured alongside a Colorado road had to be euthanized.

The eagle was found on Thursday in Routt County.

Officials originally thought the bird was hit by a car, but X-rays revealed it was shot.

One of the eagles legs was nearly severed and it had bullet fragments in its body. Officials decided the most humane thing to do was put the bird down.

Parks and Wildlife Officer Justin Pollock is investigating the incident.

An anonymous Steamboat resident has also donated $5,000 to Born Free Wildlife Rehabilitation, which cared for the eagle, in hopes that the money will help find who shot the bird.

The eagle will be sent to a lab to collect evidence.
Editor:

I am writing because of my concern for our nation. By this time, the vast majority of Americans accept the fact that the Russians interfered with our 2016 elections. This action by our sworn enemy is tantamount to an act of war.

What we do not know: did any Americans collude with the Russians (treason?), how did the Russians interfere and how do we prevent the recurrence, and did the interference have any measurable impact on the results? There are a ton of opinions; we need facts, just the facts.

Special counsel Robert Mueller (a lifelong Republican) is looking into these (and possibly other) issues. It is an issue of national sovereignty. There are Senate and House committees looking into this as well. And of course 99 thousand news people!

My main point of this letter: I have sent several emails to each Sen. Enzi and Sen. Barrasso. I have requested their opinions on this issue. I have received return email declaring their support of a free and independent United States. I have not received indication of their support for the probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. I have a difficult time understanding how you can support the concept but not the actions in progress. I have asked both of them to put this support onto their websites and include it in their newsletters. They have not.

Why not?

Are they putting a partisan connection to their political party before their allegiance to the United States of America? Are they afraid of offending some of the die-hard deniers? Is Barrasso concerned about the challenge from another candidate from his party in the upcoming 2018 election?

I think the people of Wyoming need to get a declarative statement from our federal representation on where they stand on this probe of Russian interference in our elections by Robert Mueller.

Thanks,
Editor:

I see where an overwhelming majority of UN members, including nations basically friendly to Israel, have expressed disapproval of President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The general feeling is that it will hinder prospects for Israeli/Palestinian peace. Which it will.

Doesn't have to be that way. The Netanyahu government could have been magnanimous and said Jerusalem could be the capitals of both Israel and an independent Palestinian state -- one comprising the entire West Bank and Gaza Strip areas. All but the most hardline Palestinians would have agreed to that.

But no. The Israeli right has no intention of sharing Jerusalem with the dispossessed Palestinians, or even letting them have their own viable state. Let them live in reservations while Jews control the West Bank and Jerusalem forever, and keep Gaza -- in cooperation with Egypt -- as the world's biggest open-air prison.
Frederic Balazs sits for hours a day in an armchair next to his small desk, reading poetry anthologies, philosophical writings and thick biographies of world figures from Benjamin Franklin to Mark Twain.

When his eyes and body grow tired of reading, and the single bed on the other side of his small Sierra del Sol room beckons, he sets the books down next to an old Royal typewriter that has been collecting dust since he arrived at the care facility last summer.

Three fat manila folders, heavy from the weight of nearly 500 typewritten pages, lean against the machine, the bulk of the memoirs that Balazs has been pecking out on that typewriter since late 2013.

He got to thinking back then, not long after turning 94, that he had a lot to say. And the clock was ticking; there would come a day when he could no longer tap into those memories of growing up in Budapest, conducting the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, composing dozens of symphony and chamber works, meeting some of the most important musical figures of his day and raising his family of six in the Tucson desert.

Every once in a while, Balazs will look at those files and consider, for a moment, putting a piece of paper in the typewriter and picking up where he left off. But it has been months, maybe even a year, since he last worked on his memoirs. The memories are still sharp  when he tells stories, he weaves in such vivid details you feel like you are reliving the moments with him  but his fingers cant keep up with his thoughts.

My whole body aches, he said recently, his native Hungarian accent still thick after more than 70 years in the United States. I dont remember a time when I wasnt in pain.

Balazs got sick earlier this year. His runny eyes, long an irritant, started failing him. His hearing deteriorated to the point that simple conversations became frustrating. Then he started losing his balance; he fell a couple of times. One medical mishap after another landed him in the hospital late last spring, then in a temporary care facility before he moved into Sierra del Sol Memory Care last summer.

It took Balazs a couple months to make friends, and even then he only told them bits and pieces of his story.

Here, among the retired veterans, teachers, business executives and artists, Balazs is anonymous.

A milestone day

It was several minutes before he heard the knocks that Tuesday morning.

It was his neighbors Louise and Tom.

Happy birthday! they yelled when he answered the door in his bare feet, his thin grey hair mussed as if he had just awakened.

Balazs looked befuddled.

The pair broke out in a chorus of Happy Birthday and Balazs, leaning on his walker, smiled, nearly blushing at the attention.

Ninety-eight, exclaimed Louise, as Tom stuffed a $1 bill in Balazs hand. He looked down at the bill and shoved it into his pocket.

Louise had recently moved in across the hall; she was in her mid-80s and said she wasnt sure she could imagine herself reaching 98. Tom said he was in his early 70s and didnt really have any thoughts about age on that morning; he was wearing a bike helmet and said he was going on a ride, maybe hit two, three miles before he was finished.

A nurses aide followed Balazs into his room as Louise and Tom went on their way.

Its your birthday? Happy birthday, she told him as she portioned out his daily regiment of pills and eye drops.

Balazs sat gingerly on the seat of his walker and with trembling hands took each pill individually.

A visitor in the room asked the woman if she knew Balazs story: No, she answered.

For the longest time after he arrived at Sierra del Sol, no one knew Frederic Balazs accomplishments  that as the TSO gets ready to celebrate its 90th anniversary in the 2018-19 season, Balazs had been the person largely responsible for laying the groundwork for the artistic excellence in todays orchestra.

In fact, few people outside his small and shrinking circle of friends and family know. The last time the spotlight shined on Balazs Tucson history was in 2009, on the eve of his 90th birthday. The symphony performed premieres of two of his compositions in his honor.

Hes forgotten. His generation has passed, said Stephen Balazs, the oldest of Balazs six children. There are very few of the old network of friends left.

Balazs in recent months has started to share some of his stories about conducting at the TSO and around the world, name-dropping to his new friends some of the music celebrities  among them big band leader Benny Goodman, contralto Marian Anderson, conductor Leopold Stokowski, and composers Aaron Copland, Ferde Grofe and Tucson-born Ulysses Kay  whom he hosted in his 15 seasons with the TSO, from 1952 to 1966.

Those stories fill the pages of his memoirs.

But very few people have read them.

The bells tolled

It was twelve oclock on the twelfth of December in the year of nineteen-nineteen when all the church bells began to toll, boom, clang, boing and kept on toiling, clanging and boinging in an overlapping drone over our great beautiful city of Budapest, not only in Budapest but the world over (a tradition that continues to this day) in celebration of my arrival into this new world of mine. It is a coincidence that it was also a signal of thanksgiving celebrating the end of World War I, the last of all war.

It was the beginning of Balazs story and just one of many scenes of his life that he wrote about, moments he didnt want to get lost in the labyrinth of age.

He recounts memories of his childhood in his native Budapest with his father, a portrait photographer, who got him his first violin and insisted he play Papas favorite, Hubays Hejre Kati (Get Hep Katy or something like that), that is a piece of Hungarian tunes in a virtuoso version which I disliked with a passion, he wrote. Each time he played it, Papa raised his right hand smiling and delighted, his index finger pointing skyward, dangling it along with the rhythm, his eyes shining in pride of me. I was cursed playing that wretched piece for the rest of my musical life.

He recalls studying at the Royal Academy of Music under Hungarian composers Bela Bartok, Ernst von Dohnanyi and Eugen Huber. When he was 17, he landed the concertmaster position with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, one of the youngest players to serve in that position with one of Europes finest orchestras of the day.

It was his violin prowess that allowed him to escape Hungary in 1939 as the country was being squeezed by the communists from Russia and the Nazis from Germany. Balazs had won a prestigious violin competition and was granted a visa to go to the United States to represent the cultural achievements of the Hungarian nation, he said. His brother and sister-in-law were already in the U.S.

For a man who was ambitious and artistic, that was no place to be for sure, Balazs said back in May, sitting at the table in his foothills condo, weeks before his health took its bad turn.

Although his recent health issues have left him weak of body, his mind is still sharp, and when you get him to talking he will tell you detailed stories going back 50, 60 years. He recounts the boat trip from France to New York City in choppy waters that sometimes jerked and rattled the boat. When he landed in New York, he jumped into a musical life of performing, conducting and composing before joining the Army just after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served four years before moving to Texas to become music director of the Wichita Falls Symphony, a couple hours drive from his sister, who was living among fellow Hungarians that included her childhood friend Zsa Zsa Gabor. Along the way, he brushed up against greatness, performing under legendary conductors including Bruno Walter, Arturo Toscanini and Wilhelm Furtwangler.

He is such a good storyteller. He has a great sense of humor, said Ann Iveson, who was the principal cellist in Balazs TSO. She played in the orchestra from 1959 through the mid-1990s.

Glimpses of his life in Tucson course throughout his memoirs, stories of raising his six kids with his wife, Ann, an accomplished pianist from Texas. The couple met during his Wichita Falls days, and although she gave up her career to support his, they performed as a duet in recitals for several years, he recalled. She also was a guest pianist with the TSO.

I remember as a kid, with the chaos of dogs and kids, he would get in the middle of it and compose, recalled Stephen Balazs. Then every now and then he would get up and play a few chords on the piano and then go back to writing. To me that was always amazing.

I never really realized how unnormal my childhood was, he added. I thought it was pretty normal to come home covered in desert dirt and see these tremendous people in our living room. It didnt make an impression on me at all. In fact, I thought it was pretty boring.

He took us to a lot of his rehearsals and that exposed us to the instruments and the music and the people, recalled daughter Cheryl Balazs Chester, who studied cello as a child and played in her fathers summer orchestra in Madison, Wisconsin. We are all pretty talented and gifted musically.

House guests included the whos who of Tucson musicians when his parents hosted artist receptions, including a big party for Benny Goodman. Chester, who was 5 or 6 at the time, said she remembers sitting on Goodmans lap.

We just treated them like just another guy in the house, lets go play ball, she recalled.

When Marian Anderson came to the house, it was the first time Chester had seen an African-American woman up close. And there was the day when a soft-spoken Texan with a carrot-top head came to see their mother. The two old friends sat at the piano and toyed around with a melody.

He would say, Ann, how does that sound to you? And she would say, Van, try it this way, recalled Stephen, a retired California teacher who splits his time between Tucson and Montana. I didnt realize it was Van Cliburn.

In one of his Tucson visits, Cliburn, namesake of the prestigious international piano competition in Texas, performed with Balazs TSO.

Transforming an orchestra

The Tucson Symphony Orchestra had 75 applicants for the full-time conductors job in 1952. Frederic Balazs stood out largely because of what he had accomplished in Wichita Falls. In four years, he had grown the Texas orchestra from a small community ensemble to 85 members that needed a 3,000-seat auditorium to accommodate its growing popularity. Season ticketholders numbered 2,500 and Balazs had launched community outreach and youth programs. A prolific composer, he also had a growing reputation for programming works by American and new composers.

These were the skills that the TSO believed could transform the orchestra, founded in 1928, into a regional voice.

Without a conductor of his vision, we would not be where we are today, said TSO principal harpist Patricia Harris, whom Balazs hired in 1964 when she was an 18-year-old University of Arizona freshman.

When he first arrived, many of the TSO players were not professional musicians. They were college students or public school music teachers. They were paid little if anything for their services and the orchestra performed only a few concerts a season.

He was doing the best he could with the players he had, a lot of volunteers and people who could play very well, and he made an orchestra from it, recalled Iveson, who said that Balazs never treated the musicians as less than professional.

I think he was always proud of what his players did. He felt that he made them grow to their best potential. He made music more than they knew they could produce, she said.

Iveson said Balazs formed a TSO string quartet  he was one of the violinists  and they would perform around the region.

Hed play a whole Bach violin suite. And he was not pretentious, Iveson said. He liked to mix with the common man. He knew that was something true.

Harris played with Balazs just two years before he left for a job in Cincinnati. She remembers that he was fair and did some great music. His biggest contribution to the TSO was encouraging longevity and setting us up for success.

I think he was instrumental and absolutely supportive of building musicians to the best they could be, she said.

Coming home

Balazs left Tucson in 1966 for a job in Cincinnati. He went on to conduct in Hawaii and for years in San Luis Obispo, California, where he founded a young musicians program that was featured in an NBC Evening News segment. He guest-conducted all over the world, making lasting friendships along the way, and continued composing.

When dad visited Montana he would come with his grocery bag of tax receipts and his manuscripts, Stephen recalled. He would spread these manuscripts out on the table and start composing music.

After 40 years, Balazs returned home to Tucson about a decade ago. Iveson and her husband, William, had kept in touch with him over the years, visiting him several times in California and once in Vermont, where he was teaching a summer program. But on one of their last visits she noticed that Balazs was starting to slow down. His eyesight was deteriorating and he didnt seem as energetic as she had known him to be. She convinced him he should come home, be closer to family. She could even hook him up with a fine doctor, her daughter. Dr. Kathleen Iveson.

For several years after returning to Tucson, Balazs seem to regain some of the skip in the step. He lived by himself, drove his own car, swam 10 to 12 laps a day in his condo community pool and regularly went out to lunch with friends. He also organized a few community concerts with musicians from the Faro Islands whom he had become close with.

But age has a way of robbing us of the simple things we take for granted. Eyesight fails and you can no longer drive. You get sick and suddenly your body starts rebelling in ways you hadnt imagined.

I love living alone, Balazs said last May, sitting at the table and thumbing through a worn copy of the History Channels This Day In History. You find yourself. You begin to discover reality. You find the reality right here.

His reality at that point included relying on a walker donated by Iveson. He dubbed it Winthrop the Walker.

Not long after that conversation in May, Balazs got sick and his life changed dramatically.

They determined it would be best if he had a level of care that he couldnt get on his own, his daughter said. But hes still going strong.

I cannot go to the Olympics yet, but Im walking, Balazs said in August, sitting on an armchair in his Sierra del Sol room, propped up by several pillows. I feel good here. But sometimes I lose two or three days. I dont sleep. I go to the bathroom 12 times. Im not shaking my fist to the heavens like Beethoven. Its the life youve got and Im not mad.

I had an incredibly rich life, he said. Im very fortunate.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Dec. 23 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
Tucson police, media and others fielded phone calls from residents tonight wondering about a weird light seen in the night sky, described by some as looking like a huge white vapor trail.

It was the contrail of a rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, California, this evening, Friday, Dec. 22, 2017.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg, with its contrail seen over a wide area, including Southern Arizona.

Here's what the Los Angeles Times says on its website about the sight as seen over the City of Angels, for example:

"What was that in the skies above L.A. Friday night that stopped traffic and sparked both alarm and curiosity?

"It was the contrail from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that was scheduled to liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base this evening, according to the website Spacearchive.info.

"Officials had warned the launch could be seen across Southern California and beyond. But on the day before the holiday weekend, the streaks of light against the blue sky were something to behold.

"Many people pulled their cars over to take photos and videos of the sight."
This Christmas, Reflect on the World's Persecuted Christians

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. That is, it's a wonderful time of year for us in North America, where we enjoy vast religious freedoms and the ability to observe religious holidays without fear, harassment or persecution. Sadly, this is not the case for millions of Christians around the world. Christians have become the most persecuted religious group on the planet, and we in the West are not doing enough to defend and protect Christians under attack in other parts of the world. Nowhere is this plight more evident than in Christianity's biblical homeland in the Middle East -- where deadly attacks against Christians have become commonplace. On Palm Sunday 2017, Islamic State militants waged a callous attack against Coptic Christians praying in their church. Two suicide bombers struck and killed 44 people in one of the deadliest days for Egypt's already threatened Christian population. While many Egyptian Muslims condemned the attack -- many rushed to give blood, and three female Muslim police officers were killed trying to protect Christians -- this type of violence in the Middle East is only intensifying. Countries that once boasted significant religious diversity, including Iran and Turkey, no longer have any tolerance for minorities; the Muslim population in these countries now surpasses 99%. In other Middle Eastern countries that once housed sizeable Christian and Jewish minority communities, including Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Jordan, hostile political environments have forced many in these communities to flee. Even in Lebanon, the only country in the Middle East where Christians are constitutionally granted a political stake, Christian numbers are dwindling. Christians once made up nearly 80% of the population. Today, less than one-third of Lebanon's population is Christian. Christians, Jews and Muslims coexisted in the Middle East for centuries, but a new strain of Islamist extremism is making life unbearable for non-Muslims. Religious minorities are increasingly treated with suspicion or outright hostility across the region, and a rising zealotry has made intolerance the new norm. This intense persecution and mistreatment of minorities has been highlighted under the cruel reign of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, but it can be traced back one hundred years to the fall of Ottoman Empire. As the Ottoman Empire collapsed, a group of Turkish nationalists called the Young Turks began targeting and slaughtering Christians, particularly those in the Armenian community. While the new Turkish empire tried to hide its ghastly crimes, a German diplomat and ally to the Turks wrote that there "no longer was doubt that (the Turkish government) was trying to exterminate the Armenian race in the Turkish Empire." In the end, at least two million Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Christians were murdered by the Turks. Surviving Christians fled to the West, or into Iraq and Syria where they were protected -- until the Islamists took over and began slaughtering Christians in their own genocide. This intense hatred towards Christians has led to a drastic reduction in the Middle East's Christian population. As recently as 1910, roughly one in five people in the Middle East were Christian. Today, it's less than four percent. We are witnessing an exodus of Christians from the Middle East. It's textbook ethnic cleansing, and yet, the world remains silent. This Christmas, we should pray for the safety and survival of ancient Christian communities in the Middle East, and we should demand that our politicians provide aid and protection to the world's persecuted Christians.
WASHINGTON  Arizonans came out of the recession with more than twice the student debt that they carried 10 years ago, as economic forces that came with the recession created a perfect storm for rising debt.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Arizonans carried $4,690 in student debt per capita in 2016, up from $1,930 in 2007, the year that marked the beginning of the recession.

Experts say the increase is due to state funding cuts to higher education budgets, increases in tuition and  in what may be counterintuitive for an economic recession  more people deciding to enroll in college.

There were fewer jobs available. So you had students or older workers wanting to retrain for a job, said Mark Huelsman, senior policy analyst at Demos, a national public policy advocacy group.

Enrollment at Arizonas three public universities has grown substantially since the start of the recession, from a total of 127,446 in 2008 to 171,191 in 2016, the most recent year for which numbers are available from the Arizona Board of Regents. Those figures include enrollment in online courses of study.

All three schools gained, with Arizona State University posting the biggest increase, rising from 67,082 to 98,177. University of Arizona enrollment rose from 38,057 to 43,625, while Northern Arizona University saw its numbers grow from 22,307 to 29,989, according to data from the Arizona Board of Regents.

But those students were enrolling at a time when Huelsman said families across the country had less money to spend, leaving students unable to use some wealth that they thought theyd be able to fall back on.

Completing the triple whammy, Huelsman said, was a steady increase in tuition.

In Arizona, those increases were driven in large part by state cuts to higher education funding, as state lawmakers struggled to balance a budget hammered by the recession.

A recent report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said state support in Arizona for higher education fell from $8,827 per student in 2007 to just $5,867 per student last year, still one of the steepest drops in the country despite a recent slight uptick in state support. Arizona funding to public universities rose 4.25 percent in 2016, the first increase since the start of the recession, according to the center.

What we see in Arizona, I think, and what weve seen right across the country is that during the recession states reduce their expenditures especially on a per pupil basis, said Barmak Nassirian, the director of federal relations and policy analysis at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington.

Nassirian said the trend is a common one. He considers the decline in state funds to be the driving force behind rising tuition and in turn, deepening student debt.

The Federal Reserve numbers include all student debt held by Arizona residents, which includes debt racked up at schools outside the state. But experts say other states saw similar increases in tuition  and similar increases in student debt.

Nationally, according to the Federal Reserve data, student debt rose from $1,970 in 2007 to $4,920 in 2016, a 150 percent increase compared to Arizonas 137 percent increase over the same period.

Nassirian is optimistic that higher levels of state support can help reverse the rise in student debt levels across the country. He points out that Arizona in particular has an obligation to make college affordable, pointing to a provision in the state Constitution.

The state of Arizona actually has a constitutional provision that guarantees a free or as low a cost as practicable in terms of tuition at its public institutions, he said.
Four former Tucson-area law enforcement officers have lost their state certifications for police work, officials said last week.

A fifth former deputy has also lost his certification for three years, and two other men are facing the loss of theirs.

In a Wednesday meeting of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, members accepted agreements with former Tucson police Officer Jaime Gutierrez and former Oro Valley police Officer Elijah Woodward, allowing the men to voluntarily relinquish their certifications, said spokeswoman Sandy Sierra.

The board also voted to revoked the certifications of former Tucson police Capt. Decio Hopffer and ex-Pima County sheriffs Deputy Kenneth Kimpel, Sierra said.

Also during the meeting, the board voted to suspend the certification of Arnold Romero, a former Pima County sheriffs deputy, until March 2020, at which time it no longer be valid, Sierra said.

The board also voted to initiate proceedings to revoke the certification of Tucson police Officer Charles Foley, who still works for the department, after winning his job back after in an appeal of his termination with the citys Civil Service Commission.

Anthony Levy, who was fired by Tucson police two days before he was due to start training at the academy, is also facing the loss of his certification, after the board voted to initiate proceedings against his certification, Sierra said.

The board heard the case of an eighth former officer, Michael Sauber, who was fired by Tucson police in August and voted to resolve the case in the future.

Without a valid peace officer certification, a person is barred from working in law enforcement in Arizona.

Jaime Gutierrez

Gutierrez, a three-year veteran of TPD, was fired from in January 2016 after an internal investigation found that he lied to his supervisors and violated department policies, according to AZPOST records.

In May 2015, Gutierrez failed to document an incriminating statement by a suspect in an officer-involved shooting, the records show.

Gutierrez denied he had done anything wrong and said he planned to write the report up later, acknowledging that he knew the suspect was involved in the incident, according to the records.

He changed his story when he spoke to investigators, saying he didnt know the suspect was involved in the shooting. Gutierrez was fired for untruthfulness, but later reinstated by the citys Civil Service Commission.

He was fired again, after the results of an investigation into a second May 2015 incident showed he lied to a supervisor about an incident involving the release of a domestic-violence suspect whom other officers intended to arrest, according to AZPOST records.

He appealed the second firing, but the Civil Service Commission upheld it.

Decio Hopffer

Hopffer, a 22-year TPD veteran, resigned in lieu of termination in April after he rear-ended a car and left the scene of the crash, AZPOST documents show.

The driver of the vehicle he hit called the police after Hopffer left the scene and provided officers with his license plate number and a description of Hopffer, according to the documents.

When investigators spoke to Hopffer, he admitted hitting the womans vehicle, but said she drove away and he lost her in traffic. He said he didnt report the crash to the department because there was no damage to his car and he couldnt find the woman, the documents show.

Surveillance cameras verified the womans story and during subsequent interviews with TPD investigators, Hopffer didnt change his story. Investigators found there was ample proof that (Hopffer) lied in the investigation, according to the documents.

A criminal case against Hopffer for hit-and-run was presented to the Pima County Attorneys Office, which declined to file charges. Hopffer was instead issued a ticket for leaving the scene , and he submitted his retirement to TPD days later.

Kenneth Kimpel

Kimpel was fired from the Sheriffs Department in April after he tested positive for cocaine during a random drug test and failed a follow-up test a week later, AZPOST documents show.

After the second failed test came back on March 30, Kimpel provided investigators with several different theories as to how cocaine could have gotten into his system, saying he went to a concert and left a beer unattended, frequented a bar where the bartender calls him detective and also used an e-cigarette that belonged to an unknown woman, according to the documents.

Kimpel had been employed by the Sheriffs Department for 11 years.

Arnold Romero

Romero had worked for the Sheriffs Department for nine months when he was terminated in March, after he lied to his field training officer about obtaining the date of birth from a person who reported suspicious activity near a local elementary school, according to AZPOST documents.

While Romero ultimately admitted to forgetting the date of birth from the reporting party, he initially searched through the departments computer system for the persons name and used the date of birth for a person with a similar name, the documents show.

When he was confronted by his supervisor with the inaccurate information, Romero first lied, saying hed asked the man for his date of birth before admitting that hed forgotten.

The AZPOST suspended Romeros certification effective March 14, 2017, through March 20, 2020, at which time it will lapse, Sierra said.

Anthony Levy

Tucson police recruit Levy was dismissed from the department Oct. 9, three days after he was accepted into the police academy, AZPOST documents show.

On Oct. 6, Levy went to a bar to celebrate his acceptance into the academy. At about 3:30 a.m. the next morning, Levy was driving on the south side of town when his truck left the roadway, hit a curb and crashed into a bed of cacti, according to the documents.

When TPD officers responded to a 911 call by a neighbor, Levy told them hed been drinking with friends the night before but had stopped drinking around midnight.

Levy told them he was due to start the academy on Monday and when he was completing a field sobriety test, he told officers Im under the influence and I cant do this, I had too much, the documents show.

At one point while he was talking to officers, Levy said, Look at my truck, I was drunk when I crashed, according to the documents.

Subsequent breath tests revealed Levys blood-alcohol content to be 0.143, nearly twice the legal limit.

He was cited for DUI and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident before being released to an Uber at the scene, the documents show.

Levys DUI case is pending in Tucson City Court, according to online records.

Charles Foley

Foley was fired by TPD in June after a criminal investigation by the Sheriffs Department revealed he forged his ex-wifes name on a jointly held investment account check, according to Arizona Daily Star archives.

Foley, a 16-year TPD veteran, came under investigation after his ex-wife called to report the theft, saying her ex-husband had forged her signature without her knowledge and failed to give her half of the money from the check, as was ordered in their divorce decree, Star archives show.

When sheriffs detectives interviewed Foley via telephone, he denied signing his ex-wifes name, saying he didnt know who did.

When Foley spoke to police investigators, he said hed emailed his ex-wife to let her know he received the check, but could not provide proof of the email.

The office of professional standards determined Foley lied during the police investigation and committed felony forgery.

The Sheriffs Department presented the forgery case against Foley to the Arizona Attorney Generals Office, which declined to file charges, according to TPD documents.

Foley appealed the firing and in October, the citys Civil Service Commission voted to overturn the termination, saying that while there was evidence Foley engaged in misconduct, there wasnt just cause for the firing, Star archives show.

As of Dec. 21, Foley was assigned to TPDs communications division.

Michael Sauber

Sauber, a probationary officer, had worked for TPD for a year when he was fired in August after he was accused at pointing a handgun at his father while he was off-duty at a family gathering, according to AZPOST documents.

A family member who was at the gathering and standing behind Saubers father believed he could have been shot if the gun had gone off and told another family member about the incident, who reported it to police, the documents show.

On July 28, Sauber was in the front yard of a family members house during a birthday party when he and his father began roughhousing by pushing and jabbing each other, according to the documents.

There were words exchanged in a joking manner between Sauber and his father, the documents say. Sauber then told his father, Hey, I have my gun, its right here.

Sauber told investigators he always did this as a courtesy so his father would be aware, then lifted his shirt and pulled his gun out of his holster inside the waistband of his pants and showed it to his father, the documents say.

When he spoke to detectives, Sauber said the gun was pointed at the ground until he returned it to his holster, according to the documents.

Sauber was arrested, but the Pima County Attorneys Office later declined to file charges.

Sauber was fired for failing to meet and maintain standards as a result of his involvement in an incident that led to a felony arrest, the AZPOST documents show.

During the AZPOST meeting, board members felt that there wasnt enough information to make a decision about Saubers certification, and voted to resolve the issue in the future, Sierra said.

Elijah Woodward

Details regarding Woodwards departure from the Oro Valley Police Department werent immediately available, as no case overview was provided to the AZPOST.
Snowey the cockatoo traveled thousands of miles from Mexico to Texas hidden in a shipment of plastic mailing tubes before ending up in a sanctuary in Benson. He never recovered the movement on his left side after being forced into the tube, or from his fear of people, before he died 18 years later in 2014.

In 2015, traffickers stuffed three conures into Coca-Cola bottles and tried to smuggle them through Nogales. While two survived and now live at the Oasis Sanctuary in Benson, about 40 miles east of Tucson, another suffocated before it could be rescued.

These parrots are among the thousands of wildlife and wildlife products smuggled illegally through the U.S.-Mexico border every year.

In Nogales alone, 1,616 shipments of live animals and animal products were denied entry between 2005 and 2014, earning the designation of a superhighway for trafficked wildlife and placing second only to El Paso-Juarez as the most commonly used route in the country, a 2016 report from Defenders of Wildlife found.

While wildlife trafficking is seldom included in discussions of border crackdowns to curb drug trafficking and illegal immigration, some animal products are more highly valued than cocaine, and suspected links exist between animal traffickers and organized crime networks.

Everything is being funneled through Mexico, said Alejandra Goyenechea, co-author of the 2016 report and senior international counsel for Defenders of Wildlife, a conservation and research organization based in Washington, D.C. Because wildlife-trafficking routes are similar to the ones used to smuggle other products, she said, If you address this, you address other types of crime.

Elephant, stingray, and ostrich skins, as well as sea turtle shells and parrot feathers, regularly turn up in border inspections here, said Phillip Land, assistant special agent for Fish and Wildlife law enforcement in the Southwest.

Out of the U.S.-Mexico ports of entry analyzed in the Defenders of Wildlife report, Nogales ranked first in terms of trafficked dead animals, with about 75,883 pounds of illegal animal parts and products seized there between 2005 and 2014.

Then there are imports of hunting trophies, so well see unlawful imports of mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, bobcats, mountain lions, Land said, adding that live parrots and reptiles, destined to be sold as pets, are also common.

Although many wildlife parts are hidden in the thousands of produce and goods shipments that pass through Nogales every month, the ways in which people smuggle wildlife across the border arent limited to the trucking industry.

Land said inspectors have found animals  dead and living  hidden in coat pockets, secret compartments of cars and soda bottles.

The business is highly profitable, he said. Lets say hypothetically you could buy a parrot for 100 bucks down there, and bring it up here, you can sell it for $500 to $1,000.

With the fines for smuggling wildlife varying across different state jurisdictions, many smugglers find it worth the risk to try and get wildlife over the border, he said.

In 2009, a man was charged and fined $1,000 in Arizona for smuggling a white-fronted Amazon parrot through Nogales. If he had managed to sell the bird, it could have fetched nearly twice that much, an online search shows.

The federal government has been taking a number of steps to address the issue of trafficking. President Barack Obama signed the End Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016 in October last year, a bill originally introduced by Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake and Connecticut Sen. Chris Coons. The law aims to increase anti-trafficking and community conservation programs.

However, the current administration has signaled a shift to undo some of these efforts. President Trump announced in November that he is reviewing a decision to lift a ban of the import of trophy elephants, drawing outrage from many animal-rights groups.

How much difference executive orders and bills can make is up for debate. Land said he hasnt seen a significant decline in smuggled wildlife along the border since Obamas executive order was passed. If theyve got a buyer for it, theyll try to get it through, he said.

While most people are familiar with drug smuggling, fewer know about the level of wildlife trafficking going on, which is one of the challenges to stopping the practice, said Tucson-based biologist Cecil Schwalbe.

Theres no terrorist wildlife, said Schwalbe, former state herpetologist for Arizona. Even if theyre smuggling in a deadly snake from Asia, theres no fear that its going to kill 50 people.

But Schwalbe, who spent decades working with Fish and Wildlife law enforcement before his retirement, said the extent to which illegal wildlife trade impacts the environment in regions where animals are poached should also cause concern.

The main thing it does is decimate native populations, he said. In Southern Arizona, wild populations of Gila monsters and rattlesnakes have been affected as a result of trafficking, since the illegal wildlife trade isnt limited to a Mexico-U.S. route.

In Mexico, populations of Amazon parrots, one of the most-commonly-trafficked species, decreased from 25 to 90 percent in different parts of the country, according to a 2006 report from Defenders of Wildlife, the most recent data available on the issue. It estimates that about 75 percent of trafficked birds die on their journey to the U.S.

Places such as the Oasis Sanctuary are key for those animals that do survive.

The sanctuary has been working with Fish and Wildlife for the past decade, giving the often-traumatized or injured parrots confiscated all along the border a safe, life-long home, said executive director Janet Trumbule.

Consumers are key to putting a stop to wildlife trafficking, she said.

People see these really beautiful, colorful animals that can talk, and dont educate themselves on the care that bird needs, or where it came from, said Trumbule.

These exotic animals, she said, birds or otherwise, arent supposed to be kept in a home.
Altaf Engineer is a new University of Arizona assistant professor in  you guessed it  architecture.

And while hes not an engineer, he is as interdisciplinary as his title suggests: In addition to his assistant professorship, he also began working this fall as a research faculty member in the UA Institute for Place and Wellbeing, which integrates medical research and design practices to address how built spaces affect human psychology and physiology.

The institute is extremely unusual, said Esther Sternberg, founding director. Theres a much longer history between public health and urban planning than on individual buildings and bodies.

The institute is a collaboration between the College of Medicine, the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture.

The institute recruited Engineer partly because he co-founded a nonprofit designing rapidly deployable and dignified housing for displaced people.

What hes done is so timely, Sternberg said, and it speaks to his commitment to social justice.

Before coming to the UA this fall and earning his Ph.D. in 2015, Engineer designed college and university buildings at a firm in Washington, D.C., when he met Amro Sallam and they dreamed up Architects for Society.

They quickly amassed a worldwide team of 14 in early 2015, and a year later, the group became a nonprofit.

Most of us were mid-career architects, so wed done all kinds of buildings and always wanted to do something more meaningful on our own, Engineer said.

The central focus of the nonprofit has been the Hex House, an emergency shelter that can also serve as long-term housing. The concept won multiple design awards in 2016.

We developed the Hex House because we were passionate about helping disadvantaged communities, Engineer said. Its not only refugees of war, but also refugees of natural and manmade disasters of all kinds  even recent flooding in Houston, should FEMA choose to implement the design.

The nonprofit collaborated with an architecture studio class at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, to generate ideas for refugee housing

Yousef Oqleh, a board chair for Architects for Society and design architect and urban designer at AECOM in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, collected the information about refugees and their needs for the class by traveling to the Zaatari refugee camp  now the fourth-largest population center in Jordan.

Dignified housing was the biggest goal, Engineer said. We realized from studying the conditions of the refugee camps that they adjust and adapt and make the most of living in tents, but that doesnt mean that they are living in equitable housing like the rest of us.

So if you enjoy a kitchen or toilet in the house, so should they, Engineer said.

Each 500-square-foot, six-sided Hex House is made of structurally insulated panels with two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a living space. The honeycomb floor plan is more structurally stable than a rectangular layout.

The architects also aimed to be sensitive to the particular culture that a lot of these people come from, Engineer said. Theyre used to community living, and the honeycomb shape is easily clustered into a communal space.

Houses can also be built off the grid because of solar panels, water tanks and compostable toilets and can include adjustable legs for uneven terrain, slopes, running water or flooding.

The houses can also be made wheelchair-accessible.

We wont just ignore and ship units; wed think about what each site needs, he said.

To foster funding, the team built prototypes in Minneapolis and Amsterdam this fall.

An individual house can be built in less than a week with trained help. Each house costs about $50,000 to $60,000, but the team would like to get it down to about $25,000 per unit, Engineer said.

The team is not planning any new projects just yet. For now its trying to implement solutions somewhere.

Government emergency and disaster-relief agencies, global refugee agencies such as UNHCR, and other nonprofits and NGOs would pay for them, he said. But forming partnerships and implementing projects together with NGOs  in my opinion  has the most potential since we would have very similar goals and objectives.

At the UA, part of Engineers work is educating the next generation of architects as well as creating a masters of science in architecture that will kick off in fall 2018. The program will focus on health and built environment.

His dissertation and work done by the Institute for Place and Wellbeing is focused on studying the performance of employees in the workplace and how to create environments for optimal health.

Sternbergs work with the institute included using environmental sensors within the building and wearable sensors to track peoples physiological reactions to the built environment, and will continue along this path with the addition of Engineer.

Engineer said when he began down the architectural path, he had no idea he would be doing what he is today.

I just gravitated toward things I liked doing.

His last name was passed down from his great-grandfather who, like many others during British rule of India, named himself by his profession. He was an electrical engineer.

Growing up in India, he took an early interest in art, which developed into an interest in architecture.

Art, I think, raises questions, but architecture offers solutions.
Re: the Dec. 13 letter to the editor Even less help for those who need it the most.

When I was 8, mom took all four of us kids and we moved from Southern California to up-state New York. All we had was the clothes in our suitcases. We relied on moms family for help. It took several years, but the welfare system helped her find a job for minimum wage. Less than $2 an hour.

Neither my siblings nor I turned to drugs or crime in those years. My older brother was in the Navy, finished college and is now retired and living in Massachusetts. My sister married, raised a family, and worked. She is now retired and living here in Tucson. My younger brother is working in Massachusetts and will retire in a few years. Me? Im retired after over 20 years in the Air Force and working in the civilian market. None of us are rich, but we have comfortable lives.

All of these opportunities are available to todays young people. Sometimes, all they need is to be shown which way to go. No one is destined to be poor for life!

Steven Barker

East side
I find it ironic that Gov. Ducey would find lack of character a bar to being a U.S. Senator. From the White House and Congress, trickling down (unlike the recently passed tax reforms) to local and state governments, being of poor character, behaving immorally and acting unethically in the interest of self  not constituents  are apparently just the qualifications required to hold public office.
Friday is the holiest day of the week for Muslims of all sects. For that reason, Friday is observed as a holiday in lieu of Sunday in most Muslim countries. This Friday, brought terrible retribution on the people praying at a mosque in Egypt's North Sinai region. The Egyptian state-run TV channel Nile TV has reported that this was the deadliest attack in Egypt and nearly 235 are dead and hundreds injured, some perhaps maimed for life. The death toll is likely to rise further.

A mosque where Sufi followers had congregated for midday prayers located at Al Rawdah was` targetted by a terror group.

It was a meticulously planned attack and after two explosions, the gunmen moved in and mowed down the worshippers. Ambulance's rushing to the scene was also attacked. CNN has reported this news in graphic detail.

Throes of death

Egypt under General Sisi is in the throes of death. Not a day passes without an attack by the extremist Muslim organization There is also news that 16 police officers have been shot dead in an encounter with militants, who are suspected to be affiliated with ISIS. President Trump has condemned the incident, but the mere condemnation will lead nowhere.

Extremism in Egypt

Egypt's problems commenced with the removal of President Morsi, in a military coup led by General SISI.

Morsi was the first and only democratically elected president of Egypt since Gamal Nassar overthrew King Farrukh in 1953. But he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, which started a sectarian agenda targetting the minorities and the army intervened.

General Sisi seized power but failed to realize that vast sections of Egypt's population is radicalized.

Many supported the Muslim Brotherhood and these elements joined hands with the ISIS to wage a war against the Egyptian government. Extremism and terror attacks in Egypt is now a fact of life. The army has not been able to snuff out the hardcore militants who have continued their attacks on Christians, Shias and other minorities.

In this case, they attacked a Sufi mosque with is the birthplace of a Sufi saint. Sufi's are a sect of Islam and orthodox Muslims consider them heretics.

Future

Egypt has declared three days of mourning and general Sisi has commenced a meeting with the security committee, as to how to deal with the situation. The task is daunting and the general will have to show more ingenuity, otherwise, the bell tolls for him and the Egyptian state.
Few people know very much about Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of the most popular cryptocurrency bitcoin system. The cryptocurrency started with a minimum quotation and today its value per unit is above the US $14,000 mark. The history of Bitcoin and its rise is amazing.

But do we really know who Satoshi Nakamoto is? We heard about him for the first time in 2008, in an academic publication where he first proposed the creation of cryptocurrency.

Here are five myths around the founder of bitcoin, who is said to be 37 years old, lives somewhere in the Americas and comes from a country belonging to the Commonwealth, according to the Eurocheddar portal.

1) He is not a single person

Speaking to Wired magazine, programmer Laszlo Hanyecz, who was part of the bitcoin development team, says: " I always had the impression that [Nakamoto] was not a real person, the bitcoin seems to be too well designed for a single person would have started it. " This would point towards Nakamoto being a false name that represents a group of people.

2) He could be dead

One of the possible stories that revolve around is the possibility that Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonym (a fictitious name) of Hal Finney, who was the second person to receive a transaction for bitcoins, Businnesinsider adds. However, after Finney's death in 2014, this story could not be confirmed.

3) Links with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

"In Japanese, Nakamoto means 'central origin', while Satoshi means 'clear thinking, quick witty, and wise.' In other words, it equates to 'intelligence.' in that sense, the name could be translated as Central Intelligence," speculates the portal CIO.

4) He is among the richest men in the world

The value of the bitcoin was one step away from reaching $20,000 per unit on November 17.

At that price, the fortune of its mysterious creator would have been worth 19,400 million dollars, making him the 44th richest person in the world according to the list of Forbes, reports Quartz.

5) Candidate for the Nobel Prize in Economics

In 2015, Nakamoto was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences by Bhagwan Chowdhry, professor of finance at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), according to Bitcoin Magazine.

Until now, in the eyes of the world, the identity of the founder of bitcoin remains a complete mystery, unlike its creation, which is on everyone's lips while it continues to revolutionize the global financial system.
Donald Trump has decided to add his signature phrase to his presidential Challenge Coin in a shift from the tradition of president's before him. In response, social media had a few words.

Trump's coin

As with anything involving Donald Trump, the commander in chief has decided to break from tradition when it comes to the annual presidential "challenge coin." Over the last 20 years, presidents have had their named engraved in the coin with the phrase E pluribus unum," which translates to "Out of many, one" pressed above. While this has been the case for some time, the former host of "The Apprentice" made a change by scrapping "E pluribus unum" and replacing it with his popular campaign slogan "Make America Great Again." The story first broke in the Washington Post on December 22, which quickly resulted in mockery and trolling on Twitter.

The presidential coin gets a makeover.



Out: E pluribus unum.

In: Make America Great Again.https://t.co/MhgMYQnM4D  Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 22, 2017

On the coin in question, "E pluribus unum" has been replaced with "Make America Great Again," while the traditional presidential seal has been eliminated and instead replaced by Donald Trump's signature. The "MAGA" logo is visible not just on the front, but also on the back of the coin.

Twitter reacts

Once the news of the challenge coin changes made the rounds, critics of the president had a little fun on social media. "History will remember him as a brand, not an American President," former congressman David Jolly tweeted out.

Mr Bone Spurs has put himself on the Challenge Coin. God I hate this egotistical, vile asshole. https://t.co/jXeD0uBvQO  Tina-TheResistance (@trcfwtt) December 22, 2017

It is beyond fitting that Trump deleted e Pluribus Unum  out of many, onefrom the Presidential coin. Our national motto sums up our nations deepest aspirations. Trump has never shown even the slightest respect for the motto and what it stands for. https://t.co/tSz9rg3jQj  Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) December 22, 2017

Its incredibly offensive that he perverted the challenge coin tradition to promote his campaign. His campaign should pay for these, not the Treasury.  (((Jane Austin))) (@J_Resisterhood) December 22, 2017

"Trump is branding American democracy like one of his gaudy hotels.

I'm assuming this is what his voters wanted: an incompetent attempt at a banana republic," Wajahat Ali of the New York Times posted. "Mr Bone Spurs has put himself on the Challenge Coin. God I hate this egotistical, vile a$$hole," another tweet read. "It is beyond fitting that Trump deleted 'e Pluribus Unum' ,out of many, one, from the Presidential coin.

Our national motto sums up our nations deepest aspirations. Trump has never shown even the slightest respect for the motto and what it stands for," Neal Katyal wrote.

This is embarrassing and disgraceful.



It's unethical, too. A campaign slogan on the challenge coin for the commander in chief? Gross. https://t.co/jkdxfK5t48  Amy 'Really Not Flirty' Libby (@SparkleDogToo) December 22, 2017

So the Presidential Challenge Coin is now a goldy-looking medallion with 'Make American Great Again' and 'Donald Trump' written on it. It's ugly, cheap looking, oversized, garish and tasteless. In other words - pure Trump. https://t.co/rDfiJBSCbk  Dave F (@dave_wembley) December 22, 2017

Never forget that Trump is the tackiest man to walk the planet https://t.co/xZe2LDpDS3  Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) December 22, 2017

"This is embarrassing and disgraceful," a follow-up tweet read, while writing, "It's unethical, too.

A campaign slogan on the challenge coin for the commander in chief? Gross." "Never forget that Trump is the tackiest man to walk the planet," an additional tweet added. The backlash continued as Donald Trump's ego was once again the source of endless humor for his critics and others looking to poke fun at the president has he lands at his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort for the holidays.
The Washington Post reported late Monday night that Donald Trump was close to rescinding his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court earlier this year following the judge's criticism of the president. In response to the news, Trump pushed back.

Trump on WaPo

Since the early days of his campaign for president, Donald Trump has clashed with the majority of the mainstream media. With the exception of more conservative news outlets like Fox News, the former host of "The Apprentice" has made it a routine to attack the press at any and all cost when a story is published that isn't in full support of his agenda.

The latest example comes from the Washington Post who reported on Monday night that the president was close to pulling back his nomination of Neil Gorsuch earlier this year. The paper cited an anonymous source who claimed that Trump's anger came after Gorsuch commented on the president's criticism of the justice system, calling it "disheartening" and "demoralizing." As expected, it didn't take Trump long to lash out and deny the report which was seen during a December 19 tweet.

A story in the @washingtonpost that I was close to rescinding the nomination of Justice Gorsuch prior to confirmation is FAKE NEWS. I never even wavered and am very proud of him and the job he is doing as a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The unnamed sources dont exist!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2017

Taking to Twitter to push back against the report in the Washington Post, Donald Trump was once again defiant on Tuesday morning.

"A story in the @washingtonpost that I was close to 'rescinding' the nomination of Justice Gorsuch prior to confirmation is FAKE NEWS," Trump tweeted.

Infuriated by Gorsuch's criticism of his escalating attacks on the federal judiciary, Trump talked about rescinding his Supreme Court nomination https://t.co/ieTL11n3rd  Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 19, 2017

"I never even wavered and am very proud of him and the job he is doing as a Justice of the U.S.

Supreme Court," Donald Trump went on to write. In conclusion, the commander in chief added, "The unnamed sources dont exist!"

Instant reaction

After Donald Trump gave his view on the Washington Post story about Neil Gorsuch, critics wasted no time responding. "Just like the dozens of other stories you claimed were FAKE which turned out to be 100% accurate???" one tweet read.

Don't worry, Gorsuch will have the chance to get you back when he rules in favor of your Prison sentence!  Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) December 19, 2017

Trump is the modern day Hitler, his next move is complete suppression of the Free Press  Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) December 19, 2017

"Trump is the modern day Hitl*r, his next move is complete suppression of the Free Press," one Twitter user wrote. "Don't worry, Gorsuch will have the chance to get you back when he rules in favor of your Prison sentence!" an additional tweet noted.

Trump lies so much, he lies about the lies that he lies about!  Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) December 19, 2017

When you put a word in quotes like that, it just calls attention to the fact that the word looks funny to you because you've never seen it before.



Never trust an unfamiliar word, I guess.  Gary M. Sarli (@GMSarli) December 19, 2017

Instead you believe that Clinton was running a pedophile ring from a pizza shop and that the DNC murdered Seth Rich...  Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) December 19, 2017

"5.5 daily lies.

Whatever dude. Have a drink from your sippy cup and wait for your impeachment," yet another tweet read. "Trump lies so much, he lies about the lies that he lies about!" a follow-up tweet post started. As the negative reaction continued to pour in, social media critics showed no signs of stopping their backlash to Donald Trump.
For all the avid General Hospital fans, heres a sneak peek into General Hospital spoilers for the episodes airing on Monday, December 25 through Friday, December 29. There will be no episode airing on Monday due to the Christmas holiday, reported SheKnows Soaps. However, new episodes will follow from Tuesday through Friday. Caution alert! The article contains some interesting General Hospital spoilers for the upcoming week.

Carly put efforts to bring Jason and Sam back together

According to the latest General Hospital spoilers for December 25 through December 29, the upcoming episodes will see Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright) trying her best to bring Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) and Sam Morgan (Kelly Monaco) back together.

After learning the fact that Sam is not legally married to him, Drew Cain (Billy Miller) proposed to her and Sam dropped to one knee and accepted while proposing back. Carly is quite unhappy that Drew and Sam are a couple now. So, she decides to resort to her old tricks and reunite Sam with Jason.

Christmas has arrived in Port Charles and Drew's got the perfect gift for Sam.  A brand-new #GH starts RIGHT NOW on ABC! pic.twitter.com/TpKA0zIeVD  General Hospital (@GeneralHospital) December 21, 2017

What starts as a perfect Christmas takes a surprisingly terrible turn for Carly. Don't miss today's thrilling #GH, STARTING NOW on ABC! pic.twitter.com/Uxodcc9i1j  General Hospital (@GeneralHospital) December 22, 2017

Carly believes that if she sets up a romantic meeting for Jason and Sam, their romance might rekindle.

She thinks that if the two are left alone, all the love will flood back. In Thursdays episode, Drews car will break down and Sam and Jason will finally get to spend some time together. The person who has plotted Drews car trouble is none other than Carly.

Jason to get upset with Carly

As per General Hospital spoilers, Jason will take the opportunity and share his regrets with Sam.

On seeing Sam wearing a new ring, Jason will wish her best for the future as he respects Sams decision to get back to Drew. So, basically, theres no room for any romantic angle between Sam and Jason, not at least at present. When Jason learns that Carly has messed with his brother, he will get very upset with her.

Elsewhere, Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) will encourage Hamilton Finn (Michael Easton) to take self-defense training.

Sam will seek help from Kim (Tamara Braun) to know more about Drew. Laura Spencer (Genie Francis) will confront Stella Henry (Vernee Watson). Lulu (Emme Rylan) will continue to investigate the rigged 2014 mayoral election. Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) will be proud of Lulus work. Ava (Maura West) will get worried thinking that she crossed her boundaries.

Theres more interesting stuff coming up in the popular ABC show, General Hospital, that airs weekdays on ABC at 3 PM ET.
Meghan Markle may have gotten her start as an American actress, but she is on her way to becoming a member of the Royal Family. She is already living with Prince Harry in their Nottingham cottage, right next door to Prince William and Kate Middleton's home on the Kensington Palace grounds. Meghan has already spent some one-on-one time with Queen Elizabeth II and has begun celebrating the holiday season with her fiance's extended family.

A Royal lunch

On Wednesday, Meghan and Harry joined many other royal family members for the Queen's annual pre-Christmas lunch.

Harry and Meghan arrived at the palace and the family affair was reportedly the first time Meghan Markle attended a lunch with so many of her future family members.

Multi-Day Christmas celebration

The multi-day Christmas celebration is an annual event that always begins with pre-Christmas lunch. Meghan and the royal family plan on spending the entire holiday season together. The family will travel a few hours north of London and exchange gifts at the Queen's Sandringham House Country Estate. The family does plan on attending church on Christmas morning at St. Mary Magdalene.

The Christmas feast will follow, and Meghan and Harry will most likely spend the night together with family members in Norfolk.

Meghan Markle is actually getting some special treatment and breaking tradition with her attendance. Back in 2010, Kate was only invited to the pre-Christmas lunch with the rest of the family but was not included in the Christmas day celebrations. She did not even get an invite to the Sandringham house.

Meghan Markle breaks tradition

Meghan is a different case altogether. Although she is not married to Prince Harry yet, the couple has already been living together in their cottage. She is a divorced American actress, who is also of mixed race. There is absolutely nothing traditional about Prince Harry's relationship with Meghan.

It's likely that the Queen is very aware of all of these things and simply assumes that Meghan is a special case. Clearly, Meghan's presence would make Harry much happier for the holidays, so why not let her come? Tradition is slightly outdated anyway, right?

So far, Meghan appears to be seamlessly blending into the royal family. She has a close relationship with the Queen, and always presents herself with elegance and grace. She will most definitely bring something special to the Christmas festivities.
Companies reached a settlement in a lawsuit over power outages at a Billings refinery.

ExxonMobil sued NorthWestern Energy nearly a year ago over two power outages at ExxonMobil's Billings refinery. NorthWestern later brought the city of Billings and General Electric Energy Management into the lawsuit.

Attorneys for the parties met for a settlement conference before U.S. Magistrate John Johnston on Nov. 16, according to court records. They reached an agreement, and an order dismissing the case was filed Thursday.

Terms of the settlement haven't been released by ExxonMobil or NorthWestern. An ExxonMobil representative didn't return a call for comment on Friday.

Butch Larcombe, a spokesman for NorthWestern, declined to provide any details on the settlement but said the company was happy to resolve the case.

Billings City Attorney Brent Brooks said the city's insurer paid a $125,000 settlement to NorthWestern.

The city itself paid $50,000 toward legal defense. That's the city's deductible, and the insurer, the Montana Municipal Interlocal Authority, paid the rest of the legal costs.

ExxonMobil sued NorthWestern in January 2016, claiming that two power outages at the refinery cost the company millions of dollars. Two NorthWestern substations serve the refinery.

The substations also serve the Billings wastewater treatment plant, and a GE technician was testing electrical equipment as a city contractor prior to one of the outages, court documents said.

ExxonMobil and NorthWestern claimed in court filings that a Billings city employee or contractor caused the outages. NorthWestern faulted ExxonMobil for not having a backup power source at their facility.
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Viet Nam NewsHCM CITY  Southern HCM City is becoming very popular with property developers thanks to the many infrastructure works planned for the area.

The Viet Nam Highway Investment Corporation is now speeding up the last three contract packages for the Ben Luc  Long Thanh Highway so that it can open to traffic in 2020.

It will link up with the national highway system and Long Thanh International Airport.

Many other projects have been approved, including the Nguyen Van Linh-Nguyen Huu Tho interchange and widening of Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 4.

Construction of the Rach ia and Long Kieng bridges will be completed early next year.

Le Van Luong Road, a key link between HCM City and Long An Province, will also be widened.

Metro line No 4 will run completely in the south.

Many analysts said this part of the city has seen the best urban development.

Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the HCM City Real Estate Associations, said infrastructure has played a key role in this development.

He told Sai Gon Giai Phong (The Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper that since the south of the city is under pressure from people flocking here, authorities have no choice but to pour money into developing infrastructure.

Property investors make beeline

The rapid infrastructure development has attracted many housing projects, hospitals, schools and malls.

Duong Tuan Tu, chairman of Tuan Long Company, told Sai Gon Giai Phong that his company plans to develop a few projects in the area since it has a lot of potential.

At the end of this month, the company would continue to sell apartments in its Green Life project, he said.

Hung Loc Phat Real-estate Development Company said to take advantage of all the new infrastructure, at the beginning of next year the company would sell units in its Green Star project on Pham Huu Lau Street.

The project will have 100 villas and houses and 1,000 apartments.

Another developer announced plans to sell 4,000 luxury apartments on ao Tri Street in Nha Be District.

According to Le Tan Trung, general director of Bao Khang Real Estate, since there are many foreign schools in the south, foreigners choose to live there.

inh The Hien, an economist, said that most of the housing projects in the south are co-ordinated with the overall urban plan. Thus, along with infrastructure, these projects have created a new face for the south.

Besides existing projects, there are also many investors seeking the right to develop new ones, he added. VNS
HA NOI  The Vietnam State Treasury (VNST) has fulfilled its assigned tasks of capital disbursement, monetary injection and strictly managing State Budget expenditures, says its Deputy Director General Nguyen Quang Vinh.

At a press conference held in Ha Noi late Thursday to announce results of a review of VNSTs 2017 fiscal year, Vinh said that the agency has fundamentally completed tasks under the Governments action plan.

The agency established a solid development strategy, identified solutions and implemented them, he said.

As of December 15, total State Budget revenue had reached VN1.22 quadrillion (US$54.3 billion), including VN865.7 trillion ($38.5 billion) from domestic sources, VN184.6 trillion ($8.2 billion) from export-import activities, VN43.5 trillion ($1.93 billion) from crude oil, and VN5.6 trillion ($249 million) from international aid, accounting for 90.71 per cent of the yearly estimate.

Vinh also confirmed that the VNST has closely followed guidelines of the Governments socio-economic development plan for the year as well as the State Budget estimations set by the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

On State Budget collection, Nguyen Manh Cuong, head of the VNSTs Administration Division, said that the agency has actively cooperated with local budget collection agencies to make sure the MoFs budget estimates were maintained.

Cuong said that the agency prioritised daily information exchange between local units and the VNST central collecting division, helping create favourable conditions for taxpayers and make collections promptly and accurately.

Throughout the year, the State Treasury continuously expanded its accounts receivable at five State-owned commercial banks  Vietcombank, Vietinbank, BIDV, Agribank and MBBank  promoting budget collection via the banks points of sale system, Vinh said.

He also announced the Treasurys plan to co-operate with the traffic police and Vietnam Post to co-ordinate fines collection for traffic law violations through the postal system.

According to Vinh, such joint solutions would quickly and greatly contribute to concentrating State revenues sources in a timely manner, assisting taxpayers in making payments, assuring safety and efficiency in State Budget management and minimising cash transactions in the system.

On expenditure control, Cuong said that the VNST had deployed many effective solutions following the August Resolution No 70/NQ-CP on speeding up the public investment capital disbursement process.

The agencys 2017 controlled expenditure on capital construction was around VN245 trillion ($10.9 billion), equalling 72.1 per cent of the yearly plan, with VN221.7 trillion ($9.8 billion) coming State Budget disbursement alone.

Vu uc Hiep, Director of the Expenditure Control Department under the State Treasury, said that the Government was also directing investors to speed up the disbursement process for public investment and government bonds.

The VNST has proactively reviewed the 2017 investment capital disbursement plan before the respective investors and project management units, especially for projects where no disbursement has happened by September 30, and others with low disbursement rates, he said.

Throughout the year, the agency regularly submitted reports to the MoF and the Government Office (GO) on the public investment capital situation, clearly stating the reasons for disbursement delays, and proposing solutions.

Cuong said that the GO and the VNST have worked closely together to develop and put into operation the presenting of daily online reports on budget revenue, expenditure data and capital mobilisation.

There has also been a surge in civil servants responsibility level at the VNST, as they have been instructed and thoroughly supervised on expenditure control, so that no payment records are left untouched for any reason for longer than three working days at the most, he stated.

In addition, Cuong said, administrative reforms were also given priority and positive results gained.

According to the VNST report, these results include creating favourable conditions for investors and governmental units, implementing inter-bank payment at provincial level nationwide, ensuring safety of State Budget payments, closely co-ordinating with the General Department of Taxation, the General Department of Vietnam Customs and other commercial banks in reforming bilateral and inter-bank payment collection. VNS
Villagers in Tham Phang Village in Muong Ang District of ien Bien Province are celebrating Tet during one of the coldest winters in the region.

Belong to the Mong ethnicity, one of Viet Nams 54 ethnic groups, locals here usually celebrate Tet a month earlier than the rest of the country. This year, Tet came even sooner because of an extra month in a leap year.

There are 30 days in a month in the Mong calendar with no exception. The 361st day is the Mongs Tet, their biggest celebration of the year.

Banh giay (a white, flat and round glutinous rice cake) is the holidays must-have food. Locals typically make a lot of banh giay for ceremonies and also to give families, friends and visitors to their village.

On the last day of the year, the Mong cleaned their house with a small bamboo branch while praying for health and prosperity for the household in the year to come.

In another Tet ritual, a member of the household, who holds a rooster and a hen while he or she stands by the front door along with a shaman. The shaman occasionally tosses a bamboo branch outside while chanting in a symbolic gesture to throw out all sadness and misfortune of the old year.

On the morning of the first day, a Mong household erects a tall tree in the middle of the front yard. Using a rope and tree branch, they create a ceremonial U-shaped gate. All members of the household then follow the eldest under the gate, men seven times and women nine times, in a ceremony to bring good luck.

The holiday season is also a time for the people to enjoy outdoor activities, musical performances and traditional games.  VNS
A NANG  The a Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture, in co-operation with the Southeast Asian Art Academic Programme, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, has launched a new book after a two-year project.

The English-language book, titled Vibrancy in Stone  Masterpieces of the a Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture, provides a collection of high-quality photographs highlighting the museums attractions to mark its 100th anniversary.

Director Vo Van Thang said at the launch ceremony on Thursday that the museum plans to translate the publication into Vietnamese for local residents and domestic visitors.

Thang said the book was made with contributions from both Vietnamese and foreign scholars, photographers and the River Books Publishing House in Thailand, which designed and printed it.

He said Dr Peter Sharrock, Outreach Manager of the Southeast Asian Art Academic Programme of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and Thailands Narisa Chakrabongse, Paisarn Piammattawat and Vietnamese scholar Tran Ky Phuong, have worked with the museum since 2015 to compile and complete the catalogue.

The Museum of Cham Sculpture, situated on the west side of the Han River, was built in late 1915 with a big contribution of Henri Parmentier, a prominent archaeologist with the LEUcole Francaise dExtreame Orient (the Far East Archaeological Research Institute) in Ha Noi 1930s.

In mid-1919, Henri Parmentier published the first catalogue of the museum, marking its inaugural ceremony. It contained descriptions of the art and styles of Champa sculpture. (The Champa Kingdom ruled in the central coastal region between the 4th and 13th centuries).

The museum, a favoured tourist destination in the city, with 200,000 visitors annually, preserves and display thousands of artefacts and sandstone statues found in many Cham tower foundations, as well as ceramic fragments from the Sa Huynh Culture (between 2,500 and 3,000 years old) in the central region.  VNS
On the occasion of the 84th birthday of the Emperor of Japan Akihito, the Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam, Kunio Umeda, highlights a year of special significance for Japan - Viet Nam relations.

Viet Nam is a trusted partner of Japan and shares many strategic interests. Sustainable development in Viet Nam is also important for Japan, so we will continue to strengthen the partnership.

The year 2017 carries special significance for Japan-Viet Nam relations. We have witnessed many leadership-level exchanges between our two countries this year, deepening the mutual trust between Japan and Viet Nam.

In particular, the first visit to Viet Nam by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress upgraded our bilateral relations to a new level. The Vietnamese Government and its people warmly welcomed Their Majesties. In Ha Noi, they met with the leaders of Viet Nam, Vietnamese students who had studied in Japan, and families of former Japanese soldiers who remained in Viet Nam.

In Hue, Their Majesties enjoyed traditional "nha nhac" music and visited the memorial house of Phan Boi Chau, who led "ong Du movement" in the early 20th century. Japanese newspapers and TV programmes repeatedly reported the visit. This increased a sense of affinity to Viet Nam among Japanese people.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Viet Nam twice this year - first in January and again in November. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Japan in June. The Japan-Viet Nam summit meetings held in Ha Noi, Tokyo and a Nang have expanded the partnership and exchanges between the two countries in areas such as Japans investments in Viet Nam, economic co-operation, defence co-operation, cultural exchanges, and co-operation at local-government level.

Japans investments in Viet Nam this year amounted to about US$8.5 billion, which is four times higher than last year and the highest amount ever. In the field of economic co-operation, Japan is strengthening co-operation in human resource development and high quality infrastructure development.

The year witnessed a profound increase in people-to-people exchanges. The number of Vietnamese people living and staying in Japan has increased six times in the five years since 2012. The number of Vietnamese technical trainees in Japan has increased eight times in the last five years and now exceeds 100,000.

The number of Vietnamese students studying in Japan has increased by 12 times to 70,000, which is the second largest by country. The Japanese Government will collaborate more closely with the Vietnamese Government to create favourable environments for Vietnamese youths visiting Japan.

The success of both the APEC Economic Leaders Week and the TPP Ministerial meeting in a Nang has enhanced the reputation of Viet Nam as host country in the international community. I believe that Japan also played a part in that success through close co-operation in co-hosting the TPP Ministerial Meeting with Viet Nam.

During the year of 2017, I made efforts to strengthen relationships with local governments in Viet Nam. During the past year, I met with the leaders of five special cities and 16 provinces. At these meetings, representatives from Japanese companies, JICA, JETRO, JBIC, Japan Foundation and JASSO were present to strengthen our efforts in investment promotion, economic co-operation, Japanese language education, and issues around students studying in Japan.

The year 2018 is a commemorative year that marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of Japan - Viet Nam diplomatic relationship. In August, the Embassy of Japan set up an executive committee for the 45th anniversary together with the Japan commerce associations and other related Japanese organisations in Viet Nam. We are now planning various programmes and events for the 45th anniversary.

In January 2018, the Japan-Viet Nam Festival in HCM City will officially start events for the anniversary. I sincerely wish that the year will bring good health for everyone and further development for Japan - Viet Nam relations.  VNS
HA NOI  Traditional festivals, rituals and religions of the Vietnamese are introduced in a book compiled by late Prof Nguyen Van Huyen (1908-1975), as a French-educated scholar and Minister of Education of Viet Nam (1946-1975).

The book comprises essays and research Huyen compiled in French during his career. In the documents, Huyen played the role of a narrator to talk with French scholars and readers who wished to learn about Vietnamese culture.

o Trong Quang and Tran inh translated the documents to Vietnamese aiming to introduce the valuable research to the public and honour the scholars effort.

Art researcher Phan Cam Thuong remarked that the book featured interesting customs and festivals, some of which have been lost and no longer practised.

Thats the reason why this is a must-see book for those who love Vietnamese culture, especially young people, he said.

The book is published and distributed by Nha Nam Culture and Communication Company.  VNS
HCM CITY  The Russian consulate general in HCM City yesterday expressed the desire to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with Viet Nam.

According to the report that discusses the growth of ties this year, the political relationship between the two countries has developed in recent years with high-level visits by President Tran ai Quang and chairwoman of the National Assembly, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, to Russia and President Vladimir Putin to Viet Nam.

This year saw a rise in economic, trade, technology, military and literature exchanges between the two countries, with trade increasing by 36 per cent to US$4 billion by October.

The figure is expected to grow to US$10 billion by 2020 due to both sides efforts to remove non-tariff barriers in accordance with free trade agreements between Viet Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union, he said.

Russias primary exports included machinery and equipment, farm goods, fertilisers, chemicals, iron and steel products, while the goods going in the reverse direction included machinery and equipment, textiles, and agricultural produce and materials.

Investments by Viet Nam in Russia and vice versa were $2.9 billion and $2 billion, it added.

Russia has assisted Viet Nam during times of natural disasters. When Storm Damrey hit the countrys central and southern regions, Russia sent 40 tonnes of goods and $5 million for relief.  VNS
The Ha Nam provincial Appeals Court yesterday upheld the nine-year sentence imposed on Tran Thi Nga for spreading anti-State propaganda.  Photo vov.vn

HA NAM  The Ha Nam provincial Appeals Court yesterday upheld the nine-year sentence imposed on Tran Thi Nga for spreading anti-State propaganda.

Nga, 40, of Phu Ly City, was convicted on July 25 this year. She consistently claimed her innocence and appealed to the higher court.

According to the indictment by the provincial Peoples Procuracy, between September 2014 and January 2017 Nga opened a blog and Facebook with usernames of Thuy Nga and Tran Thi Nga, along with a YouTube account, Tran Thuy Nga, "to spread reactionary ideas and distort guidelines and policies of the Vietnamese Party and State."

The procuracy also said that Nga wrote and put up many slogans defaming Party and State leaders as well as security forces, and called for a boycott of the elections to the 14th National Assembly and all-level Peoples Councils for the 2016-2021 tenure.

The court rejected her defence and sentenced her to nine years in prison and another five years of home confinement after her prison term ends.  VNS
Casper police arrested a local man on Thursday night on suspicion of assaulting another man with a knife and battering a woman.

Police have recommended that prosecutors charge Robert J. Veal with aggravated assault and misdemeanor domestic battery. He was expected to appear in court Friday afternoon.

Veal told an arresting police officer that he was acting in self defense, according to court documents.

Both alleged victims said that Veal was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

The alleged battery victim texted a male friend around 8:30 p.m. and told him Veal had assaulted her, according to the documents. The woman later told police Veal had thrown her to the ground and sat on her chest before smashing her personal belongings and calling her by a racial slur.

When the male friend arrived, he parked in Veals driveway, according to court documents. When the woman left the house, Veal began shouting at her and the male friend got out of his vehicle to make sure she was OK, according to police.

Veal approached the man with a sharp object, which the man said he thought was a knife. The two men slipped on the ice and began wrestling before the man realized he was bleeding from his face. The man punched Veal in the face a couple times, he told police.

Veals father, who arrived as Veal was allegedly assaulting the man, pulled the two men apart, he told police. He then gave the alleged victim a towel to stem the bleeding and told him to drive to the hospital, according to the documents.

Veals father told police he may have inadvertently washed a knife used in the alleged assault. He told police he did not know a knife was used in the incident and invited them in to the house to search for the knife.

Both alleged victims were hospitalized the same night. A police officer wrote that the man had a rather large slash mark under (his) eye and above his right eye on his eye lid, according to the documents.

Police arrested Veal at the Seventh Street house the same night. He said he was acting in self defense before requesting a lawyer and declining to answer further questions.
Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam (right) receives Cambodian Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith. - VGP Photo

Viet Nam NewsHA NOI  Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am yesterday expressed pleasure over the growing friendship and comprehensive co-operation between Viet Nam and Cambodia.

Receiving Cambodian Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith in Ha Noi, he also said that the two sides had supported each other at regional and international forums.

He said celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year (June 24) afforded both sides the opportunity to raise public awareness, especially among younger generations, of the traditional friendship and solidarity between the two countries.

am appreciated the co-operation between Radio the Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) and the Cambodian Ministry of Information as well as National Voice of Cambodia.

He noted that VOV has assisted Cambodia in installing radio and television stations and improving the capacity of radio and television programme production under the framework of the inter-governmental co-operation agreement.

The Deputy PM suggested that both sides continue increasing coverage in both Vietnamese and Cambodian languages and adding more cultural and art programmes featuring the two countries and their peoples so as to enhance mutual understanding.

He also wished Cambodia greater nation-building achievements and successful conduct of the Senate and National Assembly elections next year.

Kanharith thanked the Vietnamese Government and VOV in particular for their support and informed the Deputy PM of a co-operation agreement signed on Thursday by the VOV and the National Voice of Cambodia.  VNS
BINH DUONG -- Visitors to Tuong Binh Hiep craft village in Thu Dau Mot city in the southern province of Binh Duong can see a buzz of activity as artisans produce lacquerware for Tet in mid-February.

At the workshop of Tu Bon Co. Ltd., 25 artisans are completing products like flower pots, vases, jars, and boxes, which would soon be delivered to some retailers.

Le Ba Linh, director of lacquerware maker Tu Bon Co., said sales had been good this year, a good sign for the development of traditional craft villages in Binh Duong, which have improved their quality and brands.

Truong Quan Tinh, the head of inh Hoa Lacquerware Co., said there are two categories of lacquerware in the local market, traditional and modern.

He said Tuong Binh Hiep villagers have preserved their production process, which involves covering their products with 12 to 15 coats of traditional paints.

According Binh Duong  A New Power of the 21st Century published by the National Politics Publishers in 2003, immigrants from the north, including lacquerware artisans, travelled along the Sai Gon River and settled in Thu Dau Mot in the early 18th century.

They passed on their traditional lacquerware craft to locals, who have preserved it since.

In 1901 the French rulers in Viet Nam set up a vocational school in Thu Dau Mot (now the Binh Duong Fine Arts and Culture School) to teach carving and lacquerware.

The Binh Duong traditional lacquerware craft was best promoted in the period 1945  1975 with the establishment of Tuong Binh Hiep Lacquerware by artisan Truong Van Thanh and the Thanh Le lacquerware workshop by artisan Nguyen Van Le.

The two brought together many outstanding artisans, which gave a boost to the lacquerware craft and enabled exports to many European markets.

In addition to lacquerware paintings, in recent years lacquer has also been painted on decorative items such as vases, dishes, and bracelets.

According to figures released by the Binh Duong Statistics Bureau, in 2001 Tuong Binh Hiep village had 1,840 families with 3,860 lacquerware artisans.

The figures are now down to 90 families and 1,896 artisans.

Most young people in the village do not want to take up the traditional craft but instead seek jobs in industrial parks around the province.

To preserve and promote the craft, relevant authorities should have plans to train young artisans who love traditional lacquerware, Linh of Tu Bon Co. said.

Truong Quan Tinh, who has 40 years experience in making lacquerware, said a shortage of human resources is now one of the biggest difficulties facing the industry since young people no longer want to do the job.

To support lacquerware villages, provincial authorities have launched a tourism project in co-ordination with them, and seek to build brand names for them.VNS
MEKONG DELTA  Ly Van Bon is making a fortune breeding river fish in cages in a tributary of the Mekong River. He is farming the fish, known as Ca that lat knifefish (notopterus), in the Hau River and believes he is the first to do so.

Bon has also opened his farm to tourists, adding to his income.

He lives at Bui Huu Nghia Ward, Binh Thuy District in Can Tho City. His homeland was in U Minh Ha in Ca Mau Province, a long time fish and shrimp breeding area.

This gave Bon a passion for fish breeding, so he decided to study at Nha Trang Fisheries University. A chance encounter with a French seafood expert in 1998 changed his life. Both talked a lot about fish and shrimp-breeding.

The Frenchman told Bon that if he wanted to breed fish, Viet Nam was the best place in the world to do it.

He also told Bon that natural fish were being over-exploited and that many types would vanish if they were not farmed.

When his French mentor went to see the Hau River at the foot of Con Son, he noticed that the currents were very strong.

Many various varieties of fish gathered here to feed on the organisms in the oxygenated water so he selected the area to invest in fish-breeding.

Bon, then working with Customs, decided to focus on fish-cage breeding at Con Son.

Initially, he noticed that red tiapila was popular among consumers and was easy to raise. Several years later, the price of these fish declined, causing Bon to make substantial losses.

Bon went searching for new types of fish to breed and accidentally met an experienced fish breeder named Tu Khang, who successfully brought knifefish from Cambodia to breed in Can Tho. Tu Khang was supported by Can Tho University researchers who ran a development farm to supply knifefish to Japan.

Bon invested in breeding 250,000 knifefish, and earned a profit of VN2 billion with his first sales of 80 tonnes of knifefish.

At present, he owns 30 fish-breeding cages covering a total of 5,000sq.m of water.

Then the tourists started coming, so he opened a sea-food processing workshop that produced and sold fish to visitors.

Every day, Bon seels from 300 to 500kg of fresh fish to traders and seafood agencies. He estimates profit from fish alone is a few billion ong per year.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc yesterday had a phone call with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

The two leaders expressed their delight at the growth of Viet Nam  Japan relations in 2017. They highlighted exchanges of the two countries high-ranking leaders, including the first ever State visit to Viet Nam by the Japanese Emperor and Empress and the trips made by both PMs.

Abe thanked Phuc for his warm reception in Hoi An as part of his latest Vietnamese trip to attend the APEC Economic Leaders Week in November in a Nang. He spoke highly of Viet Nams hosting of the event.

The two PMs agreed to continue with close co-ordination in implementing agreements secured by Vietnamese and Japanese leaders, which cover the exchange of high-ranking delegations, security-defence co-operation, promotion of Japanese investment in Viet Nam, and celebrations of the 45th year of diplomatic ties in 2018.

They also discussed international and regional issues of shared concern.

PM Phuc agreed with his Japanese counterparts view that the two sides should work to push for the early conclusion of negotiation and signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) deal.

Grant assistance

The Japanese consulate in HCM City yesterday agreed to provide grants worth more than US$397,000 for five projects to develop grassroots health care and education in various parts of the country.

Phu Yen Province Traditional Medicine Hospital, My Xuyen District General Hospital in Soc Trang Province and Co o District Health Centre in Can Tho City will get grants to buy equipment.

Money will also be provided to Hau My Bac A Health Station in Tien Giang Provinces Cai Be District to buy a new ambulance and to Vinh Binh Primary School in Long An Province to build new classrooms.

The Japanese Governments Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) provides non-refundable financial assistance to NGOs, hospitals, primary schools, and other non-profits for development programmes.

Between 1995 and 2016 the GGP programme gave grants worth $13.87 million to 174 projects in education, health, water and sanitation and agricultural development in 26 southern cities and provinces.  VNS
Youtube has removed 90 percent of "toxic" video clips in Vietnam - Photo efe.com.vn

Viet Nam NewsHA NOI  YouTube has removed approximately 90 per cent of toxic video clips the Vietnamese Government complained about in 2017, Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan claimed yesterday.

During a conference on the ministrys performance this year and its agenda for 2018, Tuan said that the Government so far requested Google to block and delete about 5,000 clips with bad content on YouTube, which is one of Googles subsidiaries.

Of which, 4,500 clips were erased from YouTube.

The largest social network in the world and also the most popular in Viet Nam, Facebook, removed 159 accounts smearing the reputation of officials and leaders or those posting anti-Party and State content this year, Tuan said.

Under Viet Nams request, Facebook also deleted 107 fake accounts and another 394 advertising and selling illegal goods and services.

One of the highlights of the (communications) ministry this year is making Viet Nam one of those countries pioneering in implementing measures to tighten management of enterprises providing trans-border services, particularly Google and Facebook, the minister said.

Viet Nam is among those countries of which the rate of their (removal) demand satisfied by Google was the highest in the world, he added.

In times of rapid technological development, Tuan said forces with evil intents would take advantage to deliver toxic information using foreign-based social services.

The mission of the communications ministry in 2018 is to improve mechanisms to monitor information on the Internet and manage foreign content service providers operating in Viet Nam, while encouraging domestic firms to join the sector.

Communications growth

According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, the sector gained revenue of more than VN2.13 quadrillion (US$94.9 billion) this year, a growth rate of 9.34 per cent over 2016.

The information technology industry yielded about VN1.7 quadrillion, about 80 per cent of the total sectors revenue.

Communications service providers were far behind in the second place, with only VN352 trillion in the year despite growth over 2016.  VNS
Dinh La Thang, former Chairman of the Member Council of PetroVietnam - VNA/VNS Photo

Viet Nam NewsHA NOI  inh La Thang, former chairman of the Member Council of PetroVietnam (PVN), is set to face further prosecution after investigations conclude in the case of wrongdoings at PVN and its subsidiary PetroVietnam Construction Corporation (PVC).

The Investigative Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security announced on Thursday that they have also proposed prosecuting of Trinh Xuan Thanh, former chairman of PVC.

Accordingly, Thang and 11 other defendants, also former officials of PVN and PVC, will be prosecuted on charges of deliberating violating State regulations, causing severe consequences.

Eight other defendants will be prosecuted for misappropriating property.

Trinh Xuan Thanh, former Chairman of PVC, and Vu uc Thuan, former Director General of PVC, will be prosecuted on both counts.

Earlier on Tuesday, the department had proposed that Thang be prosecuted for intentionally violating State regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences and abusing his position and power to misappropriate assets at PVN, causing losses of VN800 billion (US$35.5 million) in PVNs investment in OceanBank.

Thang is also suspected to have had a role in violations including embezzlement in the PVC case relating to the Thai Binh 2 thermal power project.

According to investigators, while the Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant was being built, Thang assigned PVC to carry out the engineering, procurement and construction package and directed subordinate individuals and units to sign contracts illegally.

Then, based on the illegitimate contracts, Thang went on to direct PVN to advance $6.6 million and over VN1.3 trillion ($57.7 million) in breach of the relevant regulations.

Thangs actions caused losses of nearly VN120 billion ($5.3 million) to the Government, the investigation report says.

For his part, Trinh Xuan Thanh, in implementing the Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant project, directed Vu uc Thuan, former Director General of PVC, to sign contracts for PVC to get an advance deposit of $6.6 million and VN1.3 trillion.

Thanh also directed the use of over VN1.1 trillion from the deposit for purposes other than construction of the power plant, it is alleged.

Early this month, the Politburo had suspended Thang from Party-related activities as of December 8, 2017. The same day, the 14th National Assemblys Standing Committee adopted a resolution suspending Thang as a parliament member. In April this year, the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission had decided to consider disciplinary action against seven former top executives of PetroVietnam, including Thang.

Thang was Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Board of PetroVietnam from 2009-2011.  VNS
CHAPIN -- A Chapin woman who created a small Christmas lights display in memory of her brother is hoping it helps others during the holiday season.

Kay Rothers younger brother, Wayne Rother, of Sheffield died on Dec. 2 after an eighth-month battle with lung cancer. She said the display in Chapin, an unincorporated town between Sheffield and Hampton, has helped her grieve her brothers death.

I wanted to do something for Wayne that would bring joy, she said.

The display, which can be seen on Olive Avenue in Chapin across from an old church, features small lighted trees, homemade decorations and a rotating Christmas-theme display on a garage. Rother said the display has blossomed in a very short time thanks to memorial donations.

Next year, Rother hopes to add to the display and use it to raise money for the American Cancer Society. She encourages anyone who wishes to add something to display to do so.

For questions, call Kay Rother at (641) 892-4656.
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I am a lifelong Catholic and my faith is very important to me. I am also a petroleum engineer and proud of the fact I have been able to prudently develop oil and gas reserves that serve our country with low cost energy. Fossil fuels have been instrumental in making the USA into the greatest country in the world. So when I hear that Catholic churches and parishioners around the world are being bombarded by environmental groups who claim Catholics should be demanding their government divest itself from fossil fuels because the Pope's environmental teachings, I find it troubling.

Of course, we all want a clean and healthy environment. In Montana, we are blessed with one of the most beautiful environments anywhere in the world. Yet we have had oil, gas, and other fossil fuel development for over a century. It has helped provide low-cost energy, infrastructure and huge tax benefits to our citizens. To divest ourselves of these valuable energy resources is not practical or moral. In fact, I would say it contradicts our call as Catholics to serve the poor.

I have worked in the oil and gas business for almost 40 years. A partner and I owned and developed small oil and gas fields in northern Montana. Nothing about our properties were "Big Oil. I have also been highly involved in the Catholic community, Catholic school projects, right to life groups, Knights of Columbus, holiday food baskets for the poor and advocated for ending the death penalty  all Catholic priorities. What people often dont realize is that having access to affordable energy plays a crucial role in lifting people out of poverty.

One of my favorite books is "The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels" by Alex Epstein. He grew up with a preconception that fossil fuels were bad and should be stopped. After Alex graduated from college in philosophy, he decide to test his anti-fossil fuel beliefs and soon came to the realization that our use of fossil fuels has significantly increased the standard of living across the globe  in terms of health care, education and reduction of poverty. As he points out in the book and his presentations around the world, we have increased our use of oil, gas and coal by over 80 percent since 1980, and during that time, the average global life expectancy has gone up by seven years. On top of that, the largest growth in life expectancy is seen in developing nations.

Fossil fuels have had a profound impact on our environment as well, but not in the way it has been characterized by activists or the media. The United States has recently become the No. 1 producer of oil and gas in the world. At the same time, it has the lowest death rates from air pollution in the world. From 2005 to 2015, while we had a boom in oil and gas production, emissions of pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, fine particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides went down 66 percent, 34 percent and 20 percent, respectively. The U.S. is the only country in the world to significantly decrease its greenhouse gas emissions, thanks again to our increased use of natural gas.

That leads to the question: Why are environmental activists trying to stop the progress thats being made in reducing poverty and improving our environment (thanks in large part to fossil fuels)?

If the Catholic Church actually does divest from fossil fuels, the church itself, and its charities that serve the poor, will have a lot less money to fulfill that mandate. It makes no sense.

Montana  and our entire country  is blessed with abundant natural resources, and we have the advanced technology to develop these resources in clean and efficient ways that wont hurt the environment. In fact, our increased use of these fuels has overwhelmingly improved our planet and lifted people out of poverty.

When it comes to poverty, theres still a lot of work to be done. We should do everything possible to ensure low income families have access to affordable energy, instead of trying to eradicate the very fuels that provide so many economic and environmental benefits.
Earlier this month, when Saudi Arabia announced that its going to lift the ban on cinema halls, it was hailed by filmmakers all over the world as a progressive move. The country had shut down cinema halls in the 80s and since then, it was left out of the movie business who continued to flourish in adjoining countries like Kuwait and UAE over the past few years.

Now, with cinema halls expected to open from March, 2018, the makers of Rajinikanths 2.O are hoping to release their film in Saudi Arabia. If all goes well, it could be the first Tamil film to release theatrically in the West Asian country.

Raju Mahalingam, the creative head of Lyca Productions, told a leading portal, The overall revenue for a big film production can increase by 30%. Since movies have now begun to open in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu in India, we hope to release them in all three languages in Saudi Arabia too. A new market in West Asia, where a substantial number of Tamil and Malayalees stay, will be a big boost for our movies. Directed by Shankar, 2.O stars Rajinikanth, Amy Jackson, and Akshay Kumar in lead roles, and its expected to release in April, 2018.

Articles that might interest you:
Body found inside burning car ID'd as Florida man

DEVILS LAKE -- Investigators have identified a Florida man who was found dead inside a burning vehicle this week in the parking lot of a Devils Lake Walmart.

Milton Feliciano, 34, was recovered from the burning car that was extinguished Wednesday evening, Devils Lake Police Chief Joseph Knowski said Friday. There is no foul play suspected in the case, Knowski said, adding the incident doesnt appear to be the result of a criminal act.

Firefighters were called at 5:37 p.m. Wednesday to the scene for a report of a car fire. The flames were put out quickly, but firefighters discovered a body inside the vehicle, said Cory Meyer, assistant fire chief for the Devils Lake Fire Department.

Feliciano previously lived in Jacksonville, Fla., but moved to Devils Lake, where he was residing before the incident, Knowski said. The case is under investigation and the body was sent to Grand Forks County for an autopsy, the police chief said.

Snowplow crashes increase with wintry conditions

Three crashes involving snowplows occurred this week on Highway 2 in North Dakota, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

On Wednesday, two of the crashes happened near Tioga and the third occurred near Towner. On Thursday, another crash involving a snowplow occurred on Highway 85 south of Williston.

No injuries were reported in any of the crashes.

It is recommended to reduce speed and double the normal following distance when following a snowplow. Motorists are urged to not drive through whiteouts or snow fog caused by crosswinds or plowing of snowdrifts. Snowplow operators will pull over and stop when it is safe to allow traffic to pass.

Winter Taize Service offers meditative experience

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Church, 818 E. Divide Ave., in Bismarck is offering a Winter Taize Service at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

This meditative service comes from the ecumenical monastic community in Taize, France. A Taize style service typically has periods of singing, meditations and prayers, readings and silence. There are no sermons, and the intention is to develop a meditative rhythm within the collective space, removing the barriers of the world in much the same way as a mantra or a meditative walk along the river.

At 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve, the church offers an evening of Christmas songs, holiday sharing, a warm fire and hot apple cider. Feel free to bring family, friends, a memory, a snack or just yourself.

-- Compiled from press releases. Send information to kimberly.wynn@bismarcktribune.com.
Carlos Eire in The New York Times:

Eric Metaxas is exceedingly bold, for writing a biography of Martin Luther has always been a great challenge. To begin with, becoming a Luther expert requires a lot of reading. Jaroslav Pelikan, the eminent church historian who served as an editor of the American edition of Luthers Works, often warned his students that more books had been written on Luther than on any other figure in Christian history, save for Jesus Christ. Add to this colossal bibliography the scores of huge tomes filled with Luthers own writings in German and Latin, and the effort required for summing up his life and work will seem even more daunting.

But writing a Luther biography in 2017 is a special challenge, perhaps among the greatest any author can face, at least with regard to the competition from other authors. This is the 500th anniversary of Luthers Reformation, so whether one likes it or not, we are all living through the Year of Luther, or Lutherjahr, as it has been called in his native land; publishers in Europe and North America are marking the occasion by flooding the world with Luther biographies. In the first 10 months of this year, over a dozen English-language biographies have appeared, including one in comic book form and one aimed at children. And all of these follow on the heels of at least another half-dozen magisterial biographies published in the past two decades, including Martin Brechts exhaustive three-volume masterpiece, Martin Luther, which Metaxas praises as unsurpassable. Needless to say, such excess could easily stun any reader, cause an outbreak of fatigue  Lutherjahrmudigkeit as Germans might say  or scare away all would-be Luther biographers for years to come.

Most new Luther biographies are by historians who are Reformation specialists and, as one might expect, they have been aimed at an academic audience, even when written for trade publishers rather than university presses. Whatever fresh insights these biographies can claim rest more on interpretation than on the discovery of new facts.

More here.
Sarah Jaffe reviews Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People? by Thomas Frank in Dissent:

Yet sometime between the release of the hardcover and the paperback edition of Listen, Liberal, America elected Donald Trump, a man who seems to roll up all of the worst parts of the conservatism that Frank loves to sharpen his claws on into one administration bent on nothing but more graft and more wreckage.

Frank, in some ways, deserves credit for seeing elements of Trumpism coming, but he also misdiagnosed some of its roots. The flaw in many of Franks zingers is a tendency to oversimplify, to reduce things to binariesculture versus economics, business versus governmentwhen the reality is more complex. His oeuvre tells the story of how the politics of class became another kind of identity politics; in telling that story, he inadvertently shows how so many people miss the fact that class is a relation of power bound up in ones income, yes, but also race and gender, sexuality, education, even geographic location. To talk about class, as so many have exhorted since the 2016 election, is not simply to talk about the workers at Carrier, but to understand the material conditions that determine ones position and power in society. Sometimes Thomas Frank seems to get that; other times he doesnt.

The culture war that produced Trump wasnt a battle on elite college campuses or in the pages of white papers read inside the Beltway. Instead it was a war that was fundamentally economic at its core, its cultural anxieties wrapped around the reality of decline. The culture that the workers at Carrier and Rexnord mourn is one of long days but predictable schedules, grueling work but relatively high wages and benefits, the occasional strike that bound them closer together and left them with battle stories for later.

What should have been shocking about Trump, in other words, was less that he used a combination of racism, brutish attacks on his opponents, and braggadocio about his business exploits to vault to the top of a heap of Republican nominees: it was that he combined it with at least some attention to the economic concerns of workers at Carrier.

This was, looking back over the past few decades, both shocking and inevitable.

More here.
"It puts you within the boundaries of the law, but it doesn't sit well with folks. It looks like you're just barely skirting the siting requirements."

-- Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak, on Meridian Energys plans not to apply for a siting permit for a proposed refinery. The company isnt required to do so under the law.

q q q

"We believe the partnership has the potential to make a much greater improvement on the available woody habitat of North Dakota than any single project alone."

-- Todd Kelvington, environmental compliance supervisor for Oneok, on the Planting for the Future project that intends to plant 55,000 trees.

q q q

"We need to be attracting capital and investment now to have the processing capacity."

-- Gov. Doug Burgum, chairman of the state Industrial Commission, on steps needed to reduce flaring.

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"District 47 will have a very strong Republican candidate, and I assume the Democrats will also put forth a strong candidate."

-- Sen. Ralph Kilzer, R-Bismarck, announcing his retirement from the Legislature.

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"Christmas is a special time, a time of family and hope. As a builder, there is more to building a community than constructing walls and roofs. You have to build hope."

-- Wade Vogel, owner of Premier Homes, who donated Christmas trees to 50 families.

q q q

"We're giving them the benefit of the doubt that they're going to be able to do what they say they're going to do."

-- Transit Executive Director Roy Rickert, on the Lincoln City Councils plans to provide funding for transit service.

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"It's historic because it's become a part of my people's narrative."

-- Dakota Goodhouse, a Native American scholar and a Lakota, on the importance of the old railroad bridge over the Missouri River.

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"I really want to help those people who have had those rough Christmases or don't have a place to go."

-- Chris Chase, ministry leader for the Celebrate Recovery program offered at McCabe United Methodist Church in Bismarck.

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"The secret in that situation is to adapt."

-- Juan Duran, on his familys move from Puerto Rico to Mandan.

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"A lot of people walking by want to know if it's real."

-- Brittany Babel, a cake decorator at Dan's Supermarket, 1190 W. Turnpike Ave., on a large gingerbread house she helped create.

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"It is just horrifying that human beings can do this to human beings and continue to do so in 2017. As one person pointed out in a planning meeting (for the vigil), right now it's Libya in the news, but in a couple weeks it will probably be another place; (people) are suffering all over the world."

-- United Christ of Church Rev. Gretchen Deeg, on a vigil held to call attention to refugees being sold into slavery in Libya.
DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMASTIME AT ALL? Below is a story you will see over and over in 2018 and beyond. Where the hell is our concert? From CT, where I live. My girls have programming thank God. Not every child in CT gets funding. And programs are still hit or miss. Remember Alex Spourdalakis? Remember Skye Walker? Some adults with autism have vicious, dangerous behaviors - a sad and PAINFUL truth. And parents are getting older, and exhausted. There are siblings to worry about and survival triage becomes the goal. This young man has been shuttled around a hospital for 5 months. It's a travesty.

We need more than a BAND AID..... Kim



###

A young man with autism and an intellectual disability was abandoned by his family in July and has languished at Manchester Hospital, with no medical diagnosis, for virtually all of the past five months as the states disabilities agency maintained that there were legal barriers to taking him into state care.

The 21-year-old has behavior problems, and he has shuttled between a hospital room, the busy emergency room, and an area normally reserved for psychiatric patients, according to an advocacy group that has taken up his cause at the behest of a hospital staff deeply concerned that they are not equipped to care for him. On Friday, state officials said they were finally prepared to offer services to the young man.

His presence in the emergency room is indicative of a statewide quandary, as hospitals have become the dumping ground for a growing number of profoundly disabled children and young adults.

The young man was first dropped off at the hospital on July 28 and has been in the hospital since then, except for a 10-day period in which his family took him home. His parents then brought him back to the hospital on Dec. 10, said Nancy Alisberg, legal director for Disability Rights Ct in Hartford. She said it was her understanding that the young man had been aggressive toward his parents and brother.

Alisberg said that while hospitals are seeing more of these cases, this was an extreme example.
New Hope This Christmas For Assyrians in Iraq

Lyon's Archbishop Cardinal Philippe Barbarin puts up a statue of Virgin Mary on the wall during a visit to the church of the Holy Spirit in east Mosul on July 25, 2017. ( Safin Hamed/AFP/Getty Images) Last year, after my trip to the then recently liberated Nineveh Plains, I wrote that I did not have any good news for Christians last Christmas. After seeing the genocidal destruction brought about by Daesh in Christian villages and hearing from survivors, I doubted that there was any future for followers of Christ in the Nineveh Plains or other regions affected by Daesh. A year later, I have some good news for Christians in the Middle East and more hope for the future. Indeed, over the last year, a lot has happened. The international community and states have taken some steps to address the needs of the survivors. Legal Steps The international community took steps towards bringing Daesh to justice. On December 21, 2016, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution to establish a new mechanism to collect and preserve the evidence of all atrocities committed in Syria since 2011, including the evidence of Daesh atrocities against religious minorities. On September 21, 2017, the UN Security Council, led by the UK, passed the resolution 2379 establishing an investigative team to collect and preserve the evidence of Daesh atrocities committed against religious groups in Iraq. Despite the fact that neither of the teams is operative yet (which is especially concerning in relation to the mechanism for Syria as the resolution passed a year ago, while the resolution on Iraq passed only 3 months ago), the successful passage of these resolutions sends a clear message - the political will is finally there. Slowly, but surely, the steps to follow could ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

In terms of ensuring justice for the victims, it is still not clear where the perpetrators will be punished. In relation to the crimes committed by Daesh in Iraq (and as in accordance with the resolution 2379), these atrocities are meant to be tried in Iraqi courts. This may not be possible as Iraqi courts may be lacking the capacity to do so. The issue would have to be reviewed, and if true, other options would have to be considered. Similarly, it is yet unclear how the crimes committed in Syria will be brought to justice. Whether at the International Criminal Court, an ad-hoc tribunal, a hybrid tribunal or else, those considerations should be undertaken as soon as possible as they take time. Reconstruction Last year, I was also very skeptical about the reconstruction of the Nineveh Plains in Iraq. During my trips I remember seeing some people coming to the villages of ash and rubble, to see what was left from their properties. Last year, I could not imagine how, considering the level of destruction, such reconstruction could be achieved. Only in the Nineveh Plains, Daesh destroyed over 13,000 homes. The costs of reconstruction are in millions of USD. Nonetheless, only a few months after my trip to the Nineveh Plains, the reconstruction started. Again, slowly but surely, the reconstruction proceeded. During an Aid to the Church in Need conference in Italy earlier this year, I spoke to an Iraqi architect who is overseeing the reconstruction of the houses in Quaraqosh. During our meeting he explained how the houses are assessed, whether they could be rebuilt or not, and in what sequence. He explained that despite the fact that some houses would seem to be in a 'good condition', this may be deceptive. In fact, some of the burnt houses had been burning for an extended time, their structure may be damaged and hence would constitute a hazard in the future. Hence, they would not be able to be rebuilt at all. At the time of our meeting, over a thousand homes in Quaraqosh were already rebuilt. Additionally, upwards of 600 were being refurbished. Once a home is rebuilt, it is returned to its lawful owners. The progress of the reconstruction is slow and dependent upon funding. This funding has been provided by organisations like Aid to the Church in Need and the Knights of Columbus. In the next few weeks, Aid to the Church in Need is to announce its new campaign to assist the persecuted. Another substantial donor is the new Hungarian initiative, Hungary Helps, that provided significant funding to rebuild some villages in the Nineveh Plains and other places. In addition, Hungary Helps provides other assistance to the persecuted, including a scholarship to students from the persecuted communities to continue their education in Hungary. Hungary Helps will be also expanding the scope of their assistance provided - both geographically and in terms of the services provided. Many good news for Christmas and for the New Year there. The question of reconstruction in Syria is still a long way away. Work for the Coming Months The 'to do list' for the New Year is complex. Further assistance is needed to rebuild the region, to rebuild not only the private houses but also the infrastructure and to ensure that the region does not have to depend on financial assistance but can become sustainable. The security concerns need to be adequately addressed. In Iraq, the issue of post-Daesh security and the escalating instability in the region caused by the Iraqi-Kurdish claims to the disputed areas has been placing an extra strain on the Nineveh Plains. The conflict needs to be resolved as a matter of urgency - for the sake of all Iraqis and for the future of the Nineveh Plains. In Syria, the security concern is at a different level. The Syrian Civil War is ongoing. The Daesh held territories are significantly smaller. However, Daesh is not gone yet. Another issue that will need to be addressed is to ensure that the rights of religious groups are adequately protected. Iraq and Syria have international obligations to protect religious minorities. Ensuring that the human rights of religious minorities, that are protected in these government's constitutions, meet international standards is crucial for the survival of minorities in the region. However, the rights must also be adequately enforced. To address the issue in Iraq, together with Aid to the Church in Need, I have been advocating for the establishment of a new office of an Iraqi Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief (or a Special Envoy on Minority Issues). The mandate could be modelled on the office of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief or the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, although with a much narrower geographical focus limited solely to Iraq. The Special Envoy could prepare annual reports on the situation of religious minorities in Iraq, the implementation of protective mechanisms, and on the progress made in ensuring that religious minorities are fully integrated into society. The Special Envoy could also receive complaints and support the local police in their investigations to ensure an additional overview of the situation of minorities in Iraq. Ultimately, while the clear legal guarantees of human rights are elementary, without an adequate enforcement and review mechanism, there will be no change to the lives of minorities in Iraq. The above described progress in assisting the survivors of Daesh's genocide refers predominately to the work done in Iraq. Syria remains in a state of civil war (or as argued by some, an international armed conflict) and hence any assistance of the survivors (whether of the Daesh atrocities or crimes perpetrated by others) is largely limited. Some of the progress made this year shows that there is hope for Christians and other religious minorities in the areas where Daesh tried to annihilate their presence. The key is for international communities and states to work together. Such unity of purpose is crucial, and as it is clear from the above examples, such a unity and cooperation is possible (despite some unavoidable differences). This Christmas, and beyond, let's remember all those persecuted for their religion by Daesh and paid the ultimate price. Let's remember those who, after encountering persecution, started a new life. Let's remember all those who still await a new hope.

Ewelina U. Ochab is a human rights advocate and author of the book Never Again: Legal Responses to a Broken Promise in the Middle East.
Honda Manufacturing of Alabama turned out more than 357,000 vehicles in 2017 at its Lincoln plant.

That included a record number of Pilot SUVs, plant officials said.

According to preliminary figures released by the company, Honda workers produced:

163,439 Pilot SUVs.

118,843 Odyssey minivans.

39,282 Ridgeline pickup trucks.

35,759 Acura MDX luxury SUVs.

HMA is the exclusive producer of Pilots, Odysseys and Ridgelines. Production of the Acura MDX was transferred to Honda's East Liberty Plant in Ohio in September.

Last year, the Lincoln plant built 369,000 vehicles, a record production year.

2017 saw a lot of activity at Honda, as Lincoln hosted the unveiling of the all-new Odyssey, the fourth vehicle redesign for the plant in the last three years. No other plant in the company has ever carried out that kind of redesign schedule, company officials said at the time.

The Odyssey is one of three finalists for North American Utility of the Year, and company officials say the market response has "been very encouraging."

The utility of the year winner will be named Jan. 15, 2018 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Last January, the redesigned Honda Ridgeline pickup was selected as the North American Truck of the Year at the Detroit show.

Honda also celebrated in November the making of its 1 millionth engine since production began in the plant's engine assembly facility in November 2014. Since its 2001 opening, Honda has produced 4.5 million vehicles and engines in Alabama.

In all, that's 4.5 million V-6 engines, 2.36 million Odyssey minivans, 1.6 million Pilot SUVs and 174,000 Ridgeline trucks, along with 291,000 Acura MDX SUVs and 27,119 Accord V-6 Sedans. The Accuras were built from 2013 to 2017, and the Accords from 2009 to 2010.

Honda employs more than 4,500 people at the plant, which announced an $85 million expansion earlier this year.
A Southwest Airlines flight from Nashville to Tampa made an unexpected stop in Birmingham Friday evening because of a disorderly passenger.

Birmingham police Sgt. Bryan Shelton said the passenger - a white male - assaulted a flight attendant during the trip. The flight attendant was not injured.

Passengers subdued the man and restrained him until the plane landed at Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport shortly after 6 p.m. Once the plane landed, Birmingham police officers tried to remove the man from the plane but he became confrontational and resisted the officers.

Ultimately, they were able to gain control and take him off of the plane. Shelton said the suspect was highly intoxicated. He is facing charges in Birmingham related to resisting arrest. It wasn't clear whether the flight attendant would also press charges against the man.

No passengers were injured.

The plane involved arrived in Tampa, Florida "a short time ago," said Southwest Airlines spokesman Dan Landson.
The results of the Dec. 12 special election to the U.S. Senate will be certified next Thursday, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill announced.

Merrill, Gov. Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall, who make up the state canvassing board, will meet at 1 p.m. in Merrill's office in the Capitol.

Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore by slightly more than 20,000 votes, according to unofficial results. Alabama counties counted provisional ballots, overseas ballots and write-in ballots this week and were scheduled to report the final totals to the secretary of state's office today.

Merrill had earlier said there were not nearly enough provisional or overseas ballots to change the outcome.

Merrill had also previously said the election would be certified no earlier than Dec. 26 and no later than Jan. 3.
A Dale County Sheriff's Deputy vs. an angry bull. It's video starting to get a lot of attention on social media. At 4:30 - see the full clip and hear from the sheriff about what happened. pic.twitter.com/sfxHpaHOhW  Randi Hildreth (@randih_wsfa) December 21, 2017

An angry bull wreaked havoc on a Dale County Sheriff's deputy's vehicle causing thousands of dollars in damages.

The incident was captured on video in July and was recently posted online.

Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson told WSFA that a woman reported an escaped bull damaging property, including cars, on County Road 36 in Ozark.

"By the time the units responded, sure enough the bull was there and actually pushed the car across the driveway sideways," he said.

The bull took aim at Deputy Scott Spurlock's SUV lifting the Chevrolet Tahoe off the ground.

Olson said: "When you pick up the whole front end of a Tahoe, it shows you how strong the bull really was."

Spurlock told WSFA that he's responded to reports of escaped bulls before, but this bull's actions were very different from what he had encountered previously.

"Generally, you pull up and you can honk your horn or even get out and lead them into a field, or pasture, or gate. This particular day and this particular bull didn't want to be lead anywhere," he said.

The sheriff's department closed County Road 36 down for about an hour to corral the bull.

"We actually tried to box the bull in to where we could control him. He had other plans. He wanted to do what he wanted to do," Olson told the tv station.

Deputy's were later able to return the bull to its owner. Unfortunately, the bull escaped again causing more damage. The owner opted to put the bull down.
Assyrians in the Middle East Need American Support

At this time of year American Christians are free to celebrate Christmas in any way they like, because freedom of religion is a cherished right in the U.S. for people of every faith. But in many predominantly Muslim nations in the Middle East, the Christian minority is threatened and persecuted 365 days a year. As an Assyrian Christian who fled my native Iran in 1989 I know about this harassment and persecution from first-hand experience. And as the founder and president of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council I know about this persecution because of the work my nonprofit does to assist persecuted Christians throughout the Middle East and in other nations where they have taken refuge. The Iraqi Christian Relief Council has been operating since 2007 and last year alone we helped 110,000 displaced Christians. We offer food and medicine, job training, home rebuilding and other services. With more support, we could help many more Christians. Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to visit the Middle East in January. His visit would be a good time to speak up about the persecution that his fellow Christians endure and to press nations to do more to protect the Christian minority in the region where the faith first took root some 2,000 years ago. Such a move by the vice president would be in keeping with America's role as a beacon of religious liberty and other human rights for people around the world. In the worst cases, religious hatred has claimed the lives of innocent Christians in the Middle East who want nothing more than to live and pray in peace. For example in April bombings at two Coptic churches in Egypt killed 49 Christians. Another 28 were killed in a bus attack in May. Earlier, in December 2016, a church bombing by ISIS took the lives of 25 Christians in Egypt. In war-torn Iraq, the persecution of Christians who are indigenous to the land is even worse. When President George W. Bush mounted his invasion of Iraq he named the deployment "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Millions of Iraqis took those words seriously. So did my own community, the Assyrian Christians. We trusted those brave American soldiers to protect our basic rights, including freedom of religion. But the last two consecutive American presidents made protecting religious freedom in the Middle East a low priority. Iraqi Christians (Assyrians, Syriacs and Chaldeans) paid a bitter price. We pray that the Trump administration will do more. The collapse of Iraq's central government when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was overthrown left minorities vulnerable. Some 1.3 million Iraqi Christians -- 75 percent of the prewar Christian population -- were driven into exile or killed. Most are now still displaced, many in makeshift refugee camps. ISIS and other Islamic militants cited religious justifications to murder Christian men and boys, and to enslave, rape, and sex traffic Christian women and girls. Is it any wonder that so many Christians fled? In my work with the Iraqi Christian Relief Council, I have witnessed what sustained religious persecution does to people. It devastates even survivors. Men cannot find work or defend their families against violence. So they slip into depression. I met one physician in his late 50s, living in Jordan as a refugee. In tears, he asked me: "Where will I ever be a doctor again? I am not young. I do not speak foreign languages. All of my studies have gone to waste. You know what that does to a man?" Women who evaded or returned from ISIS captivity now live in shipping containers. They cannot return to their homes, can't cook family meals, work alongside their husbands, hold jobs, or offer their children hope. The young people can't go to school. Iraqi Christians were once part of a highly educated middle class in Iraq. Now they can hope, at best, for menial jobs in foreign countries, which might well deport them at any time. Imagine if all that happened to your family because of your religion. With thousands of Americans killed or wounded in Iraq, and hundreds of billions of dollars spent, does America want to leave religious persecution of Christians as its legacy? But humanitarian efforts are just triage. Religious minorities in Iraq deserve a long-term solution that guarantees their rights as citizens. They need local autonomy and a military shield that will protect them the next time sectarian chaos erupts -- as sadly seems likely. ISIS may be defeated for now, but the cruel intolerance it preached remains in the hearts of millions. The 2005 Iraqi constitution states that Christians, referred to in the constitution as the ChaldoAssyrians, have the right to local self-governance and also recognized their Syriac language as an official language in Iraq. In 2014, the Iraqi Council of Ministers in principle accepted the Nineveh Plain (home to many Christians) should be established as an official province. Therefore, we have high hopes that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Ebadi's government will take the proper steps -- with the encouragement from President Trump's administration -- to give Iraqi Christians and rights and protections they are entitled to. These indigenous children of Iraq have the right to self-defense in the form of an armed force, the Nineveh Plain Protection Unit. This group needs to be made up of at least 5,000 soldiers, with modern weapons, which the Trump administration could provide. There's a bill before Congress that offers real, concrete aid to persecuted Christians called the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act. The measure, passed by the House in June, would provide U.S. funding to faith-based and other groups carrying out humanitarian relief and reconstruction work among the Christian minorities in both Iraq and Syria. Unfortunately, the Senate has not acted on measure. The bill deserves bipartisan support. It is in America's interest to protect religious minorities, rebuild the middle class and decentralize power in Iraq. Christians and other vulnerable communities are natural U.S. allies -- if only America could see it. Free, strong religious minorities can fight ISIS and other radical Islamist terrorists groups in the Middle East, before such groups start targeting Americans at home. As American Christians prepare for Christmas, please remember your Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East who do not have the freedom of religion you enjoy. We ask for your help and the help of the U.S. government to be true to our faith and live in peace and safety in the region where Christianity was born and first spread.

Juliana Taimoorazy is the president and founder of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council (ICRC), and senior fellow for the Philos Project. The ICRC is a nonprofit organization in the United States raising awareness about the persecuted church in Iraq.
This story is a part of Ask Alabama, where you ask the questions, you vote to decide which questions we answer, and then we investigate.

This week we're answering a question from Randy National of Gardendale who asked: What happened to the laptop for kids program that was supposed to be the answer to Birmingham's education woes?

Education has always been a hot topic of discussion in Alabama. The state has consistently been one of the lowest performing school systems, often finding itself as one of the worst states for reading, math, student-to-teacher ratio, and graduation rates, according to a 2016 Atlantic article.

Is this where I'm supposed to say "thank god for Mississippi?"

Theories about the poor results have often centered around the state's poverty rate and how it funds its school system. But back in 2008, when the laptop for kids initiative was launched in Birmingham, formally known as the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program, there was another element to Alabama's under performing schools. A thing known as the digital divide, which was a term that loosely defined the economic and social inequality that centered around information and communication technologies.

In other words, some kids were not learning how to use computers. The digital divide is often a phrase associated with developing countries, which the OLPC program was set up to deal with. And while school systems in the United States were initially ineligible to apply, Birmingham eventually became the first city in the U.S. to get in on the initiative.

That was supposed to be a big solution to Birmingham's so-called education woes. With laptops retailing at prices well above what most families could afford, the XO laptop appeared to be a cheaper way for the school system in city to close that digital divide and introduce technology for thousands of Birmingham families for the first time. The cost to the school system varied between $100-$200 per laptop.

The One Laptop Per Child program was founded in 2005 by Nicholas Negroponte, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab,

Then-Mayor Larry Langford decided to buy 15,000 XO laptops for the citys 1-5th graders, teachers and administrators, according to a 2012 academic report on the program by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

But within a couple of years the program started to fall apart. "We had politicians saying the laptops were gonna be the best thing ever, the solution to all of the school system's problems," said National. "Then we didn't hear anything and the schools are still not improving. I just want to know happened to the program."

When the XO laptops were first introduced into Birmingham, some city residents cruelly joked that the parents of the recipients would sell them for crack, according to Shiela R. Cotten, a former professor at University of Alabama at Birmingham, and now a professor at Michigan State University. "A lot of the comments were racist," said Cotten in an interview with AL.com. "But the bigger of the issues was probably the politics in the city at the time."

When Langford was arrested by the FBI in 2008 accused of corruption, the laptop program was in its infancy. By the time he was officially replaced in 2010 by William Bell, the program was on its knees. Langford was eventually sentenced to 15 years in prison in March 2010 for conspiracy, fraud, money laundering and bribery.

And for the conspiracy theorists out there, Langford worked alongside fellow jailbird John Katapodis on buying the laptops from MIT. Katapodis was later sentenced to 46 months imprisonment in July 2009 after being found guilty of fraud relating to the mismanagement of a group known as... wait for it... Computer Help For Kids. He used $250,000 of the charity's money for his own personal use and was later charged with more than 90 counts of fraud.

Langford had become a political pariah, and everything associate with him was toxic.

"Langford was a contentious figure in Alabama politics even before he was elected Mayor, and the OLPC program was his project," noted Cotten's report, also authored by professors from Stanford University and UC Davis. "Looking back, his failure as a mayor was linked to the program's failure." But Langford wasn't the only issue. Cotten's report noted that the technology inside the XOs was unreliable, difficult to upgrade, and technical support was hard to come by. "Unlike more traditional one-to-one programs in which schools own and maintain the laptops, responsibility for maintenance of the XO hardware and software lies with children and their families," noted the report. "Many--whether for lack of motivation, expertise, money, or simply knowledge about how and/or where to get the laptops repaired--have not kept them in working condition."

While the program could have continued, its association with Langford and budgetary issues relating to the fallout from the global financial crisis meant that it had to be cut from the city's budget. "The city's new leaders just wanted to leave the past behind, which is one of the main reasons the XO program failed," said Cotten

But Cotten said that even though the program failed, it exposed thousands of children to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. It also introduced a generation of children and their families to computers. Last year Alabama was ranked 46th in the country for education, according to the WalletHub report. So thank god for Idaho, Mississippi, and Nevada, according to Education Week.

_

Vote here.
Chitwan National Park, Nepal  Nepal is home to nine species of vultures. But five of them, including the white-rumped vulture, experienced a catastrophic population collapse of more than 99 percent in the span of just 20 years. Most species are now critically endangered and risk extinction.

In the 1990s, the scientific community determined the raptors were suffering kidney failures because of an anti-inflammatory veterinary drug used on cattle, called Diclofenac. In regions where few people eat beef due to cultural persuasions, farmers would leave dead dairy cows in the fields for the birds to pick clean. As the birds ate, they got sick and died in massive numbers.

Scavenger birds play a vital role in the ecosystem, helping prevent the spread of disease and pathogens into the wider environment. Nepals government banned the use of Diclofenac in 2006, and the non-profit Bird Conservation of Nepal, with international support, established several vulture restaurants with an aim to preserve and rebuild the species.

There are seven community-run sites where the raptors are regularly provided safe meat untainted by harmful drugs, allowing them an opportunity to thrive and repopulate. All the reserves have applied a push towards ecotourism.
Beijing, China  During the cold and bitter winter season in Beijing  capital of the Peoples Republic of China  it is common to find people walking the streets with masks covering their faces.

Beijing suffers from serious air pollution, threatening the citys 21.5 million residents.

In 2015, more than 1.1 million people in China were estimated to have died from air pollution, making it the country with the most deaths resulting from toxic air.

A recent study by Nanjing Universitys School of the Environment found tiny particles in the air could be responsible for as many as 30 percent of all deaths in the country  equaling that of smoking.

There are various factors identified as causes of the poisonous pollution. Among them, coal consumption is singled out as the biggest contributor.

Because of this, the smog worsens during winter, when more coal is burned for heating purposes.

About half a billion people in mainland China are currently facing the smog after it moved in on Friday.

The Chinese government has acknowledged the air pollution issue, which has become a major crisis facing the country.

At the opening of the 19th Communist Party Congress held in October, President Xi Jinping, who solidified his position for another five years, highlighted the toxic smog in his opening speech, affirming it is his goal to eliminate it by the end of his second term in 2022.





No other choice

Tung Hsueh-Mei is a receptionist in a student dormitory at a Beijing university. In her 30s, she was born and raised in the capital.

Tung said the smog is a serious problem, but she is used to it by now.

The smog does not affect me that much. I am an ordinary person so there is no other choice than to just carry on with my life, as there is nothing much I can do about it, she told Al Jazeera.

Unlike many fellow Beijing residents, Tung chooses not to wear a mask or check the particulate matter level before she goes outside. Wearing a mask is not very effective, she explained.

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In September, the Chinese government announced future plans to ban the production and sale of fossil fuel-powered vehicles, and replace them with clean energy automobiles. Beijing and neighbouring Hebei province, the most polluted regions in China, were also ordered by the government to reduce production of harmful air pollutants by 25 percent before the end of the year.

Despite government efforts, Tung has little faith. It will be great if the government can somehow find a way to solve the problem, but I believe that the problem is even beyond the scale of Xi Jinpings power.

Cheng, in his 40s, is a small shop owner originally from Henan province, who relocated to Beijing with his family five years ago.

He takes precautions to protect himself from the smogs harmful effects.





When I first came to Beijing five years ago, I didnt care too much about the air problem. But after having been living in Beijing for a few years, I have become more cautious as I wear a mask and check the PM level before going outside, said Cheng.

If the smog is extremely serious, he stays inside to avoid inhaling toxic pollutants in the air.

Cheng said Beijings air quality was much worse when he first arrived and the situation has improved under Xis leadership, who ordered the closure of many factories.

Wang Po-Wen, 18, is a first-year university student. Born in Guizhou province, she moved to Beijing with her family in 2008, the year Beijing hosted the 29th Summer Olympic Games.

I think that the government is actively listening to its people because they are nervous about the overflow of negative public opinion surrounding the air pollution issue, said Wang.

But she said a solution isnt likely to be a quick one.

Im young and Im healthy so I dont worry too much about my health. But I do worry about my parents and about the older people though, Wang said.

If I get a disease from the smog, it will probably be treatable in the future, so I think I have nothing to worry about.
Retired general Constantino Chiwenga was instrumental in the ousting of Zimbabwes long-time president Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed a military commander who played a big part in the ousting of former leader, Robert Mugabe, as one of his deputies in the ruling party.

The appointment of retired general Constantino Chiwenga at the senior ZANU-PF position was announced in a statement by the presidential press secretary.

Kembo Mohadi, a long-serving state minister, was also named ZANU-PF vice president.

Chiwenga, who resigned this week from his military role, was instrumental in a coup last month that eventually forced 93-year-old Mugabe to hand in his resignation letter, after ruling the country for 37 years.

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The appointments are seen as a first step towards their elevation to vice president of the country.

Ruling party deputies are traditionally named state vice presidents, although this is not legally required. The president can have two deputies.

Chiwenga is one of several high-ranking military officials who have been given important roles in Zimbabwe after Mugabes ousting.

Earlier this month, two ministerial posts were given to senior military officials and war veterans who played a role in the brief coup.

Mnangagwa, like Mugabe, is a veteran of the struggle for independence from Britain. He was considered by the military to be an appropriate replacement for the former president, who, at 93, was Africas oldest leader.

Since being sworn in, Mnangagwa has been under pressure from opposition parties and the public to revive Zimbabwes economy and implement political reforms in an attempt to fight corruption.

On Thursday, Mnangagwa vowed to build a new Zimbabwe based on honesty, transparency and accountability, in an attempt to attract foreign investors.

Zimbabwe is scheduled to hold presidential elections in 2018, in which Mnangagwa will run as a candidate for ZANU-PF.
Refugees in Greece hoping to be reunited with their families in Germany are facing huge uncertainty with warnings that it may never happen.

Refugees in Greece hoping to be reunited with their families in Germany are facing huge uncertainty with warnings that it may never happen.

Aid groups in Greece say those refugees with a legal right to leave for Germany are having to wait months or even years longer than they had expected to.

The rise of the far right in Germany and its demands for caps on refugee numbers is being blamed.

Al Jazeeras Laurence Lee reports from northern Greece.
Popular Mobilisation Forces deployed to back up border guards after several attacks by missiles from the Syrian side.

Iraqs Shia paramilitaries have deployed fighters to the Syrian border to support security forces after multiple attacks from within Syria.

After several Iraqi border guard positions came under several attacks by missiles, and backup from security forces was late, the 13th brigade of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) was deployed and targeted the origins of the launch, Qassem Mesleh, the PMF commander for Iraqs western Anbar province, said in a statement on Friday.

Operations command and the infantry brigade are now present on the Iraqi-Syrian border in border guard positions to repel any attack or movement by the enemy. This area is not within the PMFs remit but it is our duty to back up all security forces.

The PMF is largely outside of government control, but the Iraqi parliament formally recognised it as a state-affiliated institution when its own forces became depleted in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over the armed group earlier this month, marking the end of a three-year war to drive ISIL out of Iraq.

Just six months ago, ISIL still controlled vast expanses of territory, including major cities, on both sides of the Iraq-Syria border. The groups quick advance in Iraq began in 2014 as it captured major cities, including Mosul, Ramadi and Fallujah.

Roughly 63 factions make up the PMF, an umbrella of groups rallied by ethnic and tribal leaders whose fighters are either loyal to religious scholars, Iraqi political leaders, or Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Rights group says seven Palestinian minors have been seriously injured by Israeli forces since US Jerusalem decision.

Bethlehem, occupied West Bank  Fadel Tamimi feared for the worst as he rushed into the hospital.

His 15-year-old son, Mohammed, had just been brought there after being shot point-blank in the face by Israeli forces, during last weeks protests in Nabi Saleh.

I met him at the hospital after he was injured. My wife fainted three times when she saw him, Tamimi told Al Jazeera. The situation was so horrible.

The bullet entered the teens face below his nose, breaking his jaw before getting lodged in his skull. After undergoing a complex surgery, he was placed in a medically-induced coma.

Seventy hours later, Mohammed woke up.

We didnt think he would make it. I felt like I had lost my son, said Fadel.

Mohammed is one of at least seven Palestinian minors to have suffered serious injuries by Israeli forces since protests broke out across the occupied Palestinian territories, following a US decision earlier this month to formally recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital, according to a new report by Defense for Children International  Palestine (DCIP).

Since US President Donald Trumps announcement on December 6, the group has also documented a spike in military detentions of Palestinian children, with the number of minors held in one Ramallah-based detention centre more than doubling compared with the previous month.

Trigger-happy Israeli soldiers

According to the UN, at least 345 Palestinian children were injured between December 5-18 in the wake of Trumps declaration.

A separate tally by the Palestinian Red Crescent said that nearly 3,600 Palestinians were injured during protests, 729 of whom were wounded with rubber bullets and at least 192 by live rounds.





Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ayed Abu Eqtaish, DCIPs accountability programme director, said the most worrying aspect of Israels crackdown on recent protests was its misuse of so-called less lethal crowd-control weapons. These include rubber bullets, sponge bullets and tear gas.

In its report, the DCIP documented two cases in which a Palestinian minor was seriously injured by a rubber bullet.

The first one is about a 15-year-old, identified by DCIP as Qassem K, who was shot with a rubber bullet during clashes in Nablus on December 20. The bullet fractured his skull, resulting in a critical injury, the group said.

Mohammed Tamimi was the second serious case. DCIP said the bullet caused severe bleeding in his brain before being removed after two operations.

Following the initial shock, the teens family is now calmer.

The doctors say he is getting better, said Fadel, adding that Mohammed had begun to eat and drink.

His situation was so bad that my wife and I did not believe we would receive any good news about his condition. But I am so thankful that we did not lose him.

So painful

The use of rubber bullets as a crowd-control weapon was abandoned in Israel and Jerusalem more than a decade ago, after an investigation into the killings of at least 12 Palestinian citizens of Israel in 2000.

They were replaced by sponge-tipped, plastic bullets. However, the use of both rubber and plastic ammunition has been criticised by rights groups for causing serious injuries and deaths.

In the occupied West Bank, meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to use rubber bullets, despite banning them in Israel and Jerusalem.





Eqtaish, of DCIP, said Israeli forces often violate their own regulations on these weapons by shooting Palestinians at close-range and above the waist, which leads to serious, sometimes permanent, injuries and may even result in death.

According to the groups report, two 14-year-old Palestinians were also severely wounded by Israeli forces in the besieged Gaza Strip after they were shot in the head with a tear gas canister.

One of the teens, Mohammed al-Farani, experienced internal bleeding in his brain and doctors were forced to remove his right eye.

It was so painful, I dont know how to describe it. There was a lot of blood running down my face, Farani was quoted by DCIP as saying.

While Eqtaish said that Israel has typically relied on crowd-control weapons to quash protests over Trumps controversial move, at least three Palestinian children were also injured by live ammunition.

Two of these children were shot in the face, the report said, with one 16-year-old suffering skull fractures and vision loss after being shot above his right eye.

Eqtaish said the group was deeply concerned about Israels excessive use of force employed by trigger-happy Israeli soldiers, adding that these violations occur in a climate of impunity that encourages such a heavy-handed approach.

Without soldiers facing accountability, Israel signals tacit approval for killing or seriously injuring children, said Eqtaish.

Detentions and ill-treatment of minors

According to DCIPs report, there was also a significant uptick in children being put under Israeli military detention since the latest wave of protests erupted.

Eqtaish said 77 Palestinian minors arrived at Israels Ofer military prison, located in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, in the first 19 days of December, compared with 35 in all of November.

The majority of cases we document involves the ill-treatment, sometimes amounting to torture, of Palestinian minors and their denial of basic, fair trial rights in Israels military court system, said Eqtaish.

One prominent case that received widespread attention was that of Fawzi al-Junaidi. A photo showing the 16-year-old blindfolded and being dragged by more than 20 soldiers in Hebron went viral, and became a symbol for Israels use of excessive force on Palestinians.

Junaidi, who is now facing charges of throwing stones, was arrested a few days after protests broke out.

Mohammed, Fawzis father, told Al Jazeera the family was finally able to speak to him on Friday, and said his son had been tortured a lot.

Fawzi told a DCIP lawyer he was repeatedly beaten and verbally abused for almost two hours.

When I arrived at the checkpoint I remember my face bleeding, mostly my lips because of the beating. They took me to a room, knocked me down to the floor, and began kicking me all over my body, Fawzi told the group.

According to its report, out of 520 cases of Palestinian children being detained by Israel between 2012 and 2016, 72 percent experienced physical violence and 66 percent faced verbal abuse and humiliation.

Ahed Tamimi, Mohammed Tamimis 16-year-old cousin, was also detained in an overnight raid on her home on December 19, followed by her mother and cousin. Eqtaish said about 45 percent of all children are detained during night raids.

Israels detention and ill-treatment of Palestinian minors often rupture the cohesion of Palestinian families.

Fawzi started working after school at age 11 to help his family, after his father sustained a leg injury that left him disabled and his mother developed a terminal illness.

Last year, he dropped out of school completely.

Fawzi breathed life into our family. He sacrificed his schooling and much of his life so that we could continue as a family, said Mohammed al-Junaidi.

He is suffering so much now. They hurt him. I feel so sad for him, but I cant do anything for him. We have no choice but to rely on Gods mercy.

According to the UN, Palestinians experience an almost 100 percent conviction rate in Israels military courts.

As of November, 311 Palestinian children were being held in Israeli prisons, according to Palestinian prisoners rights group Addameer.
The aircraft are to be delivered at the end of 2022 and will be built by Boeing in St Louis, Missouri.

The US Department of Defense has announced that Boeing has been awarded a $6.2bn contract to manufacture 36 F-15 fighter jets for Qatars air force.

The multirole aircraft are to be delivered at the end of 2022 and will be built by the aerospace giant in St Louis, in the US state of Missouri, the Pentagon said on Friday.

This contract provides for the foreign military sales requirement to procure 36 new F-15QA aircraft for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, it said in a statement.

The announcement covers half of the 72 F-15s Qatar will buy from the US.

The two countries signed a deal worth $12bn in total in June after negotiations started in November 2016.

Qatari Minister of Defence Khalid al-Attiyah said the deal underscored the long-standing commitment of the state of Qatar in jointly working with our friends and allies in the United States in advancing our military cooperation for closer strategic collaboration in our fight to counter violent extremism and promote peace and stability in our region and beyond.

In November, a separate contract between the two countries was signed for a support programme of Qatars F-15 fighter aircraft. That contract had an estimated worth of $1.1bn and included the development of cybersecurity, protection, support and other related services.

Earlier this month, Qatar also said it will buy 24 Typhoon fighter jets worth $8bn from the United Kingdom.

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It was the biggest order for Typhoon fighters in more than a decade and included training of air force personnel and the creation of a Joint Operation Squadron, the start of a partnership between Qatars air force and Britains Royal Air Force (RAF).

The deals come as the blockade against Qatar has gone on for more than six months.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates said they would cut all diplomatic and economic ties with the Gulf nation.

The countries accused Qatar of having ties to terrorism, strengthening its relations with Iran and meddling in their internal affairs.

Qatar has denied all allegations against it.
Officials given 15 days to leave Lima after UN Security Council votes to impose tough new sanctions on North Korea.

Perus government has ordered the expulsion of two North Korean diplomats after declaring them persona non grata over Pyongyangs continued violations of UN Security Council resolutions with its nuclear programme.

The government of Peru has informed the North Korean embassy of its decision to declare First Secretary Pak Myong Chol and Third Secretary Ji Hyok persona non grata as officers of the aforementioned diplomatic mission in Lima, Perus foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The ministry ordered the two officials to leave the Latin American nation within 15 calendar days.

Persona non grata is the most serious form of censure a government can take against a person with diplomatic immunity and is often used by governments as a symbolic expression of displeasure.

The government made the announcement late on Friday after having verified that the diplomatic staff carried out activities incompatible with its diplomatic functions.

North Koreas continued violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions also contributed to the decision, the ministry said.

The move comes as the UNSC unanimously voted to impose tough new sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyangs latest missile test.





The sanctions, passed on Friday, included a ban on nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea. Proposed by the United States, the restrictions are designed to prevent Pyongyang from furthering its nuclear programme.

The resolution also orders North Koreans who work abroad to return to the country within 24 months.

Peru, a non-permanent member of the UNSC, had strongly condemned North Koreas launch of a ballistic missile on November 29.

In September, Peru also dismissed North Koreas ambassador, Kim Hak-Chol, over Pyongyangs nuclear programme after having downsized the North Korean embassy in the capital Lima earlier this year.
US to provide Kiev with enhanced defensive capabilities as the country battles Russian-backed separatists.

Russian officials have said a US decision to supply weapons to Ukraine is dangerous and will encourage Kiev to use force in eastern Ukraine.

The US state department said on Friday the United States will provide Ukraine with enhanced defensive capabilities as the country battles Russian-backed separatists in the east.

Russias RIA state news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin as saying on Saturday that supplies of any weapons would encourage those who support the conflict in eastern Ukraine to use the force scenario.

Franz Klintsevich, a member of the upper house of the Russian parliaments security committee, said Ukraine would consider arms deliveries as support of its actions, Interfax news agency reported.

Americans, in fact, directly push Ukrainian forces to war, Klintsevich said.

The war in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced 1.7 million people in three years.

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Michael Bociurkiw, former spokesman for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, told Al Jazeera that between January and November this year the conflict has resulted in at least 450 civilian casualties.

There are millions of people in the conflict zone that are affected day in and day out, and recently a lot of schools, hospitals and other places where civilians gather have been shelled, he said.

Anti-tank missiles

Kiev accuses Moscow of sending troops and heavy weapons to the region, which Russia denies.

The US move deepens American involvement in the conflict and potentially further strains Washingtons relations with Moscow.

According to sources quoted by The Associated Press, the new weapons, if approved by the US Congress, include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles that Ukraine has long sought to boost its defences against the rebels, who have rolled through eastern Ukraine in tanks since 2014.

But military analyst Steven Fish said the defence package is not going to have a major impact in the conflict.

The truth is that this is not a game changer on the ground in Ukraine, he said.

Whats been promised now really are just sniper rifles. This is not going to change things on the ground and Moscow knows that  this is not striking fear in the heart of anybody in the defence ministry in Moscow.

The war against pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine is leading to a mental health crisis among veterans. pic.twitter.com/1aj3F0z8k9  AJ+ (@ajplus) July 23, 2017

Previously, the US provided Ukraine with support equipment and training, and has let private companies sell small arms.

In a statement late on Friday, US state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the enhanced defensive capabilities would help Ukraine build its military long-term, defend its sovereignty and deter further aggression.

The Russian foreign ministry said the US decision undermines Minsk agreements, TASS state news agency reported on Saturday.

Minsk agreements intended to end the fighting in Ukraine were signed by Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France in the Belarussian capital in early 2015.
US President Trump hails the UN Security Council after it unanimously adopts new sanctions on North Korea.

US President Donald Trump said the world wants peace not death following the latest bout of UN Security Council sanctions placed on North Korea.

His comments came as the US secretary of defence told American soldiers to be ready to go if war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula.

The sanctions  which order North Koreans working abroad to return home within two years and ban nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to the country  were unanimously approved in a resolution by the 15-member body on Friday.

Following the vote, Trump said on Twitter: The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 in favor of additional Sanctions on North Korea. The World wants Peace, not Death!

The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 in favor of additional Sanctions on North Korea. The World wants Peace, not Death!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017

The latest sanctions, proposed by the US to prevent Pyongyang from furthering its nuclear programme, were the third imposed this year.

An estimated 93,000 North Koreans work abroad and send money back home, helping the government to fund its weapons programmes.

The sanctions, which also prohibit the supply of industrial machinery to North Korea and the purchase of food and agricultural products from the country, are a response to North Koreas test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on November 29.

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James Mattis, the American defence chief, said on Friday that storm clouds are gathering over the Korean Peninsula as he urged US troops to be ready if war breaks out  though he emphasised diplomacy was the best way forward.

My fine young soldiers, the only way our diplomats can speak with authority and be believed is if youre ready to go, Mattis told dozens of troops at the Fort Bragg military base.

The US has nearly 28,000 soldiers permanently stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 war.

Both Russia and China supported the new sanctions, despite previously raising concerns that not enough was being done diplomatically.

Wu Haitao, Chinas deputy ambassador to the UN, highlighted while North Korea has continued its missile and nuclear tests, the United States and South Korea have also carried out military exercises that Pyongyang views as a rehearsal for an invasion.

The escalation of tension on the peninsula, which has reached the point of risking spiralling out of control, is not in the interest of any parties, said Wu.

He pressed Pyongyang to refrain from conducting any further nuclear and missile tests.

Al Jazeeras Divya Gopalan, reporting from Hong Kong, highlighted the fact that China chose to vote against its ally.

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The fact that China agreed to that level of food cuts and will be transparent about how much oil it will be sending North Korea is seen as a major change in stance, Gopalan said.

But China stopped short of halting all fuel supplies. Beijings concerned it will lead to a collapse of the regime and escalate tensions even further.

The US has said no diplomatic talks can take place without a full cessation of North Koreas nuclear programme.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the continued unity of the Security Council in forging the resolution and urged its members to continue pursuing the denuclearisation of North Korea through peaceful means.

The only way forward for a comprehensive peaceful and political solution requires de-escalation and open communication channels now, his spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.
In between Thanksgiving and Christmas, President Trump gave to the nation of Israel perhaps one of the biggest Christmas gifts of all time: the long awaited recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While Israel has never seen it any other way, the nations of the world have been reticent to acknowledge the obvious. Jewish people have been waiting since ancient times for Jerusalem to once again be its capital, particularly since 1948, when Israel was born following the great consequential aftermath of both world wars.

Yet the Jewish return to the land of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital was actually predicted by more than a few Puritans and pilgrims who gave to America its first Thanksgiving. The Puritans and pilgrims prided themselves in going back to the teachings of the Bible without interferences coming in from the Protestant state church. Their crusade was a biblical one, in great contrast to the time of the Crusades in previous centuries, when European crusaders were sent to Jerusalem to protect the holy land from the Muslims.

Many Puritans were convinced that Israel would one day be regathered back to the land, with Jerusalem honored as its capital, not merely because of the divine authority of the Old Testament itself, but also because of the writings of Paul in Romans 11, not to mention the book of Revelation. Moreover, they made such predictions based on biblical prophecies, irrespective of the fact that at the time, the Ottoman Empire was running the Middle East and had pushed up as far as the gates of Vienna.

Swiss theologian Theodore Beza (1519-1605) was perhaps the first significant Reformer who unleashed what should be understood as a form of Protestant Zionism when he taught that "Israel" in the New Testament refers to the Jews rather than to Christians. Many in the Catholic Church for centuries had presumed that the Church is the true "spiritual" Israel. Undergirded by its allegorical interpretation of the Scriptures that was deemed more spiritually minded, the importance of Israel's covenantal history tied to the Promised Land was ignored. Thus, while the Medieval Church did expend much time, energy, and blood during the Crusades, the holy land was to be taken from the Muslims for themselves  not for the Jews. This was largely because Catholicism after Augustine buried Jewish eschatology under a replacement theology that taught that the New Testament Church completely supplanted Old Testament Israel. (Eschatology is the study of the last things related to ultimate salvation.)

Yet the early Catholic Church before Augustine strongly held to a premillennial eschatology. Early Catholics believed that the Second Coming of Christ would usher in upon the Earth His promised Messianic Kingdom as anticipated in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament and the Gospels. premillennialism essentially means "before the kingdom," with the term "millennium" standing for the Messianic Kingdom. However, Catholicism after Augustine subscribed to amillennialism, which means there will not be a millennium after all, as the Church essentially became the kingdom of God on Earth that inextricably tied religion to the state for centuries to come.

Leaders of the Protestant Reformation like Luther and Calvin generally held to this Catholic default position during the 1500s, but more and more Protestants began to reconsider the early Church's eschatological views. This time around, however, when Puritan and pilgrim divines went back to biblical prophecies, they not only began to recover a premillennial eschatology again, but depicted the coming Messianic Kingdom in much more Jewish terms than previously envisaged. Hence, the birth of what is today called Christian Zionism goes back to the Puritans and pilgrims.

With no small thanks to the publishing success of the Geneva Bible, Beza's views on the future salvation of Israel became widely dispersed among the Puritans in England, Scotland, and New England. Early on, the Anglican rector of York, Edmund Bunny (1540-1619), looked forward to Israel's future restoration to the land and called on fellow Christians to love the Jews and minister to them with the gospel. In 1608, English theologian Thomas Draxe wrote a commentary on Romans 11 called "The World's Resurrection or the General Calling of the Jews." Draxe taught that the Jews are still peculiarly God's people by virtue of the fact that God gave them His everlasting covenant in the Old Testament, which could not be forfeited. In great contrast to Luther's belligerent anti-Semitism, Draxe strongly discouraged Christians from acting likewise precisely because they are so indebted to the Jews and their Old Testament heritage.

In 1621, English lawyer Henry Finch predicted that the Jews would physically return to the promised land of Israel and that this homecoming would be a sign of the impending apocalypse. Finch also sharply distinguished Israel from the church, as he sharply criticized those who said God's promises have been transferred to the church as untrue "allegories." Finch presumed that God's covenant given to Israel was eternal and that a revived Jewish state would one day cause consternation in the world. Not surprisingly, Finch was arrested, tried, and forced to acknowledge that King James was his only sovereign  not some future Jewish king! Such eschatological views were strongly suppressed by both the government and the Protestant state church that included book-burning. William Gouge (1575-1763) was briefly put in jail in 1621 for publishing one of Finch's works in his own name.

Thomas Goodwyn (1600-1680), who was Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)'s chaplain, was also an early Puritan Zionist. It was Cromwell who dethroned and beheaded the king of England for treason toward the end of the English Civil War (1642-51)  all of which was a precursor to the American Revolution. At relatively the same time, English divine Robert Maton wrote that the Second Coming of Christ is connected to the restoration of the Jews to their homeland. The English Civil War provided an opportunity for Puritan Zionists to write their theological works without being shunned or persecuted by the royalist state church that had even less influences on the other side of the Atlantic.

Contrary to popular opinion, more than a few American Puritans also rejected the notion that North America was slated to become the New Jerusalem of the New World. According to Puritan expert Reiner Smolenski, some of the American Puritans even associated the apocalyptic theme of the woman running away into the wilderness to escape the pressures of the Antichrist (Revelation 12:6) with their own colonial experience. In other words, rather than set up the New Jerusalem in the new world, they wanted to run away into the wilderness of North America to escape the clutches of the Antichrist in Europe before the restoration of the Promised Land to Israel.

Neither should such apocalyptic views be considered dangerous in themselves. It is simply not true that Christian Zionists are helping to facilitate the end of the world, as all too many have suggested. It is the Islamo-fascists and the leftist compromises with them that are at the heart of the problem, as their policies of dividing up the Promised Land of Israel have done nothing to foster peace in the region. Such foolish policies have left the entire Middle East in flames today with no signs of improvement anywhere on the horizon. Perhaps it is time to finally acknowledge Jerusalem as Israel's capital after all?

Neither is it a coincidence that Jewish Christian scholar Alfred Edersheim wrote that Christmas is rooted not in paganism, but in the Jewish Festival of Lights called Hanukkah. Commemorating the re-dedication of the Temple (165 B.C.) following its desecration at the hands of Antiochus Ephiphanes, Hanukkah begins on the 25th of the Hebrew month Kislev, which normally occurs in December. John 10:22 makes reference to Hanukkah, and Jesus often characterized Himself as the Light of the World (John 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36, 46) that refers back to Isaiah 9:1-7. This opens the door for December 25 to become the exceptional day when the Jewish Messianic Light of the world was born on Christmas Day.

Happy Hanukkah to Israel and its capital city, Jerusalem!

Mark Musser is a part-time pastor, author, missionary, and farmer who lives in Olympia, Washington. He is a contributing writer for the Cornwall Alliance. His book Nazi Oaks provides a sobering history lesson on the philosophical foundations of the early German green movement, which was absorbed by National Socialism in the 1930s and proved to be a powerful undercurrent during the Holocaust. Mark is also the author of Wrath or Rest, a commentary on the warning passages found in the epistle to the Hebrews.
The case for American exceptionalism is often overstated. It is true that our Constitution, at least when it was first written, was a revolutionary document, in both senses of the word: it represented a huge shift in the way that the state was conceived, but also an attempt to free a citizenry from perceived oppression.

Because of the unique historical circumstances in which it was written, the Constitution put in place laws that appear to be similarly unique. However, when looked at in a historical perspective, many of these (such as the right to free speech) are unique in extent rather than quality: they make a right that was de facto in early modern England into a de jure provision.

There is one part of the U.S. Constitution, however, that may well be totally unique: the Second Amendment.

The 27 words that make up the amendment, a well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, are perhaps the most controversial, and perhaps the most misunderstood, in our entire Constitution. Im not going to add another interpretation to the hundreds already available. Instead, I want to look where the amendment came from, and then look at whether it is, indeed, unique.

The Historical Context

Given the context in which the constitution was written -- that of a new country keen to free itself from the clutches of an overbearing English tyranny -- it is strange that the Second Amendment is actually based on English law. Specifically, the English Bill of Rights of 1689 codified what was regarded as a natural right to self-defense. This bill essentially limited the power of the English king to disarm his subjects, after Charles II had tried to disarm Protestants, whom he viewed as a threat to his power.

Interestingly, the same debate that rumbles on today about the importance of a well-regulated militia dates back to this time. In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the question of whether English Bill of Rights created a new right, or merely codified an existing one, was tackled. The Supreme Court found that the English right at the time of the passing of the English Bill of Rights was "clearly an individual right, having nothing whatsoever to do with service in the militia," and therefore predated the bill.

In any case, by the time the Second Amendment was passed in 1791, the understanding of the earlier bill had developed. Before the U.S. became independent, the American colonies had an approach to firearms regulation that had been inherited from English Common Law. By 18th-century England, for example, armed travel had been limited to a few well-defined occasions such as assisting justices of the peace and constables. Members of the upper classes also had a limited exception to travel with arms. What we would now consider standard concealed carry was even more restricted back then, and the city of London banned public carry of handguns entirely.

In short, the Second Amendment developed from English common law, and is therefore not unique in a historical context. However, the fact that the amendment appears in a constitution, and can therefore not be watered down by successive legislation, means that it has slowly become unique as the laws it was based on were themselves changed.

The International Context

Another way of assessing the uniqueness of the Second Amendment is to look at whether there are any other countries that currently guarantee a right to bear arms in their constitutions. This immediately rules out many countries, and notably UK, simply because they do not have a written constitution.

Interestingly, the uniqueness of the Second Amendment has made occasional appearances in political speeches in recent years. Marco Rubio claimed in a speech to the NRA in 2014 that the amendment was unique among modern nation states.

Was he right to say this? Yes, broadly.

Very few constitutions have ever contained an explicit right to bear arms, and those that do also include restrictions that make them quite different from the Second Amendment. In a New York Times op-ed from 2013, Tom Ginsburg and Zachary Elkins concluded that there are only two countries where a comparable right is afforded: Mexico and Guatemala.

Here are the relevant clauses in those constitutions:

 Guatemala Article 38: "The right to own (tenencia) weapons for personal use, not prohibited by the law, in the place of inhabitation, is recognized. There will not be an obligation to hand them over, except in cases ordered by a competent judge."

 Mexico Article 10: "The inhabitants of the United Mexican States have the right to possess arms in their residences for their protection and legitimate defense, except such as are expressly forbidden by law or which have been reserved for the exclusive use of the Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard. Federal law will determine the circumstances, conditions, requirements, and places in which the bearing of arms by inhabitants will be authorized."

Superficially, these clauses look like the Second Amendment. However, read them closely and a major difference is apparent: both give government and/or the judiciary the right to remove arms from its citizens.

The Verdict

The Second Amendment, in contrast to the provisions of the Mexican and Guatemalan constitutions, explicitly bars the government from infringing the right to bear arms. In this sense, it is unique: rather than permitting individuals to bear arms at the whim of the state, this right is regarded as natural, and therefore outside the power of the state.

The strange paradox here is that regarding the right to self-defense, and by extension the right to bear arms, as a natural right is a philosophical position inherited from England, and that in that country this right was gradually diminished by hundreds of years of extra legislation. In this sense, the Second Amendment actually may be regarded as unique in a historical sense, in that it represents an 18th-century view of human rights. Of course, it is no less worthy for that: if the right to self-defense is one inherent to humanity, then it should be protected in every state and era, irrespective of the views of the government.

Sam Bocetta is a freelance journalist specializing in U.S. diplomacy and national security, with emphases on technology trends in cyberwarfare, cyberdefense, and cryptography. Currently working as a part-time cybersecurity coordinator
The Age of Trump has shattered old alliances and forged new ones. Leaving many reeling and disoriented, the Trump phenomenon brings a fresh opportunity to examine the first principles of conservatism.

This coming year supplies an excellent starting point for this project. It marks the centennial of the birth of Russell Kirk. His landmark 1953 book, The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Santayana, gave post-World War II conservatism much of its intellectual coherence  a coherence that is now in shreds.

At the time Kirk wrote, liberalism dominated the academy as orthodoxy in American politics and culture  so much so that Kirk originally wanted to title his book The Conservatives' Rout. It eventually appeared in print not as The Conservatives' Rout but as The Conservative Mind. It became a bestseller, and it helped several generations of budding conservatives grapple with the intellectual tradition they suspected they might be part of. Kirk stitched together a retrospective genealogy for an Anglo-American affirmation of "an enduring moral order," of the weight of custom in human judgment, the prescriptive power of the past, and the need for gradual reform of the ills of society, along with prudence, healthy diversity, suspicion of utopian schemes to remake man and the world, fear of concentrated power, a respect for and deference to localism, and the primacy of voluntary action within face-to-face communities as opposed to the collectivism of the modern bureaucratic state.

Implicit in Kirk's retelling of Anglo-American intellectual history lies an alternative temperament we could call "the Anti-Conservative Mind." As an ideology, the Anti-Conservative Mind is more unified than the Conservative Mind. It animates a self-conscious movement. It marches in lockstep with what it assumes is the winning side of history. The Anti-Conservative Movement knows its enemy. It holds itself together by means of what sociologists call the "negative reference group"  the dreaded conservatives. Conservatives, if they do mobilize, scramble to sand-bag against the rising sea. Anti-Conservatives topple every impediment to their vision of final human emancipation from the past.

Progressives tell their own story in this manner, hailing victories over the illiberal past and vaunting their plan for redemption in the future. But there is another side to their story: the record of what they dismantled in the culture and civilization of the West.

What if conservatives were to turn the tables on the progressives and tell their opponents' story in terms of their longing to "wipe the slate clean" by stoking the fire on the Altar of Progress? What if conservatives adopted a rhetorical strategy that named their opponents the Anti-Conservatives? Russell Kirk subtitled The Conservative Mind "From Burke to Santayana" and later "From Burke to Eliot." Surely the same type of genealogical reconstruction might be done with their opponents.

I am not saying the story of radical movements in Europe and America has not been told  far from it! I am suggesting that conservatives now gather up the threads of that story and rename it to show that conservatism is an affirmation and progressivism is a denial. We might title this study "The Anti-Conservative Mind" and rework the summary of Kirk's dissertation at the University of St. Andrews  "a study in politics, literature, and philosophy to trace historically the course of Anti-Conservative thought in Britain and America from the beginning of the French Revolution to the present day."

Although many texts could be used in this corollary to Kirk's project, few articulate the Anti-Conservative mind more clearly than progressive historian James Harvey Robinson. In his book The New History, Robinson examined "The Spirit of Conservatism in the Light of History"  the title of the volume's final essay. In thirty pages, conservatism is tried, convicted, and banished for its crimes. It is possible to distill from this essay a few principles of Anti-Conservatism:

The Anti-Conservative Mind affirms conscious human progress, a comparatively recent phenomenon in the world, a movement that is accelerating, certain, and indefinite.

The Anti-Conservative Mind wants something it calls "our thought" in the present to be "revolutionized" in light of the accumulating knowledge of modern science.

The Anti-Conservative Mind lives in something it calls "our own day"  the standard by which to measure and judge all preceding generations. The past, even the recent past, is relative barbarism compared to the wonders of the anticipated future.

The Anti-Conservative Mind deliberately "undermines reverence for the past" and works to weaken the past's authority over the mind and habits of man.

The Anti-Conservative Mind deploys the study of history as a weapon. Once the province of the conservative, history can and should be turned on the conservative to defeat him as the enemy of progress.

The Anti-Conservative Mind rejects a fixed human nature. The study of the past shows man to be entirely a product of historical circumstances and therefore entirely a product of nurture, not nature. As such, the Anti-Conservative Mind believes that man can be altered at will. Education must be used to radicalize boys and girls and prevent the conservative temperament from being transmitted to posterity.

The Anti-Conservative Mind maintains a mystical faith in human betterment. In Robinson's words: "Even those of us who have little taste for mysticism have to recognize a mysterious unconscious impulse which appears to be a concomitant of natural order. It would seem as if this impulse has always been unsettling the existing conditions and pushing forward, groping after something more elaborate and intricate than what already exists."

The Anti-Conservative Mind believes that only those who agree with the radicals are entitled to an opinion. Radicals think and operate on a "higher plane" than conservatives.

The Anti-Conservative Mind knows that the conservative's sins are legion. Chief among them is his poverty of imagination and intelligence. He is complacent and lethargic. He is dead weight on the chariot of progress. Indeed, the conservative commits the unforgivable sin. Robinson spotted the guilty party: "[a]t last, perhaps, the long-disputed sin against the Holy Ghost has been found; it may be the refusal to cooperate with the vital principle of betterment. History would seem, in short, to condemn the principle of conservatism as a hopeless and wicked anachronism."

In 1912, Robinson sounded profound, and his sweeping vision counted as penetrating insight into the pattern of history. Only two years later, Europe plunged into the bloodiest war to date in human history. Promises of progress seemed confused at best. Slaughter had become scientifically, technologically efficient, and the will to use that efficiency proved vigorous and widespread. The great tragedy was that the Great War turned out to be merely the First World War of the brutal twentieth century.

An expanded study of what has held together the Anti-Conservative Mind over the centuries might show more clearly than ever before what holds together the Conservative Mind. And what gives coherence to the conservative mind may not be at all what unifies the brand of "movement" conservatism on tap at Beltway think-tanks and media outlets or that helps the Republican Party rally the troops. Indeed, this project might well redraw the boundaries between liberal and conservative in American life. Unexpected similarities and differences might appear.

The conservatism that the Anti-Conservatives have always feared and opposed goes much deeper in human nature, history and American culture. It has not been routed.

Richard M. Gamble is professor of history at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan and consults on the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy's "American Project: On the Future of Conservatism."
A funny pattern from Russia emerging

Russia has been engulfed in a sludge of news stories about supposed collusion with the Donald Trump presidential election campaign, none of which are holding water. In fact, the unpleasant sense is emerging that the Federal Bureau of Investigation might have cooked the fiction up as a pretext to Get Trump. It's unfortunate, because President Trump's desire for good relations with Russia was one of the better reasons for voting for him and it's obvious domestic politics is blocking that. But beyond that, another Russia is emerging, one redolent with the winds of war, which Russia watchers should pay attention to.

A short summary of a few recent long pieces paints a less optimistic picture, possibly due to Russia's domestic politics, Russia's own military buildup and desire to regain its former superpower status, and/or the U.S.'s and NATO's recent heavyhanded actions. I recommend four pieces worth reading: First, Julia Ioffe's cover story in the latest issue of The Atlantic, titled: What Putin Wants. Yes, Ioffe has a leftwing bias and has been caught saying stupid things on Twitter in the past, but this was real reporting, interviews with important people inside Russia. The magazine apparently sent her there to ask questions instead of opine and the picture she puts together of Putin from it is fascinating. She depicts Putin not as a chess player but a high stakes gambler and one who as elections approach, needs a fait accompli - and might try something. I've read every major Putin book out there and this is fresh information. Second, a must-read is Zac Dorfman's long piece in Foreign Policy called The Secret History of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco. We've all known for years that the Green Street Gang near San Francisco's tony Union Street was up to no good, but this piece tells much more. The author interviews a long string of former intelligence officers who worked the San Francisco Russian consulate beat and probably was put together by contacting local members of the Association of Former Intelligence Offiicers. It really describes what the Russians have been up to and why their consulate was rather surprisingly shut down last summer. The author has some leftwing bias but it's clear from his interviews that the Russian game has been stepped up well beyond what went on during the Cold War, and the Russians have been targeting fiber optic cables that control communications for the entire West Coast and possibly undersea cables which control U.S. naval activity in the Paciific. It's things you've never heard of in the press. Third, Michael Birnbaum's long piece in the Washington Post, which is currently linked on Drudge Report, titled: Russian submarines are prowling around vital undersea cables. Its making NATO nervous. Again, the writer describes a new wave of Russian activity, this time in the north Atlantic, with submarine activity stepped up exponentially and the target undersea cables, similar to the Foreign Policy piece. He says NATO is getting very nervous from this new activity which seems to be coming again after communication lines. The two pieces mesh interestingly because it shows a Russian obsession with Western communications. Russia's recent experiment in media, RT News (which sometimes is pretty good regardless of its propaganda reputation) is also communications, and intelligence officials have often said its aim is to sow confusion. One wonders if that era is over now given that the bigger projects seem to be focusd on fiber optics and undersea communications cables. Fourth, the BBC's piece titled: Goodbye Russia: A generation packs its bags. We have known about the youth exodus from Russia for years, and the BBC hauls out a couple of old chestnuts on the dissident front, billionaire Mikhail Khodorkhovsky (who has plenty of skeletons in his closet) and the arrogant punk chicks from Pussy Riot (who desecrated a mass and then whined about the result). But it features other young people who aren't appalling, who have had negative experiences targeting the government and how some have had to leave the country. It paints a picture of an increasingly oppressive and unbearable Russia, which may also correspond to winds of war. Forewarned is forearmed.
This blog is looking for wisdom, to have and to share. It is also looking for other rare character traits like good humor, courage, and honor. It is not an easy road, because all of us fall short. But God is love, forgiveness and grace. Those who believe in Him and repent of their sins have the promise of His Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Way.
After 19 years at the Fox News Channel, veteran political reporter James Rosen is leaving at the end of this year. The announcement came as a surprise when it was first reported by TVNewser on Friday at 2:09 P.M. E.T. Rosen currently serves as FNC's chief Washington correspondent and appears frequently on various programs across the channel, most often on Fox News's signature nightly news show, Special Report with Bret Baier. Rosen is considered one of Fox News's best and most experienced journalists, and he is widely respected among his colleagues in the Washington, D.C. press corps. He is also a well regarded historian, with books on Nixon's A.G. John Mitchell and V.P. Dick Cheney.

No further details about why Rosen is moving on or what his future plans are were immediately forthcoming. A Fox News spokesperson emailed this writer FNC's only comment: "James Rosen is exiting the company at the end of the year."

As of early Saturday morning, Rosen had not referred to his imminent career change at his Twitter account. Visitors to Rosen's Twitter feed are reminded by the header photograph that Rosen is Fox News's resident expert on the Beatles, notwithstanding the fact that, at age 49 now, he is too young to have experienced the 1964 "British Invasion."



James Rosen's Twitter page displays his dedication to the Beatles.

In May 2013, Rosen made news when, as first reported by the Washington Post, it became known that the Obama administration's Department of Justice had obtained a secret warrant from the FISA federal court allowing the government to spy on him. The warrant permitted the government to access, copy, and read Rosen's private emails; record his phone conversations; monitor his movements; and covertly surveil his parents in New York as part of an investigation of an alleged leaker of classified information in the State Department. Targeting a journalist in this way was unprecedented and was immediately criticized by most of the mainstream media. As the Post reported on May 20, 2013 in a follow-up article, one day after it initially broke the news:

Journalists, First Amendment watchdogs and government transparency advocates reacted with outrage Monday to the revelation that the Justice Department had investigated the newsgathering activities of a Fox News reporter as a potential crime in a probe of classified leaks. Critics said the government's suggestion that James Rosen, Fox News's chief Washington correspondent, was a "co-conspirator" for soliciting classified information threatened to criminalize press freedoms protected by the First Amendment. Others also suggested that the Justice Department's claim in pursuing an alleged leak from the State Department was little more than pretext to seize his e-mails to build their case against the suspected leaker. "It is downright chilling," Fox News executive Michael Clemente said in a statement. "We will unequivocally defend [Rosen's] right to operate as a member of what up until now has always been a free press." Steven Aftergood, director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists, said, "Asking for information has never been deemed a crime."

Also on May 20, 2013, the Huffington Post ran a detailed story on the investigation of Rosen, which included a photocopy of the Department of Justice filing in United States District Court that successfully sought permission to search Rosen's emails. On May 23, 2013, the Washington Post followed up with another story about how James Rosen's parents' home telephone in New York was also wiretapped as part of the Obama administration's investigation of Rosen.

In response to these goings-on, journalist Glenn Greenwald tweeted on May 20, 2013:

To address a widely believed myth: except in very rare circumstances, it is *not* a crime for journalists to report classified information.

Coincidentally, May 20, 2013  the day Greenwald tweeted in defense of Rosen  was the same day NSA contract employee Edward Snowden flew from Hawaii to Hong Kong with a trove of classified documents he had purloined, beginning his odyssey that ended with his asylum in Russia in the summer of 2013. Greenwald, at the time a contributor to The Guardian (U.K.), was instrumental in bringing Snowden's story, and his classified documents, to international attention.



James Rosen on Fox News's Special Report, 2016.

The DOJ identified Rosen as a "co-conspirator" in the case against the leaker of classified material who was the subject of the government's probe. The leaker later pleaded guilty to one felony count and was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison. Rosen and his employer Fox News were never indicted or prosecuted for their alleged roles in the case.

Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran reporter and analyst of news on national politics, media, and popular culture. A selection of Peter's recent video Skype interviews on The Hagmann Report is available at his new YouTube playlist "Between the Lines" here. For announcements and links to a wide selection of Peter's published work, follow him on Twitter @pchowka.
In parts of Europe (notably non-Islamic parts of the Netherlands and Belgium), there is a longstanding tradition of people dressing up as Santa Claus and Santa having an assistant named "Black Pete." Black Pete, usually a person in blackface wearing outlandish dress, is a jovial, gay personality who amuses audiences with his vaudeville antics.

Unfortunately, liberals have discovered Black Pete and decided he is racist. But many Europeans don't feel that way.

The characters of Zwarte Pieten appear only in the weeks before Saint Nicholas's feast, first when the saint is welcomed with a parade as he arrives in the country (generally by boat, having traveled from Madrid, Spain). The tasks of the Zwarte Pieten are mostly to amuse children, and to scatter kruidnoten, pepernoten, and Strooigoed (special Sinterklaas sweets) for those who come to meet the saint as he visits schools, stores, and other places. ... [A]ccording to a 2013 survey, upwards of 90% of the Dutch public don't perceive Zwarte Piet to be a racist character or associate him with slavery and are opposed to altering the character's appearance. This correlates to a 2015 study among Dutch children aged 37 which showed that they perceive Zwarte Piet to be a fantastical clownish figure rather than a black person.

Vox, the far-left news site, was so incensed that they produced a propaganda video about the subject. The video was hysterical because it shows the prime minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, being asked about it at a nuclear security summit, and he says, "Black Pete is black, and I cannot change that, because his name is Black Pete, and it is not Green Pete, or Brown Pete. It is Black Pete. I cannot change that." It's doubly hysterical that at a national security summit, journalists felt that this was more important to ask about than nuclear security.

The video goes on to show that Dutch people, bowing to politically correct pressure, have made some changes to Black Pete's appearance. Now, instead of making Black Pete's face black, they simply smudge some black stripes on his face in order to simulate chimney soot.

Blackface when it is used to degrade black people is certainly offensive. But the P.C. police want it banned globally even when it features people just clowning around without having race on their minds, and a quaint local custom suffers for it. Probably, in the long run, it won't matter. Once the Netherlands becomes an Islamic state, Black Pete's run will probably come to an unceremonious end.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.
When the Politico interview of former CIA deputy director Michael J. Morell appeared, media reaction suggested that Morell regretted writing a New York Times op-ed endorsing Hillary Clinton for president.

Morell wrote, "I will do everything I can to ensure" the election of Hillary Clinton "as our 45th president." He asserted that she was "highly qualified to be commander in chief[.] ... Donald J. Trump is not only unqualified for the job, but he may well pose a threat to our national security." Morell played the Putin card, claiming that Trump's positions on policy are "consistent with Russian, not American interests  endorsing Russian espionage against the United States, supporting Russia's annexation of Crimea, and giving a green light to a possible Russian invasion of the Baltic States." This former top CIA official offered no details on these bizarre claims. Instead, he continued: "In the intelligence business, we would say that Mr. Putin had recruited Mr. Trump as an unwitting agent of the Russian Federation."

In the Politico interview he claimed that he "had never been political before[,]" having "worked at this nonpolitical agency." Morell said he "became political" with his endorsement of Clinton. "[I] don't think it was a mistake." Morell then indicated that he did not consider how a President Trump would react to Morell's endorsement of Clinton and to criticism from the heads of President Obama's intelligence agencies, including CIA director John Brennan. Morell suggested that President Trump "must have thought ... 'Who are these guys? Are these guys out to get me? Is this a political organization, Can I think about them as a political organization when I become president?'"

Morell continued: "So, I think there was a significant downside to those of us who became political in that moment. So, if I could have thought of that, would I have ended up in a different place? I don't know. But it's something I didn't think about."

Morell's response is something Congress should indeed think about. Look at that last comment: "those of us who became political" during the 2016 presidential election. Seems like a pretty clear admission that Morell was not alone in meddling in domestic politics  that other senior officials in the intelligence community "became political" as well. At the same time, none seems to have considered that Hillary Clinton could lose to Trump. How would the intelligence people defend their political transformation to the Trump administration? By continuing the campaign of Russiagate innuendo by means of a stonewalling bureaucracy, backed by a media hostile to the Trump presidency.

Simply stated, is it more likely than not that the views expressed by Morell were shared by director of National Intelligence James Clapper, CIA director Brennan, and FBI head James Comey?
The passage of tax reform and the booming economy, sweeping transformations in Middle East policy, and regulatory reform unleashing vast potential bottled up the last eight years and more are all signs that President Trump is not the ogre feared by a large faction of the conservative intellectual establishment. The famous (or infamous, depending on your perspective) special issue of National Review, "Against Trump," stands as a unique instance of the conservative movement's intellectual elite turning against the champion of the GOP's base. With almost a year in office for Trump, some of those who partook of the NeverTrump fashion have started to change their minds, while others are doubling down, becoming bitter enders.

National Review's editor, Rich Lowry, the man most responsible for "Against Trump," has managed to give the POTUS credit where he sees it due, particularly in material written for other publications, such as "The Trump Presidency Isn't Nearly As Bad As It Sounds" in Politico and "Give Trump credit where it is due" in his nationally syndicated newspaper column. Other NeverTrumps also have re-evaluated the virtues of an outsider. Consider Matthew Continetti, editor of the Washington Free Beacon, the publication that originally commissioned Fusion GPS to produce anti-Trump opposition research, the effort that was taken over and expanded into the infamous "dossier" that may go down in history as the trigger for a cabal of FBI and DOJ officials to seek the ouster of an elected president. Continetti recently wrote a column entitled "Promise Keeper" that was remarkable in reversing course:

It is a sign of the disingenuousness of American foreign policy that it required someone from outside this system to behave as if words have meaning. President Trump has no background in or admiration for the routines, manners, and norms of the U.S. foreign service, especially that part of it which specializes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This has enabled him to state unequivocally the fact others would prefer to avoid: Jerusalem is Israel's capital, full stop. His transactional nature also brought him to this fateful recognition. In March 2016, at the AIPAC policy conference, he pledged that "We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem." His remarks today make clear his intention to fulfill that promise and to cement his support within the pro-Israel community. I wonder about the journalists and flacks and politicians criticizing this literal reading of U.S. law as "disruptive." Have they not paid attention to this man? Donald Trump's purpose in office is to disrupt if not overturn the patterns of governance and ideological consensus that have dominated the U.S. capital for decades. In this sense his Jerusalem policy is his presidency in microcosm. He is acting on a common sense appraisal of the world and satisfying the wishes of his supporters without regard to global or domestic elite opinion. What Trump knows more than the art of the deal is the art of the bluff  and how to call one. By keeping his campaign promise today, he has called the bluff of everyone who thought the United States could have its cake and eat it too on the question of Israel's capital. And by moving our embassy to Jerusalem, the United States will acknowledge Israel's right to determine its own capital city. That is not something to condemn or fear. It is something to be proud of.

Others have been unwilling to change the positions they have staked out, and some have been actively destroying their credibility. At the top of that list is Bill Kristol, former editor of the Weekly Standard, scion of conservative giants Irving Kristol and Gertrude Himmelfarb, and chief of staff for Vice President Cheney (corrected: Quayle)when he was in office. On Twitter, he disclosed "inner" tendencies that apparently lay dormant under other Republican administrations but were "triggered" by Trump:

The GOP tax bill's bringing out my inner socialist. The sex scandals are bringing out my inner feminist. Donald Trump and Roy Moore are bringing out my inner liberal.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?  Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) November 21, 2017

Yesterday, in the wake of mass bonuses and the announcement of corporate investment plans following the tax bill's passage, he could not restrain himself from denying the obvious results, calling it "kind of slightly brain dead" and boldly predicting: "I can't believe it will make much difference to the economy one way or the other, honestly."

Kristol's personal bitterness and unwillingness to change his position to the point of identifying with the movements he has opposed for decades are remarkable. But even more unrepentant is Evan McMullin, who ran a farcical campaign for the presidency aimed at depriving Trump of the electoral votes in Utah. Yesterday, on MSNBC, he savored the prospect of the Democrats taking over the House of Representatives and the "defeat of Trumpism."

Roger L. Simon, a founder of PJ Media, called on remaining NeverTrumps to apologize now:

[I]t is time for the remaining NeverTrumpers to apologize for a reason far more important than self-castigation or merely to make things "right." Donald Trump  whose initial victory was a shock, even, ironically, to those of us who predicted it  has compounded that shock by being astoundingly successful in his first year, especially at the conclusion. (He's a quick study, evidently.) More conservative goals have been achieved or put in motion in eleven months than in any time in recent, or even distant, memory. It's an astonishing reversal for our country accompanied by the beginnings of an economic boom.

The reason for the necessity of apologies now is not personal vindication, but rather the stakes ahead:

The next year seems poised to be an ideological duel as close to the death as we have seen in a long time. If the right does not win, the gains of 2017 will be stymied by the election of 2018 and completely washed away in 2020. It's an all-hands-on-deck situation and we need the NeverTrumpers' help. We need  to borrow a hoary leftist term  a united front.

Those stakes are far greater than any individual's ego. It is tragic (in the sense of being brought low by fatal flaws) that people like Kristol, McMullin, and David Frum cannot get over themselves.
Nikki Haley certainly impressed us with her latest move as the U.S.'s United Nations ambassador, securing heightened sanctions against the menacing North Korean communist regime. As with everything she does over there, she's successful. And that raises questions not as to whether she will become the next secretary of state, as the Washington Swamp is obsessing about, but whether she will become the next president after President Trump.

Here is Haley's latest, from CNN:

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a new set of draconian US-drafted sanctions on North Korea that will further strangle its energy supplies and tighten restrictions on smuggling and the use of North Korean workers overseas. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, claimed that the new sanctions, levied in response to Pyongyang's November 29 ballistic missile test, went even further than sanctions passed in September that, at the time, were called the toughest yet. "Today, we cut deeper," Haley said. She said the UN had repeatedly offered Pyongyang a choice and repeatedly, in its continued missile tests, the regime had "chosen the path of isolation."

The move follows two other times when she secured U.N. sanctions on North Korea this year. Seems that whenever the hammerlock goes down onto the aggressive North Korean dictatorship elites, Haley is the one who makes it happen. Wikipedia cites several such instances here.

When was the last time you heard of the U.N. being this successful on a critical matter such as North Korea?

It's happened on Haley's watch to such an extent that it's gotten noticeable. President Trump, who says she's doing "a fantastic job," certainly has noticed. NeverTrump skeptic Ralph Peters has noticed, too, apparently admiringly. It's not just been North Korea, after all, where she has gotten the U.N. to get its act together  she is also credited with deterring a new chemical attack on Syria. Incredibly, she's even gotten the respect of the establishment left.

From the left-wing Quartz:

Eight months into the job, however, and the skepticism has largely turned into praise for someone who, albeit starting from an exceptionally low bar, has proven herself a canny political operator while most of Trumps cabinet flails. A case in point: when Haley marshals Trump through the UN General Assembly next week, shell do so having just helped deliver two broadly-lauded Security Council resolutions to sanction North Korea. Indeed, watching Haleys press conference at the White House on Sept. 15, previewing the General Assembly alongside national security advisor H.R. McMaster, it was hard not to feel she was making her unofficial debut as secretary of State. Haley was fluent and confident as reporters lobbed questions at her on North Korea, humanitarian crises, and other topics. And most strikingly her boss, Tillerson, was nowhere in sight. In fact, as she wins plaudits among onlookers ranging from Melinda Gates (who told Quartz that Haley is doing a particularly good job ... in difficult political times) to Eurasia Group director Ian Bremmer (shes an exceptionally talented politician who has done a pretty good job so far), the figure least publicly impressed with Haley seems to be her ultimate boss, the president.

Even on supposed non-successes, she seems to succeed. The drubbing the U.S. got in the U.N. this week, with Haley involved, made the U.S. come out smelling like roses.

Haley's success at the U.N. seems to stem from two strengths: she knows how to frame an issue, as she did here:

"America will put our embassy in Jerusalem," she said. "That is what the American people want us to do and it is the right thing to do. No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that. But this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN, and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN, and this vote will be remembered."

And she knows how to use muscle. In some analyses, the reason Russia and China went along with the U.S. without a veto on sanctions is that they knew that the U.S. would use force, without their input, if the measure did not pass. That's muscle. I've actually criticized her for using too much muscle in the past, but in retrospect, it seems to have worked.

Compare and contrast with the last U.N. ambassador, the sanctimonious Samantha Power, who couldn't even keep track of her password in the unmaskings scandal and whose "duty to protect" legacy brought us the Benghazi massacre and the revival of the African slave trade.

Then think to Haley's couldn't-be-more-unlike-it record that followed.

With a record like that, matched with her excellent record as governor of South Carolina, we have domestic chops followed by fantastic international chops. And in a nice little disarming ding at leftist identity politics, she's a woman, and a minority woman at that.

Could anyone really be better positioned to succeed President Trump?
Enemies of President Trump have portrayed the U.N. General Assembly vote condemning the U.S.'s embassy move (and declaring "null and void"  as if the U.N. had such power) as a global slap in the face of the United States. Russia, with whom Democrats swear President Trump must be colluding, was particularly vociferous via its state-controlled RT:

The humiliating condemnation of the US this week at the UN General Assembly over its Jerusalem policy revealed both Washington's contempt for democracy and international law, and just how isolated America has become globally. The overwhelming rejection of President Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital by 128 member nations at the UN is a signal event of how far US international standing has slumped. Leader of the free world? More like a miscreant whose overbearing megalomaniacal ego is no longer tolerable to virtually everyone else.

I don't for a moment believe that Democrats who have been critical of the move (including many, like Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who voted for the law mandating this move) are "colluding" with Russia in attacking the president of the United States.

The fact is that the U.N. General Assembly is meaningless and can be ignored. And for that reason, the nations voting there have felt free to gain goodwill from the 57 member-nations of the OIC  the club of officially Muslim countries  and thumb their noses at the U.S.

Until now.

When U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley told the General Assembly that the U.S. would not forget, she meant it, and so did her boss, President Trump. And the world is starting to catch on that a new sheriff is in town, and things will be different.

Consider this article from The Times of India, where the government went along with the condemnation, probably in deference to the large Muslim population of that nation.

BJP [the ruling party, based on Hinduism] MP Subramanian Swamy has again gone against the party line, this time saying India made "a huge mistake" voting in the UN against the US on the Jerusalem issue.

A large number of Indians on Twitter also seems to agree with Swamy, an unscientific perusal shows. Swamy, a long-time supporter of Israel, said India voted against its national interest, because "Palestine has never supported India on Kashmir question", while Israel "has stood with India always".

Keeping in mind Ambassador Haley's threat:

India's vote, some seemed to think, will cost New Delhi support in its bid for permanent membership to the UN Security Council, a move broadly supported by the US and Israel, among others.

My guess is that it will, at least for a period of time. Team Trump does not take slaps in the face well. Actions must have consequences.

And the underlying reality is that India and Israel are natural allies who both realize their vast community of interests.

In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to have struck up a noteworthy friendship on the former's visit to Israel in July. Modi's trip was replete with his now-famous hugs, sightseeing on beaches, references to yoga and a tonne of sentiments on the lines of "this is a marriage made in heaven".

And P.M. Netanyahu is said to be planning a visit to India to renew the friendship.

A correspondent for Israeli publication Haaretz mentioned that Netanyahu is, in fact, scheduled to visit India next month.

Israel's Netanyahu is far more likely to forgive and forget than President Trump. In order to change the reflexive anti-Israel and anti-U.S. behavior at the U.N., there have to be consequences. And I am rather confident that the next budget for the care and feeding of the United Nations bureaucracy will reflect some serious consequences as the U.S. reduces its disproportionate contributions.

The message will be received loud and clear.

Stay tuned to watch the body language of India at the U.N. start to change. And India is only one of 128 countries that voted against the U.S. There will be consequences for all of them. That is President Turmp's style and Ambassador Haley's commitment.
The U.N. General Assembly's theatrics are meaningless in terms of real power, as in the vote declaring "null and void" the planned move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Where it matters, in the Security Council, Ambassador Haley just pulled off a triumph.

Don't take it from me, because I am a supporter of the president and his policies. Take it from former NeverTrump Streif of #NeverTrump Red State, who just wrote an astonishing paean to the man s/he used to despise.

[A] lesson [is] to be learned for the giddy left who were proclaiming the US to be isolated at the United Nations in the wake of the shameful vote of the UN General Assembly yesterday to condemn the United States for exercising its sovereign right to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Even as the vote was taking place, Nikki Haley's staff was circulating a no-notice resolution to tighten sanctions on North Korea and asking for a vote today[.] ... For an "isolated" nation to pursue this strategy would be delusional. But for a strong nation, confident in its goals and dismissive of the nonsense that passes for diplomacy at the UN, it signals that the vote of the mob is of no import. Which was it?

And in fact (via The New York Times):

The United Nations Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday that significantly choke off new fuel supplies and order North Koreans working overseas to return home within two years, in what may prove the last test of whether any amount of economic pressure can force it to reverse course on its nuclear program. The sanctions, adopted by a vote of 15 to 0, were the third imposed this year in an escalating effort to force the North into negotiations.

These new sanctions go after one of the last remaining sources of North Korea's hard currency, beyond outright criminality like counterfeiting and the drug trade. Streif correctly concludes:

If the US was [sic] truly isolated and ineffectual, Russia or China would have vetoed the resolution. Or one of the Security Council members would have voted no. That didn't happen.

I am not tired of winning  not yet, anyway. But there are three more years left on President Trump's term.
US ambassador to Holland says his own words are fake news

Little things are more satisfying than showing a politician as a fool. Theres pulling a shoelace from under your socked foot, sure. But watching a politico get caught out is a joy. And so it was when Dutch-born US ambassador to the Netherlands, Pete Hoekstra, described his own news as fake news.

Asked by Dutch reporter Wouter Zwart about is own choice of phrase, Hoekstra was defiant. You mentioned in a debate that there are no-go zones in the Netherlands, and that cars and politicians are being set on fire in the Netherlands, said Zwart. I didnt say that, replied Hoekstra. This is actually an incorrect statement. We would call it fake news.

Hoekstra is then shown recordings of him stating: The Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands, there are cars being burnt, there are politicians that are being burnt  and yes there are no-go zones in the Netherlands.

Hoekstra then told Zwart hed never used the phrase fake news. I didnt call that fake news. I didnt use the words today. I dont think I did, he offered.

Mr Hoekstra served as chair of the House intelligence committee for two years

Just perfect.

Dutch journalist to new US Ambassador: you said there were no go zones in Netherlands, where are they?

Ambassador: Thats fake news, I didnt say that

Journalist: We can show you that clip now.

Ambassador: Err  pic.twitter.com/8ohIOzmYAc  Sunny Hundal (@sunny_hundal) December 22, 2017

Paul Sorene

Posted: 23rd, December 2017 | In: News, Politicians Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
Looking at the world through the eyes of the Web


Green Christmas, Orange Christmas, White Christmas or perhaps the Racconto di Natale ( Story of Christmas) . Choose your color, smell around you but most importantly, indulge your eyes with the magnificent Christmas decors of It's an extremely charming retreat after a walk along Via Veneto. Choose your color, smell around you but most importantly, indulge your eyes with the magnificent Christmas decors of Grand Hotel Via Veneto . The hotel's lobby is dressed up splendidly with such festive atmosphere. Water runs continuously on the glass ceiling while the hanging Christmas trees and shiny gold balls twinkle in the air.

With the holiday festivities, Grand Hotel doesn't forget to celebrate it with style and a pinch of magic. When it's cold outside or a long walk along the shops of Via Veneto comes to a conclusion, a Festive Afternoon Tea (or cocktails if you want that little buzz in your drink) is the best way to continue celebrating the holidays.









To go with the occasion, Executive Chef Franco Madama of Magnolia Restaurant, the hotel's Michelin starred restaurant, creates cakes, scones, pies, pastries and tea sandwiches that go well with the Christmas teas and cocktails. The big central table of the lobby is adorned with his beautiful creations every afternoon, from 16:00 to 18:00, until the end of the holiday season on the 7th of January.



The Festive Afternoon Teas that you can choose from are: Green Christmas, green tea bancha ( Japanese green tea that is harvested from the second flush of sencha tea between summer and autumn) with a low caffeine content, apple and cardamom which are truly excellent with the Christmas cakes and sweets. There is also the Orange Christmas which is a mixture of Rooibos of South Africa (free of caffeine) with karkade, bits of apple and sunflower petals or the aromatic White Christmas or Racconto di Natale, an Indian black tea with apple, cinnamon, cloves, and coriander. A selection of the sandwiches, scones, pastries, pies and cakes per person with a tea blend of choice (25)

The Festive Special Cocktails (18 each) might equally be challenging to choose from for their very interesting blend of aromas and flavors. For a whisper of prosecco and scent of panettone, Il Rossini delle Feste is a drink with fresh strawberries mixed with peaches, red calendula and rose flavored Pai Mu Tan white tea. Warm, smooth and sweetly scented, Un Americano a Natale is a mixture of bitter and Italian vermouth with infusion of Chinese black tea, almonds, raisins, heather, and yellow rosebuds. And for a tropical emotion in a glass, the New Year's Emotion is a spectacular choice with its blend of cream, mango puree, creme patissiere, rum, and caramel then garnished with black olive and honey snow.



Via Veneto, 155

00187 Rome, Italy

Tel: +39 06487881

Email: time@ghvv.it

Festive Afternoon Tea at the hotel lobby, 16:00 to 18:00 daily until 7 January 2018


When a pianist plays the piano, when a violinist plays the violin, when a conductor conducts an orchestra, the performer channels music through a network of personal traits. This should be self-evident.

It has always seemed to me, for instance, that Artur Rubinstein was an exceptionally wholesome artist. Listen to Rubinsteins recordings of Chopin waltzes and you will discover (however subliminally) a broad emotional vocabulary at play  and a conscious application of specific emotional states to specific waltzes. The entire exercise is one of cultivated civility and worldly maturity. We are sampling the performers persona.

I have two favorite studio recordings of Schuberts Great C major Symphony: Wilhelm Furtwangler with the Berlin Philharmonic and Josef Krips with the London Symphony. Back in the days when such things mattered, these were known readings. (As a young New York Times music critic, I once wrote an assessment of the Furtwangler performance. A reader wrote to state his preference for Krips, and explained why.)

Furtwanglers Schubert C major is epic and demonic. Kripss is warm and songful. In affect, these readings have little in common. They both deeply engage with the scope and pathos of a score that  as so often in Schubert  is uncannily polyvalent.

It is easy to trace the lineage of these readings. Furtwanglers feasts on Germanic Innerlichkeit, and also precepts of interpretation preached by Richard Wagner. A constant flux of tempo calibrates flow, structure, and climax. Kripss interpretation extols Viennese gemutlichkeit; Furtwanglerian interventions, in such a context, could only get in the way.

James Levines high reputation as a musical interpreter has always seemed to me a frustrating mystery. Whether of Verdi or Wagner, his performances evinced no lineage. And his persona, so far as I could tell, remained a blank.

When he first arrived at the Met, he whipped the orchestra and chorus into shape and refreshed the repertoire. No doubt he was a facile musician. Even as a young man, he had evidently acquired a lot of repertoire and practical experience. His readings were typically intense, massive, and loud, sometimes to the point of brashness. In subsequent decades, he mellowed. But I never heard from Levine much evidence of emotional variety or depth. According to my experience, he had little capacity to organize a long stretch of music, or to powerfully shape a climax or pregnant phrase. He did not produce a sonic signature  as Furtwangler and Krips did; as Gergiev and Muti do. He did not possess an ear for color or texture.

If you listen to the Met broadcasts of Ettore Panizza and Artur Bodanzky  broadcasts I have written about in this space  youll hear conducting (and orchestra playing) of a higher caliber. And Panizza and Bodanzky stood on the shoulders of giants: Seidl, Mahler, Toscanini. The early Met was a conductors house.

Let me share a couple of vignettes.

In the 1980s I was artistic advisor to the Schubertiade at the 92nd Street Y. The central participant was the baritone Hermann Prey, invariably partnered by Leonard Hokanson. Hokanson had studied with Artur Schnabel. His Lieder accompaniments were highly shaped, highly inflected interpretations; I would call them Schubertian a la Schnabel. He and Prey worked seamlessly together. Then it happened that Prey was offered a Carnegie Hall recital, singing Schubert. He replaced Hokanson with James Levine. Levine and Prey also worked seamlessly together. But Levines accompaniments, next to Hokansons, were stiff and generic. The performances were forgettable.

A little before that, when I was a critic for the Times, I hung out at the home of a psychoanalyst who would rent an extra bedroom. His tenant, for a period of time, was a young man from within James Levines inner circle. I was recklessly frank in sharing my poor opinion of Levines performances. On one occasion, I suggested that Levine (then in his thirties) lacked sufficient life experience to conduct opera at the highest level. Opera is theater, after all. You dont entrust Hamlet to someone who doesnt know life. His quick response told me that this question had been asked and answered before  the answer being that breadth of life experience wasnt a valid consideration in the world of classical music performance.

I shared these views the other day with a member of the Met orchestra. He contrasted James Levine with conductors who command a complete concept of an opera. He mentioned Carlos Kleiber and Daniele Gatti. My Times Literary Supplement review of Gattis Parsifal appeared in this space; it made the Levine Parsifal sound square and cumbersome. I did not hear Kleibers Rosenkavalier at the Met. My friend remembers Kleiber instructing the orchestra that the music accompanying the Marschalin must shimmer like chiffon, creating a veil through which this characters fading beauty could be apprehended.

On youtube you can watch Kleiber rehearse the overture to Die Fledermaus  a supremely worldly operetta. After three notes of the first, teasing theme in the violins, he stops the orchestra to ask for a rendering a little more dishonest.

There is a ripeness in that exhortation that my ears never detected in the performances of James Levine.
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. MOVIMIENTO DEMOCRACIA, INC., LIBAN CONCEPCION LIO, ALEXEIS LEYVA, MICHAEL PEREZ PEREZ, YORDANKI PEREZ VAREA, ALEXANDER VERGARA PEREZ, JEGNIER ALMAGUER CESPEDES, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, SECRETARY OF STATE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL, DIRECTOR, UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES, Defendants-Appellees. No. 16-16732 Decided: December 21, 2017

Before HULL and DUBINA, Circuit Judges, and RESTANI,* Judge.

Twenty-four Cuban migrants sought sanctuary on the American Shoal Lighthouse (the Lighthouse), located seven miles south of Florida's Sugarloaf Key. They were discovered by the U.S. Coast Guard, detained aboard a cutter vessel, and classified as removable for not having reached U.S. dry land. Movimiento Democracia, Inc. (Movimiento), U.S. citizen and lawful permanent resident family members of the Cuban migrants (Family Plaintiffs), and the detained Cuban migrants themselves (Migrant Plaintiffs) challenged this determination before the district court, seeking a preliminary injunction based on alleged violations of the Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA) and the Cuban migrants' Fifth Amendment due process rights. Following a hearing, the district court denied plaintiffs' motion and later granted summary judgment in favor of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Plaintiffs appeal this decision.

First, Movimiento contends that the district court improperly concluded it lacks standing to pursue this action and, alternatively, could not claim next friend status. As the district court both found that Migrant Plaintiffs had standing and granted next friend status to Family Plaintiffs, we need not resolve Movimiento's claims on appeal. See, e.g., Watt v. Energy Action Educ. Found., 454 U.S. 151, 160 (1981). If analyzed, Movimiento's failure to adequately allege an injury in fact to itself or one of its members precludes finding organizational or associational standing, essentially for the reasons stated by the district court. See Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Envtl. Servs. (TOC), Inc., 528 U.S. 167, 181 (2000) (associational standing); Nat'l All. for Mentally Ill, St. Johns Inc. v. Bd. of Cty. Comm'rs of St. Johns Cty., 376 F.3d 1292, 1294 (11th Cir. 2004) (organizational and associational standing). Regarding next friend status, there has been no suggestion that Family Plaintiffs were unable to advance Migrant Plaintiffs' interests, thus the Migrant Plaintiffs have had adequate access to the court through Family Plaintiffs without extending next friend status to Movimiento. Cf. Whitmore v. Arkansas, 495 U.S. 145, 16166 (1990) (requiring prospective next friends to show that the real party in interest is unable to litigate his own cause due to, [inter alia]  lack of access to court).

Substantively, the Migrant and Family Plaintiffs first challenge the district court's review of the U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard)'s interpretation and application of the Wet-Foot/Dry-Foot policy. Plaintiffs challenge the district court's grant of Gonzalez deference, Gonzalez v. Reno, 212 F.3d 1338 (11th Cir. 2000), and argue the Migrant Plaintiffs' presence on the Lighthouse constituted presence in the United States under 8 U.S.C.  1225(a)(1). Second, these plaintiffs argue that the Coast Guard's refusal to process them as refugees violated the Migrant Plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment procedural due process rights.

We have jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C.  1291. Whether the district court applied the correct standard in analyzing the agency determination is a legal question reviewed de novo. Stansell v. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, 771 F.3d 713, 730 (11th Cir. 2014). The district court's grant of summary judgment in an Administrative Procedure Act (APA) case is reviewed de novo. Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Fla. v. United States, 566 F.3d 1257, 1264 (11th Cir. 2009). Finally, constitutional challenges to agency orders are reviewed de novo. Toro v. Sec'y, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Sec., 707 F.3d 1224, 1230 (11th Cir. 2013). After a thorough review of the record and having the benefit of oral argument, we affirm the district court's grant of summary judgment.

Under the CAA, Cuban nationals, who have no documents authorizing their presence in the United States, can remain in the United States without demonstrating that they suffered persecution or proving refugee status. The benefits of the CAA, however, can only apply to those Cubans who reach the United States (those with dry feet), while Cubans who are interdicted at sea (those with wet feet) are repatriated to Cuba. This rule is commonly referred to as the Wet-Foot/Dry-Foot policy. U.S. v. Dominguez, 661 F.3d 1051, 1067 (11th Cir. 2011) (citing the Cuban Adjustment Act, Pub. L. No. 89732,  1, 80 Stat. 1161 (1966) (codified as amended at 8 U.S.C.  1255 (2006))). The Wet-Foot/Dry-Foot policy does not alter the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)'s definition of the United States, but does treat Cubans reaching the United States differently from migrants of other nationalities in view of the CAA. Relevant to this appeal, the INA defines United States to include the Continental United States. 8 U.S.C.  1101(38). Unlike its predecessor, the Immigration Act of 1917, the INA makes no reference to U.S. waters. Compare Immigration Act of 1917, Pub. L. No. 301,  1, 39 Stat. 874 (1917).

In determining that the Migrant Plaintiffs should be detained, the Coast Guard applied its Enforcement Manual to interpret the INA's definition of United States, finding that Migrant Plaintiffs had not reached the United States, i.e., had wet feet, because the offshore Lighthouse on which they were present was an aid to navigation. The Coast Guard Manual states:

Migrants interdicted in U.S. internal waters, U.S. territorial sea or onboard a vessel moored to a U.S. pier are not considered to have entered the U.S. Migrants located on pilings, low-tide elevations or aids to navigation 3 are not considered to have come ashore in the U.S. Migrants who reach bridges, piers, or other structures currently and permanently connected to dry land have not, as a matter of law, reached dry land; however, they are generally treated as if they had reached dry land in order to have a workable, operational standard from a policy perspective.

Maritime Law Enforcement Manual, Art. 8.D.1 (footnote added).

At the time of the INA's passage, authority to interpret the INA was vested with U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS), a component of the Department of Justice. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 later dissolved INS and transferred INS' authority to DHS. The Coast Guard is a component of DHS; however, under DHS regulations, it has not been granted any authority to administer and enforce the INA. See 8 C.F.R.  100.1 (granting such authority to the following DHS components: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection). The Coast Guard's authority to interpret the INA is instead grounded in an executive order, which provides that the DHS Secretary shall issue appropriate instruction to the Coast Guard in order to enforce the suspension of the entry of undocumented aliens by sea and the interdiction of any defined vessel carrying such aliens. See Exec. Order No. 12,807, 57 Fed. Reg. 21,133 (1992). The Maritime Law Enforcement Manual was issued in accordance with that executive order.

Despite plaintiffs' arguments, we conclude that the Coast Guard's decision in this instance is entitled to some deference. The district court applied Gonzalez deference, reasoning that the Coast Guard had engaged in an informal adjudication with foreign policy implications. Here, plaintiffs argue that only Christensen deference should apply, that is, we should defer to the Coast Guard's interpretation only to the extent that those interpretations have the power to persuade.  Christensen v. Harris Co., 529 U.S. 576, 587 (2000). We need not, however, determine whether the APA applies to the Coast Guard's immigration determination, whether an informal adjudication took place within the meaning of 5 U.S.C.  555, or the exact level of deference owed. Even applying the lenient Christensen standard sought by plaintiffs, we find the Coast Guard's determination in this instance  that this particular Lighthouse does not constitute part of the continental United States within the meaning of 8 U.S.C.  1101(38)  is persuasive.

Plaintiffs contend that the once-inhabited, eight-room Lighthouse, which rests on Florida land deeded to the U.S. government and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, constitutes part of the continental United States. We conclude that the Lighthouse is instead properly considered part of the country's waters, thus falling outside the United States for purposes of the INA. It is undisputed that the Lighthouse rests on submerged land. The only part of the Lighthouse which is, or ever has been, above water is a man-made iron structure which had been decommissioned and deemed abandoned, unstable, and unsafe the year before Migrant Plaintiffs' landing. The Lighthouse lies seven miles from the nearest Florida Key, and has been unmanned since 1963, except for a few months in 1980, when it served as a lookout tower during the Mariel boatlift. Over the period between 1963 and its decommissioning in 2015, the Lighthouse simply housed an automated, rotating light.

Finally, plaintiffs' constitutional claim is predicated on their argument that the Migrant Plaintiffs should be considered to have been present in the United States for constitutional purposes. Any procedural due process right to apply for asylum which might flow from the INA would be predicated upon such presence, which is required by the asylum statute. See Jean v. Nelson, 727 F.2d 957, 98183 (11th Cir. 1984) (finding no substantive due process right to asylum); 8 U.S.C.  1158. As we have determined that the Migrant Plaintiffs were not present in the United States, their constitutional claims necessarily fail.

Having disposed of all issues raised on appeal, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

AFFIRMED.

FOOTNOTES

. During the pendency of this appeal, all detained Migrant Plaintiffs have been repatriated to Cuba (7), or a third country (17).

. The wet-foot/dry-foot policy was ended, in its entirety, by the White House on January 12, 2017. Office of the Press Secretary, Statement by the President on Cuban Immigration Policy, THE WHITE HOUSE (January 12, 2017), available at https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/12/statement-president-cubanimmigration-policy.

. Lighthouses are prominent beacons of varying size, color, and appearance employed to mark headlands, landfalls, harbor entrances, channel edges, hazards, and other features. 33 C.F.R.  62.37. An aid to navigation is any device external to a vessel or aircraft intended to assist a navigator to determine position or safe course, or to warn of dangers or obstructions to navigation. 33 C.F.R.  62.3(a). Thus, although all lighthouses are aids to navigation, aids to navigation encompass things other than lighthouses.

. We owe no deference to DHS' mere litigating position. See Romano-Murphy v. C.I.R., 816 F.3d 707, 715 (11th Cir. 2016). Thus, our only basis for deference on appeal must concern the Maritime Law Enforcement Manual and the Coast Guard's application thereof.

PER CURIAM:
19 bodies were handed over to family after post-mortem and autopsy of 14 bodies is yet to be conducted while one body was unidentified.

The driver of the bus lost control over the vehicle and it plunged into the river after breaking the railing of the bridge, the police said. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Jaipur: At least 33 people, including four children, were killed and seven others injured today when a bus plunged into Banas river after veering off a 100-foot bridge in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district, police said.

The incident took place early morning in Soorwal police station area when the bus carrying about 45 passengers was on its way to Lalsot from Sawai Madhopur, they said.

The driver of the bus lost control over the vehicle and it plunged into the river after breaking the railing of the bridge, the police said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and said his thoughts were with the families of the deceased.

"State government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

Anguished by the bus accident in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. State Government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM @narendramodi  PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 23, 2017

Soorwal police station SHO Anoop Singh said of the 33 people killed, seven are women and four children.

The injured were rushed to hospitals.

The bus driver was also killed in the incident, a police officer had said earlier.

He said that 19 bodies were handed over to the kin of victims after post-mortem and autopsy of 14 bodies was yet to be conducted.

One body is still unidentified, he added.

On reports that the bus driver was a minor, the SHO said it was yet to be ascertained.

Passengers were from Rajasthan and other states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Assam.

Several of them were going to offer prayers at a temple in Malarna Chour in the district, the SP said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje expressed her condolences to the families of the victims.

"I am saddened by the bus accident that took place in Dubi Banas. Took stock of the situation from the officials present on the spot and directed them to provide all possible assistance to the affected people," she said in a tweet.

In a statement issues later, she said in-charge minister of the district Rajpal Singh Shekhawat was rushed to the spot to oversee the relief measures.

"I pray for peace for the departed souls and courage for the aggrieved family members to overcome the shock," the chief minister said.

Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Rajasthan Congress Chief Sachin Pilot, Sawai Madhopur MLA Diya Kumari and NPP leader Kirori Meena also expressed grief over the incident.
In early Nov, a 19-year-old civil services aspirant was allegedly abducted by the 4 accused and gangraped near Habibganj station in Bhopal.

Meanwhile, the mother of the victim expressed satisfaction over the court's verdict. (Photo: File | Representational)

Bhopal: A fast-track court on Saturday awarded life imprisonment to all the four accused in Bhopal gangrape case.

"Based on the evidence provided by us, the court awarded all the four accused lifetime imprisonment," P N Rajput, the lawyer of the victim said.

Meanwhile, the mother of the victim expressed satisfaction over the court's verdict.

Earlier in the month of November, a 19-year-old civil services aspirant was allegedly abducted by the four accused and gangraped near the Habibganj Railway Station in Bhopal.

Following their arrest, two doctors of Madhya Pradesh's Sultania Women Hospital were suspended on November 11 after they produced an erroneous medical report stating that the victim indulged in consensual sex with the accused.

The four were charged under sections 376 D (gangrape), 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery), 366 (kidnapping woman), 347 (wrongful confinement), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Jabalpur High Court then ordered the state government to file a report in the case citing actions taken in this regard.

The court also raised questions over the role of police and doctors.
Rahul is expected to visit Gujarat's Somnath temple on Saturday ahead of a review meeting with newly-elected MLAs and party workers.

A controversy erupted after Rahul Gandhi and Ahmed Patel visited Somnath Temple on Nov 29, where their names were allegedly mentioned as non-Hindus in temples visitor book. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday mocked at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said if the party had a film franchise it would be called 'Lie Hard'.

If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard #BJPLieHard #BJPLies #HowManyBJPLies  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 23, 2017

"If BJP had a film franchise it would be called Lie Hard #BJPLieHard #BJPLies #HowManyBJPLies," Gandhi Tweeted.

Meanwhile, Rahul is expected to visit Gujarat's Somnath temple on Saturday ahead of a review meeting with newly-elected MLAs and party workers following Gujarat assembly election results.

After his Somnath Temple visit on November 29, a controversy erupted after Rahul's name along with senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel was allegedly mentioned as non-Hindus in the visitor book of the temple.
NC MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi says that those who fight for issues are martyrs, including militants killed in Kashmir, like Burhan Wani.

Wani, who was responsible for several attacks against security personnel in Kashmir, was killed in an encounter with Indian security forces in 2016 on July 8. (photo: File)

Anantnag: National Conference (NC) MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi on Saturday made a controversial remark by saying that all those, including the militants and Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, killed in Kashmir were 'martyrs'.

"Those who fight for issues are 'Martyrs'. All those, including militants, who are being killed in Kashmir are 'martyrs', including Burhan Wani," Larmi told ANI.

Wani, who was responsible for several attacks against security personnel in Kashmir, was killed in an encounter with Indian security forces in 2016 on July 8.

Following his death, widespread protest spread in the Kashmir Valley and a curfew was imposed for 53 consecutive days.

Earlier, Larmi was criticised for his condemnable comment on the killing of Army officer Ummer Fayaz Parry.

Parry was commissioned into 2 Rajputana Rifles in December 2016.

Panic gripped the region after his bullet-riddled body was found in south Kashmir's Shopian district.
Adityanath during his visit to K'taka had accused Congress of attempting to convert the state, into 'a land of Tipu Sultan worshippers'.

BJP MP Katiyar says Siddaramaiah is one who idolises Tipu Sultan, who caused a lot of harm to Hindu community and is natural that such person will not support Hindus. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Responding to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's remark on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) having 'leased out' Hinduism, the latter claimed that one who idolises Tipu Sultan cannot support Hindus.

"Siddaramaiah is one who idolises Tipu Sultan, who caused a lot of harm to the Hindu community. It is natural that such a person will not support or think for the welfare of Hindus or Hinduism," BJP MP Vinay Katiyar told ANI.

Earlier in the week, Adityanath during his visit to Karnataka had accused the Congress of attempting to convert the state, which is "the land of Lord Hanuman", into "a land of Tipu Sultan worshippers".

To this, Siddaramaiah took to twitter on Friday to question whether the BJP had "taken Hinduism on lease".

"Are only the BJP leaders Hindus? Are we not Hindus? Has the BJP taken Hinduism on lease? My name is Siddaramaiah. Siddhu and Rama is in my name," he said.

In a series of tweets in Kannada, the Chief Minister also called for equal respect to be given to all religions, adding that this was a sign of 'true Hindutva'.
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. PHILIP MOSIER, Petitioner-Appellant, v. SECRETARY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, Respondent-Appellee. No. 16-12034 Decided: December 21, 2017

Before ED CARNES, Chief Judge, TJOFLAT, and NEWSOM, Circuit Judges.

Philip Mosier appeals the district court's dismissal of his 28 U.S.C.  2254 petition as second or successive and its denial of his Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e) motion to alter or amend the judgment.

Mosier pleaded no contest in Florida state court to robbery with a deadly weapon, sexual battery using a deadly weapon, and resisting arrest without violence. In 2004 he was sentenced to 30 years, with 476 days credited for time served. His direct appeal and state post-conviction motions were unsuccessful. In 2011 he filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C.  2254, which the district court denied.

Mosier returned to state court several years later and filed a motion under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.801 seeking one additional day of jail time credit. See Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.801(a) (A court may correct a final sentence that fails to allow a defendant credit for all of the time he or she spent in the county jail before sentencing ). The state court granted that motion and ordered that he was entitled to one extra day of credit. Mosier then filed a motion to enter new judgment and sentence to reflect the additional day of jail time credit. The state court denied that motion on the ground that an amended judgment was unnecessary because its order granting the Rule 3.801 motion had the same legal effect as an amended judgment and sentence.

After the state court granted his Rule 3.801 motion, Mosier filed this  2254 petition attacking his Florida convictions. The district court denied his petition on the ground that it was second or successive and was filed without authorization from this Court. See 28 U.S.C.  2244(b)(3)(A) (Before a second or successive application permitted by this section is filed in the district court, the applicant shall move in the appropriate court of appeals for an order authorizing the district court to consider the application.). Mosier then filed a motion to alter or amend the judgment, which the court denied. This is his appeal.

We review de novo whether a petition for a writ of habeas corpus is second or successive. Patterson v. Sec'y, Fla. Dep't of Corr., 849 F.3d 1321, 1324 (11th Cir. 2017) (en banc). To determine whether a petition is second or successive, we look to the judgment challenged. Id. (emphasis and quotation marks omitted). The Supreme Court has held that where there is a new judgment intervening between  two habeas petitions, an application challenging the resulting new judgment is not second or successive. Magwood v. Patterson, 561 U.S. 320, 341, 130 S. Ct. 2788, 2802 (2010). That new judgment must be a judgment authorizing the prisoner's confinement to permit a second round of federal habeas review. Patterson, 849 F.3d at 1325 (quotation marks omitted). Mosier contends that his successful Rule 3.801 motion to correct his jail time credit had the effect of substantively changing his sentence and was the functional equivalent of a new judgment, which means that he can pursue this second petition.

That contention fails. Mosier was never resentenced, and his Rule 3.801 motion did not result in a new judgment; indeed, the state court denied his motion for a new judgment. Cf. Magwood, 561 U.S. at 32327, 130 S. Ct. at 279294 (holding that petition was not second or successive where the petitioner was sentenced to death, successfully petitioned for habeas corpus relief, received a new sentence and judgment after resentencing, and then filed the second habeas petition); Insignares v. Sec'y, Fla. Dep't of Corr., 755 F.3d 1273, 1281 (11th Cir. 2014) (concluding that petition was not second or successive where it was the first petition challenging a new sentence and new judgment after resentencing). The award of an additional day of jail credit left Mosier's original 30-year sentence and judgment of confinement unchanged. See Patterson, 849 F.3d at 132527 (holding that an order granting petitioner's motion to eliminate chemical castration requirement from his sentence did not trigger new round of federal review, because the state court never issued a new prison sentence  to replace his original sentence or issue[d] a new judgment authorizing [his] confinement). Mosier's argument that he is entitled to another round of federal habeas review because the state court's order had the effect of amending the original judgment is unpersuasive, as we have rejected the argument that any order that alters a sentence necessarily constitutes a new judgment. Id. at 1326.

Because the state court did not issue a new judgment authorizing [Mosier's] confinement when it granted [Mosier's] motion for additional jail time, his 2004 judgment remains the only order that commands the Secretary to imprison [him], which means that the district court correctly determined that this  2254 petition is second or successive. Id. at 1327; see also Wentzell v. Neven, 674 F.3d 1124, 1128 (9th Cir. 2012) (stating that petition is second or successive where it does not challenge a new, intervening judgment entered by the state trial court); In re Lampton, 667 F.3d 585, 58990 (5th Cir. 2012) (concluding that petition was second or successive where the district court did not enter an amended judgment of conviction or impose a new sentence). And the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Mosier's motion to alter or amend the judgment, which merely rehashed the arguments he made as to why his petition was not second or successive. See Arthur v. King, 500 F.3d 1335, 1343 (11th Cir. 2007) (A Rule 59(e) motion cannot be used to relitigate old matters, raise argument or present evidence that could have been raised prior to the entry of judgment.) (alterations and quotation marks omitted).

AFFIRMED.

PER CURIAM:
Union home minister also lauded the force for its counter insurgency operations and anti-Naxal operations.

'People living near border areas should be considered as strategic assets of India. The force takes care of them by organising several events which is appreciated,' Union home minister Rajnath Singh said. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi : Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has strengthened itself by creating more Border Outposts (BOP) after the Doklam standoff with China .

Addressing the border guarding force during its 54th anniversary parade in New Delhi, the minister said the SSB not only guards India's border with Nepal and Bhutan, it also takes care that friendly relations with these neighbouring countries do not sour.

"The past year has been tremendous for the force. The SSB has increased its strength after the Doklam standoff with China , by creating more border outposts near Sikkim and Bhutan border," Singh said.

He also lauded the force for its counter insurgency operations and anti-Naxal operations.

"People living near border areas should be considered as strategic assets of India . The force takes care of them by organising several events which is appreciated," he said.

When asked about confidence building measures with neighbouring countries, Singh said, "Confidence building measures are a continuing and ongoing process. It is always on and should be always on."
Ex-CM of Bihar's tweets called the verdict a result of biased propaganda against him and said he is confident that truth will prevail.

The RJD leader, tweeting after his conviction in the fodder scam verdict, said that Mandela and his likes wouldn't have been treated in the same manner if they had 'failed in their efforts.' (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: After a special CBI court convicted former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav in a fodder scam case on Saturday, Lalu took to Twitter and evoked names of leaders Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther and Babasaheb Ambedkar.

The RJD leader, tweeting after his conviction in the fodder scam verdict, said that Mandela and his likes wouldn't have been treated in the same manner if they had "failed in their efforts".

On Saturday, a CBI court found Lalu guilty in one of the four fodder scam cases.

In a series of tweets, the former chief minister of Bihar called the verdict a result of biased propaganda against him and said he is confident that the truth will prevail.

The leader made a comparison between the "ruling class and the "ruled class" and said that the former has always detested any voice of dissent from the latter.

Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and caste-ist minds. No one should expect any different treatment.  Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) December 23, 2017

"Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes. And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished", he tweeted.

He also accused BJP of distorting the public perception against the opposition with an aim to garner votes.
The driver of the bus lost control over the vehicle and it fell into the river after breaking the railing of the bridge, the police said.

Most of the people died due to drowning including the bus driver and the police informed the death toll may rise. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Jaipur: At least 32 people were killed on Saturday when a private bus fell into Banas river from a nearly 100-foot high bridge in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district, police said.

The incident took place early morning in Soorwal police station area when the bus was on its way to Lalsot from Sawai Madhopur, they said.

The driver of the bus lost control over the vehicle and it fell into the river after breaking the railing of the bridge, the police said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and said his thoughts were with the families of the deceased.

"State government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

Anguished by the bus accident in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. State Government is closely monitoring the situation, including rescue operations and providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM @narendramodi  PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 23, 2017

Sawai Madhopur Superintendent of Police Mamman Singh said that 32 people have died in the incident.

He had earlier said that five injured were rushed to hospitals and 10 bodies were handed over to their family members after post-mortem.

Most of the people died due to drowning including the bus driver, he said.

Passengers were from other states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Assam.

Several of them were going to offer prayers at a temple in Malarna Chour in the district, the SP said.
The patient, Maqbool Ahmad Qureshi, who is suffering from fourth stage of cancer had made an appeal to Swaraj through Twitter.

Meanwhile, in another tweet, a woman appealed to the External Affairs Minister to issue visa to her husband who is put up in Islamabad. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Sushma Swaraj has asked the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to issue medical visa to a Pakistan national for his treatment in India.

I have asked Indian High Commission in Islamabad to issue medical visa to Maqbool Ahmad Qureshi - a Pakistan national for his treatment in India. @IndiainPakistan, Swaraj, wrote in a Twitter post.

The patient, Maqbool Ahmad Qureshi, who is suffering from fourth stage of cancer had made an appeal to Swaraj through Twitter.

Meanwhile, in another tweet, a woman appealed to the External Affairs Minister to issue visa to her husband who is put up in Islamabad.

"I have told Indian High Commission in Islamabad to issue Visa to the groom, his brothers/sisters and the parents. @IndiainPakistan," Swaraj tweeted.

I have asked Indian High Commission in Islamabad to issue medical visa to Maqbool Ahmad Qureshi - a Pakistan national for his treatment in India. @IndiainPakistan https://t.co/OhNQo6hRnU  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 22, 2017

On December 21, the minister took to Twitter to announce that medical visas have been granted to two children from Pakistan and also prayed for their speedy recovery.

"There is a request for medical visa for two children from Pakistan - Anamta Farrukh (6 yrs) and Sahir (7 yrs). We have given them Visa for their treatment in India and pray for their early recovery. @IndiainPakistan," she tweeted.
The teacher will be placed under suspension if found guilty in the investigation, Mr Joshi told reporters here.

Bhopal: A government-run primary school teacher in Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh has landed in trouble for getting massage from his student.

State school education minister Deepak Joshi on Friday ordered the local district education officer (DEO) to probe the alleged incident and submit a report to him after a video showing the teacher getting massage on his back has gone viral. We have asked our district education officer to submit a report on the incident. The teacher will be placed under suspension if found guilty in the investigation, Mr Joshi told reporters here.

Harishankar Tiwari, a teacher of Banjartolla primary school under Kalkua panchayat in the district, was seen in the video clip getting massage on his spinal column from a Class 5 student during lunch hours.

Later the teacher said that he suddenly got backache and, hence, asked the student to walk on his back for relief. However, students of the school complained before a visiting team of officials from the education department that the teacher used to engage students to massage him in the school frequently, sources in DEO told this newspaper.

We have recorded statements by students in connection with the incident. We will submit the report to the state government in a couple of days, a member of the probe team said.
A special CBI court convicted former Bihar CM and RJD chief Lalu Prasad for fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3, 2018 for the 16 guilty including Lalu Prasad. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Ranchi: A special CBI court on Saturday convicted former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a fodder scam case while acquitting six including another ex-chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

CBI judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

Lalu Prasad and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict.

After the verdict Lalu Yadav tweeted, "Truth can be made to appear as a lie, as ambiguous or a half lie by concerted onslaught of bias driven propaganda. But blurred layer of bias and hatred will still be removed, come what may! In end Truth will win."

"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. ....But still prevails...In the end though," the RJD chief tweeted.

Lalu Prasad was taken to Ranchi's Birsa Munda jail after his conviction in a fodder scam case, sources in CBI told PTI.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3, 2018 for the 16 guilty including Lalu Prasad.

Overall, more than Rs 900 crore was reportedly siphoned off from the Chaibasa treasury for two decades.

A charge sheet was filed against 38 persons on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.
Rahul Gandhi concluded his address congratulating the BJP for winning polls and said Cong is set to play opposition in the next 5 years.

Hinting at Congress workers who did not contribute in the election campaign and worked against the party Rahul said that action will be taken against them. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: After being elected as the Congress president, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met the party workers in Gujarat and congratulated them for giving a tough fight to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

Rahul said he is confident that his party will form the next government in Gujarat which is the home-state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He assured his party workers that the Congress party will win 135 out of 182 seats in the Gujarat Assembly elections in 2022.

Boosting the confidence of his party workers in Gujarat, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the party can win elections in Gujarat.

If the Congress in Gujarat believes that it can win the elections, we will win. 70% of you believed this. We saw the results. You now know that Congress can win elections in Gujarat: Congress President Rahul Gandhi #ThankYouGujarat  Congress (@INCIndia) December 23, 2017

Hinting at Congress workers who did not contribute in the election campaign and worked against the party Rahul said that action will be taken against them.

90 per cent people fought together and made efforts with the Congress in the election but five to 10 per cent did not help the party and that action will be taken against them.

Asking his party members to remain steadfast, Rahul said the Gujarat polls, despite the results, were a victory for the Congress because it used truth and love as a weapon to fight the polls.

"Agar Congress ek saath khadi ho jaati hai, to wo haarti nahin hai. Chunaav mein humari haar hui, par hum jeete kyunki wo gusse se lade aur unke paas sab saadhan the. aur humare paas sach; hum pyaar se lade" (If Congress stands together, it won't lose. In the elections (Gujarat polls), we lost. But it was our victory because they fought with anger and they had all the means. And we (only) had truth; we fought with love.), Rahul said.

The Congress chief added that his party lost the Gujarat elections because of the malicious campaign by BJP to defame the Congress party for the last 20 years.

Let me tell you about the reasons for our defeat. In the last 20 years, the BJP and Mr Modi have run a campaign of defamation against Congress party workers and leaders, Rahul said.

The Congress president, however, said that the perception about the partys ability to win seats in Gujarat has changed following the results.I want to congratulate all workers for a well-fought election. 3-4 months ago, people were questioning if the Congress could even contest elections in Gujarat.

In the end, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulated the BJP for winning the election and said his party is all set to play the role of opposition for the coming five years.

"They will work for Gujarat for next five years, and we will play the role of opposition," he concluded.
In another significant statement, the minister stressed on the important role of the people living near the international borders.

New Delhi: In a rare advisory before Christmas, the government has asked states to ensure maintenance of law and order in the backdrop of certain fringe elements recently threatening some Christian community members against celebrating the festival.

On December 17, a fringe group had issued a circular to the management of all city schools in Aligarh saying if they celebrated Christmas, it would be at their own risk.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 54th-anniversary parade of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) on Saturday, Union home minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the issuance of the advisory.

Any festival, whether it is Christmas, Ramzaan, Holi or Diwali, should be celebrated without any problems. Strict action would be taken if anyone tries to create ruckus during the festivals, Mr Singh said.

I believe that all people irrespective of any religion should celebrate each others festivals in its true spirit with full enthusiasm, he added.

Lauding the role of the SSB for its counter-insurgency operations and anti-Naxal operations, Mr Singh said that the border force that guards the frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan has strengthened itself by creating more Border Outposts (BOP) after the Dokalam standoff with China.

The past year has been tremendous for the force. The SSB has increased its strength after the Dokalam standoff with China, by creating more border outposts near Sikkim and Bhutan border, Mr Singh said.

In another significant statement, the minister stressed on the important role of the people living near the international borders.

People living near border areas should be considered as strategic assets of India.

For decades a silent exodus has been taking place from the upper reaches of the Himalayan states bordering China.

The drastic thinning of the population from the Indo-China border especially in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh has assumed a big security threat. The Indian states that share a border with China are Arunachal Pradesh , Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
From genital burns to swollen vagina, here are the weirdest sex injuries recorded.

Here are the most horrendous intimacy-related injuries ER had come across. (Photo: Pixabay)

Getting intimate with your partner is amazing. Not when it lands you in hospital. And when you are sitting there, embarassed, ER doctors and nurses are the ones who see it all.

Men's Health had recently asked medics what the most horrendous intimacy-related injuries they had come across

Here are their answers:

Genital burns from spicy food: 'One time I treated a woman whose partner had performed cunnilingus on her immediately after eating some spicy food,' explained Gabe Wilson, an emergency physician in Southeast Texas. He added, The hot sauce her partner consumed prior to the sex act left mild burns on her genital region.

'Rectal foreign bodies': 'While I was a general surgery resident, I encountered some 'unique' objects lodged in the rectum  in medical speak, "rectal foreign bodies," explained Joshua Zuckerman, a plastic surgeon in New York. He further said, In one case, we had to surgically remove a pink softball from someone's rectum, and in another case, a significantly-sized potato.

Angry, swollen vagina from popping candy: David Meyers, an emergency physician based in Newport Beach, California, featured on the show Sex Sent Me to the ER.

He explained how a woman rushed into the hospital he was working in and said she had extreme discomfort in her groin area. She was shifting side to side like she needed the toilet urgently. Dr Meyers explains that he carried out some tests but was left baffled. Then the patient and her husband explained what really happened.

The amorous couple had experimented in the bedroom with popping candy, also known as pop rocks. But when the husband performed oral sex on his wife, the sweets immediately exploded, causing a painful irritation, swelling, and burning sensation. 'So we irrigated the area, prescribed an antihistamine, and the woman made a full recovery,' said Dr Meyers.

Penis fractured running into a pole: Robert Hartman, a urology specialist in Lake Forest, Illinois, explained that a street sweeper attended ER in agony with a fractured penis. 'When I met him in the emergency room, he was with his wife, and said he ran into a utility pole,' he said. 'That's the story he told her.' But Dr Hartman said he knew he was lying  'because you can only fracture your penis a few different ways'.

And so the medic asked the man's wife to leave the room and the patient admitted he'd injured himself in the throws of passion with a prostitute. The doctor said his wife never found out the truth and the man eventually made a full recovery.

Oral sex with braces: Dr Hartman had another tale to tell. He revealed a college freshman came into the emergency room with severely swollen penis. 'It was a very, very swollen, angry-looking penis,' he said. 'He had a couple little abrasions on the skin of the penile shaft.' After lots of questioning, the patient confessed that he had received oral sex from another freshman who was wearing teeth braces.

'The braces had cut open his penis, and whatever food, germs and bacteria were trapped in the braces were feeding into his wounds.' Thankfully, the man recovered after a course of antibiotics.

Wedding ring stuck on penis: Dr Hartman treated a 60-something-year-old man who came in with a wedding stuck on his penis. The patient had apparently been suffering with erectile dysfunction and after doing some research online decided the object could help with his problem. 'None of the blood was able to go back into his body,' explained the doctor. 'It all got trapped, and his penis was swollen and borderline necrotic.' After the local fire brigade were unable to help, Dr Hartman got hold of a saw blade.

'As we were trying to remove the ring with the tool, it would glow bright orange, like molten,' he said. 'It looked just like the Lord of the Rings ring... but on a penis.' Dr Hartman reported that the man recovered well  and learned that he'd have better success with Viagra pills.
The Transgender Persons Bill, 2016, which is meant to uplift an oppressed community, seems to be an eyewash.

If you draw parallels, they all sound similar at some point, stories of winning rights that when you hear about years later, surprise, shock and anger you. Women would flinch when they hear every step in history, of winning one by one, the rights they enjoy today, but still don't realise there are many more to be won. History has to work its wonders to give it to them and show their children this is what their mothers went through. In November 2015, the transgender community in Kerala, had that first taste of winning something thats theirs, a transgender policy unveiled by the state government. Two years later, they are on the streets again, across the country, protesting against the Transgender Persons Bill, 2016, which was reintroduced in the Winter Session of Parliament that began on December 15. Kalki Subramaniam, a trans woman artist, says how the original bill introduced by Tiruchi Siva, a Rajya Sabha MP, in 2014, was much better. It had many clauses to prevent sexual discrimination, which was not there in the bill drafted by the Union government later and introduced in the Lok Sabha.





The Supreme Court had actually directed the state and the Union governments that transgender persons should have reservation in jobs and education. But the current bill from the Union government doesnt talk about that. It does not talk about our rights to marriage and adoption. And the identification of the transgender community is stated wrongly in the bill  as one who is partly female or male; or a combination of female and male; or neither female nor male. According to this bill, a transgender person has to be identified by a committee, Kalki says.





The protests ran across the country. In Delhi, members of the transgender community gathered at Sansad Marg, and demanded the bill be reformulated after consultation with them. In Kerala, there was a protest on December 10, at the IFFK premises, and another later outside the Raj Bhavan. Vihaan Peethambar, a trans activist who spoke during the first occasion, says, Despite being a transsexual man, with all medical documents in place, I had to strip on three different occasions to prove my gender identity in order to get my gazette notification for gender change. This is exactly what is proposed in the Trans Bill 2016, to standardise this very process, which violated my dignity and privacy as an Indian citizen. If this could happen to me when the NALSA judgement was in place, you can imagine the kind of harassment trans people, especially gender non-conforming and transgender people will face at the hands of authorities.

The National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India (NALSA) judgement of 2014 by the Supreme Court affirmed fundamental rights to transgender people and gave them the right to self-identification of their gender. It is this right that is now going away. Sreekutty, president of the Sexual and Gender Minority Federation, says the new bill is not in the interest of the community. It needs a transgender person to obtain a certificate of identity from the district magistrate as recommended by a screening committee. The committee will include a medical officer, a psychologist or psychiatrist, a district welfare officer, a government official, and a transgender person.

Because Kerala has a policy of its own, it may not affect us so much but transgender persons in other states will be affected. It would require you to not have a cultural identity, and live in your houses. But unlike new generation families, few are accepting of the transgender community. We also face the maximum discrimination from the police but there is no protection of rights against such attacks, she says. If the bill is passed, it is equivalent to the death of the community, Sreekutty says. But the fight will continue. Discussions are on. They cant give up, it would mean going back to a time when they shut themselves up, when other oppressed people were fighting race or gender discrimination in different parts of the world. It is ongoing, it has to be, till one day a generation will learn to look at humans as humans, one never beneath another.
United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. LAURA INES BUESTAN-TENECORA, Petitioner, v. JEFFERSON B. SESSIONS III, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL, Respondent. 16-891 Decided: December 21, 2017

PRESENT: JOSE A. CABRANES, DEBRA ANN LIVINGSTON, CHRISTOPHER F. DRONEY, Circuit Judges. FOR PETITIONER: Manuel D. Gomez, Manuel D. Gomez & Associates, P.C., New York, NY. FOR RESPONDENT: Benjamin C. Mizer, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General; Kiley Kane, Senior Litigation Counsel; Sergio Sarkany, Trial Attorney, Office of Immigration Litigation, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

UPON DUE CONSIDERATION of this petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) decision, it is hereby ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the petition for review is DENIED.

Petitioner Laura Ines Buestan-Tenecora, a native and citizen of Ecuador, seeks review of a February 24, 2016, decision of the BIA affirming a September 11, 2014, decision of an Immigration Judge (IJ) denying Buestan-Tenecora's application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). In re Laura Ines Buestan-Tenecora, No. A205 480 111 (B.I.A. Feb. 24, 2016), aff'g No. A205 480 111 (Immig. Ct. N.Y. City Sept. 11, 2014). We assume the parties' familiarity with the underlying facts and procedural history in this case.

Under the circumstances of this case, we have reviewed the IJ's decision as supplemented by the BIA. See Yan Chen v. Gonzales, 417 F.3d 268, 271 (2d Cir. 2005). The applicable standards of review are well established. See 8 U.S.C.  1252(b)(4)(B); Yanqin Weng v. Holder, 562 F.3d 510, 513 (2d Cir. 2009).

An asylum applicant bears the burden of establishing that she suffered past persecution or has a well-founded fear of future persecution in the country of removal on account of a protected ground. 8 U.S.C.  1101(a)(42); Mei Fun Wong v. Holder, 633 F.3d 64, 68 (2d Cir. 2011). To establish a well-founded fear of persecution, an applicant must show that she subjectively fears persecution and that this fear is objectively reasonable. Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, 357 F.3d 169, 178 (2d Cir. 2004). In the absence of solid support in the record, a fear of persecution is not well founded and is speculative at best. Jian Xing Huang v. U.S. INS, 421 F.3d 125, 129 (2d Cir. 2005).

The governing REAL ID Act corroboration standard provides as follows:

The testimony of the applicant may be sufficient to sustain the applicant's burden without corroboration, but only if the applicant satisfies the trier of fact that the applicant's testimony is credible, is persuasive, and refers to specific facts sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant is a refugee.  Where the trier of fact determines that the applicant should provide evidence that corroborates otherwise credible testimony, such evidence must be provided unless the applicant does not have the evidence and cannot reasonably obtain the evidence.

8 U.S.C.  1158(b)(1)(B)(ii) (emphasis added).

The Government is correct that Buestan-Tenecora has waived review of the agency's corroboration finding by failing to challenge it in her brief. See Norton v. Sam's Club, 145 F.3d 114, 117 (2d Cir. 1998) (Issues not sufficiently argued in the briefs are considered waived and normally will not be addressed on appeal.). Moreover, this waiver extends both to past persecution and to Buestan-Tenecora's fear of future persecution because the agency found that she failed to corroborate either basis for relief. In addition to finding that Buestan-Tenecora failed to produce any letters or affidavits from her daughter (who witnessed the abuse) or her mother (who saw the resulting injuries), the agency found that she failed to present statements from the family members who reported that her abuser continues to seek her out. To the extent that Buestan-Tenecora asserts that the agency was required to accept as undisputed fact all events to which she testified because she was found credible, she is incorrect. The IJ did not err in requiring Buestan-Tenecora to provide corroboration because her testimony concerning her abuser's continued interest in her was not based on firsthand information and therefore did not refer[ ] to specific facts sufficient to demonstrate that the [she] is a refugee. 8 U.S.C.  1158(b)(1)(B)(ii); Jian Xing Huang, 421 F.3d at 129.

Moreover, even if Buestan-Tenecora had challenged the agency's corroboration finding, we would find no error in the agency's ruling. Buestan-Tenecora failed to submit statements from her daughter, mother, or family in Ecuador, and did not identify any reason why that evidence was unavailable. 8 U.S.C.  1252(b)(4) (No court shall reverse a determination made by a trier of fact with respect to the availability of corroborating evidence  [unless] a reasonable trier of fact is compelled to conclude that such corroborating evidence is unavailable.). Indeed, despite compiling new evidence for her motion to remand, Buestan-Tenecora neither included statements from her daughter, mother, or family in Ecuador, nor attempted to explain their absence.

We deny the petition because Buestan-Tenecora does not challenge the agency's dispositive corroboration findings. Accordingly, we do not reach the agency's alternative bases for denying relief. INS v. Bagamasbad, 429 U.S. 24, 25 (1976) (As a general rule courts and agencies are not required to make findings on issues the decision of which is unnecessary to the results they reach.).

For the foregoing reasons, the petition for review is DENIED. As we have completed our review, any stay of removal that the Court previously granted in this petition is VACATED, and any pending motion for a stay of removal in this petition is DISMISSED as moot. Any pending request for oral argument in this petition is DENIED in accordance with Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34(a)(2), and Second Circuit Local Rule 34.1(b).

FOR THE COURT:

Catherine O'Hagan Wolfe, Clerk
The commercial units were sealed for 'not depositing' conversion charges as per the city's Master Plan 2021.

Members of a SC-appointed monitoring committee instructed for sealing the first floor and above situated commercial units in buildings. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: As many as 51 commercial units in the posh Defence Colony Market in south Delhi were sealed on Saturday for "not depositing" conversion charges as per provisions in the city's Master Plan 2021, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation or SDMC said on Saturday.

In a statement, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation said, members of a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee, Bhure Lal and K J Rao, were present during the sealing action.

"Both the members today reached the Defence Colony at 11 AM and instructed for sealing the first floor and above situated commercial units in buildings, from 1 to 51, as none of them had deposited conversion charges," the SDMC said in the statement.

The action was taken pertaining to all floors except the ground-storey.

"It may be recalled that the Defence Colony area was earlier known as shopping-cum-residential complex wherein ground floor was meant for commercial activities and first floor for residential purposes.

"After coming into force of the Master Plan 2021, the market was termed as local shopping centre; (owners) of the first and second floors were allowed to open commercial units on one-time payment of conversion charges at the rate of Rs. 89,000 per sqm.

"It is understood that commercial units are being run in the South Extension, Green Park, Hauz Khas and Greater Kailash Markets," the civic body said.

Most of the commercial units at first and second floor had not deposited conversion charges though the civic body was pressing hard to do so, it alleged.

"A few units deposited just token conversion charges. The members of the (monitoring) committee today visited the Defence Colony market and called the Deputy Commissioner (Central Zone). The Committee instructed the Deputy Commissioner to immediately get the 51 units sealed," it added.

"The department faced resistance from the commercial units. The Committee requisitioned the police force and the action which was held up for two hours was completed with sealing of the 51 units," it added.
Maharashtra government to take a call on this in Cabinet meeting in January.

Nagpur: Chief minister Devendra Fadanvis on Friday told the Assembly that the state government is mulling over bestowing the status of freedom fighter to dissidents who were detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency. Those applicable would get benefits accorded to freedom fighters, including pension.

Currently, the Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh governments provide such benefits, according to government sources.

Responding to a question by former revenue minister Eknath Khadse, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Fadnavis said the government is collecting information from all of the states districts in this regard. We have already prepared a resolution in this regard, and we will put it up for approval in the ensuing Cabinet meeting, he added. This meeting is to be held in January 2018.

Raising the issue in the Lower House, Mr Khadse had pointed out that several states are giving pension to those who were detained under MISA. Several senior leaders, particularly from the Opposition camp, were detained under MISA. It was like a second freedom movement, and hence the government should consider them as freedom fighters and provide them all benefits, including pension, that a freedom fighter gets, he had insisted.

Khadse also reminded Fadnavis that he (the CM) had assured the people that he would give such benefits and he should clarify his stand in this regard.

The controversial MISA was passed by Parliament in 1971, empowering the administration of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and law enforcement agencies to indefinitely detain individuals, search and seize property without warrants and carry out wiretapping in the quelling of disorder and countering threats to national security.
The Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Vijay Girkar spoke of the difference between Dhankad and Dhangar.

Nagpur: On the last day of the Winter Session on Friday, the state Legislative Council was rocked by the opposition demand for Dhangar reservation. The government said that it was positive about the demand and is awaiting a report from Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS).

The government is positive about the reservation but TISS is doing an anthropological research and analysis of the demand. The investigation is in its last stage, said Mr Vishnu Savara, the tribal affairs minister. But the opposition was not satisfied with the reply and rushed to protest, which resulted in the house being adjourned once. The minister is not giving a firm answer on Dhangar reservation. Those who had promised to clear the reservation in the first cabinet have betrayed the community, slammed opposition leader, Mr Dhananjay Munde.

The Opposition has now proposed a debate on the issue and MLC Ramrao Vadkute began by demanding to know the current status of this reservation. We have been listening from day one of this government, that reservation for Dhangar community is under consideration but nothing has been done in last three years. Either the government is not serious, or it is confused on the subject. MLC Kapil Patil also demanded the details of the TISS.

In his reply Mr Savara said, TISS has planned its research in three stages and the first two are completed. In the first, TISS members went to all 36 districts of the state and met almost 20,000 people from the Sangat community to find about their financial and social status. The minister also said that TISS members have already began research on their cultural traditions, deities and festivals in every part of the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Vijay Girkar spoke of the difference between Dhankad and Dhangar. In 2003, it was wrongly put in that these both communities are different but it should be corrected, he demanded.
Luckily, there were no casualties in the accident, and the minister only sustained a minor injury on the forehead.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader and Union minister for heavy industries and public sector enterprises Anant Geetes vehicle met with a road accident on Friday afternoon near Pali in Konkan area, while he was travelling from Khopoli to Pali. Mr Geete luckily escaped unhurt in the accident while his personal security officer (PSO) sustained minor injuries.

According to the police sources, the accident occurred at 12.30 pm when a speeding motorcycle came in front of the ministers convoy, following which the driver of the car applied immediate breaks. This led to Mr Geetes car ramming into the first car, and the car following hit them from behind. As a result, the three cars rammed into each other, and some parts of the vehicles were damaged. Luckily, there were no casualties in the accident, and the minister only sustained a minor injury on the forehead.

Anil Paraskar, superintendent of Police Alibag-Raigad told this paper, Mr Geete is fine, and has resumed his journey. He had taken a halt at a rest house till the new vehicles were arranged, and has departed for his scheduled events.

Mr Geetes PSO, who was accompanying the minister sustained injuries and has been admitted to a private hospital for further treatment.
However, the announcement by Trump was aimed at disturbing this dialogue and hence was being condemned by all social and political groups globally.

Mumbai: Various citizen groups and socio-political parties in Mumbai have decided to conduct a massive protest against the statement made by US president Mr Donald Trump about Jerusalem being made the capital of Israel. The protest will be held to coincide with the visit of Israel prime minister Banjamin Natanhayu to India on January 14, 2018.

Earlier in the week, Firoze Mithiborewala, national general secretary of the India Palestine Solidarity Forum along with social activist Teesta Setalvad, Javed Anand, Prakash Reddy, communist party leader, Dolphy DSouza of the Catholic Forum among others condemned the announcement by Trump and hailed the vote against the decision by the United Nations Security Council.

While speaking about the need to deter Jerusalem being made into the capital of Israel, Mithiborewala said that a dialogue was already underway for the past many years between the Jews and the Palestinians to ensure that Jerusalem remained religiously significant to the Christians, Muslims and Jews and not be turned into the capital of Israel. However, the announcement by Trump was aimed at disturbing this dialogue and hence was being condemned by all social and political groups globally.

Also, DSouza encouraged the Indian prime minister Mr Narendra Modi to stand firmly against the announcement by Trump.
The future is going to be a world of AI and all these are just building blocks to the same.

Virtual assistants are here to stay. From being a mere feature on our phones, back in the days of Google Now, to truly being an assistant, they have come a long way and are constantly evolving. Voice assistants have a lot of potential and their development isnt going down anytime soon. They may not quite be up there yet, where you could just talk it all up with your phone, but they are improving and are worth giving a shot. And thats what we are doing today  we pit the five leading players against each other in a battle for supremacy.

Introduction

Siri (Apple), Alexa (Amazon), Cortana (Microsoft), Google Assistant (Google, who else?) and the new entrant Bixby (Samsung) have a lot in common. Each one of them can answer your general interest questions, set timers, deliver news, jokes and perform basic functions like calculations. The overall basic experience is pretty similar here. When any of these assistants dont know the answer, it simply searches the Internet.

Availability

The Google Assistant is available on all Android devices, the newly launched Google Home and even on iOS devices; although its functionality is rather limited on iOS devices. It can also interact with your TV using Chromecast. Cortana is available everywhere ranging from iOS, Android and Windows to even Xbox! Alexa is available on Kindle Fire tablets and Amazon smart speaker (Dot and Echo).

When it comes to Android, Alexa is exclusively available on the HTC U11 and the Moto X4. Siri is available on all iOS devices, starting from the iPhone 4S. It is also available on iMacs and MacBooks (with the latest macOS High Sierra) and also on the Apple Watch models. Bixby takes a hit here, only being available on the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ and the Note 8 as of now. However, Bixby has just been made available to third-party app developers, which should increase its population to other devices soon.

Voice Recognition

Google Assistant and Alexa fare the best at voice recognition. Siri and Bixby are close second as they get it right most of the times, except for some failed instances. Cortana is rather poor in voice recognition, often taking multiple attempts to register a command correctly.

Compatibility

Each voice assistant works best in its own ecosystem. Cross compatibility is an issue here. The power of the Google Assistant is rather limited on iOS  this is because iOS doesnt allow complete access to system information to non-Apple apps. Similarly, other voice assistants dont work well with Google apps. Alexa does support YouTube but only on their speakers, iOS doesnt work well with Gmail and Cortana doesnt support YouTube. Right now, using a voice assistant in its own ecosystem brings out its true potential and will be your best bet.

Functionality

Reminders and timers are supported on all, except Alexa which doesnt support reminders and timers natively on the Fire tablets. The calendar is available to all the assistants. Each one can provide you with directions as per your need. They even support Hue lights; however, on Bixby, you have to order a Samsung smart home hub worth $50 for the same. Google and Siri show stock prices while the others dont.

Google is the fastest to respond to commands. Bixby is comparatively slower and takes a considerable amount of time. Google Assistant is at the helm of tons of data, thanks to Googles unmatched database. Its very good at figuring out the exact thing it needs to do, even if the command isnt structured just right.

Google Assistants ability to strike a conversation is unparalleled. It is excellent to contextual questions, something no other assistant can do. For example, you can ask who is the President of India and follow up the question with whats his age  Googles got you covered. Google provides you with exact answers to your questions.

Alexa is very basic out of the box. But, certain programs which enhance the usability of the assistant called skills can be installed which increase the power of Alexa manifold. It is very customisable. Alexa is exceptional at third party support. Its got integration with Amazon purchases, it can call you an Uber and heck, it can even order a pizza! Google can also do the same tasks but requires Google Home for it.

Bixby, though relatively new, does know a trick or two. It can control your smartphone using your voice. It can emulate taps and interact with elements on the screen, something which no other voice assistant can do. It knows the app you are currently using and can carry out instruction within the app. For instance, Bixby can scroll down, lock your phone, swipe left/right, adjust screen brightness and also carry out complex tasks like open play store search Evernote and download the first app and downloading an app.

Bixby also has quick commands where you can record a voice text and assign certain actions to it. You can set good night to turn down the brightness, turn on the DND mode and set an alarm for 7:30 am all at the same time. Although unique in its abilities, it isnt quite up there yet with the Google Assistant when it comes to advanced task completion but slowly is getting there.

Siri provides a good competition to all. It doesnt really have a distinctive feature. If you are using an iDevice, Siri might be your best bet. What stands out is its compatibility. Its available even on the ancient iPhone 4S. Its ecosystem is its biggest strength, ranging from desktop PCs, laptops, TV boxes and watches.

Cortana, although practically available on each platform, does lack behind the rest when it comes to functionality. It very frequently isnt able to provide answers to your questions and makes a Bing search instead. It fails to perform advanced tasks and voice recognition is also an issue. Microsoft has provided the software to third-party developers, but a lot of work needs to be done by themselves for it to compete against the rest. Potential is there, but a lot of work has to be put in.

Conclusion

None of them is a clear winner here. Each has its own pros and cons. They may not be perfect right now but there is a lot of room for improvement and development is taking place. Many of the tasks seem easier done by hand currently; add to that the awkwardness of speaking in a certain way to activate and use the voice assistants in a crowded place. But when you see the bigger picture, it all makes sense. The future is going to be a world of AI and all these are just building blocks to the same.

Trivia

Your obedient Siri is Susan Bennett for the female version and John Briggs for the male voice. Its surprising that Susan Bennett never knew she was the voice of the American Siri until one of her friends notified her in 2011  Susans recording had taken place in 2005!

Jen Taylor, which has also voiced Cortana for the Halo franchise, has given Windows 10s Cortana the voice it needs to communicate with its users.

When it comes to Amazons Alexa, it takes a step ahead of the pack. Alexas voice is computer generated and is a culmination of thousands of actual human conversation recordings that it was taught with.

If you are a Star Trek fan, you would find its voice very familiar. Thats because Google Assistant uses Majel Barretts voice for speaking. Majel has been known for her computer voice onboard various ships in the Star Trek franchise. In fact, Googles Assistant was initially codenamed Project Majel.

Unlike the others, Samsung has kept a curtain on who has dedicated his/her voice for Bixby.

Written by Deepayan Deb

(Source)
2017 saw several brands trying to gain superiority over one another by churning out revolutionary tech for the masses.

Technology is only the field that evolves faster than anything else. Be it food production, tourism, transportation, governance, recreation or any other field, technology is one of the common factors that propel growth in most of the sectors. As usual, the giants of the industry take it upon themselves to shape the future and 2017 marks a major milestone in the history of technology to bring in revolutionary ideas to reality.

However, brands across the world have been competing with each other to keep themselves prominent in the market in the past. This year, like previous years, was no different. Two major names in the industry  Apple and Google, attacked each other with exciting concepts and ideas, especially focusing on those areas that directly touch the lives of consumers. Therefore, lets have a look as to how these two technology giants fared against each other in Brand Wars of 2017.

The Apple of everyones eye played a disastrous secret Santa

If theres one brand that influences the market deeply, then Apple has to be the contender for this title. Since the beginning of 2017, the Cupertino giant has managed to retain its position as the affluent and desirable brand for people of all ages and income groups. Even the world of tech rumours consisted of 60 per cent Apple-related products and services, the biggest one being the iPhone X obviously. The company managed to maintain their cool image while having a perfect and premium product across all categories.

However, every company needs to have a mass-appealing product in order to keep the balance sheets positive and Apple was also seen following the suit. Last year, they went ahead with their iPhone SE to appeal to the budget conscious crowd, which received a warm response from the world. At this years WWDC, they announced an affordable iPad with internals from the older iPhone 6S for those who simply wanted a multimedia device for regular needs. At the same time, they also announced ultra-powerful iMacs suited for professionals looking for a PC that could do anything. This showed that Apple wanted to tap into the developing markets outside the USA while still retaining it high-profile image.

Then, we saw Apple jumping in on the Voice Assistant bandwagon with their HomePod speaker, which is supposed to be an answer to Amazons Alexa and Googles Home speakers. While the AI-based smart speaker hasnt seen the light of the day yet, it was responsible for accidentally giving out a lot of information about the most-hyped gadget of the year  the iPhone X.

The iPhone X broke cover in September and shook up the world (for all the right and wrong reasons) with its new approach to mobile telephony. The FaceID facial recognition makes for a new contact-less way of security verification and the narrow-bezel all-screen OLED display showed the world how bezel-less display is done properly, despite sporting the infamous notch. The iPhone X was made to look so desirable that it overshadowed the equally capable yet conventional iPhone 8/ 8 Plus. In fact, for the first time, the iPhone 8 became the only Apple device that received a muted response from the consumers  this was enough to prove that Apples gamble with the ultra-expensive iPhone X paid off extremely well.

iOS also got a major overhaul with the 11th major update. While it brought several improvements to the iPhone, it changed the way the iPad performed  Apple now allowed users to perform proper multitasking and provide a file management system to make the iPad a laptop replacement. However, iOS 11 has also been extremely notorious for breaking iPhones and iPads all around the world with numerous bugs and stability issues, stuff that Apple is still fixing.

However, it was found that Apple was too engrossed in fixing their mobile devices that they secretly started pushing their iPhone users to buy newer devices sooner than the claimed shelf life. The fresh Battery Gate scandal has left Apple at the mercy of their consumers, making it hard for the people to put back faith in the company that promised the best of experience. Despite Apple giving valid reasons to justify themselves, the damage has already been done and while you are reading this, several angry users have already taken the matter to the law for illegitimately keeping them in the dark about their iPhone-killing updates.

In short, Apple undid all of its yearly achievements with a simple secret that proved deadly for millions of faithful iPhone users around the world.

It was all Google-y woogley whoosh

Theres no denying that the world depends on Google for everything. Be it booking a cab or checking out the timings at the nearest movie theatres, Google is the God of the Internet. This year, Alphabet Incs hyperactive arm had a lot on its hands to keep the world of technology an exciting place.

Earlier in the year at I/O 2017, Sundar Pichai took to the stage to announce that Google had been a software-based company and they will be ensuring it over the year that smartphones and computers dont merely remain dumb command remotes  AI will finally touch peoples lives. Googles utilitarian Assistant was made available to various kinds of device manufacturers for making the world a smarter place  refrigerators, televisions, ovens, third-party speakers and anything with a silicon chip.

Photo: AFP

In fact, Artificial Intelligence has been the key element in making Googles products as well as services more user-friendly and intelligent. Several nifty features have been added to Search to make Internet browsing easier. Android Oreo was given natural support for neural engines on Android smartphones. To support AI applications on a global level, they also announced Cloud TPU services as well as an advanced AR/VR graphics rendering engine, called Seurat, to provide better experiences on adequately-capable devices.

Googles reliance on software became so good that they finally were able to bring Augmented Reality to generic smartphones that didnt sport multiple sensors at the back, like Googles Tango phones. Although they lagged behind Apple in implementing AR for the masses, Googles ARCore has shown the potential and it wont be long before the world depends on AR for several services in their lives.

However, the best application of AI has seen in their Pixel 2 smartphones. Google showed that you dont need a dual-lens camera to get the best smartphone camera. The Pixel 2s extends Googles AI-first approach with highly efficient software and a wide array of intelligent features, such as Google Lens. Google even made the wearable smart with their Pixel Buds, which allowed for multilingual conversations by simply tapping once. With HTCs mobile division now in hand, Google has a lot to look forward to achieving the best in the smartphone segment.

Google also focussed massively on implementing tight software security on Android after witnessing some dangerous malware attacks. With Play Protect and more interwoven security in their apps as well as services, Google has clearly made it a point to achieve iOS-levels of security, if not better.

Lastly, the company also stressed on reaching the next billion of the planet with affordable smartphone solutions. We already saw Android One coming back to life with Xiaomi in India, aimed to provide quality smartphone experience for the masses. However, they outdid themselves with Android Go  an initiative to provide fast Android software for entry-level budget smartphones. Android Go is yet to see the light of the day but promises better experiences on devices with extremely lower specifications. On the whole, Google pretty much managed to keep itself in the positive limelight while making the tech world a better place.

Uncle Sammy made a noteable comeback

Samsung had a tough 2016 with the massive failure of the Galaxy Note 7. However, they made it back amongst the top with their extremely pretty and capable Galaxy S8. In fact, the Galaxy S8 initiated the trend for the revolution in smartphone designs, which was even followed by Apple. Samsung went on to achieve respectable numbers for the S8 and came back with a force to re-establish themselves as the premium phablet manufacturer with the Galaxy Note 8.

However, Samsung also kept the tech trends of the year in mind and came up with their own AI-assistant  Bixby. Bixby was intended to be a different approach to AI assistants on smartphones and it showed throughout the year. Samsungs AI baby possessed greater control over the device than the leading rivals and even went open source later in the year.

The company also came up with several innovative consumer electronics products, such as 4K QLED smart TVs and a host of smart air purifiers.

Microsoft preferred the soft way

Microsofts Windows 10 Mobile had been long out of the big league. However, the Redmond giant has been busy in playing it sensibly and providing most of its new services to successful rivals  Android and iOS platforms. In fact, Microsoft has been busy Microsoft-ising both the platforms with various apps, services and even launchers.

As for the Windows 10 platform, the company reloaded the worlds favourite PC OS twice with the Creators Update packages. Windows 10 also got a lot of new security features and a slightly modernised-UI. They also came up with a 'restricted' Windows 10S that only runs Microsoft's UWP apps for enhanced performance and security. However, its forefathers have seen the worst of malware attacks, crippling most of the computer systems around the world with the dreaded WannaCry ransomware.

On the other hand, Microsoft has been trying to push full-blown Windows 10 to laptops and convertibles running on conventional smartphone hardware, such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 chipsets. They are also focussing on a manufacturer implemented tight security ecosystem like Apple with their latest range of Surface devices.

Xiaomi: The common mans Santa

It would be unfair to conclude without mentioning the hero brand from the land of the Great Wall of China. Xiaomi, like previous years, has been on a roll with several successful products one after the other. What they have done is basically make the ambitious technologies more accessible to the masses. Their Mi MIX 2 has to be credited for going all out with a narrow-bezel display in a practical yet premium form factor, grabbing the worlds attention until Apples hero debuted a day after its launch. However, the company has achieved unparalleled strides in the Indian market.

You will be living under the rock if you havent heard this name  Redmi Note 4, which is currently one of Indias most popular smartphones. Apart from that, they also hogged the limelight by working with Google to redefine Android One for the midrange smartphone segment  the Mi A1, and packed with premium features such as portrait-capable dual camera lens and a desirable form factor. The recent aim to make the smartphone more accessible to rural and semi-urban India with the Redmi 5A has also worked for them. They have also been active in the accessories space by launching affordable fitness bands, power banks and even air purifiers (a product that has lately come of major help in Northern India).

Their Android-based MIUI operating system may not have the guts to compete with the Googles AI-equipped software, but it gives all the features that Indians want from a smartphone.

Whos got the lead?

All of them! Without this fierce competition, we wouldnt have been able to witness the advances that re-shaped the technology industry. It has been a great year in the world of consumer technology and with this kind of strong momentum; we can hardly wait for 2018 to show up with loads of surprises.

(Also published on Deccan Chronicle)
By Thursday, most of the southern end of the fire also was surrounded and the last mandatory evacuation orders were called off.

The Thomas fire took only 2 weeks to burn its way into history books as unrelenting winds and parched weather turned everything in its path to tinder, including more than 700 homes. (Photo: AFP)

Los Angeles: A California wildfire that has killed two people and seared its way through cities, towns and wilderness northwest of Los Angeles became the largest blaze ever officially recorded in California on Friday, authorities said.

The Thomas fire took only 2 weeks to burn its way into history books as unrelenting winds and parched weather turned everything in its path to tinder, including more than 700 homes.

The fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties had scorched 273,400 acres, or about 427 square miles of coastal foothills and national forest, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

That was 154 acres larger than Californias previous fire record holder -- the 2003 Cedar fire in San Diego County that killed 15 people.

The Cedar fire had been recognised as the biggest California wildfire in terms of acreage since 1932.

Some fires before that date undoubtedly were larger but records are unreliable, according to state fire officials.

A firefighter and a civilian fleeing the flames died in the Thomas fire as days of unrelentingly dry, gusty winds drove the flames. At times firefighters were forced to retreat to safe areas and simply wait for the flames to pass so they could attack them from the rear.

Often erratic gusts combined with extremely low humidity it dropped to just 1 percent on some days pushed the blaze with virtually unprecedented speed, blackening more ground in weeks than other fires had consumed in a month or more.

On Wednesday, as the fire continued to march north and west, Santa Barbara County fire Capt. David Zaniboni was awed by the speed of its growth.

Those (other) fires burned for weeks and weeks and this fire is only a few weeks old, he said. Its incredible.

By that point, firefighters already were beginning to take advantage of a lull in the weather. Several days of easing winds allowed crews to burn and bulldoze protective firebreaks in the foothills above threatened communities, including the celebrity enclave of Montecito.

By Thursday, most of the southern end of the fire also was surrounded and the last mandatory evacuation orders were called off.

As of Friday, while 18,000 homes and other buildings were technically still at risk, there was little flame showing in previously burned areas and the fire was moving slowly through remote wilderness.

The fire was 65 percent contained and colder, moister weather was helping. Although some 50-mph winds gusts were recorded, it produced no remarkable fire activity near Montecito or other areas, according to a state fire report.

Brush and timber in the area remain tinder dry, and fire crews are setting backfires to burn it out, and that could add to the fires size.

The main fire itself will not have any growth, Capt. Brandon Vaccaro of the California City Fire Department told the Los Angeles Times. Any growth that we see or is reflected in the acreage will be based on the control burns.
Since taking office in January, Trump has been struggling to enact a ban that passes court muster.

Trump issued his first travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries in January, which caused chaos at airports and mass protests. (Photo: AFP/File)

Washington: A US appeals court on Friday said President Donald Trumps hotly contested travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries should not be applied to people with strong US ties.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers several West Coast states, also said its ruling would be put on hold pending a decision on the latest version of the travel ban from the Trump administration by the US Supreme Court.

Since taking office in January, Trump has been struggling to enact a ban that passes court muster. A three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit narrowed a previous injunction from a lower federal court to those people with a credible bona fide relationship with the United States.

It also said that while the US president has broad powers to regulate the entry of immigrants into the United States, those powers are not without limits. We conclude that the Presidents issuance of the Proclamation once again exceeds the scope of his delegated authority, the panel said.

The ban targets people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen seeking to enter the United States. Trump, a Republican, has said the travel ban is needed to protect the United States from terrorism. The state of Hawaii, however, challenged it in court, and a Honolulu federal judge said it exceeded Trumps powers under immigration law.

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 same three-judge 9th Circuit panel, which limited a previous version of Trumps ban, heard arguments earlier in December. Trump issued his first travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries in January, which caused chaos at airports and mass protests.

He issued a revised one in March after the first was blocked by federal courts. That expired in September after a court fight and was replaced with the current version.

The ban has some exceptions. Certain people from each targeted country can still apply for a visa for tourism, business or education purposes, and applicants can ask for an individual waiver.

We are pleased that the Supreme Court has already allowed the government to implement the proclamation and keep all Americans safe while this matter is litigated. We continue to believe that the order should be allowed to take effect in its entirety, US Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said in a statement.
On November 29, Pyongyang launched an intercontinental ballistic missile which prompted the UN to impose new sanctions.

Signed by all 15 members of the Security Council, the resolution bans the import of nearly 90 per cent refined petroleum products to the country. (Photo: AFP)

Washington: The United Nations Security Council on Saturday unanimously placed new sanctions on North Korea for its November 19 intercontinental ballistic missile test which it claims can reach the US, limiting its access to refined petroleum products.

The US-drafted resolution imposes tough measures on energy, export and import sectors, overseas North Korean labourers, and asks maritime authorities to help shut down North Korea's illicit smuggling activities.

Signed by all 15 members of the Security Council, the resolution bans the import of nearly 90 per cent refined petroleum products to the country.

"On November 29, Pyongyang launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. This was another attempt by the Kim regime to masquerade as a great power, while their people starve and their soldiers defect.

But for the international community, this is an unprecedented challenge from a defiant state. So we have levelled an unprecedented response," US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said.

British Ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft said most of the petroleum products are used by the North Korea regime to resource their illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"By cutting off this supply we will restrict their ability to develop and deploy these weapons," he said.

The Security Council also banned North Korean exports of food products, machinery and industrial and electrical equipment.

We have taken another important step to end the exploitation of North Korean workers who are sent overseas with the sole aim of generating earnings for the regime, Rycroft said.

"We have taken these steps to restrict the income the DPRK uses to fund its prohibited nuclear and ballistic missile programs. I congratulate the United States on this diplomatic achievement and we join them in leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of a diplomatic solution," he said.

DPRK stands for Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea or North Korea.

The resolution calls on all states to implement the present resolution and previous resolutions, fully.

"It is only by all of us doing this that they will have the intended impact," The British Ambassador to UN said.

The adaptation of the Security Council resolution will tighten the grip and will make it even harder for the North Korean regime to fund illegal ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, he said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the Security Council resolution in response to the latest ballistic missile launch by North Korea.

The unity of the Security Council is essential to achieve the goal of denuclearisation and create the space for diplomatic initiatives aimed at achieving it in a peaceful manner, said a statement attributable to the spokesperson of the Secretary General.

As per the resolution, the countries should repatriate all North Korean nationals earning income in that country's jurisdiction and all North Korean government safety oversight attaches monitoring DPRK workers abroad "immediately but no later than 24 months" unless the countries determined that the national's repatriation is prohibited under applicable national and international law, or if that national is a national of that member state.
United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. 2002 LAWRENCE R. BUCHALTER ALASKA TRUST, ALASKA TRUST COMPANY, STEPHEN C. HARRIS, TRUSTEES, LAWRENCE R. BUCHALTER, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. PHILADELPHIA FINANCIAL LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY, AKA AGL LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant-Appellee. 17-0671-cv Decided: December 21, 2017

PRESENT: GUIDO CALABRESI, RICHARD C. WESLEY, DENNY CHIN, Circuit Judges. FOR PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT: JONATHAN T. SHEPARD (Eric D. Dowell, on the brief), Pryor Cashman LLP, New York, New York. FOR DEFENDANT-APPELLEE: THOMAS F.A. HETHERINGTON (Hutson B. Smelley, on the brief), Edison, McDowell & Hetherington, LLP, Houston, Texas.

Plaintiffs-appellants 2002 Lawrence R. Buchalter Alaska Trust (the Trust), Alaska Trust Company (ATC) and Stephen C. Harris, Trustees, and Lawrence R. Buchalter appeal from the district court's judgment entered February 6, 2017, in favor of defendant-appellee Philadelphia Financial Life Assurance Company (PFLAC), formerly known as AGL Life Assurance Company. The district court granted PFLAC's motion for summary judgment by opinion and order filed the same date. We assume the parties' familiarity with the underlying facts, procedural history, and issues on appeal.

Construed in the light most favorable to the Trust, the facts are summarized as follows: The Trust is an irrevocable, Alaska-based trust created by Buchalter on November 1, 2002. ATC was the sole trustee until 2012, when Stephen C. Harris was added as a trustee.

In 2002, Buchalter approached PFLAC about buying life insurance through the Trust. The chosen policy allowed the allocation of premium payments to a variable account that let the policyholder invest in various funds offered by PFLAC.

In 2005, the Strategic Stable Return (SSR) Fund (ID), L.P. (the ID Fund) was added to PFLAC's list of available funds. The platform noted that policyholders should be careful before investing in the ID Fund as it involved a high degree of risk. After adding the ID Fund to its personal schedule of investment accounts, the Trust invested over $3.1 million in it.

By 2007, Buchalter was concerned about the Trust's investment in the ID Fund. As his concern grew, Buchalter decided to redeem his investment from the ID Fund in the summer of 2008. The ID Fund, however, suspended all investor redemptions in October 2008, and refused the Trust's request to redeem approximately $3.9 million. Over the next several years, the value of the Trust's investment in the ID Fund dwindled; by November 30, 2012 approximately $350,000 of the Trust's $3 million investment remained. No capital has been returned from the ID Fund to the Trust.

Plaintiffs filed their complaint on September 7, 2012 alleging various theories of recovery in negligence, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment. Following an initial motion to dismiss, the only claims that remained were for negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and professional malpractice related to defendant's failure to vet the ID Fund before making it available on its investment platform. On February 6, 2017, the district court granted summary judgment for PFLAC on those remaining claims, finding them time-barred. Plaintiffs appeal.

We review de novo a district court's grant of summary judgment, construing the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and drawing all reasonable inferences in its favor. Alibrandi v. Fin. Outsourcing Servs., Inc., 333 F.3d 82, 85 (2d Cir. 2003). Summary judgment is appropriate only if it can be established that 'there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.' Id. (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)) (citation omitted).

On appeal, plaintiffs argue that the district court improperly found their claims time-barred and erred in finding that their claims accrued in May 2009. We conclude that plaintiffs' appeal is without merit substantially for the reasons set forth by the district court in its thorough and well-reasoned order.

The parties agree that Alaska law applies. The statute of limitations for negligence and negligent representation is two years. Alaska Stat.  09.10.070(a). The statute of limitations for professional malpractice arising out of economic injury is three years. Alaska Stat.  09.10.053. Therefore, as the complaint was filed on September 7, 2012, the claims are untimely if the statute of limitations began to run before September 7, 2010 for the negligence claims and before September 7, 2009 for the malpractice claims.

In Alaska, a cause of action accrues when the plaintiff has 'information sufficient to alert a reasonable person to the fact that he [or she] has a potential cause of action.' Christianson v. Conrad-Houston Ins., 318 P.3d 390, 396-97 (Alaska 2014) (quoting Preblich v. Zorea, 996 P.2d 730, 734 (Alaska 2000)). The court looks to the date when a reasonable person under like circumstances should begin an inquiry to protect his or her rights. Id. (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). As the date of accrual is a fact intensive inquiry, summary judgment is ordinarily inappropriate for statute of limitations defenses. John's Heating Serv. v. Lamb, 46 P.3d 1024, 1031 (Alaska 2002). Summary judgment may be granted, however, when the court has before it uncontroverted facts regarding when the statute of limitations began running. Egner v. Talbot's, Inc., 214 P.3d 272, 278 (Alaska 2009).

The district court held that the Trust's claims accrued before September 2009 because the record established, as a matter of law, that the Trust was on inquiry notice before then -- the Trust had sufficient information of its potential claims to warrant an inquiry. We agree. The uncontroverted facts include the following:

 In January 2006, PFLAC notified the Trust that the ID Fund had changed auditors. That month, the Trust was also notified of the potential conflict of interest between Founding Partners, a fund the ID Fund invested in, and the ID Fund.

 In 2007, Buchalter placed the ID Fund on his redemption watch list because he wasn't getting the information [he] should have as an investor. App. 1428.

 By October 2008, plaintiffs knew that SSR had placed a hold on redemptions and that the ID Fund had been exposed to fraudulent financing transactions with broker Tom Petters.

 In December 2008, Buchalter inquired into the tax implications of the Trust's losses, indicating that Buchalter was prepared for the losses to solidify.

 By March 2009 the Trust's investment was down to $2.667 million, approximately $1.3 million less than the investment's worth when the Trust submitted its redemption request the previous year.

 In May 2009, PLFAC notified the Trust that the SEC had filed a civil complaint against and frozen the assets of William Gunlicks, the owner of several funds, including one which was the primary investment of the ID Fund.

These facts, taken together, show as a matter of law, that the Trust was on inquiry notice before September 2009.

On appeal, plaintiffs contend that any losses were only paper losses, insufficient to trigger accrual of a cause of action. The argument fails. Plaintiffs fail to cite to any authority for the proposition that paper losses or decreases in an investment's value are not actionable under Alaska law. If plaintiffs' argument were correct, no party would be able to bring suit until their investment had zeroed out or their securities were sold. See Sopko v. Dowell Schlumberger, Inc., 21 P.3d 1265, 1272 (Alaska 2001) ([I]t is irrelevant that the full extent of his injuries did not become apparent until later.).

Plaintiffs also suggest that given the general financial turmoil of 2008, the ID Fund's actions did not seem out of the ordinary. Though plaintiffs may not have known of their claims with certainty in May 2009, they surely should have at least been aware of a potential cause of action and started an inquiry. See Jones v. Westbrook, 379 P.3d 963, 967 (Alaska 2016) (noting that the statute of limitations is tolled until 'the plaintiff has information sufficient to alert a reasonable person to the fact that he has a potential cause of action' or should begin to inquire about that possibility (quoting Preblich, 996 P.2d at 734)). Moreover, no new information was revealed to plaintiffs, aside from the continual diminution of funds, between May 2009 and the beginning of Buchalter's investigation and subsequent lawsuit, by which point he had admittedly become aware of plaintiffs' potential claims.

We therefore agree with the district court that the statute of limitations began to run, as a matter of law, in May 2009 and that, accordingly, plaintiffs' claims are time-barred.

We have considered plaintiffs' remaining arguments and find them to be without merit. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.

FOR THE COURT:

Catherine O'Hagan Wolfe, Clerk

FOOTNOTES

. Federal courts sitting in diversity jurisdiction apply the procedural statute of limitations and choice-of-law rules of the forum state, in this case New York. Stuart v. Am. Cyanamid Co., 158 F.3d 622, 627 (2d Cir. 1998). New York's borrowing statute, C.P.L.R.  202, dictates that [w]hen a nonresident plaintiff sues upon a cause of action that arose outside of New York, the court must apply the shorter limitations period  of either: (1) New York; or (2) the state where the cause of action accrued. Stuart, 158 F.3d at 627. Here, the shorter statute of limitations is the Alaska law.
It is an incorrect statement, says Hoekstra when asked about comments at 2015 event referring to chaos, no-go zones in Netherlands.

In a clip played from the event, Hoekstra can be heard saying: 'The Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands, there are cars being burned, there are politicians that are being burned.' (Photo: AFP)

Washington: The new US ambassador to the Netherlands accused an interviewer of peddling "fake news" and disputed comments he made in 2015 about the country being in "chaos" because of Muslims, only to then deny using the "fake news" claim in a bizarre exchange on Dutch television on Friday.

Pete Hoekstra made the blunder while being questioned by a journalist from Dutch broadcaster NOS over remarks made at a 2015 conference.

When challenged by the reporter about comments he made at the 2015 event, in which he referred to "chaos" and "no-go zones" in the Netherlands, Hoekstra responded: "That is actually an incorrect statement -- we would call it fake news.

"I never said that," said Pete Hoekstra.

But in a clip played from the event, Hoekstra can be heard saying: "The Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands, there are cars being burned, there are politicians that are being burned."

"And yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands," he added.

When pressed further during the interview, the ambassador then denied accusing his interviewer of "fake news" altogether.

"I didn't call that fake news," Hoekstra said. "I didn't use the words today. I don't think I did."

Footage of the exchange, which appeared on Dutch current affairs program Nieuwsuur, has been widely circulated on social media.

NOS interviewer Wouter Zwart later told CNN that Hoekstra said the "no-go zones" comment was intended to refer to "a broader context of European problems with 'those areas.'"

Hoekstra -- a Dutch-American and former representative for Michigan -- was sworn into his new position as ambassador on December 11.

When challenged by the reporter about comments he made at the 2015 event, in which he referred to "chaos" and "no-go zones" in the Netherlands, Hoekstra responded: "That is actually an incorrect statement -- we would call it fake news.

When reporter asked about his comments at 2015 event referring chaos, no-go zones in Netherlands, Hoekstra said, it is an incorrect statement.
Officials admit the US strategy is not without risk, and the longer it runs the more costs will accrue.

More bombing almost invariably means more civilian casualties, which could further mobilize Afghans against the United States. (Photo: AFP)

The war in Afghanistan may be entering its 17th year, but screams of military jet engines in the twinkling skies above Bagram Airfield show no sign of quieting.

This city-scale military base just north of Kabul has -- like similar facilities in Kandahar and Jalalabad -- become central to Donald Trump's promise to succeed where his predecessors failed, and end the Afghan war on favourable terms.

Trump concluded a months-long strategy review in August. During that soul searching, the White House came to believe that the Obama administration underutilized America's total aerial superiority. The skies, they believe, could hold one key to unlocking the conflict.

Trump will likely send a few thousand more troops to the country -- a development sure to grab the headlines -- but the days of having 100,000 US military personnel in the country are over.

The ground war is likely to fall more and more to Afghan government forces, and early political efforts will be trained, in part, on getting Pakistan to stop providing safe havens for jihadists across the border.

But the first tangible moves have been a significant increase in the tempo and intensity of airstrikes, an effort to take the war to the Taliban.

The US, which is the only foreign force in Afghanistan carrying out airstrikes, targeted the Taliban and ISIS group militants with 751 bombs and missiles in September, the month after the strategy review.

That was up 50 percent from August and the highest since October 2010, according to US Air Force data.

US Air Force personnel on the ground in Afghanistan report a significant shift in how airpower is being used.

Before, jets patrolled for up to four hours waiting to provide air support to ground forces. But they often returned to Bagram without having fired a shot in anger.

Chocks away

Today, according to Captain Lyndsey Horn, they are much more likely to come back having engaged the Taliban, the ISIS or having targeted an opium production facility.

"For a long time here we stagnated," said a second officer. "The effects so far are positive, the long term effects are harder to tell."

Vice President Mike Pence, who on Thursday became the most senior member of the Trump administration to visit Afghanistan, says the strategy is starting to make a difference in Taliban morale.

"President Ghani informed me that in 2017 we have eliminated more senior leaders of the Taliban than were eliminated in all the prior years combined," Pence said after his meeting in Kabul.

"They have begun to see a sea change in the attitudes among the Taliban" he added. The Taliban "are now beginning to question their future, and our hope is, as we take the fight to the enemy... that eventually the enemy will tire of losing and will be willing to come forward."

Lofty claims of progress are hard to verify, and the Taliban were able to lift their momentum even after the deaths of their first two chiefs, including Mullah Akhtar Mansour who was killed by a US drone strike in 2015 ordered by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama.

Afghan forces, beset by desertions and corruption, have seen casualties soar to what a US watchdog has described as "shockingly high" levels since NATO forces officially ended their combat mission in 2014, and the figures are now classified in an effort to save morale.

The Taliban continue to control or contest 45 percent of the country's territory, according to a September analysis by the respected Long War Journal, and have stepped up raids on security installations across Afghanistan.

No recent arrival at Bagram, and certainly not Trump's Afghan-savvy former generals who had a hand in the new strategy -- namely National Security Advisor HR McMaster and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis -- believe the Taliban is about to surrender wholesale.

But the White House hopes overwhelming force will exacerbate divisions in the Taliban ranks and help lure more members to the negotiating table, where America's diplomats will be waiting.

Officials admit the US strategy is not without risk, and the longer it runs the more costs will accrue.

More bombing almost invariably means more civilian casualties, which could further mobilize Afghans against the United States.

And while the US recently wiped out 10 Taliban labs used to process opium into heroin, counter-narcotics experts believe three million Afghan farmers make their living from the crop, which has been described as "a low-risk crop in a high-risk environment."
Pence's visit comes four months after Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan.

The American people deserve to know that with the courage of everyone gathered here, we're making real progress in this fight for freedom in Afghanistan, Mike Pence told the troops. (Photo: File)

Kabul: Vice President Mike Pence told US troops in Afghanistan Thursday that they have put the Taliban on the run, as he became the most senior Trump administration official to visit the men and women fighting America's longest-ever war.

Flying secretly through the day and night on a standard unmarked US Air Force C-17 transport plane, Pence corkscrewed into Bagram Airfield on the unannounced visit to thank some of the roughly 15,000 US personnel still hoping to turn the tide in the conflict, now in its 17th year.

The superpower's vexed campaign against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban -- born from the rubble of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington -- receives ever-less public attention in the United States these days.

"The American people deserve to know that with the courage of everyone gathered here, we're making real progress in this fight for freedom in Afghanistan," Pence told the troops.

"We've dramatically increased American air strikes. And together with our Afghan partners, we've put the Taliban on the defensive," he said, also pointing at efforts to target the drug trafficking networks that help fund the Taliban.

"All across this country we've won new victories against the terrorists, no matter what they call themselves or where they try to hide."

"And never doubt that your mission -- your mission here in Afghanistan -- is vital to the safety and security of the American people," the vice president said.

Pence's visit was designed to shift the spotlight back on personnel and their mission, however briefly, before Americans turn their focus to turkey lunches, festive cheer and contentious domestic politics.

His visit also included a helicopter dash from Bagram into the heart of the capital Kabul to meet President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, both of whom the United States is counting on to help rebuild this war-shattered country.

"We've been on a long road together" he said. "We've both sacrificed much."

But, he added: "We are here to see this through."

Pakistan on notice

The vice president also aimed a jab at neighbouring Pakistan -- reiterating word for word Trump's warning that it must stop offering cross-border safe havens to Taliban factions and armed jihadist groups fighting US troops and their Afghan allies.

"President Trump has put Pakistan on notice," Pence said.

"Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with the United States, and Pakistan has much to lose by continuing to harbour criminals and terrorists."

His comments sparked a testy response from the Pakistani Foreign Office, which said they were "at variance" with previous conversations, and added: "Allies do not put each other on notice."

Read: US unlocks key to Afghanistan conflict: Air strikes as antidote to Taliban

Pence's visit comes four months after Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan, which he told the troops, was "already bearing fruit."

With typical certitude, the 45th commander-in-chief promised a more ruthless campaign without Obama-era exit deadlines or niceties.

But the trip comes as Afghan security forces struggle to beat back the Taliban, which has been on the offensive since the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat troops at the end of 2014 and maintains control over swathes of the country.

And the fact that Pence's visit took place in secrecy and under cover of winter darkness is a stark reminder of the difficult security situation even around Kabul and even after a war effort worth more than half a trillion dollars.

In doubt until last moment

Later asked by reporters whether the US would consider raising its military presence in the country, Pence demurred.

"That will be a decision for the commander in chief in the days ahead, but again this is... not just personnel," he said.

"You know, I said today that bureaucrats don't win wars, soldiers do. And one of the things that you have seen in President Trump, as commander in chief, is he has empowered our battlefield commanders to make real-time decisions," he continued, citing successes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

His visit from Bagram to central Kabul was in doubt until the last moment, when a White House official said he countermanded a decision that the weather was not clear enough to travel.

Even then, Pence's helicopter flight took place in near total darkness, moving low and fast and with a heavy phalanx of secret service and special forces.

The White House official said the decision was made "out of respect. To meet with Ghani and Abdullah."

The Trump administration, like Barack Obama's before, has put enormous hope in Ghani, who is seen by the White House as more competent and less corrupt than his predecessor Hamid Karzai.

But his three-year-old "national unity" government appears to be faltering and parliamentary elections have been repeatedly postponed.

Pence had been expected to visit Egypt and Israel this week, a trip that was delayed amid a crunch vote on tax cuts and deadly protests at Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Milli Muslim League had challenged the Election Commission of Pak's order on Oct 11 that had declined its registration as a political party.

Saeed earlier this month had confirmed that his organisation Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the Milli Muslim League. (Photo: File)

Islamabad: The Pakistan government has requested a court in Islamabad to not consider Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-backed Milli Muslim League's plea seeking its registration as a political party, saying the group would breed violence and extremism in politics.

Saeed earlier this month had confirmed that his organisation Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the Milli Muslim League (MML).

The MML had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan's order on October 11 that had declined its registration as a political party.

The interior ministry, in its written reply submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on the MML's petition, said that it opposed the group's registration as a political party as the group was an offshoot of proscribed entities.

Dawn newspaper reported that the government requested the court not to consider the MML's plea and dismiss the petition.

The ministry formed its opinion on the basis of a security agency's report which expressed apprehensions that the registration of the MML as a political party "would breed violence and extremism in politics".

According to the ministry's reply to the court, the MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD).

According to Political Parties Order (PPO) 2002, organisations which act in the manner prejudicial to fundamental rights, undermine the integrity of Pakistan,

promote sectarian, regional or provincial hatred, bear a name as a militant group and impart any military or paramilitary training to its members, do not qualify for registration as political party.

In its reply to the court, the interior ministry said a security agency had opined that "it is difficult to believe that the MML will tread its own path, completely at variance with its mother (LeT and JuD) organisations."

The agency "recommended that since registration of such groups would breed violence and extremism in politics, such groups be avoided," it said.

According to the reply, the LeT, JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) are facing UN sanctions, therefore, the interior ministry "furnished comments to the ECP that the registration of the MML, an offshoot of the same network of JuD/FIF (which apparent in MML as well), was not supported".

The JuD chief 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.

The MML had contested a bypoll in September for NA-120, a National Assembly seat that had fallen vacant following disqualification of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sheikh Yaqub, MML candidate, had secured 6,000 votes. Yaqub was placed in 2012 on a US Treasury sanctions list of those designated as leaders of terrorist organisations.
In 2017 birth estimate of 941 thousand children, 36 thousand less than last year. On the other hand, the deaths increase equally: 1.344 million. Shinzo Abe: reach a fertility rate of 1.8 children per woman by 2025.

Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Japan has once again registered a negative birth record. In 2017 the smallest number of children were born since the beginning of records in 1899. Statistics published yesterday by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Services, state that 941,000 children were born this year, about 36,000 less than last year. It is the second consecutive time that the births remain below one million, far from 1949, when they reached a peak of 2.7 million.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, more people died than we are born. This year, 1.344 million people died, a post-war record and a figure higher than last 36 thousand. In 2017, the Japanese population decreased by 403 thousand people, 72 thousand more than in 2016.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promises to combat demographic decline with support for childcare and education. The government's commitment is to reach a total fertility rate (tft) of 1.8 children per woman by 2025. Last year it stood still at 1.44.

Even the number of marriages in 2017 has shrunk, reaching the lowest point since the post-war period, with 607 thousand couples getting married, 14 thousand less last year.

On average, in Japan in 2017 one child was born every 34 seconds, one person died every 23 and a couple got married every 52.
Three bishops from Ghana, where he was a missionary, were present. Lay people came from Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam. Many young people came for a "young bishop" who now picks up the baton for a Church full of challenges.

Tokyo (AsiaNews)  Mgr Tarcisio Isao Yama Kikuchi, the new archbishop of Tokyo, took office during a ceremony with international significance.

The Mass was celebrated last Saturday morning in the citys cathedral, in the presence of the entire Japanese episcopate, the nuncio to Japan Archbishop Joseph Chennoth, and the Archbishop of Seoul Card Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, as well as lay people of various nationalities.

Three bishops from Ghana were also present. The new archbishop spent many years in that country as a missionary.

Fr Lembo, the parish of Fushu (Tokyo) and regional superior of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) in Japan, spoke to AsiaNews about the event.

Mgr Kikuchi, 59, was born in Iwate Prefecture. He was appointed archbishop of Tokyo in October, and is also responsible for Caritas Japan.

"There were many lay people from various dioceses and many young people", a thrilled missionary said.

We too had contacted many young people, because it is an important experience. He is a young archbishop and he will lead us, hopefully, for the next twenty years."

The Mass was celebrated in various languages, and the bishops from Ghana paid tribute to Mgr Kikuchi in African fashion, singing.

The ambassador of Ghana was also in attendance, whilst the President of Ghana sent his greeting. "This is something one would not see in Japan," Fr Lembo said.

"The archbishops own words excited him, since he focused on the primacy of the word of God and on reaching out to people who most need such proclamation in todays society."

In his address, Mgr Kikuchi presented his motto, "diversity in unity", which for him means creating unity out of the differences in Japanese culture thanks to the word of God.

As Archbishop emeritus Peter Takeo Okada passed the baton to Mgr Kikuchi, he entrusted him with the Church of Tokyo, which has many challenges, those "coming from within, because of the many traditions  those of Nagasaki, and those of Tokyo  and of course societys challenges."

Many people came Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam to attend the ceremony. It was "A very beautiful celebration, of great significance, Fr Lembo said.
The most affected area is the southern part, in particular the island of Mindanao. The death toll is destined to increase. An entire village has disappeared from geographical maps. The soil devastated by mining companies that indiscriminately exploit the resources of the subsoil.

Manila (AsiaNews) - More than 100 deaths are reported by the tropical storm Tembin, which hit the southern part of the Philippines yesterday with winds of up to 80 km / h. Official sources in Manila reported that the typhoon, known locally as "Vinta", swept away houses and shacks and an entire mountain village collapsed downstream along with the muddy avalanche that overwhelmed it.

One of the most affected areas is that of Zamboanga del Norte, on the island of Mindanao, where there are 47 victims. Speaking to AsiaNews Fr. Sebastiano D'Ambra, PIME, who is on the island, reports: "We did not expect a devastation of this magnitude. Several areas are flooded, the houses near the river have been dragged away by the flood. Unfortunately these are the negative consequences of climate change ".

According to the authorities, the number of victims is likely to increase, since several remote areas are still unreachable. The village of Dalama, in the area of Tubod (Lanao del Norte) where 2,000 people lived, has been wiped from geographical maps. Vicmar Paloma, head of the disaster office, reports that 103 houses have been completely destroyed.

The Philippines is flagellated by at least 20 cyclones each year, of which only one last week. But Mindanao, the second island of the archipelago where about 20 million people live, is rarely hit by such violent rains. Representatives of the government say that at least 12 thousand people are displaced.

Fr. D'Ambra explains that "cyclones usually hit the northern part of the Philippines, not the southern part of Mindanao". Then he denounces: "What is striking is that the areas where there has been most damage are the same ones were there has been intensive mining for years mines, which indiscriminately extract the resources of the subsoil and destroy the environment. For example, in the Siocon area [in the northern part of the island], the river bed has almost disappeared due to the spillage of mining debris. So when these downpours occur, the water spreads everywhere instead of channelling into the riverbed. "

He concludes: "I hope that the government seriously reflects on the protection of the environment and no longer allows mining companies to exploit zinc and gold-rich soil without any criteria. This is the price you pay".
Vientiane (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Laos government aims to expand universal health care to strengthen its popular consensus, but needs Beijing's help to distribute medical supplies and services. Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith is working to rebalance the country's diplomacy, following concerns that the small landlocked nation is too dependent on Beijing's aid to improve the conditions of its largely impoverished population.

The interventions include loans granted to build a $ 6 billion high-speed railroad, which aims to connect southern China with Southeast Asia in the context of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (Bri). Once completed, Vientiane hopes to revolutionize its economy. At the same time, the Thongloun government recognizes the negative side of some Beijing investments. This was manifested in the ban imposed on the creation of new bananas plantations owned by China, due to their harmful impact on the environment. However, the executive can hardly do without Chinese financial assistance for its underdeveloped medical sector, in light of the ambitious health reform desired by the ruling Communist Party. It has identified the health field as a priority, especially as Laos strives to become a middle-income country by 2030.

The national life expectancy at birth was only 63.5 years in 2015, one of the lowest rates in Southeast Asia and eight years below the global average. Last month, the National Assembly set its health objectives for 2018: reducing the number of underweight children, infant and maternal mortality rates and the number of deaths of children under five. Poor infrastructure in a 70% mountainous country makes it difficult to access healthcare facilities. Laos is as big as France, but has a population of only 6.7 million. Corruption is another concern, exacerbated by the low wages perceived by public sector workers, including doctors and nurses. Public employees can often spend a months without receiving any salary. This means that medical personnel often expect small bribes, another deterrent for the poor to access health services.

The lack of funds has made the country increasingly dependent on foreign aid, largely from China. The Laotian gross domestic product (GDP) is less than 1,690 euros, one of the lowest rates in Asia, despite a 7% growth in recent years. The government is confident that the new high-speed rail, a joint venture of which Laos owns about 30%, will transform the nation into a modern logistics center for job creation and Chinese trade. So far the development of the railway line has required the transfer of 4,400 families this year alone and 22% of the expected 414km of the mega-project is built. Part of the government's hope of becoming the "battery of Asia" with its hydropower exports, even the numerous dams built along the Laotian stretch of the Mekong River have caused forced displacement and triggered strong dissent against the state.
US Should Aid Religious Minorities Abroad Directly, Without Going Through the UN

The Trump administration's National Security Strategy Report unveiled this week makes it a priority to "protect religious freedom and religious minorities" abroad. This is an integral part of the new U.S. strategy to champion American values around the world. To make this happen, the administration should start by ending the United Nations' role as middleman for distributing U.S. aid to the world's needy. In the Middle East, U.N.-administered aid programs that undermine American values are working to drive out threatened Christians and Yazidi minorities. Christmas Day will mark two months since Vice President Mike Pence declared that beleaguered Middle East Christians and other religious minorities have been sidelined in U.N. aid programs. The vice president said that "help is on the way." To assist religious minority communities, which are in a desperate struggle to recover from an ISIS genocide started three years ago, U.S. aid dollars were to be immediately shifted out of "ineffective" U.N. programs and provided directly to the victims, Pence said, But so far, this hasn't happened. Despite the dire urgency, it seems that slow-walking U.S. aid bureaucrats prefer U.N. priorities. The United States continues sending most of the $2 billion in aid we give to Iraqis -- including some meant for these horrendously battered minorities -- through the U.N. As Pence noted: "The believers in Nineveh Iraq have had less than 2 percent of their housing needs addressed and the majority of Christians and Yazidis remain in shelters." A relatively small amount of U.S. direct aid for rebuilding these minorities' homes is supposedly already in the pipeline, but no details are public. Stephen Rasche, the lawyer representing the Nineveh Reconstruction Committee -- the association of unified local churches that care for the displaced Christians -- tells me that "we hope that meaningful aid will arrive soon." He gave similar testimony before Congress in October. Meantime, the U.N. continues to prioritize the resettlement of Muslims -- even ISIS families. Over 1 million Iraqi Muslims have been resettled over the last year with U.N. help. Christians must relay for their resettlement on the Knights of Columbus and a patchwork of other private charities. Only 30,000 Christians -- or less than a quarter of the Christian community --has been resettled. Consider the case of Rita Habib Ayyoub, a 30-year-old Iraqi Christian woman. Ayyoub is one of hundreds, possibly thousands, of Christians and several thousand Yazidis captured in Iraq's Nineveh province. She was forced to become a Muslim and a sex slave. Iraqi lawyers documented 68 Christians still in ISIS captivity in August. Ayyoub told journalists that she was taken to a slave market in Mosul and sold, along with three Christian children, to ISIS "emirs." A local Sunni man bought her and a 14- year old Yazidi girl. "He raped the both of us over and over again," she says. Ayyoub says she was later resold in Raqqa to another jihadi who had a Moroccan wife. Ayyoub relates her horrific ordeal in that family: "I was beaten and tortured by her (the jihadi's wife) every day. She would not give up until I was bleeding, from my head, for example. They made me read the Quran and threatened to kill me if I did not convert to Islam." Ayyoub was rescued by Syrian Democratic Forces in November and is now being aided in Syria by a small women's group of Assyrians (a traditionally Christian ethnicity) -- not by the U.N. Assyrian Swedish journalist Nuro Kino, who is helping Ayyoub, tells me that she does not know where to go next. Ayyoub's hometown of Qaraqosh, Iraq's largest Christian city, stands mostly empty. Conceivably, Ayyoub could end up in the Erbil Catholic Chaldean Archdiocese's displacement center, which shelters most displaced Iraqi Christians and has not had U.N. support. There she would find Christina Abada, a 6-year-old from Qaraqosh. Christina was snatched from her mother's lap and sold on the slave market at age 3. Rescued last June, she and her family have no means to rebuild. But while Ayyoub may not be able to access U.N. aid, her ISIS tormentors can, thanks in part to generous U.S.-taxpayer-supported U.N. "stabilization" aid. Though Ayyoub's enslaver is likely dead, his radicalized Moroccan wife might also qualify for U.N. resettlement help in Telkayf. That Nineveh town was Christian until the U.N. decided to move in the families of ISIS jihadis killed in battle and, thus, effectively bar its Christians' return. A Washington Post expose on ISIS families quotes a Moroccan widow vowing: "Our children will one day get (the caliphate) back." Another says that she wanted both her children to grow up to be martyrs in jihad. The U.N. justifies this travesty by rebranding basic aid programs as "stabilization" and "counterterrorism." Of course, needy Muslims should be aided and counterterrorism is crucial. But this reclassification of housing, water and power aid virtually ensures that the peaceful Christians and Yazidis are last in line. Unlike the U.S. National Security Strategy report, the U.N. seems to blame Islamist terror on poverty, not ideology, In addition, half-vacant Christian towns, like Bartella, are being colonized with schools, mosques and libraries built by Iran, which seeks to control a corridor through Nineveh into Syria. Recently, 800,000 people petitioned the U.N. to help Iraqi Christians, but the U.N. is accountable to no one. Moreover, the UNHCR, the U.N. refugee aid agency, failed multiple internal U.N. audits, as reported in 2016. Then-UNHCR director Antonio Guterres is now U.N. secretary general. With this track record, how can we entrust the U.N. with billions of dollars for important programs involving core American values that are U.S. strategic security priorities? Vice President Pence's important promise to bypass U.N. aid programs, which he repeated twice on Twitter, would both help save persecuted minorities and honor the National Security Strategy. The administration now needs to implement that promise -- in Iraq and worldwide.

Nina Shea has worked as a lawyer specifically focusing on religious freedom in American foreign policy, for thirty years. Joining the Hudson Institute as a Senior Fellow in 2006, she has led the Center for Religious Freedom, which she founded in 1986, in its effort to defend religious freedom internationally. She currently is a leader of a campaign for Christians threatened with genocide by ISIS.
United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. VINCENT BARROW, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. DR. LAWRENCE FARAGO, PSYCHIATRIST, BRYAN HILTON, SUPERINTENDENT OF PROGRAMS, MICHAEL HOAGAN, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, ANTHONY DEVITTO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROGRAMING, DIANE VANBUREN, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, BOB LEWIS, OMH THERAPIST, LISA KALIES, UNIT CHIEF, OMH, RESIDENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, JOSEPH BELLNIER, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PROGRAM SERVICE, KENNETH S. PERLMAN, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PROGRAM SERVICE, LUCIEN LECLAIRE, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, MAUREEN E. BOLL, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER AND COUNSEL, E. LINDQUIST, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, KAREN BELLAMY, DIRECTOR, INMATE GRIEVANCE PROGRAM, JEFF MCKOY, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, MAUREEN BOSCO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTRAL NEW YORK PSYCHIATRIC CENTER, OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, B. MCARDLE, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF MARCY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, DONALD SELSKEY, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, LIEUTENANT CORY, HOLANCHUCK, BRIAN FISCHER, COMMISSIONER, CAPTAIN HARPER, CHARLES KELLY, JR., SUPERINTENDENT, MARCY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, Defendants-Appellees, ADOLF, CORRECTIONS COUNSELOR, NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION, MARCY, NEW YORK, ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK STATE, KINDERMAN, DEPUTY SUPT. OF PROGRAMS, Defendants. 16-3444 Decided: December 22, 2017

PRESENT: DENNIS JACOBS, REENA RAGGI, CHRISTOPHER F. DRONEY, Circuit Judges. FOR PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT: Vincent Barrow, pro se, Comstock, NY. FOR DEFENDANTS-APPELLEES: Barbara D. Underwood, Solicitor General, Victor Paladino and Patrick Woods, Assistant Solicitors General, for Eric T. Schneiderman, Attorney General of the State of New York, Albany, NY.

Appellant Vincent Barrow, a prison inmate appearing pro se, brought the instant suit under 42 U.S.C.  1983 against prison officials, claiming violations of the First, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. Barrow's claims are based primarily on allegations that the defendants required him to wear an exposure jumpsuit (a jumpsuit designed to prevent the wearer from removing it) when he left his cell; placed a sign reading exposer outside his cell; afforded him inadequate process before taking the foregoing measures; disproportionately required minority inmates to wear exposure jumpsuits; provided inadequate medical care for his foot pain, exhibitionism, and depression; and denied him access to certain programming. The district court dismissed on motion all of Barrow's claims, except for an Eighth Amendment claim that his psychiatrist denied treatment for his depression. The court later resolved that claim adversely to Barrow on summary judgment. Barrow appeals both the dismissal and the grant of summary judgment. We assume the parties' familiarity with the underlying facts, the procedural history, and the issues presented for review.

1. We review the district court's decision to dismiss virtually all of Barrow's claims de novo. Chambers v. Time Warner, Inc., 282 F.3d 147, 152 (2d Cir. 2002). An independent review of the record and relevant case law reveals that the district court properly dismissed Barrow's claims for substantially the reasons stated in the magistrate judge's thorough September 25, 2014 report and recommendation, which the district court adopted in its entirety. See Barrow v. Buren, No. 9:12-CV-01268, 2015 WL 417084, at *4 (N.D.N.Y. Jan. 30, 2015).

2. We review the district court's grant of summary judgment on Barrow's claim of inadequate medical care de novo. Sousa v. Marquez, 702 F.3d 124, 127 (2d Cir. 2012). To establish an Eighth Amendment violation based on inadequate medical care, Barrow would need to prove that the alleged deprivation of adequate medical care [was] sufficiently serious, and that the defendant-- Barrow's psychiatrist--acted with deliberate indifference to Barrow's health. Salahuddin v. Goord, 467 F.3d 263, 279-80 (2d Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

As the district court concluded, Barrow failed to demonstrate a genuine issue of material fact as to whether his psychiatrist acted with deliberate indifference in discontinuing his prescription for a particular depression medication. The record on summary judgment showed that the psychiatrist offered Barrow other treatment for his depression, including cognitive behavioral therapy. See Chance v. Armstrong, 143 F.3d 698, 703 (2d Cir. 1998) (So long as the treatment given is adequate, the fact that a prisoner might prefer a different treatment does not give rise to an Eighth Amendment violation.). Furthermore, the evidence demonstrated that Barrow refused visits with his psychiatrist and only partially complied with his treatment.

We have considered Barrow's remaining arguments and find them to be without merit. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.

FOR THE COURT:

Catherine O'Hagan Wolfe, Clerk of Court
I have been an international student in Australia (visa subclass 573) since Feb 2016 and completed my course on 1 December. My student visa expires in March 2018.



I have been given to understand that I can remain in Australia until my student visa expires.



However, I would like to return home briefly before returning to Australia to apply for post study work visa (subclass 485).



Will I be allowed to re-enter Australia in late Jan 2018 on my current student visa?



a) according to Home Affairs, i 'completed' my course on the day I fulfiled the requirements for the award of my degree - Dec 1.

If my CoE finishes on 31 Dec, does completing my course on the 1st Dec constitute completing my course "early", leading to cancellation of my CoE?



b) If I haven't been notified yet that my CoE has been cancelled, can I take it to mean it will finish naturally (vs being cancelled for completing early)



c) Does that mean my visa "would not be considered for cancellation (or breaching condition 8202) for three months after completing my course"?

(Home Affairs/ Completing Course Early)



d) Then (it would seem I have a valid visa until at least Feb 2018), can I travel abroad and re-enter during this time?

Or if I were to travel abroad, does that forbid me from returning on my current student visa? I worry that returning on my student visa next year, even though it was granted until Mar 2018 with multiple entries allowed until this time, will be in violation of condition 8202 under which it was granted (continued studies).



e) How long do I have to apply for a new visa?
Avis Budget Group has entered into a multiyear agreement with Hawaiian Airlines.

As the carrier's car rental partner, Avis Budget Group will promote its Avis Car Rental, Budget Car Rental and Payless Car Rental brands, products and services to Hawaiian Airlines' guests and members of HawaiianMiles frequent flyer travel rewards program. (Photo courtesy of Tomas Del Coro via Wikimedia.)

"Hawaii continues to be a popular destination for travelers visiting from, not only the U.S. mainland, but also from other countries around the world. In fact, Hawaii has a large inbound travel market from Australia and countries across Asia," said Stephen Wright, senior vice president, global travel, partnerships and associations, Avis Budget Group. "We're excited to be selected as the exclusive car rental provider for Hawaiian Airlines and provide their guests with convenient access to our portfolio of mobility solutions."

"Avis Budget Group has been a valued HawaiianMiles partner for more than 15 years," said Bryan Kapeckas, managing director of loyalty and travel products, Hawaiian Airlines. "This enhanced partnership outlines our shared commitment to delivering superior customer service to guests and HawaiianMiles members as they continue their journey throughout the Hawaiian Islands."
The Californian welcomes your comments and suggestions. To offer your input by phone, please call 395-7649 and leave your comments in a voicemail message or send an email to soundoff@bakersfield.com. Please include your name and phone number. Phone numbers and addresses wont be published.
The First Amendment Coalition has sent a cease and desist letter to the City of Bakersfield regarding what it believes to be violations of sta
United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ALEXSANDR SOLONICHNYY, Appellant No. 13-3490 Decided: December 22, 2017

Before: SMITH, Chief Judge, McKEE, and RESTREPO, Circuit Judges.

OPINION*

Alexsandr Solonichnyy appeals the District Court's final judgment of conviction. For the reasons below, we will affirm the judgment of conviction by the District Court.

I.

Solonichnyy pled guilty to knowingly and willfully transporting firearms in violation of 18 U.S.C.  922(n).

During Solonichnyy's Rule 11 hearing, the District Court instructed that

The essential elements of a violation of 18 United States Code Section 922 (n) are that the defendant knowingly and willfully transported the firearm in interstate commerce; [t]hat at the time the defendant transported the firearm, the defendant was under indictment for a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year, and the defendant acted knowingly and willfully.1

The District Court then asked Solonichnyy, [d]o you understand the essential elements of the offense you are pleading guilty to, and he replied yes. Later, the Assistant United States Attorney asked Solonichnyy whether he knowingly and willfully transport[ed] those rifles. Solonichnyy again replied yes.

At the conclusion of the Rule 11 hearing, the District Court sentenced Solonichnyy to a two-year probation term. Solonichnyy now appeals his conviction on the grounds that the District Court erred by not defining willfully during his plea colloquy.

II.

Even though Solonichnyy argues that [t]his [C]ourt's review is plenary, it is clear that we review only for plain error because Solonichnyy did not object during the Rule 11 hearing. In order for us to grant relief under this standard, we must determine that there was an error affecting Solonichnyy's substantial rights. Relief may be granted only if the error is clear and only if it prejudiced Solonichnyy by affecting the outcome of the Rule 11 hearing.

III.

Solonichnyy first argues that his conviction should be vacated because the District Court failed to comply with Rule 11 in failing to explain[ ] the required mens rea requirement under 18 U.S.C.  922(n). The record does not support his claim.

Generally, a Rule 11 guilty plea is valid only if it is entered knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently by the defendant. In United States v. Cefaratti, we noted that Rule 11 requires courts, before accepting a guilty plea, to address the defendant personally in open court and inform, and determine if [s/he] understand[s] the nature of the charge to which the plea is offered  Rule 11 does not require courts to adhere to a litany or other ritual when carrying out this responsibility. Thus, Rule 11 does not require courts to explain every legal nuance in a plea colloquy. Rather, courts look to the totality of the circumstances to determine whether a defendant was informed of the nature of the charges against him, including whether the defendant was represented by counsel.

Here, the District Court knew that defense counsel had represented Solonichnyy from the beginning of the case. During the Rule 11 hearing, the District Court asked Solonichnyy if he had enough time to talk to [defense counsel] about the case, and whether he had any questions about the evidence [or]  anything at all, even regarding [his] defense. Solonichnyy asserted that he had no questions about the case or the evidence against him. Moreover, the District Court asked Solonichnyy if he underst[ood] the essential elements of the offense [he plead] guilty to. Solonichnyy again answered yes. Subsequently, the Assistant United States Attorney asked if Solonichnyy knowingly and willfully transported those rifles, and Solonichnyy again responded in the affirmative. Neither Solonichnyy nor his defense counsel suggested that he did not understand the meaning of knowingly and willfully in the plea colloquy. Accordingly, we are satisfied that the District Court's acceptance of Solonichnyy's plea comported with the mandates of Rule 11.

Second, Solonichnyy contends that the District Court failed to establish a factual basis for [his] knowledge that he was violating the law when he traveled in interstate commerce. In Cefarrati we recognized that notwithstanding the acceptance of a plea of guilty, the court should not enter a judgment  without making such inquiry as shall satisfy it that there is a factual basis for the plea. However, we said that the District Court need not be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that an accused is guilty. It need only be convinced that there is enough evidence to justify reaching that conclusion. In addition to his affirmations in the plea hearing, the District Court's judgment is supported by Solonichnyy's own admission that he should not have possessed the firearms in question. Thus, we find no error in the District Court's judgment.

IV.

For the aforementioned reasons, we find there was no plain error, and we will affirm the judgment of conviction.

FOOTNOTES

. App. 56.

. App. 56.

. App. 57.

. App. 58

. App. 58.

. Sent'g Hr'g Tr. 21.

. Appellant's Br. 5.

. United States v. Vonn, 535 U.S. 55, 5859 (2002) (establishing that a defendant who lets a Rule 11 error pass without objection bears the burden of establishing plain error).

. United States v. Jackson, 849 F.3d 540, 544 (3d Cir. 2017) (quoting Fed. R. Crim. P. 52(b)) (internal quotation marks omitted).

. Id. at 544 (quoting United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 734 (1993) (internal quotation marks omitted)).

. Appellant's Br. 7.

. Brady v. United States, 397 U.S. 742, 748 (1970).

. 221 F.3d 502, 508 (3d Cir. 2000) (quoting Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(c)(2) (internal quotation marks omitted)).

. Id. at 508 (citation omitted).

. See 221 F.3d at 508.

. App. 37.

. App. 37.

. App. 37.

. App. 56.

. App. 56.

. App. 58.

. Appellant's Br. 8.

. 221 F.3d at 509 (quoting Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(f)).

. Id. (citation and internal quotation marks omitted) (discussing examples of the types of evidence that can be considered a part of whatever means  appropriate in a specific case to justify a factual basis for a defendant's plea).

. PSR  17.

. We reviewed Solonichnyy's Rule 28(j) submission of Satterfield v. DA Phila.; it does not affect our decision in this case. Satterfield v. DA Phila., No. 15-2190, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 18537 (3d Cir. Mar. 27, 2017).

McKEE, Circuit Judge.
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. MARLON RIVERA, Petitioner - Appellant, v. WARDEN TYGER RIVER CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, Respondent - Appellee, STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, Respondent. No. 17-7369 Decided: December 22, 2017

Before SHEDD, AGEE, and DIAZ, Circuit Judges. Marlon Rivera, Appellant Pro Se.

Marlon Rivera seeks to appeal the district court's order accepting the recommendation of the magistrate judge and dismissing his 28 U.S.C.  2254 (2012) petition without prejudice as an unauthorized successive petition. The order is not appealable unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certificate of appealability. 28 U.S.C.  2253(c)(1)(A) (2012). A certificate of appealability will not issue absent a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right. 28 U.S.C.  2253(c)(2) (2012). When the district court denies relief on the merits, a prisoner satisfies this standard by demonstrating that reasonable jurists would find that the district court's assessment of the constitutional claims is debatable or wrong. Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000); see Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322, 336-38 (2003). When the district court denies relief on procedural grounds, the prisoner must demonstrate both that the dispositive procedural ruling is debatable, and that the petition states a debatable claim of the denial of a constitutional right. Slack, 529 U.S. at 484-85.

We have independently reviewed the record and conclude that Rivera has not made the requisite showing. Accordingly, we deny a certificate of appealability, deny Rivera's motion for transcripts at government expense, and dismiss the appeal. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

DISMISSED

PER CURIAM:
A 40-year-old Largo man has been arrested in connection to the drive-by shooting death of a 30-year-old pregnant mom on Sunday.

Charles Allen Jr. charged in slaying of 30-year-old expectant mom

Elizabeth Rosado shot dead while riding in car with family



RELATED: Clearwater shooting victim was wife, mother expecting 2nd child

Charles "Groucho" Allen Jr., a convicted felon who was on probation after being released earlier this year, has been charged with first-degree murder, Clearwater Police said Friday afternoon.



Elizabeth Rosado was shot dead in Clearwater on Sunday evening in the 1500 block of Scranton Avenue. She was a passenger in a car that had come upon a white sedan in the middle of the road. The car waited a few moments, and when it tried to go around the sedan, someone in it pulled out a gun and opened fire.

Rosado, of Palm Harbor, was struck in the head and died at the scene.

Her husband, younger brother and 10-year-old daughter were in the car at the time but were not hurt.

Allen has an extensive criminal history, and was released in March 2017 after serving seven years in prison for cocaine possession, according to Clearwater Police. He was on probation.

Police said witnesses identified Allen as the man responsible for Rosado's death. When Rosado and her family were trying to pass the car Allen was riding in, witnesses say he allegedly thought they were trying to rob him. He then shot into the car, killing Rosado.

Police also said Allen denied any involvement in the shooting when he was arrested.

"He acted like a clown. He was laying down and doing some goofy stuff in his car, and he's quite honestly lucky based on the facts and circumstances of this case that he didn't get shot," said Clearwater Police Chief Daniel Slaughter. "Our officers showed great restraint."

Police say a high-powered gun was used in the shooting, which they have not yet located.

Officers said they're still trying to piece together this investigation, but the police chief said he's confident the right person is behind bars.

Rosado's family attended the announcement of the arrest but were too upset to comment.



Charles Groucho Allen Jr., 40, of Largo (Clearwater Police)
Every year, many students give their teachers gifts during the holidays to show their appreciation.

11 students pooled money for $300 Enchroma glasses

Michael Hoffman said seeing color for the first time was emotional

Sophomore Jun Ling said the got the idea from YouTube video



At Haines City High School, a group of students gave their French teacher a life-changing gift.

Eleven students pooled their money together to buy French teacher Michael Hoffman, 63, a pair of $300 Enchroma glasses. When worn on top of prescription glasses, the Enchroma glasses allowed the color blind teacher to see colors for the first time.

"It was a total surprise. They'd been planning it for months, and for once these kids kept a secret which I didnt think a teenager could do," Hoffman said.

Sophomore Jun Ling was the ringleader. He said he loved Hoffman's French class.

"We wanted to show our appreciation to him and show that we cared," said Ling.



Ling said two teachers pitched in money to help.



Hoffman called seeing color for the first time emotional.

"I want to see everything. I want to see all the art I've never seen. Movies. You know when I was kid the Wizard of Oz came once a year. I never knew it switched from black and white to color. - French teacher Michael Hoffman

"I would say it's like if a blind person could suddenly see," Hoffman said. "It's a bit overwhelming. It's kind of like overwhelming at first. Like the colors are so vibrant and everything is 3d-ing me and coming at me."

Now, he wants to catch up on everything he's missed out on.

"I want to see everything. I want to see all the art I've never seen. Movies. You know when I was kid the Wizard of Oz came once a year. I never knew it switched from black and white to color," Hoffman said.

Before, Hoffman said he was only able to see light and dark shades of gray, and a little bit of yellow. It presented him with many challenges such as deciphering the color of stoplights.

"I did run a light once and the police man stopped me and I said, if it's any good I'm colorblind. And he said, 'I'm really sorry, here's your ticket,'" Hoffman recalled, chuckling.

With the new glasses, that's all behind him now. He'd heard of them before but didn't want to spend the money on them. He said thats what made the Hanukah gift all the more special.

"It's really making me really appreciate how lucky I am to have this job and work with these great kids, Hoffman said.

Ling said he got the idea from a YouTube video.

Hoffman said in his 29 years of teaching, this is the best thing students have done for him.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. MARK ROBERTSON, Petitioner - Appellant v. LORIE DAVIS, DIRECTOR, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS DIVISION, Respondent - Appellee No. 17-70013 Decided: December 21, 2017

Before CLEMENT, PRADO, and HIGGINSON, Circuit Judges.

Mark Robertson applies for a certificate of appealability (COA) to appeal the denial of his federal petition for a writ of habeas corpus. He claims that his death sentence was based on materially inaccurate evidence from the State's witness, Warden Melodye Nelson. For the reasons that follow, we deny a COA.

I

Mark Robertson was convicted and sentenced to death in 1991 for the murder of Edna Brau in the course of committing a robbery in Dallas County, Texas. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (TCCA) affirmed Robertson's conviction on direct review. Robertson v. State, 871 S.W.2d 701, 714 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993). Robertson's first attempts at state and federal habeas relief were unsuccessful; however, the TCCA ultimately granted him a new punishment hearing under Penry v. Johnson, 532 U.S. 782 (2001). See Robertson v. State, No. AP-71,224, 2011 WL 1161381, at *1 (Tex. Crim. App. Mar. 9, 2011). At Robertson's second sentencing proceeding, the State submitted multiple confessions and other evidence to establish that Robertson was a future danger to society. The TCCA summarized the evidence as follows:

The State presented evidence of other offenses and bad acts, including evidence that [Robertson], as a young teenager, brought a gun to school and threatened to shoot other students. [Robertson] had strangled cats and had stomped birds to death. He had also committed armed robbery and a wide variety of drug-related offenses. While he was on deferred adjudication for an aggravated robbery, [Robertson] killed 7-Eleven store employee Jeffrey Saunders.

Id. (footnotes omitted).

The State also relied on its witness, Warden Melodye Nelson. She testified about the prison's classification system, which ranges from G1 (least restrictive) through G5 (most restrictive), and administrative segregation. Warden Nelson testified that an inmate convicted of capital murder who received a life sentence with the benefit of parole, or who received a sentence of 50 years or greater who has not served a minimum of ten years of that sentence, would be classified as a G3 prisoner. She further explained that once an inmate has served ten years of that sentence, he may be promoted to G2 status. Warden Nelson testified that Robertson, who had served 18 years and had only minor infractions, would be in the pool to receive the automatic promotion to G2 status. Warden Nelson testified that prison employees are underpaid and the prisons are under-staffed. She also stated that she believed that the year prior, the prison system was under-staffed by nearly 4,000 correctional officers. She explained the prison's system for tracking the whereabouts of inmates. As to Robertson specifically, she testified to the minor prison infractions which Robertson violated, and she stated that the incidents of prison violence were more common in general population than in administrative segregation or death row. After considering the evidence, the jury sentenced Robertson to death. Id.

Robertson filed a motion for a new trial on the grounds that some testimony from the State's witness was false and misleading. At the motion hearing, the Assistant District Attorney first brought to the court's attention new information regarding certain testimony from Warden Nelson, given in a different trial. The State also informed the court that it had turned over the information to defense counsel. Relevantly, the State informed the court that Warden Nelson testified in a different trial that prisoners sentenced to life without parole could be eligible for G2 prison status. After the trial, however, Warden Nelson learned that capital offenders who receive a life without parole sentence can never receive a prison status below G3. Both the prosecutor and defense counsel acknowledged, on the record, that Robertson would not have been eligible for a life without parole sentence, so a rule prohibiting a life-sentenced inmate from receiving a less-restrictive classification did not apply to Robertson. After considering Robertson's evidence, including the testimony from his expert, S.O. Woods, Jr., the court ultimately denied Robertson's motion for a new trial.

On appeal, the TCCA affirmed the sentence. Id. The TCCA again denied Robertson's renewed petition for state habeas relief. Ex Parte Robertson, No. WR-30,077-03, 2013 WL 135667 (Tex. Crim. App. Jan. 9, 2013).

Robertson returned to federal court and filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus, which was denied. In his petition, Robertson made two claims for federal habeas relief, only one of which is relevant to this court: whether his death sentence was based on materially inaccurate evidence. The district court construed this claim as a Due Process claim. Robertson asserted five matters to which the State's witness, Warden Nelson, had testified as grounds for relief: (1) Robertson would automatically enter the prison system at a G3 level prisoner; (2) prison personnel were underpaid and prisons were short-staffed; (3) there was more violence in general population than in administrative segregation; (4) inmates are free to travel to and from their cells; and (5) prisons are filled with psychopaths. Robertson, 2011 WL 1161381, at *710. Robertson relied on his expert, Woods, to prove the falsity of Warden Nelson's testimony at the hearing on his motion for a new trial. The district court concluded that Robertson's expert failed to present hard evidence or statistics that contradicted Warden Nelson's testimony on any matter. Rather, Woods expressed that he disagreed with certain word choices and merely indicated that he thought Warden Nelson was inaccurate. Importantly, Woods never accused Warden Nelson of perjury. Accordingly, the district court denied Robertson's claim that his sentence was based on inaccurate, material evidence in violation of the Constitution.

In addition to the five areas of concern that Robertson raised in his state habeas petition, the district court recognized that Robertson asserted two additional concerns: (1) Warden Nelson's false testimony in a different trial that affected her credibility in his triala credibility issue that was never raised to the jury in his trialand (2) Warden Nelson testified to a parade of horriblesi.e., examples of Robertson's alleged misconduct, such as altering a coffee pot to produce boiling water that could be used to scald a guard and breaking headphone wires to transmit alleged gang behaviorwith no evidence to support the misconduct allegations. The district court determined that, as to these new allegations, Robertson argues only that the state court's decision was unreasonable under  2254(d). The district court limited itself to the  2254(d) inquiry and determined that it could not consider the new evidence and arguments because they were not submitted to the TCCA on appeal. See Cullen v. Pinholster, 563 U.S. 170, 185 (2011) (Provisions like  2254(d)(1) and (e)(2) ensure that federal courts sitting in habeas are not an alternative forum for trying facts and issues which a prisoner made insufficient effort to pursue in state proceedings. (internal quotations and alterations omitted)). Alternatively, the district court determined that Robertson's new allegations lacked merit because Robertson failed to show that Warden Nelson's inaccurate testimony in a different trial would have affected or been relevant to her testimony in Robertson's trial. Robertson's second new allegation also lacked merit, the district court held, because he failed to establish that Warden Nelson's testimony about his parade of horribles was false or misleading. The district court therefore denied Robertson relief on his two new issues.

Robertson timely appealed the district court's denial of his petition for writ of habeas corpus. He seeks a COA on his second claim, relating to the alleged material, false information upon which his death sentence was based.

II

[W]hen a habeas corpus petitioner seeks to initiate an appeal of the dismissal of a habeas corpus petition , the right to appeal is governed by the certificate of appealability (COA) requirements. Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 478 (2000). Section 2253 of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act addresses appeals of denials of habeas corpus petitions and provides that an appeal may not be taken from a final order in a habeas corpus proceeding without a COA. 28 U.S.C.  2253(c)(1). A COA may issue only if the applicant has made a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right. 28 U.S.C.  2253(c)(2).

Where a district court has rejected the constitutional claims on the merits, the showing required to satisfy  2253(c) is straightforward: The petitioner must demonstrate that reasonable jurists would find the district court's assessment of the constitutional claims debatable or wrong. Slack, 529 U.S. at 484. When the district court denies a habeas petition on procedural grounds without reaching the prisoner's underlying constitutional claim, a COA should issue when the prisoner shows, at least, that jurists of reason would find it debatable whether the petition states a valid claim of the denial of a constitutional right and that jurists of reason would find it debatable whether the district court was correct in its procedural ruling. Id.

III

Robertson asserts that the district court erred in holding that Warden Nelson's testimony was not false or misleading, but rather a mere disagreement between experts that is not normally sufficient to demonstrate falsity. [A] conviction obtained through use of false evidence, known to be such by representatives of the State, must fall under the Fourteenth Amendment. Napue v. Illinois, 360 U.S. 264, 269 (1959). The principle that a State may not knowingly use false evidence, including false testimony, to obtain a tainted conviction  does not cease to apply merely because the false testimony goes only to the credibility of the witness. Id. To prove a due process violation under Napue, Robertson must establish that: (1) the testimony was false, (2) the government knew the testimony was false, and (3) the testimony was material. See Summers v. Dretke, 431 F.3d 861, 872 (5th Cir. 2005) (citing United States v. Mason, 293 F.3d 826, 828 (5th Cir. 2002)).

A. Robertson would be classified as a G3 inmate

Warden Nelson testified at Robertson's punishment trial that if Robertson were sentenced to life with parole, he would be classified as a G3 inmate. However, because Robertson had served more than 10 years of the sentence and because he had only minor disciplinary infractions during his time on death row, Robertson would automatically be categorized as a G2 if given a life sentence. Robertson, 2011 WL 1161381, at *7. Robertson relied on Woods to refute Warden Nelson's classification during the hearing on Robertson's motion for a new trial. Id. at *8. Woods, however, only indicated that he disagreed with Warden Nelson's use of the word automatic, stating that it was not a good choice of words.  Id. Although Woods disagreed with Warden Nelson's word choice, the evidence indicate[d] that [Robertson] was eligible for G2 status if given a life sentence. Id. As the district court found, the state court's determinations appear to be correct. The district court correctly held that Woods's mere disagreement with Warden Nelson's language was not enough to show that the state court unreasonably determined that Warden Nelson's testimony was not false or misleading. See Boyle v. Johnson, 93 F.3d 180, 186 (5th Cir. 1996).

B. Prison personnel are underpaid and under-staffed

Warden Nelson testified that prison employees are underpaid, that there is rapid turnover, and that there is under-staffing to the point where one staff member may be in charge of up to 150 offenders. Robertson, 2011 WL 1161381, at *8. In response, Woods testified that his investigation did not indicate that there would have ever been one guard supervising 150 inmates as a typical situation. Id. He further stated that the complexity of the prison system makes it nearly impossible to establish a sound guard-to-inmate ratio. Id. Because Woods did not present concrete evidence to refute Warden Nelson's testimony, the district court agreed with the TCCA that the jury would not have been misled or misinformed by the Warden's testimony. See id.

C. General population is more violent than administrative segregation

Warden Nelson testified at trial that the general population had more incidents of violence than administrative segregation or death row. Id. at *9. Although Woods testified that it is common sense that inmates on administrative segregation are more dangerous, there is a higher opportunity for violent incidents in general population simply because there are more inmates in general population. Id. Woods ultimately conclud[ed] that the warden's testimony did not give a false impression about the amount or nature of violence in prison. Id. The district court necessarily could not have erred in agreeing with the TCCA that the Warden's testimony on this issue was not false or misleading when Robertson's own expert agreed with the Warden. See id.

D. Inmates' ability to come and go from their cells to work

At trial, Warden Nelson thoroughly described the process used for an inmate to travel from his cell to his respective job. See id. at *910. She explained that each inmate was accounted for before leaving his cell and then accounted for again by his job supervisor. Id. She testified that each inmate was accounted for eight times in a 24-hour period. Id. at *9. When Woods testified on this issue, his testimony nearly mimicked that of Warden Nelson's. Id. at *10. The district court correctly relied on the TCCA's determination that Woods's testimony was substantially identical to that presented by the warden at trial. Id. Accordingly, Robertson failed to establish that the jury relied on inaccurate information presented by Warden Nelson.

E. Prison filled with psychopaths

As the TCCA aptly summarized, defense counsel objected to a document on relevance, arguing that the law requires individualized punishment and  appellant can't help it if there are a bunch of psychopaths in prison. Id. (internal quotations and alteration omitted). The court sustained the defense's objection. Id. Later in Warden Nelson's examination, the prosecution brought up the defense counsel's comment about prison being filled with psychopaths. Id. Warden Nelson stated that she remembered the characterization, and when the prosecution asked if she agreed, Warden Nelson replied, Yes, sir. Id. Robertson relies on Woods's testimony, that it would be inaccurate to say that every inmate is a psychopath, as evidence that Warden Nelson provided false testimony. Id. But, Woods agreed that there are probably more psychopaths in prison. Id. The district court agreed with the TCCA that Woods's testimony does not demonstrate that Warden Nelson's testimony was false or misleading to the jury. Id. In fact, Woods's testimony, that it would be inaccurate to characterize all inmates as psychopaths, is irrelevant to Warden Nelson's testimonyshe never even offered such testimony. See id. Accordingly, the district court did not err in denying habeas relief on this issue.

F. Robertson's two new claims

The district court correctly noted that because Robertson failed to present two of his assertionsthe warden's inaccurate testimony in a different trial as evidence she was unreliable and the warden's speculations as to his conduct violationsto the TCCA on direct appeal, these claims are barred from consideration by the federal courts through his habeas petition. Cullen v. Pinholster established that  2254 imposes a limitation on the discretion of federal habeas courts to [consider] new evidence. 563 U.S. at 185. The record supports the district court's determination that it could not consider these two new grounds for relief.

IV

For the reasons explained above, Robertson failed to demonstrate that the district court erred in determining that the TCCA reasonably concluded that Warden Nelson's testimony was not false or misleading. Reasonable jurists would not find the district court's determination debatable or wrong, see Slack, 529 U.S. at 484, and mere disagreement between experts is insufficient to show that testimony is false or misleading. See Boyle, 93 F.3d at 186. Accordingly, Robertson's petition for a COA is DENIED.

FOOTNOTES

. Robertson also asserted that trial counsel failed to adequately investigate and develop mitigating evidence. The district court dismissed the claim as unexhausted and procedurally barred, and alternatively, denied it for lack of merit notwithstanding any failure to exhaust. Robertson does not raise this issue in his motion for a COA.

. The district court classified ground four, from those listed above, as: a year ago the Texas Department of Criminal Justice was 4,000 correctional officers short. However, the fourth ground the TCCA reviewed was whether inmates can come and go from their cells to work. Robertson, 2011 WL 1161381, at *9. We will address the testimony regarding whether the prison system was under-staffed with ground two and address the inmates' freedom to travel to and from their cells as ground four.

. Robertson also takes issue with the TCCA's characterization of these alleged infractions as minor. The district court determined that Robertson's complaint about the TCCA's characterization failed to establish that the TCCA unreasonably determined that Warden Nelson's testimony was not false or misleading; thus, Robertson's claim lacked merit.

. The district court also considered the new claims on the merits, as alternative grounds upon which to deny habeas relief. First, the district court determined that Robertson failed to demonstrate how Warden Nelson's inaccurate testimony would have been relevant and admissible to impeach her in Robertson's case. Thus, the court found the claim lacked merit. On appeal Robertson contends that he wanted to use her inaccurate testimony as evidence that she was an unreliable witness. In response, the State contends that Robertson's argument fails because impeachment evidence does not form the basis for a claim of false testimony. See Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150, 15455 (1972). We refrain from reaching the merits of this argument because it was not properly raised before the state court. See Pinholster, 563 U.S. at 18586.Second, the district court determined that Robertson did not exhibit how Warden Nelson's testimony regarding his disciplinary infractions was in any way false or misleading. He presents no evidence to demonstrate that her testimony regarding the infractions was inaccurate and does not indicate where his expert, Woods, contradicted the Warden's testimony on this issue. Again, we need not reach the merits of this argument. See id.

PER CURIAM:*
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JOHNATHAN SEXTON, Defendant-Appellant. Case No. 17-5373 Decided: December 22, 2017

BEFORE: COLE, Chief Judge; MERRITT and BOGGS, Circuit Judges.

OPINION

Johnathan Sexton, proceeding pro se, appeals from a district court's order denying his challenge to a condition of his supervised release. This case has been referred to a panel of the court that, upon examination, unanimously agrees that oral argument is not needed. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a). We agree with Sexton that a condition of his supervised release, as currently formulated, is vague, and we remand to the district court to refine the challenged condition.

* * *

No one would describe Sexton as a sympathetic defendant. After his relationship with his girlfriend deteriorated, he retaliated by falsely telling her employer, the Transportation Security Administration, that she was facilitating drug trafficking. His false statements to a federal agency led to his indictment and guilty plea in the Eastern District of Kentucky. The district court sentenced Sexton to nine months in prison and imposed a three-year term of supervised release. One term of the supervised release was a standard condition that required Sexton, as directed by the probation officer, to notify third parties of risks that may be occasioned by [his] criminal record or personal history or characteristics, and also to permit the probation officer to make such notifications and to confirm [his] compliance with such notification requirement. The term contained no definitions about what made something a risk that Sexton must disclose or to which third parties he must disclose the risks. Nevertheless, Sexton's probation officer interpreted the condition to require Sexton to disclose his romantic relationships to the probation officer so that the officer could notify Sexton's partners of his conviction.

Sexton filed several motions seeking to either modify the conditions of his supervised release or terminate his supervised release. One such motion, which Sexton filed on March 13, 2017, is captioned Motion barring the disclosure of romantic relationships by the defendant to the United States Probation Office. In this motion, Sexton argued that the standard condition is unduly vague and an effort by his probation officer to harass and hinder [him] as he works to rebuild his life. The district court denied Sexton's motion. Sexton appeals, arguing again that the condition is unduly vague in violation of the Due Process Clause and not reasonably necessary to achieve the objectives of 18 U.S.C.  3553(a)(2).

A defendant may petition the district court to modify [or] reduce  the conditions of [his] supervised release, and the district court has the discretion to do so at any time prior to the expiration or termination of the term of supervised release, in accordance with 18 U.S.C.  3583(e)(2). United States v. Widmer, 785 F.3d 200, 209 (6th Cir. 2015) (quoting 18 U.S.C.  3583(e)(2)). We review the district court's order for abuse of discretion. United States v. Carter, 463 F.3d 526, 52830 (6th Cir. 2006). A district court abuses its discretion when it relies on clearly erroneous findings of fact, applies the law improperly, or uses an erroneous legal standard. United States v. Pembrook, 609 F.3d 381, 383 (6th Cir. 2010). When imposing non-mandatory conditions of supervised release, the court must consider the 18 U.S.C.  3553(a) factors, the conditions must be no greater than reasonably necessary, and the conditions must be consistent with the policy statements of the Sentencing Commission under 28 U.S.C.  994(a). Carter, 463 F.3d at 52830 (citing 18 U.S.C.  3583(d)(3)).

This case presents this court's first opportunity to consider whether this standard condition is unduly vague. Our only prior opinion to discuss this standard condition did so in dicta and did not consider the vagueness argument that Sexton makes here. See United States v. Ritter, 118 F.3d 502, 504 (6th Cir. 1997).

Looking at this condition on a clean slate, we agree with Sexton that the standard condition is vague and fails to provide the explicit standards that Due Process requires. The condition broadly states that Sexton must notify third parties of risks that may be occasioned by [his] criminal record or personal history or characteristics, and also to permit the probation officer to make such notifications and to confirm [his] compliance with such notification requirement. The district court did not define or otherwise clarify what is meant by risks, personal history, or characteristics which Sexton must disclose, or to which third parties he must disclose them. What makes elements of a person's personal history or characteristics a risk to others is overly vague. For some, one's personal history might be the same as criminal history and always a risk that must be disclosed to all third parties. Or personal history might encompass more, such as attributes of a person's family or living situation, if those attributes would be a risk. Or it might mean less, as here, where the probation officer construed the condition to require only that Sexton disclose his false statement conviction to romantic partners. And to which third parties Sexton must disclose a risk is equally vague.

Because the district court did not define these terms, the condition in its current form falls short of the requirement that a person of ordinary intelligence have a reasonable opportunity to know what is prohibited, so that he may act accordingly, and it fails to provide explicit standards for those who apply [the standard condition]. Grayned v. City of Rockford, 408 U.S. 104, 108 (1972); United States v. Skinner, 25 F.3d 1314, 1318 (6th Cir. 1994). The standard condition provides too much discretion to the probation officer and too little notice to Sexton about what conduct is required. Chicago v. Morales, 527 U.S. 41, 64 (1999).

In holding this standard condition to be overly vague, we join the Seventh Circuit. It recently found that this condition is riddled with ambiguities: [t]here is no indication of what is meant by personal history and characteristics' or what risks' must be disclosed to which third parties.  United States v. Thompson, 777 F.3d 368, 379 (7th Cir. 2015). It concluded that a district court abused its discretion by imposing this term and remanded for resentencing with respect to this condition. United States v. Bickart, 825 F.3d 832, 842 (7th Cir. 2016).

We find that a similar disposition is warranted here. On remand, the district court should modify this condition with definitions to clarify which elements of Sexton's personal history, characteristics, and risks should be disclosed to which particular third parties. In formulating these definitions, the district court should consider the particular nature of Sexton's offense and the objectives of 18 U.S.C.  3553. For instance, the district court should consider whether the standard condition could be refinedassuming it is supported by the recordto require Sexton to disclose his false statement conviction to relevant third parties.

We reverse the district court's order and remand.

PER CURIAM.
Juhanda, who carried out a deadly attack with a Molotov cocktail at a church in East Kalimantan province, gestures after being sentenced in the East Jakarta District Court to life in prison, Sept. 25, 2017.

For the first time in Indonesia, the families of a child killed and others injured in a terrorist attack at a local church last year received government compensation  237 million rupiah (U.S. $17,475)  based on a prosecutors unprecedented request.

The money was split among seven victims of the Molotov cocktail attack that killed Intan Olivia Banjarnahor, 2, and injured three other children at the Oikumene Church in Samarinda, East Kalimantan province, on Nov. 13, 2016.

The amount awarded by the court, after it ruled in the case in September, was less than the 1.47 billion rupiah ($108,410) sought by prosecutors and the victims families. Still, the recipients said they appreciated the funds handed over Thursday by the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), which represents the government.

This helps us. What is most important is knowing the government is actually concerned about us, Marsya Tiur, a parent of an injured child, told Antara, Indonesias state-run news agency.

On the day of the attack, neighbors caught the man suspected of throwing the grenade. He was out on parole following his conviction on attempted bombing charges.

The attacker was identified as Jo bin Muhammad Aceng Kurnia (alias Juhanda), who tried to escape by jumping into the nearby Mahakam River. On Sept. 25, the East Jakarta District Court sentenced Juhanda to life in prison and ordered that the victims be compensated.

The order was based on the countrys 2003 terrorism law and the 2014 law on victims and witness protections. These laws specify that the government compensate victims of terrorism and human rights abuses.

The prosecutors request for government compensation to be included in Juhandas conviction was the first of its kind in Indonesia, which has been hit by terrorist attacks since October 2002 when 202 people died in bombings in Bali.

In February, the attorney generals office advised prosecutors to include compensation requests for victims of terrorism and major human rights abuses.

This is a good precedent, Taufik Andrie, director of the Institute for International Peacebuilding in Jakarta, told BenarNews on Friday. But it is important to also cover past victims.

Adhe Bhakti, a terrorism analyst with the Center for the Study of Radicalism and Deradicalization, applauded the governments action, saying terrorist acts could have long-term effects.

Sometimes they lose their future. The breadwinners might die or lose their job opportunities or chance to further their education, Adhe said.

Both want government to be quicker in responding to the needs of the victims, including awarding compensation without waiting for a court order.

Directly give it to the victims as is their right, Adhe told BenarNews.

Still waiting

Other victims of Indonesian terrorist attacks are not so lucky.

Dwi Welasih, who was injured in the 2003 Marriott hotel bombing in Jakarta that killed 12 people and injured more than 150 others, has been fighting for years for government compensation, even after a court ruled in favor of the victims.

Until now it has not been given, I dont know why, she told BenarNews.

Tony Soemarno, another Marriott bombing victim, said he would fight for compensation for himself and other victims.

I dont know for how long, but I will continue to struggle, said the founder of the nonprofit Association of Indonesian Bomb Victims.

LPSK Vice Chairman Lili Pintauli Siregar explained that Marriott funds had not been distributed because the court ruling did not specify the number of victims nor the amount to be compensated by the government.

The data of the victims is not detailed, Lili told BenarNews. So its a little difficult. To whom will the compensation be paid?

Legislation in the works

Meanwhile, members of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) are drafting a revised anti-terrorism bill to spell out guidelines for courts to grant compensation to terror victims. In addition to establishing court guidelines, the bill also contains a clause stating that anyone suspected of terrorism may be taken or held at a certain place for six months.

The long-awaited legislation has been delayed over disagreements.

Muhammad SyafiI, who chairs the special parliamentary committee working on the bill, was asked about its status. Efforts began following the January 2016 terror attack in Jakarta that killed eight people, including four militants.

It will be completed soon, he said.
United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. UNITED STATES of America, PlaintiffAppellee, v. Robert E. FOX, DefendantAppellant. No. 16-2892 Decided: December 22, 2017

Before Flaum, Ripple, and Manion, Circuit Judges. Michelle P. Brady, Matthew J. Lasher, Brian L. Reitz, Attorneys, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Indianapolis, IN, for PlaintiffAppellee. Barry Levenstam, Alexis Elise Bates, Michael T. Brody, Attorneys, JENNER & BLOCK LLP, Chicago, IL, for DefendantAppellant.

Robert Fox was convicted of two Hobbs Act robberies. Because he used a firearm to commit the robberies, he was subject to 18 U.S.C.  924(c)(1)'s mandatory sentencing add-on and was sentenced to 435 months' imprisonment. On appeal, he principally argues that he is entitled to a new trial because the district court denied him his right to be represented by counsel of his choice. We affirm his conviction. The district court was well within its discretion to deny Fox's morning-of-trial motion for a continuance when there was no indication Fox was particularly close to retaining new counsel.

Fox also raises three other arguments. He admits that the first two, which challenge parts of his conviction, are foreclosed by controlling precedent. He simply wishes to preserve them for Supreme Court review. But the government concedes that Fox is correct on his final argument, agreeing that he is entitled to resentencing in light of Dean v. United States, 137 S. Ct. 1170 (2017). We agree. Dean permits district courts to take into account the sentencing add-on when fashioning a just sentence for the predicate robberies, so the district court may impose a less severe sentence on remand. Therefore, we vacate Fox's sentence and remand for resentencing.

I. Background

Fox was charged with robbing a White Castle restaurant and a Speedway gas station in southern Indiana. He was indicted in federal court under the Hobbs Act in January 2015 and appointed counsel on account of his indigence. Fox had some conflict with his appointed counsel and twice wrote to the district judgein July and September of 2015requesting new counsel. But at his November 3 competency hearing, Fox did not object to continued representation by appointed counsel and made no representations that he or his family were attempting to retain private counsel. Indeed, his appointed counsel told the court that Fox wanted to resolve the case but wanted more time to prepare. The district court set trial to begin on February 16, 2016.

At the final pre-trial conference on January 20, 2016, Fox requested a continuance and claimed that his family was speaking with potential new representation. The district judge noted that she expected a superseding indictment to be returned and was inclined to grant a continuance, but she also warned that Fox's case had been pending for a long time, so if he planned to retain new counsel, that needs to happen. Yet five days later, at the initial hearing on the superseding indictment (which was almost entirely unchanged from the original), Fox reversed himself and indicated that he wanted to proceed on February 16 after all. As such, he declined to exercise his right to have 30 days between the date of the superseding indictment and trial.

On the morning trial was to begin, Fox changed his position again. He requested a continuance, arguing that his family was attempting to retain private counsel. The district judge held a short hearing on the request. Fox's uncle testified that the family had talked to an attorney and was in the process of trying to get the money, but didn't have it right now. He also said that Fox's family had been unaware that trial was to start that morning, even though it had been scheduled since early November. Fox's appointed counsel testified that he had spoken to the private attorney and that the latter had no plans to make an appearance in the case. The district judge denied the motion for a continuance, concluding that: (1) Fox had changed his position several times, indicating a desire to proceed less than a month before trial; (2) there was no indication that the private attorney would actually make an appearance; and (3) the lawyers were prepared to proceed and the court had summoned witnesses and jurors to be ready for trial that morning.

Fox proceeded to trial and the jury convicted him of both robberies and the accompanying counts of using a firearm in connection with crimes of violence. He was sentenced to 435 months' imprisonment due to the mandatory consecutive sentences for using a firearm in connection with the robberies. See 18 U.S.C.  924(c)(1). Fox timely appealed his conviction and sentence.

II. Analysis

A. Denial of Motion for a Continuance

Generally [w]e will reverse the district court's denial of a motion for a continuance only for an abuse of discretion and upon a showing of actual prejudice. United States v. Shields, 789 F.3d 733, 748 (7th Cir. 2015). Yet the denial of the right to be represented by counsel of the defendant's choice, assuming the defendant can afford such counsel, is a structural error warranting reversal irrespective of prejudice. United States v. Sellers, 645 F.3d 830, 834 (7th Cir. 2011). Nevertheless, district courts still have broad discretion to grant or deny a continuance to substitute new counsel. Id. We will reverse only if the district judge's denial of the motion amounted to an unreasoning or arbitrary insistence on expeditiousness in the face of a justifiable request for delay. Id. (quoting United States v. Carrera, 259 F.3d 818, 825 (7th Cir. 2001)).

Our decisions in Sellers and United States v. Sinclair, 770 F.3d 1148 (7th Cir. 2014), are particularly relevant. The facts in Sellers are strange but instructive. The defendant retained an attorney, but for some reason that attorney never filed an appearance and instead designated a secondary counsel to represent the defendant. That counsel missed several filing deadlines and improperly relied on a schedule issued by the magistrate judge that assumed the district judge would grant a continuance. Despite secondary counsel's several representations to the court that the defendant's actual counsel of choice would file an appearance soon, it never happened. So on the Friday before trial, the defendant told the district court that he wished to fire secondary counsel and was in contact with two additional attorneys, one of whom he planned to hire. The court said it was unlikely to grant a continuance, so the defendant reluctantly agreed to continue with secondary counsel. Yet on the morning of trial, the defendant appeared with the secondary counsel and his new counsel of choice. The new counsel said he'd file an appearance only if the court granted a continuance to give him time to prepare, but the court denied the request on the ground that it had already made several attempts to accommodate the situation and the promises of original counsel of choice to appear had not come to fruition. The defendant proceeded with secondary counsel under protest and was convicted.

We held that the district court unreasonably denied the defendant the right to be represented by his counsel of choice. We determined that the district court had failed to inquire of either counsel how long substitute counsel would need to prepare adequately for trial, which evidence[d] a failure to actually balance the right of choice of counsel against the needs of fairness, and suggest[ed] that the district court unreasonably viewed any delay as unacceptable. Sellers, 645 F.3d at 837. We also found it troubling that the district court might have denied the motion in part because it was annoyed with the secondary counsel's failure to meet filing deadlines, or possibly annoyed by eleventh-hour continuance motions more generally. Id. at 838. In the end, legitimate considerations must be balanced against the reasons in support of the motion for a continuance to accommodate new counsel. Id. at 83839. Failure to perform that balancing warranted reversal.

Contrast those facts with Sinclair. There, six days before the trial was to begin, the defendant sent a letter to the district court seeking a continuance because his family was planning to retain a private attorney with their tax refund money. The judge held a hearing the day before trial, and the defendant reiterated that as soon as the refund money came through, his family would retain the new attorney. The defendant also stated vague complaints about the federal defender who had represented him in his suppression hearing. The judge denied the continuance request, pointing out that (1) it was made at the last minute and no reason was given for the delay; (2) jurors and witnesses had already been summoned for trial; and (3) the retention of the new attorney was still quite uncertain.

We affirmed the denial of the continuance motion. Particularly, we observed that the defendant's family's plans to hire substitute counsel were at best preliminary and highly contingent. Sinclair, 770 F.3d at 1155. Given that uncertainty, [t]he preferred lawyer's failure to appear in support of a defendant's continuance motion is a significant factor weighing against granting a continuance. Id. at 1156. We also noted that the district judge properly considered the inconvenience to jurors and witnesses, which constitute real costs for real people (not to mention the sunk public resources). Id. at 1155. In short, the judge's decision was neither unreasoned nor arbitrary. Id. at 1156.

Our case bears little resemblance to the situation in Sellers, but is quite similar to Sinclair. Like the defendant in Sinclair, Fox sought a continuance very near the trial date, had no reason to wait that long, and had an uncertain plan to retain new counsel. Indeed, Fox waited longer than the Sinclair defendant to make his motion, and his plan to hire an attorney was even more speculative than was Sinclair's. Fox's uncle didn't specify when the family would have the money together to retain new counsel, the new counsel didn't appear before the court, and there was no guarantee that the new counsel would take the case even if the money did materialize. Moreover, like the district judge in Sinclair, the judge here properly recognized that granting a continuance on the morning of trial would impose costs on jurors, witnesses, and the court.

To be sure, Fox had previously sought new counsel several times in the months leading up to trial. These requests, however, were always followed by waffling. Fox changed his mind several times about whether he wanted new counsel, and when he was warned at the final pre-trial hearing to hire new counsel as quickly as possible, he decided a few days later to proceed with the original trial date anyway. The judge heard no more on the subject of new counsel until the morning of trial, so she was entitled to treat the motion as if it were an eleventh-hour request. In effect, that's what it was. Sinclair counsels that such a request is properly denied when the plan to hire new counsel is too speculative and no new counsel actually appears before the court.

In Sellers, on the other hand, the defendant sought a continuance for the same reason several times in the weeks leading up to trial, that reason was legitimate, and the defendant showed up the morning of trial with his newly retained counsel. The court denied the motion for a continuance even though it knew that the defendant's original choice of counsel had been frustrated, his secondary counsel had performed poorly, and new counsel was present and ready to take the case. All of those factors counseled in favor of granting a continuance. None exists in this case.

We conclude that the district court was well within its discretion to deny Fox's last-minute motion for a continuance. The judge properly weighed the reasons for and against granting relief and reasonably concluded that a continuance was not warranted. Therefore, we affirm the denial of the motion. Fox is not entitled to a new trial.

B. Issues Raised for Preservation

Fox raises two arguments that he admits are foreclosed by controlling precedent, but seeks to preserve them for Supreme Court review. First, he argues that the indictment in this case was insufficient because it did not refer to the 25year mandatory add-on sentence for a second or subsequent conviction for using a firearm in a crime of violence. 18 U.S.C.  924(c)(1)(C)(i). Our decision in United States v. Cardena, 842 F.3d 959, 1000 (7th Cir. 2016), is conclusive on that point. We observed there that the Supreme Court's decision in AlmendarezTorres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 24447 (1998), held that recidivism is not an element of an offense, and so it need not be found by a jury. Because the recidivism add-on is not an element of the predicate offense, it did not have to be included in the indictment. See Fed. R. Crim. P. 7(c)(1) (The indictment or information must be a plain, concise, and definite written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged ).

Second, Fox argues that Hobbs Act robberies are not crimes of violence under 18 U.S.C.  924(c)(3)(A). We held otherwise earlier this year in United States v. Anglin, 846 F.3d 954, 965 (7th Cir. 2017), vacated on other grounds by 138 S. Ct. 126 (2017). Our sister circuits which have confronted the question agree. United States v. Gooch, 850 F.3d 285, 292 (6th Cir. 2017); United States v. Hill, 832 F.3d 135, 14044 (2d Cir. 2016); In re St. Fleur, 824 F.3d 1337, 1340 (11th Cir. 2016); United States v. Howard, 650 Fed.Appx. 466, 468 (9th Cir. 2016). We reaffirm today that Hobbs Act robberies are crimes of violence under Section 924(c)(3)(A). Therefore, we affirm Fox's conviction.

C. Sentencing

Although we decline to disturb Fox's conviction, we conclude that a remand for resentencing is appropriate in light of Dean v. United States, 137 S. Ct. 1170 (2017). The parties agree on this point. Dean abrogated prior Seventh Circuit precedent that required district courts to determine the proper sentence for the [predicate offenses] entirely independently of the section 924(c)(1) add-on. United States v. Roberson, 474 F.3d 432, 437 (7th Cir. 2007). In other words, before Dean, district courts had to sentence defendants for predicate offenses as if the significant add-on sentence did not exist. Now, in fashioning a just sentence, the court may take into account the mandatory 384month add-on to Fox's sentence for the two robberies. Because this may result in a less severe sentence, we vacate Fox's sentence and remand the case for resentencing.

III. Conclusion

For the reasons stated above, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion by denying Fox's motion for a continuance to find new counsel on the morning of trial. Therefore, we AFFIRM his conviction. However, we VACATE Fox's sentence and REMAND this case for resentencing in light of the Supreme Court's decision in Dean.

FOOTNOTES

. The court declared a mistrial on the fifth count, which charged Fox with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

. We recognize, as we have before, that there is some tension between [Alleyne v. United States, 133 S. Ct. 2251 (2013)] and AlmendarezTorres, but that tension is for the Supreme Court to resolve. See United States v. Lomax, 816 F.3d 468, 47778 (7th Cir. 2016). Alleyne held that any fact that increases the mandatory minimum sentence is an element of a crime rather than a sentencing factor, and therefore must be found by a jury. Alleyne, 133 S. Ct. at 2155. And even before Alleyne, we had suggested that AlmendarezTorres is vulnerable to being overruled. See United States v. Elliott, 703 F.3d 378, 381 n.2 (7th Cir. 2012); United States v. Browning, 436 F.3d 780, 782 (7th Cir. 2006). So AlmendarezTorres may be on its last legs. See Shepard v. United States, 544 U.S. 13, 27 (2005) (Thomas, J., concurring in the judgment) (AlmendarezTorres  has been eroded by this Court's subsequent Sixth Amendment jurisprudence, and a majority of the Court now recognizes that AlmendarezTorres was wrongly decided.). But the continued authority of AlmendarezTorres is not for us to decide. Browning, 436 F.3d at 782.

Manion, Circuit Judge.
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. UNITED STATES of America PlaintiffAppellee v. Roger Cecil CHAMBERS DefendantAppellant No. 16-4301 Decided: December 22, 2017

Before SMITH, Chief Judge, MELLOY and GRUENDER, Circuit Judges. Craig Peyton Gaumer, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, Des Moines, IA, for PlaintiffAppellee. Maureen McGuire, Assistant U.S. Attorney, for PlaintiffAppellee. Roger Cecil Chambers, Pro Se. Heather Quick, Assistant Federal Public Defender, FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE, Northern District of Iowa, Cedar Rapids, IA, for DefendantAppellant.

Roger Chambers pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2252(a)(4)(B). The district court sentenced Chambers to 135 months' imprisonment. He appeals the sentence, arguing that the district court erred by: (1) applying a five-point enhancement for engaging in a pattern of activity involving sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor under U.S.S.G.  2G2.2(b)(5), and (2) adding two points to his criminal history score pursuant to  4A1.1(d) for conduct substantially related to the instant offense while serving under a criminal justice sentence. We affirm.

I. Background

In 2006, Chambers pleaded guilty to lascivious acts with a child, in violation of Iowa law. At the time, Chambers lived with his sister's family and occasionally babysat his seven-year-old niece. As summarized by the Iowa prosecutor's minutes of testimony, his niece reported separate instances of sexual abuse by Chambers. The victim described the abuse to a police officer and to the Iowa Department of Human Services. During her interview, the child told interviewers that Chambers lets her touch his body. Revised Final Presentence Investigation Report at 39, United States v. Chambers, No. 4:16-cr-00020-JAJ-CFB-1 (S.D. Iowa Nov. 16, 2016), ECF No. 44. She referred to [t]he last time this happened. Id. She also described in detail the day Chambers last babysat her:

She was at home with the defendant playing video games in the living room. Uncle Roger went to shave in the bathroom and she went to help him. Then they went back into the living room and played some more video games and then they went downstairs. While she was sorting things Uncle Roger began to film her. They went back upstairs and played more video games and watched television. During this time period, the defendant let her touch his private area several times. The first time was when they were playing video games together. The defendant asked her if he could touch her private area and she said, no, not right now. But he did touch her with his hand in her private area  She told the investigators that she took off her underwear  Her Uncle Roger also touched her private area with his fingers without her underwear being on.

Id.

When confronted by law enforcement, Chambers said that he could not remember the events of that day. He tearfully denied any memory of having touched the child's genitalia or having made the child fondle his private parts. Notably, however, Chambers told the interviewing officer that if that's what she said, I guess I did it. Id. at 41. Following his guilty plea, Chambers was sentenced to five years in state prison, followed by a lengthy parole term.

Chambers eventually was released on parole. While on parole in 2013, Chambers attracted law enforcement scrutiny. In April 2011, Chambers began working as a housekeeping aid at the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center (VAMC) in Des Moines. In January 2013, after internet activity logs revealed search terms consistent with inquiries for child pornography on one of its computers, the VA initiated an inspection of the Des Moines VAMC. The investigation led to a computer in the center's Environmental Management Services Department break room. Investigators replaced the computer's hard drive and searched the removed drive. The search discovered files containing child pornography in the internet cache folders assigned to Chambers.

In April 2013, the VA investigators removed the newly installed hard drive from the breakroom computer and again found files containing child pornography in Chambers's assigned internet cache folders. The investigation also revealed that at the time of his 2006 arrest, Iowa law enforcement had seized Chambers's laptop computer but proceeded no further at the time. Investigators went back and examined the machine. They found 86 images and one video of child pornography on Chambers's seized laptop.

When confronted, Chambers ultimately admitted to his parole officer that he accessed and viewed child pornography on the VA computer. Subsequently, the court revoked his parole. A federal grand jury then indicted Chambers on two criminal counts: (1) access with intent to view child pornography in 2013, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2); and (2) possession of child pornography in 2006, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2252(a)(4)(B), (b)(2), and 2256.

Chambers pleaded guilty to the child pornography possession charge. At sentencing on that charge, the government dismissed the remaining charge for access with intent to view. The presentence investigation report (PSR) recommended several enhancements to Chambers's base offense level, including a five-level enhancement under U.S.S.G.  2G2.2(b)(5) for engaging in a pattern of activity involving sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor stemming from the 2006 state conviction. Chambers objected, arguing lack of a pattern of activity. The district court disagreed, finding by a preponderance of the evidence that the government reliably proved that the abuse happened on multiple occasions. Sentencing Transcript at 7, United States v. Chambers, No. 4:16-cr-00020-JAJ-CFB-1 (S.D. Iowa Nov. 22, 2016), ECF No. 50. The evidence presented included the minutes of testimony and police reports, which included Chambers's own blanket corroboration of the victim's statements.

With a criminal history category of III and a total offense level of 31, the PSR calculated Chambers's Guidelines range between 135 and 168 months. The district court sentenced Chambers to 135 months' imprisonment.

II. Discussion

On appeal, Chambers renews his objection to the  2G2.2(b)(5) five-level offense enhancement. He also contends for the first time on appeal that the district court erred in assigning him a category III criminal history.

A. Sentencing Enhancement under U.S.S.G.  2G2.2(b)(5)

To support enhancement of Chambers's sentence under  2G2.2(b)(5) the government relied on the victim's testimony, the police report, and the Iowa prosecutor's minutes of testimony to establish that he engaged in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor. Chambers attacks the reliability of that evidence. He argues that the prosecutor's minutes of testimony were simply part of the charging document and were not meant to serve an evidentiary function. Additionally, he contends that the minutes were unreliable because they contained multiple levels of hearsaythe minutes were the prosecutor's summary of police reports of the victim's and Chambers's statements. Finally, he maintains that even if the evidence was reliable, his activity failed to rise to a pattern of activity, as required by  2G2.2(b)(5).

We review the district court's application of the sentencing guidelines de novo and its factual findings for clear error. United States v. Miller, 511 F.3d 821, 823 (8th Cir. 2008) (citation omitted). In sentencing, the court may consider relevant information without regard to its admissibility under the rules of evidence applicable at trial, provided that the information has sufficient indicia of reliability to support its probable accuracy.  United States v. Pepper, 747 F.3d 520, 524 (8th Cir. 2014) (quoting U.S.S.G.  6A1.3). The corroboration of a declarant's statement provides sufficient indicia of reliability to support the statement's probable accuracy. Id. (citation omitted).

[S]entencing judges have not [been] restricted to evidence derived from the examination and cross-examination of witnesses in open court but may, consistently with the Due Process Clause , consider responsible unsworn or out-of-court information relative to the circumstances of the crime and to the convicted person's life and characteristics.  United States v. Wise, 976 F.2d 393, 398 (8th Cir. 1992) (second alteration in original) (quoting Williams v. Oklahoma, 358 U.S. 576, 584 (1959)). And, [t]he commentary in the Sentencing Guidelines expressly allows reliable hearsay evidence at sentencing. United States v. Wallace, 408 F.3d 1046, 1048 (8th Cir. 2005) (per curiam) (citation omitted). Layers of hearsay may be used if corroborated. See United States v. Shackelford, 462 F.3d 794, 796 (8th Cir. 2006) (per curiam).

Here, Chambers himself corroborated the victim's statements and effectively admitted to the crime. Chambers told the interviewing officer multiple times that if [the victim] had said this happened, then it must have. Revised Final Presentence Investigation Report at 41. Averring that obviously [he had] done something [he] had no control over, Chambers nevertheless trust[ed] what [the victim] sa[id]. Id. Having accepted his victim's veracity at the time of the incident, Chambers cannot now attack her statements' reliability while simultaneously claiming no memory of the events.

Further, [t]he established practice in Iowa is  to examine the entire record, including the minutes of testimony, when determining whether a factual basis exists for a guilty plea. Velez v. Clarinda Corr. Facility, 791 F.3d 831, 836 (8th Cir. 2015) (emphasis added) (citing State v. Finney, 834 N.W.2d 46, 62 (Iowa 2013); State v. Schminkey, 597 N.W.2d 785, 788 (Iowa 1999)). Thus, contrary to Chambers's claim, Iowa courts frequently use minutes of testimony to establish factual bases for guilt. State v. Velez, 829 N.W.2d 572, 576 (Iowa 2013). The district court committed no error when it relied on the corroborated minutes of testimony. See United States v. Clayton, 787 F.3d 929, 93637 (8th Cir. 2015) (finding that the district court's reliance on minutes of testimony in conjunction with other evidence contained sufficient indicia of reliability).

Chambers next contends that even if the evidence was reliable, the government failed to establish that he engaged in a pattern of activity of child sexual abuse under U.S.S.G.  2G2.2(b)(5). He maintains that the government failed to prove that the abuse happened on more than one occasion. Moreover, only one instance of abuse occurred on the subject day. Chambers likened the child abuse to an assault episode, where a punch and kick during a fight together constitute a single assault.

Chambers is wrong. As the district court explained:

[A] pattern of activity involves the sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor means any combination of two or more separate instances of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of a minor by the defendant[,] whether or not the abuse or exploitation occurred during the course of the events, involved the same minor, or resulted in a conviction for such conduct.

Sentencing Transcript at 7. No temporal limitation restrains the trigger of this Guidelines provision. See United States v. Woodard, 694 F.3d 950, 953954 (8th Cir. 2012) (joining the First, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits in holding that  2G2.2(b)(5) contains no temporal limitation and conduct separated by 19 years could trigger the enhancement). Moreover, in the assault context, even when two offenses occurred within minutes of each other, they can be separate and distinct criminal episodes that did not result from a continuous course of conduct. United States v. Hamell, 3 F.3d 1187, 1191 (8th Cir. 1993) (citing similarly held cases in the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Tenth Circuits). [A] criminal offense is a distinct criminal episode when it occurs in a different location and at a different time. United States v. Chappell, 704 F.3d 551, 552 (8th Cir. 2013). Indeed, in the context of sentencing under the Armed Career Criminal Act, we held that under our case law, to prove that two offenses are sufficiently separate and distinct , it is sufficient (although, not necessary) to show that some time elapsed between the two [acts]. United States v. Willoughby, 653 F.3d 738, 743 (8th Cir. 2011) (citation omitted).

Here, substantial time separated the instances of abuse. The district court found by a preponderance of the evidence that Chambers sexually abused his niece on multiple occasions. Sentencing Transcript at 7. The victim referred to the last time it happened. She referred to a separate incident earlier in the day and later that day. Id. Although Chambers argued otherwise, he himself corroborated the victim's statements. In light of the testimony showing several instances of abuse, the district court did not clearly err in finding that Chambers engaged in a pattern of activity of child sexual abuse within the meaning of  2G2.2(b)(5).

B. Criminal History Category

Chambers argues for the first time on appeal that the district court erred by relying on conduct from the dismissed count to calculate his Sentencing Guidelines range. Taking this conduct into account, the district court increased Chambers's criminal history from category II to III.

Because Chambers did not preserve this error for appellate review, we review [ ] only for plain error. United States v. Pirani, 406 F.3d 543, 549 (8th Cir. 2005) (en banc). Under plain error review,

there must be (1) error, (2) that is plain, and (3) that affects substantial rights. If all three conditions are met, an appellate court may then exercise its discretion to notice a forfeited error, but only if (4) the error seriously affects the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings.

Id. at 550 (quoting Johnson v. United States, 520 U.S. 461, 46667 (1997)).

The Guidelines direct that two criminal history points be added if the defendant committed the instant offense while under any criminal justice sentence, including probation, parole, supervised release, imprisonment, work release, or escape status. U.S.S.G.  4A1.1(d). Conduct that is part of the instant offense means any relevant conduct under the provisions of  1B1.3. See U.S.S.G.  4A1.1 cmt. n.4 (Two points are added if the defendant committed any part of the instant offense (i.e., any relevant conduct) while under any criminal justice sentence   (emphasis added)); United States v. Myers, 598 F.3d 474, 477 (8th Cir. 2010) ( Conduct that is part of the instant offense means relevant conduct to the instant offense under the provisions of  1B1.3 (Relevant Conduct).  (quoting U.S.S.G.  4A1.2 app. n.1)). We have held that nearly ten-year-old conduct may be relevant conduct. See United States v. Starr, 533 F.3d 985, 1000 (8th Cir. 2008).

Relevant conduct may stem from a common scheme or plan. For two or more offenses to constitute part of a common scheme or plan, they must be substantially connected to each other by at least one common factor, such as common victims, common accomplices, common purpose, or similar modus operandi. U.S.S.G.  1B1.3 cmt. n.5(B)(i) (emphasis added). The district court may consider uncharged, dismissed, and even acquitted conduct at sentencing. See, e.g., United States v. Whiting, 522 F.3d 845, 850 (8th Cir. 2008); United States v. Bradford, 499 F.3d 910, 919 (8th Cir. 2007), abrogated on other grounds by United States v. VillarealAmarillas, 562 F.3d 892, 896 (8th Cir. 2009).

Here, Chambers objects to the district court's use of the facts underlying the dismissed charge to compute his criminal history. Chambers argues that the dismissed offenseaccessing and viewing child pornography on a work computer stationwas not relevant conduct to possession of child pornography. First, he asserts that the offenses could not be part of a common scheme or plan under  1B1.3 because the two offenses occurred seven years apart. Second, Chambers argues that possessing child pornography while at home cannot be considered substantially connected to accessing and viewing child pornography while at work. Third, Chambers argues that the sole commonality between the two eventspornographyis too general to constitute a common scheme. Lastly, Chambers argues that because the two offenses occurred seven years apart, the acts were not regular acts, nor could they constitute the same course of conduct.

Chambers's arguments are without merit. Chambers was under a criminal justice sentenceparole for lascivious acts with a childwhen he committed the relevant conduct to the instant offense in 2013. Although separated by seven years, Chambers's possession of child pornography and his accessing child pornographic material were both aimed at a common purposeviewing child pornography. Further, Chambers employed the same means to access child pornographic materials. He used a computer to search, access, and download child pornography. Chambers's conduct in each instance was substantially related through a common purpose and met the requirements of a common scheme or plan under  1B1.3.

Chambers attempts but fails to distinguish possession-of-child-pornography offenses and access-with-intent-to-view offenses by characterizing one as possessing at home and the other as accessing at work. Here, the location is immaterial. In both instances, his goal was to view child pornography. In both instances, Chambers actively sought out not just generic pornography but videos of children forced to perform sex acts.

Chambers's offense of accessing child pornography was relevant conduct to the child pornography possession offense for purposes of U.S.S.G.  4A1.1(d). Chambers committed the instant offense while serving a parole term. We find no error, plain or otherwise, and affirm the district court's adding two points to Chambers's criminal history score for the dismissed 2013 charge of access with intent to view child pornography.

III. Conclusion

Accordingly, we affirm the district court.

FOOTNOTES

. The Honorable John A. Jarvey, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.

. In Iowa, minutes of testimony are required [by] law and represent the prosecutor's summary of the evidence that [the prosecutor] expects to present at trial. United States v. Clayton, 787 F.3d 929, 933 n.3 (8th Cir. 2015) (citation omitted).

. Internet cache files are quasi-temporary files. Cached internet files remain on the hard drive until: (1) the cache directory becomes full and older files are automatically deleted, or (2) the directory is manually purged by the user or the computer system administrator. Eric Law, A Primer on Temporary Internet Files, IE Internals (March 19, 2011), https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ieinternals/2011/03/19/a-primer-on-temporary-internet-files/.

PER CURIAM.
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United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. SAMUEL DODSON, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; et al., Defendants-Appellees. No. 16-17264 Decided: December 22, 2017

Before: WALLACE, SILVERMAN, and BYBEE, Circuit Judges.

MEMORANDUM*

Samuel Dodson, a Nevada state prisoner, appeals pro se from the district court's order denying his Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b)(6) motion for relief from judgment in his 42 U.S.C.  1983 action. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.  1291. We review for an abuse of discretion a district court's denial of a Rule 60(b) motion. Foley v. Biter, 793 F.3d 998, 1001 (9th Cir. 2015). We affirm.

The district court did not abuse its discretion by denying Dodson's motion for relief because Dodson failed to show extraordinary circumstances prevented [him] from timely action to prevent or correct an erroneous judgment. Greenawalt v. Stewart, 105 F.3d 1268, 1273 (9th Cir. 1997) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted).

AFFIRMED.
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Amy Donahue, director of Marketing and Communication at River City Company, received the Professional Excellence award by the Public Relations Society of America Lookout Chapter.



The accolade is awarded to a member who is passionate about and dedicated to the communications field and consistently demonstrates high ethical standards. He or she dedicates time, resources and experience to help further the organization and industry.



"From helping coordinate downtown events to spearheading partnerships, Amy works diligently to help ensure Chattanoogas City Center is thriving," said Taylor Hartley, president of PRSA Lookout and marketing and communications director at Papercut Interactive. "Her dedication to the public relations profession and the Chattanooga community is evident in all she does."



Ms. Donahue has been with River City Company since 2012 and gives back to her community in a variety of ways, including serving on the boards of Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, the Downtown Council for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and the School of Communication Studies at the University of Tennessee Knoxville Alumni Advisory Council.

Ms. Donahue is also a 2015 graduate of the Leadership Chattanooga program along with the 2013 Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute. Ms. Donahue serves on the Marketing and Development Committee for Siskin Childrens Institute as well as the Chambers Communication Committee. She was nominated for the Young Professionals Association of Chattanooga's Corporate Innovator Award in 2015 and was named the 2017 University of Tennessee Communication Studies Alumna of the Year.